American

Thursday Tournament Review: Sallie, Scares, and no Surprises

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:57:48 -0400

Well, ESPN has done it again. Instead of looking at the actual game they’ve decided to look at seeding alone and refer to Western Kentucky’s 76-72 win over Illinois as the “only major NCAA upset of Day 1”. Um, major? Maybe when you consider that 69% of players in their “Tournament Challenge” game picked the Illini it’s a major upset, but the Hilltoppers were in control of this game for thirty-plus minutes. Then the craziness ensued, with a combination of Illinois finally making shots and WKU turning the ball over. Not to mention one of the more bizarre calls of the season, with Illinois being given the ball after the Hilltoppers threw the ball directly out of bounds with 1:21 remaining.

In replays it looked like Mike Davis tipped the ball before it went out of bounds, but it wasn’t ruled that way. If Davis didn’t touch the ball then why was the clock reset to 1:20 instead of 1:21? But for all of the Illini’s fight the Tops were able to hang on, with a pair of Anthony Sally free throws sealed it with 0.9 seconds remaining sealing the deal. All five starters scored in double figures for the Hilltoppers, led by Steffphon Pettigrew’s seventeen. Illinois was led by senior guard Trent Meachem, who finished with twenty-four points. Western Kentucky now moves on to face Gonzaga Saturday evening. Here are some of the other key happenings on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

1. Memphis survives thanks to a record-setting performance from a seldom-used reserve.

Roburt Sallie rarely got of the bench this season, due in large part to the fact that the junior college transfer has struggled on the defensive end of the floor. But with three starters on the bench with foul trouble in the first half, Sallie came off the bench to score thirty-five points on 10-for-15 from behind the arc. The point total passes the great Larry Kenon for the school record in an NCAA Tournament game, while the three pointers fell one shy of Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer record of eleven back in 1990. If not for Sallie and Antonio Anderson the Tigers could have paid dearly for overlooking the Matadors of Cal-State Northridge, champions of the Big West who refused to back down.

“My job is to have the swagger role but I've got to be on top of the arrogance, because arrogance comes to slippage cool,” said head coach John Calipari after the game. “You want to be cool, versus really aggressive and tough. So the swagger for us went to a little bit of arrogance.” Next up for Memphis is ten-seed Maryland, who made a second-half run to put away Cal in the second game of the afternoon in Kansas City. Look for Memphis to be ready to go from the start on Saturday.

2. Same matchup, same result.

For the second consecutive year Texas A&M met BYU in an 8/9 game, and for the second consecutive year the Aggies rode solid inside play to the victory. Texas A&M came out of the gates on fire, hitting their first ten field goals to sprint out to a 24-8 lead. The Cougars could get no closer than eight (that was in the first half), shooting just thirty-nine percent from the field while the Aggies were 57.7%. Of the thirty field goals that A&M made twenty were assisted, and the only starter not to reach double figures (Chinemelu Elonu, 8 points) went ahead and grabbed ten rebounds.

Their physical ability inside is something that gives them a chance in their second round tilt Saturday with top seed Connecticut, something that the smaller Cougars could not handle. “We play physical,” said head coach Mark Turgeon after the game. “Good teams do. We don't play football, but we play physical. So I think it helped us.” Going up against the likes of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien on Saturday, the Aggies will need that same level of physical play if they’re to advance to the Sweet 16.

3. Hot starts rule the afternoon.

The Aggies weren’t the only team in the day session to get out to a quick start. Purdue got out to a 16-6 lead on Northern Iowa in Portland, with the Panthers turning the ball over five times on their first ten possessions of the game. LSU ran out to a 9-0 lead on Butler in Greensboro, leading by as many as thirteen in the first half before taking a six-point lead into the locker room at the half. Maryland jumped out to a 10-3 lead on Cal in Kansas City. All three teams won, with their opponents expending a lot of energy to simply get back into the game. Another thing those three victors have in common: second-half runs to answer those comebacks. All will be going up against teams on Saturday that either have more offensive firepower or are seeded higher so they’ll need today’s quick start to become the norm in order to advance.

4. Down three with seconds to go against Michigan, Clemson really could have used Terrence Oglesby.

Oglesby, who struggled in a big way against the Wolverines’ zone defense, was thrown out early in the second half for an elbow thrown at Michigan’s Stu Douglass. Clemson came back from a second-half run that put the Wolverines up 58-43 with just under six minutes to go, holding John Beilein’s team without a field goal for more than five minutes. But down 62-59 with thirteen seconds remaining, a confusing possession ensued with senior K.C. Rivers eventually tossing up a contested three with two seconds to go. Shot goes wide, and Clemson is once again left to wonder “what if” following a disappointing NCAA Tournament loss.

Next up for Michigan is Oklahoma, and if they can play efficiently on the offensive end they may be able to give the Sooners some trouble with their zone defense.

5. Villanova survives American…in Philadelphia.

On Sunday it looked as if the Wildcats had their road to the East Regional in Boston paved for them with two games in Philadelphia. At halftime Thursday night there was the distinct possibility of Villanova taking the 17-mile trek back to their campus on the Main Line. Led by guards Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr, the Eagles went into the locker room up ten and led in the second half by as many as fourteen before Jay Wright’s team snapped to life. The Wildcats, instead of trying to show that they could shoot from the perimeter as well (a strategy that didn’t work in the first half), attacked the basket and took control of the game once Carr went to the bench with his fourth foul. Finally the Wildcats were able to gain separation, winning 80-67 to move on to a second round showdown with UCLA Saturday.

“I think this game was more just us having bigger, stronger athletes at the end,” said head coach Jay Wright in the postgame press conference. “In the end, they were getting some good shots still. I think they were a little worn down. We were getting more rebounds. We were driving the ball better, getting to the foul line [as a result].” Villanova will have to do more of the same if they’re to beat the Bruins, a team that can make opponents one-dimensional on offense with their brand of defense.

6. Thursday Superlatives

Player of the Day: Memphis G Roburt Sallie (35 points, 10-for-15 3PT)

Team of the Day: Western Kentucky

Special Occasion: Tyler Hansbrough breaking J.J. Redick’s ACC career scoring record in the Tar Heels’ 101-58 beating of Radford.

What in the world were you thinking: Morgan State forward Ameer Ali for his judo throw of Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin.

Newsworthy ailment: Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun missed their first round game against Chattanooga due to dehydration. He’ll spend the night in a Philadelphia hospital (precautionary), most likely returning to the bench for the second round game on Saturday. “I think we would have been more fired up if coach was here,” said UConn point guard A.J. Price. “Chattanooga actually got off easy, I think, by coach not being here today.” Final score: 103-47.

7. Thursday’s Scores

East Region

Greensboro: #7 Texas 76, #10 Minnesota 62; #2 Duke 86, #15 Binghamton 62

Philadelphia: #3 Villanova 80, #14 American 67; #6 UCLA 65, #11 VCU 64

South Region

Greensboro: #8 LSU 75, #9 Butler 71; #1 North Carolina 101, #16 Radford 58

Kansas City: #10 Michigan 62, #7 Clemson 59; #2 Oklahoma 82, #15 Morgan State 54

Portland: #4 Gonzaga 77, #13 Akron 64; #12 Western Kentucky 76, #5 Illinois 72

West Region

Kansas City: #2 Memphis 81, #15 Cal-State Northridge 70; #10 Maryland 84, #7 California 71

Philadelphia: #9 Texas A&M 79, #8 BYU 66; #1 Connecticut 103, #16 Chattanooga 47

Portland: #5 Purdue 61, #12 Northern Iowa 56; #4 Washington 71, #13 Mississippi State 58

American: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:17:42 -0400

American Eagles

Patriot League (24-7, 13-1)

Big Wins: 11/22 at Jacksonville (75-67), 12/29 at Manhattan (60-48), 3/13 Holy Cross (73-57)

Bad Losses: 12/1 Mt. St. Mary’s (52-57), 12/17 at George Washington (50-63), 1/24 at Holy Cross (62-71)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2008, First Round loss to Tennessee

Coach: Jeff Jones (6-6 in 6 NCAA appearances)

Why They Can Surprise:

This is an extremely experienced team and Coach Jeff Jones will likely start five seniors in the tournament. And it all starts with Derrick Mercer. The senior point guard will use his speed to get to the basket and finish or find his teammates. He dishes out over four assists per game and, while the turnover numbers are a little high, he does a good job knocking down the jumpers and running the team.

A majority of Mercer’s assists will go to Garrison Carr. Carr knocks down 3.5 three balls per game and hits nearly 39 percent of his attempts. Those numbers are down from last year, but when the Eagles need a big shot, you can be certain it will be Carr taking it. Carr shoots very well from the charity stripe and if American finds themselves in a close game down the stretch, American will want the ball in his hands. With Mercer and Carr leading the way, the Eagles can pull off a surprise in March, but they will need help from other players on the team.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Generally speaking a team in the Patriot League will be outmatched in March. The Eagles just do not have the athletes to compete with most teams in larger conferences. The three-point shot will give them a chance to stay in the game, but if AU gets behind, their style of play does not lend itself to mustering up a comeback. This is not a team that gets easy buckets off turnovers or feels comfortable pushing the tempo and running the floor. Thus, if Carr is not hitting the long balls, there is not much else the Eagles can do to quickly put points on the board.

Who To Watch:

American will get points from Carr and Mercer, but the team will need the forwards to step up and score some buckets. Brian Gilmore has been the most consistent option so far this season. The 6-8 forward is averaging 12.4 points per game and a team high 5.4 rebounds. His ability to hit the outside shot adds another dynamic to the American offense and that makes this group quite difficult to defend. Jordan Nichols, Stephen Lumpkins and Bryce Simon will see some playing time at the forward spots, but none of them are major scoring threats. Nick Hendra is the super sub in the backcourt, but is averaging just 6.5 points per game. He has had a few big games this year and he will need another one, and maybe a few tiny sandwiches, if American hopes to pull of an upset.

Probable Starters:

Derrick Mercer, Senior, Guard, 11.5 ppg, 4.4 apg, 4.3 rpg

Garrison Carr, Senior, Guard, 17.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Frank Borden, Senior, Guard, 3.5 ppg, 1.4 apg

Jordan Nichols, Senior, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg

Brian Gilmore, Senior, Forward, 12.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Nick Hendra, Sophomore, Guard, 6.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Stephen Lumpkins, Freshman, Forward, 3.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Bryce Simon, Senior, Forward, 2.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 64.2 (254^th in nation, 5^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 58.5 (9, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.5 (56, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 39.7 (28, 2)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.1 (88, 3)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.4 (52, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 65.2 (266, 8)

Rebound Margin: 3.2 (65, 2)

Assists Per Game: 13.1 (158, 4)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.2 (115, 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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Patriot League Tournament: Preview & Prediction

Evan Dorey — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:09:05 -0500

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:

Patriot League Championship

The Patriot League Tournament features all league teams, with all games being hosted at the higher seed.

Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	American	99.07%	97.22%	86.03%
2	Holy Cross	93.81%	80.21%	12.37%
3	Navy	85.31%	17.26%	1.28%
4	Army	66.79%	1.75%	0.16%
5	Lehigh	33.21%	0.83%	0.08%
6	Colgate	14.69%	1.39%	0.04%
7	Bucknell	6.19%	1.14%	0.03%
8	Lafayette	0.93%	0.19%	0.01%

Between their domination of the league and the home court advantage, American is the single most dominant favorite in any conference tournament of the season. Holy Cross seem to have the only serious chance of stopping the Eagles’ run.

#1 – American Eagles (21-7, 13-1) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.219

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

After earning its first NCAA Tournament berth last season, American doesn’t seem like it’ll take long to get its second, having lost just once since late December, and entering the tournament on a 10-game winning streak. It might be easier to list what American doesn’t do better than anyone else in the league, it’s so dominant. The Eagles are excellent shooters, 47% overall and at nearly 40% from behind the arc. They take a lot of threes, and play a slow, deliberate offense that focuses on ball control. They are also the best at defending shots in the PL, allowing opponents the same percentage from two that they shoot from three themselves. The Eagles also dominate the defensive glass, so opponents have a lot of one-miss-and-out possessions.

Players to watch:

5-11 SR Garrison Carr, 17.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 50.7 eFG% - Carr leads the Eagles in scoring, and is basically the only guy who takes threes on the team, his 251 attempts about the same as the rest of the team combined. He’s made nearly 38% of them, nearly as good a percentage as his two-point attempts. He’s a typical sort of high-usage player, providing solid efficiency over a large number of possessions, and freeing up other players into smaller, more effective roles.

6-8 SR Brian Gilmore, 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 60.7 eFG% - Gilmore is the main option for American inside, a very good inside scorer with a great touch from outside as well. He leads the team in rebounding, but his rates on the boards aren’t particularly good. While he doesn’t often put up a big number, he chips in with effective shooting down low.

#2 – Holy Cross Crusaders (16-13, 11-3) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.114

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Holy Cross had a poor non-conference season, picking up a number of bad losses (including three against the Ivy), but turned it on when Patriot play started, and were the only team to beat American. The Crusaders dominated the rest of the league as well, and have the second best offense and defense, behind only the Eagles. Holy Cross depends on getting the ball inside to score, and going 50% on two-point shots makes up for struggles with long-distance shots and free-throws. It’s a good offensive rebounding team, and distributes the ball well, but turns the ball over too often to be really efficient. Defensively, the word is possessions. The Crusaders are decent at stopping shots, but really shine at denying opponents chances with turnovers and rebounds.

Players to watch:

6-9 SO Andrew Keister, 9.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 59.6 eFG% - Keister may not be the Crusaders’ first option, but he’s the most efficient offensive player by a wide margin. That tends to happen when you lead the team in rebounding and shoot a better percentage from the field (60%) than from the stripe (56%).

6-4 SR Colin Cunningham, 8.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 47.1 eFG% - If Cunningham were a half-decent three point shooter, he’d be an excellent player. However, his 29% mark from beyond the arc really drags him down. Beyond that, he’s a good ball distribution guard who leads the league in steals.

#3 – Navy Midshipmen (19-10, 8-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.030

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (1^st Round)

Navy first came to my attention when it shot 71% from the field in beating Texas San Antonio, but it couldn’t keep that level of play when conference play came around, and ended up hanging just above .500 the whole season. The Midshipmen are a step down from the two leading teams on the offensive end, but are still clearly better than the teams below them. They play a fairly quick style that depends on avoiding turnovers, where they are best in the conference, and making long-distance shots, where they are only average. Navy is a pretty good team at defending the perimeter, but get beaten out inside, and are only an average league defense.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Kaleo Kina, 17.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.4 eFG% - Kina leads the Midshipmen in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals, and when his shooting touch is on, he’s as dangerous a scorer as there is in the league. The problem comes when his shots aren’t falling, as he is capable of some frightening lines, especially from three, where he shoots just 25%.

6-2 JR Chris Harris, 15.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3 eFG% - Harris is the team’s second leading scorer, and takes the majority of his shots from behind the arc, where he makes a better percentage than he shoots inside.

#4 – Army Black Knights (10-18, 6-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.052

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Army has had one of the nation’s worst offenses, and the worst in the Patriot League, so its 6-8 final record is a testament to its ability to defend. The Black Knights are decent shooters, 41 % overall, but struggle inside, and lose so many possessions with poor rebounding and turnovers that that their shooting doesn’t really matter. Army defends shots well, and forces a lot of turnovers, good enough for the Patriot’s third-best defense, but not good enough to keep up with the conference leaders.

Players to watch:

6-3 JR Cleveland Richard, 11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 53.9 eFG% - Richard is the Black Knights’ main threat from behind the arc, and the team’s leading scorer. The team is quite deep, using a lot of players, but Richards’ shooting ability clearly sets him apart.

5-11 JR Josh Miller, 9.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 45.5 eFG% - The team’s best ball distribution guard, Miller doesn’t score much, and his two point shooting is a weakness at just 43%.

#5 – Lehigh Mountain Hawks (15-13, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.057

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (Play-In)

There’s not much separating the teams in slots 4-7, and the Mountain Hawks’ trip to Army to open the tournament should be a good one, if the triple overtime game the two played in the regular season is any indication. Lehigh’s in-conference inconsistency can be blamed, for a large part, on their shooting, which is among the worst in the nation, and easily the worst in the PL. It especially struggles from two, where it takes the majority of its shots, and even good rebounding and interior defense weren’t enough to get it to the .500 mark.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Marquis Hall, 14.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 44.7 eFG% - Hall is the first part of Lehigh’s inside-outside duo, and is a good guard in every area but his shot. He’s a decent rebounder, and has a very good assist rate, but his shooting inside the arc is quite weak, and is the major failing in his game.

6-7 JR Zahir Carrington, 14.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 44.2 eFG% - The conference’s leading rebounder, Carrington’s 44% from the floor is pretty disappointing, and really reduces his effectiveness as an offensive option. He does get a good number of points at the free throw line, where he makes fairly frequent appearances.

#6 – Colgate Red Raiders (9-19, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.060

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

Colgate sat at 5-5 with two-and-a-half weeks left in the season, but a disastrous end to the season that included a tough series of road games saw them slump into the bottom portion of the conference. The Red Raiders are an average offensive team, though their slow pace makes them seem less potent then they are. They sit fifth in FG% and turnovers, so the middle-of-the pack overall efficiency fits with a balanced, mediocre unit. Defensively, they manage to hold opponents to a reasonable percentage, but have trouble stopping opponents from getting a possession advantage, with their rebounding a major culprit.

Players to watch:

6-6 JR Ben Jonson, 10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 49.7 eFG% - The junior forward is Colgate’s best option inside, and has really upped his level of play while taking on a larger role. He’s a solid rebounder, and is a good scorer from the floor who puts up a lot of points at the free throw line.

6-1 SO Mike Venezia, 10.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 44.5 eFG% - Venezia leads the Red Raiders in scoring, but his shot needs a lot of work, especially with his 41% inside. Considering that he doesn’t contribute many steals or assists, he’s a very inefficient player when his shots aren’t falling, which is fairly often.

#7 – Bucknell Bison (7-22, 4-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.055

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

Just three years removed from the second of their pair of memorable NCAA runs, the Bison have shown just how fleeting success can be, slipping to a spot just above the Patriot League cellar. The Bison are good shooters, and don’t turn the ball over much, but are woefully outclassed inside, putting up one of the nation’s worst two-point percentages. Likewise, they defend the three well, but allow opponents to score with relative ease inside. A couple of things don’t quite fit with this profile; Bucknell forces very few turnovers, but is excellent at defensive rebounding, despite playing at a fairly high pace.

Players to watch:

6-8 JR Patrick Behan, 13.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 45.8 eFG% - Behan fits with what we’ve seen from several Patriot League forwards, a good rebounder who takes a lot of his team’s shots, but doesn’t shoot a particularly good percentage.

6-1 SR Justin Castleberry, 11.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 44.5 eFG% - Castleberry has a good scoring average, but not much else; he put up a good steal rate, and he’s a decent three-point shooter, but his sub-40% shooting from two means he’s a pretty inefficient player.

#8 – Lafayette Leopards (8-21, 4-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.117

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

When I’ve been describing some of the teams above as relatively poor defensively, this has been within the context of the Patriot League, where the average team has scored well below a point-per-possession. Lafayette is the only team that allows more than that, and have been easily the worst team in the conference. The Leopards’ opponents shoot 47% from the field, and manage to score inside and outside with equal impunity. Lafayette also commits a lot of fouls, giving opponents even more high-percentage chances. Offensively, Lafayette are about average in the conference, a three-heavy offense that doesn’t shoot a great long distance percentage, but is effective inside and at the line.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Jeff Kari, 10.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 48.2 eFG% - Kari is 2^nd on the team in scoring, but he’s not a particularly effective guard, having an even assist/turnover ratio and a below average shot inside and outside.

5-11 SR Andrew Brown, 13.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 43.6 eFG% - Lafayette’s leading scorer and assist man, Brown is another player who’s struggled to make shots, below 30% from three and under 35% overall.

My statistical all-Patriot League team:

American SR G Garrison Carr, 17.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 50.7 eFG%

Navy SR G Kaleo Kina, 17.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.4 eFG

Navy JR G Chris Harris, 15.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3 eFG%

Army JR G Cleveland Richard, 11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 53.9 eFG%

American SR F Brian Gilmore, 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 60.7 eFG%

Seven Day Stretch: USC Troubles, Creighton Streaking, Duke/UNC, More..

Rob Carpentier — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:10:28 -0500

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

Seven Day Savior (Team): Michigan State Spartans

If there ever was a top team that is playing good basketball and lurking under he radar, it’s the Spartans. When national pundits have been discussing the possible top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State is conspicuously absent. This year’s version of State may be Coach Tom Izzo’s best coaching job to date and that’s saying a lot. The Spartans are coming off a week when they solidified their lofty ranking, both in the polls and the RPI because of wins at home against Iowa and, more impressively, at second place Illinois. The win over the Illinois clinched at least a share of the Big 10 Conference regular season title for State. Not only are the Spartans winning, they are doing it with perhaps their best player, Raymar Morgan, having been either out or playing with the effects of pneumonia for a large chunk of the season. Now that Morgan is getting back to full strength, Izzo’s Spartans are a dark horse contender to win the national title. That’s a long way from the hammering they suffered at the hands of North Carolina in December.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Garrison Carr, American University

In the last three games for the Eagles Carr has scored 28, 20 and 23 points respectively. The 28 point effort was against Holy Cross, a game in which American essentially clinched the Patriot League regular season title. For good measure, in American’s next game Carr scored 20 as the Eagles did clinch the title with a win over third place Navy. For the season the 5’11” senior is averaging 17.5 PPG on a team that only scores a little more than 63 PPG. The key for Carr and American, though, is that he’s averaging over 20 points in “big” games. Carr had a stellar season last year as he led American to last year’s NCAA Tourney. This year he’s better, and so are Eagles, which makes them a very dangerous team come time for the Big Dance…assuming they make it.

Game of the Week (The One You Already Know About): Duke at North Carolina

I avoided making this the game of the week the first time these two giants met, but there’s no denying that this is the biggest game of this week. The ACC is arguably the best conference in the country and these are the two best teams. Quite frankly, UNC is the more talented team, but there’s no denying that Duke has the capability of getting hot from beyond the arc and beating the Tar Heels. It helps that these two schools are such rivals that the word “hate” is not too strong in this situation. Carolina has all but wrapped up a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and in the ACC Tournament. But Duke has an outside shot at a #1 seed and beating the Heels will go a long way to earning that seed. More importantly a win will give Duke real confidence in the event that the Blue Devils face the Tar Heels in near future. A Carolina win may create such a mental barrier for the Blue Devils that they simply won’t or can’t believe that they can win any game this year against North Carolina.

Game of the Week (The One You Don’t Know About): The Finishing Weekend in the Mid American Conference

The East Division of the MAC, which is so much better than the West Division where the top team, Ball State, has a .500 record, has five teams that theoretically can win the division title. The five teams, Miami, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Akron and Kent State, go into the final week within two games of each other. The great part about it for fans of college basketball is that four of the teams, all but Akron, play each other this week. That means that trying to predict the outcome of the conference at this point is an exercise in futility. Miami has the best player in wing Michael Bramos, while Buffalo probably has the best team. But the Bison have to go on the road to Kent State before returning home to host Miami to close out the regular season. Akron has the easiest schedule of the five teams, having only to face Kent State after playing Ohio. It’s such a complicated possible outcome that to try and dissect it is just stupid. However, we can all sit back and enjoy the games this week and see what happens. The conference tournament should be just as much of a crapshoot as the finishing weekend is shaping up to be.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Creighton Bluejays

Just one month ago the Bluejays, along with the rest of their Missouri Valley Conference brethren, were all in a position of seemingly having to win the MVC Tournament in order to get into the NCAAs. Since then Creighton has gone on a ten game winning streak, including a convincing win over George Mason, to go from afterthought to being in the middle of the at-large conversation. I guess we as fans shouldn’t be surprised at this considering that Coach Dana Altman has made a habit of getting Creighton in at-large consideration for the better part of the last decade. This year’s version of the Bluejays has a strong backcourt leading the way. Senior Booker Woodfox and sophomore P’Allen Stinnett are both game changers at both ends of the floor. Having a strong backcourt is critical for success in March. As a team Creighton plays strong defense and shoots well from the floor. These are Altman trademarks. In a season when mid-major at-large candidates seem few and far between Creighton is making a compelling case to be chosen for the Big dance should they not win the MVC Tournament title.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Tim Floyd, USC Trojans

This is going to be a controversial choice, but follow me. Floyd has had to recruit against a resurgent UCLA program and because the Bruins have been getting the bulk of who they have recruited from the Los Angeles area, Floyd has had to resort to picking up UCLA’ s scraps and going after players of questionable academic and eligibility standing. This may finally be catching up to Floyd. Rumors are out now that USC is being investigated by the NCAA over the OJ Mayo recruitment of last year. On top of that, last week I wrote about the Renardo Sidney situation and his choosing of USC, and now rumors are floating out there that the NCAA has actually already opened a file on Sidney. Couple this with the fact that the USC football program is being quietly looked at by the NCAA over allegations of improper oversight in the Reggie Bush situation and the major men’s sports at USC are under the microscope. This may not only mean the end of Floyd’s tenure, but also of Athletic Director Mike Garrett who has been the man in charge of the athletic department while all of these alleged events have taken place. This is more than a wins/loses scenario but it is no less real.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Jim Calhoun’s “Outburst”

This has been the obvious off-the-court story of the past week. Without getting into too much detail, the story essentially goes like this; at a press conference after a UConn game, a political activist asked Calhoun if he should be giving back part of his $1.6 million salary to the school in this period of economic troubles since UConn is a state school. Calhoun told the activist to “shut up” and then stated, and I am paraphrasing here, that the activist had no right to ask that question when he wasn’t willing to state that Calhoun’s program brings in much more than that to the university’s coffers. The reason I’m scratching my head over this is not because of the questions and the response, but rather by the way the media dictated how this story has unfolded. Politicians in the Connecticut state legislature have gone public in their displeasure of Calhoun in this situation. The reason for their doing this is plain to see; they know that their comments will be picked up by the media. If this type of confrontation happened 20 years ago I doubt we would have heard much about it. The difference is the impact the media has on driving stories. We see this in politics as well as sports. It’s unfortunate that individuals allow this to happen by in essence not thinking for themselves. Whether Calhoun was right or wrong in this situation is beside the point. The fact that people, whether university officials or state politicians feel the need to make a big issue out of this despite the fact that there truly are more important things for them to deal with is the real head scratcher.

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.

Patroit League Tournament: Quarterfinals Preview

Press Release — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:27:57 -0500

Center Valley, Pa. - The quest for the 2009 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship begins with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, with defending champion American playing as the No. 1 seed and hosting No. 8 Lafayette. No. 2 Holy Cross hosts No. 7 Bucknell, No. 3 Navy takes on No. 6 Colgate and No. 4 Army hosts No. 5 Lehigh in the other three contests.

Patriot League Quarterfinal Preview

It's win or go home time in Patriot League men's basketball, as the League Tournament tips off with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday. The evening's action begins at 7 p.m. with No. 7 seed Bucknell at No. 2 Holy Cross, No. 6 Colgate at No. 3 Navy and No. 5 Lehigh at No. 4 Army. The No. 1 seeded American Eagles begin defense of their League title at 7:30 p.m. at Bender Arena against No. 8 Lafayette. The winner of the Lehigh/Army game plays the winner of Lafayette/American in the semifinals on Sunday, with the winners on the other side of the bracket also facing off that day. All Patriot League Tournament games are played at the site of the higher seed, with the Championship on March 13

The Eagles won the Patriot League with a 13-1 mark in the regular season, claiming the top seed in the Tournament for the second year in a row. They are led by senior guards Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr. Mercer was named Patriot League Player of the Year on Monday, while Carr earned his second consecutive First-Team All-League award. The Eagles are tied for third in the nation with a 10-game winning streak, and have victories in 16 of their last 17 games. Lafayette is led by senior guard Andrew Brown, who averages 13.6 points per game.

The Mountain Hawks and Black Knights play in the quarterfinals for the third year in a row. Lehigh is led by First-Team All-League selection Marquis Hall and Second-Team All-League choice Zahir Carrington. Army places 34th in the country in scoring defense, and has Patriot League Defensive Player of the year Marcus Nelson and Second-Team All-League pick Cleveland Richard on its side.

Bucknell and Holy Cross are meeting in the Patriot Leaguue Tournament for a record 12th time, with the Bison holding a 6-5 edge thus far. Bucknell is led by Second-Team All-League choice Patrick Behan, who has five consecutive 20-point games. Holy Cross boasts First-Team All-League pick Andrew Keister and Patriot League Rookie of the Year R.J. Evans for a team that went 11-3 in Patriot League action.

Colgate and Navy face off in Annapolis after just playing on Saturday in a game won by the Mids. The Raiders have lost five consecutive games coming into action, but do have three players scoring around 10 points per contest. Navy boasts First-Team All-Patriot League choice Kaleo Kina and Second-Team All-League pick Chris Harris, who each finished in the top three in overall and League only scoring in 2008-09.

Patriot League Notebook

American Enters Exclusive Company in League Annals

By clinching the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, American become the first team since Lafayette in 1998-00 to earn the top seed in consecutive seasons. The Leopards are the only program to earn three straight No. 1 seeds, with Colgate (1995-96)?and Fordham (1990-91) the others to do it in consecutive years. American is also the first team in League annals to earn sole possession of the regular-season title for two straight seasons. The Eagles will play as the No. 1 seed in the Tournament for the third time in eight years as a League member, with the other instance in 2002. American has captured a top four seed in each of its League seasons.

No. 1 Usually Ends Up No. 1

If history rings true, American has to like its chances as the No. 1 seed with home court throughout the Patriot League Tournament. The top seed has won 14 of the 18 League Tournaments, and has advanced to the title game every season. American continued that trend by winning the Championship as the No. 1 seed last year.

Repeat Is No Unusual Feat

Also in the Eagles' favor is the history of repeat champions in the Patriot League. There have already been six repeat champions in League annals, with just four champions earning only a single crown. Lehigh is the only Patriot League program to win one title but never repeat as a champion, a distinction the Eagles will try to avoid joining this season.

-- From PatriotLeague.org

Mid-Major Player of the Week: Stefon Jackson

Joey Whelan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:39:52 -0500

Player of the Week

Stefon Jackson – UTEP

3 Games: 28 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2 apg

Stefon Jackson has been one of the better kept secrets in college basketball to the casual fan for the last couple of years, but the senior from Philadelphia just keeps trucking along and posting big point totals night in and night out. The two-guard can get to the rim with the best of them and had an equally as dangerous mid-range game. As far as his pro chances are concerned, scouts will like to see that Jackson’s three-point and free throw shooting numbers have both taken a step up this season.

Finalists

Lester Hudson – Tennessee-Martin

2 Games: 24.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.5 spg

Hudson makes a second appearance on our list as a finalist after putting together probably his most efficient week of the season. The senior shot 60% from the field and connected on 7-13 shot attempts from beyond the arc. As a whole, the senior’s numbers have taken a slight dip this season as teams focus on him more defensively, but he is still going to get his points each time out.

Dionte Christmas – Temple

vs. Kansas: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 50% 3P FG

He may have only played one game this week, but Christmas followed up his phenomenal performance against Tennessee with another strong showing against the reigning national champions. It’s no secret that the shooting guard likes to fire away from the outside but Christmas takes it to a new level, going 0-2 from inside the arc and 6-12 from beyond it.

Diamon Simpson – Saint Mary’s

3 Games: 12.3 ppg, 15 rpg, 1 apg

Patrick Mills may get the majority of the attention, but Simpson can play too. The undersized post man has been on a tear lately, posting a pair of games this past week of at least 15 points and 15 rebounds, including a 16 and 18 game against Oregon. In all, the senior has recorded four double-doubles and six double digit rebound games this season.

Worth Noting

Garrison Carr – American

Vs. UMBC: 34 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 10-18 FG, 8-15 3P FG

After getting off to a slow start, one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the country last season found his stroke this past week. Carr went off against the Retrievers, lighting it up from beyond the arc in a warm up before American takes on the Maryland Terrapins.

- All non-BCS players are eligible for CollegeHoops.net's Mid-Major Player of the Week.

GameNight: American at Oklahoma

CHN — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:32:38 -0500

Start: Nov 14 2008 - 7:59pm

Preview & Prediction: By Raphielle Johnson

The preseason favorite to win the Big 12 hosts the defending Patriot League champions in the season opener for both, and the Sooners may get more of a challenge in this one than they will in their NIT Season Tip-Off opener against Mississippi Valley State. Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr start in the backcourt for the Eagles, who gave Tennessee all they wanted and then some in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. But can they really match up with Preseason All-American Blake Griffin in the frontcourt? That’s the concern for Jeff Jones’ Eagles, but it’s not like the Sooners lack talent outside of the younger Griffin.

Tony Crocker is the notable returnee in the backcourt, but many eyes will be on highly-touted freshman Willie Warren and how he adjusts to the college game. And don’t forget about Taylor Griffin inside as well, a player who can hurt you if you devote too much of your attention to his little brother. Oklahoma will win this game due in large part to their strength inside, but this game will help out American’s big men as the season progresses. They won’t play a big man as talented as Blake Griffin until (possibly) the NCAA Tournament. Winner: Oklahoma

Preview & Prediction: By Blake Hofstad

Oklahoma better be ready for this one. The Eagles return 3 starters from a team that stayed competitive with Tennessee last year. That includes star guards Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer. Carr is the most talented player in the Patriot League, and is a deadeye from 3-point land. Mercer is one of the best passers to go through the Patriot League. Jeff Capel’s Sooners are looking to improve on last year’s 2^nd round Tourney appearance. The loss of forward Longar Longar will sting, but they have one of the nation’s best to help pick up Longar’s production. Blake Griffin is an early candidate for Player of the Year, and he should average a double-double. Guards Willie Warren and Tony Crocker should contribute in all sorts of ways. In the team scrimmage, the freshman Warren developed a connection with Griffin, finding him 4 times on the lob. Crocker will likely be second on the team in scoring. If Oklahoma can get a win here, it solidifies their position as a frontrunner in the Big 12. But if American swings the upset, it’s a huge blow to the Sooners as well as an influential victory for the Eagles.

The game within the game can be found in the backcourt, where the American tandem of Carr and Mercer square off against the Sooner’s Warren and Crocker. If the Eagles can outperform Oklahoma here, their chances of an upset increase a whole lot more, because I just don’t see American getting the best of Blake Griffin and his older brother Taylor on the boards. Their leading returning rebounder is 6’6”, and they will play a more up-tempo style of play to minimize Griffin’s impact. The Sooners should outrebound American by a large margin. If this game was being played in DC, the Eagles would have a prime chance at an upset. This game being played in Norman, my money’s on Oklahoma, 78-71. Winner: Oklahoma

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Patriot League?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:40:13 -0500

Patriot League Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:27:14 -0500

Conference Rank: 20th

10 year average: 23rd

Patriot League Conference Page

All-Patriot Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Garrison Carr	American	Sr
G	Derrick Mercer	American	Sr
G	Marquis Hall	Lehigh	Jr
F	Kyle Roemer	Colgate	Sr
F	Alex Vander Baan	Holy Cross	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Garrison Carr		Points: Garrison Carr 18.1 Rebounds: Alex Vander Baan (HC) 5.7 Assists: Marquis Hall 4.4

Patriot League Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

86	American**	Patriot	1	NCAA
170	Lehigh	Patriot	2
206	Holy Cross	Patriot	3
237	Colgate	Patriot	4
249	Bucknell	Patriot	5
253	Navy	Patriot	6
270	Army	Patriot	7
288	Lafayette	Patriot	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Patriot? (soon)

Other Patriot Content

Conference Media/Coaches Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Patriot

State of '08: District of Columbia

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:58:34 -0400

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? 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 ranking of every program in every state.. 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: District of Columbia For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

WASHINGTON D.C.

GEORGETOWN - Perhaps no region has a more distinct hierarchy than our nation's capital. Georgetown, coming off two Top 10 RPI seasons has been rejuvenated under JT3, and the future looks as bright as its been in years.

GEORGE WASHINGTON - Last season was a serious downer considering how well the program had been rolling along under Karl Hobbs. The Colonials had reached three NCAA Tournaments in a row, and also made the NIT in 2004. While you have to expect improvement from last year's dismal 9-17 record, the postseason will probably be out of reach.

AMERICAN - From 1999 to 2001, American won just 22 D1 games combined. But Jeff Jones has quietly built American into a Patriot League contender, and last year's Tourney berth was the culmination of years of work. The Eagles are once again the conference favorites and could improve on last year's 10-4 league record.

HOWARD - In the last five years, Howard has been simply atrocious.. in fact they haven't been above 320 in the RPI in that span. I'm not sure if any other team can match that mark of futility. 2007 actually had promise, but the Bison lost a whole bunch of close games. Fourth year coach Gil Jackson has some work to do if he wants to keep his job.

Last: Connecticut - Next: Florida

State of '08: The Introduction