GW

Atlantic 10 Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:23:49 -0500

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 10:36:40 -0400

A10 Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:59:30 -0400

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 22:27:50 -0500

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 17:33:26 -0500

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.

Atlantic 10: Week in Review

CollegeChalkTalk — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:56:17 -0500

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Tony Gaffney (Sr.), Massachusetts. While others may have scored more points, no player helped his team any greater on both ends of the floor than did Gaffney. For the week, Gaffney averaged a double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds per game), and also intimidated opponents by swatting away five shots per outing, including a nine block effort against Boston College. A model of efficiency on the offensive end as well, the senior shot 67% in UMass’ two close defeats. He also narrowly missed a triple-double in the overtime thriller against BC (below). For the year, Gaffney has been an iron man, ranking second in the conference in minutes played (37 per game). He ranks in the Top 10 in seven statistical categories, including leading the league in rebounds (13.1 per game) and blocks (5.0 per game), as well as ranking fourth in steals (2.14 per game).

HONORABLE MENTION: B.J. Raymond, (Sr.) Xavier; Ahmad Nivins, (Sr.) Saint Joseph’s.

GAME OF THE WEEK: December 6, 2008. Boston College 85, UMass 81 (OT)

The Minutemen did everything in this game but win. Ricky Harris crushed his previous career high of twenty-seven points by tallying thirty-five in the losing effort. Tony Gaffney was magnificent; scoring 15 points, pulling down 18 rebounds, and blocking nine shots. UMass even orchestrated a furious rally with 23 seconds to play, coming from five down in that span to force overtime. The teams traded the lead six times in the extra frame, but in the end, the Eagles clawed their way to hard-fought victory in Amherst.

GAME OF THE UPCOMING WEEK: No. 14 Xavier @ Cincinnati: It’s a rivalry renewed, as the 2008 version of the Crosstown Shootout will take place in Cincinnati. The Musketeers and Bearcats will be battling for city-wide bragging rights in a game that always proves full of intensity. Last year, Xavier won a battle at the Cintas Center, 64-59. This year’s contest looks to be highly competitive as well, as the teams have combined for thirteen wins, and just one loss (Cincy’s defeat to Florida State).

HONORABLE MENTION: Temple vs. No. 10 Tennessee

RPI BOOST OF THE WEEK: Charlotte; RPI No. 228 (Up 96 spots from 324 last week): The Niners finally snapped their losing streak and, along with boosting team morale, the win over Southern Illinois in Carbondale boosted their RPI… in grand fashion.

RPI FALL OF THE WEEK: Richmond; RPI No. 172 (Down 74 spots from 98 last week): The Spiders had a 1-1 week, but their win was against a weak Delaware State team (RPI No. 199), and their loss to an even lower ranked (RPI No. 254) Old Dominion squad.

_______________________________________________

Power Rankings (through December 7th, 2008)

Xavier: Holding serve until Holloway returns from injury.
Dayton: Best defense in the league right now (permitting just 54 points per game) has led to the largest scoring margin at plus 14.
Rhode Island: Loss to Providence marks the third time Rhody has lost to a BCS conference team this year (’Nova, Duke). Have a final shot against Oklahoma State on December 20th.
Temple: Victory over a seven-win Penn State team despite just two points from Dionte’ Christmas is a sign of a growing team.
La Salle: Eight days to prepare for nationally ranked Villanova’s arrival at Tom Gola Arena. A huge game in Philly.
Richmond: Twelfth in the league in scoring last season; now second (73-plus points per game) in 2008… without Dan Geriot.
Saint Joseph’s: Lost to Creighton after trailing by twenty-one, rallying late to salvage dignity.
Duquesne: Receiving scoring from freshmen building blocks Melquan Bolding and Eric Evans at six and eight points per game, respectively.
Saint Louis: Liddell and Lisch are combining for twenty-six points per game.
Charlotte: Earned second win of the year against a tough Southern Illinois team on the road. Looking to build momentum.
St. Bonaventure: Backup point guard Ray Blackburn rebounded after a poor outing at Canisius with seventeen points in a win over Princeton.
George Washington: Not ready to hang yet with quality competition, but freshman Taylor’s 33.8 minutes per game and Travis King’s improving health are reasons for optimism.
UMass: Another two-loss week stung, but Gaffney and Harris had stellar games in the overtime loss to BC. Minutemen look for their first D-I win this week at the expense of Holy Cross.
Fordham: Have yet to score over 68 points in a game; shooting just 36% from the floor on the year.

A10 Basketball: 7 Things You Should Know

CollegeChalkTalk — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:48:21 -0500

1.) Dayton is leading the conference in turnover margin. An important development for the Flyers, who finished the 2007-08 campaign tenth in the A-10. This season, UD is plus 4.83 in that department.

2.) The name Brian Conklin. For those not dialed in on Billiken hoops, the 6-foot-6 freshman is getting better with each game (10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds) and has been a model of efficiency for a newcomer. Conklin is averaging an incredible 1.96 points per shot; shooting better from the field (73%) than the stripe (72%).

3.) Jarhon Giddings is providing quality senior leadership at Richmond. After seeing his minutes decrease in both his sophomore and junior seasons, Giddings has been a nice surprise for the Spiders this season. The senior is averaging 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 55% from the field and 81% from the stripe.

4.) St. Bonaventure’s Andrew Nicholson is for real. Featured last week in a CCT exclusive, the 6-foot-9 freshman is averaging 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in just twenty-two minutes of action. There will be nights where the young fella struggles, but the Bonnies have found a player down low to build around.

5.) Aaron Jackson of Duquesne is the most productive (and most underappreciated) guard in the conference. Competition aside, save for Duke, Jackson is leading the young Dukes while boasting an incredible stat line of 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3 steals per game.

6.) Don’t be fooled by La Salle’s unremarkable record. The Explorers took UConn and Florida State - two teams with a combined 13-0 record - to the wire before falling. Things are improving in the turnover department. Now, the Explorers just need Vernon Goodridge (4.6 fouls per game) to stay on the floor.

7.) GW is receiving scoring from its backcourt. Noel Wilmore (12.0 points per game) and freshman Tony Taylor (9.3 points per game) are combining for over six points more than GW’s backcourt averaged last season. Wilmore is shooting an exceptional 48% from long range, while Taylor is a solid 38% from beyond the arc.

State of '08: District of Columbia

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:58:34 -0400

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.

Up today: District of Columbia For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

WASHINGTON D.C.

GEORGETOWN - Perhaps no region has a more distinct hierarchy than our nation's capital. Georgetown, coming off two Top 10 RPI seasons has been rejuvenated under JT3, and the future looks as bright as its been in years.

GEORGE WASHINGTON - Last season was a serious downer considering how well the program had been rolling along under Karl Hobbs. The Colonials had reached three NCAA Tournaments in a row, and also made the NIT in 2004. While you have to expect improvement from last year's dismal 9-17 record, the postseason will probably be out of reach.

AMERICAN - From 1999 to 2001, American won just 22 D1 games combined. But Jeff Jones has quietly built American into a Patriot League contender, and last year's Tourney berth was the culmination of years of work. The Eagles are once again the conference favorites and could improve on last year's 10-4 league record.

HOWARD - In the last five years, Howard has been simply atrocious.. in fact they haven't been above 320 in the RPI in that span. I'm not sure if any other team can match that mark of futility. 2007 actually had promise, but the Bison lost a whole bunch of close games. Fourth year coach Gil Jackson has some work to do if he wants to keep his job.

Last: Connecticut - Next: Florida

State of '08: The Introduction

2008-09 George Washington Basketball Preview: #113

Joel Welser — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:51:18 -0400

George Washington Colonials

Overall Rank: #113

Conference Rank: #9 Atlantic 10

2007-08: 9-17, 5-11, 13^th

2007-08 postseason: none

By George Washington standards, or pretty much anybody’s standards, the 2007-2008 season was horrible. Now the question is whether the 9-17 record is a sign of things to come or will the Colonials quickly revert back to their successful ways of the recent past? There are plenty of excuses as to why the team took such a huge step back, most notably the injury to Travis King and the distraction of anointed star Maureece Rice, but are they ready to jump back into the race for an A-10 championship? Probably not yet, but they are a lot closer to becoming a serious contender than their record would indicate.

Who’s Out:

Two years ago Rice averaged nearly 16 points per game and big things were expected from him in the future. Last year he was a distraction and ended up being dismissed from the team after a few suspensions. He still averaged 9.2 points per game in the 22 contests he played in, but all the hoopla was not worth any on-court production. Dominic Green and Keri Gonsalves were the only two seniors on the roster by the end of the year, but neither played a big role on the team. The bigger losses were the off-season dismissals of Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty. Moore had the potential to develop into a solid scorer around the basket and Beatty never really got the opportunity to show his stuff playing in just 14 games as a freshman.

Who’s In:

The most important addition, if you will, is the return of Travis King. King averaged 5.7 points and 2.4 assists two years ago as a freshman and was expected to take over the point guard duties from Carl Elliott last season. Instead, he busted his knee in August and was out for the year. King is expected to be fully healthy by the time the season starts, but it has been a while since he has played competitive basketball. The Colonials will not be stuck without a point guard again this year as incoming freshman Tony Taylor will add some much, much needed depth to the position. Matt Allbritton will likely need some time to adjust to the level of play, but he has good size for a shooting guard and can hit the outside shot with consistency. Add athletic wings Aaron Ware and Dwayne Smith to the bunch and the team will have no problem finding quality depth in the backcourt and some good starters in the years to come.

Who to Watch:

In the meantime, it will be the frontcourt that carries the hopes of the Colonials. Rob Diggs will once again lead the way after averaging 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks last year. The 6-8 senior has slowly improved during his time in the nation’s capital and that should not change this year. With Wynton Witherspoon and Damian Hollis joining him in the frontcourt, Coach Karl Hobbs has a very dangerous and versatile group. Witherspoon is a solid slasher and the only other player to average double figures in scoring during the debacle that was the 2007-2008 season. Witherspoon can hit the outside shot, but he should not take as many as he does. The moving back of the three-point line should fix that little issue pretty quick. Hollis is no stranger to the deep side of the arc either. But, like Witherspoon, Hollis’ strength is using his quickness and size to get to the basket. If he can improve his defense, Hollis will be a great all-around player.

Final Projection:

With Witherspoon and Hollis, the team has its slashers. Diggs provides the presence in the paint and King should be able to effectively run the show. That leaves GW missing just one thing…a shooter. Noel Wilmore fits the bill. As a junior last year Wilmore averaged 6.0 points per game and nearly all those points came from beyond the arc. It would be nice if Wilmore could mix in the threat of scoring in other ways, but at least he fills the teams’ need on the perimeter. Sophomore Xavier Alexander started 14 games last year, but he is more in the mold of Witherspoon and has yet to prove that he can consistently knock down the outside shot. As long as one of the newcomers can be a shooter off the bench this year, George Washington will have enough weapons to make things interesting. An NCAA berth would still be a stretch, but a postseason tournament of another kind would not be.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Travis King, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Noel Wilmore, Senior, Guard, 6.9 points per game

Damian Hollis, Junior, Forward, 9.1 points per game

Wynton Witherspoon, Senior, Forward, 11.0 points per game

Rob Diggs, Senior, Forward, 13.9 points per game

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

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For in 08-09: Part One

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:56:57 -0400

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

America East: Maine

2007-08 Record: 7-23 (3-13)

With their top three scorers from last season all returning (as tri-captains no less), I think the Black Bears have a chance to make a move up the America East standings. Mark Socoby, mid-season transfer Kaimondre Owes and Junior Bernal will lead the way for head coach Ted Woodward next season, giving Maine a three-pronged attack on the perimeter. Their ascension up the standings will depend on what they can get from the frontcourt, most notably Phil Tchekane Bofia and Sean McNally. I’d say a move to the middle of the pack at least from Maine, but a title? Maybe a little premature on that, but you never know.

ACC: Wake Forest

2007-08 Record: 17-13 (7-9)

Not like this pick is a surprise, but the combination of a highly-touted recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu and returnees such as Ish Smith, James Johnson and Chas McFarland could mean a top-four finish in the ACC for Dino Gaudio’s Demon Deacons. They weren’t too far off this season either, with five of their nine league losses being by seven points or less. And given the muddled picture that was the middle of the ACC standings last season, snatching a first-round bye in the 2009 ACC Tournament certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (5-11)

Even with two of their top four scorers out of eligibility (Reggie Bishop and Jake Wohlfeil), the Camels have a good shot at improving their 5-11 league record. Only provisional members USC Upstate and North Florida were below them in the standings (Upstate actually had five wins as well), and Florida Gulf Coast had one more conference win. But they do return forward Jonathan Rodriguez, who averaged twenty points per game on his way to snatching up Mid-Major All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com. And with the solid recruiting class being brought in by head coach Robbie Laing, Campbell should have the tools necessary to make a move in the A-Sun.

Atlantic 10: George Washington

2007-08 Record: 9-17 (5-11)

I don’t think there’s any way the Colonials can be as bad as they were in 2007-08. From an Atlantic 10 Tournament title to not even reaching the conference tournament, GW couldn’t continue the momentum. Even with three players gone (Maureece Rice to graduation; Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty were dismissed on Wednesday by head coach Karl Hobbs) from last year’s team, the Colonials could make a move up the standings with many of the teams ahead of them going through roster turnover as well. Whether or not they get to the middle of the A-10 pecking order will depend on who becomes their go-to guy on the offensive end of the floor. But they should be a balanced group, which may work out just as well for the Colonials.

Big East: Providence

2007-08 Record: 15-16 (6-12)

Another season of underachievement led to the departure of longtime head coach Tim Welsh, who was replaced by National Coach of the Year Keno Davis last month. Just as important a development for the Friars may be the return of guard Sharaud Curry, who was a medical redshirt last season. As seen with Drake last season, Coach Davis puts a high value on perimeter players who can shoot the ball from the perimeter. Guard Dwain Williams has received permission to talk to other schools, but even with his loss the Friars should be well-stocked on the outside with the likes of Curry, Weyenmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier.

And don’t forget about jack-of-all-trades Geoff McDermott and pivot Randall Hanke. The hype for this team won’t reach what it was a couple seasons ago, when a team featuring Ryan Gomes thought to be a player in the Big East didn’t even reach .500, but they will be good. The question is just how far they can go in a loaded Big East.

Big Sky: Eastern Washington

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (6-10)

Last season was indeed a tough one for the Eagle program. Head coach Kirk Earlywine didn’t get the job until late June, and under his command was a nine-man roster featuring six players with no previous Division I playing experience. While they didn’t qualify for the Big Sky Tournament in 2007-08, six of their ten conference losses were by five points or less. Granted, replacing an all-conference player like Kellen Williams will have an effect, the four transfers who sat out last season along with the returning experience should make for a better season in Cheney, Washington.

Big South: Charleston Southern

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-10)

With the return of rising sophomores Omar Carter (Big South Freshman of the Year) and Jamarco Warren (member of the Big South’s All-Freshman Team), the Buccaneers should be a good bet to improve their last place finish of a year ago. Guard Chris Moore has graduated, but he’s the only loss of note for head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has also signed a solid recruiting class. Guard Jaden Isler (Clovis, NM) could fit right into the guard slot left open by Moore’s departure, and the other three commits are no slouches either. Competing for the conference title may be a year away, but some of the teams who finished ahead of them in the standings last season have taken on some key losses due to graduation.

Big Ten: Illinois

2007-08 Record: 16-19 (5-13)

Once Eric Gordon decided to head to Indiana instead of Illinois, things went downhill for Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini. With the cornerstone of last year’s recruiting class gone, Illinois scuffled on the offensive end of the floor, but the fight was still there as this group was a mere forty minutes away from an NCAA Tournament berth. Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle are both out of eligibility, but every other key contributor from last season is slated to return, along with three newcomers. Stan Simpson was a standout performer at Chicago Simeon, and Coach Weber also received a commitment from Top-20 junior college talent Dominique Keller. After the first semester, Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will also be eligible. I don’t see this team losing thirteen conference games again this season.

Part Two tomorrow: Big 12, CUSA, Horizon, etc