Conference USA

Poll: Who Will Win the CUSA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:26:04 -0500

Conference USA: All-Conference Teams

Press Release — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:02:00 -0500

IRVING, Texas - Players from five different schools are represented on the 2010 All-Conference USA men's basketball first-team, featuring three repeat all-conference selections and two newcomers. Seniors Aubrey Coleman of Houston and Ben Uzoh of Tulsa are joined by juniors Elijah Millsap of UAB and Randy Culpepper of UTEP, along with sophomore Elliot Williams of Memphis. All five players are guards. Voting on the awards was done by the C-USA head coaches and media members in each conference city.

Coleman is a repeat first-team selection and has been the nation's leading scorer this season, averaging 26.0 points per game. The guard from Houston, Texas, scored 420 points during the conference regular season, the second-highest total in league history. Coleman, who has led UH in scoring in all but one game this season, enters this week's GMC Sierra C-USA Men's Basketball Championship with 1,400 points during his two years at UH. He was named C-USA Player of the Week five times this season.

Uzoh, a two-time second-team all-conference selection, leads Tulsa in scoring this season at 15.4 points per game, while adding 4.7 rebounds per game and 45 three-pointers made. He has moved into the top 10 in C-USA history in scoring, ranking seventh with 1,895 points. Uzoh is just the sixth player in Tulsa to history to score at least 400 points in three consecutive seasons.

Culpepper made the jump from the all-conference third team to the first team as he helped guide UTEP to its first C-USA title with a 15-1 league record. The junior from Memphis, Tenn., enters the C-USA Championship ranked third in C-USA in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Culpepper has led the Miners in scoring 14 times this season and has moved up fourth place in scoring all-time at UTEP with 1,597 points. He has topped the 30-point mark three times this year, including 45 points against East Carolina on Feb. 13, the most by any C-USA player this season and tied for second-most in league history.

Millsap burst onto the scene for UAB this season, averaging 16.0 points per game (fifth in C-USA), while leading the league in rebounding (9.3) from his guard position. He is one of only two guards to rank among the top 40 players in rebounding in Division I. Millsap, the brother of Utah Jazz star Paul Millsap, tops the conference in double-doubles with 15 (second-most in UAB history).

Williams has scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games this season and is currently averaging 18.5 points per game. He has topped the 20-point mark on 16 occasions, the fourth-highest single-season total in Tiger history. Williams also ranks in C-USA's top 10 in assists per game (3.8) and three-point field goals made (56).

The second team is comprised completely of forwards and centers. Marshall senior Tyler Wilkerson and freshman Hassan Whiteside (the only freshman all-conference selection) are joined by Southern Miss junior Gary Flowers, UTEP junior Derrick Caracter and Tulsa senior Jerome Jordan on the second unit.

SMU placed two student-athletes on the all-conference third team in junior forward Papa Dia and senior guard Derek Williams. The pair was joined by Memphis sophomore swingman Wesley Witherspoon and junior guards Brock Young of East Carolina and Aaron Johnson of UAB.

These 15 All-Conference players will be in action at this week's GMC Sierra C-USA Men's Basketball Championship, March 10-13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Aubrey Coleman, Houston, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Houston, Texas
Randy Culpepper, UTEP, G, Jr., 6-0, 165, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.
Elijah Millsap, UAB, G, Jr., 6-6, 211, Grambling, La.
Ben Uzoh, Tulsa, G, 6-3, 200, Sr., San Antonio, Texas
Elliot Williams, Memphis, G, 6-5, 180, So., Memphis, Tenn.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Derrick Caracter, UTEP, F, 6-9, 275, Jr., Fanwood, N.J.
Gary Flowers, Southern Miss, F, 6-8, 214, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Jerome Jordan, Tulsa, C, 7-0, 245, Sr., Kingston, Jamaica
Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, F, 6-11, 235, Fr., Gastonia, N.C.
Tyler Wilkerson, Marshall, F, 6-8, 240, Sr., Lexington, Ky.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Papa Dia, SMU, F, 6-9, 235, Jr., St. Louis, Senegal
Aaron Johnson, UAB, G, 5-8, 175, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
Derek Williams, SMU, G, 6-1, 170, Sr., Jamaica, N.Y.
Wesley Witherspoon, Memphis, F/G, 6-9, 210, So., Atlanta, Ga.
Brock Young, East Carolina, G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Raleigh, N.C.

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Separation in Conference USA

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:24:18 -0500

Wednesday was a big night in Conference USA with the top six teams in the standings playing each other. And with the results the race is now pared down to four teams separated by one game, with Tulsa and UTEP both coming back from double-digit deficits while Memphis beat UAB in a game much tighter than the 85-75 final would indicate. There were 31 lead changes, with the Tigers taking the lead for good on a pair of Wesley Witherspoon free throws with 3:40 remaining. Over the final 3:40 Memphis outscored the Blazers 16-6, making key plays on the defensive end to move their conference record to 6-2 while dropping UAB to the same record.

Witherspoon, who made some critical comments about the Tiger fan base on Facebook earlier this week (which he apologized for following the game), made up for a pair of poor showings on the road with a career-high 29 points while Elliot Williams added 25. "He was phenomenal tonight. He was absolutely outstanding," said head coach Josh Pastner of Witherspoon. "I'm so proud of him for the way he played tonight (quote courtesy of University of Memphis Athletics)."

Memphis made 60% of their shots in the second half but the defensive efforts of Will Coleman (a crucial block of a dunk attempt as the Blazers looked to make a final push) and Doneal Mack (who was the "1" in Memphis' box-and-1 set in response to Jamarr Sanders' 14 first-half points). Elijah Millsap scored sixteen points in the second half to lead UAB in scoring with eighteen but the Tigers' defense, forcing nineteen turnovers, combined with their offensive performance ultimately decided the outcome. As a result both are within striking distance of first place going into the weekend.

As for the Golden Hurricane, they used an early second half run to knock off Marshall 73-69 and drop the Thundering Herd to 4-4 in league play (tied with Houston), with Jerome Jordan outplaying Hassan Whiteside in a matchup of NBA prospects. Jordan posted a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds while the freshman managed just one rebound to go with ten points. Tyler Wilkerson (Marshall) led all scorers with 26 points but the foul line (Tulsa +12 in points from the charity stripe) was the deciding factor.

And in El Paso, Derrick Caracter accounted for 22 points and 13 rebounds in the Miners' 65-58 win over Houston. In winning UTEP made the explosive Aubrey Coleman work; he scored a game-high 27 but did so on 9-for-27 shooting. How many bids can Conference USA earn? At this rate you can't rule out three teams, especially given how soft the bubble looks to be at this time. But there's still a month between now and the conference tournament in Tulsa, giving all parties involved ample time to decide their own fate in one way or another.

Three Key Happenings

1. Break up the USF Bulls! Stan Heath's program is on a roll that's never been seen at the Tampa school during their time in the Big East, winning their fourth consecutive league game on Wednesday night 72-64 at Georgetown. Dominique Jones, who really should be considered for All-America honors at season's end, scored 22 second-half points on his way to a game-high 29 while Mike Mercer added 12 for the victorious Bulls. Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman scored 21 points apiece to lead Georgetown but both were relatively quiet in the second half, and Monroe fouled out with just under three minutes left in the game.

The difference? Turnovers. Georgetown, who led at the half 35-26, turned the ball over eight times in the second half (three assists) on their way to fourteen for the game. By comparison, USF turned the ball over just eight times for the entire game and now the question has to be whether or not they're a part of the "bubble" conversation. They've got some solid victories to their credit and with Gus Gilchrist likely due back within the next week they've got a chance to keep the ball rolling. And while they're going to have to deal with opponents fully aware of what they are capable of, this is a time to recognize how important this win is to the USF program.

"We never won a game like this on the road and our confidence has been growing and we won some games on the road but this one is a huge jump on the radar screen," said Coach Heath after the game. "There will be a lot of people that are really shocked and all we are trying to do is keep going through the journey and doing the best job we can and grow as players and people (quote courtesy of Georgetown University Athletics)."

2. Texas A&M picks up a key win on the road. Mark Turgeon's Aggies let one get away at Texas on January 16th, falling in overtime 72-67 and with their best wins coming either at home or on a neutral floor they needed a good road win. How does ending Missouri's 32-game home win streak sound? That's exactly what Texas A&M was able to do on Wednesday night, surviving a late Tiger rally to win 77-74. David Loubeau led the Aggies with 17 points, scoring twelve in the second half, while the team held Missouri without a field goal for ten minutes of the second half. Donald Sloan and Khris Middleton added 17 and 16 points respectively while Kim English led the Tigers with 15.

For the game the Aggies made 52% of their shots while Missouri hit just 41.7% of theirs, negating a ten shot edge in regards to attempts while also shooting 9-for-28 from distance (A&M, on the other hand, made six of ten). Texas A&M also controlled the boards, outrebounding the smaller Tigers 41-24 to make up for twenty turnovers against the Missouri press. While this win isn't the one that will push the Aggies over the hump in regards to making the NCAA Tournament it certainly doesn't hurt, and with games against Baylor, Kansas and Texas at home they'll have opportunities to improve their resume even more.

3. Evan Turner should be the frontrunner for National Player of the Year. For those who had any doubt in regards to the frontrunner for National Player of the Year you may want to remember how the Ohio State Buckeyes played when the junior was out with a back injury. Solid players struggled due to the loss of their best distributor, rebounder and scorer, and there's no player that has this kind of impact on his team (especially a winning one). Turner put together another standout performance on Wednesday night, accounting for 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in Ohio State's 75-62 win over Penn State.

Turner currently leads the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding while ranking second in assists per game, and he scored 22 points in the second half to withstand a Nittany Lion rally and a Jon Diebler three with 1:29 to go gave the Buckeyes the breathing room they needed. As Turner goes so goes the rest of Thad Matta's team, and while other Player of the Year candidates can afford to have off nights due to the talent that surrounds them, there really is no other player that can take over a game for Ohio State. Evan Turner has received much praise this season and all of it is warranted.

Top Three Games

1. Tulsa 73, Marshall 69 See above.

2. Saint Louis 67, St. Bonaventure 65 A Kwamain Mitchell jumper with 1.4 seconds left gave the Billikens the two-point home victory. Mitchell scored 16 of his game-high 17 points in the second half while Andrew Nicholson and Jonathan Hall scored 13 apiece for the Bonnies.

3. Kansas 72, Colorado 66 The Jayhawks survived a game group of Buffaloes in Boulder, dominating the boards in the extra session to avoid the upset. Colorado's Marcus Relphorde led all scorers with 18 points while Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich scored 16 apiece for Kansas.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Evan Turner (Ohio State) 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Buckeyes' 75-62 win over Penn State.

2. G/F Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) 38 points (11-22 FG) and six rebounds in the Colonels' 68-67 loss at Stephen F. Austin. The problem: the other four starters managed to score just ten points combined.

3. G Dominique Jones (USF) 29 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Bulls' 72-64 win at #8 Georgetown.

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:16:44 -0500

With the bubble looking rather pedestrian at this early stage no team can afford to pass up opportunities to bolster their tournament resumes. And with the top six teams in Conference USA playing each other on Wednesday night they'll all have a chance to do just that. Two of the games (Houston/UTEP and Marshall/Tulsa) feature home teams who haven't lost at home while the third (UAB/Memphis) features a team that has yet to lose on the road. Of these teams the Cougars and Thundering Herd have the most work to do when it comes to getting into the at-large discussion, and road wins for both would be a serious help.

Houston will rely on senior guard Aubrey Coleman offensively but they've got to defend in order to have any chance of winning in El Paso. Randy Culpepper is an exciting talent at guard for Tony Barbee's squad and inside Derrick Caracter has been a success to this point in the season. As for Marshall, they'll have one of the nation's best freshmen in Hassan Whiteside and don't be surprised if there are a few NBA scouts in attendance as he faces Tulsa big man Jerome Jordan. But if the Thundering Herd struggle to match up with Ben Uzoh it's going to be a long night for them on the road.

As for Memphis, they've got to recover from a bad loss at SMU over the weekend; if they fail to rebound as they did against the Mustangs Mike Davis' team has the ability to run them out of the FedEx Forum. Elliot Williams has been the offensive leader for the Tigers but the sooner Wesley Witherspoon figures out the concept of playing with consistency the better for Josh Pastner and company. Elijah Millsap is a handful for any opponent and Memphis will also need to account for him defensively if they're to win. Most importantly we'll have a better picture of the C-USA race after Wednesday night, but the at-large hopes for the conference won't be far behind.

Also on tap Wednesday is the hoops version of the Backyard Brawl, which will also feature the collegiate debut of WVU big man Deniz Kilicli, who was suspended for the first twenty games by the NCAA because the club team he played for in Turkey included a professional. His addition gives the Mountaineers a true interior presence in the midst of multiple forwards in the 6-7 range and if he can adjust to game speed could make them a team to watch when it comes to getting to the Final Four. Texas A&M and Missouri get together in Columbia with the winner moving up the Big 12 pecking order; Donald Sloan has played extremely well for the Aggies in conference play. And Illinois and Virginia must avoid stubbing their toes in games they're favored to win.

TV GAMES

6:30p BTN Penn St at Ohio St
7p ESPN2 DePaul at Marquette
7p ESPNU N.C. State at Virginia
7p CSS-SEC Arkansas at Georgia
8p CBS-College UAB at Memphis
8:30 BTN Illinois at Iowa
9p ESPN2 Kansas at Colorado
9p ESPNU Texas A&M at Missouri
10p CBS-College Houston at UTEP
10p MTN UNLV at Wyoming
11p ESPN2 Idaho at Utah State

OTHER GAMES

7p USF at Georgetown
7p Pittsburgh at West Virginia
7p Maine at Vermont
7p William & Mary at Old Dominion
8p Marshall at Tulsa
8p Wichita St at Northern Iowa
8p Mississippi St at Vanderbilt

ONE PREDICTION

UAB over Memphis: Look for Millsap and company to leave Memphis with a close victory. Memphis should come out with more urgency given what happened in Dallas on Saturday but the wild card that is Witherspoon is simply too hard to peg right now. The more consistent team of late gets the win, and that's been UAB.

Conference USA Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:11 -0500

With Memphis in flux following the departure of John Calipari, this might be the year someone like Tulsa, Houston, or UTEP breaks through. The other contenders better act quickly as Memphis has locked up a monster recruiting class next year..

Conference Rank: 10th

10 year average: 8th

Conference USA Page

All-CUSA Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Aubrey Coleman	Houston	Sr
G	Ben Uzoh	Tulsa	Sr
G	Randy Culpepper	UTEP	Jr
G	Willie Kemp	Memphis	Sr
F	Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	Sr

Player of the Year - Jerome Jordan Freshman of the Year - Keith Clanton (UCF)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jerome Jordan High-Major All-Americans Jerome Jordan (1st Team) Aubrey Coleman (2nd) Willie Kemp Roburt Sallie Ben Uzoh		Points: Aubrey Coleman 19.4 Rebounds: Jerome Jordan 8.6 Assists: Brock Young 7.6 Team: Houston 75.8

Conference USA Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

33	Memphis	CUSA	1	NCAA
38	Tulsa	CUSA	2	NCAA
80	UTEP	CUSA	3	NIT
100	Houston	CUSA	4	CBI/CIT
118	Marshall	CUSA	5	CBI/CIT
153	UAB	CUSA	6
163	UCF	CUSA	7
193	SMU	CUSA	8
208	Tulane	CUSA	9
211	East Carolina	CUSA	10
230	Rice	CUSA	11
272	Southern Miss	CUSA	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the CUSA?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

East Carolina vs. Memphis Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:59:26 -0400

No football on Wednesday night (Game 1 of the World Series) but there is a game on Tuesday, with East Carolina (4-3, 3-1) hitting the road to take on Memphis (2-5, 1-3) at 8 PM on ESPN2. The Pirates, who are looking to defend their Conference USA title, got off to a slow start this season with losses to West Virginia and North Carolina but they've won three of their last four games. In Memphis they'll take on an offense that can move the ball, ranking sixth in the conference in total offense (362 yards per game), but they average just twenty-one points per contest.

Tommy West's Tigers are talented on that side of the ball with players such as RB Curtis Steele and WR Duke Calhoun leading the way, but the quarterback position has been the holdup. Tyler Bass is out for the season with a shoulder injury, putting the job back into the hands of Will Hudgens with Arkelon Hall backing him up. Hopefully the sight of ECU, who knocked both of them out of last year's 30-10 Pirate victory, won't result in negative flashbacks.

As for the Pirates they've had problems moving the ball consistently, especially in the passing game. ECU ranks ninth in the conference in both pass offense (198 yards per game) and passing efficiency (112.7 rating). But they've been able to remain in contention for the conference crown due to a defense that can force turnovers. Led by safety Van Eskridge and linebacker Nick Johnson the Pirates have forced seventeen turnovers (10 interceptions) in 2009, resulting in a turnover margin of +4 (3rd in Conference USA).

Memphis ranks among the worst teams in the conference in turnover margin and with the Pirates having the better defensive unit of the two the game will likely come down to how well Will Hudgens performs for the Tigers. Look for the Pirates to win a game that plays out a bit closer than many will expect it to.

Poll: Who Will Win Conference USA?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:28:34 -0400

Wednesday-Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:38:02 -0400

Wednesday: Tulsa (4-2, 2-0 Conference USA) @ UTEP (2-4, 1-1), 8 PM on ESPN

While the Golden Hurricane have been a consistent team for much of the season, the same can't be said for their opponents and that could make this an interesting challenge. UTEP picked up their best win in years a couple of weeks ago in their 58-41 beating of Houston, and how did they back that up? With a surprising loss to a bad Memphis team the following week. Despite the explosion of QB Trevor Vittatoe and RB Donald Buckram in the win over the Cougars this is still a mediocre offense that can't be expected to consistently bail out a defense that's among the worst in college football. Mike Price's team is also last in C-USA in penalty yards per game and 11th in number of penalties to this point in the year.

If UTEP isn't disciplined in both their infractions and assignments they'll be in serious trouble against the likes of QB G.J. Kinne and WR Damaris Johnson. Tulsa is among the best in the country offensively, and they are also atop a few of the major defensive statistical categories. That will prove to be too much for the Miners on this night; Tulsa takes care of business on the road.

Thursday: Florida State (2-4, 0-3 ACC) @ North Carolina (4-2, 0-2), 8 PM on ESPN

Opposites attract in Chapel Hill in a game that will feature a pair of assistants under siege from fans. Florida State's defense has been the issue, with a group that defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews toutesd before the season as the fastest he'd seen at the school ranking dead last in the ACC in total defense. This group is painfully young, a fact that has lent itself to missed assignments and big plays for opposing offenses.

And while the offense is ranked the best in the conference in terms of yards per game they've been inconsistent, struggling with turnovers and periods of stagnant play. If both sides of the football can become more consistent there's still a chance that they get back into the ACC Atlantic race. North Carolina has dealt with far different issues themselves and fans aren't too happy with offensive coordinator John Shoop as a result.

Noth Carolina's defense, led by LB Bruce Carter and DT Marvin Austin, leads the ACC in total defense and could have a big night pressuring Florida State's Christian Ponder. The offense, on the other hand, is dead last in total offense. People knew there would be a dropoff of some sort with receivers Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate all moving on.

But injuries on the offensive line as well as at tight end and running back have also played a role in this, so it may not be completely fair to place the blame on Shoop's playcalling. Look for T.J. Yates to be more consistent on Thursday night, and a good evening from backs Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn should equal a Tar Heel victory.

Friday: Rutgers (4-2, 0-2 Big East) @ Army (3-4), 8 PM on ESPN2

Despite the appearance on paper the Scarlet Knights will be in for quite a test on Friday night when they travel to West Point. Army ranks 12th nationally in rushing offense and Rich Ellerson's double-eagle flex defensive scheme (which he helped create at Arizona) has been a success thus far. It will provide a challenge for QB Tom Savage in that very few schools use that scheme, and if successful it feeds off of heavy pressure of the quarterback.

Can the Rutgers defense neutralize Army's rushing attack? It's definitely possible, but the Rutgers defense and viewers alike will need a little time to get used to Army's primary receiver. Ali Villanueva, who last year was an offensive lineman, cuts an imposing figure on the outside at 6'10", 260 lbs. and while they're the worst team in the FBS at throwing the ball a player like Villanueva has to be accounted for. But the pick here is Rutgers and look for a big game from freshman WR Mohamed Sanu, who is rapidly developing into one of the better receiving threats in the Big East.

Memphis Basketball Preview: #33

Joel Welser — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:57:10 -0400

Overall Rank: #33

Conference Rank: #1 Conference USA

2008-09: 33-4, 16-0

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: John Pastner (First year at Memphis, 0-0 overall)

Some of the names may not sound familiar, but do not expect Memphis to drop off the face of the Earth even though they lost their coach and their top four scorers from a year ago. Certainly things will be much, much more interesting in Conference USA than they have been recently, but the Tigers are still a team to contend with.

Key Losses: G Antonio Anderson, F Robert Dozier, G Tyreke Evans, F Shawn Taggart

Key Newcomers:

Four incoming wings that include Drew Barham, Tyler Foster, D.J. Stephens and Malik Thomas will provide depth, but there are a few more experienced players who will make a bigger impact. Junior college transfer guard James Harvey will help replace Antonio Anderson and Tyreke Evans, but it is fellow junior college transfer Will Coleman who will likely be starting from day one. Coleman, a 6-9, 250 pound forward, has the size to battle under the basket, but he is also surprisingly agile and will use both of those skills to finish around the basket and hit the glass. Elliot Williams, a transfer from Duke, will be eligible to play immediately after starting 12 games for the Blue Devils a season ago.

Backcourt:

Williams has some competition on the perimeter for a starting job though and that goes to show the amount of talent that was mostly sitting on the bench in Memphis last year. Doneal Mack is the team’s top returning scorer at 8.7 points per game and could be the team’s go-to-guy if he can start hitting the long ball more consistently. Roburt Sallie is already a consistent shooter and should once again be a great sixth man. Willie Kemp might not be a great scorer like Evans was, but he is a steady ballhandler and an experienced senior who should be ready to take over the leadership role.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has more questions. The loss of Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart leaves a couple huge holes under the basket. Those two combined to average 23.3 points, 15.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks during the 2008-2009 campaign. Nobody is going to put up numbers like that this year. Wesley Witherspoon is an intriguing option though. He is really a big 6-9 wing who does his best work running up and down the floor, but if new Coach John Pastner lets him run free, Witherspoon could be in for a big year. Pierre Henderson-Niles started ten games last year, but he has lacked the conditioning to play more than 15 minutes per game. If he can stay in shape, he can be a solid contributor to the frontcourt.

Who to Watch:

The most important players on this team will end up being the newcomers who are not freshmen. Kemp, Sallie and Mack are a formidable trio on the perimeter, but they will need help from Williams and Harvey. Williams was a highly touted recruit heading into Duke and is still a young player with his best days ahead of him. Perhaps it is the play of Coleman that will be the difference between the NCAA and the NIT. Coleman has to give the frontcourt a scoring punch and some toughness or Memphis will get beat under the basket by many teams, and not just non-conference opponents.

Final Projection:

Tulsa and UTEP are going to give the Tigers a run for their money, but the Tigers arguably still have the most talented team in the conference. Whether or not that talent turns into victories will depend on the transition of the coaching regime and how quickly the newcomers can adjust to life in Memphis.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Willie Kemp, Senior, Guard, 2.9 points per game

Elliot Williams, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Doneal Mack, Senior, Guard, 8.7 points per game

Wesley Witherspoon, Sophomore, Forward, 4.0 points per game

Will Coleman, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews