Eastern Kentucky

Opening Night Observations: No Surprises To Be Found

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:18:45 -0500

The college basketball season finally got underway on Monday night with three games featuring squads that will be in New York next week for the 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. All three favorites, Arizona, Mississippi State and St. John's, won but predictably there were signs of rust. That comes with the territory, but what are some of the things that can be learned from these games? Here are a few basic observations for each of the six teams in action.

Arizona (beat Valparaiso 73-64)
Once again the Wildcats struggled in the first half, but the scored the final five points of the stanza to take a 32-30 lead into the break. Finding good shots in their half-court sets proved to be an issue for Arizona, but they did a better job on both ends of the floor in the second half. The Wildcats made 12 of 20 shots in the second half, and point guards Josiah Turner and Jordin Mayes made better decisions.

Jesse Perry (14 points, 10 rebounds) scored 10 points in the first half, and as his teammates improved offensively in the second half the senior hit the boards and played solid defense. Freshman Nick Johson and senior Kyle Fogg were Arizona's two best guards on Monday night, combining for 30 points, and Johnson led the team with six assists. Solomon Hill and Kyryl Natyazhko had rough nights, but they'll perform better on Wednesday night.

Eastern Kentucky (lost to Mississippi State 76-66)
The Colonels trailed by six at the half despite shooting 33.3% from the field, aided by the fact that Mississippi State shot just 9-for-19 on two-point shots. Michael DiNunno had an off night from the field, making just four of seventeen shots, and it's safe to say that EKU can't afford nights like that if they're to be a factor in the OVC race.

EKU's problem in the second half was points off of turnovers, with the Bulldogs scoring 12 points off of five EKU turnovers. Eastern Kentucky did score nine points off of six MSU turnovers, but none of those points can on fast break opportunities. And after keeping Dee Bost under wraps in the first 20 minutes he scored 17 points in the second half. EKU outscored Mississippi State 7-5 in second-chance points, and that edge could have been more if not for a minus-11 rebounding margin.

Mississippi State (beat Eastern Kentucky 76-66)
Renardo Sidney didn't make much of an impact in the box score (nine points, three rebounds), but the Bulldogs were able to manage it thanks to UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie. Moultrie posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in addition to a pair of blocks. Will he be the consistent bell cow Rick Stansbury can count on nightly? He may have to be but at the least Moultrie gives Mississippi State a second option inside, something that was missing last year.

Dee Bost bounced back from a 2-for-7 first half, scoring 17 of his game-high 23 points. The difference? Aggression. Bost didn't take one free throw in the first half, staying out on the perimeter offensively, but once he attacked the basket the fouls began to mount for EKU. Brian Bryant didn't shoot well (2-9 FG) but in freshman Rodney Hood the Bulldogs got their first glimpse of the many things that he can do. Hood finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. Good start for the freshman.

St. John's (beat William & Mary 74-59)
The Red Storm looked a bit nervous in the first half, settling for perimeter looks against a packed-in William & Mary defense and it showed in the numbers. St. John's was 2-for-9 from three and 8-for-22 from two in the first half, so it wasn't surprising that they trailed 33-26 at the half. But led by Nurideen Lindsey (19 points, four assists) the Johnnies weren't content to settle for jumpers in the second half. St. John's made 17 of their 22 shots from inside the arc and attempted just six three-pointers.

Four starters finished in double figures, and with their seven-man rotation that will need to be a consistent occurrence in order for this team to be successful. God'sgift Achiuwa finished with 17 points and nine rebounds but where will the help come from if he gets into foul trouble? That's where the ineligibility of Norvel Pelle will hurt the most, and clearly Amir Garrett could be used as well (the hope is that both will be eligible come December). St. John's was a minus-6 in rebounding margin, with Maurice Harkless grabbing eight boards, and four of the five starters played 32+ minutes.

Valparaiso (lost to Arizona 73-64)
The Crusaders received solid efforts from forwards Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk, who scored 18 points apiece in defeat. Van Wijk was able to get to the foul line, where he made eight of his thirteen attempts. But no other player attempted more than four, and their 25% shooting from three proved to be Valparaiso's downfall. Valparaiso shot at least 50% from two in both halves, but the struggles from deep proved costly. Starting guards Erik Buggs, Jay Harris and Matt Kenney shot a combined 1-for-9 from deep on the night, and Bryce Drew's team can't afford that.

Valpo did a good job on the boards as they finished a minus-2 (32-30) in rebounding margin and led 19-18 in that department at the half. But Arizona outscored them by eight points (15-7) at the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes, and when combined with the Cats shooting 60% from the field it isn't too difficult to see what happened. But the offensive output from the guards is what will likely stick out in this defeat.

William & Mary (lost 74-59 to St. John's)
Things went well for the Tribe in the first half as they outscored St. John's 21-6 from beyond the arc. Defensively Tony Shaver's team was able to keep the SJU perimeter players out of the lane, forcing them to settle for jumpers. But unlike the Red Storm William & Mary didn't take care of the basketball, finishing the night with 21 turnovers to four for St. John's. Quinn McDowell played well, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds and Julian Boatner knocked down four three-pointers to finish with 12 points.

But the Tribe's two-point defense left them in the second half, the result of their turnover issues. William & Mary did win the battle on the boards, but it's obvious what they need to improve upon in order to be the sleeper that some think they can be in the CAA. St. John's played much better in the second half but they received help in the form of William & Mary miscues as well.

Wednesday's Schedule

7 PM Lehigh at St. John's (ESPN2)
7 PM Akron at Mississippi State
8 PM Liberty at (19) Texas A&M
9 PM Duquesne at (16) Arizona

Poll: Who Will Win the OVC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:25:35 -0400

OVC Tournament Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:43:38 -0500

This is one in a series of my conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, giving a brief statistical review and picking out some of the key players, and presenting 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:

Ohio Valley

The OVC Tournament features the top 8 teams out of a 10 team league, with the quarterfinals being hosted at the home courts of the top 4 seeds, and the two later rounds hosted at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

OVC Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Tennessee Martin	90.91%	58.86%	30.81%
2	Austin Peay	80.67%	25.43%	10.06%
3	Murray St.	93.43%	69.19%	42.55%
4	Morehead St.	73.48%	30.09%	12.17%
5	Eastern Kentucky	26.52%	8.67%	2.81%
6	Tennessee St.	6.57%	1.87%	0.35%
7	Eastern Illinois	19.33%	3.50%	0.82%
8	Tennessee Tech	9.09%	2.37%	0.45%

It’s interesting to see that the #1 seeds and league champions aren’t the favorites, a title that belongs to #3 Murray St. The first four teams were separated by just two games in the standings, but the efficiency stats tell us that Martin and Murray St. are in a separate class.

#1 – Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (21-8, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.114

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Tennessee-Martin has had an excellent season, claiming its first OVC regular season title, powered by a ten-game winning streak early in the conference schedule. The Skyhawks aren’t spectacular in any area, but do a lot of things well, and don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their main weakness is long-distance shooting, where they sit last in the OVC, but they make up for it by shooting 74% at the free throw line and earning a lot of extra possessions on the glass and by avoiding turnovers. Martin also defends well, managing to dominate the turnover margin by forcing a lot.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG% - The only player more important to his team than Hudson is some Curry guy that you might have heard about once or twice. Like Curry, Hudson’s shooting percentages aren’t that impressive on their own, but when you consider how many shots he takes, you really get a sense of how valuable he is. He also is a key player in lot of other areas, leading the Skyhawks in rebounding and steals, and putting up a very good assist rate.

6-1 JR Delrico Lane, 5.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 51.5 eFG% - Lane doesn’t score much, but let’s face it, there’s not a lot of shots available once Hudson and second-best scorer Marquis Weddle get their share. Lane has done a good job getting the ball to Hudson, leading the OVC in assists, and like Hudson has an excellent steal rate.

#2 – Austin Peay Governors (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.053

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

The Governors face the strange situation of being lucky, as their record is somewhat better than their efficiency margin would suggest, but also unlucky, as a couple of losses in overtime are the only thing separating them from a conference title. Still, it’s telling that this is the #4 favorite by the log5 method, and to see them suffer an ‘upset’ wouldn’t be a big surprise. Austin Peay is the best pure shooting team in the conference, well over 50% from inside and at 39% from behind the arc, and the second best OVC offense overall. For all their ability to make shots, though, stopping opponents from doing the same has been difficult, especially from long distance, where they put up the conference’s worst defensive mark. The Governors are the only team of the top 4 seeds to give up more than a point-per possession, and their defensive woes will probably be their downfall.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG% - In a lot of other conferences in the nation, Reed’s numbers would be good enough to make him a clear top scorer and the favorite for player of the year, but with Hudson taking the spotlight, Reed has to settle for being the OVC’s #2 scorer. Reed doesn’t take as large a proportion of his team’s shots as Hudson does, but he’s much more efficient, nearly 60% from inside the arc and a 40% outside shooter. He’s also in the top 5 in the conference in rebounding and rarely turns the ball over.

6-3 JR Wes Channels, 16.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 51.1 eFG% - Channels takes a similar proportion of the Governors’ shots as Reed, but is much more dependent on the three-pointer, and isn’t quite as good a percentage shooter. Still, he’s a good scoring guard who leads the team in assists, and combines with Reed to form a deadly inside-outside duo.

#3 – Murray St. Racers (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.129

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

Murray St. may be the third seed, but don’t be surprised to see it run off with a 14^th NCAA tourney appearance, the best of any OVC team. The worst of the Racers’ five losses came by 6 points, meaning that their efficiency margin is the highest in the league. This is mostly due to a defense that is clearly the best in the OVC; opponents make few threes and turn the ball over a lot, a clear sign of how good the Racers are on the perimeter. They aren’t great at making threes themselves, but tend to focus on scoring from two, where they are efficient enough to have a decent offense overall. The Racers’ style probably contributes to why they’ve had so many close losses; their defensive, slow-paced game makes it a lot more difficult to get a big margin against weaker teams.

Players to watch:

6-2 SO Isaac Miles, 10.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 48.2 eFG% - The team’s second leading scorer is entering the tournament on a roll, having scored in double digits in each of the last five games, and has done this despite taking a lot of bad shots from behind the arc, where he hits less than 30%. He’s a good scorer from two who gets a lot of chances at the line, and while he puts up a lot of assists, he also has occasional bouts of major turnover trouble.

6-4 JR Danero Thomas, 11.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 47.1 eFG% - Thomas isn’t a great offensive player, but leads the Racers in scoring, and is a decent shooter, though like Miles he struggles from behind the arc. His best performance comes on the defensive end, where he’s the team’s best shot-blocker and one of the conference leaders in steals.

#4 – Morehead St. Eagles (16-15, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.066

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1984 (1^st Round)

The last of the teams that open the season at home, Morehead seemed to be destined for a tough year when they started 0-6, but had turned it around by the time conference play began, though they should be concerned after closing the season on a four-game losing streak. The Eagles are similar to Murray St., depending on inside play on the offensive end, but doing their best work defensively, but they aren’t as effective at either end as the Racers. Morehead isn’t too strong from the field, but is a good offensive rebounding team that does a great job getting to the line, and making shots once there. Defensively, the Eagles best play also comes inside, as they hold opponents to a conference-best 44.5% from two, and are good rebounders and shot-blockers.

Players to watch:

6-8 SO Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG% - Faried is probably the conference’s best big man, fourth nationally in rebounding and the only Valley player averaging more than nine boards a game. He’s a 56% shooter from the field who also sits in the top 3 of the conference rankings in steals and blocks. The only real weakness in his game is his free throw shooting, where he’s worse than from the field, but he looks like he’ll be a great player in the conference in the years to come.

6-5 SR Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Buchanan is a great interior partner for Faried, a decent rebounder who shoots a good percentage, and unlike the sophomore, does a really great job at the free throw line. He’s an 81% shooter who makes a lot of appearances, and the points he gets there are enough to make him the team’s leading scorer.

#5 – Eastern Kentucky Colonels (18-12, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

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

Eastern Kentucky are an ideal example of how a team’s tempo can confuse those who don’t take it into account. The Colonels are easily the slowest team in the OVC, and a look at their point-per-game numbers would lead you to suggest that they are merely average offensively. In reality, the Colonels tend to be involved in the conference’s most offensively efficient games, boasting the OVC’s best offense, and the worst defense of the teams qualifying for the tournament. The Colonels are an offensive dream, putting up a 55.7 eFG% in conference, and one of the nation’s best marks in the category of the whole season, and having the OVC’s lowest turnover rate. Their problems come inside, where they don’t get much of their offense (the second-most three-dependent team in the country), and are terrible on the glass. Opponents shred EKU’s defense seemingly at will, shooting 54%, and even the ability to force a lot of turnovers doesn’t help much.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG% - The third 20 PPG player in the conference, Rose is the deadliest three-point shooter on a team that thrives behind the arc. Shooting 49% from long-distance is the kind of percentage we expect from an occasional shooter, not someone who puts up more than 200 attempts a season. He’s one of the team’s better rebounders and a solid defender, but his value is all in that shot.

6-7 SO Justin Stommes, 10.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 59.4 eFG% - Behind Rose, there are a group of other strong shooters, though none with the frequency, or the success, of the Colonels’ leading scorer. Stommes is the best of the bunch, and he provides a great alternative option from outside.

#6 – Tennessee St. Tigers (12-17, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.048

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

The Tigers made a lot of headlines, and got a lot of criticism, for firing Cy Alexander mid-season, but it worked out pretty well, as they went 6-1, including six straight wins entering the tournament, to manage a .500 finish in the conference. Tennessee St.’s defense is almost as bad as EKU’s, one of the worst in the tournament, but unlike the Colonels, TSU’s offense isn’t good enough to bail it out. Tennessee St. is focused on attacking the inside, and does it decently, but struggles with turnovers and free throws. The Tigers should watch their opponents to find a better example of inside play, as they allow 52% of attempts from inside, and don’t do much on the defensive glass either. They actually have the poorest odds of any team in the tournament, and a #6 seed probably flatters them somewhat.

Players to watch:

6-7 SO Darius Cox, 10.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.9 BPG, 54.3 eFG% - Cox is just fourth on the team in scoring, but is the most efficient offensive option when Tennessee St. has the ball, shooting over 50% from the field. He’s also an excellent rebounder, and a good shot-blocker.

6-8 SR Jerrell Houston, 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Houston is another good interior player, with similar numbers to Cox, but with a larger role in the offense, and a much bigger problem with turnovers.

#7 – Eastern Illinois Panthers (12-17, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.019

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (1^st Round)

After talking about a couple of teams that struggle on the defensive end, Eastern Illinois are a bit of change of pace, decent defenders but the worst offensive team in the conference. A bright note for the Panthers’ offense is that they make a decent percentage of both threes and free throws; unfortunately, they don’t get to the line much, and take a large majority of their shots from inside the arc. Defensively, EIU is a solid team, especially inside, where it holds opponents to just 46% shooting. However, their offensive woes are too great to overcome, and they enter the tournament on a real low, losing their last six conference games.

Players to watch:

6-1 SO Tyler Laser, 11.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 56.5 eFG% - Laser isn’t a go-to scorer, but is the kind of pure shooter who can be really effective as a secondary option. He hits over 40% from behind the arc, and is 6^th nationally in free throw percentage, 50-of-52 on the season. He’s a good distributor of the ball and can also score from inside the arc, the kind of player who could really break out if he can handle a bigger role in future seasons.

6-3 JR Romain Martin, 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Martin is the other guy on the Panthers who can make threes, and while his percentage isn’t as high as Laser’s, he takes a lot more shots, and is much more important in the offense. Most of his value depends on his shooting, he doesn’t really contribute much in the other statistical areas.

#8 – Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (12-17, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.034

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1963 (1^st Round)

Tennessee Tech is the OVC’s fastest paced team, but its high speed hasn’t equalled highly effective offensive possessions, especially from two-point range, where you’d expect such a team to score in transition. Instead, the Golden Eagles are best when they put up threes, over 38% from behind the arc. This doesn’t happen nearly enough, though, with poor rebounding, turnovers, and a fairly two-point-heavy offense combining to limit the Eagles’ long distance-scoring. Defensively, Tennessee Tech force a lot of turnovers, but are terrible defensive rebounders and commit a lot of fouls.

Players to watch:

6-9 SR Daniel Northern, 12.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 49.4 eFG% - Northern is an excellent big-man in almost every area except field goal percentage, and it’s only his 49% from the field that holds him back. He’s the second-best rebounder in the OVC, and leads the conference in shot-blocking. He gets to the line a lot, and while his 65% from the stripe isn’t great, it’s not too bad, and shows a clear improvement from previous seasons.

6-2 JR Frank Davis, 10.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 59.2 eFG% - If you’re looking for a great example of how a player who isn’t the offensive focus can really thrive, Davis may be a perfect. He doesn’t take a lot of shots, but his contribution on the stat sheet will be basically limited to whatever he manages to score. He’s a 43% three-point shooter, and has taken more attempts from behind the arc than the Eagles’ next two most prolific shooters combined. He doesn’t turn the ball over much, but he’s not the kind of player who will do much beside shoot when he does get it.

My statistical all-OVC team:

Tennessee Martin SR G Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG%

Eastern Kentucky SR G Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG%

Austin Peay SR F Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG%

Morehead St. SR F Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG%6-8,

Morehead St. SO F/C Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG%

OVC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:39:52 -0500

Conference Rank: 26th

10 year average: 22nd

Conference Page

All-OVC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Marquis Weddle	UTM	So
G	Lester Hudson	UTM	Sr
G	Mike Rose	EKU	Sr
F	Daniel Northern	Tenn. Tech	Sr
F	Drake Reed	Austin Peay	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Lester Hudson		Points: Lester Hudson 25.7 Rebounds: Daniel Northern 9.3 Assists: DeAndre Bray (JSU) 6.3

Ohio Valley Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

106	Murray State*	OVC	1	NCAA
162	Tennessee Martin	OVC	2
184	Austin Peay**	OVC	3
204	Tennessee St	OVC	4
215	Morehead State	OVC	5
286	Eastern Kentucky	OVC	6
304	SE Missouri St	OVC	7
322	Jacksonville St	OVC	8
328	Tennessee Tech	OVC	9
340	Eastern Illinois	OVC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the OVC?

Other OVC Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Top Shooting Guards: Lester Hudson

Rise & Fall: OVC

State of '08: Kentucky

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:33:27 -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.

Up today: Kentucky. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

KENTUCKY

KENTUCKY - Obviously one of the top programs of all-time, Kentucky has amazingly made the tournament every since 1991. I say amazingly, because one would have thought that Tubby Smith drove the program into the ground. Then again, its been 10 years since their last Final Four trip, one of the longest droughts in the programs history (at least post-Rupp).

LOUISVILLE - Last year was the first time in over a dozen years that Louisville topped Kentucky in the RPI. The Cardinals finished 13th in the computer poll, and advanced to the Elite Eight.. while UK was a questionable at-best at-large bid with an RPI of 57. In 2005, while both teams had similar regular seasons, Louisville advanced to the Final Four, while UK just missed out due to an epic double-overtime loss. A couple more seasons where Louisville surpasses their Lexington rivals, and perhaps they will sit on top of this ranking.

WESTERN KENTUCKY - In the past eight years, WKU has made the postseason six times, including four NCAA Tournament trips. This is nothing new for an underrated program that historically never goes more than 3 or 4 seasons without competing for a postseason bid. However, now that Darrin Horn has bolted for South Carolina, and Courtney Lee is off to the NBA.. perhaps one of those postseason gaps is coming up?

MURRAY STATE - While not quite as good as WKU, Murray State is also a solid mid-major program that consistently competes for the OVC title. In fact, its been well over a decade, and many coaches ago, since Murray last finished below .500 in conference play. The program has been rather mediocre since Mick Cronin departed, and the Racers have only beaten one Top 100 team in the last three seasons. But Billy Kennedy's team is our preseason OVC favorites and this could easily be the program's 14th NCAA Tournament trip.

EASTERN KENTUCKY - In 2005 & 2007, EKU made the dance thanks to the impressive work done by Travis Ford, the new head coach at Oklahoma State. Now that the program is fully in Jeff Neubauer's hands, the future is a bit uncertain. Can Neubauer continue the recent success, or will the program slide into the dark pre-Ford depths of 1999-2003 when EKU won just 20 D1 games in 4 seasons.

6. MOREHEAD STATE - The Eagles are coming off a quality campaign that included a 12-7 OVC record and a pair of wins over in-state rival EKU. This was a welcome turnaround considering the struggles experienced between 05-07. While the team could be decent once again in 08-09, a return to the tourney for the first time in 24 years will have to wait.

Last: Iowa - Next: Louisiana

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

Three Stars of the Day: Dials, Lee, Nelson

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:14:24 -0500

Three Stars of The Day

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Darnell Dials - Eastern Kentucky

Had the best game of his 4-year career with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and the eventual game-winning three (his 5th three ever)

Tony Lee - Robert Morris

Approached a triple-double in a 764-71 win over WSU, finishing wih 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists

DeMarcus Nelson - Duke

Sure, he could have gone scoreless and Duke would still have won, but 23 points on 6 of 7 shooting in 26 minutes is solid

Other Top Performers

John Bryant - Santa Clara - Quietly putting up averages of 20 and 9 on the season, Bryant had 14 and 12 in a home win over Montana

Terrance Carter - James Madison - The senior had his 4th 20-point game of the year in a win over Radford, finishing with 22 and also hauling in 12 off the glass

Henry Salter - TCU - The Horned Frogs ended UTA's perfect record in OT, behind 17 and 14 from the junior

Previous Stars of the Day

December 16th - Ty Lawson, UNC

December 15th - Demetric Bennett, South Alabama

December 13th - Jack McClinton, Miami

December 12th - Lee Cummard, BYU

December 11th - Bryan Mullins, SIU

December 10th - Ben Nwachukwu, Columbia

December 9th - Dane Watts, Creighton

December 5th - Drew Lavender, Xavier

December 4th - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

December 3rd - DJ White, Indiana

December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

December 1st - George Hill, IUPUI

November 30th - Craig Brackins - Iowa State

November 29th - Ryan Anderson, California

November 28th - James Powell, UCSB

November 27th - Stephen Curry, Davidson

November 26th - Michael Bramos, Miami (OH)

November 22nd - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

November 21st - Kyle Singler, Duke

November 20th - Patty Mills, Saint Mary's

November 19th - Matt Causey, Georgia Tech

November 18th - Daniel Hackett, USC

November 17th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

November 16th - JJ Hickson, NC State

November 15th - Jon Brockman, Washington

Top 144 Previews | 2007-08 Preview & Awards | Interviews | Discuss the Preview

2007-08 Eastern Kentucky Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:04:00 -0400

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Overall Rank: #140

Conference Rank: #2 Ohio Valley

2006-07: 21-12, 13-7, 2^nd (t)

2006-07 postseason: NCAA

Eastern Kentucky only had six players who averaged over ten minutes per game during their 2006-2007 NCAA Tournament season. Returning four of those players is nice, but it does leave a couple major gaps that will need to be filled by inexperienced players. Josh Daniel, Josh Taylor and Harrison Brown do not have experience, but have enough talent to be bigger contributors.

Who’s Out:

Guard Julian Mascoll and forward Michael Brock are the two players that need to be replaced. Mascoll averaged 11.1 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals as a senior and those numbers will not be easily substituted. Brock was never a prolific scorer, but the power forward led the team in rebounds last year and did the dirty work under the basket. Without Mascoll leading the way, the returning starting backcourt duo of Adam Leonard and Mike Rose will need to develop into leaders on and off the floor. Derek Adams left the team early last season after seeing action in only two contests.

Who’s In:

The Colonels could use some depth and they may find another Leonard, who had a surprisingly impressive freshman campaign last year, in this batch. The likely candidates to break out immediately are guards Justin Stommes and Rodney Ford. Stommes is a great shooter for a 6-6 wing, but will have to work harder to get open at the college level. As long as he can get more intense on defense, Coach Jeff Neubauer will give Stommes an opportunity as a freshman. Ford demonstrated that he could score, pass, block shots and hit the glass very effectively during his prep career in St. Louis. The 6-4 guard posted some ridiculous numbers all over the box score and is an interesting do-it-all prospect in the mold of Mascoll. Ryan Dilman, who redshirted last year, is a smart point guard who will add some depth to the backcourt. Incoming freshman Deveyon Hunter will battle for some minutes at small forward, but it is the return of Ryan Wiersma that makes it much easier to replace the departed Brock. Wiersma, a 6-6 forward, missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He missed most of the 2005-2006 campaign with the same affliction and it may take some time for the junior to get back into the flow of the game. But there is no doubt Wiersma will work hard to be even more effective than he was before the injury.

Who to Watch:

Leonard and Rose were the top two scorers a year ago and they will need to develop into more than simply scorers this year. Without Mascoll’s leadership, it falls on the talented duo to lead the team. Leonard averaged 12.5 points and 2.6 assists during his freshman campaign. The problem is most of those points were from long range. Eight of his ten shots per game were from beyond the arc. With a little more strength and confidence driving the lane, Leonard will become one of the best in the OVC. Rose is no stranger to the three-pointer either and, now as an upperclassman, will be taking all the big shots for Eastern Kentucky. Leonard and Rose are still relatively young and developing players. If they continue to improve, EKU will be looking for another NCAA Tournament.

Final Projection:

Big man Darnell Dialls kept the perimeter open by developing into a solid scoring threat under the basket. Getting 8.7 points per game out of Dialls again will keep the opposing defense off balance, and his superb passing does not hurt, but he will need to increase his production on the boards to help cover the loss of Brock. Jamaal Douglas will be asked to do the same. After earning 11 starts in his first season in Richmond, Jamaal Douglas is expected to do more for his senior season. The transfer from Lafayette was the leading rebounder in the Patriot League in 2004-2005 and has the tools to be more than the sixth man.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Adam Leonard, Sophomore, Guard, 12.5 points per game

Mike Rose, Junior, Guard, 15.1 points per game

Josh Taylor, Sophomore, Forward, 2.7 points per game

Jamaal Douglas, Senior, Forward, 6.2 points per game

Darnell Dialls, Senior, Forward, 8.7 points per game

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