North Dakota St

Non-BCS Top 25: North Dakota St Debuts

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:49:03 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: January 6th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	15-1	1
2	Creighton	14-1	2
3	Butler	12-2	4
4	San Diego St	12-2	5
5	UNLV	13-2	6
6	New Mexico	13-2*	3
7	Wichita St	14-1	7
8	Wyoming	13-0	8
9	VCU	12-3	10
10	Temple	10-3*	9
11	Colorado St	13-2	12
12	Memphis	10-3	11
13	Boise St	12-2	13
14	Bucknell	13-3*	14
15	Saint Louis	11-3	18
16	Murray St	11-3	15
17	St. Mary's	12-3	16
18	Belmont	11-4	17

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
19	BYU	12-4	NA
20	MTSU	12-4*	19
21	Charlotte	12-2	22
22	North Dakota St	13-3	NA
23	Santa Clara	12-4*	20
24	Dayton	10-4	24
25	Utah St	13-1	25

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: La Salle (10-3*), Saint Joseph's (8-4), Southern Miss (11-4), Akron (9-4), Stephen F Austin (12-1)

Further 5: Stony Brook (10-4), Louisiana Tech (12-3), Western Illinois (12-3), Xavier (7-6*), Lehigh (9-4*),

Out of Top 25: Illinois St (9-6**), La Salle (10-3*)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Non-BCS Top 25: North Dakota St Making Noise

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:57:35 -0500

Non-BCS Top 25: December 30th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	12-1	1
2	Creighton	12-1	2
3	New Mexico	13-1	4
4	Butler	10-2	5
5	San Diego St	11-2*	3
6	UNLV	11-2*	6
7	Wichita St	12-1	7
8	Wyoming	12-0	8
9	Temple	9-2	9
10	VCU	10-3	10
11	Memphis	9-3	12
12	Colorado St	11-2	13
13	Boise St	10-2	14
14	Bucknell	12-2	16
15	Murray St	9-3*	11
16	St. Mary's	10-3	17
17	Belmont	9-4*	15

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
18	Saint Louis	9-3	20
19	MTSU	10-3	18
20	Santa Clara	11-3*	19
21	Illinois St	9-4*	21
22	Charlotte	11-2	24
23	La Salle	9-2	NA
24	Dayton	9-4*	23
25	Utah St	10-1	25

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: BYU (10-4), Saint Joseph's (6-4), Southern Miss (9-4), North Dakota St (11-3), Xavier (7-5*)

Further 5: Akron (8-4), Lehigh (9-3), Stony Brook (8-4*), Stephen F Austin (10-1), UCF (9-3)

Out of Top 25: Xavier (7-5*)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Oral Roberts vs North Dakota St: Prediction and Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:44:29 -0500

NORTH DAKOTA STATE (10-3, 3-1 Summit) AT ORAL ROBERTS (12-4, 4-0 Summit)

Time/TV: 8:05 p.m./FCS

Location: Mabee Center

Line: Oral Roberts -8.5

North Dakota State Players to Watch: G Taylor Braun, So. (14.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 58% FG); G Lawrence Alexander, Fr. (12.4 ppg, 5.5 apg); F Marshall Bjorklund, So. (12.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 70% FG). Alexander, who went 14-for-16 from the foul line and had a career-high 26 points in a Dec. 30 win over IPFW, has made an immediate impact in Fargo and is the frontrunner for the Summit Newcomer of the Year.

Oral Roberts Players to Watch: F Dominique Morrison, Sr. (18.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 37% 3s); F Michael Craion Sr. (10.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 82.1% FT); F Steven Roundtree, So. (10.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 56% FG). Roundtree is probably the Summit League’s best sixth-man and is coming off an 8-for-10, 16-point performance in the Eagles’ 89-80 win at Oral Roberts Tuesday.

Storylines: Both teams have recent wins over Oakland (giving the Grizzlies two losses in the Summit for the first time in three years), putting themselves in position to battle for league supremacy.

Keys to Victory: The Bison have one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, shooting 50 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from the 3-point line, and with Alexander running the offense, they don’t turn the ball over much. ORU has the experience edge and are an incredibly balanced offensive team. The two teams average a combined 146 point per game, so this one will likely be decided by which offense is more effective.

The Bottom Line: The Eagles were the pre-season Summit favorite and are 4-0 in league play for a reason. As well as NDSU is playing, it has an exceptionally young team. Expecting them to go into Tulsa and come away with a victory may be too much to ask.

The Pick: Oral Roberts 88, North Dakota State 78.

Wednesday Recap: Georgetown Wins at Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:47:01 -0500

A lot of talk surrounding this week of games for the Louisville Cardinals centered on the importance of their game with in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. And while that game is extremely important the Cardinals still had to attend to the business of their Big East opener. Thanks to career nights from both Markel Starks and Otto Porter however it was Georgetown that took care of business, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season by the final score of 71-68. Starks made seven of eight shots from the field in scoring a career-high 20 points while Porter added 14 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

"Collectively, I don't think you can look at anybody on this team as a measure of points," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "[Starks] made some big plays and his defensive got better in the second half. The same thing I said about the freshmen, these guys are players. Age, class, maturation goes out the window."

Georgetown wasn't great offensively as they turned the basketball over 16 times on the night, but they were still more efficient that a Louisville team that's had trouble scoring consistently in the half court. The Cardinals made two more field goals than the Hoyas but needed 12 more attempts to do so, and they outscored Georgetown by just three points (24-21) from beyond the arc despite attempting 13 more shots (24-11). Kyle Kuric led three Louisville players in double figures with 17 points while Peyton Siva added 15 and Russ Smith 14, but the half-court offensive execution and their struggles from the foul line (10-for-17) doomed the home team.

"I thought we really rushed, jacked up shots when it was still a game," remarked Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "There were 15 seconds on the clock and we were looking for a three. We haven't done that. But they were a better basketball team. They, at this stage of the season, execute offensively better than we do."

Looking ahead to Saturday at Rupp Arena it's pretty obvious what Louisville's focus will be, and their offensive execution is something that will have to improve if they're to win the Big East as well. When forcing turnovers at a high rate the Cardinals can get away with averaging just over a point per possession, but that won't get it done especially when encountering a team that can execute at a level similar to that of Georgetown. As for the Hoyas, it's still early for a young team that's got talent and the potential to make some waves this season. And they're not going to consistently turn the ball over on a quarter of their possessions either. Winning in a hostile environment despite quiet nights from their three most experienced players (Jason Clark, Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson) is a nice way to start league play for Georgetown.

Other Notable Happenings

1. In a game featuring multiple big runs, Michigan State beats Indiana.
After Keith Appling knocked down a three-pointer with 5:11 remaining in the first half, #17 Michigan State led #15 Indiana 34-16 and looked to be well on their way to an emphatic win in the Big Ten opener for both teams. But Tom Crean's team, much to their credit, refused to give in and went on a 25-2 run to wrestle away control of the contest despite Cody Zeller being in foul trouble. Indiana went from trailing by 18 to eventually leading by nine following a Christian Watford three with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, and they looked to be a safe bet to wrap up the victory. But the Spartans fought back in front of the home crowd, going on a 20-0 run and winning 80-65 thanks in large part to Appling. Appling, a question mark early in the season when it came to running the point, finished the game with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds with just two turnovers in his best game of the season.

Also of importance for Michigan State was the play of big man Derrick Nix off the bench, as he scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Tim Izzo's team turned the ball over just nine times and made 17 of 22 from the charity stripe, where they outscored the Hoosiers by 12. Watford led Indiana with 26 points and ten rebounds but the early favorite for Big Ten Rookie of the Year (Zeller) attempted just five shots and scored four points in a tough night at the office. In moving to 12-2 on the season the Spartans also scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers, and if they can continue to use their defense to spark the offense look out. As for Indiana, they weren't done any favors by the league schedule-makers as next up for them is Ohio State in Bloomington.

2. Pierre Jackson's drive gives Baylor the win over Mississippi State.
With both teams entering the game in Dallas ranked within the Top 15 many were using the game between #7 Baylor and #14 Mississippi State as a litmus test of sorts. And if anything can be gleaned from the Bears' 54-52 win over the Bulldogs it's that both teams, while definitely talented, have a lot of work to do in order to reach their full potential. Pierre Jackson, whose layup with 28 seconds remaining, scored 14 points but also turned the ball over four times and didn't always exhibit the best shot selection. Mississippi State once again experienced the roller coaster that is big man Renardo Sidney as he alternated displays of what he's capable of doing (10 points) with moments of (to be blunt) basketball incompetence, picking up a technical foul after being called for his fifth foul. Luckily for the Bulldogs, Baylor made just two of the resulting four free throws to tie the game at 52 but that would only delay the inevitable.

The Bulldogs' final possession of the game was just as mystifying, with Dee Bost unable to get open which resulted in a near 10-second game of catch at the top of the Baylor zone. Mississippi State never found the look they wanted, with Jackson ultimately knocking the loose ball to the other end of the floor in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Baylor won by outscoring Mississippi State 11-3 from the foul line and finishing with a 40-32 edge on the boards. Without those advantages it's tough to see the Bears being able to make up for their poor shooting (34.5% FG), but the fact remains that they won and are off the the best start in school history (13-0). While they'll enjoy the win, Scott Drew's team is likely aware of the fact that in order to be Big 12 title good they'll need to get better.

3. Missouri State reminds everyone that they're the defending MVC regular season champs.
Greg McDermott's Bluejays had more than earned the praise bestowed upon them for their hot start to the season, and the same goes for the Missouri Valley Conference as a whole. However going into the start of league play some may have forgotten which team win the regular season title last season, but Kyle Weems and company provided the reminder in Omaha. Weems scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Anthony Downing knocked down a huge three-pointer with 1:11 remaining to push the Missouri State lead to six (71-65). The Bears went on to win 75-65, outscoring Creighton 45-31 and limiting the preseason favorite to win the MVC to 33.3% shooting in the second half.

While Creighton's Doug McDermott made just eight of eighteen shots and didn't touch the ball as often as many would have liked at key junctures in the second half, he did finish with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The issue for the Bluejays offensively is that Missouri State didn't allow the other starters to get going. Antoine Young scored 13 points but made just three of thirteen shots from the field, and none of the other three starters (Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Gregory Echenique) made more than one field goal (combined 3-for-12). That's not going to get it done when Weems and Downing combine to score 57 points with Jamar Gulley adding another twelve. Two things to take out of this result: don't forget about Paul Lusk's team in the title race, and Creighton's game at Wichita State on Saturday became that much more important.

Quick Hitters

1. Fab Melo took another step in his development Wednesday night, tallying a school-record 10 blocked shots in addition to 12 points and seven rebounds in Syracuse's 75-49 win over Seton Hall. Syracuse did all of this without leading scorer Kris Joseph scoring a single point.

2. Jay Wright's team hung tough for about 35 minutes in Morgantown, but Villanova didn't have the horses to win as West Virginia handed the Wildcats an 83-69 defeat. Gary Browne and Truck Bryant combined to score WVU's final 22 points, with Bryant finishing with a game-high 34 points.

3. It's one thing for Northwestern to lose at Ohio State; that was to be expected. But for Drew Crawford and John Shurna to shoot a combined 9-for-30 in an 87-54 loss to the Buckeyes? Ohio State out-rebounded the Wildcats 48-28 and William Buford led the way with 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

4. Under the radar quality road win: Loyola (MD) beating Patriot League favorite Bucknell 72-67. Erik Etherly led the Greyhounds with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and Loyola out-rebounded the Bison by ten (33-23). A lot of the MAAC chat has centered on Iona and Fairfield, but don't ignore Jimmy Patsos' 9-3 team.

5. Speaking of Fairfield, they fell 77-69 at Drexel as Samme Givens went off for the CAA favorites. Givens scored 31 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Drexel made 22 of 27 from the charity stripe (Fairfield finished 10-for-13).

6. In a stunning result for "margin of victory" reasons, North Dakota State whipped Oakland 96-69 to move even with the Golden Grizzlies at 2-1 in Summit League play. Reggie Hamilton scored 24 points to lead Oakland but he needed 20 shots to do so (making seven), while Taylor Braun led four Bison starters in double figures with 21.

7. New Mexico exacted a measure of revenge on their in-state rivals, beating New Mexico State 89-69 in Las Cruces. Tony Snell scored 24 points and Drew Gordon added 23 and 19 rebounds for the Lobos, who lost the first meeting this season on their home floor back on November 16th. Steve Alford's team has improved a great deal since then and have won eight straight games.

8. In another MVC score of note Drake knocked off Indiana State 79-64 in Des Moines. Karl Madison scored 24 points and Rayvonte Rice 22 as the Bulldogs won despite not receiving a single point from their bench. Drake shot 71% from the field in the second half to pull away.

9. Maryland received a much-needed boost to their rotation as freshman center Alex Len made his debut. Len, who was suspended by the NCAA for the first ten games of the season, scored 14 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots in the Terrapins' 83-72 win over Albany.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
Weems gave folks a nice reminder of who the reigning MVC Player of the Year is, scoring 31 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bears' 77-65 win over #19 Creighton.

2. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico) and F Cameron Moore (UAB)
They played in different games but both did yeoman's work in their respective teams' victories. Gordon scored 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lobos' 89-69 win over New Mexico State, and Moore scored 19 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the Blazers' 56-49 win at George Washington. Moore out-rebounded the Colonials 24-22.

3. G Truck Bryant (West Virginia)
34 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Mountaineers' 83-69 win over Villanova.

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

Jon Teitel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:16:18 -0500

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

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series: North Dakota State's Erv Inniger

Jon Teitel — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:09:16 -0500

In the most recent installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former North Dakota State head coach Erv Inniger. Inniger, who played at Indiana, won 244 games in fourteen seasons at NDSU and the Bison had thirteen consecutive winning seasons under his tutelage. An associate athletic director at the school since retiring from coaching in 1992, Inniger will retire from that role next month.

Jon Teitel: At Berne HS your team went 67-0 over three straight regular seasons. Was your team just more talented than everyone else, and how did you do in the playoffs?

Erv Inniger: We actually went 67-0 in junior high; the HS team went 67-12 over the same time span. As a small school, we had almost everyone rooting for us during the state tourney. I was lucky to be on some great teams.

JT: You went to college at Indiana where you were a pitcher on the baseball team and captain of the basketball team that won the 1967 Big Ten title. Which sport did you enjoy more, and which one were you better at?

EI: I always thought that my best chance for a pro career would be in baseball. Back then freshmen were ineligible for the varsity, and one of the things I asked for when accepting an offer from IU was to be able to play baseball. I threw my arm out early in my career and never had the same velocity. I played with a lot of guys on the basketball team that went pro, like the Van Arsdale twins.

JT: What are your memories of the 1967 NCAA Tournament (Glen Combs scored 29 points in a nine-point win by Virginia Tech, then Indiana had a seven-point win over Tennessee in the consolation game)?

EI: I had broken my wrist one month earlier against Michigan State, so I actually did not get to play in the tourney. Lou Hudson had also broken his wrist and played with a cast the year before, so the Big Ten instituted a rule saying that you could not play with a cast.

JT: You played two years in the ABA, and as a rookie in 1968 your Minnesota team lost the Eastern Division Finals to eventual champion Pittsburgh and MVP Connie Hawkins. What was the biggest difference between the ABA and college basketball, and where does Hawkins rank among the best players you have ever seen?

EI: The speed and athleticism is there for every game. You had to be on every night. For me to come from a small town and be drafted in the 6th round to play pro ball was a dream come true. Hawkins was unbelievable. He could play any position on the court and had gigantic hands. I tried to stop him on a layup one night and he kicked me in the chest!

JT: In 1978 you became head coach at NDSU and proceeded to have 13 straight winning seasons. Why did you take the job, and how were you able to remain so consistent throughout your career?

EI: Looking back at those years, we really had some great players. We had a big strong league, but I came in with a quick team. I surrounded myself with good coaches, and recruiting is such a key. Half of our team would come from Wisconsin because so many schools out there did not offer scholarships. Those kids really gave their heart and soul to the program. It is so different today because there are so many teams out there.

JT: In 1981 you won the NCC title and finished third in the Division II regional. How big a deal was it to win the conference title, and what are your memories of the regional?

EI: Championships just do not come along very often. It is hard to win at any level. It was a big deal to play in the regional because we had not won a conference title in a decade. There were people greeting us in the airport when we got back!

JT: In 1983 you had a two-point loss to Morningside in the NCAA regional title game. How close did you come to winning the game, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards?

EI: The hardest part was for the seniors who knew that it was their last game. It was probably my best team, and to be one game away from the Final Four and not make it was devastating. We missed a couple of crucial shots down the stretch., but there is not much that I would have changed. Some nights the ball will drop and some nights it will not.

JT: You are the winningest men's basketball coach in school history. What made you such a great coach, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record?

EI: I hope someone breaks my record. That is what they are for! I go back to one thing: I had great kids. They are all successful today and they have become great citizens in life.

JT: Your son Bart was captain of the 1992 Bison basketball team, and your son Brett played at Concordia College. What was it like to coach your son, and do they credit at least some of their success to genetics?

EI: I hope so, at least a little bit. It was an honor to coach Bart. I was unsure how it would go, so I did not offer him a scholarship at the start, but he earned it through his hard work. As a father I got to see him every day for five years, and I am extremely proud of what he accomplished. Brett wanted to play for me, but went to JC and had a great career. I got to see most of his games in person.

JT: After retiring from coaching in 1992 you remained at NDSU as an associate AD for development, but you announced that you are retiring in January. How have you liked being associate AD, and what do you hope to do in the future?

EI: This is a pretty easy question for me. I loved going to work every day as a coach with a passion, but when the opportunity came along it just felt pretty good. Nobody grows up wanting to be a fundraiser, but I was truly blessed to help kids get an education and improve the facilities. I am at a great university where I received great opportunities. The toughest five years of my life were trying to raise funds to go to the Division I level, but I am proud to see what we have accomplished.

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

Centenary: Larry Little (1971-1976) 100-33

IPFW: Dane Fife (2005-present) 64-85

IUPUI: Ron Hunter (1998-present) 202-165, 1 NCAA Tournament, 1 conference title, 2-time conference COY

North Dakota State: Erv Inniger (1978-1992) 244-150, 1 conference title

Oakland: Greg Kampe (1999-present) 181-161, 2 NCAA Tournaments, 2 conference titles, 2-time conference COY

Oral Roberts: Scott Sutton (1999-present) 204-139, 3 NCAA Tournaments, 4 conference titles, 2-time conference COY

South Dakota State: Scott Nagy (1995-present) 270-178, 4 conference titles, 5-time conference COY

Southern Utah: Bill Evans (1991-2007) 208-223, 1 NCAA tourney, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY

UMKC: Lee Hunt (1989-1996) 95-99

Western Illinois: Jack Margenthaler (1981-1992) 153-159, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY

Poll: Who Will Win the Summit?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:43:26 -0400

2009 CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:57:55 -0400

The CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-America teams were voted on by staff members: Jeff Borzello, Jason Brubaker, Dan Daitchman, Jeff Fox, Raphielle Johnson, Blake Hofstad, Kevin McNeill, Shawn Siegel, Jon Teitel, and Joel Welser

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Player of the Year:
Stephen Curry - Jr, G, Davidson

CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Stephen Curry - Jr, Davidson
G - Eric Maynor - Sr, VCU
G - Ben Woodside - Sr, North Dakota St
G - Lester Hudson - Sr, Tennessee-Martin
F - Matt Howard - So, Butler

CollegeHoops.net Second Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Kenny Hasbrouck - Sr, Siena
G - Gordon Hayward - Fr, Butler
F - J'Nathan Bullock - Sr, Cleveland St
F - Kenneth Faried - So, Morehead St
C - Artsiom Parakhouski - Jr, Radford

CollegeHoops.net Third-Team Mid-Major All-America
G - David Holston - Sr, Chicago St
G - Josh Akognon - Sr, Fullerton
G - DJ Rivera - Jr, Binghamton
F - Drake Reed - Sr, Austin Peay
F - Marqus Blakely - Jr, Vermont

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Seth Curry - Fr, Liberty
G - Chavis Holmes - Sr, VMI
F - Kevin Tiggs - Sr, ETSU
F - Ryan Thompson - Jr, Rider
F/C - Matt Kinglsey - Sr, Stephen F Austin

Honorable Mention
Michael Bramos - Miami (OH)
Garrison Carr - American
Jeremy Chappell - Robert Morris
Adnon Hodzic - Lipscomb
Mac Hopson - Idaho
Cedric Jackson - Cleveland State
Matt Janning - Northeastern
Charles Jenkins - Hofstra
Jeremy Lin - Harvard
Tywain McKee - Coppin St
Orlando Mendez-Valdex - Western Kentucky
Alex Renfroe - Belmont
Larry Sanders - VCU
Tremaine Townsend - Northridge
Ryan Wittman - Cornell

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

NCAA Tournament: Opening Weekend Lessons

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:42:04 -0400

The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament - also known as the greatest four days in sports - provided more than a few lessons. Among them: 1) If your company requires to take furlough days, there's no better time than the first two days of the tournament, and 2) It's amazing how many beers you can fit into a single day when there is basketball on TV all day long. Also, for future reference, be sure to check if the bar has a happy hour, or you may be decidedly unhappy when the check comes.

Ahh...but there were lessons learned on the court as well. We learned just how valuable Ty Lawson is to North Carolina. We learned that Greivis Vasquez probably needs to stop running his mouth before big games. We learned that the Big East is leaving no doubt as to their superiority, while the SEC also left no doubt as to their..well...inferiority. Here's some other things garnered from four straight days of nothing but hoops.

DeJuan Blair is the strongest player in the country
One glance at the Pitt big man, and it's easy to see why he's so good. He's built like a powerlifter, with a burly chest, huge arms and giant hands that seem to corral every ball in his area. Blair was a man amongst boys in the Panthers' first-round scare against East Tennessee State, popping in 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, including a huge offensive board and put-back late in the game with the outcome still in doubt. Against Oklahoma State, he was held to just 10 points (on seven field-goal attempts), but did add 12 boards and generally cleared the lane at will for the Pitt guards. Next up: Xavier, who may want to get some extra weight-lifting sessions in before doing battle with the big guy. On a side note - It's always dangerous to look ahead during the tourney, but who wouldn't want to see a Blair/Blake Griffin matchup in the Final Four? It would be a treat for fans to watch arguably the two strongest players in the country tussle in the paint.

The ACC falls flat...mostly
Yes, Duke and North Carolina are in the Sweet 16. But for a league that put seven teams in the tournament, and touted itself as equal (or better) to the Big East, that's not nearly good enough. Wake Forest, a dark horse Final Four pick by some, suffered arguably the worst loss of the opening round, getting battered by Cleveland State in a game that was never even close. Boston College also was pounded by USC, while Clemson couldn't complete a late comeback against Michigan and Florida State coughed up a double-digit lead to Wisconsin. Then Maryland, after a solid win over Cal, was outclassed by Memphis after the always-talkative Vasquez mouthed off about how good the ACC was compared to Conference USA. He may have had a point, but I don't know of anyone on a 7-9 ACC team who should be talking trash. Alas, he's now at home with the majority of the ACC, as they watch the Big East continue to march on.

The charm of the tournament is alive and well
The Sweet 16 may feature 13 teams from the power conferences, but that doesn't mean the little guys didn't make their marks over the weekend. Gritty North Dakota State guard Ben Woodside earned everybody's respect by dropping 37 points on Kansas, keeping the Bison in the game until the final buzzer. VCU's Eric Maynor may not have dropped the game-winner this time around, but his fearless performance against UCLA further cemented his status as a future NBA player. Western Kentucky's Orlando Mendez-Valdez put on a show against Gonzaga, dropping 17 first-half points and then leading a charge in he second half, only to have the Zags' Demetri Goodson hit a runner with less than a second left to win it. Siena's Ronald Moore nailed two clutch three-pointers in one of the first round's most exciting games, as the Saints outlasted Ohio State. American, Akron, East Tennessee State, Cal-State Northridge and Northern Iowa all put up great fights, only to fall short. So even though we're seeing a lot of familiar and well-known faces still dancing, that doesn't mean Cinderella didn't show up.

Senior moments
And last but not least, the Big Dance always means the end of the road for some unforgettable seniors who we've grown accustomed to watching, reading about and following. Here's a list of some notable who won't be suiting up in the college ranks anymore.

Darren Collison, UCLA (15 pts. against Villanova), Josh Shipp, UCLA (18 pts.), Jon Brockman, Washington (20 pts, 18 rebounds against Purdue), Jerel McNeal, Marquette (30 pts vs. Missouri), Wesley Matthews, Marquette (24 pts, 7 rebounds), Tyrese Rice, Boston College (9 pts, 4 ast vs. USC), Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State (15 pts, 10 ast, 5 stl vs. Pitt), Toney Douglas, Florida State (26 pts. vs Wisconsin), AJ Abrams, Texas (17 pts. vs Duke), Marcus Thornton, LSU (25 pts. vs UNC), Dionte Christmas, Temple (29 pts. vs Arizona State), KC Rivers, Clemson (13 pts, 9 rebounds vs. Michigan), and Eric Maynor, VCU (21 pts, 7 ast, 6 rebounds vs UCLA). Thanks for the memories guys.

Poll: Most Likely Top Seed Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:04:06 -0400