News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Monday, Feb 21

Posted on February 21, 2022 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Rutgers impressive win streak came to an end at Purdue yesterday as they fell 84-72, but it hardly the kind of loss that would set a team back.  I think this team is still inside the bubble, and should perhaps be even further inside the bubble than where many are projecting them.

-Providence needed overtime to get by Butler, but they managed to once again win a close game.

-Houston needed double overtime to get by Wichita State, but they escaped with a 76-74 win.  While it is important that the Cougars did win, for the past couple of weeks Houston has not been blowing teams off the floor the way they had been all season long.

USC got a big scare from Wazzu, but held on to win 62-60 to keep their resume from sustaining a bit of a dent.

-Memphis, who had been on a really good run, could not get it done at SMU yesterday and fell 73-57.  I think both teams are on the bubble, but it’s possible that neither end up getting in.

-Creighton won a thriller at home against Marquette to help give their resume a bit of a boost, which it kind of needed.  Marquette is still in really good shape, but the chances of ending up as a protected seed seem to be slipping away.

-Mississippi State finally won a road game as they beat Missouri 58-56.  It isn’t nearly enough to get them onto the bubble, but it is at least a start.

-Last but not least, Wisconsin held serve at home against a Michigan team that appeared to be working its way toward the bubble, but couldn’t get the big win in Madison.  Wisky had gotten control of the game down the stretch, so I turned it over with about 2 minutes to play.  I’m going to assume that the game just ended normally and that I didn’t miss anything.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-INDIANA AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten).  This would be a big improvement to Indiana’s resume if they could pull off this win.  They’re (relatively) safe right now, but they’d be much much much safer with a win like this.

-LOUISVILLE AT NORTH CAROLINA .  North Carolina is overing around the outside of the bubble and needs to keep holding serve.  They did get a nice win at Virginia Tech over the weekend, so they are still within reach of making the field.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT TCU (Big 12).  TCU is inside the bubble and should remain there so long as they hold serve in games like this, which is a home game against a team that’s outside the bubble.

-MARSHALL AT SOUTHERN MISS (We Think Conference USA).  We highlight this game only so we can once again share THIS VIDEO of how CUSA reacted when these two schools announced they were leaving the league for the Sun Belt next year.

-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT INDIANA STATE (Missouri Valley).  Loyola Chicago may be out of strikes when it comes to being inside the bubble and in a position to get an at-large bid if they don’t win the MVC Tournament.  If they aren’t out of strikes, they are getting very close.  Simply put, they cannot lose again until at least the semifinals.

-BAYLOR AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12).  Baylor is solidly on the #2 line right now, and still has a path to end up as a #1 with a strong finish considering how good they are and how tough their schedule is.

-ARIZONA STATE AT UCLA (Pac 12).  UCLA is within reach of a protected seed and they should get it if they can hold serve the rest of the way.

-SAN FRANCISCO AT PACIFIC (West Coast).  San Francisco should make the field so long as they avoid losses to anyone that’s not inside the bubble the rest of the way.  That obviously includes this one tonight.

-NEW MEXICO STATE AT SEATTLE (WAC).  Neither team is inside the bubble, but this is still a fun match-up with first place implications.  New Mexico State is coming off a very impressive performance at Grand Canyon, and if they can get to the Round of 64 they will likely be a very tough match-up for someone.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off on News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Monday, Feb 21

Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 8.0)

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE For Today’s NEWS, NOTES, AND HIGHLIGHTED GAMES, which previews all of today’s action, and recaps a very busy and eventful Saturday

We are only 3 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we continue to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams that made the 2021 tourney, 62 of which were within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 47 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming weeks predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 13th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how we stack up with other websites (ranked 19th out of 135 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Gonzaga (WCC)
1: Arizona (Pac-12)
1: Kansas (Big 12)
1: Auburn (SEC)

2: Kentucky (SEC)
2: Purdue (Big 10)
2: Baylor (Big 12)
2: Duke (ACC)

3: Villanova (Big East)
3: Texas Tech (Big 12)
3: Wisconsin (Big 10)
3: Tennessee (SEC)

4: Illinois (Big 10)
4: UCLA (Pac-12)
4: Providence (Big East)
4: Houston (AAC)

5: Texas (Big 12)
5: Ohio State (Big 10)
5: Alabama (SEC)
5: Connecticut (Big East)

6: LSU (SEC)
6: Michigan State (Big 10)
6: Marquette (Big East)
6: Arkansas (SEC)

7: USC (Pac-12)
7: St. Mary’s (WCC)
7: Xavier (Big East)
7: Wyoming (MWC)

8: Colorado State (MWC)
8: Murray State (OVC)
8: Seton Hall (Big East)
8: Boise State (MWC)

9: Iowa State (Big 12)
9: Iowa (Big 10)
9: Wake Forest (ACC)
9: TCU (Big 12)

10: Loyola-Chicago (MVC)
10: Miami (ACC)
10: San Francisco (WCC)
10: Indiana (Big 10)

11: Notre Dame (ACC)
11: Michigan (Big 10)
11: Davidson (A-10)
11: Memphis (AAC)

12: Rutgers (Big 10)
12: San Diego State (MWC)
12: Creighton (Big East)
12: Florida (SEC)
12: North Texas (C-USA)
12: Iona (MAAC)

13: Chattanooga (SoCon)
13: South Dakota State (Summit)
13: Toledo (MAC)
13: Vermont (America East)

14: Seattle (WAC)
14: Wagner (NEC)
14: Liberty (Atlantic Sun)
14: Montana State (Big Sky)

15: Texas State (Sun Belt)
15: Princeton (Ivy)
15: Long Beach State (Big West)
15: Cleveland State (Horizon)

16: Colgate (Patriot)
16: Longwood (Big South)
16: UNC-Wilmington (CAA)
16: Norfolk State (MEAC)
16: Texas Southern (SWAC)
16: New Orleans (Southland)

Posted in Bracketology | Comments Off on Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 8.0)

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Sunday, Feb 20

Posted on February 20, 2022 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-The NCAA Committee unveiled what the top 16 teams in the field would be if yesterday were Selection Sunday, and their #2 overall team Auburn celebrated by going on the road and losing to Florida 63-62.  They actually played their way into a position to potentially win the game on the last possession, but couldn’t get a shot up.  Florida was squarely on the bubble, and this win will probably be what gets them to the NCAA Tournament if they do end up making it.

-Oregon was another team that looked to be on the bubble, and although they played well at Arizona yesterday, they didn’t get the win, and it appears that they still are.  Oregon trailed 84-81 and had the ball for the game’s final possession, and inexplicably not only did not get a shot up, but actually drove the basket as time expired.

-Alabama had a very impressive first half against Kentucky, and built up a double digit lead, but Kentucky completely flipped the game in the second half and ended up with a 90-81 win.

-Texas Tech completed the season sweep of Texas with a very impressive 61-55 road win in Austin.  They will almost assuredly end up as a protected seed if they can just hold serve the rest of the year.

-Illinois, who hadn’t been the greatest team on the road this year, got a huge road win yesterday at Michigan State 79-74.  Michigan State continues to be in a bit of a tailspin, whereas the Illini are continuing to climb the seedlist.

-Arkansas remains red hot as they got yet another impressive win yesterday.  They knocked off Tennessee, who was selected as a protected seed, 58-48.

-Iowa was a team that was squarely on our bubble and who needed a big win.  Well, they got it.  They went into Ohio State and won rather convincingly 75-62, which is easily the biggest win for the Hawkeyes this year.

-Murray State clinched at least a share of first place in the Ohio Valley, but it wasn’t easy.  They beat UT Martin by a score of 62-60, and UT Martin actually had a shot at the buzzer to either tie or win the game.

-Xavier has now lost six out of nine.  They still appear to be inside the bubble because a road loss to UConn isn’t going to set you back, but the team is in a tailspin right now.

-Notre Dame had a chance to get a really nice win and shore up a profile that’s decent, but flimsy.  They couldn’t get it done at Wake Forest, as they fell 79-74 in a close one.  Wake is also squarely on the bubble, so this was an important win for them.

-Kansas State dropped a crucial game to Oklahoma State in overtime yesterday 82-79.  We did not select them for our latest mock bracket, but the top of their resume is really strong, and this was a winnable game that could have given their overall record some much needed padding.

-LSU dropped a game on the road to South Carolina 77-75.  The loss may hurt their resume some, and it certainly won’t help their seeding, but the Tigers are still in relatively good shape.

-North Texas is squarely on the bubble, and after their big last second road win at UAB yesterday, I would argue that they belong inside of it if they can hold serve throughout the rest of the regular season.  This is a good Mean Green team!

-North Carolina now FINALLY has a good win on their resume.  It’s not easy to win at Virginia Tech, and the Tarheels did it.  It’s the first decent win of any kind on their resume.  Granted, it follows up an atrocious home loss to Pittsburgh, but they now at least have SOMETHING on their resume to indicate they can win games that are moderately difficult to win.

-Miami FL looked to be solidly inside the bubble, but yesterday they lost at home to a Virginia team that’s outside the bubble 74-71, so that will qualify as a setback.

-Loyola Chicago needed a win at home yesterday against Drake, and didn’t get it.  This is a team that’s racking up quite a string of losses to teams that are not inside the bubble, and a few of those have come at home.  It’s hard to say how safe the Ramblers are.  It’s no guarantee the committee will take them if they don’t win the Missouri Valley Tournament.

-Colorado State, who we were starting to praise a little bit, put on a performance yesterday that deserves absolutely no praise at all.  UNLV, who isn’t exactly good, blew Colorado State off the floor 72-51.

-Saint Mary’s held on for a nice 69-64 home win against BYU.  BYU had looked awful for the last several weeks, but were actually competitive yesterday despite the loss.  In a way, I actually feel a little bit better about them even though they didn’t win.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-PROVIDENCE AT BUTLER (Big East).  Providence is looking to bounce back from their loss to Villanova.  This is definitely a winnable game, but winning on the road can always be tough.  Even at Butler.

-HOUSTON AT WICHITA STATE (American).  After looking like a dominant team all season long, Houston is starting to show some cracks in their armor.  They did manage to pull away agains UCF in their last game, so they may be back on track.

-MICHIGAN AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  Michigan seems to have played themselves onto the bubble all of a sudden, but they still have a lot of work to do.  Having said that, winning on the road at Wisconsin would constitute doing a lot of work.  Wisconsin is on pace to get a protected seed if they can keep winning at the clip they have been.

-MEMPHIS AT SMU (American).  This is a very bubblicious game for both these teams.  Memphis has caught fire lately and is finally starting to look like the team we’d thought they’d be before the season started.  A win at SMU would be another big boost for their resume.  SMU is just outside our bubble, but they are close enough to where it is within arm’s length.  They need a very strong finish to the season, and every game has a pivotal feel to it.

-MARQUETTE AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Both teams are in our field, and Marquette actually looks to be flirting with a protected seed.  Creighton is the team that probably needs this win a little more, especially since they’re at home.

-RUTGERS AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Rutgers is absolutely on fire right now.  They’ve had some monster wins in the last couple of weeks, but most have come at home.  Winning at Purdue would be on a higher level than even some of the ones they’ve won.  I think they’re inside the bubble right now, but if they get this one on the road there should be no doubt about it.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT USC (Pac 12).  USC appears to be on pace to land in the top half of the bracket.  They just need to hold serve in games like this.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | 1 Comment

Call from the Hall: HoopsHD interviews new Women’s Hall of Famer Bob Schneider

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Monday the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 8 members of its Class of 2022: Becky Hammon, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Penny Taylor, Doug Bruno, Paul Sanderford, Bob Schneider, Debbie Antonelli, and Alice “Cookie” Barron. Coach Bob Schneider got his start in coaching at the high school level, where he made the state finals an amazing 10 years in a row. He later became coach at West Texas State, where he won 33 straight games to start the 1987-88 season and was named national COY in 1997. He won more than 1000 games in his career and only had 2 losing seasons in almost a half-century on the sideline. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with the brand-new Hall of Famer about winning basketball games and enjoying retirement.

How did you 1st get into coaching? I did not intend to coach after graduating from college with a history/speech degree. I wanted to go into radio/TV but the station was closed at the time and my hometown had an opening for a coach. They said I would have to go back to college to get 6 more hours of physical education classes, and then they hired me…and 48 years later I was still coaching!

During 12 years as coach at Canyon High School you won 5 state titles and finished runner-up 5 other times: did it just reach a point where people expected to see you in the title game every single year? It kind of seemed that way! We made the state finals 10 years in a row and won 5 of them. It was a great run: I had some great players/assistants.

In 25 years as coach at West Texas State you won 9 conference titles and made 2 Elite 8s: how were you able to have so much success over such a long period of time? You have to recruit well when you are a college coach. In high school I coached a 6-player game, which had started back in the 1940s. It was a half-court game with 3 guards/3 forwards. In 1978 Texas switched to the 5-player game and I felt that it would be a good time to try it in college. I spent 3 years at Texas Woman’s College before the job at West Texas State came open in 1981. We had a lot of fans from the high school thanks to my time at Canyon, and when we started winning at West Texas we began to build a good booster club. It was a good thing for me to come home. They would raise money any way they could to get us some uniforms/basketballs: even by gathering cans from the side of the highway! There was a Title IX lawsuit going on when I arrived at West Texas: they gave me 4 scholarships for basketball and 4 more for track but the athletic director said that I could combine them if I could find some basketball players who also ran track. I got some local girls who had played for me in high school, and that helped start the program. We were in the MVC to start but later dropped to D-2. I had to “teach” for 6 hours but was not certified for lecture classes so I taught basketball, which took up my entire morning. I liked to hold practice from 12:30-2:30 and the men’s coach and I were at odds about that for a while. I remember coming in 1 day and finding that all 6 of our nets had been cut down: that is the way it was in the early days of women’s basketball.

You entered the 1988 D-2 title game with a 33-0 record before losing to Hampton Institute: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? I still have not looked at the video! I was sick about it, but Hampton had a great team including a player who a lot of D-1 coaches wanted but could not get because she was not eligible for D-1: she just tore us up. We got in late the night before and did not play the way we were capable of, but I give Hampton a lot of credit. Right before the game someone came up to 1 of my players to let her know that she had been selected player of the year: I actually think that hurt her psychologically because it took her focus off of the game.

You were a 6-time conference COY and 1997 WBCA D-2 national COY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It means an awful lot to be selected by your peers. That ranks right up there for me with being selected to the Hall of Fame…but I guess it has to take a bit of a back seat. I have been really blessed and we worked really hard at it. I loved teaching/coaching so it did not really seem like a job to me. I was raised to go to work and always told my players that it was the highlight of my life. Those 48 years went pretty fast.

You only had 2 losing seasons in 43 years as a coach, finished with a career record of 1045-293, and remain #11 in D-2 history with 634 wins (including 19 seasons of 20+ wins): what is the key to winning basketball games? You have to work at it. In Texas the basketball coaches had to coach football too: when I was at Canyon I took turns coaching the football team with the men’s basketball coach. I would coach the girls until 12, then the football team worked out until 5:30, then I would bring the girls back to coach them for another hour or so. I would keep the gym open on Tuesdays/Thursdays during the evening for anyone who wanted to come by and participate. After we won our 1st state title I did not know what to expect. I also coached junior high school at the time because we had a superintendent who really wanted to win! We had an awful lot of girls who wanted to participate and we did not cut anyone: if someone did not get to play during the week then I would bring them back to play on Saturday so they felt like they were an important part of the team. In college I had hard-working players who were dedicated to getting better during the summer.

Your last game was in 2006: what have you been up to since retiring? We were in the regional tourney in 2006 as was my son Brandon (who was coaching at Emporia State), and my other son Brett was my grad assistant at the time. We both won our 1st games and met in the 2nd round of the tourney. It was a back-and forth-game but Brandon beat the old man by 6 PTS to make the Elite 8: I was really proud of him. My daughter played for me at West Texas, which also meant a lot to me. Since retiring I have just done whatever my wife tells me to do! She always sat on the bench with me as our stat keeper and never missed a trick. If we fell behind in the game she would yell out, “Bob: do something!” It was a blessing to have her there with me. She also filled out grade reports on every player, which meant a lot to them.

Your sons Brett/Brandon both went into coaching: how much of an impact did you have on their own career choices? We did not push our kids into coaching: they made up their own minds during high school. Now I spend a lot of time watching my 2 sons coach at their respective schools and watching my grandkids play their own sports. Our daughter in Amarillo teaches service dogs to work with veterans: I am really proud of both her and her nonprofit organization.

You are already a member of the Texas Girls Coaches Hall of Fame, the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame, and the 2011 West Texas A&M Hall of Champions, but earlier this week you were elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It has to be at the top. The local/state Halls of Fame are also right up there…but to be in a national Hall of Fame is really special.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? That I was a good coach who worked hard at it. If I did not know about something I would seek out another coach to pick their brain. I was dedicated/fair to my players and never berated my players or called them names: if I was disappointed I would just yell out an occasional “Gosh-o-mighty!” We worked hard at conditioning/discipline so that they could learn what we were doing. I did not put in a set of 40-50 plays: just what we needed to be successful. I like to play a pressure defense and run a fast break on offense. A lot of opposing coaches said that my girls played hard, which was good.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Feb 19

Posted on February 19, 2022 by David Griggs

SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE (click here to view)

-Columbia became the first team that was actually eligible for postseason play t to be eliminated from the Hoops HD Survival Board last night after their lost to Harvard.  There are now just 346 teams remaining!!

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-TCU AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  I seem to think TCU is in better shape than most of the rest of the Hoops HD staff, but we all agree that they are inside the bubble.  We also all agree that Baylor is a protected seed.  So, this game has a Round of 32ish feel to it.

-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Both of these teams have struggled over the past week or so, but both are still in the rankings and both are still within reach of a protected seed.  Illinois has struggled on the road this year, and in recent weeks Michigan State has just not played up to their ceiling, so it’s a chance for whoever wins to get things turned around.

-XAVIER AT UCONN (Big East).  Both teams appear to be in the top half of the bracket, but both have also been slipping a little bit, especially Xavier, who is coming off a home loss to Saint John’s.  Xavier did win the first match-up between these two a short while ago, but winning on the road is a much taller order.

-TEXAS TECH AT TEXAS (Big 12).  It’s Round 2 of what is quickly turning in to one of the biggest feuds in college basketball!!  This one won’t be quite as hostile as the first meeting in Lubbock, but it will still likely be hostile.  Both teams are in the rankings, and Texas Tech is on pace to get a protected seed, but could really use this road win because if there is one area where they are lacking somewhat, it’s true road wins.

-ALABAMA AT KENTUCKY (SEC).  Kentucky is coming off a rather decisive loss at Tennessee, but prior to that they had been looking like a #1 seed.  They won the first meeting at Alabama earlier this year, so they’ll definitely have the advantage at home.  But, Alabama has a high ceiling.  They don’t always play up to it, but they did win a big game against Gonzaga out in Seattle earlier this year.

-NOTRE DAME AT WAKE FOREST (ACC).  This is a very bubblicoius game.  We have both teams inside our bubble, but neither team is safe, and both could really use this win.

-DAYTON AT SAINT JOSEPH’S (Atlantic Ten).  I don’t think Dayton can get all the way inside the bubble, but I also don’t think it is entirely impossible.  They’ll have to win out to be seriously considered.

-AUBURN AT FLORIDA (SEC).  Auburn looks to be on the path to a #1 seed, and Florida looks to be barely clinging on to the bubble.  A win for either team would really help them get what they want.

-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12).  We had Kansas State outside our bubble the other night, but I personally strongly disagree with that.  I think that not only are they in right now, but that they are several lines above the First Four.  Nevertheless, they need a strong finish either way, and this is the kind of game they need to be able to win.

-OKLAHOMA AT IOWA STATE (Big 12).  Another very important Big 12 game between two teams that are within reach of the Tournament and who both need to shore up their resumes in order to lock in a spot.

-IOWA AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten).  I personally think Iowa is straddling the bubble right now, but other experts say they are much further in.  If they can win this game on the road, I will agree, but that is much easier said than done.

-SAINT LOUIS AT DAVIDSON (Atlantic Ten).  Saint Louis may have their at-large hopes barely flickering, but they would almost have to win this game in order to have any chance at all.  Davidson is inside the bubble for now, but needs to avoid losses in games like this in order to stay there.

-LSU AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC).  This should be a winnable game for an LSU team that went into a tailspin a little while ago, but appears to have come out of it.

-TENNESSEE AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas is suddenly one of the hotter teams in the country.  They did lose at Alabama (by 1) last week, but have still won 10 of their last 11 and have been especially tough at home.  Tennessee is coming off a big home win against Kentucky.  If they can pull this off on the road, their resume will REALLY skyrocket.

-AIR FORCE AT WYOMING (Mountain West) (Front Range).  We at Hoops HD Love the Front Range!!!  Wyoming is coming off a rather surprising loss at New Mexico, but should be able to bounce back at home against their Front Range rivals.

-NORTH TEXAS AT UAB (Conference USA).  I believe this game has at-large implications for North Texas.  If they can win it, they’ll have a very solid resume, and the committee should STRONGLY consider selecting them even if they don’t win the conference tournament.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC).  I’ve been riding UNC hard all year.  They’re coming off a home loss to Pittsburgh, and are clearly outside the bubble, but if they can win this game they should be back in the discussion.  VA Tech is probably not a tournament team, but they are very tough to beat in Blacksburg, and UNC will deserve credit if they’re able to do it.  I don’t think they can, but if they do, I’ll agree that they at least belong on the bubble.

-MURRAY STATE AT UT MARTIN (Ohio Valley).  Murray State is on cruise control and should make the NCAA Tournament on the first ballot regardless of what happens in the OVC Tournament if they can win their last few regular season games.

-GEORGETOWN AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Georgetown is the defending Big East Champs!!  That’s probably of very little consolation.  They are having the kind of season they’d ver much like to forget.  Nova is coming off a big win at Providence, they are within reach of a first place finish, and well within reach of a protected seed if they hold serve the rest of the way.

-SIUE AT BELMONT (Ohio Valley).  Belmont is outside the bubble, but will probably get a look if they can win out to the conference tournament championship game.  That would also include a win at Murray State.

-VIRGINIA AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  Miami FL is inside the bubble and will remain safe so long as they hold serve.  Virginia’s chances of getting in are way less than 50%, but if they can absolutely thunder down the stretch they should have a chance.

-FLORIDA STATE AT DUKE (ACC).  Duke is on pace to get a protected seed and shouldn’t have any trouble holding serve in this one.

-DRAKE AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Mountain West).  Loyola is inside the bubble and will obviously stay there if they take care of business the rest of the way.  The problem is that they’ve shown tendencies of being unable to take care of business.  They nearly lost to Valpo their last time out, and this is a Drake team that is pretty touch, so they need to play up to their ceiling if they want to be in a position of not needing to win Arch Madness to make The Field.

-UTAH STATE AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Boise has dropped a few games recently, but they’ve all been tough games against good teams and I still think they are a solid tournament team.  They should be able to win this one at home tonight.

-KANSAS AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  Kansas has a path to a #1 seed, and West Virginia appears to have a better chance of ending up in the NIT than the NCAA Tournament.  Still, it’s a tough place to win on the road at.

-DEPAUL AT SETON HALL (Big East).  Seton Hall is in our field for now, but they could be in for a rough finish to the season given some of the injuries they’ve sustained.  It’s important that they win the games they’re supposed to win, which includes home games against non-tournament teams.

-COLORADO STATE AT UNLV (Mountain West).  The Rams have really come to life lately and this is a very winnable road game for them.

-SANTA CLARA AT GONZAGA (West Coast).  Santa Clara is a program that is definitely improving, but I don’t think they’re a tournament caliber team just yet, and they certainly aren’t expected to beat the #1 team on the road.  Now, if they can do that, THEN I’ll say they’re a tournament caliber team!!

-OREGON AT ARIZONA (Pac 12).  Oregon’s loss to Arizona State earlier this week really hurts.  It probably means that they need a win like this in order to be considered safely inside the bubble.  It also means they’re probably not good enough to win a game like this.  Arizona is a team that looks like they could end up with a #1 seed if they keep playing like they have been.

-WASHINGTON AT UCLA (Pac 12).  UCLA is a solid protected seed, and while Washington appears to be improving, they also don’t look to be at a level to where they can beat a protected seed on the road.

-COLORADO AT STANFORD (Pac 12).  Some say Stanford’s at-large hopes are still barely flickering.  If that’s the case then they won’t be if they don’t win this one.

-BYU AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  BYU has not played what I would call a good game in about a month, and their tournament chances are rapidly declining.  Saint Mary’s, on the other hand, is coming off a solid win against San Francisco and appears to be a safe bet to make the field.  BYU almost needs a win like this to shore up their resume.

-SAN DIEGO STATE AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West).  San Diego State is squarely on the bubble and winning this on the road would really help them out.

UNDER THE RADAR WATCH:

-AMERICA EAST – Vermont has clinched first place and will have home court advantage throughout

ASUN – looks to be a two-horse race between Liberty and Jacksonville State coming down the stretch

-BIG SKY – Montana State has a one game lead over Weber State and Southern Utah in the Big Sky with four games to go, including a very pivotal game at Southern Utah today

-BIG SOUTH – Longwood has clinched first place in the East Division and has a 1 game lead over Winthrop for the overall #1 seed with 3 games to go.

-BIG WEST – Long Beach has a two game lead with five games to go

-COLONIAL – three team logjam between UNC Wilmington, Towson, and Hofstra.  One game separates the three teams with about 3 games to go

-CONFERENCE USA – mentioned above.  Big game between North Texas and UAB today

HORIZON LEAGUE – Cleveland State can clinch at least a share of first place with a win today at Green Bay.

IVY LEAGUE – Yale has a one game lead over Princeton, and the two teams play today.  A Yale win would give them a two game lead with three games to go, and a Princeton win would have the teams tied.

METRO ATLANTIC – Iona has a three game lead with five games to go

-MEAC – Norfolk State is a game up on NCCU.  The two play on the second to last game of the year, but there are still five games to go.

-MAC – Ohio U, Toledo, Kent State, and suddenly Bufalo are logjammed at the top, and all four are potentially dangerous teams in the Round of 64.  Just one game separates all four teams

MISSOURI VALLEY – Loyola Chicago is probably the best team, but they are not running away with it.  They have just a one game lead over Missouri State and Northern Iowa with four games to go, the last of which is a road game at Northern Iowa.

-NEC – Wagner has looked like the dominant team, but they have just a one game lead over Bryant with three games to go, and their last regular season game is at Bryant.   With this tournament being played at campus sites, that is a very big deal.

-OHIO VALLEY – Murray State can clinch at least a share of first place with a win today at UT Martin

-PATRIOT – Colgate has a two game lead for the best overall record with four games to go.  They are at home against Boston U today and can get one step closer to clinching home court in the conference tourney.

-SOCON – Chattanooga can clinch at least a share of first place with a home win today against VMI

-SOUTHLAND – still up in the air.  New Orleans has a one game lead over SELA and Nicholls with five games remaining, and UNO will face both those teams in the final five games.

-SUN BELT – Texas State may finally be emerging as the top team in this league.  They’ve won six straight, they have a half game lead over Troy with just three games to go.  The thing is, their last game of the season is…at Troy.

-SWAC – Southern is currently clinging to first place, but Texas Southern and Alcorn State are just a game back, and there are still five games left

-SUMMIT – South Dakota State has clinched first place and is currently unbeaten in conference play.  They’ll still need the auto-bid to make the NCAA’s, but they will likely be a dangerous team if they do

-WAC – Last, but definitely not least.  Seattle, Sam Houston, and New Mexico State are all neck and neck and are separated by a half game, and there are still five games to go.  New Mexico State has a very tough test at Grand Canyon today, which is one of our favorite UTR Rivalries.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Survival Board, Under the Radar | Comments Off on News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Feb 19

Happy Anniversary!: HoopsHD interviews UIC legend Kenny Williams

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Jon Teitel

If you want to succeed in the sports world then having the name Ken/Kenny Williams is a good place to start. There is Kenny Williams who won the 2017 NCAA basketball title as a player at North Carolina, Ken Williams who won the 2005 World Series at GM of the Chicago White Sox, and Ken Williams who led the AL in HR/RBI in 1922 as a player for the St. Louis Browns. Another 1 is former UIC basketball player Kenny Williams, who became the 1st player in school history to score 2000 PTS and remains the Flames’ all-time leader with 237 STL. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kenny about being named conference POY and playing pro basketball overseas. Today marks the 6th anniversary of his jersey being retired on February 19, 2016, so we take this time to remember his remarkable accomplishments.

You grew up in LaGrange, IL: what made you choose UIC? During my senior year there were not a lot of D-1 schools recruiting me. UIC started recruiting me during my junior year and by my senior year we were ranked 3rd in the Chicago area. Some Big 10 schools came in after the fact but I knew that UIC wanted me: I would question some schools about it and there was just silence on the phone! I wanted to be loyal and stay close to home so my family could watch my games.

You were 5’10”: did you consider your size to be an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I always saw it as an advantage because I had quickness as well. If I thought of it as a disadvantage then how would that have helped me become a better player? I am math-oriented so the concept is that if I am always going to be 5’10” then I might as well deal with it. I just focused on the things that I could control.

You made the conference all-tourney team for 3 straight years from 1992-1994: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? If you are a competitor then that is how you test yourself to see where you stand. You want to be able to perform when it really counts so I treated every single practice as if it was a game situation. When there were big stakes on the line, I was already prepared.

In 1994 you were named conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? To be honest my teammate Sherell Ford should have won it that year but I think they gave it to me because I was a senior. Looking back on it, I take pride in it because there are not a lot of 5’10” guys who win such awards. I have had people tell me that they started playing basketball after watching me play. It was a great honor: I think that I was the 1st UIC player to win that award and it laid the path for the great guards who came in after me.

You remain in the top-3 in school history in PTS/AST: what is the key to being a great PG? I tried to be a complete player rather than just do 1 thing great. The game is more than just scoring: I wanted to do a little bit of everything. I wanted people to know that I played 100% every time I stepped onto the court. I tried to play as if someone important was watching me (like my mom, who often had to work). At the end of the day she never asked me how many PTS I scored but rather whether we won the game.

Your 237 STL remain the most in school history: what was your secret for playing great defense? Positioning. I was taught very early to know where the ball was in relation to where my man was. I tried to force my opponent to his weak hand, which is very fundamental. Sometimes I could predict what would happen so I was able to steal the ball without getting out of position. I would watch tapes of our games 3 times to see what mistakes I made on defense/offense. It sounds pretty extreme but how else can you get better unless you honestly evaluate yourself and are dedicated? The next time I faced an opponent I would know all of their strengths/weaknesses.

You spent a decade playing basketball in several countries: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? The 1st thing I noticed in Spain was that when I was practicing they did not separate skills by positions: the big men were doing guard drills and the guards were learning how to maneuver in the post. That is why you see players who come to the US that are so skilled offensively: it is based on their development but not at 1 specific position. Dirk Nowitzki is 7’ tall but he was never categorized as a “center” because he could shoot from the perimeter. That was the 1st time I saw the absence of a real post game and a lot of pick-and-pop with big guys setting screens on the perimeter and hitting threes.

After retiring you worked as a radio analyst and basketball instructor: how did you like the jobs, and what do you hope to do in the future? When I returned from overseas I did a 10-year stint on radio. Now I work for a staffing company if they need technical help like with developers. The radio job allowed me to stay close to the game but eventually it became too hard to balance all of the road trips with my regular job. I do most of my training on the weekends every once in a while but I enjoy it because it is just at the grassroots level of learning the skill set/fundamentals. It is hard to break bad habits if you try to re-learn everything down the line.

In 2016 the school retired your jersey: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It was awesome! It was great that it happened later than sooner because it helped me appreciate it more. It reminded me of all the people who sacrificed to help me get there. 1 of the things I said that night is that there is a piece of everyone in that jersey even though my name is the only 1 on it. As you get older you gain the perspective to think about more than just yourself.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? As a person who would do anything necessary for my teammates/coaches to win a game. The jersey/stats are nice but winning was the most important thing and my effort never changed. If my coach told me that I was going too hard in practice then I told him to turn the scoreboard off!

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