SB Nation - Oakland, Mich. Golden Grizzlies

The Dancing Bear's Recital: Michigan State 88, Oakland 57

KJ@theonlycolors — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:47:21 -0000

[Insert Wonder Twins joke here.]

If you're like me (and, admit it, you're at least a little bit like me), this is the kind of game that makes you want to go straight to the four-factors graph:

NCAA Basketball Stats

When this team wins the turnover battle and shoots 62.8% from 2-point range, it's generally going to win the game pretty comfortably. MSU ran out to a 30-7 lead over the first 14 minutes of the game and coasted to a 31-point victory. The Grizzlies looked like a team that wasn't functioning very smoothly coming into this game, and MSU made sure they never had a chance to find any kind of comfort level tonight.

If I were going to find a downside to this game, I'd point to these things:

Neither Chris Allen nor Raymar Morgan could get things going offensively.
A lot of the OU turnovers seemed like a function of their inability to make competent ball-handling moves more so than MSU's defense. (12 steals for MSU.)
Ultimately, the MSU big men couldn't contain Keith Benson: 21 points on 7-15 FG shooting and 11 rebounds. (He made some pretty good moves in the second half, though.)

Those are all fairly nitpicky issues, though. Overall, this was a very efficient performance by the Spartans on both ends of the court (71 possessions), with Lucas and Green leading the way and a lot of guys making contributions off the bench. Another small step toward this team gelling into a more cohesive unit.

Player bullets (official box score is here):

Draymond Green put on a show: 19 points on 9-11 FG shooting and 12 rebounds. Good to have another mid-range scoring option when Morgan isn't hitting.
Kalin Lucas with another very efficient scoring game: 19 points on 11 FG attempts. Up-to-the-minute shooting line for the season: .557/.429/.756.
Solid game for Delvon Roe: 11 points on 5-7 FG shooting and 6 rebounds.
Korie Lucious got the start and played well for the most part: 7 points, 4 assists, 2 TOs. A few sloppy moments in the second half.
Only 4 points for Raymar Morgan. Jumpshot has gone completely missing. Frustrated by Benson's shot-blocking. Chipped in 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
Chris Allen only hit 1 of 5 three-point attempts, but made plays elsewhere: 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal.
Durrell Summers looked pretty good. Didn't force things: 6 points and 3 rebounds.
Austin Thornton got some real PT tonight, entering the game with the first batch of subs: 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 10 minutes. Both his jumpshots were ugly looking, though.
Garrick Sherman was good at moments and bad at others during his 10 minutes on the floor. Nothing on the stat sheet to write home about.
Derrick Nix: Made a free throw! Missed two others, though. Free throw percentage stands at a whopping 8.7%. Nice game all around: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block in 12 minutes. Played good defense when he was matched up against Benson.
The Kebler/Dahlman/Crandall/Herzog playing group finished the game off with style, outscoring the Grizzlies 9-7 in the final few minutes (with an OU 3-point play in the final seconds). (Herzog's first-half appearance, on the other hand, was pretty miserable. Picked up a foul and a turnover in one minute of play.)

Next up: It's the annual week-long basketball break for final exams. The Spartans play next 9 days from now. Noon on Saturday the 19th vs. IPFW. At home. Big Ten Network.

Gives us some time to focus on that big bowl game match-up. And analyze legal charges. You know, football talk.

Tonight's Picks

SFBE.NF — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:40:46 -0000

Lots of credit to St. Joe's for making last night's matchup against crosstown Villanova much closer than it should have been. Despite the lone, we ended up on top yesterday thanks to Blue Jesus. We're finally stacking some ched.

#6 Syracuse (-1) over #11 Florida: Florida and Syracuse have both been top teams this year, defeating quality opponents UNC and MSU, respectively. Sophomore Gator Erving Walker could have a big impact on this game in providing a boost with the dishing of dimes and controlling the speed/tempo of the game. The balanced Orangemen offense should prevail, though, as we think Vegas is hoping betters are put off by the 'Cuse's first real road test.
Miami-OH (+14) over #19 Cincy: I like the Redhawks here on the road against the Cincy. With winter break having already started for the Bearcats, their home court advantage will be largely neutralized. Miami (OH)'s record is only 2-6, but they've got a better squad than their record indicates - just ask Kentucky. Look for Miami (OH)'s senior Kenny Hayes to have a great game against a team that he watched dominate while growing up in Dayton.
#14 Mich. St (-22) over Oakland: Oakland will not be nearly as fierce as the Citadel team the Spartans just put away on the road. At home, Michigan St. should have a field day defensively, which could turn into a lot of fast break points and an early lead. Oakland has few scoring options besides Keith Benson, who rebounds and scores in the low post like there's no tomorrow. Sparty slaughters the Golden Grizzlies.

Yesterday: 2-1

Overall: 12-8

Preview: Michigan State Spartans vs. Oakland Grizzlies

KJ@theonlycolors — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:17:47 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Tough start for the Grizzlies.

Browse more photos »

Your MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS vs. THE OAKLAND GRIZZLIES

THE BRESLIN CENTER, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
7:00 P.M. (ET), THURSDAY
TV: BIG TEN NETWORK

Grizzlie bullets:

2008-09: Overall record of 23-13; 13-5 in Summit League play; lost to Bradley in second round of CollegeInsider.com Tournament to end season; KenPom ranking of #103.
Lost to MSU 82-66 last season in a game played at the Palace. MSU shot 11-20 from 3-point range in that game. Keith Benson led Oakland with 20 points on 8-9 FT shooting.
Team returns 4 of 5 starters; leading scorer Eric Kangas graduated.
Off to a 4-4 start in the new season. Three of four losses have been on the road against ranked teams: Wisconsin (by 16), Kansas (by 30), and Memphis (by 31). Opened regular season with a home loss to Eastern Michigan.
Leading scorer is 6'11" redshirt junior center Keith Benson, who is averaging 17.3 points (on .517 FG shooting), 10.6 rebounds, and 4.0 blocked shots per game.
6'5" redshirt senior forward Derick Nelson (Lansing Everett) is averaging 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Nelson sports a fairly bizarre .456/.474/.364 shooting line.
5'11" senior guard Johnathon Jones (Okemos) is averaging 13.8 points and 6.0 assists per game, with a more normal looking .489/.355/.816 shooting line.

It appears the start to Oakland's season has been underwhelming relative to preseason expectations. Golden Grizzlie Hoops on the EMU loss:

Perhaps, the dismal perimeter shooting performance was just that — one bad shooting night. It happens to everyone. No use in getting all tied up in knots because it happened in the first game, right?

Then there’s the obvious. The team read all the hype, believed they were headed for the NCAA tournament and played an exhibition tune-up where they could have mailed-in their "C" game and posted a win. They decided this year was going to be easy. They thought something less than their best would be good enough. It wasn’t. However, lesson learned. They will not take a "W" for granted again.

Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, the dismal shooting has continued. Last season, this team finished 32nd in the nation in adjusted offensie efficiency, with an effective field goal percentage of 54.2%, good for 18th best in the nation. The team shot 53.6% on 2-pointers and 36.9% on 3-pointers.

This season, those last two numbers have dropped to 43.4% and 30.0%. The graduation of Kangas, who shot 41.7% on a whopping 324 three-point attempts has been the major blow to the team's perimeter shooting. Keith Benson, meanwhile, has been unable to maintain the lofty 62.4% two-point shooting percentage he posted last season.

Benson has managed to get to the free throw line over 7 times per game, though, and will represent a tough match-up for Delvon Roe and Draymond Green inside. This would be a great time for Garrick Sherman to give the team a solid 15 minutes of defense down low.

Defensively, Oakland wasn't much to write home about last year (259th in the nation in defensive efficiency), and they've been similarly below-average this season. They're allowing opponents to maintain possession of the ball, shoot the ball efficiently, and gather offensive rebounds. The Grizzlies' only strength has been avoiding fouling (which may be partially a function of playing some zone defense). Oakland does block a decent amount of shots--primarily due to Benson's presence--so MSU may need to rely more heavily on the outside shooting of Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen than the interior scoring of Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green.

The overall weakness in Oakland's tempo-free numbers is partially attributable to having already played three top-notch opponents. This is an experienced team that, for whatever reason, is struggling to get things going this season. It'll take more than a perfunctory performance by MSU to make sure that doesn't happen tomorrow night.

Sagarin predicts a 16-point Spartan victory.

Help save the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, pt 1

SFBE.NF — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:30:46 -0000

When we began furiously previewing anything and everything that involved collegiate basketball, I made what I thought to be a fairly heady but far-fetched decision: that the Oakland Golden Grizzlies would be your 2010 bracket-buster and advance to the Sweet 16.

Here's why: it's a team that returns four starters including Jonathan Jones, the team's leader and program's most decorated player of all time. Last season, they were Summit League runners-up (see: Woodside, Ben) without senior forward Derick Nelson, who is talented enough to receive all-conference honors this season, despite missing all but 17 minutes of last year's campaign due to injury. Furthermore, their non-conference schedule features games against Wisconsin, Michigan State, Kansas, Syracuse. Ample opportunities to secure a statement win, or at least some respect.

I also just wanted some attention and something to hang my hat on in March if a level of success, unforeseen by the general media, were to materialize.

But after a 4-4 start, low-lighted by a 30 point drubbing at the hands of the aforementioned Jayhawks, followed by a 31 point loss to the Memphis Tigers, the Golden Grizzlies need our help. Their best win is against UCA (Central Arkansas), and I only say that because at first glance you could be fooled into thinking they beat the UCLA Bruins.

So with that, SFBE is adopting a needy college basketball team during this holiday season.

From this point going forward, we will be offering weekly updates on the Grizz, for better or worse, and spread the gospel of head coach Greg Kampe. Maybe it will catch on, and our readership will find it in their heart to declare their support for the little guy based in Rochester, Michigan. Or maybe it won't, and this team will continue to tread water in mediocrity. We hope for the forward.

What does this team need to do in order to right the ship? Well for starters, they need to guard. The Golden Grizzlies allow 72 points a game, and not just against the nation's elite. In last night's victory over IUPUI-Fort Wayne, they gave up 76 points.

Ken Pomeroy has them rated as in the lower half of the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which essentially means the team doesn't do enough with their 69 possessions per 40 minutes. Dig a bit deeper and you learn that at this time, Oakland is just very average in comparison to the 346 other Division I college basketball programs.

Things need to change for the Golden Grizzlies. We are here to help right the ship.

RPI WATCH: 11/26/09

BracketCat — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:00:13 -0000

One of our conference opponents laid a big egg to a mid-major Wednesday. Find out who after the jump.

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

Current Kansas State RPI = 28

Current Kansas State SOS = 45

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (3-1) | RPI = 54
Western Illinois (2-3) | RPI = 125
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32
IUPUI (5-1) | RPI = 56: Win over Indiana-East (98-67)
Fort Hays State (3-0)
Washington State (4-0) | RPI = 164: Win over Alaska-Anchorage (87-68)
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79
UNLV (4-0) | RPI = 3: Win over Holy Cross (80-59)
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166
Cleveland State (3-3) | RPI = 201: Loss to Virginia (76-65)
South Dakota (2-3)
Missouri (3-0) | RPI = 283
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135
Colorado (4-2) | RPI = 127: Win at Chaminade (73-58)
No. 3 Texas (4-0) | RPI = 71
Oklahoma State (4-0) | RPI = 22
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60
No. 1 Kansas (4-0) | RPI = 50: Win over Oakland (89-59)
Nebraska (3-1) | RPI = 126
Iowa State (5-0) | RPI = 187
No. 25 Oklahoma (2-2) | RPI = 146: Loss to San Diego (76-64)
Texas Tech (6-0) | RPI = 94

Badgers win second straight, head to Hawaii with momentum

Jbharris87 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:55:23 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

22 days ago: Oakland, Mich.'s Travis Bader, left, looks to pass the ball against Wisconsin's Jon Leuer (30), Ryan Evans, top right, and Jordan Taylor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Browse more photos »

Buoyed by a strong defensive effort, the Wisconsin men's basketball team dispatched Oakland, 58-42, Wednesday night at the Kohl Center. The Badgers built a 24-point second-half lead over their Summit League opponent, en route to their second victory in as many games this season.

In addition to holding Oakland to just 42 points, the Badgers frustrated the Golden Grizzlies by allowing them to convert just 3-of-19 three-point attempts. The Grizzlies' propensity to take ill-advised shots from beyond the arc led to 26 defensive rebounds for Wisconsin. Oakland head coach Greg Kampe had no answer for his team's woes from three-point land.

"It's perplexing," Kampe said. "We did not shoot the ball well. We're a team that has a history of having really good three-point shooting teams."

Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer said the Badgers' success on defense is by design.

"[Defense] is what our whole system is predicated off of - getting stops defensively, forcing teams to take tough shots," Leuer said.

Johnathon Jones and Keith Benson combined for 27 points for the Grizzlies, while their teammates could only account for 15 among themselves. Overall, Oakland shot just 27.3 percent from the field.

Wisconsin's big men again took advantage of their size, as Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer combined to go 10-of-19 from the floor, scoring 21 of their points after halftime. The two also recorded six of the Badgers' eight blocks on the night. After blocking 11 shots as a team against IPFW in the season opener, Wisconsin has now rejected 19 shots in its first two games.

Trevon Hughes produced another solid performance, leading the team with 15 points, while dishing out four assists. He gave head coach Bo Ryan "a headache" because of his four turnovers, but the coach on the other bench was impressed.

"I thought Trevon Hughes, late in the first half, really dictated the game," Kampe said. "He had some great plays and was able to open the score up so we really didn't have a chance."

Hughes especially found success by penetrating the defense, driving by defenders and getting the Grizzlies' big men in foul trouble. Oakland held an early 8-4 lead before Kampe put Keith Benson and Will Hudson on the bench with two fouls apiece.

"That changed the whole game," Kampe said. "We had to go with smalls and we couldn't guard them."

Redshirt freshman Ryan Evans continues to see the most time off the bench for Wisconsin, logging 22 minutes. Evans again impressed with his energy, snagging seven rebounds and chipping in four points as well.

Poor shooting remains a concern for the Badgers, who went just 3-of-14 from three-point range. Tim Jarmusz and Jason Bohannon, who figure to be the team's biggest contributors in that area this season, struggled again, combining to hit just 1-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. Still, Ryan doesn't seem too concerned, because the team is creating opportunities.

"People are trying to find their rhythm right now," Ryan said. "We really had some great open looks tonight. Hopefully, we'll have some nights when somebody's going to have to pay for the open looks we get. I think we can knock those down in the future."

The Badgers will not play another game in Madison for two weeks, as they travel to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. Wisconsin's first game is Monday against Arizona. Ryan said he believes the experience will prove to be a barometer of how competitive his team is.

"[Maui] is where a lot of things are found," Ryan said. "What we're looking for is to try and take care of Arizona. Then we'll take care of the next opponent. We won't get our normal preparation, and neither will the other team."

The competition generally figures to get much tougher for Wisconsin. After two relatively easy wins, the Badgers enter a tournament featuring teams from several major conferences. They then return home, only to face Duke in the most highly-anticipated game on their regular season schedule.

The Badgers have shown their followers a lot against weaker opponents, but the conclusions will certainly be clearer in 14 days.

-Jake Harris

Your obligatory primer for non-BCS conferences

SFBE.NF — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:03:53 -0000

The thrill of being a mid-major, or a "non-BCS conference" might be fading. Just three years ago, pundits were declaring that the field between David and Goliath had been significantly shortened. The Missouri Valley had four teams in the tournament and were 6th in the conference RPI rankings, George Mason threw everyone for a loop by winning the East Region, and VCU was breaking Blue Devil hearts.

Now, some are wondering what happens next. Yes, teams like Butler, Gonzaga and Xavier are always going to be kicking around, and are unfortunately handcuffed from not having a big-time football program that gives them clearance into a major conference. Memphis is sort of in their own world, a bit of an anomaly but a premier school when it comes to recruiting...at least when John Calipari was coach.

At best, the talent in small conferences is cyclical. After thumbing through the preview mags for this season, we may be looking at only a pair of non-BCS conferences that receive multiple bids (A-10 and C-USA). With that, we should still look forward to ESPN's BracketBuster Weekend. Tulsa could be a nice story, Siena will look to build off last season, and Oakland could play deeper into March than all the afroementioned schools. It's just a hunch we have.

Our breakdown is after the jump

Tourney teams (in a sort of order of importance)

Butler (Horizon)
Siena (MAAC)
Dayton (A-10)
Tulsa (C-USA)
Gonzaga (West Coast)
Memphis (C-USA)
Xavier (A-10)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)
BYU (Mountain West)
Oakland (Summit)

Top non-BCS players

Gordon Hawyard, Butler
Chris Wright, Dayton
Matt Howard, Butler
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
Jerome Jordan, Tulsa

Most overrated - Josh Pastner. The thought of Xavier struggling w/o Sean Miller.

Most underrated - Oakland. Non-BCS teams come the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Notable non-conference match-ups:

11/17 - Memphis vs. Kansas

12/2 - Siena @ Georgia Tech

12/8 - Butler vs. Georgetown

12/10 - Oakland @ Michigan State

12/19 - Butler @ Xavier

12/19 - Western Kentucky @ Louisville

1/6 - Memphis @ Syracuse

Five story lines to keep tabs on

The Oakland Grizzlies. They have non-conference games against Wisconsin, Michigan State, Kansas, Syracuse and Memphis. Wins over just two of those teams could really propel them onto the national stage. This could be your surprise Sweet 16 squad.
Josh Pastner. Can he deliver? Memphis fans don't seem too outspoken, but they haven't really had reason to get ticked off in recent memory. This could be the year drama ensues.
Jerome Jordan. Can he stay focused? Will he just be another Patrick O'Bryant?
Isiah Thomas. Will Florida International become another notch on his belt of failures?
Jordan Crawford. How does he respond to Dunkgate? Will he distinguish himself for the Musketeers, or simply hang on to his brief stint of fame?

BtB 2009-10 Summit League Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:03:07 -0000

Much like the other two one bid leagues I've covered so far in this series of season previews, the America East and Patriot League, the Summit League is likely to feature a new champion in 2009-10 thanks to significant losses for the defending champion. Last March, North Dakota State, a team led by a core group of fifth-year seniors who led their team an NCAA berth in their first year of eligibility, caused an outbreak of Bison Fever in the upper Midwest. Now that Summit League MVP Ben Woodside (23.2 ppg, 6.2 apg), first-teamer Brett Winkelman (18.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Mike Nelson (11.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Lucas Moorman (4.5 ppg, 4 rpg) have graduated, Saul Phillips has some holes to plug to make his team a contender again.

In offseason news, the conference's membership, which has settled into a level of stability that's rare for it's history, was the dominant topic. The Summit League will indeed experience some change in the coming seasons. South Dakota will leave the fledgling Great West and join the conference in 2011-12. The Coyotes won't be eligible for the league championship until the next season, however, as that's when their transition into Division I ends. North Dakota had hoped to join the other three Dakota state schools and join the league's as its 12th member, but as I explained in this post, the conference won't look at them until they resolve the controversy surrounding their Fighting Sioux nickname, a topic that won't be resolved until the end of this month.

North Dakota's chances at received a further boost later in the offseason, as there will be an additional opening. Centenary, long the league's hoops doormat and a fringe member geographically, decided to in July to de-emphasize athletics and drop to Division III, effective with the 2011-12 academic year. They'll continue to compete in the conference before they leave D-I.

No matter the membership, the Summit typically a competitive league, and with such a void at the top, it should be a epic tussle for the championship this season. More on each team after the jump.

Here are my picks for the 2009-10 Summit League season, presented in reverse order.

Centenary (last NCAA: None) The Gents begin the first of two lame duck years in the conference with little to play for. They're already banned from the postseason for APR shortcomings. Then, Summit League Defensive Player of the Year decided that he'd had enough and transferred to Pittsburgh. With only one returning starter, 6-8 F Jerrald Bonham (2.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and nowhere to really go, second year head coach Greg Gary has one of the most unenviable jobs in college sports.

Western Illinois (last NCAA: None) The Leathernecks went 9-20 a year ago, while not even averaging 60 points a game. Add in the fact that WIU's two leading scorers from last season, David DuBois and Josh Rivers, graduated, and it could be an ugly year in Macomb. Guards David Nurse (8.4 ppg) and Ceola Clark (7.7 ppg) will have to lead the way offensively, while the frontcourt is rather thin. The one reason to pay attention to the Leathernecks this season is that Emeka Okafor, Jr. may feature more in that frontcourt. No, he's not the former UConn star's son, but he is a cousin.

UMKC (last NCAA: None) The Kangaroos lost two very productive starters, swingman Dane Brumagin (15.3 ppg) and guard Reggie Hamilton (12 ppg), but the three returning starters, G Bakari Lewis (10.8 ppg), F Spencer Johnson (10.7 ppg), and F Latreze Mushatt (9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) are a serviceable group. Coach Matt Brown's group of newcomers could provide a real boost, however. They include Jay Couisnard, a 6-6 F who will be eligible after transferring from Evansville; Max Rockmann, a 6-6 German forward; and 6-7 F/C Kirk Korver, youngest brother of former Creighton star and NBAer, Kyle.

IPFW (last NCAA: None) Dane Fife is only 30, but is entering his fifth season in charge of the Mastodons. His team could be poised for a breakout year, as IPFW returns four starters and the defending Summit League Sixth Man of the Year, Deilvez Yearby (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg). If guard Ben Botts (11.3 ppg) can score and Yearby and the 6-10 Trey McCorkle can take care of things inside, the Mastodons could do well during conference play. A non-conference slate featuring Gonzaga, Michigan State, Washington State, and Wisconsin will provide plenty of tests beforehand.

North Dakota State (last NCAA: 2009) Earlier, I talked about everything the Bison lost after last year's championship. 6-7 F Michael Tveidt (9.8 ppg, 44.9% on 3-pointers) is the lone returning starter. Last year's bench players, led by F Dejuan Flowers (3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and G Josh Vaughan (2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg), will have to step it up for there to be any chance at a repeat. If you're looking for someone who could replace Ben Woodside, pay attention to freshman G Mike Felt, who was second-team all-Minnesota last year, averaging 30.3 points per game.

Southern Utah (last NCAA: 2001) Head coach Roger Reid brought in a whole bunch of recruits to support all-Summit League selection Davis Baker (17.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg). The newcomers, led by 6-10 Australian Matt Hodgson and 6-11 Canadian Dallin Bachynski, will be expected to fill the void left by the graduation of F Tyler Quinney (13.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and C John Clifford (9.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg). Matt Massey, a 6-9 Australian transfer from Nova Southeastern, will also see significant time after sitting out last season.

Oral Roberts (last NCAA: 2008) The Golden Eagles' run atop the Summit League ended at the hands of South Dakota State in the first round of last year's conference tournament. They'll have a hard time getting back, as they lost three starters, including the team's two leading scorers, Robert Jarvis and Marcus Lewis. The frontcourt should in be good shape, thanks to the return of 6-9 Kevin Ford (9.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and 6-6 Dominique Morrison (9.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and the arrival of JC transfers Michael Craion and Javier Nasarre. In the backcourt, Kyron Stokes (7 ppg) will have to prove he's recovered from ankle surgery and Southeast Missouri transfer Rod Pearson has to show he's ready to take over the offense from the graduated Kelvin Sango.

IUPUI (last NCAA: 2003) The Jaguars have recorded a .500 mark or better in the Summit League for seven straight years. With four starters returning off last year's squad that got better as the year went on, they should make it eight. Robert Glenn (14.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) was the conference's Newcomer of the Year last season, and he'll be a serious contender for Player of the Year honors this season. Frontcourt-mate Alex Young (11.0 ppg) was the only other Jaguar to average in double-figures, but three-point sharpshooter Leroy Nobles (9.9 ppg, 41.7% from 3) and Jon Avery (9.1 ppg) should join the club this season. Billy Pettiford, a 6-7 senior F who averaged a bit more than 5 points and 5 boards a game, could be a factor too, if he performs more consistently.

South Dakota State (last NCAA: None) The Jackrabbits could very well replace their Northern rivals at the top of the league this season, as they can follow a similar formula. SDSU returns all five starters, and four top-10 scorers. 6-1 Garrett Callahan (15.8 ppg) and Clint Sargent (14.1 ppg) will anchor the backcourt. Callahan's brother, Griffan also features on the roster, as he averaged 5.4 points and 3 boards a game last season. Meanwhile, Anthony Cordova (12 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Kai Williams (9.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are two players who can be counted on to do the hard work inside. The Jackrabbits also have the advantage of having the conference tournament in their backyard, as Sioux Falls is only an hour south of Brookings on I-29.

Oakland (last NCAA: 2005) Last March, the Grizzlies very nearly eradicated Bison Fever before it ever reached the Metrodome. They should be able to finish the job this season thanks to an excellent crop of returnees. 6-11 C Keith Benson, the league leader in blocks (2.4 bpg) and field goal percentage (62.2 %) and second-leading rebounder in the Summit (7.8 rpg) is back. Point guard Johnathon Jones, the country's best assist man (8.1 apg), is back too. So is Derick Nelson, who redshirted last season after a foot injury. The 6-5 PF averaged 17.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg during the 2007-08 campaign. Head coach Greg Kampe even picks up St. John's transfer Larry Wright to replace the only major loss from last year's squad, Erik Kangas (18.9 ppg), who set the Summit League's single-season record for 3-pointers.

With all of that firepower, it's no wonder that the Grizzlies are my preseason pick for the Summit League crown. You'll see them in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Summit League team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Summit League Team

Player of the Year: Keith Benson, 6-11 C, Jr. (Oakland)

Remainder of the Team
Davis Baker, 6-4 G, Sr. (Southern Utah)
Garrett Callahan, 6-1 G, Sr. (South Dakota State)
Johnathon Jones, 5-11 G, Sr. (Oakland)
Derick Nelson, 6-5 F, Sr. (Oakland)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Summit League this season? (Since Centenary is not postseason eligible, they're not listed.)

IPFW

4 votes

IUPUI

1 votes

North Dakota State

2 votes

Oakland

10 votes

Oral Roberts

2 votes

South Dakota State

0 votes

Southern Utah

3 votes

UMKC

2 votes

Western Illinois

1 votes

25 votes | Poll has closed

We're Dancing: North Dakota State Bison

SFBE.NF — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:27:04 -0000

Ben Woodside is back on our conscious!!! He's so damn handsome.

Anyway, a great finish in the Summit League final tonight. The top-seeded Bison clawed their way back from being down 12 with nine to play, to defeat Oakland. Naturally, the win was assured by a Woodside long two with just three seconds to play.

It's NDSU's first year as a member of the Summit Conference, and then you have programs like Northwestern that have never even sniffed the Big Dance. Life is unfair. But at the same time, the state of North effing Dakota has representation in the field of 65, and they're one of the more interesting prospective Cinderellas.

More after the jump.

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

Enrollment: 13,200

Record: 26-6 (16-2)

Leading Scorers: Ben Woodside (23 ppg); Brett Winkelman (19 ppg); Mike Nelson (12 ppg)

What to know:

If you didn't already know, Mr. Woodside put up 60 earlier this season in a triple OT loss to Stephen F. Austin. Exactly half his points came from the foul line.
Woodside can score, but he also accounts for 42 percent of the Bison's assists (6.4 per).
This team is all about offensive efficiency. They're second in the country with 1.17 points per possession.
USC and Minnesota were their only BCS opponents this season. They lost to the Trojans 57 - 61, and the Gophers 76 - 90.

Four Bids Monday, Three Today

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:14:35 -0000

Monday was one of those rare nights, not an overwhelming number of games going on, but they were all of massive importance. Tonight will be similar, even with the Big East first round games only being available on the conference's website.

Four teams are in after last night's action.

VCU returns to the dance after a year's absence, handily defeating defending CAA champion George Mason, 71-50. Rams' guard Eric Maynor had everyone oohing and aahing in the first half. He ended up with 25. The star of the night, however, was VCU forward Larry Sanders, thanks to a 18 point, 20 rebound, 7 block line.

Chattanooga won the Southern Conference crown on their home floor, knocking off the College of Charleston, 80-69. Even though the Mocs were the North Division's top seed, they would've finished below fourth place Wofford in the South Division. That doesn't bode well for their seeding come Sunday.

Siena outlasted Niagara, 77-70, to win the Metro Atlantic crown on their home floor. Kenny Hasbrouck had 19 for the Saints, while Ryan Rossiter had 16 points and (unbelivably) 16 boards.

And St. Mary's at-large chances took a major hit in the West Coast final. The Gaels fell to Gonzaga, 83-58. Patty Mills looked rusty again, managing only 5 points on a woeful 2-16 (that's 12.5%) shooting night. It wasn't a great night for the SMC guards period. The Bulldogs ended up with six players in double figures.

Three bids are on the line tonight.

If you remember correctly, the two opponents for tonight's Horizon League final (ESPN, 9 EDT), Butler and Cleveland State were determined in Saturday's semifinals.

Summit League (ESPN2, 8 EDT) - Top-seeded North Dakota State defeated Southern Utah, 79-67 to advance to the final. The Bison, who feature four redshirt seniors, making their one run at the Dance, take on the three seed Oakland, who ended seventh-seeded South Dakota State's run, depriving us of a true Badlands final.

Sun Belt (ESPN2, 10 EDT) - Western Kentucky got a battle from North Texas, but the top-seeded Hilltoppers built a lead at the end and won 77-70. WKU faces sixth-seeded South Alabama for the title tonight. The Jaguars defeated regular-season co-champion Arkansas-Little Rock 54-44. The Trojans only shot 26 percent from the field and 53 percent from the line.

I'll be working on a bracket off-and-on tonight to have it up after the Sun Belt game.