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

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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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Atlantic 10 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 19, 2023 by David Griggs

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

ATLANTIC 10 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Dayton
  2. VCU
  3. Saint Bonaventure
  4. Duquesne
  5. Saint Joseph’s
  6. Saint Louis
  7. Fordham
  8. Loyola Chicago
  9. George Washington
  10. George Mason
  11. Richmond
  12. Davidson
  13. UMass
  14. Rhode Island
  15. La Salle

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 1ST TEAM:

-DaRon Holmes II – JR, F – Dayton
-Dae Dae Grant – SR, G – Duquesne
-James Bishop IV – SR, G – George Washington
-Daryl Banks III – SR, G – Saint Bonaventure
-Erik Reynolds II – FR, G – Saint Joseph’s
-Gibson Jimerson – JR, G – Saint Louis

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 2ND TEAM:

-Malachi Smith – JR, G – Dayton
-Jimmy Clarke III – SR, G – Duquesne
-Maximus Edwards – SO, G – George Washington
-Khalil Brantley – JR, G – La Salle
-Philip Alston – SR, F – Loyola Chicago
-Max Shulga – SR, G – VCU

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 3RD TEAM:

-Ronald Polite III – SR, G – George Mason
-Matt Cross – SR, F – UMass
-Neal Quinn – SR, C – Richmond
-Chad Venning – JR, F – Saint Bonaventure
-Cameron Brown – SR, G – Saint Joseph’s
-Sean Bairstow – SR, G/F – VCU

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

As a whole, the Atlantic 10 is a league that should be better than what it is. It has some quality programs and is rich with what I think is a lot of unique traditions/cultures. Saint Bonaventure is a unique place with a great fanbase and a great venue, Davidson has great fans and some rich history, VCU is the same way, Richmond is fun to watch, Dayton has some of the most rabid and passionate fans in the entire country and saying that is NOT hyperbole, Saint Louis is a great program, there is a Philly Big 5 presence in the conference, Rhode Island has had some success in recent years and also has a rabid fanbase. It is a great league! Or, at least, it should be. So…why is it not better?? Why does it seem like in recent seasons it has collectively underperformed, and at the same time why do college basketball fans not have more appreciation for it? Last year, we at Hoops HD actually relegated this league to being Under the Radar…and it was well deserved. Not one team ended up inside the bubble and the only team they got into the NCAA tournament was the conference tournament winner.

-Dayton is once again the preseason favorite. While they had a decent year last year, it was not a good year and certainly not a year where they ended up being a top-25-caliber team that was capable of making the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament like we were expecting. They were just 12-6 in the A-10, 22-12 overall (which is decent, but not good, especially given their schedule) and were not even close to the NIT. I do not know why they were not better: they certainly should have been. Just two starters are back from a recruiting class that garnered them national attention when it first enrolled at the school a couple of years back, but one of them is DaRon Holmes II, a fantastic frontcourt player who averaged over 18ppg/8rpg. Enoch Cheeks, who was a standout guard at Robert Morris last year, has transferred in and should give them some strength in the backcourt, so there are a few pieces. They do appear to be good enough to win the league. The question is whether or not they (or anyone else in this conference) is good enough to make it to the NCAA Tournament without the automatic bid.

-After a 27-win season last year where VCU finished in first place and then went on to win the conference tournament before falling to Saint Mary’s in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament, Mike Rhoades left to take the job at Penn State and all of his starters either transferred or graduated. It is odd to see a team that lost that much be picked to finish as high as 2nd in the preseason poll. Ryan Odom, who did an outstanding job at both UMBC/Utah State, takes over as head coach, and he has done an amazing job building the roster. Max Shulga/Sean Bairstow were two standout players on Utah State’s NCAA Tournament team last year, and they have some quality freshmen and other P5 level transfers joining a completely revamped roster. It is hard to say exactly how this team will play together until we actually see them play, but I am impressed with the roster that they were able to build.

-Saint Bonaventure had what most considered a disappointing season last year, and they certainly were not impressive in the stretch run at the end of the season. All five starters are back including Daryl Banks III, who is an outstanding guard, and with that experience we should see some improvement. Mark Schmidt is a really good coach but his program has declined somewhat. Two years ago we were expecting a top-25-caliber team and they ended up in the NIT, and last year they were just 14-18 overall, so the pressure may be on a little bit for the Bonnies to produce this year.

-Duquesne is picked to finish 4th in the league: I cannot remember them ever being picked to finish this high…but it is warranted! The Dukes won 20 games last year after winning just 6 the year before, and Dae Dae Grant returns as one of the best guards in the A-10. Two other starters are back as well including Tre Clark, who I would best describe as a frontcourt player with range. Picking Duquesne 4th just feels odd largely because it is Duquesne, but I am going to go even crazier: this Duquesne team can WIN THIS LEAGUE!!!! They are good on both the offensive/defensive ends, and while depth may be an issue they appear to have enough of it to where they can at least have guys come in and contribute quality minutes. Keith Dambrot is an outstanding coach who took over an impossible situation when he accepted the Duquesne job, and this is a year where they really could win a conference title.

-The days when Saint Joseph’s was an NCAA Tournament regular under Phil Martelli, and even rising to the #1 ranking at one point, almost now feels like it happened in another lifetime. Over the past five years they have ranged between between mediocre and awful. That being said, while I do not feel this is an NCAA Tournament or even NIT team this year, I do think we will see some improvement. All five starters from a year ago are back, and they will have a really good backcourt with both Erik Reynolds II/Cameron Brown. As far as the paint goes…yeah, they are a little thin so that will be an issue, but this program has slowly improved in each of the last two seasons and we should see that continue this year.

-We are used to seeing Saint Louis win 20+ games a year and finish at or near the top of the standings, but with just one starter back from a year ago it looks to be a rebuilding year for Coach Travis Ford and company. They do have a couple of double-digit-scoring D1 transfers (Mike Meadows from Portland/Tim Dalger from Tulsa), so those two should be able to contribute and help keep the Billikens in the top half of the standings, but winning 20+ and being a conference frontrunner is unlikely this year.

-In a year where the A-10 was a collective disappointment last year, one of the great stories from last season was Fordham. A school with no recent basketball success or culture other than being a running punchline had a breakout year, won 25 games, finished 2nd in the conference standings, and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Coach Keith Urgo did the best coaching job out of anyone in the conference and it really was not even close. He and three of his starters are back, so I am a little puzzled to see them picked so low. They are losing their two biggest stars/two leading scorers, but they also add two D1 transfers in Japhet Medor (UTSA) and Josh Rivera (Lafayette) who were standout players and double-digit scorers. Granted, the caliber of play where those two guys are coming from was not at the level of the A-10 but these are guys that can contribute. I do not expect the Rams to be as good as they were a year ago, but I do expect them to be better than where they are currently being picked to finish.

-Loyola Chicago entered the A-10 with a lot of excitement and expectations given their recent NCAA Tournament success. Last year, they were just 4-14 in league play and finished in last place. It was a massive decline from back-to-back seasons where they were a solid top-40ish team. All five starters are back…but is that a good thing? They do appear to have some quality pieces, and I do think they will be better than they were a year ago. However, since they were literally last last year, that is not saying much.

-George Washington has been very mediocre for the last five or so seasons, and once again appears to have the makings of another mediocre year. Chris Caputo is in his second year as head coach, and they do appear to have a really strong backcourt with James Bishop/Maximus Edwards, so if they can get some guys to step up in the frontcourt then we could see this team exceed expectations and surprise some people.

-Kim English departed George Mason to take the head job at Providence and he took some of their better players with him, so Tony Skinn (the hero from the George Mason Final Four run) takes over as a first-time head coach, and he is tasked with rebuilding…well…everything. Ronald Polite is their top returner, and he does have a supporting cast that is transfer-heavy, but wins may be kind of hard to come by this year.

-I have always been a fan of Richmond, always liked Chris Mooney as a head coach, and always expect them to be better than they are. This year…I give up. Not even I think they will be any good. Just one starter is back, and while this always seems to be a disciplined team that moves the ball well and makes cuts to the basket, I can understand why the expectations are not higher. They do add some quality transfers, most notably Jordan King (who was a standout player at East Tennessee State), and if they can take to Mooney’s system then this team could end up being better than expected. I mean…they are tough to play against! They can end up finishing a lot higher than where they’re being picked! And…oh crap, I am doing it again!! I have a soft spot for the Spiders. I just love how they play. Win or lose, they are always destination viewing for me whenever they do play.

-With the exception of a 27-win season back in 2021-2022, Davidson just hasn’t been themselves lately, and it does not look like they are going to get back to the top this year. Matt McKillop enters his second year as head coach after taking over for his father who had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. Just two starters are back from a team that was just .500 on the season a year ago and the roster is looking pretty thin.

-If you have followed Hoops HD for a while then you know that we all love Angry Frank!! Frank Martin is an outstanding coach with an amusingly and cartoonishly-bad temper who is entering his second year at UMass, and while I do think he will turn this program into a conference contender it is hard to see a whole lot of potential this year. Just one starter is back from a team that went 6-12 in conference play, but the addition of Josh Cohen (who is transferring in from Saint Francis) should give them at least one standout player. When you look at the rest of the roster, though, not much jumps out. It will likely be a long season for the Minutemen.

-Archie Miller is a pretty good coach and Rhode Island is a program that has experienced a fair amount of success in the not so distant past, so it is kind of crazy to see them in such rough shape. They won just nine games last year, they have no starters back from that team, and the roster that they do have doesn’t seem to be capable of bringing them a whole lot of success.

-La Salle is a program that is routinely outside the top-200 of most of the metrics and from all accounts they appear to be heading there again. They do have a pretty solid player in Khalil Brantley, but not much else.

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Sun Belt Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 19, 2023 by David Griggs

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

SUN BELT MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

  1. James Madison
  2. Appalachian State
  3. Old Dominion
  4. Southern Miss
  5. Louisiana
  6. South Alabama
  7. Marshall
  8. Troy
  9. Arkansas State
  10. Texas State
  11. Georgia State
  12. Coastal Carolina
  13. Georgia Southern
  14. UL Monroe

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL SUN BELT 1ST TEAM:

-Austin Crowley – SR, G – Southern Miss (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Terrence Edwards Jr. – JR, G – James Madison
-Donovan Gregory – SR, F – Appalachian State
-Chaunce Jenkins – JR, G – Old Dominion
-Christyon Eugene – SR, G – Troy
-Themus Fulks – JR, G – Louisiana

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL SUN BELT 2ND TEAM:

-Tyrell Jones – SR, G – South Alabama
-Kamdyn Curfman – SR, G – Marshall
-Tyreke Locure – SR, G – UL Monroe
-Dwon Odom – JR, G – Georgia State
-Obinna Anochili-Killen – SR, F – Marshall

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL SUN BELT 3RD TEAM:

-Terrance Ford Jr. – SO, G – Arkansas State
-Brenden Tucker – SR, G – Georgia State
-CJ Huntley – SR, F – Appalachian State
-Freddy Hicks – JR, G – Arkansas State
-Aamer Muhammad – SR, G – Troy

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-James Madison is the preseason favorite, and while I think they will be good this year I am a little surprised they were picked to finish 1st. They were 12-6 in the league last year and won 19 games against D1 teams, and while Terrance Edwards is back they have just one other starter returning. Their experience (or lack thereof) has me thinking that while they are good they are not the best overall team. They do have some guys transferring in with solid D1 experience, including two grad transfers in Bryant Randleman (High Point)/Michael Green (Robert Morris) who were both effective players a season ago. I am not saying the ceiling is not high: I am just saying I am a little surprised they are the preseason favorite.

-Appalachian State had a ‘meh’ season a year ago where they finished .500 in the league and 13-16 overall against D1. All five starters are back, and because of that the expectations for them are high. I value experience/cohesion as much as anyone and probably more than most people so I do think App State will be a better team this year: I am just not sure they will be THIS much better. They were 9-9 in league play a year ago and lost four of their last six games. Yes, they are experienced, but…2nd?

-Old Dominion had an inexplicably horrible game against Texas State in the Sun Belt Tournament last year to end their season but prior to that they were really on a roll. They won eight of their last ten regular season games, five of which were on the road, and I thought they would be a dangerous team in the conference tournament. I do like their team going into this year with three returning starters, including Chaunce Jenkins who is one of the better guards in the conference. If they can stay healthy, which was an issue for them last year, and get some production off of their bench then they will likely be one of the frontrunners.

-Southern Miss did lose three starters from a team that won 25 games last year and was the first-place team so they do have some guys that they will have to replace, but one of the returning starters is Austin Crowley who is perhaps the best player in the league. They also add Andre Curbelo to the roster, who is transferring in from Saint John’s and who averaged just under 10ppg coming off the bench, so he will likely be a big time contributor as well. They are not quite as strong in the frontcourt and that likely will be an issue for them, but I still think they are once again the best overall team in the conference and am a little shocked they were only picked to finish 4th.

-Louisiana started conference play last season by dumping their first two games against teams you would have expected them to beat. While they did have a few slip-ups after that, from that point on they were the best team in the league. They won 13 of the next 16 regular season games, won the conference tournament, and nearly upset Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament. This year could/should have been a year where they had the talent and experience to not just win the SBC again but to become nationally relevant. Unfortunately, a few key players (most notably Jordan Brown) decided to enter the transfer portal and the Ragin’ Cajuns are in a bit of a rebuild mode. They are still good…but not legit nationally-top-40ish-good like they could have been had they retained all their players. Themus Fulks appears to be their top returner and he should give them quite a bit of strength in the backcourt.

-Richie Riley has had a very respectable five year run at South Alabama and they have steadily won more than they have lost, but while they have had some big moments they have not quite put together the type of team that can consistently make a run at winning the conference. I think they will be decent again this year. I think they will land in the top half of the league again this year. I just do not think they will challenge for the top spot in the league.

-Marshall won 24 games last year and was really playing well in the second half of the conference schedule, but were upset in their first conference tournament game against Texas State. They lose quite a bit from last year’s team, but they have two key returners in Kamdyn Cufman/Obinna Anochili-Killen, which should give them some balance in the frontcourt and backcourt. Having said that, I do not see them being able to repeat last year’s success.

-I think Troy has an outstanding head coach in Scott Cross, and while they have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons they really have not broken through as a conference frontrunner yet like I keep expecting them to. This could be a tough year for Troy where they are forced to rebuild. Just two starters are back, (one of which is standout player Christyon Eugene) and while they are adding some standout JUCO transfers who should be able to contribute, it could still be a long year for the Trojans.

-Bryan Hodgson takes over as head coach at Arkansas State and he has his work cut out for him. Three starters are back from a team that won just four SBC games a year ago, and while Freddy Hicks is a guy who received preseason all-conference honors and gives them some strength at the guard position, the rest of the pieces just do not seem to be there.

-After an unspectacular regular season that ended rather pitifully last year, Texas State did suddenly get hot in the conference tournament and after winning three tourney games nearly upset Louisiana in the semifinals. Three starters are back from that team, and if they can play the way they did in the conference tourney then there is reason to hope.

-The days of Ron Hunter leading Georgia State to multiple NCAA Tournaments and even a few NCAA Tournament wins now seems like a long time ago. Georgia State was the last place team a year ago after going just 3-15 in the conference, and while four starters are back and that experience should result in some improvement, chances are they will again be closer to the bottom of the league than the top.

-I cannot understand how Coastal Carolina is not a better program. They became a flagship program in the Big South before joining the Sun Belt but the success just hasn’t followed them. Also, if you have ever been to their campus, it’s beautiful: it is in Myrtle Beach! It is the kind of place you would think that good players would want to go to! They won just 11 total games a year ago and have just one starter returning, so they are in a bit of a reset mode and it will likely be a long season for the Chanticleers.

-Georgia Southern is coming off a modest 17-win season, but with just one starter back it appears there are a lot of unknowns this year and the expectations are not all that high.

-UL Monroe has just one starter back and also appears to be in for a long/frustrating season.

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The Hoops HD Report: Big 12 Conference Preview

Posted on October 18, 2023 by David Griggs

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

A full panel looks at a new 14 team Big 12 in the one and only year it will have this format. Teams like BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF are joining the league, but instead of it being the strong conference from top to bottom that we’re used to seeing, we discuss how the added teams may be weakening the league. Still, there are some top notch teams, including Kansas who is starting the season off ranked #1, Texas who is also very strong, and Baylor who is reloading. We feel Kansas State is another team that can, once again, exceed expectations, and we talk about whether or not Oklahoma can land inside the bubble. Check it out as we debate and discuss all the teams in the league.

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

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