Conference Preview: Big Ten

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Chad

Click HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s season preview interviews and Chad Sherwood’s conference previews

BIG TEN

Sometimes things change and sometimes they remain the same.  That is as true this season in the Big Ten as much as it is in any conference.  Michigan State and Purdue should once again be the class of the league and battle for conference supremacy.  In fact, the Spartans enter the season looking like a Final Four and national championship contender.  On the other hand, to see Northwestern among the list of the league’s top teams is almost a complete shock.  And that is not the only change in the conference this year, as Indiana, Illinois and Ohio State all bring in new head coaches with tons of credentials, though none of the three are likely to make the Big Dance this year.

Among the teams that could be dancing this season are Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin.  Penn State is a definitely a dark horse pick, but the Nittany Lions have been nailing down some very nice-looking recruits over the past few seasons, and this could be the year they break through.  Wisconsin and Iowa both look like they will take a step back this season, and the Badgers may have their run of 20 straight NCAA bids snapped.  At the end of the day, the Big Ten should once again put a nice pile of teams in the Tournament, and the basketball future of the league looks very strong with the new coaches coming in and the rise of several programs that have been perennial doormats.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Michigan State – The Spartans did not expect Miles Bridges to return for his sophomore season.  When he decided to come back, their prospects for this year went through the roof.  If they can avoid the plague of injuries that beset the team last season, and players such as Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling are back at or close to 100%, the sky could be the limit for this team.
  2. Purdue – After losing a player like Caleb Swanigan to the NBA Draft, most teams would expect to take a step or two back.  Not so in West Lafayette, as pretty much every other key player from last year’s Big Ten regular season champions returns, including star forward Vince Edwards, 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas, and underrated floor general Dakota Mathias.  The Boilermakers have the talent and depth to contend for another regular season championship.
  3. Northwestern – This is where we normally would be asking if this is the season the Wildcats finally break through and get their first ever NCAA bid — except that no longer applies.  Instead, this may be where we are asking whether Northwestern could actually win the Big Ten regular season title.  With four starters back, including three (Vic Law, Scottie Lindsey and Bryant McIntosh) that averaged more than 12 points per game, the Wildcats will be really good this year.  They also get Aaron Falzon back, a power forward that hit 63 3-pointers two years ago but missed most of last season with injury.  Michigan State may be the best team on paper, but if the Spartans stumble, the Wildcats could be the team to steal the crown.
  4. Minnesota – Rick Pitino’s coaching career may be over, but his son’s is just starting to get good.  Pitino proved a lot of people, including us here at HoopsHD, wrong last season with one of the most surprising success stories.  After winning 24 games and getting a 5 seed in the Big Dance, the Gophers could be Big Ten regular season title contenders with players such as Nate Mason, Amir Coffey, Jordan Murphy and Reggie Lynch back.  They also have Davonte Fitzgerald healthy after he missed last season with a torn ACL.  His presence could prove to be the piece that makes this season even better than last, and will help make the preseason injury loss of Eric Curry hurt a little less.
  5. Maryland – The Terrapins lost Melo Tremble, but return a strong contingent of players, most notably sophomore forward Justin Jackson and sophomore guard Anthony Cowan.  The addition of Duke transfer Sean Obi in the frontcourt could be a big piece, especially if he returns to his form from a few years back when he played for Rice.
  6. Michigan – The Wolverines have a lot of pieces to replace from last season, but still should have success thanks to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman outside and Moritz Wagner on the inside.  They will need a lot from a pair of transfers, Jaaron Simmons (Ohio University) and Charles Matthews (Kentucky).
  7. Penn State – The Nittany Lions have a real chance to be this year’s breakout team in the Big Ten.  They return all five starters from a team that was only a few games below .500, led by sophomore point guard Tony Carr who led the team in both scoring and assists.  They also have some solid pieces down low, including Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins.  The best news is that this team is still very young, with a roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores.
  8. Wisconsin – The Badgers can never be counted out, even if the only starter they bring back from last season is Ethan Happ.  They will need freshmen such as Brad Davison and Kobe King to prove themselves ready for this level of play if they want to keep a streak of 20 straight years with an NCAA bid alive.
  9. Iowa – The good news is that four starters are back from a team that just missed the NCAA Tournament.  The bad news is that the one that is gone is Peter Jok, who averaged almost 20 points per game for the Hawkeyes.  Compensating for Jok’s loss is going to be tough for this team, especially given that they had the worst scoring defense team in the Big Ten and 299th in the nation.
  10. Illinois – At first glance, a case could be made that the Illini will finish at the bottom of the league standings.  However, one should never underestimate the ability of new head coach Brad Underwood and his ability to win games.  The key to the team may be Wright State graduate transfer Mark Alstork — if he can put up similar numbers in the Big Ten to what he put up last season in the Horizon League, the Illini will be a lot more competitive season than people expect.
  11. Ohio State – Jae’Sean Tate can do just about anything, and will probably need to this season as the rest of the roster is thin, especially in the backcourt, that he may end up playing the point way more than he should.  Chris Holtmann has a great chance for a ton of success in Columbus, but don’t expect much this season.
  12. Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights were much improved in Steve Pikiell’s first season, but still finished dead last in the conference.  If the improved defense continues, and players such as Corey Sanders and Deshawn Freeman can shoulder even more of the offensive load, expect them to climb up in the standings this time around.
  13. Indiana – The Hoosiers, in the wake of Tom Crean’s termination and the NBA defections of James Blackmon, Jr., Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby, are in all-out rebuild mode this year.  They do have a head coach good enough to get it done, as Archie Miller takes over the reins.  However, don’t expect much this season.
  14. Nebraska – This has a chance to be Tim Miles’ final season as head coach at Nebraska, and it is tough to see them finishing high enough in the standings to save his job.  If they are to succeed, they will need a ton of production from a pair of transfers that disappointed at their prior schools, James Palmer, Jr. (Miami) and Isaac Copeland (Georgetown).
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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Charleston head coach Earl Grant

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Gregg Marshall might have taught Earl Grant a little too well.  As an assistant to Marshall at Winthrop the duo went to 3 straight NCAA tourneys, then after arriving at Wichita State they increased their win total from 11 in year 1 to 17 in year 2 and 25 in year 3.  Grant was hired as head coach at the College of Charleston in September of 2014 and has demonstrated the same ability to take great leaps in quick fashion: 9 wins in year 1, 17 in year 2, and 25 in year 3 (which included an invite to the NIT).  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Grant about the keys to recruiting and being named conference COY last spring.  

You played basketball at Georgia College and won a pair of conference titles: what is the biggest difference between D-2 vs. D-1? The biggest difference is just the size of the players, especially the big guys in D-1 who are taller/heavier. In D-2 you often play with 4 guards/1 forward, which is more of the way the game is shifting now at all levels.

In the 2006 NCAA tourney as an assistant to Gregg Marshall at #15-seed Winthrop, Chris Lofton scored 12 PTS including a fadeaway jumper from the corner in the final second of a 2-PT win by Tennessee: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? That was a true example of a dagger in your heart! We went into the game knowing that Lofton was a great shooter: he shot it even better when he was contested so part of me wondered if we should have just let him shoot it unopposed. We controlled the game for the most part but they just had the last shot. In the locker room it was very painful because our chance to advance was taken away in 2 seconds.

You grew up in North Charleston: what did it mean to you to become coach of the Cougars in 2014? Seeing how John Kresse elevated the program from the NAIA through various conferences and finally making it to the NCAA tourney was great: he really changed our city during his 20 years as head coach. Now we have an amazing city and the program has become nationally-recognized so it means a lot to be a small part of the success. I want to continue to help it rise because it is where I learned how to compete when I came down to campus as a high school kid to play in an open gym against guys like Anthony Johnson/Jermel President.

You are known for being a great recruiter: what is the secret to getting a high school kid to sign on the dotted line? I do not know if there are any secrets but a big thing is identifying the right kind of guy who can fit your personality and what you are trying to do. When they get to campus they will relate to the players you already have. You need to build trust with the player and his family.  You also need a good product to sell and at Charleston we have a great product, which has helped us get talented players to help us with our vision.

You only won 9 games in year 1 but increased that to 25 wins in year 3: how were you able to improve so much in only 2 years? A huge part of the turnaround is that we were very fortunate to have inherited a group of high-character/talented players. The staff also had unbelievable decision-making when it comes to our 1st couple of recruiting classes, which certainly helps. As the players go through the growing pains and get older they have become better.  Having continuity in our staff was another big reason we have been able to move in the right direction in a relatively short period of time.

Last year you were named conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was kind of weird because I never thought about that being a possibility so it caught me off guard a little bit. It was very emotional for me when it happened because even though they called my name there were so many players/coaches who were responsible for that. You cannot prepare for the emotions you will feel because everyone worked so hard to make that happen.

In the 2017 NIT you had a 7-PT loss to Colorado State: what do you think your team learned from that game that will help them this year? 1 of the things we all learned from the CAA tourney/NIT is the importance of staying true to who we are. We were a tenacious rebounding team all year but got away from that a little bit as we allowed way too many points at the end of our season. We scored plenty of points to win but just needed to get some more stops.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Wichita State/Rhode Island: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of those games will be tough but I am focused on the 1st game of the year against Siena because they are a good program so I cannot wrap my mind around any other team. I knew that Wichita State/Rhode Island would be favored to win their respective conferences so they will test us to see if we are capable of handling tough situations early in the season.

You return each of your top-6 scorers from last year: how important do you think all of that experience will be to your team’s success this season? You cannot put a price on experience so I believe that it is a great thing. We have never had such an experienced team so we have high expectations. That maturity will help us to focus on the process and not get caught up in everything else.  We have a lot of hard work to do if we want to accomplish some great things.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I do not have any personal goals yet: we want to continue to move the program forward with good players/coaches/staff/support. We want to reach our potential as a team and be playing our best basketball in March to make sure we are peaking at the end of the season. We do not have a ton of expectations besides putting our best foot forward.  I do expect them to work hard and live up to our values on a daily basis while trying to reach the highest level we can as a team. We are very excited about this group and think we have a lot of special young men who deserve the right to have a chance for success.

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NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Jon Teitel

Yesterday it was announced that the NCAA has created a Commission on College Basketball to examine 3 specific aspects of D-1 basketball:

1. The relationship of the NCAA and its institutions/student-athletes/coaches with outside entities (such as shoe companies, agents/advisors, etc.)
2. The NCAA’s relationship with the NBA (specifically its “1-and-done” rule)
3. The relationship between colleges and the NCAA national office (to promote transparency and stop any future scandals before they blow up)

The Commission will commence its work next month and then recommend changes in April. The 14-person Commission is a fascinating mix of former players (David Robinson)/coaches (John Thompson III), current school presidents (Rev. John Jenkins), and a chairwoman who was the US Secretary of State (Dr. Condoleezza Rice). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel reached out to many of the Commissioners to get their reaction and has heard back from Florida athletics director emeritus Jeremy Foley, who issued the following statement:

This commission has important work ahead. The collective talent, experience and wisdom of the people I have the opportunity to work with is off the charts. We have the chance to make a positive impact on the health of college basketball going forward, and that’s a responsibility we won’t take lightly.

We congratulate AD emeritus Foley on his appointment and hope to bring you further reaction from other members of the Commission in the days ahead.

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Conference Preview: Big Twelve

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Chad

Click HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s season preview interviews and Chad Sherwood’s conference previews

BIG TWELVE

When one hears the term “basketball conference,” thoughts of the ACC or the Big East quickly come to mind.  When one looks at the numbers over the past four seasons, it becomes clear that the Big 12 should be in those thoughts.  Kenpom.com has rated the Big 12 as the #1 conference in the country four years in a row, and with the depth and talent in the league again this season, it could become five.  Of course, when we talk Big 12, it all starts with the Kansas Jayhawks, who have won or shared a mind-boggling 13 straight conference regular season titles.  There is no reason to suspect that number will not reach 14 this season, as the Jayhawks have one of the most talented teams in the nation and may find themselves in San Antonio cutting down nets at the end of the day.

Beyond the Jayhawks, a pair of up-and-coming teams look to make big strides this year, as TCU will try to ride an NIT championship last year to an NCAA berth this one, and Shaka Smart may finally have a roster of “his” players capable of leading Texas into the conference’s upper echelons.  West Virginia and Baylor should both be very good again while Oklahoma will try to rebound from a disappointing 2016-17 season.  Finally, don’t overlook Texas Tech as Chris Beard is doing an excellent job elevating the Red Raiders despite the surprise departure of Tubby Smith a year ago.  This conference certainly has depth, enough so that if the team we are predicting for last place, Oklahoma State, can put aside its off-court problems, they might have enough weapons to finish several spots higher and contend for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Kansas – Frank Mason, Josh Jackson and Landen Lucas combined to average over 45 points and 20 rebounds per game last season.  All three are gone, and yet the Jayhawks still enter the season with a real shot at heading to the Final Four.  Devonte’ Graham will lead the way, joined in the backcourt by Mississippi State transfer Malik Newman, who was once the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who passed on a chance to enter the NBA draft.  Down low, the Jayhawks are young but very talented, with Udoka Azubuike healthy after only playing 11 games as a freshman and another top prospect in forward Billy Preston.  This team has all the pieces necessary for another Big 12 title, and a lot more beyond that.
  2. TCU – No, this is not a typo.  Jamie Dixon led the Horned Frogs to 24 wins and the NIT Championship last season — and returns his entire starting lineup.  This team now has experience and depth, and added in one of the conference’s top recruiting classes.  Kenrich Williams and Vladimir Brodziansky are legitimate double-double threats every time out, and with added depth this season, TCU will be dancing for the first time since 1998.
  3. Texas – The Longhorns have a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores, but those sophomores all got a ton of playing experience last season despite losing 22 games.  Andrew Jones should score a ton of points this year, especially with Matt Coleman arriving to help solve the point guard problems and Mo Bamba, the potential #1 NBA draft pick in 2018, coming in add a ton of size, strength and power.  Shaka Smart’s team has a chance to be very good this season, and could finish even higher than this.
  4. West Virginia – Press Virginia led the nation in turnover margin last season, and this year should be more of the same.  Bob Huggins has another solid, deep team.  Although they are not likely to dethrone Kansas, the Mountaineers, led by Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles, Jr. and Esa Ahmad (assuming he is reinstated from an indefinite suspension by the time conference play begins), will cause opponents problems on a nightly basis and should be wearing their home uniforms in a first round NCAA Tournament game in March.
  5. Baylor – The Bears will once again be difficult to beat with Manu Lecomte running the point and seven-footer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. down low.  However, another finish in or near second place will be difficult as they have to find a way to make up for several offseason losses, most notably Johnathan Motley.
  6. Oklahoma – Lon Kruger’s team gained a ton of valuable experience last season despite losing 20 games.  With the majority of last year’s team back and the addition of stud freshman point guard Trae Young, there is nowhere to go but up for the Sooners.  The team will need to compensate early for a lack of depth in the frontcourt, especially with Kristian Doolittle academically suspended for the fall semester.
  7. Texas Tech – Head coach Chris Beard has an intriguing mixture of senior leaders (Justin Gray, Keenan Evans and Zach Smith) and heralded prospects (point guard Davide Moretti and shooting guard Zhaire Smith).  The Red Raiders failed to win a single road game last season — if they can change that and get the new players to blend with the veterans, it would not be a complete shock to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
  8. Kansas State – The Wildcats have a pair of very good guards in Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown, but the team may not have as much talent down low or as much depth as they did last season, when they barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a member of the First Four.  Kansas State will win some games, but probably not enough to dance again.
  9. Iowa State – The Cyclones could be in for a long season as they lost their top four starters from last season’s team.  The good news is that a few highly-rated recruits will get some playing time.  They will also get some help from senior guard Donovan Jackson and UTSA transfer forward Jeff Beverly.
  10. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys lost three of their top four players from last season and saw their head coach bolt for the Illinois job after just one season.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were one of the programs targeted by the recent FBI investigation, including a massive document subpoena request that just made headlines this week.  Despite a few solid players, including returnee Jeffrey Carroll, Cal State Northridge transfer Kendall Smith and St. John’s transfer Yankuba Sima (eligible after the fall semester), the off-court issues may be too much to keep this team out of the cellar in a very deep conference.
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NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jon Teitel

Earlier today it was announced that the NCAA has created a Commission on College Basketball to examine 3 specific aspects of D-1 basketball:

  1. The relationship of the NCAA and its institutions/student-athletes/coaches with outside entities (such as shoe companies, agents/advisors, etc.)
  2. The NCAA’s relationship with the NBA (specifically its “1-and-done” rule)
  3. The relationship between colleges and the NCAA national office (to promote transparency and stop any future scandals before they blow up)

The Commission will commence its work next month and then recommend changes in April.  The 14-person Commission is a fascinating mix of former players (David Robinson)/coaches (John Thompson III)/athletic directors (Jeremy Foley), current school presidents (Rev. John Jenkins), and a chairwoman who was the US Secretary of State (Dr. Condoleezza Rice).  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel reached out to many of the Commissioners to get their reaction and has already heard back from Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith, who issued the following statement:

I am privileged and honored to serve alongside such a distinguished group committed to making the great game of college basketball even better for all parties involved.

We congratulate AD Smith on his appointment and hope to bring you further reaction from other members of the Commission in the days ahead.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Richmond head coach Chris Mooney

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

A lot of great coaches have come/gone through the A-10 during the past decade but there are still some very good veteran guys like Bob McKillop/Phil Martelli.  If you take a look at Chris Mooney’s record at Richmond you will not see a lot of losing seasons, which is due to the fact that he has not had a single 1 in the past 10 years.  He learned his craft at Princeton as a 4-year starter for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril.  Last year the Spiders won 22 games including a pair in the NIT before losing to eventual champion TCU in the quarterfinals.   HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Mooney about playing for a Hall of Famer and coaching a young team this season.

As a player at Princeton you were allegedly nicknamed “Dr. Sweats” because you could not afford to buy jeans: who gave you the nickname, and how did you like it? I could afford them but came to college without any jeans (just sweats).  My teammate Galen Criqui (son of famous announcer Don Criqui) gave me the nickname: it was funny.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril at Princeton: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His understanding/vision of the game were incredible. What he was doing in the 1960s/1970s is very similar to how it is played at the highest level today: dribble handoffs, shooters spread around the perimeter, etc. They were a high-powered offense with future NBA players. He was always very honest so there was never any confusion about where we stood: players crave honest evaluation.

You entered the 1991 NCAA tourney on a 16-game winning streak but Lance Miller scored 19 PTS including a 6-foot jumper with 1.3 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Villanova: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? I remember it really well…and it was really devastating. Villanova was a good team but we were the #8-seed and were nationally-ranked. The 2 schools had played a lot in the 1970s/1980s and Big East basketball was a very physical brand of basketball. It was a really tough loss because it felt like that was going to be the year that we advanced far in the tourney.

In the 2011 postseason as head coach at Richmond you won 3 games in 3 days to clinch the A-10 tourney, then beat Vanderbilt/Morehead State to reach the Sweet 16: what is your favorite memory from that incredible run? There are a lot of good memories. We won the championship game by enough points that we were able to sub out our stars toward the end and give our bench guys a chance to play, which was really special.

In the 2017 NIT quarterfinals you lost to TCU: what did your team learn from that game that can help them this year? TCU was playing great and went on to win the NIT title in New York. When playing an opponent that good you learn that everything you do is so critical: not just every possession but every since cut/defensive positioning. You have to make everything hard for your opponent and give yourself the best chance to win, which we did not do. It takes a little extra concentration.

Last year SG De’Monte Buckingham was named conference ROY: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? He is a really talented player and was more physically ready than most freshmen. He has incredible instincts and a great mind for the game.  He was able to see the game at his speed and adjust far more quickly than anyone else. He is super-competitive so he was ready to attack in his 1st season.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Cincinnati/Georgetown/Wake Forest/BC: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Delaware: the very 1st one. We always try to play a great non-conference schedule and are fortunate that they are not a constant string of road games. We are young enough that no game will be easy. We are younger than we are “inexperienced” so we just have to concentrate at a high level.

You only have 1 senior and 1 grad student on the roster: how do you figure out your team’s leaders when you have such a relatively young roster? Since we are around the guys so much we can recognize who they follow/believe in. We have a good feel for that since we see it transpiring every day. There are guys who played a lot of minutes as young players so I think that our leadership will be very good.

You graduated your top-2 scorers from last year (TJ Cline/ShawnDre’ Jones): how will you try to replace all of that offense? That will be really difficult. TJ was 1 of the most unique players in college basketball: he was 2nd in the conference in AST despite standing 6’9”.  ShawnDre’ was a scorer since he 1st got here. We feel we have guys who are ready to step in for them.  The major step we took last year was defensively so we have to figure out who we are on offense.  We went to TJ when we needed a basket so we need to find out who is comfortable in that position and is able to do it at critical times, which is the fun part of having a team of new contributors.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We talk about goals just among ourselves. Our expectations could be really exciting because there are some guys who can emerge as great players with the right amount of seasoning. If we improve during the course of the season, as we generally have in the past, then this will be a fun team to be around.

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