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The Can Ball Report's NCAA Canadian Player Preview

rbala — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:34 -0000

The Can Ball Report gives what can only be described as the only NCAA Canadian player preview that matters. Join us for a look at the Canuck ballers that we expect to be making big waves this season.

So it’s is finally here people! All the waiting is over because the NCAA basketball season will officially start in a few days. There are roughly about 75 Canadians on Division 1 men’s basketball rosters this season and it looks like it will be a good one for our boys. We have two bona fide stars headlining what can be said is the most talented set of Canadian players playing at this level, ever. There are upperclassmen that have earned preseason honors; there are two reigning conference rookies of the year; there are a whole host of preseason all conference selections as well as players who will play major roles to their respective teams’ success. Since we are all basketball enthusiasts (I’ll let you gauge the degree of your enthusiasm in silence now for a moment) the Can Ball Report has compiled a list of players that we feel are worthy of early notice. Now some of you may know a few of the names already, if you do then good for you. For those of you who are not so familiar with them we suggest you, to quote Clinton Sparks, get familiar quickly. The players listed below are guys we feel you'll be hearing a lot about on this site, and any other Canadian media outlet for that matter, from the opening tip to the One Shining Moment in March and we want you to get it here first. So here we go people, the first annual Can Ball Report’s NCAA Canadian Player preview.

Most Outstanding Player – Harouna Mutombo, G - Western Carolina

A consensus pre season Southern Conference First Team selection this season after an incredible Rookie of the Year campaign, Mutombo is poised for a big (ger) year. He led the Catamounts in scoring, rebounding and steals on his way to a Second Team All SoCon nod so I wonder what the encore will be this season.

Top Newcomer – Manny Arop, G - Gonzaga

Arop may not have the best shot nor be the best rebounder as a freshman, but he does everything well enough that he will be an impact player for the Zags from day one. The team will be short on frontcourt help this year so he will be given every opportunity to contribute on a small ball lineup. Of all the newbie Canadians playing this year at the D1 level, Arop should be the best of them come March.

Best Shooter – Andy Rautins, G - Syracuse

Do you really need any explanation here? He is the best deep threat on a perennial national power team. Check his stats. He took 279 threes last year with gunner Eric Devendorf on the team and Rautins made an average of 2.8 makes per game. And that’s high quality defense in his face night in, night out. We don’t need to say anymore.

Best Defender – Andrew Nicholson, F/C – St. Bonaventure

After hitting the weight room this summer, the rookie record setting block machine is back to hold down the lane for the Bonnies. A legit Mutombo-like game changer, teams better rethink the attack when he’s they see his shadow looming.

Best Situation – Chretien Lukusa, G - Binghamton

The scandal that rocked Binghamton earlier this school year sent three starters and three supporting players packing, including two conference first teamers. An accomplished defender, Lukusa is the only returning starter so he pretty much should be good to go on both ends from day one.

Worst Situation – Ryan Wright, F - Oklahoma

The much ballyhooed Wright left UCLA for Oklahoma last year. Now with Blake Griffin in the NBA, the pressure is on him to contribute immediately to a team that has no real experienced frontcourt players returning. This may be a sink or swim situation that could turn against Wright in a hurry.

Most Important to Team – Andrew Nicholson, F/C – St. Bonaventure

Not enough can be said about Nicholson’s importance to his team this year so we’ll only use one word: very. He was the difference between a dead last finish and going .500 last season in the perennially tough A-10 Conference. This year, the team’s success will hinge largely on him and his improvements on both ends of the floor.

Super Sleeper – Willie Galick, F – Cal State-Northridge

Galick has been steadily flying under the radar for most of his college career finally breaking out last season as a junior transfer at Cal State-Northridge. Last year he started 25 of 33 games averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, both fourth and second respectively on the team. This year, he will get the starting nod at the power forward spot from the beginning of the season for the Matadors and should really shine in the California sun.

Best Down the Road – Manny Arop, G - Gonzaga

Call me crazy but a having great games against the best in the world at your age group should be an indicator of how good you are. Arop showed how good he was in New Zealand at the U19 Worlds this summer. He will have every chance this season to show why he may be the best recruit in the Zags class this year and will only get better with experience.

Due for a Breakout - Rob Sacre, C - Gonzaga

Last season, Rob Sacre was hindered by a foot injury that kept him out of all but five games. After spending the summer working out with the Canadian Senior Men's National Team, the recovered Sacre will be the man in the middle with the departures of Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye. With Sacre getting the first look at the starting center spot and a lack of real interior players, expect the breakout to come sooner than later.

Redemption Time – Maurice Joseph, G - Vermont

MoJo was another heralded Canadian export from the 2004 high school class along with Wright. He started out at Michigan State and was a big contributor to the team’s Tournament run in ’06 but he decided to transfer to Vermont after his sophmore campaign. Last season amid very high expectations, he began as a starter but finished coming off the bench. This season is the Montreal native’s final year to prove that he was worthy of big expectations when he became a Catamount.

Don’t Call It a Comeback – Olu Ashoalu, G/F – Louisiana Tech

Ashoalu has been on the top end of many school recruiting lists since he was a high school sophomore in Atlanta. He chose to follow the coach that recruited him to Louisiana Tech and got lost in the mix somehow. He was expected to play a big role in the team’s turnaround but red shirted his first year. Last year he showed flashes of what he could do averaging 5.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg playing in all 33 games. This year he will be asked to shoulder more of the load on both ends and should finally begin to play the way many predicted he would at this level.

Remember Me – William Archambault, F - Davidson

If you’re not aware of whom Archambault is you’ll know by the end of this season. With Stephen Curry starting in the NBA and taking with him much of the experienced outside shooting from last year’s team, the sweet shot forward will be the Wildcats’ primary outside gunner. He was the third leading scorer for the team despite starting only nine games and can light it up in a hurry. He is selected as a pre season SoCon All Conference selection, by the coaches no less, so we should all expect a big senior season from Archambault.

Diamond in the Rough - Max Boudreau, F - Buffalo

There seems to be something in the Quebec water that has the province producing seemingly unathletic yet highly efficient basketball players. Max Boudreau can arguably be the most underrated player on any team. He only averaged 13.8 minutes per but quietly put up 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds playing in all 33 contests. He managed to lead the team in scoring four times and rebounding six times last years, with two of those feats coming in the post season. This year may be the year for him to finally play more and potentially be a starter, finally.

Fab Five All Canadian First Team:

Andrew Nicholson, F/C - St Bonaventure

Harouna Mutumbo, G – Western Carolina

Andy Rautins, G - Syracuse

William Archambault, G/F - Davidson

Rob Sacre, C - Gonzaga

Ten Players to Watch:

Alex Johnson, G – Cal State-Bakersfield

Kai Williams, F – South Dakota State

Jon House, G – Belmont

Bol Kong, F – Gonzaga

Devoe Joseph, G – Minnesota

Hernst Laroche, G – New Mexico State

Tyrone Watson, G – New Mexico State

Marc Trasolini, F – Santa Clara

Francis Cedric-Martel, G/F – Richmond

Alwayne Bigby, G/F – Northeastern

Poll

Who will have the best season this year in the NCAA?

Andy Rautins - Syracuse

34 votes

Andrew Nicholson - St. Bonaventure

11 votes

Manny Arop - Gonzaga

144 votes

Harouna Mutombo - Western Carolina

16 votes

Other

12 votes

217 votes | Poll has closed

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic Sun Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:45:05 -0000

Before they left the conference for the greener pastures of Division I-A and Conference USA, Central Florida won the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic Sun titles and scared the bejeezus out of two Big East opponents in the first round. With UCF's departure, the league's power center shifted north to Tennessee, where Belmont claimed three consecutive tourney bids, almost knocking Duke out in their 2008 appearance, before East Tennessee State made it last season. The Bucs gave Pittsburgh, the team UCF gave a game in '04, a substantial scare before bowing out at the first hurdle.

Now the power of the league again looks like it will shift to the Sunshine State. Jacksonville, last season's regular season champions who have lost in the A-Sun final two straight times, is the odds on favorite this time around. The league's Tennessee powers will again provide the bulk of the challenge for the Dolphins, though Lipscomb should better neighboring Belmont's performance this time around. But JU will also be challenged by two long moribund programs, Mercer and Campbell.

This offseason, the Camels actually announced that they'll be leaving the conference to return to the Big South, effective with the 2011-12 academic year. Barring any further changes, that means that the league will feature 10 tournament-eligible teams that year. Kennesaw State, the 2004 Division II National Champion, and North Florida are postseason eligible for the first time this season. However, Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate have two more years left in their transition period.

More on the conference's teams, both postseason eligible and ineligible, after the jump.

Before we look at 2009-10, here's a look at how the Atlantic Sun standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Atlantic Sun Conference Standings

(updated 3.24.2009 at 12:09 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Jacksonville Dolphins	15	5	18	14
East Tennessee St. Buccaneers	14	6	23	11
Belmont Bruins	14	6	20	13
Lipscomb Bisons	12	8	17	14
Mercer Bears	11	9	17	15
Campbell Fighting Camels	11	9	14	16
Stetson Hatters	9	11	13	17
North Florida Ospreys	6	14	8	22
Kennesaw St. Owls	3	17	7	22

Now here are my picks for the upcoming season, presented in reverse order. However, I'll start with the two A-Sun teams are ineligible for the postseason.

Florida Gulf Coast (last NCAA: None) Dave Balza's team continues its trip through transitional purgatory with four returning starters, led by 6-1 guard Reed Baker (13.4 ppg).

South Carolina Upstate (last NCAA: None) Even though the Spartans remain ineligible for the A-Sun crown, they could play spoiler, as they won 8 league contests last season. The task for Eddie Payne's squad will be made more difficult with the departure of leading scorer Bobby Davis (14.8 ppg). The Spartans two best returnees are the Mutt and Jeff of the conference, 7-3 center Nick Schneiders (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 5-9 guard Josh Chavis (8.3 ppg).

North Florida (last NCAA: None) Matthew Driscoll takes over an Osprey program that was absolutely dreadful under previous coach Matt Kilcullen. In their final transitional year, UNF managed to win two road games (Furman and Stetson). Those represent those only road success the Ospreys had tasted in four seasons. (They had only 14 Division I wins in that span.) Progress will be slow for North Florida, who have four returning starters (a theme in this league this season), led by guards Eni Cuka (13.2 ppg) and Stan Januska (8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

Stetson (last NCAA: None) Derek Waugh's squad lost three starters from a team that should've performed much better last season. Instead of building on their third place finish in 2007-'08, the Hatters slipped to seventh last time around. It's hard to see how Stetson will improve after guard Garfield Blair (17.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) graduated. However, point guard A.J. Smith (12.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) is back, as is 6-5 forward Sheldon Oliver (5.6 ppg, 5 rpg). Waugh will have to get a lot out of his newcomers, as guard Mark Lohuis was the only returning reserve who managed more than 2 ppg last year (5.0 ppg). It looks like it will be another long season in DeLand.

Kennesaw State (last NCAA: None) Tony Ingle's team is finally postseason eligible and they could spring some surprises, as the Owls bring back all five starters, three of whom were double-figure performers a year ago--G Kelvin McConnell (11.9 ppg), 6-6 F Jon-Michael Nickerson (10.1 ppg, along with 5.5 rpg), and 6-3 G Kurtis Woods (10.5 ppg). PG Spencer Dixon (7.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) will run the offense, while 6-7 F Jonathan Whipple, another returning starter (4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-6 bench performer Zadrian Gibson (4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and 6-9 Auburn transfer Matt Heramb will be expected to improve KSU's inside play.

Belmont (last NCAA: 2008) The Bruins are looking for their fourth title in five seasons, but they'll have to do it without four starters who averaged in double-figures last season: guards Alex Renfroe (16.2 ppg) and Andy Wicke (11.7 ppg), forward Matthew Dotson (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and swingman Shane Dansby (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg). In fact, Rick Byrd's team only returns two players who averaged more than 3.5 points per contest last year, G/F Jon House (8.3 ppg) and forward Keaton Belcher (7.1 ppg). The good news for Belmont is that 6-5 F Jordan Campbell returns after missing most of last year with an injury. He led the Bruins in steals and blocks and was second in rebounding during the 2007-08 championship campaign.

Campbell (last NCAA: 1992) The Camels hope to be a thorn in the side of the A-Sun during their last two years in the league. They have an excellent shot to contend this year, as they return all five starters and their key reserves from the team that earned the program's first winning conference mark since the turn of the century. 6-5 forward Jonathan Rodriguez is a threat for league honors this year after a year where he averaged nearly 16 points and over 8 boards a game. Six others averaged more than 5 points per contest, led by guard Lorne Merthie (9.5 ppg), last year's conference Freshman of the Year. Campbell will have to pack more scoring punch to truly contend, however.

East Tennessee State (last NCAA: 2009) Murry Bartow's Bucs will sorely miss Kevin Tiggs, who averaged over 21 points per contest last year, Courtney Pigram (17.6 ppg), and Greg Hamlin (5 ppg, 5 rpg), but senior Mike Smith (15.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and sophomore Isiah Brown (4.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) do return from last year's auto bid winners. The reserves, none of whom averaged more than 4.4 points per contest, will have to step up for the team to repeat. The schedule will be a challenge as the Bucs visit Arkansas and Louisville as part of the Hall of Fame Classic, UAB, and Tennessee. They also face Southern Conference finalists Chattanooga and College of Charleston and OVC favorites Morehead State and Murray State.

Mercer (last NCAA: 1985) Like just about everyone else in the A-Sun, head coach Bob Hoffman returns a solid core of players. The Bears bring back four starters from last year, as they attempt to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 15 years. Mercer's chances begin and end with 6-1 senior guard James Florence, who is the only active player in the country to average 20 or more points per game in conference play over each of the last three seasons. He's joined in the backcourt by E.J. Kusnyer, who averaged 10.5 points per game last year. Inside, 6-8 senior Daniel Emerson averaged a double-double last year, scoring nearly 14 a game while grabbing nearly 11 boards. Hoffman also gains the services of 6-2 guard Jeff Smith and 6-6 forward Brandon Moore, two junior college transfers who were teammates at Wallace State Community College in Alabama.

Lipscomb (last NCAA: None) Scott Sanderson's squad, which always seems to be in the conversation in the A-Sun, looks to break through for their first NCAA bid this time around. However, next year could really be the Bison's year, as their four returning starters are all juniors. 6-9 Adnan Hodzic is the best post player in the conference (17.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Brandon Brown is another force inside (9.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg). In the backcourt, Sanderson lost Michael Lusk (8.6 ppg), but picks up George Washington transfer Johnny Lee. He graduated in three years and decided to head back to Nashville to conclude his career. Lee will join the talented Josh Slater (11 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Michael Teller (8.3 ppg, 5 rpg) to form a formidable unit that will give the rest of the conference fits.

Jacksonville (last NCAA: 1986) The Dolphins return four starters from the team that won last year's regular season crown by a game over ETSU and Belmont, but got blasted by the Bucs in the game that really mattered. 6-7 forward Marcus Allen (10 ppg, 6.7 rpg) will be missed, but senior Lehmon Colbert (11.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and junior Ayron Hardy (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) are two formidable frontcourt players. Ben Smith, another senior, will lead the team in the backcourt. Smith averaged almost 17 points a game while dishing out 4 assists and forcing 2 steals per game. The schedule will be tough, as the Dolphins "host" Florida at the Veterans Memorial Arena this season, while they travel to South Carolina, Florida State, and California.

So, I expect the Dolphins to break through and claim the Atlantic Sun's auto bid this season. They'll appear in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9.

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

Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team

Player of the Year: James Florence, 6-1 G, Sr. (Mercer)

Remainder of the Team
Adnan Hodzic, 6-9 C, Jr. (Lipscomb)
Jonathan Rodriguez, 6-5 F, Sr. (Campbell)
Ben Smith, 5-10 G, Sr. (Jacksonville)
Mike Smith, 6-6 G, Sr. (East Tennessee State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Atlantic Sun this season? (Note that Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate aren't listed as they're ineligible.)

Belmont

0 votes

Campbell

1 votes

East Tennessee State

1 votes

Jacksonville

3 votes

Kennesaw State

0 votes

Lipscomb

1 votes

Mercer

2 votes

North Florida

2 votes

Stetson

4 votes

14 votes | Poll has closed

A Game a Night: February-March 2010

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:00:40 -0000

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Jim Calhoun's UConn Huskies start February with a visit to Louisville. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

View full size photo »

After you make it through November, December, and January, soon the calendar turns over to February, and you realize the season is rapidly moving towards its conclusion. Considering that there's only a week's worth of regular season games in March, I've lumped these days in with February. (Not that I didn't sneak a few Championship Week entrants in here too.) Conference play dominates the last five weeks of the season, but there are a couple of interesting (and rare for this stage of the season) non-conference tilts that are featured in this list.

My nightly pick for February/early March picks are after the jump. Further TV information, as always, can be found at MattSarzSports.com.

Monday, February 1
Connecticut at Louisville (ESPN, 7 ET)
The Huskies finished a game behind the Cards in the Big East standings last year, despite the fact that UConn won their only meeting by 17 at Freedom Hall. The teams didn't meet again, as Syracuse upset the Huskies in the Big East quarterfinals (more on this shortly), preventing a rematch in the conference championship game.

Tuesday, February 2
Michigan at Northwestern (Big Ten, 7 ET)
The Wolverines swept the Wildcats last year, with the 60-57 overtime result in Evanston being particularly damaging to NU's tournament chances.

Wednesday, February 3
Texas A&M at Missouri (ESPNU, 9 ET)
In this year's Big 12, these two NCAA entrants could find themselves scrambling to build a resume, making this one crucial.

Thursday, February 4
Arizona at Washington (FSN, 10:30 ET)
The Wildcats last won in Seattle in 2007. They may need to break that streak to boost their chances for a bid.

Friday, February 5
Jacksonville at Belmont (CSS, 7 ET)
The Dolphins, the preseason pick of many for the A-Sun crown, have to visit Nashville to take on the 2006-2008 champion Bruins, who should be in the thick of the race again this year.

Saturday, February 6
Xavier at Dayton (ESPN2, 12 ET)
These two teams are close and favored in the A-10, with the Musketeers being the powerhouse in a slight rebuilding phase and the Flyers the loaded opposition ready to knock them off their perch.. I don't think I need to say much more.

Sunday, February 7
North Carolina at Maryland (FSN, 2 ET)
Ignore all of the Super Bowl pregame and watch this one instead. Last year, the Terps' 88-85 overtime win over the Tar Heels served as a major boost to their tourney hopes.

Monday, February 8
Kansas at Texas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The battle of Big 12 favorites earns the odd over the meeting of Big East favorites, Villanova at West Virginia in the early Big Monday slot.

Tuesday, February 9
Purdue at Michigan State (ESPN, 9 ET)
The two Big Ten preseason favorites will meet twice in the month, with the first game taking place at the Breslin Center, where the Spartans won by 11 last season.

Wednesday, February 10
Connecticut at Syracuse (ESPN, 7 ET)
Sure, I could've gone with the easy choice, Duke at North Carolina, but you can't ignore the rematch of one of the greatest games ever played, even if the cast of characters will be slightly different.

Thursday, February 11
Washington at California (ESPN or ESPN2, 9 ET)
It's just another big Thursday night at the top of the Pac-10

Friday, February 12
West Virginia at Pittsburgh (ESPN, 9 ET)
The Backyard Brawl unseats the Horizon League and Atlantic Sun from their usual Friday night spot. (I'll probably be watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics live, however, leaving this one for the DVR.)

Saturday, February 13
Xavier at Florida (ESPN, 6 ET)
Valentine's Eve is a late date for a non-conference game. But the Gators and Musketeers apparently feel that getting a potential resume boosting win is a better use of a conference bye than resting.

Sunday, February 14
Louisville at Syracuse (ESPN, 1 ET)
It's the first of two meetings this season between the two teams who met in the Big East final last March.

Monday, February 15
Connecticut at Villanova (ESPN, 7 ET)
The two Big East Final Four teams meet. Maybe they can award the winner a third place trophy...

Tuesday, February 16
Creighton at Northern Iowa (FS Midwest, 8 ET)
It is the Valley, so things could very well change by mid-February, but this one could very well determine the conference's regular season title.

Wednesday, February 17
UNLV at Utah (the mtn., 10 ET)
These two split last season, with each winning at home. Both programs are allegedly rebuilding, but I'm not sure that word exists in either of Lon Kruger or Jim Boylen's vocabularies.

Thursday, February 18
California at Oregon State (FSN, 10:30 ET)
If the Beavers are going to challenge for a bid, they'll need to at least repeat their 11 point home win over the Golden Bears. (OSU did earn the sweep last year.) I will be at Syracuse at Georgetown, while somehow paying attention to Auburn at Florida.

Friday, February 19
ETSU at Campbell (CSS, 7 ET)
After a rare Friday appearance from the Big East, the A-Sun returns to its rightful Friday spotlight.

Saturday, February 20
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (SEC, 6 ET)
I suspect that John Calipari will probably remind his team that UK hasn't won in Memorial Gym since 2005.

Sunday, February 21
Dayton at Duquesne (ESPN2, 1 ET)
The trip to the Palumbo Center could be a tricky one for the Flyers.

Monday, February 22
Oklahoma at Kansas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The other half of Big Monday, West Virginia at Connecticut, is also an appetizing matchup, but the Big 12 deserves some attention too. While the Sooners won't quite be as strong as they were last season, they'll still be a good challenge for the Jayhawks.

Tuesday, February 23
Tennessee at Florida (ESPN, 9 ET)
I wonder if Lane Kiffin will be making the trip to Gainesville to support the Vols in this one. UT has actually won two straight at UF. One thing I know for sure, since the Gators aren't one of the Vols' "big rivals" in hoops, fans at the O'Dome will be spared the sight of Bruce Pearl's hideous orange blazer.

Wednesday, February 24
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (ESPN2, 7 ET)
This should be an important for seeding in the Big East Tournament, as both teams could be fighting for at least a single bye.

Thursday, February 25
Tulsa at Duke (ESPN or ESPN2, 7 ET)
A win at Cameron at this late stage could really put the Golden Hurricane on the map.

Friday, February 26
Butler at Valparaiso (ESPNU, 9 ET)
The Bulldogs head to Northern Indiana to take on a Crusader team that's still trying to find its way in the Horizon League.

Saturday, February 27
Kentucky at Tennessee (ESPN, 12 ET)
Bruce Pearl's orange blazer will make an appearance in this one. I wonder if John Calipari will have a royal blue one to counter.

Sunday, February 28
Northwestern at Penn State (Big Ten, 12 ET)
In a year when both were on the bubble, these two teams only met once, with the Nittany Lions winning by 4 in Happy Valley (in front of about 10 people, as it was New Year's Eve). As both could be on the bubble again this year, the later date is a smart move by the Big Ten.

Monday, March 1
Oklahoma at Texas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The second hoops installment of the Red River Rivalry could have significant bearing on who finishes second in the Big 12, if Kansas indeed takes the top spot.

Tuesday, March 2
Vanderbilt at Florida (ESPN, 7 ET)
The Commodores have had some good teams recently, but they don't win in Gainesville that often. This year, they have an excellent chance.

Wednesday, March 3
Duke at Maryland (ESPN, 9 ET)
To give you an understanding of how disliked the Blue Devils are in the DC area, they'll often flash a Duke logo on the Jumbotron at Wizards games to get fans to boo.

Thursday, March 4
UCLA at Arizona (potential FSN game, 10:30 ET)
We're now getting to the point of the season where networks will put "Wild Card" games in as placeholders, just so they have some wiggle room to put the most timely and impactful matchups on TV. If the newcomers on these two teams mesh, I expect the Bruins visit to Tucson to be the game to watch for the last Thursday of the regular season.

Friday, March 5
Missouri Valley Quarterfinals (FS Midwest, 1 ET and 7 ET)
Trust me, you'll want to take the day off and watch all four of these games, if you can. Arch Madness is one of the most unique and competitive conference tournaments out there.

Saturday, March 6
Atlantic Sun Final (ESPN2, TBA)
It's finally time for bids to be handed out. Depending on what happens in the Ivy League (and if any other conference tournament games are scheduled earlier in the day, I'm looking at you, Big South.), the A-Sun Champ may be the first team officially in the field of 65. For a regular season game, let's go with a battle between two of the projected top teams in the Big East, West Virginia at Villanova (CBS, 12 ET).

Sunday, March 7
Missouri Valley Championship Game (CBS, 2 ET) and West Coast Semifinals (ESPN2, 8:30 ET)
These are three games that could help determine whether these leagues receive mutliple bids this season. My final regular season pick is Florida at Kentucky (CBS, 12 ET). Will the Gators need a win at Rupp to boost their chances for a bid? Will the Wildcats be fighting for an NCAA top seed?

That wraps up my "Game a Night" feature. Keep in mind that this is just the start, as I'll have a full preview column for just about every night of the regular season.

Conference tournament wrap: 3/5/09

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:30:08 -0000

Form is holding with rare exception early on this postseason, exemplified by the Big South where the top seeds have prevailed in each game, setting up a 1/2 Saturday title tilt.

Here's what went down on Thursday.

Game of the Night

3) Belmont 65, 6) Mercer 64 (Atlantic Sun)

The first afternoon game of the postseason provided the first buzzer-beater.

Mick Hedgepeth's putback of an Andy Wicke miss with two-tenths of a second to play gave third-seeded Belmont a 65-64 victory over Mercer in the A-Sun quarters.

The basket was Hedgepath's only one in the second half.

The Bruins have won this tournament in each of the past three seasons.

Upset of the Night

5) Quinnipiac 86, 4) Long Island 78 (OT) (Northeast)

Just two upsets on Thursday and the other was an eight over a nine, so we'll go with the game that went to overtime.

Long Island's Julian Boyd tied the game at 73 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation, but the Blackbirds could muster just three points in overtime.

James Feldeine led Quinnipiac with 22 points, while Justin Rutty added 18 points and 16 rebounds.

The Bobcats face top-seeded Robert Morris in the NEC semis.

Player of the Night

Kenny Thomas (Radford/Big South)

Thomas made five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 35 points for top-seeded Radford, which advanced to Saturday's Big South championship game by knocking off UNC-Asheville.

Honor Roll

Jonathan Cox (Drake/Missouri Valley)

Scored a game-high 27 points as the defending MVC champs were bounced in the first round by Indiana State.

Justin Rutty (Quinnipiac/Northeast)

Notched a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds in the Bobcats' overtime victory over Long Island.

James Florence (Mercer/Atlantic Sun)

Scored 24 points and hit what would have been the game-winning shot with 9.8 seconds left had Mick Hedgepeth's putback not beaten the buzzer.

Full Results

Big South (Semifinals)

1) Radford 94, 4) North Carolina-Asheville 86
2) VMI 78, 3) Liberty 58

Atlantic Sun (Quarterfinals)

3) Belmont 65, 6) Mercer 64
4) Lipscomb 82, 5) Campbell 52

Missouri Valley (First Round)

7) Wichita State 59, 10) Missouri State 46
9) Indiana State 62, 8) Drake 55

Northeast (Quarterfinals)

1) Robert Morris 73, 8) St. Francis 60
2) Mount St. Mary's 72, 7) Wagner 62
3) Sacred Heart 76, 6) Central Connecticut State 64
5) Quinnipiac 67, 4) Long Island 78 (OT)

Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Bulldogs: game preview and stats comparison

Joel — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:12:33 -0000

Dear Us, Us Wailers and Gnashers of Tooth. We think we got it bad? Poor Dawg Sports hasn't posted anything in its Basketball category since July 5th, 2008, and that was to blame basketball for Georgia not being ranked higher in the Rivals' combined sport rankings. No, instead, they're imploring readers to follow women's gymnastics. Yeeeahhhh.

In contrast, Vol fans must feel like their basketball team has just completed the NCAA Tournament and still has season left. We played a bunch of Tournament teams (Georgetown, Gonzaga (twice), Marquette, Belmont, and Kansas) and lost the last game of the "season." Shoot (woo for basketball exclamations!), beginning the SEC season almost seems like a break or preseason or something.

Look at the Players to Watch chart below. See anything interesting? I'll give you a minute. It's like Georgia has none. None more players to watch. Really that just means that they don't have any players ranked in the top 100 of any of those categories, but still, this is the first time this season that that's happened. Gonzaga had something like four players in that chart. I hate those guys, especially the furry one.

And which SEC teams not dressed in offensive (to everyone else) orange are in the Top 25? Once again, I'll give you a minute because proving negatives takes time. And again, the answer is none. None more SEC teams in the Top 25.

So maybe today is the day that we see what we've been waiting to see. Aggressive, in-your-face, chaotic defense. Fast break slams. Multiple out of bounds turnovers. The patented Bruce Pearl post-time out guaranteed bucket designed plays.

Maybe. Or maybe the brutal pre-SEC schedule has shaken the confidence of this young team. Maybe the losses and struggles have caused the team to look for answers elsewhere when we should have just realized that we were young, the competition was strong, and we just needed some time. Maybe.

Anyway, I have only one Joel's Key to the Game today. (Hey, if Jay Biles can do it, so can I.) Don't even bother with the three-point shots. Look, it's not really our strength this season, okay, Cam Tatum's first half against the 'Zags notwithstanding. And if Georgia does one thing well, it's defend the arc. I don't really know who all they've played (um, a bunch of church leagues, by the look of it), but they have generally good defensive numbers across the board (woo for basketball puns!), so you know.

Aaaaand now that I've completely disregarded the Georgia Bulldogs thereby destining (woo for gerunds!) our beloved Vols to look something like this at noon . . .

. . . I'll leave you with the stats:

KEY STATS COMPARISON
Category	Rank	Actual	Rank	Actual
Scoring Offense	7	84.2	174	68.4
Scoring Defense	297	75.0	107	64.4
Scoring Margin	72	9.2	138	4.0
Field-Goal Percentage	95	45.5	170	43.6
Field-Goal Percentage Defense	228	44.0	58	39.9
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game	118	6.8	194	5.9
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage	244	31.0	128	35.2
Three Pt FG Defense	223	0.349	31	0.297
Free-Throw Percentage	117	70.3	309	62.0
Rebound Margin	17	8.2	123	2.5
Assists Per Game	13	17.7	123	14.3
Assist Turnover Ratio	44	1.19	229	0.85
Blocked Shots Per Game	91	4.0	29	5.2
Steals Per Game	141	7.2	72	8.2
Turnovers Per Game	214	14.9	298	16.9
Turnover Margin	149	0.6
Personal Fouls Per Game	290	20.8	67	16.9

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Category	Player	Rank	Actual	Player	Rank	Actual
Points PG
FG%
3-Point FG PG
3-Point FG%
FT %
Rebounds PG	Wayne Chism	34	9.3
Assists PG
Blocks PG
Steals PG
Assist-TO Ratio	Bobby Maze	52	2.21

Disturbing Trends in Guard Play

Will — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:20:02 -0000

Saturday's loss at Kansas was another piece in the growing mystery of the 2008-09 Vols, but it's not entirely unclear as to why they've been struggling of late.

In their last four games against probable tournament opponents (all apologies to Louisiana-Lafayette), the Vols have given up 26 or more points to a guard on the opposing team. And going inside the numbers, it's all becoming very familiar.

It started with Temple's Dionte Christmas, who lit up the Vols for 35 points...but that was on the strength of seven threes. But check this out:

Wesley Matthews, Marquette: 30 points, 15 of 18 free throws
Alex Renfroe, Belmont: 30 points, 12 of 17 free throws
Sherron Collins, Kansas: 26 points, 10 of 14 free throws

Something's not right here.

These problems are compounded by the fact that the Vols can't get anything approaching those numbers from their own guards. Over the course of the same four games, the Vols have gotten double figures from Bobby Maze each night, but the rest of the scoring is carried almost entirely by Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism.

The free throws attempted stat from all four games were almost identical for each team until Saturday, where surprisingly, the Vols went to the line nine more times than Kansas. But the difference is, the opposition is getting guards to the line on an alarmingly consistent basis. Meanwhile, the Vols are consistently led in free throws attempted by, once again, Chism and Tyler Smith.

Bobby Maze has been effective in a limited capacity at getting penetration and getting to the line, but as the team's only true point guard I don't expect that capacity to change. The other guards on the floor - who are all young outside of Josh Tabb - seem to be having a hard time excelling at any one thing.

The rotation of Tabb, Tatum, Hopson and Woolridge is shooting a combined 35% from behind the arc (and that's being generous to not include JP Prince's 1 for 12 start). They're not getting to the line - the only one who averages more than two free throws attempted per contest is Tatum. And they're allowing the guards across the floor to have career nights, a lot of it coming via the charity stripe.

There could be a lot to be concerned about here.

It's even harder to figure out when you go back and look at this team's defensive performance against Georgetown and Siena, which at least gives some hope of improvement. The Vols have frustrated some good guards at times this season, but their performance over the last three or four weeks could almost be called regression.

Chism and Tyler will continue to be capable of putting up huge nights, and that's a group that a healthy JP Prince can also join. Bobby Maze is at least consistent.

But one - or hopefully, all - of these other guards have to step up their play on at least some level for the Vols to continue to grow as a team and to have any real hopes of chasing another SEC title. If the three point shooting doesn't magically increase, the Vols have to start taking fewer of them; Pearl in the Kansas postgame talked about turning some down for the first time this season, as far as I know.

These guys have to do a better job of getting to the line either way. And perhaps most importantly, there has to be a much better effort and much better execution on the defensive end to prevent more opposing guards from scoring 30 and getting to the free throw line at will. Opposing guards have to be salivating over our defensive scouting report.

This team continues to feel itself out. But if these issues don't improve, they'll find themselves with more and more "learning experiences" and fewer and fewer wins.

The Curious Case of the 08-09 Vols

Will — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:46:13 -0000

It's not that the honeymoon is over with Bruce Pearl. We just tend to get confused when the marriage looks a little different in its fourth year.

Tonight's 89-62 win over Louisiana-Lafayette improves Pearl's Vols to 9-2 on the season as the calendar turns to 2009. Those eleven games include wins over Marquette and Georgetown by a dozen points each on neutral floors, the latter looking especially impressive as it's the Hoyas' only loss this season, and because they just disposed of #2 and previously unbeaten UConn in Storrs in a game they never trailed in.

The eleven games also include a tough tourney loss to Gonzaga that could be avenged next week, and an upset thumping in Philadelphia against Temple.

And it comes on the heels of an SEC Championship and two straight trips to the Sweet 16, which came on the heels of a decade and a half of mediocrity and general apathy...which is why we love Pearl so much.

And the Vols might accomplish those championship dreams again this season.

It's just going to look a lot different in getting there.

Make no mistake: this team will still jack threes with the best of them. Through eleven games, the Vols are putting up an average of 21 per contest.

But as demonstrated in tonight's 7-for-26 performance, the economy is bad for Bert Bertelkamp too. The Vols are hitting only 31.8% for the season, and there's just not that sense of confidence when the ball goes up no matter who's taking the shot.

As Pearl pointed out in the postgame tonight, it's not just that you lost Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith. It's that you replaced three seniors as your best shooters (those two plus the pre-cold-streak-of-death Jordan Howell) with three freshmen (Cameron Tatum, Scotty Hopson and Renaldo Woolridge).

Maybe the percentages will improve with maturity (though you do have to wonder about the grind of a 30+ game season in Pearl's system on young legs). And either way, you haven't heard much from Bruce about poor shot selection because apparently he wants them to keep going up. Perhaps the return of Ryan Childress will help.

Either way, the Vols are very balanced inside and out - tonight eight players scored seven points or more (and none of it in garbage time since the Vols scored only six points in the last seven minutes) and the Vols' leader in minutes played was...surprise, Josh Tabb at 27. When healthy - and that includes the present state of both JP Prince and Wayne Chism - this is a team that can still hurt you in a number of ways, even if it's not dictating tempo and hitting a ton of threes.

The real question is, exactly how good is this Tennessee team?

And with that...exactly when are we going to figure that out?

Eleven games down, now the fun begins: it's at Kansas Saturday (31 game winning streak at home), Gonzaga in Knoxville for the rubber match next Wednesday, and our old friends from Tiger High School later in January to fill out the non-conference slate.

It looks good on paper and sounds good to the national eye: the two participants in last year's national championship game, and a team that's already beaten the Vols once this season.

But Kansas and Memphis are unranked, the Jayhawks having lost two of three (including an 84-67 thumping from Arizona), and the Tigers are also 8-3. Still very good, but not quite what we saw from these guys last year. Gonzaga has also come back to earth, losers of three of their last four after ascending to a #4 ranking.

Maybe it's just North Carolina's college basketball world this season and everybody else is merely passing through; UConn falling to a team the Vols beat leaves no solid arguments for anyone else in their class right now.

We shake our head sometimes at new faces and a slightly different style of play. We don't quite know what to make of the same team that beat Georgetown, struggled with Belmont and got attacked by Temple.

If we haven't figured it out by now, and can't be sure that the answers will come against Kansas, Gonzaga and Memphis because they too are in that same questionable class...what could the SEC tell us?

The Vols, at #14, are currently the only team in the conference ranked in the AP Poll, which is much the way it's been all season. In fact, only the Gators are also receiving votes.

Including Tennessee, every team in the conference looks vulnerable, and in some cases that's being generous in a backhanded way. Seven SEC teams have already lost at least three games, and two others haven't played anybody (South Carolina and Arkansas, though that changes Tuesday when the Pigs get the Sooners).

The Vols might struggle early. Aside from the non-conference, the SEC slate provides a January to survive and a February to thrive:

January: at Kansas, vs Gonzaga, at Georgia, vs Kentucky, vs South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs Memphis, vs LSU, vs Florida

February: at Arkansas, at Auburn, vs Georgia, vs Vanderbilt, at Ole Miss, at Kentucky, vs Mississippi State

But whether the Vols start slow and finish strong, or if they tear through the whole slate and prove that they're once again the best team in the conference...if the field stays this weak, how much will we really learn?

The Vols could make the tournament at 26-4 or 20-10, and I'm still not really sure how much we'll really know about this team for sure.

But then of course, it's all about March in this game...which in turn is all about the draw and the matchups.

Bruce Pearl's first two teams were less talented and less experienced, but got tremendous draws in March - the first group would've played George Mason in the Sweet 16 had they not been upset by Wichita State, and the second was twenty minutes away from an Elite Eight rematch with a Memphis team they'd obliterated in Knoxville earlier that year before they blew the Ohio State game.

Last year, Pearl's best team reached #1 and won the SEC Championship...but faced a nightmare draw that saw them survive Butler in the second game, face by far the most talented #3 seed in Louisville next...and even if they'd won there, it would've been UNC two days later. Some years it works out well, some years it just doesn't...and you never know until you get there.

Which is really how I feel about this team.

The first two years of Pearl spoiled me to the point where, when we weren't always blowing teams out last year and the cancer no one knew Lofton had was messing up his shooting touch, I told some of my friends I felt like we'd make the Final Four and I wouldn't enjoy it along the way.

This time, I'm trying to enjoy the moments more...I just have no idea what to make of them.

We're young, but is that everything to blame when we don't look good? If Wayne Chism gets back on his feet, how good is he going to play and at what level of consistency from here on out? Can Tyler Smith win games by himself the way Chris Lofton did when we needed it? Is the three point shooting going to get better or worse?

Pearl has put the Vols in the center of the relevant basketball conversation, and for that we must remain thankful. Tonight was the first game I've been to this season, and they were one butt short of having the biggest crowd of the season against a 4-7 Sun Belt foe the week after Christmas with no students to be found. And that one butt short still left them with 21,863. I remember being a student in the early part of this decade, and even in Jerry Green's best years, against an opponent like the Rajun Cajuns the place was so cavernously empty that the referees heard every syllable of every word we said. Now no one can hear anything because most of the crowd has stuck around just to see if they can win a free chicken sandwich.

The conference may be thin and the group of teams who might be second fiddle to the Tar Heels may be deep, and the Vols find themselves in the midst of both groups. And like all sports, the season will continue to tell its own story, and the journey will give us a chance to picture the destination more clearly.

Right now, that destination could be the Final Four or an early flame out. And right now neither would surprise me. This team is likely to continue to answer some questions and raise others, and the field being the way it is we may not fully know how good we are until it's over.

But along the way, Pearl and the Vols will continue to make it worth our while.

...even when we can't quite bring home the chicken.