Ohio Valley 2002-03 Season Recap

Ohio Valley Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Zach Van Hart

During the regular season, Morehead State and Austin Peay were the cream of the crop, while Tennessee State made the most headlines for their poor antics on and off the court. The final weekend of the season saw the Eagles and Govs go head-to-head, with the regular season title and No. 1 seed in the tournament on the line. Austin Peay won, and the two teams split the regular season crown with 13-3 OVC marks. But by virtue of sweeping the season series, the Govs earned the top spot in the tourney.

Austin Peay survived two scares to reach the conference finals. First, Corey Gipson hit a three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining during the quarterfinals to defeat No. 8 seed Eastern Kentucky, 83-80. Next, they had to go to overtime to knock off No. 4 Murray State, 59-56. Morehead however could not duplicate the Govs run, falling in the semis to Tennessee Tech. But Austin Peay proved to be too much for the Golden Eagles, as they won 63-57.

NCAA Tournament
Austin Peay
Lost to Louisville, 86-64

Awards

First Team All OVC
Ricky Minard, Morehead State
Chez Marks, Morehead State
Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois
Damien Kinloch, Tennessee Tech
James Singleton, Murray State

Conference Player of the Year

Henry Domercant, Eastern Illinois

A close call against Ricky Minard, but Domercant simply would get on streaks where entire teams could not stop him. Ended up averaging 27.9 points a game.

Freshman of the Year

Mike Witt, Eastern Kentucky

Newcomer of the Year

Earl Bullock, Tennessee-Martin

Defensive Player of the Year

James Singleton, Murray State

Coach of the Year

Dave Loos, Austin Peay

Austin Peay 23-8, 13-3 OVC

Starters staying: 5, leaving: 0

Key players returning:
senior forward Adrian Henning
junior guard Anthony Davis
senior center Josh Lewis

Top returning scorer: Henning, 15.5 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Henning, 7.1 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Corey Gipson, 2.6 assists per game

Morehead State 20-9, 13-3 OVC

Starters staying: 2, leaving: 3

Players leaving:
Chez Marks, graduated
Marquis Sykes, graduated
Ike Lopez, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Ricky Minard
junior forward Chad McKnight
senior center Anton Kerley

Top returning scorer: Minard, 22.5 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Minard, 6.2 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Minard, 4.0 assists per game

Status up in the air: Anton Kerley was suspended indefinitely at the end of the season for violating team rules. His future at MSU is in question.

Tennessee Tech 20-12, 11-5 OVC

Starters staying: 1, leaving: 4

Players leaving:
Greg Morgan, graduated
Damien Perkins, graduated
Brent Jolly, graduated
Damien Kinloch, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Cameron Crisp
senior guard William Moore
sophomore guard Keyon Boyd

Top returning scorer: Crisp, 13.6 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Crisp, 3.8 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Crisp, 4.5 assists per game

Murray State 17-12, 9-7 OVC

Starters staying: 3, leaving: 2

Players leaving:
Antione Whelchel, graduated
James Singleton, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Cuthbert Victor
senior guard Rick Jones
senior guard Chris Shumate

Top returning scorer: Victor, 15.3 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Singleton, 11.0 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Mark Borders, 3.0 assists per game

Coaching move: Head coach Tevester Anderson retired at the end of the season. Former Louisville assistant Mick Cronin was named the new head coach.

Eastern Illinois 14-15, 9-7 OVC

Starters staying: 2, leaving: 3

Players leaving:
Henry Domercant, graduated
Craig Lewis, graduated
J. R. Reynolds, graduated

Key players returning:
senior center Jesse Mackinson
senior forward David Roos
junior forward Andy Gobzcynski

Top returning scorer: Mackinson, 9.8 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Mackinson, 5.0 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Jason Wright, 1.6 assists per game

Tennessee Martin 14-14, 7-9 OVC

Starters staying: 3, leaving: 2

Players leaving:
Okechi Egbe, graduated
Joey Walker, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Earl Bullock
junior guard Jeremy Kelly
senior forward J. C. Howe

Top returning scorer: Bullock, 16.0 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Howe, 6.2 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Kelly, 3.7 assists per game

Southeast Missouri 11-19, 5-11 OVC

Starters staying: 4, leaving: 1

Player leaving:
Tim Scheer, graduated

Key players returning:
junior guard Derek Winans
junior guard Kevin Roberts
senior forward Brandon Griffin

Top returning scorer: Winans, 15.3 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Griffin, 10.5 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Roberts, 6.2 assists per game

Eastern Kentucky 11-17, 5-11 OVC

Starters staying: 3, leaving: 2

Players leaving:
Kenyatta Dix, graduated
Shawn Fields, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Jon Bentley
junior forward Michael Haney
sophomore guard Matt Witt

Top returning scorer: Witt, 13.6 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Haney, 5.9 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Witt, 5.1 assists per game

Tennessee State 2-25, 0-16 OVC

Starters staying: 3, leaving: 2

Players leaving:
Arvid Caldwell, graduated
Josh Cooperwood, graduated

Key players returning:
junior forward Roshaun Bowens
senior center Cedric Bryson
senior guard Garrett Richardson

Top returning scorer: Bowens, 15.4 points per game
Top returning rebounder: Bowens, 6.7 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man: Richardson, 3.7 assists per game

Coaching change: After the coaching mess this past year, Cy Alexander is the new head coach. He was formerly the head coach of South Carolina State.

Big East 2002-03 Season Recap

Big East Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

The 2002-03 season was another highly competitive regular season for the Big East, and it extended nicely into the conference tournament. After teams played each other closely for the regular season, the conference tournament continued the trend and ended with Pittsburgh winning a rematch of last year’s epic championship game.

In the early going, Pittsburgh looked strong, Notre Dame knocked off several top 25 teams and reached the top 10 in most polls, and Connecticut started out fast as well. Boston College was a notable disappointment early, but Troy Bell and the Eagles got hot in mid-January and won the East Division by way of a tie-breaker. Seton Hall came alive as well, Syracuse slowly made its way up the polls, and Providence hit its stride late in the season.

The postseason had disappointment for the conference at first. Only four teams were selected to the NCAA Tournament, with Boston College and Seton Hall being arguably the two most noteworthy snubs from the tournament. To rub salt on the wound, the Eagles then had to win a play-in game in the NIT, and many felt Pittsburgh should have been a No. 1 seed. The conference was well-represented in the NIT, as six teams went to make 10 of 14 teams seeing postseason play, but that did not take away the disappointment at the NCAA Tournament snubs.

But once the postseason got started, the Big East showed its mettle and silenced the critics. All four NCAA Tournament teams made the Sweet 16, giving it more teams in it than any other conference and making it the only conference with a perfect record in the first two rounds. Syracuse went on to win the national championship, while the NIT Final was a battle of Big East squads with St. John’s taking out surging Georgetown.

Along the way, we saw that the Big East had plenty of veteran talent and welcomed a plethora of young talent. The new talent bodes well for the foreseeable future of the conference.

With the season now complete, off-court stories are making the news, notably some Big East schools being contacted by the ACC and the controversy behind the manner in which the ACC did so. This will be a subject of more discussion later, but it is worth noting that the Big East as we know it is not likely to be around much longer and that has been a subject of discussion prior to the ACC’s full-court press to expand to 12 teams. The reasons will be discussed later on. In the meantime, we can continue to enjoy the quality of basketball the Big East has to offer year in and year out.

Here is a look at the Big East in the postseason

NCAA Tournament

Connecticut
Brigham Young (W 58-53)
Stanford (W 85-74)
Texas (L 82-78)

Notre Dame
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (W 70-69)
Illinois (W 68-60)
Arizona (L 88-71)

Pittsburgh
Wagner (W 87-61)
Indiana (W 74-52)
Marquette (L 77-74)

Syracuse
Manhattan (W 76-65)
Oklahoma State (W 68-56)
Auburn (W 79-78)
Oklahoma (W 63-47)
Texas (W 95-84)
Kansas (W 81-78)
won National Championship

NIT

Boston College
at Fairfield (W 90-78)
at Temple (L 75-62)

Georgetown
at Tennessee (W 70-60)
at Providence (W 67-58)
at North Carolina (W 79-74)
vs. Minnesota (W 88-74)
vs. St. John’s (L 70-67)
NIT runner-up

Providence
at Richmond (W 67-49)
College of Charleston (W 69-64)
Georgetown (L 67-58)

St. John’s
vs. Boston University (W 62-57)
vs. Virginia (W 73-63)
vs. Alabama-Birmingham (W 79-71)
vs. Texas Tech (W 64-63)
vs. Georgetown (W 70-67)
won NIT

Seton Hall
at Rhode Island (L 61-60)

Villanova
at Siena (L 74-59)

First Team All-Big East
Carmelo Anthony, Fr. F, Syracuse
Troy Bell, Sr. G, Boston College
Matt Carroll, Sr. G, Notre Dame
Emeka Okafor, So. C, Connecticut
Mike Sweetney, Jr. F, Georgetown

Player of the Year

Troy Bell, Sr. G, Boston College

When the Eagles were left for dead early in conference play, Bell went into a higher gear and was simply phenomenal. Bell single-handedly led the Eagles to the Eastern Division championship, averaging 29.6 points over the team’s final 13 regular season games and making 44.5% of his three-pointers in that span. He led the Big East in scoring and finished fifth in the nation in that category by averaging 25.2 points per game, became BC’s all-time leading scorer in the process and flirted with the Big East’s all-time record. He was fourth in the conference in three-point shooting, second in steals, and just outside the top ten in assists and assist/turnover ratio.

Freshman of the Year

Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse

This was a no-brainer, as Anthony was the nation’s best freshman even before his NCAA Tournament performance led the Orangemen to the national championship. Although there were stretches where Boston College forward Craig Smith looked to give him a run for his money, Anthony led the race from the outset. He was the go-to guy from day one, leading the team in scoring (22.2 ppg, fourth in the Big East), led the team in rebounding (10.0, third in the Big East), and along with fellow freshman Gerry McNamara, made this team go.

Defensive Player of the Year

Emeka Okafor, So. C, Connecticut

Even in a conference that does not lack good defenders, this was an easy choice, as Okafor’s shot-blocking changes games dramatically. When he isn’t on the floor, teams aren’t afraid of working the ball inside or having guards penetrate to try to score; when he is, they don’t try nearly as often and he rejects many attempts to score inside. He led the nation in blocked shots with 4.7 per game and led the Big East in rebounding with 11.2 per game for good measure, a figure good enough for seventh in the nation.

Coach of the Year

Louis Orr, Seton Hall

The Pirates were thought to still be in a rebuilding mode this season, especially with major questions up front. When they started off 7-9 overall and 2-4 in Big East play, they were left for dead. But they proceeded to run off eight straight victories and not lose a single game in February en route to a 10-6 conference record before being snubbed from the NCAA Tournament.

East Division

Boston College Eagles (19-12, 10-6)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 1/4
Key players departing: Troy Bell (graduating)
Key players returning: Craig Smith (Fr. F), Ryan Sidney (Jr. G), Louis Hinnant (Fr. G), Nate Doornekamp (So. C), Jermaine Watson (So. G), Andrew Bryant (Jr. F), Johnnie Jackson (Fr. F)

Key injuries: Uka Agbai (Jr. F) missed most of the season with a neck injury sustained against Holy Cross. He will apply for a medical redshirt and return next season.

Leading scorer: Troy Bell (25.2 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Craig Smith (7.9 rpg)
Assists leader: Ryan Sidney (4.6 apg)

Notes: Bell played like a man possessed once January rolled around, and almost single-handedly put this team in the NCAA Tournament. Smith played no small role in the team’s success as well, and in most years would have been an easy choice for the conference’s top newcomer. Sidney did his usual hard work at both ends, while Watson emerged as a solid contributor off the bench and Hinnant was an effective contributor once he moved into the starting lineup. Skinner did another solid job coaching this team with a seven-man rotation minus Agbai, a team co-captain and the Eagles’ most consistent player in 2001-02.

Connecticut Huskies (23-10, 10-6)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 1/4
Key players departing: Tony Robertson (graduating), Mike Hayes (graduating)
Key players returning: Ben Gordon (So. G), Emeka Okafor (So. C), Taliek Brown (Jr. G), Rashad Anderson (Fr. G), Marcus White (Fr. F), Hilton Armstrong (Fr. F)

Leading scorer: Ben Gordon (19.9 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Emeka Okafor (11.2 rpg)
Assists leader: Taliek Brown (4.8 apg)

Notes: The Huskies received contributions from many young players; only two key players were either juniors or seniors this year, and unless a surprise early entry emerges, the outlook is very bright. Okafor’s defense was already top-notch, but his offense came alive with more opportunities and with Gordon blossoming on the perimeter. Brown continued to run the show very well, while Robertson was a good scoring threat and Anderson emerged as a nice perimeter player. Later in the season, White and Armstrong showed that they have good futures in the Big East. Head coach Jim Calhoun had to miss some time taking care of prostate cancer, but he was back by the end of the season and helped lead the Huskies to the Sweet 16.

Providence Friars (18-14, 8-8)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 0/5
Key players departing: Kareem Hayletts (graduating)
Key players returning: Ryan Gomes (So. F), Rob Sanders (So. F), Donnie McGrath (Fr. G), Sheiku Kabba (Jr. G), Marcus Douthit (Jr. C), Tuukka Kotti (So. F), Maris Laksa (Jr. F), Romauld Augustin (Jr. G-F)

Key injuries: Abdul Mills (Sr. G) missed the entire season with a hip injury. He will return next season after redshirting.

Leading scorer: Ryan Gomes (18.4 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Ryan Gomes (9.7 rpg)
Assists leader: Donnie McGrath (4.3 apg)

Notes: The Friars hit their stride late in the season, when they had a strict seven-man rotation that Sanders helped key with his late play. Gomes is automatic when he gets the ball down low, Douthit played more like when he was a freshman than a sophomore, and McGrath ran the show like a veteran despite hitting the wall late in the season. Kabba was a streaky shooter, but a solid veteran in the backcourt, while Kotti played well at both ends and Laksa generally shot the ball well and drew mismatches on the perimeter with his size. Head coach Tim Welsh enjoyed coaching this team, and with everyone back plus the injured Abdul Mills, things are looking up for the Friars.

Villanova Wildcats (15-16, 8-8)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 3/2
Key players departing: Gary Buchanan (graduating), Ricky Wright (graduating), Andrew Sullivan (graduating)
Key players returning: Randy Foye (Fr. G), Allan Ray (Fr. G), Derrick Snowden (Jr. G), Curtis Sumpter (Fr. F), Jason Fraser (Fr. F-C), Marcus Austin (So. F-C)

Leading scorer: Gary Buchanan (15.4 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Ricky Wright (7.8 rpg)
Assists leader: Derrick Snowden (3.5 apg)

Notes: The Wildcats had their moments this season, but were like one might expect a team with a mix of seniors and highly-touted freshmen. They finished the season with six straight losses after starting Big East play with five straight wins, decimated by players making unauthorized phone calls and subsequent suspensions of 12 players. Buchanan shot the ball well, Wright took over some games on the post, and Sullivan was a steady defender among the seniors. Among the freshmen, Foye played well but could have shot the ball better, Ray gave them instant offense off the bench for a while before a late-season slump, Sumpter played very well in the final games of the season, and Fraser started fast but later struggled against some of the stronger players before getting injured. Snowden made a great improvement this season in all offensive facets, and should be a good senior leader next season.

St. John’s Red Storm (21-13, 7-9)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 2/3
Key players departing: Marcus Hatten (graduating), Anthony Glover (graduating)
Key players returning: Elijah Ingram (Fr. G), Willie Shaw (Jr. G), Kyle Cuffe (Jr. F), Grady Reynolds (Jr. F), Eric King (So. F)

Key injuries: Mohamed Diakite, a junior center, is redshirting this season

Leading scorer: Marcus Hatten (22.2 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Marcus Hatten, Anthony Glover (5.6 rpg)
Assists leader: Marcus Hatten (4.1 apg)

Notes: Prior to their run in the NIT, the Red Storm’s season highlight appeared to be the big upset of Duke in early March at Madison Square Garden. Head coach Mike Jarvis came under a lot of fire during the season, as they were inconsistent and went as Hatten went on most nights. Hatten carried this team, and his loss will be huge. Ingram came with a lot of promise, but looked more like a gunner than the consummate point guard he was in high school. Shaw shot the ball better this season, while Cuffe can be a good player and had some good games, but has never put it all together on a consistent basis. Reynolds gave them a nice lift off the bench as a factor on the glass and leading the team with 31 blocked shots. The Red Storm were last in field goal percentage, but made up for it by committing the fewest turnovers in the Big East and forcing more turnovers than all but two teams.

Miami Hurricanes (11-17, 4-12)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 2/3
Key players departing: James Jones (graduating), Paulo Coelho (graduating), Michael Simmons (graduating), Rafael Berumen (graduating)
Key players returning: Darius Rice (Jr. F), Robert Hite (Fr. G), Armondo Suratt (Fr. G), Eric Wilkins (Fr. G), Gary Hamilton (Fr. F-C), Ismael N’Diaye (Fr. F)

Leading scorer: Darius Rice (18.7 ppg)
Leading rebounder: James Jones (6.0 rpg)
Assists leader: Armondo Suratt (3.3 apg)

Notes: Jones came alive this season, as he always had potential and played well, but also looked like he could have been better. Rice put up good numbers and made some clutch plays, but seemed to slip back into being one-dimensional at the offensive end at times. Hite and Wilkins each showed some promise, while the pass-first Suratt is unspectacular but should be the starting point guard the next three seasons.

Virginia Tech Hokies (11-18, 4-12)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 3/2
Key players departing: Terry Taylor (graduating), Brian Chase (graduating), Eric Branham (graduating)
Key players returning: Bryant Matthews (Jr. G-F), Carlos Dixon (Jr. G), Dimari Thompkins (So. F-C), Shawn Harris (Fr. G), Philip McCandies (Fr. F), Allen Calloway (Fr. F)

Leading scorer: Bryant Matthews (17.6 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Terry Taylor (7.3 rpg)
Assists leader: Carlos Dixon (2.5 apg)

Notes: Former South Florida head coach Seth Greenberg replaced Ricky Stokes as the head coach after the season. The Hokies revolved around Matthews this season, as he led or was second on the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks. Taylor recorded 10 double-doubles en route to leading in rebounding, Dixon and Chase shot the ball well from long range, and Dimari Thompkins showed some potential in the low post. Freshmen Harris, McCandies and Calloway contributed more when they got more minutes.

West Division

Syracuse Orangemen (30-5, 13-3)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 2/3
Key players departing: Carmelo Anthony (declared for the NBA Draft), Kueth Duany (graduating)
Key players returning: Gerry McNamara (Fr. G), Hakim Warrick (So. F), Craig Forth (So. C), Jeremy McNeil (Jr. F-C), Billy Edelin (Fr. G), Josh Pace (So. F)

Leading scorer: Carmelo Anthony (22.2 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Carmelo Anthony (10.0 rpg)
Assists leader: Gerry McNamara (4.4 apg)

Notes: It was two freshmen, Anthony and McNamara, that led this team to the national title. Anthony was one of the nation’s best players, while McNamara was one of the best no one heard about. Warrick was the most improved player in the conference and made some big plays, while Duany was a steady contributor at both ends and McNeil became a defensive terror late in the year. Edelin and Pace were key contributors off the bench, and the Orangemen will need more from them next season since Anthony declared for the draft as expected. Offense led the charge, as the Orangemen led the Big East in scoring and were second in field goal percentage, though the 2-3 zone also helped them place second in field goal percentage defense.

Pittsburgh Panthers (28-5, 13-3)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 3/2
Key players departing: Brandin Knight (graduating), Ontario Lett (graduating), Donatas Zavackas (graduating)
Key players returning: Julius Page (Jr. G), Jaron Brown (Jr. F), Chevon Troutman (So. F), Carl Krauser (Fr. G), Toree Morris (Jr. C)

Leading scorer: Julius Page (12.2 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Chevon Troutman (5.1 rpg)
Assists leader: Brandin Knight (6.3 apg)

Notes: After the season ended, Ben Howland left to take the head coaching job at UCLA and returning to the west coast. Former associate coach Jamie Dixon was named the new head coach after a search that included Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser and rumors involving Memphis head coach John Calipari, both Pittsburgh natives. Balance was the order of the day for one of the best defensive teams in the country, as six players averaged between 9.7 and 12.2 points per game. Knight didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well as he did as a junior, but Page came alive and Zavackas closed out his career in fine fashion. Troutman rarely misses and has the makings of an excellent post player the next two seasons, while Krauser looks ready to run the show. Knight and Zavackas were part of 88 wins in their four seasons, a school record.

Seton Hall Pirates (17-13, 10-6)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 0/5
Key players departing: Greg Morton (graduating)
Key players returning: Andre Barrett (Jr. G), John Allen (So. G-F), Kelly Whitney (Fr. F), Andrew Sweet (So. F), Marcus Toney-El (Jr. F), J.R. Morris (Fr. G)

Leading scorer: Andre Barrett (16.7 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Kelly Whitney (6.1 rpg)
Assists leader: Andre Barrett (5.3 apg)

Notes: Head coach Louis Orr was an easy pick for Coach of the Year after nearly guiding the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament after a slow start and with questions up front. Barrett remains one of the conference’s best players, leading the team in scoring and assists for the second straight year. Whitney gave them a much-needed boost up front, as did Duke transfer Sweet. Allen didn’t shoot the ball as well as he is capable of, but was a good second scorer and was good at the defensive end.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-10, 10-6)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 3/2
Key players departing: Matt Carroll (graduating), Dan Miller (graduating), Chris Thomas (declared for NBA Draft, may return)
Key players returning: Jordan Cornette (So. F), Torin Francis (Fr. C), Chris Quinn (Fr. G), Torrian Jones (Jr. G-F), Tom Timmermans (Jr. C)

Leading scorer: Matt Carroll (19.5 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Torin Francis (8.4 rpg)
Assists leader: Chris Thomas (6.9 apg)

Notes: Carroll was always a good player and deadly shooter, but he busted out this year en route to first team All-Big East honors. Add that to Thomas having a super sophomore year and Maryland transfer Miller’s contributions, as well as the immediate contributions of freshman Torin Francis, and the Irish were a fixture in or near the top 10 for most of the season. Cornette had a nice season as one of the conference’s best defenders, while Quinn filled in admirably for Thomas and at times played with him for two lead guards. The Irish made the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1987.

Georgetown Hoyas (19-15, 6-10)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 4/1
Key players departing: Mike Sweetney (declared for the NBA Draft), Wesley Wilson (graduating), Victor Samnick (graduating), Courtland Freeman (graduating)
Key players returning: Gerald Riley (Jr. G-F), Tony Bethel (So. G), Brandon Bowman (Fr. F), Drew Hall (So. G), Ashanti Cook (Fr. G)

Leading scorer: Mike Sweetney (22.8 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Mike Sweetney (10.4 rpg)
Assists leader: Tony Bethel (3.6 apg)

Notes: Head coach Craig Esherick was thought to have saved his job with the Hoyas’ run to the NIT title game, but he later signed an extension through the 2008-09 season. Sweetney not only scored and rebounded, but was a great passer and helped shooters like Riley and Bethel. The Hoyas’ guards struggled for much of the season, though the numbers they put up weren’t bad. Wilson missed a good portion of the season, hurting the inside game, while Bowman showed flashes of potential stardom as he is a big-time athlete. With Sweetney gone, as well as Wilson and Samnick, the Hoyas have a new problem heading into next season: big questions up front.

West Virginia Mountaineers (14-15, 5-11)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 3/2
Key players departing: Chaz Briggs (graduating), Josh Yeager (graduating)
Key players returning: Drew Schifino (So. G), Kevin Pittsnogle (Fr. F-C), Tyrone Sally (So. F), Johannes Herber (Fr. G), Patrick Beilein (Fr. G), Jarmon Durisseau-Collins (Fr. G)

Leading scorer: Drew Schifino (20.1 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Pittsnogle (4.8 rpg)
Assists leader: Johannes Herber (3.8 apg)

Notes: For a while, it looked like new head coach John Beilein would be a shoe-in for Coach of the Year. The Mountaineers had a patchwork team in every respect, but scored a big upset of Florida during a six-game winning streak as part of a 7-1 start. Eventually, they slowed down and were beaten up in Big East play, especially on the glass as they had the worst rebounding margin in the conference by far. Drew Schifino broke out this season, finishing sixth in the conference in scoring, while Pittsnogle made an immediate impact in part from his ability to shoot from long range. Herber, Beilein and Durisseau-Collins started their careers off well on the perimeter. The Mountaineers had problems offensively despite turning the ball over less than all but two teams, as they were last in the conference in scoring.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-16, 4-12)

Number of starters leaving/staying: 1/4
Key players departing: Jerome Coleman (graduating), Kareem Wright (graduating)
Key players returning: Ricky Shields (So. G), Herve Lamizana (Jr. F), Calvin Wooten (Fr. G), Mike Sherrod (Jr. G), Juel Wiggan (So. G), Sean Axani (Jr. F)

Leading scorer: Jerome Coleman (16.0 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Herve Lamizana (6.4 rpg)
Assists leader: Mike Sherrod (3.4 apg)

Notes: The Scarlet Knights struggled for much of the season, not having the homecourt advantage they had last season when they lost just twice at the RAC. Lamizana is the team’s most talented player and one who could be a star, but he has never played consistent basketball, and that reduces this to a team of nice players – not a team that will make NCAA Tournament appearances. Shields got hot shooting the ball at times, as did Wooten, while Sherrod capably runs the show and Wiggan is a good defender. With Lamizana’s inconsistency, the frontcourt’s lack of talent and depth was exposed as well.

Big South 2002-03 Season Recap

Big South Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Michael Protos

For the third time in five years, the Winthrop Eagles captured the Big South regular season championship. The Eagles dominated conference opponents all season, finishing with a conference record of 11-3. Guard Pierre Wooten and forward Tyrone Walker formed a lethal combination, which opponents rarely overcame. Winthrop played strong from beginning to end, winning eight of its final ten games.

The rest of the conference remained tight throughout the season. Liberty, Charleston Southern and Elon each finished at 8-6 in conference play and only three games separated second place from seventh. Each team flirted with Winthrop for the division lead, but they dropped every game they played against Winthrop.

Birmingham Southern will join the Big South conference next season and tested the waters this past season. The Panthers finished 19-9 and would have finished second if their conference games counted.

Big South Conference Tournament:

The Big South conference tournament offered a lesson in why March Madness is such an appropriate term. Winthrop had earned the automatic bid for four consecutive years. It had the number one seed. The semifinals and finals were at Liberty University, the host of the tournament. One of those teams figured to be destined to reach the NCAA tournament.

Big South All-Conference Team:
Torrey Butler, forward, Coastal Carolina
Tyrone Walker, forward, Winthrop
Pierre Wooten, guard, Winthrop
Danny Gathings, forward, High Point
Andre Smith, guard, UNC-Asheville

But then Madness kicked in. Winthrop lost to UNC-Asheville in an overtime thriller and Radford upset Liberty on the Flames’ home floor. UNC-Asheville then defeated Radford 85-71 in the championship game to earn its first bid in team history to the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament

No. 16a (South) UNC-Asheville:
Play-in game: Won over No. 16b Texas Southern 92-84
First round: Lost to No. 1 Texas 82-61

Big South Season Awards

Big South MVP:

Torrey Butler, Coastal Carolina

Senior forward Torrey Butler provided the most significant contribution to his team by averaging 18.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. Although other players like UNC-Asheville’s Andre Smith and Winthrop’s tandem of Pierre Wooten and Tyrone Walker all put up great numbers this season, Butler was most critical to his team’s success. Without Butler, the Chanticleers probably would have finished below High Point at the bottom of the division.

Big South Rookie of the Year:

Whit Holcomb-Faye, Radford

Guard Holcomb-Faye proved to be a team leader even as a freshman, averaging 14.3 points per game and leading the team in assists with 4.1 per game. He has a strong career ahead of him and may flirt with averaging 20 points a game by his senior year.

Big South Coach of the Year:

Gregg Marshall, Winthrop

Even though Winthrop faltered in the conference tournament, Marshall deserves his props for building a dynasty at Winthrop. The Eagles are the perennial favorite to win the Big South and should continue to maintain that spot in the next few years.

Winthrop Eagles 20-10 (11-3)

Starters returning/leaving: 4/1
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Guard Pierre Wooten (13.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.7 apg)

Key players returning:
Junior forward Tyrone Walker, junior forward Marcus Cooke, freshman center Billy Houston, sophomore guard Ivan Jenkins, sophomore forward Josh Grant

Coach: Gregg Marshall

Scoring leader: Tyrone Walker – 13.2 ppg
Rebound leader: Walker – 7.0 rpg
Assist leader: Pierre Wooten – 3.7 apg

The Eagles stormed through conference play to win the division title but faltered in the championship of the Big South tournament for the first time in several years. Despite the upset, the Eagles figure to be back on top of the division with four of five starters returning next season.

Charleston Southern Buccaneers 14-14 (8-6)

Starters returning/leaving: 3/2
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Guard Gene Gragner (9.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), forward Charles White (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Key players returning:
Sophomore forward Kevin Warzynski, junior guard Ed O’Neil, sophomore forward Trent Drafts, junior center Chris Warzynski

Coach: Jim Platt

Scoring leader: Kevin Warzynski – 13.3 ppg
Rebound leader: Charles White – 7.0 rpg
Assist leader: Ed O’Neil – 3.7 apg

The Buccaneers started conference play on fire, winning five of the first six conference games. They faltered down the stretch primarily because junior point guard Ed O’Neil went down for a few weeks with an injury. Charleston Southern lost five of its last seven games.

Liberty Flames 14-15 (8-6)

Starters returning/leaving: 4/1
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Forward Vincent Okotie (12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

Key players returning:
Junior guard Gabe Martin, junior guard Ryan Mantlo, junior forward Jason Sarchet, freshman guard Jeremy Monceaux

Coach: Randy Dunton

Scoring leader: Gabe Martin – 15.1 ppg
Rebound leader: Jason Sarchet – 6.8 rpg
Assist leader: Ryan Mantlo – 2.7 apg

Liberty struggled to find its rhythm for most of the season, neither winning or losing more than three straight. The Flames heated up toward the end of the season by winning four straight games before losing a pivotal match-up against division-leading Winthrop. The Flames never recovered from that setback and lost five of their final six games.

Elon Phoenix 12-15 (8-6)

Starters returning/leaving: 3/2
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Guard Ross Sims (5.7 ppg, 2.8 apg), forward Shamar Johnson (5.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

Key players returning:
Freshman guard Scottie Rice, freshman center Rasmi Gamble, sophomore forward Gary Marsh, sophomore forward Jackson Atoyebi, sophomore guard Steven Harvin

Coach: Ernie Nestor replaces Mark Simons

Scoring leader: Scottie Rice – 11.8 ppg
Rebound leader: Rasmi Gamble – 5.3 rpg
Assist leader: Steven Harvin – 3.5 apg

The Phoenix fit the mold of a typical middle-of-the-road team this season. It beat most of the easier teams on the schedule and lost to most of the more challenging teams. Elon will hope that new coach Ernie Nestor can guide the Phoenix to greater success in the coming years.

UNC-Asheville Bulldogs 14-16 (7-7)

Starters returning/leaving: 2/3
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Guard Andre Smith (15.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.6 apg), forward Ben McGonagil (14.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), guard Alex Kragel (11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Key players returning:
Sophomore forward Bryan McCullough, sophomore forward Joseph Barber, freshman forward Chad Mohn

Coach: Eddie Biedenbach

Scoring leader: Andre Smith – 15.9 ppg
Rebound leader: Ben McGonagil – 7.3 rpg
Assist leader: Smith – 3.6 apg

The Bulldogs completed one of the miraculous runs of early March by winning the automatic bid in the conference tournament to appear in their first NCAA tournament. UNC-Asheville was primed for big games after playing the likes of Michigan State, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma and Connecticut during the regular season. The Bulldogs were atrocious on the road, finishing 2-14, but pulled off a big win at Elon in the first round of the conference tournament. Despite mixed success during the season, all Bulldog fans will remember from this season is the March magic worked by a strong cast of hard-working seniors.

Radford Highlanders 10-20 (6-8)

Starters returning/leaving: 4/1
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Guard Raymond Arrington (14.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Key players returning:
Freshman guard Whit Holcomb-Faye, sophomore guard Olumuyiwa, junior forward Aaron Gill, freshman guard Chris Goodin, sophomore center Kyle Zaharias, freshman guard Andre Bynum

Coach: Byron Samuels

Scoring leader: Raymond Harrington – 14.8 ppg
Rebound leader: Aaron Gill – 7.4 rpg
Assist leader: Whit Holcomb-Faye – 4.1 apg

The Highlanders have a bright future after struggling for most of this season. Radford started the season 3-11 but came fourteen points away from beating UNC-Asheville in the conference championship game. Freshman sensation Whit Holcomb-Faye led Radford in his first year and will continue to do so for the next few years. The Highlanders return a strong lineup next season that should place Radford near the top of the division.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 13-15 (5-9)

Starters returning/leaving: 4/1
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Forward Torrey Butler (18.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg), guard E.J. Gallup (9.9 ppg), forward Mihai Raducanu (5.1 ppg, 3.1 ppg), forward Derrick Robinson (5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

Key players returning:
Junior guard Tony Darden, junior forward Kelvin Coggins, sophomore guard Colin Stevens, junior forward Alvin Green

Coach: Pete Strickland

Scoring leader: Torrey Butler – 18.6 ppg
Rebound leader: Butler – 6.8 rpg
Assist leader: Alvin Green – 2.7 apg

The highlight of Coastal Carolina’s season was a sweep of division-winner Winthrop, the only team to accomplish that feat. The rest of the season ended with mixed results as the Chanticleers often lost close games. Senior forward Torrey Butler was another bright spot for Coastal Carolina as he led the team with 18.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.

High Point Panthers 7-20 (3-11)

Starters returning/leaving: 3/2
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Forward Dustin Van Weerdhuizen (14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), forward Kashan Hampton (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Key players returning:
Sophomore forward Danny Gathings, sophomore guard Joey Knight, junior forward Brent Halsch, freshman guard Jeff Allen

Coach: Bart Lundy replaces Jerry Steele

Scoring leader: Danny Gathings – 18.7 ppg
Rebound leader: Gathings – 7.6 rpg
Assist leader: Dustin Van Weerdhuizen – 3.0 apg

The Panthers struggled all season despite having two of the conference’s most potent scorers – sophomore forward Danny Gathings and sophomore guard Joey Knight. New coach Bart Lundy will get the opportunity to coach these prolific scorers in an attempt to bring High Point out of the cellar.

Birmingham Southern Panthers 19-9 (0-0)

Starters returning/leaving: 3/2
Key players leaving:
Graduating: Forward Josiah James (13.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg), guard Corey Watkins (11.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg)

Key players returning:
Junior guard Derrick Williams, sophomore guard Jakob Siqurdarson, junior forward Grant Davis

Coach: Duane Reboul

Scoring leader: Josiah James – 13.7 ppg
Rebound leader: James – 6.3 rpg
Assist leader: Derrick Williams – 3.4 apg

Birmingham Southern completed its dry run this past season, and it probably wishes that the conference had been keeping track of the Panthers’ success. Birmingham Southern lost only five games to conference opponents and would have finished in second, but the games did not count because the Panthers will not officially become part of the conference until next season. The Panthers lose most of their firepower but do return a solid guard in Derrick Williams to lead the way.

Conference USA 2002-03 Season Recap

Conference USA 2002-03 Season Recap

by Zach Van Hart

During the first half of the season, the Louisville Cardinals were not only the story of C-USA, but of the whole country. The Cards won 18 of their first 19 games and climbed to as high as No. 2 in the nation. But they faded down the stretch and Marquette, led by conference MVP Dwyane Wade, climbed to the top. The Golden Eagles were challenged by the resurgent Memphis Tigers, but eventually captured the regular season title.

But during the C-USA Tourney, Marquette suffered a quarterfinal upset to No. 9 seed UAB. The Blazers then knocked off No. 4 Saint Louis and looked prime to make a miraculous journey into the Big Dance. But they fell just a little short against hometown Louisville. The Cardinals squeaked past Memphis during the semis before topping UAB, 83-78.

NCAA Tournament

Marquette
Defeated Holy Cross, 72-68
Defeated Missouri, 101-92
Defeated Pittsburgh, 77-74
Defeated Kentucky, 83-69
Lost to Kansas, 94-61

Louisville
Defeated Austin Peay, 86-64
Lost to Butler, 79-71

Memphis
Lost to Arizona State, 84-71

Cincinnati
Lost to Gonzaga, 74-69

NIT

Alabama-Birmingham
Defeated UL Lafayette, 82-80
Defeated Siena, 80-71
Lost to St. John’s, 79-71

DePaul
Lost to North Carolina, 83-72

Saint Louis
Lost to Minnesota, 62-52

Awards

First Team All C-USA
Dwyane Wade, Marquette
Reece Gaines, Louisville
Marque Perry, Saint Louis
Morris Finley, UAB
Chris Massie, Memphis
Louis Truscott, Houston

Second Team
Charles Gaines, Southern Miss
Will McDonald, South Florida
Demon Brown, Charlotte
Antonio Burks, Memphis
Leonard Stokes, Cincinnati

Third Team
Robert Jackson, Marquette
Sam Hoskin, DePaul
Travis Diener, Marquette
Junior Blount, TCU
Reggie Kohn, South Florida

Most Valuable Player

Dwyane Wade – Marquette junior guard

Season averages – 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game. Reece Gaines competed with Wade for half the season, but Wade eventually blew the entire league out of the water.

Freshman of the Year

Francisco Garcia, Louisville

Newcomer of the Year

Robert Jackson, Marquette

Defensive Player of the Year

Dwyane Wade, Marquette

Coach of the Year

John Calipari, Memphis

Marquette 27-6, 14-2 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Robert Jackson, graduated
Dwyane Wade, leaving early for NBA

Key players returning:
junior guard Travis Diener, senior center Scott Merritt, sophomore forward Steve Novak

Top returning scorer – Diener, 11.8 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Merrit, 6.6 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Diener, 5.6 assists per game

Coaching moves – Assistant coach Darrin Horn took head coaching job at Western Kentucky

Memphis 23-7, 13-3 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Chris Massie, graduated
John Grice, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Antonio Burks, sophomore guard Jeremy Hunt, sophomore forward Rodney Carney

Top returning scorer – Carney, 9.8 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Carney, 4.8 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Burks, 4.7 assists per game

Louisville 25-7, 11-5 C-USA

Starters staying – 2, leaving – 3
Players leaving:
Reece Gaines, graduated
Marvin Stone, graduated
Erik Brown, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Ellis Myles, sophomore forward Francisco Garcia, sophomore guard Taquan Dean

Top returning scorer – Garcia, 11.2 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Myles, 7.9 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Garcia, 2.1 assists per game

Injuries – Myles ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee during a game Feb. 28 and doctors estimate he will not return to full activity till the end of August.

Saint Louis 16-14, 9-7 C-USA

Starters staying – 2, leaving – 3
Players leaving:
Marque Perry, graduated
Drew Diener, graduated
Kenny Brown, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Josh Fisher, sophomore guard Anthony Drejaj, senior forward Chris Sloan

Top returning scorer – Fisher, 8.2 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Sloan, 3.8 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Fisher, 3.7 assists per game

Cincinnati 17-12, 9-7 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Leonard Stokes, graduated
Taron Barker, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Field Williams, junior forward Jason Maxiell, sophomore forward Armein Kirkland

Top returning scorer – Maxiell, 11.9 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Maxiell, 6.7 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Chadd Moore, 1.6 assists per game

Tulane 16-15, 8-8 C-USA

Starters staying – 1, leaving – 4
Players leaving
Brandon Spann, graduated
Waitari Marsh, graduated
Brandon Brown, graduated
Nick Sinville, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Wayne Tinsley, junior guard Marcus Kinzer, senior center Ivan Pjevcevic

Top returning scorer – Tinsley, 6.9 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Tinsley, 3.8 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Tinsley, 2.7 assists per game

DePaul 16-13, 8-8 C-USA

Starters staying – 4, leaving – 1
Players leaving:
Sam Hoskin, graduated

Key players returning:
senior center Andre Brown, senior forward Delonte Holland, junior guard Drake Diener

Top returning scorer – Holland, 10.9 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Brown, 9.0 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Diener, 3.4 assists per game

Charlotte 13-16, 8-8 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Curtis Nash, graduated
Kevin Johnson, transferring
Tory Reed, transferring

Key players returning:
senior guard Demon Brown, sophomore forward Curtis Withers, junior guard Eddie Basden

Top returning scorer – Brown, 16.8 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Basden, 6.9 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Basden, 2.6 assists per game

Alabama-Birmingham 21-13, 8-8 C-USA

Starters staying – 4, leaving – 1
Players leaving:
Eric Bush, graduated

Key players returning:
senior guard Morris Finley, senior forward Gabe Kennedy, sophomore forward Demario Eddins

Top returning scorer – Finley, 18.3 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Sidney Ball, 5.4 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Finley, 3.2 assists per game

South Florida 15-14, 8-8 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Reggie Kohn, graduated
Will McDonald, graduated

Key players returning:
junior forward Terrence Leather, senior guard Jimmy Baxter, sophomore forward Yusuf Baker

Top returning scorer – Baxter, 14.6 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Leather, 5.3 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Brian Swift, 2.4 assists per game

Coaching change – Seth Greenberg resigned as head coach to take head coaching job at Virginia Tech. Robert McCullum, formerly head coach of Western Michigan, is the new head coach

Houston 8-20, 6-10 C-USA

Starters staying – 3, leaving – 2
Players leaving:
Louis Truscott, graduated
Jeremee McGuire, graduated

Key players returning:
junior guard Andre Owens, junior guard Bryan Shelton, sophomore forward Cedric Hensley

Top returning scorer – Owens, 13.9 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Owens, 5.1 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Owens, 3.2 assists per game

Coaching change – Michael Young was named assistant coach, after working at UH as a strength and conditioning coach

Southern Miss 13-16, 5-11 C-USA

Starters staying – 4, leaving – 1
Player leaving:
Mario Myles, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Charles Gaines, senior forward Greg Johnson, sophomore Jasper Johnson

Top returning scorer – Gaines, 14.4 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Gaines, 9.3 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Dante Stiggers, 4.5 assists per game

East Carolina 12-15, 3-13 C-USA

Starters staying – 4, leaving – 1
Player leaving:
Travis Holcomb-Faye, graduated

Key players returning:
senior forward Erroyl Bing, senior guard Derrick Wiley, senior forward Gabriel Mikulas

Top returning scorer – Wiley, 14.0 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Bing, 8.7 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Belton Rivers, 2.1 assists per game

Texas Christian 9-19, 3-13 C-USA

Starters staying – 2, leaving – 3
Players leaving:
Junior Blount, graduated
Bingo Merriex, graduated
Jamal Brown, graduated

Key players returning:
junior guard Corey Santee, junior guard Corey Valsin, sophomore forward Chudi Chinweze

Top returning scorer – Santee, 16.3 points per game
Top returning rebounder – Chinweze, 4.8 rebounds per game
Top returning assist man – Santee, 5.0 assists per game

Atlantic 10 2002-03 Season Recap

Atlantic Ten 2002-03 Season Recap

by David Francis

The 2002-2003 Atlantic 10 season will not be remembered for David West, or Dayton’s home-court win of the A-10 conference tournament, or having three teams in the tournament. Everyone will remember this as the year where St. Bonaventure’s forfeited 6 games and almost got kicked out of the conference for rules violations. And it’s a shame, because this was one of the better A-10 seasons in recent memory.

Xavier’s early exit opened the door for Dayton to win the conference tournament on their home floor, beating an upstart Temple team in the finals. The tournament was overshadowed by the Bonaventure controversy, but managed to provide some great games.

NCAA Tournament:

3rd-seed Xavier lost to Maryland in the second round
4th-seed Dayton lost in the first round to Tulsa
7th-seed St. Joseph’s lost to Auburn in the first round

All Conference Team:
Marques Green – St. Bonaventure – junior guard
Chris Monroe – George Washington – senior guard
Jameer Nelson - Saint Joseph’s - junior guard
Romain Sato – Xavier – junior guard
David West – Xavier – senior forward
Delonte West – Saint Joseph’s sophomore guard

Player of the Year:

David West, Xavier, Senior Forward

The A-10 player of the year was one of many awards this senior won. West, in his four years with the Musketeers, helped to transform the program from perennially loser to national powerhouse.

Freshman of the Year:

Gary Neal, LaSalle

Defensive Players of the Year:

Tony Dobbins, Richmond

Coach of the Year:

Jim Baron, Rhode Island

It was like Jim Harrick was back in town, except without the sexual haraassement. Brown turned Rhode Island into an A-10 contender this year, coming just a few wins shy of an NCAA birth. Look for big things from the Rams in years to come, as Baron was just granted a contract extension.

A-10 East

St. Joseph’s Hawks 22-5, 12-4

Starting Five:
Pat Carroll
Dave Mallon
Alexandre Sazonov
Jameer Nelson
Delmonte West

Key losses: Alexandre Sazonov, graduation

Statistical Leaders:
Jameer Nelson, 19.7 pts/game
Dwayne Jones, 6.3 rebounds/game
Jameer Nelson, 4.7 rebounds/game

Temple Owls 18-16, 10-6

Starting Five:
Alex Wesby
David Hawkins
Kevin Lyde
Lynn Greer
Quincy Wadley

Key losses: Quincy Wadley

Statistical Leaders:
David Hawkins, 16.9 points/game
Alex Wesby, 5.8 rebounds/game
David Hawkins, 2.8 assists/game

Rhode Island Rams 17-10, 10-6

Starting Five:
Lazare Adnigono
Brian Woodward
Jon Clark
Howard Smith
Dustin Hellenga

Key losses: Lazare Adingono, Howard Smith, Dustin Hellenga

Statistical Leaders:
Brian Woodward, 14.1 pts/game
Brain Woodward, 6 rebounds/game
Howard Smith, 4.1 assists/game

Massachusetts Minutemen 11-17, 6-10

Starting Five:
Jackie Rogers
Raheim Lamb
Micah Brand
Anthony Anderson
Marcus Cox

Key losses: Micah Brand and Jackie Rogers

Statistical Leaders:
Jackie Rodgers, 12.9 points/game
Jackie Rodgers, 5.5 rebounds/game
Anthony Anderson, 3.7 assists/game

Fordham Rams 3-26, 3-13

Starting Five:
Michael Haynes
Glen Batemon
John Blackgrove
Mark Jerrell Wright
Anthonique Wilson

Returning all starters

Statistical Leaders:
Michael Haynes, 15.2 points/game
Michael Haynes, 8 rebounds/game
Jermaine Anderson, 2.5 assists/game

St. Bonaventure Bonnies 13-14, 1-15

Starting Five:
Marques Greene
Vidal Massiah
Peter Van Paassen
J.R. Bremer
Mike Gansy

Returning five starters

Statistical Leaders:
Marques Greene, 21.6 points/game
Mike Gansy, 5.0 rebounds/game
Marques Greene, 8 assists/game

The Bonnies were forced to forfeit their 6 A-10 wins for NCAA rule violations. They then forfeited the remainder of their season in the midst of much controversy. The A-10 recently ruled that the Bonnies would not be expelled from the conference.

A-10 West

Xavier Musketeers 26-6, 15-2

Starting Five:
Keith Jackson
David West
Anthony Miles
Romaine Sato
Dedrick Finn

Key Losses: David West

Statistical Leaders:
David West, 20.1 points/game
David West, 11.8 rebounds/game
Dedrich Finn, 4.3 assists/game

Dayton Flyers 24-6, 14-2

Starting Five:
Brooks Hall
Keith Waleskowski
Sean Finn
Ramod Marshall
Mark Jones

Key Losses: Brooks Hall

Statistical Leaders:
Brooks Hall, 12.8 points/game
Keith Waleskowski, 8.2 rebounds/game
Romad Marshall, 4.8 assists/game

Richmond Spiders 15-12, 10-6

Starting Five:
Mike Skrocki
Jermaine Bucknor
Jonathan Collins
Tony Dobbins
Jeff Myers

Key losses – Jeff Meyers and Jonathan Collins

Statistical Leaders:
Mike Skorcki, 11.2 points/game
Tony Dobbins, 5.9 rebounds/game
Jeff Myers, 4.1 assists/game

LaSalle Explorers 11-16, 6-10

Starting Five:
Gary Neal
Steven Smith
Daalfo Larkai
Jermain Thomas
Mike Cleaves

Returning all five starters

Statistical Leaders:
Gary Neal, 18.6 points/game
Steven Smith, 8.1 rebounds/game
Jermaine Thomas, 4.3 assists/game

George Washington Colonials 11-16, 5-11

Starting Five:
Chris Monroe
T.J. Thompson
Greg Collucci
Darnell Miller
Carl Elliott

Key Losses: Chris Monroe

Statistical Leaders
Chris Monroe, 20.3 points/game
Mike Hall, 8.2 rebounds/game
T.J. Thompson, 6.1 assists/game

Duquesne University 9-21, 4-12

Starting Five:
Elijah Palmer
Simplice Njoya
Ron Dokes
Bryant McAllister
Jimmy Tricco

Returning all five starters

Statistical Leaders:
Kevin Forney, 13.4 points/game
Elijah Palmer, 5.5 rebounds/game
Bryan McAllister, 2.6 assists/game

Part II

2003 Kingwood Classic Recap – Part II

by Phil Kasiecki

Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II: Class of 2005/2006

Class of 2005

Take note, folks: Keith Brumbaugh (6’9″ SF-PF, Deland (FL) High) will be a player. Brumbaugh got better as the weekend went along, as the lefty is long and athletic and showed a multitude of skills. He handled the ball and ran the fast break, rebounded, and by the end of the weekend he knocked down several three-pointers, though that is clearly not his forte. His shot selection left a little to be desired at times and his right-handed dribble needs work, but he has the makings of a big-time prospect down the road.

Brumbaugh’s teammate, Walter Hodge (6’0″ PG, Melbourne (FL) Florida Air Academy) showed some potential at the point in relatively limited playing time after an early pool play game. He’s a quick penetrating guard who made a few nice passes.

Continuing on the tip of Florida talent, the Florida Prep Stars brought a couple of sophomores to keep an eye on. Terrance Vinson (6’9″ PF, (FL) Lowndes HS) used his long arms well to block some shots and is athletic in the post, while Ryan Reid (6’8″ PF, (FL) Boyd Anderson HS) has good size and athleticism and should develop into a nice player.

Byron Eaton (5’11″ PG, Dallas (TX) Lincoln HS) has been much-talked about for a while now, and he is justifying the hype. He has a big, strong body for a point guard, but is very quick and knifes to the basket and also swished a few three-pointers. He’s the top player on a team that had just one rising senior, and one of the top players in this class.

The DC Blue Devils weren’t just loaded with rising seniors. Marcus Ginyard (6’5″ SG-SF, Arlington (VA) Bishop O’Connell) appears to be the best rising junior. He’s very quick and athletic, knifing his way to the basket with great body control, and he handles the ball well. He’s a pesky on-the-ball defender as well. Eric Price (6’0″ PG, Washington (DC) Dunbar HS) showed some quickness and slashing ability, running the show capably and also knocking down a couple of three-pointers to keep the defense honest. Reportedly, he will head to Blair Academy in New Jersey next year. Justin Castleberry (6’2″ PG, Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha HS) may be the next star at DeMatha, though the most that can be said from here is that he had his moments while running the show off the bench.

YOMCA had a couple of sophomores to keep an eye on as well. Demond Yates (6’8″ PF, Memphis (TN) Fayette-Ware HS) is an athletic post player who showed some inside scoring ability and a touch from just outside the paint, and should get better with added strength. JP Prince (6’7″ SF-PF, Memphis (TN) White Station HS) played very limited minutes, but has good size and will get his chance to shine.

California Team Select brought a couple of good rising juniors, notably an excellent floor leader in Michael Garrity (6’0″ PG, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS). He fearlessly penetrates and always seems to get to the basket with deceptive quickness and instincts, and finishes many of his drives or finds an open man. He’s not a shooter, but he generally makes good decisions. Amir Johnson (6’9″ PF, Los Angeles (CA) Verbum Dei HS) showed a lot of promise, as he’s an athletic post player who played better as the weekend went along and will be very good with added strength. He can score on the post and showed a touch on jumpers a short distance from the hoop, while making his share of athletic plays.

Another Californian, Marcus Johnson (6’5″ SF, Los Angeles (CA) Westchester HS) showcased his athleticism and in-between game. He’s one of the best athletes in this class, uses his athleticism and good lateral quickness on defense, but needs to continue to improve his ball skills.

Georgia Elite brought the good underclassmen as well. Jay Brown (6’7″ SF-PF, Griffin (GA) High) didn’t show the best of ball skills in the first game we saw, but he looked better later on and is a strong athlete. He looks like a power forward who is expanding his game and transitioning to small forward and experienced a few of the bumps in such a transition. Marquis Ruffin (6’3″ SG, Campbell HS) and LaBrez Barber (6’0″ PG, South Dekalb (GA) High) are guards who showed some potential.

Mike Davis (6’8″ PF, Brooklyn (NY) Xaverian HS) missed a little time with an injury, but when he played, he continued his good spring play. He battles inside, is long and athletic, and will be a solid prospect when it’s all said and done.

Tyrell Biggs (6’8″ PF, Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep) looked good for Riverside Church, as he has a big body but moves it very well in the post and away from the basket. If he can lose some weight, playing small forward might not even be out of the question with a little of what he showed.

Tyler Hansborough (6’8″ PF, St. Louis (MO) Popular Bluff HS) had a good showing, as he runs the floor well, battled inside and was good on the glass at both ends. He scored in the post and showed a little touch away from the basket, and will be among the top prospects in this class.

Emmanuel Mayben (6’2″ PG, Troy (NY) High) ran the show well for the Albany City Rocks, as the pass-first floor leader did a nice job of getting the ball to his big men and hit a game-winning jumper in the final seconds of one game. He’s quick and passes well, though he sometimes plays a little too much for show and not enough for effect.

Class of 2006

No freshman has been more hyped than Derrick Caracter (6’9″ PF, Elizabeth (NJ) Scotch Plains HS), and while he didn’t deliver the goods fully, he continues to show plenty of promise. He moves his 270-pound frame very well, has polished post moves and a soft touch, but has to bring the energy every minute he’s out there. He’s still a young kid, so the expectations need to be realistic right now; that being said, the kid will only get better.

Marques Johnson (6’5″ PG-SG, Ft. Wayne (IN) Snider HS) caught our attention in his team’s first game, as he took over the game in stages before his team lost. He has good quickness and got to the basket basically when he wanted to, finishing well and showing some defensive abilities on the ball. His playmaking skills look questionable, but at his size he can be a scoring guard without a problem.

Curtis Kelly (6’8″ PF, New York (NY) Rice HS) got better as the weekend went along, notably being more aggressive. The lefty has long arms and is athletic in the post, and will get better with added strength and if his hands get better.

Matthew Shaw (6’8″ PF, Los Angeles (CA) Verbum Dei HS) didn’t play major minutes for California Team Select, but showed some potential. He has good size and showed some athleticism on the post.

Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II: Class of 2005/2006

Atlantic Sun 2002-03 Season Recap

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Kristy Shonka

The 2002-03 men’s basketball season proved one thing – Anything’s possible in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Mercer went from last to a share of the regular season championship. Florida Atlantic went from champions to chumps. Preseason division favorites Georgia State and Jacksonville finished with .500 conference records. UCF, a team that returned only 5 players from the year before, gave Troy State a run for its money in the A-Sun Championship. The four teams that didn’t make the tournament – Stetson, FAU, Gardner-Webb and Campbell – went a combined 10-54 in league play.

Overall though it was a good season for the conference. For the first time in A-Sun history four teams finished with 20 or more wins. The conference achieved its highest ranking in the RPI with a 20th-place showing. Three A-Sun players led the nation in statistical categories. Belmont’s Adam Mark led the nation shooting 67 percent from the field, while teammate Steve Drabyn shot 95 percent from the free-throw line. Stetson’s Alexis McMillan led the country with 4 steals a game.

Tourney Recap

Troy State won the A-Sun Championship as the No. 3 seed though they finished as regular season co-champions with Mercer. The Trojans beat fifth-seed UCF 80-69 in the championship game behind tourney MVP Ben Fletcher’s 29 points.

The Knights got to the championship game by beating top-seeded Mercer 79-59. The Bears were the only team to sweep UCF in the regular season, but were completely out played by UCF in the semifinals. Troy State held off a pesky Georgia State team 71-61 in the semis. The Trojans beat Samford to open the tournament, while the Knights beat Jacksonville State.

NCAA Tournament

No. 14 Troy State, South Region
First round: Lost to No. 3 Xavier, 71-59

All Atlantic Sun Conference team:
Scott Emerson, junior forward, Mercer
Ben Fletcher, senior guard, Troy State
Adam Mark, junior forward, Belmont
Adam Sonn, senior center, Belmont
Nate Williams, junior forward/center, Georgia State

A-Sun Player of the Year:

Adam Sonn, senior center, Belmont

Sonn was the only player to rank in the top 10 in the A-Sun in points (eighth, 16.1), rebounds (first, 12.1) and assists (ninth, 3.76). He averaged a double-double and had 17 on the year. He grabbed double-digit rebound totals in 20 of 28 games. Georgia State upset the Bruins in the first round of the A-Sun Championship despite Sonn’s game-high 22 points and nine rebounds.

Conference Freshman of the Year

E.J. Gordon, Stetson

Defensive Player of the Year

Alexis McMillan, Stetson

A-Sun Coach of the Year

Mark Slonaker, Mercer

Slonaker coached the Bears to the biggest one-year turnaround in NCAA history. In an injury plagued year Mercer finished 6-23 in 2002, but with everyone healthy, the Bears finished 23-6 in 2003. The Bears were picked to finish third in the South Division, but instead shared the regular season title with Troy State and held the No. 1 seed in the tournament, where they were upset by UCF.

Mercer (23-6, 14-2)

Starters leaving: 2
Justin Howard, graduating
Clarence Baker, graduating
Donny McLendon, transferring

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Scott Emerson, senior forward
Delmar Wilson, senior guard/forward
Wesley Duke, senior forward

Stat sheet:
Aleem Muhammad, 15.5 points per game
Scott Emerson, 9.1 rebounds per game
Clarence Baker, 5.41 assists per game

News:
The Bears will have a new home next season with the 3,500-seat University Center set to open in the fall. Porter Gym, which has been around since 1937, closes this year.

Belmont (17-12, 12-4)

Starters leaving: 1
Adam Sonn, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Adam Mark, senior forward
Wil Howard-Downs, senior guard
Steve Drabyn, senior guard
Brian Collins, sophomore guard
Jese Snyder, junior guard

Stat sheet:
Adam Mark, 16.4 points per game
Adam Sonn, 12.1 rebounds per game
Steve Drabyn, 3.83 assists per game

News:
The Bruins will also play in a new facility next year when the 5,000-seat Curb Event Center replaces Municipal Auditorium.

Troy State (26-6, 14-2)

Starters leaving: 3
Ben Fletcher, graduating
Marcus Millhouse, graduating
Lacedrick Pettway, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Rob Lewin, senior forward
Greg Davis, senior guard
Eddie Baker, senior forward
Herbert Evans, senior guard

Stat sheet:
Ben Fletcher, 13.9 points per game
Rob Lewin, 8.1 rebounds per game
Greg Davis, 4.75 assists per game

Jacksonville State (20-10, 10-6)

Starters leaving: 3
Poonie Richardson, graduating
Jay Heard, graduating
Omar Barlett, transferring

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Scott Watson, senior guard
James Denson, senior guard
Josh Perry, senior forward
Emerson Brown, senior guard

Stat sheet:
Omar Barlett, 15 points per game
Omar Barlett, 7.1 rebounds per game
Poonie Richardson, 4.37 assists per game

News: The Gamecocks will leave the A-Sun for the Ohio Valley Conference.

UCF (21-11, 11-5)

Starters leaving: 3
Ray Abellard, graduating
Ed Dotson, graduating
Marius Boyd, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Josh Bodden, senior forward
Dexter Lyons, senior guard/forward
Roberto Morentin, senior center
Troy Lindbeck, freshman guard

Stat sheet:
Ray Abellard, 16.3 points per game
Ed Dotson, 5.9 rebounds per game
Marius Boyd, 3.29 assists per game

Samford (13-15, 9-7)

Starters leaving: 1
Cornell Felton, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Phillip Ramelli, senior center
J. Robert Merrit, sophomore forward
Tyson Dorsey, senior guard
Eddie Harper, senior guard
Jon Mills, junior forward

Stat sheet:
Phillip Ramelli, 11.5 points per game
Phillip Ramelli, 5.7 rebounds per game
Cornell Felton , 4.04 assists per game

News: The Bulldogs will join Jacksonville State in switching to the Ohio Valley Conference.

Georgia State (14-15, 8-8)

Starters leaving: 1
Leroy Davis, graduating
Cedric Patton, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Nate Williams, senior forward/center
Lamont McIntosh, senior guard
Trello Galloway, senior forward/guard
Reo Logan, junior forward/center

Stat sheet:
Nate Williams, 18 points per game
Nate Williams, 6.6 rebounds per game
Lamont McIntosh, 3.17 assists per game

Jacksonville (13-16, 8-8)

Starters leaving: 5
Kevin Sheppard, graduating
Calvin Warner, graduating
James Daniels, graduating
Tabari Brown, graduating
Antawn Robertson, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Nolan McBride, senior forward

Stat sheet:
Calvin Warner, 16.9 points per game
Calvin Warner, 7.8 rebounds per game
Kevin Sheppard, 4.52 assists per game

Stetson (6-20, 4-12)

Starters leaving: 2
Ravii Givens, graduating
Alexis McMillan, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
E.J. Gordon, sophomore guard
Kevin Craig, senior guard/forward
Mark Stiles, junior forward/center
Josef McNeal, senior forward

Stat sheet:
E.J. Gordon, 14.7 points per game
Josef McNeal, 4.8 rebounds per game
Ravii Givens, 2.92 assists per game

Florida Atlantic (7-21, 3-13)

Starters leaving: 3
Avery Headley, graduating
Nick Neumann, graduating
Antoine Stevens, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Earnest Crumbley, senior guard
Jeff Cowans, senior guard

Stat sheet:
Earnest Crumbley, 16.2 points per game
Avery Headley, 6.3 rebounds per game
Earnest Crumbley, 4.75 assists per game

Gardner-Webb (5-24, 2-14)

Starters leaving: 1
Eli Strait, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Otis Daniels, junior forward
Tim Behrendorff, senior center
Chris Wiggins, senior guard

Stat sheet:
Otis Daniels, 11.8 points per game
Otis Daniels, 6.1 rebounds per game
Eli Strait, 3.03 assists per game

Campbell (5-22, 1-15)

Starters leaving: 3
Jonte’ Edwards, graduating
Brooks Lee, graduating
Solomon Yearby, graduating

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Tarick Johnson, senior guard
Dominique Klein, junior forward

Stat sheet:
Tarick Johnson, 17.1 points per game
Jonte’ Edwards, 5.8 rebounds per game
Brooks Lee, 4.35 assists per game

New coach:
Former Kansas State assist Robbie Laing replaces Billy Lee as the Camel’s head coach.

Mid-Continent 2002-03 Season Recap

Mid-Continent Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Matt Amis

The 2002-2003 campaign was a season of renewal in the Mid-Continent Conference. For just the third time in nine years, someone other than Valpo took home the Mid-Con title. In early March, hoops fans everywhere witnessed Matt Crenshaw’s last-second jumper and head coach Ron Hunter’s exaltation on the Kemper Arena floor as the Jaguars of IUPUI (10-4) celebrated their first ever trip to the Big Dance.

Of course, days later, the Jags drew heavily favored Kentucky and were trounced in the first round of the Tournament, but getting there was more than half the fun.

Keep in mind that, five years ago, IUPUI was in its first season at the NCAA Division I level.

Valpo (12-2) were the stunned runners-up in the conference championships, but was as dominating as ever during the regular season. Additionally, Oakland (10-4) was a force at times, led by run-away Mid-Con Player of the Year, Mike Helms.

Oral Roberts (9-5) looked for real at times, even garnering Top-25 votes in the national poll. But the Golden Eagles slipped down the stretch, dropping some crucial conference games. UMKC (7-7) was a darkhorse in the tournament, as it was led by one of the nation’s top scorers Michael Watson.

Southern Utah (5-9), Western Illinois (3-11), and Chicago State (0-14) brought up the rear.

Awards:

First-team All Mid-Con:
Mike Helms, Oakland (27.6 ppg)
Reggie Borges, Oral Roberts (17.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg),
Raitis Grafs, Valparaiso (16.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.81 bpg)
Josh Murray, IUPUI (12.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
Michael Watson, UMKC(25.4 ppg, 3.7 apg)

Player of the Year:

Mike Helms, Oakland.
Not only did Helms break the league’s single-season scoring record, he led the entire nation in scoring for much of the season.

He completed the regular season with a league-best scoring average of 27.6 points per game and led the Mid-Con with 22 20-point games, and scored 30 points of better 14 times.

During the course of the season, Helms established Mid-Con season records for free throws made (196) and attempted (263), and made 39 percent (72-187) of his shots from long range.

Newcomer of the Year:

Helms’ teammate, Rawle Marshall, a transfer from Ball State proved to be one of the league’s best all-around ballplayers in 2002-03, as he led the conference in steals (2.85 spg) and also ranked among the league leaders in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and blocked shots (1.48 bpg). Marshall, who scored in double figures in each game during the regular season, was also tabbed as the league’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year.

Coach of the Year:

Ron Hunter, as many TV-watchers met while he was on his knees after beating Valpo, guided IUPUI to its best season since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks. The Jaguars set a school Division I era record by posting 17 wins in the regular season (against 13 losses), and also set a school record with their 10-4 Mid-Con record.

Team Capsules:

Valparaiso (20-10, 12-2 Mid-Con)

To call the Crusaders’ season a disappointment would be unfair, but Valpo fans would likely agree. After breezing through the regular season schedule, the Crusaders were shocked in the conference championships by the upstart IUPUI squad. Valpo made an appearance in the NIT, but was bounced in the first round by Iowa, 62-60. Scott Drew, son of legendary Valpo coach Homer Drew had a successful first year at the helm, and likely restored fans’ confidence in the family name.

Leading Scorer: Raitis Grafs (16.5 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Grafs (5.9 rpg)
Leading Assists: Ali Berdiel (4.5 apg)

Key returnees: Joaquim Gomes, Roberto Nieves, Berdiel, Greg Tonagel
Key players leaving: Grafs (graduating) Jason Hawkins (graduating) Stalin Ortiz (grad.), Antti Nikkila (grad.)

IUPUI (20-14, 10-4 Mid-Con)

The Jaguars experienced the kind of season people imaging when they think of the cliches “Cinderella season” or “March Madness.” In just its fifth year in D-1 basketball, IUPUI did the unthinkable and unseated Valpo. They did it all without one go-to guy, as depth and defense got them there. An inevitable loss to Kentucky is easily overlooked, when you consider the Jags’ season — an overwhelming success.

Leaving: Odell Bradley, Josh Murray, Josh Mullins, Chris Sanders, Antoine Lewis, Dannorris Harvey
Sticking around: Matt Crenshaw, Brandon Cole

Leading Scorer: Odell Bradley (14.7 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Josh Murray (7.7 rpg)
Leading Assists: Matt Crenshaw (140 A)

Oakland (17-11, 10-4 Mid-Con)

The Golden Grizzlies seemed at one point destined for greatness. They had the best 1-2 punch in the conference, Helms and Marshall, and cruised to a favorable No. 3 tournament seeding. But, for the second year in a row, the Grizz were perplexingly ousted in the first round by Southern Utah. A game in which Helms scored just eight points. Nonetheless, Oakland has good reason to look forward to next season. That All-American Helms? He’s baa-aack. Same with Marshall. These two will look to reload, and run the table next year.

Leaving: Adrian Martin (grad.)
Sticking around: Helms, Marshall, Kyle Chapman, Cortney Scott, Pierre Dukes, DeMarcus Ishmeal (JuCo transfer)

Leading Scorer: Helms (26.9 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Courtney Scott (8.7)
Leading Assists: Pierre Dukes (71)

Oral Roberts (18-10, 9-5 Mid-Con)

The Golden Eagles started the season like gangbusters. They finished it like…well…not gangbusters. ORU looked poised to go after its first Mid-Con Tournament Championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 1983-84 squad pulled off the feat. A white-hot start to the year garnered the Eagles national attention and even votes in the national Top-25 coaches poll. But conference play became somewhat of a rude awakening, and ORU slipped, losing four of its last six. No one seemed to notice when the Eagles were upset in the Mid-Con first round by upstart UMKC.

Leaving: Reggie Borges, Tyrone Tiggs, Kendrick Moore (all graduating)
Sticking around: Luke Spencer-Gardner, Josh Atkinson, Yemi Ogunoye

Leading Scorer: Borges (18 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Moore (7.3 rpg)
Leading Assists: Spencer-Gardner (164)

UMKC (9-20, 7-7 Mid-Con)

If this were a Seinfeld episode, the Kangaroos would be the “bizarro-Oral Roberts.” From the looks of the season’s start, it appeared UMKC was in for another long season. Before conference play rolled around, the Kangaroos were a rip-roaring 2-11, including a 100-46 setback to Kansas. Ouch. But the Kangaroos had one thing the rest of Mid-Con wasn’t counting on — the explosive Michael Watson. One of the best pure scorers in the country, Watson led UMKC to a moderate 7-7 Mid-Con finish and a first-round upset over Oral Roberts. And uh oh Mike Helms…Mike Watson’s coming back too.

Leaving: Tom Curtis, Randall Atchison, Marc Stricker (all grad.)
Sticking around: Watson, Carlton Aaron, Javon Clark

Leading Scorer: Watson (25.5 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Aaron (7.7 rpg)
Leading Assists: Marc Stricker (5.1 apg)

Southern Utah (11-17, 5-9 Mid-Con)

The Thunderbirds struggled with inconsistency basically all season. They had seven leading scorers from game to game. And while they looked great taking out Oakland in the tournament, they looked not-so-good the next day against IUPUI. On the bright side, the T-Birds are mighty proud of their recruiting class, which includes an impressive looking JuCo transfer Tim Gainey from Arizona’s Cochise College

Leaving: Jay Collins, Donnie Jackson, Kevin Henry, Aaron Miles (all graduating)
Sticking around: David Palmer, Al Williams, Robbie Warren

Leading Scorer: Palmer (11.7 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Jackson (5.3 rpg)
Leading Assists: Collins (178 a)

Western Illinois (7-21, 3-11 Mid-Con)

Despite having arguably the coolest mascot in the league, the Leathernecks season was by in large a struggle. They started conference play a surprising 2-1, but alas, one just a single game the rest of the way out. On the bright side, the Leathernecks hired a new coach this off-season, former Mid-Con assistant coach with Southwest Missouri State, Derek Thomas. He’s known for his outstanding recruiting track record, so Western Illinois has something to look forward to.

Leaving: Nick Rodsater, Matt Robins, Luis Rivas
Sticking around: J.D. Summers, Will Lewis, Shaun Mason

Leading Scorer: Summers (12.6 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Rivas (5.5 rpg)
Leading Assists: Robins (90 a)

Chicago State (3-27, 0-14 Mid-Con)

“I am excited about the opportunity and looking forward to next year. With the returning players coming back, new recruits and new coaching staff – we will get the Chicago State University program off the ground and competitive in the Mid-Continent Conference.” That’s the new coach of the Cougars Kevin Jones. The next thing he said: “It will take hard work.” And it will. ChiState suffered its second consecutive winless conference schedule capped by a 20-point loss to Valpo in the tournament. The plus? Cougars actually have a couple good players coming back next year. Stay tuned…

Leaving: Clark Bone, Jason Thurman, Kelvin Smallwood
Sticking around: Craig Franklin, Rubeen Perry

Leading Scorer: Franklin (13.4 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Perry (4.9 rpg)
Leading Assists: Franklin (3.9)

Part I

2003 Kingwood Classic Recap – Part I

by Phil Kasiecki

Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II

Texas is a state known for doing things big, and the 2003 Kingwood Classic was just that. With 329 teams participating, including 236 in the high school age ranges, it was the largest event of the spring and one of the most highly anticipated. It was bigger than last year’s, which had a very good turnout. As expected, Hal Pastner and his staff did a terrific job throughout the weekend making sure everything went according to plan, and it made for a great time. The talent was tremendous, the operations were terrific, and the setting could hardly be better than metropolitan Houston at beautiful middle and high school facilities.

This tournament and the Charlie Weber Invitational in Washington, D.C. are the final events of the spring that are sanctioned for Division I coaches to attend, and coaches certainly turned out en masse for this. Included were head coaches that recently changed jobs, such as Bill Self (Kansas), Roy Williams (North Carolina), and Ben Howland (UCLA). Assistants from many schools were in attendance, and of note is that not one coach from Illinois was to be found, which will not help the Illini.

In the 17-and-under Gold Division, the New York Gauchos jumped out to early leads of 14-4 and 26-10, never looking back in an 85-57 thumping of talented YOMCA Team Memphis. Russell Robinson (6’2″ SG, New York (NY) Rice HS) led the winners by scoring 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, including four three-pointers in an early stretch when the Gauchos broke the game open.

The 17-and-under tournament alone had a great deal of talent in all of the high school age levels. On that note, here are notes on some of the players, grouped by class.

Class of 2004

One player whose recruitment should take off is James Gist (6’8″ SF-PF, Wheaton (MD) Good Counsel HS), who played very well towards the end of the tournament. He’s an exceptional athlete, active on the glass at both ends and uses his long arms well, and the ball skills are coming around as well as the scoring touch aside from put-backs.

One of Gist’s teammates that many had their eyes on was Brian Johnson (6’9″ PF, Arlington (VA) Bishop O’Connell HS). He has a solid body on the post and is very athletic, reminding one recruiting analyst of James Worthy. He was very active on the offensive glass this weekend, while he was inconsistent on the defensive boards, very aggressive and showed a touch on short jump shots. The big-time prospect has a mature body and has interest from ACC schools.

Isaiah Swann (6’2″ SG, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy) had some highlight-film plays as usual, as the flamboyant wing is a great leaper who will throw down a mean breakaway dunk given the chance. His shooting was streaky and he showed some ball-handling ability, but he also tended to over-dribble. His body control leaves a little to be desired, but he’s a good high-major prospect.

Another Blue Devil of note is Jerome Habel (6’8″ PF, Bethesda (MD) Walt Whitman HS), who will attend National Christian Academy next year. He’s not rail thin, but could use more strength, and he’s an active forward who makes some plays, runs the floor well, and can score on the post though the jump hook could be more reliable. He’s a high-major minus prospect. Cheyenne Moore (6’6″ SF, Colora (MD) West Nottingham Academy) will attend South Kent School in Connecticut next year. He had his moments this weekend, showing his athleticism and hitting a couple of jumpers, but not doing much else. Brad Farrell (6’5″ SG-SF, Herndon (VA) High) looks like a mid-major prospect, as he’s a scrappy player who can shoot from mid-range. Peter Prowitt (6’10″ PF-C, McLean (VA) Potomac School) will bring his size and mobility on the post to Stanford next season, as he has given them a commitment.

Russell Robinson was mentioned earlier, but the championship game was not his only good work of the weekend. He shot the ball well from long range for most of the weekend, while still showing great body control and a smoothness to his game when he drives to the basket. He can flat-out score, and he’ll get plenty of high-major interest as a result.

Robinson’s teammate, Sundiata Gaines (6’2″ PG-SG, Queens (NY) Archbishop Molloy HS) had an excellent weekend as well. Gaines is solidly built and doesn’t shy away from contact, finishing if he gets hacked, and used his good quickness to slice through defenses. The surprise was that he then knocked down several three-pointers later in the weekend, including one from NBA range. Gaines will get plenty of high-major looks.

Alongside Robinson and Gaines, Ronald Ramon (6’1″ PG-SG, Bronx (NY) All Hallows HS) looked good this weekend, scoring on drives and making some jump shots out to three-point range, and running the show capably.

Runners-up YOMCA Team Memphis was loaded with Division I talents from this class. Andre Allen (5’11″ PG, Memphis (TN) Booker T. Washington HS) is probably the most highly-regarded, but he didn’t play his best ball this weekend. He’s a quick, solidly-built point guard with a scorer’s mentality who had some trouble finishing this weekend and generally doesn’t shoot from behind the arc. Shawne Williams (6’8″ SF-PF, Memphis (TN) Hamilton HS) probably had the best weekend of anyone on the team, as he’s a good-size forward who has the ball skills and athleticism to be a good high-major prospect. He got better as the weekend went along. Charles Hampton (6’1″ SG, Memphis (TN) Bishop Bryne HS) is a great athlete, though a bit undersized for shooting guard. He shot the ball well, slashed to the hoop for some baskets and showed off the leaping ability a couple of times on the break. Frank Holmes (6’9″ PF, Memphis (TN) Fayette-Ware HS) got better as the weekend went along and showed some good post abilities along with good size and mobility. Jerrell Houston (6’8″ SF-PF, Memphis (TN) East HS) is a nice athlete who hit some mid-range jump shots later on, and should get better with added strength.

Riverside Church brought a loaded team, led by A.J. Price (6’1″ PG-SG, Amityville (NY) High), who is getting looks from Big East and some ACC schools. Price is a very quick scorer and active defender whose jump shot didn’t consistently fall this weekend, but he’s still a good high-major prospect. Arturo Dubois (6’7″ PF, New York (NY) Rice HS) is a solid finesse post player who keeps playing well. He’s active, running the floor well, and with added strength will be able to use power to score in the post as well. Keith Benjamin (6’2″ PG, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) is a steady point man who finished well and gets his offense in flow, including a good jump shot. High school teammate Dexter Gray (6’7″ SF-PF, Mt. Vernon (NY) High) is an active athlete who got some offensive rebounds and a few put-backs.

One day after the tournament, LaMarcus Aldridge (6’11″ C, Dallas (TX) Seagoville HS) committed to Texas. One of the elite big men in this class, Aldridge is a very athletic post player who finishes strong and has some finesse post scoring ability, and he won’t try to do too much (though we saw him hoist a three-pointer once). He has long arms and uses them well for blocking shots and rebounding. All of that said, he seems to lack a killer instinct, as he didn’t dominate games like he should have, and reportedly his high school team has not made the playoffs in his three years. He’s a big-time prospect, but there’s still plenty of room to improve before he reaches his potential.

Aldridge had some Team Texas Elite teammates that the coaches watched closely, most notably Jason Horton (6’1″ PG, Cedar Hill (TX) High). Horton didn’t play his best ball, as he struggled shooting it (and that’s not his forte), but he showed his quickness and he’s a confident ball-handler who is getting interest from plenty of high-majors. Pavlius Packevicius (6’9″ PF, Oakridge (TX) High) was impressive, as he’s a good post scorer with good body control, hit some face-up jumpers, and also can block some shots. He’s a high-major prospect. Kevin Langford (6’8″ SF-PF, North Crowley (TX) High) looks like a nice high-major minus prospect, as he’s an athletic forward whose skills are more those of a power forward, unlike older brother Keith. He’s reportedly a very good student and a nice young man. Teammate Rell Porter (6’6″ SF, Pittsburg (TX) High) is a nice athlete who is a role player on this team.

Alexander Kaun (6’11″ C, Melbourne (FL) Florida Air Academy) is one of several great prospects on Nike Team Florida. He gets good position inside, is aggressive and knows what he wants to do when he gets it down low, and runs the floor well. Jason Rich (6’3″ SG, Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips HS) is an exceptional leaper and knocked down some jump shots in addition to using his quickness to drive to the basket. This high-major prospect is quick off the ground and made a couple of great dunks. Greg Carr (6’6″ SF, North Marion (FL) High) is a quick, active athlete who slashed to the basket and finished well, and was around the ball a lot. Robinson Louisme (6’8″ PF, Ft. Myers (FL) High) has good size on the post and could be a nice player once his skills catch up. Trey Hopkins (6’1″ PG, Cypress Creek (FL) High) quietly ran the show with his talented teammates, showing some quickness and knocking down some three-pointers.

More talent from Florida rolled in with the Florida Hoopsters. Taurean Green (6’1″ PG, Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy) solidified his standing as one of the top guards in the class. He’s a slashing scorer who really accelerates and finishes his drives very well at the basket. Jack Berry (6’6″ SG-SF, Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips HS) is getting Ivy League looks since he is a straight-A student, and after not shooting well early, he found his stroke. Brandon Johnson (6’1″ PG, Orlando (FL) Edgewater HS) is a teammate of Darius Washington, but a nice guard in his own right. Kenny Ingram (6’6″ SF, Orlando (FL) Edgewater HS) is a teammate of both and a nice athletic role player who can help a team at the mid-major level.

Arizona commitment Jawaan McLellan (6’6″ SG-SF, Houston (TX) Milby HS) showed his great stroke and athleticism for the Houston Hoops. Teammate Matt Wheaton (6’6″ SF, Houston (TX) Mayde Creek HS) might be the best of several athletic forwards the Hoops had in the 6’5″ to 6’7″ range. He’s a well-built athlete who can score going to the basket and got some offensive put-backs. Texas commitment Daniel Gibson (6’3″ PG-SG, Houston (TX) Jones HS) didn’t play much with a wrist injury and being a little under the weather, but he did nothing to hurt his standing as one of the top 10-15 players in this class.

A few California teams came with some good talent, with California Team Select making it further than any other. USC commitment Robert Swift (7’0″ C, Bakersfield (CA) Highland HS) is certainly one of the top 3 big men in the class, as he looks stronger and was assertive in the post, and ran the floor like he usually does. He showed some good post moves, blocked some shots, and had a few nice follow-up dunks. Jordan Farmar (6’1″ PG, Woodland Hills (CA) Howard Taft HS) capably ran the show, as the scoring point guard isn’t overly quick, but very effective. He’s not afraid of contact despite his slight frame, uses both hands well, and is around the ball a lot. He shot very few jumpers, which can be good and bad. Josh Shipp (6’4″ SG-SF, Los Angeles (CA) Fairfax HS) is like his brother, but with a better jump shot. He’s an athletic wing scorer who can handle and hit long range jump shots. Gabe Pruitt (6’4″ SG, Los Angeles (CA) Westchester HS) played well, showing his ability to get to the basket and finish the break. He’s more of a slasher than a shooter, as he likes to use his quickness.

Belmont Shore was one of two California teams knocked off by Nike Team Florida, and they brought their share of talent. Lorenzo Wade (6’7″ SF, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman) played very well, as he’s an athletic lefty who can handle the ball and scored posting up and on the move. He was around the ball a lot and is quick off his feet, allowing him to rebound well. DeMarcus Nelson (6’3 PG-SG, Sacramento (CA) Sheldon HS) played well before he took an elbow near the hip in his team’s playoff loss. The future Duke Blue Devil is a solidly built athlete who can stroke it from long range. DeVon Hardin (6’9″ PF, Newark (CA) Memorial HS) had a good showing and is getting interest from many of the top west coast schools. He’s an active athlete on the post with good size, he rebounded well and showed some quick post moves to score.

Dorrell Wright (6’7″ SF, Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger HS) probably had the best weekend of any player on his Southern California All-Stars team. A big-time baseball prospect who will do a year of prep school next year, he’s a big-time athlete who excels in the open floor and finishes the break as well as anyone. He’s a slashing scorer who made some jump shots and showed ball-handling skills as well. Marcel Jones (6’6″ SG-SF, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS) wasn’t far behind, as he showed some good improvement on his game off the dribble and played good defense. He’s a good athlete who didn’t shoot it as well as he has before, but he has one of the best strokes in the class and is a good high-major prospect. David Burgess (6’10″ PF-C, Irvine (CA) Woodbridge HS), an excellent student, looked like he did last year: he had trouble finishing in close, but was solid on the glass and can block some shots. His lack of athleticism is a concern, but he doesn’t try to do too much and is a good high-major minus prospect. Chris Henry (6’8″ PF, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS) has a big body on the post, moves it well, and can score when he gets the ball, looking like a high-major minus role player.

Recent UCLA commitment Aaron Afflalo (6’3″ SG, Compton (CA) Centennial HS) didn’t have his best weekend with new head coach Ben Howland watching. He’s quick and has a good stroke, but his shot wasn’t falling, and he also sat out a game battling food poisoning. He doesn’t seem to like Kingwood very much, as he wasn’t very impressive at last year’s tournament, either.

The Arkansas Wings made it to Sunday again this year, but did it with several good contributors. Arkansas commitment Steven Hill (6’11″ C, Branson (MO) High) showed some enforcing ability in the post and ran the floor very well, which will be important in the SEC. He’s certainly not a finished product by a long shot, but with more upper body strength and polish at the offensive end, he’ll be a nice player. Jamaal Anderson (6’7″ SF-PF, (LA) Parkview HS) has good size and athleticism, and blocked some shots in the low post. Myron Jackson, Jr. (6’0″ SG, North Little Rock (AR) High) shot the ball well from long range and showed some good quickness, looking like a good mid-major as he’s an undersized shooting guard. Brad Jones (6’0″ PG, Marked Tree HS) is a quick point man who was able to get to the basket, and wasn’t afraid to battle inside.

Cyrus Tate (6’8″ PF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS) is an athletic power forward with good size and the athleticism to one day play small forward if the skills develop. As it is, the lefty is effective on the post and battles inside. Teammate Eric Viernesiel (6’7″ SF-PF, Jacobs HS) showed some athleticism and could be a nice role player, while D’Aaron Williams (6’6″ SF, Bartonville (IL) Limestone HS) is an athletic wing who was able to get to the basket and finish or draw fouls.

Maarty Leunen (6’7″ SF-PF, Redmond (WA) High) was the star on the Portland Elite Legends. He’s a very active combo forward who grabbed his share of rebounds both from boxing out and from being in the right places, and he scored in several ways. He won’t make highlight films, but he looks like a solid high-major prospect.

Texas Top Prospects had a few players who stood out. Justin Wilkerson (6’7″ SF, Greenville (TX) High), who has committed early to Texas Tech, showed his good stroke to go with his size. With added strength, he’ll be a very good player for Bob Knight. David Farmer (6’9″ PF, (TX) Hebron HS) is a nice athlete in the post who plays stronger than he looks. Kenneth White (6’2″ PG, Molina (TX) High), also a football player, is a strong point guard who played well, showing some quickness and knocking down some three-point shots.

The St. Louis Eagles had some good talent, though big-time post player Kalen Grimes (6’8″ PF, St. Louis (MO) Hazlewood Central HS) was not with them after attending his prom the night before. With him gone, the top rising junior was cross-state star Brandon Rush (6’6″ SF, Kansas City (MO) Westport HS), a very athletic wing who could use more upper body strength. He didn’t star, but showed plenty of potential. Xavier Price (6’4″ SG, O’Fallon (IL) High) showed off some great athleticism on a few plays, but looked like he could have played better. Tommy Liddell (6’4″ SG-SF, East St. Louis (IL) High) is a nice lefty who got to the basket a few times and handled the ball well. Matt Shaw (6’7″ SF-PF, Centralia (IL) HS) looks like a nice role player, as he’s not a great athlete or superbly skilled, but was around the ball a lot and made plays at both ends of the floor. There were stretches where he was the Eagles’ best player on the court.

It’s never a surprise to see some good talent from the state of Georgia, and Georgia Elite certainly had that. Mohamed Tangara (6’9″ PF-C, Durham (NC) Mt. Zion Christian Academy) seemed a bit foul-prone at times this weekend, but he has good size, strength and mobility, plays hard at all times and is very active on the glass. Robert Dozier (6’8″ SF-PF, Lithonia (GA) High) looks like an excellent prospect, as he’s long and showed some good athleticism at the offensive end. With some added strength and more improvement on his jumper, he looks like a nice high-major prospect.

The Arizona Cagers Blue had some impressive talent and almost knocked off Georgia Elite in pool play. The most impressive was DuBois Williams (6’6″ SG-SF, Tempe (AZ) Marcos De Niza HS), who has great size with his guard skills. He’s not overly quick, but showed good ball skills and should get high-major looks. Xavier Kilby (6’7″ SF-PF, Phoenix (AZ) Desert Vista HS), who is getting high-major interest, is an active forward who won’t make many mistakes. He’s not overly athletic and looks a little clumsy with the ball, but he makes plays at both ends and doesn’t shy from physical contact. Calvin Chitwood (6’7″ SF-PF, Phoenix (AZ) Paradise Valley HS) impressed, as he’s athletic and uses his long arms well at both forward spots. Germaine Calvin (5’10″ PG, Phoenix (AZ) McClintock HS) looked solid running the show, as he’s strong and quick with good body control and is very heady. He’s a good high-major minus prospect.

Dayshaun Wright (6’8″ PF, Syracuse (NY) Fowler HS) looked impressive most of the weekend, as he was aggressive with the ball, showed some ability to handle the ball, and he has good size and athleticism. Will Daniels (6’7″ SF, Hyde Park (NY) Franklin D. Roosevelt HS) had his moments, showing a mid-range touch a few times and the good athleticism we’ve seen before.

The Illinois Wolves brought a nice team that featured Shaun Pruitt (6’9″ SF-PF, West Aurora (IL) High). He has good size and athleticism on the low post and showed some small forward skills in limited viewing. Ollie Bailey (6’8″ PF, Chicago (IL) Farragut Academy) is another solid post player who battles to the finish. Gordon Wyatt (6’6″ SF, Evanston (IL) High) is an athletic wing who was able to get to the basket.

Shawn Reynolds (5’9″ PG, Little Rock (AR) J.A. Fair HS) is a diminutive floor leader who impressed, using his quickness to slash to the basket and playing good defense as well. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he should get some Division I looks.

Alex Blair (6’8″ SF-PF, Auburndale (FL) High) showed some ability to play both forward spots, as he has good size and athleticism and scored inside and out. Teammate Jamaal Galloway (6’0″ PG, (FL) Citrus HS) showed some quickness and a good three-point stroke.

Carl Swanagan (6’9″ PF, Lafayette (IN) Jefferson HS) was the top rising senior on Indiana Red. He’s a thick left-handed post player who moves very well and has good hands and body control. He rebounded well and can block a shot or two, though he doesn’t look like a major enforcer in the paint. Ril Duany (6’6″ SG-SF, Bloomington (IN) North) is long and athletic, and his skills include being able to bring the ball up the floor in a pinch. Drew Adams (6’1″ PG-SG, Bloomington (IN) South HS) looks like a gunner who struggled shooting the ball, but his stroke looks acceptable and he made a few nice passes. He may get some Division I looks.

In a limited viewing, Gabe Freeman (6’5″ SF-PF, Phoenix (AZ) McClintock HS) showed some athleticism and was active at the offensive end, while looking like one of those players who could be very highly recruited if he were about 2-3 inches taller.

Stanley Branch (6’8″ SF-PF, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s) didn’t play well when we saw him and continues to look overrated. He’ll make a highlight-film dunk with no defenders back on the break, but other than that, he hasn’t shot the ball well or demonstrated much in the way of skills at either end of the floor and has not impressed with some of the shots he has taken. Some rank him among the elite players in the class, but he’s looking more like a high-major minus prospect at this point.

Part I: Class of 2004 | Part II

WAC 2002-03 Season Recap

Western Athletic Conference 2002-03 Recap

by Phil Dailey

The Western Athletic Conference faired a bit sub-par this past season as only one of its ten teams reached the NCAA Tournament. Tulsa once again did some damage in the postseason beating fourth-seeded Dayton in the first round, but then turned around and lost a 13-point lead against Wisconsin with four minutes to play in the second round. Typical? Well, at least they won a game. Which is far more than any other WAC team accomplished this past year.

Other post-season performances offered Hawai’i beating Nevada-Las Vegas, handily, and then losing to Minnesota in the NIT. Was it the curse of the mainland once again that got the mighty Warriors? No, they just ran into a better team. However, they underachieved and should have made another appearance in the “big dance.”

Nevada was the only other team invited to participate in the postseason NIT, but got a tough draw against Bobby Knight’s Red Raiders. Texas Tech made it all the way to New York and defeated the Wolf Pack by 12 in the process.

Conference player of the year Quinton Ross not only got respect from the WAC, but was also named to the Honorable Mention All-American team by the Associated Press as well. The senior from Dallas led the league in scoring with 20 points per game.

What about the conference champs? Must we forget the Fresno State Bulldogs – the team who stormed through the conference season and won the regular season crown? What the Bulldogs did the season under first-year head coach Ray Lopes should not go unnoticed as they finished the season with 20 wins and a 13-5 conference record. To bad the actions of those before him (academic fraud violations by the Tarkanian era) cost the Bulldogs a shot at the NCAA Tournament, the WAC Tournament, and even the NIT if needed.

ALL-WAC awards

First Team
Quinton Ross, Sr. SMU – WAC Player of the Year
Damon Jackson, Sr. Fresno State
Antonio Meeking, Sr. La. Tech
Kevin Johnson, Sr. Tulsa
Carl English, Jr. Hawai’i
Kirk Snyder, So. Nevada

Second Team
Dante Swanson, Sr. Tulsa
Omar-Seli Mance, Sr. Rice
Hiram Fuller, Sr. Fresno State
Terrance Green, Sr. Fresno State
Michael Harris, So. Rice
Jason Parker, Jr. Tulsa

All- Newcomer Team

Aaron Haynes, Jr. Boise State
Byron Hopkins, Fr. SMU
Michael Kuebler, Jr. Hawai’i
Renaldo Major, Jr. Fresno State
Antonio Lawrence, Fr. San Jose State

All Defensive Team

Yamar Diene, Jr. Rice
Jerry Petty, Sr. Nevada
Brandon Hawkins, Sr. San Jose State
Kevin Johnson, Sr. Tulsa
Mark Campbell, Sr. Hawai’i

Freshman of the Year

Byron Hopkins, SMU

Coach of the Year

Ray Lopes, Fresno State

Boise State Broncos (13-16 overall, 7-11 WAC)

Starters returning
G Bryan Defares
F Aaron Haynes
F Jason Ellis
G Booker Nabors
G Joe Skiffer

Key player returning
F Josh Bates

Key player not returning
G C.J. Williams (Graduating)
F Solomon Wyatt (Transferring)
F/C Kenny Gainous (Leave of absence)

Team leaders
Scoring: Aaron Haynes (14.7)
Assist: Joe Skiffer (3.2)
Rebounds: Jason Ellis (7.8)

Fresno State Bulldogs (20-8 overall, 13-5 WAC)

Starter returning
G Rolando Todd

Starters not returning (Graduating)
G Damon Jackson
F Noel Felix
F Jonathan Woods
F Travis DeManby

Key players returning
G Rolando Major
G Terry Pettis

Team leaders
Scoring: Damon Jackson (13.2)
Assist: Rolando Todd (4.3)
Rebounds: Hiram Fuller (7.4)

Hawai’i Warriors (19-11 overall, 9-9 WAC)

Starters returning
F Phil Martin
G/F Michael Kuebler
F/C Haim Shimonovich

Starters not returning
G Mark Campbell (Graduating)
G/F Carl English (NBA Draft, early entry)

Key players returning
F Nkeruwem Akpan
G Jason Carter
G Peciukas Vaidotas

Team leaders
Scoring: Carl English (19.6)
Assist: Mark Campbell (6.2)
Rebounds: Haim Shimonovich (6.6)

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (12-15 overall, 9-9 WAC0

Starter returning
G Bruce Edwards

Starters not returning (Graduating)
F Antonio Meeking
G Lavelle Felton
G Michael Wilder
G Darrian Brown

Key players returning
G Eric Woods
G Cory Dean

Key player not returning (Graduating)
F Zack Johnson

Team leaders
Scoring: Antonio Meeking (17.9)
Assist: Lavelle Felton (3.3)
Rebounds: Antonio Meeking (7.3)

Nevada Wolf Pack (18-14 overall, 11-7 WAC)

Starters returning
F Kirk Snyder
G Garry Hill-Thomas
G Todd Okeson
F Sean Paul
F Kevin Pinkney

Starter not returning (Graduating)
G Jerry Petty

Key players not returning (Graduating)
C Matt Ochs
G Terrance Green

Team leaders
Scoring: Kirk Snyder (16.2)
Assist: Jerry Petty (2.8)
Rebounds: Kirk Snyder (8.1)

Rice Owls (19-10 overall, 11-7 WAC)

Starters returning
G Jason McKrieth
F/C Yamar Diene
G Rashid Smith

Starters not returning (Graduating)
G Omar Seli-Mance
C/F Brandon Evens

Key players returning
F Michael Harris
G/F Jamaal Moore
G Brock Gillespie

Team leaders
Scoring: Michael Harris and Omar Seli-Mance (15.2)
Assist: Rashid Smith (4.4)
Rebounds: Michael Harris (7.3)

San Jose State (7-21 overall, 4-14 WAC)

Starters returning
F Antonio Lawrence
G Keith West
F Keith Everage
F Eric Walton

Starter not returning (Graduating)
G Brandon Hawkins

Key players not returning
G Scott Sonnenberg (Graduating)
G Moises Alvarez (Graduating)
F Oudie Baker (removed from team)

Team leaders
Scoring Brandon Hawkins (13.0)
Assist: Brandon Hawkins (2.8)
Rebounds: Antonio Lawrence (6.2)

Southern Methodist Mustangs (17-13 overall, 11-7 WAC)

Starters returning
F/C Eric Castro
G Bryan Hopkins
G Justin Isham
F Patrick Simpson

Starter not returning (Graduating)
G/F Quintin Ross

Key players retuning (Graduating)
G Lavardicus Atkins
G/F Kris Lowe

Key player not returning
F Jibran Kelley

Team leaders
Scoring: Quinton Ross (20.3)
Assist: Bryan Hopkins (4.3)
Rebounds: Quinton Ross and Patrick Simpson (6.9)

Texas-El Paso Miners (6-24 overall, 3-15 WAC)

Starters returning
G Giavanni St. Amant
F/C John Tofi
G Chris Craig
G Omar Duran

Starter not returning (Graduating)
F Justino Victoriano

Key players returning
F Joe Devance
F Darius Mattear

Team leaders
Scoring: Giavanni St. Amant (13.6)
Assist: Chris Craig (4.2)
Rebounds: Justino Victoriano (8.5)

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (23-10 overall. 12-6 WAC)

Starters returning
G Jason Parker
G/F Jarius Glenn

Starters not returning (Graduating)
F Charlie Davis
F Kevin Johnson
G Dante Swanson

Key players returning
G Seneca Collins
F Anthony Price

Key players not returning
G Antonio Reed (removed from team)
F Marqus Ledoux (Graduating)

Team leaders
Scoring: Jason Parker (15.4), Kevin Johnson (15.2) and Dante Swanson (15.1).
Assist: Jason Parker (4.1)
Rebounds: Kevin Johnson and Charlie Davis (7.0)

America East 2002-03 Season Recap

America East Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Adam Reich

The America East men’s basketball head coaches must have done their
homework this past off-season because their preseason predictions were
almost 100 percent correct. With five returning starters from an NCAA
Tournament team, the coaches smartly tabbed Boston University as the team to
beat. And according to plan, the Terriers cruised through the conference
schedule, getting tripped up only three times on their way to the conference
tournament’s top seed. Vermont also fell right where they were expected to
be at season’s end. The Catamounts’ second-place finish may have originally
been looked at as a disappointment, but after 2001-02 America East player of
the year T.J. Sorrentine was forced to miss the entire season due to injury,
their season was considered a huge success. Hartford, who finished third in
the conference standings as predicted, defended their home court but found
it difficult to win on the road.

Maine, Northeastern, Stony Brook, Albany and New Hampshire were seeded in
that order in the conference tournament as predicted. Maine, Northeastern
and Stony Brook each had their flashes of brilliance, while Albany and New
Hampshire started and finished in the basement. The coaches did miss one
school in the preseason. Binghamton, who was selected to finish sixth,
actually finished fourth in the regular season. However, the Bears were not
eligible to participate in the America East Tournament this year.

America East Tournament

The quarterfinals of the America East Tournament almost went as expected,
with the higher seeds prevailing in three of four contests. The only upset
was fifth-seeded Northeastern’s thrilling last-second victory over
fourth-seeded Maine.

In a grueling, foul-plagued battle, the Terriers overcame a fourteen-point
first half deficit to defeat cross-town rival Northeastern in the first
semifinal game. While it was terrific defense and a huge second half by
Taylor Coppenrath that helped the Catamounts avenge two regular season
losses to the Hawks and win the second semifinal contest.

In the America East tournament championship game, David Hehn knocked down a
fadeaway jumper with 5.6 seconds left to propel Vermont over host Boston
University to earn the Catamounts their first ever trip to the NCAA
Tournament. Vermont’s win at Case Gymnasium was only the second time in
conference history that the road team won the championship game.

Northeastern’s Jose Juan Barea joined Boston University’s Rashad Bell and
Jason Grochowalski, and Vermont’s Taylor Coppenrath and Matt Sheftic on the
All-Tournament team. Sheftic was also named the tournament’s Most
Outstanding Player. Sheftic averaged 17.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game
and shot 64 percent (21-33) for the tournament.

NCAA Tournament

No. 16 seed Vermont lost to No. 1 seed Arizona, 81-50

NIT Tournament

Boston University lost to St. John’s, 62-57

All-Conference Team
G Jerrell Parker, Hartford
G Anthony Green, Binghamton
G Rickey White, Maine
F Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont
F Rashad Bell, Boston University

Player of the Year

Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont, sophomore – 20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 46.2 FG%

Coppenrath was the go-to-guy for the conference champion Catamounts. He led
the league in scoring and was among the top ten in several statistical
categories including rebounding and field goal percentage.

Freshman of the Year

Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern, guard

Defensive Player of the Year

Nick Billings, Binghamton, center

Coach of the Year

Tom Brennan, Vermont

Boston University (20-11, 13-3)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (2/3)

Key Players Graduating:
Billy Collins, forward – 9.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Paul Seymour, guard – 7.8 ppg, 38.8 3PT%

Key Players Returning:
Rashad Bell, forward – 12.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Ryan Butt, forward – 8.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Matt Turner, guard – 8.7 ppg, 81.8 FT%

Leading Scorer: Rashad Bell, 12.0 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Billy Collins, 6.9 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Chaz Carr, 2.7 apg

Vermont (21-12, 11-5)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (1/4)

Key Players Graduating:
Grant Anderson, forward – 7.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.4 apg

Key Players Returning:
Taylor Coppenrath, forward – 20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Matt Sheftic, forward – 10.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg
David Hehn, guard – 7.0 ppg, 2.8 apg

Key Injury: T.J. Sorrentine, the 2002 America East Player of the Year, will
return to the Vermont lineup after missing the entire 2002-03 season due to
injury. The junior guard averaged 18.8 ppg and 4.0 apg in 2001-02.

Leading Scorer: Taylor Coppenrath, 20.1 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Grant Anderson, 7.1 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Grant Anderson, 3.4 apg

Hartford (15-12, 10-6)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (3/2)

Key Players Graduating:
Pierre Johnson, forward – 11.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Wayne McClinton, guard – 5.6 ppg, 40.0 3PT%
Junior Amos, forward – 6.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg

Key Players Returning:
Jerrell Parker, guard – 13.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Aaron Cook, guard – 9.9 ppg, 81.2 FT%
Ryan Stys, guard – 8.7 ppg, 3.0 apg

Leading Scorer: Jerrell Parker, 13.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jerrell Parker, 7.0 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Ryan Stys, 3.0 apg

Binghamton (14-13, 9-7)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (3/2)

Key Players Graduating:
Anthony Green, forward – 16.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.2 apg
Jeffrey St. Fort, forward – 9.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Charles Baker, guard – 5.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Key Players Returning:
Nick Billings, center – 9.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.3 bpg
Brandon Carter, forward – 9.9 ppg, 81.2 FT%

Leading Scorer: Anthony Green, 16.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Nick Billings, 6.7 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Anthony Green, 4.2 apg

Maine (14-16, 8-8)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (4/1)

Key Players Graduating:
Rickey White, forward – 13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Clayton Brown, forward – 12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Justin Rowe, center – 10.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.2 bpg

Key Players Returning:
Kevin Reed, guard – 12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Eric Dobson, guard – 9.9 ppg, 4.9 apg

Leading Scorer: Rickey White, 13.2 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Justin Rowe, 9.4 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Eric Dobson, 4.9 apg

Northeastern (16-15, 8-8)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (1/4)

Key Players Graduating:
Jamaar Walker, guard – 5.9 ppg, 3.7 apg

Key Players Returning:
Jose Juan Barea, guard – 17.0 ppg, 3.9 apg
Javorie Wilson, forward – 14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Sylbrin Robinson, forward – 11.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg

Key Injuries: Forward Sylbrin Robinson played half the season with a
dislocated left elbow, while reserve guard Aaron Davis re-injured his
shoulder in the semifinals of the America East Tournament. Robinson should
be fully healed by next season, but Davis’ status remains in question.

Leading Scorer: Jose Juan Barea, 17.0 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Sylbrin Robinson, 9.1 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Jose Juan Barea, 3.9 apg

Stony Brook (14-16, 8-8)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (0/5)

Key Players Returning:
D.J. Munir, guard – 17.4 ppg, 88.9 FT%
Cory Spencer, center – 12.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Jairus McCollum, forward – 9.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Leading Scorer: D.J. Munir, 17.4 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Cory Spencer, 5.8 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Bobby Santiago, 3.6 apg

Albany (7-21, 3-13)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (3/2)

Key Players Graduating:
Antione Johnson, guard – 13.6 ppg, 37.1 3PT%
Rhasheed Peterson, forward – 11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Earv Opong, guard – 5.4 ppg, 3.9 apg

Key Players Returning:
Jamar Wilson, guard – 18.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Levi Levine, guard – 13.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg

Leading Scorer: Jamar Wilson, 18.9 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Levi Levine, 6.0 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Earv Opong, 3.9 apg

New Hampshire (5-23, 3-13)

Starters Leaving/ Returning (0/5)

Key Players Graduating:
Jeff Senulis, forward – 8.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Key Players Returning:
Shejdie Childs, guard – 9.4 ppg, 49.5 FG%
Marcus Bullock, guard – 9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Ben Sturgill, forward – 8.0 ppg, 55.9 FG%

Key Injury: Sophomore Ben Sturgill suffered a shoulder injury in the
conference tournament. He is expected to recover in time for next season.

Leading Scorer: Shejdie Childs, 9.4 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jeff Senulis, 6.1 rpg
Leading Assist Man: Shejdie Childs, 2.3 apg