Conference Preview: Metro Atlantic

Posted on October 14, 2018 by Chad

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If there is any conference in the nation that has a single team at the top of it that should, on paper, clearly run away with the league title this year, it would be the MAAC. Rider returns virtually every player of note from a team that won 22 games and shared the league regular season crown.  However, the Broncs were upset by St. Peter’s by double-digits in the conference tournament quarterfinals and should be playing this season with a major chip on their shoulders.  If someone else is going to find a way to keep up with Rider, keep an eye, as always, on Tim Cluess’ Iona team.  The Gaels stole the conference tournament title last year and return their top two players.  Canisius could also be in the hunt with three starters back and watch out for both Marist and Quinnipiac as teams that could make moves up in the standings.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Rider – Dimencio Vaughn averaged 16.1 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. Jordan Allen averaged 13.4 points.  Tyere Marshall averaged 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds.  Stevie Jordan averaged 12.6 points and 5.9 assists.  Frederick Scott, the MAAC Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds.  All of them, as well as senior guard Anthony Durham, are back this year from a team that won 22 games and tied for the MAAC regular season title.  Anything short of a trip to the Big Dance would be a major disappointment.
  2. Iona – Never count out Tim Cluess’ team in this conference, as he proved again last season by taking the 4th place Gaels to the conference tournament championship and NCAA Tournament bid. While only two starters return, Rickey McGill and E.J. Crawford, they were the top two scorers on the team.  Top reserve Roland Griffin (11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game) is back as well.  Also keep an eye on Robert Morris transfer Isaiah Still, who led his former team in scoring two years ago.
  3. Canisius – Three starters, including a pair of double-digit scorers in Isaiah Reese and Takal Molson, do return but the Golden Griffins will need to find a way to replace Jermaine Crumpton’s 17.1 points per game if they want to contend for the league crown.
  4. Marist – This could be a breakout year for the Red Foxes as they return their top seven players from a 25-loss team and add in new head coach John Dunne, who has proven he knows how to win games in this conference during his time at St. Peter’s. Brian Parker, who averaged over 17 points per game last season, should have another huge season.
  5. Quinnipiac – Another team that could vastly improve on last season (12-21 overall), the Bobcats return four starters led by Cameron Young’s 18.8 points per game. Young was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA back in May and will play as a graduate student this season.  They also welcome in George Washington transfer Kevin Marfo, a 6-8 forward with double-double potential.
  6. Niagara – Senior forward Marvin Prochet could be poised for a monster year as he is a double-double threat every time he takes the court. However, the Purple Eagles will need to find a way to make up for over 40 points per games scored by Kahlil Dukes and Matt Scott if they want to make any serious noise in this league.
  7. Monmouth – With Austin Tilghman and Micah Seaborn gone from a team that lost 20 games last year, this could be another rough season for the Hawks. They do, however, return three starters and welcome in Florida Atlantic transfer Nick Rutherford.
  8. Fairfield – The Stags lost their top two players (including the school’s all-time scoring leader Tyler Nelson) from a team that barely finished above .500 last season (17-16 overall). Matching last season’s record may be an accomplishment this time around.
  9. Saint Peter’s – The Peacocks welcome in former Seton Hall star Shaheen Holloway as their new head coach, but don’t look for any huge improvement from last year right away. Only two starters return from a team that went 6-12 in conference play.
  10. Manhattan – With their top three scorers gone from last season, this could be a long year for the Jaspers. The one bright spot is the return of junior forward Pauly Paulicap who led the conference in blocks and was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.
  11. Siena – The Saints went 8-24 last year and did not lose a single player that averaged double figures. The bad news is that they didn’t retain anyone that averaged double figures either.  Without a legitimate scoring threat on the roster, new head coach Jamion Christian should expect another long season in Albany.
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Conference Preview: Ivy League

Posted on October 14, 2018 by Chad

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Sometimes the easiest way to identify which teams will be the best in a league is to focus solely on those with at least four returning starters.  In the Ivy League this season, that would bring the number of teams to look at down from eight to seven.  In other words, we could be in for some great competition as these teams go head-to-head seeking the four available spots in the conference tournament.  The pick to win it all will be Harvard, a team full of talent that has under-achieved the last two seasons.  However, Penn is poised to make a run at a repeat, and Yale should be equally dangerous – maybe more so because the Bulldogs get to host the conference tournament and will likely be the pick to win it even if they don’t take the regular season crown.  Princeton is looking for a bounce-back now that the Tigers’ young players have more experience, but it would not be a shock to see Cornell, Columbia or Brown sneak in and steal one of the four tournament spots.  In other words, the battle for first will be fun, but the battle for the top four should be even more entertaining.  The Ivy League is always one of our favorite conferences, but this year may be one of the most entertaining in recent memory.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Harvard – Tommy Amaker brought in what was probably the highest rated recruiting class in school history two years ago, and that group has yet to make the NCAA Tournament. Guard Bryce Aiken’s knee injury last season was one of the causes of the 277th nationally ranked assist-to-turnover ratio.  With him back healthy, and a more efficient offense, the Crimson could hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
  2. Penn – The Quakers return four starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, led by guard Ryan Betley and forward A.J. Brodeur. Also keep an eye on Jelani Williams, the 6-5 point guard who missed last season with an ACL injury.  The worst news for the Quakers may be the league’s decision to move the conference tournament from the Palestra to Yale.
  3. Yale – The Bulldogs have a team capable of winning the conference and, given that they are hosting the conference tournament, may end up being the pick to make the Big Dance even if they don’t win the regular season crown. All five starters return from last year, and they all averaged over 9 points per game.  On top of that, Jordan Bruner, who missed last year with a torn meniscus, should be back healthy.  This team has both the talent and depth to win.
  4. Princeton – The Tigers are looking to rebound from a disappointing 5-9 conference record last season. Four starters do return, led by senior guards Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens.  The other two returnees, Sebastian Much and Jerome Desrosiers, are only sophomores, but gained a ton of experience last year.  As they continue to develop, this team could become very dangerous.
  5. Brown – The Bears return all five starters from last year, led by a pair of guards who both averaged over 17 points per game – Desmond Cambridge and Brandon Anderson. Perhaps the best news for this team, given how stacked the conference is with returnees this year, is that none of the five are seniors.
  6. Cornell – The Big Red got the fourth spot in last year’s four-team Ivy League tournament and would have been projected to finish even better this year had Stone Gettings decided to play his senior season instead of sitting out and transferring to Arizona next year as a graduate. Even without his 16.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, Cornell will still be dangerous with four starters returning including three-time Ivy League defending scoring champion Matt Morgan (1,646 career points).
  7. Columbia – Four starters return for the Lions led by junior guard Mike Smith (17.6 points per game). While that would normally be a formula for success, even after losing 19 games last season, the number of teams stacked with returning starters this year will probably keep the Lions from making any serious run at the top four and a spot in the conference tournament.
  8. Dartmouth – The Big Green lost their top two scorers from a team that went only 7-20, though the return of Guilien Smith from injury will help. Still, with the depth in the conference, avoiding an eighth-place finish may be an accomplishment.
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Conference Preview: Horizon League

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Chad

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The Horizon League tournament has become the home to some of the craziest Cinderella runs we have seen the past few seasons.  Two years ago, 4th seeded Northern Kentucky defeated 10th seeded Milwaukee in the finals.  Last year, it was the 2 seed, Wright State, going up against the 8 seed, Cleveland State, in the finals.  In other words – while the regular season means a ton, it may have no bearing whatsoever on what team actually gets the automatic ticket to the Big Dance.

Wright State is the favorite, at least for the regular season crown, as the Raiders return four starters from their NCAA Tournament team.  Northern Kentucky should be the top contender to knock them off, though keep an eye on Illinois-Chicago as well.  At the bottom of the conference, where we may see several teams struggle mightily this season, a new head man is welcomed in at Detroit.  Mike Davis, who coached previously at Indiana, UAB and Texas Southern, comes in and looks to begin to rebuild the Titans program.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Wright State – The Raiders stumbled late in the regular season last year to lose the conference regular season title but bounced back to win the conference tournament and get the league’s automatic bid. Four starters are back from that team, led by big man Loudon Love, and there is no reason why this team will not be right back near the top of the league again.
  2. Northern Kentucky – The bad news is that three of five starters, two of whom averaged double digits in scoring, are gone from last year’s regular season champions. The good news is that double-double machine Drew McDonald is back and, with him leading the way, the Norse should again be in contention for the regular season crown.
  3. Illinois-Chicago – The Flames may have lost leading scorer Dikembe Dixson in the offseason, but they return three starters and the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year, Godwin Boahen, who shot over 42% from beyond the arc.
  4. IUPUI – The Jaguars lost their top two starters from last season, but hit the transfer market hard, so don’t be surprised if they are able to remain at least in the middle of the pack. Camron Justice (Vanderbilt), Grant Weatherford (Purdue and a season at Midland College), and 7-1 Ahmed Ismail (Manhattan) should all contribute immediately, while Mike Sagay (Boston College) becomes eligible in the second semester.
  5. Green Bay – The Phoenix were a disappointing 13-20 overall last season and lost two starters from that squad including leading scorer Khalil Small. A group of Juco additions must gel with the returning players if the team wants to improve this year.
  6. Oakland – Kendrick Nunn’s 25.9 points per game are gone, together with all four of the team’s other starters. All may not be lost, however, as the Golden Grizzlies will at least have some very good size with 6-10 Babatunde Sowunmi and 6-11 Brad Brechting.
  7. Cleveland State – Dennis Felton’s team made a Cinderella run to the Horizon league title game last season, but with only two starters back from that squad, don’t expect much this season. The good news is that the two returnees are only sophomores, so the team will be young and could be ready to move up by next season.
  8. Milwaukee – The Panthers were a solid 16-17 last season, but the top four players from that team are all gone now and head coach Pat Baldwin will have to rebuild. Don’t expect much at all this year.
  9. Youngstown State – The Penguins lost 24 games last year and then saw six of their top eight players leave the team. The only good news may be the arrival of Delaware State transfer Devin Morgan, who averaged over 14 points per game for his former squad.
  10. Detroit – The Titans have a new head coach in former Indiana/UAB/Texas Southern head man Mike Davis. Davis has a history of building success, despite what IU fans might tell you, but it will take a few years.  As for this season – seven of the top eight scorers from an 8-24 team are gone.  ‘Nuff said.
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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

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We continue our season preview coverage with Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole. It seems like just 15 years ago Coach Toole was Player Toole who helped Penn go 14-0 in conference play before making the 2003 NCAA tourney. In 2010 he was hired as head coach of the Colonials and became 1 of the youngest head coaches in the country. Now he joins St. Francis of Brooklyn’s Glenn Braica as the longest-tenured coaches in the NEC, as they each begin their 9th season as head coaches next month. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Toole about facing a pair of Wildcats in the postseason and coaching the defending NEC ROY.

You played in back-to-back NCAA tourneys at Penn for Fran Dunphy, who is poised to become 1 of the few coaches to ever win 250+ games at 2 different schools (Penn/Temple): how much of an influence was he on your own decision to become a coach? He had a major influence on me, even today with the day-to-day decisions we make while running our program. He knows how he wants his team to operate. I talk to other former Quakers like Coach Matt Langel at Colgate who helped shape our mindset.

In the 2010 NCAA tourney as head coach at Robert Morris, Karon Abraham scored 23 PTS in an OT loss to #2-seed Villanova: what is it like to face Jay Wright in March? That version of Villanova basketball was not even close to what it is at this point, but there are some similarities between Dunphy and Wright. They are so strong/tough in how they execute and they do not beat themselves so it is hard to get them out of their style. They play the same way and have great connectivity: all coaches marvel at their unselfishness/ball movement.

In 2014 you were named conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? To me it is a bit of an overblown honor because your players have so much of an impact on that. Our 2 best seniors (Karvel Anderson/Anthony Myers-Pate) did most of our heavy lifting to keep our guys on the right track each and every day. My staff was instrumental in continuing to game plan night after night after night.

It is extremely rare for a #8-seed to beat a #1-seed in the NIT, but you did it 2 years in a row by beating Kentucky in 2013 and St. John’s in 2014: what is the secret to pulling off an upset in postseason play? I am not entirely sure. In both of those situations we really tried to play loose and with a sense of freedom because there was no longer any pressure on us to make the NCAA tourney. There was so much pressure during the conference tourney but after we became the underdog we just tried to compete/play aggressively and took the court with something to prove.

Last year Koby Thomas was named conference ROY: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? The biggest thing is his activity level: when he is engaged on both sides of the ball he just fills up a stat sheet. He has great instincts for rebounding/cutting and can finish around the rim: he is a double-double threat each and every night. This offseason we talked about opponents who try to counter his strengths, but he is always able to put pressure on our opponents.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against USC/Purdue/Louisville: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of them! I have not dug deep into their rosters yet but they will all present unique challenges. USC returns a lot of their core that finished 2nd in the Pac-12, Purdue has a lot of size/physicality, and Louisville with a new coach in Chris Mack will be a hostile environment for us right before Christmas.

You have a couple of assistant coaches who played college/pro basketball (including 1991 NEC POY Mike Iuzzolino and 2012 CBI champion Tray Woodall): how does a coach’s playing experience translate to sideline success? Some of it is on the sideline, while other parts of it involve success in the office/locker room. They can relate to the players and be good models for guys about how hard you have to work every day. Most college players I know want to make the NCAA tourney and then play pro, and many of our guys have done that.

Your roster has players from 9 different states, as well as France and the Bahamas: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? We just try to find the best players we can. We cast our net locally and then expand it from there. We want guys who are willing to sacrifice for the team and have some humility/toughness wherever that path takes us.

You had a birthday last month: how hard is it to “celebrate” when you are born on 9/11? My birthday was fine and (as usual) low-key. It gets less and less fun to celebrate as you get older but I have been dealing with it for 17 years.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goals are always the same: compete for a conference championship. My expectations are to be in the mix for that. We hit the proverbial wall coming down the stretch last year but I think that our returning guys have learned from that and will grow from that experience. We had a lot of positives and the opposite of that will hopefully teach us to stay engaged without having a dip.

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Conference Preview: Conference USA

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

Conference USA looks like it is ready to do the same thing it has been doing for quite a few years now – produce a league with some very good teams at the top and some very bad ones at the time.  Perennial power Middle Tennessee may be moving from the former group to the later as the Blue Raiders begin a rebuild under new head coach Nick McDevitt, but keep an eye on Southern Mississippi as a team ready to make the reverse jump and land in the upper division.

At the end of the day, it will be hard for most teams to keep up with Western Kentucky, especially if heralded freshman Charles Bassey is all that has been promised.  Last year’s conference tournament champions at Marshall may be the team with the best chance to catch the Hilltoppers, especially with their returning starting backcourt ready to go.  Also keep an eye on both Old Dominion and Texas-San Antonio, a pair of teams that should be tough outs in the CUSA tournament even if they don’t finish at the top of the league standings.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Western Kentucky – Rick Stansbury continues to work his magic on the recruiting trail as his Hilltoppers welcome in arguably the best recruit in school history – 6-11 center Charles Bassey. Bassey was regarded as one of the top recruits in the entire nation.  He will be a force, and has enough weapons around him, such as guards Lamonte Bearden and Taveion Hollingsworth, that the Hilltoppers should not only win Conference USA but could even be in line for an at-large bid should they slip up in the conference tournament again.
  2. Marshall – How many teams can claim they return a starting backcourt pair that both averaged over 20 points per game last season? Marshall can with Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks, the pair that led them to a one point win over Western Kentucky in the CUSA title game and a six point upset win over Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year.  The Thundering Herd have a chance to dance again with their dynamic duo leading the way.
  3. Old Dominion – Despite losing Brandan Stith, Randy Haynes and Trey Porter, the Monarchs still have enough talent to compete for a top spot in the conference. Ahmad Carver and B.J. Stith will lead the way in the backcourt, and head coach Jeff Jones added a ton of size down low with two seven-foot graduate transfers (Elbert Robinson from LSU and Dajour Dickens from Providence).
  4. Southern Mississippi – This may be the year that Doc Sadler’s Golden Eagles finally break through and show that they are fully recovered from the NCAA sanctions of a few years ago. Virtually every significant scorer from last season’s 16-18 team returns, led by guards Cortez Edwards and Tyree Griffin.
  5. Texas-San Antonio – The Roadrunners won 20 games last season and have a great chance to improve on that with their star guard Jhivvan Jackson back healthy after suffering a knee injury in February. In a league with some dynamic backcourts, the pairing of Jackson and Keaton Wallace should be able to keep pace with most other teams, which could have UTSA finishing high in the league standings.
  6. North Texas – The Mean Green cut down the nets last season as the CBI champions, and hope to make some serious noise in conference play this year. They will be led by CBI MVP Roosevelt Smart, who averaged over 20 points per game last year, but probably don’t have enough other pieces around him to contend for the league crown.
  7. Louisiana Tech – The Bulldogs were disappointing last season, finishing 17-16 overall and tied for 9th place in CUSA. With DaQuan Bracey back at full strength, and the experience gained by younger players who had to fill in last season, Louisiana Tech should be improved somewhat but may still be a year or two away from making a run at the top of the league standings.
  8. UAB – The Blazers will likely take a step back this season now that William Lee, Chris Cokley, Nate Darling and Nick Norton are all gone. However, they still have Zack Bryant, who averaged over 13 points per game as a freshman and should only improve on that this season.  The key will be how well a few other returnees and a handful of talented Juco transfers blend in.
  9. Florida International – The Panthers have turned to the Shaka Smart coaching tree and brought in Jeremy Ballard to replace Anthony Evans as they hope to find a way to start winning games. Although they have two (three if you count Willy Nunez who only played six games due to injuries) double-digit scoring guards returning, it will probably take a few seasons for Ballard to turn this team into any type of serious contender.
  10. Middle Tennessee – The head coach is gone. The top five scorers are gone.  In other words, new head man Nick McDevitt has his work cut out for him in trying to rebuild Middle Tennessee.  He certainly has the coaching ability to do just that but don’t expect any miracles this season.
  11. UTEP – Rodney Terry has the job of rebuilding the Miners after the team lost 20 times last season. The team’s top two scorers are gone, so it is tough to see the Miners having any serious success this year.
  12. Charlotte – The 49ers have turned to former Tony Bennett assistant Ron Sanchez to attempt to turn things around after another woeful season last year that landed them dead last in the league standings at 2-16. The rebuild will take time, but don’t be surprised to see a few more wins this year than last.
  13. Rice – The Owls continue the rebuild this season, though they will have to do so without their top scorer from last year as Connor Cashaw transferred to Creighton. Keep an eye on Ako Adams as a player who could develop into a serious threat this season.
  14. Florida Atlantic – Former Mike White assistant Dusty May will try to do something that no Division I coach has ever done – have success coaching at Florida Atlantic. With only two players back from last year’s 19 loss team, this is going to be a long first season for May.
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Conference Preview: Colonial

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

William & Mary remains one of four programs to have been a member of Division I since its inception and never made the NCAA Tournament (joining St. Francis-Brooklyn, The Citadel and Army in that group).  This has a chance to be the year the Tribe finally break through as they feature an exciting offense that can score with almost anyone.  However, the pick this season will be Northeastern as the Huskies return all five starters from the league co-champions.  College of Charleston should also be in contention again with several of their top players back.  Also keep an eye on James Madison as a team ready to make a jump up in the standings after finishing 6-12 in league play last season.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Northeastern – The Huskies tied for the regular season championship in the Colonial last season and lost the conference tournament title game in overtime. All five starters return from that squad, led by Vasa Pusica’s 17.9 points per game.
  2. William & Mary – The Tribe led the entire nation in three-point shooting percentage last season, and return forward Nathan Knight and guard Matt Milon, both of whom averaged over 13 points per game. Forward Justin Pierce is back down low as well, giving William & Mary a real chance at their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid
  3. College of Charleston – The Cougars gave Auburn all they could handle in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season and have a great chance to return with two of their top three players back, guard Grant Riller and forward Jarrell Brantley.
  4. Hoftsra – The Pride return a deadly scoring duo in the backcourt with Justin Wright-Foreman and Eli Pemberton. They need to find a way to get better defensively, however, if they want to contend for the league title.
  5. James Madison – The Dukes feature a pair of high-scoring guards in Stuckey Mosley and Matt Lewis, in addition to two other returning starters. Despite losing 22 games last season, this team may be poised for a big jump up in the standings.
  6. Delaware – The Blue Hens would have been picked higher than this had leading scorer Ryan Daly not opted to transfer to St. Joseph’s. Ryan Allen, the CAA Rookie of the Year last season, is back so don’t count this team out by any means.
  7. UNC-Wilmington – The Seahawks feature a monster down low, as Devontae Cacok averaged 17.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game last year, the rebound number being tops in the NCAA. They need to find a way to be a lot better on defense however, having surrendered over 83 points per game.
  8. Drexel – The Dragons only bring back two starters from a team that lost 20 games last season, though both of them (Kurk Lee and Alihan Demir) did average double figures in scoring. Avoiding 20 losses this season may be considered a success.
  9. Elon – The Fighting Phoenix lost a pair of double-digit scorers from a team that only went 6-12 in Colonial play last season. Tyler Seibring should score and rebound a ton down low, but there are probably not enough other pieces here for an upper division finish.
  10. Towson – The only returning starter, Alex Thomas, averaged 2.7 points per game last season. In other words, head coach Pat Skerry has a rebuilding year in front of him.
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