SoCon Tournament Preview

Southern Conference Tournament Preview

by Jonathan Gonzalez

The first stop to March Mania. That is the tagline for the 84th edition of the Kyocera Southern Conference Basketball Championship, which kicks off today at noon in Chattanooga, Tenn. For Davidson, it is a stop that the Wildcats hope is indeed the first for them, and the last for each of their 11 SoCon adversaries as the NCAA Tournament approaches.

Although seven teams have a legitimate shot at winning the SoCon tourney, a Davidson loss would be a major disappointment for a team that finished unbeaten in league play. To put Davidson’s league dominance into perspective, think about this: the Wildcats finished with a six-game lead – that’s right, six – over SoCon South second-place finishers College of Charleston and Georgia Southern.

Some of you may be thinking that Davidson has won 15 in a row and 20 for the season, so even if they should falter, a bid should be waiting for them. Sure, a bid to the NIT, not the NCAA. The cold, hard truth is that this is the Southern Conference, a one-bid league.

Without a doubt, this is Davidson’s tourney to lose. The Wildcats’ journey starts at noon. The home court may be Chattanooga’s, but in all honesty, that should not make that much of a difference to a Wildcat team that has not tasted defeat in conference play. Anything less than Davidson cutting down the nets on Saturday would spell disaster in Wildcat country.

First Round, March 2

(Game 1) No. 4 North Elon (7-22, 5-11) vs. No. 5 South Wofford (14-13, 7-9) at 12 p.m.
(Game 2) No. 3 South Georgia Southern (17-12, 10-6) vs. No. 6 North Western Carolina (8-21, 3-13) (30 min after Game 1).
(Game 3) No. 4 South Furman (16-12, 9-7) vs. No. 5 North East Tennessee State 9-18, 4-12) at 6 p.m.
(Game 4) No. 3 North Appalachian State (16-11, 9-7) vs. No. 6 South The Citadel (12-15, 4-12) (30 min after Game 3).

Quarterfinals, March 3

(Game 5) No. 1 South Davidson (20-7, 16-0) vs. Winner of Game 1 at 12 p.m.
(Game 6) No. 2 North UNC Greensboro (16-11, 9-7) vs. Winner of Game 2 (30 min after Game 5).
(Game 7) No. 1 North Chattanooga (17-10, 10-6) vs. Winner of Game 3 @ 6 p.m.
(Game 8) No. 2 South College of Charleston (18-9, 10-6) vs. Winner of Game 4 (30 min after Game 7).

Semifinals, March 4

(Game 9) Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner at 6 p.m.
(Game 10) Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner at 8:30 p.m.

SoCon Championship, March 5

Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner at 8 p.m.

Inside the First Round

Elon vs. Wofford

Season Series: Wofford won the lone match up 75-63.

Analysis: The Terriers beat Elon with hot-shooting back Feb. 14. Wofford shot a blistering 54 percent from the field en route to a 75-63 win. Both teams are evenly matched, so the win will probably go to the team that can make its shots. Stopping Wofford guard Adrien Borders will be key for Elon.

Prediction: Wofford 68 Elon 59

Georgia Southern vs. Western Carolina

Season Series: GSU won the lone match up 85-76.

Analysis: Way back on Jan. 3, Western Carolina beat up Georgia Southern on the boards, had four starters in double figures and hit 10 three pointers. About the only thing the Catamounts did not lead GSU in was the score, as the Eagles capitalized on 28 WCU turnovers en route to an 85-76 win. Obviously, Western Carolina needs to take care of the ball to win. For Georgia Southern, a solid shooting day plus more aggressiveness on the boards should equal a win.

Prediction: GSU 73 WCU 70.

Furman vs. East Tennessee State

Season Series: Furman won the lone match up 76-68.

Analysis: The Jan. 8 match up between Furman and ETSU featured 16 lead changes and was decided only when Furman’s Ben Earle hit two late three-pointers. Aside from Earle’s late flurry, the only difference between the two teams was Furman’s advantage in free-throw percentage. In a game with two teams so evenly matched, look for the difference to be a great individual performance. The suspects are ETSU’s Tim Smith and Furman’s Moussa Diagne.

Prediction: ETSU 83 Furman 73

Appalachian State vs. The Citadel

Season Series: ASU won the lone match up 84-66.

Analysis: Appalachian State routed the Citadel Feb. 3, thanks in large part to sharp three-point shooting. What ASU did not do well was rebound. The Mountaineers were out-rebounded by the Citadel 69-41. That kind of pounding on the boards usually warrants a loss, so don’t expect ASU to be so lucky again if they can’t have better success on the boards. If the Mountaineers can control the boards and get scoring from their bench, they win. If the Citadel can win on the boards, take care of the ball and limit ASU’s offensive opportunities, they have a good chance to get a victory.

Prediction: ASU 90 The Citadel 75

SoCon Notebook

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

So what did we learn about the Southern Conference this week? For starters, we learned that Davidson doesn’t seem too fond of losing games. We also learned that Appalachian State is pretty good, while UNC-Greensboro is slipping. East Tennessee State’s Tim Smith can really score, and Elon cannot win forever, as three in a row proved to be its limit. Let’s not forget that the Citadel’s McLendon brothers are good, and that Furman needs to get to the line more than three times in a game to win. Last but not least, Wofford needs a lot of work. Write that down.

But the most important thing we learned this week about the conference is that it is really wide open. Even though Davidson is 14-0, they are beatable. College of Charleston pushed Davidson to the limit, barley losing 76-74. Davidson’s vulnerability combined with Chattanooga, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, College of Charleston and Furman all playing well, Davidson will not be a mortal lock to win the SoCon tourney.

All a team needs to do is get hot, and more times than not, the play of one individual can act as the catalyst for a teams overall success. Here are five players who can put their team on his back come SoCon Tourney time:

• Brendan Winters, Davidson: The Wildcat guard may be the league’s MVP and is the third-leading scoring in the conference.
• Elton Nesbitt, Georgia Southern: The man can fill it up from anywhere on the court. Nesbitt is second in the SoCon is scoring, and is shooting 36 percent from three-point land, not to mention 86 percent from the charity stripe.
• Tim Smith, East Tennessee State: Although his team has struggled, the lightening quick point man, who is averaging a league best 20 points per game, can score in bunches.
• Dontaye Draper, College of Charleston: Off of the bench and into your hearts, this sub has been super. The sophomore is averaging 11 points per game off of the bench.
• Jean Francois, Georgia Southern: The senior forward is averaging 13.8 points a game and can explode if he gets into a groove. Scored 28 against Davidson last Saturday.

Player of the Week

Tim Smith, East Tennessee State
Smith scored 30 points and 23 points in wins against UNC-G and Western Carolina, respectively.

Rookie of the Week

Trey Hopkins, Western Carolina
The freshman scored a late three-pointer that broke a 49 all tie to lead WCU over Elon and scored 25 points in a loss against East Tennessee State.

The Week That Was (February 10-15)

North Division

Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs (15-8, 8-5)

The Mocs find themselves tied atop the North Division with an unlikely foe, Appalachian State. For much of the season, Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro were neck and neck for the lead in the North. But a faltering UNC-G, combined with a surging ASU, have changed the landscape in the SoCon North. UTC found out first-hand how well ASU is playing when the Mocs matched up with the Mountaineers last Saturday. The result was an 83-61 ASU romp. The Mocs fell victim to 16 ASU three-pointers and never really had a chance. Chris Brown was UTC’s lone bright spot, scoring 18 points. Chattanooga would find its rhythm on Valentine’s Day against UNC-G. In that game, UTC outrebounded UNC-G 39-27 and shot 49 percent as a team from the field. Charles Anderson scored a team-high 15 points as, five Mocs scored in double-figures.

Up Next: Thursday at Western Carolina, Saturday at Creighton, Monday at East Tennessee State.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (15-9, 8-5)

Look yonder, over there, behind that mountain! It’s the Mountaineers, and they are on fire. Seriously, folks, is there anything scarier than a red-hot mountaineer? I think not.

ASU made a statement last Saturday, rolling up Chattanooga 83-61. Nathan Cranford scored 23 points and hit six of ASU’s 16 three-pointers. The 16 Appalachian trifectas broke the previous school record of 15 in one contest. ASU’s bench did the trick Monday, outscoring Furman’s bench 40-12 in a 60-47 victory. ASU extended its winning streak to six with a 79-65 win over Longwood Wednesday night.

Up Next: Saturday at UNC-Greensboro.

UNC-Greensboro Spartans (13-11, 6-7)

The Spartans are reeling. Last Saturday against East Tennessee State, UNC-G was smacked by the Bucs, 105-78. UNC-G trailed 64-29 at halftime and was never really in the game. Sloppy play was UNC-G’s undoing, as the Spartans turned the ball over 24 times. At least Ronnie Burrell had a big game, scoring 33 points for UNC-G. The Spartans’ losing ways continued Monday, as Chattanooga showed no love on Valentine’s Day, beating UNC-G 83-61. Ray Bristow led UNC-G with a game-high 19 points.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Appalachian State.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (8-16, 4-10)

For much of the year, the Bucs might as well have been called the Yucs, but on Saturday, ETSU was again swashbuckling. The Bucs snapped a seven-game losing streak by blasting UNC-Greensboro 105-78. ETSU shot 53.8 percent, forced 17 steals and hit 15 of 25 three-point attempts. As far as individual Buc performances go, Tim Smith scored 30 points, and James Anthony came off the bench to score 30 points. Against Western Carolina Saturday, Tim Smith and Ben Rhoda each scored 23 points as the Bucs aired out the Catamounts 92-83. ETSU led the whole game and at one point was up by 23 points.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Austin Peay, Monday vs. East Tennessee State.

Western Carolina Catamounts (8-18, 3-10)

Deadlocked with 1:15 left, Trey Hopkins knew what had to be done. The Catamount freshman hit one of the biggest shots of his young career, breaking a 49-49 tie with a three-pointer, lifting Western Carolina over Elon 54-49 Saturday. Antonio Russell and Corey Muirhead each added 11 points for the victorious Catamounts. Following their win Saturday, the Catamounts laid an egg Monday against East Tennessee State. WCU trailed the entire game in a 92-83 loss. A positive for Western Carolina was again Trey Hopkins, who scored 25 points.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Chattanooga.

Elon Phoenix (5-21, 3-10)

Two days before Valentine’s Day, Elon had its heart broken. Looking for its fourth straight conference victory after eight straight losses, the Phoenix lost 54-49 to Western Carolina thanks to a late game three-pointer by Catamount freshman Trey Hopkins. Part of the loss can be blamed on Elon’s 30 percent field goal percentage. Elon’s losing ways continued against Wofford Monday, as the Phoenix fell to the Terriers 75-63. Brian Waters and Montell Wilson each scored 13 for Elon in a losing effort.

Up Next: Saturday at the Citadel.

South Division

Davidson Wildcats (17-7, 14-0)

The Wildcats extended their conference wining streak to 14 with wins against Georgia Southern and College of Charleston during the past week. Against GSU, 19s were wild for Davidson, as Logan Kosmalski, Brendan Winters and Ian Johnson each hit for the magic number. The result: a 92-87 Wildcat win. With the win, Davidson clinched the SoCon South title. Davidson would have a harder time against College of Charleston, barley edging the Cougars 76-74. Despite 17 turnovers, Davidson, powered by Kenny Grant’s 22 points, used a 49 percent field goal percentage to edge C of C.

Up Next: Tuesday at the Citadel.

Georgia Southern Eagles (16-9, 9-4)

The Eagles had a chance to snap Davidson’s winning streak, but in the end, the task was more than Georgia Southern could handle. GSU could not impede Davidson’s hot shooting (49 percent) and fell to the Wildcats 92-87. GSU regained its stride Monday with a 115-81 win against the Citadel. The Eagles dominated in all facets, forcing 26 turnovers, hitting 16 three-pointers and shooting 54.5 percent from the field. As if that wasn’t enough, five Eagles scored in double figures, led by Elton Nesbitt, who scored 38 points, including 10 three-pointers. Terry Williams also chipped in with 25 points.

Up Next: Thursday at Furman, Saturday at Illinois-Chicago, Monday at Wofford.

College of Charleston Cougars (15-8, 8-5)

The Cougars did not shoot well (38.5 percent from the field) against Citadel last Thursday but did make enough shots to upend the Bulldogs 66-63. Super sub Dontaye Draper came off the bench to score 24, leading C of C to the win. Against Davidson Monday, the Cougars nearly snapped Davidson’s 13-game conference winning streak but fell short 76-74. Five Cougars scored in double figures, led by Stanley Jackson’s 16 points.

Up Next: Thursday at Wofford, Saturday vs. VCU.

Furman Paladins (14-10, 7-5)

The Paladins are on the rise. Despite a Valentine’s Day loss to Appalachian State, Furman still won earlier in the week against Wofford and is two games over .500 in the SoCon. During their 75-58 win against Wofford, Paladins Ben Earle and Eric Webb each scored 14 points, while Moussa Diagne scored 13 points and grabbed nine boards. Now to the aforementioned game against Appalachian State Monday, which the Paladins lost 60-47. Note to Furman: You will not win many games getting to the foul line only three times, making none of the shots. 0-of-3: that was the line on the Paladins’ foul shooting — not good. Aside from a lack of points from the line, the Paladin bench was also outscored 40-12.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Georgia Southern, Saturday at Wofford.

Wofford Terriers (11-12, 4-8)

The Terriers lost one and won one during the past week. Saturday against Furman, the Terriers lost 75-58. Sam Daniels scored 11 and Tyler Berg scored 10 for Wofford in a losing effort. Against Elon Monday, Wofford finally broke through, breaking Elon’s three-game winning streak with a 75-63 win. Adrien Borders led the Terriers with a game-high 20 points, and Greg Taylor chipped in with 13 for Wofford.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Furman, Monday vs. Georgia Southern.

The Citadel Bulldogs (12-11, 4-9)

The McLendon brothers took center stage for the Bulldogs last week, stuffing the stat column and keeping the ‘Dogs in games. Last Thursday against College of Charleston, Warren and Donny McLendon each scored 16 points, as the Bulldogs fell to C of C 66-63. Against Georgia Southern Monday, Donny scored 31 points for the Bulldogs in a game that was never close. The ‘Dogs lost 115-81 to GSU.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Elon.

SoCon Notebook

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

In the spirit of Valentines Day, Davidson continued to show no love to the rest of the Southern Conference as the Wildcats ran their winning streak to 12 games. Davidson enjoyed another strong week from Brendan Winters, who is having a SoCon MVP-type season.

While the rich get richer, Davidson’s opposition seems to be falling further behind. Except for Georgia Southern, which is playing good basketball despite being three games behind Davidson in the south division, other SoCon contenders have been faltering. Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro and College of Charleston all have been struggling lately, opening the door for teams like Appalachian State and Furman, which have been surging.

If there is a surprise in the SoCon, it would have to be Elon. After losing their first eight conference games, the Phoenix have won three in a row and look to be improving. Kudos to the Phoenix for not throwing in the towel and not giving up on the season. As for the Citadel, Western Carolina, East Tennessee State and Wofford, well, these teams are just going trying to be mediocre, which would be an improvement with the seasons they are having.

As we come down the stretch for the SoCon regular season, the real battle will be for No. 2, as Davidson has No. 1 pretty much locked up.

Player of the Week

Tim Smith, East Tennessee State
The junior guard averaged 30 points per game for the week as the Bucs lost to Wofford and Elon.

Rookie of the Week

In honor of Dontaye Draper’s great week, along with the fact no freshman really jumped out at me, this distinction will be subbed as Sixth Man of the Week
Draper averaged 19 points and 2.5 steals for the College of Charleston in a win against Western Carolina and a loss at Chattanooga.

The Week That Was (Feb. 1-Feb.9)

North Division

Chattanooga Mocs (14-7, 7-4)

After starring the season 4-0, UTC has dropped four of its last seven, including a three-game losing streak that was halted with an 82-59 win against College of Charleston Monday. After losing to UNC-G and Davidson in consecutive games, the Mocs lost a heartbreaker to Elon by the score of 62-59. Chattanooga rebounded with the said victory against College of Charleston, as the Mocs shot 48.4 percent from the field. Chris Brown led the Mocs with 26 points and 12 rebounds. UTC’s tenuous hold on the North division lead will be tested in the coming week with games against Appalachian State and UNCG, the two teams closest behind the Mocs in the standings.

Next Up: Saturday at Appalachian State, Monday vs. North Carolina-Greensboro.

North Carolina-Greensboro Spartans (13-9, 6-5)

The slumping Spartans have lost three in a row and four of their last five. With a golden opportunity to catch Chattanooga in the North standings, UNC-G made like the Mocs and fell to Elon, before losing to Davidson and Georgia Southern. In their loss to Davidson Saturday, the Spartans shot 38.3 percent and turned the ball over 21 times. Tuesday night against Georgia Southern, UNC-G shot 45.6 percent, had four starters score in double digits, led by Ricky Hickman’s 19 points, but lost 85-79, largely because of 19 turnovers.

Next Up: Saturday at East Tennessee State, Monday at Chattanooga.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-9, 6-5)

Don’t look now, but the Mountaineers are hot. So hot, in fact, that they are making north division front-runners Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro a little uneasy. By virtue of Wednesday night’s win over East Tennessee State, ASU is tied with UNC-G for second-place in the north division. The win over ETSU pushes the Mountaineers’ conference win streak to three. Paced by D.J. Thompson’s 18 points, Appalachian State trounced the Citadel 84-66 last Tuesday night. Monday night, ASU edged Western Carolina 74-71 as five Mountaineers scored in double digits.

Next Up: Saturday vs. Chattanooga, Monday vs. Furman.

Elon Phoenix (5-19, 3-8)

True to its nickname, Elon has indeed risen from the dead. The Phoenix – remember, a phoenix was a mythical bird that burned itself but rose from its own ashes – won two games this week and pushed their season-high winning streak to three games, this after losing eight straight to start conference play. This past Saturday, Chris Chalko scored 20 points as Elon knocked off Chattanooga. Monday night, it was Le’Vonn Jordan’s turn to score 20 as the Phoenix won again, this time beating East Tennessee State 80-72. Will Elon’s streak continue? Hey, even if they lose the rest of their games, their effort of late has been valiant nonetheless.

Next up: Saturday vs. Western Carolina, Monday vs. Wofford.

Western Carolina Catamounts (7-17, 2-9)

Western Carolina’s rough season continued this past week, as the Catamounts dropped two games. Last Thursday, WCU fell to College of Charleston 77-68. Despite three Catamounts scoring in double digits, C of C was just too much. Saturday, WCU wasted a great game by David Berghoefer, who hit for 24, and lost to Appalachian State 74-71. The Catamounts have lost three in a row.

Next up: Saturday at Elon, Monday at East Tennessee State.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (6-15, 2-9)

Once royalty of the Southern Conference, the 2004-05 campaign has seen East Tennessee State turn into a pauper. Six: that is the number of consecutive games ETSU has lost. ETSU lost to fellow SoCon bottom-feeder Wofford 68-64 Saturday despite Buc guard Tim Smith’s 28 points and a 44-32 ETSU rebounding margin. Another strong performance by Tim Smith, who scored 32 points, was for naught Monday as the Bucs lost to Elon 80-72. It’s never easy to lose, but when your best player is lights out and losing is still the reality, that makes things even worse. Hang in there, Tim Smith.

Next up: Saturday vs. UNCG, Monday vs. Western Carolina.

South Division

Davidson Wildcats (16-7, 12-0)

The machine just keeps on going, and going… and going. Davidson has won 12 straight games and is running away with the Southern Conference. How disappointing would it be for the ‘Cats to run the table and then lose in the conference tourney? With the success Davidson has found this year, falling short of the NCAAs would be tough for Bob McKilliop’s crew to handle. This past week, Davidson added wins and 11 and 12 to its streak with a Saturday win at UNC-Greensboro, and a Monday night win at Wofford. In their 78-69 win over UNC-, the Wildcats used double-digit point totals from four starters, led by Brendan Winters’22 points, and a gaudy 46.6 percent team field goal percentage. At Wofford, shooting at a high percentage was again the name of the game as the Wildcats shot 49.0 percent from the field in a 70-66 win.

Next upaturday vs. Georgia Southern, Monday at College of Charleston.

Georgia Southern Eagles (15-8, 8-3)

Unlike their NFL namesake, the Georgia Southern Eagles had what it took to win this past week. Terry Williams and Elton Nesbitt scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, in an 81-63 win over Furman Saturday. Along with Williams and Nesbitt, three other Eagles hit for double figures. The Eagles forced 19 turnovers Monday en route to an 85-79 win over UNC-Greensboro. Donte Gennie scored a team-high 20 points, and three other Eagles also scored in double digits. If Georgia Southern was in the SoCon North, they would be in first place. But alas, the Eagles have the misfortune of playing in the south division, so they are three games behind division-leading Davidson.

Next up: Saturday at Davidson, Monday vs. the Citadel.

College of Charleston Cougars (14-7, 7-4)

Dontaye Draper was the story of the week for the Cougars, as the sophomore twice came off the bench to lead the Cougars in scoring. In a 77-68 win over Western Carolina last Thursday, Draper hit for 22 points and had three of the 14 steals the Cougars incurred. In a lopsided 82-59 loss at Chattanooga Saturday, Draper was one of the lone bright spots for C of C, scoring a team-high 16 points. As a team, College of Charleston shot an abysmal 30.6 percent from the field against UTC.

Next up: Thursday at The Citadel, Saturday vs. Davidson

Furman Paladins (13-9, 6-4)

Last Saturday was not a good day for the Paladins, who came into their game with Georgia Southern second in the nation in three-point shooting. Furman averages 10 three pointers a game; against Georgia Southern, they sank only two. The result of their ineptness from behind the three-point stripe was an 81-63 loss. Despite the defeat, the play of Moussa Diagne, who scored a season-high 22 points, was a considerable bright spot. Diagne again came up big Monday night against the Citadel. This time, his play helped Furman to a win. Diagne scored a game-high 17 as the Paladins prevailed 63-60. Even though they could not get into their usual three-point groove, Furman withstood a late Bulldog rally to hang on to the victory.

Next up: Saturday vs. Wofford, Monday at Appalachian State.

The Citadel Bulldogs (12-9, 4-7)

Woe are the Bulldogs. The Citadel’s losing streak is up to four games and could climb this week with tough games against College of Charleston and Georgia Southern. Last Thursday against Appalachian State, the Bulldogs kept it close in the first half, but were eventually blown away in the second half in an 84-66 loss. Although Kevin Hammack scored a game-high 26 points, his efforts were not enough. The Bulldogs played better Monday night against Furman, but the results were the same. Citadel fell 63-60 as the Bulldogs committed 16 turnovers and shot 35.3 percent from the field.

Next up: Thursday vs. College of Charleston, Monday at Georgia Southern.

Wofford Terriers (10-11, 3-7)

Call them what you want, but at the very least the Terriers have been game all year, no matter what the standings say. They have taken their lumps in conference play but have not backed down once. Wofford was true to form this week, as the Terriers won one and lost one. Against East Tennessee State Saturday, the Terriers led at halftime and hung on for a 68-64 win. Tyler Berg led Wofford with 18 points, while Adrien Borders added 14.

Against conference-leading Davidson Monday, the Terriers were primed for the upset, but faltered in the second half after being tied at the half. Wofford was down 11 before cutting the lead to 68-66 in the final minute. Wofford would draw no closer as the Terriers lost 70-66. Borders led Wofford with 18 points.

Next up: Saturday at Furman, Monday at Elon.

Southern Conference Notebook

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jon Gonzalez

It’s Feb. 1, and you are a member of the Southern Conference. You look at the calendar, count the weeks, and find that in a little more than five weeks, the NCAA will select 64 teams for their tournament. You wonder if your team can find its way into the big dance.

Well, of course it can. You’re in the Southern Conference, remember? Whether you are a Wildcat (Davidson) or a Terrier (Wofford), your team has a chance. All you have to do is go to Chattanooga, Tenn., and win three or four games in consecutive days and voila, you are in the big dance. Of course, this feat will be more attainable for some teams than others.

To help you, the hoops fan, discern between the teams who have the best chance and those who don’t, I have developed the SoCon color meter. The teams in Red have the best chance to win the conference, those in the Green have a decent shot at running the table, and those in the ice cold Blue are basically Rocky/Cinderella material. So, here goes it:

Red

Davidson: They are10-0 in the SoCon; need I say more?

UT-Chattanooga: The tournament is on their home court; that might give them a little bit of an edge.

UNC-Greensboro: Spartans are neck and neck with Chattanooga for the lead in the North division.

College of Charleston: Impressive back-to-back wins against Georgia Southern and UNCG.

Georgia Southern: Elton Nesbitt is the second leading scorer in the SoCon with 18.9 points per game.

Green

Furman: The Paladins are primed to finish over .500, something they have not done in the past two seasons.

The Citadel: The stubborn Bulldogs refuse to go away.

Appalachian State: They really should be in blue territory, but the fact that they are .500 overall persuades me to give them a marginal shot.

Blue

Western Carolina: Their leading scorer is David Berghoefer. He’s from Wisconsin. Why do I mention this, you ask? I have no idea.

East Tennessee State: At least they don’t have to go out of state for the conference tourney.

Elon: Whew! Fighting Christ…errr…Phoenix come through with their first conference victory of the year Monday night. They only need to quadruple their conference win total during the conference tournament to earn NCAA bid.

Wofford: You know, Johnny Depp was pretty good in Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It’s on right now on HBO and…oh sorry, lost my train of thought there for a minute, I am supposed to be talking about Wofford. Hmm…lets put it this way: If the Terriers were a movie star, they would not be Johnny Depp. More like a Pauly Shore.

Player of the Week: Brendan Winters, Davidson.

The junior forward averaged 21 points per game in wins over East Tennessee State, the Citadel and Chattanooga.

Rookie of the Week: Warren McLendon, The Citadel.

The freshman scored 27 points in a win against East Tennessee, then hit for 11 and 13 in losses to Davidson and Wofford, respectively.

The Week That Was (Jan. 24-Jan. 31)

North Division

1. Chattanooga Mocs (13-6, 6-3)

The Mocs came up short in the biggest SoCon game of the year, a battle with South division frontrunner Davidson. Prior to its Monday night loss to Davidson, UTC lost its big, but not as big as the Davidson game to UNCG. The disconcerting aspect of both games was how demoralizing the losses were. In their contest with UNCG, the Mocs held a big lead early but were run out of the gym late. Against Davidson, a horrendous shooting effort sealed the Mocs fate early. At least UTC picked up an early week win against Appalachian State.

Next Up: Saturday vs. Elon, Monday vs. College of Charleston.

2. UNC-Greensboro Spartans (13-7, 6-3)

By virtue of their win against Chattanooga on Saturday and Chattanooga’s loss to Davidson on Monday, the Spartans have the same conference record as UTC. Storming back from a 19-point halftime deficit and outscoring first-place Chattanooga 43-19 should have made the Spartans week perfect. Well, it was perfect, until UNCG fell to previously winless in the SoCon Elon. With a Feb. 5 showdown against Davidson on the horizon, were the Spartans caught looking ahead in what the NFL likes to call a sandwich game?

Next Up: Saturday vs. Davidson.

3. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-9, 3-5)

The Mountaineers gave division leading Chattanooga all it could handle Jan.24, losing by only eight. During that contest, UTC had to withstand a late ASU run. The Mountaineers received a little break before their Monday night game with Longwood because their game against East Tennessee State was postponed due to inclement weather. A well-rested ASU trampled the 1-22 Lancers 89-59.

Next Up: Thursday vs. The Citadel.

4. Western Carolina Catamounts (7-15, 2-7)

A so-so week included a win against Elon Saturday and a Monday night loss at Furman. But do wins and losses really matter when your team includes guys with names like Jared Outing, Corey Muirhead, David Berghoefer, Rans Brempong and Kyle Greathouse? I think not. You really don’t have to scour the NCAAs for an all name team, you have one right in Cullowhee, N.C. The aforementioned Berghoefer scored 22 points and pulled down 16 boards against Elon, and he hit for a season-high 26 points against Furman.

Next Up: Saturday at College of Charleston, Monday vs. Appalachian State.

5. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (6-13, 2-7)

The week that was for ETSU featured two losses that went down to the wire. Despite a career-high 27 points from Ben Rhoda, the Bucs could not overcome the Citadel in an 80-76 loss on Jan.24. Two days later against Davidson, ETSU nearly pulled the upset but again came up short. The Bucs’ bench outscored Davidson’s bench 41-19, 31 of which came from Tim Smith. Unfortunately, the contest, which was even at halftime, went in favor of Davidson, 63-62.

Up Next: Saturday at Wofford, Monday at Elon.

6. Elon Phoenix (3-19, 1-8)

The Phoenix went 1-2 on the week, but that one win happened to be Elon’s first conference victory. Even though the Phoenix shot a paltry 27.9 percent from the field, Elon still got by UNCG 54-50. Elon used a stiff defensive effort to stifle UNCG, forcing 17 turnovers. Le’Vonn Jordan came off the bench to lead Elon in scoring with 13 points, while Chris Chalko chipped in with 12 points. So break up the Phoenix, who look to add to their one-game winning streak in the new week.

Up Next: Saturday at Chattanooga, Monday vs. East Tennessee State

South Division

1. Davidson Wildcats (14-7, 10-0)

The wins just keep on coming for Davidson, which won three games during the past week. The Wildcats prevailed over East Tennessee State, barely, then rolled up the Citadel before defeating North Division-leading Chattanooga by 14 points. By beating ETSU, Davidson head coach Bob McKillop garnered his 136th win in the Southern Conference, becoming the SoCon’s all-time leader in victories. Brendan Winters was a big reason why the Wildcats are still undefeated, averaging 21 points per game for the week.

Up Next: Saturday at UNCG, Monday at Wofford

2. College of Charleston Cougars (13-6, 6-3)

The Cougars are making it known they are not to be taken lightly in the Southern Conference. Years removed from their role of giant killer in the NCAAs, C of C is again showing signs that they could be a dangerous team capable of beating anyone. Led by a double helping of Jackson (Bernard scored 19 points while Stanley knocked in 26), the Cougars upended UNCG by 13 Jan.24. Later in the week against Georgia Southern, C of C erased a 13-point halftime deficit to outscore the Eagles 51-31 in the second-half to win by the score of 71-64. Tony Mitchell led the Cougars in scoring with 24 points while the defense forced GSU into 19 turnovers.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Western Carolina, Monday at Chattanooga

3. Georgia Southern Eagles (13-8, 6-3)

The Eagles had a golden opportunity to gain sole possession of second place in the South Division of the SoCon but let a 13-point halftime lead slip to the wayside with sloppy ball handling (the Eagles turned the ball over 19 times) in a 71-64 loss. The Eagles took out their frustrations out on Savannah State by smothering the winless Tigers 92-64. The bench emptier featured playing time for every Eagle, and all five Eagle starters scored in double digits, including 19 from Elton Nesbitt. Savannah State (0-24) is four wins away from a winless season. Earlier in the week, Georgia State slipped by Wofford 79-76. Donte Gennie sealed the game for GSU with a late steal.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Furman

4. Furman Paladins (11-8, 4-3)

It was a very winning week for the Paladins, who triumphed over Elon and Western Carolina. During its 71-51 win against Elon, Furman raced to a 37-17 halftime lead. The rest of the game was more of the same as sophomore Moussa Diagne led the Paladins in scoring with 19 points. Against Western Carolina, sophomore Eric Webb scored 18, all of which came from behind the three-point arc, as the Paladins slipped past the Catamounts 73-66.

Up Next: Saturday at Georgia Southern, Monday at the Citadel

5. The Citadel Bulldogs (12-7, 4-5)

The Bulldogs shot the lights out during the past week. However, their precision with the roundball was only good for one victory. Against East Tennessee, the Citadel shot 58 percent from the field in an 80-76 win. Freshman Warren McLendon scored 27 points in the win, while Kevin Hammock hit for 23. The ‘Dogs won despite turning the ball over 21 times. In a 73-63 loss to Wofford, the Bulldogs shot 47.9 percent from the field. However, Citadel’s defense could not stop four Wofford starters from scoring in double figures. The Citadel’s did not shoot well against Davidson, however, falling to the Wildcats 81-59.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Appalachian State, Monday vs. Furman

6. Wofford Terriers (9-10, 2-6)

The Terriers gave Georgia Southern all it could handle Jan.24 but came up short 79-76. Despite 18 points from Adrien Borders and a 60 percent team field goal percentage in the second half, the Eagles were just too much. The Terriers would find redemption later in the week in the form of a 73-63 win over the Citadel. Wofford forced 19 turnovers in the win and four Terrier starters scored in double digits.

Up Next: Saturday vs. East Tennessee State, Monday vs. Davidson

SoCon Notebook

Southern Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Gonzalez

After three consecutive close-but-no-cigar losses to Massachusetts, Seton Hall and Princeton, the Davidson Wildcats have run off six straight conference victories and are sitting pretty atop the Southern Conference’s Southern Division. Leading the charge for the Wildcats (11-7, 7-0) is Brendan Winters. The junior forward from Denver is averaging nearly 16 points per game, including 17 in Davidson’s Jan. 23 win against Furman.

Following closely behind Davidson in the SoCon’s South Division is Georgia Southern. The Eagles are 5-2 in conference play and are coming off a 72-64 win against Elon. The Eagles feature the Southern Conference’s leading scorer, Elton Nesbitt, who is averaging 19.7 points per game.

Over in the North Division, Tennessee-Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro are locked in what looks to be a two-team race. The Mocs and Spartans are both 5-1, good for a three-game lead over second-place Appalachian State. Although anything can happen in the conference tournament, it looks like Davidson, Georgia Southern, UNC-G and Chattanooga will all figure prominently in the race for the SoCon’s precious automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Player of the Week

Travis Smith. The Citadel guard hit seven three-pointers and scored 25 points in the Bulldogs’ win against Wofford.

Player of the Week

None other than the aforementioned Travis Smith.

Team of the Week

Davidson – The Wildcats ran their win streak to six and sit atop the Southern Conference.

Team Reports

North Division

UT-Chattanooga (12-4, 5-1)

The Mocs fell victim to a Southern Conference record 22 three-pointers by Georgia Southern during a 107-84 loss to the Eagles Jan. 17. However, the week was not a total loss, as the Mocs finished 2-1 with blowout wins over East Tennessee State and Wofford. Chattanooga guard Casey Long enjoyed a good week, averaging 14.5 points per game in the Mocs’ two wins.

Up Next: The Moccasins will find out just how good they are as they prepare to face Davidson and UNC-G during the coming week.

UNC-Greensboro (12-5, 5-1)

The Spartans capped off a strong week with a 78-68 win over The Citadel. During that game, all five UNC-G starters scored in double figures. Earlier in the week, the Spartans defeated Western Carolina and East Tennessee State.

Up Next: The Spartans look to take down Chattanooga for sole possession of the SoCon’s North Division.

Appalachian State (8-8, 3-4)

The plucky Mountaineers shrugged off a tough loss to Georgia Southern Jan. 15 and reeled off two straight victories over Elon and College of Charleston. Noah Brown leads ASU in scoring this season. The senior guard is averaging 12.7 points per game.

Up Next: The Mountaineers look to upend North Division-leading Chattanooga on Jan. 24.

East Tennessee State (6-11, 2-5)

The Buccaneers have struggled thus far in the 2004-05 campaign. After the team’s Jan. 15 win against Elon, ETSU had a chance to go toe to toe against the North Division’s top two clubs. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they came up short in both contests. Although they played UNC-G close, losing 79-76, the Bucs were throttled by Chattanooga, 93-59. The lone bright spot in the loss to Chattanooga was junior guard Tim Smith, who scored 16 points in the loss.

Up Next: The Bucs face another stiff challenge in conference foe Davidson on Jan. 26.

Western Carolina (6-14, 1-6)

The Catamounts broke an eight-game losing streak, five of those losses coming in conference play, Jan. 22 with a 80-75 win over Wofford. Trey Hopkins and Antonio Russell each scored 17 points to lead the Catamounts.

Up Next: Western Carolina looks to improve its conference standing with home game on against Wofford and Elon.

Elon (2-17, 0-6)

After a season-opening win against Farleigh Dickinson, the Phoenix have dropped 16 of their past 17 games. Currently, they are in the midst of a 12-game losing streak. Despite its poor record, Elon has shown resolve, playing the likes of Georgia Southern and Davidson tough. Jackson Atoyebi has been a bright spot for Elon, averaging 14 points per game.

Up Next: Elon looks for its first conference win with road games against Furman and Western Carolina.

Southern Division

Davidson (11-7, 7-0)

The red-hot Wildcats upped their conference-leading winning streak to seven with a 68-61 win over Furman Jan. 22. Earlier in the week, Davidson defeated College of Charleston and Western Carolina.

Up Next: The Wildcats look to continue their conference domination with games against East Tennessee and The Citadel.

Georgia Southern (11-7, 5-2)

After dropping its first two conference games, GSU has run off five straight victories. During the past week, the Eagles have flown by Appalachian State, Chattanooga and Elon. Jean Francois scored a team-high 19 points in the Eagles’ win versus Elon.

Up Next: The Eagles look to keep pace with Davidson with games against Wofford and College of Charleston.

College of Charleston (11-6, 4-3)

C of C struggled during the past week, dropping two of three games. However, the Cougars still have a winning conference record and looked good in a 67-53 win over Furman Jan. 17. Bernard Jackson and Tony Mitchell each scored 14 points in the Cougars’ win against the Paladins.

Up Next: The Cougars take on UNC-G and Georgia Southern in the coming week.

The Citadel (11-5, 3-3)

The Bulldogs played UNC-G tough Jan. 22 but fell to the Spartans 78-68. The loss came on the heels of The Citadel’s 76-74 win against Wofford Jan. 17. In that game, freshman guard Travis Smith buried seven three-pointers and racked up 25 points, all in the second half.

Up Next: The Bulldogs take on East Tennessee State and Davidson in the coming week.

Furman (10-8, 3-3)

The Paladins took it to conference-leading Davidson Jan. 22 but lost to the Wildcats 68-61. Although the game was tied at halftime, Furman could not do enough to avoid its 16th straight loss to the Wildcats. The loss was the Paladins second of the past week. Earlier in the week, Furman clobbered the Citadel 83-59.

Up Next: Furman looks to rack up two wins against two of the Southern Conference’s weakest teams, Elon and Wofford.

Wofford (8-9, 1-5)

The Terriers, losers of five straight, have Elon to thank for not being the conference’s worst club. If not for Elon’s 0-6 record, Wofford’s 1-5 mark would be good enough for last. Senior guard Greg Taylor scored 14 points in the Terriers’ last loss, which came at the hands to Western Carolina.

Up Next: The Terriers look to add to their win total with games against Georgia Southern and Furman.

Mama’s Picks

Mama’s Picks

by Jon Gonzalez (and Mama)

Armed with only school names, records, seeds, coaches’ names, geographic locations, team colors and a miniscule amount of college basketball knowledge, my ninety year-old grandmother, Angela Lebron, is on a mission. Her goal: to predict every game in the NCAA Tournament.

Starting with the first round, Mama, as my family and friends affectionately refer to as, will do her best Jimmy the Greek imitation and tell the entire world how the tourney will shake down:

Mama’s Picks

South Region

Opening Round: No.16a UNC Asheville vs. No.16b Texas Southern Pick: Texas Southern. The President is from Texas. He needs to bring peace to the world.

No.1 Texas vs. No.16 Texas Southern. Pick: Texas. I just think Texas is more devoted to what it’s doing

No.8 LSU vs. No.9 Purdue . Pick: LSU. Tigers are strong, aggressive and go for what they want.

No.5 UConn vs. No.12 BYU. Pick: UConn. Their name resembles what they are, Huskies; very tough.

No.4 Stanford vs. No.13 San Diego. Pick: San Diego. I like the Toreros because they are very good at getting the bull. The bull doesn’t get them.

No.6 Maryland vs. No.11 UNC Wilmington. Pick: Maryland. I like Gary Williams. That name just fills me with hope for some reason. To me, Williams means victory.

No.3 Xavier vs. No.14 Troy State. Pick: Troy State. There is a line of hope with this team that connects me to the past.

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No.10 Colorado. Pick: Colorado. I like the Buffaloes. They run wild in the mountains. Besides, Buffalo Bill was a very important man. He was very humble.

No.2 Florida vs. No.15 Sam Houston State. Pick: Florida. Gators are very sneaky. You always have to watch out for them.

East Region

No.1 Oklahoma vs. No.16 South Carolina State. Pick: Oklahoma. The Sooners are strong. They have conviction, composure and they follow their dreams

No.8 California vs. No.9 NC State. Pick: Cal. Gold is very important and bears are an image of humbleness.

No.5 Mississippi State vs. No.12 Butler. Pick: Butler. Bulldogs always think they are out of place. They are not what they think. They bring things up. I like the number 12 Bulldogs here, Butler.

No.4 Louisville vs. No.13 Austin Peay. Pick: Louisville. They [Cardinals] are tempted to make mistakes. But they always make the right choices.

No.6 Oklahoma State vs. No.11 Penn. Pick: Penn. The Quakers are very religious people. They stand for the right thing, always.

No.3 Syracuse vs. No.14 Manhattan. Pick: Manhattan. Gonzalez was my first sister-in-law’s name. Also, Manhattan is the heart of New York.

No.7 St. Joseph’s vs. No.10 Auburn. Pick: Auburn. The Hawks will try to swoop down on the Tigers, but the Tigers will be very careful and avoid getting hurt.

No.2 Wake Forest vs. No.15 East Tennessee State. Pick: ETSU. Tennessee is a sweet, abiding name. I don’t like Demon Deacons.

Midwest Region

No.1 Kentucky vs. No.16 IUPUI. Pick: Kentucky. They are number one. They don’t fool around. They take care of business.

No.8 Oregon vs. No.9 Utah. Pick: Oregon. Oregon’s coach’s name [Ernie Kent] reminds me of Clark Kent, which reminds me of Christopher Reeve. I always cheer for that man.

No.5 Wisconsin vs. No.12 Weber State. Pick: Wisconsin. With a badge, you can identify yourself when you go somewhere. Those with a badge are always respected. Plus, they are crazy enough to win this one.

No.4 Dayton vs. No. 13 Tulsa. Pick: Dayton. Because the Flyers go where they are supposed to go. They find their strength from within.

No.6 Missouri vs. No.11 Southern Illinois. Pick: Missouri. When I see the name, Missouri, I think of the word incompetent. I don’t know why. Anyway, I still think Missouri has fought its way in and will win.

No.3 Marquette vs. No.14 Holy Cross. Pick: Marquette. I love Eagles. They fly high in the sky.

No.7 Indiana vs. No.10 Alabama. Pick: Indiana. Indiana is very smoky and dirty. I know because I lived there for a little while. With that said, I still like the Hoosiers.

No.2 Pittsburgh vs. No.15 Wagner. Pick: Pittsburgh. They are a higher number and they have more intuition.

West Region

No.1 Arizona vs. No.16 Vermont. Pick: Arizona. They have come from a long journey and they are supposed to show the best of their abilities. I see a woman involved in this. They want to do it for her.

No.8 Cincinnati vs. No.9 Gonzaga. Pick: Gonzaga. Spelled backwards, [Bull]dog is God. Mark Few is great man. He builds hope for Gonzaga. He believes in his team.

No.5 Notre Dame vs. No.12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Pick: Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Because in the heart of [UWM coach] Bruce Pearl, there is strength and loyalty.

No.4 Illinois vs. No.13 Western Kentucky. Pick: Illinois. Because WKU is not fit to win. Those players [WKU] will have to keep dreaming for their goals to be accomplished.

No.6 Creighton vs. No.11 Central Michigan. Pick: Creighton. Blue Jays are birds that fly and they show the greatness of God in their beauty. They are supposed to win.

No.3 Duke vs. No.14 Colorado State. Pick: Colorado State. Their coach’s last name is
Layer. When you make a sandwich, the third layer is cheese. When they win, they will enjoy all the cheese. This will be a great upset. Even the great teams fall.

No.7 Memphis vs. No.10 Arizona State. Pick: Arizona State. I see a red arrow that points to them [ASU].

No.2 Kansas vs. No.15 Utah State. Pick: Kansas. The Jayhaws have a lot of anger in them. They are true to their feelings. When they stand tall and firm, it means victory.

Second Round

South Region

No.1 Texas vs. No.8 LSU. Pick: Texas. Texas’ coach [Rick Barnes] is a man of truth, a strong and patient man who is very humble. He has made a commitment to bring his team to the top.

No.5 UConn vs. No.13 San Diego. Pick: San Diego. Even though Connecticut is more advanced in what it does, the tide will shift in San Diego’s favor. San Diego will surprise.

No.6 Maryland vs. No.14 Troy State. Pick: Troy State. Everything is in Troy State’s favor.

No.10 Colorado vs. No.2 Florida. Pick: Florida. Florida is in the mainstream.

East Region

No.1 Oklahoma vs. No.8 California. Pick: Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a stronger will than California.

No.12 Butler vs. No.4 Louisville. Pick: Louisville. Cardinals always get what they want.

No.11 Penn vs. No.14 Manhattan. Pick: Manhattan. The people in Manhattan are special people. Manhattan is a great place.

No.10 Auburn vs. No.15 East Tennessee State. Pick: Auburn. Auburn’s coach’s last name Ellis reminds me of Ellis Island. Many immigrants came to Ellis Island in search of a better life. Cliff Ellis will give the Tigers a good life.

Midwest Region

No.1 Kentucky vs. No.8 Oregon. Pick: Kentucky. Kentucky knows the name of the game. Kentucky’s players are very generous. They are blessed.

No.5 Wisconsin vs. No.4 Dayton. Pick: Wisconsin. They [Wisconsin] will play with a sense of urgency.

No.6 Missouri vs. No.3 Marquette. Pick: Marquette. Missouri can’t compete with Marquette.

No.7 Indiana vs. No.2 Pittsburgh. Pick: Indiana. Indiana will hustle more than Pittsburgh.

West Region

No.1 Arizona vs. No.9 Gonzaga. Pick: Arizona. Arizona’s steadfastness makes them superior. They will run wild.

No.12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. No.4 Illinois. Pick: Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Believe it or not, Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a more uniform team. Things will fall into place for its players.

No.6 Creighton vs. No.14 Colorado State. Pick: Creighton. This game sets up nicely for Creighton.

No.10 Arizona State vs. No.2 Kansas. Pick: Kansas. Kansas does things differently. The players do more than just play, they do great things when they don’t play basketball. They deserve to win this game.

Sweet Sixteen

South Region

No.1 Texas vs. No.13 San Diego. Pick: Texas. Texas is just in line to win this game.

No.14 Troy State vs. No.2 Florida. Pick: Troy State. The newcomers will surprise many. Florida will take a big lead, but Troy State will come back and win by a small margin.

East Region

No.1 Oklahoma vs. No.4 Louisville. Pick: Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s coach shares a name with Sampson from the bible. Sampson was a powerful biblical figure. Oklahoma will win.

No.14 Manhattan vs. No.10 Auburn. Pick: Auburn. I am picking them for the same reason I picked them before.

Midwest Region

No.1 Kentucky vs. No.5 Wisconsin. Pick: Kentucky. Wisconsin doesn’t have a chance. Kentucky is much better; they might hold the map to the championship.

No.3 Marquette vs. No.7 Indiana. Pick: Marquette. Hoosiers rhymes with losers. They also look like losers in this one. The Golden Eagles will fly high.

West Region

No.1 Arizona vs. No.12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Pick: Arizona. You can’t go against number one. You have to realize the truth.

No.6 Creighton vs. No.2 Kansas. Pick: Creighton. It’s possible that Creighton can beat Kansas. It will be a close game, but the possibility will be a reality. The Blue Jays will win with calmness.

Elite Eight
South Region

No.1 Texas vs. No.14 Troy State. Pick: Texas. Texas’ longhorns will go through anything that stands in its way. Nothing can stand in Texas’ way in this game

East Region

No.1 Oklahoma vs. No.10 Auburn. Pick: Oklahoma. [Kelvin] Sampson will win again. I pick Oklahoma.

Midwest Region

No.1 Kentucky vs. No.3 Marquette. Pick: Kentucky. Kentucky is a legendary program. The Wildcats will stay true to their reputation.

West Region

No.1 Arizona vs. No. 6 Creighton. Pick: Arizona. Creighton will open the door for Arizona to win, and the Wildcats will kick down the door and run to victory.

Final Four

No.1 Texas vs. No.1 Oklahoma. Pick: Texas. Many great things come from Texas. Texas is a very historical place. Texas will make it happen.

No.1 Kentucky vs. No.1 Arizona. Pick: Arizona. Arizona has a good history and a proud tradition. They are a little higher, and better, than Kentucky. Also, the climate in Arizona is a little dry, but very nice.

National Championship

No.1 Texas vs. No.1 Arizona. Pick: Arizona. The championship will be a hard struggle. Both teams will fight until the end, but Arizona will prevail. Arizona will be the champion.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 14th, 2003

by Jon Gonzalez

Steve Lavin’s hair displayed a shine seldom seen this season as his Bruins, along with a few other underdogs, pulled off some major upsets Thursday.

If the season was any indication of how the Arizona-UCLA Pac-10 Quarterfinal was going to turn out, by 3:30 pacific time Lavin would be waving to the Bruin faithful for the final time and No.1 Arizona (25-3) would be marveling over its 35 point victory. But a funny thing happened at the Staples Center, UCLA (10-18) actually showed up to play.

Paced by Jason Kapono’s 26 points, the Bruins played with an urgency that had been missing for most of the season. They looked like a team trying to save the job of their coach. Down 15 with under 15 minutes to play, it looked as if UCLA would fold yet again. But the Bruins played with poise and hit clutch shot after clutch shot in the second half. Despite Kapono missing a chance to win the game in regulation, the Bruins would eventually take the game in overtime 96-89. Was the win good enough to save Lavin’s job? Well, no, but if he can string together eight more of those, you never know.

While UCLA’s win over ‘Zona was shocking, an upset in the C-USA tourney was just downright crazy.

The UAB Blazers stole one from No.6 Marquette, literally. The Blazers (18-11) stole the ball from Marquette 20 times en route to an 83-76 upset win. The 20 steals is a tournament record. Marquette (23-5) set a tournament record of its own, turning the ball over 30 times. Not only did the Blazers do it on defense, they also did it on offense, hitting on 51 percent of their shots, the best shooting percentage against Marquette all season. C-USA Player of the Year Dwyane Wade had 10 turnovers himself, also good for a conference record. Next up for UAB: St.Louis. The Billikens upended Southern Mississippi 69-56.

The final major upset of the day, albeit a little less shocking than the previous two involved another pair of Pac-10 teams squaring off in the Pac-10 quarters.

USC took a cue from its southern cal brethren UCLA as the Trojans knocked off second-seeded and 13th ranked Stanford (23-8) 79-74. The Trojan victory ensured that the top two seeds in the Pac-10 Tournament would be on the outside looking in. More importantly, it officially turned the Pac-10 tourney into anyone’s game. Desmon Farmer led the Trojans (12-16) with 24 points. Could the fact that the Pac-10 tourney is being played in LA have anything to do with USC and UCLA’s success?

Elsewhere on Thursday, FSU knocked off Clemson 72-61 in their annual first round ACC match-up. Will Larry Shyatt ever get out of the ACC first round? The Tigers next take on top seed Wake Forest.

In a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship game, Ohio State beat Iowa 66-64 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Brent Darby hit the game winner with 1.8 seconds left in regulation.

Temple kept its NCAA hopes alive with a 66-52 win over Richmond. The Owls have won a record six A-10 titles and will have to win this year’s event to earn a bid to the big dance.

Side Dishes

Pop Goes the Bubble: For some teams, the first round of their conference tournaments could have been the difference between an NCAA and an NIT bid. Several teams did nothing to help themselves earn an NCAA bid on Thursday, but everything to gain an NIT invite. St. Johns, Rhode Island, Providence, Minnesota and Alabama all probably saw their NCAA aspirations go poof with loses on Thursday. While St. Johns’, Providence’s and Rhode Island’s losses were expected, Minnesota and Alabama losing to Northwestern and Vandy, respectively, is nothing short of absurd. The season is on the line, and you go out and lose to a sub.500 team, by double digits no less. It was bad enough that Minny and Bama both lost to bottom-feeders, but to get plastered by them, that’s another story. See you at the NIT, boys.

Staying Alive: No, I am not referring to Jason Kapono’s attempt at a disco career in an interview following the Bruins’ win (by the way, what in God’s name was that), but the teams stayed alive for NCAA bids with wins on Thursday. Texas Tech, Iowa State, St. Louis and Indiana all kept NCAA hopes alive with wins, while Colorado, Boston College, LSU and Oregon probably did enough to solidify berths in the big dance. Oregon and LSU were most likely locks regardless of Thursday’s results, but can breath easy as it is almost a guarantee they will get in.

Stone Cold Luck for Cards: Marvin Stone was told by Louisville officials an hour prior to the Cardinals game against Tulane that he could not play in the quarterfinal game. The NCAA is currently investigating Stone’s amateur status and benefits he received from an Alabama business that runs an AAU team. No.15 Louisville didn’t miss Stone much, the Cards beat Tulane 82-66.

Basketball on Nickelodeon? Due to the threat of war, CBS may have to move coverage of the NCAA Tournament to fellow Viacom owned networks TNN and Nickelodeon. There has even been talk of moving games to ESPN, although that complicated scenario seems unlikely. If CBS had to air games on different cable stations, it wouldn’t be able to provide the popular split-screen live look-ins of other games.

New Bonnie in Charge: Former St. Bonaventure player Paul Grys was named interim athletics director on Thursday. Grys, a retired IBM executive, replaces Gothard Lane, who was placed administrative leave pending the schools investigation into the men’s basketball program.

Tonight’s Menu

After almost a whole year of mostly unsavory Friday action, this Friday’s menu has a slate of games you can really sink your teeth into.

• The real meat of the ACC Tournament kicks off on Friday as the usual suspects step onto the court. FSU/Wake Forest looks to be a wash. UNC/Maryland may seem like another wash given the fact the Terps squashed the Heels in their last meeting. But don’t discount the Heels. UNC is coming off a huge win against Duke, and as Thursday taught us, no team is immune to an upset. The two games to keep an eye on Friday are NC State/Georgia Tech and Duke/Virginia. The Pack may need a win or two to sew up an NCAA berth. While a 9-7 record in the ACC should get you in the NCAA’s, the consensus is that NC State needs one or two ACC tourney wins because of their low RPI. The upset special of the day could come when Duke plays UVA. Sure, the Cavs have struggled mightily down the stretch, but UVA cannot be taken lightly. The Cavs have some of the best talent in the league and when they want to, they can play with anybody. Also, the momentum from the Maryland game will help them. If I were Coach K, I would be a little leery right now.

• The Big East moves closer to crowing a champion as the semifinals begin on Friday. Boston College takes on Pitt in one semifinal, while Syracuse takes on Connecticut in the other. All teams are in the big dance, so a win is not necessarily crucial for any of them. But if either Pitt or the ‘Cuse should advance all the way to the Big East Championship, a number one seed in the big dance could be the reward. Look for that scenario to play out as the Panthers and the Orangemen are primed for a Saturday night showdown.

• The Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-10 and C-USA Tournaments all continue on Friday and all offer some interesting match-ups. Over in the Big Ten, Indiana/Michigan could be the game of the day in Chi-town, while Michigan State/Purdue could feature the Spartans clinching an NCAA bid. In the Big 12, Texas/Texas Tech will be a good one as Bob Knight tries to keep the Red Raiders in line for an NCAA bid. The most intriguing game of the day may be Colorado/Oklahoma. Can the Buff’s David Harrison take advantage of OU’s Ebi Ere’s absence. Over in Conference USA, semifinal action reigns supreme as Louisville/Memphis takes center stage. In the other semifinal, surprising UAB, fresh off upsetting Marquette, takes on St. Louis. Can the Billikens duplicate their C-USA championship run of a few years ago? The wide-open Pac-10 tournament continues with the semifinals. UCLA looks for another upset, this time against Oregon, while Cal and USC square off. One thing is for certain, Cali will be represented in the finals. Finally in the SEC, Kentucky will obliterate Vandy yet again while LSU looks to give Florida a hard time. Elsewhere, the battle of Mississippi features Miss State against Ole Miss. Wonder how Georgia would have done if they could have played?

Take care everyone and don’t be a reckless basketball watcher today. At least spend 2-5 minutes with loved ones. I am outta here.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 7th, 2003

by Jon Gonzalez

Well the latest twist is that the Atlantic 10 may discuss dumping St. Bonaventure because the program embarrassed the league by refusing to play its final two games of the season. A-10 school presidents were livid with the Bonnies’ decision to forfeit their season, leaving Dayton and UMass without games.

What a load of garbage.

For days, everyone and their mother has been pilling on the Bonnies for calling it quits. In fact, St. Bonaventure’s decision has turned the basketball program into a running joke overnight. Oh if people were not so quick to judge.

What critics are failing to do is put themselves in the position of the St. Bonaventure players who walked out. They haven’t thought about what they would feel if they were on a team that was suddenly stripped of six games and a trip to the conference tournament. What they would feel if suddenly their whole season was turned to mush just because the school made a mistake and let an ineligible transfer suit up with the team.

Of course I feel badly for the players who wanted to go on and finish the season, but I cannot in good faith be critical of the ones who walked. They were not responsible for Jamil Terrell being able to play when he wasn’t supposed to, they didn’t have a hand in that. It would have been one thing if the A-10 just stripped the team of six wins and stopped there. But they had to go ahead and ban them from the tournament. What for? I know that in many cases where schools are punished, it is the administration’s fault and the players suffer by not being able to go postseason tournaments. But in other situations, bans are usually handed out at later dates, not smack dab in the middle of the season without a sufficient amount of investigation time. Here, the A-10 sucker punched St. Bonaventure with a ban that does not even have a precedent.

So now the A-10 is mad. They basically kick the Bonnies in the boiler and say, “What, you’re not going to finish your games after we unfairly railroaded your season? What nerve!” It’s obscene that the A-10 goes along and ruins St. Bonaventure’s season and gets mad that the Bonnies quit. So I guess they were just supposed to sheepishly agree with your mandate, play the last two games and go away quietly? Has anyone ever heard of taking a stand?

Now I am not in anyway advocating quitting. Fight until the end, never give up, rah rah rah and all that jazz. But this situation is a totally different story and is much deeper than St. Bonaventure giving up. As with many situations in life, there are more important things than right and wrong and winning and quitting. Doing the right thing sometimes takes precedent, and this is one of those times.

The players who quit did so because they felt that they had to, that this was the way they could take their stand. If in their hearts, those St.Bonaventure players who quit felt they were wronged, they had no other alternative. If they would have gone out and played those last two games, they might have well have said that we don’t care what you do A-10, you can make us play out hands behind our backs and we will do whatever you want. In many respects, the real quitting might have been done if they went along and played those last two games. If they would have played the games while disagreeing with the mandate, the Bonnies would have shown no backbone. Now, amid controversy and criticism, the Bonnies who decided to take a stand can stand tall, knowing that they did what they believed was the right thing. Now, go ahead St. Bonaventure, enjoy your spring break.

Side Dishes

Not Quite Yet: With a win Thursday night, No.23 Utah could have clinched the Mountain West Regular season title. But oh those pesky Rams. Michael Morris hit two three-pointers in the final minute as Colorado State (16-12,4-8) beat Utah (22-6,10-3) 66-65. It got so bad for the Utes that even coach Rick Majerus was ejected at halftime for arguing with the referees. Utah can still clinch the top spot in the MWC Tournament with a win against Wyoming on Saturday.

Ho Hum: The Tigers, Blue Devils and Wildcats might as well have played blindfolded in their games Thursday night. No.25 Memphis rolled Houston 71-56 behind John Grice’s 15 points. The win was the Tigers’ 10th straight.

It was senior night at Cameron Indoor Stadium and No.10 Duke didn’t disappoint, or did they? Despite forcing 24 turnovers in a 72-56 route of Florida State, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was angry at the Cameron Crazies. Coach K said that he had never seen a Cameron crowd as dead as the one he saw during the second half of Thursday’s game. Coach K went on to say that the reason for the fan’s actions was that they have been spoiled because of Duke’s success and don’t realize the hard work this years’ team has put forth. But coach, you just beat Florida State.

Arizona did just enough to snuff out Oregon State. The Wildcats beat the Beavers 72-60. The Beavers hung in the contest, but were not game enough for the top ranked ‘Cats.

Off the Bubble?: With wins Thursday night, St. Johns, BYU and Arizona State may have taken a step closer from the bubble to an NCAA bid. The Johnnies beat Rutgers 75-59, BYU took out Wyoming 69-50 and the Sun Devils scorched Oregon 91-77. Meanwhile, in their losses, Oregon and Wyoming did not do much to help their NCAA cases.

Championship Week: In quarterfinal action, (5) Central Florida beat (4) Jacksonville State, (1) Mercer beat (8) Jacksonville 73-57, (7) Georgia State upset (2) Belmont 76-58 and (3) Troy State beat (6) Samford 70-54. Meanwhile, in the SoCon quarterfinal action, (1S) College of Charleston beat (5S) Georgia Southern 67-53, (2N) East Tennessee State beat (3S) Wofford 80-75, (5N) VMI upset (1N) Davidson and (2S) Chattanooga clobbered (3N) Appalachian State 98-67. Be sure to check out the latest scores and recaps in our Championship Week coverage.

Bummer For Bonner?: Matt Bonner’s injured right foot might keep him out of Florida’s lineup for the Gators’ pivotal match-up against Kentucky Saturday. The senior forward was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, which in English means that the tissue which connects the heel bone to the base of the toes. Bonner has had a pain in his foot for about five days and woke up the morning after Tuesday’s loss to Georgia with cramping in the foot. Bonner was on crutches Thursday and he and coach Billy Donovan will consult with doctors to determine Bonner’s playing status for Saturday.

Gopher Gone For Season: Minnesota reserve guard Aaron Robinson will be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The sophomore hurt his knee just before halftime of the Gopher’s loss to Indiana on Tuesday. Robinson is scheduled to have surgery to repair the torn cartilage in his right knee on Friday. Robinson was averaging 2.0 points a game this season.

Money Back Guarantee: St. Bonaventure will give refunds to fans who purchased tickets for Saturday’s home game against Dayton. The game was supposed to be the regular season finale for the Bonnies. The move comes after the A-10 stripped St. Bonaventure of six conference wins for use of ineligible player Jamil Terrell. The Bonnies responded by boycotting their final two games of the season. Luckily, fans can take advantage of the cancellations and focus on a good college basketball team. Not sure how that money will make Dayton feel, especially since they lose their season finale, and a chance to make a good impression on the Tournament committee.

Goin’ Back to Nevada: The Kansas Jayhawks will travel to Nevada next season to participate in the Wolfpack Classic. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, a big reason Kansas accepted the invite was because the Jayhawks signed Reno High School star David Padgett in November. Along with Nevada and Kansas, UC Santa Barbara and a fourth team will be in Reno for the event that will be held Dec.20-21.

Dayton Liar: Former Dayton player Sammy Smith plead guilty to making up a story to police about being abducted. Smith plead guilty on Tuesday in Franklin County Municipal Court to a charge of providing false information to mislead a public official. He was fined 150 dollars, placed on probation for one year and has to serve 40 hours of community service. Smith was reported missing on Oct.17 when failed to attend classes and basketball practices. The next night he was found in Lake Worth, TX flagging down a patrolman. Smith told the officer that he was abducted and forced to drive at gunpoint until he escaped. Investigations would prove that the abduction never happened. Smith played two seasons at Dayton before transferring to Capital University in Columbus, OH.

WSU Coach Out: According to ESPN.com and the Spokesman Review, Washington State basketball coach Paul Graham will be fired, probably as soon as Monday. Graham is in the fourth year of a five-year contract. He is 31-78 during the four-year span, having won more 10 games in a season only once. The Cougars are 7-19 this season. WSU’s regular season finale is Saturday at USC.

Tonight’s Menu

A plethora of action featuring conference tourneys galore highlight a busy Friday night of college basketball.

• VMI looks to continue its magical run in the Southern Conference Tournament as the (5S) Keydets play (2S) Chattanooga in the SoCon semis. The other semifinal game features (1S) College of Charleston against (2N) East Tennessee State.

• VMI looks to continue its magical run in the Southern Conference Tournament as the (5S) Keydets play (2S) Chattanooga in the SoCon semis. The other semifinal game features (1S) College of Charleston against (2N) East Tennessee State.

• Penn can pack up its dancing shoes if they can beat Columbia tonight at 7 p.m. A win would clinch a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Quakers and make them the first entrant into the field of 65. Other Ivy League action of note features second place Brown at Dartmouth.

• Aside from the A-Sun and SoCon resuming their conference tournaments, the Big South and Ohio Valley also head into their semifinal rounds. The Colonial, Horizon, MAAC, MVC, Sun Belt and WCC all start their first rounds today. For all the details on every conference tournament, check out our Championship Week coverage.

Enjoy Championship Week and have a great Friday people. Later.

Harrick’s Lights out in Georgia

Say Hello to the Bad Guys

by Jon Gonzalez

Peanut butter and jelly, peaches and cream, Jim Harrick and NCAA violations; some things were just meant to go together.

Coach Harrick is at it again. As we all remember, the Georgia head coach first soiled his name at UCLA. Harrick was fired by the Bruin brass due to allegations of lying about expense reports and sexual harassment, among other things. At Rhode Island, Harrick led the Rams back to respectability before leaving for the SEC’s Georgia (hmm, wonder if that sexual harassment lawsuit filed by that female in the athletic department had anything thing to do with Mr. Harrick’s departure?). The lawsuit was settled in February, but as soon as Harrick could say Tony Cole, Harrick was again accused of wrongdoing, along with his son, junior. Tony Cole. I bet coach Harrick didn’t think that guy would ultimately spell his apparent doom.

But before we all pick up our rocks and heave them in the direction of coach Harrick, let us first think about who the real villain is here:

In one corner, we have the coach who put the v in violation. He buys players dinners and TV’s, not to mention, sets them up in hotels out of his own pocket. If your lucky, he might have his son give you an A in a class that you never attended, ladies and gentlemen, he is accompanied by his son, junior, “Mr. Infraction” Jim Harrick.

In the other corner, we have the basketball player who just can’t say no to a freebie. He runs up phone bills and just will not get up to go to that eight o’clock class that he will get an A in anyway. He is so much trouble that not even Southern University will take him. Folks, meet “The Tattletale” Tony Cole.

Funny how Tony Cole finally figures out to do the right thing, only after he is disposed of by the system that gave him so much. Cole accepted money for phone bills and grades in classes like a blind sheep. But only after he takes advantage of his athlete status and gets kicked off the team for crossing the line (the rape charges against Cole were eventually dropped), then he is Mr. Conscience all of a sudden. With his basketball playing status at Georgia revoked, only then does Cole decide to reveal the evil underside of college basketball. Sounds a lot like a mobster getting pinched by the police and spilling his guts in a court. Only difference in this case is that Tony Cole had no apparent motive for spilling his guts. It’s not as if he the Feds had Cole up against a wall. Did Cole think that people would feel sorry for him? That his decision to talk would get him a chance to play somewhere else?

While it is still a positive that Jim Harrick’s dirty deeds are again revealed, it doesn’t mean that Tony Cole isn’t a rat. He betrayed the trust of anyone he ever played with and for. What coach would want Tony Cole playing for him now, after Cole did what he did? Lets face it, college basketball has a lot of dirty characters in it, so what goes on at Georgia may go on to a lesser degree at many other schools. No coach would want Cole to expose him, no way. If this was a high school recruit who said no to a car and ran to the press about what was offered to him and other things he observed, then that would be acceptable. The college basketball world needs more of those. But Cole accepted everything thrown his way, along with other teammates who allegedly did the same thing, and got in trouble for a rape allegation. The only reason he came out was because he was hurt and angry. If I go down, the Harricks are going with me. Noble gesture Cole, but in my opinion, you are still a rat. If you wanted to do the right thing, say something before you agree to go along with wrongdoing, not after.

Now, maybe you think that Cole’s track record proves that he shouldn’t even be trusted. Yes, with the type of person that Cole appears to be, him fabricating a story would not be out of the question. But also, with the type of trouble Harrick has gotten himself into before, it’s hard not to believe it.

Is this the time that coach Harrick finally hits the bricks and is exiled out of college basketball? After the all the allegations and lies and rumors, the coach may finally be done for good by one of his own. While it would be sad to see Harrick take the fall due to the admissions of a fellow shady individual, Harrick’s fall had to happen somehow. The coach is denying all wrongdoing in this case, and it may be that his son, junior, will be the scapegoat. But it is hard to trust a guy with such a track record. It is hard to trust a guy who has gotten into trouble wherever he has gone.

Even with all the underhandedness displayed by Cole and the Harricks, something good has to come out of all of this. This situation has to serve as a wake up call to all college basketball coaches and administrators. While it wouldn’t be the best thing to use as motivation, maybe a coach would stray away from buying a kid a car if he was weary that the kid would rat him out. Whatever the case, this garbage has to stop and it has to stop soon. It is becoming tiresome to see a game so pure and right getting tarnished by coaches and players doing anything they want.

At the end of the day, there are no hero’s in this story, just bad guys. Tony Cole and the Harricks are all villains. All three of them are wrong. Cole for going along with everything and finally opening his mouth when he was kicked to the curb, and the Harricks for bending the rules. If all that is said in this matter is proven to be true, neither of these three should be able to see a basketball court for a very long time.

MEAC Notebook

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Jon Gonzalez

The Art of Losing

One year. That’s how long its been since North Carolina A&T has won a basketball game. During that one year span, A&T has lost 26 straight games, including 23 straight this season. The closest that the Aggies have come to a win was a two point loss to NC Central, a Division II school. No such thing as a gimmie when it comes to NC A&T.

To make matters worse, the Aggies’ best player, freshman Tyrone Green, broke his hand after punching something in the locker room during halftime of a game against Delaware State on February 15. A team knows it’s doomed to fail when it loses its first 20 games of the year and then loses its best player after he broke his hand out of frustration.

The teams’ latest setback, a 105-81 shellacking to Howard, was a microcosm of the Aggies’ entire season. In that game, A&T could not shoot, play D or take care of the basketball. Scoring, defense, ballhandling; if you can’t hack those three things, you aren’t going to win many games. The lone bright spot in the game for A&T was senior Landon Beckwith, who scored 26 points. Beckwith was solid in that game, and has been throughout the year. If only the Aggies had 12 Landon Beckwiths.

The Aggies next challenge on their way to the perfect season is on March 1 against Hampton, one of the top two teams in the MEAC. If the Aggies can lose by 24 to a middle of the pack MEAC team, losing to the Pirates should be no problem. After Hampton, the Aggies then take on Norfolk State and SC State. If A&T can hang on for three more games, the big O-fer is theirs.

Its not easy being the worst team in D-I, but some team has to do it.

Down to the Wire

With three games left for both South Carolina State and Hampton, the race for the MEAC regular season championship and the top seed in the MEAC Tournament couldn’t be any tighter. The schedule making gods have set up the battle for the MEAC crown nicely. Both teams play Norfolk State and NC A&T in addition to a March 3 game against each other. NC A&T will be cake for both teams. Norfolk State, while not at the same level of cream cake as A&T, should be a win for Hampton and SC State as well. So all in all likelihood, the March 3 match-up will be for all the marbles. Should SC State win, the Bulldogs would clinch the regular season championship.

Thank Goodness for the MEAC

If not for conference play, Coppin State might be in the same predicament as NC A&$38T, winless. The Eagles are 0-9 against non-conference opponents and 9-6 against the MEAC, good for a 9-15 overall mark. The last time Coppin State beat a non-MEAC team was on Dec.21, 2001, when the Eagles slipped by powerhouse Puerto Rico-Mayaquez 57-56. The last time they beat a real non-conference opponent was on Nov. 19 of that same year. The Eagles tripped up Loyola MD.

MEAC Quick Hits

Delaware State: The Hornets are the other good team in the MEAC this year that is currently in third behind Hampton and SC State. Although they can’t win the regular season championship, the Hornets can still lock up a number two finish at best.

Howard: If only they could play NC A&T every night. Howard put up 105 points against the Aggies, its second highest output of the season. What was Howard’s biggest output you ask? A 107-70 win over you guessed it, NC A&T. In that game, Howard’s Ron Williamson scored 52 points. In Howard’s latest win over the Aggies, Williamson scored 39 points. In Howard’s past six games, Williamson is averaging 34 points a game. Can you say MEAC MVP?

Florida A&M: If the Rattlers can win one of their final three games, FAMU would have its first winning record in a decade. But while a winning record is nice, lets not forget the Rattlers reached the NCAA Tournament in 1999 with a losing record.

Norfolk State: Ryan Grier and Chakowby Hicks scored 17 points a piece for the Spartans on Monday against FAMU. The Spartans next take on SC State on Saturday.

Morgan State, Bethune Cookman, MD Eastern Shore: If not for NC A&T, these three teams would be battling for last in the MEAC. How valuable those Aggies can be. Even though neither of these teams will finish in the cellar, they don’t want to be the team that finished right above the Aggies, either.

Player of the Week

This one is a no brainer. Howard’s Ron Williamson scorched NC A&T for 39 points on Monday and had 29 points in a loss to SC State on Saturday.

Game to Watch

The MEAC game of the year tips-off March 3 when Hampton hosts SC State. The Pirates will be looking to avenge a 77-69 loss to the Bulldogs suffered in January. The winner could very well be the MEAC regular season champion.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, February 7th, 2003

by Jon Gonzalez

Not since the days of Tim Duncan has Wake Forest been considered a legitimate national contender. But with a 16-2 record and the emergence of Josh Howard, the college basketball world might want to again take notice of the Demon Deacons.

Fueled by Howard’s 24 points, No.15 Wake Forest charged past NC State 73-58 on Thursday night. The win gives the Demon Deacons (16-2, 6-2) their best start in the ACC since 1997, when Wake started 7-1 in league play. More importantly, the victory further solidifies Wake’s standing as one of the premier teams not only in the ACC, but in the entire country.

Right now, Wake Forest has all the ingredients necessary to make a serious run in the NCAA tournament:

• The team can score and play defense. Wake is third in the ACC in both scoring defense and offense.

• Wake has an experienced winner manning the bench in Skip Prosser. Prosser has nine seasons of coaching experience under his belt and has compiled a gaudy winning percentage during that span.

• The Deacons have a steady backcourt. Sophomore Taron Downey and freshman Justin Gray can both score and distribute the rock, while senior Steve Lepore provides veteran leadership.

• Wake has great size in the frontcourt. Vytas Danelius (6-8), Eric Williams (6-9) and Jaamal Levy (6-9) are big men that can score and provide a formidable defensive presence for any team in the country. The Deacons also have a seven-footer they can throw out there in underused center Dshamal Schoetz. Size has always been a staple for Wake and this year is no different.

• Probably the most crucial element in Wake’s championship formula is the fact that the Deacs have a star player with a hot hand.

Howard has been the main reason why the Deacons are off to a great start and why they are legit. The homegrown hero from Winston-Salem is averaging 23 points per game in eight ACC contests and 19.2 points per game overall. In fact, Howard has led Wake in scoring in 10 out of the Deac’s 18 games. But it isn’t Howard’s scoring that will take Wake where it wants to go, rather Howard’s savvy and leadership ability, two qualities the senior has provided this year. Howard has given Wake veteran stability and has come through in games late, scoring points for the Deacons in crunch time. History has shown that a hot hand can take you far in March, that hand may belong to Josh Howard.

Wake Forest has also shown it can beat quality opponents, despite what their 59th toughest schedule in the country (which is not too bad in its own right) might say. Wake has beaten the likes of Wisconsin, St. Johns and conference toughies Maryland, Clemson, UNC (Clemson and UNC on the road) and now NC State. Keep in mind, Wake defeats a State (12-6, 5-3) team that has been hot of late, beating the likes of Duke and North Carolina. But hot would not be a good word to describe the Pack on Thursday night. State shot an abysmal 38 percent from the field and went ice cold in the second half after leading at the break. Also, Julius Hodge, the ACC’s leading scorer, was held to only 13 points.

Up next for Wake Forest, No.14 Marquette on Sunday. Wake faced Marquette last season, beating the Golden Eagles 64-59. But that game was in Winston-Salem, this game is in Wisconsin. The Deacon’s only two defeats have come on the road, to Duke and Virgina.

Side Dishes

Orange Crush: With the way UVA’s season has gone so far, being down 12 points with 12:50 left in a game on the road was a sure sign the Cavs were headed to another road L. But something happened to Virginia Thursday night, something that was downright magical. Down 12, the Cavs proceeded to go on a 16-0 run on the way to a shocking 86-78 victory over No.8 Maryland. The win was Virginia’s (13-7, 4-4) first ACC road win of the year, and its second road win overall. The victory was also UVA’s first in Maryland since 1993. Devin Smith was large for the Cavs, notching a team-high 17 points. It was fitting that on a night when ESPN Classic aired Maryland’s 2001 loss to Duke in which the Terps blew a ten-point lead with less than a minute left that Maryland (14-5, 6-2) would again blow a game that was in hand. Drew Nicholas scored a game-high 20 points for the Terrapins.

Close Call: The Washington Huskies had No.2 Arizona right where they wanted them, but could not seal the deal. Outplayed most of the night, Arizona (17-2, 9-1) slipped out of a Bank of America Arena that was filled to capacity with an 88-85 OT victory. Washington (8-11, 3-7) led 84-82 with about a minute left in overtime until Salim Stoudamire struck. The sophomore guard, who scored a game-high 25 points, nailed a three-pointer that gave the ‘Cats an 85-84 lead. Arizona’s Channing Frye would later hit a lay-up that extended the lead the three and basically sealed the deal. The win keeps Arizona atop the Pac-10, a game ahead of Cal. Freshman Nate Robinson led Washington with 19 points.

Sweet Revenge: On January 11th, No. 24 Stanford blasted Oregon 81-57. On Thursday night, the Ducks got their revenge. Led by Luke Ridnour’s 23 points, the Ducks rolled over Stanford (16-6, 7-3) 79-64. Oregon’s suffocating defense limited Stanford to a field goal percentage of 32 percent and forced 13 Cardinal turnovers. Oregon (16-5, 6-4) controlled the game throughout and was never really challenged. The game also featured a record-breaking performance by Oregon’s Ridnour, who broke the school record for consecutive free-throws as he extended his streak to 43. The previous mark was 41 straight free throws. Julius Barnes led Stanford with 17 points.

Other Notable Scores: Arizona State improved its Pac-10 record to 6-4 as the Sun Devils trampled Washington State 87-54.

California got 27 points from Amit Tamir as the Golden Bears kept pace with Arizona with an 84-71 win over Oregon State. The Bears, at 8-3 in conference, are a game behind Arizona.

Mid-major sleeper Manhattan improved to 18-3 as the Jaspers beat Marist 73-54.

Good News: Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun’s cancerous prostate was removed Thursday and the coach is expected to have a full-recovery. There is a 98 percent chance the cancer will not return.

I am Sorry: Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles criticized referee Tom Eades’ performance after the Razorbacks defeated No.21 Alabama on Wednesday. Broyles yelled at Eades, screaming, “You’re the worst I have ever seen,” at the ref. Broyles apologized for his comments on Thursday. Wonder what he would have said if the Razorbacks lost that game.

Hello and Goodbye: Tulsa dismissed senior guard Antonio Reed for violating an undisclosed team policy. Reed was averaging 6.9 points a game this season.

Cincinnati reserve Tony Bobbitt, who quit the Bearcats earlier this week, rejoined the team on Thursday. Bobbitt is averaging 7.2 points a game.

Sticking Around: South Florida has given coach Seth Greenberg a one-year extension through the 2005-06 season. Greenberg has a 103-94 record in 7 years at USF.

Tonight’s Menu

• Penn looks to take a step closer to closing in on the Ivy League title as the Quakers take on Cornell at 8 p.m.

• Surprising Brown hopes to stay unbeaten in the Ivy as the Bears tangle with Harvard at 7 p.m.

• Campbell treks to Florida to take on Florida Atlantic at 8 p.m. The game is of no relevant importance, but the whole country will find out if an owl can go toe-to-toe with a camel.

Later boys and girls, I am out of here.

Shots in the Dark 3

Shots in the Dark

by Jon Gonzalez

Sweet Little Lies:I have to say, I’m a little confused over this whole Arizona candy stealing situation. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing we know for sure is that Luke Walton, one of the best players in the country, is a terrible lookout.

The mess started when a guest at the hotel the Wildcats were staying at in Lawrence, Kansas, said that he saw a group of men dressed in Arizona gear stealing candy from a hotel vending machine. The man also said he could only recognize Luke Walton, and that Walton was acting as a lookout for his teammates. Of the incident, Walton stated he had no involvement and head coach Lute Olson called the story “a bunch of hogwash.” Two questions: How can this be hogwash if the school is paying the hotel $80 dollars for candy bars and furthermore, how can Luke Walton be denying involvement? Oh yeah, that guy must have seen the other mop headed near seven-footer on the team.

According to the hotel, the situation is null and void since Arizona paid for the candy bars. OK, why is Arizona paying for candy when according to Lute Olson, the story is false? If the story is indeed fictitious, I am sure Arizona wouldn’t be paying a hotel for stolen candy.

While nothing has been proven, this sounds like another story involving college athletes doing something stupid and the college that represents them doing a horrid job of covering it up. If this story is true, there have to be ramifications. No, an athlete wasn’t bought a hummer or paid off by a booster, but knocking over a vending machine is still disturbing enough. This reminds me of players stealing merchandise from stores when in reality, they could have gotten the same gear if they wanted it legally from the school. But this isn’t about doing something for the sake of getting something, it’s about doing something because of the idea that you can get away with it. The mentality is this: I am on the best team in the country, I can knock over a candy machine. This type of behavior has to be punished because it goes on too much.

If true, the most disappointing part of this story is not what happened, but who it happened to and how the person in charge responded. Lute Olson is one of the classiest people in college basketball and he has some of the best student/athletes year in and year out. It would be a shame if Olson couldn’t even admit to wrongdoing committed by his players.

Other Shots

Remember that tirade Craig Esherick threw when he claimed that his star player Mike Sweetney was being treated unfairly? I am surprised he didn’t explode after Seton Hall beat Georgetown after the Pirates used six men against the Hoyas’ five at the end of the game. Good job, refs.

Pull out a pen and pad and write this down: If UNC does not beat Duke this week, UNC will not go the NCAA tournament. How much heat will Heels’ coach Matt Doherty be under if the Heels only go far as the NIT? Think coach D wishes he would have stayed in South Bend?

Up: Georgia Tech. Down: Virginia. The Jackets, despite being crushed by Duke, are playing well of late and could land an at-large bid. The Cavs, on the other hand, are not playing up to their potential and are not impressing the selection committee with their horrid road play.

Speaking of teams that are playing well, how about the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles suffered through a four game slump earlier in the year that included a loss to Northeastern. Of late, BC has beaten the likes of NC State and most recently UCONN. To enjoy continued success, Ryan Sidney and Troy Bell must show up every game.

If there was a statistic that tracked ill-advised three point shots, Duke’s Chris Duhon would be leading the nation. Sure, he’s a good shooter, but would someone tell him that doesn’t give him the right to jack up anything he wants beyond the arc.

How about that move Florida State’s Tim Pickett put on in the ‘Noles win over Duke on Sunday? It had every thing: a couple of spins, fancy dribbling and the all important bucket at the end. That has to be the move of the year in my book.

You know, if I have to hear another LeBron James story I am going to explode. The Hummer, the Hummer hitting an old lady’s car, the jerseys, pay-per-view…enough is enough. I am sure there will be a lot to say about LeBron when his is in the NBA and he owns 50 Hummers. In the meantime, lets just wait for those days to come.

Stud of the Week: Florida State’s Tim Pickett. His fancy move and the fact that he was the main reason FSU beat Duke was enough for this honor, let alone his team high 15 points.

Goat(s) of the Week: Big East referees. I hope they don’t fine me for saying this, but missing a six men on the court call is ridiculous.

That is all. I’m gone.

Shots in the Dark 2

Shots in the Dark

by Jon Gonzalez

Nicknames, monikers, team names; whatever you call them, every team has one. But while some names demand respect and awe, others leave you wondering, why did they pick that name? So for all you schools who didn’t have a chance to use Tar Heels or Jayhawks, here’s a list just for you; the Top Ten Worst Division I Nicknames.

10. Texas Christian Horned Frogs. What’s scarier than a frog? I know, a horned frog. Now those are scary. Do you think that if hamsters could grow horns a team would go for that name, too?

9. Campbell Camels. I wonder if this nickname was inspired by all of the Camels roaming around Buies Creek, NC.? If they wanted a nickname that started with the same letter as the school name, they should have gone with Cougars or even Cattle, that’s more area appropriate.

8. Cornell Big Red. The name just makes me think about gum. Any team whose nickname reminds me of gum has to lose that name. Well, at least it’s not juicy fruit.

7. Canisius Golden Griffins. The body of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle. Now that’s just freaky. Can’t we just leave Greek mythology out of basketball for goodness sake? Or at least when it creates weird animal combinations.

6. Saint Bonaventure Bonnies. You know how people call Gonzaga the ‘Zags and Duke the Dookies. Well, those aren’t the team’s real nicknames, just clever extra nicknames. Now for the Bonnies, that’s the nickname. People calling them the Bonnies is OK. But couldn’t they have been more original and picked out a real nickname?

5. Centenary Gents. Gents? As in gentlemen? Are you kidding me? How about the Sirs or the Misters? I am not quite sure if Gents is in fact short for gentlemen. But there’s nothing under Gents in the dictionary.

4. Western Illinois Leathernecks. The term Leatherneck is commonly used a slang term to describe a Marine. So in essence, these are the Western Illinois Marines. Now last time I checked, the school didn’t have a military affiliation.

3. Elon Phoenix. Elon’s last moniker, the Fighting Christians, would have been at the top of this list (or maybe, they might have been on top of the Best Nickname list, I can’t tell at this point), but then they had to turn to Egyptian mythology. They wanted a tougher identity, I suppose, and could have picked any name they wanted. But yet, they picked a mythical bird of great beauty that could consume itself through fire and become immortal. Now that’s rich. All I have to say is wow. Wow.

2. Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos. Why on God’s green earth would you want your school represented by an animal that has a pouch? Kangaroos don’t work; case and point, Kangaroo Jack. The Kangaroos are a team you would find in a Saturday morning cartoon. Frankly, I am appalled a team in Division I could go by such a ridiculous name.

1. Albany Great Danes. Here you have it, the team with the worst name in the major college basketball world. Now, Great Danes is not the most foolish or silliest name, but what does a great dane have besides size. At least kangaroos can jump, weird mythical birds can fly and camels can…well, I don’t know what they can do, but great danes are just big, uncoordinated, goofy dogs. They have no grace, nor style. There are labs, terriers, mountain dogs, huskies, pit bulls, all sorts of dogs to use for a team nickname. But great dane? Great Scooby Doo.

Layups

Chicago State’s Bo Ellis lost his job on Wednesday. What a tremendous shock. I mean the guy was only 23-104. At least let the guy get to 100 games under .500.

Don’t look know, but Saint Joe’s and Villanova are unbeaten in conference play and looking legitimate. We may have a couple of good Philadelphia stories on out hands.

There’s a team in Denver looking pretty good right now. The Broncos? No. The Nuggets? Nope. Try the Pioneers. Who? That’s right, despite a loss on Thursday night, Denver is sitting pretty atop the Sun Belt west with a 4-1 league record.

Speaking of pretty good, how about Michigan. Tommy Amaker has UM looking as good as those old Fab Five teams. LaVell Blanchard could be the Big Ten MVP.

Stud of the Week: Darius Rice, Miami. Rice’s three to win against UConn was the stuff buzzer beater highlights are made of.

Goat of the Week: Shamon Tooles, UConn. Why was Tooles in such a hurry to inbound that ball against Miami? Unbelievable.

With the Super Bowl being on Sunday and all, I have a prediction: Shania Twain will make all of us glad that we left it on ABC during halftime.

Have a good weekend, people. See you next week.

Shots in the Dark

Shots in the Dark

by Jon Gonzalez

Welcome, boys and girls, to my all-new weekly column appropriately titled Shots in the Dark. Every week you, the fine people of the planet, get an opportunity to listen to my thoughts, rants and otherwise random musings. So without further adieu, lets get this party started.

UC Ya Later? UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Lavin is on the hot seat. As reported on ESPN.com, sources inside the university say Lavin and his staff will be let go at seasons end. You know what? Lavin deserves to be canned. He has taken a once proud program into mediocrity. Now, he hasn’t run the program into the ground, but UCLA is used to winning championships, not settle for berths in the second or third round of the NCAA Tournament. He has had time in Los Angeles to take UCLA to the next level, but the coach has failed to get it done. Furthermore, his players don’t seem to be responding to him anymore. Proof of this can be seen in the current season and especially Thursday night. UCLA has already lost to San Diego and Northern Arizona at home, and overall, has a losing record at Pauley Pavilion. Thursday night, amid rumors of Lavin’s fate swirling around Westwood, the Bru Crew laid an egg against Arizona State. Those kids are really rallying around their coach, aren’t they?

Perhaps the biggest tragedy of the Lavin era at UCLA is the play of Jason Kapono. Kapono has been at UCLA for 15 years, at least it seems like he has, and has not gotten any better. Coming out of high school, Kapono was supposed to be a superstar. Now, as a senior, he is just ordinary. I am not going to put all of it on Lavin, maybe it’s solely on Kapono. But as the coach, Lavin has a big hand in the development of his players. So while Lavin might have a nifty do, that slicked back dome will have to go. Off with the head!!! But just don’t touch the hair

Although the story is a bit dated, what about Georgetown head coach Craig Esherick’s tirade this past week. Is this guy paranoid or what? What, is Mike Sweetney the only player in college basketball not getting calls? Are other players targeting Sweetney? Are officials dead set against calling fouls against players who are beating up on Sweetney? But you know what, there might be some truth in that last question. I heard former Georgetown headman John Thompson say that Sweetney needs to have a better rapport with the officials and maybe show them a little bit more respect. He also said that Sweetney should make a point of learning the officials’ names. While this shouldn’t be the reason players get calls, it does make sense. Referees are people, and if you notice in college, and especially in the pros, the players who talk to the refs and are respectful happen to get calls against them. Coincidence? I think not

Hofstra’s Rick Apodaca and Wendell Gibson will start Saturday after serving a suspension for smoking that danky stuff. Starting? Shouldn’t they at least come off the bench in their first game back? Oh wait, don’t want to leave those two sitting around. Who knows? There might be a bong somewhere under the bench

Three sleeper teams to think about: Arizona State, Cal and Utah. These three clubs might do some damage come March…As for a Final Four sleeper? Ahh, I’m going to wait on that prediction

Congrats to Roy Williams on his 400th win and Pat Summit on her 800th win. Those two are what college coaches should be all about.

A happy retirement to Mt. Saint Mary’s coach Jim Phelan. This guy has done a great job for the last half a decade and deserves a much-needed break.

How good is Duke? Don’t be surprised if Coach K’s kiddie corps is cutting down the nets in April.

I saw that before ECU’s big game against Louisville, students were camping out for tickets in Billville, named after head coach Bill Herrion. Billville? Are you serious? Wow. That’s all I have to say, Wow.

Finally, I am still a little down about my New York Jets. I really thought this was going to be the year. Why did I just mention that? They’re done.

That’s all I got. Talk to you next week. Later.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, December 6th, 2002

by Jonathan Gonzalez

It was a cold, cold night of college basketball.

A light docket of college basketball action became even lighter when a slew of games were canceled due to a winter storm that has gripped a large portion of the east coast (In a related story, the inclement weather hit yours truly close to home as my girlfriend is without power at her apartment, but anyway, back to the hoops). James Madison at Davidson, St. Peter’s at Seton Hall, Centenary at Lafayette, Towson at Morgan State and Elon at North Carolina A&T were all called due to the weather. The make up dates for these match-ups have yet to be announced (It’s a shame, I was really looking forward to the tobacco road clash of the Elon Fighting Chr . . . er . . .Phoenix versus the Aggies of NC A&T . . . oh well).

As far as games that did tip, the more interesting match-ups of the night included Georgetown against South Carolina, Gonzaga vs. Montana and Nebraska at South Florida.

Georgetown remained unbeaten at 5-0 and gave South Carolina (4-1) its first setback of the year in a 67-59 win. The Hoyas’ Mike Sweetney scored a game high 27 points in the win. The game was back and forth until Georgetown went on an 11-0 run late in the second half to put the game away. Carlos Powell lead the Gamecocks with 18 points.

The Grizzles of Montana gave Gonzaga all it could handle, but proved to be no match for the superior Bulldogs. Blake Stepp led the Bulldogs (4-2) with 22 points as Gonzaga battled back from a three point halftime deficit to outscore Montana (1-5) 38-24 in the second half en route to a 75-64 victory. Kevin Criswell was the high scorer for Montana with 29 points.

Finally, in my final notable matchup from last night, South Florida slipped by Nebraska 65-60. Why was this match-up so notable you ask? It was on ESPN, that’s why. I have come to find that any game ESPN puts on is at least in some respect important. I mean, the Big 12 vs. Conference USA, inter-conference bragging rights at stake there. And if that game wasn’t important enough, you had a critical college football game on ESPN 2 with Louisiana Tech taking on Fresno State.

A lot of questions about that game, first and foremost, why is Louisiana Tech in the WAC? Oh, because it’s west of Florida, I guess. Also, why didn’t they cancel that game? An ice storm wasn’t a good enough reason? I digress. Anyway, back to the basketball game. You really know it’s a slow night of hoops when USF vs. Nebraska is on the tube, no disrespect to those schools. But I guess its good to get a jump on watching an early season match-up of two bubble teams…for the NIT.

Other winners from last night include: Air Force, Birmingham Southern, Fairfield, Alabama State, Butler, Lipscomb, Niagara, Mercer, New Orleans, Oklahoma State, Marist, Yale, Saint Joe’s, Tennessee-Martin, The Citadel, UMBC, VA Commonwealth and Virginia Tech.

Side Dishes

He’s In: San Diego State frosh Evan Burns was declared eligible by the NCAA Thursday. Burns, a former McDonalds All-American and UCLA signee, will give the Aztecs a much-needed boost. SDSU is 2-2. Burns is regarded as one of the better freshmen in the country.

He’s Out: LSU reserve Shawnson Johnson went out in style, or a lack thereof, on Wednesday night during the Tiger’s game against Delaware State in which the Tigers won. Johnson, apparently upset over not playing in the first half, went to the locker room with his teammates for halftime and promptly put on his street clothes and left without saying a word to coach John Brady.

I wonder if anyone stopped for a second and said, “Dude, what are you doing…are you serious?” Probably not. He probably just slipped to the back of the locker room, threw on his gear and eased out of the gym unnoticed and undetected in true benchwarmer fashion.

Coach Brady told the press the team played its best 20 minutes of ball after Johnson left.
Brady probably didn’t even notice that Johnson left in the first place, but had to offer up something to the media for credibility’s sake.

Tonight’s Menu

• No.7 Florida at Florida State, 7 p.m.: It doesn’t get much bigger than this as Steve Spurrier and his . . . wait a minute…wrong sport . . .heck, wrong year for that matter! Anyway, the ‘Noles, fresh off their Big Ten/ACC win over Iowa look to take down in state rival Florida.

• Bethune Cookman at No. 17 Minnesota, 8 p.m.: I am predicting a huge upset here as Minnesota will not win…by more than 40 points. That’s right, the Wildcats are going to keep this one respectable.

Have a good one and be sure to keep an eye on Army at Columbia, also on Friday. It’s gonna be a big one. I am out like Shawnson Johnson.

Morning Dish

A Special Thanksgiving Note

by Andrew Flynn
Hoopville Managing Editor

Greetings, everyone. While everyone is recovering from Thanksgiving and the effects of Tryptophan, I thought I’d pass along a letter of thanks we received recently that really touches home, especially in this time of giving thanks. It’s in regards to the “Paying Tribute” article written by Jed Tai, on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy of September 11th. I’d like to share this with you, our loyal readers.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame hosts the Tip-Off Classic tonight. Phil Kasiecki will be providing an eyewitness acount of the matchup between Alabama and Ohio State.

The Morning Dish – November 29th, 2002

by Jonathan Gonzalez

Ahh, Thanksgiving. The Macy’s parade, turkey with stuffing and college basketball – ok, so maybe one doesn’t belong here. While Thanksgiving Day is not steeped in college basketball tradition, Turkey Day did offer up a couple of matchups, the most interesting of which was College of Charleston vs. Wyoming in the opening round of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.

Wyoming, an NCAA tournament team from a year ago, fell behind early to the Cougars and never really found a rhythm in an 81-72 loss. Wyoming pulled within six points with 2:25 left in the game, but could get no closer. The Cowboys were led by Marcus Bailey and Donta Richardson, who each scored 21 points.

College of Charleston (3-0) played a complete game in beating the Cowboys and was paced by Joe Weurding’s 14 points. Troy Wheless chipped in with 13 points as the Cougars improved to 3-0 under new head coach Tom Herrion. C of C advances to play Oklahoma State, who cruised by Alaska- Anchorage on Wednesday.

The loss was the kind of setback Wyoming (1-1) needs to avoid if the Cowboys plan on returning to NCAA’s. Last season, the Cowboys finished 22-9 but had to sweat it out on selection Sunday, barley making it in as an at-large bid. While it’s early, in the eyes of the selection committee, it’s never too early to garner some non-conference victories against mid to upper tier teams.

Side Dishes

More From Alaska: In other Great Alaska Shootout action, Villanova handled Loyola Marymount 87-71. Nova’s Jason Fraser led all scorers with 24 points. The win was Villanova’s second in a row after an opening game loss to Marquette. For LMU, the loss was further proof that the Lions haven’t been a good team since the late 1980′s. No.10 Michigan State vs. Montana was not a final at press time, but be assured that Hoopville.com will be on top of that one soon.

Rounding Out The Field: In other riveting action, it was Texas Pan American over Mississippi Valley State 73-68, Tulane over Maine 84-65 and Southeast Missouri State toppled Wisconsin Milwaukee 89-75.

Walton Not Down For Long: No.1 Arizona’s Luke Walton, who strained three ligaments in his right ankle on Wednesday against Northern Arizona, will be in the lineup Tuesday as the ‘Cats take on Saint Louis.

Tonight’s Menu

• All eyes will be on New York tonight as the upstart UNC Tar Heels take on another upstart, the Stanford Cardinal in an unlikely Preseason NIT final. The Heels advanced to the final by defeating No. 2 Kansas on Wednesday night by the score of 67-56, while Stanford slipped by Florida earlier that evening. A couple of seasons ago, this would have been a match-up of two top ten teams. Nowadays, both teams are hungry to return to the top. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m.

• Other notable games include No.2 Kansas vs. No.6 Florida in the Preseason NIT consolation game, and the Tip-Off Classic, mentioned above.

UNC Looking Good Again

Uh-oh, UNC Looks Mad . . .

by Jon Gonzalez

Let’s say for the past 25-30 years that you’ve been invited to the big dance. That kind of streak would have anyone believing their one of the prettiest around (although I didn’t say it, this analogy looks geared toward women). After a while, it would seem like going to this supreme shindig was automatic, something that was going to happen regardless. But what if it all stopped, what if the prettiest girl around suddenly wasn’t so pretty anymore and that dance invitation never came. That kind of disappointment could be damaging to anyone’s psyche, let alone the beauty queen. But lets face it, if you’ve gone to the ball 27 straight times and miss out one year, you’re going to want to go back, ASAP!

UNC has been one of the darlings of college basketball for as long as college basketball has been cool. Do not think for one second that last years disaster of a season didn’t make that program look itself in the mirror and ask, “Am I still pretty anymore?”

The self-conscious Heels didn’t waste anytime in correcting their little self-image problem and coach Matt Doherty went out and got some of the best makeup and clothes around to give his team a makeover Mary Kay would be proud of.

Holy Maybeline! The makeover looked pretty good Monday night against Penn State. Ok, Jerry Dunn’s Nittany Lions may be glorified house cats, but nothing can be taken away from the Tar Heels. They were runnin’ and gunnin’, dunkin’ and drivin’. For a second, I thought was watching ESPN Classic and those old UNLV teams. But the tuner was on the right channel and UNC was on the money. Rashad McCants had two dunks in the span of what, 2 and a half seconds, and Raymond Felton reminded the Tar Heel faithful of what an exciting point guard looks like. And last but not least, Sean May showed signs of how he could dominate the paint for years to come. And oh yeah, those other guys look good too.

Ok, UNC’s success will hinge on stalwarts like Jackie Manuel, Jawad Williams and Will Johnson, but last night and for the rest of the season, the microscope will be on those three starting freshmen. UNC has never started three freshmen, but if you got it, you might as well flaunt it, as least that’s what Matt Doherty figures. But it is not as if Doherty has a choice. The team was miserable last season, so playing three-prized freshman and letting them mature as they go is a no brainer.

Many would say that riding freshman for success is a recipe for disaster if you’re expecting to win now. North Carolina wants to win like everyone else of course, but the expectations still have to remain at an even level, despite what fans and boosters might think. But if the team plays like it did in obliterating Penn State (its been a while since the Heels obliterated anybody, so if feels strange to say it), visions of the last freshman laden team that created a stir will come to mind. Did I hear anyone say the Fab Five?

Yes they have talent, and yes they have high energy. But what UNC also has is a chip on its shoulder. The Heels expect to go to the Tournament every single year and last year was an aberration, at least that’s what the Tar Heels think. So while the rest of the country, especially the ACC, should have gotten in their shots while they a had a chance, UNC is up off the canvas and ready to swing, again. And oh yeah, like I said, back and mad as hell.

So while it’s early, it’s not too early to jump on the bandwagon before everyone else does and declare that the Tar Heels are back and looking pretty good.

Doesn’t that shade of blue really bring out their eyes?

MEAC Preview

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preview

by Jon Gonzalez

While the MEAC might not rank too high on conference power ranking charts, the league has sent teams into the NCAA tournament that have done significant damage. Back in 1997, Fang Mitchell’s Coppin State squad shocked second-seeded South Carolina and Hampton defeated second-seeded Iowa State in the 2001 edition of the big dance.

This season, another upstart from the small time MEAC will hope to duplicate the past successes of Coppin State and Hampton. Teams like Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Bethune Cookman, Norfolk State and Morgan State look to make the NCAA’s for the first time ever. Howard, Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T and Coppin State have all been before, but would love another crack at the country’s elite.

Meanwhile, defending champion Hampton doesn’t want to skip a beat and make it 3 straight visits to the NCAA tournament. But to do that, the Pirates have to overcome the loss of Steve Merfeld, who took over at Evansville, and MEAC MVP Tommy Adams.

Predictions (in order of finish):

1. Howard Bison
The Bison were a game from reaching the NCAA tournament, but could not handle the more experienced Hampton Pirates. Fast forward one year and it is the Bison who should stand on level ground with Hampton in terms of experience. The team is lead by senior forward Kyle Williams, who is among the best in the MEAC. Howard will trample, excuse the pun, over many a MEAC team with a high octane running game and skilled shooters such as the aforementioned Williams and Jonathan Stokes. Look for Howard to rip away MEAC crown from defending champion Hampton.

2. Hampton Pirates
Much of the success Hampton has seen over the past two seasons has to be directly attributed to fiery coach Steve Merfeld. Riding his success at Hampton, Merfeld jumped to the Missouri Valley Conference and the Evansville Aces. Essentially, Merfeld left a good small conference team to join a putrid mid-major program. But hey, its all about climbing the ladder, can’t blame a guy for that. Taking over for Merfeld is assistant Bobby Collins. Collins will implement the same system that Merfeld had in place so philosophical changes will be far and few between. But despite the fact the team looks to do many of the same things it has done in the past, the loss of Merfeld might be too much for the team to overcome. Add to that the loss of graduated Tommy Adams (2001-02 MEAC MVP) and the Pirates will come up short of a third straight NCAA bid. Regardless of where they finish, two things are certain: the Pirates will be a major player in the MEAC race and forward Isaac Jefferson will be a beast.

3. North Carolina A&T Aggies
This season in Greensboro, the A&T at the end of North Carolina could stand for aggressive and talented. While that attempt at an acronym might have been a little weak, don’t expect the Aggies to be. This team will try to turn every game into a track meet with the amount of speed A&T possesses. Running this up-tempo attack will be point guard Tyrone Green, who is back after sitting out a year. Joe Holmes is a rookie that could make an immediate impact. The Aggies might be cannon fodder for a two week stretch in December that includes back to back to back games against NC State, Duke and Wake Forest. But although all three of those games might be automatic L’s, a lot could be learned that could help the Aggies when conference play begins.

4. Delaware State Hornets
During many MEAC contests that include the Hornets, the smallest player in the gym might be the most dangerous. Pint sized point guard Miles Davis (5-11) looks to play a winning tune against MEAC foes. The smallish Davis can do it all; he passes, he slices, he dices and he’ll even make you look foolish off the dribble. Helping Davis will be junior Andre Matthews, who plays with tenacity and loves to take it to the hole hard. But what might have Dover abuzz with NCAA possibilities in the addition of major college transfers: 6-11 Marcus Grant (La Salle) and 6-7 Aaron Matthews (Villanova), who joins his brother Andre. Both newcomers will add a great amount of size to the Hornets’s frontcourt and could make DSU and factor in the MEAC.

5. South Carolina State Bulldogs
If Moses Malone is on your team, even if it is the junior version, you’re in pretty good shape. But it’s not all in a name for Malone, because the kid’s got more than his father’s game, he’s got his name, too. Malone could be the best player in the MEAC and could be the reason why the Bulldogs have a punchers change in the league. The 6-4 guard is very versatile and has a knack for making clutch shots. Joining Malone on coach Cy Alexander’s squad is Thurman Zimmerman and Chuckie Gilmore. Gilmore is a Clemson transfer who looks to bring the experience of playing major college ball to Orangeburg. Even though Malone has help, the team will only go as far as he goes.

6. Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks
While the Hawks may never achieve national prominence due largely in part to the school’s name (Eastern Shore? Seriously, who puts Eastern Shore in the title of a school’s name?), UMES still has a legitimate shot to be competitive in the MEAC. The Hawks are lead by Thomas Trotter Jr., son of coach Thomas Trotter Sr. Junior averaged 16.7 ppg last season and as the coaches son, should never have to worry about playing time.

7. Florida A&M Rattlers
The Rattlers are poised to make it back to the big dance and look to do so with Tennessee transfer guard Terrence Woods. Other newcomers include O.J. Sumter and Moses White. There’s no other way to improve upon a 9-19 season than by bringing in experienced talent. Add to that talent mainstay guard Michael Griffith, and the Rattlers might have enough to do some damage. Of course, the key to the Rattlers success will hinge on chemistry, how the incumbents jell with the new blood.

8. Coppin State Eagles
Talk about problems, the Eagles lost four returning players due to disciplinary reasons and the first quarter of their season is brutal with a capital B. What to do, what to do? At least CSU has a coach with a nifty nickname (does it get any better than Fang) and a stud star player. Senior forward Larry Tucker will light up a scoreboard and can also do a little boarding. Look for Tucker to light up a scoreboard or two and the defense to thrive. But it is in the scoring department that the team needs to step up. You cannot win to many games without putting the ball through the hoop.

9. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
Eastern Shore, Bethune-Cookman, what is it with this conference? Personally, I can’t wait until January 13, that’s when BC takes on UMES. I digress. The Wildcats are basically two guys: Richard Toussaint and Maurice Riddick. That’s it. These two guys can score in bunches and BC will need them too. The Wildcats will need a lot of help from their newcomers to stay within striking range of the top tier in the MEAC. If all else fails for Bethune-Cookman, at least the school is in Daytona Beach, that has to count for something.

10. Morgan State Bears
The team’s best player is Reggie Winkfield, but Winkfield is out until February with a hip injury. The Bears still have guard Randy Dukes who is excellent from downtown. It will take a lot more than three pointers to keep the Bears above water, however. To except anything from MSU would be ill advised, as the Bears are among the worst in the country. At least Winkfield has the chance to light up the scoreboard, when he gets healthy of course.

11. Norfolk State Spartans
Norfolk State might very well be that team. Which team you ask? The worst team in America, of course. NSU is under the leadership of new head coach Dwight Freeman, who coached at Miami last year. NSU is led by big man Thomas Aladi (6-10). Aladi is very big but needs to assert himself as a clutch player. Freeman must work to get all of his players on the same page or he will regret he ever took the job at NSU. No matter how bad the team gets, Freeman must show poise to keep the team together. The Eagles hope to play well and not get too buried early on.

MVP
Richard Toussaint, guard Bethune Cookman

Newcomer of the Year
Terrence Woods, guard FAMU

Coach of the Year
Cy Alexander, SCSU

9 Wishes for This Season

My 9-Item Wish List for Basketball This Season

by Jon Gonzalez

Now that the NFL season is drawing to a close (my beloved Jets are now 1-4 with an invisible defense that couldn’t stop, well, anything), it is time to shift gears to the world of college basketball. Last year was a great year for college hoops with Maryland cutting down the nets and Indiana turning back the clock with a run all the way to the national championship game. But while last year was great, there is no reason to believe that 2002-03 can’t be the even better, if not the best ever (a guy can dream, can’t he? You’re looking at a guy who thinks the Jets will win the Super Bowl every year, so hoping for the perfect NCAA season shouldn’t sound unreasonable).

But what would make this season so incredible you ask? It’s simple. Just think of what was so great about previous NCAA seasons and about what could happen but never has and you would have one heck of an imaginary season. But don’t think too hard as my Top Nine Wish List shows you what could be in store:

9. A 16 seed over a 1 seed.
It has never happened and some basketball pundits say it will always stay that way. But it happened in women’s basketball so a 16 ousting a one isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility.

8. UNC returning to the dance.
The Chicago Cubs not playing in Wrigley field, Randy Moss being a model citizen, some things are just too hard to imagine. Add UNC making it two years in a row without a NCAA bid.

7. The emergence of a new fashion trend.
First there were Evansville’s tee shirt ballin’ tops, next there was NC State’s leotard look. Lately, baggy shorts and black socks have entered the fray, but still, something is missing. Maybe a team can incorporate a “hooded sweatshirt under the jersey” look.

6. Turning off the power switch – Part I.
Death to that alternate possession arrow! Yes, yes, we have heard Dick Vitale beat his drum about 75 times a game about how jump balls should be incorporated into college basketball. Well, I am with Dicky V on this one. Let ‘em jump and turn off that damn arrow.

5. Speaking of Dick Vitale,
is there a way to let him announce more than one game a day? As far as I am concerned, a college basketball telecast just isn’t right without Mr. Vitale’s soothing tones layered over it. Couldn’t Disney fly him to multiple sites during the course of a college basketball day?

4. Turning off the power switch – Part II.
While your pulling the plug on that god-awful possession arrow, why don’t you grab the shot clock cord, too? It’s not like I don’t like the shot clock, but I like that memory of Villanova winning the NCAA title by demoralizing their opponents with an ungodly patient half court offensive attack. Also, an unlimited time to shoot the ball would allow a 16th-seeded Princeton squad to finally upend a top seed by the score of 4-2.

3. The return of an unstoppable all freshman starting unit.
Remember your all-time favorite basketball team, you know, Michigan’s fab five? Well, its due time that happens again. College basketball was so exciting during those two years in which the fab five were together. So, if there is a coach in America with five talented freshman he’s thinking of starting, don’t hesitate and get them in the game…together.

2. An epic of battle of two top-notch big men.
Olajuwon vs. Ewing. ‘Nuff said. In the early ’80′s, this was a battle of colossal proportions. What would be better than two big men butting heads for NCAA supremacy? So for all of you 7 foot plus guys out there, it is time to step up your games.

1. Great players playing great and sticking around afterwards.
This one is more so for the years to come than this one, but wouldn’t stud players coming back for more be great. Let’s face it, the way things are going now, future college stars will probably start skipping middle school ball to play in the pros. It’s time for more Tim Duncans and less Dontonio Wingfields (remember him?).

There you have it, my dream list of things to look for in the new year. Ok, so maybe my dreams will be shattered, but who cares? In the words of Aerosmith, dream on, dream on. Ohh, and by the way, I was lying about the Jets. I actually still have hope, can you believe that?

South Region Finals

South Region Finals

by Jon Gonzalez

No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 10 Kent State
Last year, after Indiana’s first round loss to Kent State in the NCAA Tournament, there were grumblings. Not that there hadn’t been doubts all year long about the interim coach who took Bobby Knight’s place, but a first round loss magnifies everything. Despite saving a season on the midst of collapse, Mike Davis was still viewed by many in Bloomington as the proverbial thumb in the dam, last ditch replacement until a better alternative is brought in. But after pleading and proving, Davis got a chance to keep his job and on Saturday night, displayed the ultimate proof of why he is fit to patrol the hallowed Indiana sidelines. Davis avenged his most disappointing loss in the NCAA Tournament with his most important victory, a fitting triumph over Kent State.

Behind a brilliant display of three-point marksmanship that saw Indiana make 15 of 19 long rangers (78.9 percent), Indiana defeated the Golden Flashes 81-69.

The Hoosiers were not to be denied in their first regional final since 1993. Indiana made 12 of their first 18 shots, including eight three-pointers and led by 20 with eight minutes to go in the first half. By the halftime mark, the Hoosiers were up 40-28.

Dane Fife led IU with 17 points while Kyle Hornsby chipped in with 16 points. Fife was also almost perfect from three-point land, converting five of six shots. As a team, the Hoosiers shot 64 percent from the field.

To Kent State’s credit, it’s not as if the scrappy Flashes played that bad, it was just that the Hoosiers were just too good. Kent tried to do a lot of things defensively but could not stop Indiana from making its shots. The Flashes thought they had found an answer when they shut down Indiana (24-11) for a stretch during a 13-0 run to push the score to 59-52 in the second half. But Indiana stopped the bleeding with a timely three pointer.

Antonio Gates led Kent (30-6) with 22 points while star guard Trevor Huffman was held to a lackluster eight points.

Regardless of the outcome, the Flashes still had a remarkable season in only their third tournament trip. They reached their first-ever regional final and pushed their tourney win total to four. The Flashes had previously won only one tournament game, last year’s shocker against Indiana.

For Indiana, it’s the Hoosiers first Final Four since 1992 and they will be gunning for their first championship since 1987.

Indiana will take on Oklahoma, 81-75 winners over Missouri, in one of next Saturday’s National Semifinals.