Conference Preview: Big South

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

BIG SOUTH

The race for the Big South regular season title last year was one of the more exciting conference battles in the entire nation.  At one point in February, almost the entire conference was separated by three or fewer games in the standings. The battle came down to the final week and in the end Charleston Southern and High Point tied for the championship, with the Buccaneers earning the top spot in the conference tournament.  Unfortunately, while in other leagues this exciting battle would have also had the stakes of determining who had home court advantage in the conference tournament, that was not the case in the Big South.  The tournament is held just outside of Myrtle Beach each year, on the home court of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.  Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was Coastal Carolina that rode their home court advantage to the automatic bid and a 16 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament.  Charleston Southern had to settle for an NIT bid, while High Point played in the CIT.  Gardner-Webb and Radford also received postseason invites, both playing in the CBI.

This season, Coastal Carolina figures to be among the top teams in the conference again, and will have a chance to ride their home court to the automatic bid even if they don’t take the regular season title.  Luckily for those of us that disapprove of this format, things will have to change after this season as it will be the last for Coastal in the Big South.  The Chanticleers will move to the Sun Belt next year as they begin the process of upgrading their football program to the FBS level.  Although the regular season crown has less weight than some other leagues, the pick to take it this season is High Point, which returns a deep roster including John Brown, the best player in the conference.  Coastal Carolina and Gardner-Webb should also be factors, and keep an eye out for Longwood.  Last year’s co-champs, Charleston Southern, look like they will be taking a major step back with virtually the entire roster gone.

UPDATE (10/13/2015):  Due to Coastal Carolina’s departure from the conference on less than two years’ notice, they are ineligible to host the conference tournament.  The site of the tournament will be announced sometime in November.  (11/4/2015): It will be played on Campbell’s home court in Buies Creek, NC.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  High Point – The Panthers are led by the conference’s best player, John Brown, who is joined by three other seniors and two juniors at the top of the rotation.  On paper at least, this appears to be the team to beat.

2.  Coastal Carolina – The Chanticleers return four starters from last season’s NCAA Tournament team and once again get to host the conference tournament.  They are led by Elijah Wilson outside and Badou Diagne inside.

3.  Gardner-Webb – The Bulldogs have a solid frontcourt led by Tyrell Nelson.  They also return four senior guards, so there is no reason why they will not be right in the mix of things.  Jerome Hill’s decision to turn pro after last season may end up hurting.

4.  Longwood – Even though the Lancers only won 11 games last year and lost top scorer Quincy Taylor, they have a chance to surprise this season.  The main reason for that is Lotanna Nwogbo, back from an injury that cost him half of last season.  Nwogbo is a double-double threat every time he takes the court.

5.  Winthrop – Guard Keon Johnson figures to lead the way for the Eagles, but it will be difficult for them to make up for the loss of two double digit scorers in Keon Moore and Andre Smith.

6.  Campbell – D.J. Mason leads three returning starters.  The Camels biggest weakness last season was a lack of size.  They may have found the answer this year with the addition of Jon Ander Cuadra from Spain.

7.  Radford – YaYa Anderson and Rashun Davis will need to step things up a lot to make up for the losses of Javonte Green and R.J. Price.

8.  UNC Asheville – The good news is that the Bulldogs return four starters from last season.  The bad news is that it was supposed to have been all five until their top player, Andrew Rowsey, elected to transfer to Marquette.  Without Rowsey, just matching last season’s 15 wins would be an accomplishment.

9.  Liberty – Ritchie McKay has returned to the sidelines for the Flames and does have a double-digit scorer back in senior Theo Johnson.  He probably won’t be enough to provide any serious early success to McKay.

10.  Charleston Southern – Despite sharing the regular season crown last season, the Buccaneers could be in for a long year as they lost virtually everyone from the roster.  Head coach Barclay Radebaugh will need to cobble together a team made up mostly of JC transfers, so a major step backwards is expected.

11.  Presbyterian – DeSean Murray should score a ton of points for the Blue Hose this season, but there simply are not enough other pieces here for any serious success.

Posted in Conference Preview, Under the Radar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Season preview: Hampton SR SG Reggie Johnson

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

When you think of guys named Reggie Johnson who played basketball at Miami, your 1st instinct is probably the 6’10” center who played for the Hurricanes from 2010-2013.  However, option B is the 6’2″ guard who started his career at Miami (OH) before transferring to Hampton in 2013.  Last March he got to experience the thrill of victory by winning 4 games in 6 days to clinch the MEAC tourney title…followed by the agony of defeat after drawing an undefeated Kentucky team in the NCAA tourney.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Reggie about why he transferred and the large number of seniors on this year’s roster.

reggie

You were team captain during each of your 4 years of high school: what is the key to being a good leader? You have to lead by example. Leaders do a lot of talking but you also have to show guys what to do without saying anything. You need to carry yourself with good character.

You started 22 games as a freshman at Miami Ohio: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The veterans on the team made it comfortable for me as a freshman. I was there all summer so by the preseason I had a good feel for the team.

In December of 2013 you decided to transfer: why did you make that choice, and what made you choose Hampton? I just felt that Miami was no longer the perfect spot for me. It was sad because I wanted to stay, but I just had a gut feeling that I had to go elsewhere to have more fun with the game, which I never could have imagined. The longer that I was unhappy, the more it hurt me on the inside. I reached out to schools and schools reached out to me. 1 of the Hampton coaches went to the same high school I did. At first I thought that Hampton was too far away, but it was nice to go somewhere that had people I knew.

You play for Coach Ed Joyner: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is a player’s coach: he will correct us when necessary but also allows us to correct ourselves. He genuinely respects our opinion: it is not a 1-way street of “my way or the highway”. It is not just the captains who he respects: he listens to the input that everyone has to offer, which has made me feel very comfortable playing for him. He is very laid back so when he tells us to do something it is because he wants us to get better.

In the 2015 MEAC tourney you were named to the all-tourney team after winning 4 games in 6 days to clinch the title: how exhausted were you by the end of that week, and what did it mean to you to win the title? I was definitely tired by the end of the week, but I was able to gain some energy every day that we kept winning. At that point in the season everyone is tired so you just get to see who wants it the most. Adrenaline takes over as soon as the ball is tipped and you only feel tired after the game.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 4 STL in a loss to then-undefeated Kentucky: where does that Wildcat team rank among the best that you have ever seen? Kentucky was great: they had a lot of talent and a lot of hype, but it was great to see them play together. They were not worried about who was taking shots: it shows how Coach Calipari can do what he does. They were good people and not cocky at all, so it was a great experience.

You had 7 different players start at least 17 games last year: do you consider that a good thing (because it allowed a bunch of guys to get some experience), or a bad thing (because of the uncertainty of never knowing who would start from 1 game to the next), or other? It was very up and down last year with a lot of uncertainty. We were all over the place at first but we finally gained an identity late in the year with a steadier lineup, which helped us get to the postseason. It will carry over into next season: we know that we can just go out there now and do what we have to do without worrying about who is starting.

You are part of a huge senior class this year: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success? It will be very crucial. We have 4 freshmen who are ready to play so it will be a nice mix of old guys who have been around the program and young guys who are capable. We want to defend what is ours, but we understand what we did right and wrong last year and we know the format for how we can succeed. We have to relay the message to the freshmen and make sure they are on-board.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against SMU/Colorado: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I would say SMU: I heard they might be a top-25 team. It will be fun for me personally because 1 of my close friends from home is Sterling Brown, who plays for the Mustangs. We do not have as many high-major teams on our schedule as last year, but Colorado will also be tough.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I expect that our team will have a great non-conference record so I think we can enter the conference tourney with 23-25 wins. I feel it is time to take responsibility and own the conference. Great teams win games that they are not supposed to even when they are struggling, and we need to be able to put teams away. I hope we can get back to the NCAA tourney and make a run: if we can get a higher seed, then we will not have to face a team like Kentucky. It is my last year here and I know that I can score, so I want to show my impact on defense and maybe win the conference DPOY award.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Hampton SR SG Reggie Johnson

Conference Preview: Big Sky

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage CLICK HERE.

BIG SKY

Since 2009 the Big Sky has been dominated by Montana and Weber State.  In that 7 year span, at least one of those two teams has won the regular season, won the automatic bid, or at least advanced to the conference tournament championship game.  Last season, Weber State suffered a setback, finishing 8th in the conference and falling in the conference tournament quarterfinals (to Montana).  Montana did take the regular season title and advanced to the championship game where they were upset by Eastern Washington.  The Eagles captured the automatic bid and a 13 seed, losing in the Round of 64 to Georgetown.  Montana played in the NIT, while Sacramento State (making their first postseason appearance ever) and Northern Arizona were in the CIT.  Northern Arizona advanced all the way to the CIT title game, falling there to Evansville.

This season, things should be back to normal in the Big Sky as Weber State is the pick to rebound from last year and take the conference title.  In fact, the Wildcats appear to be a good measure better than the rest of the league, though if someone will knock them off Montana is as good a pick as any (Northern Arizona and Portland State being the other top contenders).  Winning the automatic bid in the Big Sky will take a different path this season as the conference has moved its tournament from the home court of the regular season champion to a neutral site in Reno, Nevada.  Additionally, for the first time in conference history, every team will be invited to play in the tournament.  In other words, the regular season is now only about seeding in the conference tournament, and no longer about qualifying for it and earning home court advantage.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Weber State – Joel Bolomboy down low and Jeremy Senglin in the backcourt lead a solid core that appears to have enough pieces to take the league title.

2.  Northern Arizona – The Lumberjacks lost their top two scorers from last season but still have enough pieces to contend with Kris Yanku at guard and Jordyn Martin and Ako Kaluna down low, plus a strong recruiting class.

3.  Montana – The Grizzlies have some questions in the backcourt with leading scorer Jordan Gregory gone and Mario Dunn coming off of surgery.  Martin Breunig figures to be the team’s leading scorer down low, but he is going to need some help.

4.  Portland State – The Vikings add Arizona State transfer Caleen Robinson and Georgia transfer Cameron Forte.  They also return some solid frontcourt payers such as Braxton Tucker and a solid wing in Bryce White.  Despite losing three starters, Portland State could surprise this year.

5.  Eastern Washington – The Eagles do return Venky Jois down low, but he is the only starter back.  It will probably be impossible to replace Tyler Harvey, the nation’s leading scorer at 23.1 points per game.

6.  Sacramento State – A return to the postseason will be difficult without Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity but there are enough solid pieces here to be competitive.

7.  Southern Utah – The Thunderbirds return all five starters.  Unfortunately, these are the same players that won just 10 games last season, and only 2 the year before.  Things are improving in Cedar City, but just having a winning overall record would be a huge success.

8.  North Dakota – Carson Shanks is 7 feet tall down low, but he will need help down there for UND to be successful.  The team does have some solid pieces in the backcourt — enough to at least keep them in games.

9.  Idaho State – Almost everyone is gone from a team that won only 7 games.  Head coach Bill Evans added a group of JC transfers that will all need to excel to avoid a finish at the bottom of the league standings.

10.  Northern Colorado – Five of the Bears’ top seven players are gone and there is virtually no experience in the frontcourt.  This could be a long year.

11.  Montana State – The Bobcats simply do not have enough pieces to avoid being among the league’s cellar dwellers.

12.  Idaho – Things look like they will be worse rather than better in the Vandals’ second season back in the Big Sky.  Only one starter returns from last season, and he only averaged 2.6 points per game.

Posted in Conference Preview, News and Notes, Under the Radar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big Sky

Season preview: Iowa SR F Jarrod Uthoff

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all the rest of our Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Most players would get frustrated after having to redshirt for 2 straight years, but Jarrod Uthoff has made the most of this tough situation.  Off the court, he worked hard enough to graduate with a degree in economics last May and was named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District 1st Team.  On the court, he was named to the 2015 All-Big Ten 3rd Team and has already established himself as 1 of the best rebounders/shot-blockers in the entire conference.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jarrod about making 2 NCAA tourneys in a row and how often he checks the team’s schedule. 

jarrod

You began your college career at Wisconsin: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you pick Iowa? The main reason was the style of play. I was not a good fit in the Wisconsin system, but I got to see how Iowa played and I liked it.

You play for Coach Fran McCaffery: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He allows us the freedom on offense to do what we do.

In the 2014 NCAA tourney you scored 6 PTS in an OT loss to Tennessee: how close did you come to winning the game in regulation, and what happened in OT (your team was outscored 14-1)? I do not really know: it was just 1 of those things where the tide turned in overtime.

Last February you scored a career-high 25 PTS (5-11 3PM) in a 5-PT OT loss at Northwestern: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Not necessarily: I have had some other games where I was making every shot, but I was not in a pure zone that night.

You finished the year by leading the team with 54 3PM: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? It is all about practice and confidence.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 20 PTS (10-19 FG) in a loss to Gonzaga: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? Gonzaga played as well as they could have so we learned that we need to bring our best every night to beat teams like that.

You have twice been named Academic All-Big 10: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I do all of my homework and go to all of my classes. It does not take a whole lot to get a 3.0 GPA: you just have to be diligent about it and be good at time management.

You lost 2 of your top-3 scorers from last year (Aaron White/Gabe Olaseni): how will you try to replace all of that offense? Offense will not be a problem for us.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Marquette/Dayton/Florida State/Iowa State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I have not even looked at our schedule because I like to take it 1 game at a time. During the season I do not normally know who our next opponent is until we finish the previous game.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Every year we have the goal of winning a Big 10 title: anything less than that is accepting failure.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Iowa SR F Jarrod Uthoff

Conference Preview: Atlantic Sun

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

ATLANTIC SUN

The North Florida Ospreys won the regular season title in the Atlantic Sun last year for the first time ever, and then rode the home court advantage in the conference tournament that came with the title to their first NCAA tournament bid.  Their bid came with an invite to the First Four in Dayton as a 16 seed, where they fell to Robert Morris by 4 points.  Two other A-Sun teams received postseason invites, as Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate both played in the CIT.  After the season, Northern Kentucky announced that it would be moving to the Horizon League, temporarily reducing the A-Sun’s membership down to only 7.  To get that number back up to 8, the conference went a bit out of its historic geographic footprint and invited the nation’s only independent last season, NJIT, to join.  NJIT brings in a solid resume from last season, having played in the CIT and advanced all the way to the semifinals, not to mention picking up a huge regular season victory at Michigan.

Although the NJIT Highlanders are the newcomers to the conference, they return a deep team that has proven it can win games against this level of competition and are therefore the preseason pick to take the conference and its automatic bid.  It will not be easy though as North Florida returns the majority of its defending champion team.  Keep an eye on Lipscomb to move up this season, and Florida Gulf Coast may still be in the hunt despite losing its two best players to graduation.  South Carolina Upstate, on the other hand, looks like it will be taking a step backwards this year as Ty Greene, who seems to have led the team for the past ten years, has finally graduated.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  NJIT – The Highlanders return their top four players and will have a chance to play for an automatic bid for the first time in school history.  They are led by Damon Lynn, though all four returning starters averaged double digits in scoring.

2.  North Florida – The Ospreys should be right near the top of the conference standings as they return four starters from last year’s tournament team including their top three scorers.  Dallas Moore, Beau Beech and Chris Davenport have a great chance to put this team back in the dance again.

3.  Lipscomb – Josh Williams leads a deep backcourt and the addition of 7-2, 276 pound transfer David Wishon from College of Charleston gives them a huge size advantage against the rest of the league.  If Wishon can contribute significantly, the rest of the conference better watch out.

4.  Florida Gulf Coast – Bernard Thompson and Brett Comer are gone, meaning the Eagles will need to rely a lot more heavily on Julian DeBose.  VCU transfer Antravious Simmons and freshman Rayjon Tucker should both be factors this year.

5.  Jacksonville – The Dolphins return all five starters led by Kori Babineaux, one of the top guards in the conference.  Coach Tony Jasick has added a couple of solid JC transfers this season, and there is no reason the team will not show significant improvement from last year’s 10-22 record.

6.  Stetson – The Hatters are ineligible for postseason play due to their APR; however, the future is looking brighter with no seniors on the roster and a pair of point guards, Divine Myles and Brian Pegg, who each had more than 100 assists last year.

7.  South Carolina Upstate – Ty Greene was everything for the Spartans, and now he is gone.  Head coach Eddie Payne will be in rebuild mode this year.

8.  Kennesaw State – The Owls brought in a big name head coach in Al Skinner who should get this program moving towards the upper division very soon.  A pair of seniors, Yonel Brown and Nigel Pruitt, will lead the team this year, but the rebuild by Coach Skinner will take a few seasons.

Posted in Conference Preview, Under the Radar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Atlantic Sun

Season preview: Vermont JR PG Dre Wills

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of our Preseason Conference Previews, Articles, and Interviews – CLICK HERE

Where there’s a Wills, there’s a Dre: too easy!  He needed a lot of will as a freshman to deal with a broken finger that cost him 7 games.  He showed his all-around ability as a sophomore in 2015, being named to both the America East All-Conference 2nd-Team as well as the conference All-Defensive Team, and somehow led the Catamounts in rebounding despite standing all of 6’1″.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Dre about making the CBI last March and being 1 of the best FG shooters in the entire conference.

dre

You grew up in Indiana: what made you choose Vermont? I liked the family atmosphere and they are 1 of the top mid-major programs in the country who are always competing to get into the NCAA tourney.

You play for Coach John Becker: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He pushes everyone the same regardless of whether you are the 1st guy on the team or the 10th guy, so it makes us all work together and not have any egos.

Last year you had 63 STL and were named to the America East All-Defensive Team: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot to me. I have always been a defensive-first guy because the offense will always come to you.

You also led your team with 4.8 RPG: how does a 6’1” guard get so many rebounds?! I just try to attack the ball and be in the right position. Our big men do a good job of boxing out so I just have to track the ball when it bounces off the rim.

You shot 60.9 FG% in conference play: what is your secret for being a great shooter? I just take good shots, act unselfish, and try not to get in trouble when I go to the hole. You cannot force your shot so I just wait for the right opportunity.

In the 2015 CBI semifinal you scored 11 PTS in a 6-PT loss to Louisiana-Monroe: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? We were a young team last year so the experience of getting those extra games will definitely help us out in the long run.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Purdue/Florida: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Purdue is a real big team and that is where I am from so I am looking forward to going back there to play. We just have to play our game and try to keep them off the glass.

Your team returns each of its top-4 scorers from last year: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? We had a lot of freshman last year, but they are ready to make the jump this year and will be much more comfortable on the court.

Your brother Tony plays basketball at Illinois State: who is the best athlete in the family? I do not want to compare us. I am a better athlete but he can shoot better than me, so it is a real good competition.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I expect us to get to the NCAA tourney. I hope we can win the conference outright and I think we can also win 20 games.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | 1 Comment