Conference Preview: Big Ten

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

BIG TEN

Of the seven Big Ten teams that earned NCAA tournament bids last season, only two advanced past the first weekend of the tournament and into the Sweet 16.  The good news was that those two teams, Wisconsin (1 seed) and Michigan State (7 seed), both also advanced to the Final Four, with the Spartans falling in the national semifinal to eventual champion Duke while Wisconsin knocked off the previously undefeated Kentucky Wildcats before falling to Duke as well.  Joining the two Final Four teams in the Big Dance last season were Maryland (4 seed), Iowa (7 seed), Purdue (9 seed) and Indiana and Ohio State (10 seeds).  Illinois also earned a postseason invite, playing in the NIT.

Although Wisconsin paced the way in the Big Ten last season, the Badgers lost a ton of pieces in the offseason, enough that it is almost surprising that Bo Ryan elected to coach for this one last season and not go retire on the high note of a Big Ten championship and Final Four.  Just making the Big Dance may be a struggle this year for the Badgers.  That does not mean that the Big Ten does not have Final Four capable teams — just that this season that mantle passes to Maryland and Indiana.  Michigan should also be back in the Dance this year, and along with Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin, be among up to 10 teams with legitimate tournament aspirations.  The others in the hunt will include Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa and…yes, you heard it here first, even the Northwestern Wildcats!

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Maryland – The Terps are loaded this year.  If freshman standout Diamond Stone, Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon, Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter Jr. and JC transfer Jaylen Brantley can gel in with returning stars such as Melo Tremble and Jake Layman, there is no limit to how far this team can go.

2.  Indiana – With Yogi Ferrell and James Blackmon Jr. in the backcourt and Troy Williams and freshman standout Thomas Bryant inside, the Hoosiers appear to be title contenders this season.  If coach Tom Crean cannot succeed with this group, his days in Bloomington may be numbered.

3. Michigan – The Wolverines should be one of the better teams in the Big Ten with the returns of Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton, Jr. from injury coupled with the experience gained last season by their young frontcourt players, such as Zak Irvin, Ricky Doyle and Aubrey Dawkins.

4.  Purdue – A.J. Hammons and top recruit Caleb Swanigan will be forces down low.  The Boilermakers have backcourt talent as well but look like they will have to rely on Texas-Arlington transfer Johnny Hill at the point.  If he can run the offense, they will be successful.

5.  Ohio State – The Buckeyes are young but very talented and should have the pieces to make up for the loss of D’Angelo Russell.  Keep an eye on freshman JaQuan Lyle at guard and returnees Jae’Sean Tate and Marc Loving down low.

6.   Michigan State – The Spartans will be strong in the backcourt again with Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes and Eron Harris.  In order to be among the top teams in the conference, Gavin Schilling and Matt Costello will need to step up their play down low.

7.  Wisconsin – Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes both had solid seasons last year, but they are the only two significant pieces of the national runner-up to return this season.  It would not be a shock if Bo Ryan spends his final season on the bubble.

8.  Illinois – The Illini should get by at the guard position despite Tracy Abrams going down with a season-ending injury for the second straight year due to the presence of Malcolm Hill, Kendrick Nunn and top recruit Jalen Coleman-Lands.  The biggest question is whether Charlotte transfer Mike Thorne Jr. will be enough down low.

9.  Iowa – The Hawkeyes return four starters from an NCAA tournament team, but the one player not back was their best, forward Aaron White.  If the team can find a way to make up for his departure through newcomers, they have a chance to be in the Dance again.

10.  Northwestern – It will not be long until Northwestern finally earns that elusive first-ever NCAA tournament berth, and head coach Chris Collins should be the man to lead them there.  Although he is still building the program, Tre Demps and Bryant McIntosh are both solid in the backcourt while Alex Olah and Virginia Tech transfer Joey van Zegeren should lead the way down low.  Making the NCAA tournament this year would be a longshot, but not a crazy one.

11.  Nebraska – Coach Tim Miles will need to rebuild this year, though senior Shavon Shields will score a ton of points.  There is hope for the future though with a strong recruiting class that features Edward Morrow Jr. and Glynn Watson Jr.

12.  Penn State – The combination of sophomore Shep Garner and a solid recruiting class has things looking up for the Nittany Lions — just not this year.

13.  Minnesota – The Golden Gophers did not play in the postseason last year and then lost three of their top players in the offseason.  That is not a recipe for improvement.

14.  Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights have not won a game since their huge home upset of then #4-ranked Wisconsin back in January.  Things are not looking any better this year and avoiding last place would be an accomplishment.

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Season preview: Northern Colorado women’s coach Kamie Ethridge

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Jon Teitel

This season marks the 30th anniversary of Kamie Ethridge being named national POY and helping lead her Texas Longhorns to an undefeated record and  the 1986 NCAA title.  Last year she was named head coach at Northern Colorado and proceeded to lead the Bears to a school-record 22 wins and the 3rd round of the WNIT.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Ethridge about winning an Olympic gold medal and being inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

kamie

Your father/sister played college basketball and your mother played high school basketball: who is the best athlete in the family, and do you credit at least some of your success to genetics? I think my dad was a really good athlete. He was only 5’8” but played multiple sports, including basketball at TCU. My mom was a good athlete but did not have an opportunity to play sports beyond high school. My siblings and I were all athletes so I definitely give credit to our genes.

You were a 2-time All-American at Texas and the 1986 national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? Texas was a premier school and just light years ahead of everyone else in terms of their support/marketing of women’s athletics. I give so much credit to the machine: I played on a dominant team that lost only 9 games during my college career! We had tremendous firepower and we had depth that was way before its time. I feel that I was a product of tremendous support and played alongside some of the best athletes in the world.

You also served as team captain as a senior: what is the key to being a good leader? Captains were not really voted on: the seniors just served as captains. I have learned a lot since then: leaders make people better no matter how they do it or who gets the credit. You have to do whatever it takes to give your team a chance to win.

Take me through the magical 1986 NCAA tourney:
During your win over Oklahoma in the Regional Semifinal you jumped in the air/brought the ball in front of your body/took it around your left shoulder/passed behind yourself to Clarissa Davis for a layup: how did you come up with such a move, and did everyone freak out after you pulled it off? There was an old guy at Texas Tech named Kent Williams who showed me that move during a pickup game 1 day. I tried it a number of times in practice and it would often skip away: I had to go run and get it before Coach Jody Conradt saw that the ball went out of bounds! There are very few times when you can use such a move during a game, but it was the perfect time and ended up in the hands of a perfect player. It was a big moment and the crowd kind of went crazy because they were so surprised. Coach Nell Fortner once told me that she would be on the edge of her seat while watching me play, and that was 1 of those moments.

Your 1985 tourney ended in a 2-PT loss to Western Kentucky when Lillie Mason made a turnaround jumper at the buzzer: how devastating was that loss, and how sweet was it to beat them by 25 PTS in the national semifinal in 1986? I think the loss in 1985 spurred our success in 1986. We felt a lot of pressure to get to the Final 4 in Austin the prior year and just could not get it done.  It was a gut-wrenching loss that took us all a long time to get over. We were angry because we had disappointed a lot of people and from that moment on nobody thought we would lose at all the following year. We wanted to make a statement against them in 1986 and we were able to prove that we were the best team in the country.

You beat USC in the title game to complete the 1st–ever undefeated season by an NCAA women’s basketball team: how was your team able to set a Final 4 record by scoring 97 PTS against a Trojan team featuring Cheryl Miller/Cynthia Cooper, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We had a high-powered offense and pressed a lot/ran due to our great athletes. We just had more of a chip on our shoulder and had never won a title before so we were not going to be denied. Getting to the Final 4 was a relief to us: once we got there we just knew that nobody could stop us. Cheryl got in foul trouble and we were able to dominate from start to finish. It was great to win a title with 8 seniors who grew up together. We lost to Louisiana Tech a couple of times in the NCAA tourney earlier in our career and wish that we could have won another title.

You graduated with 776 career AST, which remains the most in school history: what is your secret for being a great PG, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I definitely think that someone will break my record. We did not have the 3-PT line back then so I wonder how my game would translate to the current day. I was good in the open court and created easy baskets for my teammates, which I took a lot of pride in. We just wanted to make it easy for others.

You played for team USA at the 1988 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was an amazing experience: as an individual it was the greatest accomplishment that I was ever a part of. When you have the gold medal around your neck and hear the anthem being played, it is pretty unbelievable. Coach Kay Yow showed a lot of loyalty in even selecting me for the team and it was 1 of the best moments in my career.

In 2002 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? When I look at that honor, I think the only reason I got it was due to the coaches I had and the fact that as the PG I was the face of an undefeated team. It is unbelievable to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at any level and I do not think that it is something that I am really worthy of. I am proud to represent my school and that undefeated team in particular.

In 2014 you were named head coach at the University of Northern Colorado: how do you like the job, and how long do you plan on sticking around for? I will stay as long as they have me! I love my job and waited a long time for the opportunity, but I also love the chance to build a culture and find people who are committed to the same vision. It is exciting to be a part of a program, lead some young women, and give them some lifelong lessons both on and off the court.

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Video Conference Previews: American, Atlantic Ten, and Mountain West

Posted on November 7, 2015 by David Griggs

Links

For Chad Sherwood’s most recent Conference Preview on the Big East – CLICK HERE

For Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the American Athletic Conference – CLICK HERE

For Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the Atlantic Ten – CLICK HERE

Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the Mountain West is coming soon.  For all the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage, including interviews with players and coaches, conference previews, and video podcast previews – CLICK HERE

Chad is joined by Jon, John and David as they take a look at the American, Atlantic Ten, and Mountain West Conferences.

 

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Up first is the American, where they discuss the off the court issues with SMU, and how it has resulted in them not being eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year.  They also look at UConn as the favorite to win the league, and feel that Cincinnati, like in so many previous seasons, is once again underrated to start the year.  Tulsa, and believe it or not Houston, are two other teams that are picked to have big years.  Well, only Chad likes Houston, but he’s been out on a limb before, and he’s been right before…

 

ATLANTIC TEN

Up next is the Atlantic Ten, where Dayton, Rhode Island, and Davidson are among the favorites.  David thinks that Davidson can not only make the NCAA Tournament, but once again finish high in the standings and be safely inside the bubble.  George Washington and VCU are other teams that are discussed, particularly with the coaching change at VCU.  We think losing Shaka is a loss, but we also like Will Wade a lot and expect that VCU will continue to be strong…

 

MOUNTAIN WEST

Last on the agenda for the day is the Mountain West, who has a rich history, but who we feel isn’t quite as strong top to bottom this year, and is probably the weakest out of the nine regular multi-bid leagues.  San Diego State and Boise State are the two teams we like the most, and feel that they will be inside the bubble come Selection Sunday.  UNLV is extremely talented, but they’ve been talented before in recent seasons and that hasn’t resulted in success.  We don’t think it’ll be any different this year.  Utah State and Fresno State are picked as dark horses.

 

And for all you radio lovers out there, below are mp3 versions of all three shows…

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Conference Preview: Big East

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

For our Big East Video Podcast Preview – CLICK HERE

BIG EAST

If there were any questions about how the non-FBS football playing Big East conference would fare after its breakup from the American teams, that was answered last season when 60% of the conference found itself playing in the NCAA tournament, and all of them with single digit seeds.  Villanova led the way with a 1 seed, followed by 4th seeded Georgetown and three 6 seeds, Butler, Xavier and Providence.  St John’s rounded out the postseason teams with a 9 seed.  Of course, things did not go as well once the Big Dance started, as only Xavier made it to the second weekend, losing in the Sweet 16 to Arizona.

Placing six teams in the NCAA tournament again this year may be a stretch, but at least four teams (and maybe five) appear to be solid tournament candidates.  Of course, it all starts with Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats, the pick to repeat atop the Big East.  Butler, Xavier and Georgetown all return solid rosters as well.  And keep an eye on Seton Hall, which should be a lot better assuming the team chemistry problems they had last year have now been cleared up.  One team that will likely not be dancing again this year is St. John’s, as new head coach Chris Mullin will have to rebuild a decimated roster from the bottom up.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Villanova – Despite losing three of their top players, Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart and Daniel Ochefu all return.  The Wildcats add in a strong group of recruits as well, led by guard Jalen Brunson.  Every sign is that the ‘cats will be on top of the conference again.

2.  Butler – If a team is going to dethrone Villanova, Butler may have the weapons needed to do so.  Roosevelt Jones, Andrew Chrabascz and Kellen Dunham all return from last season’s 23-win squad.  They will be joined by a pair of talented transfers in Tyler Lewis (NC State) and Jordan Gathers (St. Bonaventure).

3.  Xavier – Matt Stainbrook is gone, but the cupboard is certainly not bare in Cincinnati.  Trevon Bluiett and Jalen Reynolds both have a chance to star for the Musketeers, while the additions of freshmen standouts Edmond Sumner and Makinde London should have an immediate impact.

4.  Georgetown – D’Vanutes Smith-Rivera may be the best player in the entire conference, and his presence alone could be enough to carry most teams.  If the likes of L.J. Peak, Tre Campbell, Isaac Copeland, or some of the newcomers can step up their games, the Hoyas could contend for the league title.

5.  Seton Hall – The Pirates may benefit from addition by subtraction as last year’s team had almost no chemistry at all.  Khadeen Carrington and Isaiah Whitehead will be looked upon to lead the team despite only being sophomores.  They will have help as UMass transfer Derrick Gordon joins the roster.  The biggest question will be in the low post where Angel Delgado will need help if the Pirates want a shot at the Dance.

6.  Providence – If Georgetown’s Smith-Rivera is not the best player in the conference, then that award will go to Providence’s Kris Dunn.  With LaDontae Henton gone, expect Dunn to average more than 20 points per game this season.  The Friars biggest problem is that they do not seem to have enough other pieces to complement him.  Unless their young players step up, a return to the NCAA tournament will probably not be in the cards.

7.  Marquette – Wojo is already proving his skills as a recruiter, especially with the addition of standout recruit Henry Ellenson this season.  As he and the other youth on the roster (no seniors at all!) gain experience, the Golden Eagles will turn dangerous.  They may not Dance this season, but watch out next year.

8.  Creighton – The rebuild continues in Omaha, but transfers Maurice Watson, Jr. (Boston U) and Cole Huff (Nevada) should give some immediate help.

9.  DePaul – Dave Leitao is head coach at DePaul…again.  This year’s team will be led by Myke Henry and Billy Garrett, Jr., but does not have enough pieces for any serious improvement.  That being said, Leitao has already signed a some good players and the program may be on the rise in a few years.

10.  St. John’s – Virtually no one returns from last season’s NCAA tournament team, making this a true ground-up rebuild project for Chris Mullin.  To put things in perspective, the top returning scorer is Amar Alibegovic.  He averaged 1.5 points per game.

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Season preview: South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

There are about a dozen D-1 coaches who have been at their current school for 20+ years, and Scott Nagy is 1 of them.  This year he will try to guide South Dakota State to its 5th straight postseason appearance and its 3rd NCAA tourney since 2012. Having guided the Jackrabbits during their leap from D-2 to D-1, he is on pace to win his 400th career game this season as he tries to win the Summit League regular season title for the 3rd time in 4 years.  He was only 29 years old when he took over the program in the 1990s, and he seems to be getting better with age.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Nagy about setting school records working for Lou Henson.

nagy

You played basketball at Delta State, where you were named Gulf South Freshman of the Year, and as a senior you were named Gulf South Athlete of the Year: how were you able to come in and contribute so quickly, and how were you able to continue to dominate during your career? I was fortunate to walk into a situation with really good players so all I had to do was take care of the basketball and pass it to our scorers. I was not really dominant but I did break the record for most games started and had a good GPA.

During your junior year you went 24-9 and made it to the Final 4: did you think you would win the title, and how close did you come to winning it all? We won 8 of those games in OT but were not a great team: we did not even win our conference. Had we not won those 8 games then we would have been a sub-.500 team. We ran into Kentucky Wesleyan in the tourney who was a great team that killed us.

You still hold the school record for career AST with 549: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and did you ever think about playing pro basketball? I kind of knew that college was where my playing career would end and I had planned on going into coaching. The 549 AST are due to my longevity: I played about 120 straight games.

You also earned Gulf South All-Academic honors for 3 straight years: how important are academics to you, and how did your intelligence help you on the court? I think that academics and athletics go hand-in-hand: kids who are good in the classroom are generally easier to teach on the floor. It was important for me to do well in school because I was a business major so I just tried to do my best.

You became a graduate assistant at Illinois under Lou Henson, and made it to the Final Four in 1989 alongside your fellow assistant/dad Dick: what made Henson such a great coach, and what was it like to be coaching with your dad? Coach Henson probably knew more about X’s and O’s then anyone who I have ever been around and his focus on defense and rebounding was key. It was fun to coach next to my dad because I learned a lot from him.

Despite being just 29 years old when you became head coach at South Dakota State, your team went 24-5 and won the NCC title: how were you able to come in as a young coach and be so successful so quickly? 1 of the things that helped me during my 1st year was the 3 seniors that I had recruited as an assistant coach, so they knew me and bought into what we were selling. We dominated the league behind a pair of great guards.

What are your memories of the 1997 NCAA Regional tourney (when your team made it all the way to the Elite 8)? My best memory was playing our regional championship game at home and beating #2-seed Fort Hays State in our gym. It was 1 of the best atmospheres that I have ever seen on our campus.

In 1998 you started 21-0 and were ranked #1 in the country, finished with a school-record-tying 26 wins: what did it mean to be the best team in the nation, and did it reach a point where your team just expected to win every single game they played? When you have a streak like that you win some games that you probably should not have won. To be #1 for the 1st time in school history was fun but it also carried a lot of pressure with it. We put a lot of good teams together throughout the years and that team was the recipient of our past success.

You won 3 straight NCC titles from 1996-1998 and were named NCC COY 5 times in an 8-year span (1996-1998, 2002-2003): what makes you such a great coach, and did you ever consider coaching elsewhere ? What makes anyone a great coach is having good players: that is just all there is to it. You have to organize them and remain consistent, but any coach who thinks they are great because of what they teach is ridiculous! In all my years here I only applied for 1 other job, but I like it here and my kids have grown up here so I do not want to move my family.

In the past you coached barefoot to raise money and awareness about the earthquake disaster in Haiti (where your adopted daughter is from): why did you choose to do that, and what were you able to accomplish? I chose to do it because I am tied to Haiti through my daughter. I had been in Haiti before the earthquake so I cannot imagine how bad it is now. Anything simple like not wearing shoes to help raise some money for people who need help is always worth it.

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Video Conference Preview: SEC

Posted on November 6, 2015 by David Griggs

Links

-For Chad Sherwood’s Big Twelve Conference Preview – CLICK HERE

-For Jon Teitel’s latest interview with Charlotte coach Mark Price – CLICK HERE

-For ALL of our extensive Preseason Coverage, including player and coach interviews, conference previews, and conference video podcasts – CLICK HERE

 

SEC

Chad is once again joined by John, Jon, Joby, and David as the group looks at the SEC.  Kentucky is expected to dominate the league again, but the consensus is that the league as a whole is better than last year, and a lot better than it was two years ago.  Vanderbilt is starting off in the rankings, and the panel agrees that the ranking is warranted.  Florida has talent, but they also have a new coach and it will be interesting to see whether or not they can bounce back.  Texas A&M, LSU, and Georgia are other teams that will contend for spots in the SEC Tournament, and Chad and David even feel that Auburn could be a sleeper team.  All that, and more…

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

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