Western Kentucky

Draft Poll: Who Will be the First Mid-Major Prospect Selected?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:58:28 -0700

Courtney Lee: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:48:57 -0700

Courtney Lee

College: Western Kentucky

Class: Senior

Position: SG

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 200lbs

Accolades: First Team Mid-Major All-American – CHN (08), Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (08), First Team All-Sun Belt Conference (08), Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-Sun Belt Conference (07), Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team (07), First Team All-Sun Belt Conference (06), Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year (05), Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team (05).

Scouting Report: A small conference player that puts the shooting in shooting guard.

Strengths: Great shooter from all over the floor. Big-time scorer – poured in over 2200 points in his collegiate career. Very consistent – had double-figure scoring totals in 34 of 36 games his senior year. Experienced player – played four years of 30-plus minutes a game in college. Very good three-point shooter – hit 245 long-bombs in his career at a 40% clip. Can penetrate and score. Used to having all the defensive pressure on him. Capable rebounder for a shooting guard. Great free throw shooter. Solid defender – gets his share of steals.

Weaknesses: Age – will be 23-years-old when next season starts. Athleticism has been questioned. Will be a little undersized in the NBA. Played in a small conference so he didn’t go up against top competitors on a nightly basis. Needs to improve his playmaking skills and cut down on the turnovers – had more turnovers than assists in college.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round to late second round pick.

Consensus: Lee might be a small conference player but he has big conference talent. He could be a steal for a team if he slips into the second round.

Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22628

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

= Consistent NBA Starter

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

= Career Reserve

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

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South Carolina Announces Darrin Horn Hiring

Press Release — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:16:36 -0700

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 1, 2008) - Darrin Horn has been named the head coach of the men's basketball program at the University of South Carolina, Gamecocks' Athletics Director Eric Hyman announced today.

Horn, 35, has spent the past five seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University. Under Horn's tutelage, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 111-48, a .698 winning percentage, including a 29-7 record and a Sun Belt Conference title during the 2007-08 campaign. The 29 wins tied the school record. He averaged over 22 wins per season during his five-year stint in Bowling Green. He took his latest squad to the "Sweet 16" as a No. 12 seed with wins over fifth-seeded Drake and No. 13 San Diego before their season came to an end in a 10-point loss to top-seed UCLA. He also led the Toppers to a pair of National Invitation Tournament appearances, including 2006 when lost to South Carolina in the Colonial Center.

Known for his up-tempo offense and pressure defense, Horn 2006-07 squad posted a 22-11 record, their third straight year of 20-or more wins. They were 12-6 in the Sun Belt Conference with all six losses decided by five points or less. No Hilltopper head coach had led WKU to three straight years of 20 or more wins in his first four seasons until Horn accomplished the feat.

Along with his record on the court, Horn's players have also been successful off it. Every player who has completed his eligibility under Horn at WKU has earned his degree.

Horn joins a long list of former WKU coaches that have moved up to bigger programs including Gene Keady (Purdue), Clem Haskins (Minnesota), Ralph Willard (Pittsburgh) and Dennis Felton (Georgia).

Horn is taking over for Dave Odom, who coached the Gamecocks for seven seasons before announcing on January 18 that he would retire at the end of the season.

Coaching Experience:
Western Kentucky, assistant coach, 1995-97
Morehead State, assistant coach, 1997-99
Marquette, assistant coach, 1999-03
Western Kentucky, head coach, 2003-08

2008 CollegeHoops.net Coach of the Year Awards

CHN — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:32:20 -0700

CollegeHoops.net Coach of the Year: Keno Davis (Drake)

In the category of “first year coaches taking over for their father’s somewhat struggling program”, Tony Bennett’s 2006-07 campaign seemed to be as good as it got. Bennett took over for his father Dick, and won 26 games while finishing 2^nd in the Pac-10. However, Keno Davis took things to new levels this year when he led the Drake Bulldogs to a shocking 28-5 record and an MVC Championship. Not since 1971 had Drake won 20 games, and it was that same season the program last made the NCAA Tournament. Thirty seven lean years later Drake was back in the Big Dance, and would have advanced to the Second Round if not for WKU’s last second prayer. Davis was handed a bunch of relatively unknown players like Adam Emmenecker and turned them into stars. Who knows what kind of success awaits Davis in the future, but Bulldog nation couldn’t be happier with what they’ve got.

Runner Up: Matt Painter (Purdue)

Last Year: Tony Bennett (Washington State)

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop (Davidson)

The general public might not have been aware of Bob McKillop’s Wildcats until this season’s magical Elite Eight run. But those in college basketball circles have known for years that Davidson has done nothing but win under his reign. In 12 of the last 13 seasons, McKillop’s Cats have finished either 1^st or 2^nd in their Southern Conference division. In that same period, he’s led Davidson to 5 NCAA Tournaments, 7 postseason bids, and 7 twenty wins seasons. Not bad considering when McKillop took over 18 years ago, the program was reeling to the tune of a 4-24 record. But this year’s Mid-Major Coach of the Year award is not about career success, but an outstanding 29 win season that included 25 straight over a four month period. With a little help from friends Stephen Curry and Jason Richards, the Wildcats blazed an impressive NCAA Tournament trail, knocking off three big name programs along the way, and winning over the hearts of the American public.

Runner Up: Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky)

Last Year: Gregg Marshall (Winthrop)

Check out all the: CHN 2007-08 Postseason Awards

All-Americans, All-Rookie, Top Coaches & more!

Poll: What Will be Tonight's Sweet 16 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:20:31 -0700

CBS Coverage Maps: Sweet Sixteen Thursday

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:06:50 -0700

One of the fun but also sometimes frustrating aspects of the NCAA Tournament is that CBS televises multiple games at once. This can lead to some exciting in-game looks at close exciting games, but it also means you might be missing the game you really want to see. CBS released their coverage maps of Thursday's Sweet Sixteen action, and I've linked to the maps for each time-slot below.

Here's what important regions/cities will be seeing:

New York/Tri-State Area

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Nothing to exciting to note here. None of the games are "constant" here, meaning you'll be going back and forth to whatever's good.

Los Angeles/Southern California

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC (swing)

9:40 - WKU vs UCLA (constant)

- Main thing here is that even if UCLA is a horrible game, you'll be watching the whole thing

Chicago

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Like everywhere else, no love for WVU/Xavier here.

Boston

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee

- Pretty much the entire East Coast has this same schedule outside of small pockets.

Washington DC

7:40 - Washington St vs UNC

9:40 - Louisville vs Tennessee (swing)

- "Swing" for the latter game means that CBS is committed to showing the UL/Tenn game here more than the previous game, but it wont be 100% "constant" coverage.

Other Notes

- Even in western Kentucky, you won't be getting the Western Kentucky game.

- Western Pennsylvania's the only area east of the Mississippi to get the UCLA/WKU game.. I guess due to the Pitt/Howland relation??

- Outside of WV and Ohio, the WVU/Xavier game is being shown in scattered odd regions. Mainly Central Connecticut, Syracuse, south Jersey, and west Tennessee.

CBS Regional Coverage Maps: Friday (from HD Sports Guide)

Window 1: 7:10 PM ET - Coverage Map
7:10 West Virginia vs Xavier - 13%
7:27 Washington State vs UNC - 87%

Window 2: 9:40 PM ET - Coverage Map
9:40 WKU vs UCLA - 20%
9:57 Louisville vs Tennessee -80%

- Sweet Sixteen Viewer's Guide

- Complete 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- NCA Tournament Capsules

Three Stars of the Day: Curry, Lee, Abrams

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:26:59 -0700

Stephen Curry - Davidson

Forge the shooting %, Curry came up clutch when it counted, scoring 20 second half points to lead Davidson to a comeback win

Courtney Lee - Western Kentucky

The Hilltoppers earned a Sweet 16 trip thanks to Lee's 29 point effort against USD

AJ Abrams - Texas

Scored 26 points and hit six threes for the second game in a row, as Texas survived Miami's comeback effort

Other Top Performers

Jamont Gordon - Mississippi State - Behind his solid 21 point, 11 rebound, 5 assists game, the Bulldogs put a scare into Memphis

Scottie Reynolds - Villanova - 25 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists from one of the country's underrated stars

Previous Stars of the Day

March 23rd - Brook Lopez, Stanford

March 21st - Gerald Henderson, Duke

March 18th - Cavel Witter, Creighton

March 15th - Joe Alexander, WVU

March 11th - Jeremy Evans, WKU

March 10th - Kevin Kanaskie, MTSU

March 9th - Brandon Johnson, San Diego

March 5th - Marquis Weddle, UTM

March 4th - Joe Alexander, WVU

March 3rd - Kevin Love, UCLA

March 2nd - Tyrese Rice, BC

And Then There Were 16.. Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:56:22 -0700

What a weekend in college basketball. A plethora of close games. A few Cinderellas trying on their dancing shoes. Buzzer-beaters. Fired-up coaches. Chest-thumping players. And at the end of it all, 48 teams have been sent packing, their championship hopes dashed. The final 16 teams includes two 12 seeds, as well as a 10 and 7 seed...who would've thought? Here's a look back at four days of Madness

- How in the world did every major school miss on Stephen Curry? The sharp-shooting Davidson sophomore averaged 35 points per game in leading the Wildcats to wins over Gonzaga and Georgetown on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. Lightly-recruited by bigger schools, Curry has proven time and time again he has no problem match-up up against elite players. He nailed 13 shots from beyond the arc in the first two rounds, using textbook form and a lightning-quick release. The Wildcats will again be giving up size when they face Wisconsin next round, but with Curry on the floor, you can't count them out.

- UCLA and Stanford occupied most of the spotlight in the Pac-10 this year, but don't forget about Washington State. The Cougars had as impressive of a weekend as anyone, pounding upstart Winthrop 71-40, and then shutting down Notre Dame in a 61-41 victory, holding them to an average of 27% shooting from the field. The Cougars calling card all season has been their defense, and they proved why, engulfing Big East POY Luke Harangody and holding him to just 10 points. Their defense will be tested in the next round however, by North Carolina, who has scored over 100 in each of their first two games.

- The RPI aside, most people would agree that the Pac-10 and Big East were the nation's toughest conferences this year, and the remaining teams are proof. Both conferences have three teams still standing, while the ACC and SEC each only have one. However, while the Pac-10 teams (UCLA, Stanford, Washington State) were somewhat expected, the three Big East might be a little surprising. No Georgetown, no Notre Dame and no Connecticut...replaced by West Virginia (5th in the conference) and Villanova (8th in the conference). Madness indeed.

- Out of the six mid-major at large teams, five lost in the first round, including ugly losses by Kent State and South Alabama. However, Xavier is still very much alive, having grinded out tough wins over a hot Georgia team and a scrappy Purdue squad. The Muskies have an incredibly balanced attack, and really get after teams defensively, denying passing lanes and just generally frustrating opponents. Diminutive point guard Drew Lavender, the heart and soul of the team, is a joy to watch as he speeds by defenders, while fellow seniors Stanley Burrell and Josh Duncan are as tough-minded as they come. Guards CJ Anderson and BJ Raymond are versatile players, while forward Derrick Brown has NBA-athleticism. If Jason Love continues to produce down low, Xavier should be able to knock off West Virginia in the next round, setting up a potentially interesting game with UCLA with a Final Four berth on the line.

- Duke haters can rejoice again after another tournament sees the Devils fail to make it past the first weekend. Last year, it was VCU shocking the Devils; this year West Virginia did the deed, exposing Duke's over-dependency on three-point shooting and lack of inside presence. Thought to be the weakest of the 2-seeds in the field, Duke did nothing to disprove that, barely escaping Belmont in the first round before bowing out to the Mountaineers. A severe lack of athleticism outside of Gerald Henderson once again doomed the Devils, who couldn't stay in front of anyone on defense. Another early exit next year, and the over-rated chants will be louder than ever.

- In other over-rated news, how does a team with Arizona's talent keep getting bounced early? The Wildcats boast two probably future lottery picks in Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger, along with future NBA player Jordan Hill, yet they won't see the second round of the tournament for the second straight year. It was a trying year to be sure, with the Lute Olson distractions and nagging injuries, but at some point, you'd like to see them start playing up to their potential.

- Indiana concluded their bizarre season by mailing in most of the game against Arkansas in bowing out in the first round. When Kelvin Sampson was replaced as head coach on Feb. 22 following an investigation into NCAA violations, the Hoosiers spiraled downwards, going 3-4 under interim coach Dan Dakich. Star freshman guard Eric Gordon struggled against Arkansas, going 3-15, and many of the Hoosiers appeared uninterested in playing defense. Indiana is too proud of a program to let this bog them down for too long, but there's no doubt this was not the same team that entered February at 17-3.

- Thanks for stopping by Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo. The two superstar freshmen, both likely headed to the NBA, saw their seasons over the weekend. Beasley showed why he's up for POY honors as he led the Wildcats to a first-round victory over USC and Mayo, totaling 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Wildcats then ran into an experienced Wisconsin team in the second round, bowing out despite another good effort from Beasley (23 and 13). But both kids should hold their heads high. They entered the season with enormous expectations and lived up to them, not an easy task for a young kid.

- It's hard to pin down the best game over the weekend, but there were a few that stood out. Western Kentucky and Drake put on a shoot-out for the ages in the first round, with WKU winning in OT on a Ty Rogers' 30-foot heave at the buzzer. Following that, San Diego stunned UConn, getting giant performances from Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare, plus a buzzer-beater of their own by De'Jon Jackson. UCLA needed late-game heroics from Darren Collison to hold off Texas A&M on Saturday, while Stanford got a baseline shot from Brook Lopez with one second left to knock off Marquette in overtime. Then, Tennessee needed late free throws to hold off a gritty Butler team in overtime on Sunday, while Memphis grinded out a three-point win over a tough Mississippi State squad. All in all, even though my brackets are destroyed (Siena anyone??), it was a great weekend for hoops.

- Similarly, it's hard to put out a list of the best individual performances of the weekend, since there was so many. But a few that simply can't be ignored: Davidson's Stephen Curry (40 pts vs. Gonzaga, 30 pts vs. Georgetown), Kentucky's Joe Crawford (35 pts vs. Marquette), Marquette's Jerel McNeal (30 pts vs. Stanford), West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla (13 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast off the bench vs. Duke), Arkansas' Sonny Weems (31 pts vs. Indiana), Miami's Jack McClinton (38 pts vs. St. Mary's), Stanford's Brook Lopez (30 pts vs. Marquette), WKU's Tyrone Brazelton (33 pts. vs. Drake), Xavier’s Drew Lavender (18 pts, 9 ast vs. Purdue), Duke's Gerald Henderson (21 pts, 7 reb, 5 stl vs. Belmont) and Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (25 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast vs. Siena).

CollegeHoops.net All-Second Round Team & MOP

Jeff Fox — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:16:18 -0700

College basketball can be so boring and predictable some times. Everyone knew at the starting of the tournament that Villanova, Davidson, Western Kentucky and West Virginia would be playing in the Sweet Sixteen. It was so obvious.

Now, with tongue firmly out of cheek, here are CHN’s All-Second Round Team and MOP

CollegeHoops.net Second Round MOP:

Kevin Love, UCLA

19 points, 11 boards, seven blocks

Now this was actually predictable – despite just being a teenager, Kevin Love continues to play like a man among boys. He bullied a pesky Aggies squad that wouldn’t go away, swatting seven of their shots. Now if he would just stop shooting so many threes (he was 1-4), he could really do some damage.

MOP Runner Up: Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky

29 points, seven boards, three steals

Hate to keep tooting CHN’s horn, but with the way the writer’s NCAA brackets are going, any time we get something correct we have to bring it to your attention. As we predicted at the starting of the tourney, Courtney Lee was a potential breakout star. After his killer game vs. San Diego (9-15 FG, 4-5 3Pts, 7-8 FT) he has us looking smart. Thanks Courtney.

CollegeHoops.net All-Second Round Team:

Guard: Mitch Johnson, Stanford - Nine points, 16 assists, one turnover

Mitch Johnson nailed all three of his long-bombs he shot and had a 16 to 1 assist to turnover ratio for the game. Deadly efficient.

Guard: Joe Mazzulla, West Virginia - 13 points, 11 boards, eight assists

Channeling his inner-Havlicek, bench player Joe Mazzulla slayed the mighty Blue Devils and almost notched a triple double in the process.

Guard/Forward: Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky

Forward: Brook Lopez, Stanford - 30 points, four boards

Time and time again the Cardinals went to Brook Lopez in crunch time versus Marquette, and time and time again he came through, including a very difficult game winner in overtime.

Center: Kevin Love, UCLA

- All First-Round Team & MOP

Collegehoops.net All-First Round Team & MOP

Jeff Fox — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:53:08 -0700

It may have been Good Friday for the rest of the world, but for college basketball fans it was a Great Friday. While Thursday’s opening round games had their moments, Friday’s slate of action was full of what makes the NCAA tournament great – upsets, nail biters, buzzer beaters & great individual performances.

Not surprisingly, Friday’s top performers dominate CHN’s All-First Round Team.

CollegeHoops.net First Round MOP: Stephen Curry, Davidson

40 points, five steals, 8-10 3pts

Could it really be anyone else? Dell’s little boy was on fire against Gonzaga, almost matching his teammates point for point (Curry – 40, rest of the Wildcats – 42). There are few NCAA players that can light it up like Curry can and as the ‘Zags found out, he can be deadly efficient (14-22 FGs, 4-6 FTs, 8-10 3pts). You think John Thompson and Georgetown are having nightmares about him yet? And to think, a wise CHN scribe mentioned that this might happen..

MOP Runner Up: Tyrone Brazelton, Western Kentucky

33 points, five assists, five rebounds, two steals, 6-10 3pts

Point guard Tyrone Brazelton seemed to be everywhere on the court for the Hilltoppers on Friday. In addition to scoring a career-high 33, he set up teammate Ty Rogers for the game-winning, buzzer-beating, desperation three-pointer in overtime. Western Kentucky will need more of Brazelton’s relentless attacking to get past San Diego and gain entry into the Sweet Sixteen.

CollegeHoops.net All-First Round Team:

Guard: Tyrone Brazelton, Western Kentucky

Guard: Stephen Curry, Davidson

Guard: Jack McClinton, Miami - 38 points, four rebounds, three assists

McClinton’s 32 second half points matched opponent Saint Mary’s total. Enough said.

Forward: Jonathan Cox, Drake - 29 points, 16 boards, 2 blocks, 4-6 3pts

Killer stat line - the only thing missing was the W.

Forward: Sonny Weems, Arkansas - 31 points, five boards, two steals

At least Weems left some room for improvement – he did miss two of the 14 shots he took against Indiana.