SB Nation - Jordan Crawford

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic 10 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:58:39 -0000

Xavier was the team of the 00s in the A-10, reaching the NCAAs under the late Skip Prosser, current Ohio State boss Thad Matta, and new Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Matta guided the Musketeers to the Elite Eight in 2004, and Miller did the same in 2008, then guided them to the Sweet Sixteen last season. Now, it's Chris Mack's turn to keep things going, albeit with a retooled roster.

But if you're looking for an A-10 favorite this season, you need to travel 49 miles up I-75. Brian Gregory's Dayton Flyers, led by Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson, is loaded and ready to take the A-10 crown away from their Southwestern Ohio rival, and maybe even plant the seeds to being the conference's team of the 10s.

However, there are a few other teams in the Atlantic 10 who are ready to make some noise this season. Chris Mooney's Princeton-style offense will be humming more efficiently at Richmond now that center Dan Geriot is back from a knee injury. Ron Everhart's Duquesne and John Giannini's La Salle both have squads that could end long tournament droughts. And you can't sleep on traditional tournament fixtures Temple, St. Joe's, and Charlotte, even if each has challenges to figure out this season.

It should be another interesting season in the league of 14, but the big question is whether the A-10 will match the three bids earned each of the last two seasons. More on each team after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 standings.

Atlantic 10 Conference Standings

(updated 3.26.2009 at 10:49 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Xavier Musketeers	12	4	27	8
Dayton Flyers	11	5	27	8
Rhode Island Rams	11	5	23	11
Temple Owls	11	5	22	12
Duquesne Dukes	9	7	21	13
Richmond Spiders	9	7	20	16
La Salle Explorers	9	7	18	13
St. Joseph's Hawks	9	7	17	15
Saint Louis Billikens	8	8	18	14
UMass Minutemen	7	9	12	18
St. Bonaventure Bonnies	6	10	15	15
Charlotte 49ers	5	11	11	20
George Washington Colonials	4	12	10	18
Fordham Rams	1	15	3	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order.

Fordham (last NCAA: 1992) Derek Whittenburg hasn't exactly gotten the Rams back to national prominence, as Fordham has only claimed 68 wins in his 6 seasons at Rose Hill. However, they completely bottomed out with last year's 3 win campaign. Adding insult to injury, Whittenburg lost two key players over the offseason, both of whom transferred. 6-5 swingman Mike Moore went over to Hofstra, and G Trey Blue left for Illinois State. The good news for the Rams is sophomore PG Jio Fontan (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg), the team's leading scorer didn't leave, and 6-2 soph Brenton Butler (9.6 ppg) will join him in the backcourt after missing much of last season with an ankle injury, They'll be joined by 6-3 Alberto Estwick (7.1 ppg) and 5-11 Ryan Hage, who returns from a shoulder injury of his own. In the frontcourt, 6-9 junior Jacob Green (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is the anchor, and he'll be joined by athletic 6-7 freshman Chris Gaston, a high school teammate of Fontan and Estwick, and 6-10 Bosnian Fahro Alihodzic, another of Whittenburg's five newcomers. The Rams should struggle with all of their youth, despite a manageable schedule that includes a game at St. John's and a matchup with Villanova at the Meadowlands.

George Washington (last NCAA: 2007) Karl Hobbs' already warm seat could be completely on fire with another miserable season at the Foggy Bottom. Unfortunately, with leading scorer Rob Diggs gone and six freshmen on the roster, it looks to be another long season for the Colonials. 6-8 senior Damian Hollis (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is back, as are two capable, if inconsistent point guards--6-2 junior Travis King (6.2 ppg, 2.4 apg) and 6-1 sophomore Tony Taylor (6.6 ppg, 2.8 apg). Otherwise, there are a whole lot of new faces and returnees, like the frontcourt trio of 6-11 Joseph Katuka, 6-10 Jabari Edwards, and 609 Hermann Opoku, who have a lot to prove. GW welcomes Oregon State, Providence, and George Mason to the Smith Center, while they'll play Navy in the BB&T Classic.

St. Louis (last NCAA: 2000) Rick Majerus is facing the very definition of a rebuilding year, as his roster features eight freshmen, one junior, and no seniors. While 5-10 sophomore G Kwamain Mitchell--the Billikens' leading scorer (11 ppg)--is back, and soph F Brian Conklin (6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and C Willie Reed (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg) give SLU some punch inside, expect the newcomers to see a lot of action. Two Aussies, 6-4 shooter Christian Salecich and 6-8 F Cody Ellis, lead the freshmen. The highlight of the Billikens' schedule is the Chicago Invitational Challenge, where they open with Iowa State before facing either Notre Dame or Northwestern.

St. Bonaventure (last NCAA: 2000) Mark Schmidt's Bonnies actually finished with a .500 mark last season, but will have a hard time matching or surpassing that feat with the departure of starting F Maurice Thomas and G Ray Blackburn. However, there's enough returning talent in place, led by team's three leading scorers, to complete another stage in a long rebuilding process. 6-4 senior three-point specialist Chris Matthews averaged more than 12 points per contest in his first season after transferring from Washington State. 6-foot junior Ogo Adegbonye arrives will take over at the point, freeing up junior Malcolm Eleby (7 ppg) to spend more time at off guard. 6-5 senior Jonathan Hall (12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is a swingman who can really drive to the hoop, while 6-9 Andrew Nicholson (12.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.7 bpg) is a force inside. If 6-8 freshman Marquise Simmons or 6-9 reserve Da'Quan Cook can come close to replacing Thomas' production, the Bonnies could continue their rise up the standings. The schedule will include some challenges as SBU visits Syracuse, Mississippi State, Niagara, and Illinois State for a tournament.

St. Joseph's (last NCAA: 2008) The Hawks return to the newly-christened Hagan Arena after spending the bulk of last season at the Palestra. The problem is, two of the best recent Hawks--Ahmad Nivins and Tasheed Carr--have moved on. 6-1 senior G Darren Govens (12.5 ppg, 2.6 apg) is back to provide more scoring, while defensive stalwart Garrett Williamson, a tall 6-5 PG who averaged 6.1 points and 4.5 assists a contest, will create a lot of problems for opponents, especially if he decides to be more offensively-minded. In the frontcourt, 6-7 Idris Hilliard could have a breakout junior season after averaging more than 9 points and 5.5 boards a game as a soph. 6-8 freshman Carl Baptiste could see a lot of minutes right off the bat, as could guards Justin Crosgile and Carl Jones. The Hawks travel to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, where they'll open with Boston College before facing Purdue or South Dakota State on day 2. SJU reopens their arena with visits from Drexel and Holy Cross, and naturally has a full Big Five slate to contend with.

Massachusetts (last NCAA: 1998) Derek Kellogg's Minutemen lost three key players off a team that only managed to win 12 games, guard Chris Lowe and centers Tony Gaffney and Luke Bonner. UMass' strength will be its backcourt, led by 6-2 senior Ricky Harris (18.2 ppg) and 6-3 junior Anthony Gurley (11.2 ppg). 6-5 freshman sharpshooter Freddie Riley comes aboard to provide them with needed support. There will be a lot of new blood in the frontcourt, as 6-9 Oregon State transfer Sean Carter and 6-10 Memphis transfer Hashim Bailey will push 6-9 soph Tyrell Lynch (3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) for minutes. The Minutemen face former conference-mate Rutgers at the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, with a game against either Florida or Michigan State to follow. They'll also visit Seton Hall, Davidson, and Boston College, and host Memphis.

Rhode Island (last NCAA: 1999) One of the biggest issues confronting Jim Baron this season is finding someone who can shoot the 3 as well as his son, Jimmy. He also has to find someone to replace Kahiem Seawright, who also graduated after last season. Point guard is also an issue, as both 6-1 junior (6.1 ppg, 4 apg) and 5-9 sophomore Stevie Mejia (2.5 ppg, 2.1 apg) battled inconsistency last season. Those are big issues to resolve, and they may keep the Rams from being too competitive this year. However, some things are certain, such as the performance of 6-4 senior SG Keith Cothran (13.2 ppg) and the fact that URI has a solid frontcourt, featuring 7-0 C Will Martell (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), the athletic 6-6 F Lamonte Ulmer (7.7 ppg, 5 rpg), and 6-8 senior Delroy James (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). The Rams visit Davidson, VCU, Boston College, and Akron; host Northeastern and Providence; and face Oklahoma State at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Temple (last NCAA: 2009) Christmas has come and gone for the Owls, now Fran Dunphy has to figure out how to replace Dionte's 19.5 points a game. He also has a big hole in the middle after 7-footer Sergio Olmos' departure. Temple does have two good building blocks back--6-9 junior F LaVoy Allen (10.9 ppg, 9 rpg) and 6-4 G Ryan Brooks (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a shooter who must have ice water in his veins--and a whole bunch of guys who could be good if they get a little more time, including 6-9 junior Craig Williams (5.3 ppg, 3 rpg), 6-11 senior Micheal Eric (2.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg), and 6-4 soph Juan Fernandez, who could see some time at the point because of his passing skills and court vision. Dunphy's squad faces a typically tough schedule that includes the Big Five; a home game with Siena in the Philly Hoop Group Classic; games with St. John's and Virginia Tech in the same event; a trip to Seton Hall; and home tilts with Penn State and Kansas.

Charlotte (last NCAA: 2005) The 49ers lost two key frontcourt players, Charley Coley III and leading scorer Lamont Mack, but get 6-3 freshman guard Shamarr Bowden back from a broken kneecap. His return and the presence of solid 5-9 senior PG DaJuan Harris (9 ppg, 7.2 apg) , 6-5 senior RaShad Coleman (8 ppg), and 6-4 senior 3-point ace Ian Anderson (9.7 ppg) means the strength of Charlotte's squad shifts to the backcourt. But there's still talent upfront, as 6-10 senior Phil Jones (7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and 6-6 junior An'Juan Williams (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are capable of stepping up in Coley and Mack' absence, and 6-6 BC transfer Shamani Spears and 6-7 frosh K.J. Sherrill will provide an immediate interior boost. Bobby Lutz's team will face Elon in the NIT Season Tip-Off, with a matchup with Duke likely to follow. They'll also host Georgia Tech, and visit Louisville, Old Dominion, and Tennessee.

La Salle (last NCAA: 1992) John Giannini has a team that could make some noise after an 18-win campaign. If 6-9 F Vernon Goodridge, a solid defensive performer, wouldn't have left last in the offseason, all five senior Explorer starters from a season ago would have been back. Giannini could slide in 6-8 junior Jarrell Williams (6.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg as a part-time starter) into Goodridge's slot in the lineup. The backcourt will be led 6-5 Rodney Green (17.8 ppg, 3.4 apg), who needs to work on taking care of the ball after turning it over an average of 3.2 times per contest, and 6-6 3-point ace Ruben Guillandeaux (10.1 ppg, 3 apg). In the frontcourt, 6-6 Kimmani Barrett (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg) and 6-7 Yves Mekongo (10.4 ppg, 6 rpg) will be joined by highly-touted 6-10 center prospect Aaric Murray and 6-8 redshirt frosh Devon White. Naturally, La Salle will be tested by Big Five games, but they'll also take part in the Charleston Classic where they'll face South Carolina in their opener. They will also face two Big 12 schools in semi-away games, Kansas in Kansas City and Oklahoma State in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City.

Richmond (last NCAA: 2004) While the Spiders, who made the CBI last season, lost 6-9 Jarhon Giddings graduation, they get back junior C Dan Geriot, who missed last season with an ACL tear. Giddings averaged more than 14 points and 5.5 boards a game in 2007-08 and his return adds another dimension to Chris Mooney's Princeton offense. Add in the fact that UR already features two guards who can score from anywhere on the floor, 6-4 senior David Gonzalvez (16 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-0 junior Kevin Anderson (16.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), and another solid interior presence in 6-10 F Justin Harper (9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and it's no wonder people are expecting big things out of the Spiders this year. Richmond will play Mississippi State at the Padre Island Invitational, then either Missouri or Old Dominion. They'll face the Monarchs at home right after the Texas trip, then VCU. Richmond also travels to South Carolina, face Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic, and visit Wake Forest on New Year's Eve.

Duquesne (last NCAA: 1977) The Dukes were oh, so close last season--first falling to Temple by 6 in the A-10 final, missing out on their first NCAA trip in 32 seasons. Then, they fell to Virginia Tech in a thrilling double OT first round NIT matchup. And while leading scorer Aaron Jackson, a point guard who averaged over 19 points and nearly 6 assists a game is gone, the Dukes have their next eight top scorers back for another crack at ending the drought. 6-7 junior F Damian Saunders (13.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and 6-5 soph swingman Bill Clark (12.9 ppg, 5 rpg) will lead the way, but watch out for one of the stars of the Dukes' postseason run, 6-4 sophomore G/F Melquan Bolding (9.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg), to build on those performances. 6-1 senior Jason Duty joins Clark as a three-point threat (7.4 ppg, 41.4% from 3), while 5-11 Eric Evans (9.8 ppg, 2.2 apg) will take over for Jackson at the point. Ron Everhart also gets a ton of help on the frontline to help Saunders, as 7-0 Kentucky transfer Morakinyo Williams is now eligible and 6-8 Rodrigo Peggau returns from a knee injury. The Dukes will travel to Iowa, a team that should fancy their chances against, for a game in the CBE Classic. Unfortunately a win in Iowa City won't advance them to Kansas City, so they will play in a weak "subregional" at West Carolina instead--featuring decimated Binghamton and D2 Arkansas-Monticello. The Dukes will also look to shock Pitt in their final meeting at Mellon Arena. Trips to Old Dominion and West Virginia will also be challenging.

Xavier (last NCAA: 2009) The Musketeers have a new coach, Chris Mack, and a whole bunch of new faces. But don't expect the X-Men to fall off the face of the earth after the departure of Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond, and C.J. Anderson. Xavier's backcourt features 6-5 junior guard Dante Jackson, who averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.7 apg, but is capable of doing a lot more. So is his backcourt-mate, 6-0 soph Terrell Holloway (5.5 ppg), but he needs to really improve his 2.2/1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. But the star among the guards is sure to be Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford, a 6-4 sophomore who averaged almost 10 points and 2.3 assists per contest during his freshman season and, oh, dunked on LeBron James in a now infamous video. 6-foot guard Brad Redford should also sese time thanks to his shooting ability (5.1 ppg, but 45.1% from 3). In the frontcourt, Mack will need to get a lot out of 6-9 senior Jason Love (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and two guys who need to work on their foul shooting--6-8 Jamel McLean (4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 46.5% from the stripe) and 7-0 soph Kenny Frease (5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 48.4% FTs). The Musketeers face a typically tough schedule. They travel to Disney World for the Old Spice Classic where they open with Marquette, then face Creighton or Michigan. Xavier travels to Kansas State, Butler, and Wake Forest (for the inaugural Skip Prosser Classic), while they host Cincinnati and LSU
.

Dayton (last NCAA: 2009) Unlike their archrivals, the Flyers have virtually everyone back from their NCAA team, led by electric 6-8 junior F Chris Wright (13.6 ppg), who will challenge for national honors this season. Brian Gregory will have two guards capable of running his offense as 6-0 senior London Warren (4.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), while earning all-A10 defensive honors) is back and 6-3 senior Rob Lowery (7.5 ppg, 3.4 apg) returns from a knee injury. 6-3 senior SG Marcus Johnson (11.8 ppg) is one of the biggest offensive threats on the team, and that's good as he'll get a lot of looks with team's keying on Wright. In the frontcourt, 6-10 senior Kurt Huelsman (3.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) will man the post, but he'll get support from 6-10 junior Devin Searcy and 6-9 frosh Matt Kavanaugh. 6-6 Chris Johnson (6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6-9 soph Luke Fabrizius (4.3 ppg)--a threat both inside outside--are capable of providing support to Wright as well. The Flyers face a tough schedule, opening with Creighton at home; taking on Georgia Tech at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, visiting potential Puerto Rico opponent George Mason and New Mexico; and hosting another potential opponent in PR, Boston University, and Old Dominion.

I expect the Flyers to make it back to the Tournament this year, this time as A-10 champions. They'll appear in my final preseason bracket, which I'll release on Monday, November 9. Several Atlantic 10 teams should be at-large threats this season, so look for more than one team to appear in my projection.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-A-10 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-A-10 Team

Player of the Year: Chris Wright, 6-8 F, Jr. (Dayton)

Remainder of the Team
Kevin Anderson, 6-0 G, Jr. (Richmond)
Rodney Green, 6-5 G, Sr. (La Salle)
Ricky Harris, 6-2 G, Sr. (Massachusetts)
Andrew Nicholson, 6-9 F, So. (St. Bonaventure)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the A10 this season?

Charlotte

0 votes

Dayton

6 votes

Duquesne

0 votes

Fordham

0 votes

George Washington

1 votes

La Salle

2 votes

Massachusetts

0 votes

Rhode Island

2 votes

Richmond

1 votes

St. Bonaventure

0 votes

St. Joseph's

0 votes

Saint Louis

0 votes

Temple

3 votes

Xavier

1 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

Preseason Q&A with The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2009-10 BtB Preseason All-Transfer Teams

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

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

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

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

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

3rd Team All-Transfer

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

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

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

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

2nd Team All-Transfer

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

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

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

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

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

1st Team All-Transfer

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier

83 votes

Wesley Johnson, F, Syracuse

120 votes

Curtis Kelly, F, Kansas State

6 votes

Jai Lucas, G, Texas

21 votes

Herb Pope, F, Seton Hall

15 votes

Other (list in comments)

23 votes

268 votes | Poll has closed

All That Fuss Over...A Nice Dunk

Sean Keeley — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:59:47 -0000

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I'm guessing you've seen it by now, either the TMZ footage or the much better eBaumNation footage. I think we can all finally come to the same conclusion that it was:

A nice, if not terribly out of the ordinary, dunk.
Not that big a deal.

If LeBron doesn't tell the Nike exec to pry those tapes from Ryan Miller and the other cameraman's hands, it likely just lives and dies a short existence in our consciousness for a couple hours one day and then we never think of it again. Maybe it comes up again one day when Jordan Crawford is in the draft. That's about it.

Of course, the tapes were confiscated and the event became a media sensation. The person caught in the middle of all of this was SU's own Ryan Miller, now all growns up. As the furor dies down and the inevitable "is that all there is?" malaise kicks in, I thought it might be a good time to get some closing thoughts from Ryan on the whole thing.

Did you know there might be other people filming other than yourself and the other cameraman who had his tape confiscated?

There was talk between myself and other writers after Nike took the tapes that someone had to have recorded it on a cell phone camera. There were too many people in the building between 80 high school athletes, 20-plus coaches and other camp volunteers to not have one person capture it. I didn't think a tape would resurface after the initial few days the story exploded in the media because the time for someone to sell the footage would be at its peak interest then, but I've now heard they two photographers were shopping the video to other companies (ESPN included, which declined to buy it) during that time.

Whatever TMZ paid for that footage, the value is due in large part to your "whistle-blowing" of the whole thing. Feel like you deserve a cut?

I didn't publicize the incident to make money off it. I blogged about it and agreed to a few interviews for mainly two reasons: 1) of the principle that Nike took my property and it was wrong and 2) because this event sparked sports fans' curiosity and I felt by coming forward, it might put pressure on Nike to give the tapes back to their rightful owners so fans could see the dunk. Now at least fans are able to see the dunk, and yes it's a little disappointing that someone else's video was released, but kudos to them for capitalizing on it.

How was the whirlwind media tour and were there any offers or appearances that you turned down? What was your favorite moment of it all?

I thought the whirlwind media tour was over, until the comeback tour that's started today once TMZ revealed a copy of the tape. I feel like The Eagles now. Originally, I received a ton of interview requests, and had to turn some down, but made sure I responded to every single one because I know what it?s like trying to book sports interviews and not hearing back. I was contacted by Inside Edition, but didn't want to lose credibility as a guest on a gossip show, but then ironically the footage was released by TMZ, another gossip site. Maybe I should've just agreed to the Inside Edition interview. I could've followed a story about Brooke Hogan?s dispute with her mom!

Have you spoken to yours and LeBron's mutual friend Jonny Flynn about the brou-ha-ha?

HAHA, yes I've spoken with Jonny Flynn a couple of times. I admit I was nervous at first because if he had to pick a side, I'm guessing I'd lose that one. I tried to ease my way into a conversation by asking him if he saw Warriors forward Anthony Randolph's 42 point outburst in that night's summer league game, but he joked that he knew I didn't want to talk about Anthony Randolph. Jonny just wanted to know how bad the dunk really was and said once he got to summer league it was the main topic of discussion between the players.

Do you think you've officially been blacklisted from any future Nike events?

That has crossed my mind, and they could try to deny me a credential to another Nike event claiming that I violated their rules last time, but I'm sure I'll still be applying for their camps next year. That will be as awkward as an 8th grade dance (especially because all the girls were way taller than me). Hopefully Reebok and Adidas start picking up the pace with a few entrepreneurial ideas by the time next summer rolls around. One thing is certain: I haven't been blacklisted from purchasing Nike. I needed new sneakers and had a pair shipped from Finish Line the other day.

Has the notoriety helped at all in the job search?

I've made a ton of contacts through this whole experience and have had great conversations with people in the business whose work I admire (and am about to pay significantly when my phone bill cycle ends today). It hasn't necessarily led to any job offers, but just to talk for 20-30 minutes at a time to journalists like Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch, TrueHoop's Henry Abbott and Monday Night Football's Michele Tafoya has been beneficial in other ways. It's funny how they would call me explaining which outlet they write for or the name of their radio show when really I've been reading or following them for years and would ordinarily be issuing out requesting interviews, not vice versa. My plan is to continue to look for freelance opportunities, trying to prove that I can also put together some decent content and TV packages instead of just piss off the top athlete and sportswear supplier in the world. Jets and Bills camps coming up, anyone need articles or TV stories?!

Good luck in the job hunt Ryan. In the meantime we'll keep an eye on The Orange Segment and look for you on an upcoming episode of Inside Edition.

Jordan Crawford executes now mythical dunk over the king, we are all free to embellish what went down

SFBE.NF — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:55:47 -0000

We will never see it, so why not start a tall tale. Hell, I think Crawford jumped over James, took a few bites of a tuna melt, mentioned that he didn't think the Shaq signing would get the Cavs over the hump, then flushed the ball with such authority that James spent the rest of the day in solitude pondering his future. Ya, that sounds about right.