SB Nation User Blog: aGent37

Mid-Major Coach Sit Down: Kevin Easley - High Point University

aGent37 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:05:09 -0000

Mid Major Madness sits down with Kevin Easley, one of the top mid major assistants in the country and North Carolina coaching veteran.

MMM: What do you plan to bring to High Point this season?

Kevin: Soon after joining the High Point family, I was overwhelmed by the growth and vision of the University. The vision starts internally from the leadership of Dr. Nido Qubein, the President of High Point University. He and his staff have done a wonderful job of providing an ideal environment for the student athlete of the University. HPU was recently voted by News and Report as the "#1 Up and Coming School in the South." Craig Keilitz, Director of Athletics, also has a strategic plan to take HPU Athletics to the next level. I knew with Mr. Kelietz's plan, I would have an opportunity to bring energy, enthusiasm, and a winning attitude to a distinguished and notable University. There is no doubt to me that the men's basketball program has a lot to uphold at HPU therefore, I try to be better than I was the previous day. This is truly a promising situation for me because this is the first time I have been on a new staff. I believe that finding a niche' and blending in with the rest of the staff is key.

MMM: Everyday coaches are learning from one another, what do you hope to learn from Coach Cherry?

Kevin: It was an honor for Coach Cherry to ask me to be a part of his staff for his first head coaching job. I have known Coach Cherry for a few years, and have always respected his knowledge and passion for the game of basketball. He has been a part of a National Championship team as a player, helped lead a mid-major program to a final four and sweet sixteen. He has been around a numerous amount of quality coaches (Dean Smith, Jim Larranaga, Darrin Horn). With that being said, I knew that High Point University would be an opportunity to advance my knowledge of the game and take another step as a coach.

MMM: What has been the most life changing experience in your time so far as a coach?

Kevin: I wouldn't say I have had a life changing experience yet, but I have had very fulfilling moments. It's great to know that the knowledge that you have passed on to another student athlete has been taken in. You work every day to instill lifelong lessons to your players, in hopes that they listen. To me the most fulfilling aspect is receiving feedback from former players, telling you thanks for the lessons you tried to provide over the years. I still talk to many of my former players and try to serve as a strong role.

MMM: What do you think is the most important value you can pass on to a player?

Kevin: I firmly believe that there is nothing better than being a student athlete, especially at the Division I level. You have the opportunity to build lifelong relationships, travel to different cities, and most importantly receive a free education. I have been blessed to have many opportunities that I contribute to the game of basketball. Basketball enabled me to earn two degrees, build relationships with life-long friends, and meet my wife. However, you have to make the most of your experience and not take it for granted. Many young players want to play professional basketball. I applaud the work ethic and aspirations for achieving goals but if you look at the percentage of athletes that actually make it to a professional league it is unlikely that it will actually happen. My advice to young players that I took from a mentor is to "use the game, don't let the game use you.) Meaning earn your degree and take your education seriously without doing just enough to pass. Collegiate basketball can last a maximum of fivr years but education will last a life time.

MMM: What do you do when you are not working hard at coaching?

Kevin: Believe it or not, I am a big DIY(do-it-yourself) guy. My wife and I recently purchased a home, so I love finding new projects to do around the house. They always don't turn out like I want but I really love to put together different things. When I'm not using my drill or hammer, I'm spending time with my family. Family is very important to me. We have a 3 year old, and a two month old, so they keep me very busy. My wife is a warrior because she holds down the fort for months while I'm chasing my dream.

Mid-Major Coach Sit Down: Elwyn McRoy - Arkansas State University

aGent37 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:03:37 -0000

Mid-Major Madness sits down with Arkansas State University assistant coach Elwyn McRoy this week to get inside the mind of one of the best recruiters in Mid-Major college basketball.

MMM: Recruiting has been one of your specialties. What advice would you give to a young high school basketball player looking to play college basketball?

Elwyn: My advice to a HS athlete would be to do the little things that others aren't willing to do. Such as diving on the floor, being a good teammate, handing the ball to the refs, playing through bad calls with no facial expressions or negative body language, always giving eye contact to his coach when being spoken to and be coachable. In short be uncommon, do things that set your self apart from everyone else.

MMM: What are your expectations for the team this season?

Elwyn: My expectations for this team is to compete and execute at a higher level, be closer as a team on and off the floor and improve our win total by how many ever games we can. We started off great last year, but then hit a wall and couldn't finish. We need to fight through the adversity better and make sure we don't tail off at the end of the season again.

MMM: What is the most important thing for a player to remember on and off the court?

Elwyn: I think the most important thing for a player to remember on and off the court is to be accountable. Basketball is a team sport, and more often then not a player can forget just how many people are depending on him. The ones that learn how to be a true team player are the ones that end up making the biggest impact.

MMM: How do you think having played college basketball has improved your coaching ability?

Elwyn: I believe it has improved my ability to relate to the players on and off the court. More times then not I have felt the same as they do in a lot of situations, so it helps me explain why they need to do it this way or why they don't need to do something. Also I think it has helped by not having unrealistic expectations of what could and should be accomplished, because the same things were asked of me as a player

MMM: If you weren't coaching basketball, what would you be doing?

Elwyn: I would probably be teaching at a high school or college. I enjoy being around different people on a daily basis. Or I would be a social worker because I enjoy the task daily of dealing with different issues that arise and helping people see things from a different point of view that may benefit them.

Mid-Major Coach Sit Down: Kareem Richardson - Drake University

aGent37 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:09:53 -0000

Mid-Major Madness sits down with Drake University assistant coach Kareem Richardson this week to get inside the mind of a MVC coaching veteran.

MMM: What are the expectations for the Drake basketball program heading into the 2009-10 season?

Kareem: We are trying to cultivate a very high standard for our guys and program here at Drake. We want to strive for perfection to achieve excellence while maintaining the standard of our personal and collective best in everything we do. Our expectation is excellence or at worse case each individual player's best each game. If we can get that done then at the end of the year, we as a team, will meet our expectations.

MMM: What's the one player on the team who, if steps up and plays at his best, will propel your team to success this season?

Kareem: Entering this season we will have ten guys on our roster that have never played a college basketball game. We will need our four seniors to demonstrate an outstanding amount of leadership. Also, we need our new players to be able to accept the senior leadership and have great preparation and focus during practices. We aren't counting on one player to propel us to success; we are counting on a collective effort.

MMM: Are there any parallels between your days as a player and now, as a coach?

Kareem: The biggest parallel between my days as a player and now as a coach is the competitive fire! I love competition and the preparation that goes into playing an upcoming opponent.

MMM: What was it like playing in an NCAA Tournament? Coaching in one?

Kareem: There hasn't been a better feeling or satisfaction in college basketball than playing and coaching in the NCAA Tournament! The experience of being an active participant in arguably sports most exciting time of the year is really indescribable.

MMM: What motivated you to get into coaching and has your experience in the business changed your outlook on the profession?

Kareem: My Dad played basketball and then eventually coached basketball when I was growing up so it seemed almost inevitable that I would coach basketball. It really excites me to share my knowledge of the game of basketball to others. I have a tremendous love and passion for the game so when the opportunity to share my knowledge of the game and to help influence young men in a positive manner coaching became a no brainer.

Now in my 13th year in college basketball there have been different experiences that I've learned from whether those experiences have been good or bad. College basketball as whole is somewhat different from when I first started in the profession but it hasn't changed my outlook on the profession. My outlook still remains the same, if I can continue to share my basketball knowledge and continue to be a positive influence to young men then everything else will take care of itself.

Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 via CollegeInsider.com

aGent37 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:15:36 -0000

Less than one week after being ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Poll, Butler earns the top spot in the preseason Mid-Major Top 25.

The Bulldogs, who finished last season with a 26-6 record and a No. 4 ranking in the final Mid-Major poll of the season, received 28 of the 31 first place votes. No. 2 ranked Gonzaga received two first place votes and No. 3 ranked Siena received the other. Rounding out the top five are Northern Iowa and Western Kentucky.

Old Dominion, which won the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, headlines the next five, followed by Creighton, Akron, Wright State and Niagara.

The Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Missouri Valley Conference each boast two teams among the top 10, while the Colonial Athletic Association leads all conferences with four teams ranked in the first Top 25 of the season.

The MAAC, Missouri Valley and West Coast Conference have three teams in the rankings.

"I'm excited to be a part of the top 25 panel and want to ensure that all the deserving teams are recognized as the season unfolds," says Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating. "With a number of teams already considered among the country's best heading in, this promises to be a great year for teams across the country."

Keating has been named as the chairman of the voting panel, which includes eight new voters. Rick Byrd (Belmont), Anthony Evans (Norfolk State), Mike Gillian (Longwood), Dick Hunsaker (Utah Valley), Eddie Jackson (American), Rick Scruggs (Gardner-Webb), Wayne Tinkle (Montana) and Ernie Zeigler (Central Michigan) will each cast a weekly vote during the 2009-10 season.

Teams considered for the Mid-Major Top 25 come from 23 conferences or leagues including the Great West Conference and the Independents.

		Record	Points	Previous
1.	Butler (28)	0-0	770	-
2.	Gonzaga (2)	0-0	699	-
3.	Siena (1)	0-0	699	-
4.	Northern Iowa	0-0	612	-
5.	Western Kentucky	0-0	585	-
6.	Old Dominion	0-0	580	-
7.	Creighton	0-0	568	-
8.	Akron	0-0	444	-
9.	Wright State	0-0	377	-
10.	Niagara	0-0	366	-
11.	VCU	0-0	313	-
12.	George Mason	0-0	304	-
13.	Northeastern	0-0	298	-
14.	Oakland	0-0	288	-
15.	Portland	0-0	285	-
16.	Illinois State	0-0	236	-
17.	College of Charleston	0-0	230	-
18.	Cornell	0-0	215	-
19.	Rider	0-0	190	-
20.	Long Beach State	0-0	171	-
21.	South Alabama	0-0	166	-
22.	Boston University	0-0	114	-
23.	St. Mary's	0-0	105	-
24.	Davidson	0-0	102	-
25.	Radford	0-0	99	-

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: North Texas 84, Cleveland State 82, Troy 77, Kent State 76, Jacksonville 72, UC Santa Barbara 69, Southern Illinois 64, Morehead State 61, Wichita State 58, Sam Houston State 57, Holy Cross 50, Weber State 50, Buffalo 44, Vermont 44, Morgan State 38, Mount St Mary's 38, Wisconsin Milwaukee 36, Bradley 24, Stephen F Austin 15, American 14, East Tennessee State 14, Denver 13, Murray State 13, North Dakota State 14, Middle Tennessee State 11, UW-Milwaukee 10, Miami 9, Montana State 9, Portland State 9, San Diego 9, UNC Asheville 9, Western Carolina 9, Wisconsin Green-Bay 8, Appalachian State 7, Norfolk State 7, Cal State Northridge 6, Indiana State 6, South Dakota 6, South Carolina State 5, Montana 4, St Peters 4, Belmont 3, Lehigh 3, Arkansas Little Rock 2, Chicago State 2, Princeton 2, Santa Clara 2, SE Louisiana 2, Central Michigan 1, Detroit 1, Jackson State 1, Longwood 1, Quinnipiac 1, Texas A&M CC 1, Texas San Antonio 1, Wofford 1.

VOTING PANEL: Randy Bennett (St. Mary's), Will Brown (Albany), Rick Byrd (Belmont), Dave Calloway (Monmouth), Kermit Davis (Middle Tennessee), Steve Donahue (Cornell), Anthony Evans (Norfolk State), James Fox (Davidson), Mike Gillian (Longwood), Steve Hawkins (Western Michigan), Dick Hunsaker (Utah Valley), Eddie Jackson (American), Kerry Keating (Santa Clara) *, Billy Kennedy (Murray State), Tod Kowalczyk (UW-Green Bay), Jim Larranaga (George Mason), Jim Les (Bradley), Mike Lonergan (Vermont), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State), Gregg Marshall (Wichita State), Tom Moore (Quinnipiac), Jimmy Patsos (Loyola MD), Tom Pecora (Hofstra), Vann Pettaway (Alabama A&M), Rick Scruggs (Gardner-Webb), John Shulman (Chattanooga), Brad Stevens (Butler), Gary Stewart (UC Davis), Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts), Wayne Tinkle (Montana), Ernie Zeigler (Central Michigan)

* Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating is the chairman of the Top 25 voting panel for the 2008-09 season.

Great West Conference Men’s Basketball Champion to Participate in CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament

aGent37 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:24:36 -0000

CollegeInsider.com, a nationally recognized website, is proud to announce a newly formed partnership with the Great West Conference which grants an automatic qualifier bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Great West men's basketball conference tournament champion will automatically be placed amongst the field of 16 teams participating in the CIT.

The seven basketball playing league members of the Great West that will be vying for the bid include: Chicago State University, Houston Baptist University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), University of North Dakota, University of South Dakota, University of Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley University The agreement makes the CIT the first postseason college basketball tournament outside the NCAA tournament to agree to an automatic qualifier to any NCAA conference.

Ultimately the goal of the Great West champion should be the NCAA Tournament and Plan B the NIT. But given the number of division I programs and the limited number of spots available, planning to get into these postseason tournaments is wishful thinking.

Of course some pundits will scoff at the notion of the Great West being guaranteed a spot in the postseason, but ask the players, coaches and fans of those programs what they think. For the first time NJIT and the other coaches in the league know there is a reward waiting in March.

Finally a victory, albeit small, for the Mid-Majors.

Army parts ways with Crews; Proves it has the worst sense of timing ever

aGent37 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:10:44 -0000

West Point Academy, which to sports fans is known simply as "Army" has severed ties with head men's basketball coach Jim Crews, a report it the Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.) cited.

To say that it is extremely rare for a coach to be fired only weeks before the season starts is an understatement. Crew, who owned a less then stellar 59-140 (0.296) mark at Army, had all four of his top scorers returning from last season. Coaches around the Patriot league agreed that Army finally had its first realistic shot at winning the league in decades.

Word is that Gene Marshall, Army's deputy athletic director, will serve as the interim coach. Marshall coached at Ramapo College (NJ), and was the interim head coach for Army's women's program in 2005 when they were between coaches.

As for a permanent replacement, it might be the perfect opportunity for a little-known coach by the name of Bob Knight to make a comeback at his first Division I coaching gig...

Mid-Major College Football Week 2 Breakdown

aGent37 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:24:14 -0000

Mid-Major Game of the Week:

Get ready for a good ol' fashion shootout out when Houston visits Oklahoma State in Stillwater this weekend. With State coming off a huge victory at home over Georgia last week, and Oklahoma down for the count, the Cowboys are looking like the only team that might give Texas a run for the Big XII South title.

Houston, headed by the talented Chase Keenum, has an incredibly high powered aerial attack. Aided by the trio of RB Bryce Beall and receivers Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier, Keenum will be give (albeit a much improved) Oklahoma State secondary fits.

Of course, the Cougar defense is in for an even longer day with a ridiculously stacked Cowboy offense. Zac Robinson to Dez Bryant all day, with an occasional 20 yard run from Kendall Hunter will outmatch, outspeed and leave the Cougar D in the dust come Saturday.

The last time these two teams met, Oklahoma State won 56-37. Don't be surprised if this match up ends with even gaudier numbers.

Best Mid-Major v. BCS Player Matchup:

Air Force QB Tim Jefferson who completed 5-of-7 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, and ran five times for 22 yards and two scores against lowly Nicholls State last week will have a much tougher job this week against a solid Minnesota Defense. Led by LB Lee Campbell, Minnesota spoiled Greg Paulus's Syracuse debut by keeping the Orange to just 257 yards of total offense and allowing just one of 12 third down conversions. If Air Force wants to make a statement as a major player in the Mountain West this season, a big game by Tim Jefferson is a must.

Here's your chance, now show us what you can do:

East Carolina v. West Virgina: Part II. Last year, the Pirates (at least for the first few weeks of the season) seemed to be destined for BCS glory with upset wins against West Virgina and Virgina Tech. If East Carolina wants to make some noise in Conference USA this year, QB Patrick Pinkney (now in his sixth year of elgibility) will have to show up big time against West Virgina this Saturday. Pinkney's peformance verse the Moutaineers was fantastic last season, when he completed 22 of 28 passes for 23 yards and a TD. A similar performance is unlikely this year against an improved secondary, but East Carolina always seems to find a way to keep things interesting.

Mid-Major Madness Picks of the Week:

West Virgina: 27 East Carolina: 17

Oklahoma State: 45 Houston: 31

Western Michigan: 24 Indiana: 17

Michigan State: 35 Central Michigan: 21

TCU: 38 Virgina: 24

Minnesota: 27 Air Force: 21

Wisconsin: 31 Fresno State: 19

Boise State Broncos defeat Oregon Ducks 19-8, LeGarrette Blount punches Bronco player

aGent37 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:04:38 -0000

Boise State Broncos defeat Oregon Ducks 19-8, LeGarrette Blount punches Bronco player

Mid-Major College Football Week 1 Breakdown

aGent37 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:35:17 -0000

Mid-Major Game of the Week:

Football season is finally upon us and by the graces of the football gods, we are lucky enough to have what may be one of the best match ups of the season for our appetizer.... Boise State v. Oregon.

Arguably the single most important game of the year for the boys in blue, a win against Oregon tonight can put it in the lead or the coveted non-big six BCS spot and continue to cement the Broncos as one of the premiere Mid-Major programs in college football. Boise won last year in Eugene against a good Oregon team and the Ducks will be looking for a little revenge.

Boise will have to contain the likes of Heisman candidate running back LeGarrette Blount and QB Jerimah Masoli if they hope to come away with the win. Look for Chip Kelly, in his college coaching debut, to take it to the Boise defense with everything the Ducks can muster.

Best Mid-Major v. BCS Player Matchup:

In what is a make or break season for Notre Dame's Charlie Wies, the Golden Domers face a difficult challenge against Nevada and QB Colin Kaepernick. The Irish were absolutely pitiful against the run last season, and must face dual theat Kaepernick (1,130 yards, 17tds) and running back Vai Taua (1,521 yards, 15 TDs) in their opener. Even if they can contain the running game, Kaepernick threw for almost 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, so the Irish D better be firing on all cylinders if they plan on sending the Wolf Pack back to Nevada with a loss.

Here's your chance, now show us what you can do:

In the second best Mid-Major/BCS match-up of the week, BYU faces Oklahoma in Arlington, and if the Cougars stand any chance of beating a loaded Sooners squad, QB Max Hall needs to have the game of his career. BYU lost 3 games last year and there's no surprise in the fact that Hall fell flat on his face in all 3 of those losses. Worse yet, as highly as BYU has been ranked in the last few seasons, they have yet to beat a ranked opponent in over 10 years of play. The odds are against the Cougars and their chances rest completely upon the shoulders of veteran Hall.

Mid-Major Madness Picks of the Week:

Boise State: 35 Oregon: 27

Oklahoma:42 BYU: 24

Ole Miss: 31 Memphis: 17

Arizona: 35 Central Michigan: 24

Texas A&M: 24 New Mexico: 21

Upset Special:

Western Michigan: 24 Michigan: 23

Zeke finally gives in, agrees to take beating from Tar Heels

aGent37 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:44:22 -0000

After weeks of kicking and screaming, FIU head coach Isiah Thomas and Athletic Director Pete Garcia finally agreed to get their butts kicked by North Carolina instead of... getting their butts kicked by Ohio State in the opening round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament this November.

Isiah and Garcia, who somehow thought he had a better chance at beating a senior laden Buckeye team over the defending national championships (who lost their entire line-up to the NBA) cited that it was simply a conflict of contractual terms with organizer Gazelle Group in his defense. Luckily, both realized that all this bad publicity is probably not the best way to start off Zeke's illustrious tenure as head coach of the Golden Panthers.

Tune in next week, when Isiah tries to sues the Sun Belt for making him lose to Western Kentucky twice in the same season....