Atlantic Sun Basketball

The Mercer men didn’t disappoint in their first road trip of the season to Rhode Island for the three game World Vision Invitational. Playing Bucknell, Bryant, and Providence, the Bears would win two of the three contests with an explosive offense and with a determined defense.

The Bears (2-1) won the season opener 89-80 against the Bucknell Bison of the Patriot League, a team that went to the second round of the NCAA tournament only a few years ago after an upset win over Arkansas. Powered by senior guard James Florence’s 33 points and some late game heroics from junior Jeff Smith, the Bears won the barn-burner contest in which both teams shot close to 50% from the field. Ultimately, Mercer would outscore the Bison by seven in the second half off of a 63% effort from the floor, but Bucknell kept it close and pulled within four points before Mercer hit crucial free throws to close out the contest.

Although Florence posted the big numbers on the night (his 80th game in double-figures as a Bear), Mercer saw solid contributions from Jeff Smith (16 points, 3-4 3PT), Daniel Emerson (13 points, 13 rebounds), and Brian Mills (11 points, 7 rebounds) as well. Bucknell’s offense was led by a trio of guards that would shoot 11-16 from beyond the perimeter for the night. Darryl Shazier, Bryan Cohen, and Bryson Johnson made up a large part of the Bison offense, accounting for 52 of the team’s 80 points.

Following the first win of the year, head coach Bob Hoffman said, “We have a good nucleus and the pieces fit together tonight but we have to guard better on the defensive end.” Commenting on the NBA-like final score, Hoffman added, “Anytime these guys are scoring, it makes me look good. Danny [Emerson] is a double-double waiting to happen. He could have had 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds] easy tonight.”

After the opening night win, the Bears would demolish the Bryant Bulldogs 80-56 in their second contest, a game in which the final score was much closer than the actual matchup. With momentum on their side following the defeat of Bucknell, E.J. Kusnyer got hot from the perimeter, hitting six three-pointers on his way to a 22 point afternoon against the Bulldogs. At one point, Mercer would lead by as much as 31 in the first half (45-14).

The final tally saw Emerson notch 16 points followed by Florence’s 14 points in only 24 minutes. Using the mammoth leads throughout the game, Hoffman was able to use a good part of his bench, substituting in eight bench players to get quality floor minutes for the Bears.

While the Bears rocked the Dunkin’ Donuts Arena in Providence with big wins against Bucknell and Bryant, the game everyone really wanted to see pitted the hometown Providence Friars of the Big East Conference against the upset-happy Bears.

Midway through the first half, the game had the making of a blow out as the Friars broke away from Mercer to earn a 15 point lead at the intermission. However, Hoffman changed up the team’s game plan at the break, shifting the Bears into a zone defense that would allow only three points for more than 6 minutes late in the second half. The tight defense would allow Mercer to crawl their way back into the contest, cutting the lead to only a point with 1:10 remaining in the game. Despite several scoring opportunities in the final 70 seconds, nothing would fall in for the Bears as they would drop their first game of the season 79-77.

“I thought our guys played hard enough and gave themselves a chance to win,” said Hoffman. “I know I’ve got some warriors and they’re going to go at it each night,” added the second year head coach.

James Florence would finish the game with 23 points while swingman Jeff Smith would chip in 19 more. Emerson would pull down 16 rebounds and add in 12 more points in the final tally, but it was Providence’s Marshon Brook’s day as the Marietta, Georgia native would pace the Friars with 26 points off of a 10-18 effort from the field.

Returning home to face Fisk University and Florida State for homecoming, the Bears will continue to face big conference opponents for the next two months with important contests against Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Alabama coming on the road soon.

Photo courtesy of Friars.com

Dick Vitale loves to talk about the "BMOC" (Big Man on Campus) during the length of his commentary of a college basketball game.

Daniel Emerson is literally a "Big Man on Campus."

Listed at 6’8", Emerson is a muscular force in the post despite not playing like a true center. He can hit the three-pointers just as easily as he can hit the jumper from mid-range and his tenacity on the glass is unequaled.

As one of the best returning rebounders in the country, Emerson has become a crucial part of the Bears’ game on the court during the past year.

Transferring to Mercer after two years of limited playing time at Western Kentucky, Emerson has been an automatic contributor on offense and defense averaging more than a double-double each game.

The last in a line of a talented basketball family (brothers Scott and Will also played at Mercer and dominated opponents inside), the St. Mary’s, Georgia native hopes to put the Bears over the top this season and push them into the NCAA tournament for the first time in a long while.

The BearZone caught up with the busy big man to talk about his goals for the season and his adjustments to Mercer during the past two years.

BearZone: What are you hoping to accomplish in your final season here at Mercer?

Emerson: This may sound really cliché but just win a conference championship. I don't care at all about individual accomplishments anymore; I had an opportunity to achieve all that last year. I just want to win this year, badly. I can be the first in my family to go to the NCAA tourney!

BearZone: How did injuries slow you down last year and what was the hardest part of rehabbing through those injuries? (Emerson battled through shoulder injuries for a good part of last season.)

Emerson: The injuries were tough for a while and then you adapt to them. After I started getting shots before every game (for the pain) it got much easier as the pain subsided for most of the game.

The toughest part of rehabbing was just not playing basketball for six months and not being able to lift weights. Watching yourself shrink day by day sucks!

BearZone: Why the move to Mercer from Western Kentucky? What do you like more about Mercer?

Emerson: When I first came here it was mainly because I grew up watching both of my brothers play here. I had known Coach Slonaker since I was 11 and decided if I was going to play anywhere else then it was going to be for him at Mercer.

The main thing that I like about Mercer more than Western Kentucky is that Mercer has James Florence. I didn't have a James Florence at Western Kentucky; it was much less fun to watch basketball.
 
BearZone: Have you found your place in Hoffman's run-n-gun offense? What do you expect your role to be this season?

Emerson: I definitely think I have found my role here. Offensively, I am needed to rebound as much as possible and finish when I get the ball around the basket. I try to take charges and help everyone as much as possible defensively.

BearZone: What are your goals going into each game?

Emerson: I think my goals this season will just be to stay aggressive for the entire game and rebound as hard as possibly when I'm in the game.

I want to try to average eight-plus rebounds per game again and cut down on my turnovers big time from last season. A double-double sounds like a very ambitious goal this season, so we'll go with that.

BearZone: Why should the average student come out to the games this year? What about the team makes the games exciting?

Emerson: I think the average student should come check us out for a couple of reasons. First, we have a much more athletically gifted team this season and we are playing even faster than we did a year ago. Secondly, we have studs like EJ Kusnyer, Brian Mills, Jeff Smith, and Ted Price on the team this year.

What more do girls need to entice them to come out than that??

With professional sports all but removed from Macon, the Mercer Bears are starting to fill the void for a city in need of a sports team. Middle Georgia’s hottest ticket has been consistently improving over the past few seasons and this could be the year that the Bears finally make the big dance.

The numbers don’t lie. Seventeen wins last season. Two upset victories over Auburn and Alabama and a close overtime loss to Georgia Tech. A 54 percent increase in attendance last year and nearly 1,000 season ticket packages already sold should indicate that you might be missing something big if you haven’t reserved your seat yet for the next game.

Forget about Florida State homecoming tickets. The general public tickets for that game were gone in less than an hour and with big conference home games against rivals Lipscomb and Belmont in early December, the University Center could be going bonkers come January.

“We’re shooting for the Atlantic Sun Championship and want to compete in the NCAA tournament, not just show up,” said senior guard James Florence. If the team isn’t reason enough to show up at the games, Florence is. The fourth-year starter is the NCAA’s best returning scorer, averaging more than 20 points per contest. Teamed up with big man Daniel Emerson and shifty guards E.J. Kusnyer and Brian Mills, the Bears may see their stock jump through the roof come tournament time.

Building on last year’s success, head coach Bob Hoffman lured a few big-time junior college transfers to Macon, including Jeff Smith, who dropped 22 points in his first game as a Bear in an exhibition win over Georgia College and State. With a high octane offense, the Bears will look to repeat the success against their opponents this year as they match up with the likes of Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Providence on the road this season.

And let’s not forget about the women. Their monumental 17-14 record last year after a dismal 4-26 mark the season before was one of the best turnarounds in the college game in 2008-09. LaToya Jackson and Courtney Ford, the lone two seniors of the squad, will look to guide their young team back to the Atlantic Sun Tournament, where they fell in the Semifinals to East Tennessee State last March.

How could it not be the start of something great when college basketball icon Dick Vitale visited Mercer in October to kick off the season? As Vitale would say, “It’s time for college basketball, baby!”

Call it the wake-up from hibernation or whatever you want, but the men’s basketball team’s exhibition win over Georgia College and State wasn’t that impressive.

Nevertheless, the 69-66 win was better than last year’s result: a 75-72 loss to the Division II school. With the proceeds of the game going to the American Cancer Society, junior guard Jeff Smith looked fantastic in his first game as a Bear, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. The rest of the team played well in spurts but still seemed to be in ‘preseason’ form.

“In the first half, we were stagnant and standing around,” said second year head coach Bob Hoffman after the game on MercerBears.com. “That led to a lot of turnovers. GCSU played their tails off, and Coach Sellers is a great coach. We have to keep working on the little things. We only have eight or nine days left to prepare for our regular season opener.”

To be fair, it was a tough situation for Mercer. Georgia College and State University, a 22-7 team out of the Peach Belt Conference, consistently gives the Bears fits in preseason action. Gunning for the larger Division I school, the ‘Battle of Middle Georgia’ often comes down to the wire.

Last night, it was Marietta product Graham Martin that was trying his best to upset Mercer with 15 points on the night. The Bobcats also saw big production from Jake Rios and Ryan Aquino with 11 and 10 points on the night, respectively.

Trailing by nine at the half 35-26, the Bears shot 40.7% from the field for a big second half to burn past the Bobcats. A late rally by GSCU pulled the game within three, but they wouldn’t get any closer as time ran out on the school from Milledgeville.

Analyzing Mercer’s effort, Jeff Smith may have stolen the headlines, but James Florence quietly put together a solid second half effort en route to 17 points on the night. Big man Daniel Emerson struggled a bit inside committing six turnovers but managed to fall just short of a double-double with 8 points and 11 rebounds.

Hoffman used the exhibition matchup to get a feel for the team’s depth, playing a total of nine bench players including transfers Brandon Moore, Michael Jenkins, and Ridas Pulkauninkas for lengthy amounts of time.

While Mercer aimed to develop continuity on the floor, GCSU put their best players on the floor but failed to win the battle on the glass. The Bears would outrebound the Bobcats 49-34 for the night.

With their only exhibition of the season complete, Mercer opens up regular season play against Fisk University before Hoffman’s squad travels to Rhode Island to play Bucknell, Bryant, and Providence in three consecutive days. Then Mercer plays in arguably their most important home game of the season against Florida State for homecoming.

Building off of Mercer’s best finish in several years last season, expectations in Macon are sky-high for this year’s team. Led by a formidable core of seniors, this could be the year that the team from middle Georgia makes it to the NCAA tournament. “We’re shooting for the Atlantic Sun championship and want to compete in the NCAA tournament, not just show up,” said senior guard James Florence.

Ranked third in the conference by many of the different basketball media outlets, the Bears will need to get by perennial conference powers Jacksonville, Lipscomb, Belmont, and ETSU for the opportunity to represent the A-Sun come March. Finishing 17-15 last season, head coach Bob Hoffman impressed many in the college basketball world with wins over Auburn and Alabama, while nearly missing an upset over Georgia Tech during homecoming.

Adapting to Hoffman’s new up-tempo offense last season, Mercer piled plenty of points on the scoreboard, but seemed to give up just as many on the other end. With opponents averaging 76 points against the Bears, defense and ball control were the focal points of the offseason. “We just couldn’t handle the pressure,” said Hoffman on ESPN’s Insider team preview. “They started trapping us and the guards did a good job, but we didn’t take care of the ball as well as we needed to,” he added.

The Bears added several key players during the off-season that should boost their depth inside, and outside for the upcoming season. With conference shot-blocking threat Calvin Henry gone due to graduation, Hoffman and his coaching staff added nine new faces to the roster to give Mercer big-time threats up, and down the roster. Add in starters Florence, Daniel Emerson, E.J. Kusnyer, and Brian Mills, and you’ve got the makings of a tough basketball team.

“The big difference this year is that we’re a lot more athletic at the wing and at the post,” said forward Daniel Emerson. “Building off of last year, we’re a lot deeper, a lot better, and a lot more talented than we’ve been in the past. We’ve got more play-makers, more shooters, and I really feel good about our chemistry,” he added.

Of the returning starters, Florence (20.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg), and Emerson (13.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg) will see plenty of scoring opportunities, as will three-point threat E.J. Kusnyer (10.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg). Florence heads an offense that returns 82 percent of the scoring from a year ago, and comes into 2009 as the most prolific scorer in the NCAA. According to ESPN.com, his 20.8 points per game is a point higher than Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody’s 19.7 point per game career average.

Known for their thunderous dunks, BeJay Corley and Brian Mills will see time down low this year, and be expected to contribute every night. Other returners expected to contribute include wings Brendan Walker, Mark Hall, and Jake Gollon.

Perhaps the biggest unknown at Mercer is how effective, and how quick, the nine new faces will be able to contribute on the floor. Tevin Swann (15.0 ppg, 8.0 apg) comes to Mercer with high acclaim, while Jeff Smith (13.2 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.0 spg), and Brandon Moore (10.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) tore up the junior college ranks last season at Wallace State (Ala.) Community College. Michael Jenkins, and Ridas Pulkanuninkas also come from the junior college ranks from Texas where their height and physicality has given opponents plenty of matchup problems.

This year’s schedule isn’t nearly as imposing as it was a year ago due to the big non-conference wins last season. Facing Bucknell, Bryant, and Providence in the World Vision Invitational to kick off the season, Mercer will play their first two home games in mid-November against Fisk, and Florida State (Homecoming).

Big matchups before Christmas follow against Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and UNC-Charlotte, as well as two tough conference tests against Lipscomb, and Belmont. Mercer will finish out the rest of the year with conference tests highlighted by matchups at home against Campbell, ETSU, Stetson, and Jacksonville.

With the Florida State game already sold out, tickets for the Bears’ home games are at a premium. For season tickets and updates on the team, visit MercerBears.com for more info.

In one of the biggest turnarounds in women’s college basketball, Mercer head coach Janell Jones took a 4-26 team in 2007-'08 to a 17-14 finish a season later.

The unbelievable change in pace saw a tough team post a 9-2 record at home last year while eventually falling to ETSU in the A-Sun semifinal game, 82-60.

Led by senior guards LaToya Jackson and Courtney Ford, the Bears will have their work cut out for them as the "surprise factor" is no longer present.

With a total of three upperclassmen (Jackson, Ford, and junior Kourtney Carter), Jones may have her work cut out for her as she’ll need the team to gel quickly before conference play starts in December.

Graduates Dominique Chism, Natasha Doh, Cristin Seymour, Megan Lewis, and Nicole Leonard will be sorely missed on the floor this year as they provided key leadership in crucial games last season. After graduating in May, Chism decided to continue her basketball career by signing with club Baloncesto Conquero in Spain.

Picked fifth in the A-Sun media poll, Mercer will look to Jackson (13.2 ppg) and Ford (11.7 ppg) to shoulder most of the load offensively with a large percentage of its scoring from a year ago gone.

Jackson, known for her innate ability to score off the dribble, was named to the preseason all-conference team after two solid seasons at Mercer.

Also returning to the court this season will be guards Neicey Lewis, Kara Powell, and Lorin Hammer as well as interior players Lacy Ramon and Kourtney Carter.

Lewis, Ramon, and Carter saw plenty of time last season on the floor for Mercer, gathering experience that will be crucial with nine new faces on the roster this season.

Jones’ most recent recruiting class features a trio of 6' freshmen in Sharmesia Smith (6', Jonesboro, Ga.), Amber Coleman (6'2", Travelers Rest, S.C.), and Alex Phillips (6'3", Duluth, Ga.).

Expect all three to see the court over the course of the season as the Bears will look to fill the void left by Chism and Doh from last season.

Macon product Kendra Grant from nearby Rutland High School will also help Mercer from the guard position joined by fellow freshman guards Eryka Menzies, Lindsey Lowrie, Keema Blakney, and Amber Chatmon.

Samoana Ingram will look to get on the floor as a 5'1"1 forward from Stafford, Va.
 
Following the trend of years past, Jones will put her team to the test against top tier Division I schools such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, College of Charleston, and Furman during non-conference action.

Unfortunately, few of the non-conference games will be in the friendly confines of the University Center with only one of their nine matchups in Macon.

The usual rugged Atlantic Sun schedule follows in January after the first two conference games in December against Lipscomb and Belmont at home. Big home games against Campbell, ETSU, Kennesaw State, North Florida, and Jacksonville are on tap for 2010.

For more information about the team, schedules, and statistics, visit MercerBears.com.

It took Bob Hoffman only a season to turn the program around, and for his efforts, comes national recognition.

The men’s basketball team had struggled the past few seasons, but Hoffman managed to guide the Bears to a 17-15 (11-9 A-Sun) record in his first season at the helm, en route to being named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.

It started with a perfect 3-0 start to the season, the first for the program since 1984. Then came the upset wins over Alabama and Auburn. Mercer almost knocked off their third big conference opponent in the same week when they narrowly lost to Georgia Tech at home during homecoming.

In fact, Mercer was featured in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll for two straight weeks after the victories, climbing to as high as 10th, the highest basketball ranking in school history.

Hoffman gave the program a much needed jumpstart, encouraging support from the Middle-Georgia surrounding communities and students. In turn, he was rewarded for his effort, coaching his team in front of record-setting crowds in the University Center for much of the year.

The day before big games, Hoffman could be spotted around campus in a golf cart handing out free pizzas to students and encouraging them to come to the next home game.

“I’m a firm believer that individual awards really reflect team accomplishments,” said the head coach. “We didn’t finish exactly how we wanted to at the end of the year, but we had a great start to the season,” Hoffman added.

Despite Mercer’s shortcomings near the end of the season, Hoffman was able to guide his squad to a 89-83 victory over A-Sun foe Belmont in late February, the team’s first in the last 10 games with the Bruins.

Who could forget the team’s nail-biter win against Jacksonville on Feb. 7? For the first time in several years, Mercer was actually winning the close games at the end of regulation.

“It’s an honor to be mentioned as the coach of the year, especially with the great coaches that are in this league,” said the Oklahoma City native. He later added, “This award really just reflects the accomplishments and hard work of this team on the floor this season.”

Mercer director of athletics, Bobby Pope, was especially pleased with his first year coach, commenting on the school’s athletics Web site, “Bob is most deserving of this recognition. In just one year on the job, he has brought our men’s basketball program to a level of competitiveness, and I think even better days are ahead. He has energized the basketball team as well as the campus and community.”

The proof is in the statistics. A 58 percent increase in attendance, six more wins than the year before, and top 100 rankings in the NCAA in scoring offense, free throw percentage, and three-point field goals per game show just a small picture of the turnaround at Mercer.

For those who know Hoffman, the accolade isn’t really anything new. Hoffman was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1989, and after coaching at Texas-Pan America for several years and now at Mercer, Hoffman ranks in the top 20 for active coaches in winning percentage.

After last season, expectations will be just a bit higher come basketball season in Macon. Following the regular season, the university will host the 2010 and 2011 General Shale Brick Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in the UC for the first time in Mercer’s history.

If anyone watched the ESPN NCAA selection Sunday you probably noticed the small segment 2/3 of the way into the broadcast where an ESPN analyst, his name escapes me, (can anyone confirm whether it was Seth Davis?) talked about East Tennessee State University's NCAA tournament history.

He said that in the last 20 years East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has only lost in the first round by less than three points once. That was in 1990 to Georgia Tech 99-83.

If you look at their entire tournament history, which admittedly isn't much, it really is quite impressive. In 1989 as a No. 16 seed, they came very close 72-71 to knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma and as ESPN put it "Only a Mookie Blaylock basket at the end saved them" (from becoming the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16).

In sum, their tournament history looks like this beyond their 1968 opening round win under a different format:

1989 as a No. 16 seed lost to Oklahoma 72-71

1990 as a No. 13 seed lost to Ga. Tech 99-83

1991 as a No. 10 seed lost to Iowa 76-73

1992 as a No. 14 defeated Arizona 87-80 but lost to Michigan 102-90 in Round Two

2003: as a No. 15 seed lost to Wake Forest 76-73

2004: as a No. 13 seed lost to Cincinnati 80-77

What can be concluded from all this?

Are the Buccaneers simply a tough-luck loser, or are they primed for a break out?

While a loss is still a loss, they've lost so impressively against a diverse variety of college basketball's traditional powerhouses that you have to think some experience was gained along the way.

In addition these seven appearances in 20 years is also quite impressive for such a small school, one that boasts slightly over 13,000 students, plays in a 6,000 seat arena, yet has been playing collegiate basketball since 1918-1919. 

I believe if any team can make tournament history it is them, and that is why I picked them in my bracket to do just that. While it may appear misinformed, having people make bold predictions is what make March truly earn the Madness label.

Consider that the Johnson City, Tennessee school will be losing their two leading scorers in Courtney Pigram and Kevin Tiggs to graduation, the Buccaneers are still a young team, with all but five players scheduled to next season meaning the foundation is in place for continued future success.

Don't consider any of this to be blind ETSU optimism on the account of a delusional alum or that of a starry-eyed, energetic student caught up in the moment for I am neither. Its also not an anti-Pittsburgh vendetta by any stretch of the imagination, I just simply don't like their team's history.

Also, I've stopped their so-called magical run the very next game when, due to emotion from their historic win and all its inevitable coverage, they should lose to No. 9 Tennessee so it's not like I'm expecting them to be this year's George Mason, or that I'm a UT booster, I simply like this matchup, plain and simple.

Even though they enter the tournament technically the second highest of the four No. 1 seeds, this fact is misleading. One has to consider that the NCAA committee voters are enamoured with all things Big East (and deservedly so) but they place too much impact on this.

Don't forget that Pitt is in unchartered territory having to defend their first #1 seed in school history which could place unwarranted extra pressure upon them that the traditional powers have aleady experienced.

If I were ranking the No. 1's in terms of strength I'd go with:

1. Louisville-won Big East regular season and conference tournament

2. UCONN-have to be cut slack for losing in 6 OT's

3. North Carolina-I have them going to Champ. game so this isn't an indication of favroitism; its due to the region they play in, which I think is easier than UCONN's.

4. Pitt

While Pitt's 28-4 (15-3) record is certainly impressive in the nation's toughest conference, we must not forget this is the same team that blew two over rated No. 1 rankings this year.

Included in this was the unexplainable loss to unranked Providence ironically two games after they beat heralded UCONN on the first of two occasions this season. Much of their hype was built off this defeat.

Moreover, if the 2009 Big East Conference tournament taught is anything its if ETSU can get big man DeJuan Blair into foul trouble early the team isn't nearly the same as the offense runs through him.

If I'm ETSU that's my strategy to get him on the bench were he is useless as soon as I can. Pittsburgh unceremoniously bowed out early as a result of this, increasing my lack of confidence in them in big games.

Finally, don't take just my word for it. On Monday's edition of First Take on ESPN, Pittsburgh Men's basketball coach Jaime Dixon was interviewed and mentioned that only three teams have made it to the Sweet 16 more than Pittsburgh's three appearances in the last eight years.

While this may seem consistent, I'd argue the opposite, and to a degree so did Dixon, stating that it proves they are good, and that they are close, but they can't seem to get any further.

I take this as an example of some teams simply maxing out early and not taking full advantage of their opportunities like some of the more established, traditional power schools can like Duke, North Carolina, and Michigan State. Some schools got it and some don't, and based on their tournament history to date, especially their recent history, I'm inclined conclude they don't.

Looking to make a gutsy call? Looking to impress your friends? Simply looking to adopt a Cinderella team to rally around? 

Aside from Stephen F. Austin and North Dakota State University both of whom wouldn't surprise me if they were to win (more on that in a future column even though I do have both losing in my bracket), make a bold prediction and go with ETSU over Pitt on Friday.

You won't be able to say you didn't see it coming nor read of its possibility anywhere...

No. 16 ETSU Buccaneers at No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers

NCAA Tournament First Round—East Region

Friday, March 20, 2:55 PM EST on CBS

---

Preview

ETSU defeated the A-Sun regular season champs Jacksonville 85-68 in the tournament finals to secure their automatic bid to the Big Dance. This is their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since winning back-to-back Southern Conference titles in '02-03 and '03-04 (they have since switched to the A-Sun conference).

After reaching the top spot in the national polls earlier this season for the first time in the school's history, Pitt received their first No. 1 seed at the Big Dance. While they were knocked out of the Big East Tournament early by West Virginia, they did manage to take down fellow No. 1 seed Connecticut twice.

The Panthers are led by three key players (though their role players aren't too shabby either)—Levance Fields, Sam Young, and co-Big East Player of the Year DeJuan Blair. In addition to his POY award, Blair was selected to the All-Big East First Team, alongside Young (who was also selected last year). Fields was selected to the All-Big East Third Team.

This game should not be overly difficult for the Panthers to dominate, especially considering the competition they have been up against this season. They finished second in the Big East in a year where many consider the conference to be the deepest conference ever.

In their three other losses this season, the Panthers have bounced back with a strong performance and big win. Only time will tell if the pattern will continue, or if the Bucs will be able to slow down one of the best teams the Big East has to offer.

By The Numbers

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
ETSU	23-10	14-6	2-2	116	249	78.6	70.0
Pitt	28-4	15-3	16-9-1	2	8	78.0	64.0

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG	TPG	BPG
ETSU	46.8	40.6	33.6	32.6	71.5	41.0	8.5	12.6	14.2	3.9
Pitt	48.4	41.1	35.4	33.6	67.4	42.7	7.1	18.0	12.0	3.9

Stats Leaders

	ETSU	Pitt
PPG	K. Tiggs - 21.5	S. Young - 18.7
	C. Pigram - 17.6	D. Blair - 15.6
	M. Smith - 15.5	L. Fields - 10.7
RPG	M. Smith - 7.7	D. Blair - 12.2
APG	C. Pigram - 4.2	L. Fields - 7.6
SPG	K. Tiggs - 2.2	J. Dixon - 1.5
BPG	G. Hamlin - 1.6	D. Blair - 1.0

---

Prediction

Please keep reading at CBBPlace.com to see Ryan's final analysis and FREE Pick Against the Spread!

Wednesday, March 4, Allen Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)

No.7 Stetson vs. No. 2 East Tennessee State

The regular season was split between these two teams as the games were both close but Stetson has lost four in a row so I have to give the advantage to the lower seed. East Tennessee State wins.

Thursday, March 5

No. 6 Mercer vs. No. 3 Belmont

The regular season was split this year between Mercer and Belmont, both teams are three-point happy teams so really whoever has the better shooting game will come out of this one with a win. I'm going to go with Belmont due to the seeding, Belmont wins.

No. 5 Campbell vs. #4 Lipscomb

The regular season was split and both teams are on a roll coming in with winning streaks. Lipscomb just seems to be the better team though as they dominated Campbell at Campbell so I am giving them the edge. Lipscomb wins.

Friday, March 6th

No. 2 East Tennessee State vs. No. 3 Belmont

East Tennessee State came off of a tough road trip losing three of four, including one to Belmont, but seem to have got right back on their game. They have dominated in their last two. The 30-point victory over Belmont earlier in the year shows that they know how to play against Belmont. East Tennessee State wins.

No. 1 Jacksonville vs. No. 4 Lipscomb

I dont know if Jacksonville can actually slow Lipscomb down. They lost at Lipscomb earlier and this would be the spot for Lipscomb to get shut down. But, I don't see that happening so Lipscomb rides its hot ride to the championship game. Lipscomb wins.

Saturday, March 7

No. 2 East Tennessee State vs. No. 4 Lipscomb

Both teams are going to be a little worn out by this game playing three in the past four days at least. Lipscomb has more go to players that would be able to step up on game day and help them move past another game and continue their hot streak to the NCAAs. Lipscomb wins.