Season preview: Manhattan SR SF Shane Richards

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

He made it there so he’ll make it anywhere…especially if he is standing behind the arc.  He made it onto the MAAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman and was named MAAC co-ROY.  As a sophomore he scored 14 PTS for Manhattan in the MAAC tourney title game win over Iona and made it to the NCAA tourney.  As a junior he set a school record with 92 3PM and made it onto the MAAC All-tourney team after shooting 42.9 3P%.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Shane about playing for his hometown team and the rivalry with Iona. 

shane

You grew up in New York City: what made you choose the Jaspers? They were my only scholarship offer coming out of high school and it has been a really good decision for me.

You play for Coach Steve Masiello: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He has helped me immensely with my mental toughness. His style of play is great because it is so hard for our opponents to prepare for, and he has us prepared for every single game.

In 2013 you played in all 32 games and were named MAAC co-ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I struggled at first while adjusting to the college game, but worked hard and stayed after practice and eventually got more confidence.

Last year you set a school record with 92 3PM: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? I am not sure: I have always been a pretty good shooter. There is nothing really to it besides practicing.

You have played Iona in each of the past 3 MAAC tourney title games: how big is the rivalry, and do you think we will see the 4th in a row next March? The rivalry is 1 of the best that I have ever been around. Coach compares it to Kentucky-Louisville even though it is not on that scale. I hope we can get back to the title game in March: it would be interesting.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored a team-high 17 PTS in a 10-PT loss to Hampton: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? We came out a little flat in that game. We just need to do a better job of coming out strong from the jump and playing Manhattan basketball.

You are 1 of only 2 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I get that question a lot. It is difficult because this is the 1st time for me on this level, but we are working very hard and will take it day by day.

You lost your top-2 scorers from last year (Emmy Andujar/Ashton Pankey): how will you try to replace all of that offense? We are not really worried about that. We lost some big scorers the previous year and just had other players step up to the challenge.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against St. Mary’s/Bucknell/Memphis: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I have not watched film on anyone yet but they should all be pretty talented.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The goal is to make it back to the NCAA tourney. I just want to be the best player I can be at the end of the day.

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Conference Preview: Northeast

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

NORTHEAST

They came so close.  The St. Francis-Brooklyn Terriers are on the small list of five teams that have been members of Division I since its beginning in 1948 without making a single NCAA Tournament.  Last season, the Terriers captured the Northeast Conference regular season title and rode their home court advantage to the conference championship game against Robert Morris.  They held a 6 point lead at halftime.  But in the end, it was Robert Morris that celebrated the 3 point victory and berth in the Big Dance, where the Colonials knocked off North Florida in the First Four as a 16 seed before losing to Duke in the Round of 64.  St. Francis-Brooklyn ended up playing in the NIT, while St. Francis-Pennsylvania joined them in the postseason, playing in the CIT.

This season, Robert Morris and St. Francis-Brooklyn should both be battling for the regular season crown and home court advantage in the NEC tournament.  They will likely be joined by Mount St. Mary’s, Bryant, and Sacred Heart.  St. Francis-Pennsylvania looks like they will slide a bit and may end up battling just to finish in the top 8 and qualify to participate in the conference tournament.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Robert Morris – If Marcquise Reed had not decided to transfer to Clemson, the Colonials would be the overwhelming favorites in the NEC this season.  Even with him gone, the team returns four starters including Rodney Pryor, who may just be the best player in the conference.

2.  Mount St. Mary’s – The Mountaineers return four starters from last year and will be led by forward Gregory Graves and guard Byron (a/k/a BK) Ashe.  They could challenge this year and, with only one key senior in the lineup, should be a factor next season as well.

3.  St. Francis-Brooklyn – Conference Player of the Year Jalen Cannon is gone, as is guard Brent Jones.  However, the Terriers were a deep team last year and most of the rest of the rotation is back.  If players like NEC Defensive Player of the Year Amdy Fall step up, they will have a shot to finally make the Dance this year.

4.  Sacred Heart – The Pioneers are a young team that gained a ton of experience last year.  They are led by sophomore Cane Broome who should be even better this time around.  Anthony Latina’s team could a surprise contender this season.

5.  Bryant – Dan Garvin is a consistent double-double threat down low for the Bulldogs, but they will need to find a way to make up for the loss of a pair of double digit scorers in the backcourt.

6.  Long Island U-Brooklyn – The Blackbirds finished 12-18 last season.  With three starters gone, they will need significant help from players that were key reserves last season, such as Joel Hernandez and twins Trevon and Trevin Woods, if they want to move up in the standings.

7.  St. Francis-Pennsylvania – The Red Flash will need to find some scoring this season, now that Earl Brown is gone, if they want any chance to contend for the upper division.

8.  Wagner – Marcus Burton averaged 17.5 points per game last season.  Now he is gone and the Seahawks may struggle just to qualify for the NEC tournament.

9.  Fairleigh Dickinson – The Knights are a very young team that will be led by sophomore Darian Anderson and Monmouth transfer Tyrone O’Garro.  Things look like they will be improving soon — but probably not until next season.

10.  Central Connecticut State – The Blue Devils lost their best two players from a team that won only 5 games last year.  That is a recipe for a very long season.

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Season preview: Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Cowboy Up!  Travis Ford 1st made a name for himself as a player for the Kentucky Wildcats, losing to Duke in the 1992 NCAA tourney in 1 of the most famous games in college basketball history.  He set a school record for most threes made in a season, converted 50 straight FTs in a row, and was a 2-time SEC tourney MVP.  He was NIT runner-up as head coach at UMass and has made the postseason in 6 of his 7 years as head coach at Oklahoma State.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Ford about playing for Rick Pitino and being a great shooter. 

travis

You began your college career at Missouri: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you pick Kentucky? After my freshman year I played in the Olympic Festival in Minnesota and just decided that I wanted to make a change. I was from Kentucky and was very interested in playing for Coach Rick Pitino: he helped develop a lot of good guards and I wanted to be a coach someday.

What makes Pitino such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? There are lot of coaches who focus on motivation or Xs and Os, but he can do it all because he is the total package. He knows the game extremely well and works very hard at recruiting. He taught me the importance of preparation and work ethic. He took over a struggling Kentucky program that was going through some tough times and got it back to 1 of the elite programs in the country.

In the 1992 NCAA tourney you played 7 minutes in a 1-PT OT loss to Duke: what are your memories of 1 of the most famous games in the history of college basketball? It was amazing that we were in that position. Our seniors had put in a lot of sweat and tears to bring Kentucky basketball back, and to have the opportunity to go to a Final 4 was a great learning experience. After the game I remember how devastated we were in the locker room: we felt so bad for our seniors who had been through so much before that crushing loss. Making it to the Final 4 the following year had a lot to do with that game.

In the 1993 Final 4 you scored 12 PTS in a 3-PT OT loss to Michigan: what did you think of the Wolverines’ “Fab 5”? They were pretty good! They were talented and long and big: they were young but had a lot of maturity/chemistry about them. It was a big-time Final 4 at the Superdome with 4 great teams (Kansas/Kentucky/Michigan/North Carolina). We had a margin of victory of around 22 PPG just to get there, which remains 1 of the best all-time. Jamal Mashburn fouled out in OT, which hurt our chances.

In 1993 you set a school-record by shooting 52.9 3P%, and your 88.2 career FT% is #3 in school history: what is the secret to being a great shooter? I do not think it is a secret: practice! My coach and teammates put me in good positions to shoot…and it helped that Mashburn was often double-teamed.

You were named SEC tourney MVP in 1993 and 1994: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? Both of those awards were a result of us winning games. I had pretty good stats but I was the PG on some really good teams.

In the 2008 NIT title game as coach at UMass you had a 7-PT loss to Ohio State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot the Buckeyes put up in the 2nd half (19-30 FG) seemed to go in because their whole team was “in the zone”? It was an amazing stretch for us just to get to the title game. We had to go back to Syracuse after we had already beaten them earlier in the year. They had several future pros on that team: I think that we are 1 of the only teams to ever win 2 games in the Carrier Dome during the same season. We led the Buckeyes for most of the game but literally ran out of gas: Kosta Koufos gave us a lot of problems in the 2nd half. It was 1 of the most enjoyable teams that I have ever coached: we were picked to finish 11th in the A-10 during the preseason.

You have made 5 NCAA tourneys in the past 7 years, but lost to Oregon in 2 of the past 3 NCAA tourneys: how sick are you of seeing the Ducks in March?! Absolutely: Gonzaga got us 1 year so none of the West Coast teams have been very favorable to us. It is great to make the tourney but we want to have more success once we get there. You have to earn it so hopefully we can get over the hump. The glass is half-full: we just need to fill it up a little higher!

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Minnesota/Florida/Auburn: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Every game is a big test and they all present different challenges. All 3 of those teams will press and play an up-tempo style of basketball. They are all very well-coached but what stands out is that none of them are in our home gym. When you add in the Charleston Classic it is a very challenging schedule.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We will take it step-by-step. Everyone wants to win the league/make the tourney/win the national title. However, we just need to concentrate on our game goals and build our identity as a team. We want to figure out how to knock off Kansas in the Big 12, but we just need to get better each and every day and worry about our short-term goals.

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Conference Preview: Missouri Valley

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

MISSOURI VALLEY

It is tough to imagine that any conference could have a much better March than the Missouri Valley Conference did last season.  It started with an extremely exciting conference tournament where Illinois State upset top seed Wichita State in the semifinals and held an 18 point lead over Northern Iowa in the championship game before UNI came back and captured the automatic bid.  Northern Iowa went on to the NCAA Tournament as a 5 seed and defeated Wyoming in the Round of 64 before falling to Louisville in the Round of 32.  Wichita State received a 7 seed, knocked off a tough Indiana team in the Round of 64, and got their dream matchup against in-state rival Kansas in the Round of 32.  The Shockers were certainly up to the task, upsetting the 2 seed Jayhawks before finally falling in the Sweet 16 to Notre Dame.  Illinois State received an invite to the NIT, advancing to the second round of that tournament before falling by one point to Old Dominion.

That was not the end of the story for the Valley in March though.  Not even close.  Two other teams received postseason bids.  Evansville played in the CIT and Loyola-Chicago played in the CBI.  And those two teams combined to go 10-0 in those two events.  Evansville defeated Northern Arizona in the CIT title game while Loyola swept Louisiana-Monroe in the Best of 3 finals series of the CBI.  In all, the Missouri Valley Conference posted an amazing 14-3 record in postseason tournaments last year with two championships, one of the best postseasons by any conference ever.

Although it may be difficult to match last season’s performance, the Missouri Valley will certainly be a conference to reckon with this year.  Wichita State enters the season looking like one of the top teams in the entire country, led by seniors Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet.  Evansville, Loyola-Chicago and Illinois State all look like they will be battling for spots near the top of the conference standings, with Northern Iowa not far behind them (though likely taking a step back from last year).  The two teams to really pay attention to in this conference are Loyola and Evansville.  Both teams have the tools necessary to be in the at-large bid discussion.  Loyola returns four of their starters from last year’s CBI championship team.  Evansville looks even stronger, returning all five.  The Purple Aces are led by D.J. Balentine who would be the best guard in the conference if not for Baker and VanVleet.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Wichita State  – Even with Tekele Cotton gone, the Shockers remain stacked in the backcourt with Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and more.  They should be even stronger than last year down low now that Zach Brown and Shaquille Morris have a year of experience under their belts.  They have added Cleveland State transfer Anton Grady who should be a force down low as well.

2.  Evansville – Everyone returns all five starters from the CIT champions led by D.J. Balentine’s scoring and Egidijus Mockevicius’ rebounding.  The Purple Aces have more than enough depth too and should be a serious contender for an NCAA tournament bid, and not just the automatic kind.

3.  Loyola-Chicago – The Ramblers return four starters from last year’s CBI champions including Milton Doyle and Earl Peterson at guard.  JC transfer Maurice Kirby should provide a ton of help to Montel James down low.  If things click, especially in conference play where the Ramblers struggled at only 8-10 last season, do not be shocked if they are in the bubble discussion as well.

4.  Illinois State – The Redbirds need to make up for the losses of Daishon Knight and Reggie Lynch, but Newcomer of the Year DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and New Mexico transfer Nick Banyard should help keep them near the top of the standings.

5.  Northern Iowa – The Panthers had an amazing season last year that culminated in a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  Three starters from that team are gone including their top player, Seth Tuttle.  Ben Jacobson’s squad has some serious question marks down low heading into this season and a return to the Big Dance seems to be a longshot at best.

6.  Drake – The Bulldogs could be the surprise team in the Valley this year with Reed Timmer and Penn State transfer Graham Woodward in the backcourt and tons of size down low, led by Jacob Enevold-Hensen.  The best news is that the roster is made up of mostly sophomores and juniors, so the conference better watch out next year!

7.  Indiana State – The Sycamores feature a solid backcourt with the combination of Devonte Brown, Brenton Scott and wing Khristian Smith.  If Matt Van Scyoc, who transferred from The Citadel, can be solid down low at this higher level of play, this team could contend for the upper division.

8.  Missouri State – The good news is that the Bears return all five starters from the end of last season.  The bad news is that they do not appear to have any true standout players and also suffer from a lack of size down low.  This could be another tough season in Springfield.

9.  Southern Illinois – Anthony Beane should score a ton of points, but he does not appear to have enough other pieces around him after the Salukis lost five players via transfer in the offseason.

10.  Bradley – Brian Wardle had a ton of success in Green Bay and will be called upon to return Bradley to respectability.  It won’t happen in his first year though as only five players from last season’s roster return, and only one of them (senior guard Ka’Darryl Bell) was a starter.

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Season preview: Wake Forest assistant coach Steve Woodberry

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Steve Woodberry has been through quite a number of championship games in the world of basketball during the past 30 years.  He lost a Kansas high school state title game on a 3-PT shot in the final seconds, lost to a legendary Duke team in the 1991 NCAA title game as a player for the Jayhawks, won a 1993 gold medal game as a player for team USA, and won the 2010 CIT title as an assistant at Missouri State.  He now begin his 2nd year as an assistant to Danny Manning at Wake Forest.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Woodberry about playing pro basketball and avoiding the wrath of Jay Bilas. 

Woodberry

At Wichita South High School you won 2 state title games but lost a 3rd by 2 PTS to an undefeated Shawnee Mission South on a 3-PT shot by your future Jayhawk teammate Greg Gurley with 2 seconds left: did you think his shot was going in, and what is it like to become teammates with a guy who previously ripped your heart out? It looked good the whole way so my hat is off to him…but I took my frustrations out on him at Kansas every single time that he guarded me!

In the 1991 NCAA tourney title game you scored 2 PTS in a 7-PT loss to Duke: where does that Bobby Hurley/Grant Hill/Christian Laettner team rank among the best that you have ever seen? That was 1 of the better teams that I ever played against. They played very well as a team and they had so many weapons that you could not just shut down 1 guy.

You won a gold medal with team USA at the 1993 FIBA U-22 World Championship: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and which of your teammates impressed you the most (Eddie Jones/Wesley Person/Corliss Williamson/other)? It is always great to win a gold medal: you have to build chemistry to create 1 common goal. We had no selfishness, which made it enjoyable. Wesley impressed me the most: he was a great shooter and made it look real easy.

You played pro in several different countries for more than a decade: what is the biggest difference between basketball in America and basketball overseas? Overseas they practice twice a day and there is more of a focus on skills. Here it is more about transition and attacking, but over there they want you to make several passes and execute the offense.

In the 2010 CIT title game as an assistant to Cuonzo Martin at Missouri State you beat Pacific to clinch the title: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was our 2nd year with Coach Martin after we had only won about 11 games the previous year. Losing games is tough on the confidence of young players, so it was a great accomplishment for our guys and helped give us the momentum to win the MVC the following year.

In 2012 you become an assistant to fellow Kansas alum Danny Manning at Tulsa, and in 2014 you followed him to Wake Forest: what makes Manning such a good coach, and how do you like working for him? He has a great demeanor: he is tough on you but is very approachable and will help guys work out or shoot with them. It has been great to coach with him and he has given his assistants the opportunity to do our jobs.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Rutgers/Arkansas/Xavier/LSU, as well as several great teams in the Maui Invitational: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? LSU will be a great test for us because it is on the road and is right before we start conference play. Maui will be tough with 3 games in a row, but we want to get off to a good start against LSU before starting conference play.

You return each of your top-5 scorers from last year: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? It is very important for us because we will not need to spend all day teaching the players what to do. We expect more from our veteran guys and we expect them to finish games strong this year.

1 of your incoming freshmen is Anthony Bilas, whose father Jay is an analyst for ESPN: are you worried that if he does not get enough playing time that your coaching staff might get called out on national TV?! Maybe in a joking fashion, but not really. I guess we can hold him hostage if his dad says anything negative about us!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We will be better later in the year because while our freshmen are talented, they are also young. We want to be in contention in the ACC and finish in the middle of the pack or higher to show some growth. I think we have a chance to win a lot more than 13 games this year.

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Conference Preview: MEAC

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

MEAC

Two years ago, North Carolina Central was the top seed in the MEAC Tournament and captured the tournament title and the conference’s automatic bid.  That may not be a strange event in most conferences, but it was in the MEAC, as the Eagles are the only top seed to have even played in the conference tournament championship game in the last five years.  In 2013, Norfolk State had entered the MEAC tournament undefeated in conference play and lost in the quarterfinals.  Last year, it was North Carolina Central the entered the conference tournament undefeated and fell in the semifinals.  Hampton came out of the 6 seed last year to take the automatic bid, and won their First Four game over Manhattan before falling in the Round of 64 to Kentucky.  North Carolina Central played in the NIT, Delaware State was in the CBI, and both Norfolk State and Maryland-Eastern Shore were in the CIT.

This season, North Carolina Central looks like they will be taking a step back, while Hampton appears to be the team with the best shot at the regular season title (and potential kiss of death in the MEAC Tournament that comes with that honor).  Norfolk State and Maryland-Eastern Shore will also both be in the hunt for the crown, as should Howard, a team that was expected to step up last season but fell short.  UMES may be the most intriguing story in the conference as Bobby Collins significantly turned the program around in just his first year at the helm last season, leading them to their first postseason appearance since 1974.  Predicting the regular season champion is a lot easier in the MEAC than predicting the automatic bid winner as recent history has shown that a team needs to only finish in the top 7 in the conference to have a shot at winning it.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Hampton – The Pirates are the pick to win the MEAC as they return their top three scorers including Dwight Meikle in the frontcourt along with guards Reginald Johnson and Quinton Chievous.  Head coach Edward Joyner’s squad returns a deep bench as well.

2.  Howard – This could be one of the best years for the Bison in quite some time with James Daniel and James Miller back, as well as having Prince Okoroh healthy.

3.  Maryland-Eastern Shore – The Hawks lost Mike Myers and his almost 16 points per game, but they do return Dominique Elliott down low and a pair of strong guards in Devin Martin and MEAC Rookie of the Year Ryan Andino.  Bobby Collins won the conference Coach of the Year award last season and his team should be challenging for the top spot in the league again this year.

4.  Norfolk State – The Spartans have one of the MEAC’s best backcourts in the combination of Jeff Short and D’Shon Taylor.  They will need to answer some serious questions down low if they want to contend for the league title.

5.  North Carolina Central – The Eagles will take a big step backwards after going 16-0 last season in conference play as four starters from that squad are gone.  All is not lost, however, as they do return guard Dante Holmes who averaged over 10 points per game, and welcome back forward Jay Copeland who missed all of last season due to injury.

6.  North Carolina A&T – Bruce Beckford leads a strong, veteran frontcourt on a team that returns all five of its starters from last season.  The Aggies will be greatly improved from last year’s 9th place finish, but may still not have enough pieces, especially in the backourt, to challenge for the top portion of the conference standings.

7.  Morgan State – It is tough to overlook head coach Todd Bozeman’s team, even coming off of a 24 loss season.  Cedric Blossom will lead the way this year for the Bears, who should improve as their young players gain more experience.

8.  South Carolina State – Despite returning four starters from last season, the Bulldogs are coming off a 22 loss campaign and do not appear to have the pieces to finish in the upper half of the conference standings.

9.  Delaware State – The top four players are gone from last year’s CBI team, and the Hornets appear to be in rebuild mode.

10.  Savannah State – The Tigers only return one player that averaged more than 5 points per game last year.  They will need their newcomers to lead the way, but it is tough not to expect another long season.

11. Bethune-Cookman – Ricky Johnson is the team’s best player, but there just are not enough other pieces here to help him.

12.  Coppin State – When a 23 loss team loses its top three scorers, it is never a good sign.

13.  Florida A&M – The Rattlers remain banned from the MEAC tournament and postseason play due to their APR.  Last season, they picked up only two victories.  In the offseason, they lost their top three players.  Once again, FAMU is an early season candidate for the coveted HOOPSHD “Centenary Award”, given at the end of the year to the nation’s worst team.

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