Conference Preview: Patriot League

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Chad

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

PATRIOT LEAGUE

Heading into last year’s Patriot League Tournament, Holy Cross was 10-19 overall.  The Crusaders’ 5-13 conference record was worse than every team other than Lafayette, giving them the #9 seed in the tourney.  Oh, and on top of that, the Patriot League plays its tournament games at the home court of the higher seeded teams.  In other words, Holy Cross’s season pretty much looked to be done and over.  They went to #8 seed Loyola and won by 5.  Then they went to top seed Bucknell and pulled off an incredible double overtime 77-72 win.  Next up was a trip to West Point and 4 seed Army, a team the Crusaders demolished by 22 points.  Finally, 2 seed Lehigh was the fourth victim of this run, 59-56, giving Holy Cross one of the most improbably NCAA Tournament bids we have ever seen.  They weren’t even done, as the Crusaders proceeded to defeat Southern in a First Four 16 vs 16 game before Oregon finally ended their season.

This year, Holy Cross is one of four teams that should be contending for the regular season title.  They will be likely joined by Lehigh, Boston University and Bucknell.  Boston U (CIT) and Bucknell (NIT) both played in the postseason last year.  However, it is Lehigh, with four starters returning including two time Patriot League Player of the Year Tim Kempton, that is our pick to take the crown.  One team that advanced to the postseason last year but does not figure to be in the mix at all is Army.  The Cadets had arguably their best season since Bobby Knight was head coach, and played in the CIT.  Almost everyone from last year’s roster is gone, including coach Zach Spiker, and we expect a major step backwards this year.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Lehigh – Big man Tim Kempton has won two Patriot League Player of the Year awards and could make it three this season.  He had a very good collection of players around him too, including guards Austin Price, Kahron Ross and Kyle Leufroy.

2. Boston University – The Terriers are a deep and experienced team that gets Cedric Hankerson back after he missed last season with an injury.  Hankerson will be a huge addition, given that he averaged almost 16 points per game two years ago.  The pieces are certainly here to challenge for the title.

3. Bucknell – Even without star Chris Hass, the Bison could contend with a strong frontcourt pair of Nana Foulland and Zach Thomas, plus Stephen Brown at the point.

4. Holy Cross – Five of the Crusaders’ top six players from last year’s Cinderella team are back.  They also added an interesting piece on the bench as head coach Bill Carmody has brought in former Denver head coach Joe Scott as an assistant.

5. Colgate – Replacing Austin Tillotson’s 15.1 points per game will be tough, but almost everyone else is back.  Without any key seniors on the roster, the Red Raiders should be good this year and may be even better next.

6. American – Jesse Reed is gone, but Patriot League Rookie of the Year Delante Jones is back and should have an even bigger year this year than he did last one.  He will need to find some help from the rest of his team if the Eagles want to move up in the standings.

7. Loyola – With the combination of Andre Walker outside and Jarred Jones inside, the Greyhounds should be better than last year’s 21 loss team.

8. Lafayette – The Leopards return three double-digit scorers, but need to fix some serious defensive problems if they want to improve on last season’s last place finish and 6-24 overall record.

9. Navy – Shawn Anderson’s 13.2 points per game is back, but the majority of the other key players from last season are gone. This could be a tough season in Annapolis.

10. Army West Point – All five starters are gone.  Head coach Zach Spiker took the Drexel job.  The Black Knights may have had their best season in decades last year, but a return to the cellar is the most likely projection this one.

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Conference Preview: Ohio Valley

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Chad

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

OHIO VALLEY

With two games to go in the regular season last year, the Austin Peay Governors sat at 5-9 in OVC play and did not look like they would even qualify for the 8 team Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.  They won those last two games, however, and snuck into the league’s 8th and final spot.  With a double-bye system in the conference tournament, the Governors started with a 5 vs 8 game against a Tennessee Tech team that would end up in the Vegas 16 tournament.  They won by 20.  Next, the Governors got 4 seed Tennessee State, a team that had 20 wins and would end up in the CIT.  When they pulled off the 2 point upset, we started paying attention.  Of course, up next was the #1 seed in the conference, Belmont, who ended up in the NIT.  It was incredible, and the Governors won 97-96 in overtime to advance to the conference tournament finals and a matchup with #2 seed Tennessee-Martin.  Austin Peay then won their 6th straight game, and fourth in four days to capture the title and automatic bid, sending UT-Martin to the CIT.  The magic ended there as they wound up a 16 seed and lost by 26 to Kansas in the Round of 64.  But it was an absolutely amazing run through the conference tournament, and a run in which they faced the toughest possible road seed-wise.  In fact, the only OVC team that played in the postseason that the Governors did not defeat during their run was Morehead State, who played in the CBI, advancing to the Best-of-Three finals and losing in Game 3 overtime to Nevada.

This year, Austin Peay is one of four teams that could be in the mix to win the conference.  The Governors, along with a Murray State team that we expect to bounce back after a disappointing season, will be the top two contenders in the conference’s West Division.  In the East, Belmont is favored once again and should get their toughest challenge from Tennessee State.  If a dark horse candidate has to be picked, keep an eye on Southeast Missouri State in the West and Jacksonville State, under new head coach Ray Harper, in the East.  In the end, however, we expect Belmont to be the team representing the OVC in this year’s Big Dance.

Predicted Order of Finish

East Division

1. Belmont – Evan Bradds is back for his senior season after capturing last year’s OVC Player of the Year award.  He is complemented by guard Austin Luke who was among the nation’s best assist men, averaging 6.2 per game.  The Bruins have enough pieces to win the conference.

2. Tennessee State – Tahjere McCall is one of the best guards in the conference, but his team will need to find a way to make up for the loss of Keron DeShields’ 16.5 points per game.

3. Eastern Kentucky – The Colonels bring back Nick Mayo, last year’s OVC Freshman of the Year, but do not bring back their top two scorers. Given that they were sub-.500 last year, even hitting that mark may be tough this one.

4. Morehead State – Three starters are gone from last year’s CBI finalist.  The Eagles will need Xavier Moon to lead the way, but there are probably not enough pieces here to challenge this season.

5. Jacksonville State – Ray Harper (formerly of Western Kentucky) takes over as head coach and, given his track record, should have the Gamecocks in contention in a few years.  He does have three starters returning this season, but don’t expect this season much from a team that lost 23 times last year.

6. Tennessee Tech – With three of the top four players gone and a serous lack of size and depth down low, this could be a very long season.

West Division

1. Murray State – Bryce Jones and Damarcus Croaker in the backcourt, plus having big man Bryan Sanchious healthy, should make the Racers better than last year’s disappointing 17-14 record.

2. Austin Peay – The Governors made an incredible run in last year’s conference tournament, and should be able to carry over some of that momentum this season.  Two of their top three scorers are gone, but returnee Josh Robinson can light up the scoreboard.

3. Southeast Missouri State – The good news is that four starters, including three double-digit scorers return.  The bad news is that the other 8 players on the roster are all newcomers.  If they can all develop and gel together, there is a chance that the Redhawks could surprise.

4. Eastern Illinois – 5-7 Cornell Johnston and backcourt mate Demetrius McReynolds are returning double-digit scorers, but the Panthers lack size, depth and experience down low.

5. SIU Edwardsville – The Cougars do return their top two scorers, but the team lost 22 games last year and was among the worst in the nation in shooting percentage.  The good news is that it probably cannot get much worse.

6. Tennessee-Martin – After back-to-back 20+ win seasons, the Skyhawks lost four starters and head coach Heath Schroyer left for an assistant job at North Carolina State.  This looks like it will be a long first year for new head coach Anthony Stewart.

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Exhibition Games Start This Week – Previews Will Also Resume This Week

Posted on October 23, 2016 by John Stalica

Regulation games for each season officially begin on the second Friday in November.  Teams are now allowed to begin practice 42 days before the start of the season, and in that time they are allowed to play two exhibition games that do not count as regular season games.  For these games, teams have two options.  They can have a three hour closed scrimmage with another Div-1 team, or they can have a regulation game that is open to the public against another college team that is outside of Div-1 (i.e. Div-2, Div-3 or NAIA).  Some schools will opt for two closed scrimmages.  Some schools will opt for two open exhibition games.  Some will opt for one of each.

Below is a list of this year’s exhibition games that are open to the public.  All times are Eastern.

Not only do the exhibitions start on Tuesday, but Chad Sherwood will resume his conference previews tomorrow. Also be on the lookout for preseason podcasts which will debut this week!

Tuesday, October 25th

-Carroll College @ Idaho, 9 PM

Wednesday, October 26th

-Eckerd College @ Florida, 7 PM
-Southern New Orleans @ Southeast Louisiana, 8 PM – Live Stats

Thursday, October 27th

-Southeastern University @ Florida State, 7 PM
-Keiser @ Drexel, 7 PM
-Northwood @ Michigan State, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Arkansas Monticello @ Arkansas State, 8 PM- EAS Red Wolves Sports Network

Friday, October 28th

-Virginia State @ Duke, 7 PM
-Bemidji State @ Northern Iowa, 8 PM – ESPN3
-Central Missouri @ Arkansas, 8 PM
-Shorter University @ Jacksonville State, 8 PM
-Pittsburg State @ Kansas State, 8 PM – Fox Sports Kansas City
-Lewis-Clark State @ Boise State, 9 PM

Saturday, October 29th

-Wabash @ Butler, 2 PM
-Husson @ Maine, 2 PM
-Cal State Los Angeles @ Cal State Northridge, 5 PM – Live Stats
-West Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia, 6 PM (neutral site game played in Beckley, WV)
-Wayne State-MI @ Detroit, 7 PM
-Carleton @ Providence, 7 PM
-Quebec-Montreal @ Vermont, 7 PM
-Master’s College @ Southern Utah, 8:30 PM
-Seattle Pacific @ BYU, 9 PM – Cougar IMG Sports Network
-Multnomah @ Portland, 10 PM

Sunday, October 30th

-New Haven @ Connecticut, 1 PM
-Washington University @ Illinois, 3 PM – BTN Plus
-Southeastern Oklahoma State @ UTEP, 3 PM – Live Video
-Saint Martin’s @ Eastern Washington, 5 PM
-Wisconsin-Platteville @ Wisconsin, 6 PM
-Clarion @ Kentucky, 7 PM – SEC Network

Monday, October 31st

-Baruch @ St. John’s, 7 PM

Tuesday, November 1st

-Randolph @ Elon, TBA
-Hope College @ Indiana, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Mercy @ Notre Dame, 7 PM
-Southern Indiana @ Purdue, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Indiana-PA @ Syracuse, 7 PM
-Thomas More @ Austin Peay, 8PM – Video
-Indiana Tech @ Green Bay, 8 PM
-Auburn-Montgomery @ Alabama State, 8 PM
-Washburn @ Kansas, 8 PM – ESPN3 (JayhawkTV)
-Pittsburg State @ Oklahoma State, 8 PM – Fox Sports Southwest Plus
-Campbellsville @ Western Kentucky, 8 PM
-Dakota Wesleyan @ UNLV, 9 PM
-College of Idaho @ Arizona, 10 PM- Pac Twelve Networks
-Cal State San Bernardino @ Fresno State, 10 PM
-Pacific Union @ San Jose State, 10:30 PM
-Master’s University @ UCLA, 10:30 PM – Pac 12 Los Angeles

Wednesday, November 2nd

-Bellarmine @ Cincinnati, TBA – BearcatsTV
-Barry @ Miami-FL, 7 PM
-Saginaw Valley State @ Michigan State, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Virginia State @ Old Dominion, 7 PM
-Belmont Abbey @ Presbyterian, 7 PM
-Cedarville @ Wright State, 7 PM
-Southeastern Oklahoma @ Oral Roberts, 8 PM – Video
-Angelo State @ Texas, 8 PM
-Oklahoma Christian @ Tulsa, 8 PM
-LSU Alexandria @ Southeast Louisiana, 8 PM – Live Stats
-Southern Virginia @ Idaho State, 9 PM – 102.5 KMGI Pocatello
-Whitworth @ Montana, 9 PM
-Western New Mexico @ New Mexico, 9 PM
-Concordia Moorhead @ North Dakota State, 9 PM – MidcoSN
-Johnson & Wales @ Northern Colorado, 9 PM – WatchBigSky

Thursday, November 3rd

-West Virginia State @ Marshall, 6 PM
-Rose-Hulman @ Indiana State, 7 PM
-Ulndy @ Ball State, 7 PM
-Stonehill @ Boston College, 7 PM
-Lander @ Clemson, 7 PM
-Merrimack @ Fairleigh Dickinson, 7 PM
-Fort Valley State @ Georgia, 7 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Morehouse @ Ole Miss, 7 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Slippery Rock @ Tennessee, 7 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Berry @ Murray State, 7 PM – OVC Digital Network
-MIT @ Harvard, 7 PM – Ivy League Digital Network
-Assumption @ Holy Cross, 7 PM
-LaGrange College @ Savannah State, 7 PM
-Lees-McRae @ Georgia Southern, 7 PM
-Capital @ IPFW, 7 PM – Live Stats
-Kentucky Wesleyan @ Louisville, 7 PM – ACC Network Plus
-Voldosta State @ Florida State, 7 PM
-Lynn @ NC State, 7 PM – GoPack.com
-Southern Arkansas @ Louisiana Tech, 7:30 PM
-Jon Hopkins @ Loyola MD, 7:30 PM – Video
-Faulkner @ Alabama, 8 PM- SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Bemidji State @ Minnesota, 8 PM – BTN Plus
-Mississippi College @ Southern Miss, 8 PM
-Spring Hill @ Jacksonville State, 8 PM
-West Florida @ Louisiana Lafayette, 8 PM
-Missouri Saint Louis @ Southern Illinois, 8pm – ESPN3
-Auburn Montgomery @ Troy, 8 PM
-Loyola-New Orleans @ Tulane, 8 PM
-Carroll College @ Washington State, 8 PM
-Fisk @ Tennessee State, 8 PM – Live Stats
-Lincoln Christian @ Western Illinois, 8 PM
-Lindenwood @ UAB, 8:30 PM
-North Alabama @ Middle Tennessee, 8:30 PM
-Adams State @ Grand Canyon, 9 PM
-Chadron State @ Wyoming, 10 PM – Video
-UC San Diego @ San Diego State, 10 PM
-Pacific Union @ Sacramento State, 10 PM
-Western Washington @ Washington, 10 PM
-South Dakota Mines @ South Dakota State, 10:30 PM

Friday, November 4th 

-Missouri Western State @ Texas Tech, TBA
-Queens (NC) @ VCU, TBA
-North Greenville @ The Citadel, 3 PM
-Capital @ Bowling Green, 5 PM
-Lock Haven @ Penn State, 6 PM
-Alvernia @ Central Connecticut State, 7 PM
-Covenant @ Chattanooga, 7 PM
-Allen @ College of Charleston, 7 PM
-Belmont Abbey @ Davidson, 7 PM
-Findlay @ Dayton, 7 PM – Audio Link
-Bridgeport @ Fairfield, 7 PM
-Saint Joseph’s IN @ IUPUI, 7 PM – Live Stats
-Georgia Southwestern @ Kennesaw State, 7 PM
-Armstrong State @ Michigan, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Virginia Wesleyan @ Old Dominion, 7 PM
-USC Aiken @ Georgia State, 7 PM – Twitter Channel
-Bob Jones @ Furman, 7 PM
-Farmingdale State @ Stony Brook, 7 PM
-Piedmont International @ Wake Forest, 7 PM
-UNC-Pembroke @ North Carolina, 7:30 PM
-Huston-Tillotson E @ Stephen F Austin, 7:30 PM – ESPN3
-Emporia State @ Arkansas, 8 PM
-Sewanee @ Austin Peay, 8 PM – Video
-Wayne State @ Creighton, 8 PM – 1620 AM Omaha
-Augustana @ Duke, 8 PM
-Lewis @ Illinois, 8 PM – BTN Plus
-Regis @ Iowa, 8 PM – BTN Plus
-Wilmington College @ Northern Kentucky, 8 PM
-Illinois-Springfield @ Northwestern, 8 PM – BTN Plus
-Central Missouri @ Missouri, 8 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Greenville @ Saint Louis, 8 PM
-Mobile @ South Alabama, 8 PM
-Saint Edwards @ Texas A&M, 8 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Texas Tyler @ UTRGV, 8 PM – Live Stats
-Daemen @ Buffalo, 8:30 PM
-La Verne @ Southern Utah, 8:30 PM
-Colorado Christian @ Air Force, 9 PM
-New Mexico Highlands @ UNLV, 9 PM
-Montevallo @ Auburn, 9 PM- Audio Link
-Rockhurst @ DePaul, 9 PM
-Lewis-Clark State College @ Idaho, 9 PM
-Washburn @ Kansas State, 9 PM – Fox Sports Kansas City
-Montana Western @ Montana State, 9 PM
-Eastern New Mexico @ New Mexico, 9 PM
-Southern Virginia @ Utah State, 9 PM
-Sonoma State @ LMU, 10 PM – The W TV
-San Francisco State @ Nevada, 10 PM
-Corban @ Oregon State, 10 PM
-Bristol @ Pacific, 10 PM – Live Stats
-Evergreen State @ Portland, 10 PM
-Linfield @ Portland State, 10:30 PM

Saturday, November 5th

-Washington & Lee @ Radford, TBA
-Maine-Fort Kent @ Maine, TBA (30 minutes after Maine’s football game)
-Southeastern Oklahoma State @ Texas State, TBA
-IUP @ Villanova, 12 PM
-Southern Connecticut State @ Connecticut, 1 PM
-Slippery Rock @ Central Michigan, 1:30 PM
-Penn State-Behrend @ Youngstown State, 1:30 PM
-Henderson State @ Arkansas State, 2 PM- EAS Red Wolves Sports Network
-Mansfield @ Duquesne, 2 PM
-Carleton @ La Salle, 2 PM
-Rockhurst @ Marquette, 2 PM – TWC Sports Channel Wisconsin
-Catawba @ Maryland, 2 PM – Live Audio
-Rio Grande @ Ohio, 2 PM
-Ohio Dominican @ Toledo, 2:30 PM
-Concordia Wisconsin @ Milwaukee, 3 PM
-Kalamazoo College @ Western Michigan, 3 PM
-Augusta @ Wichita State, 3 PM – COX
-Alaska-Fairbanks @ UTEP, 3 PM – Live Video
-Mars Hill @ East Tennessee State, 4 PM – Live Stats
-Judson @ Illinois-Chicago, 4 PM
-Pittsburgh-Johnstown @ Pittsburgh, 4 PM
-Bloomsburg @ Rider, 4 PM
-Hood @ Mount Saint Mary’s, 4 PM
-Alfred @ St. Bonaventure, 4 PM
-Ferris State @ Xavier, 4 PM
-Hampden-Sydney @ Longwood, 5 PM
-Tougaloo @ Mississippi Valley State, 5 PM
-Sonoma State @ UC-Irvine, 5 PM – Live Video
-Missouri S&T @ UMKC, 5 PM
-Northwest Christian @ Boise State, 6 PM
-Concordia @ Drake, 6 PM
-Virginia State @ Norfolk State, 6 PM
-Saginaw Valley State @ Butler, 7 PM
-Bellarmine @ Indiana, 7 PM – BTN Plus
-Cal Tech @ Long Beach State, 7 PM
-Montreat @ UNC-Asheville, 7 PM
-St. Michael’s @ Vermont, 7 PM
-Black Hills State @ Weber State, 7 PM
-Shorter @ Georgia Tech, 7:30 PM – 91.1 FM Atlanta
-UNC-Pembroke @ Houston, 8 PM
-McKendree @ SIU Edwardsville, 8 PM – Video
-Our Lady of the Lake @ Rice, 8 PM
-Missouri Baptist @ Missouri State, 8 PM
-Concordia @ TAMUCC, 8 PM – Live Stats
-Hillsdale @ Valparaiso, 8:30 PM
-St. Martin’s @ Cal State Fullerton, 9 PM – Live Stats
-West Georgia @ Gonzaga, 9 PM
-Kentucky Wesleyan @ Western Kentucky, 9 PM
-Life Pacific @ Santa Clara, 10:30 PM

Sunday, November 6th

-Charleston-WV @ Marshall, 2 PM
-Mount Olive @ UNC Wilmington, 2 PM
-Georgetown College @ Eastern Kentucky, 2 PM
-Cincinnati Christian @ Morehead State, 2 PM
-UW La Crosse @ Bradley, 3 PM
-Walsh @ Ohio State, 4 PM –BTN Plus
-Quincy @ Illinois State, 4 PM – ESPN3
-Newberry @ South Carolina, 4 PM – SEC Network Plus (WatchESPN)
-Fresno Pacific @ UC Santa Barbara, 4 PM
-Eureka College @ Eastern Illinios, 4 PM
-Cal State East Bay @ San Jose State, 5 PM
-Cal State Chico @ Arizona, 7 PM- Pac Twelve Networks
-Sioux Falls @ Iowa State, 7 PM – Cyclones.TV
-Asbury @ Kentucky, 7 PM – SEC Network
-Emporia State @ Kansas, 8 PM – ESPN3 (JayhawkTV)

Monday, November 7th

-Ryerson @ Canisius, 6 PM
-Ferris State @ Detroit, 7 PM
-Point University @ Georgia State, 7 PM – Twitter Channel
-Bellarmine @ Louisville, 7 PM – ACC Network Extra
-Barton @ NC State, 7 PM – GoPack.com
-Catholic @ Notre Dame, 7 PM
-Grand Valley State @ Oakland, 7 PM
-Nova Southeastern @ South Florida, 7 PM – 1040 AM Tampa
-Christian Brothers @ Memphis, 7:30 PM
-Missouri S&T @ Southeast Missouri State, 7:30 PM
-Armstrong State @ Savannah State, 8PM
-Chadron State @ Nebraska, 8 PM – BTN Plus
-Reinhardt @ LSU, 8 PM – SEC Network Plus (Watch ESPN)
-Louisiana College @ Louisiana Monroe, 8 PM
-Champion Christian @ Prairie View A&M, 8 PM
-Huntingdon College @ Alabama State, 8PM
-William Carey @ Southern Miss, 8 PM
-Arkansas Tech @ Texas-San Antonio, 8 PM
-Northeastern State @ Tulsa, 8 PM
-Transylvania @ UT Martin, 8:30 PM
-Western State Colorado @ Utah Valley, 9 PM
-Northwest Christian @ Oregon, 10 PM – Pac Twelve Networks
-Cal State San Marcos @ San Diego State, 10 PM

Tuesday, November 8th

-Methodist @ Appalachian State, 7 PM
-Tiffin @ Cleveland State, 7 PM
-Le Moyne @ Syracuse, 7 PM
-Washburn @ Oklahoma, 8 PM
-Regis @ Colorado State, 9 PM

Wednesday, November 9th

-BYU-Hawai’i @ BYU, 9 PM – Cougar IMG Sports Network
-Master’s University @ CSU Bakersfield, 10 PM – Live Stats

TEAMS NOT PLAYING OPEN EXHIBITION GAMES:  Abilene Christian, Akron, Alabama A&M, Albany, Alcorn State, American, Arizona State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Army, Baylor, Belmont, Bethune-Cookman, Binghamton, Boston U, Brown, Bryant, Bucknell, California, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Cal Poly, Campbell, Central Arkansas, Central Florida, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Chicago State, Colgate, Colorado, Columbia, Coppin State, Cornell, Dartmouth, Delaware, Delaware State, Denver, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Fordham, Gardner-Webb, Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, Grambling, Hampton, Hartford, Hawai’i, High Point, Hofstra, Houston Baptist, Howard, Incarnate Word, Iona, Jackson State, Jacksonville, James Madison, Kent State, Lafayette, Lamar, Lehigh, Liberty, Lipscomb, LIU Brooklyn, Loyola Chicago, Manhattan, Marist, Maryland-Baltimore County, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Massachusetts, McNeese State, Mercer, Mississippi State,, UMass-Lowell, Miami-OH, Monmouth, Morgan State, Navy, New Hampshire, New Mexico State, New Orleans, NJIT, Niagara, Nicholls, Northeastern, Northern Arizona, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, North Dakota, North Florida, Northern Illinois, North Texas, Northwestern State, Omaha, Pennsylvania, Pepperdine, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Rhode Island, Richmond, Robert Morrs, Rutgers, Sacred Heart, Samford, Saint Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis University, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Mary’s, Saint Peter’s, Sam Houston, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Seton Hall, Siena, South Carolina State, South Carolina Upstate, South Dakota, Southern, Southern Methodist, Stanford, Stetson, TCU, Temple, Tennessee Tech, Texas Arlington, Texas Southern, Towson, UNC Greensboro, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, VMI, Wagner, William & Mary, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Wofford, Yale

Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off on Exhibition Games Start This Week – Previews Will Also Resume This Week

Bracket Projections: Friday, October 21st

Posted on October 21, 2016 by David Griggs

Okay folks, this is it!!  Selection Sunday is less than six months away!!  We are down to crunch time!!

Posted by John Stalica…

The bracket below represents a combination of the preseason USA Today Top 25 poll and other under-the-radar conferences that have announced their preseason picks to win their respective conferences.  For conferences that haven’t made their selections yet, we took the highest rated team from the comprehensive 1-351 list from CBSSports.com (click here).  We will also update the bracket when we get the preseason AP Top 25 Poll and will update in the event that a preseason pick to win a conference is not listed below.  If you’re also wondering why the Midwest Region says 31 and the other regions say 35, that is the total composite score of the top 4 seeds of each region (a variance of up to 5 is permitted).

Editor’s Note – The East and the West Regions should be paired up together since Duke is the #1 overall team and Kentucky is #4. As for the Midwest and South Regions, Kansas is #2 overall and Villanova is currently #3 overall.

Why did we do this??  Well, we got sick of just having a blank BRACKETOLOGY PAGE that’s why!!

10-20-16-show-bracket-part-1

10-20-16-show-bracket-part-2

 

 

*Also note that the bracketing rules dictate that the Michigan/Pittsburgh play-in game had to be flipped with Chattanooga. Not only could Maryland and Michigan could not play in the first round, we couldn’t resist a potential first-round Backyard Brawl!

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Georgia State assistant coach Ray McCallum

Posted on October 19, 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 Georgia State assistant coach Ray McCallum.  As a player at Ball State in the 1980s he graduated as the all-time leading scorer in MAC history.  If you want the inside scoop on the Big 10 then he is your man, having been an assistant at Wisconsin/Michigan/Indiana.  He also has 300 wins on his resume as head coach at Ball State/Houston/Detroit.  This offseason he switched school and moved farther down the bench after becoming an assistant to Panthers head coach Ron Hunter.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McCallum about his son’s blossoming NBA career and his team’s summer trip to the Dominican Republic. 

ray

You won a pair of Indiana state titles at Muncie Central High School and were named MVP of the 1979 state title game after scoring 18 PTS: was it extra-special to beat your archrival Anderson to win the title? It was very special because they were in our conference and had beaten us earlier in the year. We were the defending state champions and the 2 schools were only 19 miles apart so it was a huge rivalry. We also played in 2 of the best venues in the state of Indiana. The Fieldhouse (where I played) seated about 5,000 and the Anderson Wigwam seated about 7,000. It was a big deal and kind of like bragging rights for not only the state but within both communities as well.

At Ball State you were named MAC ROY/POY/conference tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? The individual awards were great but coming in off a state championship was the ultimate for me. The thing that I am proudest of is having my number retired at Ball State, but the thing that is most important to me was winning the MAC tournament title and going to the NCAA tournament. To be a part of the school’s 1st NCAA tournament team in 13 years and representing Ball State was my biggest highlight.

You also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best senior in the nation under 6’: did you consider your size to be an advantage or disadvantage on the court? I was one of those guys who was under 6’ tall but I never looked at myself as being under 6’: I think I played bigger and was quicker then my opponents. I could jump and was very athletic, which was an advantage for me. I knew heading into the NBA Draft that it would be used against me, but when I stepped onto the floor I felt as though I was as big as anybody.

You graduated as the all-time leading scorer in MAC history with 2109 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I developed into a great scorer: I was a small player but I used my fundamentals. I was a sound player who could use both hands as well as my speed/quickness/jumping ability. I also felt that I could shoot with range, which helped a lot. I was a good shooter who defenses had to respect. I worked hard on my shooting and shot 50 FG% for my career. I think that my consistency helped as well: in 116 career games I think I scored in double figures 109 times. I credit that to fundamentals and the work ethic that I had.

As head coach at Ball State in January of 2000 you had back-to-back triple-OT losses on the road: how were you able to bounce back from that to win each of your 3 conference tourney games that March by 3 PTS or less? I talk a lot about eliminating mistakes and then learning from them. We used those losses as learning experiences and talked about them a lot: the key was eliminating mistakes. In the Mid-American Conference and other schools at the mid-major level there is a very fine line between winning and losing. We really used those games to our advantage later in the year.

Your son Ray Jr. played for you at Detroit before making it to the NBA: what was it like to coach him, and how proud are you of all of his success? I was very proud that he came to play for me. The 3 best years I have had as a coach were when I got to coach him. I am really happy that he made the decision to come and play for me. With that said, there was a lot of pressure/expectations because he was coming in as a McDonald’s All-American and being recruited by everyone. I have a lot of respect for him because it is not only hard on the coach but it is also hard on the kid when all eyes are on you. When you turn down premier programs in the country to go to a place that had not been to the tournament in 13 years, it is a lot to ask for a young man who will obviously take the credit or the blame. It was a special time and he is now battling as he goes into his 4th year in the NBA. In my mind he made it even if he did not put in the years he has had so far.

You currently work as an assistant to Coach Ron Hunter: how have you been able to make the transition time and again between head coach and assistant coach? In my 32 years as a coach I have been a head coach for 19 years and an assistant coach for 13 years. I thought that I was a good assistant because I always understood that my agenda was whatever the head coach wanted us to get done. I think that is the job of an assistant: you have to understand that and then do what is best for the program. What better way to get back to being an assistant than working for a great friend in Coach Hunter. I am happy to be a part of his staff and to work with him.

You have several transfers on your roster (from Alabama/Indiana/Murray State/Samford/St. Bonaventure): what is the key to having everyone come together and bond as a team? I think that the character of the guys is the most important. We have the high-major guys who have transferred and come here because of Coach Hunter and his program. To be a part of the program you have to meet a certain criteria. Those young men have met his criteria: high character levels and good hearts. They just want an opportunity and I think that each of them will make the most of it.

Speaking of bonding, what did your team get out of its trip to the Dominican Republic in August? It was truly a bonding trip: there was no basketball involved. It was a mission of service and I think that it helped each coach/player learn about each other and the art of giving back and helping each other. We just became a closer staff/team because it was about emotion/teamwork/spirit and all of the other important things in life.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As coaches we always prepare for victory. We are going to prepare for Game #1 just as hard as we prepare for the Sun Belt tournament: with a plan to win. As coaches you want your guys to be continually growing/maturing as the team gets better. For us it is all about the end of the season so we want to be playing our best basketball in February/March.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Iowa SO PF Ahmad Wagner

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Jon Teitel

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We continue our 2016-17 season preview interview series with Iowa SO PF Ahmad Wagner.  He only scored 83 PTS as a freshman but that was not a reflection of his scoring ability: rather, it is hard to get your hands on the ball when 4 of your team’s top-5 scorers are seniors.  Fortunately his high school career was about a lot more than scoring baskets in America: he played basketball in Italy for 1 year, he helped lead his high school football team to the state title game as a wide receiver, and he even ran the anchor leg on the 4×100 relay team that placed fourth at the state track meet.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ahmad about the rollercoaster that was conference play and winning an NCAA tourney game at the buzzer.

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In high school you were a 1st-team all-state WR and ran the anchor leg on the 4×100 relay team that placed 4th at the state track meet: which sport are you best at, and which sport do you enjoy the most? I played a lot of sports growing up but I enjoy basketball the most.

You play for Coach Fran McCaffery: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? I have only played for him 1 year so far but I have already learned a lot and keep learning more and more each day. I appreciate him a lot.

You played in 32 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Coach told me what I needed to do to come in and play right away: rebound, defend, and be a team player. I kept improving and kept getting more minutes, which allowed me to have a positive impact on the game.

Last year your team started 10-1 in conference play before losing 5 of your final 7 regular season games: what was the biggest reason for the turnaround? I cannot pinpoint 1 thing but we have recently talked about trying to get the fire back. At the start of the year we were the hunter but by the end of the year we were the hunted.

In the 2016 Big 10 tourney you played 6 minutes in a 2-PT loss to Illinois: how on earth did the Illini overcome an 11-PT deficit in the final 3 minutes? They played hard and were a good team. The fact is that we lost that 1, so it is on us.

Take me through the 2016 NCAA tourney:
You scored 2 PTS and Adam Woodbury made a put-back at the buzzer in a 2-PT OT win over Temple: what was your reaction like after you saw the ball go through the hoop? I was ecstatic. If you watch the video you can see our whole team jumping for joy! It was amazing and we were all happy for Adam, who is a great guy.

You scored 2 PTS in a loss to eventual champion Villanova: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? We need to start every game hard and come out ready to attack. I think we started that game drowsy/methodical and fell into a hole that we could not dig ourselves out of.

You shot 68 FG%: what is the key to being a great shooter? I try to take efficient shots that I know I am capable of making. I stuck to what I was good at and did not take a lot of risky shots.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Seton Hall/Virginia/Notre Dame/Iowa State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I cannot pick 1 game in particular but each opponent will be difficult. Coach likes to schedule high-quality competition during the non-conference schedule to help prepare us for conference play.

4 of your top-5 scorers last year were seniors (Jarrod Uthoff/Anthony Clemmons/Mike Gesell/Adam Woodbury): how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? I think a lot of people will step up for us on both ends of the floor. We have some tremendous freshmen so I think that we will surprise a lot of people.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our team goal is always to win the Big 10 title and make the tourney. I will try to become more versatile, guard more positions on the court, carry more of the offensive load, and help the team as much as possible.

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