SB Nation - Coppin St. Eagles

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/14/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:28:15 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Staropramen beer, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

Both the men and women took care of business over the weekend. The same can't be said for some of our high profile Big East brethren. It's finals week, so I expect the news to be a bit slow, but we'll see. Any tips, suggestions and requests are greatly appreciated. It starts after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Men's Soccer: BIG EAST Announces Partnership - MSNsportsNET.Com
"The BIG EAST and Red Bull New York will join forces with a three-year partnership for the Conference’s men’s soccer championship to be held at the new state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena through the 2012 tournament."

Disloyalty and sports go hand in hand - Times West Virginian
Bob asked Huggs what he thinks about the Kelly situation.

College bowl payouts don't always add up - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mark Ingram's Heisman fills void at Alabama - Stewart Mandel - SI.com
I still think the kid from Stanford deserved it.

News of Note (FB):

Bill Stewart: Ready To Go - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video link

West Virginia's Stewart satisfied with 9-3 record - PPG

WVU fine as second fiddle in Gator Bowl - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Flippin' on the 'Noles - Charleston Gazette

Steady Improvement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Gator Bowl Bigger Than It Appears - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Some Florida State athletes helped by 'learning disability' diagnosis - ESPN

News of Note (BB):

Mountaineers Now 7-0 - MSNsportsNET.Com
The men secured a 69-43 win Saturday night.

WVU men upend Coppin State - Times West Virginian

Jones picking up the slack - Charleston Gazette

Copin' with Coppin - Charleston Gazette

Butler getting it done - Register-Herald
Mickey's Column

WVU's Mazzulla hopes grad school leads to coaching career - Charleston Daily Mail

Joe Mazzulla - WVIllustrated.com
Weekend Coliseum schedule: Saturday - run down the carpet, Sunday - pick up the diploma. Well done!!!! Congratulations!!!

Early Lead Lifts West Virginia - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women cruised to a 74-43 win over Longwood.

Recruiting:

'Eers in on Another Dywer (Fla.) Prospect - EerSports

Around the League (and Beyond):

Temple upsets No. 3 Villanova, 75-65 - SI.com

Xavier rallies in first-ever double overtime Crosstown Shootout to beat Cincinnati - Cincinnati Enquirer

Kelly's home vandalized - FanNation
...imagine that.

Houston's Kevin Sumlin declines interview for University of Cincinnati job - Cincinnati Enquirer

Jackson, Hazell lead Seton Hall past VMI 134-107 - SI.com

I don't wanna talk about it tonight - Card Chronicle
At least they have BB, right? Right?...oh, sorry.

Catamounts are caterwauling - Courier-Journal
Another head-scratching loss at Freedom Hall on Saturday, 91-83...to Western Carolina?!?!?!

Turnovers a problem for Pitt - PPG
...but they still won...damn

Bulls upset by Central Michigan, 59-56 - Tampa Tribune

Terrier-orized: No. 7 Syracuse 75, St. Francis 51 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Lets The Transferring Continue - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Video of Interest:

Several Mountaineer Basketball and Football players (among many others) graduated yesterday. Congratulations!!! Thanks to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

The Germans have developed great taste in song selection.

College Tradition Gallery of the Week:

Somebody tried to stop this from happening? Can we bring back the firing squad?

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former Victoria's Secret Angel and can be seen in the recent G.I. Joe movie as Cover Girl. Another beauty from the Czech Republic, here's Karolína Kurková.

via i296.photobucket.com

Staropramen image via pic.51windows.net

RPI WATCH: 11/23/09

BracketCat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:00:13 -0000

Well, it's officially basketball season here at BOTC, so I'm going to try and get some basketball-related stuff on here on a more consistent basis. Big 12 Outlook will return after New Year's, but in the meantime, I need to resume the Big 12 previews and shift them into overdrive a little in order to make up for lost time.

The other thing I want to do is update you on all of our opponents on a daily basis. I'll look at how they performed in yesterday's games and maybe track the RPIs a little, too. The idea is to get a general picture, on a day-to-day basis, of how strong our non-conference schedule is, because I've seen some concern from various corners of late.

For a more detailed discussion, hit the jump. But here's a short preview: We did ourselves a lot of good in Puerto Rico.

Here's how our opponents have performed to date, in order to provide a baseline comparison and bring everyone up to speed. (After all, not everyone has been paying attention to hoops like I have, given our North-contending football team and what have you.)

Kansas State RPI = 28

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Good Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (2-1) | RPI = 64: Loss at Kansas State (92-54), Win over Canisius (89-69), Win at Holy Cross (76-73)
Western Illinois (2-2) | RPI = 112: Loss at Arizona State (87-35), Loss at Kansas State (82-50), Win over Truman State (71-59), Win at Central Arkansas (56-46)
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141: Loss at Iona (82-73), Loss to George Washington (69-59), Loss to Kansas State (80-70), Win over Indiana (71-67), Loss to No. 21 Georgia Tech (85-67)
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76: Win over UALR (92-64), Win over Alabama State (90-53), Win over Indiana (89-71), Win over Kansas State (86-74), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (79-67)
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32: Win over Creighton (90-80), Win over No. 21 Georgia Tech (63-59), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (71-65), Loss to Kansas State (83-75)
IUPUI (4-1) | RPI = 75: Win at Drake (88-82), Win at Eastern Illinois (69-66), Win over Austin Peay (77-63), Loss at Auburn (80-65), Win over Georgia State (67-56)
Fort Hays State (2-0) | RPI = N/A (D-II): Win over Friends (82-46), Win over Central Christian College (85-66)
Washington State (3-0) | RPI = 140: Win over MVSU (94-66), Win over Eastern Washington (67-61), Win over IPFW (89-70)
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79: Win over Youngstown State (83-57), Win over Bowling Green (101-57), Win over Sacred Heart (105-65)
UNLV (3-0) | RPI = 1: Win over Pittsburg State (91-52), Win over Nevada (88-75), Win over Southern Illinois (78-69)
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186: Loss to Cornell (71-67), Win over Jackson State (86-69), Win over Providence (84-75)
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166: Loss at Colorado (88-72), Loss at Denver (75-56), Loss at UTEP (70-52)
Cleveland State (3-1) | RPI = 260: Loss at St. Bonaventure (72-62), Win over Wilmington (99-74), Win over Florida A&M (78-64), Win over Sam Houston State (80-65)
South Dakota (2-2) | RPI = N/A (D-I transition): Loss at Texas Tech (88-49), Loss to Oregon State (62-47), Win over TAMUCC (76-73), Win over Mayville State (99-67)
Missouri (2-0) | RPI = 280: Win over UT Martin (83-68), Win over UTPA (100-64)
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135: Win over Angelo State (88-69), Win at SMU (80-68), Win over Samford (68-49)
Colorado (3-0) | RPI = 128: Win over UAPB (88-72), Win over Coppin State (82-58), Win over Texas Southern (88-77)
No. 3 Texas (2-0) | RPI = 17: Win over UC Irvine (89-42), Win over Western Carolina (73-41)
Oklahoma State (3-0) | RPI = 21: Win over Seattle (86-64), Win over Southern (93-61), Win over North Texas (82-68)
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60: Win over Norfolk State (86-58), Win over Hartford (71-69), Win over Southern (61-45), Win over Hardin-Simmons (106-45)
No. 1 Kansas (3-0) | RPI = 46: Win over Hofstra (101-65), Win over Memphis (57-55), Win over Central Arkansas (94-44)
Nebraska (2-1) | RPI = 134: Win over SCUU (76-49), Loss at Saint Louis (69-55), Win over TCU (90-77)
Iowa State (4-0) | RPI = 188: Win over Idaho State (88-68), Win over Chicago State (72-50), Win at Drake (90-70), Win over MVSU (96-55)
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-1) | RPI = 65: Win over Mount St. Mary's (95-71), Win over UL Monroe (72-61), Loss at VCU (82-69)
Texas Tech (5-0) | RPI = 86: Win over South Dakota (88-49), Win over TAMUCC (66-59), Win over Oregon State (64-60), Win over Northwestern State (94-75), Win over Lamar (77-54)

My plan is to update this daily with the games are played the previous day, and I'll probably start looking at RPIs some time after Thanksgiving (they're pretty meaningless before that point due to the disparity in scheduling).

Update: Got bored and added the RPIs around midnight. I'll save the analysis for tomorrow's edition.

Preview: Colorado Buffaloes Take On the Gonzaga Bulldogs In the Maui Invitational

irish1611 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:17:49 -0000

3-0, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

November 23rd, 2009
Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Where: Lahaina Civic Center
1:00 pm MT
TV: ESPN2
Live Stats: ESPN.com
Line: Gonzaga -10.5
Gonzaga Blog: Slipper Still Fits

2-1, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

The always prestigious preseason tournament, the Maui Invitational, kicks off tomorrow with the Colorado Buffaloes taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a top five program in terms of wins over the past decade. Gonzaga has won 9 consecutive regular-season conference titles and has reached the NCAA tournament in nine consecutive years as well, something only nine schools have done over that time period. Now recruiting with the best of them in college basketball, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are a true perennial power, not just a nice story.

preview after the jump...

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 2 - 1 in the early season with home wins against Mississippi Valley State and IPFW. The one loss was on the road to the #2 ranked Michigan State Spartans 75 - 71 in a game which they led until three minutes remaining. If you watched the game, you will have noticed three things. The Bulldogs are very talented, are playing a different style of basketball more conducive to the physical style of play they will see at tourney time and you may have needed a roster to see who all of the new players were. Amazingly, Gonzaga stuck with Michigan State after losing five seniors off of last year's team - F Ira Brown, F Austin Daye, G Micah Downs, F Josh Heytvelt, G Jeremy Pargo. Austin Daye was a first round draft pick in the 2009 draft while Downs, Heytvelt and Pargo were starters along with Daye for much of the year and all four were in the top five of the team in scoring. This off a team that went to the sweet sixteen a year ago. Because the Bulldogs were such an experienced team in 2009, Gonzaga has four upperclassmen and twelve underclassmen including nine freshmen. Five freshmen play and make solid contributions for this team. But don't expect much of a drop off from the Bulldogs as you can already tell, they have enough of a talented nucleus to be a contender, just ask Michigan State.

The two top returning players from a year ago is Colorado high school product, G Matt Bouldin and G Steven Gray. Matt Bouldin, a front runner for the West Coast Conference player of the year, leads the team in scoring this year with 17.3 points per game. The biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team is the early front court play from sophomore Robert Sacre (7'0"), freshman Elias Harris (6'7"), freshman Kelly Olynyk (7'0") and senior Will Foster (7'4"). Robert Sacre, hurt last year, has averaged 16.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg. His presence is a big improvement inside from a year ago when even Bulldog fans would admit that players like Heytvelt and Daye became too perimeter oriented. Sacre and Harris have truly solidified the post position on this team. If you are fortunate enough to watch the game tomorrow, you have to check out Elias Harris, a freshman from Germany who sort of flew under the radar in the recruiting circles but has Gonzaga fans salivating. A silky smooth player in the mold of Amare Stoudemire, he has come in and averaged 14.3 points per with seven rebounds.

This team might also have more depth compared to a year ago, especially with Sacre and Harris now available, which is making the Bulldogs more competitive on the defensive end, something Gonzaga fans have always wanted to see more of. If their past performances are indicative of the future, expect the Bulldogs to really get after the young Buffs on the defensive end.

As for the Colorado Buffaloes, this game will be a pretty big challenge for them. Gonzaga, although they have one loss, will probably be ranked when the polls come out tomorrow because of their impressive performance against MSU. Where the Buffs might have the most trouble is in the post where Sacre, Harris, Olynyk and Foster are all bigger and more talented than the Buffs down low. The tallest person on the Buffs top five is Austin Dufault who stands 6'9". True freshman Shane Harris-Tunks goes 6'11" but has only averaged 8.0 minutes a game. It will be interesting to see how the Buffs try and defend the Bulldogs. You will probably see a lot of zone as my guess is the biggest threat from the Zags is their penetration game and less on the perimeter as Steven Gray is their only bona fide perimeter shooter but he has struggled shooting only 40% from the field and 35% from the three point line. The biggest question for the Buffs the past three years has been its rebounding and that has come into question again this year as they were out-rebounded 31 - 23 by Texas Southern, who the next day went up and lost to University of Northern Colorado. The Buffs shot over 60% in that game to win but unless the Buffs hit the boards hard on Monday against the Zags, it could be a long day. Colorado averages 29 rebounds a game with junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde leading the Buffs with just 4.0 rebounds per game.

Tomorrow's game does have the potential for some great matchups, though. The best in my eyes is Gonzaga star Matt Bouldin against the Buffs' star Cory Higgins. Higgins is once again proving he is one of the best players in the Big 12, averaging 23.3 ppg and shooting an amazing 70%. Bouldin is a very physical guard who uses his strength to create shots. It will be a good battle of strength vs. speed. Another matchup that will be exciting is Buffs' freshman G Alec Burks against G Steven Gray. Gray is the Zags best perimeter threat. Alec Burks is averaging a strong 18.0 points per, a great number for a guy playing for the first time at the collegiate level. If the Buffs can out play the two perimeter players in Bouldin and Gray, they might be able to make things interesting tomorrow. I am very excited to see how Burks plays tomorrow in his first look at strong competition.

I am very worried about the matchups elsewhere on the court. Colorado G Nate Tomlinson will face a very tough and quick guard in sophomore Meech Goodson, who likes to push the pace and play tough defense on the perimeter. Look for more Dwight Thorne, Cory Higgins and Alec Burks to play the point tomorrow as well. One of the reasons the signing of Marcus Relphorde got Buffs' fans excited was his athleticism at 6'8" and his self acclaimed ability to guard four positions on defense. He might have to do that tomorrow and do it very well for the Buffs to have a chance when freshman Elias Harris is in the game. This will be a good barometer for Relphorde and I hope the coaching staff puts Relphorde on him as soon as he steps on the floor and tells him it is his job to make the freshman's life miserable.

As for the post position, your guess is as good as mine as to what the Buffs will plan to do but you can bet Gonzaga goes to the post often tomorrow. If Colorado can get Harris and Sacre in foul trouble, which is what Michigan State did to beat the Zags, CU will have a much better chance tomorrow, that and if they make it a goal to crash the boards.

It should be a fun watch and a great gauge for the young Buffs' team.

Coach Jeff Bzdelik to Miss the Maui Invitational

irish1611 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:50:53 -0000

The Colorado Buffaloes basketball team will be without their head coach for a second game this season. Jeff Bzdelik has left Hawaii where the Buffs are scheduled to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday 1:30 pm MT in the Maui Invitational. Bzdelik missed the Arkansas-Pine Bluff game, the season opener, to attend to a medical emergency with his daughter, a freshman at Wake Forest. Here is the press release from cubuffs.com as Bzdelik has flown to Chicago to be with his mother who has fallen ill:

University of Colorado head men's basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik will miss the EA Sports Maui Invitational after receiving news Sunday that his mother has fallen ill. Bzdelik left Maui Sunday afternoon for a flight to Chicago.

Associate Head Coach Steve McClain will coach the Buffaloes in Bzdelik's absence for the next three days that begins with CU's first round game against Gonzaga, Monday, 1 p.m. (MST) at the Lahaina Civic Center. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

McClain, the former University of Wyoming head coach from 1998-2007, brings over 27 years of coaching experience to the CU bench.

McClain is the second winningest coach in Cowboys' history with 157 career victories and posted one of the best home court records with a 102-26 (.790) mark. McClain averaged 18 victories in nine years at Wyoming with three NIT berths and one NCAA Tournament appearance.

CU is 3 - 0 this year after defeating Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Coppin State and Texas Southern. The Gonzaga Bulldogs will give the Buffs their best barometer test in the early part of the season.

Tuesday Buff Bites - Buffs Basketball Off to 2 - 0 Start, Beats Coppin State

irish1611 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:54:25 -0000

CU's Fast Start Crushes Coppin State - CUBuffs.com

Junior Cory Higgins led CU with 21 points, while freshman Alec Burks added 18. Junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde had 14 points, six rebounds and a team-best four assists, and lone senior Dwight Thorne II contributed 13 points.

Bzdelik wants sustained effort - Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado is 2-0 with blowout wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (88-72) and Coppin State (82-58), but in each game Jeff Bzdelik`s team has been outscored in the second half by these inferior opponents. After taking a 73-34 lead with 11:02 remaining on Monday night at the Coors Events Center, CU allowed the Eagles to score 14 unanswered points and close out the game with a 24-9 run. "That`s where we have to show maturity," Jeff Bzdelik said. "We sustained our energy a little longer today than the game before, but we have to sustain it for 40 minutes. We`re not going to shoot the ball all the time like we started shooting the ball, but the defense and the effort have to be there all 40 minutes. We have no margin for error."

Hayes' Hot Seat: Millions don't alleviate coaches' stress - Matt Hayes - College Football - Sporting News
Sign me up for the million dollars...not having much compassion for the "stress" that comes with it

Cody Hawkins woke up one morning this fall and had to read that his father, Dan, put his son before his Colorado team by naming him the starting quarterback and not playing backup Tyler Hansen. Not only is Cody doing his best to win games for the Buffs, but he's also 21 years old and now thinks he's the reason his father could be facing unemployment. Still want that million-dollar job? Imagine this as your daily lifestyle: Nothing is ever good enough on the field. You feel like a professional failure. You're losing years off your life. Football problems lead to family problems.

CU Buffs looking to snap nation's longest road losing streak - Boulder Daily Camera

The Colorado football team owns the nation's longest road losing streak -- sort of. The Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars actually have lost more consecutive road games than the Buffs (12 and 11, respectively, to CU's 10), but more time has passed since the Colorado program tasted a win in a true road game.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Sports - Barfknecht: What's the right price to get Boulder rolling?
Firing Dan Hawkins could come with a hefty price tag, but keeping him at Colorado might be just as costly.

Tulsa World: Gundy, Hawkins on different paths

While some OSU officials were having second thoughts about Gundy, people in the Rocky Mountain area thought Colorado hit the mother lode when it enticed Hawkins to leave Boise State to rebuild a badly damaged CU program. Sports Illustrated called CU's selection "an inspired hire." The Sporting News labeled Hawkins "one of the game's best offensive minds and motivators." The personable Hawkins even got caught up in the lovefest at his introductory press conference when he told CU fans he was ready to "throw a little 'Hawk Love' out there, and let's get going." Now fast forward to the scene for Thursday's 6:30 p.m. contest on ESPN.

CU’s, Hawkins’ futures take center stage - The Longmont Times-Call

Meanwhile, athletic director Mike Bohn did not issue a vote of confidence in his coach. Bohn said Monday that he has not discussed Hawkins’ future with him, adding that there is no timeline in place for a decision to be made about replacing the coach. In his fourth season at CU, Hawkins is 16-31 and under fire from fans who want a change.

Petersen, Akey, Hill among coaches rumored for other positions | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com
I can't stop laughing at this one:

UNLV: Idaho coach Robb Akey and former Boise State coach Dirk Koetter are among the names that are being thrown around at UNLV, which fired Mike Sanford. Fresno State coach Pat Hill also makes the list. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dan Hawkins’ name pop up if he is let go at Colorado.

Brooks: Monday Story Lines From CU and OSU - CUBuffs.com

HOT DB: OSU cornerback Perrish Cox, a 2009 Thorpe Award semifinalist, made two interceptions and broke up three passes in the win against Texas Tech. He was named the Big 12's defensive player of the week.

Colorado-Oklahoma St. Preview - Nov. 16, 2009 - NCAA Football

The is Colorado's first visit to Stillwater since a 34-0 win in 2005. Colorado has won just three times in the last 24 road games since.

Newcomers help Buffs roll at home - The Denver Post

Colorado, Coppin State Notes - CUBuffs.com

CSU was held scoreless in the first 4:45, when their first field goal was scored at the 15:15 mark. This was their only field goal until their second was made with 8:04 left in the first half thus they only scored one field goal in 12:48 of play.

MBB Hosts Texas Southern, Wednesday - CUBuffs.com

TEXAS SOUTHERN: The Tigers enter tonight's game with a 1-1 record having lost at Texas-El Paso, 89-70 and defeating Idaho, 72-65 at home. Junior guard Whitworth Treasure has scored 27 and 21 points, respectively in his two games on a combined 15-of-26 from the field (.577), including a team-best five treys. Texas Southern was 8-25 a year ago with only three road wins, all in conference. TSU started last year losing all 14 non-conference games

AGAINST THE TIGERS: CU played against Lions on opening night; played Tigers three nights later; and again will tangle with Tigers from Texas Southern tonight. This is the first meeting for the Buffaloes against Texas Southern. The Tigers are from Southwestern Athletic Conference, the same as Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In head-to-head match ups with the SWAC, CU is 6-0 lifetime.

Bohn denies rumors he is meeting with CU Buff coaching candidates - Boulder Daily Camera

Bohn says Hawkins' future is undecided - The Longmont Times-Call

BtB 2009-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:04:19 -0000

The 2009 offseason was one of comings and goings in the MEAC. For a period of a day, the conference's membership stood at 13. On September 10, the conference invited North Carolina Central to become member number 13. NCCU was actually a founding member of the MEAC back in 1969, but the Eagles withdrew a decade later, as they dropped down to Division II and joined the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They left that conference after the 2006-07 season to start the classification process for Division I. NCCU will become an official member for the 2010-11 academic year.

The conference's membership dropped back down to 12 the very next day; however, as Winston-Salem State decided to drop back down to Division II. Their former conference, the CIAA, invited them back on October 2.

Meanwhile, Savannah State, a Division I independent, waits. The Tigers originally applied to the MEAC in 2005, but their application was placed on hold while they were on NCAA probation. However, their admission wasn't announced at the same time as NCCU's. SSU officials are hopeful about their prospects, especially as the MEAC plans to expand to "up to 14 schools." Yet, they still have no firm word about their fate.

On the court, it appears everyone will again be chasing defending champion Morgan State. More after the jump.

Let's first take a look at last season's MEAC standings.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 2:52 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Morgan St. Bears	13	3	23	12
S. Carolina St. Bulldogs	10	6	17	14
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	9	7	17	16
N.C. A&T Aggies	9	7	16	16
Norfolk St. Spartans	9	7	13	18
Coppin St. Eagles	9	7	13	19
Hampton Pirates	8	8	16	16
Florida A&M Rattlers	6	10	10	21
Howard Bisons	6	10	8	23
Delaware St. Hornets	6	10	8	24
Md.-Eastern Shore Hawks	3	13	7	23
Winston-Salem Rams	0	0	8	22

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with Winston Salem State, who is ineligible for the conference title..

Winston-Salem State (last NCAA: None) Had the Rams remained in Division I, this would have been their final transitional year. Since they aren't, Bobby Collins' squad will try to improve on the 8 wins they earned last year. Guards Brian Fisher (13.9 ppg) and Diontae Gibson (6.9 ppg) and forward Paul Davis (6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will lead the way.

Maryland-Eastern Shore (last NCAA: None) The Hawks finished last among the teams that were eligible for the MEAC title last year, and that probably won't change this year. The biggest reason UMES will probably struggle is lack of backcourt experience, as starters Jaime Boyer (6.1 ppg) and Marc Davis (5.6 ppg) have moved on (and they didn't exactly light up the scoreboard themselves). Frankie Allen's squad will be frontcourt-oriented thanks to the return of 6-6 F Neal Pitts, who averaged 16 points and 8 boards a contest last year. The Hawks will also feature St. Bonaventure transfer Hillary Haley, another 6-6 forward, who averaged almost 6 points a game in his time with the Bonnies.

Howard (last NCAA: 1992) The Bison would have won more than 6 MEAC games last year if they had been better defensively, where they ranked as one of the worst outfits in the nation. Offensively, the team will miss the only starter they lost, 6-5 guard Eugene Myatt, who averaged almost 16 points a game. Junior guard Kyle Riley and 3-point specialist Curtis White (5.9 ppg, 34.5% from 3-point land) are capable of boosting their production to make up for Myatt's departure. In the frontcourt, center Paul Kirkpatrick (7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and forwards Kandi Mukole (4.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Adam Walker (4.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) will have to step their games up. Howard will be challenged by four games at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Florida, including contests at UCF and in Daytona Beach against Akron and Niagara.

Florida A&M (last NCAA: 2007) Like the Bison, the Rattlers struggled mightily on defense last season. They also struggled on the boards, where 6-8 F Yannick Crowder (5.2 rpg) and 6-6 Larry Jackson (4.4 rpg) are the only serious returning threats. So, Eugene Harris signed some bigger guys this year, led by 6-8 JC transfer Jeremy Lightfoot, 6-7 Diamon Alexander, and 6-6 Travis Wallace. Leading scorer Lamar Twitty (11 ppg) is also gone, and so are two-thirds of the starting backcourt, Joe Ballard (6.9 ppg) and Byron Taylor (2.6 ppg). Brandon Bryant is the leading returning scorer (10.1 ppg). and he'll be joined in a revamped guard unit by returnee Dale Hughes (9.5 ppg) and JC transfer Rasheem Jenkins.

Delaware State (last NCAA: 2005) The Hornets usually feature at the top of the league, so last season's 6-10 conference mark, their first losing MEAC campaign since '99-'00, was a major disappointment. Del State's big issue last season was offensive production, which may not improve thanks to the graduation of two of the team's three leading scorers from a year ago--G Donald Johnson (12.3 ppg) and F Arturo Dubois (9 ppg). 6-6 F Frisco Sandidge is back (10.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) though, but he'll need help from guards Marcus Neal (8.4 ppg) and Trevor Welcher (5.4 ppg), along with frontcourt-mate Kris Douse, who only averaged around 4 points a contest last year. Among the newcomers, watch for 6-3 Shannon Newman, son of NBA veteran Johnny Newman, and 5-11 G Jay Threatt, a transfer from George Mason.

Hampton (last NCAA: 2006) The Pirates have a new coach, as Ed Joyner, Jr. replaced Kevin Nickleberry after a .500 campaign, both overall and in the league, in 2008-'09. Like the Hornets, the Pirates couldn't score last year, and were the worst three-point shooting team in the country. However, Hampton returns more starters than DSU, as only 6 point/5 board performer Donte Harrison is gone. Vinny Simpson, the team's leading scorer (11.7 ppg), is a legitimate threat for all-MEAC honors this time around. Joyner's team will feature five other performers who averaged at least 5 points per contest. If he can get them to shoot better, the Pirates should shoot up the standings.

Coppin State (last NCAA: 2008) The Eagles must now begin life without the school's all-time leading scorer Tywain McKee (18.4 ppg), While Coppin lost two other starters, McKee was the impact player for the program. However, head coach Fang Mitchell has plenty of players who can contribute. Four players, led by 6-4 guard Michael Harper, averaged more than 7 points a contest this year. Their averages could very well go up now that McKee has graduated. Center Sam Coleman, a 6-10 senior, should be a player to watch, as he averaged more than 8 points and nearly 5 boards a game last season in a reserve role. Mitchell dialed down the team's always rough non-league schedule a bit this year. The Eagles will play Loyola (MD) at home and travel to local schools Navy and UMBC. Their longer road trips include visits to rebuilding Colorado and USC and NCAA tourney squads Michigan, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.

Bethune-Cookman (last NCAA: None) A 17-16 record wouldn't be considered impressive at most D-I schools, but for the Wildcats, the mark represented their first ever winning season at this level. The key player for head coach Cliff Reed is his son, C.J., who was the MEAC Newcomer of the Year last time around. C.J. Reed averaged 15 points and nearly 4 assists per contest last time around. However, he'll have to take better care of the ball as a sophomore. Cliff Reed has his other four starters back too, but he'll need more points out of them, as 6-6 forward Alexander Starling was the team's second leading scorer, only averaging 7.5 ppg. Starling can rebound though, as he averaged more than 7 boards a contest. Depth could also be an issue, and the newcomers, led by 6-9, 320 pound center Albert Abrahams and 6-3 guard Aric Williams, will have to contribute immediately for B-CU to seriously challenge.

South Carolina State (last NCAA: 2003) Tim Carter's team won 17 games overall and 10 in the MEAC in his inaugural season in Orangeburg, but he'll have a hard time matching that total thanks to two key departures. Leading scorer and rebounder Jason Johnson (13.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg) graduated and freshman guard (8.6 ppg. 4.6 rpg) transferred, meaning returning starters Jason Flagler (12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Carrio Bennett (7.6 ppg) will have more work to do this season. Johnson's graduation also means that the Bulldogs' backcourt is their strength, as Carter will have to rely on a mostly new crop of forwards, led by 6-7 Stony Brook transfer Rio Pitt and 6-7 JC transfer Joe Wright.

North Carolina A&T (last NCAA: 1995) Despite the loss of two starters, including leading scorer Ed Jones (12.8 ppg), the Aggies should remain a serious threat in this league, thanks to the presence of 6-foot guard Tavarus Alston (11 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg). He'll get the ball to A&T's two returning frontcourt starters, 6-6 Robert Johnson (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and 6-9 C Thomas Coleman (7.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who could turn into the best unit in the league. Alston will be joined in the backcourt by 6-2 Dwane Joshua (6.9 ppg) who will see more time this season, as Jerry Eaves' squad becomes less frontcourt-oriented.

Norfolk State (last NCAA: None) The Spartans got great news in the offseason when the MEAC's leading scorer, Michael DeLoach (21.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) was granted an extra year of eligibility for academic progress. Aleek Pauline (6.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) joins DeLoach in the backcourt, and while he'll continue to feed DeLoach, he'll be looking for new targets in the frontcourt. That's because NSU's second leading scorer, 6-4 forward Corey Lyons (15.3 ppg), graduated. 6-9 forward Kyle O'Quinn (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and 6-11 center Joseph Dorsett-Jeffreys (4.9 ppg, 2.9 apg) make up the rest of the frontcourt crew for the Spartans. NSU's ultimate success may depend on how Anthony Evans' transfers--G Rob Hampton (Drexel), F Marcos Tamares (UMBC), and C Christian Morris (Rutgers)--fit in with the team.

Morgan State (last NCAA: 2009) Todd Bozeman has built the Bears into the MEAC powerhouse at the moment, as they've won the last two regular season crowns and last year's tournament title. To repeat last year's double, Bozeman will have to replace three key starters, led by 6-5 forward Marquise Kately (11 ppg). The frontcourt should remain solid without him, however, as 6-8 sophomore Kevin Thompson averaged almost 9 points and more than 7 boards a game off the bench. 6-10 C Rodney Stokes (4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is one of the two returning starters for Morgan, but the other is their key player, 6-4 guard Reggie Stokes, who averaged almost 17 points and 5.5 boards a game. However, Bozeman will have to replace his other two backcourt starters, Jermaine Bolden and Roger Barnes, who both averaged around 9 points a game. Cleveland State transfer Joe Davis will fit a shooting guard role alongside Stokes, while JC transfer Danny Smith will replace Bolden at the point.

The Bears are my pick to repeat, so they'll hold the MEAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-MEAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-MEAC Team

Player of the Year: Michael Deloach, 6-0 G, Sr. (Norfolk State)

Remainder of the Team
Tavarus Alston, 6-0 G, Sr. (North Carolina A&T)
Jason Flagler, 6-4 F, Sr. (South Carolina State)
Reggie Holmes, 6-4 F, Sr. (Morgan State)
Frisco Sandidge, 6-6 F, Sr. (Delaware State)

Poll

Which team is your pick to win the MEAC this season? (Note that Winston-Salem State is not listed as they are ineligible.)

Bethune-Cookman

2 votes

Coppin State

0 votes

Delaware State

1 votes

Florida A&M

0 votes

Hampton

0 votes

Howard

0 votes

Maryland-Eastern Shore

1 votes

Morgan State

3 votes

Norfolk State

1 votes

North Carolina A&T

0 votes

South Carolina State

0 votes

8 votes | Poll has closed

Where are College Basketball's top metropolitan areas?

SFBE.NF — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:12:51 -0000

When in doubt...make a list. When you're in the end of August, and many are completey rearing their head towards pennant races and the start of football season, just make a damn list - and you might get some attention.

There's a ton of great college towns in America. We all know them, and we all have spent 4+ years there or maybe a wild weekend in a blur of inebriation. Please, we aren't asking for your stories.

But there's also some major markets in this country that can claim the name as a "College City," where fans ignore their crappy professional teams and fuel the talk radio waves with (basketball) recruiting buzz, conference titles, and a deep run in March.

After the jump are our Five Top College Basketball Metropolitan Areas.

1- Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The area of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill receives its number one ranking almost strictly because of two teams: Duke and UNC. No surprise there. The bad blood between these two schools has solidified itself as one of the best rivalries in all of sports, and for good reason. Ask Dick Vitale about this 8 mile war path that separates the two schools and you will receive a bevy of adjectives (mostly made up words) more fit for a NC-17 movie. Both schools are perennial national championship contenders and have produced 17 National Player of the Year honors, appeared in 21 Final Fours and hold eight National Championship Trophies.

While being in the top 10 all season is expected for both these programs, their rankings are completely irrelevant when they hit the hardwood (well at least Blue Devil fans have been holding on to that statement lately). It’s Duke and UNC and that’s really all that matters.

Success from both sides has generated a lot of verbal shots between their students and fans. While Blue Devil undergrads will tell you that the only trace of intelligent life in Chapel Hill is a sign directing you to Duke’s campus, Tar Heel students have made a hobby of explicitly voicing their opinions on Duke’s top players and their unfavorable sexual preference...and lack of African-American talent.

Completing "The Triangle" is North Carolina State. Located just east of Duke and UNC in Raleigh, NC State is a nationally recognized program and always competitive in the ACC.

2- Philadelphia

In addition to boasting four major professional sports teams, The City of Brotherly Love is also home to a one of a kind tradition in college basketball. The Big 5, comprised of La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Temple, Pennsylvania and Villanova are all located within a 17 mile radius of each other, and many of the games are played at the historic Palestra located on Penn’s campus.

The Big 5 was formed in 1955 and games were played as double or tripleheaders. As schools began to join conferences, conflicts with scheduling arose and it became more difficult to allow all the schools to play each other. By 1991 the format was non-existent, but eight years later the series was back, much to the delight of the fans.

The most notable rivalry within the Big 5 is between St. Joes and Villanova. Dubbed the Holy War for the schools religious affiliations, the game is sort of an inferior vs. superior match-up. St. Joseph's is a smaller school who would love to shake the mid-major label, while 'Nova is in the Big East...and frankly a notch higher on the academic hierarchy.

3- Cincinnati

At first you may question the credibility of this mid-sized Midwestern city, the setting to the now infamous Karen Sypher abortion, as a college hoops hot bed, but consider this: In addition to being the location for the University of Cincinnati and Xavier, two schools separated by just a few unsafe neighborhoods, the city is within 100 miles of Dayton, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami of Ohio and Ohio State. UK plays at least one game a season in Cincy, Andy Kennedy causes trouble in Cincy, and many grads from the nearby universities land jobs here creating a brew pot of bad blood.

The rivalry between XU and UC may not get enough national attention as it deserves. While UC, a public school, has had more success in the past 20 years with 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1992-2005, the Musketeers have won nine of the last 13 meetings. Some say that the rivalry has lost some of its luster with the departure of Bobby Huggins coupled with Xavier's inability to retain a head coach, but true fans in Cincinnati know that the local media hype and hostility between the two sides will continue to exist regardless.

4- Louisville, Kentucky

You can't exclude the Bluegrass state in a ranking like this, so by default Louisville gets the nod. Undoubtedly this will be on of the most anticipated seasons on record for Cardinal and Wildcat fans. From a summer filled with John Calipari and John Wall, Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher, the tides have quickly turned and it may be the school in Lexington with the upper hand as it's grads continue to flock roughly 100 miles to work and start fights with their rival during the weekends.

5- Washington, D.C.-Baltimore

While the top four metropolitan rankings have been predicated on rivalries, the DC-Baltimore area simply boasts a good amount of quality college basketball. Maryland is a perennial powerhouse in the ACC, has won a National Championship in 2002, and have rabid fans that are still probably chanting derogatory comments about JJ Redick's sister. It is also rumored that much of the Chesapeake River water flow begins at Gary Williams post game laundry basket.

Georgetown, one of the more successful teams in the 1980s and 1990s under John Thompson, has re-established themselves in the Big East under his son John Thompson III.

The area is also home to mildly successful George Washington, one-hit wonder George Mason, American University, Coppin St, Howard, Loyola College, Morgan St, Towson St and UMBC.

It is also worth mentioning that Prince George's County is an absloute hot bed for producing major Division I, and in turn NBA, talent

A First Glance at Michigan Basketball's 2009-2010 Non-Conference Schedule

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:30:09 -0000

About a week ago Michigan announced the Men's Basketball team's 2009-2010 Non-Conference Schedule. A quick glance at that schedule resulted in a mixture of "woo!" and "meh." It's kind of a mixed bag, and at first glance I'm not really sure how to deal with it. Sure there are some tough, tough games on it. There also some really putrid ones as well. Houston Baptist? Arkansas Pine Bluff? Who the hell are these guys?

But, man, at Kansas and welcoming UConn? Woo! What about Boston College? While Andy Katz (someone whom I actually think knows something about college basketball) has Kansas as a preseason No. 1 and UConn at No. 25, the 2009-2010 non-conf slate is a tought thing to judge at first glance. I took a look at the Ken Pomeroy rankings for these teams (which I consider roughly equivalent to RPI, and actually better) and was surprised how things shook out. Many of the teams fall into that could be good/could be bad gray area. Is Utah going to be any good? Who do we get in the Old Spice Classic? Three things are certain: 1) Michigan will play more tough opponents than they've played in a long, long time; 2) There are still a lot of cupcakes on the board; and, 3) Michigan has no margin for error this year.

Date	Event
Friday, Nov. 6	Exhibition vs. Wayne State
Saturday, Nov. 14	Northern Michigan
Friday, Nov. 20	Houston Baptist
Thursday, Nov. 26	vs. TBD (Old Spice Classic)
Friday, Nov. 27	vs. TBD (Old Spice Classic)
Sunday, Nov. 29	vs. TBD (Old Spice Classic)
Wednesday, Dec. 2	Boston College
Saturday, Dec. 5	Arkansas Pine Bluff
Wednesday, Dec. 9	at Utah
Sunday, Dec. 13	University of Detroit Mercy
Saturday, Dec. 19	at Kansas - #1
Tuesday, Dec. 22	Coppin State
Sunday, Jan. 17	UConn - #25

The Cupcakes:

Like any good schedule, Michigan's 2009-2010 line-up has its share of "gimme" wins. Actually, it's got a lot of them. Michigan will play six of its twelve to thirteen non-conference games against teams below the 250 ranking point on Ken Pomeroy's rating system. The lowest of the low are Wayne State and Northern Michigan. Both are early warm-ups for the Wolverines and both are all D-II basketball. That's not good. Both should be exhibition games, but only Wayne is. So that lowers the strength of schedule right off the bat. The other four cupcakes are of the really, really frosted variety. Houston Baptist was 5-25 last year and ranked 324 out of 344 D1 schools. Arkansas Pine Bluff was 13-18 and 311 out of 344 D1 schools. Detroit Mercy was 7-23 and 279 out of 344. Coppin State was 13-19 and 266 out of 344. So, when we say there is a heavy helping of the hyper-sugary, overly frosted, super chocolate cupcake variety; we mean it.

I mean, jeezus. That looks terrible. Michigan is playing four teams that are below 250 on the KenPom rankings and two teams that aren't even D1. Six of thirteen games against downright horrible competition. Either Ken Pomeroy or Brian @ MGo posed the question last year, "what's the difference between playing someone ranked between 100 and 200, and 200 and 344?" The answer came back "not a whole lot." When you consider that Oakland finished 103 in the ratings, and Arkansas Pine Bluff finished 311, the only difference is where they're ranked. Neither team is really going to challenge a mid or top tier BCS basketball school (re: Michigan). But scheduling APB over Oakland ends up really costing Michigan at the end of the year in terms of its final, tournament resume RPI. What's worse, gack up a game to a 300+ RPI team and you're in deep, deep doodoo.

Compare the current schedule to Michigan's schedule last year. Five flat out super frosted cupcakes (including one D2 squad), two cupcakes (100-125), one good team (Maryland) and four top tier OOC opponents (UCLA, Duke twice and UConn). How bad were the cupcakes in 2008-2009? They ranged from unranked D2 Michigan Tech to #297 Norfolk State and included the second to worst team in the D1 Universe, #343 North Carolina Central (4-27). The big victory on the 2008-2009 Non-conference schedule was a fateful win over UCLA that granted an extra showdown with Duke. This gave Michigan an extra top 20 PRI team to build it's resume on. However, what isn't talked about, is the two 100-125 schools that actually helped to bring up the non-conference RPI averages. When you consider Michigan actually went 2-3 against the big name OOC competition, those two 100-125 wins came in really handy.

A look at the bigger names after the jump...

via www.thehoopsreport.com

The Name Schools, but Really Just a Name:

This year things are a little better, but that's mostly because of the Old Spice Classic. Michigan sits in a field that includes Florida State, Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Iona, Marquette, and Xavier. Two (possibly three) scheduled games against quality teams will bolster Michigan's strength of schedule (even if the games are played on a neutral court). That is, of course, unless we draw Iona. Iona was ranked 199 by the end of the season, so that wouldn't help much.

Drawing Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten shoot out is a good thing, especially since it's in Ann Arbor. BC is going to be a tournament team next season, just as they were this season. While the Eagles are loaded with good players, Tyrese Rice (leading scorer, all around bad ass) is gone. Additionally, BC is fairly similar to Michigan in size with a lot of guard-forward tweeners, and no true center. After that, a road trip to rebuilding Utah will give the Wolverines a good name road pelt to hang on their wall.

The Big Names:

The presence of Kansas and UConn on the schedule certainly will help the cause. I don't think I need to get into this, but just in case, Michigan has to split these games at a minimum.

The Takeaway:

The way the schedule shapes up, Michigan should draw at least six top 100 teams next year in its non-conference season. Kansas, UConn, BC, Utah, and two OSC opponents. A third game in the OSC, and Michigan could lock in a seventh quality date on it's schedule. However, there isn't a large margin for error. Michigan's schedule is loaded with horrible teams and good teams. There isn't an inbetween. Michigan's RPI will take a beating from the bottom rung schools they've scheduled and they will have to win the majority of their name games to state their case for inclusion in the tournament before the conference season opens. We all remember how happy ESPN was to bash the Big Ten as slow, boring basketball, so wins over the Big East, ACC, and SEC will be critical in convincing the east coast voters who are swayed by that ego affirming nonsense.

Looking at this year's schedule, things are only marginally different than last year. Replace Duke or UCLA with Kansas and you've got the same Top 5 opponent. Instead of the 2K Challenge there's the Old Spice Classic. Instead of Maryland you've got BC. UConn's still on there. The differences are in the little things. This year Michigan gets six, possibly seven, top 100 RPI schools. Last year there were five. Last year Michigan had two cupcakes with respectable RPIs. This year Michigan has none (maybe Utah, depending on their rebuild).

The difference is there is no margin for error this year. Not only is Michigan expected to make a run, they've got a schedule that would leave no doubt that they are a legit Sweet 16 threat. That's assuming nothing goes wrong. With no margin for error, Michigan has to take care of business or they'll be back on those recliners on selection day chewing their fingers to the bone, just like Beauford.

Big Ten Tournament primer part 1: Weekend preview

BoilerTMill — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:29:39 -0000

On a slow Friday as I wait for the baseball team to begin its series with Texas State (Gametracker available at 7:30) and the women's team to begin its contest with Indiana, I figured I would take a look at some tiebreaker procedures and figure out some early matchups for the Big Ten Tournament next week. This also gives me a chance to do a final update of our non-conference opponents as some teams are already done before championship week begins. This isn't really a power rankings, but with the growing Big Ten bubble it should give us a general idea what teams need to do both this weekend and next week. I have ranked the teams in order of most likely to make the tournament to least likely. Right now, I would put the cutoff between Wisconsin and Michigan, with the Badgers barely making it in.

God, I love March. It's proof God really does love me.

Michigan State (25-5, 14-3) - The Spartans have clinched the number 1 seed and will face the 8/9 winner on Friday at noon. As to who those 8/9 teams will be, it is very up in the air. Depending on what happens this weekend there could be a tie between 5^th and 9^th place among five teams with 9-9 records. That would cause the conference to stay up late at night figuring out the very complex tiebreaking scenarios in that case. The five-way tie will occur if Northwestern beats Ohio State, Michigan beats Minnesota, and Wisconsin loses to Indiana. What is critical in that scenario is that whoever is deemed the best (or 5^th place team) receives a bye to Friday, while everyone else must play on Thursday.

Purdue (22-8, 11-6) - By now we know that Matt Painter is pissed. The loss to Northwestern prevented us from locking up the #2 seed in the Big Ten tournament (thanks to Illinois' loss last night). Our history in the event is dismal (4-11 all-time record, tied with Northwestern for worst. The women have won 7 of the 14 played), and a loss combined with a Penn State win over Iowa this weekend would drop us to the #4 seed since we went a combined 1-3 against Penn State and Illinois. That would mean a 2:30 game Friday afternoon against likely Wisconsin, a team that will be very motivated to play us after losing four straight tough games. The Badgers have the inside track to the five seed by playing Indiana at home this weekend, though a Minnesota victory would give the Gophers the tiebreaker and make the Badgers play on Thursday. The same is true if Ohio State beats Northwestern.

Penn State (21-9, 10-7) - Can we please end this pointless debate and put Penn State into the NCAA Tournament. Some are saying they still need to beat Iowa, but that is crap. They went 4-2 against the top three teams in the conference and will be the #2 seed if they beat Iowa and Purdue loses to Michigan State. Unlike Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan State they haven't clinched a first round bye yet, but a victory over Iowa gives them no worse than a #3 seed. A loss to Iowa would be bad, as they could fall quickly in seeding if Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota all win. The Nittany Lions were 1-4 against that group.

Illinois (23-8, 11-7) - Illinois is done and they know they won't have to play until next Friday. This may be good as they have lost two straight and need to regroup. If Purdue and Penn State lose they will be the #2 seed. If both win they will be the #4 seed. If one wins and the other loses they will be the #3. The ability to sit back and watch what unfolds around them could be a big benefit.

Minnesota (21-8, 9-8) - This is where the bubble officially begins in my mind, but I still think the Gophers are pretty safe. A win over Michigan this weekend will give them a sweep of the Wolverines and lock them into the field. At 10-8 it would also give them a first round bye as the #5 seed as long as Ohio State loses (the Buckeyes own the tiebreaker) or Wisconsin also wins to create a three way tie. After the way we played in Minneapolis I would much rather face the Gophers in the 4/5 game if put there.

Ohio State (19-9, 9-8) - This is where things get a little muddled. Should the Buckeyes lose at home to Northwestern they will fall behind the Wildcats for seeding purposes. They would also get dangerously close to being out of the field and would need to grab a game or two in Indy. Their non-conference wins over Miami and Notre Dame have lost some serious luster. The only way they can get a bye as the 5 seed is to win and have Wisconsin lose. They would win a tiebreaker with Minnesota, but not a three way with Minnesota and Wisconsin or with Wisconsin alone. A loss means they could fall as low as 8^th,but they did sweep Michigan.

Wisconsin (18-11, 9-8) - Of the bubble teams, the Badgers have the most clear-cut weekend. Win over lowly Indiana and they can finish no lower than 6^th, which would give them an instant rematch with the Hoosiers on Thursday. Lose, and their bubble hopes are damaged plus they would likely be thrown in a difficult game with another 9-9 team. They can get the 5 seed and a first round bye, but only in a direct tie with Ohio State. They would lose a direct tie with Minnesota at 10-8 and would be second in a three-way.

Michigan (18-12, 8-9) - Michigan has to win in the Barn to keep its at large hopes alive. I have a pet peeve about awarding at large bids to teams with losing conference records. I don't think it should be allowed regardless of RPI or strength of schedule. Yes, this would have screwed in 1999 and cost us a sweet 16 appearance, but it still stand by it. A loss locks Michigan into the 8/9 game against any number of opponents. A win and the right tiebreaking procedure might get them as high as fifth, but it is unlikely. It would take a four or five way tie for fifth caused by an unlikely Indiana win over Wisconsin for that to happen.

Northwestern (17-11, 8-9) - Northwestern is barely alive in the at large discussion, but they are getting plenty of help around the country. It is essential for them to beat Ohio State. They too could receive their first ever first round bye in a four- or five-way tie scenario, but it is unlikely. Regardless of where they land seeding-wise, they must win at least one game in Indianapolis. If they beat Ohio State and make it to Saturday I would put them in the field.

Iowa (14-16, 4-13) - Iowa could be a spoiler in Indy. They know they are going to be a #10 seed. They are capable of winning a game or two, and should they beat Penn State this weekend 2 wins would give them just enough to reach postseason consideration in one of the other tournaments. The automatic bid is the only way they are going to the Dance, but they have done that before. The craziest scenario has them stealing the auto-bid and damaging the hopes of at least two teams along the way.

Indiana (6-23, 1-16) - Indiana has known for weeks it is going to be the #11 seed and playing 5pm on Thursday. They won't win the tournament, but a win in the first round game over whomever gets the #6 seed would seriously damage a bubble resume. Though they won't go to the tournament themselves, they can sure play a role in who stays home if they win that first game.

Non-Conference opponents update:

Detroit (7-23, 2-16 Horizon) RPI: 279 - The Titans are done for the season, finishing on a seven game losing streak after losing their Horizon Conference Tournament opener at Cleveland State. Like Valpo and Loyola, they didn't even make it to Indianapolis for the conference tournament proper, losing in a first round campus site game.

Eastern Michigan (7-23, 5-10 MAC) RPI 328 - The Eagles go into the MAC tournament playing their best basketball of the season. The regular season finale is Saturday at Ball State, but Eastern Michigan has won three in a row. In a battle of suck, they swept a season series with Central Michigan.

Loyola-Chicago (14-18, 6-12 Horizon) RPI 211- The Ramblers lost their opening round Horizon league Tournament game at Wisconsin-Milwaukee to end the season. They were actually pretty good for a mid-major out of conference, and they do have a win over Butler.

Coppin State (12-18, 9-7 MEAC) RPI 230 - The Eagles are in the upper half of the MEAC, but that doesn't mean much. Morgan State is the class of the league and the Eagles just lost by 6 to them last night. The conference tournament winner is likely headed to the play-in game.

Boston College (20-10, 8-7 ACC) RPI 52 - Boston College just dropped a tough game to North Carolina State, but they are still in decent shape for the tournament. They face last place Georgia Tech on Saturday and a win probably makes them a lock for the NCAA's. They have fantastic wins over Duke and at North Carolina.

Oklahoma (26-4, 12-3 Big 12) RPI 4 - Oklahoma stumbled lately thanks to Blake Griffin's injury, but losing at Missouri is far from a bad loss. I'll take any region that gives us a potential rematch because I want another shot at them.

Duke (25-5, 11-4 ACC) RPI 2 - If Duke beats North Carolina on Sunday they could be the second of three regular season conference champions we have faced. Davidson and Oklahoma (if they win the Big 12) would be the third. Something just seems off about them though and they could be ripe for another early exit.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (12-17, 11-7 SWAC) RPI 257 - The Golden Lions will be the #4 seed heading into the SWAC tourney as they have done well in conference play. They went 0-5, however, against the league's three best teams.

Ball State (13-15, 7-8 MAC) RPI 248 - If the Cardinals can win their regular season finale tomorrow and a game or two in the MAC Tournament they might sneak into the CBI or the new fourth postseason tournament. They have five losses on the year of four points or less, so this is a team that may improve greatly next season.

Indiana State (11-20, 7-11 Missouri Valley) RPI 199 - Don't look now, but here come the Trees. That's a good thing too, as their RPI is improving dramatically and they are one of the few plus-200 non conference teams we played. The Trees won 6 of their last 7 regular season games and knocked off defending champ Drake last night in Arch Madness. As I write this, they are tied with #1 seed Northern Iowa at halftime of their quarterfinal. ISU already won in overtime at UNI, and a victory today would put them two steps from an improbable automatic bid.

Davidson (25-6, 18-2 SoCon) RPI 68 - If a big conference team with a losing league record gets in this is a team that may get screwed. For them it is simple: they had better win the conference tournament or next week will be a long week. The quest begins tomorrow against Appalachian State or Georgia Southern.

IPFW (13-16, 8-10 Summit) RPI 224 - The Mastodons open the Summit league Tournament on Sunday as the #6 seed against Oakland. North Dakota State and Oral Roberts are the heavy favorites, but the ‘Dons did beat Oral Roberts at home a few weeks ago. IPFW was 0-2 against Oakland, but has won three in a row overall.

Valparaiso (9-22, 5-13 Horizon) RPI 255 - The Crusaders are done after a 68-56 loss to open Horizon League Tournament play. This conference did not help us at all, as we were 3-0 against three of the four teams that didn't even make it to the great tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse tonight.

Boilermakings for 2/23

BoilerTMill — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:36:05 -0000

This was just too good to pass up from GBI's Tom Campbell

Let’s get right to it since this was a busy weekend.

Baseball can’t handle extra innings

It was a rough weekend for the Boilers in the inaugural Big East/Big Ten challenge down in Clearwater, FL. Purdue started off the season well by beating Cincinnati 11-10 Friday afternoon. Dan Black singled home Ben Wolgamot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give Purdue the victory. Wolgamot had earlier delivered a two out single to tie the game as Purdue trailed 10-9 going into the final inning.

The rest of the weekend wasn’t as good. Since Purdue and Michigan do not face each other in a Big Ten series this year they played a non-conference game Saturday morning. Purdue built a 3-0 lead through five and a half, but fell 4-3 in 10 innings when Jake McLouth delivered a 2 out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th.

The Boilers then dropped a 7-5 contest to South Florida Saturday night before falling 9-4 in 10 innings Sunday to Notre Dame. The Notre Dame and Michigan games are tough losses since they were two great chances to gain quality out of conference wins. There isn’t a lot of non-conference power this year, so Purdue needs to get good wins when it has a chance. Next up is a four game series this weekend at Southeast Missouri State. The Redhawks are 2-1 after winning a season opening series at traditional SEC power Alabama. The Crimson Tide was also ranked 16th in the preseason polls.

Black, who is Purdue’s starting catcher, managed to draw the eye of Baseball America’s Aaron Fitt over the weekend. Purdue doesn’t normally get a large number of draft picks because, well, we’re just not that good in baseball. It’s nice to see some national attention directed at Black. In another cool bit of history, the Purdue-Cincinnati game on Friday was the first ever Division I baseball game to feature two female umpires.

Women’s softball gets back on track

After losing its first ever national ranking with a poor 2-3 showing at the Florida State Sunshine Classic the women’s softball team had a much better outing this past weekend. The Boilers headed to Alabama for the War Eagle Classic to face Middle Tennessee State, Austin Peay, Winthrop, and host Auburn. Purdue lost the opener 11-4 to Middle Tennessee State, but beat Austin Peay 6-4, Winthrop 2-0, and Auburn 3-1 to move to 7-4 on the season. The Auburn game saw all three Purdue runs scored in the top of the seventh and final inning to give pitcher Suzie Rzegocki her fifth win of the season.

Katie Mitchell added a home run to tie the contest in the seventh. Liane Horiuchi and Candace Curtis each had RBI doubles in the inning for Purdue. The win gave Purdue the tournament title with the best record in the round-robin format. Unlike baseball, the Big Ten is much more of a softball power, therefore Purdue has plenty of chances to improve its NCAA resume once conference play starts. So far the non-conference season is working out just fine, however.

Kory Sheets sets fire to Lucas Oil Stadium turf

I have Colts season tickets as part of my sports addiction. We have had them for years and basically we keep the games we want and sell the rest for a very nice profit. Though the initial expense is high, we have so far attended 13 games in the four years we have had the tickets and have made more money than we have spent. Thanks to this weekend’s NFL combine though, Kory Sheets could cut into my profit margins. He is one of my favorite Purdue players ever, so it would be very nice to see him in Colts blue.

Mr. Sheets has had a very good weekend, impressing many scouts with his speed and pass catching ability. I’d love to see the hometown Colts draft him as a backup to Joseph Addai and kick returner. They could definitely use him in the kick returning department and he would thrive as a running back since the Colts throw to their backs a lot. Unfortunately it’s a crowded backfield at the moment with Addai, Dominic Rhodes, and Mike Hart.

I wouldn’t make too much of his contentious relationship with coach Tiller either. Kory flat out got it done on the field this year. He would have done even more if we had given him the chance. He torched Oregon and easily could have had 200 yards if we had given him more carries. He was torching Notre Dame until we stupidly went away from the run too. I am confident he will find a place in the NFL and make some team very happy.

I haven't seen many reports on how the rest of our guys did. CurtisPainter seemed to have fairly average numbers as a quarterback. Greg Orton is probalby lost in the crowd as a wide receiver. I know Alex Magee had an impressive Senior Bowl, but there is no word on how he has looked at the combine. It's somewhat disappointing given what Cliff Avril, Dustin Keller, and Stanford Keglar did last season. I am still shocked that Anthoney Heygood did not get invited.

Scrath that, the Boiled Sports guys have come through again with some solid info on the Combine. Thanks again, guys!

Non-Conference opponents updates:

Since the last time I ran this feature we have gotten quite a bit of help thanks to some upsets. We’re about a week from when some of the lesser conference tournaments get started. Some of our former opponents are positioning themselves nicely for a surprise run or two. We’re obviously an NCAA lock at this point, but the better these teams do means a higher seed for us if we can keep taking care of business in the Big Ten. Each RPI is out of 343 Division I teams

Detroit (7-20, 2-14 Horizon League) CBS Sports RPI: 272 – The Titans are not one of those teams helping us. They have lost four in a row and will have the worst seed in the Horizon League tournament with a last place finish.

Eastern Michigan (4-23, 2-10 MAC) CBS Sports RPI: 331 – How did this team even get invited to the Preseason NIT? They finally got another win by beating Bowling Green on February 15th, but that is just their second win vs. D-I competition. They are also in last place in their conference. RPI-wise, they are the worst team we have faced.

Loyola-IL (14-16, 6-11 Horizon) CBS Sports RPI: 198 – This is one of the teams that helped us with a shocking win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. While unlikely, they could get hot and steal the Horizon League automatic bid. It would be nice if they can at least get to .500, but they have just one regular season game left.

Coppin State (11-16, 8-5MEAC) CBS Sports RPI: 216 – The Eagles have been on fire of late, winning eight of their last nine. They currently sit in third place in the MEAC, so a higher seed will help them if they want to steal the automatic bid. Their final regular season game is against current leader Morgan State, which is clearly the best team in this bad conference at 18-10.

Boston College (19-9, 7-6 ACC) CBS Sports RPI: 54 – Boston College lost at Miami on Saturday and was swept by the Hurricanes for the season, but I still think they are safely in the field right now. They won at North Carolina and also just beat Duke at home, giving them two major wins. They finish with Florida State, NC State, and Georgia Tech. As long as they get at least one of those they are probably safe as it would assure a .500 record in ACC play.

Oklahoma (25-2, 11-1 Big 12) CBS Sports RPI: 2 – The Sooners lost a chance at #1 by losing to Texas Saturday, but they are still one of the best teams in the nation. Blake Griffin could be sidelined for a critical conference game against Kansas tonight with a head injury, but he should be fine for the tournament.

Duke (22-5, 8-4 ACC) CBS Sports RPI: 4 – No one seems to want to win the ACC. The top of that conference is about as brutal as the Big 10. Duke righted itself by beating Wake Forest last night 101-91, but has three of its next four on the road.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (10-15, 9-5 SWAC) CBS Sports RPI: 243 – The Golden Lions are completely overmatched by anyone outside of the SWAC, but they have been doing well within that conference. Like Coppin State, they sit in third place and could make a decent tournament run to get the auto-bid. So far they are 0-3 against the top two teams in Jackson State and Alabama State.

Ball State (12-13, 6-6 MAC) CBS Sports RPI: 230 – The MAC should be a better basketball conference than it is. Ball State won a BracketBusters game over Tennessee Tech this weekend, but they remain under .500 overall. They did notch a win over conference leader Buffalo on February 15th.

Indiana State (9-19, 6-10 MVC) CBS Sports RPI: 205 – The overall record is still awful, but the Trees have been playing well of late. They are actually on a five game winning streak and could easily stretch it to seven by facing two of the worst teams in the Missouri Valley Conference to finish the year. How will that help? Beating both would assure they don’t have to play on the first day of Arch Madness, giving them a chance to stay hot, win just three games, and steal the automatic bid.

Davidson (22-6, 15-2 SoCon) CBS Sports RPI: 60 – If the mark of an NCAA at large team is that it can compete with anyone in the country I think Davidson is in. I would much rather see them get in (assuming they lose in the SoCon tourney) than some .500 team from a major conference because they value it more. Yes they wouldn’t have their gaudy record in the ACC, but they have gotten the opposition’s best shot for 28 games and Stephen Curry has been the focus each time. There is something to be said for consistently beating the opposition when you are THE team they want to beat. That is not the case for those .500 major conference teams. Despite all that, they are 22-6.

IPFW (11-16, 6-10 Summit League) CBS Sports RPI: 223 – The Mastodons are a middling team in a pretty bad conference overall. They lost on a last second basket to IUPUI in Indianapolis last week and are aiming to be a one and done in the Summit League Tournament since North Dakota State and Oral Roberts are dominating.

Valparaiso (8-20, 4-12 Horizon) CBS Sports RPI: 243 – I wonder how much we are personally raising the Horizon League’s RPI by having played three teams. Valpo won a BracketBusters game over Akron this weekend, but they are not likely a serious threat to win the Horizon League Tournament. The three Horizon teams we have played are the three worst teams in the league with a combined league mark of 12-37.