Elon

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Krzyzewski Gets 903rd Victory

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:08:13 -0800

After wins over Belmont and Presbyterian moved Mike Krzyzewski into a tie with Bob Knight for the most wins in college basketball history, many at Madison Square Garden were hoping that the Duke head coach would become the record-holder with a win over Michigan State on Tuesday night. But while some went as far as to almost assume the game to be a coronation of sorts, Tom Izzo's Spartans refused to back down. Michigan State, never a team to back down from a challenge, went toe to toe with Duke in the first half, outscoring the Blue Devils in the paint 16-4 and scoing 15 points off of eight Duke turnovers.

But the first half was ultimately about missed opportunities for Michigan State, who despite those numbers went into the locker room trailing 34-33. Why? Two big reasons: eleven turnovers, and a combined 23 points scored by Duke guards Andre Dawkins (14) and Seth Curry (9). And in hindsight all Michigan State did was delay the inevitable, as Dawkins, Curry and Ryan Kelly kept it going in the second half and helping push the Duke lead out to as high as 20 points with just over nine minutes left in the game. Michigan State refused to fold but it was too little too late in Duke's 74-69 win.

"I thought we were, I don't know, tight or tentative the whole first half," said Krzyzewski of his team's play. "I don't know if the moment was so big or we tried to downplay the moment but then obviously, you all being here, and it's in the Garden and it becomes a big thing."

Michigan State attempted 20 more field goals than Duke on the night, but the Blue Devils more than made up for that at the charity stripe as well as beyond the arc. Duke made 30 of 41 free throws while Michigan State was just 13 of 18, with the Spartans committing eight more fouls (29-21). Duke also outscored Michigan State 30-12 from three, and when the Blue Devils are able to reach such an edge it's nearly impossible to beat them.

Keith Appling bounced back from his performance against North Carolina to lead the way with 22 points and Brandon Wood added 15, but an off night from senior Draymond Green was a major factor as well. Green made just four of fifteen shots from the field, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds and five turnovers. Kelly defensively was a big key for Duke in controlling Green, a happening that you'd be hard-pressed to expect from the junior in either of his prior two seasons in Durham.

"I thought Ryan Kelly did a good job on Green," remarked Krzyzewski. "I think Green is a heck of a player and went 4-15 and had four turnovers and two assists. I thought Ryan was really good in that second half."

Michigan State dominated the glass on Friday in their loss to North Carolina, but they could do no more than out-rebound Duke by one (32-31) on this night. Dawkins was superb for Duke, finishing with a game-high 26 points while Curry added 20 and Kelly 14, and this trio combined to score 16 points in a 17-4 Duke run early in the second half to take control of the game. The Plumlee brothers may have been quiet and Austin Rivers may have made just one of seven shots, but the veteran trio more than made up for those struggles.

The days in leading up to Duke's next game (Davidson) will likely be spent talking about what this record means and what Krzyzewski means to the sport, and there should be little doubt that a "Mount Rushmore" for college basketball would include the West Point grad along with his college coach. But just as important, if not moreso, is the play of Dawkins and Curry on such a stage.

For all the talk about the newcomers in the backcourt, it's pretty obvious that the experienced members will be just as important (if not more) as the Blue Devils embark on life without Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Tuesday night provided an impressive message as to their willingness to be the players Duke looks to for big plays. As for Michigan State, they'll grow from this and be a good basketball team as the season wears on. Appling isn't a true point guard right now and freshman Travis Trice is still learning the ropes. These two games offer great lessons to Izzo's team, and they'll be that much better for it.

"We are going to grow from these two games," said Izzo. "A lot people think we are insane but, we are going to get better from it. We played two very good teams and we are competing more and more. Everybody playing together, I think we are going to get better as a team."

Other Notable Happenings

1. UCLA hit a new low in an 86-66 pasting suffered at the hands of Middle Tennessee.
Well, using the logic that since Middle Tennessee beat a Loyola Marymount team that beat UCLA it wasn't a stretch to expect the Blue Raiders to give the Bruins a good run at the L.A. Sports Arena. Well Kermit Davis' team didn't just give UCLA a run for their money...they ran them out of the arena. Middle Tennessee shredded the UCLA defense with an array of backdoor cuts and drive and kicks for open threes while also thoroughly confusing the Bruins by using multiple defenses on their way to an emphatic 20-point win. Middle Tennessee shot a staggering 71% from the field and 91% from three (making their first nine before finally missing one late) with LaRon Dendy leading five players in double figures with 16 points (and 13 rebounds). If Middle Tennessee can build on this performance keep an eye on them in the Sun Belt.

As for UCLA, where do you start? Defense has been one of the core principles for Ben Howland's program during his time in Westwood, but it was nowhere to be found on Tuesday. Frankly UCLA looked to be unprepared to deal with what Middle Tennessee was throwing at them, and they were getting out-hustled to boot. Of course not having Reeves Nelson (suspension) or Anthony Stover (injury) didn't help matters, but that's no excuse for this kind of loss. And for a team that according to some has the best frontcourt in the Pac-12, why would the Bruins shoot 20 three-pointers (making four)? Joshua Smith led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds, but the fact that UCLA has attempted 35 three-pointers in two games (making six) is exactly why they're 0-2. There's no sugar-coating this: UCLA had better figure things out in a hurry with the Maui Invitational on the horizon.

2. Kentucky uses a strong second half to beat Kansas, and they're only going to get better.
Just like Michigan State in the first game of the Champions Classic, Kansas had every opportunity to go into the locker room with a nice advantage on a team that played a poor first half. And just like the Spartans the Jayhawks allowed that opportunity to slip away, tied at 28 with Kentucky at the break. And sure enough John Calipari's young, talented squad made Kansas pay in the second half, going on an 11-0 run and pushing their lead up to as many as 17 points by the 10-minute mark. Kansas would fight back but they didn't have enough horses as Kentucky put the finishing touches on 75-65 win. Doron Lamb led five Wildcats in double figures with 17 points but the talk of the night (especially in the second half) was freshman Anthony Davis, who finished wih 14 points, seven blocks and six rebounds.

The Chicago native's wingspan and skill set are impressive enough to take over games, and he was part of the defensive effort that made things very tough on Kansas forward Thomas Robinson. Robinson rarely got a chance to go one on one in the post, posting a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) but making five of twelve shots. Kentucky had its moment of lackadaisical play, turning the ball over 19 times (Marquis Teague had six and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist five), but when they needed to turn it on in the second half they did. Just imagine this young group consistently playing at a high level. That's a scary thought for much of their remaining schedule.

3. Ohio State beats Florida in Columbus, but that doesn't mean that Florida can't take positives out of the game.
Ohio State was able to rebound from Florida scoring eight of the first ten points of the game behind 21 points from William Buford, beating the Gators 81-74 in front of a packed house at Value City Arena. Ohio State led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but Florida fought back and eventually cut the deficit to five in the final minute as they refused to give in. There are other positives that Billy Donovan's team can take out of the defeat as well, beginning with the play of sophomore forward Patric Young. Young scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, leading the Gators to a 38-29 edge on the glass despite the presence of Jared Sullinger.

Florida also held a 15-8 advantage in second-chance points, but theses numbers weren't enough to overcome 16 turnovers. Bradley Beal, who led the way with 17 points, turned the ball over five times while fellow guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton finished with three apiece. Florida was outscored by 14 points at the foul line but they knocked down 11 of 22 from beyond the arc, and the 14 points scored by Erik Murphy is another encouraging sign. Florida's backcourt prowess is well-known at the early point in the season, but getting 28 points from their starting frontcourt against a Top 5 opponent is something that they should be able to build on.

Quick Hitters

1. While Florida and Kentucky split their games against ranked opponents, neither LSU nor South Carolina did the SEC any favors on the road. LSU visited defending regular season Big South champ Coastal Carolina and left with a 71-63 loss as they were out-rebounded 51-32. Sam McLaurin led the Chanticleers with 16 rebounds. The Gamecocks on the other hand shot 3-for-27 from three in losing 58-53 at Elon. The teams in the bottom half of the SEC are going to need to step up if the conference is to boost its national reputation.

2. There were two impressive road victories in the morning hours of the College Basketball Tipoff Marathon: Drexel pulling away in the second half to whip Rider 80-62 and Kent State winning 70-60 at West Virginia. The Dragons, expected to at the very least contend in the CAA, received 21 points apiece from Samme Givens and Frantz Massenat. Kent State outscored WVU 42-27 in the second half and held the Mountaineers to 36.8% shooting for the game.

3. There are few players hotter than Texas guard J'Covan Brown. Brown scored 35 points to go along with six rebounds, six assists and no turnovers in the Longhorns' 100-90 win over Rhode Island. Brown's averaging 28.0 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game on the season with just one turnover through two games.

4. How impressive was Memphis in their 97-81 win over Belmont? Will Barton led three starters with 20 or more points with 23 while Joe Jackson accounted for 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds with just two turnovers. Memphis shot 58.6% from the field while their length and athleticism limited the Bruins to 38.8% shooting.

5. Damian Lillard made just four of sixteen shots in scoring 17 points, but that was OK as Scott Bamforth dropped 28 to lead Weber State to a 73-63 win over Utah State in Ogden. The preseason favorites to win the Big Sky made 12 of 23 shots from beyond the arc and forced 15 Aggie turnovers. Weber State visits BYU on December 7th.

Four Notable Performances

1. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
35 points, six rebounds, six assists and no turnovers in the Longhorns' 100-90 win over Rhode Island.

2. G Dorenzo Hudson and F Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech)
Hudson finished with 31 points and five rebounds while Finney-Smith added 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Hokies' 78-63 win over FIU.

3. F Josh Davis (Tulane)
Davis spearheaded the Green Wave's 96-50 beating of Nicholls State with 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

4. G/F James Nunnally and G/F Orlando Johnson (UCSB)
Nunnally scored 21 points and grabbed four rebounds while Johnson scored 24 to go along with eight rebounds and three assists in the Gauchos' 89-56 win over Santa Clara.

Poll: Who Will Win the Southern Conference?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:07:38 -0700

Southern Conference Tournament: Preview

Evan Dorey — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:07:39 -0800

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Southern Conference

The SoCon Tournament is in Chattanooga, TN, and uses a divisional system, with the top 4 teams getting first round byes.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
N1	Chattanooga	100.00%	65.87%	29.27%	5.08%
S1	Davidson	100.00%	94.62%	85.70%	74.62%
N2	Western Carolina	100.00%	35.38%	2.77%	0.82%
S2	The Citadel	100.00%	72.60%	47.43%	11.19%
N3	Samford	87.80%	26.70%	12.18%	1.64%
S3	College of Charleston	88.06%	61.74%	9.30%	4.57%
N4	Appalachian St.	77.37%	4.94%	2.07%	0.68%
S4	Wofford	76.38%	30.16%	10.46%	1.34%
N5	Elon	23.62%	3.97%	0.58%	0.03%
S5	Georgia Southern	22.63%	0.44%	0.08%	0.01%
N6	NC Greensboro	11.94%	2.88%	0.09%	0.01%
S6	Furman	12.20%	0.70%	0.08%	0.00%

Between Davidson, Charleston and The Citadel, the South division should dominate the tournament, with the hosts Chattanooga a having a decent shot to make the final, but not looking good against the dominant favorites.

North #1 – Chattanooga Mocs (15-16, 11-9) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.028

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (1^st Round)

The Mocs may be North Division champions, but that’s more about the strength of the South than a ringing endorsement of their play, as Chattanooga has just barely been better than a .500 team. They put up a lot of threes, but make a fairly poor percentage, and are excellent at getting to the free throw line, where they shoot just 65%, adding up to a lot of wasted chances. Chattanooga has struggled to stop the three-point shot, allowing opponents to hit 38% of attempts, and their defensive style means more than 45% of opponents’ shots come from behind the arc, more than any other team in the country. It doesn’t take much statistics knowledge to realize how damaging that is. The saving grace for the Mocs’ defense is that they force turnovers and do well on the defensive glass, but they are still only an average team at best.

Players to watch:

5-11 SR Stephen McDowell, 18.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 58.9 eFG% - McDowell is the conference’s top scorer not named Curry, powered by his 42% three-point shooting on nearly 300 attempts. He doesn’t tend to do much else besides score, but when you’re this good a scorer, that’s more than enough.

6-7 SR Nicchaeus Doaks, 14.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 53.6 eFG% - Doaks leads the conference in rebounds, and is a 57% shooter from inside the arc. He’s excellent at getting to the free throw line, but shoots just 63% there.

South #1 – Davidson Wildcats (25-6, 18-2) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.232

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (Elite Eight)

While the Wildcats’ hopes for an NCAA at-large bid basically disappeared with a two-week period that saw them drop three games, including both their conference losses, they are still heavy favorites to win the conference tournament, and clearly the SoCon’s dominant team. While the Davidson offense gets a lot of focus because of Stephen Curry, the team’s major asset is its defense, the best in the conference by a wide, wide margin. It holds opponents under 40% from the field, and forces a lot of turnovers, in the top 25 in the nation in both areas. If it has a defensive weakness, it’s a tendency to commit a few too many fouls. Offensively, the Wildcats’ shooting percentages aren’t particularly good, but their turnover rate is one of the country’s lowest.

Players to watch:

6-3 JR Stephen Curry, 28.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.6 SPG, 55.1 eFG% - You might have heard of this Curry fellow, as he only happens to be the nation’s leading scorer. He also leads the conference in both assists and steals, and is among the national elite in both of those categories. The amazing thing about Curry is how he manages to stay so efficient when he gets so many possessions; a lot of players have shot as well as he has, percentage-wise, but only Curry can maintain that level over nearly 40% of his team’s shots. He may not get enough credit as a ball distributor, as he has a great assist rate with very few turnovers.

6-8 SR Andrew Lovedale, 12.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Lovedale is a quality defensive player, and important to Davidson’s strong play at that end of the floor; he leads the team in rebounding and shot-blocks, and is an important influence inside. He’s not a huge scorer, but he doesn’t need to be: he takes his chances pretty well when he gets them.

North #2 – Western Carolina Catamounts (16-14, 11-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.012

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

I promise to stop harping on it, but it’s a little unfair to the South division that the North #2 is has actually been outscored in conference play, yet still earns a first round bye. The Catamounts have allowed the highest opponent FG% in the conference, including 53% on two-point attempts, and commit more than 21 fouls a game, but actually have a league average defense. This is due to good rebounding and the best rate of forcing turnovers in the SoCon. Western Carolina is also an average shooting team, but thanks to its ability on the offensive glass, gets a lot of second-chance opportunities.

Players to watch:

6-4 FR Harouna Mutombo, 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 51.3 eFG% - A talented freshman out of Pickering HS, not too far from where I call home, Mutombo has led the Catamounts in rebounding and scoring, and has put up a very good shooting percentage, well over 50% from two-point range.

6-2 JR Brigham Waginger, 8.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 50.2 eFG% - Waginger isn’t much of a scorer, but shoots the ball pretty well, with most of his attempts coming from three, and has one of the nation’s best steal rates.

South #2 – The Citadel Bulldogs (20-11, 15-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.094

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

While much of the talk about the SoCon has focused solely on Davidson, one of the great stories in college basketball this season managed to gain some well-deserved attention when the Citadel beat Davidson in mid-February. This was the highlight of a run that saw the Bulldogs go 11-1 over the last month or so of the season, and the first time that the team had reached 20 wins in thirty years. If any team has a chance of stopping the Curry show from making a stop at the NCAA tournament, this looks like it. The Citadel has depended on a dynamite defense, the only non-Davidson unit to hold opponents below a point per possession on the year. It managed this with tough perimeter defending, allowing just 39% on opponent three-point attempts, and good defensive rebounding. The Citadel’s offense is only at the league average, but it’s a solid shooting team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, good enough to carry them through a defensively deficient league.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Demetrius Nelson, 16.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 59.3 eFG% - The team’s leader in both points and rebounds, Nelson has been one of the best players in the conference this year, hitting nearly 60% of his shots and getting to the free-throw line quite often, where he makes 76% of attempts.

6-1 SO Cameron Wells, 15.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 49.0 eFG% - Wells is nowhere as efficient a player as Nelson, but he’s a good scorer who leads the team in assists and steals.

North #3 – Samford Bulldogs (14-15, 9-11) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.024

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

Samford’s overall record is a little misleading, they’ve been an .500 team in efficiency margin, though they don’t have the wins to show for it. The Bulldogs run one of the country’s slowest offenses, and take 50% of their field goal attempts from behind the arc. This has helped their inside play somewhat, as they are among the best two-point shooting teams in the country, but they’ve struggled with offensive rebounding and turnovers. Samford is also poor at defensive rebounding, and is vulnerable to opponents inside, but forces a lot of turnovers, rarely fouls and gets teams it plays to shoot a lot of threes.

Players to watch:

6-4 JR Trey Montgomery, 11.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 57.3 eFG% - Montgomery is a do-everything player who leads the team in four separate categories, including rebounds and assists. A lot of this is due to the fact that Samford has tended to spread out its possessions and playing time, as his rates aren’t great, but he plays a lot. He’s a good shooter who scores mostly inside, and has a good complimentary long-distance shot.

6-4 FR Josh Davis, 10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 61.9 eFG% - Davis is a three-point specialist, and he does an awfully good job of it, hitting 40% of his attempts and leading the conference in eFG%. He’s averaged 15 points a game in his last eight contests.

South #3 – College of Charleston Cougars (23-7, 15-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.067

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (1^st Round)

The Cougars are the fourth favorite for the tournament title, and twice fought Davidson down to the final possession, including causing the Wildcats’ first conference loss in early February. They feature the conference’s best offense, hitting shots well inside and outside, and rarely giving up the ball. Charleston’s defense has only been average, and its weak spot has been rebounding, as opponents have managed to get back a lot of their own misses. With the Cougars forcing few turnovers, this has meant a lot of chances for opposing teams to score.

Players to watch:

6-1 SO Andrew Goudelock, 16.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 56.3 eFG% - Goudelock is the conference’s best free throw shooter at 89%, and is also pretty good from behind the arc, where he earns a lot of points.

6-8 SR Dustin Scott, 9.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 55.5 eFG% - Scott’s best contributions come on the defensive end, where he leads the Cougars in both steals and blocks. He’s a very good percentage shooter, but doesn’t take a lot of shots, and he’s faced a lot of foul trouble in recent games, fouling out in 4 of his last 8.

North #4 – Appalachian St. Mountaineers (12-17, 9-11) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.002

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

The Mountaineers just barely finished with a positive efficiency margin, and featured a pretty solid conference offense. They are the best pure shooters in the SoCon, leading the league in free throw and three-point percentage, and get back a lot of the shots they do miss. They need to maximize these chances, as they generally lose out in the turnover battle by a wide margin, the worst in the conference in both forcing and committing them. The problem that Appalachian St. has had is that its opponents make a lot of shots, and while it is as good on the defensive glass as the offensive glass, it doesn’t force enough misses to really take advantage.

Players to watch:

6-1 JR Kellen Brand, 15.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 57.7 eFG% - Brand is one of a pair of quality long-distance threats, shooting over 40% from behind the arc, but his contributions in the other parts of the boxscore are fairly limited.

6-10 SO Issac Butts, 8.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 58.9 eFG% - Butts doesn’t have a huge role in the offense, but he’s pretty much what you want out of a big guy, a high percentage scorer who dominates the boards. He hasn’t played that much in recent weeks, but has had some big games, including 12-and-10 against Chattanooga.

South #4 – Wofford Terriers (16-13, 12-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.019

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Wofford is the last of the teams in the top 8 of the conference; after it, there is a large drop-off to the teams in the league basement. It’s had a pretty good offensive showing, making a fair number of its threes, avoiding turnovers, and doing well on the offensive glass. The Terriers’ problem has been defensive, especially from behind the arc, where opponents have shot 39%.

Players to watch:

6-6 SO Noah Dahlman, 17.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 61.1 eFG% - Dahlman is one of the SoCon’s most efficient players, as he does a lot of things really well, an over 60% shooter who is an excellent offensive rebounder and has committed just 37 turnovers all season.

6-2 JR Junior Salters, 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 54.4 eFG% - Salters is a good three-point shooter who has seen his scoring numbers drop over the month of February, and will need to find some form if Wofford is to make any noise in the tourney.

North #5 – Elon Phoenix (10-19, 7-13) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.083

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

All of the teams from here and below have averaged less than a point-per-possession offensively, and all are underdogs in their opening round games. Elon is the best of these teams, as it has an above-average defense, holding opponents to a fairly low percentage from behind the arc and forcing a lot of turnovers. The Phoenix have needed this defense to be good, as they’ve had the conference’s second worst offense, shooting just 43% from the field and not being able to get their misses back very often, resulting in a lot of one-and-done possessions.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Ola Atoyebi, 14.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 57.3 eFG% - Atoyebi leads the Phoenix in both points and rebounds, and is an is an excellent shooter who takes a large role in the offense.

6-5 SR Brett James, 13.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 46.4 eFG% - James is an impressive defensive player, leading the team in both blocks and steals, but his relatively poor shooting, including just 30% on three-pointers, holds back his offensive game.

South #5 – Georgia Southern Eagles (8-21, 5-15) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.108

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1992 (1^st Round)

Georgia Southern seemed to be going pretty well when it was 5-4 in conference in the final week of January, but totally lost its way from then on, losing 11 straight games to finish just one game out of a tie for last place. The Eagles have fallen this far because of their conference-worst defense, which has been one of the country’s worst in several areas, allowing opponents to shoot 38% on threes and 52% on twos, and getting very few defensive rebounds. Their offense has been better, but still not particularly good, below average in pretty much every statistical category.

Players to watch:

5-10 FR Ben Drayton, 11.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 57.0 eFG% - Drayton has been an excellent three-point shooter, over 50% from behind the arc, and while he hasn’t taken a huge number of them, he’s made enough to raise his efficiency. Drayton’s scoring average is somewhat dampened by his start, in which he played little; in the last month he’s averaged more than 17 points a game.

6-2 JR Antonio Hanson, 11.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 53.2 eFG% - Hanson hasn’t shot as good a percentage as Drayson, but he’s taken more threes than anyone else on the team, and made nearly 40% of them. His only real contribution is with his shot, so when he can’t get it to fall, he’s pretty much invisible statistically.

North #6 – NC Greensboro Spartans (5-24, 4-16) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.114

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (1^st Round)

Only Georgia Southern has defended worse than the Spartans in the SoCon this year, despite the fact that Greensboro has been better than average at defending shots. The problem for Greensboro has been limiting the number of chances its opponents get; it rarely gets opponents to turn the ball over, and picks up relatively few of its opponents’ misses. The Spartans have also struggled on the offensive side of the ball, sitting second to last in the conference in shooting on both three-pointers and two-pointers.

Players to watch:

6-5 JR Ben Stywall, 11.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 52.5 eFG% - Stywall is one of the SoCon’s better rebounders, and is pretty efficient on the offensive end, shooting 52% from the field and getting to the free throw line a lot. His 59% shooting at the stripe is a drop-off from previous seasons and an area he needs to improve.

6-4 JR Mikko Koivisto, 12.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 50.5 eFG% - The Vantaa, Finland native is the only major three-point shooting threat on the Spartans, and the team’s leading scorer, though he tends to be inconsistent.

South #6 – Furman Paladins (6-23, 4-16) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.146

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1980 (1^st Round)

Furman is the weakest team in the Southern Conference, with two of its six wins on the season coming against non-D1 opponents. It is the conference’s worst shooting team, barely managing to crack 40% from the field, and is one of the SoCon’s worst teams at committing turnovers. Defensively, they’ve been pretty weak inside, and while they’ve done a decent job of forcing turnovers, they just haven’t been good enough to cover for their offensive woes.

Players to watch:

6-2 SO Jordan Miller, 13.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 42.0 eFG% - Miller takes a lot of the Paladins’ shots, and is the team’s leading scorer, but his percentages are weak, especially his sub-40% two-point shooting.

6-5 SO Bryson Barnes, 8.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 48.5 eFG% - Barnes has only started 10 games, but leads the team in both rebounding and shot-blocks, and is a decent inside scorer. He’s increased his role in recent games, averaging 12 points in his last six games.

My statistical all-Southern team:

Davidson JR G Stephen Curry, 28.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.6 SPG, 55.1 eFG%

Chattanooga SR G Stephen McDowell, 18.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 58.9 eFG%

The Citadel SO G Cameron Wells, 15.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 49.0 eFG%

Wofford SO F Noah Dahlman, 17.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 61.1 eFG%

The Citadel SR F/C Demetrius Nelson, 16.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 59.3 eFG%

SoCo Awards: Curry Player of the Year & More

Press Release — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:19:54 -0800

2008-09 All-Conference
Kellen Brand, Appalachian State
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Nicchaeus Doaks, Chattanooga
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Andrew Lovedale, Davidson
Stephen McDowell, Chattanooga
Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
Demetrius Nelson, The Citadel
Cameron Wells, The Citadel

All-Freshman Team
John Brown, The Citadel
Ben Drayton III, Georgia Southern
Damian Eargle, UNC Greensboro
Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
Brad Loesing, Wofford

Freshman of the Year
Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina

Defensive Player of the Year
Max Paulhus Gosselin, Davidson

Player of the Year
Stephen Curry, Davidson

Coach of the Year
Ed Conroy, The Citadel

- The league’s men’s basketball coaches voted on the All-Conference and All-Freshmen teams.

Southern Conference Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:38:50 -0800

Conference Rank: 17th

10 year average: 19th

Southern Conference Page

All-Southern Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Stephen Curry	Davidson	Jr
G	Donald Sims	Appalachian St	So
G	Tony White	Charleston	Jr
F	Nicchaeus Doaks	Chattanooga	Sr
F	Jermaine Johnson	Charleston	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Stephen Curry Mid-Major All-Americans Stephen Curry* *Mid-Major POY		Points: Stephen Curry 25.1 Rebounds: Jermaine Johnson 8.5 Assists: Cameron Wells (Citadel) 3.8

Southern Conference Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

40	Davidson	Southern	1	NCAA
116	Appalachian St	Southern	2
141	Charleston	Southern	3
169	Chattanooga	Southern	4
205	Georgia Southern	Southern	5
216	UNC Greensboro	Southern	6
239	Furman	Southern	7
269	Elon	Southern	8
278	Wofford	Southern	9
292	Samford	Southern	10
293	Western Carolina	Southern	11
324	Citadel	Southern	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the SoCo? (soon)

Other Southern Content

Conference Media/Coaches Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Patriot

Top SG's: Stephen Curry

Top Non-BCS Players: Stephen Curry

State of '08: North Carolina

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:45:49 -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.

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA - In the past four years, UNC has won 3 ACC regular season titles, 2 conference tournaments, advanced to 2 Final Fours, and won a National Championship. Not bad.

DUKE - In most other states, Duke would be the run away top program.. but UNC happens to be in the middle of a nice run. Still, the Blue Devils have reached the Sweet Sixteen in 8 of the last 11 years.

DAVIDSON - Bob McKillop's teams have long dominated the Southern Conference. The Wildcats have finished 1st or 2nd in the conference in 12 of 13 seasons, including at least 10 league wins in those 12 years. But last year, the program reached another level by advancing to the Elite Eight.

WAKE FOREST - For obvious reasons, the past few seasons have been disappointing for the Wake community. But most fans are expecting a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, and perhaps the Deacons' first Sweet Sixteen trip since 2004.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - For whatever reasons, NC State was never satisfied with Herb Sendek even though he took over a program struggling under Les Robinson, and led them to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002 to 2006. Sidney Lowe will most likely end his 3rd season without a Tournament bid, though next year's recruiting haul is impressive.

6. CHARLOTTE - From 1995 to 2005, the 49ers made the Big Dance in 8 of 11 seasons. In the last three years since joining the A10, there's just been a pair of NIT selections. This year's team should once again be in the postseason mix.

7. UNC WILMINGTON - Ever since Jerry Wainright took over in 1995, UNCW has been one of the most consistent teams in the CAA. From 2000 to 2006, UNCW made 4 NCAA Tournaments. Third year coach Benny Moss will have to probably wait until at least 2010 for his first postseason trip.

8. APPALACHIAN STATE - Houston Fancher's 8 year tenure at App State has been solid, but he's still looking for that elusive NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2007, the Mountaineers did make the NIT after finishing the regular season with an RPI of 65.

9. UNC ASHEVILLE - Coming off one of the program's better seasons (19 D1 wins, and a conference finals trip), the Bulldogs should struggle once again in 2009. UNCA did make the Tourney in 2003, coming out of nowhere to win the Big South after a sub-par regular season.

10. UNC GREENSBORO - The Spartans knocked off Georgia Tech early last year on their way to a solid 19-win season. It was their best campaign since 2002, when they reached the NIT a year after losing to Stanford in the Big Dance.

11. HIGH POINT - Considering the program is barely a decade old at the D1 level, High Point's limited success is actually impressive. In both 06 & 07, the Panthers were a Top 200 RPI team, something that very few programs in the state can claim. 2009 should be the 4th season in a row with a finish of .500 or better in the Big South.

12. GARDNER-WEBB - The Bulldogs join the Big South this year, after less than a decade in the A-Sun. Except for a disappointing 2007 campaign, the program has actually been respectable recently.

13. ELON - 2006 was arguably the high-water mark in Elon history. The Phoenix shocked Clemson, and finished 10-4 in the Southern Conference. Last year, despite a mediocre regular season, Elon surprised many by reaching the conference title game.

14. EAST CAROLINA - While ECU has had some success on the football field, the hardcourt is another story. In the last two years, the Pirates have won just 12 D1 games and even lost to an NAIA squad last December.

15. WESTERN CAROLINA - In the last decade, WCU hasn't finished above .500 in the Southern Conference, and their top RPI finish is 230th.

16. CAMPBELL - The Camels lone NCAA Tournament came in 1992. The next one might be years away.. Campbell hasn't even reached .500 in the Atlantic Sun since 2000. There is at least some hope for respectability in 2009 thanks to star Jonathan Rodriguez.

17. NORTH CAROLINA A&T - From 03 to 06, A&T was one of the worst teams in the country. The team has at least been competitive in the MEAC the past two years, but its still the MEAC..

18. WINSTON-SALEM STATE - The Rams improved in their 2nd season at the top level, winning an impressive 11 D1 games. The team should be good enough in 2009 to perhaps knock off their first Top 200 team.

19. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL - The Eagles transition to D1 started slowly with a 4-26 record last year.

Last: New York - Next: Ohio

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