When I spoke to Pacific Assistant Coach Ron Verlin on Friday afternoon, the Tigers were just hours away from a Big West Conference semifinal matchup against Long Beach State, hoping to advance to the championship game. The now 20-11 Tigers, however, were upset by Long Beach 68-61, ending their hopes of an NCAA tourney invite in this one-bid league.

Instead, Pacific, along with Portland, will be making a repeat appearance in the second annual CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Last year, Pacific hosted two games, defeating Portland and Idaho, before losing on the road to Bradley in the semifinals. Following the seven point loss to Long Beach, the Tigers welcome the opportunity to continue their season at northern Colorado on Wednesday. Pacific entered last year’s CIT, with a record of 19-12 and reached the coveted twenty win mark in the tourney to finish at 21-13. Of last year’s appearance in the CIT, Coach Verlin said, “The CIT was a great experience. We had the opportunity to host two games and then to take the trip to Bradley. The whole experience really helped us going into this season.”

Last year’s CIT gave five seniors the opportunity to extend their careers by a few weeks with three games of post season tournament basketball. Pacific has only three seniors this year, Joe Ford, Lavar Neufville, and Michael Nunnally. While the CIT still provides them with the chance to extend their careers, it also provides a great opportunity for the younger Tigers to gain more valuable postseason experience. Among the beneficiaries of this experience will be 6’9 junior Sam Willard. Averaging 11 points and 8 boards on the season, Willard has averaged 16 and 9 over his last 8 games. According to Verlin, Willard “has been playing awesome over the last few weeks.”

The chance to keep playing in is invaluable to players like Willard, who should benefit tremendously from the additional practice time and postseason game experience, while the trio of Pacific seniors will be playing each game like it could be their last.


On a Roll

Winning streaks are not very common at this time of year. All of the conference tournament champions are on winning streaks of at least three games by virtue of winning their tournaments. Other than that, almost every team is on at least a one game losing streak, due to their elimination in conference tournaments. The longest current Division I winning streak belongs to the Butler Bulldogs, who have won twenty straight as they prepare to face off against UTEP in the NCAA tourney. Two teams follow Butler with thirteen game streaks. Wofford is riding high, as they earned a #13 seed and a matchup with #4 seeded Wisconsin. What is unprecedented is that a team with a current thirteen game winning streak is not headed to the NCAA or NIT. As CollegeInsider has reported numerous times throughout the season, the CIT awarded an automatic bid to the Great West, which as a new Division I conference has not yet earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. The University of South Dakota Coyotes are in the midst of the second best winning streak in the country, and have earned that bid to the CIT. The awarding of the automatic bid to the Great West may have initially seemed risky to some. The bid could not have worked out any better, however, for the Great West, South Dakota, and the CIT. It would have been a crime for a team with a thirteen game win streak to have nowhere to go. The Coyotes get to test their mettle at Creighton on Tuesday.

Coach Dave Boots is very excited about the opportunity. “It’s been a great run for us. We’ll learn a lot from this whole experience. It will help us in the transition phase we are in. It will help us both in the near future and in the long run as we keep building our program,” said Boots.

The CIT will provide a great opportunity for South Dakota’s Tyler Cain to step into the limelight. Cain earned Great West Conference Player of the Year honors by averaging 15 and 10 on the season, to go along with three blocks per game. Of the 6’8 Cain, Coyotes Coach Dave Boots said, “When we played at Kansas State and Marquette, they both thought he could play for them. He plays at a high level, and he is a force at both ends of the floor.”


NCAA Tournament Surprises?

Now that postseason brackets are out, let the prognostication begin. This could be a very interesting postseason for teams traditionally covered by the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. While the chances are always slim for another George Mason, there are some intriguing first round NCAA matchups. We won’t talk about the Butler’s and Gonzaga’s of the world right now, but let’s look at some other intriguing first round NCAA tourney games.

• Northern Iowa-UNLV: The Panthers come in at 28-4, looking to knock off the Runnin’ Rebels.

• Murray State-Vanderbilt: The Racers are 30-4 and boast six players averaging between 9.5 and 10.6 ppg

• Cornell-Temple: Some think the Big Red rate higher than the #12 seed. Cornell has won 7 in a row and 15 of 16, while shooting 43% from behind the arc, but face a tough Temple squad.

• Siena-Purdue: The Saints are accustomed to winning games in the NCAA tournament, and bring a highly experienced first five back to the dance.

• Sam Houston State-Baylor: In a battle of the Lone Star State, both teams stand at 25-7 and put up more than 75 points per game.

• Old Dominion-Notre Dame: Last year’s CIT champ won both the regular season and tourney titles in the CAA.
 

March 14, 2010


Sorting it all Out
by Brian Doyle

Finally it’s Selection Sunday. The CollegeInsider.com staff will be filling out their NCAA Tournament brackets like countless others but there is still that matter of another tournament.

It has been a busy couple of weeks and Riley Wallace and his selection committee are now in the process of making final decisions. According to Wallace things are starting to take shape.

“We have a few spots remaining and a handful of teams being considered,” said Wallace. “We will have to wait to see what the NIT selection committee does today. Otherwise we are in very good shape.”

Teams still on the board include teams squarely on the bubble for the NIT. The NIT selections will shape the CIT field. Wallace talked about some of the happenings that have changed his selection committee’s thought process as to the teams that will ultimately participate in the second-year tournament.

“Houston winning the Conference USA tournament probably pushed someone out of the NCAA tournament and into the NIT,” he said. “That would then push someone out of the NIT and possibly onto our radar. And many regular season conference champions lost in their tournaments so they have taken someone’s spot in the NIT.”

For the second straight year CollegeInsider.com’s Dave Adelman has drawn the assignment of trying to figure out how the NIT will shape up. It’s helpful information to Wallace and the committee as they try to sort things out.

Here is how Adelman sees the NIT field:
 

So while the bracketologists are sorting out the NCAA picture, Wallace and company have invented a different analysis strategy. As Wallace explains another key component in selection the field is location.

“Geography does come into play,” said Wallace. “We have made no secret that part of our model is to keep some geographical stability. The closer we can keep teams to home the better. Last year James Madison played three games in CIT. They played one home game and took two short bus trips (to Liberty and Old Dominion). We are not going to select a team just because they are down the road from another team, but we do take location into consideration.”

Yesterday there were less than 30 teams still remaining on the board. Wallace said that list has shrunk to roughly half as the final spots are close to being filled. But as Wallace explained today is a good news / bad news day. The good news is the field will be set today. The bad news is that there will be some tough calls to make.

“We are going to have to tell some deserving teams that we don’t have a spot in the tournament for them,” said Wallace. “That’s difficult. We make it a point to call each coach back to tell them personally and that is never easy. In the end we just can’t take everybody, but there will be 16 teams in postseason that would not have been in postseason just a couple of years ago.”


Welcome to the Postseason

While most college basketball fans were glued to the action in New York, where the Big East Championship was being decided, a small contingent took in the action in Orem, Utah where the inaugural Great West Conference championship was playing out.

Regular season champion South Dakota jumped to a 16-point halftime lead, but Houston Baptist came roaring back in the second half and tied the game at 82 all with just over two minutes remaining. USD responded with some clutch shots and went on to win the title, 91-86.

After the game USD coach Dave Boots got a congratulatory call from CollegeInsider.com’s Joe Dwyer.

“He was genuinely excited,” said Dwyer. “I think it’s lost on a lot of people what a big deal this is for a program like South Dakota. This is not about the CIT as much as it is USD. Coach Boots and his kids are going to play in postseason and that's pretty cool.“

Dwyer makes a good point. For South Dakota this is their Big Dance. Tuesday or Wednesday this week the Coyotes will have a chance to win and advance. I can tell you that I have been told by countless coaches from around the country, all season long, how great it is that the Great West has that opportunity.

It’s a great thing. Congratulations South Dakota!.
 

March 13, 2010


Selecting the Field
by Brian Doyle

A little over twenty-four hours from now the field for 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament will be unveiled. Three teams have already announced that they have accepted invitations. Appalachian State, Creighton and George Mason will each host first round games next week. Selection committee chairman, and longtime head coach at Hawaii, Riley Wallace likes the way things are unfolding.

“Dana Altman, Jim Larranaga and Buzz Peterson are all excellent coaches,” said Wallace. “They each have a track record for success and their teams deserve to be a part of the postseason. “

Creighton finished fourth in the Missouri Valley, despite the loss of star player P'Allen Stinnett who was suspended on Jan. 25 for the remainder of the season. George Mason also finished fourth, out of the Colonial and Appalachian State won the Southern Conference North Division, losing to Wofford in the SoCon tournament championship game. On Twitter Buzz Peterson noted that it’s just the fourth postseason appearance in the history of the program.

Last season there were no such announcements until Sunday night, but Wallace explains that things have changed a lot in the past twelve months.

“Last year a lot of people were unfamiliar with the CIT and that’s understandable,” he said. “It was the first year for the event. Now it’s hard to find a coach who doesn’t have something great to say about the CIT. There is a lot more interest this year. We will have some tough decisions to make this weekend.”

Wallace has been in regular contact with the members of the selection committee over the past couple of weeks. On Saturday the discussions will get a little more serious as they attempt to narrow down the field.

“A week ago there were over 50 teams and earlier this week we had 40,” he said. “Now we have less than 30 still on the board. We will select the field from this list.”

Wallace spoke at length about how much he has enjoyed, first serving on the committee last season and now, overseeing the entire process. He laughed that his days have been spent either on the golf course or on the phone and more often both simultaneously. On a few occasions he has been awoken by a call at 5:00 a.m. by a coach unaware that he’s on West Coast time.

“I am going to wake up sometime so why not crack of dawn,” he laughed.

We'll have more from Riley on Sunday.


Manifest Destiny

Tonight the Great West Conference championship game will be contested in Orem Utah. The top two teams in the conference will vie for a spot in the CIT. South Dakota (21-9) will face meet Houston Baptist (12-20) but 9-2 in the Great West. A lot of people have scoffed at the idea that a team with such a record would be able to get a bid to the CIT, but co-founder Joe Dwyer thinks it’s a great idea.

“It’s usually the guys that never played ball that are the most critical,” he said. “Until this year the teams in the Great West were room service for the high majors. They would show up hand over a win and leave. This season they have known from day one that they can play for a championship and participate in postseason. Sure it’s not the tournament they would want to be in, but it’s postseason. Anyone who doesn’t think that’s a good thing for those kids is just lost.”

Dwyer has no illusions that the CIT rivals the tradition-rich NIT. He likens the CIT to a pre New Year’s Day bowl game, explaining that it’s understandably not a national draw, but for the fans, coaches and players involved it is a big deal.


Basketball or Snowboarding?

So what is it like to be involved with running a tournament? Clearly it’s all business, everyone working quietly in their cubicles, barely having a moment to stop and breathe. Right? Wrong.

“It’s definitely not would people would expect,” said CollegeInsider.com’s Matt Drake. “We spend a lot of time on the phone, a lot of time watching games and very little time taking ourselves seriously. Let’s be honest it’s not like we are working on the space shuttle program or searching for caves for the Taliban. What we do beats digging holes.”

Drake has been involved with CollegeInsider.com since the beginning. For years he served as a columnist, but his sole duty now is that of chief scout with Dwyer. Drake basically has the job that any basketball junkie would covet -- He gets paid to simply watch games.

Drake actually spends little time in the office, pointing out that he can watch a game anywhere. That’s the case for CI’s other key “game watcher,” David Adelman. The former assistant at Loyola (Chicago) and Duquesne, now runs www.playhardhoops.com, which he runs out of Chicago. Needless to say Adelman doesn’t check in often at the Boston office, but he can attest to Drake’s observations.

“It’s actually pretty funny,” he said. “The last thing it looks like is a basketball operation. Guys wearing skull caps and Ed Hardy gear. It looks more like the waiting area at a snowboarding event. But at the end of the day there is more basketball knowledge among that group that you’ll find anywhere.”

So if you’re at the Final Four and you happen to be in the lobby at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis and you see some folks that look like they should be carrying a skate board rather than a basketball, it’s likely they work for CollegeInsider.com.
 

March 12, 2010


Good Old Fashion Rivalry
by Brian Doyle

In a rivalry that spans 212 games, today’s Patriot League championship matchup between longtime rivals Lafayette and Lehigh will be boiling hot. The third seeded Lafayette Leopards travel to Bethlehem for a 4:45 pm tipoff and an NCAA tournament bid at stake. Games between these two are always intense, emotional battles, but this one figures to be off the charts. Never before in the storied rivalry has an NCAA bid hung in the balance. As the home team and top seed, Lehigh would seem to be the favorite. Just three weeks ago, however, Lafayette defeated Lehigh 90-75 at Lafayette, hitting a remarkable 16-29 from behind the arc. When the two teams met at Lehigh in January, the Mountain Hawks prevailed 75-57.

In speaking with coaches around the league, sentiment leans towards Lehigh being very difficult to beat at home today. One Patriot League assistant coach commented, “Lafayette would have to really shoot it well to win today. It’s tough to beat Lehigh at their place, plus I think they are a little better at each spot. It will be a great atmosphere, though, and Lafayette will travel well.”

I caught up with Lafayette assistant Pat Doherty yesterday before practice. “The preparation is going well, and the kids are excited. There is not much these two teams don’t know about each other,” said Doherty.

Asked about the two regular season games, Doherty noted, “Both games were really emotional. Down there, they really got out in transition. As Coach Jones (American University) said, Lehigh has great ‘spurtability,’ and they showed it in that game. Here we shot the ball extremely well, hitting 16 threes.”

Doherty also commented that Lehigh does not really have any weak links in their starting group and that freshman CJ McCollum is a “special player in our league.” McCollum is the first Patriot League player ever to be named the league’s Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The 6’3 McCollum is averaging 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds, gaudy stats for a freshman.

The 213th matchup between these two promises to be a great one.


Totally Insane

Spartanburg, South Carolina is going crazy over the Wofford Terriers. In the words of Head coach Mike Young, “It’s nuts. It’s insane, all in a great way. It’s great for the college, it’s great for the city, and it’s great for these kids. I wake up each morning and pinch myself.”

Young has led Wofford to its first ever Southern Conference Championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers are in the midst of a thirteen game winning streak as they await their fate on Selection Sunday.

Of his squad, Young said, “We’ll guard, we won’t turn the ball over, we’ll take great shots, and we’ll rebound. We have good players who realize they are part of something bigger than themselves.”

Asked how he is managing the craziness of this week, Young commented, “I’m new to this. I don’t know that I am handling all of it well. This is a different deal, but we practice yesterday and we’ll come back on Sunday, and our kids will really narrow their focus and attack the next challenge.”

With only two seniors on the team, Young and the Terriers may have to get used to playing in the postseason.


Skip Prosser Award

In addition to being named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year, Young was named a finalist for the 2010 Skip Prosser Award, sponsored by CollegeInsider.com. The award was established last year to recognize a coach who not only achieves success on the court, but also demonstrates great character and integrity. Making his nomination even more special is the fact that Skip Prosser’s son Mark is on Young’s staff at Wofford.

“Just to be nominated is a thrill,” said Young. “I knew Coach well. He was one of those rare guys that you never heard a bad word about.”

Young recalled, “I hired Mark Prosser out of college, and whenever I saw Skip, he would always thank me for hiring his son. He was a fabulous coach and an even better man. Looking at the other names on that list…it’s just very rewarding and a real thrill to be nominated.”

This year’s Skip Prosser Award will be presented on April 2 in Indianapolis.
 

March 11, 2010


Springboard to Bigger Things
by Brian Doyle

With “Selection Sunday” approaching, the Old Dominion Monarchs are enjoying a few days of rest and relaxation before they get back to practice and preparation. ODU earned the Colonial Athletic Association’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with their victory over William and Mary on Monday night. Old Dominion finished with a CAA record of 15-3 and an overall mark of 26-8. One can make a strong argument that the Monarch’s march to the CAA title and NCAA tourney began last March during the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

According to ODU Assistant Coach Jim Corrigan, “The CIT helped us tremendously. Last season we had one senior, two juniors, and the rest freshmen and sophomores, so it was a great opportunity for us to get some postseason experience. Playing in the championship game in that environment at Bradley was a great growth experience.”

ODU defeated The Citadel, Belmont, and James Madison in the first three rounds of the CIT, before beating Bradley in the championship game. The Monarchs came into the 2009-10 season with tournament championship experience fresh in their minds.

Currently, ODU is on spring break, so players are on a short break from school and hoops and will reconvene on Friday for practice before learning their NCAA tournament matchup on Sunday. As for their plans next week, Corrigan said, “We’ve always prided ourselves on rebounding and defense, so we’ll continue to do that next week.”

The Monarchs are hoping last season’s post season CIT success will serve as a springboard to further success in March this year.


The Reason we are here

Shortly after beating IUPUI to win the Summit League Tournament, Oakland head coach Greg Kampe called CollegeInsider.com to thank them for inviting the Golden Grizzlies to the 2009 CIT. According to Kampe it was a big of a reason for his team’s success in 2010.

“There is no question that playing in the CIT last year helped us to get to the NCAA Tournament this season,” Kampe said. “Our kids got a taste of what it’s like to play in the postseason and what it takes to win. Twelve months later we are headed to the NCAA Tournament.”


Mid-Major Elite

In recent years, the Siena Saints have been regular members of the mid-major elite. Consistently ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Siena just played in their fourth consecutive MAAC championship game, winning their third straight. The Saints bring an impressive resume to the NCAA tournament, as they have won 27 games, including 38 straight at home. The Saints have won NCAA tourney games each of the last three years. Is this the year they win a second or third tourney game? They are certainly experienced and battle tested.

Assistant Coach Adam Chaskin says that experience carried them through a MAAC championship game against Fairfield that saw them trailing by as many as 15 in the first half, only to go on and win in overtime. “We were down by 11 at the half and by the second media timeout, it was tied. Our overall experience and our seniors had a lot to do with that. They know how to handle all situations,” said Chaskin.

Experience alone does not carry the Saints, however. According to Chaskin, Siena is the first team in conference history in which all five starters have received some form of All-Conference recognition. Siena has the Player of the Year in Alex Franklin, another pro prospect in Edwin Ubiles, who scored 27 in the championship game, a center in Ryan Rossiter who averages a double-double, Ronald Moore at point guard, who leads the nation in assists and ranks 25th all-time in the NCAA, and Clarence Jackson at the two-guard, averaging 14 points and shooting 36% from behind the arc.

Experience is great, but talent plus experience can be a lethal combination.


Tinkle Time

How about the comeback by Montana last night? Wayne Tinkle’s team overcame a 20-point halftime deficit, on the road at Weber State to win the Big Sky Tournament. Anthony Johnson had 42 points to lead the way. After the game, Tinkle explained the reason for the uninspired first-half performance.

“We sent the bus back to hotel at halftime and went and got our real team,” Tinkle said. “We got some imposters there in first half. There wasn't much fight on either end.”

It was nothing new for Tinkle’s team as they had rallied back to beat Weber during the season.

“We had something to draw on,” he said. “We were down ten here earlier in the year and ended up going eight. If my math is right, that's an 18-point swing. We did it before, and we can do it .”

And they did.


Tickets Punched

Two more teams have made their postseason plans, as Robert Morris defeated Quinnipiac last night in the NEC Championship game at Quinnipiac. With the win, RMU locked up their second straight NCAA tourney appearance, while Quinnipiac will advance to the NIT. As is the case in many postseason games, field goal percentage tells a big part of the story. Though they shot only 41% from the field, RMU held Quinnipiac to 35% from the field, including 23% from behind the arc. The fact that the Colonials did this on Quinnipiac’s home court makes it even more impressive. As the adage says, defense wins championships.
 

March 10, 2010


I am Sam
by Brian Doyle

With the Southland Conference tournament set to tip off tonight, I had the opportunity to speak with coaches of the top two seeded teams.

Sam Houston State enters the tourney as the No. 1 seed with a 22-7 overall mark and a conference record of 14-2. The Bearkats won their first eleven conference games this season, before stumbling a bit in their last five games, going 3-2. That finish is deceiving, however, as their two losses were both in overtime on the road. “Sam” is getting healthy at the right time as starting center Antuan Bootle returns from injury after missing the last six games.

Bearkat mentor Bob Marlin feels his squad is ready, but understands the unpredictability of mid-major conference tourneys. “Our guys are excited about being the No. 1 seed, and they are ready to play. We’ve reached one of our goals, which was to secure the No. 1 seed, but we have another goal, which is to win a championship,” said Marlin. “At the mid-major level, there is usually not a huge difference between the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds. All are capable of winning, and we usually get everyone’s best shot,” noted Marlin. “Nicholls (No. 1 Nicholls State) is playing their best ball right now,” commented Marlin. Like many coaches this time of year, Marlin mentions defense and guard play as keys. “We need to be solid defensively,” said Marlin. “Our guard play has been good all year, so that needs to continue.”

Sam Houston has a lot of weapons, as guards Ashton Mitchell and Corey Allmond were both first team All-Southland selections, and junior forward Gilberto Clavell was selected the conference “Newcomer of the Year.”


Southland Challenger

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Stephen F. Austin (21-8/11-5) is trying to overcome injuries. Starting point guard Eric Bell (5’3/150) continues to miss time due to a concussion, while backup center Will Reinke just went down with a knee injury. “We’ve lost our smallest guy and our biggest guy,” laments head coach Danny Kaspar.

Kaspar knows Sam Houston is in a different situation, saying, “They are the favorite. They are healthy, and they are senior laden.” The Lumberjacks are not, however, overlooking their first opponent, University of Texas-Arlington (UTA). “They’ve got Haynes, and that makes them very dangerous. He had 35 the other night,” noted Kaspar. UTA senior guard Marquez Haynes scores almost 23 points per game, shooting 42% from three point range, to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds per game.


Familiar story in Burlington

For the sixth time in eight years, Vermont has advanced to the finals of the America East. The Catamounts will host fourth seeded Boston University on Saturday, by virtue of their semifinal victory over New Hampshire on Sunday. BU knocked off top seed Stony Brook to advance to their first championship game since 2003. Vermont is lead by do-everything senior Marqus Blakley a three-time America East Defensive Player of the Year honoree to go along with three consecutive First Team All Conference Selections. The versatile Blakley is a walking stat sheet, as he led the America East in steals (2.6) and blocks (1.9) and was second in scoring (17.4), rebounding (9.1), and field goal percentage (54.1%), while coming in a distant fourth in assists (3.7).

Vermont coach, Mike Lonergan feels good about the Catamounts chances. “We have the best player in the league, and we are at home,” commented Lonergan. “Blakley is a freak athlete, but he is also our best passer and our best weakside defender. He changes the game at both ends. He is also coming off a bad game, which I hope is a good thing for us,” noted Lonergan.

Lonergan is not crazy about the long layoff between the semifinals and the finals, but he knows it goes with the territory. “I don’t really like the layoff, but it brings great publicity to our league, and the buildup in town is great. We are a little antsy to play, though,” said Lonergan.

This is Vermont’s third championship game in five years. They lost the first two, so Lonergan is hoping the third time is the charm.


Tuesday Night

When I speak to coaches about their postseason chances, most say something along the lines of, “We have to make shots.” Two teams made shots last night:

- Instead of round three of a heavyweight fight last night at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Horizon League championship game between Butler and Wright State turned into an early TKO for Butler last night, as they destroyed the Raiders 70-45. Butler appears poised to make some noise in the NCAA tourney, as it logged its nations' best 20th consecutive victory. Shooting played a big role as the Bulldogs scorched the Raiders at a 52% clip, including 9-19 from three point range and 92% from the field. Conversely, Wright State limped to the finish line, shooting 35% from the field, including 2-20 from three point range.

- In Sioux Falls South Dakota, senior Derick Nelson propelled Oakland to its 11th straight victory with a career high 36 points to go along with 9 boards, as the Grizzlies advanced to their second NCAA tourney. Nelson was on fire, shooting 15-23 from the field, including 3-8 from behind the arc.
 

March 9, 2010


Honoring Coach Olson
by Brian Doyle

With the postseason upon us, it is also awards season - - a time to recognize the players and coaches who have excelled this year. In a year of such great parity in college basketball, selection of player and coach honorees will be especially challenging. I had the honor to speak with Coach Lute Olson last night about the new Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award, sponsored by CollegeInsider.com. A 2002 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the former Head Coach at Arizona and Iowa is indeed honored by the award.

“It’s a real honor,” commented Olson, “I am very appreciative to CollegeInsider.com for what they have done in naming the award after me.”

Asked what qualities he would consider in looking at potential Player of the Year candidates, Olson said, “In my career, I have always found that when you start with good people, they will find a way to be successful. To me, both ability and character are very important, so a Player of the Year winner would have to be someone of both great character and great ability.”

While Olson did not want to speculate on the identity of a potential award winner, he did mention a few players who caught his eye this year. “I like the two guys from Kansas, [Sheron] Collins and [Cole] Aldrich, and Scottie Reynolds from Villanova. I have also enjoyed watching Andy Rautins from Syracuse. There are so many players that can be considered for this award. I am sure it will be an outstanding player with great character, who has made great contributions to his team,” said Olson.

The Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award will be presented on April 2 at the Final Four in Indianapolis.


Round Three

Butler and Wright State face off tonight at Hinkle Fieldhouse for the Horizon League crown. Butler brings an unbeaten regular season conference record of 18-0 in the game, but look for Wright State to give them all that they can handle. “We are in a good state of mind,” said Wright State assistant coach Mike Winiecki. “Our kids have taken a real business-like approach. We are familiar with the surroundings, with Hinkle Fieldhouse, and I feel like our kids are ready, “continued Winieicki.

Butler defeated Wright State by twelve in both previous games. “They were both great games. We feel like we saw their “A game” both times,” commented Winiecki.

“We need to keep them out of the lane and not let them shoot layups. They shot something like 58% from the field combined in their two wins against and 39/42 from the line. That’s incredible shooting, so we need to make them score from outside the paint,” continued Winiecki.

While Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard get a lot of attention, Winiecki says Butler is strong from top to bottom. “I don’t think people give them enough credit for being so mentally and physically tough. Everyone knows about Howard and Heyward, but Willie Veasley and Zach Hahn have killed us. I think Veasley is 14-15 from the field against us and Hahn is 6-7 with five threes,” observed Winiecki.

It should be a good one at Hinkle Fieldhouse tonight.


Monday night notes:

• In the CAA last night, 2009 CIT Champion Old Dominion continued to rule the Colonial, as they prevented William and Mary from gaining their first ever NCAA tourney berth. ODU is a force to be reckoned with in March, while W&M’s outstanding season will undoubtedly be rewarded with an opportunity to continue playing. While there has been a call in Virginia for an at large bid, that seems unlikely for the Tribe.

• A little further south, another team did earn its first ever trip to the dance. The Wofford Terriers will proudly represent the Southern Conference, after winning their 13th straight, defeating Appalachian State in the title game. Mike Young has done an outstanding job at Wofford.

• After playing second fiddle to Gonzaga for years, it’s nice to see St. Mary’s earn the West Coast Conference automatic bid, as the Gaels did so in convincing fashion with an 81-62 victory over the Zags. The win snapped a nine game losing streak against Gonzaga.

• Siena continued its dominance of the MAAC, coming from thirteen points down to beat Fairfield. Siena wins the MAAC for the third consecutive season, equaling a program record with its 27th victory and 38th straight home win.
 

March 8, 2010


Peaking at the right time
by Brian Doyle

I’m not sure that even the most ardent college hoops fan can answer this one:

What team wrapped up its conference regular season title over the weekend and has won 11 consecutive games and 14 out of 15, as they prepare to begin conference tournament play this week?

Even if I told you they were in the Great West, could you guess?

The answer is the University of South Dakota. The Coyotes defeated Houston Baptist on Saturday to wrap up the regular season title and finished with good measure on Sunday night with a win over New Jersey Institute of Technology. Yes, New Jersey Institute of Technology is in the Great West Conference, but that’s a story for another time. In the inaugural season of Men’s Basketball in the Great West, South Dakota (20-9/11-1) is making their mark, before they leave for the Summit League after next season. As a first year league, the Great West does not yet have an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney, but the conference tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

The automatic bid was great news for the league. South Dakota Coach Dave Boots commented, “It’s great. It means everything to us to be eligible for postseason play. It gives you a great outlook, but we don’t talk about it too much—we really focus on our next game.”

Great West Commissioner Ed Grom concurred, “We are pretty fortunate that CollegeInsider.com took a risk on us, because nobody knew what kind of ball we’d be playing. It’s pretty balanced, and we are very pleased that it gives our athletes something to play for.”

The Great West tourney tips off on Wednesday.


Coach Carter

The MEAC begins tournament play tomorrow night in Winston-Salem, and though Morgan State is clearly the “class of the league,” according to South Carolina State coach Tim Carter, a number of teams have what it takes to pull off the upset.

“Anybody can beat anybody in our league,” said Carter. “North Carolina A&T, Norfolk, Delaware State are all capable, and Maryland-Eastern Shore is the hottest team in the league.”

Prodded to include his Bulldogs in the conversation, Carter admitted, “If we are hitting shots, we are as good as anybody.”


Coaching Legend

Speaking of Coach Carter, he is on the selection committee for the inaugural Ben Jobe Award, sponsored by CollegeInsider.com. The Jobe Award is presented to the top minority Head Coach in Division I Men’s Basketball in honor of the longtime college coach, who accumulated over 500 victories in 31 years.

South Carolina State’s Carter is honored to be on the voting panel.

“Coach Jobe actually coached at South Carolina State for a time. The award represents a guy who did things the right way, was a pioneer, and treated people right. He accomplished great things in a difficult time in our history.”

Respect for Jobe is universal and extends to the NFL. San Diego Chargers' Director of Player Development, Arthur Hightower is also a member of the selection committee. Hightower spent time as an athletic administrator at the University of Maine, the University of Houston, and the NCAA, before joining the Chargers.

“I played football at a Historically Black College, Florida A&M, so I am familiar with all that Coach Jobe has done for black athletes,” said Hightower. Hightower continued, “I am very honored to be on the panel, and I look forward to helping to select a coach who exemplifies all of the qualities of Coach Jobe.”

Despite his NFL position, Hightower professes love for hoops even pointing out that Charger tight end and Future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates recently had his Kent State basketball jersey retired.

And Gates is not the only Charger eyeing March Madness. Pro Bowl WR Vincent Jackson starred in football and basketball at Northern Colorado, which will be in action in the Big Sky Tournament on Tuesday. Jackson’s Bears have never been to the postseason at the Division I level. Teammate Shaun Phillips didn’t play basketball at Purdue but he recently confessed to being a college basketball junkie on Twitter.


Sunday Hoops

• In the CAA, William & Mary will compete tonight for its first ever NCAA tourney appearance, as it faces off with 2009 CIT champ, Old Dominion. Both teams had their hands full in semifinal games, as ODU defeated VCU in overtime, and W&M beat Northeastern by two.

• Mt. St. Mary’s had its 11 game win streak snapped at the hands of Robert Morris, which will face off against Quinnipiac in a battle of top seeds on Wednesday.

• After winning two tourney games, sentimental favorite Loyola Marymount fell to top ranked Gonzaga, setting up a much anticipated battle between the Zags and St. Mary’s tonight.
 

March 7, 2010


Grind and Reward
by Brian Doyle

Today is the calm before the storm. Several conference tournaments have reached the semifinal round. Aside from the Missouri Valley Conference, no bids to the NCAA Tournament will be handed out on Sunday. I thought I would take advantage of that fact and spend the day taking in all the action, but not before I caught up with former Detroit-Mercy head coach Perry Watson who is a member of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament selection committee.

According to Watson the vibe for the CollegeInsider.com Tournament is different. What a difference a year makes. Last season many athletic administrators were unsure what the CIT was all about. That’s simply no longer the case.

“Coaches are familiar with CollegeInsider.com but I think it was an unknown to a lot of athletic directors,” said Watson. “Anytime you introduce something new it is going to be met with some resistance. I think some administrators wanted to take a wait and see approach but we expected that.”

Nobody actually turned down a bid to the inaugural CIT, but schools like Arkansas-Little Rock and VMI issued statements that it would be either NCAA or NIT. That hasn’t been the case this season.

“I have heard from a lot more coaches and athletic directors then I did a year ago,” said Watson. “They all tell me they have done their homework and heard nothing but really positive things about the CIT.”

Like the other members of the selection committee, Watson keeps in regular contact with Riley Wallace (chairman) and other members of the committee. Watson took Detroit to the NCAA Tournament twice but he also had very good teams that didn’t receive any postseason opportunities. And that is why he signed on to serve on the CIT selection committee.

“What a lot of fans and media don’t understand is the grind of the season,” said Watson. “It’s tough when you have a good season but you realize it’s over and there will be no postseason. Listen we know that teams are not starting their seasons with a goal of making the CIT. Coaches are all goal-oriented and quite often our goals change. If the NCAA and NIT aren’t possible the CIT is the parachute for so many deserving teams.”

In 2001 Watson’s team didn’t get a ticket to the NCAA tournament but the Titans were invited to the NIT. That team won three straight road games and advanced to Madison Square Garden for the final four. That experience is why he loves what the CIT is all about.

“I was an assistant coach at Michigan when the Fab 5 went to the Final 4,” said Watson. “When [Detroit] won at UConn in the 2001 NIT those kids were just as happy as the Michigan kids were. In the end it’s about deserving teams playing the game they love. Once the game starts they want to win. Sometimes I think people think a tournament like the CIT isn’t important. It may not be important to them but it is certainly important to those kids on the court.”
 

March 6, 2010


Next Stop NIT?
by Brian Doyle

Somebody once said that behind every successful man there is a good woman. Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg likes to say that Angela Lento is the brains of the operation at CollegeInsider.com and with the 2010 CIT just over a week away from tipping off it is busy times in tournament central for Lento and company.

“The phone rings a little more frequently and we drink a little more coffee in March,” laughed Lento.

Her primary responsibilities are behind the scenes, taking care of the business aspects of the tournament but she does get a chance to lobby for teams she believes are worthy of inclusion. What coaches should know is that five of the six teams she has made a case for have already secured no worse than an NIT bid.

“I oversee the Mid-Major Top 25 voting process each week so I follow the smaller conferences very closely,” she said. “Throughout the season coaches on the voting panel will ask about teams outside of their region. That’s been the case since the Top 25 started over a decade ago so I have to be up to speed.”

Riley Wallace, who chairs the selection committee, said in early February Lento had presented good arguments to have Kent State, Quinnipiac, Stony Brook, UC Santa Barbara and Wofford. Each has since won their respective regular conference titles. The sixth team on her list is Harvard.

“Coming into the season Harvard’s all-time win total for one season was 19,” said Lento. “With one game remaining (at Princeton tonight) they are 21-6. Tommy Amaker has done a phenomenal job and Jeremy Lin is a terrific player. Harvard deserves a spot in the NIT.”

Lento admitted that Amaker’s team doesn’t have any marquee wins (beat Boston College, George Washington and William & Mary) and their RPI is hovering around 100 but she’ll point out that they have spent five weeks ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25.

There are so many dynamics involved when selecting teams for the NIT and there is no doubt there will be many teams with better profiles. So what are their chances? Well she’s been right so far. Why not six-for-six?


Third Time's a Charm?

Cornell made it official last night, with a blowout win at Brown. The Big Red is headed back to the Big Dance for the third straight year. Steve Donahue, who received the Jim Phelan Award mid-season honors, has a veteran team and should be a tough out in the dance.

"They have eight seniors and they play with a lot of poise and toughness,” said Kansas head coach Bill Self. “Steve [Donahue] has done a really nice job. That team is so well-coached.”

Ryan Wittman has been getting attention since he began his career four years ago and the big presence of 7-foot Jeff Foote has proved dominant in the Ivy League, but the key to Cornell’s success over the course of the next couple of weeks rests with senior floor leader Louis Dale.


The Great Northwest

Seattle University has very quietly built a pretty good case for a spot in the postseason. Last season Seattle finished 21-6 but many of those wins came against non-division I opponents. This season the Redhawks have a full DI slate and some impressive wins.

Seattle has beaten Cal State Northridge, Fresno State, San Jose State, Utah and Weber State. And they beat Oregon State by 51 points in Corvallis.

Seattle heads into the regular season finale at Utah Valley at 16-14 and they are a few possessions away from 19 or 20 wins. SU lost by one to Denver and Wofford (Southern Conference Champions) and by two against Idaho. They also went right down to the wire with Oakland (Summit League Champions) and Loyola Marymount, which is enjoying its best since the Hank Gathers’ era.

“That’s a very good team,” said Oakland head coach Greg Kampe. “Cameron [Dollar] has done a really nice job and they have an excellent player in Charles Garcia.”

It’s not likely the NIT will have a place for Seattle but it’s a pretty impressive first season for head coach Cameron Dollar. He should get some attention for national coaching honors and junior Chuck Garcia should garner some All-America mentions.


CIT Update

As expected the pace has really picked up since conference tournaments began this week. Riley Wallace said the interest level has easily doubled from last March.

“Last year I think there was a lot of uncertainty,” said Wallace. “We felt that a major advantage for the 2010 tournament was having the 2009 tournament under our belt. Coaches and athletic directors speak with their peers and they have heard nothing but great things about last year’s tournament. There are a lot of very good basketball teams interested in participating in the CIT this season. There will be some tough decisions to make.”

Wallace and the selection committee will be handing out 15 invitations. The Great West Conference already got an official invite when the league was awarded an automatic bid last September. Teams from power conferences and teams with losing records will not be considered.
 

March 5, 2010


The Golden Grizz
by Brian Doyle

I had a refreshing conversation with Oakland University Coach Greg Kampe on Thursday afternoon. In this day and age, you would expect the coach of a Division I Men’s Basketball team who had just been named the Coach of the Year in his league to be “tweeting” or in a press conference, or maybe deep into video study or even at practice. No, when I spoke to Coach Kampe on the phone, he was filling his car up with gas, and it sounded like he bought a couple of grape sodas, as I heard him talking to the cashier. When I asked him about his Summit League Player of the Year, Keith Benson, he replied, “Oh, did they name that today?” I confirmed that and told him that he had been named Coach of the Year, which was met with a sarcastic, “Oh, great.” Kampe was clearly not overly impressed with himself, despite leading the Grizzlies to a conference record of 17-1 and an overall mark of 23-8.

The Grizzlies open play on Saturday against eight seeded UMKC. Asked about the keys to success in the tournament, Kampe said, “We have to guard. That’s our calling card, and we can’t lose that. I think the most telling stat in the post season is field goal percentage. We can score, but we have to guard. Every possession can be the difference of winning a championship or not.”

Another great asset for Oakland has been their depth. “The strength of our team is our depth. You don’t go 17-1 in the league unless you are deep,” commented Kampe. That depth took a bit of a hit as Kampe indicated sophomore guard Drew Maynard went down with an ankle injury and is not expected to play on Saturday. It’s a safe bet that Benson’s 17 and 10, along with fellow first team all-league choice Johnathon Jones will lead the Grizzlies on their march towards the championship game.

Hopefully Kampe has fueled up for a long post season drive.


Resurgence at LMU

I also caught up with Jamie Zaninovich, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference. Zaninovich is in Las Vegas for the conference tournament, which opens today. One of the great stories of the year in the WCC is Loyola Marymount’s season. The Lions finished at 16-14 overall and 7-7 in the league. Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of the passing of Hank Gathers. This year has been a season long celebration of that 1989-90 team that made a memorable NCAA tourney run, after Gathers died during a WCC tournament game. Gathers’ well known teammate, Bo Kimble will be inducted into the WCC Hall of Honor on Saturday. The anniversary season has been highlighted by victories at USC, Notre Dame and a home win over Gonzaga.

The Lions 16-14 mark follows a 3-28 season and a 5-26 season. The last winning season for LMU was 2003-04, when they finished 15-14.

Zaninovich is thrilled with his league this year. “Most experts feel like we are a two-bid league, and we feel like we have an opportunity to get two more teams into post season play. To get four teams in some combination of the NCAA, NIT, and CIT would be a great accomplishment for us. That would mean fifty percent of our teams move onto post-season play,” said Zaninovich. While Gonzaga and St. Mary’s are the clear favorites in the tournament, Zaninovich thinks the neutral site of Las Vegas could have an impact this year. “Vegas is great for our tournament, and I think the neutral site might really kick into gear this year, with the balance of our league. I expect the tournament to be very competitive,” noted Zaninovich.

Gonzaga and St. Mary’s are indeed prohibitive favorites, but don’t sleep on the sentimental choice of Loyola Marymount, playing with the spirit of Hank Gathers on their side.


From Peoria to the Sunshine State

The Atlantic Sun tourney is proving why postseason basketball is so exciting. On Wednesday night, Kennesaw State upset top seeded Lipscomb, and Thursday night saw more upsets as ETSU defeated Campbell and Mercer beat Belmont. This leaves No.2 Jacksonville as the favorite, with the with the other three top seeds eliminated.

Speaking of the Atlantic Sun, Ken Kavanagh is the Athletic Director at Florida Gulf Coast University. The Eagles were not eligible for postseason play this year as they go through the NCAA reclassifying process. Kavanagh came to FGCU from Bradley, where as AD he saw the Braves host games all the way through the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) last year, eventually losing in the championship game to Old Dominion. Bradley’s experience in the CIT has made Kavanagh a big proponent of the tournament, now in its second year.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to play beyond the regular season,” said Kavanagh. “The CIT provides an opportunity for young teams to get themselves ready for the next season and is also a great chance for seniors who might otherwise be hanging up their shoes after their last conference tournament game.”


The SoCon Hunter

With the Southern Conference tournament opening today, Davidson finds itself in a different position than it is accustomed to from the “Curry years.” Wildcat assistant coach Jim Fox noted, “When we were the favorites, we would hate the tournament, because anything can happen.” As a #3 seed, Fox said, “We love the tournament now! We are the hunter and not the hunted.”

In a nice twist, if Davidson gets by Elon in today’s first round game, Steph Curry will be in town with the Golden State Warriors to play the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night. Tentative plans are in place for Curry to watch Davidson and then for Davidson’s players to watch the Warriors-Bobcats matchup later Saturday night.

Coach Fox also thought it was curious that he hadn’t much contact with members of the CI staff since the New York Yankees won the World Series.
 

March 4, 2010


Assuming Leadership Responsibility
by Brian Doyle

As Mt. St. Mary’s prepares to play St. Francis (PA) in the first round of the Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament tonight, Milan Brown has much on which to reflect. Every season is a journey, but this season is different. This season has been like a roller coaster, and the Mountaineers are still climbing.

The 2009-10 season began with high expectations following an NCAA tournament appearance in 2007-08 and a CollegeInsider.com Tournament bid last year. The Mount had been on the roller coaster before, as last season they endured a six game losing streak to go along with an eight game winning streak. That was nothing compared to this season, however. With a tough early season schedule including the likes of Georgetown, Old Dominion, Vermont, Siena, and Pittsburgh, all on the road except for Siena, Mt. St. Mary’s staggered to a 5-14 mark, including a nine game losing streak. The Mountaineers competed well in some of those games, losing by two to Vermont and by three in overtime to Siena. Nevertheless, Brown and his team stood at 5-14 after losing at Long Island on January 23.

That seems like ages ago…Of those days, Brown said, “We were on the road a lot early with a tough schedule. We came close at times, but we just could not get over the hump. We kept plugging away when we got home, and it’s amazing what hard work and confidence can do.”

Mt. St. Mary’s has put those days in the rear view mirror, as they have not lost since that January day, winning ten in a row to climb back to a respectable 15-14 and a #3 seed in the conference tourney.

When asked about the turnaround, Brown can pinpoint when it began. “We had lost at St. Francis (NY) and Jean Cajou (junior guard) came to my hotel room and told me he was going to be a leader for our team,” Brown recalled. “He took responsibility. He said ‘you will not have a team that will work any harder than this team will.’ Once he said that and backed it up, our seniors became like the bouncers. When Jean says something, they back him up. It gave a lot of our guys the freedom to just play and not worry about having to play the role of leader.”

Mt. St. Mary’s lost their next game on the trip at Long Island and has not lost since. Even after that last loss, Brown and his staff could start to see the changes.

“We got to the locker room after the Long Island game and we could hear Jean getting after his teammates. By the time I went into the locker room, I just had to worry about the X’s and O’s,” said Brown.

In addition to Cajou’s leadership, Brown credits the family atmosphere that is emphasized in their basketball program with leading them through the tough times.

“We are a family more than we are a basketball team or program. We have been through some tough times this year. Jean has family in Haiti, so we went through some tough times then. We have also had two of our guys have deaths in the family this season. This season has been tough and great all at the same time,” reflected Brown. “Our closeness as a basketball family has been the only way we have survived all of these situations.”

Brown feels as if he has grown along with his team on this journey. “This is a year that has personally helped me to become a better coach. We were predicted to be a better team and we were losing. You really learn a lot about yourself in those situations.”

Recently, Brown has been asking his team, “What do you want the Mt. St. Mary’s story to be?”

No matter how the season ends, it is undoubtedly a winning story.


Looking for the Opportunity

Just down the road from Mt. St. Mary’s, Jimmy Patsos is trying to prepare his Loyola Greyhounds for their #8-#9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup against Manhattan. In an interesting twist, Loyola closed out their regular season with a 71-59 win over the Jaspers in Baltimore on Sunday. The winner of Friday’s game will face top seed Siena on Saturday. Siena sits at 24-6 and is No. 6 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

According to Patsos, earning the opportunity to play Siena would be a great opportunity for his squad.

“We really hope to have the opportunity to play Siena in front of a packed house and on TV,” said Patsos. “It would especially be great for all of our young guys to play in that environment, since we want to be in the same position as Siena in a year or two.”

To defeat Manhattan, Patsos hopes to contain their guard tandem of Third Team All-MAAC Selection Rico Pickett (17.1 ppg) and Darryl Crawford (14.8 ppg). “Those two guards are as good as any guards in our league,” observed Patsos. Patsos also believes a tournament win over Manhattan would be big because of their success over the last decade. “Manhattan might be the best team in our league from 2000-2010. A tournament win over them would mean a lot.”


Wild Wednesday

It didn’t long to get a big time surprise. In the opening round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament Kennesaw State (13-19) stunned No. 1 seed Lipscomb (17-13). It’s the first time the No. 8 seed has beaten the No. 1 seed in the A-Sun in nine years. It was Kennesaw’s first-ever division I postseason game of any kind. Fortunately for Lipscomb their season is not over. They are officially the first time in the NIT’s field of 32.

Bucknell was surprised by Holy Cross in quarterfinal action in the Patriot League. The Bison were the No. 2 seed and playing at home. Holy Cross (9-21) will now travel to Lafayette (18-12) on Sunday.


Off the Board

UC Santa Barbara (18-9) was a team of interest for the CollegeInsider.com Selection Committee. But last night the Gauchos came off the board. By beating UC Irvine UCSB clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big West Tournament, thus assuring themselves of no worse than a trip to the NIT. Bob Williams has a really nice team, which should be getting more attention in the Mid-Major Top 25 (just 5 votes in the most recent Top 25). Orlando Johnson is worthy of Mid-Major All-America status. He has scored in double-figures in every game this season.

The 2010 Big West Champions should be contenders for the foreseeable future. UCSB sophomores Orlando Johnson, James Nunnally, Jaimé Serna, Will Brew, and Greg Somogyi have scored 1,223 of 1,755 points accounting for 70% of the scoring. Freshmen Lucas Devenny and Chris Brew have also been solid contributors. Add them to the equation and you 74% of the team's total scoring coming from first or second year players.
 

March 3, 2010


Is Something Bruin in the Atlantic Sun?
by Brian Doyle

How would you like to finish in first place and be rewarded by having to play the host school for the conference tournament? That was the hand dealt to the Bruins of Belmont, which will face host Mercer in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun tournament.

“Win three games and we are in the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach Rick Byrd. “But this is as a tough a road to the NCAA tournament as we have ever had.”

Belmont faced some challenges, during its run of three straight A-Sun tourney titles, but nothing like this. Byrd’s team will open with Mercer. If they win its likely they will face Jacksonville in the semis. Should they win again they would face East Tennessee State, Campbell or top-seeded Lipscomb.

“Our league is as strong from top to bottom as it has ever been,” said Byrd. “You hear coaches say that a lot but it is certainly true in the Atlantic Sun. When we first entered the league programs like Georgia State, Central Florida, Samford and Troy were all very good but the rest of the league wasn’t nearly as strong. Now I think the bottom has really closed the gap on the top in the league.”

Last week one member of the CollegeInsider.com Selection Committee told me there were three or four teams the committee was giving consideration too. By virtue of getting the No. 1 seed, Lipscomb guaranteed themselves no worse than a trip to the NIT. That leaves teams like Belmont, Campbell, Jacksonville and perhaps even East Tennessee State with realistic hopes of playing participating in the CIT should they fail to win the A-Sun tournament.

“It’s a big deal for us knowing that we have a real opportunity to keep playing,” Byrd said. “Obviously our goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, but it’s great for programs like Belmont to know there is a realistic chance of playing more basketball in the coming weeks.”

After three trips to the NCAA and one to the NIT (2004), Belmont got its first-ever postseason win in last year’s inaugural CIT. The Bruins notched a convincing 92-76 win at Evansville and led Old Dominion by 10 with five minutes remaining in the quarterfinals, before falling to the eventual CIT champs.

Sure it wasn’t the Big Dance, but on a smaller scale it was a big deal for Belmont basketball program. So much so that Byrd’s longtime friend and country music star Vince Gill took some fans on his tour bus for the game at Evansville.

“It was a great experience for us,” said Byrd. “When we lost in the Atlantic Sun Tournament we knew we had a really good chance of getting invited to the CIT and just knowing we had a chance is a really big deal for mid-major teams.”


Winning Nine or Dressed to the Nines?

Not often does a team have a nine game losing streak and a nine-game winning streak in the same season. But that’s exactly what Mount St. Mary’s has done. The Mount, preseason favorites to win the Northeast Conference, will take a nine-game winning streak into the first round of the NEC Tournament on Thursday. It’s currently the fifth longest winning streak in streak in college basketball.

Head coach Milan Brown joked that the streak has put him in the conversation for top coach in the NEC. No, not NEC Coach of the Year but the league’s most stylish.

“After the start we had to the season getting a bid to the Runway to the Fashionable 4 seemed like the only likely possibility,” laughed Brown. “Now that we have turned things around I’d both a trip to the postseason and a good seed in the fashion tournament. I am looking for a double-double.”

At one point this season Brown’s team was 5-14 and in 10th place in the league. Not a good spot considering only the top 8 make NEC Tournament. Nine wins later the Mount is 15-14 (12-6 in NEC) and the No. 3 seed. They rallied to beat Robert Morris on Saturday to keep RMU from winning the NEC regular season title.

Brown has styled his way into the fashion tournament almost every year and even advanced to the Elegant 8 in 2008 before falling to Villanova’s Jay Wright. He’s looking for a breakthrough.

“It’s hard to match up against a guy like Jay Wright,” laughed Brown. “2008 was a great year because we went to the NCAA Tournament and because I managed win three matchups on the runway. That was an nice double-double.”

I will have more from Milan about his club’s resurgence in the coming days...


The Durham Award

One of the privileges of my association with CollegeInsider.com is to serve as a member of the voting panel for the Hugh Durham Award, presented annually to the mid-major coach of the year. The award honors the long time coach who, among many other accomplishments, finished his career as the all time winningest coach at three different Division I schools (Florida, Georgia, Jacksonville). The time has come for me to cast my vote for the 2010 award. I have a few days before my ballot is due and there are many worthy candidates, including coaches of the above mentioned Murray State (Billy Kennedy), Coastal Carolina (Cliff Ellis) and Butler (Brad Stevens), not to mention 2009 honoree, Morgan State’s Todd Bozeman. Bozeman followed last year’s NCAA tourney appearance with a 14-1 MEAC mark and an overall 23-9 record.

Among a long list of worthy candidates, let’s take a look at three coaches from different regions of the country:

Tony Shaver (William & Mary): Shaver had led the Tribe to a 20-9 mark, W&M’s third 20-win season since 1951-52. William and Mary finished the CAA regular season with a 12-6 mark, tied for third with George Mason. They competed well in their first two games at Harvard and at Connecticut, before embarking on a ten game win streak that included victories at Wake Forest and Maryland and at home over VCU. They have won 5 of 7 heading into Saturday’s CAA tourney matchup against the winner of Friday’s Drexel-James Madison matchup.

Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa): At 25-4 overall and 15-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), the Panthers have wins over Boston College and fellow mid-major powers Siena, and Old Dominion on their resume to go along with the school’s first outright top finish in the MVC. UNI looks to defend last year’s tournament title, beginning Friday.

Randy Bennett (St. Mary’s): Often overshadowed by Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, the Gaels at 24-5 and 11-3 in conference are poised for their third consecutive 25 win season. In his eighth season at the helm, Bennett is the all-time wins leader at St. Mary’s and the Gaels are headed for their fourth post season appearance under his tutelage.

This list can go on and on, and I will consider these three and numerous others over the next several days, as I prepare to cast my vote.

Observations from last night’s conference tournament games:

• In the Ohio Valley Conference, both Murray State and Morehead State rolled to easy victories. If both advance to the finals, this could prove to be a great game. Billy Kennedy has done a great job at Murray and is a strong candidate for national honors, but the Racers split with Morehead, losing to them last week.

• Radford and Winthrop advanced with some difficulty and will face off, presumably for the right to play Coastal Carolina in the championship game. Both teams split with Coastal this year, so this one also shows promise to be a good championship matchup.

• There were no real surprises in the Horizon League, as teams square off for the opportunity to try to end Butler’s 18 game winning streak and unbeaten league record.
 

March 2, 2010


Officially Underway
by Brian Doyle

It all begins today. Tournament season is officially underway as the Ohio Valley (OVC), Horizon, and Big South all tip off today. All three leagues boast clear favorites with Butler in the Horizon and Murray State in the OVC posting gaudy conference records of 18-0 and 17-1, respectively. Coastal Carolina of the Big South is not too far behind at 15-3. Will all three continue the dominance of their leagues in the postseason? This is what makes conference tournaments so exciting. You can rest assured that Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, and Eastern Illinois in the OVC, Wright State, Green Bay, and Milwaukee in the Horizon, and Radford and Winthrop in the Big South have realistic hopes of knocking off the favorites. Let the madness begin as teams pursue conference crowns and the chance to keep playing in the NCAA, NIT or CIT.

Let’s take a closer look at Murray State...

One of several teams in the country to dominate league play, Murray State flirted with perfection, winning 23 straight conference games before losing to Morehead on February 25. Murray has unprecedented balance, as six players average between 9.5 and 10.7 points per game and ten players averaging over 10 minutes of action.

Veteran mentor Billy Kennedy is taking nothing for granted, as he understands the reality of mid-major basketball.

“We have had a great regular season, but that does not ensure an NCAA tournament bid,” commented Kennedy. “We are approaching it as if we have to win our tourney.”

Of his team’s unbelievable balance, Kennedy said, “It’s the key to our success. We have good character guys and our guys have been very unselfish. We are the only team in our league that has had only one conference Player of the Week, which is hard to figure out.”

It will be interesting to see how many conference honors Murray State players and coaches receive when they are announced on Thursday. Presumably, however, Kennedy’s squad will gladly trade the individual accolades for the opportunity to play deep into March. That quest begins tonight, as Murray hosts #8 Tennessee State.

The interesting game of the night pits #4 Eastern Illinois hosting #5 Eastern Kentucky. This is the last year that the higher seeded teams will host first round games, as next year’s entire tournament will be played at one site. Hosting a first round game gives the higher seeded team an incredible (and well earned) advantage in these elimination games. This 4/5 game is intriguing, as EKU and EIU finished with identical 11-7 league records and nearly identical regular season records as EKU hit the 20 win mark to finish at 20-11 and EIU finished at 18-11. Will EKU’s band of three point shooters carry them to victory on the road? The Colonels make an average of ten threes per game, shooting at a 40% clip, while EIU shoots only eleven threes per game. Coach Jeff Neubauer of EKU has been able to count on his team’s offense all year, but believes this one may come down to how his teams performs at the other end of the floor.

“We shoot the ball at a high percentage and we really value the basketball, but when we’ve played well this year, we’ve played good defense,” noted Neubauer.

In this battle of evenly matched teams, the nod has to go to the home team Panthers of EIU, but “that is why they play the games.”

I can’t wait until tonight to see how it all plays out. Some teams will turn in their uniforms at the end of the night, while others will live to see another day “Inside the Madness."
 

March 1, 2010


Let the Madness Begin
by Brian Doyle

The month that college basketball fans live for is here. Over the next month or so, countless stories will unfold on the hardwood from coast to coast. Right now, there are nothing but questions. I look forward to delving more deeply into those questions and helping to tell the stories in my daily blog, “Inside the Madness,” here on CollegeInsider.com.

Questions abound:

Who will win the Southern Conference, which has four twenty win teams in Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Wofford and Charleston?

Who will provide the upsets in conference tourneys and beyond? In a year that seemingly has so many teams that have ruled their conference regular seasons, some are bound to be defeated in their conference tournaments. The combined conference record of Siena, Murray State, Morgan State, Sam Houston State, Jackson State, Oakland, Butler, and Cornell is 117-7. Will some of those schools make a post season run? That is quite possible. Will some also be upset in conference tourney play? That is also possible, except for the obvious exception of Cornell, which as a member of the Ivy League does not play in a conference tournament.

How will post season bids sort themselves out? We will all look forward to Sunday, March 14, “Selection Sunday,” as it has become known when bids to the NCAA tourney, the NIT, and the second annual CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) will be extended. The CIT caters to schools outside of the traditional “power conferences.” Last year’s CIT was a tremendous success providing many memorable moments, culminating with Old Dominion’s championship over Bradley. This year’s event promises to be even better, giving previously neglected schools the much coveted opportunity to play in the post season.

I look forward to speaking with former Hawaii Head Coach Riley Wallace, who heads the selection committee for the CIT. Interest is building, as Wallace reports that he has spoken to approximately 50 schools about their interest in the tourney.

In addition I will be catching up with coaches preparing for conference tournaments and I will also look at the many CollegeInsider.com post season honors, including the new Ben Jobe Award, which will be presented to the top minority Head Coach in Division I College Basketball.

What a great time of year. So many questions to be answered…So many stories to be told…

I hope you’ll join me “Inside the Madness.