Interview with Matt Brady

A Conversation with Marist head coach Matt Brady

by Adam Shandler

In a quote on the Marist College basketball website St. Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli states, “[Matt Brady] has proven himself as a recruiter, and more importantly, as a teacher of the game of basketball.”

Marist will get a chance to see both skills in action as Matt Brady begins a new era as head coach of the Red Foxes. On April 26, Brady was named the fifth head coach in the Poughkeepsie, NY school’s Division I history, replacing Dave Magarity, who was recently named director of basketball operations for the Metro Atlantic Conference after 18 years as a coach.

For some guys on the assistant coaching circuit, there’s just a right time to make the move from bench buddy to skipper. The time for Brady is now. He spent 17 years cutting his teeth as an assistant – 11 at St. Joseph’s, where he earned a reputation as a fine recruiter and shooting guru.

A couple of cases in point: as an assistant at St. Joe’s under Martelli, Brady was responsible for signing both 2003-04 National Player of the Year Jameer Nelson and his backcourt mate Delonte West. This past season, the duo formed arguably the most formidable guard tandem in the nation as the Hawks soared through the regular season at 27-0 and finished the year with a glimmering 30-2 record.

As for that shooting guru label, it’s not just a cute nickname. Brady is often credited as the guy who got the Hawks shooting 47.5% from the floor last year and 44.3% the year before that. From three-point range, St. Joe’s hit on 313 treys, a new school record. (The Hawks hit 20 against Big 5 rival Temple.)

But as Brady steps into the head coaching limelight in Poughkeepsie, Red Fox fans have to wonder: Can our new coach’s combination of pedigree, recruiting and shooting make Marist a winner? Can he pull us up from also-ran status to MAAC contender…to conference champion? I asked Coach Brady about being a part of St. Joe’s undefeated season, about recruiting challenges in the New York area, and of course, what it’s going to take to knock Manhattan from the MAAC mountain.

Adam Shandler: Why did this opportunity appeal to you?

Matt Brady: Opportunities to be a Division I head coach are very rare. To be the head coach at a great college with players hungry to win and to be near the media capital of the world are extra benefits.

AS: What have you done to put your stamp on this program so far?

MB: I met and worked individually with all returning players, hired a great young
staff, spoke at various booster meetings and recruited for the following year’s
team.

AS: It seems like, every year, there are at least two to three teams that can potentially unseat Manhattan as the MAAC favorite. What’s it going to take to dethrone the Jaspers, in your opinion?

MB: A team that believes in itself and has the talent and coaching to do so.
Iona and Niagara seem to pose the greatest threat.

AS: You were responsible for recruiting Jameer Nelson while an assistant at St. Joe’s. As the coach of a New York-area school, you’ll now probably be competing against conference foes Manhattan, Fairfield and St. Peter’s – not too mention other area mid-major schools – for the same recruits. Do you have a sales pitch in mind that makes the Marist program stand out?

MB: We want quality student-athletes who realize that they can become better
individually and that Marist can help them realize that potential.

AS: You’re going to be a young team when the season tips off in November; a lot of underclassmen. Advantage or disadvantage?

MB: It would have been an advantage to return four orf five starters from two seasons ago, but this year’s frosh and sophs have excellent potential and character.

AS: According to your dossier, you are a strong proponent of shooting, especially from behind the arc. Will long-range shooting be a staple of the Marist offense, or do you still have to assess your team’s skills to see if that will be feasible?

MB: Over the long term three point shooting will be our greatest strength. Whether or not it will be this year remains to be seen.

AS: When you meet your team for its first practice, what kinds of expectations will you communicate?

MB: The first practice will introduce daily improvement and mental toughness which will be our operating procedure until games start.

AS: You come to Marist from St. Joe’s. Tell me what it was like to be part of a team that was undefeated for the better part of a season?

MB: The undefeated run was surreal. It was the experience of a lifetime for
everyone involved. It was the story of the college season and I was thrilled
to be a part of it.

AS: Do you think it was wise for Delonte West to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NBA Draft this year? Do you think he will thrive in the NBA?

MB: Unquestionably Delonte made a sound decision regardless of where or when he
was drafted. He was going to make someone’s team. If he was a second-round pick
then he would be a free agent at 21 years of age, if a first-round pick then he was an
instant millionaire playing for a team that truly understood his value and
potential.

AS: What did Phil Martelli say to you when he learned of your taking the Marist job?

MB: Coach Martelli is ecstatic when all assistants get the opportunity to lead
their own program. Remember he was an assistant for 10 seasons before he got
his opportunity.

Big East Recap

Big East Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Jim Woods

This past season in America’s deepest conference was great one. Beyond just Connecticut capturing their 2nd National Championship in 5 years, this season was filled with great individual performances, surprise teams, great coaching jobs, and breakout stars. At a time when many wanted to talk solely about the future of the league, the play on the court spoke for itself, and many even took the time to focus solely on the play.

Connecticut obviously took home the National Championship and captured the Big East Tourney title, but they did not dominate conference play the entire year without any challengers. In fact, the Huskies were the second best team in the conference during the regular season behind Pittsburgh. The Panthers didn’t skip a beat this season under the direction of first time Head Coach Jamie Dixon. Dixon guided the Panthers to a 13-3 conference mark which put them a game ahead of the Huskies. Providence may have been the surprise team of the league and put up an impressive 11-5 conference mark. Friar Junior forward Ryan Gomes became a household name and carried that team at times. Syracuse’s Hakim Warrick answered the question of who would step up in Carmelo Anthony’s absence and helped lead the Orange to 11 conference wins and 23 overall. They made a return trip to the Sweet Sixteen where they seem to always end up. Boston College was expected to be down this past season after the graduation of 2,000 point scorer Troy Bell and the sudden departure of Ryan Sidney. However, Craig Smith developed quickly into one of the conference’s top players and Uka Agbai’s experience was invaluable. The Eagles took eventual NCAA runner-up Georgia Teach to the final possession in a heartbreaking second round NCAA defeat. Seton Hall rounded out the NCAA participants from the league. Andre Barrett had an outstanding senior season and led the Pirates back to the NCAA’s where they had a very nice first round win over Arizona.

Just because a team wasn’t in the above group, it doesn’t mean they were a pushover. On any given night teams at the bottom of the league were upsetting or putting a scare into the “elite” teams. Nobody wanted to face a pesky Rutgers team, especially on their home floor. The Scarlet Knights ended up going on a great postseason run of their own reaching the NIT Final. Notre Dame was hurt by an injury to interior force Torin Francis, but they still got hot down the stretch and made a late push to get an NCAA bid. Virginia Tech was led all year by do-everything forward Bryant Matthews and put up their league season high of 7 wins and 15 overall. Villanova saw the emergence of their talented sophomore class and made run to the conference tourney semis. West Virginia adapted to John Beilein’s system and when they were making three point shots were a tough team to handle. Miami, Georgetown, and St. John’s had down years, but you can expect these programs to rise again next year under the direction of new head coaches.

Overall it was your typical wild year in the Big East where every night you had to bring your “A-game” to the court. The cream eventually rose to the top, but it was never an easy night for them. The league will only continue to get better when the expansion takes effect following this season, but for now, its still the best in my book.

Conference Tournament

The 25th Annual Big East Tournament was once again one of the most exciting events of the college basketball year. Though on paper there weren’t many surprise victories, some performances were noteworthy and exciting. Virginia Tech won their first ever conference tournament game over Rutgers in opening round play. This three-point game was a preview of how the first day’s play would go as two other games (Villanova over Seton Hall and Notre Dame over West Virginia) were decided by one point each. Top seeds Pitt and UConn both rolled to wins in their first game, but Boston College and Villanova carried momentum from the first day to upset Syracuse and Providence respectively who had the opening round bye. This set up two good Friday night semifinal games. The first was a nip and tuck affair between Pitt and BC. This seesaw battle went to the final possessions before the Panthers moved on to the Final with a 9 point win. The nightcap saw Villanova look very fatigues and struggle to stay in the game with Uconn. Despite getting beat by seventeen, this game was great building point for a young Nova team. The Final was once again a Pitt/Uconn battle and this time the Huskies came out on top riding a superb performance by Junior guard Ben Gordon who seemed to make every key shot down the stretch.

The tournament was obviously a great preview of what was to come for the Huskies. They parlayed their performance into a #2 seed in the Big Dance and waltzed all they way to a title. After watching them play in New York there was never a doubt that they were capable of doing this. Other impressive performances during the conference tournament were put in by Villanova and Boston College who not many picked for the semifinals before the season started. Ben Gordon was a “no-brainer” as the tournament MVP, and Carl Krauser and Chris Taft of Pitt came home to their hometown of New York City and put on great performances of their own.

Post Season Teams

Connecticut: As most of the country remembers Jim Calhoun’s Huskies breezed through a weak West Regional and looked great in the Championship game against Georgia Tech. The game most fans will remember for a long time was the “instant classic” semifinal matchup with Duke. The Huskies staged a remarkable rally down the stretch to pull out a thrilling 79-78 win. The Championship game was never really in doubt as Connecticut rolled to a 82-73 win. Junior Emeka Okafor completed his college career by taking home the Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers struggled in their opening round win over UCF, but then played a great game to beat Wisconsin in the much debated “having to play Wisconsin in Milwaukee” game. The Panthers season would end though in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma State.

Providence: After losing in the first round of the conference tourney many thought the Friars would be rested and ready for an NCAA run. That was not the case as Providence was knocked out in the NCAA First Round as well by a pesky Pacific team.

Syracuse: The Orange bounced back from a poor performance in the Big East Tourney to make it back to the Sweet Sixteen. They rode the incredible hot shooting of Gerry McNamara to a first-round win over BYU and then held on for a hard fought win over Maryland in the battle of the last two National Champions. The season would come to an end in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to Alabama.

Boston College: The Eagles entered the NCAA’s as a six seed and defeated Utah in the first round. Their second round game against Georgia Tech was a great battle and despite the poorest performance they had gotten the whole year from star Craig Smith the Eagles were still in a position in the final minute to win the game. However, Tech made big plays and pulled out a three point win.

Seton Hall: The Pirates were thought by many to be the underdog in their opening NCAA game against traditional power Arizona. Early on it looked like they forecasters were right. But eventually the Hall tuned it on and their inspired play carried them to a second round matchup with Duke. The Blue Devils were too deep for the Pirates to handle, but all in all it was great for Seton Hall to get that first win.

NIT Teams

Notre Dame: The Irish continued to build upon their strong play down the stretch of the regular season to make it to the NIT quarterfinals where they were defeated by Oregon. Along the way they knocked off state rival Purdue and Conference USA’s ST. Louis.

Rutgers: Perhaps no team other than Connecticut did more to energize its fans during the postseason than Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights turned up their performance in the NIT and rode the advantage of playing on their home floor to win their first three NIT games. Two of those wins were over conference rivals Wet Virginia and Villanova. In the semis at the Garden, Rutgers knocked off Iowa State setting the stage for a title game with Michigan. Rutgers just couldn’t find their touch from long range and the double (NIT & NCAA) championship for the league was not to be. But a great performance for this young team to build on.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers went on the road to win a very tough game over Kent State in the NIT opener. They then knocked off Rhode Island to set the stage for that matchup mentioned above against Rutgers. The Mountaineers obviously feel to their conference foe.

Villanova: Probably no Big East team gre more in March than the Wildcats. This young group turned it on during the conference tourney and never let up. They knocked of Drexel and Virginia before also falling to Rutgers. This will be a team to keep an eye on during this upcoming year and see how they use this valuable experience.

Some Interesting Statistics:

• Connecticut’s championship was the league’s fifth in 25 years. They have also lost 5 times in the title game (though Villanova/Georgetown in 1985 involved two teams).

• The league was 12-5 in the NCAA Tourney and 20-7 (.741) overall in postseason play. This was the best mark of any conference.

• Over the last two seasons, the Big East is 24-8 (.750) in NCAA games and 46-17 (.730) overall in postseason contests. This of course includes two National Championships (Syracuse and Connecticut)

Awards Time

These are the Hoopville Awards and not the media picks.

Most Valuable Player:

Ryan Gomes, Providence

No one player did more his team in the regular season. Take him off the Friars and they are no better than a 6 win conference team.

Best Defensive Players:

Post – Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Guard/Wing – Julius Page, Pittsburgh

Coach of the Year:

Al Skinner – Boston College

I always give this award to the guy who did the most with the least. I would love to give it to Jamie Dixon but he had so much talent. After Troy Bell graduated and took 2,000 points with him and Ryan Sidney suddenly quit, the Eagles looked like a second tier team. Al only did his best job yet at BC and took this team to 24 wins. Nobody saw that coming.

Rookie of the Year:

Chris Taft, Pittsburgh

During the final month of the season Taft turned into an animal and was absolutely relentless on the glass. I expect him to have a monster season next year.

All Conference Team
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Ben Gordon, Connecticut
Andre Barrett, Seton Hall
Ryan Gomes, Providence
Craig Smith, Boston College

Team by Team Breakdown

Pittsburgh Panthers (31-5, 13-3)

Team MVP: Carl Krauser (15.4ppg, 4.5apg)

Top Scorer: Krauser (15.4ppg)
Top Rebounder: Chirs Taft (7.2rpg)
Top Assists: Krauser (4.5apg)

Starters Leaving: Jaron Brown and Julius Page (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Carl Krauser, Chris Taft, Chevon Troutman

Connecticut Huskies ( 33-6, 12-4)

Team MVP: Emeka Okafor (17.6ppg, 11.5rpg)

Top Scorer: Ben Gordon (18.5ppg)
Top Rebounder: Okafor (11.5rpg)
Top Assists: Taliek Brown (6.5apg)

Starters Leaving: Brown (Graduation), Okafor (NBA), Gordon (NBA)

Starters Returning: Rashard Anderson, Josh Boone

Providence Friars ( 20-9, 11-5)

Team MVP: Ryan Gomes (18.9ppg, 9.4rpg)

Top Scorer: Gomes (18.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Gomes (9.4rpg)
Top Assists: Donnie McGrath (3.4apg)

Starters Leaving: Marcus Douthit and Sheiku Kabba (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Gomes, McGrath, Rob Sanders

Syracuse Orangemen ( 23-8, 11-5)

Team MVP: Hakim Warrick (19.8ppg, 8.6rpg)

Top Scorer: Warrick (19.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Warrick (8.6rpg)
Top Assists: Billy Edelin (5.2apg)

Starters Leaving: None

Starters Returning: Gerry McNamra, Warrick, Edelin (provided he is eligible), Josh Pace, and Craig Forth

Note: The Orangemen have changed their nickname to “Orange” for the 2004-05 season.

Boston College Eagles ( 24-10, 10-6)

Team MVP: Craig Smith (16.9ppg, 8.3rpg)

Top Scorer: Smith (16.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Smith (8.3rpg)
Top Assists: Louis Hinnant (3.3apg)

Starters Leaving: Uka Agbai (graduation)

Starters Returning: Smith, Hinnant, Jared Dudley, Sean Marshall

Seton Hall Pirates (21-10, 10-6)

Team MVP: Andre Barrett (17.3ppg, 5.9apg)

Top Scorer: Barrett (17.3ppg)
Top Rebounder: Kelly Whitney (6.9rpg)
Top Assists: Barrett (5.9apg)

Starters Leaving: Barrett, Marcus Toney-El (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Whitney, John Allen, Andre Sweet

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (19-13, 9-7)

Team MVP: Chris Thomas (19.7ppg, 4.7apg)

Top Scorer: Thomas (19.7ppg)
Top Rebounder: Torin Francis (8.8rpg)
Top Assists: Thomas (4.7apg)

Starters Leaving: Torrian Jones (graduation)

Starters Returning: Thomas, Francis, Chris Quinn, Jordan Cornette

Virginia Tech Hokies (15-14, 7-9)

Team MVP: Bryant Matthews (22.1ppg, 8.9rpg)

Top Scorer: Matthews (22.1ppg)
Top Rebounder: Matthews (8.9rpg)
Top Assists: Jamon Gordon(4.5apg)

Starters Leaving: Matthews (graduation)

Starters Returning: Gordon, Zabian Dowdell, Coleman Collins, Phillip McCandies

Note: Moving to ACC for 2004-05 season

Rutgers Scarlet Knights ( 20-13, 7-9)

Team MVP: Herve Lamizana (13.4ppg, 7.6rpg)

Top Scorer: Ricky Shields (15.5ppg)
Top Rebounder: Lamizana (7.6rpg)
Top Assists: Marquis Webb (2.9apg)

Starters Leaving: Lamizana, Sean Axani (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Webb, Shields, Quincy Douby

West Virginia Mountaineers (17-14, 7-9)

Team MVP: D’or Fischer (10.8ppg, 6.2rpg)

Top Scorer: Fischer(10.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Fischer (6.2rpg)
Top Assists: Johannes Herber (3.3apg)

Starters Leaving: None

Starters Returning: Fischer, Herber, Kevin Pittsnogle, Tyrone Sally, J. Durriseau-Collins

Villanova Wildcats (18-17, 6-10)

Team MVP: Allen Ray (17.3ppg, 3.9rpg)

Top Scorer: Ray (17.3ppg)
Top Rebounder: Jason Fraser/Curtis Sumpter (7.1rpg)
Top Assists: Mike Nardi (3.7apg)

Starters Leaving: None

Starters Returning: Ray, Fraser, Sumpter, Nardi, Randy Foye

Georgetown Hoyas (13-15, 4-12)

Team MVP: Brandon Bowman (15.9ppg, 8.1rpg)

Top Scorer: Gerald Riley (17.0ppg)
Top Rebounder: Bowman (8.1rpg)
Top Assists: Ashanti Cook (3.8apg)

Starters Leaving: Riley, Courtland Freeman (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Bowman, Cook, Darrel Owens

New Coach: John Thompson III

Miami Hurricanes (14-16, 4-12)

Team MVP: Darius Rice (16.9ppg, 6.4rpg)

Top Scorer: Rice (16.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Rice (6.4rpg)
Top Assists: Armando Surratt (4.1apg)

Starters Leaving: Rice, Rodrigue Dhajue (both graduate)

Starters Returning: Surratt, Robert Hite, Guilermo Diaz

New Coach: Frank Haith

Note: Moving to ACC for 2004-05 season

St. John’s RedStorm (6-21, 1-15)

Team MVP: Daryll Hill (14.8ppg, 3.7apg)

Top Scorer: Hill (14.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Kyle Cuffe (7.2rpg)
Top Assists: Hill (3.7apg)

Starters Leaving: Cuffe, Elijah Ingram/Grady Reynolds/Abe Keita (Dismissed)

Starters Returning: Hill

New Coach: Norm Roberts

SEC Recap

SEC 2003-04 Season Recap

by Thomas Beisner

Mississippi State and Kentucky were in a two way battle for SEC supremacy
throughout the season. After a last second victory in Starkville, it looked
like UK had the upper hand. In the end, Mississippi State was a game better
and claimed the title, while Kentucky still claimed the SEC East.

Matt Freije proved to be the most all around solid player, leading the
conference in scoring with 18.4 points per game and, more importantly,
leading the Vanderbilt Commodores back to respectability, no small feat.

Fresh faces brought a new dimension and look to the conference. Newcomers
like Brandon Bass, a true freshman, and Scooter McFadgon, a transfer from
Memphis proved to be strong in leading LSU and Tennessee, respectively to
post season appearances. The most impressive newcomer was MSU’s Lawrence
Roberts who was the main man for the best team in the SEC.

Coaches emerged strong in the regular season. Reigning National Coach of
the Year Tubby Smith steadily lead Kentucky to another tournament title and
again breezed through the SEC schedule. Mississippi State’s Rick Stansbury
has begun to rival Smith in terms of SEC dominance and 2003-2004 was no
different. Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings, Alabama’s Mark Gottfried and even
Billy Donovan in a down year proved that SEC coaches are among the tops in
the country. The young coaches look to make their mark this year and step
into this upper echelon.

SEC Conference Tournament

After Kentucky ran away with yet another SEC tournament title (their 25th
overall) in a championship game blowout of Florida, rumor was that the SEC
tournament title was just going to be flown to Lexington each year and save
the other schools the travel expenses.

Regular season champion Mississippi State earned the top seed but fell to
Vanderbilt in the second round. Florida then knocked off the Commodores to
set up a championship match up with Kentucky. Once again, the Wildcats
pummeled the Gators, this time by an 82-62 score, and claimed the SEC crown.

Postseason Tournament

Kentucky was named the NCAA’s tournament’s number one overall seed, and
promptly choked against UAB in the second round. Mississippi State, the
regular season champs, were given a two seed and were knocked off by
tournament surprise Xavier in the second round, as well. With these two
teams out, the SEC appeared to be down for the count. Don’t tell that to
Vanderbilt and Alabama, who both made deep runs in the tourney.

The No. 6 seeded Commodores, led by do-everything senior Matt Freije stormed
into the Sweet Sixteen with inspired, passionate play before falling to
eventual champ Connecticut 73-53. The No. 8 seeded Crimson Tide, who squeaked
into the tourney with an 8-8 conference record one-upped Vandy by advancing
to the Elite Eight before losing to Connecticut.

No. 5 Florida capped a disappointing year with another disappointing
tournament exit in a first round blow-out loss to No. 12 Manhattan. No. 10
seeded South Carolina, the conferences sixth team, also exited in the first
round with a loss to Memphis.

Tennessee, LSU and Georgia represented the conference in the NIT, but all
bowed out in the opening round. Tennessee fell to George Mason by three,
while LSU and Georgia lost to Oklahoma and Iowa State, respectively.

Hoopville Team All-SEC
Matt Freije – F Vanderbilt
Lawrence Roberts – F Mississippi State
Justin Reed – F Mississippi
Timmy Bowers – G Mississippi State
Anthony Roberson – G Florida

2nd Team
Jaime Lloreda-F LSU
Chuck Hayes – F Kentucky
Kennedy Winston – F Alabama
Scooter McFadgon – G Tennessee
Gerald Fitch – Kentucky

3rd Team
David Lee – F Florida
Carlos Powell – F South Carolina
Brandon Bass – F LSU
Matt Walsh – G Florida
Rashad Wright – G Georgia

Player of the Year

Matt Freije, Senior Vanderbilt

No one in the conference was more important to his team at any point in this
season than Matt Freije. Some might argue that Lawrence Roberts was the
best player on the conference’s best team but Freije willed his team to win
on several occasions. The 6-10 Freije could go inside and use his 250
pounds or step outside and hit the jumper (39% on threes). 18.5 ppg and 5.5
rpg only tell half the story.

Coach of the Year

Mark Gottfried, Alabama

This might sound like a shocker but Gottfried took the Alabama deeper into
the tournament than any other coach (that is the point right?) and did so
despite the continual premature departure of star players. It’s scary to
think how far Gottfried’s teams would have gone had Gerald Wallace and Rod
Grizzard had stayed around to realize their potential. He is a big time
coach.

Defensive Player of the Year

Cliff Hawkins, Senior PG, Kentucky

The under appreciated Hawkins was the main catalyst for the Kentucky defense
that stifled opponents for the past two seasons. His quick feet and even
quicker hands helped him make up for a lack of size and initiated key UK
runs that lead to victories. Hawkins lead the SEC in steals with 2.3 per
game.

Newcomer of the Year

Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State (Baylor transfer)

Roberts transferred from Baylor and never looked like a newcomer for the
Bulldogs. Arguably, the MVP for the entire conference, Roberts carried the
Bulldogs to the regular season title and a two seed in the NCAA tournament.
Far and away the best newcomer.

Alabama Crimson Tide 20-13 (8-8)

Team MVP: Kennedy Winston (17.1 ppg 5.5 rpg 1.9 apg)

Scoring Leader: Winston
Rebounding Leader: Chuck Davis (5.9 rpg)
Assist Leader: Antoine Pettway (3.5 apg)

There will be two tough tasks for the Crimson Tide this year. The first is
filling the shoes of Antoine Pettway, who provided solid leadership last
year and steadily commanded the ship into the Elite Eight. The second major
task at Alabama is finding a way to keep Mark Gottfried in town after this
year. Gottfried is going to start receiving phone calls from big schools
after another solid year. This year’s team should have a much better
conference record, thanks to the all-around play of Kennedy Winston, a
Pre-Season Wooden Award candidate. They could be the Mississippi State of
this season.

Arkansas Razorbacks 12-16 (4-12)

Team MVP: Ronnie Brewer (12.2 ppg 5.5rpg 3.4 apg 2.0 spg)

Scoring Leader: Jonathon Modica (16.5 ppg)
Rebounding Leader: Brewer

Assist Leader: Brewer

Arkansas fans endured a miserably long season marred with losing basketball
and Nolan Richardson lawsuits. Stan Heath, the man who replaced Nolan
Richardson, has been the real loser in this whole situation. He has not had
a chance to show his coaching skills due to a lack of talent and Nolan
Richardson still dominating the news. Unfortunately for Heath, his team
again will only go as far as talented youngsters Ronnie Brewer and Jonathon
Modica will take it. In this conference, that will not be too far. Was it
really that long ago that Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman led the Hogs
to a title? Another tough year for proud Razorback fans.

Auburn Tigers 14-14 (5-11)

Team MVP: Marco Killingsworth ( 13.7 ppg 6.9 rpg)

Scoring Leader: Killingsworth
Rebounding Leader: Killingsworth
Assist Leader: Lewis Monroe (3.6 apg)

New coach Jeff Lebo’s version of the Auburn Tigers will look drastically
different after two top players transferred to Indiana University. Lewis
Monroe announced last week that he would follow Marco Killingsworth to
Bloomington, making the 2004-2005 Tigers more likely to purr than roar. A
new team will produce about the same result. Don’t expect anything above a
cellar finish.

Florida Gators 20-11 (9-7)

Team MVP: Anthony Roberson (17.9 ppg 3.0 rpg 3.6 apg)

Scoring Leader: Roberson
Rebounding Leader: David Lee (6.9 rpg)
Assist Leader: Roberson*

*Christian Drejer averaged 4.0 apg before leaving team

With its top three players returning in Lee, Roberson and Walsh, big things
will be expected in Gainesville, not to say it hasn’t in the past. If the
Gators experience another early round flameout in the NCAA tournament, Billy
Donovan and his slick recruiting skills could be given his walking papers.

Georgia Bulldogs 16-14 (7-9)

Team MVP: Coach Dennis Felton

Scoring Leader: Rashad Wright (14.4 ppg)
Rebounding Leader: Chris Daniels (8.1 rpg)
Assist Leader: Wright

Year two of the Dennis Felton salvaging program begins this year with a
fairly inexperienced cast of players. Sophomore guard Levi Stukes should
carry most of the load but the Bulldogs talent is not near the top tier of
the conference like it has been the past few years. With that being said,
it might be another year or so until the Bulldogs can compete with teams
using their basketball skills. Look for the thuggery to continue for one
more year. At least there aren’t any more Harricks around to mess things
up.

Kentucky Wildcats 27-5 (13-3)

Team MVP: Erik Daniels (14.5 ppg 6.1 rpg 2.8 apg)

Scoring Leader: Gerald Fitch (16.2 ppg)
Rebounding Leader: Chuck Hayes (8.1 rpg)
Assist Leader: Cliff Hawkins (5.2 apg)

The Wildcats lose 5 seniors off the SEC tournament championship teams and
have only one senior on the 2004-2005 roster. That should not be a problem,
thanks to Tubby Smith and Chuck Hayes. Hayes, an undersized center will
move to forward as he plays with a center for the first time in his UK
career. 6-11 freshman Randolph Morris, the gem of UK’s number 1 recruiting
class, will be UK’s first legitimate inside player since Jamal Magloire.
Fitch’s scoring should be replaced by Junior Kelenna Azubuike while Hawkins’
position will be filled by committee. Freshman Rajon Rondo and Ramel
Bradley will compete with Western Kentucky transfer Patrick Sparks for the
point guard job.

LSU Tigers 18-11 (8-8)

Team MVP: Jaime Lloreda (16.9 ppg 11.6 rpg 1.3 bpg)

Scoring Leader: Lloreda
Rebounding Leader: Lloreda
Assist Leader: Xavier Whipple (3.0 apg)

The Tigers will once again rely on inside presence and muscle to keep them
in games. Although they lost MVP Jaime Lloreda to graduation, Brandon Bass
will return a year older and a year stronger. He will team inside with
McDonald’s All-American Glen Davis whose 6’9″ 310 pound body will bang with
anyone in the country. NBA included. LSU’s improvement will continue and
an NCAA bid is a definite possibility.

Mississippi Rebels 13-15 (5-11)

Team MVP: Justin Reed (18.5 ppg 7.5 rpg 1.5 apg)

Scoring Leader: Reed
Rebounding Leader: Reed
Assist Leader: Aaron Harper (3.3 apg)

There will be two enormous pairs of shoes to fill in Oxford this fall when
the basketball season starts. Justin Reed and Aaron Harper were the
emotional and statistical leaders of Ole Miss last year and both are gone.
Ole Miss’ team this year will be one with a lot of questions and holes to
fill but one thing is for sure. Rod Barnes will have his players coming out
every night to play, as they have in his previous six years at the school.

Mississippi State Bulldogs 26-4 (14-2)

Team MVP: Lawrence Roberts (16.9 ppg 10.1 rpg 1.2 apg 1.4 spg)

Scoring Leader: Roberts
Rebounding Leader: Roberts
Assist Leader: Timmy Bowers (4.8 apg)

Mississippi State will have enormous expectations this year after having
such a successful campaign a year ago. Coach Rick Stansbury has begun to
emerge as one of the top coaches in the country with 48 wins over the past
two years. This is the year they hope that their tournament dreams come to
reality. These hopes will rest squarely on the broad shoulders of Lawrence
Roberts, who withdrew from the NBA draft this summer. Roberts, a pre-season
Wooden Award candidate, should carry the Bulldogs far, but unless someone
else steps up, mainly sophomore guard Gary Ervin, another NCAA flameout is
likely.

South Carolina Gamecocks 23-11 (8-8)

Team MVP: Carlos Powell (12.2 ppg 6.2 rpg)

Scoring Leader: Powell
Rebounding Leader: Powell
Assist Leader: Michael Boynton (3.4 apg)

Dave Odom’s 2004-2005 South Carolina Gamecocks should be very similar to the
previous version. Despite the loss of Relando Howell, the Gamecocks should
remain a threat every night out on the court with the return of Carlos
Powell and the growth of Tre Kelley and Brandon Wallace, who have spent the
summer playing on an All-Star team. A NCAA bid might not be out of the
question, but the NIT is a more likely destination.

Tennessee Volunteers 15-14 (7-9)

Team MVP: C.J. Watson (11.5 ppg 4.2 rpg 5.0 apg 1.6 spg)

Scoring Leader: Scooter McFadgon (17.6 ppg)
Rebounding Leader: Brandon Crump (6.8)
Assist Leader: Watson

With all five starters returning from an NIT team, this could be the year
that Buzz Peterson gets recognized for his coaching skills and not just for
being Michael Jordan’s college roommate. Scooter McFadgon will again carry
the scoring load with Brandon Crump providing the inside muscle. C.J.
Watson will team up with McFadgon to form arguably the SEC’s best backcourt.

Add freshman Chris Lofton, 2004 Mr. Kentucky basketball, to the mix and
this is a very formidable team. Look for big things from this year’s squad,
including a NCAA bid, and maybe even a deep run in the tournament.

Vanderbilt Commodores 23-10 (8-8)

Team MVP: Matt Freije (18.4 ppg 5.4rpg)

Scoring Leader: Freije
Rebounding Leader: Freije
Assist Leader: Lakey (3.9 apg)

OK Vandy fans, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Sure, Matt Freije is gone
and he was the heart and soul of the team for the past two years but Kevin
Stallings returns. Stallings, another up and coming coach in the SEC,
returns to Nashville after flirting with the Ohio State job. He has
steadily improved Vanderbilt every year, but they might step back a bit this
year. It shouldn’t be a big step though, thanks to the Chef. Dawid
Przybyszewski (pronounced Shiv-uh-chef-ski), a 7-2 center proved late in the
year last year that he was a dependable offensive option. The Chef is the
most underrated player in the SEC and should garner All-Conference honors.

2004-05 Season Outlook

Look for Mississippi State and Kentucky to again battle it out for
conference supremacy but nothing will be guaranteed with up-and-coming
Tennessee, LSU, and Alabama nipping at their heels. If Donovan can motivate
his players, Florida could contend for league titles as well.

Colonial Recap

Colonial Athletic Association 2003-04 Season Recap

by Jesse Ullmann

Heading into the final week of play Colonial teams were tied for first, third, fifth and ninth place emphasizing one of the most balanced years in CAA history. VCU finished with the best mark at 14-4 in conference play, 20-7 overall. Led by Dominic Jones (Chesterfield, VA) the Rams tied a school record for most wins in CAA play largely in part because of an impressive five-game win streak they ended the season on. Unexpectedly Drexel finished as the runner-up with a 13-5 (18-9) record. Picked to finish fifth in pre-season polls, the Dragons ended strong with an 11-2 run clinching the two-seed in the CAA Tournament.

The George Mason Patriots finished 12-6 (19-8), good for third place. The 19 victories tied the largest amount in head coach Jim Larranaga’s seven seasons. GMU finished with regular season victories over UNC-Wilmington and fourth place Old Dominion. ODU finished 11-7, 16-11 overall making this the Monarchs first winning season in five years.

On the fence is the best way to describe Delaware’s season. Ten games were decided by three points or less and the Hens finished No. five with a 10-8 (16-11) record. Hofstra tied Delaware with a 10-8 conference record however they fell to sixth due to CAA tie-breaking procedures (see: http://www.caasports.com/sports/mbball/04tiebreak.pdf). The Pride finished with wins in four of their last five outings. UNC-Wilmington finished No. seven at 9-9 (13-14). The Seahawks have not finished the regular season lower than seventh since 1990. James Madison ended their run in the eight spot with a 4-14 (7-20) record. Towson was ninth with a meek 4-14 (7-20) record and despite their poor record, the Tigers ended their season on an upbeat note with a 74-54 win over JMU, their largest-ever margin of victory over a CAA opponent. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak. James Madison grabbed the accolades for finishing last. Coming right after the announcement that Sherman Dillard would not return next season, the Dukes ended the season with a 3-14 (7-20) record.

Conference Tournament

Richmond, Virginia is home to CAA “central intelligence” so it was fitting that the Richmond Coliseum, again, host the 2004 Pioneer CAA championship tournament. The Coliseum, just beyond the view of the VCU Siegel Center and home to the Richmond Spiders would host the tournament and feature some tremendous basketball. Game one featured No. eight William & Mary against No. nine Towson. The Tigers pulled off the 70-65 upset on 32 points from senior guard Jamaal Gilchrist (D.C.).

In the nightcap No. seven UNC-Wilmington sent No. 10 James Madison packing with a low-scoring 44-41 victory. The Seahawks shot a season-low 29 percent from the field while the Dukes were limited to just 31 percent from the field. The Seahawks would face No. two Drexel the very next day. U-Dub nearly multiplied their shooting percentage (46%) by two and pulled off the upset of the tournament knocking off Drexel 66-53. John Goldsberry (Vandalia, OH) led all scorers with 20 points including a three-for-four performance from three-point range. In the other quarterfinal games top seed VCU managed to hold off Towson defeating the Tigers 67-60. Rams senior center Troy Godwin (Suffolk, VA) had a big game inside with 15 points while Nick George (England) added 14 points and nine rebounds. No. four Old Dominion defeated No. five Hofstra 82-68 in the quarterfinals. Alex Loughton (Australia) finished with a double-double, 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Isaiah Hunter (Charlotte, NC) led four Monarch players in double figures with 19 points.

Delaware looked to keep the trend going with a hopeful upset over No. three George Mason in the remaining quarterfinal game. In overtime the Patriots staved an impressive battle from the Hens winning 65-58 advancing to the semis. GMU gave up a 13-point lead in the waning minutes of regulation forcing overtime. With 3:04 remaining in OT, Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD) put the Pats up for good scoring two of his game-high 17 points.

The first semifinal featured top-seed VCU against No. four Old Dominion. The Rams, playing in front of a hometown crowd, rolled to a 84-67 victory on five players scoring 12 or more points. They would await the winner of the second semifinal between No. three George Mason and No. seven UNC-Wilmington. Patriots sophomore guard Tony Skinn (Takoma Park, MD) scored a career-high 27 points landing his team in the CAA Championship title game.

In a much-anticipated championship title game more than 9,000 fans got their moneys worth. With 1.6 seconds to play Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond, VA) made one of two free throws clinching a 55-54 victory and with it the championship trophy and a birth in the NCAA tournament. The win marked the first championship title for the Rams since their 1996 inaugural year in the CAA. Tony Skinn hit a fade-away three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to tie the score by 54-54. Pellot-Rosa was then fouled driving the lane with 1.6 left on the clock allowing the Patriots enough time to get off a pass and quick shot. The Patriots Jai Lewis caught the ball at the baseline but missed the jump shot as time expired. Skinn finished with 17 points for GMU, all coming in the second half.

NCAA and NIT Appearances

Three CAA teams received invitations to postseason action. After winning the championship title game Virginia Commonwealth received the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the East Rutherford Region Chris Paul (Lewisville, NC) and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were waiting for the No. 13 seed Rams. In spectacular fashion Dominic Jones scored 22 points but fell one point shy of victory losing 79-78. Jones was one of four Rams to score double figures but Paul would take complete control over of the game in the waning minutes.

Drexel and George Mason were also offered invites to the NIT. The Dragons would visit inter-city rival Villanova in the first round. Sean Brooks (Bladensburg, MD) led all scorers with 24 points but the Wildcats prevailed with a second half rally defeating the Dragons 85-70. Drexel finished the season 18-11 overall while the Wildcats made a run up until an NIT quarterfinal loss.

Meanwhile GMU was the only conference team to pick up a postseason victory. Playing host to Tennessee in their opening round NIT game the Patriots won their first post-season game in 18 years defeating the Volunteers 58-55 at the Patriot Center. The win propelled GMU to another first-round match against Austin Peay in which Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, MD) dropped 18 points including a monstrous tie-breaking three-pointer with just over one minute to play. The Pats’ went on to win 66-60 and marked a school record for most wins in a season (23).

GMU Continued its postseason NIT run with a visit to Oregon. The second round match on ESPN showed George Mason had clearly run out of fuel losing 68-54 to the Ducks. Terry Reynolds paced GMU as the only player scoring double figures with 14 points.

All-Conference Team:
G – Dominic Jones, Virginia Commonwealth (MVP), 16.3 ppg
G – Phil Goss, Drexel, 13.6 ppg, 1.7 spg
F – Alex Loughton, Old Dominion, 16.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
F – Adam Hess, William & Mary, 20.3 ppg
F – Kenny Adeleke, Hofstra, 13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg
F – Jai Lewis, George Mason, 14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg

Freshman of the Year

Second only to Adam Hess, Tribe forward Corey Cofield (Wellesley, MA) averaged 13 points per game leading all CAA rookies. The 6’6″ forward from William & Mary scored season-highs of 24 against George Mason and 21 against Hofstra. The Massachusetts product finished top-five in numerous CAA stat categories including fifth in rebound (6.6rpg), and fourth in field goal percentage (56.3). Cofield scored 19 points in a first round loss to Towson in the conference tournament.

Coach of the Year

Bruiser Flint now has some metal to go along with the ostentatious suits he sports during games. Flint was named Coach of the Year for the second time after finishing the season with an impressive 13-5 mark in conference play, 18-11 overall. After losing a dominant Robert Battle and Eric Schmeider to graduation Drexel wasn’t turning any heads in Colonial action but Flint’s team overachieved. During the months of January and February the Dragons put together a 12-2 win streak grabbing the second-best regular season record.

Defensive Player of the Year

The Drexel Dragon’s success depended largely in part on the defense of freshman guard Bashir Mason. Mason (Jersey City, NJ) was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year and becomes the first-ever freshman to earn the accolade. Mason finished the season with a league-best 66 steals at an average of 2.2 in 30 minutes per game. Mason also drew a crucial foul while protecting the ball in a key game at the end of the season, nailing free throws to put the game away.

Virginia Commonwealth Rams

VCU finished the season 14-4 in conference play, 23-8 overall and captured the 2004 CAA regular season and tournament championship titles. They ended the season with a heartbreaking one-point loss to Wake Forest in the NCAA tournament. Senior guard Dominic Jones carried the torch for the Rams averaging 16.3 points per game on 67 percent field goal shooting. Troy Godwin led the team on the glass averaging 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with 11.8 ppg. Starting guard B.A. Walker led the team in dishes with 2.7 apg.

The Rams take a big hit in losing starters Jones and Godwin to graduation as well as 6’10″ center Kevin Moore. The Rams proved that the loss of a star player (Willie Taylor) means very little to them. With Jones gone rebuilding will depend largely in part on the productivity of Nick George and a very, very young starting five.

Drexel Dragons

A surprise second place finish in the CAA regular season schedule turned many heads. Drexel finished 13-5 in conference play, 18-11 overall. The Dragons had three players scoring in double figures on a nightly basis. Sean Brooks had 14.4 ppg including a team-high 5.9 rpg, Tim Whitworth dropped in 14.1 ppg and Phil Goss averaged 13.6 ppg. Bashir Mason led the league in steals with 66 and finished with a team high 129 assists.

Drexel is in promising shape for 04-05 losing just one player to graduation. Unfortunately for them that player just happens to be Whitworth but this will allow the other scorers to flourish. Brooks, Goss, and Mason will try and keep this team in contention.

George Mason Patriots

Picked to finish first in the preseason CAA poll GMU ended the season 12-6 in conference and 23-10 overall setting a record for most wins in a season in its 38-year history. Head coach Jim Larranaga lost his son Jon and star player Jesse Young to graduation in 2003 but a trio of returning starters would carry the load. Junior forward Jai Lewis led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Mark Davis did not live up to the hype though he had a decent season averaging 12.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Junior guard Terry Reynolds averaged 5.1 apg.

The Patriots will lose out big time with the loss of starters Davis and Raoul Heinen but Lewis still has two years remaining along with his classmates Lamar Butler and Reynolds.

Old Dominion Monarchs

After starting the season with losses against North Carolina and St. Josephs the Monarchs appeared to be in for a bumpy ride. ODU finished 11-7, 17-12 overall. With the loss of Ricardo Marsh, the Monarchs need answers to their problems. They found them with the coming of junior forward Alex Loughton. The Aussie native led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals with averages of 16.6 ppg to go along with 8.7 rpg. Junior guard Isaiah Hunter had 13 ppg while fellow starter John Waller had 12.6 ppg. The Monarchs lost to eventual tournament champions Virginia Commonwealth in the CAA semifinals, 84-67.

ODU loses one non-starter while everyone else is returning. Loughton should have a huge season while Hunter and Waller will compliment him well.

Delaware Blue Hens

The Fightin’ Blue Hens finished the season 10-8 in conference play, 16-12 overall. Mike Ames (Phoenixville, PA) led all scorers with 15.3 ppg while the flashy guard Mike Slattery (Philadelphia, PA) averaged 11 ppg to go along with a team-leading 47 steals. Harding Nana (Cameroon) led the team on the boards with 8.5 rpg plus 12.6 ppg. The Hens have struggled over recent years and this season was no different. With 10 freshmen and sophomore Delaware was extremely young and had little camaraderie. Mike Ames is graduating and will not be back which could give head coach Dave Henderson and his young squad more issues.

Hofstra Pride

The Pride finished the season 10-8 in CAA play and 14-15 overall. The Pride had many question marks surrounding their program this year with the loss of star guard Ricky Apodaca and a poor season from a highly touted Kenny Adeleke (Queens, NY). Wendell Gibson (Far Rockaway, NY) surprisingly led the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg while pulling down 6.3 rpg before an unfortunate season-ending injury put him on the sidelines. Adeleke had a solid junior year and finished as the team’s leading rebounder with 9.2 rpg to go along with 13.6 ppg. An acrobatic Loren Stokes (Buffalo, NY) finished the season with a team-leading 82 assists and averaged 12.9 ppg.

The Pride lose a key big man in power forward Danny Walker. With the exception of a couple of transfers everyone else will return which will give the Pride some depth. Adeleke and Gibson, barring any injury bug, will provide the necessary size in the frontcourt. Woody Souffrant and Mike Radziejewski must be guarded outside the perimeter. Hofstra may have a strong showing in 04-05.

UNC Wilmington Seahawks

The defending conference champion U-Dub finished the season in seventh place, neutral at 9-9, 15-15 overall. The Seahawks struggled severely on the road posting a 4-10 record. After losing 2003 CAA Player of the Year Brett Blizzard Brad Brownell did not see one single player this season average double figures. Ed Spencer (Kansas City, MO) averaged 8.7 ppg while John Goldsberry, who was an expected leader this season averaged just 8.5 ppg. Goldsberry had team high in assists (124) and steals (50). Also starter Anthony Terrell, who arguably is the most athletic player in the Colonial, averaged 8.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg.

Joel Justus started eight games and Andy Gunn started six games. Both players along with Terrell will graduate which deals a significant blow to the depth of the 04-05 team. Goldsberry and starting guard Ed Spencer return next season as the only Seahawks to see legitimate time on the floor.

Towson Tigers

Towson finished 4-14 in CAA play with 8-21 overall record. The one bright spot in coach Michael Hunt’s lineup was Jamaal Gilchrist who led the team with 12.2 ppg on 42 percent shooting from the floor. Gilchrist was joined on the offensive end with Mike Green (Philadelphia), the thief on the court with a team high 50 steals and 127 assists to go along with 10.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Starter Lawrence Hamm (Harrisburg, PA) led the team in rebounding with 5.3 rpg while posting 10 ppg.

Starting guard Gilchrist will graduate and even though he is the only player leaving the program Gilchrist was known as the playmaker. They will need Hamm and Green as well as a solid recruiting class to move up in the ranking next season.

William & Mary Tribe

The Tribe ended the season in ninth place due to CAA tie-breaking procedures. The final result was a 4-14, 7-21 overall record. Adam Hess (Grosse Pointe, MI) was instrumental scoring a team high 20.3 ppg on 42 percent shooting. Hess, a First-Team All-CAA selection, also led the team in rebound with 6.7 rpg. Starting guard Nick D’Antoni (Myrtle Beach, SC) averaged 5.7 apg. CAA Freshman of the Year Corey Cofield had an impressive rookie year starting 21 games and scoring 13.2 ppg with 6.6 rpg.

The 6’7″ forward Hess and starter Zeb Cope, the only other player to average double figures this season, will graduate. Dave Holtzmuller saw action in 16 games and will graduate as well. The loss of Hess is the most severe leaving the team to adjust with no serious offensive threat. Cofield, as a sophomore, will have the pressure on his shoulders and D’Antoni must take on a veteran leadership role.

James Madison Dukes

The Dukes went threw two very long six and seven-game losing streaks locking up a last place finish in the CAA. They end with just three wins in the Colonial including a surprising 72-64 overtime victory versus George Mason. Dwayne Broyles (Canton, OH) led the team in scoring and rebounding with 15.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg.

In the game against GMU Daniel Freeman (Waynesboro, VA) scored 24 points, which was a season high. Freeman finished second in scoring with 11.6 ppg. Chris Williams (Wheeling, WV) had a team high 3.1 apg while Broyles averaged 1.5 spg.

Broyles and Williams, the only players to start all 28 games for the Dukes, are graduating. Freeman and Williams are not enough and the Dukes, without any immediate impact players in their recruiting class next season, will be at or close to the bottom of the pack again in 04-05.

Mid-American Recap

Mid-American Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Matthew Moll

MAC run by Six

The Mid-American Conference had six teams with double digit conference wins (Kent State, Miami, Buffalo, Western Michigan, Toledo, and Ball State) three of which had 20 win seasons (Western Michigan, Kent State, Toledo), placing the MAC, once again, atop the Mid-Majors in terms of victories.

Western Michigan won the West Division’s regular season title for the first time since joining the conference. The East Division was led by Kent State, although Miami was within a game of having a share of the title.

Two teams had surprising finishes, one of the positive realm the other of the negative. Buffalo’s win output was its largest since joining the MAC and changed the landscape of MAC possibly giving them another major player in the major Mid-Major MAC. Few expected Central Michigan to match their success of the Chris Kaman era, but fewer expected them to drop off the MAC map. Central could only manage six wins after a season where they won 25 and went the NCAA tourney.

MAC Tourney

For the sixth straight season the MAC tournament final saw the Kent State Flashes fight for the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. For the second year in a row a Michigan team defeated KSU for that coveted spot.

State defeated Bowling Green and Miami of Ohio before being sent to the NIT compliments of Western Michigan.

Western Michigan defeated Marshall and Toledo before meeting the Golden Flashes in the final game. The 77-66 win over the Flashes was the first MAC tournament title for the Broncos.

The Postseason

The MAC had three representatives in the post season. Western Michigan lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Vanderbilt 72-58. Kent State lost 65-54 in the first round of the NIT to the Mountaineers of West Virginia, while Toledo was sent home in the first round of the NIT by Marquette 87-72.

Coach of the Year

Buffalo’s Reggie Witherspoon was able to help the Bulls regroup after starting the season 0-3. Under Witherspoon the Bulls had a 12 win improvement from the season before, the second best in the nation. The Bulls also went to the MAC quarterfinals, the furthest the team has went in the MAC tournament since joining the conference five years ago, this after amassing 11 wins in conference play, only four shy of the previous four years combined. Witherspoon and the Bulls are now among the Mid-Major programs in the MAC that will contend for national respect.

Player of the Year

Western Michigan’s Mike Williams was the best player on the best team in MAC. During the MAC tournament Williams averaged 23 ppg to lead his team to the NCAA tournament where he played well in the loss to Vanderbilt, scoring 24. Williams had seven double-doubles on the season and averaged 18.9 points, 7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game respectively.

First Team
Juby Johnson (Miami)
John Edwards (Kent State)
Keith Triplett (Toledo)
Ben Reed (Western Michigan)
Mike Williams (Western Michigan)

Second Team
Derrick Tarver (Akron)
Ron Lewis (Bowling Green)
Turner Battle (Buffalo)
Eric Haut (Kent State)
Marvin Black (Marshall)

Honorable Mention
Chet Mason (Miami)
Kevin Netter (Bowling Green)
Cameron Echols (Ball State)
Gerrit Brighita (Central Michigan)
DeAndre Haynes (Kent State)
Marcus Smallwood (Northern Illinois)
P.J. Smith (Northern Illinois)
Jaivon Harris (Ohio)
Sammy Villegas (Toledo)
Anthony Kann (Western Michigan)

East

Kent State (22-9, 13-5)

The Golden Flashes continued several streaks this season, two of which they wish they did not. Regular season highlights included a 10 game winning streak and their sixth consecutive twenty plus win season. For the fourth straight year the Golden Flashes won the eastern division of the MAC.

The Flashes added to the post season tally in a positive way by making it to the MAC tournament final and appearing in a national tournament for the sixth straight year. Both marks turned sour for Kent State, marking post season reoccurrences the Flashing would prefer to see fade. The tournament final ended in a loss for the second straight time, this time watching Western Michigan cut down the nets, while for the second time in as many years the K-State would have been better off seeking the council of Paulo Coelho in the NIT, but rather tarnish showed instead of flash.

Team MVP: John Edwards, Sr., team’s leading scorer and rebounder

Top Scorer: Edwards, 13.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Edwards, 6.7 rpg
Top assists: DeAndre Haynes, So., 5.8 apg

Starters leaving: Edwards

Key players returning: Hayes

Kent State will need to find away to fill the void left in the middle by the Sacramento Kings newest center and will miss the timely shooting of Bryan Bedford. Nevertheless the Flashes will remain one of the best programs at the Mid-Major level.

Miami (OH) (18-11, 12-6)

The Redhawks season was defined by consistent play, which was represented by wins that were strung together at most to three at a time and losses peaking at three in at row as well. Losses for the Redhawks rarely came in double-digit form, with the exception of NCAA bound local teams such as Xavier (OH) and Cincinnati and MAC rep Western Michigan.

Rare double-digit losses and convincing victories over MAC opponents gave this team a shot not seen since Wally World led them to the Sweet 16 in 1998. Coach Charlie Coles’ teams have still been successful in making it within a win away from a MAC tournament championship and thus a NCAA birth, but have fallen short each time they had a sniff. In the two seasons since the Sweet 16 run Miami have been seeded eighth and ninth respectively. This season they would earn a three-seed and fall a game short of their 21st MAC regular season title.

In the MAC tournament Miami defeated Ball State to advance to the semi-finals where the Redhawks fell to the Golden Flashes of Kent State. Tied at half, the Flashes smothering defense propelled them into the finals and ended the Hawks run.

Team MVP: Julius Johnson, Sr., leading scorer, 4.4 rpg

Top Scorer: Johnson 17.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Chet Mason, Jr., 7.9 rpg
Top assists: Mason, 2.9 apg

Starters leaving: Johnson

Key players returning: Mason, Tim Schenke, Jr.; Josh Hausfeld, So.; Monty St. Clair, Fr. (These two went to my high school, so I have to mention them. Not only that they were on the team that handed LeBron James his last loss in the high school ranks, March 23, 2002 71-63 Roger Bacon to win the Ohio Division II state championship.)

Coles will be entering his ninth season as head coach and will have most of his 18 win team in tact. The loss of Johnson will require a more balanced attack, but the Hawks should be ready to make a run at their first NCAA appearance since 1998.

Buffalo (17-12, 11-7)

This season marked many firsts for the Bulls. First time ranked, first time defeating Ball State, first double digit conference wins, first home MAC tourney, first trip to the conference quarterfinals, and the list goes on.

Although these firsts made for a successful season the Buffalo Bulls still could not manage an NIT birth, nor did they win with consistency. An eight game winning streak was their longest stretch of the season and of their history at the DI level, attributing nearly half the teams wins to a hot streak.

In all winning sparked interest in the Buffalo program and strengthened the MAC, while at the same time earning the Bulls respect within a conference in which they struggled for four years.

Team MVP: Turner Battle, Jr, led team in points and assists

Top Scorer: Turner Battle, Jr., 14.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Yassin Idbihi, Fr., 5.8 rpg
Top assists: Battle, 4.1 apg

Starters leaving: None

Key players returning: Battle, Daniel Gilbert (16 ppg, last six games), Idbihi, but no player is leaving due to graduation or transferring

With core players and role players all returning the attendance records will continue to break if coach Witherspoon can herd his Bulls. Success will bring the added pressure of being expected to win. No longer will the Bulls be a surprise team. Whether the Bulls catch the matador will depend on their consistency, not just showing up for the big ones.

Marshall (12-17, 8-10)

The Thundering Herd failed to get rolling despite having promising games even in defeat to teams such as Kentucky and UNC Wilmington. But soon the promise faded and Marshall spiraled into a sub.500 team.

Marshall still played many close games with conference elite. Falling by three and four points respectively to Miami and losing to Kent State in the finals seconds during a regular season bought. The season though took a turn for the not so good when the Herd lost eight of 10 games in the month of January.

Marshall did manage a win over Eastern Michigan in the MAC tournament, but was booted handily by Western Michigan in their last game of the season 96-62.

Team MVP: Marvin Black, Sr., Cleveland native led team in points and rebounds

Top Scorer: Black, 14.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Black, 7.8 ppg
Top assists: A.W. Hamilton, Jr., 5.4 apg

Starters leaving: Black

Key players returning: Hamilton, Tre Whitted, Fr.

Oliver Purnell project Ron Jirsa will be entering his second season as Herd head coach and should make his now more experienced team at the very least a “spoiler” in the league.

Akron (13-15, 7-11)

When the gates opened to the 2003 season the Zips were zinging, ripping eight wins in their first 11 games. Akron was unable to maintain the momentum built during the infantile stages of the season and ended in an 11-seeded lurch. The Zips won only five more games after the early season surge including losing five of their last seven games.

For the second straight year the Zips saw their season end in the first round of the MAC tournament. The loss would be the last as head coach for Dan Hipsher who elected to be reassigned within the administration rather than continue his previous duties.

Hipsher’s nine year career was highlighted by a 17-win season in 1998, earning him MAC Coach of the Year.

Team MVP: Derrick Tarver, 15 games of 20 or more points

Top Scorer: Derrick Tarver, 22.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Jeremiah Wood, Fr., 7.3
Top assists: Johnny Hollingsworth, Sr., 4.5 apg

Starters leaving: Tarver, Hollingsworth

Key players returning: Wood

New coach Keith Drambrot inherits a team that was supposed to improve on their previous season and did not. Drambrot must work with a young team, with only three seniors making the roster. This is Drambrot’s first head coaching job at any level. Drambrot was a three time letter winner in baseball at Akron from 1978-1982.

Ohio (10-20, 7-11)

Bobcat country had little to cheer about, particularly in non-conference matching winning only three games out of the MAC.

Although the season did not lend itself to many high points there the Cats did manage some excitement. The season was highlighted by two straight overtime wins at home against perennial MAC powers Miami and Ball State. Ohio overcame an 11 point deficient to send the battle of large public-schools-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-in-Ohio to OT where the Bobcats would prove they are capable of winning. Ohio had to stave a Ball State second have surge and win 88-84 in overtime. Proving that the Bobcats not only could score, but were capable of winning though their record would argue otherwise.

The last two games that Ohio would play in 2004 also had the taste for drama. The Cats slain another MAC super-power the last game of the regular season, Kent State when a last second three rattled out for the Flashes, the Cats prevailed 60-59. In the MAC tournament Ohio erased a 10 point differential and can within a three from advancing past Bowling Green, but the shot was off, much like the Cats game for most of the season.

Team MVP: Jaivon Harris, Sr., Lead team in points and rebounds

Top Scorer: Harris, 15.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Harris, 4.6 rpg
Top assists: Thomas Stephens, Sr., 3.2 apg

Starters leaving: Harris, Stephens

Key players returning: Sonny Troutman, Fr.

Ohio showed what it was capable of doing when they were playing in heated games. Without Harris the Cats will need to find leadership and points if they are to turn things around.

West

Western Michigan (26-5, 15-3)

First year coach Steve Hawkins had the Bronco faithful convinced from the get-go that this was going to be a special season. Starting with a double digit defeat of USC, the Broncos would win a school record 26 games, highlighted by an 11 game winning streak. They would then win the West Division regular season title in the MAC, then the MAC tournament title for the first time and send the school to its third NCAA appearance.

The season did end on a disappointing note. Western hoped to upset sixth seeded Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but fell short after a flurry of threes fell in the second half for the Commodores. This marked the first time Western made it to the tournament, but did not advance to the second round.

Team MVP: Mike Williams, Sr., First team All MAC

Top Scorer: Williams, 18.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Anthony Kann, Sr., 7.2 rpg
Top assists: Brian Snider, So., 4.8 apg

Starters leaving: Williams, Kann

Key players returning: Snider

Williams could be going from Bronco to Raptor if he can perform well for the NBA’s Toronto team in summer league.

Following the successful 2004 campaign Western will need to have some pleasant surprises if they are to make strides toward becoming a perennial Mid-Major competitor. The loss of the leagues best player will force Brian Snider to look for his shot more and for Hawkins to find himself a new star.

Toledo (20-11, 12-6)

For the third time in the last six seasons Toledo found itself in the step sister of national tournaments. The Rockets push for a NCAA birth was thwarted in the semifinals of the MAC tournament by Western Michigan after defeating the surging Buffalo Bulls in the first round. Following a 20 game regular season performance the MAC’s third best team had another chance at post season glory, in the form of the NIT.

There was no glory for Stan Joplin in company as they fell for the second time in three tries in the first round of the NIT. This time losing to C-USA’s Marquette in a battle between former Tom Izzo assistants Tom Crean and Joplin. The Rockets took their hot shooting from the previous five games with them to Milwaukee, but could not find a defensive rhythm in the 87-72 loss.

Team MVP: Keith Triplett, Sr., team leader in points and rebounds, 3.1 apg

Top Scorer: Triplett, 19.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Triplett, 4.7 rpg
Top assists: Justin Ingram, Fr., 3.6 apg

Starters leaving: Triplett

Key players returning: Ingram, Sammy Villegas, So.

Coach Joplin’s recruiting class coupled with his relatively young core should put Toledo in the position where few teams in the MAC can compete with their talent. The loss of Triplett will be the largest vacancy to fill, but Villegas looks to be on the verge of a break out year after avoiding the sophomore slump.

Ball State (14-15, 10-8)

The 2003-2004 season began with a win over eventual Elite Eight participant Xavier, but this would prove to be the highlight of the season. What would follow would be a sub .500 season with the most noted stretch a five game losing streak.

There was a chance at the end of the regular season to turn the corner and be hot for the MAC tournament, when they played Central Michigan into overtime, but fell short.

Ball State managed to win in the first round of the MAC tournament, but was sent home by Miami in the second round.

Team MVP: Dennis Trammell, Jr., team leader in points second on team in assists

Top Scorer: Trammell 13.2 ppg.
Top Rebounder: Cameron Echols, Sr., 6 rpg.
Top assists: Peyton Stovall, Fr., 3.8 apg.

Starters leaving: Echols

Key players returning: Trammell, Stovall

Two seasons removed after a successful Maui Invitational Title, a MAC regular season title, and an NIT run Tim Buckley’s team will need to rebound from the first losing season under his tutelage.

Bowling Green (14-17, 8-10)

The young Falcons showed promise throughout the season, capped off by a surprising first round win in the MAC tournament.

Bowling Green’s regular season was highlighted by a three game winning streak and a run where the Falcons won five of six from the end of December through the beginning of January.

Team MVP: Ron Lewis, So., leader in points, 2.9 apg

Top Scorer: Lewis, 17 ppg
Top Rebounder: John Reimold, 4.8 rpg.
Top assists: Steven Wright, Fr., 4.0 apg.

Starters leaving: None

Key players returning: Lewis, Reimold, Wright

Dan Dakich will be entering his eighth year as the Falcon’s coach. His core group remains intact and they could be the surprise team of the MAC next year.

Eastern Michigan (13-15, 7-11)

Eastern Michigan’s season was highlighted by wins over Akron and Buffalo and lowlighted by a string of nine losses in 12 games.

The season culminated when the Eagles suffered a 78-59 loss to eighth-seed Marshall in the first round of the MAC tournament.

Team MVP: John Bowler, So., team high in double doubles

Top Scorer: Marcus Austin, Jr., 13.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: John Bowler 8.3 rpg.
Top assists: Michael Ross, Jr., 2.9 apg.

Starters leaving: none

Key players returning: Bowler, Austin, Ross

Coach Jim Boone received a one year contract extension. Boone’s tenure will be decided on how his young team can grow and flourish in the MAC.

Northern Illinois (10-20, 5-13)

Youth was evident throughout the Huskies’ season leading to an unimpressive 2003-2004 regular season. Northern’s most impressive win came early in the season over tournament bound University Illinois Chicago. The rest of the season would prove contrary to the early positive signs. At the end of January the Huskies were rattled, losing 10 straight games and 12 of 14 at one point.

As expected the team did not perform well in the MAC tournament losing handily to Buffalo 90-73.

Team MVP: Marcus Smallwood, Sr., Top two in all major offensive categories

Top Scorer: P.J. Smith, Sr., 14.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Smallwood, 9.3 rpg
Top assists: Anthony Maestranzi, So., 3.8 apg.

Starters leaving: Smith, Smallwood

Key players returning: Maestranzi

Rob Judson will be sporting a young though versatile team that will need a floor leader to emerge in the form of a seasoned Maestranzi. If the puppy Huskies can play together Judson’s fourth season could be his most successful.

Central Michigan (6-24, 2-16)

Chris Kaman University hit snags this year posting its worse showing in the MAC since joining. The Chippewas just a year ago set a school record of 25 wins in a season, won the MAC regular season West Division, the MAC tournament, and upset Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

This season most noted for its lows. The last 24 games of the season, the Chippewas lost 20 games including an 11 game losing streak.

The season was highlighted by a senior night overtime win the last night of the regular season over Ball State. The momentum quickly disappeared in the first round of the MAC tournament where Toledo ended Central’s consecutive trips to the MAC quarterfinals at four.

Team MVP: Gerrit Brigitha, Sr., team leader in points and rebounds

Top Scorer: Brigitha, 17.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Brigitha, 6.9 rpg
Top assists: Tony Bowne, Jr., 3.0 apg

Starters leaving: Brigitha

Key players returning: Tony Bowne

Hung over from the success of two years ago Jay Smith hopes to remove the moniker of successful when having a big named player.

Southland Recap

Southland Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Zach Ewing

After a regular season that finished with three teams tied atop the standings and another just a game behind, it came as no surprise that parity ruled the Southland Conference Tournament.

The top four teams all survived the first day of quarterfinals, but on semifinal day, the No. 4 seeded Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks took out top seed Texas-Arlington in a thriller won by an Antonio Burks three-pointer with four seconds left. The other semifinal also did not disappoint. Texas-San Antonio’s Justin Harbert hit all three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt in the last 20 seconds to lead the Roadrunners to an 87-85 win. UTSA came back from seven points down at halftime to advance to Friday’s final.

In the championship, UTSA made the most of their opportunity, holding off a game Stephen F. Austin team at home 74-70. The Roadrunners took the lead at 12-11 and, although the game remained close, the Lumberjacks could do better than tie the score from that point on. Late in the game, SFA had the ball down by two, but couldn’t score. When LeRoy Hurd hit two free throws seconds later, Texas-San Antonio was dancing for the third time in its history.

It didn’t last long. Stanford easily ended UTSA’s season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But for this conference, getting to the Big Dance is an accomplishment in itself. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the final standings and awards for the Southland Conference in 2003-04.

Southland Conference Tournament Results

Quarterfinals – Monday, March 8
(1) Texas-Arlington 77, (8) Louisiana-Monroe 62
(4) Stephen F. Austin 85, (5) Sam Houston State 53
(3) Texas-San Antonio 78, (6) Texas State-San Marcos 73
(2) Southeastern Louisiana 72, (7) Northwestern State 64

Semifinals – Wednesday, March 10
(4) Stephen F. Austin 69, (1) Texas-Arlington 68
(3) Texas-San Antonio 87, (2) Southeastern Louisiana 85

Championship – Friday, March 12
(3) Texas-San Antonio 74, (4) Stephen F. Austin 70

Postseason
NCAA Tournament Phoenix Regional
(1) Stanford 71, (16) Texas-San Antonio 45

Hoopville All-Southland Conference Team
Senior forward LeRoy Hurd, Texas-San Antonio
Junior guard Amir Abdur-Rahim, Southeastern Louisiana
Senior forward Derrick Obasohan, Texas-Arlington
Junior forward Michael Gardner, Southeastern Louisiana
Senior guard Antonio Burks, Stephen F. Austin

Player of the Year:

LeRoy Hurd, Texas San Antonio – 19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg

Honorable Mention:

Rafael Posey -Texas-San Antonio, Terry Conerway – Texas State-San Marcos, Joe Thompson – Sam Houston State, Raymond Anthony – Lamar, Terrell Petteway – Lamar

Hoopville All-Southland Freshman Team
Forward Kelvin Williams, Sam Houston State
Guard Ryan Price, McNeese State
Guard Kurt Attaway, Texas-San Antonio
Guard Stephen Floyd, Texas-Arlington
Forward Demetrius Bell, Northwestern State

Freshman of the Year:

Kelvin Williams, Sam Houston State – 7.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg

Honorable Mention:

Jonathon Walker – Southeastern Louisiana, Othello Alford – Sam Houston State, Ryan Griffith – Sam Houston State, Blake Whittle – Lamar, Shaun King – Nicholls State

Around the Southland

Lamar Cardinals (11-18 overall, 5-11 Southland)

Key players lost:
F Terrell Petteway (15.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg)

Key players returning:
G Raymond Anthoney (15.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G Teddy Davis (13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
G Gil Goodrich (12.9 ppg)

2004-05 Outlook: Lamar, though it failed to even make the Southland tournament this year, could put the conference on the map. That’s because Billy Tubbs, formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma and TCU, started his career at Lamar and is back for his second season of his second stint. Not only do his Cardinals have everyone significant back save Petteway, but they had a superb recruiting class. This seems ridiculous, but little Lamar’s nine-player signing class was rated No. 3 in the country according to some websites. The only downside is the lack of any experienced players returning in the paint.

Louisiana-Monroe Indians (12-19, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G John Andrews (10.1 ppg)
G Larry Parker (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
C Chavis Thompson (8.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
F DeAndre Alexander (6.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Outlook: Not good. The Indians, senior-laden last year but still unable to accomplish anything, return only one player with a scoring average above six points. It will be interesting to see where ULM gets its offense.

McNeese State Cowboys (11-16, 7-9)

Key Players Lost:
F Jerrick Oliver (10.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
G Edward Garriet (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
G Greg Tucker (10.9 ppg)

Key Players Returning:
G Ryan Price (8.3 ppg, 2.1 apg)

Outlook: The Cowboys will likely battle for the cellar of the conference in ’05. Price will be a promising sophomore, but he will have to lead a very young team that won’t be able to replace its three leading scorers from this year.

Nicholls State Colonels (6-21, 1-15)

Key Players Lost:
G Markeith Brown (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
G Willie Depron (15.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

F Jason Wilkins (11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

Outlook: The Colonels have a long way to go, but they won’t be an easy opponent next year. They lose mostly minor players and will have a senior-laden team. And keep in mind, NSU did keep it close against Texas-San Antonio at beat Lamar at home this year.

Northwestern State Demons (11-17, 8-9)

Key Players Lost: None

Key Players Returning:
F Clifton Lee (13.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
G Jermaine Wallace (15.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
G Byron Allen (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Outlook: The Demons are a team that has been dangerous in this conference in the past and may be headed in that direction again next year. A great sophomore class will become juniors, and the Demons may be able to turn close losses into close wins with the added maturity.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (12-15, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G Jason Stephenson (9.4 ppg, 2.4 apg)

Key Players Returning:
F Joe Thompson (15.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
F Wilder Auguste (10.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
G Chris Jordan (9.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
F Kelvin Williams (7.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

Outlook: The Bearkats have quite a ways to go to get into the upper echelon of the conference, but they have a load of talent coming back next year. Thompson, along with Amir Abdur-Rahim, is one of the most complete players in the conference, and Williams is a force inside.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions (19-9, 12-5)

Key Players Lost: None

Key Players Returning:
G Amir Abdur-Rahim (15.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F Michael Gardner (13.2 ppg, 5.0 apg)
F Terry West (12.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Outlook: The Lions won their first conference tournament game this year and should continue the trend and win the whole tournament next year. Abdur-Rahim will be hungry to redeem himself for two silly fouls in the closing minutes of this year’s semifinal loss, and SE Louisiana should improve on this year’s 12-5 record.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (21-9, 11-6)

Key Players Lost:
Guard Antonio Burks (15.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
F Taylor Moore (9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
G Marcus Clark (9.3 ppg, 4.0 apg)

Outlook: The loss of Burks means the Lumberjacks will need a new scorer and a new leader. Taylor Moore and Marcus Clark may be ready to step into those roles, but if they don’t find them, it may be a long season for Stephen F. Austin.

Texas-Arlington Mavericks (17-12, 12-5)

Key Players Lost:
F Derrick Obasohan (16.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
F Donny Beachem (9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
G Keith Howell (10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Key Players Returning:
F Steven Thomas (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Outlook: Texas-Arlington’s window of opportunity may have passed when Antonio Burks sunk a three-pointer in the Southland semifinals to end the Mavericks’ system. With teams like Lamar, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana improving from last year, Arlington will have a hard time keeping up next year.

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (19-13, 12-5)

Key Players Lost:
F LeRoy Hurd (19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
G Rafael Posey (11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
G Justin Harbert (10.4 ppg)
F Justin Millsap (8.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
G Kurt Attaway (7.3 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Outlook: The majority of the Roadrunners’ conference championship team returns, but you can’t lose the leading scorer and rebounder in the conference and not fall a bit in the standings. Then again, never count out a champion. UTSA will be looking for a back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance like they had in 1998-1999.

Texas State-San Marcos Bobcats (14-14, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G Terry Conerway (13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 spg)
guard Roosevelt Brown (9.9 ppg, 2.6 apg)

Key Players Returning:
G Josh Naylor (11.1 ppg, 2.7 apg)
F Anthony Dill (8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
F Zach Allison (8.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Outlook: The Bobcats lose a lot in the backcourt for next season, and Naylor will be hard-pressed to pick up the slack. The frontcourt should be improved, but don’t look for the artist formerly known as Southwest Texas State to be anywhere but where they were this year: the middle of the pack.

NEC Recap

Northeast Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Keith Burdette

Coming into the season, the conference race looked wide open. I said in the conference preview that any one of five teams could take the title. The Monmouth Hawks were one of those teams and, thanks in large part to the conference’s stingiest scoring defense and a perfect record at home, won the regular season title. Two of the other favorites, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils and the Quinnipiac Bobcats, stumbled badly. The Blue Devils found themselves near the bottom of the conference heading into February but used a 7-3 month to get to .500 in conference and secure one of the final two berths to the conference tournament. Despite an immensely talented squad, the Bobcats struggled to find a rhythm all year and avoided a last place finish only by winning on the last day of the season.

The St. Francis (NY) Terriers and Fairleigh Dickinson Knights each returned only two starters and weren’t expected to contend, but each found major contributions from unexpected sources. John Quintana followed up his all rookie team selection by leading the Terriers in scoring at 15.2 ppg and Mike Wilson stepped up to lead the league in three pointers made. Headed into the last weekend of play, they had a chance to win the regular season title outright but lost to Monmouth and had to settle for a share of the crown. For the Knights, Gordon Klaiber came from nowhere to finish in the top ten of the NEC in points, rebounds and blocks. He more than doubled his scoring average and grabbed almost twice as many boards. They settled for third place in the conference and lost a heartbreaker in the semifinals of the NEC tournament.

Headed into the last week, it looked like the eight teams for the NEC tournament were set. Sacred Heart needed to win just one of their last two games or hope that Mount St. Mary’s would lose one of their final three games to clinch the eighth seed. Naturally, the week started with a head-to-head match-up between the two schools which Mount St. Mary’s won 85-75. The Mountaineers then beat Wagner which set up a tense final day of the regular season. Sacred Heart would lose to Wagner 100-93 on that final day which meant that a Mount St. Mary’s win would give them the berth; problem being that game would be against conference champ Monmouth. But that Mountaineers were up to the task and they finished their improbable run into the eighth seed by beating Monmouth 68-62.

Postseason Play

The NEC tournament went according to plan with one notable exception, seventh seed Central Connecticut State made a run all the way to the finals. In the quarterfinals, the Blue Devils upended St. Francis NY 81-68 in a game where all five of their starters reached double figures. In the semifinals, the Blue Devils trailed Fairleigh Dickinson for almost the entire second half. Brandon Edwards hit two free throws to put the Knights up three with just three seconds to go but Justin Chiera hit a 30 foot buzzer beater to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Halfway through overtime, Chiera hit another shot that gave the Blue Devils the lead for good and a trip to the finals. On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Monmouth cruised into the finals by holding Mount St. Mary’s and Robert Morris to under 35 percent shooting. In the final, Monmouth’s stingy defense prevailed and Tyler Azzarelli scored a career-high nineteen points as the Hawks earned a berth in the NCAA tournament with a 67-55 victory.

Looking for their first NCAA tournament win in three tries, the 15th seeded Hawks drew Mississippi State in the first round. Monmouth also carried the burden of the NEC failure in the tournament; the conference had won only one game in its 24 year history and that was a play-in game back in 1983. The Hawks held their own in the first fifteen minutes of the game, making 60 percent of their shots including seven of ten from long range to trail by only four. But the Hawk’s defense was no match for Mississippi State’s superior athletic ability and the Bulldogs pushed the lead to twelve at the break. The lead was stretched to 21 early in the second half and any thoughts of an upset went down the drain. Mississippi State ultimately won 85-52; Dwayne Byfield scored twelve points and was the only Hawk in double figures.

Hoopville’s NEC Hardware

Most Valuable Player

Ron Robinson – Senior Forward Central Connecticut State

First Team All-NEC
Ron Robinson – Senior Forward – Central Connecticut State
Gordon Klaiber – Sophomore Forward – Fairleigh Dickinson
Rashaun Banjo – Senior Forward – Quinnipiac
Blake Hamilton – Junior Forward – Monmouth
Landy Thompson – Sophomore Guard – Mount St. Mary’s

Second Team All-NEC
Aaron Thomas – Senior Forward – Robert Morris
Maurice Bailey – Senior Guard – Sacred Heart
Darshan Luckey – Sophomore Guard – St. Francis PA
Nigel Wyatte – Senior Forward – Wagner
John Quintana – Sophomore Guard – St. Francis NY

NEC Coach of the Year

Ron Ganulin – St. Francis NY

NEC Rookie of the Year

James Williams – Freshman Guard – Long Island

NEC All-Rookie Team
James Williams – Freshman Guard – Long Island
Obie Nwadike – Freshman Forward – Central Connecticut State
Joey Henley – Freshman Forward – Sacred Heart
Esa Maki-Tulokas – Freshman Forward – Long Island
Mychal Kearse – Freshman Guard – Mount St. Mary’s

Season Recaps

Monmouth Hawks (21-12, 12-6 NEC)

Team MVP: Blake Hamilton, team’s leading scorer and rebounder

Top Scorer: Hamilton 16.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Hamilton 6.4 rpg
Most Assists: Dwayne Byfield 2.06 apg

Starters Leaving: Jason Krayl, Brian Boxler

Key Returnees:
Blake Hamilton (junior forward, 1st team All-NEC)
Dwayne Byfield (junior guard, 12.3 ppg)
Corey Hallett (sophomore forward, sat out most of last year after transferring from Central Michigan, member of Canadian Under 20 national team)

Monmouth loses only two starters from their NCAA tournament team. Center Brian Boxler’s spot should be filled nicely by Corey Hallett who sat out last season after transferring from Central Michigan. Hallett is spending the summer playing for Team Canada in Under 21 national tournaments. Blake Hamilton and Dwayne Byfield are one of the top returning scoring duos in the NEC.

St. Francis NY Terriers (15-13, 12-6 NEC)

Team MVP: John Quintana, team’s leading scorer

Top Scorer: Quintana 15.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Eric Thompson 6.0 rpg
Most Assists: Tony Cavalieri 5.79 apg

Starters Leaving: Mike Wilson, Eric Thompson

Key Returnees:
John Quintana (sophomore guard, 2nd team All-NEC)
Tony Cavalieri (junior guard, NEC assist leader)
Devon Neckles (junior forward, team’s second leading rebounder)

With Quintana and Cavalieri, the Terriers return arguably the league’s best backcourt. If another post player can step up and pair with Devon Neckles, St. Francis should repeat their top four conference finish.

Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (17-12, 11-7 NEC)

Team MVP: Gordon Klaiber, team leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots

Top Scorer: Klaiber 16.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Klaiber 6.4 rpg
Most Assists: Marcus Whitaker 5.55 apg

Starters Leaving: Marcus Whitaker, Brandon Edwards

Key Returnees:
Gordon Klaiber (sophomore forward, 1st team All-NEC)
Chad Timberlake (sophomore guard, 11.5 ppg)
Tamien Trent (junior guard, 12.0 ppg)

Fairleigh Dickinson returns the top three scorers from the team that almost made the NEC championship game. The Knights will be one of the favorites to reach the title game next season if someone steps up to replace Marcus Whitaker who was fourth in the conference in assists.

Robert Morris Colonials (14-15, 10-8 NEC)

Team MVP: Aaron Thomas, league leader in three point shooting, team leader in rebounds, third on team in scoring

Top Scorer: Chaz McCrommon 17.0 ppg
Top Rebounder: Thomas 6.9 rpg
Most Assists: Maurice Carter 3.20 apg

Starters leaving: Aaron Thomas, Chaz McCrommon, Bobby Davenport

Key Returnees:
Maurice Carter (junior guard, second leading scorer)
Mark Anderson (junior forward, 8.6 ppg)

With two of the top three scorers leaving, the Colonials will have a tough time repeating a top four finish. McCrommon and Thomas averaged more then 38 minutes per game so young players without much experience will have to play key minutes.

St. Francis PA Red Flash (13-15, 10-8 NEC)

Team MVP: Darshan Luckey, team’s leading scorer

Top Scorer: Luckey 17.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Osborne 6.6 rpg
Most Assists: Erick Wills 2.67 apg

Starters leaving: Erick Wills, Carl Ulmer

Key Returnees:
Darshan Luckey (sophomore guard, leading scorer)
Joey Goodson (junior guard, 6.4 ppg)
Jason Osbourne (junior forward, 12.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg)

The core returns from a team that finished tied for fourth in the NEC. Like Fairleigh Dickinson, finding a reliable point guard to replace Erick Wills will go a long way in determining whether the Red Flash can duplicate that performance next season.

Wagner Seahawks (13-16, 10-8 NEC)

Team MVP: Nigel Wyatte, only NEC player to average a double-double, league leader in boards, team leader in points and blocks

Top Scorer: Wyatte 13.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Wyatte 10.4 rpg
Most Assists: Courtnet Pritchard 5.68 apg

Starters leaving: Doug Viegas, Teoine Carroll, Courtney Pritchard, Nigel Wyatte

Key Returnees:
Sean Munson (junior forward, 9.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg)
Jamal Webb (freshman guard, 6.0 ppg)

No team loses more than the Seahawks. Four starters depart from a team that finished tied for fourth. During the summer, Sean Munson played with a team of American all-stars that toured China and he will need to make some big strides to be the leader of the Seahawks. Five rising freshmen will also need to improve greatly after limited action in their first year.

Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (14-14, 9-9 NEC)

Team MVP: Ron Robinson, team’s leading scorer and rebounder

Top Scorer: Robinson 18.0 ppg
Top Rebounder: Robinson 9.7 rpg
Most Assists: Lenny Jefferson 2.74 apg

Starters leaving: Ron Robinson

Key Returnees:
Rich Pittman (junior forward, 10.3 ppg and 5.6 rpg)
Obie Nwadike (freshman forward, 7.5 ppg and 6.6 rpg)
Justin Chiera (sophomore guard, 10.2 ppg and team leader in threes)

Only NEC player of the year Ron Robinson departs from a team that made it to the NEC final. Robinson will be sorely missed but six players who averaged over 20 minutes and 6.5 points per game return. Add an incoming recruiting class with five players including Tristan Blackwood who also played for Canada in the Under 21 national tournaments this summer and they will again be a conference favorite.

Mount St. Mary Mountaineers (10-19, 8-10 NEC)

Team MVP: Landy Thompson, team leader in scoring, assists, steals and 3pt shooting

Top Scorer: Thompson 17.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Mychal Kearse 5.6 rpg
Most Assists: Thompson 2.52 apg

Starters leaving: Nick Dodson

Key Returnees:
Landy Thompson (sophomore guard, leading scorer)
Kiel Butler (sophomore forward, 11.1 ppg)
Mychal Kearse (freshman guard, 6.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg)

All but one starter returns to a team that used a three game win streak to close the regular season and advance to their first NEC tournament in four years. With only two seniors next year, the team will still be very young but should make some noise in the NEC. Even so, the Mountaineer’s best team could be another year away.

Sacred Heart Pioneers (12-15, 8-10 NEC)

Team MVP: Maurice Bailey, NEC leader in scoring and free throw shooting

Top Scorer: Bailey 20.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Joey Henley 5.4 rpg
Most Assists: Omar Wellington 4.15 apg

Starters leaving: Maurice Bailey, Omar Wellington

Key Returnees:
Kibwe Trim (junior forward, 10.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg)
Joey Henley (freshman forward, 8.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg)

The Pioneers lose their two best players and arguably the best backcourt in the NEC in Bailey and Wellington. With Trim, Henley and a 7-2 Mading Mading, the frontcourt will have to carry this team and hope that a couple young guards emerge.

Quinnipiac Bobcats (9-20, 5-13 NEC)

Team MVP: Rashaun Banjo, team leader in points and rebounds

Top Scorer: Banjo 17.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Banjo 7.6 rpg
Most Assists: Kason Mims 5.72 apg

Starters leaving: Rashaun Banjo, Kason Mims

Key Returnees:
Rob Monroe (junior guard, 15.5 ppg and 60 threes)
CJ Vick (junior forward, 9.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg)
Craig Benson (sophomore guard, 7.9 ppg)

The most disappointing team in the NEC will have to replace two starters that played big minutes last season. The Bobcats will need to rely heavily on Rob Monroe who was the team’s second leading scorer but missed the last four games of the season with a broken foot. Without major improvements from underclassmen, Quinnipiac could find itself mired near the bottom off the NEC for a second straight season.

Long Island Blackbirds (8-19, 4-14 NEC)

Team MVP: James Williams, team leader in assists, minutes, free throw and 3pt shooting

Top Scorer: Brandon Thomas 12.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: Esa Maki-Tulokas 6.3 rpg
Most Assists: Williams 3.85 apg

Starters leaving: Brandon Thomas, Raymond Edwards

Key Returnees:
James Williams (freshman guard, NEC rookie of the year)
Esa Maki-Tulokas (freshman forward, 8.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg)

The top two scorers leave a team that finished in the basement of the NEC. Several freshmen saw extended playing time but with only two seniors and no juniors, the Blackbirds may be staring at another season in the cellar of the NEC.

Radford on the Move?

Radford on the Move?

by Doug McKinney

In his last year as President of Radford University, Dr. Douglas Covington is trying to make one last big move before he leaves office. However, that one move could affect RU athletics for years to come while he’ll be long gone and the school will have to deal with the consequences.

Behind the support of Covington and a handful of Atlantic Sun advocates, Radford athletics may be making a move from the Big South Conference to the A-Sun Conference, an event that has shocked Big South officials partly due to the fact that RU has been affiliated with them for 20 years now.

Nevertheless, Radford Board of Visitors delayed any decision on a possible move until at least November, which makes a whole lot of sense. In the meantime everyone working on this case will have extra time to think about the consequences of this possible move. Now, there is no reason to blame Radford for looking around at other options and trying to improve its basketball program as a whole, because it has become clear that basketball is the athletic department’s main concern. I’m all for that – go look around and see what you can get. However, one must ask: Why the Atlantic Sun? Is the A-Sun that much better than the Big South?

Sure, the A-Sun was ranked 21st in the conference RPI last year. And well, the Big South finished 28th out of 32 conferences. Looks like a smart move right? But the Atlantic Sun Radford is thinking about joining is not the same conference that finished 21st overall last year. Radford would be joining the ‘new’ Atlantic Sun that is without former conference juggernauts Central Florida, Troy State, Georgia State and Florida Atlantic, all of whom will have fled to other conferences by 2006.

No, Radford would be joining the new Atlantic Sun that could be in jeopardy of losing their automatic bid to the NCAA tournament due to the large amount of teams departing the conference.

You can rely on conference RPIs if you want. I think they’re good for the fans, but don’t mean much. It all comes down to winning games. You win your games on the schedule and you win your conference tournament you get to dance – that’s what it’s all about. And in all honesty, Radford hasn’t done a whole lot of that. They have had good teams and favorable schedules, but haven’t won as much as they probably should have in the new millennium.

Third year head coach Byron Samuels seems to have turned the program around, though. Samuels led the Highlanders to the conference championship in his first year as head skipper and seems determined to get the Highs back into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. Would a move to the Atlantic Sun improve Radford’s chances in getting back to the NCAA tournament? Who knows?

Another confusing twist in this story is the fact that Radford, who is already struggling with funds for athletics teams, would want to leave for another conference that would require much more spending. The geographic breakdown of Big South schools includes schools in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one in Alabama. If moving to the A-Sun is the answer, then Radford will pack their bags and play their new opponents in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. I’m not so great with geography, but I do think South Carolina is a little bit closer and would be a cheaper trip then going down to Florida a few times a year.

For 20 years now Radford has been a prominent figure in the Big South. Twenty years of sharing heated rivalries with such schools as Winthrop and Liberty, a luxury they would have to forfeit with a move to the A-Sun.

It really seems like the Big South and the Atlantic Sun are on the same talent level. A-Sun might get a little more press, but is it worth it to delve into your budget costs, that have already said to have been fairly low? Maybe in November everyone will know if it’s worth it to make the move, or maybe something drastic will happen in this case before then. For now though, the BOV made a smart decision in holding off on the final verdict.

A perfect example of why Radford’s conference affiliation is not a problem and they just need to win in their own league before thinking about upgrading, think back to 2001 when University of Maryland beat Indiana for the NCAA championship. In that same season Maryland lost to Duke, who lost to Florida State. FSU lost to Western Carolina, who lost to Coastal Carolina. Coastal Carolina lost to Radford three times that year. All in all, the great thing about college basketball is that on any given night anything can happen.

On a closing note – I’m not a genius or anything, nor am I suggesting what decision Radford should make. Whatever makes Radford a better program, I’m all for it. I just don’t know how much those who are supporting the move have really thought about the consequences. It doesn’t matter what league Radford will be in, in five years. All they have to do is win.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Wednesday, September 23rd

Still the Prince of Kentucky: Former Kentucky Wildcat and current Detroit Piston Tayshaun Prince has been honored by the school’s board of trustees, which approved a resolution of congratulations. That’s a fancy, bureaucratic way of saying: “Thanks for representing Kentucky so well.” Prince was a critical piece of the Pistons’ championship puzzle. In addition to his professional success, Prince was a star for the Wildcats, finishing eighth among the school’s all-time scoring leaders.

No More Holes in Denver: Filling the second of two holes created late in the summer, Denver coach Terry Carroll hired assistant Matt Garner to replace former assistant Matt Woodley. Garner will be responsible for recruiting, scouting, film exchange and daily team preparations. He spent the past seven seasons as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State.

MAAC Fills Administrative Hole: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference hired Dave Magarity to be the MAAC’s director of men’s basketball operations. He will help coordinate the conference tournament, regular season scheduling, officiating and special events. Magarity had been the head coach at Marist for the past 18 years and collected a 253-259 record during his tenure.

Terps Opt for Self-Censorship: After Maryland fans caught flak for profane chants during a nationally televised game against Duke last season, school officials decided that fans needed to clean up their act – by choice or by force. Maryland Sportsmanship Committee officials have decided not to play a traditional pregame song, “Rock and Roll, Part II,” which contains several “modest” vulgarities. Fans can still sing the song if they choose, and fans have done so at two football games this season. Committee officials are promoting proper conduct by planning to distribute a newspaper, the “Garyland Gazette,” which will contain recommended chants.

Fredonia State Player Dies: Fredonia State senior center Mark Buckenmeyer, 21, died Friday after having a seizure, according to sources. The news shocked his family, friends and teammates. Fredonia State coach Kevin Moore said the team will honor Buckenmeyer with an emblem or badge on the team’s uniforms. His jersey number, 44, will remain unused.

Conference USA Season Recap

Conference USA 2003-04 Season Recap

by Zach Van Hart

In a word, last year was a classic one for C-USA. The conference achieved something that had never happened before in the history of Division I college basketball – a five-way tie for first place. Cincinnati, Charlotte, DePaul, UAB and Memphis all finished 12-4 during the regular season, so the title was split between all of them. Along the way, there were plenty of highs and lows.

UAB and DePaul were the two great stories, as both schools came back from worst place finishes a couple of years ago to return to glory. Both were led by second-year coaches, as Dave Leitao and Mike Anderson did terrific jobs. Leitao’s group overcame an early season injury to star Andre Brown, while Anderson’s “40 Fastest Minutes of Basketball” enabled his Blazers to out-run the competition.

Other team’s had great success too. Charlotte won three games against Top 10 teams, Louisville defeated two No. 1 teams and TCU knocked off a Top 10 team for the first time in decades. The season had its disappointments too. Those same Louisville Cardinals collapsed during the final six weeks, South Florida only managed one conference win, and before the regular season was over, Southern Miss head coach James Green resigned.

On the final day of the regular season, it broke down like this: If Memphis won at Cincinnati, they would be the lone regular season champs. If Cincinnati won, both would share the crown, along with any of the other three teams who won. Sure enough, Cincinnati won 83-79, and the other three teams won too, clinching the crazy tiebreaker and setting up a great conference tournament.

Conference Tournament

Day one at the C-USA Tournament saw only one surprise, one that should not have really come as a surprise, as TCU defeated Marquette 64-62. It was the second time this season the Horned Frogs knocked off the Eagles, and neither was in Texas. Round two saw a thriller between Louisville and Cincinnati, which the Bearcats won 66-64, and the biggest upset of the weekend, as No. 7 Saint Louis beat No. 2 seed Memphis.

The early semifinal game was a classic, as DePaul defeated UAB, 75-74, in overtime thanks to two Delonte Holland free throws with less than five seconds remaining. Cincinnati coasted into the finals with a 20-point against the Billikens, setting up the finals. Both offenses struggled, and a punch to Tony Bobbitt’s led to an ejection. In the end, Bobbitt had the last laugh, scoring seventeen points as the Bearcats won 55-50. Bobbitt earned MVP honors.

NCAA Tournament

UAB - No. 9 seed in St. Louis region
Defeated No. 8 Washington, 102-100
Defeated No. 1 Kentucky, 76-75
Lost to No. 4 Kansas, 100-74

Cincinnati – No. 4 seed in Atlanta region
Defeated No. 13 East Tennessee State, 80-77
Lost to No. 5 Illinois, 92-68

Memphis – No. 7 seed in East Rutherford region
Defeated No. 10 South Carolina, 59-43
Lost to No. 2 Oklahoma, 70-53

DePaul – No. 7 seed in Phoenix region
Defeated No. 10 Dayton, 76-69
Lost to No. 2 Connecticut, 72-55

Charlotte - No. 9 seed in East Rutherford
Lost to No. 8 Texas Tech, 76-73

Louisville – No. 10 seed in Atlanta region
Lost to No. 7 Xavier, 80-70

NIT

Marquette
Defeated Toledo, 87-72
Defeated Boise State, 66-53
Lost to Iowa State, 77-69

Saint Louis
Defeated Iowa, 70-69
Lost to Notre Dame, 77-66

Hardware (Hoopville’s Picks)

First Team All-C-USA:
Antonio Burks, Memphis
Sean Banks, Memphis
Travis Diener, Marquette
Curtis Withers, Charlotte
Francisco Garcia, Louisville

Second Team:
Reggie Bryant, Saint Louis
Charles Gaines, Southern Miss
Terrance Leather, USF
Delonte Holland, DePaul
Corey Santee, TCU

Third Team:
Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati
Anwar Ferguson, Houston
Andre Owens, Houston
Tony Bobbitt, Cincinnati
Morris Finley, UAB

First Team All-Freshman:
Banks
Desmond Mason, Marquette
Sammy Meija, DePaul
Martin Iti, Charlotte
Mike Cook, East Carolina

MVP – Burks
Defensive Player of the Year – Burks
Freshman of the Year – Burks
Sixth Man of the Year – Bobbitt
Coach of the Year – Dave Leitao, DePaul

Team by Team

Charlotte (20-9, 12-4)

One of a few surprise teams in C-USA, the Niners set the tone with an upset of the defending champs Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Charlotte scored three wins against Top 10 foes, including its first ever win at Cincinnati, and was a part of the five-way tie for the conference regular season crown. Curtis Withers was arguable the most improved player in the league.

MVP – Curtis Withers

Top scorer – Withers (16.3)
Top rebounder – Withers (9.5)
Top assists – Demon Brown (3.9)

Starters leaving – Brown (graduating)

Next season – The 49ers should be a preseason favorite to win its first C-USA title. Brown is the only significant loss and if Mitchell Baldwin handles the point well, the loss of Brown may even be a blessing in disguise.

Cincinnati (25-7, 12-4)

The Bearcats overcame a mid-season swoon to capture its eighth C-USA regular season title, then won the conference tournament in its home city. Big home wins against Louisville and Memphis late in the season highlighted the year, along with its three-game trek through the conference tourney. Tony Bobbitt was arguably the top sixth man in the country, and earned C-USA Tournament MVP honors.

MVP – Tony Bobbitt

Top scorer – Jason Maxiell (13.6)
Top rebounder – Maxiell (6.9)
Top assists – James White (3.6)

Starters leaving – Field Williams (graduating)

Next season – Cincinnati will again contend for the regular season title, even with the loss of Field Williams and Bobbitt. The only areas of concern – an everygame threat from beyond the arc and to sew up the point guard position.

DePaul (22-10, 12-4)

The season looked bleak during early January, as Andre Brown remained on the bench with a shoulder injury and the team struggling to stay at .500. When Brown returned in mid-January though, the team took off. With big wins against Louisville and Cincinnati late in the year, they clinched a share of the regular season title and advanced to the conference tournament finals. Then the Demons won its first round NCAA tournament game against Dayton in double overtime, its first tourney win in fifteen years.

MVP – Andre Brown

Top scorer – Delonte Holland (16.5)
Top rebounder – Brown (9.2)
Top assists – Sammy Meija (4.4)

Starters leaving – Brown (graduating), Holland (graduating)

Next season – DePaul will take a hit with the loss of Brown and Holland. Dave Leitao had a decent bench last season and has a good recruiting class coming in. Meija will be the key next year; he has the potential to be a superstar.

Memphis (22-8, 12-4)

It was the B & B combination all season for Memphis. Antonio Burks and Sean Banks were possibly the two best players in the league last year, leading the Tigers to a share of the conference regular season title. Memphis was one of the best three-point shooing teams in the country and this carried them to a first round NCAA tournament win against South Carolina, the school’s first tourney win in nine seasons.

MVP – Antonio Burks

Top scorer – Sean Banks (17.4)
Top rebounder – Banks (6.5)
Top assists – Burks (5.5)

Starters leaving – Burks (graduating)

News – Freshman Ivan Lopez left the team in late April to play professional basketball in Spain.

Next season – Burks was an integral part of the team, but in Banks they have a star to build around. Jeremy Hunt will step into the point guard slot nicely. Expect Memphis to come close to winning least a share of the regular season title again.

UAB (22-10, 12-4)

The Blazers were easily the story of the year in C-USA. Predicted by most experts (although not by Hoopville) to finish in the middle of the pack, UAB clinched a share of its first C-USA regular season title. Then they defeated Washington, 102-100, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, before pulling off one of the biggest shockers of March, beating No. 1 seed Kentucky, 76-75, thanks to a Morris Finley jumper with less than thirteen seconds remaining. UAB had not won a tournament game since 1986 and had not been to the Sweet Sixteen since ’82.

MVP – Morris Finley

Top scorer – Finley (13.9)
Top rebounder – Sidney Ball (5.3)
Top assists – Carldell Johnson (4.3)

Starters leaving – Finley (graduating), Ball (graduating), Gabe Kennedy (graduating)

Next season – The above seniors meant even more to this team than their stats would indicate. That being said, UAB is still very deep. Mike Anderson has found a winning formula and his team will again compete for the regular season crown.

Louisville (20-10, 9-7)

The Cardinals’ bright season turned into one of the worst collapses in college basketball in years. In mid-January, Louisville was 16-1 and ranked in the top five in the country. They finished the season 4-9, lost in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament and blew a fourteen-point lead in the first round of the NCAA tournament, losing by ten points to Xavier. Injuries to stars Francisco Garcia, Luke Whitehead and especially to Taquan Dean hindered the Cards during the final two months of the year.

MVP – Francisco Garcia

Top scorer – Garcia (16.4)
Top rebounder – Luke Whitehead (7.7)
Top assists – Garcia (4.7)

Starters leaving – Whitehead (graduating), Kendall Dartez (graduating)

Next season – Right now, the Cardinals are a bit of a question mark. Yes, with Garcia and a healthy Taquan Dean, they look very tough on paper. But this part year’s collapse will likely weigh on the team during the offseason.

Saint Louis (19-13, 9-7)

The Billikens’ season was a bunch of mini-runs (three wins here, four losses there) resulting in a seventh place finish in the conference. Their biggest wins came during the tournaments – first with an upset of No. 2 Memphis in the conference tournament quarterfinals, along with its exciting finish in the first round of the NIT. Their nineteen wins were the team’s best total in four seasons.

MVP – Reggie Bryant

Top scorer – Bryant (16.4)
Top rebounder – Tom Fredricks (6.0)
Top assists – Josh Fisher (4.3)

Starters leaving – Fisher (graduating), Chris Sloan (graduating)

Next season – Expect the Billikens to look pretty similar. They will usually be in every game, keep the score low and rely on Bryant to be the offensive punch. A middle of the road finish is likely.

Marquette (19-12, 8-8)

Not the season Marquette fans were expecting. The team came up with big wins (twice at Louisville, Notre Dame, DePaul) but continually were upset in others (TCU at home, Southern Miss in Green Bay). Travis Diener was the best player in the conference, but never received consistent help. The Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT, before losing to Iowa State.

MVP – Travis Diener

Top scorer – Diener (18.8)
Top rebounder – Scott Merritt (7.1)
Top assists – Diener (6.0)

Starters leaving – Merritt (graduating), Terry Sanders (graduating)

Next season – Marquette will bounce back from its eighth place finish. Diener will be an unstoppable force, while Desmond Mason and a consistent Scott Novack will provide for three legit scores. All that this team is missing from a conference title is an inside presence.

TCU (12-17, 7-9)

It’s not often you call a losing season a success, but that’s exactly what this past year was for the Horned Frogs. They scored plenty of big wins (at Marquette and again during the conference tournament, 27-point blowout of Louisville), but more importantly played consistent during the entire second half. Second-year head coach Neil Dougherty transformed this team into “his” team, and it showed.

MVP – Corey Santee

Top scorer – Santee (14.5)
Top rebounder – Chudi Chinweze (4.9)
Top assists – Santee (4.3)

Starters leaving – Nucleus Smith (graduating)

Next season – The Horned Frogs are definitely a team on the rise. Smith is the only contributor departing. TCU played excellent during the second half and there is no reason they shouldn’t continue this next year. Look for them to finish in the top half of C-USA.

Southern Miss (13-15, 6-10)

It was a heartbreaking year for the Golden Eagles. Their star-studded frontcourt never took control like many expect, eventually costing Southern Miss any chance of a good season. Eventually it cost the team its coach, as James Green resigned near the end of the year. The Eagles then folded, losing to lowly South Florida at home and then to Saint Louis in the first round of the conference tournament.

MVP – Charles Gaines

Top scorer – Gaines (15.7)
Top rebounder – Gaines (10.4)
Top assists – Dante Stiggers (4.0)

Starters leaving – Gaines (graduating), Greg Johnson (graduating), Clement Carter (graduating)

News – James Green resigned as head coach with one game left in the regular season. Larry Estachy, the former Iowa State head coach, was hired as the new head coach.

Next season – With the hiring of Estachy, the 2004-05 season really doesn’t even matter, because all of the attention will be on him. That’s good, because next year’s Eagles do not look very promising.

East Carolina (13-14, 5-11)

The Pirates again started out very slow in conference play, but made a push towards the end of the year that was their best stretch ever in C-USA. They won three straight conference games in February and finished the regular season with a 13-point road win at Southern Miss, only ECU’s second road win in its C-USA history. During its first round game at the conference tournament, they hung tough before losing to Louisville, 61-54.

MVP – Derrick Wiley

Top scorer – Wiley (14.8)
Top rebounder – Erroyl Bing (8.3)
Top assists – Japhet McNeil (3.5)

Starters leaving – Wiley (graduating), Bing (graduating)

News – Belton Rivers, the team’s top three-point shooter, announced he will transfer

Next season – Every year the Pirates seem to inch a little closer towards a breakthrough, but next year that breakthrough could be difficult. Bing and Wiley have been major contributors for the past three seasons and will be missed.

Tulane (11-17, 4-12)

The Green Wave fell hard from its .500 season a year ago, losing its first seven conference games and never recovering. Senior Wayne Tinsley did all he could to keep his team alive, but to no avail. Guard Ben Benfield looked like a savior in December, but eventually found himself on the bench by the end of the year. Quincy Davis was the lone bright spot and will be the cornerstone next season.

MVP – Wayne Tinsley

Top scorer – Quincy Davis (10.6)
Top rebounder – Vytas Tatarunas (7.2)
Top assists – Tinsley (4.1)

Starters leaving – Tinsley (graduating)

Next season – Losing Tinsley will hurt, but in Davis they do have a star. Now the only trouble will be finding someone to get him the ball. Don’t get expect much more out of Tulane next year, and don’t expect Sean Finney to be the coach much longer either.

Houston (9-18, 3-13)

If ever there was a team that always seemed to find a way to lose, it was the Cougars last year. They lost back-to-back games by a total of three points, then lost in triple overtime by three points and led Cincinnati in the final 90 seconds before losing, again in back-to-back games. Then in the regular season finale, they let a 20-point lead with twelve minutes remaining slip away at Saint Louis.

MVP – Andre Owens

Top scorer – Owens (16.0)
Top rebounder – Anwar Ferguson (7.4)
Top assists – Lanny Smith (3.2)

Starters leaving – Owens (graduating), Marcus Oliver (graduating), Ferguson (graduating)

News – Ray McCallum was fired as head coach and former Texas head coach Tom Penders was fired as the new coach.

Next season – Penders will have his work cut out for him next season. In Lanny Smith the Cougars have a player to build around. Overall though, Houston will likely be near the bottom again.

South Florida (7-20, 1-15)

The Bulls knew it was going to be rough, but no one expected it to be this bad. New head coach Robert McCullum cleaned house, dismissing several players from his team and leaving him with only a few scholarship players. Terrance Leather stared, but the team struggled. Its lone conference win of the season came against Southern Miss.

MVP – Terrance Leather

Top scorer – Leather (15.5)
Top rebounder – Leather (8.4)
Top assists – Brian Swift (4.4)

Starters leaving – Gerrick Morris (graduating), Brian Graham (graduating)

Next season – While things will look bleak for Houston and Tulane next year, the Bulls will definitely improve. Terrance Leather and Brian Swift are a great inside-out combo, and USF was better than its record indicated.

Look ahead to 2004-05

This time last season, we were talking about how hard it was going to be for C-USA to follow its historic season after Marquette advanced to the Final Four. Consider it followed. Now the question is, “Can they do it again?” And the answer, “Why not?” Three of the five co-champions lose very little from this year’s teams, while usual powerhouses Louisville and Marquette should improve upon last year.

The bottom third will likely stay the same, but the top two-thirds are up for grabs. Look for TCU to have its best run in C-USA ever, for UAB to slide a bit (but only a bit) and for Travis Diener to be Second Team All-American. While it would be crazy to pick another five-way title, we’ll just go with two: Charlotte and Louisville. And oh yeah, next year will the last in C-USA as we know it; 2005-06 will see major realignment. What a way to go out.

Big West Season Recap

Big West Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Matthew Lefebvre

After a summer which brought NCAA investigation and a significant tournament change to the Big West, the conference proved it should not be overlooked as they sent two teams to post-season tournaments. Utah State (NCAA) and Pacific (NIT) finished the 2003-04 campaign with an identical 17-1 record in conference games. Both loses, coincidently, came against each other. Utah State won 66-51 at home on Jan. 15 and then fell on Pacific’s home floor, 64-60 on Feb. 14.

Many of the teams which were thought to compete for the conference crown had significant trouble and were not able to make any type of move in the standings. One of those teams was Cal Poly who was picked to finish third, but fell to eighth after a disappointing campaign which left them with a 6-12 Big West record despite having the conference’s leading scorer, Varnie Dennis (18.0 ppg) on the team. UC Irvine was another team which could not meet the expectations. Thought to be a fourth place team, the Anteaters slipped to No. 9 and failed to make the conference tournament.

The obvious surprise of the year came in the postseason when underrated UC Northridge defeated Cal State Fullerton (7), Cal Santa Barbara (3) and Utah State (1) three consecutive days and came within two made free throws of making it to the NCAA Tournament. The Matadors had three players in the top 15 in scoring during the regular season.

Big West Conference Tournament

Coming into the Big West Conference Tournament, regular season powers Pacific and Utah State were the favorites to take the title to the NCAA tournament. Under the revamped tournament guidelines, the No.1 and No. 2 seeds get byes into the semi-finals while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds got first round byes. After each round, the teams were reseeded so the highest seed would face the lowest seed. This was done in hopes of getting the strongest team from the conference to the NCAA Tournament, but not everything goes according to plan.

The first round featured one of the best players in the Big West, Pape Sow of Cal State Fullerton. He recorded a team high 21 points, but Fullerton could not stop No. 6 Cal State Northridge who won 80-70. The Matadors shot over .500 from the field and from beyond the arc.

The other first round match-up was between No. 5 Cal Riverside and No. 8 Cal Poly. The favored Highlanders had four players in double-figures, led by Nate Carter’s 22 points. Cal Poly had 19 turnovers and four players with four personal fouls.

The second round brought into play the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, Cal Santa Barbara and Idaho, respectively.

Idaho was hot entering the tournament, winning eight of its last 11 games. They continued their winning ways with a 66-58 win over No. 5 Cal Riverside. The Vandals defense was the deciding factor in a game that was tight until the end. They forced Cal Riverside into 3-14 shooting from beyond the three-point line and forced 18 turnovers. The Vandals were led by Senior Tyrone Hayes’ 22 points.

In the other second round match-up, Cal State Northridge continued their quest towards the conference crown with a 61-58 win over No. 3 Cal Santa Barbara. Northridge got an impressive 19 points from Joseph Frazier, a player not known for his scoring. Santa Barbara did not a three-pointer all game, going 0-9. They were led by Cecil Brown and Jacoby Atako who both netted 10 points.

The semi-finals were just as the conference commissioner wanted, all the top seeds except for the up and coming No. 6 Cal State Northridge. The Highlanders were to take on No. 1 Utah State, a team that had lost just one conference game all season and was the hands down favorite to make it to the NCAA tourney.

Utah State, along with being the No. 1 seed in the Big West was also the No. 22 team in the country coming into the game. Northridge led by six at the half, 34-28, and carried that momentum into the second half and into the waning seconds when Joseph Frazier hit a three-pointer to send the Highlanders to the Big West Championship Game. Ian Boylan, Second Team All-Big West, scored a game high 27 points, including four of seven from beyond the three point line. The Aggies were led by Spencer Nelson who had 19 points but the big story was that the Aggies could not stop Northridge on defense. The Highlanders shot over .500 from the field and from deep and only missed one free throw (14-15) the entire game.

The second semi-final game pitted No. 2 University of the Pacific against No. 4 Idaho Vandals. The No. 2 Tigers had won 12 games in a row coming into this contest and sported the league’s Player of the Year in Miah Davis. He scored 21 of the Tigers 67 points and was clutched down the stretch hitting 12 of 14 from the free throw line to seal the 67-61 Pacific victory. The Vandals were led by Hayes’ 19 points. This set-up a game between the No. 2 and the No. 6 seeds in the conference championship.

In the Big West Championship, Pacific proved their worth early as they led at the half, 37-29. The Tigers got out to a robust 28-9 lead before the Matadors climbed back into it. The game was tight all the way to the final buzzer as with: 05 left in regulation, Davis drove to the hoop and was fouled. He sunk both freebees and Pacific missed a desperation three and the celebration began.

Now the Pacific Tigers would have to wait until selection Sunday to see whom they would face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Big West Post-Season

University of the Pacific Tigers

The Tigers finished second in the Big West in 2003-04 but were able to defeat Cinderella hopefully Cal State Northridge in the conference championship game to receive the automatic NCAA bid. They were given the No. 12 seed in the St. Louis Bracket and were pitted against up and coming Providence College led by standout Ryan Gomes. The Tigers came out hot, and led by four, 37-33 at the intermission. In the second half, Pacific tightened up the defense and held the Friars to only 25 points. Gomes was the only PC player in double figures, netting 25 points in the Tigers 66-58 win. Pacific was led by standout Miah Davis who scored 19 points on seven of 15 from the field.

With the win, the Tigers faced the national runner-up from the previous year, the Kansas Jayhawks. Although Providence is a tough team, they are not as proven and battle tested as the ‘Hawks who were able to handle the inexperienced Tigers, 78-63. The Tigers were only down four at the half, 36-32, but the increased pressure of the second half proved to be too much and the Jayhawks outscored them 42-31. Miah Davis, was held to only 10 points while Guillaume Yango stepped up his scoring and netted a team high 22 points.

Utah State Aggies

The Aggies were 17-1 in Big West play and lost only four games all season but one of the loses came to Cal State Northridge in the Big West semifinals, 63-62. This was the most meaningful of all the loses, as it ended any hopes the Aggies had of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Even though they did not go to the dance, the NIT was there with open arms to accept a mid-major who won 25 games.

The Aggies opponent, the University of Hawaii came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, scoring 43 points and taking an 11 point lead into the locker room. Hawaii known as a good shooting team was fire from beyond three, hitting eight of their 13 attempts. The two teams played even ball in the second half, both scoring 42 points. The Aggies unable to come back from their first half deficit lost 85-74. Spencer Nelson continued his big play leading State with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. He was arguably the team’s most valuable player on its post-season run.

Big West Hardware

Player of the Year

Miah Davis, Senior, University of the Pacific Tigers

Newcomer of the Year

Bobby Brown, Freshman, Cal State Fullerton

Coach of the Year

Bob Thomason, University of the Pacific Tigers

All-Conference 1st Team
Miah Davis, Senior, University of the Pacific
Christian Maraker, Sophomore, University of the Pacific
Cardell Butler, Senior, Utah State Aggies
Mark Brown, Senior, Utah State Aggies
Nate Harris, Sophomore, Utah State Aggies
Pape Sow, Senior, Cal State Fullerton

All-Conference 2nd Team
Ian Boylan, Junior, Cal State Northridge
Nate Carter, Sophomore, Cal Riverside
Tyrone Hayes, Senior, Idaho Vandals
Spencer Nelson, Junior, Utah State Aggies
Kevin Roberts, Senior, Long Beach State
Varnie Dennis, Senior, Cal Poly

Utah State Aggies 25-4, 17-1 Big West

A team which has become familiar with postseason play in recent years, the Aggies were able to pull off an invitation to the NIT tournament after a disappointing end to an outstanding season. Losing only once until the Big West Tournament, the Aggies appeared as though their only trouble would be rival Pacific, but the oversight allowed Cal State Northridge to gain a 63-62 win and advance to the conference finals. The loss ended the Aggies run to the dance and made them the brides’ maids of the Big West. After the loss to CSN, State lost to the University of Hawaii in the first round of the NIT, 85-74.

Team MVP – Cardell Butler (14.0 ppg, 30.1 mpg, started all 29 games)

Top Scorer – Cardell Butler (14.0 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Spencer Wilson (7.8 rpg)
Top Assists – Mark Brown (4.86 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Cardell Butler (Graduating)
Mark Brown (Graduating)
Mike Ahmad (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nate Harris; Junior Forward (11.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Spencer Nelson; Senior Forward (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg)

The losses of Butler and Brown, the team’s leading scorer and assist man, respectively will significantly hurt the offense. The Aggies still do have an impressive front like with Harris and Nelson both returning, a year older and stronger. Another run to the post season may not be in the future unless State gets the same scoring contribution from the front line, and the starters in the backcourt are able to fill the large shoes left behind for them.

University of Pacific Tigers 25-8, 17-1 Big West

For a team which was picked to finish ninth in its own conference, the Tigers did pretty well for themselves. After a rocky start, the Tigers were 5-6 on New Year’s Day and were making plans for Spring Break. But that was the non-conference portion of the schedule. Once Big West play began, the Tigers were near unstoppable, winning 17 of 18, including 15 in a row. They finished four games behind first place Utah State, and defeated Idaho and Cal State Northridge in the Big West tourney en route to an NCAA bid. The Tigers drew No. 12 and were slated to face a tough Providence College team who made waves in the Big East. Led by Ryan Gomes, the Friars were a favorite to win its first round game, but it seems that every year, a No. 12 seed beats a No. 5, and sure enough, Pacific was that No. 12. In the round of 32, the Tigers faced a Kansas team that was a year removed and a blocked three-pointer way from being national champions. The Tigers run was ended by the Jayhawks, a 78-63 loss.

Team MVP – Miah Davis (14.7 ppg, 3.1 apg, 34.5 mpg)

Top Scorer – Miah Davis (14.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Christian Maraker (5.9 rpg)
Top Assists – David Doubley (3.3 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Tom Cockle (Graduating)
Miah Davis (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
David Doubly; Senior Guard (8.0 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Christian Maraker; Junior Forward (12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg)

In 2003-04 Head Coach Bob Thomason recorded his 300th career coaching victory.

Much like Utah State, the Tigers will lose their leading scorer. Although the departure of Davis is a huge blow to a program that is on the rise, Pacific will retain its second leading scorer, top rebounder and leader in assists. If they can account for Davis’ scoring, the Tigers may have a shot to get repeat birth in the NCAA tournament.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16-12, 10-8 Big West

The Gauchos were coming off an 18-14 campaign coming into 2003-04 and had high hopes for the season, considering they were returning four seniors to their starting five. After being picked to finish first in the Big West, hopes were high but the play did not the same expectations. The Gauchos lost five of their seven conference games in February, including games to conference top dogs Pacific and Utah State. This was the year everyone had expected UCSB to make a move towards the NCAA tourney, but now with the loss of four key seniors, their immediate future is in question.

Team MVP – Branduinn Fullove (10.6 ppg, 2.22 apg)

Top Scorer – Branduinn Fullove (10.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Cameron Goettsche (5.5 rpg)
Top Assists – Jacoby Atako (2.57 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Jacoby Atako (Graduating)
Branduinn Fullove (Graduating)
Nick Jones (Graduating)
Bryan Whitehead (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Cameron Goettsche; Junior Forward (8.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

Santa Barbara is losing its main core of talent which will hurt them in the short term. These types of players are hard to replace within a year and they lost a lot of the scoring punch which powered them to 16 victories a year ago. They do return Sophomore Joe See and Junior Cecil Brown, but the loss of four key contributors could be too much to over come. Check back come March.

Idaho Vandals 14-16, 9-9 Big West

Idaho returned a back court which combined to score 36.2 ppg in 2002-03. The trio of Tanoris Shepard, Dwayne Williams and Tyrone Hayes were some of the only bright spots for the Vandals who remain one of only two teams in the Big West not to reside in California (Utah State). The back courts’ scoring was down to 32.7 ppg in 2003-04, one of the obvious reasons for the lack of significant success. The Vandals were a respectable 9-4 at home, but lost 11 contests on the road including tough non-conference games against South Carolina, Gonzaga and Washington State.

Team MVP – Tyrone Hayes (13.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

Top Scorer – Tyrone Hayes (13.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Tyrone Hayes (5.7 rpg)
Top Assists – Dandrick Jones (2.97 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Tyrone Hayes (Graduating)
Rashaad Powell (Graduating)
Dwayne Williams (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Dandrick Jones; Senior Guard (2.97 apg)
Tanoris Shepard; Senior Guard (8.0 ppg, 26.5 mpg)

The Vandals lost two of their top scorers from a year ago and that will more than likely prove to be too high of an obstacle to overcome. Bringing back two experienced senior guards in Shepard and Jones will probably be enough to get the Vandals to the Big West Tournament, and anything can happen there.

UC Riverside Highlanders 11-17, 7-11 Big West

UC Riverside continued the trend of Big West teams in 2003-04 that have impressive records at home, but are down right terrible on the road. Going 2-12 on the road is the blue print to building a successful program but to the Highlanders credit, they played one stretch on the road where they visited Washington, Arizona State and UCLA, and only lost by an average of 12 points. The good news is that the future is bright because only two starters are lost to graduation, and one is not leading scorer Nate Carter (15.2 ppg).

Team MVP – Nate Carter (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Top Scorer – Nate Carter (15.2 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Nate Carter (6.8 rpg)
Top Assists – Mark Peters (3.14 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Ted Bell (Graduating)
Kevin Butler (Graduating)
Mark Peters (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nate Carter; Junior Guard/Forward (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Vili Morton; Senior Forward (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

One of the only teams in the conference to return their leading scorer, UC Riverside has a leg up on almost every other team in the Big West. Carter and Morton will be a formidable one-two punch which will be enough to bring the Highlanders back to the conference tourney and if they receive a top seed, could propel them to the dance.

Cal State Northridge Matadors 14-16, 7-11 Big West

Going into the Big West tourney, the Matadors were a No. 6 seed who was 11-15 at the time and no one gave a second look at. They survived the first day, then the second and soon found themselves on ESPN vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Although they feel to Pacific, the Matadors blew away all the expectations and naysayers. It was one of the most impressive runs in conference history.

Team MVP – Curtis Slaughter (14.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.17 apg)

Top Scorer – Ian Boylan (15.8 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Lionel Benjamin (5.3 rpg)
Top Assists – Curtis Slaughter (4.17 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Curtis Slaughter (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Ian Boylan; Senior Guard/Forward (15.8 ppg)
Joseph Frazier; Senior Guard/Forward (6.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

The Matadors will not sneak up on anyone this season. They retained their core of players and should make a run back towards the NCAA tourney. Boylan is a year older and will challenge the league’s Player of the Year Award in 2004-05.

Cal State Fullerton Titans 11-17, 7-11 Big West

The Titans love to play basketball. This is evident in the fact that they led the Big West in overtime games played with four in 2003-04. Their record in games with an extra session was 0-4, a vast difference from 2002-03 when their record in overtime games was 5-1. To the Titans credit, they played a tough non-conference schedule with some success. They only lost by seven at Arizona State (83-76) and by six at USC (96-90). They won on the road at Pepperdine, 78-74.

Team MVP – Pape Sow (17.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg)

Top Scorer – Pape Sow (17.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Pape Sow (9.7 rpg)
Top Assists – Bobby Brown (3.46 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Derick Andrew (Graduating)
Anthony Bolton (Graduating)
Zakee Smith (Graduating)
Pape Sow (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Bobbt Brown; Sophomore Guard (12.2 ppg, 3.46 apg)
Yaphett King; Senior Forward (9.1 ppg)

Fullerton did not enjoy much success in 2003-04, and the future might not be much better. Although they have the conference newcomer of the year in sophomore point guard Bobby Brown, they lost Pape Sow, led the team in scoring and rebounding. More talent will have to emerge around Brown in order for the Titans to have any chance of making a run at the Big West crown.

Cal Poly Mustangs 11-16, 6-12 Big West

The Mustangs faired very well in their non-conference schedule, scoring wins against the Pac-10′s USC Trojans, 93-78, and California Golden Bears, 63-62. Both were road wins, and major victories at that. From then on however, the wins were less common and the ‘Stangs went 7-13. They played well going into the Big West Tournament, winning three of four, but fell in the first round to UC Riverside, 72-63.

Team MVP – Varnie Dennis (18.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg)

Top Scorer – Varnie Dennis (18.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Varnie Dennis (7.9 rpg)
Top Assists – Kameron Gray (3.15 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Varnie Jackson (Graduating)
Shane Schilling (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nick Enzweiler; Senior Forward (8.4 ppg)
Kameron Gray; Junior Guard (3.15 apg)

The Mustangs will be without the services of their two leading scorers from the 2003-04 campaign in Dennis and Schilling. They will return their leading assistman and floor general in Gray. Davis did make up a large part of their offense, and he may be difficult to replace.

UC Irvine Anteaters 11-17, 6-12 Big West

The Anteaters won really half of their games against non-conference opponents, not a good sign. Some those five non-Big West contests were against notable opponents, Pepperdine, 85-83, and Princeton, 57-55. However, despite the 12 conference losses, they were only by and average of seven points. That translate into the Anteaters only being a short way away from being on the winning end of the score.

Team MVP – Adam Parada (12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

Top Scorer – Adam Parada (12.2 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Adam Parada (6.6 rpg)
Top Assists – Jeff Gloger (4.21 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Matt Okoro (Graduating)
Adam Parada (Graduating)
Stanislav Zuzak (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Mike Efevberha; Senior Guard/Forward (11.1 ppg)
Jeff Gloger; Senior Guard/Forward (9.1 ppg, 4.21 rpg)

Like most teams in the Big West, Irvine will lose its leading scorer to graduation. Parada and Zuzak combined for 23 ppg, not an easy task to replace. Those two players were some of the main reasons why the Anteaters were close in as many conference games as they were, their graduation will be a tough pill to swallow for a program that is trying to make waves out west.

Long Beach State 49ers 6-21, 4-14 Big West

State, mostly known as a baseball power throughout the country, struggled in 2003-04 on the hardwood. Two of their four conference wins however came against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara at home, 63-63, and at No. 4 Idaho, 64-60, their lone road win of the season. Those were two of the few bright spots for a 49er team that finished last in the Big West, 13 games out of first place. Senior Kevin Roberts was someone the ’9ers could hang their hat on, as he led the team in scoring 19 teams out of 27 games.

Team MVP – Kevin Roberts (15.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Top Scorer – Kevin Roberts (15.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Kevin Roberts (6.4 rpg)
Top Assists – Kevin Houston (3.26 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Marcel Jackson (Graduating)
Kevin Roberts (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Louis Darby; Junior Guard (6.6 ppg)
Jibril Hodges; Junior Guard (10.2 ppg)

The upcoming season is not too bright for the 49ers as Hodges is the only returning player from 2003-04 that averaged in double-figures. That is not a good sign for a team that had trouble scoring points, even with Roberts in the line-up. It appears as though State should get comfortable in the bottom of the Big West, because that where they will be at the end of the 2004-05 campaign.

Ohio Valley Season Recap

Ohio Valley Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Neal Heston

Only one word can describe the way the season ended for the Ohio Valley Conference: disappointment. The first team to survive through league play undefeated in over three decades didn’t even qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and the lone team to go dancing was greeted with a first round exit.

Samford and Jacksonville State each debuted nicely during their first season with the OVC. Each squeezed through for a berth in the conference tournament with identical 7-9 conference marks.

Murray State enjoyed its continued dominance of the Ohio Valley in 2003-04, earning a 12th league title and appearance in the NCAA Tourney. The Racer’s Cuthbert Victor even captured the attention of the Associated Press as the senior forward was selected as an honorable mention for the All-American team. Victor was in the nation’s top 10 for rebounding and field goal percentage and also finished his Racer career with the team record for blocked shots.

Lesson learned for the Govs

We’ve all heard the saying. “The regular season doesn’t mean a thing once the postseason begins.” Nobody knows that better than the Austin Peay Governors. The Governors lived up to their preseason expectations as they captured the OVC crown by storming through the regular season with a 16-0 mark. After surviving two close calls in the OVC quarterfinals and semifinals, any hope of an NCAA Tournament appearance was lost when Murray State earned the conference’s automatic berth by winning the championship, 66-60.

Austin Peay came close and led by as many as seven in the OVC title game, but the Racers were just too much. Murray State completed the game on a 16-6 run and Cuthbert Victor was named Tournament MVP as he scored 13 points to go along with nine boards.

Postseason ups and downs

Murray State (NCAA Tournament)

This game was supposed to be the sure bet for an upset. The Racers were the best of the “no-name” schools and were thought by many to make a Cinderella run. Big Ten champion Illinois would have no part of that as the Illini smacked the Racers around with a 72-53 win in the first round. Murray State, making its 12th appearance in the NCAA, never got any closer than six points during the entire contest. Cuthbert Victor tallied 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but he was the only Racer clicking as the Murray State team shot just 34 percent from the field.

Austin Peay (NIT)

Not reaching the NCAA Tournament may have been a disappointment for the Governors, but they did win their first-ever NIT contest over Belmont in the opening round. It was Austin Peay’s first postseason victory since 1987, when ironically for the OVC, the Governors took down Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

No player or coach on this season’s team will probably ever use the numbers 66 or 60 on their lottery ticket. The same score that crushed NCAA hopes in the OVC Tournament also ended the Governor’s season. George Mason sent Austin Peay home with a 66-60 win in the NIT’s first round. The Governors overcame an early 10-point deficit but couldn’t climb over the hill.

Handin’ Out the Hardware – Postseason Awards

Player of the Year:

Cuthbert Victor, Murray State (also named All-American Honorable Mention by AP)

Newcomer of the Year:

Willie Jenkins, Tennessee Tech

Freshman of the Year:

Bruce Prive, Tennessee State

Coach of the Year:

Dave Loos, Austin Peay

First Team All-OVC
Cuthbert Victor, Murray State
Adrian Henning, Austin Peay
Ricky Minard, Morehead State
Willie Jenkins, Tennessee Tech
Josh Lewis, Austin Peay

Recapping the Ohio Valley

Austin Peay (22-10, 16-0)

Team MVP: Adrian Henning, 13.7 ppg

Leading Scorer: Henning, 13.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Josh Lewis, 7.4 rpg
Assists Leader: Anthony Davis, 78

The preseason favorite of the OVC didn’t disappoint in one aspect this season. In another aspect, disappointment was an understatement. The Governors, who returned five starters from last season’s NCAA squad, stormed through the conference slate 16-0 but were taken down by the Murray State Racers in the conference championship. With the tournament loss, so ended the Gov’s shot at another NCAA bid. That might not have been the case had Austin Peay given a stronger showing against opponents outside the Ohio Valley, but the Governors managed just a 4-9 record outside the conference.

Despite not reaching the NCAA in 2004, Austin Peay didn’t go down easily in the NIT, earning its first postseason victory in 17 seasons with a win over Belmont in the opening round. George Mason put the Governors to sleep in the first round though with a 66-60 win.

Murray State (28-6, 14-2)

Team MVP: Cuthbert Victor, 14.6 ppg

Leading Scorer: Victor, 14.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Victor, 10.2 rpg
Assists Leader: Adam Chiles, 133

The third time is a charm. Murray State sat behind Austin Peay all season, letting the Governors grab all the attention with the unblemished conference mark. But when the game really mattered, the Racers delivered. Murray State sailed through the OVC tournament and rallied in the championship game to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA.

Under first year coach Mick Cronin, Murray State fielded a very competitive team, which posted quality wins over Southern Mississippi, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. Near upsets were nearly put in the books against powerhouses, Louisville and Pittsburgh as well. Big Ten champion Illinois was not impressed by those quality outings by Murray State and handed the Racers a sour end to the season with a 19-point victory in the first round of the NCAA.

Morehead State (16-13, 10-6)

Team MVP: Ricky Minard, 21.8 ppg

Leading Scorer: Minard, 21.8 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Minard, 7.3 rpg
Assists Leader: Minard, 147

Ricky Minard was the story for the Eagles this season. Too bad for Morehead State that he is a senior. Minard led the team in all major categories this year: scoring, rebounding and assists.

Though the early schedule was filled with cupcakes, Morehead State struggled out of the gates to a 7-7 mark before finishing with a strong February. A 6-3 run in the regular season’s final month was enough to clinch third in the OVC.

Eastern Kentucky (14-15, 8-8)

Team MVP: Matt Witt, 15.6 ppg

Leading Scorer: Witt, 15.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Michael Haney, 6.3 rpg
Assists Leader: Witt, 160

The Colonels marched into the season with three early losses but relished in the fact that none of them was greater than six points. That was the basics of this squad in the 2003-04 campaign – competitiveness. Eastern Kentucky was able to stay in its contest but remained a .500 ballclub throughout the season.

Samford (12-16, 7-9)

Team MVP: Phillip Ramelli, 13.1 ppg

Leading Scorer: Ramelli, 13.1 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Ramelli, 5.2 rpg
Assists Leader: Jerry Smith, 95

Fifth place- not bad for the first year in the Ohio Valley. Probably even more impressive was the fact that the newbies defeated OVC powerhouse Murray State – at Murray State. Quality outings were put up early on during the season by a Samford team, who by the way made the cut for EA Sport’s March Madness 2004. Winthrop fell victim to the Bulldogs and Big Ten power Purdue almost fell as well. To make a long story short, any team that looked past this Bulldog team found themselves in trouble very quickly.

Jacksonville State (14-14, 7-9)

Team MVP: Trent Eager, 13.4 ppg

Leading Scorer: Eager, 13.4 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Eager, 6 rpg
Assists Leader: Walker Russell, 182

Just behind first-year Samford was Jacksonville State in sixth place. After stepping into the OVC schedule with three quick losses, the Gamecocks were able to play .500 ball from then on to earn a spot in the conference tournament. Unfortunately for Jacksonville State, the first roadblock in the OVC tourney was a hot Morehead State team, who sent the OVC “rookies” home with an 82-68 opening round loss.

Tennessee Tech (13-15, 7-9)

Team MVP: Willie Jenkins, 19.5 ppg

Leading Scorer: Jenkins, 19.5 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jenkins, 7.2 rpg
Assists Leader: Will Moore, 135

The early schedule was not exactly impressive for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Nevertheless, Tech did what it was supposed to do with an easy schedule – win (jumping to a 3-1 start). Fortunes were looking good for the Eagles until a miserable February forced them down the ladder. Heading into the season’s final month with a 7-5 OVC mark, Tech dropped its final four contests to slip to a seventh place finish. Instead of hosting an opening round game in the conference tournament, the Golden Eagles hit the road to take on Murray State. Ouch.

Tennessee State (7-21, 6-10)

Team MVP: Bruce Price, 17.6 ppg

Leading Scorer: Price, 17.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Roshaun Bowens, 6.7 rpg
Assists Leader: Garnett Richardson, 173

New head coach Cy Alexander walked into the clubhouse this season that was occupied by a team not expected to do much. The numbers may have made the predictions correct (20 losses, 10 in the OVC), but the season was not a complete letdown for the Tigers. After all, they managed to qualify for the conference tournament, eeking in as the eighth seed. And the showing they gave against top-seeded Austin Peay was remarkable, nearly handing the Governors their first conference loss of the 2003-04 campaign.

Tennessee-Martin (10-18, 5-11)

Team MVP: Justin Smith, 15.7 ppg

Leading Scorer: Smith, 15.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jared Newsom
Assists Leader: Tyler George, 146

The record screams mediocre, but don’t be fooled. This Skyhawks team stumbled into the season at 2-4, but when you looked at the four losses, the record seemed meaningless: San Francisco, Memphis, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Ohio Valley opponents were not scared off by the impressive schedule faced by the Skyhawks. Tennessee Martin stumbled into the conference slate at 0-3 and were never able to recover enough to qualify for the OVC tournament.

Southeast Missouri State (11-16, 4-12)

Team MVP: Derek Winans, 14.5 ppg

Leading Scorer: Winans, 14.5 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Brandon Griffin, 7.4 rpg
Assists Leader: Griffin, 75

If not for the Ohio Valley, the season wasn’t so bad for the Indians. Outside the OVC: 7-4; inside: well, not good (4-12). The season began in a promising fashion as Southeast Missouri defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay and continued two weeks later with a near-miss against Missouri Valley Conference powerhouse Southern Illinois. But OVC opponents took advantage of SEMS’s inability to win close games. Eight of the 12 conference losses for the Tigers came by six points or less. A couple shots here and there were the difference between being a cellar dweller in the conference or one of the scariest teams in the OVC.

Eastern Illinois (6-21, 4-12)

Team MVP: Josh Gomes, 13.6 ppg

Leading Scorer: Gomes, 13.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Jesse Mackinson, 5.3 rpg
Assists Leader: Derik Hollyfield, 73

The Panthers started the season against Northern Illinois, nationally-ranked Wisconsin and Horizon Conference powerhouse Illinois-Chicago. Needless to say, Eastern Illinois limped out to an 0-3 start. By the end of January, the cats had a miserable 3-15 mark and had earned just one victory over a Division I team (Tennessee Tech on Jan. 8). By then, it was too late for Eastern Illinois to salvage any hopes of the conference tournament. The Panthers missed the cut for the first time since joining the OVC seven seasons ago.

America East Season Recap

America East Conference 2003-04 Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

The 2003-04 season in America East was full of good stories despite the end result looking a lot like the preseason projections. Most figured it would be a three-team race between Boston University, Northeastern and Vermont, and those three teams comprised the top three seeds in the conference tournament with Maine right behind. It was essentially a two-team race between Boston University and Vermont, two teams that had big winning streaks during the season.

Boston University started the season with three consecutive losses, then went on to win 23 of 24 games entering the America East Tournament. The Terriers’ first three games were not against slouch teams, and they proved it when they ran through the remainder of non-conference play and lost just once in America East play, thanks to a well-balanced lineup at both ends of the floor. Vermont won the first 13 games of conference play before the Terriers beat them at home, then didn’t look nearly as invincible the rest of the way in part due to injuries.

In the middle of the pack, solid defense helped make Maine a contender, while Binghamton had their moments en route to a fifth place finish. Hartford battled injuries all season long, but had some good wins and was always competitive. New Hampshire looked like they might be a real player early on, but then had some struggles and lost a number of close games. Stony Brook and Albany were both competitive despite being hampered by injuries, while UMBC joined the conference as a new team and had some growing pains along the way.

The conference didn’t have a lot of freshmen who made instant impacts like last season, but there were a few who helped their teams out. Much of the young talent from previous years showed up more as players matured into stars for their team this year. At the same time, the conference wasn’t driven entirely by seniors, as less than half of the all-conference selections were seniors and only one first team selection was a senior.

America East Tournament

The first round of the America East Tournament had no surprises, as higher-seeded teams New Hampshire and Stony Brook prevailed to move on. The seventh-seeded Wildcats won a defensive struggle over No. 10 Albany, 43-38, while No. 8 Stony Brook held off No. 9 UMBC 65-59.

The quarterfinals produced three well-played games and one ugly game, all close and two with big surprises. The day began with No. 4 Maine knocking off No. 5 Binghamton, 79-77 in overtime, followed by the biggest upset of the tournament. Stony Brook took on host school and regular season champion Boston University, and with big plays in the final minutes, the Seawolves upset the Terriers 62-58. The upset marked just the second time a No. 1 seed has lost to a No. 8 seed in the conference tournament. In the evening session, Vermont held off New Hampshire, 58-50, then Hartford upset No. 3 Northeastern 79-74 despite 36 points from Husky guard Marcus Barnes. The Hawks barely had enough players at the end of the game due to injuries and foul trouble, but the Huskies’ inability to get the ball inside and use their size advantage played right into the Hawks’ hands.

The semifinal games were a sharp contrast to the quarterfinals, as both were decided by double digits. Maine blew out Stony Brook, 78-54, in a game that was never really in doubt after halftime. The Black Bears had a chance to host the championship game, but Vermont got that honor when the Catamounts scored a 61-48 win over Hartford to advance to the title game.

Vermont head coach Tom Brennan said after the semifinal win that Taylor Coppenrath, who was thought to be done for the season with a wrist injury sustained in mid-February, might play in the championship game the following Saturday if he was at all able to. By Friday afternoon that week, it was apparent that Brennan would get his wish and Coppenrath would play, as he reportedly had good practices during the week.

Coppenrath didn’t just play the game, as it would turn out. He started and played all but the final minute, scoring a championship game-record 43 points in a phenomenal performance as the Catamounts scored a 72-53 win in a packed and raucous Patrick Gymnasium to earn their second straight NCAA Tournament bid. The two-time conference Player of the Year was on fire from the start, scoring 28 points in the first half on 11-14 shooting, and for the game he made 14 of 19 field goal attempts and was 14-15 at the free throw line, adding in 13 rebounds for good measure. While the talk centered on Coppenrath, he had good help as usual, though the only other scorer in double figures was Germain Njila with 13.

Postseason

America East saw two teams reach the postseason once again this year.

Vermont – NCAA 15-Seed

Vermont was the No. 15 seed in the East Rutherford region, matched up against eventual national champion Connecticut. The Catamounts scored the game’s first seven points and gave the Huskies a good battle for about a half before the Huskies took over en route to a 70-53 victory.

Boston University – NIT

Meanwhile, Boston University made the NIT for the second straight season. The Terriers had some internal troubles come before their first round game at Rhode Island, and it showed when the Rams blew them out 80-52 in a game that was never in doubt.

Awards

The league named its all-conference teams and handed out awards prior to the America East Tournament.

Player of the Year:

Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont

Rookie of the Year:

Jon Iati, Albany

Coach of the Year:

Dennis Wolff, Boston University

Defensive Player of the Year:

Shaun Wynn, Boston University

First team All-America East:
Chaz Carr, Jr. G, Boston University
Jason Grochowalski, Sr. F, Boston University
Jose Juan Barea, So. G, Northeastern
Taylor Coppenrath, Jr. F, Vermont
T.J. Sorrentine, Jr. G, Vermont

Boston University (23-6, 17-1 America East)

The Terriers had a magical season going, winning 23 of 24 games after an 0-3 start, before crashing at the end of the season. The Terriers were first upset in the conference tournament, then came out listlessly in the NIT and were promptly blown out by Rhode Island. Nonetheless, it was a great ride during the season and due largely to great balance and good depth at both ends of the floor. Chaz Carr and Jason Grochowalski were first-team All-America East players, but they had plenty of help from steady seniors Kevin Fitzgerald, Ryan Butt and streaky senior Matt Turner. Sophomore Shaun Wynn’s emergence as perhaps the best do-everything player in the conference was a big reason for their success as well.

Team MVP: Chaz Carr (13.0 ppg)

Leading scorer: Chaz Carr (13.0 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Rashad Bell (6.8 rpg)
Assists leader: Kevin Fitzgerald (3.0 rpg)

Starters leaving:
PG Kevin Fitzgerald (graduated)
SF Jason Grochowalski (graduated)
SG Matt Turner (graduated)
PF Ryan Butt (graduated)
PF Daniel Daccarett (graduated)

Key players returning:
Sr. G Chaz Carr (13.0 ppg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg)
Sr. F Rashad Bell (11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Jr. G Shaun Wynn (8.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.1 spg)
Jr. F Kevin Gardner (4.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
So. G Pat Martin (1.3 ppg, 1.4 apg)
So. F Etienne Brower (1.4 ppg)

News: Head coach Dennis Wolff was rumored to be a candidate for the St. John’s head coaching position, but he stated all along that he would still be at Boston University and he is still there.

Outlook for 2004-05: The Terriers lose a lot of good experience, but don’t expect them to fall far if at all. They will have a potent trio of upperclassmen, while Gardner should continue to develop into one of the top post players in the conference and Martin and Etienne Brower looked better as their freshman season went along. With Wolff back on the bench, the Terriers will still be among the contenders.

Vermont (22-9, 15-3)

There weren’t many better stories in college basketball this season than the Catamounts. They had injuries to key players and had a stretch in February where they looked very vulnerable, but Tom Brennan’s crew prevailed in the America East championship game for the second straight year. The Catamounts looked unbeatable at the start of conference play before losing to Boston University at home in the game where Player of the Year Taylor Coppenrath was injured. Former conference Player of the Year T.J. Sorrentine led them the rest of the way and to the championship game, where Coppenrath returned and led them to the championship. Far from being a two-man show, the Catamounts got big performances on different occasions from role players like Germain Njila, Scotty Jones, Alex Jensen, Martin Klimes, and David Hehn.

Team MVP: Taylor Coppenrath (24.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg)

Leading scorer: Taylor Coppenrath (24.1 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Taylor Coppenrath (7.2 rpg)
Assists leader: T.J. Sorrentine (4.6 apg)

Starters leaving:
PF Scotty Jones (graduated)
SF Corey Sullivan (graduated)
PF-C Matt Sheftic (graduated)
G Mike Goia (left school)
F Matt Hanson (left school)

Key players returning:
Sr. F Taylor Coppenrath (24.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. G T.J. Sorrentine (14.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. G-F Germain Njila (6.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
Sr. G David Hehn (5.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Alex Jensen (5.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.4 apg)
So. F Martin Klimes (3.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

News: Coppenrath was named to the NIT All-Star team that toured the Far East in July. Associate head coach Jesse Agel was reportedly a candidate for the Dartmouth head coaching position, but will be back at his alma mater for his 18th season. Also, former Rhode Island center Chris Holm transferred to the school in May. He will sit out next season, and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Outlook for 2004-05: The Catamounts lose five players, three of whom were key players at one time, but should be the preseason pick to win the conference again. Arguably the best class in school history is back for one more go-round led by Coppenrath and Sorrentine, while the role players are all solid at what they do and the team chemistry is impeccable. There is speculation that Brennan, who said after the conference championship that he won’t be around much longer, may hang it up after the coming season; if he does, expect him to go out a winner.

Northeastern (19-11, 13-5)

The Huskies had their ups and downs, as they were a little inconsistent early and an injury to Jose Juan Barea didn’t help. They steadily picked it up in America East play, though they couldn’t quite pull off wins against the top two teams along the way. They scored plenty of points, but also gave up plenty, and they were exciting to watch on most nights. While Barea got all the headlines, the Huskies wouldn’t have done anything without the play of warriors like conference rebounding champ Sylbrin Robinson and classmate Javorie Wilson, and freshman Bennet Davis played very well once he was inserted into the starting lineup.

Team MVP: Jose Juan Barea (20.7 ppg, 5.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 35.8% 3-pt. FG)

Leading scorer: Jose Juan Barea (20.7 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Sylbrin Robinson (8.5 rpg)
Assists leader: Jose Juan Barea (5.8 apg)

Starters leaving:
F Sylbrin Robinson (graduated)
G-F Javorie Wilson (graduated)
F Cornelius Wright (graduated)
F Jesse Dunn (graduated)
PG Lateef Melvin (graduated)
G D’wan Youmans (transferred)

Key players returning:
Jr. G Jose Juan Barea (20.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G Marcus Barnes (17 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg, 1.5 spg)
So. F Bennet Davis (8.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
So. G Bobby Kelly (2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

News: In late June, the school announced it will depart for the Colonial Athletic Association in two years. The move was rumored to be in the works for about a year, and it finally went through.

Outlook for 2004-05: The Huskies lose key players up front, so they’ll be extremely guard-oriented next season and could struggle on the glass if Davis doesn’t continue to improve as he did later in the season. They’ll have the best backcourt in the conference and one better than many in high-major conferences with Barea and Barnes, so they should continue to score plenty of points and cause problems for opponents.

Maine (20-10, 12-6)

The Black Bears fell under the radar to many this season, but John Giannini’s team showed how defense wins games on a consistent basis. They had good balance, though point guard Eric Dobson was the clear leader of the team and Kevin Reed led in key statistical categories. The emergence of Mark Flavin gave the Black Bears an inside complement to their potent perimeter attack, a question mark entering the season as there were no proven inside players, and a solid group of role players were a key to their run as well.

Team MVP: Kevin Reed (14.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.3 spg)

Leading scorer: Kevin Reed (14.5 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Reed (7.2 rpg)
Assists leader: Eric Dobson (6 apg)

Starters leaving:
PG Eric Dobson (graduated)

Key players returning:
Jr. G Kevin Reed (14.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.3 spg)
Sr. C Mark Flavin (11.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.9 bpg)
Sr. F Joe Campbell (8.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Chris Markwood (5.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.5 apg)
Sr. G-F Freddy Petkus (4.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
Sr. F-C David DuBois (4.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
So. C Olli Ahvenniemi (2.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg in 13 games)

News: Guard Jermaine Jackson, expected to be a key cog in the offense, tore his ACL in the first game of the season. He is expected back with a full recovery for next season.

Outlook for 2004-05: Although Dobson was the team leader, the Black Bears return most of their attack and are well-coached, and they will have a big group of seniors leading the way. They’ll remain a solid defensive team with a good inside presence, and if someone takes over at the point, expect them to contend for the title. Giannini has had new players contribute year in and year out when needed, so there’s no reason to expect that he won’t have a capable floor leader next season.

Binghamton (14-16, 10-8)

With much of their offense gone from the previous season, the Bearcats had to win with defense, and it was their defense that won them games and gave them a chance in others. Only Albany was worse at the offensive end, but junior center Nick Billings had another big year blocking shots in the middle and also continued to develop offensively. Brandon Carter provided the senior leadership and Troy Hailey provided the youthful exuberance as one of the conference’s top freshmen as the Bearcats took fifth place in the regular season and lost a tough overtime game against Maine in the conference tournament.

Team MVP: Nick Billings (12.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.5 bpg)

Leading scorer: Nick Billings (12.5 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Nick Billings (6.9 rpg)
Assists leader: Troy Hailey (2.4 apg)

Starters leaving:
SG Brandon Carter (graduated)
G Brett Watson (graduated)

Key players returning:
Sr. C Nick Billings (12.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.5 bpg)
So. PG Troy Hailey (9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Sr. F Alex Adediran (8.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Jr. F Sebastian Hermenier (6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Sr. G Billy Williams (4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. C Joe White (2.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Jr. G Joel Casseus (2.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Jr. G Louie Karis (1.7 ppg)

News: The school opened up its new Events Center this past season, and it immediately paid dividends not only for the team’s play, but also for next year. In April, it was announced that the 2005 America East Tournament will be held there after three straight seasons in Boston.

Outlook for 2004-05: Billings and Hailey are solid bookends to build on next season. If Adediran and Hermenier play to their potential, and role players like White and defensive specialist Williams continue to contribute as they have, the Bearcats will compete with the conference’s top teams.

Hartford (12-17, 6-12)

The Hawks were ravaged by injuries all season long, starting with star guard Jerell Parker but also including several other key players, especially in the frontcourt. Nonetheless, they pulled off some good wins and were competitive all season long. Aaron Cook was a constant thorn in opponents’ sides, while steady senior Ryan Stys ran the show capable and Charles Ford’s return gave them a big boost. Role players up front did well to help, and the Hawks pulled off an upset in the conference tournament along the way.

Team MVP: Aaron Cook (15.0 ppg)

Leading scorer: Aaron Cook (15.0 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Sean Regan (6.2 rpg)
Assists leader: Charles Ford (2.6 apg)

Starters leaving:
PG Ryan Stys (graduated)
SG Jerell Parker (graduated)

Key players returning:
Jr. SG Aaron Cook (15.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.7 spg)
Jr. PG Charles Ford (9.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
So. F Bo Taylor (7.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Sr. C Trevor Goode (4.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
So. G Rich Baker (4.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
So. PF Alex Zimnickas (3.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
Sr. F Louis Bosley (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Sr. SG Sean Regan (2.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

News: After the season, the NCAA refused to grant a sixth year of eligibility to Parker, putting an end to his college career.

Outlook for 2004-05: Losing Stys and not getting Parker back will hurt, but Larry Harrison got a lot out of this season’s team and will surely do it again. Ford and Cook will form one of the top backcourts in the conference, and if the Hawks stay healthy, they’ll be a tough team to beat.

New Hampshire (10-20, 5-13)

The Wildcats made some strides this season, though losing several close games makes one wonder just how much better the season could have been. Newcomers Craig Walls and Blagoj Janev were impact players, while Damione Liddell came on strong later in the season to complement holdovers like Ben Sturgill and Marcus Bullock. While Bullock’s shooting was more like that of his sophomore year, Sturgill once again couldn’t stay healthy the entire season, and without him the Wildcats’ offense lacked a go-to guy inside. Walls was a double-double machine early on, but wasn’t a big scorer.

Team MVP: Craig Walls (7.1 rpg)

Leading scorer: Ben Sturgill (13.1 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Craig Walls (7.1 rpg)
Assists leader: Shejdie Childs (2.8 apg)

Starters leaving:
G Marcus Bullock (graduated)
F Griffin Walker (graduated)
F-C Kyle Peterson (graduated)

Key players returning:
Sr. F-C Ben Sturgill (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Sr. F Craig Walls (9.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.6 apg)
So. F Blagoj Janev (10.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Sr. F Damione Liddell (5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Jr. PG Shejdie Childs (5.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.0 spg)
Jr. SG Ronnie Dennis (6.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
So. PG Jermaine Anderson (4.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Jr. SF Ioannis Karalis (3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg)

Outlook for 2004-05: Bullock was the only significant personnel loss, although Walker gave them some good athleticism on the wing. The Wildcats should be strong up front, though Sturgill’s health will again be a big factor, as he’s their most aggressive inside scorer and rebounder. With Bullock gone, someone must emerge as a shooter.

Stony Brook (10-20, 5-13)

It was a difficult season for the Seawolves, who were beset with all sorts of injuries throughout the season that added to their challenge. Injuries especially decimated the frontcourt, but Cori Spencer and Mike Popoko had solid seasons to help the Seawolves stay competitive. The backcourt was not the problem, led by senior D.J. Munir and freshman Mitchell Beauford, who showed plenty of potential in his first year.

Team MVP: D.J. Munir (15.3 ppg, 2.9 apg)

Leading scorer: D.J. Munir (15.3 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Mike Popoko (5.2 rpg)
Assists leader: D.J. Munir (2.9 apg)

Starters leaving:
PG D.J. Munir (graduated)
F Mike Konopka (graduated)

Key players returning:
Sr. F Cori Spencer (10.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
So. PG Mitchell Beauford (10.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.8 spg)
So. SF Mike Popoko (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Sr. G-F Mike Orfini (3.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Jr. G Bobby Santiago (3.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Sr. F-C JonPaul Kobryn (4.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg in 7 games)
Jr. G-F Hendrick Feist (3.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg)

News: The coaching staff welcomes newcomers Dagan Nelson and Dan Rickard.

Outlook for 2004-05: Losing Munir will certainly be a blow, but the Seawolves have two excellent young players to build around in Beauford and Popoko and a good senior post player returning in Spencer. If Santiago rebounds from the tough sophomore year, they’ll be in much better shape, but they need the bodies in the frontcourt to be healthy and productive as well.

UMBC (7-21, 4-14)

The Golden Retrievers knew this year would be one for getting to know America East, and it wasn’t pleasant very often as they struggled. Along the way, they got a glimpse into what they’ll need to compete at this level, and their younger players showed some potential for the next couple of seasons. Rob Gogerty ran the show steadily with help from freshman Chris Pugh, Kareem Washington was the team’s leading scorer and Cory McJimson led a frontcourt that showed potential at times but searched all season long for an identity.

Team MVP: Rob Gogerty (10.5 ppg, 4 apg, 1.6 spg)

Leading scorer: Kareem Washington (11.6 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Cory McJimson (5.5 rpg)
Assists leader: Rob Gogerty (4 apg)

Starters leaving:
Kareem Washington (graduated)

Key players returning:
Sr. PG Rob Gogerty (10.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4 apg, 1.6 spg)
Jr. F Cory McJimson (9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 apg)

Jr. F John Zito (9.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Sr. C Andrew Feeley (6.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Jr. F Seth Davis (4.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg)
So. PG Chris Pugh (4.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg)

News: Before the America East Tournament, then-head coach Tom Sullivan was placed on administrative leave, and Randy Monroe took over as interim head coach. Before March was over, Sullivan resigned and Monroe had the “interim” label removed from his title.

Albany (5-23, 3-15)

This was sure to be a building season for the Great Danes, as they had two Division I transfers sitting out this year and had just one senior on the roster. It turned out to be just that, but one with a lot of growing pains as injuries depleted the roster and gave them little room for error. The season-ending injury to super sophomore Jamar Wilson decimated the offense, but freshman Jon Iati stepped right in and was a key cog in the offense along with Levi Levine, who had another solid season. Aquawasi St. Hillaire’s development eased the pressure on Levine, who didn’t have to be the main inside presence again.

Team MVP: Levi Levine (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.6 spg)

Leading scorer: Levi Levine (14.3 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Aquawasi St. Hillaire (6.8 rpg)
Assists leader: Jon Iati (3 apg)

Starters leaving:
None

Key players returning:
So. G Jamar Wilson (redshirted with a knee injury)
So. PG Jon Iati (14.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3 apg)
Jr. F Levi Levine (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.6 spg)
Sr. PF Aquawasi St. Hillaire (9.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. PF Chris Wyatt (6.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
So. G Courtney Johnson (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg)
Jr. F Jerrad Knotts (3.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

News: Wilson said he would be working out with the team right away during the offseason and joined them immediately.

Outlook for 2004-05: Next year is the year for the Great Danes to break loose. Wilson will return in better shape and will be joined by impact transfers Lucious Jordan and Kirsten Zoellner, who give them more scoring and size, respectively. Iati can run the show and let Wilson and Jordan score, and the Great Danes will have plenty of depth and some interchangeable parts. Will Brown is building a good program, and next year will start to show the fruits of his and his staff’s labor.

America East 2004-05 Outlook

Don’t be surprised if the championship game features the same two teams next season. Vermont returns a strong lineup for one more run, while Maine might get its best chance to finally get over the hump and win the conference. But they won’t be prohibitive favorites; Boston University will reload and Northeastern will have an explosive backcourt that might overshadow a lack of depth up front, and teams that finished in the lower half of the conference all return key players and will be capable of cracking the first division. Albany will be the team to watch, as they return super sophomore Jamar Wilson and add key transfers, making them a prime candidate for a big jump in the standings. As a whole, the conference returns most of its elite talents, and only two teams (Stony Brook and UMBC) lose their leading scorer from the 2003-04 season.

MEAC Season Recap

Mideastern Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Michael Protos

According to the RPI rankings, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference finished dead last of the 31 Division I conferences. The weakest conference had 10 of its 11 members finish in the bottom 100 of the RPI rankings. Only South Carolina State cracked the top 236 teams in the rankings, and even the Bulldogs snuck in by a slim margin at 228.

The MEAC’s situation is cyclical. Schools like Hampton and South Carolina State have had several strong years in the past, but all MEAC schools struggle to attract top prospects. They also rarely play strong schedules. Invariably, each MEAC team plays a handful of non-Division I squads, which kill the conference’s RPI, rendering the schools less attractive to established competition and the best high school players. But MEAC teams play those schools because so few other teams are willing to play these weaklings and thus damage the sacred strength of schedule statistic.

But in the midst of this gloomy environment, there is one bastion of hope – the MEAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Florida A&M won the conference tournament and earned the conference’s bid to the NCAA Tournament, in which the Rattlers beat the Patriot League’s representative, Lehigh, in the opening round. So in head-to-head tournament competition, the MEAC finished ahead of the Patriot League. There is salvation for the soul of MEAC basketball.

Throughout the regular season, South Carolina State dominated the conference, finishing with a 14-4 record and capturing first place. The Bulldogs were 5-0 against the conference’s top four teams. South Carolina State also picked up one of the best wins of any MEAC team – at Eastern Washington, an NCAA Tournament team.

Conference Tournament

An experienced, underachieving team offers endless frustration for the school’s loyal fan base. But it also offers the hope for spontaneous success, and Florida A&M fulfilled a season of promise in the MEAC conference tournament. Despite a mediocre regular season and a fifth place conference finish, the Rattlers swept through Hampton, top-seeded South Carolina State and Coppin State en route to an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Other than the Rattlers’ run, there were few upsets in any round.

The Rattlers shut down the MEAC’s best teams – South Carolina State and Coppin State – holding both squads under 55 points. Junior guard Tony Tate led Florida A&M to the championship with a career-high 20 points against Coppin State.

NCAA Tournament

Florida A&M’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in five years was short-lived. Ranked as either the 64th or 65th team in the 65-team tournament, Florida A&M had to play Lehigh in the opening round. Leading scorer Terrence Woods delivered 21 points and Florida A&M’s stellar defense held Lehigh to 57 points. The Rattlers earned the 16th seed in St. Louis Region and a date with top-seeded Kentucky.

In the first round of the tournament, Florida A&M stayed close with Kentucky for most of the first half and into the second half. The Wildcats eventually pulled away as the Rattlers’ defense faltered against a high-major powerhouse. Kentucky won 96-76.

MEAC Most Valuable Player:

Thurman Zimmerman, South Carolina State

Zimmerman was the most consistent player on the MEAC’s most consistent team. South Carolina State cruised through the regular season as Zimmerman contributed 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He had 11 double doubles and a 39-point explosion at eventual MEAC champion Florida A&M.

MEAC Rookie of the Year:

Sean Booker, North Carolina A&T

Booker claims this award for contributing the highest scoring average of any freshman, and he played on the conference’s worst team. North Carolina A&T has had a rough stretch in recent seasons, but Booker’s 14.5 points per game is a strong foundation to build on for next season.

MEAC Coach of the Year:

Mike Gillespie, Florida A&M

Gillespie wins the award because he turned a disappointing regular season into an NCAA Tournament bid. The Florida A&M Rattlers had a senior-laden lineup that finished fifth before snaking through the conference tournament and beating the MEAC’s top two seeds, South Carolina State and Coppin State.

Team by Team

South Carolina State Bulldogs (18-11, 14-4)

Team MVP: Thurman Zimmerman (18.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg)

Scoring leader: Zimmerman (18.8 ppg)
Rebound leader: Zimmerman (8.4 rpg)
Assist leader: Demeco Heath (2.9 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
None

Key Players Returning:
Zimmerman (junior forward18.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Brian Mason (freshman guard 13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Shawn Wiggins (junior guard 11.0 ppg)
Heath (junior guard 9.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Brandon Trapp (sophomore guard 6.9 ppg)

As good as the Bulldogs were this season, the goal for next season will be to win the conference tournament. Another conference title coupled with a tournament loss will not cut it. The Bulldogs return every major contributor, including conference MVP Thurman Zimmerman. He’ll be the odds-on favorite to win the title again next season. If the Bulldogs can convince a high-major programs to play them, South Carolina State could gather some invaluable experience that may allow them to compete in the NCAA Tournament against a No. 2, 3 or 4 seed.

Coppin State Eagles (18-14, 14-4)

Team MVP: Jimmy Boykin (13.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Scoring leader: Boykin (13.9 ppg)
Rebound leader: Boykin (5.6 rpg)
Assist leader: Raheem Scott (2.5 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Boykin (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Kelvin Green (freshman forward 12.1 ppg)
Nicholas King (sophomore forward 10.8 ppg)
Scott (sophomore guard 6.0 ppg)

Coppin State loses senior leader Jimmy Boykin, and freshman Kelvin Green will have to step up to replace Boykin’s contributions. The Eagles finished atop the MEAC standings with South Carolina State, but the team needs every returning player to step up to keep pace with the Bulldogs next season.

Delaware State Hornets (13-15, 11-7)

Team MVP: Terrance Hunter (12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg)

Scoring leader: Hunter (12.1 ppg)
Rebound leader: Aaron Matthews (5.7 rpg)
Assist leader: Miles Davis (3.0 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Davis (graduation)
Matthews (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Hunter (junior forward 12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Jahsha Bluntt (freshman forward 8.3 ppg)
Carlos Hawkins (junior forward 8.3 ppg)
Aaron Williams (junior guard 7.4 ppg)

The bottom line for the Hornets is that they will have a chance to compete as long as leading scorer Terrance Hunter remains on the team. Delaware State played excellent defense this past season, holding the opponent to 60 points or less in 10 of the team’s 13 victories. The solid defensive foundation will allow the team to keep games close while the Hornets mature offensively.

Hampton Pirates (13-17, 11-7)

Team MVP: Devin Green (15.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg)

Scoring leader: Green (15.2 ppg)
Rebound leader: Green (7.6 rpg)
Assist leader: Donald Didlake (2.7 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Didlake (graduation)
Rodney Hughes (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Green (junior forward15.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
Jeff Granger (sophomore guard15.0 ppg)
Bruce Brown (sophomore center 7.9 ppg)

Hampton has been a perennial contender in the MEAC for several seasons, and next season should be no different with the return of leading scorer and rebounder Devin Green. In addition to Green, who has the potential to compete for conference MVP, the Pirates return sophomore guard Jeff Granger. The pair is the most dynamic duo in the conference and have the potential to lead Hampton to the top of the standings.

Florida A&M Rattlers (15-17, 10-8)

Team MVP: Terrence Woods (20.3 ppg)

Scoring leader: Woods (20.3 ppg)
Rebound leader: Michael Harper (4.8 rpg)
Assist leader: Moses White (3.3 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
White (graduation)
Woods (graduation)
Demarcus Wilkins (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Harper (junior center 9.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Tony Tate (junior guard 7.4 ppg)

Florida A&M entered this past season with a senior-laden lineup that blossomed when it counted – the post-season. The Rattlers will have to replace the leadership of seniors Terrence Woods, Demarcus Wilkins and Moses White. Woods and Wilkins combined for one-third of the team’s scoring last season while White led the team to the NCAA Promised Land by dishing 3.3 assists per game. Juniors Michael Harper and Tony Tate must emerge as legitimate scoring threats or else the Rattlers will suffer a drop in the MEAC standings.

Norfolk State Spartans (12-17, 10-8)

Team MVP: Chakowby Hicks (15.9 ppg, 2.9 apg)

Scoring leader: Hicks (15.9 ppg)
Rebound leader: Karandick Ogunride (7.1 rpg)
Assist leader: Hicks (2.9 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Derrick Smith (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Hicks (junior guard 15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Ryan Grier (junior guard 12.7 ppg)
Karandick Ogunride (sophomore center 6.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg)

The Spartans proved to be a dangerous but inconsistent team this past season. They claimed two victories against conference regular season champ South Carolina State but also a loss to conference bottom-feeder North Carolina A&T. Inconsistency is usually the mark of inexperience. Sophomore center Karandick Ogunride could become the best big man in the conference, and he probably will need to play that way for the Spartans to compete for a conference title.

Morgan State Bears (11-16, 9-9)

Team MVP: Aaron Andrews (11.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

Scoring leader: Andrews (11.0 ppg)
Rebound leader: Andrews (6.2 rpg)
Assist leader: Cedrick Barrow (3.1 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Andrews (graduation)
Barrow (graduation)
Reggie Winkfield (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Christopher Grant (junior guard 10.3 ppg)
Sam Brand (junior guard 10.2 ppg)

Morgan State received balance scoring from several players, but the Bears lose their top scorer, senior Aaron Andrews, and top assist man, Cedrick Barrow. Juniors Christopher Grant and Sam Brand inherit the leadership positions on a team mired in the middle of the MEAC pack. Of the Bears’ 11 victories last season, nine were decided by five points or fewer. Although that means the team played well in the stretch, it also means that the Bears lack the ability to pull away from opponents. Unless this roster matures during the off-season, those close victories could turn into losses pretty easily.

Bethune Cookman Wildcats (8-21, 7-11)

Team MVP: Diondre Lamond (10.7 ppg)

Scoring leader: Lamond (10.7 ppg)
Rebound leader: Pape Ba (5.2 rpg)
Assist leader: O’Neal Carter (2.9 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Lamond (graduation)
Ba (graduation)
Kendrick Frink (graduation)
Markey Picard (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Anis Taylor (sophomore guard 7.9 ppg)
Carter (junior guard 6.1 ppg, 2.9 apg)

The Wildcats were not a spectacular team this past season, and they lose four important contributors. The result will be a rough season next season while new leaders emerge. Depending on how long it takes for players like sophomore Anis Taylor and junior O’Neal Carter to take the reins, next season could see the Wildcats plummet to the bottom of the MEAC tank.

Maryland-Eastern Shore Shore Hawks (8-21, 6-12)

Team MVP: Tee Trotter (19.3 ppg)

Scoring leader: Trotter (19.3 ppg)
Rebound leader: Javes Wiggins (6.9 rpg)
Assist leader: Trotter (2.0 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Trotter (graduation)
Wiggins (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Aaron Wellington (sophomore guard 11.2 ppg)
Tim Parham (sophomore center 6.0 ppg)

News: Frustrated with another losing season, the Shore Hawks canned coach Thomas Trotter and hired Lawrence Lessett Jr. Lessett has Division I experience as an assistant at Mercer, but this position will be his first attempt at Division I head coaching. Among his non-Division I coaching positions, Lessett collected 182 wins.

In addition to Trotter’s departure, the Shore Hawks watched one of the conference’s most potent scorers graduate this past year. Tee Trotter, who averaged nearly 20 points per game, will be sorely missed by a team that managed only six conference wins. Rebound-hog Javes Wiggins also graduated, meaning that sophomore center Tim Parham must become the next porker in the paint to collect loose balls. The Shore Hawks did not lose as much as other teams in the conference, but they still do not figure to advance far in the standings. Status quo may even prove to be a challenge.

Howard Bison (6-22, 4-14)

Team MVP: James Wilkinson (13.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg)

Scoring leader: Wilkinson (13.0 ppg)
Rebound leader: Wilkinson (6.1 ppg)
Assist leader: Louis Ford (5.0 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Seye Aluko (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Wilkinson (junior center 13.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Ford (sophomore guard 9.6 ppg, 5.0 apg)
Bilal Russell (sophomore forward 7.1 ppg)

Howard dodged the bottom of the standings by the grace of a God-awful North Carolina A&T squad, and the timely contributions of junior James Wilkinson. The team’s leading scorer and rebounder must continue to post strong numbers if the Bison seek to avoid the cellar. The Bison struggled to score last season, managing just over 60 points per game. This squad must do better.

North Carolina A&T Aggies (3-25, 3-15)

Team MVP: Sean Booker (14.5 ppg)

Scoring leader: Booker (14.5 ppg)
Rebound leader: Chris Ferguson (7.1 rpg)
Assist leader: Brian Faulcon (3.1 apg)

Key Players Leaving:
Ferguson (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Booker (freshman guard 14.5 ppg)
Faulcon (sophomore guard 6.2 ppg, 3.1 apg)
Steven Koger (junior guard 9.1 ppg)

North Carolina A&T struggled all season, posting only three victories. But the Aggies do boast the conference rookie of the year, Sean Booker. Booker led the team in scoring despite being a freshman. As he improves, along with the rest of this young team, the Aggies have an opportunity to climb out of the basement and into the middle of the MEAC standings. The roster includes nine freshmen or sophomores, so as these players mature, the Aggies will gain more ground on their opponents who lose several key players each year.

A Look Ahead

The MEAC may be unlikely to provide an NCAA champion any time soon – if ever. But the conference will be filled with excitement next season as five or six teams have a legitimate shot to win the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. A strong season by South Carolina State may even warrant a No. 14 or 15 seed. The Bulldogs’ fiercest competition figures to be Hampton and Delaware State. But don’t count out Norfolk State or Coppin State. The former is a team on the rise, while the latter matched the Bulldogs’ 14 conference wins and will remain a threat.

At the other end of the spectrum, North Carolina A&T has an opportunity to not finish last next season as teams like Bethune Cookman and Howard may slip a notch with the departure of a few leaders. None of these schools may strike fear into the hearts of high-major programs, but if those teams take the MEAC champion for granted, a perfect Cinderella story would be in the making. South Carolina State, Hampton and the rest of the MEAC will be waiting.

Todd Lickliter Interview

An Interview with Butler’s Todd Lickliter

by Bill “CigarBoy” Kintner

Butler Coach Todd Lickliter sits down right before practice to discuss his team. He talks about how he recruits, the Butler Way, the status of college basketball and he even tells a story about a Butler Hall of Fame basketball player.

Butler has a wonderful old historic arena. But the basketball offices located in Hinkle Fieldhouse are modern and very impressive. We did the interview in Coach Lickliter’s office. He sat in beautiful large leather executive chair with a Butler logo on the headrest. When I entered his office he was busy working on something at his desk. I quickly snapped a few pictures of Coach Lickliter doing official “coach’s business.” As always, he was friendly, light-hearted and quick to smile. After we did the interview in his office Coach Lickliter allowed me to stick around and watch a few minutes of practice. When we arrived on the court in Hinkle all the players were shooting baskets. A few were doing some drills with some of the coaches. He brought all the players together for a few minutes and then the team started to work on their game plan for their next game. I stuck around for about 30 minutes of practice.

This interview took place in December 2003. Butler started with a losing record in pre-conference games. As the team got more experience they caught fire and finished with a surprising 16-14 record. With this interview you can read it and compare it to what actually happened

Bill Kintner: Coach, you made it through your early preconference games, how’s the team looking right now?

Todd Lickliter: Still working on becoming a team. That’s the most difficult process for each individual. To figure how they fit in. That’s their biggest concern. And then once they figure that out, how to enhance the strength of their teammates. That’s just the process and it’s something we’ve been fortunate with around here.

BK: How have your freshmen picked up the system?

TL: (laughing) They don’t have much choice now; they have had to adapt. It’s not easy and I think anybody going into a new situation will find it difficult. A guy told me one time that the hardest part of any job is starting it. And maybe that’s true. Then I am sure that the speed and the physicalness of the game are things that are very hard for young people to understand.

BK: Your run in the NCAA tournament in 2003 kind of put Butler on the map and created a lot of interest in Butler, all around the country. How are things different right now from a year ago?

TL: We don’t have six seniors anymore. So for me, it is quite a bit different. You look around — you were with those guys for four years — then to not have them around anymore is a big change. To be able to reflect, to see how well they got along and how close they were, their ability to help one another, was instrumental in that run.

BK: Is it easier to recruit now after last year?

TL: I don’t know if easier. I think possibly we’re maybe a little more recognizable. So if you make a call or even people call us at times, they know who you are. You know, it’s a great thrill to be in the field of 65 in the NCAA Tournament. And then to advance is just another thrill. To prolong the season for a school our size, it’s a great story and so there was a lot in the media about it.

BK: How are things different in Indianapolis from a year ago?

TL: I don’t know that they are a lot different. Again, I think that people appreciate the way that our players played the game. They appreciated the way that they conducted themselves. So there was an opportunity for Indianapolis to be represented by a group of young men that were quality men. Men that if I were, which I am, a resident of the city, it’s who I would want representing me. Not just the Butler community, but the entire city. So, it was exciting.

BK: There’s a term now called “The Butler Way” (the coach chuckles upon hearing this). Talk to me about what this means and how it was developed.

TL: It kind of developed by watching young men make sacrifices for the good of their team. And we began to realize that these young men that Thad and Barry had recruited and I had a little bit of my hand in were special. They had high character along with skill and that they were willing — not only willing, but eager — to make sacrifices for one another. We trademarked it and I think it was before I was here. Barry and Thad developed it and we just continued to try to enhance it a little bit.

BK: You talked about high character and sacrifice. What else goes into “The Butler Way”?

TL: Well, you have to be a good player, you have to want to earn a Butler degree and you have to be willing to work each day to improve. You know that you are not in this alone and you can’t afford to take a day off. It’s not fair to everybody else. Mike (Monserez) told me the other day, “How would you like it if your surgeon took the day off ? Or your pilot or whatever?” Our guys understand that. You come to work, and believe me, it’s not a job that anybody would dislike. It’s a great job and so if they’re looking at it as work, there will be a real awakening when they get out into the real world.

BK: Let’s talk a little bit about the style of play, which I think would kind of fit under “The Butler Way.” It seems to me, that no matter who is here, you just plug your player into your system. They may not be first team all-conference, but no matter who the players are that you have, they work in the system. Explain how that works.

TL: Well, I hope that’s somewhat true. But I do think that the system is something that looks to enhance the individual player’s strengths and, it looks to allow the kind of freedom that you would want as a player. Along with that they have to be responsible and they have to have willingness or a desire to win so that they won’t do anything that’s irresponsible. It is a system that has evolved. I think the roots of it — the foundations — were established by Barry Collier and then all those people that he worked with or under. People that Thad and I both worked with or under and have learned from. You just kind of plug it in, where needed.

BK: Let me go back to Barry Collier. His first five or six years here he only had so-so success; and then it kind of clicked. I think that was right before you got here. And then things started rolling, and you joined the team. When you go back in the history of it, what clicked back with Butler basketball in the mid 90′s?

TL: Well, I think it’s just the process. It’s a hard job. All the schools — all three hundred and whatever there is, twenty-six, I think — are working hard. They have the same amount of scholarships, and they’re recruiting hard. So you have to have that level of commitment that is required to continue to make progress. And to not get disappointed or, if you have a setback, not to let it completely take all the wind out of your sails. Barry has great vision. He does things with utmost respect for individuals and there is just a quality that he adheres to. In all that he does. So, as he was going about this process, he was always on course. He doesn’t waiver a lot. As we begin to grow and recruit a little bit better athlete, a little bit better player maybe, I’m not positive that’s the case because we’ve had good players in the past. But as it comes together then the systems continue to gain strength.

BK: Talk a little about recruiting. Name some characteristics of “The Butler Way” that you look for. When you recruit those things, where’s your recruiting base? Does it start right essentially in Indiana? And can it go out from there?

TL: Well, there are obviously great players in the midwest and we’ve been fortunate to be able to recruit the midwest. You know, that’s where your contacts are. Plus, people if they are familiar with you, that helps. Well, now, we’re more familiar nationally thanks to the success that these previous student athletes have brought us. So that helps. But we will extend our base and a lot of it is other coaches and other people that see a player and they think will fit the way that we play and then let us know about it. They are not allowed to recruit for us, but we are always open to hearing from people as far as if they have a prospect for us.

BK: How do scouting services, recruiting web pages, and all that stuff work into your recruiting?

TL: Well, we are always looking for leads and my assistant coaches are terrific and they have developed a great network. They know which scouting services are reliable and I don’t know that there are any that aren’t reliable, but, for our needs, they know which ones to pick out and they scan through those, get leads and pursue players. And when the NCAA allows us, we go out and evaluate and continue the process.

BK: I imagine your team is going to be very young and inexperienced. Other than that, how is the style of play this year going to play be different from last year?

TL: Well, they are young and inexperienced; it’s interesting because I suppose the two do go together, I was thinking about what young means. I guess it could mean your age of 16, 17, 18 or whatever or you’re a sophmore. But when you think about being a young team, it means that we don’t have a lot of experiences together. They haven’t spent the summers together. They haven’t gone on foreign trips. They haven’t been in the really tough places to play or have been in situations where they’re up or down and have to remain poised. So those things, if you’re commited to handling those things in the correct way as a team member, then those produce growth and all of the sudden, you’re not inexperienced. I don’t know how long that takes. I don’t know how many of those experiences are required before you become a solid, cohesive group. What I’m hoping is not a whole lot because, you know, who has time? We’ve got a schedule coming up, and a very competitive schedule. But I think this team, I like our players as individuals and their skill. I don’t see any of them with a “me first” attitude. I think they have a “team first” attitude. That’s going to be instrumental so, I like this team.

BK: What can you tell me about the Horizon League this year? What do you see going on in the Horizon League?

TL: I think that it is the most underrated league that I know of. And I don’t follow all the leagues, who has time for that? But you do get to see the other teams play and so on and you can kind of evaluate it a little bit when you look at Milwaukee. They were second in the league last year and then won our tournament handedly over us. They go to the first round and play Notre Dame who goes to the Sweet 16 and they had a shot in the last minute to put themselves ahead and very possibly win it. Their representation was terrific and the year before, UIC’s representation in the tournament, was very strong. And of course, we made the Sweet 16. That doesn’t even count all the other teams that are so extremely competitive. Last year we had to go double overtime with Cleveland State to win, which was a huge win for us. It’s just a well-coached, good-player league that doesn’t get a lot of exposure.

BK: We’ve got two new coaches in the Horizon league. What does that mean when a new coach comes in and takes over a program within the league?

TL: Well, I am not sure to be honest with you. I know Mike Garland at Cleveland State quite well. I’ve known him for many years, but you know, I haven’t played against Cleveland State or Wright State yet. You grow to have a competitive fondness with previous coaches and I’m sure that we’ll have those emotions and battles with the new guys. They’ll bring in a new style that you have to adjust to. You know, you’re obviously close with Rollie and Eddie. I have a great respect for them and I am sure that they are doing fine and all. It’s just that’s part of coaching I guess. You move on.

BK: When you are recruiting here at Butler, what are your selling points? What are you selling at Butler?

TL: I can’t tell you that (chuckles). No, there are things about Butler — our success has been a key lately and that goes back to what was established previously. And then our players have just done a terrific job! The way our players interact with one another is a very important aspect and also the atmosphere on campus, and the quality of education. Indianapolis is a wonderful place to live, a lot of opportunities for young people. So, I think there is a great deal to sell. Hinkle Fieldhouse is a great place to call home and a wonderful place to practice. It doesn’t have all the modern amenities, but it does have history. It does have tradition. And it is ours and that’s very nice. So, there are some things, I guess, in any situation you have to know your strengths and we try to accentuate those.

BK: When a player walks in and looks at Hinkle Fieldhouse, does he either get it or not get it? Does he ever go “Wow, this is the coolest place in the world!” or does he go, “Man, this place has cobwebs, I just can’t stand it!” Do you get both those or does everyone go “wow”?

TL: You know, I think fortunately, we haven’t had any players come in that we recruited and be disrespectful. The young guys don’t know the history as well, but they have seen Hoosiers. There’s a feel to Hinkle Fieldhouse and a very dear friend of mine said last year at the end of the season — we had a sell out — and he said, “The museum came alive.” And that’s our goal. We want this beautiful, historic museum to come alive! And our fans have been terrific! To see them standing along the edge last year and storming the floor. To do those things, I just can’t tell you how gratifying it is for the Indianapolis community to be here and to support us.

BK: Now that you are really on the basketball map — big time now — is it harder to schedule? Are there people who say “I’m not going to Hinkle, no way!” or is it easier to schedule?

TL: I think it is actually has helped us. When you say on the basketball map, I really think that the coaches have known about us for some time and there’s a certain amount of respect — which I appreciate. But now that our RPI is where it’s at, there’s a respect and a perception that Butler is a program that you know is, I don’t know how to put it exactly, if you should happen to get beat by Butler, it’s no disgrace, . And so, with that, if you want to go on the road and play in a historic building in front of a good crowd, in Indianapolis and all that, then it makes sense now — and I think that’s been good actually.

BK: You’ve got two Big Ten teams on your schedule, you seem to have one or two scheduled every year, what is your scheduling philosophy?

TL: What we would like to do is bring some quality opponents to Hinkle Fieldhouse for our fans. And we can do that through the terrific rivalries right around the midwest with the in-state schools that we play home from the MAC and the Missouri Valley. Those are great games and then we try to play some schools either on a neutral or if we can get them into Hinkle, that’s wonderful that we think are really special games for us that our fans would have an interest in seeing. Last year we went to Cameron, which is an exciting place. There’s no question of the respect that Duke has. Then this year we played Indiana, which is great. We played in the Hoosier Classic two years ago and the Michigan game will be at Conseco Fieldhouse. The people at Conseco have been terrific to us and we appeciate that. We’ll take that as our second home; it’s a great facility.

BK: One part of “The Butler Way” that we haven’t talked about is academics. You graduate a very high percentage of your players. Talk about the emphasis and how important it is for academics at Butler.

TL: Well that goes back to recruiting. It is important that you recruit someone that is academically commited to earning a degree. And they have to earn it, as I am sure at any university, they have to have the mindset that there’s going to be demands but that they can do two things really well. They can be good players and they can be good students. And it’s just going to take time and time management. I believe, so it’s something that we take seriously, we’re proud of, and thankful that our players have come in here with a vision to earn a degree. And I think that can be a real benefit to us because, just like last year, we had seven seniors on the team there, eligibility-wise, so if you can keep them around longer then those guys can show the young guys what needs to be done. Plus their experience can be beneficial when we play teams that may lose players at a more rapid pace — either every couple years to the NBA or whatever it is.

BK: Okay, I want to ask you a little bit about the changes in coaching after your coaches’ meeting earlier this year about ethics. I know it doesn’t change the way you do things at Butler at all, but…

TL: Did you see Bob Knight’s quote? It was strong,! (chuckling), yeah. I’m sorry, what were you saying?

BK: I guess Knight will do his own thing. How did that change coaching? What’s going on on the state of coaching right now?

TL: I just don’t know because now we are busy with our program. We are a program that tries really hard to adhere to the rules, to do thinks ethically. We believe that we are educators first. That is not to minimize the pressure that’s involved at a competitive college program. There’s a lot of pressure involved in it, but I’m older, I’ve been through some things, and I just think that you’re better off if you have these principals that you live by and try to run your program by. And I just think there are a lot of rules in the NCAA manual and it makes it difficult. It seems to me that they are for those that are going to not abide by them and so I don’t know that more rules help us. I do think that anytime you can get a contingency like we had at Chicago and have a session where you have a strong voice together saying that we are very much interested in the state of the game, we take great pride in what we do and want it to be done well. Then you know, from that standpoint, we need to make sure that individually, we do what we know is right.

BK: Last question. I have to ask you a Big Chill question.

TL: Oh my. Big Chill. Oh, gosh.

BK: Butler Hall of Fame player Ed Schilling (Big Ed)

TL: Oh my, Ed Schilling Sr., I’ve known him for many years.

BK: He’s known to, uh, (pauses for a moment) have a lot of fun. And I need one Big Chill story. Give me a Big Chill story.

TL: Oh, I can’t give you ones where you say “have a lot of fun” because I’m never with him in those situations (both chuckle). Well, I think the world of him and as a player, oh my. Was he terrific as a player! One time after I graduated from high school, he allowed me to play on a summer league team that he coached and played on. It was mostly older guys but the reason he chose me is because I passed the ball a lot and Coach Schilling loved to be the recipient of passes. We were playing a game. We went up and down probably three or four times and he angrily called a time out, pretty quickly I might add . And the reason for the time out was he hadn’t touched the ball in those three or four trips. He wanted to make sure everybody knew that he was down there and to throw it to him. And so he was not bashful in that regard. But once you did throw it to him, you had a great chance of him being successful.

BK: He was a college coach at that time?

TL: He was the head coach at Marion College here in Indianapolis. But he still played some. Kind of like some independent league basketball. Used to be there were a lot of leagues and tounaments.. They’re just a lot of fun to play in and he was always dominating in those. He’s been a great guy. We’ve worked the Five-Star Camps together and just had a lot of fun. Now we’re trying to get together about once a month for lunch and just talk over the state of athletics and basketball. His son, Eddie, is one of my all-time favorite guys. I think he is just a wonderful coach. I’m glad to see him down at Memphis. I know he’ll be a big help to Coach Calipari.

BK: Well, I know that practice is just getting started and you need to get going. So thank you again for spending a few minutes with me.

TL: Anytime CigarBoy, anytime.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, September 24th

Third Player Charged: The horror show that is the La Salle basketball program got a little scarier yesterday, when forward Dzaflo Larkai was charged with rape – the third La Salle player to be charged. Larkai, who was dismissed from the team and the university following the arrest, is being charged with raping a player on the La Salle’s women’s team – separate charges from those facing Michael Cleaves and Gary Neal. That women’s team member claimed that she went to both head coaches, men’s coach Billy Hahn and women’s coach John Miller, who urged her to keep quiet, a charge both denied when stepping down last month. Cleaves and Neal are being charged with raping a female basketball camp counselor from the University of New Haven. Those charges led Larkai’s alleged victim to come forward.

Rutgers Extends Waters: Rutgers announced yesterday the signing of head coach Gary Waters to a two-year contract extension as a reward for the team’s first 20-win season since the Reagan administration. Waters, who is now under contract to the Scarlet Knights through the 2009-10 season, led New Jersey’s team to the NIT finals, losing to Michigan 62-55. After three seasons, Waters has a 50-42 mark at Rutgers, and has a 142-102 record in eight years as a head coach, which included three consecutive 20-win seasons at Kent State. After first spending 16 seasons as an assistant at D-II’s Ferris State (Big Rapids, Michigan), he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan for seven seasons, and then took over the Golden Flashes program in 1996, leading them to two NCAA Tournaments and the NIT in five seasons.

Irish Down in Celebration: Notre Dame has announced yet another injury to its Fighting Irish program, this time to freshman forward Rob Kurz. Kurz, a 6-9 forward out of Philadelphia, received a broken jaw in an off-campus incident on September 11th, during celebrations of the Irish football victory over rival Michigan. According to a Notre Dame spokesperson, Kurz underwent successful surgery the following Tuesday, and will have his jaw wired shut for 3-4 weeks. He should be available for the start of practice on October 16th.

Blue Ribbon Names Duck, Deacon: Chris Dortch’s Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, available in mid-October, has announced that Oregon incoming freshman Malik Hairston has been named its preseason rookie of the year, while Wake Forest’s sophomore guard Chris Paul is their preseason national player of the year. Hairston, a 6-6 guard, will likely start for the Ducks, increasing his chance of making an impact. A McDonald’s All-American, the Detroit native won the Michigan Class-B Championship with Renaissance High School and their 27-0 record. Hairston averaged 20 points and 11 boards per game, as well as tallying 4 blocks and 6 assists per contest last season. Paul averaged 14.8 points per game last season, second best for the Demon Deacons. Paul also notched a 46.5% average from 3-point land, and averaged 3.3 boards and 5.9 assists last season.

Former Wildcat Arrested, Again: Former Kentucky player Desmond Allison was arrested in Tampa last week for possession of crack cocaine and marijuana. According to the Tampa Tribune, Allison was a passenger in a vehicle that had been stopped for expired tags and a broken taillight. When the officer noticed Allison try to hide an open beer, ran his ID, and arrested Allison on an outstanding warrant from May for marijuana possession. Allison was released on bond the following day. Allison played for two seasons for Kentucky in the late 90′s, and was dismissed from the team after being arrested for DUI and marijuana possession (notice a trend?) on the eve of the NCAA Tournament. He finished his collegiate career at the NAIA Martin Methodist College (Pulaski, Tennessee), and tried out for the Toronto Raptors in 2002.

Former Trojan Passes On: USC announced yesterday that former Trojan All-American Lee Guttero passed away August 29th in Torrance, California. He was 92. Guttero, a 6-2 center, was the first USC player to be named to two All-American teams, and led SC to three straight conference titles, and also led the Trojans in scoring from 1933-35. Southern California went 54-19 during his playing days, and Guttero was named MVP of the 20-6 1935 squad, a team that he scored almost 35% of SC’s points. He was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2002.

Morgan State signs Grant Hill: Well, his art, anyway. Morgan State’s James E. Lewis Museum of Art will be featuring an exhibition called “Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African-American Art”. The collection, gathered during the former Duke star’s travels with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, features 40 works of both prominent and obscure African-American artists, including Romare Bearden, painter-sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, Hughie Lee-Smith, Malcolm Brown, John Biggers, Phoebe Beasley, Arthello Beck Jr. and John Coleman. Hill credits his father, former Dallas Cowboy Calvin Hill, for introducing him to art during visits to museums in NFL cities during his playing days. Hill will be in Baltimore today to open the exhibition in a private ceremony. The exhibit runs through November 30th.

Pac-10 Season Recap

Pac-10 Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Scott Allen

While Arizona garnered most of the preseason national hype, Stanford emerged as the class of the conference with one of the most remarkable regular seasons in college basketball history. The Cardinal won its first 26 games and was on the verge of becoming the first team in modern conference history to run the table in league play before Washington upset the Cardinal in Seattle on the final weekend of the season. Speaking of the Huskies, as dominating as Stanford was, Lorenzo Romar’s squad was the most surprising story of the Pac-10 season. The Huskies rebounded from an 0-5 start in conference play to finish 12-6 and earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The postseason was not kind to any of the Pac-10 teams, however, as Washington and Arizona were dealt first-round exits and top-seeded Stanford lost in the second round. Oregon had the greatest tournament success, losing in the semifinals of the NIT. As for the rest of the conference, freshman Leon Powe made waves at Cal and Dick Bennett appears to have things turned around at Washington State. USC and UCLA had disappointing seasons, Oregon State struggled and Arizona State proved that one great player cannot carry a team – even if that player is Ike Diogu.

Pac-10 Conference Tournament

The quarterfinal round of the conference tournament produced no real surprises, as top-seeded Stanford cruised past No. 8 Washington State 66-49, No. 2 Washington held off No. 7 UCLA 91-83 and No. 3 Arizona eked by No. 6 USC 79-76 on a three-pointer by freshman guard Mustafa Shakur at the buzzer. No. 5 Oregon pulled off the only minor upset, upending No. 4 Cal 87-82 to ruin the Bears’ chances of qualifying for the NIT.

The Ducks gave Stanford all it could handle in the semifinals before the Cardinal made a run late and held on for the 70-63 win. In the other semifinal, Washington defeated Arizona in a shootout for the third time this season, 90-85.

With both teams making their first appearances in the tournament title game for the first time since the tournament was reinstated three years ago, Stanford jumped out to a six-point halftime lead en route to a 77-66 victory. Matt Lottich scored 20 points, including four three-pointers and Josh Childress added 14 for the Cardinal, which avenged its only loss of the regular season with the win.

NCAA/NIT

Stanford

As the No. 1 seed in the Phoenix regional, the Cardinal defeated UT-San Antonio 71-45 in the first round before bowing out to No. 8 Alabama 70-67 two days later. Senior Justin Davis tallied a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in his final game at Stanford, while Josh Childress scored 12 points and added seven boards before fouling out with 3:16 to play. The early exit marked the third consecutive year that the Cardinal failed to survive the first weekend of the tournament and the fifth time in the past six years Stanford has failed to reach the Sweet 16.

Arizona

The Wildcats faded down the stretch and were much closer to missing the tournament completely than earning a quality seed. Lute Olson’s squad wound up the eighth seed in the Atlanta Regional, where a 80-76 loss to No. 9 Seton Hall in the first round was surprising and capped an altogether disappointing season for the under-achieving Wildcats. All five starters scored in double figures and Arizona’s lead reached 15 points midway through the second half, but the Wildcats could not make defensive stops down the stretch.

Washington

The Huskies were arguably the hottest team heading into the tournament, and their upset of previously undefeated Stanford in the regular season finale coupled with a good run in the Pac-10 tournament ensured their name would be called on Selection Sunday. As the No. 8 seed in the St. Louis Regional, the Huskies dropped a heartbreaker to No. 9 Alabama-Birmingham in one of the most exciting – and certainly highest scoring – first round games. Two UAB free throws with 1.3 seconds to play were the difference in the game. Nate Robinson led five Huskies in double figures with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting.

Oregon

The Ducks made a run to the semifinals of the NIT before bowing out to Michigan at Madison Square Garden. It didn’t look like the Ducks were going to survive a first-round game against Colorado, as the Buffaloes led by 18 in the second half. But Luke Jackson caught fire and scored 31 of the Ducks’ final 33 points as part of his 40-point performance to spark an amazing comeback and a 77-72 overtime victory. Oregon defeated George Mason 68-54 in the second round before edging Notre Dave 65-61 to advance to the semifinals.

Hoopville Conference Hardware

All-Conference Team:
Ike Diogu, Arizona State
Andre Iguodala, Arizona
Josh Childress, Stanford
Luke Jackson, Oregon
David Lucas, Oregon State

Defensive Player of the Year:

Channing Frye, Arizona

Coach of the Year:

Mike Montgomery, Stanford

Freshman of the Year:

Leon Powe, California

Newcomer of the Year:

Jeff McMillan, USC

Team-by-Team Recaps

Stanford (30-2, 17-1)

Suffice to say, the Cardinal far surpassed expectations with a record-setting season that included wins over Gonzaga and then-No. 1 Kansas in the preseason and dramatic buzzer-beating game-winners at home against Arizona and at Washington State as part of a school-record 26 straight victories. Washington denied Stanford the chance to become the first team to run the table in league play since the conference expanded to 10 teams in the final game of the regular season, but the Cardinal rebounded to capture its first Pac-10 tournament title.

Team MVP: Josh Childress, 15.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 48.8 FG%

Top Scorer: Childress
Top Rebounder: Childress
Top Assists: Chris Hernandez, 4.3

Starters Leaving:
F Josh Childress (NBA Draft)
G Matt Lottich (Graduating)
C Justin Davis (Graduating)

Key Players Returning (Year is the year player will be entering):
Jr. G Chris Hernandez (10.0 ppg, 4.3 apg, 46.0 3P%)
Sr. F Rob Little (9.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Jr. F Matt Haryasz (6.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Sr. F Nick Robinson (6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

There’s no denying that just how good the Cardinal can be next year hinges on whether or not Childress returns to the Farm for his senior season. Coach Mike Montgomery’s cupboard is not empty should his All-American swingman leave, however, and Stanford should challenge for the Pac-10 title and earn another NCAA bid with or without his services. If Childress returns and Dan Grunfeld can fill the shoes of departed sharpshooter Matt Lottich, Stanford could challenge for a deeper run in the NCAA tournament.

Washington (19-12, 12-6)

The Huskies finished the season with a flurry after dropping their first five conference games and they were arguably the hottest bunch heading into the tournament. Credit second-year head coach Lorenzo Romar with maintaining the confidence of his young team even when the chips were down early on, long before any talk of an NIT, let alone an NCAA, bid surfaced in Seattle. Nate Robinson emerged as one of the most electrifying playmakers in the Pac-10 and nearly carried the Huskies to an upset of N.C. State in Raleigh in a rare non-conference game in the middle of Pac-10 play. Washington knocked off previously unbeaten Stanford in the final regular season game for both squads at Bank of America Arena.

Team MVP: Nate Robinson, 13.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Top Scorer: Robinson
Top Rebounder: Brandon Roy, 5.3 ppg
Top Assists: Will Conroy, 4.6 apg

Starters Leaving:
None

Key Players Returning:
Jr. G Nate Robinson (13.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Jr. G Brandon Roy (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Jr. F Will Conroy (12.3 ppg, 4.6 apg)
Jr. F Mike Jensen (7.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

It’s amazing what a strong finish will do. Reminiscent of the way early prognosticators elected a young Michigan State squad as a Final Four favorite at the conclusion of last year’s tournament, Sports Illustrated forecasts the Huskies as a top-10 team in their pre- preseason rankings. Indeed, Washington should only get better next year with all five starters returning, coupled with the development of a solid freshman class. While they will likely be among the favorites for the Pac-10 crown, they won’t have the luxury of sneaking up on anybody.

Arizona (20-10, 11-7)

Despite boasting one of the most athletic starting lineups in the country, the Wildcats fluctuated between resembling a team that was Final Four material in wins over Texas and Cal at home, to a team that belonged in the NIT with losses at USC and Oregon State. All in all, it was a disappointing season in the desert for head coach Lute Olson, who couldn’t coax much defense out of his offensive-minded troops. Andre Iguodala emerged as one of the most complete players in the nation, posting three triple-doubles during the season.

Team MVP: Andre Iguodala (8.4 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Top Scorer: Hassan Adams, 17.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Iguodala
Top Assists: Iguodala

Starters Leaving
F Andre Iguodala (Draft)

Key Players Returning
So. G Mustafa Shakur (9.4 ppg, 4.5 apg)
Jr. G Salim Stoudamire (16.3 ppg)
Sr. C Channing Frye (15.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
Sr. G Hassan Adams (17.2 ppg)

The Wildcats are never at a lack for talented recruits to fill the void left by early departures such as Iguodala this season. That said, Mr. Triple-Double will be sorely missed. Mustafa Shakur emerged as a legitimate playmaking threat at point guard and Channing Frye figures to be primed for a monster senior season. The talent will be there in Tucson once again, but the Wildcats success will be determined by how that talent gels and if Arizona can get better defensively.

Oregon (18-13, 9-9)

After point guard extraordinaire Luke Ridnour bolted for NBA riches at the end of last season, there was little question the Ducks would have a hard time replicating their 23 wins and Pac-10 Tournament title. While the remaining cool hand Luke (Jackson) did a remarkable job single-handedly carrying the team at times – see 40-point performance in first round of NIT – the rest of the Ducks lineup was simply too inconsistent to seriously challenge for the conference crown. Ernie Kent’s squad spent much of the season on the NCAA tournament bubble before ultimately finishing on the outside looking in.

Team MVP: Luke Jackson (21.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.5 apg)

Top Scorer: Jackson
Top Rebounder: Jackson
Top Assists: Jackson

Starters Leaving:
F Luke Jackson (Graduating)
G Andre Joseph (Graduating)
G James Davis (Graduating)

Key Players Returning
Jr. C Ian Crosswhite (12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
So. F Mitch Platt (5.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
So. G Aaron Brooks (7.0 ppg, 2.7 apg)

The Ducks have some serious shoes to fill in Jackson’s, not to mention the loss of sharpshooters Andre Joseph and James Davis. With that trio’s prolific three-point shooting numbers, Oregon was rarely out of any game. Next year’s team may look more inside to Crosswhite and Platt, while sophomore guard Aaron Brooks, who missed time this season with a wrist injury, must develop into more of a scorer.

California (13-15, 9-9)

Coach Ben Braun had one of the youngest teams in the Pac-10 and, as young teams are wont to do, the Bears experienced some growing pains. The youth and the loss of All-Pac-10 forward Josh Shipp was especially felt at the beginning of the season, as the Bears stumbled out of the gates, including a home loss to Cal Poly to open the season. Cal bounced back during the conference season and found itself on the tournament bubble at times, but could not pull off the big win down the stretch and ended the season on a three-game skid.

Team MVP: Leon Powe (15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg)

Top Scorer: Powe
Top Rebounder: Powe
Top Assists: Ayinde Ubaka, 3.9 apg

Starters Leaving
F Amit Tamir (Graduating)
G A.J. Diggs (Graduating)

Key Players Returning
So. F Leon Powe
So. G Ayinde Ubaka (6.4 ppg)
So. F Marquise Kately (10.5 ppg)
Jr. G Richard Midgley (10.6 ppg)

The Bears will be without Powe until December as the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year recovers from left knee surgery, but if he comes back close to 100 percent, Cal should be much improved and challenge for a tournament bid. Kately is a nice complement inside and Ubaka made great strides as a freshman at the point guard position. With Tamir and Diggs gone, Midgley will have to take a greater offensive role on the perimeter.

USC (13-15, 8-10)

The Trojans were on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows from the point the season began. To make matters worse, the highs weren’t all that high and the lows were, well, really low (25-point loss to Cal Poly at home). Desmon Farmer scored 40 points to spark an upset of Arizona in February, but even that win lost its luster as the Wildcats faded down the stretch.

Team MVP: Desmon Farmer (19.4 ppg)

Top Scorer: Farmer
Top Rebounder: Jeff McMillan, 8.6 rpg
Top Assists: Errick Craven, 3.0 apg

Starters Leaving:
G Desmon Farmer (Graduating)

Key Players Returning:
So. G Lodrick Stewart (8.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Sr. G Errick Craven (11.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Sr. C Rory O’Neil (8.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Sr. F Jeff McMillan (11.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg)

Henry Bibby will return a fairly talented bunch, anchored by the Craven and Stewart twins at the guard position and seniors McMillan and O’Neil inside. Then again, Bibby returned all five starters this season and couldn’t get his team out of the depths of mediocrity. It’s anybody’s guess as to how USC will fare at the start of the season let alone trying to forecast the Trojans’ future now. The loss of Farmer will certainly be felt.

Washington State (13-16, 7-11)

While they came up a few games short of becoming eligible for an NIT bid, the Cougars climbed well out of the land of that is the Pac-10 cellar and was by far the most improved team in the Pac-10 this season. Most of that is thanks to first-year head coach Dick Bennett, who implemented his classic zone defense that kept opponents off balance – and in the 50s – on most nights. Washington State nearly upset Arizona at home and was a desperation heave by Stanford’s Matt Lottich away from upsetting the No. 1 and then-No. 1 Cardinal at home.

Team MVP: Marcus Moore (13.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 apg)

Top Scorer: Moore
Top Rebounder: Shami Gill, 5.3 rpg
Top Assists: Moore, 3.7 apg

Starters Leaving:
Marcus Moore (Graduating)

Key Players Returning:
Sr. G Thomas Kelati (11.1 ppg, 44.4 3P%)
Sr. G Jeff Varem (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

While they lose star guard Marcus Moore, who nearly opted to leave for the NBA after his junior season, the Cougars return the rest of the core of their scoring – which is good, except they don’t score that much. The players, who seemed to buy into Bennett’s system from the get-go should be even more comfortable during his second year at the helm. If nothing else, Bennett has made basketball season interesting in Pullman once again – no longer just a sport to follow from the time football season ends until spring practice begins.

UCLA (11-17, 7-11)

With Steve Lavin out and Ben Howland in, things were more upbeat in Westwood at the start of the season than they had been in quite some time. As the Bruins raced out to a 5-0 start in conference play, it appeared Howland’s rebuilding project might be easier than originally anticipated, but as they lost 11 of their last 13 conference games, it was readily apparent that a new coach was not the magical quick-fix.

Team MVP: T.J. Cummings (12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 55.2 FG%)

Top Scorer: Dijon Thompson, 14.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Cummings
Top Assists: Cedric Bozeman, 5.5 apg

Starters Leaving:
T.J. Cummings (Graduated)
Dijon Thompson (Note: Withdrew from NBA Draft – will return for next season)
Trevor Ariza (Draft – granted release from UCLA)

Key Players Returning:
Sr. G Brian Morrison (8.5 ppg, 42.5 3P%)
Sr. G Cedric Bozeman (7.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg)
Jr. C Ryan Hollins (6.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

Ariza’s decision to leave after one season is a big blow to the Bruins and the continuity Howland would like to begin to establish in his second season. The freshman was one of the encouraging stories of an otherwise disappointing season. Cummings will also be missed, but with an influx of new recruits and a solid returning group of upperclassmen, the Bruins should be improved next season.

Oregon State (12-16, 6-12)

A 6-12 conference mark and missing the Pac-10 tournament may not seem like much to be proud of, but for head coach Jay John and the Beavers, it may be a sign of good things to come in Corvallis. Oregon State lost four starters, including its top three scorers and All-Conference selection Phillip Ricci after last season, which seemed to spell a ticket to the Pac-10 cellar. But David Lucas emerged as a force inside, nearly tripling his point production from last season, and the Beavers were no pushovers for conference opponents, as they showed in upsetting Arizona 90-84 in February.

Team MVP: David Lucas (17.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg)

Top Scorer: Lucas
Top Rebounder: Lucas
Top Assists: Lamar Hurd, 4.9 apg

Starters Leaving:
None

Key Players Returning
Sr. F David Lucas
Jr. G Chris Stephens (15.8 ppg)
Sr. G J.S. Nash (10.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.8 apg)
Sr. F Jim Hanchett (7.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

A veteran core returns next season for what should be a more successful season. A dreadful mark this season could have dampened the outlook for next year, but with Lucas inside and Stephens and Nash providing scoring from the perimeter, the Beavers should inch more toward the middle of the standings.

Arizona State (10-17, 4-14)

Sophomore sensation Ike Diogu was constantly double and triple-teamed in the paint and still managed to put up all-conference numbers, but one player does not a team make. Although Jason Braxton and junior college transfer Steve Moore had solid seasons, all the concentration on Diogu should have opened the door – and the perimeter – for his teammates to contribute more consistently, but shuffle of the starting lineup, partly due to seven first-year players on the roster, prevented the Sun Devils from establishing any sort of momentum. Like Oregon State, the Sun Devils lost several nail-biters, including a last-second loss to Stanford at home.

Team MVP: Ike Diogu (22.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg)

Top Scorer: Diogu
Top Rebounder: Diogu
Top Assists: Jason Braxton, 4.8 apg

Starters Leaving:
Jamal Hill (Graduating)

Key Players Returning:
Jr. F Ike Diogu
Sr. G Steve Moore (12.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)

With Diogu returning for his junior season and the freshman, including Tron Smith and Keith Wooden, all with a year of experience under their belt, the Sun Devils should not repeat as conference cellar dwellers next season. The key for Rob Evans may be finding the right group of guys to mesh with Diogu in the starting lineup.

Conference Outlook for 2004-05

The Pac-10 will head into next season with a lot to prove. Taking nothing away from Stanford’s incredible season and the great story that unfolded in Seattle with Washington’s turnaround, conference supporters who gripe about East coast media bias and the Pac-10′s lack of respect swallowed their words after all three of its representatives in the NCAA Tournament were eliminated during the first weekend. As is the case throughout the nation, several teams’ prospects for next season hinge on which star players will bolt for the draft and which will opt to return. Established stars will leave, budding talent will emerge and life will go on in the Pac-10 – with or without the respect of the rest of the nation. The conference can only hope its 2005 tournament life is considerably longer than it was this season.

Ivy League Recap

Ivy League 2003-04 Recap

by Owen Bochner

What began as a season with expectations for parity and fierce competition in the Ivy League ended as one characterized by routine and predictability. Sure, things looked bright in the Ancient Eight with surprising non-conference showings by middle-of-the-pack teams such as Yale and Cornell. But by the time the end of February approached, the cream had already risen to the top.

Alas, in 2004, there was no shocker in the Ivy League, as Princeton won its last nine conference games to cruise to its 24th league championship and its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001.

While the on-court story remained much the same in 2003-04 as in previous years, off the court, there was a bit more drama. After leading the Tigers to the top of the conference standings with a dominant 13-1 record, head coach John Thompson III left Old Nassau, assuming the post at Georgetown, a job held by his father for many years. Joe Scott, another Princeton alum, was quickly named as Thompson’s replacement.

Elsewhere, after Dartmouth announced mid-season that head coach Dave Faucher would not return, the Big Green completed its more than three-month long search for his replacement in May, when it named former Colorado assistant Terry Dunn as its new head coach.

The coaching carousel appears to be in motion once more, as the Associated Press has reported that La Salle offered Pennsylvania head coach Fran Dunphy the head coaching job, vacated when Billy Hahn resigned earlier in the summer. It would be a major move for Dunphy, who has been at Penn for the past 16 seasons, making a name for himself as one of the best coaches in Ivy League history. Dunphy graduated from Big Five rival La Salle in 1970.

NCAA Tournament

Despite Will Venable’s 16 points, Princeton fell to Texas, 66-49, in the first round of the tournament. Princeton was the Ancient Eight’s only NCAA representative, gained entry as the No. 14 seed in the Phoenix regional, played in Denver.

Player of the Year

Jason Forte, Brown

The junior guard proved once again why he is one of the top talents in the league. He became the first player in Ivy League history to lead the league in both scoring and assists, averaging 21.4 and 5.8, respectively in conference play. He also set conference highs with 2.1 steals and 7.8 free throw attempts per game.

Freshman of the Year

Leon Pattman, Dartmouth

The lone bright spot for the Big Green during a very down year, Pattman led all Ivy rookies in scoring with 13.2 points per game, despite missing a lot of time late in the season with a groin injury. He is dangerous shooter who will hope to lead Dartmouth’s resurgence under new head coach Terry Dunn.

First-Team All-Ivy
Jason Forte, Brown
Ka’Ron Barnes, Cornell
Jeff Schiffner, Penn
Judson Wallace, Princeton
Will Venable, Princeton

Second-Team All-Ivy
Pat Powers, Brown
Tim Begley, Penn
Jamie Kilburn, Brown
Matt Preston, Columbia
Edwin Draughan, Yale

All-Ivy Honorable Mention
Adam Chubb, Penn
Matt Stehle, Harvard

Princeton Tigers (20-8, 13-1 Ivy)

At the beginning of the season, several pundits predicted a banner season for the Tigers, assuming everything went right. Everything went right. Judson Wallace emerged as the dominant center in the league, Will Venable and Ed Persia combined to form one of the stronger backcourts in the league. With Persia the lone senior, high expectations will greet new head coach Joe Scott, as he looks to replicate his success at Air Force in his return to his alma mater.

Team MVP: Judson Wallace, Jr., C. (15.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 18 blocks)

Points leader: Wallace
Rebounds leader: Wallace
Assists leader: Will Venable (2.9 apg)

Starters leaving:
G Ed Persia

Starters returning:
G Scott Greenman
G Will Venable
F Andre Logan
C Judson Wallace

Contributors returning:
F Luke Owings
F/C Harrison Schaen
G Max Schafer
C Mike Stevens

Projected Starting Lineup:
G Greenman
G Venable
F Logan
F Schaen
C Wallace

Pennsylvania Quakers (17-10, 10-4)

When it came down to it, Penn’s undoing in 2003-04 was Brown. After going a perfect 14-0 in 2002-03, the Quakers hoped to overcome the losses of Ugonna Onyekwe, Koko Archibong, and Andrew Toole. Penn was almost able to pull off the feat, if not for a pair of losses to the Bears. Otherwise, the Quakers were as good as ever, losing only to league champion Princeton in the final game of the season and a two-point heartbreaker at Yale in late January. Again, Penn will be faced with the prospects of replacing its most productive players in 2004-05, as unanimous All-Ivy first-teamer Jeff Schiffner takes his bow.

Penn will also be faced with the prospect of a massive program restructuring, with long-time head coach Fran Dunphy rumored to be on his way to La Salle.

Team MVP: Jeff Schiffner, Sr., G (14.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, 22 steals)

Points leader: Schiffner
Rebounds leader: Adam Chubb (7.5 rpg)
Assists leader: Tim Begley (4.2 apg)

Starters leaving:
C Adam Chubb
G Charlie Copp
G Jeff Schiffner

Starters returning:
G Tim Begley
F Mark Zoller

Contributors returning:
G Ibby Jaaber
F Jan Fikiel
F Steve Danley
G Eric Osmundsen

Projected starting lineup:
G Begley
G Jaaber
F Zoller
F Danley
F Fikiel

Brown Bears (14-3, 10-4)

Glen Miller’s squad proved in 2003-04 that 2002-03 was no fluke, winning eight of its first nine conference games on the strength of Jason Forte’s monster junior season. Forte became the first player in league history to lead the league in both scoring and assists, more than making up for the loss of Earl Hunt. The good news for Brown? Despite losing three starters, a very strong underclass appears set to fill the void.

Team MVP: Jason Forte (16.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, 48 steals)

Points leader: Forte
Rebounds leader: Jaime Kilburn (6.6 rpg)
Assists leader: Forte

Starters leaving:
F Jaime Kilburn
G Mike Martin
F Patrick Powers

Starters returning:
G Jason Forte
F Luke Ruscoe

Contributors returning:
G Marcus Becker
F Sam Mahanga
F Andrew Salter

Projected starting lineup:
G Forte
G Becker
F Mahanga
F Salter
F Ruscoe

Yale Bulldogs (12-15, 7-7)

Following a less-than impressive Ivy League season, Yale found itself dealing with a much more serious situation in late May, when word that senior Josh Hill had died in a car accident near his home in Delaware. Hill, who had missed most of the 2002-03 season and all of 2003-04 with an injury, was preparing to return for a fifth year of eligibility in 2004-05. The Bulldogs will dedicate the season to his memory.

Team MVP: Edwin Draughan (11.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.2 apg)

Points leader: Draughan
Rebounds leader: Paul Vitelli (5.4 rpg)
Assists leader: Alex Gamboa (3.8 apg)

Starters leaving:
G Matt Minoff
F Paul Vitelli

Starters returning:
G Edwin Draughan
G Alex Gamboa
C Dominick Martin

Contributors returning:
F Sam Kaplan
G/F Casey Hughes
F Mark Lovett

Projected starting lineup:
G Draughan
G Gamboa
G Hughes
F Kaplan
C Martin

Cornell Big Red (11-16, 6-8)

Cornell started the 2003-04 season fast, winning its first five conference games of the season. It was the longest such streak for the Red since the 1964-65 season, when Cornell opened the conference season at 11-0. However, the team’s momentum deflated quickly after that. The Red lost its next three games, including being swept at home by Penn and Princeton, effectively ending its championship aspirations. By the end of the season, the team had developed too great a reliance on star guard Ka’Ron Barnes, who was no longer able to carry the weight. The Red won only one of its last six games to finish under .500 in conference play for the seventh consecutive year.

Team MVP: Ka’Ron Barnes (20.1 ppg, 4.6 apg, 51 steals)

Points leader: Barnes
Rebounds leader: Eric Taylor (7.5 rpg)
Assists leader: Barnes

Starters leaving:
G Ka’Ron Barnes
F Gabe Stephenson

Starters returning:
G Cody Toppert
F Lenny Collins
C Eric Taylor

Contributors returning:
G Graham Dow
G/F David Lisle
F Stevan Marcetic
F Andrew Naeve

Projected starting lineup:
G Dow
G Lisle
F Toppert
F Collins
C Taylor

Columbia Lions (10-17, 6-8)

Replicating the feat pulled off by Columbia’s football team, the Lions enjoyed a tremendous turnaround under first-year head coach Joe Jones. After winning only two games in 2002-03, Columbia showed why there is no such thing as a sure thing in the Ancient Eight, surprising just about everyone with a six-victory season. Matt Preston was a particularly pleasant surprise, upping his scoring average from a dismal 2.0 points per game in 2002-03 to a team-leading 15.3 in 2003-04.

Team MVP: Matt Preston (15.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 10 blocks)

Points leader: Preston
Rebounds leader: Preston
Assists leader: Maurice Murphy (4.6 apg)

Starters leaving:
G Maurice Murphy

Starters returning:
G Jeremiah Boswell
F Dragutin Kravic
F Matt Preston
C Dodson Worthington

Contributors returning:
G Tito Hill
G Dalen Cuff
C Matt Land

Projected starting lineup:
G Jeremiah Boswell
G Tito Hill
F Dragutin Kravic
F Matt Preston
C Dodson Worthington

Harvard Crimson (4-23, 3-11)

Very little went right for the Crimson this past season as it hunkered down for the slow steps at the beginning of a youth movement. While there was little to cheer about for Harvard fans, there were some very promising things for the team to point to. One was the Crimson’s 78-71 upset victory over Yale on February 14. Another was the performance of forward Matt Stehle. The local product proved that he can hold his own against whatever the rest of the Ivy League has to offer, and as he enters his junior season, seems primed to move into the ranks of the league’s elite players.

Team MVP: Matt Stehle (13.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 43 blocks)

Points leader: Kevin Rogus (14.7 ppg)
Rebounds leader: Stehle
Assists leader: Michael Beal (3.1 apg)

Starters leaving:
None

Starters returning:
G Kevin Rogus
G Michael Beal
F Matt Stehle
F Jason Norman
C Graham Beatty

Contributors returning:
G David Giovacchini
G Jim Goffredo
F Luke McCrone

Projected starting lineup:
G Rogus
G Beal
F Stehle
F Norman
C Beatty

Dartmouth Big Green (3-25, 1-13)

Things went from bad to worse for Dartmouth. After a disappointing 4-10 Ivy finish in 2002-03, much of the roster returned for the Green in 2003-04, and promptly had an even worse finish. The lone conference victory came in the team’s first league game of the season, as the Green barely snuck past Harvard, 56-54, on January 3. The team failed to win another game, and it ultimately cost head coach Dave Faucher his job. He finished his 13-year Dartmouth career with a less-than-impressive 137-208 record.

Team MVP: Leon Pattman (13.2 ppg, 26 steals, .886 FT pct.)

Points leader: Pattman
Rebounds leader: Calvin Arnold (4.5 rpg)
Assists leader: Steve Callahan (2.1 apg)

Starters leaving:
None

Starters returning:
G Leon Pattman
G Steve Callahan
G Mike McLaren
F Calvin Arnold
C David Gardner

Contributors returning:
G Mike Lang

Projected starting lineup:
G Pattman
G Callahan
G McLaren
F Arnold
C Gardner

Big 12 Season Recap

Big 12 Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Zach Ewing

Go back and take a look at the Big 12 Conference preseason polls. Go ahead. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Hoopville prediction, a coaches’ poll or any other media poll. Invariably, you saw Missouri’s name toward the top and Oklahoma State somewhere in the middle of the pack. Now come back to the present and examine these handy Big 12 final standings.

Texas, Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech finishing in the 2-5 spots doesn’t seem too unlikely, but OSU and Mizzou flip-flopped from where those teams were supposed to be in November. For the Cowboys, the emergence of John Lucas as one of America’s top point guards and Tony Allen as a legitimate number one scorer helped catapult the team into first place and Eddie Sutton’s first Big 12 championship. Oklahoma State was able to beat Texas twice and Kansas once to win the title.

Missouri, on the other hand, struggled in non-conference play with losses to Gonzaga, Illinois, Memphis, Syracuse and, shockingly, Belmont. Then the highly-touted Tigers floundered in Big 12 play. They finally found a groove midway through February and rattled off six straight wins to end the month, including a thrilling, double-overtime 93-92 victory against OSU. But the Tigers limped to the finish line and lost to Kansas in the Hearnes Center’s final game. MU not only did not meet expectations; the Tigers failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

Texas and Kansas were both mostly good but sometimes bad: KU was blown out by both Texas and Oklahoma State, and UT lost road games at Iowa State and Kansas State. In the bottom half of the conference, there were teams that nobody wanted to play lurking everywhere. Iowa State lost only one game at home all year (to OSU), but beat Texas, Kansas, Colorado and Missouri in Ames. The Cyclones, however, couldn’t win a game on the road. Nebraska was mere points away from being 9-7 or 10-6. The Huskers lost close games at Oklahoma State and Texas and inexplicably was swept by Kansas State. But they beat Kansas, Missouri and Texas Tech convincingly. Baylor wasn’t expected to win anything, but the Bears were able to compete in just about every game they played. They even managed wins over Iowa State and Texas A&M twice.

Big 12 Tournament Recap

Unlike many conference tournaments around the country, the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas went basically according to plan. In the quarterfinals, Texas beat rival Oklahoma for the third time and Kansas beat rival Missouri for the third time. Missouri started the game strong but was buried in the second half.

In the semifinals, Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech and Texas again beat Kansas, setting up a third meeting between the Cowboys and Longhorns. This time wasn’t as close as the first two Cowboy victories. Midway through the second half, OSU shut the door defensively and beat Texas handily. The ‘Pokes had backed up their regular-season championship with a Big 12 Tournament title.

NIT Tournament

Colorado Buffaloes

CU finished fourth in the Big 12 but was rewarded with only a NIT assignment to play at Oregon. Free-throw shooting, a long-time Buff nemesis, hurt them again. The Buffaloes shot only 52 percent and lost 77-72 in the first round.

Iowa State Cyclones

The Cyclones certainly made the most of their first postseason experience in two years. First, ISU rode its big home-court advantage to beat Georgia 82-74 in the first round. The Cyclones shot an unbelievable 74 percent from the floor. In the second round, ISU got a rare road win against Florida State 62-59 in overtime, and then returned home to down Marquette 77-69 in the NIT quarterfinals. In Madison Square Garden, the run finally came to end when ISU fought back from a big deficit to tie Rutgers and send the game into overtime, but Rutgers won it 8-81 in the extra period. Freshman phenom Curtis Stinson carried Iowa State with 32 points, but Quincy Douby scored 35 for Rutgers and ISU had no answer when Stinson fouled out in OT.

Missouri Tigers

The career of four Tiger seniors, including Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson, came to a close with a thud in the NIT’s first round. In a game played at Michigan, Johnson scored 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting for MU, and the Tigers led 48-40 with less than ten minutes to go. But, in a microcosm of MU’s entire season, Michigan came back to win a close game in the final seconds 65-64.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Unlike most of the teams listed above, any kind of postseason play was a welcome sight for Nebraska. The Huskers got one victory, 78-70 over Niagara in the NIT behind 17 points and 8 rebounds from John Turek, but lost in the second round to Hawaii 84-83. The Rainbow Warriors led by 17 at the break, but NU went on an 18-2 run to start the second half and even took the lead at several junctures before falling short.

Oklahoma Sooners

In the NIT’s first round, Oklahoma took care of another team that had its bubble burst, the Louisiana State Tigers. Freshmen Drew Lavender and Brandon Foust combined for 34 points and the Sooners stretched their lead to 60-48 before holding off LSU in the final minutes for a 70-61 victory. In the second round, OU ran into a Michigan team that had just finished off Missouri and would eventually win the NIT. OU got within two points with less than four minutes to play, but Michigan held on for a 63-52 win.

NCAA Tournament

Kansas Jayhawks, No. 4 seed, St. Louis region

The Jayhawks were fortunate to have a good geographical tournament draw, high-seeded teams fall in their region and a red-hot Wayne Simien in this year’s NCAA Tournament. KU took advantage of these circumstances to make an Elite Eight tournament run.

The first two Jayhawk tournament games were in nearby Kansas City, where first No. 13 seed Illinois-Chicago and then No. 12 seed Pacific never stood a chance. Simien had 13 points and 9 rebounds and freshman J.R. Giddens had 17 points in the first round. Pacific gave Kansas trouble for a few minutes in the second half, even tying the game at 51 with about 10 minutes to play. But KU pulled away to win 78-63. Simien had 18 points and 12 rebounds, which was nothing compared to his next game.

In a Sweet Sixteen matchup with UAB, it appeared Kansas was playing its JV team. KU had a 10-point lead before anyone blinked, and won the game 100-74. Simien had 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. It was a different story, though in the regional final against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were able to stay just barely ahead of KU all day long, until Giddens’ tied the game with a late three. The Jayhawks’ season ended in overtime, however. Will Bynum hit a three-pointer to give Tech a three-point lead, and the Jackets hung on for the 79-71 win.

Oklahoma State Cowboys, No. 2 seed, East Rutherford region

After a successful regular season, OSU came up big in the NCAA Tournament, too. A slow start against No. 15 seed Eastern Washington didn’t stop the Cowboys in the first round. They rebounded from a tie game at the half for a 75-56 win. In the second round, OSU didn’t mess around, burying No. 7 seed Memphis before the Tigers had a chance. The Cowboys led 21-8 and 54-27 before winning 70-53 behind Joey Graham’s 20 first-half points.

In the Sweet Sixteen, Oklahoma State took a tie with No. 3 seed Pittsburgh late in the game and turned it into a commanding lead with a 17-5 run that was keyed on the defensive end. Tony Allen had 23 points and 7 rebounds. A great game awaited OSU in the regional final. The No. 1 seed St. Joseph’s Hawks had lost only once all season and used defensive pressure and bad shooting by the Cowboys to take a six-point halftime lead. The Hawks still led 62-61 when John Lucas, who had struggled from the field, nailed a three-pointer from the left wing with 6.9 seconds left. Jameer Nelson missed a shot at the other end and OSU had survived.

Georgia Tech, however, awaited the Cowboys in a national semifinal and, like they did to Kansas, ended Oklahoma State’s dream season. Again OSU was forced to fight from behind as Tech took a double-digit lead in the second half. It was another Lucas three-pointer that tied the game at 65, but this time it was with 26.3 seconds left, enough time for Will Bynum to wait, receive the ball and drive down the lane for a last-second lay-up and a 67-65 victory.

Texas Longhorns, No. 3 seed, Atlanta region

Texas struggled against No. 14 seed Princeton in the first round, but pulled away from the pesky Tigers for a 66-49 win in the first round. Six different Longhorns scored at least 7 points in a second-round win against No. 6 seed North Carolina. Texas used a long bench full of big men to hold UNC’s Sean May to 2-of-10 shooting before he fouled out, and the Longhorn’s bench outscored UNC’s 34-7 in a 78-75 victory.

Then came a Sweet Sixteen game against red-hot Xavier. The Musketeers’ Romain Sato was unstoppable, and Texas’ season came to a end with a 79-71 loss that was closer than the score would indicate.

Texas Tech Red Raiders, No. 8 seed, East Rutherford region

Bob Knight’s team came out strong against No. 9 seed Charlotte in the first round and then held off the 49ers in the second stanza to win 78-75 behind Andre Emmett’s 20 points. But in the second round, a quick Tech start wasn’t enough. St. Joseph’s used a 24-2 run late in the first half to gain the advantage and then TTU didn’t have enough to come back, losing 70-65. Emmett had 18 more points, but Jameer Nelson had 24 for the Hawks.

Hoopville’s All-Big 12 team

John Lucas, Oklahoma State
Tony Allen, Oklahoma State
Wayne Simien, Kansas
Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
David Harrison, Colorado

MVP: John Lucas, Oklahoma State 2nd: Wayne Simien, Kansas

Defensive Player of the Year: Tony Allen, Oklahoma State 2nd: David Harrison, Colorado

Freshman/Newcomer of the Year: Curtis Stinson, Iowa State 2nd: J.R. Giddens, Kansas

Coach of the Year: Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State 2nd: Scott Drew, Baylor

Team-by-team Recaps

Baylor Bears (8-21 overall, 3-13 Big 12)

This is the only time a 3-13 season is a pleasant surprise, but Scott Drew did a masterful job keeping the postseason-ineligible Bears motivated. Harvey Thomas and Terrance Thomas made a nice inside-outside combination, and BU definitely put a scare into some teams who ventured into Waco.

Team MVP: Terrance Thomas (15.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.2 apg)

Top Scorer: Terrance Thomas
Top Rebounder: Terrance Thomas
Top Assists: Matt Sayman (4.0 apg)

Key Players Leaving: Terrance Thomas (graduation), Sayman (graduation), R.T. Guinn (graduation)

Key Players Returning: Harvey Thomas (15.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Tommy Swanson (6.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg)

Outlook: It’ll take a long time before the Bears can compete, but they should have some more surprises up their sleeve.

Colorado Buffaloes (18-11 overall, 10-6 Big 12)

It’s hard to believe a team that went 10-6 in a power conference didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, but that’s the case with the Buffs. David Harrison and Michel Morandais had great campaigns, but non-conference losses to Pepperdine, Richmond and Utah hurt CU’s at-large chances.

Team MVP: David Harrison (17.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg)

Top Scorer: Harrison
Top Rebounder: Harrison
Top Assists: Michel Morandais (3.2 apg)

Key Players Leaving: Morandais, Lamar Harris, Blair Wilson (graduation), possibly Harrison (NBA)

Key Players Returning: possibly Harrison, Jayson Obazuaye (5.7 ppg)

Outlook: It all depends on Harrison’s decision on whether to jump to the NBA. But even if he stays, the Buffs will miss the combined 29 points per game from Morandais and Wilson.

Iowa State Cyclones (20-13, 7-9)

The story all year long for ISU was win in Ames, lose anywhere else. The Cyclones’ only road wins came early in the season against Drake and against Florida State in the NIT. There were certainly some impressive wins at home, though, against the likes of Xavier, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

Team MVP: Curtis Stinson (15.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.6 apg)

Top Scorer: Stinson
Top Rebounder: Jackson Vroman, 9.7 rpg
Top Assists: Stinson

Key Players Leaving: Vroman, Jake Sullivan (graduation)

Key Players Returing: Stinson, Jared Homan (11.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Will Blalock (8.0 ppg)

Outlook: Watch out for the Cyclones next year. Another year of experience will help guys like Stinson and Blalock win on the road. The biggest question is Homan, who will have to fill in for Vroman.

Kansas Jayhawks (24-9, 12-4)

Under new coach Bill Self, the Jayhawks barely missed a beat. Early-season losses to Nevada and Richmond ended up not looking so bad when Self led KU to the Elite Eight for the third straight year. The fans in Lawrence are already salivating for next year.

Team MVP: Wayne Simien (17.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg)

Top Scorer: Simien
Top Rebounder: Simien
Top Assists: Aaron Miles, 7.4 apg

Key Players Leaving: Jeff Graves (graduation), David Padgett (transferring)

Key Players Returning: Simien, Miles (9.4 ppg), Keith Langford (16.1 ppg), J.R. Giddens (10.7 ppg)

News: David Padgett announced he will transfer to another school where he can exclusively play power forward. That leaves a hole in the middle for the Jayhawks, who may have to rely on a freshman to start.

Outlook: Even with Padgett’s departure, Kansas should be a consensus top-five team next year.

Kansas State Wildcats (14-14, 6-10)

K-State suffered through another long season. The Wildcats were able to take Oklahoma State to the wire, beat Texas and sweep Nebraska, but other than that, all they could do is hope to stay close. Massey holds the key to a bright future, but he’s got to be consistent. KSU can’t afford any more 41-point losses at UMKC.

Team MVP: Jeremiah Massey (15.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg)

Top Scorer: Massey
Top Rebounder: Massey
Top Assists: Frank Richards, 3.6 apg

Key Players Leaving: Jarrett Hart, Tim Ellis, Richards (graduation)

Key Players Returning: Massey, Marques Hayden (8.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Cartier Martin (7.1 ppg)

Outlook: A good recruiting class from last year may come to fruition, but without Hart, Ellis and Richards, who’s going to control the offense? Somebody will have to step up.

Missouri Tigers (16-14, 9-7)

Misery is more like it. The Tigers suffered through a very disappointing season. It didn’t help that an NCAA investigation loomed overhead all year long, and that Rickey Paulding didn’t seem ready to take on expectations as a preseason All-American. A six-game winning streak in February showed what this team was capable of, but losing four of the last five games after that was more reminiscent of the Tigers’ season.

Team MVP: Arthur Johnson (15.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg)

Top Scorer: Johnson and Rickey Paulding (15.7 ppg each)
Top Rebounder: Linas Kleiza (8.4 rpg)
Top Assists: Jimmy McKinney (3.2 apg)

Key Players Leaving: Johnson, Paulding, Travon Bryant (graduation)

Key Players Returning: McKinney (9.4 ppg), Jason Conley (7.4 ppg), Linas Kleiza (11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg), Thomas Gardner (6.4 ppg)

Outlook: The Tigers will finally have a true point guard when freshman Jason Horton comes in, but now there is no depth inside. Either Kevin Young or a freshman will have to start with Linas Kleiza, which is a scary proposition for Tiger fans.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-13, 6-10)

Like a few other bottom-feeders in the Big 12, the Huskers were able to play well and spring some upsets, but couldn’t find the consistency that breeds winning records. If the Huskers had just managed to beat Kansas State and win some close games against Oklahoma State, Texas and the Wildcats, they might have made a run at the Big Dance. Still, a second-round NIT appearance is a success for a rebuilding team.

Team MVP: Jake Muhleisen (7.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

Top Scorer: Nate Johnson, 13.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: John Turek, 5.8 rpg
Top Assists: Charles Richardson, 2.3 apg

Key Players Leaving: Johnson, Brian Conklin, Andrew Drevo (graduation)

Key Players Returning: Muhleisen, Turek (9.5 ppg), Richardson (2.2 ppg)

Outlook: Muhleisen is the heart and soul of this team. With him returning for another season, the Huskers won’t be bad. In fact, this is such a balanced team that it should be able to absorb the loss of Johnson, Conklin and Drevo and still improve from last year.

Oklahoma Sooners (20-11, 8-8)

Things started out very well for the Sooners and they vaulted into the top 10, but all along Kelvin Sampson warned that this year’s OU team was too young. He turned out to be right. Too young and not deep enough. When Kevin Bookout when down with an injury, there was next to nothing left inside and it left OU in the NIT for the first time under Sampson.

Team MVP: Drew Lavender (11.3 ppg, 3.9 apg)

Top Scorer: Jason Detrick, 11.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Kevin Bookout, 5.5 rpg
Top Assists: Lavender

Key Players Leaving: Detrick, Jabahri Brown

Key Players Returning: Lavender, Bookout (7.6 ppg), De’Angelo Alexander (9.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Outlook: With a healthy Bookout and Lavender with a year of experience, this team will be much better than last year. Look for a return to the NCAAs.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (31-4, 14-2)

It couldn’t have been scripted better for the Cowboys: come up from under the radar to win the Big 12, win the Big 12 Tournament, and then make a fantastic run to the Final Four. For a team that lost so much in a tragic plane crash just a few years ago, OSU has done exceptionally well with transfers: John Lucas from Baylor, Joey Graham from Central Florida and Daniel Bobik from BYU all played big roles on this year’s team.

Team MVP: John Lucas (14.9 ppg, 4.8 apg)

Top Scorer: Tony Allen, 16.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Ivan McFarlin, 6.5 rpg
Top Assists: Lucas

Key Players Leaving: Allen, McFarlin

Key Players Returning: Lucas, Joey Graham (11.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Daniel Bobik (7.8 ppg)

Outlook: Without Allen on the wing and on defense and without McFarlin’s presence inside, an encore is unlikely. But with Lucas and Graham, the Cowboys will have talent and experience – remember, nobody picked OSU last year, either.

Texas Longhorns (25-8, 12-4)

A look up and down the Texas roster this year showed a front line as deep and as talented as any in the country: Thomas, Buckman, Klotz, Tucker, Boddicker, the list goes on and on. On paper, UT probably could have beaten anyone in the country with that front line alone. The Longhorns looked good at times this year, but they never went to great. A perfect example is the NCAA Tournament, where Texas followed a great win over North Carolina with a disappointing loss to Xavier.

Team MVP: Brandon Mouton, 13.4 ppg

Top Scorer: Mouton
Top Rebounder: P.J. Tucker, 6.8 rpg
Top Assists: Royal Ivey, 4.3 apg

Key Players Leaving: Mouton, Ivey, Brian Boddicker, James Thomas

Key Players Returning: Tucker (11.1 ppg), Kenny Taylor (8.0 ppg), Brad Buckman (5.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Jason Klotz (6.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

Outlook: The Longhorns still have a solid front line with Tucker, Buckman and Klotz, but you can’t lose four seniors like the group Texas did and not decline.

Texas A&M Aggies (7-21, 0-16)

Ouch. By the time the Big 12 season was half over, Melvin Watkins was sending out his resume. The Aggies didn’t look good in non-conference play and it got worse in the Big 12. Some of the losses are understandable, but Baylor twice? That’s pretty bad.

Team MVP: Andy Slocum (8.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg)

Top Scorer: Antoine Wright, 13.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Slocum
Top Assists: Acie Law, 3.9 apg

Key Players Leaving: Slocum, Jesse King, Leandro Garcia-Morales

Key Players Returning: Wright (4.0 rpg), Kevin Turner (8.0 ppg), Law (7.4 ppg)

News: Melvin Watkins resigned before the Aggies’ Big 12 Tournament game with Missouri. UTEP’s Billy Gillispie took the job shortly after his NCAA Tournament run ended.

Outlook: The young nucleus of the Aggies returns, and Gillispie can coach. Add in a little luck, and there might be five Big 12 wins coming out of College Station next year. Maybe.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (23-11, 9-7)

It was a nice rebound season for Bobby Knight, who gave up his salary last year because he felt he didn’t do his job. The Red Raiders got out of the gates quickly and, at one point, looked like they would threaten for the conference title. Then, after a February lull hit, Knight had his team playing well again. They had huge wins over Missouri, Iowa State and Colorado in early March and then gave St. Joe’s a run for its money in the tourney’s second round.

Team MVP: Andre Emmett (20.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Top Scorer: Emmett
Top Rebounder: Emmett
Top Assists: Ronald Ross, 3.3 apg

Key Players Leaving: Emmett, Robert Tomaszek

Key Players Returning: Jarrius Jackson (11.3 ppg), Ross (10.0 ppg), Devonne Giles (8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Outlook: The loss of Emmett will certainly hurt, but Knight’s schemes often work better without one go-to guy. If a reliable inside threat emerges, the Red Raiders will be good again.

2004-05 Big 12 Preview

Any talk about the Big 12 next season has to start and end with Kansas. The Jayhawks’ only senior this year was Jeff Graves, who was too mercurial to be counted on anyway. The transfer of David Padgett was unexpected, but KU should be able to shore up that hole and compete for a conference and national championship. Oklahoma State and Texas should both be good again, although they won’t finish 1 and 2 in the conference again. Iowa State, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all teams that are on the rise and will be heard from in the top half of the conference. Texas Tech will always be a threat under Bob Knight.

Colorado has lost some big stars and may suffer through a rebuilding year before contending again. For Kansas State, Texas A&M and Baylor, it will be another year of hoping for upsets, but mostly just losses. Missouri is an interesting case. The Tigers lose their star players, but may benefit from lessened expectations and no continual media attention regarding an NCAA violation (either way, that mess will be straightened out this summer). Plus, MU has a real point guard coming in. Don’t be surprised if Mizzou experiences some addition in wins due to subtraction in players and expectations.

I know this is crazy and stupid, but I’m going to try to predict the Big 12 final standings of 2005. Of course, my opinion will change 1,000 times between now and November, but here goes:

1. Kansas
2. Oklahoma State
3. Texas
4. Iowa State
5. Texas Tech
6. Missouri
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Colorado
10. Baylor
11. Texas A&M
12. Kansas State

SWAC Season Recap

Southwest Athletic Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Steve Sheridan

Everyone knows that preseason predictions are an inexact science. Sometimes, a team that is picked to finish high in the standings will inexplicably collapse and end up near the bottom. On other occasions, a team that nobody picked to do anything will prove itself worthy at season’s end. The 2003-2004 SWAC regular season provided both of these occurrences, along with the customary correct predictions as well.

At the beginning of the year, the top three teams were picked to be Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, and Mississippi Valley State (in that order). As Meatloaf would say, “two out of three ain’t bad.” Texas Southern ended the year in third place, while MVSU finished up the regular season with the best record in the SWAC. Prairie View? Well, that’s a different story.

The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils rolled through regular season play with the league’s best record, losing only twice in 18 contests, after going 6-4 in non-conference play. Preseason Player of the Year Attarrius Norwood led the team in scoring, but it was the tandem of Solomon Forbes and Edward Mack that allowed the Delta Devils to cruise through their SWAC schedule. The trio combined to score 42 points and grab 13 rebounds per game, giving the team a trio that was nearly unmatched in the SWAC. The Texas Southern Tigers finished up league play in third place, but the team was hounded by inconsistent play. The team was unable to put together an extended string of quality wins and instead became a very streaky team during conference play. Just when the team seemed to be headed in the right direction, after three straight wins, the team lost its last two regular season games to Southern and Alcorn State, dropping it to third place. I mentioned earlier that Prairie View A&M was chosen to finish second in the league, and in reality the team did end up in second…to last. The non-conference slate was a sign of bad things to come for the Panthers, who went 0-9 to begin the year. And although the team managed to scrape together seven conference victories, that wasn’t enough to make the eight-team conference tournament.

One peculiarity of this season was the abundance of parity in the midst of the conference: five teams – Grambling, Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Southern and Alcorn State – all ended the season with identical 9-9 league marks. The big surprise from this group was Alabama A&M, which was picked to finish ninth in the ten-team conference. But behind the determined play of Obie Trotter and Terry Horton, the Hornets proved the skeptics wrong and climbed all the way up to fifth in the conference by season’s end.

Then, all alone in the cellar of the SWAC, there is Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions were not very golden at all on the court this season, managing only one win – coming against Alabama State. In this case, the coaches and SIDs were on the mark, as everyone had picked the Lions to dwell in the cellar through the season, and the only real interest generated by UAPB was whether they would end the season as one of the nation’s worst teams. In that respect, mission accomplished.

SWAC Tournament

Usually, when headed into a league tournament, the casual observer can expect one upset – maybe two. But in the unpredictable world of the SWAC, three of the top four teams fell in the opening round of the conference tournament, opening a huge door for second-seeded Alabama State to roll into the NCAA Tournament with a Conference Championship.

The opening round of the tournament saw four very close games, with two coming down to the final possession. The top-seeded Delta Devils were upended by the eighth-seeded Braves of Alcorn State, 67-66, as MVSU’s duo of All-Conference guard Solomon Forbes and SWAC Player of the Year Attarrius Norwood combined to score just 20 points. Alabama State provided the only non-upset of the first round, barely escaping with a 63-62 victory over Southern. Ralfeal Golden hit a three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining to give the Hornets another close win. Jackson State and Alabama A&M also defied convention, pulling off upsets against higher-seeded Texas Southern and Grambling, respectively.

With many of the heavy hitters gone in the first round, the semifinals also proved to be full of exciting contests. In what may have been the SWAC game of the year, Alabama State outlasted Jackson State in double overtime, 59-56. Once again, it was a game-winning three-pointer that allowed the Hornets to move on, this time coming from the hands of senior guard Malcolm Campbell. Jackson State had a chance to win the game down the stretch, but Xavier Oliver swatted away Ernest Hassell’s attempt with time winding down, giving ASU possession of the ball and ultimately a spot in the finals. Alabama A&M joined their inter-state rivals in the final by holding off a hard-charging Alcorn State squad, 83-81. The Bulldogs appeared to have the game in hand late, holding a 72-59 lead with 2:21 to play, but the Braves would not go quietly, putting together eight consecutive field goals to dwindle the lead to just one. The Braves then held the ball, down two, with eight seconds left, but Terry Horton got a piece of DeAndre Jones’ lay-up attempt to preserve the win.

Horton and Obie Trotter attempted to carry the Bulldogs in the title game, combining for 41 points, but a balanced Alabama State attack proved too much in the Hornets’ 63-58 victory. Alabama State controlled the tempo of the game from the outset, never trailing after the 16:58 mark of the first half. Malcolm Campbell, who was named the Tournament MVP, scored eight points in a 13-5 run down the stretch that finally put down the Alabama A&M squad, which had come back from a 11-point halftime deficit to tie the game on two occasions in the second half. Campbell was joined on the all-Tournament team by teammates Xavier Oliver and Ralfeal Golden, while Trotter and Horton were named from the losing side.

The Big Dance

Upon winning the SWAC Postseason Tournament, the Hornets then discovered that they would be up against perennial powerhouse Duke University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets provided little resistance to the Duke juggernaut, falling, 96-61. Campbell led all scorers in the game with 26 points to close out his collegiate career, but there was no way that the Krzyzewski Krew would lose in this one.

Postseason Hardware

All Conference Team:
Attarrius Norwood, forward, Mississippi Valley State
Solomon Forbes, forward, Mississippi Valley State
Paul Haynes, forward, Grambling
Brion Rush, guard, Grambling
Obie Trotter, guard, Alabama A&M

Conference MVP: Attarrius Norwood, MVSU

Norwood was tabbed the preseason Player of the Year and did not disappoint when the season began, leading his team to the regular season championship and the top seed in the conference tournament. Throughout the year, Norwood averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.

Freshman of the Year: Tyrone Nelson, Prairie View

The emergence of Nelson was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers this season. The forward averaged over 15 points per game, while placing second in the league by hauling in over eight rebounds per game. Look for him to continue his stellar play next season for the Panthers.

Coach of the Year: Lafayette Stribling, MVSU

Stribling earned the Coach of the Year vote after guiding his team to the top spot in the SWAC regular season standings and the subsequent top seed in the conference tournament.

Team Recaps

Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (16-2, 22-7)

The Delta Devils easily made their way through the SWAC regular season schedule, posting the conference’s best margin-of-victory and scoring defense, but one fatal slip up in the first round of the conference tournament cost them everything. By far the consensus top team in the conference, the team was led by the trio of Attarrius Norwood, Solomon Forbes and Edward Mack. Norwood, the SWAC Player of the Year, and Mack, the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, typified the solid play of the Delta Devils. But with Norwood and Mack, along with top rebounder Willie Neal, graduating, the focus next season will be solely on Forbes. Hosea Butler, who was the leading assist man for the Delta Devils this year, will also be counted on to contribute more on the offensive end as well, in order to make up for the sudden void.

Team MVP: Attarrius Norwood
Top Scorer: Norwood, 14.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: Neal, 7.6 rpg
Top Assist Man: Butler, 3.6 apg

Departing Starters:
Norwood (graduation)
Mack (graduation)
Neal (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Forbes (junior forward, 14 ppg)
Butler (junior guard, 8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.6 apg)

Alabama State Hornets (11-7, 16-15)

After the team’s 3-12 start, I would assume that nobody had Alabama State finishing second in the regular season and then winning the postseason tournament. And yet, that is what the Hornets did. Behind the shooting of Malcolm Campbell and the inside presence of Xavier Oliver, the Hornets played tough defense and scored just enough to win. The team had the second-best scoring defense margin in the league, yet posted the second-lowest scoring offense in the SWAC. With the graduation of both Campbell and Oliver, both aspects of the ASU game will be tested. Ralfeal Golden, who starred in the conference tournament alongside Campbell and Oliver, will be asked to up his offensive production in their absence. Also look for Alexander Oliver to step right into the offensive void and produce. And if the team gets off to another slow start next season, as it did this year, don’t count them out too quickly.

Team MVP: Malcolm Campbell
Top Scorer: Campbell, 13.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Xavier Oliver, 6.8 rpg
Top Assist Man: Campbell, 3.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Campbell (graduation)
Oliver (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Golden (junior guard, 12.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Alexander Oliver (sophomore guard, 7.2 ppg)
Derrick Russell (junior forward, 4.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg)

Texas Southern Tigers (10-8, 14-15)

Texas Southern was picked in the preseason to finish in the top spot in the SWAC, but the team settled for third place after an inconsistent regular season. One of the major problems that the team had this year was its inability to hit the three-pointer. The Tigers ranked dead last in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (only 27 percent) – although the team didn’t take many shots from beyond the arc to begin with. TSU made its living near the hoop, with help from leading scorer and rebounder Allen Lovett. Lovett and his fellow Tigers helped give the team one of the best frontcourt crews in the conference, although the team will lose forwards Lionel Willis and Akil Butler to graduation. Despite the departures, look for Lovett to once again control the offense from his guard position.

Team MVP: Allen Lovett
Top Scorer: Lovett, 13.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Lovett, 5.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Sean Walker, 2.8 apg

Departing Starters:
Willis (graduation)
Butler (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Lovett (junior guard, 13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Walker (sophomore guard, 10.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Michael Sneed (junior forward, 8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Grambling Tigers (9-9, 11-18)

When talking about Grambling this season, the conversation will ultimately turn to Brion Rush and Paul Haynes, who formed the most prolific scoring duo in the conference this season. Rush, who led the SWAC in scoring, and Haynes, who came in third, combined to score almost 37 points a game for the Tigers – over 50 percent of the team’s offensive output. As a squad, the Tiger offense ranked second in the conference in points scored – but that was quickly countered by the team’s porous defense, which ranked ninth out of 10 teams. Opposing squads shot almost 46 percent on average against the Tigers – numbers that won’t win many games. With such stats, it’s a small wonder that Grambling managed to place fourth in the conference. But with Haynes lost to graduation, the Tigers will need somebody to clog up the middle and keep opposing teams from having free reign on the offensive end once again.

Team MVP: Brion Rush
Top Scorer: Rush, 19.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: Paul Haynes, 9.7 rpg
Top Assist Man: Maurice Searight, 7.0 apg

Departing Starters:
Haynes (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Rush (sophomore guard, 19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Searight (sophomore guard, 5.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 7.0 apg)
Ron Ellis (junior guard, 9.7 ppg)

Alabama A&M Bulldogs (9-9, 13-17)

One team that was very well suited to play against Grambling was Alabama A&M, which had the best offense in all the SWAC this season. That offense was propelled mostly by the combination of Obie Trotter and Terry Horton, who ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the conference in scoring. Trotter will be back for another chance at the league title, albeit without his frontcourt complement, Horton. There are many departing pieces from the team that made it all the way to the conference finals, including Horton and fellow big man Otis Walker, but Trotter figures to get some help from some bench players that now will be called upon to deliver. No matter what, don’t count out the Bulldogs – after all, the team was predicted to finish ninth at the beginning of this season.

Team MVP: Obie Trotter
Top Scorer: Trotter, 18.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Walker, 6.0 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trotter, 4.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Walker (graduation)
Horton (graduation)
Lorenzo Burks (graduation)
Jarvis Smith (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Trotter (sophomore guard, 18.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 3.0 spg)
Rickey Ricketts (junior guard, 9.3 ppg)
Andre Matthews (junior forward, 5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Jackson State Tigers (9-9, 12-17)

Jackson State came out of the gates very strongly this season, posting an 8-3 conference mark after 11 games, but fell apart down the stretch, losing six of its last seven games to join the cluster of teams at 9-9. JSU seemed to have turned another corner come tournament time, however, by taking down third-seeded Texas Southern and taking eventual champion Alabama State to double overtime before succumbing. The end result was surely disappointing, but the Tigers had a respectable year thanks in large part to its talented trio of seniors: Ishmael Joyce, Leonard Taylor and K.C. Cavette. The good news was that the trio combined to provide over half of the team’s offense. The bad news is, of course, that all three have now graduated. Without three huge pieces of its offense, the Tigers will look to reload next season, with veterans Ernest Hassell and Antonio Williams-Parker looking to take a large part of the offensive load, but don’t expect the same amount of offense from this squad.

Team MVP: Ishmael Joyce
Top Scorer: Joyce, 15.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Taylor, 5.5 rpg
Top Assist Man: Cavette, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Joyce (graduation)
Cavette (graduation)
Taylor (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Hassell (junior forward, 3.7 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Williams-Parker (junior guard, 7.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg)

Southern Jaguars (9-9, 12-16)

The Southern Jaguars could never get anything going during the 2003-2004 regular season. After the team’s first win streak – a three-game run early in the conference season – it was promptly followed up by a three-game losing streak that took away any momentum the team may have built up. The team was then unable to get another streak going until the very end of the regular season, and by that time it was almost too late. While the streak allowed the Jaguars to join the group at .500 in conference play, it did little to help the team’s fortunes. Timothy Johnson and Deion Sanders led the team on the offensive end – Sanders, despite missing nine games. Both players have now graduated; however the team has plenty of depth to provide for a more consistent season next year.

Team MVP: Timothy Johnson
Top Scorer: Johnson, 13.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Peter Cipriano, 5.2 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trayvean Scott, 2.9 apg

Departing Starters:
Johnson (graduation)
Deion Sanders (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Jerimie Collier (junior guard, 11.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Scott (junior guard, 7.6 ppg, 2.9 apg)
Cipriano (junior forward, 6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Alcorn State Braves (9-9, 11-18)

Alcorn State was another team that couldn’t get much going during the regular season, thanks in large part to three separate three-game losing streaks that took away any chance at advancing within the conference. Seniors Brian Jackson and Dion Callans cleaned up on the score sheet and the boards, respectively, with sophomore Trey Johnson proving to be an effective second-scorer and point guard. Although the team didn’t have a spectacular regular season, the Braves provided the shock of the SWAC Tournament when it upended top-seeded MVSU in the first round. The team then almost upset Alabama A&M in the semifinals, instead falling by just one bucket. The Braves will hope to continue the good feelings elicited by the team’s late season run next year, albeit without the services of both Jackson and Callans.

Team MVP: Brian Jackson
Top Scorer: Jackson, 13.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Dion Callans, 6.8 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trey Johnson, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Callans (graduation)
Jackson (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Johnson (sophomore guard, 11.0 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Myles Howard (junior forward, 6.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Prairie View A&M Panthers (7-11, 7-20)

Picked to finish second in the SWAC in the conference’s preseason poll, this season was disastrous for the Prairie View Panthers. Most of the blame could fall on the team’s lack of defense – the team allowed its opponents to shoot nearly 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc, both worst in the conference. This helped to counter act the offensive prowess of freshman Tyrone Nelson and senior Kevin Cooper, who tied for sixth in the league in scoring. Unfortunately for the duo, no other Panther averaged in double figures. It was a down year in particular for senior Roderick Riley, who was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Riley averaged 9.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and yet he didn’t become the offensive or defensive force that he was expected to be. With Cooper and Riley both graduating, all eyes will be on Nelson to see if he can top his excellent freshman campaign.

Team MVP: Tyrone Nelson
Top Scorers: Nelson and Kevin Cooper, 15.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Nelson, 8.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Jared Ellison, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Cooper (graduation)
Roderick Riley (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Nelson (freshman forward, 15.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Ellison (freshman guard, 5.4 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Joshua Thompson (freshman forward, 3.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (1-17, 1-26)

It was a very forgettable year for Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The team placed no players in the top 20 in scoring, rebounding or assists – a suitable characterization of a terrible season. The team’s lone win of the year came at Alabama State – a game that the Hornets would surely like to have back. Nonetheless, that was the only highlight of a year in which the Golden Lions were outscored by an average of 22.1 points per game. But with five seniors graduating, maybe a new infusion of talent will change the losing ways of the Golden Lions. Then again, maybe not.

Team MVP: Michael Kendrick
Top Scorer: Kendrick, 7.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Justin Lloyd, 4.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Chris Parker, 1.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Lloyd (graduation)
Lee Curry (graduation)
Billy Hall (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Kendrick (junior guard, 7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)