Miami OH

MAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:33:31 -0500

Akron is the favorite after winning 23 games last year, but just about everyone in the dominant East Division has a chance to make some noise.

Conference Rank: 17th

10 year average: 13th

MAC Conference Page

All-MAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Rodney Pierce	Buffalo	Sr
G	Darion Anderson	Northern Illinois	Jr
G/F	David Kool	Western Mich.	Jr
F	Brandon Bowdry	Eastern Mich.	Jr
F	Jarrod Jones	Ball State	So

Player of the Year - Rodney Pierce
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Darion Anderson Rodney Pierce		Best Scorer: David Kool Best Rebounder: Brandon Bowdry Best Passer: Joe Jakubowski

MAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

68	Akron	MAC	1	NCAA
82	Buffalo	MAC	2	NIT
104	Kent State	MAC	3	CBI/CIT
128	Bowling Green	MAC	4
184	Ohio	MAC	5
199	Miami (OH)	MAC	6
232	Central Michigan	MAC	7
266	Ball State	MAC	8
289	Northern Illinois	MAC	9
311	Eastern Michigan	MAC	10
318	Western Michigan	MAC	11
341	Toledo	MAC	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAC?

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

Miami Signs Impressive Class

Press Release — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:35:01 -0500

OXFORD, Ohio—Miami University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Charlie Coles announced today (Nov. 11) the signing of three student-athletes to national letters of intent. Inked to join the RedHawks in 2010-11 are 6-foot-8 forward Jon Harris (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg), 6-foot, 180-pound point guard Quinten Rollins (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) and 6-foot-4, 200-pound Josh Sewell (Louisville, Ky./Trinity).

Sewell, touted as a top candidate for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball award, enters the 2009-10 campaign with 890 points and is closing in on the Trinity High School’s all-time scoring record. As a junior, he earned third-team all-state honors. Sewell has earned all-region honors the past two seasons and was an all-tournament team selection for the 27^th District as a junior. During his time with the Shamrocks, he has helped the team to two 20-win seasons, ranking 16^th in the state a year ago with a 22-8 mark. As a junior he averaged 15.2 ppg and 7.0 rpg for Trinity.

“Josh Sewell, in my mind, is the most aggressive perimeter player I’ve ever signed as a head coach,” said Coles. “This guy is aggressive on offense, he takes the ball to the basket, he’s got a great pull-up jump shot, needs to work on his outside shot a little bit, but boy can he get fouled. On defense, he’s equally as aggressive. Physically, he could play for our basketball team right now. That’s what excites me most about him. He’s ready to play physically and he’s ready to play mentally.”

Rollins averaged 27.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, 5.0 rpg and 2.0 spg as a junior at Wilmington High School. He was a third-team all-state selection and First-Team All-Southwest District pick in 2008-09 and was tabbed the conference Player of the Year in 2007-08. Rollins has been a three-time first-team all-conference selection in basketball and earned first-time all-conference distinction in football as sophomore and junior. He has helped the Hurricanes to two 20-win seasons, including a 22-3 record a year ago, and helped them to back-to-back conference titles.

“Quinten Rollins is probably the best combo football/basketball player we’ve ever signed,” said Coles. “This young man had over 350 yards of total offense against Cincinnati Turpin in a playoff game a few weeks ago. Quinten is equally as good on the basketball floor, and probably better. If he had decided to play football, he would probably have been a high recruit, but he loves basketball and tells me he loves Miami University, and I’m so glad because I think this guy can come in, along with Josh Sewell, and play right away and not give up anything.”

Harris averaged 14.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.55 spg and 2.2 bpg as a junior for Twinsburg High School. He helped the team to a 14-6 league record in 2008-09 and was a first-team all-conference selection and earned all-district accolades.

“If someone would ask me who has the most professional potential of any guy that I’ve signed since (Wally) Szczerbiak, it would be Jon Harris,” remarked Coles. “He’s 6-foot-8, very thin, but very skilled. He shoots an outside jump shot and really can shoot the ball. Plus, unlike most 6-foot-8 kids, he can get the shot off on his own. He doesn’t need a screen. His biggest drawback right now is physical strength. It may take him a month or two when he gets here, but there’s no doubt in my mind that that young man is headed for basketball success.”

MAC Preseason Poll & Awards

Press Release — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:54:12 -0400

CLEVELAND - Akron was predicted to finish first in the Mid-American Conference East Division in a poll of the league's media, the conference office announced on Oct 28.

Central Michigan was predicted to win the West Division, amassing 113 points and 10 first-place votes. Northern Illinois was picked to finish second with 102 points, while Eastern Michigan was forecast to finish third with 94 points. Ball State, Western Michigan and Toledo were picked to finish fourth, fifth and sixth in the West Division, respectively.

Five schools earned votes to win the MAC Tournament with Akron being the favorite with 19 votes. Buffalo received two votes, while Northern Illinois, Kent State and Bowling Green each received one.

MAC East Division Preseason Media Poll

1.       Akron – 190 points (19)

2.       Kent State – 108 points (3)

3.       Buffalo – 97 points (1)

4.       Miami – 78 points

5.       Bowling Green – 54 points (1)

6.       Ohio – 32 points

MAC West Division Preseason Media Poll

1.       Central Michigan – 113 points (10)

2.       Northern Illinois – 102 points (4)

3.       Eastern Michigan – 94 points (3)

4.       Ball State – 87 points (3)

5.       Western Michigan – 79 points (4)

6.       Toledo – 29 points

(1st place votes in parentheses)

Tournament Winner: Akron (19), Buffalo (2), Northern Illinois (1), Kent State (1), Bowling Green (1)

East Division All-MAC Preseason Team

Kenny Hayes, G, Miami

Brett McKnight, F, Akron

Rodney Pierce, G, Buffalo

Chris Singletary, G, Kent State

Anthony “Humpty” Hitches, G, Akron

West Division All-MAC Preseason Team

David Kool, G, Western Michigan

Jarrod Jones, F/C, Ball State

Brandon Bowdry, F, Eastern Michigan

Darion “Jake” Anderson, G, Northern Illinois

Carlos Medlock, G, Eastern Michigan

Poll: Who Will Win the MAC?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:48:43 -0400

The Ultimate Schedule: MAC East

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:12:25 -0400

MAC Scheduling “Rules”:

- Four non-conference games

- Eight conference games (five within the division)

- Marathon MAC Football Championship Game (December 4^th in Detroit)

Week 1: Troy @ Bowling Green (September 3^rd)

Why not open up the season with the favorite to defend its conference title (Troy of the Sun Belt Conference) visiting a Bowling Green team looking to pick up the first win of the Dave Clawson era? The question for the Falcons is which job will be more representative of Clawson’s offensive gameplan abilities: his years of success at Richmond, or one ill-fated year at Tennessee? Tennessee was a tough situation in 2008, with Phil Fulmer under pressure to win immediately, so it can be understood why the Volunteers struggled (quarterback play didn’t help either). Tyler Sheehan is a capable signal-caller, but he will be tested by the Troy defense. This will be a good measuring stick in the season opener for the Falcons.

Other Games Considered: Akron @ Penn State (9/5), Connecticut @ Ohio (9/5), Buffalo @ UTEP (9/5)

Week 2: Pittsburgh @ Buffalo (September 12^th)

Last season the Panthers dropped a game at home to a Bowling Green team that ended up not being as good as thought when the season ended. So what can happen when Pittsburgh visits the defending MAC champion Bulls? Buffalo will hope that they’ve found capable replacements for RB James Starks, who will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum, and Pitt will also be looking for backs to replace the departed LeSean McCoy. The position to watch: wide receiver, where Naaman Roosevelt can hold his own with any wideout on the Pitt roster. Simply put, this is one of the early-season games that can provide the MAC with a BCS “scalp”.

Other Games Considered: Kent State @ Boston College (9/12), Miami @ Boise State (9/12), Bowling Green @ Missouri (9/12)

Week 3: Indiana @ Akron (September 19^th)

Speaking of possible wins against BCS teams, the Zips host an Indiana team picked by the media to finish last in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers dismissed QB Kellen Lewis in a case of taking team chemistry over playmaking ability. Who else is there that can make things happen for the Hoosiers offensively? QB Ben Chappell has a solid season in 2008, but the defense led by DE Jammie Kirlew will be leaned upon heavily in the first month of the season. Akron isn’t a particularly explosive team on offense either, but they do have a solid quarterback in senior Chris Jacquemain. The Zips have never hosted a BCS conference team so expect a frenzied atmosphere despite the predicted level of the opponent.

Other Games Considered: Temple @ Penn State (9/19), Miami @ Western Michigan (9/19), Buffalo @ UCF (9/19)

Week 4: Buffalo @ Temple (September 26^th)

Rarely does a game between the two teams expected to vie for the division title take place in the first month of the season. But that’s the scenario that the Bulls and Owls have to deal with, and if this one is as wild as last year’s game then we’re in for a treat. A Hail Mary at the gun from Drew Willy to Naaman Roosevelt won it for the Bulls, who went on to win the entire conference. With nine starters back on defense led by linebackers Amara Kamara and Alex Joseph, the Owls may have more than enough ammunition to slow down the Buffalo attack. The winner goes a long way towards punching their ticket to Ford Field while the loser falls into “hope the winner loses two league games” mode.

Other Games Considered: Akron @ Central Michigan (9/26), Miami @ Kent State (9/26), Ohio @ Tennessee (9/26)

Week 5: Central Michigan @ Buffalo (October 3^rd)

While Temple doesn’t play either of the two favorites in the West the Bulls get both, beginning with a visit from the Chippewas on the first Saturday in October. Buffalo nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback in last year’s 27-25 defeat, missing a late field goal after recovering an onside kick. But all-time history isn’t on the side of the Bulls either, who are 3-21 against the West since joining the conference in 1999. The running game played a large factor in last season’s result with the Chips rushing for 208 yards while holding UB to just sixty-six (and that was with James Starks). The Bulls were close thanks to a furious rally; a little offensive balance could be what puts them over the top in the rematch.

Other Games Considered: Ohio @ Bowling Green (10/3), Kent State @ Baylor (10/3)

Week 6: Ohio @ Akron (October 10^th)

How to pick the four teams behind Buffalo and Temple would be anyone’s guess, and the winner of this matchup goes a long way towards finishing third if not challenging for the division title. The Bobcats won a wild battle in Athens 49-42, but the road team hasn’t fared well in the recent history of this series (last win by the road team: 2004) and the Bobcats haven’t won consecutive games over the Zips since the late-90s. It’s also Homecoming for the Zips, who will be playing on campus and that should add something to the atmosphere surrounding the game. Coaches Frank Solich and JD Brookhart are two of the better coaches in the conference, so the strategic aspect should be something to pay attention to as well.

Other Games Considered: Bowling Green @ Kent State (10/10), Miami @ Northwestern (10/10)

Week 7: Bye Week (October 17^th)

The most appealing game on the schedule is Akron visiting Buffalo, but the Bulls have been on the list three times already. Miami’s visit to Athens to take on the Bobcats doesn’t have the look of a game that will have a significant impact on the division race, and the same goes for Bowling Green visiting Ball State.

Week 8: Akron @ Syracuse (October 24^th)

The Zips won last season’s meeting in rather comfortable fashion, racking up 478 yards of offense in the 42-28 win. The question for Syracuse is how much Greg Paulus can help in the passing game. Against Akron the Orange had just 135 yards through the air, offsetting a solid 218 yards on the ground. Doug Marrone should bring more balance to the Syracuse attack, but it remains to be seen what Paulus can produce since he hasn’t taken a live snap since his senior year of high school. Look for Akron DE Almondo Sewell to lead the way in pressuring the former Duke point guard for sixty minutes.

Other Games Considered: Temple @ Toledo (10/24), Kent State @ Ohio (10/24) and Northern Illinois @ Miami (10/24)

Week 9: Western Michigan @ Kent State (October 31^st)

The Broncos have dominated the series with the Golden Flashes, winning the last twelve meetings. And it’s not like these have been “close but no cigar” meetings either; WMU has managed to blow out Kent State on a regular basis. And with Tim Hiller back for one more year in Kalamazoo, KSU free safety Brian Lainhart and company will have their hands full in slowing down Bill Cubit’s offense. The Golden Flashes tend to rely heavily upon their run game, and they’ll need to get the job done in order to keep the ball out of the hands of Hiller and company.

Other Games Considered: Akron @ Northern Illinois (10/31), Temple @ Navy (10/31)

Week 10: Kent State @ Akron (November 7^th)

Back with the Golden Flashes, this time to watch them take on an Akron team that beat them in overtime last season. The Golden Flashes held a sizeable advantage in yards gained and first downs yet it’s the Zips who possess the Wagon Wheel. Chris Jacquemain and company should be better equipped to put up solid offensive numbers, while Ken State needs to be a little more opportunistic this time around. These two could be fighting for slots in the conference pecking order behind favorites Buffalo and Temple, or they could find a far more lucrative position at the fingertips of the winner.

Other Games Considered: Bowling Green @ Buffalo (11/3), Miami @ Temple (11/7)

Week 11: Bowling Green @ Miami (November 12^th)

The Redhawks have dominated the all-time series with a record of 41-19-5 against the Falcons, who haven’t beaten Miami since 2005. What does Bowling Green need to do in order to end the current run of futility? They can start by shoring up a rush defense that allowed the Redhawks to run for 218 yards in last year’s 27-20 win. To put that into context, the 2-10 Redhawks averaged 107 rushing yards per game, and their second-highest total for a game was 142 in a loss to Kent State. Sometimes, a team simply has your number no matter what the circumstances may be. The hope for Bowling Green is that they can turn the tide in the other direction.

Other Games Considered: Ohio @ Buffalo (11/10), Temple @ Akron (11/13)

Week 12: Kent State @ Temple (November 21^st)

These two teams played an exciting game in 2008, with the Golden Flashes winning 41-38 thanks in large part to 561 yards of offense (329 on the ground). Temple produced just seventy-two yards on the ground and lost the yardage battle by 207 yards yet still found themselves with a chance to win the game late. The Owls finished 2008 dead last in total offense, the lone team unable to average at least three hundred yards per game. By this point in the season people should have a good idea as to whether or not that unit has become any more productive. If so, the Owls could very well find themselves chasing down a division crown.

Other Games Considered: Northern Illinois @ Ohio (11/21), Akron @ Bowling Green (11/20)

Week 13: Toledo @ Bowling Green (November 27^th)

The two schools are separated by just twenty-six miles, meaning that bragging rights take on a more personal feel in the aftermath of this game. The Falcons have won the last two with nearly identical final scores (37-10 in 2007, 38-10 in 2008). Last year’s game saw Bowling Green rack up nearly 300 yards on the ground while holding the Rockets to just sixty-seven yards through the air (Toledo had -1 yards total in the first half) in the final game of the Tom Amstutz era. Toledo senior QB Aaron Opelt will be hoping for a far better result in this year’s battle for the Peace Pipe, as will his teammates.

Other Games Considered: Temple @ Ohio (11/27), Buffalo @ Kent State (11/27)

Week 14: Marathon MAC Football Championship Game (December 4^th in Detroit)

The conference gets the Friday night spotlight to itself on Championship Weekend, and the pick here is for Central Michigan to close out Dan LeFevour’s career with a conference title. Look for the Chippewas to dethrone reigning champion Buffalo at Ford Field.

MAC Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:49:55 -0400

Can the Bulls repeat as champions?

By Raphielle Johnson

2008 saw the completion to one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history, with Turner Gill leading the Buffalo Bulls from the dregs of college football to the top of the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls knocked off Ball State in the conference championship game, earning a trip to the International Bowl. They may have lost that game and starting quarterback Drew Willy (graduation), but most importantly they did not lose Coach Gill.

Despite a few interview opportunities he’ll be right back on the sidelines, hoping that players such as WR Naaman Roosevelt and RB Brandon Thermilus (James Starks will likely miss the entire season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder) can lead the Bulls to another title. Zack Maynard takes over for Willy under center, and while he’s got many options to go to with the football he’ll also have to deal with three new starters on the offensive line. Defensively, look for the Bulls to be one of the conference’s stronger units with nine starters returning. The key for Buffalo: avoiding a “hangover” following a season of success the likes of which hadn’t been seen at UB for a very long time.

Their biggest challenger in the East could very well be Temple, another program looking to drag itself up from the bottom of college football. Al Golden’s team went 5-7 in his first year in Philadelphia, but they did win four league games. Adam DiMichele has graduated, but the Owls do have quarterbacks with starting experience in Vaughn Charlton and Chester Stewart. Outside of quarterback the Owls are a solid football team featuring a number of young yet talented options on both sided of the football. Far more competitive than people expected them to be last season, Temple has the talent to challenge the Bulls and possibly win the conference.

Ohio, Akron and Bowling Green could slot in behind those two in any given order, but good luck figuring out which of the three would have the best chance to shove their way into the top two. Ohio will always run the ball and play sound football under Frank Solich, but the growth of the passing game will determine whether or not the Bobcats can win the division. JD Brookhart’s Akron Zips return nine starters on offense with QB Chris Jacquemain leading the way. But in order for Akron to put together their first winning season since 2005 a defense that finished tenth in the MAC in total defense must improve.

Bowling Green welcomes a new head coach in Dave Clawson, who was extremely successful at Richmond before taking over as offensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2008. He will have some dependable options on offense in QB Tyler Sheehan and WR Freddie Barnes to work with, but there will be some work to do defensively. A unit that ranked second in the conference in total defense returns just three starters and have to replace all-conference DE Diyral Briggs.

Kent State is another team to keep an eye on, with the Golden Flashes returning fifteen starters, led by the diminutive yet productive RB Eugene Jarvis. Jarvis rushed for just over eight hundred yards in 2008, missing three games due to injury. His health becomes even more important due to the graduation of QB Julian Edelman. Four starters are back on the offensive line, and the defense returns starters at all three levels. The wildcard in regards to their contention for a division crown will be the play of sophomore QB Giorgio Morgan; if he can play mistake-free football the Golden Flashes have a chance to earn their first winning season since 2001.

Miami of Ohio also has a new head coach in Mike Haywood, and he’ll have quite the rebuilding job to do in Oxford. The Redhawks have a proud football history but they’ve finished 2-10 in two of the last three seasons. Senior Daniel Raudabaugh returns to lead the offense, and that unit ranked ahead of only Temple in total offense. The Redhawks weren’t much better defensively, ranking ninth in the conference in total defense. Just five starters return to that unit, led by three returnees in the secondary.

In the West, it’ll most likely be a two-horse race between Central Michigan and Western Michigan. The Chippewas return the conference’s best quarterback in Dan LeFevour, and head coach Butch Jones also has receivers Kito Poblah, Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown back in the fold. But the Chips have just one starter back on the offensive line, and the fact that they have ten starters back on defense is undermined by the fact that CMU was dead last in the conference in total defense last season. If the defense can round into shape they’ve got a chance to get through a tough early-season schedule and get back to the top of the MAC.

As for the Broncos, they’ve got some holes to fill defensively but the offense is in good hands thanks to the return of all five starters on the offensive line and QB Tim Hiller. Hiller threw for 286.5 yards per game in 2008, tops in the conference by thirty yards per game. Brandon West will be back for one more run as well, hoping to improve upon numbers that ranked him sixth in the conference in rushing yards a season ago. The Broncos were fourth in the MAC in total offense but just eighth in total defense. That number has to improve if they’re to win the conference this season.

Northern Illinois was the worst offensive team in the conference yet still reached a bowl game in the first season under Jerry Kill due to a defense that finished tops in the conference by nearly fifty yards per game. Defensive end Larry English is now in the NFL and just four starters return on defense, but things may be looking up for the offense. QB Chandler Harnish started ten games as a freshman and is one of seven starters back on that side of the football. If the NIU offense can make some strides they’ll be in the running for third place in the West.

Toledo, Ball State and Eastern Michigan all welcome new head coaches in 2009, with the Rockets having the best chance of finishing in the top half the of the division. New head coach Tim Beckman takes over a team that returns sixteen starters, including QB Aaron Opelt and running backs Morgan Williams and DaJuane Collins. Growing pains could be more plentiful for Ball State’s Stan Parrish and Eastern Michigan’s Ron English. The Cardinals have just four starters back on an offense that led the MAC in total offense a season ago. The load will become heavier for RB MiQuale Lewis with the loss of QB Nate Davis and four starters on the offensive line.

As for EMU the program has won four games in a season three times this decade. That’s the high-water mark for the perennial MAC doormat, something the former defensive coordinator at Louisville hopes to change. Seventeen starters return to Ypsilanti, including nine to an offense that ranked third in the MAC last season. But no matter how many yards Andy Schmitt threw for the Eagles struggled to win games due to a porous defense. Schmitt did lead the Eagles to an upset win over the Chippewas in the season finale, throwing for 516 yards and five touchdowns in the 56-52 stunner. In the final two games of the season Schmitt attempted 76 (Temple) and 80 (CMU) passes; if he has to do that this year the Eagles will more than likely fail to surpass their three-win total of 2008.

As for who wins the MAC title look for Central Michigan’s defense to show signs of improvement, winning the conference provided LeFevour stay healthy. If not, the door opens for either Buffalo or Western Michigan to grab the title. But rest assured it will be another season of wild games and surprising results in the Mid-American Conference.

Storyline: Offense vs. defense. The Bulls are pretty solid on both sides of the football, but the other major contenders need to make improvements on either the offensive (Temple) or defensive (CMU, WMU) side of the football.

Players of the Year: QB Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and LB Nick Bellore (Central Michigan)

How they’ll finish

East 1. Buffalo West 1. Central Michigan

2. Temple 2. Western Michigan

3. Ohio 3. Northern Illinois

4. Akron 4. Toledo

5. Kent State 5. Ball State

6. Bowling Green 6. Eastern Michigan

7. Miami (Ohio)

Next: MAC East and West ultimate schedules

MAC Tournament: Pairings & Schedule

Press Release — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:27:41 -0400

2009 FirstEnergy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament

Tuesday, March 10 - First Round
No. 7 Central Michigan vs. No. 10 Eastern Michigan, Noon
No. 6 Kent State vs. No. 11 Northern Illinois, 2 p.m.*
No. 8 Western Michigan vs. No. 9 Ohio, 4 p.m.*
No. 5 Akron vs. No. 12 Toledo, 6 p.m.*

Thursday, March 12 - Quarters
No. 2 Ball State vs. No. 7/No. 10 Winner, Noon (FS Ohio)
No. 3 Buffalo vs. No. 6/No.11 Winner, 2:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)
No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 8/No. 9 Winner, 7 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5/No. 12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)

Friday, March 13 - Semis
No. 2/7/10 vs. No. 3/6/11 Winner,7:30 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 1/8/9 vs. No. 4/5/12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.(FS Ohio)

Saturday, March 14
Championship Game (ESPN2), 8 p.m. EST

*or 30 minutes following previous game

Tyler Dierkers: Coming Up Big For Miami

Bill Kintner — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:07:18 -0500

OXFORD, Ohio - With Kent State leading Miami 56-54 with 4:21 left in the game, Miami's Tyler Dierkers had the ball just outside the lane. He jumped up and shot the ball, it left his hand, kissed the glass and went through the net.

The game was now tied at 56-56 and it was just another clutch shot that Dierkers makes during a typical game. Sunday night, Dierkers finished a double-double with a solid 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Miami won this game 68-63 behind Michael Bramos' 34 points and the contributions by Dierkers.

When you think of star players in the Mid-American Conference you think of Miami's Michael Bramos, Ohio's Jerome Tillman, Kent State's Al Fisher or maybe Darion Anderson of Northern Illinois.
All of those guys are big scorers. But guys that set the screens, make the critical passes, pull down the offensive rebound tend to be quiet players and do not get the headlines.

Tyler Dierkers is one of those quiet players that scores loud points. On Sunday, in addition to the jumper to tie the game late in the second half, he hit a big 3-pointer to put the game away by putting the RedHawks up by seven points with 1:46 left.

"He can score six or eight points and they tend to be loud. They are the ones you remember," said Kent State coach Geno Ford. "He tipped a couple of balls and kept them alive on the offensive glass early. We lost him around the rim a couple of time and he caught it and finished. Then he hit the 3-pointer which was the game. That was the dagger shot right there."

Long-time Miami play-by-play announcer Steve Baker really likes how hard Dierkers works at the little things like passing and his footwork.

He said, "Dierkers is one of the better post defenders in the MAC. He really works at the things that make him good. He passes the ball really well for a big guy. I really like the way he works around the basket, he does a lot of little things."

Dierkers averages 9.2 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game which are not that different from the 13 ppg and 8 rpg he averaged at Moeller High School his senior year in Cincinnati. He played on a very, very good high school team with several other good players that went on to play Division I basketball, so learning to do things other than scoring helped him to fit in on that team and has helped him become an important piece of this Miami basketball team.

Dierkers sees his assets as being versatile, being able to do several things to help the team and understanding what needs to be done in a given situation to help his team get the win.
"I see myself as doing a little bit of everything, handling the ball, shooting, bang down low, which has been more my calling card this year. That includes getting in there down low trying to get rebounds and put-backs. I try to understand the game and help our team however I need to, to get the win." explained Dierkers.

Being a smart player, Dierkers tries to pick up things from his opponents to get an edge during the game.

He said, "It is something that comes from many years of playing and studying the game. It is putting yourself in there and letting yourself become part of the game. You try to notice little tendencies in opposing players. Sometimes it gets you in trouble because you guess wrong, but for the most part I have been able to capitalize on my opponent's mistakes."

Sometimes his coach, Charlie Coles sees things a little differently when he is on defense.

"He is a very smart defender as a team defender. I think he is as not good as an individual defender. I think he is a guy that if he sees something going over there he can break it up. Now sometimes he has trouble stopping his guy, explained Coles. "I told him at halftime he should be in the Peace Corps, then, he could go around helping everybody. He is guarding every man out there but his own man. That was my sarcastic way of dealing with him."

Upon reflection Dierkers thinks his defense could improve a little to match his offense. "I think my offense has picked up a little this year, but my defense has maybe slacked off a little this year," he said. "I try to go out early and establish myself offensively and defensively, trying to do whatever the team needs. Sometimes you need to take a step back to figure what is going on in the game and go from there."

Aside from an occasional defensive lapse Coles enjoys coaching him and sees a little bit of himself in Dierkers. "He is a great person. He reminds me a little bit of me. Gosh I don't know if I can say this (lowering his voice to a whisper) but he is a smart ass, just like me. Those guys are always good to coach because they keep you on your toes," said Coles. "He is a team player and an interesting guy, unselfish and players like him and that is the important thing. I wouldn't call him headstrong as much as I would call him creative. He does things a little bit different."

Cole enjoys the give and take that goes on between himself and Dierkers.

"I like him far more than he thinks I do, but I am not going to tell him I like him because I think that wouldn't be as fun. I enjoy getting on him," said Coles with a chuckle.

I wanted to know from Coles something that people don't realize about him and he gave me two things. "His teachers at Moeller actually adored him. I don't see how any teacher would adore him. He would seem like a guy that would be into things, but I met two teachers at Moeller that swear by him, a wonderful kid," said Coles.

The other thing Coles mentioned was that he is very good at ball reversal, which as he explained it involves your team attacking on one side of the court and then reversing and immediately attacking on the other side.

Something I doubt many fans pick up.

Back to the smart player aspect of Dierkers. Ford thinks he is very smart and that makes other players better.

"Tyler has the highest basketball IQ of any front court player in our league. He always seems to be in the right place. When you watch tape he is always where he should be to make a play," explained Ford. "He is not a guy who is a catch-it- and-clear-it-out-for-him type of player. He finds a way to not only make other players better, but also be very, very productive within the confines of what they are trying to do offensively."

"He thinks a turnover is a sandwich that you get uptown."

Seven Day Stretch: USC Troubles, Creighton Streaking, Duke/UNC, More..

Rob Carpentier — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:10:28 -0500

Rob Carpentier's "Seven Day Stretch" is a whirlwind tour around every corner of college basketball nation:

Seven Day Savior (Team): Michigan State Spartans

If there ever was a top team that is playing good basketball and lurking under he radar, it’s the Spartans. When national pundits have been discussing the possible top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State is conspicuously absent. This year’s version of State may be Coach Tom Izzo’s best coaching job to date and that’s saying a lot. The Spartans are coming off a week when they solidified their lofty ranking, both in the polls and the RPI because of wins at home against Iowa and, more impressively, at second place Illinois. The win over the Illinois clinched at least a share of the Big 10 Conference regular season title for State. Not only are the Spartans winning, they are doing it with perhaps their best player, Raymar Morgan, having been either out or playing with the effects of pneumonia for a large chunk of the season. Now that Morgan is getting back to full strength, Izzo’s Spartans are a dark horse contender to win the national title. That’s a long way from the hammering they suffered at the hands of North Carolina in December.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Garrison Carr, American University

In the last three games for the Eagles Carr has scored 28, 20 and 23 points respectively. The 28 point effort was against Holy Cross, a game in which American essentially clinched the Patriot League regular season title. For good measure, in American’s next game Carr scored 20 as the Eagles did clinch the title with a win over third place Navy. For the season the 5’11” senior is averaging 17.5 PPG on a team that only scores a little more than 63 PPG. The key for Carr and American, though, is that he’s averaging over 20 points in “big” games. Carr had a stellar season last year as he led American to last year’s NCAA Tourney. This year he’s better, and so are Eagles, which makes them a very dangerous team come time for the Big Dance…assuming they make it.

Game of the Week (The One You Already Know About): Duke at North Carolina

I avoided making this the game of the week the first time these two giants met, but there’s no denying that this is the biggest game of this week. The ACC is arguably the best conference in the country and these are the two best teams. Quite frankly, UNC is the more talented team, but there’s no denying that Duke has the capability of getting hot from beyond the arc and beating the Tar Heels. It helps that these two schools are such rivals that the word “hate” is not too strong in this situation. Carolina has all but wrapped up a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and in the ACC Tournament. But Duke has an outside shot at a #1 seed and beating the Heels will go a long way to earning that seed. More importantly a win will give Duke real confidence in the event that the Blue Devils face the Tar Heels in near future. A Carolina win may create such a mental barrier for the Blue Devils that they simply won’t or can’t believe that they can win any game this year against North Carolina.

Game of the Week (The One You Don’t Know About): The Finishing Weekend in the Mid American Conference

The East Division of the MAC, which is so much better than the West Division where the top team, Ball State, has a .500 record, has five teams that theoretically can win the division title. The five teams, Miami, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Akron and Kent State, go into the final week within two games of each other. The great part about it for fans of college basketball is that four of the teams, all but Akron, play each other this week. That means that trying to predict the outcome of the conference at this point is an exercise in futility. Miami has the best player in wing Michael Bramos, while Buffalo probably has the best team. But the Bison have to go on the road to Kent State before returning home to host Miami to close out the regular season. Akron has the easiest schedule of the five teams, having only to face Kent State after playing Ohio. It’s such a complicated possible outcome that to try and dissect it is just stupid. However, we can all sit back and enjoy the games this week and see what happens. The conference tournament should be just as much of a crapshoot as the finishing weekend is shaping up to be.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Creighton Bluejays

Just one month ago the Bluejays, along with the rest of their Missouri Valley Conference brethren, were all in a position of seemingly having to win the MVC Tournament in order to get into the NCAAs. Since then Creighton has gone on a ten game winning streak, including a convincing win over George Mason, to go from afterthought to being in the middle of the at-large conversation. I guess we as fans shouldn’t be surprised at this considering that Coach Dana Altman has made a habit of getting Creighton in at-large consideration for the better part of the last decade. This year’s version of the Bluejays has a strong backcourt leading the way. Senior Booker Woodfox and sophomore P’Allen Stinnett are both game changers at both ends of the floor. Having a strong backcourt is critical for success in March. As a team Creighton plays strong defense and shoots well from the floor. These are Altman trademarks. In a season when mid-major at-large candidates seem few and far between Creighton is making a compelling case to be chosen for the Big dance should they not win the MVC Tournament title.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Tim Floyd, USC Trojans

This is going to be a controversial choice, but follow me. Floyd has had to recruit against a resurgent UCLA program and because the Bruins have been getting the bulk of who they have recruited from the Los Angeles area, Floyd has had to resort to picking up UCLA’ s scraps and going after players of questionable academic and eligibility standing. This may finally be catching up to Floyd. Rumors are out now that USC is being investigated by the NCAA over the OJ Mayo recruitment of last year. On top of that, last week I wrote about the Renardo Sidney situation and his choosing of USC, and now rumors are floating out there that the NCAA has actually already opened a file on Sidney. Couple this with the fact that the USC football program is being quietly looked at by the NCAA over allegations of improper oversight in the Reggie Bush situation and the major men’s sports at USC are under the microscope. This may not only mean the end of Floyd’s tenure, but also of Athletic Director Mike Garrett who has been the man in charge of the athletic department while all of these alleged events have taken place. This is more than a wins/loses scenario but it is no less real.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Jim Calhoun’s “Outburst”

This has been the obvious off-the-court story of the past week. Without getting into too much detail, the story essentially goes like this; at a press conference after a UConn game, a political activist asked Calhoun if he should be giving back part of his $1.6 million salary to the school in this period of economic troubles since UConn is a state school. Calhoun told the activist to “shut up” and then stated, and I am paraphrasing here, that the activist had no right to ask that question when he wasn’t willing to state that Calhoun’s program brings in much more than that to the university’s coffers. The reason I’m scratching my head over this is not because of the questions and the response, but rather by the way the media dictated how this story has unfolded. Politicians in the Connecticut state legislature have gone public in their displeasure of Calhoun in this situation. The reason for their doing this is plain to see; they know that their comments will be picked up by the media. If this type of confrontation happened 20 years ago I doubt we would have heard much about it. The difference is the impact the media has on driving stories. We see this in politics as well as sports. It’s unfortunate that individuals allow this to happen by in essence not thinking for themselves. Whether Calhoun was right or wrong in this situation is beside the point. The fact that people, whether university officials or state politicians feel the need to make a big issue out of this despite the fact that there truly are more important things for them to deal with is the real head scratcher.

Listen to me and my college hoops opinions, whether you agree with me or not, on the Papa Joe Chevalier show at 5:30 PM CST Tuesdays each week.

Cheerleader of the Day: Miami-OH

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:40:36 -0500

Cheerleader of the Day

Today's picture is courtesy of Peter R. Schlitt.

MIAMI (OH)

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!