Western Illinois

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats": Western Illinois' Jack Margenthaler

Jon Teitel — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:30:36 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Western Illinois head coach Jack Margenthaler. In fifteen seasons at the school, Margenthaler led the Leathernecks to 221 victories, three conference titles and two NCAA tournament appearances. Both of Margenthaler's sons are currently college assistants, and one-time pupil Scott Nagy led South Dakota State to their first-ever tournament appearance back in March.

Jon Teitel: You were a two-time All-State basketball player at Pinckneyville High School. How good a player were you back in the day?

Jack Margenthaler: We had five guys who had played together since grade school so we knew how to interact on the court. We all averaged double-digits but on any given night any of us could score 20 points.

JT: You played at Houston for Hall of Fame coach Guy Lewis. What made Lewis such a great coach, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him?

JM: I was so impressed with what he wanted to do. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy who told us what he expected out of us.

1965 NCAA tournament

JT: You scored 13 points in a one-point win over Notre Dame. How were you able to hang on for the win?

JM: It was a close game all the way through but they just had more turnovers toward the end. Lewis was a defensive coach so that was our priority.

JT: You scored seven points in a loss to Oklahoma State. What was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards?

JM: It was a real downer because it was my last collegiate game: it took me a while to accept that it was over. It was dead silence in the locker room when Lewis came in after his radio interview.

JT: You scored 17 points and made a jumper with six seconds left to tie the game, but Charley Beasley made two free throws with no time left on the clock to give SMU a two-point victory third place game. Did you think your shot had won the game, and where does that game rank among the most devastating losses of your career?

JM: When you make a shot like that you feel that you have the game wrapped up, just like you dream about as a kid.

JT: In the summer of 1965 you were drafted by Philadelphia but turned them down to get a master's degree in physical education/science. What did it mean to you to get drafted, and how difficult a decision was it to go back to school?

JM: I was excited to be drafted. I talked to Coach Lewis about it a couple of times and prayed a lot about it. At that particular time I just felt that I should get my master's because I wanted to get into coaching, so I have no regrets.

JT: In 1968 you became head coach at LaSalle-Peru HS, where you went 138-27 and won five conference titles in six seasons. How were you able to be so dominant, and why did you decide to leave?

JM: To be honest you do not recruit players when you are a HS coach. We just had a bunch of great kids and a great staff. The student body/administration was behind us and we sold out every game.

JT: In 1981 and 1982 your team led all of Division I in free throw shooting. What is the secret to free throw shooting, and do you think coaches need to spend more time teaching their players how to shoot free throws?

JM: I was talking to 1 of my son's players who is a great shooter. I told him that nobody should miss a free throw and I asked him why he ever missed one. He said that sometimes his mind wandered but I told him he should never miss. It is a turnover in my book. You just have to believe in yourself. Joe Dykstra made 64 free throws in a row for us back in 1982 and we ended up leading the nation in free throw shooting because all of his teammates tried to make all of their free throws as well.

JT: In 1983 you were named conference Coach of the Year. What did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

JM: It was exciting for me because it was my first college Coach of the Year award. We had a great league with a lot of great coaches so it was a real honor.

JT: One of your assistants at SIU-Edwardsville was current South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy. Could you tell at the time how great a head coach he would become?

JM: There was no question in my mind. He came from a basketball family. His dad Dick spent many years working for Coach Lou Henson at Illinois. I wish Scott would have stayed with my longer but he had an offer to become coach at South Dakota State. He has helped turn around that program and has a bright future.

JT: Your sons Matt and Ty both became basketball coaches. How proud are you of their success, and which of them is a better coach?

JM: They are both good young coaches. Matt has had phenomenal success here with some good players. Ty is an assistant with the women's team at Wisconsin and will have an opportunity to be a college head coach someday. They both support each other.

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

JM: I know it is trite to say this but I just hope that my players go on to become successful. When one of my players calls me back to check in with me it makes my day. Not many people remember the wins but those relationships last forever. I hope people say that I cared about my players and helped make them successful.

Margenthaler is also on Jon's list of best coaches in Summit League history.

IPFW: Andy Piazza (1987-1996) 142-108
IUPUI: Ron Hunter (1994-2011) 254-219, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 2-time conference COY
Nebraska-Omaha: Bob Hanson (1969-1994) 382-313
North Dakota State: Erv Inniger (1978-1992) 244-150, 1 conference title
Oakland: Greg Kampe (1999-present) 226-187, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 4-time conference COY
South Dakota: Dave Boots (1988-present) 493-215, 6-time conference COY
South Dakota State: Scott Nagy (1995-present) 316-197, 1 NCAA tourney, 4 conference titles, 5-time conference COY
UMKC: Lee Hunt (1989-1996) 95-99
Western Illinois: Jack Margenthaler (1977-1992) 221-202, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY

Tuesday Conferene Tournament Predictions:

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:11:41 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's four key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

HORIZON LEAGUE FINALS: AT VALPARAISO

(1) Valparaiso (22-10, 14-4) vs. (3) Detroit (21-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 6 – Valparaiso 73-71*; Feb. 2 – Valparaiso 78-73. RPI: Valparaiso 89, Detroit 135. Analysis: Detroit is playing like it was expected to all season, but the Crusaders may be playing even better. Line: Valparaiso -2. Pick: Valparaiso 69, Detroit 64.

SUMMIT LEAGUE FINALS: AT SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(2) South Dakota State (26-7, 15-3) vs. (4) Western Illinois (18-13, 9-9)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – South Dakota State 67-66*; Feb. 23 – South Dakota State 74-57. RPI: South Dakota State 59, Western Illinois 159. Analysis: Nate Wolters will lead the Jackrabbits to their first NCAA Tournament. Pick: South Dakota State 83, Western Illinois 74.

SUN BELT FINALS: AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK.

(5) North Texas (18-13, 9-7) vs. (7) Western Kentucky (14-18, 7-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – North Texas 84-67. RPI: North Texas 193, Western Kentucky 214. Analysis: North Texas should win. Of course, in the Sun Belt Tournament, that means Western Kentucky probably will. Pick: North Texas 77, Western Kentucky 69.

BIG SKY SEMINFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) Portland State (17-13, 10-6) at (2) Weber State (23-5, 14-2)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: Altitude. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Weber State 88-81*; Feb. 2 – Weber State 92-79. RPI: Weber State 73, Portland State 170. Analysis: Despite being the 2 and 3 seeds, there’s a wide gap between the Wildcats and the Vikings. Line: Weber State -5½. Pick: Weber State 87, Portland State 73.

(4) Eastern Washington (15-16, 8-8) at (1) Montana (23-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: Altitude. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 30 – Montana 79-71; Jan. 26 – Montana 74-60*. RPI: Montana 88, Eastern Washington 210. Analysis: Montana is the class of the Big Sky. Line: Montana -10½. Pick: Montana 80, Eastern Washington 67.

ATLANTIC 10 FIRST ROUND: AT ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.

(12) Charlotte (13-16, 5-11) at (5) Saint Joseph’s (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Charlotte 57-52*. RPI: Saint Joseph’s 50, Charlotte 164. Analysis: The Hawks avenge their worst loss of the season in a big way. Line: Saint Joseph’s -9. Pick: Saint Joseph’s 79, Charlotte 51.

(11) George Washington (10-20, 5-11) at (6) Dayton (19-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: March 3 – Dayton 75-59. RPI: Dayton 71, George Washington 172. Analysis: The Flyers beat GW by 16 points at home on Saturday. So why’s the line only 9? Line: Dayton -9. Pick: Dayton 73, George Washington 61.

(10) Richmond (16-15, 7-9) at (7) LaSalle (20-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 8 – Richmond 78-76. RPI: LaSalle 77, Richmond 119. Analysis: Richmond played really well down the stretch and could be a factor in the A-10 tourney. Line: LaSalle -6½. Pick: Richmond 75, LaSalle 70.

(9) Duquesne (16-14, 7-9) at (8) Massachusetts (20-10, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Duquesne 80-69. RPI: UMass 82, Duquesne 98. Analysis: B.J. Monteiro’s work in the paint will keep the Dukes in the game. Line: UMass -6½. Pick: Massachusetts 73, Duquesne 70.

BIG EAST FIRST ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(9) Connecticut (18-12, 8-10) vs. (16) DePaul (12-18, 3-15)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 15 – UConn 80-54. RPI: UConn 32, DePaul 196. Analysis: A double-digit spread is way too much for a team that comes to play as little as UConn does. Line: Connecticut -10½. Pick: Connecticut 67, DePaul 59.

(12) St. John’s (13-18, 6-12) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (16-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 29 – Pitt 89, St. John’s 69. RPI: St. John’s 134, Pitt 95. Analysis: Pitt has enough talent to be the surprise of this tournament. Line: Pitt -4. Pick: Pittsburgh 76, St. John’s 67.

(10) Seton Hall (19-11, 8-10) vs. (15) Providence (15-16, 4-14)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Seton Hall 67-56*. RPI: Seton Hall 60, Providence 146. Analysis: There are a lot of different ways this one could go. Leaning Seton Hall in a high-scoring game. Line: Seton Hall -4. Pick: Seton Hall 86, Providence 78.

(11) Rutgers (14-17, 6-12) vs. (14) Villanova (12-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: March 1 – Villanova 77-71*. RPI: Rutgers 150, Villanova 115. Analysis: Malik Wayns can carry the Wildcats to at least one Big East win. Line: Villanova -1. Pick: Villanova 69, Rutgers 65.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 128-94-3

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Centenary Great Willie Jackson

Jon Teitel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:16:42 -0800

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Centenary great Willie Jackson, the school's all-time leading scorer while also ranking second in rebounding. Aptly nicknamed "The Legend" by players when an assistant at his alma mater, Jackson is now the head coach at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Jon Teitel: Your nickname is "Legend". Who gave it to you, and how do you like it?

Willie Jackson: The nickname was given to me by some of my players when I was an assistant coach at Centenary. I like it because it showed me that they respected what I had accomplished during my college career and what I tried to teach them.

JT: You went to Sibley HS, where you won 100 straight games over a 2-year span and won a state title in 1980. How were your teams able to be so dominant, and what did it mean to you to win a state title?

WJ: We practiced hard, played well as a team, and respected each others' skills on the basketball court. We grew up together and went to the same junior HS, so we knew each others strengths/weaknesses. Winning a state title felt GREAT! I knew that all the hard work that I had put in during my younger years had paid off. It was a very exciting time, as the whole town was behind our team. To this day, people still talk about that state championship team.

JT: In 1983 you led the conference in scoring (24 PPG) and rebounding (9.1 RPG), which has only been done by one other player since then (Florida Atlantic's Mike Bell). What was your secret to scoring, and what was your secret to rebounding?

WJ: My secret to scoring was being resilient, having a never-quit attitude, spending countless hours in the gym, and having teammates who relied on me to make shots. My size was also a factor, in that I was able to bring big guys out to the perimeter. I could also post up smaller guys, and if they played a zone then I would shoot the ball from deep. As for rebounding, I was tough, blocked out well, and was able to anticipate where the ball was going to go.

JT: You are the only three-time conference POY in Atlantic Sun history. Do you think anyone will ever match that feat, and how were you able to remain so consistent over the length of your career?

WJ: You have to remember that I played before they instituted the three-point line. I am sure that someone will match that feat because there are a lot of good basketball players in the conference who can play the game. However, it is going to have to be a four-year letterman who is consistent and remains injury-free. I was able to remain consistent because I was injury-free, and I had an attitude of doing my best every time that I hit the court.

JT: You are still the all-time leading scoring in Atlantic Sun history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

WJ: I really did not, to be honest. A lot of people told me how great a player I was, but I was very humble about my talent and took it in stride.

JT: You finished your career as one of only 10 players in NCAA history with 2500+ points and 1000+ rebounds (Harry Kelly, Oscar Robertson, Elvin Hayes, Larry Bird, Michael Brooks, Dickie Hemric, Calvin Natt, Bill Bradley and Elgin Baylor). What does it mean to you to be in such prestigious company?

WJ: It is truly an honor to be among those names, as several of them are Hall of Famers, so I am extremely happy just to be mentioned in that company.

JT: In the summer of 1984 you were drafted in the 4th round by Houston (four spots behind Rick Carlisle). Were you thrilled to realize your dream of getting drafted or disappointed that you did not make the team?

WJ: I was excited to be drafted, but also disappointed that I did not make the team because I thought that I had a decent showing in camp. I can remember sitting in Coach Bill Fitch's office on the day I was cut. He told me that he was going to have to let me go because he needed veteran guards around the young big guys that he had (rookie center Hakeem Olajuwon and second-year center Ralph Sampson). It was a rainy, stormy day in Houston and I was flying home on Continental Airlines. I can remember praying to God to please not let me be cut and die all in the same day. Thank goodness only one of those two bad things came to pass!

JT: In 1989 you were inducted into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Where does that rank among your career highlights?

WJ: We have a lot of great basketball players from the State of Louisiana. All you need to do is look at the list (which includes Joe Dumars, Karl Malone, Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit and Willis Reed). I was inducted in 1989 in my first go-round as a young man, but over the years I have grown to understand the significance of being inducted at such a young age. It ranks very high on my list of accomplishments.

JT: You currently work as head coach at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, where you are the winningest coach in school history. What makes you such a great coach?

WJ: I instill in my players the importance of preparation, trust in your teammates, and having a winning attitude.

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

WJ: I want to be remembered as a good person, a winner, and someone who people could trust both on and off the court.

Jackson is also on Jon's list of best players in Summit League history.

Centenary: Willie Jackson (1984) 2535 PTS (#1), 1013 REB (#2), 205 STL (#2), 112 BLK (#1), 3-time conference POY

IPFW: Sean Gibson (1993) 1765 PTS (#1), 965 REB (#1), 137 STL (#5), 60.7 FG% (#1), conference POY

IUPUI: Carlos Knox (1998) 2556 PTS (#1), 204 STL (#1), 208 3PM (#3), 83.3 FT% (#5), 3-time All-American, national POY

North Dakota State: Ben Woodside (2009) 2315 PTS (#1), 640 AST (#2), 176 STL (#5), 228 3PM (#3), 82.4 FT% (#4), conference POY

Oakland: Carvin Melson (1973) 2408 PTS (#1), 1204 REB (#1), All-American

Oral Roberts: Caleb Green (2007) 2503 PTS (#3), 1189 REB (#2), 53.9 FG% (#4), 3-time All-American, 3-time conference POY

South Dakota State: Mark Tetzlaff (1985) 1931 PTS (#1), 1132 REB (#1), 60.7 FG% (#1), All-American, NCAA D-2 MOP

Southern Utah: Jeff Monaco (2001) 1568 PTS (#2), 547 AST (#1), 225 STL (#1), 256 3PM (#1), 87 FT% (#1), conference POY

Mo. Kansas City: Michael Watson (2004) 2488 PTS (#1), 357 AST (#3), 173 STL (#2), 391 3PM (#1), 79.9 FT% (#3)

Western Illinois: Joe Dykstra (1983) 2248 PTS (#1), 89 FT% (#1), 3-time All-American, 2-time conference POY

Summit League Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:58:43 -0800

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:

Summit League

The Summit League Tournament is a pretty simple 8-team affair, with all games in Sioux Falls, SD.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	North Dakota St.	92.48%	83.64%	52.90%
2	Oral Roberts	88.37%	61.87%	31.48%
3	Oakland	81.52%	32.35%	12.02%
4	IUPUI	54.58%	7.58%	1.39%
5	Southern Utah	45.42%	5.50%	0.87%
6	IUPU Fort Wayne	18.48%	2.75%	0.41%
7	South Dakota St.	11.63%	3.04%	0.48%
8	Centenary	7.52%	3.28%	0.46%

North Dakota St. will be a team to watch for an upset in the NCAA tournament, but only if they can get by tough challenges from the winner of an ORU-Oakland semifinal.

#1 – North Dakota St. Bison (23-6, 16-2) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.172

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

North Dakota St. is one of the best stories of the season, poised to make its NCAA Tournament debut in its first year of post-season eligibility, after redshirting a whole class of players to ensure they could play in this important season. The Bison have lost just once in their last 14, and took the conference title by a full two games. They’re the only team in the league that is highly ranked in both offense and defense, second in each category. North Dakota St. shoots the ball well, and has one of the country’s best turnover rates. It also plays an effective defensive style, as opponents take most of their shots inside, where the Bison have been best defensively. They’ve also been excellent rebounders and rarely commit fouls.

Players to watch:

5-11 SR Ben Woodside, 23.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 53.5 eFG% - Woodside had one of the biggest scoring games of the season when he put up 60 in a triple overtime loss to Stephen F. Austin, but don’t think he’s a one game wonder; Woodside has been one of the best scorers in the country over the course of the season. He’s an excellent shooter, 44% from behind the arc and 84% on the free throw line, and has put up one of the nation’s best assist rates, while rarely turning it over. He can potentially score 30 points in any game he plays, and should the Bison win the tourney, is the kind of player who could cause havoc for a higher-seeded NCAA opponent.

6-6 SR Brett Winkelman, 18.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 55.7 eFG% - While Woodside is a great scoring guard, Winkleman is just as good inside, though he doesn’t take quite as many shots. Still, he’s a great shooter who can hit threes, while shooting well over 50% overall, and is the team’s leading rebounder. Like Woodside, he rarely turns the ball over, and there’s very few ways for the Bison to go wrong with these two players.

#2 – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (16-14, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.142

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

Oral Roberts has been the conference’s name program, claiming the last three tournament titles and the last four league championships, and will have a serious chance to earn the auto-bid, and while they should be favored make the final, they lost both regular season games against the Bison. The Eagles have had the conference’s best defense, holding opponents under 44% from inside the arc, and being strong rebounders. They’ve had a lot more problems with their own attack, struggling to make shots, especially from three-point range.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Robert Jarvis, 17.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 48.6 eFG% - Jarvis takes a lot of shots and while his percentage hasn’t been great inside the arc, he’s made up for it with pretty solid outside shooting. He’s not too effective overall, and doesn’t do much besides score, but his role is large enough that he leads the team in scoring.

6-8 SR Marcus Lewis, 13.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 58.9 eFG% - Lewis is a good inside compliment to Jarvis, one of the conference’s best rebounders and a high percentage shooter. His free throw shooting is regrettable, however, just 50% from the stripe.

#3 – Oakland Golden Grizzlies (20-11, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.100

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (1^st Round)

Oakland made the NCAA Tournament four years ago by winning the Mid-Continent tournament as a long-shot, and while its odds are better in this year’s event, it will still be an upset if it could claim the bid. The Grizzlies enter the tournament on a seven game winning streak, and have had the Summit’s best offense by a fairly wide margin. Their 58% on two-pointers is a spectacular number, and they are also solid three-point shooters who rarely turn the ball over. Of course, with such a good offense, they would be closer to the leading pair of teams if they weren’t one of the conference’s worst defensive teams. Oakland forces very few turnovers, and is really vulnerable to the three-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot a lot of them and make a high percentage of those they shoot.

Players to watch:

6-11 SO Keith Benson, 14.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 62.6 eFG% - Benson is one of the country’s most efficient players, an excellent big man who does a lot of things well: he’s a high percentage player inside, gets to the line a lot, and hits 69% once there, is an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker, and has committed just 30 turnovers all year. The Grizzlies should try and get the ball to him more often, since it rarely results in something negative.

6-3 SR Erik Kangas, 18.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 57.1 eFG% - Kangas takes most of his shots from three, and hits 42% of them, and he puts up enough to be the team’s leading scorer.

#4 – IUPUI Jaguars (16-13, 9-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.021

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2003 (1^st Round)

With three teams dominating the conference, there’s a serious drop-off as we begin to delve into the teams at and around the .500 mark. IUPUI has been right on the conference average in both offense and defense, and so a 9-9 record seems a perfect fit. The Jaguars have been the conference’s worst team at defending the three-point shot, allowing opponents to make over 41% of attempts, but have made up for that by rarely fouling and forcing a lot of turnovers. They’ve also been good at scoring inside, but are the conference’s worst free throw shooters.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Robert Glenn, 14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 61.7 eFG% - Glenn is one of the best forwards in the conference, an excellent percentage scorer inside who also asserts himself well on the boards and with shot-blocks.

6-7 JR Jon Avery, 9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 67.7 eFG% - On most teams, Glenn would be the best field goal shooter, but Avery blows him away, at 68% from the floor. He doesn’t take as many shots as Glenn, but he’s a great second interior option.

#5 – Southern Utah Thunderbirds (10-19, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.037

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

The Thunderbirds are the only team to beat the champions in North Dakota this season, and will get a chance to sweep them in the Dakotas if they win a tough opening round game with IUPUI. They’ve had an above-average defense despite letting opponents hit 54% on two-pointers, as they’ve done well on the defensive glass and caused a lot of trouble for opponents on the perimeter. They play a fairly slow, heavily inside-oriented offense, but are excellent shooters who are good behind the arc and absolutely brilliant from the free throw line, leading the nation by hitting more than 80% of their attempts.

Players to watch:

6-4 JR Davis Baker, 17.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 52.3 eFG% - Baker leads Southern Utah in scoring; he takes a lot of shots, and does a pretty good job of hitting them, making just enough to justify the high volume.

6-10 SR John Clifford, 9.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 62.6 eFG% - Clifford leads the Summit in rebounding, and while he’s not a really big scorer, he’s very effective inside when he does get chances.

#6 – IUPU Fort Wayne Mastodons (13-16, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.041

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Fort Wayne had a solid finish to its second season in the Summit League, getting from a 3-8 conference record up to where it needed to make the tournament with a strong finish. It has been one of the country’s best teams at hitting three-pointers, over 40%, but most of its shots come from inside, where its percentage isn’t great and it struggles to get back its misses. The Mastodons have seen a similar pattern on the defensive end, stopping the outside shot well, but performing rather poorly inside.

Players to watch:

6-7 SR David Carson, 14.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 44.7 eFG% - Carson is Fort Wayne’s leading scorer, but hasn’t been a very efficient shooter. He does an good job at the free throw line, shooting just under 80%.

6-6 SO Deilvez Yearby, 8.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 49.3 eFG% - Yearby leads the team in rebounding, and is a good inside shooter who has found his scoring form of late, averaging 12 points a game over the month of February.

#7 – South Dakota St. Jackrabbits (12-19, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.033

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (2^nd Round)

The Jackrabbits haven’t made quite the splash of their northern counterparts, but they will make their Summit League tourney debut despite losing their last four games. South Dakota St. has actually had one of the conference’s better offenses, but its defense has been the worst of the tournament teams. It attempts a lot of threes, and makes a decent percentage, but does better from inside the arc. Defensively, though, the Jackrabbits are really vulnerable on two-pointers, and they force so few turnovers that opponents get a lot of chances at high-percentage shots.

Players to watch:

6-1 JR Garrett Callahan, 15.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 56.1 eFG% - The Jackrabbits’ leading scorer is the best three-point shooter on a team full of such shooters.

6-6 JR Kai Williams, 9.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 45.4 eFG% - Williams is a very good rebounder who shouldn’t be too much of an offensive focus, especially given his sub-30% three-point shooting. When he’s hot, he can be quite dangerous, but consistency has been a problem.

#8 – Centenary Gentlemen (8-22, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.049

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

The Gentlemen seemed to be on course for a solid season on the last day of January, as they sat just above .500 in the league. They would not win again until the end of February, racking up an eight-game losing streak, and just managing to sneak into the tournament. Centenary actually has one of the better defenses in the conference, leading the league in forcing turnovers and holding opponents under wraps from behind the arc. It just hasn’t been good enough offensively, having a lot problems with its shooting from all areas of the floor.

Players to watch:

6-1 SR Nick Stallings, 15.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 49.0 eFG% - Stallings leads the Gents in both scoring and rebounding, and is a excellent three-point shooter, at nearly 40%. He’s faced some foul trouble in recent games, fouling out of two of his last three.

5-10 JR Chase Adams, 14.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.7 SPG, 53.0 eFG% - Adams is a great ball-handling guard, putting up a very good assist rate, leading the league in steals and rarely turning the ball over. Like Stallings, he’s also had some recent foul trouble, fouling out of his last two.

My statistical all-Summit League team:

North Dakota St. SR G Ben Woodside, 23.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 53.5 eFG%

Oakland SR G Erik Kangas, 18.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 57.1 eFG%

Centenary JR G Chase Adams, 14.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.7 SPG, 53.0 eFG%

North Dakota St. SR F Brett Winkelman, 18.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 55.7 eFG%

Oakland SO C Keith Benson, 14.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 62.6 eFG%

Summit League Tournament: Seeds Announced

Press Release — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:25:16 -0800

The Summit League tournament seeds are as follows:

1. North Dakota State (16-2)
2. Oral Roberts (14-4)
3. Oakland (13-5)
4. IUPUI (9-9)
5. Southern Utah (8-10) - got tiebreak over IPFW because of 1-1 record vs. NDSU while IPFW went 0-2)
6. IPFW (8-10)
7. South Dakota State (7-11)
8. Centenary (6-12) - got tiebreak over WIU because of 1-1 record vs. Oakland while WIU went 0-2

Note: SUU/IPFW and CC/WIU tiebreakers were determined based on records against highest seeded team in descending order.

Joel Knows: Weekend Review

Joel Welser — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:37:10 -0800

Does Joel know everything? Anything? Or does Joel simply know nothing? Find out every Sunday in Joel Welser’s new weekly column: Joel Knows.

Joel knows Michigan State’s unbalanced conference schedule will come back to haunt them. In the Big Ten, each team plays four opponents just one time. The Spartans randomly drew Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota. With all due respect to the Boilermakers, it’s hard to argue that those aren’t the four worst teams in the Big Ten. To make matters worse, of the four, the Spartans get Northwestern and Minnesota at home. Not having a game at Northwestern is like not having a home game. It could be worse though, we could be talking about the Big East scheduling.

Joel knows that all of Corvallis should be embarrassed. The Bruins of UCLA absolutely annihilated Oregon State 82-35 on Saturday. The good news is OSU already beat Arizona State on the road. The Beavers and the Sun Devils square off again next weekend and Oregon State could end up 2-16 in conference…a full two games ahead of the winless ASU squad. Yet, some props need to be given to ASU for nearly beating a ranked Washington State squad on Saturday.

Joel knows the SEC West is messed up. The West leader heading into the weekend was Auburn at just 4-4. The Tigers got beat bad by Ole Miss 59-82, leaving the top spot even more wide open than it was before. A struggling Alabama team has taken the lead after a nail biting win over South Carolina. Even many prognosticators favorite LSU has lost five in a row and is a surprising 2-6 in conference.

Joel knows Colorado really needed a big win. With Ricardo Patton a lame duck coach and the Buffaloes heading into the weekend with a dismal 5-13 record, nobody would have had a second thought if the Buffs finished out the season without winning another game. Yet, when #12 Oklahoma State came to town, CU held onto their 15 point halftime lead to win 89-77. Dominique Coleman tied a career high with 21 points and achieved a career high with 15 rebounds. This could be a spark for Colorado to turn around the program…or it could be more of an indication that Oklahoma State will never win a conference game on the road.

Joel knows Indianapolis won the precursor to the Super Bowl over Chicago. IUPUI, that’s Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis, narrowly escaped with a victory over Chicago State 79-77 on Thursday. If it is any indication, the Colts will beat the Bears, but at least it will be close.

Joel knows Texas A&M Corpus Christi will dominate the Southland conference in five years. This time last year the Islanders were without a conference, and we were still talking about a potential NIT berth. Now TAMU CC is 7-1 in the Southland with their only losses on the season coming at the hands of Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, UNLV, Purdue and conference favorite Sam Houston State.

Joel knows the Big West Conference Tournament is going to be fun. For the first time in a while, there is not a dominant team in the conference. Utah State is gone and Pacific is very far from a conference power this year. I wrote up a blurb about everybody but UC Riverside having a chance to take home the conference tournament championship, but then the previously 0-7 Highlanders went and did something crazy like beat top team Cal State Fullerton 82-76. Now it will be even crazier in Anaheim come March and with a free trip to the semifinals for the top two seeds and a bye to the quarterfinals for the next two seeds, jockeying for position down the stretch is of the utmost importance.

Joel knows that Loyola (MD) can make the NCAA Tournament since their first and only trip in 1994. Despite Saturday’s loss at Marist, the Greyhounds remain atop the Metro Atlantic standings at 9-3. A couple of Big East transfers in Gerald Brown (Providence) and Omari Israel (Notre Dame) are leading the way. Brown averages 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while Israel adds on 9.2 points and 5.7 boards per contest. Throw in the long range shooting of Marquis Sullivan and the point guard play of Brett Harvey, and you have yourself a dangerous team come MAAC tourney time.

Joel knows just a few years ago Western Illinois looked like a team that could be competitive in the Mid-Continent Conference. Now the Leathernecks, which boast one of the coolest nicknames in all of division I hoops, are in a downward spiral. Coach Derek Thomas brought in a renewed sense of hope, mostly thanks to sharpshooter T.J. Gray, but that disappeared very quickly. After going 3-25 in 2003-2004, Gray, despite a decrease in playing time his sophomore season, led the Leathernecks to an 11-17 record the following year. Gray then transferred and is now starting at Illinois-Chicago, leaving WIU back in the basement of the Mid-Con. This year, the Leathernecks have three wins over division I teams and five overall in an amazingly weak schedule. It would be a surprise if they win another game, but we’ll give them a legitimate shot on senior night against Southern Utah.

Joel knows that he will eat too much chip dip while watching the Super Bowl.