Cincinnati

Daily Dribble: Thursday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:24:36 -0800

The Report Card

A new series, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Kansas State

I didn't see a minute of their win over Kansas. I only read the first line or so of the recap.. barely looked at the box, and will only see some highlights later on SportsCenter. But it's no matter.. you top the unbeaten, 2nd ranked team in the country.. you top the Report Card.

B - Cincinnati

It still amazes me that Cincy is over .500 in Big East play. But what I love more about their win over West Virginia is that not only did Bob Huggins get destroyed by his former team.. and not only did Huggins team shoot 20% from the field.. but Huggins other former team, Kansas State, reached its greatest glory on a day that Huggins was embarrassed.

C - MVC

Though at most schools the average GPA hovers around B, it represents the average in my Daily Report Card. Nothing says average better than a .500 team, which the Valley is full of. After Creighton lost to Drake, 4 teams are .500 in league play including Northern Iowa, Bradley, and Indiana State. Also, both Missouri State and Southern Illinois are within a game of .500. All in all, its been nothing but mediocrity out of the league

D - Alexis Wangmene

I barely had a chance to watch any of the games last night.. basically 2 minutes of Texas A&M's upset win over Texas. And in that two minute span, Wangmene through an elbow at DeAndre Jordan's head and rightfully got thrown out of the game. So simply put, he gets a D.

F - St. John's

Its been ugly at St. John's for a few years now, so the 1-7 conference and 7-12 overall record are nothing surprising. I won't bore you with old history about Mike Jarvis and suspensions and forfeits and strip clubs and probation.. the point is that things got bad, and barely seem to be getting better. Yes, Norm Roberts' roster is full of youth.. so there's some hope. But with Rutgers and Seton Hall doing a better job bringing in recruits, there's little reason to think anything but mediocrity is attainable in the next few years.

Previous Best / Worst

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Picture of the Day: Bob Huggins

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:55:06 -0800

Picture of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Bob Huggins

Not a good day for Huggy Bear, as his Mountaineers were humbled by a school he might remember.. Cincinnati. West Virginia shot a brutal 10-50 from the floor (20%), which might be why Huggins looks like he's about to strangle someone.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

Daily Dribble: Sunday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:14:12 -0800

The Report Card

A new series of articles I'll be writing daily, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Roy Hibbert

They say white men can't jump, and 7-2 guys can't shoot. Think again. Big Roy drilled a top of the arc three to knock out UCONN's upset chances. Coach Thompson and the G'Town staff were adamant that the shot was not shocking and that he hits long range bombs all day in practice.. which may be true.. but when you hit the 2nd three of your four year career to win a game with 4 seconds to go.. that's shocking. Then again, he's now shooting 100% from three (2-2), so maybe he's the next Reggie Miller?

B - Cincinnati

If you predicted that Cincy would by tied for second in the Big East at this point with a 3-1 record, then you obviously know more about college hoops than I do. The Bearcats were 5-7 in non-conference play, and those wins were over the likes of USC Upstate, Western Carolina, and Fairfield. Its hard to say what's changed for the better since the early losses since it's not like they suddenly got some star back from injury or suspension. Deonta Vaughn has been lights out in the last two wins over Syracuse and Villanova, and they'll need him to keep firing with a road game at Notre Dame next followed by home games against Pitt & UCONN.

C - Derrick Low

The ultimate Jekyll & Hyde performance. Picked up two early fouls against UCLA, and then sat on the bench most of the first half on the way to scoring 0 points.. an F-worthy 20 minutes. But then the Washington State guard showed why he is a member of the National Team by scoring 24 points in the second half, including 6 threes, most of which were contested after running around tough curls. It was too little, too late, for Low and the Cougars, but you combine the F first half with the A second half and you get a C.

D - Maryland

The Terps woes have been pretty well documented.. losing a non-conference home game for the first time in years, and then losing another their very next game. But coming into last night, Maryland had won 4 games in a row (against mostly bad teams) to push their record to 10-6. But a good effort against Virginia Tech was wasted as they blew a 66-61 lead with 1:46 to go. The final 67-66 score left their league record at 0-2. This sets up an absolute must-win game against Wake Forest next. The reason the game is so big is that after Wake they face ACC leaders UNC and Duke, so a loss could very well lead to an 0-5 start.

F - Michigan State

Conference road games are always supposed to be challenging (unless you head to Northwestern), but scoring 36 points and shooting 31% at lowly Iowa is shockingly bad. SLU scored 20 earlier in the week, but they've been bad on offense all year. MSU actually came in averaging 75 per game, one of the better totals in the Big Ten. As bad as the result was, this game was bigger for the Hawkeyes than it was hurtful for the Spartans. Ultimately Michigan State will still cruise into the Big Dance, and unless Indiana goes undefeated in league play (which is unlikely), MSU will still contend for the Big Ten title.

Previous Best / Worst

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Daily Poll: Who is the Worst BCS Team?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:33:52 -0800

Daily Dribble: Monday Recap

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:54:09 -0800

Due to a shortened schedule last night without any top 25 teams in action.. the usual Replay in 15 will be reduced to a Replay in 10. Onwards to the nuggets of joy: 1. Stephen Curry apparently wasn't happy Davidson dropped out of the Top 25 and took his anger out against Appalachian State. The diminutive guard scored a career-best 38 points in the 71-60 win. 2. That matchup was the country's 2nd in-conference game, as the SoCon has moved to an extended 20-game schedule 3. A nugget from "Hater" on the message board: Ohio State freshman Jon Diebler (the #60 recruit nationally) is 4 for 35 on the season so far. 4. If you didn't know, 4 for 35 is bad.. Diebler apparently took shooting lessons from Jacque Vaughn over the summer. 5. Cincy is struggling right now.. in a bad way. The Bearcats 4-2 record looks okay, but they have losses to Belmont & Bowling Green, a close (too-close) 2-point win against Western Carolina, and they've barely put away Fairfield and USC Upstate. 6. Making things worse for Cincinnati, they only now go on the road, to face UAB, Illinois State, and Xavier (just across town). 7. I always enjoy tracking the winless teams.. and NJIT looks like they'll be in that category for awhile. Last night's 9 point loss at Lehigh was easily their best result of the season, the first time they've lost by less than 20. 8. Morehead State beat Alice Lloyd College last night. 9. The first rule of men's basketball is that you can't lose to a school named after a woman 10. Temple's Mark Tyndale had his worst game in well over a year last night, as the senior scored just 3 points in 20 minutes. However, it doesn't compare to February of 2006, where Tyndale had a Jon Diebler-esque 3-game stretch of 2-20 shooting and just 11 points in 110 minutes. Enjoy

2007-08 Cincinnati Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:15:01 -0700

Cincinnati Bearcats

Overall Rank: #99

Conference Rank: #12 Big East

2006-07: 11-19, 2-14, 16^th

2006-07 postseason: none

Cincinnati was absolutely horrible last season. For a couple years they have had make shift teams held together by junior college transfers and football players. This year, Coach Mick Cronin will take the first major step to taking the Bearcats back to where they belong. The talent level for the experienced players still has quite a bit of work to do, but for the first time in a long time there will actually be some depth to work with.

Who’s Out:

With the increase of talent, nobody will be missed that much. However, Cedric McGowan did an admirable job holding down the frontcourt during the dark ages of Cincinnati basketball. The forward averaged 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds during his senior campaign. Fellow big man Ronald Allen has wrapped up his collegiate career after seeing limited action with the Bearcats last year. Guard Tim Crowell is transferring after playing a limited role, mostly off the bench, in 2006-2007.

Who’s In:

There is plenty of young talent to go around, but the two biggest impact players are not freshmen. Adam Hrycaniuk sat out last year due to amateurism issues and the 6-10 senior is expected to step into a starting role right away. Another very likely starter is Mike Williams, a transfer from Texas. The 6-7 forward spent most of his career waiting on the Longhorn bench, but the former McDonald’s All-American is a great athlete and post defender who should excel with more playing time. Anthony McClain will not hand over any starting jobs in the post to Hrycaniuk and Williams. The 6-11 freshman is a polished low post scorer and major presence on the defensive end. With a little more aggressiveness, McClain will be a star this year. Kenny Belton, a 6-7 power forward, lacks a dynamic scoring touch, but he is a strong and tough player who will find a role off the bench. Alvin Mitchell, Rashad Bishop, Larry Davis and Darnell Wilks will battle for minutes on the wings. Mitchell is the most talented of the quartet and, if he can develop a consistent shot, will play at the two and three spots this year.

Who to Watch:

The difference between missing the Big East Tournament and making the NCAA Tournament will be the play of Deonta Vaughn, Jamual Warren and Marvin Gentry on the perimeter. By the numbers, Vaughn had a decent freshman campaign, averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds. However, his shooting was inconsistent and the ballhandling skills were about the same. As long as Vaughn can take better care of the ball, he will be a solid point guard. Shooting guard Warren could take over that if he has too, but he will likely be relegated to the bench unless his outside shooting develops more consistency. Gentry did not prove he was a great shooter either last year, but the senior could take over a starting role. The group has to shoot better to be effective or their minutes will decrease in favor of freshman Mitchell.

Final Projection:

With the addition of Williams and Hrycaniuk, John Williamson will see most of his minutes at the small forward spot. The 6-6 senior averaged 13.5 points and a team high 7.3 boards last season. He will not have to do all that work on the glass this season, but he will add another solid rebounder to team. Williamson does not have the ability to step out and consistently hit the three ball, although he can and will occasionally, but he is really a tweener. Williamson will not be the shooter Coach Cronin needs, so it is imperative that whoever ends up at the two guard spot can hit the long ball. Marcus Sikes will feel the biggest pinch from the newcomers up front. While he can play the three and four spots, Sikes will probably spend his senior year coming off the bench. He is not a great shooter, but was the best on the team last year from beyond the arc. That should not be the case again this year and if it is, the Bearcats are in trouble.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Deonta Vaughn, Sophomore, Guard, 14.5 points per game

Marvin Gentry, Senior, Guard, 7.4 points per game

John Williamson, Senior, Forward, 13.5 points per game

Mike Williams, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Adam Hrycaniuk, Senior, Center, DNP last season

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Top 50 Recruit Anthony McClain Headed to Cincy

Jeff Borzello — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:36:21 -0700

2006-07 JUCO Class: Less Than Productive

Eric Silver — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:21:26 -0700

It’s that time of year again in college basketball – spring – when fans try to predict which underclassmen will declare for the NBA draft as well as determine which players will be selected in the first and second rounds. However, it’s also the time when coaches try to fill in gaps on their rosters for next year from the only viable source still available – junior colleges.

Sure, there are a handful of talented high school and prep school players who have not yet decided on a school, but for the most part, the well of incoming freshmen is pretty much dry. Consequently, over the next two to three months dozens of programs will announce the signing of one or more junior college players, many of whom will have been honored with all-American, or at least all-regional, status. Quite a few will bring impressive statistical credentials with them as well.

But don’t be fooled by the honors or the stats. In November, I wrote an article questioning the impact that the majority of junior college transfers would have this year at the high-major level. For years I have tracked the productivity of incoming jucos in the six “elite” conferences. To depict the results as uniformly mediocre would be the equivalent of Paul Abdul commenting that one of the performers on “American Idol” looked stunning.

Well, I’ve now examined the data for juco transfers who entered the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, and SEC during the 2006-2007 season. Overall, the results are pretty much what I’d expected. Fewer than a dozen of these junior college players had a significant impact on their respective teams.

In some ways this year’s data is even skewed upward a bit compared to previous seasons because of the situation at the University of Cincinnati where four of new coach Mick Cronin’s top six players came straight from the junior college ranks. All four were among the Top 10 juco transfers in terms of playing time.

In fact, with respect to playing time, of the three dozen incoming juco players on high-major rosters this year, 11 (30.6%) averaged fewer than 10.0 mpg. Another half dozen (16.7%) averaged between 10.0 mpg and 14.9 mpg. In other words, nearly half of all incoming junior college transfers in the six elite conferences averaged fewer than 15.0 mpg. Remember, these are not freshmen who will likely show considerable development over the next three seasons. These were almost always juniors who will now have only one year of eligibility left.

Here’s the breakdown for playing time for these 36 transfers:

30.0 mpg – 32.9 mpg = 5 players (13.9%)
25.0 mpg – 29.9 mpg = 5 players (13.9%)
20.0 mpg – 24.9 mpg = 4 players (11.1%)
15.0 mpg – 19.9 mpg = 5 players (13.9%)
10.0 mpg – 14.9 mpg = 6 players (16.7%)
0.1 mpg – 9.9 mpg = 11 players (30.6%)

And four of the 10 players who averaged more than 25.0 mpg played for one team – Cincinnati.

In terms of scoring the data for this group of 36 may astonish even those who are most skeptical of recruiting junior college players.

15.0 ppg – 16.0 ppg = 1 player (2.8%)
10.0 ppg – 14.9 ppg = 5 players (13.9%)
7.6 ppg – 9.9 ppg = 3 players (8.3%)
5.0 ppg – 7.5 ppg = 7 players (19.4%)
0.1 ppg – 4.9 ppg = 20 players (55.6%)

That’s right: over half of these three dozen players averaged less than 5.0 ppg, and 27 of 36 (75%) averaged less than 7.5 ppg. For that matter five of every six (83.3%) averaged in single digits in scoring, while only one in six (16.7%) averaged as many as 10.0 ppg.

The stats for rebounding are not better. Only one of these three dozen players – Cincinnati’s John Williamson – averaged more than 6.0 rebounds per game (7.3 rpg). Plus, only three other junior college transfers – Mississippi’s Kenny Williams (5.7 rpg), Georgia’s Takais Brown (5.6 rpg), and Cincy’s Marcus Sikes (5.0 rpg) averaged 5.0 rpg or higher.

What about assists? Same story: only one player – Iowa State’s Michael Taylor – averaged over 4.0 assists per game (4.5 apg), and only one other – Cincy’s Jamual Warren – averaged over 3.0 apg (3.2 apg).

It’s hard to decide in which of these three statistical categories the junior college transfers fared the worst. The overall stats are, to borrow from a typical Simon Cowell assessment of an underwhelming performance, pathetic.

Still, a few of these individuals did have decent seasons. If I had to pick the Top 10 incoming junior college players in these six conferences, I’d rank them as follows:

1. Michael Taylor (Iowa State): 32.9 mpg, 16.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.5 apg;
2. John Williamson (Cincinnati): 30.9 mpg, 13.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg;
3. Takais Brown (Georgia): 28.3 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg;
4. Mykal Riley (Alabama): 30.6 mpg, 12.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg;
5. Sonny Weems (Arkansas): 31.0 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg;
6. Avery Patterson* (St. John’s): 29.2 mpg, 10.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg;
7. Marcus Sikes (Cincinnati): 29.3 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg;
8. Charlie Burgess (Texas Tech): 31.0 mpg, 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg;
9. Jamual Warren (Cincinnati): 29.2 mpg, 8.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg;
10. Kenny Williams (Mississippi): 22.2 mpg, 7.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg.

* Patterson has announced he is transferring from St. John’s.

Remember, these are probably the most productive of this past season’s incoming juco crop. The bottom line is that the odds of getting a productive junior college transfer are slim, to say the least, at least at a school in one of the top six conferences. In other words, fans shouldn’t get too excited the next couple of months if their head coach announces the signing of an incoming recruit or two from the junior college ranks.

Suspensions and a key injury on Wednesday

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:16:06 -0800

With a slate full of games from the Big Ten and Big East, you'd expect to only have to concentrate on scores Wednesday night. Well, that all went out the window when Boston College announced that center Sean Williams and forward Akida McLain were dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. Further details should be released in the coming days, but going into Littlejohn Coliseum to face an angry group of Clemson Tigers shorthanded is not a good way to spend your Saturday. The dismissed pair have been in Coach Al Skinenr's doghouse in the past for behavioral reasons, having missed games the past two seasons as a result. Those transgressions were taken care of at the beginning of each season, however, and that's what makes this episode all the more surprising. Williams, who was leading the ACC in blocks, is clearly the bigger loss of the two. McLain, due to suspension and an ankle injury, played sparingly in his handful of games played. Jared Dudley is still dealing with a stress fracture in his left foot, so a heavier workload is not what he needs right now. Shomari Spears, who some compared to former Eagle Craig Smith, will need to show that those comparisons were justified if the Eagles are to go back to the NCAA Tournament. With the lack of depth inside, there is a silver lining for BC. With the ACC performing as well as it has to this point in the season, there will be plenty of chances for quality wins. But this will be an uphill battle for a team that wasn't deep to begin with. As for the injury, look to Seton Hall's 69-68 win over Providence. Less than two minutes into the game, senior center Grant Billmeier was lost for the game to a left knee injury suffered while trying to defend a Herbert Hill dunk. Although John Garcia played nine inspiring minutes and scored six points, it remains to be seen how effective he can be on his left knee that still isn't 100%. Thursday will be a tense day on the South Orange campus, with fans awaiting both the latest on Billmeier's injury and whether or not Garcia experienced any soreness in his left knee. Unfortunately for the Pirates, Georgetown comes calling on Friday night, and the Hoyas may be the biggest team that the Hall faces all season. Worst case scenario would leave the Pirates with Stan Gaines and pretty much no one else in the paint (it doesn't look like Mani Messy will be looked to for major minutes this season). The game of the night on Wednesday, besides the Pirates and the Friars? How about Cincinnati and Syracuse. The first half went as many would have expected, with the Orange dominating play, but the Bearcats stormed back and even had the lead in the final minute. Only to foul Eric Devendorf with 16 seconds remaining. His free throws game Syracuse the game 77-76, but Cincinnati's Marcus Sikes put on a show from behind the arc. Sikes hit eight three pointers, but couldn't prevent UC's fifth straight loss, their longest losing skid in nineteen years. In the Colonial, don't look now but George Mason has won four straight league games after starting 0-3. The Patriots beat William & Mary last night, exacting revenge for a loss to the Tribe two weeks ago. Funny how things can change in conference play; two weeks ago William & Mary was one of the surprises in the leage and we were all asking what was wrong with GMU. Now the Patriots have passed the Tribe in the standings and can make up more ground with their next two games at home against Northeastern and league-leading Virginia Commonwealth. As for the VCU Rams, first-year head coach Anthony Grant won't get many votes for national coach of the year, but he's taken a good team that went 19-10 last season and turned them into a 15-3 team that people have to respect as a viable threat to win the CAA. We've all talked about Mason, Hofstra and Drexel, but it's time to give the Rams their due. Lastly, here are a couple of games to pay soem attention to on Thursday: - Pennsylvania @ La Salle: Big 5 rivalry. - Fairleigh Dickinson @ Central Connecticut St.: A big game between two of the top teams in the NEC. - Hartford @ UMBC: Two teams once at the top of America East look to hold onto any hope of competing at the top of the league.

Big East: Changing of the Guard

Eric Silver — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 10:43:23 -0800

Even the most rabid ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10, or SEC fans would have to admit that no conference lost as many talented guards from the 2006-2006 season as the Big East. Four Big East guards – Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry of Villanova, Quincy Douby of Rutgers, and Marcus Williams of Connecticut – were selected in the first round of the NBA draft, while a fifth – Connecticut’s Denham Brown – was taken in the second round. Two other high-profile Big East guards – Notre Dame’s Chris Quinn and Villanova’s Allan Ray – made NBA rosters this year as free agents.

Besides those seven backcourt talents, other quality guards also completed their Big East careers last spring. Gone are Syracuse’s Gerry McNamara, Louisville’s Taquan Dean, Providence’s Donnie McGrath, Seton Hall’s Donald Copeland, Pittsburgh’s Carl Krauser, Georgetown’s Ashanti Cook, West Virginia’s J. D. Collins, Joe Herber, and Patrick Beilein, South Florida’s James Holmes, Connecticut’s Rashad Anderson, and Cincinnati’s Jihad Muhammed and Devan Downey (who transferred). Overall, at least 20 quality guards no longer grace conference campuses.

Still, there’s no need to weep for Big East coaches or fans. A number of excellent guards returned and have stepped up their games. Additionally, quite a few newcomers have entered the conference and have admirably stepped in for those who have departed.

Here’s a look at 16 backcourt players new to the conference that have stepped in and contributed so far in the non-conference season. All stats are through December 31.

Cincinnati: Gone are Jihad Muhammed (10.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.2 apg) and member of the all-rookie team Devan Downey (11.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.3 apg), who transferred, and Armien Kirkland (9.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.1 apg) who missed the second half of the season due to injury. In my Big East pre-season preview, I wrote,

“Regardless of which one (Deonte Vaughn or Tim Crowell) eventually earns the bulk of the playing time, there's not a snowball's chance in Southern Ohio that he'll produce anything even close to what last year’s star freshman, Devan Downey, would have provided this year had he returned.”

So much for predictions! Freshman Deonte Vaughn may be the most impressive – and the most surprising – member of the Class of 2006 so far. He is averaging 14.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 4.5 apg with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.9/1.0. He had 25 points and 9 assists against North Carolina State and 24 points and 5 rebounds against Xavier, as well as 33 points and 6 assists against Wofford. At this point Vaughn is a shoo-in for the all-rookie team and a legitimate candidate for ROY. Devan Who?

Junior college transfer Jamual Warren’s stats are nearly identical to Muhammed’s stats a year ago. The 6’2” combo guard is averaging 9.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.8 apg. In his last eight games – after going scoreless in his two previous games – Warren has scored in double figures six times and nine points the other two times for an average of 12.6 ppg. He had 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists against Temple, 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists against Xavier, and 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists against Miami (Ohio). Though he’s shooting only 39% from the field and 17.1% on three-pointers, he’s already proven to be a capable replacement for Muhammed.

Conncecticut: Gone are first-round NBA draft choice Marcus Williams (12.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 8.6 apg), second-round pick Denham Brown (10.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg), and sharpshooting sixth man Rashad Anderson (12.8 ppg on 40.7% three-point shooting).

Though he’s a red-shirt sophomore, A. J. Price (#24 on RSCI for Class of 2004) never played a game at UConn until this year, so he is technically “stepping in,” not “stepping up.” Either way, he is averaging 12.8 ppg and 5.4 apg with an assist/turnover ration of 2.3/1.0, (fourth in the conference). He has definitely done an admirable job so far though UConn’s non-conference schedule was basically a tiptoe through the tulips.

Freshman Jerome Dyson was highly-touted (#36 on RSCI), and he has not disappointed. He is averaging 13.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg and has a very respectable assist/turnover ratio of 1.4/1.0. He is also earning a name for himself as an excellent defender and is averaging an impressive 2.4 steals per game. He has a reputation as a very good long-range shooter though he’s only hitting 29.5 % on treys at this point. Still, like Vaughn at Cincy, barring injury he’s a lock to make the all-rookie team.

Another freshman, Doug Wiggins (#55 on RSCI), has played well off the bench for Coach Jim Calhoun. He is averaging 8.8 ppg in only 18.4 mpg and is also shooting 41.2% from long range. Perhaps more significantly, in his last seven games, Wiggins has averaged 13.6 ppg and has made 13 of 24 three-pointers (58.3%). If he can come even close to continuing that kind of shooting, he will see considerable playing time for the Huskies, especially when they play a three-guard lineup.

DePaul: The Demons did not lose any backcourt players from last season.

Freshman Will Walker is not “stepping in” for someone who left as much as he’s taken minutes from last year’s starting point guard, Jabari Currie (from 22.2 mpg to 15.4 mpg) and back up Cliff Clinkscales (19.9 mpg to 11.9 mpg). He’s also gotten more playing time (22.2 mpg) than sixth man, Draelon Burns, who averaged 23.1 mpg last season but 21.0 mpg this year. Walker takes excellent care of the basketball. In his last 12 games (through Northwestern State) he had only four turnovers in 281 minutes, a phenomenal accomplishment. For the season, he has an assist/turnover ratio of 2.7/1.0. In short, Walker has upgraded the Demons’ backcourt.

Louisville: The Cardinals lost leading scorer Taquan Dean (16.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg). They have also had two returning guards, senior Brandon Jenkins and sophomore Andre McGee, battle injuries that have limited their playing time.

Freshman point guard Edgar Sosa (#55 on RSCI), who figured to split time with McGee, has been thrust into the starting spot and has responded admirably. He is averaging 11.1 ppg and 2.9 apg and is shooting a solid 42.7% from behind the arc in 24.7 mpg. He had 22 points and five assists against Ohio and 18 points and 8 assists in a recent game against San Francisco. Even when McGee is ready to return, he may find himself coming off the bench as a back-up to Sosa.

Another freshman, Jerry Smith (#45 on the RSCI), has been inconsistent but has shown flashes of his tremendous talent. He is averaging 9.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg in only 21.2 mpg. He is shooting 47.9% from the field, 50% from behind the arc, and 82.6% from the line. Against ACC foe Miami, Smith had a monster game with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes. He has worked himself into the starting lineup ahead of Jenkins, who apparently is still not quite a 100%. Whether he continues to start or comes off the bench, Smith will be a key figure for Coach Rick Pitino this season.

Marquette: Part-time starter Joe Chapman (6.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, and 1.5 apg in 22.5 mpg) was a steady outside shooter (39.6% on treys) and had a solid assist/turnover ratio of 2.4/1.0.

Freshman David Cubillan (Eugene Harvey’s backcourt partner at St. Benedicts in New Jersey) has given Marquette a quality back-up behind Dominic James at point guard. The relatively unheralded Venezuelan native is averaging 5.0 ppg and 2.0 apg in 19.1 mpg. He has been Marquette’s best three-point shooter (48.7%) and has an outstanding assist/turnover ratio of 2.7/1.0. He has also turned heads with his aggressive on-ball defense. He has become a key figure in Coach Tom Crean’s four-man rotation through MU’s three guard line up

Notre Dame: Point guard Chris Quinn, (17.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 41.9% three-point shooting, and 2.4/1.0 assist/turnover ratio) is now playing for pay in the NBA with the Miami Heat. No single individual could come in to South Bend this year and replace Quinn’s stats or his importance to the Irish.

However, lightning quick freshman point guard Tory Jackson has done a respectable job coming off the bench so far this season, and, with the recent suspension of sophomore Kyle McAlarney, will have to take on a significantly greater share of the load for Coach Mike Brey. Jackson is averaging 4.8 ppg and 2.0 apg in 16.6 mpg. He is definitely not the shooter Quinn was (only 3 of 17 – 17.6% - so far this season). And he has to improve his assist/turnover ratio of 1.1/1.0. Still, he has a bright future in South Bend as he gives Notre Dame much-needed speed and quickness on both ends of the court.

Seton Hall: A year ago point guard Donald Copeland (16.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) was probably the key to the Pirates’ surprisingly successful season. He led Seton Hall in three-point shooting (39.2%) and had a solid assist/turnover ratio of 1.9/1.0.

Coach Bobby Gonzalez knew he had to find someone to run the show in his first season as the Pirates’ head man. He brought in the ideal replacement for Copeland in Eugene Harvey (#73 on RSCI), who is averaging 15.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 5.3 apg. Though not a perimeter threat (only 2 of 14 on treys through 11 games), Harvey can get to the rim and has a solid mid-range game (48% field goal percentage). He has scored 18 points or more in six of his 12 games with a high of 27 against Penn State. He has also done an excellent job of taking care of the basketball as his assist/turnover ratio of 2.0/1.0 illustrates. Harvey has had as fine a non-conference season as any other freshman in the conference and should find himself in contention for league ROY.

South Florida: The Bulls lost leading scorer James Holmes (16.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg) from last year’s squad. With virtually no other proven backcourt scoring threat returning this year, USF needed someone to put some points on the board.

Freshman Solomon Bozeman has been, along with Vaughn at Cincinnati, probably the biggest surprise among this year’s cast of conference newcomers. A relative unknown, Bozeman is averaging 13.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and an impressive 5.0 apg. In a recent game against ACC opponent Wake Forest, the 6’0” point guard had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. He has scored in double figures in 10 of the Bulls’ 13 games. He excels at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line as he’s taken a remarkable total of 107 free throws (8.2 attempts/game) and has made 88.9% of them. He’s also done a decent job of taking care of the ball as he has an assist/turnover ratio of 1.3/1.0.

The recent addition of Arizona transfer Jesus Verdejo at the start of second semester will also help South Florida put points on the board. Through his first seven games, the 6’4” junior has averaged 11.9 ppg in 28.6 mpg. He is shooting 38.3% from behind the arc, providing another outside threat besides Melvin Buckley. He scored 15 points against Wake Forest and 14 against UNLV, indications that he can put the ball in the hoop against decent competition.

St. John’s: Like DePaul, the Red Storm didn’t lose either of their starting guards from a year ago. However, they did pick up a junior college transfer who has earned a spot in the starting lineup this season.

Shooting guard Avery Patterson is the second leading scorer at 13.8 ppg (behind Lamont Hamilton’s 13.9 ppg). As important as the points themselves is how he gets them – from the perimeter. He has become Coach Norm Roberts’ primary threat from behind the arc (37.5%). He’s also hitting 81.5% of his free throws. However, he has to become more consistent. He’s had four games in the 20s, four in the teens, and five in single digits. The bottom line, however, is that he has played well enough for Roberts to have senior Daryll Hill come off the bench.

Syracuse: Last spring, Orange fans bade adieu to four-year starter Gerry McNamara (16.0 ppg and 5.9 apg), who practically willed Syracuse to the conference tournament championship last season. As good as McNamara was, however, his replacement may be even better.

Freshman Paul Harris was the most highly-regarded recruit (#23 on RSCI) entering the conference this season. The 6’4” perimeter player brings tremendous athleticism, as well as a competitive intensity to Coach Jim Boeheim’s squad. Though not a starter, he has earned starters’ minutes. He is averaging 11.3 ppg and an extremely impressive 7.3 rpg. He doesn’t possess McNamara’s perimeter shooting touch as he’s made only one three-pointer in 16 attempts, but he is a potentially prolific scorer. Inside the arc he’s shooting 54.3%. He’s scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games and has reached at least eight rebounds in a game seven times. Harris was the pre-season pick as Big East Rookie of the Year, an award he may still very well win.

Villanova: No team in the country lost more in the backcourt from last year than the Wildcats. Now playing for pay are Randy Foye (20.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg), Allan Ray (18.5 ppg), and Kyle Lowry (11.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.7 apg).

Freshman combo guard Scottie Reynolds (#37 on RSCI) certainly can not replace these three stars, but he’s already displayed the talent to become a future force in Coach Jay Wright’s program. He’s averaging 8.1 ppg and a solid 4.3 apg in 23.3 mpg. However, breaking down his stats into the first six games and the next six games reveals how much he has improved already. He averaged 7.1 ppg and 3.0 apg during six games in November, then raised those stats to 9.0 ppg and 5.5 apg in December, highlighted by a 12-point, 9-rebound game against Temple. On a team with three senior starters, including multi-talented Curtis Sumpter and sharpshooting guard Michael Nardi, Reynolds will not be one of the primary options on offense. Still, he is a key figure in Villanova’s quest for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The 16 players listed above may not make fans of their respective teams forget those who came before them. However, when these “newcomers” are seniors, those same fans may be wondering how their teams will possibly replace these quality backcourt players.