Navy

State of '08: Maryland

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:41:00 -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.

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

MARYLAND

MARYLAND - The recent struggles of the Terps under Gary Williams are well documented, but as far as the Crab Cake State goes, Maryland dominates..

LOYOLA - Considering how epically bad Loyola was from about 2000 to 2005, the program has come a long way. Jimmy Patsos deserves credit for turning around a program that was 1-27 the year before he arrived in 2005. The past two seasons, Loyola has won 37 games, and gone 24-12 in MAAC play. The next step is doing some damage in the league tournament.

UMBC - 2008 was a banner season for Randy Monroe and the Retrievers. They won 24 games, dominated the America East with a 13-3 record, rolled through the conference tournament, and faced Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. Plus, UMBC was 85th in the RPI, just 3 spots behind ACC member Maryland.

MOUNT SAINT MARY'S - The Mount returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, beating in-state rival Coppin State in the play-in game. This was the culmination of a nice rebuilding job undertaken by 6th year coach Milan Brown. Now that the Mount returns star Jeremy Goode, a return trip is certainly not out of the question.

COPPIN STATE - The Eagles were arguably one of the worst NCAA Tournament teams of all-time last year. They finished under .500 in the lowly MEAC and only had one Top 250 win going into the conference tournament. They also set a record by being the 1st tourney team with 20 losses. But with the exception of a brutal 2002 campaign (316 RPI), Coppin has consistently been one of the better teams in the MEAC since 1997, the year of their epic win over South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

6. NAVY - Like many of its Maryland counterparts, Navy has also improved a lot in the past couple of years. When Billy Lange took over, the Midshippmen were struggling to win 5 games a season. Last year though, they won 16 games overall and finished 2nd in the NEC. Lange is trying to return Navy to its former glory days of the 80's and 90's when the program made 8 NCAA Tournaments in 16 seasons between 1985 and 2000.

7. MORGAN STATE - Todd Bozeman has done a solid job in his two years at Morgan State. Last year, the Bears won 22 games, captured the MEAC regular season title and made the NIT. Not bad considering the Bears went 4-26 in 2006. The program still needs a couple more successful seasons before it passes Coppin or Navy on this list.

8.TOWSON - Although Towson plays in a better league (CAA) than many of its in-state counterparts, there's been little success over the last decade. Since joining the CAA in 2002, the Tigers have yet to finish .500 in league play, a trend that I expect to continue in 08-09

9. UMES - The Hawks are in the midst of a horrible dry stretch. They've only won 24 games in the last five seasons. There's nothing positive to add.

Last: Louisiana - Next: Massachuesetts

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

College Football: Notre Dame & Independents Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:30:02 -0700

HTML clipboard

Heading into 2007, many had an idea that Notre Dame would suffer a drop in the win column. After all, it’s not everyday when you have to replace a quarterback the caliber of Brady Quinn, along with many other key contributors. But to finish with a record of 3-9 was something that anyone not named Mark May was stunned by. The problems: an offense that had a hard time scoring points and a defense that lacked depth and speed. Experience and a solid recruiting class should solve the former, and the hiring of former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will help immensely with the latter. If you’re not too familiar with Coach Tenuta, expect to see the Irish blitz much more this season.

As for the offense, QB Jimmy Clausen has a year under his belt and is one of nine starters returning, which should help the production of the Notre Dame offense. Add to that a schedule that is a bit more manageable, meaning that the negative momentum that started in a shutout loss to Georgia Tech and snowballed until the Irish were 0-5 shouldn’t be an issue this year. Expect Notre Dame to win seven games this season, maybe even eight.

Navy played a role in the demise of Notre Dame last season, ending a forty-four game losing streak in the series. But head coach Paul Johnson moved on to see if he could lead Georgia Tech to the top of the ACC, leaving the reins to former offensive coordinator Ken Niumatalolo. But only thirteen starters are back, most notably quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and all four members of the secondary. They’ve got some tough games on the schedule, with trips to Wake Forest and Air Force to go along with hosting Pitt and Rutgers, but they should be bowl eligible once again. And with the new Congressional Bowl in their backyard, six wins should be enough to ensure a thirteenth game.

The other two independents may end up sitting out the bowl season, but for contrasting reasons. Head coach Stan Brock is taking Army back in time in hopes of at least ending their six-game losing streak to rival Navy. After trying to stick with the previous regime’s pro-style offense, the Black Knights will go to the spread option, a system that’s seemingly been a staple of the service academies for years. Hopefully the change will bring about an improvement in their offensive numbers, as Army ranked 116^th in total offense last season. Linebackers Frank Scappaticci and John Plumstead look to lead a defense that spent far too much time on the field in 2007, resulting in a ranking of 89^th in total defense.

Lastly, Western Kentucky completes its final season as an independent before joining the Sun Belt next year. Quarterbacks K.J. Black and David Wolke will look to navigate a much tougher schedule this season after helping lead the Hilltoppers to a 7-5 record last season. It’s also important to note that six of WKU’s seven wins came against opponents from the NAIA and Football Championship Subdivision. This season’s schedule features just two FCS opponents (Eastern Kentucky and Murray State) and five games against future conference rivals. WKU will also visit Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. Six starters, led by end Dan Cline and linebacker Alonso Higgins return on defense, but the Hilltoppers will face many challenges in their quest to notch the school’s thirteenth consecutive winning season.

Five Best Games

1. Army vs. Navy (in Philadelphia, December 6^th): Other games may provide more star power, but this is one of the nation’s best rivalries. It would help if Army were more competitive, however.

2. Notre Dame @ Michigan State (September 20th): The last time these two met in East Lansing the Irish pulled off a comeback for the ages. State won last season’s meeting 31-14, a departure from the nailbiters in recent years.

3. Michigan @ Notre Dame (September 13^th): With Michigan installing a new offensive system, Notre Dame could head into this one as the favorite. And after last year’s embarrassing showing in Ann Arbor, payback could be the order of the day.

4. Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky (October 18^th): In getting prepared for the Sun Belt, the Hilltoppers host the favorite to win their second consecutive Sun Belt title.

5. Navy @ Air Force (October 4^th): This game in recent years has been the one that decides the winner of the Commander in Chief’s Trophy with Army struggling of late.

Basketball Diary: A Tale of Two Road Trips

Jon Teitel — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:52:04 -0800

Jon Teitel spent last week watching his alma maters play in two very different atmospheres. Game 1 featured powers Arizona & Louisville going at it in the world’s most famous sports arena. Game two featured his Penn Quakers taking on Navy in little Annapolis, MD. Here's a log of his journey that featured famous coaches, minor celebrities, good basketball, and guns.

Game 1.
Arizona vs. Louisville, 12/5, Game 2 of the Jimmy V Classic in New York, NY

After my 4-hour bus ride to NYC (thank you Greyhound), I walked a few blocks to a bar called Shady Jake’s (do NOT get the Carolina pork sandwich) for the Arizona pre-game pep rally. As usual, I did not win a single damn thing in the raffle, but still had fun seeing friends and getting psyched for the game.

Just as I’m getting ready to head over to catch Game 1 of the Classic (Oklahoma State vs. Syracuse), a roar erupts from the Wildcat fans in the bar. I look over to the staircase, and who comes walking up but the Silver Fox himself…LUTE OLSON!! The crowd goes nuts, as everyone wants a piece of him: handshake, picture, autograph, etc. He stands up on a chair behind me, gives the patented visiting-alumni-on-a-road-trip speech, and takes a few questions. As he precariously steps off the chair, I hold out my hand to make sure that Josh Pastner does not prematurely become the next Arizona head coach. After Lute safely reaches the floor, he gives me a smile and a handshake, thereby making my day. If this man ever decides to run for political office, look out!! Speaking of which, another older fellow who is working the room comes over and introduces himself: it’s outgoing Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe. Apparently, I am not the only one who is more interested in Arizona basketball than DC politics.

It’s now time to walk across the street to the world’s most famous arena: Madison Square Garden. I missed the first half between the Cowboys and the Orange, but caught most of the 2nd half. Mario Boggan is unstoppable in the paint, Paul Harris throws down a sweet dunk, and the pro-Syracuse crowd goes home sad as they lose a close one, 72-68. Then the real game begins.

The Cats look good early, building a double-digit lead late in the 1st half. Derrick Caracter, the kid who was 6’8”, 240 pounds as a 13-year old, made his collegiate debut for the Cardinals: it was the best of times (9 points, 7 rebounds), it was the worst of times (11 minutes, 5 fouls). I have never seen more combined hatred for a single player in my life than the venom that evening directed towards Louisville’s David Padgett: the Arizona fans booed him for not deciding to enroll in Tucson a few years ago, and the Louisville fans booed him for averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds a game despite being 6’11”, 245.

Another first was seeing a forward get a double-double while shooting 1-8 from behind the arc: thank you Terrence Williams (13 points, 10 rebounds). On the victor’s side, the 2 leading men were the super-frosh (Chase Budinger: 17 points, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 0 turnovers) and the super-Serbian (Ivan Radenovic: 22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals). The other 3 starters (Williams, McClellan, and Shakur) were a pathetic 5-25 from the field, which contributed greatly to the Cats missing 17 of their first 18 shots in the 2nd half, but it was not enough to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

While the crowd listened to Dickie V’s halftime ode to Jimmy V, I moved down to about 10 rows behind the Arizona bench. Two tall latecomers showed up during halftime after playing for the Nets in the Meadowlands: former Wildcats Hassan Adams and Richard Jefferson. They were mobbed by fans, and security stepped in to quash the hopes and dreams of teenagers who wanted an autograph from their heroes. After leaving the Garden, and surviving the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 1:30 in the morning, I made my way out of NYC with a big win, some great memories of my first-ever trip to the mecca of college basketball, and further proof that the Big East is not going to be as dominant as it was last year.

Game 2.
Penn vs. Navy, 12/7, Annapolis, MD

How did the Midshipmen commemorate the 65th anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor: by scheduling the Quakers for a riveting Ivy League-Patriot League battle at Alumni Hall. Penn was in command the whole way, both on offense (all 5 starters finished in double figures) and defense (a whopping 15 steals), en route to a 79-58 win over Navy. With conference scoring leader Mark Zoller having only an above-average (rather than an out-of-this-world) game, the rest of the starters showed off their own skills for all to see. Steve Danley was unguardable down low, and ended up making 11 free throws. Surprise starter Michael Kach had 12 points and 1 nasty fall while on the receiving end of a flagrant foul.

Ibby Jaaber was an absolute menace on defense, racking up a game-high 7 steals and leaving him 4 short of the all-time conference career record. Like a 7-foot center whose physical presence is enough to keep opponents out of the lane, the Navy guards wanted no part of Jaaber: if one of them was being guarded by Jaaber while bringing the ball up the court, they would pass it to the other one so that they could avoid having their pocket picked (more of a threat in the Big Apple, no!!).

Other than the Quakers’ win, the most enjoyable part of the game was the crowd. I showed up expecting military men and women dressed in uniform and solemnly supportive, but I was way off. There were students in all shapes, sizes, and costumes: Chippendale’s dancers, full body paint, kilts, togas, Speedos, camouflage, etc. During breaks in the action, groups of students would run laps around the mezzanine as others tried to block their way. A guy with a chest full of medals would start pumping his arms, and chants of “Fire it up, fire it up!!” would reverberate throughout the tiny gym. While other schools have halftime entertainment featuring acrobats or musicians, Navy brings you…guys with guns, marching in formation. I do not know if this atmosphere is the exception or the rule, but I have rarely been prouder of our servicemen and women.

In conclusion, it was a wild 3 days, but with 2 wins from my alma maters, Chanukah came early this year.

Daily Dribble: 12/02

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 08:38:11 -0800

Today's a big day.. college basketball reaches the national airwaves as Kentucky heads to North Carolina on CBS. Will be interesting to see how the Heels follow up their big win over Ohio State. The game I'm really looking forward to is Gonzaga vs Texas on ESPN. These are two of the most intriguing teams, due to youth and style of play. I love star power and its fun to watch Kevin Durant (22 & 10) improve on a day by day basis. North Dakota State got some big time pub last year when they upset Wisconsin in Madison. Though 4 of last year's wins were over non-D1 teams, the Bison's 16 overall wins was very impressive for a first time independent. This year, the team is off to another solid 4-2 start, and one of those losses was by just 4 points at Texas Tech. What's amazing is that outside of senior Andre Smith, no one else on the roster is older than a sophomore. Its too bad this team isnt affiliated with a conference this year, because they could do some serious damage in a league like the Big Sky or the Mid-Con. Towson's Gary Neal was a big story last year as the La Salle transfer lit up the CAA averaging 26 ppg once becoming eligible. Neal has been a bit more inconsistent this season, though he poured in 29 in last night's Tigers win over Vermont. He also had one of the season's first 40 point efforts when he lit up Samford for 41 in mid-Novemeber. Mixed in though, Neal does have 3 for 13 and 2 for 16 clunkers. Towson's 4-3 now and though they'll probably upset an upper-level CAA team or two, this is still a middle to bottom of the pack team in conference play. Navy's off to a surprising 6-2 start. Last year, the Midshippmen did win 10 games, but they were worse than their record suggests. 2 of those wins were against non-D1 schools, 1 was against independent Longwood, and 2 were against bad MEAC teams. This year's wins have been of better quality, and they were competitive in a 70-61 loss at Villanova. Junior Greg Spink, averaging 18 points per game, is one of the best players in the Patriot League. The assists leaderboard features some surprising names. At the top, Marist's Jared Jordan is no surprise, as he was #1 in this category last season. Mustafa Shakur at #2 is a big surprise. The Arizona point guard had never averaged over 4.7 apg despite playing 30 mpg the past three years. Thanks to a higher tempo offense, the addition of Budinger, and the return of Mclellan, Shakur is pouring in 8.4 assists per game. #3 in the country is freshman Ishmael Smith of Wake Forest. The Deacons really struggled at the point last year as Justin Gray wasn't suited for the job. Smith has been a major reason why Wake has started 5-1, averaging 12 points and 7.8 assists per game. Smith isn't the only freshman putting up impressive assist totals. Not surprising to see Mike Conley (6.6 per game) and DJ Augustin (7.2 per game) doing the job for Ohio State and Texas respectively. More surprising is ETSU's Dequan Tilley. Tilley's struggled to hit shots of any kind (6 of 22 from the floor, and 2 of 5 from the free throw line), but he is adding 7.8 assists per the Bucs first four games. He's helped the Bucs deal with the loss of everyone's favorite little sparkplug, star Tim Smith.

Memorable First Round Performances

Michael Dugan — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Certainly, you remember Christian Laettner’s performance against Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional Final, where he was not only perfect from the foul line and the field, but also hit “the shot.” But do you remember Connecticut’s Tony Kimball pulling down 29 rebounds against St. Joseph’s in 1965?

Well, in all likelihood, probably not, because, for starters, who on earth is Tony Kimball? And, also, he did it in the first round, where there’s considerably less fanfare, so that’s perhaps another reason why.

Regardless, as we head into tomorrow’s first round match-ups, keep Kimball in mind, as well as these other extraordinary opening round performances from years gone by:

Elvin Hayes, Houston (1968): The Big E scored 49 points and snatched 27 rebounds against Loyola-Chicago. To this day, he’s the only player ever to score more than 40 points and tally more than 25 rebounds in a tournament game.

Austin Carr, Notre Dame (1970): While most players would be lucky to get 21 points in an entire game, Carr got that in the first 11 minutes, and didn’t stop until he scored a tournament record 61 in Notre Dame’s 112-82 victory over Ohio. In three tournament games that year he averaged 52.7, another record.

David Robinson, Navy (1987): Entering the tournament as the nation’s player of year, averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, Robinson did not disappoint as he went off for 50 against Michigan. However, in a testament to the Admiral’s exceptionally ordinary supporting cast, the Midshipmen still lost by 15.

Bo Kimble, Loyola-Marymount (1990): Kimball torched New Mexico State for 45 points and 18 rebounds less than two weeks after his childhood friend, Hank Gathers, died on the court during the West Coast Conference tournament. In a memorable tribute to his fallen teammate, Kimble, who was right-handed, shot his free throws left handed, just as Gathers, a notoriously poor free-throw shooter, had done. Making the performance all the more impressive: Kimble played the entire second half with four fouls. The Lions won the game 111-92.

Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (1992): Going up against 7’6’’ Shawn Bradley, Shaq put up a triple-double, scoring 26 points, 13 rebounds and a tournament record 11 blocks, as seventh-seeded LSU beat BYU 94-83. As a side note, and certainly not to take anything way from the Daddy’s performance, but considering his physical prowess—especially relative to college players—how in the world were the Tigers only a seven seed?

Sam Crawford, New Mexico State (1993): The nation’s leader in assists that year, Crawford tallied 16 helpers to go along with 20 points in the Aggies’ 93-79 win over Nebraska. His 16 assists are tied for the second most ever in a tournament game, behind Mark Wade of UNLV, who had 18.

Bryce Drew, Valporaiso (1998): Clearly, putting up 22 points and scoring a big upset, while impressive, doesn’t compare to the others. Yet, hitting one of the most famous shots in tournament history has to count for something. Trailing Ole Miss 69-67 with 2.5 seconds remaining, Valpo’s Bill Jenkins corralled a three-quarter-court pass and in one motion threw the ball to his left where an onrushing Drew sank a game winning 22-footer.

Harold Arceneaux, Weber State (1999): Nicknamed “the show,” Arceneaux hit 5 of 7 three-point attempts on his way to 36 points, including 20 in the second half, as the 14th-seed, Weber State, upset perennial power North Carolina.