UMKC

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Centenary Great Willie Jackson

Jon Teitel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:16:42 -0800

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Centenary great Willie Jackson, the school's all-time leading scorer while also ranking second in rebounding. Aptly nicknamed "The Legend" by players when an assistant at his alma mater, Jackson is now the head coach at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Jon Teitel: Your nickname is "Legend". Who gave it to you, and how do you like it?

Willie Jackson: The nickname was given to me by some of my players when I was an assistant coach at Centenary. I like it because it showed me that they respected what I had accomplished during my college career and what I tried to teach them.

JT: You went to Sibley HS, where you won 100 straight games over a 2-year span and won a state title in 1980. How were your teams able to be so dominant, and what did it mean to you to win a state title?

WJ: We practiced hard, played well as a team, and respected each others' skills on the basketball court. We grew up together and went to the same junior HS, so we knew each others strengths/weaknesses. Winning a state title felt GREAT! I knew that all the hard work that I had put in during my younger years had paid off. It was a very exciting time, as the whole town was behind our team. To this day, people still talk about that state championship team.

JT: In 1983 you led the conference in scoring (24 PPG) and rebounding (9.1 RPG), which has only been done by one other player since then (Florida Atlantic's Mike Bell). What was your secret to scoring, and what was your secret to rebounding?

WJ: My secret to scoring was being resilient, having a never-quit attitude, spending countless hours in the gym, and having teammates who relied on me to make shots. My size was also a factor, in that I was able to bring big guys out to the perimeter. I could also post up smaller guys, and if they played a zone then I would shoot the ball from deep. As for rebounding, I was tough, blocked out well, and was able to anticipate where the ball was going to go.

JT: You are the only three-time conference POY in Atlantic Sun history. Do you think anyone will ever match that feat, and how were you able to remain so consistent over the length of your career?

WJ: You have to remember that I played before they instituted the three-point line. I am sure that someone will match that feat because there are a lot of good basketball players in the conference who can play the game. However, it is going to have to be a four-year letterman who is consistent and remains injury-free. I was able to remain consistent because I was injury-free, and I had an attitude of doing my best every time that I hit the court.

JT: You are still the all-time leading scoring in Atlantic Sun history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

WJ: I really did not, to be honest. A lot of people told me how great a player I was, but I was very humble about my talent and took it in stride.

JT: You finished your career as one of only 10 players in NCAA history with 2500+ points and 1000+ rebounds (Harry Kelly, Oscar Robertson, Elvin Hayes, Larry Bird, Michael Brooks, Dickie Hemric, Calvin Natt, Bill Bradley and Elgin Baylor). What does it mean to you to be in such prestigious company?

WJ: It is truly an honor to be among those names, as several of them are Hall of Famers, so I am extremely happy just to be mentioned in that company.

JT: In the summer of 1984 you were drafted in the 4th round by Houston (four spots behind Rick Carlisle). Were you thrilled to realize your dream of getting drafted or disappointed that you did not make the team?

WJ: I was excited to be drafted, but also disappointed that I did not make the team because I thought that I had a decent showing in camp. I can remember sitting in Coach Bill Fitch's office on the day I was cut. He told me that he was going to have to let me go because he needed veteran guards around the young big guys that he had (rookie center Hakeem Olajuwon and second-year center Ralph Sampson). It was a rainy, stormy day in Houston and I was flying home on Continental Airlines. I can remember praying to God to please not let me be cut and die all in the same day. Thank goodness only one of those two bad things came to pass!

JT: In 1989 you were inducted into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Where does that rank among your career highlights?

WJ: We have a lot of great basketball players from the State of Louisiana. All you need to do is look at the list (which includes Joe Dumars, Karl Malone, Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit and Willis Reed). I was inducted in 1989 in my first go-round as a young man, but over the years I have grown to understand the significance of being inducted at such a young age. It ranks very high on my list of accomplishments.

JT: You currently work as head coach at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, where you are the winningest coach in school history. What makes you such a great coach?

WJ: I instill in my players the importance of preparation, trust in your teammates, and having a winning attitude.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

WJ: I want to be remembered as a good person, a winner, and someone who people could trust both on and off the court.

Jackson is also on Jon's list of best players in Summit League history.

Centenary: Willie Jackson (1984) 2535 PTS (#1), 1013 REB (#2), 205 STL (#2), 112 BLK (#1), 3-time conference POY

IPFW: Sean Gibson (1993) 1765 PTS (#1), 965 REB (#1), 137 STL (#5), 60.7 FG% (#1), conference POY

IUPUI: Carlos Knox (1998) 2556 PTS (#1), 204 STL (#1), 208 3PM (#3), 83.3 FT% (#5), 3-time All-American, national POY

North Dakota State: Ben Woodside (2009) 2315 PTS (#1), 640 AST (#2), 176 STL (#5), 228 3PM (#3), 82.4 FT% (#4), conference POY

Oakland: Carvin Melson (1973) 2408 PTS (#1), 1204 REB (#1), All-American

Oral Roberts: Caleb Green (2007) 2503 PTS (#3), 1189 REB (#2), 53.9 FG% (#4), 3-time All-American, 3-time conference POY

South Dakota State: Mark Tetzlaff (1985) 1931 PTS (#1), 1132 REB (#1), 60.7 FG% (#1), All-American, NCAA D-2 MOP

Southern Utah: Jeff Monaco (2001) 1568 PTS (#2), 547 AST (#1), 225 STL (#1), 256 3PM (#1), 87 FT% (#1), conference POY

Mo. Kansas City: Michael Watson (2004) 2488 PTS (#1), 357 AST (#3), 173 STL (#2), 391 3PM (#1), 79.9 FT% (#3)

Western Illinois: Joe Dykstra (1983) 2248 PTS (#1), 89 FT% (#1), 3-time All-American, 2-time conference POY

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: UMKC Great Michael Watson

Jon Teitel — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:43:38 -0700

In the latest installment of his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Missouri-Kansas City legend Michael Watson. Watson finished his career in 2004 as the school's all-time leading scorer, with one of the highlights being a 54-point performance in a double-overtime win over perennial Summit (then Mid-Continent) power Oral Roberts. After playing overseas Watson retired to become a minister.

Jon Teitel: Why did you decide to go to UMKC?
Michael Watson: I am a Kansas City guy and wanted to have the opportunity to be a trailblazer and build a program after Tony Dumas had left as the leading scorer in school history. It was a great fit for me and my family: a Division I program right in the city.

JT: In 2001-2002 you set a school record by averaging 39.1 minutes/game. How were you able to play so much without collapsing from sheer exhaustion?
MW: When you are young you can play all day! We were well-conditioned in the preseason, so we were all able to run up and down the court. Sometimes I would take a break on the offensive end when a play was being run for someone else to score.

JT: In 2003 you scored a school-record 54 of your team's 91 points while playing all 50 minutes in a double overtime win against Oral Roberts. What are your memories of that game, and was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?
MW: It was one of those games that you do not want to lose. ORU was a big rival who had beaten us a lot before I got there, and I did not want them to beat us while I was there. We were actually down 16-0 to start the game, and I told the coach to just give me the ball. I went out and hit my first five shots, and just knew that it was going to be one of those games. I like their gym a lot because the ball seemed to bounce our way. We had an experienced point guard named Marc Stricker who joked that I scored 54 points thanks to him because he passed to me the entire game and did not score a single point. The real reason we won the game is that my teammates hit a lot of big baskets at key moments after ORU started double-teaming me.

JT: You were a three-time First Team All Mid-Con performer. How were you able to dominate throughout your college career?
MW: I had the desire to get better every year, both as a player and a teammate. I had really great teammates who allowed me to play basketball at a high level. We had no egos; it was all about winning. It also helped that the coaches drew up plays that played to my strengths.

JT: How close did you come to declaring for the NBA Draft after your junior year, and why did you decide to stay for your senior year?
MW: I was definitely about to go pro, but then I looked at the rest of the 2003 shooting guard class and realized how much competition I would have. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kirk Hinrich, etc. I figured that it would be better to stay in school and work on getting stronger and on my point guard abilities. I came close to leaving, but did not want to lose my last year of eligibility if I did not get drafted. I also wanted to win a conference title and go to the NCAA Tournament.

JT: The team's leading scorer during your freshman year was Michael Jackson, and the team's leading scorer the year after you graduated was Mike English. Did the school just decide to recruit guys named Michael and hope that it worked out for the best?!
MW: You cannot go wrong with the name Michael. Michael Jordan, Michael Beasley, etc. I guess coach just caught on after a while.

JT: After graduation you played professionally in Poland, France, Italy and Puerto Rico. What did you learn from these experiences, and how did they compare to college basketball?
MW: I actually signed with the Celtics after going undrafted, and played summer league with them before being invited to their preseason camp. Playing with guys with a high basketball IQ like Paul Pierce and Marcus Banks taught me a lot. The experience of being a pro does not compare to college because in college you have to go to class and do your homework. In the pros you play against grown men who take their job seriously because they have to put food on the table, and it is a lot more physical. I enjoyed my time in Europe. I also played in Puerto Rico while I was in college, as that was before the NCAA sanctioned such activities. That helped my game a lot.

JT: You retired at age 26 to become a minister. Why did you change careers and how is that working out for you?
MW: When God gets a hold of you and puts certain things in your life, you have to listen. I wanted to chase the basketball dream, but it was hard to balance that with my faith. After I retired I was trying to find myself and figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I learned a lot about my character and my flaws, which I could not work on before due to being focused on basketball, and I just wanted to focus on living the life of Christ. Basketball players can be 100% Christian and not live the stereotypical life of a "pro athlete". Playing basketball is a gift, and was not something I took lightly.

JT: You named your daughter Jordyn after Michael Jordan. Was MJ your favorite player growing up, and do you hope that your daughter grows up to "be like Mike"?!
MW: Michael Jordan is my favorite player of all-time, and I patterned my game after him. It was a two-fold deal, as she was also named after the Jordan River, which has to do with my fraternity. I just want her to be who she is and do whatever she wants to do. I want her to be a normal little girl and enjoy her life. She likes basketball and swimming, but she also likes to play dress-up.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?
MW: I want to be remembered for my faith, as that speaks volumes and lasts the longest. My stats will speak for themselves on the court, but my faith in Christ has helped me so much off the court.

Michael is also on Jon's list of the best fantasy players in Summit League history.

Centenary: Willie Jackson (1984) 2,535 PTS (#1), 1,013 REB (#2), 205 STL (#2), 112 BLK (#1), three-time conference Player of the Year

IPFW: Sean Gibson (1993) 1,765 PTS (#1), 965 REB (#1), 137 STL (#5), 60.7 FG% (#1), conference Player of the Year

IUPUI: Carlos Knox (1998) 2,556 PTS (#1), 204 STL (#1), 208 3PM (#3), 83.3 FT% (#5), three-time All-American, national Player of the Year

North Dakota State: Ben Woodside (2009) 2,315 PTS (#1), 640 AST (#2), 176 STL (#5), 228 3PM (#3), 82.4 FT% (#4)

Oakland: Carvin Melson (1973) 2,408 PTS (#1), 1,204 REB (#1), All-American

Oral Roberts: Caleb Green (2007) 2,503 PTS (#3), 1,189 REB (#2), 53.9 FG% (#4), three-time All-American, three-time conference Player of the Year

South Dakota State: Mark Tetzlaff (1985) 1,931 PTS (#1), 1,132 REB (#1), 60.7 FG% (#1), All-American, NCAA Division II Most Outstanding Player

Southern Utah: Jeff Monaco (2001) 1,568 PTS (#2), 547 AST (#1), 225 STL (#1), 256 3PM (#1), 87 FT% (#1), conference Player of the Year

UMKC: Michael Watson (2004) 2,488 PTS (#1), 357 AST (#3), 173 STL (#2), 391 3PM (#1), 79.9 FT% (#3)

Western Illinois: Joe Dykstra (1983) 2,248 PTS (#1), 89 FT% (#1), three-time All-American, two-time conference Player of the Year

Summit League Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:58:43 -0800

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:

Summit League

The Summit League Tournament is a pretty simple 8-team affair, with all games in Sioux Falls, SD.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	North Dakota St.	92.48%	83.64%	52.90%
2	Oral Roberts	88.37%	61.87%	31.48%
3	Oakland	81.52%	32.35%	12.02%
4	IUPUI	54.58%	7.58%	1.39%
5	Southern Utah	45.42%	5.50%	0.87%
6	IUPU Fort Wayne	18.48%	2.75%	0.41%
7	South Dakota St.	11.63%	3.04%	0.48%
8	Centenary	7.52%	3.28%	0.46%

North Dakota St. will be a team to watch for an upset in the NCAA tournament, but only if they can get by tough challenges from the winner of an ORU-Oakland semifinal.

#1 – North Dakota St. Bison (23-6, 16-2) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.172

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

North Dakota St. is one of the best stories of the season, poised to make its NCAA Tournament debut in its first year of post-season eligibility, after redshirting a whole class of players to ensure they could play in this important season. The Bison have lost just once in their last 14, and took the conference title by a full two games. They’re the only team in the league that is highly ranked in both offense and defense, second in each category. North Dakota St. shoots the ball well, and has one of the country’s best turnover rates. It also plays an effective defensive style, as opponents take most of their shots inside, where the Bison have been best defensively. They’ve also been excellent rebounders and rarely commit fouls.

Players to watch:

5-11 SR Ben Woodside, 23.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 53.5 eFG% - Woodside had one of the biggest scoring games of the season when he put up 60 in a triple overtime loss to Stephen F. Austin, but don’t think he’s a one game wonder; Woodside has been one of the best scorers in the country over the course of the season. He’s an excellent shooter, 44% from behind the arc and 84% on the free throw line, and has put up one of the nation’s best assist rates, while rarely turning it over. He can potentially score 30 points in any game he plays, and should the Bison win the tourney, is the kind of player who could cause havoc for a higher-seeded NCAA opponent.

6-6 SR Brett Winkelman, 18.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 55.7 eFG% - While Woodside is a great scoring guard, Winkleman is just as good inside, though he doesn’t take quite as many shots. Still, he’s a great shooter who can hit threes, while shooting well over 50% overall, and is the team’s leading rebounder. Like Woodside, he rarely turns the ball over, and there’s very few ways for the Bison to go wrong with these two players.

#2 – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (16-14, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.142

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

Oral Roberts has been the conference’s name program, claiming the last three tournament titles and the last four league championships, and will have a serious chance to earn the auto-bid, and while they should be favored make the final, they lost both regular season games against the Bison. The Eagles have had the conference’s best defense, holding opponents under 44% from inside the arc, and being strong rebounders. They’ve had a lot more problems with their own attack, struggling to make shots, especially from three-point range.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Robert Jarvis, 17.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 48.6 eFG% - Jarvis takes a lot of shots and while his percentage hasn’t been great inside the arc, he’s made up for it with pretty solid outside shooting. He’s not too effective overall, and doesn’t do much besides score, but his role is large enough that he leads the team in scoring.

6-8 SR Marcus Lewis, 13.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 58.9 eFG% - Lewis is a good inside compliment to Jarvis, one of the conference’s best rebounders and a high percentage shooter. His free throw shooting is regrettable, however, just 50% from the stripe.

#3 – Oakland Golden Grizzlies (20-11, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.100

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

Oakland made the NCAA Tournament four years ago by winning the Mid-Continent tournament as a long-shot, and while its odds are better in this year’s event, it will still be an upset if it could claim the bid. The Grizzlies enter the tournament on a seven game winning streak, and have had the Summit’s best offense by a fairly wide margin. Their 58% on two-pointers is a spectacular number, and they are also solid three-point shooters who rarely turn the ball over. Of course, with such a good offense, they would be closer to the leading pair of teams if they weren’t one of the conference’s worst defensive teams. Oakland forces very few turnovers, and is really vulnerable to the three-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot a lot of them and make a high percentage of those they shoot.

Players to watch:

6-11 SO Keith Benson, 14.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 62.6 eFG% - Benson is one of the country’s most efficient players, an excellent big man who does a lot of things well: he’s a high percentage player inside, gets to the line a lot, and hits 69% once there, is an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker, and has committed just 30 turnovers all year. The Grizzlies should try and get the ball to him more often, since it rarely results in something negative.

6-3 SR Erik Kangas, 18.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 57.1 eFG% - Kangas takes most of his shots from three, and hits 42% of them, and he puts up enough to be the team’s leading scorer.

#4 – IUPUI Jaguars (16-13, 9-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.021

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2003 (1^st Round)

With three teams dominating the conference, there’s a serious drop-off as we begin to delve into the teams at and around the .500 mark. IUPUI has been right on the conference average in both offense and defense, and so a 9-9 record seems a perfect fit. The Jaguars have been the conference’s worst team at defending the three-point shot, allowing opponents to make over 41% of attempts, but have made up for that by rarely fouling and forcing a lot of turnovers. They’ve also been good at scoring inside, but are the conference’s worst free throw shooters.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Robert Glenn, 14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 61.7 eFG% - Glenn is one of the best forwards in the conference, an excellent percentage scorer inside who also asserts himself well on the boards and with shot-blocks.

6-7 JR Jon Avery, 9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 67.7 eFG% - On most teams, Glenn would be the best field goal shooter, but Avery blows him away, at 68% from the floor. He doesn’t take as many shots as Glenn, but he’s a great second interior option.

#5 – Southern Utah Thunderbirds (10-19, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.037

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

The Thunderbirds are the only team to beat the champions in North Dakota this season, and will get a chance to sweep them in the Dakotas if they win a tough opening round game with IUPUI. They’ve had an above-average defense despite letting opponents hit 54% on two-pointers, as they’ve done well on the defensive glass and caused a lot of trouble for opponents on the perimeter. They play a fairly slow, heavily inside-oriented offense, but are excellent shooters who are good behind the arc and absolutely brilliant from the free throw line, leading the nation by hitting more than 80% of their attempts.

Players to watch:

6-4 JR Davis Baker, 17.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 52.3 eFG% - Baker leads Southern Utah in scoring; he takes a lot of shots, and does a pretty good job of hitting them, making just enough to justify the high volume.

6-10 SR John Clifford, 9.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 62.6 eFG% - Clifford leads the Summit in rebounding, and while he’s not a really big scorer, he’s very effective inside when he does get chances.

#6 – IUPU Fort Wayne Mastodons (13-16, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.041

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Fort Wayne had a solid finish to its second season in the Summit League, getting from a 3-8 conference record up to where it needed to make the tournament with a strong finish. It has been one of the country’s best teams at hitting three-pointers, over 40%, but most of its shots come from inside, where its percentage isn’t great and it struggles to get back its misses. The Mastodons have seen a similar pattern on the defensive end, stopping the outside shot well, but performing rather poorly inside.

Players to watch:

6-7 SR David Carson, 14.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 44.7 eFG% - Carson is Fort Wayne’s leading scorer, but hasn’t been a very efficient shooter. He does an good job at the free throw line, shooting just under 80%.

6-6 SO Deilvez Yearby, 8.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 49.3 eFG% - Yearby leads the team in rebounding, and is a good inside shooter who has found his scoring form of late, averaging 12 points a game over the month of February.

#7 – South Dakota St. Jackrabbits (12-19, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.033

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (2^nd Round)

The Jackrabbits haven’t made quite the splash of their northern counterparts, but they will make their Summit League tourney debut despite losing their last four games. South Dakota St. has actually had one of the conference’s better offenses, but its defense has been the worst of the tournament teams. It attempts a lot of threes, and makes a decent percentage, but does better from inside the arc. Defensively, though, the Jackrabbits are really vulnerable on two-pointers, and they force so few turnovers that opponents get a lot of chances at high-percentage shots.

Players to watch:

6-1 JR Garrett Callahan, 15.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 56.1 eFG% - The Jackrabbits’ leading scorer is the best three-point shooter on a team full of such shooters.

6-6 JR Kai Williams, 9.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 45.4 eFG% - Williams is a very good rebounder who shouldn’t be too much of an offensive focus, especially given his sub-30% three-point shooting. When he’s hot, he can be quite dangerous, but consistency has been a problem.

#8 – Centenary Gentlemen (8-22, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.049

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

The Gentlemen seemed to be on course for a solid season on the last day of January, as they sat just above .500 in the league. They would not win again until the end of February, racking up an eight-game losing streak, and just managing to sneak into the tournament. Centenary actually has one of the better defenses in the conference, leading the league in forcing turnovers and holding opponents under wraps from behind the arc. It just hasn’t been good enough offensively, having a lot problems with its shooting from all areas of the floor.

Players to watch:

6-1 SR Nick Stallings, 15.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 49.0 eFG% - Stallings leads the Gents in both scoring and rebounding, and is a excellent three-point shooter, at nearly 40%. He’s faced some foul trouble in recent games, fouling out of two of his last three.

5-10 JR Chase Adams, 14.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.7 SPG, 53.0 eFG% - Adams is a great ball-handling guard, putting up a very good assist rate, leading the league in steals and rarely turning the ball over. Like Stallings, he’s also had some recent foul trouble, fouling out of his last two.

My statistical all-Summit League team:

North Dakota St. SR G Ben Woodside, 23.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 53.5 eFG%

Oakland SR G Erik Kangas, 18.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 57.1 eFG%

Centenary JR G Chase Adams, 14.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.7 SPG, 53.0 eFG%

North Dakota St. SR F Brett Winkelman, 18.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 55.7 eFG%

Oakland SO C Keith Benson, 14.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 62.6 eFG%

Summit League Tournament: Seeds Announced

Press Release — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:25:16 -0800

The Summit League tournament seeds are as follows:

1. North Dakota State (16-2)
2. Oral Roberts (14-4)
3. Oakland (13-5)
4. IUPUI (9-9)
5. Southern Utah (8-10) - got tiebreak over IPFW because of 1-1 record vs. NDSU while IPFW went 0-2)
6. IPFW (8-10)
7. South Dakota State (7-11)
8. Centenary (6-12) - got tiebreak over WIU because of 1-1 record vs. Oakland while WIU went 0-2

Note: SUU/IPFW and CC/WIU tiebreakers were determined based on records against highest seeded team in descending order.

Summit League Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:05:07 -0800

Conference Rank: 25th

10 year average: 26th

Summit Conference Page

All-Summit Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Robert Jarvis	Oral Roberts	Sr
G	Ben Woodside	North Dakota St	Sr
G	Johnathon Jones	Oakland	Jr
F	Derick Nelson	Oakland	Sr
F	Brett Winkelman	North Dakota St	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Robert Jarvis Ben Woodside		Points: Ben Woodside 20.7 Rebounds: Ben Winkelman 8.3 Assists: Johnathon Jones (Oak) 6.0

Summit Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

118	North Dakota St	Summit	1	NCAA
136	Oakland	Summit	2
152	Oral Roberts**	Summit	3
207	IUPUI	Summit	4
224	Southern Utah	Summit	5
255	IPFW	Summit	6
271	UMKC	Summit	7
287	Centenary	Summit	8
314	South Dakota St	Summit	9
316	Western Illinois	Summit	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Summit?

Other Summit Content

Head Coach Q&A's

Ron Hunter: IUPUI

Other

Rise & Fall: Summit

State of '08: Missouri

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:09:49 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

MISSOURI

MISSOURI STATE - In nine seasons, Barry Hinson could never get the Bears over the NIT hump. In 2006 & 2007, the Bears made the NIT despite great RPIs of 21 & 36. Chalk it up to a little bad luck. Now Hinson is out, and the future looks murky under Cuonzo Martin. Martin, a first time head coach, inherits a depleted roster that is destined to finish near the bottom of the MVC in 2009.

MISSOURI - For whatever reason, the whole state of Missouri is struggling on the hardwood. The Tigers haven't reached the promise land since 2003. Before then, Mizzou had made 14 of 18 Tournaments, mostly under legendary coach Norm Stewart. But Quin Snyder, and now 3rd year coach Mike Anderson, have struggled to build any positive momentum. Over the past four years, Missouri State's RPI has been about 45 spots higher per year on average. This could be the first season since 2003 that the Tigers are legitimately the best team in the state.

SAINT LOUIS - While MSU/SMS hasn't made the Tourney since 1999, SLU is also in the midst of a decade-long drought. Since Lorenzo Romar led the Bills to the 2000 Dance, there's only been 2 NIT trips and a whole bunch of mediocrity. Rick Majerus was brought in to change things, but its hard to imagine anything better than an NIT bid this year.

UMKC - Neither the past nor the present has been particularly kind to UMKC. The Kangaroos have never made the Big Dance, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. 2005 was the last year UMKC looked dangerous in the Summit League, but even that year went sour after they started 9-0 in league pay.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE - Unlike UMKC, at least SEMO has made the NCAA Tournament. In 2000, the Redhawks almost upset LSU in the opening round after going 14-4 in the OVC. Since that time, SEMO has really struggled, having only finished above .500 once. The last three seasons have been particularly bad with consecutive sub 290 RPIs.

Last: Mississippi - Next: New Jersey

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