Conference USA 2007-08 Preview
When the subject is Conference USA basketball, the discussion invariably centers around Memphis, and with good reason. Everyone in the conference is chasing the Tigers, fresh off consecutive Elite Eight appearances and now being talked about as a serious national title contender this season. The Tigers ran the table last season and could certainly do it again this year.
It’s not entirely a bad thing that the schools are all chasing Memphis. That gives each school all the incentive in the world to get better, and we’ve seen many cases where a conference has a dominant team and gets better over time because other schools that are chasing the dominant team get progressively better. The Patriot League is a good recent example, as teams have been chasing Bucknell and Holy Cross, and in the process the league got better. That appears to be happening here as well, although the measuring sticks often applied – number of teams in the NCAA Tournament or NIT – won’t reflect that just yet, much to the chagrin of John Calipari as he campaigns for the conference regularly.
Who will chase Memphis the best this season? A couple of familiar faces seem likely. Houston will have a senior-laden team that will once again play at the fast pace that Tom Penders likes, and the backcourt of a healthy Lanny Smith and Robert McKiver will be a good start towards that end. UCF is fresh off a nice 22-win season, and Kirk Speraw has that program set to contend for the foreseeable future and without having had a major issue adjusting to its jump from the Atlantic Sun. And UAB has an influx of talent with several transfers now eligible, although there are some questions surrounding a couple of the more talented ones.
They aren’t the only teams to keep an eye on besides Memphis. Tulane is coming along after being one of several schools devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Tulsa could be primed for another nice year as Doug Wojcik’s rebuilding work takes shape, although few will probably notice outside of Oklahoma. Marshall and UTEP appear to have better days ahead as well.
There is plenty of returning talent this season, which means it should certainly be a better year for the conference. Only one first team All-Conference member doesn’t return, and two second team and three third team members are back. There is good talent coming in as well, especially in the transfer ranks with UAB leading the way there.
Two schools changed coaches after last season. East Carolina reassigned Ricky Stokes in the summer after just two years, replacing him with former assistant Mack McCarthy, who has previous head coaching experience. Marshall let Ron Jirsa go and hired former Florida assistant Donnie Jones, marking a homecoming for the native of Point Pleasant, W.V. Jones has wasted little time injecting life into the program, and while they don’t project to contend this season, they look improved already and should have better years ahead.
Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
Top Newcomer: Derrick Rose, Memphis
Defensive Player of the Year: Joey Dorsey, Memphis
Coach on the Hot Seat: Willis Wilson, Rice
Best NBA Prospect: Derrick Rose, Memphis
All-Conference USA Team
Paul Delaney III, Sr. G, UAB
Joey Dorsey, Sr. C, Memphis
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jr. G, Memphis
David Gomez, Sr. F, Tulane
Robert McKiver, Sr. G, Houston
Memphis Tigers (33-4, 16-0 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Fr. G Derrick Rose
Jr. G Chris Douglas-Roberts (15.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. G-F Antonio Anderson (8.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
Jr. F Robert Dozier (9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.5 bpg)
Sr. C Joey Dorsey (8.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 1.4 spg)
Schedule Highlights: Not only is the Tigers’ non-conference schedule loaded, it’s loaded with home games as they will leave home no more than four times. They open up as a regional host in the 2K Sports Classic, hosting Tennessee-Martin and either Maine or Richmond. Later home games include Ohio Valley favorite Austin Peay, Georgetown, Arizona, MAAC contender Siena, Gonzaga and in-state rival Tennessee. Away from home, they play USC in the Jimmy V Classic in New York and also travel to play former C-USA rival Cincinnati. In C-USA play, a stretch that stands out is a four-game homestand to start February.
Outlook: The Tigers are a national title contender as only one significant contributor from last season’s team returns, and they add Rose, classmate Jeff Robinson and Iowa State transfer Shawn Taggart. They go deep at every position, as Rose is capably backed up by Willie Kemp and senior Andre Allen, Douglas-Roberts and Anderson have Robinson and Doneal Mack behind them, and Dozier and Dorsey can give way to Taggart or Hashim Bailey without a huge drop-off. They also have clearly defined roles, with Rose running the show, Douglas-Roberts and Anderson as primary scorers and Anderson being their best defender outside the post, Dorsey doing the dirty work inside and Dozier scoring and rebounding. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Tigers ran the table in Conference USA again, and look for them to make a deep run in March.
Houston Cougars (18-15, 10-6 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Lanny Smith (redshirt)
Sr. G Robert McKiver (19.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. G Marcus Malone (7.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr. F Dion Dowell (11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
So. F Nick Mosley (2.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Cougars have a nice non-conference schedule that has them leaving home just twice. They will play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, first playing Colonial contender VCU and then either Marist or Miami, and later play at UMass. In between are eight straight home games that include MAC contender Toledo and Kentucky, and they finish the non-conference slate with Arizona at home.
Outlook: Although it would be a shock if they topped Memphis for the top spot, the Cougars have all the pieces to contend, starting with their four senior starters. Smith and McKiver will score plenty of points and help others score as well, while Malone is the complementary piece who benefits from them. They aren’t lacking depth with junior college transfer DeShaun Williams and freshman Brockeith Pane also available. Dowell can play inside and out, while Mosley should be seriously pushed by Seton Hall transfer Marcus Cousin. There isn’t great depth inside among the holdovers, as senior Tafari Toney and a couple of freshmen are likely next in line. The Cougars will need to be more efficient, as they were third in scoring but last in field goal percentage, and it wouldn’t hurt if they improved on defense after they allowed opponents to shoot a conference-high 43.5 percent from the floor, including 44.5 percent in C-USA games.
UCF Knights (22-9, 11-5 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Mike O’Donnell (10.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.5 spg)
Sr. G Dave Noel (9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. G Jermaine Taylor (12.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.5 apg)
So. F Tony Davis (2.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Jr. F-C Kendrick Zondervan (3.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Home games against Connecticut, Mississippi and Nevada, as well as the UCF Holiday Classic, highlight a non-conference schedule that features just three true road games. None of the road games is a walk, as they head to USF, Nevada and Southland contender Sam Houston State. They will also participate in the Old Spice Classic not far from home, where they open with Villanova. In C-USA play, they play Memphis only on the road.
Outlook: Kirk Speraw has the Knights poised to be a regular contender in Conference USA, as they lose two of their top three scorers (who were also their two best rebounders) but should still be among the top teams. Taylor becomes the go-to guy on this perimeter-oriented team, with O’Donnell being an underrated point guard and Noel another ball handler who can score. There is good depth with senior Chip Cartwright and freshman shooter Chris Baez among the reserves. Davis showed some promise last season and Zondervan needs to improve now that he’ll have to handle more of the rebounding load, while senior big man Stanley Billings is also in the mix and in October, former forward Will Bakanowsky was granted another year of eligibility. Bakanowsky last played in 2005, so how good he will be is an open question. Cordell Pope is a nice pickup for them and could get good minutes right away. If the Knights can repeat their good shooting from last season, when they led the conference in field goal percentage and three-point percentage, they will have a chance for second place.
UAB Blazers (15-16, 7-9 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Paul Delaney III (15.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.9 spg)
Jr. G Robert Vaden (transfer from Indiana)
Jr. F Lawrence Kinnard (13.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 bpg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. F Frank Holmes (6.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
So. C Jeremy Mayfield (4.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Seven home games highlight a challenge non-conference schedule. Highlighting the home slate are games against Ohio Valley contender Eastern Kentucky, Cincinnati and Colonial contender Old Dominion. The Blazers will participate early in the inaugural Glenn Wilkes Basketball Classic, hosting Stetson before traveling to Daytona Beach for three games against Florida State, Southern contender Georgia Southern and Atlantic 10 contender Rhode Island. In December, they have three challenging road games in a row: USF, Kentucky at Freedom Hall in Louisville, and Wichita State. In C-USA play, mid-February brings with a tough two straight at home: Memphis and Houston.
Outlook: Mike Davis has put together a good deal of talent in his second season at the helm, as three starters return and three transfers are now eligible and ready to play major minutes. Delaney can score and pass as well as many point guards, while Vaden will give them another scorer and Georgia transfer Channing Toney and junior college transfer Ed Berrios will also be in the mix for major minutes. The coach’s son, Mike Davis, Jr., started four games last season but will likely drop a little on the depth chart this year, and freshman Aaron Johnson is another option off the bench at point guard. Kinnard leads the way on the wing and led the team in rebounding last season, and at times Vaden could shift there to back him up while they go a little smaller. Holmes is a solid role player inside and Mayfield showed flashes of potential as a freshman, and Mississippi State transfer Walter Sharpe has plenty of talent and could start. If he can play to his talent, Sharpe could be an All-C-USA player. Freshman Keenan Ellis is very long and athletic, and has a world of potential if he can keep his head on straight (he was arrested at a night club in September). There are only two seniors on the roster and a number of talented newcomers, meaning the biggest challenge will be managing the players to get the most out of this group.
Tulane Green Wave (17-13, 9-7 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
So. G Kevin Sims (10.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 spg)
Sr. G Matt Wheaton (4.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. F David Gomez (13.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.4 bpg)
Jr. F Daniel Puckett (7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Jr. F Robinson Louisme (6.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: Seven home games and a neutral site game against LSU highlight the non-conference schedule, which also includes a trip to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic. The toughest home games look to be against Auburn and Indiana State, while the toughest road game will be at Syracuse.
Outlook: The Green Wave’s success last season was a nice story in light of the university being decimated a year earlier by Hurricane Katrina. Their 17 wins was the most since 1999-2000, with 11 of them coming at home, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them top that this season as Dave Dickerson continues to move the program forward in his third season. Gomez leads the way as a do-everything player, while Puckett came along nicely and Louisme is the presence player inside. Senior Donnie Stith is a key off the bench and has started a few games in his career. Sims stabilized the point guard spot last season and should only get better, as he can score, shoot and pass the ball well. Wheaton is the incumbent at shooting guard, with little experience behind him. Cutting down on their 15 turnovers per game from last season is one area for improvement, while there isn’t much concern defensively based on last season, as opponents shot just over 39 percent against them.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (20-11, 9-7 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Brett McDade (6.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Sr. G Rod Earls (11.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.3 spg)
So. G Ben Uzoh (9.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. F Calvin Walls (5.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Jr. C Sam Mitchell (4.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A five-game homestand in December highlights seven home games on the non-conference schedule. The Golden Hurricane open the season in the CBE Classic against MEAC contender Hampton and possibly host Maryland. They later head across town to play Summit League contender Oral Roberts and across the state to play at Oklahoma before coming home for five straight. Charlotte is the highlight of the homestand, and after that they head to Colorado. In late February, they host Presbyterian in their last non-conference game.
Outlook: If there is a team that flew under the radar even by the conference standards last season, it was the Golden Hurricane in their 20-win season. They have seven players back who started at least ten games last season, so while they have just three seniors and eight freshmen and sophomores, they aren’t entirely lacking in experience. A senior backcourt is never a bad place to start, and they have that with McDade and Earls, the latter of whom led the team in scoring last season and should increase his output. Uzoh quietly led the team in rebounding and should jump into double digits in scoring. Mark Hill and Ray Reese will be the primary reserves, with the former having started ten games last season. The frontcourt doesn’t have players with great numbers, but Walls and Mitchell are serviceable and 7-foot sophomore Jerome Jordan started ten games as well. Tulsa was the best defensive team in the conference last season as they led in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense and tied for the top rebounding margin. The big area for improvement is cutting down on their more than 16 turnovers per game.
Marshall Thundering Herd (13-19, 7-9 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Pierre Marie Altidor Cespedes (transfer from Gonzaga)
Sr. G Mark Dorris (13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.4 spg)
Jr. F Markel Humphrey (14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 apg)
So. F Tyler Wilkerson (2.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Sr. F-C Jean Francois Bro Grebe (4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule is manageable, with just three road games and a few challenges mixed in. The last of three straight home games to open the season is against America East favorite Boston University, and they later host Big South favorite Winthrop. The three road games are at Wright State, East Tennessee (completing an in-season home-and-home) and Louisville. In C-USA play, they lucked out in getting Memphis at home only, and in late February they have a three-game homestand.
Outlook: New head coach Donnie Jones has quickly injected a great deal of life into the program, and there should be some immediate results. The Thundering Herd won’t contend right away, but they should be very competitive and interest in the program should be on the rise. Cespedes should start right away at the point, and he’ll have excellent scorers to get the ball to in Dorris and Humphrey, the latter of whom will be a serious first team All-C-USA candidate and is also the team’s top rebounder. Junior Darryl Merthie will be one of the main reserves in the backcourt. The frontcourt isn’t deep, and don’t be surprised if seven-footer Robbie Jackson works his way into the starting lineup, and active freshman Tirrell Baines should get good minutes right away as at least an energy guy off the bench. The Thundering Herd has good years ahead as Jones gets things going, but this season should show a good taste of what is to come.
UTEP Miners (14-17, 6-10 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Marvin Kilgore (8.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.4 apg)
Jr. G Stefon Jackson (18.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
Sr. G Darren Clarke (7.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Sr. F Victor Ramalho (4.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Sr. C Jeremy Sampson (4.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule is highlighted by an appearance in the NIT Season Tip-Off, where they open with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and then play either Summit League contender Oral Roberts or Texas A&M (host). Seven home games are on tap, including half of in-season home-and-homes with New Mexico State and Texas Southern and a meeting with New Mexico. Among the other road games in non-conference are UNLV and Texas Tech. The Miners get no breaks in C-USA play, as they get Memphis and UCF both on the road only and East Carolina at home only.
Outlook: The Miners didn’t quite duplicate the success of prior seasons, but Tony Barbee’s second season at the helm looks like it will be a good improvement as he has a solid veteran cast with a year in his system. The backcourt of Kilgore and Jackson is a good starting point, with Jackson being a candidate to be a first team all-conference. Although Clarke is the incumbent on the wing, he’ll be pushed by newcomers such as freshman Julyan Stone, Manuel Cass and Gabriel McCulley. Ramalho and Sampson are the incumbents inside, and both will need to improve to keep their jobs as there is a good deal of size among the newcomers. Three stand 6’9″ or taller and all could get good minutes right away. The Miners were out-rebounded in conference games last season and allowed more points than any other team, so defense is one area for improvement. Another is cutting down on their 16 turnovers per game last season.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles (20-11, 9-7 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
So. G Jeremy Wise (17.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Jr. G Courtney Beasley (9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G-F Sai’Quon Stone (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg)
So. F Andre Stephens (4.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
Sr. C Gijo Bain (3.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule is a little more challenging this time around, although the toughest games are by far on the road as only two of their six home games are against Division I teams (Alabama State and McNeese State). The road games of note are at California, Alabama and Mississippi, and they will also play in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic.
Outlook: Larry Eustachy has continued to improve the talent base, and although this team is still fairly young (just two seniors two juniors), they return four starters and could be a sleeper team. The top eight scorers and rebounders return, led by the sophomore duo of Wise and Stone as they came in and were immediate impact players for them. Beasley has been a two-year starter, and there are plenty of talented guards behind them from junior Craig Craft and sophomore Jarvis Hill to freshmen Kevin Branch, R.L. Horton and Wayne Turner. It wouldn’t be a major surprise if Branch starts before the season is over. They aren’t lacking for supporting bodies inside, either, as Bain anchors the post with Stephens and senior Demar Dotson. There isn’t much experience behind them, but freshman Gustavo Lino adds size with his seven-foot frame and classmate Brandon Cooks adds depth as well. The Golden Eagles quietly had the best rebounding margin in the conference last season, but a lot of that came in non-conference play. The biggest area for concern is taking care of the ball, as no regular had more assists than turnovers.
SMU Mustangs (14-17, 3-13 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jon Killen (8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G Derrick Roberts (8.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
So. F Cameron Spencer (1.4 rpg)
Fr. F Papa Dia
Jr. C Bamba Fall (7.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.5 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference slate is clearly designed to get this team some wins, as the Mustangs will leave home just three times and have mostly winnable games. They open up by hosting the SMU Tip-Off Classic and later host the SMU Holiday Classic. The toughest home game looks to be against TCU, while the road games include Dayton and Colorado.
Outlook: There is a new look in Dallas this year, as the Mustangs begin the season by opening a new practice facility and will also have a new look to the floor at Moody Coliseum. The senior backcourt of Killen and Roberts is a good one for Matt Doherty to build around in his second season, and as the only returning starters they’ll be the leaders on a team with seven talented newcomers. Three of the newcomers, freshmen Mike Walker, Ryan Harp and Bennie Rhodes, figure to be among the key reserves. Fall is the only other returnee who started at least 10 games last season, and he improved to become an enforcer inside. The forward spots are up for grabs, with Spencer as the best holdover and players like little-used senior Paulius Ritter and freshmen Dia, Alex Malone, Robert Nyakundi and Tomasz Kwiatkowski all competing for the second spot and minutes off the bench. Dia has a big, mature body and played in an elite prep school league last year. The Mustangs made a big jump in RPI last year, and to duplicate that they’ll need to improve defensively, as they allowed C-USA opponents to shoot over 45 percent from the field.
Rice Owls (16-16, 8-8 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
So. G Chris Hagan (5.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg)
Jr. G Rodney Foster (4.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Jr. G Cory Pflieger (6.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F Patrick Britton (5.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Sr. F Paulius Packevicius (3.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A very challenging non-conference schedule has five home games, highlighted by Texas and the second game of an in-season home-and-home with TCU. The Owls will be in the Hawkeye Challenge and have road games at Southland favorite Lamar, then Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to close it out.
Outlook: No player meant more to his team than Morris Almond did to Rice last season. The nation’s second-leading scorer accounted for over 33 percent of his team’s points last season and has finished his career. Two other starters are gone, both of whom were next in scoring behind Almond and one of them, Lorenzo Williams, was among the conference leaders in assists. The Owls now must make do with a team that has just two seniors and not a lot of proven scoring punch. Hagan showed some promise last season running the team, starting 17 games along the way, while Pflieger is the top returning scorer and deadly from long range. Foster tended to take three-point shots, and while he shot it reasonably well from there he didn’t shoot well overall. There isn’t much depth there, as sophomore Lawrence Ghoram played limited minutes and freshman Jasen Williams is the only other guard on the roster. Britton and Packevicius will be counted on to score more inside with the lack of proven scorers, having already shown they can rebound while needing to do more in that category as well as the Owls were already out-rebounded last season. Junior Aleks Perka is next in line, then two freshmen. The lack of scoring means the Owls absolutely must improve defensively if they are to win games, as opponents shot over 43 percent against them last year and only one Conference USA team was worse in that category.
East Carolina Pirates (6-24, 1-15 C-USA)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Darrell Jenkins (12.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.5 apg)
Sr. G Cory Farmer (6.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. G Sam Hinnant (4.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg in 14 games)
So. F Gabe Blair (5.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
So. F John Fields (9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule has a couple of challenges but is certainly manageable, as the Pirates will leave home just twice: at USF and against George Mason (BB&T Classic) in Washington, D.C. The toughest home games will be against Clemson, North Carolina State and an improved UNC Wilmington team.
Outlook: After two seasons of struggle, Ricky Stokes was let go in favor of Mack McCarthy, who had success a few years back at Tennessee-Chattanooga. He inherits a team that returns most of its players and isn’t an old team as just six of 15 are juniors or seniors. Two of the seniors are in the backcourt, with Jenkins back after leading the conference in assists and Farmer to be his main complement. Hinnant played in just 14 games due to injury, and don’t be surprised if talented freshman Jamar Abrams supplants one of the wings in the starting lineup. Freshman Brock Young is the point guard of the future and should get good minutes backing up Jenkins. Fields and Blair are capable inside players who will be backed up mainly by freshmen.
Conference Outlook
It should be another season of chasing Memphis, although that chase is likely to prove futile as the Tigers simply have too much for everyone else. The battle for second place should be interesting, with Houston, UCF and UAB looking like the best bets. The Cougars have some veterans and will score points, while the Knights have veterans in the backcourt and the Blazers get a big influx of talent.
The teams picked in the middle will be worth watching as well, each with questions. Will Tulane keep up its progress after last season? Will Tulsa continue to quietly put up good seasons en route to contending? How fast will Donnie Jones make Marshall competitive?
The conference certainly appears to be improving as a whole. Add the improving teams to the solid nucleus of individual talent that returns, and 2007-08 looks to be a good year for Conference USA.
