Conference Preview: SWAC

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Chad

SWAC

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has been dominated over the past few seasons by Mike Davis’ Texas Southern Tigers.  Last season, his team won both the regular season and conference tournament championships before losing as a 16 seed to eventual national champion North Carolina in the Round of 64.  This year, with only one starter returning, recapturing the league crown is by no means a lock.  However, it is hard to pick against a program that has been this dominant in the conference, and we are not going to do so here.

Texas Southern will have some challengers, led by Alcorn State and Prairie View.  Both teams return a pair of double-digit scorers and may have enough pieces to leap past Texas Southern if the Tigers are unable to rebuild quick enough.  Unfortunately for the SWAC, a conference that we always love to discuss, the lack of a dominant team during the regular season may all but guarantee the automatic bid winner a trip to Dayton for the First Four.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Texas Southern – In his five seasons at Texas Southern, Mike Davis’ team has won either the regular season or conference tournament title (or both) every single year.  This season may be his toughest yet, with only one starter back in Demontrae Jefferson.  However, it is tough to pick against a team that has only lost 6 conference regular season games the last three years.
  2. Alcorn State – Senior forward Reginal Johnson did not make a single start last season, yet he led the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game and was second in rebounding with 7.1 per game.  With him and senior guard A.J. Mosby back, the Braves should be a contender for the conference title.
  3. Prairie View A&M – Head coach Byron Smith guided the Panthers to ten SWAC wins in his first season and could improve on that number this time around with senior Zachary Hamilton, one of the league’s top players, back to lead his team.  Between Hamilton and Troy Thompson, PVAMU will score a lot from the backcourt, but they need to find more help down low if they want a shot at capturing the league crown.
  4. Jackson State – The Tigers must find a way to replace three starters that combined to average over 35 points a game last season if they want to finish at or near the top of the conference standings.  Senior guard Paris Collins may be able to pick up a good portion of that scoring load, and if he gets enough help around him from the newcomers, do not be surprised if Jackson State finishes even higher than this.
  5. Southern – Head coach Roman Banks is now the Athletic Director for Southern, placing former assistant Morris Scott in charge of running the men’s basketball team.  The squad itself lost a pair of double-digit scorers from last season’s 15-18 team and may be hard-pressed to even equal that record this season.
  6. Alabama State – The Hornets should be improved on last season’s 8-23 mark behind the senior duo of Rodney Simeon and Terrance LeFlore.  However, they need to get much better on the defensive end if the want to finish near the top of the standings.
  7. Alabama A&M* – The Bulldogs bring in long-time Mike Davis assistant Donnie Marsh as their new head coach.  Although Marsh does not have many pieces to work with this season, sophomore guard De’Ederick Petty may be the perfect type of player for the new head coach to begin growing the program around.  This year will not be great, but Marsh may be the perfect guy to get Alabama A&M’s program turned around.
  8. Arkansas-Pine Bluff – The Golden Lions lost 25 games last season and only return two starters from that squad.  The good news is that they return a fair number of bench players that saw some significant minutes.  This season will not be a step back, but don’t expect much of a step forward either.
  9. Grambling State* – Under Shawn Walker the Tigers went from 2 wins in 2014-15 all the way up to 15 wins last season.  Then, almost inexplicably, his contract was not renewed and Donte’ Jackson takes over this season.  Jackson may have a tough time in his first season with two of the team’s top three scorers gone, although senior forward Averyl Ugba should put up some very strong numbers.
  10. Mississippi Valley State – The Delta Devils lost four starters, and notably their top four scorers, from a team that only won 7 games last season. This may be a very long year in Itta Bena.

* Alabama A&M and Grambling State are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to APR postseason bans.

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Conference Preview: Sun Belt

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Chad

SUN BELT

Despite being an FBS football conference, and having a fairly lengthy basketball history, the Sun Belt Conference sometimes seems to slip below the national attention it deserves.  One reason for that may be a lack of coverage for their games, though that is improving as more and more become available for streaming on espn3.  It is a real shame that this conference does not get more attention, because it has certainly produced some very good teams capable of winning games in March the last few years.  This season will be more of the same as the league may be one of the most wide-open in all of Division I, and should live up to its hashtag of being the #FunBelt.

The pick to win the conference is Texas-Arlington, but the Mavs are by no means even close to being a lock.  Georgia Southern, Troy, Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas State and Coastal Carolina all have legitimate aspirations towards the conference title, and it wouldn’t be a shock if a team picked even lower than those ended up in the thick of the conference race.  Unlike a lot of Under the Radar conferences, the Sun Belt does not simply sit back and wait for conference play before it starts making  noise too.  SBC teams have accounted for far more than their share of November and December upsets, and we fully expect to see a few more of those this year.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Texas-Arlington – The Mavericks have come up with some huge non-conference road wins the past two seasons but faltered in conference play and failed to capture an automatic bid either year.  Despite only having two starters back, those two are their top two players, forward Kevin Hervey and point guard Erick Neal.  Hervey is a double-double threat that may find himself cashing an NBA paycheck in the future.  With the two of them back, it is hard to pick against the Mavs — and their non-conference foes better watch out as well (did you hear us Alabama?  Creighton?).
  2. Georgia Southern – Ike Smith led the Sun Belt in scoring with 19.6 points per game last year.  His teammate Tookie Brown finished second with 17.1.  The two are among five returning starters for the Eagles, who have a great chance to claim the league crown, especially if they can shore up their interior defense a bit.
  3. Troy – The defending Sun Belt tournament champions should be right in the hunt for the league title again this season with double-double threat Jordon Varnado down low and three-point weapon Wesley Person in the backcourt.  The only question mark may be depth down low; but, if they can solve that issue, the Trojans could find themselves back in the Big Dance again.
  4. Louisiana-Lafayette – The Ragin’ Cajuns return four starters, three of whom averaged double-digits in scoring last season.  The combination of Bryce Washington and Justin Miller may be the best frontcourt in the entire conference.  If they can improve defensively, this team is good enough to capture the league title.
  5. Texas State – Despite only returning two starters, the Bobcats should still be right in the thick of things with sophomore guard Nijal Pearson looking to improve on his over 13 points per game.  Losing Kavin Gilder-Tilbury in the frontcourt hurts a bit, but between Immanuel King and Nedeljko Prijovic, they should have enough talent to compensate.
  6. Coastal Carolina – Cliff Ellis’ teams can never be counted out, and there is no reason why the Chanticleers will not be right in the thick of the race in this year’s Sun Belt.  Guard Jaylen Shaw averaged over 14 points per game while shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc last year.
  7. Appalachian State – The Mountaineers lost 21 games last season, but have a chance to improve this year thanks to three returning starters and potentially more playing time for sophomore forward Isaac Johnson.  Guard Ronshad Shabazz will be relied upon to produce even more than the 16.7 points per game he scored last year.
  8. Georgia State – Ron Hunter’s Panthers return last season’s Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in guard D’Marcus Simonds, who should only improve on his 13.4 points per game.  The problems will be in the frontcourt where both starting forwards are gone.  If they can’t fill those gaps down low, this team will struggle to finish in the upper division.
  9. Arkansas State – The Red Wolves will have to find more offense now that Devin Carter and his 16.4 point per game are gone.  Sixth man Deven Simms averaged over 13 points off the bench, but this team may not have enough depth to contend in a very tough conference, plus they have to adjust to a new head coach in Mike Balado.
  10. Louisiana-Monroe – The Warhawks should be better than last season’s 9-24 record with a pair of double-digit scorers returning and three key seniors to lead the way.  However, the talent level is not here for too much of an improvement and it could again end up being a long season for ULM.
  11. South Alabama – The Jaguars struggled to rebound and shoot three-pointers last season, and with only two returning starters, it is hard to see how either of those areas will improve.  Head coach Matthew Graves will need to find a way to get his team to finish much higher than this if he wants to get off of the hot seat.
  12. Arkansas-Little Rock – Little Rock does not return a single starter and the Trojans top returning bench player averaged only 3.5 points per game.  Unless head coach Wes Flanigan can work magic with a bunch of transfers and freshmen, this team is likely to finish at or near the very bottom of the conference standings.
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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews USC assistant coach Jason Hart

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Mike Hopkins is the latest member of the Jim Boeheim pipeline that is using the Syracuse basketball program to singlehandedly populate the Pac-12 coaching ranks.  1 of the 1st members was Jason Hart, who is preparing to begin his 5th season as an assistant coach at USC.  He began his career with the Orange as the 1st freshman to lead the Big East in minutes played and finished it a few years later with the most STL in school history and a spot on the Syracuse All-Century Team.  After a 9-year NBA career he became a coach and will try to help get the Trojans back to the NCAA tourney next March.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Hart about winning games in March and being a great defender.  

During your NCAA tourney career with Syracuse you had a 2-PT win over Iona in 1998 and a 2-PT win over Kentucky in 2000: what is the key to winning games in March that go down to the wire? I think that experience is the key to winning in March. You need a good team/coach but unless you have ultra-talented freshmen you need veterans.

Your 329 career STL remains in the top-20 all-time in D-1 history: what is your secret for being a great defender? It is just the desire to want to stop your opponent. I also had good hands/anticipation.

You were named to the Syracuse All-Century Team: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means a lot to me. Coming from a program with such a large number of talented players, it is an honor that I will cherish more than anything.

You spent almost a decade in the NBA: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? Pro basketball is a business, whereas college is where you get to hone your skills and listen more to your coaches. Once you get paid you are expected to produce.

In Game 4 of the 2009 NBA playoffs with Denver, you scored 2 PTS in a 121-63 win over New Orleans, which tied a record for the most lopsided win in playoff history: how were you able to go on the road and simply destroy the Hornets? It was not me: we had Coach George Karl and a number of good players including Carmelo Anthony/Kenyon Martin. If you have a bunch of talented players then you can pull something off like that, but college is more about coaching.

You are an assistant to 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? I learned not to take things too seriously. He is really good offensively and allows the players to play through their mistakes.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you had a 4-PT loss to Baylor: what did your team learn from that game that can help them this year? We just need to get stronger mentally/physically. It gave us the confidence that we belong: we just need to come out focused for each game.

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? Every game is a test: as a coach you never want to get ahead of yourself so the game that jumps out to me is our opener against Fullerton.

Your cousin Brandon Triche also played for Syracuse: who is the best athlete in the family? I think Brandon is a little better athlete than me since he was a little bigger…but I think that I was the better player!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The goal is to play hard each and every game. We expect to be a better team than we were last year.

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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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