SB Nation - Saint Louis Billikens

MBB '09-'10 Game #6: ISU 65, SLU 54

Mark Kieffer — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:20:28 -0000

This game was about D!

I missed about 95% of this game, but from all accounts it sounded like the Cyclones got off to a slow start in the first half, but picked in up in the second half.

In the preview, I talked about how I thought Saint Louis would be able to keep it close, and ISU would win by 8-10, as it sounded like Saint Louis play pretty good defense.Well, they held ISU to 18 points below their average, and ISU also shot 14% lower than their average as well. ISU was fortunate enough to go 6-15 from beyond the arc, while SLU only hit 1 three pointer. From looking at the few stats available, that is looking to be the difference in this one. If SLU shoots better from 3, or ISU shoots worse from 3, it's a different game.

I think the fact this game was close for so long might catch people off guard, but the data was out there. I think it was a good challenge for the Cyclones, and this was the best team they have faced so far in this young season. Nice to see them respond to a more physical matchup as they hadn't been tested in that regard yet.

The stats are limited at this point, so getting the Four Factors calculated isn't available yet. I would estimate that our eFG% was higher due to shooting well from beyond the arc. I also think that our OR% was a little bit better, TOV% will be slightly lower, and FT% will be higher (mostly due to fouls down the stretch as SLU tried to play catchup). I will check it out later and post more on it if needed.

DG was clearly the best player for the Cyclones tonight. He finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds (4 offensive), 1 steal, 1 assist, on 50% shooting from the floor including 1-1 from beyond the arc.

Notre Dame and Northwestern tip off in a few moments, and ISU will play the winner. Notre Dame is the better team, and would pose a close game. I will post a quick preview of tomorrow's game either late tonight or early tomorrow.

MBB '09-'10 Game #6: St Louis Billikens Preview

Mark Kieffer — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:45:08 -0000

On Friday, the Chicago Invitational finally heads out to, well, Chicago. ISU will open up playing against the St Louis Billikens.

The Billikens are led by former Utah Coach, Rick Majerus. In the two years he's been at St Louis, I don't think he has been able to recruit the talent to compete at a high level, but I don't think anyone can deny the man's basketball knowledge. I think anyone facing a Majerus coached team has to come ready to play.

With that said, St Louis has started off 4-0, which is the best starting mark they've had under Coach Majerus. They have recently beat common opponent, Mississippi Valley State, 75-39.

When looking at the numbers, I think it's easy to say that this will be the best team ISU has faced thus far:

Saint Louis averages close to 70 points/game, has been shooting at around 49% on the year (42% from beyond the arc), and averages 40 rebounds/game. They also have a 1.2/1assist/turnover ratio. They have been holding their opponents to 35% shooting on the year, but they haven't played any good offensive teams either. I mean their "big" win thus far is Nebraska.

To me, they look like a team that wants to play sound defense, and a half-court offense. It really is pretty common with these mid-major teams. I think the philosophy is that if you play defense, slow the tempo down, and work for quality shots, you can score smart baskets and not risk getting blown out of the gym.

On the flip-side, Iowa State is a team that looks much better when they're pushing the tempo. The halfcourt sets have not always been great. I wish this game was on TV, because I would love to see who wins the battle with game tempo. Will ISU be able to push the ball, or will STL be able to slow it down?

I think either way we're the better team, but I would think this game would be more of a challenge than the previous ones. Combined with playing at a neutral location the day after Thanksgiving, I could see this being a 8-10 point victory with the Cyclones running away with it towards the end. OR, if the team is ready, and is able to push it early and play smart, not trying to get too cute out there, they could run this team out of the gym.

I'm not a guy that likes to try to predict the score of basketball games. You could end up being right for most of the game, until that walkon comes on the court, and decides to try to set the world on fire. Just way too many factors to try to determine a final score. But for those that are looking for a prediction of some sort, Sagarin's predictive model has ISU winning by 3 points on a neutral site. Not really too suprised, as the stats would lead you to believe that Saint Louis will try to implement a strategy to keep them in the game.

Either way, I will be listening to this game on the radio, while driving back from Minneapolis full out of my mind!

I hope everyone has a wonder Thanksgiving. If you're doing any traveling, be safe! If you're heading out to Chicago to watch this thing, have a blast, and let us know how it was!

RPI WATCH: 11/23/09

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

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

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

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

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

Kansas State RPI = 28

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Good Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

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

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

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

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic 10 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:58:39 -0000

Xavier was the team of the 00s in the A-10, reaching the NCAAs under the late Skip Prosser, current Ohio State boss Thad Matta, and new Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Matta guided the Musketeers to the Elite Eight in 2004, and Miller did the same in 2008, then guided them to the Sweet Sixteen last season. Now, it's Chris Mack's turn to keep things going, albeit with a retooled roster.

But if you're looking for an A-10 favorite this season, you need to travel 49 miles up I-75. Brian Gregory's Dayton Flyers, led by Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson, is loaded and ready to take the A-10 crown away from their Southwestern Ohio rival, and maybe even plant the seeds to being the conference's team of the 10s.

However, there are a few other teams in the Atlantic 10 who are ready to make some noise this season. Chris Mooney's Princeton-style offense will be humming more efficiently at Richmond now that center Dan Geriot is back from a knee injury. Ron Everhart's Duquesne and John Giannini's La Salle both have squads that could end long tournament droughts. And you can't sleep on traditional tournament fixtures Temple, St. Joe's, and Charlotte, even if each has challenges to figure out this season.

It should be another interesting season in the league of 14, but the big question is whether the A-10 will match the three bids earned each of the last two seasons. More on each team after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 standings.

Atlantic 10 Conference Standings

(updated 3.26.2009 at 10:49 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Xavier Musketeers	12	4	27	8
Dayton Flyers	11	5	27	8
Rhode Island Rams	11	5	23	11
Temple Owls	11	5	22	12
Duquesne Dukes	9	7	21	13
Richmond Spiders	9	7	20	16
La Salle Explorers	9	7	18	13
St. Joseph's Hawks	9	7	17	15
Saint Louis Billikens	8	8	18	14
UMass Minutemen	7	9	12	18
St. Bonaventure Bonnies	6	10	15	15
Charlotte 49ers	5	11	11	20
George Washington Colonials	4	12	10	18
Fordham Rams	1	15	3	25

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

Fordham (last NCAA: 1992) Derek Whittenburg hasn't exactly gotten the Rams back to national prominence, as Fordham has only claimed 68 wins in his 6 seasons at Rose Hill. However, they completely bottomed out with last year's 3 win campaign. Adding insult to injury, Whittenburg lost two key players over the offseason, both of whom transferred. 6-5 swingman Mike Moore went over to Hofstra, and G Trey Blue left for Illinois State. The good news for the Rams is sophomore PG Jio Fontan (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg), the team's leading scorer didn't leave, and 6-2 soph Brenton Butler (9.6 ppg) will join him in the backcourt after missing much of last season with an ankle injury, They'll be joined by 6-3 Alberto Estwick (7.1 ppg) and 5-11 Ryan Hage, who returns from a shoulder injury of his own. In the frontcourt, 6-9 junior Jacob Green (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is the anchor, and he'll be joined by athletic 6-7 freshman Chris Gaston, a high school teammate of Fontan and Estwick, and 6-10 Bosnian Fahro Alihodzic, another of Whittenburg's five newcomers. The Rams should struggle with all of their youth, despite a manageable schedule that includes a game at St. John's and a matchup with Villanova at the Meadowlands.

George Washington (last NCAA: 2007) Karl Hobbs' already warm seat could be completely on fire with another miserable season at the Foggy Bottom. Unfortunately, with leading scorer Rob Diggs gone and six freshmen on the roster, it looks to be another long season for the Colonials. 6-8 senior Damian Hollis (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is back, as are two capable, if inconsistent point guards--6-2 junior Travis King (6.2 ppg, 2.4 apg) and 6-1 sophomore Tony Taylor (6.6 ppg, 2.8 apg). Otherwise, there are a whole lot of new faces and returnees, like the frontcourt trio of 6-11 Joseph Katuka, 6-10 Jabari Edwards, and 609 Hermann Opoku, who have a lot to prove. GW welcomes Oregon State, Providence, and George Mason to the Smith Center, while they'll play Navy in the BB&T Classic.

St. Louis (last NCAA: 2000) Rick Majerus is facing the very definition of a rebuilding year, as his roster features eight freshmen, one junior, and no seniors. While 5-10 sophomore G Kwamain Mitchell--the Billikens' leading scorer (11 ppg)--is back, and soph F Brian Conklin (6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and C Willie Reed (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg) give SLU some punch inside, expect the newcomers to see a lot of action. Two Aussies, 6-4 shooter Christian Salecich and 6-8 F Cody Ellis, lead the freshmen. The highlight of the Billikens' schedule is the Chicago Invitational Challenge, where they open with Iowa State before facing either Notre Dame or Northwestern.

St. Bonaventure (last NCAA: 2000) Mark Schmidt's Bonnies actually finished with a .500 mark last season, but will have a hard time matching or surpassing that feat with the departure of starting F Maurice Thomas and G Ray Blackburn. However, there's enough returning talent in place, led by team's three leading scorers, to complete another stage in a long rebuilding process. 6-4 senior three-point specialist Chris Matthews averaged more than 12 points per contest in his first season after transferring from Washington State. 6-foot junior Ogo Adegbonye arrives will take over at the point, freeing up junior Malcolm Eleby (7 ppg) to spend more time at off guard. 6-5 senior Jonathan Hall (12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is a swingman who can really drive to the hoop, while 6-9 Andrew Nicholson (12.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.7 bpg) is a force inside. If 6-8 freshman Marquise Simmons or 6-9 reserve Da'Quan Cook can come close to replacing Thomas' production, the Bonnies could continue their rise up the standings. The schedule will include some challenges as SBU visits Syracuse, Mississippi State, Niagara, and Illinois State for a tournament.

St. Joseph's (last NCAA: 2008) The Hawks return to the newly-christened Hagan Arena after spending the bulk of last season at the Palestra. The problem is, two of the best recent Hawks--Ahmad Nivins and Tasheed Carr--have moved on. 6-1 senior G Darren Govens (12.5 ppg, 2.6 apg) is back to provide more scoring, while defensive stalwart Garrett Williamson, a tall 6-5 PG who averaged 6.1 points and 4.5 assists a contest, will create a lot of problems for opponents, especially if he decides to be more offensively-minded. In the frontcourt, 6-7 Idris Hilliard could have a breakout junior season after averaging more than 9 points and 5.5 boards a game as a soph. 6-8 freshman Carl Baptiste could see a lot of minutes right off the bat, as could guards Justin Crosgile and Carl Jones. The Hawks travel to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, where they'll open with Boston College before facing Purdue or South Dakota State on day 2. SJU reopens their arena with visits from Drexel and Holy Cross, and naturally has a full Big Five slate to contend with.

Massachusetts (last NCAA: 1998) Derek Kellogg's Minutemen lost three key players off a team that only managed to win 12 games, guard Chris Lowe and centers Tony Gaffney and Luke Bonner. UMass' strength will be its backcourt, led by 6-2 senior Ricky Harris (18.2 ppg) and 6-3 junior Anthony Gurley (11.2 ppg). 6-5 freshman sharpshooter Freddie Riley comes aboard to provide them with needed support. There will be a lot of new blood in the frontcourt, as 6-9 Oregon State transfer Sean Carter and 6-10 Memphis transfer Hashim Bailey will push 6-9 soph Tyrell Lynch (3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) for minutes. The Minutemen face former conference-mate Rutgers at the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, with a game against either Florida or Michigan State to follow. They'll also visit Seton Hall, Davidson, and Boston College, and host Memphis.

Rhode Island (last NCAA: 1999) One of the biggest issues confronting Jim Baron this season is finding someone who can shoot the 3 as well as his son, Jimmy. He also has to find someone to replace Kahiem Seawright, who also graduated after last season. Point guard is also an issue, as both 6-1 junior (6.1 ppg, 4 apg) and 5-9 sophomore Stevie Mejia (2.5 ppg, 2.1 apg) battled inconsistency last season. Those are big issues to resolve, and they may keep the Rams from being too competitive this year. However, some things are certain, such as the performance of 6-4 senior SG Keith Cothran (13.2 ppg) and the fact that URI has a solid frontcourt, featuring 7-0 C Will Martell (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), the athletic 6-6 F Lamonte Ulmer (7.7 ppg, 5 rpg), and 6-8 senior Delroy James (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). The Rams visit Davidson, VCU, Boston College, and Akron; host Northeastern and Providence; and face Oklahoma State at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Temple (last NCAA: 2009) Christmas has come and gone for the Owls, now Fran Dunphy has to figure out how to replace Dionte's 19.5 points a game. He also has a big hole in the middle after 7-footer Sergio Olmos' departure. Temple does have two good building blocks back--6-9 junior F LaVoy Allen (10.9 ppg, 9 rpg) and 6-4 G Ryan Brooks (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a shooter who must have ice water in his veins--and a whole bunch of guys who could be good if they get a little more time, including 6-9 junior Craig Williams (5.3 ppg, 3 rpg), 6-11 senior Micheal Eric (2.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg), and 6-4 soph Juan Fernandez, who could see some time at the point because of his passing skills and court vision. Dunphy's squad faces a typically tough schedule that includes the Big Five; a home game with Siena in the Philly Hoop Group Classic; games with St. John's and Virginia Tech in the same event; a trip to Seton Hall; and home tilts with Penn State and Kansas.

Charlotte (last NCAA: 2005) The 49ers lost two key frontcourt players, Charley Coley III and leading scorer Lamont Mack, but get 6-3 freshman guard Shamarr Bowden back from a broken kneecap. His return and the presence of solid 5-9 senior PG DaJuan Harris (9 ppg, 7.2 apg) , 6-5 senior RaShad Coleman (8 ppg), and 6-4 senior 3-point ace Ian Anderson (9.7 ppg) means the strength of Charlotte's squad shifts to the backcourt. But there's still talent upfront, as 6-10 senior Phil Jones (7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and 6-6 junior An'Juan Williams (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are capable of stepping up in Coley and Mack' absence, and 6-6 BC transfer Shamani Spears and 6-7 frosh K.J. Sherrill will provide an immediate interior boost. Bobby Lutz's team will face Elon in the NIT Season Tip-Off, with a matchup with Duke likely to follow. They'll also host Georgia Tech, and visit Louisville, Old Dominion, and Tennessee.

La Salle (last NCAA: 1992) John Giannini has a team that could make some noise after an 18-win campaign. If 6-9 F Vernon Goodridge, a solid defensive performer, wouldn't have left last in the offseason, all five senior Explorer starters from a season ago would have been back. Giannini could slide in 6-8 junior Jarrell Williams (6.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg as a part-time starter) into Goodridge's slot in the lineup. The backcourt will be led 6-5 Rodney Green (17.8 ppg, 3.4 apg), who needs to work on taking care of the ball after turning it over an average of 3.2 times per contest, and 6-6 3-point ace Ruben Guillandeaux (10.1 ppg, 3 apg). In the frontcourt, 6-6 Kimmani Barrett (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg) and 6-7 Yves Mekongo (10.4 ppg, 6 rpg) will be joined by highly-touted 6-10 center prospect Aaric Murray and 6-8 redshirt frosh Devon White. Naturally, La Salle will be tested by Big Five games, but they'll also take part in the Charleston Classic where they'll face South Carolina in their opener. They will also face two Big 12 schools in semi-away games, Kansas in Kansas City and Oklahoma State in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City.

Richmond (last NCAA: 2004) While the Spiders, who made the CBI last season, lost 6-9 Jarhon Giddings graduation, they get back junior C Dan Geriot, who missed last season with an ACL tear. Giddings averaged more than 14 points and 5.5 boards a game in 2007-08 and his return adds another dimension to Chris Mooney's Princeton offense. Add in the fact that UR already features two guards who can score from anywhere on the floor, 6-4 senior David Gonzalvez (16 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-0 junior Kevin Anderson (16.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), and another solid interior presence in 6-10 F Justin Harper (9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and it's no wonder people are expecting big things out of the Spiders this year. Richmond will play Mississippi State at the Padre Island Invitational, then either Missouri or Old Dominion. They'll face the Monarchs at home right after the Texas trip, then VCU. Richmond also travels to South Carolina, face Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic, and visit Wake Forest on New Year's Eve.

Duquesne (last NCAA: 1977) The Dukes were oh, so close last season--first falling to Temple by 6 in the A-10 final, missing out on their first NCAA trip in 32 seasons. Then, they fell to Virginia Tech in a thrilling double OT first round NIT matchup. And while leading scorer Aaron Jackson, a point guard who averaged over 19 points and nearly 6 assists a game is gone, the Dukes have their next eight top scorers back for another crack at ending the drought. 6-7 junior F Damian Saunders (13.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and 6-5 soph swingman Bill Clark (12.9 ppg, 5 rpg) will lead the way, but watch out for one of the stars of the Dukes' postseason run, 6-4 sophomore G/F Melquan Bolding (9.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg), to build on those performances. 6-1 senior Jason Duty joins Clark as a three-point threat (7.4 ppg, 41.4% from 3), while 5-11 Eric Evans (9.8 ppg, 2.2 apg) will take over for Jackson at the point. Ron Everhart also gets a ton of help on the frontline to help Saunders, as 7-0 Kentucky transfer Morakinyo Williams is now eligible and 6-8 Rodrigo Peggau returns from a knee injury. The Dukes will travel to Iowa, a team that should fancy their chances against, for a game in the CBE Classic. Unfortunately a win in Iowa City won't advance them to Kansas City, so they will play in a weak "subregional" at West Carolina instead--featuring decimated Binghamton and D2 Arkansas-Monticello. The Dukes will also look to shock Pitt in their final meeting at Mellon Arena. Trips to Old Dominion and West Virginia will also be challenging.

Xavier (last NCAA: 2009) The Musketeers have a new coach, Chris Mack, and a whole bunch of new faces. But don't expect the X-Men to fall off the face of the earth after the departure of Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond, and C.J. Anderson. Xavier's backcourt features 6-5 junior guard Dante Jackson, who averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.7 apg, but is capable of doing a lot more. So is his backcourt-mate, 6-0 soph Terrell Holloway (5.5 ppg), but he needs to really improve his 2.2/1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. But the star among the guards is sure to be Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford, a 6-4 sophomore who averaged almost 10 points and 2.3 assists per contest during his freshman season and, oh, dunked on LeBron James in a now infamous video. 6-foot guard Brad Redford should also sese time thanks to his shooting ability (5.1 ppg, but 45.1% from 3). In the frontcourt, Mack will need to get a lot out of 6-9 senior Jason Love (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and two guys who need to work on their foul shooting--6-8 Jamel McLean (4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 46.5% from the stripe) and 7-0 soph Kenny Frease (5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 48.4% FTs). The Musketeers face a typically tough schedule. They travel to Disney World for the Old Spice Classic where they open with Marquette, then face Creighton or Michigan. Xavier travels to Kansas State, Butler, and Wake Forest (for the inaugural Skip Prosser Classic), while they host Cincinnati and LSU
.

Dayton (last NCAA: 2009) Unlike their archrivals, the Flyers have virtually everyone back from their NCAA team, led by electric 6-8 junior F Chris Wright (13.6 ppg), who will challenge for national honors this season. Brian Gregory will have two guards capable of running his offense as 6-0 senior London Warren (4.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), while earning all-A10 defensive honors) is back and 6-3 senior Rob Lowery (7.5 ppg, 3.4 apg) returns from a knee injury. 6-3 senior SG Marcus Johnson (11.8 ppg) is one of the biggest offensive threats on the team, and that's good as he'll get a lot of looks with team's keying on Wright. In the frontcourt, 6-10 senior Kurt Huelsman (3.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) will man the post, but he'll get support from 6-10 junior Devin Searcy and 6-9 frosh Matt Kavanaugh. 6-6 Chris Johnson (6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6-9 soph Luke Fabrizius (4.3 ppg)--a threat both inside outside--are capable of providing support to Wright as well. The Flyers face a tough schedule, opening with Creighton at home; taking on Georgia Tech at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, visiting potential Puerto Rico opponent George Mason and New Mexico; and hosting another potential opponent in PR, Boston University, and Old Dominion.

I expect the Flyers to make it back to the Tournament this year, this time as A-10 champions. They'll appear in my final preseason bracket, which I'll release on Monday, November 9. Several Atlantic 10 teams should be at-large threats this season, so look for more than one team to appear in my projection.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-A-10 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-A-10 Team

Player of the Year: Chris Wright, 6-8 F, Jr. (Dayton)

Remainder of the Team
Kevin Anderson, 6-0 G, Jr. (Richmond)
Rodney Green, 6-5 G, Sr. (La Salle)
Ricky Harris, 6-2 G, Sr. (Massachusetts)
Andrew Nicholson, 6-9 F, So. (St. Bonaventure)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the A10 this season?

Charlotte

0 votes

Dayton

6 votes

Duquesne

0 votes

Fordham

0 votes

George Washington

1 votes

La Salle

2 votes

Massachusetts

0 votes

Rhode Island

2 votes

Richmond

1 votes

St. Bonaventure

0 votes

St. Joseph's

0 votes

Saint Louis

0 votes

Temple

3 votes

Xavier

1 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

KNOW THY ENEMY: Colorado Buffaloes

BracketCat — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:33 -0000

Okey dokey, Cats, get ready for a swift blitz of info leading into the long-anticipated start of basketball season. Each week during the month of November, you'll get two KNOW THY ENEMY previews for the price of one. And this week, there even will be a super-duper extra-special bonus preview before the Cats' exhibition opener on Sunday.

So, hit the jump for everything you need to know about the enemy Buffaloes, as I catch up on a preview that should have ran last week, and if you need to know more for some reason, you always can head to The Ralphie Report.

The Coach

Jeff Bzdelik
Third Season
21-42 (3-28) at Colorado
96-89 (26-38) overall

Although his second year at the helm was not a successful one based on victories, Bzdelik and his staff continued onward and upward in numerous and positive steps toward a successful season, despite a 9-22 campaign. With one senior and one junior, and a core of underclassmen, the Buffaloes' youth of freshmen and sophomores attributed for 72.3 percent of the team's scoring, marking the highest of any Buffs team since the Big 12 began play in 1996-97.

CU's competitive spirit on a nightly basis saw the Buffs fall short in conference play eight times by single digits (an average of 5.3 ppg) and in 11 games overall (an average of 4.6 ppg). Four of those single-digit setbacks came against 2008-09 NCAA Tournament opponents: Texas (in overtime), at Kansas, at Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

The Departures

Starter

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (20.5 minutes per game, 5.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Matt Favaro (2 minutes per game, 2 points per game, 0 rebounds per game)
Ryan Kelley (5.5 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 0.5 rebound per game)
Toby Veal (6.9 minutes per game, 1.8 points per game, 1.6 rebounds per game)
Andrew Zehnder (5.1 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 0.2 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#1 Nate Tomlinson Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Sydney, Australia Tomlinson started all 28 games in which he participated. He missed three games due to injuries; averaged 7.4 points, 3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 33.6 minutes per game; finished in 16th place on CU's freshman points list with 206; became the first freshman since Chauncey Billups to lead the team in assists and finished seventh on the school's all-time freshman assists list; shared scoring honors with 18 points at Stanford on 8-of-12 shooting; and led CU in assists 14 times. Tomlinson had five games with five or more assists and 18 games with at least three; a season-best seven assists against Texas A&M; six rebounds vs. Iowa State; four steals at Texas Tech; an assist in 27 of 28 games; and nine games with 10+ points. He finished seventh overall in the Big 12 in minutes played; played 35+ minutes 13 times; grabbed four or more rebounds nine times; made two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining, clinching CU's 65-62 win over Louisiana-Monroe; and was the first freshman point guard since 2002-03 to start a season opener.

		#3 Rick Higgins Senior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Danville, Calif. Higgins transferred to Colorado from Cal Poly to play with his brother, Cory. He sat out of the 2008-09 season due to transfer rules and lost a year of eligibility because he already had redshirted at Cal Poly, where he played in 43 games, with two starts in two years, and averaged 1.2 points per game.

		#11 Cory Higgins Junior Guard 6-5 \| 190 Danville, Calif. Third Team All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (12/08/09) Higgins was one of 13 nationally ranked players who were first or second on their team in the five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and the only sophomore nationally on that list. He was first statistically on the team in points, rebounds, steals, defensive and total rebounds, free throws and attempts, free-throw percentage, field goals made and attempted, and minutes played; second in assists and blocks; third in 3-point field goals made; and among CU players with a minimum of 200 shots taken was second on the team in shooting percentage Higgins tallied three nationally ranked categories: 64th in steals, 77th in free-throw percentage and 93rd in points per game. He scored 538 points, finishing 13th all-time at CU for most points scored in a single season. Those 538 points rank third all-time among CU sophomores and seventh all-time among CU guards for a season. Higgins led the team in scoring 18 times, steals 16 times, rebounding 15 times, assists 10 times and blocks 8 times; scored double digits in 28 of 31 games, 20+ points 12 times and 30+ twice; owned the team's top two scoring games with 34 points vs. Texas and 33 points vs. Colorado State; made 11 field goals in a single game twice, also a team best; achieved a perfect 12 of 12 at the free-throw line twice; had two double-doubles; was second both in CU seasonal minutes and conference minutes played; was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tourney team, leading the Buffs in scoring every game; scored a CU 13-year conference high with a personal-best 34 points against Texas; also performed the same feat against Texas A&M with 27 points; was the first player at CU to lead the team in rebounding and assists the first two games of any season since the 1973-74 season; played 35+ minutes 24 times; had six games over 40 minutes; posted six or more rebounds 15 times; grabbed three or more steals 13 times; dished out four or more assists eight times; had 13 games with at least six or more made field goals; and tallied five CU Athlete of the Week awards.

		#12 Dwight Thorne II Senior Guard 6-3 \| 185 Arlington, Texas Thorne was selected as one of 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes to participate on an Athletes In Action team for a one-week, competitive international tour against teams in Poland and Berlin, Germany. He is a three-year captain who started every game; was the team leader with 45 made 3-pointers; was second in team scoring, steals, made field goals and made free throws; was third in assists with 52, minutes played and fourth in rebounds; finished the season ranked in three Big 12-only categories; played 1,035 minutes and made 128 field goals, surpassing his previous two-year total of 53; made a 3-pointer in 23 of 31 games and had 12 games with at least two treys; scored in double digits 22 times, netted 20+ three times and scored a career-best 30 points vs. Kansas State on 8-of-12 shooting, with a personal-best five 3-pointers, nine free throws made and 11 attempts; scored a trio of 20+ point efforts; led the team in scoring eight times; recorded five or more rebounds nine times; made three or more 3-pointers five times; logged 35+ minutes 16 times; and played 30+ minutes 24 times. Thorne is a cousin of Acie Law IV, the former Texas A&M star who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

		#14 Javon Coney Junior Guard 6-3 \| 210 Chicago, Ill. Coney played in 23 games, with one start; averaged 8.8 minutes, one point and 1.3 rebounds per game; started his first career game against Oklahoma State; had a career-best six rebounds, one blocked shot and 27 minutes played against the Cowboys; played a career-best 27 minutes against Kansas State, with four points and four rebounds; grabbed five defensive rebounds at Nebraska; tallied a season-best five points with five rebounds against Missouri; recorded 20+ minutes four times and multiple rebounds eight times; and is a non-scholarship student-athlete.

		#24 Levi Knutson Junior Guard 6-4 \| 200 Littleton, Colo. Knutson played 30 games, with one start, and averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and one assist per game. His lone start came at Baylor, with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. He led the team in scoring with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and a team-high four assists and two steals, against Oklahoma State; grabbed a career-best six rebounds at home against Nebraska; shared team-high honors with six rebounds against Nebraska and Texas in Oklahoma City; went 3 of 3 from the field in a home win against Iowa State; had a career-best two steals at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State; played nine games of 20+ minutes and netted three games in scoring double digits; and has played 62 career games, with two starts.

		#33 Austin Dufault Sophomore Forward 6-9 \| 230 Killdeer, N.D. Dufault was named one of three CU Sports Performer of the Year finalists in the Male Freshman Athlete of the Year Award category; started all 31 games, averaging 30.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and one assist per game; scored 254 points, ranking 11th among CU freshmen, and his 115 rebounds ranked 12th among all CU freshmen; was third in team scoring, rebounding and defensive rebounding, and fourth overall in minutes; He was one of three on the team to have started all 31 games; was fifth among all conference freshmen in scoring and rebounding; led CU in scoring twice, with a season-best 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting vs. Louisiana-Monroe. His 15 points and five rebounds against Missouri led CU in both categories for the first time. Dufault had a season-best seven rebounds at Iowa State and at SMU, as well as a Big 12-best 13 points at Oklahoma; played a season-high 42 minutes against Texas; recorded 12 games in double digits and 12 games shooting 50 percent or better from the field; led the team in rebounding six times, had five or more rebounds 13 times and played 35+ minutes seven times; logged 30+ minutes 20 times; adds size and versatility to the roster; and brings a high basketball IQ with a great shooting touch from long range.

		#34 Casey Crawford Junior Forward 6-9 \| 245 Overland Park, Kan. Crawford played in 25 games, with four starts; averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game; was fourth on the team in 3-pointers made, and fifth in steals and points per game. During the last five games of the season, the transfer from Wake Forest averaged 8.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and led CU with eight 3-pointers. He had a career-best 18 points with four treys in a win over Harvard. The 18 points were the most points off the bench to lead the team in scoring since Javon Coney scored 15 points in a reserve role at Nebraska. Crawford scored a Big 12 season-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting against Texas A&M, and also played a season-high 30 minutes; and came off the bench to score 14 points, tying a career-best four 3-pointers against Oklahoma State. Eight times he had three or more rebounds in a game, and had five games with five or more field goals made. He netted 14 points in his CU debut, tying Jermyl Jackson-Wilson’s debut of 14 back in 2006-07. The 14 points is a CU high by a transfer or freshman in a debut over the last four years. Crawford scored in double digits six times, led the team in scoring twice and played 20+ minutes six times.

		#55 Trey Eckloff Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 235 Englewood, Colo. Eckloff played in 26 games, averaging 10.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game; logged a season-high 25 minutes with six rebounds against Kansas; also had 23 minutes and four rebounds at Stanford; had a season-best two steals against the Cardinal; scored a season-best seven points on 3-of-4 shooting at Oklahoma; grabbed five rebounds at Missouri; played 15+ minutes in six games; scored four or more points seven times; recorded multiple rebounds 13 times; and was the second-youngest scholarship player in the Big 12 (teammate Ryan Kelley was the youngest).

The Redshirt

#44 Trent Beckley
Junior Forward
6-10 | 250
Vail, Colo.

Beckley missed the entire 2008-09 season with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine, but will have two more years of eligibility remaining after redshirting.

The non-scholarship student-athlete played in 10 games in the 2007-08 season, spanning 44 minutes. He logged a career-high 10 minutes at Mizzou, with three defensive rebounds; went 2 for 2 from the field, scoring four points with two rebounds and one steal at Kansas State; scored two points with one defensive rebound in four minutes at home against Missouri; and blocked one shot against Grambling State.

The Newcomers

		#2 Shannon Sharpe Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 200 Corona, Calif. Sharpe will miss the 2009-10 season after having season-ending knee surgery, Bzdelik announced Oct. 28. As a senior at Corona Centennial High School, Sharpe averaged 17.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game; helped the Huskies to a 27-5 record during his senior season; tallied four top-five Mountain View League finishes in points, assists, steals and rebounds; recorded five triple-doubles during his senior season; and was named Mountain View League and Triple Crown Tournament most valuable player, and also named to the Inland Empire and Corona all-tournament team. Sharpe was on the Division 2 All-California Interscholastic Federation and All-Riverside County first team his senior year, and was a member of 2007 All-California Interscholastic Federation championship team. He helped Corona to the 2007 and 2008 Mountain View League Championships. In 2008, his AAU team was ranked No. 3 nationally.

		#5 Marcus Relphorde Junior Forward 6-7 \| 220 Chicago, Ill. Relphorde averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College, helping the Warriors finish with a 30-3 record. He was an All-Region honorable mention; shot .487 from the floor and .722 from the free-throw line; averaged 14 points per game; and scored in double figures in 12 of the team's last 13 games. Relphorde originally signed with Saint Louis under then-head coach Brad Soderberg. As a freshman with the Billikens and under head coach Rick Majerus, he averaged 4.3 minutes in 21 games; scored 22 points with 10 rebounds; and made 5 of 7 shots against Houston Baptist en route to 14 points and a team-high seven boards.

		#10 Alec Burks Freshman Guard 6-6 \| 185 Grandview, Mo. Burks was the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. During his senior year at Grandview High School, he averaged 23 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also was named The Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year. Burks helped his team to a 29-2 record during his senior season; scored a season-high 38 points; and received first-team all-Suburban Mix Six League honors as a junior after averaging 19.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Rivals.com listed Burks the No. 31 point guard in the Class of 2009. He was the career leader, in points scored, in school history and participated on the Mo-Kan All-Star game.

		#13 Shane Harris-Tunks Freshman Forward 6-11 \| 225 Liverpool, Australia Harris-Tunks was a member of Team Australia, which placed fourth at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship; played in eight games, averaging 2.5 ppg; represented Australian U/19 at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament in Germany and a third-place finish, and also was named captain; and was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.

		#35 Keegan Hornbuckle Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 205 Westlake Village, Calif. As a senior at Campbell Hall High School, Hornbuckle averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping his team to 19-9 record. He was a three-time first-team All-Olympic League selection and a three-time All-California Interscholastic Federation second-team selection. Hornbuckle was rated as the No. 34 small forward/shooting guard by Scout.com; helped Campbell Hall to a 31-5 record as a junior and a No. 39 national ranking by Rivals.com in 2007-08; was a member of a pair of state championship-winning teams in his sophomore and junior years; had a four-year prep record of 101-29; and was a member of the Valley All-Star and academic all-American All-Star team.

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

The Analysis

There's no sugar-coating the fact that Colorado sucked ass last season. I mean, seriously, they went 1-15 in Big 12 play.

But as crazy as it sounds, there are a few reasons for optimism in 2009-10 for a program mired in mediocrity and dragged down by an athletic department that at times seems strangely uncommitted to developing athletic programs.

Foremost among those reasons is the return of super-stud Cory Higgins. The do-everything junior is one of the better returning players in the North and is skillful enough to help propel Colorado to a few more conference wins this season.

Colorado also returns its two other guards, Nate Tomlinson and Dwight Thorne II. K-State fans might remember Thorne from the game last year when he set his career high in points against us. Tomlinson played well for a true freshman, and should continue to mature into one of the better point guards in the league.

The fourth and final returning starter is Austin Dufault. Like Tomlinson, Dufault started every game last season as a true freshman. Colorado took its lumps, but all that experience should start to pay off this season as teams such as Missouri and Nebraska enter critical rebuilding phases.

But Dufault will need to help. Colorado was notoriously weak and undersized in the post last year, and coach Jeff Bzdelik set out to address some of those crucial needs in offseason recruiting.

Enter Marcus Relphorde and Shane Harris-Tunks. Relphorde is a juco transfer who began his college career at St. Louis under Rick Majerus. I look for him to have an impact similar to Marquis Gilstrap at Iowa State.

At 6-11, Harris-Tunks is the tallest player on the Buffs' roster. Like Tomlinson, he is a native Australian, and we've all seen how good they can be in college, even as true freshmen (Patrick Mills, Aaron Bruce and Andrew Bogut all are names that come to mind). At a minimum, he should provide solid depth in the paint.

Javon Coney and Levi Knutson should provide quality depth for the guard spots. Each started a game last season and played in several. Casey Crawford, an Overland Park native who transferred to Boulder from Wake Forest by way of a juco, is another nice player who should figure into the eight-man rotation.

After that, the pickings are slimmer and the new recruiting class is harder to figure out. Alec Burks was a pretty highly touted recruit out of Missouri, but not as highly touted as some of the guys the power programs in the Big 12 are adding to their rosters. Shannon Sharpe might have made an impact, but it was announced last week that he will have to redshirt after having microfracture surgery on his knee. Keegan Hornbuckle probably will get a few minutes out of necessity, but I don't think he will contribute much more than that.

Rick Higgins transferred from Cal Poly to play with his little brother, and like Jeffrey Fitzgerald, he burned a year of eligibility to do it because he already had redshirted at his previous school. I admire his C.J. Henry-ish desire to play with bro, but nothing in Rick's background suggests he will be anything more than a bench-warmer, even at Colorado.

Trey Eckloff played a lot last year, but didn't do much statistically when he was in. Still, you can't coach 6-10, so he probably will see increased minutes. The other 6-10 guy is Trent Beckley, who is likely to be rusty after sitting out last year due to major back problems.

That's pretty much it. There's some talent and some potential on this roster, but it's still frighteningly thin on talent and size for a team that has to play Kansas, Kansas State and Craig Brackins two times each.

Projected Starting Lineup


Nate Tomlinson	Dwight Thorne II	Cory Higgins	Marcus Relphorde	Austin Dufault
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Javon Coney	Levi Knutson	Alec Burks	Casey Crawford	Shane Harris-Tunks
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

I think Colorado will be improved because Bzdelik is a hell of a coach, but it probably won't be reflected in the record. There's just too damn many other good teams in the North and in the Big 12 as a whole for them to move up very much.

That said, even a two- or three-win season in conference play would represent massive improvement over last year's post-Richard Roby 1-15 debacle, wouldn't it?

The best news for Colorado is this: The Buffs get to play Nebraska twice. Wait'll you see my breakdown on that train wreck.

No matter how bad Colorado is, I think they finally might get out of the basement.

Predicted finish: 11th

Best-case scenario: 9th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Texas A&M
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Iowa State
Texas Tech
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The Ralphie Report Live: Interview With Basketball Commit, Marcus Relphorde

irish1611 — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:25:26 -0000

Marcus Relphorde, the newest addition to the Colorado Buffaloes basketball team was gracious enough to sit down with us yesterday to talk about his game, the future of the Buffs and even a little NBA playoff basketball. Here is a full write up of Marcus' profile when he signed with CU earlier this week.

I was very impressed with him and think he is a great addition to the program. Definitely a Ralphie Report favorite.

Here is the interview:

The Ralphie Report (TRR): First of all, congratulations on committing and becoming a Buff. Hopefully you are as excited as we are.

Marcus Relphorde (MR): I am definitely excited. I am ready to get down there now.

TRR: Great. Are you still at Indian Hills Community College right now?

MR: Yeah, I am still at Indian Hills finishing up some classes. We get out next week.

TRR: Well we are excited to get you on campus. What should Buff fans know about you & your game and what do you hope to bring to Boulder?

MR: The best thing to know about my game is my versatility. I cause a lot of match-up problems because of my size. I can do a lot of things with the ball in my hands, I am big enough to play against the big defenders and I can pose mismatch problems for smaller guard players. I shoot the ball well and I am very unselfish. I think the coaches like me most because of my versatility and my ability to cause match-up problems.

TRR: I know you were heavily recruited by Arkansas and TCU as well as Colorado. What really separated Colorado from those two schools and what was the deciding factor to make you commit?

MR: What really separated them was the relationship I had with Coach Bzdelik and Coach McClain. They recruited me pretty hard the whole year and I just felt really comfortable with them. It is always great to play for a (former) NBA coach. Coach Bzdelik has a great resume from coaching in the NBA. Also I wanted a chance to play in the Big 12 and the recruits they already signed and the players they have coming back, they are real close to getting over the hump and make some noise in the conference.

see after the jump for the rest of the interview...

TRR: That leads me to my next question, you're a commit looking on the outside, you obviously know that there have a been a few tough years for Colorado basketball. Put yourself two years down the line, when you are a senior, what do you see happening with the program while you are here? What are your goals for the team and you personally?

MR: My goal for the team is to get the tournament BOTH years I am here. I feel like we can get to the tournament next year and by my senior year, hopefully we can get into the tournament and make some noise. I feel with the team we currently have and coach Bzdelik, we are set up to do very well. As far as individually, my goal is to be the best player I can be. Be an All-Big 12 performer by my senior year.

TRR: We know about your versatility, a 6'7" wing/guard combo is going to be great in a Buffs uniform. What are some areas that you feel you need to work on to be the best player you can be?

MR: I always feel I need to work on every aspect of my game. Maybe more around the defense end as far as staying with smaller, quicker point guards. I just want keep working on the details and paying attention to the little things like footwork.

TRR: What has coach Bzdelik told you about the position he would like you to play, the 2 or 3 spot, maybe a 4? Where do they project you?

MR: He is projecting me at the 2 and the 3, mainly the 3. I have the ability to get the rebound and bring the ball up the court as well. He basically wants me to use my versatility on the floor, whether it is posting up smaller players, basically doing whatever is needed in the system.

TRR: You first went to St. Louis University (out of high school), what caused you to transfer to Indian Hills?

MR: I committed to St. Louis out of high school because I wanted to be closer to home (Chicago area). I was playing prep ball out east and most of the teams that recruited me from the A-10 were on the east coast so St. Louis (to be closer to home) was attractive to me. Once I signed, the coach got fired, a week or two after. Originally I was going to take my letter back and then coach Majerus got the job. One of the old assistants was hired on to the new staff, we all sat down and originally, it was a good fit. But after I was there, it really didn't work out the way I wanted it to or how I planned it to. I decided to go to junior college because I didn't play as much as I wanted to and I didn't want to sit out a year by transferring straight to a division one (school). I opened my recruitment back up and decided on Indian Hills who was preseason #1 (in the junior college ranks). There I had the opportunity to play against great competition.

TRR: That was a great choice to play for Indian Hills and not sit a year out. It allowed you to get great game action against strong competition, making you more "division one" ready your first year at Colorado. How did your time at Indian Hills help you prepare for your career as a Buff?

MR: I feel like that experience is going to help me because of the competition we had on this team (Indian Hills), even in practice. We had nine division one players on last year's team. Everyday in practice, all the players were competitive, something that can compare to the division one level. There were no breaks playing at Indian Hills, you had to practice hard to play. We had a good coach who pushed us everyday in practice. It felt like I was playing at division one level everyday.

TRR: Moving on to some less serious questions. Have you been to Boulder yet and if you have, how did you like it?

MR: I was in Boulder the weekend of the 10^th, April 10^th. I really liked it and hadn't been to Colorado before so the mountains were crazy (to see). The players were cool. I liked how everyone got along and they were really close, kind of like a family. I also liked learning about the academics and everything. It just all clicked.

TRR: Favorite NBA player or a player you try to emulate your game after?

MR: That's tough question. My favorite player is Lebron James and I like Brandon Roy, a lot of people say I look like him.

TRR: Being from Chicago, you think the Bulls got a shot?

MR: I hope they do, they should have pulled out the last game (game 5). It has a been a good series so far.

TRR: Well, that's all I have, thanks for taking some time with us today and we look forward to seeing you on campus

Buffs Get Another Basketball Commit, 6'7" Wing/Guard Combo Marcus Relphorde

irish1611 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:04:12 -0000

Jeff Bzdelik continues to add more players to try and right the ship, this time it is JUCO transfer Marcus Relphorde. Relphorde, the 6'7" 225 pound wing/guard combo, played at Indian Hills Community College last season and will have three years to play two at Colorado. Relphorde was being recruited by Arkansas, TCU and Colorado. Marcus would be the fifth incomer this year to go along with 6-11 Shane Harris-Tunks from Australia, 6-6 Keegan Hornbuckle of Los Angeles and 6-5 Alec Burks of Grandview (Mo.) and 6-0 Shannon Sharpe of Corona (CA). And we thought last year's team was young. This should end this year's recruitment for Bzdelik as this most recent scholarship was opened up by the departure of freshman G Ryan Kelley.

In 2007, Relphorde officially signed a letter of intent with the St. Louis Billikens and played one year there. Here is how the article from the St. Louis website described Relphorde at the time of his commitment:

Relphorde played at Homewood-Flossmoor in Chicago before attending American Christian School in Alston, Pa. last year. He scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out 3.5 assists per game. At Flossmoor, Relphorde helped the Vikings to a 27-4 record and a spot in the Illinois Supersectionals in 2004-05. He played on that team with current Kansas sophomore Julian Wright, who has declared for the NBA Draft this summer.

"Marcus is a tremendous signee for this program," Soderberg said. "He has the `hard to find' combination of size, skill and agility. I am not exaggerating when I say he has the ability to play all four perimeter positions equally well and, if necessary, could probably do some damage in the post. Marcus is unique in that he has the size and strength necessary to defend lane players yet quick enough feet to defend perimeter players. He poses match-up problems for opposing defenses because he can score both inside and out. He is a great passer with a very good feel on the offensive end."

I like the versatility that Relphorde brings to the program and hopefully his 6'7" size can cause matchup problems on the perimeter. Last year at Indian Hills C.C., he averaged 10.6 ppg and shot a +40% from downtown. He was named honorable mention All-Region team in the 2008 - 2009 season and Indian Hills, considered a powerhouse in the community college ranks, finished 30 - 3.

In 2007/2008, his freshman year at St.. Louis University, Relphorde played sparingly in 21 games, averaging 4.3 min/game and 1.0 point/game. Relphorde transferred from St. Louis around the time that Rick Majerus took over the helm, along with three other St. Louis players.

The good thing about this signing was it continues to fill in the gaps for each class, something that both Dan Hawkins and Jeff Bzdelik say is important in developing a successful program. Both football and basketball are really one year away from getting the right distribution of players between classes. Here is how the Buffs current roster will breakdown:

Incoming Freshmen: Shane Harris-Tunks, Keegan Hornbuckle, Alec Burks and Shannon Sharpe.
Sophomores: Nate Tomlinson, Austin DuFault, Toby Veal and Trey Eckloff
Juniors: Casey Crawford, Levi Knutson, Cory Higgins and Marcus Relaphorde
Senior: Dwight Thorne

Here are a few short videos of Relphorde after the jump...

Busy Thursday Preview/Championship Wednesday Recap

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:01:53 -0000

Today is an extremely busy day so I'm going to dive straight into my hybrid review/preview for today.

First up, two new teams know they're going dancing.

Northeast - Robert Morris knocked off Mount St. Mary's, 48-46, after a titanic defensive struggle. Dallas Green gave the Colonials the lead with 2.5 seconds left and the Mountaineers threw an interception on the inbound to send RMU dancing.

Big Sky - Portland State, the two seed, is in. The Vikings, led by pint-sized powerhouse Jeremiah Dominguez's 22 and Julius Thomas' 17, knocked off sixth-seeded Montana State, 79-77.

Meanwhile, just about everyone on the bubble will be in action today. Here's a brief rundown of these games.

ACC First Round (day session and 9:30 game on Raycom/FS Florida/Full Court, 7 pm game on ESPN2)

Virginia Tech vs. Miami (12 EDT) - This is a virtual elimination game for two teams who are right at the cut line.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (2:30 EDT*) - In my opinion, the Tigers seed is dropping because of their late season mediocrity.
Maryland vs. NC State (7 EDT) - The Terps beat the Wolfpack to open the month up. They need to do it again to keep their hopes alive.
Boston College vs. Virginia (9:30 EDT*) - The Eagles should be in good shape if they get this one.

A-10 Quarterfinals (FS Ohio/MASN/Cox RI/CSN Philly for the day session, FS Ohio/MASN/Comcast Network, Cox RI for the night session)

Xavier vs. St. Louis (12 EDT) - The Musketeers need to win the A-10 to have a real shot at a protected seed.
Temple vs. St. Joseph's (2:30 EDT*) - This is a rematch of last year's championship game. This year, only the Owls find themselves on the bubble.
Rhode Island vs. Duquesne (6:30 EDT) - The Dukes beat the Rams by 2 at the Palumbo Center to start off the month. A loss here would end URI's at-large hopes.
Dayton vs. Richmond (9 EDT*) - The Flyers should be safe with a loss, but really shouldn't try to test that out.

Big East Quarterfinals (all games on ESPN)

Providence vs. Louisville (12 EDT) - Since the Friars' case wasn't helped by beating DePaul yesterday, this is an elimination game for them. The Cards are looking to keep building their case for a one seed.
Villanova vs. Marquette (2:30 EDT) - The Golden Eagles finally won a game without Dominic James, in style, holding St. John's to 10 points in the first. However, the Wildcats aren't the Red Storm.
Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia (7 EDT) - The Mountaineers all but ended Notre Dame's chances last night. Tonight, they'll look to stop the Panthers' run to a one seed.
Connecticut vs. Syracuse (9:30 EDT*) - The Orange pulled away from Seton Hall last night. They also look to be a roadblock to a team building a case for a spot on the top line, while working toward a potential top four seeding of their own.

Big Ten Opening Round

Minnesota vs. Northwestern (Big Ten, 12 EDT) - This is another virtual elimination game. The Wildcats will probably need one more win if they get this one.
Michigan vs. Iowa (ESPN2, 2:30 EDT*) - A second loss to the Hawkeyes would doom the Wolverines to the NIT.
Penn State vs. Indiana (ESPN2, 5 EDT*) - The Nittany Lions swept the Hoosiers this year, but the second meeting, in State College less than two weeks ago, was a close one. Like Michigan, PSU can't afford to drop this one.

Big 12 Quarterfinals

Baylor vs. Kansas (ESPN2, 12:30 EDT) - A win here, and the Bears are back in the discussion. Jayhawks need to keep winning to earn a two seed and, who knows, maybe even a slot in KC next weekend.
Kansas State vs. Texas (Big 12/Altitude/Full Court, 3 EDT*) - The Wildcats would be back in the frame with a season sweep of the Longhorns, with both wins away from Manhattan.
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State (Big 12/Altitude/Full Court, 7 EDT*) - The Sooners and Cowboys meet up for the second time in six days. OU still has a shot at a one seed, while the Cowboys have a little breathing room after defeating Iowa State last night.
Missouri vs. Texas Tech (ESPN2, 9:30 EDT*) - The Red Raiders put a major dent in Texas A&M's hopes, thanks to a record-breaking night by Mike Singletary (43 points (tournament record), 29 consecutive TT points (2nd best in NCAA history)). That's good news for the Tigers, as they beat the Red Raiders by 11 in Lubbock and lost to the Aggies by 10 on Saturday.

Conference USA Quarterfinals (all games on CSS)

UAB vs. Southern Miss (3:30 EDT*) - The Blazers still have slim at-large hopes, but they'll need to make the final.
Memphis vs. Tulane/East Carolina (7 EDT) - The Tigers are among the many teams playing for a one seed.

MWC Quarterfinals (all games on the mtn./CBS CS)

BYU vs. Air Force (3 EDT) - The good news for the Falcons, they repeated Colorado State's feat of going winless through the conference and winning the opening round game yesterday afternoon. The bad news is they have to face a Cougar team looking to win the MWC tournament and improve their seeding.
San Diego State vs. UNLV (5:30 EDT*) - The Aztecs swept the Rebels in the regular season, making this a must win for UNLV. It's also a must win for SDSU, whose non-conference strength of schedule is a bit of an issue.
Utah vs. TCU (9 EDT) - Utes are looking to improve their seeding.
New Mexico vs. Wyoming (11:30 EDT*) - The Lobos need to continue their hot play of late to make their way into the field.

Pac-10 Quarterfinals (all games on (FSN/selected CSN outlets)

Arizona State vs. Arizona (3 EDT) - This is an absolute must-win for the Wildcats. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, need to win to stop their seed's freefall.
Washington vs. Stanford (5:30 EDT) - The Cardinal knocked Oregon State out last night. Next, they'll try to stop the Huskies run at the title and up the S-curve.
California vs. USC (9 EDT) - The Trojans need to make a big run in this tournament to get themselves back in the conversation.
UCLA vs. Washington State (11:30 EDT) - The Cougars were unmerciful in putting an end to Oregon's season last night. Next, they'll try for a repeat of their upset win over the Bruins back on February 21.

SEC First Round (all games on Raycom/Full Court/FS South/Sun Sports)

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss (1 EDT) - The Wildcats have absolutely no chance if they lose this one.
Mississippi State vs. Georgia (3:30 EDT*) - I'll refrain from making any bad Bulldog jokes here. The question for the day is, can Georgia repeat their magical run of last year? You know, the one that temporarily saved Dennis Felton?
Alabama vs. Vanderbilt (7:30 EDT) - Like I've said before, if you're talking about Auburn being in the discussion, you need to talk about the Commodores too.
Florida vs. Arkansas (10 EDT*) - Like Kentucky, the Gators cannot lose this one. UF cannot repeat their performance against Alabama in this stage last year.

WAC Quarterfinals

Utah State vs. Fresno State (ESPNU, 5:30 EDT*) - Aggies look to start their run to a WAC championship.

The MAC tournament (which I will get to one of these years!) will also be on FS Ohio and FS Detroit.

Championship Week, Day Nine

Bill C. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:30:08 -0000

28 games on the docket for today...a mere pittance compared to tomorrow's 53...god I love Championship Week...

Northeast Conference Finals (at Rock M U)

1 ~~Rock M U~~ Robert Morris v. 2 Mt. St. Mary's (7:00pm on ESPN2 and ATDHE.net)

Big Sky Finals (at Weber State)

2 Portland State v. 6 Montana State

SWAC Quarterfinals (in Birmingham)

2 Jackson State v. 7 Texas Southern (2:30pm)
1 Alabama State v. 8 Alabama A&M (8:00pm)

MEAC Quarterfinals (in Raleigh)

1 Morgan State v. 8 Florida A&M (6:00pm)
2 S.C. State v. 7 Hampton (8:30pm)
6 Bethune-Cookman v. 11 UM-Eastern Shore (2:00pm--this is a Round 1 game)

Big East Round 2 (at MSG)

8 Providence v. 16 DePaul (11:00am on ESPN)
5 Marquette v. 13 St. John's (1:30pm on ESPN)
7 West Virginia v. 10 Notre Dame (6:00pm on ESPN)
6 Syracuse v. 11 Seton Hall (8:30pm on ESPN)

Big 12 Round 1 (in OKC)

8 Nebraska v. 9 Baylor (11:30am on ESPN+ and ATDHE.net)
5 Texas v. 12 Colorado (2:00pm on ESPN+ and ATDHE.net)
7 Oklahoma State v. 10 Iowa State (6:00pm on ESPN+ and ATDHE.net)
6 Texas A&M v. 11 Texas Tech (8:30 on ESPN+ and ATDHE.net)

Pac-10 Round 1 (in LA)

7 Washington State v. 10 Oregon (8:00pm on FSN and ATDHE.net)
8 Oregon State v. 9 Stanford (10:30pm on FSN and ATDHE.net)

Atlantic 10 Round 1 (in Atlantic City)

8 LaSalle v. 9 St. Louis (11:00am on ATDHE.net)
5 St. Joe's v. 12 Charlotte (1:30pm on ATDHE.net)
7 Duquesne v. 10 UMass (5:30pm)
6 Richmond v. 11 St. Bonaventure (8:00pm)

Conference USA Round 1 (in Memphis)

7 Marshall v. 10 Rice (12:00pm on ATDHE.net)
6 Central Florida v. 11 Southern Miss (2:30pm)
8 Tulane v. 9 East Carolina (6:00pm)
5 Houston v. 12 SMU (8:30pm)

Big West Round 1 (in Anaheim)

5 UC-Irvine v. 8 UC-Davis (8:00pm)
6 UC-Riverside v. 7 CS-Fullerton (10:30pm)

Mountain West Round 1 (in Vegas)

8 Colorado State v. 9 Air Force (4:00pm)

Games of the Day

Rock M U v. Mt. St. Mary's, Portland State v. Montana State
Winner dances. Or in Montana State's case, winner goes straight to Dayton for the Play-in Game.

Providence v. DePaul
The Friars are probably on the outside looking in right now, but if they can beat DePaul, then beat Louisville tomorrow, that might be enough for them. And needless to say, if they allow DePaul's win streak to grow to a whopping 2, they're not dancing.

OSU v. ISU, ATM v. Tech
Both OSU and ATM are pretty safely in at the moment, but losses to a bad team like ISU or Tech might give them quite a bit of consternation come Sunday.

La Salle v. SLU
I just wanted to point out that SLU is in a conference that plays its tourney in Atlantic City. There is nothing Atlantic about SLU. Just sayin'.

		#1 Nate Tomlinson Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Sydney, Australia Tomlinson started all 28 games in which he participated. He missed three games due to injuries; averaged 7.4 points, 3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 33.6 minutes per game; finished in 16th place on CU's freshman points list with 206; became the first freshman since Chauncey Billups to lead the team in assists and finished seventh on the school's all-time freshman assists list; shared scoring honors with 18 points at Stanford on 8-of-12 shooting; and led CU in assists 14 times. Tomlinson had five games with five or more assists and 18 games with at least three; a season-best seven assists against Texas A&M; six rebounds vs. Iowa State; four steals at Texas Tech; an assist in 27 of 28 games; and nine games with 10+ points. He finished seventh overall in the Big 12 in minutes played; played 35+ minutes 13 times; grabbed four or more rebounds nine times; made two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining, clinching CU's 65-62 win over Louisiana-Monroe; and was the first freshman point guard since 2002-03 to start a season opener.

		#3 Rick Higgins Senior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Danville, Calif. Higgins transferred to Colorado from Cal Poly to play with his brother, Cory. He sat out of the 2008-09 season due to transfer rules and lost a year of eligibility because he already had redshirted at Cal Poly, where he played in 43 games, with two starts in two years, and averaged 1.2 points per game.

		#11 Cory Higgins Junior Guard 6-5 \| 190 Danville, Calif. Third Team All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (12/08/09) Higgins was one of 13 nationally ranked players who were first or second on their team in the five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and the only sophomore nationally on that list. He was first statistically on the team in points, rebounds, steals, defensive and total rebounds, free throws and attempts, free-throw percentage, field goals made and attempted, and minutes played; second in assists and blocks; third in 3-point field goals made; and among CU players with a minimum of 200 shots taken was second on the team in shooting percentage Higgins tallied three nationally ranked categories: 64th in steals, 77th in free-throw percentage and 93rd in points per game. He scored 538 points, finishing 13th all-time at CU for most points scored in a single season. Those 538 points rank third all-time among CU sophomores and seventh all-time among CU guards for a season. Higgins led the team in scoring 18 times, steals 16 times, rebounding 15 times, assists 10 times and blocks 8 times; scored double digits in 28 of 31 games, 20+ points 12 times and 30+ twice; owned the team's top two scoring games with 34 points vs. Texas and 33 points vs. Colorado State; made 11 field goals in a single game twice, also a team best; achieved a perfect 12 of 12 at the free-throw line twice; had two double-doubles; was second both in CU seasonal minutes and conference minutes played; was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tourney team, leading the Buffs in scoring every game; scored a CU 13-year conference high with a personal-best 34 points against Texas; also performed the same feat against Texas A&M with 27 points; was the first player at CU to lead the team in rebounding and assists the first two games of any season since the 1973-74 season; played 35+ minutes 24 times; had six games over 40 minutes; posted six or more rebounds 15 times; grabbed three or more steals 13 times; dished out four or more assists eight times; had 13 games with at least six or more made field goals; and tallied five CU Athlete of the Week awards.

		#12 Dwight Thorne II Senior Guard 6-3 \| 185 Arlington, Texas Thorne was selected as one of 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes to participate on an Athletes In Action team for a one-week, competitive international tour against teams in Poland and Berlin, Germany. He is a three-year captain who started every game; was the team leader with 45 made 3-pointers; was second in team scoring, steals, made field goals and made free throws; was third in assists with 52, minutes played and fourth in rebounds; finished the season ranked in three Big 12-only categories; played 1,035 minutes and made 128 field goals, surpassing his previous two-year total of 53; made a 3-pointer in 23 of 31 games and had 12 games with at least two treys; scored in double digits 22 times, netted 20+ three times and scored a career-best 30 points vs. Kansas State on 8-of-12 shooting, with a personal-best five 3-pointers, nine free throws made and 11 attempts; scored a trio of 20+ point efforts; led the team in scoring eight times; recorded five or more rebounds nine times; made three or more 3-pointers five times; logged 35+ minutes 16 times; and played 30+ minutes 24 times. Thorne is a cousin of Acie Law IV, the former Texas A&M star who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

		#14 Javon Coney Junior Guard 6-3 \| 210 Chicago, Ill. Coney played in 23 games, with one start; averaged 8.8 minutes, one point and 1.3 rebounds per game; started his first career game against Oklahoma State; had a career-best six rebounds, one blocked shot and 27 minutes played against the Cowboys; played a career-best 27 minutes against Kansas State, with four points and four rebounds; grabbed five defensive rebounds at Nebraska; tallied a season-best five points with five rebounds against Missouri; recorded 20+ minutes four times and multiple rebounds eight times; and is a non-scholarship student-athlete.

		#24 Levi Knutson Junior Guard 6-4 \| 200 Littleton, Colo. Knutson played 30 games, with one start, and averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and one assist per game. His lone start came at Baylor, with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. He led the team in scoring with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and a team-high four assists and two steals, against Oklahoma State; grabbed a career-best six rebounds at home against Nebraska; shared team-high honors with six rebounds against Nebraska and Texas in Oklahoma City; went 3 of 3 from the field in a home win against Iowa State; had a career-best two steals at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State; played nine games of 20+ minutes and netted three games in scoring double digits; and has played 62 career games, with two starts.

		#33 Austin Dufault Sophomore Forward 6-9 \| 230 Killdeer, N.D. Dufault was named one of three CU Sports Performer of the Year finalists in the Male Freshman Athlete of the Year Award category; started all 31 games, averaging 30.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and one assist per game; scored 254 points, ranking 11th among CU freshmen, and his 115 rebounds ranked 12th among all CU freshmen; was third in team scoring, rebounding and defensive rebounding, and fourth overall in minutes; He was one of three on the team to have started all 31 games; was fifth among all conference freshmen in scoring and rebounding; led CU in scoring twice, with a season-best 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting vs. Louisiana-Monroe. His 15 points and five rebounds against Missouri led CU in both categories for the first time. Dufault had a season-best seven rebounds at Iowa State and at SMU, as well as a Big 12-best 13 points at Oklahoma; played a season-high 42 minutes against Texas; recorded 12 games in double digits and 12 games shooting 50 percent or better from the field; led the team in rebounding six times, had five or more rebounds 13 times and played 35+ minutes seven times; logged 30+ minutes 20 times; adds size and versatility to the roster; and brings a high basketball IQ with a great shooting touch from long range.

		#34 Casey Crawford Junior Forward 6-9 \| 245 Overland Park, Kan. Crawford played in 25 games, with four starts; averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game; was fourth on the team in 3-pointers made, and fifth in steals and points per game. During the last five games of the season, the transfer from Wake Forest averaged 8.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and led CU with eight 3-pointers. He had a career-best 18 points with four treys in a win over Harvard. The 18 points were the most points off the bench to lead the team in scoring since Javon Coney scored 15 points in a reserve role at Nebraska. Crawford scored a Big 12 season-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting against Texas A&M, and also played a season-high 30 minutes; and came off the bench to score 14 points, tying a career-best four 3-pointers against Oklahoma State. Eight times he had three or more rebounds in a game, and had five games with five or more field goals made. He netted 14 points in his CU debut, tying Jermyl Jackson-Wilson’s debut of 14 back in 2006-07. The 14 points is a CU high by a transfer or freshman in a debut over the last four years. Crawford scored in double digits six times, led the team in scoring twice and played 20+ minutes six times.

		#55 Trey Eckloff Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 235 Englewood, Colo. Eckloff played in 26 games, averaging 10.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game; logged a season-high 25 minutes with six rebounds against Kansas; also had 23 minutes and four rebounds at Stanford; had a season-best two steals against the Cardinal; scored a season-best seven points on 3-of-4 shooting at Oklahoma; grabbed five rebounds at Missouri; played 15+ minutes in six games; scored four or more points seven times; recorded multiple rebounds 13 times; and was the second-youngest scholarship player in the Big 12 (teammate Ryan Kelley was the youngest).

		#2 Shannon Sharpe Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 200 Corona, Calif. Sharpe will miss the 2009-10 season after having season-ending knee surgery, Bzdelik announced Oct. 28. As a senior at Corona Centennial High School, Sharpe averaged 17.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game; helped the Huskies to a 27-5 record during his senior season; tallied four top-five Mountain View League finishes in points, assists, steals and rebounds; recorded five triple-doubles during his senior season; and was named Mountain View League and Triple Crown Tournament most valuable player, and also named to the Inland Empire and Corona all-tournament team. Sharpe was on the Division 2 All-California Interscholastic Federation and All-Riverside County first team his senior year, and was a member of 2007 All-California Interscholastic Federation championship team. He helped Corona to the 2007 and 2008 Mountain View League Championships. In 2008, his AAU team was ranked No. 3 nationally.

		#5 Marcus Relphorde Junior Forward 6-7 \| 220 Chicago, Ill. Relphorde averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College, helping the Warriors finish with a 30-3 record. He was an All-Region honorable mention; shot .487 from the floor and .722 from the free-throw line; averaged 14 points per game; and scored in double figures in 12 of the team's last 13 games. Relphorde originally signed with Saint Louis under then-head coach Brad Soderberg. As a freshman with the Billikens and under head coach Rick Majerus, he averaged 4.3 minutes in 21 games; scored 22 points with 10 rebounds; and made 5 of 7 shots against Houston Baptist en route to 14 points and a team-high seven boards.

		#10 Alec Burks Freshman Guard 6-6 \| 185 Grandview, Mo. Burks was the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. During his senior year at Grandview High School, he averaged 23 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also was named The Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year. Burks helped his team to a 29-2 record during his senior season; scored a season-high 38 points; and received first-team all-Suburban Mix Six League honors as a junior after averaging 19.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Rivals.com listed Burks the No. 31 point guard in the Class of 2009. He was the career leader, in points scored, in school history and participated on the Mo-Kan All-Star game.

		#13 Shane Harris-Tunks Freshman Forward 6-11 \| 225 Liverpool, Australia Harris-Tunks was a member of Team Australia, which placed fourth at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship; played in eight games, averaging 2.5 ppg; represented Australian U/19 at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament in Germany and a third-place finish, and also was named captain; and was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.

		#35 Keegan Hornbuckle Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 205 Westlake Village, Calif. As a senior at Campbell Hall High School, Hornbuckle averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping his team to 19-9 record. He was a three-time first-team All-Olympic League selection and a three-time All-California Interscholastic Federation second-team selection. Hornbuckle was rated as the No. 34 small forward/shooting guard by Scout.com; helped Campbell Hall to a 31-5 record as a junior and a No. 39 national ranking by Rivals.com in 2007-08; was a member of a pair of state championship-winning teams in his sophomore and junior years; had a four-year prep record of 101-29; and was a member of the Valley All-Star and academic all-American All-Star team.