Tulsa

College Basketball Coaching Changes: 2012

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:20 -0700

As usual, the 2012 college basketball off-season features a never-ending parade of coaching changes. Some moves make sense, others are questionable, while others are simply head-scratchers. Thanks to collegesportsinfo.com, where a lot of this info was gleaned from. Also, apologies if all the colors give you a headache!

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Power Conferences

Illinois

In - Jim Groce (ohio hc)

Out - Bruce Weber (fired >> kansas st))

Kansas St

In - Bruce Weber (illinois hc)

Out - Frank Martin (resigned >> so carolina)

LSU

In - Johnny Jones (north texas hc)

Out - Trent Johnson (resigned)

Mississippi St

In - Rick Ray (clemson asst)

Out - Rick Stansbury (retired)

Nebraska

In - Tim Miles (colorado st hc)

Out - Doc Sadler (fired)

South Carolina

In - Frank Martin (kansas st hc)

Out - Darrin Horn (fired)

Virginia Teach

Out - Seth Greenberg (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: High-Majors

Air Force

In - Dave Philopovich (asst)

Out - Jeff Reynolds (fired)

Colorado St

In - Larry Eustachy (so miss hc)

Out - Tim Miles (resigned >> nebraska)

Duquesne

In - Jim Ferry (liu hc)

Out - Ron Everhart (fired)

Rhode Island

In - Danny Hurley (wagner hc)

Out - Jim Baron (fired >> canisius)

Southern Illinois

In - Barry Hinson (kansas asst)

Out - Chris Lowery (fired)

SMU

In - Larry Brown

Out - Matt Doherty (fired)

Southern Miss

Out - Larry Eustachy (resigned)

TCU

In - Trent Johnson (lsu hc)

Out - Jim Christian (resigned)

Tulsa

In - Danny Manning (kansas asst)

Out - Doug Wojcik (fired >> charleston)

UAB

In - Jerrod Hasse (unc asst)

Out - Mike Davis (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Mid-Majors

Central Michigan

In - Keno Davis

Out - Ernie Ziegler (fired)

Charleston

In - Doug Wojcik (tulsa hc)

Out - Bobby Cremins (retired)

FIU

In - Richard Pitino (louisville asst)

Out - Isiah Thomas (fired)

Miami (OH)

In - John Cooper (tennessee st hc)

Out - Charlie Coles (retired)

North Texas

In - Tony Benford (marquette asst)

Out - Johnny Jones (resigned >> lsu)

Ohio

In - Jim Christian (tcu hc)

Out - John Groce (resigned >> illinois)

Western Kentucky

In - Ray Harper (asst)

Out - Ken McDonald (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Low-Majors

Brown

Out - Jessie Angel (fired)

Canisius

In - Jim Baron (rhode island hc)

Out - Tom Parrotta (fired)

Eastern Illinois

In - Jay Spoonhour

Out - Mike Miller (fired)

Grambling

Out - Bobby Washington (fired)

Idaho St

In - Bill Evans (montana asst)

Out - Joe O'Brien (resigned)

LIU

In - Jack Perri (asst)

Out - Jim Perry (reisgned)

Mt St. Mary's

In - Jamion Christian (vcu asst)

Out - Robert Burke (reisgned)

NC A&T

In - Cy Alexander

Out - Jerry Evans (fired(

Northern Arizona

In - Jack Murphy (memphis asst)

Out - Mike Adras (resigned)

Samford

In - Bennie Seltzer

Out - Jimmy Tillette (fired)

Southern Utah

In - Nick Robinson (lsu asst)

Out - Roger Reid (retired)

SFPA

In - Rob Krimmel

Out - Don Friday (fired)

Tennessee St

In - Travis Williams (asst)

Out - John Cooper (resigned >> Miami OH)

UNCG

In - Wes Miller (asst)

Out - Mike Dement (fired)

Wagner

In - Bashir Mason (asst)

Out - Danny Hurley (resigned >> rhode island)

Winthrop

In - Pat Kelsey

Out - Randy Peele (fired)

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if we're missing any transactions

Poll: How Many CUSA Teams Will Make the Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:47:30 -0800

Saturday Recap: Missouri's Finishing Kick Proves to Be the Difference

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:43:28 -0800

Rivalry games bring more to the table when it comes to intensity, and that was definitely the case in the battle between #4 Missouri and #8 Kansas in Columbia on Saturday night. In a game that featured many momentum swings and neither team leading by more than eight points, it was Frank Haith's Tigers who landed the final blow. Kansas led 71-63 with 3:25 remaining but they would not score again, as Missouri finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 74-71. Marcus Denmon, who entered the game having made just 34.9% of his shots in Big 12 play, shot 10-for-16 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points to lead the way.

"He made some tough shots," said Haith. "He got into a rhythm and when Marcus gets into a rhythm he can rattle off a few shots in a row. And I think at that point in time he just got in a rhythm."

But Denmon wasn't the only star for the Tigers, with Kim English scoring 18 points and Michael Dixon Jr. adding 15 off the bench. English received a lot of attention from the Kansas defense due to his three-point shooting ability but the senior from Baltimore made things happen in other ways. The foul line was huge for the Tigers, as their shot 14-for-20 from the charity stripe with Kansas making five of nine and being called for ten more fouls (20-10). Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor added 21, but the Missouri comeback was aided by player control fouls called on both down the stretch.

Robinson's fourth foul with 1:45 remaining ultimately led to a Denmon three to make the score 71-69, and Taylor's foul with ten seconds remaining led to a pair of Dixon Jr. free throws to give Missouri a 74-71 lead. Elijah Johnson ended up with the ball in his hands in the final seconds but he hesitated, eventually having to put up a highly-contested shot as time expired. Kansas played with a great deal of poise for just over 36 minutes, but when the Jayhawks needed sound execution to close out the contest the Tigers proved to be too much.

"We definitely did it to ourselves," remarked Jeff Withey when asked about the decisive stretch. "We had the lead and if we would have just held onto the ball, I think it would have been a way different outcome."

The end result: a three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri boasting a 2-0 record vs. Kansas and Baylor. Ricardo Ratliffe was quiet due to his being in foul trouble for much of the night but others stepped up to help the Tigers hold their own on the glass. Denmon grabbed nine rebounds and five other players grabbed at least two as Missouri was out-rebounded by just three (29-26) on the night. Continue to point out Missouri's lack of size if you wish, but it should be pretty clear by now that they've got more than enough to compete for a national title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Memphis comes back from ten down in the second half to beat Xavier, picking up a needed non-conference victory.
There was no mistaking how important the contest between Xavier and Memphis was for both teams with regards to their NCAA resumes, and the Musketeers looked to be well on their way to the key win. A Dezmine Wells three-point play with 6:16 remaining gave Xavier a 62-51 lead, but Josh Pastner's team refused to lie down. A Wesley Witherspoon three started a 17-1 run over the next six minutes, and Memphis would put away the 72-68 win from the foul line (Joe Jackson hit all four of his free throws to seal the deal). The question is which team needed the win more, and while it was vital for both teams a look at their remaining schedules will reveal the answer. Memphis won't have another shot at an RPI Top 50 win the remainder of the regular season while Xavier still has matchups with Temple and Saint Louis (both on the road) to deal with.

2. Florida State holds off Virginia at home to remain tied atop the ACC.
Low-scoring games tend to amp up those who feel that basketball has to be high-scoring in order to entertain, and those who took this route missed a very good battle in Tallahassee. Okaro White scored 13 points off the bench and Xavier Gibson added ten as Florida State won their seventh straight game to move to 7-1 in the ACC as they beat Virginia 58-55. Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 16 apiece to lead the Cavaliers and Malcolm Brogdon added ten off the bench, but the struggles of Sammy Zeglinski (2-for-7, five points) down the stretch were just one reason why the Hoos were unable to pick up what would have been a very good road victory. In a game that finished with 63 possessions it was Florida State's work on the offensive glass (OR% of 34.3%) that made the difference (12-7 edge in second-chance points). Work of art? No, especially with the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. But it definitely was an entertaining show that the ACC's two best defensive teams put forth in Tallahassee.

3. Notre Dame puts it to Marquette in the second half to move to 7-3 in the Big East.
Once again Mike Brey is one of the favorites in the race for Big East Coach of the Year, as a team that looked to be well on its way to the NIT (or worse) in December finds itself in the thick of the race for second place. The Irish shot 57.7% from the field in the second half as they ran away from #15 Marquette to win 76-59, moving to within a half-game of second place as a result. Freshman Pat Connaughton led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 23 points, and the growth of he, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant has played a huge role in Notre Dame not only surviving but thriving in dealing with life without the injured Tim Abromaitis. Grant's versatility was on display against Marquette, as he not only scored 11 points but dished out a team-high eight assists while Atkins scored 18. The play of Syracuse has turned the Big East into a league that will offer more suspense in the race for second, and at this point Notre Dame is just as capable as anyone else to grab that spot.

4. Iona's second half execution on both ends of the floor too much for Manhattan.
At the under-8 media timeout in the first meeting between the rivals separated by just nine miles, Iona held a 67-49 lead in a game that would eventually end on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired (75-72 Manhattan win). No such heroics this time around as the Gaels made sure to not allow the Jaspers to storm back, winning 85-73 thanks to improved play on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Iona limited the quality looks for George Beamon, who finished with 26 points after scoring 19 in the first half, and as a team Manhattan shot just 38.2% from the field. Mike Glover led a balanced attack with 19 points and seven rebounds while Scott Machado (nine assists) and Momo Jones scored 18 apiece for the Gaels, who remain in first place with the win. Next up for Iona is a trip to Loyola (MD) on Friday night, which could also be a battle for first is the Greyhounds take care of business against Saint Peter's.

5. George Mason hangs on at home to beat ODU, resulting in a three-way tie atop the CAA.
Paul Hewitt's Patriots have now won seven of their last eight games, rebounding from a loss to Delaware to beat ODU 54-50 in a matchup of two of the four teams that entered Saturday tied for first in the CAA. George Mason got the job done by doing something simple in the second half: they made shots. GMU shot just 20% from the field in the first half, trailing 26-20 at the break and their 12 turnovers didn't help matters either. The second half was a different story as the Patriots shot 41.2% from the field while also refusing to settle for threes as they did in the first. George Mason's parade to the foul line (19-for-23 in the second half, 27-for-35 for the game) would prove to be the difference as the Patriots outscored the Monarchs by 17 from the charity stripe. VCU and Drexel are a part of the tie at this point, and while Mason doesn't play Drexel again (the Dragos won the first meeting) they do get two shots at VCU. Can someone in this group earn an at-large berth? The possibility is definitely there at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. No Kevin Parrom to start the trip and no Jordin Mayes on Saturday as well, but that didn't stop Arizona from beating Stanford 56-43 in Palo Alto. That completes the Wildcats' road sweep of the Bay Area schools and keeps them two games back the Pac-12 behind Washington. Kyle Fogg led four players in double figures with 14 points and the Wildcats limited Stanford to 25.4% shooting from the field.

2. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana past Purdue 78-61, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Boilermakers and moving the Hoosiers to 6-6 in the Big Ten. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 16 points and ten rebounds, but Purdue shot just 29.6% from the field in the loss.

3. One team that picked up a much-needed win for their resume was Wyoming, who knocked off #13 UNLV 68-66 in Laramie. Leonard Washington and Paco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Luke Martinez 15 as the Cowboys made up for a disappointing loss to TCU earlier in the week. Larry Shyatt deserves a little more pub nationally than he's received for the Pokes' 18-5 start.

4. How the Atlantic 10 will shake out from an NCAA tournament bid standpoint has been one of the major points of conversation recently, but there may not be much doubt as to who the best team is. Temple sits alone in first place due to their 73-56 win over Rhode Island and La Salle's 70-66 loss to Saint Joseph's. The Owls' perimeter trio of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt may be the best in the A-10, something that seemed preposterous to suggest before the season started due to the presence of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons at Xavier.

5. There's now a tie for first in the Missouri Valley as Northern Iowa knocked off #12 Creighton 65-62 on an Anthony James three as time expired. Wichita State took advantage of this, beating Indiana State 71-66 behind Garrett Stutz' 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. The February 11th rematch in Omaha (Creighton won the first meeting) will likely determine the top seed in Arch Madness.

6. Nevada took their first loss in WAC play as they fell 72-68 to Idaho in Reno. Kyle Barone scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Vandals, who were able to take advantage of Dario Hunt and Malik Story combining to shoot 3-for-12 from the field. While the Wolf Pack are 19-4 overall (8-1 WAC) this is a tough loss to take in regards to a possible at-large bid should they need it (entered the week with an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 182 per the NCAA's numbers). That Sears BracketBusters game at Iona became a lot more important for the visitors.

7. While much of the country focused on the Kansas/Missouri battle there was a big matchup in the Big West, with the winner likely emerging as the biggest threat to Long Beach State in the conference tournament. Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton squad made quite the statement, beating UCSB 99-86 thanks in large part to 37 points from Kwame Vaughn and 25 from Isiah Umipig. Fullerton shot 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 17-for-26 from three to move into a tie for second with UCSB.

8. The majority of the talk surrounding the Conference USA race has centered around the four teams that looked to have the best shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But don't forget about Tulsa, who beat Marshall 79-70 at home to move to 7-2 in league play. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have won seven straight and while they do have to visit Southern Miss, Tulsa gets Memphis at home in the regular season finale.

9. Yes Fab Melo returned to the lineup for #2 Syracuse, but while the big man is definitely a major part of their plans to say his return was the only reason for the Orange's 95-70 win over St. John's would be short-sighted. Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair each scored 14 points and Michael Carter-Williams 13 off the bench and five Syracuse players finished in double figures.

10. Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and corralled ten rebounds as #3 Ohio State avenged last season's loss in Madison with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin. Deshaun Thomas added 16 for the Buckeyes while Wisconsin was done in by their 5-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.

11. There have, and will be, matchups in which it looks unfair to have teams play #1 Kentucky. That's what happened to South Carolina, who was in over their heads in the 86-52 pasting that wasn't that close. Anthony Davis missed out on that elusive triple-double but 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks is nothing to scoff at. It will be fun to see how #11 Florida matches up with the Wildcats on Tuesday night, as the Gators may be the "last stand" for the rest of the SEC.

12. Florida took care of business at home with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt in Gainesville with Kenny Boynton (18 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points, seven rebounds) leading four players in double figures. Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 25 points and John Jenkins added 15 but it's tough to win anywhere much less in the O-Dome when you shoot 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.

13. Without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines it was time for the Connecticut Huskies to step up both their play and their leadership. That happened, as UConn beat a Seton Hall team without the services of Herb Pope 69-46 in what would turn out to be a bad afternoon for Big East coaches from the Garden State. Kevin Willard would get ejected in the loss (Rutgers' Mike Rice was run at Louisville), the sixth in a row for the Pirates. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 for UConn.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Kwame Vaughn and G Isiah Umipig (Cal State Fullerton)
Vaughn put up 37 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB while Umipig added 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

2. F Josten Thomas (Hawai'i)
29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Warriors' 83-81 overtime win at San Jose State.

3. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
40 points (9-14 3PT), four rebounds and four assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 74-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
34 points (12-18 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Wildcats' 93-81 win over Northern Colorado. It's beyond time that Lillard receive some National Player of the Year pub.

5. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
29 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 74-71 win over #8 Kansas.

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:50:12 -0800

Friday offers up some big matchups but none may be bigger than Georgia and Alabama in the first game of the day at the SEC Tournament. Both can still use wins (to be honest, who can't?) with the winner today keeping alive the ability to state their case on the floor while the loser has to hope their resume is good enough to warrant an NCAA Tournament bid. And the scouting reports should be fresh as the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide met in Saturday's regular season finale, a 65-57 Alabama victory in Tuscaloosa. The difference: turnovers. Georgia finished with 16 to Alabama's eight, allowing the Crimson Tide to make up for their 39.3% shooting on the afternoon.

JaMychal Green (19 points, nine rebounds) and Tony Mitchell (13 and 11) were a collective handful for Georgia, who despite their size with Trey Thompkins and Jeremy Price had trouble with the athletic Mitchell. Add in guard Charvez Davis scoring 17 points for Alabama and Gerald Robinson Jr. making just two of his twelve shots from the field and it isn't too difficult to see what has to change for the Bulldogs today. Georgia holds the edge in many of the major offensive categories on paper, but that means nothing if their guards aren't effective.

Robinson Jr., Travis Leslie and Dustin Ware will all need to be at their best as defensively Anthony Grant's team allows opponents to shoot 37.9% from the field, forces nearly 16 turnovers per game and limits teams to an offensive efficiency of just 89.0. Who needs the game more from a resume standpoint? That's debatable, as the two teams have the same number of wins against Top 25 (1) and RPI Top 50 (3) teams. But the difference is what the two teams have done against teams they're supposed to beat. Georgia is 15-0 against teams with an RPI of 101 or worse while Alabama has three losses to teams below that line. The advice to both: leave no doubt.

That same message can be applied to Boston College and Clemson, who meet in the second game of the day at the ACC Tournament. The Tigers won their lone regular season meeting 77-69 in February 8th, with Reggie Jackson and Joe Trapani combining for 49 points but receiving little help from their teammates. Clemson by comparison finished with four players in double figures, shooting 52.9% from the field and limiting the Eagles to 9-for-30 from beyond the arc. Boston College has been the better offensive team from a numbers standpoint but players such as Jerai Grant and Demontez Stitt have helped the Tigers limit opponents to 39% shooting.

How efficient the Eagles are at finding good looks for Jackson and Trapani in addition to Corey Raji off the bench will determine the outcome, but it's possible both teams hear their names called on Sunday regardless of this result. Big games are on tap for Maryland (Duke) and Virginia Tech (Florida State) as well, with the Hokies in much better position to feel good about their tournament chances with a win than Maryland.

One more will be officially punched today with Lafayette, who knocked off two-seed American in the Patriot League semis, visiting regular season champ Bucknell. The Leopards lost both regular season meetings with the first being a 75-56 whipping at Sojka Pavilion, with Bucknell winning the battle on the boards (37-25) and shooting a far superior percentage on two-point shots (54.8% to Lafayette's 35.2%). And when a team breaks even in points from three in addition to the aforementioned numbers, the end result is usually a blowout.

That didn't happen in the rematch, a 74-69 Bucknell win on February 16th that saw the Leopards hold their own for 45 minutes. They'll need a similar performance from Jim Mower (19 points), and Jared Mintz and Ryan Willen have to shoot better from the field (combined 4-for-17) despite combining for 26 points if they're to win. In Darryl Shazier the Bisons have one of the best point guards in the Patriot League (5.7 apg). Player of the Year Mike Muscala will be a handful for Lafayette as well, but having already won two tournament games on the road Fran O'Hanlon's Leopards at least have a puncher's chance of winning the crown.

Also in important bubble matchups are a pair of quarterfinals in the Atlantic 10, with Duquesne likely needing to win the entire tournament to merit an NCAA bid and Richmond looking to avoid an early exit that would likely mean an NIT bid. But in seniors Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper the Spiders have two outstanding players capable of taking the team to Sunday's final. Illinois/Michigan is an important game in the Big Ten Tournament especially for the Wolverines, who could use one more solid victory to feel comfortable with their prospects. And in the evening session both Michigan State and Penn State look to pick up one more resume-building victory (the Nittany Lions need a run this weekend).

The Conference USA semis should also be fun with Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP all in play at this stage with the latter two playing each other. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have been overlooked by many but with Justin Hurtt leading the way it wouldn't be a major surprise if they were to win the title. New Mexico can revive their hopes with a third win over BYU and the same goes for USC out west as they take on Pac-10 regular season champion Arizona.

The Big East and Big 12 semifinal rounds should both be entertaining, with Notre Dame and Louisville looking to build off of impressive wins last night. And the early game matches Connecticut and Syracuse, who in their last Big East Championship meeting went six overtimes two years ago. In Kansas City the expectation is that Kansas and Texas advance to the title game, but in Colorado and Texas A&M there are two opponents who have played well of late.

The problem for the Aggies is that they don't match up well at all with the Longhorns, but the Buffaloes could knock off Kansas if the Jayhawks play as they did against Oklahoma State. Semifinals in the Big West, Great West, MAC, MEAC, SWAC and WAC are also on the slate for tonight.

10:00 PM Weber State at Saint Mary's

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (Atlantic City)
12:00 PM Dayton vs. Xavier
2:30 PM Saint Joseph's vs. Duquesne
6:30 PM La Salle vs. Temple
9:00 PM Rhode Island vs. Richmond

ACC Quarterfinals (Greensboro)
12:00 PM Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina (ESPN2)
2:30 PM Boston College vs. Clemson (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland vs. Duke (ESPN2)
9:30 PM Virginia Tech vs. Florida State

Big 12 Semifinals (Kansas City)
7:00 PM Colorado vs. Kansas (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Texas A&M vs. Texas (ESPN3)

Big East Semifinals (New York City)
7:00 PM Connecticut vs. Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM Louisville vs. Notre Dame (ESPN)

Big Ten Quarterfinals (Indianapolis)
12:00 PM Northwestern vs. Ohio State (ESPN)
2:00 PM Illinois vs. Michigan (ESPN)
6:30 PM Michigan State vs. Purdue (BTN)
8:55 PM Penn State vs. Wisconsin (BTN)

Big West Semifinals (Anaheim, CA)
9:30 PM UCSB vs. Long Beach State (ESPNU)
12:00 AM UC Riverside vs. Cal State Northridge

Conference USA Semifinals (El Paso)
4:00 PM UTEP vs. Tulsa (CBS College)
6:30 PM East Carolina vs. Memphis (CBS College)

Great West Semifinals (Orem, UT)
7:00 PM Houston Baptist vs. North Dakota
9:30 PM South Dakota vs. Utah Valley

MAC Semifinals (Cleveland)
7:00 PM Akron vs. Western Michigan (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Ball State vs. Kent State (ESPN3)

MEAC Semifinals (Winston-Salem, NC)
6:00 PM Norfolk State vs. Hampton
8:00 PM Morgan State vs. Bethune-Cookman

Mountain West Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. BYU (CBS College)
11:30 PM UNLV vs. San Diego State (CBS College)

Pac-10 Semifinals (Los Angeles)
9:00 PM USC vs. Arizona (FSN)
11:30 PM Oregon vs. Washington (FSN)

Patriot Final (Lewisburg, PA)
4:45 PM Lafayette at Bucknell (ESPN2)

SEC Quarterfinals (Atlanta)
1:00 PM Georgia vs. Alabama (ESPN3)
3:30 PM Mississippi vs. Kentucky (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Tennessee vs. Florida (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (ESPN3)

SWAC Semifinals (Garland, TX)
3:30 PM Grambling State vs. Jackson State
9:00 PM Alabama State vs. Texas Southern

WAC Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM San Jose State vs. Utah State
12:00 AM New Mexico State vs. Boise State (ESPN2)

#84 Tulsa: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:40:56 -0700

Overall Rank: #84

Conference Rank: #5 Conference USA

2009-10: 23-12, 10-6

2009-10 postseason: NIT

Coach: Doug Wojcik (104-65 at Tulsa, 104-65 overall)

Coach Doug Wojcik has led Tulsa to four straight 20 win seasons, but his toughest coaching job may be in 2010-2011 after one of the most dynamic inside-outside duos in the country has run out of eligibility. Jerome Jordan and Ben Uzoh finished off their collegiate career with a disappointing trip to the NIT and replacing those two will not happen very easily. However, there was some talent around them and even more talent heading in, so another 20 win season is not out of the question.

Key Losses: C Jerome Jordan, G Ben Uzoh, F Bishop Wheatley

Key Newcomers:

The most important newcomers are Scottie Haralson, a transfer from Connecticut and D.J. Magley, a transfer from Western Kentucky. Haralson, a 6-4 wing, never saw much playing time during his one season in Storrs, but he is a superb athlete and will likely step into a starting job right away. Magley has a little more experience under his belt and provides the team with some much needed size at 6-9 and 270 pounds. Incoming freshmen Kodi Maduka and Blondy Baruti will look to add more depth to the frontcourt. The most highly touted freshmen are shooting guards Jordan Clarkson and Tim Peete. Clarkson may not be able to cracking the starting five as a freshman, but he should play a big role off the bench.

Backcourt:

Clarkson will have to compete with Justin Hurtt, Glenn Andrews and Bryson Pope for minutes in the backcourt. Hurtt was the third scoring option last season behind Jordan and Uzoh and ended the season averaging 14.5 points per game. Hurtt has always been a solid outside shooter, but as an upperclassman last season he started attacking the basket more often and became a dynamic scoring threat. Andrews was a part-time starter in 2008-2009, but missed all but two games last season due to an injury. Andrews is not much of a shooter, but he did average 7.1 points per game two years ago and should provide a nice spark off of the bench. Pope, a 6-6 wing, had a relatively successful freshman campaign and should be a valuable player off the bench at the small forward position, especially if he can start connecting on his mid-range jumper more consistently.

Frontcourt:

The wings are in good shape, but obviously replacing Jordan is an issue. Steven Idlet did a superb job complimenting Jordan in the paint. Now the 6-11, 242 pound center will be the main force inside. He has bulked up a bit and that should be helpful on both ends of the floor and now that he has the opportunity, Idlet should be able to average more than 6.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He does need to make sure he stays out of foul trouble, which is one reason he only averaged 21.0 minutes per game last season. Joe Richard has proven to be a tough forward who can do the dirty work around the basket. He may lose his starting job to Magley, but Richard is only 6-6, so it may make more sense to start Richard and have Magley come in for either Idlet or Richard.

Who to Watch:

While Idlet tries to make up for the production lost by Jordan, it is up to Donte Medder to take over the point guard duties from Uzoh. Medder did not do anything special during his freshman campaign, but he has potential. He averaged less than 13 minutes per game, but proved to be a capable scorer and defender. His outside shooting ability will keep the opposing defense honest. Yet, Medder had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio during his freshman campaign and that has to change.

Final Projection:

Tulsa will have to take a step back, but this team was better than there 10-6 conference record indicated. There will still be an adjustment period, but the addition of Haralson and Magley is huge and those two will keep the Golden Hurricane above the .500 mark. And as long as somebody can provide some consistent point guard play, there is no reason Tulsa cannot make their third consecutive NIT appearance.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Donte Medder, Sophomore, Guard, 5.0 ppg

Justin Hurtt, Senior, Guard, 14.5 ppg

Scottie Haralson, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Joe Richard, Junior, Forward, 5.7 ppg

Steven Idlet, Junior, Center, 6.4 ppg

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

Tulsa 2010 NIT Preview

Joel Welser — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:00:31 -0700

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Conference USA (23-11, 10-6)

Seed: #5

Big Wins: 12/2 Oklahoma State (86-65), 2/3 Marshall (73-69), 3/11 vs Marshall (80-64)

Bad Losses: 11/28 at Missouri State (75-83), 12/22 vs Nebraska (70-74), 2/17 at Marshall (58-64)

Coach: Doug Wojcik

Why They Can Surprise:

Tulsa has one of the most underrated inside/outside duos in all of college basketball. Senior Ben Uzoh has been a big part of the program for the last four years. He has been a leader of this team for a couple years now, but he has saved his best performances for his senior campaign. Uzoh is a capable outside shooter, but the 6-3 point guard does most of his scoring by attacking the basket. While attacking the basket Uzoh often creates opportunities for his teammates and dishes out 4.6 assists per game. Uzoh is even a quality rebounder for a point guard.

Jerome Jordan is the interior threat and has absolutely dominated the paint this season. The 7-0, 250 pound senior could have bolted to the NBA last year, but he opted to return to Tulsa for one more go around and work on a few things. He is certainly a great scorer under the basket and averages 15.2 points per game and he dominates the glass as well. However, it is his defensive presence and his 2.4 blocks per contest that have made him such a great player and a probable first round NBA Draft pick.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Tulsa plays pretty straight up basketball. They will not turn the ball over too much, but they very, very rarely create their own turnovers. That leads to a stagnant offense at times, but with a big guy like Jordan under the basket it is not a bad idea to slow things down and it is rare for the Golden Hurricane to slump offensively, so the need for easy buckets off turnovers is minimal. However, the shooting on the team is not very good either. Justin Hurtt has emerged as a great long range threat, but players like Donte Medder and Bryson Pope need to add more quality minutes off the bench or the offense can take a quick nose dive when Uzoh needs a break and Hurtt’s shot is not falling.

Who To Watch:

The forward positions are where Coach Doug Wojcik has moved things around a little bit. Steven Idlet, Joe Richard and Bishop Wheatley have all earned some starts, as has Pope when the team wanted to play a little smaller. Wheatley is the prototypical glue guy and does a little bit of everything, but is not much of a threat to score. Idlet and Richard are not great scorers either. But they are all quality rebounders and that is why Tulsa ranks in the top 20 nationally in rebounding margin.

Probable Starters:

Ben Uzoh, Senior, Guard, 15.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.7 rpg

Justin Hurtt, Junior, Guard, 14.2 ppg, 1.7 apg

Bishop Wheatley, Senior, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Steven Idlet, Sophomore, Forward, 6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg

Jerome Jordan, Senior, Center, 15.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.4 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Donte Medder, Freshman, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 1.1 apg

Bryson Pope, Freshman, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg

Joe Richard, Sophomore, Forward, 5.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 71.4 (111^th in nation, 5^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 64.8 (85, 6)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.8 (59, 3)

Field-Goal Defense: 39.7 (27, 3)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.9 (285, 11)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na

Free-Throw Percentage: 71.1 (104, 3)

Rebound Margin: 5.9 (20, 2)

Assists Per Game: 12.4 (209, 5)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (133, 6)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Second Round loss to Illinois

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter@Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

2010 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:42:20 -0800

Talk about making an impact. Darington Hobson's first season of D1 basketball was certainly a memorable one. The CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year led New Mexico to an MWC title by averaging 16.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. He's joined on the High-Major First Team by guards Jordan Crawford, Jimmer Fredette, and Randy Culpepper, as well as WAC Player of the Year Luke Babbitt.

There are very few seniors on this year's High-Major All-America teams, meaning we should be in for a treat next year. Teams with multiple All-Americans include Gonzaga (Matt Bouldin & Elias Harris), New Mexico (Hobson & Roman Martinez), and UTEP (Culpepper & Derrick Caracter.)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year:

Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr

CollegeHoops.net First-Team High-Major All-America
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier, So
G Jimmer Fredette, BYU, Jr

G Randy Culpepper, UTEP, Jr
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr
F Luke Babbitt, Nevada, So

Second-Team High-Major All-America
G Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga, Sr
G Elliot Williams, Memphis, So
G Kevin Anderson, Richmond, Jr
F Aubrey Coleman, Houston, Sr

F Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's, Sr

Third-Team High-Major All-America
G Juan Fernandez, Temple, So
G Tre'von Willis, UNLV, Jr
G Jahmar Young, NMSU, Jr
F Derrick Caracter, UTEP, Jr
F Chris Wright, Dayton, Jr

Fourth-Team High-Major All-America
G Adrian Oliver, San Jose St, Jr
G Roman Martinez, New Mexico, Sr
F Elias Harris, Gonzaga, Fr
F Tai Wesley, Utah St, Jr

F Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, Fr

Honorable Mention

TJ Campbell, Portland
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois St
Jackson Emery, BYU
Dairese Gary, New Mexico

Paul George, Fresno St

Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
Rodney Green, La Salle
Adam Koch, Northern Iowa

Jerome Jordan, Tulsa
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St

Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco

Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's

Elijah Millsap, UAB
Dinma Odiakosa, Illinois St

Jared Quayle, Utah St
Damian Saunders, Duquesne

Ben Uzoh, Tulsa

Check back tomorrow for our Mid-Major All-America Teams.

Also: National All-Americans

Poll: Who Will Win the CUSA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:26:28 -0800

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:31:22 -0800

Wednesday is the day where the final days before Selection Sunday begin to get ever more hectic. The Big 12 and Conference USA both begin play with four first round matchup, and while the teams set to represent the Big 12 in the NCAA Tournament appear to be set in stone the same can't be said for C-USA. On the "clock" Wednesday is none other than Tulsa, who be playing the tournament in their city even though the Bok Center is not their home floor. Rice is the opening round opponent, a team that they must be to simply retain hope of being a part of the discussion. But in all likelihood Ben Uzoh, Jerome Jordan and company need to win four games in four days if they're to hear their name called on CBS.

The Big East will have two games with significant bubble implications with USF taking on Georgetown and Seton Hall battling Notre Dame. Of these four teams the Hoyas are in while the Irish according to some are in decent shape; the Bulls and Pirates know that they need wins and the more the better. The Bulls won at Georgetown when they made their push towards the top half of the Big East standings with Dominique Jones putting on a show. But the Hoyas played extremely well in their last game, a 74-47 pasting of Cincinnati on Saturday. If Austin Freeman is 100% and Greg Monroe plays well Georgetown has a chance to return the favor. However, the Bulls are deep inside and can account for the Hoyas' big men defensively. That should make for a competitive game.

Also up for grabs are automatic bids out of the Big Sky and Northeast conferences. Weber State and Quinnipiac will have a decided advantage in playing on their respective home floors Wednesday night, but Weber split the regular season series with Montana (both teams winning at home). Guard Damian Lillard can be a handful for opponents but the Wildcats have to find an answer for Montana's Anthony Johnson. Four Grizzlies average at least eight points per game, and this is a matchup that should be tight throughout.

TV GAMES

Noon ESPN USF vs Georgetown (Big East 2nd Round)
2p ESPN St. John's vs Marquette (Big East 2nd Round)
5p MTN Air Force vs Wyoming (Mountain West 1st Round)
7p ESPN Seton Hall vs Notre Dame (Big East 2nd Round)
7p ESPN2 Robert Morris at Quinnipiac (NEC Final)
9p ESPN Cincinnati vs Louisville (Big East 2nd Round)
9p ESPN2 Montana vs Weber St (Big Sky Final)
11:30p FSN Washington St vs Oregon (Pac-10 1st Round)

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Big 12 First Round (Kansas City)
12:30p Texas Tech vs Colorado
3p Nebraska vs Missouri
7p Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St
9:30p Iowa St vs Texas
Big West First Round (Anaheim, CA)
9p Cal-State Northridge vs Cal-State Fullerton
11:30p UC Irvine vs Cal Poly
Conference USA First Round (Tulsa, OK)
1p East Carolina vs Houston
3:30p Tulane vs Southern Miss
7p Rice vs Tulsa
9:30p UCF vs SMU
Great West Quarterfinals (Orem, UT)
4:30p Texas-Pan American vs Utah Valley
7p Chicago St vs Houston Baptist
9:30p NJIT vs North Dakota
MEAC First Round (Winston-Salem, NC)
3p Coppin St vs Maryland-Eastern Shore
Southland Quarterfinals (Katy, TX)
1p Texas-Arlington vs Stephen F. Austin
3:30p Texas-San Antonio vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
7p Nicholls St vs Sam Houston St
9:30p Texas St vs SE Louisiana
SWAC Quarterfinals (Shreveport, LA)
3:30p Mississippi Valley St vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9p Grambling vs Jackson St

ONE PREDICTION

Quinnipiac over Robert Morris: The Bobcats proved to have too many weapons in their lone regular season meeting, a game Tom Moore's team actually won in Moon Township. And that will once again be the difference with Justin Rutty leading the way inside. Quinnipiac makes their first-ever trip to the Tournament with a five-point victory.

Conference USA: All-Conference Teams

Press Release — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:02:24 -0800

IRVING, Texas - Players from five different schools are represented on the 2010 All-Conference USA men's basketball first-team, featuring three repeat all-conference selections and two newcomers. Seniors Aubrey Coleman of Houston and Ben Uzoh of Tulsa are joined by juniors Elijah Millsap of UAB and Randy Culpepper of UTEP, along with sophomore Elliot Williams of Memphis. All five players are guards. Voting on the awards was done by the C-USA head coaches and media members in each conference city.

Coleman is a repeat first-team selection and has been the nation's leading scorer this season, averaging 26.0 points per game. The guard from Houston, Texas, scored 420 points during the conference regular season, the second-highest total in league history. Coleman, who has led UH in scoring in all but one game this season, enters this week's GMC Sierra C-USA Men's Basketball Championship with 1,400 points during his two years at UH. He was named C-USA Player of the Week five times this season.

Uzoh, a two-time second-team all-conference selection, leads Tulsa in scoring this season at 15.4 points per game, while adding 4.7 rebounds per game and 45 three-pointers made. He has moved into the top 10 in C-USA history in scoring, ranking seventh with 1,895 points. Uzoh is just the sixth player in Tulsa to history to score at least 400 points in three consecutive seasons.

Culpepper made the jump from the all-conference third team to the first team as he helped guide UTEP to its first C-USA title with a 15-1 league record. The junior from Memphis, Tenn., enters the C-USA Championship ranked third in C-USA in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Culpepper has led the Miners in scoring 14 times this season and has moved up fourth place in scoring all-time at UTEP with 1,597 points. He has topped the 30-point mark three times this year, including 45 points against East Carolina on Feb. 13, the most by any C-USA player this season and tied for second-most in league history.

Millsap burst onto the scene for UAB this season, averaging 16.0 points per game (fifth in C-USA), while leading the league in rebounding (9.3) from his guard position. He is one of only two guards to rank among the top 40 players in rebounding in Division I. Millsap, the brother of Utah Jazz star Paul Millsap, tops the conference in double-doubles with 15 (second-most in UAB history).

Williams has scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games this season and is currently averaging 18.5 points per game. He has topped the 20-point mark on 16 occasions, the fourth-highest single-season total in Tiger history. Williams also ranks in C-USA's top 10 in assists per game (3.8) and three-point field goals made (56).

The second team is comprised completely of forwards and centers. Marshall senior Tyler Wilkerson and freshman Hassan Whiteside (the only freshman all-conference selection) are joined by Southern Miss junior Gary Flowers, UTEP junior Derrick Caracter and Tulsa senior Jerome Jordan on the second unit.

SMU placed two student-athletes on the all-conference third team in junior forward Papa Dia and senior guard Derek Williams. The pair was joined by Memphis sophomore swingman Wesley Witherspoon and junior guards Brock Young of East Carolina and Aaron Johnson of UAB.

These 15 All-Conference players will be in action at this week's GMC Sierra C-USA Men's Basketball Championship, March 10-13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Aubrey Coleman, Houston, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Houston, Texas
Randy Culpepper, UTEP, G, Jr., 6-0, 165, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.
Elijah Millsap, UAB, G, Jr., 6-6, 211, Grambling, La.
Ben Uzoh, Tulsa, G, 6-3, 200, Sr., San Antonio, Texas
Elliot Williams, Memphis, G, 6-5, 180, So., Memphis, Tenn.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Derrick Caracter, UTEP, F, 6-9, 275, Jr., Fanwood, N.J.
Gary Flowers, Southern Miss, F, 6-8, 214, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Jerome Jordan, Tulsa, C, 7-0, 245, Sr., Kingston, Jamaica
Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, F, 6-11, 235, Fr., Gastonia, N.C.
Tyler Wilkerson, Marshall, F, 6-8, 240, Sr., Lexington, Ky.

2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Papa Dia, SMU, F, 6-9, 235, Jr., St. Louis, Senegal
Aaron Johnson, UAB, G, 5-8, 175, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
Derek Williams, SMU, G, 6-1, 170, Sr., Jamaica, N.Y.
Wesley Witherspoon, Memphis, F/G, 6-9, 210, So., Atlanta, Ga.
Brock Young, East Carolina, G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Raleigh, N.C.