Fordham

Dereck Whittenburg: NCAA Tournament Interview

Jon Teitel — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:41:05 -0700

As part of Jon Teitel's NCAA Tournament Interview series, he had a chance to chat with Dereck Whittenburg. Whittenburg was the starting guard on the famed 1983 NC State squad that won the National Title, and he worked his way into March Madness lore by putting up the shot that Lorenzo Charles eventually finished for the winning basket. Besides his playing career, Whittenburg also had a lengthy coaching career that included head-coaching stops at Wagner and Fordham.

Dereck's career got started at DeMatha High School under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten. He also teamed with future NC State teammate (and future NC State coach) Sidney Lowe at DeMatha.

Dereck: It was a privilege to go to DeMatha. My parents wanted me to get a great education.

Dereck's family has an impressive basketball heritage. His 2nd cousin is David Thompson, who led NC State to the 1974 title and went on to join the Hall of Fame. CHN: Who is the best athlete in the family?

Dereck: Are you kidding me!? Of course it is David: he is the best by far. I am not going against him!

Once in college, Dereck was part of the magical 1983 "Cardiac Pack” at NC State. CHN: Did you start to get the sense you were a team of destiny?

Dereck: We started to feel it even before then. Talk about mayhem: throughout the year we ended up playing the #1 team in the country 6 different times during ACC play!

In a one-point win over UNLC, Dereck scored 13 points. He then then outscored Ralph Sampson (the National Player of the Year), 24 to 23 in a tight one-point win over #1 seed Virginia. Prior in the season, Virginia swept NC State in the regular season before the Pack won the ACC title.

Dereck: It is just like the old saying goes: it is hard to beat a team 3 times in a season. We were 12-1 and ranked in the top-25 when I got hurt in our 1st game against Virginia, and I was just coming back to rejoin the team around the 2nd time we faced them.

In the title game, considered one of the great upsets in NCAA history, Dereck scored 14 points in a win over #1 seed Houston. He is most remembered not for the 14 points, but for shooting a 35-foot air-ball that was grabbed by Lorenzo Charles as he made the game-winning/buzzer-beating dunk.

Dereck: It has changed my life dramatically. It has been 29 years since that play, and I still get asked about it on a daily basis. I have realized over time how much people remember all the upsets, and we were 1 of the 1st big ones.

A few years later, Dereck ended up in the 1986 NCAA tourney as a grad assistant for coach Jim Valvano

Dereck: It was unbelievable. Playing for Valvano was great, but by working for him I got to see his energy/work ethic behind the scenes.

Dereck's alma mater NC State is still alive in this year's NCAA Tournament after beating San Diego St on Friday. CHN: How far do you think they can go?

Dereck: They can go a long way if they can beat Georgetown. I talked to the team earlier this month because they had to win a couple of games just to get into the NCAA tourney, which is the same thing we had to do 29 years ago. They have a great team and Coach Mark Gottfried has done an outstanding job this year.

This month, Dereck is teaming up with Allstate (a new corporate partner of the NCAA), and their "Team Mayhem" (comprised of some past tournament heroes like Miles Simon and Joey Rodriguez) will be attending the Final Four at "Bracket Town".

College Basketball Weekly Awards: Lillard, ORU, Fordham

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:09:39 -0800

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for our weekly awards.

COLLEGEHOOPS.NET PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Damian Lillard, Weber State Junior Guard: Lillard led the Wildcats to a pair of Big Sky Conference victories by scoring a combined 68 points last week.

On Thursday, the junior scored 30 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and blocked a shot in a 76-69 win over Eastern Washington.

He came back with a 38-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist performance in Saturday’s 88-81 triumph over Portland State.

For the season, Lillard is leading the country at 26.3 points per game. He’s shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 47.4 from the 3-point line and 90.9 at the charity stripe. Lillard is also averaging 5.9 boards and 3.6 assists for the Wildcats, who are 12-3 overall and 4-0 in the Big Sky.

Last week's Players of the Week were BYU's Brandon Davies and Lehigh's CJ McCollum.

COLLEEGHOOPS.NET TEAM OF THE WEEK

Oral Roberts: The Golden Eagles took on their top three Summit League challengers and defeated them all last week.

ORU opened the week with 89-80 wins at Oakland and at home against North Dakota State on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Eagles then improved to 6-0 in the league with Saturday’s 97-75 win over South Dakota State, which was also 5-0 in the Summit heading into the showdown. Dominique Morrison had a career-high 38 points in the win over the Jackrabbits.

Oral Roberts is 14-4 overall.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Tony Mitchell, North Texas Freshman Forward: In only the seventh game of his career, Mitchell scored 32 points – on 11-of-14 from the field, including sinking all three of his 3-pointers, and 9-of-11 from the foul line – in the Mean Green’s 78-73 Sun Belt victory over South Alabama. Mitchell, who scored in double-figures in his first four career outings, also had 16 boards, two assists and two steals in the win.

Mitchell’s point-rebound total was the third-best in school history and the most since Jesse Ratliff had 38 points and 16 rebounds against South Alabama in 1992.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Fordham 60, Harvard 54: The Rams outscored Harvard 36-27 in the second half to steal a victory from the 21^st-ranked Crimson.

Fordham shot 48.8 percent from the field and held Harvard, which led 29-24 early in the second half before a 20-5 Ram run, to 36.4 percent.

“Congratulations, Fordham,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker told the AP. “They played inspired basketball. Give them credit. They did a tremendous job.”

Fordham is 7-8 overall, while the Crimson bounced back with a 63-47 win over Dartmouth in their Ivy League opener to improve to 13-2 overall.

WIN OF THE WEEK

Kansas State 75, Missouri 59: Kansas State not only knocked off one of four remaining unbeatens, it made it clear that it is a likely NCAA team itself with Saturday’s blowout victory.

The Wildcats beat up Missouri and held the Tigers to 33 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point line and to 27 points below their season average.

“I felt like Missouri hadn’t seen a team like us, a team that can really get up and pressure you on defense,” Kansas State sophomore guard Will Spradling told the AP.

Missouri leading scorer Marcus Denmon concurred with Spradling.

“We weren’t able to make our cuts freely, so we couldn’t get guys open,” Denmon said.

The Wildcats are now 12-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. Missouri suffered its first defeat after 14 straight victories to open the season.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Iowa State 74, Texas A&M 50: It isn’t just that the Aggies lost to an improving Cyclone squad Saturday, it’s how it happened.

Texas A&M – in its fourth loss in five games – was outscored 42-23 in the first half at home, falling behind 36-16 in the first 17 minutes.

They also allowed Iowa State sophomore Royce White to dominate the contest. White finished with 10 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

“Obviously, we struggled scoring in the first five minutes of the game,” Aggie coach Billy Kennedy said. “You have to give them credit. They’re very difficult to guard with Royce White handling and passing the ball, but we have to compete at a higher level.”

At this point – after opening the season ranked 20^th in the nation – A&M looks like a longshot to reach the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State, on the other hand, is 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 after also beating Texas on Wednesday.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Moe Harkless’ tip-in to beat Cincinnati, 57-55: Harkless was the hero for St. John’s for the second time in two weeks when he put back a missed DeAngelo Harrison floater and put it back as the horn sounded Saturday.

The upset win snapped the Bearcats’ 7-game win streak and put St. John’s back above .500 at 8-7 and at 2-2 in the Big East after back-to-back losses to Connecticut and Louisville.

“This group doesn’t get down,” Red Storm interim coach Mike Dunlap said. “We’re going to be up-and-down all year long, but we have to ride it with them and continue to teach.”

Harkless finished with 14 points and 14 boards in the triumph. The freshman now has four career double-doubles. Harrison, who is also a freshman, added 18 points and seven boards.

THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL LIST

NATION’S BEST SHARPSHOOTERS

When these players put a shot up, you’re almost certain it’s going in:

1. Marcus Denmon, Missouri (Sr.): After lighting it up early, Denmon has struggled a bit of late. There’s still no player in America you’d rather have shooting a big 3 late in the game. Denmon leads the 14-1 Tigers at 18.7 points per game and is shooting 44.7 percent from deep.

2. Jordan Hulls, Indiana (Jr.): Hulls has the purest stroke in America and is shooting 58.2 percent from the 3-point line, 54.5 percent from the field and 86.7 from the foul line. He’s averaging 12.3 points and, oh yeah, he’s a point guard. Hulls has helped revitalize the 15-1 and 12th-ranked Hoosiers.

3. Doug McDermott, Creighton (So.): After his incredible freshman year, McDermott’s scoring surge hasn’t been a surprise, but his 58.2 percent clip from the 3-point line is astounding. He’s also shooting 63.2 percent from the field and is second in the nation at 25.2 point per contest, leading the Blue Jays to a 13-2 start.

4. Scott Wood, North Carolina State (Sr.): Wood is the 12-4 Wolfpack’s 3-point specialist, who has connected on 46.1 percent of his 3-pointers and 49.2 percent of all of his shots. He’s also 37-for-37 from the foul line after making 92.3 percent a year ago.

5. Ryne Smith, Purdue (Sr.): Over 80 percent of Smith’s shots and points come from the 3-point line. He’s making 45.3 percent from the 3-point line and averaging a career-best 10.2 points per game for the 13-4 Boilermakers.

Tuesday Recap: Seton Hall Blasts #8 Connecticut

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:03:03 -0800

Seton Hall's struggles with Connecticut in their series have been well-doucmented, as the Pirates went into Tuesday's meeting having lost eleve straight dating back to March 3, 2001. That matchup between eventual NIT teams went down to the wire as the Pirates won 65-63. There would be no such suspense in Seton Hall's first win over the Huskies since 2001, as they stormed back from an early 11-2 deficit to win 75-63 in a game that wasn't as close as the margin would lead one to believe.

Jordan Theodore led Seton Hall with 19 points and 11 assists, scoring all of his points in the second half and knocking down some key shots to put the game away. The Pirates finished with four players in double figures, and Fuquan Edwin posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. After leading 11-2 with 16:19 remaining in the first half, UConn was outscored 33-11 the rest of the half as they trailed 35-22 at the break. The Huskies turned the ball over 13 times, with Seton Hall scoring 12 points off of turnovers.

Also of note in that first half was the fact that Seton Hall outscored UConn 18-6 in the paint and 9-0 in second-chance points, as their effort was far superior to that of the Huskies. Effort is one thing that can't be disguised on the floor, and that was the biggest issue for UConn on the night. Whenever a play needed to be made there was a Seton Hall player willing to make it, eventually leading by as many as 21 points late in the second half.

Herb Pope was the best interior player on the floor for either team, thoroughly outplaying the UConn frontcourt. Jeremy Lamb scored 19 points to lead the visitors but he didn't have much assistance outside of the 11 points scored by Niels Giffey. With the Pirates sitting at 13-2 and 2-1 in Big East play, fans of Kevin Willard's program may allow their minds to wander in the direction of an NCAA Tournament appearance in March and rightfully so.

Some may bring up Seton Hall's win at Syracuse last season as a win that was supposed to be a similar catalyst, but this current team is light years ahead of a squad that would go on to finish the season with a losing record. Pope and Theodore have been excellent leaders for Coach Willard, as Pope's return to full health combined with a better understanding of what the coach wants done has allowed the Pirates to take off. Simply put Seton Hall's got staying power, and while there's still plenty of basketball to be played an NCAA Tournament berth is a realistic possibility.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan State hangs on to beat Wisconsin in overtime, and the clock is a reason why.
When Ryan Evans rebounded Jordan Taylor's missed three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime and dribbled out to knock down a three of his own as time expired, it looked as if Bo Ryan's team would avoid dropping their second straight Big Ten home game. But thanks to the clock on top of the basket being faster than the one in the arena, the shot didn't count and Michigan State won by the final score of 63-60. Taylor led all scorers with 28 points but once again three-point shooting was the culprit for the Badgers, as they made five of twenty-two shots from distance and they've made just eight of their last forty-nine attempts.

For a team that's so reliant on the bonus shot it could be tough sledding for Wisconsin if they don't snap out of that funk soon. As for the Spartans Draymond Green led the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16, making Michigan State the lone 3-0 team in the Big Ten. The Spartans out-rebounded Wisconsin 41-33 on the night, and their 36-18 advantage in points in the paint played a major role in the outcome. Michigan State will be a major player in the Big Ten race, and if Wisconsin wants to get back into things they need to get better offensively.

2. Fordham picks up a big win, knocking off #22 Harvard at Rose Hill Gym.
It may not have been the biggest win of the night, but Fordham beating Harvard 60-54 may have been the most stunning outcome. Tommy Amaker's Crimson have a solid resume as they approach the start of Ivy League play, but a loss like this doesn't do them any favors. Bryan Smith led the Rams with 22 points while Chris Gaston added 18 and ten rebounds, but the biggest issue for Harvard was their offense. In a 60-possession game the Crimson attempted 30 of their 55 shots from beyond the arc, making just eight. By comparison Fordham made half of their twelve three-point attempts and they were more effective in getting to the foul line as well. Tom Pecora certainly had his work cut out for him when he took the job, and while the process is nowhere near complete he can point to a win like this as a sign of progress. As for Harvard, a loss like this could make it even more important that they run away with the Ivy crown.

3. Oral Roberts wins at Oakland to move to 4-0 in Summit League play.
Having lost games at North Dakota State and South Dakota State last week, Greg Kampe's Oakland squad needed to knock off Oral Roberts to remain in contack with the top of the Summit League. But while Reggie Hamilton scored a game-high 28 points it wasn't enough to hold off the Golden Eagles, who shot 66.7% from the field on their way to the 89-80 victory. ORU turned the ball over 18 times but had five players score in double figures, and it certainly didn't hurt to make 11 of 16 shots from beyond the arc as well. Dominique Morrison, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, scored 20 points (6-8 3PT) to lead the way and Steven Roundtree added 16 off the bench for ORU, who is now 4-0 in league play and is tied with South Dakota State in first place. With the two Dakota schools visiting Tulsa on Thursday and Saturday, Scott Sutton's team could take a big step towards a regular season title.

Quick Hitters

1. Louisville got back on the right track, beating St. John's 73-58 to end their two-game losing streak. Russ Smith accounted for 17 points, seven assists and four steals off the bench while Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng also put together solid stat lines. But the true star was the Louisville defense as the Red Storm shot just 28.1% from the field.

2. Sean Mosley led the way with 19 points as Maryland held on to beat Cornell 70-62 in their final tune-up for ACC play. The addition of Pe'Shon Howard and Alex Len have made Mark Turgeon's team a much better unit, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the Terrapins surprise people in conference play.

3. Siena didn't have much of a chance in the second half of the doubleheader at Madsion Square Garden as they were blitzed by Iona 95-59. Sean Armand set a MAAC record with ten three-pointers, scoring a career-high 32 points, and Jermel Jenkins added 16 off the bench. It's going to be extremely difficult for MAAC opponents to score with the Gaels, meaning that they'll need to do what Saint Peter's was able to do in the conference tournament title game last season. Make them grind it out and see what happens.

4. Rob Jeter's Milwaukee Panthers took a tough loss as they fell 72-61 at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 5-0 at home this season, so the outcome isn't as much of a surprise as the margin. Milwaukee couldn't get to the foul line, attempting just nine free throws (making three) to WMU's 37 (making 30), and that was the difference.

5. Creighton moved to 2-1 in MVC play with a 76-59 win over Drake in Omaha. Doug McDermott led three starters in double figures with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds as the Bluejays won comfortably despite turning the ball over 19 times.

6. Condolences go out to the Bartow family as Gene Bartow passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81. Bartow led Memphis to the 1973 national title game and was also the head coach at UCLA after John Wooden's retirement. His son Murry is the head coach at East Tennessee State.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Sean Armand (Iona)
32 points (10-19 3PT) and six rebounds in the Gaels' 95-59 win over Siena. Armand set a MAAC record for the most three-pointers made in a single game.

2. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
27 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Holy Cross.

3. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
18 points and 14 rebounds in the Spartans' 63-60 overtime win at Wisconsin.

4. G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
19 points, 11 assists and three steals in the Pirates' 75-63 win over #8 Connecticut.

5. F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
22 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in the Wildcats' 73-51 win over Arkansas-Little Rock.

Thursday Recap: Rutgers Beats #10 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:50:46 -0800

The matchup between #10 Florida and Rutgers on Thursday night was hyped up due to the return of Mike Rosario, who transferred from the New Jersey school following two seasons in New Brunswick. But his return was a subplot in what turned out to be one of the best games of the calendar year, with the focus by the end being Mike Rice's young guards. Eli Carter led the way with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Myles Mack knocked down some big shots late in regulation and during the overtime periods to lead Rutgers to the 85-83 double overtime victory.

Jerome Seagears added 13 points and junior forward Dane Miller was his usual versatile self with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kenny Boynton led four Florida players in double figures with 26 points, but the Gators seemed to bog down offensively down the stretch, once again not getting the ball inside enough to Patric Young. Young finished with 11 points but took just eight shots in 41 minutes of play, and there was even a possession where Florida failed to get him the ball despite being guarded by the 6'3" Carter. Florida's guards had the experience advantage, but it was Rutgers that made that one extra big play to win the game.

"Would I have liked them to get into our sets a little quicker? Sure," said Rice after the game. "But there was such a poise, such a confidence. They responded at the end. I always take it back because they practice like that ...hopefully this is [what's] to come."

For all their youth Rutgers turned the ball over just 11 times compared to 18 Florida turnovers, and their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.64 was nearly double their season average (0.86). Also critical for the Scarlet Knights was their play on the boards, as they were out-rebounded by just one (37-36) on the night with Derrick Randall supplying eight rebounds in 17 minutes of play. The Rutgers reserves, led by Mack (14 points), outscored Florida's bench 22-8 with Rosario scoring five points for the Gators. The Scarlet Knights are young and there will be bumps in the road in Big East play, but as Coach Rice said after the game the future is bright.

"This is what happens when you don't think impossible is impossible," said Rice. "This is what happens when young men are determined to follow the formula and play for one another."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Vanderbilt jumps Marquette from the start and picks up a much-needed resume builder.
Much of the country didn't get to see the beginning of Vanderbilt/Marquette due to the length of Rutgers' win over Florida, and by the time ESPN2 switched over the game was essentially finished. Kevin Stallings' Commodores jumped out to a 19-4 lead and didn't look back, leading by as many as 25 points in the first half (31-6) on their way to a 74-57 victory. Marquette couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half as they shot 21.2% from the field and finished the game making 32.2% of their shots.

Jeffery Taylor led four Commodores in double figures with 19 points while Lance Goulbourne added 13 to go along with 16 rebounds, and Marquette's inability to make shots allowed the visitors to get away with 17 turnovers. Jae Crowder (16 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (12 points) reached double figures but with fellow starters Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue combining to make two of ten shots from the field the Golden Eagles weren't able to get back into the game. Vanderbilt needed a win like this to re-establish some national credibility after an 8-4 start, and this will help as they go into SEC play.

2. Saint Mary's welcomes BYU to the WCC with 98 points in Moraga.
BYU and Saint Mary's went into Thursday's game familiar with each other since they met last season, even with some of the key figures in that meeting no longer in school. But confernce play can be an entirely different animal, as the Cougars found out in the second half of the Gaels' 98-82 victory. Randy Bennett's team made 55.4% of their shots and assisted on 23 of 31 made baskets, and individually both Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones posted double-doubles. Dellavedova ran the show for Saint Mary's, finishing with 18 points and 12 assists, while Jones was a matchup nightmare for BYU with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Brandon Davies was outstanding for BYU in scoring 28 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but there wasn't enough offensive help for Davies when considering the fact that four SMC starters finished in double figures. Stephen Holt made eight of his ten shots in scoring 21 points and Jorden Page added 13 and five assists. On a night filled with offense, BYU simply could not get stops when they needed them the most. Of the three contenders for the WCC title (Gonzaga) the Gaels have the weakest non-conference resume, so that regular season crown may be most important for them when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Thursday night was a good first step in that direction.

3. Cashmere Wright takes matters into his own hands late to lead Cincinnati past Oklahoma.
One question regarding Cincinnati's smaller lineup in light of the suspensions of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj was how the Bearcats would deal with bigger teams, something that wasn't an issue in wins over lesser competition. Oklahoma provided that challenge, and while it wasn't pretty Cincinnati found a way to win 56-55. That way: give Cashmere Wright the chance to make plays late. The junior point guard scored just eight points on the night (3-14 FG), but he made two huge baskets in the final minute including the game-winner with 8.8 seconds to go. Cincinnati turned the ball over just eight times on the night compared to 17 for the Sooners (UC: 16 points off turnovers), and while they were a minus-9 in rebounding margin the Bearcats grabbed 13 offensive boards and scored ten second-chance points (OU finished with 11). Cincinnati's taken full advantage of what could have been a crippling turn of events, becoming a better basketball team as a result.

Quick Hitters

1. It was a bad night for ACC bottom-feeders on Thursday, with Boston College losing to #24 Harvard for the fourth consecutive time (67-46) and Georgia Tech losing at Fordham (72-66). To say the least these results don't do much to maintain the league's computer numbers, and it could be a long conference season for both the Eagles and Yellow Jackets. And it should also be noted that Wake Forest nearly lost to Yale after leading by 19, ultimately hanging on to beat the Bulldogs 72-71.

2. Freshman guard Jamal Branch has left the Texas A&M program and will transfer according to multiple media outlets. Branch averaged just 4.2 points and 2.5 assists per game, but his departure leaves the Aggies one option short on a perimeter that hasn't played at a championship level this season.

3. Two teams that took hits to their chances of an at-large bid on Thursday are Marshall and Iona, with both falling on the road. Iona couldn't recover from 19 first half turnovers in an 83-75 loss at Hofstra while the Thundering Herd lost 79-74 to a Belmont team they beat just ten days ago. The Herd may have a better shot at earning an at-large given their conference affiliation (Conference USA), but the climb for both teams became a lot tougher.

4. Shaka Smart's VCU Rams won their seventh straight game on Thursday, winning 76-75 in overtime at Akron. Bradford Burgess led four Rams in double figures with 19 points (and seven rebounds) and VCU forced 20 Akron turnovers on the night.

5. Getting to conference play wasn't the catalyst for Austin Peay that some thought it would be as the Governors lost 67-65 at Eastern Kentucky. Dave Loos' team dropped to 3-11 on the season (0-1 OVC) while the Colonels are now 2-0 in league play.

6. In the "inexplicable loss" category are the defeats suffered by American and James Madison, who in losing to Mount St. Mary's and Rhode Island respectively lost to teams that entered Thursday with a combined 2-21 record.

7. Even though they were the home team it's likely that few people expected Illinois State to beat Northern Illinois in the MVC opener for both teams. But that's exactly what happened as the Redbirds, led by Jackie Carmichael (19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks), beat the Panthers 65-61.

8. The opening night of Pac-12 play didn't lack excitement either, with Stanford hanging on to beat UCLA 60-59. UCLA took 13 shots in the second half that would have given them the lead if converted...and missed them all. And in Seattle, Tony Wroten led Washington to a 95-80 win over Oregon State with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists. If the freshman continues to learn how to use his talents to make his teammates better, look out.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Eli Carter (Rutgers)
31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the Scarlet Knights' 85-83 double overtime win over #10 Florida.

2. F Will Barton (Memphis)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in the Tigers' 64-47 win over Robert Morris.

3. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
23 points and 17 rebounds in the Rams' 72-66 win over Georgia Tech.

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 Title?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:38:24 -0800

A Night in The A-10: Majerus, Cheerleaders, Beer, and the MVC

Bill Kintner — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:58:09 -0800

ST. LOUIS – Tonight’s adventure takes place on the western frontier of the Atlantic 10 Conference on the campus of Saint Louis University in the brand-spanking new Chaifetz Arena.

Before coming back to campus they played in a hockey arena called the Keil Center, then re-named the Savvis Center and later the Scottrade Center. It was too big, not on campus and the fans had to pay NHL prices for food and parking. A crowd of 7000 looked small in that 20,000 plus seat professional arena. Now the Billiken fans are kicking back in a comfortable 10,600 seat arena, with good food, beer and plenty of parking nearby.

It is a mild winter evening outside, but in the Chaifetz Arena which opened last year, the band is loud, the student section is rowdy and the cheerleaders are pretty.. and no male chearleaders either! They have a big squad, I counted 20   cheerleaders, all with a wholesome look, like I would expect from a good Catholic school, plus they had big smiles and no tattoos.

On the flip side St. Louis coach Rick Majerus is still over-weight and dressed like an aging bouncer at a union hall, wearing a black mock turtle neck and grey slacks that are big enough to provide shelter for a family of Haitians. But the fans don’t care how much their beloved coach weighs or what he wears, as long as he the Billikens win and this year they are winning with an 11-6 record coming into tonight’s game.

I did notice as the Billikens exited the court at halftime and after the game, the fans in the courtside seats near corner near where they exit, put their pop corn under their seat and secure their hot dogs and beer with both hands as coach Majerus walked by.

All is right the college basketball world here in the Midwest. The Billikens seem to be on the right track, the fans are loving their new arena and the Atlantic 10 is having a banner year. The A-10 has an unbelievable six teams ranked in the top 31 of the RPI and 17 wins against BCS opponents. Temple is ranked 17th in the AP Poll.

In tonight’s game St. Louis rolled the Rams 75-48. Fordham (2-15, 0-5) was never in the game.   Fordham dumped coach Derek Whittenburg on December 3rd and he was replaced by 29 year old assistant coach Jared Grasso. It will be at least a year or two before Fordham becomes competitive in the A-10.

After the game the funs starts because that is when you get to hear coach Majerus talk about the game, basketball and life. After about 15 minutes of taking questions the sports information director Chuck Yahng said, “one more question.”   Majerus answered it and talked for another 10 minutes. He is not quite as funny as Miami coach Charlie Coles, but is every bit as interesting and incredibly blunt.

He said he would give his players a day off to catch up on their school work because the four and five day trips to Virginia, Philly and the East Coast really make it hard for his players to keep up with their academics.

That comment brought him around to two of his favorite subjects which are: St. Louis joining the Missouri Valley Conference and food.

“Who are our natural rivals in the A-10? I can’t really think of any,” said Majerus. When some writers named Dayton and Xavier as possible rivals, he said that Dayton brings fans to St. Louis mostly because it is relatively close and an interesting city to visit.

He said trips to Bradley, Evansville and Indiana State would cost a lot less than going to Philadelphia, New York and DC. The cost for food, buses and rental cars are really high compared to going to cities in the Missouri Valley Conference.

“You can take your whole team to Peoria and feed then BBQ for almost nothing compared to big the A-10 cities,” explained Mejerus. “If you care about academics and money then the Missouri Valley makes sense. Everything is about money, do you want to go to New York, Philly, Charlotte and Rhode Island or go to Bradley, Southern Illinois and Indiana State?”

He also managed to get the subject of racism in too, claiming that the TSA and NCAA single out his Black players to be searched and take drug tests. Majerus speaks his mind and it is refreshing.

I don’t know if Saint Louis is going to end up in the Missouri Valley or stay in the Atlantic 10 Conference but with the beautiful Chaifetz Arena they are positioned to provide their fans with a lot of fun winter nights in the years to come.

Poll: How Many Atlantic 10 Teams Will Make NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:38:24 -0800

Atlantic 10 Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:24:13 -0800

Dayton and Xavier have legitimate Top 25 hopes, while usual standard-bearers like St. Joseph's and Temple may have to make way for up-and-coming programs like Duquesne, La Salle, and Richmond.

Conference Rank: 7th

10 year average: 8th

Conference Page

All-Atlantic 10 Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Kevin Anderson	Richmond	Jr
G	Ricky Harris	UMASS	Sr
G	Rodney Green	La Salle	Sr
F	Andrew Nicholson	St. Bonaventure	So
F	Chris Wright	Dayton	Jr

Player of the Year - Chris Wright Freshman of the Year - Aaric Murray (La Salle)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
All-Americans Chris Wright High-Major All-Americans Chris Wright (1st Team) Kevin Anderson (2nd) Ricky Harris (2nd) Andrew Nicholson (2nd) Lavoy Allen (3rd) Jordan Crawford Rodney Green All-Freshman Team Aaric Murray		Points: Ricky Harris 18.2 Rebounds: Lavoy Allen 9.0 Assists: DiJuan Harris 7.2 Team Points: Duquesne 78.9

A10 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

16	Dayton	A-10	1	NCAA
24	Xavier	A-10	2	NCAA
55	La Salle	A-10	3	NIT
61	Richmond	A-10	4	NIT
69	Duquesne	A-10	5	NIT
91	Saint Louis	A-10	6	CBI/CIT
95	St. Joe's	A-10	7	CBI/CIT
115	Temple	A-10	8	CBI/CIT
126	Charlotte	A-10	9
134	Rhode Island	A-10	10
168	Massachusetts	A-10	11
202	St. Bonaventure	A-10	12
245	George Wash	A-10	13
252	Fordham	A-10	14

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Atlantic 10?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:37:04 -0700

A10 Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:59:54 -0700

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:

Atlantic-10 Tournament

Held in Atlantic City, NJ, the A-10 tournament features 12 of the league’s 14 teams, with the top four earning a bye directly to the quarterfinals.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Xavier	100.00%	88.67%	60.89%	48.87%
2	Rhode Island	100.00%	67.75%	48.71%	16.23%
3	Dayton	100.00%	58.88%	21.08%	3.92%
4	Temple	100.00%	79.29%	32.52%	22.72%
5	Saint Joseph's	71.34%	17.42%	3.51%	1.55%
6	Richmond	68.91%	32.27%	10.66%	1.80%
7	Duquesne	59.98%	21.43%	12.61%	2.82%
8	La Salle	55.47%	6.82%	1.75%	0.67%
9	St. Louis	44.53%	4.51%	0.99%	0.33%
10	Massachusetts	40.02%	10.82%	5.30%	0.87%
11	St. Bonaventure	31.09%	8.84%	1.64%	0.14%
12	Charlotte	28.66%	3.29%	0.33%	0.08%

Xavier is the clear favorite, but Temple and Rhode Island have a decent shot of taking the title, and Dayton is probably somewhat better than its odds would suggest. The bottom eight teams are separated by a relatively small amount, with Duquesne and Richmond looking like the best bets for a surprise advancements.

#1 – Xavier Musketeers (24-6, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.174

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (Sweet Sixteen)

Xavier has put together an excellent season, but didn’t have a great finish, going 4-4 over the last month, and struggling to get wins on the road. Still, its been the best team in the conference by a mile, putting up the conference’s top offense and defense. The Musketeers are excellent three-point shooters and rebounders, but have committed a lot of turnovers, which has caused them of trouble at times. They also force few turnovers, and foul often on the defensive end, but spectacular interior defending, holding opponents to just 43% from two, makes up for it.

Player to watch:

6-8 JR Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG% - Brown is Xavier’s leading scorer, and its most efficient offensive option, a very good inside scorer who can complement his game with a strong showing from behind the arc, and the team’s best rebounder as well.

#2 – Rhode Island Rams (22-9, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.087

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (1^st Round)

Rhode Island finished atop a three-way tie for second, but in EM, it sits 3^rd in the league, and isn’t particularly strong at either end of the floor. The Rams are excellent three-point shooters, but take most of their attempts inside the arc, where they’ve only been average. Their defensive game also depends on inside play, as they have typically struggled to hold opponents’ scoring down from two-point range. Rhode Island’s been a lot stronger defending the perimeter, forcing a lot of turnovers and shutting down the long-distance shot pretty well.

Player to watch:

6-3 SR Jimmy Baron, 16.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG,60.3 eFG% - Baron is one of the country’s premier shooters, at 45% from behind the arc and 89% at the free-throw line. He also turns the ball over very rarely, and the Rams do a good job by getting him the ball pretty often. There’s few players in the country who can rack up points behind the arc as quickly and effectively as Baron.

#3 – Dayton Flyers (25-6, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.013

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

Dayton is another team that had an excellent start, but fell off towards the end, finishing the season 4-4 after a 21-2 start. The Flyers have been very unimpressive by efficiency margin standards, just barely out-scoring its opponents, and not looking like a top-tier A-10 team. The problem has been their poor offense, struggling with shots from two-point range and from the free throw line, and committing a lot of turnovers. Their defense has been better, but has only been average in stopping shots, and they’ve fouled pretty often.

Player to watch:

6-8 SO Chris Wright, 13.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 49.7 eFG% - Wright leads the Flyers in scoring and rebounding, and while he’s an efficient player, his percentages have really fallen off from his spectacular, injury-interrupted first season. His 51% from two is solid, but he needs to cut out his three-point shots, and while his 67% free throw shooting is decent, but doesn’t allow him to take full advantage of his opportunities.

#4 – Temple Owls (19-11, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.124

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

The Owls are the second favorite for the conference title, and will likely face a difficult challenge against Xavier in the semifinals. Their strength is defense, especially inside the arc; they dominate the defensive glass and hold opponents to just 43% from two. They are somewhat vulnerable on the outside, as they don’t get opponents to cough the ball up much, and allow a fairly high percentage of threes. On the offensive end, Temple’s three-point shooting has fallen off a little in conference play, but it’s still been pretty solid overall because it rarely turns the ball over.

Player to watch:

6-5 SR Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG% - The conference’s joint leading scorer, Christmas is a dangerous player who puts up a lot of shots, and makes percentages that are just good enough to keep him efficient.

#5 – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (16-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.026

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

St. Joe’s started the conference season 7-1, but hit a five-game losing streak in mid-February that dropped it to 5^th in the standings. It’s been above average defensively, holding opponents to fairly low percentages from both two and three, and succeeding despite forcing few turnovers. The Hawks haven’t been as good on the offensive end, as they shoot mostly twos, and not particularly well. They are the conference’s best free throw shooters at 74%, and get a good number of points from the line.

Player to watch:

6-9 SR Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG% - Leading the conference in both scoring and rebounding, Nivins is the main player in the A-10 who has a real chance of being in the NBA draft, which isn’t surprising when you see just how dominant he is inside, shooting a great percentage and getting to the free throw line seemingly at will, where he converts 79% of chances.

#6 – Richmond Spiders (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.002

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

The Spiders had an excellent final game, beating Xavier to left themselves into the four-way tie at 9-7. They have been the weakest of the top eight teams, though not by much, mostly due to struggles on the defensive end. They are the conference’s worst rebounders, and commit far too many fouls, which wastes their ability to force turnovers and their decent inside defending. Richmond is a solid offensive team that leads the A-10 in holding onto the ball, and shoots well from two-point range, but takes most of its shots from outside, where it hits under a third of attempts.

Player to watch:

6-4 JR David Gonzalvez, 15.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 55.4 eFG% - Gonzalvez has slowed down in the final month of the season, but is the team’s best three point shooter, and is the most efficient in a group of solid scoring options.

#7 – Duquesne Dukes (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1977 (1^st Round)

Duquesne has been one of the conference’s better teams overall, and looks like it has the potential to cause some trouble for the higher seeds, though a potential game with Rhode Island would be a tough hurdle to face. The Dukes are have been excellent offensively, using a fast paced style with a lot of three attempts to open up the inside, where they shoot 53%. They make a decent number of those three attempts, but the inside play is the most important part of their offensive game. Of course, the reason that they are 9-7 with this offense is that their defense hasn’t been very good; they have led the A-10 in forcing turnovers, but are the worst team outside of Fordham at defending shots, allowing well over 50% from two and 38% from three.

Player to watch:

6-4 SR Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG% - Jackson was one of the players involved in the unfortunate shooting incident in 2006, and is the only one of the injured players still on the team. He’s notable for much more than that though, as he’s become the conference’s best guard. He’s an excellent shooter, especially from two, where he’s hit 60% of attempts, and has put up a very good assist rate. Jackson has been especially strong over the last month, averaging more than 20 points over his last nine games.

#8 – La Salle Explorers (18-12, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.004

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1992 (1^st Round)

La Salle enters tournament play on a four-game winning streak, and is the last team in the tournament to finish with an efficiency margin above zero. The Explorers have been good at maintaining a possession advantage on the defensive end, solid rebounders who have forced a lot of turnovers in A-10 play, which has compensated enough for their poor defense on threes to give them one of the league’s better defenses. La Salle is also strong on the offensive glass, but they’ve needed to be, as their shooting percentages have been weak, and they have had trouble holding onto the ball.

Player to watch:

6-6 JR Kimmani Barrett, 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 51.9 eFG% - Barrett is second on the team in scoring, and while he doesn’t always end up with a lot of shots, he’s effective when he does shoot, an excellent inside and outside scorer who get to the line well.

#9 – St. Louis Billikens (17-13, 8-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.015

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

The Billikens had a strong season going until the final three games, when an ill-timed losing streak dropped them all the way to 9^th. They play the slowest system in the league, but it hasn’t really worked offensively, as just average shooting percentages are dragged down by turnovers and poor rebounding. They have been stronger defensively, but are still only average, despite some of the conference’s best defending on the perimeter. Opponents take few outside shots against St. Louis, and it just hasn’t been able to consistently defend the inside well enough to hold opponents’ scores down. As you might expect from a slow paced team, they are good on the defensive glass, but force few turnovers.

Player to watch:

6-2 SR Kevin Lisch, 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 46.4 eFG% - Lisch leads the team in scoring, and is the Billikens’ best three-point shooter, but his appalling two-point shooting, just 32%, undoes a lot of his good work.

#10 – Massachusetts Minutemen (12-17, 7-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.001

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

UMass is the last of the A-10 teams to sit in this logjam right around the .500 mark, and picked up arguably the conference’s best win when they shocked Kansas in Kansas City. The Minutemen are above average scorers, taking and making a lot of threes, but aren’t great on the offensive glass and rarely get to the free-throw line. Their serious problems, though, have been at the defensive end, where they have the worst record of any team in the tournament. There’s not much Massachusetts does well when defending, it allows opponents to make a lot of shots and struggles to prevent them from having a big possession advantage, with a poor turnover rate and weak rebounding.

Player to watch:

6-8 SR Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Gaffney isn’t the primary offensive focus for UMass, but he’s a good shooter who excels in the other aspects of the game, one of only two A-10 players to average a double-double and an strong defender who has great steal and block totals.

#11 – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (15-14, 6-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.066

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

There doesn’t look to be much too notable in the season for the Bonnies, but after failing to break the four-win barrier for four seasons, this is a nice improvement and a positive sign for the future. They run the conference’s fastest pace, but are the worst offensive team at the tournament, as they do get a good number of high-percentage chances in transition, but are the conference’s worst at turning the ball over, giving it up once of every four times down the floor. Their inability to hit long-range shots further hampers their chances of putting up points. Unlike a lot of fast-paced teams, they force very few turnovers, but are decent defenders because of good rebounding and an ability to lock down the outside.

Player to watch:

6-9 FR Andrew Nicholson, 12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 60.7 eFG% - The Canadian freshman started his college career with a big season, shooting more than 60% from the field and putting up one of the best block rates in the country. He’s also a good rebounder, but his free throw shooting could use some work.

#12 – Charlotte 49ers (11-19, 5-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.053

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (1^st Round)

Charlotte managed to get the last spot in the tournament, despite a 1-4 finish that saw its only win come against Fordham. This is a team that beat Xavier last month, played a close early season game with Clemson, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The 49ers have put up a lot of threes, but when you make only 28% of attempts, that’s not a very good thing. They’ve been OK in the other offensive categories, but with that many wasted shots, they’ve had one of the conference’s worst offenses. It’s a shame for them that opponents don’t have the same problem from long-distance, as they allow 36% on opposition three-pointers. Charlotte does defend well inside, and forces a good number of turnovers, but it hasn’t been enough to keep them out of the bottom part of the conference.

Player to watch:

6-7 SR Lamont Mack, 15.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 45.1 eFG% - Mack puts up a lot of shots when he’s on the floor, a nearly Stephen Curry level of importance to the 49ers. However, despite his high point totals, he’s actually a significant detriment to his team, as his poor shooting, especially 43% from inside the arc, means a lot of those shots are wasted.

My statistical all-Atlantic-10 team:

Duquesne SR G Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG%

Temple SR G Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG%

Saint Joseph’s SR F Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG%

Massachusetts SR F Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG%

Xavier JR F Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG%

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