Belmont

Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic Sun?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:02:18 -0400

Elite Eight: The March Interview Series: Part One

David Meseke — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:32:43 -0400

Elite Eight: A March Interview Series

CollegeHoops.net has you covered with all types of rankings, previews, and recaps. But we thought it would be interesting to ask some of the top players in college basketball a little bit about themselves. In each Elite Eight article, not surprisingly, eight players chime in with various answers. Some of these guys are household names, others are names that you'll recognize, while others are names that you may not recognize, but that you should get to know.

Question: Who was your favorite player growing up? Did you try and emulate his game?

Jason Holsinger, University of Evansville

Senior, G - 12.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 apg

My favorite player growing up was Grant Hill. We don't really play the same position, so I didn't try to emulate his game. I did wear his Fila shoes though.

Aaron Jackson, Duquesne

Senior, G - 18.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.8 apg

Jason Kidd ... I tried to play like him all through middle school and high school. I still try to emulate his game today. He's a big point guard who rebounds and he likes to make plays rather than just score.

Dwight Thorne II, Colorado

Junior, G - 11.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg

My favorite player growing up was Rasheed Wallace. I thought he was so tough and good, and his team was always nice. I used to be a big man so when I did play center I tried to immolate his moves.

Zach Peacock, Georgia Tech

Junior, F - 9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.9 apg

Vince Carter. I tried to emulate his game, all the acrobatic moves and finesse parts of his game. I could never jump like he can.

Question: Do you have a standard pre-game meal? How did this ritual get started?

Kurt Cunningham, Boise St

Junior, C - 9.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg

Pasta with a side salad and ranch. It's the only good thing our
pre-game meal spot has to eat.

Rasheem Barrett, Auburn

Senior, G - 9.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 apg

Chicken, yogurt, banana and salad. Someone told him me always need
to be hungry when you play.

Alex Renfroe, Belmont

Senior, G - 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg

The night before games I usually take a trip to Chili’s and get a chocolate molten cake for dessert. This started my freshman year when I had a good game after I went to Chili’s, so I thought it was my good luck charm.

Josh Dotzler, Creighton

Senior, G - 3.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3.4 apg

I don't really have a pregame meal. Most of my pregame meals consist of chicken, some pasta, and some vegetables but no specific meal. I probably started this when I was a freshman in college.

Check back over the next two weeks for more Elight Eight interviews.. including the likes of Duke's Kyle Singler, Baylor's Curtis Jerrells, Hofstra's Charles Jenkins, and Dayton's Chris Wright amongst others.

Atlantic Sun Tournament: Preview & Prediction

Evan Dorey — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:04:36 -0500

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:

Atlantic Sun Tournament

The A-Sun Tournament features the 7 eligible teams in the conference, with regular season champions Jacksonville earning a first round bye, and 4^th placed Lipscomb hosting the event.

Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Jacksonville	100.00%	69.64%	45.79%
2	East Tennessee St.	84.10%	52.47%	23.47%
3	Belmont	76.41%	37.58%	14.45%
4	Lipscomb	74.62%	26.38%	13.64%
5	Campbell	25.38%	3.98%	1.10%
6	Mercer	23.59%	5.87%	0.98%
7	Stetson	15.90%	4.07%	0.57%

Jacksonville’s first round bye is a big bonus, giving them a leg up, but Lipscomb’s home court advantage makes them one of a group of serious threats to the Dolphins’ chances.

#1 – Jacksonville Dolphins (17-12, 15-5); Efficiency Margin: +0.161

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1986 (1^st Round)

Jacksonville finished atop the standings by just one game, but dominated the EM standings, and is a clear tournament favorite. The reason for this domination is the conference’s best offense: the Dolphins make 47% from the field, and are great on the offensive glass, getting a lot of high-percentage second-chance shots. They also get to the free-throw line often, where an average percentage nets them a good number of points. Jacksonville is also pretty solid defensively, despite struggling to defend the outside shot. It leads the conference in forcing turnovers and is near the top on the defensive glass, so an opponents’ good shooting percentages don’t necessarily hurt.

Players to watch:

5-10 JR Ben Smith, 16.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 51.1 eFG% - Smith averages more minutes than anyone else in the A-Sun, and is a critical player in the Dolphins’ success. He’s a pretty good shooter, but really shines by leading the team in assists and steals, and gets to the free throw line a lot, where he shoots 80%.

6-5 SO Ayron Hardy, 10.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 64.3 eFG% - If Ayron Hardy took more shots, but maintained his percentages, he’d probably be the most efficient player in the conference, as his 60% from the field, combined with a nice three-point touch, allow him to maximize his relatively small role in the offense. He’s also a strong offensive rebounder, and does well defensively, putting up good block and steal rates.

#2 – East Tennessee St. Buccaneers (20-10, 14-6); Efficiency Margin: +0.118

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

A bad five-game stretch in mid-February that saw the Bucs go 1-4 cost them a conference title, but they are still the clear second favorites to claim the NCAA Tourney bid. This is mostly due to ETSU’s defense, which is the conference’s best, though the Bucs’ high pace of play masks this at first glance. They force a lot of turnovers, as you’d expect, and their defensive style means that opponents put up a lot of threes, which ETSU defends well. They are somewhat weak inside, but don’t give opponents a lot of chances there. Offensively, they don’t make a lot of turnovers, and get most of their chances inside the arc, where they shoot 51%.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Kevin Tiggs, 21.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 57.7 eFG% - Tiggs is the conference’s leading scorer, but his point totals are indicative of more than just the Bucs pace; he’s an incredibly efficient shooter. He’s 53% from the floor, which includes a good percentage from three, and gets to the line a lot, where 78% shooting can often add a lot to his point totals. He also leads the team in steals.

6-6 JR Mike Smith, 15.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 51.6 eFG% - Smith is the clear third offensive option (behind Tiggs and Courtney Pigram), but has thrived in this role, another player who augments a good inside shooting percentage with a nice touch from behind the arc and at the line. His real strength is on the glass, the team’s leading rebounder and the only Buc to record more than two double-doubles on the season.

#3 – Belmont Bruins (18-11, 14-6); Efficiency Margin: +0.097

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

After giving Duke a major challenge in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Bruins came very close to repeating as conference champions, with a couple of losses to Jacksonville by a combined three points the difference in the title chase. Belmont features the conference’s most three-heavy offense, and when you make 36% of attempts, taking a lot tends to work out pretty well. When Belmont does go inside, it’s with great success, leading the A-Sun in two-point percentage. Still, it makes sense for them to be an outside-oriented team, as they get a lot of shots blocked, and are terrible interior defenders. Good perimeter play keeps them in it on the defensive end as well, as they hold opponents to just 32% on threes and force a lot of turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Alex Renfroe, 16.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.2 SPG, 60.7 eFG% - Renfroe is probably the conference’s best all-around player, and Belmont’s Mr. Everything, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. His two-point percentage is excellent for a 6-2 player, well over 60%, and his ability to assert himself inside his further demonstrated by his solid rebounding rates. He does have problems with turnovers at times, but has one of the country’s best assist rates, somewhat making up for it.

6-2 SR Andy Wicke, 11.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.3 SPG, 54.4 eFG% - On a team with a lot of three-point shooters, Wicke is both the most prolific and the best, hitting over 38% of attempts. He also leads the conference in steals, and is a great complimentary scoring option who receives a good chunk of Renfroe’s assists.

#4 – Lipscomb Bison (16-13, 12-8); Efficiency Margin: +0.107

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

The hottest team in the conference, Lipscomb enter the tournament on an eight-game winning streak, and won’t pose an easy challenge for anyone in their way, leading the conference in both making and defending shots. Despite this, the Bison don’t lead the conference in either offense or defense, as they have some serious problems in other areas. On both ends of the court, they struggle with turnovers, committing too many and forcing too few. They get to the free throw line a lot, but leave a good number of points on the floor with one of the conference’s weaker shooting percentages. Defensively, they are somewhat vulnerable inside, despite holding opponents to a low FG% overall. This is a team that looks like it might be little better than EM would indicate, and should be considered a serious threat to cause an upset on its home floor.

Players to watch:

6-9, SO Adnan Hodzic, 17.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 59.6 eFG% - The Bosnian big man leads the Bison in both points and rebounds, and is the key to the team’s success, averaging nearly 20-and-9 during the 8 game win streak. He’s a 60% shooter from the field who will cause opponents a lot of headaches in the paint.

6-3, SR Michael Lusk, 8.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 60.8 eFG% - Like Hodzic, Lusk has been hot of late, including coming just one assist short of a triple-double in the Bison’s last game of the year. He doesn’t take a lot of shots, but when he does, he’s usually pretty effective, 46% from behind the arc. He’s also got a good assist rate, though like much of the team he struggles with turnovers.

#5 – Campbell Fighting Camels (14-15, 11-9); Efficiency Margin: +0.011

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1992 (1^st Round)

Campbell is another team that enters the tournament on a roll, having won its last four, including two against teams seeded above them, but it’s hard to see them extending that winning streak at all, let alone pulling off a big surprise to get the bid. When looking at the efficiency stats, there is a clear seperation between Campbell and the teams above it, as the Camels’ offense, well under a point per possession, is much weaker than that of the contenders. Campbell’s problem is its two-point shooting, which is under 45%, a number that makes it pretty hard to avoid wasting possessions. The same problem extends to the defensive end, where the Camels get pretty badly beaten inside, though they manage to make up for it by forcing a lot of turnovers and doing a good job on the defensive glass.

Players to watch:

6-5 JR Jonathan Rodriguez, 16.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 51.4 eFG% - Rodriguez is basically the lone offensive bright spot for Campbell, though his play has tapered off a little in recent weeks. He has a good outside shot, but does his best work inside the arc, where he makes over 50% of his attempts and sits third in the conference in rebounding.

6-1 FR Lorne Merthie, 9.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 49.1 eFG% - The freshman is the Camels’ most frequent long-distance shooter, and at 41% he’s the most effective as well. His mid-30s percentage shooting from two means that he should stay behind the arc, though.

#6 – Mercer Bears (17-14, 11-9); Efficiency Margin: -0.006

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1985 (1^st Round)

Mercer is likely to have a tough time in the tournament, as the Bears have the worst defense of any of the teams headed to Nashville. They are the conference’s worst perimeter defenders, forcing few turnovers and allowing opponents to shoot 38% from behind the arc. They are a little better defending inside, but have a lot of trouble on the defensive glass. Offensively, Mercer is in the middle of the pack, good offensive rebounders who hold onto the ball, but isn’t a good enough shooting team to really take advantage of its possessions.

Players to watch:

6-8 JR Daniel Emerson, 14.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 50.8 eFG% - Emerson is the only player in the A-Sun to average a double-double, and is the Bears’ most efficient offensive player. Beyond his conference best rebounding, Emerson is a solid inside scorer, and has the ability to step out and hit a three-pointer. He also gets to the line a lot, where he shoots 70%.

6-1 JR James Florence, 20.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 SPG, 47.8 eFG% - Florence is the conference’s second leading scorer, but can often waste a lot of shots, especially from three, where he shoots less than 30%. When he’s hitting his threes, he’s an excellent player, generating steals and assists in addition to a lot of good chances inside, but when the threes don’t fall, he’ll probably cause more harm than good.

#7 – Stetson Hatters (13-16, 9-11); Efficiency Margin: -0.024

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

The Hatters’ quest for their first NCAA bid looks like quite a long-shot; they’re the only below .500 conference team in the tournament, and enter it on a four game losing streak. They’re decent defenders, but have the tournament’s worst offense, and are one of the poorest shooting teams in the A-Sun. They hold onto the ball well, and get back a lot of their own misses, but when a team shoots under 40% from the field, it doesn’t really matter. Defensively, they’re right around the conference average, but are vulnerable to inside play, allowing opponents a high percentage from two.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Garfield Blair, 17.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 48.7 eFG% - Blair leads the Hatters in both scoring and rebounding, and has come into the tournament on a roll, averaging more than 20 points in his last six games. His offensive game is much more perimeter oriented than you might expect from his rebounding numbers, he’s a 37% three-point shooter whose offensive problems come when he shoots inside, where his numbers are less than impressive.

6-0 JR A.J. Smith, 12.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 44.2 eFG% - Smith is one of those players who undoes a lot of the good work he does with mistakes, giving the ball up a lot and shooting under 40% on two-point shots. Beyond that, he’s an effective guard, a solid three-point shooter and leading the team in assists.

My statistical all-Atlantic Sun team:

Jacksonville JR G Ben Smith, 16.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 51.1 eFG%

East Tennessee St. SR G Kevin Tiggs, 21.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 57.7 eFG%

Belmont SR G Alex Renfroe, 16.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.2 SPG, 60.7 eFG%

Mercer JR F Daniel Emerson, 14.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 50.8 eFG%

South Carolina Upstate SR F Bobby Davis, 14.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 54.0 eFG%

College Basketball: 20 Random Thoughts & Observations

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:41:50 -0500

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.

Atlantic Sun Basketball Preview: 08-09

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:11:25 -0500

Conference Rank: 28th

10 year average: 25th

Conference Page

All-ATLANTIC SUN Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	James Florence	Mercer	Jr
G	Courntey Pigram	ETSU	Sr
G/F	Shane Dansby	Belmont	Sr
F	Marcus Allen	Jacksonville	Sr
F	Jonathan Rodriguez	Campbell	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Courtney Pigram Jonathan Rodriguez		Points: Jonathan Rodriguez 20.9 Rebounds: Jonathan Rodriguez 10.1 Assists: Rob Quaintaince (FGCU) 5.3

ATLANTIC SUN Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

109	Belmont* **	Asun	1	NCAA
156	Stetson	Asun	2
176	Jacksonville	Asun	3
227	East Tennessee	Asun	4
248	Lipscomb	Asun	5
275	Mercer	Asun	6
296	Kennesaw St	Asun	7
302	Campbell	Asun	8
313	Florida Gulf Coast	Asun	9
320	USC Upstate	Asun	10
344	North Florida	Asun	11

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Atlantic Sun?

Other ATLANTIC SUN Content

Conference Media Poll

Belmont Favored in A-Sun Media Poll

Interviews

Rick Byrd: Belmont Head Coach

Other

Rise & Fall: A-Sun

State of '08: Tennessee

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:21:59 -0400

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

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

TENNESSEE

MEMPHIS - Whatever blueprint John Calipari follows seems to work. In his eighth year at Memphis, the Tigers advanced to the National Title game after making back to back Elite Eights. At UMASS, it also took eight years for him to reach the Final Four.

TENNESSEE - The Vols are in the midst of a good run under Bruce Pearl, three NCAA Tournaments in a row including back to back Sweet Sixteen trips. Before Pearl arrived, Tennessee hadn't made the Tourney in five years.

VANDERBILT - Vandy has been a consistent winner the last five seasons under Kevin Stallings. There's been four 20-win seasons, 5 postseason trips, and a pair of Sweet Sixteen runs. After winning 26 games last year (the 2nd best in school history), the team's first round loss to Siena was a bit of a downer.

BELMONT - Long-time coach Rick Byrd is suddenly the leader of a mid-major power. Belmont has made three NCAA Tournaments in a row, and is once agan favored to win the Atlantic Sun in 08-09.

AUSTIN PEAY - Dave Loos is nearing 20 years at APSU, a time in which the Govs have consistently been one of the top teams in the OVC. In the last decade, there hasn't even been a sub-.500 finish in conference play. In the last six years, they've made 2 NCAA trips and one NIT.

6. MIDDLE TENNESSEE - Before Kermit Davis took over in 2002, MTSU was coming off a brutal season that included just 4 D1 wins. While Davis hasn't led the Blue Raiders to the Big Dance, the program has made amazing strides under his leadership. Last year, the team advanced to the Sun Belt finals, and many feel they are that league's team to beat in '09.

7. CHATTANOOGA - Just as Davidson is the current Southern Conference darling, Chattanooga was once the league's team to beat. The last decade has been a bit more pedestrian however, with just a lone tourney trip in 2005, though the team came close in '03 & '04 as well. The last few teams have been mediocre, with win totals boosted by playing an oddly high amount of D2 teams.

8. EAST TENNESSEE STATE - With the exception of a horrible 2005 campaign, ETSU has been one of the A-Sun's most consistent winners. In 2004, the Bucs won the league title, in 2007 they dominated the regular season before falling to Belmont in the finals, and they were solid once again in 2008.

9. TENNESSEE TECH - The Golden Eagles haven't won their conference tournament in over 40 years, but they've come close in the last decade. From 2000-2003, Tech was one of the best teams in the OVC but they couldn't get over the postseason hump. The last five years have been up and down however, and this year could be one of the downers.

10. LIPSCOMB - From 2002 to 2004, this was one of the country's worst program. But after those initial growing pains, this young program has made nice progress in the A-Sun. 2006 was the program's best season with 21 wins, a 143 RPI, and a close loss to Belmont in the conference title game. This year, expectations are a bit muted.

11. TENNESSEE STATE - In the early part of the decade, Tennessee State was one of the country's worst programs. But a lot of progress has been made, and last year was the first time in a decade that the Tigers won an OVC Tournament game. Not only did TSU win one game, but they made it to the conference championship.

12. TENNESSEE-MARTIN - Over the last 20 years, UTM has hovered between bad and worse, with only 2 winning seasons in that period. But last year was surprisingly mediocre with a 15-16 D1 record and 11-9 OVC finish. Now, there's suddenly high expectations for the first time, and some publications are projecting a league title.

* Note: An unfinished version of this article, with the wrong ranking (Lipscomb in 12th) was originally posted, but it has since been corrected.

Last: South Carolina - Next: Texas

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

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic Sun?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:59:55 -0400

Atlantic Sun Preseason Media & Coaches Poll

Press Release — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:40:08 -0400

Coaches' Poll
Rank School (1st-Place) Points
1 Belmont (7) 113
T2 ETSU (2) 104
T2 Jacksonville (1) 104
4 Lipscomb 87
5 Stetson 76
6 Mercer (1) 74
7 Campbell 55
8 Kennesaw State 38
9 FGCU 32
10 USC Upstate 24
11 UNF 19

Tournament Champ: Belmont

All-Conference Team
Pos Player Class School
G Garfield Blair Sr. Stetson
G/F Shane Dansby Sr. Belmont
G Courtney Pigram Sr. ETSU
F Jonathan Rodriguez Jr. Campbell
G Ben Smith Jr. Jacksonville

Player of the Year: G Courtney Pigram, Sr., ETSU

Media Poll
Rank School (1st-Place) Points
1 Belmont (25) 348
2 Jacksonville (5) 316
3 ETSU (3) 305
4 Lipscomb 245
5 Stetson 240
6 Mercer 183
7 Campbell 163
8 Kennesaw State 145
9 FGCU 106
10 USC Upstate 77
11 UNF 50

Tournament Champ: Belmont

Belmont's Rick Byrd: Head Coach Q&A

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:38:56 -0400

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College Basketball's Best Coaches

CollegeHoops.net is lucky to have access to some of the best coaches in college basketball. As part of our preseason interview series, we thought it would be appropriate to ask these basketball minds about the best things that their team and college basketball has to offer.

Rick Byrd: Belmont

We continue this month long Q&A Series with long-time Belmont coach Rick Byrd, the man behind Belmont's three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips. Coach Byrd was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer questions for CollegeHoops.net:

CollegeHoops.net) What will be the best strength of this year's team?

Rick Byrd) Experience. We have 5 seniors who have enjoyed a lot of success.

CHN) What's the best change you've made in your coaching style in recent seasons?

RB) Taking advantage of our depth and playing more people.

CHN) Who is the best leader on this year's squad?

RB) Andy Wicke is probably our most vocal leader, but with 5 seniors, they all have something to offer.

CHN) What's the best arena you visit during the year?

RB) This season, it will be Thompson-Boling at Tennessee.

CHN) If everything goes according to plan, what's the best case scenario this season?

RB) A win in the NCAA tournament.

CollegeHoops.net 08-09 Preview: Interviews | Complete Top 144 Ranking | 08-09 Preview Homepage | Discuss the Preview

2008-09 Belmont Basketball Preview: #105

Joel Welser — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:27:14 -0400

Belmont Bruins

Overall Rank: #109

Conference Rank: #1 Atlantic Sun

2007-08: 25-9, 14-2, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

Belmont finished up last season winning 13 games in a row before losing to Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 70-71. And that game against Duke was no fluke. This was a team that knocked off the likes of Cincinnati and Alabama earlier in the year. There are a couple starters that need to be replaced, but the Bruins had 12 players on their roster who started at least a game last year. Their depth might take a small step back, but Coach Rick Byrd and his squad should be atop the Atlantic Sun standings once again and possibly have the opportunity to knock off another powerhouse in March.

Who’s Out:

Justin Hare not only led the team with 14.7 points per game, but he was the guy who could take players off the dribble and get to the basket. That resulted in plenty of trips to the charity stripe during his senior year and he hit nearly 92 percent of attempts from the line. There are plenty of options ready to take over his scoring, but most need to become more aggressive getting to the basket and hit their free-throws more consistently if they want to be like Hare. Forward Will Peeples started 24 games during his senior campaign. He was not much of a scorer, but was a solid defender and rebounder. Little used Andrew House and walk-on Stefan Baskin will not be suiting up for the Bruins in 2008-2009.

Who’s In:

The continued success in Nashville has led to some solid recruiting classes and this year is no different. Point guard Drew Hanlen will have a year to learn behind some more experienced players, but he should be ready to play a bigger role soon. Hanlen is a smart floor leader, a fine passer and can do plenty of scoring when he needs to do so. Jon Rice, who redshirted last year, will add some depth at both the point guard and shooting guard spots. Small forward Brandon Baker and power forward Mick Hedgepeth will add some depth in the frontcourt. And Belmont could use at least one of those guys to step up immediately and be ready to provide some quality minutes off the bench. Walk-ons Alex Barnes and David Stanley will also be suiting up for the Bruins this season.

Who to Watch:

Alex Renfroe and Andy Wicke only combined to start 26 total games last year, but that does not mean they are not ready to take over the leadership role for Belmont. Like Hare, Renfroe will get to the basket. Once there, he can find his teammates, score himself or at least get fouled. However, his free-throw shooting leaves something to be desired. Wicke can also handle the ball, yet most of his scoring will be done from beyond the arc. In fact, Renfroe is the only probable starter who is not a major threat from long range. With Shane Dansby, Jordan Campbell, Henry Harris and Jon House joining Renfroe and Wicke on the perimeter, the Bruins have an extremely talented and experienced backcourt. Dansby should be the starter on the wing after averaging 13.4 points per game last year. The 6-4 senior not only scores, but he is also the most effective rebounder on the team. Campbell had a superb freshman campaign and is coming off a season in which he started 13 games and proved that he can score and rebound. It is almost a shame that he will spend another year mostly coming off the bench, but he will have a couple years when he will be Belmont’s star.

Final Projection:

Matthew Dotson and Keaton Belcher are both capable big men. Dotson is a great shooter from long range and led the team with 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.4 percent success rate. Belcher ranked second on the team in three-point shooting percentage among players who attempted more than one long ball per game. Mike Dejworek only averaged 5.3 minutes per game last year, but he, along with the newcomers, will have to provide the depth in the paint and it is that potential lack of depth up front that is the only thing that could possibly make the Bruins less successful than they were last year.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Alex Renfroe, Senior, Guard, 8.8 points per game

Andy Wicke, Senior, Guard, 9.3 points per game

Shane Dansby, Senior, Guard, 13.4 points per game

Keaton Belcher, Junior, Forward, 6.1 points per game

Matthew Dotson, Senior, Forward, 11.4 points per game