SB Nation - Norfolk St. Spartans

RPI WATCH: 11/23/09

BracketCat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:00:13 -0000

Well, it's officially basketball season here at BOTC, so I'm going to try and get some basketball-related stuff on here on a more consistent basis. Big 12 Outlook will return after New Year's, but in the meantime, I need to resume the Big 12 previews and shift them into overdrive a little in order to make up for lost time.

The other thing I want to do is update you on all of our opponents on a daily basis. I'll look at how they performed in yesterday's games and maybe track the RPIs a little, too. The idea is to get a general picture, on a day-to-day basis, of how strong our non-conference schedule is, because I've seen some concern from various corners of late.

For a more detailed discussion, hit the jump. But here's a short preview: We did ourselves a lot of good in Puerto Rico.

Here's how our opponents have performed to date, in order to provide a baseline comparison and bring everyone up to speed. (After all, not everyone has been paying attention to hoops like I have, given our North-contending football team and what have you.)

Kansas State RPI = 28

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Good Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (2-1) | RPI = 64: Loss at Kansas State (92-54), Win over Canisius (89-69), Win at Holy Cross (76-73)
Western Illinois (2-2) | RPI = 112: Loss at Arizona State (87-35), Loss at Kansas State (82-50), Win over Truman State (71-59), Win at Central Arkansas (56-46)
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141: Loss at Iona (82-73), Loss to George Washington (69-59), Loss to Kansas State (80-70), Win over Indiana (71-67), Loss to No. 21 Georgia Tech (85-67)
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76: Win over UALR (92-64), Win over Alabama State (90-53), Win over Indiana (89-71), Win over Kansas State (86-74), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (79-67)
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32: Win over Creighton (90-80), Win over No. 21 Georgia Tech (63-59), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (71-65), Loss to Kansas State (83-75)
IUPUI (4-1) | RPI = 75: Win at Drake (88-82), Win at Eastern Illinois (69-66), Win over Austin Peay (77-63), Loss at Auburn (80-65), Win over Georgia State (67-56)
Fort Hays State (2-0) | RPI = N/A (D-II): Win over Friends (82-46), Win over Central Christian College (85-66)
Washington State (3-0) | RPI = 140: Win over MVSU (94-66), Win over Eastern Washington (67-61), Win over IPFW (89-70)
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79: Win over Youngstown State (83-57), Win over Bowling Green (101-57), Win over Sacred Heart (105-65)
UNLV (3-0) | RPI = 1: Win over Pittsburg State (91-52), Win over Nevada (88-75), Win over Southern Illinois (78-69)
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186: Loss to Cornell (71-67), Win over Jackson State (86-69), Win over Providence (84-75)
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166: Loss at Colorado (88-72), Loss at Denver (75-56), Loss at UTEP (70-52)
Cleveland State (3-1) | RPI = 260: Loss at St. Bonaventure (72-62), Win over Wilmington (99-74), Win over Florida A&M (78-64), Win over Sam Houston State (80-65)
South Dakota (2-2) | RPI = N/A (D-I transition): Loss at Texas Tech (88-49), Loss to Oregon State (62-47), Win over TAMUCC (76-73), Win over Mayville State (99-67)
Missouri (2-0) | RPI = 280: Win over UT Martin (83-68), Win over UTPA (100-64)
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135: Win over Angelo State (88-69), Win at SMU (80-68), Win over Samford (68-49)
Colorado (3-0) | RPI = 128: Win over UAPB (88-72), Win over Coppin State (82-58), Win over Texas Southern (88-77)
No. 3 Texas (2-0) | RPI = 17: Win over UC Irvine (89-42), Win over Western Carolina (73-41)
Oklahoma State (3-0) | RPI = 21: Win over Seattle (86-64), Win over Southern (93-61), Win over North Texas (82-68)
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60: Win over Norfolk State (86-58), Win over Hartford (71-69), Win over Southern (61-45), Win over Hardin-Simmons (106-45)
No. 1 Kansas (3-0) | RPI = 46: Win over Hofstra (101-65), Win over Memphis (57-55), Win over Central Arkansas (94-44)
Nebraska (2-1) | RPI = 134: Win over SCUU (76-49), Loss at Saint Louis (69-55), Win over TCU (90-77)
Iowa State (4-0) | RPI = 188: Win over Idaho State (88-68), Win over Chicago State (72-50), Win at Drake (90-70), Win over MVSU (96-55)
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-1) | RPI = 65: Win over Mount St. Mary's (95-71), Win over UL Monroe (72-61), Loss at VCU (82-69)
Texas Tech (5-0) | RPI = 86: Win over South Dakota (88-49), Win over TAMUCC (66-59), Win over Oregon State (64-60), Win over Northwestern State (94-75), Win over Lamar (77-54)

My plan is to update this daily with the games are played the previous day, and I'll probably start looking at RPIs some time after Thanksgiving (they're pretty meaningless before that point due to the disparity in scheduling).

Update: Got bored and added the RPIs around midnight. I'll save the analysis for tomorrow's edition.

BtB 2009-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:04:19 -0000

The 2009 offseason was one of comings and goings in the MEAC. For a period of a day, the conference's membership stood at 13. On September 10, the conference invited North Carolina Central to become member number 13. NCCU was actually a founding member of the MEAC back in 1969, but the Eagles withdrew a decade later, as they dropped down to Division II and joined the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They left that conference after the 2006-07 season to start the classification process for Division I. NCCU will become an official member for the 2010-11 academic year.

The conference's membership dropped back down to 12 the very next day; however, as Winston-Salem State decided to drop back down to Division II. Their former conference, the CIAA, invited them back on October 2.

Meanwhile, Savannah State, a Division I independent, waits. The Tigers originally applied to the MEAC in 2005, but their application was placed on hold while they were on NCAA probation. However, their admission wasn't announced at the same time as NCCU's. SSU officials are hopeful about their prospects, especially as the MEAC plans to expand to "up to 14 schools." Yet, they still have no firm word about their fate.

On the court, it appears everyone will again be chasing defending champion Morgan State. More after the jump.

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

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 2:52 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Morgan St. Bears	13	3	23	12
S. Carolina St. Bulldogs	10	6	17	14
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	9	7	17	16
N.C. A&T Aggies	9	7	16	16
Norfolk St. Spartans	9	7	13	18
Coppin St. Eagles	9	7	13	19
Hampton Pirates	8	8	16	16
Florida A&M Rattlers	6	10	10	21
Howard Bisons	6	10	8	23
Delaware St. Hornets	6	10	8	24
Md.-Eastern Shore Hawks	3	13	7	23
Winston-Salem Rams	0	0	8	22

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with Winston Salem State, who is ineligible for the conference title..

Winston-Salem State (last NCAA: None) Had the Rams remained in Division I, this would have been their final transitional year. Since they aren't, Bobby Collins' squad will try to improve on the 8 wins they earned last year. Guards Brian Fisher (13.9 ppg) and Diontae Gibson (6.9 ppg) and forward Paul Davis (6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will lead the way.

Maryland-Eastern Shore (last NCAA: None) The Hawks finished last among the teams that were eligible for the MEAC title last year, and that probably won't change this year. The biggest reason UMES will probably struggle is lack of backcourt experience, as starters Jaime Boyer (6.1 ppg) and Marc Davis (5.6 ppg) have moved on (and they didn't exactly light up the scoreboard themselves). Frankie Allen's squad will be frontcourt-oriented thanks to the return of 6-6 F Neal Pitts, who averaged 16 points and 8 boards a contest last year. The Hawks will also feature St. Bonaventure transfer Hillary Haley, another 6-6 forward, who averaged almost 6 points a game in his time with the Bonnies.

Howard (last NCAA: 1992) The Bison would have won more than 6 MEAC games last year if they had been better defensively, where they ranked as one of the worst outfits in the nation. Offensively, the team will miss the only starter they lost, 6-5 guard Eugene Myatt, who averaged almost 16 points a game. Junior guard Kyle Riley and 3-point specialist Curtis White (5.9 ppg, 34.5% from 3-point land) are capable of boosting their production to make up for Myatt's departure. In the frontcourt, center Paul Kirkpatrick (7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and forwards Kandi Mukole (4.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Adam Walker (4.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) will have to step their games up. Howard will be challenged by four games at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Florida, including contests at UCF and in Daytona Beach against Akron and Niagara.

Florida A&M (last NCAA: 2007) Like the Bison, the Rattlers struggled mightily on defense last season. They also struggled on the boards, where 6-8 F Yannick Crowder (5.2 rpg) and 6-6 Larry Jackson (4.4 rpg) are the only serious returning threats. So, Eugene Harris signed some bigger guys this year, led by 6-8 JC transfer Jeremy Lightfoot, 6-7 Diamon Alexander, and 6-6 Travis Wallace. Leading scorer Lamar Twitty (11 ppg) is also gone, and so are two-thirds of the starting backcourt, Joe Ballard (6.9 ppg) and Byron Taylor (2.6 ppg). Brandon Bryant is the leading returning scorer (10.1 ppg). and he'll be joined in a revamped guard unit by returnee Dale Hughes (9.5 ppg) and JC transfer Rasheem Jenkins.

Delaware State (last NCAA: 2005) The Hornets usually feature at the top of the league, so last season's 6-10 conference mark, their first losing MEAC campaign since '99-'00, was a major disappointment. Del State's big issue last season was offensive production, which may not improve thanks to the graduation of two of the team's three leading scorers from a year ago--G Donald Johnson (12.3 ppg) and F Arturo Dubois (9 ppg). 6-6 F Frisco Sandidge is back (10.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) though, but he'll need help from guards Marcus Neal (8.4 ppg) and Trevor Welcher (5.4 ppg), along with frontcourt-mate Kris Douse, who only averaged around 4 points a contest last year. Among the newcomers, watch for 6-3 Shannon Newman, son of NBA veteran Johnny Newman, and 5-11 G Jay Threatt, a transfer from George Mason.

Hampton (last NCAA: 2006) The Pirates have a new coach, as Ed Joyner, Jr. replaced Kevin Nickleberry after a .500 campaign, both overall and in the league, in 2008-'09. Like the Hornets, the Pirates couldn't score last year, and were the worst three-point shooting team in the country. However, Hampton returns more starters than DSU, as only 6 point/5 board performer Donte Harrison is gone. Vinny Simpson, the team's leading scorer (11.7 ppg), is a legitimate threat for all-MEAC honors this time around. Joyner's team will feature five other performers who averaged at least 5 points per contest. If he can get them to shoot better, the Pirates should shoot up the standings.

Coppin State (last NCAA: 2008) The Eagles must now begin life without the school's all-time leading scorer Tywain McKee (18.4 ppg), While Coppin lost two other starters, McKee was the impact player for the program. However, head coach Fang Mitchell has plenty of players who can contribute. Four players, led by 6-4 guard Michael Harper, averaged more than 7 points a contest this year. Their averages could very well go up now that McKee has graduated. Center Sam Coleman, a 6-10 senior, should be a player to watch, as he averaged more than 8 points and nearly 5 boards a game last season in a reserve role. Mitchell dialed down the team's always rough non-league schedule a bit this year. The Eagles will play Loyola (MD) at home and travel to local schools Navy and UMBC. Their longer road trips include visits to rebuilding Colorado and USC and NCAA tourney squads Michigan, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.

Bethune-Cookman (last NCAA: None) A 17-16 record wouldn't be considered impressive at most D-I schools, but for the Wildcats, the mark represented their first ever winning season at this level. The key player for head coach Cliff Reed is his son, C.J., who was the MEAC Newcomer of the Year last time around. C.J. Reed averaged 15 points and nearly 4 assists per contest last time around. However, he'll have to take better care of the ball as a sophomore. Cliff Reed has his other four starters back too, but he'll need more points out of them, as 6-6 forward Alexander Starling was the team's second leading scorer, only averaging 7.5 ppg. Starling can rebound though, as he averaged more than 7 boards a contest. Depth could also be an issue, and the newcomers, led by 6-9, 320 pound center Albert Abrahams and 6-3 guard Aric Williams, will have to contribute immediately for B-CU to seriously challenge.

South Carolina State (last NCAA: 2003) Tim Carter's team won 17 games overall and 10 in the MEAC in his inaugural season in Orangeburg, but he'll have a hard time matching that total thanks to two key departures. Leading scorer and rebounder Jason Johnson (13.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg) graduated and freshman guard (8.6 ppg. 4.6 rpg) transferred, meaning returning starters Jason Flagler (12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Carrio Bennett (7.6 ppg) will have more work to do this season. Johnson's graduation also means that the Bulldogs' backcourt is their strength, as Carter will have to rely on a mostly new crop of forwards, led by 6-7 Stony Brook transfer Rio Pitt and 6-7 JC transfer Joe Wright.

North Carolina A&T (last NCAA: 1995) Despite the loss of two starters, including leading scorer Ed Jones (12.8 ppg), the Aggies should remain a serious threat in this league, thanks to the presence of 6-foot guard Tavarus Alston (11 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg). He'll get the ball to A&T's two returning frontcourt starters, 6-6 Robert Johnson (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and 6-9 C Thomas Coleman (7.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who could turn into the best unit in the league. Alston will be joined in the backcourt by 6-2 Dwane Joshua (6.9 ppg) who will see more time this season, as Jerry Eaves' squad becomes less frontcourt-oriented.

Norfolk State (last NCAA: None) The Spartans got great news in the offseason when the MEAC's leading scorer, Michael DeLoach (21.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) was granted an extra year of eligibility for academic progress. Aleek Pauline (6.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) joins DeLoach in the backcourt, and while he'll continue to feed DeLoach, he'll be looking for new targets in the frontcourt. That's because NSU's second leading scorer, 6-4 forward Corey Lyons (15.3 ppg), graduated. 6-9 forward Kyle O'Quinn (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and 6-11 center Joseph Dorsett-Jeffreys (4.9 ppg, 2.9 apg) make up the rest of the frontcourt crew for the Spartans. NSU's ultimate success may depend on how Anthony Evans' transfers--G Rob Hampton (Drexel), F Marcos Tamares (UMBC), and C Christian Morris (Rutgers)--fit in with the team.

Morgan State (last NCAA: 2009) Todd Bozeman has built the Bears into the MEAC powerhouse at the moment, as they've won the last two regular season crowns and last year's tournament title. To repeat last year's double, Bozeman will have to replace three key starters, led by 6-5 forward Marquise Kately (11 ppg). The frontcourt should remain solid without him, however, as 6-8 sophomore Kevin Thompson averaged almost 9 points and more than 7 boards a game off the bench. 6-10 C Rodney Stokes (4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is one of the two returning starters for Morgan, but the other is their key player, 6-4 guard Reggie Stokes, who averaged almost 17 points and 5.5 boards a game. However, Bozeman will have to replace his other two backcourt starters, Jermaine Bolden and Roger Barnes, who both averaged around 9 points a game. Cleveland State transfer Joe Davis will fit a shooting guard role alongside Stokes, while JC transfer Danny Smith will replace Bolden at the point.

The Bears are my pick to repeat, so they'll hold the MEAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-MEAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-MEAC Team

Player of the Year: Michael Deloach, 6-0 G, Sr. (Norfolk State)

Remainder of the Team
Tavarus Alston, 6-0 G, Sr. (North Carolina A&T)
Jason Flagler, 6-4 F, Sr. (South Carolina State)
Reggie Holmes, 6-4 F, Sr. (Morgan State)
Frisco Sandidge, 6-6 F, Sr. (Delaware State)

Poll

Which team is your pick to win the MEAC this season? (Note that Winston-Salem State is not listed as they are ineligible.)

Bethune-Cookman

2 votes

Coppin State

0 votes

Delaware State

1 votes

Florida A&M

0 votes

Hampton

0 votes

Howard

0 votes

Maryland-Eastern Shore

1 votes

Morgan State

3 votes

Norfolk State

1 votes

North Carolina A&T

0 votes

South Carolina State

0 votes

8 votes | Poll has closed

The Ultimate Rankings Countdown: 298-284

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Basketball Routs Norfolk State 83-47, Prepares for Savannah State Before ACC/Big Ten Challenge Match-ups with Maryland and Duke

Maize n Brew Dave — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:06:25 -0000

"We want to stay focused and play every game like it's a national championship game."

Just another reason why Manny Harris is the best thing to happen to Michigan Basketball since Glenn Rice was rainin' three's twenty years ago. Just like Rice, Harris led the way again with 16 points and 15 boards in Michigan's runaway victory over the Norfolk State Spartans Tuesday night.

Despite a cold start, Michigan ran away with Tuesday Night's game halfway through the first half. When all was said and done, Harris was just one of five Wolverines in double figures and the Wolverines had led by as many as 35 points in the blow out. Anthony Wright, Zack Novak, DeShawn Sims, and Air Canada himself Jevohn Shepherd all pitched in double digits.

Another encouraging sign was the play of the defense. Michigan held the Spartans to 30% shooting from the floor and forced 15 turnovers, including 7 steals. Equally important the Wolverines only turned the ball over twice. I'll repeat that. Equally important the Wolverines only turned the ball over twice. Wow. That mixed with stifling defense = awesome.

via detnews.com

If there are concerns, it's three point shooting. Anthony Wright posted double digit points but went 2-6 from three, and Stu Douglass went 2-5 from beyond the arc. Equally concerning is that Kelvin Grady hasn't seemed to find a shooting rhythm yet, going 1-4 from beyond the arc and only taking two shots inside it. These are, of course, minor nit picks in a blowout win. Wright shot 40% from the floor. Douglass was 3-7 overall. Grady dished a team high 5 assists.

Michigan is firing on all cylinders following its outstanding run in New York. They'll look to keep the momentum going on Saturday, November 29, 2008, when they welcome Savannah State to Crisler Arena for a 2pm tip off. Get your tickets here.

Momentum is going to be key over the next two weeks. Michigan travels to College Park, Maryland to take on the Terrapins on December 3rd in the ACC/Big Ten challenge. Then on Saturday, December 6th, the host Duke to close out the tournament.

While the UCLA win was a nice start to the season, Maryland will be the true measuring stick of how far this team has come and where it fits in the NCAAs, the NIT, and Big Ten. Maryland draws No. 5 ranked Michigan State in the Old Spice Classic on Thanksgiving Night. The Terps have started relatively strong on the season, going 3-0 and posting a blow-out exhibition win. The only oddity on the score sheet is a 89-74 overtime win over Vermont. It was a game Maryland probably should've lost before the Terp's Greivis Vasquez hit a three pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. The Terps then proceeded to run the holy hell out of the Catamounts, allowing only a single bucket in the extra session.

Maryland is also a lot like Michigan; they are really, really young. There is only one senior on the roster, a grand total of four upperclassmen, and nine underclassmen (6 sophomores and 3 freshmen). Like Michigan they're a bubble type team that will go as far as their best player and their coaches' abilities to get the most out of their young talent. Like Michigan, the Terps lean on a special player, Greivis Vasquez, whose name I challenge you to pronounce correctly on the first try. Vasquez is Maryland's unquestioned leader and most dangerous player. Vasquez is 6-6, shot 43% from the floor and posted 2nd team all ACC honors last year. Another thing to keep in mind, Vasquez is a member of the Venezuelan National Team and led the ACC in assists. If there's a better one-on-one match-up for Manny Harris, I can't find one. This guy will be a true test for Michigan's defense all by himself.

But it's not just one player, the Terps are getting balanced scoring out of their starting five. The Terps have four players averaging 10+ points on the season, and the fifth at 9 a game. Like all Gary Williams teams, this year's Terrapin squad shoots the ball well, with all five starters over 40% from the field. For more Maryland related info, check out SB Nation's outstanding Maryland site The Testudo Times and their Vermont wrap up.

So with that in mind, Savannah State will be a good tune up for the Terps and for a lurking Duke team that looks as good as it's No. 4 ranking. I expect the Terps to give Michigan State a fairly good run on Turkey Day, so watch it and take note of how they play the Spartans. The Maryland/Michigan matchup promises to be a great test for both young teams.

Go Blue!

Poll

How Are You Taking Michigan's Early Season Basketball Success?

It's nice, but it's too early to tell how the season will turn out.

54 votes

Really excited, this is a good team with a shot at post season play

41 votes

I'm thinkin' NIT easy.

12 votes

I'm thinkin' NCAA's!

35 votes

Woooooooooo! National Championship! Wooooooooooooo! All your trophies are belong to us! Wooooooooooooo!

7 votes

Still crying over football season. Will check on Basketball in February.

18 votes

It's anice start, but this team's still a few years away from the post season.

4 votes

I can't watch. I've been hurt too many times. They'll break my heart again.

4 votes

Basketball?

10 votes

185 votes | Poll has closed