Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.
45. Kansas State Wildcats:
Last Season: 23-11, 10-6 (Big 12)
Head Coach: Frank Martin
Key Losses: Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Juevol Miles, Nick Russell
New Additions: Adrian Diaz, Thomas Gibson, Angel Rodriguez, Nino Williams, Jeremy Jones, James Watson, Omari Lawrence
Projected Lineup:
- G: Will Spradling, So.
- G: Rodney MacGruder, Jr.
- F: Nino Williams, Fr.
- F: Jamar Samuels, Sr.
- C: Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, Jr.
- Bench: Omari Lawrence, So.; Shane Southwell, So.; Martavious Irving, Jr.; Adrian Diaz, Fr.; Thomas Gibson, Fr.
Outlook: Jacob Pullen was, without a doubt, one of my favorite players to watch while he was a member of the Kansas State Wildcats. He was also one of the most valuable, as he almost single-handedly turned around K-State's season and led them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That kind of player is nearly impossible to replace. Also gone is Curtis Kelly, however, and with the Wildcats being a year removed from the midseason departures of Freddy Asprilla and Wally Judge, Frank Martin's club may actually be better off with fewer distractions. There is still some talent on the roster. Sophomore Will Spradling and junior Rodney McGruder form a solid back court, and both should have big years with the added chances that Pullen's graduation frees up. St. John's transfer Omari Lawrence, Shane Southwell and Martavious Irving will give K-State some depth on the perimeter. The x-factor may end up being Nino Williams, a top 100 recruit that enrolled at Kansas State early but redshirted last season after getting two concussions. Jamar Samuels is an experienced and athletic power forward who, when combined with Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, give the Wildcats a front line with some potential. The front court depth is lacking, as two freshmen and a couple of JuCo transfers are their back ups.
44. Georgetown Hoyas:
Last Season: 21-11, 10-8 (Big East)
Head Coach: John Thompson III
Key Losses: Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Julian Vaughn
New Additions: Tyler Adams, Otto Porter, Mikael Hopkins, Jabril Trawick, Greg Whittington
Projected Lineup:
- G: Markel Starks, So.
- G: Jason Clark, Sr.
- F: Hollis Thompson, Jr.
- F: Nate Lubick, So.
- C: Henry Sims, Sr.
- Bench: Tyler Adams, Fr.; Otto Porter, Fr.; Mikael Hopkins, Fr.; Jabril Trawick, Fr.; Greg Whittington, Fr.
Outlook: It will be a changing of the guard in DC this year as Chris Wright and Austin Freeman have finally graduated after what felt like a decade as Hoyas. With a talented recruiting class coming in, and eight underclassmen in the rotation, this may be a rebuilding season JT III's club, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to compete with some of the Big East's big boys. The two guys that Georgetown is going to rely on the most will end up being Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson. Clark has been the third option the past two seasons, while Thompson could end up being a breakout star. He's got some talent, and this season he will be able to play the three, his more natural position. Henry Sims showed some improvements as a junior, especially with his ability to pass from the high post, while Nate Lubick is a solid rebounder and defender at the four. It will be interesting to see what the freshmen group will provide, especially considering how much potential there is on the front court. Otto Porter, 6'9" combo-forward and a Missouri native, is the rookie you want to pay attention to. The x-factor for the Hoyas will be point guard Markel Starks. Georgetown's offense stagnated late in the season with Chris Wright broke his wrist because the Hoyas lost that guy that can create a shot. If Starks can fill that void, Georgetown has a shot to be a tournament team. One thing to note -- will Georgetown's brawl out in China bring this team together?
43. Northwestern Wildcats:
Last Season: 20-14, 7-11
Head Coach: Bill Carmody
Key Losses: Michael Thompson, Mike Capocci
New Additions: Tre Demps, Mike Turner, David Sobolewski
Projected Lineup:
- G: Tre Demps, Fr.
- G: JerShon Cobb, So.
- F: Drew Crawford, Jr.
- F: John Shurna, Sr.
- C: Luka Mirkovic, Sr.
- Bench: Alex Marcotullio, Jr.; Davide Curletti, Sr.; Mike Turner, Fr.; David Sobolewski, Fr.
Outlook: There is an argument to be made that Juice Thompson, a four-year starter at the point for the Wildcats, will be the most difficult player to replace in the Big Ten next season. Everything revolved around Thompson, especially while Shurna was battling his ankle injury, and he was the unquestioned leader. Two freshmen -- Tre Demps and David Sobolewski -- were brought in to fill the void, but if they are unable to play that role, junior Alex Marcotullio will likely have to slide over and handle the point. The good news is that Bill Carmody's offensive system doesn't necessarily need a point guard; all they need is someone to get them into their continuity sets. If Northwestern is ever going to make an NCAA Tournament, this is the year. John Shurna was having a sensational season before he hurt his ankle. Drew Crawford has the potential to be an all-Big Ten player. So does JerShon Cobb, who averaged 7.4 ppg as a freshman despite being beat up most of the season. Luka Mirkovic is a solid and experienced big man, while Marcotullio and Davide Curletti will provide some depth. Northwestern has so many three point weapons that when they get hot, they will be able to play with anyone in the country.
42. Butler Bulldogs:
Last Season: 28-10, 13-5 (Horizon)
Head Coach: Brad Stevens
Key Losses: Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard, Shawn Vanzant, Zach Hahn,
New Additions: Roosevelt Jones, Jackson Aldridge, Kameron Woods, Andy Smeathers
Projected Lineup:
- G: Ronald Nored, Sr.
- G: Chase Stigall, Jr.
- G: Chrishawn Hopkins, So.
- F: Khyle Marshall, So.
- F: Andrew Smith, Jr.
- Bench: Garrett Butcher, Sr.; Emerson Kampen, Jr.; Erik Fromm, So.; Roosevelt Jones, Fr.; Jackson Aldridge, Fr.
Outlook: Butler will be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season. After making back-to-back national title games, the Bulldogs lost their two stars -- Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack -- and two other key back court players. With a young team this season and Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke ineligible until next year, this will be a rebuilding year. But there is still a chance this club competes for their league title and an NCAA Tournament trip. It starts up front, where Andrew Smith has developed into a rock on the block and Khyle Marshall has the potential to be Butler's next star. Ronald Nored, the team's unquestioned leader, is back to anchor a back court that includes a couple of young guys -- Chase Stigall and Chrishawn Hopkins -- that had promising moments last season. Garrett Butcher, Emerson Kampen and Erik Fromm provide Brad Stevens with some depth up front while freshmen Roosevelt Jones and Jackson Aldridge -- who led Australia to a U-18 title -- give the Bulldogs even more young perimeter talent. The future is bright for Butler, but how far away that bright future is is unclear.
41. Clemson Tigers:
Last Season: 22-12, 9-7 (ACC)
Head Coach: Brad Brownell
Key Losses: Demontez Stitt, Jerai Grant
New Additions: Devan Coleman, TJ Sapp, KJ McDaniels, Bernard Sullivan, Rod Hall
Projected Lineup:
- G: Andre Young, Sr.
- G: Tanner Smith, Sr.
- F: KJ McDaniels, Fr.
- F: Milton Jennings, Jr.
- C: Devin Booker, Jr.
- Bench: Bryan Narcisse, Sr.; Bernard Sullivan, Fr.; Devin Coleman, Fr.; TJ Sapp, Fr.
Outlook: Given the loss of Trevor Booker to the NBA and the change in coaching staff, its more than reasonable to say that Clemson's 22 win season and trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament can qualify as a resounding success for Brad Brownell in his first season. What's more impressive is that his team seemingly got better as the season progressed, meaning that his players really started buying into his system, which is focuses on half-court defense as opposed to Oliver Purnell's up-and-down style. This year, however, the Tigers will be quite young. The team will be anchored by their senior back court of Andre Young and Tanner Smith, two solid, well-rounded and experienced ACC guards. The rest of the perimeter rotation will be made up by freshmen -- TJ Sapp, Devin Coleman, KJ McDaniels, Rod Hall. The front court will be more experienced, with juniors Milton Jennings and Devin Booker likely starting. Those two both had hype as recruits, but have yet to live up to that potential. Senior Bryan Narcisse -- an athletic, 6'6" ball of energy -- and freshman Bernard Sullivan will provide Brownell with depth up front.
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011
2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 45-41 |
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday's Pregame Beat |
So we've already tipped you off to all 20 of the game to watch during the Tip-Off Marathon. But there is more good basketball to be played tonight. Here's what else you need to pay attention too:
7:00 pm: Wofford @ Clemson: Wofford may have lost to Minnesota by 14 on Friday, but don't sleep on this team. They are one of the best mid-majors team in the country, led by forward Noah Dahlmann. Clemson has more athletes that the Terriers, and it will also be interesting as I will be getting my first glimpse at the post-Purnell Tigers.
7:00 pm: Oakland @ Ohio: Two of the best mid-major players in the country will be taking part in this game -- center Keith Benson of Oakland, and point guard DJ Cooper of Ohio.
7:00 pm: William & Mary @ Richmond: Richmond will be in the running for the A-10 regular season title, especially when you consider the trouble that Xavier has been experiencing early on. A huge reason for that is the play of point guard Kevin Anderson, but it should be noted that 6'10" forward Justin Harper was the guy that carried the Spiders in the first game of the season. William & Mary looks like they may be further down than I expected, as the Tribe is coming off of a whooping at the hands of ACC-cellar dweller Virginia.
8:30 pm: East Tennessee State @ Murray State: After beating Vanderbilt in the tournament last season, Murray State got some votes for the preseason top 25. ETSU has consistently been one of the better mid-major programs in the country the last few years.
9:00 pm: Siena @ Minnesota (ESPNU): With Alex Franklin, Edwin Ubiles, and Ronald Moore all graduated and Fran McCaffery now at Iowa, the Saints don't have the same look as they did last season. They do have Ryan Rossiter, however, who ha 27 points and 10 boards in his first game this season. Minnesota is coming off of a nice win over Wofford. Can they make it two in a row?
11:00 pm: Pepperdine @ UCLA (ESPNU): Pepperdine isn't exactly expected to be great, or good, this season, but it will be a chance for a national audience to get a look at Lazeric Jones at the point for the Bruins. Also worth watching -- Keion Bell. Dude has sick hops.
Other Notable games:
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday's Shootaround: Purdue gets a much needed win, while Georgia Tech survives against Clemson |
Purdue 84, Illinois 78: Matt Painter has been upset with his team's effort and execution, especially coming from senior leaders Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant. So Painter benched his only two senior starters, using Kelsey Barlow and Ryne Smith in the starting line-up. The move didn't work, as the Boilermakers still came out sluggish, struggling to run offense against Illinois and eventually finding themselves down 22-14.
JaJuan Johnson had 24 points and 12 boards in the Purdue win.(photo credit: Chicago Breaking Sports)
That's when Painter turned to seldom-used sophomore John Hart. How seldomly is Hart used? Purdue got a technical after Hart's first basket because he wasn't in the scorebook. Tech aside, Hart was the spark that Purdue needed. Near the end of the first half it was his energy, as he forced a turnover, was flying around defensively, and was crashing the glass. Painter started Hart for the second half, and the youngster responded by scoring 12 of his career high 14 points.
Purdue responded as well, using a 14-5 run to open the second half and take a 42-37 lead. That lead would get pushed to as much as 12 as Purdue took firm control in the second half, and the only time Illinois got close was a flurry of threes in the final seconds. JaJuan Johnson had 24 points and 12 boards to lead Purdue, while the freshman Barlow had two huge and-one drives down the stretch.
Georgia Tech 66, Clemson 64: Georgia Tech showed last night why many believed they had one of the best front courts in the ACC, if not the country. Gani Lawal had 16 points and 10 boards (5 offensive) and Derrick Favors made a name for himself on national TV with 17 points and 14 boards (6 offensive), but neither of them were on the floor in the final seconds. No, for the second straight contest with the game on the line, Paul Hewitt went to Zach Peacock when he needed a bucket. After hitting the winning jumper against UNC, Peacock drew a foul with 3.2 seconds left, knocking down both free throws, to give the Jackets the win.
Derrick Favors had 17 points, 14 boards, 3 blocks, and a number of big time dunks.(photo credit: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Overall, this was not a pretty game to watch. Both teams turned the ball over and shot very poorly from the field and the free throw line. Neither team boxed out well or executed offensively in the half court. Hell, with the game tied, both teams turned the ball over in the final 30 seconds.
Both the Jackets and the Tigers currently sit at 3-2 in the ACC, two games behind Virginia in the loss column.
Wichita State 60, Northern Iowa 51: Maybe the Panthers aren't the runaway favorite in the MVC. The Shockers used a stingy defense to hold UNI to just 17 first half points and open up a double digit lead. The Panthers made a run early in the second half to cut it to two, but WSU responded by opening the lead back up to seven and never letting UNI get close again. JT Durley led the way with 19 points, while Clevin Hannah had 8 of WSU's 15 assists.
This win was almost a must-win for the Shockers. A loss would have dropped them to three games in back of the Panthers for the MVC title while still having to play them on the road. As it is, Wichita State (which is proving to be one of the toughest places in the country to play, they already beat Texas Tech there this season) checks in with a 17-3 record, two wins over ranked teams, and a 6-2 mark in the MVC.
Other notable scores
- Ohio State 76, Northwestern 56: Evan Turner helped the Buckeyes jump out to an early lead, finishing with 20 points, 13 boards, and 8 assists as tOSU moved to 4-3 in the Big Ten. Dallas Lauderdale added a career-high 14 points while Jon Diebler chipped in with 17.
- Tennessee 63, Alabama 56: Wayne Chism scored 11 points, all of which came in the final seven minutes, as Tennessee pulled away early in the second half and held on as Alabama made a run late. It was Tennessee's first road win since the suspensions, and although Cam Tatum and Melvin Goins were both in uniform, neither got off the bench.
- Texas A&M 65, Oklahoma 62: The Aggies bounced back from a tough loss at Texas as Donald Sloan scored four of his 16 points, a jumper to give A&M the lead with 32 seconds left and two free throws to put them up three, in the final minutes.
- Kenneth Faried had 26 points and 16 boards as Morehead State won over SIU-Edwardsville.
- Joe Trapani went for 31 points and 6 boards as BC came back from 17 down to beat Miami.
- Demetri McCamey had 28 points and 9 assists in a losing effort against Purdue.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Morning Shootaround: West Virginia, Florida State with the 76, Old Spice Classics |
Old Spice Classic
- Florida State 57, Marquette 56: Great game in the final, as FSU came back from a 40-24 second half deficit to pick up the win. The Seminoles really turned up their defensive pressure during the second half, using a 15-4 run to get the lead down to 44-39. FSU kept creeping closer in this one before finally taking a 53-52 lead on a Derwin Kitchen three. It was their first lead since 2-0. Mo Acker responded by coming off of a ball screen and getting to the rim for a lay-up. At the other end, the Noles threw the ball in to Solomon Alabi, who hadn't finished a post move all night, used a powerful righty jump hook to take the lead back.
Florida State won the Old Spice Classic on a couple post moves from Solomon Alabi.
(photo credit: TBO)
Lazar Hayward gave Marquette its last lead of the night at 56-55 on a 17 foot jumper from the top of the key, but on the next possession the Noles threw the ball back in to Alabi. Alabi, who had tried about six right-handed jump hooks while only making the one, gave a little fake to the left, then hit a turn around over his right should to give Florida State the win. Darius Johnson-Odom threw away a pass with 2.9 seconds to cement things. Chris Singleton, who was named Tourney MVP, had 18 points and 10 boards. Hayward had 19 points for the Golden Eagles, who were done in by poor free throw shooting (Jimmy Butlers was 4-12 on the night, missing four straight big ones late).
- Alabama 68, Michigan 66: Alabama played great defensively, holding the Wolverines to just 38% shooting and 6-25 from deep. But it was the play of JaMychal Green inside that really helped the Crimson Tide to overcome another sterling performance from Manny Harris (26, 10 boards, 4 assists). Green had 20 points and 7 boards, which included a tip-dunk with five seconds left to break a 66-66 tie. At the other end, freshman Darius Morris went coast-to-coast but had his shot thrown into the stands by Green to seal the win. Mikhail Torrance had 11 points, 8 assists, and 6 boards for the Tide.
- Baylor 69, Xavier 64: Tweety Carter had 27 points and six assists to lead the Bears to a win in the fifth place game. Carter's sixth three gave Baylor a 61-57 lead late in the second half, and the Bears sealed the game by hitting eight straight free throws. Epke Udoh, the Michigan State transfer, had 15 points, 9 boards, and 6 blocks, looking like he could one day be a star in the Big XII. Jordan Crawford played two horrible games down in Orlando, both Musketeer losses. Last night, Crawford was just 6-19 from the floor.
- Iona 63, Creighton 55: Tied at 47, Iona went on a 10-1 spurt to build a 57-48 with just four minutes left. Kenny Lawson Jr had 18 points to lead the Gaels, while Kyle Smith added 14 points. Iona had a very strong showing in Orlando, almost knocking off Florida State and taking Baylor to OT before losing. They should be more than competitive in the MAAC this season.
- West Virginia 84, Portland 66: The Pilots dream run came to an end on Sunday as they were just too small to deal with the Mountaineers inside. WVU pounded the offensive glass in the first half and used a stretch of four straight three pointers to open up a lead that swelled to as much as 22. Da'Sean Butler had 26 and 6 boards to lead the Mountaineers while Kevin Jones added 17 and 6 boards. Portland just could never find the range offensively as they went 5-24 from deep and struggled in the half court against WU's strong, athletic, and aggressive perimeter defense.
West Virginia was too physical inside for Portland.(photo credit: AP)
- Clemson 70, Butler 69: In what may have been the game of the night, Clemson rallied from a 12 points deficit to hand Butler their second loss of the tournament. The Tigers made their run when they dropped back from their full court press into a trapping half court defense. Down 67-62, Clemson hit back-to-back three to take the lead, the second of which was made by Andre Young from deep in the corner with just 1:32 to play. A Matt Howard tip-in gave Butler the lead back, and after both teams missed a shot, Demontez Stitt penetrated and drew a foul with 3.3 seconds left, hitting both free throws. His 19 points led the Tigers. Trevor Booker blocked a Shelvin Mack three pointer and then broke up the ensuing in bounds to seal the game. He finished with 12 points and 12 boards and Willie Veasley did an excellent job on him defensively. Mack finished the game with 15, 8 boards, and 4 assists, while Gordon Hayward had 20 and 12 boards for the Bulldogs.
- Texas A&M 66, Minnesota 65: Down 66-59 late, the Aggies nearly blew this one as they missed six straight free throws late. First Paul Carter scored an acrobatic and-1 lay-in, then Al Nolen added a lay-up of his own. With under 30 seconds left, the Gophers forced a turnover and Carter drew another foul. After hitting his first free throw, Carter missed the second and the Aggies were able to hold on for the win. Derrick Roland led the way with 19 for the Aggies, while Colton Iverson had 14 and 12 boards to pace the Gophers.
- Long Beach State 79, UCLA 68: The Bruins are in serious trouble this year. They went 0-3 in this tournament, and are now just 2-4 on the year with all four losses coming to mid-major opponents. UCLA simply does not have the talent this season despite having a number of top 50 recruits the past two years. TJ Robinson had 25 and 13 to lead the 49ers.
Washington 63, Montana 59: Venoy Overton knocked down two late free throws, and then blocked what would have been a game-tying three as U-Dub held on against a pesky Grizzlies team. Isaiah Thomas had 13 despite going 1-9 from the floor for the Huskies, who were down 12 and shooting just 31% from the field before making their comeback.
Other notable scores:
- Texas 77, Rice 59: The Owls just had no answer inside for Dexter Pittman, who finished the day with 21 points on 7-8 shooting. Rice made a run in the second half, but the Horns were just too big inside.
- Cal 81, Princeton 60: Jamal Boykin had 22 points and 7 boards while Jerome Randle went for 22 and 9 dimes as the Bears battled injuries and illnesses Sunday.
- Duquesne 71, Radford 63: BJ Monteiro had 21 points while Damian Saunders added 14 points, 16 boards, 6 blocks, 4 steals, and 3 assists as the Dukes hung on to the Radford.
- NC State 69, New Orleans 52: Tracy Smith went for 20 points and 8 boards in the Wolfpack win.
- Cornell 61, Drexel 54: Ryan Wittman had 18 points and Jeff Foote added 15 as the Big Red extended their winning streak to three games.
- South Alabama 74, Arkansas 61: Already depleted due to suspension, the Razorbacks played without Michael Washington, who aggravated a back injury in warm-ups, taking their fourth loss of the year. Arkansas hit just six field goals in the second half.
- Ole Miss 73, Texas A&M-CC 58: Terrico White and Chris Warren each scored 19 points in the win.
- Nebraska 51, USC 48: Eshaunte Jones hit a three with just 11.7 seconds left, and Marcus Johnson air-balled a three at the end of the game as the Pac-10 lost another game to a major conference team.
- Stanford 83, Portland State 64: Landry Fields scored 25 points to lead the Cardinal to a win over the Vikings.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
No. 13: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Clemson Tigers |
2008-2009 Record: 23-9, 9-7 ACC (t-5th)
Key Losses: KC Rivers (14.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Terrence Oglesby (13.2 ppg, 38.8% 3's), Raymond Sykes (7.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Key Returners: Trevor Booker (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg), Demontez Stitt (8.7 ppg, 3.8 apg), David Potter (4.9 ppg)
Newcomers: Milton Jennings, Devin Booker, Noel Johnson, Donte Hill
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Trevor Booker dunks as hard as anyone in the country.(photo credit: YouGotDunkedOn)
The Tigers of the last few seasons have been notorious for winning a lot of early, non-conference games, only to struggle down the stretch of ACC play and fizzle out in the NCAA Tournament. Last season was no different as Clemson was upset in the first round of the ACC Tourney and lost to Michigan in a 7-10 game in the Big Dance.
Hopefully for Oliver Purnell, this is the year that changes. Yes, the Tigers lost two of their top three scorers as KC Rivers graduated and Terrence Oglesby left for Norway, but he does return one of the best big men in the ACC in Trevor Booker. Booker has turned into a beast during his time at Clemson. Booker is not the most talented guy, but there may not be a more athletic and aggressive power forward in the country. He defends hard, he rebounds hard, he posts hard, he goes the rim hard. When Booker is on the floor, you know you are going to be getting 110% out of him, and when your star player is leaving everything he has on the floor, it is tough for the rest of the team not to follow suit.
What makes Booker so good for Purnell's system is his athleticism. He is mobile enough to play up front on the Tigers excellent press, but he is also big and strong enough to control the glass and defend the post. He can also play inside and outside on the offensive end. You don't want him taking six threes a game, but he has developed a good enough stroke that if you leave him open from the perimeter he can knock down some jumpers (he was 9-22 from deep last season). But if he is being guarded by the opposing four, he is able to put the ball on the floor for one or two dribbles either direction and get to the rim. An 18 and 10 season is not out of the question.
Joining Booker up front will be a typical Clemson front line, meaning they are loaded with long, rangy, athletic fours. The best of the bunch may end up being freshman Milton Jennings when it is all said and done. Jennings is 6'9" and very skilled, especially on the perimeter, but he still needs to improve his strength and get tougher inside. But skilled, rangy big men are the perfect fit for the system run at Clemson, and Jennings will thrive playing for Oliver Purnell. Jerai Grant and Devin Booker, Trevor's brother, will also see significant minutes up front. Grant is not overly skilled, but he plays hard, runs the floor, and is athletic enough to grab a few boards and block a few shots. The younger Booker is about where the elder was at this stage. He is an excellent athlete with some polished post moves, and if he can work as hard as Trevor, he should be an impact player immediately. Don't be surprised is 7'2" sophomore Catalin Baciu sees some increased minutes this season.
The point guard spot is going to be held down by junior Demontez Stitt, who I personally believe is one of the more underrated guards in the ACC. Stitt is an excellent on the ball defender, which makes him extremely valuable to Purnell. Offensively, he is quick with the ball and able to penetrate. As he gains more confidence in his scoring and passing ability, he will become more effective. His development will be crucial to the Tigers success this year as they lost a lot of scoring the past two seasons.
Perhaps the most important player on this team will be 6'6" freshman Noel Johnson. Johnson joins the Tigers with a reputation as a shooter and scorer from the perimeter, and with their only two perimeter threats leaving, he will be asked to contribute a lot immediately.
Joining Stitt and Johnson on the perimeter will be David Potter, Tanner Smith, and Andre Young. Potter and Smith are both excellent defenders with a lot of size (6'6" an 6'5", respectively). You know what you are going to get from those two in terms of defense and hustle, but they are going to need to increase their scoring if Clemson wants to become a player in the wide open ACC. Young is a quick, 5'9" sophomore that will back up Stitt. He may be a better offensive player than Stitt at this point in his career, taking better care of the ball and being a better shooter. But until he proves the ability to score inside the arc (he was just a 36% shooter from two) he will be just a role player. Also expect Brian Narcisse and Donte Hill, and extremely athletic 6'4" freshman, too provide quality minutes as well.
Outlook: I really like this Clemson team. While they lost some of their scoring from last season, they are going to be much more athletic this year. Trevor Booker will be in the conversation for ACC player of the year, so as long as guys like Stitt and Johnson live up to their expectations, and the role players on this team play hard and defend, Clemson should be in the race for the ACC crown. The Tigers run a tough press, and with the number of quality guards that left the ACC, it is feasible to believe that Clemson could bring home an ACC crown.
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
MORE TERRENCE OGLESBY SPECULATION: When news first leaked that Terrence Oglesby would be leaving Clemson for a career overseas, I speculated that a possible reason for that decision was that he was told by Oliver Purnell that his role on the Clemson team was not guaranteed next season.
Why?
Because Purnell was quoted as saying that only Trevor Booker's spot was safe.
Yesterday, Jeff Goodman quoted Purnell saying:
We lost an outstanding threat as a shooter. But we should be better defensively.Not exactly high praise from a coach who centers his teams around a pressing defense.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Terrence Oglesby signs agent, headed to Europe |
According to numerous reports, Terrence Oglesby's career as a Clemson Tiger is over as he will be signing with an agent to play professional basketball overseas.
He is the third big-time player to leave school early to play pro ball outside of the US - Nick Calathes is headed to Greece, while Ole Miss leading scorer David Huertas will be playing in Puerto Rico. Jeremy Wise of Southern Miss hired an agent, ending his collegiate eligibility, but it is not known where he intends to continue his basketball career.
Terrence Oglesby's career in purple and orange is over.(photo credit: daylife.com)
According to Gary Parrish, Oglesby is leaving Sunday where he will be making "NBA money".
Jeff Goodman says Oglesby stands to earn around "$500,000" playing in either Italy or Spain.
This is not a terrible decision by Oglesby. $500,000 is a ton of money, and living in Italy or Spain is not would be pretty amazing. The key in this whole deal is that Oglesby was born in Norway - where his father played professional basketball - and holds dual citizenship there. Since teams overseas are only allowed two Americans on their roster, that Norweigan passport immediately increases his value to European teams, as he does not count against the "cap".
Oglesby never really seemed to fit in with Clemson's style, either. For one thing, he is a gunner. Yes, he averaged 13.2 ppg while hitting almost 39% of his three's (and making just under three per). But with talents like KC Rivers and Trevor Booker on the floor, Oglesby seemed to shoot too many threes too quickly, taking Clemson out of a rhythm offensively.
Case in point:
Yes, Oglesby does hit the shot, but he took it with a good four plus seconds left on the clock on a play clearly drawn up to get Trevor Booker a touch in the post.
More importantly, under Oliver Purnell, the Tigers have been a team known for their tremendous full court press, throwing athlete after athlete at you until they wore your guards out. At a lithe 6'2", Oglesby does not really possess the skill set that thrives in this system.
In their article regarding Oglesby, Upstatetoday.com ran this quote from Purnell:
With us not finishing the way we would’ve liked to, certainly, the mix is not necessarily the mix that we’re going to go with next year. As far as I’m concerned, the competition for playing time and starting spots and that stuff is wide open. I see probably (Trevor Booker) being the only guy that’s a lock.Could this have played a factor in his decision? Did Purnell tell Oglesby that his starting spot wasn't safe?
Quite possibly (I doubt any coach would like this or this).
Regardless of the cause, Clemson is now going to have to deal with losing two of their top three scorers as well as a third starter, which is never easy. All is not lost, however. The Tigers do get Trevor Booker and Demontez Stitt (who is one of the more underrated point guards in the ACC), while bringing two excellent front court recruits - Rivals #25 Milton Jennings and Devin Booker, Trevor's little brother.
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Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday Morning Shootaround: Duke, Clemson, and Butler all get upset |
Sylvan Landesberg scored 23 points, including six in OT, as Virginia won their first game since early January 85-81. Virginia was up eight at the half, but Clemson rallied in the second half scoring the first 14 points. At the end of regulation, the Cavs were down two when Landesberg hit a spinning lay-up in the lane with 13 seconds on the clock, which eventually forced OT after Clemson misfired on three shots at the other end. Trevor Booker, Terrence Oglesby, and KC Rivers combined for 48 points, but it wasn't enough as Clemson could never find their rhythm offensively or defensively.
The loss drops the Tigers into a four-way tie in third place in the ACC (with Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest) two and a half games behind UNC. Coming in third and fourth is going to be so important come March because they get first round byes in the ACC tournament, while fifth and sixth place have first round games. Clemson has their work cut out for them - they still play each of the other three this year.
Duke blew a double-digit first half lead as Boston College knocked off another top ACC team 80-74 in front of a packed house in Beantown. After a Kyle Singler lay-up tied the game at 74, Reggie Jackson scored with 47 seconds left to give BC their last lead. On Duke's next possession, Tyrese Rice grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled, knocking down both shots to essentially close out the game. Singler finished with 25, while Gerald Henderson had 20 in a losing cause. Joe Trapani, the BC transfer from Vermont, finished with 20 and 7 boards.
Tyrese Rice was the best player on the floor, finishing with 21 points and 6 dimes. But it was more than just the point and assist production. Rice led BC to this win. He helped settle his team down when Duke's press was killing them in the first half. He handled the ball down the stretch, even hitting a number of big shots (including a three that gave BC a 74-72 lead). While he still turned the ball over too many times, Rice made great decisions down the stretch, leading the Eagles to the win.
Duke has now lost three of four, and has fallen two games behind UNC for the ACC lead. The biggest reason? Defense. For the second straight game, a team shot right around 60% (58.8% yesterday) and Duke has given up a total of 181 points. That is not an acceptable number for a team that allows just 62.7 ppg.
The rest of Sunday's hoops action:
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wednesday Lay-up Lines |
Great night for TV watchers everywhere. Not only are there seven excellent games on tonight, but it is also Wednesday, which can only mean one thing: New episode of Lost!! It is the only show on television that can keep me from checking scores, blogging, checking emails, texting, etc. while it is on. I know I'm a college hoops junkie, and I also know that I pretty much have no clue what is going on in the show, but 9-10pm on Wednesday nights are what gets me through my week.
Back to the point, the best game on tonight is Duke (19-2, 6-1) at Clemson (18-2, 4-2). If you like pressure defense (not the kind where you defend in the back court, but the kind where an offensive player has a defender in his jock every second of the game), then this is the perfect game for you. Clemson runs a "40 minutes of hell" type press, which can be very effective at times but can also be broken easily when they aren't moving well in it. When that happened against Virginia Tech last week, Clemson also proved that they are able to defend in the half court, using a stifling man-to-man defense that held the Hokies to 21 points the last 15 minutes. Duke runs one of the best man-to-man defenses in the country, where they pressure the ball handler, over play the wings, and switch all exchanges on the perimeter.
Clemson may be at home, but I still think that Duke is too tough for the Tigers. The Blue Devils tend to struggle against teams that are bigger and more athletic than them (ahem, Wake Forest, ahem), but Clemson just isn't all that big. I am not completely sold on Clemson just yet. If they want to beat the Blue Devils, KC Rivers and Trevor Booker will both need to play well. But more importantly, Demontez Stitt is going to need to handle Duke's defensive pressure without turning the ball over or forcing the issue offensively.
The rest of Wednesday's hoops:
Other games to make note of:
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Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday Morning Shootaround |
What a game out in Blacksburg last night. Virginia Tech controlled the first half. Clemson's press was completely ineffective last night. The Hokies used quick, long passes up the sideline to avoid being trapped, which created situations where Tech had numbers offensively. As a result, Tech got a ton of open looks and open lay-ups in the first half. 
Malcolm Delaney was one of the guys that feasted on those open looks. He scored 22 of his 37 points in the first half (including a 60 foot heave at the first half buzzer).
In the second half, Clemson again came out in their press, and again it was ineffective. The Tigers had gotten the lead down to six before the half, but an 11-2 run (started by Delaney's 60 footer) pushed the lead back out to 15, 61-46, at the 17:14 mark. That is when Clemson would come out of their press, and go to a trapping man-to-man defense in the half court.
The Tiger's half court defense held Tech to just 21 points the rest of the way, and they used a 26-5 run over the next 10 minutes to take their biggest lead of the game, 72-66. KC Rivers scored 13 of his 29 points in the run, and capped it with his seventh three of the game.
But Tech would respond. Malcolm Delaney scored seven of the next 13 Hokie points, including a three with 3:25 left to put Tech up 79-76. But with the game tied at 80 and 1:25 left, David Potter hit a three from the top of the key, and Clemson would hang on, forcing a three way tie in third place in the ACC.
Potter finished with 7 points, 7 assists and 5 boards while Trevor Booker had 21 and 13. Jeff Allen added 13 and 9 boards for Tech, who only got 10 points from leading scorer AD Vassallo.
Before this game, I really had my doubts about Clemson - I couldn't decide if they were just another Tiger team that had a hot start. But they really impressed me with their come back for two reasons. First, they were down 15 on the road (Cassell Coliseum is a tough place to play) to a Tech team playing just about its best basketball. Second, they were able to come back without pressing, which is their MO defensively. They were able to grind out stops in the half court, which just proves that this team is much more versatile than people give them credit for. I don't want to say that they are up with Duke, Wake, and UNC, but they are probably the fourth best team in the ACC right now.
The rest of the night's games:
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The Gael's offense really struggled without the Aussie in the second half as they shot just 33% and scored only 23 points (Mills alone had 18 in the first 17 minutes of the game).
Gonzaga used a 28-11 run at the start of the second half to build up a 61-50 lead. St. Mary's would keep fighting and scrapping, but without Mills they couldn't get into their offense and couldn't score. Diamon Simpson led the Gaels with 17 and 12, going 7-7 from the floor, but without Mills to provide spacing, he was limited in the number of post touches he got.
The guy on Gonzaga who has been making the most noise of late has been Matt Bouldin. He had 17 last night, which was right on his average over the previous six games. He is such a smart, fundamentally sound player. He does it all on the floor - shoot, pass, defend - and is becoming the go-to guy for the 'Zags and the guy they run their offense through.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Wake Forest @ Clemson |
In a marquee match-up between two of the nation's last three unbeatens, Wake Forest's interior presence was just too much. James Johnson had 19 points, 8 boards, 3 blocks, and 3 steals and this dunk
while Al-Farouq Aminu added 12 points, 10 boards, and 4 blocks and this dunk.
Chas McFarland also had 12 boards for the Deacs.
It was an ugly first half of basketball, but Wake was able to score the last six of the half (and first five of the second half) to open up a ten point lead. They pushed that lead to 14 midway through the second half, but Clemson would make a comeback. The Tigers are known for their pressure defense, which can put up points in a hurry. That defense was on display against Wake, as the Tiger's went on a 16-3 run to cut Wake's lead to 61-60 with just under five minutes left.
But Wake would respond quickly as Teague would break through a trap in the backcourt and find a streaking Aminu for his second big dunk of the game:
The Demon Deacons would go on to score six straight points after that dunk, taking a 69-60 lead that all but ended things. Wake was not really fazed by Clemson's press outside of that one run the Tiger's put together. For the most part, they just attacked the press with the dribble, getting lay-ups all day long. And while Teague played a great game, he wasn't the only one breaking the press. Many times, it was Johnson or Aminu bringing the ball up. Outside of one five minute stretch, Clemson, one of the better defensive teams in the country, was largely ineffective.
This is probably closer to the type of team Clemson is going to be this year. Yes, they are good, but they are not a top ten basketball team right now and are probably still a cut below Wake, Duke, and UNC in the ACC.
Wake, however, looked borderline unstoppable at times yesterday. They are just a match-up night mare. Not only do they have Teague, who is one of the tougher guys in the country to stay in front of 1-on-1, but they have two match-up nightmares in combo forwards Johnson and Aminu. Add to that the ability to go with two 7-footers up front (McFarland, Tony Woods), and you get the team that should be #1 in the country come Monday morning.
For me, the thing that is scariest about Wake is that they can run with anyone in the country. Clemson and UNC want to play as fast as anyone in the country, and Wake has beaten both of them in the past week. This win against Clemson showed me a lot about Wake. What Clemson wants to do is to get a team to run and push the ball, playing at a pace that is too fast for them. They look for their opponent's to get caught up in the press and rush some bad shots on the offensive end. Well, they succeeded in getting Wake to rush, as there was a stretch in the second half where it never seemed like Wake had possession for more than about 10 seconds. But the problem was that Wake didn't take bad shots. Rather, they were breaking the Clemson press and as a result getting 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 advantages at the other end.
So now I ask you this: who can match up with this Wake Forest team? Duke can, with Henderson guarding either Johnson or Aminu. UConn can. Maybe Pitt. But if you don't have a three man that is big, strong, and athletic, or if you play a three guard line-up, your team could be in for a long day against Wake.
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Saturday, January 17, 2009
Saturday Roundup |
Great day for college hoops fans as there are some fantastic games on today. So if you're like me and you have no desire to set foot into the arctic air that has descended upon us, find a good spot on your couch and make your beer run early - the games commence at noon. My biggest problem today? I can only watch/record two games at a time.
There are five games on today between ranked teams:
So in case you missed it, my predictions for the five marquee games were Syracuse, Duke, Wake, UCLA, and Pitt.
What concerns me for this game is that Syracuse got beat because they couldn't defend the three. Georgetown was 12-21 on the game, but they hit 10 of their last 13 after starting out the game 2-8. The issue was just the Syracuse wasn't getting out on shooters. A lot of people say that you cannot play zone against a team that can shoot three's. That's not true. If you move well and communicate where shooters are (and when they are cutting through) in the zone, you can defend them. There are two things that the 'Cuse will have to do. First, ALWAYS know where Kyle McAlarney (and to a lesser extent Ryan Ayers as well) is. He can stroke it from 28 feet with consistency if you let him get going. The second is to make sure you always have a body on Luke Harangody. The big fella does a pretty good job on the glass, but also has been becoming much more of a jump shooter of late. You don't want to lose track of him.
I think 'Gody will have a big game today (I mean, doesn't he always have a big game though?). He usually excels when he plays against big men that are strong and stocky as opposed to tall, long, and athletic (that's why he torched Samardo Samuels for 28 points in 35 minutes and was shut down by Terrence Jennings, going score less in the last 10 minutes, when to Irish played Louisville).
For the Orange, the key is simply going to be to play with energy and emotion. I could go on and on about how Jonny Flynn needs to be a play maker; or that Paul Harris needs to capitalize on his size and strength advantage at the three; or how Syracuse should be able to control the glass. But the fact of the matter is that none of it makes any difference if the Orange come out and play the way they did against the Hoyas. The Orange are a very good team this year. They have talent, athleticism, shooting, size, a great coach, etc., but all season long they have struggled to get up for games at the start. I'm going to put this onus on the Carrier Dome fans today. That place, 30,000 strong, needs to be rocking today. If it is, I don't see anyway that the Orange can come out flat.
I think the 'Cuse gets it done at home on the strength of a 25 and 12 game from Paul Harris.
OK, back to the previewing. This is going to be a tough game for Georgetown. Duke gets all over you defensively, playing a switching man-to-man where they get up in the ball-handler starting in the back court. They start their defense out so far that it makes things very difficult for a team trying to run their offense. And what is Georgetown's MO offensively? Running through their offense.
That said, if Georgetown's guards can be strong with the ball, I think the Hoyas have a shot at this. Duke loves to get out and pressure the wings. Georgetown kills teams that do that with back door cuts. The key for Duke, like it has been all season, is to put enough pressure on the ball that Georgetown cannot get into position to make that pass.
I think the Hoyas should also run a lot of their stuff through Greg Monroe. They need to use him as a pressure release. Brian Zoubek as been much better this season, but there is no way he should be able to guard Greg Monroe 20 feet from the basket. If he does, Monroe should get lay-ups all day long.
I think Georgetown is going to have to go zone against Duke for one reason - I do not see how they are going to be able to stop Gerald Henderson. Henderson has been playing the best basketball of his life over the last seven games, averaging 17.4 ppg and shooting 10-19 from three. He's shooting 43% from three on the year, and combined with his athleticism and how high his confidence is going to be right now, I don't see anyone on the Hoyas that can defend him. Jessie Sapp and Chris Wright are too small. Austin Freeman is too slow. Maybe Jason Clark, but I'd hesitate putting a freshman on him right now.
I like the Hoyas this year, but the last time they played a team that defended like this (Pitt) they got run off the floor (more of a case of rebounding problems than anything, but still). I see Duke getting it done at Cameron.
The key for Clemson is going to be their defense. They need to pressure the Wake Forest guards and force them into turnovers or get them playing too quickly and ignoring the bigs. Basically, what Clemson needs to do is try and keep the big guys from Wake from getting involved. The Tigers are pretty good at doing that. They force 18 turnovers a game.
There may not be anyone in the country playing better basketball than Jeff Teague. In his last three games, the PG is scoring 31 ppg. He's shooting 55% from three, but he isn't really a three point shooter. He's a penetrator, and he can get to the rim just about whenever he pleases.
I know that this game is at home for Clemson, but I just think Wake is too big, too good, and playing too well right now for the Tigers to beat them.
UCLA sputtered a bit earlier in the season, losing to Texas and to Michigan, but they have really picked up their play of late, looking much more fluid on the offensive end. They are sitting at 4-0 in the Pac-10, with three of those wins coming on the road (albeit two were against the Oregon schools). A large part of that success can be attributed to Darren Collison. In Pac-10 play, Collison has looked like an all-american. He's averaged 17 ppg and 6.3 apg, while turning it over just five times.
This is a huge game for Arizona State. If they lose, it means that they will be three games (in the loss column) behind Cal and UCLA in the Pac-10 standings, both teams that they have already lost too. But more importantly, it will say something about this team. Good teams win games on the road. The Sun Devils are currently 1-2 on the road in conference, with the only win coming against Stanford.
If ASU wants to win, they are going to need a big game out of Jeff Pendergraph. UCLA is small up front, and Pendergraph is one of the best big men in the conference. UCLA has even made a change to their starting line-up, bringing James Keefe off the bench and starting Nikola Dragovic. Dragovic may be tall, be he is essentially a perimeter player and a jump shooter, which means that it should be that much easier for Pendergraph on the block.
James Harden is a great player. There is no doubt about that. But I'm starting to have my doubts about the rest of the Sun Devils. Rihard Kuksiks, Derek Glasser, Ty Abbott - I have yet to really see anything from these guys that makes me believe they are good enough to make the Sun Devils the team to beat out west. I think UCLA takes care of business at home here.
The matchup between Sam Young and Terrence Williams may pit the two best athletes in the country. Young has developed into such a good scorer. His perimeter shot is dangerous (38% from three), but he can also put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, using his size to bully past a smaller defender. T-Will is a pretty strong guy himself, and should be able to handle Young defensively. T-Will, offensively, needs to be able to get into the lane and create. He is really the only player that is going to be able to against this tough Pitt defense, and Louisville has a tough time offensively when they can't get the ball into the paint and kick it out. When they don't, they end up forcing a lot of contested three's.
There are two keys for Louisville if they plan on winning this game. Blair and Young are going to get their's. There isn't much anyone can do about that other than to make it tough for them. What Louisville needs to do is limit all the role players. Jermaine Dixon has been playing much better of late, scoring 17 in Pitt's win over South Florida. Gilbert Brown is an athletic play maker who can put up some points in a hurry. Ashton Gibbs and Bran Wanamaker are really good three-point shooters. If Louisville wants to hand Pitt their first loss, they cannot allow someone other than the big three to go off.
The other thing Louisville needs to do is keep Levance Fields out of the paint. He is averaging 7.0 apg this year, and he creates so many easy baskets with his penetration. If you make him a scorer/jump shooter, Louisville has a much better chance of winning.
All that said, I still think Pitt gets it done. I think their defense is going to wreak havoc on Louisville, who may not get a good shot the entire game.
There are a lot of other very good games being played today. Let's break it down by conference:
Big Ten:
Pac-10:
Big East:
ACC:
Big XII:
SEC:
The rest of the nation:
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Friday, January 16, 2009
BIAH Season Update: Biggest Surprises |
The art of analyzing college basketball is not a perfect science. No matter the amount of work you put in during the summer - watching last season's games, reading up on a team's local media coverage, researching freshman and some of the seldom used guys on the bench - it is still essentially a crap shoot when trying to project how 347 teams will perform during a given season. Some guys work their tails off during the summer and come back better players for it. Some guys don't and come back out of shape. Some lower rated freshman become stars. Some highly touted recruits fizzle out. Sometimes teams click. Other times the chemistry just isn't there.
Now that we are about midway through the season, let's take a look at some of this year's biggest surprises:
Wake Forest and Jeff Teague: A lot of people thought that the Demon Deacons were going to be good this year. But this good? Right now Wake is sitting at #2 in the country (or #3 depending on if you ask the coaches or the writers) with a 14-0 record after knocking off UNC, and a huge reason for that has been the emergence of Jeff Teague. Teague played well last season, averaging 13.9 ppg and earning All-ACC Rookie Team honors. Sure, you expect him to get better, but I doubt anyone predicted that Teague would emerge as a potential first team all-american and be in the conversation for ACC, and even national, player of the year. I didn't even list him among my top point guards. Neither did Gary Parrish. Teague is currently averaging 20.6 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 spg, and shooting an absurd 53.6% from the field. Teague also has been aided by playing alongside maybe the best front line in america. The bottom line is that this team has a very real chance at not only reaching the Final Four, but winning a national title.
California: In '07-'08, the Bears went 17-16 and 6-12 in Pac-10 play. They lost first-team all-Pac 10 forward Ryan Anderson (21.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg) and starting center DeVon Hardin to the NBA. Head Coach Ben Braun left for Rice University and was replaced by Mike Montogomery. So what happened this season? Cal has started out 15-2, 4-0 in the Pac-10, and has become the only serious threat to Arizona State and UCLA to win the conference. The Bears get it done from beyond the arc. They shoot, as a team, a ridiculous 48.3% from three, although it is mostly from three guys - Jerome Randle (49%), Patrick Christopher (41%), and Theo Robertson (59%). This team is a ton of fun to watch, mainly because of Randle. He is a 5'9" lighting quick point guard that probably could have gotten his own nomination as one of the nation's biggest surprises. His scoring (19.1 from 11.8), assists (4.9 from 3.7), and shooting (52% from 42%) are all up from last season. He isn't afraid to fire from anywhere on the court either, often pulling up from 26 feet.
Jodie Meeks: Meeks had a promising freshman season in '06-'07, but struggled with injuries and getting playing time behind Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley in '07-'08. This season, Meeks has emerged as one of the best scorers in the nation and the front runner for SEC player of the year. Before Tuesday's game at Tennessee, Meeks had already gone for 46, 39, 37, and 32 points in a game, but against the Vols he had probably the greatest single performance I have ever seen. He went for 54 points in Tennessee on 15-21 shooting and 10-15 from three, and just about ran Tennessee off the court himself. So what is the difference this year? Meeks has really developed a deadly jump shot. He is shooting 48% from the field and 44% from three. But more impressive is that on the season, Meeks has scored 441 points on just 280 shots - equivalent to 1.58 points per shot, a phenomenal number for a jump shooter. Can you say efficiency?
The Big Ten: The Big Ten has been considered the worst of the BCS conferences for a few years now. The biggest reason? A number of the traditional powers have not had the success they are used to. Most people expected more of the same this year as Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, and Wisconsin were all thought to be down this season. The conference has caught a lot of people by surprise this year. While they are not quite on the level of the ACC of the Big East, the Big Ten is probably the third best league and has a chance to get six or seven teams into the dance. The biggest surprise in the league has to be Minnesota. The Gophers were a respectable 8-10 in league play last year (their first under Tubby Smith), but if I told you that two weeks into conference season Minnesota would be 15-1 and a top 20 team, would you have believed me? Equally impressive has been the improvement of Michigan and Illinois. You knew Michigan wouldn't be down for long with the addition of John Beilein, but this team (which boasts wins over UCLA and Duke) was 10-22 last year and won just one game in the league. You also knew a Bruce Webber led team wouldn't stay down. The emergence of Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, and Demetri McCamey to go alongside the veteran back court of Chester Frazier and Trent Meachem has made the Illini one of the most balanced teams in the country. Ohio State has struggled of late with out David Lighty but still boasts a 12-3 record and a win at Notre Dame. Even perennial cellar dweller Penn State is having success on the court this year with a 13-4 record and a win over Purdue.
Clemson: For 4th straight season, Clemson has started out the year with a long undefeated streak. This year, they are sitting at 16-0, 2-0 in the ACC, but it may be the most improbable of their season opening runs. The Tigers lost a lot when Cliff Hammonds and James Mays graduated. It was more than just talent - those two provided a lot of senior leadership. Not much was expected from this group in '09, but they have emerged as a serious threat in the ACC. While KC Rivers (14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg) and Trevor Booker (15.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, and 2.8 bpg) are both having fantastic seasons, the x-factor has been the emergence of Demontez Stitt as a playmaker. Stitt is averaging 8.3 ppg and 3.6 apg, but more importantly he provides Clemson with a guy that not only can defend but that can get into the paint and score or find a teammate. Clemson has played a bit of a light schedule (although wins at Illinois, South Carolina, and Miami FL are pretty impressive), but they get a real test when Wake Forest comes to town on Saturday.
Syracuse and Georgetown: Syracuse and Georgetown. Jim Boeheim and John Thompson. Those are names that are synonomous with success in the Big East. But with how loaded the Big East is this season, both of these teams were predicted to be middle-of-the-pack in the conference this year. Nothing could have been further from the truth as both are currently ranked in the top 15. After knocking off the Orange on Wednesday, the Hoyas are currently sitting at 12-3, 3-2 in the Big East. Their record is much more impressive when you consider that they've won at UConn and beat Syracuse, while their two losses
have come at Notre Dame (55 straight wins at home) and against Pitt (the Panthers are ok this year). The best news for Georgetown is that their bench, which has been struggling this season, has played much better the last two games.
While Georgetown has come out of their toughest stretch in good shape, Syracuse is just entering a brutal ten game stretch. Including their loss to Georgetown, the Orange play eight of their next ten against ranked teams (and one of the unranked teams was last weeks #22 West Virginia). They are 16-2, 4-1 in the Big East (playing an easy schedule - before G'Town their conference opponents combined record was 1-14), but they have had some impressive non-conference wins. They won at Memphis, beat Florida and Kansas in Kansas City, and were a 70 foot prayer from Cleveland State away from heading into DC last night undefeated. The difference this season has been the return of Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins from knee injuries, giving Flynn some back court help while providing perimeter shooting to stretch the defense. Rick Jackson's development as a solid post contributor has also been key to the Orange success.
Wesley Matthews: The last three seasons, whenever you would discuss Marquette's guards, most people would say "Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and the other kid, you know, what's his name..?". "What's his name" is Wesley Matthews, and he has always been just as good as the other two. The issue with Matthews is that he's always been a great teammate, willing to defer to the other two when needed. This season, with Marquette lacking balance on the interior, Buzz Williams knew that he needed Matthews to be a scorer. Matthews never averaged more than 12.6 ppg in a season (that came as a sophomore), but this year he is the team's leading scorer at 18.9 ppg and arguably their most important player. Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, Lazar Hayward - while all talented, they tend to settle for jumpers. Matthews is much more of a penetrator, as he is taking 8.5 free throw's per game. His emergence is a big reason why Marquette is currently 15-2 and 4-0 in the Big East.
Texas A&M: Texas A&M was never really known as a basketball school before Billy Gillispie got there, but with the help of Acie Law, he managed to change the expectations of Aggie fans. With Gillispie gone, Mark Turgeon (formerly of Wichita State) has done a pretty good job of keeping the program moving in the right direction. They reached the tournament last year only to be robbed against knocked out by UCLA, but lost Joseph Jones, DeAndre Jordan, and most importantly Dominique Kirk off of that team. As you might expect, the most pundits had the Aggies finishing somewhere behind Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, and Kansas in the Big XII. To be honest, I was going to leave the 15-2 Aggies off of this list after they lost on the road to Oklahoma State in their first Big XII game. While they have some pretty good wins (Arizona, @ Alabama, LSU), they still have played a relatively light schedule and did not really have anything too impressive on their resume ... until they beat Baylor last night. Now, a road loss/home win during conference play, no matter who it is against, is not a terrible loss/great win, so making a final consensus on this Aggie team based on those two games doesn't make much sense. Its what I saw from them last night. They are a tough defensive team with two excellent guards (Donald Sloan, Josh Carter) and two really good big men (Brian Davis, Chinemelu Elonu). If they can get some of their role players to step up and be a threat, the Aggies have a real chance of returning to the NCAA's.
Butler: Butler has dominated the Horizon League for the last few years, but lost so much to graduation, including their starting back court of AJ Graves and Mike Green. The only player of significance they returned was big man Matt Howard. Butler was not expected to do all that much this year, but they might actually be better than last year's team that spent time in the top 10. The biggest reason for that has been the play of two freshman - Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. Hayward, a combo forward averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.5 rpg, is one of the best shooters in the land, hitting at 46% and making more than two three's a game. When paired with Howard, they give the Bulldogs a very talented front line that compliments each other well. Mack is a play making guard, averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.5 apg. Butler's only loss is by three at Ohio State, but they have some pretty impressive wins - Drake, Evansville, Bradley (all atop the MVC), Xavier, Northwestern, UAB, and a buzzer beating win against Cleveland State, who was picked to finish atop the league.
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