SB Nation - Savannah St. Tigers

RPI WATCH: 11/25/09

BracketCat — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:00:14 -0000

Quite a few of our conference brethren were in action last night — albeit largely against inferior competition — and a few of our non-conference opponents were, as well.

Updates from Tuesday's games can be found after the jump.

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

Current Kansas State RPI = 33

Current Kansas State SOS = 51

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: Loss at Savannah State (52-48)
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32
IUPUI (4-1) | RPI = 75
Fort Hays State (3-0): Win at Nebraska-Kearney (75-60)
Washington State (3-0) | RPI = 140
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79
UNLV (3-0) | RPI = 1
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166
Cleveland State (3-2) | RPI = 265: Loss to No. 5 Kentucky (73-49)
South Dakota (2-3): Loss to Marquette (93-68)
Missouri (3-0) | RPI = 283: Win over Chattanooga (99-56)
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135
Colorado (3-2) | RPI = 193: Loss to Arizona (91-87 in OT)
No. 3 Texas (4-0) | RPI = 71: Win over Pittsburgh (78-62)
Oklahoma State (4-0) | RPI = 22: Win over Prairie View A&M (80-58)
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60
No. 1 Kansas (3-0) | RPI = 46
Nebraska (3-1) | RPI = 126: Win over UMKC (70-48)
Iowa State (5-0) | RPI = 187: Win over Tennessee State (84-53)
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-1) | RPI = 65
Texas Tech (6-0) | RPI = 94: Win at Stephen F. Austin (63-61)

The Morning After: Post Game Articles, Quotes & Pictures

Hire Esherick — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:31:59 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

24 days ago: Georgetown guard Jason Clark shoots the ball over Savannah State forward Rod Mitchell during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 in Savannah, Ga. Clark lead all scorers with 14 points as Georgetown defeated Savannah State 63-44. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Browse more photos »

Unfortunately no anime this time, and the media coverage is quite lackluster. So enjoy a nice day of football. Casual Awards to follow tomorrow.

This was a rare opportunity for Savannah State to host a Top 25 team at 6,000-seat Tiger Arena, which appeared about half full on an afternoon when many college football rivalry games were on TV. The announced attendance was 3,176.

The Associated Press: Savannah St no match for No. 19 Georgetown, 63-44

The highlight for Savannah State came when the Tigers shocked the crowd and the Hoyas by jumping out to a 7-0 lead. That prompted Georgetown coach John Thompson III to call a timeout, and it was all Hoyas the rest of the way.

Hoyas wallop Savannah State - washingtonpost.com

"The number of points Jason scores is irrelevant," Thompson said. "He plays great defense, and he's a very unselfish player. He's at the core of what we're doing this year. He's going to have a lot more than 14 as we go along."

Clark's big day lifts Hoyas - Washington Times

This is the time of year when major programs beef up on opponents that are willing but overmatched. Savannah State is happy to face the Hoyas because coach Horace Broadnax played for the 1984 Georgetown team that won the NCAA championship. That team was coach by John Thompson, father of the Hoyas' current coach

Georgetown Downs Savannah State, 63-44 - GEORGETOWN OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

SSU tried its best Saturday, both on and off the court. Georgetown defeated SSU, 63-44, but it was a moral victory for a Tiger program that lost, 100-38, to the Hoyas last season in Washington, D.C.

Tigers, Hoyas bring out the crowds | savannahnow.com

Last year, G’town put up 100 against Savannah State. Coming off that ugly Temple game, do the Hoyas have some real long-term offensive concerns?

Around the Top 25: Coach gets beat by former team | College Hoops Journal

While one's first reaction is to assume that Savannah St. must have run at a much slower pace to minimize the carnage, in fact there were only 7 less possessions this time around. The real difference was the very high offensive efficiency last year, or perhaps better to say the disappointingly low offensive efficiency this year. It's not clear to me if the presumed advantage to the opposition the second time they see the Princeton/Georgetown offense is real, but at least we should hope that Coach Broadnax did a much better job preparing his defense. And we should also acknowledge that the offense this November is far behind last November's.

Hoya Prospectus: Recap: Georgetown 63, Savannah St. 44

Hoyas Defeat the Vaunted Tigers of Savannah State 63-44

Hire Esherick — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:01:26 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

24 days ago: Savannah State forward Rashad Hassan, rear, blocks a shot by Georgetown forward Julian Vaugh during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Browse more photos »

Certainly wasn't the triple digit affair of last season, but a win is a win, unless you beat Temple at home by one. Jason Clark led all scorers with 14 points and Vee Sanford scored the first points of his young collegiate career. More to follow tomorrow and Monday, in the meanwhile scroll through the AP photos at the top - the only visual evidence the game actually occurred.

Hoyas vs Tigers coverage

Hoyas vs Tigers recap

Hoyas vs Tigers boxscore

Good talk

Sleeping with the Enemy: Breaking down the Savannah State Tigers

CasualHoya — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:19 -0000

We knew that when we started the Sleeping with the Enemy series that we'd run into some roadblocks. We figured that some of our opponents would be too stuffy and awful to take us on in a battle of wits, while other opponents would simply be too hard to get in touch with. Savannah State falls into this latter category. It's not that we didn't try to get in touch with someone at Savannah State to dish on their Tigers. In fact, we tried contacting this guy. But alas, with no response we are forced to entertain you with nothing to go on but our own creative genius. So here you go with this week's Sleeping with the Enemy, version Savannah State.

via www.savannahstate.edu

CH: Hi guys, what can you tell us about the team? What should the Hoyas expect from the Tigers on Saturday?

First let me say that it's truly a pleasure to be here on Casual Hoya. You guys are the best. But to answer your question, you can probably expect just about the same you've seen from us the last couple of times we played you guys, though I suspect we'll fare a bit better than the 100-38 ass-pounding last season. Sophomore forward Arnold Louis will be doing most of the damage for us. Louis put up 17 and 7 in the opener against vaunted Webber International, and from what I saw while doing some advance scouting in the Hoyas - Temple game, I suspect him to have a great game against that #10 of yours who doesn't seem motivated. We're very excited than LeMoyne beat Syracuse, and since we're better than LeMoyne, we therefore could give the Hoyas a run for the money that we're stealing for your agreeing to this game in the first place.

CH: What can you tell us about the school?

Savannah State is the oldest institution of higher learning in the beautiful and historc city of Savannah, Georgia. But don't just take that from me...feel free to check out our website!

The 173-acre campus is by far the most picturesque in the state of Georgia. The moss-laden sweeping oak trees, expansive marsh and historic architecture create a resplendent yet tranquil atmosphere. Beneath the beauty and splendor is a vibrant residential campus bursting at the seams with the vim and vigor of quality collegiate life: relevant academic majors, engaging lectures, cutting-edge research, quality student-faculty engagement and a nurturing environment. I invite you to become a part of the SSU family. Please continue your exploration of Savannah State University - both on the Web and in person – and share our excitement.

Doesn't that sound nice? In case you or a loved one would like to one day attend our school, here are our tuition breakdowns. Moreover, we're very excited about our athletics website, and if you scroll over the Tiger logo be sure to turn your volume up and fasten your seatbelts!

Also, we've got better cheerleaders than you do. Go Tigers!

CH: That website is not for the squeamish. Do you find that intimidates opposing teams more than playing in Tiger Arena?

Absolutely not - we're coming off a tremendous home win over Central Connecticut State University (Casual note: Legendary big man stiff and lunatic Keith Closs's alma mater), where we had 1,133 fans and there's no chance we would have beaten them by 8 without crowd support. I mean, the place seats 6000 and having it 1/4 full is about what we hear Gtown got at Verizon for its NATIONALLY TELEVISED game against Temple.And who cares about hoops when our football haltime show features the Coastal Empire Sound Explosion?

CH: Umm. Yeah. But did you know that we have a t-shirt gun? Let's move on - Gtown has a long history of sending players to the next level. How have Savannah State's players done as they moved to the pros?

Glad you asked - everyone knows that Shannon Sharpe was our best football player but more important to this game, Lazarius Coleman recently appeared on 'Pros vs. Joes' and played against Alonzo Mourning! (Casual note: we strongly endorse degrading reality TV but this might be the ultimate Salvage Your Dignity show - please review the list of hoops players.)

CH: You hinted at it before but after the Hoyas impressive home crowd against Temple, I'm sure plenty of boosters will be travelling to Savannah. What's the upside to Savannah?

Sad but true, our current claim to fame is that wildly annoying Paula Deen.

CH: Current Tigers coach Horace Broadnax was one of only twelve players ever to win a National Championship while wearing a Georgetown uniform. Due to this unique distinction, we regard him with the utmost respect and have no need to learn more about him since he is already a Hoya legend (he ranks 7th in games played for Georgetown). So final question: Who is more annoying, Dick Vitale or Doug Gottlieb?

Wow, this is certainly a tough question. Both have incredible abilities to annoy, aggravate and infuriate even the most indifferent sports fans. But I would have to say that Doug Gottlieb is the most unbearable. Dick Vitale, while excruciatingly irritating, makes no claims not to be a nuisance. Vitale is well aware that he is merely a prop used by ESPN to make the commentary of Bobby Knight seem somewhat intelligent. No one takes his insights, stories and analyses seriously, and his love for all things Duke and Coach K is borderline criminal.

Doug Gottlieb, however, thinks he is a legitimate commentator. Gottlieb is not sharp like Jay Bilas, well-connected like Andy Katz, or even comical like Digger Phelps. Gottlieb's pompous attitude would be offensive if it were not for the fact that every time I look at him I am reminded of how he was kicked out of Notre Dame and convicted of misdemeanor fraud for stealing credit cards. He even failed at criticizing Jim Boeheim, something so easy, even a caveman can do it. Gottlieb sucks, plain and simple.

CH: Well, we're almost out of time (and space) here. Thanks for stopping by and good luck on Saturday.

Eat it.

Rematch: Memphis Gives No. 1 Kansas First Big Test of the Season

editor@big12hoops.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:49:33 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Kansas' Sherron Collins, left, and Cole Aldrich face their biggest test of the season against Josh Pastner's new-look Memphis team. The match-up will be televised on ESPN and Big12Hoops.com will be liveblogging the game beginning at 8:30pm CST.

Browse more photos »

Note: Big12Hoops will be liveblogging the Memphis/Kansas game. You can log-in by visiting our KU section right now or here at Big12Hoops.com beginning at 8:30pm CST.

CJ Golightly
Big12Hoops Contributor
sports@big12hoops.com

Two of the nation's top teams face their first big test of the season in a re-match of the 2008 NCAA Tournament Championship game.

Rookie head coach Josh Pastner leads a new-look Memphis team, headlined by youth and inexperience, into the post-John Calipari era following his exit to head the Kentucky program.

Bill Self's Kansas team features one of the deepest rosters in school history, along with a No. 1 pre-season ranking in every major poll.

Relentless and driven, yet young and unproven, Pastner gets his first chance to make a splash as a head coach as the Tigers and Jayhawks face off once again, this time with considerably less on the line.

Exacting sweet revenge on Bill Self and Kansas would immediately endear him to the hearts of Tiger-loving hoops fans everywhere. Upsetting a national championship contender in the second week of the season is a fantastic way of erasing any lingering skepticism from the fanbase.

The Tigers have enjoyed remarkable success at the national level the last few years. This season, expectations have been tempered; the ear-ringing buzz has evolved into more of a low hum. If the New Tigers are still worthy of some national attention, this is their chance to shout it to the world.

Analyzing the Jayhawks and Tigers

Backcourt: Duke transfer Elliot Williams should make an immediate impact at Memphis. He is a talented offensive player and should blossom into a star for Pastner. Robert Sallie is an outstanding three point shooter. He will have an expanded role this season and will be relied on to do much more than just shoot. Senior Willie Kemp brings experience and must provide some consistency.

Doneal Mack is the Tigers best individual defender, and his services as a stopper will be needed. Explosive and versatile wingman Wesley Weatherspoon will also be counted on to slow down the bevy of dangerous athletes at Self's disposal.

The Kansas backcourt is led by senior Sherron Collins, a preseason candidate for National Player of the Year. He's a terrific shooter and an outstanding penetrator. He has quickness, and strength, and can score in a variety of ways. He's also an experienced leader that provides everything a coach could hope for from a point guard.

Jayhawk blue chip freshman Xavier Henry is an elite talent. He's an incredible scorer, a ridiculous athlete, and a matchup nightmare. He'll combine with productive and versatile sophomore Tyshawn Taylor along with Collins, forming one of the most dangerous and explosive backcourts in America.

Advantage Kansas. The Memphis guards are the strength of the team, but this Kansas group is special.

Frontcourt: Kansas big man Cole Aldrich is a defensive game changer. He blocks shots and rebounds as well as anyone in the country. Like teammate Sherron Collins, Aldrich is a preseason favorite for National Player of the Year. Twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris provide additional size up front for the Jayhawks. Both are athletic workhorses who contribute at both ends. The Jayhawk front court is rock solid as well.

For the Tigers, Will Coleman is the man in the middle. Coleman is uniquely explosive and powerful. Though raw, his combination of power and leaping ability make him a low post force. Coleman will team up with a slimmed down (to approximately 275 pounds) Pierre Henderson-Niles to battle the formidable Kansas frontline.

Advantage Kansas: The Aldrich/Coleman matchup is intriguing, as they play similar roles but in very different ways. Coleman relies on his timing and explosive hops to block shots and snatch rebounds, where Aldrich utilizes his size and length to bother and send back shot attempts. Aldrich is, however, a proven entity and a much more complete player. Toss in the Morris twins, and the Jayhawks clearly get the nod up front.

Overall

Pastner and his young squad face an onerous task. The Jayhawks are a legitimate national title contender. They have size, strength, athleticism, skill, and depth. They have one of the best coaches in the country., one of the best point guards in the country and one of the best big men in the country. They are truly a powerhouse.

Ultimately, the Tigers should struggle to cope with the overwhelming depth and talent of the Jayhawks. While there isn't a remarkable discrepancy between the two groups of starters, the dropoff from the first to the second unit of Memphis will be difficult to overcome. This season, they must make a habit of simply wearing their opponent down.

The Kansas Jayhawks are the Ivan Drago of the NCAA. It will take a Rocky Balboan effort for the Tigers to escape with a victory.

Regardless of outcome, it promises to be an entertaining affair.

BtB 2009-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 2:52 AM EDT)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preseason All-MEAC Team

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

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

Poll

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

Bethune-Cookman

2 votes

Coppin State

0 votes

Delaware State

1 votes

Florida A&M

0 votes

Hampton

0 votes

Howard

0 votes

Maryland-Eastern Shore

1 votes

Morgan State

3 votes

Norfolk State

1 votes

North Carolina A&T

0 votes

South Carolina State

0 votes

8 votes | Poll has closed

KNOW THY ENEMY: Iowa State Cyclones

BracketCat — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:25 -0000

I'm starting to see pumpkins everywhere, and you know what pumpkins always remind me of? Basketballs.

That's right, hoops season is just around the corner. Practice begins Oct. 16 in most places, which means it's time to start previewing the Big 12. Now, I haven't packed it in on the football season yet, by any means. But let's be honest: We all knew coming into 2009-2010 that football was just gonna be the appetizer. We're going to have a nationally ranked squad this year, and it's getting close enough to tipoff that I think the time has come to begin getting officially psyched up.

But to keep this on a semi-football-related plane, at least for the duration of the season, I will endeavor to keep these loosely linked to our football opponent of the week past. Which means it's time to venture up to Ames and see what Farmageddon on the hardwood might look like this year...

Normally these will publish at noon on Mondays, but as usual, the first one always is the most time-consuming because all the formatting has to be done from scratch. Anyhow, click the jump for the most comprehensive preview of the Cyclone hoopsters you'll find this side of Clone Chronicles.

The Coach

Greg McDermott
Fourth Season

44-51 (14-34) at Iowa State
265-178 (85-89) overall

McDermott's Cyclone teams consistently have ranked in the upper half of the Big 12 in scoring defense and in three-point shooting in his three seasons in Ames. In just three seasons, McDermott has coached four players who have earned all-conference recognition, including Craig Brackins, who was the first Cyclone since 2001 to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, in 2009.

The Departures

Starters

Bryan Petersen (30.1 minutes per game, 6.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Wes Eikmeier (11.3 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 2.9 rebounds per game)
Sean Haluska (15.7 minutes per game, 1.0 point per game, 2.5 rebounds per game)
Cameron Lee (3.2 minutes per game, 0.7 point per game, 0.4 rebound per game)
Clinton Mann (2.4 minutes per game, 0.4 point per game, 0.7 rebound per game)
Alex Thompson (14.1 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game)

The Veterans

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

The Redshirts

#11 Scott Christopherson
Sophomore Guard
6-3 | 205
LaCrosse, Wis.

Christopherson sat out the 2008-09 season as a redshirt after transferring from Marquette, where he appeared in 18 games as a freshman, all as a reserve. He missed the first five games of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but netted a career-high six points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor vs. Savannah State.

Christopherson averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game at Marquette, and shot 42.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

#34 L.A. Pomlee
Freshman Forward
6-8 | 235
Davenport, Iowa

Pomlee sat out the 2008-2009 season as a redshirt. He was ranked as the 38th-best power forward in the class of 2008 by Scout.com, was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection by both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior, and also was a Quad City Times all-Metro pick.

Pomlee averaged 15.4 points and led the Mississippi Athletic Conference in both rebounding and field-goal percentage as a senior. His Central team went undefeated in the conference and 23-3 overall, and advanced to the state championship game, falling to Iowa City High 64-54 in the Class 4A state title game, in which he scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Pomlee missed his entire junior season after developing a blood clot in his leg, but was a third-team all-state selection in his sophomore campaign after averaging 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds. He chose Iowa State over West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Newcomers

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.

My thanks to the Iowa State sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

It's possible that my judgment has been colored by staring at these stats and bios for too long, but at least on paper, the Cyclones appear to have a much improved team. Thanks largely to the return of future NBA player Craig Brackins, Iowa State returns 77.9 percent of its scoring and 72.5 percent of its rebounding from a team that set school marks for 3-pointers made (236) and fewest turnovers (12.1 per game) in a season.

There were few notable departures, as most of the graduated seniors were little-used reserves. The biggest loss is starting wing Bryan Petersen, although there is reason to believe there will be little drop-off at that position. Also gone from last year's team is Sean Haluska, who chipped in quite a few minutes off the bench.

But the Cyclones return their other four starters, and add some significant pieces to challenge them for playing time. In the frontcourt, I expect Diante Garrett to retain his starting spot and continue growing as one of the premier point guards in the league, but Chris Colvin will push him to the max. Colvin is one of the most highly touted recruits Iowa State has signed (other than Brackins, of course) and turned down programs such as Marquette and USC to go to Ames. He could be the latest in a long line of talented Chicago point guards who have made in impact in the Big 12.

All Lucca Staiger did was come in and set a bunch of Iowa State records shooting the three-ball. Pretty impressive, considering he battled a lingering injury for at least part of the season. He will be complemented by Scott Christopherson, a transfer from Marquette who sat out last year per NCAA rules. The guard spots are bolstered by sophomore Dominique Buckley and veteran journeyman Charles Boozer.

Antwon Oliver is a promising prospect fresh out of high school, but will have a tough time finding minutes in such a deep, experienced backfield. Look for him to redshirt, along with preferred walk-ons Bubu Palo and Alex Dorr.

The frontcourt begins and ends with Brackins. One of the best players in the Big 12, he needs no introduction to the rest of the conference, but what he does need is help, especially with Petersen leaving. Well, help is on the way in the form of Marquis Gilstrap, a Top-50 juco player who has just one season to make an impact. At 6-6 and 210, Gilstrap has good size to hold down the 3 spot. Another exciting player for Cyclone fans to watch is juco transfer LaRon Dendy, a former Clemson commit who was in the Rivals Top 75 for 2007.

Justin Hamilton and Jamie Vanderbeken will man the post. Hamilton is considered the returning starter, but Vanderbeken pulled a few starts as well. It's really irrelevant, as both will rotate a lot in the paint in order to spell each other. Vanderbeken has an added dimension in that he is an excellent 3-point shooter, a talent that makes it hard for teams to pack it in against him and Brackins.

A wild-card player is L.A. Pomlee, who redshirted last season. He has a pretty good pedigree, given that he was a Scout Top 50 player and passed up a chance to play for Bob Huggins at West Virginia. Pomlee might make his biggest impact as a 4 whenever the Cyclones go with a small lineup, a formation that usually sees Brackins rotate into the post.

So, what we have here is a team with one of the best players in the conference, four returning starters and several more experienced veterans, and it loses very few impact players, but adds one of the best prep players in the country, as well as two talented juco players and a Big East transfer. That sounds like a recipe for dramatic improvement, which Greg McDermott better deliver, or the pressure might start to turn up on him. It's Year 4, and Iowa State needs to show some serious signs of breaking out of the basement now that the administration has built him a new practice facility.

But this year will be the most stacked the Big 12 ever has been, and the Cyclones still have a major weakness in their frontcourt: Other than Brackins, they don't have any truly athletic posts. When you look at a team like Kansas or Texas, you see multiple big, athletic matchup nightmares. Iowa State doesn't really have more than one or two of those guys. Hamilton and Vanderbeken are traditional centers who aren't nearly as talented as Cole Aldrich. The season could swing on whether Gilstrap can overcome past injuries and step up to be the third scoring threat the Clones need to keep defenses honest and free up Brackins to do some serious damage.

Projected Starting Lineup


Diante Garrett	Lucca Staiger	Marquis Gilstrap	Craig Brackins	Justin Hamilton
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Chris Colvin	Scott Christopherson	LaRon Dendy	L.A. Pomlee	Jamie Vanderbeken
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Although ISU has a pretty good backcourt, I think they're going to resemble the 2008-2009 Wildcats in a lot of ways when they hit the meat of league play. They'll be improved, but with Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to contend with in the North, breaking into the top half of the conference might be too much to ask. An NIT berth would be a solid season for this squad, although it seems like a lame ending for a great player such as Brackins.

Predicted finish: 9th

Best-case scenario: 7th

Saturday Around the Web

markallanpeterson — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:16:27 -0000

Dewitt ruled ineligible to play at MU

Iowa men to meet Texas in CBE semifinals

UT welcomes new student-athletes to campus

Self sporting a beard

KU’s Henry brothers, Aldrich talk about the season

Wall a Youtube sensation now, will be best guard in country later

Wildcats' Clemente ready for senior season

Iowa, Iowa State try to prevent academic fraud

Missouri basketball recruit Dewitt doesn't clear NCAA

Sports buzz: Mizzou adds new basketball signee

Kreklow commits to Tigers

Live Game Audio Returns To CUBuffs.com

Selective enforcement? NCAA failed to admonish Duke

Kansas State basketball star Denis Clemente swishes unbelievable bank-bounce-bingo shot

KU sells courtside basketball seats for $15,000 each

Two vacated seasons stain Calipari's career

Ultimate Rankings Countdown: 268 - 254

aGent37 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:25:17 -0000

268. Wagner: Veteran coach Mike Deane is coming off his second straight winning season with the Seahawks in which he finished with a respectable 16-14 record. The team saw its fair share of ups and downs but overall they could not expect much more. However, Deane is going to be hard pressed to continue his winning streak beyond the 2009-10 season. The Seahawks will lose four of last year’s starting-five. These four starters; Joey Mundweiler, Jamal Smith, Llew Radford and Justin Drummond were responsible for a staggering 72% of the teams offensive production. This is a big blow to the Wagner team and it will take a while for Deane to rebuild the program.

267. Valparaiso: Homer Drew’s team looked as if they were going to be the Horizon League’s elite team at the start of the 2008-09 season. However the Crusaders ended up disappointing all their supporters by finishing 9-22 with a 5-14 conference record. Things look as if they will get a lot worse as Drew is set to lose his two senior leaders in Urule Igavboa and Jake Diebler. These two were not only the team’s top performers on the court but also led the team off the court as well. With the loss of these two it looks as if the Crusaders struggling offense (60.1 ppg) will be even weaker come the tip-off of the 2009-10 season.

266. Hampton: The 2008-09 Hampton team was incredibly young and inexperienced and coach Kevin Nickelberry was well aware of this. The team consisted of five freshmen and only two seniors. Nickelberry never seemed to really connect with his young players and this was mostly likely the cause of his resignation subsequent to the season. Now that he has bailed this young team will have to start from scratch yet again with interim head coach Edward Joyner calling the shots. Expect many big wins but also many devastating loses from this Pirates team. They will have to learn a new style of play, which will be a major setback in their on-court developmental process.

265. Marist: The Red Foxes showed signs of promise at times during the 2008-09 season but ultimately ended with a 10-23 record. Coach Chuck Martin will return for his second year in Poughkeepsie but still has a lot of work to do before getting his team to where he wants them to be. Martin took over a very unmotivated team and quickly changed them into hard-working athletes. He will face a major holdup as he loses the teams top players Ryan Schneider and guard Kaylen Gregory. Schneider led the team last year in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game. Martin will have a very young team with no standout leader, causing them to drop off a bit from last year.

264. Tennessee Tech: The Golden Eagles started off the season scorching hot as they were victorious in six of their first eight games. However the team quickly began to cool down and by the end of the season they were ice-cold, losing eight of their final nine games. The Eagles struggled on both sides of the ball but more noticeably on defense where they ranked 7^th in the OVC by allowing 73 points per game. Mike Sutton is going to have to really turn this team around to maintain his position as head coach. He will have to do so without Daniel Northern who led the team with 12.6 points per game along with 8.8 rebounds. Players like Northern are very difficult to replace, leaving Sutton with a lot of work before the 2009-10 season.

263. Campbell: The Fighting Camels looked as if they began a new chapter in their basketball program in the 2008-09 season. They had a roster that showed a lot of promise, consisting of eight new players and not one single senior. They finished conference play at 11-9 marking their first winning record in the Atlantic Sun. The 11 wins marked a five game improvement from there six in 2008-09. Coach Robbie Laing was able to put together a lethal bunch of sharpshooters that finished with a 35.5% from beyond the arch. The Fighting Camels are pleased to return their leading scorer Jonathan Rodriguez (15.6 ppg) for the upcoming season. They might be able to make a legitimate run at the conference title if they carry over their lights out shooting from a year ago.

262. Penn: The Quakers had high hopes heading into the 2008-09 season. Glen Miller’s crew was almost a unanimous pick to be a contender for the Ivy League championship. The Quakers seemed to not be able to handle the pressure and ended the year with a 10-18 record mainly due to their poor performance at home in conference play. Last years team was fairly young and seemed promising for the upcoming season. This all changed when their top young player Harrison Gaines announced his intentions of transferring. Gaines scored 9.9 points per game in 2008-09 and was one of the few players that continuously played to his full ability.

261. Southern Utah: Things are on the upside in Cedar City, UT. The Thunderbirds are looking better and showing improvement year-after-year. The team has a top-notch player in Davis Baker coming back to run the SUU offense. Barker averaged a team high of 17.4 points per game making him one of the nations top-100 scorers in 2008-09. The only question for the Thunderbirds is if head coach Roger Reid can assemble a supporting cast to help Baker take the team to the next level. As we all no there is no "I" in team and with out a little help I do not believe SUU will be able to make any improvement.

260. Jacksonville St.: Last years leading scorer Jeremy Bynum will have fine tune his game over the offseason in order for the Gamecocks to have any hopes of a successful 2009-10 season. Bynum will lose two of his fellow starters as Jonathan Toles and DeAndre Bray both graduated last spring. Head coach James Green’s main focus seems to be on tightening up the team’s weak defense. Last season the Gamecocks allowed opponents to shoot 45.9% and average 71 points per game. They have a solid recruiting class coming in that Green feels will be the missing piece to the puzzle.

259. SMU: A disappointing 2008-09 should not put a damper on the Mustangs high hopes for this year. The team will only suffer one loss, big man Bamba Fall to graduation. This means that they will bring back a lot of experience. I would keep an eye out for Paul McCoy who returns to Dallas, TX for his sophomore year. As a freshman McCoy led the team with 13.4 points per game. Another player that has the potential of a great season is point guard Derek Williams. He was not only an impressive scorer but also led the team with 3.5 assists per game.

258. Bethune-Cookman: Clifford Reed Jr. has finally found his go-to guy on offense. Ironically enough it is his son C.J. Reed who proved to be the needed spark to ignite the Wildcat scoring. C.J. averaged 15 points and 3.9 assists per game and looks as if he is capable of putting up even higher numbers this year. The team will lose two role players in Tobias Malone and Kevan Creppy but they were more additional depth and did not play a major role for the team. The only thing standing in the Wildcats way is a much-improved Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It will be difficult to overcome the increased level of competition but I would not rule anything out with this father-son combo.

257. Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks struggled throughout the 2008-09 season with ice-cold shooting. The team was not able to step up to the challenging defenses from their in-conference rivals and this caused them to fall 5-9 in the Patriot League. They will need big play from Zahir Carrington. He is perfectly capable of this as he averaged 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per game finishing fourth and first in the conference, respectively. Although Carrington is clearly very talented, I am not sure if he is the kind of player that can carry a team by himself. If the Mountain Hawks continue to shoot the ball poorly they will continue with their ever so frequent losing streaks, simple as that.

256. Savannah St.: The Tigers ended the 2008-09 season with a middle-of-the-road 15-14 record. Horace Broadnax’s team will have to find someone to take over for the team’s top-player Chris Linton. Linton led the team in both scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.4 rpg). The absence of Linton will be a setback for the Tigers and could put them a couple steps back from last season. In order to continue to improve, Broadnax will need strong play from his sophomore forward Rashad Hassan. Last season Hassan finished second on the team in scoring and if he gets more aggressive could become a force under the boards. It is going to be a difficult task for the Tigers to lockdown a winning record in 2009-10 but it is defiantly not out of reach.

255. Arkansas St.: It looked as if the Red Wolves were going to have a very promising 2008-09 season as they got out to a 13-7 start. All of a sudden the tempo changed and John Brady’s team found themselves on many losing streaks. The team lacked an offensive presence and finished the season shooting a dismal 43% from the floor. This was mainly due to forced shots and it looks as if the loss of point guard Ifeanyi Koggu will make this matter even worse. Koggu was not necessarily a scoring threat but he did posses the ability to find the open man. Brady will need his star player Donald Boone to expand his game from being solely a scorer to a solid all-around player. This will be a difficult transition for Boone and could take some time before he fully blossoms.

254. UC-Davis: Head coach Gary Stewart will be in search of a scoring threat during the off-season. The Aggies will lose their top player Vince Oliver who was one of the main reasons that the Aggies were even able to win 13 games last season. Oliver is an electrifying scorer that can get it done in the paint or behind the arch. The loss of such a valuable component of the team will be very difficult and in order to bounce back they will need strong play from Joe Harden. As a sophomore Harden averaged 14.8 points per game but it will be interesting to see if he can do this again without Oliver’s presence on the court.

A Complete Win: Michigan Basketball Throttles Iowa

Maize n Brew Dave — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:56:38 -0000

Harris with the Finger Roll. via multimedia.detnews.com

Despite it's best start in the last 10 years, wins over two top ten teams, and its obvious improvement, coming into Sunday, there were still big questions about the 2008-2009 Men's Basketball team. How would they react to the more physical Big Ten season? What would they do if they got done big against a legitimate opponent? When would they play real defense in the first half? Seriously? When?

In three Big Ten Games, Michigan had given up 42, 39 and 39 points during the first half of those games. Despite a home loss to Wisconsin that wasn't as close as the 73-61 final score indicated, the surprising result of these first half defensive meltdowns was a 2-1 conference record (and the likely shaving of a month off Coach Beilein’s life). Open jumpers. Lanes to the hoop. Problems defending down low. Slow defensive rotation. All these things seemed only present in the first half, and would (usually) disapear in the second. Giving up 40 points in any half is not a recipe for success. And the criticism that was first born against Savannah State started gaining a little more volume: "they’re going to get burned by their first halves if they don’t play better on defense."

Simply put, when are we going to see a complete 40 minutes out of this team in conference play?

Michigan’s response to this was to smother the Iowa Hawkeyes in both halves, en route to a 64-49 blowout victory in Ann Arbor. Almost as if to answer this growing criticism, the Wolverines smothered the Hawkeyes' during the first half. Michigan forced Iowa into 8 first half turnovers, a meager 16 points at halftime, and 26% shooting. Michigan clogged the passing lanes, creating the fast break points that had been missing in its prior two games, and generally pounding the Hawkeyes’ offense into a pulp.

Offensively, the Wolverines carried their momentum from the comeback win at Indiana and poured on 32 first half points and controlled the games tempo from the outset. Michigan took a 16 point lead into half time after shooting 52% from the floor and 50% from three. Instead of relying on the three ball as they did against the Hoosiers, Michigan went inside against the smaller Iowa backcourt. Taking only 8 threes in the first half, Michigan pounded Sims and Harris inside. Instead of watching their opponents grab rebounds uncontested, players like Zack Novak, CJ Lee and Laval Lucas-Perry all seemed to take a loose ball personally and fought their ways to first half boards. Novak seemed to be everywhere early, pulling down 4 boards and contributing outstanding defense despite not putting in a bucket.

Less than a week after the near debacle at Assembly Hall, Michigan seemed like a different team. Beilein's team imposed their will from the outset and never let Iowa establish its offense. Everything that drove you nuts watching the Indiana game seemed to disapear. There were drives to the hoop and players without the ball moving under the basket instead of standing around out side the arc. Defensively, Michigan was a step quicker against the Hawkeyes than they were against the Hoosiers. Playing much more aggressively, they forced Iowa outside the arc and never allowed them to get comfortable in the paint.

While Sims and Harris dominated the stat sheet, everyone contributed to Sunday’s win. Stu Douglass and Zack Gibson hooked up on one of the seasons prettier pick and rolls. Merrit and Lee provided only 21 minutes between them but they provided hustle and solid defense. Laval Lucas-Perry poured in 8 points, 4 boards and clogged the lanes. And Kelvin Grady continued to run the offense efficiently and effective.

In my opinion, Kelvin Grady continues to be one of the most underrated contributors to Michigan’s hot start this season season. You can point to Laval Lucas-Perry’s emergence as a third scoring threat, but LLP, to some extent, was a known entity prior to his transfer from Arizona.

Grady Launches From Three. via cmsimg.freep.com

Coming into this year it was anyone’s guess as to whether Grady would be a contributor at all. Like the other freshmen last year, Grady turned the ball over too much and missed far too many shots. This year, it’s the opposite. Grady has 37 assists compared to just 11 turnovers, playing significant minutes, and doing what we’d hoped he’d be able to do, drive the lane and score or dish. Grady continues to pick opportune to drive to the rim and judiciously launch from behind the arc. Most importantly, Grady seems to have finally seized control of the "point guard" position by repeatedly being able to distribute the ball without turning it over.

Against Iowa Grady dished four assists and had no turnovers. Happily, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Against Duke, in two contests, Grady has 10 assists and 2 tunrovers, and in his last 10 games he’s turned the ball over just 6 times compared to 29 assists. Further, Grady has proven to be a perfect fit for Beilein’s defense, running the baseline to contest passes and shots from the corner quicker than any other player on the roster. He's playing with confidence and with the type of agression we saw from his brother as Kevin ran people over on the football field this past year.

The result of all this was Michigan thumping Iowa. Michigan lead by as many as twenty-eight points before sitting its starters and settling in for a 15 point win. While it's just one game, it's still a complete one. And hopefully the first of many to come this conference season.

Notes:

Before we get too carried away with the win, there are some mitigating factors in the blowout loss that need to be considered. The biggest "OMG this could've been different" factor was the absence of Iowa Forward and best player Cyrus Tate from the lineup with a sprained ankle. Michigan's had trouble with teams that can pound them inside (e.g., Wisconsin). While the 1-3-1 allows Michigan to some extent to clog those lanes and negate an inside presence, the only player on our roster that can defend down low is DeShawn Sims. And if he gets in foul trouble, it's going to be up to Zach Gibson to fill that void.
After watching Purdue and sleek big man JaJuan Johnson pummel Wisconsin inside and out on Sunday, Michigan's going to have to keep it's enthusiasm in check until they prove they can matchup on a team with size and speed. Without Tate, Iowa was a perfect Michigan opponent, lacking size and outside range. Purdue can shoot from outside and their size is going to present Michigan with some problems.
DeShawn Sims continues to get better and better. Sims took only one three pointer, and spent the entire game down in the blocks or less than 15 feet out. We all knew he’d be good with his back to the basket down low, but the biggest surprise has been the development of his mid range jump shot. Sims is getting down right deadly from 10-15 feet. Harris may be scoring the most, but its arguable that Sims is our best all around player.
Manny being Manny. Harris had another exceptional game, so anything here is nit picking, but I’d love to see him show a 10-15 foot jumper like Sims. Harris is excellent inside and on the cut, but he seems to either force his way inside or launch a three. If he can start burying a few more mid range shots, he’ll open the lane up a bit more because it’ll force his defender closer and allow Harris to take advantage of that first quick step.
Anthony Wright saw a little mop up time. Man. I remember last year he was on the floor all the time. Just shows how much this team has gotten.
Zack Novak wasn't feelin' it on Sunday, going 1-6 from the floor (1-5 from three). Even so the kid was a factor on the boards and on defense. He's going to be a fan favorite for a long, long time.
UMHoops.com has all your statistical needs and player breakdowns.

Poll

Who is Michigan's Most Improved Player This Season?

Manny Harris

5 votes

DeShawn Sims

25 votes

Kelvin Grady

20 votes

Zach Gibson

2 votes

52 votes | Poll has closed

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.