Pacific

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Big WestTitle?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:50:19 -0800

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Pacific Great Ron Cornelius

Jon Teitel — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:08:48 -0800

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Pacific's all-time leading scorer, Ron Cornelius. Cornelius, a two-time All-American at Pacific, helped lead the Tigers to the 1979 NCAA Tournament. After spending a decade overseas playing basketball, Cornelius now works for Konica Minolta while also helping coach a high school basketball team.

Jon Teitel: In 1977 you were named Third Team All-Southern CA AAAA at Santa Ana Valley (future Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn was a member of the second team at Long Beach Poly). Did you ever play against Gwynn or see him play, and how good a basketball player was he?

Ron Cornelius: I never saw him play in high school but I played against him in college when he was a PG at San Diego State. He was left-handed and very competitive. Baseball was obviously his forte, but he was a great athlete.

JT: Why did you decide to go to Pacific?

RC: I was honored to be recruited by a ton of D-1 schools, as I was just a skinny 6'9" kid. I went on four road trips: Drake, Pacific, Arizona, and Louisville. Denny Crum had never recruited a guy out of LA before, despite coaching under John Wooden at UCLA, so I was very excited for that trip! I chose Pacific because Coach Stan Morrison was a father-figure to me (I was raised by a single mom), and I would get to play right away while not being too far from home.

JT: You were named conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and were a two-time All-American. How were you able to come in and dominate so quickly, and what did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors?

RC: That was fun, but I am not sure how it happened. We somehow really gelled as a team during my sophomore year after going 0-6 on an early road trip. We were very smart and had our opponents playing at our tempo. We just ran the system very well, and I was blessed to have so much success. We beat our nemesis Long Beach State three times that year! Even when I got those kinds of awards, I thanked my teammates. I was in awe of being named All-American and humbled just to get an accolade like that.

JT: What are your memories of the 1979 NCAA Tournament (Cornelius scored 12 points in a loss to Marquette)?

RC: Quite frankly, we got waxed on national TV! It was a long time since Pacific had been in the tourney but Marquette was definitely at a different level.

JT: In 1981 you had a career-high 38 points in a win over Utah State. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

RC: Absolutely. Utah State liked to get up and down the floor a lot and had Brian Jackson, who was another big scorer like me. We did not have a three-point line back then, but the rim looked like a hula hoop that night. The 3,000-seat Stockton Civic Auditorium was a big home-court advantage for us. It was an old opera house from the early 1900s, and one of the baskets hung off of the stage. The floor was warped, so if you set a ball down in the corner it would roll right off the court! The fans sat right on the floor, and if you sat in the front row you had to make sure to not stretch your feet out onto the court. We played the last-ever game there before they built a new gym in 1982.

JT: Your 2,065 points are still the most in school history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record?

RC: I had no idea; I still pinch myself. I just went out and played, but I was very competitive and very consistent. I started every single game of my college career, which is what I am proudest of, as there are not a lot of other guys who can say they did that.

JT: In the summer of 1981 you were drafted in the third round by the Lakers, but did not make the team as they went on to win the title in 1982. Were you thrilled to realize your dream of getting drafted or disappointed that you did not make the team?

RC: I was getting phone calls from THE Jerry West during my senior year, and would see him watching me from the rafters. As a 21-year old kid, I was kind of freaking out! I was like a kid in a candy store when the Lakers picked me, as they were my hometown team. However, I kind of wish that the Clippers had picked me, as I might have been able to stick around for a decade! I came into camp and was awed to be playing for a coach like Pat Riley. When you play in those summer leagues, there are hundreds of European coaches/scouts telling you that you could come overseas to play for them, so that is what I did.

JT: You ended up playing for a decade all over Europe. What did you learn from the experience, and how did it compare to college basketball?

RC: I went over to England for a year after not making the Lakers, and then played in the CBA for a year in Casper, WY. That is when I realized the competitiveness of professional basketball. There were at least 100 players coming from around the country to practice for just one night in an attempt to make the CBA. They would show up, practice for a few hours, and those who did not make it were sent home later that night. I went back to Europe and ended up playing in several countries (Holland/France/Spain/Italy/etc.). Italy was my favorite place of all-time due to the food. I even played against Joe Bryant in Italy when his son Kobe was only a kid. I played for a decade and had a blast. Basketball is now the second-most popular sport in Europe behind soccer.

JT: You currently work in the IT field and coach a high school team. How do you like coaching, and what do you hope to do in the future?

RC: I am a sales guy for Konica Minolta and have been selling IT consulting services for about 15 years. My son is now in college, but I coached him early on from AAU ball through high school. His high school coach left a couple of years ago and I took over to help out. I love giving back to the kids and sharing my experiences with them.

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

RC: As I have said I was not spectacular, but I came out every day and was first and foremost a good teammate. At reunions my teammates will rib me by saying that I only scored so many points because I took so many shots, but I was a career 57% shooter! They had a pamphlet about me that I still remember: "Unheralded, unspectacular, but unstoppable"! I was a fairly smart player and just kind of figured it out.

Cornelius is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in Big West history.

Cal Poly: Mike Wozniak (2000) 1903 PTS (#2), 308 3PM (#1), 86 FT% (#2)

Cal-State Fullerton: Leon Wood (1984) 1876 PTS (#2), 744 AST (#1), 81.1 FT% (#2), All-American

Cal-State Northridge: Brian Heinle (2001) 1641 PTS (#1), 785 REB (#2), 290 AST (#5), 76 BLK (#2), 149 3PM (#2), All-American

UC Riverside: Howard Lee (1972) 1386 PTS (#2), 1004 REB (#1)

UC Davis: Mark Olson (1976) 1440 PTS (#4), 869 REB (#2)

Long Beach State: Ed Ratleff (1973) 1820 PTS (#3), 683 REB (#4), 410 AST (#5), 2-time All-American

Pacific: Ron Cornelius (1981) 2065 PTS (#1), 973 REB (#4), 57 FG% (#3), 2-time All-American, conference POY

UC Irvine: Jerry Green (2002) 1993 PTS (#1), 162 STL (#1), 2-time conference POY

UCSB: Carrick DeHart (1990) 1687 PTS (#2), 133 STL (#2), 196 3PM (#2), All-American

BracketBusters TV Pairings Announced

Press Release — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:57:22 -0800

ESPN announced today live on ESPNU’s 2010 BracketBusters Selection Show the pairings for the eighth annual BracketBusters – a two-day men’s college basketball event pitting NCAA Tournament hopefuls Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. The field features two ranked teams, No. 15 Butler and No. 22 Northern Iowa, as well as the return of Siena, which also received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.

BracketBusters will feature 11 nationally televised games live, selected from a pool of 98 teams. ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise five BracketBusters games, and ESPN2 will televise six, all simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s customized broadband service. Three of the ESPN2 telecasts will be in high definition. The matchups are highlighted by Old Dominion at No. 22 Northern Iowa on Friday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m., and Siena at No. 15 Butler on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. ET, both on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com.

2010 BracketBusters Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Network(s)
Fri, Feb 19	7 p.m.	Old Dominion at No. 22 Northern Iowa	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	9 p.m.	William & Mary at Iona	ESPNU
Sat, Feb 20	11 a.m.	Siena at No. 15 Butler	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	Noon	Morgan State at Murray State	ESPNU
	1 p.m.	Louisiana Tech at Northeastern	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
	3 p.m.	Nevada at Missouri State	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
	4 p.m.	Akron at Virginia Commonwealth	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Coll. of Charleston at George Mason	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	8 p.m.	Western Carolina at Kent State	ESPNU
	10 p.m.	New Mexico State at Pacific	ESPNU
	11:59 p.m.	Wichita State at Utah State	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

This year’s 22 BracketBusters teams represent 10 conferences and:

· Two ranked teams: No. 15 Butler and No. 22 Northern Iowa

· 19 teams in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) top 100: No. Iowa (16); Butler (18); Siena (44); Old Dominion (46); Wichita State (48); William & Mary (51); Utah State (55); Northeastern (56); Virginia Commonwealth (60); Nevada (66); Kent State (69); Western Carolina (73); La. Tech (74); New Mexico State (82); Missouri State (84); Iona (85); Murray State (92); College of Charleston (94); Pacific (95)

· Seven 2009 NCAA Tournament participants: Northern Iowa; Siena; Butler; Morgan Sate; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; Utah State

· 16 teams with 15 or more wins overall: Old Dominion; Northern Iowa; William & Mary; Iona; Siena; Butler; Morgan State; Murray State; La. Tech; Missouri State; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; George Mason; Western Carolina; Wichita State; Utah State

· Four teams undefeated in conference play: Butler; Siena; Morgan State and Murray State

Poll: Who Will Win the Big West?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:46:14 -0700

Big West Basketball Preview: 08-09

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:25:09 -0800

Conference Rank: 19th

Conference Page

All-BIG WEST Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Josh Jenkins	Northridge	Sr
G	Josh Akognon	Fullerton	Sr
G	Donovan Morris	LBSU	Sr
F	Chris Devine	UCSB	Sr
F	Tremaine Townsend	Northridge	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Josh Akognon Donovan Morris		Points: Josh Akognon 20.2 Rebounds: Tremaine Townsend 9.8 Assists: Josh Jenkins 6.4

BIG WEST Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

98	Pacific	Big West	1	NCAA
115	CS Northridge	Big West	2
138	UC Santa Barbara	Big West	3
166	CS Fullerton**	Big West	4
182	Cal Poly	Big West	5
210	Long Beach St	Big West	6
259	UC Irvine	Big West	7
281	UC Riverside	Big West	8
311	UC Davis	Big West	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Note: A lot of changes have occurred at Pacific in the months since this preview was written. They would almost certainly not be our #1 choice as of today.

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big West?

Other BIG WEST Content

Conference Media Poll

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Rise & Fall: Big West

State of '08: California

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Big West?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:38:41 -0700

State of '08: California

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:27:44 -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.

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

CALIFORNIA

UCLA - Not much "research" required to rank the Bruins. Three Final Fours in a row for one of the game's all-time great programs.

Stanford - Quietly in the middle of an impressive run, Stanford has made the Big Dance in 13 of 14 seasons. The future is a bit unsettled though, with a new coach (Johnny Dawkins) and the Lopez twins off to the NBA.

USC - Tim Floyd's done a nice job getting USC back on track. From 2003 to 2006, the Trojans had a sub-100 RPI every year, but have since made back to back NCAA Tournaments. This year's freshman class is also considered to be one of the Top 5 in the country.

Saint Mary's - Coming off a big 25-win season, fans are expecting the Gaels to return to the NCAA Tournament for the 3rd time in five seasons. While Gonzaga owns the WCC, Saint Mary's has been 2nd in four of the last five tries.

San Diego State - Steve Fisher has done a nice job turning SDSU into a consistent MWC contender, making the postseason 5 times in the last 7 years, and winning 20 games each of the last 3. The Aztecs should once again make a push for 20 wins in 08-09.

6. California - After a surprisingly long 12-year run, Ben Braun is out.. replaced by the man who turned Stanford into a long-time winner (Mike Montgomery). Under Braun, Cal did make five NCAA Tournaments, but just one in the last five seasons.

7. Pacific - The Tigers have found a good groove in recent seasons, winning 20 games in 4 of the last 5 years, and making the Tournament three times. Despite a rough offseason, Pacific should once again be competitive in the Big West.

8. UCSB - Despite an impressive 23 win season, the Gauchos missed out on making the NCAA Tournament. The program has averaged 16 wins over Bob Williams 10-year stint.

9. San Diego - The Toreros surprised many by winning the WCC title last year, and making the Big Dance. This is all the more impressive considering the team won just 4 total games in 2004.

10. Santa Clara - The Broncos parted ways with long-time coach Dick Davey before last season, as he could never reproduce the team's great mid-nineties success. Kerry Keating led his new squad to a mediocre 186 RPI last year, which included just 13 D1 wins.

11. Fresno State - The Bulldogs are coming off a horrible season, with just 12 D1 wins and an RPI of 243. The prior season, they made the postseason for the first time since the Tarkanian era.

12.CS Fullerton - This program has come a long way since 01-02, when the Titans combined to win 7 D1 games. Bob Burton led Fullerton to the Big Dance for the first time in three decades, winning 20 games for the third time in four seasons as well.

13. Pepperdine - Up until the end of Paul Westphal's career in 2006, Pepperdine had been a consistent winner in the 90's and early 00's. Now they've brought back Tom Asbury to try and recreate that former success following three down years.

14. UC Irvine - The Anteaters are consistently solid under Pat Douglass, but have yet to reach the Tourney in his 12 year tenure. 15-16 wins seems to be the norm recently.

15. San Francisco - The Dons had decent results under Jessie Evans (peaking at 86 in the RPI in 2005), before things went sour last year. He was replaced by Eddie Sutton, who turned the program into a circus while trying to win 800 games.

16. CS Northridge - The Matadors have had limited success since joining the Big West in 2002. Last year was one of their best seasons since then, winning 19 D1 games and finishing with an RPI of 110. Some consider Northridge to be the conference favorites in 2009.

17. LBSU - Its amazing the 49ers made the NCAA Tournament in 2007, considering how awful they were last year. Former Minnesota coach Dan Monson took over a program devoid of any returning talent, so we'll give him some time to turn things around. From 2003 to 2005, LBSU was one of the worst teams in the country.

18. LMU - While the legendary Paul Westhead run seems like ancient history, at least the embarrassing winless 2000 season is also moving into the distant past. Bill Bayno has his hands full taking over a team that won 5 games last year.

19. San Jose State - Consistently one of the worst teams in high-major basketball, SJSU hasn't finished above 230 in the RPI since 2001. Last year there were actually signs of progress with wins over WAC foes Nevada and Utah State.

20. Cal Poly - Not the most well-known program, Cal Poly has consistently been competitive in the Big West under coach Kevin Bromley. In 2003 & 2007, the Mustangs were a win away from making the NCAA Tournament.

21. Sacramento State - The Jerome Jenkins era ended on a down note, as the Hornets are coming off one of the all-time bad seasons.. just 2-24 against D1 opponents. From '04 to '06, it looked like Jenkins was making progress, but things regressed quickly.

22. UC Riverside - Since joining college basketball's top flight in 2001, the Highlanders haven't reached impressive heights. But in Jim Wooldridge's first season, there was some hope as UCR won their 2nd ever Big West Tournament game (knocking off Cal Poly).

23. UC Davis - Yet to experience any real success since joining D1 in 2006, the Aggies at least one-up Bakersfield by being full-fledged members of the Big West.

24. CS Bakersfield - Making the move up from D2 without a conference, the Roadrunners 8-21 record isn't half bad. They knocked off Fresno, San Diego, Long Beach State twice, and finished ahead of Sacramento in the RPI. Still, they need another season or two before moving up on this list.

Yesterday: Arkansas

State of '08: The Introduction

2008 BracketBusters Participants (Home/Away)

Press Release — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:14:05 -0700

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Bristol, CT -- The seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters event, a two-day men’s college basketball extravaganza pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other on February 20-21, will feature 13 nationally televised games – on either ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN360.com -- selected from a pool of 102 teams.

For the fourth straight year, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise five BracketBusters games while ESPN360.com, ESPN’s customized broadband service, will offer two. ESPN2 will televise six contests. ESPN360.com will also simulcast ESPN2’s six telecasts. The 13 BracketBusters matchups will be announced February 2, while game time and network assignments will be announced February 9.

The 102-team field is highlighted by the return of last season’s BracketBusters participant Davidson, who made it to the Elite Eight in last year’s NCAA Tournament and will feature 12 teams from the Mid-American and Colonial Athletic; 10 from the Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley, Horizon League and Metro Atlantic Athletic; nine from the Western Athletic and Big West; four from the America East and Southern; three from the Big South; two from the Big Sky, Summit League and West Coast; and one from the Mid-Eastern Athletic, Northeast and Patriot.

As part of the agreement, all 13 of the BracketBusters home teams, as well as the remaining 38 home squads, will play a “return” game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the following season.

This year’s BracketBusters pool features teams with 77 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments, including a team in the Final Four - George Mason (2006); one in the Elite Eight – Davidson (2008); and six Sweet Sixteen squads – Butler (2007), Southern Illinois (2007), Bradley (2006), Wichita State (2006), UW-Milwaukee (2005) and Nevada (2004).

2009 BracketBusters Participation Pool Conference # teams Home teams Road teams America East 4 (2-2) Vermont UMBC Boston University U of Hartford Big Sky 2 (1-1) Portland State Montana State Big South 3 (1-2) Winthrop Liberty Gardner-Webb Big West 9 (4-5) Cal Poly CS-Fullerton Long Beach State CS-Northridge UC-Davis UC-Irvine UC-Santa Barbara UC-Riverside Pacific Colonial 12 (6-6) Drexel Delaware James Madison George Mason UNC-Wilmington Georgia State Old Dominion Hofstra Towson Northeastern William & Mary VCU Horizon 10 (6-4) Loyola Butler UIC Cleveland State Valparaiso Detroit Wright State Green Bay Youngstown State Milwaukee Metro Atlantic 10 (5-5) Fairfield Canisius Marist Iona Niagara Loyola Rider Manhattan Siena Saint Peter’s Mid-American 12 (6-6) Ball State Akron Central Michigan Buffalo Eastern Michigan Ohio Western Michigan Miami (OH) Bowling Green Northern Illinois Kent State Toledo MEAC 1 (0-1) Morgan State Missouri Valley 10 (5-5) Creighton Bradley Drake Illinois State Evansville Missouri State Indiana State Northern Iowa Wichita State Southern Illinois Northeast 1 (0-1) Fairleigh Dickinson OVC 10 (5-5) Murray State Morehead State Eastern Kentucky Tennessee Tech Southeast Missouri Austin Peay Tennessee State Eastern Illinois UT-Martin Jacksonville State Patriot 1 (1-0) Bucknell Southern 4 (2-2) Davidson Appalachian State Georgia Southern Elon Summit League 2 (0-2) North Dakota State South Dakota State West Coast 2 (2-0) San Diego St. Mary’s WAC 9 (5-4) Hawaii Boise State Idaho Fresno Nevada LA Tech New Mexico State Utah State San Jose State 51 teams 51 teams

2008-09 Pacific Basketball Preview: #99

Joel Welser — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:54:31 -0700

Pacific Tigers

Overall Rank: #99

Conference Rank: #1 Big West

2007-08: 21-10, 11-5, 4^th

2007-08 postseason: none

Heading into the off-season, Pacific appeared to be the clear favorites to win the Big West Conference. That clarity has since become murky. Some off-court issues have resulted in a couple starters being removed from the team and that leaves space for teams like Cal State Northridge and UCSB to make a run at a title. The Tigers of Pacific and Coach Bob Thomason still have plenty of talent around to do plenty of damage.

Who’s Out:

It will not be easy without point guard Steffan Johnson and forward Michael Nunnally. Both were starters last year and both are off the team for at least this season. Johnson led the team with 14.5 points and 4.9 assists per game and his unexpected departure leaves a gapping hole. Nunnally was a decent scorer around the basket and was the team’s most prolific, which is not saying much, shot blocker. DaAngelo Garrett and Solomon Horsechief are not suiting up for the Tigers this year after playing in only a handful of contests during the 2007-2008 campaign.

Who’s In:

With the unexpected departures of Johnson and Nunnally, and the suspension of Michael Kirby who will sit out at least the fall semester, the newcomers will play a bigger role than most had thought. Junior college transfers Lavar Neufville and Royal Edwards will carry the bulk of the load. Neufville is a fine scorer and could start at the point guard spot and provide valuable depth at shooting guard. Like Neufville, Edwards will have to fight off some returning players if he wants a starting gig, but the 6-6 small forward can score in a variety of ways. The rest of the newcomers are freshmen. Brandon Hawkins is the point guard of the future and Reed Kamler, Nick Peterson and Taylor Shipley could all provide emergency depth in the backcourt. Small forward Tony Cates finds himself at the deepest position on the team and will likely spend a year or two behind more experienced players before he is given much of an opportunity.

Who to Watch:

Despite the absence of Johnson, the backcourt still has some weapons. Chad Troyer is the most proven commodity. The 6-4 senior hit 2.7 three-pointers per game at a 44.3 percent clip last season. Troyer will not score too much around the basket, so it will be very important for the new point guard to get to the basket to free up Troyer. C.J. Morgan will get the first crack at being that guy. Morgan’s experience gives him the leg up over the newcomers for the time being, but he only averaged 10.7 minutes per game during the 2007-2008 campaign as a sophomore. He does not have much experience handling the ball, but he should be a capable replacement. If not, Neufville or Hawkins can handle the job. Sophomore Terrell Smith and senior James Doran have not seen much playing time during their careers in Stockton, but it would be beneficial for one or both of them to develop into a consistent scorer. Smith has the most potential and his athleticism could earn him a starting job. It will be even more important for Smith and Doran to have quality campaigns if Joe Ford’s knee injury keeps him on the sidelines more often than not. Ford started 25 games last year, but it remains to be seen if he can effectively shake off his injury and be a contributor on this team.

Final Projection:

There is not much depth up front without Nunnally, but the frontcourt should still be the strength of Pacific. Anthony Brown, a 6-7 forward, is ready for a big senior season. He tallied 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last year and has the ability to dominate the paint. With 6-8 center Casey Neimeyer by his side, the Tigers have a formidable duo. Neimeyer has been quite productive when he has been on the floor and his minutes, and likely his production, will skyrocket this season. Bryan LeDuc and Sam Willard, at 6-8 and 6-9 respectively, are decent big men capable of filling in off the bench. Yet, if foul trouble or injuries strike, the lack of depth up front will be a big problem….a problem big enough to knock Pacific out of a conference championship.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

C.J. Morgan, Junior, Guard, 2.9 points per game

Chad Troyer, Senior, Guard, 12.8 points per game

Terrell Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 1.9 points per game

Anthony Brown, Senior, Forward, 10.7 points per game

Casey Neimeyer, Junior, Center, 4.1 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For: Part Two

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:56:40 -0700

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season. (Return to Part One.)

Big 12: Oklahoma State

2007-08 Record: 17-16 (7-9)

The Cowboys made some news during the Final Four, even though they weren’t playing in the event. Their desire for alum Bill Self to come back to Stillwater wasn’t hidden, but in the end the national champion coach decided that it was in his best interest to remain in Lawrence. Enter Travis Ford, who led UMass to back-to-back twenty win seasons and a spot in this season’s Postseason NIT title game. While there will be an adjustment period in the early going, the cupboard certainly isn’t bare with key contributors such as James Anderson, Byron Eaton and Obi Muonelo all coming back next season. This is a team that should make a run at an NCAA Tournament berth.

Big West: Pacific

2007-08 Record: 21-10 (11-5)

Not going out on a limb here with this pick, but I really like Bob Thomason’s Tigers to get back to the top of the Big West standings with seven seniors on the roster. No key contributors from 2007-08 were lost, which could make Pacific a popular choice in some circles to make some serious noise come March. Three players averaged double figures in scoring led by First Team All-Big West selection Steffan Johnson. Rising sophomore Terrell Smith was named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team, and Anthony Brown and Chad Troyer were both honorable mention All-Big West selections. All this coming back to Stockton makes the Tigers the early favorite to win the Big West…and maybe send some unsuspecting foe home come NCAA Tournament time.

Colonial: Northeastern

2007-08 Record: 14-17 (9-9)

Bill Coen didn’t have a lot of experience to work with last season, having just one senior (forward Mark Washington) on the roster. Matt Janning, a second-team all-conference selection, will lead a cast that will have another season of experience under their belts. Guard Chaisson Allen was named to the CAA’s All-Rookie Team, having led all conference newcomers in assists and steals. This is one of those teams that while everyone may predict them to be “one year away” from a title, they’ve got just enough to let everyone know that next year is now.

Conference USA: SMU

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-12)

A move up the ladder in Conference USA won’t be easy for Matt Doherty and his young program, as C-USA stands to be even better as a whole in 2008-09. But the commitment from the athletics department is certainly there, something that couldn’t always be said in years past. But the young talent is definitely taking notice of the changes, with Coach Doherty inking top guard prospect Paul McCoy just last week. The Mustangs will have to replace two of their top three scorers from last season in Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts, but big men Bamba Fall and Papa Dia will both be back next season. If some of the returnees can step into the holes left by the loss of Killen and Roberts, they’ve got a shot at moving into the middle of the Conference USA pack.

Horizon: Wisconsin-Green Bay

2007-08 Record: 15-15 (9-9)

With their top five scorers all slated to return (there was only one senior on the roster in 2007-08), the Phoenix could end up being one of the chief challengers to Butler in the Horizon League. Mike Schnachter led the team in scoring last season, and received help from the likes of Ryan Tillema and Rahmon Fletcher. Fletcher did a good job of running the point, and should only get better with a full season under his belt. Caught in a logjam in the middle of the Horizon standings last season, look for UWGB to make that move up in 2008-09.

Ivy: Harvard

2007-08 Record: 8-22 (3-11)

Tommy Amaker’s first season at Harvard was highlighted by their home win over his former employer Michigan. Unfortunately for the Crimson, they received more attention for an article on their recruiting in the New York Times than they did their play in within the league. But with a lot of Ancient Eight rivals (Cornell pretty much has everyone back) losing key contributors to graduation, maybe they can move up a couple of slots. Jeremy Lin, a second-team all-conference selection, will lead the charge in 2008-09, and he’ll be helped out by the likes of Pat Magnarelli, Evan Harris and Drew Housman. By no means is this a prediction that the Crimson will compete for the Ivy’s automatic bid (I think Cornell’s a safe bet on that), but they should be drastically improved.

MAAC: Manhattan

2007-08 Record: 12-19 (5-13)

I’m going with the Jaspers slightly ahead of Iona here, but I really like both to make move in the MAAC. Given the growth experienced in the MAAC Tournament by Barry Rohrssen’s club (a stronger commitment to defense and Devon Austin became more assertive as a team leader), and the fact that they return every key returnee leads me to believe that they can challenge for a spot in that 2-5 area of the standings. Antoine Pearson is one of the conference’s best point guards, and rising sophomores Chris Smith and Rashad Green should be ready to take the next step in their development. All that separates them from where they are and where they want to be is the consistency on the defensive end of the floor. And when that comes, look out.

MAC: Bowling Green

2007-08 Record: 13-17 (7-9 East Division)

While the change to Louis Orr didn’t mean an increase in overall wins (they won thirteen games in 2006-07 as well), it did mean four more league victories to get to 7-9. And while they’ll have to replace three of their top five scorers, led by Nate Miller, they should be improved with another year of seasoning under their belts. Chris Knight, who led the team in rebounding and was second in scoring, will be back next season along with guard Joe Jankubowski. Not too sure if the improvement will mean a jump in the MAC East standings, but the Falcons will be a better team next season.

Part One: ACC, Big East, Big Ten etc

Part Three tomorrow: MVC, MWC, Pac-10, etc