St Bonaventure

Tuesday Recap: Louisville Rallies to Remain Undefeated

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:01:55 -0500

For a while on Tuesday night it looked as if a Southern Conference team would hand another undefeated team its first defeat of the season. But an important suggestion by Louisville assistant coach Richard Pitino set things in motion for the fourth-ranked Cardinals, sparking a rally that resulted in a 69-62 victory. The idea: instead of relying on the frontcourt tandem of Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan to occupy the foul line area against the Charleston zone, use the versatile Kyle Kuric at the four. The move paid off, with Kuric scoring a team-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

"He made the move of the game," said head coach Rick Pitino of his son. "He told me to play Kyle in the four slot because the middle was wide open and they weren't playing it. He said, 'Put Kyle in there; he'll make the shot or something good will happen.' And he got in there and really bothered them."

Kuric may not have registered an assist but his presence in the high post made the Cougars respect the area, something they didn't have to do with either Behanan or Rakeem Buckles occupying the area. But he wasn't the only issue for Charleston, as redshirt freshman Russ Smith was also a handful. Smith has the ability to be both electrifying and mystifying within the same possession, and he was able to harness his energy enough to contribute 12 points, five steals and four rebounds in 27 minutes of action. He helped ramp up the pace to a level that made Charleston uncomfortable in the second half, and while both teams were reckless with the basketball such a change worked in Louisville's favor.

"I haven't coached any guys who are great steal guys on the ball like Russ Smith," said Pitino. "He is the best I have seen at that. You have a lot of guys who anticipate well and shoot the gaps well but he is awesome on the ball. He basically won the game for us."

Antwaine Wiggins led the Cougars with 23 points but was their only player in double figures, and the guards had their issues taking care of the basketball as well. Andrew Lawrence finished the night with eight turnovers and Anthony Stitt tallied five off the bench, and as a team Charleston turned the ball over 22 times. Both of Charleston's starting guards (Lawrence and Jordan Scott) finished with more turnovers than assists, while for Louisville both Peyton Siva (six assists, four turnovers) and Chris Smith (four assists, one turnover) finished with more assists than turnovers. Add in some key missed opportunites around the rim for the visitors and the end result is Louisville moving to 11-0 on the season.

Other Notable Happenings

1. C.J. Leslie's shot (which St. Bonaventure fans would argue shouldn't have counted) gives NC State the win.
It would be safe to say that the Wolfpack's 67-65 win over the Bonnies in Rochester, NY was the most controversial result on the night, with many wondering whether or not Leslie stepped out of bounds before taking the shot. Since it wasn't called whether or not Leslie stepped on the baseline is of little consolation for St. Bonaventure, who missed out on at the very least overtime as a result. If anything the Bonnies have their offensive showing in the second half to blame, as they shot just 29.2% from the field in the second half and turned the ball over eight times (four assists).

Andrew Nicholson and Demetrius Conger scored 16 points apiece to lead the way for St. Bonaventure while Scott Wood paced the Pack with 20 points despite making just two of eight from beyond the arc. Mark Gottfried's team was impressive in how unselfish they were, assisting on 21 of their 25 made field goals. Regardless of how the game was won this is a good result for NC State to build on, and they deserve credit for bouncing back from their loss to top-ranked Syracuse on Saturday.

2. Ohio picks up the most impressive win of the night at Northern Iowa.
John Groce's Bobcats have flown under the radar nationally for much of the season despite having one of the nation's better point guards in D.J. Cooper. That may all change on the heels of their performance on Tuesday, as they beat Northern Iowa 76-59 in Cedar Falls. Ivo Baltic made 10 of 14 from the field in leading four Ohio players in double figures with 22 points and the Bobcats shot 51.7% from the field on the night against one of the stingier defenses in the country. Ohio had it going from deep as well, knocking down 11 of 21 while UNI made just six of their twenty attempts from beyond the arc.

And it was Ohio, who allows opponents to shoot 39% from the field, who put forth the superior defensive effort. UNI shot just 35.2% and while both reached double figures, leading scorers Anthony James (11 points) and Jake Koch (15 points) combined to make just eight of their twenty-three shots from the field. Ohio's lone defeat was a 59-54 loss at Louisville, and with wins over Marshall, Oakland and now Northern Iowa the Bobcats are building a nice profile as they head into MAC play. Cooper and company sent Georgetown home in the first round a couple of years ago as a 14-seed; they can do the same (with a better seed) this season.

3. Arizona puts together their best offensive outing of the year to beat Oakland.
No one would have blamed any Arizona fans if they were nervous about the Wildcats' game against Oakland. With the Golden Grizzlies having one of the nation's best scorers in Reggie Hamilton and Arizona having their issues offensively, the visitors leaving with a win was a definite possibility. But Solomon Hill and company would have none of that, shooting 55.6% from the field on their way to the 85-73 win. Hill was outstanding with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists while Kyle Fogg (17 points) and Jesse Perry (13 points) also reached double figures and Nick Johnson dished out six assists.

Arizona went into the game making just 50.1% of their two-point shots but they made 61.1% of their attempts against Oakland. As for Hamilton, he proved to be as advertised with 31 points and six assists but as a team the Golden Grizzlies made just nine of thirty-two from beyond the arc (Arizona finished 8-for-18). With their next two games being against Bryant and in-state rival Arizona State (Pac-12 opener), Sean Miller's team has a chance to get rolling ahead of their visit to the LA schools the first weekend of January.

Quick Hitters

1. Not only did Jared Sullinger return to the lineup for Ohio State but he played 30 minutes, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the Buckeyes' 70-50 win over Lamar. With Pat Knight coaching the Cardinals, Ohio State took the opportunity to honor the 1960 national champions. One member of that team: none other than Bob Knight.

2. Darien Brothers had a good night for Richmond, shooting 7-for-11 from three on his way to 38 points in the Spiders' 90-82 overtime win over Old Dominion. Darius Garrett had an impact inside, grabbing 13 boards and blocking eight shots to go along with nine points. Next up for Richmond: a game at UCLA on Friday and they can definitely win there.

3. Two player transactions within the Big East to take note of: Providence's Kadeem Batts saw his suspension end, and St. John's freshman Amir Garrett has made it through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Batts scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in the Friairs' 67-52 win over New Hampshire, and Garrett could be in unform for the Red Storm's game against UTPA on Wednesday.

4. Butler will struggle to score this season due to a lack of premier offensive weapons, but what three of their key cogs managed in a 71-55 loss at Gonzaga isn't going to get it done in the Horizon League if it happens on a consistent basis. Chase Stigall, Chrishawn Hopkins and Andrew Smith combined to score just seven points on 3-for-21 shooting. Those guys have to be consistent factors for Brad Stevens' team.

5. Congrats to Prairie View A&M, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent this season in beating Stephen F. Austin 53-50 in Eugene, Oregon. As for the Lumberjacks, that's not a good result for a team expected to be a contender in the Southland and it will definitely hurt the team's (and league's) computer numbers.

6. Unlike Marist last season, who began MAAC play 2-0 then plummeted to the bottom of the standings once play resumed in January, Manhattan may have some staying power. Not saying that Steve Masiello's team will be on the level of Iona, Fairfield or Loyola (MD), but the Jaspers have played some good basketball. Manhattan moved to 8-4 with an 81-62 win over winless Towson, with George Beamon scoring 21 points and Kidani Brutus adding 18 off the bench.

7. Terrence Jones didn't play due to a dislocated finger suffered in Kentucky's win over Chattanooga, but that wasn't an issue as the Wildcats blew out Samford. Doron Lamb scored 26 points and three other starters reached double figures in the 82-50 romp.

8. Shaka Smart's VCU Rams have the look of a team beginning to figure things out after struggling early due to the many personnel losses from last year's Final Four team. The Rams won their fifth straight on Tuesday, shutting down UAB 68-49 in Richmond. VCU forced 23 Blazer turnovers and Treveon Graham scored 18 points off the bench to lead the way offensively.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Nneka Ogwumike (Stanford)
A special mention for Ogwumike, who went off in #4 Stanford's 97-80 win over #6 Tennessee. Ogwumike finished with 42 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two steals, making 11 straight shots from the field at one point.

2. G Darien Brothers (Richmond)
38 points (7-11 3PT) in the Spiders' 90-82 overtime win over Old Dominion.

3. G Preston Medlin (Utah State)
27 points (8-12 FG), eight assists and four rebounds in the Aggies' 73-69 win over UT Arlington.

4. G Vincent Council (Providence)
17 points (7-12 FG), 12 assists and seven rebounds in the Friars' 67-52 win over New Hampshire.

Tuesday's Preview: Butler at Gonzaga

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:39:24 -0500

Tuesday night's action features a few critical match ups when considering at-large possibilities in March, with one such game being Butler (5-6) taking on Gonzaga (7-2) in Spokane. Brad Stevens' Bulldogs looked to be in serious trouble on Saturday but a furious rally to beat Purdue may have been the win that sparks a turnaround. But they didn't do themselves many favors in that regard from a scheduling standpoint, with Gonzaga boasting a 93-7 record in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga jumped Arizona early on Saturday with Elias Harris playing arguably his best game of the season in the 71-60 victory, and they're one of the favorites in the WCC with BYU and Saint Mary's also in the discussion. Both have played tough schedules to date but with an 0-3 road record, Butler needs this one with a return to Horizon League play right around the corner.

Job one for Butler will be to limit the effectiveness of Harris (13.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Robert Sacre (14.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg), because when these two have it rolling offensively Gonzaga is a very difficult team to stop. Both have good field goal percentages while Harris is also shooting at a 42% clip from beyond the arc, and his versatility could be an issue for the Butler front court. Andrew Smith (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who scored the game-winner on Saturday, and Khyle Marshall (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are Butler's best front court players thus far. They'll need to be once again, with some help from Roosevelt Jones (5.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), in order to have a shot at pulling off the win.

Gonzaga can also call upon Sam Dower (6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who is capable of having a noticeable impact on the game despite averaging just 16 minutes per contest. Gonzaga's been the better rebounding team of the two with a margin of plus-6.2 (Butler has a margin of plus-3.0), and with GU grabbing nearly 39% of their misses Butler has to keep those second-chance opportunities to a minimum. Butler's done a good job of that to date, allowing the opposition to corral 28.5% of their missed shots.

The play on the perimeter offers up a nice contrast, with Gonzaga's guards being the more aggressive of the two groups when it comes to scoring. Freshman Kevin Pangos (13.1 ppg, 3.7 apg) has been very good for Gonzaga in his inaugural campaign, as he can take full advantage of the opportunities that come his way while also taking care of the basketball. Classmate Gary Bell (8.4 ppg) is fourth on the team in minutes while veterans David Stockton and Marquise Carter also playing key roles in the Gonzaga attack.

As for Butler senior Ronald Nored (5.4 ppg, 4.9 apg) is shooting just 32% from the field and 20% from three, but his true value comes on the defensive end of the floor. Nored is averaging 2.5 steals per game and is a handful for opposing point guards on that end of the floor. The key scorers for Butler on the perimeter are Chase Stigall (9.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Chrishawn Hopkins (9.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg), and both will need to shoot better than their current 35% clips on Tuesday night.

As a team Butler makes just 39.1% of their shots from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc, but those numbers could see an increase on Tuesday with Gonzaga allowing teams to shoot 43.5% and 37.2% in those areas. Gonzaga's points allowed per possession number is equal to what Butler averages on offense (0.97), so the key will be how well Butler defends a team that averages 1.1 points per possession. There's no doubt that Butler is tough enough to hang around, but are they efficient enough? That's the key.

The best game involving a ranked team is #4 Louisville hosting a 9-1 College of Charleston team that's got a pair of nice weapons in point guard Andrew Lawrence and forward Antwaine Wiggins. Inside the Cougars look to senior Trent Wiedeman to lead the way, but he'll have his hands full with a deep Cardinals front court. Gorgui Dieng was outstanding in Louisville's win over Memphis, and the next step in his progression is to be a consistent force in the paint. The same goes for Russ Smith on the perimeter, as the Big East Player of the Week can both amaze and infuriate within the same possession.

Old Dominion visiting Richmond has the look of being an entertaining game to watch, but how pretty it will be likely depends on the Monarchs. Blaine Taylor's team can be as fun to deal with from a defensive standpoint as a root canal, as they make teams earn every foot of space on the floor. UNC Asheville has a realistic shot at beating Tennessee in Knoxville as does Mercer in their game at Georgia, and the same goes for St. Bonaventure as they take on NC State in Rochester. Out west, college hoops fans need to keep an eye on Oakland's game at Arizona.

Reggie Hamilton is one of the most prolific guards in the country, most recently shown in his 41-point outing (and game-winning shot) at Valparaiso on Saturday. Arizona's Kyle Fogg is a good defender as is freshman Nick Johnson, but the Wildcats still have plenty to figure out as they approach Pac-12 play. And it goes without saying that the much-maligned league that lacks a marquee non-conference win at this stage can ill-afford many more losses in games the masses believe they "should" win.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Bucknell at (1) Syracuse (ESPNU)
8:30 PM Lamar at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
7:00 PM Samford at (3) Kentucky (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Charleston at (4) Louisville (ESPNU)
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at (14) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
TBA Rust College at Alcorn State
6:30 PM IPFW at Purdue (BTN)
7:00 PM Mercer at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Manhattan at Towson
7:00 PM NC State vs. St. Bonaventure*
7:00 PM Evansville at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Richmond
7:00 PM Montreat College at Liberty
7:00 PM Texas State at Long Island
7:00 PM Furman at Presbyterian
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Radford
7:00 PM Hampton at Robert Morris
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at Tennessee (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Toledo
7:00 PM Winthrop at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Idaho at Wright State
7:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Illinois State
7:30 PM St. Peter's vs. Kent State*
7:30 PM Prairie View A&M vs. Stephen F. Austin*
7:30 PM UAB at VCU
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Arkansas
8:00 PM Oakland at Arizona (FSN AZ+)
8:00 PM Western Carolina at Bradley
8:00 PM Central Michigan at Nebraska (BTN.com)
8:00 PM UTSA at Houston (CSS)
8:00 PM Grambling State at North Texas
8:00 PM Northeastern at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Ohio at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Northern Arizona at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Troy
9:00 PM Montana State at New Mexico
9:00 PM Buffalo at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM Butler at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
10:00 PM UC Davis at San Jose State
10:00 PM North Carolina Central at Oregon
10:05 PM Texas-Arlington at Utah State
10:30 PM UC Irvine at UCLA (FS PT)

Wednesday Preview: Arizona at #12 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:25:52 -0500

Another day brings about another opportunity for a Pac-12 team to strike a blow for the conference, with Arizona (6-2) traveling across the country to take on #12 Florida (5-2). Sean Miller's team left an important piece of "cargo" back in Tucson as well, as freshman guard Josiah Turner was suspended for reportedly missing practice. The point guard from Sacramento will not play in a game due to a coach's decision for the second time this season, and with the departure of Sidiki Johnson (who barely got off the bench following their first exhibition game) half of the Wildcats' highly-touted recruting trouble has run afoul of the rules.

This latest development makes the task of winning in the "O-Dome" that much tougher for the Wildcats, who really don't have a marquee victory to their credit thus far. But the Wildcats do bring some talented perimeter players with them, with senior Kyle Fogg (11.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and freshman Nick Johnson (10.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.4 apg) being two of the key cogs. Sophomore point guard Jordin Mayes becomes even more important with Turner out, but both Fogg and Johnson have run the point either at some point this season or at another point in spot duty in case Mayes needs a rest of isn't effective.

Even with the experience that's not the best way to go into a game with one of the nation's deepest backcourts. Returning starters Kenny Boynton (19.0 ppg, 3.1 apg) and Erving Walker (14.1 ppg, 5.3 apg) are Florida's top two assist men but it's freshman Bradley Beal (15.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg) who leads the team in minutes per game. Beal's versatility and athleticism make him a tough matchup for just about any guard, but with Johnson also known as an athletic guard who's also one of the top defenders in the 2011 class this should be a fun individual battle. Billy Donovan can also call on Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario when needing points off the bench, but the truth is that Rosario needs to improve defensively (Scottie Wilbekin is the better reserve defender)if he's to see solid minutes on a consistent basis.

Arizona turns the ball over at a slightly higher rate than Florida, with the inexperience at the point being one of the contributing factors. But they do assist on 59%of their made baskets, with Florida's assist rate being a couple points below that. The Gators have more perimeter players who can force the issue offensively, and they've played considerably faster than Arizona this season with an average of nearly seven more possessions per game. The Gators have the better offensive efficiency not only because of their perimeter weapons but also because they rebound 40% of their misses. Will Yeguete, who moved into the starting lineup in place of the injured Erik Murphy, is grabbing an average of 3.7 offensive rebounds per game while Patric Young adds another 2.4.

Inside for the Wildcats senior Jesse Perry (10.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) has been their most consistent player with junior wing Solomon Hill (12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.1 apg) not too far behind. Kevin Parrom is another versatile wing, but the junior is still working towards full health after being shot before the season began. The two key players on the road for the Wildcats: sophomore Kyryl Natyazhko and freshman Angelo Chol. Arizona may be able to get away with quiet nights from these two against lesser competition, but in order to not only have a shot to pull off the upset but also remain one of the Pac-12 favorites these two need to step up. Senior center Alex Jacobson, the final holdover from the Lute Olson era, doesn't play much and the likely tempo might not be the best for him.

Whatever they do, Arizona cannot afford to get drawn into a shootout as that would play right into the hands of the Florida guards. Boynton and Walker can be mistake-prone, but a faster tempo means more possessions which would in turn mean some of those mistakes may not be as costly as they can be in a slower game. If Arizona can capitalize on those errors while keeping theirs to a minimum they'll hang around. But that's a big if, especially on the road.

Overall there's a good slate of games on tap for Wednesday, with a pair of games out west standing out in particular. Joe Scott's Denver Pioneers have gotten off to a very good start, but they're going to face a serious test at home as the Iona Gaels visit. The arrival of Mike Glover should be a good measuring stick for DU's Chris Udofia, a young player with the athletic ability to be an All-Sun Belt caliber player in the very near future. The Gaels also boast the nation's leading assist man in Scott Machado, but the question is whether or not Tim Cluess' team can play as fast as they want in the high altitude.

There's also Weber State, led by guards Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth, visiting a BYU team that's loaded inside. Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies are two of the options for Dave Rose, and the gruesome injury suffered by forward Kyle Bullinger in the Wildcats' win over San Jose State leaves Weber shorthanded inside. It could take quite the performance from Lillard, who scored 41 points against SJSU, to beat the Cougars at the Marriott Center.

Like watching good big men face off? Then check out St. Bonaventure's trip to Illinois, with senior Andrew Nicholson being a good test for Illinois sophomore Meyers Leonard. Xavier visits Butler, and those two teams tend to play most of if not all of their meetings close, and Dayton looks to bounce back from their whipping at the hands of Murray State with Alabama rolling into town.

Georgia Tech and Georgia will play for bragging rights in Athens and Colorado State visits Duke for a contest that could be tougher for the Blue Devils than many anticipate. Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green have been solid for Tim Miles' club, but do they have anyone capable of keeping in front of Austin Rivers? Look for some surprises to come about, with many teams dealing with finals this week in addition to games.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM IUPUI at (4) Louisville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Colorado State at (5) Duke (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (8) Xavier at Butler (ESPN)
7:00 PM Arizona at (12) Florida (ESPN)
7:00 PM (15) Alabama at Dayton
8:00 PM Green Bay at (16) Wisconsin (ESPN3)
9:00 PM St. Bonaventure at (22) Illinois (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at (25) Texas A&M (FSN SW)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at George Washington (MASN)
7:00 PM Georgia Tech at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Towson
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Michigan State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Malone College at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Lafayette at Penn State (BTN.com)
7:00 PM Delaware at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Virginia Tech at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Buffalo at Niagara
7:00 PM Colgate at Albany
7:00 PM Vanderbilt at Davidson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wake Forest at High Point
7:00 PM Fordham at Manhattan
7:00 PM Army at Marist
7:00 PM Illinois State at Morehead State
7:00 PM Ohio at Oakland
7:00 PM Boston University at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Temple at Toledo
7:00 PM Valparaiso at IPFW
7:30 PM Bryant University at Yale
7:30 PM Hampton at American University
7:30 PM Princeton at Rutgers
7:30 PM New Hampshire at Brown
7:30 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Lehigh
7:30 PM Western Carolina at Purdue (BTN)
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at UAB
8:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Maryland (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Vermont at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Nebraska
8:00 PM Wichita State at Tulsa
8:00 PM Henderson State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Oakland City at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM DePaul at Loyola (IL) (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Mercer at Samford
8:05 PM Southern Miss at South Alabama
8:05 PM Western Kentucky at Southern Illinois (FCS)
8:05 PM North Dakota at UMKC
8:30 PM Nevada at Arizona State
8:30 PM East Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech
8:35 PM Pepperdine at Northern Arizona (FSN AZ)
9:00 PM Fresno State at Colorado
9:00 PM Portland at Boise State
9:00 PM Willamette at Montana State
9:00 PM Montana Tech at Montana
9:00 PM Weber State at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Utah
9:00 PM Wright State at Air Force
9:00 PM Iona at Denver (Root)
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Missouri State (ESPNU)
10:00 PM San Diego State at San Diego
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at UNLV
10:00 PM Sacramento State at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Washington State at Idaho
10:30 PM San Jose State at California

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 Title?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:38:00 -0500

Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:29:31 -0500

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

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:38:00 -0500

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

2009 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Freshman Team

CHN — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:04:17 -0400

The CollegeHoops.net All-Freshman teams were voted on by staff members: Jeff Borzello, Jeff Fox, Raphielle Johnson, Kevin McNeill, and Shawn Siegel.

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Freshman of the Year:
Tyreke Evans - G, Memphis

CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Freshman
G - Tyreke Evans - Memphis
G - Kevin Foster - Santa Clara
G/F - Afam Muojeke - Wyoming
F - Andrew Nicholson - St. Bonaventure
F - Luke Babbitt - Nevada

CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Freshman Second Team
G - Jio Fontan - Fordham
G - Paul McCoy - SMU
G - Kevin Dillard - Southern Illinois
G - Keion Bell - Pepperdine
F - Paul George - Fresno

High-Major players are from the A-10, CUSA, MWC, MVC, WAC, and WCC, the 6 best non-BCS leagues over the last decade.

Check back tomorrow for CollegeHoops.net's Mid-Major All-Freshman Team.

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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