Conference Preview: Horizon League

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Chad

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

HORIZON LEAGUE

Three Horizon League teams participated in three different postseason tournaments last season, and two of them came very close to cutting down the nets.  The Green Bay Phoenix, who won four games in four days to capture the league’s automatic bid, were not one of those teams, as they got handled fairly easily as a 14 seed by 3 seed Texas A&M in the Round of 64.  Valparaiso, the regular season champions, played in the NIT and advanced all the way to the championship game, falling there to George Washington.  Oakland, behind star guard Kay Felder, advanced to the championship game of the inaugural Vegas 16 tournament, losing by one point to Old Dominion.  Milwaukee and Wright State also put up 20 win seasons, but neither team played in a postseason event.

This year, the theme in the Horizon League may be more about what they lost than what they gained.  Green Bay will be without two of their top three scorers from last year.  Valpo will be without head coach Bryce Drew, who took the Vanderbilt job.  Oakland lost Kay Felder, who declared for the NBA Draft instead of returning for his senior season.  Below those top three, who are the most likely to contend for the title despite their losses, other teams felt attrition as well, such as Detroit losing star Paris Bass and head coach Ray McCallum, and both Wright State and Milwaukee having made their own somewhat controversial changes at the head coach position.  There is certainly room for someone to make a surprise run at the top of the league standings, and in that regard we are not overlooking Youngstown State as the team with just the right mix of size, talent and veterans to possibly surprise.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Valparaiso – Bryce Drew may be in Nashville this season, but star player Alec Peters is back in the fold.  Combining him with guards Tevonn Walker and Shane Hammink could be enough to put the Crusaders right back on top under new head coach Matt Lottich.

2. Oakland – Even without Kay Felder’s amazing skills, the Golden Grizzlies will be tough to beat with guys like forward Jalen Hayes leading the way.  Keep an eye on junior college transfer Stevie Clark who has a chance to pick up a lot of Felder’s scoring load.

3. Green Bay – The Phoenix made a run from fourth place to the NCAA tournament automatic bid, but then promptly lost two of their three best players in the offseason.  Guard Charles Cooper will likely be the team’s top player this season, but a return to the Big Dance will be tough.

4. Youngstown State – Admittedly a longshot pick in this league (some publications have predicted the Penguins to finish dead last), but Cameron Morse averaged over 20 points per game from the backcourt, and the combination of Matt Donlan and 7 foot tall center Jordan Kaufman up front could make this team, with a roster full of juniors and seniors, a lot tougher to beat than most people expect.

5. Detroit – Paris Bass left the team after last season giving new head coach Bacari Alexander a more difficult rebuilding project, but having Chris Jenkins and Jaleel Hogan back will help.

6. Wright State – Regardless of whether Billy Donlon deserved a pink slip after last season, the Raiders have brought in a head coach that has proven he can win in Scott Nagy from South Dakota State.  Nagy only has two starters returning, but one of them is guard Mark Alstork who has a real chance to star.  He also has an intriguing freshman recruit in 6-9, 300 pound Loudon Love.

7. Illinois-Chicago – Despite only winning five games last year, the Flames return four starters led by defending Horizon League Freshman of the Year Dikembe Dixson, who averaged almost 20 points per game and is a double-double threat each time he steps on the court.  If the rest of the team develops and grows talent around him, UIC should be vastly improved this time around.

8. Northern Kentucky – One of the few teams in the Horizon League to actually gain something in the offseason, the Norse have gained postseason eligibility as they enter their first full year of Division I membership and place the long four year transitional period behind them.  Head coach John Brannen’s team returns three double-digit scorers and brings in one of the higher rated mid-major recruiting classes in the nation.  The future is looking bright for the Norse, though probably not this season.

9. Cleveland State – The Vikings lost 23 games last season.  The good news is that they only return one significant senior contributor and add in six newcomers, so the program is headed in the right direction.

10. Milwaukee – Despite winning 20 games last season, head coach Rob Jeter was fired and the three starting players that should have been returning all promptly transferred out.  This looks like a very long first season at the helm for LaVall Jordan.

Posted in Conference Preview, News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Horizon League

Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Cal SR SG Sam Singer

Posted on October 9, 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 Cal SR SG Sam Singer.  As a sophomore he played in all 33 games and was an honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic selection.  As a junior he played in all 34 games including the Bears’ NCAA tourney game against Hawaii, where he scored a season-high 12 PTS while replacing the injured Tyrone Wallace in the starting lineup.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Sam about making a game-winning shot and improving his FT shooting.

sam

You grew up in Miami: what made you choose Cal? I was looking for the best combination of academics/basketball, so once Cal started recruiting me the chance to play in the Pac-12 and the Haas School of Business was something that I could not pass up.

On Super Bowl Sunday in 2015 you scored 11 PTS including a 3-PT shot with 5 seconds left in a 2-PT win at Washington: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That is probably right at the top due to the timing of it and doing it on the road. I was struggling at the time so it was huge for me to hit that shot.

You play for Coach Cuonzo Martin: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? It is not all about basketball with him: that is just a small piece of it.  He is preparing us to be men and deal with adversity.  I will appreciate it even more once I finish playing basketball and end up in the real world. He wants us to strive to be successful CEOs, which is why I love playing for him. He taught me that you get out what you put in: not everyone is born into a great situation but you can still try to get something good out of life.

You shot under 50% from the FT line during your freshman and sophomore years: how were you able to bump it up to more than 60% last year? I had a small sample size during my 1st 2 years so I just tried to get to the line more last year and get more comfortable in front of crowds at different arenas. I expect it to be even higher this year.

Last March you were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It is hard but it is what we signed up for as student-athletes. We have great resources/tutors here at Cal and our coaches hold us responsible for the academic piece. It is an environment where we want to be successful both in the court and in the classroom.

In the 2016 NCAA tourney you scored a season-high 12 PTS in a loss to Hawaii: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? We do not just want to get to the NCAA tourney, even though it was the 1st time I got there. Now we know what it takes not just to get there but to win a game and we will not take any team lightly.

1 of your new teammates is Grant Mullins, who transferred from Columbia after winning the 2016 CIT title: what does he bring to the table with his championship pedigree? He is another experienced guy and a really good player. He can shoot the ball very well and has a high basketball IQ from playing against a lot of good schools in a lot of big games. I think that he will help our team a lot.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against San Diego State/Seton Hall/Virginia: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? We lost to the Aztecs/Cavaliers last year so we are excited to play each of them again. We felt like we gave 1 away last year at Virginia since we were leading the entire game (before losing by 1 PT in OT), but they are such a good team that grinds it out. Playing them in late-December right before conference play will be very beneficial and help us in the long run.

Your grandfather David played basketball at Florida and your grandfather Stuart played football for Pitt: who is the best athlete in the family? It depends on who you ask! I would say me: my grandfather Stuart was a big dude on the OL and my grandfather David was a PG, but I think that I will take that title.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Right now our collective focus is to get better every day and get good enough to win a conference title. Every year our goal is to make it to the NCAA tourney and then make a run, which is why we work hard all summer. We want to keep our undefeated home record intact as well but will just take it 1 day at a time and see what happens.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Cal SR SG Sam Singer

Conference Preview: Conference USA

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Chad

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

CONFERENCE USA

Conference USA may be ready for a name change to the Bracket Buster Conference.  Two years ago, UAB ruined everyone’s bracket by knocking Iowa State out in the Round of 64.  Last season, it was Middle Tennessee pulling an even bigger shocker, upsetting Tom Izzo’s 2-seed Michigan State team that many people had picked to win it all.  Although Middle Tennessee was the league’s only team to make the Big Dance, UAB also put together a solid season and played in the NIT.  Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion received postseason invites as well, both to the newly formed Vegas 16 event, where ODU cut down the nets as champions.

This year, UAB again figures to be at or near the top of the conference, even though head coach Jerod Haase moved west to Stanford.  Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech should also be in the mix, along with a handful of teams that have not made as much noise in recent years.  Western Kentucky has added Rick Stansbury as their new head coach, and his recruiting skills are already starting to pay off in Bowling Green.  North Texas may have the best overall collection of guards in the conference, and could use them to push their way into contention.  But the team that could rise the most this year is Rice.  The Owls bring their top 5 players back and add more to that.  They may have lost 20 games last season, but don’t be shocked to see them at 20 or more wins when the dust settles this year.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. UAB – With Chris Cokley’s offense, William Lee’s defense and Nick Norton at the point, the Blazers will be tough to beat every time they take the court – even with Robert Brown having moved on.

2. Rice – The Owls return their top five players from last season led by Marcus Evans and Egor Koulechov.  Added to that, Marcus Jackson is back healthy after missing last season.  The talent is there.  If the Owls can improve their defense, the sky may be the limit in this conference.

3. Western Kentucky – New head coach Rick Stansbury already has his team ready to challenge with transfers Que Johnson (Washington State), Junior Lomomba (Providence) and Willie Carmichael (Tennessee) coming in to join top returnee Justin Johnson.  Given Stansbury’s recruiting acumen, WKU should be at or near the top of the conference for years to come.

4. Middle Tennessee – The Blue Riders lost a pair of double-digit scorers but do return Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw.  A pair of new additions, Arkansas transfer Jacorey Williams and junior college transfer Brandon Walters will help make up for the offseason losses.

5. Louisiana Tech – Erik McCree has a chance to star for the Bulldogs, but making up for the loss of guard Alex Hamilton and his 19.8 points per game could be tough.  Having Qiydar Davis back healthy and returning players such as Jacobi Boykins and Derric Jean should help ease the burden.

6. North Texas – The Mean Green may have as much talent and depth at the guard position as any team in Conference USA.  J-Mychal Reese Reese is a scoring point guard, Deckie Johnson is a scary three-point threat, and SMU transfer Keith Frazier (yes, the same Keith Frazier that was the center of the scandal that landed the school on probation) is looking to make a fresh start for himself.  Jeremy Combs is the top player down low and a double-double threat every time out, but he will need some help down there if the Mean Green want to challenge for one of the top spots in the league.

7. Marshall – The Thundering Herd had the nation’s #3 scoring offense last season and, if nothing else, it makes them a fun team to watch.  They also had the #343 scoring defense, which needs to get much better if they want to contend.  The team has tons of scoring options again, led by Stevie Browning, Ryan Taylor and Jon Elmore.
8. UTEP – Three of the top five scorers are gone, so this looks like a rebuilding year for Tim Floyd’s team.  They do boast a dangerous backcourt, however, with Omega Harris and former Oregon Duck Dominic Artis.

9. Old Dominion – The champions of the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament lost their top two players in the offseason, Trey Freeman and Aaron Bacote.  Brothers Brandan and B.J. Stith (sons of former NBAer Bryant Stith) will need to lead the way this season, but the team will be hard pressed to come anywhere close to last year’s 25 win total.

10. Charlotte – The 49ers return plenty of backcourt scoring led by Braxton Ogbueze, but may not have what it takes to make up for losing a pair of double-digit scorers down low.

11. Florida International – Guard Donte McGill is back after leading the team with 16.1 points per game.  Frontcourt players Adrian Diaz (15.3 ppg) and Daviyon Draper (15.9 ppg) are not. Replacing that much offense will be very difficult to do.

12. Florida Atlantic – The good news is that the Owls should be better than last season.  The bad news is that it is not hard to improve on a 25 loss season.  There just don’t seem to be enough pieces here to make any serious move upwards in the standings.

13. Texas-San Antonio – The Roadrunners bring in longtime Lon Kruger assistant Steve Henson as their new head coach.  He will have his work cut out for him rebuilding this program.  Junior guard Christian Wilson should star this season and be among the top scorers in the conference.

14. Southern Mississippi – Last season was pretty much another train wreck.  This year may not be much better as Doc Sadler still has a ton of work to do.

Posted in Conference Preview, News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Conference USA

Conference Preview: Colonial

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Chad

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

COLONIAL

Five programs from the CAA won 20 or more games last season and 8 of the 10 teams finished at least .500 overall.  That is a very good percentage for a “mid-major” conference, even if it did not translate into any postseason success.  In fact, only three CAA teams accepted postseason invitations.  UNC-Wilmington captured the conference tournament title and NCAA bid, losing in the Round of 64 as a 13 seed to Duke.  Hofstra received a bid to the NIT, and lost in their first game to eventual champion George Washington.  Towson made it 0-3 in the postseason, losing their first round game in the Vegas 16.

This season, the Colonial teams will look to turn regular season successes into a little more noise in late March.  UNC-Wilmington figures to lead the way again in the conference, but as many as 7 different teams could challenge in what may be a wide open race.  William & Mary seeks their first ever NCAA bid despite having been a member of Division I since the NCAA went to divisional play (joining only Army, St Francis-Brooklyn, The Citadel and Northwestern on this “elite” list), College of Charleston continues a rapid rebuild under Earl Grant, and teams like Elon, Towson, James Madison and Hofstra all have the weapons to make some serious noise.  In all, the CAA has a chance to be one of the most fun and exciting conferences this season, and one that will definitely be worth watching on a nightly basis.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. UNC-Wilmington – Four starters return for a veteran team that won last season’s automatic bid.  Led by Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram, the Seahawks have a real chance to dance again.

2. William & Mary – Forward Omar Prewitt averaged almost 18 points per game last year and returns this season to give the Tribe another shot at that elusive first dance ticket.  The team is deep enough to have a real shot at getting it done.

3. College of Charleston – The Cougars only won 9 games in 2014-15, but improved to 17 victories last season.  This year, all five starters from the end of the season return and are joined by point guard Joe Chealey, who missed last year due to injury.  Head coach Earl Grant could have this team in serious contention for the title.

4. Elon – With seven key rotation players back, and a balanced scoring attack, do not be surprised if the Phoenix end up among the league’s elite.

5. Towson – Losing Byron Hawkins to transfer (to Murray State) hurts, but with Mike Morsell running the backcourt and Arnaud William Adala Moto hitting the rim, the Tigers will still be tough to beat.

6. James Madison – Despite winning 21 games, JMU let head coach Matt Brady go and brought in Louis Rowe.  Rowe does have four starters returning from last season, but replacing point guard Ron Curry and his 17.3 points per game could be tough.

7. Hofstra – Rokas Gustys is a force down low, having averaged well over a double-double last year.  Unfortunately, three of his top supporting cast members are gone from last season and the Pride will need to rely on former role-players stepping up and the addition of a few newcomers if they want to be back among the league’s top teams.

8. Drexel – Bruiser Flint is gone, but in his place the Dragons hired Zach Spiker away from Army.  Spiker helped turn around the Black Knights program and at least put them among the contenders in the Patriot League, so he may be able to do the same in Philadelphia.  With only one starter back from last year, however, he will not be doing it in his first season.

9. Northeastern – The top three scorers are gone from a team that only went 9-9 in conference play last year, making this a rebuilding season.

10. Delaware – There are no returning double-digit scorers for new head coach Martin Ingelsby.  Just finding a way to better last year’s 7 wins may be an accomplishment.

Posted in Conference Preview, News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Colonial

Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews South Dakota State SO PF Mike Daum

Posted on October 7, 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 South Dakota State SO PF Mike Daum.  There is very little room left in his trophy case despite having just 1 year under his belt: last season he was named Freshman All-American, Summit League Freshman of the Year, Summit League 6th Man of the Year, and conference tourney MVP.  He has only started 2 games in his college career yet he is the unquestioned leader of the Jackrabbits after topping the team in PPG/RPG/FT%.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mike about his sensational debut season and adjusting to a new head coach.

daum

You grew up in Nebraska: what made you choose South Dakota State? It was a combination of the players/coaches when I took my recruiting trip here. SDSU made a big effort to stand out to me right away and I felt that it was the right school for me.

Last year you were named conference ROY/6th Man of the Year: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start, and how is your mindset going to change as you make the switch from sub to starter? I went into the season with the mindset of making the most of my minutes and playing as hard as I could. I kept my head down and just played the game.  This year I still have a humble mentality just like last year: I have a lot of work to do and will do whatever Coach asks of me.

You were also #3 in the conference with 82.4 FT%: what is your secret for making FTs? Nothing going through my mind: my mom said that I should just step up to the line and shoot it and it seems to go in for me.

You shot 44.6 3P%: how are you able to make shots from behind the arc despite standing 6’9”, 245 pounds? It started when I was younger: my mom worked with me on my form/wrist flick/release. I did not know that I would end up as 6’9” and my shot has improved over the years.

In the 2016 Summit League title game you scored 18 PTS in a win over North Dakota State en route to being named conference tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? There was not a different mentality in the title game: I take it 1 game as a time and treat it like the last game I might ever play.

In the 2016 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS in a 5-PT loss to Maryland: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? The physicality of that game was a lot different: the Terps had several guys who ended up getting drafted. It just shows that we can compete with anybody if we get to work: it was a great eye-opening experience for me.

You have a new coach this year in TJ Otzelberger: what is he like, and how has the transition been so far? The transition was phenomenal: it was tough when Coach Nagy left but we have a whole new energy and we are super-excited about Coach TJ. We are looking forward to getting it going and playing for him.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Cal/Northern Iowa/Wichita State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of those games will present big tests in a different way. Cal has great players: Ivan Rabb is a phenomenal player who will probably be a top-10 pick.

You only have 2 seniors on the roster: do you think this team is built to win now or is it going to be a work in progress? I think we are very capable of doing just fine right now. We have great leadership and we know what we can do.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As of now we do not have any goals, but every team wants to win their conference tourney and make the NCAA tourney. We are focusing more on ourselves and making ourselves better both on and off the court. We will have more camaraderie this year, which should carry over into our games.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews South Dakota State SO PF Mike Daum

Conference Preview: Big West

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Chad

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

BIG WEST

Very little went wrong during a magical 2015-16 season for the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors.  The team went 28-6 overall and 13-3 against Big West competition to win the regular season title.  They followed that up with the conference tournament championship, defeating Long Beach State by four points in the final.  The Rainbow Warriors then earned a 13-seed in the NCAA Tournament and promptly upset Cal by 11 points before their season ended with a loss to Maryland.  Conference tournament runner-up Long Beach State received an NIT invite, while two other Big West teams also played in the postseason – UC-Santa Barbara in the Vegas 16 where they advanced to the semifinals and UC-Irvine in the CIT where they lost in the championship game to Columbia.

As much as went right for Hawai’i last year, things appear to be heading in the exact opposite direction this season.  The program is facing potential ineligiblilty for the postseason due to NCAA violations that occurred under the prior coaching regime, though their case is going to be reheard.  The team lost four of their starting players, who also happened to be their top four point scorers.  Last season was great – this season will be a complete rebuild with potentially not even having the chance for magic due to their probation.  The other three postseason participants, Long Beach State, UC-Irvine and UC-Santa Barbara could all be in the thick of the conference race this year, though Long Beach appears to be the team to beat.  One other team that could make some serious noise, however, is a veteran Cal State-Northridge squad.  Reggie Theus is entering his fourth season as head coach for the Matadors, and it is just about time for him to prove that he was the right man for this job.  On paper at least, he may just have the pieces to do it.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Long Beach State – Nick Faust’s 17.4 points per game are gone, but the 49ers are still going to be tough to beat, especially with more playing time for Noah Blackwell and the addition of Loyola Marymount transfer Evan Payne.

2. UC-Santa Barbara – Top scorer Michael Bryson is gone, but the Gauchos still figure to be in contention with Gabe Vincent in the backcourt and plenty of size down low.

3. Cal State Northridge – The team’s top three scorers (Kendall Smith, Michael Warren and Aaron Parks) all return to lead a veteran lineup.  Added into the mix will be 6-11, 240-pound Texas A&M transfer Dylan Johns.  If the Matadors can avoid any off-court issues, they should figure right in the mix.

4. UC-Irvine – Four starters from last year’s CIT finalist team are gone, including Mamadou Ndiaye, so a step back should be expected.  Head coach Russell Turner did bring in a solid recruiting class and does have senior guard Luke Nelson back, so don’t completely count the Anteaters out.

5. Cal State Fullerton – With last year’s Big West Freshman of the Year, Khalil Ahmad, and the team’s top scorer, Tre’ Coggins, both back, the Titans could be a dangerous team.  The problem will be down low, where the roster is incredibly thin and lacking in size.

6. UC-Riverside – With their top two scorers from last season gone, Secean Johnson will really need to step up his game and carry the load if the Highlanders want to avoid finishing at or near the bottom of the league standings.

7. UC-Davis – The Aggies have only one returning player who averaged in double figures in scoring, and that is Darius Graham who averaged exactly 10.0 points per game.  A move up in the conference standings does not seem likely this year.

8. Cal Poly – The Mustangs top three scorers from last season are all gone, meaning that the team may be in for a tougher year than last one – and last year they were only 10-20 overall.

9. Hawai’i* – Normally being potentially ineligible for the Big West and NCAA Tournaments would be a bad thing; however, given that almost everyone from last season’s magical team is gone, there probably wasn’t much chance of even qualifying for the Big West Tournament anyhow (which would have only required them to avoid last place).  Head coach Eran Ganot has to pretty much start at the bottom and rebuild the program now.

*Hawai’i may be ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.  They have been granted a re-hearing on the penalties which is currently pending.

Posted in Conference Preview, News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big West