SB Nation - Temple Owls

Defend That, Digger! Week 3

BoilerTMill — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:19:40 -0000

I admit that the Big Ten has not done much to helps its case against the glorious Big East. Aside from winning the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, the conference as a whole has been a tad disappointing. Illinois and Michigan look to be struggling with at large status. Wisconsin got upset at Wisconsin-Green bay. Michigan State has not looked as strong as thought. Iowa is bad and Indiana isn't much better. You could argue that only Purdue has held serve and Northwestern has performed above expectations. That still won't stop me from ripping on the Big East and Digger Phelps' other annointed for another week with Defend That, Digger!

Defense? Defense is awful! Why do we need Defense?

Exhibit A:

Old Dominion 61, #11 Georgetown 57

Another Big East offensive juggernaut goes down. The Hoyas lost at home in this one. It wasn't even at the much larger Verizon Center in DC. No, this loss happened at their much smaller (and rowdier) on campus gym. I know Old Dominion is a good Colonial teams (one of the most competitive mid-major conferences) but still. Georgetown was undefeated, playing at home, and they are supposed to be a juggernaut from the greatest conference ever. Defend That, Digger!

Exhibit B:

Temple 71, Seton Hall 65

Another undefeated Big East team goes down at home. Seton Hall wasn't a threat to go undefeated for the whole season, but they have to be better at defending their home court. Temple, meanwhile, gets its second undefeated Big East scalp after taking out Villanova last week. The Owls are a pretty good ballclub, but they are a dreadful mid-major from a mid-major conference. Nevermind that the Atlantic 10 has some damn good teams. They get one bid so we can have 12 Big East teams! Defend That, Digger!

Exhibit C:

#6 West Virginia 80, Cleveland State 78

I will give credit to the Mountaineers for going to Cleveland State. That takes balls, but they struggled with a 4-8 Horizon league team. They needed a last second shot to win the game when Cleveland State's press broke down, resulting in an easy layup for the winner. If West Virginia is truly the #6 team in the country they should have taken care of business with ease. Defend That, Digger!

Exhibit D:

#2 Texas 103, #10 North Carolina 90

Switching to the ACC for a moment, I thought defense wasn't important. This is pathetic. There is no excuse for a defending national champion and top 10 team to ever give up 100 points to anyone. Ever. I don't care that it was Texas playing in front of the entire state of Texas at Jerryworld. Maybe you should <gasp> think about playing a little defense there, Roy. It might have helped. But who wants to play some of that ugly Big Ten basketball, even if it results in, you know, wins. Who wants wins when you can look cool giving up 103. Defend That, Digger!

Exhibit E:

USC 77, #8 Tennessee 55

Gee, we were sure lucky to get by that great Tennessee team down in the Virgin Islands. Looks like their flash and lack of substance really paid off at USC. This is the same USC team that lost to DTD veteran Loyola Marymount at home. Now I know the 5-7 Lions are an unstoppable force, but come on Tennessee! High flying dunks and fast paced offense is supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Who cares about wins. Defend That, Digger! (and thanks, Tennessee, for ruining our profile a little)

Exhibit F:

#4 Purdue 69, Ball State 49

Hmmmm, interesting. Purdue is a top 5 team, yet easily took care of business against an overmatched opponent. They were the only top 15 team (other than Duke) to hold its opponent under 50 this weekend. That includes Kentucky over Austin Peay (90-69), Villanova over daunting Fordham, and Florida losing to the fearsome Richmond Spiders (56-53). Here is a tip, Digger. It is easier to beat teams when you hold them to fewer points. But again, defense is boring. I mean, who wants wins when you can look good?

It's an active Sunday for the A-10

SFBE.NF — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:35:48 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Browse more photos »

No "Lazy Sunday" SNL Digital Short to show here, Sunday was busy for the Atlantic 10 as both Temple and Xavier defeated ranked opponents - who also double as their in-market rivals - and Rhode Island traveled up to Boston and nipped the wings of the BC Eagles.

In the 'Nati, tempers flared. I blame the chili. Many forget about how great this rivalry between the Musketeers and Bearcats are, but last night featured thrown elbows, in-fighting, and the first double OT contest in the 77 year history of the annual event. Xavier wins 83-79. And thank god. Maybe ESPN should consider not burying this game on ESPNU during a Sunday night. It's the first big win for new head coach Chris Mack, who still has a lot of work to do in curbing the ego and erratic play of his offensive star, Jordan Crawford.

Temple may have their first South American star since the Pepe Sanchez era, as Juan Fernandez scored 33 in a win over Nova, handing the WIldcats their first loss of the season. The Owls led nearly all of the second half, relying on the three ball. As players shook hands and walked off the court, Temple undergrads shouted "We Want Kansas," in reference to their January 2nd match-up against the top ranked Jayhawks. Yeah, I think I'll tune in for that.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/14/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:28:15 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few fun distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Staropramen beer, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

Both the men and women took care of business over the weekend. The same can't be said for some of our high profile Big East brethren. It's finals week, so I expect the news to be a bit slow, but we'll see. Any tips, suggestions and requests are greatly appreciated. It starts after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Men's Soccer: BIG EAST Announces Partnership - MSNsportsNET.Com
"The BIG EAST and Red Bull New York will join forces with a three-year partnership for the Conference’s men’s soccer championship to be held at the new state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena through the 2012 tournament."

Disloyalty and sports go hand in hand - Times West Virginian
Bob asked Huggs what he thinks about the Kelly situation.

College bowl payouts don't always add up - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mark Ingram's Heisman fills void at Alabama - Stewart Mandel - SI.com
I still think the kid from Stanford deserved it.

News of Note (FB):

Bill Stewart: Ready To Go - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video link

West Virginia's Stewart satisfied with 9-3 record - PPG

WVU fine as second fiddle in Gator Bowl - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Flippin' on the 'Noles - Charleston Gazette

Steady Improvement - MSNsportsNET.Com

Gator Bowl Bigger Than It Appears - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Some Florida State athletes helped by 'learning disability' diagnosis - ESPN

News of Note (BB):

Mountaineers Now 7-0 - MSNsportsNET.Com
The men secured a 69-43 win Saturday night.

WVU men upend Coppin State - Times West Virginian

Jones picking up the slack - Charleston Gazette

Copin' with Coppin - Charleston Gazette

Butler getting it done - Register-Herald
Mickey's Column

WVU's Mazzulla hopes grad school leads to coaching career - Charleston Daily Mail

Joe Mazzulla - WVIllustrated.com
Weekend Coliseum schedule: Saturday - run down the carpet, Sunday - pick up the diploma. Well done!!!! Congratulations!!!

Early Lead Lifts West Virginia - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women cruised to a 74-43 win over Longwood.

Recruiting:

'Eers in on Another Dywer (Fla.) Prospect - EerSports

Around the League (and Beyond):

Temple upsets No. 3 Villanova, 75-65 - SI.com

Xavier rallies in first-ever double overtime Crosstown Shootout to beat Cincinnati - Cincinnati Enquirer

Kelly's home vandalized - FanNation
...imagine that.

Houston's Kevin Sumlin declines interview for University of Cincinnati job - Cincinnati Enquirer

Jackson, Hazell lead Seton Hall past VMI 134-107 - SI.com

I don't wanna talk about it tonight - Card Chronicle
At least they have BB, right? Right?...oh, sorry.

Catamounts are caterwauling - Courier-Journal
Another head-scratching loss at Freedom Hall on Saturday, 91-83...to Western Carolina?!?!?!

Turnovers a problem for Pitt - PPG
...but they still won...damn

Bulls upset by Central Michigan, 59-56 - Tampa Tribune

Terrier-orized: No. 7 Syracuse 75, St. Francis 51 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Lets The Transferring Continue - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Video of Interest:

Several Mountaineer Basketball and Football players (among many others) graduated yesterday. Congratulations!!! Thanks to WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

The Germans have developed great taste in song selection.

College Tradition Gallery of the Week:

Somebody tried to stop this from happening? Can we bring back the firing squad?

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former Victoria's Secret Angel and can be seen in the recent G.I. Joe movie as Cover Girl. Another beauty from the Czech Republic, here's Karolína Kurková.

via i296.photobucket.com

Staropramen image via pic.51windows.net

The Casual Awards: Hoyas 'Defeat' Temple

CasualHoya — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

about 1 month ago: Georgetown's Greg Monroe, center, goes up for the game-winning basket as Temple's Lavoy Allen, right, and Rahlir Jefferson, left, defend during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 in Washington. Monroe's driving layup with 6.5 seconds to play rescued No. 19 Georgetown from a lackluster performance to give the Hoyas a 46-45 win. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Browse more photos »

Once again after a riveting victory, we're handing out some hardware to those most deserving. Buckle up.

Ladies and gents, The Casual Awards: Temple.

Fan-Friendly Award:
Verizon Center. $7.50 for beers and cutting off alcohol sales at the 15 MINUTE MARK of the 2nd half! True fans were so incensed that they were driven to drink LONG ISLAND ICED TEAS after the game. Thanks a lot, gimps. I'd rather the Hoyas play outside on the streets.

Bring it On! Award:

Hoyas cheerleaders earn a solid 2 on the 5 pom-pom scale, elevated from the usual 1 due to the presence of the male cheerleader. If anyone knows this male cheerleader please have him contact us, as a legendary one-on-one with Casual Hoya has to happen before the season is lost (read: before the Savannah State game).

Stay Hot Award:
Tie: Henry Sims and Julian Vaughn. This was an awful game for the Hoyas big men. Sims threw all the noted progress he displayed at the Tulane game out the window, getting constantly beat on defense and looking confused on offense. Zero points and 3 fouls in 10 minutes. Vaughn was 0 for 4 from the field and 0 for 2 from the line. Also, if he takes one more 3 this season he should be quarantined. This is going to be a very long season if these guys can't contribute. Stay hot, guys. Stay hot.

DaJuan Summers Memorial Post-Office Award:
Greg Monroe. Could a 'surefire lottery pick' possibly have mailed one in worse than Greg in this one? Since attendance was in the teens I doubt many scouts were on hand to witness that effort, but aside from saving our season with the game-winner, Monroe was outplayed by Temple's LaVoy Allen all game.

Craig Esherick Award:
Once again the award for bonehead coaching move goes to JT3 for inserting Nikita into the game. In his 2 minutes on the court with 6 minutes left in the 1st half, the Hoyas managed not to lose any ground to the Owls (they didn't increase a tenuous lead either), though Nikita did give the fans what they paid to see: his infamous patented dribble the ball through traffic in the lane off the knee out of bounds while falling down move. There's just no telling how much some third tier league in Macedonia is going to pay to giftwrap that thing for its fan base for years to come. Nikita nearly entered that hallowed halls of 'club trillion', though the above-mentioned turnover prevented it. I'm really enjoying this Nikita era.

Honorable mention (for different reasons): Fran Dunphy - the mustache is worthy of 80s skin flicks.

Jack Lalanne Award:
Memo to the Hoyas coaching staff: there are guys on the team who need to start lifting weights. Sims and Hollis in particular. Is this not obvious to anyone involved with the team on a daily basis? Drink your milkshake! DRINK IT UP!

Princeton Offense Award:
16 turnovers and 7 assists. No further comment.

'Ill Communication' Award:
Assistant Coach Kenya Hunter who screamed repeatedly to Hollis Thompson to watch for that fat 3 point shooter Craig Williams on a baseline out of bounds play - of course, Thompson couldn't hear over the deafening crowd noise and Williams dropped the 3. For a team that spends so much time tweeting about in-class updates and the movies they enjoy watching, these guys are mutes on the court.

William Wallace Braveheart Award:
Solidly unclaimed as the Gtown team struggles to find any form of leadership: Monroe, the best player, doesn't demand the ball; Chris Wright, the point guard, clearly doesn't have the support of the team; and Austin Freeman, arguably the most steady player, is so quiet and non-demonstrative that it seems the team forgets about him for stretches of the game.

Interestingly, Chris Wright was dangerously close to the feared Michael Scott Award for Inept Leadership due to ill timed heatchecks and reckless drives to the basket but the season's young and he can still earn it.

Jack Nicholson Award for Celebrity Fan of the Game:
Jeff Green's mom - still going strong. (Note: Even though we're in DC, we aren't giving this award to whoever was on Meet The Press or has a carricature at the Palm - we're talking real celebs. Umm, yeah, like Jeff Green's mom.) Worth noting that Ms. Green's Mom's seats are getting progressively worse, as now she's in one of the corner sections. One would think that a certain member of the OKC Thunder would spring for some casual courtsiders.

The Georgetown Hoyas are still an undefeated nationally ranked powerhouse.

Casually.

The Morning After: Post Game Articles, Quotes & Anime!

Hire Esherick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:11:54 -0000

Kudos to the anime folks of Casual Hoya, who were working overtime in order to create a song about yesterday's game.

Links to media coverage after the jump. Casual post-game awards to follow later today.

Last year's squad seemingly found ways to lose close games; Tuesday's last-minute victory suggests that perhaps this season's group will find ways to win them.

Monroe's basket helps Hoyas survive - Washington Times

Being unselfish almost to a fault. As a friend and colleague said, "[Monroe] must have a good mother, because he's so polite."

Mike Wise - When it matters, Greg Monroe steps up, hits game-winner - washingtonpost.com

Unlike last season, in which Georgetown frittered away so many close games with lackluster effort in the waning minutes, the Hoyas stormed back from a six-point deficit Tuesday to deliver a 46-45 victory before a raucous late-afternoon crowd and a national TV audience.

No. 19 Georgetown rediscovers defense in 46-45 victory over Temple - washingtonpost.com

One of the worst halves of basketball ever seen at the Verizon Center

Monroe's layup in closing seconds saves Hoyas against Owls - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com

Georgetown won despite having more fouls (18) and turnovers (16) than made baskets (15). The Hoyas blew a 12-point second-half lead, shot 36 percent from the field and 3 for 18 from 3-point range.

Top 25 Capsules - ncaa - SI.com

Truly thought Temple stood a good chance to win this. I probably wouldn’t even put G’town in my top 25. I do give a lot of credit to the Hoyas, who played ugly but got the bucket they needed from Greg Monroe late and then cut off Temple’s penetration to stave off defeat.

Around the Top 25: Ugly play taints the marathon | College Hoops Journal

Was it because of good defense? Not really. Each team had only one steal.

The Associated Press: Monroe's layup gives No. 19 Georgetown 46-45 win

The loss marked the first time that Temple held an opponent to under 50 points and lost since December 30th, 1995 when the Owls lost 49-41 to Oklahoma State.

Owls rally, lose in heartbreaker : The Temple News

"I thought we had an opportunity to win this game," Dunphy said. "We just didn't close it out. This was a fantastic opportunity for us against a very good basketball team."

Temple loses on Georgetown's late layup | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/18/2009

Georgetown's home opener against Temple began with two teams looking like they were snarled in rush-hour traffic typical of the 4 p.m. hour in which the game tipped off.

A Hoyas' victory spelled U-G-L-Y, 46-45 | Washington Examiner

This may surprise most Hoya fans, but the most efficient player today for Georgetown was Chris Wright. While his three turnovers may have been more memorable, Wright was able to score 6 points at the FT line (on 7 attempts) to grind his way to the only 100+ offensive rating in the game.

Hoya Prospectus: Recap: Georgetown 46, Temple 45

SBNation Coverage:
Owls vs Hoyas coverage
Owls vs Hoyas recap
Owls vs Hoyas boxscore

When a Win is a Loss: Hoyas Defeat Temple 46-45

CasualHoya — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:17:04 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

about 1 month ago: Georgetown's Chris Wright, center, shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Temple, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 in Washington. Georgetown won 46-45. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Browse more photos »

That was just gross. In case you were one of the lucky few to not be subjected to the 2 hours of torture, here's the in-game thread with some commentary and pics from inside Verizon.

Monday Merges Into Tuesday, Thanks To A Marathon

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:14 -0000

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Drew Gordon and UCLA start the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon at midnight Eastern Tuesday..(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

View full size photo »

Starting at midnight Eastern with Cal State Fullerton at UCLA, ESPN will run more than 24 straight hours of college hoops. Since I'm nuts for this stuff, I'm going to try to follow the bulk of the marathon over at SBNation.com. However, since I'll be sleeping from the time I get home from work until some point in the Titans-Bruins tilt, I won't be able to catch any of Monday's action. Expect to see a Monday night recap at some point on Tuesday morning.

After the jump, I'll provide a comprehensive look at the marathon, culled from my earlier piece about it (with some updated information). I'll also have a brief rundown of the other games on the Tuesday slate.

ESPN has the bulk of the action overnight and during the day. Right after the clock strikes midnight on the East Coast (a perfectly reasonable 9 p.m. Pacific time tip), UCLA hosts Cal-State Fullerton. It will be the first chance for most of America to see how the Bruins cope after losing Jrue Holiday, Alfred Aboya, Darren Collison, and Josh Shipp. The Titans meanwhile lost Big West POY Josh Akognon and his 24 points per game and have six new faces (including 3 D1 transfers) on the roster.

In the 2 a.m. Eastern slot, St. Mary's, without Paddy Mills but with fellow Aussie Andrew Dellavedova attempting to fill the void, faces San Diego State, a team that will again challenge in the Mountain West, even though they only return one starter, F Billy White. The Aztecs knocked the Gaels out of the NIT at the end of last year.

Hawai'i again gets a 4 a.m. Eastern game. Last year, the Warriors defeated Idaho State in a game that was in overtime when I woke up at 6 Eastern. This year, it's another Big Sky opponent for UH, Northern Colorado.

According to Andy Katz's Daily Word, this will be the first time ESPN has ever carried games at 6 and 8 a.m. Eastern. The 6 a.m. offering, features a rising St. Peter's squad hosting a Monmouth side that's been down of late. My quibble with this matchup is the location, as the Hawks are opening up a new arena this year, yet they're on the road for this one. Go figure.

The 8 a.m. game could be a real donnybrook, however, and it takes place just a couple of miles from where I spent my first few years. Niagara, who finished behind Siena in the MAAC last year and is ready to challenge them again hosts Drexel, the team I foolishly picked to take the CAA's auto bid late last year. The Dragons problem then was scoring (61.7 ppg), an issue that won't get better as they lost their only double-digit scorer, Scott Rodgers, to graduation.

At 10, Clemson visits Liberty, a game that would've been more attractive had Seth Curry not transferred to Duke. The Tigers lost Terrence Oglesby to Europe, but gained Trevor Booker's younger brother Devin. He and 6-9 frosh Milton Jennings (a McDonald's All-American) give Clemson a significant post presence.

There is a nice little matchup in the East Coast lunch hour, as CAA contender Northeastern visits MAAC power Siena. Even though the Saints lost Kenny Hasbrouck to graduation, they return their other four starters (watch Edwin Ubiles closely). Bill Coen's Huskies also return four starters, including G/F Matt Janning.

At 2 p.m., Arkansas-Little Rock visits Tulsa, the team many think will usurp Memphis as the standard bearer for Conference USA.

Temple-Georgetown game, follows at 4 p.m. The Owls will be challenged this season without Deonte Christmas, while the Hoyas look to improve on last season's disappointment.

ESPN2 gives viewers a second option at 5:30 Eastern. Pitt hosts Binghamton in a preliminary game in the CBE Classic, where the Panthers are already guaranteed a trip to the finals in Kansas City. This game won't be quite as competitive as originally thought, thanks to the scandal that decimated the Bearcats' roster.

The 6 p.m. offering is the East regional final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Barring a huge upset, Duke will take on Charlotte or Elon.

At 7:30 on ESPN2, it will be the first of two from the Hall of Fame Classic in St. Louis. (Save yourself $200 and watch this doubleheader at home.) Arkansas, a program that's been in a bit of turmoil during the offseason, takes on Louisville, another team that's been the focus of a lot of offseason news.

At 8 on ESPN, Gonzaga visits Michigan State. The Spartans are among the favorites to make it to Indy, while the Bulldogs will be good, even with the loss of four starters and a boatload of new recruits. This may not be the time to watch them, however.

If the TV action isn't enough, you can also see Northern Illinois-Illinois online at 8.

ESPNU picks up another CBE Classic preliminary that's not really a preliminary at 9. Duquesne, who--don't laugh--will build on last year and be a serious challenger in the A-10 this year--even without the services of leading scorer (and only loss) Aaron Jackson, visits Iowa. The Hawkeyes, just like they every year under Todd Lickliter, have personnel issues. Leading scorer Jake Kelly transferred to Indiana State and PG Jeff Peterson, the no. 3 scorer on the roster, transferred to Arkansas.

ESPN has the second Hall of Fame Showcase game at 10 p.m. It's a rematch of that 2008 National Championship game that the NCAA wants to wipe from our collective memories. Preseason No. 1 Kansas takes on Memphis in one we can only hope is as memorable as the game that didn't happen (but really did).

If you're still conscious at 11:30 Eastern, you can watch the final of the West regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Arizona State--presuming they knock off Texas State--will take on Cal State-Northridge or TCU in the final game of the day.

Here's a quick look at the non-marathon games slated for TV.

UConn should feature in the NIT North Region final which will air at 7 on the Big East Network and Full Court.
UNC Asheville at Tennessee (select FSN outlets/Full Court, 7)
Bowling Green at Xavier (FS Ohio [outside of Cavaliers' territory, 7:30)
Fairfield at Maryland (CSN Washington, 8)
UT-Martin at Missouri (FS Midwest/Full Court, 8)
Louisiana-Monroe at Oklahoma (Full Court, 8)
Fresno State at Northern Arizona in the West Coast Classic (UniversityHouse/FS Arizona/FCS Pacific, 8:30)
Columbia at DePaul (Lakeshore/SNY/Full Court, 9)
New Mexico at New Mexico State (Full Court, 9)

Visit Matt Sarz's College Sports on TV site for games telecast only locally or online.

Sleeping with the Enemy: Casual Q&A with 'The Owl's Nest'

CasualHoya — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:03 -0000

Continuing the esteemed tradition of Casual Q&A sessions with our enemies, Casual Hoya has joined forces with The Owl's Nest to provide you with some insight into tomorrow's opponent. Below you can find The Nest's responses to our hard-hitting questions about those pesky birds, as well as our replies to his inquiries about our Hoyas. Enjoy.

CH: Is former Owl great Mark Macon insane for trying to clean up the mess that former Gtown assistant Kevin Broadus left at Binghamton?

I don't think so. Mark Macon was a great player, and has been a great mentor as a coach. With these issues being resolved, Mark has the opportunity to makes things positive and form a new mold and image of this program (similar to what Temple football has had to do). I think Mark is in a great position to make a name for himself as a coach now, rather than the All-American player he used to be. It won't hurt to try.

Former Hoya player and coach, Craig Esherick and Temple’s current coach, Fran Dunphy are white coaches following legendary black coaches yet even Esherick’s impressive mustache (nearly identical to Dunphy’s) was unable to save his job – what have Dunphy’s biggest challenges been in rebuilding this program and will he be able to turn the corner?

The main challenge that Coach Dunphy has had to deal with is probably the level of talent he acquires in his recruiting classes. With all due respect to the Ivy League, Temple's athletic quality is plenty higher than what Fran Dunphy was getting with Penn. So far though, Coach has been able to implement the remaining players from Coach Chaney (ex. Dionte Christmas, Mark Tyndale, Ryan Brooks) with the newer guys he has brought in (Lavoy Allen, Juan Fernandez). It's somewhat obvious that Dunphy has done a tremendous job with what Coach Chaney left too, since 2 of Dunphy's 3 seasons so far have resulted in Atlantic 10 Championships and NCAA Tournament Appearances.

Did Coach Dunphy keep the 6 am practices? Has he challenged any opposing coaches to fistfights?

I'm not exactly sure about the 6 AM practices. I wouldn't think so though. That seemed to be a 'John Chaney' type of thing. As for fighting, Dunphy doesn't exactly come off as the mean and passionate type of heart Coach Chaney had. JC had no problem getting on the cases of the UMasses and Dukes who definitely had favored calls.

What are Temple’s strengths and weaknesses? How does Temple's perimeter game stack up? Who are the top shooters? Rebounders?

Strength: Experience. Even after losing 3 of last year's starters, the majority of the players on this team has a taste of success, and have in some way contributed to that. Lavoy Allen and Ryan Brooks, two of Temple's leading scorers, have stepped up the past two years to make up for lost pieces. Each year, there have been several players that have made impressive strides to only make the team better than the previous year.

Weakness: Go-to-guy. 2007 it was Mark Tyndale. 2008 it was Dionte Christmas (If you shut down Christmas, you most likely shut down Temple' offense). Now that both of these players have left, the two highest averages for scoring are just 10 points a game. It is a necessity that Temple consistently has guys that play huge roles in games, especially against a team like Georgetown. There will honestly be no "gimmies" or guarantees this year until players decide to take the helm.

The perimeter game has taken a hit with the graduation of Dionte Christmas. He lived by the 3 ball during his tenure at Temple. The top shooters on this team would be senior Ryan Brooks and sophomore Ramone Moore. The top guy, ironically, beyond the arc is 6'10" forward Craig Williams. When he's on, he's on. Juan Fernandez can shoot the ball from time to time, but he likes to make Steve Nash-like moves, and score the ball in the paint.

Down low, Lavoy Allen is Temple's main threat. With center Sergio Olmos graduating, he now holds most of the rebounding duties. Sophomore Micheal Eric has made strides to possibly be Temple's next center (he's 6'11", the tallest on the team).

What can Georgetown expect out of this year’s Temple squad?

Georgetown should expect a much faster pace game. Temple's overall starting five is much quicker going down the floor compared to last year, and doesn't necessarily slow up to set anyone up for a shot. At the same time, the Owls manage to protect the ball well in doing so (fast breaks). Temple's scoring has primarily comes from mid range jump shots and layups. Juan Fernandez will truly confuse you when handling the ball. He's elusive and makes tricky passes.

Defensively, the Owls have switched back and fourth through man to man, and that signature 2-3 zone. Ryan Brooks and Ramone Moore have quick hands, and can poke the ball out to generate a fast break. Brooks and senior guard Luis Guzman would most likely cover the opposing teams' playmaker. Down low, Micheal Eric and Lavoy Allen are extremely athletic on the defensive side of the ball. They have great windspans and length that allow them to get a number of blocked shots and quick rebounds.

After being waived by the 76ers in camp, Temple legend Dionte Christmas was recently arrested on firearms charges. Prior to Christmas, I believe the last Owl to even sniff the NBA was Mardy Collins, famously loved by Isiah Thomas and consequently hated by the entire city of New York. First question: What was it like to celebrate Christmas at Temple? Second: Do you see anyone on Temple's roster having professional talent? And speaking of talent, how are Temple's cheerleaders?

What you might not have realized is that the charges were dropped due to the fact that the firearm was not his. The car and gun belonged to current Sixer and former Florida Gator Mareese Speights, and Dionte was merely charged with driving without a license.

Dionte Christmas was a great basketball player and an even better human being. His play through his four years with Temple generated a ton of interest in Temple Basketball, as well as put the Owls back on the map as a constant NCAA tournament invite. He will be missed as a Temple basketball player, but also as a great human being in the community.

I would say Lavoy Allen has the best show of playing professional ball. He's still young as a junior, and has yet to reach his full potential. Only time will tell though-- there are plenty of players who have the change to emerge as key impact guys.

I think you guys will enjoy our cheerleaders.

Pats or Genos for cheesteaks?

Either one. I'm a fan of both. Also like Tony Lukes.

See our responses to The Owl's Nest questions after 'The Jump'

The Owl's Nest: It's been quite some time since the Owls have faced the Hoyas. The teams' last matchup was during the '04 season, where the Owls defeated Georgetown 75-57. What have been some of the main changes that John Thompson III has made to this team since his first year, where his team finished out with a record of (16-11)?

The biggest change has been Coach Thompson bringing in his own players. The team he inherited had some tremendous talent but over the past few years, Coach Thompson has done even more to keep local stars here (including McDonald’s AAs Chris Wright and Austin Freeman). Each year, Coach Thompson has had NBA caliber talent but after being dominated on the interior with Hibbert, then on the perimeter with DaJuan Summers (a legendary underachiever), there should be a better balance this year.

For the most part, it looks as thought there are no seniors on this 2009 team. How do you think the majority of the team being juniors and sophomores affects their performance? Do you think the leadership role is divvied up, or could you give us an idea of who fits that spot?

There was a major chemistry issue last year though it appears to have been resolved as the upperclassmen moved on. As noted above, Coach Thompson has kept the locals together and those guys have been playing against one another for years – establishing bonds both on and off the court. Gtown also does a great job keeping the kids in town over the summer and playing in the Kenner League. On top of that, the freshman most of us expect the most from – Hollis Thomson – has been on campus for almost a full year practicing with the team and should be able to blend in immediately.

The team has gone through some changes over the past year but I’d guess that the leader will be Junior Chris Wright – he’s the point guard and very assertive (not always in a good way) and seems to be establishing more trust with Coach, making him the proverbial coach on the floor. Junior Austin Freeman and Sophomore Greg Monroe also play pivotal roles on the team.

What style of play do the Hoyas have on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball? Who are the team's go-to-guy, and most reliable producers?

Coach Thompson runs elements of the Princeton offense so the games are generally lower scoring and the Hoyas run only when they’ve clearly got numbers. Defensively, they apply solid pressure but really only out to the three point line. They’ve consistently had size and shot blockers so they collapse in the paint well but rebounding has been an issue recently.

No doubt that the go-to-guy is Greg Monroe (note below) for both scoring and rebounding. Everyone expects that Chris Wright and Austin Freeman will take major strides this year too – the key to them is that they can put the ball on the ground in contrast to Monroe really needing someone to get it to him in the post (though he did freak Hasheem Thabeet off the dribble last year).

In 2007 it was Jeff Green. In 2008 it was Roy Hibbert. Who do you think is the next talent to enter the NBA on this Georgetown squad?

Simple: Greg Monroe. He would have been a Top 5 pick last year and he opened up in front of his New Orleans home crowd with a nice 18 point game. After that, it gets more difficult to predict with both Wright and Freeman being undersized. Hollis Thomson has the type of length and athleticism the league loves but he still appears to be a few years away from that goal.

I know it's extremely early, but do you have any predictions for the way this season could potentially turn out for your team? How do you think Tuesday night will fare?

Season’s a tough one but the #20 (AP) ranking looks pretty solid right now. Figure the Hoyas for just over 20 wins on the season with a Top 5 Big East finish.

Tuesday will be an unusual made-for-TV game and there probably won’t be a ton of fan support. We’ll wait for the Vegas lines but with this both Gtown and Temple opening with convincing road wins, this will probably be a close game with the Hoyas coming out on top. The Monroe-Lavoy Allen should be a nice matchup of 2 athletic big guys.

The dictionary definition of a "hoya"<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hoya> describes some sort of shrub/plant of the milkweed family. However, Georgetown's mascot is a bulldog. Where does the relation between this plant and the bulldog derive?

Hoya refers to neither the plant nor the bullbog. The cheer stems from the chant Hoya Saxa - which means "What Rocks" in a combination of Greek and Latin. Georgetown was once called the Stonewalls and an ingenious student came up with the chant. This of course can not be fully confirmed since it happened over 100 years ago. But in this day and age, Hoya has come to represent those who are able to Google "What is a Hoya." Those incapable of doing so (80% of West Virginia) are not Hoyas.

Casually.

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

Preseason Q&A with Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald

SFBE.NF — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:07:22 -0000

We thought we were done with these, but Jonathan Tannenwald from Philly.com (yes, the Soft Pretzel Logic guy) went to the Big East Media Day and went "A-HA! Basketball! Syracuse! Billy Edelin! Oh shit...that damn guy from the blog! I gotta get back to him!" And he followed through. Jonathan talks about guard-centric Villanova, the Palestra, and shows the A-10 some love.

1. Where could we find you this summer? On the beach, on the golf course, or in a gym filled with DI prospects? I was definitely on the beach a lot. I also took a cross-country train trip (for the second straight summer), from Philly to Chicago to Seattle to L.A. (last year I went from Philly to San Francisco by way of the Rocky Mountains, which is spectacular).

While in Seattle I saw the Sounders play FC Barcelona. I'm really into soccer as well as college sports, and that was one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen in person. For soccer or much of any other sport, to be honest.

2. Quickly, your reflections on last year. Was a thin NBA draft just proof that the 2008-2009 college basketball season lacked excitement and raw talent? For me, the college basketball season did not lack excitement. That's in part because of Villanova's run to the Final Four - okay, it was in large part due to that. It got people talking about college hoops in Philly quite a bit, which was really nice considering how much the Eagles dominate the local sports media landscape.

But in general, I don't care much about or for professional basketball. A college basketball season is exciting for me in and of itself. Even when it's 20 degrees in February and I'm walking down Thayer Street in Providence, R.I., after the Penn-Brown game, I'm pretty happy.

I'm lucky. I get to spend a lot of my winter nights in the Palestra. I'm supposed to be objective about this stuff, but there's no better place to watch a basketball game. Just about anyone who's been there will tell you the same thing.

3. What do you expect from Kentucky? How many years until they play for a national title? And, when his tenure is over, will John Calipari leave the program in good hands, or in disarray like he did with Memphis and UMASS? From Kentucky I expect a lot of loud shouting by their fans. Obviously they're at a fever pitch already, and if they get off to a good start it won't get any quieter. I haven't seen John Wall in person or on film, but I've read reports that he is as good as advertised.

It won't surprise me if they make a really deep run. They have a combination of upperclassmen and talented freshmen that seems to be a good mix. And Calipari can coach. That much is for certain, even if we don't know what the freshmen will do.

4. How does Jay Wright handle all the talented guards on his roster this year? Will there be an odd man out? I don't envy the situation Jay Wright finds himself in with the backcourt. I talked to him, Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher at Big East Media Day, and they all said they didn't think it would be a problem. Winning certainly takes care of a lot of that, and Wright showed he could manage the situation pretty well last year. He also hasn't been afraid to let players go from the program if they don't buy in, with Malcolm Grant a recent example.

Wright may have inadvertently acquired some latitude with this when Reggie Redding was suspended for the semester after being caught with marijuana. Obviously, Wright would rather have Redding on the team, as would anybody. But it's something to keep in mind.

The other thing worth noting is that most of Villanova's new players this season are coming into the front court, most notably Mouphtaou Yarou and Taylor King. The preseason hype is that Yarou is the big guy Wright has needed to finally get the program over that last big hurdle, and there can't be many hurdles left if they made the Final Four with last year's squad.

The freshman guards are big names, Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns. But I would expect them to play second-fiddle to the upperclassmen for a while. As they're both from relatively close to Philly (Cheek is from Jersey City and Wayns is from Philly itself), I would think they knew what the situation would be coming in.

5. Outside of The Palestra, what is your favorite venue in college basketball? I'm going to split that question in two parts, if I may. My favorite non-Palestra venue in the country is Allen Fieldhouse, because it's so historic and so loud. It edges out Maryland's Comcast Center, an arena that proves you can create a modern facility without compromising the atmosphere that makes college basketball what it is.

My favorite arena that I've been to is probably Yale's John J. Lee Amphitheater. It's built into one side of Yale's athletics center, which looks like a big Gothic cathedral. The inside of the arena has a pressed ceiling and semi-cylindrical wooden bucket seats.

It also has balcony-style seating behind the baskets, and bleachers for the students right along courtside. When the place is packed, it gets really, really loud.

I took some pictures of the place for my blog the last time I was up there. I don't think I can let you use them because my company owns the rights to them and is really picky about that stuff, but you can definitely link to it.

6. Your premature surprise team of the season... I would pick Dayton or Temple but I know too much about them to consider them surprising. So I'll go with Marquette. With Lazar Heyward back, I didn't expect them to be picked 12th in the Big East. St. John's is picked higher than the Golden Eagles. As young as Buzz Williams' team is on the whole, I expect them to do better than that.

7. My premature Final Four picks... I have no idea. I don't even like picking Final Fours on Selection Sunday until I've gone all the way through the bracket. But I'll give you four teams I think can get there: Kansas, West Virginia, Michigan State and Villanova.

8. Because of the name of our blog, we ask all journalists who come on here and give us the time of day to name their favorite forgotten college basketball player. Name a few of your favorites who never established themselves at the next level. My forgotten player has to be Penn's Ugonna Onyekwe. A player with athleticism and skill way above the usual Ivy League level, and there hasn't been anyone like him in the league since. He led the Quakers to Ivy League titles in 2002 and 2003, and an outright Big 5 championship in ‘02 (4-0 record) as well. Granted, it was a down year for some of the other programs in the city, but that's still an accomplishment for Penn.

Onyekwe had a legit shot at being a lower NBA pick. But he struggled at the draft camps, and ended up in Europe. He's done pretty well there from everything I've read. He comes back to Philadelphia every once in a while, and very few people recognize him - especially among the current students.

7. Finish this sentence: I like using twitter because...I like using Twitter because it's a great way to get my content out there, and it‘s an even better way to engage in great conversations with fellow college basketball writers and fans. It's why I created the Big Dance widget, and I'm hoping to find other ways to use the platform throughout this season.