Conference Preview: Horizon League

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

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

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

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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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Northern Kentucky F-C Drew McDonald

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

We continue our season preview coverage with Northern Kentucky F-C Drew McDonald. Kentucky and Louisville might get most of the big men who grow up in the Bluegrass State, but not all of them. McDonald was born in Cold Spring, went to high school in Newport, and has reached great heights in Highland Heights during his college career: named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2016, scored a career-high 37 PTS vs. Cleveland State in 2017, and broke the school record for career defensive rebounds in 2018. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Drew about playing against his in-state rivals during the past 2 postseasons and how he celebrated his birthday last month.

You play for Coach John Brannen: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? How detail-oriented and hard-working he is. Every time I step onto the floor I know that he is working just as hard off the floor (watching film, preparing scouting reports, reviewing drills, etc.).

You started 2 games as a freshman and then 67 over the past 2 years: what is the biggest difference between being a starter vs. coming off the bench? My freshman year was 1 of the 1st times in my life that I was not a starter: it was a little different but that was my role. The past 2 years I have tried to be a leader as well as a secondary coach on the floor.

In January of 2017 you scored a career-high 37 PTS/5-6 3PM in an 8-PT win over Cleveland State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I remember that game vividly. I had 30 PTS in the 1st half including threes on each of our 1st 4 possessions. It was just 1 of those nights when I got hot early and continued to make shots throughout the game.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you scored 14 PTS/3-9 3PM in a 9-PT loss to Kentucky: what was it like to face all of those future pros like Bam Adebayo/De’Aaron Fox/Malik Monk, and how close did you come to pulling off the in-state upset? Just being in the NCAA tourney is something that every player dreams about. At the time I was just focusing on their strengths/weaknesses rather than their future prospects. We almost pulled off a historic upset.

In the 2018 NIT you had 19 PTS/13 REB in an 8-PT loss to Louisville: what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? We played well as a team and were up in the 1st half. It was not the postseason tourney that we wanted to be in but we bounced back and almost got them. It gave me the confidence to show that I can play with anyone at any level and believe that I am the best player on the floor.

Last year you led the conference in defensive REB and your 555 career defensive REB is a school record: what is the key to being a great rebounder? Just wanting the ball. Coach emphasized early last year that we were not a great rebounding team and it is something that I have always enjoyed doing.

You are 1 of 2 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this season? There is a little more pressure and guys are looking up to me because our other senior is a graduate transfer (Zaynah Robinson from Norfolk State). I know the system and know what Coach wants from all my time here so I will just bring it every day and work hard to hold everyone accountable.

It seems like everyone in your family played 1 or more sports in college: who is the best athlete in the family? That is tough. My mom was a pretty good player here and my sister plays volleyball at SIU-Edwardsville. My sister is probably the best.

You turned 22 last month: what did you do for the big day? It was a Sunday that we had off so I just watched week 1 of the NFL. It was a perfect day for me!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal is to help lead this team back to the NCAA tourney. We have some smaller goals like going undefeated at home, but if we focus on team success then winning will help everybody’s larger goals. I would like to expect a title but I just live in the moment and stick with the process day by day. I do not want to put a ceiling on ourselves.

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Conference Preview: Big West

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

For those that enjoy staying up late (in the East at least), Big West basketball is often the go-to sport of choice.  This season should be an exciting one in the conference, especially with a loaded UC-Irvine team ready to make some serious noise.  Cal State-Fullerton, the defending tournament champions, figures to be the Anteaters’ top competition, though keep an eye on both UC-Davis and UC-Irvine.  Another interesting story will be Cal State-Northridge, where Mark Gottfried takes over as head coach and will try to turn the program around.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. UC-Irvine – The Anteaters could be poised for one of their best seasons ever as they return all five starters, a handful of key reserves and add in redshirt freshman Collin Welp (son of former NBA 1st round draft pick Christian). This team appears to have all the pieces to not only win the Big West, but cause problems for someone in March.
  2. Cal State-Fullerton – The Titans won the Big West tournament last March thanks to their backcourt pairing of Kyle Allman Jr. and Khalil Ahmad. The two of them combined to average over 34 points per game last year.  They will get help in the frontcourt from Jackson Rowe.  The biggest question for the team might be depth, but if they can develop that, another trip to the Big Dance could be in the cards.
  3. UC-Davis – TJ Shorts won Big West Player of the Year last season, but this year he will be without the help of Chima Moneke down low. The Aggies will remain tough to beat though a repeat regular season title will be tough.
  4. UC-Santa Barbara – The Gauchos only return one starter, but that player is Max Heidegger, who could end up averaging more than 20 points per game this season. They also add in several key transfers including Ar’mond Davis (Alabama), JaQuori McLaughlin (Oregon State) and Devearl Ramsey (Nevada).  This will be more of a reloading year than a rebuilding one.
  5. Long Beach State – The 49ers posted another losing record last season, as they struggled defensively for head coach Dan Monson. Although four starters do return, top scorer Gabe Levin is gone, and it may be tough for this team to get much higher than the .500 mark.
  6. Hawai’i – An 8-8 record in Big West play was a major disappointment last season for the Rainbow Warriors, and things may not get any better this year with two of the team’s top three scorers gone.
  7. Cal State-Northridge – Mark Gottfried takes over but will need some time to build this program up as only one starter returns. The Matadors do welcome in a six-man freshman class with a handful of touted recruits, so keep an eye on Northridge over the next few seasons.
  8. UC-Riverside – The Highlanders have only two starters back from last season as they turn to former Jamie Dixon assistant David Patrick to try to bring success to the program. They also are no longer alone in Riverside – as they will host one of D1’s newest members, Cal Baptist, in a cross-city game on November 29.  Can we say Rivalry?
  9. Cal Poly – The Mustangs lost 22 games last year and only return one player (Donovan Fields) who averaged double digits in scoring. In other words, this will likely be another long season in San Luis Obispo.
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