Conference Preview: Big 12

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

BIG TWELVE

Although the ACC came close to dominating the NCAA tournament last year, the regular season clearly belonged to the Big 12.  The Big 12 placed seven of its ten members into the NCAA Tournament, and all 7 of them wore white in their first round games.  In fact, the conference had a team seeded on each of the first eight seed lines other than 7, as Kansas was a 1, Oklahoma 2, West Virginia 3, Iowa State 4, Baylor 5, Texas 6 and Texas Tech grabbed an 8.  Four of those teams (West Virginia, Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech) all suffered first round upset losses, while Kansas fell in the Regional Final and Oklahoma in the national semifinal, both to national champion Villanova.  Only Iowa State, losing to Virginia, was wearing the road jerseys of the underdog when they were eliminated.  In all, despite a great regular season and Oklahoma’s Final Four appearance, the postseason was somewhat disappointing for a league whose conference tournament semifinals looked stronger than most NCAA Tournament regionals.

This season should only feature one thing that is the same in the Big 12 and that is the team that will finish on top.  Kansas can and should tie UCLA’s record from 1967-79 by winning their 13th straight conference regular season title.  Beyond the Jayhawks, however, most of the conference’s top teams will be taking a step back as every team was hit hard by offseason player losses.  Iowa State and West Virginia appear to be the top challengers to Kansas, while teams like Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech may struggle just to be in contention for a postseason bid.  It will also be interesting watching how three new coaches affect the bottom half of the league, with Jamie Dixon taking over at TCU, Chris Beard at Texas Tech and Brad Underwood coming in at Oklahoma State.  Although the Big 12 may not have the power at the top (beyond Kansas) that it did last year, there looks to be a ton of parity in the league which should make things very exciting during conference play.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Kansas – The Jayhawks are loaded again with Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and the nation’s #1 recruit Josh Jackson in the backcourt.  Down low they have Carlton Bragg, Jr. and Landen Lucas back, plus add in Ole Miss transfer Dwight Coleby and freshman big man Udoka Azubuike.  This team may have lost a few of its best players (Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden, Jr. notably), but Bill Self’s squad should win the league again and will be a serious contender for the Final Four.

2. West Virginia – The Mountaineers will be tough to beat again with guards Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles, Jr., and Tarik Phillip all returning.  The questions marks will be in their frontcourt with scoring production and rebounding.

3. Iowa State – Even with three double-digit scorers gone, the Cyclones still have a ton of solid pieces, especially in the backcourt, where they are led by point guard Monte Morris, along with Naz Mitrou-Long, Matt Thomas and Deonte Burton.

4. Texas – All five starters are gone, but Shaka Smart has brought in a Top 10 recruiting class led by big men Jarrett Allen and James Banks, plus guard Andrew Jones.  The Longhorns may struggle early, but could be very dangerous by March.

5. Baylor – Even with Taurean Prince and Rico Gathers gone, the Bears have a lot of talent led by forward Jonathan Motley.  Scott Drew’s team will rely on Ishmail Wainwright, Al Freeman and Miami transfer Manu Lecomte to lead the backcourt.

6. Oklahoma – A step back is expected with Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler all gone.  The Sooners will need Jordan Woodward, Khadeem Lattin and their newcomers to step up just to challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid this year.

7. Texas Tech – New head coach Chris Beard will rely heavily on transfers this year.  Junior college transfers Niem Stevenson and Shadell Millinghaus, Quinnipiac transfer Giovanni McLean, and Arkansas State transfer Anthony Livingston will all need to be key contributors if the Red Raiders want to succeed.  Even then, a serious lack of size down low could be the team’s undoing.

8. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys have a strong backcourt led by last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jawun Evans, and the now-healthy Phil Forte III.  They are undersized down low, but new head coach Brad Underwood had a ton of success without a lot of size during his time at Stephen F. Austin.

9. Kansas State – Most of last year’s team is back, but the Wildcats struggles against Big 12 foes.  The team needs to improve vastly on the 226th nationally-ranked shooting percentage and 332nd nationally-ranked 3-point percentage if they want to move up in the standings.

10. TCU – It will take Jamie Dixon a little bit of time to grow this program, but there are enough pieces this year for the Horned Frogs to steal a few games, led by juniors Malique Trent and Vladimir Brodzlansky.

 

For the Big 12 Conference Preview Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

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Conference Preview: Big Ten

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

BIG TEN

Eight times.  Since the NCAA started seeding teams, a 2 seed has faced a 15 seed 128 times and the 2s have won 120 games and lost only 8 times.  Unfortunately for the Michigan State Spartans, one of those 8 losses happened last season, when Tom Izzo’s team was upset by Middle Tennessee.  The loss particularly stung for the Spartans, as they were a veteran team that was good enough, at least on paper, to cut down the nets at the end of it all.  In fact, Michigan State’s loss helped open the door for 10th-seeded Syracuse to make an improbable Final Four run.  Purdue (5 seed) joined Michigan State as a first round upset loser, while two other Big Ten teams that got 5 seeds (Maryland and Indiana) advanced to the Sweet 16, along with 7 seed Wisconsin thanks to a last second win over 2-seed Xavier in the Round of 32.  Iowa (7 seed) lost in the Round of 32, while Michigan (11 seed) won a First Four game before falling in the Round of 64.  The most disappointing thing about the Big Ten last season was that the conference was done playing by the time the Elite Eight rolled around.  The second most disappointing thing may have been the under-performance of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a team with high preseason expectations that ended up in the NIT.

This year, the Big Ten has a very good chance to advance deeper than the Sweet 16, as Purdue, Indiana and Michigan State are all poised to return to the Big Dance, and Illinois and Ohio State both have chances to rebound off of last season’s disappointments.  A few other teams, notably including Maryland and Michigan, will be contending for tournament spots as well.  However, the conference’s top story starts and ends in Madison, Wisconsin, where Greg Gard starts his first full season as head coach of the Badgers after Bo Ryan’s mid-season retirement last December.  The Badgers, who struggled early in the year, came on strong down the stretch, turning an 1-4 Big Ten conference start into a 12-6 record and the eventual Sweet 16 berth.  Every player of note returns from last season’s squad, giving the Badgers a ton of veteran leadership.  Not only is Wisconsin the preseason favorite to capture the league title, it would not be a shock at all to see them playing on the final weekend in Glendale, Arizona at the Final Four.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Wisconsin – Virtually everyone is back from last year’s Sweet 16 team.  Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ will lead the way in the frontcourt, while Zak Showalter and Bronson Koenig help form a lethal backcourt (just ask Xavier fans).  This team could go very far.

2. Purdue – The point guard position will get some help with the addition of Michigan transfer Spike Albrecht.  The returnees in the frontcourt, however, will be the true standouts as Vincent Edwards, Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Hayes should all be major factors.

3. Indiana – Yogi Ferrell may be gone, but James Blackmon, Jr. is back healthy and Thomas Bryant passed on the NBA Draft to return for one more season.  They key to how well the Hoosiers perform could be Pittsburgh transfer point guard Josh Newkirk.

4. Michigan State – The Spartans lost a ton of scoring, but look for Eron Harris to become a standout player and Miles Bridges to lead one of the nation’s strongest freshman recruiting classes.  In the end, it is simply impossible to ever count out a Tom Izzo coached team.

5. Illinois – If Tracy Abrams, Malcolm Hill and Leron Black are able to stay healthy, the depth the team built without the three of them last year could really pay off.  The real player to watch will, once again, be Malcolm Hill, who has the ability to lead the team in almost every stat category that is out there, but hopefully will not have to do so again.

6. Ohio State – Only JaQuan Lyle returns from last year’s highly ranked five-man freshman recruiting class (the other four all having transferred).  The good news is that forward Jae’Sean Tate and guards Keita Bates-Diop and Marc Loving are back.  In the end, this season could end up being one of addition by subtraction.

7. Maryland – The Terps lost four double-digit scorers off of last year’s team, but they will remain dangerous this year due to the return of Melo Tremble.  Tremble’s stats went down last season from his freshman form, but if he is able to get his numbers back up, Maryland’s name could very well be called on Selection Sunday.  Keep an eye on freshman forward Justin Jackson as well.

8. Michigan – The five players that were starting for the Wolverines at the end of last season are all back, though star Caris LeVert, who was injured at the end, is gone.  This team’s success will depend on the play of Derrick Walton, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Zak Irvin.  Freshman small forward Xavier Simpson could be the key to pushing them into the conference’s upper division.

9. Penn State – The Nittany Lions have a young roster featuring a pair of key Philadelphia recruits in guard Tony Carr and forward Lamar Stevens.  Junior Shep Garner may be the team’s top player this year, but as the young guys gain experience, Big Ten foes will need to watch out.  Next year could be a very good one in Happy Valley.

10. Iowa – Peter Jok has a chance to star for the Hawkeyes, but almost everyone else from last year’s NCAA Tournament team is gone.  Head coach Fran McCaffery has brought in a solid freshman recruiting class led by Tyler Cook, but this year looks to be a rebuilding one.

11. Northwestern – The combination of Bryant McIntosh at guard and a healthy Vic Law at small forward will keep the Wildcats competitive, but there doesn’t seem to be quite enough here for them to get that first-ever invite to the Big Dance.

12. Minnesota – It is hard to pick this team too high given that they only won 8 games last season, but there are a few solid pieces including freshman guard Amir Coffey, Milwaukee transfer Akeem Springs and returnees Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy.

13. Rutgers – New head coach Steve Pikiell does have a few solid pieces in place to start the rebuild in New Jersey, led by guards Corey Sanders, Mike Williams and Kansas State transfer Nigel Johnson.

14. Nebraska – This looks like a long season for Tim Miles’ team, especially after Andrew White III decided to transfer to Syracuse.  In order to have any success, the Huskers will need to rely heavily on guards Tai Webster and Glynn Watson, Jr.

 

To watch the Big Ten Preview Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Notre Dame assistant coach Ryan Humphrey

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

We continue our 2016-17 season preview interview series with Notre Dame assistant coach Ryan Humphrey.  There are a variety of reasons that players switch colleges during their careers but few have done with as much success as Ryan did at both Oklahoma and Notre Dame.  He was an All-Big 12 player as a sophomore with the Sooners, then averaged a double-double as a senior in South Bend.  Humphrey’s commanding college career helped him become a 1st-round pick of Utah in the 2002 NBA Draft, followed by a very long pro basketball career overseas.  Last May head coach Mike Brey hired him to be 1 of his assistants…and Irish eyes have been smiling ever since.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Humphrey about being a McDonald’s All-American and making the game-winning shot in the NCAA tourney.

ryan

In 1997 you were named a McDonald’s All-American in basketball as well as a Parade All-American as a tight end: which of your fellow hoops honorees impressed you the most (Shane Battier/Elton Brand/Lamar Odom/Baron Davis/Tracy McGrady/other), and which sport were you best at back in the day? It is hard to say which player impressed me the most because so many players from the class went on to the NBA. I think I am proudest of Earl Watson, who I used to play with while growing up in the Midwest. As far as my best sport, it depends on who you ask, but I think that choosing basketball was a fortunate decision for me.

In the 1999 NCAA tourney as a player at Oklahoma you scored 15 PTS including the game-winning tip-in toward the end of a 1-PT win over #4-seed Arizona: where does that rank among the highlights of your career, and do you think that you should have been called for goaltending? That was a big highlight for me. Growing up every kid who likes basketball wants to play in the NCAA tourney, and to win a game like that was very important for my confidence. The ref did not call goaltending so I guess it was not goaltending!

That spring you transferred to Notre Dame: why did you decide to switch schools, and what made you choose South Bend? I grew up in Tulsa and just needed a change of scenery. I knew that once I finished my playing career my Notre Dame degree would help me find a great situation.

In 2002 you led the Big East with 10.9 RPG, and your 2.8 career BPG is #1 in Notre Dame history: what is the secret to rebounding/shot-blocking? It was just timing. I was blessed with good timing and the refs do not want to call goaltending on every shot. I hope that my record is broken some day because it means that the next crop of big men here are defending the paint.

In the summer of 2002 you were drafted 19th overall by Utah (4 spots ahead of Tayshaun Prince) and then traded to Orlando: what did it mean to you to be drafted, and how did it feel to be traded the same day? It was surreal: I spent a lot of time in the gym when I was younger so it was nice to see my hopes and dreams come true. It was tough to get traded but great to play for Coach Doc Rivers: I later implemented some of his methods into my own coaching style.

Last May you were hired to work for your former coach Mike Brey: what makes him such a great coach, and what made your decision to join his staff such a “no-brainer”? I was working for Chris Collins at Northwestern and learned a lot while developing my craft. This is my alma mater and Coach Brey has put his imprint on the program. It is key to talk to 18-year old versions of my self and being in the ACC is great.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Colorado/Iowa/Villanova/Purdue: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Night in and night out it is not about the other team: it is about our own team getting better. By the time we reach ACC play we will be able to face some adversity and then push through it.

You lost your top-2 scorers from last year in Demetrius Jackson/Zach Auguste: how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? We can replace the points but the key is for our veteran guys to replace their leadership. We have new guys stepping up at the point guard and center positions and I am excited to see who takes charge of those roles.

Your father Al played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and your brother Rod played football at Pitt: who is the best athlete in the family? Probably my twin sister: she is the most competitive/fiery 1 in the group.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As a team we want to continue getting better. Coach Brey has established a program so we just want to represent the Notre Dame brand as 1 to be reckoned with in the ACC.

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The Hoops HD Report: Pac 12 Conference Preview

Posted on November 4, 2016 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

Oregon won the Pac Twelve last year.  Oregon earned a #1 seed last year.  Oregon advanced to the Elite Eight last year.  Oregon returns their top six players, and adds some talented freshmen this year.  Oregon will be very good this year, at least that’s what the panel thinks.  Arizona is another team to watch despite being without some key players early on, and Cal and Colorado should be factors as well.  Check it out as they run through and assess all twelve teams. 

 

And for all you radio lovers, below is an mp3 version of the show…

 

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Conference Preview: Big East

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Chad

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

BIG EAST

Kris Jenkins three pointer as time expired to win Villanova’s second national championship will long be remembered, both in Philadelphia and across the nation, as one of the all-time great March Madness highlights.  It is shots like that which make the NCAA Tournament the greatest sporting event in the world (in our opinions at least).  And it was that shot which sent notice to the rest of the college basketball world that the Big East, despite its breakup, realignment, and move to a non-football conference is still a legitimate top-tier power conference that cannot be overlooked.  Although the Wildcats were the only Big East school to make it out of the first weekend of the Tournament last year, the league did put half its members in, including 2-seed Xavier, 6-seed Seton Hall and a pair of 9-seeds in Butler and Providence.  Creighton also played postseason basketball, appearing in the NIT.

This year, the Big East looks to once again be a battle between the defending national champions and the Xavier Musketeers.  Both teams return a ton of their keys players and have added a few more pieces to make up for the ones they lost in the offseason.  Seton Hall appears to have enough guns to return to the Big Dance, while Creighton will be looking to exchange an NIT appearance for an NCAA.  Finally, don’t overlook Marquette or Georgetown.  The Hoyas will look to bounce back from a very disappointing season and regain their usual position among the league’s top teams.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Villanova – Jalen Brunson appears ready to take over at the point for Ryan Arcidiacono, while Fordham transfer Eric Paschall could help down low replacing Daniel Ochefu, but prized freshman recruit Omari Spellman being ruled academically ineligible to play this season will hurt.  This team has enough pieces to win the Big East, but another Final Four run may be a stretch.

2. Xavier – Even with Myles Davis suspended indefinitely, the Musketeers have a ton of backcourt pieces led by Edmond Sumner and Trevon Bluiett.  Experience in the frontcourt is a bit of a question mark, but keep an eye on Norfolk State transfer RaShid Gaston.

3. Seton Hall – Even without Isaiah Whitehead, the Pirates have tons of options including Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, freshman Myles Powell and Kansas State transfer Jevon Thomas (Thomas will not be eligible to play until after the first semester ends).

4. Creighton – The Bluejays could have their best post-Doug McDermott team with the lethal backcourt combo of Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster and Maurice Watson, Jr.  Cole Huff and redshirt freshman Justin Patton will need to be the keys down low.

5. Marquette – Transfers Andrew Rowsey (UNC Asheville) and Katin Reinhardt (USC) will both help in the backcourt, and with Luke Fischer down low, Henry Ellenson may not be missed much at all.

6. Georgetown – D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is gone, but everyone else is back, including Isaac Copeland and Bradley Hayes down low.  Junior college transfer Jonathan Mulmore, Robert Morris transfer Rodney Pryor and returnee L.J. Peak will need to all step up in the backcourt.

7. Butler – The Bulldogs will be solid down low with Andrew Chrabascz and Kelan Martin back, but it remains to be seen if Tyler Lewis and Memphis transfer Avery Woodson are enough outside to make up for the losses of Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham.

8. Providence – The Friars just don’t appear to have enough pieces to make up for the losses of Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil.

9. DePaul – With a new arena coming next season, and Dave Leitao beginning to recruit in some talent, things are starting to look up for the Blue Demons.  We just don’t expect to see any vast improvements this year.

10. St. John’s – After a very rough first year, Chris Mullin is starting to bring in the recruits and may prove in time that he was the right man for this job.  The Red Storm should be better than last year’s 1-17 Big East record this time around, but probably not much better.

 

For the Hoops HD Video Podcast Preview of the Big East – CLICK HERE

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Xavier SO PG Edmond Sumner

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews

We continue our 2016-17 season preview interview series with Xavier SO PG Edmond Sumner.  Talent is not the issue: he was named a Freshman All-American last year and a Preseason 1st-Team All-Big East selection this year.  However, he got tendonitis in 2014 and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher last New Year’s Eve after a nasty collision.  If he can remain healthy this year then the Musketeers should remain in the top-20 for quite a long time.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Edmond about having a brutal non-conference schedule and overcoming a buzzer-beating loss in the NCAA tourney last March.

sumner

You grew up in Detroit: what made you choose the Musketeers? I was more of a late bloomer but Xavier had the confidence in me to make me 1 of their priorities. I felt like I could trust them: they are like a family. It is similar to my high school in terms of being a smaller environment.

You play for Coach Chris Mack: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is the same guy each and every day who gives you the good with the bad. Some coaches always give you the bad because they think that might benefit you but if we do something good then he will tell us.

As a freshman you played 6 games before having to redshirt due to a severe case of tendonitis, and last New Year’s Eve (your 20th birthday) you had a collision with 2 Villanova players and had to be removed from the court on a stretcher: how is your health doing at the moment? This is probably the 1st time that my knee is not bothering me. I have done a lot of training to strengthen the muscle around my knee.

In 2015 you were named to the Big East All-Academic Team: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I hate stereotypes like “he just goes to college to play basketball” or “he had other people do his work for him” or “he just came to class because he had to”.

In the 2016 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS but Bronson Koenig made a 3-PT shot at the buzzer in a 3-PT win by Wisconsin: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career, and what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? We are motivated by it because we know that we could have gone a lot further. It is in the back of our heads a little bit but we are moving forward and not really thinking about it this season.

You finished the season by being named a Freshman All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means something but I am not a guy who cares a lot about awards: I just go out there and play. I care more about our team winning, which will lead to all of our players getting more individual recognition. I am team-first.

SG JP Macura was named 2016 Big East 6th Man of Year: how crucial is your bench to your team’s success? JP is going to be 1 of our top scorers this year and is 1 of our most efficient scorers. He brings a ton of energy and is a scrappy guy (which is something we need) so he will play a huge role in our success this year. We only have 15 guys so EVERYONE on our team has a big/crucial role. Nobody can play 40 minutes every game throughout the season even though they want to.

Your December non-conference schedule includes 4 games in a row against Baylor/Colorado/Utah/Wake Forest: how do you hope to survive such a gauntlet? When I saw those games come out this summer I was excited. I know 1 guy on Utah who is from Flint so they circled us on their list as the #1 team that they want to beat.

You have several transfers on your roster including Malcolm Bernard from Florida A&M/RaShid Gaston from Norfolk State: what is the key to having everyone come together and bond as a team? Shid has already been here for a year so he is part of the team. It has been a bit of an adjustment for Malcolm but he has blended in well. We wanted to make it feel like home for him so we have bonded with him.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We want to win a Big East title and make it to the Final 4. We got close in the Big East last year but let some games get away from us. This team is more than capable of winning a conference title and getting to the Final 4: we just have to stick together.

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