Hoops HD Report: SEC Conference Preview

Posted on October 29, 2017 by John Stalica

Today, the HoopsHD panel rounds out the power conference previews as the SEC is discussed. Kentucky is once again the odds-on favorite as another cast of freshmen descends upon Big Blue Nation. Florida is not far behind as the Gators are also expected to return to the NCAA Tournament (although likely not as a protected seed). Other teams expected to contend for tournament contention include Texas A&M, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Georgia. Could a darkhorse like Missouri or Ole Miss also emerge? Watch (or listen) to our podcast to find out!

And for all of you who listen on the radio and/or on the go, here is the mp3 version of the show:

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Conference Preview: Summit League

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Chad

SUMMIT LEAGUE

Now that IUPUI has moved over to the Horizon League, the Summit League is down to eight members (though it will be back to nine next year when North Dakota joins).  Amongst those eight, cases can be made for a finish at or near the top of the standings for as many as seven teams this season.  The pick to win the title is defending tournament champion South Dakota State, a team led by the league’s best player, Mike Daum.  At over 25 points per game last season, including a 46 point effort against Fort Wayne and a 45 point output against Denver, Daum has the ability to single-handedly carry his team to the title, as he pretty much did in last year’s conference tournament final against Omaha.

Beyond South Dakota State, cross-state rival South Dakota and a resurgent Denver team appear to be the most likely to contend.  However, North Dakota State can never be overlooked in this conference, while Fort Wayne looks to bounce back from a disappointing conference season — and has the returning players capable of doing just that.  Even Oral Roberts and Omaha could be in the mix if they get their newcomers to gel with returnees in time for conference play to begin.  This has all the makings of an incredibly fun and exciting season in what may prove to one of the most balanced conference top-to-bottom in all of Division I.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. South Dakota State – The Jackrabbits have the nation’s top returning scorer, forward Mike Daum, who averaged over 25 points and 8 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season, leading them to the conference tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.  They also return three other starters and three top bench players, all of whom are juniors or seniors.  This team has the depth, experience and talent to take both the regular season and tournament titles this year.
  2. Denver – The Pioneers return seven of their top eight scorers from a team that was among the best in the entire nation in shooting percentages.  They have a legitimate big man down low in Daniel Amigo, and plenty of depth as well.  In short, the Pioneers have a chance to take a big step up this season and contend for the conference title.
  3. South Dakota – The Coyotes won the regular season crown last season and return three starters including top scorer Matt Mooney.  They will need to make up for the offseason losses of Tyler Flack and point guard Trey Dickerson, but if Triston Simpson can take over the point and Nebraska graduate transfer Nick Fuller can help in the frontcourt, they have a chance to repeat.
  4. North Dakota State – The Bison do return two of their top three scorers from last season, Paul Miller and A.J. Jacobson, but have to fill holes in the post and, even more importantly, at point guard.  If they cannot find the answers there, they could take an even bigger step back than this.
  5. Fort Wayne – November 22, 2016 will be remembered for a long time by Mastodon fans — the night they hosted Indiana and upset the Hoosiers 71-68 in overtime.  Unfortunately, the rest of the season did not go as well, finishing only 8-8 in league play.  Fort Wayne does return three starters that averaged double figures, led by John Konchar and Bryson Scott, and could be a factor this season.  They will need to find a way to not suffer from late-game let-downs that plagued them last season.
  6. Oral Roberts – The Golden Eagles have one of the best returning frontcourt tandems in the conference, with Albert Owens and Emmanuel Nzekwesi back.  Owens averaged over 17 points per game while Nzekwesi was conference Freshman of the Year.  The problem will be filling holes in the backcourt, where junior college and graduate transfers (such as Austin Ruder from Missouri State) will need to step in and contribute a lot immediately.
  7. Omaha – The Mavericks only return one starter, though that one player, Zach Jackson, averaged more than 10 points per game.  They also do bring back their sixth man Mitch Hahn (11.7 points per game), who figures to start as well.  However, there are still a lot of holes for a talented group of newcomers to fill, meaning that this team is probably a year away from making any serious noise.
  8. Western Illinois – The Leathernecks went 8-20 last season.  Their top two players from that team, Garret Covington (the school’s all-time leading scorer) and Mike Miklusak, are both gone.  The only good news is that they won’t miss the conference tournament — because with IUPUI gone to the Horizon League, all eight teams will qualify.
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Conference Preview: Southland

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Chad

SOUTHLAND

The Southland Conference for four consecutive seasons was dominated by Stephen F. Austin.  When Brad Underwood left for Oklahoma State (and now Illinois) prior to last season, there was a chance the Lumberjacks would take a step back, and they did so last year losing six times in conference play.  It was the University of New Orleans, a school that almost dropped completely out of Division I not that long ago, which stepped up and stole both the regular season and tournament crowns.

This year, the big dog may return to its place on top, as SFA appears ready to re-establish themselves as the top team in the league.  However, it will by no means be a runaway performance.  Although New Orleans will likely fall back, both Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana appear ready to mount serious challenges.  Also, keep eyes on Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word.  Both teams completed their transition to full Division I membership last season and are eligible for the Southland and NCAA Tournaments for the first time ever this year.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Stephen F. Austin – During the four seasons from 2013-2016, the Lumberjacks lost a combined total of 3 regular season Southland games.  While 12-6 and a second place finish would sound great to most teams, it was a huge step back in Nacogdoches.  The Lumberjacks look to bounce back to the top of the standings this season with five returning players (assuming Leon Gilmore returns from suspension) that averaged more than 8 points a game, led by forward T.J. Holyfield.
  2. Lamar – The Cardinals return the majority of last year’s team that went 19-15 and qualified for the CIT.  They will be led by Colton Weisbrod, a senior forward with a real chance to average a double-double this season and contend for conference Player of the Year honors.
  3. Southeastern Louisiana – The Lions have a real chance to step up this season after they went a solid 16-16 last season despite having three regulars miss almost the entire year with injuries.  Keith Charleston, Joshua Filmore and Jordan Capps should all be back healthy, joining a pair of double-digit scoring returning starters to give this team the tools to contend for the league crown.
  4. Central Arkansas – Despite losing 24 games last season, the Bears did pick up 7 conference wins and slid into the conference tournament in 8th place.  Expect them to be back in the 8 team field this year behind seniors Jordan Howard and Mathieu Kamba, who combined to average over 33 points per game.  Also, keep an eye on freshman big man S.K. Shittu and his 86-inch wingspan.
  5. Abilene Christian – The Wildcats have completed their four year transition and are eligible for the Southland and NCAA Tournaments this season.  They have a chance to make it to both with all five starters back led by sophomore Jalone Friday — a big man who can step out and hit the long ball as well.
  6. Incarnate Word – The Cardinals are now eligible for the Southland and NCAA Tournaments, and return three players that averaged more than 14 points per game apiece in Jalin Hart, Simi Socks, and Shawn Johnson.  If they can improve defensively, they will be a factor in the conference race.
  7. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – The Islanders had a huge 1-2 scoring punch last season with Rashawn Thomas (22.6 points per game) and Ehab Amin (17.2).  Thomas is gone now, but Amin is still here and will be asked to score even more to go along with his defense — he led the nation in steals.  A repeat of 24 wins seems unlikely, but the Islanders will still be tough to beat.
  8. New Orleans – New Orleans at one point began transitioning its athletic programs down to a lower division.  They not only changed course and chose to stay in D1, but quickly rebuilt to win the conference regular season and tournament titles last year.  With three starters gone, including their top two scorers, a repeat is unlikely.  However, there are still four key seniors on this roster, so the Privateers should not be counted out either.  If they can answer some questions at the point, they could finish higher than this.
  9. Northwestern State – The Demons will need to find more offense this season with three starters gone, including Zeek Woodley who averaged almost 20 points per game.  The returning inside-outside pairing of Devonte Hall and Ishmael Lane will help ease the losses.
  10. Sam Houston State – The Bearkats are likely to take a step back this season as only one starter returns, though Chris Galbreath is also back, and was second on the team in scoring as their sixth man last season.  However, unless some newcomers step up, this team may be fighting just to qualify for the conference tournament.
  11. Houston Baptist – The Huskies may take a big step back after a second place tie last season and a berth in the CIT.  Seven players from last year’s roster are gone, but center Josh Ibarra, a nightly double-double threat, is back and freshman David Caraher is a three-star recruit at small forward.
  12. McNeese State – Returning four of their top six players is a good sign for the Cowboys; however, this team lost 22 games last year and needs to get a lot better on the boards if they want to move up in the standings  A handful of bigger Juco transfers and freshmen recruits will be counted on to solve that problem.
  13. Nicholls State – The Colonels were a bit of a surprise last season, finding a way to win 14 games in head coach Richie Riley’s first season.  Seven seniors, including three starters, are gone from that team and they are likely going to take a step back.  However, keep an eye on UNC-Greensboro transfer Tevon Saddler, who led his former team in scoring during his freshman year.
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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews USC F Bennie Boatwright

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon’s interviews, and the rest of our extensive and continuous preseason coverage

USC is so good that McDonald’s All-American Charles O’Bannon Jr. might not even start for the Trojans, and they are so tall that the 6’6″ guard has a whopping 5 teammates who are 6’10” or bigger.  1 of those star forwards is Bennie Boatwright, who declared for the draft in April before deciding to return to campus.  Despite missing half the season due to a variety of injuries, he still scored 15.1 PPG last year including a career-high 24 PTS in a 4-PT win over Providence in the NCAA tourney.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Bennie about making free throws and his general health.  

Growing up your father Bennie Sr. served in the LAPD and brought you and your siblings to a gym at 6AM to take 500-1000 shots each morning: how much of an influence has he been on you either on/off the court? Words cannot describe how much he means to me: he has been there for me each and every day.

You play for Coach Andy Enfield at USC: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He is a great guy first and foremost who cares about his players. He has been around the sport for many years and is a guru when it comes to X’s and O’s.

In the 2016 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS but Rodney Bullock made a layup with 1.5 seconds left in a 1-PT win by Providence: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career, and how sweet was it to beat them in the rematch last March? That was the toughest loss of my career because we were up the whole game until losing at the buzzer. We battled back in the 2nd half last March and it felt good to beat them.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS/4-9 3PM in a 4-PT loss to Baylor: what did you learn from that game that can help you this year? I learned a lot of things from that game. I knew that I had to get stronger when playing against guys like Johnathan Motley: he was a beast.

You shot 73.8 FT% as a freshman but improved that to an outstanding 90.7 FT% as a sophomore (including a streak of 34 in a row): what is your secret for making FTs? Just staying loose and concentrating. My dad always tells me to hold my follow-through.

Last April you declared for the draft and then withdrew your name a few weeks later: why did you declare, and why did you return? I wanted to get some feedback from NBA scouts and was going to go through the process, but thought it would be better to return because we can make a good run this year.

Your godfather Francois Wise was an All-American basketball player at Long Beach State: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a tough 1 but you know that I have to go with myself! We have a pretty athletic family: my dad played at Oregon for a year and my little brother is coming along as well.

You missed 17 games last year due to a variety of injuries: how is your health at the moment? I am feeling great: this is the best I have felt during my career and I worked extremely hard this summer.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Vanderbilt/Texas A&M/SMU/Oklahoma: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? There are a lot of great teams out there and those are all big-time schools, as well as Miami in the Diamond Head Classic.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We will take it 1 game at a time but we are expecting to win the Pac-12 title and contend for a national title. We are focusing on winning games and I think that this is our time.

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Hoops HD Report: Big 12 Conference Preview

Posted on October 28, 2017 by John Stalica

Today, our Hoops HD panel discusses the Big 12 conference. While Kansas is considered a mortal lock to win the conference, other teams that are expected to make noise include a West Virginia team coming off of a Sweet 16 run that ended with a tough loss to eventual national runner-up Gonzaga, a surprising TCU team that won the NIT in Jamie Dixon’s first season as head coach, and the Texas Longhorns who were coming off of a rare down season. Baylor, Kansas State and Iowa State have to reload this season, and Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are also discussed as well.

And for all of you who listen on the radio and/or on the go, here is the mp3 version of the show:

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Conference Preview: Southern

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Chad

SOUTHERN

The Southern Conference gave us one of the best regular season conference title battles last season, which ended with Furman, UNC-Greensboro and East Tennessee State in a three  way tie at 14-4.  ETSU won the conference tournament and got the league’s automatic bid.  While seeing three teams tie like that is a pretty rare event, it wouldn’t be a complete shock if the same thing happened again this season, although the participants in such a tie will almost certainly be different.

Five of the ten SoCon members return four (2 teams) or all five (3 teams) of their starters from last season.  That means that the league is flush with experience and depth, and could lead to some very exciting battles.  The pick to win it is Samford, as the Bulldogs seems to have every ingredient needed for a league crown.  However, any of the top six preseason picks can make a case for being the champions, most notably Furman with conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley back.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Samford – The Bulldogs return almost their entire rotation, including four starters that averaged in double figures.  They have a double-double threat big man in Wyatt Walker and a big-time scoring guard in Demetrius Denzel-Dyson.  In other words, every piece seems to be here to take the conference championship this season.
  2. Furman – The Paladins tied for the league title last season on their way to 23 overall victories.  They return four senior starters, led by defending conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley.  If they can get enough rebounding down low to make up for the loss of Kris Acox, new head coach Bob Richey could have them back on top of the standings again this season.
  3. Mercer – The Bears should be right in the thick of the SoCon battle this season with five returning senior starters, led by guards Ri’an Holland and Jordan Strawberry.  If they can develop even more of a presence down low, there will be very few teams in this conference that will be able to beat them.
  4. Wofford – The Terriers have three returning starters, all of whom will contribute significantly this season.  Fletcher Magee led the conference in three-pointers made, while Cameron Jackson is a solid post player and Nathan Hoover can hit the long ball as well.  The biggest issue will be finding a replacement at the point for Eric Garcia.  One replacement that Wofford does have ready is its arena, as they open a new 3,300 seat facility this season.
  5. UNC-Greensboro – With the amount of returning talent in this conference, the Spartans may find it difficult to make up for the loss of two of their top three scorers from last season.  That being said, Francis Alonso can certainly pick up the slack, especially if he shoots over 45% from three-point range again.
  6. East Tennessee State – 27 wins, a regular season tie for the conference championship, a SoCon tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance made 2016-17 a pretty good second year for head coach Steve Forbes.  Unfortunately with only one starter back from that team, the Buccaneers should take a few steps back this time around.
  7. Western Carolina – The Catamounts return all five of their starters, including Haboubacar Mutumbo (Dikembe’s nephew).  These same five only went 9-23 last season and, in a conference so stacked with returning talent, moving up more than a few spots in the standings may be difficult.
  8. Chattanooga – One problem with success in the SoCon?  It can cost you your head coach.  Three years ago it was Will Wade moving on up to a higher-paying job, and this past season the same happened with Matt McCall.  The Mocs did bring in Lamont Paris, former assistant for Bo Ryan and Greg Gard at Wisconsin and a guy noted for his recruiting, so this team should rebuild quickly.  As for this season, not a single starter returns, and a finish near the bottom seems likely.
  9. The Citadel – The Bulldogs were #1 two years ago and #2 last season — in Adjusted Tempo according to kenpom.com.  Their style of play is certainly entertaining, but even with four starters returning they don’t really have the size or talent to do more than pull off a few upsets during the course of the conference season.
  10. VMI – The Keydets went 6-24 last season, only have one starter returning, and have no returning players that averaged 8 or more points per game.  Matching their 3-15 SoCon record last season may be an accomplishment in itself.
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