GW

College Hoops Monday Recap: Disciplined Wolverines Outclass Memphis

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:17:23 -0800

One of the keys in playing against Michigan is to remain composed and execute your game plan. Getting away from what you do well in attempts to get the Wolverines to play a style other than their own more times than not results in a loss. That was the lesson for the Memphis Tigers, who in spite of their athletic talents have some maturing to do before referring to themselves as sure-fire national title contenders. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists and freshman guard Trey Burke added 14 points and four assists in the Wolverines' 73-61 victory, and they'll take on Duke in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

The problems for the Tigers came on both ends of the floor. Offensively Josh Pastner's team struggled to create good looks for themselves, instead settling for contested shots as they became more perplexed by the Michigan defense. Memphis shot 33% for the game and just 31% in the second half, and their efficiency numbers were a far cry from the marks reached in their season-opening win over Belmont. Memphis also had trouble defensively as Michigan shot 54% from the field, a number bolstered by making 70% of their two-point shots.

That more than made up for the Wolverines shooting 30% from beyond the arc, and for some reason the two teams took the same number of three-pointers (20) despite the fact that Memphis would have better served to attack the basket. Charles Carmouche led the Tigers with 14 points (their lone player in double figures), and he seemed to be the only player with any kind of idea as to what Michigan was trying to do defensively. Will Barton made just three of his twelve shots, and he was a little too wild for his (or the Tigers') good on that end of the floor. Memphis' running game was neutralized, limiting their offense for much of the game.

"I think that was one of the key things we did is communicate really well to stop the ball coming down the fast break," said Hardaway, Jr. "And just pointing out to your man who you [have], and I think communication is the whole key to having a successful defensive team on transition."

Michigan closed the first half on a 10-0 run sparked by their changing defenses, incorporating man-to-man and 2-3 zone looks as they frustrated the Tigers. There was brief "conference" at mid-court as the teams left the floor at the break, but that would change little for Memphis as the Wolverines continued to build on their lead in the second half. As a result Michigan gets a shot at the team that ended their season, and Memphis has the chance to use this tough lesson in a constructive manner.

"They hit some big shots in the second half, and it's just one of those things where we're playing a very good Michigan team, and we're a very good team," said Pastner. "That's why we're playing these type of games to see what adjustments we need to make. It's very early in the year, and this will give us a barometer of things we need to get better at."

Other Notable Happenings

1. J'Covan Brown's an impressive player, but his error in judgment sparked an NC State comeback.
Even with Brown picking up his fourth foul with 8:25 remaining the Longhorns seemed to be in good shape as they held a 65-52 lead in the third place game of the Ticket City Legends Classic. But Brown uttered one of those "magic words", and the resulting technical foul was also his fifth personal foul. From that point forward Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack took full advantage, continuing what would become a 19-1 run on their way to the 77-74 victory.

C.J. Leslie led the way with 17 points and the return of Scott Wood (16 points) also played a role in the comeback from 18 points down, but while this is definitely a boost for the Wolfpack the outcome highlighted how important Brown is to Texas. Myck Kabongo has a way to go before he's truly ready to run the show in crunch time, meaning that Brown has to remain on the floor. Silly mistakes like his technical foul will do the Longhorns no favors if allowed to become a trend.

2. Missouri and California put together impressive performances at the CBE Classic and will meet tomorrow night.
Notre Dame received a boost as Tim Abromaitis returned to the lineup, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds on the night. But the Irish were no match for Frank Haith's Missouri Tigers, who shot 63% from the field in the first half and scored 53 points on their way to an 87-58 win. The Tigers' guards, led by Marcus Denmon (26 points) and Phil Pressey (17 points), were simply too quick for Notre Dame in a dominant performance. And the team that many were concerned about due to the loss of Laurence Bowers out-rebounded Notre Dame 38-24, and while that disparity was affected by the disparity in shooting percentages (Mizzou 58%, Notre Dame 37%) the Tigers more than held their own.

They'll likley encounter a tougher challenge on Tuesday night as they take on the Cal Golden Bears, who snapped out of a slow start to beat Georgia 70-46. Cal gained their separation with a 14-0 run to end the first half and things only got worse after the break. Cal head coach Mike Montgomery credited the fact that the Bulldogs run a lot of sets that are similar to his own (Georgia head coach Mark Fox was an assistant of Trent Johnson's at Nevada, and Johnson was an assitant of Montgomery's at Stanford), and adding the Bears' experience to that made it nearly impossible for the Bulldogs to prevent things from getting out of hand. Harper Kamp led three Cal players in double figures with 16 points and defensively the Golden Bears limited Georgia to 32.8% shooting from the field. Tuesday's title game should be entertaining, but at the very least it will be a challenge for both.

3. Brad Tinsley's shot in the final seconds gives Vanderbilt the Legends Classic title.
Kevin Stallings' Commodores were locked in a tough battle with Oregon State at the Izod Center, never leading by more than nine points (45-36) and going back and forth with the Beavers in crunch time. It took a jumper from the right elbow from senior guard Brad Tinsley with 4.5 seconds remaining to give Vanderbilt the 64-62 win in a game that both teams can take positives from. One key for Vandy was the defense of Jeffery Taylor, who drew the assignment of guarding Jared Cunningham. Cunningham scored just nine points on the night, but OSU was able to hang around thanks to Devon Collier (19 points) and Ahmad Starks (16 points).

Another key contributor for Oregon State was Eric Moreland, who chipped in eight points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. While it's still extremely early in the season Craig Robinson's group does not feel like previous Oregon State teams, ones that seemed to be locks to plummet to the bottom of the (then) Pac-10. As for Vanderbilt, these are the kinds of games that people have had questions about in March: are they tough enough to make the plays needed to win tight games? John Jenkins scored 14 points with Cunningham working hard to make his night difficult, and Lance Goulbourne made some key plays to supplement the efforts of Jenkins and Taylor. The game wasn't pretty, as Vandy turned the ball over 22 times, but winning an ugly game at this stage could pay dividends down the road.

Quick Hitters

1. While many will choose to focus on the 18 points scored by freshman Austin Rivers, the 17 points scored by Ryan Kelly in their 77-67 win over Tennessee could prove to be a more important development for Duke down the line. The Plumlee brothers struggled offensively, but if Kelly can build on this performance the front line becomes that much more formidable.

2. The stunning aspect of UMass' 82-46 win over Boston College wasn't the fact that the Minutemen won so much as the margin. For the Eagles to lose at home by 36 points underlines just how far Steve Donahue's team has to go, and their youth won't help matters in the ACC either.

3. Just one week after losing to Marquette by 30 points in Milwaukee, Norfolk State fought until the end and had a shot to win the title game of the Paradise Jam. But while the Golden Eagles survived 59-57, look for the Spartans to contend for the MEAC title. One thing that the Spartans can call on is their matchup zone, which pestered Marquette throughout.

4. Reeves Nelson sat out the first half of UCLA's win over Chaminade after missing the team flight out to Maui. The second half was more about the entire team finally bringing the level of effort needed to be a successful team than the return of Nelson, and it will be interesting to see if the Bruins can bring it against Kansas.

5. The three-point shooting struggles of last season are a thing of the past for Florida, who made ten threes in their 78-65 win over Wright State. Billy Donovan's team has made ten or more three-pointers in each of their games this season, and Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton both scored 22 points on Monday night.

6. Another surprising margin of victory: George Washington beating Detroit 86-73, and the Colonials led by as many as 26 points in the second half. Tony Taylor led the way with 22 points and six assists and Lasan Kromah added 17 in the most impressive win of first-year head coach Mike Lonergan's short tenure.

7. This win won't make headlines nationwide, but Manhattan's 85-83 win over Fresno State is a good result for first-year head coach Steve Masiello. Donovan Kates and Mike Alvarado scored 14 points apiece to lead five Jaspers in double figures as they moved to 3-1 on the season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three steals in the Buckeyes' 85-50 win over North Florida.

2. G/F Jason Guerrier (Albany)
28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench in the Great Danes' 85-49 win over Monmouth.

3. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the Jayhawks' 67-63 win over Georgetown.

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 Title?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:38:24 -0800

#99 George Washington: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:16:38 -0700

Overall Rank: #99

Conference Rank: #9 Atlantic 10 Conference

2009-10: 16-15, 6-10

2009-10 postseason: CBI

Coach: Karl Hobbs (149-115 at George Washington, 149-115 overall)

George Washington was happy to get back into the postseason after missing out on even the Atlantic 10 tournament the prior two years. Before that the Colonials went to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. That success may have taken the pressure off of Coach Karl Hobbs for the time being, but continual improvement needs to be shown and it will not be an easy task without Damian Hollis.

Key Losses: F Damian Hollis, G Travis King, F Hermann Opoku

Key Newcomers:

What Coach Hobbs needed out of this class was a little depth up front and a true point guard. That is exactly what he got with Chris Fitzgerald, Nemanja Mikic and Dan Guest. Guest is the true point guard, but he is certainly capable of scoring when he needs to do so. The bigger concern for this season is depth up front. Fitzgerlad and Mikic are both decent outside shooters who can stretch out the defense and that will certainly help replace one aspect of Hollis’ game. The frontcourt also gains center Daymon Warren who redshirted last season.

Backcourt:

Lasan Kromah had a superb freshman campaign and ranked second on the team with 11.8 points per game. He does most of his damage from beyond the arc, but Kromah is 6-5 and once he gets a little more aggressive getting to the basket, he will be a superb scorer. However, he does need to work on his free-throw shooting. Aaron Ware will likely start on the other wing opposite of Kromah. Ware is not much of a scorer, but he is a decent rebounder and a solid defender. Bryan Bynes and Tim Johnson should provide quality depth on the perimeter after having relatively productive freshmen campaigns.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has some rebuilding to do without Hollis and Hermann Opoku. Joseph Katuka is the only senior on the roster and is more than ready to step into a leadership role. The 6-11 center has never been much of a scorer, but he is a big body who can take up a lot of space in the paint and grab some boards. It is finding a consistent scorer in the paint that will be a problem. David Pellom had a good freshman season, but he has yet to develop into much of a scoring threat. Dwayne Smith has a little more of the Hollis skill set in him. As a freshman last year he averaged 5.1 points and, like Hollis, he can hit the long ball. Smith is a ways away from replacing Hollis, but he does add a potential dynamic scoring threat to the frontcourt. Jabari Edwards will not pick up much of the scoring load, but he is good for some rebounds and to give the rest of the frontcourt a break.

Who to Watch:

Tony Taylor was the only player on the team to average over 30 minutes per game. A dozen players averaged over ten minutes per contest, but Taylor was the player George Washington could not do without last season. Fortunately the point guard from Sleepy Hollow, New York is just a junior and his best basketball is still ahead of him. Taylor did a superb job of keeping the turnovers down and finding his teammates. Taylor is also a pretty good all-around scorer when he wants to be.

Final Projection:

George Washington is a year away from what should be their best season since their last NCAA appearance, but the 2010-2011 campaign should not be too bad either. It may be too much of a reach to hope for an NIT berth in a tough A-10 conference, but the Colonials should aim for another postseason berth in either the CBI or CIT. Anything better than that and George Washington’s expectations would suddenly sky rocket in 2011-2012.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Tony Taylor, Junior, Guard, 9.4 ppg

Lasan Kromah, Sophomore, Guard, 11.8 ppg

Aaron Ware, Junior, Guard, 6.4 ppg

David Pellom, Sophomore, Forward, 2.9 ppg

Joseph Katuka, Senior, Center, 5.9 ppg

Next Top 144 Teams
100		101		102		103		..All

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

Poll: How Many Atlantic 10 Teams Will Make NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:38:24 -0800

Saturday Afternoon Update: Wall Leads UK to Easy Win

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:28:29 -0800

An update of the day's college basketball action so far:

- John Wall filled up the stat sheet in the Wildcats easy 92-63 win over Rider. Wall paced Kentucky with 21 points, 11 assists, 6 boards, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Patrick Patterson added 19 points and 18 boards.

- Big West title contender Long Beach State picked up a nice road win at Green Bay 81-69. The 49ers next face West Virginia and Texas to finish up a tough stretch to start the season.

- George Washington improved to 3-0 after blowing out UMBC 94-51. Freshman Lasan Kromah continues to impress for GW. The 6-5 guard scored 21 points, including 6 of 9 from three in limited action due to the blowout. GW's been struggling the past couple seasons, but perhaps Kromah will help the turnaround.

- Northeastern came back to topple Utah St 64-61 in a good battle between quality mid-major squads.

- American, coming off back to back tournament trips, fell to 0-4 against FAU 81-69. The Eagles are rebuilding after replacing all 5 starters. 3 of their 4 losses have come at home.

- Oklahoma St put away a somewhat pesky North Texas squad, 82-68. James Anderson led all scorers with 25. On the season, he's averaging 25+ ppg and 11+ rpg.

- Mid-way through the 2nd half, Duke is putting a hurting on Radford 75-46. Duke is 15-26 from three, with 12 minutes left.

Any of today's results interest you? Post your commentary below:

Atlantic 10 Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:24:13 -0800

Dayton and Xavier have legitimate Top 25 hopes, while usual standard-bearers like St. Joseph's and Temple may have to make way for up-and-coming programs like Duquesne, La Salle, and Richmond.

Conference Rank: 7th

10 year average: 8th

Conference Page

All-Atlantic 10 Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Kevin Anderson	Richmond	Jr
G	Ricky Harris	UMASS	Sr
G	Rodney Green	La Salle	Sr
F	Andrew Nicholson	St. Bonaventure	So
F	Chris Wright	Dayton	Jr

Player of the Year - Chris Wright Freshman of the Year - Aaric Murray (La Salle)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
All-Americans Chris Wright High-Major All-Americans Chris Wright (1st Team) Kevin Anderson (2nd) Ricky Harris (2nd) Andrew Nicholson (2nd) Lavoy Allen (3rd) Jordan Crawford Rodney Green All-Freshman Team Aaric Murray		Points: Ricky Harris 18.2 Rebounds: Lavoy Allen 9.0 Assists: DiJuan Harris 7.2 Team Points: Duquesne 78.9

A10 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

16	Dayton	A-10	1	NCAA
24	Xavier	A-10	2	NCAA
55	La Salle	A-10	3	NIT
61	Richmond	A-10	4	NIT
69	Duquesne	A-10	5	NIT
91	Saint Louis	A-10	6	CBI/CIT
95	St. Joe's	A-10	7	CBI/CIT
115	Temple	A-10	8	CBI/CIT
126	Charlotte	A-10	9
134	Rhode Island	A-10	10
168	Massachusetts	A-10	11
202	St. Bonaventure	A-10	12
245	George Wash	A-10	13
252	Fordham	A-10	14

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Atlantic 10?

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

Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:37:04 -0700

A10 Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:59:54 -0700

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:

Atlantic-10 Tournament

Held in Atlantic City, NJ, the A-10 tournament features 12 of the league’s 14 teams, with the top four earning a bye directly to the quarterfinals.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Xavier	100.00%	88.67%	60.89%	48.87%
2	Rhode Island	100.00%	67.75%	48.71%	16.23%
3	Dayton	100.00%	58.88%	21.08%	3.92%
4	Temple	100.00%	79.29%	32.52%	22.72%
5	Saint Joseph's	71.34%	17.42%	3.51%	1.55%
6	Richmond	68.91%	32.27%	10.66%	1.80%
7	Duquesne	59.98%	21.43%	12.61%	2.82%
8	La Salle	55.47%	6.82%	1.75%	0.67%
9	St. Louis	44.53%	4.51%	0.99%	0.33%
10	Massachusetts	40.02%	10.82%	5.30%	0.87%
11	St. Bonaventure	31.09%	8.84%	1.64%	0.14%
12	Charlotte	28.66%	3.29%	0.33%	0.08%

Xavier is the clear favorite, but Temple and Rhode Island have a decent shot of taking the title, and Dayton is probably somewhat better than its odds would suggest. The bottom eight teams are separated by a relatively small amount, with Duquesne and Richmond looking like the best bets for a surprise advancements.

#1 – Xavier Musketeers (24-6, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.174

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (Sweet Sixteen)

Xavier has put together an excellent season, but didn’t have a great finish, going 4-4 over the last month, and struggling to get wins on the road. Still, its been the best team in the conference by a mile, putting up the conference’s top offense and defense. The Musketeers are excellent three-point shooters and rebounders, but have committed a lot of turnovers, which has caused them of trouble at times. They also force few turnovers, and foul often on the defensive end, but spectacular interior defending, holding opponents to just 43% from two, makes up for it.

Player to watch:

6-8 JR Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG% - Brown is Xavier’s leading scorer, and its most efficient offensive option, a very good inside scorer who can complement his game with a strong showing from behind the arc, and the team’s best rebounder as well.

#2 – Rhode Island Rams (22-9, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.087

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

Rhode Island finished atop a three-way tie for second, but in EM, it sits 3^rd in the league, and isn’t particularly strong at either end of the floor. The Rams are excellent three-point shooters, but take most of their attempts inside the arc, where they’ve only been average. Their defensive game also depends on inside play, as they have typically struggled to hold opponents’ scoring down from two-point range. Rhode Island’s been a lot stronger defending the perimeter, forcing a lot of turnovers and shutting down the long-distance shot pretty well.

Player to watch:

6-3 SR Jimmy Baron, 16.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG,60.3 eFG% - Baron is one of the country’s premier shooters, at 45% from behind the arc and 89% at the free-throw line. He also turns the ball over very rarely, and the Rams do a good job by getting him the ball pretty often. There’s few players in the country who can rack up points behind the arc as quickly and effectively as Baron.

#3 – Dayton Flyers (25-6, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.013

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

Dayton is another team that had an excellent start, but fell off towards the end, finishing the season 4-4 after a 21-2 start. The Flyers have been very unimpressive by efficiency margin standards, just barely out-scoring its opponents, and not looking like a top-tier A-10 team. The problem has been their poor offense, struggling with shots from two-point range and from the free throw line, and committing a lot of turnovers. Their defense has been better, but has only been average in stopping shots, and they’ve fouled pretty often.

Player to watch:

6-8 SO Chris Wright, 13.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 49.7 eFG% - Wright leads the Flyers in scoring and rebounding, and while he’s an efficient player, his percentages have really fallen off from his spectacular, injury-interrupted first season. His 51% from two is solid, but he needs to cut out his three-point shots, and while his 67% free throw shooting is decent, but doesn’t allow him to take full advantage of his opportunities.

#4 – Temple Owls (19-11, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.124

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Owls are the second favorite for the conference title, and will likely face a difficult challenge against Xavier in the semifinals. Their strength is defense, especially inside the arc; they dominate the defensive glass and hold opponents to just 43% from two. They are somewhat vulnerable on the outside, as they don’t get opponents to cough the ball up much, and allow a fairly high percentage of threes. On the offensive end, Temple’s three-point shooting has fallen off a little in conference play, but it’s still been pretty solid overall because it rarely turns the ball over.

Player to watch:

6-5 SR Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG% - The conference’s joint leading scorer, Christmas is a dangerous player who puts up a lot of shots, and makes percentages that are just good enough to keep him efficient.

#5 – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (16-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.026

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

St. Joe’s started the conference season 7-1, but hit a five-game losing streak in mid-February that dropped it to 5^th in the standings. It’s been above average defensively, holding opponents to fairly low percentages from both two and three, and succeeding despite forcing few turnovers. The Hawks haven’t been as good on the offensive end, as they shoot mostly twos, and not particularly well. They are the conference’s best free throw shooters at 74%, and get a good number of points from the line.

Player to watch:

6-9 SR Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG% - Leading the conference in both scoring and rebounding, Nivins is the main player in the A-10 who has a real chance of being in the NBA draft, which isn’t surprising when you see just how dominant he is inside, shooting a great percentage and getting to the free throw line seemingly at will, where he converts 79% of chances.

#6 – Richmond Spiders (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.002

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

The Spiders had an excellent final game, beating Xavier to left themselves into the four-way tie at 9-7. They have been the weakest of the top eight teams, though not by much, mostly due to struggles on the defensive end. They are the conference’s worst rebounders, and commit far too many fouls, which wastes their ability to force turnovers and their decent inside defending. Richmond is a solid offensive team that leads the A-10 in holding onto the ball, and shoots well from two-point range, but takes most of its shots from outside, where it hits under a third of attempts.

Player to watch:

6-4 JR David Gonzalvez, 15.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 55.4 eFG% - Gonzalvez has slowed down in the final month of the season, but is the team’s best three point shooter, and is the most efficient in a group of solid scoring options.

#7 – Duquesne Dukes (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1977 (1^st Round)

Duquesne has been one of the conference’s better teams overall, and looks like it has the potential to cause some trouble for the higher seeds, though a potential game with Rhode Island would be a tough hurdle to face. The Dukes are have been excellent offensively, using a fast paced style with a lot of three attempts to open up the inside, where they shoot 53%. They make a decent number of those three attempts, but the inside play is the most important part of their offensive game. Of course, the reason that they are 9-7 with this offense is that their defense hasn’t been very good; they have led the A-10 in forcing turnovers, but are the worst team outside of Fordham at defending shots, allowing well over 50% from two and 38% from three.

Player to watch:

6-4 SR Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG% - Jackson was one of the players involved in the unfortunate shooting incident in 2006, and is the only one of the injured players still on the team. He’s notable for much more than that though, as he’s become the conference’s best guard. He’s an excellent shooter, especially from two, where he’s hit 60% of attempts, and has put up a very good assist rate. Jackson has been especially strong over the last month, averaging more than 20 points over his last nine games.

#8 – La Salle Explorers (18-12, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.004

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

La Salle enters tournament play on a four-game winning streak, and is the last team in the tournament to finish with an efficiency margin above zero. The Explorers have been good at maintaining a possession advantage on the defensive end, solid rebounders who have forced a lot of turnovers in A-10 play, which has compensated enough for their poor defense on threes to give them one of the league’s better defenses. La Salle is also strong on the offensive glass, but they’ve needed to be, as their shooting percentages have been weak, and they have had trouble holding onto the ball.

Player to watch:

6-6 JR Kimmani Barrett, 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 51.9 eFG% - Barrett is second on the team in scoring, and while he doesn’t always end up with a lot of shots, he’s effective when he does shoot, an excellent inside and outside scorer who get to the line well.

#9 – St. Louis Billikens (17-13, 8-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.015

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

The Billikens had a strong season going until the final three games, when an ill-timed losing streak dropped them all the way to 9^th. They play the slowest system in the league, but it hasn’t really worked offensively, as just average shooting percentages are dragged down by turnovers and poor rebounding. They have been stronger defensively, but are still only average, despite some of the conference’s best defending on the perimeter. Opponents take few outside shots against St. Louis, and it just hasn’t been able to consistently defend the inside well enough to hold opponents’ scores down. As you might expect from a slow paced team, they are good on the defensive glass, but force few turnovers.

Player to watch:

6-2 SR Kevin Lisch, 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 46.4 eFG% - Lisch leads the team in scoring, and is the Billikens’ best three-point shooter, but his appalling two-point shooting, just 32%, undoes a lot of his good work.

#10 – Massachusetts Minutemen (12-17, 7-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.001

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (1^st Round)

UMass is the last of the A-10 teams to sit in this logjam right around the .500 mark, and picked up arguably the conference’s best win when they shocked Kansas in Kansas City. The Minutemen are above average scorers, taking and making a lot of threes, but aren’t great on the offensive glass and rarely get to the free-throw line. Their serious problems, though, have been at the defensive end, where they have the worst record of any team in the tournament. There’s not much Massachusetts does well when defending, it allows opponents to make a lot of shots and struggles to prevent them from having a big possession advantage, with a poor turnover rate and weak rebounding.

Player to watch:

6-8 SR Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Gaffney isn’t the primary offensive focus for UMass, but he’s a good shooter who excels in the other aspects of the game, one of only two A-10 players to average a double-double and an strong defender who has great steal and block totals.

#11 – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (15-14, 6-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.066

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

There doesn’t look to be much too notable in the season for the Bonnies, but after failing to break the four-win barrier for four seasons, this is a nice improvement and a positive sign for the future. They run the conference’s fastest pace, but are the worst offensive team at the tournament, as they do get a good number of high-percentage chances in transition, but are the conference’s worst at turning the ball over, giving it up once of every four times down the floor. Their inability to hit long-range shots further hampers their chances of putting up points. Unlike a lot of fast-paced teams, they force very few turnovers, but are decent defenders because of good rebounding and an ability to lock down the outside.

Player to watch:

6-9 FR Andrew Nicholson, 12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 60.7 eFG% - The Canadian freshman started his college career with a big season, shooting more than 60% from the field and putting up one of the best block rates in the country. He’s also a good rebounder, but his free throw shooting could use some work.

#12 – Charlotte 49ers (11-19, 5-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.053

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

Charlotte managed to get the last spot in the tournament, despite a 1-4 finish that saw its only win come against Fordham. This is a team that beat Xavier last month, played a close early season game with Clemson, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The 49ers have put up a lot of threes, but when you make only 28% of attempts, that’s not a very good thing. They’ve been OK in the other offensive categories, but with that many wasted shots, they’ve had one of the conference’s worst offenses. It’s a shame for them that opponents don’t have the same problem from long-distance, as they allow 36% on opposition three-pointers. Charlotte does defend well inside, and forces a good number of turnovers, but it hasn’t been enough to keep them out of the bottom part of the conference.

Player to watch:

6-7 SR Lamont Mack, 15.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 45.1 eFG% - Mack puts up a lot of shots when he’s on the floor, a nearly Stephen Curry level of importance to the 49ers. However, despite his high point totals, he’s actually a significant detriment to his team, as his poor shooting, especially 43% from inside the arc, means a lot of those shots are wasted.

My statistical all-Atlantic-10 team:

Duquesne SR G Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG%

Temple SR G Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG%

Saint Joseph’s SR F Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG%

Massachusetts SR F Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG%

Xavier JR F Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG%

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Atlantic 10 Championship: Schedule/Matchups

Press Release — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:28:14 -0800

2009 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship
Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.

Wednesday, March 11
Game 1 - #8 La Salle vs. #9 Saint Louis - 12:00
Game 2 - #5 Saint Joseph's vs. #12 Charlotte - 2:30
Game 3 - #7 Duquesne vs. #10 Massachusetts - 6:30
Game 4 - #6 Richmond vs. #11 St. Bonaventure - 9:00

Thursday, March 12
Game 5 - #1 Xavier vs. #8/#9 winner - 12:00 (CBS C)
Game 6 - #4 Temple vs. #5/#12 winner - 2:30 (CBS C)
Game 7 - #2 Rhode Island vs. #7/#10 winner - 6:30 (CBS C)
Game 8 - #3 Dayton vs. #6/#11 winner - 9:00 (CBS C)

Friday, March 13
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 6:30 (CBS C)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner - 9:00 (CBS C)

Saturday, March 14
Finals - 6:00 (ESPN2)

*CBS C - regionalized coverage by CBS College Sports Network. Check local listings.

Week in Review: UCONN, Patty, Flyers & Coaching Changes

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:33:50 -0800

Rob Carpentier's "Seven Day Stretch" is a whirlwind tour around every corner of college basketball nation:

Seven Day Savior (Team): Connecticut Huskies

Jim Calhoun’s Huskies have been chomping at the bit to become the team that America is talking about. Well that time may finally have come. While it’s true that UConn isn’t even in first place in the Big East, they are only one half game behind league leaders Marquette and they still have to play the Golden Eagles. More importantly, the Huskies won two tough games this week; a thorough demolition of a pretty good Providence team and then an absolute battering of Louisville at Freedom Hall. The win against Louisville was the most impressive win of the past week because the Cards were arguably the hottest team in the country at the time. UConn may lose a game or two before March Madness, but this team is built for a national title run. They play great defense, anchored by 7’3” Hasheem Thabeet in the middle. They have two solid forwards in Stanley Robinson and especially Jeff Adrien, who does the little unsung things that lead a team to championships, and they have multiple threats in the backcourt, led by A.J. Price, Jerome Dyson and super frosh Kemba Walker. They’re deep and they are led by one of the best coaches in the game…and they are starting to play better as the season turns for the run-in to March.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Patty Mills, St. Mary’s Gaels

Mills is the first winner of this award to have done almost nothing on the court to deserve it. Mills, who is arguably the best mid-major player in the country, (apologies to Stephen Curry), was having a huge game against league rival Gonzaga last week when he went down with a broken hand. Not only did the Gaels lose the game, but they may have lost their season. Mills was averaging 18.7 PPG, and had 18 in the first half against the Zags when he went down. However, its Mills’ all-around game that makes him special and such a devastating loss for Coach Randy Bennett. Mills is so good that when he went down the post season hopes of St. Mary’s probably went with him. Outside of Davidson’s Curry, there isn’t another player in the country that means as much to his team’s chances of success as Mills. It says a lot that his injury was probably the biggest individual story to come out of last week, and thus his SDS selection.

Game of the Week (The one you already heard about): Purdue @ Illinois

The Boilermakers and the Illini are tied for second place in the Big Ten, one game behind Michigan State. The Spartans have their big game this week against another second place club, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so either there will be a logjam in first in the conference or Purdue and Illinois will be involved in a real elimination game to see who can catch Michigan State, that is if anyone can. Illinois has been playing over their heads all season, which is a real testament to the coaching job that Bruce Weber has done. The Boilers, on the other hand, were supposed to be here, but their hold on second place may be tenuous as their best player, forward Robbie Hummel, has a stress fracture in his back and will not practice again for the remainder of the season. His game status will be day-to-day until Purdue’s season ends. How Matt Painter’s team plays with a hurt Hummel will determine their real chances in the postseason. Even without Hummel they are a very good team.

Game of the Week (The one you DON'T know about): Cornell @ Princeton

The Ivy League is the one conference in the country that still decides its champion the old fashioned way, through the regular season. It has been a few years since Princeton was talked about as an Ivy contender, (the same is true for Penn for that matter). Going into the game at Jadwin Gymnasium on Friday, the Big Red have a one game lead on Princeton, however that’s because Cornell is 4-0 in the league while the Tigers are 2-0. They are the only undefeated teams in the Ivy League. Cornell was the preseason pick to win the Ivy while Princeton was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference. The team that was supposed to challenge Cornell, Harvard, has already suffered a defeat at the hands of Princeton. In fact, the next closest team to the Tigers and the Big Red in the Ivy has two losses already, thus making this match-up a big one for conference supremacy and the Ivy’s automatic NCAA berth.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Dayton Flyers

I have surfed all week looking for articles on national sites about the Flyers, and I found exactly two. That’s about as under the radar as you can get for a team that is 20-2 overall and is one of only two teams in the nation to have beaten Marquette. It is a team built for success in the postseason as they have a suffocating defense. The Flyers allow their opponents to shoot only 37% from the floor. Offensively they may have some issues as they have only two players averaging in double figures and both of them are closer to 10 PPG than 15 PPG. They also outrebound their opponents by 6 RPG, which is huge at the D1 level. We’ll know more about the Flyers by this time next week as they host conference leader Xavier, but until then this may be the best team in college basketball that no one knows about…or at least is talking about.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Karl Hobbs, George Washington

Two coaches I have already placed in this spot have already been let go; Mike Gottfried of Alabama and Dennis Felton of Georgia. Not that I am trying to see anyone lose their job, but I have a feeling that at least two more of the coaches I’ve written about will be let go at the end of the season. Let’s add Hobbs to that list. A few seasons ago the Colonials were arguably the best team if not program, (sorry Xavier), in the Atlantic 10. Hobbs had them in the Big Dance three straight years from 2005-2007, including a second round near upset of then #1 Duke in 2006. However, GW was 9-17 last year and they currently sit a 6-12 this season including a winless mark in the A-10. Hobbs has, rightly or wrongly, earned a reputation for cutting corners with regard to NCAA rules, and two straight miserable seasons may be more than the administration at GW is willing to take. Hobbs isn’t known in the athletic department as someone who is easy to get along with and now that GW is clearly out of the week-in, week-out conversation in college hoops, the powers-that-be in the Nation’s capital may feel the time for a change is now…or at least in about six weeks.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Mid-Season Coaching Changes

As I said earlier in the column, Alabama and Georgia both made coaching changes in the past nine days. Since both were let go in the middle of the season there has been a great deal written about whether or not it’s appropriate or fair to let a coach go in the middle of the year. Most every opinion I’ve read has said that it’s not. I disagree. In today’s age of instant communication, sports blogs and immediate updates athletic directors have to get a head start on things if they know that they are going to make a change anyway. Gottfried had some serious dissention in the Alabama locker room that almost begged for a change, while Felton’s fate was decided a while ago and the Georgia athletic department didn’t want to even give him the chance of a reprieve like Felton had last season when he led the Bulldogs to an improbable SEC Tournament title. Both athletic directors knew they wanted to make a change so they pulled the trigger knowing that it would allow them to start vetting coaching candidates before the majority of coaching changes happened in March. This is good business and whether we want to admit it or not, this is a business as much as it is a game. We can argue about whether or not Gottfried and Felton deserved their pink slips in the first place, but once the decision was made that they were going to be let go both schools did the right thing and allowed everyone to move on with their basketball lives.