Under The Radar Game of the Day – Tuesday, November 22nd

Posted on November 22, 2022 by John Stalica

For last night’s Hoops HD Report – CLICK HERE

For this week’s bracket projection from David Dorman – CLICK HERE

Sacramento State (3-1) vs. UC-Davis (3-1) – 10:30 PM ET

Gold Country will be hosting the Causeway Cup at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center between local rivals UC-Davis and Sacramento State. The Aggies of UC-Davis are coming off of a 75-60 win against Arkansas State at home; Bobby Beasley III led the team with 15 points. Other wins include a victory at Cal-Berkeley and a non-D1 win at home against the Cal Maritime Keelhaulers.

Sacramento State fans are already enjoying their football team’s high seed in the FCS Playoffs, but tonight their basketball team  will be looking for their fourth straight victory against UC-Davis in this rivalry game. After a season-opening loss at UCLA, the Hornets have won at UC-San Diego and at Denver as well as a non-D1 home win against UC-Merced. Despite coming off the bench in the first 4 games, Cameron Wilbon leads the Hornets with 12.5 points a game.

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The Hoops HD Report – Nov 21st

Posted on November 21, 2022 by David Griggs

It’s Feast Week!!  The panel looks back on what was a very busy week of college basketball which gave us several top 25, and multiple top 10, matchups.  We discuss all that as we run through all ten of the major conferences.  The Big Ten is off to a surprisingly good start where a lot of teams have managed notable wins, the Pac 12, ACC, and Atlantic Ten appear to be struggling, Texas had a big win against Gonzaga, Gonzaga had big wins against Michigan State and Kentucky, Kentucky also dropped an additional game to Michigan State, and many other crazy things happened.  We discuss all that, and preview all of the big upcoming games, many of which are taking place in tournaments.

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

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Bracket Projections (From David Dorman) – Nov 21st

Posted on November 21, 2022 by David Griggs

For today’s News, Notes, and Highlighted Games – CLICK HERE

BRACKET REFLECTS GAMES PLAYED THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 20TH

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID DORMAN (Senior Staff Writer)…

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I want to wish you and your families a Happy Healthy Holiday. Remember to eat way too much and watch an awesome week of college hoops. This is one of my favorite weeks of the College Basketball Calendar. For the next 6 days you can watch college hoops all day long with some great tournaments and matchups. From tiny gym’s on the Islands to Resort Ballroom’s you won’t want to miss this week of incredible action.

 

My bracket is NOT what I think the actual bracket will look like come March, it is a look at who is deserving so far this season. Duke as a 7 seed, Kentucky as an 11 & Gonzaga as a 5 seed is where I believe they sit if the Tournament started today. Indiana goes on the road and wins a huge game in Xavier and Texas destroys Gonzaga at home. These games will become very important in March when we start to bracket the tournament.

 

Who has impressed me the most this season? Virginia, Maryland and St. Mary’s are all off to great starts but remember we are only 3-4 games into the season. This week will help shape the bracket in a big way come March. Why you ask? Because these are the games where our Under The Radar teams can put up a huge victory or two over the Power Conferences. Many of these games are on neutral courts and the UTR teams can catch fire for a few days. Sometimes the Power Boys can get knocked off thinking about the beach later in the day or slow from a long night out. Upsets and leftovers will be very popular this week.

 

For our Under the Radar teams November can be as important as March. A few big wins this week can propel you in securing a bid come March. Yes it is November but the stakes are awfully high in College Basketball this Holiday Week.

 

Enjoy all the great games

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games – Monday, Nov 21st

Posted on November 21, 2022 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-We will be recording our HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast tonight, so keep an eye out for that.

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-Gonzaga had what felt like a comfortable lead from pretty much tip to buzzer against Kentucky in their 80-64 win.  There were times Kentucky made a run at them, but Gonzaga would always respond with a run of their own.  I think it’s important to remind people that we’ve seen this from Kentucky before.  In fact there are very few years we don’t see it.  They are often a top ten caliber team by the end of December, but they are more of a top 35-40ish team in November.  In MANY years.  Don’t believe me??  Go back and check.

-Houston got the 66-56 win at Oregon, which will end up looking pretty good on paper, but it was a struggle for them on the offensive end.  They didn’t exactly blow Oregon off the court.

-Baylor and UCLA was another match-up between top ten teams, which was our second of the day, and it was a good one.  Baylor had a lead for most of the game, but it was close, and they ended up getting a huge 80-75 win over the Bruins.  It’s the second loss in a row for UCLA, but when you’re losing games that close to teams that good this early in the season, it may be frustrating, but it is by no means discouraging.  The Bruins will be fine.

-Virginia knocked off Illinois 70-61 in the championship game of the Main Event to cap off a huge weekend for the Hoos.  They should be moving way up in the rankings when they come out later today, and are making a solid early case that they are a protected seed caliber team.

-Michigan needed overtime to get by Ohio U 70-66.  This is the second time this season Michigan needed overtime to get by a team from the MAC, and it followed a blowout loss to Arizona State.  Perhaps Michigan isn’t a top 25 caliber team at the moment?

-Maryland has been a big surprise out of the Big Ten, and blew their way through the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off.  They ran over a pretty good Miami FL team yesterday 88-70 and other than Michigan State have looked as good as anyone in the Big Ten up until now.

-It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but Saint Louis did manage to come back and beat Providence 76-73 in the third place game of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off, which is a game that the Billikens kind of needed.

-Drake picked up their best win of the year against Wyoming 61-56.  Most of Drake’s wins have not been impressive, but they have managed to win all their games.  Wyoming is a team with a very high ceiling that’s off to a very slow start.  They cannot afford to drop another game in this tournament, or else they are going to start their run for the bubble from about a hundred miles away.

-Penn State is off to a very respectable 5-1 start, and they beat a decent Colorado State team yesterday 68-56.  I don’t want to get carried away.  I don’t think they’re a top 25 team.  But a top 40 team??  Maybe!

-UCF is now off to a sneaky 4-1 start after knocking off what appears to be an at least decent Santa Clara team 57-50,  We may need to start keeping an eye on them.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-AKRON VS WESTERN KENTUCKY (Cayman Islands Classic).  These are two really good UTR teams, and doing well in an early season tournament like this is crucial when it comes to building a resume and making a case that they belong inside the bubble.

-TEXAS TECH VS CREIGHTON (Maui Invitational, Maui HI).   Both teams are in the rankings, and neither team has a loss.  This tournament, as it is every year, is a chance to rack up really big resume building wins, and to catapult a team into the national spotlight.  It wouldn’t surprise me if both these teams were in the rankings all year long.  Texas Tech’s defense against Creighton’s outside shooting!  Should be fun!

-LOUISVILLE VS ARKANSAS (Maui Invitational, Maui HI).  Louisville has lost three home buy games, each by just one point, so they haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire.  Arkansas is off to a 3-0 start and while they may not be all that tested today, they will be tested throughout this tournament.

-TULANE VS NEVADA (Cayman Islands Classic, George Town Cayman Islands).  Neither team has a loss, but neither team has been super tested yet either.  We think both have a lot of potential and are looking forward to see what they can do against each other, and what they can do throughout the tournament.

-DRAKE VS TARLETON STATE (Paradise Jam, Saint Thomas Virgin Islands).  Drake picked up a nice win yesterday against Wyoming, which was their best of the season so far, and shouldn’t have too much trouble today getting past a good, but yet seemingly overmatched, Tarleton State team.  Tarleton did beat Boston College yesterday, so they’ll be coming into this one with some confidence.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE VS MARQUETTE.  These are two teams that may be a little better than we thought coming in.  Mississippi State hasn’t passed any major tests yet, and Marquette did lose at Purdue, but they also gave Purdue a really good team.  Tonight is a bit of a litmus test for both of them, as well as an early season resume building opportunity.

-OHIO STATE VS SAN DIEGO STATE (Maui Invitational, Maui HI).  Both teams are in the rankings, but this game (and tournament) probably means more to San Diego State simply because they won’t have as many chances at big wins as Ohio State will later on in the year, so if they want to make a case to the committee that they deserve a protected seed, this tournament is their chance to do it.

-SAINT JOHN’S VS TEMPLE (Empire Classic, Brooklyn NY).  Temple has been hot and cold this season, and Saint John’s comes in at 4-0, so it’s a big game as far as early season momentum is concerned.

-CINCINNATI VS ARIZONA (Maui Invitational, Maui HI) – This appears to be a bit of a mismatch, and Cincinnati is coming off a loss to Northern Kentucky, but if Cincinnati can somehow do well in this tournament it will change the entire complexion of how they’re viewed.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Toledo vs Kansas City (Gulf Coast Showcase) – Toledo looking to remain unbeaten
-Illinois State vs LS( (Cayman Islands Classic) – LSU is 3-0
-Northern Iowa vs San Francisco (Hall of Fame Classic) – San Francisco is 3-0
-East Carolina vs Indiana State (Gulf Coast Showcase) – Both teams come in at 3-0
-Wichita State vs Grand Canyon (Hall of Fame Classic) – GCU has shown some life early, but they need to do well in this tournament if they want to make a strong case for themselves
-Wyoming vs Boston College (Paradise Jam) – It is very important that Wyoming bounce back and not drop any more games in this event
-UAB vs South Florida (Sunshine Slam) – UAB’s only loss is to Toledo, and while they don’t have any big wins yet, they appear to have a good team.  They just need to hold serve in this event
-Georgia Tech vs Utah (Fort Meyer’s Tip Off).  I’m not particularly impressed with either team yet, but Utah has just one loss and Georgia Tech is unbeaten, so we will continue to keep an eye on them until we have a reason not to
-North Florida vs Duquesne – Duquesne is coming off a nice win against Colgate and can get to 4-1 on the season with a win today
-Syracuse vs Richmond (Empire Classic) – Both teams need to start stringing together wins to avoid falling completely off the radar
-Wright State vs Abilene Christian (Vegas 4) – both teams with just one loss
-Rhode Island vs Kansas State (Cayman Islands Classic) – K State looking to stay unbeaten
-Georgia vs Saint Joseph’s (Sunshine Slam)
-CA Baptist @ Minnesota – both teams 3-1

BUY GAMES:

-Loyola MD @ Clemson
-Omaha @ Iowa
-Bellarmine @ Duke
-Northern Arizona vs Texas – Game in Edinburg, TX
-Hampton @ UC Santa Barbara
-San Diego Christian (nonD1) @ San Diego
-Life Pacific (nonD1) @ UC Irvine

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | 1 Comment

Under The Radar Game of the Day – Monday, November 21st

Posted on November 21, 2022 by John Stalica

For Jon Teitel’s interview with SIU-Edwardsville legend Jason Holmes – CLICK HERE

For all of our bracketed In-Season Tournaments taking place – CLICK HERE

Drake (4-0) vs. Tarleton (3-1) – 8:00 PM ET (ESPN3)

Today’s UTR Game of the Day figures to be one of the unlikelier championship games for Feast Week, but we head to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam championship game between the Drake Bulldogs and the Tarleton Texans. Drake came in as one team who could possibly win this field, and so far have not disappointed with wins against Buffalo and Wyoming. Tucker DeVries had a career-high 29 points and needed every one of them as the Bulldogs held on for a 61-56 win after leading by 16 points at halftime.

Tarleton was not the team initially expected to make it to the championship game of this event, but Billy Gillispie’s team crashed the party thanks to wins against Belmont and Boston College. The win against BC was the first Power 5 win for the Texans; Freddy Hicks led Tarleton with 21 points. All in all, not a bad result (win or lose) for a Tarleton team that is in its 3rd transitional year of Division 1 play; they wil be eligible for the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25.

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Happy Anniversary! HoopsHD interviews SIUE legend Jason Holmes

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Jason Holmes played more than 100 games at SIUE and finished his career with a school-record 1949 career PTS…but it is his very 1st game that stands out the most. All he did that night was set his school’s single-game scoring record with 45 PTS in a win vs. Carthage. A couple of decades later in 2012 he was inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2018 he was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jason about being a great shooter and becoming an assistant coach. Today marks the 29th anniversary of his 45-PT debut on November 20, 1993, so we take this time to remember his awesome achievement.

In November of 1993 as a freshman at SIUE you set a school record with 45 PTS against Carthage: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I was fortunate to be playing with 4 seniors. Our coach Jack Margenthaler gave us the green light to shoot the ball when we were open…so I did. The seniors had no problem with a freshman shooting the ball and we won the game. I think that I was only the 2nd freshman in school history to ever start on opening night.

You scored 21.2 PPG as a freshman: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? My high school gym in New Castle, IN, was 1 of the biggest in the world and held about 10,000 people…but in D-2 we only had seating for about 1200! We played in the best conference in the state of Indiana: night in and night out we faced the best players in the state and our coach Sam Alford (father of Nevada coach Steve) had great confidence in us.

Your scoring average decreased during each of the next 3 years: how on earth did that happen?! Our team got better and made the transition from an Independent school to the Great Lakes Valley Conference, which is 1 of the best D-2 conferences in the country. I was 6’1” as a freshman and not all of our game film was accessible on the Internet back then so our opponents did not always put their best defender on me. I snuck up on people a little bit as a freshman.

You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history: what is the key to being a great scorer, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I think that someone will break my record: it is just a matter of time because the team continues to get better every single year. In high school I was more of a shooter but developed a 1st and 2nd step in college so that I could beat people off of the dribble.

You also hold the school record for most 3PM: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Getting into the gym and dedicating yourself to being a “gym rat”. I was 9 years behind Coach Alford’s son Steve and idolized him and got to watch him work out. I spent every summer in the gym and found time to take 100 FTs every day. In this era of AAU ball and travel teams those skills deteriorate: if you are playing 100 games during the summer then it takes away from your individual skill development. Some kids do not even play for their high school teams any more because they prefer the AAU circuit.

You shot at least 85 FT% during each of your 4 years: what is your secret for making FTs? The key for all scorers is to get to the FT line, which was a result of me being able to drive to the basket rather than just being a spot-up shooter. Those 7-8 FT attempts every game while shooting 85% from the line gives you a chance to score 20 PPG on a regular basis. You just have to put the time in to become a pure shooter.

In addition to playing for Coach Alford you were an assistant to a pair of great coaches in Marty Simmons (2015 CIT champ at Evansville)/Jack Margenthaler (who won 200+ games at WIU): which of them had the greatest influence on your own decision to go into coaching? I would say all 3 because they each brought something different. Coach Alford instilled the motivation in me to go to the gym at 6:30AM. Coach Margenthaler taught me the key to having a great work ethic after I saw the amount of time that he spent on game prep. Marty has a high basketball IQ and his in-game adjustments are amazing: his motion offense/scouting reports are as good as it gets.

You are currently the principal at Dunlap Valley Middle School: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I love the job because it is very similar to coaching. The 1st year or 2 I was not as good at it because I needed time to connect with the students, but I eventually found some success and developed a passion for it. How you handle your players as a coach is the same way that you handle your students/faculty/parents: it is about leadership/communication/working together. I do miss coaching but filled that gap a bit recently by coaching my daughter’s 4th grade team…which was the hardest thing that I have ever done!

In 2012 you were named to your alma mater’s Hall of Fame and in 2018 you were named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team (along with guys like Indiana State associate head coach Matthew Graves/7-time MLB All-Star Scott Rolen): what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant a lot because both honors were unexpected…but it also signifies that you are getting a little older! Nobody at age 20 is focused on making a Silver Anniversary team: you just love to play. You lose track of your opponents over the years but to see those names again and reflect a bit is super-cool. You get to go back into the scrapbook and reflect on all of the great things that you did when you were growing up. Life moves quickly so it is nice to slow down for a moment.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I hope I am remembered as a great teammate who played hard every day, which is what I ask of my daughter’s team. You can be a great principal/father/whatever you want…but if you are a great teammate who works hard every day then that will supersede anything else you do.

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