Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Central Connecticut State head coach Donyell Marshall

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

When I first heard the news in April of 2016 I simply could not believe it: Donyell Marshall, 1 of the best players in UConn history, was hired as head coach at Central Connecticut State!  What would come next: Richard Hamilton at Fairfield, Ray Allen at Yale, etc.?  You certainly cannot argue with his resume: 1994 Big East Player of the Year, an NBA record-tying 12 threes in a 2005 win over the 76ers, and a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals with Cleveland.  He also gets to have some quality father-son bonding as Donyell Jr. is a sophomore on the Blue Devils roster.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Marshall about his NBA memories and why he took the job last year.

In the 1991 McDonald’s All American Game your East team had a 2-PT loss: how close did you come to beating a West squad that had most of the Fab 5 AND Glenn Robinson? I think we lost in the final minute of the game so it was pretty close. They had a lot of names but we had a lot of good guys on our side as well.

In 1994 at UConn you led the Big East with 25.1 PPG/3.2 BPG and were named conference POY/All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was great: I was only the 2nd player in conference history to be named POY/DPOY in the same season. We only won 15 games my sophomore year but won 29 that year so I had a lot of confidence.

On March 13, 2005 with Toronto you scored 38 PTS and tied an NBA record with 12 3PM in a win over Philly: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Our offensive game plan worked perfectly.  Coach Sam Mitchell wanted myself/Rafer Alston to get in a lot of pick and rolls and Philly preferred to give up 3s than 2s.  I was on fire that day.

In Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals with Cleveland, LeBron James scored 48 PTS including the team’s final 25 PTS in a 2-PT 2-OT win at Detroit: where does that rank among the greatest performances that you have ever seen? To be a part of that game probably makes it #1 for me. He just put the team on his back and on the sideline he said, “you get the stops and I will take care of the offense”.

You spent 15 years in the NBA: what is the secret to your longevity? You have to take care of your body, eat right, get enough sleep, work out, and remain a good player for as long as you can.

Last year you were hired as head coach at Central Connecticut State: why did you decide to take the job? I thought that it was the right job for me. I felt prepared enough at the time and it was in the state where I went to college. I have the right staff around me and it is the right situation.

You only have 1 senior on the roster: how much pressure is there on Mustafa Jones to be a leader this season? Technically there is another 1 but I do not think there is any pressure on him at all. We feel we are good so even if we do not get picked at the top we like it that way. We are much improved.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Rutgers/St. John’s/DePaul/BC: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They are all going to be tough since we only won 6 games last year, but we have a lot more confidence this year and the older guys feel good in our system.

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Conference Preview: Big Sky

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Chad

BIG SKY

Last year was the first time since 2011 that neither Montana nor Weber State won or tied for the regular season championship in the Big Sky.  Instead, North Dakota took the crown and the conference tournament title to boot, making their first ever NCAA appearance.  This year, we are going out on a limb and once again not picking either Montana or Weber State to win it — and instead going with what may be a surprising pick in Montana State.  The Bobcats have a legitimate star player, tons of experience, lots of depth and talented newcomers — all the key ingredients to winning a conference crown.

Although the Bobcats are the pick, this could in fact be one of the more exciting conference races in the entire country.  Idaho, Montana, Northern Colorado, Weber State and even Eastern Washington all have enough talent to capture the title.  And with the conference tournament being on a neutral court in Reno once again, just getting that top seed will by no means guarantee an easy path to the automatic bid.  Long story short — the Big Sky will once again be a ton of fun this season!

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Montana State – The Bobcats were 16-16 last season, but have almost all the pieces to contend for the conference title this year, including experience (all five starters back), a star player (Tyler Hall averaged over 23 points per game last year) and talented newcomers (transfer Konner Frey averaged over 14 points for Utah Valley).  The only question is size, but they may be deep enough to make up for that.
  2. Idaho – The Vandals return all five starters led by Victor Sanders and one of my personal favorite players (for reasons unknown), Chad Sherwood.  This team should have the depth and experience to be right there in the conference race.
  3. Montana – The Grizzlies have a talented group of returning guards, led by Michael Oguine, and have added several big guys.  There is no reason why they won’t be right in the thick of the conference race all season long.
  4. Northern Colorado – The Bears return Jordan Davis (19.3 points per game) and senior Anthony Johnson (5.8 points per game two years ago before redshirting while the team was on probation last season).  They also add in Arizona State transfer Andre Spight.  The only question will be whether they have enough talent and depth in the frontcourt to go along with their formidable backcourt.
  5. Weber State – This season looks like more of a rebuilding year for the Wildcats as they begin life without Jeremy Senglin.  That said, Randy Rahe’s teams are always dangerous and players like Zach Braxton and Jerrick Harding should keep them in most games.
  6. Eastern Washington – With Jim Hayford now coaching in Seattle, long-time assistant Shantay Legans will try to keep the Eagles at or near the top of the Big Sky standings.  Although he does have to replace a pair of starters that combined to average over 31 points per game, he has a big piece back in Bogdan Bliznyuk, and an even bigger graduate transfer (literally) in 7-footer Benas Griciunas.  Also keep an eye on freshman Brendan Howard this season.
  7. North Dakota – The Fighting Hawks had a magical season last year, winning the regular season and conference tournament titles and advancing to their first ever Big Dance.  Junior guard Geno Crandall is back, but three other starters are gone and this may be a bit of a rebuild year as they get ready to enter the Summit League next season.
  8. Sacramento State – The Hornets have a very good inside-outside pair in Marcus Graves and Justin Strings.  However, there just do not appear to be enough other pieces here to challenge for the upper division.
  9. Portland State – New head coach Barret Peery at least has a few solid pieces around which he can focus his team this year, though all three are seniors — Bryce Canda, Traylin Farris and (if he can stay healthy) Braxton Tucker.  It will likely be a few years before he has this team moving up in the standings.
  10. Idaho State – Last season was painful for Bengals fans as they went from a winning season the year before to an awful 5-26.  The only good news is that it will be tough to be worse than that this time around.
  11. Northern Arizona – The Lumberjacks lost 23 games last year and then lost their top five scorers in the offseason.  This could be a very long season.
  12. Southern Utah – Just when the perennially woeful Thunderbirds had a beacon of hope, Randy Onwuasor decided to take his 23.6 points per game to LSU for his final season of eligibility.  Todd Simon’s team may eventually begin to move up in the standings, but just avoiding the cellar may be a accomplishment this season.  UPDATE: UNLV Graduate transfer Dwayne Morgan has committed to SUU and will be eligible after the first semester.  He could push this team up a few spots in the standings.
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Conference Preview: Atlantic Sun

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Chad

ATLANTIC SUN

The Atlantic Sun has long been one of our favorite conferences here at HoopsHD, and the battle at the top of this conference has a chance to be a ton of fun once again this year.  Lipscomb and Florida Gulf Coast enter the season on almost a 1A and 1B level, with many preseason publications leaning towards Dunk City, though we are going with the Bison.  Stetson is one of the few teams with a ton of returning players, and thus gets our nod for the darkhorse team to keep an eye on.  Beyond the top few, there is a sharp drop-off as schools like North Florida and Kennesaw State try to rebuild.  One team that will be rebuilding on the court is at least done rebuilding the court itself, as NJIT opens its brand new 3,500 seat Wellness and Events Center — a probable destination for a HoopsHD road trip at some point this season.

  1. Lipscomb – The Bison finished second in the conference standings last year and return their top eight players.  That is a great recipe for success.  The team will need to continue to hit the three-ball, as they were sixth in the nation last year in made shots from long-range.
  2. Florida Gulf Coast – The Eagles will have a chance to defend their A-Sun regular season and tournament championships with their entire backcourt returning, led by star Brandon Goodwin, and the addition of Michigan transfer Ricky Doyle in the frontcourt.  Also, keep an eye out for 5-3 freshman Darnell Rogers, son of former Atlantic Ten Player of the Year (at only 5-4) Shawnta Rogers.
  3. Stetson – The Hatters have a great chance to be this year’s surprise team in the A-Sun with three starters returning and a ton of new talent, including 6-10 junior college transfer Ricky Gouety and 7-2 freshman Adam Webb.  There are few teams in this conference that can match up with that type of size.
  4. North Florida – Matthew Driscoll has done a great job in his eight seasons in Jacksonville, even if last year was a disappointment when the Ospreys finished 15-19 (though they did make a run to the conference tournament title game).  This year may be a rebuild with a ton of new faces on the roster and Dallas Moore’s 23.9 points per game gone.
  5. South Carolina Upstate – Head coach Eddie Payne announced his retirement just a couple weeks ago, and now the Spartans will have a new head coach for the first time since moving up to Division I.  There is cause for optimism coming off of a CIT season and led by guard Mike Cunningham, but there probably is not enough here to contend for the league crown.
  6. Kennesaw State – Al Skinner enters his third year as head coach for the Owls, and has yet to get the team above .500.  That will be tough again this season with Kendrick Ray’s 21 points per game gone, though senior Nick Masterson should shine.
  7. Jacksonville – The Dolphins made the CIT last season, but only return one starter, making this potentially a long season for head coach Tony Jasick’s team.
  8. NJIT – The Highlanders were a disappointing 11-20 last season, and now both Damon Lynn and Tim Coleman have graduated.  At least they have their brand new 3,500 seat arena opening this season.
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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews UNC Asheville G Ahmad Thomas

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Most fans love offense but most coaches love defense.  Ahmad Thomas does a little of everything for the Bulldogs (as evident by his near-triple-double in an OT win over Gardner-Webb last New Year’s Eve) but defense is where he dominates.  As a sophomore he was #14 in the nation with 69 STL, and as a junior he set a school record with 99 STL and was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year.  His most excellent effort was a sensational 10-STL performance in a win over Warren Wilson last December.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ahmad about being a great defender as well as a great scorer.  

You grew up in Virginia: what made you choose UNC Asheville? I did not grow up in a big city so when I got to Asheville it felt like home. It is a perfect fit for me.

You play for coach Nick McDevitt: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He does so many things for us both on/off the court. He was a player/assistant here and his hard work shows how awesome he is as a person/coach. He is like a big brother for us, which a lot of people at other schools do not get from their coaches.

You played in 23 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? At first I had to separate myself from high school.  We had an up-tempo pace and pressed a lot but now I just do what I do.

Last season you set a school record with 99 STL (including 10 in a win over Warren Wilson last December) and were named conference DPOY: what is the key to being a great defender? Grit! Some people will just let you score on them but I hate for someone to score a lot of points against me and think that they will have a mismatch against me. My 7’ wingspan also helps a lot.

You also scored a team-high 18 PPG and led the conference with 54.4 FG%: what is your secret for being a great scorer? My teammates/coaching staff always put me in the right spots. I learned a lot from our PG MaCio Teague and made enough open shots to build my confidence. I try to recognize mismatches and do damage from my position.

You also led the team with 6.6 RPG: how are you able to get so many REB as a 6’3” SG? As we say: “how bad do you want it?!” You just need to be a big-bodied guard: it is not a bad thing to bang around the boards. It is a big key for our team so that we can avoid giving up very many 2nd-chance points.

In the 2017 CIT you had 22 PTS/11 REB/3 STL in a loss to Tennessee-Martin: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? We have to play 40 minutes of basketball.  It seemed like we only spent 20 minutes as a team so we have to understand that the margin of error is slim even against teams who you think that you should beat. UT-Martin was really good so when we came out sluggish in the 1st half we quickly found ourselves down by 20 PTS. It has to be 40 minutes of hell until the ball stops bouncing.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games against Rhode Island/Vanderbilt/Clemson/St. Mary’s: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They all will. Rhode Island made the Sweet 16 last year and has a great guard in EC Matthews. St. Mary’s brings back 4 starters and has a 6’10” stud in Jock Landale who might be preseason conference POY. The SEC/ACC are great conferences as well so Vanderbilt/Clemson will also be fun. You have to play hard every game but if we can beat some of those teams then everyone will recognize that we have some dogs on our team even though we are a mid-major! We are growing a lot and it will take time but are just focused on our 1st game against Rhode Island.

You are 1 of 4 seniors on the roster: how important do you think all of that experience will be to your team’s success this season? It will be huge but we are counting on everyone on the roster to come in and contribute. You want to go out with a great experience as a senior. Sometimes the freshmen do not understand everything so we have to lead them both on/off the court, go hard, and leave it all out there. We have to dominate, do the right things, and let them know that we need all of them to succeed: we have to rock!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The goal is always to win the regular season because hosting the conference tourney is huge.  The next jobs are to win the conference tourney, make the NCAA tourney, and then make a little noise to let people know that we worked hard. We want to win at least 25 games again and do the right thing: it will be hard but we have to click in.

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Happy College Basketball Season Soft Launch Day!!!

Posted on October 20, 2017 by David Griggs

Each year, the second Friday in November is the day that marks the start of college basketball games that actually matter.  That’s the first day of the official season, and that is the full launch day.  But, each team is permitted two exhibition games (more on that later) and has the choice of playing a closed three hour scrimmage against another div1 team, or playing an official game that is in an arena in front of fans against a college team that is not a div1 team (so div2, div3, NAIA, etc).  So, at Hoops HD we always like to (sort of) welcome in the new season on the first day that there is actually a game between two college basketball teams that the public is able to go see.  AND THAT DAY IS TODAY!!!  So, let me wish all of you a HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON 2017-2018!!!

Notre Dame will be hosting Holy Cross College, which is actually so close to Notre Dame’s campus that it is virtually on their campus.  If you have ever seen the movie Rudy, Holy Cross is where he went to school when he was still fighting to be accepted into Notre Dame.  It’s a game that has no impact whatsoever on the regular season, and it is a game that would be of very little interest even if it did count toward the regular season, and it’s a game that isn’t even going to be broadcast on TV (only Live Stats), but it is the first time two college basketball teams have played each other since last year’s championship game between Gonzaga and North Carolina.

There is something else about this game.  It is being played for charity, and it needed a waiver from the NCAA in order to happen.  The rules for exhibition games were (and really still are) what was mentioned above in regards to being allowed two contests.  Notre Dame, and many other schools, are actually playing three exhibition games/scrimmages.  The reason for that is back in August the NABC, and its new president Kansas coach Bill Self, had discussed the notion of adding a third exhibition game to the schedule that could be against another div1 team, and open to the public, and where all the proceeds given to charity in one form or another.  It’s my understanding that while the NCAA did not change the rules, what they did say was that schools who wanted to play in a charity game like that could file a waiver, and the NCAA would review all waivers on a case by case basis.

Now, what is a waiver??  It is rather self explanatory.  It is asking the NCAA for permission to be excused from having to follow one of their rules.  This could be because of an extenuating circumstance (IE player is academically ineligible, but has a 3.8 GPA and is only ineligible because his/her advisor told her to take the wrong classes), or a kid wants to transfer and doesn’t want to have to sit out a year because a family member is terminally ill, or something along those lines.  It is asking to be excused from an NCAA rule due to a reasonable circumstance.  Fortunately, in this case, the NCAA believes that an opportunity to make a lot of money for charity is a reasonable circumstance, and they have been approving nearly all of these waivers and allowing schools to play an additional exhibition game where the all money goes to charity.  A lot of these games will be benefiting disaster relief for the recent hurricanes and wild fires, so you cannot help but feel that these games are a very positive thing.  It is my hope that this soon becomes the rule, and that schools will no longer need to file waivers.  Specifically, I’d like to see the rules changed to where we have three exhibition games instead of two, and if a school so chooses all three can be against div1 teams that are open to the public and where all the proceeds are given to charity.

We are doing our best to keep up with the list of exhibition games.  More are being added every day, and seemingly every hour.  CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE LIST

 

NEWS AND NOTES

-It goes without saying that college basketball has had a spectacular offseason for all of the wrong reasons.  We’ve got assistant coaches going to jail and facing federal corruption charges, we saw the six year North Carolina case finally come to an end with virtually zero penalties, and we are basically in a situation to where the NCAA and college basketball in particular is being criticized more heavily than I can recall at any point in my lifetime.  I do think that all of this needs to happen, and once we come out the other end things will be back to normal, but for now it kind of makes enjoying the season a little more challenging.  Some of us just want to relax and watch basketball, and that’s a little harder to do when you turn on the TV to watch a game and they’re talking about legal scandals instead of the game itself.  Ironically, these charity games that we’re seeing are creating some much needed good will and charity toward the NCAA as well as the causes that they are being set up to aid.  And, we’ve actually got people who are excited about exhibition games for perhaps the first time in history!!  Kansas and Missouri will play in Kansas City this Sunday, the game sold out almost instantly, and if you haven’t been following the fans on social media then you should because it has been amazing!!  I love that something charitable has created so much hostility between two fanbases over a meaningless exhibition game!

-Many are noticing that these charity exhibition games are not on TV and understandably questioning why that is.  So far as I know, there is nothing preventing them from being shown on TV.  Having said that, these are WAIVERS.  It could be that the NCAA would question approving a waiver if a game were to be shown on TV??  I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but I suppose it could be??  I understand wanting to sell as many tickets as possible and that putting a meaningless game on TV could effect ticket sales, but at the same time I think that putting an 800 phone number on the screen so people can call and make donations to whatever charity the game is being played for could also increase the amount of money that is being raised.  So, there is no rule saying they can’t be on TV, but none of them (so far) are for whatever reason. UPDATE: The Border War will be streamed. Check it out here.

-Chad Sherwood and Jon Teitel are once again doing an amazing job with our comprehensive preseason coverage.  CLICK HERE FOR ALL ARTICLES AND CONFERENCE PREVIEWS

-Our preseason conference podcast will begin next week.  So, in closing, let me once again say HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON EVERYBODY!!!

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Conference Preview: America East

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Chad

AMERICA EAST

The Vermont Catamounts went a perfect 19-0 against America East foes last season before losing a close game to Purdue as a 13 seed in the Round of 64.  That probably won’t be repeated this year — with almost everyone back this team could actually contend for an even better seed in the Big Dance and has a real chance to win a game once there.  In fact, the biggest battle in the conference could be between Catamount teammates Trae Bell-Haynes and Anthony Lamb for conference Player of the Year honors.  In other words, John Calipari’s young Kentucky team better be on guard when they host Vermont on November 12 during the season’s opening weekend.

As for the rest of the conference, all but one team returns at least three starters, which means that there should be a higher level of play and some very exciting contests, even if they are all only battling for second place.  New Hampshire, with star Tanner Leissner, Albany and UMBC are the top three contenders, though any of the top seven preseason picks could make some serious noise this year.  It will be especially interesting to watch UMass-Lowell, as the River Hawks will be eligible for the America East and NCAA Tournaments for the first time, and could be in line for the 4 seed and a home game in the conference tournament quarterfinal round.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Vermont – The Catamounts won all 19 games they played against America East foes last season, and return the majority of that team including conference Player of the Year Trae Bell-Haynes and Rookie of the Year Anthony Lamb.  This team could be playing multiple games in the NCAA Tournament this year.
  2. New Hampshire – The Wildcats could have the league’s best frontcourt with Tanner Leissner, Jacoby Armstrong and Iba Camara.  If they can find a way to make up for the losses of guards Jaleen Smith and Daniel Dion, they look like the team most likely to jump in if Vermont falters.
  3. Albany – The Great Danes may have the league’s best backcourt with David Nichols and Joe Cremo, but probably don’t have enough down low to overtake Vermont.
  4. UMBC – The Retrievers were last season’s surprise team in the America East, and with four starters and a deep bench returning, have a chance to move up even another step this year.  Jairus Lyles averaged almost 19 points per game and could make it more than 20 this time around.
  5. UMass-Lowell – The River Hawks return two senior and one junior double-digit scorers for their first NCAA Tournament-eligible season, led by double-double threat Jahad Thomas.  It would not be a total shock to see them finish even higher than this.
  6. Stony Brook – The Seawolves are likely to take a step back this season with three starters gone and a ton of questions in the backcourt.  Tyrell Sturdivant should be their go-to player and is poised for a huge season.
  7. Binghamton – Although we are picking them in 7th place, the Bearcats have a chance to be a surprise team with most of their rotation back.  The key will be keeping Willie Rodriguez and J.C. Show healthy and on the court, something they could not do last season.
  8. Hartford – The good news is the Hawks return four starters from last season.  The bad news is that Jalen Ross, who scored almost 20 points per game, is gone.  Hartford should be better than 9-23 last year, but maybe not much better.
  9. Maine – With all nine teams now eligible for the NCAA Tournament, one school will not qualify for the 8-team America East tournament.  Finding a way to avoid being that team would be a successful year for Maine, but even doing that may be a longshot with top scorer Wes Myers gone.
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