CONFERENCE PREVIEW: AMERICA EAST

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Chad

For quick access to all of our 2015-16 Season Previews, CLICK HERE.

AMERICA EAST

The 2015-16 previews begin in the America East.  Over the next five weeks, you will see my Conference Previews released almost every day, beginning with the 23 small and mid-major conferences and then ending in early November with the top 9 conferences, all in alphabetical order.

The America East was dominated last season by the Albany Great Danes, a team that went 15-1 in conference regular season play then followed up with the conference tournament championship before falling by 9 points to Oklahoma in the Round of 64.  Stony Brook, Vermont and New Hampshire all made postseason appearances as well.  For Stony Brook and Vermont, it was the CBI where the Catamounts advanced to the semifinals.  For New Hampshire, it was the CIT where they lost in the first round to NJIT.  New Hampshire did make history though, as they hosted a conference tournament game for the first time ever, beating Hartford in overtime in the quarterfinals in front of a raucous crowd, and made their first ever postseason appearance in the CIT.

This season, the chances of one team dominating in conference play are much lower.  This is because all four of last year’s postseason participants return deep veteran lineups.  Although the conference will only put one team in the Big Dance, this league could give us some of the most exciting basketball as Albany, Stony Brook, Vermont and New Hampshire battle it out all season for the top spot in the conference and home court advantage in the conference tournament.  Beyond the top four teams, Binghamton should be improved while UMBC and Maine should both be more competitive than last year — though that should not be hard for a pair of teams that combined for 7 total wins last season.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Stony Brook – The entire team pretty much returns this year including conference Player of the Year Jameel Warney and all-conference first teamer Carson Puriefoy.  The Seawolves also add in Longwood transfer Lucas Woodhouse and welcome back Ahmad Walker who spent last season playing for a junior college after being a freshman standout for Stony Brook two years ago.  It won’t be easy with the competition in this conference, but this could be the season that the Seawolves finally make their first dance.

2.  Albany – Peter Hooley, Evan Singletary and Ray Sanders lead a deep team that has advanced to three straight NCAA tournaments.  If Mike Rowley can step in to replace his brother Sam in the frontcourt, there is no reason why they won’t be right in the hunt for a fourth straight bid.

3.  New Hampshire – Four starters and top reserve Daniel Dion return from last year’s 19 win team.  Last season’s conference Rookie of the Year Tanner Leissner will try to help lead the Wildcats to the program’s first ever 20 win campaign, and maybe even their first ever NCAA tournament.

4.  Vermont – Ethan O’Day leads four returning starters that are joined by Hofstra transfer Darren Payen.  The pieces are in place in Burlington for this team to be right at the top.

5.  Binghamton – The Bearcats should take a big step forward this season from last year’s 6 win effort as they return all five starters and welcome in a solid recruiting class.  On top of that, none of the returning starters are seniors, so don’t be surprised if they are a contender for the league’s upper division by next season.

6.  UMBC – The Retrievers should improve vastly off of last year’s 4 victories with the senior leadership of Cody Joyce and the return of 2013-14’s conference Rookie of the Year Rodney Elliott from an injury that cost him almost all of last season.

7.  Maine – The Black Bears welcome back four starters plus key reserve Kevin Little.  Head coach Bob Walsh has added a solid recruiting class, so things should be much better than last year (though at 3-27 last season, it would be tough to be worse).

8.  Hartford – The Hawks only return one starter (Taylor Dyson) from a sub-.500 team.  If they want to compete for the upper division this year, they will need their newcomers and former bench players to step up.

9.  Massachusetts-Lowell – The good news in Lowell is that the team is young and has a star in sophomore Jahad Thomas.  The bad news is that the team is young — too young to expect much this season.

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Season preview: Radford coach Mike Jones

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all other Preseason Previews, Articles and Interviews – CLICK HERE

Radford coach Mike Jones might have an ordinary name but he has been a part of some extraordinary games as a basketball coach.  In the 2008 SEC tourney as an assistant to Georgia coach Dennis Felton he had to deal with a game being postponed due to a tornado before winning 3 games in 30 hours to clinch an SEC tourney title.  3 years later as an assistant to Coach Shaka Smart at VCU he was part of the Rams’ remarkable run to the 2011 Final 4.  After winning only 6 games in his 1st year as head coach of the Highlanders in 2012, he has led them to very high land by winning 22 games in each of the past 2 years.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Jones about working for John Beilein and growing up as the son of an ABA legend.

jones

You played basketball at Howard University: how good a player were you back in the day, and how did you get into coaching? I was a role player: the guy who loved to defend and did not mind passing (because my coach told me not to shoot!). I got into coaching because it seemed like fun. A good friend of mine was a coach and I figured that if he could do it, so could I.

You spent 3 years as an assistant to Coach John Beilein at Richmond/West Virginia: what makes Beilein such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? John is a great coach because he is a great person. He has had a lot of practice as a head coach (having never been an assistant himself), and he recruits players who work best with his style of play regardless of what school he is at, so the players fit with what he likes to do offensively. Lastly, he has a special gift of how to make players feel confident and play that way, as well as how to make everyone on the team play together. The most important thing I learned from him is that you must recruit guys who can make shots and who have skills, then further develop those skills after you get them.

Entering the 2008 SEC tourney as an assistant to fellow Howard alum Dennis Felton on a Georgia team that was 13-16, you had a 2-PT OT win over Mississippi, then had to postpone your quarterfinal game due to a tornado, then won 3 games in 30 hours on the campus of your in-state rival Georgia Tech to clinch your 1st SEC tourney title in 25 years: what are your memories of that wild weekend? My best memories were of how tough the staff/players were all year and how it all paid off that championship weekend. We watched the selection show from the court because our game ended so late on Sunday!

In the 2011 NCAA tourney as an assistant to Coach Shaka Smart at VCU, your team made a magical run all the way to the Final 4: what is the key to being a successful “Cinderella” in the postseason? Matchups and confidence.

In 2015 CBI you had a 7-PT loss to Vermont: what do you think your team learned from that game that can help them this year? After playing great in a win over Delaware State in the 1st round, we knew that playing in that environment at Vermont was going to be a great experience for our players. We learned that there is very little margin for error against a good team on their home court in a hostile environment.

Your non-conference schedule includes road trips to Georgetown/VCU to start the season: how are you preparing to face such a daunting duo? Our schedule has gotten tougher and tougher each year. We have to play good teams to challenge ourselves to get better. We played Georgetown last year so we know them a little bit, but we will concentrate more on ourselves than our opponents early in the season.

You lost your top-2 scorers from last year (Javonte Green/RJ Price): how will you try to replace all of that offense? We have other players coming back who are very capable scorers.  They showed some of what they are capable of last season, but we have to keep helping our players get better.

You have 7 seniors on your roster: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? Senior leadership is very crucial to everything we will do this year. It is their last go-round so I know they will all be highly motivated.

Your father Jimmy was a 6-time ABA All-Star who was named to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997: what made him such a great player, and what impact has he had on you either on or off the court? My dad was a great player because he had a high IQ and could really score. He taught me the importance of honesty, integrity, and hard work. Those things are a part of me and now I am passing them along to my kids and my players.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goals are to compete for a regular season and tournament championship. I expect our players to work harder and smarter than they ever have and for us to improve every day.

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Season preview: UC Davis SR SF Josh Fox

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Jon Teitel

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

If you need a tour guide to take you around the state of California, Josh Fox is your man.  He was born in Fiji but grew up in Los Angeles and went to high school in Northern California.  He began his college career at UC Riverside, then spent a year at City College of San Francisco, and after finding a home at UC Davis he was named Big West 6th Man of the Year last spring.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Josh about why he chose the Aggies and how it felt to make the NIT last season. 

fox

You were born in Fiji: how did you 1st get into basketball? I lived there for 4 years and played a lot of rugby as a kid, but after we moved to LA I found a basketball court at our local YMCA and started following the Lakers.

You began your college career at UC Riverside but after 1 year you switched to City College of San Francisco, where you had a 28-game winning streak: did it reach a point where people just expected you to win every time you stepped onto the court? We had high expectations for ourselves. There were already a lot of seasoned players on the team before I got there, many of whom ended up playing in D-1, and the coaching staff put us in a great position to win. When we actually lost a game it was shocking!

What made you later choose UC Davis? Darius Graham is a friend of mine from high school. When he suggested that I join him at Davis instead of Riverside I just kind of chuckled at him, but after I transferred out of there he hit me up again. I like the coaches here and the program is going in the right direction. I fell in love with it during my visit so it was an easy decision for me to join the team.

You play for Coach Jim Les: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He loves basketball and wants us to succeed. However, his main concern is our life off the court. He acts as a father-figure in terms of our classes and our family. His basketball pedigree speaks for itself so I could not ask for more. Everyone says how basketball is more of a mental sport but not everyone takes that into account. He has helped me watch a lot of film and taught me to think things through. The other thing he taught me is to be a leader by the impact I have on others.

Last November you scored a career-high 23 PTS (11-14 FG) in a win over Utah State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? It felt good. It was like throwing a tennis ball into the ocean and I was making some ridiculous layups. I let it loose and Coach just told me to relax, so it felt well to help the team.

You finished the year by being named Big West 6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? I did not even know they had an award for that, so when people congratulated me I thought it was just for having a nice season. Coach called me to tell me that I got it, which was great, but you cannot win that kind of award without teammates who make you look good. I was very happy to see that my hard work paid off.

In the 2015 NIT you scored 2 PTS in a loss to eventual champion Stanford: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? It was a tough loss: we were sad because we had a bigger goal of making the NCAA tourney. Our heads were all over the place: we were taking final exams at that time because our schedule is different than other schools. We were trying to deal with so many things happening at once, but now I can tell my teammates to handle their business early so that we are better prepared. I want to help my teammates when they have to juggle so many things at once.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games at St. Mary’s/Boise State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They will both be battles. Boise State had a great season last year so we are looking forward to playing them. We will have some growing pains at first but I am happy to have such a great team on our schedule, as it will really help prepare us for conference play.

You are 1 of 2 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I have always tried to lead in different ways. I have not been the loudest guy in the past but I am trying to become more vocal. I think the guys respect me and really listen to me. I try to lead by example so it should be easy for me to step into that role.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I have high goals and I will not set our standards any lower than last year. We really want to win the conference this year and hopefully I can be a good leader. It will be a fun battle and we are looking forward to the challenge. Our coaches will keep our expectations high even if other people think we will have a down year.

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Season preview: Illinois State SR SG DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

You just know that a guy has to be cool when his initials are “DAP”!  DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell began his college career at Eastern Oklahoma State College, where he was a 2014 NJCAA D-1 All-America Honorable Mention who scored more than 20 PPG.  After transferring to Illinois State, he was named 2015 MVC Newcomer of the Year and lead the team in RPG despite breaking his hand in the middle of the season.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with DeVaughn about shocking the Shockers and having to face both Maryland and Kentucky during a 7-day stretch next month.

dap

You began your college career at Eastern Oklahoma State College, where you averaged 20.9 PPG and were a 2014 NJCAA D-1 Honorable Mention All-American: what is your secret for being a great scorer, and what made you choose Illinois State? I just felt that Illinois State would give me a great opportunity since I only had 2 years of eligibility left. I work out a lot on my own and practice different ways of putting the ball in the basket.

You play for Coach Dan Muller: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is very open with all of his players: he knows how to talk to each and every one of us.

Last November you had 15 PTS/10 REB in your Redbird debut against Utah State, and you finished the season by being named MVC Newcomer of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I cannot complain about that at all. I missed 7 games but was able to come back and finish the season strong.

You missed 7 games in the middle of the season due to a broken right hand: how bad was it, and how is your health at the moment? It was bad because I had to sit out, but I am 100% right now and cannot wait to get the season started!

In the 2015 MVC tourney you scored 10 PTS in a 3-PT win over Wichita State after getting swept by them during the regular season: how hard is it to beat a team 3 times in a season, and did you think Fred VanVleet’s shot at the buzzer was going in? That was a big-time game and it took a lot for us to beat a great team like that. His shot looked good but after it missed we all celebrated.

In the 2015 NIT you scored 13 PTS in a 1-PT loss to Old Dominion: how close did you come to winning the game, and what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? We have to understand that if you beat a team once you cannot take them lightly the 2nd time around. We just missed some FTs at the end.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against San Diego State/Maryland/Kentucky: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I feel the same about all of them. Once we finish our 1st game, the next game becomes the most important game on our schedule.

You lost 2 of your top-3 scorers from last year (Daishon Knight/Reggie Lynch): how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? We have a lot of great freshmen and transfers, and a lot of our veteran guys have improved from last year, so I think we can do a lot of great things.

You are 1 of 3 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I would not say it is pressure because it is something that I love to do, so it is going to be fun.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I do not have a certain number of wins in mind: if we just take it game by game then we should be fine.

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Season preview: Duke JR SG Matt Jones

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

Duke lost 3 freshmen to the 1st round of the NBA draft last June (Tyus Jones/Jahlil Okafor/Justise Winslow), but Coach K has brought in 3 McDonald’s All-Americans to help replace them (Brandon Ingram/Chase Jeter/Luke Kennard).  1 of the 3 captains who will be providing leadership to the new guys is Matt Jones, who knows all about being a McDonald’s All-American.  Not only did he receive the award himself in 2013, his sister Jordan earned her own such recognition in 2012.  After only starting 1 of his 1st 26 games as a sophomore, he started each of his final 13 games to great effect: he was named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team and ended up beating Wisconsin in the title game.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Matt about playing for Coach K and trying to win another title. 

matt

You and your older sister Jordan became the 3rd brother-sister duo to both be named McDonald’s All-Americans: who is the best athlete in the family? It depends what time period you are looking at. When we were growing up I would have said that my sister was the best athlete…but now I think I have her beat!

You play for Coach K: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? What makes him great is that he understands this era of basketball and he understands players. He knows how to position guys to be successful. 1 thing I have learned from him is to have a sense of urgency in whatever you do, whether it is practice, a game, or something that happens off the court. Whatever you are doing, do it to the best of your ability.

In the 2015 Elite 8 you had 16 PTS (4-7 3PM)/3 STL in a win over Gonzaga in Houston: how big a deal was it to be named to the South Region all-tournament team while playing just a few hours away from your home in DeSoto, TX? It was a great feeling. That was the closest I have played to home since I arrived at Duke. To be able to go back relatively close to home and play the way I did was a special moment and 1 that I will always remember.

You had 3 freshmen selected in the 1st round of the NBA draft (Tyus/Jahlil/Justise): how much pressure is there on you to help be a leader after losing so much talent from last year’s team? My role is to bring energy every day. I know that we have a lot of young guys, so being in my 3rd year and having been through the gauntlet I have to be that emotional leader and set the tone for what Coach K expects from the team.

Coach K has brought in another trio of fabulous freshmen this year (Brandon/Chase/Luke): how have they looked so far? It has been a challenge with 7 newcomers but all our young guys are willing to learn, which is 1 of their best collective attributes. The older guys see that and are willing to help them because ultimately we want them to succeed.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Kentucky/VCU/Indiana/Utah: which of these game do you feel will present your biggest test? Our non-conference schedule really prepares us for our league. The ACC is definitely a gauntlet so we try to schedule a lot of great teams during non-conference play. For younger guys it is an opportunity to get that high-level experience we need to have when we play in hostile environments.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our team goal is to get better every day and try to win another national championship. Everyone who comes to Duke has the goal of winning a title. My personal goal is just to become a better all-around player. I want to come in every day, work to get better, and become a leader on this team.

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Season preview: Virginia SO SF Isaiah Wilkins

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

From 1990-2010 Virginia only had 1 season with 22+ wins.  Coach Tony Bennett has won 22+ games in each of his past 4 seasons, including 30 in each of the past 2 years.  With great power comes great “recruitability”, which has helped the Cavaliers get 4 players from the Atlanta metropolitan area including 2014 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year Isaiah Wilkins, the stepson of NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.  Isaiah did not score a ton of points last year but was 3rd on the team in blocks and shot a stupendous 66.7 3P%.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Isaiah about beginning his college career with 19 straight wins and losing 2 of his top-4 scorers from last year.

wikins

You play for Coach Tony Bennett: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? We were brought here to win games, but he is invested in how we act off the court and how we treat people. He helps us grow as men.

You are 1 of 4 guys on the roster who grew up within an hour of Atlanta, GA: how did you all end up in Charlottesville?! Great recruiting! I have known Justice Bartley my entire life and went to high school with Malcolm Brogdon.

You played in 28 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just tried to blow up some ball screens and knock down open shots, doing whatever I could to stay on the floor.

You won your 1st 19 games before losing to Duke last January: how does a team change during such a long winning streak, and what was your reaction like in the locker room after the loss? Our approach was just to stay hungry and never get complacent: we took it 1 game at a time. It was my very 1st loss in college so it was tough but we just put it behind us and learned from it.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had a 6-PT loss to Michigan State: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? Most of the Spartans were upperclassmen so it was a great learning experience for me about what to expect going forward.

You shot 66.7 3P% last year: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? I remember every single 1 of them.  The 1st 1 was with the shot clock running down so I figured that I would just throw it up. The 2nd 1 was special because it was against Georgia Tech.  The 3rd 1 should not have counted because my foot was on the line.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Ohio State/West Virgina/Villanova/Cal: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I am unsure: right now we are just focused on our own team. The strength of our schedule will be very good in helping us prepare for ACC play: we have a lot of top-25 teams in there.

You lost 2 of your top-4 scorers from last year (Justin Anderson/Darion Atkins): how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? As guys move on we just have to stay true defensively. I think we have a couple of guys who will have a breakout year, which is something to look forward to.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Coach has a theory of never comparing yourself to the previous year but I think we can make a push for good things. I am invested in our team and have made a big jump since last season so I am excited to see what we can do.

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