SEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 23, 2023 by David Griggs

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SEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

  1. Tennessee
  2. Texas A&M
  3. Arkansas
  4. Kentucky
  5. Alabama
  6. Auburn
  7. Mississippi State
  8. Florida
  9. Missouri
  10. Ole Miss
  11. Vanderbilt
  12. Georgia
  13. LSU
  14. South Carolina

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SEC 1ST TEAM:

-Grant Nelson, SR, F – Alabama
-Trevon Brazile – SO, F – Arkansas
-Johni Broome – JR, F – Auburn
-Justin Edwards – FR, G – Kentucky
-Tolu Smith – SR, F – Mississippi State
-Santiago Vescovi – SR, G – Tennessee
-Wade Taylor IV – JR, G – Texas A&M (SEC Preseason Player of the Year)

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SEC 2ND TEAM:

-Mark Sears – SR, G – Alabama
-Davonte Davis – SR, G – Arkansas
-Riley Kugel – SO, G – Florida
-Antonio Reeves – SR, G – Kentucky
-Zakai Zeigler – JR, G – Tennessee

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Since the arrival of Coach Rick Barnes Tennessee’s program has been remarkable. They won 27 games two years ago, 25 last year, and seem poised to be a Final Four-caliber team again this year. If there is an area where they have come up short it is in the NCAA Tournament. While they have fielded multiple Final Four-caliber teams over the years, they have never actually reached one. In fact, since becoming a program that is regularly nationally-relevant in roughly 2005-2006, they have advanced beyond the Sweet Sixteen just once, which is not bad, but for a program that is routinely ranked in the top-ten you would expect them to do better than that. Their top three starters are back from last year, and they add to it an incredibly strong recruiting class and a notable transfer in Jordan Gainey who was a standout player at USC Upstate a year ago. They are picked to win the SEC, they are certainly good enough to do that, and I think that they (again) have the makings of a potential Final Four team.

-I am super excited about Uncle Buzz and his Texas A&M team this year! I know they are getting a lot of respect and are starting off ranked in both the major preseason polls, but as much love as they are getting I still think they can be even better. In fact, I think they can win the SEC! They nearly won it last year, and four starters are back including Wade Taylor IV, who is the SEC Preseason Player of the Year and an NBA-caliber talent. Two other double digit scorers are also back, and while they may not be the deepest team they have enough guys on their bench to give them quality minutes when they need them. I am all in on the Aggies this year: I think they can end up with a protected seed and they can win this league!

-Last year, Arkansas entered the season with a super-talented roster, and while they had a good year overall they were just 8-10 in the conference and sort of fell short of expectations. They did make the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen, so they did become good at the right time. This year, preseason expectations are once again extremely high as they will begin the year ranked 14th in both the major polls. Just two starters are back but they have a lot of talent and experience coming in via the portal, particularly Khalif Battle from Temple, who averaged just under 18ppg a season ago. It may take the Razorbacks a little time to gel but once they do this is going to be a dangerous team.

-Two years ago I was not all that big on Kentucky coming into the year, and while they were upset in the Round of 64 by Saint Peter’s they had a fantastic season prior to that and won a lot of big games on the road. Last year they returned everyone from a team that had looked so good so often the year before. They were my preseason pick to win it all! And…well…they did not. They were good but not Final Four-good, and really not even legit-protected-seed-good. This year, Kentucky has a roster stacked with talent but that is also really young. Whereas most top programs now prefer to recruit proven and experienced players out of the portal, Kentucky is still looking to sign a lot of super-talented freshmen. With that approach comes a lot of uncertainty. We have seen Kentucky go to Final Fours with this approach…and we have also seen them fall way short of expectations. Antonio Reeves returns to the roster and his experience is probably very important to the chemistry of this team. He is a likely starter this year (although he came off the bench for most of last season), and will be out there with four super-talented freshmen who will likely all soon be in the NBA.

-Last year Alabama had their best season that I can ever remember and they entered the NCAA Tournament as legit national title contenders. Off the court they were less than spectacular, but on the court they were phenomenal. Nate Oats is an outstanding coach, and while they do lose three key starters including Brandon Miller, who was among the best players in the nation, I still like the pieces they have coming back this year and I once again think they will be a team that can earn a protected seed. Mark Sears is back and Aaron Estrada has transferred in after having an outstanding year at Hofstra. Grant Nelson, who was an outstanding big man at North Dakota State, also joins the roster. I know a lot of people probably dismiss players from Hofstra/North Dakota State as not being SEC-caliber players, but in the case of these two…they absolutely are! This is a VERY good Alabama team! Maybe not as good as last year, but still very good.

-People who work on and follow the site think I have some vendetta against Auburn: I do not. Most years, including both last year and even their Final Four year, I am quick to point out that they were not a good road team. And…well…they were not! They were just 4-8 in true road games a year ago and lost to teams like West Virginia/Georgia/Vanderbilt who were nowhere near the NCAA Tournament. Now, it may surprise everyone to learn that I actually do like Auburn coming into this year and think they can be a bit of a surprise team. Johni Broome is one of the best big men in the conference who can score/rebound/defend. He and Jaylin Williams make up a very solid frontcourt. They will likely once again be a pressure team, and while they are not quite as experienced in the backcourt they do have an experienced player n KD Johnson who can effectively run things.

-Mississippi State is not getting nearly as much love as I thought they would be or should be. While they just barely squeaked into the NCAA Tournament a year ago after going just 8-10 in conference play, all five starters are back, and this was a team that finished the season winning nine out of twelve before getting drilled by Alabama in the conference tournament. Chris Jans is also a very proven coach and he has shown the ability to develop not just the starting 5, but the bench as well. Not only do I think Mississippi State could be an NCAA Tournament team this yar. I think they can be a top-25 team.

-Florida is a bit of a question mark this year and Coach Todd Golden’s seat may be starting to feel a little warm. Only two starters are back from a year ago but both are really solid players who can score from the outside (Will Richard/Riley Kugel). The Gators also hit the portal and have Tyrese Samuel coming in from Seton Hall, EJ Jarvis from Yale, and Walter Clayton Jr. from Iona, all of whom were double-digit scorers. Golden has done a good job building an impressive roster: now they just have to win some games! I am not going to go so far as to guarantee that they will make the NCAA Tournament, but if you are asking me what I think their chances are I would say over 50%.

-Missouri had their best season in quite some time last year, winning 25 games and making it to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. They have a major rebuilding job ahead of them with just two starters back, and Dennis Gates is relying on some incoming transfers to step up and contribute. I do not think Mizzou will be as good as they were a year ago, but I do think the program is moving in the right direction and they will be much better than they were two and three years ago.

-The Chris Beard era begins at Ole Miss! Beard has won everywhere he has been, and after being forced out of Texas for off-court issues I will not get into, he is faced with perhaps his toughest rebuilding job yet. Ole Miss won just three SEC games a year ago and has not had a 20+ win season in four years. Just two starters are back but both were double-digit scorers, and Brandon Murray transferring in from Georgetown also gives them some much needed experience. Beard can win and I do think he will win at Ole Miss. I just do not think he is going to win a whole lot this first year.

-Jerry Stackhouse, after being the butt of a lot of our jokes, has actually done an outstanding job at Vanderbilt. They won 19 games two years ago and 22 last year. Their biggest problem has been keeping guys there. They were 11-7 in a very tough SEC a year ago, and while three starters are back and they do appear to have a very strong backcourt, they also have five new freshmen on the roster. I like what Stack has done and was really impressed with how much they improved throughout last season, but when I look at them this year it just looks like a building year.

-Mike White is a really good coach and he should be able to win at Georgia, but the Dawgs went just 16-16 a year ago and are in a bit of a rebuild mode with just one starter returning. Still, it was a big improvement from the year before, and they do have some good looking transfers coming in to fill out the roster, but while I think Georgia is heading in the right direction I do not think they are quite there yet.

-Matt McMahon begins his second year at LSU as the program tries to rebuild itself. Expectations are not exactly high this year. Two starters are back and they add Carlos Stewart to the roster, who transferred in after a great year at Santa Clara, but this probably is not the year we see LSU in the mix for an NCAA/NIT bid.

-South Carolina had a rough year last year where they won just 11 games and they could be in for another long year this year. The expectations are not high and their run to the 2017 Final Four now seems like it was a lifetime ago.

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Big-12 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 23, 2023 by David Griggs

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BIG-12 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Kansas
  2. Houston
  3. Texas
  4. Baylor
  5. TCU
  6. Kansas State
  7. Iowa State
  8. Texas Tech
  9. West Virgiia
  10. Oklahoma State
  11. Cincinnati
  12. Oklahoma
  13. BYU
  14. UCF

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG-12:

-LJ Cryer, SR, G – Houston
-Hunter Dickinson – SR, C – Kansas
-Dajuan Harris Jr. – JR, G – Kansas
-Emanuel Miller, SR, F – TCU
-Max Abmas – SR, G – Texas

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

The Big-12 has in recent years been both the strongest conference in terms of talent and the best conference in terms of how it was ideally set up for basketball. Ten teams with a true double-round-robin. With four new teams being added to the league, that format is gone forever, and most of the teams who joined actually appear to be making it weaker this year. So…

-Kansas is starting off the season ranked #1 in the nation and is the consensus favorite to win the Big-12. This is a team that is loaded with both talent and experience, they are a legit national title contender, and while they would not be my personal preseason #1, they are in my top-3. I certainly believe they are good enough to make a Final Four and even win it all. They were a 1-seed last year and while they lost in an upset in the Round of 32, they were still clearly one of the best teams in the nation and there is a lot coming back from that team. Gradey Dick is gone and that is a big loss, but the roster is stacked with talent, most notably Hunter Dickerson and Dajuan Harris Jr. who are potential NBA guys.

-Houston had a breakout season with an unbelievably talented roster last year. Granted, they have recently been to a Final Four, and while they only made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen last year they still spent the entire season highly ranked and in the national spotlight. They did lose multiple key players, but this program is now to a point to where it can just reload its talent, and that is what they have done this year. It will be a tough defensive team with some super-talented newcomers to go along with Jamal Shead/LJ Cryer. This is a team that should easily end up earning a protected seed and depending on how things fall could end up as a #1 seed again. It is also their first year in the Big 12 so the level of competition will be higher than what they’re used to throughout the season, but I think that if anything the stronger competition will strengthen both their team and their resume come March.

-Texas had to deal with some off the court issues when it came to their coaching staff, but Rodney Terry took over after Chris Beard was forced to resign, did a really good job, and earned the permanent job for this year. They are losing several key players, particularly Marcus Carr, but they have a loaded roster and the addition of Max Abmas, who was a standout player at Oral Roberts last year, gives them some firepower from the outside. The Horns look to be a solid top-25-caliber team and should walk into the NCAA Tournament.

-Baylor is having to reload. They are also coming off of what for them was a down year. They only made it as far as the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament after being a consistent top ten program for seemingly the previous four years. Keyonte George/Adam Flagler are gone, and those are two high-caliber players that are tough to replace, but RayJ Dennis transfers in from Toledo after averaging just under 20ppg for the Rockets last season, and Jalen Bridges also comes in from West Virginia. The Bears appear to have another strong recruiting class and we will likely once again see them in the rankings for most of the season.

-TCU has now been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and appears to be in position to get back there again. After not being on the basketball radar at all prior to the arrival of Coach Jamie Dixon, TCU has now become a nationally relevant program. They were inconsistent last season and went through a stretch in early February where they lost five out of six, but they ended up a solid 9-9 in Big 12 play and had multiple wins against ranked teams. Just two starters are back, but they do have some good looking players who are transferring in, including Avery Anderson III, who was a key player for Big-12 foe Oklahoma State a year ago, and Jameer Nelson Jr. from Delaware, who averaged over 20ppg, so I like the Horned Frogs quite a bit again this year.

-Kansas State was one of the biggest surprises in the nation last year as many had them pegged as the doormat of the Big-12. Jerome Tang did one of the best coaching jobs in the nation as the Wildcats finished the regular season in the top-25 and then advanced to the Elite Eight where they barely lost to Florida Atlantic. With just two starters back and several key players who need replacing, people seem to once again be overlooking Kansas State. I sure as hell would not! Tylor Perry transfers in from North Texas, who was an amazing player last season and is capable of being a big contributor at the Big 12 level. Ques Glover also comes in from Samford, and Arthur Kaluma comes in from Creighton. These are three guys who averaged double-figures a year ago, and who could really blossom at K-State this year.

-TJ Otzelberger enters his second year at Iowa State, and after a successful debut last year where they made the NCAA Tournament he is tasked with a rebuilding job this year. Just one starter is back, and while they do have some good-looking transfers coming in who could play big roles for the Cyclones this year, I see them struggling against most of the teams in the top half of this league.

-Texas Tech struggled in league play a year ago going just 5-13 in the Big-12. As much as they struggled, they were still pretty good. It is just that the league was exceptionally tough and every game someone has to lose. Grant McCasland takes over as head coach, who did a fantastic job at North Texas, and he is tasked with rebuilding the roster. He has gone into the portal to go after experienced players who can contribute right away. Five players come in with four years’ experience, and while all of them were key players at D1 programs, and some at P5 programs, they will only be there for one year. Having said that, if they can gel then I think Texas Tech will be an improved team this year.

-West Virginia is just not in good shape. Former coach Bob Huggins faced multiple off-court issues during the offseason that I am not going to get into. He will not be returning and most of the key players from a year ago will not be either. Josh Eilert takes over as head coach and he has his work cut out for him as he tries to rebuild WVU into a nationally relevant program. As of now, I am not entirely convinced it is going to happen any time soon.

-Oklahoma State had a modest season last year where they finished with 20 wins and played in the NIT. Mike Boynton is a good coach, and they do have a really impressive looking recruiting class coming in, but I think they are a year or so away from being able to build this into an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

-Cincinnati just has not been good since Mick Cronin left for UCLA. They won 23 games last season and made the NIT, which was a huge improvement from the previous couple of seasons, and I do like Wes Miller as a coach and feel he will get things going. Having said that, they are new to the Big 12 this year and when I look at their current team it looks like they are going to struggle. Two guys they were relying on are 4-4-4 transfers, and the chances of them being eligible to play this year are slim, which means they just do not have the talent/depth to compete with the majority of teams in the league.

-Oklahoma struggled last year in Porter Moser’s second season and many are wondering if the Sooners’ program is going in the right direction. While I think landing inside the bubble this year is unlikely for the Sooners, I am a little surprised to see them picked this low. They got two quality guards out of the transfer portal in Le’Tre Darthard (Utah Valley) and Javian McCollum (Siena) so the cupboard is not totally bare. Two starters are also back from last year’s team so I think they’ll do a little bit better than where they are being picked.

-BYU is another team that is new to the league, and given how low they are picked to finish they do not appear to have the respect of their new conference mates. BYU is coming off what was a down year for them, but four starters are back. It is a program that has a tendency to improve as their players become more experienced, and their home court is one of the toughest places to play in the country so they will almost assuredly finish higher than this. Aly Khalifa, who was a solid player at Charlotte last year, also transfers in. I…do not get it: next to last?? Hell, I was thinking this was at worst an NIT team, and if everything comes together they could make a run at making the NCAA Tournament.

-UCF is also new to the Big 12, and if they were still in the American I would say they are rebuilding and will likely struggle this year. Now that they are in the Big 12, I am going to say that they are rebuilding and will likely be dominated this year. I like this program and I think Johnny Dawkins has done a good job as head coach. The long term potential is promising. The short term potential for this season is…well…not.

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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 22, 2023 by David Griggs

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MAAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Rider
  2. Iona
  3. Canisius
  4. Siena
  5. Quinnipiac
  6. Fairfield
  7. Mount Saint Mary’s
  8. Marist
  9. Niagara
  10. Saint Peter’s
  11. Manhattan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 1ST TEAM:

-Osborn Shema – SR, F – Iona
-Dakota Leffew – SR, G – Mount Saint Mary’s
-Matt Balanc – SR, G – Quinnipiac
-Mervin James -SR, F – Rider
-Allen Powell – SR, G – Rider

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 2ND TEAM:

-Tahj Staveskie – SO, G – Canisius
-Caleb Fields – SR, G – Fairfield
-Isaiah Brickner – SO, G -Marist
-Paul Otieno – SR, F – Quinnipiac
-Michael Eley – SO, G – Siena

MEDIA DAP RESEASON ALL-MAAC 3RD TEAM:

-Xzavier Long – JR, F – Canisius
-Alexis Yetna – SR, F – Fairfield
-Joel Brown – SR, G – Iona
-Idan Tretout – SR, G – Iona
-Corey Washington – SO, F – Saint Peter’s

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Rider won just 16 games a year ago, and while they were the 2nd place team in the MAAC, they were a full four games behind Iona and were as far ahead of 9th place as they were behind 1st place. I do think they will be a conference frontrunner, but I am a little surprised that the love for them is as seemingly unanimous as it is. Three veteran starters are back including Mervin James/Allen Powell, who were both double-digit scorers a year ago. They also have what appear to be some quality JUCO players transferring in, so they do have some pretty good pieces and the expectations should be high.

-The Rick Pitino era at Iona has ended and just one starter is back from a year ago, so the Gaels are tasked with turning other both their coaching staff and their roster. Here is the thing, though: Tobin Anderson takes over, and he is a very good coach who proved last year at Fairleigh Dickinson that he is capable of getting it done as the head man at a D1 program. The roster is very transfer-heavy (as you would expect) but some of these guys are proven players. Idan Tretout was a key player for Harvard last year, and they have some strong-looking JUCO players and freshmen coming in as well. I know they lost a lot, and it looks like they have an entirely new team this year, but the Gaels are my pick to win this league again. They were a constant frontrunner before Rick Pitino arrived and they have a good/proven coach stepping in to replace him.

-Canisius in 3rd place…but I am just not seeing it. They were good down the stretch and three starters are back, but they won just 9 D1 games a year ago, and while I believe experience can lead to success I just do not see them making this big of a jump. But…what the hell do I know? Tahj Staveskie is a really good guard and he will be one of the key contributors for the Golden Griffins this year.

-I seemingly always like Siena coming into the season and I once again like them this year. They were a streaky team a year ago, and they picked a bad time to go on a bad streak at the end of the season as they lost their last six games, but with three starters back and some key transfers coming in, I think they experience will pay off and the Saints will perform with more consistency this year. One thing that did hurt them is that several of their younger players who would have been contributors this year jumped into the portal, but Siena got some decent players in the portal themselves and I believe they are set up to be successful. Then again, I seemingly always believe that.

-Quinnipiac won 20 games a year ago and went on some streaks during the season that really made them jump out. They got off to a 7-0 start, and if I am not mistaken actually garnered a few votes (albeit VERY few) in some of the top-25 polls. They also had a stretch in the first half of conference play where they won seven of eight and appeared to be a contender, but then fell apart in the second half of conference play. With three starters back and an experienced Tom Pecora taking over as head coach, I would like to think that the Bobcats can be a bit of a dark horse and surprise some people this year. They appear to have a reasonable amount of talent in the frontcourt/backcourt and a reasonable amount of depth, so maybe we can see them make some noise this year.

-Fairfield had a rather unspectacular season last year and was just plain bad down the stretch. Three starters are back, but they have to replace their top player. They do have some notable transfers coming in, but it is looking like it is going to be tough for them to finish in the top half of the standings.

-Mount Saint Mary’s is another team that was underwhelming a year ago and is now tasked with replacing some of their key players who opted to transfer out. Dakota Leffew should give them some strength at the guard position, but he needs help from his supporting cast if the Mountaineers are going to have any success this season.

-After not looking all that good at all during any point of the season and finishing in last place, Marist made it all the way to the conference tournament championship game before losing rather handily to Iona. Three starters are back, and we should see them finish higher than…well…last, and I think they may have it in them to finish a little higher than where they are being picked, but I do not think they are at a point where I would expect them to finish in the top half of the conference.

-Niagara is experiencing a roster overhaul after some of their better players jumped into the portal, and while they finished .500 a year ago, which is at least respectable, what is left does not seem to be the makings of a team that can finish in the top half of the league this year.

-Saint Peter’s was in the Elite Eight just two years ago. It is not often you see a team from an Under the Radar conference in the Elite Eight, but it is even less common to see that team picked to finish just 10th in that same UTR conference just two years later. Having said that, I think the Peacocks are going to do better than 10th this year. Three starters are back including Corey Washington, who deservedly received some preseason all-conference honors. They have also rebuilt their roster what what appear to be some standout JUCO players who could step in and contribute. I think this team can finish in the middle of the pack, and if everything comes together perhaps even do a little better than that. To pick them 10th seems way too low. In contrast…

-Manhattan is picked last. That does NOT seem like it is way too low. My goodness the wheels have fallen off the car! Along with the doors, the windshield, and the engine. Much needs to be done to rebuild this program back into a conference frontrunner and new Coach John Gallagher has his work cut out for him.

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Missouri Valley Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 22, 2023 by David Griggs

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MISSOURI VALLEY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Drake
  2. Northern Iowa
  3. Bradley
  4. Indiana State
  5. Belmont
  6. Missouri State
  7. Murray State
  8. Illinois State
  9. Southern Illinois
  10. UIC
  11. Evansville
  12. Valparaiso

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 1ST TEAM:

-Bowen Born – JR, G – Northern Iowa
-Donovan Clay – SR, G/F – Missouri State
-Tucker DeVries – JR, G/F – Drake
-Malevy Leons – SR, F – Bradley
-Cade Tyson – SO, G/F – Belmont

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 2ND TEAM:

-Tytan Anderson – JR, G/F – Northern Iowa
-Robbie Avila – SO, C – Indiana State
-Darnell Brodie – SR, F – Drake
-Julian Larry – JR, G – Indiana State
-Rob Perry – SR, G – Murray State
-Kenny Strawbridge Jr. – SR, G – Evansville

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 3RD TEAM:

-Darius Burford – SR, G – Illinois State
-Duke Deen – SR, G – Bradley
-Xavier Johnson – SR, G – Southern Illinois
-Chance Moore – JR, G – Missouri State
-Isaiah Swope – JR, G – Indiana State

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Drake had a good year last year. It is hard to say that a team that won 27 games underachieved, but…I kind of think they did! This was a team that, at the start of the year, I thought we would see in the top-25 and solidly inside the bubble by the end of the year, and while they had a good year and did make the NCAA Tournament it felt like it should have been even better. Expectations are high again this year, and if history is any indicator this will be a very good defensive team with very balanced scoring. Only two starters are back but one of them is Tucker DeVries, who averaged 19ppg last year and was the best player in the conference. They have two transfers who should be big contributors this year (Ethan Roberts from Army/Atin Wright from Cal State Northridge), and this once again looks like a team that can not just finish at or near the top of The Valley, but who can make some noise on a national level as well.

-I am a little surprised to see Northern Iowa picked this high. Don’t get me wrong: I actually AGREE with having them this high! I am just surprised that a team that finished just 14-18 last year would have high expectations this year. But, this is a good team! Four starters are back, and while they completely crash landed in the second half of conference play going (1-7 in their final eight games), injuries had a lot to do with that, and when they were healthy they were one of the better teams in the conference. Bowen Born is a phenomenal guard, and Trey Campbell/Michael Duax, who both started as freshmen last year, are both experienced and should improve quite a bit this year. UNI was going to be my dark horse, but I guess you cannot call a team that was picked to finish 2nd a dark horse. I also really like Ben Jacobson as a coach and think he can help lead them to an outstanding season.

-Bradley was last year’s first-place team, which was a mild surprise (at least to me), but Coach Brian Wardle had what was perhaps his best season since taking over the Braves, and with three starters back from that team they appear to be in position to have another big year this year. They lost to Drake in the conference championship game so they missed out on the NCAA Tournament last year, but it was still an outstanding season overall. Depth could be a bit of an issue for them this year, but the three returning starters give them experience and talent in both the frontcourt and the backcourt.

-Outside of a horrible stretch early on in conference play where they lost four straight games, Indiana State had a very good season last year. The 23 total wins was a huge improvement from anything they had done recently, and while just two starters are back, the expectations are now higher as Coach Matthew Graves enters his third season with The Trees. They did get four players out of the transfer portal who should be able to step up and contribute. While I do not think they are a contender to win the league, another 20+ win season is not out of the question.

-Belmont had a decent year in their first year in the MVC last year winning 21 total games and finishing in a 3rd place tie in the conference. This is a team that can definitely hold its own, but with just two starters back saying they will compete for a spot at or near the top of the standings may be a bit of a stretch. They do have some decent looking freshmen coming in, and that could pay off in future years, but this year I would look for them to finish in the middle.

-Missouri State’s season was sort of ‘meh’ when you looked at it as a whole, but they played pretty well in the last few weeks and with three starters back they could be a bit of a dark horse this year if they are able to start off playing the way they ended last year. Injuries also plagued the Bears a year ago, so if they can stay healthy then they should see more wins this year. I kind of like the Bears! I do not think they will win the league, but I think they will exceed their preseason expectations and surprise some people.

-Two years ago Murray State won 31 games, finished the regular season ranked in the top-25, and advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament after earning a #7 seed. Last year they digressed quite a bit, but considering how much their roster and coaching staff turned over they were still a respectable 17-15 on the year and finished above .500 in the conference. They have a good looking core of players returning including Rob Perry, who is one of the better guards in the conference. They also have some transfers coming in who should be able to give them some quality minutes. While the Racers are not poised to have the success they experienced two years ago, I do think we will see them be better than they were a year ago.

-Illinois State has had four straight losing seasons, and it is not looking like the expectations are all that high this year either. Three starters are back including Darius Burford, who gives them some experience out on the perimeter, but for a team that won just 11 D1 games a year ago and did not look all that good down the stretch, it is easy to think that this year will be yet another long season for the Redbirds.

-Southern Illinois did lose their top two players, and those were two REALLY good players, but the other three starters are back so I am a little surprised to see them picked this low. I do not think they will be as good as they were a year ago, but I do not think they will finish as low as 9th either. Xavier Johnson is a good PG who can both slash and shoot well from the outside. Depth will likely be an issue, but this is a team that has at least a few pieces and should be able to hold their own with the bottom half of the conference.

-UIC has three starters back, but this was not a good team a year ago, and they do not appear to be that much better this year. Projecting them to finish 10th seems about right: I do not see them finishing any higher.

-Evansville returns four starters!! That is the good news. The bad news is that they won just five total games a year ago, and while we may see some improvement simply based on their experience, they are probably going to end up finishing much closer to the bottom of the league than the top.

-Valparaiso seems to be steadily getting worse and worse as each season goes by, and with no starters back from a year ago and with a lot of young and inexperienced players on the roster this year, we could see that steady decline continue. Roger Powell takes over as head coach this year and he has his work cut out for him.

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Big South Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 20, 2023 by David Griggs

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

BIG SOUTH MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. UNC Asheville
  2. Radford
  3. Winthrop
  4. Gardner-Webb
  5. Longwood
  6. USC Upstate
  7. High Point
  8. Charleston Southern
  9. Presbyterian

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL BIG SOUTH 1ST TEAM:

-Drew Pember – SR, F – UNC Asheville
-Kelton Talford – SR, F – Winthrop
-DQ Nicholas – SR, G – Gardner-Webb
-DaQuan Smith – SR, G – Radford
-Bryan Antoine – SR, G – Radford

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL BIG SOUTH 2ND TEAM:

-Kasen Harrison – SR, G – Winthrop
-Justin Bailey – SO, G – USC Upstate
-Taje’ Kelly – JR, F – Charleston Southern
-Trae Broadnax – JR, G/F – USC Upstate
-Sin’Cere McMahon – SR, G – Winthrop

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-UNC Asheville blew through this league a year ago going 16-2 in the regular season and then won the conference tournament. They have four starters are back and are the clear favorites to not just win the league again but to run away with it again. Drew Pember is the best player in the conference and is a P5-level forward who averaged over 20ppg last season. The combination of him and the rest of the experience they are returning makes this not just a dangerous team in the Big South, but a team that is perhaps capable of becoming a very dangerous match-up in the NCAA Tournament.

-Radford has three starters back and will have a very strong backcourt this year. I can see them having their way with most of the teams in the league that are nit located in Asheville, NC, and finishing near the top of the standings. DaQuan Smith/Brian Antoine give the Highlanders a ton of talent and experience out on the perimeter.

-For a long time Winthrop was the class of this league, and with four starters back from a team that was 10-8 in league play a year ago and that had stretches during the season where they played really well there are reasons to be optimistic again this year. Mark Prosser is a pretty solid coach and given time he can build this program back up. The starters they have returning and the depth they now seem to have will make them a better team this year.

-Gardner-Webb is another team with a strong backcourt in DQ Nicholas/Julien Soumaoro. They were good in stretches last year but were bad in more stretches. Hopefully their experience will result in a little more consistency this year.

-After struggling as a program for seemingly most of their D1 existence, Longwood has now had back-to-back 20+ win seasons and has gone from being a regular doormat to finishing near the top of the standings. They do have an experienced backcourt, but other than that they do seem to be heading into a transitional type of year. Having said that, they have some impressive looking freshmen coming in, and if they can get them and some the other returners to contribute they could end up exceeding expectations…again!

-USC Upstate has shown improvement over the last two years, and with three starters back that trend could continue into this year, but they did struggle with turnovers and heir best player transferred out. Finishing in the top half of the league could prove to be a challenge.

-Alan Huss takes over as head coach at High Point and the team is rebooting. It has been a while since they have had a winning season, and with just one starter back (Abdoulaye Thiam, who is a good player), but they appear to be adding some quality transfers and could end up making a little more noise than expected.

-Charleston Southern has one of the greatest arenas in all of D1: The Buccaneer Fieldhouse seats just 881 people but it is amazing!! Unfortunately, the team is not. They have finished outside the top-300 in most of the major metrics for the last four years and appear to be set to have another season where they land outside the top-300.

-Presbyterian won just one conference game last year and just five games total, and while they may end up being a little better they probably will not be significantly better.

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The Hoops HD Report: SEC Conference Preview

Posted on October 19, 2023 by David Griggs

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

CLICK HERE for our Big-12 Conference Preview Video Podcast

A full panel takes a look at what appears to be a somewhat wide open and very deep SEC Conference. We feel that Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Kentucky all have a shot at winning the league, especially if Tennessee can become fully healthy. Kentucky has a lot of young talent, but the question is whether or not it will gel as the year goes on. Mississippi State returns all of their starters from a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year and many feel they can be a top 25 team. We discuss Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida and assess what we think their chances are of making The Dance. Check it out as we debate and discuss all the teams in the league, and we close with everyone making fun of David Griggs for calling Florida’s coach by the wrong name.

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

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