SB Nation - Wesley Johnson

'Cuse demands attention, stomps Tar Heels

SFBE.NF — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:09:21 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Get ready for the season's first shake-up in the Top 25. UNC is mortal, Cal struggles playing three hours ahead, and the Syracuse Orange are an "elite team this season," according to @ESPNAndyKatz. He's right, not only have the 'Cuse propelled them into the national picture, Wesley Johnson, at this rate, is going to garner Big East and maybe National POY consideration. Jim Boeheim's team went crazy to open the second half, ensuring victory over Roy Williams' Heels. Remember Paul Harris and Devo? Good riddance. Go get stoned and make impulsive decisions, children.

Five games into the season, the Tar Heels met their match in terms of offensive acumen, enabling a 22-1 Orange run to open the second half. There was no real answer for Johnson. If I had access to a shot chart, I could better explain his versatility. This guy can score from anywhere on the court.

As a foot note, the consolation game pitted Ohio State against Cal, playing once again without forward starter Theo Robertson. The Buckeyes win, holding Cal to under 40 percent shooting all while playing zone. Evan Turner put up 26 (as did lone Golden Bear brightspot, Jerome Randle), but played all 40 minutes along with teammates David Lighty and Jon Diebler. Coach Thad Matta is likely wondering why he let that happen, although few in Columbus will notice on the eve of the Ohio State - Michigan game.

Preseason Q&A with The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy

SFBE.NF — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:39 -0000

While relevant college basketball games don't tip off for another month, the sport will open for business this Friday! To celebrate, err... observe this exciting day, we thought it would be shrewd of us to bring in some real college basketball writers on here to shower us with words that carry much more weight than a couple of twentysomething bloggers.

To continue this Thursday, Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News is here. While Mike seemed to question a few of my questions - it in-turn resulted in some great, telling responses ranging from John Calipari's legacy to what a coach "on the hot seat" really is and why it's even something we debate over.

1. Where could we find you this summer? On the beach, at the racetrack -- or in a gym filled with DI prospects? My wife and I spent a week in August in Santa Monica - but only two of those days were beach days. In July, I was in Cincinnati, Akron, Cleveland and Las Vegas watching prospects for a total of about 10 days, along with another three days in Colorado Springs for the USA Basketball trials. So I suppose the correct answer would be "both A and C." But it's pretty obvious work takes precedence over all else.

2. What would you like to see the NCAA implement/change/get rid of, to better the overall product of college basketball? My first vote would be for an immediate reversal of the ridiculous rule the NCAA just passed regarding the draft, which limits underclassmen to a period of two weeks to decide whether to remain on the early entry list. I'll call it the "Tee-Time Rule." Coaches were having to deal with phone calls to NBA teams and agents and all those sorts of people during May and early June instead of playing golf, so they pushed for a rule change and nobody in the legislative process really paid attention to what they were signing. It's a dumb rule that will lead to more players making poor decisions about when to turn pro. How is that a good thing for anybody except the country clubs?

The most important move, though, would be to allow coaches to work with their players during summer school. It's a joke that John Calipari is making more than $4 million a year and yet NCAA rules essentially force him not to do his job in the summer. His job is to make the players in his program better, but he's not allowed to help. It's ridiculous. I thought earning a Ph.D meant you were reasonably smart. So how could so many people with advanced degrees allow such an absurd rule to remain in place?

3. OK focusing on 2009-2010, what will we remember it for after the nets are cut down in Indy? Calipari's move to Kentucky had a landscape-shifting impact on college basketball. I believe UK will be among the leading contenders for the national championship, and that's going to catch a lot of people's attention. It starts with Calipari, who so many in the media love to vilify. Then there's Kentucky's stature, which figures to be immediately restored. And John Wall should put on a few spectacular shows.

Kansas is our pick to win the national championship, but obviously they'll have some things to work through to get there. Kentucky is best positioned to grab the championship if KU does not.

4. On paper, this season appears to offer a handful of solid transfers expected to make significant contributions for their new teams. Which transfers do you like the most and are we overlooking anyone? Transfers at the big-time level generally wind up being complementary players more so than stars. When's the last time we had somebody who was a transfer become a legit All-America candidate? Tyler Smith at Tennessee, maybe, but his circumstance obviously was different than most, including the fact he did not have to wait a year to play. I'm not saying it's bad to have transfers in your program; on the contrary, I think they're great assets because the transfer has little choice but to do everything his coach says. If he doesn't, the next stop is Division II.

I think we'll see Jordan Crawford help Xavier a lot and Wesley Johnson be an important contributor at Syracuse. Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin will help Notre Dame a lot. Tom Crean loves Jeremiah Rivers at Indiana. Players who step down in class are the ones who have a chance to emerge as stars, and Tony Freeman could make that happen in moving from Iowa to Southern Illinois.

5. What are your thoughts on Kentucky? What are the rabid fans saying down there and are they expecting a national title in Calipari's first season? When he leaves, will the program be intact or fractured much like what happened at UMASS and Memphis? I wouldn't agree at all with the suggestion that Memphis's program is fractured. The roster was in rough shape, but that's because he was scheduled to lose some key veterans and many of the players he recruited to replace them, including Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins, chose to go elsewhere after Calipari left. But Josh Pastner already has recruited two top-15 prospects for the 2010 class. As much as I believe in Josh, there's no way Memphis would be landing those kinds of players if Calipari hadn't shown what was possible there. Memphis is a major program that was dwindling toward insignificance at the time Calipari arrived. He remade the place.

UMass wasn't really fractured, either, when Calipari left for the NBA. After he left, Bruiser Flint made the NCAAs in his first two years and was above .500 in league play in all five of his seasons. It was UMass that made the foolish decision to run him out after his team went 11-5 in the Atlantic 10. Calipari's departure didn't fracture that program - it was sloppy administrating that did that.

6. Speaking of programs that need to win now, what coaches are on the hot seat this season...I've never been a huge fan of these, and I'll explain why. I'm a believer that if you think you should fire your coach, you probably should fire your coach. A winning season shouldn't change that. If you've gotten the idea that your coach needs to be replaced, it certainly shouldn't be based just upon his win-loss record. It should be based on success in recruiting, whether his players perform as a unit, whether they handle themselves off the court, whether the coach connects properly with the public. That's one thing Kentucky got right in the whole Billy Gillispie deal. Too many of those areas were deficient, and instead of waiting around to see if he got the team to the 2010 tournament the school decided it needed to make a change. I think UK totally botched the hiring process in 2007, but they took a pretty reasonable mulligan in 2009.

There are factors that go into on-court success that are outside the coach's control: primarily, injuries. If an AD fires a coach who's partway through a rebuilding process because his point guard blew an ACL -- then the AD probably should be fired, as well.

7. Your premature surprise team of the season...I guess it depends on how big a surprise we're talking. I've got West Virginia winning the Big East. I think I'm the only one on the planet - the only one outside Morgantown, anyway - who's got the Mountaineers winning the league and ranked ahead of Villanova. I'm surprised so many people are walking right past the losses of Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham to pick the Wildcats. I think Villanova is strong enough in the backcourt to be a top-10 team, but the frontcourt is very young. Maybe I'll be wrong about this. If so, I'll be surprised.

8. Your premature Final Four picks...I've got Kentucky and Kansas, as mentioned, along with Michigan State and North Carolina. UNC will have the toughest time of the four getting there because of its questions at point guard. I've got West Virginia rated fifth and Texas sixth. I might have underrated Texas a bit, at No. 6, but I wasn't sure how the point guard thing would turn out for them. Jai Lucas went there to be a point guard, but I'm not totally convinced he's a true point. Avery Bradley could play anywhere on the perimeter, but is that his best position?

9. Because of the name of our blog, we ask all journalists on here to name their favorite forgotten college basketball player. What college players were you a fan of while they were in college, and then were never really heard from again? I'd say Sam Clancy. Yeah, I guess because he had a son named Sam Clancy that some people remember him a bit, but not many understand what an amazing player he was. Clancy was about 6-6 but played center for Pitt in the late '70s/early 80s and outplayed so many guys bigger than him. He had great games against Jeff Ruland and Mike Gminski. Sam couldn't shoot but was incredibly athletic and one of the most physically powerful basketball players I've ever seen. I wish more people remembered him as a player.

10. Finish this sentence: I like using twitter because... I can share links to my stories and because I come across links to other people's work that I might otherwise miss. That's what I use it for, mostly. I've even gotten comfortable saying "tweeted." I never imagined that would happen.

The 2009-10 BtB Preseason All-Transfer Teams

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:00:20 -0000

Just like with average college students, sometimes things don't go right for basketball players at the schools they originally pick. Of course, non-athletes don't have to worry about coaching changes and adjustments in role or playing time, which leads to a high percentage of basketball transfers, but athletes still have to deal with all of the normal stuff, family issues, homesickness, academics (players have transferred for dropped majors). All of these things can lead to a player to seek a new start at a different school.

A talented transfer or two can really boost a team's season. But teams that bring in too many transfers risk chemistry issues and rarely reach the levels coaches employing this tactic anticipate. (For a current example, look at Rod Barnes' Georgia State team, though his transfers have a second year to pull things together.) This post takes a look at only some of the talented players who left one Division I school for another. Since the NCAA doesn't want players hopping around from school to school, transfers generally have to sit out a season before suiting up for their new school. (They can practice with their new teams while they sit.) Most of my choices sat out last season, but there are a couple of players in my list who are eligible immediately.

One notable transfer who won't play for his new team this year is Scott Martin of Notre Dame. The wingman, a transfer from Purdue, is out for a year thanks to a torn ACL.

After the jump, I'll present my three preseason All-Transfer teams, starting with the 3rd team.

3rd Team All-Transfer

Matt Pilgrim, 6-8 F (Oklahoma State from Kentucky): Pilgrim already sat out last season after transferring to Lexington from Hampton. However, he didn't figure into John Calipari's plans and was released from his scholarship. In Stillwater, Pilgrim will play the 3, 4, and 5 spots and bolster the Cowboys' thin frontcourt.

Jeremiah Rivers, 6-5 G (Indiana from Georgetown): Rivers is the son of Doc, head coach of the Boston Celtics. He spent the last year practicing with the Hoosiers, with the hopes of taking over the starting point guard role. Rivers should be a perfect fit for an Indiana team that needs defense and toughness.

Tyrone Shelley, 6-5 G and Malcolm Thomas, 6-9 F (San Diego State from Pepperdine): Shelley led the Waves in scoring as a freshman, contributing an average of 15 points per game. That offense will be necessary for a team that lost four senior starters after an NIT semifinal appearance. He'll be joined on the Aztecs by Thomas, who also was pretty good in Malibu, averaging 12.5 points and almost 9 rebounds per outing. That's not a bad combo.

Alex Stephenson, 6-9 F (USC from North Carolina): Stephenson returned back to the Southland after a disappointing time in Chapel Hill. He simply fell behind more talented players on the depth chart. He should certainly make an impact with a Trojan side that's in need of talent.

2nd Team All-Transfer

Tony Freeman, 6-1 G (Southern Illinois from Iowa): You could just about fill an all-transfer team with the players who've left Iowa City during Todd Lickliter's tenure. Freeman is a senior and the biggest question about him is attitude. He averaged nearly 14 points a game in his last season with the Hawkeyes, but had problems with Lickliter's system. You have to question his decision to go to Carbondale to play under another defense-first coach, Chris Lowery.

Ben Hansbrough, 6-3 G (Notre Dame from Mississippi State): If you thought the Hansbrough era in college basketball was over, you'd be incorrect. Tyler's brother Ben will suit up for the Irish this year after sitting out a year. Hansbrough is a more perimeter-oriented player than his brother and will largely replace the graduated Kyle McAlarney at shooting guard.

Curtis Kelly, 6-8 F (Kansas State from Connecticut): Kelly was a highly touted recruit for Jim Calhoun who just didn't pan out. While his numbers in Storrs weren't great at all (averaging only 2 pts. and 2 boards per game), Kelly will be in a situation where he can be a star alongside Denis Clemente, Jacob Pullen, and fellow newcomer freshman F Wally Judge.

Vernon Macklin, 6-10 F/C (Florida from Georgetown): Macklin will be expected to be a big contributor to a Gator frontcourt that could be without Adam Allen (leg) and Eloy Vargas (academics). Alex Tyus and Dan Werner spent much of last year playing out of position. If Macklin can establish himself as a post presence along with Kenny Kadji, Werner and Tyus can focus more on the 3 and 4 spots.

Elliot Williams, 6-4 G/F (Memphis from Duke): Williams was granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA, as his mother is ill, so he will suit up immediately for his hometown team. Having a Memphis native on the roster should provide a little stability to a roster known for rapid fluctuations, while giving Josh Pastner a boost for his plans to draw more local players to the program. Williams doesn't really have a natural position, so expect to see him at both forward and guard.

1st Team All-Transfer

Derrick Caracter, 6-9 F (UTEP from Louisville): In a year when Memphis is down, Caracter could be a major gamechanger in Conference USA. The question is whether he's learned from all of the off-the-court issues that plagued him when he played for Rick Pitino. If he can, the combination of Caracter and returning C Arnett Moultriegives the Miners the best frontline in the league.

Jordan Crawford, 6-4 G (Xavier from Indiana): This is the guy who dunked on Lebron James. I'm not sure I need to say much more, but I will. Crawford gained good experience during his time in Bloomington, averaging just under 10 points a game with good rebounding (3.4) and assist (2.5) numbers, on a team that won 25 games. He'll be expected to contribute immediately on a team that lost C.J Anderson, Derrick Brown, and B.J. Raymond.

Wesley Johnson, 6-7 F (Syracuse from Iowa State): Johnson will replace Paul Harris at small forward for the Orange. He's a versatile player who can play both inside and outside, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim says he can be an all-Big East performer. Greg McDermott has to be wishing Johnson was still in Ames playing alongside Craig Brackens.

Jai Lucas, 5-9 G (Texas from Florida): Lucas, the son of NBA player and coach, John, returned to his home state after losing the starting point guard job in Gainesville to the now departed Nick Calathes. He'll return to the 1 spot in Austin, as he'll provide the passing, scoring, and ball security the Longhorns last had with D.J. Augustin in 2007-08.
Herb Pope, 6-8 F (Seton Hall from New Mexico State): Pope is one of three transfers who'll suit up for the Pirates this year--G Keon Lawrence from Missouri and F Jeff Robinson from Memphis are the others. Pope was the WAC's newcomer of the year in 2008, and he returns East after averaging 11 points and almost 7 points a game during his season in Las Cruces. He'll fill the power forward spot for the Hall, allowing Robert Mitchell to play in his natural position, small forward.

On Monday, I'll talk about some of the more interesting coaching changes made during the offseason. Tuesday, I'll present my Preseason All-America teams.

Poll

Which transfer do you think will have the most impact this season?

Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier

83 votes

Wesley Johnson, F, Syracuse

120 votes

Curtis Kelly, F, Kansas State

6 votes

Jai Lucas, G, Texas

21 votes

Herb Pope, F, Seton Hall

15 votes

Other (list in comments)

23 votes

268 votes | Poll has closed

MBB Recruiting Retrospective: Class of 2006

CrossCyed — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:53:56 -0000

In the third installment of "Iowa State athletics have nothing interesting going on until they announce the women's brackets", we'll take a look at the 2006 recruiting class - a class that originally included Lawrence Westbrook (now at Minnesota) and P'Allen Stinnett (now at Creighton), but was filled in a hurry by new coach Greg McDermott. As an aside, this class had two JUCOs, and three high schoolers, and none made it past two years. Que sera sera.

G Dodie Dunson

Dodie was more than serviceable as a freshman guard, and truly looked like he'd be a surefire starter down the road. He averaged just over five points a game for the Cyclones, but broke into double digits numerous times in Big 12 play. Was also developing as a shooter. Someone that would have definitely started last year and this year for the Cyclones. Now playing for the Bradley Braves after a year at Vincennes Junior College. Averaged just over 10 points a game.

F Cory Johnson

One of the leading scorers in Minnesota basketball history, Cory never really found his niche in his two years at Iowa State. He was a great shooter (when he decided to), but most people will remember him for his game against Greg Oden and Ohio State, when he challenged Oden. Always considered a hard worker, both he and the coaching staff agreed that a parting of the ways was best after last season, and he ended up at Valparaiso, where he redshirted.

F Wesley Johnson

A bit of a vagabond recruit, Wes was brought in by former Cyclone assistant coach Jean Prioleau and immediately contributed at the 3. After being moved to the off guard position his sophomore year, it was revealed he was hurt worse than previously thought. Not long after, he decided to hit the road, ending up at Syracuse. No one's really sure what went on with Wes, and why exactly he decided to transfer, but it's safe to say that this year's squad would have been much better with him.

G Corey McIntosh

McIntosh was a star in the California JUCO ranks, but he found the transition to the Big 12 to be too much for him. While he was steady while playing the point, he was hardly anything to write home about, thanks to a lack of offensive ability. He ultimately transferred to Augustana, and is now playing pro ball overseas.

G Mike Taylor

Taylor reeked of athleticism, and could almost score at will at times for the Cyclones during his junior campaign. While he was no stranger to turnovers and missed three point buckets, his assist numbers and ability to score in a hurry for the Clones made him one of the most dependable parts of the lineup. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite get his head screwed on right, and ultimately was kicked off the team. His story doesn't end there, as he bounced around, and became the first player ever drafted out of the NBDL. Now providing highlight reel dunks for the Los Angeles Clippers.

While this group may lack the star power of a Craig Brackins, it did provide four very serviceable players, with McIntosh as a reasonable bench player for any team that didn't suck. Mike Taylor is now in the NBA, while Wesley Johnson's future probably resides there as well. Cory Johnson is a quality role player for any team, while Dunson would likely have been starting these past two seasons for the Cyclones. Unfortunately, the Cyclones get an 0-fer in terms of player retention for this class, and that's leading to a lot of the problems we've been seeing lately.

Basketball Anyone? Breaking Down the Big 12: Iowa State

Zach B — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:41:22 -0000

Is football over yet? Well maybe not yet but college basketball is right around the corner. Aside from the Big East, which is in a world of it's own, the Big 12 could make an argument for the best conference in the nation. The ACC and the Mountain West conference are right there too but the top teams in the Big 12 are as good as any other conference's top squads. Just like in football, the Big 12 South will carry the conference in basketball. Only one of the preseason top teams, Kansas, is from the North side of the conference. The North will be particularly weak and part of that side is Iowa State, who will probably challenge the Buffs for the bottom of the conference. An extremely young team, the Cyclones will be bringing in six, count em', six new recruits to help bolster their team. Much like CU, the future appears to be getting brighter, but they still have some work to do.

Last Season's Results: Greg McDermott's second year at Iowa State began so promising. The Cyclones started out the year an impressive 12-6, including wins over Oregon State, Iowa, and Purdue who will be a top team in the nation this year. McDermott's squad began to fall apart in their January match up against Kansas. The Cyclones lost that game in a blowout and the wheels subsequently came off. They would go on to lose 11 of their next 13 games. They finished up 14-18 on the year, including a 4-12 record in the Big 12. Iowa State was led by three players that are no longer enrolled in the university. Jiri Hubalek led the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game. Wesley Johnson, who also averaged 12.4 points a game as well, transferred to Syracuse after the disappointing season. Senior Rashon Johnson was also a key senior for the Cyclones averaging eight points and six rebounds a game. A huge bright spot for ISU was freshman big man Craig Brackins. The youngster averaged 11 points a game and also pulled down 5 boards. It was indeed a tale of two seasons last year for Iowa State, I'm sure McDermott won't allow them to wear out once again this year.

Fresh Faces: Like I said before, there is no shortage of fresh blood for the Cyclones. They have brought in six new players, including one junior college transfer. Each player was a 3-star as ranked by Rivals and will be counted on to replace some of the scoring that graduated last year. The Cyclones loaded up in the front court, signing three power forwards and a center. Headlining the big fellas are Justin Hamilton and Jamie Vanderbeken. Hamilton, a 6'11'' center did not start playing basketball until he was 15 years old but really came on strong in the AAU circuit. He was graded an 80 by ESPN/Scouts Inc. He was offered by many smaller west coast schools, including many WCC teams not named Gonzaga Vanderbeken is expected to have the greatest immediate impact. The junior college transfer out of Tyler JC averaged 14 points and nine boards a game and led Tyler to a top-10 ranking. UConn and Ole Miss showed some recruiting interest before Iowa State got his signature. L.A. Pomlee and Clinton Mann will also find their way onto the court this season but in lesser roles. Guards Dominique Buckley and Wes Eikmeier round out the 2008 recruiting class for ISU. Buckley should make some major waves in his career at Iowa State. Before signing with the Cyclones, Buckley had some major recruiting interest including an offer from Xavier. He averaged 14 points and 6 assists a game in his senior season and was one of the top players in the state of Michigan. The future appears to be bright for Iowa State as they attempt to shake off some miscues from the past.

see more Iowa State basketball breakdown after the jump...

2008-09 Impact Players: Iowa State will go as far as Craig Brackins will take them. He had an outstanding freshman campaign in which he chalked up five 20 point scoring games. As a freshman, he started all 32 games he played in for Iowa State and finished the year with a very impressive stat line including 11 points and five rebounds. The guard play for the Cyclones should be interesting to watch this season. They planned on having Lucca Staiger available this season but a recent knee injury may sideline him for quite some time. Staiger, who was one of the top players in Germany, was declared ineligible last season because he played on a professional team in Germany but was reinstated this season. The injury will put more pressure on Diante Garrett. Garrett averaged six points and three assists a game last season and Coach McDermott needs that stat line to increase greatly. He will undoubtedly be the leader of a very inexperienced back court. The injury to Staiger will force Dominique Buckley to play early and often as well. Overall, the team is so young that any player could be the best player but what Iowa State can not afford is for the team to sink into mediocrity which is why the play of Craig Brackins will be so important.

Projected Starting Lineup: Staiger was expected to start this season but with his status up in the air, Coach McDermott will have to shake things up. I'd expect Diante Garrett and Bryan Petersen to start in the back court for sure for the Cyclones. Brackins and Vanderbeken will get the nod in the front court but there still remains one starting spot with the loss of Staiger. If I was McDermott, I would throw Dominique Buckley in the starting lineup. Just let the kid get his feet wet in the Big 12 so you can groom the future. Another guy who may become a starter is Alex Thompson who only averaged 12 minutes a game last season. As you can see, there are many question marks for Iowa State this season. Can someone call Marcus Fizer and get him back in a Cyclone jersey?

Projected Season Results: The Cyclones really have no tough match ups in their non-conference schedule. The portion that will be the most difficult will be from December 6-December 12. In that time they will face Oregon State, Drake, and Iowa...see it's really quite an easy schedule! I'd be stunned if Iowa State was over .500 by seasons end. They will likely be in the bottom two in the conference along with CU but in college basketball you just never know.

I'll be breaking down the rest of the Big 12 to get you all ready for what will surely be another great year of College basketball. I was told that I was allowed a shameless plug so if any of you are Gonzaga basketball fans, I would encourage you to check out The Kennel Report which is a Gonzaga athletics blog that I co-write.