Nicholls St

Monday Recap: #10 Marquette, #12 Kansas Both Upset

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:18:10 -0800

What looked to be a routine post-finals Monday in college basketball turned out to be anything but as two ranked teams fell. #10 Marquette went on the road to take on an LSU team that much isn't expected of this season and found themselves in a dog fight. Averaging 81 points per game the Golden Eagles finished the game 22 points below their average in the 67-59 loss to the Tigers, with LSU making the required plays on both ends of the floor late.

Ralston Turner led the way with 22 points while Justin Hamilton (13 points, seven rebounds) and Storm Warren (10 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures and point guard Anthony Hickey added eight points, six assists and four steals. LSU very well could have allowed things to get out of hand from the start as Marquette rushed out to a 13-0 lead, but Trent Johnson's team didn't panic and they used defense to get back into the contest. Marquette shot 36.3% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times, and their bench was outscored 24-4 as well.

"We got hit in the face a little bit with that 13-0 run," said Johnson. "I thought those guys (senior reserves Malcolm White, Storm Warren and Chris Bass) came in and gave us a lot of energy. They competed their tails off and then we got back in the thing and found out that we can compete a little bit."

How often will Buzz Williams' team have to account for quiet nights from Vander Blue (four points, 1-4 FG), Junior Cadougan (six points, 3-10 FG) and Todd Mayo (two points, 0-5 FG)? Probably won't happen all that much, and when adding to that LSU's offensive efficiency of 103.1 despite turning the ball over on 28% of their possessions the makings for an upset are there. Jae Crowder (22 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (16 points but six turnovers) led the way offensively for Marquette, and a positive they can take out of the game was the seven points and eight rebounds supplied by Davante Gardner.

Not as much luck for #12 Kansas, who trailed for much of the night in their 80-74 loss to Davidson in Kansas City. The big question for Bill Self's team in the aftermath of the defeat: outside of Thomas Robinson (21 points, 18 rebounds) where did the Jayhawks have a clear edge on the Wiildcats? Davidson turned the ball over 12 times in the first half yet still went into the break with a 33-32 lead as the Jayhawks shot just 39.8% from the field.

Bob McKillop's team would be even better in the second half taking care of the basketball, not turning it over once. Nik Cochran led four starters in double figures with 21 points and while Davidson didn't shoot well from the field (41.0%) they shot well from the foul line (19-25) while Kansas left points on the board in shooting 18-for-31. It's one thing to shoot poorly from the field, but leaving points at the charity stripe will more times than not come back to haunt you.

The Wildcats also outscored Kansas 33-18 from beyond the arc, with Cochran being the main marksman by knocking down four of five attempts. Kansas made a few threes late to stay in the game but it was too little too late, as Davidson put more effort as the game wore on in doubling Robinson inside. The Jayhawks simply couldn't get over the hump in front of a partisan crowd, and in the final minutes Davidson landed the critical blows needed to bounce back with a win following their blowout loss at Charlotte.

"I thought we came out in the second half and scored two baskets, which at least put us in the center ring for the rest of the half," remarked McKillop. "I thought our resiliency was a great statement about our team maturing and showing poise and taking a week of practice after a tough loss and really capitalizing on it."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marshall beats Belmont by one in a thriller in Huntington.
The game of the night did not disappoint, with Marshall needing a missed Kerron Johnson layup as time expired to hang on for the 87-86 win. Damier Pitts (19 points, 11 assists) and Dennis Tinnon (24 points, ten rebounds) each posted double-doubles while DeAndre Kane led the way with 29 points for the Thundering Herd, who are now 8-2 and have the talent to challenge Memphis in Conference USA. Johnson led six Belmont players in double figures with 18 points, but despite the margin of defeat Rick Byrd's team will be able to point at second-chance points as the difference.

Marshall grabbed 14 offensive boards and outscored Belmont 23-7 in second-chance points, a margin that did more damage to the visitors than the 16-4 spread in fast-break points. The good news for the Bruins is that they'll get another shot at the Herd in ten days in Nashville, but if they can't rectify the issues on the boards between now and then the rematch will likely net the same result. As for Marshall this is another solid win for their resume, and if they can to C-USA play with an 11-2 record Bill Herrion's team would be a a nice spot in terms of a possible at-large berth.

2. No Gutierrez or Solomon? No problem for Cal, who blew out UCSB.
With forward Richard Solomon out for at least the next two games with a stress fracture in his left foot and guard Jorge Gutierrez falling ill, the Golden Bears were without two key cogs for their game against UCSB. With the Gauchos having one of the more potent perimeter attacks in James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson a loss at home was a distinct possiblity. But Justin Cobbs would have none of that talk, scoring a career-high 25 points (10-12 FG) and Allen Crabbe adding 19 in the Golden Bears' 70-50 victory.

Nunnally and Johnson combined to score just 19 points, making nine of twenty-five shots from the field and as a team UCSB made two of thirteen from beyond the arc (Cal finished 11-for-20). Freshman David Kravish replaced Solomon in the starting lineup, finishing with seven points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Kravish isn't needed to be a scorer as the Bears have enough weapons to take care of that department, but his ability to hit the glass and do the little things has been a factor in their 10-2 start. Next up for Cal is a tough non-conference game at UNLV this weekend before they begin Pac-12 play next week.

3. Denver does the job defensively in handing Wyoming their second loss.
There was the question of just how legit Larry Shyatt's Cowboys were as they boasted an 11-1 record going into Monday's game at Denver. But in the aftermath of the Pioneers' 57-46 win at Magness Arena the better conclusion to draw may be that Joe Scott's got a Sun Belt title contender on his hands. Denver attempted just 39 shots for the game but they outscored the Cowboys 27-3 from beyond the arc, and Chase Hallam scored 21 points in his third double-digit effort of the season.

Wyoming shot 37.2% from the field while making just one of thirteen from beyond the arc, and that difference proved costly as the Pioneers made six of nine from three in the second half. Hallam's a key figure for Denver if they're going to be right there with Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt race. After averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 46.2% from the field in 2010-11 Hallam's numbers have dropped significantly this season (7.8 ppg, 40.3% FG), and that will need to change in order to supplement the efforts of Brian Stafford and Chris Udofia. The hope for Denver is that Hallam's 21-point outing is a step in the right direction.

Quick Hitters

1. A third head coach stepped down on Monday, with Idaho State and Joe O'Brien parting ways. The Bengals are 2-8 on the season and O'Brien concludes his tenure at ISU with a record of 56-105. Assistant coach Deane Martin was named interim head coach.

2. North Carolina grabbed a staggering 72 rebounds in their 99-49 win over Nicholls State. The Colonels have to adjust to life without the graduated Anatoly Bose, and it's been a rough go as they dropped to 4-8 on the season. Three UNC players grabbed at least ten rebounds with two more grabbing at least seven, and as a team the Tar Heels finished with 31 offensive rebounds.

3. It might be time to speak of Creighton forward Doug McDermott the same way Bum Phillips used to speak of Earl Campbell when he coached the Houston Oilers. He might not be the best forward in the country but it doesn't take long to call roll, and McDermott put up 35 points (career-high) and seven rebounds in the Bluejays' 83-64 win at Tulsa.

4. Another forward moving in that direction is West Virginia forward Kevin Jones. Jones put up 25 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the Mountaineers' 72-53 win over Tennessee Tech, and he's got six double-doubles in ten games.

5. Kudos to USF for proving this writer wrong with their 70-55 win over Cleveland State. Jawanza Poland made his return and scored 13 points off the bench while Cleveland State made just seven of twenty-six shots from beyond the arc in their second loss of the season. Good win for Stan Heath's club.

6. Two teams tied for first place in the Big South dropped non-conference road games on Monday night, as Campbell lost to UNC Wilmington 67-65 and Coastal Carolina was whipped 76-51 by East Carolina. The Chanticleers made just three of twenty-one shots from three in their loss at ECU while Matt Wilson's tip-in with 1.4 seconds remaining spelled doom for the Camels.

7. Welcome back, Darnell Dodson. His three-pointer as time expired gave Southern Miss a 64-61 win at Arizona State in what turned out to be a wild affair. Well before the Golden Eagles blew a nine-point lead in the final minute USM's Torye Pelham and ASU's Ruslan Pateev were ejected for fighting, and LaShay Page scored all 14 of his points in the second half.

8. What's more surprising about USC's 83-59 beating of TCU: that they scored 83 points or that they got college basketball's "iron man" Maurice Jones four minutes of rest? Jones, who leads the nation in minutes per game, led four Trojans in double figures with 25 points and USC shot 50.9% from the field. That "extra" rest could come into play on Thursday night as USC hosts Kansas.

9. The Basketball Hall of Fame released its first list of candidates for the Cousy Award on Monday, and two names are missing from the list: Saint Mary's Matthew Dellavedova and Missouri's Phil Pressey.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
25 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the Mountaineers' 72-53 win over Tennessee Tech.

2. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
Career-high 35 points and seven rebounds in the Bluejays' 83-64 win over Tulsa.

3. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
21 points and 18 rebounds in the Jayhawks' 80-74 loss to Davidson.

4. C Meyers Leonard (Illinois)
19 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Fighting Illini's 64-60 win over Cornell.

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series: Nicholls State's Rickey Broussard

Jon Teitel — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:09:01 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Nicholls State head coach Rickey Broussard. In 12 seasons at the Louisiana school Broussard won 150 games and two led Nicholls State to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1995 and 1998. Broussard now works for State Farm Insurance as a recruiter.

Jon Teitel: You played baseball at Louisiana-Lafayette. How good a baseball player were you back then, and how did you end up switching from baseball player to basketball coach?

Rickey Broussard: I was not a great player, but I was happy that we won more games each successive year. My claim to fame was that I played alongside Ron Guidry, aka "Louisiana Lightning". He had an unbelievable fastball even back then and was a great athlete.

JT: In 1981 you coached the Acadiana All-Stars AAU team to a national runner-up finish. How close did you come to winning the title, and how has AAU ball changed over the past 3 decades?

RB: We lost to a NY Riverside (Riverside Church) team featuring guys like Pearl Washington and Chris Mullin. We were led by future Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, who was great. I will never forget that Billy Packer was at the game: he said afterwards that Dumars would be a legend if he were playing in NYC. The main change from then to now is that there are more and more good players in AAU ball. Coaches and parents understand that it is imperative to play AAU in the summer if you want to get recruited.

JT: You were an assistant coach at your alma mater from 1983-1986, where your team made the NIT during each of your three years there. What did it mean to you to return to Louisiana-Lafayette, and did people consider to you be the lucky charm because the team went to the postseason every year you were there?

RB: Back then the school was called USL. Among Southern schools we were considered a basketball school, whereas most other schools in the area were football schools. Even though it was the NIT we faced some great players/teams. In the Final Four we lost to Tim Kempton and Notre Dame, and we lost the third place game by one to Dell Curry and Virginia Tech.

JT: You later became head coach at Nicholls State, where you were a three-time conference COY. Why did you take the job, and what did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors?

RB: I had been a college assistant for six years at that point, but my goal was always to become a head coach. When I had the opportunity to go to Nicholls State, some of my coaching friends told me not to go there (due to a small gym, difficulty recruiting, etc.), but I looked at it as a way for me to prove myself. I was one of about 300 people in the country to be a college coach, so I was just honored to be there. We only won three games during my first season because I came in late and had no opportunity to recruit. We won 15 games the second year and got better and better each year.

JT: What are your memories of the 1995 NCAA Tournament, the first one in school history (Harold Deane scored 22 points in a Virginia win)?

RB: I felt like we had the size to compete except at the point guard spot. We played well in the first half, but Virginia coach Jeff Jones made an adjustment at halftime by backing off of our point guard to double-team our big men in the post. I felt like we could have won the game, as we played very competitively.

JT: What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA Tournament (Miles Simon scored 24 points in the Arizona win)?

RB: They just pounded us inside, as our tallest player was only 6'6". We would just pass and cut and drive. They were the defending champions, and had several NBA prospects on that team.

JT: In 2002 you became an assistant coach at LSU under John Brady but left after a couple of years. Why did you take the job, and why did you leave?

RB: I had been at Nicholls State for 12 years and thought about staying there. A lot of people I interviewed with at other schools said they could not hire me as a head coach because I was coming from such a little-known program. My salary was not great at Nicholls State, but the school president reminded me that I was the only basketball coach in the South who was making more than the football coach! It was not the best decision I ever made, but my salary went up $35,000, which helped a lot.

JT: Your younger brother Danny became head coach at St. Thomas More's at age of 23, and he has won well over 600 games there (including a 3A state title in 1986). Who is the better coach, and did Danny ever think about coaching at the college level like you did?

RB: He never thought about coaching in college, but he is by far the better coach. He is a great motivator, and knows how to teach.

JT: You currently work as an agency recruiter for State Farm Insurance. How do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future?

RB: I love the opportunity that I have been given. When you recruit players to come to your school, it is not a whole lot different than what I do now: give a person a chance to impact a lot of people's lives. I was #1 this past year out of 114 recruiters, so I must be doing something right, and it has paid off for me.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

RB: I did not play college basketball, but I was successful as a coach despite having a couple of lean years. There are not a lot of Southland Conference coaches who have been able to be consistent winners. The two titles were great, so I am pretty proud of that. My legacy is my players who earned their degrees and became good citizens, which has meant a lot to me as I have gotten older.

Broussard is also on Jon's list of best coaches in Southland Conference history.

Central Arkansas: Don Dyer (1979-1993) 285-145, 3 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Lamar: Pat Foster (1980-1986) 134-49, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles
McNeese State: Ralph Ward (1952-1971) 282-194, 6 conference titles, 1 NAIA title
Nicholls State: Rickey Broussard (1990-2002) 150-183, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Northwestern State: Mike McConathy (1999-present) 184-188, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Southeast Louisiana: Billy Kennedy (1999-2005) 80-92, 1 NCAA tourney, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Sam Houston State: Bob Marlin (1998-2010) 225-131, 2 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Stephen F. Austin: Danny Kaspar (2000-present) 199-124, 1 NCAA tourney, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Texas A&M CC: Ronnie Arrow (1999-2007) 134-91, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Texas State: Mike Miller (1994-2000) 87-79, 1 NCAA tourney, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Texas-Arlington: Eddie McCarter (1992-2006) 179-211, 1 conference title
UTSA: Tim Carter (1995-2006) 160-152, 2 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY

Poll: Who Will Win the Southland?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:12:17 -0700

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Southland?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:25:58 -0800

Southland Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:17:58 -0800

Conference Rank: 21st

10 year average: 27th

Southland Conference Page

All-Southland Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Devin Gibson	Texas-SA	So
G	Josh Alexander	SFA	Sr
G	Kenny Dawkins	Lamar	Sr
F	Anthony Vereen	Texas-Arlington	Sr
F	Matt Kingsley	SFA	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Josh Alexander Devin Gibson		Points: Josh Alexander 16.0 Rebounds: Brandon Bush (Tex St) 7.2 Assists: Eric Bell (SFA) 5.7

Southland Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

84	Stephen F. Austin	Southland	1	NCAA
133	Lamar	Southland	2
150	Texas Arlington**	Southland	3
187	Sam Houston St	Southland	4
230	McNeese State	Southland	5
242	Northwestern St	Southland	6
250	Texas San Anton	Southland	7
257	SE Louisiana	Southland	8
272	TAMU CC	Southland	9
277	Texas State	Southland	10
294	Nicholls State	Southland	11
312	Central Arkansas	Southland	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

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

Other SLC Content

Conference Media/Coaches Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Southland

State of 08: Texas

State of '08: Louisiana

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:17:35 -0700

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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: Louisiana. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

LOUISIANA

LSU - There's not much to say here, because LSU is by far and away the top program in the state. The Tigers made the Final Four in 2006, though have quickly descended since then.

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE - The Ragin' Cajuns were one of the best mid-majors from 2000 to 2005, which included 3 NCAA Tournament trips and 2 NITs. In 2007, the program was cited for rule violations, and the past three seasons haven't been up to the former standards. Last year's crew did show some promise though with an 11-7 Sun Belt record.

NORTHWESTERN STATE - Mike McConathy has done a great job in a decade at Northwestern State. In 2001 & 2006, the Demons made the Big Dance, and you might remember their epic 2006 win over Iowa in the First Round. Even last year when the team seemed to struggle, NSU still managed to upset SFA to make the Southland Championship game.

TULANE - The Wave haven't made a dent on the national scene since 2000, when they won 20 games and knocked off 6 Top 100 teams. To put that in perspective, in the last five seasons, Tulane has only beaten 6 Top 100 teams. Last year the Wave did knock off big-name programs like Georgia, Auburn, and LSU, something that most schools in the state couldn't accomplish.

LOUISIANA TECH - Last year's Bulldogs were extremely inexperienced and struggled to a brutal 6-24 record. This year's group should show substantial improvement, and will push for .500 in league play. Last year aside, La Tech has had decent success over the last decade, with scattered Top 150 and Top 100 finishes. The program's 7th NCAA Tourney trip will have to wait a couple more years.

6. NEW ORLEANS - Joe Pasternack did a nice job in his first season, leading UNO to upset road wins over BCS teams like NC State and Colorado, and finishing 8-10 in league play. This was the program's best season since making a surprise run to the Sun Belt finals in 2004.

7. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA - SELU made its lone NCAA Tournament in 2005. In the past three seasons though, the Lions have merely hovered around .500 in SLC play. They did knock off in-state SLC rivals McNeese & Nicholls State all four times last year.

8. SOUTHERN - Since 2003, Southern has finished .500 or better every season in the SWAC. In 2006, Rob Spivery led the Jags to the NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm.

9. MCNEESE STATE - In 2001 & 2002, McNeese enjoyed back to back postseason trips, reaching the NIT and then the NCAAs. Once 2004 got underway, there's been little success and not even one season above 200th in the RPI. This year should be similar to last with a middle of the road Southland record expected. The Cowboys did have a nice road upset of Lousiana-Lafayette last season.

10. LOUISIANA-MONROE - The Warhawks (nee Indians) haven't had much success on the basketball court in about 25 years. Outside of a surprising 2002 campaign (98 RPI), ULM hasn't sniffed the postseason in the past decade. Moving to the Sun Belt Conference a couple years ago has yet to reap any major rewards.

11. NICHOLLS STATE - From 2002 to 2005, Nicholls somehow managed to only average 2 D1 wins a year. The past couple years have been better, but nothing to write home about.

12. CENTENARY - In 2005 & 2006, Centenary was easily one of the worst programs in the country. They won a combined 5 D1 combines in that span. Last year was somewhat of an improvement with an RPI of 283, and this year's team might creep up into the 250 range.

13. GRAMBLING STATE - After an embarrassing 2000 campaign in which the Tigers went winless, Grambling has hovered around .500 in SWAC play for most of the decade. Then again, the SWAC is the country's worst conference, so .500 in league play isn't a big accomplishment. Grambling hasn't won a non-conference game against a D1 team since 2005.

Last: Kentucky - Next: Maryland

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

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch: Part Four

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:49:33 -0700

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.

Part Four

SEC: South Carolina

2007-08 Record: 14-18 (5-11)

There hasn’t been a whole lot of optimism around the Gamecock basketball program since a group led by Renaldo Balkman won its second straight Postseason NIT title a couple years back. But into the desk left open by the retired Dave Odom slides Darrin Horn, who led Western Kentucky to four straight twenty-win seasons and a Sweet 16 this past season. Given what we saw from the likes of Courtney Lee and Tyrone Brazelton during the Tournament, maybe Horn can add a little more to the game of Devan Downey and unleash some of the athletic talent in the South Carolina frontcourt. While it would be far-fetched to expect the Gamecocks to win the SEC East, look for them to make a return to postseason play next year.

Southern: College of Charleston

2007-08 Record: 16-17 (9-11)

It’s tough when you’re in the same division as Davidson, but for the Cougars to finish below .500 in conference play last season had to be a disappointment for Bobby Cremins and his staff. Four players, led by Tony White Jr., averaged double figures in scoring and they’ll all be back in 2008-09. Davidson will still be the odds-on favorite to win the Southern Conference, but don’t expect Charleston to simply roll over for the Wildcats. And the scary thing is that they may be even better the following season.

Southland: Nicholls State

2007-08 Record: 10-21 (5-11)

The Colonels are another team that suffered due to its lack of experience last season. But with Adonis Gray being the lone departure, look for Nicholls to repay some of the teams who took advantage of their youth this past season. Head coach J.P. Piper should have a full complement of players at his disposal next season, including three signed recruits and Michael Czepil for an entire season. And given the fact that they’re in the division opposite Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State, the Colonels can make a run at a division title.

SWAC: Southern

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (9-9)

Head coach Rob Spivery loses two seniors from last season’s team, Geri Guillory and Joe Holliday, but his top three scorers will all be back in Baton Rouge. Chris Davis led the Jaguars in scoring at fifteen per game, and look for Barry Honore and Steffon Wiley to increase their production in order to become better compliments to Davis on the offensive end. The key in the SWAC, like the MEAC, is to not get buried by those “guarantee games” that many of the member schools have to play for the sake of their athletic department’s finances. I think Southern will have enough returning experience to make sure they don’t suffer that kind of letdown next season.

Summit: Centenary

2007-08 Record: 10-21 (4-14)

The Centenary Gents struggled mightily at times last season, and if not for South Dakota State they would have finished last in the conference. They only lose one senior from last season’s squad, and he (Iman Shokouhizadeh) averaged a mere four minutes per game. Three players averaged double figures in scoring, led by Tyrone Hamilton and Nick Stallings. They’ll both be back, and will be focal points as head coach Rob Flaska looks to move Centenary to the top half of the Summit League, if not win the automatic bid itself.

Sun Belt: Denver

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (7-11)

The Pioneers will have quite the task this season as their location doesn’t even remotely fit into the geographical footprint of the rest of the Sun Belt. But second-year head coach Joe Scott should be more familiar with his roster and each player’s strengths and weaknesses. The Pioneers lose four seniors, most notably David Kummer and Adam Tanner, but I think they can improve their standing within the West Division thanks to key losses incurred by other teams within the division. A full off-season in the system that Scott wants to run should also help with the completion of the coaching transition.

West Coast: Portland

2007-08 Record: 9-22 (3-11)

Personally, I thought that the Pilots should have performed better than their 3-11 record within the WCC. But with their only senior loss being Sherrard Watson, I think this could be the year in which Portland get to the middle of the pack in the WCC. Nik Raivio, who led the team in scoring last season, will be back along with fellow guard Taishi Ito and forward Rob Smeulders. Look for head coach Eric Reveno to have a vastly improved team in his third season at the helm.

WAC: Louisiana Tech

2007-08 Record: 6-24 (3-13)

Kerry Rupp heads into his second year in Ruston with a lot of young players returning after getting a taste of the “hard knock life” in 2007-08. Add to this group LSU transfer Magnum Rolle combined with other WAC teams losing some key contributors and you may have a team that can move up to the middle of the conference standings in 2008-09. In regards to competing for the conference title, that may be a little premature at this stage. But the cupboard certainly won’t be bare for the Bulldogs in 2008-09.

Part One: ACC, Big East, Big Ten etc

Part Two: Big 12, CUSA, etc

Part Three: MVC, MWC, Pac-10, etc