Independent

NCAA Basketball Conference Ranking: 2008-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:31:09 -0500

CHN's 31 conference ranking, including 10 year historical averages based on average RPI finish. For more information on historical RPI averages, check out the Conference Data Page. Links lead to league preview pages.

Big East

10 Year Average: 3

10 Year Average: 1

10 Year Average: 2

10 Year Average: 5

10 Year Average: 6

10 Year Average: 4

10 Year Average: 10

10 Year Average: 7

10 Year Average: 9

WCC

10 Year Average: 12

11 Conference USA

10 Year Average: 8

12 Colonial

10 Year Average: 14

13 MAC

10 Year Average: 13

14 WAC

10 Year Average: 11

15 MAAC

10 Year Average: 17

16 Horizon

10 Year Average: 15

17 Southern

10 Year Average: 19

18 Sun Belt

10 Year Average: 16

19 Big West

10 Year Average: 18

20 Patriot

10 Year Average: 23

21 Southland

10 Year Average: 27

22 Ivy

10 Year Average: 24

23 Big Sky

10 Year Average: 20

24 America East

10 Year Average: 21

25 Summit

10 Year Average: 26

26 OVC

10 Year Average: 22

27 NEC

10 Year Average: 28

28 Atlantic Sun

10 Year Average: 25

29 Big South

10 Year Average: 29

30 MEAC

10 Year Average: 30

-Independents

31 SWAC

10 Year Average: 31

Daily Dribble: Independent Update

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 13:02:43 -0500

Last night, Central Arkansas upset potential NCAA Tournament team Bucknell by the final score of 50-48. The Bears (that's Central Arkansas) are a first-time D1 squad that has only beaten one other D1 team this year (Bowling Green.) Central isn't actually an independent because they're playing a full Southland Conference schedule.. but in honor of their win I thought I'd take a look at how the independents and recent ones are doing this year. Like Central Arkansas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is playing a full Southland schedule for the first time. The Islanders have been one of the best independent teams over the last couple years, and are considered to be a Southland contender in just their first season. Things have gone well for TAMU-CC, with a 7-4 record overall (5-4 against D1 teams). Their best two wins are at Detroit and South Florida. Like most independents or low-majors, TAMU-CC still has to play most non-conference games on the road.. but they have a rare 3-game home streak coming up, including a big game against Kent State. TAMU-CC is one of the most experienced teams in the country.. with 7 seniors that play at least 15 minutes per game, and all of whom scored 5+ ppg. This experience should put them right in the thick of the Southland title race along with SELU, Sam Houston St, and NW State.. Replacing TAMU-CC as the best independent is clearly North Dakota State, who has an impressive 8-4 record. Unlike the Islanders, the NDSU Bison are extremely young with just one player on their roster whose not a freshman or sophomore. Last year, NDSU got headlines for beating Wisconsin.. and they did it again this year with a big win at a ranked Marquette team. Perhaps more impressive than their 8 wins is the nature of their losses. They have an 85-81 loss at Big 12 Texas Tech, an 83-81 loss against Big 12 Kansas State, and a 82-80 loss at 9-2 Colorado State. The Bison have another chance at the Big 12 as they head to Iowa State on Sunday(this is a definite upset alert game).. and then head to Eastern Michigan before finishing the season against all the other independents. With 16 games left, NDSU has a great chance at making a run at the 20-win mark. South Dakota State hasn't done quite as good of a job representing the Dakotas, though the Jackrabbits do have 4 wins against D1 teams and one of the best mascots in the country. Another young team (just 2 seniors on the roster), the Jackrabbits have won 2 straight including a road win at UMKC. Both SDSU and NDSU will be joining UMKC in the Mid-Contintent conference in 2007 along with IPFW. IPFW (ie, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne) is just 4-9 and two of those wins were against non-D1ers. The key for the Mid-Con in getting IPFW is their mascot, the Mastadons. It appears the Mid-Con is stockpiling good nicknames like the Mastadons, Jackrabbits, Kangaroos (UMKC), Leathernecks (Western Illinois), and the Gentlemen of Centenary. Unlike the above schools that are joining the Mid-Con, Chicago State is playing an independent schedule after leaving that conference. The Cougars have just a 5-11 record, but thats understandable considering they've played 14 of 16 games on the road. Their biggest win was easily at 7-6 UTEP.. in which Chicago State's little backcourt combined for 44 points. Royce Parran and David Holston are just 5-8 and 5-9 respectively and are generally listed at weighing 160 pounds. Its safe to say Chicago State would dominate the biddy basketball circuit.. The indy team with the 2nd best record is 8-5 Texas-Pan American. UTPA is led by a JUCO transfer, Brian Burrell averaging almost 18 a game. The Broncs have won 3 straight, including most recently at James Madison of the CAA. Some other independent notes that stick out.. Utah Valley State is 7-5 and most recently beat a Southern Utah team that is 9-5. The Wolverines almost had a huge win against Utah State, falling by just 4 against a team that has an outside chance of making the Big Dance. Savannah State is this year's feel good story with a 6-11 record. Two years ago, the Tigers went 0-28 and last year they won just 1 game against a D1 team. Savannah shocked the world by starting 5-0 this year (though 3 were against non-D1 teams).. though they've come back to Earth having lost 11 of 12. The most recent win was at Bethune-Cookman.. an actual D1 team.. though one of, if not, the worst one in America. Bethune has yet to beat a D1 squad this year. Still, 6 wins is still 6 wins for this program. This year's Savannah State is Winston-Salem, off to a dismal 1-16 start.. including 0-16 against D1 teams. The Rams are a provisional team and have the unfortunate burden of playing 22 road games this year.. almost all of which will end up as losses. In fact, the Rams have only come within 10 points once all season against a D1 team, losing by 7 at Georgia State. Perhaps their only a chance for a win is on January 27th when they head to Bethune-Cookman. Of course there's also UC-Davis who has yet to beat a D1 team.. and NJIT who shocked the Northeast by beating Manhattan and Rider to start the season before losing 10 straight. Also there's 5-10 Longwood, who most recently beat Kennesaw State last night (making the jump to the A-Sun from the indy ranks) and who hosts American later today. - Don't forget to Dribble in the New Year -

IPFW showcases strength in comeback, immaturity in loss

Dan Vance — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 21:35:36 -0500

IPFW's season has really been like a rollercoaster, just without so many ups and with downs that would plummet a ride at Six Flags into the core of the earth. They had a chance to change that Sunday night (November 19) when they hosted Indiana State, themselves just coming off a stiff loss at the hands of IU. But instead, they couldn't keep up the momentum of a monumental comeback and let their weaknesses leak out in a 67-61 loss. IPFW had a hold of things early, going up 13-8 with a lot of momentum on a Tyler Best to Quintin Carothers back door play that led to a bigtime dunk. They pulled ahead again (and for the last time) on a DeWitt Scott three-pointer midway through the first half. And then they saw setback after setback kill most of their hopes before the halftime buzzer even sounded. But after that buzzer is when the Mastodons showed that afformentioned strength by slashing away at an Indiana State lead that had grown to 15 in the second half. After slashing away at that lead, IPFW pulled within nine points on one of two late Pat Lepper three-pointers. They kept chipping away until about the three and a half minute mark when they let their adrenaline die during a media time out, a critical and infant mistake for a team searching for stability. Senior Tyler Best, who scored eight of his 10 points in the second half, highlighted that lack of energy by missing a wide open layup just after the timeout. A minute later, Trent Wurtz put down a dunk for Indiana State that completely took IPFW out of the game emotionally. And instead of trying to change that, they let backfiring situations get to them moments later when Wurtz and Carouthers were both forced to come out of the game (Wurtz for bleeding, Caruothers for having blood on his jersey). Coach Dane Fife spent half the time yelling at the trainer and the other half complaining to the referees, which is only going to (if anything) take you furhur out of control of the game. When Carouthers did come back in the game a minute and a half (or so) later wearing #52, it was almost as if he had lost his mojo along with his usual jersey. His only offensive play of note was a sloppy turnover that was only part of what cost IPFW down the stretch. Carouthers led IPFW with 14 points, but had 12 of them in the first half. ISU even shot free throws in a fashion that can nearly be descirbed at horrific down the stretch. The Sycamores missed 7 of their last 10 free throws in the game, including a stretch missing 5-of-6 in the final minute all while leading 64-58. And IPFW did nothing. Instead, they tried too hard to play in the post, an obvious Mastodon weakness. Despite solid second half play from Best and Jaraun Burrows, who totalled 14 rebound and 20 points as a pair, the bigs just did not seem as focused and controlled. The Mastodons also shot too many three-pointers (7-for-25 in the game), while ISU shot only two long range shots in the second half. Strike three? The Mastodons did not push the ball on transition and played half court offense way too much. And oh yeah, senior captain Justin Hawkins played just 12 minutes in the entire game including sitting the whole second half. If anything, IPFW displayed immaturity by going away from their strengths. And that, above all else, is likely what cost them an important game.

11/14: Daily Dribble

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:45:13 -0500

College basketball likes to ease itself into the season.. kind of like a shy guy trying to ask out an attractive girl. But when Duke plays on national tv, its an unoffocial point in this writer's mind that the season has finally begun. Enough with the previews, the predictions, and the prognostications.. on to the Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, you get the point Quaterbacking.. BC losing to Vermont made some headlines last night.. perhaps this is a sign that the loss of Craig Smith will mean more than most anaylsts originally thought. Vermont can play some ball though. This is a team that improved by the day last year, and has a core that could be due for a couple of NCAA Tournament bids over the next handful of years. Also in the ACC, Duke struggled early but pulled away for an easy win over Georgia Southern. Despite the 24 point margin of victory, it was hard to be that overly impressed with the Blue Devils. Josh McRoberts is no longer a big man prospect, and he's not even a power forward either.. the 6-10 former post player has basically become a wing player. Even better (or worse depending on how you think of it), McRoberts seems to have taken a liking to bringing the ball up the court. I'm no Coach K, but seeing big Josh move the ball up the court made me cringe every time. Nice win for Butler last night versus Notre Dame. For the Bulldogs, AJ Graves exploded for 28 points and hit 8 threes. Butler now plays Indiana (who beat Lafayette last night) in the 2nd round of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Decent win for Big Sky co-favorite NAU who got a win over power conference squad Arizona State last night. The Big Sky's fellow co-favorite Montana didn't fare quite so well, dropping a game to Utah Valley State. This is the 2nd win for UVSU to start the season, beating another Big Sky team, Montana St earlier in the weak. The Wolverines aren't the only Independent team off to a good start.. Savannah State already has a win over Jacksonville.. and perhaps the most shocking win of all was New Jersey Institute of Technology getting a win over Manhattan to start the season. Manhattan was decimated in the off-season by coaching changes and transfers, but this is still a tough way to start the season. It will take Barry Rohrssen time though.. four freshman played over 22 minutes in the loss.

Independents Preview

CHN — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:00:06 -0500

Conference Previews | Top 144 | 06-07 Preview Home

Independent Preview

"Conference" Rank: 32nd

Conference Page

All-Conference

Player of the Year - Ben Woodside, North Dakota St, G

Royce Parran, Chicago St, G

DeWitt Scott, IPFW, F

Ben Beran, South Dakota St, F

Clayton Morgan, Longwood, F

Nat'l	Team (Click for Preview)	Conf	Tourney
197	North Dakota St	1
247	IPFW	2
270	Utah Valley St	3
277	Longwood	4
291	UC Davis	5
294	Chicago State	6
317	South Dakota St	7
325	Texas Pan Am	8
330	Savannah St	9
331	Winston Salem St	10	Provisional
335	New Jersey Tech	11