SB Nation - Hernst Laroche

The Other Canadian Pros

rbala — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:15:06 -0000

With the NBA Draft only a day away, the buzz building for Canadian players Andrew Nicholson, Robert Sacre and to a lesser degree Kris Joseph. The workouts are done and it looking like these three guys will be the homegrown kids likely have their names called out by David Stern on Thursday evening.

But this trio aren't the only seniors possibly heading into a pro career.

There are a few other cats that you can mark down as having a shot at the very least a summer league look before then head off to potential overseas riches. Can Ball Ray gives a rundown of the players who have graduated this season as the top seniors that he thinks could potentially be ballin' for a living in the fall ...

Devoe Joseph, Guard

Devoe Joseph, the older brother of Cory, had what could be described as a Cinderella ending to his college career. Going from an almost floundering situation after leaving Minnesota, he would show out in Eugene leading the Ducks in scoring (16.7), assists (3.3), steals (1.4) and minutes (35.3) on his way to being named to the All PAC-12 First Team. He had some individual workouts leading up to this week and as a very good shooter with some play making ability and good defense, he could very well see himself on some team's summer league roster. With all the talented guards in this year's Draft, it's looking like he will not be called out as a 2nd round pick but I'm betting that some team will be willing to take a chance on him, at least for July, before he flies across the Atlantic.

Olu Ashaolu, Forward

Here is a guy that dominated in a mid-major league before he followed former AAU teammate Devoe to Oregon. He averaged a near double-double (14.2 points, 9.4 rebounds) at Louisiana Tech his junior season and was named All Western Athletic Conference honorable mention and All Defensive First Team before transferring but was not the same player statistically with the Ducks. Like Joseph, Olu got a few individual workout looks in June notably in Toronto and Milwaukee but he may be on the short end here. He's got a DeJuan Blair type game meaning a big man in a short body but he is an active player on both ends. Though not as offensively polished he could still find his way onto a summer league team also but that could be best case scenario. I'm thinking he signs in Europe before the summer ends on an A division squad, which wouldn't be bad for him either.

Hernst Laroche, Guard

Laroche is a heady point guard that could score and distribute as he's displayed throughout his star studded career at New Mexico State. Though not the most flashy, he is solid on all facets and on top of that he has a motor to boot evidenced by his school record 4,417 minutes played. He was named to the All WAC Conference 2nd Team as a senior last year and is among the Aggies all time leaders in points (15th with 1,209), assists (2nd with 552), steals (1st with 216) and games played (1st with 135). He is a consummate play maker and my sports agent buddy Matt tells me that European teams are looking for lead guards. Laroche could do just that for any team across the water.

Tyler Murray, Guard

Murray is a very solid combo guard out of Wagner. He can stroke the three very well, he's a good playmaker and he has some size on him at 6'5". Unfortunately, like the other very good mid-major backcourt guys, there is an excess of talent at that position but it's possible for this guy to head over to Europe. As a player who is a true triple threat scorer that can move to the point if needed I think the two time All Northeast Conference selection has a great shot at landing a pro contract early on.

Harouna Mutombo, Guard/Forward

Mutombo has been through the wringer of sorts in his college career. Beginning as the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year sets some lofty expectations. With his team not at the same talent level as some others in the conference the rest of his time at Western Carolina, his role and position was shifted almost on a nightly basis. All that meant for Harouna was that he was learning to play in different spots on the floor. He may not be great at one thing but he does many things well. He has length, strength and the ability to defend almost anyone and that could mean a spot on a team overseas.

Ashton Smith, Guard

Here is the lone representative from Division II. Smith was showered with accolades while playing at Indiana University - Pennsylvania. He is a two time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference First Team selection and was not only named PSAC West Conference Player of the Year but also an NABC DII All American. How's that for a resume? He's a scoring combo guard, more a two than a one, and can play some D. If these credentials can't get him at least a look with a pro team overseas than no one is getting a contract.

The Canadians and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament

rbala — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:30:23 -0000

Oregon senior Devoe Joseph is the lone Canadian representative in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this year and there could have easily been a few more. Can Ball Ray takes a look at who coulda and shoulda been at this annual event here ...

Well people, tomorrow marks the start of the annual senior showcase called the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament which can be viewed as the most important showcase outside the NCAA Tournament for graduating players.

If you don't know about it, senior players are invited from all levels of the NCAA to compete in this four-day event. Sixty-four players in all are divided into eight teams playing a similar type schedule as an NBA summer league. Nothing but a pro meat market with scouts a plenty.

For some, this is another chance to show that they can play with the best while for others it's a last ditch effort to display their skills and prove they can play to a pro team. It's the very nature of the event that has players both jumping in or jumping ship.

In this year's event, I would have expected to see a few Canadians looking to make an impact but there have been a few curious absences.

Andrew Nicholson would have been one of my first choices to be here at the start of the season but with possible First Round status currently he would not have been likely to show up now. His monster season has earned him the right to pass on this event now.

The others I would have expected to be here were Kris Joseph, Rob Sacre and Devoe Joseph. K-Jo was a 50/50 player in my mind and he is opting to pass on the event. A borderline First Round but definite Second Round pick he could have either sent himself up or down the Draft board and could have been advised to not participate. A good move I'd think for him. Devoe, on the other hand, is present and accounted for and should be able to play his way to a few workout invites if anything before he heads to Europe.

My big surprise among the big four is Rob Sacre. I would have thought that he would be here for sure with the up-and-down season he had. He had some inconsistent stretches particularly after he had the hand injury early in the season. It took him a few weeks to shake it off and he when he finally was able to show the monster it was around March. This would have been a prime time to showcase his skills and possibly get a few looks from NBA teams for workouts or summer league invites.

Beyond those four players, I have a compiled a list of guys that I've marked accordingly that coulda/shoulda been invited as well.

My first pair of players is New Mexico State's Hernst Laroche and Wagner's Tyler Murray. If we're using Syracuse's Scoop Jardine as the benchmark for guards to get an invite, than these two Canucks could have been here too. Both Laroche and Wagner were second team all conference performers like Jardine. I would also argue that both Murray and Laroche were as important to their teams as Jardine was, if not more so. Statistically, both players have better averages overall (11.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg for Laroche; 12.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.2 spg for Murray) than Jardine (8.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.4 spg). In any event, they could have been selected but weren't and I suppose that there were reasons for that beyond their control.

The last set of players are guys that I thought had outside chances of making the PIT. Western Carolina's Harouna Mutumbo, Oregon's Olu Ashaolu and Tennessee-Martin's Dane Smith all has strong senior years and I thought would have gotten looks to make this event but they did not. In the case of Ashaolu, he has a teammate in the game already and when the best player on your team is already here there is an unlikely chance another guy gets in (unless your playing on a BCS team that is). Smith was big two who was kept inside the arc to help on the glass and Mutombo who was the do-it-all guy for WCU but they just didn't make the cut I guess.

Regardless of who did or didn't make it to Virginia for the PIT, Devoe Joseph is in it. We'll keep an eye on him over his time at the event and we expect that he'll show off the one thing that makes him very attractive to pro teams - his deft shooting touch. If he does what we expect, I would think he'll shoot the lights out and hopefully into a few NBA workouts.

Check out the boxscores and stats for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament right here.

The NC-Double-Eh Tournament Schedule - Mar. 15

rbala — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:30:16 -0000

Today we have the official start to the NCAA Tournament so as our madness begins, we have a whole host of Canucks starting their trek to that one shining moment. We have games that start this afternoon with Nik Cochran and Davidson all the way to later tonight with New Mexico State and the killer trio of Hernst Laroche, Tyrone Watson and Daniel Mullings not to mention the ladies in action all right here ...

Here is where the men are playing today ...

NCAA

1:40pm Davidson vs. Louisville - Davidson's Nik Cochran will be playing against a lightning quick guard in Peyton Siva of Louisville. But Cochran is no slouch himself. Moving to a primary playmaker role, he's had his best season so far and he's looking to extend it past this game. In his last contest, a double overtime win over Western Carolina in the Southern Conference championship game, he had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. If this is his last game, I'd expect him to go out shooting.

2:45pm Brigham Young vs. Marquette

3:10pm UNC-Asheville vs. Syracuse - The loss of Fab Melo for the Tournament has really put a question mark on Syracuse going in but senior Kris Joseph will been to be bigger than he's been all season. In the loss to Cincinnati last week, Joseph had an un-Joseph game going for 9 points, an assist and a stl in 33 minutes. I would think that a game against UNC-Asheville is what he needs before he starts his last romp through the Tournament.

4:40pm Harvard vs. Vanderbilt

6:50pm Western Kentucky vs. Kentucky

7:20pm West Virginia vs. Gonzaga - Gonzaga lost a tough overtime game to Saint Mary's in the WCC championship game last week and you can bet they're still reeling from it. Kevin Pangos has one of his not so great games going 3-of-18 from the field in the loss in 45 minutes. I would think that he would be looking to get back on track here. And the Zags will need to have his outside shooting to free up the middle for Elias Harris and Robert Sacre. Sacre, by the way, had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks in that Saint Mary's loss and he'll need to be big against a very tough West Virginia frontcourt.

7:27pm South Dakota State vs. Baylor - This should be a Baylor win and if it's a blowout I would think that Brady Heslip will be going off from downtown.

9:20pm Connecticut vs. Iowa State - This is going to be a great match up with a very good individual matchup to watch. The two teams are even on paper but I think the key will be Melvin Ejim on Jeremy Lamb. Ejim is quick, strong and should be able to keep up with Lamb on the perimeter. I would think this is an important defensive move for Iowa State. If Ejim can be physical on Lamb on D and make him work for every point, the Cyclones will have a better shot at winning this game.

9:45pm New Mexico State vs. Indiana - A weakened Indiana team helps New Mexico State's chances of advancing to the next round. But the key to an Aggies victory will be how the Canadian trio of Hernst Laroche, Tyrone Watson and Daniel Mullings perform in this game. Hoosier freshman standout Cody Zeller will likely cancel out Aggies senior star Wendell McKines so if the three Canucks can play up to the moment, I would think that they could advance to the next round. Add to that the Aggies are riding high on a three game winning streak through the WAC Tournament win an average margin of victory of 17 points should have them very confident going into this game.

And here is where the women are playing today ...

NIT

7:00pm Howard @ Virginia

7:00pm Drexel @ Fairfield

7:00pm Harvard @ Hofstra

8:00pm Eastern Illinois @ Texas Tech

9:00pm Utah State @ Utah - All season, the Utah duo of Taryn Wicijowski and Michelle Plouffe have been taking turns starring from game to game and they may both need to star in this one. They are both among the PAC-12 leaders in scoring (Wicijowski 11^th, Plouffe 9^th), rebounding (Wicijowski 5^th, Plouffe 7^th) and blocks (Wicijowski 7^th, Plouffe 6^th). If they can both play big, this could be an easy win.

CIT

7:00pm New Hampshire @ Holy Cross

10:00pm North Dakota @ Seattle - Elle Kerfoot and Seattle are in a post season tournament which is great for her as a senior. She has been steady despite a reduced role with new players and is looking to get one tournament win starting here. I would look out for here to put on a three point show if he's given enough open looks. She averages 1.9 threes per game and could make it rain at home, possibly for the last time as a Redbird.

Breaking Down the Big Ten NCAA Tournament Matchups Round of 64 – Thursday Games

maize_in_spartyland — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:08 -0000

By the end of the weekend, the Field of 68 will be whittled down to 16 teams. Right now, there are six Big Ten teams in the field, most of which have tough matchups on opening weekend.

To see the NCAA Tournament bracket, or other post-season brackets, click here.

For each of the 68 teams records against the spread, click here.

I’ll break down each game of the NCAA Tournament involving Big Ten teams, leaving Michigan’s games to the experts. Today, I’ll cover Thursday’s second round games (formerly the first round).

#4 Wisconsin (24-9) (12-6 Big Ten) vs. #13 Montana (25-6) (15-1 Big Sky)

Game Time: 2:10 PM EST (approx) on Thursday.

TV: TNT.

Winner Plays: #5 Vanderbilt/#12 Harvard (on Saturday).

Wisconsin: Wisconsin won four in a row before falling to top seeded Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament by 13. The Badgers allowed the fourth fewest points of the Big Ten teams, but only scored the eighth most, on average, of all Big Ten teams. 3-star guard Jordan Taylor (14.7 PPG and 4.0 APG), 2-star forward Ryan Evans (10.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 43.5 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), and 4-star forward Jared Berggren (10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 45.1 Field Goal Shooting Percentage) led the Badgers to one of the three number four seeds the Big Ten captured.

Montana: Make no mistake, the Grizzlies are the hottest team entering the NCAA Tournament. With Kentucky’s loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC title, Montana now owns the nation’s longest winning streak, winners of 14 straight and 20 of their last 21 games. The Big Sky regular season and tournament champions beat Long Beach State in the regular season and beat second place Weber State twice in the span of a week and a half. Montana is led by the electric guard 3-star Will Cherry (16.0 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 45.4 Field Goal Shooting Percentage) as well as 2-star Kareem Jamar (13.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 44.5 Three Point Shooting Percentage) and forward 2-star Mathias Ward (11.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 54.5 Field Goal Shooting Percentage).

My Take: Wisconsin hasn’t lost an opening round game since 2006, when they fell to Arizona by 19. In fact, you have to go back to the 2001 NCAA Tournament to find the last time Wisconsin was upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers were coached by Brad Soderberg, falling to 11-seeded Georgia State, coached by Lefty Driesell, in Boise. Montana upset Nevada in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, but hadn’t won a NCAA Tournament game, prior to that, since 1975.

The Pick: Wisconsin -8.5.

#5 Indiana (24-7) (11-7 Big Ten) vs. #13 New Mexico St (26-9 (10-4 WAC)

Game Time: 9:45 PM EST (approx) on Thursday.

TV: CBS.

Winner Plays: #5 Wichita State/#12 VCU (on Saturday).

Indiana: The Hoosiers played well in non-conference, posting a 12-0 record with wins over North Carolina State, Kentucky, and Notre Dame. The months of December and January, in Big Ten play, were a bit rough for Indiana, as the Hoosiers were a combined 5-5. 5-star forward Cody Zeller (15.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 62.6 Field Goal Shooting Percentage) and 4-star forward Christian Watford (12.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 42.2 Three Point Shooting Percentage) led the Hoosiers this season. Indiana will be without 3-star Verdell Jones III (7.5 PPG and 3.2 APG) for the rest of the season, based on an ACL injury suffered in the Big Ten Tournament.

New Mexico State: Since a 68-60 home loss to Nevada, New Mexico State is 12-2. The Aggies finished second in the WAC regular season race, being swept by Nevada. New Mexico State beat Fresno State, Hawaii, and Louisiana Tech to win the WAC Tournament Title at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aggies split with non-conference rival New Mexico during the non-conference slate and picked up a decent win over San Francisco on a neutral court. New Mexico State, coached by Marvin Menzies, has been led by forward 3-star Wendell McKines (18.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 45.9 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), and Hernst Laroche (12.0 PPG, 38 APG, and 40.5 Three Point Shooting Percentage). Christian Kabongo (14.6 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 81.8 Free Throw Shooting Percentage) transferred from New Mexico State around the New Year.

My Take: Indiana and New Mexico State is a match-up of two very similar teams. New Mexico State has four players averaging double figures in scoring, so it’s a fairly balanced team. New Mexico State’s average experience is 3.2 (with 4=senior, 3=junior, 2=sophomore, and 1=freshman), while Indiana’s is 2.2. Indiana gives up the 6^th most points per game of Big Ten teams (second most among Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament).

The Pick: New Mexico State +6.

#2 Ohio State (27-7) (13-5 Big Ten) vs. #15 Loyola (MD) (24-8) (13-5 MAAC)

Game Time: 9:50 PM EST (approx) on Thursday.

TV: TNT.

Winner Plays: #7 Gonzaga/#10 West Virginia (on Saturday).

Ohio State: Ohio State’s loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament Finals ruined the Buckeyes’ chance at a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Still, the Buckeyes remain a favorite to reach the Final Four, despite a possible showdown with Cincinnati or Florida State – two defensive-minded teams. 5-star center Jared Sullinger (17.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 53.9 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), 5-star forward Deshaun Thomas (15.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 53.1 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), and 5-star guard William Buford (14.7 PPG, 2.9 APG, and 83.5 Free Throw Shooting Percentage) have led Ohio State this season.

Loyola (MD): The Greyhounds avoided at-large selection Iona in the MAAC Conference Tournament, but still had to get through upstart Fairfield and traditional power Siena in order to win the MAAC Tournament crown. Loyola finished second in the regular season, two games behind regular season champ Iona. The Greyhounds are 1-3 against NCAA Tournament teams, with the lone win coming against Iona on February 10^th. Loyola (MD) has outscored their opponents by an average of 3.6 points per game on the season, with 11 of their 32 games being decided by single digits. The Greyhounds, coach by Jimmy Patsos, are led by 2-star forward Erik Etherly (transfer from Northeastern) (13.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 53.1 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), guard Dylon Cormier (13.4 PPG and 46.3 Field Goal Shooting Percentage), and guard Robert Olson (11.2 PPG, and 44.2 Three Point Shooting Percentage).

My Take: Deshaun Thomas has been a key for the Buckeyes, as of late. The sophomore forward out of Fort Wayne has been a combined 32-55 from the field in the Buckeyes’ last four wins (vs. Michigan and Purdue, and at Michigan State and Northwestern) – 58.2 Field Goal Shooting Percentage. Loyola (MD) shoots 42.8% from the field, on average, 207^th out of 344 Division I teams. Consider this – the Greyhounds topped 80 points only twice this season, the Buckeyes matched that mark by the third game of the year (Ohio State has ten games with more than 80 points scored). The last time Ohio State lost in the first round it was to another MAAC team, Siena, coached by current Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. Don’t expect the same result.

The Pick: Ohio State -17.

Poll

Which Big Ten team, who plays on Thursday, has the best chance of being upset in their first game?

Indiana [by New Mexico State]

103 votes

Ohio State [by Loyola (MD)]

12 votes

Wisconsin [by Montana]

41 votes

156 votes | Poll has closed

The NC-Double-Eh Stat Leaders - Week 17

rbala — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:45:05 -0000

This is the final regular season edition of the NC-Double-Eh stat leaders. There have been some significant changes to some players' averages but not much movement in the leader board so check out who is sitting where all right here ...

NC-Double-Eh Stat Leaders

** Note that to qualify, a player had to have played in 75% of their team's total games this season **

Scoring

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure - 18.4

Devoe Joseph, Oregon - 16.6

Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina - 13.9

Justin Edwards, Maine - 13.9

Kris Joseph, Syracuse - 13.8

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga - 13.8

Keaton Cole, Western Carolina - 12.8

Tyler Murray, Wagner - 12.0

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State - 12.0

Robert Sacre, Gonzaga - 11.7

Rebounding

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure - 8.5

Mike Allison, Maine - 6.9

Adam Folker, UC Irvine - 6.7

Melvin Ejim, Iowa State - 6.6

Robert Sacre, Gonzaga - 6.3

Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina - 5.9

Justin Edwards, Maine - 5.6

Djim Bandoumel, Idaho - 5.2

Dane Smith, Tennessee-Martin - 5.1

Olu Ashaolu, Oregon - 5.1

Assists

Junior Cadougan, Marquette - 5.5

Myck Kabongo, Texas - 5.3

Dylan Ennis, Rice - 4.1

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State - 3.8

Nik Cochran, Davidson - 3.7

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga - 3.4

Justin Edwards, Maine - 3.3

Tyrone Watson, New Mexico State - 3.2

Ishaq Pitt, Maryland-Eastern Shore - 3.2

Alex Johnson, N.C. State 3.0

Steals

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State - 1.8

Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State - 1.7

Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina - 1.4

Kris Joseph, Syracuse - 1.4

Justin Edwards, Maine - 1.4

Devoe Joseph, Oregon - 1.4

Keaton Cole, Western Carolina - 1.3

Five players tied with 1.2 steals.

Blocks

Mike Allison, Maine - 2.2

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure - 2.0

Djim Bandoumel, Idaho - 1.5

Robert Sacre, Gonzaga - 1.5

Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State - 1.4

Marvell Waithe, Arkansas - 0.9

Justin Edwards, Maine - 0.6

Kris Joseph, Syracuse - 0.6

Dwight Powell, Stanford - 0.6

Four tied with 0.5

Field Goal % (minimum two field goals made per game)

Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State - .578

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure - .576

Adam Folker, UC Irvine - .563

Olu Ashaolu, Oregon - .549

Taevaunn Prince, South Dakota State - .542

Djim Bandoumel, Idaho - .536

Mike Allison, Maine - .521

Emmanuel Addo, Northern Colorado - .520

Dane Smith, Tennessee-Martin - .505

Robert Sacre, Gonzaga - .505

Free Throw % (minimum two free throw attempts per game)

Ty Nurse, Texas Tech - .902

Nik Cochran, Davidson - .887

Chris Johnson, St. Bonaventure - .877

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga - .847

Devoe Joseph, Oregon - .817

Laurent Rivard, Harvard - .800

Tyler Murray, Wagner - .795

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure - .780

Kurt Alexander, Drake - .775

Melvin Ejim, Iowa State - .771

3-PT Field Goal % (minimum two attempts per game)

Tyler Murray, Wagner - .490

Jahenns Manigat, Creighton - .470

Brady Heslip, Baylor - .435

Keaton Cole, Western Carolina - .423

Devoe Joseph, Oregon - .422

Bryson Johnson, Bucknell - .409

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga - .405

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State - .405

Laurent Rivard, Harvard - .390

Ty Nurse, Texas Tech - .388

Minutes

Devoe Joseph, Oregon - 35.0

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State - 33.5

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga - 31.7

Kris Joseph, Syracuse - 31.6

Justin Edwards, Maine - 31.2

Tyler Murray, Wagner - 30.7

Jason Calliste, Detroit - 30.7

Myck Kabongo, Texas - 30.4

Ty Nurse, Texas Tech - 30.2

Two tied with 30.1 minutes.

Scouting Report: New Mexico State Aggies

JustAJ — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:52:28 -0000

So I decided to take the time this evening to sit down and watch the New Mexico State Aggies’ championship game against Louisana Tech. The Aggies won the game 88-63 and even the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. At one point the Aggies led the game by 31 points. From the first whistle it wasn’t really much of a contest. The only thing that kept it within reason early (12 point game with 5 to play in the first half) was the Aggies’ playing style.

The Aggies certainly play fast and loose. They are long and athletic and it really allows them to overmatch a lot of other mid-major opponents. Louisiana Tech especially was just overmatched from the get go. The Aggies used their athleticism to get out in transition and run the floor. There truly isn’t much of a half-court offense that I noticed the Aggies run. When the ball did settle into the half-court the offense depends on a ton of off the ball screens and the dribble-drive. What New Mexico State did well was get into the lane. So much so, that in the first half the Aggies scored 32 of its 38 points in the paint. The other six came on free throws.

Speaking of rebounding, now is as good a time as any to mention Wen Mckines. Mckines is the type of player you hope Hanner Perea can be as a sophomore. Truly a guy with a nose for the ball, he’s a physical 6’6" 230 lbs. but with the same athleticism of Will Sheehey. In his four years he’s honed his game with a focus on hustle and intelligence. He isn’t incredibly skilled as a shooter and his ball handling is only slightly above average. He uses his explosiveness to get to the rack and finish with authority. That athleticism also aids him in grabbing rebounds. He’s an offensive and defensive rebounding force. In fact, he rebounds nearly 25% of his opportunities on the defensive end. Expect Christian Watford to start out matched up on him to try and slow his double-double average on the season. Mckines is going to get his. Christian just needs to keep him from getting more than that.

The rest of the team is also very good at rebounding because of their size. 6’11" starting senior Hamidu Rahman just uses his size to bully the opposition on the boards. Cody Zeller is going to really have a problem trying to outfight him for rebounds. Rahman is athletic and big so he cleans the glass well. Fortunately Rahman and the other two bigs (Sy and Nephawe) really struggle to run the floor consistently. The rest of the team can get up and down very well, but the bigs don’t and we all know what that means. Cody Zeller runs like a deer and will be getting a lot of break away opportunities. No one else on the team has the size to handle a full speed 7 footer in Cody Zeller.

With the guard situation Hernst Laroche gets nearly 84% of the minutes at the point. He’s really the only player on the team that can be considered more than an OK shooter. He also does a very good job at distributing the ball. Laroche gets assist results on 20% of his possessions. Unfortunately for NM State and fortunately for IU, he turns the ball over on 21% of his possessions. Overall, 4 players on NM State turn the ball over one of every five attempts. For comparison, IU turns the ball over about 19% of possessions to NM State’s 21%. That gives IU some potential to get out in transition and use that Cody Zeller advantage.

One final thing, that wasn’t seen in the LA Tech game but is in the numbers is that NM State gets to the line A TON. IU gets to the line 23 times for every 50 shots they take. That’s good enough for seventh in the nation. NM State gets to the line nearly 27 times for every 50 shots. Now that could be a due to their size advantage over most of their conference and the fact that they rebound incredibly well. They don’t take a lot of shots outside of the paint which means they force you to stop them. When you have a significant size advantage like they have often this season, it tends to mean a lot of hack a shaq type ball. So yes, their free throw rate is amazing, but I would venture to say that’s more a benefit of their physical superiority over the WAC than an inherent effectiveness at drawing fouls. Nevada is the only team in the conference that is tall than them and the rest of the conference’s average height is nearly an inch shorter.

On the flip side for as often as NM State gets to the free throw line, they only hit 66% of them. Good for 267^th in the nation in that factor. You know how we make fun of Purdue for being absolutely terrible at the free throw line? Well the Aggies only shoot 1% better on the season. As a reference point, the Hoosiers hit 76% of their free throws (16^th nationally). The talk of free throws brings me to the last major point when discussing the New Mexico State Aggies. Depth.

The Aggies only run about seven deep. The 4 perimeter starters get 70%+ of the minutes and the centers Rahman, Sy and Nephawe split time at the 5. Foul trouble could sink the Aggies’ chances early. If Mckines or Laroche especially draw two fouls in the first half, the game could be out of reach by the time they get a chance to go at it in the second half. The hinge players of the night are Christian Watford and Vic Oladipo. If Christian and Vic can shut down Mckines and Laroche respectively then the game should go smoothly. The same players will match up on the other end of the floor where Vic and Wat do very well at getting to the rack and drawing fouls. Those should be the key battles of the evening and whichever way they go will likely dictate the outcome.

The NC-Double-Eh Tournament Player Breakdown

rbala — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:30:11 -0000

OK, OK, I know. The stories are out. Reporters have already jumped on the "here are where the Canadian kids a playing in the NCAA Tournament" look today BUT have they broken it down like this? As you all know, we here at The Can Ball Report have been showing love to our kids making noise all season down south and we decided to do a little breakdown of our guys in the Madness. Check out our little breakdown our kids in the NC-Double-Eh Tourney ...

So it's that time of the year again people and the NCAA Tournament is not going to be in full effect in about 25 hours. This season, we have a very special reason to keep tabs on the Tournament if you're a Canadian basketball fan because we have a total of 28 of our kids on rosters. Of those 28 players, 19 play at least 15 minutes per game and of those ballers 13 are starters. In fact, I'll break it down for you below. Just check it out ...

The Players:

South Region - Kentucky (1) - Kyle Wiltjer; Iowa State (1) - Melvin Ejim; New Mexico State (4) - Hernst Laroche, Tyrone Watson, Daniel Mullings, Renaldo Dixon; Baylor (1) - Brady Heslip; South Dakota State (1) - Taevaunn Prince; Lehigh (1) - Stefan Cvrkalj

East Region - Syracuse (1) - Kris Joseph; Harvard (1) - Laurent Rivard; Texas (1) - Myck Kabongo; St. Bonaventure (3) - Andrew Nicholson, Matthew Wright, Chris Johnson; Gonzaga (2) - Kevin Pangos, Rob Sacre

Midwest Region - Creighton (1) - Jahenns Manigat; Detroit (1) - Jason Calliste; NC State (1) - Alex Johnson

West Region - Marquette (1) - Junior Cadougan; LIU Brooklyn (3) - Arnold Mayorga, Robinson Odoch Opong, Troy Joseph; Saint Louis (1) - Grandy Glaze; Davidson (1) - Nik Cochran

Play in Games - California (1) - Emerson Murray, Iona (1) - Randy Dezouvre

The starters:

Melvin Ejim, Kris Joseph, Hernst Laroche, Daniel Mullings, Tyrone Watson, Brady Heslip, Laurent Rivard, Myck Kabongo, Andrew Nicholson, Kevin Pangos, Rob Sacre, Jahenns Manigat, Jason Calliste, Junior Cadougan, Nik Cochran

Other guys averaging more than 15 minutes a game:

Alex Johnson, Matthew Wright, Chris Johnson, Randy Dezouvre, Taevaunn Prince

Guys who make significant statistical contributions:

Melvin Ejim - 9.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg, 23.3 mpg

Hernst Laroche - 12.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, 119 made FTs, 45 made threes, 33.5 mpg

Tyrone Watson - 7.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 29.0 mpg

Daniel Mullings - 9.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 27.5 mpg

Brady Heslip - 9.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, .435 3-Pt %, and 84 made threes, 26.2 mpg

Kris Joseph - 13.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.7 spg, 1.4 spg, 102 made FTs, 50 made threes, 31.6 mpg

Laurent Rivard - 9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 60 made threes, 25.9 mpg

Myck Kabongo - 9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 30.4 mpg

Andrew Nicholson - 18.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.0 bpg, 128 made FTs, 19 made threes, 30.1 mpg

Matthew Wright - 7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 40 made threes, 27.7 mpg

Kevin Pangos - 13.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 9 made FTs, 75 made threes, 31.7 mpg

Rob Sacre - 11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 146 made FTs, 26.2 mpg

Jahenns Manigat - 6.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 55 made threes, 22.8 mpg

Jason Calliste - 10.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 56 made threes, 30.7 mpg

Alex Johnson - 4.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 19.9 mpg

Junior Cadougan - 6.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 28.5 mpg

Nik Cochran - 11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 46 made threes, 29.5 mpg

Provincial Breakdown:

Quebec: Kris Joseph, Hernst Laroche, Laurent Rivard, Randy Dezouvre, Robinson Odoch Opong

British Columbia - Rob Sacre, Nik Cochran, Emerson Murray

Ontario: 17 - Melvin Ejim, Tyrone Watson, Daniel Mullings, Renaldo Dixon, Taevaunn Prince, Stefan Cvrkalj, Myck Kabongo, Andrew Nicholson, Matthew Wright, Kevin Pangos, Jahenns Manigat, Jason Calliste, Alex Johnson, Junior Cadougan, Arnold Mayorga, Troy Joseph, Grandy Glaze,

The Rest: Chris Johnson (Nova Scotia), Kyle Wiltjer (Portland)

Of the players in the Tournament, nine of them have been given all conference awards this season:

Andrew Nicholson - Atlantic-10 Player of the Year, All A-10 First Team, A-10 All Defensive First Team

Melvin Ejim - All Big 12 honorable mention

Hernst Laroche - All Western Athletic Conference 2^nd Team

Daniel Mullings - Western Athletic Conference All Newcomer Team

Kris Joseph - All Big East Conference 1^st Team

Myck Kabongo - Big 12 All Rookie Team

Kevin Pangos - West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, All WCC Team selection

Rob Sacre - West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, All WCC Team selection

Nik Cochran - All Southern Conference 3^rd Team

Those are some pretty heavy credentials heading into this tournament for these cats. We'll hit you with the players to keep an eye on in the next few days so stay tuned in ...

The NC-Double-Eh Schedule - Mar. 10

rbala — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:15:04 -0000

The conference champions are within sight now and the games just got more important. Today we have some huge ones that include Andrew Nicholson and his Bonnies looking to get one step closer to a conference title plus more games all right here ...

Here is where the men are playing today ...

11:30am Marshall @ Memphis

1:00pm Florida vs. Kentucky

1:00pm Massachusetts vs. St. Bonaventure - Andrew Nicholson dropped 25 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in on Saint Joseph's yesterday and will be looking to do the same on UMass today. The Bonnies only played the Minutemen once this season and that was a nine point loss on the road (76-67). In that game, Nicholson had 24 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks. Today, I can only thing that he's feeling unstoppable and he might very well be, if he stays on the floor. If Nicholson can stay out of foul trouble, this could be a game for the Bonnies to win. If not well, it could be a lot tougher.

1:00pm NC State vs. North Carolina

3:30pm Xavier vs. Saint Louis

5:00pm NJIT vs. North Dakota

12:00am Louisiana Tech vs. New Mexico State - One more game is all that New Mexico State needs to get into the NCAA Tournament and it's quite possible that they could be in for a win. In their previous two meetings, the Aggies are 2-0 against Louisiana Tech and both wins have been by at least ten points. The three Canadian starters, Hernst Laroche, Daniel Mullings and Tyrone Watson combined for 43 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals and 4 blocks in last night's win over Hawaii with Mullings going for 12 and 10 himself. I would think that the trio would be smelling the championship now and will be looking to punch their dancing ticket tonight.

And here is where the women are playing today ...

12:00pm North Carolina-Wilmington vs. Delaware

4:00pm Howard vs. Hampton

5:00pm Long Beach State vs. UC Santa Barbara

6:00pm Alcorn State vs. Prairie View A&M

10:00pm Seattle @ Cal Bakersfield

The NC-Double-Eh Schedule - Mar. 9

rbala — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:15:05 -0000

Today we have more great conference games that include Andrew Nicholson and St. Bonaventure, Kris Joseph and Syracuse looking to tame some Bearcats and Myck Kabongo and Texas looking for another upset plus a lot more all right here ...

*** I will apologize again if I missed any games. The west coast games finish long after I need to sleep for my work day so I'll look to update them in the day when I can ***

Here is where the men are playing today ...

1:00pm LSU vs. Kentucky

2:00pm NC State vs. Virginia

2:30pm Saint Joseph's vs. St. Bonaventure - This will be a huge game for St. Bonaventure for a few reasons. First, the Bonnies are looking to win this conference tournament game and second, this will be Andrew Nicholson's last run for an Atlantic-10 title. I'm sure having a bye in the first round has them rested but will they be ready? Saint Joseph's is coming off crushing Charlotte two nights ago and if you couple that with the fact that they lost to the Bonnies in double overtime means that they could be confident that they can put up a fight. In that double OT game, Nicholson dropped 32 points and 14 rebounds on the Hawks and the Bonnies may need him to do the same today, particularly if the rest of the team doesn't hit from the outside to keep the D honest low on him.

3:30pm Texas-Pan American vs. North Dakota

4:00pm Marshall vs. Southern Miss

6:30pm La Salle vs. Saint Louis

6:30pm Minnesota vs. Michigan

7:00pm Cincinnati vs. Syracuse - Cincinnati is coming off an OT win over (my) Georgetown and may be feeling pretty good about themselves. Syracuse, coming off a win over a red hot UConn team, is probably feeling the same way. So who would win this battle? The Orange beat the Huskies with Kris Joseph scoring 11 points on 1-of-8 shooting from the floor. I expect that Joseph doesn't want to end his college career without a Big East title. Look for him to assert himself early on offense. If he does, it will be a long game for Cincy.

7:30pm Baylor vs. Kansas

9:00pm Hawaii vs. New Mexico State - New Mexico State crushes Fresno State, a team that they needed overtime to beat last week, to start off their WAC Tournament and now they have Hawaii. On paper, this is a win for NMSU but things can always happen. What I'm fairly confident of is that if the Canadian trio of Hernst Laroche, Tyrone Watson and Daniel Mullings are playing well, this will be a win. The season series is 1-1 and a win here would be good for the Aggies.

9:30pm UC Irvine vs. Long Beach State

10:00pm Texas vs. Missouri - Texas is coming off a huge, and I do mean HUGE, win over Iowa State last night and they will look to take their winning ways up against Missouri. Both teams play a similar style in that they play small and that makes this game probably the best tonight. Myck Kabongo broke out of his mini slump to score 11 points plus have 5 assists and 3 rebounds. He'll likely be going head-to-head with Phil Pressey and how he handles this matchup in this magnitude of a game that we could begin to see how much he's grown as a player.

And here is where the ladies are playing tonight ...

12:00pm Old Dominion vs. Delaware

1:00pm Alcorn State vs. Grambling State

2:30pm Florida A&M vs. Howard

5:30pm New Mexico vs. Boise State

5:30pm UC Santa Barbara vs. Pacific

6:00pm Wright State vs. Detroit

6:00pm NJIT vs. Utah Valley

8:30pm Illinois-Chicago @ Green Bay

The NC-Double-Eh Schedule - Mar. 8

rbala — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:30:17 -0000

OK people, with the Sunday Selection Show only a few days away, we have some big conference games happening today. We have a whole slew on tap to keep you playing hooky from work/school/responsibility starting with Kris Joseph and Syracuse at noon and finishing with Myck Kabongo and Texas taking on Iowa State and Melvin Ejim and company at night plus a lot in between all right here ...

Here is where the men are playing today ...

11:30am Illinois vs. Iowa

12:00pm UConn vs. Syracuse - Last season, UConn rode the Big East Tournament to the championship and then run through the NCAA Tournament for that championship. I'm sure Syracuse doesn't want their conference season to end this afternoon. I expect that the Orange will look to funnel their offense through Kris Joseph in this game and have him make plays if he's not scoring. He's working a four game double digit scoring streak right now averaging 14.5 points along with 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. If UConn stays hot, I would think it's Joseph who'll play the cooler roll in this one.

12:30pm Kansas State vs. Baylor - Baylor has not had the best second half of the year ending their regular season with a loss to Iowa State in Ames. Now with the start of the Big 12 Conference tournament, they need to get their momentum back. Baylor has split the season series with K-State and the total point differential was three points. Brady Heslip has only scored 11 points in his last two games and will be needed to provide the outside shooting for keep the middle open for the team's great interior players and slashers.

1:00pm Arkansas vs. LSU

2:00pm Boston College vs. North Carolina State

3:00pm Hawaii vs. Idaho - Idaho's Djim Bandoumel has been a great addition to the lineup and is providing backup in the post. He's averaging 7.2 points, 6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in the last five games and should be an X-factor for this game.

5:30pm Minnesota vs. Northwestern

5:30pm Fresno State vs. New Mexico State - The last time these two teams met New Mexico State won the contest in overtime. You can bet that the Bulldogs have their eyes set on revenge and knocking the Aggies out of the WAC Tournament. Look for Hernst Laroche, Tyrone Watson and Daniel Mullings to make huge impacts tonight. The trio accounted for 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in that victory and they were all having not so great nights. This could be a game to watch for sure.

5:30pm UC Irvine vs. Cal State Fullerton

7:00pm Louisville vs. Marquette

9:00pm Stanford vs. California

9:30pm Texas vs. Iowa State - This will be a big game for Texas. Iowa State should be in the NCAA Tournament regardless of how they play in the next few days but the Longhorns need to show huge. They have lost three of their last five games and the Cyclones will not be an easy out. To compound Texas' issues, Alexis Wangmene is out for the remainder of the season due to injury. Myck Kabongo will need to play bigger than he did in his last three games for his team to have a chance. He's only scored 1 point over his last two but he did have 15 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Any contribution will help immensely to the Longhorns getting closer to a win. For Iowa State look for Melvin Ejim to be the big difference maker in this game. With Texas short on bigs, Ejim will likely be matched up against a guard on D and should be able to take advantage. His teammate Royce White will likely taking up lost of post attention and him being a great passer, expect Ejim to get a lot of buckets in the paint.

And here is where the women are playing today ...

2:30pm Texas Tech vs. Baylor

5:00pm Northeastern vs. George Mason