SB Nation - Fordham Rams

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (12/18/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:08:13 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a bit of entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Layla Dirty Blonde Lager in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men and women both get back into action tomorrow as basketball gets back into the swing of things all around the country. There's a full slate of BE ranked teams in action. Football starts practice again for the bowl tomorrow as well, which means news there should pick up a bit next week. If you're anywhere where snow is being called for, stay warm and be careful if you have to go out. There's plenty to keep you warm in this edition. Suggestions and requests are always encouraged. Have a safe and great weekend!!! Let's GOOOOOOOO...........

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Bill Stewart Statement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Men's Basketball: No Tickets Remain for Seton Hall - MSNsportsNET.Com
Looks like I missed this one. Sorry.

Syracuse Orange enters top 3 of College Basketball Power Rankings - SI.com
We've slid back to #6 from #4 last week.

West Virginia 25th in Director's Cup Standings - MSNsportsNET.Com

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN
"From the starting block in Albuquerque to the finish line in Pasadena, The Dash sprints through all 34 bowls -- and picks the winners."

BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl headline bowl Pickoff - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

News of Note:

West Virginia - Team Notes - USATODAY.com

Let rivalry begin again - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Will Doc's loss impact WVU all that much? - 'Eers to the Ground/PPG

Unfinished Business - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU's Brown takes aim at home-state team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sporting News All-Big East first team - Sporting News

Florida State's head-coach-to-be Jimbo Fisher still fond of West Virginia - St. Petersburg Times

Not just another week for FSU football - Tallahassee Democrat

Chris Henry:

Chris Henry's WVU teammates remember the life of Slim - WVIllustrated.com

Chris Henry's death interrupted his redemption with Bengals - Paul Daugherty - SI.com

NFL Videos: Brown, Lewis on Henry - NFL.com

Chris Henry rocked the Carrier Dome in 2003 as a West Virginia freshman receiver - syracuse.com
Orange beat writer remembers Henry's performances against Syracuse.

What's On Tap:

The WVU women take on Fresno State tomorrow at 7 pm from the Coliseum (couldn't find a link).

West Virginia vs. Cleveland State - SI.com
Saturday from Cleveland at 2 pm on ESPN 360 and MASN.

Lipscomb vs. Cincinnati - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from Cinci on ESPN 360.

Villanova vs. Fordham - SI.com
Saturday at 2 pm from East Rutherford, NJ.

Old Dominion vs. Georgetown - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Phone Booth in DC on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Bonaventure vs. Syracuse - SI.com
Saturday at 7 pm from the Dome.

UCF vs. Connecticut - SI.com
Sunday at 1 pm from Hartford on ESPN 360 and MASN.

St. Petersburg Bowl - UCF Knights vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights - ESPN
Sunday night at 8 on ESPN. Rutgers is favored by 3.

Around the League (and Beyond):

See No Big Ten, Hear No Big Ten, Speak No Big Ten - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson talks about transition to college game - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati holds first Sugar Bowl practice without Brian Kelly - ESPN

Samuels is battling huge expectations - Courier-Journal

Pitt coach Dixon demands big improvement - PPG

What now? - TheUConnBlog.com
Ater Majok makes his debut this weekend

Bulls ease back into practice - Tampa Tribune

If The Big East Expanded... - Pitt Blather

Rutgers tailback Joe Martinek ready to go in St. Petersburg Bowl whether Tim Brown plays or not - Star Ledger

Schiano More than Wins and Losses - Protect R Turf

Doc not a perfect hire, just a terrific one - Charleston Gazette

How about Big 14? -- chicagotribune.com

Videos of (Dis)Interest:

We've seen the music synced light displays before, but music and video game synced? Impressive.

She may be past her prime and carry hepatitis...but this video still does it (and her friend is nice too).

Holiday Picture of the Week:

I think the guy on the right wins, for creativity alone. Thanks to Jimmy T. of Hot Clicks for the find.

via thesurlybirds.com

Brazilian Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is easily one of Israel's finest. Please wish Happy Hanukkah to Miss Bar Rephaeli.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Layla image via www.abarbanel.com

Things we missed during the first week of December

SFBE.NF — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:01:10 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

Browse more photos »

We neglected to make a note of it but, as you probably already know, the Big 10 won their first challenge against the ACC. The game that shifted the balance? Wisconsin's win over Duke. The Badgers were the underdog going in, but Bo Ryan (who clearly was perplexed by Vegas's line) proved once again that you shouldn't bet against his kids in the Kohl Center. They currently sit 6-1 with wins over Maryland and Arizona, in addition to the Dookies.
Tom Crean used the media to reprimand the Indiana University student body, after fans repeatedly directed chants of "PUSSY" at Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez during Tuesday's game. Apparently Crean is looking to get under the skin of future opponents, just not using this degree of vulgarity. Good luck.
UCLA is well on their way to having a, by their standards, terrible season. To further worsen the situation Bruins sophomore, and starting center, Drew Gordon is leaving the team. Gordon reportedly didn't get along with Ben Howland and some of his former teammates. AOL Fanhouse has the "get" here with an on-campus interview with Gordon.
Fordham fired head coach Dereck Whittenburg, ironically during ESPN's "Jimmy V Week." That hurts. Whittenburg finished 69-112 in six seasons and change.

Saturday Buff Bites - Why Can't Colorado Teams Win on the Road?

irish1611 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:33:53 -0000

Buffs falter down stretch at Oregon State - Boulder Daily Camera

The Buffs have lost 19 consecutive road games against Division I opponents. The program`s last such victory was on Dec. 22, 2007, at Colorado State (73-70). CU returns to Moby Arena next Thursday to face the rival Rams.

Cory Higgins -- who entered the game second in the Big 12 in scoring (20.7 ppg) behind Oklahoma State`s James Anderson (21.0 ppg) -- finished with 15 points. Super freshman Alec Burks led the way for the Buffs with a team-high 19 points. It wasn`t enough as Nate Tomlinson missed a pair of free throws that could have given CU the lead in the final minute trailing 70-69. Oregon State went 4-for-4 at the stripe in the final 17.2 seconds to pull out the victory in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series matchup.

"It`s extremely disappointing. We did a horrific job of containing the ball and on defensive rebounding and fouling people," CU head coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "Toughness is containing the ball. Toughness is defensive rebounding. Toughness is finishing at the rim, we had opportunities at the rim and we just flipped it up there. Toughness is defending without fouling." CU out-rebounded the Beavers 32-30, but Oregon State was 26-for-34 from the line and shot 51.1 percent from the field for the game.

Buffs Fall to Oregon State - CUBuffs.com

"It was very disappointing; we certainly had our opportunity to win this game," said CU Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik. "We had a wide-open look at a three and we had a couple free throws; we missed some timely opportunities to score and put some pressure on them."

CU-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano: Let's support Dan Hawkins - Colorado Daily

Five years ago, when the athletic department at the University of Colorado at Boulder was in its darkest days, we made a decision that we were going to reintegrate athletics into the academic mission of the university.

Shmuck of the Week: CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn - Denver News - The Latest Word

Sure, three million is a lot of coin to pay a guy to go away, especially when you're going to have to come up with even more cash to pay someone new to take over. But why did they give him the extension in the first place? At the time athletic director Mike Bohn extended Hawkins' contract last fall, the coach had produced nothing more than a big, heaping pile of mediocrity, leading the Buffs to 11 wins in his first 30 games. What was it about a .330 winning percentage that made Bohn say, "We better guarantee this guy more money before he gets swooped up by Sacramento State"? So, yeah: That was not very smart. Nor was the university's inability to drum up the $3 million to make Hawkins go away. So for that, Mr. Bohn, you are our Shmuck of the Week.

Hawkins, CU staff hit road to recruit - Boulder Daily Camera

Hawkins understands he will probably have to answer questions about his future beyond next season when visiting with recruits and their parents. He said he is accustomed to discussing the topic. It comes up every year because coaches come and go through every program even when things are going well. Hawkins said he advises recruits to choose a school because of the academics and the environment as much as the football. "I counsel them about that all the time," Hawkins said this week. "I think you`re very honest with those guys. ... Is a part of it the head coach? Is a part of it the position coach? Isa part of it the coordinator? Yeah. That is all part of it, but that other stuff should be part of it, too. No head coach is going to change that town or that weather or where it is, distance from home, the academic ranking of the majors. No coach is going to change that."

Another area of uncertainty is whether coaches will sign another running back to go with Littleton High School star Mister Jones. Jones has told recruiting services he is firmly committed to CU, but he is slated to visit Texas A&M next weekend and is contemplating a visit to Nebraska.

KU receiver Briscoe declares for NFL draft - KansasCity.com

KU junior receiver Dezmon Briscoe announced Friday afternoon that he will skip his senior season and declare for the 2010 NFL draft.

Cowboy Altitude: Danny Spond to visit UW on December 11th

Thanks to the huge mess that Dan Hawkins has created at Colorado the Pokes might have a chance to pick up a big time recruit. QB/LB Danny Spond has opened up his recruiting after deciding that Boulder is in a downward spiral. On December 11th Spond will head up to Laramie to meet with the Coaches and checkout the facilities on campus.

Stevens Placed On Scholarship - CUBuffs.com

University of Colorado football head coach Dan Hawkins announced Friday afternoon that junior center Keenan Stevens has been placed on scholarship.

Scout.com: 3* LB Nigel Terrell will visit Buffs

Nigel Terrell gave his oral commitment to Florida State coaches back in August and has second-guessed the decision on several occasions since. Now the 40th-ranked outside linebacker in the 2010 class is scheduling other visits, including one to Boulder.

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic 10 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:58:39 -0000

Xavier was the team of the 00s in the A-10, reaching the NCAAs under the late Skip Prosser, current Ohio State boss Thad Matta, and new Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Matta guided the Musketeers to the Elite Eight in 2004, and Miller did the same in 2008, then guided them to the Sweet Sixteen last season. Now, it's Chris Mack's turn to keep things going, albeit with a retooled roster.

But if you're looking for an A-10 favorite this season, you need to travel 49 miles up I-75. Brian Gregory's Dayton Flyers, led by Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson, is loaded and ready to take the A-10 crown away from their Southwestern Ohio rival, and maybe even plant the seeds to being the conference's team of the 10s.

However, there are a few other teams in the Atlantic 10 who are ready to make some noise this season. Chris Mooney's Princeton-style offense will be humming more efficiently at Richmond now that center Dan Geriot is back from a knee injury. Ron Everhart's Duquesne and John Giannini's La Salle both have squads that could end long tournament droughts. And you can't sleep on traditional tournament fixtures Temple, St. Joe's, and Charlotte, even if each has challenges to figure out this season.

It should be another interesting season in the league of 14, but the big question is whether the A-10 will match the three bids earned each of the last two seasons. More on each team after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 standings.

Atlantic 10 Conference Standings

(updated 3.26.2009 at 10:49 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Xavier Musketeers	12	4	27	8
Dayton Flyers	11	5	27	8
Rhode Island Rams	11	5	23	11
Temple Owls	11	5	22	12
Duquesne Dukes	9	7	21	13
Richmond Spiders	9	7	20	16
La Salle Explorers	9	7	18	13
St. Joseph's Hawks	9	7	17	15
Saint Louis Billikens	8	8	18	14
UMass Minutemen	7	9	12	18
St. Bonaventure Bonnies	6	10	15	15
Charlotte 49ers	5	11	11	20
George Washington Colonials	4	12	10	18
Fordham Rams	1	15	3	25

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

Fordham (last NCAA: 1992) Derek Whittenburg hasn't exactly gotten the Rams back to national prominence, as Fordham has only claimed 68 wins in his 6 seasons at Rose Hill. However, they completely bottomed out with last year's 3 win campaign. Adding insult to injury, Whittenburg lost two key players over the offseason, both of whom transferred. 6-5 swingman Mike Moore went over to Hofstra, and G Trey Blue left for Illinois State. The good news for the Rams is sophomore PG Jio Fontan (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg), the team's leading scorer didn't leave, and 6-2 soph Brenton Butler (9.6 ppg) will join him in the backcourt after missing much of last season with an ankle injury, They'll be joined by 6-3 Alberto Estwick (7.1 ppg) and 5-11 Ryan Hage, who returns from a shoulder injury of his own. In the frontcourt, 6-9 junior Jacob Green (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is the anchor, and he'll be joined by athletic 6-7 freshman Chris Gaston, a high school teammate of Fontan and Estwick, and 6-10 Bosnian Fahro Alihodzic, another of Whittenburg's five newcomers. The Rams should struggle with all of their youth, despite a manageable schedule that includes a game at St. John's and a matchup with Villanova at the Meadowlands.

George Washington (last NCAA: 2007) Karl Hobbs' already warm seat could be completely on fire with another miserable season at the Foggy Bottom. Unfortunately, with leading scorer Rob Diggs gone and six freshmen on the roster, it looks to be another long season for the Colonials. 6-8 senior Damian Hollis (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is back, as are two capable, if inconsistent point guards--6-2 junior Travis King (6.2 ppg, 2.4 apg) and 6-1 sophomore Tony Taylor (6.6 ppg, 2.8 apg). Otherwise, there are a whole lot of new faces and returnees, like the frontcourt trio of 6-11 Joseph Katuka, 6-10 Jabari Edwards, and 609 Hermann Opoku, who have a lot to prove. GW welcomes Oregon State, Providence, and George Mason to the Smith Center, while they'll play Navy in the BB&T Classic.

St. Louis (last NCAA: 2000) Rick Majerus is facing the very definition of a rebuilding year, as his roster features eight freshmen, one junior, and no seniors. While 5-10 sophomore G Kwamain Mitchell--the Billikens' leading scorer (11 ppg)--is back, and soph F Brian Conklin (6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and C Willie Reed (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg) give SLU some punch inside, expect the newcomers to see a lot of action. Two Aussies, 6-4 shooter Christian Salecich and 6-8 F Cody Ellis, lead the freshmen. The highlight of the Billikens' schedule is the Chicago Invitational Challenge, where they open with Iowa State before facing either Notre Dame or Northwestern.

St. Bonaventure (last NCAA: 2000) Mark Schmidt's Bonnies actually finished with a .500 mark last season, but will have a hard time matching or surpassing that feat with the departure of starting F Maurice Thomas and G Ray Blackburn. However, there's enough returning talent in place, led by team's three leading scorers, to complete another stage in a long rebuilding process. 6-4 senior three-point specialist Chris Matthews averaged more than 12 points per contest in his first season after transferring from Washington State. 6-foot junior Ogo Adegbonye arrives will take over at the point, freeing up junior Malcolm Eleby (7 ppg) to spend more time at off guard. 6-5 senior Jonathan Hall (12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is a swingman who can really drive to the hoop, while 6-9 Andrew Nicholson (12.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.7 bpg) is a force inside. If 6-8 freshman Marquise Simmons or 6-9 reserve Da'Quan Cook can come close to replacing Thomas' production, the Bonnies could continue their rise up the standings. The schedule will include some challenges as SBU visits Syracuse, Mississippi State, Niagara, and Illinois State for a tournament.

St. Joseph's (last NCAA: 2008) The Hawks return to the newly-christened Hagan Arena after spending the bulk of last season at the Palestra. The problem is, two of the best recent Hawks--Ahmad Nivins and Tasheed Carr--have moved on. 6-1 senior G Darren Govens (12.5 ppg, 2.6 apg) is back to provide more scoring, while defensive stalwart Garrett Williamson, a tall 6-5 PG who averaged 6.1 points and 4.5 assists a contest, will create a lot of problems for opponents, especially if he decides to be more offensively-minded. In the frontcourt, 6-7 Idris Hilliard could have a breakout junior season after averaging more than 9 points and 5.5 boards a game as a soph. 6-8 freshman Carl Baptiste could see a lot of minutes right off the bat, as could guards Justin Crosgile and Carl Jones. The Hawks travel to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, where they'll open with Boston College before facing Purdue or South Dakota State on day 2. SJU reopens their arena with visits from Drexel and Holy Cross, and naturally has a full Big Five slate to contend with.

Massachusetts (last NCAA: 1998) Derek Kellogg's Minutemen lost three key players off a team that only managed to win 12 games, guard Chris Lowe and centers Tony Gaffney and Luke Bonner. UMass' strength will be its backcourt, led by 6-2 senior Ricky Harris (18.2 ppg) and 6-3 junior Anthony Gurley (11.2 ppg). 6-5 freshman sharpshooter Freddie Riley comes aboard to provide them with needed support. There will be a lot of new blood in the frontcourt, as 6-9 Oregon State transfer Sean Carter and 6-10 Memphis transfer Hashim Bailey will push 6-9 soph Tyrell Lynch (3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) for minutes. The Minutemen face former conference-mate Rutgers at the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, with a game against either Florida or Michigan State to follow. They'll also visit Seton Hall, Davidson, and Boston College, and host Memphis.

Rhode Island (last NCAA: 1999) One of the biggest issues confronting Jim Baron this season is finding someone who can shoot the 3 as well as his son, Jimmy. He also has to find someone to replace Kahiem Seawright, who also graduated after last season. Point guard is also an issue, as both 6-1 junior (6.1 ppg, 4 apg) and 5-9 sophomore Stevie Mejia (2.5 ppg, 2.1 apg) battled inconsistency last season. Those are big issues to resolve, and they may keep the Rams from being too competitive this year. However, some things are certain, such as the performance of 6-4 senior SG Keith Cothran (13.2 ppg) and the fact that URI has a solid frontcourt, featuring 7-0 C Will Martell (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), the athletic 6-6 F Lamonte Ulmer (7.7 ppg, 5 rpg), and 6-8 senior Delroy James (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). The Rams visit Davidson, VCU, Boston College, and Akron; host Northeastern and Providence; and face Oklahoma State at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Temple (last NCAA: 2009) Christmas has come and gone for the Owls, now Fran Dunphy has to figure out how to replace Dionte's 19.5 points a game. He also has a big hole in the middle after 7-footer Sergio Olmos' departure. Temple does have two good building blocks back--6-9 junior F LaVoy Allen (10.9 ppg, 9 rpg) and 6-4 G Ryan Brooks (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a shooter who must have ice water in his veins--and a whole bunch of guys who could be good if they get a little more time, including 6-9 junior Craig Williams (5.3 ppg, 3 rpg), 6-11 senior Micheal Eric (2.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg), and 6-4 soph Juan Fernandez, who could see some time at the point because of his passing skills and court vision. Dunphy's squad faces a typically tough schedule that includes the Big Five; a home game with Siena in the Philly Hoop Group Classic; games with St. John's and Virginia Tech in the same event; a trip to Seton Hall; and home tilts with Penn State and Kansas.

Charlotte (last NCAA: 2005) The 49ers lost two key frontcourt players, Charley Coley III and leading scorer Lamont Mack, but get 6-3 freshman guard Shamarr Bowden back from a broken kneecap. His return and the presence of solid 5-9 senior PG DaJuan Harris (9 ppg, 7.2 apg) , 6-5 senior RaShad Coleman (8 ppg), and 6-4 senior 3-point ace Ian Anderson (9.7 ppg) means the strength of Charlotte's squad shifts to the backcourt. But there's still talent upfront, as 6-10 senior Phil Jones (7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and 6-6 junior An'Juan Williams (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are capable of stepping up in Coley and Mack' absence, and 6-6 BC transfer Shamani Spears and 6-7 frosh K.J. Sherrill will provide an immediate interior boost. Bobby Lutz's team will face Elon in the NIT Season Tip-Off, with a matchup with Duke likely to follow. They'll also host Georgia Tech, and visit Louisville, Old Dominion, and Tennessee.

La Salle (last NCAA: 1992) John Giannini has a team that could make some noise after an 18-win campaign. If 6-9 F Vernon Goodridge, a solid defensive performer, wouldn't have left last in the offseason, all five senior Explorer starters from a season ago would have been back. Giannini could slide in 6-8 junior Jarrell Williams (6.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg as a part-time starter) into Goodridge's slot in the lineup. The backcourt will be led 6-5 Rodney Green (17.8 ppg, 3.4 apg), who needs to work on taking care of the ball after turning it over an average of 3.2 times per contest, and 6-6 3-point ace Ruben Guillandeaux (10.1 ppg, 3 apg). In the frontcourt, 6-6 Kimmani Barrett (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg) and 6-7 Yves Mekongo (10.4 ppg, 6 rpg) will be joined by highly-touted 6-10 center prospect Aaric Murray and 6-8 redshirt frosh Devon White. Naturally, La Salle will be tested by Big Five games, but they'll also take part in the Charleston Classic where they'll face South Carolina in their opener. They will also face two Big 12 schools in semi-away games, Kansas in Kansas City and Oklahoma State in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City.

Richmond (last NCAA: 2004) While the Spiders, who made the CBI last season, lost 6-9 Jarhon Giddings graduation, they get back junior C Dan Geriot, who missed last season with an ACL tear. Giddings averaged more than 14 points and 5.5 boards a game in 2007-08 and his return adds another dimension to Chris Mooney's Princeton offense. Add in the fact that UR already features two guards who can score from anywhere on the floor, 6-4 senior David Gonzalvez (16 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-0 junior Kevin Anderson (16.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), and another solid interior presence in 6-10 F Justin Harper (9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and it's no wonder people are expecting big things out of the Spiders this year. Richmond will play Mississippi State at the Padre Island Invitational, then either Missouri or Old Dominion. They'll face the Monarchs at home right after the Texas trip, then VCU. Richmond also travels to South Carolina, face Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic, and visit Wake Forest on New Year's Eve.

Duquesne (last NCAA: 1977) The Dukes were oh, so close last season--first falling to Temple by 6 in the A-10 final, missing out on their first NCAA trip in 32 seasons. Then, they fell to Virginia Tech in a thrilling double OT first round NIT matchup. And while leading scorer Aaron Jackson, a point guard who averaged over 19 points and nearly 6 assists a game is gone, the Dukes have their next eight top scorers back for another crack at ending the drought. 6-7 junior F Damian Saunders (13.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and 6-5 soph swingman Bill Clark (12.9 ppg, 5 rpg) will lead the way, but watch out for one of the stars of the Dukes' postseason run, 6-4 sophomore G/F Melquan Bolding (9.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg), to build on those performances. 6-1 senior Jason Duty joins Clark as a three-point threat (7.4 ppg, 41.4% from 3), while 5-11 Eric Evans (9.8 ppg, 2.2 apg) will take over for Jackson at the point. Ron Everhart also gets a ton of help on the frontline to help Saunders, as 7-0 Kentucky transfer Morakinyo Williams is now eligible and 6-8 Rodrigo Peggau returns from a knee injury. The Dukes will travel to Iowa, a team that should fancy their chances against, for a game in the CBE Classic. Unfortunately a win in Iowa City won't advance them to Kansas City, so they will play in a weak "subregional" at West Carolina instead--featuring decimated Binghamton and D2 Arkansas-Monticello. The Dukes will also look to shock Pitt in their final meeting at Mellon Arena. Trips to Old Dominion and West Virginia will also be challenging.

Xavier (last NCAA: 2009) The Musketeers have a new coach, Chris Mack, and a whole bunch of new faces. But don't expect the X-Men to fall off the face of the earth after the departure of Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond, and C.J. Anderson. Xavier's backcourt features 6-5 junior guard Dante Jackson, who averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.7 apg, but is capable of doing a lot more. So is his backcourt-mate, 6-0 soph Terrell Holloway (5.5 ppg), but he needs to really improve his 2.2/1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. But the star among the guards is sure to be Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford, a 6-4 sophomore who averaged almost 10 points and 2.3 assists per contest during his freshman season and, oh, dunked on LeBron James in a now infamous video. 6-foot guard Brad Redford should also sese time thanks to his shooting ability (5.1 ppg, but 45.1% from 3). In the frontcourt, Mack will need to get a lot out of 6-9 senior Jason Love (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and two guys who need to work on their foul shooting--6-8 Jamel McLean (4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 46.5% from the stripe) and 7-0 soph Kenny Frease (5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 48.4% FTs). The Musketeers face a typically tough schedule. They travel to Disney World for the Old Spice Classic where they open with Marquette, then face Creighton or Michigan. Xavier travels to Kansas State, Butler, and Wake Forest (for the inaugural Skip Prosser Classic), while they host Cincinnati and LSU
.

Dayton (last NCAA: 2009) Unlike their archrivals, the Flyers have virtually everyone back from their NCAA team, led by electric 6-8 junior F Chris Wright (13.6 ppg), who will challenge for national honors this season. Brian Gregory will have two guards capable of running his offense as 6-0 senior London Warren (4.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), while earning all-A10 defensive honors) is back and 6-3 senior Rob Lowery (7.5 ppg, 3.4 apg) returns from a knee injury. 6-3 senior SG Marcus Johnson (11.8 ppg) is one of the biggest offensive threats on the team, and that's good as he'll get a lot of looks with team's keying on Wright. In the frontcourt, 6-10 senior Kurt Huelsman (3.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) will man the post, but he'll get support from 6-10 junior Devin Searcy and 6-9 frosh Matt Kavanaugh. 6-6 Chris Johnson (6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6-9 soph Luke Fabrizius (4.3 ppg)--a threat both inside outside--are capable of providing support to Wright as well. The Flyers face a tough schedule, opening with Creighton at home; taking on Georgia Tech at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, visiting potential Puerto Rico opponent George Mason and New Mexico; and hosting another potential opponent in PR, Boston University, and Old Dominion.

I expect the Flyers to make it back to the Tournament this year, this time as A-10 champions. They'll appear in my final preseason bracket, which I'll release on Monday, November 9. Several Atlantic 10 teams should be at-large threats this season, so look for more than one team to appear in my projection.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-A-10 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-A-10 Team

Player of the Year: Chris Wright, 6-8 F, Jr. (Dayton)

Remainder of the Team
Kevin Anderson, 6-0 G, Jr. (Richmond)
Rodney Green, 6-5 G, Sr. (La Salle)
Ricky Harris, 6-2 G, Sr. (Massachusetts)
Andrew Nicholson, 6-9 F, So. (St. Bonaventure)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the A10 this season?

Charlotte

0 votes

Dayton

6 votes

Duquesne

0 votes

Fordham

0 votes

George Washington

1 votes

La Salle

2 votes

Massachusetts

0 votes

Rhode Island

2 votes

Richmond

1 votes

St. Bonaventure

0 votes

St. Joseph's

0 votes

Saint Louis

0 votes

Temple

3 votes

Xavier

1 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

The Ultimate Rankings Countdown: 298-284

aGent37 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:00:13 -0000

298. Maine: The Black Bears look incredibly promising coming into the 2009-10 season. They return their top two scorers, Mark Socoby and Gerald McLemore who averaged 12.3 and 12.1 points respectively. Head coach Ted Woodward will have to deal with the frustrations involved with coaching a young team however, he will also be able to reap the benefits. If he can mold his 8 underclassmen to fit the rest of the team then this could be an incredibly dangerous team and make a serious run in the America East Conference.

297. Western Michigan: David Kool had a fantastic junior year finishing with a team high of 17.9 points per game. This might raise the hopes of Broncos fans for the 2009-10 season however people seem to be overlooking the loss of the teams other two top scorers Shawntes Gary and Derek Drews. The duo averaged a combined 18.2 points per game and contributed in creating open looks for Kool. Head coach Steve Hawkins will have to rely on the big man, Donald Lawson to replace these two and assist Kool.

296. New Orleans: Head coach Joe Pasternack will have to rebuild his team during the 2009-10 season. The Privateers finished with an 11-19 record just a season ago but that was mainly due to the performances from All-Sun-Belt team recipients, Kyndall Dykes and T.J. Worley. The duo accounted for 33.3 points per game, which was a large chunk of the offensive production. Pasternack is left with a very talented team however they lack the experience needed to be successful in the NCAA.

295. South Carolina Upstate: It is always devastating when a team loses their top-performer and this is exactly what the Spartan fans are going to realize in the 2009-10 season without the sensational play of Bobby Davis. The forward averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during his senior year. Head coach Eddie Payne will turn to the big 7’ 3" center Nick Schneiders to try and increase his production and dominate and undersized conference. The biggest fault of Schneiders is his lack of endurance in which he will need to improve upon in order to become an impact player.

294. Centenary: The Centenary Gentlemen really struggled down the home stretch of the 2008-09 season winning only 1 of their last 10 games. Greg Gary is set to lose top-scorer Nick Stallings who averaged 15.3 points a game. The upside for Gary is that he has a very promising guard in Chase Adams that is capable of immediately taking over Stallings role. Adams has proven that he can be a threat on offense by averaging 14.6 points per game during the 2008-09 season. It is just unclear if Adams has the aggressiveness that is necessary to be feared on the defensive end.

293. Georgia Southern: The Eagles return to the 2009-10 season with virtually the same team that they had last year. Their only departure was Julian Allen who although no superstar contributed a steady 11.9 points per game along with 6.7 rebounds. The Eagles expect a big year from Ben Dayton III who enters his sophomore year. Head coach Jeff Price expects Dayton III to play a major role in the Eagles offense this upcoming season.

292. Cal State Bakersfield: Head coach Keith Brown is flying high as he has his top two scorers coming back for the 2009-10 season. Trent Blakley who averaged 13.4 points per game and Santwon Latunde who averaged 11 points per game will return for their senior year. The veteran duo will be lethal on each end of the court and should help the Roadrunners improve their 8-21 record from a year ago. Brown’s team struggled last season with taking advantage of scoring opportunities however they have matured greatly from last year, meaning we should expect to see a drastic improvement.

291. Columbia: The loss of Jason Miller is going to be difficult to overcome. Miller was a talented inside-man that pulled in 6.6 rebounds to go along with 9.8 points per game. The sophmore guard Noruwa Agho should do a sufficient job making up for Miller on offense but Agho is more of a perimeter player so the post play will still be down. The only solution to the post game is if head coach Joe Jones can get Asenso Ampim to perform well on a consistent basis. Ampim has the size and strength to be an inside presence however he seems to lack the aggressiveness.

290. Fordham: Last years freshman sensation Jio Fontan returns for his sophomore year. The Atlantic-10 All Rookie averaged a team high of 15.3 points along with 4.7 assists per game during the 2008-09 season. Fontan’s presence should assure the Rams a high-octane offense, however it is the defensive side that head coach Dereck Whittenburg has to be worried about. The team will lose last years defensive threat; Chris Bethel who averaged a team high of 6.5 rebounds along with 1.3 steals per game. With out Bethel the Rams are going to need another person to step up and act as the bolt that holds the defense together.

289. Louisiana-Monroe: Head coach Orlando Early comes into the 2009-10 season with a chip on his shoulder from the disappointing 10-20 record last season. The Warhawks seemed to struggle immensely in conference play as they wrapped the season up with a 6-12 record in the Sun Belt. However this is a new year and Early’s young team has had plenty of time to mature in the offseason. One of the biggest tools they have is Rudy Turner who averaged 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in just 24.1 minutes per game in 2008-09. If he can perfect his midrange game as well as become a bit more aggressive under the glass, I firmly believe that we will see big improvement from the Warhawks.

288. Central Michigan: The Chippewas are set to lose seniors Marcus Van and Chris Kellermann. Van played an essential role for the Chippewas last year as their leading scorer and team leader. There is a lot of hope for the team as they return for the 2009-10 season with a very experienced team. If coach Ernie Zeigler can find a replacement for the two seniors then the Chippewas will be in excellent shape to improve upon their 12-19 record from the 2008-09 season.

287. Elon: The Phoenix will have virtually entirely different team than that of the 2008-09 season. Not only do they lose their three top players in Monty Sanders, Ola Atoyebi and Brett James but also their coach of six years Ernie Nestor. Nestor had a 77-117 record and only one winning season during his tenure. The Phoenix hired Matt Matheny to take control of the young team led by junior Chris Long. The 6-2 guard is a great all around player but is not really the go-to players that all successful teams have. Although this year looks to be a rebuilding season I believe the Phoenix will show a great deal of improvement.

286. UNC-Greensboro: The Spartans are one of the few teams in the NCAA that have their entire roster from the 2008-09 season returning for the upcoming 2009-10 season. This could really work out to their advantage for the obvious reasons however, the team was in a similar position going into the 2008-09 season after losing only one senior and they ended up struggling, finishing with a 4-25 record.

285. Eastern Illinois: The once young and sporadic Panthers come into the 2009-10 season as a well-developed team. Mike Miller is in a great position as he only lost one player from last season’s roster. The team will boast 6 seniors including last years leading scorer Romain Martin who finished 8^th in the Ohio Valley Conference averaging 15.4 points per game. Another senior that will make a major impact is the 6’ 8" center Ousmane Cisse who is a threat not only under the boards where he averages 7.5 rebounds but also in the paint where he scored 8 points per game just a season ago.

284. Norfolk State: The red-hot Spartans closed out the 2008-09 season winning 5 of their last six games to turnaround their disappointing first half of the season and finish with a 14-18 record. The main spark of this run was guard Michael Deloach who averaged 21.5 points per game which was not only good enough to lead the team but the MEAC as well. The downside is that Deloach and the Spartans 2^nd leading scorer Corey Lyons both graduated. Head coach Anthony Evans needs young guns such as Aleek Pauline to step up to keep the scorching Spartan offense rolling into the 2009-10 season.

Kyle Gets Contrary: Congress, the B.C.S., and the Virtue of Being Elitist

T Kyle King — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:00:18 -0000

It is no secret to anyone that I am staunch in my opposition to a Division I-A college football playoff in any form whatsoever. It is, I hope, also no secret to anyone that I give mid-majors their due when casting my BlogPoll ballot and when welcoming our new Boise State blogger to SB Nation.

In spite of the latter reality, however, my fealty to the former fact has caused me to get contrary once more in response to a recent, and cogent, posting by Year2 at Team Speed Kills.

Year2, one of the growing number of Florida fans who frequently leave insightful comments here at Dawg Sports, regularly engages the weighty issues affecting college football with nuanced analysis and his observations concerning the Bowl Championship Series are no exception.

Year2 poses a simple question with a forthright answer requiring a complex explanation. He asks, "How exclusionary is the B.C.S.?" The short version of his response is, "Very." Part (but only part; I recommend reading the whole thing) of his detailed explanation is as follows:

The NFL is built with parity in mind of course, so it's not surprising to see it have the highest percentage of unique teams (22 of a possible 34). It's somewhat a surprise to see college basketball on the relatively low side, given that the tournament has a reputation for being a random crapshoot. As it turns out, there's a relatively familiar feel at the end.

College football though isn't just last, it's dead last. The dynastic NBA, which has had just eight (!) unique championship teams since 1980, managed to get three more unique teams in the finals than Div. I-A football has. . . .

College football doesn't even average a single unique team a year in the BCS era. If it feels like the same old teams playing for it all every season, it's because they basically are.

Even just a simple seeded plus one would have allowed two additional SEC schools - Georgia (in '02 and '07) and Auburn (in '04) - a chance to take home some hardware. Going back to '92, it would have allowed some of the historical have-nots (Northwestern in '95, Kansas State in '98, Oregon in '01) a chance to get a ring. Not that anyone was beating '95 Nebraska or anything.

The point is, everyone who says the BCS is exclusionary is right. It's not just the BCS though, since it goes back ever farther. Over at least the past 17 years, no other major sport has been as exclusionary as college football and it's not that close.

Leaving aside my uncertainty over the significance of the statement that college football is "dead last" (as opposed to what? just last? living last?), I have two basic responses to Year2’s inescapably correct conclusion. These are they:

1. Which excluded teams would you include and which included teams would you leave out to make room for them? In 1997, the interminably long and soporifically dull "Titanic" was nominated for every Academy Award under the sun, except one. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth occurred among those who care about such things over the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was denied an Oscar nod for best actor.

However, there can be only five nominees per category, so putting DiCaprio in necessarily meant omitting one of the others. The actual best actor nominees that year were Matt Damon for "Good Will Hunting," Robert Duvall for "The Apostle," Peter Fonda for "Ulee’s Gold," Dustin Hoffman for "Wag the Dog," and Jack Nicholson for "As Good as it Gets." It’s not enough merely to say DiCaprio deserved it; you have to say DiCaprio deserved it and Damon, Duvall, Fonda, Hoffman, and/or Nicholson didn’t. To all the Leophiles out there, I said then, and say now, good luck convincing me of Robert Duvall’s, Dustin Hoffman’s, and Jack Nicholson’s deficiencies as actors.

There are plenty of good arguments for the proposition that the B.C.S. got the national championship game pairing wrong in a given year (although there are few compelling arguments for the proposition that the ultimate recipient of the No. 1 ranking was unworthy). What would-be B.C.S. bowl contenders undeservedly were left out of the mix, though? Utah in 2004 and 2008, Boise State in 2006, and Hawaii in 2007 all made the grade, but experience has shown that this list of B.C.S.-bound squads from leagues not receiving automatic bids contains one team too many, not one team too few. Other claimed contenders from major conferences played their way out of any argument on their behalf.

If, as very well might be the case, your argument is that you would exclude the champions of the A.C.C. or the Big East from an automatic seat at the table, be careful before you wish for a playoff to replace the B.C.S., because a playoff, if it comes, will come only with the consent of the major conferences, none of which would agree to change the existing system without a guaranteed bid being reserved for its league champion.

That means your 2008 eight-team playoff field would have had seats reserved in advance for A.C.C. champion Virginia Tech, Big East champion Cincinnati, Big Ten champion Penn State, Big 12 champion Oklahoma, Pac-10 champion Southern California, and S.E.C. champion Florida, while Boise State and Utah would have been fighting for one of the two at-large berths along with Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, and Texas Tech. Anyone who thinks mid-majors would fare better under that system than they do under the current one needs to do the math.

2. Why is it deemed undesirable for a system designed to identify the best teams in college football to be exclusionary? For reasons passing my understanding, we as a society tend to throw around the word "elitist" as though it were a pejorative term, but the alternative to being an elitist is to have no standards of excellence. We may quarrel over what criteria ought to be used in determining the elites, but that is not the same thing as doubting that elites do, or ought to, exist.

If the goal is to put an end to elitism, then postseason bids ought to be handed out by putting the names of all the bowl games in one hat, putting the names of all the Division I-A college football teams in another hat, and pulling one name from the first hat and two from the second hat until all the contests have been paired randomly. If that is to be the new model, those who equate the B.C.S. with communism need to concede that their proposed alternative is socialism . . . and those who disparage elitism from elected positions in the national legislature should hope their constituents do not notice their hypocrisy in the process.

At its best (and I seldom see this point made even appreciably well, particularly not by the politicians who have chosen to make this issue a centerpiece of their purported efforts on behalf of the commonweal), the argument for the Utahs and Boise States of the world essentially is the same argument Thomas Jefferson made on behalf of a natural aristocracy based on virtue and talents rather than an artificial aristocracy based on wealth and birth.

The problem with such a claim on behalf of the virtuous Broncos or the talented Utes against the wealthy Demon Deacons or the high-born Bearcats is that there is no historical evidence to support the notion that college football’s is a fixed aristocracy. Year2’s exegesis goes back to 1992, but look what has happened in the interim:

College football affiliations are far from stagnant. Just in the last decade and a half, we have seen Arkansas and South Carolina added to the Southeastern Conference, Florida State added to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Penn State added to the Big Ten, the Southwest Conference disbanded, four Lone Star State teams added to the former Big Eight, three former Big East teams added to the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the composition of the Big East, the Mountain West, the Western Athletic Conference, and Conference USA reshuffled multiple times.

The club is insular because the dues are high, but the doors are far from closed. In the last three decades, we have witnessed the addition of W.A.C. members Arizona and Arizona State to the Pac-10, the rise in the reputations of Florida State and Miami (Florida) from unimportant independent backwaters in the 1970s to major national powers in the 1980s to B.C.S. conference teams in the 1990s, the 1984 national championship being awarded to B.Y.U., the promotion of such programs as Louisville and South Florida to B.C.S. conference membership, and the invitation of Boise State, Hawaii, and Utah to major bowl games. (Bear in mind that, as recently as 2004, an undefeated conference champion B.S.U. squad was squaring off with a once-beaten conference champion Louisville unit in the Liberty Bowl. Times have changed and they have done so in a hurry.)

We’ve all been there. Alabama is one of the marquee programs in the history of the sport, but the Eastern news media did not give the Crimson Tide their due until the Red Elephants beat mighty Washington in the 1926 Rose Bowl. Georgia acquired national notoriety by going undefeated in 1920 and narrowly missing an unblemished record in 1927, playing the likes of Yale and N.Y.U. on the road throughout the ‘20s and ‘30s, and tying third-ranked Fordham in New York City in 1936, yet still it took the Bulldogs until 1941 to receive their first major bowl bid. You’ll have to pardon me if I somehow manage to remain dry-eyed at the plight of the mid-major. Nine decades ago, my team was a mid-major. We managed to overcome that stigma without getting Congress or the courts involved.

In the meantime, I consider exclusiveness a virtue. The Bowl Championship Series is designed to showcase the country’s top teams, and it is 25 per cent more open than it was just five years ago. College football is more exclusionary than other sports? Good for college football. The fact that other sports are willing to stand there with straight faces while handing out championship trophies to the likes of N.C. State in college basketball, the New York Giants in professional football, and the Florida Marlins in major league baseball while Division I-A college football is not highlights a problem not with college football, but with every other sport.

Maybe Congress should hold hearings on that.

Go ‘Dawgs!