SB Nation - Appalachian St. Mountaineers

BtB 2009-10 Southern Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:25:09 -0000

The Southern Conference, and the nation, got a little taste of what life without Stephen Curry would be like when the College of Charleston knocked off Davidson in last year's conference semifinals. The Cougars then lost to Chattanooga on the Mocs' home floor, extending the Cougars tournament drought to 10 seasons, while simultaneously making UTC the third league team to claim multiple tournament bids during the 00s. The Mocs represented the conference in 2005, former member East Tennessee State won back-to-back crowns in 2003 and 2004, and Davidson first won in 2002 before claiming three straight between 2006 and 2008. The 2008 Elite Eight squad managed the conference's only three NCAA wins in the decade. Seeing as this squad was the only conference champion to escape the bottom four seed lines during the 00s, that's understandable.

Appalachian State and UNC Greensboro were the other two SoCon qualifiers during the decade. They represented the league in the 2000 and 2001 tournaments, respectively.

Even with Curry gone, the Wildcats will challenge for the title, especially with the conference tournament shifting to their backyard (Charlotte) this season. However, look to two of their South Division competitors, Bobby Cremins' Cougars and their crosstown rivals, The Citadel, fresh off their first ever postseason berth. to lead the way. In the North Division, Buzz Peterson is back at Appalachian State, and he has some talent at his disposal, while Western Carolina brings back all five starters from a team that tied for the division crown last time around.

As you can see, there's still plenty to watch in this conference, even after the player who may arguably be its greatest ever has moved on to the NBA. More on all 12 teams after the jump.

Here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with the North Division. (Click here to see my College of Charleston preview and my preseason All-SoCon team, as it wouldn't attach to this post.)

North Division

UNC Greensboro (last NCAA: 2001) The Spartans lost one starter from last year's 5 win team, F Damian Eargle (9.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg), a gifted sophomore who departed for personal reasons. The remaining four starters, led by 6-4 Finnish G Mikko Koivisto (12.4 ppg, 2.4 apg) and 6-5 F Ben Stywall (11.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg), will have to improve on both ends of the court to improve their win total. Meanwhile, head coach Mike Dement hopes that two freshmen, 6-8 Brian Cole and 6-7 Taylor Hoffer, can turn into the frontcourt force Eargle threatened to become. UNCG's non-conference schedule is ACC heavy, as they visit Duke and Virginia Tech, and face Maryland, NC State, and Wake Forest at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Elon (last NCAA: None) Former Davidson assistant Matt Matheny is the new head coach of the Phoenix, and his team could struggle in his first season, as last year's two leading scorers F Ola Atoyebi (13.9 ppg) and G Brett James (13.2 ppg) are both gone. The good news is that none of the team's other main performers from last season, led by the guards Josh Bonney (5.4 ppg, 3.1 apg), Devan Carter (7.1 ppg), and reserve Chris Long (7.2 ppg) left after the coaching change. Lots of players, especially an underperforming frontcourt, will have to step up to keep the Phoenix out of the basement, however. The Phoenix will participate in the South region of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Duke, where they'll open with Charlotte.

Chattanooga (last NCAA: 2009) The Mocs, last year's North Division champs, hosted last year's SoCon tourney and claimed the crown. Don't expect a repeat trip, as all five starters from that team are gone. The team's leading returning scorer is 6-6 senior G Ty Patterson, who averaged a little more than 8 points a contest this season. In fact, John Shulman's roster is loaded with reserves from last year's team, but one key newcomer is 6-5 F Troy Cage, a JC transfer who played at UNLV, and should immediately make his presence known. The Mocs schedule includes trips to Missouri and Richmond for the South Padre Island Invitational. They'll face Texas-Pan American, then either Bethune-Cookman or Longwood in the main tournament. In a scheduling coup, Georgia Tech visits McKenzie Arena this season.

Samford (last NCAA: 2000) Jimmy Tillette has four starters back from a team that finished at .500 overall, and just below that mark in the league. He also returns his five leading scorers from a season ago. The Bulldogs' strength is their backcourt, featuring 6-4 junior Josh Davis (10.1 ppg) and 6-4 senior Trey Montgomery (11.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg),the team's leading rebounder from a season ago. That should serve as a warning to a frontcourt that features 6-6 FBryan Friday (12.5 ppg. 3.5 rpg) and 6-8 C Andy King (8.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg), who certainly could put the ball in the basket, but need to increase their sometimes timid rebounding efforts. Two freshmen, 6-10 Levi Barnes and 6-9 Andrew Windler, will push them for minutes. During the non-conference season, Samford will visit Alabama, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. They'll also take part in a round-robin event at Ohio, which, oddly enough, will feature a game against crosstown rival UAB.

Western Carolina (last NCAA: 1996) The Catamounts finished last season with a mark that was just above .500 both overall and in the SoCon. They should be better this season, as all five starters are back--led by last year's SoCon Freshman of the Year, 6-4 Canadian G Harouna Mutombo (14.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 spg), and senior backcourt mates Brandon Giles (13.2 ppg) and Brigham Waginger (8.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.6 spg). Head coach Larry Hunter could stand to get a little more production from a frontcourt featuring starters Adrian Gailliard (4.9 ppg. 3.1 rpg), Richie Gordon (6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg), and reserve Jake Robinson (9.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg), however. If they step up, WCU becomes a serious contender for the overall league crown. This season, the Catamounts visit Clemson, Louisville, and Texas, as part of the CBE Classic. They'll also host one of that event's subregionals, featuring A-10 contender Duquesne, decimated America East champ Binghamton, and D-2 Arkansas-Monticello.

Appalachian State (last NCAA: 2000) Buzz Peterson is back to coach the Mountaineers after nine years away from Boone. He has a chance at immediate success, thanks to the return of five starters from a team that only managed 13 wins in 2008-09. The backcourt is one of the best in the league, as 6-1 junior Donald Sims 13.7 ppg, 2.3 apg) and 6-1 senior Kellen Brand (14.8 ppg) are offensive threats from anywhere on the floor, and senior PG Ryann Abraham (9.8 ppg) returns after a season that featured a suspension. The frontcourt features two strong rebounders--6-6 senior F Josh Hunter (8.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and 6-10 junior C Issac Butts (8.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg)--who could stand to score a little more. Appalachian's schedule features road trips to Arkansas, Dayton, Louisville, and Robert Morris. The games against the Razorbacks and Cardinals are part of the odd Hall of Fame Showcase event.

South Division

Georgia Southern (last NCAA: 1992) (Thanks to Rose Carter in GSU's sports information department for helping me clear this entry up.) GSU alum Charlton Young replaced Jeff Price at the helm after a 8-22 season that featured only 5 league wins. Young lost two starters, though guard Julian Allen, who was one of five Eagles to average more than 9 points a contest last season was suspended for the final third of last season. That means Georgia Southern still has a few guys who can score, especially guards Willie Powers (14.6 ppg before he suffered a knee injury), Antonio Hanson (12 ppg, 2.4 apg), and Ben Drayton III (11.8 ppg, 2.6 apg). Plus, 6-7 senior F Tyler Troupe, really stepped up after Allen's suspension, averaging 13.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg during the last 10 games of the season. So he'll be an effective weapon on the wing an in the 3 spot. However, Young will have to get his players to give a better effort on the defensive end of the court for the win total to increase. The Eagles visit South Carolina and Florida, as part of the Legends Classic. GSU will welcome D-2 Arkansas-Fort Smith, Troy, and Valparaiso to Statesboro for one of that event's "subregionals."

Furman (last NCAA: 1980) The Paladins are the classic "good news/bad news" case this season. For the good, Jeff Jackson has all five starters back. Now, the bad. That team only managed six wins, four in the league. 6-2 guard Jordan Miller was the only Paladin who averaged in double figures last season (13.8 ppg), so it's no wonder this team ranked near the bottom of every offensive statistical category in the SoCon. If the players can build on its experience, and Jackson can get more out of a frontcourt that didn't do nearly enough on the glass, they should improve significantly. Trips to in-state rivals Clemson and South Carolina are on the slate, as is a trip to California for the Golden Bear Classic.

Wofford (last NCAA: None) Mike Young's squad is loaded with experience this season, as all of his starters and key reserves are back from a squad that finished 16-14. However, as there's still a lot of other talent in the South Division, it could be tough for them to leave the middle of the pack, especially as the Terriers struggled on defense last season. 6-6 junior Noah Dahlman (17.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) anchors the frontcourt, while 6-2 senior Junior Salters(15 ppg) is the leader in the backcourt. 6-5 junior swingman Tim Johnson averaged 10 points a game, while grabbing nearly 9 boards a contest. If Wofford can focus on both ends of the floor this season, they'll surprise. The schedule should prepare them for the rigors of the SoCon slate. They open with a trip to Pitt, while they also visit Georgia, Michigan State, Bradley, and Illinois. The last two games are part of the Las Vegas Invitational, and the Terriers will face Southern and Seattle or Presbyterian in Vegas. Wofford also welcomes South Carolina to Spartanburg.

Davidson (last NCAA: 2008) Not only is Curry gone, but so are F Andrew Lovedale and G Max Paulhus Gosselin. That means the returnees, led by 6-7 F Steve Rossiter and sharpshooters Bryant Barr--a 6-4 G, and William Archambault--a 6-6 swingman, will have to really up their offense production. Curry's nearly 29 points a contest will be hard to replace, and losing Lovedale's 12.5 points and nearly 9 boards a game makes the problem even bigger for Bob McKillop's squad. Expect 6-10 soph Frank Ben-Eze and 6-10 frosh Jake Cohen to battle to replace Lovedale inside. The schedule is typically tough, starting with a BracketBuster rematch with Butler right away. The Wildcats will fill the SoCon's host slot in the Charleston Classic, where they'll face USF in their opener, then La Salle or South Carolina on day two. They also face Gonzaga in Seattle and Cornell, then Hofstra or St. John's in the Holiday Classic.

The Citadel (last NCAA: None) Ed Conroy's team managed 20 wins and the school's first ever postseason bid, a trip to the CollegeInsider tournament, where they lost to Old Dominion by 8 in round one. The Bulldogs should be competitive again, but Conroy needs to replace graduated C Demetrius Nelson (16.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), the team's leading scorer. Look for 7-0 former Washington backup C Joe Wolfinger--who has a year of eligibility left while he's in grad school--to get the first chance to replace him. The backcourt won't be an issue, thanks to the presence of 6-1 Cameron Wells (15.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and 6-2 Zach Urbanus (10 ppg, 3.3 apg), while swingmen John Brown (5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Austin Dahn (6.8 ppg) could stand to help them out more offensively. The Bulldogs visit Houston, Texas A&M, and West Virginia, and host Michigan State.

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Southern Conference this season?

Appalachian State

2 votes

Chattanooga

1 votes

The Citadel

1 votes

College of Charleston

2 votes

Davidson

4 votes

Elon

0 votes

Furman

0 votes

Georgia Southern

2 votes

UNC Greensboro

0 votes

Samford

0 votes

Western Carolina

0 votes

Wofford

1 votes

13 votes | Poll has closed

The 2009-10 Coaching Carousel Recap

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Dusty Compton - AP

(Yes, it's a column about coaching changes that doesn't feature a picture of either John Calipari, Josh Pastner, or Sean Miller.) Former Florida assistant Anthony Grant left VCU during this offseason to return to the SEC, taking over at Alabama. (AP Photo/Tuscaloosa News, Dusty Compton)

Browse more photos »

As I posted last Monday, everyone knows that John Calipari is Billy Gillispie's replacement at Kentucky, and that Josh Pastner now has to try to keep Memphis at the top of Conference USA. It's also no secret that Sean Miller left Xavier to become Lute Olson's permanent replacement at Arizona, and that the Musketeers promoted assistant Chris Mack to the head job.

But there were 24 other coaching changes in Division I after the 2008-09 season. Some of these were the result of the domino effect that happens when a school in a power conference hires someone who was successful at a lower level, a decision that often leads to multiple jobs opening up. Others were cases where athletic directors felt that they needed to make changes, but stayed within the current staff.

This year's coaching carousel was a pretty lengthy one. Proving that the pressure is getting a bit ridiculous, even at lower levels of Division I, John Cooper (No, not THAT John Cooper.) replaces Cy Alexander at Tennessee State, which is a noteworthy story because Alexander was fired back on Feburary 9. Cooper was previously Jeff Lebo's associate head coach at Auburn. The final change of the offseason (I say that now like it's a certainty.) was finalized late Thursday when Cornell assistant Zach Spiker was hired at Army to replace Jim Crews.

While that's a start, it's certainly not everything that happened in the world of coaching during the spring and summer. After the jump, I'll run through the rest of the coaching changes made this offseason.

At one point, Kevin O'Neill was the interim coach in Tucson and the replacement in waiting for Lute Olson. That obviously didn't happen, so now the former Northwestern and Tennessee head coach has replaced Tim Floyd at USC.

Alabama hired Anthony Grant to replace Mark Gottfried. VCU then followed its own playbook by replacing Grant with another Florida assistant, Shaka Smart.

Georgia hired Mark Fox to do what Dennis Felton failed to do, rebuild the program. Nevada promoted assistant David Carter to replace Fox with the hopes he'll have the Wolf Pack ready to challenge Utah State and Idaho at the top of the league this year.

Tony Bennett left Washington State to replace Dave Leitao at Virginia. Former Portland State coach Ken Bone heads to the Palouse to replace him, with Vikings assistant Tyler Geving taking over the head job there.

Buzz Peterson left his job as Director of Player Personnel with the Charlotte Bobcats to return to Appalachian State. He left the Mountaineers to take the Tulsa job in 2000, leaving there for an average four seasons at Tennessee. After being forced out in Knoxville, Peterson coached Coastal Carolina for two years before heading to Charlotte. Elon will also have a new coach. Ernie Nestor was fired, and the school looked to tap into a winning formula in hiring his replacement. The Phoenix will now be led by former Davidson assistant Matt Matheny.

Isiah Thomas will now attempt to not ruin Florida International's program like he ruined the CBA and the New York Knicks. He's off to a great start at earning friends and influencing people.

Holy Cross hired Notre Dame assistant Sean Kearney to replace Ralph Willard, who left to be an assistant for Rick Pitino at Louisville.

Ritchie McKay left Liberty to be one of Bennett's assistants. Another former Colorado State head man, Marquette assistant Dale Layer is his replacement. Former South Carolina assistant Scott Cherry is the other new hire in the Big South, he replaces the fired Bart Lundy at High Point.

Dennis Wolff couldn't bring America East glory to Boston University, so he was fired and replaced with Villanova assistant Patrick Chambers.

Tom Green (not the "funny" Canadian) had significant success at Fairleigh Dickinson, just not over the past couple of years. He was fired and the Knights will be led by his former assistant, Greg Vetrone, at least on an interim basis.

Washington assistant Cameron Dollar, a star player on UCLA's 1995 National Championship team will lead Seattle through their Division I transition period, replacing Joe Callero, who took the job at Cal Poly in the Big West. North Carolina Central is the other Independent with a new coach for 2009-10. Henry Dickerson wasn't rehired, and he will be replaced by one of his assistants, LeVelle Morton.

Kevin Nickelberry resigned at Hampton, where Edward Joyner, Jr., one of Nickelberry's assistants will lead the team on at least an interim basis.

At Grambling, a tragic incident led to the end of Rick Duckett's tenure. Henry White, a transfer from Hill (Tex.) Junior College, died after an offseason workout on a 104 degree day at the Louisiana school. The school says Duckett resigned, but the coach says he was fired via a letter from the school. Assistant Robert Washington, Jr. will be the interim coach.

Tom Schuberth was fired at Texas-Pan American, where winning will always be tough because of the slim chance at making the NCAAs (something that won't change with Great West membership). St. Edward's coach Ryan Marks is the new head man in Edinboro.

There were two other changes in the Ohio Valley this offseason besides the Tennessee State switch I mentioned before the jump. Former Arkansas State head man Dickie Nutt is back in the business, taking over a Southeast Missouri State program that spent most of last season in turmoil after the Scot Edgar regime. Bret Campbell resigned at Tennessee-Martin. His replacement is former assistant Jason James.

At the end of the season, I'll come back and look at how each of these coaches did in filling their new jobs. On Tuesday, however, I turn my attention back to the players with my first ever preseason All-America teams.

Appalachian State @ Kentucky: Post Mortem

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:45:04 -0000

Despite being outmanned and outgunned, the Mountaineers from Appalachian State came in and gave it their all today against the Kentucky Wildcats in Freedom Hall. A hearty "Thank you" to the Mountaineers for a never-say-die effort, and some of the best sportsmanship I have seen in a while, despite a technical for barking at the referee (that guy needed a bark from somebody).

Moving right along, I don't know that we can take away a heck of a lot from this game, but there are surely a few things:

Jodie Meeks, at his best, is incredible. Perhaps the most dangerous catch-and-shoot player we have had in recent memory.
Michael Porter had a super game. After all the heat he has taken around here, we have got to give the guy his props for this game -- 5 assists and only one turnover against some defensive pressure. Very impressive.
The combination of Porter and Galloway just seems to work. Galloway is getting better and better on the floor. Hopefully he will someday develop an offensive game as well. He is a great athlete.
A.J. Stewart played his best basketball so far at UK by a wide, wide margin. He was confident, in the right place, and got 15 very good minutes.
Patterson shot the ball very poorly for him today. I also wish he could have done more on the glass -- seven rebounds for him is just not enough.
Josh Harrellson was the invisible man today. When he did play, he struggled.
Darius Miller didn't shoot well, but he did have 4 assists, no turnovers two steals and a block. Coaches love players who produce more than points.
Stevenson had a weird game, taking three (3) 3-point shots. That's unexpected, but he did make one. Five rebounds is a disappointment. He should be able to manage seven or eight against a team like Appy State.
Great to see Ramon Harris back, even if it was only for 9 minutes. He managed 2 assists, a block and a steal to go along with 4 points. Very efficient.
Liggins continues to struggle with turnovers, but his defense just keeps getting better and better. Three steals and a block rescue him from an otherwise disappointing performance. He is getting better, but right now, his games look like the movie "Groundhog day," the same thing over and over.

This Kentucky team is getting better and better, especially defensively. Two games in a row, the 'Cats have come out with fantastic intensity and humbled teams in the first half, although to be fair, the competition level hasn't been very high. That's why we can be encouraged, but let's not get into any chest-thumping here. Against better opponents, Kentucky has been less than impressive.

But overall, 'Cat fans have to be encouraged by the steady improvement in the team. UK continues to score their points off an impressive number of assists, a total of 15 today on 31 shots taken, and at one point, it was 23 assists off 21 taken shots. Garbage time made that number worse than it should be. We also managed only 15 turnovers today and a very impressive 11 steals, four of which belonged to the man of the hour, Jodie Meeks.

If the 'Cats continue to improve, they just may be a threat to knock off a top team. Perhaps even the same top team Minnesota defeated today.

UK vs. Appalachian St.: An Appy State rundown ... an addendum

Ken Howlett — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:27:14 -0000

UK enters the "Den of the Despised," otherwise known as Freedom Hall, today against the Southern Conference's Appalachian State Mountaineers. The 'Cats should be looking for some redemption for last years "Robert Vaden Variety Hour:" An 'hour' in which Vaden made shots from a variety of locations on the floor, and singlehandedly put a second half beat-down on Billy Gillispie's seemingly helpless 'Cats. Although, Freedom Hall has historically been almost as reliable as Rupp Arena in producing victories for UK, last year was an unnecessarily ugly exception.

ASU's head coach Houston Fancher (no, I didn't make that up) brings his 'Neers into Louisville with a 4-3 mark. Francher, in his ninth season at ASU, has posted a 128-121 record. He lost only two starters off last years 18-13 squad, and his team and fans entered the '08-'09 season hopeful of arriving on the national spotlight as another mid-major heart-breaker. I'm not a fan of the RPI, but, "Appy State trails only Butler and Southern Illinois in winning percentage versus RPI Top 100 opponents," (Cats' Pause Yearbook). This fact should give them a bit of confidence coming into the Hall this afternoon, but they're gonna need more than confidence to topple the 'Cats today.

For more, here are 20 fun facts for fodder as you prepare for the game:

Francher starts three guards, a small forward, and a center.
ASU has taken 153 three-point shots in seven games. That works out to 22 per game. They make 'em at a 34.6% clip.
ASU holds opponents to only 30.6% on three-point shots. Overall, ASU shoots 44.0% from the field, while their opponents shoot 44.1%.
Starting point guard, junior Ryann Abraham, is listed at 5'10", 180 lbs. He has committed 20 turnovers and handed out 21 assists.
6'10" starting center Ike Butts has taken only eight free throws all year.
ASU averages 80.6 points per game, but gives up 82.7.
36% of ASU shots are three-pointers (153 of 420), resulting in 7.6 makes per game.
ASU has committed 139 turnovers (19.9 per game), and dished out only 93 assists (13.3 per game). They try to help ease that stat by snagging 21 more offensive rebounds than their opponents. In total, they average 7.9 more rebounds than their opponents.
ASU has only 93 assists on 420 shots taken (only 22% of their shots are assisted).
Five players average in double-figures for the Mountaineers: 6'1" 185 lb junior Kellen Brand averages 12.6 points per game; 6'1" 170 lb sophomore Donald Sims averages 12.0 points per game; 6'10" 285 lb Ike Butts averages 11.4 points per game; 6'3" 190 junior Eduardo Bermudez averages 11.3 points per game; and the aforementioned Ryann Abraham averages 10.4 points per game. Starting forward Josh Hunter, a 6'6" 235 lb junior (he's a JUCO transfer), averages 9.7 points per game. He also leads the team with 25 turnovers (3.6 per game).
Butts has recorded six double-doubles this season (four straight). He averages 11.4 rebounds per game. He also shoots 63% from the field.
ASU has only 22 blocks (3.1 per game) and 43 steals (6.1 per game) on the year. ASU opponents have recorded 67 pilfers (9.6 per game).
ASU is +41 points in the first half of games, but a -52 in the second half.
In ASU's three losses they have given up an average of 93 points per game in regulation.
In their 89-70 loss to East Tennessee State ASU committed 21 turnovers (12 in the second half) to the Moc's 11. ETSU scored 29 points off those turnovers, ASU scored only seven points off the Moc's turnovers. ASU was out-shot from the free throw line in that game by a count of 26-17 (ETSU made 23).
In ASU's 95-80 loss to Niagara they once again lost the battle of the butterfingers by a count of 19 turnovers to 13. Niagara scored 29 points off of ASU's turnovers, and ASU managed only 11. ASU was once again out-shot, in a big way, at the free throw line 35-21. ASU made on 12 of their 21 charity tosses, Niagara made 26 of 35. Niagara shot 54.4% overall, and made 7 of 18 three-pointers.
The Mountaineers once again were bitten by the same miscreant bed-bug that has befuddled Kentucky this year in their 108-101 overtime loss to UNC-Wilmington. ASU committed 28 turnovers to UNC-W's 11. This allowed Wilmington to take 16 more shots than ASU. ASU shot 46% from the field to Wilmington's 44.3%, but their opponent made 12 of 35 (34.3%) three-point shots to ASU's 8 of 28 (28.6%). UNC-W guard Chad Tomko recorded eight of his teams 12 steals versus Appalachian State.
In case you are counting, that's 68 turnovers in their three losses (sound familiar?).
Last year ASU lost to Davidson twice; 71-60 and 65-55.
In ASU's last seven games versus BCS conference schools they have posted a 2-5 record: They have beaten Arkansas 74-67 (last year), and Vanderbilt 87-69 in the '06-'07 season. They've lost to Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Ole Miss by an average of 19.4 points (all in the '06-'07 season).

I feel a blowout coming on.

With UK showing signs of progress, although consistency is not one of those signs, I look for the 'Cats to have a big game today. The size and numbers advantage enjoyed by Patrick Patterson, Josh Harrellson, and Perry Stevenson should help pave the way for a UK victory, making the Jefferson County UK faithful very happy.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Appalachian State at Kentucky: "When the frost shows on the windows ..."

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:39:54 -0000

...
And the wood stove smokes and glows
As the fire grows we can warm our souls
Makin' rainbows in the coals

And well talk of trails we've walked up
Far above the timberline
There are nights I only feel right
With Carolina in the pines

--Michael Martin Murphy, Carolina in the Pines

Tomorrow, the Mountaineers from Appalachian State University come down from their high mountain passes in Boone, North Carolina for a tilt with the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Mountaineers are most recently famous for knocking off the mighty Michigan Wolverines in The Big House in Football back in 2007. But the Mountaineers have a basketball team, as well. This ASU team is a very high-possession team, averaging almost 80 possessions per 40 minutes. The 4-3 Mountaineers are also a good rebounding team, averaging nearly 43 rebounds per game, 12th in the nation, and has out-rebounded all its opponents by an average of almost 8 per game. Appy State also has a very good individual player, Ike Butts, who has six double-doubles in seven games this season.

As usual, we'll be taking a look at both teams from a statistical point of view (all statistics courtesy of Statsheet.com):

Player statistics and evaluations:

Appalachian State
	Size	Pos	Class	GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
E. Bermudez	6'3"/195#	G	Sr	7	7	31.1	11.3	44.3	66.7	36.8	5.6	1.3	4.3	2.1	2.7	1.9	0.1	2.6
J. Hunter	6'6"/235#	F	Jr	7	7	30.9	9.7	48.8	65	0	8	2.4	5.6	1.9	3.6	0.3	0.3	2.6
K. Brand	6'1"/185#	G	Jr	7	7	29	12.6	47.5	84	36	2.3	0.9	1.4	1.7	1.9	0.3	0	2.3
I. Butts	6'10"/285#	C	So	7	7	28.4	11.4	62.7	75	0	11.4	4.3	7.1	0.7	2.3	0	1.1	3.6
D. Sims	6'1"/170#	G	So	7	1	24.7	12	32.8	77.5	36.6	1.4	0.6	0.9	2	2.1	0.7	0	1.7
R. Abraham	5'10"/180#	G	Jr	7	6	24.4	10.4	39.7	83.3	36.4	2.3	0.4	1.9	3.1	2.9	1.6	0.1	3.3
T. Webb	6'9"/230#	F	Jr	6	0	14	3.5	46.7	60	14.3	2.2	0.8	1.3	0.2	1.3	0	0.5	2
A. Williamson	6'7"/215#	F	Fr	6	0	10.5	3.8	30.8	75	0	2.8	1.2	1.7	0.2	0.5	0.3	1	1.7
Kentucky Player Stats
	Size	Pos	Class	GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
J. Meeks	6'4"/208#	G	Jr	10	10	32.6	21.9	43.7	87.1	36	3.3	0.5	2.8	1.6	3.6	1.5	0.2	2.1
P. Patterson	6'8"/235#	F	So	10	10	30.9	17.6	71.4	72	0	9.1	1.8	7.3	3	2	0.8	2	2.6
P. Stevenson	6'9"/215#	F	Jr	10	10	25.5	6.7	53.7	76.7	0	6.5	2.2	4.3	1.6	2.1	0.9	2.5	2.6
D. Miller	6'7"/215	F	Fr	10	2	22.4	4.7	34.9	75	14.3	3.7	1.4	2.3	1.9	2	0.6	0.6	3.2
D. Liggins	6'6"/200#	G	Fr	10	0	21.1	7.7	49	78.6	23.8	3.1	0.1	3	3.7	3.5	0.9	0.5	2.3
M. Porter	6'3"/198#	G	Fr	10	10	20.1	2.7	30	80	25	2.3	0.3	2	2.3	2.6	0.8	0.1	1.8
R. Harris	6'6"/218#	F	Fr	7	6	24.6	8.7	65.7	60.9	16.7	2.9	1	1.9	1.1	2.7	1.1	0.3	2
J. Harrellson	6'9"/255#	F	Fr	10	0	14.7	6.6	51	76.5	50	4.3	1.4	2.9	0.5	0.8	0.4	1	1.2

Actually, I have no idea who Gillispie will start. It could be Galloway again. We'll all just have to wait and see.

Match ups

Inch for inch and pound for pound, the Mountaineers match up only fair against the Wildcats. ASU has a very large and strong center surrounded by relatively small players, having essentially a 3-guard system and starting a small power forward.

Due to their lack of interior size, the Mountaineers will be forced to leave either Stevenson, Harrellson or Patterson matched up with a much smaller man. No doubt they will put Butts on Patterson and a smaller man on Stevenson and Harrellson, which should give UK lots of high-low opportunities with Patterson up top.

The Mountaineers will play an in-your-face man-to-man, and may press quite a bit. This will likely force either a Galloway start or an early exit for Michael Porter in order for him to avoid having to bring the ball up against pressure, at which he is very vulnerable. But it does give UK a chance to keep the tempo high, and they have done very well in high possession games since the first loss to VMI.

UK is also bigger in the backcourt, which is going to be true most of the time this year. The ASU guards are likely to be very quick and active, but that is a good thing for UK, and will force them to pay attention.

As far as ASU is concerned, they will want to get it in to Butts to try to get Patterson or Stevenson in trouble, but the fact of the matter is, our large guards are going to make that entry very tough for ASU. Also, UK's big men are very mobile, and they are gong to make Butts work hard for inside position.

In the end, no matter what the visitors try, they are going to be at a disadvantage both in terms of size and talent.

Team stats

School	Kentucky		ASU
Conference	SEC		SoCon
State	KY		NC
Founded	1865		1899
School Type	Public		Public
Enrollment	26,545		14,800
Rankings
Conf Standing	1		1
AP Rank	0		0
RPI	0.5729		0.4723
RPI Rank	63		212
SOS	0.5654		0.4278
SOS Rank	54		299
Wins & Losses
Overall	7-3	(70.0%)	4-3	(57.1%)
Home	5-2	(71.4%)	2-1	(66.7%)
Away	0-1	(0.0%)	2-2	(50.0%)
Neutral	2-0	(100.0%)	0-0	(0.0%)
Conference	0-0	(0.0%)	2-0	(100.0%)
Top 25	0-2	(0.0%)	0-0	(0.0%)
Blowout (> 19)	4-0	(100.0%)	0-0	(0.0%)
Close (< 6)	1-0	(100.0%)	3-0	(100.0%)
Overtime	0-0	(0.0%)	1-1	(50.0%)
NCAA Tourney	0-0	(0.0%)	0-0	(0.0%)
Scoring
Pts Per Game	78.1		80.6
Shooting
FG Pct	50.3		44.0
FT Pct	76.3		71.6
3pt FG Pct	30.7		34.6
Rebounds
Reb Per Game	41.7		46.9
Off Rebs Per Game	10.4		14.7
Def Rebs Per Game	29.0		28.0
Assists, Steals, & Blocks
Assists Per Game	16.9		13.3
Steals Per Game	7.2		6.1
Blocks Per Game	7.9		3.1
Turnovers & Fouls
TO Per Game	20.5		19.9
Fouls Per Game	19.2		21.9

As you can see, UK is the better shooting team, and even arguably a better defensive team. However, the Mountaineers are a significantly better rebounding team, and as weak as UK has been on the offensive glass this year, that presents a difficult problem.

If UK can keep the Mountaineers to a draw on the offensive boards, it looks like UK is by far the most offensively and defensively efficient team between these two.

Conclusion

This is yet another straightforward game for the Wildcats, and another opportunity to prove how far they have come in practice. Despite the fact that ASU is by no means athletically challenged, they certainly have far less skill, top to bottom, than do the Wildcats.

I'll be looking for good fundamentals from the Wildcats in this game -- rebounding, ball handling, shot blocking and solid offensive execution. It should be very difficult for ASU to dare to dream about coming into ~~Rupp Arena~~ Freedom Hall and winning a game, but of course, Gardener Webb and VMI have proved there is less to fear in mighty Rupp Arena than at times past, and UK lost to UAB in Louisville last year.

What this game calls for is simple basketball -- get the ball into the post and make ourself available for kick-outs. Play good, fundamental basketball and this game should be an fairly straightforward one for Kentucky.

Go Cats!