Sun Belt Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 2, 2022 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

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

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SBC 1ST TEAM:

-Jordan Brown – JR, F – Louisiana
-Mason Harrell – SR, G – Texas State
-Taevion Kinsey – SR, G – Marshall
-Vado Morse – SR, G – James Madison
-Kevin Samuel – SR, C – South Alabama

MEDIA DAY ALL-SBC 2ND TEAM:

-Donovan Gregory – SR, F – Appalachian State
-Felipe Haase – SR, F – Southern Miss
-Kobe Julien – SO, F – Louisiana
-Essam Mostafa – JR, C – Coastal Carolina
-Greg Parham – SR, G – South Alabama

MEDIA DAY ALL-SBC 3RD TEAM:

-Kamdyn Curfman – JR, G – Marshall
-Caleb Fields – JR, G – Arkansas State
-Nika Metskhvarishvili – JR, F – UL Monroe
-Andrew Taylor – JR, C – Marshall
-Zay Williams, SR, F – Troy

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

This league now has 14 full members.  Most came in for football reasons, which is sort of unfortunate on the basketball end because 14 members for a league that typically just gets one team to the NCAA Tournament is a lot of people to share a single slice of pizza with.

-Louisiana was a very unremarkable 14-15 in D1 games last year, but they were fantastic down the stretch winning six of their last seven before losing in the SBC Championship Game.  Four starters are back and the expectations are high.  They have a really good player in Jordan Brown and he has a pretty good supporting cast.  It would not shock me to see the Cajuns at the top of the standings once it is all over.

-Texas State was the 1st place team a year ago, and while three starters are gone they should still be pretty good again this year.  Two double-digit scorers are back along with some good looking transfers and guys who should be able to step into bigger roles and contribute this year.

-South Alabama is a team that a lot of people are big on this year.  Two starters are back along with some transfer players who appear to have been really strong at non-D1 programs and should be able to step into contributing roles this season.

-James Madison comes into the league after being a long time member of the Colonial.  They were just 15-14 last season and really struggled down the stretch, but their season was rather tumultuous with COVID restrictions and injuries.  With four starters back, I look for this team to be very much improved this year.  In fact, it would not shock me to see them win this conference.

-Georgia State is in complete rebuilding mode.  All five starters from last year are gone, and they have a new head coach in Jonas Hayes, who (sort of) made a name for himself after he took over at Xavier during the NIT and ended up winning it all.  This is a very heavy transfer-laden team this year, but they do have some decent looking players and could do some damage if they can come together.

-Marshall is also new to the league last year after coming in from Conference USA.  This is a program that has a lot of potential to be consistently strong, and while they occasionally have big years and make the NCAA Tournament this is not expected to be one of those years.  Four starters are back from last year, and they look to have a couple of really strong guards, so I think the potential is there for this team to take a big step forward and exceed the so-so preseason expectations.

-Appalachian State has had to overhaul their roster with just one starter returning and unfortunately it is not looking like it’s going to be a HOT HOT HOT season for the Mountaineers.  They will be relying heavily on transfer players this year, and while they may be taking a bit of a step back this season I still think their program is moving in the right direction.

-Coastal Carolina has shown some pretty consistent improvement over the last two seasons, but still is not at a level where they are likely to compete with the top of the league.  I think they should at least be able to finish in the top half of it, though.  Two starters are back from last year, along with some really solid looking transfers, so we shall see what they can do.

-The days of Old Dominion seeming to always be on the bubble now feels like it was a long time ago.  They have not been all that good for the last three years and do not appear to be all that strong this year.  Just one starter is back and they will be in the beginning stages of rebuilding mode.

-Troy had their best season in quite some time last year with 20 total wins and a very respectable 10-6 record in conference.  I really like Scott Cross as a coach, and I know I say this every year, but I do think he can get this program going.  But…maybe not this year.  Just one starter is back and they are once again looking to build up their roster with enough talent and experience to compete for a league title.

-Georgia Southern has four starters back from a team that was rather unremarkable last season.  Having that experience could help them make some steps forward this year, but I still do not expect them to finish in the top half of the league.

-Arkansas State had a pretty decent year last year with 18 total wins, but is yet another team that is having to rebuild their roster with just one starter returning and could end up taking a big step back.

-Southern Miss is coming in from Conference USA where they had a horrible season last year, and while they may not be quite as bad as they were a year ago they still look like they’re pretty bad.

-UL Monroe has two starters back and has added some transfers, but it is still looking like it’s going to be a rough year for the Warhawks.

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Southern Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2022 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

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

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

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

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SOCON TEAM:

-Jordan King – JR, G – East Tennessee State
-Mike Bothwell – SR, G – Furman
-Jalen Slawson – SR, G – Furman
-Logan Dye – SR, F – Samford
-Ques Glover – JR, G – Samford
-Jermaine Marshall – JR, F – Samford
-Bubba Parham – SR G – Samford
-Jake Stephens – SR, G – Chattanooga
-Messiah Jones – SR, F – Wofford
-BJ Mack – SR, F/C – Wofford

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-It seems like before the start of each season I am talking about how I like Furman.  I am not always right but I always seem to think they are going to be good.  Well…I like Furman this year.  Again.  I think they are going to be good.   Again.  They did kind of sputter during a stretch in the second half of conference play, but they have three key starters back and a really solid backcourt that has some great outside shooters.  If they can get some guys to step up in the frontcourt they should be really dangerous.

-Expectations are higher for Samford this year than I can ever recall them being.  Four starters are back from a team that won 21 total games last year and finished 3rd in the conference, which was a massive improvement from the year before.  They are balanced, have a lot of weapons, and have a really good chance of finishing at or near the top of the conference.

-UNC Greensboro has all five starters back from a team that was .500 in SoCon play a year ago.  With all that experience comes some high expectations.  They do not seem to be loaded with guys that can score, which could be a problem, but they are still going to be tough to play against.

-Chattanooga was last year’s first place team, but with just one starter back they appear to be heading into a bit of a rebuilding mode.  They also have a new head coach in Dan Earl.  The Mocs should still be reasonably good but I do not see them winning the league this year.

-Wofford has a great program, and while they are not quite as strong as they were in the latter days of Mike Young, they should still be strong enough to finish in the top half of the league this year and continue to build themselves back up.  They have a really good player in BJ Mack and if some others can step up then they should be fine.

-It was just two years ago when East Tennessee State won 30 games and seemed poised to possibly win a game in the Round of 64, but then COVID hit, a lot of their key players left, and they have been sort of rebuilding ever since.  Last year they won just 15 total games, and just two starters are back from that team.  You get the sense that this is a .500ish type of team.

-Mercer has three starters back, but they kind of limped down the stretch last year and are not showing too many signs of being a frontrunner this year.

-Western Carolina has their work cut out for them.  They were the last place team a year ago and won just 11 total games.  I think they will be the worst team this year that is not a military school.

-The Citadel and VMI, despite seldom winning, are actually both really fun teams to watch play and can be very aggravating to play against.  They also have a great rivalry, and even though it typically is a battle for 9th place on paper (and likely will be again this year), it is always a must-watch for me when these two square off.  VMI actually finished a very respectable 9-9 in league play last year but is rebuilding with just one starter back.  The Citadel at least has a little more experience with three starters back.

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Southland Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2022 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. TAMUCC
  2. Nicholls
  3. New Orleans
  4. SELA
  5. McNeese
  6. Northwestern State
  7. TAMU Commerce
  8. Houston Christian
  9. Lamar
  10. Incarnate Word

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND 1ST TEAM:

-Latrell Jones – SR, G – Nicholls
-Terrion Murdix – SR, G – TAMUCC
-Isaac Mushila – SR, F – TAMUCC
-Christian Shumate – SO, F – McNeese
-Trevian Tennyson – SR, G – TAMUCC

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHLAND 2ND TEAM:

-Simeon Fryer – SR, G – TAMUCC
-Tyson Jackson – JR, F – New Orleans
-Simeon Kirkland – SR, F – New Orleans
-Manny Littles – SR, F – Nicholls
-Pierce Spencer – JR, G – Nicholls

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

Several of the top level programs in the Southland bolted for other conferences.  It now seems to be destined for the champion to end up on the #16 line.  Last year, half the league failed to finish in the top-300 of the NET and it will likely be the same kind of results this year.

-TAMUCC is the preseason favorite.  They have five starters back from a team that won the conference tournament a year ago and won 6 of their last 7 heading into the NCAA Tournament.  It was a huge improvement after winning just 5 total games the year before and they may be able to take another big step forward this year.

-Nicholls was the 1st place team a year ago but they return just two starters from that team.  Still, the expectations are high as they look to add some transfers to their roster and get some production out of them.

-New Orleans lost their top player from last year’s team that finished 2nd in the conference, but does have three starters back and is expected to be near the top of the league again this year.  They will also be adding some transfers into the mix and will be hoping they can step into key roles right away.

-After finishing in a tie for 2nd place last year, SELA has just one starter back and is in a bit of rebuilding mode this year.  They will be looking to replace…well…pretty much everything.

-McNeese has three starters back from a team that was just 4-10 in the league last year, but with that experience should show some improvement this year.

-Northwestern State has just one starter back and will be turning to some transfers and incoming freshmen to try and rebuild their roster.  They struggled last year with just 9 total wins and will likely struggle again this year.

-Welcome to D1 TAMU Commerce!!  The good news is that once they get into conference play they can probably compete with some of the teams at the bottom of the league despite being a transitional program.  The fact that they are not picked to finish last should tell you something about how (not) good the bottom half of this conference is.

-Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist) has two starters back from last year and the expectations for this year are remarkably low.

-Lamar won just two games last year, and Incarnate Word has not had a 10-win season in the last five years.  The question is: what are the chances that one of these teams will win the Centenary?

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MAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2022 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

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

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 1ST TEAM:

-Enrique Freeman, – JR, F – Akron
-Payton Sparks – SO, C – Ball State
-Sincere Carry – SR, G Kent State
-JT Shumate – SR, F – Toledo
-Lamar Norman – SR, G – Western Michigan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 2ND TEAM:

-Xavier Castaneda – SR, G – Akron
-Kevin Miller, – SO, G – Central Michigan
-Emoni Bates – SO, F – Eastern Michigan
-Malique Jacobs – SR, G – Kent State
-Setric Millner Jr. – SR, F – Toledo

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

This is a conference that I feel is routinely undervalued.  There are some great rivalries in this league and it is TOUGH to win on the road at some of these places.  I think there are a couple of teams that can make a run at the bubble this year.

-Kent State returns four starters from a team that won 23 total games a year ago, finished 2nd in the conference, and advanced to the championship game.  Expectations are even higher this year with them being the preseason favorite and perhaps good enough to be on the bubble (or even inside of it) come March.

-Toledo is another team that returns four starters after having a strong season a year ago.  They are actually my pick to win the league.  They won 26 total games last year and were the first place team.  This is another team that I think could finish either on the bubble or inside of it come March.

-Akron won the MAC Tournament last year after finishing in a tie for 3rd, and with three starters back from that team along with some solid-looking transfers that can contribute.  This is another team that can compete with anyone in the league and should battle for the top of the conference.

-Ball State has been rather unremarkable for the past…well…twenty years or so, but expectations are suddenly high.  After winning just 14 total games a year ago and going a modest 9-10 in league play, many think the Cardinals can finish in the top half of the league this year as Michael Lewis takes over as head coach. He has three starters back and a pretty good recruiting class to go along with it so we could see them take a huge step forward this year.

-I am a big fan of Coach Jeff Boals at Ohio U, but I also understand that they may be in rebuilding mode this year.  Last year they won 25 total games and finished in a tie for 3rd.  Unfortunately a lot of key pieces from that team are gone, including their top player, so they will look to some transfers and some returners to step into bigger roles this year.

It drops off a little after that…

-The days of Buffalo being a regular in the NCAA Tournament, and even the top-25, seem like a long time ago.  They are in complete reset mode this year with no returning starters and will look to some D2 and JUCO transfers to step into key roles and contribute this year.

-Eastern Michigan won just 10 total games last year and finished outside the top-300 of the NET.  While they should be a little better this year, I do not see them finishing in the top half of the league.

-Western Michigan was the last place team a year ago and also finished outside the top-300 of the NET.  While they should be a little better this year, it does not look as though they are going to be good.

-Bowling Green had seemed to be trending up as a program, but they are certainly in rebuilding mode this year after losing their top four scorers.  They do have some decent looking recruits and I think they can finish higher than 9th in the conference, but it could still be a long year for them.

-Central Michigan was just 7-23 last year.  They have two starters back along with some transfers to round out their roster, but the expectations are not exactly high.

-Miami OH has a new coach in Travis Steele.  They also have four new starters to go along with him.  I think this is a program that has the potential to be successful and I sometimes wonder why they are not better than what they are.  They are certainly not expected to be good this year.

-Northern Illinois was terrible last year but they finished the regular season with a win over Ohio U, which was a real head-scratcher.  I am a little surprised that they are picked to finish dead last because they do have a good player in Keshawn Williams and some decent-looking transfers coming in as well.

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Big South Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2022 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Longwood
  2. Winthrop
  3. UNC Asheville
  4. Gardner Webb
  5. High Point
  6. Campbell
  7. Radford (tied 6th)
  8. USC Upstate
  9. Presbyterian
  10. Charleston Southern

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG SOUTH 1ST TEAM:

-Drew Pember – SR, F – UNC Asheville
-Isaiah Wilkins – SR, G – Longwood
-Jordan Gainey – SO, G – USC Upstate
-Zack Austin – SO, F – High Point
-Cory Hightower – SR, F – Winthrop

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG SOUTH 2ND TEAM:

-DeShaun Wade – SR, G – Longwood
-Tajion Jones – SR, G – UNC Asheville
-Winston Hill – SR, F – Presbyterian
-Kareem Reid – SR, F – Gardner Webb
-Ricky Clemons – SR, G – Campbell

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Longwood is one hell of a success story!  They have gone from being one of the poorer programs in all of D1 to now being one of the better programs in the Big South.  They nearly ran the table last year (going 15-1), won the conference tournament, and advanced to the NCAAs. Four starters are back from that team so the expectations are once again really high.  They did lose their top player to the transfer portal but they have enough coming back to where they should be at or near the top of the league again.

-Winthrop has been a Big South frontrunner for the last several years and it looks as though they will be again this year.  Just two starters return, but they have a good-looking recruiting class, some good-looking transfers, and some others who look like they can step into bigger roles.  Mark Prosser had a good debut as head coach last year and they should be good again this year.

-UNC Asheville was a modest 8-8 in league play last year, but it was a huge overall improvement from the year before, and with three returning starters as well as some other guys who look like they can step up this team could take another big step forward this year.

-Gardner Webb, like a lot of teams, seemed positioned to have a big year this year, but lost some key players to the transfer portal and are now kind of rebuilding, especially at the guard position.  They will be relying on guys who were not exactly stars and have them try to mesh with some non-D1 transfers.

-High Point might be a bit of a dark horse.  They have four starters back and while they were just a modest (if that) 11-18 overall last year, they were looking a little better at the end of the year and played Longwood really tough in back-to-back games in the latter part of the season.  With the experience they have coming back I think they can finish in the top half of the league.

-Campbell has a decent nucleus of players coming back and also adds a couple of freshmen to the roster that could be contributors right away.  They are picked to finish around the middle of the league…and that does kinda sound right.

-Radford is in a rebuilding mode and it may be a while before we see them contend for a conference title.  They won just 11 games last year and are now in the process of rebuilding their roster.

-USC Upstate has a good all-around player in Jordan Gainey, who can really shoot from the outside, but their other pieces are questionable.  I am a little surprised to see them picked as low as 8th, but having said that, picking them to finish in the top half of the conference feels like a bit of a stretch.

-Presby has four starters back and they should be at least somewhat improved with all of that experience…but it still looks like it will be a rough year.

-Charleston Southern is picked last but they also have some decent players back, and if they can stay healthy this year they should be able to do at least a little better than dead last.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new Georgia State coach Jonas Hayes

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are less than 1 week away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we still have time to start preparing 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 new Georgia State coach Jonas Hayes, who talked about his new job and his expectations for this season.

As a freshman at Western Carolina your 63 FG% was #12 in the nation but you later decided to transfer: what made you choose Georgia? I was born/raised in Atlanta.

Last April you were hired as head coach at Georgia State: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? The transition is going well. We have a lot of new people in new positions but our guys are mature and have handled it seamlessly. This is a university that embraces its location: we will not put a fence around the state but rather put our arms around it and paint a picture of the experience here.

Your twin brother Jarvis was your teammate at Georgia and has been an assistant coach at Georgia State since 2018: how close are you 2, and how excited are you to work with him? We are extremely close, as we shared a womb and most of our classes. I am blessed to work with him: I wonder how many twins are coaches at the D-1 level?!

1 of your “new” players is Dwon Odom, who scored 18 PTS for you in the NIT title game win last spring: do you 2 act as “security blankets” for each other because you both understand your coaching philosophy better than anyone else on the roster? We each have a level of knowledge about each other. I can point to him as an example of what is expected on both ends of the court, which has helped. He gives me a level of comfort, which goes a long way.

Your non-conference schedule includes a home game vs. Georgia Tech and a trip to Auburn: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I have not really studied the whole schedule: I am just trying to win Friday and then the weekend and I will just worry about the other games once we get there. Every game gives the team a phenomenal opportunity so I want to see how they will handle that.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Our leadership is emerging: I am a firm believer that the cream rises to the top organically. It is not just from 1 guy and I am thankful for that. I wanted to see how guys responded to different levels of adversity and we have a group of guys who are comfortable being uncomfortable. We need to be able to take a kicking or a licking and keep on ticking!

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