Alabama St

Poll: Who Will Win the SWAC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:15:02 -0400

Opening Round Preview: Alabama St vs Morehead St

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:46:38 -0400

Start: Mar 17 2009 - 7:30pm

Opening Round Game Preview
Winner takes on top seed Louisville Friday

The reward for either Alabama State (22-9, 16-2 SWAC) or Morehead State (19-15, 12-6 Ohio Valley) is a shot at the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament field, the Louisville Cardinals. But in order to get to that point they need to win the opening round game that will be played in Dayton Tuesday night (7:30 PM on ESPN). Both made their way into the field of sixty-five in different ways; the Hornets won the regular season title outright and beat second-place Jackson State in the SWAC Tournament final. Morehead State, on the other hand, limped into the postseason on a four-game losing streak. But three wins later, beating the top two teams in the OVC (UT Martin and Austin Peay) in Nashville, Donnie Tyndall's Eagles are in the Big Dance for the first time since 1974.

Alabama State will get a lot of attention for the name of SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Chief Kickingstallionsims (2.8 blocks per game), but he's not the main man for head coach Lewis Jackson. Guard Brandon Brooks (13.8 ppg, 6.8 apg) was named SWAC Player of the Year and has four games of at least ten assists and just six games in which he's failed to score double figures. Brooks averaged just 7.5 points per game in the Hornets' final two SWAC Tournament games but he also averaged six assists per game and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2-to-1. He's that important to the fortunes of the Hornets because outside of reserves Tramaine White and Ivory Butler Alabama State struggles to take care of the basketball.

The Hornets break even in assist-to-turnover ratio, a number that leads the SWAC. But Morehead State's assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.9 isn't far behind and that number ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference. The good thing for Alabama State is that even though they lack the best turnover margin (-0.81, 6th in the SWAC), the Eagles have been much worse this season (-2.53, 9th in the OVC). Like most small schools guard play is paramount for Alabama State, with Chief averaging just over twenty minutes per game. At 7-foot-1 the senior big man makes for a tough matchup within the SWAC, but junior Wesley Jones (9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is more important to the Hornets on the inside. Roland Fitch is the only frontcourt reserve that Coach Jackson turns to on a consistent basis, so avoiding foul trouble is a must.

Morehead State has an imposing figure on the interior as well, and despite standing just 6-foot-8 sophomore Kenneth Faried (13.9 ppg, 12.8 rpg) can get the job done in a variety of ways. Like Chief the Newark native was named conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaging a little less than two steals and two blocks per game. On the season Faried has twenty-three double doubles, including a 27-point, 24-rebound effort in a November loss to Florida A&M. Due to his activity and skill the Hornets may have to look elsewhere when it comes to guarding Faried; Kickingstallionsims lacks the overall skill level needed to slow the sophomore down.

But Coach Tyndall's got two other forwards who will command the attention of Alabama State in leading scorer Leon Buchanan (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and junior Maze Stallworth (12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg). All three average over twenty-nine minutes per game, and along with guards Demonte Harper (10.8 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Brandon Shingles (3.9 apg) make up the core of this championship team that got hot at just the right time. Morehead State led the OVC in field goal percentage defense (41.8%) but their calling card is rebounding. Thanks primarily to Faried the Eagles have a rebounding margin of +8.0. Alabama State enjoys a margin of just +1.2, a number that still ranked fourth in the SWAC. The main focus for the Hornets in their scouting report should be the Eagles' rebounding prowess, a skill that makes up for shooting percentages that ranked seventh in the OVC (44.1% FG, 33.4% 3PT).

The key for Morehead State: take care of the basketball. On the season the Eagles averaged 15.2 turnovers per game, a key factor in their four-game skid to end the regular season. But in the OVC Tournament Morehead State averaged eleven turnovers per game, and without that improvement Morehead State is done for the season. Man for man the Eagles are the better team but miscues could render that point moot should they ignore the important lesson learned during Championship Week. Brandon Brooks can keep Alabama State in this game in a fashion similar to what Coppin State's Tywain McKee did in last year's Opening Round Game. But just like McKee, he'll be going up against an opponent with more weapons.

Winner: Morehead State Margin: 7-11 pts.

Alabama St: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:15:17 -0400

Alabama State Hornets

Southwestern Athletic Conference (22-9, 16-2)

Big Wins: 1/3 Jackson State (66-60), 1/10 at Arkansas Pine Bluff (71-66), 1/31 at Prairie View A&M (65-53)

Bad Losses: 11/18 at Southern Miss (61-74), 11/22 at SMU (51-56), 1/26 Alcorn State (74-79)

Last NCAA Tournament: 2004, First Round loss to Duke

Coach: Lewis Jackson (First NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Brandon Brooks has emerged as a great scorer, distributor and ball handler. The 6-2 senior is a capable outside shooter, but most of his scoring will come from inside the paint. Brooks does a superb job getting to the basket and once he is there he will find his teammates or finish himself. At the least, Brooks will get to the charity stripe and he is the best free-throw shooter on the team. Brooks will even play solid defense and nab a steal or two and help out on the glass.

Andrew Hayles will see plenty of time on the wing. He is the team’s best outside shooter and knocks down 2.2 per contest. When Hayles’ shot is falling, Alabama State’s offense can be difficult to stop. Roland Fitch is an intriguing piece of the Hornets puzzle. The 6-7 forward does not see much playing time, but he is averaging 9.8 points per game and can add another dynamic to the offense. Fitch will do most of his scoring in the paint, but he can step outside and hit the mid-range jumper.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The problem is Alabama State is not a great shooting team. Hayles is the lone threat from beyond the arc and he, along with Brooks, will need some help from the bench players. Rashad Provitt, Menji Mundadi, Ivory White and Tramaine Butler are capable of hitting the outside shot, but they do not take too many attempts. Provitt is capable of coming in off the bench and scoring a dozen points or so. Mundadi has been very quiet late in the year, but he did score 17 points earlier in the campaign against Jackson State.

Who To Watch:

The frontcourt has a superstar in Chief Kickingstallionsims. The 7-1 senior is a major presence in the paint and blocks 2.7 shots per contest. Kickingstallionsims has always been a solid defender, but now he has developed into a major scoring threat in the paint. He averages 8.8 points per game and his presence in the paint has opened up looks for the rest of the team. Wesley Jones, a 6-7 junior, is a decent scorer around the basket too. Unlike Kickingstallionsims, Jones can stretch out the defense with his outside shooting ability. The Hornets have the weapons to compete with more talented team in the tournament, but they did earlier this season too and they lost just about every non-conference game against Division I opponents.

Probable Starters:

Brandon Brooks, Senior, Guard, 13.8 ppg, 6.8 apg, 4.1 rpg

Andrew Hayles, Senior, Guard, 13.6 ppg, 1.5 apg

Rashad Provitt, Senior, Forward, 6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Wesley Jones, Junior, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Chief Kickingstallionsims, Senior, Center, 8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Tramaine Butler, Freshman, Guard, 4.7 ppg, 1.3 apg

Roland Fitch, Sophomore, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Menji Mundadi, Junior, Guard, 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Ivory White, Freshman, Guard, 4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 70.0 (139^th in nation, 3^rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 64.1 (83, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 47.7 (31, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.5 (42, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.0 (180, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.1 (156, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 64.2 (291, 6)

Rebound Margin: 1.4 (142, 4)

Assists Per Game: 14.4 (83, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.5 (147, 1)

Following the Bracket announcement, more team info will be added, including final RPI, final team statistical rankings, Joel's prediction, and more!

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Week in Review: Kansas, Pat Knight, Sidney's Decision, More..

Rob Carpentier — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:45:47 -0500

Rob Carpentier's "Seven Day Stretch" is a whirlwind tour around every corner of college basketball nation:

Seven Day Savior (Team): Kansas Jayhawks

While those around them in the Top 10 were falling last week, the Jayhawks quietly went about their business winning two games and setting up the big showdown with a vulnerable Oklahoma team. The Jayhawks have gotten to this point because they have completely bought into Coach Bill Self’s style of defense and the idea that they win when they outrebound their opponents. It helps when Self can count on not one, but two game changers in center Cole Aldrich and guard Sherron Collins. If anyone has questioned Self’s ability as a coach, despite last year’s national title, they should know that he has probably done a better coaching job with this year’s Jayhawk squad, one that lost a lot of talent, then he did with last year’s title team. If the Jayhawks can run the table, which isn’t out of the question, leading up to the Big 12 Conference Tourney, then they will be and should be in the discussion for a #1 seed come NCAA Tournament time.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Damian Lillard, Weber State

The freshman guard had a big week leading the Wildcats to wins over the second and third place teams in the Big Sky Conference. The 6’2” “two” guard from Oakland is the second leading scorer for the Wildcats but scored 30 points in the victories over Montana and Portland State. As the season has gone on Lillard has become more of an offensive force as he has acclimated himself to the college game. He isn’t the greatest shooter, averaging less that 43% from the floor and less than 40 % from behind the arc. Still, Lillard finds ways to score and help his team win, and at this time of the year, that’s what counts. By the way, Weber State has swept Montana, the second place team in the Big Sky, virtually assuring the Wildcats of the #1 seed come Championship Week.

Game of the Week (The one you already heard about): Arizona St @ Washington

The Huskies and the Sun Devils are essentially tied atop the Pac-10 standings and both will be favored to win out…after this game in Seattle. Both teams have superlative players; UDub has senior Jon Brockman while ASU has possibly the best player in the country in swingman James Harden. They both have excellent complementary players in Washington’s Isaiah Thomas, (the favorite for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year), and Arizona State’s senior post Jeff Pendergraph. These two teams play vastly different styles with Washington looking to run at every opportunity and gambling on defense while the Sun Devils want to slow things down and play a match-up zone defense that seeks to deny good shots rather than get steals. When Washington won the first meeting between these two last month its because they were able to beat the Sun Devils on the boards and get out in transition. Washington tends to get a lot of 50/50 calls at home so look for the Huskies to drive to the glass constantly in search of free throw opportunities.

Game of the Week (The one you DON'T know about): North Dakota St at Oral Roberts

The Summit League, previously the Mid-Continent Conference has fallen on hard times lately in terms of exposure. Long gone are the days of Northern Illinois, Tony Bennett the player and Valparaiso’s miracle team. In fact, the Summit League has only one original member left from the old Mid-Con days, (and the AMCU before that); Western Illinois. But the changes over the years don’t mean that there isn’t still some excitement in the conference. The Bison have clearly been the best team in the Summit, even though they haven’t beaten anyone of note. However, perennial Summit/Mid-Con power ORU is only a game behind NDSU, thus setting up this showdown. What makes this a big game in this one-bid league is the fact that the remainder of the league is pretty weak…save for one team, the Oakland University Grizzlies. The team that finishes first in the Summit regular season will essentially have to play one tough game to get to the NCAA Tournament, while the second place team will have to play two. Neither wants to have to beat Oakland and then have to face the other the next night on the conference finals. NDSU defeated Oral Roberts in their first meeting this season way back in December.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Alabama State Hornets

The traditionally black conferences get very little love from sportswriters, so here is a deserved shout out to one of them. Like virtually every other team in the SWAC, and the MEAC for that matter, the Hornets played very few home games at the beginning of the season, preferring to gain several paychecks for visiting some bigger schools. While Alabama State didn’t beat any of those bigger schools, they did barely lose at Illinois State, Mississippi State and Mississippi. In those games the Hornets proved they can play with bigger, deeper teams, thus establishing themselves as a possible threat in the NCAA Tournament, provided they aren’t stuck in the play-in game. Alabama State is led by senior point guard Brandon Brooks, a 6’2” playmaker who could play for a lot of BCS schools. He averages 14 PPG, but his real skill is passing the ball. He averages over 7 APG, which is unheard of in the shot first, ask questions later SWAC. The Hornets have been so surprisingly good that they currently sit five games over .500 against Division 1 competition. That, too, is unusual for a SWAC team at this point in the season. Alabama State may not be the typical “Cinderella” come March, but it sure is fun to see a school with a very limited athletic budget have this kind of a successful year.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Pat Knight, Texas Tech

I don’t think that Pat’s daddy, Bob, envisioned this kind of collapse when he left the Red Raider job last season after essentially negotiating that Pat take his place. Granted, Pat was left in a tough situation, with Bob basically bailing out on the team in mid-season last year. The question was whether or not Pat knew what he was doing. After all, the son’s only coaching experience had come on the bench of his father. Pat has proved this year that he knows the ‘x’s and ‘o’s of the game, but he seems not to have the maturity on the bench to handle adversity. In short, he has made some bizarre in-game decisions and handled himself…poorly, when dealing with bad officiating or hostile crowds. The Texas Tech athletic department brought in Bob Knight as a quick fix to get the basketball program jump started with the idea that once the Red Raiders got on the map that having Pat coach the team, (which was, as I said before, something the elder Knight fought for when he first was thinking about the TT job), would lead to a smooth transition. Now, a couple of years after making that “deal with the devil”, the fans in Lubbock are clamoring for a move in a new direction. The athletic department, according to gossip, seems to be listening.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Renardo Sidney and USC

Sidney is one of the most talented high school players in the country. He plays for Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. He is a 6’10”post that can play facing the basket or with his back to it. He passes like a guard, has great floor vision and has used his senior season to try and rehabilitate his image. You see, Sidney was considered a prodigy as early as his 8^th grade year, but he quickly gained a reputation for being selfish, lazy and hard to coach. More importantly, rumors have followed Sidney for the past four years about payoffs to his family, specifically his father, improper benefits to others in his inner circle and Sidney’s father trying to “sell” his son to the highest bidder, I mean college. It is interesting to note that here is one of the top three players in the country in the class of 2009 and the only schools continuing to recruit him actively were Virginia, Mississippi State, (Sidney is originally from Mississippi) and USC. Earlier this week, Sidney committed to play for Tim Floyd’s Trojans. Now this isn’t a commentary on Sidney; he’s still a kid apparently getting some questionable advice, but rather a commentary on USC. Here’s a team that is being looked at by the NCAA over the recruitment of OJ Mayo, and an athletic department that still has the Reggie Bush investigation hanging over its head. Yet they still chose to embrace Sidney, who is essentially Mayo, Part II, and his announcement. There is definitely a feeling building by insiders that USC is going to be hit and hit hard by the NCAA over what is being called “Bushgate”, and the recruitment of Mayo. Now they’ve added Sidney to the mix. Can you say, “lack of institutional control?” The NCAA sure can, and signs point to the NCAA imparting that lesson on USC’s doorstep relatively soon.

Listen to me and my college hoops opinions, whether you agree with me or not, on the Papa Joe Chevalier show at 5:30 PM CST Tuesdays each week.

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the SWAC?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:25:49 -0500

SWAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:10:05 -0500

Conference Rank: 31st

Conference Page

All-SWAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Andrew Hayles	Alabama St	Sr
G	Trant Simpson	Alabama A&M	Sr
G	Darrion Griffin	Jackson St	Sr
G	Chris Davis	Southern	Sr
F	Grant Maxey	Jackson St	Jr

SWAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

143	Alabama A&M	SWAC	1	NCAA
202	Jackson State	SWAC	2
234	Alabama State	SWAC	3
273	Miss Valley St	SWAC	4
297	Southern	SWAC	5
305	Texas Southern	SWAC	6
321	Prairie View A&M	SWAC	7
325	Grambling State	SWAC	8
336	Alcorn State	SWAC	9
338	Ark Pine Bluff	SWAC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the SWAC?

State of '08: Alabama

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:26:05 -0400

What is the top D1 basketball program in each state.. and which program is the worst? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a state by state ranking based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Alabama.. the first of the individual state articles. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

Reader Poll: What is the Best Program in Alabama?

ALABAMA

Alabama - The Crimson are coming off a down season with an RPI of 114. But that still topped SEC rival Auburn, and for most of the past decade Alabama has been a Top 50 team.. even breaking into the Top 20 at times. From 2002 to 2006, Bama made the NCAA Tournament five-straight times and could very well be back there again in 2009.

UAB - During the same period that Bama was consistently making the Tourney, UAB was also in the midst of a nice run.. dancing for three straight seasons from 2003 to 2006. Mike Davis is finally getting things back on track following the departure of Mike Anderson. After an NIT bid last year, another NCAA Tournament trip is definitely possible now that Robert Vaden returns for another go-around.

South Alabama - Ronnie Arrow picked up where John Pelphrey left off, and the Jaguars made the postseason for the third straight season. While this year's group won't be able to match last year's 24 wins or Top 40 RPI, they should once again be in the running for a Sun Belt Conference title.

Auburn - The last five seasons have been pretty brutal for Auburn fans, as the Tigers have basically been a mediocre .500 team in that time. There's no reason to expect they'll break out of that trend, and another sub-100 RPI should be expected.

Samford - While not a powerhouse by any means, Samford has had decent success under veteran coach Jimmy Tillette. In '99 & '00, Samford made back to back NCAA Tournaments.. though the wins have slowed down of late. 2006 was Samford's last quality run with 18 wins and an RPI of 107.

6. Alabama State - The Hornets actually won the SWAC regular season title with a 15-3 record last season, but MVSU won the Tournament bid. The Hornets made the Big Dance in 2001 & 2004, but hadn't had much to cheer about in the meantime.

7. Troy - While the Trojans occasionally make some noise on the football field, there's nothing to get excited about on the hardwood. The usual season recently is basically 11-12 wins and an RPI of 240.

8. Alabama A&M - While not quite as bad as Jacksonville State, A&M has run into some lean years since making the Big Dance in 2005. Even that season, they started 1-8 against D1 teams and didn't beat anyone ranked better than 240th all season.

9. Jacksonville State - With the exception of a decent 15 win season in 2006, JSU has been awful recently. Last year, they were 3rd worst in the country in RPI, with provisionals North Florida and NJIT finishing at the bottom.

State of '08: The 7 Two-Program States

State of '08: The Introduction

2008 NIT Capsule: Alabama State

Joel Welser — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:46:39 -0400

Alabama State Hornets

Southwestern Athletic Conference (20-10, 15-3)

Big Wins: 1/12 Mississippi Valley State (71-55), 2/16 at Alabama A&M (85-70), 3/8 Jackson State (103-83)

Bad Losses: 1/7 at Jackson State (71-81), 2/9at Mississippi Valley State (60-72), 2/23 Alcorn State (69-73)

Coach: Lewis Jackson

Probable Starters:

Brandon Brooks, Junior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 6.2 apg, 4.2 rpg

Andrew Hayles, Junior, Guard, 14.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Joel Bosh, Senior, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Brandon Gordon, Senior, Forward, 9.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Chief Kickingstallionsims, Junior, Center, 8.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Jamar Sanders, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 1.5 apg

Rashard Provitt, Junior, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Roland Fitch, Freshman, Forward, 6.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Richard Lott, Senior, Forward, 6.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

If you were a fan of Alabama State last year, but didn’t keep tabs on the Hornets this year, you would not recognize very many faces. And it was because of that huge group of newcomers that Coach Lewis Jackson’s team was expected to finish near the bottom of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Instead, Alabama State ended up on top of the conference and it really was not even close.

Besides the team playing together very well, the frontcourt can take a lot of the credit for the Hornets surprise season. Forwards Brandon Gordon and Joel Bosh will not put up 20 points in a game very often, but they both can stretch the defense with their outside shooting ability. Gordon and Bosh are also the leading rebounders on the team and that is one of the strengths of the Hornets. Having a 7-1 center in Chief Kickingstallionsims to clear space in the paint does not hurt.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The problem is Alabama State is not a great shooting team. Andrew Hayles is the lone threat from beyond the arc and he is also the only player on the team to average double-digit scoring. But Hayles, one of the few holdovers from last season, is not a bad guy to depend on during his junior campaign. He is the most aggressive player on the team and will get to the basket and the charity stripe with consistency. But at the free-throw line is where the Hornets run into more problems. Hayles is fine free-throw shooter and so are most of the other guards, but a few of the forwards have major trouble at the line.

Who To Watch:

Brandon Brooks might not have the shooting ability of Hayless, or come anywhere close, but the point guard is the team’s third leading scorer at 9.4 points per game. But more importantly, Brooks sets the tempo for the offense and plays solid defense. The point guard averages 6.2 assists per game and only turns it over 2.4 times. Brooks does a solid job getting everybody involved, but somebody else has to step up and become a second or third scoring threat.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 71.6 (123^rd in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 64.7 (79, 2)

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.1 (69, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.4 (34, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (201, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.5 (150, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 64.3 (296, 7)

Rebound Margin: 5.7 (23, 1)

Assists Per Game: 14.8 (87, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (94, 1)

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SWAC Conference Preview

CHN — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:54:22 -0500

Conference Previews | Top 144 | 06-07 Preview Home

SWAC Preview

Conference Rank: 31st

Conference Page

All-Conference

Player of the Year - Trey Johnson, Jackson St, G

Delvin Thompson, Alcorn St, G

Michael Ford, Alabama A&M, G/F

William Byrd, UAPB, F

Christopher Moore, Texas Southern, F

Nat'l	Team (Click for Preview)	Conf	Tourney
139	Alabama State	1	NCAA
177	Jackson State	2
216	Alcorn State	3
258	Miss Valley St	4
260	Alabama A&M	5
295	Texas Southern	6
307	Grambling State	7
314	Southern	8
324	Prairie View A&M	9
333	Ark Pine Bluff	10

2006-07 Preview: Team's #131-144

Joel Welser — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 17:01:42 -0400

Capsules of teams ranked 131st to 144th in CHN's 144 Teams in 144 Days college preview.