This week’s featured conference is the Horizon League, which saw a surprise yesterday as Morehead Wright State beat Oakland rather handily. Northern Kentucky is also showing signs of life, Green Bay is improving, Robert Morris looked strong out of conference but has also suffered and early loss, and we appear to have a lot more parity in this league than what we expected. (Note from Stalica – Wrong, Morehead had a big win against….Alice Lloyd?)
From there we run through the other 21 UTR leagues and talk about how strong the Missouri Valley is with five teams who appear to be possible formidable opponents in the Round of 64. Both McNeese and Yale suffered blowout losses, but we still think they are among the best UTR teams. We discuss all that, and more. And, as we do very week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
-Louisville had struggled on the road prior to last night’s game at California, but they did not struggle last night. They won easily 90-70, which gives them their first true road win of the season.
-Seton Hall struggled at Marquette and trailed most of the game, but in the latter part of the game Marquette’s wheels fell off (again) and Seton Hall was able to get the 79-73 win on the road.
-Miami OH remains unbeaten after an impressive 93-83 win at Bowling Green where they basically controlled the game from tip to buzzer.
-Creighton is starting to show signs of life again. They’ve strung together some wins and beat a decent Butler team last night 89-85.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-VIRGINIA AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). It’s a conference game, it’s a rivalry game, and it’s a resume boosting opportunity for both these teams. So this one is kind of big. Virginia has won six straight and is looking pretty strong. VA Tech has also strung together some wins, but their resume isn’t quite as impressive so this would be a big win for them both on and off paper.
-CLEMSON AT SYRACUSE (ACC). Both teams have shown signs of having a high ceiling, and both teams have positioned themselves where the NCAA Tournament is within reach if they can perform well in conference play, but both still have work to do and both could use this one today.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Wake Forest @ NC State (ACC) – Both teams have work to do, especially Wake Forest. Both are good enough to land inside the bubble, but they need to have a strong showing in conference in order to get there.
-Saint Bonaventure @ VCU (Atlantic 10) – both teams have big records, but both have played weak schedules for the most part. They both have small margins for error and could really use this one today
-George Mason @ La Salle (Atlantic 10) – George Mason is 12-1 overall, but none of those wins were true road wins, so they need to hold serve today
-Rice @ Tulsa (American) – it’s a conference game, but it may as well be a buy game for Tulsa
-Georgia Tech @ Duke (ACC) – Duke should cruise
-Saint Joseph’s @ Saint Louis (Atlantic 10) – SLU is a respectable 12-1 on the year, but they’ve built that record against a weak schedule and have a small margin for error in conference play
-George Washington @ Richmond (Atlantic 10) – it’s my two A10 sleeper teams! Both are off to decent starts, but while they may have exceeded preseason expectations so far, I still feel like they’ve underperformed. In order to make a run at the bubble they’ll need to dominate in conference play.
-Connecticut @ Xavier (Big East) – this should be a rather routine road win for Connecticut. Xavier has had some good moments this season, and they do seem to be improving, but I don’t think they’ve improved so much that they can knock off UConn. Not even at home.
-DePaul @ Villanova (Big East) – Nova is having a solid year and should be able to hold serve in this one.
-Saint John’s @ Georgetown (Big East) – both teams have fallen behind, both have a lot of work to do, and both could really use this win
–Winthrop @ Longwood (Big South) – We at Hoops HD love the Winwood Cup!
There is no shortage of Patriot League players who have not only succeeded in college but also taken their talents to the next level: Kermit Washington (American) was an NBA All-Star in 1980, CJ McCollum (Lehigh) has averaged 20+ PPG for most of the past decade, and Bob Cousy (Holy Cross)/David Robinson (Navy) made it all the way to the Hall of Fame. Mike Muscala did a little of everything ay Bucknell (Academic All-American/2-time All-American), then spent 11 years in the NBA before becoming an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns this year. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mike about playing in the NCAA tourney and his favorite NBA memory.
You were born/raised in Minnesota: what made you choose Bucknell? 1 of their assistant coaches (Dane Fischer) is from Minnesota, just like I am. He called me and I knew about the program from when they upset Kansas in the 2005 NCAA tourney (www.youtube.com/watch?v=woYjcnqIxSk). I got along with Coach Dave Paulsen and wanted to go to a good school that also had a good basketball program. I visited the campus with my parents and fell in love with it. In January of 2011 you scored 17 PTS including a turnaround jumper at the buzzer in a 1-PT win at Richmond (scroll 55 seconds into the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbLTRG2FhnU): did you think your shot was going in, and what was the reaction like after you made it? I did think it was going in after a hell of a pass from Joe Willman, and my reaction was excitement!
In the 2011 NCAA tourney you scored 14 PTS in a loss to eventual national champ UConn: what was it like to face Jim Calhoun/Kemba Walker in the postseason? They had a hell of a team that year and were riding hot. After they beat us I felt they were good enough to win it all…and sure enough they did.
You led the conference in BLK/defensive REB for 4 straight years and were named conference DPOY in 2013: what is the key to being a great defender? Being 6’11” and a decent jumper helped, as well as having good coaches.
You were a 2-time All-American as well as an Academic All-American in 2013: how were you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It goes back to my coaches/professors: I wanted to be held accountable. I remember preparing for the draft during my senior year and there were no shortcuts. Coach Paulsen preached the mantra of “22 & 2”: you can be a student and have a life outside basketball for 22 hours/day…but for those other 2 hours we focused only on basketball.
You graduated as the all-time leading scorer in school history and in 2020 the school retired your #31 jersey: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is up there and I am honored by it. I had several teammates come back to support me. I am sure that I will reflect on it more in the future, but looking back on it now, it was about the people I was fortunate to play with/for, and I hope I can pay that forward now that I am an assistant coach. If everyone else around me had not cared as much as they did, my career never would have happened. It is nice to see my jersey up in the rafters, but I wish that we could have won some more games in the NCAA tourney, as that was always our goal.
In the spring of 2013 you were drafted 44th overall by Dallas and then traded to Atlanta: what did it mean to you to get drafted, and what did it mean to you to get traded? I worked out for Atlanta twice: they were my very last workout the day before the draft. I never felt that I got drafted by the Mavericks because they traded me right away. The main thing I felt that night was exhaustion because I had gone through 16-17 workouts over the course of the previous month while trying to be seen by as many teams as possible. I am grateful to both my agent and the Hawks for giving me the opportunity.
You were swept by Cleveland in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs: what was it like to keep running into LeBron James in his prime? I was just thinking about that because I am walking around beautiful Cleveland today, and even staying in the same hotel a decade later! They beat us pretty handily but it was a great experience as a young player to learn from the veterans. I have great memories here but LeBron was amazing: he also had great players around him like Kevin Love/Channing Frye.
You retired in 2024 after an 11-year career with 7 different teams: do you have a favorite memory from your playing career? I recall my time in Boston fondly. I did not handle being traded well early in my career, but joining the Celtics allowed me to embrace the journey and I felt at peace with that. I also recall my time in OKC because they let me go through some tough times to find myself again as a player.
Last August you were hired by the Phoenix Suns as an assistant to Jordan Ott: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I have been wanting to coach for several years now. My mother got sick so I had something to fight for, and it was tough for our entire family after she passed. I eventually got my masters’ in sports administration and was offered a chance to go back to Bucknell, but DeMarre Carroll called me out of nowhere and said he was helping Jordan fill out his staff in Phoenix. I wanted to go somewhere that I could be of assistance so I met up with some of the Suns staff during the Vegas Summer League and signed a contract a few days later. Every day I wake up super-grateful for the chance to stay around the game and learn from the other coaches and their expertise.
The end of the calendar year means that it is time to recognize the best players in college basketball during 2025. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has reviewed all the numbers and is ready to announce his picks for the 5 best players from each conference based on their all-around stats. Players are listed in a traditional 5-position lineup (G-G-F-F-C) whenever possible with several exceptions, plus special awards for Player of the Year So Far (POYSF). If you think that he has overlooked anyone then feel free to tweet us your comments and check back tomorrow for the remaining conferences in Part 2.
America East G: Amir Lindsey (Albany) G: Jeremiah Quigley (Binghamton) F: Austin Green (UMass-Lowell) F: Belal El Shakery (New Hampshire) C: Demetrius Lilley (Binghamton) POYSF: Amir Lindsey (Albany)
American G: Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane) G: Jordan Riley (ECU) G: Devin Vanterpool (FAU) F: Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida) C: Giovanni Emejuru (ECU) POYSF: Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane)
A-10 G: Kory Mincy (George Mason) G: Dejour Reaves (Fordham) F: Frank Mitchell (St. Bonaventure) F: Rafael Castro (George Washington) C: Robbie Avila (St. Louis) POYSF: Frank Mitchell (St. Bonaventure)
ACC G: Markus Burton (Notre Dame) G: Kevin “Boopie” Miller (SMU) F: Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) F: Cam Boozer (Duke) C: Henri Veesaar (North Carolina) POYSF: Cam Boozer (Duke)
Atlantic Sun G: Kamrin Oriol (North Florida) G: Rahmir Barno (FGCU) F: Jack Karasinski (Bellarmine) F: JR Konieczny (FGCU) F: Shelton Williams-Dryden (West Georgia) POYSF: Jack Karasinski (Bellarmine)
Big 12 G: Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) G: PJ Haggerty (Kansas State) F: JT Toppin (Texas Tech) F: AJ Dybantsa (BYU) C: Massamba Diop (Arizona State) POYSF: AJ Dybantsa (BYU)
Big East G: Jason Edwards (Providence) G: Chase Ross (Marquette) F: Michael Ajayi (Butler) F: Zuby Ejiofor (St. John’s) C: Tarris Reed Jr. (Connecticut) POYSF: Michael Ajayi (Butler)
Big Sky G: Money Williams (Montana) G: Quinn Denker (Northern Colorado) F: Jeremiah Cherry (Sacramento State) F: Terri Miller Jr. (Portland State) C: Tre-Vaughn Minott (Portland State) POYSF: Quinn Denker (Northern Colorado)
Big South G: Dennis Parker Jr. (Radford) G: Brycen Blaine (Charleston Southern) F: Cam’Ron Fletcher (High Point) F: Toyaz Solomon (UNC Asheville) C: Logan Duncomb (Winthrop) POYSF: Dennis Parker Jr. (Radford)
Big 10 G: Bruce Thornton (Ohio State) G: Cade Tyson (Minnesota) F: Chad Baker-Mazara (USC) F: Nick Martinelli (Northwestern) C: Pharrel Payne (Maryland) POYSF: Bruce Thornton (Ohio State)
Big West G: Peter Bandelj (Cal Poly) G: Joshua O’Garro (CSUN) F: Hamad Mousa (Cal Poly) F: Osiris Grady (UC Riverside) C: Isaac Johnson (Hawaii) POYSF: Hamad Mousa (Cal Poly)
CAA G: Cruz Davis (Hofstra) G: Tyler Tejada (Towson) F: Dovydas Butka (Campbell) F: Chandler Cuthrell (Elon) F: Lewis Walker (North Carolina A&T) POYSF: Chandler Cuthrell (Elon)
C-USA G: Teagan Moore (Western Kentucky) G: Christian Bliss (Delaware) G: Mostapha El Moutaouakkil (Jacksonville State) F: Corey Stephenson (FIU) F: Keith Palek III (Missouri State) POYSF: Corey Stephenson (FIU)
-Michigan looks like the best team in the country. Period. They are absolutely bulldozing everyone they play and have been since Thanksgiving. McNeese is a good team and Michigan beat them by about 50. The final score was 112-71. The Wolverines are simply awesome.
-There were nine top 20 teams in action last night and all held serve and won. Michigan State had a little trouble with Cornell, but was able to get the win. Alabama had absolutely no trouble whatsoever with a very good Yale team and blew them off the floor 102-78.
-Belmont lost an overtime thriller to Indiana State 81-80. They had to battle just to force OT, and then had a shot at the end to win it, but couldn’t get it to go down. As is the situation with all Under the Radar teams trying to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s a damaging loss that they won’t get the chance to recover from.
-Another Under the Radar surprise was Wright State beating Oakland, and doing so rather handily 88-73. At no point did it seem like Wright State was not in control of that game.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
MIAMI OH AT BOWLING GREEN (MAC). Miami is coming into this one a perfect 13-0, but this is by far their toughest test of the season so far. They’re on the road against a really good Bowling Green team who has played a tougher schedule and may arguably have a better overall profile. The question is can Miami remain unbeaten after tonight.
-LOUISVILLE AT CALIFORNIA (ACC). Cal is having a much better year than expected and Louisville, while good, has yet to win a true road game. For Cal, this would be a chance to pick up another notable win, and for Louisville it’s a chance to round out their profile with a true road win against a solid opponent.
-BUTLER AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Creighton has been playing better, but they have a lot of catching up to do. Butler is having a solid year and right now looks like they’d be inside the bubble, but we have a long way to go. This is the kind of road game that tournament caliber teams should be able to win, so we’ll see what Butler can do tonight.
-NEW MEXICO AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West). Both teams need to build up their profiles and both could really use this win tonight. Considering that there are a limited number of chances to pick up big wins in conference play, there should be a sense of urgency for both these teams tonight because this would be one of the better wins of the season for whichever team pulls it off.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Wyoming @ Air Force (Front Range) – We at Hoops HD Love the Front Range!! Wyoming needs to bounce back from a loss to Grand Canyon, and quite frankly needs to pretty much run the table the rest of the way if they want to end up inside the bubble
-Florida State @ North Carolina (ACC) – North Carolina is on a solid pace to end up as a protected seed and should be able to hold serve in their conference opener
-Seton Hall @ Marquette (Big East) – Marquette’s season has basically gone off a cliff whereas Seton Hall is one of the biggest surprise teams of the year. The Pirates should be able to get this one on the road
-Pittsburgh @ Miami FL – Miami is having a really solid year despite not having a whole lot of media attention on them. They should be able to hold serve at home and improve to 12-2 overall
-Nevada @ Colorado State (Mountain West) – neither team is completely out of the picture in regards to being able to make a run at the bubble, but both teams have a ton of work to do and both could really use this win tonight
-Saint Mary’s @ Pepperdine (West Coast) – Saint Mary’s has strung together some decent wins lately and should be able to pick this one up on the road tonight
-Utah State @ Fresno State (Mountain West) – Utah State clearly looks to be the best team in the MWC, but having said that this is not the easiest game to win. Fresno has played well at times this year and they’re at home tonight
-Notre Dame @ Stanford (ACC) – Stanford is having a solid season and while Notre Dame is certainly formidable and looks to be getting better, it’s a game where the Cardinal should be able to hold serve
-Gonzaga @ San Diego (West Coast) – The Zags should be able to hold serve and get this conference road win without too much trouble
-Washington State @ Seattle U (West Coast) – Seattle is on the outside looking in, but they’ve done well enough to where they are positioned to make a run at the bubble if they can do well throughout conference play. That means holding serve in games like this one tonight
It was a light week due to The Holidays, so we take a look at the state of the game, which is…well…less than great. The impact that NIL, transfer rules (or lack thereof), and eligibility rules (or lack thereof) are having on the game has many coaches speaking out in concern. The NCAA seems to be rather pedestrian in their response and is even appealing to congress to step in and take action. We look at that and share our thoughts on those issues.
For the second half of the show, we recap last week and look ahead to this upcoming week as conference play is getting underway.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
