SB Nation - Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

RPI WATCH: 12/03/09

BracketCat — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:00:37 -0000

by Charlie Riedel - AP

Kansas State's RPI and strength of schedule are rising like Jam Sam going up for a dunk — despite the Wildcats' poor play of late. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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The majority of our opponents, both past and future, were in action last night — including our three opponents from Puerto Rico, three of our four immediately upcoming opponents and seven of the Big 12 teams.

And what a crazy night it was. There were overtime games, upsets, the Big Ten winning the Challenge against the ACC (one of the signs of the impending apocalypse), you name it.

To see how everyone fared, click the jump.

If for some reason you absolutely need to know up-to-date numbers, I get them here.

Current Kansas State RPI = 15

Current Kansas State SOS = 20

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (4-1) | RPI = 27
Western Illinois (3-3) | RPI = 207
Boston (2-6) | RPI = 162: Loss at Connecticut (92-64)
Ole Miss (6-1) | RPI = 39: Win at Arkansas State (79-57)
Dayton (4-2) | RPI = 46: Win at Miami University (65-58)
IUPUI (5-2) | RPI = 84
FHSU (4-1)
Washington State (6-1) | RPI = 112: Loss at No. 17 Gonzaga (74-69)
Xavier (4-2) | RPI = 114
No. 24 UNLV (6-0) | RPI = 5: Win at Arizona (74-72 in double overtime)
Alabama (5-2) | RPI = 52: Win over North Florida (73-51)
UAPB (0-5) | RPI = 229
Cleveland State (3-4) | RPI = 191
South Dakota (5-3) | RPI = 143: Win over Dakota State (111-59)
Missouri (4-2) | RPI = 107: Loss at Vanderbilt (89-83)
No. 19 Texas A&M (6-1) | RPI = 8: Win over PVAMU (84-59)
Colorado (5-2) | RPI = 181
No. 3 Texas (5-0) | RPI = 3
Oklahoma State (6-1) | RPI = 18: Loss at Tulsa (86-65)
Baylor (6-1) | RPI = 160
No. 1 Kansas (6-0) | RPI = 38: Win over Alcorn State (98-31)
Nebraska (5-1) | RPI = 81: Win over UTPA (81-53)
Iowa State (6-2) | RPI = 148: Loss to Northern Iowa (63-60)
Oklahoma (4-3) | RPI = 206: Win over Arkansas (67-47)
Texas Tech (7-0) | RPI = 48

A Lesson for Kentucky Basketball

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:10 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The X man didn't look much like a mutant last night.

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Last night's game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Memphis Tigers is a great lesson for the Jayhawks that they get to learn without much cost, much like Kentucky's game versus the Miami RedHawks the other night. It isn't exactly free -- both teams took a hit to their pre-season hype and credibility -- but its value is far beyond that ephemeral penalty.

Take a look at what Yahoo's Jason King said about Kansas last night:

Kansas’ players seemed arrogant and, as a team, the Jayhawks lacked cohesion. Memphis, meanwhile, used pesky defense and hustle plays to stay in the game. The Tigers forced 21 turnovers while fighting back from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half.

Remember the article about swagger the other day? This is the danger of having swagger -- the possibility that it can run over into arrogance. Arrogance in a college basketball team, particularly early in the season, leads to defeat. The Jayhawks dodged a bullet, the 'Cats dodged a bullet, the Tar Heels dodged a bullet, and the Spartans dodged a bullet. There is a lesson to be learned here, I think.

The lesson is that unless you adopt a professional attitude about the work before you, swagger just looks arrogant and classless. It inspires other teams not to fear you, but to want to kick your butt all over the arena, and sometimes, a little inspiration is all you need -- right, Nick Winbush?

The early season is for learning lessons, and right now, the lesson is don't crown yourself king until you have won a few battles. That lesson should be burning into the brain of every player on UK, KU, Michigan State and UNC. That crown doesn't fit any of these teams yet -- it's much too small to fit on swelled heads. Those heads will shrink as the season goes on and young players learn, but the learning needs to start right now.

Lesson #1 -- respect your opponent, and don't take him for granted. Otherwise, he might rise up and smite you.

More after the jump.

There is another interesting thing about this game that is more relevant to the Wildcats -- it brought out the Kentucky detractor (or more correctly, the Calipari detractor) in ESPN's Dana O'Neal. I generally like Dana's work, but tonight, she really laid the wood to the new UK coach:

Kansas is not the dominant, etch-the-name-on-the-trophy No. 1 team everyone thought it was and John Calipari's Shermanesque, scorched-Earth policy on Memphis has not rendered the Tigers obsolete.

And later in the same article ...

And then Calipari bolted to Kentucky, taking players, secretaries, potted plants and the hopes for the 2009-10 season with him. In his wake stood Pastner, a 32-year-old caffeine-eschewing, sleep-avoiding, curse-averse, first-time coach who ended Tuesday night's press conference remarking how cool it was to be holding a press conference.

Josh Skywalker. Darth Cal. Get it?

But I digress. The point of this piece is to note that several of the top teams have proven themselves not quite ready for prime time, and so far, it has not cost any of them much more than a raised eyebrow and significantly increased practice intensity.

But if the lesson goes unlearned, that bill will come due in the form of embarassing losses. And Bill Self, friend of Billy Gillispie, can get all the insight he wants about embarassing losses with a phone call to the former UK coach.

College Hoops Go-Round: November 17

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:55:30 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Kentucky's John Wall goes between Miami of Ohio's Julian Mavunga (4) and Nick Winbush (20) for a basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. Wall had 19 points in Kentucky's 72-70 win. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Since I already previewed today's action here, this post will only recap Monday night's games, with the first few contests from the early morning hours on this enjoyable gimmick of a day thrown in for good measure.

The big story of the day was John Wall's debut at Kentucky, and he bailed the Wildcats out against Miami (Ohio), which ended up 72-70 UK. You can see his game winning shot here.

The other big attraction of the night was regional play in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

In the North region, Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker led UConn to a win over Colgate. The Huskies will next face Hofstra, 68-63 winners over Yale.
The South region final will feature Western Kentucky and LSU in Baton Rouge. The Hilltoppers got 30 from A.J. Slaughter to beat Milwaukee, 69-65, while the Bayou Bengals had little problem with Indiana State, winning 56 to 45.
Duke will meet Charlotte in the East final in Durham. Kyle Singler had a double double (23 points, 11 boards) to lead the Blue Devils to a 25-point win over Coastal Carolina. The 49ers beat Elon in game two, 75 to 61.
Out West, TCU, 83-65 winners over Cal State-Northridge, will face homestanding Arizona State, who beat Texas State 84 to 62.

After the jump, I'll have some of the other action from today, including the scores of the first few games of the round the clock marathon.

The 24-hour marathon got started with a double OT thriller, as Cal State Fullerton defeated UCLA for the first time, 68-65. The Titan win snapped the Bruins' string of 37 straight wins over unranked non-conference foes.
St. Mary's had a suprisingly easy time with San Diego State in the 2 a.m. Eastern game, winning 60-58.
At 4 a.m., Northern Colorado used a 19-0 run to get ahead of host Hawai'i, whose comeback attempt fell short in the end.
St. Peter's blew out Monmouth in the first ever Division I basketball game to start at 6 a.m. local time.
Auburn fell to Missouri State, 73 to 62, becoming the second SEC school to fall to the Bears at the JQH Center in as many years, as Arkansas lost there last season.
Florida State knocked off Atlantic Sun favorite Jacksonville by 26.
Washington State struggled with Eastern Washington, finally prevailing 67 to 61.
Indiana also had a closer game than expected, as they beat South Carolina Upstate by 8.
Cincinnati also had a rough go of it last night, beating Prairie View 69-62. Lance Stephenson only had 7 on the night.
Rider didn't slip up after their upset of Mississippi State. They defeated Lehigh 86-71.
In a battle of two teams picked to finish near the bottom of their respective leagues, South Florida ran all over Tony Bennett's Virginia, 66-49. Dominique Jones had 22 to pace the Bulls.

If I didn't list your team's score, check the rundown on the right of any of the recap pages I've linked to find the result.

Miami (OH) RedHawks, 70 @ Kentucky, 72 -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:47:23 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Daniel Orton -- bloody, but unbowed.

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Wow. Just wow. At Kentucky, we don't expect to have barnburners in the second game of the year, even though we have sufferd through them in each of the last three years. I know many UK fans were seeing visions of VMI and Gardner-Webb dance in their heads. But not this time.

First of all, I have no words for the Miami RedHawks. They were just incredible. 15-26 from three point range is some of the best perimeter shooting I have ever heard of, and Nick Winbush's 80% on 10 shots is simply breathtaking. Superlatives fail me. At the end of the day, it was only by dint of the most furious of all-out efforts that UK was able to prevail, by the narrowest of margins. Folks, coming in to Rupp Arena, whether you are Miami of Ohio or North Carolina, and barely missing by two points is a moral victory, if there really is such a thing.

It would be easy for me to find fault with the Wildcats, as there is plenty of fault to go around. But we'll get to that later. First, I want to remark on the absolute playoff atmosphere in Rupp Arena. Never in recent memory have I seen a home crowd so into the basketball game, so animated, so determined to push the Wildcats over the top. And that's what happened, I think. I think the crowd was just enough to make the difference. Remarkable.

I have to admit a certain ... Zen feeling about this game. Unlike many games in the recent past, I never thought we would lose, even at the very last. I cannot say that about the Wildcat teams for the last four years before now. I was always pessimistic, for whatever reason. But whatever the cause, I was never upset too much, and I kept my composure remarkably well during the whole game. What does that mean? I have no idea.

More after the jump.

I think ... no, I am absolutely positive that John Calipari learned far more than the team did tonight. He not only learned about the team, but about himself. Calipari has approached this season a bit like an emperor who has the favor of the people -- a man who not only expects to succeed, but darn well knows he will.

Oh, Coach Cal has been humble in person, and dutifully warned us that the team will look ugly at first, but all that pretense has not been able to hide the mien of an emperor. I'd be willing to bet he doesn't feel much like an emperor right now.

But all that I can say about the coach goes double for the team. They strode onto the floor like kings, claiming a cachet of greatness that they have yet to earn, despite the accolades heaped on them by the fans and media. I'd be willing to wager a significant amount that a bunch of AAU supermen will now better understand that college basketball will be different, even at their skill level.

Here are a few observations:

DeMarcus left the building in the second half, and Bad Cuz showed up. Just in time.
John Wall has a lot to learn about when to try to beat a man off the dribble, and what it means to do so.
Patrick Patterson is really good, even suffering from apparent dehydration.
Both Wall and Bledsoe have to learn to be stronger with the basketball.
I don't often complain about the officiating, but tonight, it was abysmal.
The RedHawks were not intimidated by Kentucky. That's a problem, don't you think? Clearly, the last four years will not disappear quickly, nor all at once.
Kentucky's defense was much better in the second half than the first, but it will not excite Coach Cal. Nor should it.
John Wall made the game winner in his first game. I can't decide whether that is a good omen, or a bad one.
Daniel Orton played great until the head butt. I liked the fact he demanded to return.
UK had better improve their free throw shooting, and Calipari had better take that seriously. It cost him a national championship, and nearly cost us the game.
Miami's transition defense was the best I have seen in years. Years. It was almost perfect.
15 turnovers is okay. It didn't seem okay, because so many were live, but that number is fine.
UK had only 11 assists. I think that's a problem.
You'd think after being burned by the same guy four or five times, UK would have found him. In this game, you'd be wrong.
What took Calipari so long to get Dodson into the game? I thought he was going to do a Gillispie.
Speaking of Dodson, what a lift he was!
John Wall had as many turnovers as he had assists.
UK shot 54% from 3-point range and almost lost.
UK had several incredible defensive stands tonight, but against better teams, they would not have gone as well.

All in all, it was an amazing win against a team that should have beaten us. Miami was one of the hottest teams from outside I have ever seen, and as the game wore on, many of those shots were not clean looks -- they just made them. At this precise moment, I am still a bit in shock that Kentucky actually managed to come out on top. UK was completely outplayed in the first half, and just stayed even in the second. How did we win? Determination and Rupp Arena would be my guess, as well as a 22-14 foul advantage and 37-25 rebound advantage.

Hopefully, it gets better from here.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Miami (OH) Redhawks -- Pre-game Analysis

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:42 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

Heeeerrreees Johnny!

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We continue with four straight days of Kentucky Wildcats sports today with men's basketball -- the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks.

In this post, I'll be breaking down the game (insofar as possible with the very few games played so far) and look at what we can expect from the RedHawks this evening in Rupp Arena.

The RedHawks have played one official game so far this year, and two pre-season exhibitions, just like Kentucky. The RedHawks won both exhibitions, but lost their opener to Towson State, 82-71. In that contest, Miami had the lead early in the second half, but turnovers and excellent Towson free-trhow shooting ultimately doomed the RedHawks, and Towson shot 58% eFG for the game to pull away in the second half.

Last season, the RedHawks were 17-13 for the season and 10-6 in the MAC Eastern Division. Miami returns 9 players from last year, losing 5. The RedHawks and the Wildcats have met 23 times previously, with Kentucky prevailing in 20 of those contests. The last time the RedHawks defeated the Wildcats was in 1927.

A further analysis after the jump.

Roster

No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Pos.	Year	Hometown/High School	Status	Pts	FG%	Reb	Asst	Stl	Blk
00	Drew Kelly	6-7	253	Forward	FR	Franklin, TN/Centennial
1	Rodney Haddix II	6-3	220	Guard	JR	Georgetown, KY/Scott County	Starter	5	28.6	2	0	4	0
11	Sean Mock	6-6	207	Forward	RS JR	Oxford, OH/Talawanda
12	Kramer Soderberg	6-0	174	Guard	SO	St. Charles, MO/St. Charles West	Starter	8	50	3	4	1	0
13	Michael Aluise	6-5	200	Guard/Forward	SR	Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier
14	Kenny Hayes	6-2	183	Guard	RS SR	Dayton, OH/Northmont	Starter	17	38.5	4	6	0	0
15	Orlando Williams	6-4	173	Guard	FR	Cincinnati, OH/Princeton	Major cont.	5	66.7	0	0	0	0
20	Nick Winbush	6-7	226	Forward	JR	Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights	Starter	11	57.1	5	2	0	3
3	Allen Roberts	6-3	211	Guard	FR	Middletown, OH/Middletown
35	Antonio Ballard	6-4	222	Guard/Forward	RS JR	Jeffersonville, IN/Jeffersonville	Major cont.	8	80	6	2	1	1
4	Julian Mavunga	6-8	245	Forward	SO	Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg	Major cont.	6	50	2	0	0	1
40	Adam Thomas	6-7	227	Forward	RS SO	Springboro, OH/Springboro
41	Adam Fletcher	6-9	241	Center	RS SR	St. Albans, WV/St. Albans	Starter	11	60	7	1	0	0
50	Drew McGhee	6-11	231	Center	FR	North Ridgeville, OH/North Ridgeville
55	Vince Legarza	6-9	246	Center	RS FR	San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius Prep

Statistical analysis (courtesy of KenPom.com)

Scouting Report
Stats include games through Sunday, November 15
against D-I teams only
	Miami (OH)		Kentucky
Category	Offense	Defense	Offense	Defense	D-I Avg
Adj. Efficiency:	103.5 [121]	108.7 [231]	100.7 [155]	92.3 [52]	101.2
Adj. Tempo:	69.5 [166]	70.4	71.4 [111]	70.4
Four Factors
Effective FG%:	53.8 [83]	57.0 [229]	53.8 [83]	41.5 [54]	49.1
Turnover %:	29.1 [257]	16.0 [235]	33.1 [272]	16.6 [225]	21.2
Off. Reb. %:	50.0 [8]	32.8 [143]	55.8 [2]	30.5 [105]	33.1
FTA/FGA:	42.3 [124]	43.9 [173]	53.8 [53]	18.5 [25]	39.7
Miscellaneous Components
3P%:	37.5 [85]	35.7 [167]	21.1 [241]	16.7 [14]	33.6
2P%:	52.8 [94]	58.1 [241]	66.7 [10]	51.2 [170]	48.5
FT%:	68.2 [131]	68.0 [148]	67.9 [135]	41.7 [5]	67.6
Block%:	19.4 [261]	11.6 [85]	6.1 [93]	19.5 [18]	9.3
Steal%:	14.6 [250]	8.7 [157]	12.4 [227]	4.1 [260]	9.7
Style Components
3PA/FGA:	30.8 [158]	24.6 [51]	36.5 [91]	36.9 [199]	32.5
A/FGM:	60.0 [78]	63.3 [223]	46.2 [189]	44.0 [85]	52.4
Defensive Fingerprint:	Mostly Man		Mostly Man
Point Distribution (% of total points)
3-Pointers:	25.4 [137]	18.3 [212]	16.0 [230]	20.3 [186]	26.2
2-Pointers:	53.5 [135]	61.0 [62]	58.7 [74]	71.2 [17]	52.4
Free Throws:	21.1 [144]	20.7 [148]	25.3 [81]	8.5 [266]	21.5
Strength of Schedule
Components:	111.2 [25]	101.1 [128]	89.3 [247]	104.0 [160]	101.2
Overall:	0.7494 [74]	.5000	0.1472 [225]	.5000
Non-conference:	0.7494 [74]	.5000	0.1472 [225]	.5000
Personnel
Bench Minutes:	0.0% [0]	0.0%	0.0% [0]	0.0%
Experience:	0.00 yrs [0]	0.00	0.00 yrs [0]	0.00
Effective Height:	+0.0 [0]	0.0	+0.0 [0]	0.0
Average Height:	0.0" [0]	0.0"	0.0" [0]	0.0"

You will notice that I highlighted the difference in point distribution 3-pointers. Miami takes many more than Kentucky, which is no surprise to anyone.

At this early juncture, these stats aren't terribly meaningful, but directionally, the do give us some indication of what to expect. In their first game this season, Kentucky was very inefficient offensively, but they shot the ball well from 2 and did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, as you would expect from the taller Wildcats.

Tonight we should see pretty much the same sort of thing as we saw versus Morehead, only Miami does not have a player that is as accomplished or athletic as Kenneth Faried. Miami is mostly a man-to-man team, but I would expect to see some zone from them tonight.

As you can see by their tempo statistic, in their first game they ran a bit more than Morehead wanted to do against UK. Miami may well try to slow the tempo to prevent the more athletic 'Cats, and particularly John Wall, from turning the game into a track meet that they cannot win. But Miami likes to play faster than the Eagles, and it will be interesting to see how much they try to combat that tendency.

Kentucky is far bigger, stronger and athletic inside, and that will probably equate to a big rebouding edge for the 'Cats, particularly if the Redhawks try to use a sagging man defense against Kentucky, as I expect. Miami does not take very good care of the ball (or at least, they haven't so far), so assuming UK turns the ball over less with John Wall in the game, as is widely expected, Kentucky could exploit Miami turnovers for some easy points.

This early in the season, detailed analysis is really hard, but I would expect Kentucky to try some different things versus the sagging defenses than mindlessly throwing up the always-available three-pointer that UK is going to see a lot of this year. It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff adjusts to the UK weakness shooting the ball from the outside.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Big Blue Everywhere Edition

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:10:15 -0000

by Mark Humphrey - AP

Goin' bowling, baby!

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Today's edition of the Big Blue Daily Mail comes near the end of a four-day stretch in which Kentucky continues to win games in every discipline -- men's basketball on Friday, football on Saturday and women's basketball on Sunday.

Tonight, the Wildcats welcome the Miami (OH) Redhawks into Rupp Arena for a men's basketball contest that will see John Wall and Eric Bledsoe play together for the first time this season. I expect some serious fireworks as UK puts its best team on the floor.

After Xavier Henry's 27-point performance on Friday night, some are now hoping that Wall will somehow improve on that. Not only is that not necessary, it is not even desirable. College basketball is a team game, and what I hope to see tonight is team basketball -- and I expect I will.

Midnight tonight marks the beginning of the 24 hours of hoops marathon on the ESPN family of TV stations. Rush the Court, incredibly, will be live-blogging the entire marathon. All I can say is, "You go, guys." Be sure to check back with them frequently to find out what's happening from work.

The news follows the jump.

Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: What a difference a Cobb and Locke make! UK becomes bowl eligible with 24-13 win over Vandy
I know that a lot of Kentucky fans are impatient to take the next step and they are now even questions the strength of schedule that allows UK to become bowl eligible. I have said before that as long as Florida can compete for national titles and be a top the BCS polls by playing 3 patsies and FSU every year, I have no problem at all with UK playing UL and teams like EKU and WKU.

Paul makes a great point here. For the schedule detractors, keep in mind that many successful teams in the SEC use the same strategy as UK.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Will other prospects join Stacey Poole in early signing period?
Paul Jordan and Wildcat Blue in a Sea of Orange bring us a good recruiting update.
RedHawks will have their hands full at No. 4 UK
"Kentucky ... I don’t know if we’ve played anybody that talented before," Coles said. "It’s by far the best freshman group we’ve ever gone up against."

UK probably has the best freshman group in at least the last 20 years.
UK's Wall ready for college debut | KentuckySports.com
With his belated college debut at hand, Kentucky freshman John Wall expects to be nervous at tip-off Monday night against Miami (Ohio).

"If you don't have jitters going into a game, you're not a basketball player," he said Sunday.

Heh. I agree, especially when you are going to be playing under an electron microscope and expected to jump over tall players with a single bound.
Danny Jett's Inner Circle: A Redhawk Review......A Look At Miami (OH)
Vols lose to Ole Miss: 3 Tennessee football players arrested could have caused loss
Excuses, excuses.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Morning Five: 11.16.09 Edition
There will be no criminal charges filed stemming from the brawls between the Kansas football and basketball teams on September 22 and 23 of this year, but it would have been nice if Bill Self had taken more of an active role in punishing those responsible.

Offered without comment.
Rumely sets UK assist mark | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Heels hang on to beat Valparaiso - North Carolina - NewsObserver.com
The sixth-ranked Tar Heels (3-0) managed to top Valparaiso 88-77 Sunday at the Smith Center, but if their performance continues to look effort-less instead of effortless, it could be a bumpier-than-expected season for what's left of the defending national champions.

UNC will get better. Don't get cocky.
5 things to watch this week - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
Let the hype begin!

Two heralded freshmen make their debuts Monday: Kentucky’s John Wall and Cincinnati’s Lance Stephenson. Expect fireworks from both.

Indeed.
Cats fans to see full backcourt | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Wall, a 6-foot-4 point guard, is regarded as the nation's best incoming freshman.

He'd have to put on quite a show, though, to have the season's splashiest debut.

I just want the guy to play well. Forget Xavier Henry's great performance, just go out there and play.
Miami (Ohio)-Kentucky Preview - Nov. 15, 2009 - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
Behind one of its talented freshmen, Kentucky played well in its season opener. Things could go even better when its top recruit finally takes the court.
UK notes: Miller 'trying to figure it out' | KentuckySports.com
Miller said he couldn't explain his slow start to the season: averaging 7.5 points in two exhibition games and then going scoreless (and taking only four shots) in 32 minutes against Morehead State.

Darius Miller is a great player, he just has to be more aggressive offensively.
CatsPause.com - Calipari warns 'old school' Miami will be challenge
"They have a nice little scheme that they are running. It looks a lot like a Florida team," UK coach John Calipari said Sunday. "If you try to go under, they roll. They'll slip the screen. A lot of the stuff is the same as the way Florida plays."
March Madness All Season: Friday, Nov. 13 Observations
UK notebook: 'D' is key to Cal's success | KentuckySports.com
Despite the hubbub about Kentucky players needing to adjust to the dribble-drive offense, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas says there's a bigger — and more important — adjustment the Wildcats must make for new coach John Calipari this season.

"I think that biggest adjustment will be on defense," Bilas said on an ESPN teleconference last week. "Cal's teams won over the years not because of offense."

Bilas, as usual, gets it right.
No. 1 Jayhawks in Tigers' sights "
"Yeah, it's been a while since Memphis has been an underdog, so a lot of people will be rooting for us," junior guard Roburt Sallie said. "It should be an exciting game. Everybody wants to see the No. 1 team go down."
Miami’s point guard, defense worry Calipari | Vaught's Views
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Calipari still mum on Liggin's status

BtB 2009-10 Mid-American Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:31 -0000

The MAC went through the entire decade of the '00s without earning a single at-large, something they managed to do three times in the 1990s, including the last two years of the decade. The last three seasons pretty much summed up the variety of reasons why.

Last season, the Eastern Division dominated the West. Ohio University ended up as only team in the East that finished with a losing conference record, and their 7-9 mark would have earned them a tie of the Western Division crown. In fact, no team in the West managed to finish with a winning record overall. No MAC team lost fewer than 12 games. Keith Dambrot's Akron Zips managed to earn their first tournament bid, and got a 13 seed and 13-point loss to Gonzaga for their trouble.

In 2007-08, the conference was more balanced between divisions, but Kent State managed to leap way above the rest of the pack. The Golden Flashes won 28 games, claiming victories over St. Mary's, Illinois State, and George Mason, and ended up as a 9 seed in the NCAAs. Had they fallen in the MAC tournament, the league could have very well had two bids. But, in their conference's hour of need, they claimed the title.

In 2006-07, Akron jumped out to 26 wins, but a lack of big wins and a second-place finish to Toledo in the overall MAC race meant they had no chance to get an at-large when Miami knocked them out in the tournament final.

So, the conference needs to hope for more than one dominant team, who can earn some non-conference wins, all while limiting the damage they suffer in the league. Got it? Good. You can read more on the 12 teams who will make up this year's MAC scrum after the jump.

Here's a look at last season's MAC standings.

Mid-American Conference Standings

(updated 3.19.2009 at 10:20 PM EDT)

East	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Buffalo Bulls	11	5	21	12
Bowling Green Falcons	11	5	19	14
Akron Zips	10	6	23	13
Kent St. Golden Flashes	10	6	19	15
Miami (Ohio) RedHawks	10	6	17	13
Ohio Bobcats	7	9	15	17

West	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Ball St. Cardinals	7	9	14	17
Central Michigan Chippewas	7	9	12	19
Western Michigan Broncos	7	9	10	21
Eastern Michigan Eagles	6	10	8	24
Northern Illinois Huskies	5	11	10	20
Toledo Rockets	5	11	7	25

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

West Division

Toledo (last NCAA: 1980) Gene Cross will look for his Rockets to improve on the seven wins they earned in his first season at the helm, but thanks to the loss of three starters, including leading scorers Tyrone Kent and Jonathan Amos, things will get worse in Toledo before they get better. 6-9 junior F/C Justin Anyijong (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is the only impact returnee, and the eight freshmen Cross brought in this season will get plenty of experience. The schedule doesn't help the Rockets much, as they'll play at Michigan State as part of the Legends Classic, with a visit to Philadelphia to face Cornell, Drexel, and Vermont in one of that event's "subregionals" to follow. Toledo also pays Cincinnati a visit, while hosting Alabama.

Western Michigan (last NCAA: 2004) Steve Hawkins' team was atypically non-competitive last season, and they'll struggle to get back to relevance this season thanks to the loss of three starters from last year's 10-win outfit. If there is hope in Kalamazoo, it's because guard David Kool, the team's leading scorer (17.9 ppg), is back for his senior season. 6-7 Flenard Whitfield, a forward who averaged 5.5 points and a little more than 4 boards a game, is back, as is reserve center Donald Lawson, a senior who may have to up his minutes and production after scoring more than 5 points and grabbing 5.5 boards a game off the bench last year. 6-10 F/C Shayne Whittington, 6-4 swingman Brandon Pokley, and 6-2 PG Austin Harper will see immediate action as newcomers. The Broncos schedule features a trip to Hawai'i for the Christmas Diamond Head Classic, where they'll open with USC. They visit Illinois and play host Temple, VCU, and Holy Cross.

Ball State (last NCAA: 2000) Billy Taylor's Cardinals will struggle to repeat their accomplishment of tying for last year's West Division title with a 7-9 record thanks to the loss of three starters, F Anthony Newell, and the starting backcourt of Brandon Lampley and Laron Frazier. 6-9 sophomore F Jarrod Jones, who made his presence known during his freshman season by averaging more than 11 points and 7 boards a game, should be even better this season. He'll have to be as there isn't much else coming back. The Cardinals travel down to Indy to take on Purdue at the Wooden Classic, plus Butler makes the trip to Muncie.

Northern Illinois (last NCAA: 1996) Ricardo Patton's squad could make a move up in his third season in charge in DeKalb. The Huskies have four starters back. 6-2 senior Darion Anderson (16.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore PG Mike DiNunno (11.9 ppg, 2.6 apg) form a solid backcourt, while 6-11 junior Sean Kowal (9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is the anchor of the frontcourt. If the supporting cast, especially the players surrounding Kowal at the forward positions, can increase their impact, the Huskies should challenge for the division. They'll be ready for the MAC slate thanks to a non-conference schedule that features visits to Illinois, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and Northwestern, along with home games against Temple and Bradley.

Eastern Michigan (last NCAA: 1998) The Eagles finished a game back of the MAC West lead last year, and could be ready to make a big jump in the standings thanks to the return of four starters and the return of PG Carlos Medlock, who averaged almost 15 points and more than 4 assists in 2007-08, from a broken foot. A frontcourt led by double figure scorers Brandon Bowdry (14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Justin Dobbins (10 ppg, 5 rpg) will be bolstered by the addition of 6-6 JC transfer Jay Higgins. EMU will participate in a round-robin tournament at Missouri State this season, which also features Maryland-Eastern Shore and the Citadel.

Central Michigan (last NCAA: 2003) Ernie Zeigler's Chippewas have a solid core, featuring three returning startes who can score--6-8 F Chris Kellerman (14.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6-3 SG Jordan Baker (12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), and 6-1 PG Robbie Harman (11.4 ppg, 3 apg). The biggest lost is inside, where the Chips will miss 6-7 Marcus Van's scoring (13 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). 6-11 senior Brandon Ford (1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and 6-7 freshman William McClure will try to make up Van's interior production. Zeigler will need his freshmen to contribute immediately in supporting roles, as there aren't a lot of experienced returnees on the bench. The Chippewas' non-conference slate is road-heavy, as they visit Illinois State, Purdue, USF, and Wright State.

East Division

Ohio (last NCAA: 2005) The Bobcats were the only team in the East to post a losing record last season, and with three starters from that team gone, John Groce's team is likely to be worse this time around. Two key pieces of the backcourt, Steven Coleman and Tommy Freeman--two players who averaged a combined 17+ points a game, are back, as are a couple of forwards who will have to play bigger roles this season, 6-7 junior DeVaughn Washington (6.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-10 Dutch senior C Kenneth van Kempen (3.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg). They'll get plenty of help from 6-8 freshman Ivo Baltic, while 5-11 freshman D.J. Cooper should replace Michael Allen at the point. Middle Tennessee, North Carolina A&T, and Lamar will visit Athens for a tournament, while Illinois State also visits the Convo this season.

Bowling Green (last NCAA: 1968) Louis Orr's squad won 19 last season, dropping a 73-71 decision to Creighton in the NIT to close out the year. But like so many other MAC teams, the Falcons will struggle to replicate last season's record thanks to personnel losses. Orr's top three scorers from a year ago are all gone, with starting PG Joe Jakubowski (7.7 ppg, 3.5 apg), C Otis Polk (6.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg), and reserve F Erik Marshall (5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) the most experienced remaining players. Bowling Green's guard-heavy freshman class will see a lot of action during a schedule that starts with road trips to Xavier and Iowa.

Miami (Ohio) (last NCAA: 2007) The Redhawks lost three starters from last season's squad, most significantly leading scorer Michael Bramos and interior force Tyler Dierker, but Charlie Coles gets point guard Kenny Hayes back healthy after he got hurt last December. He averaged almost 14 points and 4 assists in his eight appearances last year. 6-4 junior swingman Antonio Ballard, who averaged almost 7 points and 5+ boards a game last season should step in for Ramos, while 6-8 senior Adam Fletcher (4.6 ppg, 4 rpg) will see more minutes in Dierker's absence. Miami visits Cincinnati, Kentucky, and New Mexico (for a round-robin event), while they host Dayton and Temple.

Kent State (last NCAA: 2008) Geno Ford will look to improve on last year's 19 wins without the services of leading scorer Al Fisher, a 6-1 guard who averaged more than 15 points a game. Replacing Fisher's production will be key and three key seniors--G Chris Singletary (12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6th man Tyree Evans (11.7 ppg), and F Anthony Simpson (6.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)--should be able to up their games. Defensive specialist Rodriquez Sherman also returns after missing all of last season to provide another boost to the backcourt, while 6-10 Brandon Parks (5.9 ppg, 4.7rpg) will team with Simpson inside. The Golden Flashes will welcome UAB, Green Bay, and Samford to this season's Hispanic College Fund Classic and visit former coach Stan Heath's USF squad, Xavier, and Pittsburgh.

Buffalo (last NCAA: None) Reggie Witherspoon's Bulls should contend again thanks to four returning starters, led by 6-2 senior G Rodney Pierce (14.3 ppg) and 6-3 senior swingman Calvin Betts (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg). 6-7 Max Boudreau, Buffalo's key reserve who averaged more than 6 points and 3 boards a game, should see more action this year. Pierce will get some more scoring help in the backcourt thanks to Northern Arizona transfer Zach Filzen, who shot 41 percent from 3 while in Flagstaff and 6-2 freshman Tony Watson, who averaged in double-figures in points and assists during his senior year of high school. The Bulls visit Purdue, Niagara, and Navy, host Army, and participate in UCF's Holiday tournament this season.

Akron (last NCAA: 2009) Keith Dambrot lost 6-8 F Nate Linhart (10.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) off the first Zip team to make the NCAAs, but pretty much everyone else is back. That means Akron is still the team to beat. 6-7 senior F Chris McKnight will anchor the frontcourt, while his brother Brett, who averaged more than 11 points and almost 4 boards a game last season as the team's 6th man, should see a lot more time with Linhart's departure. 6-8 sophomore Nikola Cvetinovic will be pushed by 7-footer Zeke Marshall, a freshman from Pennsylvania, for minutes at the post. The backcourt remains solid thanks to the presence of sophomore PG Humpty Hitchens (8.8 ppg, 2,2 apg), off guard Darryl Roberts (8.3 ppg), and a solid reserve PG, Steve McNees (5.8 ppg, 1.9 apg). The Zips will participate in the Glenn Wilkes Classic before Thanksgiving, hosting Austin Peay and facing Drake, Howard, and NC State in Daytona Beach.

I'm picking the Zips to repeat and take the overall conference crown, so they'll hold the MAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. I don't see the MAC heading back to the late '90s, when they occasionally were a multi-bid league, but you never know what will happen as the season progresses.

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

Preseason All-MAC Team

Player of the Year: Brett McKnight, 6-6 F, Jr. (Akron)

Remainder of the Team
Darion Anderson, 6-2 G, Jr. (Northern Illinois)
Brandon Bowdry, 6-6 F, Jr. (Eastern Michigan)
David Kool, 6-3 G, Sr. (Western Michigan)
Rodney Pierce, 6-2 G, Sr. (Buffalo)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the MAC this season?

Akron

3 votes

Ball State

0 votes

Bowling Green

2 votes

Buffalo

2 votes

Central Michigan

0 votes

Eastern Michigan

0 votes

Kent State

0 votes

Miami (Ohio)

0 votes

Northern Illinois

3 votes

Ohio

0 votes

Toledo

0 votes

Western Michigan

1 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

A Game (or Two) a Night: November 2009

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

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See, this is why every game is important.

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

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

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

Where are College Basketball's top metropolitan areas?

SFBE.NF — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:12:51 -0000

When in doubt...make a list. When you're in the end of August, and many are completey rearing their head towards pennant races and the start of football season, just make a damn list - and you might get some attention.

There's a ton of great college towns in America. We all know them, and we all have spent 4+ years there or maybe a wild weekend in a blur of inebriation. Please, we aren't asking for your stories.

But there's also some major markets in this country that can claim the name as a "College City," where fans ignore their crappy professional teams and fuel the talk radio waves with (basketball) recruiting buzz, conference titles, and a deep run in March.

After the jump are our Five Top College Basketball Metropolitan Areas.

1- Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The area of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill receives its number one ranking almost strictly because of two teams: Duke and UNC. No surprise there. The bad blood between these two schools has solidified itself as one of the best rivalries in all of sports, and for good reason. Ask Dick Vitale about this 8 mile war path that separates the two schools and you will receive a bevy of adjectives (mostly made up words) more fit for a NC-17 movie. Both schools are perennial national championship contenders and have produced 17 National Player of the Year honors, appeared in 21 Final Fours and hold eight National Championship Trophies.

While being in the top 10 all season is expected for both these programs, their rankings are completely irrelevant when they hit the hardwood (well at least Blue Devil fans have been holding on to that statement lately). It’s Duke and UNC and that’s really all that matters.

Success from both sides has generated a lot of verbal shots between their students and fans. While Blue Devil undergrads will tell you that the only trace of intelligent life in Chapel Hill is a sign directing you to Duke’s campus, Tar Heel students have made a hobby of explicitly voicing their opinions on Duke’s top players and their unfavorable sexual preference...and lack of African-American talent.

Completing "The Triangle" is North Carolina State. Located just east of Duke and UNC in Raleigh, NC State is a nationally recognized program and always competitive in the ACC.

2- Philadelphia

In addition to boasting four major professional sports teams, The City of Brotherly Love is also home to a one of a kind tradition in college basketball. The Big 5, comprised of La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Temple, Pennsylvania and Villanova are all located within a 17 mile radius of each other, and many of the games are played at the historic Palestra located on Penn’s campus.

The Big 5 was formed in 1955 and games were played as double or tripleheaders. As schools began to join conferences, conflicts with scheduling arose and it became more difficult to allow all the schools to play each other. By 1991 the format was non-existent, but eight years later the series was back, much to the delight of the fans.

The most notable rivalry within the Big 5 is between St. Joes and Villanova. Dubbed the Holy War for the schools religious affiliations, the game is sort of an inferior vs. superior match-up. St. Joseph's is a smaller school who would love to shake the mid-major label, while 'Nova is in the Big East...and frankly a notch higher on the academic hierarchy.

3- Cincinnati

At first you may question the credibility of this mid-sized Midwestern city, the setting to the now infamous Karen Sypher abortion, as a college hoops hot bed, but consider this: In addition to being the location for the University of Cincinnati and Xavier, two schools separated by just a few unsafe neighborhoods, the city is within 100 miles of Dayton, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami of Ohio and Ohio State. UK plays at least one game a season in Cincy, Andy Kennedy causes trouble in Cincy, and many grads from the nearby universities land jobs here creating a brew pot of bad blood.

The rivalry between XU and UC may not get enough national attention as it deserves. While UC, a public school, has had more success in the past 20 years with 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1992-2005, the Musketeers have won nine of the last 13 meetings. Some say that the rivalry has lost some of its luster with the departure of Bobby Huggins coupled with Xavier's inability to retain a head coach, but true fans in Cincinnati know that the local media hype and hostility between the two sides will continue to exist regardless.

4- Louisville, Kentucky

You can't exclude the Bluegrass state in a ranking like this, so by default Louisville gets the nod. Undoubtedly this will be on of the most anticipated seasons on record for Cardinal and Wildcat fans. From a summer filled with John Calipari and John Wall, Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher, the tides have quickly turned and it may be the school in Lexington with the upper hand as it's grads continue to flock roughly 100 miles to work and start fights with their rival during the weekends.

5- Washington, D.C.-Baltimore

While the top four metropolitan rankings have been predicated on rivalries, the DC-Baltimore area simply boasts a good amount of quality college basketball. Maryland is a perennial powerhouse in the ACC, has won a National Championship in 2002, and have rabid fans that are still probably chanting derogatory comments about JJ Redick's sister. It is also rumored that much of the Chesapeake River water flow begins at Gary Williams post game laundry basket.

Georgetown, one of the more successful teams in the 1980s and 1990s under John Thompson, has re-established themselves in the Big East under his son John Thompson III.

The area is also home to mildly successful George Washington, one-hit wonder George Mason, American University, Coppin St, Howard, Loyola College, Morgan St, Towson St and UMBC.

It is also worth mentioning that Prince George's County is an absloute hot bed for producing major Division I, and in turn NBA, talent

Mid Major Roundup 2/23

SHammonds — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:14:42 -0000

So I'm going to make a little change in the format and style of this column this week. This weekend was a huge weekend for mid major programs trying to force their way into the At-Large bid conversation. Also, I've listed nine teams already that are making tournament waves, and frankly, there aren't very many more that have a reasonable shot to get into the tournament outside of an automatic bid at this point. Therefore, instead of giving you two new teams, I've decided to recap the teams I've listed up until this point, and give my opinion on their postseason hopes.

Here's a reminder on the 9 teams I've discussed so far. There's a possibility that next week I might go after three more, but who knows.

Feb 3rd: Cleveland State, Virginia Commonwealth, North Dakota State.

Feb 9th: Siena, George Mason, Creighton

Feb 16th: Miami (OH), Niagara, Illinois State

Recaps after the jump...

Cleveland State: The Vikings are a team that I had pulled off of here after failing to gain much ground despite winning every game since I wrote about them. However, after knocking off Wisconsin-Green Bay I decided to add them again to the watch. I mentioned that they would have to win out and advance to the Horizon League finals to be considered a possible at-large team. They didn't, losing their BracketBuster game this weekend at #140 Wichita State. That was a must win game at this point for them, and now even if they win their last game of the year at Butler, they still will most likely miss the tournament without a conference win. They come in at #72 in the Pomeroy Ratings and #73 in the RPI, which just isn't going to do it.

VCU: This is another team that has really played themselves out of At-Large contention recently. Since I discussed the Rams they have dropped games at #306 UNCW, at #100 ODU, and at #108 Nevada in their BracketBuster game. Their best win was beating #136 James Madison at home in OT. For these teams, winning the BracketBuster is integral, and a 19-9 record for a CAA team just isn't enough for an At-Large bid. These Rams really underperformed this season in my opinion. They have a first round draft pick PG in Eric Maynor and a great PF in Larry Sanders. They played a weak out of conference schedule and 4 losses in a down CAA isn't going to cut it. The last two CAA teams to get at large bids were 15-3 GMU in 2006, and 15-3 ODU in 2007. VCU is 73 in the Pomeroy Ratings and 71 in the RPI. Not good enough.

North Dakota State: I love this team. They lost a terrible home game to #222 Southern Utah which really hurts their At-Large chances, but they did win their BracketBuster game at#148 UW-Milwaukee. The problem with this team is that their best win is still at home against #75 Oral Roberts. This team is 41st in Offensive Efficiency and boasts five players with top 110 Efficiency Ratings. However, they have not beaten one real good team, which will hurt them. They are #58 in the Pomeroy Ratings, but are way down at #104 in RPI, which will keep them out unless they take the Summit.

Siena: They are in, and there isn't much more to say about it. However, I will say more about it. They are only #64 in the Pomeroy Ratings...but unfortunately for some of these teams, the Pomeroy Ratings aren't relied on as much by the selection committee. This will benefit Siena, as they are way up at #26 in the RPI. A win in their next game at Niagara will further cement their status, but will hurt the MAAC's chances for two bids. They won their BracketBuster game, beating #90 UNI at home. They have a 22-6 record with the 73rd ranked schedule in the country. It will be a shame if they aren't playing in the Big Dance.

George Mason: Sorry Patriots, you're out. Mason is an 11-5 CAA team, 18-9 overall. They will most likely finish 20-9, with two pretty easy games left. That said, they lost their BracketBuster game against Creighton, which was a must-win for this CAA team. With only two top-100 wins against Vermont and Northeastern, the Creighton game would have bolstered their resume, but they just couldn't get it done. They now drop to #79 in the Pomeroy Ratings and #54 in the RPI. This team will be in the NIT, but nowhere near the NCAAs as I would take Northeastern or VCU over this team in the CAA tournament.

Creighton: The Jays really solidified their place in the NCAA tournament with their win over George Mason. That win gives them nine RPI top-100 wins with just two questionable losses. They jumped to #52 in the Pomeroy Ratings and #48 in the RPI. A loss at home to Illinois State could hurt their chances, but that's a game I think the Jays will take. They haven't lost since January 24th, and are peaking at the right time. I don't see how the committee can overlook a team playing so well. My prediction: 10 seed in the tournament, could be higher if they win the MVC tourney.

Miami (OH): I wasn't sure about the RedHawks when I wrote about them last week, and they lost both of their games since then. They had a great out of conference schedule, and play a solid, fundamental, defense based brand of basketball, but 10 losses does not equal an At-Large bid. They lost at #91 Akron and at #114 Evansville in their BracketBuster game. That puts them at #89 in the Pomeroy Ratings and #74 in the RPI. If they don't turn things around, they might miss the NIT as well, but don't look for them in the NCAAs. Instead, look for Akron or Buffalo out of the MAC.

Niagara: The Purple Eagles are a team that I really liked and thought had a great shot at making the NCAAs. Then, like other MAAC powerhouse Siena, they lost to #166 Rider. They did beat a good Illinois St. team in their BracketBuster game, but the loss to Rider will keep them out as an At-Large. Winning out would put them at 24-7 (14-4), which won't cut the cake in the MAAC. They'd need some big slip-ups from other teams (Creighton, Davidson, St. Mary's) and early exits by some bubble BCS teams in their conference tournaments to have a shot even if they made the MAAC finals. That said, this could happen, but isn't likely. They sit at #69 in the Pomeroy Ratings and #63 in the RPI.

Illinois State: The Redbirds might be hurt by Niagara's loss to Rider just as much as the loss hurt Niagara. Illinois St. dropped their BracketBuster game to Niagara, and now sit at #71 in the Pomeroy Ratings and at #58 in the RPI. Of a team to lose their BracketBuster game, they may be in the best shape, but I feel like the only scenario that gets the Redbirds into the tournament is winning out (#90 UNI at home, at #52 Creighton), and then losing to Creighton in the MVC finals. That would give them six RPI top-100 wins. That said, I don't see this team in the tournament. they are a solid team, but they needed to top Niagara, especially knowing that Niagara just lost a questionable game.