SB Nation - Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Maryland Rides Vasquez and Milbourne to 83-72 Win Over Eastern Kentucky

Ben Broman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:36:49 -0000

7 days ago: Marylan's Greivis Vasquez reacts after scoring and getting fouled during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Browse more photos »

When Maryland needed him, Greivis Vasquez delivered.

He didn't start the game after showing up late to a shootaround and had some rough times, as he had all this year, but as the Eastern Kentucky Colonels sat down two, on a run, with Maryland unable to make a shot, Vasquez did what he had to do: make big shots. He ended up with two threes in as many possessions, and sparked Maryland's offense that, at the time, was completely out of sync.

Maryland rode the momentum and ended up with an 83-72 win over EKU, putting them at 6-3 on the year.

Despite a fast start for Maryland with Vasquez on the bench (13-5 when he entered the game, up 17 shortly after), Eastern Kentucky steadily fought back and eventually tied the game in the second half on the strength of ridiculously good three point shooting and solid defense. Shortly after, Maryland's offense caught fire, spurred on by two big threes by Vasquez, who had struggled somewhat up to that point.

Sean Mosley was quiet after a breakout week that included solid games against Villanova and Indiana. Part of that might have been due to Vasquez's offensive reemergence; he led all scorers with 20 and paired that with 5 assists.

Props go out to Eric Hayes for a great performance today; he's been extremely consistent all year and had an important 14 points with 4 made threes. Landon Milbourne also quietly went about his business, returning to form with 19 points and 9 rebounds. He made big plays and didn't have too many lapses. This is the Milbourne you remember from last year.

As for Dino Gregory in his first game: he was okay, but definitely rusty. Some of his passes were iffy and his defense was inconsistent, but his jumper was absolutely money and he showed some very encouraging flashes. He probably got the start thanks to the need for perimeter defense.

EKU's shooting ability and lack of size meant that Jordan Williams wasn't very well fitted for this game: he isn't great guarding 6-6 people on the perimeter. Still, in limited time, he had 4 points and 5 rebounds, which was pretty good. He had some problems and looked very much like a freshman, but I'm still encouraged.

The strange thing was James Padgett's lack of playing time. He didn't see the floor, despite Jin Soo Choi inexplicably getting PT in a close game. I'm sure the lack of size for EKU and their perimeter shooting had plenty to do with it, but I've never been all that impressed with Choi's defense at any level. Puzzling indeed.

I'll try to go for some more analysis tomorrow, but for now, I'm okay with this result. It was closer than it should've been, that's for sure, but Vasquez looked like he was getting out of his funk and EKU is a tough team to beat when they're hot, as they were. Maryland has plenty to work on - defense especially among them - but it could've been worse.

First Look at Eastern Kentucky-Maryland

Ben Broman — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:32:02 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

about 1 month ago: Pittsburgh's Dante Taylor, left, and Eastern Kentucky's Spencer Perrin battle for a rebound in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Browse more photos »

Crowdsourcing: that's my type of thing. Reader jellisjenius already gave a quick preview of Eastern Kentucky, so if you want it short and sweet, I'd suggest you check that out.

To rehash some of his points, Eastern Kentucky does one thing well, and they do it extremely well: shoot the ball. One of the best teams from 3 in the nation, EKU has plenty of shooters: four of their starters shoot above 40% from beyond the arc. They're seventh in the entire country in eFG%, and shoot above 40% from 3 as a team.

They're also a slow-down team, with one of the slowest tempos in the country. As a mid-major, that makes sense: time and the 3-pointer are both talent equalizers. Make the game shorter and make your baskets worth more, and you have a chance.

They're yet to get down an impressive win and lost to both Pittsburgh and Murray State, but their shooting makes them a dangerous team. They tend to take care of the ball, too, and their offensive efficiency would be good for a high-major, let alone a mid-major. Offensively, they could be dangerous.

Maryland will probably go man-to-man or use an extended zone to bother EKU's shooters. Unlike Villanova, however, the zone probably won't kill Maryland in rebounding: EKU's 314th in the nation in offensive rebounding %, and even worse defensively. Much of that can be attributed to their size, or lack thereof - they have big guards but very small forwards, and most everyone falls into a 6-4 to 6-7 range. Jordan Williams may feast.

Aside from terrible rebounding on both ends, they're at best average defensively. As long as they don't make all their ridiculous shots - which would be plenty surprising - Maryland should be able to win comfortably.

I do, however, have an interesting tidbit about Eastern Kentucky's mascot: they're the Colonels. As in, Colonel Sanders. The logo bears a striking resemblance to Harland himself, and when the name was instituted - 1963 - KFC was at the top of its game. If there's an Eastern Kentuckian that would set us straight here, I'd really appreciate it, because I'm pretty sure that EKU named their university's mascot after this guy.

Or, of course, it could be a more general reference to the "Kentucky Colonel" title, but then why make him look like Sanders?

Regardless, if I were forced to make a wager, I'd bet three wings that Maryland wins by at least double-digits and Jordan Williams earns his second double-double on the year.

The Can Ball Report NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week - Dec 6

rbala — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:59:50 -0000

We apologize for the tardiness. We had to go through some stats and after careful consideration of several very deserving candidates we have come to a decision. The Can Ball Report finally has another installment of the NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

Players of the Week – Dec 6

Marc Trasolini (Vancouver) – Soph., Santa Clara

Trasolini had shown promise last season as a freshman forward for the Broncos and this season he is filling the void in the middle left by conference player of the year John Bryant to the pros. This week he had an excellent set of games against some pretty good competition. Last week, Traz averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, a steal and 2.5 blocks while shooting 55% from the floor (10 of 18) and 84% from the FT (16 of 19).

In the Broncos game against UC-Santa Barbara on Dec. 1 Trasolini had 15 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 2 blocks. He also went 5 of 8 from the floor and a perfect 5 of 5 from the line. In the next game Dec. 5, Trasolini had his best game last week against (18) UNLV posting a game high 22 points to go with 5 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks. He went 5 of 10 from the floor including 1 of 2 from the three and 11 of 14 from the free throw line.

For the season 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.4 FG% and 76.7 FT%. He currently leads the team in blocked shots and is second in rebounding and FG%.

Honorable Mention: Papa Oppong, Eastern Kentucky – 18 pts, 3 rbs, 1.5 asts, 1.5 stls, 1 blk, 14-19 FG, 6-8 3-PT FG in 30.5 mins in two games.

Stat Line of the Week

Bol Kong (Vancouver) – Soph., Gonzaga

Part of the largest Canadian contingent on any NCAA men’s basketball team, Kong was most anticipated of the three incoming Canuck freshmen thanks to the well publicized visa issues over the last few years. Playing on a well stocked perimeter team, Kong had his best game as a Zag this past Saturday in the narrow loss to the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. He had some keys treys in the game late to help keep the Bulldogs close. Here’s how it went: 12 minutes, 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting, 4 of 4 from the three.

Honorable Mention: Olu Ashoalu, Louisiana Tech – 22 pts, 12 rbs, 2 stls, 10-15 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 32 mins vs. Northwestern State.

With Dino Gregory's Return on the Horizon, Terps Have a Decision to Make

Ben Broman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:45:59 -0000

What to do, what to do? Image via InsideMDSports' Flickr

View full size photo »

There's plenty to talk about from the very informative, slightly impressive loss against Villanova yesterday, but I think the most interesting discussion to have pertains to the future. After missing a good part of the beginning of the year for some sort of academic misconduct, Gregory will return to the lineup on Saturday, just in time to face off against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (wait a second, they named their team after the founder of a fast food resturant that sells fried chicken?).

There's a problem, though: where does Maryland put him? It's not necessarily a bad problem to have, but it is a problem. Maryland has a couple of ways to attack it, though all have their pluses and minuses.

First off, he could replace Jordan Williams at the center spot. That was Gary's plan at the beginning of the season and Dino has reportedly been great in practice, so getting a starting spot could be a likelihood. If he were to get a starting spot, one could argue he should take it from someone inexperienced and young - that is, Williams.

Really, though, I have trouble seeing that being good for the team, or it happening. Williams just had a double-double (19 and 12) against the third-best team in the country. I like Dino, but he's not going to start putting those up anytime soon unless he's gotten a lot better over the offseason. It also puts Maryland in the same position they were in last year: center-less. Williams provides size, and you can't put a price on that.

Another option would be to slide Landon Milbourne down to the three, Sean Mosley down to the two, and Eric Hayes over to the bench. This would allow Maryland to keep their most talented players on the court as the starters while sliding Hayes into the spot he was most effective in last year.

Unfortunately, Hayes has been one of the best players on the team, even better than Greivis Vasquez, and I'm not sure I'd like him to be on the bench that much. He's the only consistent shooter, and a calming presence. Not to mention Landon's natural disadvantages of speed at the 3; he's too quick for most 4s, but not quick enough to cover most ACC 3s.I want him to see some time there, but not a lot, at least not until he proves he's not a defensive liability.

Then there's the option of simply bench Milbourne instead, or possibly even Vasquez, neither of which I endorse. If this team is to go far, Vasquez will probably be the one that carries them there (if he ever heats up). Milbourne, despite his problems, has shown an ability to be consistent offensively; Maryland needs his usual point output.

Of course, they could always just do the obvious, after reading over all of these: keep Dino on the bench. It's tough to qualify how good or bad that would be because we're yet to see this year's Dino, but unless he's extremely better, Maryland can probably afford to keep him on the bench. Gary did plan to have Dino starting, but he's yet to do that, and Williams has proved his worth. Besides, having an energetic, experienced big man off the bench is a commodity Maryland doesn't have right now.

It's also important to note that Gary Williams (like all coaches, actually) doesn't put as much stock into the starting lineup as other people (mostly, fans) do. They care more about the "finishers" - those in at the end of the game - than the starters. Still, it's rather unorthodox to not have the best lineup on the floor for the tip, and it provides a snapshot to the depth chart.

Regardless of how it plays out, Dino will steal a lot of minutes from Milbourne, Williams, and James Padgett. There's no reason not to rotate another talented guy into the front court, and whether he starts or not is probably irrelevant - the minutes received would likely be the same either way. As I said above, though, it's a good way to see people's standing and it's definitely fun to talk about.

So, any opinions?

The Can Ball Report NC-Double Eh Player of the Week(s)

rbala — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:21 -0000

Being away for a week in very warm climes is a gift and a curse. Gift in that you are in very warm climes where you are catered to hand and foot (well not really but I’ll leave that story for another time). Curse in that you miss an entire week of hoop action since internet costs about $20 an hour to use on the resort - US dollars that is! But regardless, the Can Ball Report is back and since we missed last week’s installment, this week we give you a double hit of the NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

Jared Mintz (Toronto, ON) – Soph., Lafayette

Second year forward Jared Mintz made it really easy for us this week(s) to pick our standout Canadian baller. He had four outstanding games in a two week span, including an impressive showing against Georgetown, Jared has earned the Can Ball Report’s Player of the Week for both Nov 22 and Nov 29.

Having been a starter in the second half of last season for the Leopards, this year should be a break out type year for Mintz. If the last two weeks are an indication of the year he will have, then this may be the first of many honors for him.

In the previous week, Mintz helped his team to two victories. The first came on Nov 18 against St Francis (PA) where he had posted career high in scoring hanging 24 on a perfect 9-9 from the floor and a near perfect 6-7 from the line. He also added six rebounds and a steal as well in his efficient 28 minutes of action.

Three nights later, Mintz would put up 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a block in Lafayette’s 69-52 win over N.J.I.T. He would go 8-10 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw in the game also.

For the week of Nov 22, Jared averaged 21.5 pts, 5.5 rbs and 1.5 asts. He shot 89% from the floor (17-19) and 82% from the charity stripe (9-11).

In Lafayette’s two games this past week, Mintz continued his great playing. In the Leopards win over Hartford on Nov 24, he put up 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting. He added 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double to go with a steal and a block. He also shot 6 of 8 from the free throw line.

In his last game of the week Saturday, Mintz held his own against an always tough Georgetown team. Going up against sure shot future NBA draft pick Greg Monroe, Mintz posted a team high 16 points on 5 of 7 from the field including making his only three attempt. He also added four boards along with an assist and steal in the loss.

For the week of Nov 29, Mintz averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds and a steal. He shot 78.5% from the floor (11 of 14) and the free throw (11 of 14).

For the season, Mintz is the team’s leading scorer at 18.2 a clip and second leading rebounder at 6.7. He's shooting 69.1% from the field and 86.5% from the free throw line.

Honorable Mentions:

Week of Nov 22 – Rob Sacre, Gonzaga – 16 pts, 6 rbs, a block, 12 of 19 from the field, 8 of 9 from the line in two games.

Week of Nov 29 – Papa Oppong, Eastern Kentucky – 12.5 pts, 3 rbs, 2.3 asts, 1.3 stls, 15 of 28 from the field, 8 of 17 from the three in three games.

Stat Line of the Week (s)

Andrew Nicholson (Mississuaga, ON) – Soph., St Bonaventure

After beginning the Basketball Travellers Classic with a 15 point, 12 rebounds in the Bonnies thumping of Southeast Missouri State, Nicholson followed that up the next game with a career night. In his team’s easy win over Norfolk State, Andrew posted 29 points and 14 rebounds, both personal bests. He shot 11 of 13 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the line while adding two blocks in his 33 minutes of action. Look out for more of this from Nicholson as the season goes on.

Don't forget the games for today and tomorrow as well. As always the games that are highlighted are should see games ...

Nov 30

Columbia @ Sacred Heart

Stetson @ USC Upstate

Colgate @ (9) Syracuse

Tennessee State @ Belmont

St. Peter’s @ Lafayette

Cal State Bakersfield @ Cal State Northridge

Dec 1

Providence @ Northeastern

Vermont @ Dartmouth

Chicago State @ Central Michigan

Delaware @ Delaware State

Paul Quinn @ McNeese State

UTEP @ New Mexico State

Santa Clara @ UC Santa BArbara

Canadian Content

rbala — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0000

More NCAA basketball letters are signed early, Carl English is big in the EuroLeague, another look at St. Francis Xavier's Coach Konchalski's milestone and other assorted basketball news from around the country in this edition of Canadian Content.

First off, let's start by saying congratulations to St. Francis Xavier Coach Steve Konchalski for setting the all time CIS wins record with 735, and counting, passing the great Jerry Hemmings of Brandon University. He broke the record last week but it's never a bad thing to repeat a monumental feat. Canada Basketball | CANADA'S COACH K SETS WINS RECORD

For some National Team news ...

A little on the English in Europe. Canada Basketball | ENGLISH LEADS THE WAY IN CAJA LABORAL'S EUROLEAGUE WIN

An interview by FIBA with the San Antonio Spurs Matt Bonner on being able to suit up for Team Canada this summer. FIBA.com - Latest basketball news

And lastly, a few weeks ago I penned a piece on the little situation brewing in Hamilton regarding some former NEDA girls playing ball at a local high school. It looks like the forum post on the subject at the basketball website it began on had reached 17 pages before the site administrator seemed to have ended all additions to the thread. Well, the upshoot is that the team with the NEDA girls is headed to the city finals. Just read the last post by a rival basketball coach and remember that adults can still act like children. TheSpec.com - Sports - 'X' stars as St. Mary's march on

More Canadian players signing to NCAA scholarships in the early period ...

Jabs Newby from Toronto - Eastern Kentucky University Athletics - Colonel Men's Basketball Signs Three Recruits in Early Signing Period

Micaella Riche from Gloucester, ON - Minnesota Inks Impressive Recruiting Class - Gophersports.com

Diana Lee from Vancouver - Women's Basketball Signs Four To National Letters of Intent - Boise State

Some college and university news bits from around the country ...

Basketball a bonus for SAIT's Chiek

The Sil " Blog Archive " Marauder women sweep Kingston trip

The Sil " Blog Archive " No. 4 Marauders kick off conference play

newsdurhamregion.com | Fab-five from Ajax lead way for Durham Lords

And last but not least, our favorite east coast minor league basketball team has announced their upcoming schedule. rainmenbasketball.ca: News

BtB 2009-10 Ohio Valley Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:53:25 -0000

Murray State was the last team to claim the Ohio Valley's automatic bid in consecutive seasons, and that was back in 1998 (under Mark Gottfried) and 1999 (under Tevester Anderson). Since then, the Racers, Austin Peay, and Eastern Kentucky have basically played musical chairs with the conference's auto bid, with Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois making cameos at the turn of the century. Last year, when it already looked like that Tennessee-Martin was going to break this particular triad, the Skyhawks tumbled in the OVC semis. The team that kept Lester Hudson off the national stage was another interloper, Morehead State. The Eagles knocked off Peay in the final to clinch their tournament bid in a quarter century.

Now, the target is on their back. Morehead will have to defend their title without the graduated Leon Buchanan, though rebounding machine Kenneth Faried, who's only a junior, leads the Eagles' four returning starters. Austin Peay brings back three starters themselves, but that group doesn't include Drake Reed, who averaged just under 22 points a game last year. The Skyhawks are in rebuilding mode, as they lost two starters other than Hudson. The Murray State Racers, who finished in second last year (and a game ahead of Morehead in the standings) looks like the best option to challenge their in-state rivals, as they return three starters, three double figure scorers, and some key bench components.

The real proof will come when the conference season starts in December. OVC teams play a grinding 18-game double-round robin schedule, which can lead to some surprising results during the regular season. However, given how the league has been dominated by three schools over the past decade, expect some sort of order to be restored in the tournament. The key question is whether last year's champs are now part of that order or simply an anomaly. Given how tight this league can get, f you have the chance to see an OVC game live or on TV (even if it is televised against some major conference showdown) this year, do it.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville will become the conference's 11th member next season, so the double-round robin may very well end. This year, the Cougars will play a varied schedule, including several future league opponents. More on the ten teams in this year's edition of the OVC after the jump.

Let's start with a look at last season's final OVC standings.

Ohio Valley Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 11:51 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks	14	4	22	10
Murray St. Racers	13	5	19	12
Austin Peay Governors	13	5	19	14
Morehead St. Eagles	12	6	20	16
Eastern Kentucky Colonels	10	8	18	13
Tennessee St. Tigers	9	9	12	18
Eastern Illinois Panthers	8	10	12	18
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles	6	12	12	18
Jacksonville St. Gamecocks	5	13	11	17
SE Missouri St. Indians	0	18	3	27

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

Southeast Missouri (last NCAA: 2000) Former Arkansas State coach Dickie Nutt, brother of Ole Miss football coach Houston, takes over in Cape Girardeau, and he has quite a mess to clean up. Former head coach Scott Edgar was fired right before the New Year for a variety of infractions just appealed the three-year "show cause" penalty the NCAA tagged him with. On the court, things don't look promising, as the Redhawks three leading scorers of a year ago are all gone, taking an average of 52 points and 14 boards with them. Considering SEMO hasn't won an OVC game since January 29, 2008, the new regime will have to be patient. The out-of-conference schedule is manageable, however, as road trips to St. Louis and Memphis, and a round-robin tournament at Illinois State are the most challenging outings.

Tennessee State (last NCAA: 1994) Much like SE Missouri, the Tigers will have a new bench boss this season. Former Auburn assistant John Cooper takes over for Cy Alexander, who was relieved of his duties back on February 9, when the Tigers stood at 4-9 in the league. They rallied to six in a row, five OVC games and a BracketBuster with Detroit, to finish with a .500 league mark. They closed the season with a loss to Murray State in the OVC tournament. Tennessee State's won't have much momentum heading into this year though, as four of the starters off last year's team are now gone, with only guard Jeremiah Crutcher returning. Cooper will need big contributions from his four JC transfers and five freshmen to avoid the basement. The Tigers welcome Siena to Nashville and participate in the low-major bracket in the Chicago Invitational, after taking probable road beatings at the hands of Iowa State and Northwestern.

Tennessee-Martin (last NCAA: None) The Skyhawks will attempt to replicate the greatest season in their history without superstar Lester "Done Ruthless" Hudson, a newly minted Boston Celtic, and head coach Bret Campbell. His replacement, former assistant Jason Jones, is young (my age in fact...oy), and it may be a rough first year for him. The Skyhawks return only two starters, guards Marquis Waddle (13.8 ppg) and Delrico Lane (5.1 ppg, 4.9 apg), and feature an inexperienced frontcourt.

Jacksonville State (last NCAA: None) The Gamecocks won 9 Division I games in their first year under James Green, an improvement over the five they won the year before. However, JSU lost their final six contests of last season. Three starters were due to return, until 6-5 F Geddes Robinson (8.2 ppg. 4.9 rpg) transferred to Western Nebraska CC in August. Leading scorer Jeremy Bynum (12.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) is back for his junior year; however, Green has to replace DeAndre Bray, who averaged nearly 5 assists per game at the point. JC transfer B.J. Miller and freshman Samir Rolley are possibilities. Meanwhile, much is expected of 6-5 swingman Trenton Marshall, another JC transfer.

Tennessee Tech (last NCAA: 1963) The Golden Eagles bring back four starters off a team that won only 6 league games last year. Unfortunately, leading scorer and rebounder Daniel Northern (12.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg) isn't among them. 6-8 freshman Terrell Barnes is expected to fill the void left by Northern's departure. The returnees are led by sharpshooter Frank Davis (10 ppg, while shooting 42.9% from 3), point guard Will Barnes--no relation to Terrell (9.8 ppg, 2.8 apg, and 6-6 forward Kevin Murphy (9.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg). The Golden Eagles travel to Memphis, Kansas, and Minnesota this season, while Summit League favorite Oakland visits.

Eastern Illinois (last NCAA: 2001) With a little bit of consistency, the Panthers should be able to improve on their 8-10 league record of a season ago. Mike Miller's squad returns four of five starters from a year ago, senior guard Romain Martin (15.4 ppg), junior All-Name team selection Tyler Laser (11.4 ppg, 3.1 apg), point guard T.J. Marion (9 ppg, 3.5 apg), and 6-8 senior center Ousmane Cisse (8 ppg, 7.5 rpg). The fifth starter could very well be freshman Shaun Pratl, a football and basketball standout in Chicago.

Eastern Kentucky (last NCAA: 2007) The Colonels have a leg up on most of the league, as they return four starters. They'll have a hard time improving on last year's 5th place finish, however, when you consider that 20 point a game/does everything well-man MIke Rose is the missing starter. Senior forward Josh Taylor (10.9 ppg, 3 rpg) and junior swingman Justin Stommes (10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) are the only two returnees who averaged in double figures last season. Making matters worse for head coach Jeff Neubauer, sophomore Jorge Camacho, a 6-7 forward who averaged 6.3 points and 3 boards a contest, left the program during the offseason, giving EKU one less option. The Colonels will host one of the low-/mid-major "subregionals" in the CBE Classic, after they visit Pitt for their first game in the event.

Austin Peay (last NCAA: 2008) The Governors nearly made it two NCAA trips in a row last season, but they had to settle for the CollegeInsider tournament after dropping a double OT thriller to Morehead State. Dave Loos' squad should compete for the crown again, though like EKU, they'll have to do so without their Mr. Everything. Drake Reed, who averaged almost 22 points a game, while grabbing 7.5 boards a contest is gone. However, his key backcourt-mate, Wes Channels (16.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is back. If Loos can get some of the other returnees and even freshmen Eric Mosley and Chris Reaves to contribute some more points, APSU should challenge their Kentucky rivals for the crown. The Govs will travel to Daytona Beach to take on IUPUI, NC State, and Niagara in the Glenn Wilkes Classic, after traveling to Akron for the same event.

Murray State (last NCAA: 2006) While the Racers lost two starters from the team that finished a game behind Tennessee-Martin in last year's OVC race, Billy Kennedy still has a roster that can challenge for the top spot. In the backcourt, two double figure scorers are back, Danero Thomas (12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Isacc Miles (10.6 ppg, 3 rpg), and Jewaun Long (4.3 ppg in '07-08) returns from a knee injury to provide some bench support. The frontcourt is in good shape as well, thanks to the presence of 6-6 Jeffery McClain (6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg), 6-7 Ivan Aska (10.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), and 6-9 center Tony Easley (6.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The Racers participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, where they'll visit California, then travel to Miami to take part in the Florida International-hosted "subregional."

Morehead State (last NCAA: 2009) Leading scorer Leon Buchanan (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) may be gone, but just about everyone else is back from the team that returned Morehead to the tournament for the first time in 25 years. First among these is 6-8 F/C Kenneth Faried, who averaged almost 14 points and an amazing 13 boards a game. Maze Stallworth, who averaged a little more than 12 points and 4 rebounds a contest, also returns, as does guard Demonte Harper (10.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.4 apg). Besides Buchanan, the other major loss for head coach Donnie Tyndall is 8 point a game performer Robert Murry, who transferred. Outside of a visit to Rupp Arena, the Eagles biggest challenge of the non-conference season is a trip to Logan, Utah, where they'll face three other teams who could win their leagues--Cal State-Fullerton, Weber State, and hosts Utah State.

I'm picking the Eagles to repeat in the OVC, so they'll have the league's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. However, given how hard it is to repeat in this conference, Morehead's name won't be carved in stone. Now, to wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-OVC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-OVC Team

Player of the Year: Kenneth Faried, 6-8 F/C, Jr. (Morehead State)

Remainder of the Team
Wes Channels, 6-3 G, Sr. (Austin Peay)
Romain Martin, 6-3 G, Sr. (Eastern Illinois)
Maze Stallworth, 6-4 F, Sr. (Morehead State)
Danero Thomas, 6-4 G, Sr. (Murray State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the OVC this season?

Austin Peay

4 votes

Eastern Illinois

0 votes

Eastern Kentucky

1 votes

Jacksonville State

0 votes

Morehead State

4 votes

Murray State

3 votes

Souheast Missouri

0 votes

Tennessee-Martin

0 votes

Tennessee State

0 votes

Tennessee Tech

0 votes

12 votes | Poll has closed

Kentucky Basketball: When Common Sense Doesn't Make Sense [UPDATED]

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:25:41 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Common sense? Yeah, I use it, but not to the exclusion of all else. Even a basketball coach knows better than that.

Browse more photos »

[This post has been significantly updated. See the additional comments at the bottom after the jump]

I never could resist a good fight, especially a rhetorical one. So today, I gird my loins for war.

Never in my life have I seen so many faux arguments and outright disinformation about any one subject as the Memphis situation over the last two days. It absolutely boggles my mind. Of course, most of it is simply "common sense" stuff, you know, those "facts" we all just know naturally? Reality never needs to intrude, and neither do the facts of a case when we have "common sense" at our disposal. Common sense obviates the need not only for facts but for reasoning, because when we apply that powerful method, facts only distract from the intuitively obvious.

I write about this because the Memphis situation has drawn a great deal of negative comment toward John Calipari, 99% of it unfair. But before we take on Calipari's detractors at a later time, I think we should examine closely the situation that has drawn them all out from under their respective rocks.

We can see common sense flowing all throughout this post by Team Speed Kills. In it, Cocknfire tells us:

Invalid test scores: Aren't valid. Really, UK fans, I'd love to be writing about anything but basketball right now. You see, the rest of us in this conference don't really care about basketball right now. There's a good number of us that don't ever care about basketball, but an SEC fan thinking about basketball in August is like a man thinking about tomorrow's television lineup while on a date with Jessica Alba.

Do you see how common sense works? It forestalls any discussion by dismissing all but the most obvious. But just because I'm a common sense skeptic, I'd like to ask a few questions, which follow after the jump.

To wit:

When were the test scores invalidated?

I think this is kind of important, don't you? The test scores for the "player to be named ~~later~~ never," presumably one Derrick Rose, were invalidated by ETS after the season was over. So why would anyone care about that? I'll get there, I promise.
Was Rose actually eligible when he was playing basketball?

Why, yes, he was. Why was he? Because the NCAA Clearinghouse decided he was academically qualified to enroll, and cleared him. He played. Memphis won games. This is a matter of historical record and needs no further exposition.
When did Rose become ineligible?

After the season was over. That is also a matter of record.
Why was Rose's score invalidated?

Apparently, it was administratively invalidated. There is insufficient proof, as far as I know, for the ETS to invalidate the test score based on statistical or other variance with previous tests, or any other evidence of academic fraud. In fact, the NCAA itself suggested it was Rose's "failure to cooperate" that resulted in the invalidation.

So what we have here are two recursions competing with each other. It is beyond question that Derrick Rose was fully qualified and fully eligible when he competed in the games in question, because the NCAA Clearinghouse said so. That's an important point that nobody seems to care about. I'll say it again for emphasis: Derrick Rose was 100% eligible at the time the games were held.

But the NCAA's argument, quite common sense really, is that the the fact of the test's invalidity rendered all games he played in subject to forfeit, because ... well, because it's okay for them to travel back through time and claim he was ineligible when he facially was not. The idea here is that if all this "stuff" had been discovered up front, Rose would never have been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, and ... well, you get the rest. Recursion strikes hard, deep, and time is no barrier.

Ostensibly, the purpose of invalidating games in which an ineligible player participated is to right a wrong. Virtually always, the player is ineligible due to academic fraud or amateurism issues. This makes it quite reasonable to go back and call games in which they played into question, because the player or somebody on behalf of the player has to break the rules for this to happen. Rulebreaking is bad, and we don't condone that in our society, nor here on A Sea of Blue. Rulebreaking has consequences, and forfeiting wins is a most reasonable consequence for cheating.

Which brings us to the point that common sense could not get us to. Rose was fully eligible during the time of competition. He has been accused of cheating, but nobody in the NCAA is arguing that he was proven to be a cheater, or that the preponderance of the evidence indicates academic fraud. Given that fact, it is also a fact that the raison d'être of the NCAA forcing a school to forfeit wins is to right a wrong, i.e. the totality of the moral imperative behind forfeiting wins virtually disappears when there is no rulebreaking.

In this case, so far as anyone knows, there was no rulebreaking. There was, instead, an administrative issue that occurred after the season was over. No rational person could dispute the fact that absent the rulebreaking, the moral imperative for punishment is no longer available. It is also a fact, worth reiterating at the risk of sounding like a broken record, that Derrick Rose was 100% eligible at the time the games were won, and there is no actual proof of rulebreaking that would have rendered his test invalid prior to his enrollment at Memphis.

That isn't to say that there is no evidence at all of academic fraud --there is. Lea Ann Harmless, a handwriting expert, apparently told the ETS that her opinion was that the handwriting on Rose's test was likely to be someone else's. We really don't have details on that, and as Ms. Harmless is an expert on the subject, we will not question her conclusion here. It is real. It is evidence. It is not proof, and not sufficient in isolation even for the ETS to invalidate the test under its own rules.

None of this is common sense. All of it is deductive reasoning, something that most of the critics in this case have failed to apply. It is very facile, very "common sense," to say "Invalid test scores: Aren't valid" and put it in boldface type as though that forecloses all debate. The very hubris implicit in that is gobsmacking, although not surprising -- common sense, you know, is fearless.

In the final analysis, here is how it all shakes out. Rose is suspected of cheating, but that cheating cannot be proven by existing evidence. ETS administratively invalidated his entrance exam not on the strength of evidence that Rose cheated, but because Rose was either unable or unwilling to respond to ETS' queries. Rose was fully eligible by all applicable NCAA regulations when he was competing, and the NCAA Clearinghouse was the only reason for this fact. Now the NCAA wants Memphis to forfeit wins ex post facto without the requisite moral imperative to right a wrong, as no wrong has been proven by either the NCAA or the Memphis investigation into the matter of Rose's entrance exam.

As a final aside which is only tangentially relevant, I must point out that the entire purpose of entrance exams is to gage the qualifications of prospective student athletes, and ensure that they are likely to be able to complete the academic requirements that go along with an athletic scholarship to a Division I university. It is a fact, as far as I know, that Rose left Memphis in good standing, which means that he has shown the requisite academic acumen regardless of the validity of his entrance exam.

In the final analysis, the NCAA's actions with respect to Memphis men's basketball are not just, not fair, and the NCAA should grant Memphis' appeal. And critics should really learn that deductive reasoning is not an oxymoron to be ignored in favor of common sense.

[UPDATE]

John Gasaway of Basketball Prospectus provides a link to the NCAA's actual report about Memphis. Two significant things come to light upon review:

That the NCAA considered the approximately $1,700 in unreimbursed expenses to Reggie Rose to have rendered Derrick Rose ineligible at the point they were received. If that is consistent (and I have not checked this out) with other NCAA rulings in similar situations, then I agree with them. Providing those additional benefits, even through oversight, is a wrong that should be redressed. Assuming the penalty assessed (ineligibility and voiding of games) is consistent with previous rulings, I think that all but seven games of the Memphis season should be voided.
That the Memphis attorney stupidly agreed with the proposition that Rose was ineligible when the ETS invalidated his test. That attorney should be fired for incompetence. See my above detailed post for why I think that is so.

So in the end, it looks like the NCAA's actions, assuming the consistency I mention above, were more equitable than I previously thought. There are seven games, in my opinion, which must be restored, but the final report (as final reports often do) make the decision look much more reasonable than their discussion of them at Memphis.

On appeal, it looks to me like Memphis can only hope to gain back seven games. I'm not sure that is actually worth the effort, unless there is an inconsistency in how the NCAA applied the rule by which Rose was declared ineligible due to the impermissible benefits provided to his brother. The fact that Rose's brother had a credit card on file which Memphis could have billed says to me this was probably an oversight, but even so, it was clearly a rules violation. A wrong is a wrong.

Finally, this report suggests no wrongdoing on the part of the coach, as expected. The continued attempt by many to impute wrongdoing to him just gets more hilarious.

A too-early look at Eastern Kentucky

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:21:34 -0000

Eastern Kentucky University
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Founded: 1874
Enrollment: 16,031
NCAA Classification: I-AA (No, I do not use FBS/FCS)
Conference: Ohio Valley
Coach: Dean Hood (second season, 8-4)

IU begins its season on Thursday night, September 3, against the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky. Before he was found to have sufficient mustache gravitas to fill Joe Tiller’s shoes, current Purdue coach Danny Hope led the Colonels from 2003-2007. EKU has a strong small-school history. Hope replaced Roy Kidd, who coached EKU from 1964-2002 and won over 70 percent of his games. Kidd led WKU to four consecutive I-AA championship games from 1979-1982, and the Colonels won the title in 1979 and 1982. Hope led EKU to an Ohio Valley Conference championship in his final season, and new coach Dean Hood followed suit in 2008. EKU qualified for the I-AA playoffs all but twice from 1979-1997, but the last two seasons are EKU's first playoff years since 1997, so the program is on a bit of an upswing.

The Colonels have never defeated a "sitting" member of a BCS conference. Here are the Colonels' results against current members of BCS conferences:

Cincinnati: 0-2 (losses in 2006 and 2008)

Kentucky: 0-2 (losses in 1998 and 2007)

Louisville: 8-16-1 (last win in 1985, all games played before Louisville joined the big East)

NC State: 0-1 (loss in 2005)

Oregon State: 0-1 (2002)

Vanderbilt: 0-1 (lost 19-7 in 2004)

Other than the aforementioned competitive loss to Vandy, EKU has lost all of its games against the big six conferences by 33 or more points.

On offense, the Colonels return leading rusher CJ Walker. Walker ran for 706 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry last season. Last year's starting quarterback, Alan Holland, is gone, and part-time QB Cody Watts, who was 11-13 passing last season, is listed as a wide receiver. As best I can tell, redshirt freshman TJ Pryor seems likely to get the nod at QB this season (there isn't much information available on I-AA teams at this time of the season). EKU returns most of its offensive line, including preseason all-American Derek Hardman. The Colonels didn't have an overwhelming passing attack last year--only ten TDs in the air all season--and Shannon Davis and Watts, who caught five of those touchdowns, are the top returning receivers.

On the defensive side, defensive lineman Chris Hall, an honorable mention all-American, had 13 sacks last season. Linebacker Jordan Dalrymple returns, but the defense appears to have been hit hard by graduation.

I'll dig a bit deeper as the season progresses, but EKU was an odd team last year. EKU went 8-4, won its conference, and qualified for the playoffs despite ranking #96 of 118 in total offense and #72 of 118 in total defense. On the season, the Colonels were outscored by a total of 9 points and outgained by 708 yards. EKU's main advantage seems to be its +14 turnover margin, including 21 interceptions.

Again, more on the Colonels as the season approaches.

UK Basketball: Searching for the Home Run Ball

Ken Howlett — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:50:30 -0000

Now that it has become official, and Billy Gillispie has (rightly or wrongly) been told to hit the proverbial pavement, the search team of UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, Wildcat great Mike Pratt, and UK President Dr. Lee Todd will embark on a job-saving journey to find a home run hire for the nations most prestigious college basketball program.

I've gathered information on several potential candidates, but I have not included those who I feel pose a zero probability of accepting the position (Read: Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino). So without any further wasting of time, here we go, and IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

TRAVIS FORD

Date of Birth: December 29, 1969 (39 years old)

Birthplace: Madisonville, KY

Currently -- Head coach at Oklahoma State.

Head Coaching Experience

1997-2000 Campbellsville - 67 - 31 (25 - 11 in the Mid-South Conference - NAIA)

2000-2005 Eastern Kentucky - 61 - 80 (28 - 52 in the OVC)

2005-2008 Massachusetts - 62 - 35 (31 - 17 in the Atlantic 10)

2008-Present Oklahoma St. - 23 - 12 (9 - 7 in the Big 12)

Career Totals --- Division I -146 - 127 (.535)

NAIA - 67- 31 (.684)

Overall - 213 - 158 (.574)

NCAA Tournament Experience

2005 with EKU - 0 - 1

2009 with Okl. State - 1 - 1

Totals - 1 - 2

NIT Experience

2007 with UMass - 1 - 1

2008 with UMass - 4 - 1

Totals - 5 - 2

Championships Won

2005 with EKU -- OVC Tournament Champion

2007 with UMass - Atlantic 10 Regular Season Champion

Coaching Accolades

None

Double-digit loss Seasons

Seven of nine seasons.

Playing Career

Missouri - 1989 - 1990

Kentucky - 1992 - 1994

Positives -- Kentucky native, and former star UK player ... He coaches an up-tempo style of play ... More than any other serious candidate, he knows what the job entails, and he knows what UK basketball means to the fan base ... His relative youth.

Negatives -- His relative youth ... Very little NCAA Tournament experience ... Only one year of experience at a non-mid-major.

Probability of accepting the job, if offered: 99%

JOHN CALIPARI

Date of Birth: February 10, 1959 (50 years old)

Birthplace: Moon Township, PA

Currently -- Head coach at Memphis.

Head Coaching Experience

1988 - 1996 Massachusetts 193 - 71 (91 - 41 in the Atlantic 10)

2001 - Present Memphis 252 - 69 (117 - 25 in C-USA)

Career Totals -- 445 - 140 (.761)

*Calipari also coached the New Jersey Nets from 1996-1999. He compiled a record of 72-112. He also served as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Nets.

NCAA Tournament Experience

UMass -- 11 - 5

Memphis -- 14 - 6

Career Total -- 25 - 11 (.694)

Final Four -- '96, '08

Elite Eight -- '95, '06, '07

Sweet 16 -- '09

NIT Experience

UMass -- 3 - 3

Memphis -- 12 - 2

Career Totals -- 15 - 5 (.750)

Championships Won

A-10 Tournament Champion -- '92-'96

A-10 Regular Season Champion -- '92-'96

C-USA Tournament Champion -- '06-'09

C-USA Regular Season Champion -- '04, '06-'09

NIT Champion -- '02

Coaching Accolades

Naismith College Coach of the Year -- '96, '08

NABC Coach of the Year -- '96

Basketball Times Coach of the Year -- '96

Sports Illustrated Coach of the Year -- '09

A-10 Coach of the Year -- '93-'96

C-USA Coach of the Year -- '06, '08, '09

Double-Digit Loss Seasons

Five of 17 seasons.

Playing Career

UNC-Wilmington -- 1978 - 1980

Clarion State -- 1980 - 1982

Positives -- Great recruiter ... NCAA Tournament success ... Final Four experience ... Media savvy ... Perceived to be fan friendly, but has been known to be surly at times ... Mastered the dribble-drive motion offense ... Comes from the Larry Brown coaching tree ... Coaches an up-tempo offense ... One of only four coaches to lead two different teams to #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament ... He wins.

Negatives -- Calipari had a run-in with the NCAA while at UMass ... Star player Marcus Camby was found to have accepted money from a sports agent while still competing collegiately ... The NCAA found that neither the University, nor Calipari was culpable, in any sense, for Camby's actions ... But UMass was forced to vacate their 1996 Final Four appearance ... Calipari has had a few player arrests while at Memphis.

Probability of accepting the job, if offered: 40%

JAMIE DIXON

Date of Birth: November 10, 1965 (43 years old)

Birthplace: North Hollwood, CA

Currently -- Head coach at Pittsburgh

Head Coaching Experience

2003 - Present Pittsburgh 163 - 44 (.787) 70 - 30 in the Big East

NCAA Tournament Experience

Pitt -- 9 - 5 (.643)

Elite Eight -- '09 (Pitt still playing)

Sweet 16 -- '04, '07

NIT Experience

None

Championships Won

Big East Tournament Champion -- '08

Big East Regular Season Champion -- '04

Coaching Accolades

Big East Coach of the Year -- '04

Double-Digit Loss Seasons

One in six seasons.

Playing Career

Texas Christian -- 1984 - 1987

Positives -- Worked under UCLA's Ben Howland for nine seasons at Northern Arizona, and Pittsburgh ... Holds coach's record for most wins in first six seasons ... 8-3 record over last four years in the NCAA Tournament ... Excellent defensive coach ... Tremendous winning percentage ... Very solid recruiter ... Media friendly ... All of his coaching experience is at the high major level.

Negatives -- Only six years as a head coach.

Probability of accepting the job, if offered -- 60%

RICK BARNES

Date of Birth: July 17, 1954 (54 years old)

Birthplace: Hickory, NC

Currently -- Head coach at Texas

Head Coaching Experience

1987 - 1988 George Mason 20 - 10 (9 - 5 in the Colonial Athletic)

1988 - 1994 Providence 108 - 76 (47 - 55 in the Big East)

1994 - 1998 Clemson 74 - 48 (28 - 36 in the ACC)

1998 - Present Texas 270 - 105 (129 - 47 in the Big 12)

Career Totals -- 472 - 239 (.664)

NCAA Tournament Experience

George Mason - None

Providence - 0 - 3

Clemson - 2 - 3

Texas - 17 - 11

Career Totals -- 19 - 17 (.528)

Final Four - '03

Elite Eight - '06, '08

Sweet 16 - '97, '02, '04

NIT Experience

Providence - 5-2

Clemson - 0 - 1

Career Totals -- 5 - 3

Championships Won

Big 12 Regular Season Championship - '99, '06, '08

Big East Tournament Championship - '94

Coaching Accolades

Colonial Athletic Conference Coach of the Year - '87

Big 12 Coach of the Year - '99, '03, '08

Double-Digit Loss Seasons

Sixteen of 22 seasons.

Playing Career

Lenoir-Rhyne College - 1974 - 1977

Positives -- Great recruiter ... Very good with the media ... 8 - 4 record in the NCAA's over the last four years ... Final Four experience ... Fan friendly ... 21 years of "big time" experience ... Mentored former WKU coach Dennis Felton, and current head Topper Ken McDonald.

Negatives -- Nearly .500 record in NCAA's ... 72.7% of his seasons coached have resulted in double-digit losses.

Probability of accepting the job, if offered: 30%

TOM IZZO

Date of Birth: January 30, 1955 (54 years old)

Birthplace: Iron Mountain, MI

Currently -- Head coach at Michigan State

Head Coaching Experience

1995 - Present Michigan State - 334 - 136 (.711) 160 - 72 in the Big Ten

NCAA Tournament Experience

Michigan State - 29 - 10 (.744)

National Championship - '00

Final Four - '99, '01, '05

Elite Eight - '03, '09 (MSU still playing)

Sweet 16 - '98, '08

NIT Experience

Michigan State - 2 - 2

Championships Won

National Title - '00

Big Ten Tournament Champion - '99, '00

Big Ten Regular Season Champion - '98, '99, '00, '01, '09

Coaching Accolades

Big Ten Coach of the Year - '98, '09

AP National Coach of the Year - '98

Henry Iba Award - '98

Double-Digit Loss Seasons

Seven of 14 seasons.

Playing Career

Northern Michigan - 1973 - 1977

Division II All-America in '77

Positives - Bountiful NCAA Tournament success ... National Title to his credit ... Master strategist ... Good recruiter ... Fan and media friendly ... Four Final Fours in a seven season period ('99 - '05).

Negatives - Sometimes coaches a deliberate style.

Probability of accepting the job, if offered: 50%

Editor's Note -- This obviously is not an all-inclusive list of possible candidates. Thad Matta, Jay Wright, and Mark Few are just a sampling of the college coaches not included on my list. As the search progresses (and based on the length of the search) I will continue to offer-up in-depth information on possible candidates for the job.

Final Thought

I thought the best thing to come out of yesterday's press conference was the naming of former Wildcat Mike Pratt to assist in the search for UK's next coach. Pratt brings to the table a unique perspective, and an intimate knowledge of what it takes to succeed at Kentucky. His insight and advice will be invaluable to the impending search.

For a look into Pratt's way of thinking, here is an interview I conducted with him back in November of '08.

Good look to the trio. A restless Big Blue Nation anxiously awaits what the "chicks" dig: The long ball!

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!