Jersey Boy: Monmouth legend Ron Kornegay

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Jon Teitel

After their road win at Georgetown last night and the adorable antics of their bench players, Monmouth basketball is becoming 1 of the trendiest programs in the country.  JR PG Justin Robinson is 1 of the best scorers in the nation with more than 20 PPG, but it will take him a long time to pass Ron Kornegay’s 2526 career PTS and become the all-time leading scorer in school history.  After graduating from South Side Academy in Newark Ron became a 2-time 1st-team All-American in West Long Branch and helped lead the Hawks to 3 NAIA national tourneys.  After finishing his college career he became an assistant to head coach Bill Boylan, and when Boylan stepped down in 1975 Ron was named the 2nd head basketball coach in Monmouth history.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ron about being a sensational scorer and later becoming a coach/athletic director.

ron

In 1965 you were a 1st-team all-state player at South Side High School in Newark despite being only 5’7”: did you consider your size to be an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I never really thought about it: most of the other PGs in the city were my size.

What are your memories of the 1966 NAIA tourney as a player at Monmouth (Earl Beechum scored 46 PTS in a 2-PT win by Midwestern State)? We lost at the buzzer. Beechum could really shoot the ball. It was our 1st trip to the national tourney so it was very new for us, but we played very well against a top-10 team.

What are your memories of the 1968 NAIA tourney (1-PT loss to Westminster at the buzzer)? It was another great game. We captivated the audience with our style and saw a lot of friends who we 1st met 2 years earlier. I have never seen more buzzer beaters than at that tourney. You have to win 5 games in a single week: it is unbelievable. The town of Kansas City closes down for the entire week.

What are your memories of the 1969 NAIA tourney (5-PT loss to MVP Jake Ford and eventual runner-up Maryland State)? Ford was a 1st round draft pick who spent many years in the NBA. I fouled out of that game.

1 of your college teammates was Ed Halicki, who later pitched a no-hitter for the Giants: how good of a basketball player was Ed, and which sport was he better at back in the day? Evidently he was a better baseball player: that no-hitter was against my Mets! He was a freshman when I was a senior but he is probably 1 of the better players to ever come out of Monmouth.

You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I never thought about that part of it because I only averaged 11 PPG in high school. My college coach gave me more freedom to score and my teammates helped me out. Records are made to be broken but I am very proud of my record and never thought that I would be in that position.

You were a 2-time NAIA All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors? We had a great team that represented Monmouth very well. I had a great supporting cast who gave me the opportunity to play the style we played.

After graduation you became an assistant coach under Bill Boylan (the 1st coach in school history) before succeeding him as head coach in 1977: what made Boylan such a great coach, and how hard was it to follow in his large footsteps? He was a people person. I played 4 years and coached 8 years for him and never heard him utter a single curse word. We would run through a wall for him because he would do the same for us.

In 1983 your program made the leap to D-1: what is the biggest difference between NAIA and D-1? The athletes in D-1 are bigger/stronger/faster. We were aggressive with our scheduling and would play teams like Georgetown/St. John’s who had some of the best coaches in the country. It was a tough transition but it was a necessity and a good decision that has benefited the school.

You are currently the AD at Manasquan High School: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I love the job and have been here for well over a decade. It keeps me in the game and allows me to be around the game. I have a couple more years here before I retire and then I have no idea what I will do after that.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Wednesday, December 16: Alabama A&M at Western Kentucky

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Chad

Under the Radar Game of the Day: Alabama A&M at Western Kentucky, 9:00 PM Eastern, Hilltopper Sports Network/Fox College Sports-Pacific

In 1980, shortly after becoming a Division I conference, SWAC teams won 15 true road non-conference games against Division I opponents.  In 1986, they won 14.  In 1988, it was 11 and in 1990 it was 10.  In the 25 years since then, the most wins was only 7.  The lower number was partly the conference becoming one of the lower rated leagues in Division I, but also a sign of the changing times.  In the early 80s, SWAC teams would play road games against similar competition — smaller conference schools or independents that were not expected to challenge for NCAA Tournament berths.  Today, SWAC teams need to schedule the majority of their road games at the “big boys” in order to cash the check that comes with playing these “buy games”.  Despite the changed landscape, entering play tonight, the SWAC has already picked up 9 non-conference road wins against D1 opponents, and had a chance to equal or best the 1990 mark (though the all-time mark from 1980 is probably going to be safe this year).

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day involves a team that has picked up two of those road wins already this year, at Tulane and at Jacksonville State.  The Alabama A&M Bulldogs enter play tonight with a record of 4-2.  The Bulldogs started out 4-0, but have lost at Murray State and at Saint Louis in their last two games.  They will try to stop that losing streak at Western Kentucky tonight and help the SWAC extend its best overall season in 25 years.  The Bulldogs are led by senior Ladarius Tabb.  Tabb has scored 20 or more points in all but one game so far this season.  He is not alone in leading this team though, as junior Rakiya Battle has been in double figures every game and senior Nick West in all but one game.  Having these three veterans leading the way is one of the reasons that AAMU was our preseason pick to win the SWAC.  Although Southern University has looked really good so far this season (including narrowly losing at Memphis last night), there is still no reason to doubt that the Bulldogs will be right in the hunt for the conference’s automatic bid.

Tonight’s opponent for Alabama A&M is the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  WKU enters tonight’s game with a record of 5-4, having alternated wins and losses every game so far this season (they won at home over Indiana State on Sunday, so if that streak continues, it could be a tough night).  Their best win to date came over a Central Michigan team that we expected to contend for the MAC championship, though that team has been dealing with injuries all season long.  The Hilltoppers will look to Justin Johnson to help lead the way tonight.  Johnson scored 24 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and picking up 3 assists in the Indiana State win.  They may also be looking for Fredrick Edmond to help offensively.  Edmond scored in double figures in 5 of the team’s first 6 games, including a double-double against Belmont, but has been almost a non-factor in the last three outings, with his production and playing time having been cut back.  Perhaps that is in part due to a few other players having stepped up, including Nigel Snipes who is averaging 12.4 points per game.

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News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Tuesday, December 15

Posted on December 15, 2015 by John Stalica

Click here for last night’s HoopsHD Report from panelists Chad Sherwood, David Griggs, Joby Fortson, Jon Teitel and John Stalica.

Click here for David Griggs’ weekly checkpoint (not forecasted) bracket.

With exams/final term papers underway at most college campuses this week, we have a light slate of basketball games scheduled for this upcoming week.

Both Duke and North Carolina have injury situations to monitor at the moment – Duke’s Amile Jefferson is out indefinitely with a foot injury; Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks is expected to miss at least 2 weeks of action, if not longer.

The Bizarro Team of the People kept their unique home-court advantage with a win over Dartmouth last night to move to 4-3 on the season against Division I foes. That team, you ask? Cal-State Bakersfield, home of one of the premier court designs in the nation (click here for a picture of their court).

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

LOUISIANA TECH at OLE MISS (Early Spotlight Game) – 7:00 ET, SEC Network – While Old Dominion and UAB have been somewhat disappointing in Conference USA so far, Louisiana Tech has been a pleasant surprise. They’ve already won at Ohio State and have a win over Texas-Arlington that is looking better and better by the day. Ole Miss would be another opportunity for the Bulldogs to get a “name” victory that may or may not be a signature victory in the eyes of the Selection Committee.

TENNESSEE TECH at CHATTANOOGA (UTR Game of the Day) – 7:00 ET – Click here for Chad Sherwood’s preview between the Mocs and the Golden Eagles.

UC IRVINE at OREGON (Late Spotlight Game) – 11:00 ET, Pac-12 Network – This is an equally important game for both teams – Oregon has an opportunity to continue their mastery at home with a chance to get a win against a team that will be favored to win the Big West. The Anteaters’ best win so far this year was a win at Utah State; Oregon would be a much bigger win for UC-Irvine should they be able to pull this one off.

MONMOUTH at GEORGETOWN – 7:30 ET, FS1 – While Georgetown came out of the chute slowly with losses to Radford, at Maryland and against Duke in NYC, they have passed all of their other tests with flying colors. The Hawks’ Nest will take their show on the road to DC right after a big win over their Tri-State rival Wagner.

SOUTHERN at MEMPHIS – 8:00 ET, ESPN3 – The SWAC already has 9 true road wins against Division I opponents this season; Southern can get victory #10 with a win at Memphis tonight. This is not your run-of-the-mill buy game when you consider that the Jaguars have already won at Mississippi State and at Wyoming this season.

VCU at GEORGIA TECH – 9:00 ET, ESPN2 – While Georgia Tech sat out this year’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge, their only noteworthy test out of conference this season was against Villanova in Brooklyn on Thanksgiving weekend. VCU has yet to get a win against a major program (and their loss to Wisconsin is looking worse by the day).

DEPAUL at STANFORD – 10:00 ET, FS1 – It will look like a pillow fight on paper between two teams expected to finish at or near the bottom of their respective conferences, but Stanford will get a shot at revenge for a game they lost in Chicago last season.

NOTABLE BUY GAMES

Georgia Southern at Duke, 7 PM (ESPN2)
UNC-Greensboro at Wake Forest, 7 PM (ESPN3)
Norfolk State at Cincinnati, 7 PM (ESPNU)
UL-Lafayette at UCLA, 9 PM (Pac-12 Network)
Mercer at Auburn, 9 PM (SEC Network)
Delaware State at Grand Canyon, 9 PM (Cox7.com in Phoenix)

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Tuesday, December 15: Tennessee Tech at Chattanooga

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Chad

Under the Radar Game of the Day: Tennessee Tech at Chattanooga, 7:00 PM Eastern, socondigitalnetwork.com

For our latest HOOPSHD Report Video Podcast, CLICK HERE.

92-90 overtime win at Georgia.  81-77 win at Illinois.  61-59 win at Dayton despite star Casey Jones being out for the game.  And we are only a month into the season!  This is what the Southern Conference’s Chattanooga Mocs have done already, and they have squarely placed their program on our radar as a potential at-large candidate come March if they can avoid stubbing their toes the rest of the way.  The good news for the Mocs is that they do not have a single team ranked in the KenPom top 100 left on their schedule this season, meaning they should be favored to win almost every single game the rest of the way.  This is also the bad news, as any loss from here on out will likely be a black mark on their record, and they cannot afford too many of those if they wind up needing an at-large bid.  Tonight, the Mocs (who are still without Casey Jones), host the Ohio Valley Conference’s Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.  Chattanooga will look for another big effort from Greg Pryor, who led the team with 15 points in the Dayton win, but could see almost anyone step up.  Seven players other than Jones and Pryor have already scored in double digits at least once this season, so the scoring could come form almost anywhere — making the Mocs a difficult and dangerous team to game plan and defend against.

Tennessee Tech enters play tonight with a record of 7-3, though none of those wins have come against anyone in the top 200 of the KenPom ratings, and only a victory over Lipscomb came away from Cookeville.  The Golden Eagles are led by Torrance Rowe, who had 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals against Lipscomb, and Ryan Martin who added 18 points and 11 rebounds in the same game.  They will need both players to be just as effective if they want to pull off the road upset tonight.  If the Mocs shut Rowe and Martin down, and noone else steps up, it could be a very long night for the Golden Eagles.

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HOOPS HD Report – December 14

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Chad

Chad, David, John, Jon and Joby discuss the past week in college basketball, focusing for the first half of the show on the Big East and Pac Twelve conferences, then touching on all the major conferences, Top 25 teams, and a look ahead at an exciting upcoming weekend of games.  They debate which teams with good records are legitimate so far, and which ones are frauds.  All that a whole lot more:

And for those of you preferring audio only, check it out here:

 

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Bracket Projections: December 14th

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David Griggs

Below is the latest Bracket Projections from Hoops HD.  David Griggs built the bracket, and then Chad Sherwood chimes in with all the things that he thinks is wrong with it.

-For Chad Sherwood’s Under the Radar Game of the Day, which features the horrendous floor decorating skills of Cal State Bakersfield – CLICK HERE

-For Jon Teitel’s Hoops In the House: UNC Wilmington vs Georgetown article – CLICK HERE

 

NOTES ON THE BRACKET

-First and foremost, it is important to understand that these brackets are CHECKPOINTS on CURRENT MERIT.  They are not a forecast of what I think things will look like in March, or for that matter how good I actually think teams currently are.  Because of that there are things in this bracket that will undoubtedly appear to be a little strange.

-Louisville is the team that I feel whose current profile undersells how good they actually are.  They are currently on my #11 line, but that’s because they have beaten no one that’s likely to even make the NIT, much less the NCAAs.  They did lose to Michigan State on the road in a very close game, so I know they’re a good team.  In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see them end up as a #2 or #3 seed come March.  But, when doing a merit based bracket, they won’t start to move up our projections until they get into conference play and start beating good teams.

-Little Rock is unbeaten and has five wins away from home, including at Tulsa and at San Diego State.  I have them on the #6 line, and if you’re just looking at their paper, a case could be made that they belong even better than that.  This team is legitimately good.  I don’t know if I see them finishing on the #6 line, but I do think they’re good enough to finish inside the bubble.

-Syracuse is hard to figure out.  They’ve played their best basketball abroad by winning the Battle 4 Atlantis, but doing little else on top of that.

-Wichita State does have some key losses, but they also weren’t at full strength .  Since Val Vleet has returned, they’ve looked a lot better and the committee will take into consideration that he didn’t play for them in their losses.  They’re on the #12 line now, and I see them moving up and being safely inside the bubble before the end of March.

Finally, you will see some comments from Chad Sherwood below.  He will agree with some things, and disagree with others.  The things he disagrees with, he is wrong about.  Anyone who disagrees with me is wrong!!

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OTHERS CONSIDERED: Florida State, Florida, Michigan, Marquette, Saint Joseph’s, Northern Iowa, Seton Hall, Oral Roberts, Pittsburgh, Northwestern, USC, Texas Tech, New Mexico, Oregon State, Middle Tennessee, UTEP, Evansville, Georgia Tech, Boise State, Saint Mary’s, Davidson, UNC Wilmington, Georgia

 

CHAD SHERWOOD’S COMMENTS ON THE BRACKET

– Once again, making a bracket before mid-January is lunacy.  But David did make one so I must comment.

– I understand Colorado being in the bracket, but at the 7 line?  This team has sown me nothing so far except a bloated record.

– I know that Syracuse won the Battle 4 Atlantis, but any team that loses to St. John’s should be automatically ineligible.  Or at least get sent to the First Four.

– Baylor is being undervalued as a 10 seed in my opinion.  I cannot call them just as good as Tulsa.  Of course, Tulsa does not even belong in the field.  I think David is smoking something on that pick and better start sharing.

– I will excuse the Richmond pick.  They don’t belong in the field or even close to it, but we have known for years that David overvalues this team every season, so it does not shock me at all.

– How Kansas State can be ahead of Oregon on anybody’s seed list ever is beyond me.

– If this is based on merit, where is USC????

 

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