SB Nation - Josh Carter

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies (revisited)

BracketCat — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

To secure a top-four finish in the Big 12, Texas A&M will need Bryan Davis to come up strong for them. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

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This entry isn't late — it's just making a fashionable entrance.

Here's what I wrote about the Aggies back in October. Keep in mind this was right after we put 60-plus on their football team:

This week's preview probably is one of the more distasteful I will compose, perhaps only to be topped by the one for the Flaw on the Kaw. When it comes to Aggie basketball, the word "enemy" well and truly applies.

I don't know if it's because of Mark Turgeon, the Kellis Robinett of basketball coaches, or Billy Clyde Gillispie, angry drunk that he is, but something about Texas A&M actually being halfway decent in basketball just pisses me off. I don't know — maybe it's just the grudge I've been holding against the 12th Man since December 1998.

At any rate, I'm still basking in the afterglow of the absolute pwning administered to the Aggies on Saturday, so I'll strive to be as magnanimous as possible in this preview. If you're looking for more information, feel free to hop over to I Am The 12th Man, where basketball season almost certainly is under way. Anything to distract from a likely 0-3 start, right?

Otherwise, click the jump for all you need to know about Ags-ketball.

The Story So Far

Texas A&M's best wins came in the 76 Classic against then-ranked Clemson and Minnesota. Clemson eventually returned to the rankings this week, but Minnesota has yet to do so, so those wins have lost a little luster. The Aggies probably earned more respect by playing West Virginia close in a loss in that tournament.

The recent loss to New Mexico in Houston was a setback, but the Lobos are a really good team.

Otherwise, the resume consists of unremarkable wins against Angelo State, at SMU, Samford, Prairie View A&M, Akron, North Texas and The Citadel. The Aggies would be well served to net a win in Seattle tonight against Washington.

Current Texas A&M RPI: 19

The Coach

Mark Turgeon
Third Season

58-23 (17-15) at Texas A&M (as of Monday)
211-142 (103-89) overall

Bio

The Departures

Starters

Josh Carter (30.6 minutes per game | 13.8 points per game | 4.3 rebounds per game)
Chinemelu Elonu (23.8 minutes per game | 9.8 points per game | 7.3 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Denzel Bowles (5.4 minutes per game | 2.4 points per game | 1.2 rebounds per game)
Bryson Graham (2 minutes per game | 0.8 point per game | 0.3 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Bio 23.2 minutes per game \| 9.1 points per game \| 6.9 rebounds per game

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Bio 3.2 minutes per game \| 0.8 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Bio 25.9 minutes per game \| 11.1 points per game \| 3.2 rebounds per game

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Bio 24.5 minutes per game \| 5.3 points per game \| 3.3 rebounds per game

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Bio 21.5 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 21.4 minutes per game \| 9.7 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0.3 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 30.7 minutes per game \| 17.4 points per game \| 4 rebounds per game

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 1 rebound per game

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 2 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Bio 19.3 minutes per game \| 6.3 points per game \| 3.5 rebounds per game

The Redshirt

#12 James Blasczyk
Freshman Center
7-0 | 230
Houston, Texas

1.8 minutes per game | 0.5 point per game | 0 rebounds per game

The Newcomers

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Bio 14.1 minutes per game \| 4.3 points per game \| 3 rebounds per game

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 15.5 minutes per game \| 2.5 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

My thanks to the Texas A&M sports information department for the photos.

The Analysis

My October analysis, which might have been prematurely glum:

As much as I dislike the Aggies, it's hard to discount them as a force in Big 12 basketball. Over the past five years, they have been to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, made five consecutive postseason appearances and finished in the top half of the conference every year. Other than Kansas and Texas, Texas A&M is the only Big 12 team to win 20+ games during that stretch.

But while Texas A&M has been a consistent winner, it hasn't yet been a serious challenger for a Big 12 championship.

The Aggies regularly have lost to powers such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; own a two-game, regular-season losing streak to Kansas State, despite being favored in both games; and occasionally are upset by less-talented programs such as Baylor and Texas Tech. They even struggled with Colorado last year, before pulling away late.

I don't think anything will change in 2009-2010, either. In fact, I think it is more likely that Texas A&M will decline, rather than rise up, despite adding a recruiting class that hovered in and out of Rivals' Class of 2009 rankings, before finishing just outside the Top 25.

Although the Aggies lost only two significant players off last year's team, only Oklahoma lost two more significant starters. Josh Carter and Chinemelu Elonu by far were A&M's two best players in 2008-2009. Carter, a four-year starter and the Aggies' leading scorer last year, graduated, while Elonu, the team's leading rebounder who already had earned his bachelor's degree, tested the NBA draft waters and was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sloan is one of the league's better point guards and Davis should step up to fill Elonu's void as the team's leader in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Derrick Roland, who rivals Dominique Sutton and J.T. Tiller in terms of defensive intensity. He has been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, he should lock up the off-guard position all year.

Projecting the other two starters is trickier. I'm pretty sure that Nathan Walkup, who played in all 32 games last season, will figure into the equation, though. At 6-7, Walkup offers nice size at the wing position, and he probably can also hold his own in the post, in a smaller lineup.

The fifth starter probably will be situational. My projections use a traditional PG-SG-SF-PF-C lineup, so I went with James Blasczyk, a 7-footer who is the tallest player left on the roster. But Blasczyk is coming off a redshirt season and hasn't yet played a game in Division I, so it's a stretch to say he will be a consistent starter.

Holmes was the Aggies' "sixth man" last season and replaced Roland as a starter whenever the latter was out with an injury.

Dash Harris (what a great name for a point guard!) was one of the conference's most impressive freshmen last year.

He is a solid backup for Sloan and will continue to play understudy to the senior, in preparation for next year when he will be counted upon to fill Sloan's considerable shoes. David Loubeau rounds out the 7-8 players I see making up the Aggies' primary player rotation. He's a solid reliever in the frontcourt with some size (6-8, 230).

Marshall Carrell as primary backup at center is a stretch. I mainly picked him there because at 6-9, he's the tallest player (other than Blasczyk and Davis) on the roster. But he is a role player who has played sparingly in years past, and that highlights one of the primary problems the Aggies face this season. Other than Davis and maybe Loubeau, there are no experienced centers on the roster. When A&M faces frontcourts such as those of Kansas, Kansas State or Texas, they are going to be challenged and they probably won't be able to measure up, due to a lack of depth. When Davis gets into foul trouble (and he does that a lot), the Aggies will lose games.

Other than Mark Turgeon, nobody knows much about Chris Chapman, Andrew Darko, Derrek Lewis or Shawn Schepel, because they have played next to no minutes. One or more could surprise, I suppose, but there's nothing there in the track record to make you think it's imminent.

Khris Middleton doesn't really stand above the other incoming freshmen, but I liked the unconventional spelling of his name, so he rounds out the projected two-deep. Jeremy Adams, Naji Hibbert and Ray Turner complete a solid, but not heralded, recruiting class. How they develop in the years to come could indicate whether Turgeon really is a great coach, or merely is coasting with players inherited from Billy Gillispie.

Projected Big 12 Starting Lineup


Donald Sloan	Derrick Roland	Dash Harris	Nathan Walkup	Bryan Davis
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Big 12 Reserves


B.J. Holmes	Derrek Lewis	Naji Hibbert	Khris Middleton	David Loubeau
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

OK, I was wrong about the Aggies on a few fronts.

My projections of Turgeon's 10-man rotation were off because he's not using any of his traditional centers, choosing instead to go small with a three-guard lineup. So, scrap Blascyzk and Carrell, substitute Harris into the starting lineup (he's started all 11 games so far), and move Lewis (who has played sparingly) and Hibbert into the second row.

I did call Walkup as a starter when most media outlets were projecting Loubeau, though, if I might toot my own horn for a moment.

The other thing I was wrong about was the Aggies' finish. I had them in 6th place, but that assumed Oklahoma would not suck as much as they have. It's pretty clear now that Texas A&M probably is about the fourth-best team in the conference, and most likely will collect a first-round bye in Kansas City, despite my earlier pessimism.

That said, I think the Cats are a notch better against a tougher schedule and should be able to hold them off in Bramlage, and for third place in the Big 12.

Update: Less than two hours after I posted this, the Aggies lost Derrick Roland to a gruesome leg injury, likely for the season. While this is a blow for them, I will stand by my prediction because they are deep at guard and I think Davis will be the big difference between them and a lot of other teams. Look for B.J. Holmes to step into the starting role, as he did last year when Roland was plagued by nagging injuries in the middle of the season.

Big 12 preseason prediction: 5th

My predicted finish: 4th (was 6th)

Best-case scenario: 2nd (was 4th)

Against K-State?: Loss in Manhattan

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Missouri (T-9th with Iowa State)
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Recap of "Five Questions For..."

Evan Pfaff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:21 -0000

For the past 12 days we have asked “Five Questions For…” each Big 12 school. In case you missed one, after the jump you can read the questions we have for all the hoops programs in the conference.

Have more questions, or comments on the questions? Leave a comment.

Missouri

1) How can Mizzou replace the loss of DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence?

2) Can Mizzou sustain the momentum that led them to a Big 12 tournament championship and Elite Eight run last season?

3) Now that Coach Mike Anderson has a squad made up entirely of his recruits, can the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" be even better?

4) Who will step up in the frontcourt for Mizzou? Steve Moore, Laurence Bowers, Keith Ramsey, Justin Safford?

5) Will this be the year Mizzou beats Illinois for the first time in 10 years in the "Busch Bragging Rights" game?

Kansas

1) Can the Jayhawks meet preseason expectations of being ranked #1 nationally in a lot of publications?

2) Can Kansas put their offseason troubles behind them?

3) Exactly how good is freshman Xavier Henry?

4) Will Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both perform at All Big 12 levels?

5) Can anyone tell the Morris twins apart?

Colorado

1) Now that Jeff Bzdelik is in his third year, can he bring a winning season to Boulder?

2) If not, how much longer will the CU AD go on with the Bzdelik experiment?

3) Can Cory Higgins perform up to his 08-09 level, when he placed fifth in the conference in scoring?

4) Who else steps up for the Buffaloes?

5) Will the Buffaloes improve upon last season's 1-15 conference record?

Iowa State

1) Can Craig Brackins get any help, or will it again be a one man show?

2) Can the Cyclones crack the top half of the Big 12 North division?

3) Is there still "Hilton Magic" in Ames?

4) One publication listed Greg McDermott as being on the "hot seat." What does he need to do to get off it?

5) After 4 straight conference seasons with a losing record, can the Cyclones better the .500 mark this year?

Kansas State

1) Frank Martin brings the 20^th ranked recruiting class to Manhattan. How can the 5 freshmen gel with the veterans?

2) Is Denis Clemente the most fun player to watch in the conference?

3) Can 6-10 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly shore up the frontline for the Wildcats?

4) Is K-State a legitimate program again after nearly a decade of meritocracy (sans the Bill Walker, Michael Beasley year)?

5) What can we expect from freshman Wally Judge?

Nebraska

1) Last year NU was the smallest team in college basketball. This year they brought in some size, will that help?

2) Will Doc Sadler's JUCO coaching experience help the three incoming JUCO transfers adjust to division 1 basketball?

3) Nebraska hasn't had a winning record this decade. Will they go 10 for 10 in losing seasons?

4) How will the team cope with two transfers leaving Lincoln?

5) Who wins more conference games, NU football or NU basketball?

Oklahoma

1) How does Oklahoma replace Blake Griffin?

2) Can Willie Warren be "the man"?

3) Can 6-8, 300 lb freshman Tiny Gallon play big in his first year in the Big 12?

4) Does Oklahoma mind being second fiddle in the Big 12 South?

5) Will inexperience in the frontcourt hurt Oklahoma's chances of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament?

Texas

1) Who will play the majority of the year, the Dexter Pittman who dominated the end of last season or the Dexter Pittman who was essentially non-existent for the first half?

2) Is freshman Avery Bradley as good as advertised?

3) Can the team get back to its first Final Four since 2003?

4) Did Damion James make the right move in returning for his senior season?

5) Between Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas and J'Covan Brown, who will win the battle for starting PG spot?

Oklahoma State

1) Will Travis Ford's first full recruiting class bring a Big 12 championship to Stillwater?

2) With the loss of Byron Eaton, yet 4 of the top 6 scorers returning, can the Cowboys continue to put lots of points on the board?

3) How much better can James Anderson get?

4) Obi Muonelo played out of position last year. Will the right placement on the floor help the senior better his 12.7 ppg average from last year?

5) OK State will be bigger this year... but also slower. Will that hinder their ability to run with some of the Big 12 teams?

Texas Tech

1) Junior guard Mike Singletary lit up Texas A&M for a near conference tournament record 43 points last season. Will he continue to put the ball in the basket this season?

2) Will Pat Knight's second full season be an improvement over his first?

3) Is Pat Knight on the hot seat?

4) Do the Red Raiders have the personnel to match Knight's emphasis on defense this year?

5) Will all the new JUCO players pan out for the Red Raiders?

Texas A&M

1) How can the Aggies replace Josh Carter?

2) Some publications think the Aggies will finish in the top 4 in the conference. Can this team meet those expectations?

3) Mark Turgeon is in his third year in College Station. Now that he has a roster made up of mostly his guys, can the Aggies crack the upper 1/3 of the conference?

4) Will the four freshman have the impact Turgeon is hoping for?

5) The Aggies have made a school record 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Will the streak continue this year?

Baylor

1) Can the Bears rebound from the loss of 50% of their scoring and 2/3 of their assists due to graduation?

2) Coach Scott Drew can recruit, but can he coach those guys to a third straight post season tournament?

3) Can Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh be the defensive force Bears fans are expecting from the 6-10 center?

4) Did highly ranked recruit Nolan Dennis make the right decision in rescinding his verbal from Memphis and commit to Baylor?

5) Who will be the go-to guy this year, LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter or one of the freshman?

Five Questions For... Texas A&M basketball

Evan Pfaff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:15:18 -0000

In a recurring piece leading up to the start of the basketball season, we will examine the top 5 questions surrounding each Big 12 basketball team.

Today, the top 5 questions for the Texas A&M Aggies.

1) How can the Aggies replace Josh Carter?

2) Some publications think the Aggies will finish in the top 4 in the conference. Can this team meet those expectations?

3) Mark Turgeon is in his third year in College Station. Now that he has a roster made up of mostly his guys, can the Aggies crack the upper 1/3 of the conference?

4) Will the four freshman have the impact Turgeon is hoping for?

5) The Aggies have made a school record 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Will the streak continue this year?

Check back tomorrow when we will ask Five Question For... Baylor basketball.

Also check out Five Questions For...
Big 12 North: Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska
Big 12 South: Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Follow Evan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MizzouHoops

Poll

What is the most pressing question for A&M this year?

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies

BracketCat — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:30:13 -0000

Otherwise, click the jump for all you need to know about Ags-ketball.

The Coach

Mark Turgeon
Third Season

49-21 (17-15) at Texas A&M
202-140 (103-89) overall

Turgeon has a 49-21 record at A&M, the most wins by a Big 12 coach in his first two seasons at a league school. He is only the second coach ever to lead the Aggies to consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has led his teams to five 20-win seasons in the last six years.

Last season, the Aggies went 24-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Turgeon led the Aggies to a 25-11 record in his first season, the third-most wins in school history. The Aggies lost in the final seconds to top-seeded UCLA in the second round of the NCAAs.

The Departures

Starters

Josh Carter (30.6 minutes per game, 13.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game)
Chinemelu Elonu (23.8 minutes per game, 9.8 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Denzel Bowles (5.4 minutes per game, 2.4 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game)
Bryson Graham (2 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 0.3 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

The Redshirt

#12 James Blasczyk
Freshman Center
7-0 | 230
Houston, Texas

Blasczyk was named his high school district's defensive player of the year in 2008. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds as a senior; was rated among the top 50 prospects in the state by TexasHoops.com; averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks as a junior; earned three varsity letters; scored a career-best 27 points with a career-high 17 rebounds against the Dallas Mustangs in 2007 as a member of Houston Select, one the top AAU programs in the nation; and played for Houston Swoosh in 2008.

The Newcomers

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.

My thanks to the Texas A&M sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

But while Texas A&M has been a consistent winner, it hasn't yet been a serious challenger for a Big 12 championship. The Aggies regularly have lost to powers such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; own a two-game, regular-season losing streak to Kansas State, despite being favored in both games; and occasionally are upset by less-talented programs such as Baylor and Texas Tech. They even struggled with Colorado last year, before pulling away late.

Luckily for A&M, Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis did not follow Elonu's lead, and instead pulled out of the draft to return for their senior seasons. Good thing, too, or the Aggies would have lost four starters and been totally decimated. Sloan is one of the league's better point guards and Davis should step up to fill Elonu's void as the team's leader in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Derrick Roland, who rivals Dominique Sutton and J.T. Tiller in terms of defensive intensity. He has been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, he should lock up the off-guard position all year.

It's more likely that the Aggies will go with a smaller lineup when the opponent's makeup presents the opportunity. In that case, Davis would shift to the 5 and Walkup to the 4, and B.J. Holmes probably would come in as a third guard. Holmes was the Aggies' "sixth man" last season and replaced Roland as a starter whenever the latter was out with an injury.

Dash Harris (what a great name for a point guard!) was one of the conference's most impressive freshmen last year. He is a solid backup for Sloan and will continue to play understudy to the senior, in preparation for next year when he will be counted upon to fill Sloan's considerable shoes. David Loubeau rounds out the 7-8 players I see making up the Aggies' primary player rotation. He's a solid reliever in the frontcourt with some size (6-8, 230).

Projected Starting Lineup


Donald Sloan	Derrick Roland	Nathan Walkup	Bryan Davis	James Blasczyk
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Dash Harris	B.J. Holmes	Khris Middleton	David Loubeau	Marshall Carrell
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Texas A&M's track record demands that I pick them in the upper half of the Big 12. That much, at least, the Aggies have earned.

But losing Elonu was a huge blow that basically halved the frontcourt, in terms of high-level, star talent. When Bryan Davis squares off with Cole Aldrich, Craig Brackins, Andrew Fitzgerald, Keith Gallon, Damion James, Wally Judge, Curtis Kelly, Marcus Morris, Dexter Pittman and so forth, he's going to wish Elonu still was there to back him up.

Upper division? Yes. NCAA Tournament? Most likely. First-day bye in the Big 12 Tournament? I highly doubt it.

Predicted finish: 6th

Best-case scenario: 4th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Iowa State
Texas Tech
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Josh Carter Doing Pre-Draft Workouts

Beergut — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:40:36 -0000

Josh Carter worked out for the Portland Trailblazers recently. Here is what Chad Buchanan, their director of college scouting, had to say about him:

"Josh, a great catch and shoot guy, was really effective early in his career playing with Acie Law. He needs guys around him to get him shots because he’s not great with the ball, not super athletic. But you put him in the corner or put him in a stationary situation, he can really shoot the ball."

While I don't think Carter is the greatest creator with the ball, I do think he is more than just a one-dimensional shooter who can't create his own shot. I think it is a copout to say Carter was really effective because of Acie when his scoring averages and play improved after Acie left.

Carter is a good inside-outside player because of his size with an exceptional ability beyond the arc. When he is committed to driving inside, Carter's size gives him an advantage against smaller guards and some forwards. He is also a reliable free throw shooter, so when he drives and is fouled, he converts the play into points.

I really think that if there is a place for Daniel Gibson in the NBA, there is a place for Josh Carter. If he can find somone to work with him on his post game, he can be a steady contributor to someone for a long time.

Connecticut Game Review

Beergut — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:58:16 -0000

There isn't a lot to say about a game we lose by 26 points. When you open the game down 10-0, and never recover, the story is pretty much told right there. UConn was clearly the better team than we were yesterday, and they showed it all over the court. Their defensive pressure was relentless, and we struggled to get off good shots; that is to their credit.

I was unhappy about being seeded in the 8/9 game because it meant we would have to face a #1 seed, but even I didn't see this one coming. I thought we would be more competitive against UConn. We started out cold from the field, and UConn was hot, and that just exacerbated the situation. This game clearly showed how far we have to go as a program if we want to be a national championship-caliber program. The good news is, we only lose two seniors off this team, and only one starter (Josh Carter). This game will serve as valuable experience for a veteran team returning next season.

My only real beef in the game was the rough play allowed by the refs early on; it seemed that UConn could do no wrong inside the paint, and they just magically recovered every rebound, while we were called for a foul every time we breathed in the direction of a Husky. Turgeon intentionally got a technical when the foul count was 8-1 against us, and the refs started actually calling a fair game.

Our guys fought hard and kept trying to get it closer in the second half, but could never make up the double-digit deficit. I'm proud of them for never quitting, but the next step for us as a program is to get to the point where we're never in that situation in the first place.

Congratulations to the Connecticut Huskies, and I hope you go on to win the national championship.

I expect us to be a top 25 program and compete for the conference title next season. October and Midnight Madness 2009 is only seven months away.

Connecticut Preview - NCAA Tournament - Second Round

Beergut — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:50:12 -0000

The UConn team we face tomorrow afternoon is very, very good. Here is a look at their team stats:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
A.J. Price	31	31.6	4.7	11.3	41.8	2.5	6.0	41.1	2.3	3.2	72.0	0.6	2.8	3.4	4.7	2.7	0.6	0.0	1.1	14.2
Hasheem Thabeet	32	32.1	5.1	7.9	64.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.8	6.0	62.5	3.8	7.2	10.9	0.4	1.8	0.6	4.5	2.5	13.9
Jeff Adrien	32	34.8	5.2	10.3	50.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.2	5.3	60.9	3.3	6.9	10.2	1.6	1.7	0.5	1.1	2.0	13.6
Jerome Dyson	24	29.3	4.3	10.6	40.8	1.0	2.9	34.8	3.5	4.8	72.4	1.3	2.8	4.1	3.2	2.0	1.8	0.3	1.8	13.2
Kemba Walker	32	25.6	3.1	6.6	46.2	0.4	1.4	26.1	2.3	3.1	73.5	0.9	2.7	3.5	2.8	1.9	1.1	0.2	1.5	8.8
Stanley Robinson	24	23.3	3.3	6.7	48.8	0.1	0.8	10.5	1.2	2.1	58.0	2.0	3.5	5.5	1.3	1.5	0.7	1.0	1.4	7.8
Craig Austrie	32	24.6	2.2	6.3	34.3	0.9	3.1	30.6	1.9	2.4	77.9	0.6	1.1	1.7	2.3	0.8	0.7	0.3	0.9	7.1
Gavin Edwards	32	11.5	1.4	2.3	63.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.3	70.7	1.2	1.6	2.8	0.3	0.6	0.4	0.8	1.6	3.8
Scottie Haralson	15	4.4	0.5	1.8	29.6	0.5	1.7	28.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.5	1.5
Donnell Beverly	16	4.5	0.4	0.7	54.5	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.3	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.1	0.3	0.0	0.3	1.2
Charles Okwandu	10	4.5	0.1	0.4	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	50.0	0.4	0.7	1.1	0.2	0.6	0.1	0.3	1.0	0.3
Johnnie Bird	8	1.5	0.1	0.4	33.3	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.3
Jonathan Mandeldove	6	2.5	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0
John Lindner	3	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0
Jim Veronick	2	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Alex Hornat	2	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
	31	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	1.3	2.6	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Hasheem Thabeet, their center, is the key to their whole team. The team that most thoroughly dominated UConn this season is Pittsburgh, and they did it by being physical with Thabeet, and going right at him. With Davis, Elonu, and Loubeau, we have the depth to attack Thabeet inside, and force him into foul trouble. We need to focus on being physical in the post, and make him play our game. The Big East has a reputation for being one of the most physical conferences in the nation, so UConn isn't going to shy away from contact, but we need to hammer on Thabeet, and make him play physical.

Offensively, UConn is terrific, with four players who average in double-figures, but defensively they are awesome, as attested to by their 103-47 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga in the first round. Jim Calhoun's teams are defined by their defense first and foremost, and this team is no exception. Thabeet is an exceptional shot blocker in the post, so we need to focus on getting our shots out and up quickly when we go into the paint, and force him to foul us.

With Thabeet patrolling the paint, getting our outside game going with Carter/Holmes/Sloan is of utmost importance. If we can get hot frm outside, we can spread UConn out and open it up inside, isolating Thabeet in the post. Our main focus has to be on limiting turnovers, because scoring in transition is where UConn shines. Even though we dominated BYU, we still had issues with our transition defense, and you can be sure UConn is aware of this, and will try to exploit it.

More after the jump.....

If we win this game, it will be because we had fewer than ten turnovers for the game, and because we were able to get double-digit production from both Elonu and Davis inside. I'm thinking we may need someone unexpected to come up big for us, to be the hero, someone like Nathan Walkup or Dash Harris or B.J. Holmes to explode for us, and take it to the Huskies.

If we beat UConn, we will make it to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time this decade, a feat unmatched in Aggie basketball history. Here's hoping our guys are ready to make history.

BYU Game Review

Beergut — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:32:22 -0000

I apologize for the infrequency of my postings; my internet access is limited right now. Right now I'm trying to figure out why my live gameday thread for our win over BYU never posted yesterday.

In any case, there isn't too much to nitpick about when you upset someone in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies thoroughly dominated the game, the 79-66 score making the game appear closer than it actually was. Consider that the only time BYU led the game was after they made their first shot of the game for a 3-0 lead, and A&M answered with an 11-0 run that gave them the lead for good. Leading by as many as 18 points in the game, the Ags only let BYU bring it to within 8 once before they shut the door on the game.

In my game preview, I said we need to play inside-out with Davis and Elonu inside, and let Carter, Holmes, and Sloan get hot from the outside. BYU opened the game in a man-to-man defense, and we went inside to Bryan Davis immediately. Davis had four of the Aggies eleven points in that 11-0 run to open the first half, along with 1 rebound, 1 block, and 1 assist in that run. BYU switched to a 2-3 zone to try to stop our inside game, and we responded by having Sloan slash inside and kick it out to Holmes and Carter to hit threes. BYU was forced to switch back to their man-to-man defense, which again opened the middle for us.

BYU post Chris Miles was thoroughly intimidated by Davis and Chinemelu Elonu inside, so much so that he was benched for long periods of the first and second half, logging only 18 total minutes of gametime and ending up with 4 points on the day. Much like I suspected, we were a more physical team than BYU, and it showed on the court.

More after the jump....

Bryan Davis scored a season-high 21 points, to lead 5 Aggies who scored in double figures (Sloan 14, Carter 10, Roland 10, Holmes 10). Josh Carter hit two timely threes to keep the pressure on BYU, and Donald Sloan's driving and dishing (7 assists) helped us tear apart BYU's defense in an efficient manner. Nathan Walkup ended the game with only 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, but Walkup gave us some key minutes. Walkup does a lot of things that don't always show up in the boxscore, but as one person pointed out to me, he does the little things that help you extend runs and keep the lead.

Next, we face a ridiculously talented Connecticut team tomorrow. Connecticut is very good, the best team I think we've faced in tournament play in the last four years, so we'll have our work cut out for us.

NCAA Tournament - BYU Preview

Beergut — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:41:24 -0000

Well, we're in the Big Dance once again, and for the second year in a row we're playing BYU in our first round game. Here is BYU's team stats for the season:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Lee Cummard	32	32.7	6.0	11.6	52.2	1.1	2.8	38.5	3.7	4.3	86.8	1.4	4.9	6.3	3.3	1.7	0.9	0.9	2.5	16.8
Jimmer Fredette	32	33.0	5.6	11.6	48.4	1.6	4.1	38.6	3.4	4.0	85.8	0.6	2.5	3.0	4.2	2.6	1.4	0.1	1.3	16.2
Jonathan Tavernari	32	31.5	6.0	13.8	43.4	2.6	6.8	38.0	1.3	1.7	76.4	1.1	6.2	7.3	1.8	1.3	1.4	0.3	2.3	15.9
Jackson Emery	32	28.4	2.6	5.3	48.0	1.2	3.2	37.3	1.5	2.0	73.8	0.5	3.4	3.9	3.1	1.1	1.5	0.3	2.6	7.8
Chris Miles	32	22.1	2.9	4.9	58.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	2.8	52.8	1.5	2.5	4.0	1.3	1.4	0.7	0.8	2.8	7.3
Lamont Morgan, Jr.	32	16.4	1.3	2.8	46.1	0.4	1.1	41.2	0.7	1.1	63.9	0.3	1.2	1.4	1.8	1.4	0.4	0.1	1.3	3.7
Charles Abouo	32	10.9	0.9	2.3	41.1	0.3	0.7	42.9	0.8	1.3	64.3	0.4	1.5	1.9	0.4	0.7	0.3	0.1	1.0	3.0
Gavin MacGregor	18	10.3	0.9	1.4	65.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.6	57.1	0.9	1.5	2.4	0.1	0.4	0.1	0.2	2.2	2.8
James Anderson	26	7.7	1.2	2.0	56.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.7	33.3	0.7	1.0	1.6	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.6	1.9	2.5
Archie Rose	17	7.1	0.4	1.4	30.4	0.1	0.4	33.3	1.5	1.8	83.3	0.7	1.2	1.9	0.2	0.6	0.1	0.0	1.0	2.4
Noah Hartsock	26	10.7	0.8	1.5	55.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	1.0	56.0	0.9	1.3	2.3	0.3	0.5	0.2	0.5	1.5	2.2
Matt Pinegar	9	4.6	0.1	0.7	16.7	0.0	0.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.7	0.2	0.0	0.1	0.2
	32	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	1.8	3.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

As you can see, BYU is led in scoring by guards Lee Cummard, Jimmer Fredette, and G/F Jonathan Tavernari. BYU is similar to many of the three and four-guard line-ups we've seen in Big 12, in that their guards lead their offense, and they like to run the floor on offense. Where they differ somewhat from most Big 12 teams we've played is that they have a true big man in 6'11 post Chris Miles. We'll be countering Miles with Chinemelu Elonu, Bryan Davis, and David Loubeau inside.

Looking at this game, I expect us to lean on our inside game, and try to hammer BYU inside, similar to what we did last year when we played them in the first round. We have a stronger inside game than they do, and I believe we are tougher physically than they are.

More after the jump.....

I believe the key to this game, as it is in most NCAA Tournament games, will be our guard play. If we can get solid play from Donald Sloan, Dash Harris, and B.J. Holmes, we'll be fine. The Ags play best when we limit turnovers and force other teams to match our inside-outside game, and strong play from the point guard is the key.

If we can get Josh Carter, Holmes, and Sloan going from the outside, we can spread the BYU defense, and loosen things up inside for our post game. I'll be watching closely to see if Turgeon tries to go small with BYU, if they try to run on us. A big concern for me is the play of Chinemelu Elonu, because he has struggled of late. If Elonu has a strong game, I think we can win this going away.

The other player I will be watching for is Nathan Walkup; if ihe is able to come in and contribute, I think we will win this game. Walkup has disappeared at times this season because he hasn't had significant minutes on the court, but he can be deadly from beyond the arc, and give us some solid minutes on defense. If we have any foul trouble in our front line, I expect Walkup to see the court a lot.

I think we'll try to slow Currant by putting Derrick Roland on him, because Roland is our defensive stopper. If we can force the rest of their team to try to score, and neutralize Currant, we'll put ourselves in position to win this game.

I'm sure BYU remember their loss from last season, and is anxious for revenge. I don't see this being an easy game; I think it will be a fight to the end like last season, but I am similarly hopeful for our success like I was last year.

The game starts at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow and will be nationally televised; it should be a good one.

Breaking Down the Brackets: West Regional Preview

rockchalk — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:12:56 -0000

Edit: The rest of the Breakdown has been entirely completed. Read it again, folks. Well, at least the part you've yet to read.

So, basically, this is how it's going to go. Me and Denver are splitting up the Brackets, each doing two. We'll be giving brief, profile-type information on each of the teams in the Regions, top-to-bottom. Then, we'll provide even briefer previews of each of the first round matchups, with potential glances towards future rounds. At the very end, we'll each give our personal predictions on how the region should break out. It should be a grand old time.

This is only the base of our NCAA Tournament Coverage here at RCT, though. We'll also (hopefully) be doing a Q&A with someone connected with North Dakota State, we'll be doing some interesting preview-type stuff, and, of course, there will be a KenPom preview of the Bison. Oh, shoot. I forgot they were the Bison. We're going to lose.

But that's neither here nor there. Currently, we're just focused on the West Region. No Bison involved, here.

So, we have the West Regional here. The bracket with the Two #1's, UConn and Memphis, as some people are calling it. Top-to-bottom, I've heard plenty of people saying it's the hardest bracket around. Not a consensus, by any stretch, as I've actually heard all four brackets the hardest of the bunch. But, it definitely has some argument as the most difficult.

All other information in a wildly informative, incredibly awesome preview after the jump. Please click the link. Just do it...

General Information

Here, in the General Information section, we'll just be posting the basics of the Regional. Like, how many Conference Champions, how many at-larges, site of the Regional, pods within the Region, etc.

Regional Site: Glendale -- University of Phoenix Stadium

Conference Tournament Champions: 9

At-Large Teams: 7

Power Conference Teams: 11 (including Memphis)

Mid-Major Teams: 5 (1 at-large)

Pods: Philadelphia, Portland, Boise, Kansas City

Interesting Facts:

The two most winningest teams in college basketball this year are both in this bracket (Memphis, 31 wins, and Utah State, 30 wins).
The team with the worst record, Chattanooga, is in the West.

The Teams

This section is the real meat of the Breakdown, and it is self-explanatory enough. We'll just rundown each team, giving you a snippet of information about each.

#1 Seed - Connecticut Huskies

Bid: At-Large - Big East

Location (Enrollment): Storrs, Connecticut (20,846)

Record: 27-4 (15-3)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 8/3/4

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 20th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 3rd

Key Offensive Stat: Off. Rebounding % (11th)

Key Defensive Stat: FTA/FGA (1st)

Player to Know: Hasheem Thabeet - C

When the season began, Connecticut was a preseason favorite to make the Final Four, and probably second-in-line to make a run at a National Title behind North Carolina. Now, even minus their best perimeter defender in Jerome Dyson, they are in about the same position. They are incredibly athletic, and can go 9-or-10 deep, if they want. However, they usually prefer to stick to a solid, 7-man rotation, tilted towards the big men. They pound you and pound you and pound you, and the only time they've been beaten in the past two months is: a) by Pittsburgh out-physicalling them and b) getting outlasted in 6 OT's. To beat them, you will have to out-tough them.

#2 Seed - Memphis Tigers

Bid: Automatic Bid - Conference USA

Location: Memphis, Tennessee (15,000)

Record: 31-3 (16-0)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin:7/1/2

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 39th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 1st

Key Offensive Stat: 3-Point FG% (262nd)

Key Defensive Stat: eFG% (1st)

Player to Know: Tyreke Evans - G

Coming into the season, just like Kansas, they were a complete rebuilding project. And, just like Kansas, John Calipari has made lemonades out of lemons, albeit supremely talented and long lemons. That's the key to Memphis: length. They are the best defensive team in the country because every single player possess Jay Bilas' favorite attribute to the nth degree, and they know how to use it. It's nearly impossible to ever get a good shot up over all of those long-ass tree limbs. However, their offense will go through serious periods of mediocrity, so they are beatable. You just have to be money from the perimeter, as those will be the only open shots you get, quite often. If not, no matter how inept they are occasionally on offense, you're going to lose. They're that incredible on D.

#3 Seed - Missouri Tigers

Bid: Automatic Bid - Big 12

Location (Enrollment): Columbia, Missouri (30,200)

Record:28-6 (12-4)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 11/10/10

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 18th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 8th

Key Offensive Stat: Turnover % (12th)

Key Defensive Stat: Turnover % (8th)

Player to Know: Demarre Carroll - F

As the Key Stats section says, Missouri's game is all about the turnover. There's no wonder that The Boy over at Rock M Nation is so infatuated with his Ball Control Index: it is the key stat in every Missouri game. They turn you over, and rarely commit the same mistakes on their own end. It's what makes their 40 minutes of controlled chaos so freakin' hard to beat. When Mike Anderson gets "his players", code for oodles of athletes, he is one of the better coaches in the country. It all starts with Demarre Carroll, though, whose incredible athleticism allow his 6'8" frame to be at the top of their 2-2-1 press. He just may be the best player most of the country couldn't pick out of a police lineup, and that should change in March. He's my early, odds-on favorite to become the name people can't stop talking about. Not in the Stephen Curry kind of way, but in the Chris Douglas-Roberts sort of way.

#4 Seed - Washington Huskies

Bid: At-Large - Pac 10

Location (Enrollment): Seattle, Washington (30,790)

Record: 25-8 (14-4)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin:16/14/14

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 35th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 11th

Key Offensive Stat: Off. Rebounding % (3rd)

Key Defensive Stat: Tempo (6th)

Player to Know: Isaiah Thomas - G

Washington's odd, statistically. Their defense is incredible, as a whole, but none of the Four Factors are above 77th. They aren't really good at anything, they just aren't bad at anything, either. So, I put the always-significant tempo up there. It may not seem accurate, if you've seen anything of the Huskies this year, but they do push it up-and-down. That has a lot to do with quite possibly the best freshman in the country, 5'8" point guard Isaiah Thomas. He can squeak into the lane at will, and that's pretty much Washington's entire offense. Work your way into the lane, and either get off a decent shot, dish it down low to the West Coast's Tyler Hansbrough, in Jon Brockman (without all of the fluff and twice the toughness, of course) or get fouled. They usually end up at the free throw line.

#5 Seed - Purdue Boilermakers

Bid: Automatic Bid - Big 10/11

Location (Enrollment): West Lafayette, Indiana (39, 228)

Record: 26-9 (11-7)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 20/14/16

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 48th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 5th

Key Offensive Stat: Turnover % (23rd)

Key Defensive Stat: eFG% (9th)

Player to Know: Robbie Hummel - F

Geez. Catch a drift, in this bracket? The West Region is absolutely loaded up with strong defensive teams, and the Boilers are no different. No longer the Baby Boilers, Purdue is scary. Very scary. They had plenty of rough patches, but most of that had to do with injuries, most notably Robbie Hummel missing a trio of games due to a head injury. However, they're all healthy now, and ready to rock. Pro prospects abound, with E'Twaun Moore the best perimeter player, JaJuan Johnson the best interior and Robbie Hummel the all-everything outside-and-inside. But, they also have one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball in Chris Kramer, who shouldn't be overlooked. In short, Purdue is a team that I have poised to make a deep, deep run in the Tournament. They're good, folks.

#6 Seed - Marquette Golden Eagles

Bid: At-Large - Big East

Location (Enrollment): Milwaukee, Wisconsin (7,955)

Record: 25-9 (12-6)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin:35/20/22

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 9th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 56th

Key Offensive Stat: Turnover % (10th)

Key Defensive Stat: eFG% (253rd)

Player to Know: Jerel McNeal - G

When the Golden Eagles had the trio of awesomeness out on the perimeter (McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominc James), it was one thing. You could overlook their mostly shoddy defense, or lack of a true interior scoring threat, because that trio was so good. The best perimeter combination in the country, I think. But the second that James went down for the year with his broken foot, Marquette's chances in the NCAA Tournament went with it. They still have the talent to win the first game, but they just don't have nearly the depth to hang with Missouri, for example, in the second round. McNeal and Matthews are both still special, and Lazar Hayward is a wondrous third option, but that's all. And, as mentioned before, it's a piece of cake to score on them close to the basket. Feed it in to the big men, folks, and the Golden Eagles will be on their way home real quick.

#7 Seed - California Golden Bears

Bid: At-Large - Pac 10

Location (Enrollment): Berkeley, California (24,636)

Record: 22-10 (11-7)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 39/29/29

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 11th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 86th

Key Offensive Stat: 3-Point FG% (1st)

Key Defensive Stat: Turnover % (287th)

Player to Know: Jerome Randle - G

Cal, like Marquette, is another offense-first team, leaving defense for later. More specifically, they prefer the long ball, and are the best three-point shooting team in the country. By. Far. They don't shoot it non-stop, which is why their percentage can be so high (an ungodly 44%). But, when they do, odds are it's going in. Particularly if it is coming from their point guard, Jerome Randle, who is shooting 47%, or Theo Robertson, who is shooting an incredible 50%. So, cover the three-point line. But, don't hold your breath, because they can sneak into the lane at will, too. Oh, oh, and Patrick Christopher is super-duper cool, too. On defense, though, have at it.

#8 Seed - Brigham Young Cougars

Bid: At-Large - Mountain West

Location (Enrollment): Provo, Utah (34,067)

Record: 26-7 (12-4)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin:29/18/18

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 22nd

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 23rd

Key Offensive Stat: eFG% (7th)

Key Defensive Stat: Off. Rebounding & (3rd)

Player to Know: Lee Cummard - F

Balance, balance, balance. That's the Brigham Young way. Really good offense, really good defense, not a single offensive go-to-guy. Just a whole helluva lot of really good players. Cummard is the best, though, and is a virtual guarantee within 10 feet of the basket who can also slide out to three-point range. They are very, very good at not turning the ball over and getting really good looks at the basket. Making most of them. They rarely get more than one chance, though, so if they have a poor shooting day they're toast. Of course, they allow practically zero second-chance points themselves, so that's fine.

#9 Seed - Texas A&M Aggies

Bid: At-Large - Big 12

Location (Enrollment): College Station, Texas (38,430)

Record: 23-9 (9-7)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 36/52/55

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 36th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 78th

Key Offensive Stat: FTA/FGA (4th)

Key Defensive Stat: Turnover % (296th)

Player to Know: Josh Carter - G

They are really good at getting to the free throw line, and terrible at turning you over. At everything else, they are pretty much pretty-good-to-average. They beat BYU last season, but this year, it is a statistical mismatch. They just aren't that good of a basketball team. They have some decent balance, just like the Cougars, but both offense and defense are worse. They have interior depth, and they have plenty of good perimeter players, just aren't good enough as a team. They got hot at the end of the season, though, and have the potential to make plenty of noise.

#10 Seed - Maryland Terrapins

Bid: At-Large - ACC

Location (Enrollment): College Park, Maryland (37,000)

Record: 20-14 (7-9)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 54/54/53

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 73rd

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 47th

Key Offensive Stat: FTA/FGA (334th)

Key Defensive Stat: Off. Rebounding % (307th)

Player to Know: Greivis Vasquez - G

They don't deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. They just don't. Look at those rankings above. 54/54/53? Not an at-large berth, to me. But, whatever. They're in. And they are capable of making some noise. Greivis Vasquez is an incredible player, and he alone could sneak them past Cal. Beyond him, though, yikes. It's basically just a host of role players combined with a star. Yeah, not exactly an NCAA team to me. But, whatever. They never get to the free throw line, because no one is explosive enough to head towards the bucket, save Vasquez. Other than that, it's a couple of three-point shooters (Eric Hayes, Dave Neal) and Landon Milbourne, who is actually pretty good. So, he really isn't a role player. But that's it. Enjoy the trip to Kansas City, Terp fans.

#11 Seed - Utah State Aggies

Bid: Automatic Bid - WAC

Location (Enrollment): Logan, Utah (13,179)

Record: 30-4 (14-2)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 24/56/50

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 13th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency:169th

Key Offensive Stat: eFG% (4th)

Key Defensive Stat: Turnover % (325th)

Player to Know: Gary Wilkinson - F/C

You wanna play D, there, Utah State? No? Well, complain all you want about how you would have gotten left out with 29 wins, but just blame your D. Yikes. They can score with the best of them, though, making their Round One matchup with Marquette a came that should be absolutely fascinating. Seriously. Offense abound! Gary Wilkinson is a really fundamentally sound big guy who should destroy Milwaukee's rather weak frontline. Of course, Wilkinson is 26, so whatever. Oh, and watch out for Jared Quayle from three. He can hit it from out there. Anyone else scoring, you can live with. Just shut down Wilkinson and Quayle.

#12 Seed - Northern Iowa Panthers

Bid: Automatic Bid - Missouri Valley

Location (Enrollment): Cedar Falls, Iowa (12,067)

Record: 23-10 (14-4)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 56/82/85

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 57th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 127th

Key Offensive Stat: FT% (14th)

Key Defensive Stat: Off. Rebounding % (8th)

Player to Know: Adam Koch - F

Northern Iowa is a good team. They really, really limit your second-chance points, and can hit free throws with the best of them. They get to the free throw line a lot, too, so that's good. And they make a lot of shots, and don't really turn the ball over that much, and they are incredibly experienced. But they just aren't on too many team's level. To me, they're a team that is going to get rocked. But hey, like I said, they have plenty of things going for them. And if Purdue can't keep them off the free throw line, they could just upset them using free throws. Lamest. Upset. Ever.

#13 Seed - Mississippi State Bulldogs

Bid: Automatic Bid - SEC

Location (Enrollment): Starkville, Mississippi (17,824)

Record: 23-12 (9-7)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 60/60/66

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 74th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 59th

Key Offensive Stat: 3-Point FG% (84th)

Key Defensive Stat: Block% (4th)

Player to Know: Jarvis Varnado - C

Mississippi State, as a whole, isn't all that good. They have potential, and have NIT written all over them, and lost way too many bad games in the non-conference to be seriously considered for the NCAA Tournament. But Jarvis Varnado is, easily, the best center no one pays attention to. Having watched both of them play, I don't see a huge difference between Varnado and Thabeet. Of course, Thabeet is 7'3", and Varnado is only 6'9", and I'm sure that makes up a large amount of the difference. But still. Varnado is awesome. Watch him in the NCAA Tournament. Watch him. Everyone else, not named Varnado, is pretty much a three-point shooter, headlined by Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson and Barry Stewart. They bring back everyone next year, so keep that in mind. This year, though, Varnado is going to have to Superman their way past Washington.

#14 Seed - Cornell Big Red

Bid: Automatic Bid - Ivy

Location (Enrollment): Ithaca, New York (19,800)

Record: 21-9 (11-3)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 115/100/104

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 81st

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 146th

Key Offensive Stat: 3-Point FG% (6th)

Key Defensive Stat: 3-Point FG% (26th)

Player to Know: Ryan Wittman - G/F

Yes, Ryan Wittman is Randy Wittman's son. And yes, Ryan Wittman is a BCS-level athlete. Dude can hit the three with the best of them, representative of the rest of their team. They shoot threes. And they make it just about all of the time. Wittman is shooting 42%, Geoff Reeves is shooting 42% and Chris Wroblewski is shooting 45%. No matter how many solid defenders you have, one of those guys is going to be open and ready to cock-and-fire. And, don't forget about Louis Dale, their best player. He was hurt for the beginning of the year, but is now healthy and back in action. Watch out. No matter what mpfische says, I think the Big Red are dangerous. They scare me. I'm glad we ain't playing them.

#15 Seed - Cal State Northridge Matadors

Bid: Automatic Bid - Big West

Location (Enrollment): Los Angeles, California (26,854)

Record: 17-13 (11-5)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin:127/104/105

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 179th

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 61st

Key Offensive Stat: Turnover % (324th)

Key Defensive Stat: Turnover % (24th)

Player to Know: Josh Jenkins - G

The first team in this bracket I really know nothing about. I did watch their Big West Championship, and they are deep more than anything. They have a bunch of players, all of which can break out and be stars for a day. And, finally, we've got a defensive-first team beyond the top 5 seeds. Combined with Memphis' sketchy offense, and this game figures to be hella low-scoring. Although, I highly doubt that Northridge can even get over 50 points. Honestly. They'll have to be draining from long range, or no way.

#16 Seed - Chattanooga Mocs

Bid: Automatic Bid - Southern

Location (Enrollment): Chattanooga, Tennessee (9,002)

Record: 18-16 (11-9)

RPI/KenPom/Sagarin: 174/213/223

KenPom Adj. Offensive Efficiency: 132nd

KenPom Adj. Defensive Efficiency: 288th

Key Offensive Stat: FTA/FGA (5th)

Key Defensive Stat: eFG% (307th)

Player to Know: Stephen McDowell -- G

Enjoy the moment, Terrell Owens. Your alma mater's stay in the NCAA Tournament will be, without a doubt, the shortest stay of all. Honestly, I'm absolutely shocked they aren't in the play-in game. But, alas, they aren't. So, enjoy knowing the opponent who will beat you down for awhile. They don't really know what defense is, and while their offense has some solid players, it ain't pretty. McDowell, actually, is awesome. Really good player who can both drive consistently and hit the three. Impressive. And Nicchaeus Doaks draws fouls with the best of 'em. But, that's it. And, like I said, don't get me started on the defense.

The Matchups, Etc. -- Upcoming

This will just provide a cursory preview of each of the first round games. Time-dependent, I may preview every round before it happens. That's the goal, but who knows just how much time I'll have.

#1 Connecticut Huskies vs. #16 Chattanooga Mocs

What To Watch: Second-Chance Points -- UConn's defense is far too incredible for the Mocs to do much of anything straight up. So, for them to stand a chance, they are going to need to get 2, 3, 4 opportunities every time down. UConn's defensive rebounding capabilities, despite the immense height they posses, is a relative weakness compared to other parts, so it isn't impossible. And, on the flip side, if Hasheem Thabeet gets much of anything second-chance-related, game over.

Chattanooga Will Win If: They can't miss -- That's about what it's going to take. They aren't particularly impressive at anything, and probably deserved the Play-In game. They are going to all have career days, particularly from three, or they'll get run out of the gym.

Connecticut Will Win If: They show up. -- All UConn has to do is show up to the game, give a C+ effort for the first half and start looking ahead to the winner of BYU and Texas A&M on Saturday.

Player to Watch: Hasheem Thabeet (C, UConn) -- The tallest player that sees action for the Mocs is 6'8" Khalil Hartwell. However, they do have a 7'1" player, Jeremy Saffore, and he should see some time if only to match Thabeet's height. But, even when Jeremy Saffore is out on the floor, dude isn't quite at the same level as Thabeet. Thabeet should be able to draw fouls by the dozens and pick up countless dunks. If UConn told the Moc defenders they were planning on checking it down low to Hasheem, they still might score enough to win.

KenPom's Prediction: Uconn 87 Chattanooga 52 (98% probability UConn wins)

#8 Brigham Young Cougars vs. #9 Texas A&M Aggies

What to Watch: Texas A&M's Offensive Rebounds -- The Aggies aren't incredible at the offensive glass, but they need at least some production there to be successful. They don't have enough explosiveness out on the perimeter to be capable of living without it. However, BYU protects the defensive glass as well as anyone in the country. If A&M can't get anything going, they are going to have to be on fire from their other favorite place to score: the free throw line. And, get the necessary calls to get the trips. Otherwise, they'll be held under 60.

Texas A&M Will Win If: The refs call a close game -- ATM's offense is disproportionally dependent on the freebies. If the refs are blowing whistles like it's going out of style, and Texas A&M's better free throw shooters are receiving repeated trips to the line (Josh Carter, B.J. Holmes and Donald Sloan), then the Aggies have a pretty decent shot. If the refs are letting them play, and the Ags are actually required to finish at the bucket, watch out.

BYU Will Win If: They don't turn it over -- They are just about as efficient as they get on offense. They find open shots, they take open shots, they make open shots. Simple as that. And, they rarely, if ever, turn the ball over. But if you take that element out of the equation, it's an entirely different ball game. They are just about required to hit those open looks, because they don't have the excess turnover-free possessions in reserve to back them up. So, take control of the ball, against an absolutely brutal A&M defense at forcing you to turn it over, and you should be fine.

Player to Watch: Josh Carter (G/F, Texas A&M) -- If the Ags are going to pull off the miniest of upsets, Carter is going to have to show up in a huge way. Not only must he be 'on' from long range, providing them some semblance of an offense from way out there, he must also play really good D on Jonathan Tavernari, a 6'6" sharpshooter for the Cougs. Carter needs to win his battle, by a lot most likely, against Tavernari for Turgeon's squad to advance.

KenPom Prediction: BYU 75 Texas A&M 69 (71% probability BYU wins)

#5 Purdue Boilermakers vs. #12 Northern Iowa Panthers

What to Watch: Chris Kramer's Defense -- UNI has two really awesome perimeter players. Chris Kramer, the Big 10's Defensive Player of the Year, can only guard one of them. Whoever is left over, whether it be (wait for these names) Kwadzo Ahelegbe or Ali Farokhmanesh, absolutely must take advantage. If Kramer can effectively shut down one of them, as I expect, the other one needs to be on fire. He, most likely Farokmanesh, must be hitting from three, driving and dishing, leading his team. Because when Kramer sticks on you, watch the hell out.

Northern Iowa Will Win If: It can slow it down -- Northern Iowa, in typical Big 10/11 fashion, loves to slow you down. They are one of the slowest teams in the country, and move beyond their general lack of talent and athleticism by simply limiting the number of possessions in a game, then capitalizing with sound judgement on these limited possessions. And yes, I understand that Purdue is in the Big 10, and that means they had to sign a contract promising never to run a fast break. Still, they are one of the faster teams in the Big 10, and would probably prefer to get out and run and display their athleticism. So, if the Panthers can slow it down, it might actually hurt the Big 10 team. You don't hear that everyday.

Purdue Will Win If: Shut Down the Interior -- Also like your typical Big 10 team, Northern Iowa works inside-out. They like pounding it into their 7'1" center, Jordan Eglseder (more on him in a second), and having him work the ball out. Or, they like giving it to Adam Koch even more, and letting him either drive or dish it out or shoot. In some ways, Koch is like Robbie Hummel, except he can't shoot threes. But we're getting off track. The key is, Northern Iowa shoots quite a few threes, but they aren't all that good at them. Particularly if their name isn't Farokhmanesh. So, make them beat you from long distance. If it happens, whatever. They still might play well enough offensively to win.

Player to Watch: Jorden Eglseder (Northern Iowa, C) -- I watched the Missouri Valley Championship game, one of the best games I've seen all year. And, the color commentator, Bob Wenzel I believe, continued to mention the difference between Eglseder, the Panthers' 7'1" starting center, and Lucas O'Rear, their 6'6" backup center. Eglseder has bad knees, and can really only go about 20 minutes a pop. But, when he's in there, he is a legitimate offensive threat. He can score. He can pass out to open shooters. He can draw contact. O'Rear, on the other hand, is a prototypical mid-major guy; high on heart and hustle and intelligence, but low on height and physical ability. So, if Northern Iowa is to stand a chance, it will need Eglseder to dominate the smaller Purdue bigs. If not, and even if most likely, Purdue's athleticism will simply take over.

KenPom Prediction: Purdue 67 Northern Iowa 59 (83% possibility Purdue wins)

#4 Washington Huskies vs. #13 Mississippi State Bulldogs

What to Watch: Jarvis Varnado's Foul Trouble -- Mississippi State, lead obviously by Varnardo, is one of the best teams in the country at blocking your shot. Washington, undoubtedly because they get fouled whenever close to the basket, are one of the best teams in the country at not getting their shots rejected. Something is going to have to give, folks. If Varnardo gets in foul trouble, though, the Staters are toast.

Mississippi State Will Win If: The Threes are Falling -- Mississippi State has a fantastic center in the middle, the second-best shot-blocker in the country after Thabeet, in Jarvis Varnado. Beyond that, it's live-and-die by the three, homes. So, if they are living it up from out there, then sure, they've got a chance. Otherwise, it was a fun trip. Build on it for next year.

Washington Will Win If: Washington's Gets to the Free Throw Line -- Much of Washington's offense resolves around cutting towards the basket, throwing up shots or kicking it down low to the always-waiting Jon Brockman, and getting hacked. Now, if you can make the shot too, fabulous. But, if not, no bigs. Just hit your free throws. However, the Bulldogs are one of the better teams in the country at playing defense without fouling. So, if Mississippi State can effectively stay away from U-Dub and avoid ref's whistles, Washington's offense isn't nearly as good. And, it allows the Bulldogs' sub-standard offense a shot.

Player to Watch: Jon Brockman (Washington, F) -- Beyond Varnardo, the player who can have the most impact is Brockman. And that's on the offensive glass. Despite Varnardo, Missisippi State is actually quite poor at limiting second-chance opportunities (I'd surmise it's because Varnardo is always trying to block shots, and no one else can consistently grab rebounds), and Brockman is one of the best in the country. Have at it, big guy.

KenPom Prediction: Washington 80 Mississippi State 72 (76% probability Washington wins)

#6 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. #11 Utah State Aggies

What to Watch: Utah State's 3-point Shooting -- Utah State can drain the three. Very. Consistently. Marquette doesn't play much D at all, even out on the perimeter where there are athletes galore. Unless the Ags are uncharacteristically cold from three, they should be able to score bundles from out there. Of course, 'Quette isn't much better inside, either (actually, their worse), so they might decide to pound it in to Gary Wilkinson, the 6'9" 26-year old, instead. That should work, as well.

Utah State Will Win If: They Slow it Down -- Marquette isn't all that efficient on O. They are incredible, and the duo of Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews is fantastic, but unless both are spot-on, the Golden Eagles use up a lot of possessions. If the Aggies can limit the possessions, even though the Eags aren't as run-and-gun as you might think, that make every contested 16-footer Jerel McNeal hoists up a tad bit more painful. And since everyone on Utah State already is 25 and is married (kidding, of course...only half), they should be more mature.

Marquette Will Win If: They Are Under Control -- I joke around about Utah State's age, but Marquette is the veteran one here. They are the 7th oldest team in the country, and just about every key contributor has been here before. They know what to do, they know the routine, etc. That is often incredibly overrated by most, but it is important. As long as they can limit the stupid plays, and can run their offense and commit to defense, if only for spurts, they should have enough talent to run away. No matter how well Utah State shoots it, or whatever, it will take some stupid Marquette plays, as well, or they should still have enough in the cannon to pull away with a victory. Key word: should.

Player to Watch: Lazar Hayward (Marquette, F) -- Everyone always talks about the perimeter players on 'Quette, and for good reason. It's one of the best units in all of college basketball. But Hayward is frequently overlooked, and he shouldn't be. If he can hold is own with Gary Wilkinson, then Marquette's immense perimeter advantage should take hold. However, if he can't stay out of foul trouble or provides nothing offensively or lets Wilkinson tear him to pieces, then Utah State, in my mind, becomes the favorite. As it always seems to work out, the game is really on Lazar's shoulders, no the attention-grabbig perimeter players.

KenPom Prediction: Marquette 75 Utah State 69 (72% probability Marquette wins)

#3 Missouri Tigers vs. #14 Cornell Big Red

What to Watch: Turnovers -- Cornell isn't good at not turning the ball over, and isn't good at turning you over. Missouri is the exact opposite, with their entire Top 10 machine built around winning the turnover battle. Now, obviously, the Tigers are going to come out on top. But if it's just a narrow difference, or if the Big Red can at least keep their number low, they've got a shot. If it's as astronomical a gap as the statistics say it should be, good night Irene.

Cornell Will Win If: Three-Point Parade -- Cornell shoots a lot of threes. That's good. In my mind, you have to do at least one thing amazingly well, as a 14-16 seed, to beat an upper tier team. It isn't a requirement, but if you were to look back in the archives at the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, nearly all of them would involve a team that was particularly great at something. And, in that one 2-hour moment of everlasting glory, they were able to capitalize and capitalize and capitalize on that strength to beat the higher-ranked team. Yeah, that's pretty much what has to happen here with the long ball. Big Red, I salute you.

Missouri Will Win If: They Force Turnovers -- Not to beat a dead horse, but it's all that matters. If Cornell can keep it manageable, and get hot from three, this game should be close late. If either of those things doesn't happen, game over. And, since Missouri has a lot more control over forcing turnovers, I chose that one.

Player to Watch: Ryan Wittman (Cornell, G) -- When I was talking about hitting threes, this was the main guy I was talking about. Dude is their best shooter from three, by far, and is the kind of star that March has made into heroes. I know, I know, mpfische, they're like 1-5 against the RPI Top 150. All I'm saying is that it could happen.

KenPom Prediction: Missouri 81 Cornell 67 (90% probability Missouri wins)

#7 California Golden Bears vs. #10 Maryland Terrapins

What to Watch: Rebounding -- Neither team has a real masher down low, preferring to hang out with 4-5 players surrounding the perimeter. However, Cal is clearly ahead in that regard with Jamal Boykin and Jordan Wilkes down low, and they should dominate the rebounds. If they don't, though, this game is entirely different.

Maryland Will Win If: They Force Turnovers -- It ain't easy against the Golden Bears, but the Terps absolutely must win the turnover battle. They're just entirely too mediocre-to-awful at shooting the ball to survive any shortage of possessions. An absolute must. With the Bears' likely advantage in rebounding, and an obvious shot-making advantage, the Terrapins can't afford to give away any possessions at all. And, while they need to force turnovers to make up ground, they certainly can't afford to lose ground by turning it over. Take control of the ball, and you've got a chance.

California Will Win If: They Get Open Threes -- Cal is pure cash money from three, yo, when they take them. Of course, it's so high because they don't shoot it all that often. Maryland needs to come out and guard the Bears, or yowza. Open looks plus awesome shooters equal game over.

Player to Watch: Greivis Vasquez (Maryland, G) -- Dude is the Terrapin's only really good player. If they win, he has to explode. If he doesn't explode, the Terps lose. You get it?

KenPom Prediction: California 74 Maryland 71 (62% probability California wins)

#2 Memphis Tigers vs. #15 CS-Northridge Matadors

What to Watch: Memphis' Pulse -- If they show up, game is over. If they don't, and want to waltz on through without trying hard, it might be a game. Of course, only until they do show up.

CS-Northridge Will Win If: See Above -- Again, if Memphis just doesn't decide to show up. That's their only hope. Is that too harsh?

Memphis Will Win If: See Above (x2) -- Again, again. I hope you all get it, by now.

Player to Watch: Tyreke Evans (Memphis, G) -- Just to see the dude play. He's incredible.

KenPom Prediction: Memphis 76 CS-Northridge 58 (96% probability Memphis wins)

RCT Predictions

Now, no RCT secrets will be unveiled, here. I do want to win the still-to-be-decided prize in the RCT Bracket Pool. But, here are just some things to think about when filling out your bracket.

Most LIkely to Pull an Upset: Utah State (11-seed)

Final Four Sleeper: Purdue (5-seed)

Final Four Favorite: Memphis (2-seed)

Best Team No One Knows About: Cornell (14-seed)

Most Underseeded Team: California (7-seed)

Most Overseeded Team: Maryland (10-seed)

That's all I'll do, for now. If I can think of any others, I'll make sure and tack them on for my next preview.

And, just to give you a brief of our schedule. Denver will break down the East and the South sometime tomorrow and Wednesday, and I'll come in with the Midwest preview Wednesday afternoon-to-night. Also, of course, there will be assorted North Dakota State-related preview things.

Come back!

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Bio 23.2 minutes per game \| 9.1 points per game \| 6.9 rebounds per game

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Bio 3.2 minutes per game \| 0.8 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Bio 25.9 minutes per game \| 11.1 points per game \| 3.2 rebounds per game

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Bio 24.5 minutes per game \| 5.3 points per game \| 3.3 rebounds per game

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Bio 21.5 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 21.4 minutes per game \| 9.7 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0.3 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 30.7 minutes per game \| 17.4 points per game \| 4 rebounds per game

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 1 rebound per game

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 2 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Bio 19.3 minutes per game \| 6.3 points per game \| 3.5 rebounds per game

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Bio 14.1 minutes per game \| 4.3 points per game \| 3 rebounds per game

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 15.5 minutes per game \| 2.5 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.