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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Conference Preview: Big 12

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

For our Big Twelve Video Podcast Preview – CLICK HERE

BIG 12

Of the ten teams in the Big 12 Conference, seven qualified for the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season last year, a truly amazing 70%!  Their participants included a 2 seed (Kansas), three 3 seeds (Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor), a 5 seed (West Virginia), a 9 seed (Oklahoma State) and an 11 seed (Texas).  Those numbers alone made the Big 12 appear to be the best conference in the country.  The results in the Big Dance, however, were not as good as only Oklahoma and West Virginia advanced to the second weekend, and the entire conference was done before the Elite Eight.

Although returning seven teams to the Big Dance this year would be a stretch to imagine, the Big 12 is once again loaded to bear, highlighted by a pair of legitimate national championship contenders at the top in Kansas and Iowa State.  On top of that, the Shaka Smart era is beginning at Texas, while Oklahoma, West Virginia and Baylor all return teams capable of advancing to the tournament.  At the bottom of the conference, both Texas Tech and TCU may make some strides this season, though probably not enough for postseason consideration.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Kansas – Who else?  The Jayhawks have won or shared an amazing 11 consecutive Big 12 regular season titles and there is no reason that streak won’t reach 12 this year.  They are loaded with the likes of Perry Ellis, Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden, Jr. and a couple of standout recruits such as Cheick Diallo (assuming he clears up his eligibility issue) and Carlton Bragg, Jr.  It would not be a shock at all to see this team still playing basketball in April.

2.  Iowa State – Fred Hoiberg left for the NBA, but new head coach Steve Prohm has a strong roster ready and waiting for his first season in Ames.  The veteran team includes Monte Morris, Jameel McKay, Georges Niang and Nazareth Mitrou-Long (f/k/a Naz Long).  To these players, the Cyclones have added Marquette transfer Deonte Burton and Oregon State transfer Hallice Cooke to form a very deep squad capable of winning multiple NCAA tournament games.

3.  Texas – Longhorn fans should be as excited as ever for the start of the Shaka Smart era in Texas.  Isaiah Taylor is the leader of a strong core of returning players while a solid recruiting class featuring guard Eric Davis, Jr. gets added into the mix as well.  Or maybe we should say gets added into the Mayhem.  There is no reason not to expect big things this year and in the future.

4.  Oklahoma – The Sooners’ backcourt of Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard should be among the best in the conference.  Down low, Ryan Spangler will need to get help from the likes of JC transfer Akolda Manyang to help make up for the loss of TaShawn Thomas.

5.  West Virginia – Juwan Staten may be gone, but almost everyone else of note returns and freshman Esa Ahmad has the tools to be a standout.  Bob Huggins’ “Press Virginia” defense should benefit from the shorter shot clock and put the Mountaineers back in the dance.

6.  Baylor – The Bears return a solid frontcourt with the likes of Rico Gathers and Taurean Prince.  However, there are some questions in the backcourt beyond Lester Medford that need to be answered if they want to be in the NCAA tournament again this year.

7.  Oklahoma State – Phil Forte III should continue to shine and will get backcourt help from freshman Jawun Evans.  The problems are down low where there do not appear to be enough pieces to make up for the loss of Le’Bryan Nash.

8.  Texas Tech – Tubby Smith’s squad is still young, but got a lot of playing time and experience last season.  With two senior guards to help stabilize things this year and the expected growth of young talent down low, there is no reason why they will not rise in the standings.

9.  TCU – The Horned Frogs’ inside trio of Karviar Shepherd, Chris Washburn and Kenrich Williams, plus the addition of newcomer Jalon Miller, should give TCU an advantage on the boards in almost every game they play.  The problem will be finding the scoring to go along with it.

10.  Kansas State – The top players from a losing team are all gone, and that is not a combination that leads to success.  If things don’t start improving in Manhattan, coach Bruce Weber could end up on the hot seat.

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Season preview: Charlotte coach Mark Price

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Most coaches who take a new job have to literally uproot their entire lives, but the only thing Mark Price will need to change is the destination on the GPS in his car!  Last March he was hired as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers after spending the past 2 years as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets.  He is 1 of the best players in Georgia Tech history, a 2-time All-American who was named 1985 ACC tourney MVP.  During his 12-year NBA career he became 1 of the best shooters in the history of the sport, and now we get to see how he does on the sideline.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Price about splitting the double-team and being on the court for 1 of Michael Jordan’s most famous shots.

price

At Georgia Tech you were named 1983 ACC ROY after leading the conference in scoring as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The opportunity was there. 1 of the reasons that I chose Georgia Tech was that it was a rebuilding program at the time so I would get a lot of playing time right away, which helped my development as a player.

In the 1985 ACC tourney title game you scored 16 PTS and were named tourney MVP after a 5-PT win over North Carolina: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing in Atlanta, and how hard is it to beat a team 3 times in 2 months? I think anytime you play in your city it gives you an advantage. The biggest challenge was to beat them 3 times in 1 season, which is very difficult to do. It is pretty rare, so it was quite an accomplishment.

In the 1986 NBA Draft you were selected by Dallas and then traded later that day to Cleveland: how did it feel to get drafted, and how did it feel to get traded so quickly? It happened very quickly, but my agent at the time told me that it was a deal that had been worked out in advance. I was not with Dallas long enough to consider myself a Maverick, and knew that I was going to Cleveland the whole time.

You swept Chicago 6-0 during the 1989 regular season, but in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference 1st round Michael Jordan scored 44 PTS including his famous series-winning shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer: did you think that the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was definitely my most devastating loss. We felt that we were the better team but I did not even play in Game 1 due to a pulled groin muscle. Game 5 was unbelievable: most people do not remember Craig scoring a layup right before Jordan made his shot.

Your 90.4 career FT% is 1 of the best in NBA history, you were a 2-time winner of the NBA 3-PT Shootout, and you have been a shooting consultant for several NBA teams: what is your secret for making shots, and how do you teach other players to make their own shots? Good technique is a starting point: I was fortunate that my dad was a coach who helped me create my shot. I have been able to pass it along to other guys: everyone is a little different but they all need some of the basics. I just try to take all of the information and apply it to the person I am working with to help them improve.

You are known as the pioneer of attacking the pick and roll by splitting the double-team: how did you come up with the idea, and how has it become so popular? It was not being done at the time and I just came upon it by happenstance. I remember it vividly: I was being guarded by Mo Cheeks and we were playing Philly in the 2nd of back-to-back games. I came off of a pick and roll and their big guy came out really high. It looked like the Red Sea parting so I just drove past him, pulled up, and made a shot. Cheeks complimented me on it afterward and I ended up making it a regular part of my game.

Last March you signed a 5-year deal to become head coach at Charlotte: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took the job because it was the perfect opportunity for me in a lot of different ways. I was already in the city as an assistant for the Hornets so my family did not have to move. I was just waiting for the right situation and have worked at the NBA level for the last 7-8 years, but after being contacted by the school and checking out the campus I think that it is a great chance to build something.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Syracuse/Miami/Georgetown: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They will all be big tests for us because we have 8 new players on the roster. We are just trying to build and develop what we do. The Bahamas tourney during Thanksgiving will include 3 big-time opponents over 3 straight days, which will be a real challenge.

You only return 1 of your top-7 scorers from last year (Braxton Ogbueze): how will you try to replace all of that missing offense? We are trying to figure all of that out right now and see what kind of system we will play. I like the guys we brought in and we will just take it day by day.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I am in a unique situation. There is so much unknown with a new team/coaching staff so I just expect to compete every night and have a chance to win games. I do not have a specific number of wins in mind.

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Video Conference Preview: Big Twelve

Posted on November 5, 2015 by David Griggs

Links

-For Chad Sherwood’s Atlantic Ten Preview – CLICK HERE

-For Jon Teitel’s interview with Eastern Michigan JR PG Raven Lee – CLICK HERE

-For all of our extensive preseason coverage, including interviews, conference previews, and video podcasts – CLICK HERE

 

BIG TWELVE

Chad is once again joined by the regular panel as they look at the Big Twelve Conference.  They discuss how the league has managed to get seven out of ten teams to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, which is the highest percentage of any conference ever, but at the same time have not had a team past the Sweet Sixteen since 2012.  Nevertheless, they once again feel the conference will be strong with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa State competing for protected seeds, and Baylor, Texas, and West Virginia likely also competing for spots in the NCAA Tournament.

 

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

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