Penn State needs consistent help for Frazier

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – If Penn State ever gets another player or two besides Tim Frazier going, the Nittany Lions just might surprise some people. As it is, they’re 6-2 while being carried by one of the best players in the Big Ten, and Wednesday night’s 62-54 win at Boston College may show what could be possible if this happens.

No team can ever rely on one player, and certainly not Penn State. Frazier is a good player, but he’s not exactly at the top of people’s minds as a first team All-American. He’ll do all he can for this team, and he’s certainly done plenty thus far, but the plain fact is that if this team is to be better than one of the Big Ten’s bottom-feeders, other players need to get going on something resembling a consistent basis.

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Pat Chambers will be challenged at Penn State

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Pat Chambers has a tough job ahead at Penn State. The first-year head coach has a team with a good deal of youth and in a tough place to recruit. The scandal engulfing the football program is irrelevant; this has always been one of the toughest high-major jobs out there. And as his team took home a victory over South Florida on Sunday in a game that was anything but pretty, it was a positive end to a weekend that gave some indication of his challenge.

The Nittany Lions were humbled 85-47 by Kentucky on Saturday. A game like that is usually indicative of the winning team playing very well and the losing team playing very poorly, two things that don’t come together often but isn’t the rarest combination of events, either. Since they started out 3-0, including a nice win over a good Long Island team that played later on Sunday, it was a big change in the bottom line for this team.

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Michigan State and Big Ten look for port during storm

As college basketball officially starts its 2011-12 season, teams from the Big Ten place themselves right in the middle of the action.

As I am writing this, I am anxiously awaiting tip-off of the North Carolina vs. Michigan State game being played on the bow of the USS Carl Vinson in homage of Veterans Day. Regardless of the outcome, this is a very important game for college basketball and its relativity to America. … Continue Reading

Penn State Nittany Lions 2011-12 Preview

Penn State Nittany Lions (19-14, 9-9)

Earned a No. 10 seed and lost in first round (Temple won 66-64).

Coach Patrick Chambers’ first year at Penn State has some expectations to live up to.

Projected starting five:

Sr. G Cammeron Woodyard
Jr. G Tim Frazier
So. G Jermaine Marshall
So. F Billy Oliver
So. F Sasa Borovnjak

Important departures:

Talor Battle: 20.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg
Jeff Brooks: 13.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 blocks per game

Additions:

Fr. C Pat Ackerman (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. C Peter Alexis (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. SG Matt Glover (Rivals.com three-star player)
Fr. SF Ross Travis (Rivals.com three-star player)

Outlook:

Penn State hired Patrick Chambers during the offseason, and the coach will have his hands full. The Nittany Lions lost their scoring (G Battle) and rebounding (F Brooks) leaders from last year, and they don’t particularly add any impressive recruits. The seniors that remain will have to step up and carry the underclassmen if they want to get their first-year coach an NCAA Tournament berth.

Schedule highlights:

Penn State has scheduled a match with Kentucky late in November. This could be a trap game for the Wildcats, and if the Nittany Lions can sneak a win, they could end up building massive momentum heading into conference play.

Prediction: Ninth

Next: Purdue Boilermakers
Back to Big Ten preview

Mid-April Rundown of the Latest NBA Decisions and Coaching Changes

1. Stetson is hoping that Casey Alexander can duplicate the run of success he helped establish at Belmont as the Hatters’ new coach, according to a press release from Belmont that announces the associate coach’s departure. In 20 years with the Bruins’ program, Alexander helped the team transition from NAIA to the NCAA and worked to position the Bruins as a mid-major powerhouse in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

2. As the deadline for early entrants to the NBA Draft passes, here’s a rundown of some of the recent announcements:

• Colorado’s Alec Burks: In draft, with agent.
• Kentucky’s Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins: All in draft, none with agent.
• Michigan’s Darius Morris: In draft, without agent.
• Northwestern’s John Shurna: In draft, without agent.
• Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli, John Jenkins and Jeffrey Taylor: All returning to school.

3. Among the coaching ranks, here’s some more recent movement:

• Penn State assistant coach Lewis Preston is leaving to coach Kennesaw State.
• Former Princeton player Mitch Henderson returns to his alma mater as head coach.
• Syracuse assistant Rob Murphy will move to Eastern Michigan as head coach.

4. And from the rumor mill, Miami’s coaching search continues, with George Mason’s Jim Larranaga as a new target.

Maggie Dixon Classic Notes

NEW YORK – Madison Square Garden has played host to many great events over the years. In the college basketball game it is home to the “final four” of the nation’s oldest post-season tournament, The NIT. Add the Pre-season NIT, Big East Tournament and Coaches vs. Cancer, to name a few and you can see why the Garden is termed the “Mecca” of basketball.

The Maggie Dixon Classic is a relative newcomer to the “world’s most famous arena” and is catching on as a premier event. The first classic was on the campus of West Point. It was held November of 2006, just months after the tragic passing of the former Army women’s coach. And it was a day of sadness and emotion to say the least.

The second one was held at the Garden last season and with another classic that brought in nearly 10,000 on Sunday, it appears to have found a home.

The Dixon Classic featured Army against Rutgers followed by Penn State and UConn. The thoughts of Maggie are still with us but the classic has now evolved into a celebration. The celebration of her life, love and passion of the game and the devotion to the women she coached at West Point.

The scores:
Rutgers 59, Army 38
UConn 77, Penn State 63

In the opener Army fell behind 14-2 early yet battled back. Army simply had a tough time handling Rutgers’ inside-outside combination. Senior center Kia Vaughn scored 12 points while grabbing seven boards, while Epiphanny Prince scored a game-high 25 points. The junior guard shot 3 of 4 beyond the arc.

“Prince was a big difference in the game,” noted Army coach Dave Magarity.

The Cadets trailed 33-21 at the half. They struggled to score in the second half, going the first six and a half minutes without a field goal. Still, they dug in and kept working each possession. Midway through the half they had an opportunity to get the deficit to single digits and missed an easy layup.

“That play was really huge,” Magarity said.

From that point on Rutgers maintained the double-digit lead and was in command. “We didn’t get out to a good start and I was disappointed with out defensive positioning,” Magarity said.

On the other hand, Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer was pleased, not just with the win but the face the Scarlet Knights had only 11 turnovers. “We are trying to do a couple things well and one is cut down on turnovers,” Stringer said.

The Scarlet Knights went into the contest averaging 17 turnovers per game. One reason is the point guard by committee, as Stringer puts it. The lead guard spot has been a problem thus far, as highly-touted freshman Nikki Speed is still adjusting and different combinations have been tried. Brittany Ray ran the point against Army and had a commendable 12-point, 8-rebound, 3-assist outing with no turnovers. “Point guard is such an important position,” Stringer said. “It’s more about a mind set than a skill set.”

Alex McGuire led the Cadets with 16 points. Despite the loss, army earned Rutgers respect for their hustle and resiliency. “Those (Army) girls were strong out there today,” Vaughn said of her opposition on the blocks.

In the second game, UConn received a strong challenge but had too much for Penn State. The Huskies triumphed 77-63 to run their record to 6-0. The teams were even a good part of the first half. In the latter stages UConn achieved some separation and went into the locker room with a 34-21 lead.

The second half saw Penn State continuously hang around. Each time UConn would get the lead to 13 or 15, Penn State responded. “They are aggressive,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of Penn State. “They can beat you off the dribble and go right by you. They came out and pushed the pace, not a lot of teams are willing to run against us. We are fortunate we got a few late blocks that helped us put the game away.”

Tina Charles was a force Penn State couldn’t answer and dominated inside for UConn with 29 points and 18 rebounds. Each time the Lady Lions made a serious run, Charles or teammate Maya Moore (21 points) responded to stop the bleeding.

Tyra Grant, Penn State’s junior guard, was very effective off the dribble and led her club with 26 points. Penn State also made life tough for the Huskies on the defensive end. UConn came into the contest shooting 60 percent from the field. For the afternoon they shot 26 of 69 for a 38 percent mark.

“There are a lot of good teams out there,” Auriemma said. “Penn State came in 5-4 but they can play and showed it.”

Notes

• Auriemma discussed the shooting that saw UConn make 7 of 30 from three-point range and attempt 44 percent (they normally average 31 percent) of their shots beyond the arc. “As a team I don’t know if we remembered basketball is a game of makes and misses. As a coach it’s a dilemma.” As Auriemma noted, shooters missing have to keep shooting to find their groove. Still, there is a time to look inside.
• Charles, a 6-4 junior center, has motivation for this season. “During out team meeting after losing to Stanford (in the Final Four) last spring coach (Auriemma) said we are set at the guards and wings and not sure about the middle. That motivated me and inspired me to work hard all summer.” Charles entered the game a force in the paint, averaging 16.2 ppg and 7 rebounds per outing.
• CARE foundation, involved in heart disease prevention and awareness, ran an expo at the Garden the day of the classic. Free ECG screening and blood pressure tests were available.

Among those on hand for the Classic were Maggie’s mother Marge, sister Julie and brother Jamie who made the trip in following his Pitt team’s win a day earlier. It was a special moment to see Jamie, in the white Maggie Dixon Classic shirt, help out in a post-game clinic for young players, held right on the Garden floor.
New York Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed it “Maggie Dixon Day”. Halftimes were featured with presentations and video highlights of Maggie Dixon’s career and remarks from featured guests. Following the first game Rutgers and Army players were joined on the floor by UConn and Penn State for a special presentation.
The current senior members of Army and of course head coach Dave Magarity were on that 2006 Army team that captured the Patriot League title and went to the NCAA tournament. They all have great memories and their own recollections of Maggie Dixon.
Players Megan Evans, Courtney Wright and Alex McGuire spoke about the tournament being a testament to her legacy and a celebration of a special person who truly loved life. “The classic is a celebration of her life,” Wright said. “We are taking what we got from her and passing on her legacy.”
Magarity noted the mention of Maggie, “immediately brings a smile. I have nothing but great memories working with Maggie. Our seniors were freshmen during her year here and they and everyone are all better people for having known her. Mention Maggie’s name and you see them smile. Maggie was only in their lives six months and she had that effect she had on them.”
Yes, Maggie Dixon was present six months in their day-to-day lives, but her influence is for a lifetime.

Weekend Tournament Quick Hitters

We have some quick hitters from Friday and Saturday at the NIT Season Tip-Off and Philly Hoop Group Classic, respectively.

NIT Season Tip-Off

• Tyrese Rice didn’t score in the first half of Friday’s win over UAB for Boston College. But he came alive after intermission, scoring all of his 24 points after intermission. While being on the floor was the first part of that, he also got help from his teammates, and not the kind that shows up in the stat sheet. Simply put, the Eagles moved the ball better in the second frame, and that changed everything at the offensive end. “It really started on the defensive end because of the stops, and then the others because our wings consistently ran hard and got up the floor,” said head coach Al Skinner. “And then created some openings, some opportunities for him, and of course, you know, he made some shots.”
• The Eagles also got a nice effort from improving freshman Reggie Jackson. An exceptional athlete, Jackson looks like the classic athlete who doesn’t know the game yet, but his improvement is noticeable. At times in the first half, he kept the Eagles in the game, setting up their second half run.
• A questionable call late in the championship game didn’t end with the call itself. Oklahoma was given a timeout after a 50-50 ball was up in the air, at a point where it seemed no one had possession as it came down. From what Purdue head coach Matt Painter shared after the game, the explanation he heard from the official was even more questionable. “You know,” Painter began, “to me sometimes things don’t go your way, but the explanation to me is still baffling. He said to me it was an inadvertent whistle, and so the ball now went to the possession arrow, and then Oklahoma had the possession arrow, so that’s why they had it.”
• While an obvious bright spot for Purdue was the play of Nemanja Calason off the bench, a more noteworthy one was that of freshman point guard Lewis Jackson, who scored 10 points and handed out four assists in 22 minutes. He showed that he’s capable of really making this team go, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts before the season is over.

Philly Hoop Group Classic

• While NJIT’s losing streak gets plenty of attention, Monmouth also entered Saturday’s game without a win. They were 0-6, albeit against a very difficult schedule, so they were happy to get a win. The least difficult opponent they had played before Saturday is probably FIU, and that was a road game against a team not lacking in talent that has been hit by injuries.
• The biggest message Hartford head coach Dan Leibovitz gave his players after being thoroughly blown out by Niagara on Saturday is simple.   “They just took our aggressiveness completely away,” Leibovitz remarked after the game.   Not helping was the foul trouble of Michael Turner, their best defender and a real competitor. Turner fouled out early, then picked up a technical foul right after his fifth foul. While his presence alone wasn’t going to reverse a 40-point defeat, Leibovitz summed up his importance very succinctly: “Without Mike, our defense is out the window, plain and simple.”
• A couple of notes are in order about Niagara’s 103-63 win over Hartford. It is the largest margin of victory in the young Philly Hoop Group Classic’s history, and it also marked the first time they reached 100 points in a game in three years. The night before, they held a team below 50 points for the first time since 2002.
• While a lack of energy didn’t help, Towson clearly looked like a team trying to integrate four new starters into the lineup on offense on Saturday. The offense seemed to lack direction and the team as a whole looked lost on the court. Symbolic of the game was a play where Tony Durant moved after setting a pick, but didn’t look for a pass as the ball hit him in the back and led to an easy Penn State transition layup.  “With six new guys in the top seven or eight, at times our offense looks like it’s just chugging along, and we are,” head coach Pat Kennedy said. “It’s more of what we’ve got to correct offensively, and keep our defensive intensity up. Once we do, we’ll be in great shape.”
• Penn State’s backcourt of Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle is better than advertised. But the real key is going to be the play up front, and on Saturday the Nittany Lions got a nice effort from Andrew Jones and Jeff Brooks. Jones had eight points and 13 rebounds, while Brooks had six and five in 15 minutes off the bench.
• While it wasn’t quite the display he put on at Duke, Rhode Island guard Jimmy Baron certainly had fans buzzing with some of the shots he hit in the loss to Villanova. Whether it was a couple of deep threes, or off-balance mid-range shots as the shot clock ran down, fans who had heard about but never saw him were impressed by his 23-point effort on 8-15 shooting.
• Teams already committed for next year’s event include Delaware, St. John’s, Temple and Virginia Tech.

Big Ten Notebook: The Big Ten is Down? Not So Fast . . .

Who says the Big Ten is down? Through the first few weeks, the conference has one loss as a whole, and that loss was to Duke.

I admit, the competition isn’t of the highest level, and most of the games have been on Big Ten courts, but there aren’t the Division II losses or stunner upsets that have shown up this time of the season in years past. Does this mean the Big Ten will be represented heavily in the polls or send seven teams to the dance? Obviously not. But it may mean that the conference as a whole is rebounding from a couple of saggy years. The conference basement definitely won’t be as ugly this year, and early wins by the middle-tier teams are optimistic.

Some early season observations:

• Apologies to Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas, but Penn State has the fastest backcourt in the conference. Sophomore Talor Battle looks like a potential all-league pick, averaging over 20 points per game. He’s shooting close to 60 percent from the field, has made 13 threes, and has committed just four turnovers. Stanley Pringle has similar numbers and may be faster end-to-end. They have been able to outrun their opponents thus far, and if that translates to the Big Ten season, the Nittany Lions could flirt with a winning conference season.
• Michigan beat UCLA not with a Beilein barrage, but with its pesky 1-3-1 zone defense. The Bruins were perplexed all night, and the Wolverines made enough plays on offense to win. Manny Harris is my favorite player in the league – in four contests, he’s gotten to the free throw line 39 times and made 34. His aggressiveness will give teammates wide open looks from deep, and Harris is averaging 4.5 assists as well. Beilein has been bringing DeShawn Sims, the Wolverines’ best interior player, off the bench. He can provide an instant spark with his intensity and inside-outside game. They are a team to watch.
• It hasn’t been the prettiest start in Bloomington, but Tom Crean has opened with a pair of wins at Indiana. They were clearly juiced for an opening night win over Northwestern State, but really struggled with IUPUI a few nights later. The inconsistency was to be expected, but if the Hoosiers don’t take better control of the ball (37 turnovers vs. 34 assists in the two games), the winning won’t last long. They face Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Gonzaga in their next four contests.
• Purdue has a stronger grip on the ball. They’ve dished out 73 dimes in their three wins as opposed to 39 turnovers. The box scores tell a story of complete balance: no one is playing more than 26 minutes per contest, but nine are getting in for 13 minutes or more. Six players are averaging 8 or more points per game. What does that equal? Three wins by an average winning margin of over 28 points.
• I have serious hot and cold concerns with Michigan State. They opened by crushing Idaho by 38, but were not impressive in a win against IPFW. The Spartans should dominate the acronym teams. They say a win is a win, but for a team projected to win the conference and challenge for a Final Four berth, a close win against IPFW almost seems like a loss.
• It’s hard to judge after one game, but freshmen sensations B.J. Mullens and William Buford didn’t start on opening night for Ohio State. Buford still managed 13 points and Mullens seven, so I’m not concerned. If Thad Matta has enough confidence in Dallas Lauderdale and Jon Diebler, who started in place of the freshmen, Ohio State might be better than we think.
• Mullens and Buford aren’t the only contributing freshmen. Iowa is being carried by them, and Anthony Tucker is leading the way. The outside specialist is 16-37 from long distance in four wins and averages a team-leading 16 points per game. Freshman backcourt mate Matt Gatens is averaging double figures as well and playing over 30 minutes a contest. Freshman big man Aaron Fuller is also starting and contributing for Todd Lickliter. Disclaimer: I do not expect these numbers to continue throughout the conference slate.
• Also unblemished to this point: Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Early Honor Roll

Best Win:

• Michigan 55, UCLA 52. The Wolverines, as previously mentioned, held UCLA to 42 percent shooting and created 17 turnovers. That sounds more like a UCLA line than a Michigan one.
• First Runner-Up: Illinois 69, Vanderbilt 63. The conference’s best road win.
• Second Runner-Up: Northwestern 81, Central Arkansas 39. Why mention this sleeper? Did you think Northwestern could beat anyone by 42? Me neither, and Central Arkansas even has a win over UNC-Greensboro.

Biggest Scare:

• Wisconsin 60, Iona 58 (OT). Since there’s been only one loss, a close win is the scariest it gets. I imagine the Badgers will play better next time.
• First Runner-Up: Indiana 60, IUPUI 57. Acronym teams can hang with this year’s Hoosier squad, apparently.
• Second Runner-Up: Minnesota 72, Colorado State 71. Would the Gophers have won if CSU’s best player, Marcus Walker, wasn’t hit by a car the day before?

Player of the Week:

• Manny Harris, Michigan. 24 ppg, 6 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 34-39 FTs
• First Runner-Up: Talor Battle, Penn State. 20.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2 spg, 13-24 3s
• Second Runner-Up: Raymar Morgan, Michigan State.

Line of the Week:

• Craig Moore, Northwestern, 11/22 @ Brown.
  • 11-15 FG, 9-13 on 3s, 31 points. Broke his own school record with those nine treys.
• First Runner-Up: Manny Harris, Michigan, 11/12 vs. Northeastern
  • 6-9 FG, 1-2 3s, 13-14 FTs, 26 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists. As efficient a game as one can play.
• Second Runner-Up: Colton Iverson, Minnestoa, 11/15 vs. Bowling Green.
  • 6 points, 8 rebounds, 9 blocks. His blocks were more than half of the Gophers’ school record 17.
• Third Runner-Up: Jermain Davis, Illinois, 11/17 vs. Texas-San Antonio.
  • 0-4 FG, 0-1 3s, 10-10 FT, 10 points. Encouraging that a guard gets to the line ten times and makes them all, even when the shots aren’t falling.