SB Nation - Mercer Bears

Periscope: Vanderbilt vs. Mercer

KingJamesIV — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:58:22 -0000

More photos » by Stanley Leary - AP

Most casual Commodore fans will be in for a bit of a shock to learn that Mercer should actually be a very good litmus test for the current progress that the Dores have made over the past week.

Though they struggle defensively, Mercer is a competent offensive team. James Florence, their 6'1" PG is currently 8th in the country in scoring at 23.1 ppg, with games of 33, 23, 40, 32 and 25 under his belt already this season. In their last game against Piedmont, E.J. Kusnyer dropped 26 points on 8-10 shooting from 3 point range. As a team, their turnover percentage is low and they are a good rebounding team.

Mercer appears to be capable against good teams: They lost by 2 to Providence, by only 11 to a borderline Top 25 team in Georgia Tech (even out-rebounding the Yellow Jackets). Their biggest victory of the season came against D-III Fisk 110-45 (which certainly is padding some of the efficiency statistics below). Unfortunately for Bears fans, Vanderbilt is not Fisk.

Vanderbilt needs to continue to make slow, steady progress over these next games. They don't have to start proving that they can overachieve tonight. They just need to continue to get better to the point where they aren't underachieving by SEC play. Including tonight, they have four more games to do so. Likewise, Jermaine Beal needs to continue to play like he did against Tennessee State: 7 assists, 0 turnovers, and solid PG defense. When he struggles, so does the team (see: Illinois, Western Kentucky)

Efficiency Breakdown

Traditional Stats - Mercer Bears

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
James Florence	9	31.3	7.8	17.0	45.8	2.4	6.9	35.5	5.1	7.0	73.0	1.0	2.1	3.1	5.1	3.0	2.0	0.1	3.0	23.1
E.J. Kusnyer	9	25.6	4.2	10.1	41.8	3.8	8.9	42.5	1.2	1.7	73.3	1.7	1.9	3.6	0.6	1.1	0.8	0.2	2.4	13.4
Daniel Emerson	9	30.0	4.4	9.8	45.5	0.4	1.2	36.4	2.7	4.3	61.5	4.0	7.6	11.6	1.1	2.4	0.8	0.3	1.8	12.0
Jeff Smith	9	30.9	3.1	8.6	36.4	1.1	3.7	30.3	1.9	2.4	77.3	1.0	2.4	3.4	2.6	2.3	0.6	0.1	1.8	9.2
Brian Mills	9	23.3	3.2	5.2	61.7	0.4	1.3	33.3	1.1	1.3	83.3	2.6	3.4	6.0	1.6	2.2	0.6	0.3	2.7	8.0
Brandon Moore	9	18.2	2.6	4.7	54.8	0.1	0.3	33.3	1.4	2.3	61.9	1.9	2.0	3.9	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.2	2.0	6.7
Michael Jenkins	5	8.4	1.2	3.8	31.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.4	71.4	1.2	1.4	2.6	0.0	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.8	3.4
Ridas Pulkauninkas	9	8.8	0.8	2.9	26.9	0.2	2.1	10.5	0.2	0.6	40.0	0.4	0.8	1.2	0.6	0.2	0.3	0.0	0.7	2.0
Chris Smith	7	3.6	0.7	1.7	41.7	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.4	0.7	60.0	0.4	1.4	1.9	0.3	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.0	2.0
Tevin Swann	6	6.3	0.5	1.3	37.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.7	75.0	0.0	0.8	0.8	1.2	0.3	0.5	0.0	0.8	1.5
Mark Hall	9	11.2	0.3	2.2	15.0	0.3	2.0	16.7	0.4	0.4	100.0	0.4	0.6	1.0	1.0	0.3	0.3	0.0	1.6	1.4
Jake Gollon	7	4.9	0.7	1.4	50.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.9	1.3	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.4	1.4
David O`Shaughnessey	4	5.8	0.5	2.8	18.2	0.3	2.3	11.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.3	1.3
Marquisse Jackson	4	5.0	0.5	1.3	40.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.3	0.5	50.0	0.3	0.5	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	1.3
Brendan Walker	7	4.1	0.0	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.6	75.0	0.3	0.3	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.4	0.0	0.1	0.4

Stallings mentioned last night on the Call-In Show that the team had a great day of practice yesterday. Usually that bodes well for Vandy. Hopefully Commodore fans will enjoy a nice blowout victory of epic proportions, though I'll settle for around a 12-15 point victory, providing the team plays with passion.

Game Previews

Previewing Vanderbilt vs. Mercer | VandySports.com (Rivals - Premium)

Vanderbilt – Mercer Preview | VandyMania.com (Scout - Premium)

Vanderbilt Welcomes Mercer To Memorial Gym | VANDERBILT OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Vanderbilt men vs. Mercer: Game at a glance | The Tennessean

Make sure to reserve about an hour for the Tennessean's preview. Classic example of density. Another impressive example of the Tennessean's exemplary record of outstanding Vanderbilt coverage.

As always, the open game thread will go live about an hour before tipoff. Don't forget to swing by Stat King to make your selection for the game. You could win yourself one of these:

Poll

Margin of Victory - Vanderbilt vs. Mercer

Vanderbilt by > 20

0 votes

Vanderbilt by 10-20

4 votes

Vanderbilt by < 10

0 votes

Mercer

0 votes

4 votes | Poll has closed

Baylor vs. Alabama Liveblog

big12hoops — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:21:47 -0000

Senior guard Tweety Carter will make his season debut tonight in Baylor's biggest test of the year against Alabama. Carter was suspended for the first four games of the season for an undisclosed team violation.

View full size photo »

Baylor vs. Alabama liveblog online.
Begins at 5:30pm CST tonight.

Next Game

Alabama Crimson Tide
@ Baylor Bears

Thursday, Nov 26, 2009, 5:30 PM CST
Old Spice Classic - Disney`s Sports Complex, Orlando, FL

Continue For liveblog and full game preview>

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=21ca8bdd5e" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=21ca8bdd5e">Baylor vs. Alabama</a>

Baylor Bears Basketball News

Alabama (2-1) vs. Baylor (4-0)
(Sports Network) about 8 hours ago.

Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball News

Alabama (2-1) vs. Baylor (4-0)
(Sports Network) about 8 hours ago.
Recap: Alabama vs. Providence
(Sports Network) 5 days ago.
Providence (3-0) at Alabama (1-1)
(Sports Network) 6 days ago.
Recap: Alabama vs. Cornell
(Sports Network) 12 days ago.
Cornell (0-0) at Alabama (0-0)
(Sports Network) 12 days ago.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
BAYLOR	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
LaceDarius Dunn	4	29.3	8.5	17.8	47.9	4.8	10.3	46.3	3.5	3.8	93.3	0.8	2.0	2.8	2.0	1.0	1.3	0.0	1.5	25.3
Ekpe Udoh	4	29.3	6.8	9.3	73.0	0.3	0.5	50.0	2.0	4.5	44.4	3.0	5.8	8.8	1.5	1.5	0.5	3.0	1.0	15.8
Quincy Acy	4	21.0	3.0	4.5	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	2.3	55.6	2.5	3.3	5.8	0.3	0.8	0.3	0.8	1.8	7.3
A.J. Walton	4	32.8	2.8	4.8	57.9	0.8	1.0	75.0	0.5	1.8	28.6	1.0	4.0	5.0	5.0	3.0	3.0	0.0	2.5	6.8
Josh Lomers	4	15.5	2.3	3.5	64.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	1.8	71.4	1.5	1.8	3.3	0.5	0.5	0.5	1.3	2.5	5.8
Anthony Jones	4	25.0	2.3	6.8	33.3	0.0	1.3	0.0	0.5	1.8	28.6	2.0	3.8	5.8	3.3	1.0	0.3	0.8	0.3	5.0
Cory Jefferson	3	11.0	1.7	3.7	45.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	2.0	66.7	1.7	1.7	3.3	0.0	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.7	4.7
Nolan Dennis	4	14.5	1.3	3.8	33.3	0.3	1.5	16.7	1.5	3.3	46.2	0.3	0.8	1.0	1.3	2.0	0.8	0.3	1.8	4.3
Dragan Sekelja	3	7.3	1.3	2.0	66.7	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.7	1.3	50.0	0.3	1.7	2.0	0.3	1.0	0.0	1.0	1.3	3.7
Fred Ellis	4	10.0	0.8	1.3	60.0	0.5	0.8	66.7	0.8	1.0	75.0	1.3	1.5	2.8	0.8	1.3	0.5	0.0	1.8	2.8
Givon Crump	3	7.3	0.3	2.7	12.5	0.3	2.3	14.3	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.3	3.0	3.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3
Oscar Griffin	3	4.7	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.7	0.7	100.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	1.0	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.3	1.3

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
ALABAMA	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Mikhail Torrance	3	30.7	6.0	11.7	51.4	1.0	2.7	37.5	5.3	6.0	88.9	1.3	3.3	4.7	5.0	1.7	1.0	1.0	1.0	18.3
JaMychal Green	3	26.7	5.0	11.0	45.5	0.0	0.3	0.0	5.0	7.0	71.4	2.7	6.0	8.7	0.7	1.3	1.0	3.3	3.3	15.0
Anthony Brock	1	34.0	5.0	8.0	62.5	3.0	4.0	75.0	2.0	2.0	100.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.0	3.0	0.0	2.0	15.0
Tony Mitchell	3	19.3	5.3	8.3	64.0	0.0	1.3	0.0	2.3	4.3	53.8	2.0	1.7	3.7	0.7	0.0	1.0	0.3	2.3	13.0
Charvez Davis	3	18.3	2.7	6.3	42.1	2.0	5.0	40.0	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.3	1.3	1.7	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	7.7
Senario Hillman	3	31.7	2.7	8.7	30.8	0.3	2.3	14.3	0.3	1.0	33.3	0.7	1.0	1.7	4.3	3.0	1.3	0.0	3.0	6.0
Justin Knox	3	16.3	0.7	3.7	18.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.3	5.3	81.3	3.0	2.0	5.0	0.7	1.7	0.3	0.0	2.3	5.7
Andrew Steele	3	18.0	1.7	3.0	55.6	0.3	0.7	50.0	1.0	2.7	37.5	2.0	2.0	4.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	4.7
Chris Hines	3	16.3	1.0	1.7	60.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.3	2.3	0.3	1.0	0.7	1.3	3.3	2.0
Ben Eblen	3	11.3	0.3	1.3	25.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	1.0	2.0	50.0	0.0	0.7	0.7	1.3	0.7	0.3	0.0	0.7	1.7

Bears Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

Alabama	Thu 11/26	5:30 PM CST
@ Arizona St.	Thu 12/03	9:30 PM CST
Jackson St.	Tue 12/15	7:00 PM CST
Texas-Arlington	Sun 12/20	2:00 PM CST
@ Arkansas	Wed 12/30	8:00 PM CST

Last 5 Games

Hardin-Simmons	Sun 11/22	W 106 - 45
Southern U.	Mon 11/16	W 61 - 45
Hartford	Sun 11/15	W 71 - 69
Norfolk St.	Fri 11/13	W 86 - 58

Crimson Tide Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Baylor	Thu 11/26	5:30 PM CST
North Florida	Wed 12/02	7:00 PM CST
Louisiana-Monroe	Sat 12/05	12:00 PM CST
Purdue	Sat 12/12	8:00 PM CST
Samford	Wed 12/16	7:00 PM CST

Last 5 Games

Providence	Fri 11/20	W 84 - 75
Jackson St.	Tue 11/17	W 86 - 69
Cornell	Sat 11/14	L 67 - 71

Baylor Guard Carter Suspended

editor@big12hoops.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:07:25 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Penn State's Talor Battle (12) reacts next to Baylor's Tweety Carter (45) during the second half of the NIT championship college basketball game Thursday, April 2, 2009, in New York. Penn State won the game 69-63.

Browse more photos »

Mark Allan Peterson
Managing Editor
editor@big12hoops.com

Baylor Senior point guard Tweety Carter received a four-game suspension to begin to 2009-2010 season, according to head coach Scott Drew.

Drew said Carter was suspended for rules violations, but did not go into details on the nature of the suspension.

The 5-foot-10 Carter will miss Friday's season opener against Norfolk State, as well as games against Hartford, Southern and Hardin-Simmons. Carter is expected to return for Baylor's biggest test to start the season, a Thankgiving Day game against Alabama in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Florida.

Carter, the only McDonald's American in school history, averaged a career high 10.6 points and 3.2 assists as a junior for the Bears. He is expected to take over for the departed Curtis Jerrells at the starting point guard position.

In his place tonight, Baylor is expected to start freshman A.J. Walton.

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic Sun Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:45:05 -0000

Before they left the conference for the greener pastures of Division I-A and Conference USA, Central Florida won the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic Sun titles and scared the bejeezus out of two Big East opponents in the first round. With UCF's departure, the league's power center shifted north to Tennessee, where Belmont claimed three consecutive tourney bids, almost knocking Duke out in their 2008 appearance, before East Tennessee State made it last season. The Bucs gave Pittsburgh, the team UCF gave a game in '04, a substantial scare before bowing out at the first hurdle.

Now the power of the league again looks like it will shift to the Sunshine State. Jacksonville, last season's regular season champions who have lost in the A-Sun final two straight times, is the odds on favorite this time around. The league's Tennessee powers will again provide the bulk of the challenge for the Dolphins, though Lipscomb should better neighboring Belmont's performance this time around. But JU will also be challenged by two long moribund programs, Mercer and Campbell.

This offseason, the Camels actually announced that they'll be leaving the conference to return to the Big South, effective with the 2011-12 academic year. Barring any further changes, that means that the league will feature 10 tournament-eligible teams that year. Kennesaw State, the 2004 Division II National Champion, and North Florida are postseason eligible for the first time this season. However, Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate have two more years left in their transition period.

More on the conference's teams, both postseason eligible and ineligible, after the jump.

Before we look at 2009-10, here's a look at how the Atlantic Sun standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Atlantic Sun Conference Standings

(updated 3.24.2009 at 12:09 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Jacksonville Dolphins	15	5	18	14
East Tennessee St. Buccaneers	14	6	23	11
Belmont Bruins	14	6	20	13
Lipscomb Bisons	12	8	17	14
Mercer Bears	11	9	17	15
Campbell Fighting Camels	11	9	14	16
Stetson Hatters	9	11	13	17
North Florida Ospreys	6	14	8	22
Kennesaw St. Owls	3	17	7	22

Now here are my picks for the upcoming season, presented in reverse order. However, I'll start with the two A-Sun teams are ineligible for the postseason.

Florida Gulf Coast (last NCAA: None) Dave Balza's team continues its trip through transitional purgatory with four returning starters, led by 6-1 guard Reed Baker (13.4 ppg).

South Carolina Upstate (last NCAA: None) Even though the Spartans remain ineligible for the A-Sun crown, they could play spoiler, as they won 8 league contests last season. The task for Eddie Payne's squad will be made more difficult with the departure of leading scorer Bobby Davis (14.8 ppg). The Spartans two best returnees are the Mutt and Jeff of the conference, 7-3 center Nick Schneiders (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 5-9 guard Josh Chavis (8.3 ppg).

North Florida (last NCAA: None) Matthew Driscoll takes over an Osprey program that was absolutely dreadful under previous coach Matt Kilcullen. In their final transitional year, UNF managed to win two road games (Furman and Stetson). Those represent those only road success the Ospreys had tasted in four seasons. (They had only 14 Division I wins in that span.) Progress will be slow for North Florida, who have four returning starters (a theme in this league this season), led by guards Eni Cuka (13.2 ppg) and Stan Januska (8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

Stetson (last NCAA: None) Derek Waugh's squad lost three starters from a team that should've performed much better last season. Instead of building on their third place finish in 2007-'08, the Hatters slipped to seventh last time around. It's hard to see how Stetson will improve after guard Garfield Blair (17.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) graduated. However, point guard A.J. Smith (12.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) is back, as is 6-5 forward Sheldon Oliver (5.6 ppg, 5 rpg). Waugh will have to get a lot out of his newcomers, as guard Mark Lohuis was the only returning reserve who managed more than 2 ppg last year (5.0 ppg). It looks like it will be another long season in DeLand.

Kennesaw State (last NCAA: None) Tony Ingle's team is finally postseason eligible and they could spring some surprises, as the Owls bring back all five starters, three of whom were double-figure performers a year ago--G Kelvin McConnell (11.9 ppg), 6-6 F Jon-Michael Nickerson (10.1 ppg, along with 5.5 rpg), and 6-3 G Kurtis Woods (10.5 ppg). PG Spencer Dixon (7.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) will run the offense, while 6-7 F Jonathan Whipple, another returning starter (4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-6 bench performer Zadrian Gibson (4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and 6-9 Auburn transfer Matt Heramb will be expected to improve KSU's inside play.

Belmont (last NCAA: 2008) The Bruins are looking for their fourth title in five seasons, but they'll have to do it without four starters who averaged in double-figures last season: guards Alex Renfroe (16.2 ppg) and Andy Wicke (11.7 ppg), forward Matthew Dotson (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and swingman Shane Dansby (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg). In fact, Rick Byrd's team only returns two players who averaged more than 3.5 points per contest last year, G/F Jon House (8.3 ppg) and forward Keaton Belcher (7.1 ppg). The good news for Belmont is that 6-5 F Jordan Campbell returns after missing most of last year with an injury. He led the Bruins in steals and blocks and was second in rebounding during the 2007-08 championship campaign.

Campbell (last NCAA: 1992) The Camels hope to be a thorn in the side of the A-Sun during their last two years in the league. They have an excellent shot to contend this year, as they return all five starters and their key reserves from the team that earned the program's first winning conference mark since the turn of the century. 6-5 forward Jonathan Rodriguez is a threat for league honors this year after a year where he averaged nearly 16 points and over 8 boards a game. Six others averaged more than 5 points per contest, led by guard Lorne Merthie (9.5 ppg), last year's conference Freshman of the Year. Campbell will have to pack more scoring punch to truly contend, however.

East Tennessee State (last NCAA: 2009) Murry Bartow's Bucs will sorely miss Kevin Tiggs, who averaged over 21 points per contest last year, Courtney Pigram (17.6 ppg), and Greg Hamlin (5 ppg, 5 rpg), but senior Mike Smith (15.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and sophomore Isiah Brown (4.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) do return from last year's auto bid winners. The reserves, none of whom averaged more than 4.4 points per contest, will have to step up for the team to repeat. The schedule will be a challenge as the Bucs visit Arkansas and Louisville as part of the Hall of Fame Classic, UAB, and Tennessee. They also face Southern Conference finalists Chattanooga and College of Charleston and OVC favorites Morehead State and Murray State.

Mercer (last NCAA: 1985) Like just about everyone else in the A-Sun, head coach Bob Hoffman returns a solid core of players. The Bears bring back four starters from last year, as they attempt to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 15 years. Mercer's chances begin and end with 6-1 senior guard James Florence, who is the only active player in the country to average 20 or more points per game in conference play over each of the last three seasons. He's joined in the backcourt by E.J. Kusnyer, who averaged 10.5 points per game last year. Inside, 6-8 senior Daniel Emerson averaged a double-double last year, scoring nearly 14 a game while grabbing nearly 11 boards. Hoffman also gains the services of 6-2 guard Jeff Smith and 6-6 forward Brandon Moore, two junior college transfers who were teammates at Wallace State Community College in Alabama.

Lipscomb (last NCAA: None) Scott Sanderson's squad, which always seems to be in the conversation in the A-Sun, looks to break through for their first NCAA bid this time around. However, next year could really be the Bison's year, as their four returning starters are all juniors. 6-9 Adnan Hodzic is the best post player in the conference (17.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Brandon Brown is another force inside (9.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg). In the backcourt, Sanderson lost Michael Lusk (8.6 ppg), but picks up George Washington transfer Johnny Lee. He graduated in three years and decided to head back to Nashville to conclude his career. Lee will join the talented Josh Slater (11 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Michael Teller (8.3 ppg, 5 rpg) to form a formidable unit that will give the rest of the conference fits.

Jacksonville (last NCAA: 1986) The Dolphins return four starters from the team that won last year's regular season crown by a game over ETSU and Belmont, but got blasted by the Bucs in the game that really mattered. 6-7 forward Marcus Allen (10 ppg, 6.7 rpg) will be missed, but senior Lehmon Colbert (11.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and junior Ayron Hardy (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) are two formidable frontcourt players. Ben Smith, another senior, will lead the team in the backcourt. Smith averaged almost 17 points a game while dishing out 4 assists and forcing 2 steals per game. The schedule will be tough, as the Dolphins "host" Florida at the Veterans Memorial Arena this season, while they travel to South Carolina, Florida State, and California.

So, I expect the Dolphins to break through and claim the Atlantic Sun's auto bid this season. They'll appear in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9.

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

Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team

Player of the Year: James Florence, 6-1 G, Sr. (Mercer)

Remainder of the Team
Adnan Hodzic, 6-9 C, Jr. (Lipscomb)
Jonathan Rodriguez, 6-5 F, Sr. (Campbell)
Ben Smith, 5-10 G, Sr. (Jacksonville)
Mike Smith, 6-6 G, Sr. (East Tennessee State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Atlantic Sun this season? (Note that Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate aren't listed as they're ineligible.)

Belmont

0 votes

Campbell

1 votes

East Tennessee State

1 votes

Jacksonville

3 votes

Kennesaw State

0 votes

Lipscomb

1 votes

Mercer

2 votes

North Florida

2 votes

Stetson

4 votes

14 votes | Poll has closed

Conference tournament wrap: 3/5/09

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:30:08 -0000

Form is holding with rare exception early on this postseason, exemplified by the Big South where the top seeds have prevailed in each game, setting up a 1/2 Saturday title tilt.

Here's what went down on Thursday.

Game of the Night

3) Belmont 65, 6) Mercer 64 (Atlantic Sun)

The first afternoon game of the postseason provided the first buzzer-beater.

Mick Hedgepeth's putback of an Andy Wicke miss with two-tenths of a second to play gave third-seeded Belmont a 65-64 victory over Mercer in the A-Sun quarters.

The basket was Hedgepath's only one in the second half.

The Bruins have won this tournament in each of the past three seasons.

Upset of the Night

5) Quinnipiac 86, 4) Long Island 78 (OT) (Northeast)

Just two upsets on Thursday and the other was an eight over a nine, so we'll go with the game that went to overtime.

Long Island's Julian Boyd tied the game at 73 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation, but the Blackbirds could muster just three points in overtime.

James Feldeine led Quinnipiac with 22 points, while Justin Rutty added 18 points and 16 rebounds.

The Bobcats face top-seeded Robert Morris in the NEC semis.

Player of the Night

Kenny Thomas (Radford/Big South)

Thomas made five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 35 points for top-seeded Radford, which advanced to Saturday's Big South championship game by knocking off UNC-Asheville.

Honor Roll

Jonathan Cox (Drake/Missouri Valley)

Scored a game-high 27 points as the defending MVC champs were bounced in the first round by Indiana State.

Justin Rutty (Quinnipiac/Northeast)

Notched a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds in the Bobcats' overtime victory over Long Island.

James Florence (Mercer/Atlantic Sun)

Scored 24 points and hit what would have been the game-winning shot with 9.8 seconds left had Mick Hedgepeth's putback not beaten the buzzer.

Full Results

Big South (Semifinals)

1) Radford 94, 4) North Carolina-Asheville 86
2) VMI 78, 3) Liberty 58

Atlantic Sun (Quarterfinals)

3) Belmont 65, 6) Mercer 64
4) Lipscomb 82, 5) Campbell 52

Missouri Valley (First Round)

7) Wichita State 59, 10) Missouri State 46
9) Indiana State 62, 8) Drake 55

Northeast (Quarterfinals)

1) Robert Morris 73, 8) St. Francis 60
2) Mount St. Mary's 72, 7) Wagner 62
3) Sacred Heart 76, 6) Central Connecticut State 64
5) Quinnipiac 67, 4) Long Island 78 (OT)

UK Basketball: Alabama, UK's Next Five, and a Congratulations

Ken Howlett — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:51:52 -0000

Alabama

As UK rolls into Tuscaloosa for a Saturday afternoon (3:00 pm EST) tilt with the Crimson Tide (12-6, 2-2), the 'Cats will be looking for win number five in a row overall, and win number three-in-a-row on the road. With the Tide regrettably losing one-time, do-everything point guard Ronald Steele, along with Jarmereo Davidson and Richard Hendrix (over the last two years), they don't seem to be the threat they once were. But of course, it's a road game, and anything can happen when traveling in the SEC.

Let's take a look at the key Tide personnel and how Alabama stacks up statistically within the SEC:

Tide Personnel

Alonzo Gee: 6'6", 219 lb senior guard -- Gee shoots 43.5% from the field, and only 29.4% from the 3-point line. He averages an impressive 7.6 rebounds per game to go along with his 14.3 points per game

Gee is clearly 'Bama's best player, and most athletic performer, but in his last two games versus UK, he's a combined 2-14 from the field, 0-4 from beyond the arc, and has scored seven total points, to go along with four rebounds (in 43 total minutes played). I'm sure he'll be looking to make up for those sub-par performances Saturday.

Senario Hillman: 6'1", 192 lb sophomore guard -- Hillman shoots 44.1% from the floor, and only 17.6% from the 3-point line. He also averages 3.2 rebounds per game and 13.6 points per game.

Hillman should see extensive time at the point Saturday. Last year versus UK he played only eight minutes, making 1-1 shots for two points.

Mikhail Torrance: 6'5", 210 lb junior guard -- Torrance is 'Bama's best 3-point shooter at 42.9% (12-28), and he shoots 52.4% overall. He averages 9.3 points per game in only 16 minutes played per game.

Torrance, like Hillman, played only eight minutes last year versus UK, going 1-2 from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line, for three points.

JaMychal Green: 6'9", 220 lb freshman forward -- The one-time UK target is shooting 53.0% from the field, and he averages 6.9 rebounds per game. He's the Tides fourth leading scorer at 8.8 points per game.

Justin Knox: 6'9", 240 lb sophomore forward -- Knox shoots 54.2% from the field. He also averages 5.2 rebounds per game and 5.7 points per game.

Last year as a freshman Knox played 20 minutes versus UK. He scored six points, going 3-6 from the field, to go along with three rebounds.

Statistical Tide

Scoring -- 72.7 points per game (8th in the SEC)

Scoring Defense -- 66.4 ppg (8th)

Field Goal % -- 44.6 (8th)

Field Goal % Defense -- 40.1 (6th)

3-Point % -- 29.7 (12th)

3-point % Defense -- 31.5 (2nd)

Rebounding Margin -- +3.1 (6th)

Blocks per game -- 4.7 (4th)

Assists per game -- 10.4 (12th)

Steals per game -- 7.3 (7th)

Assist/TO Ratio -- .77- 188 assists/244 turnovers (12th)

Alabama has made 57 more free throws than their opponents.
'Bama is -7 for the season in offensive rebounds. 'Bama has missed 592 shots and gathered in 249 offensive rebounds (42.1%). Their opponents have missed 650 shots and snagged 256 offensive rebounds (39.4%).
Alonzo Gee and JaMychal Green both average 3.1 offensive rebounds per game.
Brandon Hollinger leads Alabama with 48 3-pointers taken. He's shooting a woeful 16.7% from behind the arc.
'Bama shoots 69.2% from the free throw line. Last year, 'Bama lost eight games by seven points or less, while shooting only 62% from the free throw line.
Tide head coach Mark Gottfried plays nine players at least 11 minutes per game.
Ronald Steele's brother, Andrew, is a freshman guard for Alabama.
UK has won six of the last eight games versus Alabama.

New York-Minute Analysis

Alabama will want to pound the ball into the post, offensively, and use their athleticism and length to pressure UK's lead guards into mistakes, defensively. UK must be mindful of the foul situation regarding their big men, Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson. If both of those players get into foul trouble, UK could be in trouble.

Gottfried will probably have Gee guard Meeks for a large portion of the game. Gee's size advantage, along with his quickness could pose problems for Meeks. If that scenario comes to fruition, Meeks' teammates will be setting all manner of screens to get "Rhythm" as many open looks as possible.

Frankly, this is a game UK should win if they harbor any hopes of making noise on a national level, and unless 'Bama plays their best game of the year, a Kentucky victory should be in the offing.

The seat of Gottfried's pants are warming up, and I don't see Saturday's game doing anything to cool-off the heat.

Alabama Results

Tide wins of note: (N) St. Josephs (10-8) 54-48, (H) Chattanooga (9-10) 82-63, (H) Yale (7-9) 66-63, (H) Georgia Tech (9-9) 88-77, (H) LSU (15-3) 65-59, (H) Mississippi (10-8) 76-73.

Tide losses: (H) Mercer (10-8) 72-69, (N) Oregon (6-13) 92-69, (H) Texas A&M (15-4) 86-78, (A) Clemson (16-2) 66-59, (A) Mississippi St. (13-6) 83-74, (A) Auburn (11-7) 85-71.

The Importance of the Next Five

With UK's Saturday tilt in Tuscaloosa versus Alabama, the University of Kentucky basketball team finds themselves in an excellent position to solidify a first place finish in the SEC East. No, they can't wrap-up the East with a win over the Tide, but the 'Bama game is the first in a series of five games that UK needs to win in order to set-up the best possible East-clinching scenario.

After Alabama comes a road game @ Ole Miss (10-8, 1-3), and home games against South Carolina (13-4, 2-2), Mississippi State (13-6, 3-1), and Florida (16-3, 3-1). UK will be rightfully favored in all of those contests, but the next seven games will provide UK with a much sterner test: @Arkansas (12-4, 0-3) and Vanderbilt (12-6, 1-3), followed by a home game versus Tennessee (12-5, 3-1), @ South Carolina, at home against LSU (15-3, 3-1) and Georgia (9-9, 0-3), and the regular season finale @ Florida.

If UK can find a way to win five of the final seven games, I feel sure that a 14-2 league mark will be sufficient to grab the SEC East title, as well as the overall SEC regular season championship, especially considering every other SEC team has at least one league loss. And in a year when the SEC is admittedly not what it usually is in terms of experienced talent, a two loss SEC season should be enough to impress the Selection Committee into granting UK a sub-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, as long as the 'Cats don't suffer an opening game loss in the SEC Tournament

Congratulations ...

... to Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie; Coach G has now coached 50 games for the Wildcats. And after a slow start to his tenure, he has UK firmly on the road back to prominence. His record stands at 33-17 (66.7%), which some may find miraculous considering the injuries and defections the UK coach has endured. A victory at Alabama today would represent UK's best record after 20 games since the '05-'06 season.

With the abundance of top tier recruits heading to Lexington, fans certainly have reason to be optimistic with the direction of The Program, and content with the job Gillispie is doing.

So Billy, you can't make us all happy all of the time, but you've most of us happy, most of the time.

Keep up the great work!

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Tide!

Hiring Outside the Box: How the Georgia Bulldogs Were Ahead of the Curve on Hiring Practices

T Kyle King — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:15:07 -0000

The good ol' boy hiring system is dead, dead, dead. No longer does a coach need to be part of the family tree to be hired in what was the most good ol' boyish of conferences, the SEC. Not a single one of the current non-fired coaches in the Sexy Excellent Cash conference is an alum of the program, or even coached at the university prior to taking the job as head coach at the school.

In a recent posting, Dr. Saturday made reference to a Spencer Hall column from last November, which I failed to notice at the time (sorry, Orson) and from which the above quotation is taken.

Is it true, though? Is it really accurate "to say that more modern hiring practices have been forced on the schools by the competitive pressures within the league"? Perhaps the firing of Phillip Fulmer (the event giving rise to Spencer’s column) and the subsequent hiring of Lane Kiffin represented a dramatic break for Tennessee, but is it truly modern for an S.E.C. school to hire from without?

Not here in Bulldog Nation, it isn’t. Counting (as most football historians do) James Coulter and former John Heisman assistant Frank Dobson as "co-coaches" in 1909, Mark Richt is the 25th head football coach of the Red and Black. He also is the 18th not to have earned his undergraduate degree in Athens.

If Spencer is right to say that hiring practices which do not favor alumni over outsiders are "more modern," then modernity came very early to the Classic City. Georgia’s first three coaches (Dr. Charles Herty, Ernest Brown, and Robert Winston) all graduated from the University, and all served prior to the hiring of Cornell graduate Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner in 1895.

Four of the seven Georgia alumni to have served as the head football coach at their alma mater had come and gone by 1906. Five of them had moved on from Athens by the time Sanford Stadium was dedicated in 1929. In fact, the most accomplished alumnus ever to have served as head coach of the Bulldogs, former Georgia quarterback and team captain George Cecil "Kid" Woodruff, went 9-1 in his final season in 1927, but his team’s loss to Georgia Tech in Atlanta to conclude the campaign provided the impetus for Steadman Vincent Sanford to begin the fundraising campaign to build a first-class facility in Athens.

Six of Georgia’s first ten football coaches were graduates of Ivy League schools. The last of these, Charles Barnard, was hired in 1904 to update the Red and Black’s offense by installing the Harvard "power" system . . . which consisted largely of a single innovation: run it between the tackles. W.S. "Bull" Whitney, who also wasn’t from around here, was hired away from North Carolina A&M (now N.C. State) in 1906, making him the last Georgia head coach with prior Division I-A head coaching experience.

Georgia men have been at the helm between the hedges for just ten of the last 81 years and, during the periods when Johnny Griffith and Ray Goff roamed the sidelines, the ‘Dawgs went 56-50-5 and posted records of 1-9 against Florida, 3-6-1 against Auburn, and 5-5 against Georgia Tech.

Except during the tenure of George Woodruff, the greatest successes of Georgia football all have come when someone who was not an alumnus of the University was in command of the football program. Many of the Bulldogs’ most notable achievements have come when the team was coached by someone who attended a school which we consider a rival, regard with disdain, or play (or played) with some frequency.

Alex Cunningham went to Vanderbilt. Herman Stegeman was a graduate of the University of Chicago, which was then a member of the Big Ten. Harry Mehre was a product of Notre Dame, Wally Butts was a Mercer alum, and, of course, Vince Dooley came out of Auburn. That Mark Richt attended college at Miami (Florida) does not warrant so much as the raising of an eyebrow.

As a general proposition, Spencer Hall undoubtedly is correct that something has changed in the Southeastern Conference when teams steeped in tradition are looking outside their programs to find new head coaches, often ones with no prior ties either to the league or to the region. "Modern," though, may be too strong an appellation to apply at this end of the Appalachians. In Northeast Georgia, we have been hiring head coaches from parts unknown for quite a while, and it’s been working out just fine.

What Lewis Grizzard said long ago still applies. We’ll let ‘em move down here, work among us, and marry our women, just as long as they don’t tell us how they did it back in Cleveland.

Go ‘Dawgs!