Tennessee-Martin

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Lobos Completes Sweep of BYU

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:31:39 -0800

There was the question about how BYU would get along without the suspended Brandon Davies, who was their third-leading scorer and leading rebounder before his dismissal. But while the early returns certainly don't look good, keep in mind the fact that New Mexico beat BYU in their first meeting with Davies on the floor. But they weren't beaten on the boards in that contest as they were tonight, as the Lobos out-rebounded BYU 45-29 on their way to an impressive 82-64 win at the Marriott Center.

Phillip McDonald led four New Mexico players in double figures with 26 points and the Lobos landed the first blow early, going with both Drew Gordon (15 points, 16 rebounds) and A.J. Hardeman (eight rebounds) in the starting lineup in hopes of taking advantage of BYU's lack of size.

The idea for Dave Rose's team without Davies in the lineup is to speed up the pace, but if you can't rebound it's tough to spark those scoring opportunities. Add in the Cougars shooting 5-for-26 from deep (Jimmer Fredette made just one of nine despite scoring a game-high 33) and the end result is a game that heads in the wrong direction for BYU.

"I thought a big key to the win was we did a good job understanding what we had to do," said New Mexico head coach Steve Alford. "We beat them on the boards." (quote courtesy of BYU Athletics)

The rebounding advantage allowed the Lobos to navigate 18 turnovers, with BYU scoring just 12 points off of those miscues. BYU never led and with just two players in double figures (Fredette and Jackson Emery) it was quite apparent that the Cougars need more time to get adjusted to life without Davies. But that's the key; similar to Purdue losing Robbie Hummel late last season (the Boilermakers did have a little more time to get used to playing without Hummel) there isn't much time left for BYU to figure things out.

Running basketball begins with defense and rebounding, and if BYU struggles in those two areas (UNM shot 46.6% from the field) it's going to be tough to play faster. But there's still one more regular season game to be played (Wyoming) followed by the Mountain West Tournament, and with players such as Emery, Fredette and Charles Abouo BYU has the talent and experience needed to figure things out. But can they do it at a level that will ensure NCAA Tournament success? That remains to be seen, but at the least give them the chance to provide more than just one piece of evidence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Duke and North Carolina take care of business, setting up a showdown for the outright ACC crown.
The two rivals had one piece of business left to take care of before they meet in Chapel Hill on Saturday night with a pair of hungry teams standing in their way. Duke maintained a decent amount of separation in beating Clemson 70-59 behind seniors Kyle Singler (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Nolan Smith (21 points, seven assists). Seth Curry, who was scoreless in the loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday, added 18 on a night that saw none of the reserves score a point. Can Duke get away with such contributions on Saturday night? That's possible but may be asking a little too much of their leaders, given how well North Carolina has played of late.

Harrison Barnes knocked down the game-winning three from the top of the key with three seconds remaining to give the Tar Heels the win at Florida State, and he finished with 18 points to go along with John Henson's 19 and 12 rebounds. But the Heels' growth has been made possible by freshman point guard Kendall Marshall, who has an impeccable basketball mind. Marshall finished the game with eight assists to just three turnovers, and he leads the ACC in assists per game. North Carolina is without Reggie Bullock, which limits their bench on the perimeter, but Leslie McDonald scored 10 points off the bench and similar performances will be needed down the stretch. Any game in this rivalry is big, but the addition of a conference title being on the line spices things up even more.

2. Cincinnati continues their revival with a win at Marquette.
About a month ago there were serious questions about the Cincinnati Bearcats. Were they a fraud propped up by a weak non-conference schedule? When would Yancy Gates show off the fire that would match his skill set? Mick Cronin's gotten the needed answers of late, with the most recent win being a 67-60 victory at Marquette to put themselves in position to earn a first round bye in the Big East Tournament. Cashmere Wright finished with 15 points and five assists while Gates posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and fellow starters Dion Dixon and Ibrahima Thomas scored 12 points apiece.

Jimmy Butler led Marquette with a game-high 30 points and Darius Johnson-Odom added 15, but the Golden Eagles shot 38.8% from the field on the night (the rest of the team was 7-for-23). Cincinnati's improved defensively and become more unselfish offensively (17 assists on 23 made baskets), making them a tougher team to contend with on both ends of the floor. And as a result it's near impossible to envision an NCAA Tournament field without them in it.

3. Both games in the OVC Tournament result in wins for the lower-seeded teams.
East Tennessee State needed a steal late to survive in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, and outside of Holy Cross losing to Lafayette the Patriot League quarterfinals were all chalk. This wasn't the case in the OVC, where both lower-seeded teams won the first-round games. Southeast Missouri State held Eastern Kentucky to 28.1% shooting with the Colonels going 9-for-29 on two-point shots in their 65-49 victory. Marland Smith led the Redhawks with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Leon Powell added 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

As for the other first round matchup Tennessee-Martin knocked off Tennessee State behind 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists from Terence Smith. Defensively the Skyhawks got the job done beyond the arc, limiting the conference's third-best team in regards to percentage to 13.3% (2-for-15). Next up for these two upstarts: Tennessee Tech (UT Martin) and Austin Peay (Southeast Missouri State), with both having been swept in the regular season series. The good news for UT Martin is that one of their losses to Tennessee Tech was a 109-105 triple-overtime affair, while the Redhawks lost both game to Austin Peay by double figures. But given the unpredictable nature of conference tournaments anything is possible.

Top Three Games

1. (13) North Carolina 72, Florida State 70

2. Nicholls State 83, Northwestern State 81 (OT)
Anatoly Bose took over in the extra session, scoring nine of his thirty points to lead the Colonels to an 83-81 win at home. Will Pratt led the Demons with 24 points as they dropped a game behind McNeese State atop the East Division of the Southland Conference.

3. Lamar 113, Texas State 102
Talk about a wild one. Mike James scored 30 points and Brandon Davis 22 to lead the Cardinals, who led by as many as 25 in the second half before hanging on for dear life. Tony Bishop led Texas State with 27 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Tony Bishop (Texas State)
27 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bobcats' 113-102 loss at Lamar.

2. F Andy Ogide (Colorado State)
24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Rams' 78-6 win over Utah.

3. F Vlad Moldeveanu (American)
31 points (11-19 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in the Eagles' 69-53 win over Colgate in a Patriot League quarterfinal.

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2009 CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:58:19 -0700

The CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-America teams were voted on by staff members: Jeff Borzello, Jason Brubaker, Dan Daitchman, Jeff Fox, Raphielle Johnson, Blake Hofstad, Kevin McNeill, Shawn Siegel, Jon Teitel, and Joel Welser

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Player of the Year:
Stephen Curry - Jr, G, Davidson

CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Stephen Curry - Jr, Davidson
G - Eric Maynor - Sr, VCU
G - Ben Woodside - Sr, North Dakota St
G - Lester Hudson - Sr, Tennessee-Martin
F - Matt Howard - So, Butler

CollegeHoops.net Second Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Kenny Hasbrouck - Sr, Siena
G - Gordon Hayward - Fr, Butler
F - J'Nathan Bullock - Sr, Cleveland St
F - Kenneth Faried - So, Morehead St
C - Artsiom Parakhouski - Jr, Radford

CollegeHoops.net Third-Team Mid-Major All-America
G - David Holston - Sr, Chicago St
G - Josh Akognon - Sr, Fullerton
G - DJ Rivera - Jr, Binghamton
F - Drake Reed - Sr, Austin Peay
F - Marqus Blakely - Jr, Vermont

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team Mid-Major All-America
G - Seth Curry - Fr, Liberty
G - Chavis Holmes - Sr, VMI
F - Kevin Tiggs - Sr, ETSU
F - Ryan Thompson - Jr, Rider
F/C - Matt Kinglsey - Sr, Stephen F Austin

Honorable Mention
Michael Bramos - Miami (OH)
Garrison Carr - American
Jeremy Chappell - Robert Morris
Adnon Hodzic - Lipscomb
Mac Hopson - Idaho
Cedric Jackson - Cleveland State
Matt Janning - Northeastern
Charles Jenkins - Hofstra
Jeremy Lin - Harvard
Tywain McKee - Coppin St
Orlando Mendez-Valdex - Western Kentucky
Alex Renfroe - Belmont
Larry Sanders - VCU
Tremaine Townsend - Northridge
Ryan Wittman - Cornell

Check back tomorrow for CollegeHoops.net's All-Freshman Team.

Tennessee-Martin: 2009 NIT

Joel Welser — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:07:44 -0700

Tennessee Martin Skyhawks

Ohio Valley (22-9, 14-4)

NIT Seed: #8

RPI: 141

Big Wins: 1/5 Murray State (75-71), 2/5 at Austin Peay (87-82), 2/26 Eastern Kentucky (74-55)

Bad Losses: 11/25 Arkansas State (67-76), 12/6 at Eastern Kentucky (75-78), 2/21 Missouri State (77-79)

Coach: Bret Campbell

Probable Starters:

Delrico Lane, Junior, Guard, 5.1 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.2 spg

Marquis Weddle, Sophomore, Guard, 13.9 ppg

Lester Hudson, Senior, Guard, 27.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 7.8 rpg

Olajide Hay, Senior, Forward, 9.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg

Djero Riedewald, Senior, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Reuben Clayton, Sophomore, Guard, 5.5 ppg, 1.6 apg

Eric Massey, Junior, Forward, 3.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Benzor Simmons, Sophomore, Guard, 6.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Only Davidson’s Stephen Curry averages more points per game than Tennessee Martin’s Lester Hudson. He might not get as much attention, but Hudson is every bit the scorer that Curry is. And Hudson is a very efficient scorer. He shoots 44.7 percent from the floor and that is a very good number for somebody who attempts 9.1 three-pointers per contest. Scoring 30 points in a game is no special occasion for the 6-2 senior and he will even occasionally reach the 40-point plateau. Equally impressive as his scoring is the fact that Hudson is also averaging 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per contest.

As if going up against Hudson is not scary enough for the opposition, the Skyhawks also have Marquis Weddle on the team. The 6-1 sophomore is not as aggressive getting to the basket as Huson, but he will keep up with him shot for shot from beyond the arc. For a team that scores so much, it would not be surprising if they committed a lot of turnovers. But that is not the case thanks to junior Delrico Lane. Lane does a great job finding Hudson and Weddle and also has kept the turnovers to a minimum.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Obviously the frontcourt is going to get overlooked when the group on the perimeter is so talented, but Olajide Hay and Djero Riedewald have done an admirable job this season. Hay has taken advantage of the defense worrying about the perimeter and has emerged as decent scorer in the paint. Riedewald is a good rebounder, but the problem is those big guys can get outmatched by bigger, stronger opponents. Neither are great shot blockers either and the Skyhawks can give up some easy buckets if the guys on the perimeter cannot get a steal.

Who To Watch:

Every once in a while Hudson and Weddle need a break. Barring some major foul trouble, one of them will be on the floor at all times, but Coach Bret Campbell still needs to find some production from the bench players in the backcourt. Without Weddle, Hudson is less effective and vice versa. Thus, it will be important for Benzor Simmons and Reuben Clayton to keep the backcourt a multi-dimensional threat in small spurts. Simmons, a 6-7 sophomore, will use his size to get to the basket and will make the Skyhawks a much bigger team on the perimeter. Clayton is more of a shooter, but he will score around the basket as well…like when he tallied 20 points against Tennessee State in February.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 78.7 (17^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 69.5 (211, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.1 (105, 4)

Field-Goal Defense: 43.6 (187, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.7 (54, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (195, 7)

Free-Throw Percentage: 73.6 (32, 1)

Rebound Margin: 1.0 (156, 5)

Assists Per Game: 14.7 (73, 3)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (72, 2)

Joel’s Bracket Says: First Round loss to Auburn

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Tennessee-Martin: 2009 NIT Capsule

Joel Welser — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:47:45 -0700

Tennessee Martin Skyhawks

Ohio Valley

Last NCAA Appearance: none

Coach: Bret Campbell (First NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Only Davidson’s Stephen Curry averages more points per game than Tennessee Martin’s Lester Hudson. He might not get as much attention, but Hudson is every bit the scorer that Curry is. And Hudson is a very efficient scorer. He shoots 45.7 percent from the floor and that is a very good number for somebody who attempts 8.8 three-pointers per contest. Scoring 30 points in a game is no special occasion for the 6-2 senior and he will even occasionally reach the 40-point plateau. Equally impressive as his scoring is the fact that Hudson is also averaging 7.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per contest.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Who To Watch:

Probable Starters:

Delrico Lane, Junior, Guard

Marquis Weddle, Sophomore, Guard

Lester Hudson, Senior, Guard

Olajide Hay, Senior, Forward

Djero Riedewald, Senior, Forward

Key Roleplayers:

Reuben Clayton, Sophomore, Guard

Eric Massey, Junior, Forward

Benzor Simmons, Sophomore, Guard

+ Following final Bracket announcement, more team info will be added, including final RPI, final team statistical rankings, Joel's prediction, and more!

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OVC Tournament Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:44:02 -0800

This is one in a series of my conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, giving a brief statistical review and picking out some of the key players, and presenting the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Ohio Valley

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

OVC Tournament Odds

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

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

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

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch:

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

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

My statistical all-OVC team:

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

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

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

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

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

Non-BCS Player of the Week: Matt Bouldin

Joey Whelan — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:38:39 -0800

Non-BCS Player of the Week

Matt Bouldin – Gonzaga

2 Games: 20 ppg, 3 rpg, 5.5 apg, 53.3% FG

After suffering through a tough three game skid, Gonzaga got back on track with an overtime win over Tennessee and followed that up with a convincing win at home over Portland in their WCC opener. A major part of the success for the Bulldogs in the last week has been junior guard Matt Bouldin who takes home this week’s honors. Bouldin led the way in the Tennessee win netting 26 points on 11-20 shooting in addition to dolling out five assists and grabbing four rebounds. The strong showing was a season high scoring performance for Bouldin who has been somewhat inconsistent with his scoring this year.

Finalists

Josh Akognon – Cal State Fullerton

2 Games: 27.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 45.2% FG, 41% 3P FG

It was a good week for the Titans as they picked up a pair of conference wins thanks to their sweet scoring senior guard. Akognon shot the ball very well in scoring 26 and 29 points respectively in wins over Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. Most importantly, he seems to have regained his touch from the perimeter which was lacking during the previous week.

Lester Hudson – Tennessee-Martin

3 Games: 34 ppg, 8 rpg, 4.3 apg, 3.3 spg

It’s been another impressive season for Hudson as far as stats are concerned, but this week was just ridiculous. The senior netted at least 30 points in all three games he played in, but he completely stole the show in a Saturday win over Tennessee State. After recording the first quadruple-double in Division 1 history last season, Hudson almost did it again, recording 30 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 8 steals.

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s

Vs. Rhode Island: 28 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 9-15 FG

The Hawks triple-overtime win over URI was an instant classic and Ahmad Nivins stole the show with his 20 and 20 showing. The A-10’s most dominant big man, and arguably its best player, has been making a habit out of appearing on this list and for playing exceptionally well in big games.

College Basketball: 20 Random Thoughts & Observations

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:42:14 -0800

A rare Sunday morning version of the ever popular 20 Random Thoughts & Observations by CollegeHoops.net editor Shawn Siegel.

1 - Villanova's failed attempt to score from close range at the buzzer had to remind you of Charles Smith's Epic Fail with the Knicks. (1993 Playoffs, Knicks vs Bulls, Game 5. Still hilarious.)

2 - Kansas has yet to come close to winning on the road (0-2), but luckily their Big 12 road schedule begins with Colorado, Iowa State, and Nebraska.. a good chance for Bill Self's young squad to gain some confidence before their true road test (OU, Baylor, etc).

3 - Blake Griffin's line sounds good enough at face value: 29 & 15. But consider his 29 points were 48% of the Sooners total, and his 15 boards were 40% of their total as well. Talk about carrying a team.

4 - How did Duke and FSU only manage 33 points combined in the first half? Were they both facing the Ravens defense?

5 - Its been a forgone conclusion that Jerry Wainwright will not be DePaul's coach to begin next year. If you need more proof (and believe me, you don't) then how bout a 22 point home loss to South Florida. Ouch!

6 - If you didn't notice, 2 triple-OT games on the same day is impressive. Both URI/SJU and Cal/Washington played some bonus basketball. I've been slow to give Cal much credit.. but 15-2 is 15-2

7 - Statistically, UTM standout Lester Hudson hasn't improved that much from last year.. but now that OVC play has started, look out for some monster stat lines. How about these numbers from last night: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists.. and 8 steals.

8 - Fred Hill brought in some big time names to Rutgers this yeas, but apparently it hasn't helped. The Knights are already 0-4 in league play.. and fans have already turned their attention to the recruiting trail.

9 - Gonzaga wasn't good enough to beat Porland State at home, but at least they knocked off Portland last night. Take that Rose City!

10 - Sure, UK beat Vandy in their SEC opener.. but 8 shots for Patrick Patterson? Can someone explain to me while he's still not getting the ball. I don't get it.

11 - UNLV, riding high on an 8 game winning streak fell back down to Earth with a 7 point loss at TCU.. which makes you wonder, when did TCU get any good? The Horned Frogs are 11-5, and coming off wins over UNLV and Texas Tech. This is a program that hasn't even finished at .500 the past 3 years. The emergence of JUCO big man Zvonko Buljan has been a major boost to a team that needed a solid inside presence. He's averaging about 17 & 9 over his last 3 games.

12 - Speaking of coming back to Earth, chalk down another loss for Boston College.. the #1 hit wonders.

13 - It's looking possible that the only team that might push Memphis in the CUSA race is Tulsa and not UAB as expected.

14 - Belmont's become a familiar face in the NCAA Tournament, and the Bears are once again beating up on ASun foes. They beat North Florida by 34, Stetson by 25, and now Campbell by 33.

15 - After being humbled in Maui, Oklahoma State is on a good run and is now up to 15th in the RPI. Still, their upcoming road trip to Baylor will prove if their recent form was just a matter of some home cooking.

16 - I mentioned this a couple weeks ago, that when Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, it might be the worst WCC battle of all time. The Waves won by a point, and the 2 WCC doormats now have a combined 3 D1 wins on the year.

17 - Good job NJIT losing by 23 points to Columbia yesterday. And I'm not even being sarcastic. It was one of the Highlanders best road efforts of the season.

18 - Dayton's loss at UMASS on Saturday signified that the Flyers aren't ready to make a push for an at-large tourney bid. The A10 might have to settle for just 2 teams in the Dance.

19 - Utah State continues to be a highly efficient squad (3rd in KenPom's stats.) The Aggies once again hit over 50% of their shots in a win against NMSU, led by 7 of 10 from Gary Wilkinson who has amazingly shot over 50% in all but one game this season.

20 - I'll bet you think you can beat Indiana point guard Daniel Moore one on one.

Lester Hudson: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:26:32 -0800

Lester Hudson

College: Tennessee-Martin

Class: Senior

Position: PG/SG

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 190lbs

Accolades: OVC Player of the Year (08), All-OVC First Team (08), OVC All-Newcomer Team (08), AP Honorable Mention All-American (08), CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-American (08)

Scouting Report: Late-blooming JUCO transfer who can light up the scoreboard.

Strengths: Big-time scorer. Averaged 25.7 ppg in just his first D1 season. Has made big strides every season since being a relative unknown in high school. Great length (over 6'9") for his size, and is physically superior to most prospects. Quality jumper, and shows more offensive diversity than most prospects. Has mid-range game and enough core strength to score when off-balance or coming off curls. Strong frame, especially if he can be molded into a point guard. Numbers didn't just come against small schools, but lit up Memphis for 35.

Weaknesses: Age - he'll be 24 on Draft day and is 4 to 5 years older than most serious prospects. Head - didn't graduate from high school or Junior College. Size - Many claim he's not even 6'3", though the length makes up for it. Position - Though a great scorer, Hudson isn't automatic from three (38%) and he's also not particularly adept at beating guys off the dribble and finishing at the pro level. Teams will probably try to mold him into a point guard, though his ball-handling skills and speed is only mediocre.

Projected 2009 Draft Range: Mid to late second round pick.

Consensus: No doubt some team will take a chance on his natural scoring instincts and impressive physicality, hoping he develops ala Rodney Stuckey.

Stats:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=37439

NBA Draft on CollegeHoops.net

More 2009 NBA Draft Profiles

Current NBA Mock Draft Position

Complete NBA Draft coverage

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System w/ 2008 Equivalents

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential - Michael Beasley

= Potential NBA All-Star - Derrick Rose

= Consistent NBA Starter - Brook Lopez

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter - Russell Westbrook

= Career Reserve - Roy Hibbert

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man - JR Giddens

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues - Drew Neitzel

Mid-Major Player of the Week: Eric Maynor

Joey Whelan — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:02:00 -0800

As a companion to CHN's National Player of the Week, we will be presenting a Mid-Major Player of the Week as well this season. All non-BCS players are eligible for this award. In the case that the National POY is a non-BCS player, they will be repeated here as well.

Player of the Week

Eric Maynor – VCU

3 Games: 25 ppg, 3 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.3 spg, 55.8% FG, 47.3% 3P FG

The CAA’s top player put together a banner week in garnering this week’s award. Not only did Maynor have great looking numbers, but he was a devastatingly efficient scorer, something you don’t often see from mid-major scoring machines. After torching Vanderbilt and Western Michigan early in the week, the senior saw his numbers take a bit of a dip, but not enough to prevent him from leading the Rams to a win in their conference opener.

Just Missed Out

Lester Hudson – Tennessee-Martin

2 Games: 23 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg, 41.4% FG

One of last season’s more intriguing character stories, Hudson is having another fine season. He is still quite trigger happy from the perimeter, but he is a versatile scorer as he proved with a pair of twenty point games against Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. As was the case last year, Hudson is one of the best rebounders for his size in the country, posting his first double-double of the season this week.

Ryan Wittman – Cornell

3 Games: 27.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1 spg, 37.6% FG, 40% 3P FG

Ivy League teams consider this your warning for the season: Ryan Wittman is a gunner. The junior dropped 28, 33 and 21 points on Indiana, Syracuse and Minnesota respectively attempting a ridiculous 45 three-pointers and hitting 40% of them. At 6’6” and with that kind of range he will be an absolute match up nightmare in a conference where most players at that size are banging under the boards.

Diow Lowhorn – San Francisco

3 Games: 23.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 53.3% FG, 63.6% 3P FG

The bruising Lowhorn has picked up right where he left off after his sophomore season, scoring in bunches and hauling down any rebound within in his reach. What the forward has done this year though is add the ability to score from the perimeter. Lowhorn connect on 7 of his 11 attempts from deep this week and is shooting a stellar 50% from that range on the season.

Worth Noting

Alex Barnett – Dartmouth

Vs. Vermont: 32 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 12-19 FG, 6-7 3P FG

Sure Dartmouth lost by 17 points to Vermont, but how much fun was it watching Alex Barnett hit everything he threw up at the basket? The senior, though never having been afraid to shoot from outside, has never been a major weapon from this spot on the floor. What a difference a year makes as Barnett has gotten off to a torrid start, hitting 15 of his first 29 three-point attempts. He’ll be another player Ivy League teams need to watch out for in conference play.

Lester Hudson: CollegeHoops.net Interview

Jon Teitel — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:50:00 -0800

10 Questions.. with Tennessee-Martin star Lester Hudson. The senior do-everything guard is a statistical machine who burst onto the D1 scene last year. The reigning OVC Player of the Year is hoping to be a 2009 Lottery pick.

1. How does a 6'3" guard get so many rebounds?

LH. I have a strong desire for the ball, and my wingspan (6'9") helps too. I can also jump a bit, while timing the ball well and figuring out where it is going. I am a shooter, so I know how the ball comes off the rim.

2. What specific part of your game are you most proud of?

LH. I think I am a good all-around player, so no specific part.

3. What do you have left to prove after being named OVC player of the year last season?

LH. I would like to repeat as OVC player of the year, and try to be an AP All-American (1^st-team, specifically). I also want to be a leader to my teammates in the right way: working hard every day, not taking days off, etc. I would also like to win the OVC and win at least 2 games in the NCAA Tournament.

4. What was it like last year when you became the first D-I player to ever record a quadruple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals vs. Central Baptist)?

LH. I was just playing my regular game and doing everything as usual, and did not realize I was close to doing that: in fact, I think the only time I had even heard of the term was when David Robinson did it once. My coach (Bret Campbell) was going to take me out towards the end, but the guy on our bench who keeps our stats told him to keep me in, and the rest of the bench told me to get 1 more steal. The guy I was guarding used a crossover a lot, so I just waited for it and then got the steal to finish it off, and then Coach took me out and congratulated me.

5. What impact has Coach Campbell had on you?

LH. Coach Campbell is a great guy, and had a part in everything I am doing. He had a lot to do with last year’s success: he told me I needed a better jump shot to become a complete player, so I worked on my jumper during my redshirt year, and it worked out for me well last year.

6. What were the reasons for your academic problems before you got to Tennessee-Martin?

LH. I was kind of lazy and just did not like school, and I put basketball first before anything else. As I got older, I realized that I had to do the schoolwork in order to play basketball, so I have tried my best to make the best grades I can. I love basketball, and did not like when it was taken away from me because of academics.

7. What happened with the NBA draft last summer?

LH. I wanted to test the draft waters: sometimes you only get one chance to fulfill your dream and play in the NBA. I thought it over some more as the deadline rolled around: everyone told me I would go early in the second round, and the teams that liked me in the first round could not promise to draft me in the first round. Coach Campbell told me that I could come back and definitely get drafted in the second round next year. In the end, I just did not want to leave until it was the way I wanted to: by winning a ring and getting my degree. It is very important for me to graduate I might even start crying when I get my diploma. My family/coaches/friends are very happy for me to have a chance to graduate, and I just feel blessed right now.

8. What do you feel is your best skill?

LH. I am a scorer, but the coaches have told me to play ball. I got noticed for scoring, but the quadruple-double really took it to another level. I think another “skill” I have is just being an all-around player. It is rare for a guard my size to be able to do everything I do: some guys are good shooters or passers, but I try to do it all. If I get drafted, I will play whatever they want me to: I think I can play either the 1 or 2, both now and in the future.

9. What was it like growing up in Memphis?

LH. It was really rough: kids want a lot of things but they cannot always get them, so it is easy to get into bad things like drugs and crime to get some money. However, you can also end up in jail and lose your dream, and I wanted to give myself a chance to play ball, so I am glad I got out of there and am happy with the outcome so far. My mom could not afford to buy me decent shoes, so I had to get cheap shoes, and kids would talk about them when they saw me on the court, so that is one reason why I have stayed strong.

10. Has it been very different this year after not getting to practice with the team this summer due to NBA pre-draft camp?

LH. I did not get to work out like I wanted to, because I had to travel so much for workouts, but I do not think it will affect me too much.