SB Nation - Diante Garrett

Cal-Iowa State Men's Basketball Open Thread + Interview With Clone Chronicles

Avinash — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:15:10 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Can Cal's bigs contain Craig Brackins?

(To discuss the remaining college football games or the Cal-Washington game, scroll down to the postgame thread. This thread is for the basketball game only!)

Line: Cal by 8
Injuries: Robertson (questionable, gametime decision), MSF, Gutierrez, Amoke (probable, all with flu/cold)

After a tough loss to New Mexico, Cal is fast approaching must-win mode to avoid being in come-from-behind mode for the Pac-10 season. That bid kicks off with a home matchup against Iowa State in the continuing Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood series. Other than an Oregon State win yesterday, the Pac has been shut out, making it very imperative Cal wins tonight to boost the conference's image and their team's ability to beat quality big conference opponents.

This game is on ESPNU, tips off at Haas at 8 PM PST/11 PM EST. After the jump, we interview the Iowa State SBN blog, Clone Chronicles, to discuss tonight's matchup and learn more about Iowa St. basketball.

1) Tell us about your top players. Who are the Cyclones Cal fans should be worried about?

Our top players are Craig Brackins, Marquis Gilstrap, and Diante Garrett. Brackins is a 2009 Preseaon All-American who was a projected Lottery Pick in 2009, decided to come back to try to get this team to the NCAA Tournament. He's a natural 3, that has to play the 4 and 5 due to a lack of post presence. He has issues against physical players, but has a nice mid-range jumper and fade-away spin move in the post. Gilstrap is a JUCO Transfer who is true wing player in that he is a good rebounder, can score from anywhere, and attacks the hoop. Garrett is the point guard. He isn't a scorer, but great at distributing the ball, and not giving up turnovers. His A/T is 3.31 on the year.... Lucca Staiger played on the German National Team this past summer. He's a 3 point specialist, so he can't be left open.

2) How well is the offense running now? Defense?

Offense is not running well at all. This team plays much better in transition than in half court sets. They are having a tough time against physical defenses, man-to-man defenses. They play much better against the zone. Defensively, they are alright. The post defense isn't great as they've allowed a handful of easy layins, but the perimeter defense is pretty good. They do not pressure too much, so they do not pick up many steals.

3) What are the expectations going into this season for the Cyclones?

The expectations were to get to the NCAA Tournament. With 2 professional prospects in Brackins and Gilstrap, along with some starters becoming upperclassmen, along with being able to go 9-10 deep, anything short of that is a disappointment...So far this season has been disappointing, but the potential is there. This game against Cal is a must-win for the Cyclones... I think some would be ok with a NIT, but most of the top players will likely leave ISU after this year, so 2010-2011 looks to be a rebuilding year. If they do not make the dance, this would be the longest NCAA Tournament drought for ISU since the early 1980s.

4) Tell us something about Iowa State that granola-munching, tree-hugging, flag-burning heathens on the West Coast would probably not know.

Over the past 24 years, they've made the NCAA Tournament 12 times. Jeff Hornacek, Marcus Fizer, Kelvin Cato, and Jamal Tinsley played at Iowa State. Tim Floyd coached here in the mid-1990s prior to coaching the Chicago Bulls. Hilton Coliseum used to be considered one of the toughest places to play in all of College Basketball. The last time it's been truley, floor shaking hostile, was in 2004 or 2005. Winning more will cure that I think.... ISU is mostly an AG school, so of course most students hate everything that Berkeley stands for.

5) As an Iowa State fan, who do you want to punch in the face the most and why?

Not really anyone, but the closest is Roy Williams probably. Every single top recruit from the state of Iowa he has plucked for himself. The latest was #1 Recruit Harrison Barnes who is an Ames, IA native. In the later 1990s into the early 2000s, ISU had a good rivalry going with Kansas with some pretty competitive games, so some of it stems from there.

Poll

Who you got?

Another Look At Iowa State's Rebound Rate Improvement

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:32:02 -0000

A few days ago, I posted an analysis of individual stats. You can read the whole post here. Well, I realized today that I had the rebound rate formula. I wanted to repost the improvements from last year to this year thus far, with the correct calculation. On Tuesday, I will post team and all of the individual stats for November, along with my player of the month for November.

The table below is looking at the improvements from returning players year over year for Rebound Rate:

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	14%	17%	-3%
Vanderbeken	13%	12%	+1%
Hamilton	12%	12%	--
Boozer	8%	11%	-3%
Buckley	5%	7%	-2%
Garrett	5%	6%	-1%
Staiger	4%	5%	-1%

Fundamentally, I think being within 3-4% of the previous season is just variance. Nothing to be too worried about yet.

Now that I'm squared away with this, expect to see correct amounts from here on out. I just wanted to get this fix out there before going forward with more stats later this week.

'09-'10 Cyclones Basketball Analysis #2: Background And Individual Improvements Thus Far

Mark Kieffer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:37:19 -0000

In Part One of the series for this year, I talked about statistics being looked at on the team-level. That helps explain what the team as a whole is doing, but it doesn't address some of the individual players.

What I'm going to jump into on the next page are some stats for individual players I like to use, look at our individual stats for this year, and also look at the changes in these from the previous year for our returning players:

For individuals, I like to look at True Shooting % (TS%), Rebound Rate, and Points Per Weighted Shot (PPWS). There are other useful ones when evalauting positional players like Assist Ratio (for point guards), and these will be looked at from time to time as well. But for evaluating across the team, I'm just looking at how efficient the scoring is, and how efficient are rebounding is.

TS%: Shooting percentage that implicitly accounts for 3 point shots, but explicitly accounts for free throws

Rebound Rate: The percentage of missed shots rebounded by an individual while he was on the floor. In my opinion, you have to look at these amounts for each individual on the team. When there's a missed shot, only 1 guy can get the rebound. The key in my opinion is to look at the distribution across the team, before jumping to conclusions on an individual

PPWS: Created a few years ago by the Big Ten Wonk. It aims to measure how efficient a scorer is. A score of below 1.0 is considered an average scorer, while results in the 1.2 range and up mean you're having a great year.

Let's take a look at each of our players on the roster and their stats through the first five games of the year:

	G	Min/G	TS%	Rebound Rate	PPWS
Craig Brackins	5	29	58%	7%	1.16
Lucca Staiger	5	24.4	73%	3%	1.46
Marquis Gilstrap	5	24.2	58%	10%	1.16
Diante Garrett	5	23.2	57%	2%	1.17
Scott Christopherson	5	21.6	76%	3%	1.53
LaRon Dendy	1	15	64%	13%	1.28
Justin Hamilton	5	14.8	88%	7%	1.75
Chris Colvin	5	14.6	36%	3%	0.73
Jamie Vanderbeken	5	14.2	78%	7%	1.57
Charles Boozer	5	13.6	54%	5%	1.08
Dominique Buckley	5	8.2	50%	3%	1.00
L.A. Pomlee	5	5.6	47%	8%	0.95
Alex Dorr	5	3.6	61%	5%	1.21

If someone is playing a limited number of games (Dendy), you have to take the stats with a grain of salt. Same goes for players aren't logging significant time (Buckley, Pomlee, and Dorr).

Here are my takeaways from the above chart:

Hamilton, Christopherson, and Lucca are knocking down open shots. They have extremley high PPWS, and TS%. From watching these guys play, they aren't the first option in the offense. But what they have been able to do well is make open shots. When they are shooting the ball, most of the time it has been the right decision in the offense.
Brackins and Gilstrap are similar players. They have the same TS% and PPWS, while Gilstrap is the better rebounder thus far. Dendy
You see that Colvin has been struggling the most offensivley, and I think that is a fair assesment of his production thus far.
We've been a much better rebounding team, and you see a wide distribution of rebounds grabbed. The guards have lower amounts than the forwards, but across players of similar positions, no one is really dogging it too much compared to the other.
It will be interesting to see how these numbers change as we play more games. 5 games is a small sample size, and this team hasn't been challenged too much yet.

Now that we've seen how we're doing this year, let's look at areas our returning players may have improved or regressed:

TS%

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	58%	53%	+5%
Staiger	73%	55%	+18%
Garrett	58%	48%	+10%
Hamilton	88%	59%	+29%
Vanderbeken	78%	62%	+16%
Boozer	54%	53%	+1%
Buckley	50%	40%	+10%

Everybody's shooting better this year thus far. Who doesn't like that?

PPWS

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	1.16	1.06	+0.10
Staiger	1.46	1.11	+0.35
Garrett	1.17	0.96	+0.21
Hamilton	1.75	1.17	+0.58
Vanderbeken	1.57	1.24	+0.33
Boozer	1.08	1.07	+0.01
Buckley	1.00	0.80	+0.20

Everybody is making better decisions on when to shoot it. The notable improvement I think is DG. He went from being below the mendoza line, to having a nice year thus far. He's shooting it way less, but he's forcing it less, making him much more efficient with the ball. Also what's interesting is that Vanderbeken was our most efficient shooter last year. People seem to forget that he was our best 3 point shooter last year, but he can really make a team pay for leaving him open.

Rebound Rate:

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	7%	8%	-1%
Staiger	3%	3%
Garrett	2%	3%	-1%
Hamilton	7%	6%	+1%
Vanderbeken	7%	6%	+1%
Boozer	5%	6%	-1%
Buckley	3%	4%	-1%

Overall, the numbers are flat. Those movements are likely variance, as the changes are not significant.

Well, that concludes the analysis of the first five games of the season. I'll definitley be pulling these stats back out throughout the year. I will likely add a few more in as they are relevent to what I am talking about. Often times it helps to compare individuals outside of their own teams, and I will do some evaluating of notable players using these types of stats as well.

'09-'10 Cyclones Basketball Analysis #1: Background And Team Improvements Thus Far

Mark Kieffer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:35:21 -0000

It is obvious that this year's team is better than the previous years. What is interesting though are reasons that the media, "Cyclone Insiders", etc., are attributing to the results. Mostly, they are qualitative, which are OK, but I'm more of a hard stats type of a guy. I want to be able to measure changes, and use qualitative observations to explain the results, more-so than being the conclusions.

I wanted to take a look at some of the statistics to see how we can explain not only the team's improvement, but the players improvement as well.

Before I jump into the numbers, I wanted to give a little bit of background regarding basketball statistics. In short, most of the traditional ones in box scores do not tell us everything we need to know, but with putting together some of these stats, along with using research done by prominent basketball statisticians, we can put together some thoughtful numbers that explain the whole picture.

Traditionally, stats are used in terms of averages/game or averages/minute. While I use these from time to time it doesn't necessarily give the whole picture. A much better way to looking at this is per possession. The main reason being that the number of possessions can vary from game to game. In a slow tempo game, it might be great to score 75 points in a game where there are less possessions. In a more uptempo game, there will be more possessions, so perhaps 75 points is not enough as perhaps the other team is scoring 85-90.

As far as players go, we often times talk about a player scoring a certain number of points/game. But again, the amount of possessions a player is on the court for, really varies. Instead of taking what he does on a per game basis, it's better to look at what he's doing when he's on the floor.

When looking at team stats, there are 6 that I like to look at: Offensive Efficiency, Defensive Efficiency, and each of the "Four Factors". Below is an explanation of each stat:

Offensive Efficiency: Points scored per 100 possessions.

Defensive Efficiency: Points allowed per 100 possessions

The efficiency stats are tricky to calculate, but luckily Ken Pomeroy calculates this for all of the teams, on a daily basis. Below is a table that summarizes the efficiencies in 2008-2009 vs. The First 5 Games thus far:

	2008-2009	2009-10 (First 5 Games)
Off. Efficiency	101.6 (163rd overall)	105.4 (109th overall)
Defensive Efficiency	96.3 (75th overall)	85.9 (42nd overall)

When looking at the offensive numbers, it may be surprising that the change is relatively small, compared to the previous year. I think there are a few of factors going on. First is free throw shooting. Second is that a lot of the reserves are getting more minutes early on, and our offense definitley slows down when Brackins, DG, and Gilstrap are out of the game. The third is that possessions aren't actually charted but instead approximated from the box scores. There's a formula that uses field goal attempts, offensive rebounds, turnovers, and free throw attempts to approximate possessions.

When looking at the defense, the numbers may be a bit suprising. From looking at the team, I don't think we are all that great defensively. What's helping the numbers it the fact we're playing teams that do not shoot the ball well. I would expect us to allow more points/100 possessions than last year. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as we're scoring more than giving up. I'd rather have a good offensive team that is OK at times defensively, than a great defensive team that's OK at times offensively.

Four Factors

Basically a guy named Dean Oliver did some research that's widely accepted across basketball statisticians. He determined the Four Factors that lead to wins in the game of basketball. They are shooting, turnovers, rebounding , and free throws. Makes sense right? Nothing too groundbreaking here.

The main difference lies in how to measure the shooting, turnovers, rebounding, and free throws. Below is a quick explanation of each:

eFG% (40% Weighting): Effective Field Goal Percentage. It adjusts for 3 pointers, as it's worth more points. Whoever has the better eFG% at the end of the game, wins the "Shooting" Component.

TOV% (25% Weighting): Turnover Percentage. Percentage of possessions that are turnovers. Whoever has the lower TOV% wins the "Turnover" Component.

ORB% (20% Weighting): Offensive Rebound Percentage. It's the percentage of rebounds that are offensive rebounds. Whoever has the higher, wins the "Rebound" Component.

FT Rate (15% Weighting): Measures the amount of free throws attempted vs. field goals attempted. The idea here is that whoever gets to the line more, is going to have a better chance at scoring more easy baskets. Whoever has the higher FT Rate, wins the "Free Throw" Component.

Hopefully that's all straightforward. I know I've seen my fair share of Cyclones games where we did almost everything better than the other team except for shooting. Now one can understand why it's hard to overcome superior shooting.

Let's take a look at how the Cyclones have done in this areas compared to last year:

	2009-2010 (First Five Games)	2008-2009	Change
eFG%	61.5% (2nd)	50% (132nd)	+11.5%
TOV%	21.1 (164th)	18.4% (296th)	+2.7%
ORB%	40.2% (39th)	23.5% (340th)	+16.7%
FT Rate	32.6% (252nd)	28.3% (331st)	+4.3%

I think the TOV% will go down as the season goes on. Diante Garrett has done a pretty good job managing turnovers in my opinion, and we've given a lot of playing time to Colvin who's making some freshmen mistakes. As DG plays more, and Colvin improves, the TOV% will get better.

It's amazing to see how bad we were last year. I really am amazed that we won as often as we did, but as you can see, we were only mediocre at shooting last year, as opposed to bad at everything else.

So far our numbers and ranks are obviously a small sample size, but it explains how we're rolling the competition at this point... Remember at this point last year, we were coming off a loss against a horrible Hawaii team, and opened the season with a nail-biter against UC-Davis.

Pomeroy and Sagarin Ratings:

I feel like I should say something about these as well. Both Ken Pomeroy and Jeff Sagarin are respected statisticians. Both rank the teams throughout the season, based on different factors. I would say that Pomeroy is intended to show what teams have already done. It isn't a predictive model. With Sagarin, I only look at the predictor column. Sagarin takes into account other factors and aims to not only rank the teams, but also to give a user an idea of what margin of victory would be against another team.

Pomeroy Rating (as of 11/25): 41st

Sagarin Rating (as of 11/26): 48th - remember I'm looking only at the predictor. Iowa State would beat Saint Louis by 3.5, Northwestern by 8, and Notre Dame by 3.5 as well, in case you were curious of our chances this weekend regardless of opponent.

I know that's a lot of info, but I find this stuff interesting. Of course, all of this changes throughout the season, and I will be referencing these stats and rating systems throughout the year.

In my next installment, we'll shift the attention from the team as a whole, to the individual players.

MBB '09-'10 Game #5: ISU 84, TSU 53

Mark Kieffer — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:48 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

21 days ago: Iowa State's Craig Brackins (21) dunks over Tennessee State's Robert Covington during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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A lot of what happened last night at Hilton basically echos the previous games against MVSU, Chicago State, etc. The one difference that I liked about last night was that I felt like we got off to a quick start for the first time all year, opening the game on a 15-2 run.

It wasn't until the last portion of the first half, did ISU not look as good. They basically were trying to get cute out there, and that resulted in sloppy play. Alley-oops going out of bounds, bad passes resulting in turnovers, etc. To start the 2nd half, the guys didn't try to do too much, and we were back on a roll, leading as much as 39 points. Tennesee State did get a little bit going during the last 8 minutes of the game, mostly due to the fact they were playing their starters, while we were playing all of our backups.

As far as who I thought had the best game, I'd give it to Marquis Gilstrap. He finished with 18 points (7 of 9 from the floor), 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in 23 minutes of play. Brackins had a decent game also, getting 12 points (4 of 6 from the floor), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 25 minutes of play. DG also had a nice game, finishing with 11 points (7 of 9 from the floor), 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 turnover, and 1 steal. To finish the first half, DG was looking to score first instead of passing, and he put up two bad shots (the two he missed), but he fixed that later in the game.

Now the team takes the Chicago Invitational to Chicago, playing Saint Louis on Friday, and the winner of Notre Dame vs. Northwestern on Saturday. What stinks is that neither ISU game is going to be on TV it would seem, so you have to bust out the radios if you're hanging around here over the weekend.

Anyone going out to Chicago to catch the action?

MBB '09-'10 Game #3: ISU 90, Drake 70

Mark Kieffer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:25:23 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

27 days ago: Iowa State's Lucca Staiger shoots over Drake's Adam Templeton, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in Des Moines, Iowa. Staiger scored 32 points as Iowa State won 90-70. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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What a fun night to be at the Knapp Center! It was my first time attending an ISU game there, and it was a lot of fun to see the Cyclones win. In the past, there haven't been many opportunities to see the team play on the road for me. While this isn't a true "road" game, it was interesting to see the team play on a different floor, and to see the majority of the crowd rooting against your team.

As far as the game went, ISU was by far the better team. Lucca had his annual game of the year, as he took advantage of open looks from beyond the arc. He was 10 of 16 from 3 and finished with 32 points.

But for me, the MVP of this game might have been Diante Garrett, who finished with 6 points, 11 assists, 2 steals, and only 3 turnovers. He was so smart with the ball tonight. He knew when to distribute the ball, and he knew when to drive to try and make the team pay. In my opinion, if he doesn't play as well as he did tonight, guys like Lucca and Christopherson do not get the open looks that they got.

When watching the Cyclones tonight vs. on Sunday, the difference was like night and day. They were much more crisp with their passes, played less one-on-one basketball (23 assists as a team), and took advantage of what the defenses gave them. Early on, Drake was able to take Brackins out of the game, but the shoot outside shooting from Lucca and Christopherson, opened up the inside for Brackins who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

I also thought Jamie Vanderbeken did a great job staying in the post, scoring all of his points in the paint and doing a nice job on the rebounding and blocking front. Often times he roams outside, and shoots 3s. He is good at that, but on a night where Hamilton was not a good matchup, and with Dendy out with injury, Brackins needs some support down low.

Drake isn't a great team, but I was still really happy with the outcome. Josh Young was definitley not himself, which is too bad, but a win is a win. Breaking this ridiculous 3 game losing streak with Drake felt good. It was also nice to see the Cyclones take advantage of mistakes, rather than being the team making the mistakes that are getting taken advantage of.

It was a fun game to go to. I mean what's NOT fun about watching your team shoot over 50% on the floor, and over 60% from beyond the arc?

If there was one thing I'd probably complain about are the ISU fans wanting the refs to call the foul on every play. Like, when we're up by 20 with 4 or 5 minutes left in the game, does it really matter whether the refs missed a particular call? Why can't we understand that they might want to keep the game going, AND the fact that we're up by so much that there's no way we're going to lose the game?

I want to be able to enjoy a win, rather than find something to complain about. After playing 3 games in 5 days, the team takes a break tomorrow, and gets back at it later in the week in preparation against Mississippi Valley State this Sunday.

MBB '09-'10 Game #3: Drake Preview

Mark Kieffer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:53:23 -0000

Drake, Drake, Drake. I can tell you something. I absolutely HATE that we have lost three straight games to this program. It makes me sick. A couple of years ago when Drake was magical and we sucked? Ok fine, but that should be every-once-in-a-while, not every fricking year!

The game tips off at 7:00pm at the Knapp Center, and can be seen on Mediacom Connections Channel 22. It's going to look like a high school game feed, but it's better than nothing. You can also pony up some $$ and watch the game on Clone Zone.

Josh Young may miss this game, but that doesn't mean Drake would have no chance. Drake did drop 82 points without him. It was against IUPUI, but still. We are going to have to play more like Friday than we did on Sunday.

Still, it's early in the season with Drake having played one game, and they have a lot of young players. It's hard to say if this team is a good offensive team, or if it was just one good game in that respect. A guy to watch for is Arkansas-State transfer Ryan Wedel. He scored 23 and went 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

Also, Dendy is out until the Chicago Tournament. It stinks because he's a high energy guy, and that's the type of guy you want to have playing on your team on the road.

What I'm going to be looking for is how this team starts to begin the half. Both games thus far we've gotten off to a slow start, and that is a recipe for bad things when you're playing away from home. Also, we've been pretty sloppy at times. All of these things can be corrected. It's just based on focus, and not trying to do too much. Do what the coaching staff is telling you to do, play your game, and the rest of it will be taken care of.

I have confidence that these guys will be ready to go. I'm sure guys like Brackins and DG are tired of losing to this team every year they've been in the program. I hope to see some improvement, and also to see the Knapp Center full of ISU fans. I will be there doing my part, and hopefully some of you are too!

Go Cyclones!

Thoughts After Black Hills State

Mark Kieffer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:24:10 -0000

The Cyclones won 96-47, but the final score of these exhibitions really don't matter all that much, as it doesn't count against your record. To me what matters is how our guys look. You won't always know how good they will be, but you can certainly tell if they might struggle; if they're struggling against a NAIA team, who's to think you won't struggle against D1, and better yet Big 12 talent?

Quick example: Clinton Mann last year. People thought he'd step in, get in the rotation, and help the front lines with defense and rebounding. It was in our exhibition last year against Nebraska-Omaha, that I saw Mann getting boxed out by guys smaller than him. Nothing against the guy. From all accounts he's a bright guy, and he's going to get a great education at Davidson; it was just pretty clear that he had a ways to go developmentally.

You see, if you go on the message boards, you will find that a lot of guys hype up players. They're excited about the program, or are friends with some of the players, and the hype seeds are planted. The casual fans assume the guys posting have some special insight, take it to another level, and the hype machine builds. I've been there and gotten burned by it, which is why I like to go to the exhibitions: I'll see almost everybody play in a game situation, and I can make my own inferences about the players in the program.

On the next page, I'll go through how I thought each of the players did:

The Starting Five:

Here's the rundown how each of the guys that started did:

G: Diante Garrett - He played his typical game. There were some bad passes at times, but it's more due to sloppy play and trying to gel together more than anything else. His most memorable play is when he was on a fast break, he tried to dunk it and missed. McDermott had a chat with him after that. He knocked down some shots too, which was nice to see.

G: Lucca Staiger - The word was that over the summer Lucca got stronger and leaner. To be honest, he looked the same to me... Maybe his uniform is just too big? Anyhow, he knocked down some 3s, which is what he needs to do for this team. He still is limited off the dribble, as it's a turnover or near turnover everytime he does so. He was a step or two behind defensivley as well; as the guards could break him down and also dribble by him... LIke I said before, his job is to knock down the jumpers. As long as he can shoot at a good percentage and be a little more consistent than last year, I think people can live with the defensive limitations and lack of ability to create off the dribble.

F: Marquis Gilstrap - You can tell he's a scorer and that he has a ton of confidence. You can see that in the way he carries himself. He shot the ball well, and moved the ball well also. His defensive game is the area that needs the most work, but like Lucca, if he can put the ball in the hoop consistently (which by all accounts he should be able to do), there shouldn't be a problem.

F: Craig Brackins - Not a lot to say. His usual self, and I think he'll have another big year.

C: Justin Hamilton - He's just not all the way there yet. He works hard, has improved a lot, but I feel like he started last year mostly by default. I felt like when he was out of the game, the team did better defensivley and offensivley. He had an up and down scrimmage. He plays hard, tries hard, but he's getting boxed out and pushed around at times against a NAIA post player. Don't get me wrong. This guy is only a Sophomore, having only played basketball for a handful of years. He'll improve a ton this season, and will eventually develop into a player if he works hard. I just am not sure if he's ready to clock serious minutes yet. He may be in for a 10-15 minutes/game type of season, but we will see

The Reserves:

In order of guys that saw the most action.

F: LaRon Dendy - Build similar to Brackins but a little more explosive. For the most part was playing low, but took a couple of outside shots. He also showed the ability to drive off the dribble which was nice. Caught an Alley-Oop as well for a score. He was in with the first unit a lot, replacing Hamilton. The team was able to move up and down the court, and looked more smooth offensivley and defensivley. Maybe it was just luck, but there's something to be said about having athleticism on the court.

G/F: Charles Boozer - Believe it or not, I think he was the 2nd guy off the bench tonight. He didn't shoot the ball well, but he does all of the other types of things. He hustles for rebounds, does a decent job staying with his guy on defense. I like the way he plays; just wish he could shoot a little better so that he could get more playing time. Other than wearing #4 instead of #0, he didn't look much different from last year.

G: Dominique Buckley - He looks a lot more comfortable than he did last year. He was directing guys offensivley and defensivley, and just looked more like a point guard. He had a lot more confidence in determining if he was going to pass or shoot. They say the hardest position to learn in McDermott's system is the point, and Buckley is showing what a year of mostly soaking it up can do for you. Don't forget that this guy was a solid recruit, and he'll do a lot better this year.

G: Scott Christopherson - He played most of the time in Lucca's spot. He's a lot quicker than him. Has a good shot, as I think he was 3 of 4 shooting. He injured himself in the leg or groin, but re-entered the game pretty quickly. I've heard he's a good shooter. He didn't play a ton or stand out too much for me to get a whole read on him. I think he would've played more had he not injured himself. Honestly, I think he's a starter and Lucca is a reserve. I feel like Lucca has the 3 point shot, which is needed, but that's really all he can do. Christopherson is quicker, plays better defense, handles the ball better, and can drive. I think he's the better player at the 2.

G: Chris Colvin - He did better than I had expected. He spent most of the time running the point, when DG was on the court. Has quick hands. He got a steal and went on a nice fastbreak for a layup. I was impressed that he ran the point as much as he did, considering he's a natural scorer and it's a tough position. He's definitley atheltic and confident in his abilities. Looking forward to how he does on Friday, where I can hopefully post more.

F: Alex Dorr - The walk-on from Norwalk played more than I thought he might. You can tell he's a fundamentally sound player, plays good d, and has some energy. Not sure how much he will play when the season starts, but it's games like this where you get to see a little bit from guys you normally wouldn't.

G: Bubu Palo - He got some nice cheers from the crowd when he came in, and when he scored. He might redshirt, he might not. If he doesn't, like Dorr, we may not really see much from him.

Vanderbeken, Pomlee, and Oliver did not play. Vanderbeken and Pomlee were not injured, and I know that Vanderbeken was wearing street clothes for sure. Oliver was out due to illness I believe, so hopefully we can see him play a little on Friday before he likely redshirts.

Final Thoughts:

We're more athletic than last year. Almost every position is upgraded, and some of our second team players aren't too much of a step down from the first team. I saw a lot more guys trying to drive, and crash the offensive boards than we did the previous year - even against Nebraska-Omaha.
If this team is going dancing, they will need to score points. The will have to abandon some defensive skill, but this team has much more offensive upside. I am tired of seeing this team struggle to score 60, and I don't think we will have that problem this year
Don't get too amped up on the results from this game. You have to remember that we played a NAIA team. These types of games can make a lot of players look like all-stars. There's a big dropoff from the 300+ NCAA Division I teams and the NAIA teams. We still have some challenging games, we played sloppy at times, and we're still a borderline tourney team. Don't adjust your expectations based on these results. If we play well against a team like Cal, then we can talk.

I'll be at the exhibition on Friday as well, and post my thoughts similar to above for this also. It was fun to be in Hilton again, and looking forward to the upcoming season!

Iowa State Men's Basketball: The Pre-Scrimmage Preview!

Mark Kieffer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:51:00 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Coach McDermott is smiling now, because he finally has a good team. I hope we're all still smiling at the end of the year!

Browse more photos »

Warning: this is a long post. It includes almost all of my thoughts about the Men's Basketball team as we head into the scrimmage on Monday. I tried to break it up into sections so you can read what you're interested in. With the football dominating the end of the week and the weekend, I figured I would post the entire thing instead of doing it in pieces.

So here we go:

Everyone Else’s Expectations Of The Team and the Big 12:

This is what the "experts" and coaches think: Anywhere from 8th to 10th in the conference, and possibly getting an NIT bid. I don’t see it as a slap in the face, as ISU has not been relevant in basketball for several years now, and most are just going on recent history.

The Big 12 is looking much tougher than it did last year. The Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released. Three Big 12 teams made the Top 25 (KU #1, Texas #3, and Oklahoma #16), while four got votes (Oklahoma State #31, Missouri #32, Kansas State #39, Texas A&M #47). If one were to rank all of the teams, I would expect to see ISU in the 70-80 range, as no one outside of ISU is saying we’re an NCAA team.

But at the same time, we are going to be better as well. Last year we finished 9th in the conference. With the additions we have this year, staying the same, or moving up only one spot relative to the rest of the conference is going to be disappointing.

My Expectations, And More After The Jump!

My Expectations:

I expect this team to finish in the top half of the Big 12 and go to the NCAA tournament.

This is Greg McDermott’s time to show what he’s got coaching-wise. If Paul Rhoads can get a 2-10 football team into bowl contention in his first year, there’s absolutely no reason that Greg McDermott can’t put a NCAA team on the floor in year four of his tenure. I know they are different sports, but generally it takes longer to build a football program than a basketball program. Also, seeing a program fans had low expectations for do really well thus far, is only going to turn up the pressure on those same fans when they’re looking at the basketball team. I am the exact same way.

I don’t want to hear about all of his bad luck. That was then, this is now. The facts are that he’s got an All-American Forward in Brackins who passed up the NBA to come back. He’s got another Forward who has the potential to be an NBA player as well in Gilstrap. His point guard is one of the best in the conference in Assist/Turnover Ratio. He’s got a shooting guard who is going to be a professional player in Europe when it’s all said and done.

I honestly could see all of Garrett, Staiger, Gilstrap, Brackins, and Dendy playing professional ball at some level in the future. If you can’t take this team to the NCAA tournament, then you probably aren’t going to do it in the near future. 2010 is a rebuilding year, as the prospect of landing Harrison Barnes is pretty low. I have never heard of a D1 coach that has gone o-fer in NCAA bids after 4 years, and ended up doing a good job at that school.

If this were year 2 or 3, then I’d be fine with an NIT bid. It’s been too long in my opinion since we’ve made the dance, however. As Jamie Pollard said when he fired Wayne Morgan, "the basketball program should be the marquee of the athletic department".

I know I sound harsh at times, but it isn’t me setting the standard; I’m just trying to hold my expectations to the standard the athletic department has. If the AD says that basketball should be our strongest program, then damn-it, make it happen!

I’d love to see McDermott get the job done. He seems like a smart guy, he wants what’s best for his players, cares a lot about Iowa State, and is trying to do things the right way. I like all of that, but you have to win games also. If they fail to do so, many fans will have a tough time supporting the team financially. If he does get us to the tournament, and we have a great year, then my confidence in him will be restored greatly, knowing full well that it may be another year or two before we’re back in the mix again.

Projected Starters:

Below are the guys that I think would start, based on what I know and have heard. Obviously this can change, and we will have a better idea after the two scrimmages. Usually during the first scrimmage, everybody plays, as the rotation is scripted. It gives the coaches another look at different player groupings. I will be at that and watching all of the guys on the floor closely. Often times the second scrimmage is played more like a game situation. The rotation gets deeper as the game goes on because you’re typically scrimmaging a team you’re going to blow out. Based on these, my thoughts on the roster may change, and I'll do another update prior to the first game that counts.

G: Diante Garrett – Hasn’t realized his full potential, but has made some strides and looks like he’s ready to make another breakthrough. He takes care of the ball well, and him starting really isn’t in doubt.
G: Lucca Staiger – I worry about Lucca’s knee. Realize that he played about 50 organized basketball games this past summer and fall. If he’s healthy, I think he will do a better job at shooting and moving when he doesn’t have the ball. If he struggles, I’d look for both Scott Christopherson and Chris Colvin to cut into some playing time.
F: Marquis Gilstrap – Pretty obvious. He’s a JUCO stud that can score from anywhere on the floor, and can hopefully help with rebounding as well.
F: Craig Brackins – Obvious as well. Looking forward to see how he plays with all of the attention he will now garner, along with having a better supporting cast around him
F: LaRon Dendy or Justin Hamilton - Whomever starts depends on the matchup I would think. Dendy is built similar to Brackins, but may be a little more athletic. He can block shots, and move up and down the court. If we’re trying to run and get points, I think we go with Dendy. With Hamilton, he’s the only true Center that ISU has, and would be someone you put out there if you’re going at a slower tempo. He works hard, but I don't know if he's there yet. I feel like he got a lot of PT, mostly because of how thin we were in the frontcourt last year. With basketball, I always prefer the more athletic guy, especially if you don’t have to rely on him as a top scorer. Most teams do not have a true center anyways, and that’s OK.

I think a lot of people previewing this Iowa State team, think a lineup has to have 2 guards, 2 forwards, and 1 center. In reality, it’s way more flexible as you play to your strengths in college basketball. You can have lineups of 3 guards, 2 forwards; 2 guards, 3 forwards; 1 guard, 3 forwards, 1 center; etc. Heck, Oklahoma State basically played 5 guards at times last year, and they did pretty well!

The Reserves:

G: Scott Christopherson – could see him as our first scorer off the bench. If the team needs a spark, he’s the guy to go to here. After redshirting for a year, he should have a good handle on the system and know what to do.

F: Jamie Vanderbeken – He’s injured at the moment, so he’ll be slow starting. He’ll go in for any of Gilstrap, Brackins, Dendy/Hamilton. He’s a legit 3 point shooter, and I think he would do better playing more from the outside offensively. Defensively, he’s shown he can rebound and block shots I’d expect it all to depend on matchups and game situation, but he’ll get some PT when healthy.

G: Chris Colvin – I would think we’d see more of him at the 2 to start the year. From all accounts McDermott’s system is the hardest to learn for a point guard. Colvin is a scorer, and could probably benefit more with moving without the ball.

G: Dominique Buckley – I would expect him to relieve Garrett when needed to start the season. I look at him more as a point guard, and with a year under his belt, I’d expect to see him more comfortable out there.

G/F: Charles Boozer – He plays hard. How much he gets to play depends on how much he’s improved offensively. He is definitely a hustle guy, and a jack of all trades guy. He’s the guy you out there when the team needs a lift, intensity-wise. His style of play is contagious, even if he himself is somewhat limited. Last year, I thought he played well down the stretch, and for some reason McDermott scratched him, which I thought was a horrible call. If he can shoot better, I can’t see how he wouldn’t play more, even if this team is deeper.

F: L.A. Pomlee – Coming off a redshirt, he has a lot of upside. But with the team focused on winning now, I don’t see how he’ll get a lot of clock outside of garbage time.

F: Alex Dorr – He’s gotta be the 13th guy off the bench right now. I don’t know a lot about him, but he’s a walk-on. I think he’ll probably do a good job helping the team in practice, but I’m guessing we’ll see him as much as Clinton Mann and/or Cam Lee last year.

G: Antwon Oliver – He’s 2 inches taller than DG, but 15 lbs lighter. That screams redshirt to me. Needs to put on some size, if he’s going to play in the Big 12.

G: Bubu Palo – Like Alex Dorr, another walkon, and ditto the similar comments about practice. If the coaches think he could develop into a player down the road, or if they like the way he prepares the team during practice, you may see a redshirt on him. Otherwise, I wouldn’t think there is a need to use it.

Noteable Non-Conference Opponents:

The non-conference is improved over what I thought was almost a joke last year. Below is a listing of the teams we’re facing in the non-conference that you may be wondering about, or should keep a watch out for:

@ Drake: Only because we’ve lost 3 straight. The Missouri Valley coaches, have put them at 8th in the conference, so I’m hoping we finally beat this team!

Notre Dame: We will either play Notre Dame or Northwestern in Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend. I have a feeling we will play Notre Dame as they should be the better team. They are lead by Two-time All-American and Preseason Big East POY in Luke Harangody. They’re projected by the coaches to finish 8th in the Big East. In a lot of ways they are similar to ISU, in that they have some talented players but feel like they’re being underrated a little.

UNI: They got some votes in the Preseason Top 25, and are expected to win the Valley this year. They will likely be improved from last year and are a likely NCAA team, yet again.

@ California: Cal is currently ranked #10 in the Preseason Top 25 and the favorite to win the Pac 10. It’s going to be a tough, tough game.

Iowa: Shouldn’t be too concerned here. They are expected to finish last in the Big 10, and it’s being played at our place.

Houston: Expected to compete for the C-USA title and could find themselves in the NCAA tournament as well.

Duke: Enough said

North Dakota State: An NCAA team last year, but lost some guys and isn’t expected to be as good.

Overall, I don’t think it’s too tough of a schedule, as I wouldn’t expect more than 2-3 losses, but I like that we’re playing some tougher teams like Cal and Duke, as it should prepare the team for the tough conference schedule. If we could beat one of those two teams, it would do wonders for our RPI if we indeed did become a bubble team.

Other Basketball News:

Brackins is on the preseason Naismith Watch List.
It sounds like Coach McDermott has been happy with the way his team has been practicing, as he tweeted a couple of days ago.
The team has new uniforms. I think these have changed every year the past few years.
Be on the lookout for my writeup on the scrimmage on November 3rd. If any news about the team breaks, I’ll post it in the meantime.

I’m really excited to see what this team does, and can’t wait to set foot in Hilton for the first scrimmage of the year, which is on Monday, November 2nd at 7pm against Black Hills State!

What are your thoughts and expecatations as we tip off the 2009-2010 season?

BtB 2009-10 Big 12 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:10:30 -0000

With six NCAA entrants, all of whom won at least a game in the Tournament, with two reaching the Elite Eight, the Big 12 had a pretty good 2008-09 season.

Thanks to some returning star power and some high-profile recruits, 2009-10 could be a banner year for the conference.

Sure the Griffin brothers left Oklahoma, but Willie Warren is ready to turn into a star. Chinemelu Elonu may have shocked everyone by going to the NBA, but Bryan Davis could be a more than capable replacement at Texas A&M. Their archrivals, Texas, lost J.J. Abrams, but Damion James is back, and he'll be joined by McDonald's All-American Avery Bradley and the highly-touted Jordan Hamilton.

And then there's Kansas, where Cole Alrdich and Sherron Collins decided to return, the Henry brothers are now on board, and a star recruit named Elijah Johnson may struggle to see the floor.

But that's just the start of what should be a very exciting year in the Big 12. This year's league should be similar to the Big Ten in that while the bottom teams--three in the case of the XII--don't stand much of a chance at all, the remainder of the squads all have somewhat legitimate NCAA hopes. More on each team's specific chances after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Big 12 standings.

Big Twelve Conference Standings

(updated 4.2.2009 at 10:13 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Kansas Jayhawks	14	2	27	8
Oklahoma Sooners	13	3	30	6
Missouri Tigers	12	4	31	7
Texas A&M Aggies	9	7	24	10
Texas Longhorns	9	7	23	12
Oklahoma St. Cowboys	9	7	23	12
Kansas St. Wildcats	9	7	22	12
Nebraska Cornhuskers	8	8	18	13
Baylor Bears	5	11	24	15
Iowa St. Cyclones	4	12	15	17
Texas Tech Red Raiders	3	13	14	19
Colorado Buffaloes	1	15	9	22

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team's name appears in red, click the link to visit the school's SBN site for further analysis throughout the season. You can also visit Big 12 Hoops for more info and analysis.

Colorado (last NCAA: 2003) During the offseason, Jeff Bzdelik talked to the Minnesota Timberwolves about a coaching role but ultimately remained in Boulder, where he's won less than one-third of the games he's coached. This year may not be much better. The backcourt will be the Buffaloes strength, as Cory Higgins averaged over 17 points and nearly 3 assists a game, Dwight Thorne III was the team's only other player to average in double-digits (12 ppg), and Australian point guard Nate Tomlinson had a solid freshman campaign (7.4 ppg, 3 apg). The returning frontcourt players don't offer much in terms of anything, as last year's Big 12 rebounding and defensive statistics will tell you, but another Aussie, 6-11 C Shane Harris-Tunks, and 6-7 JC transfer Marcus Relphorde may be the prescription for those woes. The Buffs travel to Maui this year, where they seem destined for the consolation bracket, as they open with Gonzaga.

Nebraska (last NCAA: 1998) The Huskers had a respectable season last time around, finishing at .500 in the Big 12 and earning an NIT invitation. Neither of those results is likely for Doc Sadler's club this year, as he lost four key players from that team, including leading scorers Ade Dagunduro (12.8 ppg) and Steve Harley (10.8 ppg). Point guard Cookie Miller (7.3 ppg, 3.6 apg) transferred to Miami (OH), leaving another hole. Guards Sek Henry (8 ppg) and Ryan Anderson (7.1 ppg) lead the returnees, who are joined by a busload of newcomers. The theme of the class is size. 6-11 Puerto Rican C Brian Diaz will play after a redshirt year, and he'll be joined by two German big men, 6-11 Christopher Niemann and 6-8 Christian Standhardinger. Sadler even picked up 6-8 Quincy Hankins-Cole from the JC ranks. He's joined by his Polk State College (FL) teammate, G Lance Jeter, who is expected to bring a new dimension to the backcourt. NU will play Tulsa in the Las Vegas Classic in December, then either Nevada or BYU.

Texas Tech (last NCAA: 2007) The Red Raiders won only 3 Big 12 games last year, and Pat Knight will be counting on five new arrivals, including three JC transfers, to help improve that total. Leading scorer John Roberson is back to lead the offense. Roberson averaged nearly 14 points and more than 6 assists a game last year, so he's a pretty good building block. Senior Nick Okorie averaged 11.3 points a contest, so the starting backcourt is pretty well set. Knight may even go to a three-guard set, as JC transfer David Tairu, a former teammate of Okorie, is expected to boost the Double-T's defense. Frosh Nick Davis could be a bench scoring threat, especially outside, where the graduated Alan Voskuil will be missed. In the frontcourt, Mike Singletary (12.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Trevor Cook (7.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), and C Robert Lewandowski (6.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are all serviceable players. Two 6-6 JC transfers, Brad Reese and Theron Jenkins, will be expected to contribute immediately; however, as they give Knight some flexibility the current forwards don't offer. The Red Raiders will host the Duel in the Desert, a four-team round-robin tournament, where Oregon State figures to be their main opposition for the crown.

Baylor (last NCAA: 2008) The Bears had high hopes last year, and a 15-3 start, featuring a run to the 76 Classic final seemed to justify them. Then, the wheels came off completely. Baylor then dropped 10 of their next 12, a run that started with a six-game Big 12 losing streak. They nearly stole the league's auto bid, but fell to Missouri in the Big 12 final. Scott Drew's team then built on that momentum and reached the NIT final, which they lost to Penn State. Now Baylor will have to attempt to be more consistent without three of last year's prominent performers. Point guard Curtis Jerrells (16.3 ppg, 4,9 apg), the team's heart and soul is gone. So are F Kevin Rogers (12.76 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and guard Henry Dugat (9.4 ppg). Drew has a strong backcourt, even without Jerrells, as LaceDarius Dunn (15.7 ppg) and Tweety Carter (10.6 ppg) can both score, and Carter can do a decent job running the point (3.2 ppg). Expect freshman A.J. Walton to see some time running the offense as well. The arrival of Mark McLaughlin and Nolan Dennis means the Bears will be set at shooting guard for the next four years. Meanwhile, the frontcourt will be bolstered by 6-10 Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh, who will be supported by returnees Quincy Acy, Josh Lomers, Anthony Jones, and Fred Ellis, none of whom averaged more than 5.4 a contest last year. Baylor plays in another tournament near a Disney park this year, featuring in the Old Spice Classic in Florida, where they'll open with Alabama.

Iowa State (last NCAA: 2005) Greg McDermott hasn't had much luck in his three seasons in Ames, but he must have felt like he found a four-leaf clover and horseshoe while a shooting star flew overhead when Craig Brackins announced he was foregoing NBA millions for at least one more season. Brackins very nearly averaged a double-double last year, scoring more than 20 a game and grabbing nearly 10 boards. While the Cyclones may not have enough besides him to challenge for a conference crown, his return makes them a serious postseason threat. ISU's biggest issue is scoring, as they ranked 10th in the league last year in offensive output, and Brackins was the only player to average in double-figures. Expect the two starting guards, Diante Garrett, who very nearly averaged 10 a game, and Lucca Staiger (8.2 ppg) to step up. 6-11 Canadian Jamie Vanderbeken (5.5 ppg) should also benefit from the attention opposition defenses will pay to Brackins. McDermott also has high hopes for his two JC transfers, 6-9 F LaRon Dendy and 6-6 Marquis Gilstrap. The Cyclones will play in the Chicago Invitational Challenge, facing St. Louis in the semifinal, then either Northwestern or Notre Dame.

Missouri (last NCAA: 2009) Considering that he was losing three starters to graduation, including his two leading scorers and rebounders, you couldn't have really blamed Mike Anderson if he left Columbia after reaching last year's West Regional final. Yet, Anderson spurned the advances of numerous suitors to stay at Mizzou. Now he has to figure out how to get more out of the many returnees on the roster, none of whom matched the contributions of the departed DeMarre Carroll (16.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Les Lyons (14.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), or Matt Lawrence (9.2 ppg). The Tigers two leading returning scorers and rebounders are both in the backcourt, J.T. Tiller (8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Zaire Taylor (6.7 ppg, 3 rpg). Both also averaged more than 3 assists per game, so Anderson can rest assured that his offense will be run well. Missouri's Mr. Basketball from last year, Mike Dixon, Jr., is the point guard of the future. 6-6 Kim English averaged 6.5 points in only about 14 minutes per contest, so his numbers should increase significantly with more action, especially if he continues to shoot well from the perimeter. The frontcourt is a major concern, however, as none of the returnees even cracked 4 ppg or 3 rpg last year. Junior Justin Stafford did average 3.4 points in 9-plus minutes of action, so he could turn into a consistent performer. The fact 6-10 freshman Keith Dewitt couldn't get eligible for this season was a major blow to MU. The Tigers will play in the South Padre Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend, opening with CAA contender Old Dominion, then facing either Mississippi State or Richmond.

Oklahoma State (last NCAA: 2009) I saw the Cowboys drop two of three at the Old Spice Classic last year, and not look terribly good doing it. (They managed to beat Siena in the 7th/8th place game that was delayed by a leaky roof caused by a freak November thunderstorm.) In the end, Travis Ford's squad improved enough to win 9 league games, beat Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, and scare Pittsburgh in round two. This time around, Ford will have to run his four-guard offense without two key cogs, as point guard Byron Eaton (14.3 ppg, 5.7 apg, and 2.2 spg) and Terrel Harris (13.9 ppg, 1.7 spg) graduated. Swingman James Anderson (18.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a challenger for all-Big 12 honors, is back, as is Obi Muonelo (12.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Keiton Page (8.6 ppg), a sharpshooter who's 5-10 on a very good day, will see more action this time around. Eaton's spot at the point will probably be filled by a freshman--most likely Ray Penn. 6-6 Marshall Moses (7 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is the only frontcourt player to see significant time last year, so Kentucky transfer Matt Pilgrim will be asked to contribute immediately. The Cowboys will play in the Thanksgiving Las Vegas Invitational. Bradley will be their first opponent, followed by either Illinois or Utah.

Texas A&M (last NCAA: 2009) The Aggies easily knocked BYU out of the tournament for the second year in a row, part of one of the dreariest NCAA sessions I've ever experienced. Somehow, the Aggies are one of only six schools to win an NCAA game in each of the past four seasons, but that's a streak they may have trouble extending without C Chinemelu Elonu, who decided to go to the NBA, despite only averaging 9.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg, and swingman Josh Carter (13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg). The good news for Mark Turgeon is that just about everyone else is back, led by 6-9 Bryan Davis (10.8 ppg, 6.5 apg), who should move over to the center spot., and point guard Donald Sloan (11.8 ppg, 3.2 apg). With sophomore Dash Harris averaging 2 assists per game, while seeing only 13 minutes a contest, Turgeon could even move Sloan off the point to give himself another scoring option. 6-7 freshman Khris Middleton could be a replacement for Carter. The fact that 6-9 Kourtney Roberson won't be eligible for the Aggies is a major blow to a thin frontcourt, however. A&M will have a good idea of how they'll fare nationally after their three games in Anaheim at the 76 Classic, where they open with Clemson.

Kansas State (last NCAA: 2008) The Wildcats lost four contributors after last season, most prominently F Darren Kent (9 ppg, 5.8 ppg). but hopes are high in Manhattan. The starting backcourt is highly-regarded, in a league full of highly-regarded backcourt performers. Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen are the team's two leading scorers, averaging 15 and nearly 14 points per contest respectively, but both were equally adept at dishing the ball to their teammates, combining to average nearly 7 dimes a game. But the depth of the backcourt will be tested after Buchi Awaji and Fred Brown both left the program. Incoming freshmen Martavious Irving and Nick Russell will be expected to replace them. Frank Martin also expects big things from two other newcomers in the frontcourt, 6-9 F Wally Judge, another highly-touted recruit from the DC area and 6-8 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly. They'll join a unit led by returnees Jamar Samuels (8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Dominique Sutton (7.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Martin will hope his team will gel enough for the Puerto Rico Tip-off, where the Wildcats open with Boston University.

Oklahoma (last NCAA: 2009) Look for the Sooners to play a completely different style this year, without Blake and Taylor Griffin manning the frontcourt. The Willie Warren-led (14.6 ppg, 3.2 apg) backcourt will be the focus this time around. Warren will have to take on more of a leadership role now that Blake Griffin and point guard Austin Johnson (8.6 ppg, 3.9 apg) is gone. Expect him to not spend as much time on the perimeter this season. Tony Crocker (9.6 ppg) and Cade Davis (4.7 ppg) will be expected to take on more of the scoring load as well. In the frontcourt, Orlando Allen and Ryan Wright averaged under 2 points a contest each in very limited action, so who knows if they can adequately fill in for the Griffins. 6-9 300 pound freshman Keith "Tiny" Gallon, a big man who can shoot the ball well will see a lot of action. The Sooners head north for Thanskgiving, where Jeff Capel's men will face at least San Diego and Houston in a six-team Great Alaska Shootout field.

Texas (last NCAA: 2009) Rick Barnes has few question marks this year. Unlike the Sooners, his frontcourt is pretty well set, thanks to the return of 6-7 swingman Damion James (15.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg). James will again team up with 6-6 Gary Johnson (10 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and 6-10 Dexter Pittman (10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) to form one of the most formidable frontcourts in the college game. While Texas has three returning guards who saw significant time last season, their roles will undoubtedly diminish because of three newcomers. 5-9 junior Jai Lucas will be eligible after sitting out last year after transferring from Florida. He'll run the offense. Lucas will be joined by two highly-regarded freshmen, 6-3 Avery Bradley and 6-7 swingman Jordan Hamilton, both of whom should challenge for more than just All-Freshman honors. The Longhorns will get to showcase their old and new talent at the CBE Classic in Kansas City, where tjhey should make the final, as they face rebuilding Iowa in the semifinals. Pittsburgh or Wichita State awaits them on night two.

Kansas (last NCAA: 2009) The Jayhawks fell five points short of a regional final appearance last year, but this time around such a result would be considered a major disappointment, when you consider all that Bill Self has coming back and coming in. Sherron Collins (18.9 ppg, 5 apg) and Cole Aldrich (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg) will obviously lead the way, but the Morris brothers, Marcus (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Markieff (4.6 ppg. 4.4 rpg) should be better in their second go-round, as should Tyshawn Taylor, who nearly averaged 10 points a contest. 6-6 Xavier Henry, one of the top recruits in the country, will provide even more scoring punch to the backcourt. His brother C.J, a Memphis transfer, even came along for the ride. Another transfer, Jeff Withey, got to practice against Aldrich last year, so the 7-footer who left Arizona could turn into another force inside. In the early season, the Jayhawks will be tested by games against Memphis (in St. Louis), La Salle (in Kansas City); at UCLA, Temple, and Tennessee, and in Lawrence against California and Michigan.

As the Jayhawks are virtually everyone's preseason number 1, they'll hold the Big 12 auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. The conference should have a big presence in this year's tournament, so check back in then to see how many at-large bids I'm predicting at the start of the year.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big 12 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Player of the Year: Sherron Collins, 5-11 G, Sr. (Kansas)

Remainder of the Team
Cole Aldrich, 6-11 C, Jr. (Kansas)
Craig Brackins, 6-10 C, Jr. (Iowa State)
Damion James, 6-7 F, Sr. (Texas)
Willie Warren, 6-4 G, So. (Oklahoma)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big 12 this season?

Baylor

4 votes

Colorado

1 votes

Iowa State

2 votes

Kansas

31 votes

Kansas State

2 votes

Missouri

12 votes

Nebraska

1 votes

Oklahoma

3 votes

Oklahoma State

2 votes

Texas

74 votes

Texas A&M

3 votes

Texas Tech

1 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed