SB Nation - Hawaii Warriors

In a Perfect World (Conference Realignment)

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Could a University of Houston QB be soon hoisting the Big 12 Championship trophy? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Today the Big Ten conference issued a statement that they are exploring the possibility of expanding.

Every few years we hear the same rumblings and every few years there are articles published about what realignment would look like. But not since Penn State was admitted into the Big Ten has anything official been released. With that, below is the definitive article on the topic.

And even though this is a basketball blog, I will focus on the BCS aspect of realignment to argue my points. I will discuss basketball, though, and all points held for football can loosely translate over to hoops as well.

Currently there are six BCS conferences and those 6 all get automatic BCS-bowl bids. Those conferences are Big East, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC. Of those six, three of the conferences have enough football teams to have a conference championship game (the Big East would have enough if more of their charter schools had D1 football programs).

Part of the BCS issue is that you have some conferences without 12 schools, who don't currently have conference championship games. Adding conference championship games will ultimately help the BCS by crowing, on a field, a true conference champ. This will help with BCS bowl bids, and especially the BCS championship game. (Think of a rule where you have to at least win your division to get a BCS bid.

The other BCS issue is of the non-BCS schools and where they should lie. My realignment program take that into account.

Without further ado, after The Jump is the Big12Hoops.com Realignment plan.

MIZZOU MOVES TO THE BIG 10.

Why is this good for the Big 10? By admitting Mizzou into the Big 10, the Big 10 would secure a coveted TV market, namely St Louis. They would also get a share of the Kansas City TV market. By expanding westward, revenues from the Big 10 Network and apparel sales would grow. The Big 10 would also secure a 12^th team and legitimize a conference championship game. The divisions would be as follow:

Big 10 East: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State

Big 10 West: Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa

Under this scenario all regional rivalries remain in tact

Why is this good for Mizzou? The Big 12 seems to forget about schools not named Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas (basketball). There is no television network, so Mizzou's games are generally only regionally shown. There is Big Monday for basketball, but that is mainly reserved for Texas and KU. Under this, Mizzou's football games could be carried on the Big 10 Network and basketball games will be tied into the Big 10 ESPN deal. All this leads to a major recruiting advantage in both revenue generating sports.

Mizzou also has a rival in Illinois that would heat up instantly and the heated rivalry with Kansas will replace the Illinois basketball and football games on the schedules. Instead of St Louis, though, the KU games will be played at the Sprint Center and Arrowhead in KC.

But what about... Iowa State? The Cyclones seem to also be a natural fit and could easily add fuel to the rivalry with in-state foe Iowa Hawkeyes. The problem is that the Big 10 gains little from that arrangement. They are already pretty entrenched in the Hawkeye State and the addition of ISU wouldn't help their regional or national reputation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE BIG XII

Why is this good for the Big 12? The University of Houston is a large campus, in a region of Texas that is currently underdeveloped with college sports. Houston is the 4^th largest city in the country, and by planting a team there, the Big 12 will get even more Texas viewership.

The big question would be on alignment, since there will now be 5 Texas schools. My proposal is for

Big 12 "North": Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Big 12 "South": Texas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Colorado

The division names will have to be rebranded, but adding Colorado to the South is acceptable because Coloradoans joke that there are more Texans in the state than natives.

Why is this good for Houston? Historically, the Cougars have had a good football team, and have won a basketball national championship. Having a Big XII logo on their court will increase their recruiting presence in the city and state and potentially turn them into powerhouse.

But what about... TCU? TCU would be a good choice, if they were bigger. Their 8000 student just wouldn't cut it if the conference wishes to remain the BIG 12. Houston's enrollment is approximately 30,000 students. Commuter school or not, Houston would help retain the "Big" in Big 12.

BYU AND UTAH GO TO THE PAC-10

Why is this good for the Pac-10? By including Utah and BYU into the Pac-10, the conference will have the 12 schools needed for an automatic conference championship games. Both programs have historically legitimate football and basketball programs, and they will bring their rivalry with them. Geographically, they are far enough West to warrant admission into the conference.

The division would be as follows

Pac-10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, BYU, Utah

Pac-10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

Why is this good for BYU and Utah? Both recruit well from the West, and inclusion into the conference will aid that. And by coming over as a pair (and as rivals) they bring legitimacy to the expansion eastward.

But what about... geography? The state of Utah doesn't border any states of current Pac-10 members, and that may cause some issues, but distance isn't really something the conference has ever regarded. Consider that Tucson, AZ to Seattle, WA is 1100 miles, or 400 miles farther than Tucson to Provo, UT.

ADD MORE TEAMS TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST

Why is this good for the Mountain West? As it stands under this scenario, the Mountain West is down to 7 members (the current 9, minus BYU and Utah). To get up with the big boys, the MWC needs to add 5 schools. The 5 that should move to the MWC should be: Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Rice, SMU.

There is already talk of Boise coming over to the MWC, so that is a no brainer. The others are coming over as "rivals" to existing MWC schools. Nevada will face UNLV, New Mexico State will pair with New Mexico, Rice and SMU will pit against TCU is a three-way battle for Texas.

Having 12 schools will allow the conference to host a championship game, matching the winners of each division, which would be as follows:

MWC North: UNLV, Nevada, Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, Boise State

MWC South: San Diego State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU, Rice, SMU

Why is this good for the 5 programs? The shift from either the C-USA or WAC will legitimize the programs (see the next point). All will also enter the new MWC with a foe. Everyone wins.

But what about... the MWC still remaining relatively minute as compared to their BCS brethren? Why would these schools shift from one conference to another, just for shits and giggles? See next point.

ADMIT THE MOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE BCS

Why is this good for the BCS? Controversy will mainly be avoided. By admitting the redesigned MWC into the BCS you are accepting the current BCS gate crashers. You are bringing in the current at-large schools causing heartache and giving yourself another conference champion that the country can latch onto.

Why is this good for the MWC? Why isn't it good for the MWC?

But what about... the C-USA and WAC? These two conferences are now in shambles. What to do? See next item.

MERGE THE C-USA AND WAC

Why is this good for the two conferences? Because of the success of some of their schools, and regional ability to move, the Conference USA and WAC are currently left in shambles (under this proposal). Essentially afterthoughts as they are, now they are left with 15 schools between them. They could either split them up 8 and 7 or combine forces and form a 15 league mega conference. In terms of basketball, as we have seen with the Big East, and their 16 school hoops conference, too many schools doesn't water down the pool.

But what about... regionality? The C-USA is currently a conglomerate of throw-ins from around the country. Under this plan, that would just increase to a truly national conference. The members of it would be: Fresno St, Hawaii, Idaho, La Tech, San Jose St, Utah St, UTEP, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, Cent Florida, ECU, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss

Using the scenario outlined above, 18 schools will change conferences. This sounds like a lot, but as you can see many will be moving as groups and either with or to a rival.

But what about the Big East? Well, the Big East is the one conference I am leaving alone. In their football world, they are lacking the 12 members to create a championship game. But when you include their basketball members, they are a 16-team powerhouse.

One final thought. I reserve the right to claim this entire scenario null and void if Notre Dame ever decides to join the Big 10. If that were to happen, I would still endorse some shifting, but nothing to the extent of this proposal. More on that if a Notre Dame to the Big 10 rumor starts getting some legitimate traction.

Butler: Positives/Negatives

Sam @ WWAHT — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:34 -0000

by Michael Conroy - AP

5 days ago: Ohio State's David Lighty, left, shoots under pressure from Butler's Gordon Hayward duringin the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. Butler defeated Ohio State 74-66. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

View full size photo »

Well, I guess the best news is that it never became the blowout it looked like it might be.

Well, there is other good news, I suppose, along with some bad:

William Buford finally decided to show up for a game, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven boards. He won't be to this team what Evan Turner was, but if Ohio State can get similar effort through this stretch without him, a better-than-.500 record until Turner returns is certainly attainable. He needs to tamp down on those turnovers, though.
Diebler will never diversify his game, but he needs to. When the threes aren't falling, he adds nothing to the offense. What I feared would happen basically did: with no Turner to worry about, teams honed in on forcing Diebler to take contested shots, and when a Diebler three gets contested, you know it's not going to fall.
David Lighty did quite a bit of work offensively, but that came with a few defensive lapses; lapses we can't afford on an already iffy perimeter defense team. He's our best defensive player who actually has an offensive, so I'm not advocating for him to sit or anything.
Take away the fouls, and Dallas Lauderdale was alright. I also think a few of the calls on him were questionable, but we'll get to that in a minute. If you have high expectations for DL, well, first: why? and second: lower them. Doing so will make games like yesterday a lot more easy to digest. He'll be serviceable against teams with no-talent big men and turrible [/Barkley] against teams with athletic ones. The scary thing about yesterday is that Butler is not particularly big (Gordon Hayward is just 6'8") and still did what it wanted around the basket.
Everyone's making a big deal about Butler's 19-2 run, and understandably so, because at one point Ohio State didn't score a field goal for ~~five~~ eleventy billion game minutes. While that was agonizing, I was encouraged by the ensuing 16-2 run that made it 69-66 with under a minute remaining. This run was precipitated by a switch to 1-2-2 full court press, which clearly flustered and frustrated the Butler offense. Why this defense wasn't used earlier is something I'm probably not qualified to answer, but it is frustrating to see something finally work only to have it come way too late.
It is a principle of mine to never, ever, ever blame a game on referees in either football or basketball. For all the blown and missed calls that genuinely determine the outcome of a game, there are a hundred innocuous fouls that are easily made up by baskets that should have been made, first downs that should have been earned, and touchdowns that could have easily been scored. Complaining about the refs is like complaining about the whether; sometimes they/it suck(s), but there isn't shit you can do about it so bitching is pointless. Anyway, all that being said, the refs blew some easy ones yesterday; and while they didn't directly influence the outcome of the game, it was enough to make the game twice as frustrating. They missed a carrying call late in the game and then followed it up by blowing a charging call. ElevenWarriors (I always resist the urge to type ElvenWarriors; I hope I'm not the only one) explains:

Unfortunately, the refs would then deal OSU a major blow on the ensuing possession by missing what looked like a carrying violation then blowing a more obvious charging call on Willie Veasley. Instead, Simmons was whistled for a blocking foul, Veasley promptly buried both free throws and a missed three by Simmons on OSU’s next trip down sealed the deal.

and then follows it up with my thoughts exactly:

I should be clear that I’m not crying too much sour grapes on the missed calls as this game was clearly lost via the two points in nine minutes combined with Matta probably being a little tardy on installing a press....

So pinning this loss on the refs is boneheaded, but you can't fault me for screaming at my TV yesterday.

All in all, minus that 19-2 run, the Buckeyes looked far better on Saturday than I expected them to, especially in their first game without ET. It's clear that they miss him, but that's to be expected; we need other scorers to step up, and Buford (20 pts) and Lighty (16 pts) sorta did. Diebler did not, and that's worrisome. Fortunately, we have three cupcakes coming up that will hopefully allow the team to jell in advance of the Rose Bowl Eve game at Wisconsin, which will be a lot more revealing about where this team stands tourney-wise than this game.

No Ohio State, You Don't Get To Take Credit For This

Kevin HD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:30:13 -0000

Ohio State had the last game on the last day of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge last night. And when they won their favorable matchup, predictability ensued:

Threebler Leads OSU, Big Ten to Challege Victory

After 10 years of heartburn, the Big Ten finally broke through in the ACC/BigTen Challenge thanks largely to Jon Diebler's sniper skills as the Buckeyes defeated Florida State 77-64 tonight in the Schott giving the conference a 6-5 series win.

I understand that, yes, the Buckeyes win meant the Big Ten won the fake challenge. But winning a game at home in which you were seven-point favorites does not make you the hero, even if you are Ohio State.

The credit here goes to Wisconsin. Unranked but at home, they jumped to an energetic early lead on #5 Duke and never looked back.

The Big Ten-ACC thing has always been difficult because Duke and North Carolina are usually major trump cards for the other side. Add in up-and-down schools like Maryland and Clemson, and it's hard to win the majority of the games starting in what is effectively an 0-4 hole. Wisconsin helped change that and it seems to have made the difference.

So we can all move on now, with the losing streak over, in a challenge that draws ratings but I don't agree really matters:

This is not some company shill. Sure, ESPN's family of networks has been a major player in the event over the past 10 years, helping coordinate matchups with the respective conferences.

But the concept dominates the sport early this week because it creates interest at every school in two high-profile conferences.

So yes, it was watched, but does that mean it matters? When Notre Dame and Michigan faced off in last year's LOL Bowl, everyone watched. But you'd be hard pressed to argue it mattered.

In fact, historically the Challenge might have been doing way more harm than good.

"So I think too much emphasis is placed on who wins the Challenge," Carmody said. "But I think it's a great opportunity to show off the strength of our leagues. It's a great barometer for your team, but at the same time it's only as significant as us beating Iowa State or Notre Dame."

So if anything, at least this thing allows us to make more backhanded comments at Notre Dame.

Update: And Rambler has your game-by-game review, complete with [redacted] photoshops and this map:

Monday Merges Into Tuesday, Thanks To A Marathon

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:14 -0000

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Drew Gordon and UCLA start the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon at midnight Eastern Tuesday..(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

View full size photo »

Starting at midnight Eastern with Cal State Fullerton at UCLA, ESPN will run more than 24 straight hours of college hoops. Since I'm nuts for this stuff, I'm going to try to follow the bulk of the marathon over at SBNation.com. However, since I'll be sleeping from the time I get home from work until some point in the Titans-Bruins tilt, I won't be able to catch any of Monday's action. Expect to see a Monday night recap at some point on Tuesday morning.

After the jump, I'll provide a comprehensive look at the marathon, culled from my earlier piece about it (with some updated information). I'll also have a brief rundown of the other games on the Tuesday slate.

ESPN has the bulk of the action overnight and during the day. Right after the clock strikes midnight on the East Coast (a perfectly reasonable 9 p.m. Pacific time tip), UCLA hosts Cal-State Fullerton. It will be the first chance for most of America to see how the Bruins cope after losing Jrue Holiday, Alfred Aboya, Darren Collison, and Josh Shipp. The Titans meanwhile lost Big West POY Josh Akognon and his 24 points per game and have six new faces (including 3 D1 transfers) on the roster.

In the 2 a.m. Eastern slot, St. Mary's, without Paddy Mills but with fellow Aussie Andrew Dellavedova attempting to fill the void, faces San Diego State, a team that will again challenge in the Mountain West, even though they only return one starter, F Billy White. The Aztecs knocked the Gaels out of the NIT at the end of last year.

Hawai'i again gets a 4 a.m. Eastern game. Last year, the Warriors defeated Idaho State in a game that was in overtime when I woke up at 6 Eastern. This year, it's another Big Sky opponent for UH, Northern Colorado.

According to Andy Katz's Daily Word, this will be the first time ESPN has ever carried games at 6 and 8 a.m. Eastern. The 6 a.m. offering, features a rising St. Peter's squad hosting a Monmouth side that's been down of late. My quibble with this matchup is the location, as the Hawks are opening up a new arena this year, yet they're on the road for this one. Go figure.

The 8 a.m. game could be a real donnybrook, however, and it takes place just a couple of miles from where I spent my first few years. Niagara, who finished behind Siena in the MAAC last year and is ready to challenge them again hosts Drexel, the team I foolishly picked to take the CAA's auto bid late last year. The Dragons problem then was scoring (61.7 ppg), an issue that won't get better as they lost their only double-digit scorer, Scott Rodgers, to graduation.

At 10, Clemson visits Liberty, a game that would've been more attractive had Seth Curry not transferred to Duke. The Tigers lost Terrence Oglesby to Europe, but gained Trevor Booker's younger brother Devin. He and 6-9 frosh Milton Jennings (a McDonald's All-American) give Clemson a significant post presence.

There is a nice little matchup in the East Coast lunch hour, as CAA contender Northeastern visits MAAC power Siena. Even though the Saints lost Kenny Hasbrouck to graduation, they return their other four starters (watch Edwin Ubiles closely). Bill Coen's Huskies also return four starters, including G/F Matt Janning.

At 2 p.m., Arkansas-Little Rock visits Tulsa, the team many think will usurp Memphis as the standard bearer for Conference USA.

Temple-Georgetown game, follows at 4 p.m. The Owls will be challenged this season without Deonte Christmas, while the Hoyas look to improve on last season's disappointment.

ESPN2 gives viewers a second option at 5:30 Eastern. Pitt hosts Binghamton in a preliminary game in the CBE Classic, where the Panthers are already guaranteed a trip to the finals in Kansas City. This game won't be quite as competitive as originally thought, thanks to the scandal that decimated the Bearcats' roster.

The 6 p.m. offering is the East regional final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Barring a huge upset, Duke will take on Charlotte or Elon.

At 7:30 on ESPN2, it will be the first of two from the Hall of Fame Classic in St. Louis. (Save yourself $200 and watch this doubleheader at home.) Arkansas, a program that's been in a bit of turmoil during the offseason, takes on Louisville, another team that's been the focus of a lot of offseason news.

At 8 on ESPN, Gonzaga visits Michigan State. The Spartans are among the favorites to make it to Indy, while the Bulldogs will be good, even with the loss of four starters and a boatload of new recruits. This may not be the time to watch them, however.

If the TV action isn't enough, you can also see Northern Illinois-Illinois online at 8.

ESPNU picks up another CBE Classic preliminary that's not really a preliminary at 9. Duquesne, who--don't laugh--will build on last year and be a serious challenger in the A-10 this year--even without the services of leading scorer (and only loss) Aaron Jackson, visits Iowa. The Hawkeyes, just like they every year under Todd Lickliter, have personnel issues. Leading scorer Jake Kelly transferred to Indiana State and PG Jeff Peterson, the no. 3 scorer on the roster, transferred to Arkansas.

ESPN has the second Hall of Fame Showcase game at 10 p.m. It's a rematch of that 2008 National Championship game that the NCAA wants to wipe from our collective memories. Preseason No. 1 Kansas takes on Memphis in one we can only hope is as memorable as the game that didn't happen (but really did).

If you're still conscious at 11:30 Eastern, you can watch the final of the West regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Arizona State--presuming they knock off Texas State--will take on Cal State-Northridge or TCU in the final game of the day.

Here's a quick look at the non-marathon games slated for TV.

UConn should feature in the NIT North Region final which will air at 7 on the Big East Network and Full Court.
UNC Asheville at Tennessee (select FSN outlets/Full Court, 7)
Bowling Green at Xavier (FS Ohio [outside of Cavaliers' territory, 7:30)
Fairfield at Maryland (CSN Washington, 8)
UT-Martin at Missouri (FS Midwest/Full Court, 8)
Louisiana-Monroe at Oklahoma (Full Court, 8)
Fresno State at Northern Arizona in the West Coast Classic (UniversityHouse/FS Arizona/FCS Pacific, 8:30)
Columbia at DePaul (Lakeshore/SNY/Full Court, 9)
New Mexico at New Mexico State (Full Court, 9)

Visit Matt Sarz's College Sports on TV site for games telecast only locally or online.

BtB 2009-10 Western Athletic Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:18:43 -0000

The membership of the Western Athletic Conference has to hope that the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century resembles the beginning of the first decade, and not its end. You see, the WAC skidded at the end of the "aughts," only qualifying the league champion to the 2008 and 2009 tournaments, with both teams falling at the first hurdle. (Though Utah State, conveniently placed in a Boise pod, gave Marquette a battle last season, falling by one.)

Really, the last four years of the decade saw the WAC on a bit of a downswing. Between 2006 and 2009, the conference only won one tournament game, Nevada's win over Creighton in a 7/10 matchup in 2007. Compare that to the first six years of the decade, when a league member won at least one tournament game each tournament. And in that 2000-2005 span, the only year the WAC received a single bid was 2003, when now former member Tulsa won their first round game..as a 13 seed!

The conference's two main standard bearers in the early part of this century, Utah State and Nevada, are poised to bring the WAC back to prominence this time around, but they'll be challenged by the other seven schools, particularly New Mexico State and an Idaho team that made big strides last year. More on all nine teams after the jump.

Let's start with a look at the final WAC standings for 2008-09.

Western Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.24.2009 at 12:09 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Utah State Aggies	14	2	30	5
Nevada Wolf Pack	11	5	21	13
Boise St. Broncos	9	7	19	13
New Mexico St. Aggies	9	7	17	15
Idaho Vandals	9	7	17	16
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	6	10	15	18
San Jose St. Spartans	6	10	13	17
Hawaii Warriors	5	11	13	17
Fresno St. Bulldogs	3	13	13	21

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

Fresno State (last NCAA: 2001) Steve Cleveland continues to rebuild the Fresno State program, and this team should improve on the three conference wins they earned last season, even if their place in the standings doesn't change. The overall talent, led by swingman Paul George (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 44.7% 3-pointers) and the team's only senior, forward Sylvester Seay (15.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), is good, but Cleveland needs a new point guard to replace Dwight O'Neil. JC transfer Steven Shepp, a 6-2 junior from Virginia, could be the answer. There is a lot of excitement in Fresno about 6-9 freshman Greg Smith, who will join Seay and 6-8 Nedeljko Golubovic (7.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) in the frontcourt. The Bulldogs will participate in the West Coast Classic, a unique round-robin event in which they'll host Pacific and San Diego State and visit Northern Arizona and Santa Clara.

Hawai'i (last NCAA: 2002) The Warriors return just about everyone from last year's 8th place team, including 6-7 F Roderick Flemings (16.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), who will be a serious contender for WAC Player of the Year. The only significant loss is that of G Kareem Nitoto, one of coach Bob Nash's primary stoppers, who transferred to UC Riverside. His departure could hurt the conference's third-ranked defense. Flemings will get some help on the offensive end, as JC transfer Jeremy Lay arrives to help carry the load at point guard, as returning starter Hiram Thompson battled injuries in '08-09. Providence transfer Dwain Williams will also be eligible. He averaged 11 points and 2 assists a game as a Friar and was the team's best foul and three-point shooter. 7-0 Brazilian JC transfer Douglas Kurtz woll help bolster a frontline that returns 6-9 senior Bill Amis, who averaged nearly 11 points and 7 boards a game last year, and 6-8 Lithuanian senior Petras Balocka (8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg). The Warriors will anchor the Christmastime Diamond Head Classic, where they will face Southern Conference favorite College of Charleston before facing either SMU or UNLV, both former conference-mates in their second game. The Rainbow Classic has been converted to a four-team round-robin. UH will face McNeese State, Northern Colorado, and Southern Utah in that event.

Louisiana Tech (last NCAA: 1991) Kerry Rupp's team actually finished the year ranked only behind Utah State in the WAC's total defense table, giving up abour 63 points a game. Unfortunately, they only managed to score about 63 points per game, despite featuring three players who averaged in double-figures. That meant the Bulldogs finished rock bottom in the league in scoring and with a 6-10 league mark. As all three of their leading scorers--senior sharpshooter Kyle Gibson (16.1 ppg), 603 senior Jamel Guyton (11.8 ppg), and former LSU standout Magnum Rolle (12.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg) are all back, Tech has an excellent shot at improving their scoring totals. Rupp just needs some of his other players, such as sophomore guard Olu Ashaolu (5.3 ppg) and senior forward David Jackson (5 ppg, 3.5 rpg), to step up their production. 5-11 JC transfer DeAndre Brown, who was named the top junior college player in Texas last season, is another possible answer. If La Tech can find some more points from somewhere, they could really surprise.

San Jose State (last NCAA: 1996) Like La Tech, the Spartans won 6 WAC games last year. They should win a few more this year if their star, Washington transfer Adrian Oliver, can stay healthy. The 6-4 guard averaged over 17 points a game in the 18 games he was able to appear in when healthy. Coach George Nessman will have to find a replacement for his team's third leading scorer of a year ago, senior forward Tim Pierce (11.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The frontline returnees, 6-9 C.J. Webster (12 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who earned an extra year of eligibility, and 6-10 Chris Oakes (8.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg), are a formidable unit. They'll be joined by 6-8 JC transfer Moses Omolade. Junior Justin Graham, who averaged more than 8 points and nearly 5 assists a game, will partner with Oliver in the backcourt. 6-3 senior Robert Owens (7 ppg), a 38 percent three-point shooter will also see plenty of time this year. In an interesting scheduling quirk, Oliver will get to play on his former homecourt on November 20. The game in Seattle is the Spartans only one scheduled against a Pac-10 opponent this season.

Boise State (last NCAA: 2008) The Broncos followed up on their 2008 WAC title and NCAA appearance with 19 wins and an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. To make the postseason for a third straight season, coach Greg Graham will have to replace three key performers. most notably Mark Sanchez, the Broncos' leading scorer (13 ppg) and rebounder (7.2 rpg) last time out. The frontcourt will still be strong without Sanchez, as 6-9 C Kurt Cunningham (10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6-9 F Ike Okoye (8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and 6-7 Paul Noonan (10 ppg, 3.6 rpg) return. They'll be joined by 6-7 JC transfer Daequon Montreal, who averaged nearly 16 points and 9 boards a game at the College of Southern Idaho. The offense is in good hands with PG Anthony Thomas at the helm. He averaged 9 points a contest last year while setting the Broncos' single-season record for assists. BSU could use another backcourt scorer, however, with returnees Justin Salzwedel and La'Shard Anderson being the best hopes. The Broncos travel to Illinois this season and play in a round-robin event at Montana, which also features North Dakota and Loyola Marymount.

Idaho (last NCAA: 1990) First-year coach Don Verlin led the Vandals to 17 wins last year (they won only 38 total games in the previous five years), a sweep of archrivals Boise State, and a win over Pacific in the College Insider Tournament. Thanks to the eligibility of a player who left that very Tiger program, Idaho could very well improve on their 9-7 league finish this season. Steffan Johnson, who was last seen earning a spot on the all-Big West first team during his junior year in Stockton, will team with 6-2 senior Mac Hopson (16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg) and 6-4 Kashif Watson (10.3 ppg) to form perhaps the best backcourt in the league. The frontcourt, led by 6-9 Marvin Jefferson (9.1 ppg), 6-6 Brandon Wiley (8.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and 6-7 Luciano de Souza (8.5 ppg) is solid, but could stand to increase its scoring. 6-8 Luiz Toledo, who averaged 13.6 ppg at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada, could end up being another inside scoring option for Idaho.

Nevada (last NCAA: 2007) Assistant David Carter takes over for Mark Fox, who left for a BCS conference gig (Georgia). The Wolf Pack underwent some roster changes in the offseason. Most notably, 6-6 F Malik Cooke (9.6 ppg. 6.2 rpg) transferred and 6-8 F Ahyaro Phillips got kicked off the team, but the two leaders of the team, 6-9 Luke Babbitt (16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and 6-3 Armon Johnson (15.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) are back. The two Reno products can't do it all by themselves, though. Carter expects to get more out of returnees Brandon Fields, who averaged 9.4 points per contest coming off the bench last year, Jerry Shaw (7.4 ppg, 4 rpg), and Dario Hunt (3.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg). The fact that two recruits, highly-regarded Devonte Elliott and Jerry Evans, Jr., couldn't get eligible hurts. 6-9 Serbian F Marko Cukic is eligible, though, and he'll see plenty of action. Nevada has another tough schedule lined up, with games atUNLV, VCU, Pacific, and North Carolina lined up, to go along with home tilts against Houston, Portland, and games at the Christmas week Las Vegas Classic against BYU and either Nebraska or Tulsa.

New Mexico State (last NCAA: 2007) Coach Marvin Menzies brings everyone back from a team that led the WAC in scoring last season. Unfortunately, the Aggies were the bizarro Louisiana Tech, finishing dead last in defense. Still, NMSU won 9 games last time out, and if they can get more stops they'll be a serious postseason threat. Four Aggies averaged in double-figures last year, starters Jahmar Young (17.9 ppg, 4 rpg), 3-point specialist Jonathan Gibson (14.1 ppg), and inside force Wendell McKines (12.1 ppg, 10 rpg), and reserve Troy Gillenwater (12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Pass-first PG Hernst Laroche (5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) will lead the offense.

Utah State (last NCAA: 2009) Despite losing WAC Player of the Year Gary Wilkinson (17.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and marksman Stavon Williams (6 ppg), the Aggies are again the favorite thanks to who returns. Stew Morrill's backcourt is led by two players who can do a little of everything, Jared Quayle (13.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.7 apg) and Tyler Newbold (9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg). Jaxon Myaer may see more time this year with the departure of Williams, especially as he's also an effective three-point shooter. In the frontcourt, 6-7 Tai Wesley (12 ppg, 6 rpg) is back while JC transfer Nate Bendall, a 6-8 forward who averaged over 14 points and 6 boards a game for last year's NJCAA champions, Salt Lake CC, is expected to replace Wilkinson. 6-6 freshman Tyrone White may see some time on the wing to help stretch defenses. As usual, the Aggies will be challenged by their in-state rivals, as they visit Utah and host BYU. They also travel to Northeastern and host a four-team round-robin that features Cal State-Fullerton, Morehead State, and Weber State, three teams who will challenge for their respective league crowns.

Utah State is my pick, and they'll hold the WAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Of course, the big question is whether the conference can manage multiple bids this season. The talent is certainly there at the top.

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

Preseason All-WAC Team

Player of the Year: Luke Babbitt, 6-9 F, So. (Nevada)

Remainder of the Team
Roderick Flemings, 6-7 F, Sr. (Hawai'i)
Mac Hopson, 6-2 G, Sr. (Idaho)
Adrian Oliver, 6-4 G, Jr. (San Jose State)
Jahmar Young, 6-5 G, Jr. (New Mexico State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the WAC this season?

Boise State

2 votes

Fresno State

0 votes

Hawai'i

1 votes

Idaho

6 votes

Louisiana Tech

2 votes

Nevada

4 votes

New Mexico State

2 votes

San Jose State

0 votes

Utah State

1 votes

18 votes | Poll has closed

KNOW THY ENEMY: Iowa State Cyclones

BracketCat — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:25 -0000

I'm starting to see pumpkins everywhere, and you know what pumpkins always remind me of? Basketballs.

That's right, hoops season is just around the corner. Practice begins Oct. 16 in most places, which means it's time to start previewing the Big 12. Now, I haven't packed it in on the football season yet, by any means. But let's be honest: We all knew coming into 2009-2010 that football was just gonna be the appetizer. We're going to have a nationally ranked squad this year, and it's getting close enough to tipoff that I think the time has come to begin getting officially psyched up.

But to keep this on a semi-football-related plane, at least for the duration of the season, I will endeavor to keep these loosely linked to our football opponent of the week past. Which means it's time to venture up to Ames and see what Farmageddon on the hardwood might look like this year...

Normally these will publish at noon on Mondays, but as usual, the first one always is the most time-consuming because all the formatting has to be done from scratch. Anyhow, click the jump for the most comprehensive preview of the Cyclone hoopsters you'll find this side of Clone Chronicles.

The Coach

Greg McDermott
Fourth Season

44-51 (14-34) at Iowa State
265-178 (85-89) overall

McDermott's Cyclone teams consistently have ranked in the upper half of the Big 12 in scoring defense and in three-point shooting in his three seasons in Ames. In just three seasons, McDermott has coached four players who have earned all-conference recognition, including Craig Brackins, who was the first Cyclone since 2001 to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, in 2009.

The Departures

Starters

Bryan Petersen (30.1 minutes per game, 6.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Wes Eikmeier (11.3 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 2.9 rebounds per game)
Sean Haluska (15.7 minutes per game, 1.0 point per game, 2.5 rebounds per game)
Cameron Lee (3.2 minutes per game, 0.7 point per game, 0.4 rebound per game)
Clinton Mann (2.4 minutes per game, 0.4 point per game, 0.7 rebound per game)
Alex Thompson (14.1 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game)

The Veterans

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

The Redshirts

#11 Scott Christopherson
Sophomore Guard
6-3 | 205
LaCrosse, Wis.

Christopherson sat out the 2008-09 season as a redshirt after transferring from Marquette, where he appeared in 18 games as a freshman, all as a reserve. He missed the first five games of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but netted a career-high six points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor vs. Savannah State.

Christopherson averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game at Marquette, and shot 42.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

#34 L.A. Pomlee
Freshman Forward
6-8 | 235
Davenport, Iowa

Pomlee sat out the 2008-2009 season as a redshirt. He was ranked as the 38th-best power forward in the class of 2008 by Scout.com, was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection by both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior, and also was a Quad City Times all-Metro pick.

Pomlee averaged 15.4 points and led the Mississippi Athletic Conference in both rebounding and field-goal percentage as a senior. His Central team went undefeated in the conference and 23-3 overall, and advanced to the state championship game, falling to Iowa City High 64-54 in the Class 4A state title game, in which he scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Pomlee missed his entire junior season after developing a blood clot in his leg, but was a third-team all-state selection in his sophomore campaign after averaging 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds. He chose Iowa State over West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Newcomers

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.

My thanks to the Iowa State sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

It's possible that my judgment has been colored by staring at these stats and bios for too long, but at least on paper, the Cyclones appear to have a much improved team. Thanks largely to the return of future NBA player Craig Brackins, Iowa State returns 77.9 percent of its scoring and 72.5 percent of its rebounding from a team that set school marks for 3-pointers made (236) and fewest turnovers (12.1 per game) in a season.

There were few notable departures, as most of the graduated seniors were little-used reserves. The biggest loss is starting wing Bryan Petersen, although there is reason to believe there will be little drop-off at that position. Also gone from last year's team is Sean Haluska, who chipped in quite a few minutes off the bench.

But the Cyclones return their other four starters, and add some significant pieces to challenge them for playing time. In the frontcourt, I expect Diante Garrett to retain his starting spot and continue growing as one of the premier point guards in the league, but Chris Colvin will push him to the max. Colvin is one of the most highly touted recruits Iowa State has signed (other than Brackins, of course) and turned down programs such as Marquette and USC to go to Ames. He could be the latest in a long line of talented Chicago point guards who have made in impact in the Big 12.

All Lucca Staiger did was come in and set a bunch of Iowa State records shooting the three-ball. Pretty impressive, considering he battled a lingering injury for at least part of the season. He will be complemented by Scott Christopherson, a transfer from Marquette who sat out last year per NCAA rules. The guard spots are bolstered by sophomore Dominique Buckley and veteran journeyman Charles Boozer.

Antwon Oliver is a promising prospect fresh out of high school, but will have a tough time finding minutes in such a deep, experienced backfield. Look for him to redshirt, along with preferred walk-ons Bubu Palo and Alex Dorr.

The frontcourt begins and ends with Brackins. One of the best players in the Big 12, he needs no introduction to the rest of the conference, but what he does need is help, especially with Petersen leaving. Well, help is on the way in the form of Marquis Gilstrap, a Top-50 juco player who has just one season to make an impact. At 6-6 and 210, Gilstrap has good size to hold down the 3 spot. Another exciting player for Cyclone fans to watch is juco transfer LaRon Dendy, a former Clemson commit who was in the Rivals Top 75 for 2007.

Justin Hamilton and Jamie Vanderbeken will man the post. Hamilton is considered the returning starter, but Vanderbeken pulled a few starts as well. It's really irrelevant, as both will rotate a lot in the paint in order to spell each other. Vanderbeken has an added dimension in that he is an excellent 3-point shooter, a talent that makes it hard for teams to pack it in against him and Brackins.

A wild-card player is L.A. Pomlee, who redshirted last season. He has a pretty good pedigree, given that he was a Scout Top 50 player and passed up a chance to play for Bob Huggins at West Virginia. Pomlee might make his biggest impact as a 4 whenever the Cyclones go with a small lineup, a formation that usually sees Brackins rotate into the post.

So, what we have here is a team with one of the best players in the conference, four returning starters and several more experienced veterans, and it loses very few impact players, but adds one of the best prep players in the country, as well as two talented juco players and a Big East transfer. That sounds like a recipe for dramatic improvement, which Greg McDermott better deliver, or the pressure might start to turn up on him. It's Year 4, and Iowa State needs to show some serious signs of breaking out of the basement now that the administration has built him a new practice facility.

But this year will be the most stacked the Big 12 ever has been, and the Cyclones still have a major weakness in their frontcourt: Other than Brackins, they don't have any truly athletic posts. When you look at a team like Kansas or Texas, you see multiple big, athletic matchup nightmares. Iowa State doesn't really have more than one or two of those guys. Hamilton and Vanderbeken are traditional centers who aren't nearly as talented as Cole Aldrich. The season could swing on whether Gilstrap can overcome past injuries and step up to be the third scoring threat the Clones need to keep defenses honest and free up Brackins to do some serious damage.

Projected Starting Lineup


Diante Garrett	Lucca Staiger	Marquis Gilstrap	Craig Brackins	Justin Hamilton
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Chris Colvin	Scott Christopherson	LaRon Dendy	L.A. Pomlee	Jamie Vanderbeken
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Although ISU has a pretty good backcourt, I think they're going to resemble the 2008-2009 Wildcats in a lot of ways when they hit the meat of league play. They'll be improved, but with Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to contend with in the North, breaking into the top half of the conference might be too much to ask. An NIT berth would be a solid season for this squad, although it seems like a lame ending for a great player such as Brackins.

Predicted finish: 9th

Best-case scenario: 7th

A Game (or Two) a Night: December 2009

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:05:39 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

Michigan State Junior G Kalin Lucas (1) is the only player in this picture who will be present at the rematch of the 2009 National Championship Game on December 1 in Chapel Hill. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Browse more photos »

December as a month features the last few multi-team events of the season and the bulk of conference challenge action. It's also a time when most teams have to wedge games between exams and holidays and fans have to dodge stale holiday specials and on filter through bowl games to find hoops on their TV sets. Believe me, there will be plenty of televised college basketball over the last week of the year--including a return of action, island-style to Christmas Day itself. So, if you find yourself needing a break from football, there will be roundball!

You'll find my December picks after the jump. For information about the other games on the air during the final month of 2009, visit MattSarzSports.com.

Tuesday, December 1
Michigan State at North Carolina (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) (ESPN, 9 ET)
The rematch of last year's National Championship game is exactly why I feel that these conference challenges should be moved to the second half of the season. While this game should be pretty good as is (especially since it's at the Dean Dome), it would be even better if played six or so weeks later, so both teams, particularly the younger Tar Heels, can have more of a chance to gel.

Wednesday, December 2
Pittsburgh at Duquesne (CBS CS, 7 ET)
Now, if the Dukes had been allowed to advance in the CBE Classic, they could've shared the Sprint Center with the Panthers. They'll have to be satisfied with sharing the floor at the Igloo one more time, as this game moves to the Penguins new rink in 2010.

Thursday, December 3
Cleveland State at Wright State (ESPNU, 9 ET)
The Horizon League season starts early, and this matchup features two teams who are serious threats to Butler in the race. The Vikings won the conference's auto bid last season, and then upset Wake Forest. The Raiders were a bid thief in 2007.

Friday, December 4
Akron at Texas A&M (FS Southwest, 8 ET)
Fridays are typically light nights during the season. (Trust me, you'll see what I mean in my next couple of posts.) The Zips have a good chance at repeating in the MAC. (Well, as good of a chance as anyone else who's tried of late.) Meanwhile, the Aggies should be on their way to figuring out how to play without Chinemelu Elonu in the middle.

Saturday, December 5
Wake Forest at Gonzaga (ESPN2, 5:30 ET)
A matchup of two teams who will be very competitive despite significant losses, James Johnson and Jeff Teague in the Deacons' case and Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt, and Jeremy Pargo for the Bulldogs.

Sunday, December 6
Arizona at Oklahoma (Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series) (ESPNU, 7 ET)
Sean Miller brings his Wildcats, bolstered by some last-minute recruits, to Norman to take on a Griffin-less, but still potent Sooner squad. Kansas at UCLA earns honorable mention honors. And I'll be at the BB&T Classic to see Villanova take on Maryland.

Monday, December 7
Long Beach State at Texas (ESPNU, 9 ET)
The only nationally televised game of the night (though I will pick regional telecasts later). The 49ers continue their aggressive scheduling (as they're the "host" school at the 76 Classic this year), taking on a Damion James-led Longhorn team who should challenge the Jayhawks at the top of the Big 12.

Tuesday, December 8
Vanderbilt at Illinois (Big Ten, 8:30 ET)
The Illini won by 6 in Nashville last year, but the Commodores could give them an even better game in the return. Honorable mention goes to the Jimmy V Classic, Butler vs. Georgetown and Indiana vs.Pittsburgh. Who would've ever forseen a day where the Bulldogs might be the most highly rated team of that group of four?

Wednesday, December 9
Kentucky vs Connecticut (Big East/SEC Invitational) (ESPN, 9:30 ET) If the undercard of Georgia vs. St. John's puts the crowd at MSG to sleep, I think Calipari vs. Calhoun should wake them up.

Thursday, December 10
Syracuse vs. Florida (Big East/SEC Invitational) (ESPN, 9 ET)
Since these are my two favorite teams, this was the obvious choice for me.

Friday, December 11
Iowa vs. Iowa State (Cyclones TV, 8 ET)
This matchup of two teams with coaches who really need to start winning is the only game on the TV schedule for tonight.

Saturday, December 12
Georgetown vs Washington (John Wooden Classic) (FSN, 2 ET)
The Hoyas do something under JohnThompson III that his father would've never done, travel cross-country for a non-league game. The Huskies sure aren't St. Leo's.
I would have selected the second half of the doubleheader, Mississippi State vs. UCLA, but Renardo Sidney's eligibility issues make this game slightly less attractive.

Sunday, December 13
Cincinnati at Xavier (ESPNU, 7 ET)
The Crosstown Shootout should be a great one this year. The Musketeers have been the best team in the city over the past few seasons. They have wins in the last two in the series. The Bearcats, meanwhile, should be far more competitive in Mick Cronin's fourth year at the helm, especially with Lance Stevenson joining the team.

Monday, December 14
Georgia Tech at Chattanooga (FS South, 7 ET)
The Yellow Jackets visit to the SoCon tourney champions is the only game on the TV schedule on this Monday.

Tuesday, December 15
Georgia State at Florida State (FS Florida, 7 ET)
The transfer-filled Panthers will look to repeat their 62-57 win over the Seminoles in Atlanta last year.

Wednesday, December 16
Wright State at Mississippi State (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Last year, the Bulldogs dropped December home games to Charlotte and San Diego. This year, it's the Raiders turn to try to pull an upset at the Hump.

Thursday, December 17
Auburn at Florida State (FS Florida/NESN, 7 ET)
The NIT quarterfinalist's visit to Tallahassee is the best option on a very light night.

Friday, December 18
As there are no televised games listed for this night, it would be a good time to wrap up your holiday shopping.

Saturday, December 19
UCLA at Notre Dame (CBS, 2 ET)
Saturday makes up for the lackluster slate during exam week, as we also have Michigan at Kansas, North Carolina at Texas, and Duke vs. Gonzaga on the schedule. The Bruins trip to South Bend gets a very slight nod, as these two on-again/off-again hoops rivals last met in 2005.

Sunday, December 20
Florida State at Georgia Tech (FSN, 5:30 ET)
The Seminoles and Yellow Jackets open their ACC seasons in Atlanta.

Monday, December 21
UTEP vs. Oklahoma (Oklahoma City) (ESPN2, 6:30 ET)
The Miners hope to be among the teams to unseat a weakened Memphis in C-USA. A win over the Sooners in their backyard would be a great confidence-builder for them.

Tuesday, December 22
California at Kansas (ESPN2, 9 ET)
While this game isn't technically a part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, it is a matchup of two teams who each have an excellent chance of winning their respective conference's crown.

Wednesday, December 23
Illinois vs. Missouri (St. Louis) (ESPN2, 8:30 ET)
The Illini actually won this one by 16 last year. The Tigers could have a hard time gaining revenge without the services of DeMarre Caroll, Matt Lawrence, and Leo Lyons.

Thursday, December 24
It's Christmas Eve, so there are no games scheduled.

Friday, December 25
Diamond Head Classic Final (ESPN2, 9:30 ET)
This tournament features some rebuilding squads (St. Mary's, USC, UNLV), a few teams who haven't been relevant for awhile (host Hawai'i, SMU, and Western Michigan) and two mid-majors who could do really well against this particular group of teams (College of Charleston and Northeastern)

Saturday, December 26
West Virginia at Seton Hall (CBS, 3:30 ET)
Oddly enough, this Big East battle is the only game on the Boxing Day schedule.

Sunday, December 27
Austin Peay at Missouri (FS Midwest, 2 ET)
This is one of three games on the schedule. The Governors are perennial contenders in the Ohio Valley, and they'll be looking to pull a seed-boosting upset at Mizzou Arena.

Monday, December 28
American at Florida (FS Florida, 8:30 ET)
The two-time defending Patriot League champs who appear to be destined for a fall take on a two-time National Champion who already has taken one.

Tuesday, December 29
Penn State at Minnesota (ESPN2, 9 ET)
It's the Big Ten opener for the NIT Champion and a Gopher squad that may have just pipped them to an NCAA bid last time around. I would have selected Northern Iowa at Creighton, which should match up the two best teams in the Missouri Valley, but that game is currently only scheduled for local TV

Wednesday, December 30
Northwestern at Illinois (Big Ten, 7 ET)
The Wildcats open up their Big Ten slate with a trip to their in-state rival.

Thursday, December 31
Oklahoma at Gonzaga (ESPN2, 10 ET)
While it won't quite be November 17, it will be a marathon day on ESPN2, starting at noon. Michigan at Indiana, Ohio State at Wisconsin, and Tennessee at Memphis are all featured matchups during the day. However, I'll take the inter-sectional matchup to close the day, month, and year out as my choice. (Watching a million drunk people go crazy over a lighted ball dropping is so 2000.) There's also a good Pac-10 option, Arizona State at UCLA on FSN as part of their New Year's Eve festivities.

That will close out 2009, my games for January will follow tomorrow evening.

Get That IV of Caffeine Ready - ESPN Is Going 'Round the Clock Again

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:13:59 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Pierre Niles sitting amongst streamers that exist only in your mind. He gets another (or is it a first?) shot at Kansas during ESPN's ultramarathon of hoops on Nov. 17. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Browse more photos »

If you've visited the fantabulous new SBN front page earlier today, you probably saw Andrew Sharp's take on this Chris Littmann Sporting Blog post about ESPN's 2nd Annual Early-Season Hoops, um, Ultramarathon.

Yes, two months from tomorrow, on Tuesday, November 17, you will be able to watch at least 25 consecutive hours of hoops. (I, however, will not, thanks to my day job. It's really too bad they can't do this on a Saturday or Sunday, but it is football season after all.) ESPN did this last year, but took a break in the morning for a season preview show. This year, they realized we don't need one, or any other type of break for that matter. More on what awaits on this mammoth day after the jump.

At 10, Clemson visits Liberty, a game that would've been more attractive had Seth Curry not transferred to Duke. The Tigers lost Terrence Oglesby to Europe, but gained Trevor Booker's younger brother Devin. He and 6-9 frosh Milton Jennings (a McDonald's All-American) give Clemson a significant post presence.

At 2 p.m., Arkansas-Little Rock visits Tulsa, the team many think will usurp Memphis as the standard bearer for Conference USA.

I may have to leave the office a bit early to make the Temple-Georgetown game, which has a 4 p.m. tip, as it's on my list of early season games.

The 6 p.m. offering is the East regional final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Barring a huge upset, Duke will take on Charlotte or Elon.

At 7:30 on ESPN2, it will be the first of two from the Hall of Fame Classic in St. Louis. (Save yourself $200 and watch this doubleheader at home.) Arkansas, a program that's been in a bit of turmoil over the past few days (and one that only won 2 SEC games last year after some big non-conference wins), takes on Louisville, another team that's been the focus of a lot of offseason news.

At 8 on ESPN, Gonzaga visits Michigan State. The Spartans should be a near unanimous top three pick, while the Bulldogs will be good, even with the loss of four starters and a boatload of new recruits. This may not be the time to watch them, however.

If the TV action isn't enough, you can also see Northern Illinois-Illinois online at 8.

ESPNU picks up another CBE Classic preliminary that's not really a preliminary at 9. Duquesne, who--don't laugh--will build on last year and be a serious challenger in the A-10 this year--even without the services of leading scorer (and only loss) Aaron Jackson, visits Iowa. The Hawkeyes, just like they every year under Todd Lickliter, have personnel issues. Leading scorer Jake Kelly transferred to Indiana State and PG Jeff Peterson, the #3 scorer on the roster, transferred to Arkansas.

ESPN has the second Hall of Fame Showcase game at 10 p.m. It's a rematch of that 2008 National Championship game that the NCAA wants to wipe from our collective memories. Likely preseason #1 Kansas takes on Memphis in one we can only hope is as memorable as the game that didn't happen (but really did).

If you survive, be sure to take Wednesday off too. You'll need the sleep.

Rainbows Think Notre Dame Is For The Gays

umass09 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:54:37 -0000

The University of Hawaii has suspended head football coach Greg McMackin for 30 days without pay for his offensive remarks about the Notre Dame Irish Football team. McMackin has also volunteered to take a 7 percent pay cut from his salary.

McMackin apologized to the Irish and those that were offended by his comments. "I know most of the coaches in the country are rooting for us to beat Notre Dame," McMackin said. "Charlie gives this talk, ‘We do something special at Notre Dame,’ and (the players) get up and they do this little cheer … this little faggot dance."

That's right, the head football coach of a Division I university (who recently played in a BCS game) called an opposing team's players "faggots". McMackin should be thanking his lucky star that he still has a job, much less that he was only suspended for a month of the off season.

McMackin's seemingly sincere apology may be enough to redeem him amongst the season ticket holders, but you can be certain that the Hawaii athletic administration will make sure that this was McMackin's first and final slip up of his career.

What is especially ironic about the situation is that a man who represents a athletic department who refers to itself as the "Rainbow Warriors" had the nerve to call someone else gay.

In other news, a middle aged Dallas man was taken to the hospital after being found having a laughing fit from watching sports center over the weekend...

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.