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The Can Ball Report NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week - Dec 6

rbala — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:59:50 -0000

We apologize for the tardiness. We had to go through some stats and after careful consideration of several very deserving candidates we have come to a decision. The Can Ball Report finally has another installment of the NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

Players of the Week – Dec 6

Marc Trasolini (Vancouver) – Soph., Santa Clara

Trasolini had shown promise last season as a freshman forward for the Broncos and this season he is filling the void in the middle left by conference player of the year John Bryant to the pros. This week he had an excellent set of games against some pretty good competition. Last week, Traz averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, a steal and 2.5 blocks while shooting 55% from the floor (10 of 18) and 84% from the FT (16 of 19).

In the Broncos game against UC-Santa Barbara on Dec. 1 Trasolini had 15 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 2 blocks. He also went 5 of 8 from the floor and a perfect 5 of 5 from the line. In the next game Dec. 5, Trasolini had his best game last week against (18) UNLV posting a game high 22 points to go with 5 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks. He went 5 of 10 from the floor including 1 of 2 from the three and 11 of 14 from the free throw line.

For the season 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.4 FG% and 76.7 FT%. He currently leads the team in blocked shots and is second in rebounding and FG%.

Honorable Mention: Papa Oppong, Eastern Kentucky – 18 pts, 3 rbs, 1.5 asts, 1.5 stls, 1 blk, 14-19 FG, 6-8 3-PT FG in 30.5 mins in two games.

Stat Line of the Week

Bol Kong (Vancouver) – Soph., Gonzaga

Part of the largest Canadian contingent on any NCAA men’s basketball team, Kong was most anticipated of the three incoming Canuck freshmen thanks to the well publicized visa issues over the last few years. Playing on a well stocked perimeter team, Kong had his best game as a Zag this past Saturday in the narrow loss to the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. He had some keys treys in the game late to help keep the Bulldogs close. Here’s how it went: 12 minutes, 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting, 4 of 4 from the three.

Honorable Mention: Olu Ashoalu, Louisiana Tech – 22 pts, 12 rbs, 2 stls, 10-15 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 32 mins vs. Northwestern State.

"They are who we thought they were": 11/29-12/6 edition

everydayezag — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:48:29 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

Mark Few is probably wondering why the WCC decided to essentially take this week off and lose every meaningful game played.

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It was just one week ago when I was praising the improvements the WCC had made and how close this conference was to emerging on the national scene. After great performances by Gonzaga, Portland, and USD on the national stage, the national media quickly began discussing how the WCC might even be equal to the Pac 10. However, after a demoralizing week by nearly every team in this conference, we can probably stop the clamoring for this to be a two or even three bid league. Instead, Gonzaga will need to spend January and February making sure they don't lose, because the assumption that this league is Gonzaga and the 7 Dwarfs will sadly continue. Unfortunately, this is what happens when teams in mid-major leagues throw away great opportunities like Portland and USD did.

1) Gonzaga (6-2): 74-69 win vs. Washington State; 77-75 loss vs. Wake Forest

It pains me to say that this team was literally some made free throws and a couple smarter plays away from playing a top 10 match up against Duke at Madison Square Garden. As much as I don't like to assume any games will be automatic wins, I don't see anyway that this team will possibly lose games to Augustana and Davidson. However, one thing that I continue to like about this team is the toughness they play with and the physicality that they demonstrate every night. Also, as opposed to previous teams that have peaked in November and December, it's clear that the coaching staff is still trying to figure out exactly what each guy can bring to the table. This will make for a couple more head scratching performances, but should also make for one of the better teams in the country in March.

2) St. Mary's (6-1): 78-71 win @ San Jose St.; 68-63 win @ Utah St.

While Portland and San Diego struggled this week, the Gaels pulled off two very impressive wins. This group really showed some moxie in the win over San Jose St., as they came back from a 15 point deficit to earn the victory over a very underrated team. The one weakness I see with this group is depth, as they have only five guys who really make significant contributions on a nightly basis. However, these two wins over San Jose St. and Utah St. are very impressive, and lets hope the Gaels can send a big message when they travel to Oregon on Saturday.

3) Portland (5-3): 86-82 loss vs. Portland St; 68-48 loss @ Idaho

If you want to see a blueprint for how to become irrelevant in one week, just look at what the Portland Pilots have done. After finally securing a top 25 ranking for the first time in 50 years, the Pilots choked away a comfortable lead against Portland St, and then followed that up by laying an egg in Moscow. While the Idaho loss is galling because of the final score, the Portland St. loss at home is the most stunning. You just can't simply lose games like that if you want to be in the hunt for an at-large bid come March.

4) Santa Clara (4-4): 79-68 win @ UCSB; 66-63 loss vs. UNLV

Santa Clara was a couple baskets away from being the #3 team on this list. However, after jumping out to an eight point halftime lead against UNLV, the Broncos just couldn't quite hold on for the win. Unfortunately, the news became even worse when it was announced that Kevin Foster, who leads the team with 19.8 points per game, will likely be out for the season with a foot injury. With that said, the Broncos clearly played hard without him in the loss to UNLV, and hopefully some guys will take advantage of the added playing time and step up.

5) San Diego (4-5): 69-62 loss vs. San Diego St.; 58-55 loss @ UC Riverside; 69-37 loss @ Fresno St.

I'm beginning to get to the point where I worry about the mental makeup of the Toreros. After back-to-back tough losses against good competition, USD completely imploded in the loss to Fresno St. Brandon Johnson has been suspended for disciplinary issues, which has become a theme under Billy Grier. Lets hope that the hangover from those close losses doesn't extend much more, because the Toreros have a huge game against New Mexico on Wednesday night.

6) LMU (3-6): 91-72 win vs. Academy of Art; 76-70 loss @ Wyoming

After securing a fairly simple win against the Academy of Art ( I was unaware this was a school prior to this recap), the Lions threw away a huge opportunity when they blew a lead in the last three minutes against Wyoming. I know I say it every week about this team, but the talent is there for them to significantly improve and be a threat by January. However, as is the case with many young teams, there is still a long ways to go before they know how to win close games.

7) Pepperdine (3-5): 83-77 loss @ Cal Poly

Here is another case of a WCC team conceding a comfortable win. The Waves led by 10 points at the half against Cal Poly, but then allowed 52 second half points to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The one positive aspect of the loss is the fact that Pepperdine found a couple guys to compliment Keion Bell. In fact, Jonathan Dupre' led the team in scoring with 19 points, while Bell scored 18 and dished out five assists.

8) USF (2-6): 78-54 loss @ Colorado; 69-43 loss @ BYU

There really isn't much to say about USF at this point in the season. They were embarrassed in back-to-back losses on the road and continue to waste the great production of Dior Lowhorn. In fact, if you want to get a sense for why USF lost both these games, just go back and read every addition of the WCC Power Rankings I have written in the past year. Until the Dons can learn to surround a great player with decent talent, they will continue to languish at the bottom of these rankings.

RPI WATCH: 12/06/09

BracketCat — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:00:20 -0000

by Orlin Wagner - AP

Dominique Sutton, as predicted, pretty much did this to the Cougars all night long — and now the Cats are knocking on the door to the Top 25. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Quite a bit of basketball action yesterday, mostly among our non-con opponents — most of whom won, thankfully.

And the Big 12 virtually is assured of winning the Hardwood Series outright for the first time, holding a 6-2 record after Saturday's games and with Kansas scheduled to bash UCLA's brains in this afternoon.

Game results after the jump. Also, be sure to vote in my quick poll. I'm interested in seeing where Wildcat Nation's sentiments lie on this one.

Current Kansas State Record = 7-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 10

Current Kansas State SOS = 17

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

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (5-2, 1-1) | RPI = 30: Win at UW Milwaukee (69-64)
Western Illinois (3-5, 0-2) | RPI = 301: Loss to South Dakota State (80-74)
Boston (2-6) | RPI = 162
Ole Miss (7-1) | RPI = 18: Win over Southern Miss (81-79)
Dayton (5-2) | RPI = 45: Win over Lehigh (89-71)
IUPUI (7-2, 2-0) | RPI = 79: Win over NDSU (86-74)
FHSU (5-1): Win at Nebraska-Omaha (79-68)
Washington State (6-2) | RPI = 153: Loss at Kansas State (86-69)
Xavier (5-2) | RPI = 77
No. 24 UNLV (7-0) | RPI = 12: Win at Santa Clara (66-63)
Alabama (6-2) | RPI = 82: Win over UL Monroe (74-46)
UAPB (0-6) | RPI = 273: Loss at Michigan (67-53)
Cleveland State (3-6, 0-2) | RPI = 222: Loss at Detroit (69-62)
South Dakota (5-3) | RPI = 143
Missouri (5-2) | RPI = 92: Win over Oregon (106-69)
No. 19 Texas A&M (7-1) | RPI = 19
Colorado (5-3) | RPI = 226
No. 2 Texas (6-0) | RPI = 2
Oklahoma State (7-1) | RPI = 26: Win over UTSA (61-55)
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (6-0) | RPI = 38
Nebraska (5-1) | RPI = 81
Iowa State (6-3) | RPI = 187: Loss at Cal (82-63)
Oklahoma (4-3) | RPI = 206
Texas Tech (8-0) | RPI = 42

Poll

Have the Cats done enough to deserve being ranked in this week's Top 25?

WCC Power Rankings: 11/15-11/22 edition

everydayezag — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:39:50 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

Consistent play from Matt Bouldin and the rest of the Zags will keep Gonzaga at the top of the WCC Power Rankings.

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Although it has been in a rather quiet manner, the WCC is off to a very solid start this season. Currently, six of the eight teams in the conference are above 500., with the other two teams showing some very nice signs of life. Saturday night would certainly have to be considered a banner night for the conference, as the WCC recorded two wins against Pac 10 competition. While many Gonzaga fans probably expected Portland to take care of business against Oregon, the fact that LMU was able to travel to USC and earn a big road victory came as a pleasant surprise. Even with the fine performance by Portland, I will continue to keep Gonzaga at the top of the rankings until one of these other teams proves they are a true contender for this conference.

1) Gonzaga (2-1): 75-71 loss @ Michigan St.; 90-55 win vs. IPFW

As anyone who has read this blog for the past year would know, I am not the kind of guy that believes in "moral victories". However, the toughness and grit that this team displayed against a hostile environment in East Lansing has made me believe that we could have a pretty darn special team on our hands this season. After appearing to sleepwalk through the first half against IPFW, the Zags turned up their game and completely dominated an inferior opponent. The biggest challenge for Mark Few this season will be his ability to keep this young team focused and hungry for every game on the schedule. If these guys can stay on task and take care of business when they should, it will be a very bright season.

2) Portland (3-0): 98-81 win vs. Portland; 88-81 vs. Oregon

I will admit that I was a little worried about the expectations that I had for the Pilots after their opener against EWU. Although they won the game, Portland just didn't seem to play with as much execution as I had expected. This past week, Portland showed that they are certainly deserving of all the preseason hype, with two very nice wins. Nik Raivio continues to play like a potential WCC POY candidate, as he is averaging 19 points and 9 boards. The Pilots have a very nice trio in Raivio, T.J. Campbell, and Robin Smeulders. In the impressive win over Oregon, the trio accounted for 57 of the teams 88 points. With so much experience and talent on this team, the WCC has a great chance at two NCAA bids.

3) St. Mary's (2-1): 80-58 win vs. San Diego St.; 72-70 loss vs. Vandy

It's pretty darn clear that this St. Mary's program will not fade back to irrelevance with the loss of Patty Mills. In fact, St.Mary's came very close to making this an absolute banner week for the conference. After turning the most impressive performance of the 24 hour marathon on ESPN, with their 80-58 domination of San Diego St., the Gaels had an excellent opportunity to stun Vanderbilt. Even with 25 points and 18 boards for Omar Samhan, St. Mary's could not overcome the early double digit deficit and ended up losing by two points. However, with Samhan and Matthew Dellavedova, this team has a very formidable duo that will keep them in a lot of games.

4) San Diego (2-1): 56-55 loss @ Pacific; 84-65 win vs. Point Loma

The reason I rank San Diego in the top half of the conference is because they would be undefeated if not for an injury to Brandon Johnson against Pacific. In the one point loss to Pacific, Johnson played only 20 minutes because of a hurt hamstring, and he was out for most of the second half. Once Johnson is fully healthy, USD will have a terrific back court, with De'Jon Jackson playing at a very high level. Jackson is averaging 17.7 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Toreros. Even more important for this team is the continued solid play of Roberto Mafra. When Mafra plays well, he gives USD a legitimate post threat, which is huge because of how talented of a back court they have.

5) LMU (2-3): 84-78 loss vs. UC Irvine; 67-59 win @ USC

Ignore the win-loss record and the fact that this is the same program that took nearly two months to win a game last season. With the talent that this program has from transfers and recruiting, I can assure that LMU will be one team that nobody in this conference wants to face in January and February. This is a very balanced and talented team, with Oregon transfer Drew Viney leading the way for the Lions. Viney is averaging 17.2 points and 5.2 boards, and he is one of the more talented scorers in this conference. Once Viney and Larry Davis fully mesh with Vernon Teel and Jarred DuBois, this will be a very formidable team.

6) Santa Clara (2-1): 79-55 win vs. Menlo College; 86-53 loss @ San Diego St.

Consistency has just absolutely haunted the Santa Clara program over the past couple of years. After opening the season with a nice 2-1 start, the Broncos traveled to San Diego St. and got absolutely destroyed. Normally I wouldn't make too much out of a loss to a quality opponent, but this is the same San Diego St. team that didn't even belong on the same court as St. Mary's. The only reason I am willing to forgive this performance is because Santa Clara was missing Kevin Foster. Hopefully Foster can get his academic obligations in check, as his 20 points per game is a huge boost to this team.

7) San Francisco (2-1): 92-66 win vs. Dominican; 104-65 loss @ Arizona St.

I'm sorry USF, but getting destroyed against a mediocre Arizona St. opponent is no way to work your way up these power rankings. Don't be fooled by the fact that Arizona St. made the NCAA tournament last season, because this is a very average team, that just happens to be extraordinarily well coached by Herb Sendek. Both Dior Lowhorn and Kwame Harris have started the season very strong, with each averaging 18.7 points per game. However, there is no support for these two from the rest of the team. In order for the Dons to be competitive in conference, at least one more guy needs to step up and be productive.

8) Pepperdine (1-2): 67-58 loss vs. Long Beach St.; 72-70 win vs. Cal State-San Bernandino

In Keion Bell, Pepperdine has arguably the most explosive player in the conference. Bell is averaging 21 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Waves, and he literally keeps this team in most games. The huge problem that Pepperdine is facing is the fact that they have no one to compliment Bell. In fact, Bell is the only guy on the team averaging double-digit points per game. If no one is able to step up on a regular basis to help Bell, this team will remain in the cellar throughout the season.

WCC Power Rankings: Opening week edition

everydayezag — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:37:46 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

Matt Bouldin is one of the many reasons that Gonzaga will start out on the top of the WCC Power Rankings.

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Now that every team in the WCC has officially kicked off their season, we figured it was time to introduce the WCC Power Rankings. For those readers that are new to the site, every Sunday night I take a look at the past week of WCC action and put together a weekly power rankings of the conference. Last season, I made the mistake of not having Gonzaga at the top of my rankings on two separate occasions, and clearly that wasn't my smartest moment as a sports writer. Despite the returning talent at Portland, I am taking the approach that in order to knock Gonzaga off the top spot, these other teams must beat elite competition. I vow to longer be influenced by a great win-loss record when the competition is equal to my high school team (I'm looking at you St. Mary's). With that said, here is my take on how the WCC stacks up now that every team has opened the season.

1) Gonzaga (1-0): 94-75 win vs. MVSU

Like I mentioned before, until one of these other WCC teams goes out and beats some elite competition during the opening months of the season, I don't anticipate putting Gonzaga anywhere else. In the opener, the Zags looked very raw and very talented. It's clear that the skill and athleticism might be at the highest level in recent memory, but it may take a little longer for everything to gel. However, with Rob Sacre (17 and 9) and Elias Harris (18 and 7) playing so well in the post, this team will be able to handle nearly any front court they see.

2) Portland (1-0): 64-58 win @ Eastern Washington

Although it wasn't the blowout that some may have assumed, Portland deserves a lot of credit for going on the road and picking up a victory. The back court of T.J. Campbell and Nik Raivio is going to be a handful for every opponent on the Pilots schedule. In the opener against EWU, Raivio scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Campbell scored 15 and dished out four assists. This team will not have the growing pains that some of the other teams will have, but I still question how high the ceiling really is for this group.

3) San Diego (1-0): 77-64 win vs. Stanford

Normally a win over Stanford would be quite impressive, but the Cardinal are a long way from being a relevant team on the West Coast. The nice thing for USD is that it appears that the headaches and disruptions that really limited last season are officially out of the program. Brandon Johnson looked good in his return from injury, as he and De'Jon Jackson led the way with 18 points each. If the Toreros can receive any sort of consistent contributions from Chris Manresa and Roberto Mafra, this could be the surprise package in the WCC.

4) St. Mary's (1-0): 100-68 win vs. New Mexico St.

Just when you think that this conference is finally done dealing with great Australian guards, Matthew Dellavedova bursts on the scene and scores 19 points in his first game. This St. Mary's team will play a very European style of play, with a guy like Ben Allen, who at 6'11 is more comfortable scoring on the perimeter. Allen was a bit of a disappointment last year, but he scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had nine assists in the opening win. It will be interesting to watch this team develop, as the only guy who has really proven himself is Omar Samhan. However, it seems that this is still a very talented group who may surprise some people.

5) Santa Clara (1-0): 84-81 win @ Cal State Bakersfield

This is the team that I really want to see make the jump to the next level in the conference. Kerry Keating has done a nice job bringing in the guys that fit the mold of what he is looking for, and they did pick up a nice win on the road. Kevin Foster is one of the most explosive young guards in the WCC, and he scored a game-high 21 points in the victory. Much like USD, if the Broncos can find some depth and consistency in the post, they might finally be ready to make the move to push for a top three finish in the conference.

6) Pepperdine (0-1): 67-64 loss vs. Pacific

Despite opening the season with a loss, I came away pretty impressed by Pepperdine. Pacific is a traditionally solid program and this game went 2 OT's before it was decided. While I don't think he will win WCC POY because his team will struggle, Keion Bell might be the best player in the conference. Bell opened the season with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, the Waves have not developed any guys to compliment Bell on this team.

7) USF (1-0): 73-62 win vs. Cal Poly

I hope people haven't forgot just how good Dior Lowhorn is. Lowhorn opened the season with a typically brilliant performance, scoring a game-high 22 points to help lead the Dons to a victory. However, unlike in the past couple of years, Lowhorn actually received help from his teammates. Sophomore guard Kwame Vaugh scored 15 points and pulled down seven boards, while Angelo Caloiaro added 15 more. If Lowhorn can receive this type of support every game, USF could be a nice team.

8) LMU (1-2): 90-87 loss vs. Boise St.; 83-60 win vs. North Dakota; 64-63 loss @ Montana

I can assure that LMU will not be in this spot towards the end of the season. Although they were a laughing stock throughout the 2008-2009 season, there is actually a nice core group of guys in the program. In fact, the Lions were just a couple of baskets away from a 3-0 start and a nice spot in these power rankings. Both Larry Davis and Drew Viney will produce well for this team after sitting last season because of transferring, and Vernon Teel is one of the better guards in the conference. Once this team gels and develops a nice chemistry, they will be a tough game for any team in this conference.

Previewing the 2009-10 West Coast Conference

Zach B — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:50:23 -0000

Brandon Johnson may have been the most exciting player in the WCC two years ago. Can he return to form after a terrible Achilles injury?

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As the lone West Coast Conference blog on SB Nation, we've taken it upon ourselves to do our best to publicize the WCC as much as we can. If you read the site last year, you know that we love to cover the conference as much as we can without alienating the Gonzaga faithful. Schools like St. Mary's and San Diego have had national success in recent years and the University of Portland appears to be destined for a breakout season. All these teams make the conference fun to watch especially when you combine that with the fact that all the schools in the bottom half of the conference at least appear to be headed in the right direction. San Francisco and Santa Clara are both proud programs that seem to be on the rise. Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount have really struggled the past few years but are still getting decent talent and should be able to compete in the conference.

The West Coast Conference has often been ridiculed by the national media for being a weak conference and that definitely holds some water. Gonzaga feels compelled to play, and travel to, a bunch of big time schools just to boost their RPI because once conference play hits, the odds are that Gonzaga's RPI will fall off a bit. This season, however, Gonzaga will probably get its greatest challenge for the regular season conference crown in recent memory. The Pilots of Portland under head coach Eric Reveno return 12 players from last season's team and are everyone's choice to give Gonzaga the most trouble. St. Mary's is always a challenging foe for the Zags and a great rivalry has kicked up between the two schools in the past few years. San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Diego are also all fully capable of putting together nice seasons as they each have some very exciting, veteran players leading their teams into 2009-10.

After the jump we'll take a more detailed look at each of the teams in the conference (except Gonzaga) and outline where we think they are headed this season.

Portland Pilots

Last Season: The Pilots had an outstanding season a year ago under Eric Reveno. They went 19-13 and made their first post season tournament since 1996 when they were selected to play in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Portland was bolstered by a group of veterans led by Nik Raivio but the biggest key may have been transfer T.J. Campbell. Campbell arrived at Portland and made an immediate impact at point guard, averaging 11 points and 5 assists a game.

Player to Watch: Everyone knows the talent that Portland brings back this season. The big question is whether all of that talent has enough upside to show great improvement from last season to this season. For this reason, the key player for the Pilots is T.J. Campbell. Campbell brought so much to the team in his first season that expectations are very high for this final year in Portland. He's a very heady guard with great penetration abilities who will be the key if UP hopes to knock off Gonzaga in 2009-10.

Season Outlook: The Pilots kick off their season with Eastern Washington on the 14th of this month and face a pretty tough nonconference schedule. Games against Oregon, at UCLA, and at Washington will test Eric Reveno's team and will give them great preparation for WCC play. Fittingly, Gonzaga and Portland open up the West Coast Conference schedule against one another in Portland on January 9th. Overall, Coach Reveno did an outstanding creating a schedule not full of insane traveling that should give his team good rest while playing a respectable batch of games. I wouldn't be surprised if the Pilots took 2/3 from their Pac-10 foes.

St. Mary's Gaels

Last Season: It was a banner year in Moraga a season ago as the Gaels brought home a school record 28 wins in 2008-09. Led by the now departed Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson, St. Mary's was selected to participate in the NIT Tournament and they were a game away from heading off to New York for the semifinals before San Diego State upended them. A weak nonconference schedule and being routed by Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament championship gave away any hope for the Gaels being an NCAA Tournament team.

Player to Watch: St. Mary's is sort of going through a Gonzaga-lite experience this season. The Gaels have seven freshmen this season, five true and two redshirt. With all this youth for St. Mary's, a veteran has to be looked upon to pick up the slack and that guy is Mickey McConnell. Mickey was very inconsistent a season ago but returns for his junior year with some great experience after filling in for Patty Mills when he was hurt. The show is McConnell's now and he'll have to step up his output if St. Mary's is going to stay in the West Coast Conference race.

Season Outlook: St. Mary's will get two outstanding early season tests at the McKeon Pavilion in Moraga. San Diego State and Vanderbilt will make the trip to take on the Gaels on their homecourt and it will give St. Mary's a great idea of where they are at. Vanderbilt is a popular pick to be a top tier SEC team and San Diego State will challenge in the Mountain West. St. Mary's will also take on Oregon in Eugene and Utah State in Ogden to give them two nice road tests. Their hardest stretch of WCC games will be in mid-February as they take on Gonzaga, Portland, and San Diego all on the road in a seven day stretch.

San Francisco Dons

Last Season: It was a difficult year a season ago for the Dons. After not really playing anyone of note in their nonconference slate, San Francisco was greeted with some harsh reality and lost their first six games in conference play. The finally got off the hook with a win over Loyola Marymount but the season didn't really look up from their. The Dons would go on to win two more games in WCC play and were eliminated from the conference tournament by Pepperdine in their first game. The final tally for the Dons was an 11-19 record with three of them coming in conference.

Player to Watch: When I think about San Francisco, I actually feel happy that I won't have to watch Gonzaga take them on in person anymore. Not because it was such an awful game, but because I always feel terrible for Dior Lowhorn. Lowhorn is a combination of size and ability that even Gonzaga has trouble defending. He's been the leading scorer in the conference twice and averaged a little over 20 points a game last season. He has outstanding NBA potential and it is really hard to say where San Francisco would be without him on their roster...I'd wager somewhere near LMU.

Season Outlook: USF will be challenging itself this season with three very difficult road test in nonconfernece play. The Dons will face off with Arizona State, BYU, and Washington this season all away from their home court. They'll also make a trip to the Mountain time zone to take on Colorado and Colorado State. It's clear that Rex Walters is hoping to test his new, young nucleus of players with some road game that are winnable but will take a nice effort.

Santa Clara Broncos

Last Season: Santa Clara went 8-9 in their nonconference schedule a year ago with games against Georgia, FAU, UAB, Arizona, UNLV, Pacific, Stanford, Harvard, and New Hampshire all resulting in losses. They were able to defeat UTEP in a thrilling effort but aside from that, there wasn't a whole lot of quality wins on the schedule. A 7-7 record in the conference is what head coach Kerry Keating led his team to. Their only real surprising victory last season was their last game of the year when they took down Portland. They were led by John Bryant who is now graduated from the university and his shoes will be tough to fill.

Player to Watch: This is probably the easiest player to watch in the conference, save maybe for Pepperdine. Kevin Foster returns to Santa Clara for his sophomore season and will be expected to make a big jump from a season ago. The WCC's co-newcomer of the year with T.J. Campbell, Foster was also a Freshman All-American having averaged 15 points per game. The guard from Katy, Texas is an outstanding outside shooting threat as he broke Steve Nash's single season SCU record for three-pointers made. If SCU is going to be able to cope with the loss of John Bryant, it'll have to be Foster that puts in most of the work.

Season Outlook: Not a whole lot of beef in the nonconference schedule for the Broncos. San Diego State and UNLV will be two tough Mountain West opponents and Santa Clara will also be looking to avenge losses against New Hampshire and Harvard from last year.

San Diego Toreros

Last Season: San Diego's magical run a few years ago when the defeated Gonzaga in the conference championship and beat Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament feels like an eternity ago after a disappointing year last season. It got off to an awful start as senior Brandon Johnson tore his Achilles tendon after eight games. The Toreros wound up finishing with a 16-16 record and losing in the second round of the WCC Tournament to Santa Clara.

Player to Watch: Brandon Johnson was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA after his horrific injury. His return to the Toreros is enormous because without him, they might have challenge LMU for the spot in the cellar. Having also lost Gyno Pomare (graduation) and Rob Jones (transfer), Johnson will have to return to his old form and guide this team. There is a little experience with Johnson in the backcourt but the frontcourt will have sever growing pains for Bill Grier's squad.

Season Outlook: Games against Stanford, Oklahoma, San Diego State, and Mississippi State will give Bill Grier and the Toreros all they can handle in the nonconference slate. It appears that San Diego State has decided to schedule nearly ever WCC game, Oklahoma is a power in the Big 12, and Mississippi State could be a dangerous squad in the SEC. Stanford's basketball program is probably still a few years away but they still are Stanford and it will be a nice Pac-10 test right off the bat.

Pepperdine Waves

Last Season: Tom Asbury's return to coaching came with some mixed results in Malibu. They dropped 13 of their first 16 games including losses to Arizona State, USC, and Georgia Tech. Their only wins out of conference came against Western Oregon, Cal State-Monterey Bay, and Coppin State. They added five regular season conference wins and actually played inspired basketball. Wins over Santa Clara and San Diego were nice for Pepperdine but they were never able to challenge the heavy hitters and finished with a 9-23 record.

Player to Watch: Easily my favorite player not in a Gonzaga uniform is Keion Bell. The high-flying sophomore guard was one of the lone bright spots on the Pepperdine roster. Bell average about 13 points a game last year and brought some flare to the program. Keion is a very reckless player on the court however. He averaged about four turnovers a game last year and only dished out two assists. That will have to change in a big way for the Waves to show any signs of improvement.

Season Outlook: UCLA, Utah, Georgia, and Miami will all test Pepperdine in their nonconference schedule. The good thing is that they get Utah and Miami on their home court in Malibu. The rest of the schedule is anyone's best guess. Pepperdine will suffer some head-scratching losses but the key is for their veteran core to show some improvement and get some quality wins.

Loyola Marymount Lions

Last Season: You kind of have to give LMU a pass for their play a season ago. All summer and fall leading up to the season, we talked about LMU being the next program to challenge the top dogs. Bill Bayno was in charge and recruiting well but that all changed when Bayno took a leave of absence and eventually left the program. Max Good stepped in at the embattled program and led them to a historic 3-28 record. Wins over Bakersfield, San Diego, and San Francisco were all this team could muster.

Player to Watch: Believe it or not, the Lions do have some talent. They have two outstanding transfers who will be making an impact this season and one of them is former Oregon Duck Drew Viney. A 6'5'' sophomore forward, Viney left the Ducks after a short stint there due to injuries. He was a Scout top 100 recruit when he came out and will be called on to not only start immediately but be a leader on the team.

Season Outlook: In all honesty, every game for LMU will test them this season. With such a rough past few seasons, the program is still searching for an identity to build upon. Hopefully the new young players and transfers can build this program back into a proud on. Games against USC and Notre Dame stand out on the schedule for the Lions this season

ZB's Preseason Power Rankings
1. Gonzaga
2. Portland
3. St. Mary's
4. Santa Clara
5. Pepperdine
6. San Francisco
7. San Diego
8. LMU

Top 10 Players Not in Gonzaga uniforms:
Dior Lowhorn, USF
Kevin Foster, SCU
Keion Bell, Pepp
Mark Trasolini, SCU
Omar Samhan, SMC
TJ Campbell, Port
Nik Raivio, Port
Jared DuBois, LMU
Drew Viney, LMU
Brandon Johnson, USD

Poll

Outside of Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and Portland, which WCC team has the best shot for a breakout year in 2009-10?

San Diego

152 votes

San Francisco

30 votes

Pepperdine

18 votes

Santa Clara

51 votes

251 votes | Poll has closed

The Can Ball Report's NCAA Canadian Player Preview

rbala — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:34 -0000

The Can Ball Report gives what can only be described as the only NCAA Canadian player preview that matters. Join us for a look at the Canuck ballers that we expect to be making big waves this season.

So it’s is finally here people! All the waiting is over because the NCAA basketball season will officially start in a few days. There are roughly about 75 Canadians on Division 1 men’s basketball rosters this season and it looks like it will be a good one for our boys. We have two bona fide stars headlining what can be said is the most talented set of Canadian players playing at this level, ever. There are upperclassmen that have earned preseason honors; there are two reigning conference rookies of the year; there are a whole host of preseason all conference selections as well as players who will play major roles to their respective teams’ success. Since we are all basketball enthusiasts (I’ll let you gauge the degree of your enthusiasm in silence now for a moment) the Can Ball Report has compiled a list of players that we feel are worthy of early notice. Now some of you may know a few of the names already, if you do then good for you. For those of you who are not so familiar with them we suggest you, to quote Clinton Sparks, get familiar quickly. The players listed below are guys we feel you'll be hearing a lot about on this site, and any other Canadian media outlet for that matter, from the opening tip to the One Shining Moment in March and we want you to get it here first. So here we go people, the first annual Can Ball Report’s NCAA Canadian Player preview.

Most Outstanding Player – Harouna Mutombo, G - Western Carolina

A consensus pre season Southern Conference First Team selection this season after an incredible Rookie of the Year campaign, Mutombo is poised for a big (ger) year. He led the Catamounts in scoring, rebounding and steals on his way to a Second Team All SoCon nod so I wonder what the encore will be this season.

Top Newcomer – Manny Arop, G - Gonzaga

Arop may not have the best shot nor be the best rebounder as a freshman, but he does everything well enough that he will be an impact player for the Zags from day one. The team will be short on frontcourt help this year so he will be given every opportunity to contribute on a small ball lineup. Of all the newbie Canadians playing this year at the D1 level, Arop should be the best of them come March.

Best Shooter – Andy Rautins, G - Syracuse

Do you really need any explanation here? He is the best deep threat on a perennial national power team. Check his stats. He took 279 threes last year with gunner Eric Devendorf on the team and Rautins made an average of 2.8 makes per game. And that’s high quality defense in his face night in, night out. We don’t need to say anymore.

Best Defender – Andrew Nicholson, F/C – St. Bonaventure

After hitting the weight room this summer, the rookie record setting block machine is back to hold down the lane for the Bonnies. A legit Mutombo-like game changer, teams better rethink the attack when he’s they see his shadow looming.

Best Situation – Chretien Lukusa, G - Binghamton

The scandal that rocked Binghamton earlier this school year sent three starters and three supporting players packing, including two conference first teamers. An accomplished defender, Lukusa is the only returning starter so he pretty much should be good to go on both ends from day one.

Worst Situation – Ryan Wright, F - Oklahoma

The much ballyhooed Wright left UCLA for Oklahoma last year. Now with Blake Griffin in the NBA, the pressure is on him to contribute immediately to a team that has no real experienced frontcourt players returning. This may be a sink or swim situation that could turn against Wright in a hurry.

Most Important to Team – Andrew Nicholson, F/C – St. Bonaventure

Not enough can be said about Nicholson’s importance to his team this year so we’ll only use one word: very. He was the difference between a dead last finish and going .500 last season in the perennially tough A-10 Conference. This year, the team’s success will hinge largely on him and his improvements on both ends of the floor.

Super Sleeper – Willie Galick, F – Cal State-Northridge

Galick has been steadily flying under the radar for most of his college career finally breaking out last season as a junior transfer at Cal State-Northridge. Last year he started 25 of 33 games averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, both fourth and second respectively on the team. This year, he will get the starting nod at the power forward spot from the beginning of the season for the Matadors and should really shine in the California sun.

Best Down the Road – Manny Arop, G - Gonzaga

Call me crazy but a having great games against the best in the world at your age group should be an indicator of how good you are. Arop showed how good he was in New Zealand at the U19 Worlds this summer. He will have every chance this season to show why he may be the best recruit in the Zags class this year and will only get better with experience.

Due for a Breakout - Rob Sacre, C - Gonzaga

Last season, Rob Sacre was hindered by a foot injury that kept him out of all but five games. After spending the summer working out with the Canadian Senior Men's National Team, the recovered Sacre will be the man in the middle with the departures of Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye. With Sacre getting the first look at the starting center spot and a lack of real interior players, expect the breakout to come sooner than later.

Redemption Time – Maurice Joseph, G - Vermont

MoJo was another heralded Canadian export from the 2004 high school class along with Wright. He started out at Michigan State and was a big contributor to the team’s Tournament run in ’06 but he decided to transfer to Vermont after his sophmore campaign. Last season amid very high expectations, he began as a starter but finished coming off the bench. This season is the Montreal native’s final year to prove that he was worthy of big expectations when he became a Catamount.

Don’t Call It a Comeback – Olu Ashoalu, G/F – Louisiana Tech

Ashoalu has been on the top end of many school recruiting lists since he was a high school sophomore in Atlanta. He chose to follow the coach that recruited him to Louisiana Tech and got lost in the mix somehow. He was expected to play a big role in the team’s turnaround but red shirted his first year. Last year he showed flashes of what he could do averaging 5.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg playing in all 33 games. This year he will be asked to shoulder more of the load on both ends and should finally begin to play the way many predicted he would at this level.

Remember Me – William Archambault, F - Davidson

If you’re not aware of whom Archambault is you’ll know by the end of this season. With Stephen Curry starting in the NBA and taking with him much of the experienced outside shooting from last year’s team, the sweet shot forward will be the Wildcats’ primary outside gunner. He was the third leading scorer for the team despite starting only nine games and can light it up in a hurry. He is selected as a pre season SoCon All Conference selection, by the coaches no less, so we should all expect a big senior season from Archambault.

Diamond in the Rough - Max Boudreau, F - Buffalo

There seems to be something in the Quebec water that has the province producing seemingly unathletic yet highly efficient basketball players. Max Boudreau can arguably be the most underrated player on any team. He only averaged 13.8 minutes per but quietly put up 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds playing in all 33 contests. He managed to lead the team in scoring four times and rebounding six times last years, with two of those feats coming in the post season. This year may be the year for him to finally play more and potentially be a starter, finally.

Fab Five All Canadian First Team:

Andrew Nicholson, F/C - St Bonaventure

Harouna Mutumbo, G – Western Carolina

Andy Rautins, G - Syracuse

William Archambault, G/F - Davidson

Rob Sacre, C - Gonzaga

Ten Players to Watch:

Alex Johnson, G – Cal State-Bakersfield

Kai Williams, F – South Dakota State

Jon House, G – Belmont

Bol Kong, F – Gonzaga

Devoe Joseph, G – Minnesota

Hernst Laroche, G – New Mexico State

Tyrone Watson, G – New Mexico State

Marc Trasolini, F – Santa Clara

Francis Cedric-Martel, G/F – Richmond

Alwayne Bigby, G/F – Northeastern

Poll

Who will have the best season this year in the NCAA?

Andy Rautins - Syracuse

34 votes

Andrew Nicholson - St. Bonaventure

11 votes

Manny Arop - Gonzaga

144 votes

Harouna Mutombo - Western Carolina

16 votes

Other

12 votes

217 votes | Poll has closed

BtB 2009-10 West Coast Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:18:44 -0000

The theme of the 2009-10 season in the West Coast Conference's is rebuilding. While Gonzaga ended 2008-09 in the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to North Carolina, and St. Mary's ended a season that began with so much promise in the NIT quarterfinals, both these teams suffered significant losses that will result in tempered expectations this time around. And the changes aren't limited to the teams who finished at the top of the standings, as Loyola Marymount begins their first full season under Max Good, their fifth coach in this century.

With just about everyone going through some changes, the WCC race should be more competitive than last year's, when the Bulldogs ran the table and swept through the league tournament. The big question is how will a more even, and potentially bruising, league race impact the conference's chances at multiple bids. Las Vegas will serve as the neutral host for the conference tournament for the second straight year. With the Zags dominance last season, this will really be the first year we get to see if a neutral-site event will impact the conference's postseason fortunes, if at all. More on the eight WCC members after the jump.

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

West Coast Conference Standings

(updated 3.28.2009 at 12:54 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Gonzaga Bulldogs	14	0	28	6
St. Mary's, Calif. Gaels	10	4	28	7
Portland Pilots	9	5	19	13
Santa Clara Broncos	7	7	16	17
San Diego Toreros	6	8	16	16
Pepperdine Waves	5	9	9	23
San Francisco Dons	3	11	11	19
Loyola Marymount Lions	2	12	3	28

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

Loyola Marymount (last NCAA: 1990) This March, 20 years will have passed since the Lions made their electrifying, emotional run to the Elite Eight. To me, it seems like only yesterday that Bo Kimble shot his free throws left-handed to honor his late friend Hank Gathers. For fans of LMU, the story of Alexander the Great must seem more recent. In those two decades, the Lions have become the WCC's perennial bottom feeders, averaging 20 losses a season during the new millenium. Head coach Max Good will attempt to improve on last year's 28-loss campaign with the help of five freshmen, Seton Hall transfer Larry Davis, a 6-4 guard, and Oregon transfer Drew Viney, a 6-7 forward.

San Francisco (last NCAA: 1998) The Dons are another program that's fallen on hard times. (Remember the dismissal of Jessie Evans and ill-fated interim tenure of Eddie Sutton back in '07-'08?) Rex Walters begins his second season by the Bay looking to climb up the standings. He'll get a lot of help from Dior Lawhorn (20.1 ppg), who's somehow managed to win the WCC's scoring title twice despite the presence of the high-flying Zags, and Manhattan transfer Rashad Green, brother of Danny, who just won a national title in Chapel Hill. USF will also feature an international frontcourt, as Walters secured the services of three European players, 7-foot C Tomas Bruha, 6-10 C Moustapha Diarra, and 6-8 F Nikola Stojiljkovic. The big question for Walters is who will run the offense now that Manny Quezada has graduated.

Santa Clara (last NCAA: 1996) Kerry Keating's third season at the helm of the Broncos could be a rough one. Santa Clara finished just under .500 at 16-17, and that was with WCC Player of the Year John Bryant on the roster. Keating will have to find a way to replace his 18 points and 14 boards a game. Sophomore forward Marc Trasolini will really have to step up to match those numbers, though he did average 6.8 points and 4.8 boards in limited action last season. Expect the Broncos to be more guard oriented this season, with 6-2 sophomore Kevin Foster (14.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) taking a bigger role in the offense.

Pepperdine (last NCAA: 2002) Tom Asbury begins the second year of his second stint on the sidelines in Malibu with a lot of hope. In a league where just about everyone is going through significant changes, the Waves actually return all five starters and most of their bench contributors. However, these returnees will have to, well, play A LOT better to move up the standings. The Waves simply didn't take good enough care of the ball or score enough to be very competitive. Point guard Keion Bell was the only player on the team to average in double figures (12.9 ppg), but he turned the ball over nearly 4 times a game. Comparatively, he dished out just a bit more than 2 assists per contest. The Waves will need more from their frontcourt this season to be a force. Mychel Thompson can improve on his scoring average of just under 10 points per game and Taylor Darby needs to make sure his scoring and rebounding averages aren't mirror images of one another (6.1 of each per game).

San Diego (last NCAA: 2008) The biggest moment for the Toreros in a 16-16 campaign was their upset win over Mississippi State in Starkville late last December. Point guard Brandon Johnson, who lost most of last season to a ruptured Achilles, was granted a fifth year of eligibility and will be back running the offense. The importance of Johnson's return can't be understated, as he averaged almost 17 points and 3.5 assists per game during his junior season. San Diego will have some frontcourt issues as F/C Gyno Pomare, who averaged almost 14 points and 6 boards a game, graduated, and Rob Jones, who averaged nearly 10 points and 5.5 boards left the program. Coach Bill Grier hopes 6-9 Brazilian junior college transfer Rafael Crescensio and 6-9 holdover Roberto Mafra (5.0 ppg. 2.5 rpg) can make an impact inside.

Saint Mary's (last NCAA: 2008) Everyone knows that the Gaels lost Patty Mills to the NBA Draft, but he wasn't the only significant player to leave Moraga after a 28-win campaign. Saint Mary's lost three other starters, most notably F Diamon Simpson (13.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg). Center Omar Samhan (14.1 ppg, 9.4 pg) is back, however, as is Mickey McConnell, who gained valuable experience running Randy Bennett's offense when Mills was out with a broken hand. Wayne Hunter will also see some time at the point, and watch for 6-1 Jorden Page, who played on Australia's team at the U19 Worlds this summer. He's seen by many as the natural successor to Mills. Bennett will need more from players like F Clint Steindl (2.7 ppg) and C Ben Allen (2.2 ppg) for the Gaels to stay high in the standings.

Portland (last NCAA: 1996) The Pilots won 19 games in 2008-09 and nearly pipped St. Mary's to second, falling a game short in the standings. Now, Portland, boasting five returning starters (four of them seniors) has rebuilding Gonzaga in its sights. The backcourt is a dangerous one. T.J, Campbell runs the offense efficiently (11.1 ppg, 4.8 apg, 53.1% 3 point shooting), while Nik Raivio (16 ppg) and Jared Stohl (11.2 ppg, 45.6 % from beyond the arc) can really score. The forward corps, featuring the 6-10 Robin Smeulders (10.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg), 6-9 Kramer Knutson (6.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), and 6-8 Luke Sikma (6.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg) should do pretty well against most of the teams they meet in conference play. If the Pilots can do some damage in the non-conference portion of their schedule, which features three games at the loaded 76 Classic in Anaheim, a home game against Oregon, and trips to Nevada and Washington, an at-large bid is a definite possibility.

Gonzaga (last NCAA: 2009) Sure the Bulldogs lost a lot after last season, but write them off at your peril. Mark Few simply doesn't rebuild, even after losing four starters. While Gonzaga lost Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt, and Jeremy Pargo, who combined to average 47-plus points per game last season, there are plenty of players who are able to step up. Matt Bouldin (13.6 ppg, 3.4 apg) is the only returning starter, but he'll be joined in the backcourt by the talented Steven Gray (9.1 ppg) and Demetri Goodson (3.8 ppg, 1.6 apg). If Goodson can consistently play like he did against Western Kentucky in the 2nd round of the NCAAs last season, the Zags offense will be in good hands. The Bulldogs' two BIG men, 7-footer Robert Sacre and 7-5 Will Foster, will have to produce more than the average of 4 points and 5 boards they combined to contribute last year. The real inside scoring will probably have to come from a crop of newcomers that includes 6-9 Sam Dower, 6-7 Elias Harris, 6-10 Kelly Olynyk, 6-11 Andy Poling and most intriguing of all, 6-7 Bol Kong. Kong, born in the Sudan, comes to Spokane after a stay in Vancouver. This looks like a lot of question marks for a team picked to finish first in its conference, but it's Gonzaga. They seem to provide good answers consistently.

So, the Bulldogs are, yet again, the preseason pick for the WCC's auto bid. You'll see them in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-WCC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-WCC Team

Player of the Year: Matt Bouldin, 6-5 G, Sr. (Gonzaga)

Remainder of the Team
T.J. Campbell, 5-9 G, Sr. (Portland)
Dior Lawhorn, 6-7 F, Sr. (San Francisco)
Nik Raivio, 6-4 G, Sr. (Portland)
Omar Samhan, 6-11 C, Sr. (Saint Mary's)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the WCC this season?

Gonzaga

242 votes

Loyola Marymount

2 votes

Pepperdine

2 votes

Portland

29 votes

Saint Mary's

3 votes

San Diego

3 votes

San Francisco

2 votes

Santa Clara

2 votes

285 votes | Poll has closed

Can't Get Invited to a Big-Name Tournament? Try a Little Round-Robin Action

Chris Dobbertean — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:59:12 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

CBI Champions Oregon State (G Josh Tarver, pictured left) are one of several teams taking part in round-robin four-team tournaments this season. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Browse more photos »

This season sees a decent number of four-team tournaments in the early portion of the college basketball season. I wouldn't say it's a major increase or decrease over previous years, but with the many challenges schools face in building a schedule every year, the format of many of these events have changed significantly over the past couple of seasons. In many cases, schools are getting more bang for their travel dollar and scheduling slot by eschewing traditional elimination tournaments for round-robin events. After the jump, I'll explain why there's been a noticeable increase in these events in recent seasons.

For starters, four-team events can be exempt, but only if they take on a round-robin format. This solves a problem that had been causing many four-team events to disappear. As two game events aren't exempt, it meant that three teams at a traditional four-team event were losing two slots on their schedule with away games. The round-robin event, on the other hand, gives teams three (or four) games, but at the cost of only one slot on the schedule. Additionally, there is a financial savings in playing three opponents during a single road trip, particularly if a school can schedule an additional home game or two to produce some additional revenue.

As you'd expect, teams from outside of the BCS conferences primarily feature in these round-robin events. Only four are going to be hosted by BCS conference schools (Providence, Texas Tech, Oregon, and Washington), and only one will feature two BCS schools in the same field (Oregon State will join the Red Raiders at the Duel in the Desert in Lubbock). Many events provide meetings for schools in the same geographic area, however. Providence will host Bryant in the WorldVision Basketball Invitational (not the Classic [in Albuquerque] or the Challenge [in Laramie] and the Basketball Travelers Invitational (not Tip-Off Classic [in Eugene]) will see a matchup between Weber State and homestanding Utah State.

The round-robin event that takes this to the extreme is the unique West Coast Classic, which is a five-team event featuring teams from the five Western conferences that don't feature in BCS World. Fresno State (WAC), Northern Arizona (Big Sky), Pacific (Big West), San Diego State (MWC), and Santa Clara (WCC) will all play each other, with each school getting two home and two away games.

Round-robin play also helps organizers at a time when there's a lot of competition between multi-team events. Take the Great Alaska Shootout, for example. As ESPN has built a stable of early season events to fill the early part of the season, the Shootout fell by the wayside. TV coverage for last year's tournament was non-existent, and the field (Alaska-Anchorage, Hampton, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois, Portland State, San Diego State, Seattle, and Western Carolina) reflected this. Now, it could have been worse, as the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, which had gone without TV coverage for several years, folded right before the 2008 edition. This year, the Anchorage event couldn't pull together a full eight team field, despite the presence of Oklahoma and Washington State.

The Shootout was able to get six teams together; however, so teams will be guaranteed three games in a non-traditional way. The six entrants will be broken up into two pools of three, clashing in placement games at the end of the round-robin.

Even more traditional tournaments are getting into the act. After years of only four teams getting the full scheduling benefit of playing in exempt events, the NIT Season Tip-Off, Gazelle Group events, and Basketball Tournaments, Inc. events all include some mechanism where teams who don't make (or aren't selected for) the final rounds of events have the opportunity to play more games. In the case of the NIT and Gazelle Group, teams that don't make the semifinals play a couple of games at the site of school eliminated in the early rounds. Basketball Tournaments, Inc. conducts its tournaments in two flights. The favored teams first host the lesser regarded teams, then face off with each other, while the underdogs play in a bracket of their own--all at the same site.

The growth of these tournaments is a trend that should continue in the next few seasons. As for this year, be sure to check out the Multi-Team Event Page for more information about round-robin tournaments and all of the other early season showcases for 2009-10.

Championship Monday Review/Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:17:51 -0000

The last Sunday of the regular season for the BCS leagues was a busy one, and thrilling conference tournament action as well. Let's get right to the recap. As always, box scores are from Basketball State.

Only one team punched their ticket on Sunday. Northern Iowa is the second straight surprise Missouri Valley champion. The Panthers defeated Illinois State, 60-57 in overtime. Ali Farokhmanesh got the better of Valley POY Osiris Eldridge in the extra stanza, as Eldridge missed time with cramping. I feel bad for the people of Richmond, who couldn't see this game. Their CBS affiliate carried Raycom's telecast of Virginia Tech at Florida State instead.

Four teams will make the field this evening.

Colonial (ESPN2, 7 EDT)- VCU and George Mason survived ODU and Towson, respectively, after another thrilling afternoon of action in Richmond. The Tigers really gave the Patriots a battle. The predominantly VCU crowd definitely tried to give them a boost, especially since I didn't need both hands to count the number of Towson fans present at the Coliseum.

Southern (ESPN, 7 EDT) - College of Charleston upset CBS darling Davidson, 59-52, meaning the chances of seeing Stephen Curry in this year's tournament are slim. Curry managed 20 points, but only on 5-18 shooting, including 2-11 from outside. The homestanding Chattanooga Mocs will be the Cougars' next opponent, as they knocked out conference newcomer Samford, 80-71.

Metro Atlantic (ESPN2, 9 EDT) - Homestanding Siena defeated Fairfield handily, 80-65. The Saints had a lot of balanced last night, with five players hitting double figures. Kenny Hasbrouck was surprisingly not one of them, as he only scored 9. Next up for Siena is a rubber match with 2 seed Niagara. The Purple Eagles needed a Tyrone Lewis three to tie it at the end of regulation, but they ended up getting past Rider, 93-89 in double OT.

West Coast (ESPN, 9 EDT) - Gonzaga had no problem with Santa Clara, winning by 25. In the other semi, Saint Mary's got Patty Mills back. The Aussie was a bit rusty (12 points on 25% shooting with 4 assists), though he did look far better in the second half. The Gaels defeated Portland for the second time this year, 71-61.

Two other conferences had their semifinals Sunday, but their championship games won't be until later in the week because of TV considerations.

America East - Binghamton will host Maryland-Baltimore County on Saturday morning. The sixth-seeded Retrievers knocked off the homestanding and seventh-seeded Albany Great Danes, 64-58. The top-seeded Bearcats are on track for their first ever NCAA appearance. They defeated fourth-seeded New Hampshire, 72-67.

Patriot - American hosts Holy Cross Friday afternoon. The Eagles had a hard time shaking Army, winning 61-60, while the Crusaders prevented a second straight AU-Colgate final, 61-44.

If that's not enough for you, the Summit League (7 EDT, Full Court) and Sun Belt (7:30 EDT, Full Court) semifinals are also on available. In the Summit, there was a big upset in the quarterfinals Saturday, as 7 seed South Dakota State knocked three-time defending champion Oral Roberts out. The Jackrabbits face 3 seed Oakland. Top seed North Dakota State looks to keep their hopes of a first-ever tournament bid (in their first year of eligibility) alive. The Bison face the 5 seed, Southern Utah. In the Sun Belt, the higher seeds were having their way in the quarterfinals, until sixth-seeded South Alabama upset the 3 seed, Troy. The Jaguars next face 2 seed Arkansas-Little Rock. Top seeded Western Kentucky takes on the 4 seed, 2007 tournament champion North Texas.

Outside of Auto-Bid Land

Virginia Tech lost to Florida State, 63-53. That means the Hokies are in the 8/9 game in the ACC tournament. Their opponent is Miami, which makes that first round tie a virtual bubble elimination game.

If Auburn has life in the SEC, Vanderbilt must as well. The Commodores made it to 8-8 in the stronger East division by (oddly enough) beating a Western opponent - Arkansas, 75-58.

UNC is in good shape for a #1 seed after beating Duke, 79-71. Michigan State continued to build their case for a 2, as they knocked off Purdue, 62-51. Wake has a case too after beating Clemson (who looks likely to be on the outside looking in when it comes to a protected seed), 96-88.

Ohio State got a big win over Northwestern, 52-47. Evan Turner had 17 for the Buckeyes, and it seemed like his sole purpose for the evening was to keep the Wildcats' dance drought going. I'm not ready to write Northwestern off yet, as they play Minnesota in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis. If they win that, they get another shot at Michigan State Friday.

I'll be around this evening to talk about the four big championship games and whatever else you're thinking about here in the stretch run.