SB Nation - Tulane Green Wave

Around the ACC: 11.20.09

MRickman84 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:13 -0000

Good morning. Yesterday was sure a shaky day for the ACC. UNC pulled it out after collapsing again in the second half--which they are quickly making a habit of. GT lost a tough one to Dayton (and the CAA is looking rather good so far, with UNC-W knocking off Penn State and William & Mary beating Richmond, not to mention Hofstra putting up a good fight against UCONN the other day.) The conference as a whole is looking pretty strong, especially compared to the struggles of the Pac-10 and the SEC (which is just abismal this year).

UNC 77, Ohio State 73:
UNC dominated early on, with help from Ohio State's horrendous shooting, but a hot streak from the Buckeyes brought them back in the game. UNC obviously has a lot inside, with Deon Thompson leading the way (15 points, 12 rebounds). The rest of the bigs--John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis and the Ware twins--combined for 19 points.

This Tar Heel team is tough to figure out. They definitely do not have the poise that previous UNC teams have had, and it is not completely clear who the leader is going to be--Marcus Ginyard (13 points, 3 steals) stepped up after being chewed out by Roy Williams last night and Will Graves and Thompson have the potential to, but there is not guaranteed go-to guy. Evan Turner led the Buckeyes in the loss with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but had a glaring 10 turnovers.

Dayton 63, Georgia Tech 59
This one was never a guaranteed win for Georgia Tech, and actually, I considered them the underdog coming in. GT may have more individual talent, but Dayton is a better basketball team. I don't doubt that the Yellow Jackets will improve this year, but they are going to go through a 2009 Wake Forestesque stretch of games (not to mention they have Paul Hewitt as their coach). Chris Johnson lall scorers with 19 points (7-13 shooting, 4-8 from 3PT). Freshman sensation Derrick Favors had a good game, with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Gani Lawal had 9 and 8, but EIGHT turnovers. The Ramblin' Wreck were doomed by committing 26 turnovers and shooting 55% from the FT line.

Miami 74, Tulane 54
The Hurricanes moved to 3-0 on the year with a 20 point victory over the Green Wave. Dwayne Collins has a monster game, with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists on 8-8 shooting. Durand Scott also looked impressive, finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The 'Canes had a 19-4 run in the second half and will take on UNC-W today at 3 P.M.

Virginia 79, Rider 46
Virginia smoked Rider. Rider had beaten Mississippi State and Lehigh already, so I figured Virginia might have a little trouble pulling away, but good defense (Rider shot 33%) and balanced scoring really helped the Cavaliers. Mike Scott paced the Cavs with 17 and 9 on 8-9 shooting. Sylven Landesberg added 10, Sammy Zeglinski and Jeff Jones had 10, and Calvin Baker and Mustapha Farrakhan had 8. Virginia shot 52% and 44% from beyond the arc.

College Hoops Go Round: November 19

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:31:06 -0000

More photos » by Skip Peterson - AP

Chris Wright's Dayton Flyers will be challenged by star freshman Derrick Favors and Georgia Tech this afternoon in Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Skip Peterson)

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With everyone, including myself, worn out from marathon Tuesday, it was a relatively quiet Wednesday night. Here's a quick rundown of what did go down in the headline games of the night.

Florida pulled away from a feisty Georgia Southern squad, winning 69-49.

VCU got smacked by Western Michigan, 83-67.

Florida State dominated Stetson, 80-38.

Toledo was no match for Cincinnati, falling 92-68.

Cornell won another road game against a name opponent, beating UMass by 13.

No. 11 Butler won easily at Northwestern, 67-54.

Nebraska fell by 15 at St. Louis, 69-55.

Utah won at thriller at home against in-state rival Utah State, 68-67.

Western Carolina was no match for Damion James-led No. 3 Texas.

Oral Roberts won at Stanford, 83-81, in an early-round Cancun Challenge game.

UNLV completed a Mountain West sweep over WAC contenders, beating Nevada 88-75.

For another excellent wrap-up of last night's action, visit Searching for Billy Edelin. A preview of today's tournament-heavy schedule is after the jump.

There's a lot of action on tap both today and tonight, with tournaments taking center stage. Preview text is from my Early Season Tournament Preview. All times are p.m. ET unless noted.

CBE Classic Semifinals

In the first game of tonight's doubleheader, Pac-10 co-favorite California faces a Syracuse squad who may have a bit of a homecourt advantage in New York. In game two, defending national champion North Carolina faces the first big challenge of its defense against Evan Turner and Ohio State. The winners and losers will play on Friday evening.

Syracuse vs. No. 13 California (ESPN2, 7)
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Ohio State (ESPN2, 9:30)

Puerto Rico Tip-Off Quarterfinals

The top half of this field is loaded. Chris Wright and A-10 favorite Dayton will be tested by the Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors-led frontcourt of Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, this matchup of top 25 squads will only be on regional television. Meanwhile, CAA contender George Mason faces Final Four team Villanova in a rematch of a 2007 Old Spice Classic semifinal. In the bottom half, Tom Crean's rebuilding Indiana takes on Andy Kennedy's Mississippi, a team who is a threat in the SEC West, while America East favorite Boston University takes on Denis Clemente and Kansas State.

No. 21 Georgia Tech vs. No. 18 Dayton (CSS/CW Dayton, 11:30 a.m.)
George Mason vs. No. 5 Villanova (ESPNU, 2)
Indiana vs. Ole Miss (ESPN2, 5)
Kansas State vs. Boston University (No TV, 7:30)

Charleston Classic Quarterfinals

In the top half of the bracket, Miami (FL)--with Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant running the point in place of graduated Jack McClinton faces Tulane. while UNC Wilmington, who could rise in the CAA this year, faces NIT Champion Penn State. In the bottom half, Big East cellar dwellar USF faces Stephen Curry-less, but still dangerous Davidson, while John Giannini's La Salle, who hopes to make a statement here before the A-10 season, plays Dominique Archie and Devan Downey-led South Carolina, who should have the crowd behind them.

Tulane vs. Miami (FL) (CSS/CST, 1:30)
UNC Wilmington vs. Penn State (ESPNU, 4)
Davidson vs. USF (No TV, 7)
La Salle vs. South Carolina (ESPNU, 9:30)

There are a few other non-tournament games on TV as well.

Sam Houston State at No. 4 Kentucky (SEC on FSN/Full Court, 7)
Utah Valley at Minnesota (Big Ten, 8)
Northwestern State at Texas Tech (Full Court, 8)
Central Arkansas at No. 1 Kansas (Full Court, 8)
Montana at Denver (FSN Rocky Mountain/FCS Central, 9)
Fresno State at Seattle (FSN Northwest/FCS Pacific, 10)
Rice at Arizona (FS Arizona/FCS Atlantic, 10:30)

For other games that will only be televised locally, visit Matt Sarz' College Sports on TV site.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez: Casual Hoya hands out 1st ever Casual Awards as Hoyas Roll in New Orleans

CasualHoya — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:06:19 -0000

via www.istockphoto.com

Player of the Game

DaJuan Summers. Summers' absence was noticeably refreshing. The Hoyas went back to the basics, resulting in numerous easy looks in the 2nd half as Georgetown began to pull away. Hopefully gone are the days of the awful outside shots with 25 seconds left on the shot clock. On the court I'm giving this award to Greg Monroe, but I'm not happy about it. The 18 and 11 is good on paper, but he wasn't nearly assertive enough against an undersized Tulane frontcourt.

Fans of the Game

The 100+ friends and family that came out to support local hero Monroe were great, but I was more impressed with the number of Hoya fans who came to New Orleans from near and far who sat in the visitor's sections and made their presence felt. Throughout the 2nd half the 'Hoya Saxa' chants drowned out anything the Tulane kids could put together. Of course, it was tough to put anything together at that point due to the majestic $3 beers on sale at Fogelman Arena. Special shout-out to the crew of 5 current freshmen at Georgetown who flew down for the weekend and attempted an ill-fated "Casual-Hoya" chant. Also special shout-out to the Tulane student who stripped down to a speedo and danced behind the basket to distract Monroe on a free throw attempt. Monroe missed the freebie.

Bring It On! Award

On scale of 1-5, with Georgetown's cheerleaders being a 1 and Arizona being a 5, Tulane's cheerleaders merit a 2, barely elevated above 1 due to presence of the dance squad and its black spandex. This was a disappointing effort by the Wave, especially considering the level of talent right outside the Arena.

Stay Hot Award

The award for least impressive performance is a tie between the Tulane cheerleaders and Tulane coach Dave Dickerson's tie. Dickerson, who is generally a snappy dresser, decided to impress a near sellout at Fogelman with a choice of neckwear that resembled this.

Jack Nicholson Award

Celebrity fans included the New Orleans Saints' Darren Sharper and Roman Harper. Also in attendance was Tulane's President Scott Cowen, who may be the next president of the NCAA.

Brandon Bowman Memorial Award

This award went unclaimed in this game, as not a single player exhibited any questionable antics down the stretch with a point spread cover or an over/under hanging in the balance. The Hoyas led by double-digits throughout the 2nd half, and the 10 point line was never in question in the final minutes.

Craig Esherick Coaching Move of the Game

JT3 inserted Nikita for a stretch in the 1st half. When he entered the game the Hoyas led by about 8. When he exited just over 3 minutes later, the Hoyas lead was shredded to 3. Nikita adds nothing to this team. Much rather see what Sanford and Benimon can do.

Patrick Ewing Jr Award

Hollis Thompson is the new Junior. He knows the system, his size causes matchup problems, he hustles, and he shows emotion when on the court. The upside is real, palpable, and true.

Look, I could go on all night with these, but I'm still hungover, the Pats and Colts are about to kickoff and we've got Temple to start getting worried about.

Hoyas are undefeated.

Casually.

Georgetown vs. Tulane - Thoughts, Observations and General Nonsense

Hire Esherick — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:22:32 -0000

More photos » by Sean Gardner - AP

25 days ago: Georgetown center Greg Monroe (10) shoots over Tulane forward Asim McQueen (2) during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game at Fogleman Arena in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Sean Gardner)

Browse more photos »

From what I could watch of the game online, and infer from Rich Chvotkin's rich, colorful and emphatic play-by-play, we played pretty well. Turning point of the game was the technical foul called on Tulane forward Asim McQueen, which shifted momentum away from the surging Green Wave.

Random observations:

Second time Georgetown has opened the season on the road under JT3 - first was at Navy in 2005-06
Georgetown has not lost an opener since the 2004-05 season, JT3's first year at the helm, when they lost to Temple by 18 points, still the largest margin of defeat at home for JT3 (ties loss to Louisville last season)
They have not played Temple since that loss - until next Tuesday (cue evil sounding music)
Georgetown has not lost an opener away from home since 1998-99 season, which was also against Temple, but in New York
Georgetown has not lost a true away opener (not played at neutral site) since 1971-72 season, which was against Boston University (although it can be argued that the opening loss to Maryland at USAir Arena in 1993 was an away game since Maryland wore home uniforms)
First time shot Georgetown shot over 40% from 3pt land since loss to Marquette - seven games and two losses against St. John's ago
First time Greg Monroe has led the team in scoring since loss at St. John's - four games ago
First time Greg Monroe has led the team in scoring and rebounding since loss at Notre Dame - eighteen games ago (tied Wright for rebound leader in St. John's game mentioned above)
First time the team made at least fifteen dunks/layups since win against South Florida - twelve games ago

Media and Blog Links

Hoyas vs Green Wave coverage
Hoyas vs Green Wave recap
Monroe right at home as Hoyas claim opener - Washington Times
Greg Monroe, Georgetown top Tulane, 74-58 - washingtonpost.com
Georgetown Tops Tulane In Season Opener, 74-58 - GEORGETOWN OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
Greg Monroe, No. 20 Georgetown get best of Tulane in season opener - NOLA.com
Hoya Prospectus: Recap: Georgetown 74, Tulane 58

Good talk.

Georgetown Hoyas Defeat Tulane Green Wave 74 - 58

Hire Esherick — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:20:58 -0000

More photos » by Sean Gardner - AP

25 days ago: Tulane guard Trent Rogers (3) passes over Georgetown center Greg Monroe (22) during the first half of their NCAA college basketball game at Fogleman Arena in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Sean Gardner)

Browse more photos »

A tale of two halves. Georgetown went into the locker room at the end of the first half up only five points but ended up winning the game by sixteen.

Quote of the night goes to the Tulane announcers at the 7:31 mark:

"The Tulane students were yelling overrated at Greg Monroe earlier in the night. He has 18 points now. Yeah, that wasn't very smart."

Top Georgetown performer: Greg Monroe - 18 points / 11 rebounds

Top Tulane performer David Booker - 14 points / 7 rebounds.

More coverage to follow tomorrow, including commentary from those in attendance, links to articles and press conference and post-game awards.

Hoyas vs Green Wave coverage

Box Score

Good talk.

Sleeping With The Enemy: 7 Questions with Tulane's Wave Report

CasualHoya — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:15:12 -0000

We here at Casual Hoya will do anything to bring you the inside info you need about Georgetown's opponents. Anything.

via www.logoserver.com

With the season tipping off tomorrow, see below the results of our pillow talk with The Wave Report, the best source of Tulane sports information on all of the internets. On that site you will find our answers to some of Tulane's most pressing queries about our Hoyas. Enjoy.

CH: What exactly is a Green Wave?

TWR: It's one of those nicknames like "Crimson Tide" where a radio guy came up with it. As legend goes (according to TU media guide) the announcer saw the Tulane football team, decked in green, moving down the field - like a Wave.

He then put the two together, called them the Green Wave - changing from former nickname of Greenbacks and Greenies. The mascot used to be a literal Wave, shaped like Gumby with a football helmet, or basketball or baseball bat depending on the sport.

In 1998 they changed it to the "T-Wave" which is the current symbol with the water going over the curved T.

I know you're all quite fascinated.

CH: Any truth to the offseason rumor that Tulane Coach (and former Maryland assistant) Dave Dickerson openly campaigned for the then open assistant coach position at Georgetown?

TWR: I never heard any of those rumors, but that doesn't meant they're not possible. Dickerson is familiar with the area, coaching under Gary Williams for a number years during Maryland's heyday.

Dickerson walked into the toughest situation in the country, taking over Tulane's basketball program just months prior to Hurricane Katrina. He lost most of his first recruiting class, then fought against New Orleans' reputation for several years to try and get kids to play in a 75-year old arena with no practice facility.

He's had some success with winning seasons, in a difficult place to win, and he has a good reputation nationally. But to answer your question, I don't think he did.

CH: Tulane’s Fogelman Arena is the only on-campus arena in the country that serves alcohol – what’s on tap and when do they stop sales?

TWR: As far as I know, it's just beer and it's not at NBA prices. I'm thinking Fogelman Foam probably runs less than the average DC bar. Expect between $3-4. The other joy of Fogelman Arena is if your tickets aren't on the Freret Street entrance side, you get to walk on the back end of the court to get to your seats.

So every game Tulane wins, they technically storm the court. Not like Syracuse, where they actually storm the court after mediocre wins. (CH NOTE: This dude is tremendous.)

CH: Other than the John Williams game fixing era, what is Tulane’s signature basketball moment?

TWR: Once Tulane got away from the Hot-Rod Williams shoe scandal and re-started its basketball program, things went on a quick upturn thanks to the "Posse" which was arguably the coolest college basketball movement I ever saw.

Coach Perry Clark went 10-deep with his team and when he substituted, he brought in an entire fresh-five nearly every time. The whole crowd knew it, the PA announcer knew it and the radio guys knew it. The "posse" would enter from the bench and it caused an immeidate jolt in the little arena. It was the first taste of post-scandal success Tulane had (in anything really) and it was met with huge ovations. The Wave, led by center Anthony Reed, were also pretty good back then going to a few NCAA tournaments in the early/mid 90s.

Outside of that, Jerald Honeycutt won an ESPY in 1997 for the shot he hit, falling out of bounds at the buzzer, in the Superdome to beat Florida State. It was also voted as No. 23 best basketball shot of all time by ESPN on its countdown.

Questions 5-7 and Casual Hoya's answers to The Wave Report's questions after 'The Jump':

CH: What can Georgetown expect from Tulane on the offensive and defensive ends? Who are the players the Hoyas will need to contain (if any) in order to leave New Orleans with a win?

TWR: The current Green Wave roster is based almost entirely on the perimeter. Point guard Kevin Sims was voted preseason second team all Conference USA and shooting guard Kris Richard is the team's most athletic player, and led the league in steals last season.

Both guys can shoot, run and are quick enough to force a lot of turnovers. If they get going, Tulane has a chance to win a lot of games this season.

The Wave's issues come down low where they haven't recruited a legitimate big man in five years. It's not an issue in C-USA because it's such a guard-oriented league, but facing non-conference competition, especially a club like Georgetown is difficult because Tulane can't rebound or defend the post.

Tulane desperately wants to run and if the Hoyas let them, it could be competitive. If it turns into a half-court battle, it could get ugly.

CH: Please rank the following in order of importance to the Tulane student body: booze, partying, The Boot, Jacques-Imo's, The Boot, booze, men's hoops, men's football, The Boot.

TWR:

1) Booze x 10
2) The Boot x 4
3) Jacques-Imos (and all high-fat, high-comfort, high-booze level restaurants) (x3)
18) Any Tulane Sport

Although basketball can gain quick momentum since Fogleman is in the middle of campus - as compared to the Superdome for football which is 10 minutes away downtown. They should have a nice student contingent for Friday night though. Expect both booze and The Boot to play a role in their pregame.

CH: Final score and leading scorers prediction.

TWR: 78-65 Georgetown. Greg Monroe gets game-high 25. Kris Richard, Tulane-high of 17.

CH: Casually.

Pasted below is the article that appears on The Wave Report which includes The Wave Report's questions and Casual Hoya's responses:

Every week, The Wave Report gains the perspective of Tulane's football opponent by talking with someone who covers the team. This week, we also decided to bring you the view from the other side of Green Wave basketball. We pick the brain of Andrew Geiger the publisher of CasualHoya.com, Georgetown's home on the SBNation blog network, to gain some inside knowledge on the No. 20 Hoyas days before the seasons starts.

1) What happened last year? After some strong preseason buzz and a nice run in an early tournament in Orlando, the Hoyas failed to meet expectations. In your opinion was it a chemistry problem, talent problem, coaching problem, etc..?

Everyone believed chemistry to be the problem and there have been some recent leaks indicating that last year's upperclassmen didn't really mesh with the younger guys. The Hoyas were a young squad last year and when you combined the combination of the chemistry issues and inexperience, the result was a toxic cocktail of unspeakable downside. While the talent was there, the losing begat more losing - as the Ls piled up, it was clear that the players had little confidence and even the fans knew to generally expect the worst.

The Georgetown offense takes time to master. The Final Four squad from 2007 suffered a similar collapse in 2005, when the team was mostly freshman. I think all Hoya fans are anxious to see how much the team has benefited from off-season practice and summer ball and are hoping, praying, begging and pleading that there are signs of improvement.

2) What's different about this year's group as they get ready for the opening tip?

The team clearly worked hard over the offseason and several players developed their bodies and came into the season in much better shape. The backcourt - Chris Wright, Jason Clark, and Austin Freeman - have another year of playing with each other and looked very good over the summer.

The Hoyas have high hopes for sophomore Henry Sims to man the middle and make opponents pay for doubling Greg Monroe. Green-shirt freshman Hollis Thompson should be ready to contribute right away, and by all accounts he already has a firm grasp on the principles of the princeton offense.

Junior Julian Vaughn provides some size off the bench and is a homeless man's Jerome Williams There are no seniors on this year's team and it is expected that Wright, Freeman and Monroe take on leadership roles.

3) Georgetown's strength is clearly in its size. Will the Hoyas pull back for a slow, plodding tempo or do you think they will go with the flow of the game? If Tulane tries to turn it into a track meet, can Georgetown match them or will they just throw on the brakes and will it into a half-court game?

Although Monroe is Gtown's best player and happens to be a big guy, I'm not sure I'd say size is our strength - particularly as rebounding has been an issue.

Several players have the ability to put the ball on the floor and one of the goals of the offense is working to take advantage of defensive mistakes. Slow is a legitimate way to describe it but I don't think "plodding" is fair.

Throughout Coach Thomson's career, the Hoyas have dictated tempo and it's tough to believe that Tulane will be able to get them running. Should that happen, however, this team should be built to adapt, as point guard Chris Wright is probably more suited to a fast-paced tempo and all of the bigs can run the floor.

4) How does Georgetown's perimeter game stack up? If Tulane doubles down in the post, which they will likely have to, can the Hoyas knock down three pointers to spread the defense and take pressure of the big men? Who are the top shooters?

Georgetown's top shooters are probably Jason Clark, Austin Freeman, and Chris Wright. All of them can knock down threes, and that is a key component of a successful Princeton offense.

The Hoyas were a bad shooting team last season, mainly because DaJuan Summers (now riding the pine for the Detroit Pistons) infamously took a bunch of awful shots all season long. As long as Nikita Mesheriakov stays on the bench, I'm confident in Georgetown's outside shooting.

5) Local product Greg Monroe was tabbed the top high school player in the nation coming out of Helen Cox two years ago. He didn't leave for the NBA last season, opting to stay for a sophomore year. Did he fail to live up to expectations or did he just realize his game needs a bit more sharpening? How important is this game for him to come back home?

Monroe was universally believed to be no worse than a Top 5 pick last year so I'd say that he lived up to the expectations on him personally - though clearly the team goals fell way short of what he expected.

The return to home game is an important one for almost all athletes who attend colleges outside their area and I'm sure this one is really important to him. Early reports have him picking up scores of tickets. For those who haven't seen him, think Chris Bosh--smooth lefty who can do damage inside and out.

6) The Hoyas are clear favorites, but are any Georgetown fans a bit nervous for this one since it's a season-opener, on the road, in a small building, against a team which is dying for a signature victory?

Yes, and the fact that's the game is on Friday the 13th doesn't help. But if any Gtown fans are nervous, I'm sure they'll feel better after that second Hand Grenade.

Obviously anything can happen, but I don't think Tulane has the firepower offensively or the size defensively to hang with the Hoyas for more than 10 minutes. That being said, we all felt the same way last year before they lost to St. John's.

Twice.

Tulane Victorious in Tuneup for Georgetown

CasualHoya — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:16:07 -0000

In its tuneup for Georgetown on Friday, Tulane defeated neighbor Loyola 78-64 in an exhibition game last night.

It may have just been an exhibition game (ask 'Cuse about those), but it seems as if the only guy who can score for the Wave is guard Kris Richard, who poured in 27 points and was 5 for 5 from three point land.

According to the article in today's Times-Picayune, Tulane looked sloppy offensively and was outrebounded by a smaller Loyola squad. (Link)

As far as friday's game against the Hoyas goes, Tulane coach Dave Dickerson offered the following:

"By Georgetown, we'll be ready to play offensively, I think," Dickerson said.

I THINK?!?

That's exactly what you want to hear from your head coach heading into the biggest game you have played on-campus this century.

Casually.

BtB 2009-10 Conference USA Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:33 -0000

From Huntington, West Virginia to El Paso, Texas, cheers of celebration went up when John Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky. The Tigers' could be in a world of hurt this season, as a roster that was already decimated by graduation and the NBA Draft lost a load of new talent when Calipari headed to Lexington. Josh Pastner inherits a team that's low on bodies and thin on experience, which could result in an atypical down season at the FedEx Forum.

The other 11 teams in the league, led by Tulsa, Houston, and UTEP, now have an excellent chance to break the Tigers' monopoly at the top. Now, Calipari's departure doesn't solve Conference USA's biggest problem, earning multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament, it does open up the title race considerably. While all of the main contenders lost key pieces from teams that didn't break throuhg last year, they all bring back veteran leaders and have a bit more experience and depth than their former tormentors.

More on the 12 teams who will compete in a suddenly competitive C-USA after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Conference USA standings.

Conference USA Standings

(updated 4.4.2009 at 12:56 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Memphis Tigers	16	0	33	4
Tulsa Golden Hurricane	12	4	25	11
UAB Blazers	11	5	22	12
UTEP Miners	10	6	23	14
Houston Cougars	10	6	21	12
Central Florida Golden Knights	7	9	17	14
Marshall Thundering Herd	7	9	15	17
Tulane Green Wave	7	9	14	17
East Carolina Pirates	5	11	13	17
Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	4	12	15	17
Rice Owls	4	12	10	22
SMU Mustangs	3	13	9	21

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

Rice (last NCAA: 1970) Ben Braun's team struggled at both ends of the court last season, and things may not get much better this year. Leading scorer Rodney Foster, the only Owl to average in double figure last season at 12 points a contest, graduated. The top scorer of the returnees, 6-8 F Lucas Kuipers, only averaged 8.8 ppg in the games he played in 2008-09. He should provide more this season; however, as he missed half of last year with a broken wrist. Rice visits Arizona and LSU, but Texas comes to Autry Court. The Owls also host Sacramento State, Houston Baptist, and South Alabama in a round-robin tournament.

East Carolina (last NCAA: 1993) The Pirates struggled to five wins last season, but should return to their traditional place at the bottom of the C-USA standings thanks to the departure of their two leading scorers from 2008-09. But there is hope for Mack McCarthy's squad, as 6-8 sophomore Darrius Morrow (9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and 6-10 C Chad Wynn (7.1 ppg, 4 rpg) are back to lead the frontcourt and the nation's second best assist man, junior PG Brock Young (10.6 ppg, 7.6 apg), will again run the offense. 6-6 3-point specialist Jamar Abrams, who averaged 10.5 points a game off the bench, is ready for a bigger role and 6-7 DaQuan Joyner (7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) will provide Morrow and Wynn more help this year now that he's recovered from a foot injury. The Pirates will travel to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, where they'll open with Tennessee.

SMU (last NCAA: 1993) Matt Doherty is hoping for serious improvement in his fourth season at the helm. Then again, it would be difficult to be any worse than the Ponies were in 2008-09. SMU lost all of their road games and claimed only three league wins. The Mustangs strength will continue to be their backcourt, as 6-1 senior PG Derek Williams (12.7 ppg, 3.5 apg), a JC transfer last season, and 5-11 sophomore SG Paul McCoy (13.4 ppg, 1.6 spg) should continue to grow in their second year in Doherty's system. 6-1 JC transfer Rodney Clinkscales comes aboard to provide them more support from the bench. Doherty needs more out of his frontcourt, led by mistake-prone big man Mouhammad Faye (9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.3 TO per game), especially now that 7-1 C Bamba Fall graduated. SMU visits Texas A&M this season and will take part in the Diamond Head Classic, where they'll open with UNLV.

Southern Mississippi (last NCAA: 1991) It's hard to believe that Larry Eustachy is entering his sixth season in Hattiesburg. However, you can't help but think season 6 will go better than a season 5 that resulted in only four league wins, thanks to the loss of three of the top four leading scorers from a team that ranked 8th in the C-USA scoring table. The team's leading returning scorer, junior PG R.L. Horton (12.7 ppg), should be more prolific this season, as he moves over to the two spot. USC transfer Angelo Johnson, a 6-foot sophomore will take over playmaking duties this season. In the frontcourt, Eustachy will need more from 6-8 senior Andre Stephens, who only averaged a little more than 6 points a contest this year. 6-8 JC transfer Gary Flowers will see immediate minutes for the Eagles, as will his teammate from Chipola CC, 6-6 G Torye Pelham, who could've gone to the Big 12 instead. USM visits Mississippi and Vanderbilt this season, and welcomes Canisius, New Orleans, and North Florida for a tournament over the holidays.

Tulane (last NCAA: 1995) Dave Dickerson needs more offense out of a team that held its own on the defensive end last season. The frontcourt will be a concern for the Green Wave after the graduation of Robinson Louisme and Daniel Puckett. 6-7 senior Asim McQueen (7.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is back, but he'll need support from 6-7 senior David Booker (3.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and 6-5 Johnny Mayhane (3.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg). On the other hand, Tulane's backcourt--led by 5-10 Kevin Smith (13.4 ppg, 4 apg) and 6-5 junior Kris Richard (10.7 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.9 spg)--should keep them in a lot of games. 6-5 Kendall Timmons, who missed time last year with a back injury, and former FSU signee Aaron Holmes, a 6-5 swingman who is a JC transfer, will also be key contributors. The Green Wave welcome Georgetown, George Mason, and VCU to New Orleans. They'll also participate in the Charleston Classic before Thanksgiving, where they'll open with Miami.

UCF (last NCAA: 2005) Kirk Speraw's squad won the Atlantic Sun twice in a row before moving to C-USA, where they've found the road considerably more difficult. The Golden Knights will struggle to repeat an average season this season, even with three starters back and a big name recruit on board. That's because they'll have a hard time replacing Jermaine Taylor's 26+ points per contest and 6-9 C Kenrick Zonervan's presence in the paint. The backcourt will continue to be a strength, even without Taylor. Speraw has two capable players to run the point--5-9 soph A.J. Rompza (4.5 ppg, 5.2 apg) and 6-1 junior Taylor Young (3.4 ppg, 3.5 apg). Rompza's high school teammate, Marcus Jordan, son of Michael and owner of the mmost famous pair of sneakers in the country will see minutes at the 2 spot, along with 3-point specialist Issac Sosa (8.2 ppg, 45.2% from 3). In the frontcourt, 6-9 A.J. Tyler (7.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 7-4 Jakub Kusmier (2.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg in 5 mpg) will have to attempt to replace Zondervan. The Knights will participate in the Glenn Wilkes Classic in nearby Daytona Beach. They'll open the tournament at home against Howard before traveling up I-4 to face Niagara, Auburn, and Drake. UCF also seems to be preparing for an oft-rumored life in the Big East, as they visit Connecticut, USF, and Notre Dame.

UAB (last NCAA: 2006) The Blazers were the last C-USA team to earn a bid other than Memphis, back in 2006. Hopes were high for Mike Davis' squad last season, but the team that stunned Arizona (after one of the classic brain freezes of all time) to reach the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals only managed a 22-12 mark and a first round loss to Notre Dame in the postseason version of the same tournament. Now, the group that was supposed to lead UAB back to the Dance--Robert Vaden, Paul Delaney III, Lawrence Kinnard, and Channing Toney are gone, and so are the 56.5 points and 22.5 boards they averaged each game. The two returning starters 5-8 PG Aaron Johnson (3.6 ppg, 3.6 apg) and 6-8 F/C Howard Crawford (7.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg) will see a lot of new faces around them, all of whom will have to contribute immediately for the Blazers to be competitive. Davis has brought in some good ones though, including SEC target Dexter Field, a 6-2 point guard, and Australian guard Heath Gameren. UAB will also suit up two transfers who'll be impactful--6-4 JC transfer Jamarr Sanders and 6-6 Louisiana-Lafayette transfer Elijah Millsap, Paul's younger brother. Fittingly, for a team with a dragon for its mascot, the Blazers get a baptism by fire during their non-conference schedule. They host Butler and Cincinnati, visit Arkansas and Virginia, and travel to Kent State for round-robin featuring Green Bay and Samford.

Marshall (last NCAA: 1987) While Donnie Jones will have to do without the graduated Markel Humphrey, last season's leading scorer (12.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), the Herd has plenty of offensive options. Marshall's four returning starters all averaged in the neighborhood of 10 points a game, and that includes 3-point specialist Chris Lutz (10.7 ppg, 37.4 % from 3) and 6-8 senior F Tyler Wilkerson (10.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) who missed the last ten games of last season with a broken jaw. The Herd's newcomers include Western Carolina transfer Cam Miller, another perimeter shooter, freshman scorer DeAndre Kane and JC transfer Antonio Hayman. All of the scoring is great, but Jones really needs his team to play better defense to rise up the standings. Marshall's two most challenging games this season are trips to Old Dominion and North Carolina.

Memphis (last NCAA: 2009) I'm sure John Calipari is still on Josh Pastner's holiday card list, but the first year Tiger coach should probably drop him with all of the roster turnover and lost recruits that resulted from Calipari's move to Lexington. 6-5 senior Doneal Mack is Memphis' leading returning scorer, and he didn't even average 9 points a game last year. 6-6 Robert Sallie should improve on his 5.8 ppg with more minutes, especially as he made nearly half (47%) of his three-point attempts. In the frontcourt, 6-8 Wesley Witherspoon (4.2 ppg, 2 rpg) and 6-11 Angel Garcia are the only returnees. Memphis fans should expect to see a lot of new faces. The two most prominent of thesea re 6-4 Duke transfer Elliot Williams and 6-9 JC transfer Will Coleman. The Tigers will face Kansas in St. Louis, in a rematch of the 2008 National Championship game, and UMass in Boston. They'll also host Tennessee on New Year's Eve and visit Syracuse.

Houston (last NCAA: 1992) The Cougars tournament chances took a hit when 6-8 F Qa'rraan Calhoun left for the professional game during the offseason. That's because Tom Penders already had one giant hole to fill in the frontcourt thanks to the graduation of 6-11 C Marcus Cousin. There will now be more pressure on little used 6-8 senior Sean Coleman and freshmen Kendrick Walsh and Kirk Van Slyke (a natural small forward) to take some pressure off the great crop of guards Penders has coming back. Seniors Aubrey Coleman (19.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Kelvin Lewis (18 ppg, 3.2 rpg) will again be key producers for Penders, with junior PG Zamal Nixon (5.5 ppg, 1.6 apg) ready to make the point his own. The Cougars will travel to Anchorage for the Great Alaska Shootout, where they'll face Oklahoma and San Diego. Houston also travels to Nevada and hosts Mississippi State.

UTEP (last NCAA: 2005) Don't expect the Miners to struggle too much after the graduation of Stefon Jackson, Conference USA's all-time leading scorer (24.5 ppg). The CBI runners-up return 6-foot junior Randy Culpepper, a 3-point specialist who averaged 17.5 ppg last season. He'll see the ball even more during this go round with Jackson gone. It will be the job of 6-6 junior Julyan Stone (5.6 ppg, 6.4 apg) to get him--and Tony Barbee's other offensive performers--the ball. Those weapons include two transfers who showed they can score in their previous D-I stops, 6-3 Arizona State transfer Christian Polk (12 ppg in '07-08) and 6-2 JC transfer Myron Strong (10 ppg at San Francisco in '07-08). While 7-footer Kareem Cooper and 6-8 Travis Watts are gone from the frontcourt, 6-11 sophomore Arnett Moultrie (8.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg) will be even more a force this season, and 6-9 Louisville transfer Derrick Caracter has a lot to prove after a stormy time with the Cards. Looking at the schedule, the Miners will host BYU and Mississippi, along with the Sun Bowl Classic. They'll take on Oklahoma in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City and face New Mexico State in their traditional home-and-home.

Tulsa (last NCAA: 2003) The Golden Hurricane will look to go two better after a season that ended with 1) a 25-point loss to Memphis in the C-USA Championship and 2) a 19-point loss to Auburn in the second round of the NIT. While 10.3 ppg performer Ray Reese is gone, the bulk of last season's team is back and ready to replace the Tigers at the top of the C-USA heap. 7-foot senior C Jerome Jordan is back, and should improve on his already impressive numbers of 13.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg. The supporting frontcourt cast, led by 6-6 senior Bishop Wheatley (4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and 6-10 soph Steve Idlet (3.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg), needs to do more though. In the backcourt, 6-3 senior Ben Uzoh (14 ppg, 4.9 rpg) should also be better this year, thanks to the arrival of 6-1 frosh Donte Meddler to play the point. Justin Hurtt, a 6-4 junior who averaged more than 9 ppg last season, is an outside threat who could really explode by penetrating more. 6-2 junior Glenn Andrews, who averaged more than 7 ppg in '08-09, is a big question mark, as he'll at least miss the first month of the season with a knee injury. Schedule-wise, the Golden Hurricane visit Duke in a rare February non-conference game. They also host Oklahoma State and take on Nebraska, followed by either BYU or Nevada in the Las Vegas Classic.

So the Golden Hurricane will hold C-USA's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. The main question for 2009-10 is, can the league do what it couldn't when Memphis distanced itself from its 11 conference-mates and grab multiple bids?

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

Preseason All-C-USA Team

Player of the Year: Jerome Jordan, 7-0 C, Sr. (Tulsa)

Remainder of the Team
Aubrey Coleman, 6-4 G, Sr. (Houston)
Randy Culpepper, 6-0 G, Jr. (UTEP)
Kelvin Lewis, 6-4 G, Sr. (Houston)
Ben Uzoh, 6-3 G, Sr. (Tulsa)

Poll

Who is your pick to win Conference USA this season?

UAB

0 votes

UCF

4 votes

East Carolina

1 votes

Houston

1 votes

Marshall

0 votes

Memphis

3 votes

Rice

0 votes

SMU

1 votes

Southern Mississippi

0 votes

UTEP

3 votes

Tulane

1 votes

Tulsa

3 votes

17 votes | Poll has closed

5 Mid-Major Football Coaches on the Hot Seat

aGent37 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:00:10 -0000

Every year coaches everywhere enter seasons with unmatched enthusiasms of the things that their programs can achieve. And every year, those very coaches and their teams proceed to fall flat on their faces and accomplish little if anything. Not surprisingly, coaches who are incapable of getting it done don't often last long amongst the ranks of their peers. And so just in case they may have miscalculated their job security, here are 5 mid-major coaches who better make some in roads during the 2009-10 season or they'll be collecting unemployment come January...

#5 Neil Callaway - Alabama-Birmingham

After doubling his win total last year (from 2 wins in 07 to 4 in 08), some say Callaway has UAB headed in the right direction. But anyway you cut it, a 6-18 overall record in the state of Alabama does not usually bode well for football coaches. If Callaway doesn't get to at least 5 or more wins this season, UAB may not be willing to let him stick around from another year. With a ridiculous schedule that includes 7 out of 9 games on the road during one point, Neil better be hoping his team is ready for a break out year.

#4 Doug Martin - Kent State

After what seemed to be a break out year in 2006, when the Golden Flashes finished with a 6-6 record, Doug Martin and Kent State have continued to do what they do best, be totally inconsistent. Martin, who owns a less than stellar 19-39 record entering his 6^th season as head coach, has to finally put everything together to prove to fans and the administration that he can actually put out a winning team. Anything less than a .500 season during 2009, and it will probably be Martins last in Kent.

#3 Bob Toledo - Tulane

After last year's 2-10 debacle, Bob Toldeo will be feeling more than just the Louisiana heat if Green Wave does not win more than 5 or 6 games during the upcoming season. Toldeo, most well known for leading UCLA to the 1998 Rose Bowl, hasn't done much of anything at Tulane (or his last years at UCLA). Don't be surprised to see former Green Wave head coach Tommy Bowden (fresh off his stint at Clemson) in the stands this year. It's only in his best interest that he begin to get reacquainted with the program...

#2 Robb Akey - University of Idaho

Leading the Vandals to a stupendous record of 3-21 during his first 2 seasons at the helm of head coach, Robb Akey has done little to challenge the "other team" in Idaho for wins, talent, or any other semblance of what makes a reasonably competitive football program. Boise State has proven that it's possible to win big in the state of Potatoes and Akey better follow suit soon or his tenure in Moscow will be over before the Broncos score another touchdown.

#1 Todd Dodge - University of North Texas

With an overall record of 3-21 during his first 2 years as a head coach (tied for worst with Akey) Todd Dodge's team was absolutely awful during 2008. The Mean Green were 102nd in the nation in scoring. Dead last in total defense. Dead last in scoring defense. 111th in punt returns and 114th in kickoff returns. 116th in turnover margin. They were for arguments sake, one of the worst teams to ever in modern college football. If his team does not show marked improved during the 2009 season, he will not only be fired, but most likely chased out of the state of Texas completely.

Hump Day: What We Have Seen So Far in Kenner, Tulane Game Update

CasualHoya — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:13:58 -0000

Nearly one week into Kenner League action, and here is what we know:

via cache.daylife.com

Greg Monroe - appears physically to be the same player as last season, for better or worse. Our spies tell us he has yet to show an improved ability to finish with his right hand, though hopefully he'll unleash it in the upcoming weeks.

Hank Sims - Feel free to call him Henry if you'd like, but I like the sound of Hank. Sims has been somewhat of an enigma this week, alternating games of modest production with 30 and 10 outings. The reality is that Hank was better as a freshman than Roy Hibbert was, and if he can make a significant leap this season to complement Monroe underneath the basket, the Hoyas should be in good shape.

Chris Wright - after his first full season at the point, CW looks ready to be the team's leader. He has clearly spent some time in the weight room in the offseason, and has been attacking the rim in Kenner.

Austin Freeman - looks to have shed about 10 lbs., and I like that he's playing on The Tombs with a bunch of freshman, since it has allowed him to take a bunch of shots and be aggressive. I still think Austin has one of the sweetest strokes in the Conference, and he's only going to be more effective on the court if he is confident enough to let it fly.

Hollis Thompson - It's Christmas Time in Hollis, Queens! Big expectations for Hollis this season, who needs to be a lean, mean, Princeton offense guru machine. Like Patrick Ewing Jr, Hollis had nearly a full season to grasp the offense in practice. Has displayed good athleticism and a nice stroke from outside in Kenner play thus far.

Jason Clark - By all accounts the most improved player on the Hoyas. Mr. Wingspan has improved his handle in the offseason, and has been hitting shots from outside and underneath thus far, including some ferocious dunks. Would the Hoyas be more dangerous with Clark starting at the 2 and Freeman coming off the bench? I guess that's a question for JT3.

Julian Vaughn - Can Julian be Jerome Williams? That's really all we'll asking for. Julian has been fairly impressive so far, grabbing boards and also exhibiting decent touch from outside.

Jerelle Benimon, Vee Sanford - these two freshmen haven't showed much (Austin's been doing much of the shooting on The Tombs), but since JT3 will likely only ask them to play about 5 mins a game this season, that's just fine. As long as these guys don't dribble the ball off their knees out of bounds, I probably won't have much reason to throw them under the bus.

Nikita Mescheriakov - NOT PLAYING. Smart.

.....................................................

With Tulane accepting an invitation to play in the 2009 Charleston Classic November 19th-22nd, it appears increasingly likely that the Hoyas will be making the trip to the Big Easy to play the Green Wave the weekend of Friday, November 13th.

SB Nation - Tulane Green Wave

Around the ACC: 11.20.09

College Hoops Go Round: November 19

CBE Classic Semifinals

No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Ohio State (ESPN2, 9:30)

Puerto Rico Tip-Off Quarterfinals

Kansas State vs. Boston University (No TV, 7:30)

Charleston Classic Quarterfinals

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez: Casual Hoya hands out 1st ever Casual Awards as Hoyas Roll in New Orleans

Georgetown vs. Tulane - Thoughts, Observations and General Nonsense

Georgetown Hoyas Defeat Tulane Green Wave 74 - 58

Sleeping With The Enemy: 7 Questions with Tulane's Wave Report

Tulane Victorious in Tuneup for Georgetown

BtB 2009-10 Conference USA Preview

Conference USA Standings

Preseason All-C-USA Team

Who is your pick to win Conference USA this season?

UAB

UCF

East Carolina

Houston

Marshall

Memphis

Rice

SMU

Southern Mississippi

UTEP

Tulane

Tulsa

5 Mid-Major Football Coaches on the Hot Seat

Hump Day: What We Have Seen So Far in Kenner, Tulane Game Update