America East Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 27, 2024 by David Griggs

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AMERICA EAST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Vermont
  2. UMass Lowell
  3. Bryant
  4. Maine
  5. UMBC
  6. Binghamton
  7. UAlbany
  8. NJIT
  9. New Hampshire

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-AEAST TEAM:

-Marcus Banks Jr. – SR, G – UMBC
-Shamir Bogues – SR, G – Vermont
-Max Brooks – SR, F – UMass Lowell
-TJ Long – SR, G – Vermont
-Earl Timberlake – SR, G – Bryant

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Vermont blew through this league a year ago, losing just one conference game during the regular season and then winning the conference tournament to advance to the NCAAs. With four starters back from that team, which won 28 total games, they are the hands-down favorites to win it again, and one cannot help but ask if they’re good enough to do a little more than just win the conference. Shamir Bogues gives them a strong presence in the frontcourt, TJ Long is a solid guard who can hit from the outside, and overall this team is both experienced and balanced.

-UMass Lowell has won 20+ games the last two seasons and once again looks to have a solid lineup. It has been fun to watch this team build themselves up over the years, and they are now among the conference frontrunners. Pat Duquette has done a great job as head coach, and he has three starters back, including Max Brooks/Cam Morris who make up a solid frontcourt, and Quinton Mincey who actually averaged over 14ppg last year coming off the bench. I do not know if they are quite as good as Vermont, but I do think they can be a solid 2nd-place team in the conference and should be better enough than most of the rest of the league to keep pace with them in the standings.

-Phil Martelli Jr. had a good year in his first year as head coach of Bryant with 20 total wins at a 2nd-place finish. This year they are expected to be one of the better teams in the league again. Earl Timberlake returns, who is one of the better guards in the conference. The problem is they do not seem to have much else in the way of experience. I think they will do okay…but I do not see them being as good as the top-two teams.

-I never remember Maine being picked this high! They are actually expected to finish in the top-half of the league! And, if you look at them in recent years, their win total has improved in each of the last three seasons, so they have shown steady improvement. Just two starters return for the Black Bears, but they appear to have a solid backcourt in Kellen Tynes/Jaden Clayton, so they do have some pieces. Can Chris Markwood take this program another rung up the ladder in his third year as head coach?

-UMBC was pretty unremarkable last year, but they did show signs of improvement in the last few weeks of the regular season winning 4 of their final 6 regular season games before losing in overtime in the conference tournament. With three starters back including Marcus Banks (who is one of the better players in the conference), we could see some improvement out of the Retrievers this year.

-Binghamton showed some signs of improvement last year, and they do return a really strong player in Tymu Chenery, but I do not know if they have quite enough to finish in the top-half of the conference standings. If some of the incoming transfers can step up then we could see some more wins from them this year.

-UAlbany has just been down for the last four or five years, and while they did show signs of improvement last year, all signs this year point to them being down again. Amar’e Marshall is a standout player, but for a team that lost 9 of its final 11 games there just does not seem to be a whole lot of forward momentum going into this season.

-NJIT has won just 7 total games in three of the last four years, and finished pretty far outside the top-300 in most of the metrics the last three seasons. This was a program that showed a fair amount of promise not that long ago. but they have seemingly done nothing but lose since. Tariq Francis is a solid guard, but he will need some help from his teammates if they are going to have any success at all this year.

-New Hampshire only returns three scholarship players from a year ago and will have to rely on a lot of players who don’t have a whole lot of D-1 experience this year.

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CAA Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 25, 2024 by David Griggs

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CAA MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Towson
  2. Charleston
  3. UNC Wilmington
  4. Hofstra
  5. Delaware
  6. Northeastern
  7. William & Mary
  8. Monmouth
  9. Stony Brook
  10. NC A&T
  11. Drexel
  12. Elon
  13. Campbell
  14. Hampton

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 1ST TEAM:

-Ante Brzovic – SR, F – Charleston (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Gabe Dorsey – SR, G/F – William & Mary
-Landon Glasper – JR, G – NC A&T
-Kyrese Mullen – JR, F – Hampton
-Tyler Tejada – SO, G/F – Towson

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 2ND TEAM:

-CJ Fulton – SR, G – Charleston
-Christian May – JR, G/F – Towson
-TK Simpkins – JR, G – Elon
-Masai Troutman – JR, G – Northeastern
-Jaret Valencia – SO, F – Monmouth

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Towson won 20 games a year ago and with four starters coming back they are the preseason favorites to win the league this year. The job that Pat Skerry has done as head coach has been phenomenal when you consider just how bad this team was when he first arrived. They went from winning just one game his first year to 20 or more these past three years. It would be great to see them reach the top of the mountain this year. Tyler Tejada had a solid year as a freshman, and considering how players tend to improve the most between their first and second years he could be a huge asset to the Tigers this year. Christian May gives them experience at the PG position, and they have guys that can rebound, shoot, and defend. This is a solid Towson team that is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.

-Charleston has had two incredible seasons in a row, but with Pat Kelsey departing to take the head coaching job at Louisville, and with just one starter returning from a year ago, this team is in what you would call a transitional phase. Having said that, Chris Mack is taking over as head coach, and he has been very successful at Xavier (and I would argue he did a much better job at Louisville than what he got credit for). I think he can keep this program winning at a high rate. They do have the Preseason Player of the Year in Ante Brzovic, and they went into the portal to get some standout D-1 players who were all big-time scorers, so it would not shock me to see the Cougars atop the standings again in March despite all the changes they have gone through.

-UNC Wilmington is also coming off three straight 20+ win seasons, but like a lot of teams they are having to overhaul their roster. Takayo Siddle has had a good run as head coach, but he is faced with some challenges this year. The cupboard is not completely bare as they have some guys transferring in that appeared to be key role players, and that can sometimes be some really strong building blocks, but right now I have far more questions than answers when it comes to this team.

-Coach Speedy Claxton has won 20+ games in each of his three years at Hofstra, but this year he is once again tasked with replacing several key players. Just one starter returns…and when you go down their roster it looks as though literally every player will be expected to play a bigger role than they have ever previously played as a college players. We are used to seeing this team win a lot, but it could be a struggle this year.

-Delaware is another team that is having to replace the bulk of their starting lineup. Niels Lane/Tahron Allen help make up what should be an experienced backcourt, but the rest of the roster is inexperienced and will have to step up into bigger roles this year if the Blue Hens are going to be successful.

-Bill Coen has had some great years at Northeastern. Unfortunately none of those have come recently. They have had four straight losing seasons, and while three starters are back and that experience should result in a few more wins this year, they do not seem to be a team that will finish near the top of the standings this year.

-William & Mary has not won more than 10 total games in any of the last four years, nor have they finished in the top-300 of most metrics. With three starters back, we may see some improvement this year, but I don’t think we will see them near the top. They do have a new head coach in Brian Earl, so the style of play of valuing outside shooters in the past might change as the program moves forward.

-Monmouth showed a ton of improvement last season winning 18 total games after winning just 7 the season before. Two starters are back, including Jaret Valencia, who received all-conference preseason honors. They do have to replace an awful lot, though, and it looks as though a lot of guys with limited experience will have to step up.

-Stony Brook had a very strong overall season and was on fire down the stretch. They won six out of seven before losing in the conference championship game in overtime to Charleston. The problem is that most of that team is now gone and head coach Geno Ford is starting over. Joe Octave was a solid player at Holy Cross and he is a nice get from the transfer portal, but the rest of the roster has limited experience.

-NC A&T returns all five starters!! That is almost unheard of in this day and age. The problem is the team only won 7 total games a year ago. While the experience should result in a few more wins this year, I do not see the Aggies finishing in the top half of the league.

-Drexel is a program that appeared to be building itself up in recent years. They won 20 games a year ago, but three of their starters graduated and the other two transferred out, so Coach Zach Spiker has to completely start over. It is hard to say what they will be like this year.

-Elon has three starters back, and that experience should help them some. TK Simpkins is a solid player, but he will need some help if the Phoenix are going to finish any higher in the standings this year, and they seem to be a little low on experience.

-Campbell was a modest 8-10 in conference play last year, which is not great by any means, and with three starters back I think the Camels can do a little better than next to last in the league this year.

-Hampton is just struggling. They have not managed 10 wins in any of the last three seasons, and with very little experience returning it looks like it is potentially another long year for the Pirates.

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South Florida Head Coach, and All Around Awesome Human Being, Amir Abdur-Rahim Passes Away at Age 43

Posted on October 24, 2024 by David Griggs

I don’t know what to say. For starters, he was just awesome at both coaching and at life. As a coach he took over a Kennesaw State team that was such a tire fire that they probably would have struggled to win at the D3 level, and made an NCAA Tournament and brought excitement to a place that had no basketball history at all. Then in his one year at South Florida, they cracked the rankings for part of the season and you just knew that they would continue to be successful and become more and more of a national brand. He was absolutely a rising star that had already risen pretty high. But beyond that is that, as a person, he was absolutely one of the good guys. Not everyone in this sport is. I don’t know what to say other than that. I wish I was a better wordsmith so I could express this in the way that it deserves to be expressed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, players, and everyone that was close to him. This is just unbelievably sad.

STORY HERE

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OVC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2024 by David Griggs

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OVC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Little Rock
  2. Western Illinois
  3. SIUE
  4. Tennessee State
  5. Morehead State
  6. Eastern Illinois
  7. SEMO
  8. Southern Indiana
  9. Lindenwood
  10. UT Martin
  11. Tennessee Tech

MEDIA DAY OVC PLAYERS TO WATCH:

-EASTERN ILLINOIS -SR, G Nakyel Shelton, SR, F Kooper Jacobi
-LINDENWOOD – SR, G Markeith Browning II, JR, G/F Jeremiah Talton
-LITTLE ROCK – SR, G KK Robinson, SR, G Jordan Jefferson
-MOREHEAD STATE – SR, F Dieonte Miles, SO, G Trent Scott
-SEMO – SR, G Teddy Washington Jr., Jr, G Rob Martin
-SIUE – SR, G Ray’Sean Taylor, SR, G Desmond Polk
-SOUTHERN INDIANA – SO, F Stephen Olowoniyi, JR, G Jayland Randall
-TENNESSEE STATE – SR, F Ahmir Langlais, JR, G Justus Jackson
-TENNESSEE TECH – JR, F Daniel Egbuniwe, SR, F Rodney Johnson Jr.
-UT MARTIN – SR, F Vladimer Salaridze, JR, G Josue’ Grullon
-WESTERN ILLINOIS – SR, G Ryan Myers, SR, G Sean Smith

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Little Rock finished in a tie for 1st place last year and won 13 of their final 14 before losing to Morehead State in the OVC Championship game. KK Robison/Makhel Mitchell return to the roster, both of whom were big time contributors and likely will be again this year. Isaiah Lewis transfers in after having a big year at Murray State last year and will be a big piece for the Trojans as well. Little Rock is the preseason favorites because, quite frankly, no one else has as many talented players as they do. They look to be the hands down favorite to me.

No one else is really all that close to Little Rock. They will likely sprint away from the rest of the conference.

-Western Illinois has just one starter back from last year’s 21-win team. Ryan Myers is a solid player and a very good outside shooter, but some of the new guys are going to have to step up in order for this team to have success. They do have some players who were standouts in the JUCO ranks, so the cupboard is not completely bare.

-I like Brian Barone as a coach. Having said that, while he has certainly had some success at SIUE, he has not had quite as much as I thought he would over the last two years. Just one starter is back so the Cougars are in a rebuilding mode. Much of their roster is made up of guys with limited D-1 minutes along with some JUCO and NAIA transfers, so it is hard to tell what kind of team they will have this year.

-Tennessee State is having to replace their entire starting lineup. In fact pretty much the entire team is brand new as just one player returns. They did hit the portal and have a few guys with a decent amount of D-1 experience, but no one that really jumps off the page. Several standout players from lower divisions also join the squad. They are picked 4th in the preseason, which is not bad, but it is really hard to say how good they will be with so many new pieces.

-Morehead State has won 20+ games for each of the last four years and played in two NCAA Tournaments during that stretch. Having said that, Preston Spradlin (who was the head coach during that run) has departed for James Madison, and Morehead State’s roster has been overhauled. Dieonte Miles is the only returning starter and he averaged just 5ppg last year. Kade Ruegsegger was a standout player at the NAIA level last year, but other than that they just do not have any prolific or experienced players. Johnny Mattox takes over as head coach and he may have a difficult rebuilding project in front of him.

-Eastern Illinois just cannot seem to get it going. They won just 10 D-1 games last year, and while they do have three starters returning and perhaps have more experience than most of the teams in the league, the expectations still are not all that high. Kooper Jacobi gives them some strength at the forward position, and Nakyel Shelton was also a double-digit scorer last year, so their experience could help them get a few more wins this year.

-After making the NCAA Tournament two years ago, SEMO won just 9 total games last year and was an abysmal 4-14 in conference play. They do not seem to be all that improved this year, so I am a little surprised they are picked to finish as high as they are.

-Both Southern Indiana and Lindenwood are entering their 3rd year of the 4 year transition to D-1. The transition process is painful, especially in the second and third years. It is that period of time when all of their key players from before are gone, and it is hard to replace them because they are still on a postseason ban. Neither team won 10 games a year ago, and in looking at them both this year it is hard to picture them finishing very high in the standings.

-UT Martin finished in a tie for 1st place last year. This year, almost NO ONE is back. They have a new head coach in Jeremy Shulman, and rather than go into the portal he opted to sign 8 JUCO players. Many were solid contributors at the JUCO level, and I think they will do okay at the D-1 level. I do not think they will win the league, but I like them to finish a lot higher than this.

-Tennessee Tech is just bad. I do not quite understand why they are as bad as they are. John Pelphrey appeared to be a solid hire when he first arrived at Tennessee Tech, but in all five seasons he has been there they have been awful. They have so-so players that seem to play worse than what you would expect. They’re picked to finish last this year, and I agree. That is probably where they will finish.

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Pac-12 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2024 by David Griggs

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Vintage television test pattern.
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WAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2024 by David Griggs

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WAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Grand Canyon
  2. UT Arlington
  3. Seattle U
  4. Cal Baptist
  5. Utah Valley
  6. Tarleton State
  7. Abilene Christian
  8. Utah Tech
  9. Southern Utah

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM:

-Dominique Daniels Jr. – SR, G – Cal Baptist
-Tyon Grant-Foster – SR, G – Grand Canyon
-Ray Harrison – SR, G – Grand Canyon
-John Christofilis – JR, G – Seattle U
-Freddy Hicks – SR, G/F – Tarleton State

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-I am really big on the Grand Canyon Antelopes. Picking them to win the conference is sort of like picking August to be the hottest month out of August, November, December, January and February. They are the best…and it is not even close. It would not surprise me to see them run the table in both the regular season and the conference tournament. They won 30 games a year ago, made the NCAA Tournament, advanced to the Round of 32 after beating Saint Mary’s, and while it was sloppy they actually held their own with Alabama (who ultimately advanced all the way to the Final Four). Four starters are back from that team. Tyon Grant-Foster averaged over 20ppg a season ago, Ray Harrison is another guy who can score, Duke Brennan is one of the better centers in the conference, and on top of all that JaKobe Coles (a fantastic outside shooter) transfers in from TCU. The question is whether or not this team belongs in the Top-25, and I think the answer to that question is undoubtedly…YES! They are not in the preseason poll. It takes the voters a little while to figure out how good some of the Under the Radar teams are, but I think they crack the rankings before the end of the year and go into the NCAA Tournament way inside the bubble and on the first ballot.

It is actually kind of hard to get all that excited about anyone else…

-UT Arlington had a nice 20-win season a year ago. The problem is that no starters are back and Coach KT Turner (who had a nice debut) is now tasked with reloading the roster. In fact just two players total return, and neither saw substantial playing time. Diante Smith was a standout player and good outside shooter at Nicholls, and Darius Burford was a contributor at Illinois State. I think they will do fine against all the teams in the conference…minus the top one.

-Seattle U has won 20 or more games for the last three seasons since Coach Chris Victor arrived, and last year they took home a bit of hardware after winning the CBI Tournament. This year will be a bit of a challenge as just two starters return and the roster seems to be largely made up of guys who have seen limited minutes at the D-1 level.

-Cal Baptist finished in just 8th place a year ago and are looking to improve on that this year. Dominique Daniels Jr is an outstanding guard who averaged just under 20ppg a season ago, and they have some solid looking JUCO players that can help fill out the roster. I actually like this team a little bit more than where they are being picked. I think they can finish as high as 2nd or 3rd this year.

-Utah Valley, like a lot of teams, is facing a roster overhaul. Just one starter is back from a team that won just 16 games, and they will look to guys who came off the bench last year along with some guys they got in the portal to play bigger roles and contribute this year.

-Tarleton State had a remarkable season last year, especially considering it was their final transitional year. They won 25 total games and advanced to the semifinals of the CIT. Billy Gillispie has proven that given time he can develop talent. The problem is that all of last year’s talent has now moved on. All five starters are gone, and they do not seem to have anyone with any significant D-1 experience on this year’s roster. They do have some promising freshmen, but they will have to step up early in their careers for them to have any sort of success this year.

-Abilene Christian has two starters back, and both were solid scorers and contributors a year ago. Bradyn Hubbard was a standout JUCO player and should be able to contribute some. Other than that, it looks like they will be relying on guys who saw limited minutes last year to step up.

-Utah Tech and Southern Utah each have two starters back, but both struggled last year and look like they will be bringing up the rear again this year. But, when they face each other the games will still be meaningful because they are both members of the Bee Hive Conference! That is one of our favorite Mythical Conferences.

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