MAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2023 by David Griggs

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MAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL:

  1. Akron
  2. Kent State
  3. Ohio U
  4. Toledo
  5. Northern Illinois
  6. Bowling Green (tied 6th)
  7. Miami OH (tied 6th)
  8. Ball State
  9. Buffalo
  10. Western Michigan
  11. Eastern Michigan
  12. Central Michigan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 1ST TEAM:

-Ali Ali – SR, G – Akron
-Enrique Freeman – SR, F – Akron
-Chris Payton – SR, F – Kent State
-Jaylin Hunter – SR, G – Ohio U
-Dante Maddox Jr. – JR, G – Toledo

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 2ND TEAM:

-Tyson Acuff – JR, G – Eastern Michigan
-Jalen Sullinger – JR, G – Kent State
-Anderson Mirambeaux – SR, C – Miami OH
-David Coit – JR, G – Northern Illinois
-AJ Brown – SO, G – Ohio U

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Akron won 22 games a year ago and was really strong down the stretch in conference play. With Enrique Freeman returning along with two other starters, the Zips are the consensus favorite to win the league this year. John Groce has done an outstanding job as head coach and he has a deep/talented team this year that may be good enough to not just make noise in the MAC but to make some noise on the national stage.

-Kent State had a fantastic year last year with 28 total wins, a 2nd place finish in the MAC, and a MAC Tournament championship. They did lose three of their top players so it is going to be very hard to equal that success again this year, but they still appear to have a talented roster and should easily finish in the top half of the standings.

-Ohio U is a team that I am really big on. They were just 10-8 in the MAC last year, but they were really strong down the stretch and they also have three starters returning including Jaylin Hunter at point guard. I do not think they are quite as deep/talented as the Zips but they should have a really good team this year.

-Toledo was last year’s first-place team but missed the NCAA Tournament after they fell to Kent State in the championship game. Like Kent State, they are tasked with rebuilding their roster after an outstanding season. Dante Maddox Jr./Tyler Cochran are two players who appear capable of playing more minutes and stepping into bigger roles this year so Toledo may not be quite as good as they were a year ago, but they are still a team to contend with in this league.

-I keep waiting for Northern Illinois to take a big step forward as a program, but every time it seems like they may be in a position to do it the step they take forward is not as big as you hoped or thought it would be. Three starters are back from a team that was 9-9 in MAC play a year ago and it looks like like they have an exceptionally good backcourt, particularly with Keshawn Williams. They are not quite as strong in the frontcourt but they still look like they (again) might be able to make some noise in this league.

-Miami OH had a really unsuccessful year in Travis Steele’s first year as head coach and finished 8th in the standings. Four starters are back and the Red Hawks were looking better at the end of the season, so perhaps the signs are there that they can make some significant improvements this year.

-Buffalo just has not been able to sustain the success they experienced with Nate Oats as head coach. George Halcovage takes over this year and has a lot of work ahead of him. Just one starter is back so they will need some of the new guys to step up if they are going to be competitive.

-Bowling Green has had three frustrating seasons right in a row and the indicators seem to be that things will not change this year. They only won 11 total games last year and have just one starter back. They have hit the portal as well as the JUCOs to try and build up their roster…but I still think it is going to be a struggle.

-Ball State had a 20-win season last year for the first time in a long time. The bad news is that almost none of their key players are back and the Cardinals are going into a reset mode. They have a lot of new young players and it may take them a while to start to gel.

It will not be easy for any of the Michigan Directional Schools…

-Western Michigan has had three straight seasons where they failed to win ten games and it does not look like the frustrations are going to come to an end this year for the Broncos. They have just two starters back from a team that finished outside the top-300 in most of the metrics.

-Eastern Michigan was 5-13 in the league a year ago and with their top player gone it looks like they will struggle even more this year.

-Central Michigan was one of the worst offensive teams in the nation last year and while they have gone into the portal to try and rebuild the roster, it is still looking like it is going to be a long and frustrating year.

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Big Sky Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

BIG SKY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL:

  1. Weber State
  2. Montana
  3. Eastern Washington
  4. Sacramento State
  5. Portland State
  6. Idaho State
  7. Montana State
  8. Northern Arizona (tied 8th)
  9. Northern Colorado (tied 8th)
  10. Idaho

BIG SKY MEDIAY DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

  1. Weber State
  2. Eastern Washington
  3. Montana
  4. Montana State
  5. Sacramento State
  6. Portland State
  7. Idaho State
  8. Northern Arizona
  9. Northern Colorado
  10. Idaho

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY:

-Dillon Jones – Weber State (Most Valuable Player)
-Aanen Moody – Montana
-Ethan Price – Eastern Washington
-Steven Verplancken Jr. – Weber State
-Brayden Parker – Idaho State
-Jorell Saterfield – Portland State

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Weber State is the near-unanimous favorite to win the league this year. They were a so-so 16-15 a year ago but were really good down the stretch and have all five starters back. Dillon Jones is a high-caliber player who many expect to make it to the NBA and he has a lot of experience surrounding him. Weber State could make quite a bit of noise not just in the Big Sky this year but perhaps nationally.

-Eastern Washington is another team I really like: I think I might like them as much as Weber State. They blew through this conference last year before being upset in the semifinals of the conference tournament and were one of the better shooting teams in the country. They are losing their two best players from a year ago but three starters are back, they return several players who were able to contribute off the bench last year and who could step into bigger roles, and they have some nice JUCO transfers coming in. Do not overlook the Eagles!

-Montana was very good in the second half of conference play and they have three of their top players back including Aanen Moody, who is one of the best guards in the conference. They also have some pretty strong-looking transfers coming in and I think will be able make a push for the top of the conference, especially considering how strong their backcourt is.

But once you get past the top-three it kind of drops off…

-Sacramento State is getting more preseason love than what they usually do. In fact I cannot remember the last time they finished in the top half of the conference. They do have quite a bit of size but the backcourt is where they look to be inexperienced/unproven.

-Montana State had a really big year last year where they were 15-3 in the conference, won 25 games overall, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky Tourney. The bad news is that just one starter is back and the Bobcats are now in a rebuilding mode. Matt Logie takes over as head coach and he has a lot of question marks on the roster.

-Portland State has had three straight losing seasons and was a rather unimpressive 7th in the league a year ago. With just two starters back and Cameron Parker not being one of them it could be a long year for the Vikings.

-Idaho State has not had a winning season in a while and were just 11-21 last year, but they were a somewhat respectable 8-10 in Big Sky play. Having said that, they did not look good at all down the stretch. Just two starters are back for the Bengals as they try and rebuild their roster with some key JUCO transfers. Brayden Parker is also a player to watch for them.

-It is not looking good for the bottom three teams. Northern Arizona was 9th in the conference a year ago and has just two starters back, Northern Colorado was decent last year but has to replace their top two scorers and best players, and Idaho is…well….seemingly always bad.

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ACC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

ACC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Duke
  2. Miami FL
  3. North Carolina
  4. Virginia
  5. Clemson
  6. Wake Forest
  7. NC State
  8. Virginia Tech
  9. Pittsburgh
  10. Syracuse
  11. Florida State
  12. Boston College
  13. Georgia Tech
  14. Louisville
  15. Notre Dame

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-ACC 1ST TEAM:

-Kyle Filipowski – Duke (ACC Preseason Player of the Year)
-Armando Bacot – North Carolina
-PJ Hall – Clemson
-Reece Beekman – Virginia
-Norchad Omier – Miami FL

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-ACC 2ND TEAM:

-Judah Mintz – Syracuse
-Nijel Pack – Miami FL
-Blake Hinson – Pittsburgh
-Tyrese Proctor – Duke
-Quinten Post – Boston College

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Duke won 27 games in the first season of the post-Coach-K era last year, and with four starters back from that team, including Kyle Filipowski who is one of the best players in the conference (and perhaps the country), the expectations are super-high for the Blue Devils. Duke pretty much has it all. They are strong in the frontcourt with Filipowski underneath, and they have talented guards, depth, and can shoot/defend. But there is a team in this league that I actually personally like a little more than them…

-Miami FL is coming off a Final Four run and while they do lose Isaiah Wong/Jordan Miller (who were probably their two best players), three other starters are back. Norchad Omier is a huge presence underneath who averaged a double-double a year ago, Nijel Pack is a great guard and a terrific outside shooter, and they have other guys who can step into bigger roles. It seems like ever since Jim Larranaga arrived at Miami they have outperformed their preseason expectations. I believe that he is one of the best coaches in the ACC and that the Canes will once again be better than expected even though they are expected to be pretty damn good!

-North Carolina was last year’s preseason #1 team, and by the end of the year they were…well…not ranked quite that high: they ended up missing the NCAA Tournament. Just two starters are back but the talent has been reloaded. RJ Davis is back in the backcourt, Cormac Ryan has transferred in from Notre Dame as a very good outside shooter, and despite under-peforming last year the expectations are once again really high this year.

-Virginia was last year’s first-place team, but with just one starter back most are expecting the Hoos to take a bit of a step back this year. Their roster does not appear to be overloaded with experience but Tony Bennett is an expert at getting his guys to play effectively. They do have some guys who were high-caliber players and high scorers at Under the Radar programs a year ago transferring in. My guess is that the Hoos will win a lot: they always do.

-I really like this Clemson team. They were good enough to make the NCAA Tournament a year ago, but a weak OOC schedule and a particularly terrible loss to Louisville was enough for the committee to pass them over. Three starters are back including PJ Hall, who is one of the best players in the conference. Joseph Girard also comes in from Syracuse and will likely be a big-time contributor as well. Coach Brad Brownell is probably on the hot seat but this is a good roster to have for a coach that is in that situation. They should make the NCAA Tournament this year.

-Steve Forbes has done amazing job in his first two seasons at Wake Forest, and you never want to underestimate a coach who won 25 games in his first year after they won just six the year before. Losing Tyree Appleby is a huge setback and one can only assume that Wake will not be as good without him, but they do have some really good looking transfers to join the returning starters. I think Wake will be good again this year.

-NC State was back in the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2018 and their expectations are high once again. They were a transfer heavy team a year ago and they have gone into the portal again to rebuild the roster. They have a couple of guys who can really shoot the ball from the outside and if they can all gel together then they could make another run at the bubble.

The bottom half of the conference does not excite me nearly as much…

-Virginia Tech has three starters back from a team that was in the NIT a year ago and they have a really good-looking backcourt, but they also look pretty thin underneath. Given how good some of the big men in this league are I think that will be a huge issue for them.

-Pitt had a great year last year where they won 24 games and made the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament, but they are tasked with rebuilding the roster this year after three starters have departed. I like Jeff Capel as a coach and he does have some pieces to work with (like Ishmael Leggett who comes in from Rhode Island), but I have more question marks than certainty about how good they are going to be this year.

-Adrian Autry takes over as head coach at Syracuse, and after two really disappointing years the question is when (or if) Syracuse will return to being a top level program. Judah Mintz is back who was a fantastic player a year ago. He is joined by two other starters and some pretty decent transfers.

-After several years of being a top-20-caliber program Florida State has skidded off the road over the last two years. Last year they were just in a rebuild mode. This year three starters are back and they have added some pretty decent players from the portal. I do not know if we will see the Noles back inside the bubble, but I do think they will be noticeably better this year and probably finish a lot higher than where they have been picked.

-I think Earl Grant is a really good coach, and while the progress has been slow at Boston College there has indeed been progress. They won 16 games a year ago and were 9-11 in ACC play. With three starters back and some quality transfers coming in, BC may take another step forward this year. I do not think they will end up anywhere near the bubble…but I think they will continue to improve.

-Georgia Tech returns four starters from last year’s team and I am always quick to point out that experience can turn into success. Tyzhaun Claude is also transferring in after being a standout player for Western Carolina a year ago. Could the Yellow Jackets be moving in the right direction?

-Louisville won just four games last year and when I look at them I cannot quite understand how they even won that many. I would like to think they will be better this year…but that is primarily because it would be hard for them to be any worse.

-Notre Dame is picked behind Louisville. I know the Irish are not going to be that good but I think they will at least be better than Louisville.

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Under the Radar: Preseason Special

Posted on October 30, 2023 by David Griggs

Chad and the panel preview the 22 Under the Radar conferences and discuss who they think the standout teams in each league will be. We are really big on UNC Asheville out of the Big South and think they can make a run at the bubble. The Missouri Valley looks to be particularly strong with Drake and Northern Iowa looking like potential top 50 teams. Yale from the Ivy League is exceptionally strong as well. The Sun Belt looks like it has six or seven teams that could end up winning the league. Liberty is a new member of Conference USA and appears to be the preseason favorite. All that, and more! And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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Southern Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 30, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

SOCON MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

  1. Furman
  2. UNC Greensboro
  3. Western Carolina
  4. Samford
  5. Chattanooga
  6. Mercer
  7. East Tennessee State
  8. Wofford
  9. The Citadel
  10. VMI

SOCON MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

  1. Furman
  2. Western Carolina (tied 2nd)
  3. Samford (tied 2nd)
  4. UNC Greensboro
  5. Chattanooga
  6. East Tennessee State
  7. Mercer
  8. Wofford
  9. The Citadel
  10. VMI

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SOCON TEAM:

-Marcus Foster – SR, G – Furman
-JP Pegues – JR, G – Furman
-Jalyn McCreary – SR, F – Mercer
-Mikeal Brown-Jones – SR, F – UNC Greensboro
-Keyshaun Langley – SR, G – UNC Greensboro
-Jermaine Marshall – SR, F – Samford
-Honor Huff – SO, G – Chattanooga
-Tre Jackson – SR, G – Western Carolina
-Russell Jones Jr. – SR, G – Western Carolina
-Vonterius Woolbright – SR, G – Western Carolina

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Last year Furman won 28 games, tied for 1st place in the SoCon standings, won the conference tournament, and then upset Virginia in the NCAA Tournament before losing to San Diego State in the Round of 32. It was a remarkable season for the Paladins. Their top-two players are gone and are now playing professionally, and while that is a lot to replace the other three starters are back, including a strong backcourt of Marcus Foster/JP Pegues. They return some other guys who came off the bench last year who should be able to step into bigger roles.

-Just one starter is returning for UNCG, but the roster is still pretty talented/experienced. Keyshaun Langley and his twin brother Kobe make up a very strong backcourt, and Mikeal Brown-Jones was a double-digit scorer off the bench last year, so this team has the pieces to finish near the top this year.

-When Samford hired coach Bucky McMillan I thought they were making a mistake. It turns out I was the one who was mistaken. He has had back-to-back 20+ win seasons at a school that has not won at a very high level since joining the SoCon. They are losing three of their top players, but two other starters are back along with several other players who were part of the regular rotation last year so the expectations are understandably high. They also have a couple of quality transfers coming in. I like this Samford team! I like how they play, and after I dismissed McMillan as a bad hire due to his lack of D1 experience, I now must admit that I am a fan of Bucky Ball! Samford tied for first last year and I think they can finish in first place again this year: this is a good team.

-Western Carolina is not a team that we have traditionally seen near the top of the SoCon standings, and prior to last year they had three losing seasons in four years. But with 18 wins a year ago and a rather strong finish to the season people are believing in the Catamounts this year. Three starters are back and all three earned preseason all-conference honors, so this team definitely has one of the best backcourts in the conference. If there are any question marks or weaknesses it is in their front court, and that is what is giving me pause. I think opponents will be able to take advantage of them in the paint, and that will make it harder for them to finish ahead of some of the other teams we have mentioned above them. Having said that, Justin Gray has done a great job since taking over as head coach and we should see that improvement continue into this year.

-Dan Earl took over as head coach at Chattanooga last year for Lamont Paris, whose 27-win season in 2022 was 2nd-best in school history. They were just 7-11 in league play last year and with just one starter back I think the Mocs will struggle again this year.

-After a 30-win season back in 2020 where the Buccaneers missed out on a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament due to it being cancelled, the Mocs have struggled every since and it is looking like those struggles will continue into this year. Just two starters are back so they will be looking to some JUCO transfers to step up for them this year.

-Mercer was terrible in the second half of conference play last year, which explains why the expectations are kind of low this year. Just two starters are back and they simply do not appear to have much in the way of talent/experience.

-It feels strange seeing Wofford picked this low. In all those years with Mike Young it seemed like they were always at or near the top of the conference, and we also saw them make some noise in the NCAA Tournament on occasion. Last year they finished with a losing record and this year’s preseason prognosis is that those struggles will continue. Two starters are back and they have a freshman class that looks pretty good, so maybe they will be able to build toward the future and do a little better than expected this year.

-I do not like lumping The Citadel and VMI together because I know they probably hate being lumped together. In recent years they have been at the bottom of the standings and all indications are that will be the case again this year. I really do like watching both these teams play, ESPECIALLY against each other! It is just a GREAT rivalry game…even if it is often just for 9th place. VMI does play a style that is hard to match up against, and while they won just four games last year they did prove to be a frustrating opponent at times. It would not shock me if they were able to pull a big upset or two this season. I do not think either one will win many games but they may win one or two that really surprises us.

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Northeast Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 29, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

NEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Sacred Heart
  2. Central Connecticut
  3. Fairleigh Dickinson
  4. Merrimack
  5. Wagner
  6. Stonehill
  7. Long Island
  8. Saint Francis U
  9. Le Moyne

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-NEC TEAM:

-Ansley Almonor – JR, F – Fairleigh Dickinson
-Kellen Amos – SR, G/F – Central Connecticut
-Nico Galette – SR, G – Sacred Heart
-Joey Reilly – SR, G – Sacred Heart
-Max Zegarowski – SR, G – Stonehill

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

We at Hoops HD absolutely LOVE this conference! The rivalries are great, the atmosphere at the venues is great, and the games are typically exciting. That being said, it is perennially one of the weaker leagues in all of D1, and last year it was historically weak as no team in the entire conference managed to finish in the top-300 of the NET. I do not believe an entire conference finishing outside the top-300 has ever happened before! But after all that, Fairleigh Dickinson upset Purdue in the NCAA Tournament and this conference won not just one but TWO NCAA Tournament games last year! I do not think anything could be more NEC than the combination of those two things!!

-Sacred Heart, who has never won the NEC before, is the consensus (and near unanimous) favorite to win it this year. They were just 8-8 in conference play a year ago, but with four starters back, which include Nico Galette/Joey Reilly, the Pioneers have both talent and experience in the backcourt.

-Central Connecticut won just ten total games last year and finished just 7th in the conference, but the expectations for them are high as three starters return including Kellen Amos, who is perhaps the best frontcourt player in the conference. They also have some promising-looking transfers coming in so it is understandable why so many are expecting them to substantially improve.

-Fairleigh Dickinson was a good-but-not-great 10-6 in league play last year. They also failed to win the conference tournament but made the NCAA Tournament by default because Merrimack was not eligible to play in the NCAAs. With a final NET of just 301 they were the lowest-rated team in any major metric that I could ever remember actually making the NCAA Tournament. They then went on to beat Purdue in the Round of 64, which I would personally name as the biggest upset in college sports history. It was not just that a 16-seed beat a 1-seed: it was that a team outside the top-300 beat a team that many thought could win it all. This year three starters are back and they appear to have a very strong frontcourt so I am a little surprised they are only being picked 3rd. They are a little unproven at the guard position but they do have a decent-looking transfer in DeVante Jamison coming in, so I for one think FDU is good enough to win the league again. Or, should I say…win it for a first time since they did not actually win it last year. Jack Castleberry is taking over as head coach and he has some pretty good pieces to work with.

-Merrimack was last year’s 1st-place team/tournament winner. However, because they were in their fourth in final year of transitioning up to D1 they were ineligible to participate in a postseason tournament. So, despite being the most deserving team in the league they could only watch the NCAA Tournament on TV. The transition is now complete, though: they are eligible for it this year! Unfortunately they lost some of their top players and are having to rebuild the roster. As unfair as this seems, they are not as good in their first year of being eligible for the postseason as they were in their last year of being ineligible for it.

-Wagner is always a team that I seem to pick to do well in this league, and while they are not my pick to win the league this year I like them a lot more than where they are being picked to finish. Three starters are back, they have an experienced backcourt, they picked up some pretty-good-looking transfers, and while they were not great down the stretch last year they were not terrible either.

-Stonehill is a transitional team that tied for second place in its first-ever D1 season last year. The transition from year-one to year-two is often a hard one. Key players leave and it is then hard to replace them because they are on probation. They were a good defensive team last year and likely will be again this year, and Max Zegarowski (a very good outside shooter) returns to the roster so they do have some weapons.

-Long Island won just one conference game a year ago and is in a bit of a rebuild mode this year. We should see some improvement…but having said that it would be difficult for them to do any worse.

-Saint Francis was a respectable 9-7 in conference play a year ago, but with all five starters gone from a year ago the Red Flash are having to start over and with so many new pieces the lack of experience could result in another long year.

-Le Moyne is a transitional team that begins their first season this year: welcome to D1!! Unlike Stonehill last year the expectations are not high.

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