VCU

2008-09 VCU Basketball Preview: #48

Joel Welser — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:18:57 -0700

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VCU Rams

Overall Rank: #48

Conference Rank: #1 Colonial

2007-08: 24-8, 15-3, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NIT

As long as VCU has reigning conference Player of the Year Eric Maynor, they will be a force in the Colonial Athletic Association. The 6-3 point guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season and led his team to a 15-3 conference record. The Rams, who were three games better than any CAA opponent, stumbled in the conference tournament, but they have enough weapons to repeat last year’s success and make it to the NCAA Tournament. In fact, led by Maynor, they might not even have to win the conference tournament to get a bid to the big dance.

Who’s Out:

However, there are holes that need to be filled. Jamal Shuler was easily the team’s best outside shooter and knocked down 41.3 percent of his attempts. His 15.5 points per game was the only other double-figure average on the team besides Maynor. The Rams have to find a shooter or two in the backcourt to replace him. The frontcourt has a couple big losses of their own in Michael Anderson and Wil Fameni. Anderson was the big man who could stretch out the defense with his outside shooting ability and Fameni did the dirty work under the basket.

Who’s In:

Bradford Burgess will help replace Shuler. Burgess will not single-handedly be as productive as Shuler from beyond the arc, but the 6-5 guard can hit the outside shot. He will also use his size to get the basket effectively and can score a lot of points in a hurry. Terrance Saintil and walk-on David Hinton are the newcomers in the frontcourt. At 6-8 and 230 pounds, Saintil is a good athlete who has the strength to battle in the paint. He has some work to do as a defender and rebounder, but at VCU he will have the time to grow into his role. In a year or two, the Opa Locka, Florida product could be a special player.

Who to Watch:

For now, the Rams really do not need any more depth in the frontcourt, even with the loss of two key contributors. And it all starts with sophomore Larry Sanders. The 6-10, 220 pounder only started half of the team’s games and averaged less than 17 minutes per contest, but the Virginia Commonwealth faithful have good reason to be excited about his future. He has room to improve in the scoring department, but Sanders led the team with 5.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per contest. Going up against Sanders when he is standing under the basket is an intimidating thing for any opponent. The Rams win games with defense and it all starts with Sanders. Lance Kearse averaged less than ten minutes per game as a freshman, yet he has a ton of potential. He is the likely candidate to replace Anderson since he can hit the outside shot and stretch the defense. T.J. Gwynn is the most experienced option. Even though he is just 6-4, he is strong enough to play power forward. Junior Kirill Pishchalnikov adds some toughness to the team and Franck Ndongo, at 6-7, can give the team plenty of size at the small forward spot.

Final Projection:

The emergence of the frontcourt is important, but the most important question heading into the 2008-2009 campaign is who replaces Shuler. Outside of Maynor, no returning player on the roster averaged over five shots per game. Those shots have to go somewhere and Joey Rodriguez, Brandon Rozzell and Ed Nixon hope to answer the call. Rodriguez started 18 games a year ago, but it is his defense that keeps him on the floor, not his inconsistent outside shooting. Rozzell is a good shooter and he showed a lot of potential during his limited action as a freshman. If he can turn his successful February and March into consistency that lasts an entire season, Rozzell will be the answer and could be the other double-digit scorer that the team needs to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Eric Maynor, Senior, Guard, 17.9 ppg, 5.5 apg

Joey Rodriguez, Sophomore, Guard, 5.1 ppg, 2.5 apg

T.J. Gwynn, Junior, Forward, 3.4 ppg

Lance Kearse, Sophomore, Forward, 3.9 ppg

Larry Sanders, Sophomore, Forwar, 4.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg

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

Poll: Who is the Best Team in the BracketBuster Pool?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:47:46 -0700

Lots of changes at Marist...and some other Northeast news

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:41:33 -0700

Well, today marks the beginning of the Spring Signing Period, and many fans are awaiting the decision of guard Tyreke Evans. The explosive prerimeter player is said to be leaning in the direction of Memphis, and that's who I'd expect him to sign with due to the departure of Derrick Rose. But the school with the most going on in recent days has to be Marist, who will any day be gaining a head coach, but they've already lost two players. - Memphis assistant Jose "Chucky" Martin to be named Marist head coach. Many services have reported that the official announcement is coming any day now. Martin, a native of New York City, has many ties to the area due to both his playing at St. Raymond's in the Bronx and assistant stints at Manhattan and St. John's. That's the good news for fans of the Red Foxes, who head into this critical portion of the offseason with a head coach in place. As for the bad... - Guard Jay Gavin is transferring to VCU. According to Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal, star freshman guard Jay Gavin will be leaving Marist at the end of the semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth. He'll have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, but with the coaching change the people most instrumental in getting him to Marist are now gone (the entire coaching staff went with Matt Brady to James Madison). And speaking of James Madison, former Marist verbal commitment Andrey Semenov will follow Brady and his staff to JMU. Coach Martin will have a lot of work to do in regards to filling out his roster for the upcoming season. - G Doug Wiggins has asked to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer. A couple of weeks ago head coach Jim Calhoun talked about some imminent changes that would be coming this offseason for his program. One domino has fallen apparently, that being East Hartford native Doug Wiggins. Some moves were expected in regards to playing time/off-court issues, and Wiggins certainly had to deal with the latter during his two years in Storrs. But the main thing for Wiggins is to find a place in which he'll see a lot of playing time over his final two seasons. - "Christmas in April" for Rutgers? Maybe. Reported on Monday by Stacey Davis of NYCHoops.net, there is the possibility of St. Benedict's Prep forward and Rutgers commit Greg Echinique accelerating his coursework in order to graduate in time to join the Scarlet Knights this fall. A member of the Class of 2009, sources have told Davis that Echinique has entered an accelerated program with hopes of getting this done. If it can happen, look out for RU next season. - Sources say that Travis Ford could be the new head coach at Oklahoma State any day now. According to ESPN.com, UMass head coach Travis Ford is expected to take the same position at Oklahoma State any day now, just about a week after turning down Providence and agreeing to a new deal to stay at UMass. He replaces Sean Sutton, who was let go after two seasons in Stillwater.

2008 NIT Capsule: VCU

Joel Welser — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:03:24 -0700

Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Colonial Athletic Association (24-7, 15-3)

Seed: #4

RPI: 52

Big Wins: 11/15 vs Houston (73-72), 12/2 vs Maryland (85-76), 2/23 at Akron (57-52)

Bad Losses: 11/29 at Hampton (55-64), 1/2 at James Madison (61-62), 3/9 vs William & Mary (54-56)

Coach: Anthony Grant

Probable Starters:

Eric Maynor, Junior, Guard, 17.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.2 rpg

Jamal Shuler, Senior, Guard, 15.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.5 spg

Joey Rodriguez, Freshman, Guard, 5.1 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg

Michael Anderson, Senior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg

Wil Fameni, Senior, Forward, 4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Ed Nixon, Freshman, Guard, 1.9 ppg

Brandon Rozzell, Freshman, Guard, 2.5 ppg

Larry Sanders, Freshman, Forward, 4.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.0 bpg

T.J. Gwynn, Sophomore, Forward, 3.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Lance Kearse, Freshman, Forward, 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Kirill Pishchalnikov, Sophomore, Forward, 1.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg

Franck Ndongo, Sophomore, Forward, 1.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

The backcourt is the strength of VCU and Eric Maynor makes it tick. The Junior exploded into a clutch point guard and a great team leader last season and has kept it up this year. Maynor averages 17.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Yet it is his 5.4 assists per contest that make him so dangerous. He does a great job of finding his teammates and making smart passes. Maynor is always a threat to drive to the basket and earns a team high 5.3 trips to the charity stripe per game. His outside shooting is solid, but he leaves the majority of long range shooting to backcourt mate Jamal Shuler.

Shuler hits 2.4 long balls per game and is really the team’s only other scoring threat. Shuler does a lot more than just shoot three’s. He is solid on the glass and can do plenty of scoring inside the arc. Freshmen Joey Rodriguez and Ed Nixon have split starts as the third guard. Neither are prolific scorers by any means, but they will help the team in other ways.

Why They Can Disappoint:

When the guards are at the free-throw line, all is well. But the forwards get there quite a bit too and that is not a good thing. Maynor, Shuler, Rodriguez and Nixon all shoot at least 70 percent from the charity stripe. Nobody else on the team eclipses that mark. The forwards also tend to lack in the rebounding department. VCU generally outrebounds the opposition, but a lot of that is due to the guards helping out. The system lends itself to a balanced rebounding effort, but some of the bigger guys like Wil Fameni could do a little more.

Who To Watch:

Fameni was a roleplayer at Arizona State as an underclassman and now is developing into a decent big man at VCU. The 6-7 senior will do a little bit of scoring under the basket, but has been relatively inconsistent this season. Michael Anderson starts by the side of Fameni and will do the dirty work under the basket. Listed at 6-7 and only 205 pounds, Anderson does not have the body to battle inside, but will hustle on the glass and is not a horrible shooter when he takes the opportunity. The player who has made the biggest splash on the frontcourt could be freshman Larry Sanders. At 6-9, he is the tallest player on the team and has shown the potential to be a decent scorer in the post. Yet, it is on the defensive end where Sanders shines. He blocks three shots per game and that has had a huge effect on the Rams defense. With his presence in the paint, VCU ranks in the top five in the nation in opponents field-goal percentage.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 67.1 (212^th in nation, 4^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 58.1 (8, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 43.6 (193, 4)

Field-Goal Defense: 37.8 (3, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.4 (190, 4)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.4 (75, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 67.5 (221, 8)

Rebound Margin: 2.1 (106, 6)

Assists Per Game: 12.6 (212, 8)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (92, 6)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Mississippi

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2008 BracketBusters Schedule

Press Release — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:15:33 -0800

2008 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Television Matchups

Friday, Feb 22
Davidson at Winthrop
UCSB at Utah State

Saturday, Feb 23
Creighton at Oral Roberts
George Mason at Ohio
Kent State at St. Mary’s (Ca.)
Marist at Cleveland State
Miami at Valparaiso
Nevada at Southern Illinois
Rider at CS Northridge
Siena at Boise State
UWM at Bradley
Virginia Commonwealth at Akron

Sunday, Feb 24
Wright State at Illinois State

2008 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Non-Television Matchups
* Times to be Announced

Albany at Canisius
Ball State at Eastern Kentucky
Binghamton at Manhattan
Boston U at St. Peter's
Bowling Green at Detroit
Bucknell at Old Dominion
Cal Poly at Fresno State
UC Davis at Loyola MD
Delaware at Toledo
Evansville at Eastern Illinois
Fairfield at Drexel
Georgia Southern at Austin Peay
Georgia State at Jacksonville State
Hawaii at Riverside
High Point at Towson
Hofstra at Iona
Idaho at Irvine
Indiana State at Murray State
LBSU at New Mexico State
Loyola Ill at William & Mary
Morehead State at James Madison
Niagara at Appalachian State
Portland State at CS Fullerton
Samford at La Tech
San Jose State at Pacific
Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Michigan
Tennessee-Martin at Elon
Tennessee State at Northern Illinois
Tennessee Tech at ETSU
UIC at Northern Iowa
Vermont at UNCW
Western Michigan at UW-Green Bay
Wichita State at Holy Cross
Youngstown State at Buffalo

Games of the Night: VCU at George Mason

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:01:50 -0800

Games of the Night

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

VCU (15-4) at George Mason (14-6)

7:00 PM ESPN2

It's rare that a great mid-major game ends up on national television for just about everyone to see. Such is the case tonight where the two best teams in the CAA meet. VCU has won 7 straight, but GMU is unbeaten at home.. so someone's streak is coming to an end. Junior guard Dre Smith could be the key to Mason's chances.. he can be feast or famine at times, but famine won't cut it against Eric Maynor.

Prediction: VCU

Miami (15-4) at Wake Forest (12-6)

7:00 PM

Both teams enter this game with 2-3 ACC records, yet Miami is still in sight of the Top 25. A home win over Clemson perhaps saved Miami's tournament hopes, but now they face road games at Wake and Duke. Wake is not a pushover right now, and should be a slight favorite in Vegas by tip-off. James Johnson is an emerging talent for Wake, but the key could be whether point guard Ishmael Smith has one of his good nights or one of his bad. This could go either way.

Prediction: Wake Forest

#8 Tennessee (17-2) at Alabama (12-8)

9:00 PM ESPN

Before the season started, this might have looked like a key SEC battle. But another Ronald Steele injury and blow chances in close games has left Alabama with a mediocre overall record and a poor 1-4 SEC mark. This game scares me a bit, because as bad as Bama has been they have the talent to cause fits on a good night. Also, Tennessee lost their last road game, but Chris Lofton finally seems to be shooting his way out of a season-long slump.. which is a major positive.

Prediction: Tennessee

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions)

January 28th - Louisville at UCONN (1-2)

January 27th - Duke at Maryland (2-1)

January 26th - Georgetown at West Virginia (3-0)

January 24rd - Dayton at Xavier (2-1)

January 22nd - Akron at Kent State (2-1)

January 21st - Drake at Creighton (1-2)

January 20th - Texas at Oklahoma State (3-0)

January 19th - Marquette at UCONN (2-1)

January 18th - Illinois State at Drake (2-1)

January 17th - Vanderbilt at Tennessee (2-1)

January 14th - Georgetown at Pittsburgh (2-1)

January 12th - Stanford at Oregon (3-0)

January 9th - Rhode Island at Dayton (2-1)

January 8th - Florida at Alabama (2-1)

January 7th - Robert Morris at Boston College (1-2)

January 6th - North Carolina at Clemson (2-1)

January 5th - Western Kentucky at South Alabama (3-0)

January 4th - American at Brown (0-3)

January 3rd - UCLA at Stanford (3-0)

January 2nd - Houston at UMASS (2-1)

Picture of the Day: Eric Maynor vs GMU

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:30:17 -0800

Picture of the Day

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

Eric Maynor vs George Mason

Last year, Eric Maynor and the VCU Rams busted George Mason's tournament dreams in the CAA Championship. Tonight those teams meet up in Fairfax (7:00 ESPN2), where the Patriots hope to get a bit of revenge.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

College Basketball Year In Review: Best Moment of 2007

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:46:53 -0800

Yes its cliché, end of year articles about the biggest stories of the year, or the best moments, or the most important people. But, what can you do.. there’s just something nostalgic about New Year’s time. So I decided to ask CHN writers some of the standard year in review questions, a nice way to wrap up what was an exciting year in college basketball.

Question: What was the best college basketball moment of 2007?

Jeff Borzello – Maynor Knocks Out Duke

My favorite college basketball moment was, by far, Eric Maynor's pull-up jumper to give VCU the win over Duke in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. I had fell in love with the Rams and Maynor earlier in the season and it gave me satisfaction to see a) my prediction come through and b) the victim be Duke. The shot is still my desktop's background, in fact.

Jason Brubaker – Florida Cuts Down the Nets

My favorite moment of 2007 was watching Florida cut down the nets for the second time, proving that teamwork and sacrifice can pay off. On many teams, three future lottery picks would spell trouble in terms of shots, top billing, etc. However, they proved that the team is the most important thing, and that's a lesson that was great for basketball.

Jeff Fox – The legend of Greg Oden

Watching Greg Oden play - despite the unreasonable level of hype and expectations heaped upon him and being injured for most of the year, Oden didn't disappoint.

Raphielle Johnson – Divison II National Championship

Barton’s comeback to beat Winona State in the Division II national title game was my favorite. Usually this game is nothing more than a warm-up for the first two regional finals of the weekend. This one was a whole lot more.

Jon Teitel – Vegas in March

I have had friends tell me stories about being in Vegas during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but I had never seen it with my own eyes until last March (thanks to my brother scheduling his bachelor party at that time/location). The mix of gamblers cheering about the point spread, fans who traveled to Sin City from all over the country cheering on their favorite teams, and EVERYONE cheering for VCU to upset Duke was unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

Jason Tomassini – Gus Johnson’s call of Xavier-Ohio State

Not only was the game unbelievable, with the Buckeyes making the first incredible comeback of their Final Four run and Mike Conley emerging from Oden’s shadow, but Johnson’s call of Ron Lewis’ game-tying three in the final seconds of regulation made it timeless. Gus’ completely indecipherable screech when Lewis hit the shot symbolized, in one exuberant yelp, the excitement of the NCAA Tourney and cemented Johnson as a March Madness (“HaHA!”) legend.

Joel Welser – Opening Tip of 2007 NCAA Tournament

They say the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is like Christmas for college basketball fans. Well, Christmas just passed and I must say the NCAA Tournament is much more exciting. My favorite moment of 2007 was the tip-off of the first game of the 2007 NCAA Tournament and I have a feeling it will be my favorite moment of 2008 as well.

Up Next: What was the biggest college basketball story of 2007?

Preview: Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:29:49 -0800

One of the joys of the early season for some teams is to head off to some beachside location for a few days of fun in the sun. But that’s for the fans that happen to make these trips. The teams have business to attend to. And with the number of talented teams making their way to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off with hopes of eventually dancing in March, this tournament is a good place to discover what you have in the early going. Twelve games will be played over four days, with a day off on November 17^th (OK, so there’s the players’ beach time). Here’s a breakdown of the schedule:

November 15th (all times Eastern)

            Game 1: Houston vs. VCU (9 AM, ESPNU)

            Game 2: Marist vs. Miami (FL) (11:30 AM, ESPNU)

            Game 3: Temple vs. Providence (2:30 PM, ESPNU)

            Game 4: College of Charleston vs. #18 Arkansas (5 PM, ESPNU)

November 16^th

            Game 5: 11 AM, ESPNU

            Game 6: 1:30 PM, ESPNU

            Game 7: 5:30 PM, ESPNU

            Game 8: 8 PM, ESPNU

November 18^th

            Game 9: 11 AM, ESPNU

            Game 10: 1:30 PM, ESPNU

            Game 11: 5:30 PM, ESPN2

            Game 12: 8 PM, ESPN2

This tournament shapes up to be a very good one on paper, one that features some teams with thoughts of making some noise in their respective conferences as well as players who could make runs at conference honors. Splitting the bracket into two parts (morning games and afternoon games), here’s a quick breakdown of what each team will be looking to find along with a player from each team to watch.

Houston

The Cougars head into 2007-08 as one of the teams jockeying for second place in Conference USA. Tom Penders has what he believes may be his most talented Cougar team to date on campus, including guards Lanny Smith, Robert McKiver (his nickname: Fluff) and Marcus Malone. But the Coogs will also have six newcomers to work into the fold, such as Seton Hall transfer Marcus Cousin, Auburn transfer Kelvin Lewis and junior college All-American DaShaun Williams. This team will run, making for an entertaining brand of basketball. Four Houston, this tournament will be just as much about building a chemistry between the returnees and newcomers as it is winning.

Player to Watch: F Dion Dowell: scored 25 in the season-opening win over Morehead State.

Virginia Commonwealth

Thanks to their run through the CAA and then an NCAA Tournament win over Duke, people throughout the country know about the Rams. But, repeating those feats will be tougher with the graduation of BA Walker and Jesse Pellot-Rosa. At least head coach Anthony Grant returns after that Billy Donovan scare in Gainesville for his second season. And in junior point guard Eric Maynor, he’s got one of the best in the country running the show. It was Maynor’s heroics against George Mason and Duke that led the Rams to the winner’s circle in both games. Who steps in to pick up the scoring slack with the graduation of Walker and Pellot-Rosa? Most likely senior Jamal Shuler, who’s diversified his game throughout his career. The frontcourt will be anchored by seniors Michael Anderson and Wil Fameni. Once again picked to finish near the top of the Colonial, VCU has a chance to pick up some marquee wins in Puerto Rico.

Player to Watch: G Jamal Shuler: you most likely won’t be able to take your eyes off of Maynor and rightfully so. But Shuler’s development could be more important to the Rams’ postseason hopes.

Marist

Just like VCU, Marist won their conference’s regular season title. But, Marist has to replace both guards from that team (Jared Jordan and Will Whittington), something that won’t be easy to do. An influx of fresh faces will need to produce in order for the Red Foxes to have a successful season, but there are some returnees who will have an impact as well. Forwards Ryan Stilphen, Ben Farmer and Spongy Benjamin are all back for their senior season, and Benjamin already has things rolling after putting up 21 and 17 in their opener. Guards David Devezin, Dejuan Goodwin and Jay Gavin all scored in double figures in the opener, which is a good sign for a team that could be without Syracuse transfer for the foreseeable future. Marist was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC this season, but that league is practically wide-open at the top. This weekend will help get the guards some experience against top teams, which should only help them come conference play.

Player to Watch: G Dejuan Goodwin: All the freshman did in his first action as a Red Fox was score thirteen points and win MAAC Rookie of the Week honors.

Miami (FL)

When’s the last time Miami’s basketball team became a diversion away from football? Well, after the ‘Canes football team closed the Orange Bowl in “style”, a little roundball could be just what the doctor ordered for Miami fans. Senior Jack McClinton is one of the ACC’s most prolific scorers and could even see time at the point this year. Gone are the disciplinary issues that put the Hurricanes behind the eight ball before ACC play kicked off last season, and this team should be deeper in the frontcourt as well. It all adds up to a team in search of an answer at the point (Denis Clemente transferred to Kansas State), and if they find the right answer then that could help them stand out in the middle of the ACC.

Player to Watch: G Jack McClinton: The Siena transfer led the ACC in both three-point and free throw percentages last season. Marist should be quite familiar with McClinton when they play on Thursday.

Providence

Weren’t we here just a few seasons ago with the Friars? A wealth of returning players, along with some talented (and in some cases proven) newcomers would equal a return to the NCAA Tournament? Well, Tim Welsh arrives in Puerto Rico with a team that has a chance to be his most talented during his tenure at PC. Guard Sharaud Curry will miss the tournament due to injury, but in Weyinmi Efejuku, Dwain Williams and Jeff Xavier there’s plenty of talent remaining in the backcourt. Up front, Geoff McDermott and Jonathan Kale will be rejoined by an old friend, junior Randall Hanke who sat out last season to attend to some personal issues. The Friars possess depth and the ability to play guys at a variety of positions, and while they won’t win the Big East, they have a good chance to dance come March.

Player to Watch: F Geoff McDermott: McDermott is one of the more versatile players in the nation, but you don’t hear his name thrown around a lot on the major networks. That should change this weekend.

Temple

Year one under Fran Dunphy was one of transition for the Temple program after the lengthy John Chaney era. Funny thing is, Temple’s defense was the issue last season after years of that suffocating matchup zone. At least the Owls return the top two scorers in the Atlantic 10, junior Dionte Christmas and senior Mark Tyndale. When your team averages 75 points per game and you finish the year 12-18, you can usually point to defense and rebounding as two main categories to improve. Five freshmen will look to help the Owls improve on last season’s record, and once again Temple will play a tough non-conference slate. But in the improved Atlantic 10, making a substantial move up from 11^th will prove to be difficult. For the Owls, this tournament will be more about learning what they have outside of Christmas and Tyndale, and getting the youngsters ready for conference play.

Player to Watch: G Mark Tyndale: Tyndale may have been the biggest benefactor from the coaching change, as he was more willing to take shots last season.

College of Charleston

One year after beginning his reign in Charleston with a run to the Southern Conference final, Bobby Cremins will have his hands full replacing the three starters lost from that 22-11 squad. Guards Marcus Hammond and Tony White Jr. are back on campus, which is good considering the fact that the Cougars lost their three best post options and Dontaye Draper to graduation. While there are still a few roles to be determined with this team, one look at Charleston’s proud history and Cremins’ ability to recruit should mean that the Cougars will once again be in the middle of the SoCon race this year. Just like Temple and Miami, developing the youngsters will be the most important task this weekend.

Player to Watch: G Marcus Hammond: With the departure of Dontaye Draper, Hammond looks to be the one most likely to pick up the scoring slack.

Arkansas

John Pelphrey is the man who ends up running the Razorback program after Dana Altman changed his mind, and let it be known that Stan Heath didn’t leave an empty cupboard either. With Alabama losing Ronald Steele, Arkansas becomes the favorite alongside Mississippi State in the SEC West, and truth be told they would have been there even if Steele were healthy. Guard Patrick Beverley was SEC Newcomer of the Year last season, and should be even better this year. In total, all five starters are back for the Hogs, as well as every key contributor off the bench. Simply put, the Razorbacks may be the deepest team in the SEC behind Tennessee. And in regards to depth, they may have more than Tennessee. With the amount of experience back on campus, don’t expect Pelphrey to change too much right now. Not only should Arkansas be in the NCAA Tournament, they have the ability to go a long way.

Player to Watch: G Gary Ervin: For as talented as players such as Beverley and Sonny Weems are, how good this team can be rests on the shoulders of their senior point guard.

My Prediction

Unfortunately, Providence and Arkansas would have to meet in the semifinals instead of the final, but this should still be an entertaining tournament. In the top half of the bracket, I like Houston to defeat Marist. On the other side, I’ll take Arkansas over Providence in what could be one of the best games this weekend. In Sunday’s final, I like the Razorbacks’ size to win out.

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

Collegehoops.net Preseason Players of the Year

CHN — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:36:01 -0800
Official Collegehoops.net awards are voted on by CHN staff & writers. Commentary is provided by Jason Brubaker.

National Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, F, UNC

Quite simply, nobody plays harder than Hansbrough, a junior who has been nothing short of remarkable in his first two seasons. As a freshman, he carried a young Tar Heel squad to 23 wins and last year was the unquestioned leader of a squad that fell just short of Final Four berth, leading the team in scoring and rebounding for the second consecutive year. Hansbrough plays with a fierce determination and will to win that enables him to dominate most opponents. His motor never quits running, and he’s the perfect big man for Roy Williams’ up-tempo offense. He has solid ball-handling and shooting skills for a big man, and he gets to the free throw line more than anyone in recent memory. While his average athleticism may limit his NBA future, there’s no question Hansbrough is one of the best college players in the county.

High-Major* Player of the Year: Eric Maynor, G, VCU

Maynor burst onto the national scene with a game-winning jumper against Duke in the NCAA Tournament last year, but he’s much more than a one-hit wonder. The lithe combo guard averaged 13 points per game last year, to go with over six assists, all while playing terrific defense. Some fans may remember his back-back steals in the final minute against George Mason in the conference tournament as much as his heroics against the Blue Devils. He has become the face of a quickly rising VCU team, fresh off a 28-win season, Maynor represented the USA at the Pan-American games this past summer, and has people talking about the Rams as a sleeper team this year. A heady player who looks to pass first, his versatility is the perfect fit for Coach Anthony Grant’s quick pace, and he has the ability to make his teammates better.

Mid-Major* Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson

Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, exploded on the radar last season as a true freshman, averaging better than 20 points per game and showing the same shooting touch that mad his dad famous. He set a Division I freshman record with 122 three-pointers, and averaged just over 26 points per game in the last 12 games. More importantly, he led a Davidson squad that lost four starters to 29 wins and a near-upset of Maryland in the first round of the tournament. Lightly recruited by some of the powerhouses because of his slight stature, Curry dispelled the notion that he couldn’t play with the big boys, dropping 32 on Michigan and later 30 in the loss to the Terps. Not just a shooter, he also averaged over four rebounds and three assists per game as the Wildcats roared to the Southern Conference title. Thanks in large part to Curry, Davidson is appearing in many pre-season polls, and they’re primed for a big year.

Freshman of the Year: O.J. Mayo, G, USC

Had the NBA not instituted the rule that prohibits high-schoolers from jumping to the league, Mayo may very well be a candidate for Rookie of the Year this year. As it is, the 6-foot-5 combo guard will have to settle for Freshman of the Year honors in what is likely his only year on campus. A superior athlete who is comfortable draining long threes as well as attacking the rim, Mayo will fill plenty of highlight reels as he will have the green light to shoot from day one. Although he’s known mostly for his scoring, Mayo has extremely solid fundamentals, and has the ability to play point guard for stretches. His work ethic has also drawn rave reviews over the summer from his coaches. He may not put up Kevin Durant numbers this year, but Mayo will give USC fans plenty to cheer about.

*High-Major denotes A-10, CAA, CUSA (minus Memphis), MVC, MWC, WAC, while Mid-Major denotes all other non-BCS leagues.

Check back tomorrow for the final CHN Player Awards including the top transfers and most underrated players.

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