SB Nation - UAB Blazers

KNOW THY ENEMY: Missouri Tigers

BracketCat — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:00:17 -0000

More photos » by L.G. Patterson - AP

Like Justin Safford, Missouri's tournament hopes have taken a few shots. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

OK, it's time to get these started again. Admittedly, I faltered a bit due to work, but things are back under control for now. These will proceed largely as before, but with a few exceptions:

Instead of reformatting the player bios like I did before, which was majorly time-consuming and part of the reason these fell by the wayside for so long, I'm merely going to link to the appropriate page. I will add player stats to the tables, however.
Originally, these were season previews. Obviously, much of the non-conference season already has been played, so now they're more like conference season previews. Also, what I've seen of these teams has changed my predictions for the conference's outcome, so I reserve the right to alter my predicted orders of finish from what they previously were.
Instead of twice a week, these are running every day from now until New Year's Eve. Call it the Big 12 Days of Christmas Basketball, if you like.

So, hit the jump for the rundown on the defending conference tournament champion, Missouri. And for more, head over to the Unholy Alliance Auxiliary Headquarters (pending Big Ten absorption): Rock M Nation.

The Story So Far

The Tigers are 7-3, with dominating home victories over Tennessee-Martin, Texas-Pan American, Chattanooga, Oregon, Fairleigh Dickinson and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

They also collected a nice neutral-court win against Old Dominion, who just knocked off Georgetown.

But close losses to Richmond, at Vanderbilt and at Oral Roberts probably will come back to haunt the Tigers in much the same way as K-State's three-game, non-conference losing streak last December hindered the Wildcats.

Current Missouri RPI: 179

The Coach

Mike Anderson
Fourth Season

72-38 (25-23) at Missouri (as of today)
161-79 (67-43) overall

Bio

The Departures

Starters

DeMarre Carroll (28 minutes per game | 16.6 points per game | 7.2 rebounds per game)
Matt Lawrence (20.8 minutes per game | 9.2 points per game | 2.2 rebounds per game)
Leo Lyons (23.3 minutes per game | 14.6 points per game | 6.1 rebounds per game)

The Veterans

		#3 Miguel Paul Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 172 Winter Haven, Fla. Bio 14 minutes per game \| 4.2 points per game \| 0.9 rebound per game

		#4 J.T. Tiller Senior Guard 6-3 \| 200 Marietta, Ga. Bio 23.3 minutes per game \| 9.6 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#11 Zaire Taylor Senior Guard 6-4 \| 189 Staten Island, N.Y. Bio 27.8 minutes per game \| 9 points per game \| 3.1 rebounds per game

		#12 Marcus Denmon Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 20.1 minutes per game \| 10.5 points per game \| 3.9 rebounds per game

		#15 Keith Ramsey Senior Forward 6-9 \| 217 Murfreesboro, Tenn. Bio 25.4 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#21 Laurence Bowers Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 205 Memphis, Tenn. Bio 19.8 minutes per game \| 10.2 points per game \| 5.6 rebounds per game

		#23 Justin Safford Junior Forward 6-8 \| 230 Bloomington, Ill. Bio 18.4 minutes per game \| 7.6 points per game \| 3.8 rebounds per game

		#24 Kim English Sophomore Guard 6-6 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 22.1 minutes per game \| 16.1 points per game \| 3.1 rebounds per game

		#25 Jarrett Sutton Junior Guard 6-3 \| 190 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 4 minutes per game \| 1.8 points per game \| 0.2 rebound per game

		#32 Steve Moore Sophomore Center 6-9 \| 264 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 11 minutes per game \| 1.6 points per game \| 1.4 rebounds per game

The Newcomers

		#10 Michael Dixon Jr. Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 18.1 minutes per game \| 8.2 points per game \| 1.6 rebounds per game

		#33 Tyler Stone Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 225 Memphis, Tenn. Bio 4.3 minutes per game \| 1.7 points per game \| 1.2 rebounds per game

		#35 John Underwood Freshman Forward 6-9 \| 208 Phoenix, Ariz. Bio 5.3 minutes per game \| 1.3 points per game \| 2.8 rebounds per game

My thanks to the Missouri sports information department for the photos.

The Analysis

Missouri is, of course, a tricky team to nail down because of the style they play. Mike Anderson likes to throw waves of guards at you off the bench in a constant, full-pressure style they call "The Fastest 40 Minutes," which is what they had to change the name to when it became apparent UAB owned the rights to "40 Minutes of Hell."

Thus, no Missouri player averages more than 30 minutes per game and so far, eight different players have started for the Tigers. So, rather than talk in terms of 1-5, I'll break down the guards and the forwards as two large groups.

The three most prominent and experienced players in the Missouri backcourt are returning starters J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Kim English. Not coincidentally, they're logging the most minutes.

Tiller has been bothered by injuries and missed three games, which I imagine has contributed to the Tigers' struggles this season. Taylor, who made the game-winning shot against KU last year, has seen his scoring average dip now that more guards are contributing. But English has continued his steady play from last season and even picked his game up a bit.

Miguel Paul and Marcus Denmon both played quite a bit last year as freshmen, so they're quick off the bench in the rotation and each has started several games. But the biggest surprise of the guard group is Michael Dixon Jr., who is having more of an impact than I anticipated.

Jarrett Sutton is a career backup and doesn't play very much.

If this group has a weakness, it's that there doesn't appear to be a true replacement from sharpshooter Matt Lawrence, meaning that I'm not sure they have a guy who can knock down a contested 3-pointer. when they most need it.

That said, Missouri's problems start and end in the frontcourt. The loss of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons cannot be overstated. Together with Lawrence, the departed trio accounted for more than 50 percent of the Tigers' points and rebounds during Missouri's Elite Eight season. And to date, no one has stepped up to replace them.

Hopes were high for sophomore Laurence Bowers, but he only has started three games. He is averaging more than 10 points per game, but seems to disappear when they need him most. More disconcerting is that he only averages five rebounds per. In fact, Missouri as a whole has been out-rebounded by all but one opponent. The Tigers don't really try to dominate the boards, and I think it's really going to cost them in Big 12 play.

Keith Ramsey and Justin Safford draw the most starts in the paint, but each is collecting even fewer statistics than Bowers. Sophomore center Steve Moore, and freshmen forwards Tyler Stone and John Underwood, are giving the Tigers even less. This is a serious weakness area that will be exposed against teams such as Kansas and Texas.

Projected Big 12 Starting Lineup


J.T. Tiller	Zaire Taylor	Kim English	Keith Ramsey	Justin Safford
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Big 12 Reserves


Miguel Paul	Michael Dixon Jr.	Marcus Denmon	Laurence Bowers	Steve Moore
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

I've already stated Missouri's problems above, so I won't rehash them here.

Suffice it to say that the Tigers already have several ugly losses on their resume. At home, they've been nearly unbeatable for the past year and a half, but I think their deficiencies will catch up to them.

Sure, they're probably the third- or fourth-best team in the North, but when every South team looks to have a chance to make the tournament, that equates to a basement finish. Missouri reminds me of K-State last season: One more recruiting class and a few post players away from being an NCAA team. In the meantime, I smell NIT.

Big 12 preseason prediction: 7th

My predicted finish: T-9th (with Iowa State)

Best-case scenario: 7th

Against K-State?: Loss in Manhattan, toss-up in Columbia

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/17/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:09:10 -0000

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

First, it seems that former WVU wide receiver Chris Henry has passed away. He was an amazing talent that we all hoped would get his life together and now it seems to have been tragically cut short. The other news today has shifted from Big Ten expansion to the loss of Doc and any other assistants he may take with him (mostly regarding the recruiting effects). The tips, suggestions and requests are always welcome. Now updated with Gazette articles. See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Bengals wide receiver dies after Charlotte accident - WCNC.com
R.I.P. Chris Henry

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Hol(l)iday Break - BlueGoldNews.com
4 big points about next years football team inside

News of Note (FB):

Holliday on track for Marshall position - Times West Virginian

Doc has gone back to ties at WVU to start filling positions at Marshall - WVIllustrated.com
IMHO, losing Seider and Beatty would be the biggest losses.

What's up with Doc gone? - Charleston Gazette

Manchin on Doc; WVU hoop recruits on display - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's hodgepodge

Mark Ingram, Jerry Hughes lead SI.com's 2009 All-America teams - SI.com
Brandon Hogan and Scott Kozlowski get Honorable Mention status.

Jarrett Brown vs. the world - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

News of Note (BB):

Kentucky and Syracuse most likely to stay undefeated longest - SI.com
He figures we'll drop our first at Purdue on Jan 1.

Elite Eight | 2005 NCAA tournament - 2000s: Top 10 College Hoops Games - Photos - SI.com

BIG EAST Hardwood Slate - WVIllustrated.com

Recruiting:

Doc or no Doc - WVIllustrated.com
Millines is still committed to WVU

Around the League (and Beyond):

Bearcats suffer setback at UAB - Cincinnati Enquirer
64-47?!?!?

High expectations for Jones - Cincinnati Enquirer

Following Pitino challenge, Louisville basketball gets real in rout of Oral Roberts, 94-57 - Courier-Journal

Do you want to please Jim Boeheim? Expand the NCAA Tournament and watch him beam - syracuse.com

USF's Miller: Leavitt didn't strike me - Tampa Tribune

Jones scores 27 as USF men top UCF, 69-65 - Tampa Tribune

Jasper Howard stabbing suspect pleads not guilty - SI.com (AP)

Lawyer: Ex-Connecticut Huskies student manager at center of recruiting allegations has not spoken to NCAA - ESPN

Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti on Big Ten conference expansion plans: 'We are a proud member of the Big East Conference' - Star Ledger

Briefly on Big 11 Expansion Talk - Pitt Blather

Big East expansion - looking at some numbers - Card Chronicle

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
"The four things the Big East Conference should begin doing in order to quell the Big Ten's overtures."

Report: Arizona's Mark Stoops heading to FSU - Tampa Tribune

Pac-10 will consider expansion - ESPN

Video of Interest:

Yes, he was troubled, but he was a Mountaineer. Rest in peace Chris.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

I'm a little behind with this video, but it's worth it. Warning: Strong Language.

Year in Review Gallery of the Week:

This is a double bonus gallery. Everything inside is basically SFW, but I'm guessing the linked galleries inside aren't, based on the URL's.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is an unbelievable combination of Italian and Venezuelan hotness. This is Carolina Marconi. (Scroll down inside the link a bit for the gallery)

via multimedia.quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com

This one is only 7 seconds, but....oh, my!

Warning: A little bit of NSFW in this one:

Solera image via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Tonight's Picks

SFBE.NF — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:18:43 -0000

UTEP (+6.5) over Mississippi: UTEP is a decent squad in a crappy conference, but they'll have the chance to prove themselves against Mississippi tonight. The Miners have led at half in all of its games this season and the Rebels have depended on their second half runs so far this year. If Mississippi sophomore Murphy Holloway stumbles out of the blocks, UTEP could make an early run and stay in the game.
#19 New Mexico (-20.5) over Northern Arizona: New Mexico has so much momentum going into this game, now that they've cracked the top 25 for the first time in 10 years. Albuquerque's University Arena will be rocking and I'd be surprised if Northern Arizona gets much past the jumpball.
Cincinnati (-2) over UAB: The Bearcats just came off a tough loss in double overtime to their crosstown rival Xavier. Look for Cincy to bounce back strong after the emotional game and put away a very physical Alabama-Birmingham team. The fun matchup to watch here will be the guard battle between UC's freshman Lance Stephenson and the Blazers' Elijah Millsap.

Yesterday 2-1
Overall 23-11

In a Perfect World (Conference Realignment)

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Could a University of Houston QB be soon hoisting the Big 12 Championship trophy? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

View full size photo »

Today the Big Ten conference issued a statement that they are exploring the possibility of expanding.

Every few years we hear the same rumblings and every few years there are articles published about what realignment would look like. But not since Penn State was admitted into the Big Ten has anything official been released. With that, below is the definitive article on the topic.

And even though this is a basketball blog, I will focus on the BCS aspect of realignment to argue my points. I will discuss basketball, though, and all points held for football can loosely translate over to hoops as well.

Currently there are six BCS conferences and those 6 all get automatic BCS-bowl bids. Those conferences are Big East, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC. Of those six, three of the conferences have enough football teams to have a conference championship game (the Big East would have enough if more of their charter schools had D1 football programs).

Part of the BCS issue is that you have some conferences without 12 schools, who don't currently have conference championship games. Adding conference championship games will ultimately help the BCS by crowing, on a field, a true conference champ. This will help with BCS bowl bids, and especially the BCS championship game. (Think of a rule where you have to at least win your division to get a BCS bid.

The other BCS issue is of the non-BCS schools and where they should lie. My realignment program take that into account.

Without further ado, after The Jump is the Big12Hoops.com Realignment plan.

MIZZOU MOVES TO THE BIG 10.

Why is this good for the Big 10? By admitting Mizzou into the Big 10, the Big 10 would secure a coveted TV market, namely St Louis. They would also get a share of the Kansas City TV market. By expanding westward, revenues from the Big 10 Network and apparel sales would grow. The Big 10 would also secure a 12^th team and legitimize a conference championship game. The divisions would be as follow:

Big 10 East: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State

Big 10 West: Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa

Under this scenario all regional rivalries remain in tact

Why is this good for Mizzou? The Big 12 seems to forget about schools not named Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas (basketball). There is no television network, so Mizzou's games are generally only regionally shown. There is Big Monday for basketball, but that is mainly reserved for Texas and KU. Under this, Mizzou's football games could be carried on the Big 10 Network and basketball games will be tied into the Big 10 ESPN deal. All this leads to a major recruiting advantage in both revenue generating sports.

Mizzou also has a rival in Illinois that would heat up instantly and the heated rivalry with Kansas will replace the Illinois basketball and football games on the schedules. Instead of St Louis, though, the KU games will be played at the Sprint Center and Arrowhead in KC.

But what about... Iowa State? The Cyclones seem to also be a natural fit and could easily add fuel to the rivalry with in-state foe Iowa Hawkeyes. The problem is that the Big 10 gains little from that arrangement. They are already pretty entrenched in the Hawkeye State and the addition of ISU wouldn't help their regional or national reputation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE BIG XII

Why is this good for the Big 12? The University of Houston is a large campus, in a region of Texas that is currently underdeveloped with college sports. Houston is the 4^th largest city in the country, and by planting a team there, the Big 12 will get even more Texas viewership.

The big question would be on alignment, since there will now be 5 Texas schools. My proposal is for

Big 12 "North": Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Big 12 "South": Texas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Colorado

The division names will have to be rebranded, but adding Colorado to the South is acceptable because Coloradoans joke that there are more Texans in the state than natives.

Why is this good for Houston? Historically, the Cougars have had a good football team, and have won a basketball national championship. Having a Big XII logo on their court will increase their recruiting presence in the city and state and potentially turn them into powerhouse.

But what about... TCU? TCU would be a good choice, if they were bigger. Their 8000 student just wouldn't cut it if the conference wishes to remain the BIG 12. Houston's enrollment is approximately 30,000 students. Commuter school or not, Houston would help retain the "Big" in Big 12.

BYU AND UTAH GO TO THE PAC-10

Why is this good for the Pac-10? By including Utah and BYU into the Pac-10, the conference will have the 12 schools needed for an automatic conference championship games. Both programs have historically legitimate football and basketball programs, and they will bring their rivalry with them. Geographically, they are far enough West to warrant admission into the conference.

The division would be as follows

Pac-10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, BYU, Utah

Pac-10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

Why is this good for BYU and Utah? Both recruit well from the West, and inclusion into the conference will aid that. And by coming over as a pair (and as rivals) they bring legitimacy to the expansion eastward.

But what about... geography? The state of Utah doesn't border any states of current Pac-10 members, and that may cause some issues, but distance isn't really something the conference has ever regarded. Consider that Tucson, AZ to Seattle, WA is 1100 miles, or 400 miles farther than Tucson to Provo, UT.

ADD MORE TEAMS TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST

Why is this good for the Mountain West? As it stands under this scenario, the Mountain West is down to 7 members (the current 9, minus BYU and Utah). To get up with the big boys, the MWC needs to add 5 schools. The 5 that should move to the MWC should be: Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Rice, SMU.

There is already talk of Boise coming over to the MWC, so that is a no brainer. The others are coming over as "rivals" to existing MWC schools. Nevada will face UNLV, New Mexico State will pair with New Mexico, Rice and SMU will pit against TCU is a three-way battle for Texas.

Having 12 schools will allow the conference to host a championship game, matching the winners of each division, which would be as follows:

MWC North: UNLV, Nevada, Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, Boise State

MWC South: San Diego State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU, Rice, SMU

Why is this good for the 5 programs? The shift from either the C-USA or WAC will legitimize the programs (see the next point). All will also enter the new MWC with a foe. Everyone wins.

But what about... the MWC still remaining relatively minute as compared to their BCS brethren? Why would these schools shift from one conference to another, just for shits and giggles? See next point.

ADMIT THE MOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE BCS

Why is this good for the BCS? Controversy will mainly be avoided. By admitting the redesigned MWC into the BCS you are accepting the current BCS gate crashers. You are bringing in the current at-large schools causing heartache and giving yourself another conference champion that the country can latch onto.

Why is this good for the MWC? Why isn't it good for the MWC?

But what about... the C-USA and WAC? These two conferences are now in shambles. What to do? See next item.

MERGE THE C-USA AND WAC

Why is this good for the two conferences? Because of the success of some of their schools, and regional ability to move, the Conference USA and WAC are currently left in shambles (under this proposal). Essentially afterthoughts as they are, now they are left with 15 schools between them. They could either split them up 8 and 7 or combine forces and form a 15 league mega conference. In terms of basketball, as we have seen with the Big East, and their 16 school hoops conference, too many schools doesn't water down the pool.

But what about... regionality? The C-USA is currently a conglomerate of throw-ins from around the country. Under this plan, that would just increase to a truly national conference. The members of it would be: Fresno St, Hawaii, Idaho, La Tech, San Jose St, Utah St, UTEP, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, Cent Florida, ECU, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss

Using the scenario outlined above, 18 schools will change conferences. This sounds like a lot, but as you can see many will be moving as groups and either with or to a rival.

But what about the Big East? Well, the Big East is the one conference I am leaving alone. In their football world, they are lacking the 12 members to create a championship game. But when you include their basketball members, they are a 16-team powerhouse.

One final thought. I reserve the right to claim this entire scenario null and void if Notre Dame ever decides to join the Big 10. If that were to happen, I would still endorse some shifting, but nothing to the extent of this proposal. More on that if a Notre Dame to the Big 10 rumor starts getting some legitimate traction.

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

On the Brink of Madness

Ken Howlett — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:03:01 -0000

At long last. Since the April hiring of John Calipari as Kentucky's new basketball coach, the Commonwealth and all its zealous UK contingent have patiently awaited mid-October; the beginning of a new hoops season. Finally, four years of mediocrity are now behind us, and so, in the spirit of celebration, here are my 10 reasons for UK fans to party like it's 1998:

1.Gardner-Webb, VMI, Houston, San Diego, and UAB are off the schedule-- Not only are those teams not on UK's basketball schedule this season, but UK fans, players, and the athletic administration alike should feel comfortable in breathing a big sigh of relief at the thought that the current coaching regime will not sacrifice wins, in order to make a point.

UK losing to teams they are accustomed to punishing (for taking the money and running back home), should be a thing of the past. Not that Big Blue will win every game they play, they won't, but the unhappy circumstance of having to watch over, and over, and over as UK's latest distressing loss to the peasants is endlessly replayed on the World Wide Leader, is now a thing of the past. In five years we'll all look back and laugh, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

2. Rupp will be rockin'-- For the first time in at least four years, Rupp Arena will once again be a destination for the enthusiastic.

Recently, Rupp has been an unpleasant place, filled to the rafters with negativity and condemnation, but that will all change in 2009. Harken back to the halcyon days of Rick Pitino and his Bambinos, remembering the way they shook the foundation of college basketball's most storied arena (at least to us UK fans it is), and now, knowing we are on the precipice of that singular type of exuberance once again, should give the ticket holding fan at least one more reason to be excited about the upcoming season.

No more wishing Bruce Pearl was UK's coach (yes, I've heard that uttered more than once as I ran to the bathroom to regurgitate my Rupp dog), no more, "He (Gillispie) won't last 'til the end of the year," no more, "What in the ___ are they doing out there?" Instead of utterances filled with sarcasm and loathing, shouts of victory, and On On UK will once again fill Rupp's crib.

3. Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari -- Kentucky versus Louisville always has been, and always will be the recipient of much focus and intensity from both sides of the aisle, but adding to the combustible concoction is the apparent disharmony of the state's two major basketball figures. When and why the two coaches decided not to like each other is inconsequential. The only important aspect of their relationship (or non-relationship) is the fact that they don't care for one another. And that's how it should be.

I think the problem stems from the fact that the two coaches are so much alike. Brothers from a different mother, one might say -- Both very charismatic, both very articulate, both very comfortable in front of the camera, both very driven to succeed, both very comfortable with a microphone stuck to their mouth, both recruiters of the highest order, both Italian, and neither lacking in self esteem. The competition, not only on the court, but in the living rooms of the nation's top recruits, should be robust, adding fuel to an already flaming rivalry.

4. March Madness -- The month of March around Kentucky for the last four years has been a time for spring cleaning, instead of springing-up off the couch in jubilation. Dread and the uneasy anticipation of defeat is all that has kept UK fans warm as the March winds have propelled North Carolina, Texas, Michigan State, and a myriad of other programs past UK in the pecking order of college basketball's elite.

Finally, once again, Kentucky will be a "player" in March, and with a little luck, April.

5. Belated punishment-- Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Mississippi State -- As is true with most UK fans, I am thoroughly sick and tired of UK consistently losing to the inferior programs of the SEC. If one desires to froth at the mouth with anticipation of payback, one only needs to think back to the whipping South Carolina game UK last season in Columbia, or the Senior Day loss to last place Georgia, or the Ole Miss loss that began the historic "Slide of '09," or the 41-point vaporizing at the hands of Vandy two years ago. Vandy for chrissakes!

Mel Gibson need not raise a hand to help, this payback will be handled, and handled with aplomb.

6. Patrick Patterson-- UK's All-SEC and All-America candidate will finally be able to show us what he's got. Before this year, poor Patterson was a lone warrior in the paint, left to his own devices to enforce his presence on the floor. This season, though, Patterson will at last have some help in the form of DeMarcus Cousins, and Daniel Orton on the inside, and a host of guards talented enough to consistently get the ball to the big fella.

The most appealing thought Patterson must be experiencing at the moment has to be that he won't be alone anymore; no longer will he be harassed by double- and triple-teams. The opponent will have no choice but to guard him honestly, with no cheating by an off-defender. It's a small reward for the man who chose to stay at UK (instead of taking the $$), but a reward he will reap with gusto.

7. The SEC Tournament -- Over the last two years UK has been in the unenviable position of playing on the first day of the SEC Tournament ... that garbage ends now.

For a program that is responsible for putting the SEC on the college basketball map, having to suffer the indignity of playing on the first day of the tournament has been an exercise in rationalization. It goes like this -- "Well, if they play on Thursday, they have a good chance to get another victory because they'll be playing a weak team ..." Note to self: If UK is playing on Thursday, they're the weak team.

Kentucky shouldn't be worried about getting another victory to pretty-up their resume'. The one and only goal of playing in the SEC Tournament should be to cut down the nets, and solidify UK's ...

8. Seed in the NCAA Tournament-- For far too long Kentucky, and Kentucky fans, have suffered through Selection Sunday with palpable dread at the thought of UK receiving a seed reserved for those lucky to be dancin'. Even worse, we've been left to wonder if an NCAA Tournament seed is forthcoming, and if so, wondering which No.1 or No. 2 seed UK will be saddled with in their second round game. This felonious assault on our nature has resulted in UK fans being sardonic about (what is historically), the most fruitful month of the season

But, now that UK has a coach that means business (and from what I can tell, business is good), March should become much more tasty, even to the most refined palate.

9. Leaving North Carolina in the dust-- Hey, Roy Williams can't coach forever, and with John Calipari at the helm of the biggest, baddest boat in the sea, the 'Cats should continue to hold the distinction of being the winningest college basketball program in the land. Plus, it's only just and right that Kentucky, the original gangster, hold its place at the apex of college basketball's ultimate tote board.

That tote board looks thusly -- UK 1,988 wins, North Carolina 1,984 wins. Beating UNC to the magical 2,000th win is an absolute must. Period. Thankfully the cavalry arrived in the nick of time.

December 5 ... circle it, cancel all plans, and hide the women and children. It will be Big Blue versus "Girly" Blue. Epic.

10. And we're gonna have fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away -- The point of A Sea of Blue, the point of being a fan, is to have fun. And since we UK fans have been predisposed by virtue of our DNA to be hot-blooded Wildcat worshipers, and in order to fully enjoy the fan experience, the fun meter needs to be in the red.

Of course, lately, fun and UK basketball have been battling foes; one wanting to have nothing to do with the other. At long last, though, after what seems like decades, fun and UK basketball will once again be willing partners. At last we can relax, and enjoy the ride, for UK is now back among those who enforce the rules, and not on the business end of the night stick.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, do yer thang!

Kentucky Basketball: Buying What Calipari is Selling

Truzenzuzex — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:29:23 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Can Coach Cal successfully install his Dribble Drive Motion offense in his first year at Kentucky? History suggests he can.

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Coach Cal, who totally understands the value of brand, marketing, and selling the program, has been working hard trying to build the Kentucky brand back up to the extent that is possible in the off season. He has launched a fancy new website, CoachCal.com, which he updates periodically with pictures, blogs, and other content (I don't subscribe yet, so I really don't know what premium content is available there). He has been busy giving interviews, talking to ESPN and reporters and generally trying to be everywhere, all the time.

From my personal standpoint, I think this is a job that needed doing. Billy Gillispie just didn't really think that was part of his job description, and even though winning a lot of games will certainly take care of most of your marketing for you, the reality is that very few teams win all the time -- you have rebuilding years, you have off years, it happens. And during those times, brand-building and hyping the program is even more important than when you are winning, and even more difficult because people are asking you to show them the wins. Wins solve most ills in college sports that aren't related to some kind of unethical conduct, and no matter how successful coach Calipari is at producing a "buzz" in the sports media, he will be judged by what happens on the floor.

Right now, it is pretty easy to buy what Calipari is selling -- he has a great recruiting class, he has Patrick Patterson, a genuine Naismith contender coming back, arguably the best point guard in America (at least until he hits the floor in a real game) that's not playing in the NBA, and some other guys that, taken together, look like a "contendah."

So what can we look at to see how well Calipari will succeed? Well, because he is bringing in a totally new system, I suggest we go back to his 2005-06 team where he first installed the Dribble Drive Motion offense at the University of Memphis.

Back in 2005-06, John Calipari had no less than seven new players, three sophomores, one junior and two seniors. Now, one of those seniors was a very accomplished player, Rodney Carney, and sophomore Darius Washington Jr. was a stud. but that is reasonably analogous to what UK has returning.

The incoming freshmen were a very good class -- Shawne Williams was a Rivals.com 5* and the rest were Rivals.com 4* players. Compare that to what Calipari has coming in to Kentucky -- four 5* players and a 4*, plus the best point guard available.

So how did 2005-06 Memphis do? Not bad. They wound up the season 33-4, which looks more impressive than it is due to the fact that Memphis plays in the exceedingly weak Conference USA. But they did play some big games against some big names. Let's see how that worked out for them:

November 25th 2005 in Madison Square Garden vs. Duke -- Lost, 67-70. Duke Sheldon Williams dominated the Tigers inside scoring 30 points, and J.J. Redick scored 15 from the perimeter. Still, the Blue Devils managed to overcome the young Tigers by only 3 points in only their fourth game using Calipari's newly formed DDM offense.

December 27th 2005 in the FedEx Forum in Memphis vs. Gonzaga -- Won, 83-72. Adam Morrison scored 34 points, but it wasn't enough against the balanced scoring of Memphis, who had four players in double figures.

January 2 2006 in the FedEx Forum in Memphis vs. Texas -- Lost, 58-69. LaMarcus Aldridge, P.J. Tucker and Daniel Gibson were just too much for the Tigers.

January 18 2006 in the FedEx Forum in Memphs vs. Tennessee -- Won, 88-79. Chris Lofton was not enough against the balanced attack of Memphis. Once again, Memphis had 4 players in double figures.

March 2 2006 at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama vs. UAB -- Lost, 74-80. The Blazers put five players in double figures, and Memphis was in foul trouble all night.

March 25 2006, NCAA regional final at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA vs. UCLA -- Lost, 45-50. UCLA's brutal defense put the clamps on Memphis's DDM offense. The Tigers' free throw rate was 27%, and the Bruins 97.5%. That was the difference in the game.

Obviously, I think most UK fans would take a Great Eight appearance after four years of irrelevance, but with this class, this team, and four years to refine and learn to better teach his offense, I think that would be about the minimum expectation for this team. I know it seems unfair, but you do have to understand that Kentucky will be bringing a higher overall talent level to the table than Memphis did in 2005-06. There is no getting around that.

Now, Calipari did have some advantages in that he had been at Memphis for several years and had established a culture there, so installing a new offense was maybe a bit less challenging. But because so many were newcomers then, just as they are now, I think you can say that there really isn't all that much difference.

So what will we see this year? Well, you probably won't see 33-4. UK plays in the SEC, and UK plays better teams by accident than Memphis did on purpose that year, even though they clearly could have competed in and perhaps even won the SEC in 2005-06, although I think Florida would have had something to say about that, and perhaps even UK.

But as to whether Calipari can effectively install the DDM offense next year, that question has been asked and answered at Memphis. Obviously, UK will be better the more experience they have with the system, but you can bet that this example will be thrown up after a bad loss if Calipari makes an excuse about time to learn the offense. We have seen that he can do it, so now, we expect him to do it again.

2009 MMM UAB Blazers Preview

umass09 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:00:11 -0000

Conference USA might be seeing another post-season eligible team in the 2009 season. UAB has been making some progress over the past couple of years under head coach Neil Callaway. Although the Blazers had a losing record, they did show signs of improvement and hope to build off that late season success in 2009.

The offense didn’t have great statistical numbers last season, only putting up 22.8 points per game, and 366 total yards per game, but they are returning a majority of the starters and hope to build off of their experience. Senior quarterback, Joe Webb, will be the main weapon for the Blazers. He is coming off a junior season where he passed and rushed for over 1,000 yards.

When the Blazers take the ball out of Webb’s hands, they will have some talented and experienced receivers to throw to. Frantell Forrest had a breakout season where he led the team in receiving and Mario Wright is a solid receiver. Rashaud Slaughter will be the featured tailback and should be a good compliment in taking the pressure away from Webb.

The defense is going to need to play a lot better then last season if the Blazers are going to become bowl eligible. Although the defense is returning a bunch of their starters, the top three tacklers are not coming back. The Blazers ranked pretty low in all of the defensive statistical categories last season and this must improve if UAB wants to be contenders in the conference.

Bryant Turner has to have a big year on the line and continue to put pressure on the quarterback. In addition, Anthony Barnes and Derek Slaughter will have to help Turner out in getting into the backfield. It will be vital for the guys up front to get the job done because the secondary, which finished 108^th in the nation last year, will be very inexperienced

The Blazers have shown glimpses of promise, but without the consistency and experience in the secondary, the Blazers will come just short again of being bowl eligible.

Prediction: 5-7

DaJuan Summers' Draft Stock Rising

CasualHoya — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:35:04 -0000

In the latest Mock Draft from ESPN.com's Pat Ford, Georgetown's DaJuan Summers has ascended into the Top 25 selections.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Portland	DaJuan Summers	Position: SF Height: 6-9 Weight: 243 Age: 21 School: Georgetown

Analysis: The Blazers are looking at trading this pick. But if they keep it, the Blazers can add another forward who can play both the 3 and the 4. Summers already has an NBA body and has that shooting ability the team really covets.

Yup.

Interesting to note that in Ian Thomsen's Mock Draft over at CNNSI.com, DaJuan Summers appears as much as I do.

Casually.

Poll

Do you also have the shooting ability that the Blazers covet?

Yes

22 votes

No

5 votes

Latavious!

41 votes

68 votes | Poll has closed

UK Basketball: The 'Cat's Finally out of the Bag

Ken Howlett — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:43:58 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Come to daddy!

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With the historic (some say "unprecedented") recruiting haul perpetrated by UK basketball ~~savior~~ coach John Calipari, capped off by the signing of the ridiculously-talented point guard John Wall, an excited Big Blue Nation is once again on the brink of enjoying a season of round-ball victories. Or more pointedly, a season full of meaningful, March, round-ball victories. For many, November can't get here soon enough.

Who can blame them?

For it seems like eons ago that Kentucky occupied the penthouse of college basketball. Four consecutive seasons of disappointment, unfulfilled promise, and early exits from the biggest of dances, the NCAA Tournament, left UK fans feeling numb and uncharacteristically downtrodden.

Who can blame them?

After-all ...

... Kentucky fans, over the last four seasons, have witnessed a buffet of poor play, which has led to ...

Perplexing Losses

The "Sheray Thomas illegally leaving the lane during a free throw" induced SEC Tournament loss to Mississippi State in 2007.
The 2008 home loss to Gardner-Webb (I blame that game on my wife, she was there).
The 2007 and 2008 "we're going to pound the paint even though Varnado is blocking everything we shoot" losses to Mississippi State (I blame that game on my wife, she was there).
The 2008 home loss to San Diego.
The 2008 "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" Freedom Hall loss to UAB (I blame that game on Tru, he was there).
The 2008 road loss to Houston.
The 2009 home loss to VMI.
The 2009 home finale loss to Georgia (the worst team in the SEC).

Kentucky fans have also endured an extraordinary number of ...

Blowout Losses

Indiana in December of '05 -- 79-53
Kansas in January of '06 -- 73-46
Florida in February of '06 -- 95-80
Memphis in November of '06 -- 80-63
Indiana in December of '07 -- 70-51
Louisville in January of '08 -- 89-75
Vanderbilt in February of '08 -- 93-52
North Carolina in December of '08 -- 77-58
South Carolina in February of '09 -- 77-59

Yet another reason the Bluegrass has been so overwhelmingly absent Wildcat joy for lo these many (four) years is the conspicuous ...

Absence of Kentucky From the National Rankings

The following is a list of how many games UK played as a ranked team over the last four years:

2005-'06 Season -- Total games played as a ranked team; 14 of 35. Zero games played versus an SEC opponent as a ranked team.
2006-'07 Season -- Total games played as a ranked team; 11 of 34. Six games played versus an SEC opponent as a ranked team.
2007-'08 Season -- Total games played as a ranked team; two of 31. Zero games played versus an SEC opponent as a ranked team.
2008-'09 Season -- Total games played as a ranked team; One of 36. One game played versus an SEC opponent as a ranked team.

This, coming on the heels of UK being ranked in 153 straight games played. A streak that started on December 2, 2000, and ended January 7, 2006.

Nothing gets a UK fans blood boiling more than not being ranked, except of course a poor ...

Rupp Record

Since Rupp Arena opened for 1976-'77 season, UK has won roughly 90.0% of all games played there, but over the last four seasons UK's winning percentage has dropped dramatically to an unacceptable 76.8%. UK's recent home record:

2005-'06 Season -- 11-4
2006-'07 Season -- 14-2
2007-'08 Season -- 14-4
2008-'09 Season -- 14-6

That's a very un-Cat-like 53-16. Comparatively speaking, from the 1990-'91 season to the 2004-'05 season (15 seasons), UK was nearly unbeatable at home, coming out victorious 186 times against only 17 losses (91.6 winning percentage).

Just as disturbing to most fans was UK's ...

SEC Record

2005-'06 Season -- 9-7
2006-'07 Season -- 9-7
2007-'08 Season -- 12-4
2008-'09 Season -- 8-8

That's a cumulative 38-26 (59.4%) SEC record. Pitiful, especially when one considers this -- Between the '90-'91 season and the '04-'05 season, UK sported a Brad Pitt-handsome 186-46 SEC record. That's winnin' 'em at an 80.2% clip, for an average record of 13-3.

SEC Sidebar -- As many know, UK has won more SEC Tournament Championships than all the other SEC member schools combined. Never before has UK's dominance been more apparent than from the '91-'92 season until the '04-'05 season. During those 14 years, Kentucky's SEC Tournament record was 34-4. Read that again; 34-4. And they won 10 tourney championships. Amazing. But, in the last four years, UK has gone 4-4 with zero tourney titles. "Cat-lanta" was reduced to "Cat-loss-lanta."

Just as painful and fan endurance-testing was UK's ...

Overall Record

During the same time-span ('90-'91 to '04-'05) UK's cumulative season record was 424-94. An overall winning percentage of 81.9. Conversely, UK's record the previous four seasons looks like this:

2005-'06 Season -- 22-13
2006-'07 Season -- 22-12
2007-'08 Season -- 18-13
2008-'09 Season -- 22-14

That comes out to an unremarkable 84-52 record, good for a 61.8% rate of victory. Pretty good for Georgia or Ole Miss, but pretty pathetic for UK.

And what most (some would say all) UK fans live for, the ...

NCAA Tournament

Over the last four years, instead of March bringing a healthy dose of Kentucky sizzle, the ensuing Wildcat fizzle has been the source of the Commonwealth's March MADness.

In the 14 years prior to the meltdown, UK's record for the NCAA Tournament was 43-12. An astonishing 78.2 winning percentage, to go along with: Two National Championships, four Final Fours, and nine Elite Eights. At minimum, nine out of 14 years UK made the Elite Eight. Truly an incredible run, which is made to look even more incredible when one considers UK's most recent NCAA outcomes:

2005-'06 Season -- 1-1
2006-'07 Season --1-1
2007-'08 Season -- 0-1
2008-'09 Season -- NIT

That says it all.

But, why bring up the statistical freak show now?

To illustrate, in crystal clear form, that UK and UK fans deserve what is about to happen. No, I didn't say we are entitled, or some-such thing. I wrote that we "deserve" the renaissance that awaits, come November of '09.

DESERVE -- to be worthy (of); merit.

As a fan base, accustomed to winning at about a 75-80% clip, we have weathered the imperfect storm which clouded our winters, and reduced our spring to following our favorite pro baseball teams grapefruit league results. But, we never gave up.

Through all the frustration and anger, UK fans never walked away. For confirmation, one only has to peruse the Rupp Arena average attendance marks:

2005-'06 Season -- 22,519
2006-'07 Season -- 22,763
2007-'08 Season -- 23,421
2008-'09 Season -- 22,554

Fair-weather fans? I don't think so.

We have continued to support the 'Cats through unparalleled trying times -- Never in UK's history has the basketball team performed so inadequately over a stretch of four consecutive seasons. But, our passion never waned, the rock-steady belief that UK would be back, never waned. We didn't question IF Kentucky would be back, only WHEN.

When Florida, U of L or some other less fortunate fan base told us that UK's time had passed, we nodded knowingly, saying, "Man, don't you know anything about the history of college basketball. UK always bounces back, and always will, you fool."

We listened and read as Dick Vitale, Scott Van Pelt, Jeff Goodman and others incorrectly stated that we "ran off" Tubby. It seemed that bad-mouthing UK became an art form. It didn't matter if what they said was true or not, as long as they were belittling UK and Kentucky fans. So typical; kick the big man on campus when he's down.

We listened and read as pundits such as Hubert Davis, Rece Davis, Doug Gottlieb, and Dick Weiss correctly stated that UK didn't have the thoroughbreds to compete with the elite. But, we always clung to the notion that Big Blue would soon be bringing the big lumber.

UK fans remained steadfast, and assured in our system of belief. A tenet embedded in our gray matter since we were old enough to determine the difference between a Card and a 'Cat (five national championships). A creed that has remained faithful to all Kentucky fans since Adolph Rupp introduced modern basketball to the world -- Kentucky will always be the king. The occasional ailment may prevent the 'Cats from ruling with an iron fist, but recovery is guaranteed.

And because of our faith, we deserve.

Patterson and Meeks, with a little Pearl

As fully as I believe that UK fans are deserving of a rewarding season, I also feel that Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks (when he comes back) deserve a fun-filled, championship season. They've both played hurt, and in Meeks' case, injured. Both players play hard, they both play for the name across their chest, and neither is at fault for UK's recent disappointing play.

One final note: Kentucky, as I've noted, has just survived a program-worst four year stretch, and our neighbors to the south, the Tennessee Vols, have just enjoyed their best hardwood run in at least 40 years. Yet, Bruce Pearls record versus UK over the last four years is an underwhelming 3-5 ...

Paint that on your chest as a reminder, Bruce, because that's as good as it's gonna get.

Thanks for reading, and Go-Go 'Cats!

		#3 Miguel Paul Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 172 Winter Haven, Fla. Bio 14 minutes per game \| 4.2 points per game \| 0.9 rebound per game

		#4 J.T. Tiller Senior Guard 6-3 \| 200 Marietta, Ga. Bio 23.3 minutes per game \| 9.6 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#11 Zaire Taylor Senior Guard 6-4 \| 189 Staten Island, N.Y. Bio 27.8 minutes per game \| 9 points per game \| 3.1 rebounds per game

		#12 Marcus Denmon Sophomore Guard 6-3 \| 185 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 20.1 minutes per game \| 10.5 points per game \| 3.9 rebounds per game

		#15 Keith Ramsey Senior Forward 6-9 \| 217 Murfreesboro, Tenn. Bio 25.4 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#21 Laurence Bowers Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 205 Memphis, Tenn. Bio 19.8 minutes per game \| 10.2 points per game \| 5.6 rebounds per game

		#23 Justin Safford Junior Forward 6-8 \| 230 Bloomington, Ill. Bio 18.4 minutes per game \| 7.6 points per game \| 3.8 rebounds per game

		#24 Kim English Sophomore Guard 6-6 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 22.1 minutes per game \| 16.1 points per game \| 3.1 rebounds per game

		#25 Jarrett Sutton Junior Guard 6-3 \| 190 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 4 minutes per game \| 1.8 points per game \| 0.2 rebound per game

		#32 Steve Moore Sophomore Center 6-9 \| 264 Kansas City, Mo. Bio 11 minutes per game \| 1.6 points per game \| 1.4 rebounds per game