GW

State of '08: District of Columbia

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:58:57 -0700

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: District of Columbia For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

WASHINGTON D.C.

GEORGETOWN - Perhaps no region has a more distinct hierarchy than our nation's capital. Georgetown, coming off two Top 10 RPI seasons has been rejuvenated under JT3, and the future looks as bright as its been in years.

GEORGE WASHINGTON - Last season was a serious downer considering how well the program had been rolling along under Karl Hobbs. The Colonials had reached three NCAA Tournaments in a row, and also made the NIT in 2004. While you have to expect improvement from last year's dismal 9-17 record, the postseason will probably be out of reach.

AMERICAN - From 1999 to 2001, American won just 22 D1 games combined. But Jeff Jones has quietly built American into a Patriot League contender, and last year's Tourney berth was the culmination of years of work. The Eagles are once again the conference favorites and could improve on last year's 10-4 league record.

HOWARD - In the last five years, Howard has been simply atrocious.. in fact they haven't been above 320 in the RPI in that span. I'm not sure if any other team can match that mark of futility. 2007 actually had promise, but the Bison lost a whole bunch of close games. Fourth year coach Gil Jackson has some work to do if he wants to keep his job.

Last: Connecticut - Next: Florida

State of '08: The Introduction

2008-09 George Washington Basketball Preview: #113

Joel Welser — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:51:41 -0700

George Washington Colonials

Overall Rank: #113

Conference Rank: #9 Atlantic 10

2007-08: 9-17, 5-11, 13^th

2007-08 postseason: none

By George Washington standards, or pretty much anybody’s standards, the 2007-2008 season was horrible. Now the question is whether the 9-17 record is a sign of things to come or will the Colonials quickly revert back to their successful ways of the recent past? There are plenty of excuses as to why the team took such a huge step back, most notably the injury to Travis King and the distraction of anointed star Maureece Rice, but are they ready to jump back into the race for an A-10 championship? Probably not yet, but they are a lot closer to becoming a serious contender than their record would indicate.

Who’s Out:

Two years ago Rice averaged nearly 16 points per game and big things were expected from him in the future. Last year he was a distraction and ended up being dismissed from the team after a few suspensions. He still averaged 9.2 points per game in the 22 contests he played in, but all the hoopla was not worth any on-court production. Dominic Green and Keri Gonsalves were the only two seniors on the roster by the end of the year, but neither played a big role on the team. The bigger losses were the off-season dismissals of Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty. Moore had the potential to develop into a solid scorer around the basket and Beatty never really got the opportunity to show his stuff playing in just 14 games as a freshman.

Who’s In:

The most important addition, if you will, is the return of Travis King. King averaged 5.7 points and 2.4 assists two years ago as a freshman and was expected to take over the point guard duties from Carl Elliott last season. Instead, he busted his knee in August and was out for the year. King is expected to be fully healthy by the time the season starts, but it has been a while since he has played competitive basketball. The Colonials will not be stuck without a point guard again this year as incoming freshman Tony Taylor will add some much, much needed depth to the position. Matt Allbritton will likely need some time to adjust to the level of play, but he has good size for a shooting guard and can hit the outside shot with consistency. Add athletic wings Aaron Ware and Dwayne Smith to the bunch and the team will have no problem finding quality depth in the backcourt and some good starters in the years to come.

Who to Watch:

In the meantime, it will be the frontcourt that carries the hopes of the Colonials. Rob Diggs will once again lead the way after averaging 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks last year. The 6-8 senior has slowly improved during his time in the nation’s capital and that should not change this year. With Wynton Witherspoon and Damian Hollis joining him in the frontcourt, Coach Karl Hobbs has a very dangerous and versatile group. Witherspoon is a solid slasher and the only other player to average double figures in scoring during the debacle that was the 2007-2008 season. Witherspoon can hit the outside shot, but he should not take as many as he does. The moving back of the three-point line should fix that little issue pretty quick. Hollis is no stranger to the deep side of the arc either. But, like Witherspoon, Hollis’ strength is using his quickness and size to get to the basket. If he can improve his defense, Hollis will be a great all-around player.

Final Projection:

With Witherspoon and Hollis, the team has its slashers. Diggs provides the presence in the paint and King should be able to effectively run the show. That leaves GW missing just one thing…a shooter. Noel Wilmore fits the bill. As a junior last year Wilmore averaged 6.0 points per game and nearly all those points came from beyond the arc. It would be nice if Wilmore could mix in the threat of scoring in other ways, but at least he fills the teams’ need on the perimeter. Sophomore Xavier Alexander started 14 games last year, but he is more in the mold of Witherspoon and has yet to prove that he can consistently knock down the outside shot. As long as one of the newcomers can be a shooter off the bench this year, George Washington will have enough weapons to make things interesting. An NCAA berth would still be a stretch, but a postseason tournament of another kind would not be.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Travis King, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Noel Wilmore, Senior, Guard, 6.9 points per game

Damian Hollis, Junior, Forward, 9.1 points per game

Wynton Witherspoon, Senior, Forward, 11.0 points per game

Rob Diggs, Senior, Forward, 13.9 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For in 08-09: Part One

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:57:20 -0700

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

America East: Maine

2007-08 Record: 7-23 (3-13)

With their top three scorers from last season all returning (as tri-captains no less), I think the Black Bears have a chance to make a move up the America East standings. Mark Socoby, mid-season transfer Kaimondre Owes and Junior Bernal will lead the way for head coach Ted Woodward next season, giving Maine a three-pronged attack on the perimeter. Their ascension up the standings will depend on what they can get from the frontcourt, most notably Phil Tchekane Bofia and Sean McNally. I’d say a move to the middle of the pack at least from Maine, but a title? Maybe a little premature on that, but you never know.

ACC: Wake Forest

2007-08 Record: 17-13 (7-9)

Not like this pick is a surprise, but the combination of a highly-touted recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu and returnees such as Ish Smith, James Johnson and Chas McFarland could mean a top-four finish in the ACC for Dino Gaudio’s Demon Deacons. They weren’t too far off this season either, with five of their nine league losses being by seven points or less. And given the muddled picture that was the middle of the ACC standings last season, snatching a first-round bye in the 2009 ACC Tournament certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (5-11)

Even with two of their top four scorers out of eligibility (Reggie Bishop and Jake Wohlfeil), the Camels have a good shot at improving their 5-11 league record. Only provisional members USC Upstate and North Florida were below them in the standings (Upstate actually had five wins as well), and Florida Gulf Coast had one more conference win. But they do return forward Jonathan Rodriguez, who averaged twenty points per game on his way to snatching up Mid-Major All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com. And with the solid recruiting class being brought in by head coach Robbie Laing, Campbell should have the tools necessary to make a move in the A-Sun.

Atlantic 10: George Washington

2007-08 Record: 9-17 (5-11)

I don’t think there’s any way the Colonials can be as bad as they were in 2007-08. From an Atlantic 10 Tournament title to not even reaching the conference tournament, GW couldn’t continue the momentum. Even with three players gone (Maureece Rice to graduation; Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty were dismissed on Wednesday by head coach Karl Hobbs) from last year’s team, the Colonials could make a move up the standings with many of the teams ahead of them going through roster turnover as well. Whether or not they get to the middle of the A-10 pecking order will depend on who becomes their go-to guy on the offensive end of the floor. But they should be a balanced group, which may work out just as well for the Colonials.

Big East: Providence

2007-08 Record: 15-16 (6-12)

Another season of underachievement led to the departure of longtime head coach Tim Welsh, who was replaced by National Coach of the Year Keno Davis last month. Just as important a development for the Friars may be the return of guard Sharaud Curry, who was a medical redshirt last season. As seen with Drake last season, Coach Davis puts a high value on perimeter players who can shoot the ball from the perimeter. Guard Dwain Williams has received permission to talk to other schools, but even with his loss the Friars should be well-stocked on the outside with the likes of Curry, Weyenmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier.

And don’t forget about jack-of-all-trades Geoff McDermott and pivot Randall Hanke. The hype for this team won’t reach what it was a couple seasons ago, when a team featuring Ryan Gomes thought to be a player in the Big East didn’t even reach .500, but they will be good. The question is just how far they can go in a loaded Big East.

Big Sky: Eastern Washington

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (6-10)

Last season was indeed a tough one for the Eagle program. Head coach Kirk Earlywine didn’t get the job until late June, and under his command was a nine-man roster featuring six players with no previous Division I playing experience. While they didn’t qualify for the Big Sky Tournament in 2007-08, six of their ten conference losses were by five points or less. Granted, replacing an all-conference player like Kellen Williams will have an effect, the four transfers who sat out last season along with the returning experience should make for a better season in Cheney, Washington.

Big South: Charleston Southern

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-10)

With the return of rising sophomores Omar Carter (Big South Freshman of the Year) and Jamarco Warren (member of the Big South’s All-Freshman Team), the Buccaneers should be a good bet to improve their last place finish of a year ago. Guard Chris Moore has graduated, but he’s the only loss of note for head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has also signed a solid recruiting class. Guard Jaden Isler (Clovis, NM) could fit right into the guard slot left open by Moore’s departure, and the other three commits are no slouches either. Competing for the conference title may be a year away, but some of the teams who finished ahead of them in the standings last season have taken on some key losses due to graduation.

Big Ten: Illinois

2007-08 Record: 16-19 (5-13)

Once Eric Gordon decided to head to Indiana instead of Illinois, things went downhill for Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini. With the cornerstone of last year’s recruiting class gone, Illinois scuffled on the offensive end of the floor, but the fight was still there as this group was a mere forty minutes away from an NCAA Tournament berth. Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle are both out of eligibility, but every other key contributor from last season is slated to return, along with three newcomers. Stan Simpson was a standout performer at Chicago Simeon, and Coach Weber also received a commitment from Top-20 junior college talent Dominique Keller. After the first semester, Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will also be eligible. I don’t see this team losing thirteen conference games again this season.

Part Two tomorrow: Big 12, CUSA, Horizon, etc

2007-08 George Washington Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:23:31 -0700

George Washington Colonials

Overall Rank: #118

Conference Rank: #9 A-10

2006-07: 23-9, 11-5, 3^rd

2006-07 postseason: NCAA Tournament

With Maureece Rice opting not to enter the NBA, George Washington will be competitive once again in a deep and talented Atlantic 10. Rice, who led the team with 15.8 points per game, is the next in line of talented guards to suit up for the Colonials. This year it is his team, but the talent level around him has taken a hit compared to the last few years.

Who’s Out:

George Washington and Coach Karl Hobbs only lose three players, but they are three important players. Carl Elliott averaged 12.9 points, 4.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds during his senior campaign. He was the leader on the floor and now that role will be taken over by Rice. Finding a perimeter scorer to compliment Rice is now the big concern. Regis Koundjia and Dokun Akingbade were often overshadowed by their perimeter counterparts, but the forwards were important to the success of the team. Koundjia was a decent scorer and could step outside and hit the mid-range jumper. Akingbade was the best rebounder on the team and a quality scoring option in the paint.

Who’s In:

GW has very little experienced depth heading into 2007-2008. The addition of Wynton Witherspoon certainly helps. The lanky forward started ten games for Virginia Tech in 2005-2006 and averaged 6.3 points per game. He is truly a small forward, but with a wealth of talent on the wings, Witherspoon could end up spending some time at the four spot. Center Jabari Edwards can contribute on the defensive end this year. His shot blocking skills are well developed, but his 6-10 frame could use a little more meat. The offense will need some time to come around, but Edwards should supply some solid numbers before his collegiate career comes to an end. Small forward Xavier Alexander could develop into a recruiting steal for the Colonials. The 6-6 wing is a great athlete and a consistent scorer. He most likely will not start a game as a freshman, but will be a spark off the bench. Miles Beatty might just be the best incoming freshman of the class. The 6-2 combo guard is a smart player and, on a mental level, is ready to play in the A-10. His physical tools are not far behind and he will be a good option off the bench.

Who to Watch:

It is due to players like Travis King, Damian Hollis and Noel Wilmore that will keep the talented perimeter newcomers on the bench. King played an important role last year running the point behind Elliott. This year, he will be the main option. The 6-2 sophomore showed plenty of potential as a freshman and will do a little bit of scoring. Yet, compared to the man he is replacing, King will appear to be a disappointment. Noel Wilmore has been relegated to the bench due to the talent in front of him and that will not change this year. However, Wilmore, now a junior, still has the potential to develop into a more effective scorer. At 6-8, Damian Hollis adds some size to the perimeter. He was a little reluctant to shoot during his freshman season, but the team did not need him to do much scoring either. That may change now and Hollis can utilize his size and speed to become a prolific scorer.

Final Projection:

Rob Diggs is really a power forward, but he will have to play at the five spot. The 6-8 junior is a little slim to battle in the paint, but George Washington has dealt with that problem for a while and will still be effective. With a little more strength Diggs, who averaged 10.5 points in 2006-2007, could become a more effective rebounder. Without Koundjia and Akingbade, it will be imperative that Diggs picks up some of the slack on the glass. Cheyenne Moore, a 6-5 small forward, is a quality player when healthy. However, he will not help much on the glass, where GW could use it most. Moore, who spent some time at Clemson, was a top 100 recruit by many services coming out of high school, but has yet to come close to living up to his potential. Coach Hobbs continues to bring in talent, but this year’s group lacks experience and depth. In a drastically improved conference, that spells trouble for GW…but it will not last too long.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Travis King, Sophomore, Guard, 5.7 points per game

Maureece Rice, Senior, Guard, 15.8 points per game

Damian Hollis, Sophomore, Guard, 5.7 points per game

Wynton Witherspoon, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Rob Diggs, Junior, Forward, 10.5 points per game

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

Daily Dribble: Saturday's Top 20 Stars

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 21:59:08 -0800

Here it is.. the list you've all been waiting for, the Top 20 stars of Saturday's college basketball action. You'll notice there's only 18 listings, because 2 pairs of teammates are stuck together on the list.. 1. Shan Foster/Derrick Byars - Vanderbilt - 24 points each in he huge win over #1 Florida. Byars also added 8 assists for good measure. 2. Carl Elliott - George Washington - The senior guard had the first triple-double in GW's history. He scored 17, had 12 boards, and added 11 assists in a league win over Temple. 3. Brook Lopez - Stanford - The Cardinals beat up on tumbling Oregon behind 26 and 10 boards from Lopez. It was the heralded twin's best career game, and he also added a couple of blocks. 4. Jeff Green - Georgetown - The Hoyas are streaking, having won 9 straight, and Green is the biggest reason why. He scored 19 points and 10 boards in a road win at Villanova, and even hit the game-winning shot. 5. Joey Dorsey - Memphis - Without Heytvelt, Gonzaga was no match for Dorsey on the inside. The junior forward ended up with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the Tigers overtime win. 6. Al Thornton - FSU - Had his team won, Thornton might have been #1 on today's top stars list. But his monster 30 points and 16 boards weren't enough to stop the Noles from losing their 4 straight game. 7. Darren Collison - UCLA - Collison dished out a career-best 15 assists in the Bruins win at Arizona. The loss was Arizon'a 2nd worst ever at home (behind UNC a couple weeks back).. and Collison was a big reason why. The sophomore guard also added 17 points.. and oh, he had just 2 turnovers compared to all those assists. 8. Patrick Christoper - California - Up until this week, Christoper was a little used freshman guard. But after scoring 16 in an upset win over ranked Oregon, Christopher scored 24 points and added 10 boards in Cal's win over Oregon State. Note bad for a guy averaging 4 ppg coming into the week. 9. Jeremy Crouch - Bradley - Crouch, who came into today's game at VCU shooting 49% from three, scored 22 points on a blistering 8 of 11 shooting. He hit 6 threes, and helped the Braves pick up a huge BracketBusters win. All the talk is about SIU, Creighton, and MSU making it from the Valley.. but the Braves are quietly positioning themselves on the Bubble. 10. Brad Jones - Wyoming - How do you like 32 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists? Jones ate up San Diego State to help snap the Cowboys 4-game losing streak. 11. Obie Nwadike - Central Connecticut State - Even though NEC-leading CCSU lost at Farleigh Dickinson, you can't blame it on Nwadike. The senior forward scored 27 points and 17 rebounds, and helped his chances of winning conference Player of the Year. 12. Ty Lawson - UNC - 13 points, 7 assists, 3 boards in UNC's win at #21 BC. The Heels are now tied with Virginia for first in the ACC. 13. Valdas Vasylius - Old Dominion - Coming off a monster 32 point, 10 board game over Hofstra, the Lithuanian forward scored 22 and added 10 boards today. The Monarchs beat to Toledo and have no won 9 straight games. 14. Ibrahim Jaaber/Mark Zoller - Arguably the Ivy League's best two players combined to score 49 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists in a win over Cornell. 15. Mark Tyndale - Temple - Overshadowed by Carl Elliott's triple-double and the fact that his team lost, Tyndale still deserves credit for scoring 33 points on 12-16 shooting. 16. Romeo Travis - Akron - Once a teammate of Lebron James, Travis is now Akron's best player. He scored 21 points and pulled down 11 boards in the Zips easy BracketBusters win over Austin Peay. The MAC's best team deserved a better opponent than Austin Peay at home. 17. Kevin Lisch - Saint Louis - The sophomore guard scored 24 points and added 7 rebounds in the Bills win over La Salle. 24 points doesn't seem monstrous, but it is considering SLU scored just 59 points and he hit 8 of their 21 free throws. 18. Derrick Caracter - Louisville - 14 points and 2 boards might not sound like much, but since the heralded freshman has returned to the lineup and been contributing, the Cardinals are 3-0 including wins at Marquette and Pittsburgh. - Keep on Dribbling -

Joel Knows: Sunday Review

Joel Welser — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 12:25:51 -0800

Does Joel know everything? Anything? Or does Joel simply know nothing? Find out every Sunday in Joel Welser’s new weekly column: Joel Knows.

Joel knows how to pronounce offense.

Joel knows that Connecticut will need a big win on the road to make the NCAAs. The best opportunity may come on Wednesday at DePaul. If the Huskies fail in Chicago, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Georgetown are the only other choices to pick up that elusive quality road victory. And we aren’t too far from looking at UConn not even making the Big East Tournament.

Joel knows February is the shortest month of the year for a reason.

Joel knows that just about everybody underestimated George Washington. After a road win at Rhode Island, the Colonials sit at 6-1 and the lone remaining one-loss team in the A-10. They might not end up winning the conference, or even making the NCAA Tournament, thanks to more talented teams like Umass and Xavier, but Coach Karl Hobbs and his GW squad deserve some kudos.

Joel knows Michigan is on the verge of collapse.

Joel knows Air Force is still the best team in the MWC. BYU is not an easy team to beat at home and the Falcons’ 52-61 loss at the hands of the Cougars won’t stop Air Force from claiming the conference crown.

Joel knows that Drew Neitzel is freaky looking when he’s possessed.

Joel knows the MAC West has a lot of work to do. Toledo is a misleading 7-0, taking full advantage of an amazingly easy early schedule, but the directional Michigan schools, Ball State and Northern Illinois are all under .500 overall. Western Michigan is the only other team with a winning record in conference in the West, but got absolutely destroyed by Akron on Saturday to further escalate the East’s conference dominance.

Joel knows Penn should be clinching the first NCAA Tournament bid any day now.

Joel knows Utah Valley State will make a nice addition to whatever conference they end up with. The Wolverines are 13-7 on the season as an independent with wins over Montana, Albany and UMKC…twice. Sure, that doesn’t sound like an at-large resume, but it can compete in a conference like the Big Sky or Mid-Con.

UMASS Improves to 12-4 Against GW

Press Release — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

AMHERST, Mass. - Senior forward Stephane Lasme (Libreville, Gabon) became the 23rd player in NCAA history to post multiple triple-double performances in one season as he scored 23 points, hauled in 15 rebounds and blocked 11 shots to lead UMass to a 91-84 win over Atlantic 10 rival George Washington in the Mullins Center on Wednesday night. The Minutemen led by as many as 17 points in the second half before the Colonials went on a 20-to-4 run to pull back into the game.

The Minutemen improve to 12-4 overall, 2-0 in the Atlantic 10, while George Washington falls to 10-4 overall, 1-1 in the league. The win snapped an 18-game Atlantic 10 winning streak dating back to the 2004-05 season.

Lasme was UMass' go-to man in the second half as he had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots in the frame. Senior Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) scored 21 points, while Gary Forbes (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored 16 and James Life (Fort Myers, Fla.) scored 11 to round out the box score. Forbes hit a career-best 10-for-12 from the free throw line on the night.

Along with just becoming the 23rd player in NCAA history to post multiple triple-doubles in one season, he also became the first player in UMass history to accomplish the feat. Lasme joins several great names in NCAA and NBA history such as Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Jason Kidd, and Penny Hardaway.

After leading by nine points at halftime and going on a 11-to-3 run to start the second half, UMass led by 17 points when Life nailed a three-pointer from the right wing.

Cheyenne Moore drilled a three-pointer from the left wing to cap a 20-to-4 run for cutting the lead to one-point, 60-59, with 9:04 remaining. George Washington was paced in the run by six points from Maureece Rice and four points from Carl Elliott. Rice finished as the game's leading scorer with 30 points, while Elliott ended the night with 19 points.

The Minutemen extended their lead back to eight, 69-61, with 6:35 to play before the Colonials once again rallied to pull back within one point. Rice scored consecutive buckets before Carl Elliott hit a jumper to make the UMass lead 72-71 with 4:30 remaining.

The two teams nipped and tucked until the final minute as UMass was able to hold the Colonials at bay. The Minutemen shot well from the free throw line in the clutch once again hitting 8-for-10 from the stripe in the final 57 seconds.

UMass held firm control of the first half taking a 45-36 lead at intermission after shooting 57 percent from the field. Freeman tallied 13 points in the frame while Lasme, Brower and Life each scored eight.

The Minutemen started the game on a 19-to-8 run with Brower scoring all eight of his points in that stretch keyed by two three pointers. UMass hit seven of its first 10 shots in that run while holding the Colonials to just 4-for-13 from the field. George Washington finished the half shooting just 33 percent (12-of-36).

Lasme gave UMass its largest lead of the half, 41-27, on a lay-up with 4:37 to go in the period. The Colonials then went on a 7-0 run to pull within seven, 41-34. Lasme hit two free throws and then threw down a two-handed dunk to end the Minutemen's nearly four-minute scoreless drought.

UMass finished the game shooting 58.8 percent hitting 30-of-51 shots, while the Colonials shot just 39 percent (30-for-77). In the second half despite the big George Washington run, UMass shot nearly 62 percent from the field and over 70 percent from the free throw line (26-for-38 for the game).

- UMASS Media Relations -

Daily Dribble: 12/13

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:34:42 -0800

Its nice to see college athletics programs limiting games played during finals period.. its the only time of the year there's even a fake veil of caring about academics. Not all teams had the day off though.. Hofstra barely escaped with a 67-64 win over lowly Saint Francis (NY). Hofstra's bounced back from a dismal 0-3 start.. but mainly because they've now played 6 bad teams in a row. Wins over Alsaka Anchorage and 0-11 SFNY don't necessarily point to a big Hofstra turnaround as much as a big drop in quality of opponent. Things pick up again for the Pride as they now go on the road to face Syracuse, Saint Joseph's, and UNCW in the next couple of weeks. I love keeping track of winless teams.. and SFNY is one of 4 left that hasn't beaten an opponent at any level. The other three are Southern, Iona, and Delaware. Usually, you figure the winless teams will come from the Independents, SWAC, or MEAC, but its odd that 3 of the 4 teams are from established Northeast leagues. Philly legend Maureece Rice scored 22 points in GW's easy win over UMBC. The Colonials were left for dead following mass off-season departures by Hall, Mensah-Bonsu, Pinnock, etc. But the backcourt of Carl Elliott and Rice has helped GW improve to 7-2. The big surprise for GW hasn't been their backcourt, but the play of sophomore Rob Diggs. Diggs was a last resort on the bench last year, but is now averaging 13 points and 6 boards per game. Texas A&M and Nevada were the lone ranked teams active on Monday night. #13 rolled to an easy 23 point win over Fordham. Nevada, coming off their first loss of the season, is up 7 at the half while I'm writing this. I'm not going to lie.. I like offense. Defense might win games.. blah, blah, blah.. but offense is fun. I'd like to salute the 4 teams that are averaging over 90 ppg so far. VMI has been lighting up the scoreboards to the whopping tune of 102 points per game. That's my type of team. Reggie Williams leads the Keydets with 26 points per game. This is about 25% of his teams points.. so if you figure the average college team scores 70 per game, his 26 is equivalent to 17.5 per game on a normal team. Morris Almond, leading the country in scoring at 30 per game for Rice, puts in 40% of his teams points. Perhaps on VMI then, we could infer that he'd score 40 per game.. Behind VMI, the other 90+ teams are Houston, Georgia, and North Carolina who average between 90 and 92 per game. Unlike other sports where you think of the top teams as being the best defensive teams, there's often a correlation in basketball between good offense and a good record. The top 20 scoring teams (out of 330+ in D1) feature some of the best teams. Besides UNC, other Top 25ish teams in this zone are Arizona, Washington, Florida, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, and Georgia Tech. The point is that if you want to be really good in college basketball.. its best not to follow the Princeton pattern, but to take some pointers from VMI. - The family that Dribbles together, stays together -

Top 10 Coaches in the Atlantic 10

Nick Fasulo — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:43:02 -0800

Writing this article only a year ago, it would only be natural to rate John Chaney as the premier coach in the Atlantic 10. But after 24 seasons, Chaney left his position that will be filled this year by Fran Dunphy (perhaps a member of this list next year).

In a conference that many coaches use as a stepping-stone to larger schools and larger contracts, there are still some well tenured and exceptional coaches in the Atlantic 10.

#1 Phil Martelli (St. Joesph’s)

When Martelli led his Hawks on a magical run during the 2003-2004 season, the entire college basketball world seemed to embrace Martelli and his ability to remain cool, calm and collected with all the national attention this small Jesuit school was receiving.

Martelli is a very passionate coach and fights for his players. During that seasons Selection Sunday, he angrily refuted analyst Billy Packer’s belief on air that St. Joe’s really wasn’t that good and despite only one loss, were not deserving of their No. 1 seed. Martelli asked Packer to suit up himself and see how tough he team was. His team responded by advancing one game short of the Final Four, proving to everyone that they were the real deal.

In 11 seasons at St. Joes, he has posted a 222-135 record, been voted as the Atlantic 10 Coach of the year four times (2005, 2004, 2001, 1997), and was National Coach of the Year for the 2003-2004 season.

#2 Bobby Lutz (Charlotte)

While Lutz is new to the A-10, he has posted impressive numbers since taking over the 49ers in 1998. His team has been a part of post season play in all but one season, including five appearances in the big dance.

Lutz has also won two Conference USA tournament championships and one regular season title in 2003-2004; and this is before the Big East ransacked the conference and made it fairly non-competitive.

His consistency as a coach has constantly put him on lists for coaching vacancies in larger conferences. Nonetheless Lutz has remained in Charlotte, where this year he has a fairly inexperienced team with the exception of NBA prospect De’Angelo Alexander. Regardless, if past years are any indication, he should be able to conjure up another winning season.

#3 Karl Hobbs (George Washington)

In 2001 when Hobbs took over George Washington, there was a dark cloud hanging over the program. His predecessor, Tom Penders, was unsuccessful and there was speculation of a scandal. Since then, GW fans have enjoyed his intensity on the sidelines that seems to extend to his players on the court.

Last season was George Washington’s best. They went undefeated in the conference and Hobbs was the unanimous choice for A-10 Coach of the Year. Nearly all of their opponents were frustrated by the frenetic pace the Colonials played at on both ends of the floor, a trademark of Hobbs. This year will be challenging though as George Washington loses 60% of their offense from a year ago; but knowing Hobbs he’s excited to prove the critics wrong.

#4 Travis Ford (UMASS)

Probably the most intriguing team in the conference this year is led by the most intriguing coach in the conference this year. The former University of Kentucky guard is only 37 years old and seems to have a bright coaching future. He landed the UMASS job after turning around an Eastern Kentucky program that went from 7-19 in his first year, to 22-9 and an Ohio Valley Confrence championship in 2005.

Arguably with the best recruiting class in the conference coming into this season, it will be interesting to see if Ford stays at UMASS for the long run and tries to get the Minutemen back to where they were in the 90’s. His name will constantly come up for higher profile jobs and we will see how dedicated he is to this program.

#5 Sean Miller (Xavier)

When Thad Matta somewhat unexpectedly left Xavier in 2004 and went 100 miles north to Columbus to coach Ohio State, many called the promotion of then assistant coach Sean Miller a seamless transition. The word was that Miller was the brains behind much of Xavier’s game plans and Matta simply orchestrated the team during those 40 minutes when the ball was in play.

After two seasons at Xavier, the verdict is still out…somewhat.

There is no doubt Miller is passionate and knowledgeable about basketball and deserves the job, and he may very well be like past Xavier coaches who are highly sought after and jump to greener pastures after a few seasons.

This year will be huge for Miller’s reputation. The Musketeers return four starters plus transfer guard Drew Lavender and are expected to win the A-10.

Live up or exceed expectations and Miller will instantly be loved (like any head coach in sports). But if he fails to produce, Xavier fans will once again question his decisions.

#6 Dereck Whittenburg (Fordham)

In what was probably the most famous air-ball in college basketball history, Dereck Whittenburg is best known for his shot with seconds left in the 1983 NCAA Championship game that was put back by Lorenzo Charles at the buzzer to lift underdog NC State over powerhouse Houston.

Fast forward to 2006 and Whittenburg is slowly turning around a basketball program that has virtually been expected to lose year in and year out. Fordham has increased their season win total in each of his three seasons at the helm and the trend figures to continue this year.

Whittenburg has all-conference forward Bryant Dunston who is very versatile and will carry this year's Rams. Whittenburg’s main task will be to find players who compliment Dunston best. Fordham may be a year away from truly contending, but they should be in the mix this year, and if Whittenburg sticks around, for years to come.

#7 Brian Gregory (Dayton)

In three years at Dayton, Gregory has posted a 56-37 record, second best of all UD coaches in their first three years of coaching. The program itself will continue to look to Gregory to be the man to keep Dayton as a perennial contender in the A10--- they recently extended his contract through the 2012-2013 season. This year UD features a solid combination in Monty Scott and Brian Roberts, and Gregory will look to them to help the Flyers win games.

#8 John Giannini (La Salle)

While I may be a bit biased here as Dr. Giannini once helped a young Nick Fasulo work on his jump shot at a clinic while he was a coach at Maine, the Explorers landed a great teacher of the game of basketball and a very well respected person.

Entering his third season at La Salle, the team will be young but athletic and aggressive. Expect Giannini to make up for the teams lack of height with lots of running and a full court press.

#9 Brad Soderberg (Saint Louis)

Soderberg may have something going in at Saint Louis. Last year he coached a Billikens squad that was predicted to finish near the bottom of the A-10, to a second place finish. Last seasons ROY Tommie Liddell and NBA prospect Ian Vouyoukas return to a squad that is now expected to finish in the top of the league. There’s also legitimate talk of making the Big Dance, which would be their first since 2000.

#10 Jim Baron (Rhode Island)

While wins and losses don’t necessarily make Jim Baron an outstanding coach, creating a well- rounded student athlete does. As the second most tenured coach in the conference, Baron stresses academics, proof being in that all four seniors are set to graduate this spring. This is something not many Division I schools can boast.

URI as a school defiantly believes in Baron and values his commitment to creating quality young men. Like UD’s Gregory, his contract extends through the 2012-2013 season.

Atlantic 10 Conference Preview

CHN — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Conference Previews | Top 144 | 06-07 Preview Home

ATLANTIC 10 Preview

Conference Rank: 9th

Conference Page

All-Conference

Player of the Year - Stanley Burrell, Xavier, G

Brian Robers, Dayton, G

Bryant Dunston, Fordham, F

Rashaun Freeman, UMASS, F

Ian Vouyoukas, Saint Louis, C

Nat'l	Team (Click for Preview)	Conf	Tourney
35	Xavier	1	NCAA
47	George Washington	2	NCAA
51	Massachusetts	3	NIT
60	Charlotte	4	NIT
66	Saint Louis	5	NIT
86	Fordham	6
97	Dayton	7
124	Temple	8
136	St. Joe's	9
170	Rhode Island	10
180	Richmond	11
234	La Salle	12
269	Duquesne	13
280	St. Bonaventure	14

Head Coach Interviews:

Bobby Lutz - Charlotte

Ron Everhart - Duquesne

Chris Mooney - Richmond

Sean Miller - Xavier