Portland St

Tuesday Conferene Tournament Predictions:

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:11:41 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's four key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

HORIZON LEAGUE FINALS: AT VALPARAISO

(1) Valparaiso (22-10, 14-4) vs. (3) Detroit (21-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 6 – Valparaiso 73-71*; Feb. 2 – Valparaiso 78-73. RPI: Valparaiso 89, Detroit 135. Analysis: Detroit is playing like it was expected to all season, but the Crusaders may be playing even better. Line: Valparaiso -2. Pick: Valparaiso 69, Detroit 64.

SUMMIT LEAGUE FINALS: AT SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(2) South Dakota State (26-7, 15-3) vs. (4) Western Illinois (18-13, 9-9)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – South Dakota State 67-66*; Feb. 23 – South Dakota State 74-57. RPI: South Dakota State 59, Western Illinois 159. Analysis: Nate Wolters will lead the Jackrabbits to their first NCAA Tournament. Pick: South Dakota State 83, Western Illinois 74.

SUN BELT FINALS: AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK.

(5) North Texas (18-13, 9-7) vs. (7) Western Kentucky (14-18, 7-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – North Texas 84-67. RPI: North Texas 193, Western Kentucky 214. Analysis: North Texas should win. Of course, in the Sun Belt Tournament, that means Western Kentucky probably will. Pick: North Texas 77, Western Kentucky 69.

BIG SKY SEMINFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) Portland State (17-13, 10-6) at (2) Weber State (23-5, 14-2)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: Altitude. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Weber State 88-81*; Feb. 2 – Weber State 92-79. RPI: Weber State 73, Portland State 170. Analysis: Despite being the 2 and 3 seeds, there’s a wide gap between the Wildcats and the Vikings. Line: Weber State -5½. Pick: Weber State 87, Portland State 73.

(4) Eastern Washington (15-16, 8-8) at (1) Montana (23-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: Altitude. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 30 – Montana 79-71; Jan. 26 – Montana 74-60*. RPI: Montana 88, Eastern Washington 210. Analysis: Montana is the class of the Big Sky. Line: Montana -10½. Pick: Montana 80, Eastern Washington 67.

ATLANTIC 10 FIRST ROUND: AT ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.

(12) Charlotte (13-16, 5-11) at (5) Saint Joseph’s (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Charlotte 57-52*. RPI: Saint Joseph’s 50, Charlotte 164. Analysis: The Hawks avenge their worst loss of the season in a big way. Line: Saint Joseph’s -9. Pick: Saint Joseph’s 79, Charlotte 51.

(11) George Washington (10-20, 5-11) at (6) Dayton (19-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: March 3 – Dayton 75-59. RPI: Dayton 71, George Washington 172. Analysis: The Flyers beat GW by 16 points at home on Saturday. So why’s the line only 9? Line: Dayton -9. Pick: Dayton 73, George Washington 61.

(10) Richmond (16-15, 7-9) at (7) LaSalle (20-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 8 – Richmond 78-76. RPI: LaSalle 77, Richmond 119. Analysis: Richmond played really well down the stretch and could be a factor in the A-10 tourney. Line: LaSalle -6½. Pick: Richmond 75, LaSalle 70.

(9) Duquesne (16-14, 7-9) at (8) Massachusetts (20-10, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Duquesne 80-69. RPI: UMass 82, Duquesne 98. Analysis: B.J. Monteiro’s work in the paint will keep the Dukes in the game. Line: UMass -6½. Pick: Massachusetts 73, Duquesne 70.

BIG EAST FIRST ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(9) Connecticut (18-12, 8-10) vs. (16) DePaul (12-18, 3-15)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 15 – UConn 80-54. RPI: UConn 32, DePaul 196. Analysis: A double-digit spread is way too much for a team that comes to play as little as UConn does. Line: Connecticut -10½. Pick: Connecticut 67, DePaul 59.

(12) St. John’s (13-18, 6-12) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (16-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 29 – Pitt 89, St. John’s 69. RPI: St. John’s 134, Pitt 95. Analysis: Pitt has enough talent to be the surprise of this tournament. Line: Pitt -4. Pick: Pittsburgh 76, St. John’s 67.

(10) Seton Hall (19-11, 8-10) vs. (15) Providence (15-16, 4-14)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Seton Hall 67-56*. RPI: Seton Hall 60, Providence 146. Analysis: There are a lot of different ways this one could go. Leaning Seton Hall in a high-scoring game. Line: Seton Hall -4. Pick: Seton Hall 86, Providence 78.

(11) Rutgers (14-17, 6-12) vs. (14) Villanova (12-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: March 1 – Villanova 77-71*. RPI: Rutgers 150, Villanova 115. Analysis: Malik Wayns can carry the Wildcats to at least one Big East win. Line: Villanova -1. Pick: Villanova 69, Rutgers 65.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 128-94-3

Portland State Signs Pair of Local Products

Press Release — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:30:42 -0800

The Portland State men's basketball program has signed two local
student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2010-11 academic
year as announced by Head Coach Tyler Geving today.

Brandon Cataldo, a 6-10 center from Rainier (OR) High School, has signed
with the Vikings. Cataldo is rated as the 10th best high school center
in the nation by ESPN.com and rated the second-best high school center
on the west coast by scouthoops.com.

As a junior at Rainier, Cataldo was the Player of the Year in the Lewis
and Clark League and led his team to the state playoffs. Cataldo has
also played for the AAU Portland Hoop Kings.

"High school posts are hard to come by and we are fortunate to get
someone from our own back yard," said Geving. "Physically, I think
Brandon is ready to go. The challenge for him is going to be coming from
a small school (Oregon 3A) to major college basketball. But, he has
fared very well on the AAU circuit against a lot of top players and held
his own. That has been a good measuring stick for him."

"Brandon is a good back-to-the-basket player who can step out and shoot
it. He's also a gym rat which you don’t find from a lot of big guys. He
is always looking to get better. He has skills and over a four-year
period I expect him to be dominant big man in the Big Sky Conference.'

Also signing with the Vikings, is Chehales Tapscott, a 6-5 sophomore
forward from Clackamas Community College, who prepped at Century High
School in Hillsboro, OR.

"Chehales is a big-time scorer and a big-time rebounder who comes from a
winning program," said Geving. "He can score in a variety of ways - post
up, shoot from the perimeter - and he is a great passer.

"Chehales is a really skilled player who will bring a lot of different
attributes to our program."

As a freshman at Clackamas CC, Tapscott averaged 20.7 points, 11.7
rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. He ranked
third in the NWAACC in scoring and second in rebounding. Tapscott shot
59% from the field and 68% at the line and was named a Southern Region
All-Star.

His team went 29-3 on the season, winning the NWAACC Southern Division
with a 13-1 record as well as the NWAACC title. Tapscott was also named
the NWAACC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

At Century High School, Tapscott averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and
four assists a game as a senior. He was named first team All-State at
the 5A level. Tapscott's team won back-to-back league titles reaching
the Oregon State Tournament both seasons.

With these two signings, the Vikings already have a great start on their
2010-11 season. Geving anticipates signing more players in the spring.

Portland State, which opens its season on Friday at the AIA Classic in
Seattle, is coming off back-to-back 23-10 seasons and trips to the NCAA
Tournament. The Vikings have three seniors on their roster this season,
all of whom are key players; guard Dominic Waters, and forwards Julius
Thomas and Jamie Jones.

The Vikings face Belmont on Friday at 4:30 p.m., Wright State on
Saturday at 4:30 p.m., and Washington on Sunday at 7 p.m. in a game
televised on FSN. All three games are being played at the University of
Washington. Portland State's home schedule begins with Cal Poly on Nov.
21 at the Stott Center.

NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNINGS - Nov. 13, 2009
Brandon Cataldo, C, 6-10, 270, Rainier, OR (Rainier HS) - freshman in 2010-11
Chehales Tapscott, F, 6-5, 205, Hillsboro, OR (Century HS/Clackamas CC) - junior in 2010-11

Poll: Who Will Win the Big Sky?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:41:04 -0700

Tyler Geving Named Portland St Coach

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:45:46 -0700

The Portland State Athletics Department has elevated Tyler Geving to Head Men's Basketball Coach and charged him with furthering the development of the most successful era in Viking basketball history.

Geving was introduced as Portland State's new Head Coach at a press conference in the Stott Center's Morrow Team Room on the PSU campus on Tuesday afternoon. His selection as the 12th Head Coach in Viking basketball history comes after four seasons as the number one assistant to former coach Ken Bone, and the last two seasons as Associate Head Coach.

Geving takes over a program that has had back-to-back 23-10 seasons, Big Sky Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. The 35-year-old native of Burien, WA played a major role in those successes as the team's recruiting coordinator and defensive coach. Geving's hiring is the culmination of 14 years as an assistant and one season as a co-Head Coach at the junior college level.

"It was important that we not make the easy choice, but that we make the right choice," said Director of Athletics Torre Chisholm, "and Tyler Geving is the right choice for this program. He takes this position with the support of the players, the boosters and the administration.

"We are really excited to have Tyler here. He presents a great opportunity for us to continue forward with the positive success that we've had. It is important to us that he played a significant role in helping us develop that success. I think, as we talked to other coaches, he is the one that stood out in really understanding our circumstances because he has lived through them and been successful through them. He is the guy that really is committed to being the head coach at Portland State."

Unquestionably, Geving brings continuity to the program that will be extremely valuable in maintaining success. That should bear itself out in recruiting, as Geving will remain in charge of that area and build on the recent successes that has brought outstanding talent to the Viking program.

"I am very excited for this opportunity," said Geving. "We have a great team coming back and I want to keep this program going in the same direction we have been. I want to maintain the continuity and make this program better than it is right now.

"I feel like I bring great energy and enthusiasm to this job every day. I have a good rapport with our players and feel that is a great strength on the court, in recruiting, and within this program."

Portland State will return seven letterwinners from the 2008-09 roster, including three starters and sixth-man Dominic Waters, who was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection. The Vikings also have three redshirts returning and have signed two high school student-athletes to national letters of intent during the early signing period. Geving expects the Vikings to sign two more players in the spring signing period which opens on April 15.

Geving becomes the fifth Viking Head Coach since the return of basketball to the Park Blocks in 1996-97. The previous four, in reverse chronology: are Ken Bone (4 years, 77-49); Heath Schroyer (3 years, 35-47); Joel Sobotka (4 years, 53-59) and Ritchie McKay (2 years, 24-29).

Poll: Most Likely Top Seed Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:04:30 -0700

Portland St: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:16:11 -0700

Portland State Vikings

Big Sky (23-9, 11-5)

Big Wins: 11/18 Portland (81-76), 12/23 at Gonzaga (77-70), 2/21 Boise State (93-81)

Bad Losses: 11/28 vs Hampton (71-77), 12/17 at Cal Poly (62-65), 2/12 at Idaho State (69-78)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2008, First Round loss to Kansas

Coach: Ken Bone (0-1 in 1 NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Jeremiah Dominguez is the leader of the Vikings of Portland State. The senior averages a team high 12.6 points 3.2 assists per game. The diminutive 5-6 point guard is a superb passer who will dish out some amazing assists. When he is not finding his teammates, Dominguez will sneak his way into the paint for lay-ups or take one of his many attempts from beyond the arc. And shooting three’s is what Coach Ken Bone’s team does best. Dominguez is the most prolific outside shooter, but Dominic Waters, Andre Murray and Phil Nelson are also dangerous shooters.

Waters, a transfer from Hawaii, is the team’s second leading scorer despite coming in off the bench. He is an extremely consistent outside shooter and can finish around the basket. However, Waters can also handle the ball and having him and Dominguez on the floor at the same time provides the Vikings with two capable ball handlers. Nelson, a 6-7 forward, adds a new dimension that Portland State lacked last year. The transfer from Washington is a great shooter, but has enough size to battle on the boards.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The offense is dynamic and pretty good, but the same cannot be said for the defense. Portland State’s opponents shoot 45.2 percent from the floor. There are not many teams that play in any postseason tournament that will give up a higher percentage than 45.2 They can block some shots and grab some steals, but it is the turnovers that lead to that high opponents shooting percentage. On many occasions those turnovers will turn into easy baskets on the other end. Dominguez, Waters and Murray each commit at least two turnovers per game and that is too many for such an experienced backcourt.

Who To Watch:

The Vikings do not have a ton of size in the frontcourt, but Jamie Jones has emerged as a solid scoring threat under the basket and a capable shot blocker. Kyle Coston usually starts by his side and the 6-8 junior can stretch out the defense with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper. While Jones and Coston will usually start, Julius Thomas and Tyrell Mara see just about as many minutes. Thomas is only 6-5, but he is the second best rebounder on the team after Jones. What he lacks in size he will make up for with tenacity and hustle. Mara is a wide-bodied player who has a decent touch on his outside shot. He is not as strong on the glass as the rest of the forwards, but Mara can handle playing either forward spot and provide a spark off the bench every once in a while.

Probable Starters:

Jeremiah Dominguez, Senior, Guard, 12.6 ppg, 3.2 apg

Andre Murray, Senior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 2.2 apg, 3.9 rpg

Phil Nelson, Sophomore, Forward, 11.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Jamie Jones, Junior, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Kyle Coston, Junior, Forward, 6.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Tyrell Mara, Junior, Forward, 3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Julius Thomas, Junior, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg

Dominic Waters, Junior, Guard, 11.7 ppg, 2.9 apg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.1 (68^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 68.5 (187, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (96, 6)

Field-Goal Defense: 45.2 (264, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.7 (4, 1)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.7 (44, 4)

Free-Throw Percentage: 68.8 (172, 5)

Rebound Margin: 1.5 (136, 4)

Assists Per Game: 15.4 (45, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.1 (185, 5)

Following the 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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Big Sky Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:01:15 -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:

Big Sky Conference

The Big Sky Tournament features just 6 of the conference’s 9 teams, with the top two teams getting automatic semifinal byes. The first round games are played at campus sites, while Weber St. hosts the semis and final at the Dee Events Center.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Weber St.	100.00%	87.17%	73.11%
2	Portland St.	100.00%	58.13%	13.29%
3	Montana	94.12%	41.37%	7.97%
4	Idaho St.	70.40%	9.54%	4.30%
5	Northern Colorado	29.60%	3.30%	1.31%
6	Montana St.	5.88%	0.50%	0.02%

Weber would have been favorites at a neutral site. At home, they should be able to win the two games they’ll need.

#1 – Weber St. Wildcats (21-8, 15-1) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.173

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

There’s little question which team was the best in the Big Sky, as Weber St. has dominated its conference competition, entering the tournament with an 11-game winning streak. With the tournament being hosted in Ogden, the Wildcats should be heavy favorites, though it is worth noting that their only loss of the season came on their home court. They’ve taken the league thanks to their spectacular play on the offensive end, as they have put up one of the best eFG percentages in the nation. They take a lot of three-pointers, and hit more than 41% of those attempts, while also managing to make 55% of their attempts inside. They are poor offensive rebounders, but they don’t get much chance to practice, given how they make shots. Weber St. also has the best defensive team in the conference, dominating the boards and stopping shots well in all areas of the floor.

Players to watch:

5-6 SR Kellen McCoy, 14.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 58.2 eFG% - The Big Sky MVP, McCoy is the Wildcats’ top scorer and best three-point shooter, and can easily go for twenty points in a game. His free-throw shooting is also excellent, but the Wildcats must be concerned that he hasn’t been to the line in either of the last two games.

6-2 FR Damian Lillard, 11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 53.6 eFG% - Lillard is coming in on a huge high, after finishing his regular season with a career-high 27 point effort against Montana St. He’s one of a large cast of strong shooters the Wildcats can call upon.

#2 – Portland St. Vikings (21-9, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.093

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

The defending champions got a couple of big results in the non-conference schedule, losing a close one against Washington and winning at Gonzaga, but struggled with their form on the road in the last month of the season, winning just one of five games. The Vikings have a three-heavy offense, and do a pretty good job with it, hitting more than 38% of their attempts, and are a solid team inside as well. Their strength is their defense, and while they aren’t great at stopping opponents’ shots, they force a lot of turnovers and rarely send opponents to the line.

Players to watch:

6-1 JR Dominic Waters, 11.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 58.9 eFG% - Waters is the best three-point shooter on a team of quality shooters, hitting 46% of his long range attempts, and while he tends to be a inconsistent scorer, he has had a strong run in the games leading up to the tournament.

5-6 SR Jeremiah Dominguez, 12.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, 54.0 eFG% - Portland St.’s leading scorer is another player who hits more than 40% of his three-pointers, but unlike Waters, he hits just a third of his shots from inside the arc. He also leads the team in assists and steals.

#3 –Montana Grizzlies (17-11, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.071

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

The Grizzlies ran off a seven-game winning streak in the middle of the conference season, and that was enough to power them up to third in the league. They are the last of the Big Sky’s teams to hold opponents under a point-per-possession, as they stop opponents from making shots, including allowing just 45% from two-point range. They need to force a lot of misses, as they don’t take the ball away from their opponents too often. The Montana offense hasn’t been that good; it hasn’t been able to transfer its obvious shooting ability, nearly 78% from the free throw line, into shots from the field. It is a poor offensive rebounding team, but this is somewhat mitigated by how well it holds onto the ball.

Players to watch:

6-2 JR Anthony Johnson, 17.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 54.0 eFG% - Johnson is the conference’s best scorer, and leads the Grizzlies in assists. He shoots 54% on his two-point attempts, and leads the conference in shooting from the free throw line, at 87%.

6-9 SR Jordan Hasquet, 10.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 50.6 eFG% - Hasquet leads the team in rebounding, is one of the team’s better three-point shooters, and has committed just 9 turnovers in 2009.

#4 – Idaho St. Bengals (12-18, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.068

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1987 (1^st Round)

Idaho St. should be able to make the semi-finals, as it is has had a very good record at home in conference play, only losing to Weber St. With the Wildcats waiting in the semis, though, any further would be a big surprise. The Bengals are a slow, deliberate, interior focused team, and make 54% of attempts from inside the arc, good enough to make them the conference’s second best offense. Idaho St. has been average defensively, though they have had problems with sending opponents to the free throw line.

Players to watch:

6-6 SR Matt Stucki, 12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 55.2 eFG% - Stucki is a 6-6 player whose style is a lot like a guard’s; he’s not a great rebounder, but leads the conference in assists and leads the team in three-point shooting.

6-5 JR Amorrow Morgan, 13.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 50.7 eFG% - Morgan plays more minutes than anyone else in the Big Sky, and leads the Bengals in scoring, a good inside player who can also hit threes pretty well.

#5 – Northern Colorado Bears (14-17, 8-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.047

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Just five years into its Division I history, Northern Colorado has made its first Big Sky tournament, and will have a decent shot against an Idaho St. team that it split a tight pair of games with in the regular season. The Bears’ games tend to feature a lot of threes being hit, as they make 42% of their attempts and allow opponents 38%. Despite these extremes, they are average on both ends of the floor, as they are excellent defensive rebounders, but commit a fair number of turnovers. They also get to the free throw line a lot, an area where they earn a lot of points.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Jabril Banks, 12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 64.4 eFG% - Banks leads the Bears in scoring, and is an excellent inside shooter, with one of the conference’s best field goal percentages. He also get to the free throw line a lot, and shoots a very respectable 73% once there.

6-0 SO Devon Beitzel, 11.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 61.8 eFG% - Beitzel had a magical four game stretch just before the holiday break in which he averaged more than 25 points, but since then he’s been pretty up-and-down with his scoring. He’s a very good shooter, well over 40% from outside and nearly at 60% inside the arc.

#6 – Montana St. Bobcats (9-19, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.060

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

Montana St. snuck into the tournament despite going 1-6 to close the conference season, and sitting 8^th in the league in efficiency margin, so an early exit should be expected. The Bobcats are the conference’s worst shooters, and allow opponents to make a high percentage of shots inside, so their strength on the glass doesn’t help them that much. They lost both of their games with Montana fairly handily, and I’d expect a third defeat in a similar vein.

Players to watch:

6-9 SR Divaldo Mbunga, 10.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 54.4 eFG% - Mbunga has been a very efficient player over the season, but has seen his role in the offense decrease over recent weeks, something that’s not caused a lot of trouble for the Bobcats. Still, he leads the conference in rebounds and blocks, and is a critical player inside.

6-3 JR Will Bynum, 10.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 49.8 eFG% - No, not that Will Bynum. Leading the team in scoring, and the Big Sky in steals, he’s an solid inside scorer, over 50% from two-point range.

My statistical all-Big Sky team:

Montana JR G Anthony Johnson, 17.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 54.0 eFG%

Weber St. SR G Kellen McCoy, 14.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 58.2 eFG%

Idaho St. SR G Matt Stucki, 12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 55.2 eFG%

Northern Colorado JR F Jabril Banks, 12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 64.4 eFG%

Northern Arizona SO F Shane Johannsen, 9.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 72.7 eFG%

Seven Day Stretch: Bulls, Bulldogs, Hoyas, and Gophers

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:30:58 -0800

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

Seven Day Savior (Team): Georgetown Hoyas

John Thompson III had better start getting kudos as being one of the best preparation coaches in the nation. His Hoyas were clearly more ready to play than the previously undefeated Connecticut Huskies on Monday night. That win alone makes the Hoyas the SDS (Team) of the week. What makes that win even more impressive is that Georgetown beat Connecticut in Hartford. I had stated in last week's column that Connecticut should win the game, but if you would have told me that Connecticut would collectively forget how to attack a match-up zone, then I would have laughed. That, however, is exactly what happened. Credit Thompson III for recognizing UConn's susceptibility against the zone and then adding subtle adjustments to offset anything that Husky coach Jim Calhoun was trying to do. The respective backcourts played an even game while forwards DaJuan Summers of Georgetown and Jeff Adrien of UConn did the same. The difference, in terms of player personnel, was Hoya frosh Greg Monroe who clearly got the better of Husky junior Hasheem Thabeet. Monroe's play bodes well for the Hoyas as they move deeper into Big East play as the consensus #2 Pitt Panthers have a monster frontcourt.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Phil Nelson, Portland State Vikings

After upsetting Gonzaga in Spokane, WA, last week, many national pundits were singing the praises of Viking guard Jeremiah Dominguez, who scored 25 points in the win. The real hero for the Vikings, however, was and is Washington transfer and redshirt sophomore Phil Nelson. The 6'7" forward started the year very slowly, but in the last week he has scored 16 points against the Zags and led the Vikings in scoring in their win over Texas Southern and their loss to #19 Baylor, a game in which Dominguez only scored 2. Nelson was able to match up with Gonzaga's big front line and has been dominant over the last 10 days or so for PSU in the paint. Nelson has the tools to play with his back to the basket, get to the rack or shoot the '3'. His teammate Dominguez is the one who gets the headlines, and was the preseason choice to be the Big Sky player of the year, but it really is Nelson who, at least now, is the engine that makes PSU go.

Game of the Week (The one you already heard about): Minnesota Golden Gophers v. Michigan State/Ohio State

I would have normally put the Georgetown/Pitt match-up here as it’s a battle of the #3 team versus the #8 squad. That's a pretty big game. The reason I didn't is because, 1) both Pitt and G-Town are known quantities and they will be in this column as the season goes on, and 2) Georgetown was in this spot last week with their game against UConn. Looking around the country, the recently ranked-for-the-first-time-this-year Gophers face a heckuva week. They host two ranked teams; the Spartans on Wednesday and the Buckeyes on Saturday. Up to this point in the season the Gophers are not exactly a known quantity. Sure, they've beaten Louisville, and they've also beaten...uh...umm...that's the point. They haven't beaten ANYONE of note outside of the Cards. Their 12-0 record is probably the most suspect in the country because of their schedule. On the flip side, the Gophers have one of the best coaches in the country in Tubby Smith and they have one of the most unheralded players in the nation in sophomore point guard Al Nolen. If you haven't seen this kid play, find time to indulge. He simply doesn't turn the ball over. The Gophs, who score by committee, haven't shown they have a real go-to guy in crunch time yet, and that could hurt them, but one thing's for sure; we'll know a lot more about Minnesota after this weekend than we did before. [Ed: Due to New Year’s, this article is being posted a day late, and Minnesota has now already lost to Michigan State. Their win over Louisville is looking less and less impressive as the Cardinals stumbled once again yesterday.]

Game of the Week (The one you DON'T know about): Fairfield v. Siena

Although Niagara will have a great deal to say about who is going to represent the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament come March, the Stags of Fairfield and Saints of Siena are currently tied for first place in the conference at 2-0. The two teams have a great deal of similarities. Both have similar records, (Fairfield is 8-4 while Siena is 7-4), and both teams have suffered their losses against some top level competition. Between them they've faced Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Oklahoma St., Missouri, Virginia Tech and UConn. While both teams have been blown off the floor against most of those bigger schools but they both remain dangerous, talented clubs. Siena, especially, has players who are used to big games, having made the NCAAs last season. The Saints have essentially the nucleus of the squad that upset Vanderbilt in the first round of the Big Dance last year. Whichever team wins this game, especially if its Fairfield because they're the road team, will get a leg up on the rest of the conference, including Niagara.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Butler Bulldogs

Butler, along with Gonzaga, has been the most powerful mid-major program in the country over the last five seasons. This year, however, was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs. They graduated four starters, including two of the best players in school history in Mike Green and A.J. Graves. The lone returning starter is sophomore post Matt Howard who was a significant supporting player last season, but a supporting player nonetheless. He has become the team's leading scorer, but he's getting some serious help from freshmen Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. All three average in double figures and are multi-dimensional players. The freshmen have taken to Butler's three-point, guard oriented offense and they play very disciplined on the defensive end of the floor. Coach Brad Stevens has continued what his predecessors Todd Lickliter and Thad Matta started; a smart team that plays to their strengths and forces the opponent to play to their weaknesses. Butler currently stands at 11-1, with their one loss coming in a very close affair at Ohio State, while this past weekend they defeated Xavier. Butler has already won at Horizon League preseason favorite Cleveland State and they have clearly positioned themselves for an at-large bid come March should they not win the HL. It appears that Butler doesn't rebuild but simply reload.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Stan Heath, South Florida

When you are a member of a premier, perhaps THE premier college basketball conference in the land, losing to schools such as Wright State, Oral Roberts and Central Florida usually causes rumbling among the fans and alumni. That's the case with South Florida and Coach Stan Heath, who's Bulls have lost to those three schools among others. Heath was hired to improve the 'x's and 'o's coaching in the program and to infuse the team with talent. The school is still out as to whether Heath is the kind of game coach USF needs in the Big East, (although his game acumen came into question when he was at Arkansas), but its clear that USF's talent has gotten worse since Heath arrived. He is losing recruiting battles to the likes of Florida Atlantic and Florida International and the Bulls stand a decent chance of going o-fer the Big East this season. That's saying a lot considering the Big East, for all its power at the top of the conference, has teams like Rutgers and DePaul in the league. As the Bulls continue their success in football, the basketball program is falling further behind at an alarming rate. Heath, who is only in his second season at USF, stands a good chance of not being given an opportunity to do much beyond this year.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: Off Court Behavior

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has recently reinstated guard Eric Devendorf after the junior was suspended from the team and forced to do community service work for assaulting a Syracuse female student earlier in the year. I have to wonder aloud if Boeheim would have reinstated a player if it wasn't someone of Devendorf's stature or importance to the team. I know that Boeheim is a players' coach, but this goes too far for me. Cll me Old School, but I was raised to know...KNOW that you didn't lay a finger on a woman. If you did, then you suffered the consequences, whether it be jail time or being suspended for the season from a team. There are more important things in life than basketball and refraining from hitting another person, especially a woman, is certainly one of them. Don't coaches have a responsibility to their respective schools not to embarrass the school? Aren't coaches responsible for their players? When decisions such as Boeheim's are made they give young men who happen to be good at basketball one more small piece of belief that they are above the standards of society. Winning and keeping their jobs certainly is a motivation for why coaches make the kinds of decisions that Boeheim made, but coaches have a responsibility to teach their kids life lessons even if that means some short term pain. In this case, it seems that Boeheim didn't do that.

Mid-Major Player of the Week: Jeremiah Dominguez

Joey Whelan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:09:32 -0800

Player of the Week

Jeremiah Dominguez – Portland State

2 Games: 20 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 spg, 52.1% FG

In what has to be one of the shock upsets of the season, and the biggest win in program history, Dominguez led Portland State to a 77-70 win over former #7 Gonzaga. The senior point guard did it all for the Viks in the win, scoring 25 points, hauling in 6 boards, doling out 5 assists, and hitting 7 long-range bombs. While Portland State, the reigning Big Sky champs, are no slouches.. its virtually impossible to get a win at the Kennel, where the Zags are now 55-3.

Finalists

Dane Brumagin – UMKC

2 Games: 30 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg, 55.3% FG

The top gunner for the Kangaroos brings home player of the week honors this time around after a pair of big scoring performances in a two game home stand. The undersized forward torched Texas-San Antonio for 26 points on Monday in a tough 4-points loss. Following a five day break, Brumagin showed no rust in lighting up SIU Edwardsville for 34 points on an extremely efficient shooting night, going 12-19 from the field. The second performance was the seniors best of the season and Brumagin has now topped 20 points in five games this year.

Jahmar Young – New Mexico State

2 Games: 24 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 9-15 3P FG

The second year player out of Baltimore, Maryland has been lighting up opponents out west this season and this may have been his best week yet. Young started with a solid 18-point showing in a loss to rival New Mexico before exploding for 30 points in a homecoming of sorts on the road at Loyola (MD). Young shot an impressive 7 of 9 from beyond the arc in that game, upping his perimeter shooting percentage to 45%.

Robert Vaden – UAB

2 Games: 17 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.5 apg,

Overall it was a slow week for college hoops due to the Christmas holiday, so most weeks with numbers like these Vaden may have not cracked the finalists group, but 22 points against Louisville is worth recognizing. The senior marksmen has seen his shooting numbers take a tumble this year, with his most dangerous weapon being the three, taking a 4% drop from 40 to 36. Perhaps most confusing though has been the huge drop off in Vaden’s production at the free throw line. After shooting a lights out 86% at the charity stripe last year, he has fallen to a rather average 71% this season.

Worth Noting

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s

Vs. Cornell: 26 points, 16 rebounds, 10-13 FG

The A-10’s most formidable frontcourt player had another dominating performance in the Hawks close call win over Cornell. The senior dropped 26 points on 10-13 shooting from the field and hauled down a game high 16 rebounds, including 9 on the offensive glass. Nivins has recorded six double-doubles this season and has a couple of more non-conference opponents to toy with before delving into the conference schedule.

- All non-BCS players are eligible for CollegeHoops.net's Mid-Major Player of the Week.

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Alex Ruoff

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:48:17 -0800

Christmas week is always somewhat dull for college hoops fans; there are usually no games on Christmas Eve or Christmas, and there is normally only one or two contests the day after. This year was no different, as the Fairfield-Connecticut match-up on December 26 was the only game from Wednesday through Friday. Despite that, there were still plenty of very good games and excellent individual performances. Marquette’s Dominic James started off the week by hitting a shot with 0.4 seconds left to beat North Carolina State, and things heated up Tuesday with Xavier and Gonzaga both losing at home, to Butler and Portland State, respectively, while Texas and Wisconsin had a great non-conference battle. The weekend was light, but conference play kicked off in many leagues.

Despite the light schedule, there was still a number of premium individual performances. Jordan Hill of Arizona had a dominating game against Kansas, scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson averaged 30 points and 12.5 rebounds in two Wildcats’ wins this week. Even Santa Clara’s outstanding center, John Bryant, was excellent in a losing effort against Stanford, scoring 27 points and snagging 22 rebounds. In the aforementioned “Upset Tuesday” games, PSU’s Jeremiah Dominguez had 26 points, six rebounds and five assists and Butler’s Gordon Hayward had 19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. The best performance of the week, though, went to West Virginia’s Alex Ruoff.

Ruoff, a 6-foot-6 senior guard, missed back-to-back games earlier this season due to back spasms, but he has come back with a vengeance. He returned last week against Miami (Ohio), scoring 15 points and dishing out eight assists, but he really showed his wide array of skills in two West Virginia wins this week. Against Radford on Tuesday, Ruoff scored 38 points, grabbed eight boards and picked up five steals. Furthermore, he knocked down nine three-pointers and would have had an even more impressive line had he not missed his final three attempts from the field. More importantly for the Mountaineers, Ruoff helped lead his team to an outstanding win on the road over previously unbeaten Ohio State. He finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists in a 28-point victory. On the season, Ruoff is averaging 17.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc.

Finalists:

- Jordan Hill, Arizona

- Jeremiah Dominguez, Portland State

- Gordon Hayward/Matt Howard, Butler

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week Archive

- Dec 22: AJ Price, UCONN

- Dec 15: Dionte Christmas, Temple

- Dec 8: Stephen Curry, Davidson

- Dec 1: Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

- Nov 24: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma