Conference Preview: Big East

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

The Big East put six teams in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including a pair of 1 seeds and, of course, the eventual national champion in Villanova.  It just does not appear possible for the league to replicate that level of success this season, with nearly all of the top programs having to rebuild.  At the end of the day, it should once again come down to Villanova and Xavier for the regular season title, though Butler will make some noise as well.

Two teams that do appear to be on the rise are teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament last season.  Chris Mullin may have the league’s best player at St. John’s in Shamorie Ponds, and a ticket to the Big Dance could definitely be in the cards this season.  Although we are not picking DePaul to join them in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Demons have as much talent this season as they have had in any year in recent memory, and a winning overall record should at least be within their grasp.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Villanova – The defending national champions lost four players to the NBA Draft, but will still be a force to reckon with due to the return of Eric Paschall in the frontcourt and Phil Booth in the backcourt. Keep an eye on Albany transfer Joe Cremo and heralded freshman point guard Jahvon Quinerly as well.
  2. Xavier – The Musketeers not only lost a ton of talent, including three double-digit scorers, but saw their head coach head to Louisville in the offseason. Travis Steele takes over for Chris Mack and, given the school’s track record with head coaching hires, fans can rightfully have big expectations.  This season, Steele will need returnees Tyrique Jones and Quentin Goodin to lead the way for a solid group of graduate transfers and freshmen.  Don’t be shocked if the Musketeers are right back at or near the top of the league standings again.
  3. Butler – The Bulldogs were on the small side last season and lost their two best frontcourt players to graduation in Kelan Martin and Tyler Wideman. The team should be set in the backcourt, led by Kamar Baldwin, but will need to find some size, especially during the first semester when Duke transfer and former top 100 recruit Jordan Tucker is ineligible.
  4. John’s – This could be the year the Johnnies get back to the Big Dance as Shamorie Ponds may be the best player in the conference, and having Justin Simon and Marvin Clark II, plus a strong defense, should help the team a ton. They key may be a pair of transfers – Mikey Dixon (Quinnipiac) averaged over 16 points per game, while Mustapha Heron (Auburn) did the same and has just received word that he will be eligible to play this season.
  5. Marquette – Even without Andrew Rowsey, the Golden Eagles should still score a ton of points led by Markus Howard and Sam Hauser. The questions will still be on defense where the Golden Eagles ranked dead last in the Big East and 315th nationally last season.
  6. Providence – The Friars have a ton of question marks, especially at the point guard position. Alpha Diallo should be a star for the team this season, but they need Emmitt Holt to be back close to 100% after missing last season with an injury if they want any shot at a sixth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
  7. Seton Hall – Myles Powell will have to step up his scoring even more this season with three of last season’s top four point-producers gone. A pair of transfers – Taurean Thompson (Syracuse) and Quincy McKnight (Sacred Heart) will help, but a return to the Big Dance is probably a stretch.
  8. DePaul – The Blue Demons have a serious chance to avoid the basement this year with Devin Gage back healthy, allowing Eli Cain to return to the wing. Illinois transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands and North Carolina A&T transfer Femi Olujobi will be the keys to the team possibly posting a winning record and maybe even playing in a postseason tournament.
  9. Creighton – The Bluejays will likely take a step back this season without Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas. However, there is still enough talent here to cause opponents problems, especially if junior forward Martin Krampelj can remain healthy.
  10. Georgetown – The Hoyas only won 5 Big East games in Patrick Ewing’s first season but that was 6 or 7 more than some of us predicted! Don’t expect a big improvement this season, but the team does appear to be building in the right direction.
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Bracketology: The 2018-19 Preseason Media Bracket

Posted on October 30, 2018 by John Stalica

One of our favorite traditions at HoopsHD is to make a preseason bracket based on both the major polls (AP Poll and Coaches Poll) as well as preseason polls from all 32 Division I conferences. The 1-68 S-Curve is based on positions in the major polls along with Matt Norlander’s (of CBS Sports.com) comprehensive ranking of all 353 Division I programs.

This bracket is separate from what Chad Sherwood will be unveiling next week, so without further ado:

The top 4 ranked teams in order are Kansas, Kentucky, Gonzaga and Duke respectively. All 4 teams except Gonzaga meet in the State Farm Champions Classic next Tuesday – but even after that, there is a good chance that Duke and Gonzaga could meet in the championship of the Maui Invitational.

Elsewhere in the bracket, I did bump Western Kentucky up to the 11-seed line and the Miami/Texas opening round game down to the 12-line for bracketing considerations. I also had Alabama and Louisville flipped because the Cardinals cannot be in the South Region as the host institution for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 games in Louisville. Buffalo is also above the bubble since they got votes in the preseason polls, and if they have a strong regular season, it is not far-fetched to think that they could wind up this high. This is also why Saint Louis is down on the 12-line; they did not get any votes in either poll but were the media pick to win the Atlantic 10 Conference.

If you have any comments, feel free to tweet @jstalica78, @HoopsHD, @csherwood_1973, @jonteitel, @roccomiller8 or @DavidGPuppet.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews UC Davis G TJ Shorts II

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

We continue our season preview coverage with UC Davis G TJ Shorts II. Few players made a more dazzling debut than TJ did last season in Davis: 13 PTS in his very 1st game at Northern Colorado, 13-13 FTs in a win over Lamar last December, a game-winning 3-PT shot with 2 seconds left in double-OT in a 1-PT road win at Long Beach State in February, and a triple-double in a triple-OT 8-PT win 12 days later at Cal Poly. After leading the Aggies to the Big West regular season title the awards kept pouring in: he became the 1st player in conference history to be named Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the same season. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with TJ about winning all of those awards and having a huge home-court advantage.

You are 5’9”: do you consider your size to be an advantage or disadvantage on the court? It has its advantages and disadvantages but this is the body that God gave me so I see it as an advantage.

You play for Coach Jim Les, who was named 2018 conference COY and had 884 career AST as a player at Cleveland State/Bradley: what makes him such a good coach, and do you 2 have a special bond because he was such a great PG himself? He just wants to win and is willing to do anything to win. He will cater the offense around his players. Our relationship is great due to his knowledge and he is always giving me pointers/tips: I appreciate everything that he does for me.

Last year you won 3 multiple-OT road games by single digits during an 8-game stretch to finish the regular season: how was your team able to keep pulling out these exhausting wins game after game? Just staying connected. We knew that we were capable of winning so we just stayed focused on the goal and stuck to the game plan.

You became the 1st player in Big West history to be named Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the same season: how were you able to come in and dominate right from the start? My coaches/teammates believed in me: it is a big thing that allows you to play to your full capability and showcase your talent from the jump so I took full advantage.

You ranked top-10 in the conference in many categories including PPG/APG/SPG: what is the key to being a good PG? Just leading: it might not be about scoring/passing specifically because it depends what your team needs you to do to get a win.

In the 2018 NIT you scored 10 PTS in a 10-PT loss at Utah: what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? We were leading for most of that game so our expectations are to take it up a notch. We want to make the NCAA tourney this season.

The Aggies went undefeated at home 2 years ago and 10-2 at home last season: how much of a home-court advantage do you have at the Pavilion? We have a great home-court advantage because the fans come out and we just do what we do. Hopefully we can start a new streak again this season.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games at Arkansas/Indiana/Arizona/USC: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Each game will present different tests and we know they will all be tough, but they will set us up for conference play so we can get rolling as we get closer to the Big West tourney.

You are 1 of 5 seniors on the roster: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? It will be huge. It can be a blessing or a curse but as a veteran group we need to lead the younger guys and teach them.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The main goal is to get to the NCAA tourney, which is the only thing that I am focused on. We want to win a regular season title, win the conference tourney, and then make a nice little run.

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The Hoops HD Report(s): American Athletic, Atlantic Ten, Mountain West, and West Coast Conference Previews

Posted on October 30, 2018 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

When it comes to the hierarchy of conferences, these four conferences are certainly NOT Under the Radar because 98 percent of the time they send multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament.  But, you really wouldn’t classify them as power conferences either.  We at Hoops HD haven’t really named their category (Group of 4?, Multi-Bid 4?, Really-Good-But-Not-Power 4?), but we’ve certainly been giving them a distinction in recent years (perhaps without even realizing it).  Nevertheless, there are individual teams in these four leagues that can compete for NCAA Tournament at-large bids, a few that we think can compete for protected seeds, and two that we think can compete for spots in the Final Four.  Watch each of the four videos as we break down the American Athletic, Atlantic Ten, Mountain West, and West Coast Conferences

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

 

ATLANTIC TEN

 

MOUNTAIN WEST

 

WEST COAST

 

And for all you radio lovers, below are audio only versions of the shows…

American

 

Atlantic Ten

 

Mountain West

 

West Coast

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Conference Preview: ACC

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

With a 1 seed (Virginia) and a pair of 2 seeds (Duke and North Carolina), things looked pretty good for the ACC heading into the NCAA Tournament last season.  When the dust settled, the conference did not put a single team in the Final Four, and it felt like it was Florida State and Clemson that made the most noise with second weekend runs.  Of course, Virginia made a different kind of noise, becoming the first 1 seed ever to lose to a 16 seed in the Round of 64.  The loss still stings for the Hoos, but they return a team that is more than capable of making up for last season.

The preseason pick to win the league is Duke, though it is always tough to go with a team made up of all newcomers.  The talent appears to be there, though they will be pushed by both North Carolina and Virginia again.  Virginia Tech could be a surprise contender for the league crown, while Louisville may be better than expected under new head coach Chris Mack.  At the end of the day, do not be surprised to see 8 or more teams from this league back in the Big Dance.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Duke – It is tough to pick in favor of a team with almost no one returning from the season before; however, when the new talent coming in is as highly rated as the recruiting class that Coach K assembled this year, it is tough to pick against the Blue Devils. Tre Jones, Cam Reddish, R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson are all names that will be discussed a lot this season – and likely next June at the NBA Draft as well.
  2. North Carolina – The Tar Heels have enough talent to be champions – both of the ACC and of the entire NCAA. They are led by two key returnees, forward Luke Maye and 6-9 guard Cameron Johnson.  The only question will be at the point, where Coach Williams may need freshman Coby White to show that he is ready to lead the way from Day One.
  3. Virginia – Assuming that the Cavs put what happened last March in their distant memories, this team should once again be right near the top of the conference standings. Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome form a fierce backcourt duo, while having De’Andre Hunter back healthy, and adding Alabama transfer Braxton Key, will help a ton.  The question in Charlottesville may not be how well they do in the regular season, it may be whether or not they finally are able to make a deep tourney run.
  4. Virginia Tech – The Hokies did lose Justin Bibbs in the offseason, but with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Justin Robinson, Chris Clarke, Kerry Blackshear and Ahmed Hill all back, it would not be smart to bet against them.
  5. Syracuse – The Orange return four starters from a team that won 23 games. They just need to find a way to score more – especially from outside the arc.  With Tyus Battle leading the way, if the offense shows up, ‘Cuse could finish even higher than this in the league standings and will enter March as a lock for a dance ticket.
  6. Florida State – The Seminoles may be the deepest team in the ACC, as it would not be a shock to see 10 or even 11 players get significant minutes this season. With guys like sixth-year senior Phil Cofer and Terance Mann to lead the way, Florida State should find a way to return to the NCAA Tournament again this year.
  7. Louisville – Chris Mack takes over as head coach and does not have a complete rebuild on his hands. The Cardinals have a solid group of young returning players, led by V.J. King.  They also add some transfers that should be able to help out right away, most notably former Samford point guard Christen Cunningham, his former school’s career leader in assists.
  8. Clemson – The Tigers finally broke through and made the Big Dance last season, and then promptly made a Sweet 16 run. They may be hard-pressed to match that level of success this year with the team probably lacking the depth needed behind returning starters Marcquise Reed, Shelton Mitchell and Elijah Thomas.  One player to keep an eye on is Oral Roberts transfer forward Javan White.
  9. NC State – Starting guards Braxton Beverly, Markell Johnson and Torin Dorn all return this season. However, pretty much no one else on the entire roster was here last season.  If head coach Kevin Keatts can get the Wolfpack playing cohesively early, they could finish higher than this, especially with former Ohio State forward DJ Funderburk among the newcomers this season.
  10. Boston College – Just a few years removed from an 0-18 ACC run, the Eagles are coming off an NIT season and look to be continuing to head in the right direction, though a ticket to the Big Dance is probably still a few years away. It might have been closer had Jerome Robinson passed on the NBA and returned for one more year, but the Eagles have all four other starters back including Ky Bowman, who will likely average over 20 points per game this year.
  11. Notre Dame – Mike Brey tends to find ways to succeed every time it looks like his team is down, so it would not be a complete shock if the Irish were in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. On the other hand, this team finished below .500 in ACC play last season and missed the Big Dance – and that was with Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell (at least part of the season due to injuries they suffered).  J. Gibbs should lead the way, but he will not be enough.
  12. Miami – The Hurricanes will need Florida Gulf Coast transfer Zach Johnson to quickly prove that he can play ACC-level basketball if they want any shot at coming even close to last year’s 22-win total. In the end, there just don’t appear to be enough pieces here to replace the losses of Lonnie Walker and Bruce Brown.
  13. Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets lost three double-digit scorers in the offseason, including Josh Okogie. For a team that was 329th in the nation in scoring, that is not a good sign.  Jose Alvarado will need to pick up even more of the scoring load for this team to have any success.
  14. Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons lost 20 games last season, and then lost over 66% of their scoring to graduation and transfers in the offseason. That is not a good combination, but a solid recruiting class at least has next year looking better.
  15. Pittsburgh – Jeff Capel takes over the complete and utter mess left behind by Kevin Stallings after an 0-18 ACC season.  The good news is that it cannot get worse.  The bad news is that it will likely take several years to get much better.
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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews USC G Jonah Mathews

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Preseason Coverage

We continue our season preview coverage with USC G Jonah Mathews. It was quite a sporting Sunday in Los Angeles yesterday: the Rams beat the Packers to remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, the Dodgers (fresh off winning the longest World Series game ever on Friday) lost to the Red Sox in Game 5, the Clippers scored 136 points while pummeling the Wizards, the Galaxy came up 1 goal short in a loss to the Dynamo, and Alec Martinez scored the game-winning goal for the Kings with 55 seconds left in a win over the Rangers. UCLA & USC both lost home football games on Saturday but their basketball teams both hope to make it back to the postseason next March. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jonah about making a sneaker switch and being a great 3-PT shooter.

You play for Coach Andy Enfield: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He lets us play and is not a stickler so he lets us make all the decisions on the ball. He never takes us out if we make a mistake.

You played in 35 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? We only had 10 guys on the roster but I prepared to contribute and play a role. The upperclassmen just showed me the way.

Last January you were struggling with your shot until switching to a new pair of sneakers: are we ever going to see you wear anything except Jordans in the future?! Nike called Coach Enfield and said I could not wear them…unfortunately!

You shot 42.3 3P% last season: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just repetition. I get into the gym every day and just take shots that I will take during a game, which helped my confidence.

In the 2018 Pac-12 tourney semifinals you scored a career-high 27 PTS/8-10 FG in a win over Oregon: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I felt good before that game, saw 1 go in, and that helped me get going. I played against the Ducks twice before during the regular season so I felt comfortable against them the 3rd time.

In the 2018 NIT you had a 5-PT 2-OT win over UNC Asheville and then a 4-PT loss to Western Kentucky: what did you learn from your postseason run that will help you this year? You have to come ready to play every game because people are out to get you. We almost lost both of those games so we have to be locked in from the start.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Vanderbilt/Texas Tech/Nevada/TCU/Oklahoma: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of them are good teams but Nevada will be ranked in the top-10. They all play in big conferences so we have to come ready to play. We cannot fool around and have to get some wins.

Bennie Boatwright missed 17 games as a sophomore due to a knee sprain and then the final month of last season due to a left patella injury: how is his health doing at the moment? He is determined to rehab his injuries and has gotten back to doing sprints. He should be back to contact drills in a couple of weeks and is progressing well.

Your father Phil is a college basketball coach and your brother Jordan plays pro basketball in Denmark: who is the best athlete in the family? Easily me because I can do everything: I am the best for sure!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I want to be 1st-team All-Pac-12 on both offense and defense. It really hut to miss the NCAA tourney last year so we have to be hungry. I hope we can win a conference title and then make a deep run in March.

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