New West Coast Tourney Format

Pepperdine and Gonzaga Love the New Format

by James Burns

I would like to say that this year’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament from the West Coast Conference is up for grabs.

Especially with the departure of Dan Dickau, Gonzaga’s All-World guard, and a revamped WCC tournament format.

But it isn’t.

Even with postseason moves and changes, the road to the tournament still runs through Malibu, Calif. (Pepperdine) and Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga).

Following the conclusion of the 2001-02 WCC Tournament, league officials decided to change things up in hopes of making the conference more competitive.

And rightfully so.

Gonzaga and Pepperdine have outclassed and outplayed the rest of the conference for years, recently sharing the conference regular season crown with a 13-1 record. The next closest teams were both Santa Clara and San Francisco, both of whom finished with 8-6 records.

However, league officials forgot one thing during their summer talks – they forgot to make the conference more competitive.

The WCC announced it was going to change the format of its postseason tourney. Instead of the traditional draw (No. 1 vs. No. 8, and so on), league officials altered the tournament to a “Play-in” format.

The “Play-in” format will pit the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds against each other in the first round, with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds waiting in the quarterfinals with byes. The No. 1 and No.2 seeds will receive a bye into the semi-final round.

This new format, once again, caters to the top teams in the WCC – Gonzaga and Pepperdine. Only this time, they are gift-wrapping the trophy and putting a big red bow on it.

Think about: If Gonzaga and Pepperdine live up to their billing (both were preseason favorites to win the WCC), that would leave them as the conference’s top two seeds heading into the tournament.

Now when we do the math – minus one, carry the two, ah-hah – all Pepperdine and Gonzaga would need to do is beat up on a team that has had very little time to rest and played either one or two hard fought games.

Please! Gonzaga and Pepperdine win those semi-final contests handily, especially if they’re rested and ready.

League officials have done very little to benefit their conference.

Instead of encouraging the postseason concept of “anything goes”, they have robbed floundering programs like Loyola Marymount and Portland (and the rest of the WCC for that matter) of upset opportunities.

And a shot at the conference’s only automatic bid. Somewhere in Spokane and Malibu, Gonzaga and Pepperdine basketball players are already dancing and practicing cutting down the nets.

Mid-American Recap

Mid-American Recap

by Adam Trumble

Conference Tournament
Held at nearby Gund Arena in Cleveland, Kent State ran through the tournament earning their second consecutive MAC Tournament title.

The biggest upset of the tournament was Central Michigan beating Ohio. The Chippewas won their second road contest of the season by shutting down All-MAC pick Brandon Hunter. Bowling Green’s Keith McLeod hit a fade-away three-pointer with six seconds left to send the Falcons into the semifinals where they defeated No. 2 seed Ball State before falling to the Flashes in the title game.

NCAA Tournament

The Golden Flashes earned National respect last year when they made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 10 seed defeated the No. 7 seeded Oklahoma State behind senior Trevor Huffman’s 18 points. Huffman and Kent knocked off the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide en route to a Sweet Sixteen berth. Huffman nailed a running shot with 57 seconds remaining in overtime as the Flashes knocked off No. 3 Pittsburgh. Kent’s slipper fell off when they fell to eventual finalist Indiana in the Elite Eight (81-69). Kent’s 21-game winning streak was ended by 15 Hoosier three-pointers.

NIT
The MAC had two teams, Bowling Green and Ball State, receive invitations to the NIT. Bowling Green bowed out in the first round when the Falcons had their wings bitten off by the Butler Bulldogs (81-69). Ball State had a little better luck knocking off St. Joseph’s (76-54) and Louisiana State (75-65) before scoring just 47 points as the Cardinals proved they were no match for a Gamecock – losing to South Carolina by 35.

All-MAC
Theron Smith, Ball State small forward, and Brandon Hunter, Ohio power forward, are both returning for their senior season as reigning All-MAC first team picks. While Kent State’s Trevor Huffman and Andrew Mitchell are both playing along with MAC Player of the Year Bowling Green’s Keith McLeod.

Coaching changes
Bowling Green’s Dan Dakich left Bowling Green for West Virginia but decided it wasn’t his place and returned to the Falcons. Supposedly, Dakich went to West Virginia and didn’t like what he saw and came back eight days later.

Stan Heath led the Golden Flashes to an Elite Eight appearance then left for Arkansas. His assistant Jim Christian became the 21st Head Coach in KSU history and will look to lead the talented Flashes back to the NCAA Tournament.

Offseason news

East Division
The Akron Zips lost guard Rashon Brown (16.7 ppg) and three-point specialist David Falknor (11.4 ppg, 44.4% from 3-point range) but will return 10 players and three primary starters back. The Buffalo Bulls lost their three leading scorers in Darcel Williams (15.1 ppg/8.0 rpg), Louis Campbell (12.6 ppg) and Robert Brown (9.6 ppg). The Bulls have their work cut out for
them this season, but do return a solid core at the three and four.

The Kent State Golden Flashes will have their work cut out with a new coach and the loss of two-time MAC Tournament MVP Trevor ( I can’t miss at the Gund) Huffman, two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year Demetric Shaw and the pesky Andrew Mitchell. They do return the well-traveled Antonio Gates.

The Marshall Thundering Herd loss of seniors Tamar Slay (18.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and J.R. VanHoose (15.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg) signals a new era in Thundering Herd basketball. The Herd returns a solid core in guards but will have trouble finding depth at the forward and center positions. Oklahoma State transfer David Anderson, a 6-8 forward, should help to an extent. The Miami RedHawks return four starters returning losing the team’s top two scorers (Alex Shorts, 13.6 ppg; and Doug Davis 12.1 ppg).

The Ohio Bobcats lost the teams second leading scorer Sonny Johnson (15.8 ppg off the bench). Other key losses include shot block specialist Patrick Flomo (53 blocks last year). But with the return of Brandon Hunter the Bobcats should contend for the East title.

West Division
The loss of guards Patrick Jackson (16.6 ppg, 118 assists), and Billy Lynch along with center Lonnie Jones will hurt the Ball State Cardinals, but returning is potential MAC Player of the Year
Theron Smith.

The Bowling Green Falcons lost MAC Player of the Year Keith McLeod who led the league in scoring (23.9 ppg) along with three other starters in: MAC assist leader (209) Brandon Pardon, MAC FG pct. leader (59.4%) Len Matela and Brent Klassen (6-8 F). Eric Crawford, a 6-4 G who averaged 3.7 ppg, was to be the lone BGSU starter back from last year. However, Crawford decided to leave the program and return home. The 6-feet 4-inch Crawford played in all 33 games for the Falcons last season, averaging 22.8 minutes a game, and his 29 starts were the most ever for a freshman under Dakich. Dakich will have his work cut out for him this year with an inexperienced group. The Falcons also moved into the West Division for all sports when Central Florida joined the MAC for football.

The Central Michigan Chippewas lost David Webber, to his brother (Chris) and the Sacramento Kings. They also lost Chad Pleiness to the Toronto Blue Jays after his junior year. The pitcher led the nation last year with 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The Chippewas return seven-foot center Chris Kaman, who is nursing back problems.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles return all five starters back and the league’s second returning leading scorer in the MAC, in Ricky Cottrill (19.4 ppg). The Eagles are still young but are a dark horse candidate to win the West.

The Northern Illinois Huskies have a new $38.5 Convocation Center but lost center Leon Rodgers, which leaves a void. Rodgers posted 21.3 ppg, the second highest total in the MAC. The Huskies return the other four starters however.

The Toledo Rockets return four starters but the loss of Terry Reynolds (14.1 ppg, 4.2 apg) who transferred to George Mason University June 20. The Western Michigan Broncos lost leading scorer Steve Reynolds (16.9 ppg) but return four starters.

SWAC Recap

Back in the SWAC

by Nik Bannister

At a certain arena in Birmingham, Alabama, by the name of Fair Park, and on an
unseasonably warm day on the second Saturday of the third month of the year
2002, the Southwestern Athletic Conference welcomed both pomp and
circumstance.

The “pomp” of course, was the triumph of the Alcorn State Braves, coached by
SWAC Coach of the Year David Whitney; and the “circumstance” was what
runner-up Alabama State Tigers endured after facing a disheartening 70-67
loss to the Braves.

The Tigers watched Whitney’s Braves outscore them 41-35 (including a key
free throw by guard Jeff Cammon with four seconds left) in the final period
to ensure a ticket and a brand new pair of shoes to the Big Dance.

Once Alcorn State got to Dayton, Ohio to face Siena, they instantly became
wallflowers. The Braves only enjoyed a slow dance as they watched the
Saints march on to the second round with an 81-77 victory.

One Bulldog, one Brave and three Tigers (oh my) made up the 2002 SWAC’s
All-Conference Team. Seniors Desmond Cambridge of Alabama A&M and Marcus
Fleming of Alcorn State also were members of the pre-season all-conference
team. Last season, Cambridge scored 50 points against Texas Southern and
Fleming was the leading scorer on the Braves’ squad and tourney MVP. The
remaining three receiving first-team All-SWAC honorees returning to the
hardwood this season will be junior guard Ra’kim Hollis (Texas Southern),
sophomore forward (Grambling), and junior center Alvin Pettaway (Alabama
State).

“Out with the old, and in with the new” is the phrase that pays in the SWAC.
University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Prairie View experienced coaching
changes at the end of the season. An expected departure from UAPB’s former
coach Harold Blevins has been executed and Golden Lions’ assistant coach Van
Holt will attempting to free UAPB from that last place residency they
occupied last season.

Prairie View didn’t have to look to far either when they ousted former coach
Elwood Plummer. Once Plummer’s contract was not renewed, University of
Houston’s assistant coach Jerry Francis was hired.

Southern’s head coach Ben Jobe will be leading the Jaguars into a season
where they can go nowhere but up. The Jags suffered through a dismal 7-20
season overall where they could not even enjoy one winning streak.
Texas Southern, Grambling, Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Jackson State and
Mississippi Valley will also be enjoying the company of the old as they
return with the same coach and the same goal-to take the SWAC.

Alcorn State will surely miss the play of Fleming and Alabama A&M will have
nothing but memories of Cambridge. The two have left an impact on their
respective programs. One can only hope that the schools’ record can be as
such. Also leaving a footprint in the SWAC’s sandbox are Greg Burks of
Prairie View, D’Jamel Jackson of Miss. Valley and Tryone Levett of Alabama
State. Ah, the woes of graduation.

With all of these changes, one can definitely expect to see a courtside
metamorphosis throughout the SWAC. The question is which SWAC “caterpillar”
will turn in to the biggest butterfly, or which one will just stay in their
cocoon?

ACC Recap

Atlantic Coast Conference Recap

by Michael Protos

When last we visited the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Maryland Terrapins had just cut down the nets in Atlanta, and “Fear the Turtle” had entered the national lexicon. The ever-invincible Duke had wounds to heal from its Sweet Sixteen loss to eventual finalist Indiana, and several teams that had started the season in rough shape had built on their experience and entered the tournament season with momentum. Exhibit A: North Carolina State.

Conference Tournament
North Carolina State became the surprise team of the ACC tournament, providing the only upset of the tournament when it defeated Maryland in the semifinals 86-82. Of course, that game would be the last one Maryland would lose en route to the national championship. Following a disappointing conclusion to the 2001-02 campaign, Virginia lost in the quarterfinals, which hurt its argument for an NCAA bid.

NCAA Tournament
Maryland: National Champion as the 1-seed in the East. Along the way the Terps defeated play-in winner Siena, ended Wisconsin’s surprise season early in a second-round knockout. In the Sweet Sixteen, Maryland defeated Kentucky, followed by an enthusiastic UConn team. In what many should have been the Championship game, UMD knocked off fellow 1-seed Kansas in a high-scoring affair, and then the aforementioned win over Indiana in the finals, 64-52.

Duke: The Blue Devils, seeded No. 1 in the South, seemingly had it made, defeating Winthrop by 47 points in the first round, followed by a closer win against Notre Dame over the weekend. In the shock of the tournament (before everyone discovered that the Hoosiers had game), Duke lost by one to Indiana in the Sweet Sixteen.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons, seeded seventh, handled at-large bid recipient Pepperdine in the first round, before going home after the first weekend by losing to Oregon 92-87.

N.C. State: Defeated an experienced Michigan State squad in the first round, and lost to Uconn by 3 in Round 2.

NIT:
Virginia: Lost in first round to NIT finalist South Carolina, 74-67.

Conference All-Stars:
Jason Williams, Duke: Drafted second overall by Chicago
Juan Dixon, Maryland: Drafted 17th overall by Washington
Mike Dunleavy, Duke: Drafted third overall by Golden State
Anthony Grundy, N.C. State: Graduated, not drafted.
Carlos Boozer, Duke: Drafted 35th overall by Cleveland

Coaching Changes:
Florida State fired Steve Robinson and hired Leonard Hamilton. Hamilton last coached the Washington Wizards in 2000-01, but his most notable coaching success was at the University of Miami from 1990-2000. He resurrected the basketball program, leading the team to six consecutive winning seasons, four consecutive postseason tournaments and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2000. In the previous four seasons at Florida State, Robinson led the Seminoles to a 46-72 overall record and 25-55 conference record.

Off-season news:
The 2003 ACC Conference Tournament will return to Greensboro, N.C. in the Greensboro Coliseum.

Nigel “Big Jelly” Dixon transferred from Florida State to Western Kentucky. During his junior at Florida State, he averaged 6.7 points and five rebounds per game.

Clemson gains 6-7 small forward Lamar Rice from Mott Community College, where he averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game. Clemson also signed Ori Ichaki from Hertzlia, Israel. Ichaki has played on several national teams and will enter Clemson as a freshman. Now Clemson must settle his eligibility issues. These players make up for the loss of shooting guard Tony Stockman to Ohio State and forward Dwon Clifton to NC-Greensboro.

Three Georgia Tech players have been suspended for playing in an unauthorized summer league and will miss the season opener Nov. 23 against Arkansas – Pine Bluff. Georgia Tech is appealing the ruling.

North Carolina guards Adam Boone and Brian Morrison left the team after their sophomore seasons. Boone transferred to the University of Minnesota while Morrison continues to search for a new school. He was last heard considering the University of Washington, but that school has not received a transfer application from Morrison.

Farewell:
Clemson bids adieu to its leading scorer, senior Jamar McKnight. Two more players from last year transferred, second leading scorer Tony Stockman and role player Dwon Clifton. Duke loses three starters to the draft: Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy.

Florida State loses its scoring leader, assist leader and rebounding leader in Monte Cummings, Delvon Arrington and Nigel Dixon, respectively. Dixon transferred to Western Kentucky while Cummings and Arrington graduated with starting forward Antwuan Dixon. Georgia Tech’s leading scorer, senior Tony Akins graduated with forward Clarence Moore.
Maryland will defend its title without floor general Juan Dixon or his dominant supporting cast of Lonny Baxter, Byron Mouton and Chris Wilcox. X is the magic letter here – Dixon, Baxter and Wilcox will be in NBA uniforms this coming season. North Carolina’s youth movement will replace leaders Jason Capel and Kris Lang. Center Brian Bersticker also graduated while rising junior guards Brian Morrison and Adam Boone left the school.

North Carolina State must replace its charismatic guards Anthony Grundy and Archie Miller this season. Virginia’s Roger Mason, Jr. moves on to the NBA after leading the team in points and assists last season. Virginia must also replace the contributions of Chris Williams, Adam Hall and J.C. Mathis.

Wake Forest will select fresh faces to start this season as seniors Darius Songaila, Craig Dawson, Antwan Scott and Broderick Hicks graduated. Songaila, who led the squad in points and rebounds, earned a spot on Boston’s draft card.

Colonial Recap

Colonial Recap

by Beth Iskoe

Conference Tournament
While top-seed UNC Wilmington winning the CAA Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA was expected, the strong play of last-seed Hofstra was not. The Pride destroyed No. 7 Towson 72-52 and upset No. 2 George Mason 82-76 before their luck finally ran out in a 70-54 loss to No. 3 Virginia Commonwealth.

The Dance Card
UNC Wilmington pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament by shocking No. 4 seed USC 93-89 in OT. The No. 13 seed Seahawks were able to hold on after blowing a 62-43 lead with 11:35 remaining. UNC Wilmington fell just shy of knocking off eventual runner-up Indiana, losing 76-67. The Seahawks trailed 49-32 with 12:39 left in second half and were able to cut their deficit to 66-63 with 2:45 left, but could not complete the comeback.

George Mason managed to receive a bid to the NIT even though they only had 19 wins and were knocked out of the CAA Tournament by the worst team in the conference. The Patriots’ stay in the NIT was short-lived, as they lost 73-64 to St. Joseph’s in the first round.

Coaches on the Move
After UNC Wilmington’s outstanding season, head coach Jerry Wainwright left for Richmond to compete in a stronger conference. Wainwright is familiar with Richmond, as the Spiders were in the CAA just two seasons ago. The Seahawks promoted assistant coach Brad Brownell to replace Wainwright.

After the season, Virginia Commonwealth’s head coach Mack McCarthy resigned, and was replaced by assistant coach Jeff Capel.

Offseason News
Hofstra will have a hard time improving on their last place finish last season due to the loss of senior shooting guard Rick Apodaca and sophomore power forward Wendell Gibson. They have both been suspended for the first half of the season for violation of University policy. They will miss all nine non-conference games including games at Gonzaga and St. John’s and their first five CAA contests. They are allowed to return Jan. 18. Apodaca was the Pride’s leading scorer last season, averaging 17.7 points per game. He was named to the second-team All-CAA last season and was chosen for the 2002-03 Preseason All-CAA first team. Gibson averaged 6.4 points and 5.3 rebounds.

George Mason will also be without three players from last season. Sophomore guard Lamar Butler and forward Colin Wyatt sustained off-season injuries that will sideline them for at least the first two months of the season, and Dereck Franklin will not return for his senior season, choosing to concentrate on academics. Butler suffered a severely strained groin muscle over the summer. He was named to the CAA All-Rookie team and was the runner-up for the CAA Rookie of the Year award. He tied for the team lead in made three-pointers at 57, and led the team in both three-point (.380) and free throw shooting percentage (.819), while averaging 10.4 points. Wyatt underwent surgery to repair meniscus and cartilage damage in his left knee. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds. Franklin played in 21 games last season, was named to George Mason’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters, made the Dean’s List in the spring and was named to the CAA All-Academic team.

In other injury news, UNC Wilmington sophomore center Aaron Coombs will have surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot and will miss the first eight weeks of the season. He played in all 33 games last season, averaging 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds.

The CAA had its share of players transferring both in and out of the conference. Delaware alone had three transfers and a fourth declared academically ineligible. Junior guard Austen Rowland left for Lehigh, sophomore forward Sean Knitter decided on Lafayette, freshman forward Mark Curry chose St. Peter’s and junior guard Vohn Hunter failed to meet the university’s minimum academic standards. Old Dominion sophomore center Clay McGowen transferred to Ohio University and sophomore center Charles Dunnington transferred to Division II Virginia State.

Towson will welcome the services of junior point guard Jamaal Gilchrist who sat out a year after transferring from Texas A&M where he was a two year starter. Four other schools will have to wait a year before they can benefit from the abilities of their transfers. Sophomore guard Tom McLaughlin transferred to William and Mary from Princeton, sophomore forward David Cooper from Southern New Hampshire University to James Madsion, junior guard Terry Reynolds from the University of Toledo to George Mason and sophomore guards Taylor Lay (University of Denver) and Halston Lane (Georgia Tech) transferred to UNC Wilmington.

We Wish Them Well
We definitely wish George Mason senior guard Darren Tarver well. His playing career is over after he went into cardiac arrest due to a heart arrhythmia while playing a pickup game in May. He can no longer compete in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the cardiac problem and the implant of an ICD (similar to a pacemaker). The Patriots also lost senior forward Rob Anderson and guard Terrance Nixon to graduation. William and Mary graduated four players including forwards Tom Strobehn, Bill Davis and Mike Johnson, as well as guard Cody Carbaugh.

Towson lost three starters to graduation: guard and leading scorer Sam Sutton, forward Kerry Augustus and center Michael Shin. Also, high school phenomenon and now sophomore guard Tamir Goodman said he would not play for head coach Michael Hunt after Hunt allegedly held a chair over his head in a frightening manner after a game, and later, while yelling at his team, kicked a metal stool that hit Goodman’s leg. Goodman recently signed a three-year contract for the Tel-Aviv Maccabees to play in Israel. Drexel lost its two lowest scorers in senior Julius Williams and junior walk-on Jay Overcash.

Two other schools have one player playing professionally, but none in the NBA. UNC Wilmington forward Ed Williams signed a contract with the Thames Valley Tigers of the United Kingdom, and Virginia Commonwealth center L.F. Likcholitov was drafted 78th overall, in the 8th round of the USBL draft by the Dodge City Legend. The Seahawks also lost forward Stewart Hare to graduation and junior guard Lou Chapman left the team for personal reasons, while junior forwards Josh Graham, Josh Clark and Konstanti Nekerov as well as sophomore center Dennis Orlov left the Rams for undisclosed reasons.

Delaware lost four underclassmen, junior guard Vohn Hunter was declared academically ineligible, junior guard Austen Rowland transferred to Lehigh instead of staying to back up sophomore guard Mike Slattery, freshman forward Mark Curry chose St. Peter’s after leaving the team in February and sophomore forward Sean Knitter hopes to get more playing time at Lafayette. Hofstra sophomore guard Joel Suarez also left his squad in mid February for personal reasons and has not transferred anywhere yet.

Old Dominion had the biggest turnover in the offseason, losing five players. Guard Pierre Greene graduated, sophomore center Clay McGowen transferred to Ohio University, sophomore center Charles Dunnington transferred to Division II Virginia State, freshman forward James Smith dropped out, but may transfer to a junior college and freshman forward Alan Treese decided not to return to the university in the spring. James Madison lost four people from last year’s squad. Forwards Ron Anderson and Tim Lyle graduated, while junior forward Jerian Younger and freshman guard Femi Akinnagbe left for undisclosed reasons.

West Coast Recap

West Coast Conference Recap

by James Burns

The Tournament

There were no surprises during the 2002 West Coast Conference tournament, held at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego. The tournaments top two seeds, No. 1 Pepperdine and No. 2 Gonzaga, did just what they were supposed to do – beat the heck out of everybody else and then slug it out against each other in the finals. And the championship round tussle was epic.

Dickau led a frenzied 32-10 Bulldog rally, scoring 19 of his game-high 29 points, helping the Bulldogs to a 96-90 victory and their fourth straight WCC conference title. The Bulldogs erased a one-point halftime deficit, 45-44, en route to the victory.

The Dance Card

Despite falling to Gonzaga and losing out on the conference’s only automatic bid, Pepperdine was selected for the NCAA Tournament.

Pepperdine, a No. 10 seed in the Midwest region, tangled with No. 7 Wake Forest during the first round.

The Demon Deacons built a commanding lead right from the start, leading by as many as 13-points (17-4) during the first half. Pepperdine would answer back with a 9-2 run to pull things close.

Trailing by only two, 74-72, with less than three minutes left in the game, Wake Forest’s Broderick Hicks nailed a deep 3-pointer to give the ACC-contingent all the cushion they would need.

Ultimately, the game was decided from the free throw line. The Waves converted on six-of-eight free throws, however, they attempted just one after the half. Wake Forest, on the other hand, was 11-of-15 from the charity stripe during the second half alone.

Gonzaga didn’t fair any better.

The Bulldogs, unhappy with their No. 6 seeding, were given very little time to complain, as No. 11 Wyoming upset Gonzaga 73-66 in the first round.

Gonzaga, normally a sharp-shooting team, shot just 26 percent from the floor – nearly 20 percentage points below its season average. Dan Dickau, the Bulldogs All-Everything, tallied a team-high 26 points but shot 7-of-24 from the field and only 4-of-14 from 3-point range.

Wyoming was led by Josh Davis (11 points and 14 rebounds), who punctuated the upset when he took a rebound and put it back emphatically with 1:07 left.

Conference All-Stars

The awards and accolades continued to pour in for Gonzaga, even after they shared the regular season crown and hoisted the 2001-02 conference tourney championship.

Three Bulldog players were named to the West Coast Conference All-Conference team, one of which was no surprise.

Dan Dickau was named to the all-conference team for the second time, also earning conference MVP honors. The 6-foot guard led the WCC in scoring (20.8 ppg) and finished second in assists (4.7).

Joining Dickau were teammates Zach Gourde and Cory Voilette, two frontcourt players. Gourde and Voilette are similar in both size and stature. Both 6-foot-8 forwards averaged 13 points during conference play.

Both Pepperdine and Santa Clara registered two first-team selections – the Bronco’s Kyle Bailey and Steve Ross, and the Wave’s Boomer Brazzle and Jimmy Miggins.

Ross enjoyed one of his finest seasons with Santa Clara, emerging as one of the WCC’s top scorers (15.7 ppg) and 3-point shooters.

San Francisco’s Darrell Tucker joined Dickau as a two-time selection. The 6-foot-8 forward registered a double-double for the season, averaging 19 points per game while hauling down 10.2 boards.

Andre Laws (University of San Diego) and Coky Rochin (Portland) rounded out the all-conference team. Laws finished the season as the WCC’s fourth-leading scorer (18.2 ppg) and Rochin pulled down the most rebounds during conference play (278 rebounds).

Gonzaga’s head coach, Mark Few, was named Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Few led the Bulldogs to several program-bests during the 2001-02 campaign, including their highest-ever national ranking (No.6). Pepperdine’s Cedric Suitt was named Defensive Player of the Year and 6-foot-5 guard Terrance Johnson earned Freshman of the Year honors.

Coaching Changes

For now it seems everybody’s safe in the West Coast Conference. There were no major coaching changes following the conclusion of 2001-02 basketball season.

Two programs – San Francisco and Portland – did beef up their staff, adding a perfect mixture of youth and experience at the assistant coach positions.

San Francisco retained a Bay Area product in Anwar McQueen, the former Cal standout. McQueen, who began his coaching career in 2000 with Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif., will replace Paul Trevor.

While at Cal, McQueen, who started in 31 collegiate games, played alongside NBA All-Stars Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jason Kidd.

Portland and head coach Michael Holton, on the other hand, welcomed Keith Brown to the Pilot staff. Brown, who recently led El Camino College (Torrance, Calif.) to a 20-12 record, joins the staff by way of Eddie Hill’s resignation.

Hill left Portland to pursue other professional interests.

Offseason News

The West Coast Conference announced that it is changing the format for next season’s conference tourney.

League officials announced they are changing the tournament to a “Play-in” format, in hopes of encouraging a competitive regular season. Last season, Gonzaga and Pepperdine ran away with the conference title, with only two other teams registering a winning record – San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Under the new regime, the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds will butt-heads in the opening rounds, with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds waiting in the second round with byes.

The No. 1 and No. 2 will automatically receive byes into the semi-final rounds.

San Diego and the Jenny Craig Pavilion will again host the conference tournament at the end of the next season.

Wish Them Well

Gonzaga’s Dan Dickau spearheaded a talented cast of basketball players who bid farewell to the West Coast Conference after last season.

In all, the WCC graduated four all-conference selections and the 2001-02 Defensive Player of the Year, Pepperdine’s Cedric Suitt.

Dickau, the WCC MVP and two-time All-Conference selection, was selected by the Sacramento Kings with 28th overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft and later traded to the Atlanta Hawks. With the Hawks, Dickau joins guard Jason Terry forming a young fast backcourt.

Suitt leaves the WCC after posting a dominating defensive senior campaign, where he lead the conference in blocks (3.10 ppg). Joining Suitt are a slew of WCC scoring machines: the WCC’s fourth-leading scorer Andre Laws (18.2 ppg) from San Diego; Santa Clara’s Steve Ross (15.7 ppg); and Portland’s Coky Rochin (15.5 ppg).

Ross, like Dickau, will continue to play basketball – at least on the international level. Ross was invited to play with Team Canada during the World Championships this summer, filling in for injured forward Andy Kwiatkowski.

Big West Recap

Big West Recap

by Shaan Hassan

Last season, seven of the ten teams in the Big West Conference finished with a .500 record or better (just Idaho, UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton had a losing record) and that strong competition opened the door for a wide open conference tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena in Anaheim, Calif.

Utah State and UC Irvine (both 13-5 conference records) were the favorites going in, but UC Santa Barbara (11-7) ending up playing the roll of the underdog and won the tournament. However, the Gauchos’ bubble was soon burst by the Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA tournament, while UCI and Utah State also faced first round exits in the NIT.

Despite the Anteaters’ disappoints recently in the Big West tournament, the reason they even got that far was due to the help of two-time conference MVP Jerry Green. The standout guard is now playing professional basketball in Germany on a one-year contract and according to reports, is averaging just below 30 points per game. Cal Poly’s forward David Henry also chose to play overseas in Europe.

The only coaching move made in the conference was at Long Beach State, where Wayne Morgan departs in favor of Larry Reynolds who comes from the head coaching position of Cal State San Bernardino. The other news coming out of Long Beach State is that guard Anthony Davis has asked the program to release him from his scholarship to pursue other options.

Gone from CSUN is leading scorer Markus Carr and big man Jermar Welch, who both graduated. UCSB loses center Adama Ndiaya, their third-leading scorer and leading rebounder due to graduation, as well. Fullerton will have to do without forward Josh Fischer, who graduated this past season.

Idaho is entering the season with a seven-man roster, which means they have lost four players from last year’s team. Most notably is Rodney Hilaire, the team’s leading rebounder. Pacific, however, had eight seniors on last year’s squad and just five underclassmen. Meanwhile, Riverside said good-bye to forward Lloyd Cook, the team’s third-leading scorer.

Utah State, meanwhile, loses their on-court leader Troy Brown from graduation, before he was named National Multiple Sclerosis Society Utah State Chapter Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year.

Sac State Hoop-la

Hoop-la a Substitute for Madness

by Nicholas Lozito

While their was no madness in Sacramento this October, there was hoop-la.

Sacramento State’s Midnight Madness was cancelled when two of the slam dunk participants — Jameel Pugh and Joel Jones — were unable to participate. Pugh, a University of Massachusetts transfer, is nursing a knee injury, while Jones can’t take the court due to academic ineligibility.

The dunk contest was highly anticipated, with Pugh being ranked the No. 33 dunker of all time and Jones finishing second in the Puerto Rican Superior League’s all-star dunk contest over the summer.

While the dunk contest wasn’t scheduled to be the only event at the Midnight Madness, it’s absence would have displeased many fans. So instead of madness in mid-October, Hornet fans settled for hoop-la on October 26, Hornet Hoop-La. The event, which was open to the public, consisted of a youth basketball clinic and an inter-squad scrimmage.

David Joiner, Leo Cravey and Jones were forced to sit out the scrimmage due to academic ineligibility. Joseth Dawson, while also academically ineligible to play, is allowed to practice with the team. Cravey, Dawson and Joiner will rejoin the team after the fall semester, granted their fall semester grades meet NCAA requirements. Jones will redshirt the entire season.

Freshman point guard Deshawn Freeman sat out the scrimmage with a pulled groin. Freeman is expected to compete with senior Rashaad Hooks for the starting spot. Freeman will return to practice this week, and should be in full strength for the Hornets season opener.

Of the Hornets who played, junior shooting guard Brandon Guyton, senior forward Derek Lambeth and Hooks looked the most impressive. Guyton, who red shirted last season, will be the team’s purest shooter from outside.

Junior college transfer Emir Medunjanin was very inconsistent, and showed he needs a lot of work on the defensive end. The junior does have a solid outside game, and great size (6-foot-6) for a guard.

6-foot-10 center Djibril Diop looked very raw, but athletic. The center lost his dribble on a wide-open fast break, but showed the quickness and athleticism to become one of the better big men in the conference.

If anyone cares, the scrimmage ended with a Gold Team victory. Players switched teams in the middle of the game, the score is pretty insignificant.

SEC Recap

SEC Offseason Recap

by Rainer Sabin

Scandal, controversy, and an overall poor performance in the Big Dance and NIT made the 2001-2002 campaign one to forget for the Southeastern Conference. While nine of the 12 teams in the SEC made the postseason, their lack of success in the season-ending tournaments was a true disappointment. This poor showing coupled with the acrimonious departure of former Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson, the birth of “Team Turmoil” in Kentucky, and a rape investigation involving two Georgia players, overshadowed most of the good stories that came out of last season.

‘Dogs March through Atlanta
In a season of surprises that saw Arkansas miss the postseason for the first time since 1986 and Georgia rise to the top of the SEC East standings, it seemed appropriate that winner of the conference tournament was not among those picked to win it. Rick Stansbury’s Mississippi State Bulldogs took the crown at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta by beating Alabama in the final, 61-58. The Crimson Tide, which was seeded first in the tournament, transformed into a juggernaut by season’s end and was ranked as high as fifth in the nation. Nevertheless, both teams fizzled in the NCAA Tournament, like the rest of the SEC schools that broke into the field of 64.

Big Dance is Big Disappointment

The NCAA selection committee invited Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida, and Georgia to the Big Dance. Yet, even with six teams in attendance, not one SEC school managed to make it past the Sweet Sixteen. Even worse, five teams – Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Georgia – were gone before the second weekend. Three mid-majors waved goodbye to the Bulldogs, Crimson Tide, and Gators. Overall, it proved to be a terrible performance by a conference that traditionally has succeeded in college basketball’s biggest event.

Meanwhile, in the National Invitational Tournament, one team from the conference experienced a taste of success, and it wasn’t Vanderbilt, which was eliminated by Louisiana Tech in the second round. South Carolina, which struggled all year under first-year head coach Dave Odom, earned a trip to Madison Square Garden, where the Gamecocks lost to Memphis in the championship game.

2001-2002 Superstars

The lack of success in the NCAA Tournament was reflected in the fact that Tennessee forward Marcus Haislip and Kentucky guard/forward Tayshaun Prince were the only SEC players taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. Yet, it bodes well for the SEC that only three of the five players selected to the All-SEC First Team have left the collegiate ranks. Tennessee forward Vincent Yarbrough, Florida center Udonis Haslem, and Prince all moved on to different places. Alabama center Erwin Dudley and Georgia guard/forward Jarvis Hayes will be returning to their respective squads this year.

Moving Out, Moving In

It was one of the messiest departures in the history of sports and became nothing short of a public relations fiasco for the University of Arkansas. The firing of Coach Nolan Richardson and the events preceding his dismissal made national news and served as fodder for sports talk show hosts around the country. In late February, the combustible Richardson exploded in front of a contingent of Arkansas media in a Monday press conference. Chastising the reporters that were in attendance, Richardson made a series of negative remarks about the university that were aired on ESPN. Richardson, who two days prior to the public outburst had indicated that a buyout of his contract was something he would consider, got just that when he was handed a pink slip on March 1st. Twenty-seven days later, former Kent State coach Stan Heath was hired as Richardson’s replacement.

Down Time? Not Exactly

The off-season proved to be a little more active than SEC teams would have liked, and it had nothing to do with the conference tournament moving to New Orleans this year. Arkansas lost both of its freshmen in the aftermath of the Richardson ordeal. Guard/Forward J.J. Sullinger transferred to Ohio State, while Berry Jordan left the Razorbacks, despite having not yet selected a new school to attend. Heath was able to replace Sullinger and Jordan with two recruits he lured to Fayetteville in the late signing period – New York point guard Eric Ferguson and Texas shooting guard Kendrick Davis.

“Team Turmoil” continued to have problems after last season ended with a loss in the Sweet Sixteen. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith dismissed sophomore center Jason Parker in August after he violated university athletic department policy. In other bad news for the Wildcats, center Jules Camara is nursing a broken hand that will force him to sit out until late October or early November.
Meanwhile, unlike Kentucky, Georgia had a productive summer, as it was able to clear up its off-the-court problems. Forwards Tony Cole and Stephen Thomas were cleared of rape charges that stemmed from an investigation that began during the season. While this happened, guard/forward Ezra Williams and guard/forward Damien Wilkins had their one-game suspensions rescinded by the NCAA after the collegiate governing body originally punished them for playing in an unsanctioned summer league.

Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes was enjoying his off-season until Justin Reed, the Rebels’ leading scorer, and teammate Emmanuel Wade were arrested on assault charges September 21st after they threatened security guards at a college party. Barnes, who has led the Rebels to four consecutive postseason tournaments and compiled an 86-46 record, was rewarded with a six-year contract extension in August.

Adios Amigos

SEC East
Kentucky lost only two players to graduation. All-SEC forward Tayshaun Prince and J.C. Blevins each earned their degrees after productive stints with the Wildcats…A young Florida Gators team lost its main low post threat – center Udonis Haslem. However, forward Matt Bonner, Guard Brett Nelson, and forward Justin Hamilton all return this year.

Everybody will be back for Georgia this year, while South Carolina will be looking to replace its starting backcourt. Aaron Lucas and Jamel Bradley graduated last year leaving the Gamecocks vulnerable at the two guard positions.

Tennessee will be missing two of its impact players from last season after Vincent Yarbrough graduated and Marcus Haislip fled to the NBA…Meanwhile, Vanderbilt will be looking to fill the holes left by three of its top four scorers – Brendan Plavich, Chuck Moore, and Sam Howard.

SEC West
Alabama returns everybody with the exception of guard Rod Grizzard, who was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft…Mississippi State will be looking to replace guard Marckell Patterson and forward Michael Gholar.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss will be losing only one player – diminutive point guard Jason Harrison, who graduated in May…LSU said goodbye to Jermaine Williams, who maximized his eligibility at the conclusion of last season.

Auburn lost nobody, while Arkansas is undergoing a complete overhaul. Guards Brandon Dean, Jannero Pargo, Teddy Gipson, and T.J. Cleveland all graduated in the spring. Meanwhile, freshmen forwards J.J. Sullinger and Berry Jordan skipped town after new coach Stan Heath arrived.

WAC Recap

WAC Offseason Recap

by Phil Dailey

Boise State Broncos

The Broncos are coming off a disappointing year. Beating tournament-bound Wyoming early in the season at home was their only bright spot. The Broncos went 6-12 in their first season as a member of the WAC. Out is Rod Jensen; in is Greg Graham as the new head coach for the Broncos Graham promises a run-and-gun style of offense, much like Oregon, where Graham served as 1st assistant on last years team that made it all the way to the Midwest final.

Key Losses: The Broncos will never forget Abe Jackson and his 19 Ppg. Also the shoes of Richard Morgan and Trever Tillman will need to be filled.

Who’s Back: Booker Nabors, Jason Ellis, Bryan Defares and C.J. Williams. All four were starters last season. Nabors is the best shooter on the team and can hit from long range. Along with Nabors, Defares and Williams will also start at the guard positions. Last season Ellis averaged five points a game as a freshman. Juniors Cory Ortiz and Joe Skiffer are both back this season after redshirting last season.

Who’s New: Marc Pratt 6-foot-5 inch, Kostas Avgerinos 7-foot-1, Larry Davidson 6-foot-9, and Aaron Haynes 6-foot-6, should all get playing time this season. Haynes was a member of the 2002 California Community College all-State team last season at Sacramento City College.

Fresno State Bulldogs

The Jerry Tarkanian era is over for the Bulldogs. Former Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes is the new coach for Fresno State. The difference in these two coaches is night and day. Last season, the Bulldogs had a disappointing go of it considering the talent level. Fresno State tied for fifth, with a 9-9 record in the WAC, and was dismissed from the NIT by Temple in the first round.

Key Losses: Two-time WAC Player of the Year Melvin Ely, was dominating in the paint and averaged over 23 points and nine rebounds per game. Along with the loss of Ely, the Bulldogs lost Chris Jefferies and his 17 Ppg.

Who’s Back: Noel Felix, Damon Jackson and Travis DeManby were starters last season for the Bulldogs. Hiram Fuller looks to jump into the starting lineup in place of Jefferies. Jonathan Woods should see more playing time this season.

Who’s New: Rolando Todd is a JC transfer, who last year thought about the NBA, but decided to wait. Todd says he is the best college point guard in the nation. Another JC transfer, Renaldo Major, could possibly contribute for the Bulldogs

Hawai’i Warriors

Last season the Warriors tied for the conference title with Tulsa, but lost in the first round of the tournament to a tough Xavier team. Going 15-3 in the WAC last season set the benchmark for the Warriors. Riley Wallace returns for his fifteenth season as the head coach at Hawai’i.

Key Losses: There is no question that last seasons success could be attributed to Predrag Savovic’s 20-plus Ppg. The Warriors also lost Mike McIntyre, who averaged 10 Ppg.

Who’s Back: Carl English is one of the best shooting guards in the country and once again will add to the success for Hawai’i. The Warriors also return starters Mark Campbell, Phil Martin and Haim Shimonovich, who should be one of the best big-men in the WAC.

Who’s New: 6-Foot-11 freshman Milos Zivanovic and 6-foot-10 Dane Dmitrovic are the only freshman newcomers for the Warriors. Highly touted junior college guard Vaidotas Peciukas is projected to step right in to the starting line-up.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Like Boise State, the Bulldogs made their first tour in the WAC last season. Unlike the Broncos, La. Tech had a much more successful season going 14-4 in conference play. La. Tech fell short of the tournament but did get an invite to the NIT, only to lose to Villanova in the second round.

Key Losses: The tandem of Gerrod Henderson and Marco Cole led the way last year combining for 28 points and 10 boards per game.

Who’s Back: Starters Darrin Brown, Lavell Felton and Antonio Meeking return for La. Tech. Seniors Zack Johnson and Michael Wilder step into the starting line-up this season.

Who’s New: Freshman Jeremy Johnston, Eric Woods and JUCO transfer Barry Thompson are the newcomers for the Bulldogs.

Nevada Wolf Pack

Nevada ended their season last year tied for fifth with Fresno State and 17-13 record overall. Head coach Trent Johnson enters his third year for the Wolf Pack with a 36-51 overall record.

Key Losses: Nevada said goodbye to Corey Jackson, who was the starting forward last year, averaging over nine points and 11 rebounds per game.

Who’s Back: Starters Terrance Green, Garry Hill-Thomas, Sean Paul and Kirk Snyder all return for the Wolf Pack. Green, Thomas and Snyder all averaged over 13 Ppg last season.

Who’s New: Nevada welcomes three transfers this year. Dean Brown, Todd Okeson and Jair Veldhuis, who transferred from Villanova. Freshman Marcelus Kemp could see some playing time.

Rice Owls

Last season Rice went 10-19, 5-13 for a eighth place WAC finish. Head Coach Willis Wilson enters his tenth season for the Owls with a record of 127-155.

Key Losses: Rice loses only one starter from last season’s squad, Shawn Tyndell, who averaged over seven points per game.

Who’s Back: Starters Michael Harris, Omar-Seli Mance, Jason McKrieth and Rashid Smith will all be back in the starting line-up for the Owls. Senior Brandon Evens looks to step into the vacant forward spot.

Who’s New: Rice welcomes five new freshman this year, including 7-footer Mike Kinsella, who should be ready to contribute.

San Jose State Spartans

Much like Rice, SJSU had a rough go last year in the WAC, finishing ninth with a 4-14 record, 10-22 overall. Head Coach Phil Johnson returns to the Spartans after being an assistant with the Chicago Bulls the last two seasons.

Key Losses: David Granucci, Marion Thurmond and Andre Valentine are no longer around leaving the Spartans to fill three starting positions.

Who’s Back: Brandon Hawkins is the only starter form last years team projected to start again this season. Hawkins led the team last year with 16 Ppg.

Who’s New: Antonio Lawrence comes to SJSU as a top 100 high school player last year. Along with Lawrence, Billy Lilly, Eric Watson and Keith West, three JUCO transfers look to jump into the starting line-up

Southern Methodist Mustangs

The Mustangs finished last year in the top half of the conference with a record of 10-8. Head coach Mike Dement brings back his 111-92 record and seven years of experience to SMU.

Key Losses: All-WAC shooting guard Damon Hancock and his 22 Ppg will need to be replaced.

Who’s Back: Kris Lowe, Quinton Ross, and Patrick Simpson all return to the starting line-up. Sophomore Eric Castro looks to join the starting line-up after averaging almost six Ppg last year.

Who’s New: SMU gets younger as five freshman join the team including Bryan Hopkins, who has been ranked in the top 20 as a national prospect and will try to fill the shoes of the departed Hancock.

Texas-El Paso Miners

Last season, the outlook was bright for the Miners. After going 10-22 including 3-15 in the WAC, disappointment might be an understatement, going 0-12 on the road last season and losing 10 games by five or less points. This couldn’t have helped head coach Jason Rabedeaux, who abruptly resigned on October 23rd, on the eve of his fourth season. No replacement has been named as of yet, with former Miner legends Don Haskins, Nolan Richardson and Tim Floyd resisting overtures to take the reins.

Key Losses: Starters Eugene Costello, Nick Enzweiler and Brian Stewart combined for more than 30 Ppg last season.

Who’s Back: Roy Smallwood and Antone Jarrell return to the starting line-up. Sophomore Luke Martin and senior Justino Victoriano will start as well for the Miners.

Who’s New: Freshman Keinon Kinkred comes to the team after averaging nearly a triple-double in high school last year. Freshman Giovanni St. Amant should get some serious playing time as well.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

The Golden Hurricane went 27-7 last season under first-year head coach John Phillips. Tulsa not only tied for the WAC title, but also knocked off Marquette in the tournament before falling to Kentucky in the second round.

Key Losses: Tulsa will need to a replacement for the leadership of All-WAC guard Greg Harrington.

Who’s Back: Starters Charlie Davis, Kevin Johnson, Antonio Reed and Dante Swanson all return. Junior Jason Parker, who averaged nearly nine Ppg last season, will fill the empty spot left by Harrington.

Who’s New: Seneca Collins leads the way for the four new freshman. JT Ivie and Trevor Meier are back after redshirting last season.

Atlantic Sun Recap

Atlantic Sun Offseason Recap

by Amanda Breedlove

On March 2, 2002, No. 3-seeded Florida Atlantic upset No. 1-seeded Georgia State, 76-75, in the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Conference men’s basketball tournament. The single elimination tournament was played in the UCF Arena in Orlando, Florida, from February 28th to March 2nd. Florida Atlantic won the championship game and a bid to the NCAA tournament after Georgia State missed its final shot of the game with six seconds left on the clock.

Three Florida Atlantic players were named to the 2002 All-Tournament Team, including Raheim Brown, Earnest Crumbley and Jeff Cowans. Three Georgia State players also made the team, including Bam Campbell, Lamont McIntosh and Thomas Terrell, who earned tournament MVP honors. The Owls were defeated in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Alabama, 86-78, on March 14th. The Panthers made an appearance in the NIT Tournament, but lost in the first round to Tennessee Tech, 64-62, on March 13th.

The 2001-2002 Atlantic Sun All-Conference First-Team included Raheim Brown (Florida. Atlantic), Robert Rushing (Troy State), Lamayn Wilson (Troy State) and Adam Sonn (Belmont). Georgia State’s Thomas Terrell was named the A-Sun men’s basketball Player-of-the-Year.
All of the members of the All-Conference First-Team were seniors, except for Belmont’s Adam Sonn. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound senior will return this season as a center for the Bruins.

The 12 teams of the Atlantic Sun Conference will return all of its head coaches in 2002-2003, including Georgia State’s Charles “Lefty” Driesell, who with 782 wins in 40 seasons is the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA history.

The A-Sun has two additional universities joining the conference. Gardner-Webb University, located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, will participate in its first year of play in the conference in 2002-2003. Lipscomb University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, will begin play in 2003-2004.

The 2003 Atlantic Sun Conference men’s basketball tournament, hosted by Georgia State, will be played March 6-8 in Atlanta. The conference will be separated into two divisions this year. The North Division will be composed of Campbell, Belmont, Georgia State, Jacksonville State and Gardner-Webb. UCF, Jacksonville, Florida Atlantic, Mercer, Stetson and Troy State will compete in the South Division. David Lipscomb University will be a member of the North Division when they officially being conference play next season.

The offseason has been relatively routine for the A-Sun’s 12 men’s basketball, with a few exceptions.

Campbell University has rebuilt almost its entire assistant coaching staff after two coaches left, including long-time assistant coach Joe Gallagher, who left over the summer to accept an assistant coaching position with the Boston Celtics. In his three years at Campbell, Gallagher brought over 30 years of experience to the staff in serving roles as recruitment coordinator and player-development for the Camels. Gallagher was replaced in July with Myron Guillory (Virginia Tech, ’99). Campbell also added assistant Rob Burke (Chowan, ’95), while eighth-year assistant coach Cliff Dillard and 18th-year head coach Billy Lee round out the staff.

At Florida Atlantic, graduating senior Raheim Brown, who led the Owls with an average of 16.4 points per game last year, dropped an appeal to play another year at the school to pursue a professional career.

As the new season rapidly approaches, many teams face a renewed challenge after saying goodbye to several key players from last season.

Troy State University lost three players, including first-team all-conference selections Wilson and Rushing and four-year letter winner Donnie Pemberton.

Georgia State will have to go without Terrell, last year’s Atlantic Sun Conference player-of-the-year and conference MVP. The Panthers also lose three other seniors.

Campbell wishes farewell to seniors Jay Carter and Zydrunas Stankus. The Camels also lose seniors Bobby Jones and Adam Fellers, who was the team’s leading scorer. Fellers finished last season fifth on the list of all-time three-pointers made in the conference.

Belmont loses one of the greatest players in the history of its program in senior Wes Burtner, who averaged 17.7 points per game and 3.57 three-pointers per game last season, good enough for the fourth-best total in the NCAA. Burtner was also named Student-Athlete of the Year by CollegeInsider.com last season.

UCF will face the 2002-2003 season without senior Paul Reed, who was the leading rebounder in the conference with an average of 9.0 rebounds per game. Reed averaged 13.4 points per game last season and also had 40 blocked shots.

The Jacksonville University Dolphins lose their top scorer, junior guard Travis Robinson. Robinson, who scored 14.0 points per game last season, gave up his senior season to make himself eligible for the 2002 NBA draft. Jacksonville State loses senior Ryan Chambless.

D-I Independent Recap

D-1 Independents Recap

by Stephen Murphy

A lot has transpired in the off-season for Division 1 independents. Gardner Webb has departed and is now a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Birmingham South is in their last year of Independent basketball before entering the Big South Conference. David Lipscomb will soon follow in Gardner Webb’s footsteps, and join the A-Sun for the 2003-04 Season. Savannah State and Indiana-Purdue Ft Wayne are in their first full seasons of Division-I basketball. No independent team qualified for post-season play as Gardner Webb and Texas Pan-American were left out of the NIT tournament. Centenary has just accepted a bid to join the Mid-Continent Conference – they begin play in 2003-04 season. Here’s a recap of last season’s Division 1-A Independents in 2001-02.

Tex Pan American Broncs

The Big Gun is done. Gone is senior guard Mire Chatman, who ranked third in Division I in scoring (26.2 points per game) and steals (3.6 per game) and was Defensive Player of the Year last season. Texas Pan-American was 20-10 last season. Senior guard Marcus Quinn was also named to the first team, while Coach Bob Hoffman won coach of the year. The Broncs still have a sour taste left in their mouths after being spurned by The NIT for their post-season tournament. The Broncs have five JuCo transfers in forwards Allen Holcomb, Delvis Diaz, Matt Berry, and Chris Fagan. Prince Thompson also is a transfer.

Centenary Gents (The oldest school west of the Mississippi)

The Gents are coming off a 14-13 season, they were 11-1 at home in Shreveport, Louisiana. An aggressive man-to-man team defensively, they were 10-0, when they held their opponents under 65 points. They have their ace coming back in junior guard Andrew Wisniewski, who led the team in scoring 20 out of their 25 games. Andrew exhausted himself in his off-season regiment to help improve his stamina. He is coached by Kevin Johnson, a disciplinarian who looks for leadership. The Gents were 6-3 against other Division-I independents, and beat Louisiana Tech, a NIT team 84-71. Gone is Kevin Atamah, a major loss whose work ethic and leadership on and off the court will be missed, as well as 6-9 center Brian Rabenhorst. The Gents are pleased with two Junior College transfers in Shawn Davis, a 6-7, 240 forward, and Paul Buettner, a 6-10 center. The Gents were beaten up on the boards last year and need to upgrade in the post.

Birmingham Southern Panthers

Injury and lack of depth were too much to overcome for this young Panther team in 2001-02. Although Birmingham Southern considers themselves part of the Big South Conference, they don’t officially count in the standings until next season. The Panthers finished 6-6 against their future conference opponents and 13-14 overall, which marked the first time in head coach Duane Reboul’s career that he had a losing season. Corey Watkins, who received a medical redshirt this season, tore his ACL and only played in four games for the Panthers. Sophomore point guard Jakob Sigurdarson was forced to pick up the slack by starting 21 games, and contributed adequately, averaging 9.8 points. BSC lost only two starters in T.R. Reed (8.7 points per game) and Rashard Willie (11.3 points per game). At one point in the season the Panthers were down to nine men on their roster, and couldn’t run in transition due to lack of depth. This year they added seven newcomers, four walk-ons and thus have a roster seventeen deep.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders

The Islanders have to find a way to deal with the loss of Brian Hamilton and Chuck Archambault. Hamilton, a 6-4 forward, tallied 12.2 points and a team leading 6.9 rebounds per game. Louisiana Lafayette now has his services. Archambault, who would be entering his senior season, was a catalyst off the bench last season for the Islanders. TAMCC is coming off a 12-15 season with losses at Texas and Illinois. They kept it close in Texas before the game got away in the third quarter. The Islanders were a team of streaks last season, losing six in a row, then winning four. They won four consecutive to end the year after they lost their previous four straight. Fourth-year coach Ronnie Arrow’s objective is to push the ball up the floor and take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes. The Islanders thrive in transition. The only problem is they were mistake prone at times, and lost games they shouldn’t have. Like most independent teams they often found themselves outmatched in the post.

Help needs to arrive quickly, especially after the loss of Hamilton. They return four starters this season and will rely on Brian Evans to provide leadership. Evans averaged 13.5 points a game, and shot 40 percent from the field. The Islanders did get Junior College transfer Kyle Edwards, a 6-9 forward/center from West Valley Community College. The Islanders also signed Aaron White, a 5-10 guard from Milan, Mich. Chuck Taylor, fresh off a two-year stint as assistant at Paris JC, was hired as an assistant to Coach Arrow. Taylor, 34, replaces the departed Bobby Taylor (no relation), who resigned in August. Also returning for the Islanders are Derrick Murphy, brothers Travis and Thomas Bailey, and Corey Lampkin.

David Lipscomb Bisons

Awaiting their entrance into the Atlantic Sun, the Bisons are coming off a disappointing 6-21 season. Head coach Scott Sanderson signed an extension that will keep him in Nashville until 2012, a reward for his career mark of 145-57 (.718) including a 61-32 mark at Lipscomb. Sanderson has been preparing his team this off-season with an extreme conditioning program – I would too if I had to play Kansas State, Pepperdine, and Nebraska on the road. The incoming freshman class is solid. The Bisons signed 6-1 guard James Poindexter of Birmingham, Alabama, and Cameron Robinson of Raleigh, North Carolina. Poindexter, who will compete for the starting point guard position, is quick on both ends of the floor and a good shooter off the dribble. Robinson is a 6-7 guard/forward who is a double-double threat. In addition, the Bisons also signed Charlie Jenney, a 6-9 210-pound center who will be a great addition in the post, and Craig Schoen (pronounced Shane), a 5-11 point guard who has the potential to be a remarkable floor general. This incoming class will create more offense this season, something the Bisons were well in need of the last few seasons. They will also blend in nicely with Independent Freshman of the Year Jeff Dancy. Departed are Kyle Stephens, Ron Sarver, and Russell Gentry.

Morris Brown Wolverines

Head Coach Derrick Thompson told me the other day the Wolverines are on the upswing, but it will be a difficult road to climb. Last season, Thompson’s team played 8 teams who qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines played a controlled game last season , and tried to capitalize on what opponent defenses gave them. They were often outmatched athletically, especially due to their depth problems and had trouble with up-tempo teams. Anthony Adams, the teams leading scorer the previous two seasons, received an extra year of eligibility, and will be ready to play in the seasons opener. The success of Morris Brown will depend upon returning starters Akeem Claiborne, Larry Washington, Amien Hicks, and Jeffrey Singleton. Junior college transfers Rashad Alonzo (forward), and Ed Benton (guard) need adjust effectively to Coach Thompson’s system for the Wolverines to be ready November 24th against Florida Atlantic. Senior guard Joseph Dunn has graduated.

Indiana Purdue Ft. Wayne Mastodons

The Mastodons were 7-21 under head coach Doug Noll last season. They struggled in the post against strong teams and lacked aggressiveness. The addition of former NBA star Cliff Levingston will prove to be a high-quality addition to their staff. Levingston, a who played with the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, will help the Mastodons improve their game in the post. He will spend a good amount of time with returning Center Jim Kessenich and incoming freshman Kyle Thrasher, along with sophomore power forward David Simon. This season’s squad is Coach Noll’s deepest ever. 900 IUFW fans showed up for Midnight Madness where the men’s and women’s teams showcased their upcoming talent. The talk of Fort Wayne, however, is the signing of 6-4 freshman Quintin Carouthers, one of the best guards to come out of the state of Michigan this year. With the addition of Carouthers and Thrasher, and returning starters Deangelo Woodall (guard), and Jeremy King (forward) the Mastodons have addressed their needs in the off-season.

Savannah State Tigers

Oh, what a state Savannah is in! Savannah State, coming off a D-1 Independent worst 2-26 record, resulted in interim coach Jack Grant being relieved of his coaching duties. Grant had been the interim coach for the past two years, and had a compiled record of 6-47. Replacing the Grant is Edward Daniels, who comes to SSU from Groves High School in Savannah, Georgia, where he had a 42-38 record during his three-year tenure. Daniels began his career as an assistant at Savannah State in 1987. Leaving the Tiger team is Alvin Payton, a 6-5, 203 forward, and also Darris Kelly, a 5-11 guard. Returnee Brian Fisher is the most experienced player on the roster. The 6’9″ senior center averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season, and also blocked 21 shots. Also returning for the Tigers is sophomore guard Carlos Smalls. The Savannah native averaged 7.4 points, had 49 assists and 31 steals last season. Newcomers include Raphael Sharper, Mike Mitchell and Jamal Daniels. SSU petitioned the NCAA and was granted permission to move to Division I permanently effective September 1, 2002.

WNBA Move Helps Fans

Can a WNBA Move Entice Women’s Hoops Fans?

by Shannon Shelton

Although this is not a professional basketball website, news of the WNBA is
often received with interest by women’s college basketball fans and players,
since many see the health of the league as a general statement about
national interest in women’s hoops.

A very recent shakeup in the WNBA, therefore, can be seen as a sign that the
league is headed toward an untimely end or moving to a better situation that
would be more beneficial to women’s hoops fans across the nation.

On Monday, the operators of the Orlando franchise made an unexpected
announcement that they were dropping the Miracle team for the 2003 season.
While it has been under speculation that cities like Detroit, Utah and
Charlotte, which lost its NBA team to New Orleans, would give up their WNBA
teams, Orlando was seen as a safe site for the WNBA.

The Miracle will likely move to San Antonio, which is in the midst of the
approval process for a WNBA team and is close to reaching the required
6,000-season ticket order mark. San Antonio is geared to start play in 2003.

The Miracle move is just a reaction to a recent move by the NBA Board of
Governors. That might be the bigger story. Earlier the month, a Board of
Governors vote approved changes in the WNBA structure that hastened the
Orlando move. The NBA now jointly owns all of the WNBA squads, but plans to
move to individual ownership. The NBA also opened the door for non-NBA
owners to own a WNBA team or for WNBA teams to be located in cities where
NBA teams don’t exist.

Currently at 16 teams, the WNBA wants to put teams in new cities, but not
expand, citing a fear of diluting its talent pool. This likely means that
current NBA franchises might choose to abandon their WNBA teams, allowing
them to move to other cities.

There are two possible outcomes to this action. Some are worried this might
be the end of the league, as more NBA owners, like the Orlando Magic owners,
will decide they don’t want to take on the sole financial responsibility for
their city’s WNBA team and let it go.

For the sake of women college basketball players, one would hope this isn’t
the beginning of the end for the league, as the WNBA has given them a
professional opportunity in this country they can look forward to after
graduation.

In an ideal situation, the move will open doors for the WNBA to improve its
product by putting teams in cities that really want them. One benefit could
be that areas that have been proven successes for women’s college basketball
can be converted into WNBA towns, even if they don’t have an NBA team.

Areas like Hartford, Conn., have been clamoring for a WNBA team since
previous women’s professional leagues have been successful there. The
University of Connecticut isn’t too far away in Storrs, and the Huskies’
success has made the state a women’s basketball hotbed.

The WNBA has expressed interest in Hartford, which used to average about
10,000 for its New England Blizzard team in the defunct American Basketball
League in 1997-98. A site in Tennessee could also take advantage of the
popularity of women’s basketball at the University of Tennessee and
Vanderbilt.

The WNBA is positive about its new structure, saying it is no longer a
league in infancy and should stand on its own feet. One would hope that the
popularity of women’s basketball is strong enough in this country that the
league can survive without the financial backing of the NBA.

It’s Chris Duhon’s Turn

It’s His Turn

by James Burns

When you think of the mystique Duke basketball emanates, you think of a perennial Top-5 program, championship-caliber seasons and Christian Laettner’s turn-around jumper against Kentucky.

Images of Bobby Hurley dribbling the ball up court or Grant Hill on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass pop into your head. And the list of names and accomplishments goes on. Duke has made it a habit of pumping loads of talent into the NBA circuit, many of which have been viable first round selections.

Case in point: Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy recently went No. 2 and No. 3 in the 2002 NBA Draft.

The games, like the names, are just as memorable – Duke-Kentucky or Duke-UNLV. Both early 90′s NCAA Tournament contests have been deemed classics by sports enthusiasts and sportscasters alike.

But Duke-North Carolina takes the cake, year in and year out. With two ACC-regular season match-ups and an inevitable conference tourney meeting, each showdown is sure to grab the nation’s attention for at least two overtime periods.

But as the Blue Devils prepare to embark on a new season, they do so with little transition from last season’s Final Four team. Dunleavy and Williams have taken their big play performances to a couple of NBA losers (Golden State and Chicago, respectively) and the Blue Devils’ lone inside threat, Carlos Boozer, also made the jump to the pros.

This season, unlike any other in recent memory, Duke will be led by a faceless warrior with a name that doesn’t quite ring a bell either. Virtually invisible on the college basketball radar screen a year ago, Chris Duhon has the inevitable challenge of maintaining Duke’s prominence.

Without all the hype and hoopla of Duke greats before him, Duhon will need to build his own legacy from scratch. Where as in the past, the names made for great games; this season, the name Duhon creates for himself will determine just how memorable the games are.

It’s sad but true.

However, it’s hard to believe Duhon isn’t already a household name.

Williams’ sidekick from a year ago, the soft-spoken guard, believe it or not, led the Blue Devils in minutes (1,229) and minutes per game (35.1). With all that talent, he – not Williams, Boozer or Dunleavy – had more to do with Duke’s 31-win season.

And, while the three NBA-bound players were busy fighting over ESPN clips and postgame interviews, Duhon was busy leading the team in assists and steals.

There will be no such struggle this year, the team captain will be head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s No. 1 option. The 6-foot-1 guard should handle a majority of the offense, building on his scoring average a season ago (8.9 points per game).

Duhon showed glimpses of stardom during last season’s season-finale against Indiana. With Dunleavy and Williams struggling, shooting just 4-for-16 during the first half, Duhon put the Blue Devils on his shoulders helping them build a huge halftime lead.

Duhon sparked Duke’s offense, shooting 3-for-5 from the field for seven big points, before ducking back in the shadows of Williams and co.

Now its Duhon’s team, his turn to mold and shape the aura of this program. It’s his turn to add to the mystique and prominence of this longtime ACC power.

It’s his turn.

The In Fashion Awards

In Fashion Awards

by Bill Thayer

No, I’m not in fashion, but if you take a good look around, you’ll find what is. You see from year to year you can pick up a variety of college basketball previews and find, well, no variety at all. So, to save you $6.99 per mag, here is what you’ll be seeing this year:

In Fashion Team of the year:
Xavier. While everybody knows Arizona and Kansas are 1-2 (or 2-1) in the preseason rankings, what truly makes these magazines great is that they know one team that will shock the world. Xavier is that team this year. And, while it’s easy to sing the praises of David West, many are pegging Romain Sato as the reason for their success. I won’t dispute Sato’s on-court abilities, but this team lives and dies with West. Without him inside, they become another good, but not great, A-10 team.

In Fashion Breakout Player of the Year:
Chris Duhon, Duke. Out of the shadows of Jason Williams and Mike Dunleavy, many are predicting that Duhon will explode on the national scene, keep the Devils in the top ten and win the ACC Player of the Year award. Duhon is no better than a very good role player. His shooting is suspect (the Devils will need JJ Redick or Daniel Ewing to fill that void), his defense is too aggressive and his ballhandling leaves much to be desired. But, one thing is correct, Duhon can be the vocal on-court leader that this young team needs.

In Fashion Rookie of the year:
Raymond Felton, North Carolina. Felton has enough pressure taking over the point in Chapel Hill, which was a source of countless headaches last season. Every move will be scrutinized, every play overanalyzed. If he fails, this team is doomed. That being said, every way I’ve turned, I’ve heard Felton’s name mentioned as the top freshman this year. This, despite the glowing praise heaped upon Carmelo Anthony. Then again, with DeShaun Williams and Billy Edelin grabbing headlines in upstate New York, Anthony’s sliding under the radar.

In Fashion Coach of the Year:
Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma. The Sooners run to the Final Four last year was in large part to the style of play implemented by Sampson. However, that’s overlooking the amount of talent, led by Hollis Price. Center Jabahri Brown didn’t put up big numbers offensively but still changed the game with his rebounding and shot blocking ability. Many of those same pundits who didn’t give OU a chance last year and predicting a big run by the Sooners, thanks in large part to Sampson’s coaching. I can’t find much reason to disagree.

The Teddy Dupay Memorial In Fashion Addition by Subtraction Award:
Rod Grizzard, Alabama. Many said Dupay’s departure would help Florida because he forced too many shots from the outside. That’s being said about Alabama this year. Grizzard loved to fire away from the perimeter. But look a little closer … Grizzard was the only outside threat on Alabama last year. Neither Terrance Meade nor Maurice Williams could consistently knock down the 3. Grizzard forced defenses to stretch to the outside, opening space for Erwin Dudley. Dudley also got numerous second chance points thanks to Grizzard misses. Mark my words: the Tide WILL miss Rod Grizzard, to the point where they’ll finish second behind Mississippi State in the SEC West.

The Boston College Memorial In Fashion Team Everybody Loves after a Good and Unexpected Run but won’t Replicate It Award:
Pittsburgh. The Panthers had a charmed season last year. Much like Boston College their success began and ended at the point. BC’s Troy Bell carried them two years ago while Pittsburgh relied on Brandon Knight. Knight has already missed time due to an offseason knee injury, if he misses any game time, this team is in deep trouble. As it is, the options on offense are few. Julius Page is a great athlete and solid defender but has a poor outside shot. Onterrio Lett and Toree Morris need to continue to develop to give this team any chance of a return to the NCAAs.

Gonzaga Memorial In Fashion Mid-Major Award:
Creighton. It’s not so much the Bluejays (and yes, that is the proper spelling) that are getting as much notice as it is Kyle Korver who’s finally gotten the national attention. Korver, a two-time MVC player of the year, is a scrappy leader on a physically tough team. What few people have noticed is that Terrell Taylor, the number two option on offense, left. Taylor’s ability to create for himself helped when Korver went down with a knee injury last December. While it’s easy to look to Creighton, I expect Southern Illinois to take the Valley, with Illinois State (led by NC State transfer Trey Guidry) giving a hellacious run.

Rick Pitino Memorial In Fashion Coach Who Missed the College Game Too Much Award:
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State. Hamilton’s brief time in the NBA was a disaster, chasing him back to the college game. The story that’s been painted is that Hamilton HAD to be in the college game, working with the kids again, because he’s a great college coach and couldn’t deal with the time away. Hamilton never achieved enough with the talent he put together in Miami, but many blamed it on the poor support for the team. I don’t see him getting much more support in Tallahassee, even in the basketball-rich ACC.

Juan Dixon Memorial In Fashion Feel Good Story of the Year Award:
Tie. Emeka Okafor, UConn and Chris Marcus, Western Kentucky. Okafor emerged as one of the top freshmen nationally, helping lead the Huskies to the Elite 8 last year … while maintaining a near-perfect GPA. By keeping the true meaning of student-athlete, Okafor has made himself the talk of the proverbial college-basketball town. Marcus decided against leaving for the NBA, although it was well known that his stock was significantly slipping, and returned to WKU. Marcus wasn’t ready for the league (then again, who is anymore?) and made a wise decision to play a full year after missing much of last season with a variety of injuries.

That’s it for now. Sorry, no musings this week, but I will make one quick note: People shouldn’t dump on Tubby Smith anymore. I think we all remember who said in their last column that Rashad Carruth would get the boot from Oklahoma (oh, it was me?) but nobody gave Smith the benefit of the doubt for letting Carruth go in the first place.

New York Hoopsters

All New York-Area Team

by Adam Shandler

New York is an all-rear-round basketball city, but it really comes alive during the college hoops season. The Big Apple hosts the Preseason NIT Semifinals and final game, as well as the Coaches versus Cancer Classic and the MSG Holiday Festival. But when Christmas ends and all the big name schools go back to Tucson and Lawrence and Chapel Hill, there’s still some pretty good reasons to watch college ball in the area. In fact, I counted twelve.

Introducing my Preseason All New York-Area Team. Notice how I say “area”. To me, the Greater New York Metro area includes the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester and Rockland Counties, Northern New Jersey and Southwestern Connecticut. In other words, the actual city, and the places where people call themselves “New Yorkers” but aren’t really.

Guards

Marcus Hatten, St. John’s
Arguably the best college player in the area. The Big East steals leader (3.3 spg) returns, quite possibly, to his old role. The addition of freshman Elijah Ingram (St. Anthony’s/Jersey City) will move Hatten back to off guard, giving the 6-1 leader more opportunities to shoot the ball. However, we may see Hatten at both spots, maintaining that 20.1 ppg average.

Andrew Barrett, Seton Hall
Hatten’s Big East counterpart from across the river, the 5-8 Barrett returns as the team’s statistical leader in points (16.9) and assists (5.0). The guy can even rebound as he brought down almost 4 a game last season. Coach Louis Orr went out and got some size so Barrett should have plenty of targets this year.

Luis Flores, Manhattan
Von Damien “Mugsy” Green was the focal point of last year’s Jasper club, but his graduation should give Flores lots of room to shine. Flores is super-quick and likes to shoot off the dribble, especially from 3-point range. A two-guard who can play both positions on the floor and should work well with anointed starting point guard Justin Jackette.

Rick Apodaca, Hofstra
Unfortunately, we won’t see Apodaca until the 18th of January. The backbone of the Pride offense was caught smoking a funny bone, if you know what I mean, and must watch from the stands the first half of the season. Still, the 6-3 Apodaca is coming off a nice individual season averaging 17.3 ppg and was the guy you wanted to have the ball in the clutch, or in a comeback.

Bronski Dockery, St. Francis of NY
You won’t hear much about this guy until conference tournament time, which is too bad because he’s as good as he is scrappy and he always finds a way to spread the wealth. Should have a career year with the help of two returning big men — Clifford Strong and Christopher Stockwell. Dockery should improve upon his 15.2 ppg clip.

DJ Munir, Stony Brook
The Seawolves had a tough time adjusting to conference life, posting a 5-11 finish in their America East debut. One bright spot was Munir, who, with a conference second-best 17.2 ppg, showed he could compete. Might fall into the nasty habit of trying to do too much to win but should help the team improve on last year’s mark.

Mark Jarrell-Wright, Fordham
The post-Smush Parker era will be ushered in by Mark Jarrell-Wright, the Rams’ stat leader in four categories (points, rebounds, steals and field goal percentage). The 6-5 Jarrell-Wright has great size for his position, and he uses it. He’s an aggressive slasher but may want to take his outside game more seriously this year with a taller, stronger frontcourt helping out underneath.

The Big Guys

Anthony Glover, St. John’s
If all he did was rebound (6.7 rpg) coach Mike Jarvis would be okay with that. He’s 6-6 but can mix it up with any player his height or above. Not a big scorer but he’ll make you appreciate all the intangibles.

Paul Vitelli, Yale
One of the many reasons why Princeton and Penn were sweating at the end of last year’s regular season. Vitelli, along with center TJ Hugh, frustrated the Ivy-8 underneath with great defense and a relentless offensive presence under the glass. His 10.2 ppg and league-leading 7.2 rpg were what help propel the Bulldogs to a three-way playoff with Princeton and Penn. This year, Vitelli leads Yale to the dance.

Kenny Adeleke, Hofstra
Originally a Depaul recruit, Adeleke had a tremendous freshman year for struggling Hofstra last season. The 6-8 native New Yorker was extremely consistent and should be able to outdo his 13.5 ppg average this season. Strong and athletic, Adeleke Was named to the second team all-CAA but only because this is a conference heavy with exceptional guards. A leaper, he averaged almost 8 boards and totaled 24 blocked shots in 2001-02.

Jerome Hall, Wagner
The Charles Barkley of the NEC, Hall is one of the more undersized but best low-post “bangers” in all of college hoops. His 21 ppg and 7 rebounds contributed to a team that averaged over 81 points last year. Hall and the Hawks will make matches against St. Francis-NY, Central Conn and LIU more entertaining.

Chris Wiedemann, Columbia
A 6-9 big man who appreciates what has to be done for the position, Weidemann will be getting a lot of action this season. Scoring leader Craig Austin has moved on, so the Lions will most likely go down low to the experienced Wiedemann for big buckets. He’s one of the best in a class of Ivy players that has gotten bigger and better.

And don’t miss these guys either…

Glenn Batemon, C, Fordham- 6-11, 360. Pounds. Yes, pounds. Fun to watch this guy run up and down the court then own the post.

Dave Holmes, F, Manhattan – Paid his dues and should be rewarded with extra looks. A creative shooter for a forward.

T.J. McHugh, C, Yale – A terrific option underneath, he and Vitelli make a great team. Very hard to defend.

J.P. Spatola, G, Army – Did a respectable job coming off the bench to spell his brother, Chris, last season. Averaged 9.0 ppg and almost 5 assists.

Greg Jenkins, F, Iona – The guy is all over the place. Doesn’t knock you over with offensive skills but gets the job done. Could be best defender in the MAAC.

Early Season Highlights

Early Season Highlights

by Tracy Granzyk

With women’s NCAA basketball season officially open for practice as of this week, it’s time to start thinking hoops once again. Even as the ever-elongating baseball season provides for the illusion of summer, the crisp fall air beginning to blanket college campuses nationwide is a telltale indication that basketball season is around the corner. Coming off last season’s record-breaking attendance levels at a number of stadiums across the country, there is great anticipation for the start of this new season among players, coaches and fans alike.

While there are some unanimous favorites among early polls, the 2002-2003 season is still wide open and waiting for a new champion to emerge. With the defending National Champions, Connecticut, graduating 4 of 5 starters to the WNBA, remaining lone wolf and All-American Diana Taurasi will have an augmented leadership role. Taurasi is aptly suited for the responsibility, coming off a stellar season herself as the teams second leading scorer and passer.

And though the Huskies’ roster is void of even one senior for ’02-’03, you can’t underestimate Geno Auriemma’s recruiting skills, or the four freshmen he has picked up from across the country this summer. Remember–Bird, Jones, Cash and Williams were also freshman once. Look for UConn to challenge each opponent. National Championship repeat? A longshot.

Duke has been named an early season favorite in a number of polls. The Lady Blue Devils have tasted a championship one too many times, having lost in the Final Four to the ’01-’02 runner-up Oklahoma and in the Finals to Purdue in 1999. Oddsmakers would say the ladies of Duke are due. Last year’s post season loss still smarts, and this team is all too ready to get back to work. All-American junior guard Alana Beard returns, along with six of her teammates from last year’s 31-4 team. The veterans will have the support of a freshman class that is being touted as tops in the nation. With a tradition for basketball that runs deeper than even some southern roots, look for Duke to come out of the blocks fired up by their multiple number one bids. We’ll find out for sure if Blue Devils really bleed blue, as this team won’t go down without a good fight.

What would a Women’s NCAA preseason poll be without Tennessee? The Lady Volunteers, who seemed to struggle through the second half of last year, managed to pull it together in time to be part of the Final Four. This year, nine players return, including 2001 All-American Kara Lawson, and All-SEC Gwen Jackson. For Tennessee to stay at the top of the pack, they’ll need to work on building a chemistry that seemed to wax and wane throughout last year’s season. The individual pieces are there, but will they come together?

Stanford, who went 32-3 overall and 18-0 in the Pac-10 during the 2001-2002 season, finished with a disappointing Sweet 16 loss to Colorado. This season’s team returns three starters, including Kodak All-American Nicole Powell and eight Cardinals overall. Early season games against Kansas State and Tennessee will set the tone for Stanford and point out what areas they’ll need to focus on throughout conference play. The experience and savvy is here, but does this team have what it takes to press on through to post season play and win?

Kansas State, who returns 4 of 5 starters from a phenomenonal 26-8 season is not only a personal favorite, but has been ranked as high Number three and consistently in the Top 10 by preseason pollsters. K-State is still a young team, and will most likely start 3 sophomores when they take the floor in November. The fab freshmen of ’01-’02 – Laurie Koehn, Megan Mahoney and Kendra Wecker – are one year wiser, one more year accustomed to the nerve-rattling post season crowds and one year closer to furthering their NCAA tournament experience.

The Wildcats now have expectations to live up to and the talent to carry them. They know how to shoot, they know how to run the ball and have the youthful legs to keep the pressure on for all 40 minutes. They will need to develop an on the court leader that can reign in the underclass enthusiasm as needed. Kari Hanson, who watched from the bench while nursing a knee injury for the majority of last season, could fill that role provided she stays healthy. With a schedule that doesn’t provide much of an apparent challenge early on aside from Stanford, the Wildcats will need to create challenges for themselves if they want to become a Final Four caliber team.

Fantasy Hoops 101

Fantasy College Hoops 101

by Rick Young

Fantasy College Basketball is upon us, once the clock stuck midnight on Midnight Madness baby! Ah Yes! The thrill of searching for those ‘hidden’ gems no one else knows about, compiling useful stats, waiting up late to get those West Coast box scores that are so vital to your team’s success. Finally, “College Basketball is back!”

The key to any successful league, whether it’s fantasy or real, is having great members. You will need to find the right amount of players that the statistician can handle, and have the ability for league changes to be voted on my league members. Here’s a tip: don’t dominate ideas with your own ideals of how it should be run, let it be a group effort. Whether you plan on setting up a league web site (using free pages from your ISP, going full throttle and purchasing a site), or going as simple as using e-mail as your communication format – you need to keep it running in familiar fashion to all league members.

Attempt to keep continuity by not changing members every year. Keep in mind that you also do what you have to do for the betterment of the league. You want competitive people, as nobody likes playing the “Duke” of any league, most people enjoy good competition, especially being a part of it. Another key is that you have ‘active’ people who are looking into their team weekly. No one likes a dormant team owner! Lastly, you want to create an atmosphere of fun; if you find people with the same passion for the sport, it’s amazing how much fun it becomes! It makes the “real” games much more interesting and of “value” to you.

Below is Hoopville’s step-by-step guide on how to create your own college basketball fantasy league.

Setting Up A League:

Step 1: Determine Number of Teams in the League.
It really depends on how many friends you have who would be interested in joining, and how accessible they are. The beauty of the internet is, you don’t have to have just local friends, it’s a lot of fun with your internet friends, bantering back-and-forth over the Instant Messaging/Chat Rooms about your successes or failures. To keep things interesting, I would suggest a minimum of six teams, with no potential maximum, so long as your statistician can handle the load.

Step 2: Choose your Conferences. Wisely.

This can be a tough issue, but it just depends on your likes and dislikes. If you want a full college experience, you should try all Division I players, which is quite a challenge. If time is of concern, you might what to try using the “Top 15 Conferences”, or if you’re in a particular region of interest, you may just use your local conference, or your alma mater’s conference. Either way, you can’t lose; but it will determine what type of challenges you desire. You’ll find that by using all conferences you learn a lot more about the “smaller” and “mid-major” schools, which should be of value to you when March Madness and the Hoopville Tournament Challenge comes upon us.

Step 3: Identify your Scoring Format

There is no set way of doing this, but most leagues will use the usual statistics, such as field goals made, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Set up a scoring format so that all will know going into the draft what type of player they should be looking for, and make it very clear how the scoring will be done, so there is no confusion later on. One of the most common scoring systems it the Plus/Minus scoring. Here’s how it works:

First, add the positive statistics. So for a player it would be Points Scored + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks. Second, subtract the negative points, such as FG Missed + FT Missed + Turnovers. The net is the total points for that player for a game.

As an example, here’s a stat line from Kansas’ Drew Gooden from a game against Ball State last seson (November 19th). Drew had 31 points, 10 boards, no assists, 2 steals, and a blocked shot. Add them up, and you get 43. But, he also had 9 missed field goals (going 12-for-21), as well as 6 missed free throws (7-of-13), and 5 turnovers. Tally the 9 misses from the field, 6 misses from the stripe, and 5 turnovers, and you get 20 “negative” points. Finally, put the two figures together, and you get 43-20= +23

Step 4: The Draft
Usually, you select a Draft Order, whether it’s by the previous years rankings or if a new start-up league, randomly. This can be done by drawing straws or pulling numbers out of a hat, or you can just go around the room. You can select the draft to reverse order by round, this way it’s balanced, so the 10th guy in a ten team league also gets the 11th pick. Ahh, the choices!

The three most notable types are:
1. Live Draft: Using an Internet chat room, or it’s a local group getting together. Conference calls also work well.

2. E-Mail Draft: Self explanatory, using e-mail as your draft conduit, setting a time limit between pick submittals. Tests of the technology should be done prior, to ensure that no one’s email is lagging.

3. List Draft: Probably the least favorite is the list draft; this is because in a sense, you don’t have control over your own destiny, and what coach like that!

Step 5: Redraft annually vs. Keeper Leagues

To Keep, or not to keep, that is the question. Another decision for your league is to make the league a “keeper” league, or subject the league to clearing the slate annually. In a “keeper” league you get to keep the players who were on your roster at the end of the previous season, going into the next. A regular league will re-draft every year. A “keeper” league is more like the real sport in a sense, because players you’ve “recruited” will stay with you until they graduate, transfer or go pro. It makes your draft interesting, because do you select someone you won’t keep but one year, or someone you can have for 2-3 years. There are specific strategies that come into play for this, which will be discussed more in a future article.

Step 6: Get your Statistics

You can get your statistics via the Internet from many different sources, such as school web sites, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, Stats Inc, and the USA Today, just to name a few. Depending on the resources you use, and the bandwidth of your statistician, you can determine if the league will have updated standings on a daily or weekly. I prefer weekly, so you don’t have to change lineups as much. Some leagues opt for collating stats directly from the web, so daily updates aren’t a major constraint.

That’s basically it – now you’re ready to wreak havoc upon your social life and gain an incredible amount of insight into College Hoops. Caution: it’s addictive.

When is an All-American not worthy? In fantasy hoops.

In the ‘fantasy world’, the person you think is a star just might not be all he’s cracked up to be. A fantasy star might never play in the NBA, or NBDL for the matter, but he can be the difference between you sipping champagne, or crying in the corner at the end of the season. Most people go for the “name” players, these are the players they hear about on a daily basis, whether it be on SportsCenter or around campus. Although they might be the catalyst for their actual college team, they could actually be your downfall.

As an example, looking at the list below of pre-season talent, you would want them on your ‘real’ team for sure, but fantasy-wise, you have to be much more selective. Don’t let your heart make your choices, this meaning if you love North Carolina, don’t just pick their players because of your love, you might love them at the start, but by season’s end, you could be cursing their ever being born!

Choose wisely, a great fantasy player is any player who can amass an average of 25 or more fantasy points per night, this is a stud who can lead you to victory; in all, any player that’s a 20+ fantasy player is of value, if they’re equal, you can choose your favorite school. Have a good balance of players. Let’s take some of the likely pre-season All-America honorees, and see how I value them as fantasy players.

Chris Duhon, Duke – Point Guard. Ranked as the 120th best fantasy PG. Last year, he was a dud. This year?

Kirk Hinrich, Kansas – Shooting Guard. Ranked as the 9th best fantasy 2-guard. He’s basically a good compliment player, but you can do better.

Luke Walton, Arizona – Small Forward. Ranked 23rd. Nice off your bench, nothing more.

David West, Xavier – Power Forward. Ranked 3rd at the position – Alert! Fantasy Stud!

Chris Marcus, Western Kentucky – Center. Ranked 3rd at Center – again, this is someone to try to get on your squad.

Now, that you saw who the ‘experts’ say are the best players in the land, let me tell you my pre-season “Fantasy” All-American team. The stats don’t lie, these guys are genuine studs in the fantasy game! This list is from all Division I schools, not just the big boys.

Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois – Point Guard. Ranked number 2 at the position. A stud, 2 years in a row.

Ricky Minard, Morehead State – Shooting Guard. Number 1 fantasy shooting guard. You want this guy. You need this guy.

Jason Conley, VMI – Small Forward. Number 1 overall, not just at the position.

David West, Xavier – Power Forward. Ranked 3rd at the position – Two-time fantasy stud. Most familiar guy on the list.

Adam Sonn, Belmont – Center. Ranked as the nation’s top fantasy center. Visualize him on your squad.

As you can see, no major conferences or players involved, David West being the only one who was on both lists.

In preparing for the season, I usually don’t think of it as college hoop season until the preseason magazines come out, my personal preference in the Sporting News pre-season annual. In my opinion it’s the most up-to-date and accurate (I have every issue since 1991). There are others but for stats, player information and current schedules, TSN is simply the best. There are plenty of statistics available out on the web, as well, and for insight and commentary, don’t forget our hometown – Hoopville. The best draft is one you’re prepared for. If you just looking at the All-America section and attempt to ‘wing’ it during the draft, you are doomed for failure. Preparation is needed to succeed in this competitive world.

Remember to have fun, as there’s nothing like a little ‘trash’ talking with your mates. It gives it some realism and makes the season go better. I hope to keep you informed of my passion, College Basketball, from a ‘fantasy’ perspective! The next article will be on Draft Strategies, Top 25 players for each position, my “hidden gems” for your draft. See you soon!

Brand the new NCAA Sheriff

School Ties

by David Mosse

Somewhere in Lubbock Bob Knight is either rolling in laughter or seething in anger, and the smart money is on the latter. This past week the NCAA announced that none other than Myles Brand, the man who unceremoniously pulled the plug on Knight’s Indiana career, would replace Cedric Dempsey as President.

While inheriting one of the most prestigious jobs in all of sports, Brand also faces enormous pressure. These are turbulent times for the NCAA as the ongoing cash-scandal at Michigan is once again raising questions over corruption. In addition, the record number of players either bypassing college or leaving school early has brought the debate over paying college athletes to its apex.

Of course, these problems are directly related. High school kids who feel the burden of taking care of their families are in a hurry to cash in on their god given abilities. Colleges realize they must provide some financial incentive to hold on to these kids and such students, who choose their college for the wrong reasons, are unlikely to ever depart from the school with a diploma in hand.

Thus many argue that a simple solution to the problem is to legalize the payment of college athletes. After all, players would get their money while pursuing an education and colleges wouldn’t need to resort to illegal methods. Graduation rates rise, corruption declines, and everyone is happy.

Sadly, advocates of such a measure don’t seem to mind that it would forever destroy the integrity of college athletics. How long until schools engage in bidding wars over seventeen years old kids? And if the NCAA tries to implement some sort of nationwide cap on the amount being paid, how long until colleges find ways to circumvent the rules and we end up right back where we started? Finally, are we really willing to subject ourselves to arguments about small schools being unable to compete financially with bigger schools?

Call me naive but I still choose to believe that more schools don’t cheat than do and more kids pick Universities for the proper reasons- location, academics, and diversity-rather than simply going to the highest bidder. The current system can work and should work if the NCAA simply does a better job of enforcing its rules and punishing those who break them.

It’s unfortunate that so many of our top collegian stars come from impoverished backgrounds where their athletic gifts serve as the meal ticket for their family and friends. However, this speaks to a larger problem in our society that should be left to those in Washington to solve. It is not the job of athletic programs to compensate for the decrepit state of inner cities.

Ironically, one of those responsible for stirring this debate is Chris Webber who, back in his Fab Five days, told a sad story of not having enough money for dinner one night yet walking past a bookstore and seeing his jersey on sail for $75. Today, we know that Webber could have treated himself to a four-course meal, courtesy of Wolverines’ booster Ed Martin.

Rather than surrendering to the corrupt and softening the rules simply to make their actions legal, the NCAA and its new president should take a firmer stand than ever against cheating. If it means leveling an overly harsh sentence against the next couple of schools found guilty of wrong doing, so be it. A message needs to be sent that Brand’s regime will not tolerate what took place at Michigan.

Through increased scrutiny and stiffer penalties, Brand should be able to weed out much of the corruption without jeopardizing the purity of college sports. In doing so, he will ensure that kids choose the right schools for the right reasons, thus raising the chances that they remain at their Universities longer.

Naturally, the appeal of the NBA will be too strong for some and kids will continue to bolt from the collegian ranks. There is no way to combat this other than to make school as enriching as possible in the hopes of persuading kids to stick around. And it wouldn’t hurt for coaches to educate their players on the plight of Omar Cook and Leon Smith among others, so they fully understand the risks involved with leaving early.

It may seem like an archaic notion but if provided with all the facts, some kids will make the right choices. When former Florida State running back Warrick Dunn announced his decision to return for his senior year with the Seminoles, he offered a simple explanation:

“I’ve been poor for the last 20 years,” said Dunn.” I can be poor for one more year.”

Presumably, Dunn received the blessing of his family in making his decision and opted to enjoy one more year of bliss while further preparing for the challenges that lay ahead. In some cases, that extra year is a luxury a player’s family cannot afford and the decision is taken out of his hands. Once again, such cases are beyond the reach of the NCAA.

The only strategy for Brand is to do his best to clean up college sports and hope kids, when given a choice, will make the right decisions. Under no circumstances should he succumb to the pressure of paying student-athletes and in the process tarnish one of the last bastions of good, clean fun.

Professional sports more than satisfies our fix for watching selfish, big headed players, with no attachment to their teams, only playing for money. In this regard, college should not prepare kids for the future.

World Series Wildcat

World Series Wildcat

by Jed Tai

“The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

While it was not quite the legendary moment that Bobby Thomson’s famous homer was in 1951, Kenny Lofton’s game-winning, pennant-clinching single in the bottom of the ninth against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002 will certainly rank up there when you talk about all-time great moments in Giants history.

Although he accomplished this fantastic feat in a Giants uniform, Kenny Lofton will probably be remembered most as a Cleveland Indian over his baseball career.

But for college basketball aficionados, the memories of Lofton are different. It’s not the Indians or Giants uniform they remember Kenny wearing – not the White Sox, Braves, or even the Astros duds Lofton once donned.

It’s the red, white, and blue No. 11 he wore for the Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team.

Before the game-winning hits, the head-first slides, and the acrobatic catches in center field, there were the cross-over dribbles, the quick steals, and even the occasional dunk on the basketball floor. Kenny Lofton played major college basketball for Lute Olson and the Wildcats. A four year player at Arizona, Lofton came to Tucson on a hoops scholarship and didn’t even pay baseball until his junior year. He was an electric dynamo of a player who became well-known for his vertical leap, quickness, and defensive ability – and by the time he graduated in 1989, he held the school records for steals in a single season (67 in 1988-89) and career (200).

His career started slowly at Arizona, as the East Chicago, IN native only averaged 2.4 points a game in 6.8 minutes of playing time as a freshman in 1985-86. But he was quickly promoted to the starting lineup as a sophomore in 1986-87, taking the reins at point guard after Steve Kerr (former Chicago Bull, current San Antonio Spur) injured his knee at the 1986 World Championships. Lofton would average a career-high 6.4 points a game that season. When Kerr returned for his senior year in 1987-88, Lofton returned to the bench, becoming a member of the famous “Gumbies” reserves that spark-plugged the Wildcats that season to their first ever Final Four. He would regain his starting job as a senior in 1988-89, averaging 5.5 points and 4.1 assists a game, helping Arizona to a No. 1 ranking entering the NCAA Tournament. After his collegiate career ended with a last-second loss to UNLV in the Sweet Sixteen, Lofton was overlooked by the NBA in the draft, with his smallish stature – listed as six-feet, he was probably more like 5-9 – no doubt playing a factor.

But Lofton found his niche as a baseball player, where height would not be as much an issue. After first donning a Major League uniform with the Houston Astros in 1991, he moved on to Cleveland where he was a fixture in center field. Whether it was stealing a base or robbing someone of a home run in the outfield, Lofton was a fan favorite and leadoff threat who was seemingly always on the highlight reel. After a one-year stint with the Atlanta Braves in 1997, Lofton returned to the Indians for another four years before landing this season with the Chicago White Sox and getting traded to the San Francisco Giants in mid-season. He has made six All-Star teams during his career, won six Gold Gloves for his defensive work in the outfield, and has stolen over 500 bases and hit just under .300 for his career.

After he helped lead the Cleveland Indians to their first World Series in 41 years in 1995, Kenny Lofton joined Tim Stoddard (North Carolina State/Baltimore Orioles) as the only players to ever play in a Final Four and a World Series.

But there’s a major difference between Lofton and Stoddard’s rare double. Stoddard won a World Series ring with the Orioles in 1983. Lofton already missed out his first chance with the Indians in 1995. And thanks to his timely hit, he’ll get another shot at it in 2002.

Kenny Lofton might have never reached the NBA, but he’d probably say that he’s happy the way things have worked out.

The Giants no doubt are.

Kenny Lofton’s career stats at Arizona:

        MIN   FG%  3PT%   FT%  RPG  APG  TPG  BPG  SPG   PPG
85-86   6.8  45.0        46.2  0.5  0.6  0.6  0.1  0.6   2.4
86-87  26.2  38.9  35.6  75.4  2.0  3.3  1.6  0.3  1.8   6.4
87-88  15.2  53.4  39.7  53.8  1.2  2.1  1.4  0.1  1.6   4.7
88-89  22.9  38.5  36.7  69.4  1.8  4.1  1.8  0.1  2.0   5.5
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TOTALS 17.9  43.3  37.0  65.1  1.4  2.6  1.4  0.1  1.6   4.8