If you’re Rice University, you (perhaps unfairly) fire the head coach in charge of the train wreck, Willis Wilson, and replace him with a coach (Ben Braun) with over three decades on the bench and a reputation as a man who turns around moribund programs.
First was Siena Heights, an NAIA school that he took to an 8-21 record in his first (1977-’78) season, and 24-6 his second.
Next up was Eastern Michigan. He took the low D-1 program to a 5-10 record after being elevated to head coach during midseason. His first full season was an improvement to 14-15, while his second full campaign netted a 22-8 mark and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
His run at California was an unqualified success, as he garnered five trips to the NCAAs (and a Sweet Sixteen), three to the NIT, and an NIT Title in 1998-’99.
That would tend to indicate that he is due for a strong season at Rice in 2009-’10.
The Owls just might have the talent in place for another remarkable turnaround.
The Owls boast four returning starters from the last campaign: guards Connor Frizzelle and Lawrence Ghoram, forward Lucas Kuipers, and center Trey Stanton.
The Owls, as well as most of C-USA, ran a guard heavy offense, and a key component—leading scorer Rodney Foster—has graduated, taking his team-leading 12 ppg and 70 three-pointers with him.
He also led all of C-USA in three-point shooting (.440) and was second in free throw percentage (.846).
Also gone is a part-time starter at forward, Aleks Perka, who was scrappy but a bit undersized (6’7”, 205) to bang in the paint. He inherited the starting job following a broken wrist suffered by Kuipers, who averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg in just 16 games.
Kuipers (6’8”, 220) returns for his sophomore year and looks to be in line to start on the frontline with junior Stanton (6’10”, 230, 8.3 ppg and a team-high 5.0 rpg in 2008-’09).
The race to be the three starters in the backcourt, however, looks to be a wide-open competition.
Based on experience and production, it would appear that Frizzelle and Cory Fleiger would be the frontrunners for the starting point guard duties. Fleiger (8.2 ppg), a senior, was instant offense off the bench, and it appears that he would be a worthy successor to Foster, as he was second on the team in treys connected (54) and assists (69).
Frizzelle, a sophomore, could give him a run for his money after starting for much of the season and leading C-USA in FT shooting (.866) while scoring 8.7 ppg.
Gorham, the senior from Zachary, LA, seems to be a sure thing to start at the third guard/swingman position, with his good size (6’5”, 205), steady performances (8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 25 steals), and string of 62 consecutive starts over the past two years.
This is where an extremely intriguing recruiting class comes into play. Braun hauled in five talented freshmen in the class of 2009, two of whom could dent the regular playing rotation with strong showings in fall camp.
Power forward Egheosa Edomwonyi (6’7”, 225) is very athletic, raw, and strong. His offensive game needs much work, but he runs the floor well, is a good rebounder and looks to be a good shot-blocker, as well. He looks to be a project off the bench.
Small forward Chris Eversley is a swingman (6’5”, 205) from Chicago who is physical for a wing but has limited skills off the bounce. He is a decent spot-up shooter who can score off screens and rebounds like a bigger man. He, too, looks to be a bench player.
Depth at the point guard position came in the last signee, A.J. Holland from Alabama. It was a surprising get, considering Holland’s dad (James) is an assistant at ‘Bama. Holland has excellent speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, pushes hard in transition, breaks down his man on the drive, yet can still hit the open three (41 as a senior).
The two most intriguing possibilities are combo forward Arsalan Kazemi (a native of Iran) and combo guard Tamir Jackson, who prepped at legendary St. Benedict’s in New Jersey.
Kazemi (pictured) had offers from schools such as Arkansas, Cincinnati, and Maryland, and also had feelers from Kansas, Memphis, Syracuse, and many others. Hailing from the Patterson School, he has great size (6’8”, 195, though he could stand to fill out), and tremendous athleticism. He could be starting soon.
He plays with a non-stop motor, is savage on the boards, and has off-the-charts skills. He is still learning the game (though he has great instincts) and needs to be more disciplined to stay away from foul trouble and injury.
Jackson is a bit of a tweener at 6’2” and weighing 180, but he is deceptively strong and has great length. He has only two modes on offense: attack, and attack harder. When he sets his mind on driving, he gets into the teeth of the defense with ease.
He needs to improve his perimeter game, and he may also need to improve his lateral movement as well as vision and make the transition to the point in order to be successful in C-USA. He’s good at pestering opposing ballhandlers.
The talent is assembling at Rice; but the question is, will the victories soon follow?
2009-'10 Conference USA Preview Issue: Marshall
Oct 20, 2009
Player turnover is to be expected in college athletics. Players graduate, and are replaced by incoming recruits.
Conference USA probably will have more new faces than any other conference in America in 2009.
Of course, most observers—whether casual or hardcore—would point to the flagship C-USA program at Memphis as the poster child of change. With a brand new coaching staff, just six scholarship returnees, three scholarship signees, one transfer, and five walk-ons, the Tigers certainly had more upheaval than anyone else in the country.
However, the Marshall Thundering Herd actually count eight —as in the number higher than seven and lower than nine—newcomers being introduced to the program.
I dare you to find any other basketball team in all of America (beside fellow C-USA member UAB, with nine) that has more brand new ballers than Marshall. I double dare you.
Coming off a 15-17 campaign in 2008-’09, the Herd are hungering for more. In a watered down C-USA, Coach Donnie Jones can improve on that mark, with a few good breaks.
Everything starts with physical frontliner Tyler Wilkerson (pictured), a fine physical specimen (6’8”, 240) and aggressive post presence (team-high 16 blocked shots) who is healthy once more, having recovered from a broken jaw on February 4 that ended his season.
Wilkerson led the Thundering Herd in rebounds per game (6.2), was second on the team in field goal percentage (.529), and finished third in scoring (10.4 ppg).
He was prone to foul trouble, with 61 fouls in 22 contests. He needs to stay on court to help this team. His production needs to spike forward in order to make up for the loss of three-time Third Team All C-USA performer Markel Humphrey.
Humphrey led Marshall in scoring (12.5 ppg) and shooting percentage (.544), while grabbing a healthy 5.3 rpg. He is the only letterwinner whose production will be missed. In fact, junior Adam Williams, upon seeing the huge incoming class, decided to forego his final year of eligibility in order to join Coach Jones’ coaching staff.
There is a lot of unproven talent for that coaching staff to mix-and-match with a solid nucleus of returnees.
Redshirt senior Chris Lutz returns for his final campaign, poised to lead the charge. He was second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg), and was one of the top sharpshooters in all of C-USA. He should reprise his role as gunner this season for Marshall, joined in the backcourt by All Freshman team member Damier Pitts.
Lutz led the Herd in three-pointers made (65) and three-point percentage (.374), while ranking fourth in the league in the latter category and seventh in C-USA in threes made per contest (2.32). With the continued emergence of Wilkerson, he could be an even larger threat from outside.
Pitts turned into a fine starting point guard, placing fourth in scoring (9.7 ppg), draining 40 treys, and leading the team in assists (103) and free throw percentage (.841).
Sophomore Shaquille Johnson should join Lutz and Pitts in the backcourt rotation. He settled in and started 27 games as a freshman, scoring 9.6 ppg and chipping in 3.1 rpg, fourth on the team.
As if the returnees didn’t provide enough firepower in the backcourt, incoming freshmen Noah Fischer and DeAndre Kane should see the court this season as Marshall continues to implement a more up-tempo offense.
Fischer scored 23.3 ppg as a senior, draining 94 three-pointers and being named First Team All-State in West Virginia. He was nominated for the 2008-’09 McDonald’s All-America contest.
Kane had offers from a long list of elite programs, and even fielded inquiries from Kentucky before signing with Marshall. He is quite likely the highest profile recruit to don the hunter green of the Thundering Herd in the Donnie Jones era.
DeAndre led Pittsburgh’s Schenley High School to a State Championship as a junior. He scored 35.1 ppg and snagged 11 rpg that season. He then helped lead The Patterson School to a 34-2 record and prep school national title, averaging 15.6 ppg.
Kane teamed with current Marshall teammate Hassan Whiteside at Patterson. Whiteside, 6’11” and 235, will factor heavily into the frontcourt rotation for Marshall after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per contest in 2007-’08 for East Side High in Newark, NJ.
However, he will find stiff competition for minutes from Nigel Spikes.
Spikes, 6’11” tall and 220 pounds, sat out last year as a Proposition 48 casualty. He has three years of eligibility remaining. He averaged 10 ppg, 9 rpg, and 3 bpg as a senior at Dillard High in Florida. He was a starter on the Florida Class 5-A state champions that season, and has had a year to work in the Marshall system.
Combo forward Antonio Haymon, 6’6” and weighing 220, bulled his way to a first-team NJCAA Division II All-American last year. He scored 20 ppg and pulled down 9 rpg, and promises to provide depth and scoring punch for the Herd.
Donnie Jones is a proven winner. In his 11 years as an assistant at Florida, the Gators were 261-103 (.717) and were only the second repeat national titlists in the post-Wooden era. He played a key role in recruitment and player development for Billy Donovan’s program. Now, he's building his own team. He has enough talent to put together a very solid 2009-'10 campaign.
2009-'10 Conference USA Preview Issue: East Carolina
Oct 20, 2009
Even in Conference USA, it is difficult to make it into the first division without top-notch talent. Just ask East Carolina’s Mack McCarthy.
The longtime head basketball coach, who won a combined 309 games at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (243-122) and Virginia Commonwealth (66-55) has found the going tough at ECU, going 24-36 (10-22 in C-USA) the past two seasons.
Though the Pirates advanced from 10th place in the conference to ninth last year, and won two extra basketball games (13), the team simply didn’t have the size or athleticism to make their mark in a moderately strong C-USA last year.
McCarthy’s most talented player, Sam Hinnant, has exhausted his eligibility, taking along with him 15 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Hinnant led the team in points, field goals made and attempted (138 of 358), threes made and attempted (85 of 235), and was second on the teams in total assists (58).
Fellow starter James Legan was also a senior last year, and his 11.8 ppg were second on the team, while he was second in total steals, field goals, and treys. He and Hinnant will be missed, both for their production and for their leadership.
The Pirates’ biggest and best post threat, senior Chad Wynn, returns to the roster, for better or for worse. He has nice size, at 6’10”, 255 pounds, but he is not much of a threat to score (7.0 points per game in 2008-’09) though he led C-USA in field goal percentage (.592) and isn’t athletic enough to rebound very well (4.0 rebounds per game).
The four-guard set that Carolina ran for long stretches last year will likely be scrapped, with the continued maturation of sophomore Darrius Morrow (6’8”, 250).
Morrow, who started 11 games a season ago, ended the campaign averaging 9.7 ppg (fifth on the team), was the squad’s leading rebounder at 6.7 rpg, and finished second in the conference in offensive rebounds per night (3.1). He was named to the C-USA All Freshman team as a result.
The only problem with having he and Wynn start together is the fact that Wynn will take up space that Morrow could use to operate. Look for Morrow to pitch forward and Wynn to fade into the background as the season progresses, provided Morrow thrives.
Dynamic point guard Brock Young (pictured) returns to lead the attack. He led C-USA in assists per contest (7.6) as a sophomore, while also scoring 10.6 ppg, third on the team. He’ll step into the leadership vacuum left upon the graduation of Hinnant and Legan.
Expect him to be ably supported by junior Jamar Abrams, who was fourth on the team in scoring a season ago at 10 ppg, and who led the team in three-point field goal percentage (.426). He will be expected to shoulder more of the scoring burden this year.
The Pirates signed an intriguing four-man recruiting class which could step in and make contributions right away on a team that could use an infusion of size, length, and athleticism.
Coryonn Gaines, 6'4", younger brother of former Louisville All-American and first-round NBA pick Reece Gaines, joins the program from Worcester (Mass.) Academy prep. Gaines put his all-around game on display at Worcester, averaging 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals per contest.
ECU also picked up Erin Straughn, rated the No. 13 prospect in Florida’s Class of 2009 by HoopScoop , who has good size (6’6”, 200) and scored almost 17 ppg as a senior, as well as Wakefield Ellison, an explosive scorer (22.1 ppg) from North Carolina who also has good size (6’5”, 190) for a wing player.
Perhaps their prize recruit, however, is a Jarvis Varnado-like post player, Darius Morales from Timber Creek High in Orlando, Fla.
Morales, born in Puerto Rico, isn’t the biggest player (6’9”, 210) in the world, but he’s wiry and has a knack for the blocked shot (4.3 per game as a senior). Unfortunately for ECU, he’s also raw offensively (11.4 ppg), but he gets after it on the boards (9.8 rpg).
The schedule is a bit unkind. The Pirates drew a formidable Tennessee team in the opening round of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, with NCAA Tournament team Northern Iowa looming further in the draw.
There are home games with Clemson, George Washington, VCU, and Wake Forest, as well as a road contest against North Carolina-Charlotte, which renews an old rivalry this year. Their league games against UAB, UTEP, and Memphis are all on the road, while they draw single tilts with Houston and Tulsa at home at cozy Minges Coliseum, a notoriously difficult place to play.
The Pirates could be in for a regression in record this year. Despite a jackrabbit 8-1 start last season, and a 13-11 mark late in the year, six losses in a row to end the campaign doomed the club to a 13-17 overall ledger.
With the Paradise Jam this year almost certain to inflict at least two losses, not to mention other early tests that ECU will likely fail, tying last year’s mark seems overly ambitious.
In the final analysis, the Pirates will struggle to break into the upper echelon of C-USA. They don’t have the talent of Memphis, the depth of UTEP, or the experience of Tulsa. But Coach McCarthy’s charges do have a lot of upside. Anyone who takes them lightly will be in for a rude awakening.
65 Teams in 65 Days: No. 18 Tulsa
Sep 27, 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK Nickname: Golden Hurricane Conference: Conference USA Last Year’s Record: 25-11
Key Returners: Ben Uzoh (14.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Jerome Jordan (13.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg), Justin Hurtt (9.6 ppg)
Top Newcomers: Donte Medder, Bryson Pope
Strengths
Tulsa probably has the two best players you’ve never heard of in Ben Uzoh and Jerome Jordan. Uzoh is an explosive guard who can score and rebound. Jordan is an experienced seven-footer who has NBA scouts watching closely.
Uzoh and Jordan will lead the Hurricane in a transition year in Conference USA. The two of them will have banner seasons and, with the help of Justin Hurtt, will make Tulsa difficult to beat this year.
Weaknesses
Any team with 25 wins should’ve made the NCAA tournament, right? Well, the Golden Hurricane would’ve come away with even more wins had it not been so turnover-prone.
The Golden Hurricane turned the ball over 14 times per game on its way to having 106 more turnovers than its opponents on the season. The fact that it even had 25 wins with that stat speaks to Tulsa’s talent. However, if it expects a different result, it will have to take better care of the basketball this year.
Outlook
Coach Doug Wojcik probably spent all offseason banging his head over why his team didn’t make the NCAA tournament last year. He knows he has the talent, but mistakes cost his team. Don’t expect history to repeat itself—Tulsa should break Memphis’ stranglehold on this conference.
Pierre Henderson-Niles Facing Last Chance to Be Memphis' Big Man on Campus
Sep 8, 2009
Talent. Dedication. Hard work.
These are some of the key ingredients in the soup of life; it only makes sense that the attributes would be crucial to the success of a young basketball star signing a scholarship at a Division I basketball powerhouse.
Jartavious Pierre Henderson-Niles was three-for-three coming out of high school. As an athletic big man—6’8” tall, 265 chiseled pounds, with soft hands, nimble footwork, and a jumper out to 18 feet—he certainly had the talent.
As a junior at Ridgeway High School in Memphis, TN, he was the AAA state tournament MVP as his 34-5 Roadrunners took home all the marbles. Pierre averaged 18 points and nine rebounds per contest on the year and went for 16 and 12 in the victorious title tilt.
He then helped The Patterson School to a 34-3 mark and a No. 3 national ranking from Scout.com during his senior campaign.
He was ranked as high as the 37th best recruit in the country (by YouthPrepStars.com) as a senior.
His years of dedication and hard work showed in his unusually polished all-around game. Here’s what Jerry Meyer of Rivals had to say about Henderson-Niles in his May 2, 2005 scouting report:
“Niles has a body for both the NBA and the NFL. A rock down low, Niles loves to spin to his right shoulder when his back is to the basket. Also shoots a nice turnaround jumper to that shoulder. Also handles the ball well and can step out and hit the three. Teases as a small forward, but is best suited as a skilled power forward. Would have trouble defending a small forward on the perimeter.”
In an October 2006 interview, then-Memphis head coach John Calipari gushed over his prized freshman big man.
“I think Pierre Niles could be the 'X' Factor for us because he brings something unique,” Coach Cal said at the time. "He’s huge and he can make nine straight free throws. He’s got great hands and feet.”
Henderson-Niles started running into problems when he injured a knee that summer and was forced to take time off recuperating from surgery.
He rediscovered a long-lost love: eating.
“It’s hard not eating certain foods. I’m so used to fast food and my grandma’s cooking,” Pierre admitted. “It’s hard to diet every day, but I’m trying.”
His weight ballooned to upwards of 300 pounds. He knocked some of that weight off, but with little frontline depth, when junior Joey Dorsey ran into foul troubles, Henderson-Niles was thrust into games and expected to perform.
It was not a pretty combination.
Pierre looked sluggish and lost when he was on the floor. Tiger fans got to the point where they couldn’t stand seeing him at the scorer’s table.
He ended his freshman campaign with averages of 7.4 minutes, 1.6 points, and 2.2 rebounds per contest, while shooting a dismal .421 from the field and .438 from the line in 25 games (out of 37).
He was instructed to go home and get into better shape. The ultimate goal was for him to play weighing in at 270.
Big Daddy P, as a group of Tiger fans began calling him affectionately, skied up to 330 pounds over the summer, finally reporting in September at “only” 306.
Calipari could not hide his feelings.
“Obviously, at our pace, he’s not gonna be able to stay in the game a long time,” said a clearly disappointed Calipari. “At some point, Pierre has got to want to get his body right.”
BDP appeared in just 26 of 40 games that season, and his minutes per night plummeted to 3.8. His point (0.7) and rebound (0.8) averages were abysmal; he was barely contributing to the team.
However, his willingness to mix it up in the paint never waned. When the senior Dorsey was in the midst of a long string of lackluster performances, Calipari had this to say about his reserve power forward:
“How about Pierre Niles? He’s just got to get his body right and I’ll play him. But he’s got to get his body right. He went in and looked at me and said, ‘If (Joey Dorsey) doesn’t want to get balls, coach, I’ll go in and get balls.’”
Calipari took the precaution of making Pierre sign an incentive-laden contract for playing time over the following summer. If the big junior-to-be couldn’t get down to 280, he would not play basketball.
Rumors placed Big Daddy in the 345-350 range over the summer.
When he reported at about 292, Calipari relented and allowed Pierre to play, anyway. Henderson-Niles saw action in 36 of 37 games, and his playing time pitched dramatically forward to a respectable 12.6 minutes per game. He ended up averaging 2.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG with a .480 field goal percentage.
Calipari’s move to Kentucky might have been the best thing to ever happen to Pierre Henderson-Niles. The relationship between the two was strained, at best, largely due to Pierre’s weight issues; otherwise, Cal loved him dearly.
“This kid’s a great kid. I’m gonna give him three, four, five chances because he’s a great kid,” Cal said in a 2008 interview. “He’s a nice kid—he’s not a (knucklehead)—so he’s getting more chances than the normal guy.”
It once appeared that he was out of chances to contribute to the Tiger program, though. An insane recruiting class was coming in, and with Calipari’s fast-moving, free-flowing DDM offensive system, the probability was that BDP was going to average fewer than five minutes per contest again as a senior.
Calipari-to-Kentucky meant new life for Pierre.
His weight has been pretty much under control, and he is currently 280 pounds. He’s still losing weight, and he could challenge the 270-pound mark by the time this season starts.
He was at 327 in April.
It’s right on time for new head coach Josh Pastner too, because two big men that the team was going to rely on—6’10” veteran Shawn Taggart and 6’8” five-star recruit Latavious Williams—both opted to play professional ball overseas, Taggart in Europe and Williams in China.
So that leaves BDP, incoming Joey Dorsey-clone Will Coleman (6’9”, 270), and Angel Garcia, a 6’11”, 250-pound freshman who sat out last year with injury and eligibility issues, manning the post for Memphis.
As a senior, Henderson-Niles will be looked upon to provide leadership, steady play, and toughness to a Tiger team that is thin, literally and figuratively.
Pierre is once again the “X-Factor” for the University of Memphis basketball program. In some ways, he has come full circle. It’s a fresh start for a young man in need of one.
At one point last season, when Niles was weighing in the 300-305 range, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets watched Tiger practices and ran hurriedly up to Coach Cal to find out the name of No. 4.
Calipari told him it was Pierre Henderson-Niles, a player who was a great kid but too heavy to play much. He lamented that if only the big guy could lose some weight, the team might be able to do something with him.
CP3 replied that he would gladly have Pierre on the Hornets running pick-and-rolls as is.
So the talent and footwork are still there.
He has shown his dedication by completing an often maddening journey to get himself into tip-top shape.
He states that he’s worked hard on his game, and even though he’s stronger now, his quickness and hops are back.
He looks like shredded steel, thanks to the hard work with strength and conditioning coach Richard Hogans.
“I never even felt this good when I was in high school,” Pierre said in a recent on-air interview. “This is the best shape I’ve ever been in.”
So in addition to being talented, dedicated, and hard-working, it’s good for a prospect to be in the right place at the right time. PHN has fit that description twice in his Division I career.
It’s all up to him to take full advantage of this last chance to shine.
Tulsa Will Take an Unrecognizable Conference USA By Storm in 2009-2010
Jul 25, 2009
It has been five years since Conference USA entered a season looking so unfamiliar. Five years ago the league suffered through a radical overhaul that sent five teams to the Big East, several more to mid-major conferences, and welcomed in a few new schools to the mix.
But heading into this season, the league will look radically different again. This time, all the same teams will return, but most without the star players that were the faces of the league last season.
Without former league powers Louisville and Marquette, Memphis rose to the top of the league, dominating Conference USA at a historic level under Coach John Calipari. But Calipari traded in Memphis Blue for Kentucky's Big Blue and with that likely goes the Tigers' 61 game winning streak and stranglehold on the league.
The door is now wide open for Tulsa who hasn't seen much postseason success since joining Conference USA prior to the 2005-2006 season. The Golden Hurricane men's basketball team is poised to regain the success it saw when the school reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament five times from 1997 to 2003.
Tulsa's resurgence falls on the shoulders of two returning stars and an incoming freshman that ESPN rates as the 14th best freshman point guard in the country.
Trailing Tulsa will be two teams that will make C-USA basketball relevant in Houston, Texas. Rice and Houston have historically always been strong rivals across all sports, but their basketball rivalry has typically been one-sided.
In 2010, both will field teams that will make them among the best in the league and give this underrated rivalry some juice.
After the top three, a mish-mash of mediocre teams will fill out the middle of the leagues.
At the bottom of the league, a bevy of teams missing their superstars will call the basement home. Central Florida without Jermaine Taylor, UAB without Robert Vaden and Paul Delaney, Memphis without Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, Shawn Taggart, and Tyreke Evans, and Southern Mississippi without Jeremy Wise will be seriously hurting in 2010.
Team by team capsules, projections, and all-league teams after the jump.
1. Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane has the best inside-outside, one-two punch in the league with the tandem of guard Ben Uzoh and center Jerome Jordan. Uzoh led the team in scoring a 14 points per game last year as a junior, down almost a point and a half from his sophomore season.
Uzoh's offensive efficiency also dropped last season, but if the dynamic point guard can regain his sophomore season form, he could be the league's best player as a senior.
Tulsa's center Jerome Jordan isn't the league's best player yet, but he certainly has the most professional potential. Jordan stands seven feet tall and can at times steal the show. Inconsistency plagues Tulsa's tree as the center has been slow to develop during his first three seasons in Oklahoma.
Jordan is a highly efficient offensive player with a true-shot rating that ranks 56th in the country. He also knocks down his free throws at a solid rate for a center (74%). Jordan can also dominate the defensive end of the floor.
The senior center ranked 20th in the country in both defensive rebounding and shot blocking. His presence in the middle of the floor is the biggest reason Tulsa was so good defensively last season.
Two men don't make team though. Uzoh and Jordan will have great support with starters Justin Hurtt and Bishop Wheatley returning. Wheatley isn't much a scorer which can put pressure on Uzoh to do more than he has to as a scoring point guard.
That pressure will be alleviated a bit with incoming guard Donte Medder. ESPN rates Medder as the 14th best point guard prospect in the country. His presence will allow Uzoh to play off the ball to find his own shot rather than create it every time.
2. Houston
If Ben Uzoh and Jerome Jordan make up the league's best one-two punch, then Houston's Aubrey Coleman and Kevlin Lewis are a very close second.
Unlike Uzoh and Jordan who are an inside-outside combine, Coleman and Lewis destroy teams with slashing and shooting. Colemand gets to the basket with ease while Lewis is a constant threat to knock down the long ball.
What separates Houston's duo from Tulsa's tandem is the supporting cast. The Cougars bring back starting point guard Desmond Wade and last year's second and third options off the bench Zamal Nixon and Nick Mosley.
Houston's incoming recruits are nothing extra special, but coach Tom Penders will rely on them to provide more minutes than they might be prepared for.
3. Rice
Houston will win with star power while crosstown rival Rice will win with depth. The Owls return five players that can lead the team in scoring each night. Starting point guard Rodney Foster is gone, but Rice has potential stars in Connor Frizzelle and Lucas Kuipers.
If Frizzelle, Kuipers or Trey Stanton, Cory Pflieger, Lawrence Ghoram - the other three Owls capable of leading this team- take their game to the next level, Rice could have its best season since 2004 when the Owls were still in the WAC.
4. Marshall
The Thundering Herd feature a roster very similar to Rice from the standpoint Marshall returns five players that can lead the team in scoring each night. Only leading scorer Markel Humphrey is gone, but his output will likely be replaced by one of the best recruits in the league, center Hassan Whiteside.
Whiteside gives Marshall a much needed inside presence. Having a big body to anchor the center of Marshall's defense should allow the Thundering Herd to improve on its terrible 1.041 points per possession allowed.
5. UTEP
The Miners lose star slasher Stefon Jackson and center Kareem Cooper, but have three reliable options returning including future all-league guard Randy Culpepper. UTEP also brings back one of the league's best rebounders, Arnett Moultrie.
The Miners will have the option of teaming Moultrie up with the extremely talented Derrick Caracter who's behavioral problems forced him out of Rick Pitino's lineup.
Caracter is a 6'9'' load under the basket that showed stints of domination when at Louisville, but can also disappear and make just as many terrible, bone-headed or selfish plays as good plays.
6. Tulane
Defense hasn't been a problem for awhile for the Green Wave, but instead the squad has struggled putting points on the board in league play. That may change a bit as one of the league's most efficient players, Kevin Sims should be the uncontested top option as several inefficient key options have graduated.
Even if the offense doesn't come around behind Sims, the defense has been the team's calling card and should continue to win the Green Wave games in 2010. Tulane's undersized lineup has had no trouble forcing teams into bad decisions and turnovers.
7. Southern Methodist
The Mustangs have been awful in league play since joining Conference USA before the 2005-2006 season. SMU has never won more than four games in the conference, but that should change with a veteran lineup.
SMU brings back nine of its top players from its rotation including Paul McCoy who led the team in scoring as a freshman.
The Mustangs struggled defensively last season, but the team's rotation essentially intact, SMU can likely only go up.
8. East Carolina
SMU had its troubles on the defensive side of the floor last year, but East Carolina took bad defense to a new level. Only five teams in the nation allowed more points per possession than Pirates.
With three starters back and four more members of East Carolina's rotation, the Pirates can only get better.
East Carolina's offensive can keep the Pirates afloat in 2010 if the defensive comes around at all. Darrius Morrow and Jamar Abrams are C-USA stars in the making. Having a point guard that distributes as well as Brock Young, makes scoring much easier. Young assisted on 45% of a field goals scored when he was on the floor, a rate that ranked second in the country.
9. Central Florida
Jermaine Taylor was Central Florida basketball last year. No player was leaned on more heavily than Golden Knight two-guard. But he's gone, as is second leading scorer Tony Davis and starting center Kenrick Zondervan.
The Golden Knights do have the league's deepest and most talented recruiting class in the league which won't help much this year, but could be setting UCF for a future title run.
10. Memphis
Oh how far have the mighty fallen. The top four members of the 2009 Tigers are gone. Left are options five through nine for coach Josh Pastner. Those five players have never been a top option at the college level. There's no point guard in the bunch and little size.
So help has to be on the way, right? Well, not really. Power forward Will Coleman will provide some size and a lot of talent, but that's only six players. Small forward Martin Ngaloro will be asked to be contributed now, but he's likely not going to be ready for Conference USA ball.
Preston Laird and Angel Garcia are also on the roster under scholarship, but neither will contribute much to this Memphis team.
The Tigers' only hope is to have Duke transfer Elliot Williams cleared to play immediately. Williams talent could instantly turn Memphis into a top five team in the league. As for now, this roster is headed towards disaster
11. Southern Mississippi
USM is in a very similar position as Memphis. Three of the top four contributors for the Golden Eagles are gone and only six players return from last year's team. Only three of those six players had a real impact for Southern Miss.
R.L. Horton will likely score a ton for the Golden Eagles, but he won't have much help. The recruiting class is one of the worst in the league meaning relief isn't on the way in 2010.
12. UAB
The Blazers' situation is so bad that it is essentially the sum of the awfulness of Memphis's problems and the awfulness of Southern Mississippi's problems. The names left on Mike Davis's roster are unrecognizable. The recruits aren't that great. There's only 10 scholarship players on the roster - six of which are freshmen or JUCO transfers.
This season should be historically bad year for the program.
John Calipari, Kentucky Hurt More than Others by Derrick Rose Allegations
Jun 7, 2009
On May 27, news broke that Derrick Rose, a standout on the 2008 Memphis Final Four team, may have had his academic grades changed during his senior year in high school.
At the time, many people believed this would be an investigation dedicated solely to the Memphis athletic department. In the two weeks since the information was released, the bulk of the blame has been placed on former coach, and accused cheater, John Calipari.
Calipari has been called everything from a liar to a greasy slimeball since the allegations of alleged cheating was released.
Many people do not realize the effect that these accusations could have on Calipari and the program he now runs.
It was announced today that Will Barton, a high school senior-to-be and top 10 recruit, committed to the University of Memphis, when it was known that Kentucky was the clear leader for his services.
In an interview conducted after his verbal announcement, Barton stated that coaches at Memphis told him that Calipari was the source of the problem, and were he to play at Kentucky, he would be representing a liar and a cheater.
All the negative publicity and criminal accusations have many Kentucky fans wondering if they missed the news when Calipari was found guilty and to blame for this behavior.
The answer is no. Calipari has not been charged in any way, and in fact, the NCAA cleared Calipari before UK hired him, as these accusations were known for months by the two universities.
As it stands, the old saying "innocent until proven guilty" is not being used in this situation.
It seems the college basketball world is doing all it can to rain on the Kentucky parade.
When Kentucky wrapped up perhaps the greatest recruiting class in NCAA history, there were the Duke, Louisville, and Tennessee fans to crown Calipari a cheater and to announce that there is no way Eric Bledsoe or DeMarcus Cousins could qualify—which they both have.
But where does Memphis stand in all this? The program that let Derrick Rose in, the program that looked at Robert Dozier's two SAT scores and cleared him, and the program that is currently under investigation has been using the Calipari card the entire time.
Memphis signed Latavious Williams last week, a player known around the recruiting world as having grade issues himself.
They just took Will and Antonio Barton from Kentucky simply by claiming their own mess was someone else's fault.
In no way does it appear that Memphis' reputation will be questioned, but Calipari and Kentucky, however, will face the persecution of the nation and will be ushered in as the next band of cheaters who are trying to ruin this perfectly run game.
John Calipari Gets Memphis in Trouble; Calipari, Kentucky Should Be Ashamed
May 27, 2009
In a report that broke Wednesday night, the Memphis basketball program is facing allegations from the NCAA of allegedly helping a player cheat on his SAT and making payments to an associate of a Memphis player of over $2,000 for travel to road games, all during the 2007-2008 basketball season.
The results of the potential sanctions could include vacating Memphis' wins from that entire season, including their NCAA-record 38 wins and their Final Four appearance.
There's no doubt that Memphis basketball is at a serious crossroads now, and new coach Josh Pastner has his hands full, to say the least.
This isn't about Memphis ultimately, though. This is about John Calipari and the University of Kentucky.
Calipari has always had a reputation as a coach who bends the rules, and in this case maybe breaks them, when it comes to recruiting. When Calipari was at UMass, they had to vacate their wins from their Final Four run with Marcus Camby in 1995-96 because Camby took $28,000 from an agent while in college.
By the way, Calipari is now looking to vacate BOTH of his runs to the Final Four because of NCAA sanctions. That would bring his total back down to a potential zero Final Fours—for those keeping count at home.
Even Calipari's connection with "Worldwide Wes," William Wesley, is well known. The man without a job title but all the connections in the world most likely helped Memphis land Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans.
Back to Calipari and Memphis—just how poorly did Calipari treat Memphis?
Consider that Memphis received the notice of allegations from the NCAA on Jan. 16 of this year. Haven't checked the calendar, but I'm pretty sure that's before Calipari bolted for Kentucky in what he described as the toughest decision of his life.
How hard of a decision do you think that was now?
Calipari knew about the notice of allegations months before he ever had contact with Kentucky. So when Kentucky came calling, you have to wonder just how tough the decision was to leave Memphis for Calipari.
Calipari leaves Memphis for one of the most prestigious jobs in college basketball and leaves behind potential NCAA sanctions that could cripple his chances of ever landing another high-caliber job in the future.
But why stop there if you're Calipari?
After Calipari bolts Memphis for Kentucky, leaving a program behind that is only months away from facing the NCAA committee on infractions, he decides that isn't enough. So he steals away Memphis' prized recruiting class by bringing stud recruits John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins with him to Kentucky.
Cousins was already committed to Memphis, and Wall was believed to be headed there as well. Wall even pleaded guilty to misdemeanor breaking-and-entering on Wednesday.
Classy guy, that Calipari.
Whatever punishment Memphis might face in the future from this, the NCAA should reduce the normal punishment on Memphis and give the rest to Calipari. The NCAA can't punish Kentucky, Calipari's current program, but Calipari should receive severe sanctions, just like Kelvin Sampson did.
Sampson was basically banned from college basketball for five years, and while it's not a hard and fast ban from the NCAA, the process a school would have to go through to hire Sampson makes it not worth the effort, especially considering his baggage.
So why should Calipari be any different? He's looking at putting two programs on probation now.
Is Kentucky next?
This brings me to the University of Kentucky—a basketball program that prides itself on being one of the most prestigious programs in the country, a program rich in tradition and history. It's a tradition of championships, no doubt, but also a tradition of probation and cheating.
So you would think that Kentucky would be very careful in the process of hiring a coach that has a reputation of being less than clean. So they go hire a coach with a checkered past, in terms of having a reputation of being dirty, but that didn't seem to bother them.
Did Kentucky even place a call to the NCAA for a quick heads-up on Calipari?
Many, including myself, wondered if Kentucky knew what they were getting into when they hired Calipari, and to most, it was a desperate move for a program that just wanted to get back to winning championships.
Well, I hope the Big Blue Nation is happy. Not only did your former coach, Billy Gillispie, file a lawsuit against your University for withholding money he believes is owed to him, but your current coach is now being accused of cheating...again.
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart has made himself look silly now with the obvious lack of due process done in the hiring of Calipari—and Memphis won't be the program that receives a black eye from this. John Calipari and Kentucky will be the ones getting hammered in this whole deal.
In the end, maybe Calipari and Kentucky deserve one another. They both will do whatever it takes to win, regardless of the circumstances.
Lance Stephenson, Latavious Williams the Best of What's Left in NCAA Recruiting
May 19, 2009
Today college sports fans got some of what they have been waiting for: the nation's No. 1 point guard John Wall to sign a letter of intent. The move crowns coach John Calipari with the top recruiting class in this year's offseason.
Now there are two more guys that we all want to hear from soon: New York state's all-time leading scorer, Lance Stephenson, and top power forward recruit from Texas, Latavious Williams.
Stephenson has had fans on the edge of their seats since he announced he wouldn't make his decision at this year's past McDonald's All-American game. The sports world had been craving a decision before the game, so you can imagine how eager fans are now.
Especially University of Memphis fans.
That program has been hit hard this offseason due to the loss of Kentucky coach John Calipari. Stephenson has narrowed his list down to Memphis and Arizona. Williams has his list cut down to four, with Georgetown, Kansas State, FIU, and Memphis on his list.
Williams reportedly was going to sign with Memphis until he received a call from FIU coach Isiah Thomas. That was earlier in May, when he visited FIU. But he still hasn't released his final decision yet.
Some speculated that Williams would go overseas and enter the draft in 2010. I see him signing with a college team and showcasing his NBA campaign in the United States. Stephenson was said he want to pursue a career overseas, but sources say good friend and well-known adviser in sports, Sonny Vaccaro, told Lance's family he didn't think Stephenson would be mentally ready for Europe.
According to reports, Stephenson and his high school teammate Darwin Ellis will have to wait until the end of next month to get the final word on the sexual assault charges they may face.
It's said that they won't get any jail time, nothing more than a fine.
Lance Stephenson's decision is solely based on his location. He has waited so long that he really only has two choices worth looking at in Memphis and Arizona. If he wants to come in, start, and play in a NBA market, Memphis is the school for him.
If he prefers to live on the West Coast and play with his friend Kevin Parrom, he may sign with Arizona.
If all goes well, the University of Memphis basketball program may get a pair of one and done players to get them through this upcoming season. I believe if Stephenson, who is said to be leaning towards Memphis, signs with the Tigers, Williams will join him.
They want make the NCAA tourney and show off skills to prepare for the big league.
Only time will tell. Let's just hope the time will be soon—real soon.
Mid-Major Recruiting: Top College Basketball Classes and Players of 2009
May 13, 2009
Top 25 Mid-Major Recruiting Classes:
1. San Diego State
2. UNLV
3. Western Kentucky
4. George Mason
5. UCF
6. Gonzaga
7. Utah
8. Loyola Marymount
9. Saint Louis
10. La Salle
11. Akron
12. Delaware
13. Ohio
14. Illinois State
15. New Mexico
16. George Washington
17. Georgia State
18. Santa Clara
19. Tulsa
20. VCU
21. Miami (Oh)
22. Harvard
23. UNC Greensboro
24. Drake
25. San Diego
Top Scorer Eric Lawton (San Diego State)
Lock Down DefenderChristian Salecich (Saint Louis)
Best Rebounder Malcolm Thomas (San Diego State)
Top Shooter Ben Simons (Drake)
Best Passer Ray Taylor (Florida Atlantic)
Best Pro Prospect Anthony Marshall (UNLV)
Fastest Devon Saddler (Delaware)
Best Low Post Defender Rashanti Harris (Georgia State)
Best Upside Aaric Murray (La Salle)
Best Athlete Mangisto Arop (Gonzaga)
Supreme Starters
Top PG—Donte Medder (Tulsa)
Top SG—Anthony Marshall (UNLV)
Top SF—Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga)
Top PF—Rashanti Harris (Georgia State)
Top C—Zeke Marshall (Akron)
Breakdown of Top Five Classes
San Diego State:
With six players graduating, including their top two scorers, San Diego had to restock to try and get another 20-win season. They did that and more, putting together the best recruiting class outside the Big Six conferences.
With their top five scorers last year being forwards, clearly coach Steve Fisher has a talent at bringing the best out of every player and making tweeners look like giants. That is why Kawhi Leonard is such a perfect fit for the Aztecs. An ESPNU Top 100 player, Kawhi, a versatile big who plays bigger than he is thanks to a large wingspan, finishes strong and is a dominant rebounder, a lost trait these days outside of centers.
Throw in the scoring machine that is Eric Lawton, who averaged 23 points per game at West Valley this past season, and you get a nice combination of scoring and rebounding. If Eric adds some mass to himself he could dominate the Mountain West.
I know if you look at their signings it would be easy to forget about Chase Tapley and Alec Williams, but they could end up thriving in Fisher’s game plan.
Chase Tapley is a good scorer who has a good understanding of the game. Alec Williams will have fun in his new home. Another undersized forward at 6'5", 230 lbs, Williams will and can make open shots from about anywhere and will work hard on defense.
Lastly, Malcolm Thomas. He spent one season at Pepperdine before transferring to San Diego City College. Malcolm will bring size and will rack up rebounds.
This is a class built for San Diego’s system and should bring an immediate impact and could be the future starting five if it all works out right.
UNLV
Soon-to-be big-man-on-campus Anthony Marshall leads the Rebels recruiting class. He can score, rebound, defend multiple positions, and enjoys doing it. He is a born winner.
He will make guys around him better and he could become the heart and soul of the team. With UNLV’s leading scorer, Wink Adams, graduating, that leaves a hole to fill and Anthony will fill.
UNLV has a small team, which forced the guards to try and create for themselves leading to some bad shots. Carlos Lopez is a 6'9" finesse forward who has many offensive skills and can be utilized in the pick-and-pop.
They are a match made in heaven and Lopez should thrive in the Sin City.
Justin Hawkins is a defensive specialist who can put his man on lockdown and chip in 8-10 points a game. He will play a key role in Lon Krueger's strategy and along with Anthony should make a scary backcourt.
Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky had another great season and was two points away from the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in a row. They lose their second leading scorer in Valdez but keep all the other key components.
Their top recruit looks a lot like a player they have now. Terrence Boyd has the same build at 6'5", 230 lbs as Junior Steffphon Pettigrew, who is 6'5", 225 lbs. They are both strong and athletic undersized forwards who can knock down shots and make in impact on the glass.
Add to that Jordan Swing, who has been praised for his ability to play every position and not having any weakness in his game and ultralete (extremely athletic) William Green and their class gets depth. Green, who can hit open shots, blocks shots, and if he grows over the summer and adds some weight to his 6'6", 190 lb frame, could turn out to be a big steal.
Caden Dickerson is an outstanding defender and a good team player. He could develop into their go-to defender and will help make the offense run smoothly.
This class does not bring a lot of scoring, but they did bring in some hand workers and good defense. Look out for Western Kentucky to compete again next season and make it back to the Big Dance.
George Mason
George Mason could end up being really in scary in a year or two thanks to this class.
From Sherrod Williams and Rashad Whack they will get a lot of scoring from easy jumpers and slashing and attacking the basket. They will also play sound defense and are tough kids. If you let them grow alongside of point guard Vertial Vaughns, who attacks the basket which will suck in the defense creating more shots for the guards, you will have a strong backcourt who will put up points and shut down opponents.
Their front court will blend nicely together. Johnnie Williams can run, jump, and score in the half court, score in an uptempo offense, rebound, and loves to play the game. Put the junkyard dog that is Paris Bennett down there and Patriot fans will giggle over their big man’s play.
Paris is undersized but will out-hustle anyone in the country and plays fundamental basketball. He is not a scorer but that will not be his job. Instead, he will have to get rebounds, play defense, and he will make practice better going all out every time.
Coach Larranaga brought in a very solid class that should only become better as they grow and will get George Mason back to the tournament, and who knows what can happen once they get there.
UCF
As Jermaine Taylor graduates, he takes with him his team-leading 26 ppg game and five rebounds per game. He was the only player to average double figures and the team's second leading rebounder creating nightmares for coach Kirk Speraw, but that only motivated the 16-year head coach.
Keith Clanton (6'8", 210 lbs) is an immediate impact player. Keith has grown a lot as player throughout this last year and now SEC teams are kicking themselves for not going after him earlier. He is a good scorer, a solid rebounder, sees the floor well and will find the open man, a hard worker, and will be a matchup terror in Conference USA.
Add Nik Garcia, who is dangerous from deep, along with RJ Scott, and you bring in scoring and a tough defender. They are both athletic players who will spread the court, creating room for Clanton to work. If Nik hits the weight room and adds some strength and if Scott can get a good hold of his handle and become more under control, then these two players can be big time in years to come.
And now. The one. The Only: Marcus Jordan.
Marcus takes a different path then his father, Air Jordan, but by going to a college without a rich history, Marcus might make some of his own. A strong-willed player who makes good decisions, a tenacious defender, and an extreme athlete who can attack the basket, Marcus is a winner.
In this class, three of the four players made it to or won State. UCF is bringing in winners who love to play on both ends of the floor. They will make immediate impacts and will make UCF a contender in Conference USA in time.
