Morehead St

College Basketball: Preseason Mid-Major All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:58:34 -0500

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team is led by one of the few underclassmen on the list, Butler's Gordon Hayward. Hayward is joined on the First Team by teammate Matt Howard. Boston U, Butler, Cornell, Gonzaga are the only teams with multiple players.

CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major Player of the Year: Gordon Hayward (Butler)

CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-America

Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	SR	G
Gordon Hayward	Butler	SO	G
Ryan Wittman	Cornell	SR	F
Matt Howard	Butler	JR	F
Marqus Blakely	Vermont	SR	F

CollegeHoops.net Second Team Mid-Major All-America

AJ Slaughter	Western Kentucky	SR	G
Charles Jenkins	Hofstra	JR	G
Larry Sanders	VCU	SR	F
Kenneth Faried	Morehead State	JR	F/C
Art Parakhouski	Radford	SR	C

CollegeHoops.net Third Team Mid-Major All-America

Ben Smith	Jacksonville	SR	G
Edwin Ubiles	Siena	SR	G/F
Ryan Thompson	Rider	SR	F
Kyle Austin	UC-Riverside	JR	F
Omar Samhan	Saint Mary's	SR	C

CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American

Darion Anderson	Northern Illinois	JR	G
Keith Benson	Oakland	JR	C
Zahir Carrington	Lehigh	SR	F/C
Louis Dale	Cornell	SR	G
Devin Gibson	Texas-San Antonio	JR	G
Jeremy Goode	Mount Saint Mary's	SR	G
Andrew Goudelock	Charleston	JR	G
Steven Gray	Gonzaga	JR	G
Brandon Hazzard	Troy	SR	G
John Holland	Boston U	JR	G/F
Brandon Johnson	San Diego	SR	G
Corey Lowe	Boston U	SR	G
Dior Lowhorn	San Francisco	SR	F
Matt Janning	Northeastern	SR	G
Anthony Johnson	Montana	SR	G
Gerald Lee	Old Dominion	SR	F
Tyrone Lewis	Niagara	SR	G
Grant Maxey	Jackson State	SR	F
Harouna Mutombo	Western Carolina	SO	G
Kevin Palmer	TAMU-Corpus Christi	SR	G/F
Rodney Pierce	Buffalo	SR	G
Jonathan Rodriguez	Campbell	SR	F
Desmond Yates	Middle Tennessee St	SR	F

Other CollegeHoops.net Preseason Awards

- National All-Americans

- High-Major All-Americans (A10, CUSA, MVC, MWC, WAC)

- Preseason All-Freshman Team

Poll: Who Will Win the OVC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:25:35 -0400

Opening Round Preview: Alabama St vs Morehead St

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:46:38 -0400

Start: Mar 17 2009 - 7:30pm

Opening Round Game Preview
Winner takes on top seed Louisville Friday

The reward for either Alabama State (22-9, 16-2 SWAC) or Morehead State (19-15, 12-6 Ohio Valley) is a shot at the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament field, the Louisville Cardinals. But in order to get to that point they need to win the opening round game that will be played in Dayton Tuesday night (7:30 PM on ESPN). Both made their way into the field of sixty-five in different ways; the Hornets won the regular season title outright and beat second-place Jackson State in the SWAC Tournament final. Morehead State, on the other hand, limped into the postseason on a four-game losing streak. But three wins later, beating the top two teams in the OVC (UT Martin and Austin Peay) in Nashville, Donnie Tyndall's Eagles are in the Big Dance for the first time since 1974.

Alabama State will get a lot of attention for the name of SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Chief Kickingstallionsims (2.8 blocks per game), but he's not the main man for head coach Lewis Jackson. Guard Brandon Brooks (13.8 ppg, 6.8 apg) was named SWAC Player of the Year and has four games of at least ten assists and just six games in which he's failed to score double figures. Brooks averaged just 7.5 points per game in the Hornets' final two SWAC Tournament games but he also averaged six assists per game and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2-to-1. He's that important to the fortunes of the Hornets because outside of reserves Tramaine White and Ivory Butler Alabama State struggles to take care of the basketball.

The Hornets break even in assist-to-turnover ratio, a number that leads the SWAC. But Morehead State's assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.9 isn't far behind and that number ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference. The good thing for Alabama State is that even though they lack the best turnover margin (-0.81, 6th in the SWAC), the Eagles have been much worse this season (-2.53, 9th in the OVC). Like most small schools guard play is paramount for Alabama State, with Chief averaging just over twenty minutes per game. At 7-foot-1 the senior big man makes for a tough matchup within the SWAC, but junior Wesley Jones (9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is more important to the Hornets on the inside. Roland Fitch is the only frontcourt reserve that Coach Jackson turns to on a consistent basis, so avoiding foul trouble is a must.

Morehead State has an imposing figure on the interior as well, and despite standing just 6-foot-8 sophomore Kenneth Faried (13.9 ppg, 12.8 rpg) can get the job done in a variety of ways. Like Chief the Newark native was named conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaging a little less than two steals and two blocks per game. On the season Faried has twenty-three double doubles, including a 27-point, 24-rebound effort in a November loss to Florida A&M. Due to his activity and skill the Hornets may have to look elsewhere when it comes to guarding Faried; Kickingstallionsims lacks the overall skill level needed to slow the sophomore down.

But Coach Tyndall's got two other forwards who will command the attention of Alabama State in leading scorer Leon Buchanan (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and junior Maze Stallworth (12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg). All three average over twenty-nine minutes per game, and along with guards Demonte Harper (10.8 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Brandon Shingles (3.9 apg) make up the core of this championship team that got hot at just the right time. Morehead State led the OVC in field goal percentage defense (41.8%) but their calling card is rebounding. Thanks primarily to Faried the Eagles have a rebounding margin of +8.0. Alabama State enjoys a margin of just +1.2, a number that still ranked fourth in the SWAC. The main focus for the Hornets in their scouting report should be the Eagles' rebounding prowess, a skill that makes up for shooting percentages that ranked seventh in the OVC (44.1% FG, 33.4% 3PT).

The key for Morehead State: take care of the basketball. On the season the Eagles averaged 15.2 turnovers per game, a key factor in their four-game skid to end the regular season. But in the OVC Tournament Morehead State averaged eleven turnovers per game, and without that improvement Morehead State is done for the season. Man for man the Eagles are the better team but miscues could render that point moot should they ignore the important lesson learned during Championship Week. Brandon Brooks can keep Alabama State in this game in a fashion similar to what Coppin State's Tywain McKee did in last year's Opening Round Game. But just like McKee, he'll be going up against an opponent with more weapons.

Winner: Morehead State Margin: 7-11 pts.

Seven Day Stretch: Mocs, Mocks, Wild Big Ten, and More Billy G

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:44:40 -0400

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

Seven Day Savior (Team): North Carolina Tar Heels

I think we can safely put to bed the idea that UNC is one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time, but the Tar Heels finished the regular season exactly where they started, as the #1 team in the country. North Carolina has had to deal with season-ending injuries, raised expectations and the knowledge that they were going to typically get an opponents best shot. In terms of those adverse conditions, what the Tar Heels have been able to accomplish this year has been pretty impressive. The Heels closed out the regular season by beating Duke for the second time this year. They enter the ACC Tournament as the consensus favorite to win the national title. Carolina reminds me quite a bit of the Florida squad from a few years ago that ended up winning a second consecutive national championship. That Florida team sort of coasted through the regular season and noticeably kicked their play up a notch when the postseason began. Outside of senior Tyler Hansbrough, who plays every possession as if it’s his last, the Tar Heels show some of the same qualities as those Gators. The Heels lose focus at times, especially on defense, but it seems to be because they know that the time for serious focus is fast approaching.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Kenneth Faried, Morehead State Eagles

Faried had a very good season for the Eagles, averaging almost 14 PPG and 13 RPG. However, he didn’t begin to turn it on until towards the end of the year. Faried is a sophomore and played at the beginning of the season like a young man who didn’t know exactly what to do when he was on the floor. However, his transformation and growth has been almost exponential. He capped off a superior second half of his season by dominating the Ohio Valley Conference Tourney and leading the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1984. He was simply a one-man wrecking crew in the OVC final against Austin Peay. His block of Peay’s attempted game-winning shot at the end of the first overtime was a thing of beauty. The Govs had designed a very nice play for an inbounds with 3 seconds to go in that first OT. The Peay players ran it to perfection but there was Faried to simply swat the shot away like it was nothing and send the game into a second OT where the Eagles won to go dancing.

Game of the Week (The One You Already Know About): Big Ten Conference Tournament

Because we’ve now entered Championship Week, there really isn’t one game to focus on, but rather an entire tournament. The Big Ten Tourney has serious ramifications because most “experts” in the NCAA selection process have stated or written that the Big Ten should get 8 teams into the NCAAs. However, some of those squads, specifically Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State and even Northwestern, have a bit of work to do in order to feel comfortable about what’s going to happen to them on Selection Sunday. It really is a compelling tournament because of this one issue. The Gophers open with Northwestern while Wisconsin has to play Ohio State on Thursday. The Nittany Lions get Indiana first, which should be a win, but Michigan has a tricky game with Iowa to open their tournament. The long and short of it is that the Big ten really is the only conference that is beginning it’s conference tournament with so much postseason uncertainty surrounding so many of its teams.

Game of the Week (The One You Don’t Know About): The WAC Tournament

As much as the Big Ten has five teams with their postseason fate hanging on their tournament performances, the WAC really has only one storyline; Utah State. There has been so much talk over the past several weeks about how there aren’t that many mid-major teams that are going to “steal” spots in the NCAA Tournament from teams in the bigger conferences. That means that most mid-major conferences are going to be one-bid leagues. With the Horizon League having completed their tournament, the only mid-major left playing that might steal a bid from a BCS school is Utah State. If the Aggies make the WAC Tournament final and lose, there is a very good chance that they will get an at-large bid to the Big Dance. There are only a few schools that bubble teams are keeping an eye on this week and Utah State is one of them. Every team in the proverbial bubble is hoping that the Aggies win the WAC.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Chattanooga Moccasins

The Mocs started the season 0-6. They lost seven of their first eight. They were a mess in December. Now they are going to the NCAA Tournament. Even though they are 18-16, the Mocs have all the ingredients of a team that can pull off a first round upset. They have a big-time scorer in guard Stephen McDowell who averages almost 19 PPG, and two complimentary scorers in Nicchaeus Doaks and Kevin Goffney. They shoot well from the outside and for the past four weeks they’ve been defending and rebounding with a renewed passion. They have very good guard play and that, coupled with their other qualities, mean the Mocs are going to be a real threat in their first round game. They are probably looking at a 14 or 15 seed in the NCAAs, but even if they get that dreaded 16 seed…well, just remember where you read it first.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Billy Gillispie, Kentucky Wildcats

I put Gillispie in this spot earlier this season and was chastised by many readers for it. Heck, the leader of collegehoops.net, Shawn Seigel, even stated that I was essentially wrong to put Gillispie on the hot seat*. Well, the Wildcats are about to have their streak of NCAA Tourney appearances put on ice, and quite frankly, deservedly so. Gillispie has brought a certain style to Lexington but he hasn’t modified his system at all to fit the players he inherited when he arrived from Texas A&M two years ago. He has alienated several of his players, his game decisions have been questionable throughout the season and, most importantly, he hasn’t gotten his players to buy in to his philosophy. Now he’s losing the fans because this Kentucky team has been terribly underwhelming in a year when the SEC has been terribly down. Gillispie has no connection to Kentucky and seems like he is a coach who would be better off being slightly under the radar like he was at College Station. If the Wildcats lose early in the SEC Tournament and then go to the NIT, don’t be surprised if there’s a change in Lexington.

*Ed: My direct quote was, "UK will be fine.. more than fine actually down the road. I have a lot of faith in Gillispie's coaching ability."

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Scheduling and the Economy

One of the things I’ve been thinking about this year is how some of the smaller D-1 programs are going to cope with the shrinking economy. The first thing that came to mind was and is scheduling. Many of these low-major programs are cannon fodder for the big schools at the beginning of the season. However, this year there has also been more of an effort by many of these smaller programs to schedule NAIA and D-II schools. That simply can’t happen anymore, or at least no where near as much as this past season because of the cost involved in bringing those teams in to small school ‘X’s arena. These small schools, or at least many of them could possibly be in serious trouble as D-1 entities. The fact is that many of these schools moved into Division 1 when they shouldn’t have. They don’t have the facilities, the fan base or the tradition to survive what appears to be an economy that is reaching into all areas of society. Perhaps that’s a good thing; some of these schools will be forced to move back to a classification that better fits their enrollment, facilities, etc. The question, and it bears watching, is how this recession is going to hit these smaller D-1 programs.

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Morehead St: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:19:28 -0400

Morehead State Eagles

Ohio Valley (19-15, 12-6)

Big Wins: 12/30 at East Tennessee State (71-61), 3/6 vs Tennessee Martin (63-55), 3/7 vs Austin Peay (67-65)

Bad Losses: 11/14 at Louisiana Monroe (54-56), 11/23 vs Florida A&M (74-79), 11/29 vs Grambling State (71-72)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1984, First Round loss to Louisville

Coach: Donnie Tyndall (First NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

The Ohio Valley may not provide the stiffest competition around, but by the numbers Morehead State is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Much of the success on the glass can be attributed to Kenneth Faried. The 6-8 sophomore grabs an amazing 12.8 rebounds per contest. Faried is also a solid shot blocker and he will never make it easy for the opposition to get to the basket. However, Faried is more than just a defender; he is also averaging 13.9 points per game and any time he does not tally a double-double it is a surprise.

What makes the Eagles frontcourt so dominating is the fact that Faried is not the only talented player who hangs out in the paint. At 6-5, Leon Buchanan is undersized for a power forward, but he is a tough interior player who always works hard on the glass. Buchanan, who leads the team with 15.1 points per game, is a great scorer in the paint and can step out and hit the mid-range jumper.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Coach Donny Tyndall has a couple capable ball handlers in Demonte Harper and Brandon Shingles, but this is a team that turns the ball over way too much. Harper, who dishes out 3.4 assists per game, turns the ball over more than that. Fortunately, Harper is a capable scorer and that makes the turnovers a little easier to stomach, but the Eagles simply cannot turn the ball over as much as they usually do if they want to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament.

Who To Watch:

Maze Stallworth is the starter at the small forward spot and the team’s third leading scorer behind Buchanan and Faried. Stallworth is the team’s best long range shooter and when he is hot he can score in bunches. Stallworth has connected on five or more three-pointers on seven occasions this season and the Eagles won six of those games. But Stallworth can use his 6-4 frame to get to the basket. Against Tennessee Tech in February, Stallworth only hit one three-pointer, but he still managed to tally 16 points by attacking the basket and getting to the charity stripe 12 times. Robert Murry can provide a spark off the bench when given the opportunity. The 5-10 junior will not hit many outside shots, but he does a surprisingly good job sneaking into the paint and finishing.

Probable Starters:

Brandon Shingles, Junior, Guard, 4.9 ppg, 3.9 apg

Demonte Harper, Sophomore, Guard, 10.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 4.0 rpg

Maze Stallworth, Junior, Guard, 12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg

Leon Buchanan, Senior, Forward, 15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg

Kenneth Faried, Sophomore, Center, 13.9 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Terrance Hill, Freshman, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Robert Murry, Junior, Guard, 8.3 ppg, 1.4 apg

Steve Peterson, Freshman, Forward, 1.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 70.6 (128^th in nation, 6^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 67.5 (163, 4)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.1 (154, 7)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (97, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.3 (252, 6)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.4 (193, 6)

Free-Throw Percentage: 72.0 (72, 2)

Rebound Margin: 8.0 (7, 1)

Assists Per Game: 12.9 (172, 7)

Turnovers Per Game: 15.2 (260, 7)

Following the final Bracket announcement, more team info will be added, including final RPI, final team statistical rankings, Joel's prediction, and more!

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Sam Young: CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:35:53 -0400

Player of the Week: Sam Young, Pittsburgh

The first week of March is always one of college basketball's best seven-day stretches. There is the end of the regular season in many conferences, including all the major conferences, and plenty of conference tournament action. Furthermore, five bids were handed out for the NCAA Tournament. With a week that jam-packed, there is bound to be an abundance of top-notch performances from around the country. Of course, this week certainly fit that bill.

This week's group of big-time games fell into two categories: one, the major-conference performers who came up huge in marquee games, and the smaller-conference players who had an excellent string of games to help lead their team to the Big Dance. In the first group, Tyler Hansbrough averaged 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in wins over Virginia Tech and Duke, while Louisville's Terrence Williams averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.5 steals per game in two victories. Auburn's Korvotney Barber helped propel the Tigers into the bubble conversation with back-to-back double-doubles against Alabama and LSU, averaging 14.5 points and 16.5 rebounds. On the other side, Kevin Tiggs of East Tennessee State had 37 points in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, and averaged 26.3 points in three games. Morehead State's Kenneth Faried had three straight double-doubles, averaging 17.3 points and 14.6 rebounds in the Ohio Valley Tournament. Radford's inside-outside duo of Kenny Thomas and Artisom Parakhouski was outstanding in the Big South Tournament, with Thomas averaging 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists and Parakhouski going for 19.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game. However, the best performance of the week came from one of the big conferences, as Sam Young of Pittsburgh was certainly a two-game stud this week.

Young, a 6-6 senior forward, ended his non-postseason career with a bang this week, leading Pittsburgh to wins over Marquette and Connecticut, as well as the possible No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament come Selection Sunday. He started off the week with 18 points and eight rebounds against Marquette, in a 15-point win for the Panthers. However, his line on Saturday against UConn really stole the show. Young was 13-of-23 from the field, en route to 31 points and 10 rebounds. He carried the Panthers early on and also put separation between Pitt and the Huskies in the second half when Connecticut tried to make a run. He was borderline unstoppable. Young is now averaging 18.8 points and 6.1 rebounds on the season.

Finalists:

- Kenny Thomas/Artisom Parakhouski, Radford

- Kenneth Faried, Morehead State

- Korvotney Barber, Auburn

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week Archive

- March 1: Sherron Collins/Cole Aldrich - Kansas

- Feb 22: DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh

- Feb 15: Jodie Meeks, Kentucky

- Feb 8: Jack McClinton, Miami

- Feb 1: Talor Battle, Penn State

- Jan 25: Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

- Jan 18: Jodie Meeks, Kentucky

- Jan 12: Jeff Teague, Wake Forest

- Jan 5: Tyrese Rice, Boston College

- Dec 29: Alex Ruoff, West Virginia

- Dec 22: AJ Price, UCONN

- Dec 15: Dionte Christmas, Temple

- Dec 8: Stephen Curry, Davidson

- Dec 1: Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

- Nov 24: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

OVC Tournament Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:43:38 -0500

This is one in a series of my conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, giving a brief statistical review and picking out some of the key players, and presenting 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:

Ohio Valley

The OVC Tournament features the top 8 teams out of a 10 team league, with the quarterfinals being hosted at the home courts of the top 4 seeds, and the two later rounds hosted at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

OVC Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Tennessee Martin	90.91%	58.86%	30.81%
2	Austin Peay	80.67%	25.43%	10.06%
3	Murray St.	93.43%	69.19%	42.55%
4	Morehead St.	73.48%	30.09%	12.17%
5	Eastern Kentucky	26.52%	8.67%	2.81%
6	Tennessee St.	6.57%	1.87%	0.35%
7	Eastern Illinois	19.33%	3.50%	0.82%
8	Tennessee Tech	9.09%	2.37%	0.45%

It’s interesting to see that the #1 seeds and league champions aren’t the favorites, a title that belongs to #3 Murray St. The first four teams were separated by just two games in the standings, but the efficiency stats tell us that Martin and Murray St. are in a separate class.

#1 – Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (21-8, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.114

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Tennessee-Martin has had an excellent season, claiming its first OVC regular season title, powered by a ten-game winning streak early in the conference schedule. The Skyhawks aren’t spectacular in any area, but do a lot of things well, and don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their main weakness is long-distance shooting, where they sit last in the OVC, but they make up for it by shooting 74% at the free throw line and earning a lot of extra possessions on the glass and by avoiding turnovers. Martin also defends well, managing to dominate the turnover margin by forcing a lot.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG% - The only player more important to his team than Hudson is some Curry guy that you might have heard about once or twice. Like Curry, Hudson’s shooting percentages aren’t that impressive on their own, but when you consider how many shots he takes, you really get a sense of how valuable he is. He also is a key player in lot of other areas, leading the Skyhawks in rebounding and steals, and putting up a very good assist rate.

6-1 JR Delrico Lane, 5.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 51.5 eFG% - Lane doesn’t score much, but let’s face it, there’s not a lot of shots available once Hudson and second-best scorer Marquis Weddle get their share. Lane has done a good job getting the ball to Hudson, leading the OVC in assists, and like Hudson has an excellent steal rate.

#2 – Austin Peay Governors (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.053

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

The Governors face the strange situation of being lucky, as their record is somewhat better than their efficiency margin would suggest, but also unlucky, as a couple of losses in overtime are the only thing separating them from a conference title. Still, it’s telling that this is the #4 favorite by the log5 method, and to see them suffer an ‘upset’ wouldn’t be a big surprise. Austin Peay is the best pure shooting team in the conference, well over 50% from inside and at 39% from behind the arc, and the second best OVC offense overall. For all their ability to make shots, though, stopping opponents from doing the same has been difficult, especially from long distance, where they put up the conference’s worst defensive mark. The Governors are the only team of the top 4 seeds to give up more than a point-per possession, and their defensive woes will probably be their downfall.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG% - In a lot of other conferences in the nation, Reed’s numbers would be good enough to make him a clear top scorer and the favorite for player of the year, but with Hudson taking the spotlight, Reed has to settle for being the OVC’s #2 scorer. Reed doesn’t take as large a proportion of his team’s shots as Hudson does, but he’s much more efficient, nearly 60% from inside the arc and a 40% outside shooter. He’s also in the top 5 in the conference in rebounding and rarely turns the ball over.

6-3 JR Wes Channels, 16.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 51.1 eFG% - Channels takes a similar proportion of the Governors’ shots as Reed, but is much more dependent on the three-pointer, and isn’t quite as good a percentage shooter. Still, he’s a good scoring guard who leads the team in assists, and combines with Reed to form a deadly inside-outside duo.

#3 – Murray St. Racers (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.129

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

Murray St. may be the third seed, but don’t be surprised to see it run off with a 14^th NCAA tourney appearance, the best of any OVC team. The worst of the Racers’ five losses came by 6 points, meaning that their efficiency margin is the highest in the league. This is mostly due to a defense that is clearly the best in the OVC; opponents make few threes and turn the ball over a lot, a clear sign of how good the Racers are on the perimeter. They aren’t great at making threes themselves, but tend to focus on scoring from two, where they are efficient enough to have a decent offense overall. The Racers’ style probably contributes to why they’ve had so many close losses; their defensive, slow-paced game makes it a lot more difficult to get a big margin against weaker teams.

Players to watch:

6-2 SO Isaac Miles, 10.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 48.2 eFG% - The team’s second leading scorer is entering the tournament on a roll, having scored in double digits in each of the last five games, and has done this despite taking a lot of bad shots from behind the arc, where he hits less than 30%. He’s a good scorer from two who gets a lot of chances at the line, and while he puts up a lot of assists, he also has occasional bouts of major turnover trouble.

6-4 JR Danero Thomas, 11.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 47.1 eFG% - Thomas isn’t a great offensive player, but leads the Racers in scoring, and is a decent shooter, though like Miles he struggles from behind the arc. His best performance comes on the defensive end, where he’s the team’s best shot-blocker and one of the conference leaders in steals.

#4 – Morehead St. Eagles (16-15, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.066

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1984 (1^st Round)

The last of the teams that open the season at home, Morehead seemed to be destined for a tough year when they started 0-6, but had turned it around by the time conference play began, though they should be concerned after closing the season on a four-game losing streak. The Eagles are similar to Murray St., depending on inside play on the offensive end, but doing their best work defensively, but they aren’t as effective at either end as the Racers. Morehead isn’t too strong from the field, but is a good offensive rebounding team that does a great job getting to the line, and making shots once there. Defensively, the Eagles best play also comes inside, as they hold opponents to a conference-best 44.5% from two, and are good rebounders and shot-blockers.

Players to watch:

6-8 SO Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG% - Faried is probably the conference’s best big man, fourth nationally in rebounding and the only Valley player averaging more than nine boards a game. He’s a 56% shooter from the field who also sits in the top 3 of the conference rankings in steals and blocks. The only real weakness in his game is his free throw shooting, where he’s worse than from the field, but he looks like he’ll be a great player in the conference in the years to come.

6-5 SR Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Buchanan is a great interior partner for Faried, a decent rebounder who shoots a good percentage, and unlike the sophomore, does a really great job at the free throw line. He’s an 81% shooter who makes a lot of appearances, and the points he gets there are enough to make him the team’s leading scorer.

#5 – Eastern Kentucky Colonels (18-12, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Eastern Kentucky are an ideal example of how a team’s tempo can confuse those who don’t take it into account. The Colonels are easily the slowest team in the OVC, and a look at their point-per-game numbers would lead you to suggest that they are merely average offensively. In reality, the Colonels tend to be involved in the conference’s most offensively efficient games, boasting the OVC’s best offense, and the worst defense of the teams qualifying for the tournament. The Colonels are an offensive dream, putting up a 55.7 eFG% in conference, and one of the nation’s best marks in the category of the whole season, and having the OVC’s lowest turnover rate. Their problems come inside, where they don’t get much of their offense (the second-most three-dependent team in the country), and are terrible on the glass. Opponents shred EKU’s defense seemingly at will, shooting 54%, and even the ability to force a lot of turnovers doesn’t help much.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG% - The third 20 PPG player in the conference, Rose is the deadliest three-point shooter on a team that thrives behind the arc. Shooting 49% from long-distance is the kind of percentage we expect from an occasional shooter, not someone who puts up more than 200 attempts a season. He’s one of the team’s better rebounders and a solid defender, but his value is all in that shot.

6-7 SO Justin Stommes, 10.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 59.4 eFG% - Behind Rose, there are a group of other strong shooters, though none with the frequency, or the success, of the Colonels’ leading scorer. Stommes is the best of the bunch, and he provides a great alternative option from outside.

#6 – Tennessee St. Tigers (12-17, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.048

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

The Tigers made a lot of headlines, and got a lot of criticism, for firing Cy Alexander mid-season, but it worked out pretty well, as they went 6-1, including six straight wins entering the tournament, to manage a .500 finish in the conference. Tennessee St.’s defense is almost as bad as EKU’s, one of the worst in the tournament, but unlike the Colonels, TSU’s offense isn’t good enough to bail it out. Tennessee St. is focused on attacking the inside, and does it decently, but struggles with turnovers and free throws. The Tigers should watch their opponents to find a better example of inside play, as they allow 52% of attempts from inside, and don’t do much on the defensive glass either. They actually have the poorest odds of any team in the tournament, and a #6 seed probably flatters them somewhat.

Players to watch:

6-7 SO Darius Cox, 10.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.9 BPG, 54.3 eFG% - Cox is just fourth on the team in scoring, but is the most efficient offensive option when Tennessee St. has the ball, shooting over 50% from the field. He’s also an excellent rebounder, and a good shot-blocker.

6-8 SR Jerrell Houston, 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Houston is another good interior player, with similar numbers to Cox, but with a larger role in the offense, and a much bigger problem with turnovers.

#7 – Eastern Illinois Panthers (12-17, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.019

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

After talking about a couple of teams that struggle on the defensive end, Eastern Illinois are a bit of change of pace, decent defenders but the worst offensive team in the conference. A bright note for the Panthers’ offense is that they make a decent percentage of both threes and free throws; unfortunately, they don’t get to the line much, and take a large majority of their shots from inside the arc. Defensively, EIU is a solid team, especially inside, where it holds opponents to just 46% shooting. However, their offensive woes are too great to overcome, and they enter the tournament on a real low, losing their last six conference games.

Players to watch:

6-1 SO Tyler Laser, 11.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 56.5 eFG% - Laser isn’t a go-to scorer, but is the kind of pure shooter who can be really effective as a secondary option. He hits over 40% from behind the arc, and is 6^th nationally in free throw percentage, 50-of-52 on the season. He’s a good distributor of the ball and can also score from inside the arc, the kind of player who could really break out if he can handle a bigger role in future seasons.

6-3 JR Romain Martin, 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Martin is the other guy on the Panthers who can make threes, and while his percentage isn’t as high as Laser’s, he takes a lot more shots, and is much more important in the offense. Most of his value depends on his shooting, he doesn’t really contribute much in the other statistical areas.

#8 – Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (12-17, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.034

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1963 (1^st Round)

Tennessee Tech is the OVC’s fastest paced team, but its high speed hasn’t equalled highly effective offensive possessions, especially from two-point range, where you’d expect such a team to score in transition. Instead, the Golden Eagles are best when they put up threes, over 38% from behind the arc. This doesn’t happen nearly enough, though, with poor rebounding, turnovers, and a fairly two-point-heavy offense combining to limit the Eagles’ long distance-scoring. Defensively, Tennessee Tech force a lot of turnovers, but are terrible defensive rebounders and commit a lot of fouls.

Players to watch:

6-9 SR Daniel Northern, 12.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 49.4 eFG% - Northern is an excellent big-man in almost every area except field goal percentage, and it’s only his 49% from the field that holds him back. He’s the second-best rebounder in the OVC, and leads the conference in shot-blocking. He gets to the line a lot, and while his 65% from the stripe isn’t great, it’s not too bad, and shows a clear improvement from previous seasons.

6-2 JR Frank Davis, 10.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 59.2 eFG% - If you’re looking for a great example of how a player who isn’t the offensive focus can really thrive, Davis may be a perfect. He doesn’t take a lot of shots, but his contribution on the stat sheet will be basically limited to whatever he manages to score. He’s a 43% three-point shooter, and has taken more attempts from behind the arc than the Eagles’ next two most prolific shooters combined. He doesn’t turn the ball over much, but he’s not the kind of player who will do much beside shoot when he does get it.

My statistical all-OVC team:

Tennessee Martin SR G Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG%

Eastern Kentucky SR G Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG%

Austin Peay SR F Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG%

Morehead St. SR F Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG%6-8,

Morehead St. SO F/C Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG%

Mid-Major Player of the Week: Jamal Barney

Joey Whelan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:58:26 -0500

Mid-Major Player of the Week

Jamal Barney – Loyola (MD)

3 Games: 27.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.7 spg

Jimmy Patsos may have been the one making waves for the Greyhounds earlier in the season, but Jamal Barney was the one doing it this week. The sophomore guard feasted on the three opposing defenses he faced, topping the 20-point mark in all three games. He torched NJ Tech for 40 points, getting to the line an impressive 22 times. The Baltimore native was able to help his team in other ways as well, hitting the boards hard and leading his team two a pair of conference wins.

Finalists

John Bryant – Santa Clara

2 Games: 13.5 ppg, 16.5 rpg, 1 bpg, 11-23 FG

It’s about time that one of the nation’s most underrated big men gets a little love. Bryant has had a stellar senior season, continuing his consistent scoring while posting career bests in rebounding and assists. The Broncos may be in the midst of a tough six-game skid, but it is no fault of their star center. Bryant played solidly in a loss at Gonzaga and followed that up with a season high 22 rebounds on the road at Portland.

Kenneth Faried – Morehead State

3 Games: 14 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 2 apg, 2.3 spg, 1.3 bpg, 16-30 FG

Another frontcourt player who hasn’t been getting his due is Kenneth Faried. The New Jersey native was quietly one of the nation’s top rebounders as a freshman last year and guess what, he is right back near the top of that list. Faried had a pair of double-doubles this week and put together two of his best shooting performances of the season.

Seth Curry – Liberty

Vs. VMI: 35 points, 6 rebounds, 10-15 FG, 11-11 FT, 4-6 3P FG

The younger Curry has been the most explosive scoring freshman in the country this season, and the family shooting prowess was on full display in a Liberty win over VMI. The rook had a season high 35 points and was lights out from everywhere on the floor, including his perfect showing at the charity stripe. Expect plenty more games like this as his career progresses.

OVC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:39:52 -0500

Conference Rank: 26th

10 year average: 22nd

Conference Page

All-OVC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Marquis Weddle	UTM	So
G	Lester Hudson	UTM	Sr
G	Mike Rose	EKU	Sr
F	Daniel Northern	Tenn. Tech	Sr
F	Drake Reed	Austin Peay	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Lester Hudson		Points: Lester Hudson 25.7 Rebounds: Daniel Northern 9.3 Assists: DeAndre Bray (JSU) 6.3

Ohio Valley Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

106	Murray State*	OVC	1	NCAA
162	Tennessee Martin	OVC	2
184	Austin Peay**	OVC	3
204	Tennessee St	OVC	4
215	Morehead State	OVC	5
286	Eastern Kentucky	OVC	6
304	SE Missouri St	OVC	7
322	Jacksonville St	OVC	8
328	Tennessee Tech	OVC	9
340	Eastern Illinois	OVC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the OVC?

Other OVC Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Top Shooting Guards: Lester Hudson

Rise & Fall: OVC

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the OVC?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:15:11 -0500