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A Brief History of the Debuts of Isiah Thomas

T.H. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:46:04 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

So apparently, Florida International's new coach is a man of some renown. And he may just suit up and take the court, judging by the advance coverage of the game. But on the bench or on the court, this will be a first for Thomas, so I figured it was worth seeing how he managed previous hardwood debuts.

First Game with Indiana (1979): In Thomas' first exhibition game, the Hoosiers beat the Soviet National team 78-50. Bob Knight was pleased. They also won their first regular season game, over Miami of Ohio 80-52, and went on to a 21-8 record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance. I can't find the details of Thomas' performance, but we can assume it was pretty good.

First NBA Game with the Pistons (1981): An unqualified success. Thomas had 31 points and eleven assists as the Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118 to 113. Detroit would go on to a 39-43 record for the season, a significant improvement over the previous year's 21-61.

First Draft with the Toronto Raptors (1995): The Raptors took Damon Stoudamire with the 7th pick, and Jimmy King with the 35th. Stoudamire was Rookie of the Year and had a long, if often unnoticed career, which included being pulled over for driving under the influence of marijuana with Rasheed Wallace in Portland. King was out the league after two seasons. Looking at the draft, there wasn't any obvious superstars he overlooked.

First Game as Coach of the Pacers (2000): The Pacers lost to the San Antonio Spurs 98 to 85. They'd go on to a 41-41 record and lose in the first round of the playoffs to the 76ers.

First Draft with the New York Knicks (2004): The Knicks only had a second round pick, where at 43, they took Trevor Ariza. Ther first round pick had been traded to Phoenix two weeks into his tenure as part of a nine-player deal that brought Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski to New York. Ariza played all eighty games his rookie season for the Knicks, who went 33-49.

First Game as Coach of the Knicks (2006): The Knicks needed three overtimes to make it past the Memphis Grizzlies, winning 118-117. The team went 33-49 that season as well, and it was the better of his two seasons at the head of the bench.

All in all, a workmanlike record, but nothing UNC can't overturn. Although there's one more first worth noting; Thomas's first game against North Carolina, in December of 1979. UNC won, 61 to 57. Thomas wouldn't get a win against the Heels until his third and final matchup, a game of some importance, if I recall.

What we missed from the first week of November

SFBE.NF — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:15:26 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

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Things we missed this week while acting wacky to the magic of Girl Talk...

The D-League held their annual draft this week. Some notable names that caught our eye:

CJ Anderson (Fort Wayne Mad Ants via Xavier) - Surprised to see this name pop up. Anderson had a nice career at Manhattan and then for the Muskies, but he doesn't really have any pro qualities.

Deron Washington (Los Angeles D-Fenders via Virginia Tech) - Washington is a high flyer who comes back to the states after a playing a season in Israel.

Nate Miles (Sioux Falls Skyforce via Southern Idaho JC) - Miles of course was a big time recruit for UCONN, then expelled for a number of reasons after the program's recruiting tactics were brought into question by Yahoo! Sports.

J'Nathan Bullock (Albuquerque Thunderbirds via Cleveland State) - Bullock initially tried out with the New York Jets earlier this year, despite not playing college football.

Paul Harris (Maine Red Claws via Syracuse) - Knowing that Harris will begin his inauspicious pro career in the place that we grew up makes us giddy.

USA Today reported that the rights for the NCAA Tournament may soon be up for grabs. CBS currently holds the rights through 2013 as part of an 11-year deal, but the NCAA can opt out after this season. Yes ESPN is probably interested, offering the prospects of Dick frieken Vitale announcing games in late March.
Arguably the most intriguing college freshman this season, John Wall, poured in a cool 27 points in his collegiate debut against D-II Clarion. He's going to be a nice little player.
Another notable debut didn't go over so well, however. Isiah Thomas and his Florida International Golden Panthers lost to NAIA Northwood. Best part of this story... Northwood is coached by Rollie Massimino who of course orchestrated one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history back in 1985.
Olek Czyz needs to dust off his Nikes because Nolan Smith has been suspended by Duke for the first two games of the regular season. Smith played in an unsanctioned game over the summer and will be out against UNC-Greensboro and Coastal Carolina. The NCAA can be such a buzzkill.
Lance Stephenson won't miss anytime for the Bearcats. The super frosh was featured in a web-documentary during high school, and the NCAA (again, buzzkill) questioned how that all went down. But he's clean and cleared to play.

BtB 2009-10 Sun Belt Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:21 -0000

Undoubtedly, the story of the Sun Belt's offseason was Isiah Thomas' arrival in Miami, where the former Detroit Pistons point guard and New York Knicks head coach takes over a struggling Florida International program. In just about his first act as coach, Thomas threatened to pull the Golden Panthers out of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, after the tournament's organizer, the Gazelle Group, scheduled FIU to play North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Thomas wanted his team to play at Ohio State instead. Things were eventually smoothed out, which means that FIU will remain host of the "subregional" round, featuring four of the non-major participants in the tournament.

Outside of the circus in South Florida, the other big story to watch in the league this year is whether anyone will seriously challenge Western Kentucky for the league crown. Demetri Goodson took a second straight Sweet 16 from right under the Hilltoppers' noses, and Ken McDonald's 2009-10 outfit, featuring most of those performers, will still be a prohibitive favorite, even if they are a bit thinner this season. An earlier indicator of the 'Toppers chances will be the NIT Season Tip-Off. WKU has been placed in the South region in Baton Rouge. If they can get by Horizon contender Milwaukee, they could face an LSU side that's significantly weaker than last year's tournament squad. The winner of that contest books their ticket to New York. Even if the Hilltoppers don't make the semifinals, as the fifth seeded team in the competition, they'll host one of the consolation rounds in Bowling Green.

Additionally, for the second straight year, the conference has put itself in the early season showcase business. Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky will host the second ever Sun Belt Classic in Nashville. The Blue Raiders will take on Tennessee there, while the Hilltoppers will face Vanderbilt.

More on the rest of the conference after the jump.

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

Sun Belt Conference Standings

(updated 3.22.2009 at 12:14 AM EDT)

East	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	15	3	25	9
Troy Trojans	14	4	19	13
South Alabama Jaguars	10	8	20	13
Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders	10	8	18	14
Fla. International Golden Panthers	7	11	13	20
Florida Atlantic Owls	2	16	6	26

West	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Ark.-Little Rock Trojans	15	3	23	8
North Texas Eagles	11	7	20	12
Denver Pioneers	9	9	15	16
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns	7	11	10	20
New Orleans Privateers	6	12	11	19
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks	6	12	10	20
Arkansas St. Red Wolves	5	13	13	17

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with the West Division.

West Division

New Orleans (last NCAA: 1996) The Privateers are one of the many teams in this conference who struggle away from home, as they went winless in conference road games last season. They managed to win six at home; however, UNO will struggle to improve that their three returning starters aren't scorers. 6-10 Czech center Jaroslav Tyrna, is the leading returning scorer, and he only averaged 6.5 points per contest. Joe Pasternack will have to find someone to replace swingman Kendall Dykes (17.3 ppg) and forward T.J. Worley (16 ppg), along with point guard Darrian McKinstry, who was kicked off team after being suspended three times last season. Pasternack may have to lean heavily on 3-star recruit Jacolby Pittman, a 6-10 F/C, and fellow freshman Devin McDonald, a 6-1 guard, along with 6-3 Georgia transfer Billy Humphrey.

Arkansas State (last NCAA: 1999) John Brady's team struggled at the end of last season, as they dropped 10 in a row. They also only won once in the Sun Belt away from Jonesboro, and that was against Denver. The Red Wolves had enough defense and rebounding, but struggled to score. These are all things that may not change this time around. Brady obtains the service of Oklahoma State transfer Martavius Adams, a 6-8 forward, and he'll be called on to replace F Eric McKinney, a stout defender who averaged 8.6 points and 6.1 points a game. Brady also welcomes back 6-5 G Donald Boone, the team's leading returning scorer, averaging 13.6 a contest, and 6-7 F JeJuan Brown (7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg). 6-2 guard Trey Finn will come off a redshirt year to join Boone in backcourt, while Daniel Bryant, a 5-10 sophomore who averaged nearly 7 points and a little more than 2 assists a game, could be drafted to play point.

Louisiana-Monroe (last NCAA: 1996) The good news for Orlando Early is that he gets all five starters back from last season. The bad news is that those starters only managed to win 10 times in 2008-09, six times in the Sun Belt, and twice in league away games. However, the Warhawks could improve significantly, as Early also gets guard Tony Hooper back. He was granted a fifth year of eligibility after he missed the bulk of last season because of injury. That means five Warhawks averaged in double-figures last time they played: 6-6 G/F Malcolm Thomas (12.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), 6-7 F Lawrence Gilbert (10.9 ppg), 6-8 F Rudy Turner (10.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg), 6-2 reserve guard Dynile Forbes (11 ppg), and Hooper (15.1 ppg in 07-08). 5-8 PG Kenneth Averette (6.1 ppg, 3.2 apg) should join Hooper in the backcourt to run ULM's offense.

Louisiana-Lafayette (last NCAA: 2005) The Ragin' Cajuns were yet another bad Sun Belt road team last year, winning only once on their travels (at Troy!). They managed this with five returning starters. This time around, Robert Lee has four returning starters, with only center Jeremy Barr gone (5.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg). Next year, Louisiana-Lafayette will be probably be down to three returning starters, as two seniors feature this time around, 5-10 guard Randell Daigle (11.3 ppg) and 6-8 forward Tyren Johnson (7.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg). The two returning juniors are the Cajuns leading scorers, 6-7 guards Chris Gradnigo (13.3 ppg) and Travis Bureau (12.4 ppg. 4.3 rpg) Lee gets another 6-7 player back, forward LaRyan Gary (6.9 ppg. 4 rpg) who is coming off knee injury. In the backcourt, Ryan McCoy (7.3 ppg, 2.1 apg) is a key performer off the bench.

Arkansas-Little Rock (last NCAA: 1990) Steve Shields' squad won the West Division and won 20 games for the second year in a row, but the Trojans could have done so much more. Unfortunately, the team fell apart after point guard Steven Moore was dismissed in late February, culminating in a loss to South Alabama in the Sun Belt semis, a game where UALR had a bit of a homecourt advantage. The two players who fell immediately behind Moore on the team's scoring chart, F Shane Edwards (11.8 ppg) and G John Fowler (10.5)--also a key defensive player, are also gone, as is 6-6 G Brandon Patterson (6 ppg, 4 rpg). Arkansas native and South Florida transfer Soloman Bozeman, a 6-foot guard, will be Moore's full-time replacement. Matt Mouzy, who averaged more than 10 points per contest last year, will have to increase his scoring output, but he is another good defender for Shields. The Trojans need 6-7 Mike Smith (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg) to develop into more of a frontcourt force, as last year's lone returning frontcourt starter, 6-8 Wayne Burton (3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) is offensively limited.

Denver (last NCAA: None) The only team in the Sun Belt to have never made the NCAA Basketball Tournament could rid itself of that title this season. (Now, for hockey, it's a completely different story.) Joe Scott's Princeton offense is really taking root in the Mile High City, and the Pioneers seem to have put their road woes behind them. DU won two straight road games at the end of the regular season, ending a drought that began after a February 11, 2006 win at Middle Tennessee. Scott's team features all five starters from a year ago, led by 6-5 G/F Nate Rohnert (15.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg), a serious threat for SBC Player of the Year, 6-7 F Rob Lewis (12.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-3 G Brian Stafford (11.4 ppg). Plus, 6-9 forward Andrew Hooper actually led the Sun Belt three-point percentage, nailing 46.6 percent of his attempts as he averaged a little more than 9 points per contest. The Pioneers were as solid on both offense (47.9 team FG percentage) and defense (top 25 in the nation in scoring defense), as you'd expect a Princeton-style team to be.

North Texas (last NCAA: 2007) The Pioneers' main stumbling block to the West Division crown is a team based in Denton, Texas that also returns all five starters. The Mean Green seek a return to the NCAAs after a two year absence, while picking up their fourth straight 20-win season. Four of Johnny Jones' returning starters averaged in double figures last time around. 6-7 F Eric Tramiel (12 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is another serious contender for Sun Belt POY. 6-5 guard Tristan Thompson, 5-10 point guard Dominique Johnson (3.8 apg), and 5-10 guard Josh White all averaged more than 11 a contest, with White being nearly automatic from the foul line (90.6 FT%), Inside, 6-8 George Odufwa is a monster on the boards, grabbing nearly 7 a game, to go along with 6-plus point. The Mean Green also get back 6-4 guard Collin Mangrum, who has struggled with injuries over the past two years. The two senior starters, Tramiel and Johnson want to go out on top, and they may have the supporting cast to do it.

East Division

Florida International (last NCAA: 1995) Isiah Thomas should be in for some rough sledding in his first year at the helm of the Golden Panthers. FIU's leading scorers of a year ago, forward Alex Galindo (14.4 ppg) and center Freddy Asprilla (13.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg) are both gone. Guards Michael Dominguez and Josue Soto, who also averaged around 10 points a contest are also gone. That means 6-9 forward Nikola Gacesa is the lone remaining starter for FIU. As you'd expect of a team hit by sudden departures, Thomas' first recruiting class heavy on JC transfers, but he does gain the services of 6-2 Temple transfer Martavis Kee.

Florida Atlantic (last NCAA: 2002) Mike Jarvis begins his second season in Boca Raton completely overshadowed by Isiah Thomas' arrival at archrival FIU. The Owls were terrible last season without Xavier Perkins (academics) and Carlos Monroe, who did manage to average 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game despite dealing with foot and eligibility problems. And they may not be much better this season, as they only return two starters, 6-8 forward Brett Royster (7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and 5-11 point guard Alex Tucker (6.1 ppg, 4.8 apg). Jarvis will be expecting big things out of 6-2 sophomore Shavar Richardson, who averaged almost 12 points and four boards a game from the bench. He has a great chance to fill the void left by Paul Graham III's (18.5 ppg) graduation. Jarvis' team will be young, as he brought in seven freshmen and only one JC transfer this offseason.

Middle Tennessee (last NCAA: 1989) Kermit Davis was forced to start four guards last year after 6-10 center Theryn Hudson injured his foot. Hudson is back, but three of the guards are gone, with the graduation of MT's all-time assist leader, Kevin Kanaskie (3.8 apg), being the most painful. Last year's SBC Preseason Player of the Year, Desmond Yates, is the key returnee. He should move back to his natural position, power forward, thanks to Hudson's return. Yates averaged over 17 points and 4.5 boards a contest last time around. Davis will expect JC transfers Rod Emmanuel (6-2) and James Washington (6-0) to fill the holes in the backcourt. 6-4 guard Calvin O'Neil should also see more action this season, as he averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.7 rpg in '08-09.

South Alabama (last NCAA: 2008) Ronnie Arrow's team won 20 games last year, and made it to the Sun Belt championship game, but the season had to feel like a disappointment for Jaguars fans. USA may struggle to win 20 again, as Arrow returns only one starter, 6-5 guard LaShun Watson, who only averaged 7 points a contest. However, 6-0 point guard Bryan Sherrer did take on a starting role late in the season (5.3 ppg, 1.6 apg overall). 6-7 G/F Gary Redus joins the Jaguars from Centenary, where he averaged 12 points and 3.4 boards a game last year. (He's eligible immediately as the Gents' announced their move to D-III this offseason. Otherwise, Arrow will again lean on JC transfers, including Allyn Cooks, Raymond Sims, Bacari Moulton, Tim Williams (Moulton and Williams both averaged over 21 a game last year), Brandon Noble, and Adrian Sims to fill the void left by the graduation of Domonic Tilford, Brandon Davis, and DeAndre Coleman.

Troy (last NCAA: 2003) The Trojans will be a serious threat to Western Kentucky's reign atop the East Division, as they bring back four starters from team that won 14 league games and earned a CBI home game last year The only starter gone is 7-foot center Tom Jervis (6.7 ppg. 6.5 rpg), but 6-9 Alabama transfer Yamene Coleman will step in to replace him. The four returning starters for Don Maestri are all seniors, led by All-Sun Belt selection Brandon Hazzard, a pure scorer who averaged 16.2 ppg, while finishing as the nation's seventh best 3-point shooter, converting nearly 45 percent of his attempts. Richard Delk, who started his career at Mississippi State is another dangerous scorer, averaging nearly 14 points a contest. Point guard Michael Vogler is responsible for getting them the ball, and he did a great job last season, averaging nearly 6 assists a game and over 10 points. 6-6 Antywan Jones averaged 4.5 points and almost 3 boards a game in the frontcourt, which will be bolstered by the return of 6-8 junior Trayce Macon who returns after a year off (7.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg in '07-08).

Western Kentucky (last NCAA: 2009) Ken McDonald very nearly got the Hilltoppers where Darrin Horn led them before his departure for South Carolina, but a last second loss to Gonzaga kept WKU from traveling to Memphis for the South Regional. The 'Toppers will miss Sun Belt Player of the Year Orlando Mendez-Valdez (14.2 ppg, 4.1 apg), but the other four starters return, including 6-3 senior A.J. Slaughter (16 ppg, 3.6 apg), 6-5 junior swingmen Sergio Kerusch (11.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Steffphon Pettigrew (12.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg), and 6-9 F Jeremy Evans (8.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) McDonald won't have the deepest team; however, especially with recruits Terrence Boyd, who would've provided substantial backcourt support, and David Laury dismissed from the team.

Despite their depth issues, I'm picking Western Kentucky to win yet another Sun Belt title, so they'll take the league'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-SBC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team

Player of the Year: A.J. Slaughter, 6-3 G, Sr. (Western Kentucky)

Remainder of the Team
Brandon Hazzard, 6-2 G, Sr. (Troy)
Nate Rohnert, 6-5 G/F, Sr. (Denver)
Eric Tramiel, 6-7 F, Sr. (North Texas)
Desmond Yates, 6-7 F, Sr. (Middle Tennesee)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Sun Belt this season?

Arkansas-Little Rock

1 votes

Arkansas State

0 votes

Denver

1 votes

Florida Atlantic

1 votes

Florida International

2 votes

Louisiana-Lafayette

1 votes

Louisiana-Monroe

0 votes

Middle Tennessee State

1 votes

New Orleans

0 votes

North Texas

2 votes

South Alabama

0 votes

Troy

3 votes

Western Kentucky

5 votes

17 votes | Poll has closed

The 2009-10 Coaching Carousel Recap

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

More photos » by Dusty Compton - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Game (or Two) a Night: November 2009

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:50:00 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

Corey Stokes and the Villanova Wildcats will be in Puerto Rico this November, while Ed Davis' Tar Heels will be in New York. Both events feature in the November games to watch. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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November, the time of year when the air is crisp (well, at least in places in the Northern Hemisphere where there are actual seasons) and everyone is unbeaten. Unfortunately, that second fact can't last forever, as a proper college basketball game requires a winner and loser.

And, indeed, that's what all college basketball fans wait for, the action and the subsequent result, be it a blowout win for your favorite team or a potential BracketBuster pulling an upset that captures the country's imagination. November is the time for us to start on our collective road to March and April. Casual fans often dismiss the early season, saying that the Tournament is the only thing that matters, and that there are too many meaningless regular season games. (I wonder how many of these critics are NBA fans.)

But without the bumps in the road and potholes teams face in the early season, the finish line of March wouldn't just be unsatisfying, it would be an impossibility. Not only do college basketball fans learn more about the hoops landscape in the early season, teams really learn about themselves and their capabilities, especially when faced with the rigors of playing three games in three or four nights on a neutral floor.

Those early-season tournaments are a big part of this first month of the season, so on a few nights this month, you'll see more than one game listed, usually a semifinal doubleheader of some sort. Join me after the jump for my thoughts on the creme de la creme of games for the opening month of the 2009-10 season. TV information, as always, can be found at MattSarzSports.com.

Monday, November 9
Florida International at North Carolina (Coaches vs. Cancer Classic) (ESPNU, 7 ET)
Remember when Isiah Thomas said he didn't want his Golden Panthers to play UNC in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic? Do you think the Tar Heels are going to remember that?

Tuesday, November 10
There are no TV games listed for this night. Maybe colleges anticipated bad weather and hired the MLB scheduling department to plan out the first week of the season. Oh wait...

Wednesday, November 11
Robert Morris at Syracuse (Coaches vs. Cancer Classic) (ESPNU, 7 ET)
These two teams met at the Carrier Dome in the first round of the NIT in 2007, and both made the NCAAs in 2008. In fact, this is the only meeting of two 2008 NCAA teams in the opening rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer event. The rosters will just be a tad different, however.

Thursday, November 12
James Madison at Ohio State (Coaches vs. Cancer Classic) (Big Ten, 7 ET)
This is the only TV game listed for this night, so it wins by default.

Friday, November 13
Bradley at BYU (Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge) (the mtn, 9:30 ET)
Last March, the Cougars found themselves a first round victim in the NCAAs, while the Braves finished as runners-up in the first ever College Insider Tournament.

Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15
Portland State at Washington (Athletes in Action Basketball Classic) (FSN NW, 10 ET Sunday)
Thanks to football, there's a small group of games to choose this weekend. The best matchup appears to be the last one of the group to tip. While Ken Bone has moved on (coincidentally, to UW's archrival), his top assistant, Tyler Geving, will attempt to keep the program's momentum going. The homestanding Huskies, one of the favorites in the Pac-10, will serve as a stern test for the Vikings.

Monday, November 16
Miami (OH) at Kentucky (FSN South, 7 ET)
If Billy Gillispie was coaching the Wildcats, you could watch this one half expecting Charlie Coles' Redhawks to pull the upset. However, John Calipari was hired to make these sorts of games a formality.

Tuesday, November 17
Memphis at Kansas (Hall of Fame Classic, St. Louis) (ESPN, 10 ET)
With ESPN running hoops for 24-plus hours, you have a lot of options on this particular day. Watching the near consensus preseason number one open up their season with a rematch that's not really a rematch of a game the NCAA says now didn't happen back in 2008 would be a nice way to end the marathon.

Wednesday, November 18
Butler at Northwestern (Big Ten, 8 ET)
The Wildcats have a legitimate shot at finally making the NCAAs this year. Beating a very strong Bulldog team in Evanston would provide a nice win for the resume.
Honorable mention goes to an Interesting doubleheader of intrastate battles on the mtn, Utah State at Utah and Nevada at UNLV.

Thursday, November 19
Coaches vs. Cancer Semifinals--California vs Syracuse and North Carolina vs. Ohio State (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Even if one of these teams were to lose during the on-campus opening rounds, they'd still make it to New York to battle with the other BCS schools in the field.

Friday, November 20
Coaches vs. Cancer 3rd Place Game and Final (ESPN2, 5 ET)
No matter who wins and loses on Thursday, both these game will deserve your attention.

Saturday, November 21
Rider at Kentucky (FSN South, 1 ET)
Again, not a great slate of games because of football. This game deserves special mention because it's one of the few chances you'l have to see Rider G Ryan Thompson, younger brother of the Sacramento Kings' Jason, (18 ppg. 6.5 rpg in 2008-09) on TV before the MAAC season.

Sunday, November 22
Puerto Rico Tip-Off Final (ESPN2, 8 ET)
This bracket appears a bit unbalanced, with A-10 favorite Dayton, rising ACC club Georgia Tech, and Big East favorite Villanova all featuring in the top half of the bracket (and don't sleep on George Mason either. Indiana, Kansas State, and Mississippi are the three power teams in the bottom half, with America East favorite Boston U capable of pulling a shock.

Monday, November 23
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt (Maui Invitational First Round) (ESPN2, 5:30 ET)
The Bearcats and Commodores are two teams who look like they're ready to make up for disappointing 2008-2009 seasons.

Tuesday, November 24
Florida State at Florida (FS Florida, 7 ET)
The Seminoles are looking to build on last year's return to the NCAAs, while the Gators are looking to get back themselves after an unexpected two year absence following two consecutive titles.

Wednesday, November 25
Maui Invitational Championship (ESPN, 10 ET)
While Gonzaga and Maryland would have to be considered the favorites here. Arizona and Wisconsin hope to stand in the way of the Bulldogs, while the aforementioned Bearcats and Commodores will hope to stop the Terps.

Thursday, November 26
Minnesota vs. Butler (76 Classic First Round) (ESPN2, 8:30 ET)
I'm traveling clear across country for this tournament because when I saw the field for the first time last November, I knew it was going to be a classic. While all four quarterfinals are intriguing, this one stands out to me because it matches up a Gopher team that should really be clicking in the third year of Tubby Smith's tenure with a Bulldog squad that could really shock the public (but not those of us in the know) with a good run through this event. Winner faces either Portland or UCLA in Friday's semifinals.

Friday, November 27
76 Classic Semifinals (ESPN2, 2:30 and 5 ET)
While I've already mentioned the potential second semifinal matchups, the first semifinal should be just as entertaining, as it will feature the winner of Long Beach State (the Big West favorite)-West Virginia and either Clemson or Texas A&M.

Saturday, November 28
Louisville at UNLV (Versus, 4 ET)
This is a rematch of the Rebels upset win at Freedom Hall last New Year's Day. At that point, it looked like the Rebels were well on their way to the Tournament and the Cards were reeling.

See, this is why every game is important.

Sunday, November 29
76 Classic Final (ESPN2, 10 ET)
I think the organizers are hoping UCLA will be involved in this one, but as I've shown you, the Bruins won't have an easy time getting here.

Monday, November 30
Penn State at Virginia (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) (ESPN2, 7 ET)
The month closes with a quiet Monday night slate. After playing Stanford and either Kentucky or Cleveland State in a ballroom in Cancun, Tony Bennett's squad must host the defending NIT champions.

That should get you started for the season. My games for December will follow tomorrow evening.

Zeke finally gives in, agrees to take beating from Tar Heels

aGent37 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:54:52 -0000

After weeks of kicking and screaming, FIU head coach Isiah Thomas and Athletic Director Pete Garcia finally agreed to get their butts kicked by North Carolina instead of... getting their butts kicked by Ohio State in the opening round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament this November.

Isiah and Garcia, who somehow thought he had a better chance at beating a senior laden Buckeye team over the defending national championships (who lost their entire line-up to the NBA) cited that it was simply a conflict of contractual terms with organizer Gazelle Group in his defense. Luckily, both realized that all this bad publicity is probably not the best way to start off Zeke's illustrious tenure as head coach of the Golden Panthers.

Tune in next week, when Isiah tries to sues the Sun Belt for making him lose to Western Kentucky twice in the same season....

Florida International v. Asprilla: Another Isiah Thomas Debacle?

aGent37 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:17:30 -0000

After only two months on the job, Isiah Thomas might be bringing Florida International University (FIU) exactly what everyone thought he would... and its not a championship. William Sanchez, attorney for estranged FIU star Freddy Asprilla, said that his client "would sue if necessary" if Isiah would not grant him a release to transfer to a major conference school. Isiah immediately pointed a finger at Athletic Director Pete Garcia, citing that it was Garcia's decision alone to grant the release.

Since the deadline for an appeal has passed, if Freddy were to leave the program for another at this point, per NCAA rules he would have no choice but to pay his tuition at what ever school he transferred too. Coincidentally enough, Thomas and Garcia neglected to inform Freddy of the impending deadline until it was to late. Asprilla, who was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 09', wanted to leave the program after the firing of Head Coach Sergio Rouco and his immediate (and we're talking in 24 hours) replacement by Isiah Thomas.

Considering that FIU has granted releases for several other players (non near the caliber of Asprilla), it seems downright wrong to deny an athlete the ability to leave a program soley based on the value he brings to the team. If I were Asprilla, I'd get in touch with Stephon Marbury... he seems to know a thing or two about dealing with Mr. Thomas.

Maryland Minute 6.25.09 - Maryland Interviews a Guy Named Turtle

Ben Broman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:19:40 -0000

Maryland to interview Turtle Thomas
I'm not sure there could be a better fit. The guy's name is "Turtle", after all.

FIU baseball coach Turtle Thomas engineered the greatest turnaround in the program's 37-year history.

After a 20-36 record in his first season at FIU in 2008, Thomas led the Golden Panthers to a 34-21 mark in 2009.

Apparently, the University of Maryland thinks Thomas could do the same for the Terrapins.

Obviously, I don't know that much about college baseball, so I'm not going to preach here, but I like him. His name is Turtle, for one. He's a bit more inexperienced than I would like, but he knows how to rebuild, that's for sure. I just hope it wasn't a fluke.

Elliot Williams Update
It appears it's undecided if he's going to Memphis - at least, unannounced, and it's not a guarantee that he'll be able to play immediately, but he will appeal the rule. Interesting.

Duke guard Elliot Williams is leaving the school for family medical reasons, according to the Duke PR folks. (Hat tip: @Corndogg.) Duke's press release says Williams is expected to appeal the NCAA's rule that forces transfers to sit out for a year; he is hoping to play right away in 2009-10 for a "school closer to his home." Where's Williams's home? Memphis. And so the plot thickens.

This could possibly have two very big recruiting blowbacks for Maryland. First, it could drive Lance Stephenson away. Ultimately, I doubt that - if Memphis has the scholarship, they can find the PT. I also believe the decision to drop Lance was dictated by Gary, not Lance/Lance Sr., so even if he wanted to be a Terp, it doesn't matter. Second, someone needs to tell Will Barton he won't be a day one starter at Memphis anymore...so he can decommit and go to Kentucky.

Nermin Delic talks about committment
Matt Bracken sat down with - or called, whatever - Nermin Delic, of square jaw fame (and I guess Maryland football commit fame, too). I really, really like some of things said.

I knew Coach Friedgen had a good reputation of being a man of integrity, so I pretty much knew about the school [before visiting]. But when I went there [last weekend] I was blown away. It was amazing. There wasn’t one thing I didn’t like. Everything was awesome.

Don’t think because he didn’t have the big ones offer [that he‘s not a great player], because he can play. I think Clemson was fixin’ to pull the trigger, I think NC State was fixin’ to pull the trigger, and Vanderbilt and Kentucky were right there, too. But when he went up [to Maryland] he said he loved it. ... I’d say [Maryland fans] are going to be very excited when he lines up.

"Georgia had him up [earlier this month] and they loved him, but they’re in the race for two of the best [defensive ends] in the country," Falleur said. "But they told me on the phone Monday, ‘Coach, he can play in the SEC.’ There’s guys out there right now that weigh 250, 260. If he weighed that right now, he’d have offers from [the biggest programs in the country]."

Wow. Coaches always love their players, but I really like Delic right now, probably for the same reason I liked Stoglin after his coach called him a top 5 PG.

Sounds like a guy who, if he puts on some weight, could sneak into four star territory.

Want to learn more about new Lady Terp Laurin Mincy?
Terrapins Insider at the WaPo has you covered. They're three comments: she's compared to Marissa Coleman (yes please), he's a tenacious defender, and her jersey was retired by her elementary school. Yes, elementary school.

SLAM: ACC Recruiting Breakdown
First, big ups to Joey Whelan for writing for Slam - he's a Terp who's done quality work in the past. Anyway, I expected some positive things - after all, he is a Terp. Whelan didn't disappoint.

At 6-10 245 pounds, Williams will take up plenty of space in the paint and should be able to establish position fairly well from the early part of the season. He has a fairly polished post game, has a soft touch and rebounds the ball effectively. There is lots of potential for Williams to be a quality player in the ACC, but there have been a few question marks surrounding his conditioning. The other addition to the Terrapins roster next season will be New York product James Padgett. A graduate of Lincoln HS (of Lance Stephenson fame), Padgett is a bruising 6-8 245-pound power forward who will take care of the dirty work inside. Nothing about his game is pretty, but he is a rebounding force and does a good job of powering through defenders on offensive put backs. This is the type of hardnosed player that college teams need in order to be successful.

No, not overwhelmingly homerish, but Maryland's class is rankings-wise, the worst in the conference, and pretty easily. Take what you can get. In other news, North Carolina unsurprisingly finishes first.

Tobias Harris Visits Georgia Tech
I didn't really know Tobias Harris was open to Georgia Tech. It's only a teaser, but it's pretty obvious. He did list them, but I've never heard any legitimate interest. Anyway, I don't think he's going to GT. He seems very Big East-y, and if he goes ACC, Maryland probably has a better shot than GT.

Championship Monday Review/Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:17:51 -0000

The last Sunday of the regular season for the BCS leagues was a busy one, and thrilling conference tournament action as well. Let's get right to the recap. As always, box scores are from Basketball State.

Only one team punched their ticket on Sunday. Northern Iowa is the second straight surprise Missouri Valley champion. The Panthers defeated Illinois State, 60-57 in overtime. Ali Farokhmanesh got the better of Valley POY Osiris Eldridge in the extra stanza, as Eldridge missed time with cramping. I feel bad for the people of Richmond, who couldn't see this game. Their CBS affiliate carried Raycom's telecast of Virginia Tech at Florida State instead.

Four teams will make the field this evening.

Colonial (ESPN2, 7 EDT)- VCU and George Mason survived ODU and Towson, respectively, after another thrilling afternoon of action in Richmond. The Tigers really gave the Patriots a battle. The predominantly VCU crowd definitely tried to give them a boost, especially since I didn't need both hands to count the number of Towson fans present at the Coliseum.

Southern (ESPN, 7 EDT) - College of Charleston upset CBS darling Davidson, 59-52, meaning the chances of seeing Stephen Curry in this year's tournament are slim. Curry managed 20 points, but only on 5-18 shooting, including 2-11 from outside. The homestanding Chattanooga Mocs will be the Cougars' next opponent, as they knocked out conference newcomer Samford, 80-71.

Metro Atlantic (ESPN2, 9 EDT) - Homestanding Siena defeated Fairfield handily, 80-65. The Saints had a lot of balanced last night, with five players hitting double figures. Kenny Hasbrouck was surprisingly not one of them, as he only scored 9. Next up for Siena is a rubber match with 2 seed Niagara. The Purple Eagles needed a Tyrone Lewis three to tie it at the end of regulation, but they ended up getting past Rider, 93-89 in double OT.

West Coast (ESPN, 9 EDT) - Gonzaga had no problem with Santa Clara, winning by 25. In the other semi, Saint Mary's got Patty Mills back. The Aussie was a bit rusty (12 points on 25% shooting with 4 assists), though he did look far better in the second half. The Gaels defeated Portland for the second time this year, 71-61.

Two other conferences had their semifinals Sunday, but their championship games won't be until later in the week because of TV considerations.

America East - Binghamton will host Maryland-Baltimore County on Saturday morning. The sixth-seeded Retrievers knocked off the homestanding and seventh-seeded Albany Great Danes, 64-58. The top-seeded Bearcats are on track for their first ever NCAA appearance. They defeated fourth-seeded New Hampshire, 72-67.

Patriot - American hosts Holy Cross Friday afternoon. The Eagles had a hard time shaking Army, winning 61-60, while the Crusaders prevented a second straight AU-Colgate final, 61-44.

If that's not enough for you, the Summit League (7 EDT, Full Court) and Sun Belt (7:30 EDT, Full Court) semifinals are also on available. In the Summit, there was a big upset in the quarterfinals Saturday, as 7 seed South Dakota State knocked three-time defending champion Oral Roberts out. The Jackrabbits face 3 seed Oakland. Top seed North Dakota State looks to keep their hopes of a first-ever tournament bid (in their first year of eligibility) alive. The Bison face the 5 seed, Southern Utah. In the Sun Belt, the higher seeds were having their way in the quarterfinals, until sixth-seeded South Alabama upset the 3 seed, Troy. The Jaguars next face 2 seed Arkansas-Little Rock. Top seeded Western Kentucky takes on the 4 seed, 2007 tournament champion North Texas.

Outside of Auto-Bid Land

Virginia Tech lost to Florida State, 63-53. That means the Hokies are in the 8/9 game in the ACC tournament. Their opponent is Miami, which makes that first round tie a virtual bubble elimination game.

If Auburn has life in the SEC, Vanderbilt must as well. The Commodores made it to 8-8 in the stronger East division by (oddly enough) beating a Western opponent - Arkansas, 75-58.

UNC is in good shape for a #1 seed after beating Duke, 79-71. Michigan State continued to build their case for a 2, as they knocked off Purdue, 62-51. Wake has a case too after beating Clemson (who looks likely to be on the outside looking in when it comes to a protected seed), 96-88.

Ohio State got a big win over Northwestern, 52-47. Evan Turner had 17 for the Buckeyes, and it seemed like his sole purpose for the evening was to keep the Wildcats' dance drought going. I'm not ready to write Northwestern off yet, as they play Minnesota in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis. If they win that, they get another shot at Michigan State Friday.

I'll be around this evening to talk about the four big championship games and whatever else you're thinking about here in the stretch run.

Conference tournament wrap: 3/4/09

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:00:14 -0000

Nothing outside of the opening round in the Belt and the Patriot League and a single game in the A-Sun on Wednesday, but things go up a notch on Thursday and then kick into high gear on Friday.

Game of the Night

6) Colgate 64, 3) Navy 59 (OT) (Patriot)

Navy, which lost on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer in last year's Patriot League Tournament, was upset in the first round for a second straight season, falling 64-59 to sixth-seeded Colgate in the postseason's first overtime game.

Ben Johnson was the star for the Raiders, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Yaw Gyawu added 20 points, including the final four points of the game on free throws to seal the deal.

Colgate had ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak, including a 77-64 loss to the Middies in the season finale.

The Raiders get No. 2 Holy Cross in the semis.

Upset of the Night

9) Florida International 71, 8) Louisiana Lafayette 69 (Sun Belt)

The only other upset Wednesday night was a slightly smaller surprise.

Florida International shot 62.1% from the field in the first half and then held on down the stretch to pull the mild upset of eighth-seeded Louisiana Lafayette.

Freddy Asprilla led the way for the Golden Panthers with 15 points and 11 boards.

FIU now faces No. 1 Western kentucky, a team they defeated by two points on Jan. 8.

Player of the Night

Kevin Tiggs (East Tennessee State/Atlantic Sun)

Tiggs dropped a career-high 37 on Stetson as second-seeded East Tennessee State cruised into the A-Sun semis.

Honor Roll

R.J. Evans (Holy Cross/Patriot)

Scored 31 points in the Crusaders' 31-point victory over Bucknell.

Derrick Mercer (American/Patriot)

The Patriot League Player of the Year led the Eagles in scoring (20), assists (5) and rebounding (7).

Ben Johnson (Colgate/American)

Notched as double-double (22 and 10) in Colgate's overtime upset of Navy.

Full Results

Patriot League (Quarterfinals)

1) American 78, 8) Lafayette 56
2) Holy Cross 75, 7) Bucknell 56
6) Colgate 64, 3) Navy 59 (OT)
4) Army 53, 5) Lehigh 50

Sun Belt (First Round)

4) North Texas 79, 13) Florida Atlantic 73
5) Middle Tennessee 69, 12) Arkansas State 62
6) South Alabama 62, 11) New Orleans 60
7) Denver 77, 10) Louisiana-Monroe 57
9) Florida International 71, 8) Louisiana-Lafayette 69

Atlantic Sun (Quarterfinals)

2) East Tennessee State 90, 7) Stetson 76