SEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 2, 2021 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Kentucky
  2. Alabama
  3. Arkansas
  4. Tennessee
  5. Auburn
  6. LSU
  7. Florida
  8. Mississippi State
  9. Ole Miss
  10. Missouri
  11. South Carolina
  12. Texas A&M
  13. Vanderbilt
  14. Georgia

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM:

-Jaden Shackelford – Alabama
-Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
-Colin Castleton – Florida
-Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
-Iverson Molinar – Mississippi State
-Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt (preseason player of the year)

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 2ND TEAM:

-Davonte Davis – Arkansas
-Jabari Smith – Auburn
-Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky
-Kellan Grady – Kentucky
-Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
-Darius Days – LSU

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Kentucky is coming off a rare disappointing season where they failed to make the NCAA Tournament.  As it seems to every year, the roster has been overhauled after four players left for the NBA (despite going just 9-16 as a team).  Instead of reloading almost exclusively with McDonald’s All-Americans, Kentucky has gone into the transfer portal and brought in a quite a few experienced players.  That means that expectations are once again very high, and if these guys can gel they can be a very dangerous team.

-Alabama is a team that many are picking to win the SEC, and I believe they are my pick as well.  They are losing some key players, but they are adding some extremely talented freshmen to go along with a few key transfer players.  Nate Oats is also a phenomenal coach, so the future is very bright for the Tide.

-Arkansas advanced to the Elite Eight last year so the excitement around this program is extremely high.  They did lose three key starters, but like several other teams in this league they are adding enough talent to make up for what they’ve lost.  They’ve got a solid shot at ending up as a protected seed and playing past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

-Tennessee is another team with very high expectations that will begin the season high in the rankings.  I really like the Vols this year but am not quite as high on them as many others seem to be.  I definitely think they’re top-25 good.  I’m just not so sure they’re top-10 good.  Having said that, Tennessee has proven me wrong before and put together some outstanding teams.  I’m not ruling out that possibility this year.

-Auburn struggled a season ago, but they’ve revamped the roster with some talented incoming freshmen and should be back in the NCAA Tournament picture this year.  Expectations are really high despite the fact that they finished just 10th in the league a season ago.

-LSU has just one starter back and the roster has been overhauled, but expectations are still high for Will Wade and company.  Why wouldn’t they be?  They always seem to deliver.  They do have a couple of big transfers coming in who they will be relying on this year.  I don’t think LSU is in the protected seed range but I do think they’ve got a very good chance of landing inside the bubble.

-Not as much love for the Gators as I would have expected.  They return three starters and have some very talented players coming in (as per usual).  I don’t see them contending for a conference championship but I do think they’ll be in the top half of the league and safely inside the bubble.

-Mississippi State finished last season on a bit of a high note as they were the NIT runners-up, and three starters are back from that team so the expectations are higher this year.  Garrison Brooks has transferred in from North Carolina and can definitely give this team some experience.  I can see them exceeding expectations this year.

And after that there is a bit of a drop off…

-Missouri did make the NCAA Tournament a year ago but it’s been a bit of a rough stretch for Coach Cuonzo Martin.  They won just 15 games in each of the two previous years, and with just one starter back from last year’s tournament team they could be in for another rebuilding year this year.

-Since South Carolina’s Final Four run it’s been a frustrating stretch.  The Gamecocks won just six games a year ago and some are starting to wonder if Frank Martin (who is  a fantastic coach, IMHO) is on the hot seat.  Two key players are back but it’s hard for me to think that is enough to get them over the hump.

-UNCLE BUZZ!!!!  We at Hoops-HD love Uncle Buzz!!  The problem is that it looks like his Texas A&M team is gonna be kind of lousy this year.  They do get a couple of big transfers in Marcus Williams/Jordan Hall, who were key players at Wyoming and La Salle respectively, which will definitely help, but as good as Buzz is at developing talent I still think he has a ways to go before the Aggies are back to being a tournament-caliber team.

-Vanderbilt and Georgia…I’m just not expecting much out of.  You kind of have to wonder if Tom Crean may be on his way out at Georgia after this year.

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Under the Radar: Preseason Podcast

Posted on November 1, 2021 by David Griggs

Chad, David, and Rocco look at all 22 Under the Radar conferences.  We begin in the Missouri Valley, which may not be Under the Radar for very long.  There are four or five teams that could be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, so it may be a lot stronger than just a one bid league this year.  We look at how good Louisiana Tech and UAB appear to be out of Conference USA, what should be a very exciting year in the Summit League, discuss Belmont’s at-large chances out of the OVC, look at how competitive the MAC could be, and much much more!!

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

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MEAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2021 by David Griggs

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MEAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Norfolk State
  2. Morgan State
  3. NC Central
  4. Coppin State
  5. Howard
  6. Delaware State
  7. South Carolina State
  8. UMES

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM:

-Nendah Tarke – SO, G – Coppin State
-Myles Carter – SR, G – Delaware State
-Malik Miller – SR, G – Morgan State
-De’Torrion Ware – GR, G – Morgan State
-Joe Bryant – SR, G – Norfolk State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 2ND TEAM:

-Kyle Cardaci – SO, G – Coppin State
-Dontarius James – SR, F – Howard
-Lagio Grantsaan – SR, F – Morgan State
-Jalen Hawkins – SR, G – Norfolk State
-Randy Miller Jr. – SR, G – NC Central

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 3RD TEAM:

-Steve Settle – SO, F – Howard
-Da’Shawn Phillip – JR, G – UMES
-Sherwyn Devonish – SR, G – Morgan State
-Trevor Moore – SR, G – Morgan State
-Rahsaan Edwards – JR, G – SC State

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Norfolk State returns just one regular starter but the expectations are still high for this group.  They are a consistent frontrunner in this conference and likely will be again.  They do pick up some key transfers, which should help them this year.

-Morgan State has four starters back and that experience has lead to some heightened expectations.  They really played well down the stretch last year winning nine out of twelve before losing in the conference championship game, so expect to see them near the top of the standings again this year.

-NC Central has just one regular returning starter and has undergone quite an overhaul of the roster.  That overhaul does include quite a few transfers and that has some believing they can have a strong year this year.

-Coppin State has also had to overhaul their roster and has just one returning starter.  It’s always difficult to forecast a team that has so many new players so we’ll see how they do once the year begins.

-All five regular starters are back for Howard.  The story for them last year, unfortunately, revolves around what DID NOT happen.  They signed Makur Maker, who was a top-20 player and way beyond the talent level that we normally see in the MEAC, but he played in just two games before getting injured.  He has left for the NBA.  Howard was also unable to complete their season last year due to so many COVID stoppages.  But, in looking at the positives for this year they do have some experience, and if they can stay healthy they may be able to make quite a bit of noise.

-Delaware State finished pretty much at the bottom of the league last year, and while we should see some improvement, chances are they’ll end up in the bottom half of the league.

-South Carolina State could also be in for a very long and difficult season.

-UMES is picked to finish last this year, but at least they will get to play.  They opted out of their entire season in 2020-2021 so it will be fun to get to see them back on the court.

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Conference USA Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2021 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. UAB
  2. Louisiana Tech
  3. Western Kentucky
  4. Marshall
  5. Old Dominion
  6. North Texas
  7. Charlotte
  8. Rice
  9. Florida Atlantic
  10. UTEP
  11. UTSA
  12. Southern Miss
  13. Florida international
  14. Middle Tennessee

 

MEDIA PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE HONOREES:

-Jahmir Young – JR, G – Charlotte
-Taevion Kinsey – SR, G – Marshall
-Kenneth Lofton JR – FR, F – Louisiana Tech
-Josh Anderson, SR, G – Western Kentucky
-Quincy Olivari – SO, G – Rice
-Tyler Stevenson – JR, F – Southern Miss
-Tavin Lovan – JR, G – UAB
-Thomas Bell, SR, F – North Texas
-Kalu Ezikpe – JR, F – Old Dominion
-Isaiah Crawford – So, F – Louisiana Tech

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Taking into account all of the conference realignment, this is the last time we’ll see Conference USA in this format, and it may be the last time we see the league at all.  I can’t help it.  I like this league, and I CERTAINLY love The Curtain at the conference tournament.  I really do hope it is able to hold on.  Meanwhile, as far as what we’ve got this year…

-UAB is the preseason favorite and it’s hard to argue with that.  Four starters are back, but more importantly they’ve got a ton of talent transferring in.  Coach Andy Kennedy has a history of being able to develop players and have the rosters gel, so if they can do that they may be more than just a good Under the Radar team: they may end up inside the bubble.  They are looking for their fourth 20-win season in the last five years, and from the way things are looking I’ll be surprised if they can’t make that happen.

-Louisiana Tech finished in a tie for first place last year and ended up winning the 3rd place game in the NIT.  With three starters back along with some really good looking transfers, expectations are once again high for LA Tech.

-Western Kentucky always seems to feature a talented roster, and that appears to be the case again this year.  Charles Bassey is gone, and replacing him won’t be easy, but with some key returners and incoming transfers WKU should once again be a strong force in the league.

-Marshall got off to a really good start last season, but like a lot of teams were knocked out of their flow with stoppages due to COVID.  With three starters back including Taevion Kinsey who (looks to be one of the better players in the league), Marshall could end up surprising some people this year.

-Old Dominion finished the season strong last year, but they lost multiple key players and could be in a bit of a rebuild mode this year.  Having said that, they do have some key guys back that came off the bench last year, so if they can step up then ODU has reason to be optimistic.

-North Texas had a really good year last year, but I don’t think many (including myself) were expecting to see them win the C-USA Tournament.  Once they did win the tournament, I don’t think many (including myself) were expecting them to win a game in the Round of 64, but both of those things happened.  The run in March put this program in the spotlight and gave it a big boost, but they did lose three key starters and have some big pieces to replace this year.  They do have some rather impressive looking incoming players, so if they can develop and produce the Mean Green can be successful again this year.

-Charlotte had a disappointing season last year, but we will likely see some improvement this year.  Jahmir Young returns to the roster, who will likely be one of the best players on the conference, and some key transfers were used to rebuild the roster as well.

-Rice, as a program, can’t really ever seem to get it going, and while all five starters are back from a year ago I’m not expecting them to have a breakthrough season this year.  They are projected to finish toward the middle of the pack, which feels about right as to what to expect out of them.

-Florida Atlantic is a long ways away from breaking through but they have managed three winning seasons in a row, which is a notable improvement.  They do lose some key players, but three starters are back and they do add some key transfers, so hopefully FAU can continue to improve.

-UTEP has four starters back and finished in the middle of the pack last year.  They also have a new coach in Joe Golding who did a fantastic job at Abilene Christian, so there are plenty of reasons for optimism in El Paso.  They did lose one of their top scorers, but with the pieces they have coming back I’m a little surprised there wasn’t a little more love for the Miners in the preseason polls.

-UTSA has shown noticeable improvement under Coach Steven Henson, but they may be in a bit of a rebuilding period this year.  The Roadrunners have just two starters back, but they do appear to have a solid backcourt and they also add some key juco transfers, which could help.

-Southern Miss has four starters back and that experience should benefit them, but they had a rough season last year and could be in for another long year this year.

-Florida International is likely in for a long year as well.

-Middle Tennessee is picked to finish last in this league.  A few years ago that would have seemed preposterous, but they just have not been the same since Kermit Davis left.  Not even close.

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CAA Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on November 1, 2021 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Delaware
  2. Northeastern
  3. Drexel
  4. James Madison
  5. Hofstra
  6. Elon
  7. Charleston
  8. Towson
  9. UNC Wilmington
  10. William & Mary

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM:

-James Butler – Drexel
-Hunter McIntosh – Elon
-Dylan Painter – Delaware
-Jalen Ray – Hofstra
-Camren Wynter – Drexel

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM:

-Ryan Allen – Delaware
-Connor Kochera – William & Mary
-Vado Morse – James Madison
-Jahmyl Telfort – Northeastern
-Shaquille Walters – Northeastern

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Delaware has all five starters back, and I guess the preseason voters really value experience.  The Blue Hens weren’t bad by any means last year, and like everyone else had to deal with the constant stoppages, which certainly made things harder, but they were a modest 5-4 in conference play.  Still, they are experienced, and that could carry them far this year.  They backcourt is really strong and they have pretty good pieces all the way around.

-I really like this Northeastern team and with four starters back I think they can finish at the top of the standings this year.  They did lose their point guard, but everything else is back.  They are experienced, athletic, and have guys that can score.  It should be a fun team to watch.  It usually is.

-Drexel has a star in Camren Wynter and a pretty good supporting cast around him.  The Dragons finished below .500 in the league last year, but they were playing better in the latter part of the season and I think they can carry that momentum and those expectations into this year.

-I’m a little surprised that James Madison is only picked to finish 4th.  I know they lost their best player to the NBA in Matt Lewis but their other four starters are back.  I wouldn’t go so far to say that I expect JMU to run away from the conference, but I have to at least think they’ll be in the mix this year.

-Hofstra has a star in Jalen Ray, who averaged over 19ppg last year.  Two other starters are also back, and there is definitely reason for the Pride to be optimistic heading in to this season.

-Elon has three starters back and should be somewhat improved from last year.  They finished just 8th a season ago, but have been making improvements in recent years and could take another step forward this year.

-Charleston has a great program overall, but they have hit a bit of a rough spot recently.  Pat Kelsey takes over as head coach.  He did a fantastic job at Winthrop and will likely do a fantastic job in Charleston as well, but it may take a little bit of time.  They won just nine games a year ago and have only one starter back, so they are in a bit of a reset mode.

-Pat Skerry has done a tremendous job at Towson.  They were one of the worst programs in all of D1 when he took over and he has made substantial improvements.  Unfortunately, last year was a substantial setback.  They won just four games last season, and while they should be better this season they will likely struggle to finish in the top half of the standings.

-UNC Wilmington has four starters back and that experience should help them, but they were close to the bottom of the league a year ago and it wouldn’t shock me to see them end up there again.

-William & Mary also has four starters back but is also potentially in for a long and rough year.

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ACC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 31, 2021 by David Griggs

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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Duke
  2. Florida State
  3. North Carolina
  4. Virginia
  5. Virginia Tech
  6. Louisville
  7. Syracuse
  8. Notre Dame
  9. NC State
  10. Georgia Tech
  11. Clemson
  12. Miami FL
  13. Wake Forest
  14. Pittsburgh
  15. Boston College

 

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM:

-Buddy Boeheim – Syracuse
-Keve Aluma – Virginia Tech
-Paolo Banchero – Duke (Preseason ACC Player of the Year)
-Armando Bacot – North Carolina
-Isaiah Wong – Miami FL

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 2ND TEAM:

Michael Devoe – Georgia Tech
-Kihei Clark – Virginia
-Prentiss Hubb – Notre Dame
-Mark Williams – Duke

 

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-It’s never a surprise to see Duke at the top of the preseason poll.  They are always rich with talent and well coached, and this year is no different.  They once again have a strong roster with multiple NBA prospects.  This is to be Mike Krzyzewski’s last season as head coach.  You will hear that even more frequently than you’ll hear that Duke and North Carolina are just eight miles apart and that they have never met in the NCAA Tournament.  But, they will likely be ranked in the top-ten, end up as a protected seed, and go at least a couple of rounds into the NCAA Tournament.

-I like this Florida State team as much as I like anyone else in the ACC.  They have an outstanding frontcourt and some outstanding new players to mix in with the experienced guys that have come back.  Florida State isn’t really thought of as being a basketball blue blood, but two years ago they won the ACC regular season title and would have been at least a #2 seed going into the NCAA Tournament.  Since 2017 they have been a protected seed every year but once, and that was in 2018 when they actually went all the way to the Elite Eight.  This is a top ten caliber team who could win the conference.

-North Carolina had a down year last year.  That means they only earned an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and failed to get out of the first round.  Most programs would consider that an outstanding year.  With four starters back, and with some big pieces on top of that, the Tarheels should be back to their normal protected seed level of play this year.

-Virginia is picked to finish 4th and I guess that makes sense.  Just one starter is back, and while they were still really good last year they didn’t set the world on fire like they typically do.  Here is the thing about Virginia, though.  They always seem to end up being better than you expect.  So…I’m not counting them out.  Of anything.  Tony Bennett is a phenomenal coach who has been as successful as anyone else in the ACC, but yet still seems to always be underestimated.

-Mike Young enters his second year at Virginia Tech, and with three starters back should once again have a big year and end up safely inside the bubble.  They also add a key transfer in Storm Murphy, who was a fantastic player for Wofford last year.

-Louisville continues to be a soap opera off the court.  Coach Chris Mack will start the season off with a suspension.  The reason for this is because a former assistant coach (and presumably now a former friend) is accused of trying to basically extort Chris Mack.  So why is Chris Mack in trouble?  They say he didn’t properly report that he was being extorted.  Okay.  Whatever.  But, on the court Louisville should once again be safely inside the bubble and perhaps a top-25 caliber team.  Just two starters are back, but they have some key transfers and should be much improved from a season ago.

-Syracuse is in their typical preseason spot.  In the middle of the conference, and looking like they’ll make the NCAA Tournament, but that it’ll be close.  I actually like this Syracuse team this year and think they’ll finish in at least the top half of the conference and be safely inside the bubble come Selection Sunday.  They are coming off a Sweet Sixteen run (after barely getting in as a 11 seed), and have some key pieces back, and are still very tough defensively.

-Notre Dame has not been in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, and with just one starter back they appear to be in reset mode.  But, that may be what the Irish kind of need.  They do have a few decent looking transfers and a few exciting looking new players, so it will be interesting to see if they can develop.

-NC State was cruising last year until a key injury took their legs out from under them (no pun intended).  I believe Kevin Keatts is a really good coach, and I think they’ve got some good pieces, and they can certainly end up being in the mix come the end of the year.

-Josh Pastner has done an amazing job at Georgia Tech.  When he first got the job, I did not think he would, and I’m pleased to say that I have been proven wrong because on top of everything else, Josh Pastner is an easy guy to like and someone you want to see do well.  That being said, he’s got his work cut out for him this year.  Their two best players are gone, and while they do have some key pieces coming back, it’s questionable as to whether they have enough guys who can step up to the point of getting them back to The Dance.

-Clemson is another team that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago who could have trouble getting back this year.  They do have some key transfers mixed in with their returning players, and will once again be a really tough defensive team, so it isn’t an impossibility.

-Miami FL struggled last year with just ten wins and a 13th place finish in the conference.  While I like Jim Larranaga as a coach, and expect him to build this program back up to being top 25 caliber some day, I don’t think that day is today.

-Wake Forest, Pitt, and Boston College also all look to be in for long seasons.

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