Conference USA Basketball

The Knights continue to win the games they should, they’re just not doing it in as impressive fashion as some would like them to.

UCF beat Bethune Cookman 63-50 Saturday night thanks to some late clutch play by freshman Keith Clanton.

The highest rated recruit to ever come to UCF finally got his first start of the season after a solid performance in UCF’s last game against Notre Dame where he led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds while matched up with one of the best forwards in the country in Luke Harangody (29 points and seven rebounds in that game).

Down the stretch against Bethune Cookman, Clanton came up huge with a driving layup off an isolation look and then followed that up with two big defensive stops, a block with 1:11 left and a steal with 55 seconds to play, to help UCF get the close win.

But the Knights shouldn’t have needed those big plays from Clanton. They should have killed an overmatched Bethune Cookman team. This isn’t the first time that UCF has played down to an opponent.

The last two wins for the Knights came against Albany (76-72) and Newberry (80-62). While a win is still a win, Knights fans shouldn’t get too comfortable just yet with a 7-2 start.

The bright side is that while UCF may play down to opponents at times, they can also play above their usual play other times.

The Knights rose to the occasions to beat both Massachusetts (84-67) and Auburn (84-74) handily earlier in the season and then battled with Notre Dame to a 41-41 tie in the first half before falling 90-72 to the Irish.

So in a sense, UCF has been a little tough to predict this season. They’ve had games where they have executed their offense at a high level and shot for a high percentage and then games where it’s hard to tell where and how they’re going to score the ball.

The move to start Clanton was one that was long overdue and should get the Knights off to more consistent starts. It also gives UCF a chance to bring a player like P.J. Gaynor off the bench, which is a perfect fit for his style of play (high energy and hustle plays).

While Clanton is starting to emerge as UCF’s best player, his progression this season hasn’t been without a few stumbling blocks while he has searched for the best possible way to fit in with his teammates.

He has been somewhat of a turnover machine leading the team with 30 (3.3 per game) on the season. That’s typical of a freshman no matter how good one is and is something that Clanton will surely cut down upon as the season continues.

Clanton is starting to find a rhythm on offense and starting to see how he can get his looks. Head Coach Kirk Speraw has used him very effectively in isolated positions at the high post, as well as giving him the freedom to bring the ball up court in transition on other occasions.

But where Clanton continues to impress is on the defensive end of the floor. Clanton had five blocks in the Bethune Cookman game and leads the team in that department with 18 (2.0 per game) on the season. He is also the team’s leading defensive rebounder on the season.

With Clanton now in the starting lineup it will give UCF chance to play their best two rebounders (Diakite’s the other) with center A.J. Tyler who doesn’t do too good of a job getting boards.

This also frees Tyler to venture away from the basket on offense where he has developed a deadly mid-range game and has been efficient crashing the offensive glass for rebounds.

With Clanton and Tyler emerging, Dave Diakite and Isaac Sosa have taken a kind of back seat with both in minor slumps. Once everyone starts to come around together for this young team, there’s no telling how far they can make a run in Conference-USA.

The Knights have been up and down to start their 7-2 season, but if you look closely things are definitely starting to fall into place just in time for a tough stretch of the season to end non-conference play.

UCF will play next at rival South Florida on Dec. 16 then they will travel to play at Connecticut on Dec. 20.

Read the full article at The Sports Genius .

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

When I arrived on the scene at UCF back in 2006, Jermaine Taylor (drafted by the Rockets this year) was playing in his sophomore season for the basketball team.

Now, Dave Diakite is in his second year (redshirt freshman) but may be further along than Taylor was at the time (from now on I will refer to him as Jermaine because it doesn’t seem right to keep calling him Taylor).

Diakite led UCF to a 76-72 victory at home over Albany Saturday night by posting a career-high 21 points that included a pair of game-clinching free throws in the final seconds following a steal (yes, I know it wasn’t a very formidable opponent but it was a good stepping stone for this young team and Diakite was clutch nonetheless).

Diakite is now emerging as the star of this team along with Keith Clanton (sorry, I had to mention my favorite player as a fellow star). He’s doing this by taking on a larger scoring role when the team needs him to, playing great physical defense against multiple types of players and grabbing clutch powerful rebounds above the heads of all others.

Diakite is doing things now that Jermaine never could do in his career at UCF (this is not an article intended to bash Jermaine, only to illustrate how good Diakite might get and maybe take some unnecessary shots at one of the best players to ever play for UCF).

The defense and rebounding is an area where Jermaine always failed to impress and it’s Diakite’s best attributes right now. Diakite doesn’t have to carry a scoring load like Jermaine did but is still showing signs of becoming an offensive threat in the near future (and he can be an explosive one at all times, not just when he catches alley-oops).

He’s able to hit three-pointers at an honest rate (Jermaine shot 30 percent his freshman season) and is already better at attacking the basket and creating his own shot than Jermaine was, not to mention being a threat in the low post as well (he was the go-to guy on the block for the last four minutes against Albany and dominated, like he should have).

Does this mean that by the time Diakite is a senior he will be scoring 26.2 points per game for the Knights? No. I don’t think so but it will be because he won’t have to and will have better talent around him.

Will Diakite be a better pro prospect and all-around player than Jermaine by his senior year? In my mind, there’s no question.

Physically, he’s way beyond where Jermaine is. This is coming from someone who called Jermaine unathletic to a friend which led to the famous thread that started on the UCF Rivals message boards.

While Jermaine wasn’t necessarily unathletic (he would jump high when he caught alley-oops, but that was the only time and never appeared too abnormally athletic at any other times), when standing next to and being compared to Diakite, it’s not such a ludicrous statement.

Diakite actually possesses a first step while Jermaine never really had one until his senior season. Diakite looks fast on defense and offense while Jermaine seemed to never blow by anyone (I know I already mentioned the first step but it really was that nonexistent) with the ball on offense and couldn’t guard anyone on defense (like a 6-foot-4 Isaac Sosa).

When Jermaine got rebounds, his arms were over the rim. When Diakite gets them, his head is looking down into the rim.

Jermaine was described as raw when he first came to UCF and that he was then polished and molded into the player he became by his senior year (someone who looked more crafty on offense than a player that was once raw, where did the raw skills go!?).

Diakite is also described as being raw but has much more raw talent than Jermaine ever did (this tells me maybe he will be molded into an even better player than Jermaine).

When it comes down to it, Diakite can reach his potential while being woven into an offensive game plan and not having to demand the ball as much as Jermaine did, which will allow for everyone else to get better too.

When Jermaine was a senior, it was all about him and he became so much better than the rest of the supporting cast that the team had no choice but to go to him as much as possible (Jermaine didn’t exactly help much by becoming a great passer or anything when he easily could have).

That will never happen with Diakite. He can find offense himself from the offensive glass and can let others get involved (like UCF’s other young stars: Sosa and Clanton) and still have a big game.

Jermaine wasn’t selfish (I promise I cheered for him sometimes when he was a senior). The team just needed him to be when he was here.

Diakite will never be asked to do that and that’s why he should turn into a better all-around player than Jermaine ever was. The rest of this season should showcase Diakite’s growth from an athletic and raw talent to a polished stud on both ends of the floor.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

It was not supposed to be this way.

The Kansas Jayhawks were a 12.5-point favorite over the Memphis Tigers. The Jayhawks had everything in their favor: No. 1 ranking in the country, two first team All-Americans in Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, and incredible depth.

Memphis came into the game with a first-time head coach in Josh Pastner and a skeleton crew of eight scholarship players.

It didn't matter. It's all paper talk.

That is the beauty of college basketball as Kansas escaped with a hard-fought (and lucky) victory, 57-55.

The Tigers (1-1) kept the game within striking distance from start to finish, as both squads had a hard time getting anything going against some aggressive defensive play. It became clear early that the size and depth of Kansas (2-0) would be a problem, but Pastner was able to maximize the effort of his team to make a statement to the college basketball world.

We are not going anywhere.

Memphis had plenty of opportunities to get over the hump, but poor three-point shooting prevented them from getting the lead. Despite that shortcoming, Pastner can look at his first big challenge and smile about his team's effort.

The Good

Elliot Williams

He finished up with 21 points and six rebounds. It was clear he will be the player to lead this team. His ability to take his defender off the dribble and attack the rim was very impressive. If he can develop some consistency with his jump shot, he will be a devastating offensive player. His defensive effort remains strong due to his quickness and willingness to get up on someone without fear.

Doneal Mack

While he missed some key free throws down the stretch, he hit some big shots and played with more confidence than he has shown in a few years.

Willie Kemp

Kemp played under control. He only committed two turnovers and hit some big free throws toward the end of the game. He definitely played with more comfort than he did during the John Calipari regime.

Will Coleman

His game was more good than bad; it clearly could have been better, but he fought valiantly against a dominant player in Aldrich. He made some plays that showed his lack of experience playing competitive basketball, but Coleman should progress his game throughout the season as he becomes more familiar with his teammates, especially on the defensive end.

The Bad

Wesley Witherspoon

He was nonexistent. His performance (or lack thereof) probably was the difference between a win and a loss in the game. He seemed to be distracted and played with a deer-in-the-headlights look. He also played like he does not want to be a power forward.

Roburt Sallie

Sallie has got to hit three-point shots. His ability to do that makes it so much easier for Williams and his other teammates. Without much of an inside/outside game, his struggles from deep made him a non-factor.

The Ugly

Three-point shooting

6-of-25 from behind the stripe. Not much to say. Just plain bad. Kansas seemed to spread out the perimeter players and were able to get around most of the screens, pressuring many of the three-point attempts. Sallie has got to get it done from three.

Free throws

11-of-16 from the charity stripe, including two big misses by Mack after getting fouled on a three-point attempt. In a game this tight and field goals hard to come by, securing a few more points would have made a difference.

What does this one game mean to Memphis?

For starters, it shows this team could be pretty good. Assuming they stay healthy, this is a team that should be ranked when the polls come out next Monday. It also says it will be harder than many thought to get their hands off of the CUSA conference title.

It shows prospective recruits that it is okay to play for Pastner. While getting a strong 2010 class helps, nothing does the trick like seeing it for yourself, especially on national television against the No. 1 team in the country. Game on for 2011 and 2012 recruiting of the nation's top prospects.

It gives Pastner and his team confidence. The questions of how Pastner and his staff would prepare and coach, how the team can blend together under a new system and new circumstances, were all valid.

This game says everything will be okay. Can we play this game again?

Follow Stephen at http://www.twitter.com/coach_stephen

Email Stephen at claystephent@gmail.com

The UCF Knights will look to get to 2-0 to start the season tonight after a convincing 84-67 victory over Massachusetts in the season opener last Friday.

The Knights should have no trouble doing this since they play Howard, he is just one man who apparently likes the Buffalo Bills (evidence by his logo).

I had a hard time focusing on the game against UMass since Michael Jordan was at the game and I kept trying to make eye contact with him from afar (that is also why it took me so long to write my post-game thoughts/recap).

But I did notice a few things.

This team is better than expected and it has everything to do with the progression made by last year’s freshmen class and the talent on the incoming class.

A.J. Rompza, who I didn’t think would improve too much over his career at UCF, proved me wrong and changed my mind immediately. He is listed at 5’9” but is really like 5’6” but is quick enough that his small stature isn’t that much of a factor. With Jermaine Taylor gone he has taken on a bigger scoring role by knocking down threes and penetrating to the hole and finishing with a greater success rate than he showed last year. He’s a great defender who makes the rest of his teammates play harder with him.

The best thing that might have happened for UCF was the Under-20 FIBA Championships (I think that’s what it was called, I’m not looking it up) this past summer where Issac Sosa represented Puerto Rico. Sosa, who again I felt wouldn’t be that much of a different player this season, looks much stronger (and tanner) with the ball on offense and defending on defense and hasn’t lost a step in stroking the trey either (6-for-7 from deep vs. UMass and finished with 26 points).

Sosa experienced the same kind of success scoring early last season but his production dipped down when the team played against bigger, more physical guards, especially in conference. Sosa has modified his game slightly and it should make for more looks and scoring opportunities for the UCF offense this year. He has added the dimension of driving to the basket and has what has to be one of the best pump fakes in the conference now (not that it resembles or is even close to what Sam Young gave the country in his days at Pitt).

As much as the sophomores have come along, the success of the team will ultimately be determined by how well redshirt freshman Dave Diakite and freshman Keith Clanton play. They are the most talented players on the team and have the highest ceiling, making their development to be of vital importance for UCF.

They both looked good and showed signs in the opener, but head coach Kirk Speraw will need more from these two if this team is going to make a run in the conference.

Diakite, who looked somewhat robotic in the offense in the exhibition game against St. Leo’s, was much more active and aggressive versus UMass and would often put the ball on the floor to try and create his own shot as well as battle for position in the post to look for points that way.

Clanton was his usual cool self coming off the bench and giving UCF just what they needed. All he does is make good passes, surprise with how good his handle is in attacking the rim and not miss easy layups (something Kenrick Zondervan made famous at UCF the past four years).

He finished the game with nine points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes of action, the most time any UCF forward played against UMass.

And then there was the son of Michael, Marcus, who looked average but decent all at once (whatever that means, it is a perfect way to describe his performance). Maybe he was feeling nerves because his dad was in the stands or is still lingering from some injuries that apparently keep him from showing off the airness that runs through his blood, but nothing really is going to be expected from young Marcus except solid, strong defense and help handling the ball and knocking down open shots on offense.

The second biggest story of the night (besides Michael’s presence) had to be the performance by Kuba (I will never again type his full name out, too much work). If Bill Walton was announcing the game he would have compared the Polish Hammer to Hakeem Olajuwon in a second after Kuba banked home a turnaround jumper in the first half (and Walton would have been kidding because he is infinitely funnier than anyone in the world and not stupid you idiots who criticize basketball’s greatest announcer ever).

But seriously, Kuba looked in much better shape than last year and finished layups better than a year ago too. On defense, all he does is alter the opponents’ shots and as long as Clanton, Diakite or P.J. Gaynor is playing alongside him, UCF got the rebound (A.J. Tyler does not help in this department since he never boxes out, which is apparently why he didn’t cut it at Clemson).

However, Kuba cannot be relied upon to play down low alone because he cannot catch very well, hopefully he will continue to work at developing this extremely basic skill.

So the future for the young Knights looks bright and they definitely have a chance to contend in Conference-USA if they play this way all season long.

The Howard game should be an easy one tonight with the real test coming against Auburn this Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

Born in California, Taylor King became a tremendous basketball player. In fact, he attended Mater Dei High School where he starred and finished with the third-highest point total in California high school history.

He came to Durham in a 2007 class that included Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, both of whom start for the Blue Devils.

With Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson in Duke's backcourt, King saw minimal minutes during his tenure with the Blue Devils, and logged just 5.5 ppg. in 9.7 mpg.

After weighing his options he opted to transfer to Villanova under Jay Wright.

King, a 6'6 G/F was required to sit out the 08-09 campaign due to NCAA tranfer regulations. In his abscence he watched his Wildcats pummel his former beloved  program, Duke. Villanova demolished the Blue Devils 77-54 in the Sweet 16.

Now Nova's third-leading scorer (11.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (7.5 rpg) in only two games with his new club, he's an integral part of the team that returns from a Final Four just a season ago.

Duke lacks that true mid-size guy around 6'6, although they have a huge frontcourt. Had King stayed, last year he would've had the opportunity to play big minutes for a small team and possibly kept Duke in better shape over the course of the season.

Taylor King is now primed for stardom and a Final Four while his former team is just Sweet`16 worthy, in the eyes of most.

On the other hand you have Elliot Williams, who was born in Memphis, chose the Blue Devils over his hometown Tigers and John Calapari.

After starting 12 games, Williams worked his way into Coach K's rotation and led Duke to the Sweet 16, averaging 4.2 ppg on the season. Elliot proved he could be a reliable player and he'll be a national star by the time his Senior season rolls around.

After a terrific finish to his freshman year, Williams decided he needed to transfer to be near his mother who was sick. Williams was granted leave by Duke and he recieved a waiver from the NCAA, allowing him to play immediately with a new team.

After Krzyzewski missed out on John Wall for his 2009 Class, Duke was left in steaming hot water.

Junior star Gerald Henderson opted for the NBA Draft, and was selected with the 12th pick by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Duke was left with Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer as the only two legit guards on the roster. If it wasn't for Duke luring in Andre Dawkins, who wasn't expected in Durham for another year, Coach K would be extremely fortunate to make the Sweet 16.

Williams is now the star for his hometown Memphis school.

He scored 19 points in his debut against Jackson State.

In a broad perspective, Duke lost Wall, Williams and Henderson all in a matter of weeks.

From a Duke perspective, fans should be happy for Elliot Williams but Taylor King is now an enemy.

With all that set in stone, Memphis and Kansas will be a great thriller tonight.

As basketball season approaches at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the Knights look to get off to a fast start this Friday against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

While most conference schools are going about their business this preseason, this team has been faced with the task of handling adversity right out of the gate.

There is no doubt that Marcus Jordan’s arrival and shoe controversy has brought a national spotlight upon UCF, but the team will have to face an unexpected amount of attention right away.

For most teams, dealing with attention and adversity is left up to senior leaders and proven players, yet with such a young squad for the Knights, there is no doubt they will need to mature sooner than expected.

All this is coming at an exciting time for UCF basketball. Kirk Speraw, the Knights' head coach, was able to bring in the most highly touted recruiting class in the program’s history by exploiting the talent pool in hometown Orlando and continuing the pipeline of great guards from Chicago.

There is no doubt that Keith Clanton, Jordan, Nik Garcia, and R.J. Scott will be depended on early this season, but all signs show that these freshmen not only bring in talent, but also a great pedigree for winning.

Clanton is the stud of the recruiting class and will likely be asked to fill a starting role immediately. Clanton is a hometown star who spurned bigger basketball programs like South Carolina and Butler to stay and play for the Knights.

He brings raw talent, post scoring, and rebounding to the roster, but perhaps his background for winning will help the Knights the most.

Clanton is a two-time state champion at Orlando Christian Prep and took home MVP honors in winning an AAU National Championship last summer. Clanton achieved this playing with University of Florida freshman standout Kenny Boynton and top-ranked high school senior Brandon Knight from Pine Crest.

While Clanton is the prize of the class, he is not the only frosh that will bring a winning pedigree to the table. Jordan has likely felt pressure all his life from just his name, but in high school he did everything possible to make a name of his own.

He is coming off two trips to the Illinois state finals, finishing as a runner-up with fellow UCF guard A.J. Rompza in 2008 and then leading Whitney Young High School to a state championship in 2009.

Now Jordan will bring his name and skill to Orlando to help out a rebuilding program. Speraw will likely get what is needed out of Jordan, overlooking false expectations from his last name. He will be asked to bring hustle, strong defense, and athleticism to a team that will have a deep bench this season.

With touted guard Dave Diakite returning to the fold after an injury last year, Speraw will not see a step down from athleticism in the wing position.

Diakite won’t be a polished scorer like UCF alum Jermaine Taylor right away, but he will bring the ability to light up the crowd at any moment just as Taylor did.

As a young player, Diakite will be asked to lead right away with other main contributors A.J. Tyler, Isaac Sosa, Taylor Young, and P.J. Gaynor.

Rompza will no doubt be the leader of the squad this season, as he was able to not only step in and start last season, but also excel in leadership at the point guard position. A.J. will need to increase his scoring this season with the departure of Taylor.

Key bench players will likely be Jacob Kusmieruk at the center position, Drew Speraw at guard, and redshirt freshman Amara Thompson in the wing. All three players will likely see good minutes off the bench this year.

The Knights will be tested right away with their season opener against UMass. The head coach for the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg, a former John Calipari assistant who is familiar with the Knights and Conference USA.

Out of conference this season the Knights will be tested against Auburn, as well as going on the road against two tough Big East schools in Notre Dame and UConn in what will surely be three huge games for the program.

In the conference, Memphis will once again be near the top, even after losing Coach Calipari to Kentucky. They will be helped by the transfer of former Duke guard Elliot Williams, who was able to get a waiver and will play immediately for the Tigers.

Likely sitting with the Tigers at the top of C-USA will be Tulsa, led by their star center Jerome Jordan. After the top two teams, the conference could be wide open.

If UCF is able to build momentum with good out of conference play, they could make a push through the conference and possibly into postseason action. Maturity will be a factor, but with the parts beginning to fall in place to build a national power in Orlando, the UCF basketball team will be looking to win fast and often.

The UCF men’s basketball team is losing 36.5 percent of its scoring from last season, and that’s if you only count Jermaine Taylor.

The Knights’ all-time leading scorer was drafted by the Houston Rockets in this year’s NBA Draft after giving UCF fans four years' worth of three-pointers and alley-oop dunks.

The Knights have also parted ways with Kenrick Zondervan and Tony Davis.

UCF was one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, and things won’t be changing much in that department this year, as the squad contains just one senior in coach’s son Drew Speraw.

Making up for the losses is a freshman class that may be the best head coach Kirk Speraw has ever had in his 17 years with the Knights.

Headlining the list of new faces is Keith Clanton, Nik Garcia, R.J. Scott, and Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus. Dave Diakite will also be a freshman this season after redshirting last year.

While Jordan has received the bulk of the hype with his family ties and controversy over what shoes he will wear, it is Clanton that should be getting talked about the most.

Clanton, who played his high school ball at nearby Orlando Christian Prep, was rated the 68th-best senior last year by Scout.com and won back-to-back 1A state championships to finish out his high school career.

But most notably, Clanton was part of an AAU team that was one of the best in the country and consisted of players such as Brandon Knight, Kenny Boynton, Eloy Vargas, and Ray Taylor.

While Clanton’s experience playing against tough competition may have been limited in his high school games, he more than made up for it with the experience he gained in the AAU ranks.

Clanton will bring to UCF something that has been missing for the past few seasons, at least since Lavell Payne played back in the 2006-2007 season. The Knights will finally have a post presence who is willing to bang and score points from inside the paint.

In UCF’s first exhibition game vs. St. Leo’s last Wednesday, Clanton scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and also grabbed eight rebounds as UCF won 84-65. All of Clanton’s shots in the game came from inside or around the paint.

Clanton’s game does not stop there. At 6’8’’ and 230 pounds, the freshman big man can handle the ball like a guard and drive to the hoop like a forward.

UCF legend Mike O’Donnell said of Clanton that he could play all five positions if given the chance, and it showed in the team’s first exhibition.

On more than one occasion, Clanton found himself with the ball on the perimeter or wing and proceeded to drive to the basket and score or hit a cutting teammate for a high percentage look.

But Clanton isn’t the only player on this team, and he wasn’t the only freshman who has showed promise early in this season.

Diakite doesn’t look like he belongs on the court with everyone else at times, but in a good way. He looks like he should be wearing pads or in the NBA with the 6’6”, 215-pound chiseled frame he possesses.

If UCF fans were excited by Taylor’s high-flying antics last year, they will be even more impressed by Diakite. When Diakite jumps, it’s as if a trampoline has been secretly put beneath him before he takes off. He flies.

The Washington, D.C. native played fewer minutes than he would have liked in the opener because of foul trouble but produced nonetheless. He scored nine points to go along with seven rebounds and showed nice variety and balance to his game. He even played a little center with one smaller lineup that the Knights went with.

Behind Clanton and Diakite, Jordan got the most playing time in the first game, registering 23 minutes. He only scored one point but was strong defensively and calm while handling the ball in the backcourt, something Speraw values highly in his perimeter players.

Jordan showed a coolness that said he had been there before and looks more than ready to handle big minutes in his freshman campaign with the Knights.

Garcia and Scott saw less time, but both could become solid contributors for the Knights this season. They each attempted multiple three-pointers, and even though they missed all five of their attempts, they looked comfortable taking them, and Speraw definitely looked confident when they were shooting.

The UCF Knights will only go as far as their young contributors take them this season. That may be obvious, seeing that almost all of their players are young, but it is true.

The Knights’ roster consists of one senior, two juniors, five sophomores, and eight freshmen.

Losing a star like Taylor will give UCF the opportunity to sneak up on opponents the first time they see them, which can be especially important in conference play.

The Knights will have a much more balanced attack on offense this year, and with Memphis now on the decline following John Calipari’s departure, UCF will have a chance to make a run at the conference if all the parts come together.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

Southern Miss had what I like to call “Conference USA disease” last year.

The malady is associated with a proclivity for teams in the conference to start four-guard lineups, due to a lack of quality big men. USM started guards Courtney Beasley, Craig Craft, R.L. Horton, and Jeremy Wise 152 out of a possible 160 times.

Seven other starts went to guard/forward Sai’Quon Stone (pictured right) before he broke his foot, and the last start went to rail-thin but skilled big man Gustavo Lino from Brazil. If Lino adds some bulk to his frame (listed at 7’1”, 230 right now) he could become a star in C-USA.

Until Coach Larry Eustachy can count on the big man to produce, he will continue to provide size off the bench.

It’s difficult to figure out why the Eagles didn’t produce better than their 15-17 record last year. The four-headed monster at guard combined to ring-up 55.4 ppg, the team held their opponents to a .433 shooting percentage, and USM out-rebounded their foes, 34.0-32.6 per night.

Now, three of the four heads of the offensive beast (Beasley, Craft, and Wise) are gone and Eustachy is searching for consistent producers.

The sixth-year coach of the Eagles has a 75-80 record at the school and is just 15 victories shy of his 350th career win. He has yet to replicate the success he achieved at Iowa State (101-59, back-to-back Big 12 titles in 2000 and 2001, 2000 National Coach of the Year with a 32-5 mark and an Elite Eight showing) in Hattiesburg.

Eustachy signed two highly-regarded junior college big men available in the late signing period: Gary Flowers and Torye Pelham from JUCO power Chipola (FL) Junior College.

Pelham, a 6’6”, 225-pound three-star prospect according to Rivals, was All-Panhandle Conference, scoring 9.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 1.4 bpg while helping Chipola to a 32-2 mark and third-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament.

Flowers, an absolute specimen at 6’8”, 214, with a 7’3” wingspan, has been highly sought after since 2004. He’s a combo forward who’s always played well on the AAU circuit.

He’s also had a litany of problems: driving without a license, marijuana possession, and suspension from the Oklahoma State program in September 2006. He subsequently transferred to Chipola in January 2007.

He’s a Lamar Odom-type, but will he prove to be a distraction to the program? Only time will tell, but pencil him in to start, as he has the raw tools to play in the NBA someday.

Another big body JUCO transfer, 6’9”, 235-pound Josimar “Joe” Ayarza, will be in contention for a starting berth on the front line. The native Panamanian was a two-time all-conference choice, averaging more than 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per night.

Also in the mix will be returning starter Andre Stephens, a steady 6’8”, 235-pound senior from Heidelberg, MS, who leads returning big men in points and rebounds (6.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). He just doesn’t have the ability that some of the newer post players are showing.

As if that weren’t enough front court talent, the Golden Eagle staff is also very high on JUCO transfer Maurice Bolden, 6’10”, 210 from Jackson, MS. He first committed to C-USA rival UAB but changed his mind. Utah was also said to be pursuing him. He may actually be the most skilled of the Golden Eagle big men.

The guard rotation will be the key to the team after experiencing the loss of Jeremy Wise to the NBA draft. Wise was a three-year starter who put up 1,691 points (sixth in USM and 11th in C-USA history) and led the team in points and assists (16.7, 4.7) last year.

R.L. Horton, the back court mate of Wise’s for two years, now has his chance to shine. As a junior, he should provide a veteran’s influence and is a proven scorer (12.7 ppg). Mix his scoring ability with 3.0 rpg, 2.2 apg and what should be an improved jump shot (.390 overall and an anemic .253 from downtown), and look for Horton to be a threat for all-conference honors.

Stone is rugged, with a pro’s body at 6’6”, 225, but he’s not as fluent and skilled at two-guard, and he’s also not going to start on the front line. It looks as if he will come off the bench as a change-of-pace for the smaller, speedier Horton.

A sleeper for time at the two is an underrated sophomore, LaVanne Pennington, 6’4”, 190 and classic instant offense. Look for him to force his way onto the floor.

Point guard is wide open. With the riches everywhere else on the floor, it would be an absolute shame not to have anyone to get them the basketball. Cue the arrival of redshirt sophomore transfer Angelo Johnson (6’, 180) from USC.

Johnson, a three-star prospect who originally chose Southern California over Cincinnati, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington, played in 33 games as a freshman, starting 11. He drained 27 threes and averaged 4.5 ppg and 2.1 apg. He sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules.

Jerome Clyburn (6’2”, 170) is among the competitors at the lead guard position. Last year, he suffered a broken bone in each foot, participating in just three games before redshirting. True freshman Kenneth Ortiz (5’11”, 180), who helped lead Science Park (NJ) to consecutive state titles his junior and senior seasons, has his hat in the ring, too.

Larry Eustachy is touting this as the most talented team in his six years at USM. If he can get the proper production from the point guard position, it is very unlikely this team will implode down the stretch (1-10) like they did last year. This is a very dangerous basketball team.

We’ll start this off by acknowledging that Mike Davis is a good coach. He played under C. M. Newton and Wimp Sanderson at Alabama and coached under Bob Knight at Indiana—three living legends of college basketball.

Davis authored the biggest single-season improvement in victories in UAB history (from 15 his first year to 23 his second). He is a proven recruiter who’s bringing in a class of four freshmen, a JUCO transfer, and a D-I transfer who is eligible after sitting out last year.

But I’m here to tell you that in 2009-’10, there are no rabbits to pull out of his hat. The Blazers are going to struggle.

Gone are more than 90 percent of the Blazers’ points and rebounds from a season ago.

Paul Delaney III, Lawrence Kinnard, and Robert Vaden—who were 2008 All-Conference USA selections—have moved on. Delaney & Vaden were second team All-CUSA, and Kinnard was tabbed for the third team.

Delaney blossomed into a star, responsible for 16.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 3.5 apg. When Kinnard departed, he took 14 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest (and 13 double-doubles) with him. Swingman Vaden’s 17.6 ppg, 4.9 rbg and 2.1 apg will be missed.

Not to be overlooked, however, were the contributions from Channing Toney, the other starting guard who was the consummate “glue guy” that all good teams have. He tied with Delaney for third on the team in three-pointers made at 22, behind only Vaden (112) and Kinnard (45) on the team.

After all of the dissension and injuries that befell UAB, leaving the team with just nine players total over the last 24 games (and a mere five scholarship holders), Mike Davis somehow piloted the Blazers to a 22-12 season, with a first round loss to Notre Dame in the NIT. It marked the team’s sixth postseason appearance in seven years.

Don’t expect anything close to that this year, due to the heavy losses in personnel that were suffered. It might take Davis another year or two of recruiting to get the cupboard filled once more.

One of the team leaders is probably going to be 6’8”, 230-pound senior forward Howard Crawford, a native Alabamian who has been overshadowed by the stars he was recruited to support. After scoring 7.9 ppg and contributing 3.5 rpg, he provides leadership and perhaps the only proven quantity on this edition of the Blazers—for better or for worse.

Elijah Millsap, a muscular (6’6”, 211) guard who sat out last year after transferring to UAB from Louisiana-Lafayette, showed great promise two years ago by averaging 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per outing while starting 22-of-30 contests as a sophomore. He was Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2007-‘08.

Joining them in the lineup will be the only other starter returning from last year: point guard Aaron Johnson (pictured), a jitterbug who’s short in stature (5’8”, 175) but incredibly quick, rugged and adept at penetrating the lane. His 3.6 ppg & apg must each rise dramatically.

Where’s the beef? Crawford wasn’t much of a banger last year, yet no one who is coming in looks to provide interior size and toughness. The last returning letter winner, sophomore forward Cameron Moore, is thin at 6’9”, 205 but looks to be in line to start. He led the team in field goal percentage (.574) in limited action.

Moore will be challenged for minutes by Anthony Criswell, who is pretty much the same player, only thinner and a freshman. Criswell averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds a game and was named All-State in Oklahoma; he will need to add weight and strength if he wants to be a factor.

Scouts who got out to Hampton Roads, VA came away saying great things about Ovie Soko from London, England, who came to this country via a foreign exchange program. The 6’8”, 215-pound live body was a power forward originally but is going to play small forward on the next level. He averaged 14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4 apg, and 1 block per game.

Only having two years of American basketball competition under his belt hurts his cause.

The most promising signees for Mike Davis were in the backcourt: Dexter Fields, Jamarr Sanders, and Robert Williams.

Fields is a smallish (6’2”, 190) combo guard out of Orlando, FL. An accomplished scorer and a good rebounder for his size (17.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), he’s not a true point but is talented enough to earn minutes for himself in the rotation. UAB beat out Alabama, Central Florida, Florida International, and LSU (among others) for his services.

Sanders, born in nearby Montgomery, AL, spent two years refining his craft at Northwest Florida State College, averaging 18.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 4.7 apg. He’s got good size (6’4”, 200), great shooting ability (53 percent overall, and 44 percent from deep), is physical, and is expected to see minutes at both guard positions and perhaps even at small forward.

Williams is an intriguing two-guard from Greeneville, MS. He is a very physical guard with good size, (6’4”, 200) who dominated other players from his area (20.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest) but is relatively untested and unknown on a national level.

All-in-all, it makes for an enticing influx of ballers...but not necessarily a winning one. Anything close to a winning season will be an accomplishment. Next year, they could be formidable.

It’s been tough sledding in Conference USA competition for SMU’s Matt Doherty.

Doherty, the North Carolina Tar Heels legend who earned a Championship ring alongside Michael Jordan (and others) while at Chapel Hill, was often touted as the cerebral type of player who would make a great coach some day.

After assistant coaching gigs at Davidson and Kansas, he piloted Notre Dame to the finals of the NIT after the 1999-2000 season. The 22-15 campaign, along with the forced retirement of Bill Guthridge, catapulted Doherty to the captain’s chair of one of the iconic institutions in NCAA basketball history, his alma mater, UNC.

His tenure there was disappointing (including an embarrassing 8-20 second season), and, citing an “irreparable rift” with his players (which some feel was exaggerated by UNC administration) he was given the option to resign or be fired. Doherty chose the former.

Exiled from college coaching for two seasons, he parlayed a 15-13 mark at Florida Atlantic into the starting gig at Southern Methodist University. One must wonder how long his regime will last if he continues to produce diminishing results.

SMU has gone 14-17 (11th place in C-USA), 10-20 (11th), and 9-21 (12th) the past three years, winning 10 conference games over that stretch against 38 losses.

Could this be the year he turns it around? From a talent perspective, the answer could be a resounding “yes.”

The Mustangs lost just one senior starter—Bamba Fall (center, 7’1” and 225)—and return two seniors, five juniors, and four sophomores. In addition, the roster is filled out with two freshmen and two junior college transfers (one junior, one sophomore).

This will make for greater competition all over the floor, as well as providing a talent upgrade at several spots in the rotation.

Fall will be missed on the defensive end and the boards, though his offensive ability (8.9 ppg as a senior, 8.8 for his career) was subpar. The Senegal native did not have the strength necessary to impose his will offensively. He did, however, block a career-high 67 shots (2.2 bpg) and grab a career-best 7.3 rpg last season.

His 248 career blocks ranks second all-time at SMU behind only Jon Koncak’s 278.

Each of the three power forwards who played alongside Fall—Papa Dia (6’9”, 235, likely a starter this year as a junior), Robert Nyakundi (6’8”, 220) and the slightly undersized Frank Otis (6’6”, 230)—return. Nyakundi, at 6.2 ppg last season, is the closest thing to a scorer in the bunch, while Dia is an adequate rebounder (4.2 rpg) and decent defender.

Nyakundi is actually an accomplished shooter, leading the team in threes made (40), attempted (102), and three point percentage (.392). He’s a tough match-up with his size.

The likely new center is JUCO transfer Myles Luttman, originally born in Birmingham, England. Last season, he helped lead San Diego City College to the best record (28-5) in school history.

His play got stronger as the season wore on and he got more experience in America’s signature game. He completed the campaign with modest averages of 5.3 ppg and 4.4 rpg, blocked 21 shots, shot almost 60 percent from the field, and copped Player of the Week honors for the week of February 22-28.

Small forward Mouhammad Faye (pictured) returns to reprise his role beside the bangers. He’s long (at 6’9”, 215), has moderate offensive skills (9.6 ppg), and is a decent enough rebounder for his position (5.2 rpg), though a few additional boards would be nice, given his size.

The frontcourt had height but lacked scoring punch; the backcourt was dynamic and had scoring punch but was smallish.

Unfortunately for Doherty, not much has changed: the big men look to be defenders and rebounders but might not have a go-to scorer among them; the guard positions, though receiving an infusion of talent, still lack superior height and length.

The returnees at the starting guard positions—Paul McCoy and Derek Williams—are undersized but talented.

McCoy was voted preseason all-conference for the 2009-’10 season. Last season as a sophomore, the 5’11” gunner led the team in minutes played (34.5 per game), points (13.4 ppg), and steals, while finishing second on the team in treys made (34). Despite his diminutive size, he actually snared four rebounds per contest.

Williams, a former JUCO transfer in his second and last year in the program, had a strong debut campaign for the Ponies last season. He led the team in assists (3.5 per game) and free throws made (79-of-109, .725).

He stands just 6’1”, though. SMU struggles with teams that have larger guards, which nowadays is just about everyone.

Incoming recruits Rodney Clinkscales (6’1”, 190) and Austin Horn (6’3”, 170) have a bit more size and length than the incumbent starters, but not by much. Of course, they also have zero experience at the D-1 level.

Last year, the Mustangs lacked scoring punch (64.6 ppg) and were adequate defensively (68.2 ppg). This reflects the fact that their wing players lack the size and strength to create effectively for themselves and others on the bounce. This led to a low assist total: 334, or just 11.1 per contest.

If Coach Doherty can find a way to exploit his team’s quickness and some of the matchup problems they present in the frontcourt, SMU could surprise. They have some very talented individuals (Faye, Nyakundi, McCoy, Williams) who could be nightmares for opponents.