Coppin St

MEAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:54:55 -0500

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Conference Rank: 30th

All-MEAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Tywain McKee	Coppin St	Sr
G	Reggie Holmes	Morgan St	Jr
G/F	Corey Lyons	Norfolk St	Sr
F	Marquise Kately	Morgan St	Sr
F	Jason Johnson	So. Carolina St	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
none		Points: Tywain McKee 16.6 Rebounds: Jason Johnson 7.5 Assists: Joe Ballard (FAMU) 3.8

MEAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

126	Morgan State*	MEAC	1	NCAA
167	Hampton	MEAC	2
197	Delaware State	MEAC	3
240	Norfolk State	MEAC	4
254	South Carolina St	MEAC	5
283	Florida A&M	MEAC	6
301	Coppin State**	MEAC	7
310	NC A&T	MEAC	8
317	Howard	MEAC	9
319	Bethune-Cookman	MEAC	10
339	UMES	MEAC	11

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MEAC?

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Rise & Fall: MEAC

State of '08: Maryland

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:41:00 -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.

MARYLAND

MARYLAND - The recent struggles of the Terps under Gary Williams are well documented, but as far as the Crab Cake State goes, Maryland dominates..

LOYOLA - Considering how epically bad Loyola was from about 2000 to 2005, the program has come a long way. Jimmy Patsos deserves credit for turning around a program that was 1-27 the year before he arrived in 2005. The past two seasons, Loyola has won 37 games, and gone 24-12 in MAAC play. The next step is doing some damage in the league tournament.

UMBC - 2008 was a banner season for Randy Monroe and the Retrievers. They won 24 games, dominated the America East with a 13-3 record, rolled through the conference tournament, and faced Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. Plus, UMBC was 85th in the RPI, just 3 spots behind ACC member Maryland.

MOUNT SAINT MARY'S - The Mount returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, beating in-state rival Coppin State in the play-in game. This was the culmination of a nice rebuilding job undertaken by 6th year coach Milan Brown. Now that the Mount returns star Jeremy Goode, a return trip is certainly not out of the question.

COPPIN STATE - The Eagles were arguably one of the worst NCAA Tournament teams of all-time last year. They finished under .500 in the lowly MEAC and only had one Top 250 win going into the conference tournament. They also set a record by being the 1st tourney team with 20 losses. But with the exception of a brutal 2002 campaign (316 RPI), Coppin has consistently been one of the better teams in the MEAC since 1997, the year of their epic win over South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

6. NAVY - Like many of its Maryland counterparts, Navy has also improved a lot in the past couple of years. When Billy Lange took over, the Midshippmen were struggling to win 5 games a season. Last year though, they won 16 games overall and finished 2nd in the NEC. Lange is trying to return Navy to its former glory days of the 80's and 90's when the program made 8 NCAA Tournaments in 16 seasons between 1985 and 2000.

7. MORGAN STATE - Todd Bozeman has done a solid job in his two years at Morgan State. Last year, the Bears won 22 games, captured the MEAC regular season title and made the NIT. Not bad considering the Bears went 4-26 in 2006. The program still needs a couple more successful seasons before it passes Coppin or Navy on this list.

8.TOWSON - Although Towson plays in a better league (CAA) than many of its in-state counterparts, there's been little success over the last decade. Since joining the CAA in 2002, the Tigers have yet to finish .500 in league play, a trend that I expect to continue in 08-09

9. UMES - The Hawks are in the midst of a horrible dry stretch. They've only won 24 games in the last five seasons. There's nothing positive to add.

Last: Louisiana - Next: Massachuesetts

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

Opening Round Preview: Coppin St vs Mount St Mary's

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:23:49 -0400

I’ll go ahead and cave in to the NCAA’s wishes that people refer to Tuesday’s game between Coppin State and Mount St. Mary’s as the “Opening Round Game” instead of calling it what it really is: a play-in game. Do they really think that the losing team will feel like they actually took part in the NCAA Tournament when they’re at a site with only one other team present? No but credit the people of Dayton, Ohio for doing a good job with this game, because things could be a whole lot worse.

As for the concept of this game, I’ve been on the stump for years to change this into a day with four games matching up bubble teams to figure out who the last four teams in should be. And has there been a more compelling argument for such a change than this year? That would be much more feasible than doubling the size of the tournament to add teams that are currently hovering around .500 with the sole goal being to hand out more bids to BCS conferences. But enough about that, let’s take a look at the two teams playing in this opening round game.

You’ll probably laugh (or curse me as a blankety-blank fool), but the Coppin State Eagles are one of the hotter teams entering the tournament. Usually when a team reaches the record of 4-19, 0-8 in conference play, it’s time to fold up the tent and look forward to next season. But not Fang Mitchell’s bunch, who won twelve of their last thirteen and four games in four days (by a grand total of six points) to take the MEAC’s automatic bid. Their 16-20 record makes them the first team in tournament history with twenty losses, but given the number of guarantee games schools from the MEAC and SWAC are forced to play to keep their athletic departments afloat this isn’t as bad as it looks.

Mount St. Mary’s didn’t experience that kind of futility to start the year, but they didn’t truly hit their stride until head coach Milan Brown went from a traditional half-court offense to a form of the Dribble Drive Motion system that’s been best employed by the Memphis Tigers. Guards Jeremy Goode and Chris Vann experienced more freedom, but they had to put in a full effort on the defensive end in order for Coach Brown to buy in. They’ve done it, and as a result the Mountaineers find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.

Tournament History

Coppin State: 1990 (Fifteen seed in the South; lost to Syracuse 70-48 in the first round); 1993 (Fifteen seed in the East; lost to Cincinnati 93-66 in the first round); 1997 (Fifteen seed in the East; beat South Carolina 78-65, lost to Texas 82-81 in the second round).

Mount St. Mary’s: 1995 (Sixteen seed in the Southeast; lost to Kentucky 113-67 in the first round); 1999 (Sixteen seed in the Midwest; lost to Michigan State 76-53 in the first round).

Note: The Northeast Conference currently has the worst winning percentage of any conference in NCAA Tournament play. The conference has an overall record of 2-26 all-time.

Team Statistics (conference leader in bold)

Category	Coppin State (conf. rank)	Mount St. Mary’s (conf. rank)
PPG	59.8 (7^th in MEAC)	69.1 (8^th in NEC)
PPG allowed	65.9 (5^th)	66.5 (1^st)
FT %	71.9 (1^st)	69.6 (7^th)
FG %	39.8 (10^th)	44.6 (4^th)
FG % defense	44.1 (7^th)	41.5 (2^nd)
3 PT %	31.8 (7^th)	36.7 (3^rd)
3 PT % defense	34.7 (8^th)	32.1 (3^rd)
Rebound margin	- 4.6 (9^th)	- 1.4 (8^th)
Turnover margin	+ 2.08 (1^st)	+ 0.72 (4^th)
Assist/Turnover ratio	0.64 (9^th)	0.89 (6^th)

Team Leaders (conference leader in bold)

Category	Coppin State	Mount St. Mary’s
PPG	Tywain McKee (16.6)	Chris Vann (14.4)
RPG	Robert Pressey (5.5)	Markus Mitchell (5.9)
APG	McKee (3.09)	Jeremy Goode (5.55)
FG %	Antwan Harrison (45.7)	Sam Atupem (51.2)
3 PT %	McKee (44.6)	Vann (39.2)
Assist/Turnover ratio	McKee (1.20)	Goode (1.62)

Players to Watch

Coppin State- Senior guard Tywain McKee

The primary offensive option for Fang Mitchell’s Eagles, McKee has the capability to put this team on his back and carry them to a win, as he did in the semifinals and final of the MEAC Tournament. Against Norfolk State in the semis, McKee went for twenty-six points as CSU pulled out a 67-65 win. For an encore, McKee lit up Morgan State for thirty-three points in the final, including the Eagles’ last nine points and a game-winner with five seconds remaining. Simply put, McKee will be the man taking the majority of the shots for Coppin State. It’s up to the Mountaineers to make him work for those shots.

Coppin State- Senior swingman Antwan Harrison

When your primary scoring option is bound to be the first line in the opponent’s scouting report, there has to be someone else with the ability to put some points on the board. Harrison, the team’s second-leading scorer and leader in field goal percentage, is the best candidate to do so. He only averaged a little more than eleven points per game in the MEAC Tournament, but a little more may be required of him if CSU is to advance.

Mount St. Mary’s- Senior guard Chris Vann

Vann, who leads the team in scoring and three-point percentage, was one of the chief beneficiaries of Coach Brown’s change in offensive philosophy. He possesses the ability to beat opponents off the dribble and can also knock down the outside shot and get his teammates involved. However, he’s been in a bit of a slump of late, and the foul trouble that has put him on the bench for long stretches of time hasn’t helped either. The Mount would best be served to have him stay away from silly fouls.

Mount St. Mary’s- Freshman guard Jean Cajou

Cajou may only average 6.9 points and just over twenty minutes per game, but without his efforts in the NEC Tournament the Mountaineers wouldn’t be in the NCAA Tournament. Named MVP of the conference tournament, Cajou posted games of 20, 13 and 15 points in their three games. Scoring twenty-seven in their regular season finale against Monmouth did wonders for his confidence, which was on full display in the NEC Tournament. If he can keep up his solid play along with Vann staying on the floor, the Mount could be in good shape.

What should happen in this game?

I like the Mountaineers to win this one, due primarily to their scoring balance. In addition to the aforementioned Vann, Goode and Cajou, Coach Brown can also rely on players such as Sam Atupem and Kelly Beidler, who also scored fifteen points in the conference final at Sacred Heart. Personally I have more confidence in one of them stepping up if needed as opposed to the Coppin State supporting cast. But with this selection comes a word of warning: do not let this one be close late, because Tywain McKee has shown himself to be more than capable of taking over a game.

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Coppin State

Joel Welser — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:24:15 -0400

Coppin State Eagles

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (16-20, 7-9)

Big Wins: 2/23 Hampton (72-55), 3/12 vs Hampton (75-74), 3/15 vs Morgan State (62-60)

Bad Losses: 1/19 Bethune-Cookman (55-56), 1/28 at Howard (69-73), 1/30 NC Central (65-67)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1997, Second Round loss to Texas

Coach: Ron “Fang” Mitchell (1-3 in 3 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Tywain McKee, Senior, Guard, 16.6 ppg, 3.1 apg, 4.3 rpg

Mike Miller, Senior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Antwan Harrison, Senior, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg

Julian Conyers, Senior, Forward, 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg

Robert Pressey, Senior, Forward, 6.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Vince Goldsberry, Freshman, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.6 apg

A’Daeron Duncan, Junior, Forward, 6.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Eddie Hayden, Freshman, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg

Brian Chesnut, Junior, Forward, 2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Coppin State does not have a lot of offensive firepower, but they certainly have one player who can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry. Tywain McKee, a 6-2 guard, averages 16.1 points per game and will take all the big shots for the Eagles. McKee is not just a scorer and the best long range shooter on the team, he is also the point guard. McKee dishes out 3.1 assists per game and ranks second on the team with 4.3 rebounds per contest. McKee is also a solid defender and he will nab a steal or two per game.

Yet, it is not just McKee who can rack up the steals. Vince Goldsberry, A’Daeron Duncan and Mike Miller can all grab a steal or two and that leads to some easy buckets the other way. The team nabs 7.4 per game and if they can increase that number a little bit in the NCAA Tournament that could spark the offense.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Those easy lay-ups off steals might be the only easy buckets Coppin State will have all tournament long. McKee can do a decent job creating opportunities for his teammates, but somebody needs to create shots for him too. The team shoots just 39.9 percent from the floor. Under 45 percent is not good, under 40 percent is just ugly. And it is not like the Eagles are jacking up a ton of three-pointers. They only make 3.8 shots per game from long range and that ranks second to last in the nation. Despite the few three-point makes, they still tend to have a few too many attempts.

Who To Watch:

Yet, getting some production out of the forwards will help open up the perimeter for some open shots. At 6-3, Antwan Harrison will obviously not do much in the paint, but he is a decent slasher who can have big scoring outputs. At 6-6 and 6-7, Julian Conyers and Robert Pressey are not exceptionally tall players either, but they will do the work under the basket. Conyers will spend some time on the perimeter on the offensive side of the floor, but he is a decent defender who can hang around with opposing power forwards who are battling in the paint. Pressey averages 6.2 points per game and if he starts scoring consistently, it will collapse the defense into the paint. Pressey is also the best rebounder on the team and can block a shot or two on occasion.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 59.2 (316^th in nation, 7^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 66.3 (110, 6)

Field-Goal Percentage: 39.9 (314, 10)

Field-Goal Defense: 44.1 (199, 7)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.8 (327, 11)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na

Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (69, 2)

Rebound Margin: -4.8 (303, 9)

Assists Per Game: 9.5 (322, 10)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.9 (207, 3)

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