Colonial Notebook

Colonial Notebook

by Beth Iskoe

Stars

The Delaware tandem of junior guard Mike Ames and sophomore guard Mike Slattery has put together some pretty impressive games this season. That trend continued this past week at the Oneida Bingo & Casino Classic Championship. In the Hens’ 66-56 first round win over Eastern Washington, Ames scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Slattery added fifteen points, five rebounds and five assists. Then in Delaware’s loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay, Slattery scored a career-high 22 points, including twenty in the second half and Ames checked in with a solid nineteen-point performance, including fifteen in the first half.

Drexel senior center Robert Battle picked up his second and third straight double-doubles this past week. In the Dragons’ (4-4) victory over Colgate Monday night at home by a 75-54 margin, Battle scored sixteen points, pulled down thirteen boards and blocked seven shots. Then, in Drexel’s 78-61 home win over Philadelphia, Battle put up 23 points, thirteen rebounds and eight blocks.

Falling one rebound shy of the 20-20 mark was Hofstra sophomore forward Kenny Adeleke. Adeleke scored 24 points and grabbed nineteen rebounds in the Pride’s loss to Manhattan. The last Hofstra player to accomplish that feat was David Taylor during the 1981-82 season. Adeleke followed up that performance with a 24 point, thirteen rebound effort in the Pride’s loss to St. Peter’s.

In Old Dominion’s (3-5) surprising 84-76 road win over Atlantic-10 opponent George Washington, senior forward Ricardo Marsh led the way with 25 points and twelve rebounds.

And 1

Delaware’s 88-82 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the Oneida Bingo & Casino Classic Championship was one of its most physical games in recent memory. The Hens (5-4) committed 34 fouls, their most since they had 36 fouls February 25th 1987 against Drexel. In addition, the Phoenix’s 48 free throw attempts were the most Delaware has allowed since Drexel had 53 in that same 1987 game.

Low outputs

In its last three halves, George Mason (5-4) has scored 21 points or less. In the second half of the Patriots’ 55-54 home victory over Hartford, George Mason managed only sixteen points, and was held scoreless for the final 3:46. In their 65-41 demolition by No. 3 Pittsburgh which ended their five-game winning streak, the Patriots were only able to put up twenty points in the first half and 21 in the second half. Their 41 point total output was the lowest of the season.

Blizzard watch

UNC Wilmington senior guard Brett Blizzard continued to move up the CAA career lists. He is currently fourth in three-pointers made with 288 and needs only six to move into third place. Blizzard is now sixth in three-point attempts with 681 and seventh in career steals with 200.

Streaking

UNC Wilmington (5-3) extended its winning streak to three straight by virtue of a 78-69 victory over a highly touted College of Charleston squad. Blizzard paced the Seahawks by scoring a game-high 22 points.

Free-fallin’

After losing 93-75 at home to Manhattan Monday and 77-64 on the road to St. Peter’s Saturday, Hofstra (1-8) has now dropped six straight. Even worse, is the 93 points the Pride gave up to Manhattan is the most total points Hofstra has allowed since the 1999-2000 season when it was defeated 98-86 by St. John’s.

Next up

After time off for exams, James Madison (5-3), Virginia Commonwealth (5-3) and William and Mary (2-4) return to action. This week also marks the start of CAA conference games.

Thursday January 2

Towson at Old Dominion at 6 p.m.
Charleston Southern at William and Mary at 7 p.m.
Drexel at James Madison at 7 p.m.
Delaware at George Mason at 7 p.m.
Hofstra at Virginia Commonwealth at 7 p.m.

Saturday January 4

Drexel at George Mason at 2 p.m.
Old Dominion at Virginia Commonwealth at 4 p.m.
Towson at William and Mary at 7 p.m.
Hofstra at UNC Wilmington at 7 p.m.
Delaware at James Madison at 7 p.m.

Conference USA Notebook

Conference USA Notebook

by Zach Van Hart

America, say hello to Conference USA

Those critics who questioned C-USA as a major conference took a huge hit Saturday, as two top 15 teams fell by the way side. Kentucky became the first to fall, as the traveled west to face intra-state rival Louisville and its former coach, Rick Pitino. The Cardinals also featured UK-transfer Marvin Stone, playing just his third game of the season since becoming eligible. Stone’s contributions led to Louisville running away from the Wildcats, winning 81-63. The game proved two things about the Cardinals: they are capable of beating the best teams in the country, and they do not need Reece Gaines to be on fire to win. A C-USA player of the year candidate, Gaines finished with just ten points, and for the most part was a non-factor. No matter for Pitino and the Cards as plenty others stepped up their game. Stone finished with sixteen points, leading the team, and added seven rebounds. Ellis Myles provided eleven points and grabbed fourteen huge rebounds. Taquan Dean netted ten points, including two crucial three-pointers. Freshman Francisco Garcia, one of the early surprises for Pitino, finished with twelve points. After trailing by eleven early, the Cardinals finally settled down, and during the second half blew Kentucky out. While the margin of victory is surprising, the win is not. The nation finally saw how good Louisville is, and at worst, is a top 25 team.

However, the other win definitely fit the surprise tag. Illinois marched into the Pyramid owners of an unbeaten record and a top 10 ranking. They left humbled by a 77-74 loss to the Memphis Tigers, a team playing at full strength for the first team all season. The latest addition for Memphis, who proved to be the difference during Saturday’s win, is Chris Massie. Academically ineligible prior to Saturday’s game, Massie scored thirteen points and corralled twelve rebounds. More importantly, Massie controlled the interior, something the Tigers, and particularly Earl Barron, failed to do before Saturday. Massie now provides Memphis with an alternative to their outside game, which carried the team throughout December. The guard play once again sunk an opponent, as Anthony Rice led the charge. Rice finished with a team-high sixteen points, aided by four-of-six shooting from downtown. John Grice also finished with sixteen, including three-of-six shooting from deep. With all of the pieces in place now for Calipari and a big regular season win under his belt; look for Memphis to make a run at the C-USA title.

Big impact 1

Marquette needed a big man to complement Dwayne Wade’s outside game. Transfer Robert Jackson is providing exactly what the Golden Eagles needed. Jackson played his best offensive game of the season against Grambling Saturday, scoring 26 points. While he received headline news for the first time all season with his performance, Jackson is quietly having one of the best seasons in the conference. He is averaging more than seventeen points per game (17.2) and barley less than nine rebounds per contest (8.8). Both averages are good for fifth in the conference. Jackson, however, is also providing the intangible quality of leadership to Marquette. Having played in a power conference like the SEC, Jackson is accustom to playing in big games, a vital difference maker for the Eagles as they head into their lethal February schedule.

Big impact 2

All of South Florida expected the worse with the losses of B.B. Waldon and Altron Jackson. A few optimists though felt Will McDonald could provide the scoring of at least one of the lost duo. However, no one expected the hot streak McDonald is on now. Through his last five games, the senior center is averaging 21 points per game. Last week, McDonald netted 22 and twenty, and also averaged eight and a half rebounds. He is averaging nearly a double-double during his last five games, having grabbed 49 rebounds. Currently the Bulls are 7-3, and McDonald, along with point guard Reggie Kohn, is the reason why. He is currently seventh in both scoring and rebounding, and is battling Marquette’s Jackson as the top big man in C-USA this season.

Charlotte is their name, inconsistency is their game

The 49ers are now ten games into their season. So far this year, Charlotte is lacking consistency, from almost every player and as a team. Their record stands at 5-5 and already the year has been a roller coaster ride. Just last week, the 49ers dropped two, including a heartbreaking 76-74 loss to Colorado. Then they turned back around and were blown out by Louisiana Lafayette, 68-47. Sadly enough, the losses come after a three-game win streak, which included triumphs over the likes of Miami and Southern Illinois. Several players are falling short of their expectations. One of Niners doing so is junior forward Butter Johnson. Expected to be one of Bobby Lutz’s go-to-guys, Johnson has been, simply put, inconsistent. Johnson is averaging 10.4 points per game, but is shooting just 38 percent from the field and just eleven percent behind the arc. While Johnson is capable of big games, he scored 22 against Southern Illinois; he also tends to disappear from time to time. Against Lafayette, he shot just two-of-twelve, and finished with seven points. For Johnson and Charlotte, time is running out to get their act together. Their January schedule is lined up with land mines, starting with their January 4 match at Indiana. Other games include C-USA favorites Louisville, Marquette and Cincinnati. For the 49ers, the inconsistency must end now.

Player of the week

Will McDonald, South Florida

McDonald scored 22 and twenty points respectively during the Bulls two wins last week. During the LIU Brooklyn contest, McDonald earned a double-double, finishing with eleven boards.

Games to watch

Charlotte at Indiana, Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Hoosiers have struggled of late, losing two straight. If Charlotte can defend Indiana’s three-point shot well, they have a chance.

West Virginia at Saint Louis, Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Mountaineers are one of the surprises of the college basketball season. The Billikens could use a big win to propel them into the conference season.

Louisville at Ohio State, Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Buckeyes’ only losses this season have come to Alabama, Pittsburgh, and Duke (No’s. 2, 3, and 1, respectively). Louisville has faced little competition on the road this year.

Ivy League Notebook

Ivy League Notebook

by Jason Haslam

Harvard Hanging in There

After opening the season at 7-2, their best start since the 1984-85 season, the Crimson seem to be fading quickly after dropping games to Boston College, Richmond, and VMI. The Crimson now 7-5, begin Ivy League play January 4th against Dartmouth, but can’t be feeling too confident after consecutive defeats in the Spider Invitational.

Senior point guard Elliot Prasse-Freeman has been sensational in guiding the Crimson through their fast start. But in the defeat to BC he played just 26 minutes, fouling out with a little over five minutes left in regulation, scoring zero points, with six assists, and three turnovers. Things got worse for Freeman, who is currently fourth in the nation in assists per game (7.8), against Richmond as he committed eight turnovers to just four assists, in a loss to the Spiders 86-59 on December 28.

Those two games belie the fact that Freeman has played like the team’s MVP. The real culprit has been maligned leading scorer, senior shooting guard Patrick Harvey. Playing through tendonitis in his right foot he is shooting a horrid 34 percent from the field. Team captain Brady Merchant has been playing admirably taking up a portion of the scoring load averaging 15.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. As the Crimson go into league play they lack solid contributors off the bench and a formidable defensive presence. The Crimson have five senior starters, four of who are averaging 33 minutes a game or more, the rest of the squad is loaded with inexperienced sophomores and freshman. They are sixth in the league in points allowed at 71.3 per game, ironically they are tied for second in the league at holding opponents to just 40 percent shooting.

Additional notes: Freeman set a school-record with 16 assists in 86-74 win against Mercer, December 19, his assist/turnover ratio is a solid 2.3 to 1…Despite a weak bench sophomore guard Kevin Rogus has shot a hot 13-for-27 from beyond the arc, but is averaging just eight minutes a game…Senior power forward Sam Winter leads the league in rebounding with 8.3 a contest.

Princeton Can’t Seem to Find a Rhythm

At 4-6, and coming off 77-71 a loss at Santa Clara, the Tigers seem unable to put together a string of wins. A season-ending knee injury to junior forward Andre Logan three games into the season, a tough non-conference schedule and the inability to take advantage of open looks have hindered the squad thus far. Spencer Gloger has been a linchpin, leading the conference in scoring with 17.8 a game and shooting a steady 46 percent from the field. The Tigers have suffered perplexing losses to both Rider and Florida International, yet came within three points of upsetting Texas and within six of Rutgers.

The Tigers play three more non-conference games against Holy Cross (who have already beaten Harvard and Brown), then play University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Ursinus. All three appear to be winnable games, and if the Tigers can take these next three, they will go into conference play with a winning record and some confidence.

As the conference’s leading scorer, Gloger is averaging a mere 13 shots per game, and even more impressive is how well he takes care of the ball. In the last five games, he has committed only five turnovers. That says a lot about his maturity and patience, especially since he averages over 34 minutes a game and as the leading scorer, is getting the most touches.

Cornell Has The Talent, But Not The Wins

With an extremely young roster, coach Steve Donahue’s Big Red are skidding out of control amid a five-game losing streak, in which they are losing on average by almost 15 points a game. At 2-6 with only two seniors and one junior, the Big Red are being carried by their youngsters. Sophomore power forward Eric Taylor and sophomore shooting guard Cody Toppert are performing exceptionally despite the team’s futility.

Taylor is putting up first-team Ivy League numbers averaging 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and is shooting a blistering 58 percent from the field. Toppert is scoring 14.5 a game and leads the conference with 3.3 trifectas a game. However, both are struggling in the department of free-throws. Taylor lacks accuracy, shooting an abysmal 45 percent (23-for-51). Toppert’s problem seems to be an unwillingness to drive to the basket as indicated by his thirteen attempts on the season. Last year despite shooting 91 percent from the line, Toppert ,managed a miniscule 35 attempts in 27 games.

At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Taylor is a hulking presence and in just his second season is a tri-captain on the squad. In their loss to Syracuse back in early December, Taylor faced off against Carmelo Anthony, considered the top freshman in the nation and probable NBA lottery pick. Though Anthony had 21 points and 10 boards, Taylor held him to 5-for-13 shooting and managed 13 points and nine rebounds against the freshman phenom.

Big West Notebook

Big West Conference Notebook

by Shaan Hassan

Douglass Does it Again for UC Irvine

In a classic example of why many consider UC Irvine head coach Pat Douglass
the best coach in the conference, Douglass has recently gone to a new lineup
that’s working well. The lineup features first team all-conference hopeful
center Adam Parada coming off the bench. Since UCI’s 84-57 embarrassing
loss to Stanford, Dec. 19, when Parada had just seven points and one rebound
before fouling out after only 15 minutes of play, Douglass made the
following changes in his lineup:

Before Stanford: Jeff Gloger and Mike Hood at guard, Stanislav Zuzak and
Jordan Harris at forward and Parada at center. After Stanford: Mike
Efevberha and Gloger at guard, Matt Okoro and Harris at forward and Greg
Ethington at center.

Those moves helped spark the Anteaters to a 62-50 win over Saint Mary’s,
Dec. 22 in Moraga, CA. Six days later in Irvine, Douglass altered the lineup
again starting guard Ross Schraeder in place of Harris for a three guard-two
forward look. That move helped UCI defeat Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne 96-79 as
the Anteaters had six players score in double figures, two of them off the
bench (Harris and Parada with 18 and 14 points, respectively). The 96 points
scored by Irvine was the most since their 96-93 double overtime victory over
Pepperdine, Nov. 20, 2001.

UCI’s two-game win streak has pushed the Anteaters to a 5-3 record, settling
them into second place behind 9-2 Utah State and right in front of Cal State
Northridge at 6-4.

Thanks to Douglass’ move and Parada’s inconsistent play, the center may not
win any player of the year awards, but how about a personal consolation
prize…Sixth Man Award, anybody?

Up next for Douglass and Co. is Florida Atlantic in Irvine, Dec. 30, before
they visit Long Beach State, Jan. 4, to start conference play.

Tournament Troubles and Tribulations

If defending conference champions UC Santa Barbara and current Big West
leader Utah State are both aiming for the conference prize, they are taking
two completely different roads towards it.

In the azcentral.com/ASU Hoops Classic, the Gauchos fell in their
third-place game 67-60 to Bucknell, Dec. 28. Forwards Mark Hull and
Branduinn Fullove combined for 38 points, but no one else scored more than
seven.

UCSB’s last home game came Dec. 3 when they defeated USC and have since lost
five games in a row, all away from the cozy, beachy confines of Santa
Barbara.

Meanwhile, Utah State, in their own Gossner Foods Classic, defeated Idaho
State 66-59. They won the championship to extend their winning streak of
the tourney to 18 games. Forward Desmond Penigar led the Aggies with 24
points and 15 rebounds, while center Spencer Nelson added a double-double of
his own with 13 points and 14 rebounds. No other Aggie scored more than six,
but that didn’t seem to matter.

What is worth noting is that Utah State is well on their way to an excellent
season and a hopeful NCAA bid if this keeps up, while defending conference
champs Santa Barbara sit on their 3-7 record, wondering where it went wrong.

No Surprise: Desmond Penigar Earns an Award

Due to his 21 point and nearly 6 rebound per game average for the week,
forward Desmond Penigar of Utah State was honored as the Big West Conference
Player of the Week, in what should be one of many honors this season.

Last Tuesday, the star forward scored 13 points and had seven rebounds in
his team’s 59-54 win over Utah. Last Saturday, in a 66-64 nail-biter over
Weber State, Penigar dropped a season-high 29 points, including the
game-winner with five seconds left for the victory. Penigar shot over 59
percent from the field during the week.

In addition to conference weekly honors, Penigar has been predicted to win
conference player of the year by many magazines in addition to being an NBA
draftee.

Big Ten Notebook

Big Ten Notebook

by Chris Burke

Illinois couldn’t get past an up-and-coming Memphis squad. Indiana lost a bad
one to Temple on the road. And Bobby Knight got his revenge on the Big Ten,
handling Minnesota at Williams Arena.

In the midst of the Big Ten carnage on the weekend, flying below the radar were
two significant victories — Iowa stunned No. 22 Tulsa on the road, and Michigan
pulled the same trick, keeping a reeling UCLA team on the ropes.

The Hawkeyes, supposedly in a rebuilding year, pulled off one of the
conference’s biggest wins yet this season with a 67-63 stunner over the Golden
Hurricane on Saturday. With the victory, Iowa has rolled out to an 8-2 start and finds itself facing what could be a major statement game Saturday when
Missouri comes to Iowa City.

“I thought obviously this was a tremendous win for us,” Iowa coach Steve Alford
said after the upset. “I think we held them to one point the last four minutes
of the game on their own floor. That is something we really work on.”

Iowa outscored Tulsa 42-30 in the second half to rally back from an eight-point
halftime deficit. Chauncey Leslie’s career-high 21 points paced the Hawkeyes,
who are starting to look like they could be a major sleeper during the
conference season, especially playing tough at home like they always do.

While the Hawkeyes were making their statement in Oklahoma, Tommy Amaker’s
Michigan team was putting together one of its most complete performances in
recent memory. The Wolverines — save for the last five minutes of the game — controlled UCLA at storied Pauley Pavilion en route to an 81-76 win over the Bruins.

Michigan, after an embarrassing 0-6 start, has now reeled off five consecutive
wins and with only games against San Francisco and IUPUI remaining before the
conference schedule, the Wolverines should be 7-6.

It’s been an impressive turnaround for a team that has no chance of postseason
play, and the win on Saturday — Michigan’s first non-conference road win in
three years — was just the type of win that Amaker had been hoping for.

“We feel great,” Amaker said. “Our kids have battled hard all year long. This
is a big win for us to come in here and win against a team like UCLA in Pauley
Pavilion, where it is very difficult to win.”

Hoosiers hoping for end to Davis fiasco

Mike Davis’ outburst at the end of Indiana’s loss to Kentucky cost the team
dearly in that game.

But with a lingering suspension hanging over the Hoosiers’ heads, Indiana does
not appear to be the focused team it was as it stormed out to an 8-0 start.

Case in point — Indiana was overwhelmed by a now 2-6 Temple team on Saturday,
falling to the Owls, 71-64.

Indiana was sluggish the entire time, surprisingly being outrebounded 38-34
while shooting an uncharacteristic 69 percent from the free throw line in the upset
loss.

Star guard Tom Coverdale was almost nonexistent, scoring just nine points on 3-
of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers also forced a meager seven
Owl turnovers, no doubt a major reason Indiana came away on the losing end.

That wasn’t the only reason though, according to Davis. The Indiana coach felt
his team hadn’t recovered from the emotional end to the Kentucky game, but
questioned why the Big Ten has let the problem remain unresolved.

“I understand what I did wrong,” Davis said. “But am I the first person to do
that?”

Davis ultimately received a one-game suspension from the Big Ten.

Not so Golden Gophers

Somewhere between its fourth win of the season over Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 6
and a devastating loss at Nebraska on Dec. 8, Minnesota lost its way.
The once 4-0, nationally-ranked Golden Gophers have gone 2-3 in their last
five, capped off with an 99-88 overtime loss to Knight and his Texas Tech
ballclub.

In the five-minute overtime session, Minnesota allowed Texas Tech to put up an
astonishing 25 points. A good deal of those points came from the line for the
Red Raiders, but the lack of overtime defense combined with the 90 points the Golden Gophers allowed Oregon in Minnesota’s last loss is cause for concern in Gopher country.

Perhaps even more amazing is that fact that Big Ten Player of the Year
candidate Rick Rickert is no longer the leading scorer for the Golden Gophers.
Rickert’s 14.4 points per game clip is second on the team to the average of guard Maurice
Hargrove (14.8 ppg).

While Dan Monson must be thrilled to see Hargrove’s increased production, as well as the fact that four Golden Gophers are averaging in double figures, there is no doubt concern that Rickert is not leading the team in scoring.

Rickert has taken just 85 shots in the eight games he has played in, just over
a 10 shot per game average. A player of Rickert’s caliber needs to be closer to
the 21 shots he took against Texas Tech than to the nine he took at Oregon when
he fouled out in 15 minutes.

This week in the Big Ten

Indiana’s attempt to get back on track at Ball State on Tuesday and Wisconsin’s
trip into Temple on Thursday highlight the midweek battles.

All 11 teams in the conference play on Saturday.

Michigan State’s prime time matchup on the road at Oklahoma will be the
featured game in the conference Saturday, but Iowa’s hosting of Missouri will
also get some attention.

Also on Saturday — Indiana hosts Charlotte; Penn State hosts Buffalo;
Wisconsin hosts Chicago State; Michigan hosts IUPUI; Minnesota hosts Sacred
Heart; Purdue hosts Montana; Ohio State hosts Louisville; Illinois hosts Oakland;
and Northwestern hosts Long Island.

MAC Notebook

Mid-American Conference Notebook

by Adam Trumble

The scenario — overtime in Cleveland’s Gund Arena when Antonio Gates scores more than 20 points.

It spelled trouble for Boston College Saturday as Kent State defeated the Eagles 86-83 in overtime in the Balance Bar Rock-N-Roll Shootout.

Gates a senior forward, scored a career-high 32 points as Kent State improved to 7-1 on the season. He gave the Golden Flashes an 84-83 lead, scoring on a putback with 28.1 seconds to play in overtime.

Following a Boston College timeout, with 17 seconds remaining, freshman point guard DeAndre Haynes came up with a steal on an inbound pass and passed to junior guard Eric Haut who was fouled. Haut made the first but missed the second. Haut scored all 22 of his points after halftime and converted 10-of-11 free throw attempts.

Kent State shot 50 percent for the contest, the eighth consecutive game the Flashes have achieved the feat. They are currently ranked second nationally in field goal percentage.

The win in Gund Arena is Kent State’s eighth straight including the 2001 and 2002 Mid-American Conference tournaments and the 2001 and 2002 Rock-N-Roll Shootouts. Not to mention the Flashes are a combined 12-4 when Gates scores more than 20 points. This was the fifth straight overtime victory for the Flashes.

Falcons Rock-N-Roll to a victory

Not to be outdone by intrastate rival Kent State, sophomore forward John Reimold scored 24 points to lead Bowling Green to a 80-72 victory over Cleveland State in the other game of the Balance Bar Rock-N-Roll Shootout.

Cleveland State jumped out to a 26-16 lead but the Falcons tied the score with a 10-0 run in the first half. Cleveland State ended up pulling out to a 31-26 halftime lead. Reimold scored seven consecutive points to open the second half and give the Falcons a 33-31 lead. BGSU pulled away throughout the half, but the Vikings used an 11-4 run to close to 63-57, but that would be as close as the Vikings would get.

The Falcons used solid free throw shooting to ice the game converting 10 free throws in the final 43 seconds. Reimold went 11-for-11 from the line and the Falcons shot 29-for-34 from the line overall.

Zips come back to win

Akron’s guard tandem of Derrick Tarver and John Hollingsworth scored 25 and 18 points respectively, as Akron’s used a second-half comeback to defeat Hampton 84-79.

Hampton opend the game with a 7-0 run and took a 43-34 lead into halftime. Hampton even extended its lead to 14 points at the start of the second half before the Zips started to chip away starting a Tarver layup. Hollingsworth tied the score at 56 with 11:19 remaining on a free throw.

Akron took a 64-63 lead with 8:23 remaining and led the rest of the way. Akron was outshot by the Pirates but held the line at the charity stripe, making 30 shots to Hampton’s 14.

Andy Hipsher added 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Zips.

Other MAC teams fall

Eastern Michigan became the first MAC team to fall to the University of Michigan after a 85-57 blowout by the Wolverines. Eastern Michigan then dropped a game to Navy (89-81) to close out the week.

Ohio lost at Wisconsin 75-51 as the East Division favored Bobcats continue to struggle. Central Michigan dropped its second game of the season on the road at Valparaiso 65-51 Monday, snapping the Chippewas five-game winning streak.

St. Bonaventure defeated its second MAC team (Kent State being the first) of the season, pounding Toledo 94-68. Marshall lost at U-Mass 81-58. Head Coach Charlie Coles and his Miami RedHawks’ struggles continued in a 66-54 loss to Cincinnati, dropping Miami to 3-6.

Northern Illinois joined the group of losers from the MAC when the Huskies scored just 16 second half points in a 77-45 loss to Illinois-Chicago.

Hoopville’s Mid-American Conference Player of the Week

Kent State senior forward Antonio Gates. Gates scored a career high 32 points in a 86-83 victory over Boston College.

Mid-Continent Notebook

Mid-Continent Notebook

by Matt Amis

Oakland falls short

After shooting nearly 70 percent one night prior in a 91-88 victory over Texas Southern, Oakland (5-3) could not keep up the offensive magic against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, falling to the Islanders by an 80-72 score in the finals of the Flint Hills Resources Islander Classic.

After a 9-1 Islander run to start the game, the Golden Grizzlies were never able to mount a comeback for the rest of the evening. Trailing by 14 points with five minutes to play in the half, Oakland scored nine straight points and cut the deficit to 28-23 on a jumper by Cortney Scott with 1:52 left.

TAMCC, however, hit a trey to finish the half to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room. OU could only manage a 35 percent shooting effort in the first half, and were also plagued by 11 turnovers.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi got things going early in the second half, starting the final 20 minutes on a 14-4 run. Oakland fought back midway through the half, going on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 51-45 on a pair of free throws from Rawle Marshall with eight minutes left.

The Mid-Con’s leading scorer — Mike Helms — picked up his fifth foul at that point and the Islanders were able to take advantage, canning 15 of 16 free throws down the stretch to hold on to the win.

Marshall led Oakland with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Scott added 16 points and eight boards. Helms was held to under 20 points for the first time this season with 11. Kelly Williams was also in double figures in rebounds, snaring 10 boards for the Golden Grizzlies. Bailey led five Texas A&M-Corpus Christi players in double figures with 26 points while adding five assists.

Helms and Marshall were both named to the all-tournament team, with Helms getting tournament MVP honors after setting a tournament and Memorial Center record with 43 points Friday.

Back to reality for UMKC

After collecting their first win of the season last week, the Kangaroos promptly got back to their losing ways this weekend with consecutive losses in Utah State’s holiday tournament. Michael Watson had 21 points and Javon Clark had 13, but it wasn’t enough for UMKC (1-9) in its 71-56 loss to Arkansas State in the consolation game of the Gossner Foods Classic in Logan, Utah.

Watson, among the nation’s leaders in scoring, built on his own UMKC record by scoring at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games for the Kangaroos. Meanwhile, Clark, a junior transfer, had his best performance since scoring 16 against Loyola-Chicago on Dec. 10.

UMKC led 12-8 after a Watson 10-footer with 9:24 to play in the first half, but the Kangaroos didn’t get another field goal until Randall Atchison’s 3-pointer with 2:45 remaining in the period. Atchison’s bomb snapped a 14-4 ASU run, but the Kangaroos still trailed 28-24 at the break.

James Williams scored two of his nine points early in the second half to pull UMKC within 33-29, but the Indians went on a 9-0 run over the next 2:40 to take a 42-29 lead with 14:51 left in the game. Clark nailed the third of his four 3-pointers with 12:35 remaining to make it 44-36, but UMKC couldn’t mount a comeback down the stretch.

UMKC returns home to face Monmouth on New Year’s Eve. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CST at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Big Ten bullies bring Valpo back to .500

Just when it seemed rookie head coach Scott Drew was about to climb out of his early season hole, a Big Ten bully came around and stole his shovel.

Kenneth Lowe scored 21 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, and freshman David Teague added 17 as Purdue dominated Valparaiso 87-55 on Saturday. Purdue tied a Mackey Arena record with 14 3-pointers, the second time this season the Boilermakers have hit that mark.

Purdue had runs of 12-0 and 16-0 to open up a commanding 52-17 halftime lead over Valparaiso. Teague made a season-high five 3-pointers, including four in the first half as the Boilermakers made 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from 3-point range.

The Boilermakers committed only two turnovers in the first half and finished with 11 for the game. Valparaiso had 11 first-half turnovers and 23 for the game. The Crusaders were already trailing by double digits when Raitis Grafs, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, picked up three first-half fouls.

Grafs, who entered Saturday averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, was whistled for a pair of fouls in a span of 15 seconds, forcing the 6-foot-5 senior to the bench for the remainder of the first half. Grafs finished with 15 points and five rebounds.

Stalin Ortiz and Miguel Ali Berdiel each had 10 points for the Crusaders, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

Three-game win streak not in the cards for CSU

After accomplishing the unthinkable — turning the nation’s longest losing streak (24 games) into a two-game win streak — Chicago State coach Bo Ellis took his Cougars (2-7) on a tropical Hawaiian vacation.

Well, maybe it was to play in the Rainbow Classic, but who’s keeping track?

However, out to spoil CSU’s euphoria was Western Kentucky, which tripped up the Cougars in the opening round of the Classic, 63-56.

Chicago State gave Western Kentucky (6-4) all it could handle in Honolulu as the Cougars led 49-46 with five minutes remaining before WKU guard Patrick Sparks scored eight points down the stretch to lead the Hilltoppers. Craig Franklin’s 16 points and Kelvin Smallwood’s 15 points led CSU.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Tuesday, December 31, 2002

by Adam Shandler

Hoopville’s Number 2 Alabama will need to make this New Year’s resolution: shoot better earlier in the game to avoid being upset by unranked opponents.

‘Bama missed nine of its first ten shots and Utah stumped the Tide, 51-49, in one of three big flabbergasters last night. Nick Jacobsen led the Utes with a quiet 13 points, but sealed the win with two determining free throws with 24 seconds remaining. Erwin Dudley had a chance to tie it with a garbage bucket underneath, but the usually reliable center just couldn’t hit the mark.

“This won’t break us. You walk into an environment like this, and it’s tough,” said ‘Bama coach Mark Gottfried. The game entertained 14,665 screaming Utes fans at the Huntsman Center. “The place is sold out. There’s no one for us except the guys on our bench.”

Alabama falls to 9-1. Rick Majerus’s Utes improve to 8-3.

Also from the “What the Heck Department”, 12th-ranked Marquette took a slingshot to the noggin’, falling to East Carolina 73-70 in Conference USA action. Again, it all comes down to free throws. Derrick Wiley nailed a pair with just over half a minute left to earn the Pirates the win, some respect, and some sports page ink. Gabriel Mikulas led ECU with 22 points, 11 boards. The 9-2 Pirates end the calendar year with a heartwarming conference win, just a week after falling asleep against Coastal Carolina.

Dwayne Wade was one of four Golden Eagles in double figures. He finished with 21 for 8-2 Marquette.

Another Hoopville Top 25’er fell victim to upset fever. Number 14 Michigan State couldn’t overcome an inspired Toldeo club and lost, 81-76. The Spartans streak of 36 non-conference wins, dating back to 1997, is now over.

Once again, free throws is the catch phrase. The Rockets missed only six free throws the entire night and Kevin Triplett shot 9-of-10 from the line to help outdistance his team from its host.

The moral, kids? Shovel that driveway and practice those free throws!

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After being down 65-52, the Spartans staged a nice little run to tie it up at 71 with a Chris Hill 3-pointer. But Toledo’s efficiency from the line was too much and MSU never got closer than the final score.

Said Spartan coach Tom Izzo, “”The better team won tonight. They outplayed us in just about every phase. We tried a phony comeback and lost. We didn’t deserve to win at the end.”

Side Dishes

Texas Triumphs…But: That gust of wind you heard out of Austin was no low pressure system. It was a collective sigh of relief being exhaled from the lungs of Longhorn fans. Number 9 Texas scooted by Louisiana Tech, 58-50, despite hitting only one field goal in the final minutes and getting out-rebounded 39-31. Brandon Mouton had 16 for the ‘Horns.

Woe is Walton: The good news for Arizona: they are back on the winning track after taking home the Fiesta Bowl Classic trophy with an 85-71 win over Boston U. The bad news: Luke Walton is out. Again. Walton suffered his fourth ankle sprain of the season when he came down on teammate Jason Gardner’s foot. No word yet on how long Big Red will be out, but it looks certain that he will miss the PAC-10 opener against Oregon on Janurary 2nd.

Mike Davis to Miss the Ball: Indiana U. has spoken and the Big Ten has agreed. IU, well-experienced in matters of erupting coaches, has suspended head coach Mike Davis for one game. Davis will miss the Hoosiers’ game tonight against Ball State. For those of you who couldn’t hear the shrieking two weeks ago, Davis ran out onto the floor and hollered at refs to protest a “non-call” during IU’s loss to Kentucky.

An Undefeated Falls And A Record Is Tied: Butler was soooo close to a possible Top 25 ranking this year with its 10-0 record. But after last night’s 81-78 loss to Hawaii in the Rainbow Classic, that just may not happen. On the flipside for the Bulldogs, Darnell Archey tied the Division I record for consecutive free throws made with 73, matching the total of Villanova’s Gary Buchanan during the 2000-01 season.

Tonight’s Menu:

• The ball drops – in more ways than one tonight with a handful of Top 25 teams in action. Pitt, Number 3 in our poll, puts its 9-0 record on the line against desperate Georgia.

• As mentioned previously, 15th ranked Indiana will be Mike Davis-less as the Hoosiers square off against in-state rival Ball State.

• Kyle Korver ends 2002 with one of his greatest defensive challenges. Number 17 and undefeated Creighton and 19th ranked Xavier duke it out in Cincy.

• In a Philadelphia Big 5 contest, Temple and Villanova square off in a 4 PM (ET) duel, while another Philly team, St. Joe’s tackles always dangerous Gonzaga on the road.

That’s the final dish for ’02. Be safe out there tonight. Designate a driver. Take your mittens. Happy New Year.

Slam Dunk to the Beach 5

Slam Dunk to the Beach – Day 5 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

The fifth and final day of the 2002 Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament had several great matchups and saw champions crowned in all three brackets. Here is a look at what happened in Lewes, Delaware.

All-American Boys Overshadowed

The consolation game of the National Power Series featured two likely McDonald’s All-Americans in Duke-bound forward Kris Humphries of Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins and Mississippi State-bound forward Travis Outlaw of Starkville (MS) High. Hopkins started strong with a 15-6 lead after one quarter and never trailed the rest of the way in taking third place with a 66-56 victory.

Humphries had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Hopkins, but his support really won the game for him as St. Louis signee Darren Clarke had 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Boston College signee Dan Coleman had 14 points and 10 rebounds and played excellent defense on Outlaw for much of the game. Outlaw had 18 points, but made just 7 of 21 shots and had just 5 rebounds. Hopkins had a 43-27 edge on the glass and held Starkville to 33.3% shooting while making over 46% of their shots.

The star of the game was sophomore guard Jarvis Hill of Starkville, who scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the second half and kept his team within striking distance. He was 8-19 from the field and completed an excellent showing at the tournament with this effort. He will be a player to keep an eye on in the months ahead, as he shot the ball well and was in double figures in all three games.

Sylla Completes A Good Tournament

Although Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American took fifth place in the Slam Dunk to the Beach bracket, Valparaiso signee Oumar Sylla was solid throughout. In their 81-51 rout of Oakland (CA) Technical, Sylla had 22 points and 4 assists to lead the way as the Pioneers shot 55% from the field. He also led the effort in shutting down California-bound forward Leon Powe, not letting him get the ball most of the game and limiting him to 10 points on 4-11 shooting.

An All-Tournament selection, Sylla finished the tournament averaging 20.5 points per game and hitting 10 of 21 three-pointers, including all three of his attempts from behind the arc in the fifth place game. He plays the game like a seasoned veteran, as he can also handle the ball and often calms things down with his team when they need to settle. It goes without saying that Valparaiso signing this high-major prospect is a steal, and he should be a star in the Mid-Continent Conference before long.

The Younger Generation Gets It

The third place game in the Slam Dunk to the Beach bracket featured a Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s team with three top senior prospects leading the way, while Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal Dougherty came in with a junior-laden team. One of the key junior Cardinals was guard Kyle Lowry, who scored all 21 of his points in the second half, including two late free throws, as they took third place with a 76-73 victory over the Saints.

Lowry did not start the game as a suspension for skipping practice, and he did little in the second quarter, as fellow juniors Desean White (21 points) and Shane Clark (15 points, 11 rebounds) carried them to a 32-30 halftime lead. The second half belonged to Lowry, though White continued his good work on the low post and occasionally facing the basket. Lowry and Clark were named to the All-Tournament team.

Though the Cardinals shot over 57% from the field, they also had help from the officials. The Saints were called for twice as many fouls (26) as the Cardinals (13) and shot one third as many free throws (36-12). Saints head coach Mike Hart was hit with a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing the many calls that went against his team, and on a few occasions he had a legitimate argument, including three of the five fouls on junior guard Emery Outland.

Syracuse signee Demetrius Nichols had 22 points to lead St. Andrew’s and was selected to the All-Tournament team.

The New Human Highlight Film

Fans who had seen Miami (FL) Christian earlier in the tournament eagerly awaited any touch that Miami-bound guard Guillermo Diaz had. And when he did touch the ball, they waited to see what he would do, and any time there was a fast break with Diaz involved, the arena seemed to pause in anticipation of what would result. Needless to say, in the National Power Series championship against Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic, he definitely delivered for each fan’s dollar.

Diaz sliced his way through, around and over the Crusaders’ defense for 22 points and 4 assists while grabbing 11 rebounds (5 offensive) to lead the Victors to a 58-52 win. The Victors were in control for most of the game after the early minutes. Along the way, Diaz threw down dunks and made great shots that brought the crowd to its feet on several occasions. This tournament was the coming out party for the former member of the Puerto Rican Junior National Team, and he has to be considered among the nation’s best guards in the class of 2003.

Finishing Strong

The tournament’s final game was the Slam Dunk to the Beach championship between Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding and Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s. St. Benedict’s entered the game undefeated on the season.

Most of the first half belonged to Archbishop Spalding, as junior forward Rudy Gay (game-high 20 points, 9 rebounds) took over in the second quarter to help stake the Cavaliers to a 33-25 halftime lead. In the third, Gay made more good shots, but the Graybees would eventually tie it at 41 on six unanswered points late in the quarter.

The fourth quarter was nip and tuck throughout, with St. Benedict’s junior forward Stanley Branch (13 points) making one of two free throws with 29.7 seconds left to give the Graybees a 49-47 lead. After a timeout, the Cavaliers missed a three-pointer, then Matt Latonick was fouled on a corner three-point shot with 7.9 seconds left. He would make just one free throw, making it 49-48. They had several tries at tipping in the rebound, but it would go out of bounds with 3.1 seconds left. Art Bowers was fouled with 2.2 seconds left and missed the front end of a one-and-one, and a three-quarter court attempt fell short as time expired.

The Graybees won despite shooting just 31.6% from the field.

All-Tournament Team

After the final game, the All-Tournament team was announced. Here are the players named, in alphabetical order after the MVP.

Alex Galindo, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s (MVP)
Art Bowers, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s
Will Bowers, Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding
Shane Clark, Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal Dougherty
Rudy Gay, Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding
Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal Dougherty
Demetrius Nichols, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s
Leon Powe, Oakland (CA) Technical
Oumar Sylla, Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American

Other News and Notes

Hockessin (DE) Sanford School took third place in the Tip-Off Classic with by dominating Fairburn (GA) Landmark Christian Academy, 54-22. Four players scored in double figures for Sanford, and they held Landmark Christian to just 18.4% shooting. Junior center Randolph Morris had 14 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks in the defeat, but made just 3 of 14 field goal attempts.

Missouri commitment Ousmane Konate had 15 points, 13 rebounds and blocked 4 shots, and Laurinburg (NC) Institute held North Bethesda (MD) Georgetown Prep to just 22.4% shooting in a 57-47 victory to take seventh place in the Slam Dunk to the Beach bracket.

Reno (NV) High shot nearly 68% from the field and got 25 points from Kansas-bound center David Padgett to take the Tip-Off Classic with a 51-46 win over Tuscaloosa (AL) Hillcrest. The game featured Padgett matched up on elite junior big man D.J. White, who likewise played a strong game in defeat with 22 points and 9 rebounds.

Coming Up

In a few days, evaluations of many of the top prospects at this tournament will be here on Hoopville. It’s a long list, as tournament director Bob Jacobs once again brought in a tremendous amount of talent. Jacobs reportedly wants to get an AAU tournament in the Newark, Delaware area, where the University of Delaware is located. If he pulls this off, the sky is the limit on how much talent would be there.

Les Schwab Invitational

Live from Portland: the 2002 Les Schwab Invitational

by Jed Tai

From December 18-21, Portland served host to the Les Schwab Invitational, a high school tournament featuring the top Oregon basketball programs as well as top teams from all over the United States and even the world. Now in its seventh year, the event has become one of the best holiday tournaments in the nation. This year’s tournament was held on the campus of the University of Portland at the Chiles Center.

Some of the top teams and players in the country have participated in the LSI in years past. Last year’s champion, Oak Hill Academy, finished the season ranked #2 in USA Today’s poll of high school programs and featured one of this year’s top freshmen in college, Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse. Other former tournament stars include the likes of Tyson Chandler (Chicago Bulls), Mike Dunleavy (Duke/Golden State Warriors), Freddie Jones (Oregon/Indiana Pacers), and Aaron Miles (Kansas).

This year’s tournament would be no different in terms of top teams and players. Three teams, Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, VA), Westbury Christian (Houston, TX), and Jefferson (Portland, OR) were ranked in someone’s pre-season Top 25. And as far as players go, there was plenty of future Division I talent that would have college coaches and recruiting evaluators salivating while they were watching.

The games lived up to all the billing as well. Nine games had a final margin of four points or less, including the last game of the tournament. Bishop O’Connell and Westbury Christian faced off in the LSI championship game, the first LSI that didn’t feature at least one Oregon school in the finals. It was a game that eventually went to the wire. It didn’t start out that way however, as Bishop O’Connell ran off to an early 12-1 lead, threatening to blow Westbury Christian out of the building like they had done to everyone else in the tournament. The Knights held a 34-22 lead at the half.

But behind star forward Ndudi Ebi, the Wildcats scratched and clawed their way back into the game. Ebi put the team on his back in the third quarter, and his layup with 3:30 left in the period gave Westbury Christian its first lead of the ballgame, 37-36. The game was a back and forth affair from that point on, and with 1:07 remaining in the game a basket off a goaltending call on Ebi tied the game at 57. After missed opportunities by both teams – including two missed free throws by Westbury Christian with 0:26 left on the clock – Bishop O’Connell had one more chance with 13 second remaining. The final play called for sophomore guard Marcus Ginyard to drive to the basket, but although he missed the layup attempt, Knights forward Dave Neal put in the offensive putback as the clock ran out on the 59-57 Bishop O’Connell victory. A great end to what was a great tournament.

Point guard Erik Smith led the Knights with 18 points, while Neal chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds. Ebi led the Wildcats with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks, on his way to earning MVP honors for the tournament.

The Teams

Here’s a recap of how each of the six teams fared in the tournament.

1. Bishop O’Connell Knights (4-0 in the tournament)

- defeated Rex Putnam (OR), 66-48

- defeated Westview (OR), 56-41

- defeated Redmond (OR), 53-35

- defeated Westbury Christian (TX), 59-57

Bishop O’Connell was clearly the most well-coached team in the LSI. What else would you expect from a team coached by Joey Wootten, the son of legendary head coach Morgan Wooten? Led by star juniors Brian Johnson, Erik Smith, and sophomore Marcus Ginyard, the Knights methodically ran their offense, dictated game tempo, and played in-your-face defense on every possession. Whether they faced zone or man defenses, it didn’t matter – the Knights found the open shot and hit it. Also blessed with great size inside, the Knights had a distinct advantage in the paint and on the glass, and they weren’t seriously challenged until the tournament’s final game. In the finals, they had trouble handling Ebi (like everyone else), but held on to capture the championship at week’s end. If there was a slight knock on this team, it was they didn’t have great team speed or athleticism, but that hardly mattered as they ran roughshod over most of the competition and will likely hold on to their national Top Ten ranking. And, with only one senior on the team – who doesn’t even start – the Knights will certainly be a team that will challenge for national championship honors next season, if not this year.

2. Westbury Christian Wildcats (Houston, TX) (3-1)

- defeated Tigard (OR), 44-28

- defeated Bendigo Secondary (AUS), 56-47

- defeated Jefferson (OR), 71-65

- lost to Bishop O’Connell (VA), 59-57

Westbury Christian is a known powerhouse in the Texas Association for Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) but has recently become known on the national scene. Led by consensus top five recruit Ndudi Ebi, the Wildcats were ranked in the national top 20 at the beginning of the season before dropping a game in a recent tournament. And with Ebi, they almost atoned for that loss in the LSI before losing a heartbreaker in the finals to Bishop O’Connell. True, Ebi is the main man for the Wildcats and he was the best player on the floor in every game that he played. But head coach Greg Glenn also got solid performances from his other seniors as well as from some of his younger players, which will bode well for future seasons after Ebi has graduated. Look for the Wildcats to continue to be on the national radar as they will face more nationally ranked competition in games and tournaments to come this season.

3. Redmond Panthers (Redmond, OR) (3-1)

- defeated Sunset (OR), 62-47

- defeated Southern Lab (LA), 59-57

- lost to Bishop O’Connell (VA), 53-35

- defeated Jefferson (OR), 61-57

Out of all the twelve Oregon schools that participated in this year’s LSI, Redmond came out looking the prettiest. In defeating Sunset and Jefferson, the Panthers beat the state’s top two ranked schools, and by week’s end many were proclaiming them the state’s new top team. Redmond did fairly well against out-of-state competition as well, picking up a nice victory over visiting Southern Lab, and even though they were never close to powerhouse Bishop O’Connell, they did as well as just about everyone else in the tournament in that regard. While the tournament was definitely a coming out party for star junior forward Maarty Leunen – who probably would have been the tournament MVP if it weren’t for Ndudi Ebi – the Panthers got solid contributions from several of their other players. Head coach Kelly Bokn’s squad will definitely a team to watch out for in the Oregon state tournament come March.

4. Jefferson Democrats (Portland, OR) (2-2)

- defeated Churchill (OR), 50-43

- defeated Jesuit (OR), 84-81 (OT)

- lost to Westbury Christian (TX), 71-65

- lost to Redmond (OR), 61-57

Jefferson in recent years has been considered Oregon’s top high school program, and thus, the team hometown fans put their hopes on to keep the LSI title in-state. The Demos have come close in recent years, but unfortunately fell short again in this year’s tourney. In fact, it was a rather disappointing tournament for head coach Marshall Haskins and his team, coming out of the LSI with a 2-3 overall record (after a season-opening setback to Springfield (MO) Kickapoo in the KMOX Shootout in St. Louis). However, the Demos were involved in three of the most exciting games in the tournament, which enthralled many fans despite the tough outcomes. While it’s clear that as Thomas Gardner goes the team goes, this year’s edition of the Democrats are very deep as every game Gardner got support from a different person off of the Jefferson bench. Haskins’ roster goes as far as twelve deep, and he felt confident with almost any of them getting significant playing time on the floor, including time in clutch situations. This will certainly help out Jefferson, who traditionally likes to run and full court press, and they now look forwards to play in their rough-and-tumble conference, the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL).

5. Southern Lab Baby Jags (Baton Rouge, LA) (3-1)

- defeated Hillsboro (OR), 82-72

- lost to Redmond (OR), 72-62

- defeated Westview (OR), 88-78

- defeated Jesuit (OR), 60-51

The undersized (no starter taller than 6-4) and understaffed (only nine players) Baby Jags couldn’t handle the size of Redmond in the second round, but otherwise played impressively in the LSI. The Baby Jags were missing two of their top players, which also happened to be their two tallest players, but they were able to do well even without them. Without their inside players, the team counted on their three guards and they were able to deliver in the team’s three wins. While the team could no doubt run with the best of them, they concentrated on slowing the pace down and methodically working their offense for open shots. But they did do plenty of fast breaking when given the opportunity. There’s no question that the Baby Jags head back to Louisiana – where they are nine-time state champions – with a positive feeling from what they learned in Portland.

6. Jesuit Crusaders (Portland, OR) (2-2)

- defeated Lake Oswego (OR), 58-47

- lost to Jefferson (OR), 84-81 (OT)

- defeated Bendigo Secondary (AUS), 48-44

- lost to Southern Lab (LA), 60-51

Not much was expected out of this year’s young Jesuit squad prior to the LSI, but after their performance you can bet that Oregon high schools will need to prepare for this group of Crusaders. Led by the famous Tarver brother trio, the Crusaders showed they could compete with just about anybody in the tournament. They were able to push Jefferson to the limit in an overtime loss (one of the top games of the tourney) and although they finished with a record of 2-2, they can go home feeling good about how they performed. For the most part, Jesuit preferred the up-tempo game and could effectively full-court press when they needed to. Ball-handling, outside shooting, and converting free throws were items which they struggled with at times, but that was to be expected out of a young squad. Expect them to make noise – if not challenge for the top this season in the always-tough Metro League in the Portland area.

The Players

This year’s LSI once again showed off some of the top high school talent in the country. The tournament MVP, Westbury Christian forward Ndudi Ebi, lived up to all of the hype as one of the best players in the country, and Jefferson senior guard Thomas Gardner showed why many consider him one of the elite shooting guards of the senior class. But as talented as seniors such as Ebi and Gardner are, the strength of this year’s LSI was in the number of talented underclassmen that played in the tournament. A good number of them are Division I prospects who will be highly recruited in years to come. Here is a look at all of the top players and how they performed (stats are for tournament games only):

Matthew Barrow, Southern Lab, 6-3, Guard, Junior

Stats: 17.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, .393 fg, .250 3pt, .737 ft

One of the top shooters in the tournament, the lanky Barrow not only showed off a soft touch from the perimeter, but also has the ability to put the ball on the floor a little to create his own shot off the dribble. He shot the ball well in three of four games, showing tremendous range that extended well beyond the college three-point line. He preferred to catch and shoot the ball, but did create some space off the dribble at times for pull-up jumpers. However, he rarely drove all the way to attack the rim. A pretty good athlete, he could stand to build more strength in order to help out more on the boards and no defense. He could stand to improve upon on his decision making in passing and shot selection, but his innate shooting skill will be attractive to major Division I schools in the future. Barrow made the LSI’s All-Tournament Team.

Ndudi Ebi, Westbury Christian, 6-10, Forward, Senior

Stats: 26.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 5.0 bpg, .488 fg, .250 3pt, .815 ft

Some feel that Ebi could be best college-bound high school prospect in the United States (since LeBron James will be in all likelihood heading to the NBA), but he is universally considered one of the top five high school players in America. Not that there were any doubts of this entering the LSI, but if anyone did, he certainly proved them wrong during the tournament. Long and lean, yet extremely athletic and skilled, Ebi pretty much did whatever he wanted to on the court in the tournament. Ebi was dominant on both sides of the floor. In fact, if he didn’t score a single point in the tournament, he likely would have been an all-tourney pick just based on his defense. Using his long arms, Ebi blocked just about everything taken at him inside, and not only prevented scores but kept the ball in play for his teammates to recover. He also was a threat on D in the open floor, using his remarkable quickness to grab steals in the full court press on his way to easy transition dunks. Offensively, Ebi could not be stopped whether he chose to post up inside, break down an opponent off the dribble, or face up from the perimeter all the way out to three-point range. He couldn’t be kept off either the offensive or defensive glass, and often times if he grabbed the defensive board, he was a threat to take the ball coast-to-coast to the other end for a basket. If you wanted to nitpick his game, you could argue he does a little too much dribbling, tends to settle for the fadeaway instead of taking it strong to the hoop, and loses his temper at times. And he most definitely needs to put on weight and strength on his skinny frame. But his positives stood out way more than the negatives as he was clearly the most talented player in the tournament every time he stepped foot on the court. Look for him in the McDonald’s All-American game later this year and for him to be one of Dick Vitale’s diaper dandies at Arizona in 2003-04.

Thomas Gardner, Jefferson, 6-4, Guard, Senior

Stats: 23.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, .413 fg, .355 3pt, .682 ft

Gardner might not have the best performance that he’s capable of in the LSI, but he more than showed why many feel he is the top player in all of Oregon. An unstoppable offensive machine, especially when he’s on, Gardner not only lit it up from three-point range, but also took the ball to the hole strong to finish plays amongst the trees. His reputation is first and foremost as a shooter, and there was no doubt he could do that in the tournament. With deep range and a lightning-quick release, Gardner more than hit his share of threes during the week. But it’s his ability to put the ball on the floor and create off the dribble that makes him a force. Using a power dribble, Gardner can drive to his right or his left and perform jump-stop or spin moves to free himself for a layup or soft floater in the lane. The fact he’s a fantastic leaper and has a mature body certainly adds to his ability to finish at the cup. But with all his scoring ability, Gardner did not play selfishly, as he often found teammates open underneath off of drives, even in situations late in the ballgame when the team put the ball in his hands, counting on him to lead them to victory. He did show a propensity to take some bad shots at times and while he certainly is an emotional player, his outbursts and bravado at times got him into trouble. But there’s no questioning his ability to score and Missouri certainly thinks he can contribute, as they have signed him to play in Columbia next season. He could be a sleeper pick for the McDonald’s All-American game in the spring.

Marcus Ginyard, Bishop O’Connell, 6-5, Guard, Sophomore

Stats: 11.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, .654 fg, .650 ft

While the slight knock on O’Connell might have been their relative lack of team speed and athleticism, you wouldn’t have been able apply that to Marcus Ginyard. A young greyhound with jaw-dropping athletic ability, Ginyard wowed the LSI crowd with his ability to harass on defense, play above the rim, and throw down rim-rattling dunks. He has an ultra-quick first step that allows him to get to the hole in a hurry, and with his awesome vertical leap, can finish plays at the rim over multiple defenders. One dunk over two players in the opening game against Tigard left the crowd in awe of his talents. His leaping ability also allows him to sneak inside and crash the offensive boards, which led to many easy baskets. Obviously, he is a fantastic finisher on the break, and he is often one of the first players down court after a steal or defensive rebound. Ginyard is also a good ballhandler, and can swing over to the point on occasion. But what makes Ginyard special is the work he does on defense. He simply got up in the grill of his assignments, creating havoc with his quickness and long arms. But Ginyard still has things to work on as he showed a very shaky outside shot and he probably gambled too much on defense in trying to steal the ball. But it’s very apparent that the ability and willingness to work is there and since he’s only a sophomore, there’s plenty of time. There’s no doubt that Ginyard is one of the top players in the Class of 2005 and will be recruited by all of the top programs, as he’s not only a great hoopster, he’s also a terrific student. Ginyard earned the tournament’s Hustle Award.

Steven Harrell, Southern Lab, 6-1, Guard, Senior

Stats: 8.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.5 apg, .565 fg, .889 ft

The leader of the Baby Jags, Harrell had a solid run through the tournament. He’s a steady point guard who knew when to force the tempo and when to pull it back and run the offense. Whether it was against the zone or man defenses, he was just as effective in penetrating the lane and scoring off athletic drives or dishing off to open teammates. While he’s not overly quick and operates almost exclusively to his right, Harrell showed good strength and athleticism in finishing plays either right at the glass or on floaters in the lane. He didn’t show any semblance of an outside shot during the tournament, but was smart enough to know that was not a strength and didn’t take any. Defensively, Harrell was in opponents’ faces with stick ‘em D and played the passing lanes well for steals. He has apparently decided to stay at home and attend Southern University, and the SWAC will be a good place for him to test his skills at the next level.

Ugo Ihekweazu, Westbury Christian, 6-5, Forward, Senior

Stats: 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, .450 fg, .500 ft

Ebi’s partner inside was Ihekweazu, who didn’t put up big numbers during the tournament, but did show why he’s considered a Division I prospect. Clearly his best asset is his body. Built like a tank, Ihekweazu has an NBA-ready frame with tremendous upper body strength and he uses that to his advantage when finishing plays inside, as his power allows him to overpower taller players with less mature bodies in the paint. Since the team doesn’t seem to run many plays for him, Ihekweazu didn’t get many touches on offense, but when he got the ball in position inside, he was able to convert. Unfortunately at his size at the next level, he will need to show more of a perimeter game, and although he tried some mid-range shots during the LSI, he was not able to make any and it was not clear if this was a polished skill for him. But his mature body certainly works to his advantage and because he’s also a good student, schools in the Patriot League and Princeton are hot after his services for next season. He will sign in the spring.

Brian Johnson, Bishop O’Connell, 6-9, Forward/Center, Junior

Stats: 12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 2.8 spg, .500 fg, .357 ft

These days, many big men want to run the break, throw behind-the-back passes, or shoot the three. But if you want a traditional post man who will score down low, dominate on the boards, and intimidate on defense, you’ll want Brian Johnson. Johnson was far from the most flashy player at the LSI, but he was definitely among the most dominant players in the tournament. Already built like a man at 6-9, 220 pounds, Johnson knows his home is in the lane and he sticks with that. On offense, he posted up strong underneath, and when he had the opportunity to receive the ball (which was limited at times due to sagging zone defenses), he displayed post moves extremely advanced for his age and a soft touch on turnarounds to either his right or his left. He also showed the ability to face up and shoot the mid-range jumper and it wouldn’t be surprising if he could hit the occasional three. He was absolutely a beast on the boards, and there wasn’t a defensive rebound in his area that he didn’t grab. On defense, he was able to not only block his share of shots, but alter many more simply through intimidation when he was in the area. He also showed the ability to come out to guard players on the perimeter, and had quick hands to grab a number of steals. While he’s not a gazelle like Ebi, Johnson does run the floor well and shows some nimbleness in finishing plays around the hoop. One thing Johnson will need to work on is his free throw shooting, although it does appear he has nice form. Originally from North Carolina, this mature, skilled big man is being courted by the likes of UNC and Duke as well as just about every other top college program in the nation. He’ll most certainly be one of the Top 10 players in the strong Class of 2004. Johnson was an All-Tournament selection.

Maarty Leunen, Redmond, 6-9, Forward, Junior

Stats: 24.0 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.3 bpg, .667 fg, .657 ft

With the big numbers Leunen put up in the tournament from the field and on the boards, you’d think that he was an brute in the paint. But the truth is while Leunen was tough to handle inside, he was as comfortable facing the basket as he was posting up. While the majority of the points he scored were off hoops in the lane, they mostly came from some great movement off the ball by him to get open underneath so that passers could find him. And, for the most part, when he got the ball inside, he was able to convert. Leunen showed the ability to run the floor, shoot from the perimeter with range, and handle the ball like a small forward at times. But because of his height and his willingness to play where the team needs him to play, he operates mostly down low. Leunen will need to build some strength, as he couldn’t finish some plays inside because he lacked the muscle to power his way in. But his combination of size and versatility will make him attractive as a sleeper recruit for some major programs, and currently Oregon State, California, and Gonzaga have shown early interest. And based on his performance in the LSI, more schools will likely start calling. Leunen was an LSI All-Tournament pick.

Dave Neal, Bishop O’Connell, 6-7, Forward, Sophomore

Stats: 8.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, .452 fg, .833 ft

Upon first glance at Neal on the court, you wouldn’t think he was a hoopster for anything else than his height. He’s rather slow, probably couldn’t jump over a phone book, and has the build of a tight end. But what Neal lacks in athletic ability he more than makes up for with fundamentals, smarts, and all-out hustle. He showed fantastic ability in utilizing his solid frame to establish position inside, and after receiving the ball, displayed a nice turnaround one-handed flip shot in the post. He also faced up to the hoop and hit a few mid-range jumpers. Defensively, he may not have had the quickness to guard faster players, but did a good job hustling and staying in-between his assignment and the basket. Neal also helped out on the glass, and simply was in the right place at the right time for several putbacks – including the game-winner in the finals. Look for him to be highly pursued by some of the top programs in the Northeast over the next couple of years.

Eric Smith, Bishop O’Connell, 5-9, Guard, Junior

Stats: 16.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, .511 fg, .464 3pt, .833 ft

A member of the LSI’s All-Tournament Team, Smith was a shooting star during the week. Basically if he was left open, the shot was good. While he played at the point for O’Connell, he really functioned more as a shooting guard, looking for his shot not just to keep the defense honest, but to break the many zones that the team faced during the tournament. While the majority of Smith’s shots were threes, he did show an ability to create a little for pull-ups off the dribble when the team faced more man defenses. While Smith rarely drove to the hole like a traditional point guard, that’s not to say he didn’t effectively run the team because he most certainly did, usually making good decisions and controlling the tempo as head coach Wootten called it from the bench. And defensively, Smith was a terror as he personally forced several five-second calls on opponents. Some schools may back off of Smith because of his height and the fact he’s not overly quick, but because of his smarts, skills, and his shooting ability, he will probably get some looks from some top programs in the future.

Fred Stanback, Bishop O’Connell, 6-5, Forward/Guard, Junior

Stats: 4.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, .240 fg, .333 3pt, .455 ft

Stanback shot horribly from all ranges during the LSI, but did have some good moments. Offensively, Stanback is a swingman that operates on the wing and baseline, spotting up for catch-and-shoot type of jumpers from mid-range up to the college three-point line. He can put the ball on the floor a little bit, but seems to prefer playing more on the perimeter. He rarely forces shots, but rather picks his spots when he gets the opportunity. Stanback has a solid frame with a broad set of shoulders, but isn’t particularly quick nor athletic. In fact, it would be a good question who would win a footrace, him or teammate Dave Neal. But like Neal, what he lacks in athletic ability he makes up for in skill. During the tournament he helped out a little on the defensive boards, and like everyone else on O’Connell, played in your face defense. He’ll likely be recruited by Atlantic-10 and Big East schools.

Josh Tarver, Jesuit, 6-2, Guard, Sophomore

Stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, .447 fg, .360 3pt, .692 ft

The middle of the Tarver brothers plays the point for Jesuit and is probably the best shooter of all the siblings. He displayed a soft shot out to the three-point line with the ability to shoot off the dribble as well as simply launching after receiving the pass. While he wasn’t particularly creative with the basketball, Tarver played a solid floor game at the point and kept good care of the ball (with the exception of the game against Jefferson), keeping his teammates involved. Tarver will need to continue to get stronger and will need to play with more aggression, but that should come with experience. He should be recruited by many West Coast schools by the time he’s through. He also bears a facial resemblance to NBA player Kevin Ollie.

Seth Tarver, Jesuit, 6-4, Guard, Freshman

Stats: 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, .450 fg, 0-7 3pt, .750 ft

The youngest Tarver brother is considered by many to be potentially the most talented of the trio. His combination of height and skills have some people believing he could eventually be a tall point guard. Currently, however, with brother Josh at the point, Seth is playing on the wing. He picked his spots on offense during the tournament, shooting mainly from mid-range on pull up jumpers or off of screens, utilizing his lightning fast release. Like brother Josh, he could stand to be more aggressive on offense and defense, but that likely will come as he has years to go in his high school career. West Coast schools will be all over him during his career, but he’s likely to be the brother that garners the most national interest if he continues to develop.

Zach Tarver, Jesuit, 6-4, Forward, Junior

Stats: 9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .457 fg, .333 ft

The oldest of the Tarver brothers (all younger siblings of former UCLA swingman Shon Tarver) – Zach is an athletic player who spent most of his time operating either on the baseline or underneath. While it’s clear he can rebound and defend against taller players, he will need to continue working on his perimeter skills if he is to become a serious Division I prospect. Just about all of Tarver’s baskets were layups underneath – and even those weren’t gimmes – and his range did not extend past a few feet. He was also, to put it nicely, an adventure from the free throw line. But the athletic ability is there for this dual-sport athlete who is also a tight end on the football team.

Other players from Oregon high schools that had a good showing:

Josh Akwuneke, Westview, 6-4, Guard/Forward, Senior

Stats: 15.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg

This lithe swingman showed some athleticism and a pretty nice touch from the outside. He is being recruited by some small colleges but may show up on the radar of a small D-I program if he has a big year.

Isaiah Allen, Jefferson, 6-2, Guard, Senior

Stats: 10.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Allen transferred from rival Benson Tech and is still learning the system, but showed the ability to explode on offense on occasion. Very athletic, he made a living driving to the basket. He may need to go the JUCO route, but he could eventually find himself playing D-I ball someday.

James Loe, Hillsboro, 5-11, Guard

Stats: 16.3 ppg, 5.3 apg

Despite the fact he’s probably really only about 5-8, Loe showed off incredible quickness and the ability to create shots for himself or his teammates at any time. A tremendous ball-handler, if he can continue to stay under control, he could garner some D-I interest from a mid-major school by his senior year.

Jay Mayernik, Thurston, 6-5, Forward

Stats: 17.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg

Mayernik’s a very strong kid and was able to muscle his way in the paint for points and rebounds throughout the tournament. While he lacks D-I athleticism and height for his position, there may be a program out there that would consider him as a walk-on.

Jerae Nelson, Jefferson, 6-4, Forward

Stats: 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Nelson shot a high percentage mainly off of inside buckets and mid-range baseline jumpers, and helped out consistently on the glass. This undersized forward with a football player’s frame could be a sleeper for a smaller school.

Some other tidbits from the tournament:

Top Game

The tournament final between Bishop O’Connell and Westbury Christian gave fans almost everything they wanted in a high school basketball game, including the fantastic finish.

Top Play

In Westbury Christian’s semi-final win over Jefferson, a block of Thomas Gardner’s driving layup by Ndudi Ebi in the waning seconds helped preserve the slim Wildcat lead. Ebi leaped up in the sky to block Gardner’s shot, pinning the basketball on the glass near the top of the square above the rim, in a play that drew gasps from everyone in the crowd.

Tournament All-Name Team

Sam Huston, Redmond

Ugo Ihekweazu, Westbury Christian

Nike Johnson, Redmond

Rockwell Moody, Bishop O’Connell

Terrence Two Two, Jefferson

In all, the Les Schwab Invitational was a fantastic, fun-filled four day event which not only showcased the top talent in the area – and nationwide – but also raised over $30,000 for all of the participating school’s athletic programs, thanks to the generous support of the many sponsors involved.

For more information about high school basketball in the Pacific Northwest, be sure to check out:

Official LSI Tournament Site

NorthwestHoops.com

The Oregonian Prep Boys Basketball Coverage

Bill Lunceford contributed to this report.

SEC Notebook

Southeastern Conference Notebook

by Rainer Sabin

A week after beating Indiana and witnessing the Mike Davis tirade in Freedom Hall, Kentucky returned to Louisville to face its in-state rival, the Cardinals, last Saturday. It didn’t take long for the joy reaped from the victory over the Hoosiers to be replaced with sorrow, as Louisville pounded No. 14 Kentucky 81-63.

Rick Pitino, who had won a national championship with Kentucky, earned his first win over his former team and did so in typical fashion. The Cardinals converted ten of 21 shots from behind the arc, while also receiving help from Kentucky transfer, Marvin Stone. Stone scored sixteen points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory over the team for which he once played.

Stone’s performance served as a dagger in the heart of the Wildcats, which had climbed up the rankings to No. 14 in the Associated Press poll. Now, Kentucky must recover from a disappointing loss to its nemesis and finish up the non-conference schedule with a series of lightweights that include Tennessee State and Alcorn State.

Bulldogs have it Easy in Big Easy

The Bulldogs are good. Just ask Oklahoma. Mississippi State (8-1) took care of the No. 5 Sooners 54-45 at the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. Mario Austin, who is averaging 23.3 points per game, tallied 18 in the victory, as he helped the Bulldogs maintain their advantage despite poor shooting. Mississippi State shot just 36 percent from the field. However, Oklahoma was held to 31 percent in its first loss since its opening game against Alabama. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have not been defeated since dropping their season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Surprise, Surprise: Freshmen Lead Way in Victory

Freshmen Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson are making names for themselves, and the season is just 12 games old. The Gators (10-2) beat up on non-conference outpost Bethune-Cookman 99-64 Saturday, as Walsh and Roberson scored 29 and 22 points, respectively. Walsh, who seems a sure bet for the distinction of “SEC Newcomer of the Year,” hit all seven of his attempts from behind the arc. Florida seemed to be firing on all cylinders five days after it put forth a lackluster effort against Charleston Southern last Monday in a 74-62 win.

No Post-Upset Letdown for LSU

It had been a week since LSU upset the then-No. 1 Arizona Wildcats in Baton Rouge. The chances for a disappointing loss following the unlikely victory would seem to have increased. However, the Tigers were able to refocus their energy Saturday, as they defeated Tulane 74-62 in the aforementioned Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. It was the first meeting between the two schools since 1982, despite the fact that both institutions are just down the road from one another. Guard Darrel Mitchell scored 12 off the bench, while Ronald Dupree added a team-high 22 points for LSU in the win.

Around the Rest of the SEC

It was a slow week in the SEC, and a dearth of interesting games was apparent over the Christmas holidays. Ole Miss (9-2) beat up on SWAC lightweight Arkansas Pine Bluff 70-38, just five days after disposing of Evansville 87-69 . . . Arkansas (5-4) moved over the .500 mark for the first time since it won its season opener over Jackson State, as the Hogs beat up on Centenary 75-51. The Razorbacks play Oklahoma State Monday . . . Tennessee (5-2) has been off since last Monday, when it beat Western Carolina 79-61. The Volunteers will face Tennessee-Martin Monday and finish its non-conference schedule against New Mexico Jan. 4 . . . Auburn (9-2) faces Southern Miss Monday, a week after thrashing Troy State 94-60. Forward Marquis Daniels (20.0 points per game, 7.6 RPG) leads the team in scoring and rebounding . . . Georgia (7-3) put away Wisconsin-Milwaukee 89-69 Saturday, as Jarvis Hayes, Ezra Williams, and Rashad Wright each scored 16 points. The Bulldogs face Pittsburgh on New Year’s Eve in their last non-conference game . . . No. 1 Alabama (9-0) has had a week off since it beat Morehead State 82-64 Dec. 23. The Crimson Tide travels to Utah to face the Utes Dec. 30 . . . South Carolina (5-4) is enjoying an eleven-day sabbatical since its trip out west went terribly wrong. The Gamecocks lost to Wyoming and Colorado State and will resume play Jan. 2 against the Citadel . . . Vanderbilt (6-3) will meet up with No. 8 Notre Dame Monday in South Bend. It will be the first game for the Commodores since losing to Michigan 70-66 on Dec. 21.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Monday, December 30th, 2002

by Andrew Flynn

It’s not all about the Slam Dunk to the Beach around here, the four most recent articles notwithstanding. However, the beach is something that definitely comes to mind when the Rainbow Classic gets mentioned. Now this season’s edition of the Classic doesn’t have a lot of marquee matchups, however, there has been some great basketball played.

The first story is the impressive comeback of the Chicago State. In case you don’t follow the Cougars, they briefly became the hottest thing since the latest Kilauea eruption by breaking the nation’s longest losing streak (24 games) last week, then followed that up with a second win over Texas Southern. Yesterday, however, they weren’t able to capture lightning in a bottle a third time against the preseason-ranked Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky, and thus started a new streak, losing 63-56.

Western Kentucky, who had allowed the Cougars to take the lead 47-46 at the six-minute mark on a 11-0 run, regained the lead on the strength of Patrick Sparks’ 11-point contribution late in the game. Sparks led all scorers with 22. Chicago State headed to a consolation game against Texas-Pan American, while the Hilltoppers marched into the semifinals to face Butler.

In the consolation match, Chicago State got off the schnide in style to set their streak at “W-1″, by downing the Broncs of Texas-Pan American 57-54 with a three-quarter court Rainbow at the buzzer. Craig Franklin, the Cougar’s leading scorer, took the inbound pass with 2.1 seconds remaining and heaved it from the opposite arc. The Broncs, who missed a chance to pull ahead by draining only 1 of 3 free throws, were led by Allen Holcomb, with a 16/11 double-double.

Similarly, Butler used a last-second trey to down Western Kentucky, 63-60. Bulldog Brandon Miller, who had been cold all day in Hawaii by going 0-for-9 from the field, let it fly from the arc with :02 on the clock to keep Butler undefeated with a 10-0 record. The Bulldogs were led by Darnell Archey with 14 points, and Mike Monserez and Avery Sheets added 12 apiece. Monserez drained a three that sparked a 12-0 Bulldog run, but Western Kentucky, led by Filip Videnov’s 18 points, kept nibbling away at the lead throughout the second half, eventually tying it up with 30 seconds remaining. And since we started this story with streaks, let’s end it right. Butler’s Archey nailed five free throws, meaning he’s 30-for-30 on the season, and has made 71 straight since last year.

Side Dishes

The Champion: : No. 23 Maryland started the defense of their ACC crown yesterday, by downing up-and-coming Georgia Tech 84-77. Drew Nicholas led the Terrapins in the back-and-forth contest with a career-high 29 points, and fellow senior Ryan Randle added 20. The Yellowjackets, who can’t seem to beat Maryland (having lost 12 of the last 14) were led by B.J. Elder with 19 points, and Chris Bosh’s 16.

And Runner Up: Last year’s ACC runner-up, the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils, shot down the Flyers of Dayton, 85-74. Duke started fast, belying a two-week layoff, by streaking to a 10-1 early lead that wouldn’t seriously be challenged all evening. Duke freshman J.J. Redick got hot late, nailing his final eight field goal attempts for a career-high 26. The Blue Devils were assisted by Dahntay Jones’ 15 and Casey Sanders’ career-high 13. Dayton’s Keith Waleskowski scored 11 straight points late in the second half to bring the margin to six, but it was as close as they would get. Waleskowski led the Flyers with 20, and D.J. Stelly notched 16 in the first meeting between the teams in 31 years.

Bluejay Way: No. 19 Creighton remained unbeaten by downing Southeast Missouri State 93-70. The Bluejays were led by Kyle Korver’s 22 points, and reserve Mike Grimes added a career-high 17 points off the bench in a game that showcased Creighton’s depth. Tim Scheer led the SMS Indians with 20 points, who were outgunned in contributions off the bench, with a 42-2 disadvantage. Creighton’s combination of ball-control and press led to 30 points off Indian turnovers. This is Creighton’s best season since the 1942-43 squad that started 16-0.

(No) More Nolan? This time, it’s Nolan Richardson III. Richardson, the son of the legendary Arkansas coach, and coach of the Tennessee State Tigers, was suspended indefinitely by athletics director Teresa Phillips for an undisclosed violation of university policy. Richardson did not travel with the team to Columbus, Ohio for this weekend’s game against the Buckeyes. Assistant coach Hosea Lewis is expected to take the reins for the foreseeable future, and the NCAA has been involved in an investigation into the schools’ offseason drills and recruiting practices. The Tigers face No. 12 Kentucky on the road tonight.

Tonight’s Menu:

Plenty of action tonight as several ranked squads look to get back on track after nursing their upset wounds over the weekend. No fewer than 13 of the Top 25 teams are playing tonight. Here are the highlights:

• No. 1 Alabama tries on their ranking on the road against the Rick Majerus-led Utes of Utah. No. 15 Missippi State goes for their ninth in a row and seventh over USA by going on the road to face Southern Alabama.

• Similarly, No. 13 Marquette goes on the road for just the second time this season to open their Conference-USA schedule against the surprising 8-2 East Carolina. No. 4 Arizona goes for their 17th Fiesta Bowl Classic title in 18 years against Boston University.

• No. 5 Oklahoma tries to regroup by hosting UNC Asheville, and No. 8 Illinois will likely get back on track by hosting 1-8 Coppin State. As mentioned above, Kentucky will limp into their matchup with Tennessee State after their loss to Louisville this weekend.

That’s it for this Monday. Enjoy!

Slam Dunk to the Beach 4

Slam Dunk to the Beach – Day 4 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

With A Little Help From My Friends

Even the nation’s best point guard can’t do it alone.

In the Mayor’s Cup consolation game, Arizona signee Mustafa Shakur finally got some help from teammates. His frontline teammates, London Houston and Channon Easley, didn’t play their best basketball the previous two games, but they were big keys as Wynnewood (PA) Friends Central took third place with a 65-44 win over Laurel (DE) High.

The unselfish Shakur played better in the second half, when the Phoenix pulled away. He finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, with junior Channon Easley leading the way with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds and senior forward London Houston adding 13 points and 8 rebounds. The Phoenix shot just under 51% for the game.

Better Luck This Time Around

Last season, Fort Washington (PA) Germantown Academy lost in the Slam Dunk to the Beach championship, but this time around the younger Patriots had better luck as they took the Mayor’s Cup with a 45-39 victory over Wilmington (DE) St. Mark’s.

The Patriots held the Spartans to 33.3% shooting and were led by sophomore wing Ryan Ayers, the son of former Ohio State head coach Randy Ayers, with 18 points on 7-8 shooting and 8 rebounds. The Patriots allowed the Spartans to hang around, but had enough answers in the closing minutes.

Beltway Battle

Washington (DC) Spingarn and Potomac (MD) Bullis School faced off in a good battle of teams from around the nation’s capital that came down to the wire. Neither team shot very well, but Bullis pulled out a close 43-41 win as Babacar Thiam missed a three-pointer from the corner as time expired.

Bullis junior center Jerome Johnson was the difference-maker in this one, as he had a game-high 18 points on 6-8 shooting, hauled down 9 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. When he was in the game, he made plays throughout the game in one of his better showings.

Neither team shot well in what was largely an up-tempo game, which suited Spingarn for a while. Bullis shot 40%, while Spingarn shot just 35.3% from the field.

Coming Out Party

Notre Dame-bound power forward Omari Israel is certainly a known commodity as players on Wheaton (MD) Good Counsel go, but junior James Gist broke out at this tournament. The 6’8″ junior combo forward showed his athleticism and overall skills more in his team’s 62-60 loss to Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American, scoring a game-high 22 points on 10-12 shooting and electrifying the crowd more than once with a great dunk. Gist is already receiving interest from high-major schools, and that will continue as he fills out his frame and games like this one become the norm.

Fantastic Finish

The day’s final game had its twists and turns, but the end result was a photo finish that didn’t disappoint those who stayed. John Iannuzzi dribbled up court, then found a wide-open Adrian Joseph for a dunk just before time expired to give Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic a 58-57 win over Starkville (MS) High.

The teams swapped dominating quarters in the first half, with Bergen Catholic dominating the first and Starkville the second en route to a 32-30 halftime lead. The game remained close into the final minutes, when Memphis-bound small forward Sean Banks (team-high 22 points) hit a three-pointer with 1:24 left to give Bergen Catholic a 54-52 lead, then made it 56-52 with a driving layup with 33 seconds remaining.

Mississippi State signee Travis Outlaw (game-high 26 points, 9 rebounds) hit a three-pointer with 15.7 seconds left, then got the ball after a steal and missed a layup while getting fouled. He sank both free throws with 7.3 seconds left to give the Yellowjackets a 57-56 lead before the final play, which capped a 12-point, 10-rebound effort for Joseph, a junior forward.

Outlaw got some help from sophomore guard Jarvis Hill, who played a nice game with 17 points after scoring 13 in their first game.

Other News and Notes

• Richland (NJ) St. Augustine Prep had an easy time with the host school, Cape Henlopen (DE) High in the day’s opening game, 72-40. The Hermits broke the game open in the second and third quarters and had four players in double figures while shooting 61.5% from the field.

• Hockessin (DE) Sanford School had no answer for Tuscaloosa (AL) junior big man D.J. White, as the elite prospect had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in their 48-44 win. Villanova-bound forward Will Sheridan had 14 points, but played just seven minutes in the second half with foul trouble, which hurt Sanford’s offense.

• Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s went ice cold in the fourth quarter as Washington (DC) Gonzaga Prep broke a tie at the end of the third quarter and took the game over in a 61-48 victory. The Saints committed 20 turnovers to lose despite shooting 46.7% from the field.

Slam Dunk to the Beach 3

Slam Dunk to the Beach – Day 3 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

The third day of action at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament featured high-scoring performances, as the single-game individual high point total was topped several times during the day, matchups between big men, and a great game in the National Power Series.

The Price Is Right . . . Almost

Amityville (NY) junior guard A.J. Price made some great plays en route to the highest individual scoring total at the time, but it wasn’t enough as Washington (DC) Spingarn held off a late rally by the Warriors for a 70-67 victory behind 25 points and 9 rebounds from senior guard Jerome Petticolas.

Price had 32 points, but it took him 30 shots to get there. There was one sequence where he grabbed two offensive rebounds after shots in traffic, and scored on his third try and got fouled in the process. He led a late first half surge that got Amityville back in the game after trailing 39-21 at one point, as Spingarn ran early and often on the Warriors.

Delivering The Goods

As usual, all eyes were on Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln junior point guard Sebastian Telfair as his team took on Bullis (MD) School. Telfair struggled for most of the first half, going 4-14 from the field as his team trailed 23-20 at the half. He came alive and asserted himself in the second half, scoring 26 points to finish with 34 as Lincoln won going away, 58-37. For the half, he outscored the entire Bullis team, which scored just 14 points while shooting 21.7% from the field.

Battle of the Big Men, Part 1: Center Stage

In the first Tip-Off Classic semifinal, Reno (NV) High broke the game open by outscoring Fairburn (GA) Landmark Christian Academy 19-6 en route to a 71-54 win.

The game featured Kansas-bound center David Padgett of Reno and Landmark’s Randolph Morris, one of the top junior big men. Padgett clearly won the battle, scoring 25 of his game-high 29 points in the first half and hauling down 10 rebounds. In the first half, he scored in almost any way he wanted to, including his only three-point attempt of the game. Morris would finish with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but it took him 25 shots and he had several uncontested baskets late.

Tournament director Bob Jacobs said of Padgett after the game, “There was an education lesson going on, and he was the teacher.”

Battle of the Big Men, Part 2: Supporting Role

Two more high-major big men were involved in the next game, a Slam Dunk to the Beach consolation game between Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American and North Bethesda (MD) Georgetown Prep. It wasn’t expected to be on the same level as the prior matchup, with the Pioneers featuring South Florida-bound big man Konimba Diarra and Georgetown-bound junior Roy Hibbert, Jr. in the middle for Georgetown Prep. While it lived up to expectations in the big men being more of a side story than the headline, it surprised in terms of who the better big man in the game was.

Hibbert did little, as he seemed screwed to the floor and not aggressive in scoring 5 points and grabbing just 3 rebounds, while Diarra did his usual work as a role player with 6 points and 10 rebounds in Our Savior’s 68-59 victory to advance to the fifth place game on Monday. Valparaiso signee Oumar Sylla had another fine shooting performance, scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-13 shooting, while junior stud Juan Diego Palacios added 19.

He’s Back!

Oakland (CA) Tech star forward Leon Powe, sidelined for most of the spring and summer months recovering from a torn ACL, didn’t play his best ball on Friday night despite scoring 31 points. He made sure that didn’t happen again on Saturday in leading his team to the fifth place game of the Slam Dunk to the Beach Division with a 72-51 victory over the Laurinburg (NC) Institute.

The California signee had a tournament-high 36 points and took over the game in the second half, and in the fourth quarter he brought the crowd to its feet with a great fast break dunk off the backboard, then two trips later made a terrific reverse layup on the baseline as he almost fell out of bounds. He was 13-18 from the field in leading the Bulldogs to shooting 58.7% from the field.

Things Are Not Always As They First Appear

The first National Power Series semifinal between Miami (FL) Christian and Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins had the makings of a terrific game, and many were eagerly anticipating it. The arena was packed and the atmosphere was ripe for a classic, but for a while the game didn’t look like it would live up to its billing as Miami Christian shot over 57% in the first half and led 37-21 at the break. Then Hopkins finally showed up.

In the third quarter, the Royals came alive, outscoring the Victors 18-5 to pull closer. They would tie it at 46 on two Mitch Henke free throws with 3:50 left, then the two teams went cold for over three minutes before Duke-bound Kris Humphries (20 points, 10 rebounds) hit a runner with 42 seconds to play to give the Royals the lead. With 16 seconds left, Miami-bound Guillermo Diaz (18 points, 8 rebounds) made an acrobatic layup to tie it again at 48.

After a timeout, Hopkins guard Darren Clarke (a St. Louis signee) was slapped on the wrist and the ball went out of bounds with 5.1 seconds left and no foul. Miami Christian used a timeout, then Diaz hit a foul line jumper in traffic with 1.6 seconds left for a 50-48 lead.

Humphries caught a long pass near the three-point line and got a decent look, but it didn’t fall as time expired and Miami Christian won a classic.

Tale of Two Halves

The first half of the Slam Dunk to the Beach semifinal between Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal Dougherty and Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding was just plain ugly, as the teams combined to shoot just over 31% from the field. The teams shot much better in the second half, with Archbishop Spalding advancing to the championship game with a 51-47 victory.

The Cardinals made several late charges, but couldn’t quite complete the comeback despite an excellent outing from junior forward Shane Clark. Clark had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, scoring several key baskets. Archbishop Spalding was led largely by the floor leadership of junior point guard Jesse Brooks, who scored just 4 points but handed out 7 assists. Their bigger frontline of senior Gus Durr, Jr. (8 rebounds), junior forward Rudy Gay (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Maryland-bound center Will Bowers (13 points) helped them to a 39-27 edge on the boards.

When The Saints Go Marching In

The day’s final game was a close one between Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s and Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s. St. Andrew’s looked to be in good shape after a strong second quarter and start to the second half, but the Saints started to struggle on offense in the second half. In the meantime, Drexel-bound floor leader Bashir Mason and junior forward J.R. Smith helped get things together as the Graybees advanced to the championship game with a 62-58 win.

In the second quarter, the Saints simply put the clamps on the powerful Graybee lineup and allowed no second shots, giving them a 30-23 lead at the half. They held Massachusetts signee Art Bowers to just 9 points, but Smith (16 points) and Mason (13 points, 5 assists) each scored 10 points in the second half, and junior forward Alex Galindo continued his good play with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Syracuse signee Demetrius Nichols led St. Andrew’s with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Other News and Notes

• Wheaton (MD) Good Counsel used a 42-19 edge on the glass to beat Oxon Hill (MD) High, 57-46. Active junior forward James Gist led the Falcons with 16 points, and Notre Dame-bound forward Omari Israel led the rebounding effort by hauling down 12 rebounds to make up for his offensive struggles (4 points on 2-12 shooting).

• Beaumont (TX) Clifton J. Ozen shot 53.8% from the field and got 13 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Keena Young in a 50-43 win over Camden (AL) Wilcox Central.

• Several head coaches have come to the tournament along with numerous assistants. Villanova head coach Jay Wright was around in the morning. Another notable presence is NBA Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, who has been seen the past two days.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Sunday, December 29th, 2002

by Phil Kasiecki

It was a day of upsets on the final Saturday of the calendar year, though a couple were more notable than others as one was a heated rivalry game and two top 25 teams matched up in another.

Freedom Hall hosted one of the more storied rivalries in college hoops on Saturday, and one that had more angles than normal to make it interesting. Louisville shot 46.2% from the field and stifled No. 14 Kentucky in an 81-63 upset. Rick Pitino’s team lost by 20 last year in his return to Rupp Arena, so the second time around was certainly better against his old team. Besides the sub-plot of Pitino being the former Kentucky head coach, Louisville (7-1) also had Kentucky transfer Marvin Stone, who played no small role in the win. Stone scored 16 points and combined with Ellis Myles in a formidable front line attack, as Myles had 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Wildcats are now 6-3.

In New Orleans, the Sugar Bowl is more known in football, but on Saturday two Top 25 teams took to the hardwood in the Sugar Bowl Classic. No. 17 Mississippi State improved to 8-1 as they knocked off No. 5 Oklahoma in an ugly game, 54-45. The two teams combined to shoot below 34% from the field, but the game was won at the foul line: the Bulldogs made 15 of 19 free throws, while the Sooners attempted just five.

The Bulldogs also won with defense, a point not lost on Oklahoma All-America candidate Hollis Price, who scored a team-high 17 points but shot 6-17 from the field. “They’re probably one of the best defensive teams we’ve played against,” Price said. They also shut down leading scorer Ebi Ere, who entered averaging just under 20 points per game and was held to just 9 points on 4-16 shooting.

Side Dishes

Not The Only Ones: Continuing the upsets, Memphis (6-2) knocked off No. 7 Illinois (8-1), 77-74, as John Grice and Anthony Rice led five players in double figures with 16 points each. Temple (2-6) made John Chaney’s return to the sideline a good one, as they got 26 points from Alex Wesby to defeat No. 11 Indiana (8-2) by a 71-64 margin. Iowa continued its surprise start, improving to 8-2 with a 67-63 win over No. 21 Tulsa (7-2).

On The Other Hand: Most Top 25 teams who won on Saturday won in blowouts. No. 2 Pittsburgh (9-0) shut down George Mason, 65-41. No. 4 Arizona (6-1) had an easy time with Davidson, 95-69. No. 6 Connecticut (8-0) easily handled in-state rival Central Connecticut, 93-65. No. 9 Oregon (9-1) crushed Cal-Riverside 108-67 for their 23rd straight home win. No. 12 Marquette (8-1) got 26 points from Robert Jackson and 23 from Dwyane Wade as they blew out Grambling, 105-74. No. 13 Florida (10-2) routed in-state rival Bethune-Cookman, 99-64 behind 29 points from freshman Matt Walsh. No. 15 Michigan State (8-2) handled Jacksonville State 76-52. Romain Sato led five players in double figures with 23 points as Xavier (8-2) beat Eastern Kentucky, 84-60.

Working Overtime: Several games took overtime to decide the winner. Bob Knight made his first appearance in a Big Ten arena as heac coach of No. 25 Texas Tech, and watched his team score 25 points in overtime for a 99-89 win over Minnesota (6-3) to improve to 8-1. Pepperdine (7-4) needed two overtimes to take out Arkansas-Little Rock (7-5) 116-110. Kent State (7-1) continued their start by breaking the five-game winning streak Boston College (6-3) had with an 86-83 overtime win in the second game of the Balance Bar Rock-N-Roll Shootout.

Falling For the First Time: Illinois wasn’t the only previously undefeated team to fall on Saturday. Pacific handed St. Joseph’s (7-1) its first loss of the season, 62-50. Virginia handed Georgetown (7-1) its first loss, 79-75 in Charlottesville.

Coming Back: After being upset by Iona and losing freshman forward Sean May for 8-10 weeks on Friday night, No. 23 North Carolina (8-3) regrouped to take the consolation in the Holiday Festival, 63-59 over St. John’s.

All Done: Vermont has decided to redshirt guard T.J. Sorrentine, last season’s America East Player of the Year. Sorrentine, who became just the third player to win the award as a sophomore, has been sidelined since the preseason with fractures to both of his wrists. While the triquetrium, a small bone he broke in his left wrist, has healed, the schaphoid (a bone directly below the thumb) that he broke in his right wrist has not healed.

The Future Is Now: Saturday was day three at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament in Lewes, Delaware, with plenty of great action featuring part of the next generation of college basketball stars. See the article for more details.

Tonight’s Menu:

• Several ACC teams are in action, including a conference matchup. Georgia Tech travels to College Park to take on No. 22 Maryland, while No. 1 Duke hosts Dayton and No. 24 North Carolina State plays host to Wofford.

• No. 18 Creighton hosts Southeast Missouri State.

• Iowa State hits the road to take on in-state rival Northern Iowa.

• Today is day four at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament. The slate features the Mayor’s Cup consolation and championship games, as well as semifinals in the Tip-Off Classic and National Power Series. Stay tuned for coverage.

That’s it for this Sunday. Enjoy!

Slam Dunk to the Beach 2

Slam Dunk to the Beach – Day 2 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

The second day of action at Slam Dunk to the Beach featured a team putting itself on the basketball map, an overtime thriller with two top big men, an ugly game between two teams from the Deep South, and the first big test since a serious injury for one of the top players in the class of 2003. Here are the details.

Coming Out Party

When the subject is national high school basketball powers, Bloomfield (NJ) Tech probably isn’t one of the first schools mentioned. But the school looks to have arrived with its play at Slam Dunk to the Beach.

Friday morning opened up with Bloomfield Tech knocking off Wynnewood (PA) Friends Central, 84-67, as they pulled away in the fourth quarter. The Spartans led for most of the game, but it was close until the fourth. They made Friends Central star Mustafa Shakur work to get the ball and for some of his game-high 24 points, as he also had 6 turnovers. Many times, they would deny him the ball, and even when he got it, Jason Wilson often did a good job of making him work, though Shakur also made some of his shots look easy.

The Spartans had five players in double figures, led by junior guards Courtney Nelson (21 points, 5 assists) and Da’Shawn Dwight (20 points). When he wasn’t hounding Shakur, Wilson was busy scoring 14 points and handing out 14 assists. The Spartans were also the first team in the tournament to have more assists (14) than turnovers (13).

All Eyes Are On Him

Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln took the court with brand new navy blue uniforms, but that didn’t take the attention away from junior point guard Sebastian Telfair. Telfair has been talked about ever since he appeared at Adidas ABCD Camp before he ever played a minute of high school basketball, and this past summer his reputation took a bit of a hit as others in the very strong and deep class of 2004 made their presence known.

In their game against Oxon Hill (MD) High School, Telfair struggled mightily to score as he shot 4-18, but he handled his position well with 7 assists and 4 steals in helping his team to a 67-59 victory. The Railsplitters shot just 35.8% from the field, but they killed Oxon Hill on the glass with 23 offensive rebounds and took 21 more shots. Promising sophomore forward Antonio Pena led Lincoln with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

Telfair looked to be pressing at times as shots were not falling, but his teammates helped out. He would have had more assists if they could have converted a few more of the many good passes he made.

Breaking New Ground

Miami (FL) Christian made a grand entrance in their debut at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament, in facing off against Reno (NV) High School. The team is comprised almost entirely of Puerto Ricans, including members of the Puerto Rican National team such as senior wing Jesus Verdejo and Miami-bound point guard Guillermo Diaz.

The Victors dominated from the outset in a 76-61 win, with the score not indicating just how they dominated the Huskies. In the first half alone, they nearly 64% from the field and out-rebounded the Huskies 20-8, running early and often. They would finish the game shooting 57.4%, behind the 11-15 shooting by Diaz en route to 22 points. Kansas-bound center David Padgett had 27 points in the loss for Reno.

Battle of Dixie

Tuscaloosa (AL) Hillcrest and Starkville (MS) High School matched up in a game of regional interest, though it also had a matchup of two top frontcourt players in Mississippi State signee Travis Outlaw from Starkville and highly-regarded junior center D.J. White from Hillcrest.

White had the edge in the first half, as did his team, but a good fourth quarter gave Starkville a 46-39 victory over Hillcrest, with Outlaw making several highlight-film plays along the way. White had better numbers, as he had 21 points and 9 rebounds, but only 6 of those points came in the second half and all of his rebounds were in the first half. Outlaw had 14 points and 5 blocks.

The teams combined to shoot 33.3% from the field and struggled to score points at several junctures.

Big Man’s Game? Hardly

The matchup between Paterson (NJ) Catholic and Beaumont (TX) Clifton J. Ozen was billed as a showdown between two of the nation’s top senior big men, Memphis signee Kendrick Perkins from Ozen and Paterson’s unsigned big man, Darryl Watkins. While most don’t expect Perkins to ever don a Tigers uniform, as he was until this summer the consensus number two player in the class of 2003, Watkins is an enigma. He can be dominant, but he can also look very ordinary, and in this game, he did on several occasions in losing out in the individual battle.

The big men were the focus initially, but the most important player in this game had to be Rutgers-bound guard Marquis Webb from Paterson Catholic. Webb had a game-high 28 points, including a three-pointer just before time expired to send the game to overtime. He added 8 rebounds and 3 steals, and all of it was missed when he fouled out in the extra session. Paterson struggled to score en route to dropping a 67-64 decision. Ozen shot 58.5% from the field, but needed overtime in part because they made just 17 of 33 free throws and several late misses allowed Webb the chance to send it to the extra session.

In the battle of the big men, Perkins led four Ozen players in double figures with 21 points (8-13 shooting) and 14 rebounds, while Watkins had 14 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks, but the numbers don’t tell the story. Perkins made it look easy at times early in the game, while Watkins picked up two early fouls and struggled when he got the ball, often losing it going up or when making a move and choosing to fade away on some of his shots.

Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story

Looking at the box score of the 76-56 win by Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s Prep over the Laurinburg (NC) Institute in the Slam Dunk to the Beach quarterfinals, one would be hard-pressed to imagine that the Saints were erratic to the point of coach Mike Hart yelling at his team during a timeout. The Saints shot nearly 57% from the field and had 16 assists against 15 turnovers.

Watching the game, one could see that the Saints made a few bad decisions at times and how numbers can disguise an unexpectedly average showing. Senior guard Abdi Lidonde shot the Saints to victory with 25 points on 8-12 shooting, including 7-10 on three-pointers. Though he had 16 points on 6-10 shooting, Syracuse-bound forward Demetrius Nichols didn’t play his best all-around game. Nonetheless, the Saints moved on to the semifinals.

What A Difference A Star Makes

In April, California-bound power forward Leon Powe tore his ACL at an AAU tournament. That kept him out of the big summer AAU events, where he was supposed to further state his case as one of the elite players in the class of 2003. Having recovered, he took the court for his Oakland (CA) Technical team against powerful Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s in a Slam Dunk to the Beach quarterfinal.

Powe picked up his third foul with one second left in the opening quarter, but the Bulldogs stayed close throughout the half. With Powe back in the lineup, St. Benedict’s broke the game open in the third quarter and led by double digits most of the second half in their 73-58 victory. Powe fouled out after scoring a tournament-high 31 points, but most were uncontested baskets in the later minutes when the game was decided.

Massachusetts signee Art Bowers led St. Benedict’s with 24 points and 8 rebounds.

Taking Care of the Ball

Even in a tournament where the rule is that a team has more turnovers than assists, a couple assist and turnover game totals from today stand out:

• Richland (NJ) St. Augustine Prep – 2 assists, 24 turnovers

• Oxon Hill (MD) High School – 4 assists, 21 turnovers

In Other Action

• Wilmington (DE) St. Mark’s used a strong second half to advance to the final of the Mayor’s Cup with a 50-41 win over Laurel (DE).

• Washington (DC) Gonzaga College had an easy time with Richland (NJ) St. Augustine Prep, shooting 53.7% from the field en route to a 70-34 blowout. Junior guard Stanley Hodge led the attack with 18 points and 9 rebounds.

• Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins dominated Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt in an 80-47 victory. Duke-bound forward Kris Humphries looked every bit the likely McDonald’s All-American, scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-15 shooting and hauling down 11 rebounds.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Saturday, December 28, 2002

by Brian Strong

The depleted No. 22 North Carolina Tar Heels lost to the Iona Gaels last night at Madison Square Garden, marking the first time since February 21, 1980 that Iona defeated a nationally-ranked squad. That hurts in Chapel Hill. But this hurts more: Freshman starter Sean May, who leads the team in rebounding (8.6 per game) and is ranked second on the squad in scoring (13.3 ppg), broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot and will undergo surgery on Monday. He’s expected return to the court in late February.

So, a team that thought it had problems when it had to bus from Chapel Hill to New York City (snow storm) and play without starter Jawad Williams and
sixth-man Melvin Scott, will now see what long-term problems are all about. May is the lone Tar Heel bringing any traditional post-up presence and is also Jawad Williams’ equal as the tallest big-time contributor on the team at 6’8.”
Before the season began everyone said that the Tar Heels’ Achilles heels would be youth and lack of size. Youth has been served. Will the undersized?

“Maybe we’ll go short and open the floor a little bit,” said UNC coach Matt Doherty. “Everybody’s got issues and you have to navigate through it the best you can.”

Sounds good and all. But the Chapel Hill faithful who had seemed to have so much faith, now have to wonder: Will hopes for redemption this year be lost amongst the big bodies in the paint?

Side Dishes

Surprise Final at Festival: In addition, to Carolina’s shock loss in the first round of the ECAC Holiday Festival, Manhattan also upset St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. That means that the expected final between UNC and the Johnnies has been replaced by Iona-Manhattan. Luis Flores led the way for the Jaspers against St. John’s with 20 points while Red Storm star Marcus Hatten struggled, shooting 5 for 19 from the floor for 11 points.

Awaiting decision on Davis: The University of Indiana has submitted a report, regarding their head coach Mike Davis during his outburst vs. Kentucky last week. Davis’ decision to storm on to the court after what he felt was a missed foul call in the end of the game is seen as a potential violation of the code of conduct in the Big Ten. The preliminary suggestion from Big Ten officials is a six-game suspension. So, by filing a report, Indiana has basically thrown itself on the mercy of the court in hopes of getting their coach a tamer suspension. Davis has already apologized for his actions. The punishment should come down over the next day or so.

Today’s Menu:

• Georgetown at Virginia, CBS at 2:00 P.M. ET.

• No. 18 Kentucky at Louisville, ESPN at Noon ET. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino faces his former team. Not to mention there are in-state bragging rights at stake.

That’s it for this Saturday. Enjoy!

Slam Dunk to the Beach 1

Slam Dunk to the Beach – Day 1 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

Thursday was the first day of the 13th annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament in Lewes, DE. Several games were tightly-called and there was some sloppy play, but overall the play was very good, as can be expected of this tournament. Here are some of the highlights and notes from the day’s action, which consisted of nine games.

We Interrupt This Program . . .

Mustafa Shakur was putting on a clinic. When he wasn’t swishing jump shots out to three-point range, the Arizona signee was grabbing rebounds and going the length of the floor for easy layups or making great bounce passes to teammates.

Then the official stepped in.

With 2:25 left in the third quarter of a Mayor’s Cup semifinal game, Shakur drove to the basket and was the victim of a bad call as he was whistled for a charge, his fifth foul. He fouled out with his Wynnewood (PA) Friends Central team leading 41-39 over neighbor Fort Washington (PA) Germantown Academy, finishing with 22 points in 22 minutes, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists. The top point guard in the class of 2003 would have had more assists if his teammates could have handled his passes or converted them. Without their star, Friends Central struggled and went on to lose by a 67-57 score.

Sophomore wing Ryan Ayers led Germantown with 20 points, 16 of which came in the second half and several after offensive rebounds (5 of his 7 rebounds were offensive). Fellow sophomore forward Brian Grimes and junior Joe Gill each added 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Not To Be Outdone

Shakur’s performance failed to lead to a win, but Amityville junior guard A.J. Price was not to be denied. Amityville (NY) took on Bloomfield (NJ) Tech in what would prove to be one of the day’s best games, pulling away in the closing minutes for a 72-63 win. One of the nation’s top juniors, Price scored a game-high 30 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and had 5 steals in playing an excellent all-around game. At times, Bloomfield would deny Price the ball, but that only did so much and he still found ways to get it.

Bloomfield has a nice lineup with several good guards, as well as a freshman post player to keep an eye on. Caslem Drummond, a 6’8″ freshman, played most of the second half and finished with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Da’Shawn Dwight led Bloomfield Tech with 22 points and 6 assists.

Photo Finish

Washington (DC) Gonzaga led for most of their game against Oxon Hill (MD), but never broke the game open despite playing much better. That would come back to haunt them, as Christopher Pugh capped a solid game with a rainbow three-pointer before the buzzer sounded to give Oxon Hill a victory over Gonzaga. Pugh finished with 18 points on 6-11 shooting, and Oxon Hill won despite shooting just 35.2% from the field and allowing Gonzaga to shoot 52.5%.

One promising player in the loss was sophomore forward Paul Johnson, a nice athlete who is currently an undersized power forward. He had the game’s only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Now That Was Ugly

The ugliest game of the day was the 43-40 victory by Potomac (MD) Bullis School over Hockessin (DE) Sanford School. Bullis won despite shooting just 32.6% from the field, though Sanford did not shoot the lights out either. Together, the teams combined to shoot just over 37% for the game and combined for 36 points in the first half.

One player who was immune was Bullis junior forward Travis Lay, who scored a game-high 19 points on 7-11 shooting and added 6 rebounds.

The game that immediately followed was not very different, as Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding and North Bethesda (MD) Georgetown Prep barely topped the previous game’s combined point total in Spalding’s 45-40 come-from-behind win. The Cavaliers had some early foul trouble and trailed for much of the game, but they were always within striking distance and moved on to the semifinals of the Slam Dunk to the Beach division.

Maryland signee Will Bowers led the Cavaliers with 16 points and 4 blocks, as one of just two players in the game to reach double digits. The teams combined to shoot less than 35% from the field.

Closing Out On a Good Note

The day’s final game was another quarterfinal in the Slam Dunk to the Beach division. Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal Dougherty led for most of the game behind a balanced attack, while Valparaiso signee Oumar Sylla did all he could to keep Centereach (NY) Our Savior New American in the game with a terrific effort. Cardinal Dougherty started to pull away late as Our Savior wore down in the closing minutes, moving on to the semifinals with a 64-57 victory.

The Cardinals nearly gave the Pioneers another chance, missing four free throws in the final seconds after making several to keep the lead near double digits.

Sylla finished with a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat. Senior guard Isaac Greer led four players in double figures with 15 points, while junior guard Kyle Lowry had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

In Other Action

• Laurel (DE) opened the day by knocking off host Cape Henlopen (DE), 67-63.

• Wheaton (MD) Good Counsel shot 47.8% from the field and shut down Memphis-bound small forward Sean Banks (11 points, 4-14 shooting) en route to a 57-54 win over Bergen (NJ) Catholic. Senior guard Kevin App led the winners with a game-high 22 points on 7-12 shooting.

• Washington (DC) Spingarn had an easy time with Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt, winning 75-57 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates.

Stat of the Day

No team had more assists than turnovers on the day. Friends Central and Germantown Academy both came close, each with one more turnover than assist.

Richie Regan

The Attributes of Richie Regan

by Adam Shandler

On Tuesday, December 24, Richie Regan, a former Seton Hall player, coach, athletic director and fundraiser died at the age of 72.

Mr. Regan isn’t just another old-school basketball name that laid low during retirement only to resurface decades later in the sports obituaries. He was an unselfish, under-publicized gentleman who was embraced by a school, then embraced it back.

Richie Regan’s resume is somewhat of an anomaly when considering the portability of today’s workforce — meaning, the national workforce at large, not just the realm of college basketball. He spent the greater part of fifty years associated with some facet of the Seton Hall athletic program.

Fifty years! Tell a person to commit to a job for five years and you’d think you’d just sentenced them to the gulag!

Regan began his marriage with “The Hall” in 1950 as a starter for John “Honey” Russell’s Pirates and helped guide the squad to an 80-12 record over three seasons (back then, freshman were prohibited from playing varsity ball). Also highlighting those three seasons were three NIT appearances (then, the more prestigious post-season tournament), and a Number 1 ranking in the 1952-53 campaign, which soon culminated in a 31-2 record and an NIT title.

As a player, Regan ‘cumed 1,167 points to finish 22nd on the Pirates’ all-time scoring list, and had 443 assists to finish fourth in that category. Again, not too shabby considering the Jersey shoreman only played three years.

Following short stints in the military and the NBA, his old friend, Seton Hall, beckoned once more. Regan answered the call, this time, taking over for his mentor, Honey Russell, in 1960, and coaching the Pirates for 10 seasons and 112 victories.

When his coaching reign ended, Regan cut his teeth as an assistant athletic director, a position in which he would serve for two years, before his anointment as athletic director in 1971. The Seton Hall athletic program truly came into its own under his guidance, as Regan helped turn this small, suburban, South Orange, NJ school, into an original member of the Big East conference, consistently one of the best leagues in college sports. In 1973, he worked closely with associate athletic director Sue Dilley to create a “Lady Pirate” program, and women’s athletics at Seton Hall was born.

After 35 years of commitment to one place, most employees would take a good look at their investment portfolio, call their accountants to move some money around and ride off into the retirement sunset. But not Richie Regan. His veins bled Pirate blue.

In 1985, the school appointed him Executive Director of the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund, and the timing couldn’t be better. Shortly after that appointment, a bearded coach from Wagner College named P.J. Carlesimo came to South Orange, and after a few seasons of single-digit wins, the men’s hoops program rebuilt — and reestablished — itself as one of the best in the nation. (The Pirates lost to Michigan by a single point in the 1989 NCAA final in Seattle.)

In 1998, Regan was offered the post of special assistant to the vice president of university affairs. You don’t say “no” to family, so Regan took the job without hesitation.

“I can think of no one person in Seton Hall’s history who has been so completely associated with the university his whole life, from the time he was a freshman until the day he died,” said university president Monsignor Robert Sheeran . “He was Mr. Seton Hall, as no one else has ever been.”

The word commitment is one that gets a lot of use when discussing certain cast members of the NCAA stage. In fact, it gets overused. The word has lost its value. The definition of commitment has been diluted by lower standards and an surrendering acceptance of the transience of the game.

Yes, the NCAA basketball world is not what it was back in the 1950′s and 60′s, that’s understood. Money talks and coaches and players walk. Scandals strike and coaches take a hike. Put together a winning tenure at one school, and offers start flooding in from another. And this is not a formula exclusive to sports. As a former headhunter, believe me, the concept runs rampant in the corporate and nonprofit sectors as well. Company loyalty is Number 2 and Number 1 is Number 1. And that’s not to say that this is a bad thing. Who wouldn’t want to make more money and garner more exposure for his or her efforts?

And commitment is a two-way street. The onus to stay, build and deliver is not just on the coaches and players. The school must also charge itself with the responsibility to provide the necessary resources to make that program grow.

There has to be an opposite to all these new trends. To the lip service. To the unfinished business. To the half-delivered promises. Richie Regan was that opposite. Seton Hall was committed to him, offering him an opportunity to shine in a great number of ways, and he returned the favor with loyalty and achievement.

With Regan’s passing, there may never be another who raises the bar of commitment that high.

Big Sky Notebook

Big Sky Notebook

by Nicholas Lozito

Welcome to the Lozito Psychic Hotline

First and foremost, I would like to declare myself a college basketball guru. I am now three-for-three in predicting the winner of the Game of the Week in my Big Sky Notebooks. The past two weeks I have correctly picked the score differential, and the first week I was only off by two points. But even more incredibly, I correctly predicted Gonzaga to beat Eastern Washington, 67-64, this past week. And what do you know, they won by that exact score.

I knew Gonzaga, a team on the cusp of being ranked in the Hoopville Top-25 Poll, would be up to a tough task at home versus the Eagles (7-3). I knew it would come down to sheer grit, as many in-state battles do. But in the end, home court advantage reigned supreme. Gonzaga proved to have a much deeper team as only two Eastern players scored over six points – Alvin Snow with 22, and Chris Hester with nineteen. Snow also finished with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. The ‘Zags proved to be the more physical team, out-rebounding the Eagles 41-27. Earlier in the week, Eastern Washington defeated Boise State, 65-59.

Pilots sail circles around Vikings’ ship

It’s pretty rare that non-conference opponents play each other twice. But when you have an intra-city rivalry like the one that exists between Portland State and Portland, it’s hard to resist temptation. Portland (4-6) beat Portland State (2-7) for the second time this season, 59-50, claiming city bragging rights. For the Vikings, several trends continued. They lost, and point guard Jeb Ivey played all 40 minutes, as he has done in eight of nine games. Ivey led the team with 15 points in the loss.

Weber takes advantage of weak schedule

Sacramento State’s women’s basketball team, who just snapped their 44-game losing streak, might be able to play with some of the teams Weber state has faced this preseason. The Wildcats (8-3), just coming off wins over Boise State and Utah State, have yet to face a team from a major conference. Here is the list of Wildcat opponents: Santa Barbara, Ball State, Alaska-Fairbanks, Montana Tech, Nevada, North Texas, Morris Brown, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Portland, Utah State and Boise State.

The Wildcats have recently seen the return of junior forward Slobodan Ocokoljic, who missed the team’s first nine games for breaking NCAA rules. Ocokoljic, an Ohio State transfer, has averaged 7.5 points in his first two games. His return should carry more weight in upcoming weeks, as the wildcats will face BYU and Utah.

Life without Jason

Montana State (5-4) may have beaten Idaho this week, 74-68, but the talk around Bozeman is all about point guard Jason Erickson. Erickson, last season’s Big Sky Player of the Year, broke his wrist in a game against Dickinson State last week, and is expected out for up to four weeks. Shooting guard Pete Conway softened the loss of Erickson with 27 points. Reserve point guard Frank Brown scored eight points with four assists.

Gazing the Sky

Idaho State (5-5) continued their improved play this week with an 86-68 win over Eastern Oregon. The Bengals have now won four-straight games. Freshman shooting guard David Shroeder scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Bengals, while JuCo transfer Marquise Poole scored nine points and dished out six assists. Junior forward Scott Henry recorded his fifth double-double with 13 points and ten boards.

Northern Arizona (7-2) continued their solid play with a 92-76 win over Tennessee-Martin. Aaron Bond led the Lumberjacks with 37 points, while Ryan McDade had sixteen points and eleven rebounds. Coming into the week, the Lumberjacks led the Big Sky in scoring offense with 76.9 points per game.

A week after knocking off No. 22-ranked Stanford University with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, Montana (5-7) shooting guard David Bell scored 16 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 75-68 victory over Loyola Marymount. JuCo transfer Steve Horne scored ten points and pulled down seven boards.

After going on a three-game winning streak, Sacramento State (4-5) lost their second-straight game this week against Cal State-Fullerton, 62-54. Fullerton was without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Pape Sow, and after backup center Babacar Camara went down early in the first half, the Titans were down to six scholarship players. Still, the Hornets fell to the undermanned Titans.

Hornet head coach Jerome Jenkins will now look to senior Derek Lambeth to get his team back on track over the next few weeks.

Game of the Week

On New Year’s Eve, Eastern Washington will head to the Midwest to take on the University of Nebraska. This will be one of the few chances the Big Sky gets to show how they can perform against power-conference teams, other than those in the Pac-10. Alvin Snow and Chris Hester have been steady forces so far for the Eagles, but the key is whether shooting guard Brandon Merritt and forward Marc Axton will step up. Prediction: Eastern Washington 73, Nebraska 67.

Player of the Week

Northern Arizona forward Aaron Bond scored 37 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Lumberjacks 92-76 win over Tennessee-Martin.