Campbell

Atlantic Sun Basketball Preview: 08-09

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:11:48 -0500

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Conference Rank: 28th

10 year average: 25th

All-ATLANTIC SUN Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	James Florence	Mercer	Jr
G	Courntey Pigram	ETSU	Sr
G/F	Shane Dansby	Belmont	Sr
F	Marcus Allen	Jacksonville	Sr
F	Jonathan Rodriguez	Campbell	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Courtney Pigram Jonathan Rodriguez		Points: Jonathan Rodriguez 20.9 Rebounds: Jonathan Rodriguez 10.1 Assists: Rob Quaintaince (FGCU) 5.3

ATLANTIC SUN Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

109	Belmont* **	Asun	1	NCAA
156	Stetson	Asun	2
176	Jacksonville	Asun	3
227	East Tennessee	Asun	4
248	Lipscomb	Asun	5
275	Mercer	Asun	6
296	Kennesaw St	Asun	7
302	Campbell	Asun	8
313	Florida Gulf Coast	Asun	9
320	USC Upstate	Asun	10
344	North Florida	Asun	11

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Atlantic Sun?

Other ATLANTIC SUN Content

Conference Media Poll

Belmont Favored in A-Sun Media Poll

Interviews

Rick Byrd: Belmont Head Coach

Other

Rise & Fall: A-Sun

Atlantic Sun Preseason Media & Coaches Poll

Press Release — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:40:31 -0400

Coaches' Poll
Rank School (1st-Place) Points
1 Belmont (7) 113
T2 ETSU (2) 104
T2 Jacksonville (1) 104
4 Lipscomb 87
5 Stetson 76
6 Mercer (1) 74
7 Campbell 55
8 Kennesaw State 38
9 FGCU 32
10 USC Upstate 24
11 UNF 19

Tournament Champ: Belmont

All-Conference Team
Pos Player Class School
G Garfield Blair Sr. Stetson
G/F Shane Dansby Sr. Belmont
G Courtney Pigram Sr. ETSU
F Jonathan Rodriguez Jr. Campbell
G Ben Smith Jr. Jacksonville

Player of the Year: G Courtney Pigram, Sr., ETSU

Media Poll
Rank School (1st-Place) Points
1 Belmont (25) 348
2 Jacksonville (5) 316
3 ETSU (3) 305
4 Lipscomb 245
5 Stetson 240
6 Mercer 183
7 Campbell 163
8 Kennesaw State 145
9 FGCU 106
10 USC Upstate 77
11 UNF 50

Tournament Champ: Belmont

State of '08: North Carolina

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:45:49 -0400

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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.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA - In the past four years, UNC has won 3 ACC regular season titles, 2 conference tournaments, advanced to 2 Final Fours, and won a National Championship. Not bad.

DUKE - In most other states, Duke would be the run away top program.. but UNC happens to be in the middle of a nice run. Still, the Blue Devils have reached the Sweet Sixteen in 8 of the last 11 years.

DAVIDSON - Bob McKillop's teams have long dominated the Southern Conference. The Wildcats have finished 1st or 2nd in the conference in 12 of 13 seasons, including at least 10 league wins in those 12 years. But last year, the program reached another level by advancing to the Elite Eight.

WAKE FOREST - For obvious reasons, the past few seasons have been disappointing for the Wake community. But most fans are expecting a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, and perhaps the Deacons' first Sweet Sixteen trip since 2004.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - For whatever reasons, NC State was never satisfied with Herb Sendek even though he took over a program struggling under Les Robinson, and led them to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002 to 2006. Sidney Lowe will most likely end his 3rd season without a Tournament bid, though next year's recruiting haul is impressive.

6. CHARLOTTE - From 1995 to 2005, the 49ers made the Big Dance in 8 of 11 seasons. In the last three years since joining the A10, there's just been a pair of NIT selections. This year's team should once again be in the postseason mix.

7. UNC WILMINGTON - Ever since Jerry Wainright took over in 1995, UNCW has been one of the most consistent teams in the CAA. From 2000 to 2006, UNCW made 4 NCAA Tournaments. Third year coach Benny Moss will have to probably wait until at least 2010 for his first postseason trip.

8. APPALACHIAN STATE - Houston Fancher's 8 year tenure at App State has been solid, but he's still looking for that elusive NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2007, the Mountaineers did make the NIT after finishing the regular season with an RPI of 65.

9. UNC ASHEVILLE - Coming off one of the program's better seasons (19 D1 wins, and a conference finals trip), the Bulldogs should struggle once again in 2009. UNCA did make the Tourney in 2003, coming out of nowhere to win the Big South after a sub-par regular season.

10. UNC GREENSBORO - The Spartans knocked off Georgia Tech early last year on their way to a solid 19-win season. It was their best campaign since 2002, when they reached the NIT a year after losing to Stanford in the Big Dance.

11. HIGH POINT - Considering the program is barely a decade old at the D1 level, High Point's limited success is actually impressive. In both 06 & 07, the Panthers were a Top 200 RPI team, something that very few programs in the state can claim. 2009 should be the 4th season in a row with a finish of .500 or better in the Big South.

12. GARDNER-WEBB - The Bulldogs join the Big South this year, after less than a decade in the A-Sun. Except for a disappointing 2007 campaign, the program has actually been respectable recently.

13. ELON - 2006 was arguably the high-water mark in Elon history. The Phoenix shocked Clemson, and finished 10-4 in the Southern Conference. Last year, despite a mediocre regular season, Elon surprised many by reaching the conference title game.

14. EAST CAROLINA - While ECU has had some success on the football field, the hardcourt is another story. In the last two years, the Pirates have won just 12 D1 games and even lost to an NAIA squad last December.

15. WESTERN CAROLINA - In the last decade, WCU hasn't finished above .500 in the Southern Conference, and their top RPI finish is 230th.

16. CAMPBELL - The Camels lone NCAA Tournament came in 1992. The next one might be years away.. Campbell hasn't even reached .500 in the Atlantic Sun since 2000. There is at least some hope for respectability in 2009 thanks to star Jonathan Rodriguez.

17. NORTH CAROLINA A&T - From 03 to 06, A&T was one of the worst teams in the country. The team has at least been competitive in the MEAC the past two years, but its still the MEAC..

18. WINSTON-SALEM STATE - The Rams improved in their 2nd season at the top level, winning an impressive 11 D1 games. The team should be good enough in 2009 to perhaps knock off their first Top 200 team.

19. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL - The Eagles transition to D1 started slowly with a 4-26 record last year.

Last: New York - Next: Ohio

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For in 08-09: Part One

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:57:20 -0400

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

America East: Maine

2007-08 Record: 7-23 (3-13)

With their top three scorers from last season all returning (as tri-captains no less), I think the Black Bears have a chance to make a move up the America East standings. Mark Socoby, mid-season transfer Kaimondre Owes and Junior Bernal will lead the way for head coach Ted Woodward next season, giving Maine a three-pronged attack on the perimeter. Their ascension up the standings will depend on what they can get from the frontcourt, most notably Phil Tchekane Bofia and Sean McNally. I’d say a move to the middle of the pack at least from Maine, but a title? Maybe a little premature on that, but you never know.

ACC: Wake Forest

2007-08 Record: 17-13 (7-9)

Not like this pick is a surprise, but the combination of a highly-touted recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu and returnees such as Ish Smith, James Johnson and Chas McFarland could mean a top-four finish in the ACC for Dino Gaudio’s Demon Deacons. They weren’t too far off this season either, with five of their nine league losses being by seven points or less. And given the muddled picture that was the middle of the ACC standings last season, snatching a first-round bye in the 2009 ACC Tournament certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (5-11)

Even with two of their top four scorers out of eligibility (Reggie Bishop and Jake Wohlfeil), the Camels have a good shot at improving their 5-11 league record. Only provisional members USC Upstate and North Florida were below them in the standings (Upstate actually had five wins as well), and Florida Gulf Coast had one more conference win. But they do return forward Jonathan Rodriguez, who averaged twenty points per game on his way to snatching up Mid-Major All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com. And with the solid recruiting class being brought in by head coach Robbie Laing, Campbell should have the tools necessary to make a move in the A-Sun.

Atlantic 10: George Washington

2007-08 Record: 9-17 (5-11)

I don’t think there’s any way the Colonials can be as bad as they were in 2007-08. From an Atlantic 10 Tournament title to not even reaching the conference tournament, GW couldn’t continue the momentum. Even with three players gone (Maureece Rice to graduation; Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty were dismissed on Wednesday by head coach Karl Hobbs) from last year’s team, the Colonials could make a move up the standings with many of the teams ahead of them going through roster turnover as well. Whether or not they get to the middle of the A-10 pecking order will depend on who becomes their go-to guy on the offensive end of the floor. But they should be a balanced group, which may work out just as well for the Colonials.

Big East: Providence

2007-08 Record: 15-16 (6-12)

Another season of underachievement led to the departure of longtime head coach Tim Welsh, who was replaced by National Coach of the Year Keno Davis last month. Just as important a development for the Friars may be the return of guard Sharaud Curry, who was a medical redshirt last season. As seen with Drake last season, Coach Davis puts a high value on perimeter players who can shoot the ball from the perimeter. Guard Dwain Williams has received permission to talk to other schools, but even with his loss the Friars should be well-stocked on the outside with the likes of Curry, Weyenmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier.

And don’t forget about jack-of-all-trades Geoff McDermott and pivot Randall Hanke. The hype for this team won’t reach what it was a couple seasons ago, when a team featuring Ryan Gomes thought to be a player in the Big East didn’t even reach .500, but they will be good. The question is just how far they can go in a loaded Big East.

Big Sky: Eastern Washington

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (6-10)

Last season was indeed a tough one for the Eagle program. Head coach Kirk Earlywine didn’t get the job until late June, and under his command was a nine-man roster featuring six players with no previous Division I playing experience. While they didn’t qualify for the Big Sky Tournament in 2007-08, six of their ten conference losses were by five points or less. Granted, replacing an all-conference player like Kellen Williams will have an effect, the four transfers who sat out last season along with the returning experience should make for a better season in Cheney, Washington.

Big South: Charleston Southern

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-10)

With the return of rising sophomores Omar Carter (Big South Freshman of the Year) and Jamarco Warren (member of the Big South’s All-Freshman Team), the Buccaneers should be a good bet to improve their last place finish of a year ago. Guard Chris Moore has graduated, but he’s the only loss of note for head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has also signed a solid recruiting class. Guard Jaden Isler (Clovis, NM) could fit right into the guard slot left open by Moore’s departure, and the other three commits are no slouches either. Competing for the conference title may be a year away, but some of the teams who finished ahead of them in the standings last season have taken on some key losses due to graduation.

Big Ten: Illinois

2007-08 Record: 16-19 (5-13)

Once Eric Gordon decided to head to Indiana instead of Illinois, things went downhill for Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini. With the cornerstone of last year’s recruiting class gone, Illinois scuffled on the offensive end of the floor, but the fight was still there as this group was a mere forty minutes away from an NCAA Tournament berth. Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle are both out of eligibility, but every other key contributor from last season is slated to return, along with three newcomers. Stan Simpson was a standout performer at Chicago Simeon, and Coach Weber also received a commitment from Top-20 junior college talent Dominique Keller. After the first semester, Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will also be eligible. I don’t see this team losing thirteen conference games again this season.

Part Two tomorrow: Big 12, CUSA, Horizon, etc

Daily Dribble: 12/12

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 01:52:38 -0500

Not much going on in college basketball until next Saturday thanks to finals. There were some games of note on Monday.. but mostly I can take today's Dribble to discuss whatever nonsense I please. The Games. New Top 25 member Oregon improved to 8-0 by blowing out Bethune- Cookman by 28. The big margin gave little used freshman Joevan (a potential All-first name pick) Catron a chance to shine. Catron, who had scored 9 points all season, poured in 15 on 6 of 6 shooting. New Mexico State's won 5 in a row after a bad 1-3 start. The Aggies were supposed to be an NCAA Tournament contender, but they've still yet to win a game on the road. Senior Elijah Ingram has been hampered with achilles issues all year and has been coming off the bench. The point guard only played 11 minutes in Monday's easy win over UAPB. Transfer Fred Peete, who was supposed to be a major scoring force, has only been mediocre. Peete averaged 13 per game two years ago with Kansas State, but is only averaging 10 so far on a weak 38% from the floor. To make things worse, the shooting guard is just 15 of 27 from the line. Freshman Barry Stewart continued his solid play by scoring 22 in Misssippi State's road win at Miami. MSU picked up their first road win of the season while the Hurricanes dropped to 6-4 overall. Jamont Gordon added 17 points, 7 boards, and 8 assists in the win. Gordon is one of the country's only player that excels in all three of those categories. He's now averaging about 15 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists on the season. There's only 12 games today, and nothing particularly exciting. The best games are out west as Saint Louis heads to Pacific, while Saint Mary's faces Nevada. 3-2 Campbell also faces San Diego State. Campbell features one of the country's most productive freshmen, Jonathan Rodriguez. Rodriguez is averaging 18 points and 8 boards so far, including a monster 25 and 15 effort against Radford. Rodriguez played on a stacked Miami Tropics AAU team and was on of Florida's better prep teams as well, but apparently the 6-5 forward was overlooked by the big boys. You have to understand that Campbell is a program that won just 2 game in the 2004-05 season.. so to have a player making such a big impact is a big deal. Even though there's no big marquee matchups this week.. I suggest you join CHN's weekly pick'em game. Each week, 12 games are assigned for you to pick, and the stats are tallied throughout the season. To sign up, simply register for the message board and see the thread on there about this week's games. We'll be releasing our next CHN Top 100 players ranking soon. It will be interesting to see who is #1. Noah was #1 in the preseason, with Hansbrough, Davis, and Oden coming in at 2,3,4. Kevin Durant was 7th in preseason, but he has to be in consideration with those other 4 for the top spot. Given another few weeks, Oden might emerge as the clear #1, but as of now, its still hard to say he deserves it over those other top stars. The lack of clear consensus #1 player as well as consenus #1 team is one reason why this season should feature lots of twists and turns all the way through the final four. Top 25 Poll's always lead to interesting debate. Fans always complain (like they do about CHN's own Top 50 power ranking) about the worth of these rankings, but yet they're just so extremely popular as discussion points. One of the big reasons for the intrigue is the lack of consensus about what the polls are really saying. One way to look at the Ap Top 25 is to think, okay, if the season ended today, these 25 teams have DONE the best. Another way though, is to say, these 25 teams ARE the best regardless of how they've done. Take UCONN.. ranked 8th in the coaches poll. UCONN hasn't beaten a team that the average fan out there even knows exists. Based on results, there's no basis for saying UCONN deserves to be in the Top 40.. or at least better than other unbeaten teams like Oklahoma St, Oregon, Clemson, etc. But since the season is not over today, I understand the desire of voters to express their opinion that UCONN is still better than those teams. Granted, I think the voters are wrong, but that's not the point. The poll's are better understood at this point as a balancing between the voter's views of who has done the best, and who they think is best. In a perfect world.. UCONN would play Oklahoma State on a neutral floor so that we'd always find out whether the voters opinion is right or wrong. But of course we don't, and it is precisely because we don't that the polls are always the ideal fodder for fan discussion. - Dribble is as Dribble does -