Walnut Creek, CA--It's been more than two weeks since the last posting. I apologize. Literally, there have been too many "other" things happening for me to find time to write about my favorite pastime...college basketball.
As the regular season is just about over, it is certainly appropriate to congratulate the season champions. Weber State won the Big Sky and will host the tournament for a second consecutive year. This year Randy Rahe players will have a stiff challenge from Northern Colorado and Missouri State. Will Weber State win on their own floor?
The Lobos of New Mexico started the season strong; faultered a bit and then finished the regular season in convincing style knocking off BYU and UNLV on the road.
Gonzaga proved once again that they are the leaders of the WCC. They swept the season series from both St. Mary's and Portland who finished second and third, respectively.
In the Pac-10 race, Cal survived a tight race in a down year for the conference. The tandem of Randle and Christopher in the back court was the difference...and, of course, Mike Montgomery.
The Big West came down to two teams, neither of which were expected to be there.
UC-Santa Barbara edge out Pacific relying heavily on the talents of James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson. The Pacific Tigers lost both home and home games to the Gauchos but won enough in league to earn the number seed in the conference tourney.
The whacky WAC was a tight race until Utah State got rolling. The Aggies took charge in mid season, but will face a strong challenger from both New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech in the conference tourney.
Here's my Top Teams. I've expanded the list to 15 because I felt the additional five teams were so close:
1. New Mexico
2. BYU
3. Gonzaga
4. Utah State
5. St. Mary's
6. California
7. New Mexico State
8. Portland
9. Weber State
10. UNLV
11. UC-Santa Barbara
12. Louisiana Tech
13. Pacific
14. San Diego State
15. Northern Colorado
My next posting will be about the players.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Best of the West's Bracketbuster
WALNUT CREEK, Ca--Tomorrow in Stockton the Aggies of New Mexico State University come to town to take on the University of Pacific Tigers. It's a nationally televised Bracketbuster game. Realistically, though, neither team is on the "bubble."
Boy, is there a lot of history between these two schools!
They have met 37 times before with the Aggies holding a commanding 29-8 advantage. At first blush, you might think the Tigers have been horribly over-matched. But, a look at the record book shows that about twenty of those games were decided by 4 points or less, and ten by 2 points or less. The difference could have been a single turnover, or block, or steal, or couple fo missed free throws.
Most of the matches between them occurred when both were members of the Big West. But like many of the Great Basin are teams like Nevada, Utah State, Boise State, and Idaho, the Aggies fled the Big West for a conference that played football, too.
Hall of Fame Coach Lou Henson walked the sideline in those years. And, what a coach he was.
This year's Aggies started slowly but have come lately to take over second place in the WAC, with a 9 and 3 mark (16-9 overall). They are lead by junior Jahmar Young with a 20.9 scoring average. He is not a one man show as the Aggies have FIVE players averaging double figures: Jonathan Gibson, Troy Gillenwater, Wendell McKines, and Hamidu Rahman, plus Young. They are a potent scoring machine. Their weakness is defense as they give up as many as they score.
Gillenwater was reinstated two weeks ago and he has scored near twenty points in three of his four games. Not surprising, the Aggies have won those three games. Don;t know if the the Aggies can make up the ground between themselves and the other WAC Aggies (Utah State); but, with Gillenwater playing as well as he has been, they have a shot. Even if they don't, they will be extremely dangerous in the WAC Tourney.
Under Bob Thomason, the Tigers are always a threat. They are 17-8 overall and 9-3 in conference. The Tigers find themselves in second place in the BW, a place nobody thought they would be in back in November. Yet, this no name team is just a half game behind UCSB the the BWC. They are coming off a very impressive thrashing of Long Beach State holding the 49ers to just 52 points while pouring in 74 of their own. Their weakness is their inconsistent offense.
Tomorrow night's contest will be a test of wills. Will the Aggies dominate the Tigers with their talented offensive array, or will the Tigers defend like they have done all season and, in particular, they way they shutdown Long Beach Wednesday night?
Hard to predict. But, I think the home court may be enough to give the Tigers a narrow win.
Tigers by 1?
Boy, is there a lot of history between these two schools!
They have met 37 times before with the Aggies holding a commanding 29-8 advantage. At first blush, you might think the Tigers have been horribly over-matched. But, a look at the record book shows that about twenty of those games were decided by 4 points or less, and ten by 2 points or less. The difference could have been a single turnover, or block, or steal, or couple fo missed free throws.
Most of the matches between them occurred when both were members of the Big West. But like many of the Great Basin are teams like Nevada, Utah State, Boise State, and Idaho, the Aggies fled the Big West for a conference that played football, too.
Hall of Fame Coach Lou Henson walked the sideline in those years. And, what a coach he was.
This year's Aggies started slowly but have come lately to take over second place in the WAC, with a 9 and 3 mark (16-9 overall). They are lead by junior Jahmar Young with a 20.9 scoring average. He is not a one man show as the Aggies have FIVE players averaging double figures: Jonathan Gibson, Troy Gillenwater, Wendell McKines, and Hamidu Rahman, plus Young. They are a potent scoring machine. Their weakness is defense as they give up as many as they score.
Gillenwater was reinstated two weeks ago and he has scored near twenty points in three of his four games. Not surprising, the Aggies have won those three games. Don;t know if the the Aggies can make up the ground between themselves and the other WAC Aggies (Utah State); but, with Gillenwater playing as well as he has been, they have a shot. Even if they don't, they will be extremely dangerous in the WAC Tourney.
Under Bob Thomason, the Tigers are always a threat. They are 17-8 overall and 9-3 in conference. The Tigers find themselves in second place in the BW, a place nobody thought they would be in back in November. Yet, this no name team is just a half game behind UCSB the the BWC. They are coming off a very impressive thrashing of Long Beach State holding the 49ers to just 52 points while pouring in 74 of their own. Their weakness is their inconsistent offense.
Tomorrow night's contest will be a test of wills. Will the Aggies dominate the Tigers with their talented offensive array, or will the Tigers defend like they have done all season and, in particular, they way they shutdown Long Beach Wednesday night?
Hard to predict. But, I think the home court may be enough to give the Tigers a narrow win.
Tigers by 1?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Huskies and the West
DANVILLE, Ca--If you can remember some of things I written in the past, you may have picked up on the fact that I have little regard for the sports writers in the eastern part of this country, certain BCS conferences (Big East, ACC, and Big-10) in particular, and the geographic bias that exists in the writing, ranking, and selection of college sports.
We see it every year in Football. Just ask Boise State, Utah, Fresno State, and TCU. We see it in Basketball. Just ask St. Mary's or Utah State for example. Teams from the West get the short end of the stick! By contrast, mediocre teams from the East get are fawned over and get positive press far more than they deserve.
Let's look at two teams to illustrate my point: St. Mary's is an outstanding 21-5 and in second place in the WCC and have the best big man on the West Coast in Omar Samhan. If you read some of the articles penned by the Easterners or comments made during telecasts, they are an obscure team from an even more obscure conference. According to those eastern types, St. Mary's HAS to win this game, or that game, in order to be considered an at-large team in the NCAA.
For contrast, there is UConn: The Huskies are a mediocre 14-11, and a dismal 4-8 in the Big East. Yet, dispite that kind of record, they are still being considered (by some) a "Bubble Team," or at least NIT bound. Can you imagine a team from west of Rockies being given that kind of consideration...that kind of preferential treatment?
It would never happen.
I guess the final analysis is this: the Eastern Big Time schools have to LOSE their way out of post-season play...teams from the West have to WIN their way in. Winning is always more of a challenge than the alternative. And, losing in the "rigged" publicity/rankings/commentary system that exists, makes it even easier to maintian their edge in recruiting, TV contracts, and prestige.
There is one rule I would like to establish if I were the head of the NCAA: a team must play at .500 ball in their conference to get into the Dance. Would that be too much to expect?
It would help to tear down the barrier that exists between east and west.
###########
If you like play in conference to be close, then you had to love the results in the Big West last night. The four conference games were decided by a collective 8 points. That's right 3, 1, 2, 2. Two went to overtime, with the Fullerton/Northridge game going to triple overtime; the final score was a NBAesque 113-112. The home team won two; the visitors won two. Can't get much closer than that.
Such competitive balance is great for the teams of the individual schools. It keeps teams sharper and more focused, and it spurs local fan interest.
Yet, it is precisely that kind of league balance that hurts the Big West in the eyes of the selection committee and mires the conference in its "One Bid" status. What it takes for the conference to get two bids, is for two teams to clearly break away from the pack, both with superb records...like Pacific and Utah State did a few years ago.
We see it every year in Football. Just ask Boise State, Utah, Fresno State, and TCU. We see it in Basketball. Just ask St. Mary's or Utah State for example. Teams from the West get the short end of the stick! By contrast, mediocre teams from the East get are fawned over and get positive press far more than they deserve.
Let's look at two teams to illustrate my point: St. Mary's is an outstanding 21-5 and in second place in the WCC and have the best big man on the West Coast in Omar Samhan. If you read some of the articles penned by the Easterners or comments made during telecasts, they are an obscure team from an even more obscure conference. According to those eastern types, St. Mary's HAS to win this game, or that game, in order to be considered an at-large team in the NCAA.
For contrast, there is UConn: The Huskies are a mediocre 14-11, and a dismal 4-8 in the Big East. Yet, dispite that kind of record, they are still being considered (by some) a "Bubble Team," or at least NIT bound. Can you imagine a team from west of Rockies being given that kind of consideration...that kind of preferential treatment?
It would never happen.
I guess the final analysis is this: the Eastern Big Time schools have to LOSE their way out of post-season play...teams from the West have to WIN their way in. Winning is always more of a challenge than the alternative. And, losing in the "rigged" publicity/rankings/commentary system that exists, makes it even easier to maintian their edge in recruiting, TV contracts, and prestige.
There is one rule I would like to establish if I were the head of the NCAA: a team must play at .500 ball in their conference to get into the Dance. Would that be too much to expect?
It would help to tear down the barrier that exists between east and west.
###########
If you like play in conference to be close, then you had to love the results in the Big West last night. The four conference games were decided by a collective 8 points. That's right 3, 1, 2, 2. Two went to overtime, with the Fullerton/Northridge game going to triple overtime; the final score was a NBAesque 113-112. The home team won two; the visitors won two. Can't get much closer than that.
Such competitive balance is great for the teams of the individual schools. It keeps teams sharper and more focused, and it spurs local fan interest.
Yet, it is precisely that kind of league balance that hurts the Big West in the eyes of the selection committee and mires the conference in its "One Bid" status. What it takes for the conference to get two bids, is for two teams to clearly break away from the pack, both with superb records...like Pacific and Utah State did a few years ago.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
It Had To Happen
DAVIS, Ca--One of the longest running and lopsided streaks in NCAA history came to an end tonight on the Campus of the UC-Davis. In a series that dates back to 1940-41, the University of Pacific had never lost to the Aggies. But tonight, that changed as UC-Davis upset UOP 62-59.
The series now stands at 1-49. But that meant little to the home town crowd as it stormed the court and celebrated a victory 69 years in the making. Exhilarating and thrilling for the Aggies; disappointing for the Tigers as they fell into a first place tie with UC-Santa Barbara.
This matchup was a contrast in team make-up and style of play. Pacific plays Bob Thomason's system. The Pacific players work well as a team (they know the system works), but they seem to lack confidence in their own individual effort. It is almost like they do not want to make a "mistake" by missing a shot when they know each and every position is critical to the ball-control style of play. Davis does not seem to play as cohesively as a team, yet the players seem to have confidence in their own ability. Tonight, the individual confidence paid off.
Probably the happiest man on the court was Senior Forward Dominic Calegari of the Aggies. He has suffered through 7 of those 49 losses. He set some team goals for this season...one, to play in the NCAA tournament, and two, to beat Pacific.
Congratulation Dominic! Congratulations Aggies!
The series now stands at 1-49. But that meant little to the home town crowd as it stormed the court and celebrated a victory 69 years in the making. Exhilarating and thrilling for the Aggies; disappointing for the Tigers as they fell into a first place tie with UC-Santa Barbara.
This matchup was a contrast in team make-up and style of play. Pacific plays Bob Thomason's system. The Pacific players work well as a team (they know the system works), but they seem to lack confidence in their own individual effort. It is almost like they do not want to make a "mistake" by missing a shot when they know each and every position is critical to the ball-control style of play. Davis does not seem to play as cohesively as a team, yet the players seem to have confidence in their own ability. Tonight, the individual confidence paid off.
Probably the happiest man on the court was Senior Forward Dominic Calegari of the Aggies. He has suffered through 7 of those 49 losses. He set some team goals for this season...one, to play in the NCAA tournament, and two, to beat Pacific.
Congratulation Dominic! Congratulations Aggies!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Log Jams & Separations
ANTIOCH, Ca--One weekend into the second half of conference play and some definition is now visible in those lumps of bread dough called the conference standings.
All of the western conferences remain competitive, but four of them are beginning to shape up into two and three teams races.
The Mountain West is in a furious three way battle between UNLV, New Mexico, and BYU knotted at 7-2, all high quality teams. And, all likely to Dance. The MWC is still the best conference West of the Rockies. Pacific and UCSB have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the Big West with 8-2 and 8-3 marks respectively. Pacific's only two conference losses have been handed to them by the Gauchos. The log jam is for third place with four teams sitting at 5-5.
St. Marys (8-1, 21-3) and Gonzaga (7-1, 19-4) are distancing themselves from the also rans in the WCC. Gonzaga throttled third place Portland, while St. Mary's had two almost routine wins, lead by Omar Samhan's double/doubles. Utah State has climbed to the top of the WAC with an 8-2, 18-6 record. The easily defeated Nevada this weekend to effectively knock the Wolfpack out of the regular season race. Standing in a two way tie for second are New Mexico State and LaTech, both with 7-2 conference marks.
The Pac-10 has a huge log jam for second place. Five teams (USC, Arizona, UCLA, Washington, and Arizona State) are tied with 6-5 records. California rides on top at 7-4. Weber State is 9-2 in theBig Sky, followed closely by Northern Colorado at 8-3.
But right behind them are Montana State and Montana.
With all of that said, here is my latest edition of the West of the Rocky Mountains Top Ten:
1. BYU (22-3, 7-2)
2. UNLV (19-4, 7-2)
3. New Mexico (21-3, 7-2)
4. Gonzaga (19-4, 7-1)
5. St. Mary's (21-3, 8-1)
6. Utah State (18-6, 8-2)
7. Weber State (15-8, 9-2)
8. Louisiana Tech (19-4, 7-2)
9. California (15-8, 7-4)
10. tie: Pacific (15-7, 8-2)
UCSB (13-8, 8-3)
That's "30."
All of the western conferences remain competitive, but four of them are beginning to shape up into two and three teams races.
The Mountain West is in a furious three way battle between UNLV, New Mexico, and BYU knotted at 7-2, all high quality teams. And, all likely to Dance. The MWC is still the best conference West of the Rockies. Pacific and UCSB have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the Big West with 8-2 and 8-3 marks respectively. Pacific's only two conference losses have been handed to them by the Gauchos. The log jam is for third place with four teams sitting at 5-5.
St. Marys (8-1, 21-3) and Gonzaga (7-1, 19-4) are distancing themselves from the also rans in the WCC. Gonzaga throttled third place Portland, while St. Mary's had two almost routine wins, lead by Omar Samhan's double/doubles. Utah State has climbed to the top of the WAC with an 8-2, 18-6 record. The easily defeated Nevada this weekend to effectively knock the Wolfpack out of the regular season race. Standing in a two way tie for second are New Mexico State and LaTech, both with 7-2 conference marks.
The Pac-10 has a huge log jam for second place. Five teams (USC, Arizona, UCLA, Washington, and Arizona State) are tied with 6-5 records. California rides on top at 7-4. Weber State is 9-2 in theBig Sky, followed closely by Northern Colorado at 8-3.
But right behind them are Montana State and Montana.
With all of that said, here is my latest edition of the West of the Rocky Mountains Top Ten:
1. BYU (22-3, 7-2)
2. UNLV (19-4, 7-2)
3. New Mexico (21-3, 7-2)
4. Gonzaga (19-4, 7-1)
5. St. Mary's (21-3, 8-1)
6. Utah State (18-6, 8-2)
7. Weber State (15-8, 9-2)
8. Louisiana Tech (19-4, 7-2)
9. California (15-8, 7-4)
10. tie: Pacific (15-7, 8-2)
UCSB (13-8, 8-3)
That's "30."
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Bracket Projection for the West of the Rocky Mountains
WALNUT CREEK, Ca--Late last night I clicked on to Jerry Palm's College RPI website to take a look at his conference and team rpi's. His numbers are always reliable and updated daily. I peruse the numbers three or four times a week. Jerry publishes his own "bracket," which is as accurate as anyone elses, and it is always fun to see who he might, or might not, include.
Since Jerry's site is a "pay-to-view," I thought I would share how he placed teams from the six western conferences in his bracket:
Mountain West: BYU, 6; New Mexico, 5; UNLV, 7.
Big West: Pacific, 13.
WCC: Gonzaga, 4; St. Mary's, 12.
WAC: Utah State, 12.
Big Sky: Weber State, 12.
Pac-10: California, 12.
Jerry's is the second, or third, bracket I've seen that gives the Pac-10 just one bid to the Dance. It is hard for me to believe that they will not get at least one at-large. The BCS bunch sticks together and they will not shoutout a brother conference, no matter how bad the at-large team is. It'll depend on the outcome of the conference tourney. Likely candidate: Arizona.
I believe, Jerry gave all the 12 seeds to the west: Cal, Weber State, St. Mary's and Utah State.
Hard to quarrel with Jerry's picks. The teams he chose are doing the best in their respective conferences.
Have a good day!
Since Jerry's site is a "pay-to-view," I thought I would share how he placed teams from the six western conferences in his bracket:
Mountain West: BYU, 6; New Mexico, 5; UNLV, 7.
Big West: Pacific, 13.
WCC: Gonzaga, 4; St. Mary's, 12.
WAC: Utah State, 12.
Big Sky: Weber State, 12.
Pac-10: California, 12.
Jerry's is the second, or third, bracket I've seen that gives the Pac-10 just one bid to the Dance. It is hard for me to believe that they will not get at least one at-large. The BCS bunch sticks together and they will not shoutout a brother conference, no matter how bad the at-large team is. It'll depend on the outcome of the conference tourney. Likely candidate: Arizona.
I believe, Jerry gave all the 12 seeds to the west: Cal, Weber State, St. Mary's and Utah State.
Hard to quarrel with Jerry's picks. The teams he chose are doing the best in their respective conferences.
Have a good day!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Midterm Report
DANVILLE, Ca--Definitely! It is appropriate! In fact, it is almost manditory!
What, you say?
It is appropirate and manditory that, at the midway point in the conference races, I take a look at the current standings and compare them to the predictions I made six weeks ago. This isn't easy. It's kind of like going to Confession. I need to look at the past carefully and report to you honestly.
So, with that preamble, I start:
In the Big Sky Northern Colorado and Montana were my picks. Right now, these two are in second and third, respectively. The conference leader isWeber State is 8-1, and is in the process of duplicating last season's feat, when they won the conference with a 15-1 mark. But, as you know, they lost the BS tourney on thier home court and Portland State got the NCAA bid. Randy Rahe is making sure his troops remember that. Grade: C-.
I picked the Rebels of UNLV to nose out BYU in the Mountain West. My reasoning was UNLV played better road defense. They have played well on the road losing just once and losing once at home. They are 5-2, and in third. The road loss was to...BYU, of course. The Cougars are atop the conference with a 6-1 mark, a half game ahead of the Lobos of New Mexico (6-2). Grade: B.
In the Pac-10, Cal and USC were tabbed. The pick of USC was about a week before Athletic Director Mike Garrett ruined his team's season by his self-imposed sanctions.
I deserve a pass on that one. But, Cal has not disappointed. They are currently tied for first with surprising Arizona. Both are 6-3, with Arizona State a game back at 5-4. The Pac-10 is up for grabs. Even the 10-11 Bruins are in the hunt. Would you believe the Pac-10 could be a one-bid conference this year? I doubt that, but that's what some of the Eastern scribes are speculating. Grade: B-.
Pacific (7-1) is zipping right along with a two game lead in the Big West, as predicted. Long Beach is struggling at 4-4, three games back, which I didn't predict. Instead of it being a two way battle between the afore-mentioned, UCSB is in second place with a 6-3 conference reord. The Gauchos have beaten the Tigers in Santa Barbara; the return match is this coming Thursday in Stockton. Grade: C+.
The West Coast Conference is becoming a little boring. Gonzaga is always at the top; right now they are sharing the top spot with St. Mary's, with 6-1 marks. And, yes, I picked them both. Portland is right behind at 5-2, and the Pilots and Gaels have showdowns in Spokane coming up. They have a shot at the Bulldogs, but they have to be a the very top of their game. Grade: A.
My picks for the WAC were Louisiana Tech and Utah State. Tech (6-2) has been there from the start; but, it has taken some time for Utah State Aggies (6-2) to climb into a tie for the conference. To make it even more interesting, New Mexico State (the other Aggies) is at 6-2, too. A very good Nevada team is 5-3. Grade: A.
Overall grade: 3.0. Hey, not too bad.
So, should I predict the ultimate regular season conference winners? Ok, I'll give it a shot. Because of Montgomery, I pick Cal. Because of Thomason, Pacific. Morrill, Utah State. BYU. Weber State. Gonzaga.
What, you say?
It is appropirate and manditory that, at the midway point in the conference races, I take a look at the current standings and compare them to the predictions I made six weeks ago. This isn't easy. It's kind of like going to Confession. I need to look at the past carefully and report to you honestly.
So, with that preamble, I start:
In the Big Sky Northern Colorado and Montana were my picks. Right now, these two are in second and third, respectively. The conference leader isWeber State is 8-1, and is in the process of duplicating last season's feat, when they won the conference with a 15-1 mark. But, as you know, they lost the BS tourney on thier home court and Portland State got the NCAA bid. Randy Rahe is making sure his troops remember that. Grade: C-.
I picked the Rebels of UNLV to nose out BYU in the Mountain West. My reasoning was UNLV played better road defense. They have played well on the road losing just once and losing once at home. They are 5-2, and in third. The road loss was to...BYU, of course. The Cougars are atop the conference with a 6-1 mark, a half game ahead of the Lobos of New Mexico (6-2). Grade: B.
In the Pac-10, Cal and USC were tabbed. The pick of USC was about a week before Athletic Director Mike Garrett ruined his team's season by his self-imposed sanctions.
I deserve a pass on that one. But, Cal has not disappointed. They are currently tied for first with surprising Arizona. Both are 6-3, with Arizona State a game back at 5-4. The Pac-10 is up for grabs. Even the 10-11 Bruins are in the hunt. Would you believe the Pac-10 could be a one-bid conference this year? I doubt that, but that's what some of the Eastern scribes are speculating. Grade: B-.
Pacific (7-1) is zipping right along with a two game lead in the Big West, as predicted. Long Beach is struggling at 4-4, three games back, which I didn't predict. Instead of it being a two way battle between the afore-mentioned, UCSB is in second place with a 6-3 conference reord. The Gauchos have beaten the Tigers in Santa Barbara; the return match is this coming Thursday in Stockton. Grade: C+.
The West Coast Conference is becoming a little boring. Gonzaga is always at the top; right now they are sharing the top spot with St. Mary's, with 6-1 marks. And, yes, I picked them both. Portland is right behind at 5-2, and the Pilots and Gaels have showdowns in Spokane coming up. They have a shot at the Bulldogs, but they have to be a the very top of their game. Grade: A.
My picks for the WAC were Louisiana Tech and Utah State. Tech (6-2) has been there from the start; but, it has taken some time for Utah State Aggies (6-2) to climb into a tie for the conference. To make it even more interesting, New Mexico State (the other Aggies) is at 6-2, too. A very good Nevada team is 5-3. Grade: A.
Overall grade: 3.0. Hey, not too bad.
So, should I predict the ultimate regular season conference winners? Ok, I'll give it a shot. Because of Montgomery, I pick Cal. Because of Thomason, Pacific. Morrill, Utah State. BYU. Weber State. Gonzaga.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Big Times for Big Men
WALNUT CREEK, Ca--Over the course of the past few days, a number of BMOC (Big Men on Court) have put up some big numbers to help their teams to some big victories. They have dominated the middle, shot from the outside, and played exceptional defense.
Let's take a look at five of them:
One of the big performances came from Dior Lowhorn, the power forward/center for the University of San Francisco Dons, Saturday night when USF hosted conference leading and nationally ranked Gonzaga. Coming off a 12 point/9 rebound performance in a loss to Portland on Thursday, Dior smoked the Bulldogs from outside hitting 5 of 7, 3-pointers on his way to a 22 point/9 rebound night. Gonzaga had no answer for his hot hand and ended up losing in an overtime thriller.
Speaking of outside shooting...Pacific got a big time performance from Sam Willard. He's been mired in a shooting slump, but Saturday night at UC-Riverside, he went 8 for 10 including 2-2 from beyond the 3-point arc. His 20 points/7 rebounds lead the Tigers to a convincing 72-57 win, and solidified their hold on first place in the Big West.
Hamidu Rahman of New Mexico State has been selected the WAC Player of the Week. Deservedly so. The sophomore center went to LaTech's home court and dueled Magnum Rolle. Hamidu scored 22 points (on 10 of 15 shooting, 2-2 free throws) and pulled down 12 rebounds, helping the Aggies top the Bulldogs to pull into a three way tie for the WAC lead.
If you missed the California/Arizona game yesterday...shame on you! The Bears and the Wildcats put on quite a show. The 'Cats pulled out a narrow victory in a game that was close the whole way; the lead changed hands multiple times. Derrick Williams won the inside and contributed a double/double with 15points and 11 boards. It was no fluke...on Thursday, he had 23 points and 8 boards against Stanford.
Last, but certainly not least...Quincy Pondexter of Washington had a great weekend scoring 56 points and pulling down 23 rebounds in wins against D-I transitional Seattle University (he held Charles Garcia in check, too), and in-state rival Washington State. This is nothing unusual for the Washington Senior. He is having the best BMOC season on the West Coast.
Let's take a look at five of them:
One of the big performances came from Dior Lowhorn, the power forward/center for the University of San Francisco Dons, Saturday night when USF hosted conference leading and nationally ranked Gonzaga. Coming off a 12 point/9 rebound performance in a loss to Portland on Thursday, Dior smoked the Bulldogs from outside hitting 5 of 7, 3-pointers on his way to a 22 point/9 rebound night. Gonzaga had no answer for his hot hand and ended up losing in an overtime thriller.
Speaking of outside shooting...Pacific got a big time performance from Sam Willard. He's been mired in a shooting slump, but Saturday night at UC-Riverside, he went 8 for 10 including 2-2 from beyond the 3-point arc. His 20 points/7 rebounds lead the Tigers to a convincing 72-57 win, and solidified their hold on first place in the Big West.
Hamidu Rahman of New Mexico State has been selected the WAC Player of the Week. Deservedly so. The sophomore center went to LaTech's home court and dueled Magnum Rolle. Hamidu scored 22 points (on 10 of 15 shooting, 2-2 free throws) and pulled down 12 rebounds, helping the Aggies top the Bulldogs to pull into a three way tie for the WAC lead.
If you missed the California/Arizona game yesterday...shame on you! The Bears and the Wildcats put on quite a show. The 'Cats pulled out a narrow victory in a game that was close the whole way; the lead changed hands multiple times. Derrick Williams won the inside and contributed a double/double with 15points and 11 boards. It was no fluke...on Thursday, he had 23 points and 8 boards against Stanford.
Last, but certainly not least...Quincy Pondexter of Washington had a great weekend scoring 56 points and pulling down 23 rebounds in wins against D-I transitional Seattle University (he held Charles Garcia in check, too), and in-state rival Washington State. This is nothing unusual for the Washington Senior. He is having the best BMOC season on the West Coast.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
My Apologies!
WALNUT CREEK, Ca--I wish to apologize. It has been six days since my last posting to this .com site. While that is a fact, I have not ignored my interest in basketball. In fact, it is just the opposite. I have been exceedingly busy writing two feature articles for CollegeInsider.com. I finished the second Thursdaay morning at 2:00 A.M. The first article was the time consumer as it takes time to transcribe 60 minutes of spoken responses from tape, then edit, and then write an intro, etc., etc. I'm not complaining, just explaining.
The time-consumer was an interview I conducted with Coach Eric Reveno, the head coach of the University of Portland Pilots. It should be posted on the CollegeInsider.com website shortly. Coach Reveno was very open to my questions and spoke freely about playing a Stanford for Tom Davis and Mike Montgomery and their differences, playing professionally in Japan, what he learned about coaching from Mike Montgomery as an assistant, and what he is doing to turn around the Pilots' basketball program. Look for it; I think you will find it interesting.
The second article, the one finished in the wee hours Thursday, is about a superb young man. As you might think, I attend many college games, mostly in the greater Bay Area. I try to get to each Bay Area venue at least once during the season. This year's visit to the South Bay opened by eyes. I went to the San Jose State/LaTech game to see Magnum Rolle and Eric Gibson. What I got was an eyeful of Adrian Oliver of the SJS. He put up a career high 39 points. Did you know he received over 100 offers his senior year at Modesto Christian? Anyway, he is the subject of the second article this week for CI.
So, you at least know, I have been busy thinking and writing college hoops...just not for this site.
There are a couple of games I will be following tonight: Portland at Santa Clara. The Pilots are trying to stay close to Gonzaga and St. Mary's in the WCC race. I would expect them to prevail as they do have better talent and more depth. But it is a road game, and the Pilots lost to SDU a couple of weeks back in San Diego.
The other game is Pacific at Riverside. The Tigers are the surprise leader of the Big West Conference with a 6-1 mark. They go into UCR tonight to try to maintain their half game lead over UCSB. The homestanding Highlanders are struggling, and find themselves at the bottom of the conference standings. Yet, they are a dangerous team. The Tigers are favored, but by a narrow 3 points. Wooldridge is a smart and heady coach; Thomason usually has the answers.
See you soon. I promise to be attentive.
The time-consumer was an interview I conducted with Coach Eric Reveno, the head coach of the University of Portland Pilots. It should be posted on the CollegeInsider.com website shortly. Coach Reveno was very open to my questions and spoke freely about playing a Stanford for Tom Davis and Mike Montgomery and their differences, playing professionally in Japan, what he learned about coaching from Mike Montgomery as an assistant, and what he is doing to turn around the Pilots' basketball program. Look for it; I think you will find it interesting.
The second article, the one finished in the wee hours Thursday, is about a superb young man. As you might think, I attend many college games, mostly in the greater Bay Area. I try to get to each Bay Area venue at least once during the season. This year's visit to the South Bay opened by eyes. I went to the San Jose State/LaTech game to see Magnum Rolle and Eric Gibson. What I got was an eyeful of Adrian Oliver of the SJS. He put up a career high 39 points. Did you know he received over 100 offers his senior year at Modesto Christian? Anyway, he is the subject of the second article this week for CI.
So, you at least know, I have been busy thinking and writing college hoops...just not for this site.
There are a couple of games I will be following tonight: Portland at Santa Clara. The Pilots are trying to stay close to Gonzaga and St. Mary's in the WCC race. I would expect them to prevail as they do have better talent and more depth. But it is a road game, and the Pilots lost to SDU a couple of weeks back in San Diego.
The other game is Pacific at Riverside. The Tigers are the surprise leader of the Big West Conference with a 6-1 mark. They go into UCR tonight to try to maintain their half game lead over UCSB. The homestanding Highlanders are struggling, and find themselves at the bottom of the conference standings. Yet, they are a dangerous team. The Tigers are favored, but by a narrow 3 points. Wooldridge is a smart and heady coach; Thomason usually has the answers.
See you soon. I promise to be attentive.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
WOTRM Top 10
DANVILLE, Ca--I thought I'd post this edition of the "West of the Rocky Mountain Top-10" in a little differnt way. The ten teams will still be listed as usual, but in addition there'll be a brief description of the team's accomplishments that warrants their lofty position. Got it?
OK, here goes:
1. BYU. (20-1; 5-0) The Cougars seem to have it all going for them...good scoring and leadership from Fredette. Strong rebounding and solid defense. They have already beaten each of their strongest rivals for the conference crown.
2. Gonzaga. (16-3; 5-0) Speaking of beating key rivals, that is just what the Gonzags did in the first week of conference play. They beat Portland by three, and St. Mary's by six, then polished off San Diego, Pepperdine, and LMU since then. Matt Boulding and Elias Harris are the real deal.
3. St. Mary's. (17-3; 4-1) It is too bad that Bay Area rivals don't play each other every year because it would be great to see Cal and St. Mary's square off. The Gaels have Omar Samhan, and a wealth of talent behind him in Aussies Matthew Dellavedova, Ben Allen, and Clint Steindl. "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!"
4. California. (13-6; 5-2) Because of Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher, Cal is going to be a contender for the Pac-10. Right now, they are the conference leader with no less than five teams one game back with 4-3 marks. This weekend they took care of business against the Oregon schools.
5. New Mexico. (18-3; 4-2) The Lobos have dropped two conference games and some (those myopic Easterners) think the Lobos are slipping. Not so! After two losses to open conference play, they have ripped off 4 straight and are right behind BYU. The team's strength is in its forwards lead by Darington Hobson.
6. UNLV. (16-4; 4-2) Tied with the Lobos for second place in the rugged Mountain West are the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. The Rebs knocked off two solid MW teams this last week...Colorado State and Texas Christian.
7. Arizona State. (14-6; 4-3). The Sun Devils is one of those five Pac-10 schools tied for second at 4-3. But the Devils are probably the best of those five. They own the Northwest having beaten all four of those Pac-10 schools.
8. Louisiana Tech. (18-3; 6-1). When a team goes on a five time zone, two game, road trip and earns a split it has done a remarkable job. The Bulldogs lost Thursday night to a hot shooting San Jose State team, then flew 3,000 more miles to defeat Hawaii on Saturday. Adding to the lustre of the team is Magnum Rolle and Kyle Gibson, both of whom are getting plenty of NBA scout notices.
9. Pacific. (12-6; 5-1). It is hard to talk about the Tigers without mentioning their head coach, Bob Thomason. The head man has got the Tigers playing at a very high level, and would be undefeated in league play if it weren't for some very questionable officiating at the end of the UCSB game. Demetrece Young seems to have been the solution to the point guard deficencies, plus they are getting consistent and productive play from Terrell Smith and Michael Nunnally. Thomason's system works.
10. Northern Colorado. (17-4; 6-2). Even though the Greeley team is second to Weber State in the Big Sky, the WOTRM pollsters rank the Bears slightly ahead of the Wildcats. Will Figures and Devon Bietzel continue to play superb ball and the team took out Sacramento State and Eastern Washington. Will the Bears be able to overcome the Wildcats? There'll be a showdown February 13 in Ogden.
The next two: Utah State and Weber State.
OK, here goes:
1. BYU. (20-1; 5-0) The Cougars seem to have it all going for them...good scoring and leadership from Fredette. Strong rebounding and solid defense. They have already beaten each of their strongest rivals for the conference crown.
2. Gonzaga. (16-3; 5-0) Speaking of beating key rivals, that is just what the Gonzags did in the first week of conference play. They beat Portland by three, and St. Mary's by six, then polished off San Diego, Pepperdine, and LMU since then. Matt Boulding and Elias Harris are the real deal.
3. St. Mary's. (17-3; 4-1) It is too bad that Bay Area rivals don't play each other every year because it would be great to see Cal and St. Mary's square off. The Gaels have Omar Samhan, and a wealth of talent behind him in Aussies Matthew Dellavedova, Ben Allen, and Clint Steindl. "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!"
4. California. (13-6; 5-2) Because of Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher, Cal is going to be a contender for the Pac-10. Right now, they are the conference leader with no less than five teams one game back with 4-3 marks. This weekend they took care of business against the Oregon schools.
5. New Mexico. (18-3; 4-2) The Lobos have dropped two conference games and some (those myopic Easterners) think the Lobos are slipping. Not so! After two losses to open conference play, they have ripped off 4 straight and are right behind BYU. The team's strength is in its forwards lead by Darington Hobson.
6. UNLV. (16-4; 4-2) Tied with the Lobos for second place in the rugged Mountain West are the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. The Rebs knocked off two solid MW teams this last week...Colorado State and Texas Christian.
7. Arizona State. (14-6; 4-3). The Sun Devils is one of those five Pac-10 schools tied for second at 4-3. But the Devils are probably the best of those five. They own the Northwest having beaten all four of those Pac-10 schools.
8. Louisiana Tech. (18-3; 6-1). When a team goes on a five time zone, two game, road trip and earns a split it has done a remarkable job. The Bulldogs lost Thursday night to a hot shooting San Jose State team, then flew 3,000 more miles to defeat Hawaii on Saturday. Adding to the lustre of the team is Magnum Rolle and Kyle Gibson, both of whom are getting plenty of NBA scout notices.
9. Pacific. (12-6; 5-1). It is hard to talk about the Tigers without mentioning their head coach, Bob Thomason. The head man has got the Tigers playing at a very high level, and would be undefeated in league play if it weren't for some very questionable officiating at the end of the UCSB game. Demetrece Young seems to have been the solution to the point guard deficencies, plus they are getting consistent and productive play from Terrell Smith and Michael Nunnally. Thomason's system works.
10. Northern Colorado. (17-4; 6-2). Even though the Greeley team is second to Weber State in the Big Sky, the WOTRM pollsters rank the Bears slightly ahead of the Wildcats. Will Figures and Devon Bietzel continue to play superb ball and the team took out Sacramento State and Eastern Washington. Will the Bears be able to overcome the Wildcats? There'll be a showdown February 13 in Ogden.
The next two: Utah State and Weber State.
Conference Whodathunkits!
Danville, Ca--It's what makes college basketball such a wonderful fan sports...the surprise team that somehow rights its ship and emerges as a contender for their conference title.
Take Stanford, for instance. Coach Johnny Dawkins has certainly had his struggles in his season and a half at the helm of the Cardinal. Last year, the Cardinal started by winning their first nine games under the rookie coach, then fell flat in Pac-10 conference play. This season, Stanford got off to a 6-6 non conference mark, and were not picked to finish higher than 8th in the race. Well, guess what? The Cardinal is currently tied for second with two others with 4-3 records.
It seems like the Big Sky Conference is just filled with surprises. Weber State seems to do well in conference every year, so that's not a surprise anymore. Northern Colorado let the rest of the league know it wasn't going to be an "also ran" with its superb non-conference performances. But, the Big Surprise in the Big Sky just has to be Montana State. The Bobcats were just 5 and 6 in non-conference play, but are 6-2 in confernce. Head Coach Brad Huse has his Bobcats in a cat fight with the 7-1 Wildcats of Weber State.
While LaTech has current control of the WAC and are 7-1 league play, their lone loss came at the hands of the San Jose State Spartans. SJSU was just 6-10 last year in the WAC. So far this year, they are 4-3 in conference and 11-8 overalland tied with Nevada for third. The primary reason for their season-to-season turnaround is the absolutely superb play of two-guard Adrian Oliver. Oliver leads the league in scoring and has the NBA scouts shaking their heads, like they did Thursday night when he scored 39 points in every conceivable manner. The Spartans are deep with Chris Oakes averaging a double-double, Mac Peterson and Robert Owens scoring better than 9.3 each, and CJ Webster and Justin Graham 10.5. The confernce tourney should be worth going to.
The absolute biggest surprise on the coast is the play of Cal-Poly. Last season, the Mustangs were a miserable 7-21 overall, and just 3-13 in conference play. They were picked to finish last by the coaches and scribes this year, and their pre-conference 3-8 record made the prognasticators look like geniuses. However, Poly HAS TURNED IT AROUND. They are currently sitting in second with a 5-2 confernce mark, just a half game behind Pacific (5-1). They own impressive road wins over Irvine and Long Beach State. If they continue to improve, Joe Callero should be a shoe-in for BWC Coach of the Year.
Take Stanford, for instance. Coach Johnny Dawkins has certainly had his struggles in his season and a half at the helm of the Cardinal. Last year, the Cardinal started by winning their first nine games under the rookie coach, then fell flat in Pac-10 conference play. This season, Stanford got off to a 6-6 non conference mark, and were not picked to finish higher than 8th in the race. Well, guess what? The Cardinal is currently tied for second with two others with 4-3 records.
It seems like the Big Sky Conference is just filled with surprises. Weber State seems to do well in conference every year, so that's not a surprise anymore. Northern Colorado let the rest of the league know it wasn't going to be an "also ran" with its superb non-conference performances. But, the Big Surprise in the Big Sky just has to be Montana State. The Bobcats were just 5 and 6 in non-conference play, but are 6-2 in confernce. Head Coach Brad Huse has his Bobcats in a cat fight with the 7-1 Wildcats of Weber State.
While LaTech has current control of the WAC and are 7-1 league play, their lone loss came at the hands of the San Jose State Spartans. SJSU was just 6-10 last year in the WAC. So far this year, they are 4-3 in conference and 11-8 overalland tied with Nevada for third. The primary reason for their season-to-season turnaround is the absolutely superb play of two-guard Adrian Oliver. Oliver leads the league in scoring and has the NBA scouts shaking their heads, like they did Thursday night when he scored 39 points in every conceivable manner. The Spartans are deep with Chris Oakes averaging a double-double, Mac Peterson and Robert Owens scoring better than 9.3 each, and CJ Webster and Justin Graham 10.5. The confernce tourney should be worth going to.
The absolute biggest surprise on the coast is the play of Cal-Poly. Last season, the Mustangs were a miserable 7-21 overall, and just 3-13 in conference play. They were picked to finish last by the coaches and scribes this year, and their pre-conference 3-8 record made the prognasticators look like geniuses. However, Poly HAS TURNED IT AROUND. They are currently sitting in second with a 5-2 confernce mark, just a half game behind Pacific (5-1). They own impressive road wins over Irvine and Long Beach State. If they continue to improve, Joe Callero should be a shoe-in for BWC Coach of the Year.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Super Sophs
DANVILLE, Ca--It seems like each of the six western conferences I monitor has at least one "Super Sophomore." And four of them have a set worth mentioning. These players have shed any thoughts of a "sophomore jinx," and have taken up leadership positions on their teams. In pulling the information together for this article, I noticed that all of them are playing at least 29 minutes per game. Making them not just starters, but major contributors to their teams. Four or five of these players are well known; the rest are not so well-known unless you are a devotee of college hoops.
The "Super Soph" of them all is Luke Babbitt of Nevada Reno. The big, hometown kid (he's just 20) has put up some very impressive numbers so far. He leads the WAC in ppg (21.1), is second in rebounding at 9.8. He's shooting 52.6 from the field and over 90% from the charity stripe. It's not just his numbers that are impressive, Luke is playing almost 36 minutes per game.
The other WAC "Super Soph" is Paul George of Fresno State. For his Bulldogs, George is averaging 17.7ppg, 7.7rbpg, on 47% shoot and 88% from the line. Like rival Babbitt, Paul plays alot of minutes...33.9. Paul George is keeping FSU respectable.
The Big Sky's "SS" is Damian Lillard. I wonder how many California schools passed on this Oakland, Ca, native? I wonder how many would like to have him right now (Pacific, maybe?)? Damian is averaging 19.4ppg for the Wildcats, mostly from long range and he's pulling down 4 rbpg in his 34.7 minutes per game. Those are ironman minutes for a guard. And, his play is the major reason why Weber State is atop the Big Sky conference.
There are three Big West sophomres having very good seasons. Orlando Johnson of UCSB, Eric Wise of UC-Irvine, and TJ Robinson of Long Beach State. They all average about 16 points per game and all three are solid rebounders, with Robinson averaging a double-double by pulling down 10.1 boards. All three of these "Super Sophs" is a vital member of their respective team. Yet, Eric Wise just might be a little more important to the Anteaters because UCSB and Long Beach have better supporting casts than does Irvine. Wise's shoulders need to be a little bit wider.
Just about everyone thought guard Isaiah Thomas of Washington would have a very good sophomore season. And, he is. He's averaging 18.2ppg and playing 30.9 minutes per game at the point. Klay Thompson of Washington State is doing even better for the surprising Cougars. He leads the Pac-10 in scoring at 22.9ppg, playing solid defense, getting 5.1 rebounds per game, and playing 35 minutes per game. Here's a name you probably have not heard of...Jeremy Green of Stanford. Playing guard opposite Landry Fields, this "SS" is scoring 17.4 point per game and just keeps getting better. Coach Dawkins has him on the floor for 33 mpg.
Ever heard of Keion Bell or Drew Viney? Bell, who is a guard for the Pepperdine Waves is near the top of the scoring leaders in the WCC. Keion gets most of his points from long range, 19.2 ppg worth, shooting at a 43.8 fg%. He's quick enough to the ball to average 5.1 rbpg, too. LMU has Oregon transferee Drew Viney playing forward for them. All he's doing in his first year with the Lions is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.2 rbpg, and converting 84% of his FTs.
There's one more out West we need to mention...Afam Muojeke, an unususal name for a cowboy. That is, unless it is a Univeristy of Wyoming Cowboy. Afam is scoring at a 16.8 clip, grabbing 4 rebounds per game, sinking 83.5% of his free throws, all in 28 minutes per game.
There you have 'em! They are the best of the sophomores.
The "Super Soph" of them all is Luke Babbitt of Nevada Reno. The big, hometown kid (he's just 20) has put up some very impressive numbers so far. He leads the WAC in ppg (21.1), is second in rebounding at 9.8. He's shooting 52.6 from the field and over 90% from the charity stripe. It's not just his numbers that are impressive, Luke is playing almost 36 minutes per game.
The other WAC "Super Soph" is Paul George of Fresno State. For his Bulldogs, George is averaging 17.7ppg, 7.7rbpg, on 47% shoot and 88% from the line. Like rival Babbitt, Paul plays alot of minutes...33.9. Paul George is keeping FSU respectable.
The Big Sky's "SS" is Damian Lillard. I wonder how many California schools passed on this Oakland, Ca, native? I wonder how many would like to have him right now (Pacific, maybe?)? Damian is averaging 19.4ppg for the Wildcats, mostly from long range and he's pulling down 4 rbpg in his 34.7 minutes per game. Those are ironman minutes for a guard. And, his play is the major reason why Weber State is atop the Big Sky conference.
There are three Big West sophomres having very good seasons. Orlando Johnson of UCSB, Eric Wise of UC-Irvine, and TJ Robinson of Long Beach State. They all average about 16 points per game and all three are solid rebounders, with Robinson averaging a double-double by pulling down 10.1 boards. All three of these "Super Sophs" is a vital member of their respective team. Yet, Eric Wise just might be a little more important to the Anteaters because UCSB and Long Beach have better supporting casts than does Irvine. Wise's shoulders need to be a little bit wider.
Just about everyone thought guard Isaiah Thomas of Washington would have a very good sophomore season. And, he is. He's averaging 18.2ppg and playing 30.9 minutes per game at the point. Klay Thompson of Washington State is doing even better for the surprising Cougars. He leads the Pac-10 in scoring at 22.9ppg, playing solid defense, getting 5.1 rebounds per game, and playing 35 minutes per game. Here's a name you probably have not heard of...Jeremy Green of Stanford. Playing guard opposite Landry Fields, this "SS" is scoring 17.4 point per game and just keeps getting better. Coach Dawkins has him on the floor for 33 mpg.
Ever heard of Keion Bell or Drew Viney? Bell, who is a guard for the Pepperdine Waves is near the top of the scoring leaders in the WCC. Keion gets most of his points from long range, 19.2 ppg worth, shooting at a 43.8 fg%. He's quick enough to the ball to average 5.1 rbpg, too. LMU has Oregon transferee Drew Viney playing forward for them. All he's doing in his first year with the Lions is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.2 rbpg, and converting 84% of his FTs.
There's one more out West we need to mention...Afam Muojeke, an unususal name for a cowboy. That is, unless it is a Univeristy of Wyoming Cowboy. Afam is scoring at a 16.8 clip, grabbing 4 rebounds per game, sinking 83.5% of his free throws, all in 28 minutes per game.
There you have 'em! They are the best of the sophomores.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What's Up in the Sky?
DANVILLE, Ca--The Big Sky Conference is a conference typical of so many in the world of college basketball. Just about any of four or five teams seem to have the talent and coaching to win the regular season title. The conference is so close that one weekend's results can completely shuffle the deck. And, non-conference records can be almost meaningless. Right now, 6 teams are in striking distance.
Case in point: a year ago, Weber State had a 6-7 record going into conference play. Then, the Wildcats went on a 15-1 rip to win the regular season Big Sky title. Well guess what? It just might be "deja vous all over again."
This year, the Weber Cats were 6-6 in non-conference play, but they find themselves atop the conference at 4-1. Randy Rahe has himself another deep team with 8 players averaging double-digit minutes, three solid rebounders, and good scoring and rebounding off the bench. Primarily, the bulk of the scoring is coming from a trio of players averaging double-digits: Damian Lillard (18.9), Kyle Bullinger (10.5), and Steve Panos (10.3). The hallmark of the team is "team unity." They are not a flashy bunch and they only showup in one league-leader stat (1st in rebounding). They play together, and they win more than they lose.
Tad Boyle has his Northern Colorado team breathing rare air. Already, the 15-4 Bears
have won more games in a single season than in any season in their 6 years in Div-1. Make no mistake about it, the Bears are legit. They have solid non-conference wins against TCU, Hawai'i, San Jose State, Colorado State, and a narrow one-point loss to Oklahoma. A key to this team's success is its depth. Nine players are averaging at least 14 mpg. The on-court leader is Will Figures who averages 15.9 ppg and 31.2 minutes. Devon Beitzel contributes 15.0 ppg. A couple of bookend forwards, Mike Proctor and Taylor Montgomery, do the heavy duting rebounding. The Bears are 4-2 in conference play, losing last night to the Vikings. It's that kind of year in the Sky.
A Big Sky team that does get written about it is the Montana State Bobcats. They sit at 4-2 in the BSC standings and two of those wins are against Northern Colorado and Portland State. In addition, they have a win against UCSB, one of the better teams in the Big West. Bobby Howard leads the team in scoring (13.9ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.2 rbpg). Brandon Johnson leads in robounding (6.1) and scores 10 ppg.
Erik Rush scores 12.6 ppg and pulls down 4.4 boards, and Marquis Navarre averages 11.5 ppg.
But right behind these three current conference leaders are Portland State at 3-2, and Montana 4-3. Eastern Washington (2-3) hosts Northern Colorado tonight. An Eagles win thrusts them into the race, too. Right now, though, it looks like a 5 team race, with a slight edge in favor of Northern Colorado and Weber State. The determining factor will probably be which team can play best on the road.
Case in point: a year ago, Weber State had a 6-7 record going into conference play. Then, the Wildcats went on a 15-1 rip to win the regular season Big Sky title. Well guess what? It just might be "deja vous all over again."
This year, the Weber Cats were 6-6 in non-conference play, but they find themselves atop the conference at 4-1. Randy Rahe has himself another deep team with 8 players averaging double-digit minutes, three solid rebounders, and good scoring and rebounding off the bench. Primarily, the bulk of the scoring is coming from a trio of players averaging double-digits: Damian Lillard (18.9), Kyle Bullinger (10.5), and Steve Panos (10.3). The hallmark of the team is "team unity." They are not a flashy bunch and they only showup in one league-leader stat (1st in rebounding). They play together, and they win more than they lose.
Tad Boyle has his Northern Colorado team breathing rare air. Already, the 15-4 Bears
have won more games in a single season than in any season in their 6 years in Div-1. Make no mistake about it, the Bears are legit. They have solid non-conference wins against TCU, Hawai'i, San Jose State, Colorado State, and a narrow one-point loss to Oklahoma. A key to this team's success is its depth. Nine players are averaging at least 14 mpg. The on-court leader is Will Figures who averages 15.9 ppg and 31.2 minutes. Devon Beitzel contributes 15.0 ppg. A couple of bookend forwards, Mike Proctor and Taylor Montgomery, do the heavy duting rebounding. The Bears are 4-2 in conference play, losing last night to the Vikings. It's that kind of year in the Sky.
A Big Sky team that does get written about it is the Montana State Bobcats. They sit at 4-2 in the BSC standings and two of those wins are against Northern Colorado and Portland State. In addition, they have a win against UCSB, one of the better teams in the Big West. Bobby Howard leads the team in scoring (13.9ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.2 rbpg). Brandon Johnson leads in robounding (6.1) and scores 10 ppg.
Erik Rush scores 12.6 ppg and pulls down 4.4 boards, and Marquis Navarre averages 11.5 ppg.
But right behind these three current conference leaders are Portland State at 3-2, and Montana 4-3. Eastern Washington (2-3) hosts Northern Colorado tonight. An Eagles win thrusts them into the race, too. Right now, though, it looks like a 5 team race, with a slight edge in favor of Northern Colorado and Weber State. The determining factor will probably be which team can play best on the road.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Three teams try to take charge
DANVILLE, Ca--Three western teams took steps toward taking charge of their respective conference races Thursday night...California, Gonzaga, and Louisiana Tech.
Cal, behind the 39 points of Jerome Randle (7 treys) defeated Washington State in Pullman, 93-88. Supported nicely by Patrick Christopher (21), Theo Robertson (13), and Jamal Boykin (16), the Bears shot 51.6% overall and a blistering 55% from beyond the arc. The Bears played just enough defense to limit WSU's Klay Thompson, the Pac-10's leading scorer to 5 points under his average...the margin of victory.
The win keeps the Bears atop the Pac-10 conference with a 4-1 mark, the only one loss team in the conference. Saturday, they play the Washington Huskies. If they can come away with a triumph, the Bears will complete the weekend with a early hold on the conference regular season crown.
Gonzaga continues to be the best of the WCC. Earlier this week they narrowly defeated Portland 81-78 in Portland. Last night in Moraga, they eeked out a hard fought win over St. Mary's 89-82. Elias Harris scored 31 points mostly on sensational drives and everybodies NBA draft choice Matt Bouldin added 22. Omar Samhan lead SMC with 31 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Matthew Dellavedova had 23 (4-4 threes), but it just wasn't enough.
Both Portland and St. Mary's found out that as talented as their teams are, Gonzaga has a little bit more talent.
Ruston, LA seems like a strange place to have a member of the WAC. Yet Louisiana Tech Bulldogs trumped the Fresno State Bulldogs at home last night (81-73) to go to 5-0 in conference and a gaudy 17-2 overall. Kyle Gibson lead all scorers with 32 points, Jamel Guyton added 17, and Magnum Rolle a 16/13 double to lead the "Tech-ers."
LA-Tech is a deep team, with a big inside presence.
Nevada and Utah State will have a steep hill to climb as LA-Tech is the only undefeated team in the conference.
I know, it's early yet, and anything can happen. And it usually does!
Cal, behind the 39 points of Jerome Randle (7 treys) defeated Washington State in Pullman, 93-88. Supported nicely by Patrick Christopher (21), Theo Robertson (13), and Jamal Boykin (16), the Bears shot 51.6% overall and a blistering 55% from beyond the arc. The Bears played just enough defense to limit WSU's Klay Thompson, the Pac-10's leading scorer to 5 points under his average...the margin of victory.
The win keeps the Bears atop the Pac-10 conference with a 4-1 mark, the only one loss team in the conference. Saturday, they play the Washington Huskies. If they can come away with a triumph, the Bears will complete the weekend with a early hold on the conference regular season crown.
Gonzaga continues to be the best of the WCC. Earlier this week they narrowly defeated Portland 81-78 in Portland. Last night in Moraga, they eeked out a hard fought win over St. Mary's 89-82. Elias Harris scored 31 points mostly on sensational drives and everybodies NBA draft choice Matt Bouldin added 22. Omar Samhan lead SMC with 31 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Matthew Dellavedova had 23 (4-4 threes), but it just wasn't enough.
Both Portland and St. Mary's found out that as talented as their teams are, Gonzaga has a little bit more talent.
Ruston, LA seems like a strange place to have a member of the WAC. Yet Louisiana Tech Bulldogs trumped the Fresno State Bulldogs at home last night (81-73) to go to 5-0 in conference and a gaudy 17-2 overall. Kyle Gibson lead all scorers with 32 points, Jamel Guyton added 17, and Magnum Rolle a 16/13 double to lead the "Tech-ers."
LA-Tech is a deep team, with a big inside presence.
Nevada and Utah State will have a steep hill to climb as LA-Tech is the only undefeated team in the conference.
I know, it's early yet, and anything can happen. And it usually does!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
An Associate Head Coach Speaks Out
DANVILLE, CA--I thought you might be interested in this article. Of course, I am prejudice, but I think Omar "The Moraga Marauder" Samhan is first team All-Everything.
Monday, January 11, 2010
WOTRM--Top Ten
DANVILLE, Ca--Finally, home from a long business trip that took me to San Jose, Modesto, and Fresno. Too many miles, too much fog, too many sleepless nights.
Probably not losing as much sleep as some of the college basketball coaches are losing, though. But, that's a topic for another article.
Today we issue the West of the Rocky Mountain Top 10. This edition of the fabled ranking system is again dominated by the Mountain West Conference, but the order of those MWC teams has been shakened, as New Mexico has stumbled coming out of the gate in conference play. Entering for the first time is Arizona State and Northern Colorado.
So, here we go:
1. BYU (16-1)
2. St. Mary's (15-2)
3. UNLV (13-3)
4. Arizona State (12-5)
5. California (10-5)
6. Gonzaga (12-3)
7. Louisiana Tech (15-3)
8. Northern Colorado (15-3)
9. San Diego State (12-4)
10. New Mexico (14-3)
The "Stucker Punch" Award: The first-time-ever recipient of this dubious award goes to USC Athletic Director, Mike Garrett, for giving the Trojans' basketball team a knee in the solar-plexes. He penalized his current coach and players for the sanctioned sins of his previous coach. What could he have been thinking? We can certainly speculate!
Probably not losing as much sleep as some of the college basketball coaches are losing, though. But, that's a topic for another article.
Today we issue the West of the Rocky Mountain Top 10. This edition of the fabled ranking system is again dominated by the Mountain West Conference, but the order of those MWC teams has been shakened, as New Mexico has stumbled coming out of the gate in conference play. Entering for the first time is Arizona State and Northern Colorado.
So, here we go:
1. BYU (16-1)
2. St. Mary's (15-2)
3. UNLV (13-3)
4. Arizona State (12-5)
5. California (10-5)
6. Gonzaga (12-3)
7. Louisiana Tech (15-3)
8. Northern Colorado (15-3)
9. San Diego State (12-4)
10. New Mexico (14-3)
The "Stucker Punch" Award: The first-time-ever recipient of this dubious award goes to USC Athletic Director, Mike Garrett, for giving the Trojans' basketball team a knee in the solar-plexes. He penalized his current coach and players for the sanctioned sins of his previous coach. What could he have been thinking? We can certainly speculate!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Conference Top Dogs
FRESNO, Ca--It's been over a month since I looked at the top players in the western conferences. Sorry about that. So, in looking at the stats, it was surprising to see a couple of new names atop the conference leader boards in scoring and rebounding and assists. Perhaps, the most surprising name emerged in the talented WAC conference that features such individuals as Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson of Nevada, Jahmar Young of New Mexico State, Magnum Rolle of Louisiana Tech, and Paul George of Fresno State. The surprise guy comes from San Jose State. So let's take a look at the Top Dog in the WAC.
Adrian Oliver, SJSU, my WAC player of the month.
Last season, SJSU was just 13-17 overall and 6-10 in conference. So far this season, the Spartans are 8-6 and seem to be improving with every game. Much of this success is due to the stellar play of guard Adrian Oliver. The 6-4, 210 pounds, Junior from Modesto is leading the conference in scoring at 20.7 ppg, and pulling down 6.2 boards. Coach George Nessman will need to have Adrian's scoring output to keep the Spartans competitive, as the team is not deep.
Omar Samhan, St. Mary's, my WCC player of the month.
The "Moraga Marauder" continues to dominate the middle. Maligned for his 310 lb. frame when he arrived at St. Mary's three years ago, the 6-11 Senior from nearby San Ramon, is now an impressive 265...and a model of consistency. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and is the WCC leader in scoring (20.6), rebounding (10.6) and field goal percentage (56.8%). And, he leads the conference in blocks. Is he the differnce maker that will carry SMC over Gonzaga?
Dominic Waters, Portland State, is my Big Sky player of the month.
The Portland State Vikings have a gem in Senior guard Dominic Waters. The Portland native is have an outstanding season. He is second in the conference is scoring at 18.7 ppg (just o.2 behind the leader), handing out 4.8 assists per game. And, his percentages are eye-popping: 91.4% FT, 53.2% FG, and 51.0% from the 3 arc. It is that kind of play that keeps the Vikings alive in the Big Sky race.
Mark Payne, UC-Davis, is my Big West player of the month.
The big "point-forward" for the Aggies has NBA scouts looking at his game with earnest. At 6-8, he presents matchup problems for those assigned to guard him because he is quick enough to take them off the dribble, and tall enough to get easy baskets inside. He leads the BW with 17.2 ppg; hands out 4.5 apg; and pulls down 3.6 boards.
Jimmer Fredette, BYU, is my Mountain West player of the month.
The Cougars are a sensational 16-1. They are currently leading their tough conference (think UNLV, UNM, andc SDSU). The play of the Glens Falls, NY, native is a primary reason for BYU's current success. The 6-2 guard leads the conference in scoring (20.7ppg), and is second in assists (5.3 apg).
Klay Thompson, Washington State, is my Pac-10 player of the month.
Klay Thompson is 6'6", and a mere 187 pounds. You wouldn't think a light weight like that could rebound like he does (5.0 rebounds per game). You don't think of forwards handing out assists like he does (3.5 per). And those stats to his Pac-10 leading 23.9 ppg average and you have the reason the Cougars are 12-3 overall and an early 2-1 in league play.
Adrian Oliver, SJSU, my WAC player of the month.
Last season, SJSU was just 13-17 overall and 6-10 in conference. So far this season, the Spartans are 8-6 and seem to be improving with every game. Much of this success is due to the stellar play of guard Adrian Oliver. The 6-4, 210 pounds, Junior from Modesto is leading the conference in scoring at 20.7 ppg, and pulling down 6.2 boards. Coach George Nessman will need to have Adrian's scoring output to keep the Spartans competitive, as the team is not deep.
Omar Samhan, St. Mary's, my WCC player of the month.
The "Moraga Marauder" continues to dominate the middle. Maligned for his 310 lb. frame when he arrived at St. Mary's three years ago, the 6-11 Senior from nearby San Ramon, is now an impressive 265...and a model of consistency. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and is the WCC leader in scoring (20.6), rebounding (10.6) and field goal percentage (56.8%). And, he leads the conference in blocks. Is he the differnce maker that will carry SMC over Gonzaga?
Dominic Waters, Portland State, is my Big Sky player of the month.
The Portland State Vikings have a gem in Senior guard Dominic Waters. The Portland native is have an outstanding season. He is second in the conference is scoring at 18.7 ppg (just o.2 behind the leader), handing out 4.8 assists per game. And, his percentages are eye-popping: 91.4% FT, 53.2% FG, and 51.0% from the 3 arc. It is that kind of play that keeps the Vikings alive in the Big Sky race.
Mark Payne, UC-Davis, is my Big West player of the month.
The big "point-forward" for the Aggies has NBA scouts looking at his game with earnest. At 6-8, he presents matchup problems for those assigned to guard him because he is quick enough to take them off the dribble, and tall enough to get easy baskets inside. He leads the BW with 17.2 ppg; hands out 4.5 apg; and pulls down 3.6 boards.
Jimmer Fredette, BYU, is my Mountain West player of the month.
The Cougars are a sensational 16-1. They are currently leading their tough conference (think UNLV, UNM, andc SDSU). The play of the Glens Falls, NY, native is a primary reason for BYU's current success. The 6-2 guard leads the conference in scoring (20.7ppg), and is second in assists (5.3 apg).
Klay Thompson, Washington State, is my Pac-10 player of the month.
Klay Thompson is 6'6", and a mere 187 pounds. You wouldn't think a light weight like that could rebound like he does (5.0 rebounds per game). You don't think of forwards handing out assists like he does (3.5 per). And those stats to his Pac-10 leading 23.9 ppg average and you have the reason the Cougars are 12-3 overall and an early 2-1 in league play.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Sweep or Split?
San Jose, CA.--Later today, the Big West Conference schedule resumes with two teams from the south coast hosting the two teams from "up north." Tonight, UCSB hosts UC-Davis, and Cal Poly hosts Pacific. On Sunday, they switch partners and do it again. Not so unusual, it happens all the time. By some scheduling quirk, the games are on Friday and Sunday instead of the more customary Thursday and Saturday Big West practice.
Whether played on Friday/Sunday or Thursday/Saturday, these four games should be an early indicater to see if there is a clear leader in the Big West, or if the regular season will be a war of attrition. You know, the last man standing.
UC-Davis (6-8, 2-0), currently the conference leader, is hosted by UCSB (6-6, 1-1) who is tied fourth place with two other teams. If Davis sweeps its two games, they will clearly take an early advantage before going on a three game road trip featuring Pacific, Riverside and Long Beach. Davis was thought by some to be legitimate contenders for the BWC crown, but their non-conference record was not good. But now, theAggies are playing much better with the return of Ryan Silva and Joe Harden who have been hampered by injuries. Silva scored 12 and 17 points in the conference wins against Fullerton and Northridge.
The Gauchos are a sophomore ladened team lead by Orlando Johnson, James Nunnally, and Will Brew. The team started well enough, but has lost 6 of the last 8 games. Johnson and Nunnally are the leaders in scoring and rebounding but they do not get much support from a team that should, but somehow, doesn't seem to have much depth.
Bob Thomason's Pacifc Tigers (8-5, 1-0) play Joe Callero's Cal-Poly Mustangs (4-8, 1-0). Looking at the records one would think the Tigers would be clear favorites. But that should not be the case. First, the Tigers are not a good shooting team and struggle on offense (last in the BW). Second, the Mustangs always seem to out-hustle the Tigers. Third, Poly is coming off a winning 95 point performance at UC-Irvine. If there's an edge for the Tigers it is at the helm...Callero is the Rookie BWC coach while Thomason is the Dean. Can either of these two teams sustain this modicum of momentum?
On Sunday, of course, the matchups switch with the Tigers going to "Tortillaville," and Aggies moving north to SLO.
It is unlikely any of these teams can sweep their two-game set. Winning on the road in the Big West is not easy, especially with nine teams so similiarly constructed. But if one happens to do so, it will have a big advantage moving into the middle part of the season. The reason: everyone's pre-season favorite, Long Beach, has put its self in an 0-2 hole.
Given the parity displayed so far in the BW, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the conference winner is determined by coin toss.
Whether played on Friday/Sunday or Thursday/Saturday, these four games should be an early indicater to see if there is a clear leader in the Big West, or if the regular season will be a war of attrition. You know, the last man standing.
UC-Davis (6-8, 2-0), currently the conference leader, is hosted by UCSB (6-6, 1-1) who is tied fourth place with two other teams. If Davis sweeps its two games, they will clearly take an early advantage before going on a three game road trip featuring Pacific, Riverside and Long Beach. Davis was thought by some to be legitimate contenders for the BWC crown, but their non-conference record was not good. But now, theAggies are playing much better with the return of Ryan Silva and Joe Harden who have been hampered by injuries. Silva scored 12 and 17 points in the conference wins against Fullerton and Northridge.
The Gauchos are a sophomore ladened team lead by Orlando Johnson, James Nunnally, and Will Brew. The team started well enough, but has lost 6 of the last 8 games. Johnson and Nunnally are the leaders in scoring and rebounding but they do not get much support from a team that should, but somehow, doesn't seem to have much depth.
Bob Thomason's Pacifc Tigers (8-5, 1-0) play Joe Callero's Cal-Poly Mustangs (4-8, 1-0). Looking at the records one would think the Tigers would be clear favorites. But that should not be the case. First, the Tigers are not a good shooting team and struggle on offense (last in the BW). Second, the Mustangs always seem to out-hustle the Tigers. Third, Poly is coming off a winning 95 point performance at UC-Irvine. If there's an edge for the Tigers it is at the helm...Callero is the Rookie BWC coach while Thomason is the Dean. Can either of these two teams sustain this modicum of momentum?
On Sunday, of course, the matchups switch with the Tigers going to "Tortillaville," and Aggies moving north to SLO.
It is unlikely any of these teams can sweep their two-game set. Winning on the road in the Big West is not easy, especially with nine teams so similiarly constructed. But if one happens to do so, it will have a big advantage moving into the middle part of the season. The reason: everyone's pre-season favorite, Long Beach, has put its self in an 0-2 hole.
Given the parity displayed so far in the BW, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the conference winner is determined by coin toss.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Big West Player of the Decade
DANVILLE, Ca--If you watched any college basketball over the course of the last week, or so, it was hard not to hear the announcers discuss all-decade teams. They were doing it for the teams, conferences, regions, and nation..Majors and Mid-Majors. Ditto for many of the college basketball websites. I saw at least four such all-decade Mid-Majors team lists.
It is impossible to include all the worthy players on such lists. Invariably, someone who should have been included is left off. After all, the selections are subjective and tend to be provincial. Generally, there were only two or three western players on All-Decade Mid-Major teams.
There was one name, however, that surprised me by its absence from any of the Mid-Majors all-decade teams. That name was Christian Maraker, the 6'10" Swede for the University of Pacific Tigers. He played for four years at Pacific and was the difference maker during the Tigers' three consecutive year NCAA Tourney run. During those three years the Tigers were a staggering 47-3 in league play. The "Smooth Swede" was the focal point of team. He played forward, mostly, then "center" in his Senior year leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. He garnered BW Player of the Year honors, just for good measure. In the NCAA Tournament versus Boston College he scored 30 points in a double overtime thriller. In this writer's opinion, he is the BWC Player of the Decade.
In keeping with the spirit of all-decadeness, here is my Big West All-Decade team. Undoubtedly, there are some omissions:
Nate Harris, Utah State
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State
Christian Maraker, Pacific
David Doubley, Pacific
Miah Davis, Pacific
Donovan Morris, Long Beach State
Alex Harris, UCSB
Calvin Chitwood, Northridge
Tremaine Townsend, Northridge
Bobby Brown, Fullerton
Jamaal Brown, Fullerton
Josh Akognon, Fullerton
Vince Oliver, UC-Davis
(UC-Davis is included because they played seven years in the BW, four years in their transition years, and three in league).
It is impossible to include all the worthy players on such lists. Invariably, someone who should have been included is left off. After all, the selections are subjective and tend to be provincial. Generally, there were only two or three western players on All-Decade Mid-Major teams.
There was one name, however, that surprised me by its absence from any of the Mid-Majors all-decade teams. That name was Christian Maraker, the 6'10" Swede for the University of Pacific Tigers. He played for four years at Pacific and was the difference maker during the Tigers' three consecutive year NCAA Tourney run. During those three years the Tigers were a staggering 47-3 in league play. The "Smooth Swede" was the focal point of team. He played forward, mostly, then "center" in his Senior year leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. He garnered BW Player of the Year honors, just for good measure. In the NCAA Tournament versus Boston College he scored 30 points in a double overtime thriller. In this writer's opinion, he is the BWC Player of the Decade.
In keeping with the spirit of all-decadeness, here is my Big West All-Decade team. Undoubtedly, there are some omissions:
Nate Harris, Utah State
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State
Christian Maraker, Pacific
David Doubley, Pacific
Miah Davis, Pacific
Donovan Morris, Long Beach State
Alex Harris, UCSB
Calvin Chitwood, Northridge
Tremaine Townsend, Northridge
Bobby Brown, Fullerton
Jamaal Brown, Fullerton
Josh Akognon, Fullerton
Vince Oliver, UC-Davis
(UC-Davis is included because they played seven years in the BW, four years in their transition years, and three in league).
Friday, January 1, 2010
CollegeInsider.com Interview with Gary Stewart
About four weeks ago, I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Coach Gary Stewart, head coach of UC-Davis. He took time from his incredibly busy schedule to answer questions about the transition from Division-II to Division-I, and his interest in "community service." The article, for CollegeInsider.com, is posted. In it, he reveals the hardship on the player athlete.
It's a Road Thing
DANVILLE, Ca--Happy New Year! Last year, 2009, was a "first" for me. It was the first time I was invited to cast a ballot in several western conference pre-season media polls. I took it seriously...poured over last year's stats, checked out rosters, coaching changes, and non-conference schedules. It took a lot of time, and I only voted in three conference ballots. I picked Nevada in WAC, University of Portland in the WCC, and Weber State in the Big Sky. While I didn't cast ballots in the other three western conferences, I spent some self-absorbed time picking Long Beach State in the BWC, Cal in the Pac-10, and BYU in the Mountain West.
With the conclusion of the non-conference play, it seemed appropriate to evaluate team records and statistics and do a "reset" of my predictions. Before I dug into all the thousands of bits of information available, there was one thing even a casual observer could conclude...every team, every game, every minute needs to bring its best. It's A game. With so many talented players, there is parity between conferences and between teams. So, I started digging through data.
The best source on data came from "Basketball State," Kyle Whelliston's website. After a while, the scouring of pages of numbers seemed so meaningless. Then I saw what I think the difference maker will be. It is: How will teams play on the road?
It has not been a good pre-season for the overwhelming majority of road teams. The six western conference away marks (road and neutral site) are mediocre at best and darn right dismal at worst. The Mountain West has a Road/Neutral record at 24-24 for the best record; the Big West has the dismal disctinction of 17-49. Even the Pac-10 is only 13-34 (only 3-22 road, 10-12 neutral). It's tough out there!
To help confirm the value of the road/neutral records, I took a look at road/neutral point differentials. It was not surprising there weren't many with positive numbers. Some conferences had no team with a positive road point differential, so that made trying to pick a conference winner even tougher, so I went with the best "negative" differential.
Also, I played "chicken." I picked two teams for each conference, to hedge my bets.
Pac-10
I'm going to stay with my original pick California. They are the only team in the conference with a positive road/neutral point differential. In addition, they have the best four starters in Randle, Christopher, Boykin, and Robertson. While Washington and Washington State look like contenders, I think USC is the legitimate co-favorite. The reason is Mike Gerrity. Since his return, the Trojans have not lost.
Big Sky
Admittedly, I have not paid too much attention to the Big Sky conference until last year. Weber State had a very nice season last year, but Portland State danced. But, right now, there are only two teams who qualify as decent road teams...the best of which is Northern Colorado who has a 5-3 road/neutral mark and the best road point differential at 69.5-66.0. Right behind them is Montana at 64.0-62.7.
Mountain West
Right now, the Mountain West is the strongest conference out West. It boasts four strong teams with at least 11 wins. However, two teams have both strong road/neutral records (each at 5-1) and double digit positive road point differentials. I'm going to give an edge to UNLV because they seem to play better defense on the road (73.8-61.8 dif.) than BYU (81.0-68.3). That six and a half point defensive difference will pay dividends when play the other contenders New Mexico and San Diego State.
WAC
Only one team in the WAC has a positive road/neutral point differential. Not surprisingly that team is Utah State. That differential is just 1.2 (64.8-63.6). Stew Morrill's teams can never be counted out of a conference crown, but I have to give the nod to Louisiana Tech with its 7-2 road/neutral record. They have inside strength and that should make the difference in the WAC this year.
WCC
Portland had its "tourney" at the 76 Classic. Since then, it has not shown the mental toughness of the two strongest contenders in the the WAC. St. Mary's is the only team in its league to have a positive road/neutral point spread (77.8-71.3) and it has a 5-1 r/n record. Right behind SMC is Gonzaga at 5-2 r/n, but does not have a positive overall r/n point spread. Each team has the horses, but SMC has Omar, the "Moraga Marauder."
Big West
Perhaps no other conference will be determined by road play more than the Big West. As previously stated, the conference is a collective 17-49 road/neutral. And, no team in the conference has a positive r/n point differential. The closest team to positive is Pacific. Overall, theTigers are the best defensive team in the conference. They really have to be because they are the lowest scoring team in the BWC. Long Beach State is only 3-7 on the road, but they have played a brutal schedule (the strongest in the country). They are my co-picks for the conference, but there are at least three other teams who could take the regular season conference crown.
To recap: Cal and USC; Northern Colorado and Montana; UNLV and BYU; LaTech and Utah State; St. Mary's and Gonzaga; Long Beach State and Pacific.
data source: bbstate.com
With the conclusion of the non-conference play, it seemed appropriate to evaluate team records and statistics and do a "reset" of my predictions. Before I dug into all the thousands of bits of information available, there was one thing even a casual observer could conclude...every team, every game, every minute needs to bring its best. It's A game. With so many talented players, there is parity between conferences and between teams. So, I started digging through data.
The best source on data came from "Basketball State," Kyle Whelliston's website. After a while, the scouring of pages of numbers seemed so meaningless. Then I saw what I think the difference maker will be. It is: How will teams play on the road?
It has not been a good pre-season for the overwhelming majority of road teams. The six western conference away marks (road and neutral site) are mediocre at best and darn right dismal at worst. The Mountain West has a Road/Neutral record at 24-24 for the best record; the Big West has the dismal disctinction of 17-49. Even the Pac-10 is only 13-34 (only 3-22 road, 10-12 neutral). It's tough out there!
To help confirm the value of the road/neutral records, I took a look at road/neutral point differentials. It was not surprising there weren't many with positive numbers. Some conferences had no team with a positive road point differential, so that made trying to pick a conference winner even tougher, so I went with the best "negative" differential.
Also, I played "chicken." I picked two teams for each conference, to hedge my bets.
Pac-10
I'm going to stay with my original pick California. They are the only team in the conference with a positive road/neutral point differential. In addition, they have the best four starters in Randle, Christopher, Boykin, and Robertson. While Washington and Washington State look like contenders, I think USC is the legitimate co-favorite. The reason is Mike Gerrity. Since his return, the Trojans have not lost.
Big Sky
Admittedly, I have not paid too much attention to the Big Sky conference until last year. Weber State had a very nice season last year, but Portland State danced. But, right now, there are only two teams who qualify as decent road teams...the best of which is Northern Colorado who has a 5-3 road/neutral mark and the best road point differential at 69.5-66.0. Right behind them is Montana at 64.0-62.7.
Mountain West
Right now, the Mountain West is the strongest conference out West. It boasts four strong teams with at least 11 wins. However, two teams have both strong road/neutral records (each at 5-1) and double digit positive road point differentials. I'm going to give an edge to UNLV because they seem to play better defense on the road (73.8-61.8 dif.) than BYU (81.0-68.3). That six and a half point defensive difference will pay dividends when play the other contenders New Mexico and San Diego State.
WAC
Only one team in the WAC has a positive road/neutral point differential. Not surprisingly that team is Utah State. That differential is just 1.2 (64.8-63.6). Stew Morrill's teams can never be counted out of a conference crown, but I have to give the nod to Louisiana Tech with its 7-2 road/neutral record. They have inside strength and that should make the difference in the WAC this year.
WCC
Portland had its "tourney" at the 76 Classic. Since then, it has not shown the mental toughness of the two strongest contenders in the the WAC. St. Mary's is the only team in its league to have a positive road/neutral point spread (77.8-71.3) and it has a 5-1 r/n record. Right behind SMC is Gonzaga at 5-2 r/n, but does not have a positive overall r/n point spread. Each team has the horses, but SMC has Omar, the "Moraga Marauder."
Big West
Perhaps no other conference will be determined by road play more than the Big West. As previously stated, the conference is a collective 17-49 road/neutral. And, no team in the conference has a positive r/n point differential. The closest team to positive is Pacific. Overall, theTigers are the best defensive team in the conference. They really have to be because they are the lowest scoring team in the BWC. Long Beach State is only 3-7 on the road, but they have played a brutal schedule (the strongest in the country). They are my co-picks for the conference, but there are at least three other teams who could take the regular season conference crown.
To recap: Cal and USC; Northern Colorado and Montana; UNLV and BYU; LaTech and Utah State; St. Mary's and Gonzaga; Long Beach State and Pacific.
data source: bbstate.com
Monday, December 28, 2009
WOTRM Top 10
DANVILLE, Ca--Time, once again, to give you the West of the Rocky Mountains Top-10. My Top-10 is dominated by the Mountain West Conference, placing four teams on the list. The race for the conference flag should be a rough and tumble affair between BYU (3), New Mexico(2), UNLV(4), and resurging SDSU(10).
According to my pollsters, though, St. Mary's is the number one team out West dispite their sleepwalking performance in the first game at the Diamond Head Classic. Montana makes its first appearance in the poll at number 8.
Here is the whole poll:
1. St. Mary's, 11-2.
2. New Mexico, 12-1.
3. BYU, 12-1.
4. UNLV, 12-2.
5. Washington State, 10-2.
6. Washington, 9-2.
7. La. Tech, 11-2.
8. Montana, 10-4.
9. Gonzaga, 8-3.
10. San Diego State, 9-3.
Honorable mentions: Arizona State, Northern Colorado, Utah State.
According to my pollsters, though, St. Mary's is the number one team out West dispite their sleepwalking performance in the first game at the Diamond Head Classic. Montana makes its first appearance in the poll at number 8.
Here is the whole poll:
1. St. Mary's, 11-2.
2. New Mexico, 12-1.
3. BYU, 12-1.
4. UNLV, 12-2.
5. Washington State, 10-2.
6. Washington, 9-2.
7. La. Tech, 11-2.
8. Montana, 10-4.
9. Gonzaga, 8-3.
10. San Diego State, 9-3.
Honorable mentions: Arizona State, Northern Colorado, Utah State.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Parsing the WAC
DANVILLE, Ca--Today, there is a very good synopsis of the WAC teams. Check it out by clicking on the link to the right side of this page. Kevin McCarthy always has his finger on the pulse of that league.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Your Average Double
DANVILLE, Ca--It is not unusual for a player to achieve a double-double in a game. It happens quite often, even by players who not particularly good. They get a hot hand and score and rebound in double digits. Even more rare nowadays is the triple double. The last one I saw of those was turned in be Jason Kidd. And to think, Oscar Robertson averaged a Triple-Double for the Cincinnati Royals, in 1961-62.
While the double-double for a game is commonly done, averaging a double-double is not so common. So, I perused the stats of the five Western conference this blog is about to see how many, if any, were currently averaging double digits in scoring and rebounding.
I was surprised to see that there are five players averaging the D-D, and four more that are really close. Here they are:
Omar Samhan, St. Mary's: 21.8 ppg; 11.9 rbpg.
T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State: 17.0 ppg; 10.7 rbpg.
Nikola Vucevic, USC: 13.8 ppg; 10.7 rbpg.
Chris Oake, San Jose State: 10.2 ppg; 11.4 rbpg.
Pietras Balocka, Hawai'i: 10.1 ppg; 10.4 rbpg.
SMC Samhan is not so quietly making a huge name for himself this year. Barring injury, and if he continues his dominance, he's on his way to WCC player of the year honors. It is not surprising T.J. Robinson is one of these five Double D averagers; it is a little disconcerning for Big West opponents that he is doing it as a Sophomore.
Here are the four who are close:
Luke Babbitt, Nevada-Reno: 19.1 ppg; 9.7 rbpg.
Zvonko Buljan, TCU: 15.5 ppg; 9.6 rbpg.
Ike Okoye, Boise State: 14.5 ppg; 9.5 rbpg.
Demetrius Monroe, Idaho State: 10.5 ppg; 8.5 rbpg.
Each of these four has the chance to average the double-double; the mostly likely is the incomparable Luke Babbitt.
While the double-double for a game is commonly done, averaging a double-double is not so common. So, I perused the stats of the five Western conference this blog is about to see how many, if any, were currently averaging double digits in scoring and rebounding.
I was surprised to see that there are five players averaging the D-D, and four more that are really close. Here they are:
Omar Samhan, St. Mary's: 21.8 ppg; 11.9 rbpg.
T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State: 17.0 ppg; 10.7 rbpg.
Nikola Vucevic, USC: 13.8 ppg; 10.7 rbpg.
Chris Oake, San Jose State: 10.2 ppg; 11.4 rbpg.
Pietras Balocka, Hawai'i: 10.1 ppg; 10.4 rbpg.
SMC Samhan is not so quietly making a huge name for himself this year. Barring injury, and if he continues his dominance, he's on his way to WCC player of the year honors. It is not surprising T.J. Robinson is one of these five Double D averagers; it is a little disconcerning for Big West opponents that he is doing it as a Sophomore.
Here are the four who are close:
Luke Babbitt, Nevada-Reno: 19.1 ppg; 9.7 rbpg.
Zvonko Buljan, TCU: 15.5 ppg; 9.6 rbpg.
Ike Okoye, Boise State: 14.5 ppg; 9.5 rbpg.
Demetrius Monroe, Idaho State: 10.5 ppg; 8.5 rbpg.
Each of these four has the chance to average the double-double; the mostly likely is the incomparable Luke Babbitt.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Friday Matchup
DANVILLE, Ca--Friday night, at the Pyramid, there is going to be an intriguing matchup. Long Beach State is going to host Utah State. What makes this matchup intrigiung is this--both were picked by various polls to win their respective Conferences.
Right now, both of these teams are struggling.
Utah State is just 6-3 with no real quality wins and losses to Utah, Northeastern, and St. Mary's (at home). Utah State's SOS is a mere 288 and RPI is just 169. What they seem to lack is the strong inside game they had last year. Stew Morrill's charges may win the WAC as predicted by the coaches and scribes, but right now the Aggies are not playing like the well-oiled machine they are known to be.
Long Beach State's overall record is 5-4, but two of those wins are against Div-II teams. Their four losses have been blows to Notre Dame, West Virginia, Clemson, and Texas. This kind of scheduling has put the 49ers SOS at number 5; with Kentucky and Duke looming, that SOS should vault to number One. They do have a win against UCLA, but this year, that's not such a big deal.
Coach Monson of "The Beach" has assembled some of the best talent on the West Coast. Forwards T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson are averaging a combine 28.0 ppg, and guards Casper Ware and Stephen Gilling 25.0 ppg. The team is young and athletic. But the bench is thin, and the team's overall performance is not up to expectations. Can they win the Big West?
Tomorrow night's game will show a lot about the future. If Utah State can take care of business it will be a win against the strongest team they've played so far this year, shoring up its pre-season credential. For Long Beach...Utah State is a team about equal in talent and coaching LBSU will face in the Big West. If they win, then we'll know the pre-season forecasters were correct. If LB loses, then surprising Pacifc, UCSB, Northridge and UC-Riverside will have a voice in the conference outcome.
Should be a good game!
Right now, both of these teams are struggling.
Utah State is just 6-3 with no real quality wins and losses to Utah, Northeastern, and St. Mary's (at home). Utah State's SOS is a mere 288 and RPI is just 169. What they seem to lack is the strong inside game they had last year. Stew Morrill's charges may win the WAC as predicted by the coaches and scribes, but right now the Aggies are not playing like the well-oiled machine they are known to be.
Long Beach State's overall record is 5-4, but two of those wins are against Div-II teams. Their four losses have been blows to Notre Dame, West Virginia, Clemson, and Texas. This kind of scheduling has put the 49ers SOS at number 5; with Kentucky and Duke looming, that SOS should vault to number One. They do have a win against UCLA, but this year, that's not such a big deal.
Coach Monson of "The Beach" has assembled some of the best talent on the West Coast. Forwards T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson are averaging a combine 28.0 ppg, and guards Casper Ware and Stephen Gilling 25.0 ppg. The team is young and athletic. But the bench is thin, and the team's overall performance is not up to expectations. Can they win the Big West?
Tomorrow night's game will show a lot about the future. If Utah State can take care of business it will be a win against the strongest team they've played so far this year, shoring up its pre-season credential. For Long Beach...Utah State is a team about equal in talent and coaching LBSU will face in the Big West. If they win, then we'll know the pre-season forecasters were correct. If LB loses, then surprising Pacifc, UCSB, Northridge and UC-Riverside will have a voice in the conference outcome.
Should be a good game!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
West of the Rockies Top Ten
Danville, CA--Time for the second edition of the West of the Rockies Top-10. All of the Saturday games are complete. So, it is time to pre-empt all the regular polls (and all the sleepy east of the Rockies pollsters).
There's been quite a shake up in the Top-10 in last two weeks. And, one conference appears to be head and shoulders above the other five Western leagues. That conference is the Mountain West. They have four teams in my rankings. The West Coast has 2; the Pac-10, Big West, Big Sky and WAC each has one.
1. New Mexico, 10-0.
2. Washington State, 8-2.
3. St. Mary's, 7-1.
4. BYU, 8-1.
5. UNLV, 7-1.
6. Gonzaga, 8-2.
7. Louisiana Tech, 8-2.
8. Pacific, 7-2.
9. San Diego State, 8-2.
10. Northern Colorado, 8-2.
It is hard to deny Steve Alford has his Lobos playing at a very high level after knocking off Texas A&M tonight. SDS jumped into the nine spot after drubbing Arizona. St. Mary's goes all the way to #3 after beating Utah State and Oregon on the road this week. Pacific bounced back by putting a 30 point hurt on Sac State; and I put them ahead of SDSU because the Tigers beat the Aztecs head-to-head.
My next Top-10 will be between Christmas and New Years (just before conference play begins in earnest).
There's been quite a shake up in the Top-10 in last two weeks. And, one conference appears to be head and shoulders above the other five Western leagues. That conference is the Mountain West. They have four teams in my rankings. The West Coast has 2; the Pac-10, Big West, Big Sky and WAC each has one.
1. New Mexico, 10-0.
2. Washington State, 8-2.
3. St. Mary's, 7-1.
4. BYU, 8-1.
5. UNLV, 7-1.
6. Gonzaga, 8-2.
7. Louisiana Tech, 8-2.
8. Pacific, 7-2.
9. San Diego State, 8-2.
10. Northern Colorado, 8-2.
It is hard to deny Steve Alford has his Lobos playing at a very high level after knocking off Texas A&M tonight. SDS jumped into the nine spot after drubbing Arizona. St. Mary's goes all the way to #3 after beating Utah State and Oregon on the road this week. Pacific bounced back by putting a 30 point hurt on Sac State; and I put them ahead of SDSU because the Tigers beat the Aztecs head-to-head.
My next Top-10 will be between Christmas and New Years (just before conference play begins in earnest).
Monday, December 7, 2009
Players of the Week
Danville, CA--In the last couple of weeks, there have been many ups and downs in the young basketball season. It is evident that teams cannot be taken for granted, regardless of conference or record. Even though some teams have been inconsistent, individual players have emerged as consistent reliable performers.
Here is this edition of Players of the Week:
Big Sky Conference
Weber State's Damian Lillard is not only leading his team in scoring, but the conference, as well. The Wildcats may be struggling at 3-4, but Lillard is carrying a lofty 21.7 ppg average, including 90.2% from the Free Throw line.
Big West Conference
Kyle Austin is one of the best players in the Big West. Many think he will be the leagues POY. Kyle's beginning to show us why. He's second in the league in scoring at 17.1 ppg, and pulling down 8.6 rpg. Not surprising, the Highlanders have improved to 5-2.
Pac-10 Conference
Sophomore, Klay Thompson of Wazzou has emerged as force to reckoned with. The big forward is averaging 25.9 ppg, and 5.1 boards for the 6-2 Cougars. So far this year, he has eye-popping games of 37 points against IUPU-Fort Wayne and 43 points against USD.
Mountain West Conference
Tre'Von Willis is a slick shooting guard for the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. He is putting up some gaudy numbers of his own. His percentages are, indeed, impressive--53% from the field, 91.4% from the charity stripe. This kind of shooting has him averaging 17.0 ppg.
West Coast Conference
Pepperdine may be having a so-so pre-season campaign with its 3-5 mark, but Keion Bell is a standout at guard. The sophomore is averaging 22.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 4.3 assists. With him in the lineup putting up those kind of numbers, the Waves have something to build on.
Western Athletic Conference
One of the gunslingers from last year is Jahmar Young of New Mexico State. The Aggies are a disappointing 2-5, but Young has been performing magnificently. He's dropping in points at a 19.3 ppg clip, skying for 5.3 boards, and dishing out 2.3 assists. The junior's numbers are even more impressive when considering he's moved from the 2 to the 3 position.
Here is this edition of Players of the Week:
Big Sky Conference
Weber State's Damian Lillard is not only leading his team in scoring, but the conference, as well. The Wildcats may be struggling at 3-4, but Lillard is carrying a lofty 21.7 ppg average, including 90.2% from the Free Throw line.
Big West Conference
Kyle Austin is one of the best players in the Big West. Many think he will be the leagues POY. Kyle's beginning to show us why. He's second in the league in scoring at 17.1 ppg, and pulling down 8.6 rpg. Not surprising, the Highlanders have improved to 5-2.
Pac-10 Conference
Sophomore, Klay Thompson of Wazzou has emerged as force to reckoned with. The big forward is averaging 25.9 ppg, and 5.1 boards for the 6-2 Cougars. So far this year, he has eye-popping games of 37 points against IUPU-Fort Wayne and 43 points against USD.
Mountain West Conference
Tre'Von Willis is a slick shooting guard for the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. He is putting up some gaudy numbers of his own. His percentages are, indeed, impressive--53% from the field, 91.4% from the charity stripe. This kind of shooting has him averaging 17.0 ppg.
West Coast Conference
Pepperdine may be having a so-so pre-season campaign with its 3-5 mark, but Keion Bell is a standout at guard. The sophomore is averaging 22.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 4.3 assists. With him in the lineup putting up those kind of numbers, the Waves have something to build on.
Western Athletic Conference
One of the gunslingers from last year is Jahmar Young of New Mexico State. The Aggies are a disappointing 2-5, but Young has been performing magnificently. He's dropping in points at a 19.3 ppg clip, skying for 5.3 boards, and dishing out 2.3 assists. The junior's numbers are even more impressive when considering he's moved from the 2 to the 3 position.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Where the Scouts Flock
Stockton, CA--The 1 o'clock start in Davis made it possible to make yesterday a two game day. After the Seattle/UC-Davis game, it was off to Stockton to see the Nevada-Reno/Pacific contest.
The UC-Davis Aggies have been attracting NBA scouts in droves this year. The primary reason seems to be Mark Payne, the 6-8 guard from Stockton. Another reason seems to be Payne's long-time buddy Joe Harden, his 6-9 teammate who transferred from Notre Dame two years ago.
Evidence of the attraction these two have become to the NBA was yesterday afternoon's game versus the Seattle University Redhawks. Seven NBA scouts were in attendance. That's right, seven! There they were, scattered in the first two rows behind the scorers' table. Some with pads and pens, some with hand held voice recorders, busy making notes for future reports.
What they saw were two potential NBAers doing their best to help their team to victory. But it, wasn't both of the afore-mentioned Aggies. Let me explain. Unfortuantely for the student-athlete, Joe Harden has a severely sprained right ankle that's expected to sideline him for three to four weeks. So, if Harden wasn't on the floor, who was the other player the scouts saw?
It was Charles Garcia, the 6-9 forward of the Redhawks.
Seattle is in the midst of a five year transition to Division-1 status and now have as their head coach ex-UCLA Bruin, Cameron Dollar. Garcia is making that process a lot easier for the Redhawks. He's already had several big games this year, so seeing the kind of numbers he put up yesterday was not unexpected: 22 points, 12 rebounds. What is note worthy about this is that he did so in just 25 minutes. He got into early foul trouble and sat much of the time.
But, when he was on the floor, the scouts were busy taking notes. He made shots from everywhere: two of four from NBA range, an incredilbe slashing dunk off an alley oop feed, short-range banks, and tough put backs. He is smooth and fluid. He seems to have all the requisite offensive tools the scouts look for. Maybe, all he needs to be a high draft choice, is a little more upper body strength to really have an NBA body.
Mark Payne was equally impressive. He also scored 22 points and played iron man minutes...39. At 6-8, he creates real matchup problems for even a 6-5 guard let alone smaller ones. On defense, he can block their shots (4 blocks yesterday), and on offense he can take them inside for easy lay ins. He is tenacious and hard working.
The scouts noted everything he did, too! He probably needs to work on his outside shot, but the scouts are looking...and liking what they see.
Seattle beat the Aggies 88-78. Davis really misses Joe Harden's game, in particular his rebounding. The Aggies were out rebounded 46 to 26.
The scouts have been to Stockton, too. But, not in such great numbers!
The reasons they were courtside were Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson, two solid NBA prospects. Johnson is a well built 6-3 point guard who can score. He has legitimate NBA range and he is fast and strong. He scored 18 last night against the Tigers. Luke Babbitt is a pure athlete, has great court sense, and he played all 40 minutes. He scored 17 points, mostly on strong moves to the basket and pulled down 10 rebounds. He exudes confidence with every stride.
Some say Tiger Coach Bob Thomason is the best D-1 coach on the West Coast. You'd have a hard time disproving that based on last night's game. He utilized a zone press to slow down the Wolfpack's running game, which held them 24 points below their game average, and force 14 turnovers. Had his team work the ball inside to Sam Willard enough for him to score 19 points, and utilized his half court offense to perfection. And, the final play of the game was a testimony to the hallmark of Thomason success...defense.
Fifth year senior, Joe Ford, the 2009 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, blocked Armon Johnson's 3-point attempt. It was a spectacular individual effort. Final score: Tigers 61, Wolfpack, 58.
The AP writer at the Media Table said of Ford, "If he was a scoring threat, he could play at the next level."
I'm sure the scouts noted that, too.
ps: I have a hard time calling the Seattle University team the Redhawks. I still think of them as the Chieftans. Elgin Baylor, where are you?
The UC-Davis Aggies have been attracting NBA scouts in droves this year. The primary reason seems to be Mark Payne, the 6-8 guard from Stockton. Another reason seems to be Payne's long-time buddy Joe Harden, his 6-9 teammate who transferred from Notre Dame two years ago.
Evidence of the attraction these two have become to the NBA was yesterday afternoon's game versus the Seattle University Redhawks. Seven NBA scouts were in attendance. That's right, seven! There they were, scattered in the first two rows behind the scorers' table. Some with pads and pens, some with hand held voice recorders, busy making notes for future reports.
What they saw were two potential NBAers doing their best to help their team to victory. But it, wasn't both of the afore-mentioned Aggies. Let me explain. Unfortuantely for the student-athlete, Joe Harden has a severely sprained right ankle that's expected to sideline him for three to four weeks. So, if Harden wasn't on the floor, who was the other player the scouts saw?
It was Charles Garcia, the 6-9 forward of the Redhawks.
Seattle is in the midst of a five year transition to Division-1 status and now have as their head coach ex-UCLA Bruin, Cameron Dollar. Garcia is making that process a lot easier for the Redhawks. He's already had several big games this year, so seeing the kind of numbers he put up yesterday was not unexpected: 22 points, 12 rebounds. What is note worthy about this is that he did so in just 25 minutes. He got into early foul trouble and sat much of the time.
But, when he was on the floor, the scouts were busy taking notes. He made shots from everywhere: two of four from NBA range, an incredilbe slashing dunk off an alley oop feed, short-range banks, and tough put backs. He is smooth and fluid. He seems to have all the requisite offensive tools the scouts look for. Maybe, all he needs to be a high draft choice, is a little more upper body strength to really have an NBA body.
Mark Payne was equally impressive. He also scored 22 points and played iron man minutes...39. At 6-8, he creates real matchup problems for even a 6-5 guard let alone smaller ones. On defense, he can block their shots (4 blocks yesterday), and on offense he can take them inside for easy lay ins. He is tenacious and hard working.
The scouts noted everything he did, too! He probably needs to work on his outside shot, but the scouts are looking...and liking what they see.
Seattle beat the Aggies 88-78. Davis really misses Joe Harden's game, in particular his rebounding. The Aggies were out rebounded 46 to 26.
The scouts have been to Stockton, too. But, not in such great numbers!
The reasons they were courtside were Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson, two solid NBA prospects. Johnson is a well built 6-3 point guard who can score. He has legitimate NBA range and he is fast and strong. He scored 18 last night against the Tigers. Luke Babbitt is a pure athlete, has great court sense, and he played all 40 minutes. He scored 17 points, mostly on strong moves to the basket and pulled down 10 rebounds. He exudes confidence with every stride.
Some say Tiger Coach Bob Thomason is the best D-1 coach on the West Coast. You'd have a hard time disproving that based on last night's game. He utilized a zone press to slow down the Wolfpack's running game, which held them 24 points below their game average, and force 14 turnovers. Had his team work the ball inside to Sam Willard enough for him to score 19 points, and utilized his half court offense to perfection. And, the final play of the game was a testimony to the hallmark of Thomason success...defense.
Fifth year senior, Joe Ford, the 2009 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, blocked Armon Johnson's 3-point attempt. It was a spectacular individual effort. Final score: Tigers 61, Wolfpack, 58.
The AP writer at the Media Table said of Ford, "If he was a scoring threat, he could play at the next level."
I'm sure the scouts noted that, too.
ps: I have a hard time calling the Seattle University team the Redhawks. I still think of them as the Chieftans. Elgin Baylor, where are you?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Big Night for the Big Sky
Danville, CA--It's been said before, and will be said again, "You better bring your A game every game!" Three Big Sky teams proved that last night.
Weber State, Portland State, and Sacramento State, were underdogs to their opponents from the Mountain West, WCC, and Big West conferences.
Sacramento State, now 4-4 on the season, took a 29-19 halftime lead into the locker room and then held off the talented UC-Davis Aggies to win 59-57. They did it with a balanced attacked putting three men in double figures...Dickson, 14 pts; Sultan-Bey, 13; and Bjegovic, 10. Don't forget, the Hornets took down Oregon State earlier this season.
Utah took the short bus trip to Ogden to take on the Wildcats of Weber State. They wish they hadn't. Damian Lillard poured in 28 points and Steve Panos added 20, as Weber State dropped the Utes 83-76. It was a game they controlled from the tip-off.
This morning Eric Reveno is wondering about consistency. His Portland Pilots, playing their first game after their eye-opening 76 Classic success, dropped a hard fought 86-82 decision to cross town rival Portland State. The Vikes did to the Pilots what the Pilots ususally do to their opponents...kill them from long range. The Vikes hit of 15 of 25 3-point attempts. So much for the #25 national ranking.
Weber State, Portland State, and Sacramento State, were underdogs to their opponents from the Mountain West, WCC, and Big West conferences.
Sacramento State, now 4-4 on the season, took a 29-19 halftime lead into the locker room and then held off the talented UC-Davis Aggies to win 59-57. They did it with a balanced attacked putting three men in double figures...Dickson, 14 pts; Sultan-Bey, 13; and Bjegovic, 10. Don't forget, the Hornets took down Oregon State earlier this season.
Utah took the short bus trip to Ogden to take on the Wildcats of Weber State. They wish they hadn't. Damian Lillard poured in 28 points and Steve Panos added 20, as Weber State dropped the Utes 83-76. It was a game they controlled from the tip-off.
This morning Eric Reveno is wondering about consistency. His Portland Pilots, playing their first game after their eye-opening 76 Classic success, dropped a hard fought 86-82 decision to cross town rival Portland State. The Vikes did to the Pilots what the Pilots ususally do to their opponents...kill them from long range. The Vikes hit of 15 of 25 3-point attempts. So much for the #25 national ranking.
Monday, November 30, 2009
West of Rockies Top Ten
The Northwest Corners the Market.
Monday Nov 30--Danville: I started this West of the Rockies Top-10 last season, and it ran a few times on "Basketball State." It was created in response to how the Eastern voters have traditionally ignored Western teams, unless that team was UCLA or Stanford. So, I wanted to shine some light on some of the teams who wouldn't otherwise get attention.
With that in mind, I have put together my first rankings of the season:
1. Washington, 4-0.
2. Gonzaga, 5-1.
3. Portland, 5-1.
4. Washington State, 6-0.
5. New Mexico, 6-0.
6. BYU, 5-0.
7. UNLV, 5-0.
8. Louisiana Tech, 5-1.
9. Pacific, 4-1.
10. Northern Colorado, 6-0.
It should seem apparent to all that the power in college basketball has shifted to the Pacific Northwest. Washington State, and Portland are off to really good starts and deserving more than mentions in this humble list. Gonzaga and Washington are just about where most thought they would be. A nice surprise is the play of Steve Alford's Lobos who stand at 6-0. Fellow Mountain West members BYU and UNLV are perfect at 5-0.
Yes, I know Louisiana Tech and Northern Colorado are east of the Rockies. I have violated my own rule. Please, be tolerant. It is hard to pass over these teams, especially when the teams are being lead by players named Magnum Rolle and Will Figures. Rolle, the big center, is dominating everyone. And, Northern Colorado's Will Figures scores from all over.
Number nine Pacific, inspite of an agonizing loss at San Jose State, has quality wins over USD and San Diego State.
Other teams considered: Arizona State, Fullerton State, UCSB, Montana.
I'll do this again around Christmas.
Monday Nov 30--Danville: I started this West of the Rockies Top-10 last season, and it ran a few times on "Basketball State." It was created in response to how the Eastern voters have traditionally ignored Western teams, unless that team was UCLA or Stanford. So, I wanted to shine some light on some of the teams who wouldn't otherwise get attention.
With that in mind, I have put together my first rankings of the season:
1. Washington, 4-0.
2. Gonzaga, 5-1.
3. Portland, 5-1.
4. Washington State, 6-0.
5. New Mexico, 6-0.
6. BYU, 5-0.
7. UNLV, 5-0.
8. Louisiana Tech, 5-1.
9. Pacific, 4-1.
10. Northern Colorado, 6-0.
It should seem apparent to all that the power in college basketball has shifted to the Pacific Northwest. Washington State, and Portland are off to really good starts and deserving more than mentions in this humble list. Gonzaga and Washington are just about where most thought they would be. A nice surprise is the play of Steve Alford's Lobos who stand at 6-0. Fellow Mountain West members BYU and UNLV are perfect at 5-0.
Yes, I know Louisiana Tech and Northern Colorado are east of the Rockies. I have violated my own rule. Please, be tolerant. It is hard to pass over these teams, especially when the teams are being lead by players named Magnum Rolle and Will Figures. Rolle, the big center, is dominating everyone. And, Northern Colorado's Will Figures scores from all over.
Number nine Pacific, inspite of an agonizing loss at San Jose State, has quality wins over USD and San Diego State.
Other teams considered: Arizona State, Fullerton State, UCSB, Montana.
I'll do this again around Christmas.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Pilot Bandwagon
Saturday, November 28
Danville--You can go back and check the article I wrote about this time last year. It was written for "Basketball State," the feature article section of Kyle Whelliston's statistical based website. In that article, I picked the Univeristy of Portland Pilots to contend for the WCC conference crown with Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and San Diego. Of course, they did contend, finishing a strong third. Just before the start of this year's season I was given the opportunity to vote in the WCC media poll and picked the Pilots to win the conference this year.
So, I'm not a "Johnny come lately" to the Pilot's Bnadwagon.
Their last two wins over UCLA and Wisconsin has made them a major blip on the national collegiate basketball radar screen. It is, indeed, remarkable what the experts are learning about Eric Reveno's team, stuff that some of us have known for ummm, at least a year.
Those experts have learned that the Pilots are a talented, and deep team with a lot of weapons. They have guards who can shoot and create their own shots. They have forwards who can rebound and score inside and out. They have quality big men who can battle under the basket, rebound, and pass.
It is a team lead by one of the best recruiters and coaches of big men in the country. And, this is his team!
Make no mistake about it, the Pilots are for real. Do they have enough horses to stay with Gonzaga's fast-pace style? If they can control the tempo with Niedermeyer, Sikma, Smeulders, and Knutson controlling the boards, I think they can. Can they stay with the high scoring Gaels? The Pilots should have enough firepower with Raivio, Campbell, Stohl raining in 3's.
The Pilots will not take any of their WCC opponents by surprise like they might have done last season. The only ones they are surprising this year are the so-called "knowitalls," and, of course their victims.
On Sunday, West Virginia gets a shot at the Pilots in the champion game of the 76 Classic. It should be a great game. I'll be rooting for Portland for two reasons...because I think they are good enough to win, and because I want to see a west coast team prevail.
I am provincial, and I admit it.
Danville--You can go back and check the article I wrote about this time last year. It was written for "Basketball State," the feature article section of Kyle Whelliston's statistical based website. In that article, I picked the Univeristy of Portland Pilots to contend for the WCC conference crown with Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and San Diego. Of course, they did contend, finishing a strong third. Just before the start of this year's season I was given the opportunity to vote in the WCC media poll and picked the Pilots to win the conference this year.
So, I'm not a "Johnny come lately" to the Pilot's Bnadwagon.
Their last two wins over UCLA and Wisconsin has made them a major blip on the national collegiate basketball radar screen. It is, indeed, remarkable what the experts are learning about Eric Reveno's team, stuff that some of us have known for ummm, at least a year.
Those experts have learned that the Pilots are a talented, and deep team with a lot of weapons. They have guards who can shoot and create their own shots. They have forwards who can rebound and score inside and out. They have quality big men who can battle under the basket, rebound, and pass.
It is a team lead by one of the best recruiters and coaches of big men in the country. And, this is his team!
Make no mistake about it, the Pilots are for real. Do they have enough horses to stay with Gonzaga's fast-pace style? If they can control the tempo with Niedermeyer, Sikma, Smeulders, and Knutson controlling the boards, I think they can. Can they stay with the high scoring Gaels? The Pilots should have enough firepower with Raivio, Campbell, Stohl raining in 3's.
The Pilots will not take any of their WCC opponents by surprise like they might have done last season. The only ones they are surprising this year are the so-called "knowitalls," and, of course their victims.
On Sunday, West Virginia gets a shot at the Pilots in the champion game of the 76 Classic. It should be a great game. I'll be rooting for Portland for two reasons...because I think they are good enough to win, and because I want to see a west coast team prevail.
I am provincial, and I admit it.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Stockton Surprise
Thanksgiving Day.
Danville--The question floating around the blogishere this morning is: How good are the Pacific Tigers? This early in the season that is a legitimate question for any undefeated team. Yet, it might be more so for the Tigers.
This is a team which lost 90% of its scoring to graduation, had no outside shooting, point guard play that was suspect, poor free throw shooting, and more question marks than the number of new athletes. They have been picked to finish anywhere from third to seventh in the BW.
Yet, they are 4-0. They sqeaked out a 2/0T victory on the road at Pepperdine which is not a very good team. Next, they played the University of San Diego and got a one-point victory at home who were without star shooter Brandon Johnson for most of the game. Were they lucky, or just found a way to win?
Then came a home game against Santa Clara. The shooting got hot and they buried the Broncos. But, then the Broncos are a struggling team being directed by a young head coach. Was this a flukey hot shooting night when anything they put up went through?
Last night's game against San Diego State may have answered some early questions. SDS is a team expected to contend for the Mountain West Conference, and is loaded with tall, athletic players. They can shoot from long range, and are very, very quick. On paper, they are supposed to superior to the Tigers in every way.
Only trouble is...they didn't play like it, and the Tigers showed that they are learning, absorbing, and embracing their Coach's system and style of play. UOP was quicker, made better decisions, and dominated every facet of the game. They got 12 fast break points to only 4 for SDS, got 40 points in the paint to 28, and the bench buried SDS 27-8. SDS lost the shooting and rebounding stats, too! Yes, that is dominance.
It is not often that Pacific garners acclaim for recruiting a "Top 25" class. They have had some outstanding talent in recent years...Maraker, Doubley, Yango, Newton, Davis, Johnson. But those recruits were not highly regarded, yet they won! Currently, Long Beach State and UC-Davis are the recruiting lottery winners in the BW. Each is loaded with talented athletes. The Tigers are made up of good athletes with good attitudes. They play smart and unselfish. Right now, that combination is working well for Pacific.
Their 4-0 mark, and the progress the team is showing, proves it. Which gets us back to the question..."How good are the Tigers?"
This writer thinks they are very good and will give Big West favorites big time trouble!
Danville--The question floating around the blogishere this morning is: How good are the Pacific Tigers? This early in the season that is a legitimate question for any undefeated team. Yet, it might be more so for the Tigers.
This is a team which lost 90% of its scoring to graduation, had no outside shooting, point guard play that was suspect, poor free throw shooting, and more question marks than the number of new athletes. They have been picked to finish anywhere from third to seventh in the BW.
Yet, they are 4-0. They sqeaked out a 2/0T victory on the road at Pepperdine which is not a very good team. Next, they played the University of San Diego and got a one-point victory at home who were without star shooter Brandon Johnson for most of the game. Were they lucky, or just found a way to win?
Then came a home game against Santa Clara. The shooting got hot and they buried the Broncos. But, then the Broncos are a struggling team being directed by a young head coach. Was this a flukey hot shooting night when anything they put up went through?
Last night's game against San Diego State may have answered some early questions. SDS is a team expected to contend for the Mountain West Conference, and is loaded with tall, athletic players. They can shoot from long range, and are very, very quick. On paper, they are supposed to superior to the Tigers in every way.
Only trouble is...they didn't play like it, and the Tigers showed that they are learning, absorbing, and embracing their Coach's system and style of play. UOP was quicker, made better decisions, and dominated every facet of the game. They got 12 fast break points to only 4 for SDS, got 40 points in the paint to 28, and the bench buried SDS 27-8. SDS lost the shooting and rebounding stats, too! Yes, that is dominance.
It is not often that Pacific garners acclaim for recruiting a "Top 25" class. They have had some outstanding talent in recent years...Maraker, Doubley, Yango, Newton, Davis, Johnson. But those recruits were not highly regarded, yet they won! Currently, Long Beach State and UC-Davis are the recruiting lottery winners in the BW. Each is loaded with talented athletes. The Tigers are made up of good athletes with good attitudes. They play smart and unselfish. Right now, that combination is working well for Pacific.
Their 4-0 mark, and the progress the team is showing, proves it. Which gets us back to the question..."How good are the Tigers?"
This writer thinks they are very good and will give Big West favorites big time trouble!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Players of the Week
Sunday, November 22
Danville--Every couple of weeks, or so, I will attempt to recognize some players and teams who, in my opinion, deserve some recognition for their achievements. I know that in doing so some deserving individuals may get left out, but by season's end, just about anyone earning some special recognition will get mentioned. With that in mind, I offer you these individuals, by conference.
Big Sky
Will Figures, has helped Northern Colorado get off to an fast 5-0 start. The senior guard is averaging 16.8 points per game and has scored in double digits in four of his team's five games.
Mountain West
Darington Hobson, is a sharp shooting junior forward for the New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos are also off to a 5-0 start, largely in part due to Hobson's 19.2 ppg, including 30 in drop on Louisiana Tech.
Jimmer Fredette, of BYU just cannot be ignored. He's pouring in 21.0 ppg for the undefeated Cougars.
WAC
Brandan Fields, is averaging 20.0 for the Nevada Wolfpack and the senior guard is complementing the play of sophomore Luke Babbitt who is averaging a double/double (18/10) from the forward slot.
WCC
Matthew Dellavedova, is someone hard to ignor. The St. Mary's freshmen from Australia is making Moraga residents forget the premature departure of Patty Mills. Matt is averaging 18.3 ppg for the 3-1 Gaels. Like Brandan Fields, he is providing the outside threat that gives Omar Samhan his chance to average a double/double.
Big West
Sam Willard, is emerging as a force for the undefeated Pacific Tigers. He has been carrying the load for UOP averaging 15 ppg and about 9 boards. The defensive minded Tigers will need him to continue controlling the middle in order for Pacific to have a successful season.
Pac-10
Quincy Pondexter. Not unexpectedly, the Huskies of Washington are 4-0. Quincy, has been sensational averaging 24.0 ppg and 12 rebounds.
Danville--Every couple of weeks, or so, I will attempt to recognize some players and teams who, in my opinion, deserve some recognition for their achievements. I know that in doing so some deserving individuals may get left out, but by season's end, just about anyone earning some special recognition will get mentioned. With that in mind, I offer you these individuals, by conference.
Big Sky
Will Figures, has helped Northern Colorado get off to an fast 5-0 start. The senior guard is averaging 16.8 points per game and has scored in double digits in four of his team's five games.
Mountain West
Darington Hobson, is a sharp shooting junior forward for the New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos are also off to a 5-0 start, largely in part due to Hobson's 19.2 ppg, including 30 in drop on Louisiana Tech.
Jimmer Fredette, of BYU just cannot be ignored. He's pouring in 21.0 ppg for the undefeated Cougars.
WAC
Brandan Fields, is averaging 20.0 for the Nevada Wolfpack and the senior guard is complementing the play of sophomore Luke Babbitt who is averaging a double/double (18/10) from the forward slot.
WCC
Matthew Dellavedova, is someone hard to ignor. The St. Mary's freshmen from Australia is making Moraga residents forget the premature departure of Patty Mills. Matt is averaging 18.3 ppg for the 3-1 Gaels. Like Brandan Fields, he is providing the outside threat that gives Omar Samhan his chance to average a double/double.
Big West
Sam Willard, is emerging as a force for the undefeated Pacific Tigers. He has been carrying the load for UOP averaging 15 ppg and about 9 boards. The defensive minded Tigers will need him to continue controlling the middle in order for Pacific to have a successful season.
Pac-10
Quincy Pondexter. Not unexpectedly, the Huskies of Washington are 4-0. Quincy, has been sensational averaging 24.0 ppg and 12 rebounds.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Hornets' Sting
November 21
Bay Area--There have been some wonderful upsets thus far this season...South Dakota State beat Wyoming, Rider taking out Mississippi State, Idaho whomping Utah, and Fullerton upending UCLA, just to name a few of the 20-some BCS schools who have gone down to a Mid-Major.
Today, just a few minutes ago, the upset of upsets (perhaps the mother of all college basketball upsets) occured. Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference went into Corvalis and beat the Beavers. This is a monumental upset!
If you don't think so, consider this: Sac State has won a total of 6 games the last two seasons; and last year, they were just 2-27. They have been at, or near, the cellar of the Big Sky Conference for years.
Oregon State closed very fast last year and ended up winning the College Basketball Invitational. It is a program expecting to improve on its 18-18 record of last season. While, they were not picked to be a top contender for the Pac-10 conference title, they were picked to be competitive. Especially, on their home floor.
But "Whoa Nellie!" The rafters of Gill Coliseum have got to be shaking! Brain Katz' troops have just dealt the Beavers a major setback. And, in the process, the Hornets have boosted their confidence and made a giant step on their way to elevating the stature of a program that has been down for so many years.
Congratulations Hornets! Congratulations Brian Katz.
Bay Area--There have been some wonderful upsets thus far this season...South Dakota State beat Wyoming, Rider taking out Mississippi State, Idaho whomping Utah, and Fullerton upending UCLA, just to name a few of the 20-some BCS schools who have gone down to a Mid-Major.
Today, just a few minutes ago, the upset of upsets (perhaps the mother of all college basketball upsets) occured. Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference went into Corvalis and beat the Beavers. This is a monumental upset!
If you don't think so, consider this: Sac State has won a total of 6 games the last two seasons; and last year, they were just 2-27. They have been at, or near, the cellar of the Big Sky Conference for years.
Oregon State closed very fast last year and ended up winning the College Basketball Invitational. It is a program expecting to improve on its 18-18 record of last season. While, they were not picked to be a top contender for the Pac-10 conference title, they were picked to be competitive. Especially, on their home floor.
But "Whoa Nellie!" The rafters of Gill Coliseum have got to be shaking! Brain Katz' troops have just dealt the Beavers a major setback. And, in the process, the Hornets have boosted their confidence and made a giant step on their way to elevating the stature of a program that has been down for so many years.
Congratulations Hornets! Congratulations Brian Katz.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Long Reach for Long Beach?
Thursday--Nov 19, Bay Area: Tonight, in South Bend, Indiana, Long Beach State embarks on a journey to re-establish itself as a player in the national Collegiate basketball scene. They will take on the highly regarded Fighting Irish on their home court.
It is not all that unusual for a Big West Conference team to venture eastward to take on powerhouse teams from the Midwest and eastern seaboard. UC Davis, Northridge, Pacific, and Santa Barbara, and others have done so in recent years. But Long Beach hasn't schedule just one or two such big time teams. It has scheduled 5 top 30 teams, and could face at least two more.
After they face Notre Dame, they will take on West Virginia in the first round of the 76 Classic, then Texas, Kentucky, and Duke in Decmeber. You can throw in ever tough Utah State just for good measure. If they get by West Virginia, then they will get the winner of the Texas A&M/Clemson game. And, if they happened to advance to the finals they might get UCLA or Butler, the highest rated Mid-major in the country.
This is the kind of schedule that would make Mark Few take notice. I suspect it will be among the strongest SOS's in the country...maybe THE strongest.
Dan Monson burst onto the national scene with his success at Gonzaga in the late '90's. He parlayed that into a Big-10 Head Coach job at Minnesota. The Gopher job turned out be less than golden, and he took over the riegns at Long Beach two years ago. Since then, he has been about the most effective recruiter in the Big West and has one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the country.
Last season, two outstanding freshmen, guard Larry Anderson and forward T.J. Robinson, helped to elevate the team from a 6-24 team to 15-15. This year, those two join six new teammates: Jules Montgomery, 6-9 Forward; Mike Vantrimpont, 7-0 Center; Jerramy King, 5-ll Guard; Kyle Richardson, 6-7 Forwad; plus JC transfers Sean Starkey and Tristan Wilson. Besides being among the most talented in the BW, it makes Long Beach the youngest team in the conference. If they turn out to be as good as Monson expects, then LBSU has a chance to dominate the league like Pacific and Utah State have done in the recent past.
So back to this season. I have had lingering questions since the LB schedule was announced: has Dan Monson bitten off too much for the sophomore/freshmen dominated team? Will the pressure of playing so many Blue Blood powerhouses battle harden them, or make them lose confidence? Has Long Beach over reached?
As a fan of west coast basketball, I would like to see Long Beach win everyone of these games and show those talking heads from back east a thing or two. It would be great for the UCLA-dominated L.A. market, it would great for the much-deserving Big West Conference, and it would be just absolutely great for "The Beach."
Right now, though, I hoping they just win at least one!
It is not all that unusual for a Big West Conference team to venture eastward to take on powerhouse teams from the Midwest and eastern seaboard. UC Davis, Northridge, Pacific, and Santa Barbara, and others have done so in recent years. But Long Beach hasn't schedule just one or two such big time teams. It has scheduled 5 top 30 teams, and could face at least two more.
After they face Notre Dame, they will take on West Virginia in the first round of the 76 Classic, then Texas, Kentucky, and Duke in Decmeber. You can throw in ever tough Utah State just for good measure. If they get by West Virginia, then they will get the winner of the Texas A&M/Clemson game. And, if they happened to advance to the finals they might get UCLA or Butler, the highest rated Mid-major in the country.
This is the kind of schedule that would make Mark Few take notice. I suspect it will be among the strongest SOS's in the country...maybe THE strongest.
Dan Monson burst onto the national scene with his success at Gonzaga in the late '90's. He parlayed that into a Big-10 Head Coach job at Minnesota. The Gopher job turned out be less than golden, and he took over the riegns at Long Beach two years ago. Since then, he has been about the most effective recruiter in the Big West and has one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the country.
Last season, two outstanding freshmen, guard Larry Anderson and forward T.J. Robinson, helped to elevate the team from a 6-24 team to 15-15. This year, those two join six new teammates: Jules Montgomery, 6-9 Forward; Mike Vantrimpont, 7-0 Center; Jerramy King, 5-ll Guard; Kyle Richardson, 6-7 Forwad; plus JC transfers Sean Starkey and Tristan Wilson. Besides being among the most talented in the BW, it makes Long Beach the youngest team in the conference. If they turn out to be as good as Monson expects, then LBSU has a chance to dominate the league like Pacific and Utah State have done in the recent past.
So back to this season. I have had lingering questions since the LB schedule was announced: has Dan Monson bitten off too much for the sophomore/freshmen dominated team? Will the pressure of playing so many Blue Blood powerhouses battle harden them, or make them lose confidence? Has Long Beach over reached?
As a fan of west coast basketball, I would like to see Long Beach win everyone of these games and show those talking heads from back east a thing or two. It would be great for the UCLA-dominated L.A. market, it would great for the much-deserving Big West Conference, and it would be just absolutely great for "The Beach."
Right now, though, I hoping they just win at least one!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Is St. Mary's better than last year?
November 17, 2009
Moraga, CA: 2:30 a.m. -- I had my own version of ESPN's Basketball Marathon last night. First, I attended the University of San Diego/University of Pacific game in Stockton, then dashed to Moraga to see San Diego State take on St. Mary's. Home to Stockton to Moraga to home...200 miles.
The game at UOP was a nail biterr. Strong defense by both teams, poor shooting from the charity stripe by Pacific made it closer than it should have been, but with just two minutes to go, the Toreros had erased a ten point deficit. A Tiger free throw with about 6 seconds to go was the margin of victory. Final score: 56 to 55.
After the grind-it-out display at the Spanos Center, I was not prepared for the offensive fire power on display at McKeon. Sure, the Gaels dropped 100 on New Mexico State and blew them out on to the rolling hills a few days before. But, really? Without Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson? New Mexico State is picked to contend for the WAC, right up there with Nevada and Utah State.
The Gaels came out on fire and torched the nets from long range. Mickey McConnell looked in mid-season form, and newcomer Matthew Dellavedova drilled 3-points from very long range. They finished with 24 and 17 points respectively. Omar Samhan swept the boards for 16 rebounds and added 17 points of his own. They built a 21 point lead by half time and coasted to an 80 to 58 victory. This wasn't done against a Div II team. SDSU is expected to battle BYU for the Mountain West crown.
So, how good are the Gaels? Early season results suggest that they are very good, even without Mills at the helm. They certainly adjusted well after losing him for the latter part of season last year. McConnell, Hunter, and Dellavedova look solid. Samhan can control the middle with the help of Mitchell Young and Ben Allen. Randy Bennett keeps recruiting "unknowns" from Down Under (five Aussies on the roster) who can contribute. Portland and Gonzaga take heed.
Make no mistake, the Gaels have reloaded.
When I arrived home at 2:30 a.m., I watched the game I had DeVoed. Wow! What a surprise. Fullerton capsized UCLA, and at Pauley. I just watched the two overtime periods. A great victory for the Fullerton team and a great shot in the arm for the Big West conference.
Moraga, CA: 2:30 a.m. -- I had my own version of ESPN's Basketball Marathon last night. First, I attended the University of San Diego/University of Pacific game in Stockton, then dashed to Moraga to see San Diego State take on St. Mary's. Home to Stockton to Moraga to home...200 miles.
The game at UOP was a nail biterr. Strong defense by both teams, poor shooting from the charity stripe by Pacific made it closer than it should have been, but with just two minutes to go, the Toreros had erased a ten point deficit. A Tiger free throw with about 6 seconds to go was the margin of victory. Final score: 56 to 55.
After the grind-it-out display at the Spanos Center, I was not prepared for the offensive fire power on display at McKeon. Sure, the Gaels dropped 100 on New Mexico State and blew them out on to the rolling hills a few days before. But, really? Without Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson? New Mexico State is picked to contend for the WAC, right up there with Nevada and Utah State.
The Gaels came out on fire and torched the nets from long range. Mickey McConnell looked in mid-season form, and newcomer Matthew Dellavedova drilled 3-points from very long range. They finished with 24 and 17 points respectively. Omar Samhan swept the boards for 16 rebounds and added 17 points of his own. They built a 21 point lead by half time and coasted to an 80 to 58 victory. This wasn't done against a Div II team. SDSU is expected to battle BYU for the Mountain West crown.
So, how good are the Gaels? Early season results suggest that they are very good, even without Mills at the helm. They certainly adjusted well after losing him for the latter part of season last year. McConnell, Hunter, and Dellavedova look solid. Samhan can control the middle with the help of Mitchell Young and Ben Allen. Randy Bennett keeps recruiting "unknowns" from Down Under (five Aussies on the roster) who can contribute. Portland and Gonzaga take heed.
Make no mistake, the Gaels have reloaded.
When I arrived home at 2:30 a.m., I watched the game I had DeVoed. Wow! What a surprise. Fullerton capsized UCLA, and at Pauley. I just watched the two overtime periods. A great victory for the Fullerton team and a great shot in the arm for the Big West conference.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Saturday in Mecca
A Saturday in Mecca
March Madness had a special payoff for me this year. I was there! I went to College basketball’s movable Mecca, held this year in Detroit. It had been a goal for about 25 years. And, it was great!
It made no difference that I really didn’t care much for any of the four participants. If I had a “favorite” it was Michigan State because that’s my wife’s alma mater, and my friend who accompanied me lives in East Lansing. But being a westerner, I was indifferent about the outcome. Come on! Four teams from the eastern time zone? Give me a break. My interest level would have been more keen if a team from west of the Rocky Mountains had been one of the final four. And, better yet if it had been a team from one of the mid-majors like Northridge, Utah State, or St. Mary’s.
The national NCAA ticket lottery was not a factor. My tickets came from my employer…Kyle Whelliston of “Basketball State.” Perhaps, you may recall I wrote feature articles for that website last season, concentrating on mid-major teams and players that do not get much publicity like Portland, Utah State, and Pacific, and players like Dior Lowhorn, Joe Ford, and Mac Hopson.
My buddy from East Lansing (a closet Ohio State fan) and I arrived in Detroit Saturday afternoon about three hours before the doors to Ford Field opened and about five hours before game time. We found parking in a structure right across the street ($35.00), and started to walk around.
It was a beautiful day! The weather was warm and clear and the atmosphere around Ford Field was festive and fun. It reminded me of “Fleet Week” in San Francisco. The street musicians were out in force, the sidewalk barbeques’ succulent scents permeated my nostrils, and the bars were jammed to overflowing. Everyone was enjoying the party. We had a “Dearborn frank” and a beer and wondered from band to band enjoying the Motown and rock’n’roll renditions, and marveled as to how I didn’t get any mustard down the front of my shirt.
When the doors to Ford Field opened we were about five blocks away so we started moving in that general direction. It took us over an hour. Detroit’s finest had parked their police cars bumper-to-fricking-bumper making it impossible to cross the street and forcing every pedestrian along a predetermined path. It was dreadfully slow but tempers didn’t flair and it was kind of fun talking to strangers about “where ya’ from?” and “who ya’ rooting for?” My friend met someone who lives around the corner from him, and a lady who claimed to be Tommy Izzo’s wife’s friend from church.
Once through security and the doors I purchased 20 souvenir hats for various kids, brothers-in-law, and nephews, and then journeyed to the extreme opposite side of Ford Field. The place is huge. Our tickets were in the lower bowl about as far from the temporary basketball floor as you could get. We must have been about 350 feet from court. I was glad I brought my binoculars! The facilities people did not position the court astride the 50 yard line. Rather, they cheated it toward the far end zone and the far side line.
The seating was divided into quadrants. Draw two lines: one bisecting both hoops, and the other extending the mid-court line. Each school (UConn, North Carolina, Villanova and Michigan State) was assigned a quadrant for their fans. The exception were the second and third levels…they were all Michigan State fans. Our seats were exactly in the middle of the Spartan quadrant of the lower bowl. We were awash in green and white.
The first game was UConn vs. “State.” From the introduction of the Spartans until the final horn, there were about 50,000 believers chanting “Go White, Go Green.” Anything positive, and I do mean anything, the Spartans did was greeted by a deafening roar of approval. I do believe UConn was the better team, but that crowd made the difference. Their passion and noise took the Huskies out of their game. I almost felt sorry for them.
I barely remember the ‘Nova/North Carolina game, except that it was clear from the beginning that the Wildcats were hopelessly out-classed. The Tarheels were taller, bigger, faster, and stronger and won easily. It was ditto Monday night versus the Spartans in the championship game.
Witnessing college basketball holiest rite was great, but I will always remember most the Michigan State worshippers. They were true believers, and they carried the day.
March Madness had a special payoff for me this year. I was there! I went to College basketball’s movable Mecca, held this year in Detroit. It had been a goal for about 25 years. And, it was great!
It made no difference that I really didn’t care much for any of the four participants. If I had a “favorite” it was Michigan State because that’s my wife’s alma mater, and my friend who accompanied me lives in East Lansing. But being a westerner, I was indifferent about the outcome. Come on! Four teams from the eastern time zone? Give me a break. My interest level would have been more keen if a team from west of the Rocky Mountains had been one of the final four. And, better yet if it had been a team from one of the mid-majors like Northridge, Utah State, or St. Mary’s.
The national NCAA ticket lottery was not a factor. My tickets came from my employer…Kyle Whelliston of “Basketball State.” Perhaps, you may recall I wrote feature articles for that website last season, concentrating on mid-major teams and players that do not get much publicity like Portland, Utah State, and Pacific, and players like Dior Lowhorn, Joe Ford, and Mac Hopson.
My buddy from East Lansing (a closet Ohio State fan) and I arrived in Detroit Saturday afternoon about three hours before the doors to Ford Field opened and about five hours before game time. We found parking in a structure right across the street ($35.00), and started to walk around.
It was a beautiful day! The weather was warm and clear and the atmosphere around Ford Field was festive and fun. It reminded me of “Fleet Week” in San Francisco. The street musicians were out in force, the sidewalk barbeques’ succulent scents permeated my nostrils, and the bars were jammed to overflowing. Everyone was enjoying the party. We had a “Dearborn frank” and a beer and wondered from band to band enjoying the Motown and rock’n’roll renditions, and marveled as to how I didn’t get any mustard down the front of my shirt.
When the doors to Ford Field opened we were about five blocks away so we started moving in that general direction. It took us over an hour. Detroit’s finest had parked their police cars bumper-to-fricking-bumper making it impossible to cross the street and forcing every pedestrian along a predetermined path. It was dreadfully slow but tempers didn’t flair and it was kind of fun talking to strangers about “where ya’ from?” and “who ya’ rooting for?” My friend met someone who lives around the corner from him, and a lady who claimed to be Tommy Izzo’s wife’s friend from church.
Once through security and the doors I purchased 20 souvenir hats for various kids, brothers-in-law, and nephews, and then journeyed to the extreme opposite side of Ford Field. The place is huge. Our tickets were in the lower bowl about as far from the temporary basketball floor as you could get. We must have been about 350 feet from court. I was glad I brought my binoculars! The facilities people did not position the court astride the 50 yard line. Rather, they cheated it toward the far end zone and the far side line.
The seating was divided into quadrants. Draw two lines: one bisecting both hoops, and the other extending the mid-court line. Each school (UConn, North Carolina, Villanova and Michigan State) was assigned a quadrant for their fans. The exception were the second and third levels…they were all Michigan State fans. Our seats were exactly in the middle of the Spartan quadrant of the lower bowl. We were awash in green and white.
The first game was UConn vs. “State.” From the introduction of the Spartans until the final horn, there were about 50,000 believers chanting “Go White, Go Green.” Anything positive, and I do mean anything, the Spartans did was greeted by a deafening roar of approval. I do believe UConn was the better team, but that crowd made the difference. Their passion and noise took the Huskies out of their game. I almost felt sorry for them.
I barely remember the ‘Nova/North Carolina game, except that it was clear from the beginning that the Wildcats were hopelessly out-classed. The Tarheels were taller, bigger, faster, and stronger and won easily. It was ditto Monday night versus the Spartans in the championship game.
Witnessing college basketball holiest rite was great, but I will always remember most the Michigan State worshippers. They were true believers, and they carried the day.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Why I write.
There was a time when I wanted to be a sportswriter. Perhaps, it is better stated that there has never been a time when I didn’t want to be a sportswriter. But, many things happened to me on the way to this forum. Life happened.
I was married with two children by the time I graduated from college, and the only sports writing job I could find was a $40 a week job at the Modesto Bee. It simply wasn’t enough to support my family. So, I took a job in an advertising agency paying $165 a week instead. Many years passed before I was able to realize my dream job.
In those years I was a true fan. There were favorite teams I followed with a passion…Major League baseball, NFL, NBA, NCAA football, and (my favorite) college basketball. The ad agency career afforded an opportunity to be a media sponsor of college and pro teams…and that was fun! Yet, I lacked the opportunity to write about the games and the teams.
Then, last year, all of that changed. I offered my services to Kyle Whelliston, to be his West Coast Correspondent for his blog “The Mid-Majority.” He accepted my proposal and posted sixteen of my articles on his “Basketball State” website. It was a thrill for me. I was so flattered to have those articles posted along side those of Wendy Parker, Michael Litos, and John Gasaway.
I cannot express enough my admiration for Kyle Whelliston! He is the finest college basketball writer in the country. Yes, that is so! He is a true professional. He writes with a passion about the Mid Majors, and actually attends games all around the country. His annual adventure is a typically 60 game travel log to the remote corners of mid majordom. I do not envy the travel; I do envy his wonderful ability to express himself. He could write about last week’s laundry and make it read like Thoreau. If you are not familiar with Kyle’s Mid-Majority.com, click on the link.
So, this year I’ll be writing some feature articles for CollegeInsider.com. I’ll alert you as to when those articles will appear. Mostly, they will be about coaches. While this CI opportunity is very exciting, it leaves a lot of time to write about college basketball. Hence, the creation of this blog.
This blog will be devoted to College Basketball west of the Continental Divide.
Principally, I will write about teams in the Big Sky, Big West, WAC, WCC. I will not ignore the Mountain West or the Pac-10 teams; it is just that they will not get the same level of attention. After all, it is my blog site, and I prefer the Mid-Majors.
One last thing! I will take a journalistic approach. Which means…I will research and verify everything I write. My educational degrees (History, Journalism, Cultural Geography) taught me accuracy and substantiation. If I write an “opinion piece,” it will be so noted…at the beginning.
So, here it is. My first posting to this newest of College Basketball blogs. I hope you will enjoy the weekly features, the West of the Divide Top Ten, and the other postings I will make once the season begins.
I was married with two children by the time I graduated from college, and the only sports writing job I could find was a $40 a week job at the Modesto Bee. It simply wasn’t enough to support my family. So, I took a job in an advertising agency paying $165 a week instead. Many years passed before I was able to realize my dream job.
In those years I was a true fan. There were favorite teams I followed with a passion…Major League baseball, NFL, NBA, NCAA football, and (my favorite) college basketball. The ad agency career afforded an opportunity to be a media sponsor of college and pro teams…and that was fun! Yet, I lacked the opportunity to write about the games and the teams.
Then, last year, all of that changed. I offered my services to Kyle Whelliston, to be his West Coast Correspondent for his blog “The Mid-Majority.” He accepted my proposal and posted sixteen of my articles on his “Basketball State” website. It was a thrill for me. I was so flattered to have those articles posted along side those of Wendy Parker, Michael Litos, and John Gasaway.
I cannot express enough my admiration for Kyle Whelliston! He is the finest college basketball writer in the country. Yes, that is so! He is a true professional. He writes with a passion about the Mid Majors, and actually attends games all around the country. His annual adventure is a typically 60 game travel log to the remote corners of mid majordom. I do not envy the travel; I do envy his wonderful ability to express himself. He could write about last week’s laundry and make it read like Thoreau. If you are not familiar with Kyle’s Mid-Majority.com, click on the link.
So, this year I’ll be writing some feature articles for CollegeInsider.com. I’ll alert you as to when those articles will appear. Mostly, they will be about coaches. While this CI opportunity is very exciting, it leaves a lot of time to write about college basketball. Hence, the creation of this blog.
This blog will be devoted to College Basketball west of the Continental Divide.
Principally, I will write about teams in the Big Sky, Big West, WAC, WCC. I will not ignore the Mountain West or the Pac-10 teams; it is just that they will not get the same level of attention. After all, it is my blog site, and I prefer the Mid-Majors.
One last thing! I will take a journalistic approach. Which means…I will research and verify everything I write. My educational degrees (History, Journalism, Cultural Geography) taught me accuracy and substantiation. If I write an “opinion piece,” it will be so noted…at the beginning.
So, here it is. My first posting to this newest of College Basketball blogs. I hope you will enjoy the weekly features, the West of the Divide Top Ten, and the other postings I will make once the season begins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
