America East Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 25, 2023 by David Griggs

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

AMERICA EAST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Vermont
  2. UMass Lowell
  3. Bryant
  4. Binghamton
  5. Maine
  6. UMBC
  7. UAlbany
  8. New Hampshire
  9. NJIT

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA EAST TEAM:

-Abdoul Karim Coulibaly – SR, G – UMass Lowell
-Clarence Daniels – SR, F -New Hampshire
-Sherif Gross-Bullock – GR, G – Bryant
-Aaron Deloney – SR, G – Vermont
-Earl Timberlake – SR, G – Bryant
-Kellen Tynes – JR, G – Maine

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Vermont has been the class of this league for most of the 21st century. Last year was no exception as they went 14-2 during the conference regular season, won the conference tournament, and were back in the NCAA Tournament. They are the preseason favorite again this year largely because of that history, but with just one starter back the Catamounts are having to reload their roster. Aaron Deloney returns, who is one of the better players in the conference and an outstanding outside shooter, and they do have a couple of guys who saw significant minutes coming off the bench last year, but they have turned to the portal to fill out the rest of the roster. TJ Long was a standout player at Fairfield and he should be able to contribute right away, and they have some other guys with D1 experience coming in as well. I like this Catamounts team. Ever since John Becker took over as head coach they have seemingly been at or near the top of the standings and I am not expecting things to be any different this year.

-UMass Lowell has had a rather unspectacular existence as a D1 program but they had a bit of a breakout season last year winning 26 total games and finishing in second place in the conference. They lost to Vermont in the championship game and missed out on a postseason tournament, but it was still a historically good year for the River Hawks. With three starters back expectations are incredibly high again this year. They can score, they can defend, Abdoul Karim Coulibaly is an outstanding guard and there are other guys who can play and contribute as well. I think they can challenge Vermont this year!

After the top two teams there is a bit of a drop off…

-Bryant was a modest 8-8 in the conference last year but kind of fell apart down the stretch. There are a couple of very talented players on this team, most notably Sherif Gross-Bullock (who averaged 17+ppg last season), but some recent off-court issues involving Coach Jared Grasso that I will not get into could prove to be a distraction, and given that they kind of fell apart down the stretch last year I do not like them as much as either Lowell or Vermont.

-Binghamton also finished 8-8 in league play and won just 13 games overall. They were terrible down the stretch as they lost five of their last six, and with just two starters back it could be a long year this year.

-I very much want to like this Maine team! I do not think they are as good as Lowell or Vermont but I do think they have the pieces to be a lot better than what we are used to seeing. They won 13 games a year ago, which may not be impressive in and of itself, but it was a substantial improvement over what we typically see them do. With four starters back from a team that was 7-9 in league play and playing better down the stretch than they were at the beginning, there is reason for Maine to hope!! Chris Markwood had a great debut season as head coach last year, Kellen Tynes is one of the better players in the entire conference, and he has some experience and guys that can contribute around him. Let’s Go Maine!!!!

-UMBC has been consistently around the middle of the pack but they are basically starting over this year with all five starters gone from a year ago. They have several guys coming in who were either quality D2 or JUCO players but I can understand being skeptical as to how successful they are likely to be this year.

-UAlbany used to be a consistent frontrunner in this conference, but it has been a while since they have even managed to put together a winning season: they won just eight total games last year while finishing dead last in the league. Just two starters are back, and while they have added some transfers that will likely contribute this year, it is looking like it is going to be another really long season.

-Nathan Davis takes over as head coach for a New Hampshire team that was not bad last year while going 9-7 in conference play, but has just two starters back and are in a bit of a transitional period. Clarence Daniels will be really strong for them in the frontcourt: he averaged a double-double last season and is a good outside shooter. While I do not think the Wildcats are going to be good this year, I am a little surprised to see them picked this close to the bottom.

-NJIT has seemingly struggled ever since they came into the conference and they have failed to win ten games in three of the past four years. Just two starters are back from a year ago and it is looking like it could be another year at the bottom of the standings for the Highlanders. However, they were the first-ever Team of the People so we at Hoops HD will always have a soft spot for them.

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CAA Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 25, 2023 by David Griggs

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

CAA MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Charleston
  2. UNC Wilmington
  3. Drexel
  4. Hofstra
  5. Delaware (tied 5th)
  6. Towson (tied 5th)
  7. Northeastern
  8. William & Mary
  9. Stony Brook
  10. Elon
  11. Monmouth
  12. Campbell
  13. Hampton
  14. NC A&T

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 1ST TEAM:

-Ante Brzovic – JR, F – Charleston
-Tyler Thomas – SR, G – Hofstra
-Charles Thompson – SR, G – Towson
-Trazarien White – JR, F – UNC Wilmington
-Amari Williams – SR, F – Drexel

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 2ND TEAM:

-Jyare Davis – JR, F – Delaware
-Anthony Dell’Orso – SO, G – Campbell
-Max Mackinnon – SO, G – Elon
-Reyne Smith – JR, G – Charleston
-Tyler Stephenson-Moore – SR, G – Stony Brook

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-The biggest story out of the CAA from last season was Charleston. They won 31 games, climbed into the national rankings, won the conference tournament, and then played a great game against San Diego State (who was the eventual national runner-up) in the Round of 64. It is understandable that they would be the preseason favorites after doing all that, but they did lose three key starters and will have to rebuild the roster. Ante Brzovic is back and he gives them a huge presence underneath. Reyne Smith also gives them some experience and talent out on the perimeter as he is a very good outside shooter. They do have some experienced guys returning who came off the bench last year to go along with a few notable transfers. Pat Kelsey has done a fantastic job for this program since he took it over and it would not shock me at all to see them at the top of the league again this year.

-UNCW had a great season last year that was kind of overshadowed by Charleston. They won 24 total games, and while they had a couple of head-scratching losses they nearly beat Charleston in the CAA Championship game. Four starters return, and considering how good they were a year ago it would not shock me at all to see them compete with and even finish ahead of, Charleston this year. Trazarien White is probably their best player but they are balanced and they have depth. I like this team a lot and think we will be seeing them a lot in the Under the Radar Top Ten this year.

-Drexel has four starters back and is getting a lot of preseason love this year. I do not like them quite as much as the top two teams in the league…but I do like them quite a bit. Injuries were a big reason they struggled down the stretch last season. They clearly were not the same team as they were when they were healthy so we should see a big improvement if they can just keep their guys on the court. Amari Williams is a fantastic frontcourt player and they have enough experience and talent out on the perimeter to give them a lot of weapons. I was going to pick the Dragons as a sleeper team, but since they have been picked to finish 3rd I guess they really are not sleepers at all.

-Last season Hofstra actually finished 16-2 in league play and won 25 games overall. They tied Charleston in the standings and it was a fantastic year for Speedy Claxton in his second year as head coach. They should have gotten more credit but because of the national attention Charleston was getting they kind of got lost in the shuffle. Three starters are back including Tyler Thomas, who is one of the best guards in the conference. I think this Hofstra team could end up having another monster year this year.

I love the top-four teams in this league! But after that…it starts to look like a low level UTR conference. It would not shock me to see each of the the top-four teams go unbeaten against the other ten teams in the league.

-Delaware was just 8-10 last year and has just two starters back. While they have an outstanding player in Jyare Davis, they are not a very good shooting team and I cannot see them competing with the top four teams.

-I love what Pat Skerry has been able to do at Towson: I say that every year but it is the truth. They have now had back-to-back 20+ win seasons, but with just two starters back they are sort of tasked with having to rebuild their roster this year and we could see them take a bit of a step back. Charles Thompson is a standout guard, and they are adding what appear to be some notable transfers, so perhaps the Tigers can keep winning at the same clip they have been.

-Northeastern Coach Bill Coen is a good coach. Having said that, there is no ignoring the fact that they have failed to win more than ten games in each of the last three years, and you have to start to wonder if he is ever going to build them back up. Three starters are back, and hopefully that experience translates into a few more wins, but I gotta be honest: I am just not seeing it.

-William & Mary has never been to an NCAA Tournament: could this be the year!!?? Well, the answer is almost assuredly….no. We did see improvement last year in the sense that they were not as bad as they had been the previous two years, and they do have some terrific outside shooters, most notably Gabe Dorsey. I think we will see continued improvement this season, but they are still a long way from the top of the league.

-Stony Brook has just two starters back from a team that won just 11 games a year ago. They have a very good guard in Tyler Stephenson-Moore but the rest of the roster is questionable. They do have some guys back from injuries and they have also got some transfers coming in that may be able to contribute.

-Elon has not won more than ten games for the past three seasons, and while three starters return and we could see some improvement come along with that experience the expectations still are not very high. Max Mackinnon gives them some strength in the backcourt but they will need some other guys to step up.

-King Rice has been at Monmouth for 12 seasons, which is kind of hard to believe, but the days of this being a nationally-relevant program and a media darling now seems like it happened in another lifetime. This team managed just seven wins a year ago, and although all four starters are back, most people (myself included) are expecting to see them closer to the bottom of the standings than the top.

-Campbell comes into the CAA from the Big South, and their new conference mates do not seem to have very high expectations for them. I cannot say that my own expectations are all that high but they certainly are not this low. Three starters are back, and while the Big South is not as good as the CAA overall I think it actually is comparable to the CAA outside of the top-four teams. The Camels will not compete with the likes of CofC/UNCW/Hofstra/Drexel, but they can probably hold their own with everyone else and finish a little better than 12th.

-Hampton is coming off of an eight-win season and has just two starters back. Jordan Nesbitt is a pretty solid player but he cannot do it alone.

-NC A&T is basically starting over. All five starters from last year are gone and they have a new head coach in Monte Ross who certainly has his work cut out for him.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Little Rock coach Darrell Walker

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Jon Teitel

We are still about 2 weeks away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Little Rock coach Darrell Walker, who talked about winning a title with Michael Jordan and his expectations for this season.

In the 1981 NCAA tourney as a player at Arkansas you scored a game-high 23 PTS and your teammate US Reed swished a 49-footer at the buzzer to clinch a 1-PT upset of defending national champion Louisville (www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-TtGo8CwUM): what are your memories of 1 of the most fantastic finishes in NCAA tourney history? I remember Coach Eddie Sutton in the huddle telling us to get the ball to US and that we were going to win the game. It was a spectacular shot.

In 1983 you were named All-American/conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I had put in some hard work to become a complete basketball player so to make a Sweet 16 and win some conference titles felt good.

In the decisive Game 5 of the 1984 Eastern Conference 1st round as a player with the Knicks (your 1st-ever playoff series), Bernard King scored 44 PTS in 41 minutes despite having the flu and a pair of dislocated middle fingers while Isiah Thomas scored 16 PTS in the final 93 seconds of regulation to force OT: which of these 2 amazing achievements impressed you the most? Both of them were pretty impressive. Bernard was just phenomenal for that entire series as he averaged about 43 PPG. I remember it being very hot at Joe Louis Arena that night due to the lack of air conditioning but we were able to get the win.

In 1993 you won an NBA title with Chicago as they became the 1st team to win 3 straight titles since Boston in the 1960s: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was it like to have Michael Jordan as a teammate? It was great to win a title back home in Chicago where I grew up. Playing with MJ was like going around with the Rolling Stones 24/7. It was so fun that year to see him play so well despite all of the pressure/expectations.

You played for some of the best coaches in NBA history including Hubie Brown/Chuck Daly/Phil Jackson: what was the most important thing that you learned from any of them? I took something from all of them: Chuck was a master at dealing with players, Hubie was all about preparation, and Phil never seemed to get uptight.

You were a 2-time conference DPOY and your 1.5 career SPG remains top-80 in NBA history: what is the secret to being a great defender? Wanting to do it! All good defenders want to guard their opponent even though it is a thankless job, and footspeed also helps.

Your wife Lisa was an All-American sprinter at Arkansas and joined you in the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame: who is the best athlete in the family? You are talking to him! If she was standing here I would tell you the same thing.

Your roster at Little Rock only has 2 in-state players: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? We are a small mid-major but my staff and I know a lot of people all over the basketball world. We recruit guys from everywhere but the key is having good contacts.

Your team allowed opponents to shoot almost 40 3P% last year: how big a priority is perimeter defense this year? It has been very important and I have stressed it all summer. We scored more than enough PTS to win some games last year but to be honest we were horrible on the defensive end. We moved on from last season and have some guys whose focus will be on contesting shots this year.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? To win games and be 90% better defensively. We want to hold teams in the 60s so it is all about the defense: if we defend better then we will win games.

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The Hoops HD Report: Pac 12 Conference Preview

Posted on October 25, 2023 by David Griggs

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

This is the final year of the Pac-12 in its classic format. The panel takes a look at it, and feels that it isn’t quite as strong as the rest of the P5 leagues. Still, we really like Arizona and feel they can run away from the league. USC is also very talented and they shouldn’t have any trouble making the NCAA. UCLA, who has had several great seasons in a row, had a new roster and we discuss whether or not their new personnel is the best fit for their system. Colorado is another team with big preseason expectations, and while a lot of us like them we also question whether or not they are being overvalued. Oregon is another team with a lot of question marks. They struggled with injuries last year, but what is their potential if they can stay healthy. We look at and discuss all 12 teams in the Pac 12.

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

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Temple assistant coach Bobby Jordan

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Jon Teitel

We are still about 2 weeks away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Temple assistant coach Bobby Jordan, who talked about getting hired last April and his expectations for this season.

You played basketball at Drexel: how good a player were you back in the day, and how did you 1st get into coaching? I am a lot better coach than I was a player based on my 2 career points! I went to Drexel so that I could get into coaching and learn the ropes from Bruiser Flint.

You were head coach at IMG Academy: how are they able to keep producing 5-star recruits year after year? I was just down there recruiting last week: it is like Disneyland for student-athletes. Recovery, development, weight room, classroom: it is a real school and they offer anything you want and everything you need. Kids talk about wanting to be challenged every day: when I was there we had 22 future D-1 players in our program.

As an assistant at Wagner in 2022 you won 16 games in a row: did it reach a point where your team just expected to win every time that it stepped onto the court? We had a special team that year and were rolling. Elijah Ford tore his ACL during win #14 vs. LIU and then the streak ended a couple of games later against Merrimack. We had a few guys come back that season for an extra year after COVID despite only winning 8 games during their 1st year in 2020 so it was really special.

You were hired by new head coach Adam Fisher as an assistant last April: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I am a Philly guy and have lived here for most of my life. Even when I was at Wagner I would make the daily commute from Philly, where my wife is from (she played at Penn). Temple has a great tradition and it is a special opportunity.

The AAC has featured more conference realignment this year than any other with 6 teams joining the league from C-USA and 3 teams departing the league to join the Big 12: I know you were not in the league last year but what impact has all of this change had on you (if any)? When you see 3 teams leave for the Big 12 you might fear that our level of competition is going down, but we bring in a Final 4 team in FAU and a pair of teams in North Texas/UAB who faced each other in the NIT title game. It hurts to lose traditional powers like Cincinnati/Houston but I think the conference got deeper. It puts a chip on our shoulder to have a pair of top-25 teams in the league like Memphis/FAU.

You are playing in the Diamond Head Classic in December: how excited are you to spend Christmas in Honolulu?! I think that my kids are more excited than me because they have been talking about it a LOT! I got to experience it before as a player and my wife got to coach there while at Penn so hopefully we will get a couple of wins while we are out west.

You only have 2 seniors on the roster: have you figured out who will be your team’s leader yet? As we get closer to game action we are looking at our leaders more. We brought in 5 transfers and they have done an unbelievable job of jelling together. It has been really cool to see the guys working hard both on and off the court.

1 of your new additions is Steve Settle III, who transferred from Howard after scoring 13 PTS vs. Kansas in the NCAA tourney last March: what kind of role do you expect him to play this year? He has been mature in his approach to everything he does since stepping onto campus. He has re-transformed his body in the weight room and we expect him to have a big impact on our program: hopefully he can score more than 13 PTS while leading us back to the NCAA tourney.

The Eagles have the best record in the NFC and the Phillies are 1 game away from making the World Series: what is it like to be a Philly sports fan this month?! It seems like at least 1 of our teams are playing on a daily basis. My family and I were not in Philly last year for the Eagles/Phillies and were crushed while watching them lose the Super Bowl/World Series. It is a tough city…but when you play a certain way and win they love you. They play hard and have great camaraderie, which is what we are hoping to do here at Temple.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The 1st thing we talk about is the tradition/legacy of this program. We have the 6th-most wins in D-1 history and we want to rise to the level that came before us and make our fans/students/alumni proud.

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The Hoops HD Report: Big Ten Conference Preview

Posted on October 23, 2023 by David Griggs

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

A full panel takes a look at the Big Ten Conference that looks to be absolutely stacked this year. Purdue is the near unanimous preseason favorite with all their starters back from a year ago, including Zach Edey who may be the best player in the country. Michigan State also looks strong as they have built an incredibly talented roster even by Michigan State standards. Wisconsin is a team that lost a lot of close games last year, but returns a lot of pieces and with all that experience they could take a big step forward. Northwestern appears to have one of the strongest backcourts in the league, and we discuss what their NCAA Tournament chances are. We run through and discuss all 14 teams.

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

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