Iowa

State of '08: Iowa

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:36:12 -0700

HTML clipboard

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: Iowa. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

IOWA

IOWA - It remains to be seen what type of success Todd Lickliter will have at Iowa, but this is still the state's premier program. From 2001 to 2006, Iowa made 6 straight postseason trips under Steve Alford, though fans were disappointed with just one NCAA Tourney win in that period. Certainly Drake was the state's top team last year, and UNI was the best the previous few seasons, but Iowa is consistently solid and has never had the lean years of its in-state rivals.

NORTHERN IOWA - Greg McDermott worked some magic at UNI, leading the Panthers to three straight tourneys from 2004 to 2006. But McDermott jumped ship for a bigger contract, and the program is still in transition under Ben Jacobson. He's managed to keep the ship afloat, going 18-18 in MVC games, but the future is a bit murky. UNI has also lost 4-straight games to rival Drake.

IOWA STATE - It took McDermott three years to turn around UNI, so Cyclones fans are hoping he can repeat that success in his 3rd season at ISU. It seems unlikely though that the Cyclones will sniff the postseason, as there's just not much talent on the roster. In the last seven years, Iowa State's made just one NCAA Tournament trip and has consistently finished in the bottom half of the Big 12. A lot is riding on this year's deep recruiting class.

DRAKE - The Bulldogs pulled off one of the all-time great turnaround seasons last year. In his first season, Keno Davis (is he a coaching genius or just lucky?) led Drake to a 28-5 record, the NCAA Tournament, a Top 10 RPI, and an MVC title. But this is a program that hadn't made the Big Dance since 1971, and hadn't finished above .500 in MVC play in the prior 22 seasons. Until the program proves last year wasn't just a fluke, they remain in the cellar.

Last: Indiana - Next: Kentucky

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Iowa Basketball Schedule: 2008-09

Press Release — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:07:45 -0700

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa's 2008-09 men's Big Ten Conference basketball schedule will include 16 appearances on the Big Ten Network, with just one of nine home games set for a start time as late as 7:30 p.m.

The Big Ten released the entire conference schedule Wednesday, and for the second straight season, every Big Ten regular season and post-season conference tournament game will be nationally televised. Over 100 games will appear nationally on CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 or the Big Ten Network.

"I'm very excited about our schedule this year," said UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta. "The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network stepped up in a significant way by listening to our fans and eliminating the 8 p.m. tipoff this season. We're building tremendous momentum with Coach Lickliter's returning student-athletes and the new young men coming in. I look forward to seeing Carver Hawkeye Arena full on a regular basis. It's been a terrific week for the Hawkeyes - last Thursday we announced the Big Ten Network agreement with Mediacom - and today we release a great men's basketball schedule that eliminates 8 p.m. start times."

The Big Ten Network and Mediacom recently reached an agreement that will provide full coverage of all University of Iowa athletic events aired on the Big Ten Network to more than 400,000 Mediacom customers.

The Hawkeyes begin Big Ten action on the road, playing at Ohio State on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (3:05 p.m. CT, BTN). Iowa opens the home portion of the conference schedule by hosting Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 3 (3:35 p.m. CT, BTN. Of Iowa's nine conference home games, only the Jan. 21 contest vs. Wisconsin (7:35 p.m. CT, BTN) begins after 6 p.m. local time.

Five of Iowa's nine conference home games are weekend dates, with just one of the five starting as late as 5 p.m. Weekend home games are against Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan and Penn State.

Sixteen of Iowa's 18 conference games will appear on the Big Ten Network. Iowa's home game against Minnesota (Jan. 8, 6:05 p.m. will air on ESPN2, while the home date with Michigan State (Jan. 29, 6:05 p.m.) will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2.

Along with the conference schedule, the dates for Iowa's non-conference games have also been set. Start times and television information for those games will be released at a later date.

Iowa's Nov. 9 exhibition contest against Wayne State will provide the first opportunity for fans to see the 2008-09 Hawkeyes in game action. Coach Todd Lickliter and the Hawkeyes open the regular season Nov. 14, hosting Charleston Southern.

Iowa will host Iowa State on Friday, Dec. 12 as part of the annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa will host Northern Iowa Wednesday, Dec. 5 and travel to Drake on Saturday, Dec. 20 to conclude its in-state series.

"Overall, I think our schedule is challenging," said Lickliter. "It will always be a high quality schedule with 18 Big Ten games and the three in-state opponents. Add to that the fact that five of our non-conference games are away from home. Learning to respond well to travel is part of the process and we need to grow in that area as well."

Games vs. Oakland University and Southeast Missouri State are preliminary round games in the Las Vegas Invitational. After facing West Virginia on Nov. 28, Iowa will conclude action in Las Vegas the following night against either Kansas State or Kentucky. Iowa's Dec. 2 game at Boston College, which is part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, will be televised on ESPNU.

The Hawkeye schedule includes contests against rivals from the Big East, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Missouri Valley conferences, along with a possible match-up against Kentucky of the Southeastern Conference.

SIU Officially Adds Former Iowa G Tony Freeman

Press Release — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:32:17 -0700

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Former Iowa guard Tony Freeman has transferred to Southern Illinois, Saluki men's basketball coach Chris Lowery announced Monday.

As a junior last season, Freeman was the Hawkeyes' leading scorer and was a Third-Team All-Big Ten pick by league coaches. Although Freeman missed the first 10 games of the campaign due to a stress fracture, he returned to play in 22 games and averaged 13.8 points per game, while making 38.3 percent of his 3-point shots. He averaged 35 minutes per contest for the 13-19 Hawkeyes, who finished eighth in the Big Ten.

"Tony brings maturity and toughness, which have been so consistent in our guard play in the past," Lowery said. "We've got to get our practices back to where they are really competitive, and he'll help us do that."

NCAA transfer rules require the 6-foot-1 native of Maywood, Ill. to sit out the 2008-09 season. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Cheerleader of the Day: Iowa

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:40:38 -0700

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, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Iowa

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Freshman 10 Preview: Part 3

Jason Tomassini — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:25:22 -0700

..continued from Part One: BCS Rookies and Part Two: Mid-Major Rookies

Eugene Harvey All Stars (Outstanding Performance on Bad Team)

G Corey Chandler, Rutgers

G LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor

F Craig Brackins, Iowa State

F James Harden, Arizona State

C Mac Koshwal, DePaul

Ryan Anderson and Ishmael Smith also could have provided the namesake for this team full of stud freshmen doomed to languish in mediocrity. I think Chandler’s numbers could emulate Harvey’s pretty closely. He’s a better shooter than Harvey but probably not the same playmaker. Fred Hill’s first recruiting class is a good one and it’s not crazy to think that Chandler, the centerpiece of the class, will be the main component of the rebuilding process. (For some reason there’s an inordinate amount of YouTube video on Chandler, if you’re into that sort of thing).

Baylor continues to make progress on the recruiting trails and Dunn could be the best recruit they have landed in awhile. Bruce and Jerrells will run this team but a big-time scorer like Dunn should get plenty of looks.

Wesley Johnson was another guy who had a monster freshman year for a struggling Iowa State team and Brackins could replicate that performance. It will be interesting to see how both players are used this year. The Cyclones are in a position where any talent needs to be on the court as much as possible, but that will probably involve playing Brackins, at 6-9, on the perimeter. He’s an amazing athlete but isn’t half the rebounder that Johnson is. If his outside game develops and both can see 30 minutes per game, Iowa State could have the best forward tandem in the Big 12 going into the future. Oh and Brackins has decided to grace us with a never-failing source of entertainment: “The Ridiculous Athlete MySpace Profile.” Always a good time.

Harden is the key cog to what should be a very quick turnaround for Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils. They probably won’t make the NCAAs in a brutal Pac-10 this year but Harden will get plenty of opportunities to make a mark on the league. He has good size for a college wing and has a wide array of scoring moves, highlighted by a jump shot that he gets off whenever he wants. Besides his talent, many scouts rave about his ability in the clutch, his heady approach to the game and his ability to break down defenses without being that athletic. If you’re looking for a surprise Pac-10 freshman scoring leader, it could be Harden.

Depaul was solid last year but can blame graduation and Isiah Thomas’ ineptitude for the loss of its two best players, Sammy Mejia and first-round pick Wilson Chandler. So a surprisingly outstanding recruiting class, headed by Koshwal, will have a hard time reaching 20 wins again. Koshwal is going to get his numbers, especially on the glass, where he is already a Big East-caliber rebounder. His offensive game is essentially predicated on his athleticism and is more perimeter-oriented than you would think for a guy his size. To be what the Blue Demons need, he will have to develop into a post presence and he should have plenty of minutes to try and do so.

Tajuan Porter All Stars (BCS Sleepers)

G Javier Gonzalez, NC State

G Scott Christopherson, Marquette

F Jarryd Cole, Iowa

F Sean Williams, Syracuse

C Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt

These are all shots in the dark. Sifting through every moderately rated freshman is not a particularly exciting endeavor, so this is my best shot given the players I know about. Predicting who will get minutes and thrive is about as difficult as predicting Porter would drop 27, 28 and 38 in his first three college games. Anyways, I’m not looking so much at stats with these guys as I am impact. None of these players received more than a three-star rating from Scout or Rivals (who makes their own picks here).

Unfortunately Gonzalez will be giving his competitors a head start in the Wolfpack’s nebulous point guard battle to replace Engin Atsur. He broke his thumb and should miss the first month of the season. But when he comes back, Gonzalez will have a chance to beat out a couple of inexperienced transfers, sophomore Farnold Degand (Iowa State) and Marques Johnson (Tennessee, eligible mid-season), neither of whom have ever started a college basketball game. He’s not much of a scorer, but he should have plenty of an impact just feeding NC State’s talented frontcourt.

Quite simply, Cole is a big dude. At 6-7 and a solid 230 pounds, he has to be the odds-on favorite of this class to be the next Antonio Gates. He isn’t a skilled scorer or post option but he’s exactly the type of guy that will earn minutes in the Big Ten for his defense and rebounding (think a poor man’s Jeff Adrien). For instance, in this highlight clip, rather than show him dunking or swatting a shot, the most important play he makes is breaking some poor kid’s nose fighting for a rebound. You know Todd Lickliter will find a place for him.

A lot has been made of the Orange’s thin front line resulting from Terence Roberts and Darryl Watkins’ departure, but quite frankly, they sucked. Roberts and Watkins’ frequent mental mistakes, turnovers and foul trouble probably kept the Orange out of the tournament last year, not the non-conference schedule. Boeheim will now turn to three freshmen to lock down the back line of the 2-3 zone and Williams, the least hyped of the incoming class, could be the key. At 6-11, he is the biggest player on the team and should be the best shot blocker because of his athleticism. The minutes won’t be there at first, but if the zone begins to struggle, Williams will have a big role.

After manhandling the Under 19 World Championships, the Aussie Ogilvy probably isn’t much of a sleeper anymore. He shot 70 percent from the field, 80 percent from the line, had six double-doubles in nine games and his low scoring contest was 16 (we’re going to take that 10 turnover performance and neatly sweep in the under the rug). After the performance, his name was all over the NBA radar. Is he a project? Yes. Could he be the difference between a first-round exit and a deep NCAA run for Vandy? You bet. Oh, and get ready for plenty of Andrew Bogut comparisons, hopefully he doesn’t share the same ~~racist~~ interesting thoughts.

Christopherson looks like one of those creepy kids from low-budget horror movies, but I’m certain he’s going to be the guy who hits like seven threes against Syracuse’s zone and pisses off other fans around the Big East as “The Kid Who You Wouldn’t Take In A Pick-up Game But Can Actually Ball” (carrying the torch from Mike Nardi). Marquette could use a shooter and someone to occasionally play point and move Dominic James off the ball and that’s exactly what Christopherson should provide. If it doesn’t work out for Christopherson, fellow Golden Eagle Trevor Mbakwe could be a member of this team by year’s end anyway.

- Return to Part I, focusing on the top BCS freshmen & Part II, featruing the top Mid-Major Rookies. Next week Jason Tomassini begins his biweekly Freshman 10 column!

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview & Awards | More Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Tyler Smith Leaves Iowa.. Headed to Tennessee?

Jeff Borzello — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:32:53 -0700

Iowa freshman forward Tyler Smith has been granted his release from the university. He said that he wanted to transfer closer to his home in Pulaski, Tennessee, to be closer to his father, who suffers from lung cancer. Athletic director Gary Barta saw it coming. "I have had conversations with both Tyler and his father from the time we knew we would have a coaching change," said Barta. "Both expressed a sincere appreciation for Iowa, but also hinted toward a desire for Tyler to continue his career closer to home.” New coach Todd Lickliter supported the decision. “Tyler asked to be released, expressing his desire to be closer to his father,” Lickliter said. “We respect his decision to be near his family and will grant the release in order for Tyler to further his education closer to home.”

Smith was the team’s second-leading scorer last year, averaging 14.9 points per game, earning him third-team all-Big Ten honors.

He told the Tennessean that he wants to play for Bruce Pearl and the Volunteers. "Tennessee is where I want to go. I've always liked Tennessee," Smith said. "They're the only school I'm looking at right now, and it's close to home. It makes the most sense for me and my dad. I hope it works out this time." He originally signed with the Volunteers out of high school, but went to prep school after Buzz Peterson was fired from Tennessee.

Read More:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070421/SPORTS0601/704210353

In other Tennessee news, Chris Lofton is returning for his senior year:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2846399

Daily Dribble: Thoughts on Coaching Changes

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:45:16 -0700

- Getting Steve Alford (assuming it official happens) is a steal for New Mexico. His 152-106 record might not be overwhelming, but Alford brings a few things to the table that you have to love. A) Publicity. No one particularly paid any attention to the firing of Ritchie McKay.. and except for some love for Danny Granger, no one has paid any attention to New Mexico the past few years. B) Name Recognition. The MWC has been bringing in some decent "name" coaches the past few years. Lon Kruger at UNLV, Jeff Bzdelik at Air Force (the guy coached in the NBA), even Steve Fisher at SDSU. All of these have worked out well for the conference. C) Quality. Like I said, Alford's record at Iowa isn't overwhelming, and many would see his time there as a disappointment (only one NCAA Tournament win, off-the court issues, etc..). But, its not like New Mexico is a job that Coach K and Pitino are fighting over. Its not very often a non-BCS school can snag a coach from a BCS school who has even had decent success in recent years. Even this past year, Iowa's 9-7 conference record is impressive considering the team's expectations. - For Iowa fans, perhaps the most worrisome aspect of losing Alford (maybe the only worrisome aspect since most wanted him gone), is whether Tyler Smith will now leave the program. The Tennessee native was the Big Ten's best freshman outside of Ohio State.. but there's been rumblings that he's unhappy there. - In somewhat related news, Tom Davis, who was succeeded by Alford at Iowa, is stepping down at Drake. Davis never had great success with the Bulldogs, and this year's record was typical of his tenure. 17-15 overall, but just 6-12 in the MVC. As the Valley has improved in recent years, its been tough for Drake to keep up with schools like SIU and Creighton. Davis ends an impressive 32 year career with a record of 598 and 355 (60%). He made stops at Lafayette, BC, Iowa (where he won 13 NCAA tournament games in 9 trips), and finally Drake. Davis' son Keno (is it good or bad to be named after a Las Vegas gambling game?) takes over now.. but it wont be easy for him to produce above what dad could do. Drake is a small school of only a few thousand students.. hasn't been to the Tournament since 1971, and is overshadowed in Iowa by the larger state universities. - Going back to the MWC making a splash for a second with Kruger, Alford, etc.. it will be interesting to see what direction Utah goes. The Utes obviously haven't had much success since Majerus left and Ray Giacoletti took over. Unlike UNM, Utah will more likely go a quieter route, hiring a name BCS assistant. Michigan State's Jim Boylen seems to be a strong candidate. - Denver hired former Princeton and Air Force coach Joe Scott this week. Scott should be thrilled he has a job. He basically took a Princeton program that competed for the Ivy League title.. and brought it down to an unthinkable 2-12 conference record this past year. Denver obviously is focusing on the fact Scott was able to win in Colorado with Air Force (bringing them to the tourney in 2004 for the first time in four decades and recruiting the seniors that are now heading to the NIT semis). - Princeton now has a major decision coming up. More so than which actual coach they bring in, its a decision about what type of style they'll play. From Carril to Bill Carmody to John Thompson III.. the program kept the "Princeton offense" tradition alive. Scott kept a similar slow-down, half-court, style in place.. but its questionable whether this is the proper direction to go in the future.

Daily Dribble: 3/9

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Countdown to Selection Sunday can legitimately be made in hours at this point. Less than a week to the start of the tournament. Less than a few months before we start previewing the 2007-08 season.. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: How does Tommy Amaker still have his job? Michigan's loss to Ohio State today means they'll be back in the NIT once again. Maybe they should just call it the Michigan Invitational Tournament at this point.. I don't care if Iowa beats Purdue today (which they wont), this is not an NCAA Tournament team. You can say they improved or got hot, or you can say their 9-7 record is simply an example of why the Big Ten is mediocre. If you put Iowa in the Dance, you have to include Northern Iowa who beat the Hawkeyes in Iowa City and went 9-9 in the MVC. Regardless of whether Florida State makes the tournament or not, Al Thorton's NBA Draft stock is going up by the week. He's now passed the 20 ppg scoring mark and is probably past the 20th pick in the Draft right now. Duke was somehow ranked 21st coming into the week.. but after going 8-8 in the ACC and losing in the tournament first round, they deserve to be seeded like the 41st ranked team.. Which is better than Alabama, who probably deserves to be the 41st ranked team.. in the NIT. Georgia Tech's season was almost exactly like Duke's.. except ESPN isn't in love with the Yellow Jackets. Still, I'm not sure how they gave up 114 points to Wake Forest. Harvey Hale came off the bench for the Deacons to score 22 points in just 18 minutes. That's called lighting it up. Syracuse fans were offended by an article by Adam Stanco earlier in the week saying they don't belong in the tournament. Fact is that he's right. The only chance they have of winning an opening round game if they make it, is by playing an equally overrated Big Ten team (Purdue, Illinois, etc) in the 7-10 game. Air Force has quietly collapsed, losing 4 straight to finish 23-8 overall. Not a bad record.. but they started 17-1.. that's 6-7 the rest of the way by my count. Falcons need Dan Nwaelele going strong again, he hasn't scored 20 since January and is 2 of his last 15 from three after hovering around 50% most of the season. Also in the MWC, San Diego State might have blown their season by losing to Colorado State last night. I hope Brandon Heath likes the NIT. Expect Long Beach State to beat UC Irvine tonight, and then wrap up the Big West tomorrow night. Led by Aaron Nixon, the 49ers are one of the most experienced teams in the country. They have 7 seniors who play 18+ minutes a game. Despite the experience, and despite the the fact they've won 9 of 10 games.. this will not be a hard out in the opening round of the Dance. They're extremely quick, athletic team.. but will get eaten up inside by any high seed.

Assembling the Ideal NCAA Tournament Team

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:52:51 -0800

Word on the street is that it’s almost March, which just so happens to contain the NCAA Tournament. Everyone is going to have their different opinions (which will be issued in high-volume, rambling format) on who will win it all and for what reasons and in the end, most people will be wrong. I decided not to find out who will win it all, but rather, what will win it all. So here is my Ideal NCAA Tournament Team, as comprised of current players this season. I picked five starters, a bench guard and a bench big man that I think would make the best team to win six straight in March.

Now obviously I could just take the seven best players and guarantee dominance (also known as The Steinbrenner Method) so I decided to give myself some ground rules.

• I can only take one player from the top 20 CHN Top 100 Players, one from 21-40, one from 41-60, one from 61-80, one from 81-100 and two that aren’t in the top 100. This may sound like I’m stacking my squad, but I’m using past champions as competition. Florida, for instance, has four players in the top 35 and the 2005 UNC team probably had five players in the top 60 or so, with May, McCants and Felton all in the top 20.
• I have to take at least one player from a mid-major team. Championship teams don’t always consist of seven McDonald’s All Americans.
• I can’t take more than one player from a team. Florida’s top seven would make a pretty good team for this exercise, but that’s no fun.
• I need at least one freshman. This is 2007, there aren’t teams with all upperclassmen starting anymore.
So those are the rules, here’s the squad I’d love to take into March Madness.

Surely there are other possible squads out there, so if you think you have a team that could beat mine, let me know.

Guard- Acie Law, Texas A&M, No. 8 CHN Top 100: It was tempting to pick Oden or Durant but then I’d be building the Ideal Durant team or the Ideal Oden team, not the Ideal Tournament Team. The players I’d want to surround Durant and Oden with are far different than the players I’d want playing for me in the NCAAs. Every successful tournament team needs a go-to-guy that can get buckets to end a drought or stifle an opponent’s run. Law isn’t the most proficient scorer, but he’s clutch (see: at Kansas) and he’s exactly the player I’d want to have the ball down 1 with 10 seconds left because he’s also good at finding teammates when the defense collapses. He is also a good on-ball defender and perimeter defense is extremely important in the tournament. All of his efficiency numbers are good (assist/turnover- 2.04, FG%- 51, FT%- 77.2, 3-PT%- 44.4), with the foul shooting especially important because of his ability to ice games down the stretch. I was also considering Alando Tucker, but his shooting and turnover numbers are all lower than Law’s (Tucker could be a big liability at the line in March). They say the Tournament is all about guard play and I think Law is the best all-around guard in the country.

Others in Top 100 range considered: Alando Tucker (No. 3), Wisconsin; Kevin Durant (No. 1), Texas: Arron Afflalo (No. 12), UCLA.

Guard- Adam Haluska, Iowa, No. 66 CHN Top 100: He’s on the team for one reason: to hit open threes. I know Haluska’s game is more than just that, but every good tournament team needs a secondary player that can get the ball from the primary scorers and hit open jumpers. Florida had Humphrey, UCONN had Rashad Anderson and Syracuse had G-Mac. One advantage Haluska has over other shooters is his size. At 6-5, with decent athleticism, he can shoot over smaller guards and can even get a few rebounds. He’s a defensive liability, but with the strong defenders on this team, a good coach (like my hypothetical self will be) can hide him. He’s also a good offense-defense sub at the end of games because he’s an outstanding foul shooter.

Others in Top 100 range considered: Richard Hendrix (No. 62), Alabama; Daequan Cook (No. 68), Ohio State; Kyle Hines (No. 78), UNC-Greensboro.

Forward- Jeff Green, Georgetown, No. 21 CHN Top 100: Again, they say these tournaments are won on the perimeter and Green is another good perimeter defender. If I put him on my opponent’s best forward, I feel pretty good about the match-up no matter who it is (well, besides Durant). Offensively he plays more on the wing and yet, doesn’t get a lot of his points from beyond the arc, which means he can get into the paint and score or hit the 15-footer against a zone. Rebounding is a huge factor in the NCAA tournament (the last four champs were all great rebounding teams) and getting boards from the small forward (think Carmelo Anthony) is a big advantage. As evident by his eight blocks against Villanova last weekend, he is also a great help and weak side defender if I decide to go zone or double-team. Plus, Green’s versatility makes him an asset if unforeseen events like foul trouble or injuries come into play. He can play anywhere from the 2 to the 4.

Others in Top 100 range considered: Jermareo Davidson (No. 31), Alabama; Corey Brewer (No. 22), Florida; Zabian Dowdell (No. 36), Virginia Tech.

Forward- Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, No. 93 CHN Top 100: Every team needs a bruiser to do the little things that lead to wins. Adrien is very talented but he’s going to do the little things on this team. He’s only 6-7 but he’s ruthless on the glass and more athletic than your typical bruiser which means he can run the court with the guards and use his quickness to stay with most forwards. I remember the 2003 Syracuse team and how valuable Craig Forth was simply because he was so good at setting picks. Adrien is going to have that type of role. Plus, he can defend two or three positions, just like Green, adding to the team’s versatility.

Others in Top 100 range considered: Marcellus Kemp (No. 85), Nevada; Derrick Byars (No. 94), Vanderbilt; Blake Ahearn (No. 100), Missouri State.

Center- Randolph Morris, Kentucky, No. 42 CHN Top 100: Alright, it’s going to be tough to defend this one, but hear me out. I know Morris has been really inconsistent as far as effort and intensity go, but his talent is still there. While Dickie V and the experts spout on and on about guard play, they fail to realize the last four champions have all had good low post scorers (Florida- Horford, UNC- May, UCONN- Okafor, Syracuse- Anthony, Warrick). Morris’ size gives him an advantage on most opposing centers, especially in the early rounds, and his decent athleticism means if his team has to adjust to the tempo of their opponent, he won’t hold them back. Throw in some decent shot blocking and if given a coach that will kick his butt (in this case, me, and since this is a fantasy team, I will have no problem kicking Morris’ hypothetical butt), he could be a key piece to my squad’s championship run.

Others in Top 100 range considered: Jared Jordan (No. 43), Marist; AJ Graves (No. 55), Butler; Spencer Hawes (No. 47), Washington.

Bench Guard- Bashir Mason, Drexel: With Haluska’s vulnerability on the defensive end, I need a good on-ball defender to come off the bench in certain spots. Mason is a great defender, 3-time CAA All-Defensive selection and Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman. He can also come in and run the point to spell Law or move Law over to the 2. He’s not going to score too much but with offense at the other positions, it’s not necessary. Let’s say, hypothetically of course, I want to go full-court press? Mason would be a huge asset. I’d probably need a bigger wing on the bench too but Mason is only 6-0, but we’ll stick to seven for now.

Bench Big: Robin Lopez, Sanford: I’d probably rather have his brother for consistently, but the potential of him posting a triple-double at any moment is certainly promising. He’s athletic enough to play either the 4 or 5 so he can spell either Green, Adrien or Morris and there wouldn’t be much of a change in style. Plus he’s an incredible shot blocker (2.5 in under 25 minutes per game) and would make up for Morris’ defensive deficiencies if needed.

2006-07 Preview: #94 Iowa

Joel Welser — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 13:37:39 -0700

After a disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Iowa starts anew with fresh faces.