Conference Preview: Big West

Posted on October 22, 2017 by Chad

BIG WEST

For those that like to stay up late at night to watch streaming video (often in the past, unfortunately for this conference, of poorer quality) of Under the Radar programs, the Big West may be your the go-to conference.  The league will be fun this season with three clear contenders and a few darkhorses that could crash the party.  Leading the way should be the Rainbow Warriors of Hawai’i with four returning starters and forward Mike Thomas back healthy, though Cal State-Fullerton and UC-Santa Barbara both figure to be in the mix.  Our surprise contender in this league is UC-Riverside, a team that just might have the right combination of new and returning pieces to make serious run at their first ever NCAA Tournament bid.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Hawai’i – The Rainbow Warriors have a chance to make it two NCAA appearances in only three seasons under head coach Eran Ganot as they return four starters and welcome back forward Mike Thomas, one of the conference’s top players, who missed all of last season due to injury.
  2. Cal State-Fullerton – The Titans may be without Tre’ Coggins’ 17.5 points per game this season, but they do have three returning double-digit scorers, led by a now-healthy guard Khalil Ahmad and forward Jackson Rowe.  They team is still young, almost lacking in seniors, so next season could be even better than this one.
  3. UC-Santa Barbara – The Gauchos had a dismal 2016-17 season, winning only 6 games.  They could be in store for a huge turnaround this season under new head coach Joe Pasternack, thanks to four returning starters, Gabe Vincent being back healthy, and the addition of graduate transfer Marcus Jackson (a three year starter at Rice).
  4. UC-Riverside – The Highlanders will look to remain healthy this season after injuries and suspensions plagued them last year.  They do return four starters and add 6-11 Boston College transfer Idrissa Diallo.  If they stay healthy and continue to improve, this team could end up being a huge surprise.
  5. UC-Davis – Coming off their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Aggies are unfortunately going to have to reload with only one returning starter.  The good news is that the one returning starter is Chima Moneke, who averaged nearly a double-double last season, and they have former sixth man Siler Schneider (10.3 points per game) ready to become a starter.
  6. UC-Irvine – The Anteaters have a ton of holes to fill in the backcourt with Jaron Martin and Luke Nelson gone.  They are always tough defensively, but there probably are not enough scoring pieces here to contend this season.
  7. Long Beach State – This should be a rebuilding year for Dan Monson after losing five key players from last seasons rotation.  Senior Gabe Levin, back from injury, will be looked on to lead the team this season.
  8. Cal Poly – The Mustangs do return three double-digit scorers from last season, including having Josh Martin back healthy.  They should be better than last year’s 20-loss team, but probably not good enough to break into the upper division.
  9. Cal State-Northridge – The Matadors lost 19 games last season and lost over 60% of their scoring in the offseason.  That is not a good sign, though at least Reggie Theus’ team will get production from senior forward Tavrion Dawson, the lone returning starter, who averaged over 14 points per game.
Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Conference Preview: Big South

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Chad

BIG SOUTH

The national headlines in great conference battles will probably be focused on leagues like the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and SEC this season.  However, arguably the most exciting conference battle, especially given that the winner of the regular season crown will get home court for the conference tournament, may come in the Big South.  There are five teams with legitimate chances to take the conference title this year, and a few others that might sneak into the discussion if anyone in that top group falters.

It is a close call, but the pick to in the title right now is UNC-Asheville thanks to the pairing of guards Ahmad Thomas and MaCio Teague.  However, Campbell returns seven of its top eight players and has its own star in Chris Clemons, Liberty has a ton of depth and experience, Winthrop is always dangerous with Pat Kelsey on the bench, and Radford has its entire starting five back.  Unfortunately for this conference, it may have another major battle — at its bottom.  Longwood and Presbyterian could be among the contenders for this year’s Centenary Award, given out annually by the HoopsHD staff to the worst team in Division I.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. UNC-Asheville – The Bulldogs return arguably two of the best and most exciting players in the conference in Ahmad Thomas and MaCio Teague.  Though they will once again be lacking in height, they should have enough talent to finish at or near the top of the league standings.
  2. Campbell – The Camels return seven of their top eight scorers from last season led by junior Chris Clemons, who was second in the entire nation in scoring last year at 25.1 points per game.  Campbell also has some size down low, moreso than a few of the other top contenders in the Big South.  This could be the perfect recipe for a conference title.
  3. Liberty – The Flames won 21 games last season despite being without Caleb Homesley for much of the season.  He is now healthy, and head coach Ritchie McKay’s team has the depth and experience to make their fourth trip to the Big Dance.
  4. Winthrop – After making the NCAA Tournament last season, Keon Johnson ran out of eligibility and head coach Pat Kelsey accepted the job at UMass . . . for about 48 hours.  Kelsey changed his mind and decided to come back to Rock Hill, but Johnson is still gone.  Xavier Cooks should score a ton, but making up for Johnson’s loss in the backcourt will be tough.
  5. Radford – With all five starters back from last season, the Highlanders will have the experience and depth needed to contend for the league crown.  Ed Polite Jr. is a nightly double-double threat, but they may be missing a go-to player on the offensive end.
  6. Gardner-Webb – The Runnin’ Bulldogs will likely take a step back this season without their top two scorers from last year, but they still have enough weapons to compete for an upper division finish.
  7. Charleston Southern – Christian Keeling averaged over 17 points and 7 rebounds per game as a freshman last season, but the Bucs probably don’t have enough other pieces around him to make any serious noise in a very tough conference.
  8. High Point – The Panthers appear to be lacking enough offensive weapons to challenge for the upper division in the Big South.  They only return one player who averaged in double figures last season, Andre Fox, and need to find a lot more scoring to win games.
  9. Longwood – The one bright spot for the Lancers during their 6-24 campaign last season was forward Khris Lane’s 17 points per game.  He has decided to transfer to VCU, and there may not be any bright spots left for this season.
  10. Presbyterian – The Blue Hose were ranked 350 out of 351 teams at kenpom.com last season, have a new head coach, and don’t return much.  This looks like the type of season that may land them back on our HoopsHD Centenary Award watch list.
Posted in Conference Preview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big South

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.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Central Connecticut State head coach Donyell Marshall

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.
Posted in Conference Preview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big Sky

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.
Posted in Conference Preview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Atlantic Sun

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.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews UNC Asheville G Ahmad Thomas