NEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 29, 2024 by David Griggs

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NEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Central Connecticut (tied 1st)
  2. Wagner (tied 1st)
  3. Fairleigh Dickinson
  4. Le Moyne
  5. Long Island
  6. Chicago State
  7. Mercyhurst
  8. Saint Francis U (tied 8th)
  9. Stonehill (tied 8th)

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-NEC TEAM:

-Malachi Davis – JR, G – Long Island
-Jo’el Emanuel – JR, F – Fairleigh Dickinson
-Darrick Rose Jr. – SR, G – Le Moyne
-Jordan Jones – SR, G – Central Connecticut
-Jeff Planutis – SR, F – Mercyhurst

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID

To put it simply, WE AT HOOPS HD LOVE THIS CONFERENCE!!!! That is why we have it as the headliner of all our conference previews!! This conference is always at or near the bottom of the metrics, and the champion is oftentimes in the First Four, but the league is SOOO much fun! The small venues that are oftentimes packed with energy and the intensity the players bring seeing how the entire conference (other than Chicago State) is based in the Northeast makes this must-see viewing! You can watch all conference games for free on NEC Front Row: bookmark it now!! They’ve also got a free downloadable app: download it now!!!

-Central Connecticut finished in 1st place last year, but missed out on the NCAA Tournament after losing in the semis of the conference tournament. They did lose their top scorer and have just two starters back, but with Jordan Jones returning and some solid transfers coming in who can probably contribute right away, we could see CCSU back at the top of the standings this year.

-Wagner finished just 6th in the standings this year, but then went on to win the conference tournament and win their First Four game. Just two starters are back from that team and they are tasked with replacing their top-three scorers. They do seem to have some guys that can step into bigger roles and contribute this year.

-Fairleigh Dickinson struggled last year and went through periods of hot and cold. Just two starters are back and they are looking for a little more consistency this season. They do have some solid transfers that were contributors at non-D-1 schools a year ago and if some of them can step up we should see some improvement out of FDU.

-Le Moyne returns four starters from a team that did pretty well in their first year as a D-1 program. They won 15 total games and finished a very respectable 9-7 in the conference. It is good to see the players stick together given that they are a transitional team and are ineligible for the postseason. We could see that experience result in a few more wins this year.

-Long Island has been pitiful the last two years and the fact that just one starter is returning might be a good thing because it allows them to turn their roster over. They went into the portal to try and build up their roster and the Sharks should be a little better this year.

-Chicago State is finally back in a conference!! After years of having to play as an Independent, and having to deal with all of the disadvantages that come with that, Chicago State joins the NEC. I think given time they will be able to have success in this conference. As for this year, Scott Spinelli takes over as head coach and he’s got just two returning starters and a bunch of guys that have limited D-1 experience. It could be a long year this year.

-Welcome to D-1 Mercyhurst! They won just 15 games as a D-2 program last year, and given that D-1 is…well…a lot better, it could be a long first season for the Lakers. The fact that they are not picked last is kind of surprising. Then again…perhaps not.

-Stonehill won just 4 games a year ago and were closer to winning the Centenary Award then they were the NEC. Their roster is turning over so we could perhaps see some improvement this year, but just making the NEC Tournament would be an accomplishment.

-Saint Francis U seems like they will do better than last place. They may even be good enough to make the NEC Tournament. I do not think they will be in the top-half of the standings, but with three starters back they at least have some experience going for them.

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Patriot League Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 29, 2024 by David Griggs

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PATRIOT LEAGUE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Colgate
  2. American
  3. Boston U
  4. Bucknell
  5. Lehigh
  6. Lafayette
  7. Army
  8. Navy
  9. Holy Cross
  10. Loyola MD

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM:

-Matt Rogers, – SR, F – American (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Miles Brewster – SR, G – Boston U
-Noah Williamson – JR, C – Bucknell
-Tyler Whitney-Sidney – SR, G – Lehigh
-Austin Benigni – JR, G – Navy

Caleb Kennedy – SR, F – Holy Cross (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year)

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Colgate blew through this league a year ago with a 16-2 conference record. They finished a full 6 games head of the 2nd-place team and then breezed through the conference tournament. They did lose two of their top scorers, but they do return a really good core group of players that saw significant minutes last year and add a pretty impressive looking freshman class, so it would not shock me at all to see Colgate win the league again this year. Having said that, I am not sure if they will completely run away with it like they did a season ago.

So last year, there was a 4-way tie for 2nd place. Three of those four teams return the bulk of their contributing players, which makes this conference pretty wide open.

-American had a two week stretch in the middle of February where they lost 4 out of 5, and not only that but lost badly to bad teams. Injuries seemed to play a role in that stretch where they struggled, but other than that they were pretty good last year. With four starters back including Matt Rogers (who can score, rebound, and shoot from the outside), I think they have quite a bit of potential this year and could even end up winning the league.

-Boston U has all five starters back and is also a team that can make a ton of noise this year. They also finished in the big logjam tie for 2nd place last year and looked really good in the latter part of the season as they won their last six games before losing in the semis of the conference tournament. Miles Brewster received preseason honors and is a fantastic outside shooter, but is not the only scoring threat on this team. They have what appears to be a deep and experienced rotation. I always value collective experience, especially now when so many teams are so transfer heavy. I think the Terriers will be in the race this year and are also good enough to challenge for a league title.

-Bucknell is another team with a lot of experience coming back. Four starters return for a team that was in that logjam 2nd place tie. They did lose their top scorer, but Noah Williamson is back and is a 7-footer and the best post-player in the conference. Some of the other guys will have to step up in order for Bucknell to keep pace with the teams at the top of the league. I think the PL is a four-horse race this year with Bucknell being the 4th horse.

-Lehigh was a modest 9-9 in league play last year, but was much better in the second half of conference play than in the first, winning 7 out of 9 before losing in the championship game. Three starters are back including Tyler Whitney-Sidney (who was one of the top scorers in the conference) and Keith Higgins Jr. (who missed part of the year due to an injury). So, the Mountain Hawks have some pieces.

-Lafayette had a bit of a crazy season. Between January 3rd and February 7th they were 9-2. For the entire rest of the year, they were just 2-19. They started off 1-12, and finished by losing 6 of their final 7. Three starters are back and they actually somehow managed to play their way into that 4-way tie for 2nd place last year so you would think there would be some reasons to be optimistic, but given how bad they were for most of the year and how they played down the stretch I just do not see them keeping up with the top half of the league.

-It is so hard to win at Army. For any student to be accepted into the school they have to prove themselves to be far more exceptional than most of the rest of us, and they are limited when it comes who they can even recruit. I have nothing but respect for anyone who plays on this team. They won just 10 games a year ago, and with three starters back and Jalen Rucker (who was a proven scorer two years ago) rejoining the team, hopefully they can manage a few more wins this year.

-It is so hard to win at Navy. For any student to be accepted into the school they have to prove themselves to be far more exceptional than most of the rest of us, and they are limited when it comes who they can even recruit. I have nothing but respect for anyone who plays on this team. I actually like this team a lot more than where they are picked to finish. They have four starters returning from a team that kind of crapped out in the middle of conference play, but was pretty solid down the stretch, winning their final 5 before losing in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Austin Benigni is one of the top players in the conference and with the experience they have around him I think they can win some games this year. I could see them finishing close to the middle of the standings and if things fall right for them perhaps doing even a little better.

-The days of Holy Cross being a consistent PL frontrunner and making teams sweat in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament seem like it was a generation ago. Well, that is because it was. The Crusaders have not won more than 10 games since prior to COVID, and have only been to one NCAA Tournament since 2007. Three starters are back from last year’s team and that experience should help, but at no point did Holy Cross look like they were building toward anything. It could be another long, and frustrating, and ultimately disappointing year for the Crusaders.

-Loyola MD won just seven games a year ago and finished near the bottom of virtually every D1- metric. Josh Loeffler takes over as head coach and he’s got his work cut out for him as he’s tasked with building up a program that does not look to have a whole lot of substantial D-1 experience heading into this season.

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Big East Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 29, 2024 by David Griggs

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BIG EAST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Connecticut
  2. Creighton
  3. Xavier
  4. Marquette
  5. Saint John’s
  6. Providence
  7. Villanova
  8. Butler
  9. Georgetown
  10. Seton Hall
  11. DePaul

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST 1ST TEAM:

-Ryan Kalkbrenner – SR, C – Creighton (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Alex Karaban – JR, F – Connecticut
-Kam Jones – SR, G – Marquette
-Bryce Hopkins – SR, G/F – Providence
-Kadary Richmond – SR, G – Saint John’s
-Eric Dixon – SR, F – Villanova

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST 2ND TEAM:

-Pierre Brooks – SR, F – Butler
-Jahmyl Telfort – SR, F – Butler
-Deivon Smith – SR, G – Saint John’s
-Zach Freemantle – SR, F – Xavier
-Dayvion McKnight – SR, G – Xavier

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST 3RD TEAM:

-Aidan Mahaney – JR, G – Connecticut
-Steven Ashworth – SR, G – Creighton
-Jayden Epps – JR, G – Georgetown
-Wooga Poplar – SR, G – Villanova
-Ryan Conwell – JR, G – Xavier

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-UConn won an amazing 37 games last year, has won the National Championship each of the last two years, and is on an amazing stretch of 49 wins in their last 53 games. Four of those starters are gone and UConn will have to reload this year, but reloading is not an issue for them. Aidan Mahaney comes in from Saint Mary’s, and Liam McNeeley is a McDonald’s All-American. They are not quite as stacked as they were a year ago. I do not think they will win 37 games and repeat (again) as national champions, but this is still one of the best teams in the country.

-Up until recently I had been highly critical of Creighton and how they always seemed to tank out down the stretch. Well, I have stopped saying it because they have stopped doing it. They made it to the Sweet Sixteen or further in three of the last four seasons, and look to be good enough to do it again this year. Trey Alexander/Baylor Scheierman are big players to have to replace, especially Scheierman (because he was such a strong post player), but three other starters are back along with some solid transfers. I think they are good enough to win the Big East this year. They are exceptionally tough to beat at home, they tend to shoot well from the outside, they rebound well, and can score in the paint as well with Ryan Kalkbrenner at center. In short, they are good!

-Expectations are high for Xavier this year, and while they’ve already been hit with an injury to a key player (again), and while most of last year’s starters are gone, the roster does appear to be pretty stacked. Ryan Conwell/Dayvion McKnight make up a very solid backcourt, and Zach Freemantle is a huge contributor as well. Some pretty strong portal additions give Xavier a fair amount of talent and depth. While Xavier has had a lot of success throughout its history, they have actually missed five of the last six NCAA Tournaments, so they may be getting a little anxious in X-Land.

-I like this Marquette team. A lot. It seems a little nuts to me that they are being picked as low as 4th. I would personally have them…well…about four spots higher. Three starters return from a team that made it to the Sweet Sixteen, Kam Jones is one of the best guards in the conference and can hit from the outside, and while they may not have any players in the post that will likely end up on NBA rosters, their frontcourt is still solid enough. What makes this team so hard to beat is their pressure defense, and it is something that seems to get better and tougher the more they play together. Shaka Smart is a fantastic coach and this may be one of the better teams he has had in a while.

-Rick Pitino enters season #2 as the head man at Saint John’s, and the roster has been completely overhauled. No starters are back from a year ago. Deivon Smith is a solid player, and it looks to be a transfer-heavy roster. I will say this about Rick Pitino: he knows what he wants and he can usually get his guys to play together, so you never want to overlook the Johnnies.

-Kim English won a respectable 21 games his first year at Providence last year and once again has his work cut out for him. He has a high-caliber player in Bryce Hopkins who is a great scorer and rebounder, and they have some nice looking transfers coming in including Jabri Abdur-Rahim from Georgia, so the Friars have the pieces to take a step forward this year.

-The days of being able to pencil Villanova into your top-10 and seemingly always seeing them make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament now suddenly seem like it was all a long time ago. I like Coach Kyle Neptune, and was particularly impressed with how he was seemingly starting to turn Fordham (of all places!) around. But, since arriving at Nova they just have not been that good. And, it does not look like they are going to be all that good this year. Wooga Poplar is a solid player out on the perimeter, but he will need some help.

-Preseason rankings really do not mean much. A week into the season no one will even care about any of this, so I normally do not try and get too deep into the weeds with it. I am really doing all this to help myself learn the teams rather than make any predictions. Having said that, Butler being picked to finish 8th seems over the moon insane to me. I am trying to figure out what I am missing. Pierre Brooks/Jahmyl Telfort are both very solid players, Pat McCaffery is transferring in from Iowa and can be a solid role player and provide some depth, Kolby King comes in from Tulane who is a fairly decent PG. I mean…perhaps they are not the deepest team, and I certainly do not think they’re as good as the top three/four teams in the league, but to pick them 8TH!!?? I actually think they can be an NCAA Tournament team this year! This is a pick I disagree with: they are better than this!

-Georgetown has been synonymous with awful for the last three or four years, and while they will probably be slightly less awful this year, I still do not see them being all that good. Malik Mack (who had a strong freshman season at Harvard)/Jayden Epps should make a pretty talented backcourt, and that alone will result in them being somewhat better than what we have seen.

-Seton Hall won the NIT last year, but given how much their roster is overturned they could be taking a step back instead of forward. I like Shaheen Holloway as a coach, and I think they did get a few decent players out of the portal, but I do think they will be closer to the bottom than the top this year. They will win both games against DePaul, though!

-DePaul might lose every single Big East game they play this year. It would be the second year in a row where that happened. Chris Holtmann takes over as head coach, and I think he is a phenomenal coach, and they are getting some guys in the portal that should make them a little better…but “a little better” is a very low bar.

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MAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 28, 2024 by David Griggs

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MAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Ohio U
  2. Akron
  3. Kent State
  4. Toledo
  5. Bowling Green
  6. Miami OH
  7. Ball State
  8. Central Michigan
  9. Eastern Michigan
  10. Western Michigan
  11. Northern Illinois
  12. Buffalo

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 1ST TEAM:

-Payton Sparks – SR, C – Ball State
-Anthony Pritchard – SR, G – Central Michigan
-VonCameron Davis – SR, F – Kent State
-AJ Clayton – SR, F – Ohio U
-Javan Simmons – SO, F – Toledo

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 2ND TEAM:

-Isaiah Gray – SR, G – Akron
-Jalen Sullinger – SR, G – Kent State
-Shereef Mitchell – SR, G – Ohio U
-AJ Brown – SO, G – Ohio U
-Isaiah Adams – SR, G – Toledo

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Ohio U won their last 7 games before losing in the semifinals of the conference tournament last year, and they return the bulk of the talent from that team. Jeff Boals is a coach that I have always thought a lot of and I think he may have one of his best teams in a while this year. AJ Clayton/Shereef Mitchell were both double-digit scorers a year ago, and both received preseason honors this year. They have experience, they have depth, and I think they can win the MAC this year.

-Akron is a regular 20+ game winner, but they do face some challenges this year as four starters are gone from last year’s team that made the NCAA Tournament. Isaiah Gray comes in from Cornell, and they do add several other players from power programs that are perhaps come to Akron wanting to play bigger roles, so the cupboard has probably been restocked and the Zips will likely be near the top of the standings again.

-Kent State had a subpar season last year and are looking to bounce back this year. VonCameron Davis received preseason honors, and he’ll be joined by Marquis Barnett (who comes in from Presby) and Anthony Morales (who comes in from Boston U). So, the Golden Flashes have some solid pieces and I think we will see a few more wins out of them this year.

-Toledo finished atop the standings last year, but lost their conference tournament opener and ended up without a postseason invite despite having a really solid year. The Rockets have won 20+ games the last four years and have two key starters back from last year, including SO PG Sonny Wilson. They also add a couple of transfers that were double-digit scorers a year ago and should be able to step right in and help the Rockets. I could actually see them finishing higher than 4th. I do not like them as much as Ohio U, but I do think they could finish right behind them.

-Bowling Green was another team that won 20 games last season…but is also another team that is tasked with rebuilding its roster and replace four of their starters. Trey Thomas comes in from Vanderbilt and he should be a major contributor for Falcons this year. They also add some guys that were standout players at the D-2/JUCO levels, but it remains to be seen if they can contribute at the D-1 level.

-Miami OH showed some signs of improvement last year and finished a modest 9-9 in conference play in Coach Travis Steele’s second season. Three starters are back and that experience could result in this team seeing a few more wins this year and continuing their steady improvement.

-Michael Lewis had an impressive debut season at Ball State two seasons ago when he won 20 games. Last year, they took a step back and won just 15 and were a so-so 7-11 in conference play. Only two starters return from that team, but one of them is Payton Sparks, who is probably the best center/post player in the conference. They also add a high-caliber player in Jeremiah Hernandez, who averaged over 17ppg at Southern Indiana a year ago, so Ball State should be better this year. I think they can finish higher than they are being picked.

-Central Michigan was a big surprise last year with 18 total wins and a 4th place finish in the conference. This was a team that many (including myself) were expecting to be either at or near the bottom along with the other Directional-Michigan schools. Anthony Pritchard returns to the lineup and is one of the better guards in the conference. Jakobi Heady, who was a standout player at Bethune Cookman last year, transfers in and should be a big contributor. Can the Chippewas exceed expectations again this season?

-Eastern Michigan managed 13 wins a year ago, which is not good at all, but was still better than they had done the previous three years and perhaps better than what was expected. They did finish just 10th in the league and with three starters gone they do not appear to have a ton of experience or guys that have proven themselves as solid D-1 players yet. They could be in for a long year.

-Western Michigan could be in for an even longer year. They won just 12 games a year ago, which is not good, but was still an improvement, but with four starters gone from that team they are once again rebuilding. They also seem to be a little light on guys with solid D-1 experience.

-Northern Illinois has no starters back after several contributing players from last year jumped into the portal. Just four scholarship players return in total and the expectations are not high.

-Buffalo won just four games a year ago and the days of Nate Oats having this team in the NCAA Tournament, and winning tournament games, and in the top-25, now seem like it happened a long time ago. They are most likely in for another very long season this year.

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Big Sky Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 28, 2024 by David Griggs

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BIG SKY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL:

  1. Montana
  2. Montana State
  3. Northern Colorado
  4. Weber State
  5. Northern Arizona
  6. Portland State
  7. Idaho
  8. Idaho State
  9. Eastern Washington
  10. Sacramento State

BIG SKY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

  1. Montana State
  2. Montana
  3. Weber State
  4. Northern Colorado
  5. Northern Arizona
  6. Eastern Washington
  7. Portland State
  8. Idaho State
  9. Idaho
  10. Sacramento State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL BIG-SKY TEAM:

-Trent McLaughlin – Northern Arizona
-Brian Goracke – Montana State
-Brandon Whitney – Montana
-Miguel Tomley – Weber State
-Brandon Walker – Montana State
-Julius Mims – Idaho

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Montana managed 25 total wins last year and are the preseason favorites (at least amongst the coaches) despite having just one regular starter back. They do have some solid grad transfers coming in as well as some guys that saw minutes off the bench. Brandon Whitney is a solid guard, and Money Williams is back in the lineup after missing all of conference play due to an injury. So, the Grizz have some pieces.

-Montana State was a modest 9-9 in Big Sky play last year, but expectations are higher this year with three returning starters and some other key additions to the roster. Montana State did win the Big Sky Tournament last year, so it makes sense they would be expected to carry that momentum into this season.

I like the next two teams better than the first two teams…

-Northern Colorado did kind of taper off in the last couple weeks of the season last year, but they still have a good year overall and with three starters back I would think they would be picked as one of the favorites to win the league. Jaron Rillie is a solid and experienced guard, Brock Wisne is a strong player in the frontcourt, and Taeshaud Jackson II actually averaged a double-double last season. This team has some solid pieces and I actually think they are one of the teams to beat.

-Weber State really caught fire in the second half of conference play last year. They did lose their first conference tournament game, but they were 8-2 in their last ten regular season games. With three starters back this year, this is another team that can make some noise in the league. Miguel Tomley, who was a standout player at Idaho State last year, also transfers in and joins the roster. So, this is a team with experienced players that can produce. I would not be shocked to see them win the league this year either.

-Northern Arizona returns four of their top-five scorers and perhaps returns more of their key pieces than anyone else in the league. Having said that, they won just 14 total games last year and finished 7th in the conference, so while that experience may result in a few more wins this year, I do not see them finishing much higher than the middle.

-Portland State struggled last year and with just one starter back those struggles will likely continue into this year. They did win 17 total games, which was an improvement over the previous 3 years, but it will be hard to keep building on that now that they have had to overhaul their roster.

-Idaho has just been so bad for so long. But, slowly (albeit VERY slowly) they may be showing signs of getting better. They won 11 total games a year ago, and while they were just 9th in the conference, they did manage 5 total conference wins. Three starters are back, Julius Mims is a solid forward who can score and go to the glass, and they may be able to continue to build on that win total and finish a little higher in the standings this year.

-Idaho State had an unspectacular 14-20 season last year and with four starters gone they are tasked with rebuilding. Or…perhaps just building, I suppose. They do have some guys transferring in that were standout players at non-D-1 schools, so if they can step up then this team should win at least a few games.

-It seems a little crazy seeing Eastern Washington this low in the preseason polls, especially since they have won 20+ games each of the last two years and were the 1st place team a year ago. The problem is that most of last year’s team, including the coach, is now at Washington State. Dan Monson takes over as head coach, and he had a nice run at Long Beach State. I do think he can get this program back to the top of the conference if he is given a little bit of time…but not this year.

-Michael Czepil takes over as head coach at Sacramento State. They were the last place team a year ago and are not expected to do much better this year. They do not have a lot of guys who have experience as solid contributors at the D-1 level.

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Southland Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 28, 2024 by David Griggs

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SOUTHLAND MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. McNeese
  2. Stephen F. Austin
  3. Nicholls
  4. TAMUCC
  5. Lamar
  6. SELA
  7. Incarnate Word
  8. UTRGV
  9. Northwestern State
  10. TAMU Commerce
  11. New Orleans
  12. Houston Christian

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SLC 1ST TEAM:

-Christian Shumate – SR, F – McNeese
-Garry Clark – SR, F – TAMUCC
-Jamal West Jr. – SR, F – Nicholls
-Quadir Copeland – JR, G – McNeese
-Joe Charles – SR, F – McNeese

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SLC 2ND TEAM:

-Javohn Garcia – SR, G – McNeese
-Keon Thompson – JR, G – Stephen F Austin
-Robert Brown III – SR, G – Nicholls
-Jalin Anderson – SR, G – Incarnate Word
-Brandon Murray – SR, G – McNeese

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-McNeese won 30 total games last year after winning just 11 the year before and lost just 1 conference game. 12 of their 17 conference wins were by double-digits, and they blew through the conference tournament. Although they do have to replace their top scorer, three starters are back, and five of their players received preseason SLC honors. This is a team that should once again run away from the rest of the conference and could potentially make some noise on the national stage. Coach Will Wade knows how to use the portal and NIL to build a talented and dominating roster.

There is a pretty big gap between McNeese and everyone else.

-Stephen F. Austin returns to the Southland after spending three years in the WAC. It does not seem like that long ago when they were making noise on the national stage. While they should be competitive in this league, I don’t think they will be able to keep up with McNeese, and I am a little surprised to see them picked as high as 2nd. Having said that, two starters return, and Keon Thompson transfers in from UMass as a strong addition, so there are a few things to like.

-Nicholls was looking pretty strong at the end of the year, and won 7 of their final 8 before losing in the SLC Championship Game. With three starters back, including Jamal West Jr. (who is a solid frontcourt player who can score/rebound), Nicholls should be able to finish at least in the top-3 of the league, and perhaps in the top-2. I actually like them a little more than SFA.

-Jim Shaw had a very good debut season as TAMUCC’s head coach. The team won 21 total games and finished 2nd in the conference standings. With four starters back, expectations for them should be high again. Garry Clark is a solid scorer and rebounder, Leo Torbor is a solid guard and a very good defensive player, and the rest of the players look like they can step up and contribute. I am a little surprised they are picked as low as 4th. The Islanders would have been my 2nd place pick.

-Lamar saw a huge improvement last season under Coach Alvin Brooks. The Cardinals won 19 total games after winning just 9 the year before, and they won four straight down the stretch before losing in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They have three starters coming back, some balanced scoring, and are adding some decent looking transfers to the roster as well. They should be able to continue to build and perhaps end up with a few more wins this year.

-SELA is sort of starting over. They are tasked with replacing four starters from a team that struggled for most of the year but was actually pretty solid in the second half of conference play. Most of their roster appears to have limited experience at the D-1 level, so their players will have to step up into new roles in order to compete with the teams in the top half of the league.

-Incarnate Word, as a program, has struggled since transitioning up to D-1 and coming off probation. They have managed to win more than 10 total games just once in the last seven seasons, but we may see some signs of improvement this year. Three starters are back, which gives them some experience, and they also add two very solid transfers in Jalin Anderson/Davion Bailey, who should give them more talent than they have had in quite some time. I do not think they will finish in the top half of the conference, but I do think they will be more competitive than what we have seen in recent years and will show noticeable improvement.

-UTRGV has a new head coach in Kahil Fennell…and boy does he have some work to do!! They won just 6 total games last year and were a rather abysmal 2-18 in conference play. Just one starter is back, but since the roster needed overhauling that may not be the worst news in the world. They went into the portal and have what appears to be a lot of guys who were solid role players at previous D-1 schools, so if some of them can step up then we should see some improvement this year.

-Northwestern State is having to replace their entire starting lineup after a 9-win season last year. Like UTRGV, it seems to be some D-1 role players, but they also add some solid players from lower divisions.

-TAMU Commerce is still transitioning to D-1 and enters their 3rd season. It is always a tough process, and all things considered I think they have done fairly well. They have won 13 total games in each of their last two seasons, but they may struggle to hit that mark this year. All five starters from a year ago are gone, and they are entering what is perhaps the toughest stretch of the transition process. Key players want out because they do not want to play on a team that is on probation, and it is hard to recruit new players because if they have other opportunities they will take those rather than come play for a school that is on probation. It could be a very long year for the Lions.

-Stacy Hollowell takes over as head coach at New Orleans and faces a steep uphill climb. They won just ten games a year ago and lost most of their starters. They do not seem to have much in the way of players who have played key roles at the D-1 level yet.

-Craig Doty takes over at Houston Christian. This is a team that we have a soft spot for, especially with their uniquely small (but awesome!) arena and the retro uniforms they will sometimes roll out. Having said that, just because we like them does not mean they are good. This could end up being one of the worst teams in all of D-1 this year. They seem to be quite limited on…well…solid D-1-caliber players.

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