Brian Doyle: Inside the Madness of March

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Jan. 30, 2012

Three guesses: Who is tied with Kentucky for the third longest win streak in the country behind Murray State and Nevada? In America’s Heartland, you’ll find the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles with an overall record of 20-4 and a 12-0 league record to go with their thirteen game winning streak.

Asked the key to his team’s success this season, ORU Coach Scott Sutton immediately laughed and answered, “Good players.”

“We have experience. We have all been here through rough games, we’ve been on the road, and we’ve had success with this group,” explained Sutton.

One of those good players Sutton referred to might actually be called a great player.

Dominique Morrison is a 6’6 senior, averaging 20 points and 4 rebounds, while shooting 51% from the field, including 48% from three point range.

Of Morrison, Sutton said, “In the last ten games, he has played as well as anyone in the country. He is shooting great.”

Morrison is coming off a 28-point effort in Saturday night’s win over UMKC, but his effort in the previous game against South Dakota spoke volumes as well. South Dakota played a triangle and two against Morrison and teammate Warren Niles, and those two willingly sacrificed their shots for teammate Mikey Manghum, who benefitted, with a career high 18 points on six three pointers.

Such unselfish play is not going unnoticed by Sutton.

“This is the most unselfish group I’ve had. We really talked a lot in the preseason about being selfless. We are talented, too. We had five guys picked preseason all-league, either first or second team,” explained Sutton.

Like most coaches, Sutton sees plenty of room for improvement.

“We need to improve defensively,” said Sutton. “We have a lot of big scorers in our league. To win in March, we have to get better defensively.”

Jan. 24, 2012

In a league often dominated by Rick Byrd’s Belmont Bruins, the Mercer Bears are making some noise. After Monday’s night’s win over Jacksonville, Mercer has won seven of eight and is tied for first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Mercer Coach Bob Hoffman quickly identified the keys to Mercer’s success.

“We are playing really good defensively,” said Hoffman. “We are really playing team defense. We are really connected and communicating at a high level. We understand why defense is important,” explained Hoffman.

With a team that has eleven freshmen and sophomores, Hoffman observed, “We have really grown up after last year. I think we have high character guys who work hard.”

While Belmont gets much of the attention in the league, Hoffman sees good things throughout the Atlantic Sun.

“It is a really underrated league. We have good players and great coaches. The new coaches in our league have brought great energy. I’ve had the opportunity to coach at a lot of different levels in my career, and I’m really impressed with what I see in this league,” noted Hoffman.

With six players averaging at least eight points per game, the Bears have shown great balance.

“The last few years, we have had a dominant scorer. This year, we have different guys each night. We are really diversified, and that has grown our confidence. [Leading scorer] Justin Cecil has had big time games for us this season. He has hit shot after shot, but he has really improved defensively. He’s grown into our program defensively.”

Going forward, Hoffman mentions East Tennessee State’s Adam Sollazo as a player to watch in the league.

“He is almost unguardable as a 6’6 point guard. He makes plays all over the place. I’m not sure there is another player like him in the country,” said Hoffman.

Mercer looks to continue their winning ways with a two game set in Florida visiting Stetson on Saturday and Florida Gulf Coast on Monday.

Jan. 19, 2012

Over the past couple of season, Inside the Mayhem has had the opportunity to veer off the beaten path of Division I basketball looking at both Division III and JUCO hoops. Recently, we had the chance to take a look at one of the most storied programs in the Division II ranks.

James Wilhelmi is in his first year as Associate Head Coach at Winston-Salem, assisting Head Coach Bobby Collins. Wilhelmi has vast experience, having coached at both the Division III and Division I levels, prior to joining the d-II ranks last year at North Alabama and this year at Winston-Salem.

The Rams are off to a great start at 13-2, especially considering that they lost their best player, senior guard Lamar Monger to a torn ACL in the Rams’ January 7 game against Virginia Union. Wilhelmi describes Monger as “the toughest guy I’ve coached.”

In Monger’s place, freshman WyKevin Bazemore has picked up the slack. The younger brother of Old Dominion star Kent Bazemore, WyKevin Bazemore came off the bench the night of Monger’s injury and exploded for 24 points and 17 rebounds. On the season, Bazemore is averaging 11 points and 8 boards.

As a coaching veteran of all levels, Wilhelmi has an interesting perspective on Division II basketball, especially in the always competitive CIAA.

“This level is as good as a lot of low level and mid-major D-I programs,” said Wilhelmi. “We get a lot of Division I transfers and JUCO players and guys who are just hard workers and really develop,” continued Wilhelmi.

Of his experience at Winston-Salem, Wilhelmi said, “There are two states that people always say are passionate about basketball, and they are Indiana and North Carolina. They love their Ram basketball here.”

The CIAA celebrates its 100th birthday this year, and it figures to be a good one. Shaw University is on the heels of Winston-Salem, with an identical 13-2 mark.

Of the league, Wilhelmi said, “It’s a dogfight. We swept the Northern Division, but all of the games were close. This is one of the premier leagues in Division II.”

The CIAA Tournament is one of the most highly attended tournaments at any level in the country and the atmosphere of CIAA basketball has made a strong impression on Wilhelmi.

“It’s a special environment,” described Wilhelmi. “I have a friend who is a video coordinator on the Division I level. He came to watch one of our games and he went back and showed clips of the game to his staff so they could see the atmosphere at the game. It’s really a special atmosphere.”

Jan. 16, 2012

A tough non-conference schedule is paying dividends for Norfolk State of the MEAC. The non-conference battles included two losses against Marquette including a 59-57 loss in the Paradise Jam. The Spartans also lost to Virginia Tech and Illinois State, while defeating Drexel, TCU, Eastern Kentucky, and Long Island, among others. The Spartans are battle-tested and show it with a 4-0 MEAC mark. Of the non-conference schedule, Spartans coach Anthony Evans said, “It’s always something we’ve tried to do. This year we tried to get some home games, and we were also tested in the Paradise Jam.”

Of their strong start, Evans observed, “We have been consistent on the defensive end and that showed in our play at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands against Drexel, TCU, and Marquette.” NSU gave up 56, 53, and 59 points in the three game Paradise Jam, culminating with the two point loss to Marquette. A week prior to the Paradise Jam, Marquette had defeated Norfolk State 99-68 in Milwaukee.

Evans is a native of Brooklyn, NY, and his roots show, as the Spartans roster includes eight New York products. “My assistant Rob Jones and I are both from New York. New York has been good to us and is known for producing good players,” said Evans.

The Spartans are led by 6’10 senior Kyle O’Quinn. The preseason mid-major All-American is averaging 14 and 10, as he rounds out a stellar career in Norfolk.

“He had some struggles early,” observed Evans, “but he has started to find his rhythm. He can step out and hit the three, rebound, block shots. He has done everything we have asked.”

Looking ahead, Evans said, “The league is as tough as it’s been. There are no pushovers.”

Evans’ team continues to grab votes each week in the Mid-Major Top 25. At 13-5 the Spartans are currently among ‘other’s receiving votes’ and with 31 points they sit at No. 28.

Jan. 9, 2012

With no seniors on the roster, the St. Joe’s Hawks are not as inexperienced as one would think.

“We are young, but not as inexperienced as you would think,” said St. Joe’s Coach Phil Martelli, now in his 17th year at the helm.

“Ronald Roberts played meaningful minutes and started at the end of last year, and C.J. Aiken and Carl Jones both started, while (Halil) Kanacevic played a lot at Hofstra before transferring,” noted Martelli.

Martelli is hoping last year’s meaningful minutes will pay off for this year’s Hawk squad. “They had a taste of what last year was like, and they don’t want to repeat that,” Martelli said, referring to the 11-22 record of a year ago.

At 11-5, it appears the Hawks did not like how last season tasted, as they have already equaled their win total from a year ago.

Youth is not an excuse in Martelli’s mind. After the Hawks’ close loss to Harvard on New Year’s Eve, Martelli explained, “If we lose a game this year, it’s not because we are young, it’s because we are not good enough.”

St. Joe’s led at both Harvard and Iona for 35 minutes. “We have proved we can play at home,” said Martelli. “What we do have to do is to improve our road methodology.”

The Hawks followed up the loss to Harvard with an overtime victory over Duquesne and a five point loss to Charlotte. Close games will be the rule in the A-10 this year, as nine teams already boast double figure victory totals.

Martelli is impressed with the level of play in the league this year.

“I’m delighted for our league. Our administrators have allowed us to schedule properly and have prepared teams to help themselves in February and March,” noted Martelli.

Martelli has the Hawks positioned to be in the mix for postseason play.

“These guys have the intangibles,” said Martelli. “They allow us to coach them, and they have a real ability to look at yesterday and say ‘it was yesterday, and today is today.’ We have to take the next 70 days and value each one.”

Jan. 5, 2012

In a league long dominated by mid-major powers George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, and Old Dominion, Georgia State is making a move under first year Head Coach Ron Hunter. The Panthers have won 11 straight after Wednesday night’s 55-53 victory at VCU. GSU visits George Mason on Saturday night, with an opportunity to get an early hold on the top spot in the CAA.

Ron Hunter is still adjusting to his new surroundings after being at IUPUI for seventeen years.

“We completely stripped the program down,” said Hunter. “We did not inherit a bad team, but rather one that had been losing. I give all the credit to our players. They have bought in and have a swagger, but are not cocky. All I care about is that these seniors can hold their heads high.”

Of the current road trip into Virginia, Hunter said, “We only worry about Georgia State and what we do. We have all the respect in the world for VCU and George Mason, but we try to be the best Georgia State that we can be today. We will press and defend, and we will play how we play. If we are good at what we do, the wins will take care of themselves. We really want to play in meaningful games, though.”

Hunter singled out James Fields as one of the keys to the Panthers win. Fields missed the first nine games with injury.

“I call him our Tim Tebow. All he does is help us win. He’s not pretty, but he does all the things that help us win and he calls our defenses,” said Hunter.

Jan. 2, 2012

The year ended with a couple of noteworthy matchups on the mid-major level as Creighton defeated Wichita State in Wichita and Harvard defeated St. Joe’s, coming back from an 11 point deficit in Boston. As conference play is set to heat up with the New Year, Inside the Mayhem has a few “out-on-a limb” predictions for the New Year. We will revisit in March to see how our predictions turn out.

• In the Missouri Valley, four teams will earn bids to the NCAA tournament, with Creighton, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, and Indiana State the favorites.

• With their Big Three of Scott Machado, Michael Glover, and Momo Jones leading the way, Iona will not only win the MAAC, but will also win a first round NCAA tourney game.

• Off to a great start, The Atlantic 10 will earn more bids to the NCAA tourney than the ACC.

• After buying into Coach Tony Bennett’s defense-first philosophy, and also getting off to a great start, Virginia will split with North Carolina and play in the ACC Tournament championship game, advancing to the NCAA tourney.

• Once again players from Mid-Major programs will make some of the various All-America teams: Michael Glover (Iona), Orlando Johnson (UCSB), Scott Machado (Iona), C.J. McCollum (Lehigh), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State), Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)

• The Northeast Conference and the Summit League will put 4 teams into postseason. Remember it's not just the NCAA and the NIT.

• Northwestern will go to the NCAA for the first time ever.

• Maine, Norfolk State and Youngstown State will play postseason basketball for the first time in school history.

• Just when you thought the run may be over, Gonzaga will once again win the West Coast Conference regular season championship.

Of course, one of the great attractions of college basketball is its unpredictability, so I realize there is a reasonable chance I could drop the ball on all these predictions, but we’ll see how it turns out.

We’ll catch up to some more coaches in the days to come, as we have plans to take a look at St. Joe’s, with one of the best young teams in the country, CAA upstart Georgia State, led by former IUPUI coach Ron Hunter, and MEAC contender Norfolk State.

Happy New Year!
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Dec. 21, 2011

As the Long Beach State 49ers spend Christmas in Hawaii, they do so as perhaps the most intriguing .500 team in the country. The 49ers rank 1st nationally in strength of schedule, having faced Pitt, Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina, heading into Thursday night’s matchup with 15th ranked Xavier. A tough schedule is nothing new to Long Beach and Head Coach Dan Monson.

“This is not the first year we’ve done this. It’s the 3rd year in a row, that on January 1, we are ranked first in strength of schedule,” said Monson. “This year, however, we really expect to compete with that schedule,” continued Monson, continuing, “By and large, we’ve done that. We had slow starts against both Louisville and Kansas, but we’ve competed against all of these teams. One of our goals was to get in the conversation about an at large bid. We lost in our league championship game the last two years, so if we want to compete for an at large bid, we want to play those teams, and it certainly helps with recruiting as well.”

The 49ers have followed a solid blueprint for mid-major success. They have an outstanding point guard and a highly experienced group to go along with their tough schedule.

“You don’t compete with Carolina and Kansas and the others without the experience that we have,” noted Monson.

Of his senior point guard Casper Ware, Monson said, “With a kid like Casper, you are going into those games with a kid who’s been through the wars. He is the first kid in our league to be both the Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. He is the prototypical mid-major kid, who can now play anywhere. He has gotten better every year. When he got here, we had won six games the previous year. He started the first game of his college career. He is a classic gym rat and has shot it better and made better decisions every year. I would not trade him for any point guard in the country,” said Monson.

Of their trip to Hawaii, Monson said, “Our kids are excited to play some of these teams on a neutral floor. It is more of a level playing field. We have a chance to put a nice stamp on our season.”

Dec. 16, 2011

When you talk Ivy League basketball, Princeton and Penn come to mind for their long tradition of hoops excellence. Harvard is in the national conversation coming off their success of last year, as they are on the verge of entering the Top 25. The Crimson currently rank third in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. One team not getting too much attention, however, is Yale. The Bulldogs, in the midst of their eleven day exam break, are off to a 7-2 start. The Bulldogs will learn a lot when they return to game action, as they travel to Rhode Island, Wake Forest, and Florida, to wind up December.

Of the imposing schedule, Yale Coach James Jones, said, “It will be a great barometer for us, and our guys look forward to the challenge.”

Common sense says the Bulldogs will have a tough time at Wake and Florida, while Rhode Island is off to a rough start. The emphasis may be on how the Bulldogs play on the road, as opposed to whether they win. If they can be battle tested when they start league play, they hope to contend for an Ivy League title.

Jones is not ready to concede the league title to Harvard.

“Harvard is off to a great start, but there are a lot of people fighting for a championship in this league. Penn has had a tough schedule, Princeton has a new coach; the league is very competitive,” said Jones.

6’10 senior Greg Mangano is leading Yale, with 17 points and 9 boards a night, but Jones continues to push.

“He has done a really great job, but he had 21 and 9 against Bryant, and I was mad at him,” laughed Jones.

Junior guard Austin Morgan shoots it and does the dirty work for the Bulldogs, and Jones mentioned senior Reggie Willhite as a key contributor as well.

Dec. 11, 2011

Iona appears poised to make the jump to the nation’s mid-major elite teams. Just a one point loss to Purdue stand between the Gaels and an 8-0 start. Iona is in the midst of a six week road trip. If they weather that storm, they will be ready to push for a MAAC title. Iona finished 25-12 last year, losing to Santa Clara in the finals of the third annual CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Second year coach Tim Cluess and his squad have picked up right where they left off.

“Our tournament experience last year was very helpful, making it to the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.”

Top billing for the Gaels usually goes to All-MAAC selection Michael Glover and Arizona transfer Lamont “Momo” Jones. The key cog to the engine, however, might be fellow All-MAAC choice, 6’1 senior guard, Scott Machado. Machado is averaging 16 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 11 assists. In a 104-99 double overtime victory over St. Joe’s, Machado had 33 points and 10 assists to go along with Glover’s 34 points and 10 rebounds. Machado is emerging as one of the top point guards in the nation.

Cluess agreed, “He is playing great right now--he’s on top of his game.”

Glover is receiving plenty of attention after his monster season last year, including a spot on the preseason Lute Olson All-America team.

“Teams are paying more attention to him now, and double teaming him,” said Cluess, “He’s got to adjust to that.”

Cluess and the Gaels received a nice pre-season gift from the NCAA in October, when Jones was cleared to play immediately. Adding a player of his stature to a team already picked to win the MAAC heightened expectations for the 2011-12 season.

“He brings big-game experience, and he can handle it and score. It’s also great to have a local kid come home,” said Cluess.

Dec. 6, 2011

After taking a look at the Vermont Catamounts last week, we had a chance to speak to former Vermont coach Mike Lonergan, now the head coach at George Washington University. The Colonials are off to a 4-3 start, with a challenging early season schedule. Their three losses are at California, at Kansas State, and to Virginia Commonwealth in the BB&T Classic in Washington. The schedule does not get any easier, as GW faces off against Loyola on Wednesday. The Greyhounds have reeled off six consecutive wins, following an opening loss to Wake Forest.

Of his move to GW, Lonergan said, “It’s been smooth. It’s all of the off-court things that take a lot of time -- selling and buying a house, moving your family, recruiting, meeting alumni, raising money.”

On the court, senior guard Tony Taylor leads GW at 15 points per game. “We knew he was a good player, but he’s been even better than we thought,” said Lonergan. “He is really shooting the ball well.”

Taylor is off to a sizzling start, shooting 56% from three point range.

Lonergan and the Colonials square off against his long time friend Jimmy Patsos and Loyola on Wednesday night. The career record between the two coaches is 2-2, so this game will be the tie-breaker.

Loyola is off to a great start and Patsos and his kids are looking forward to the matchup against the Colonials.

“It’s a little more like postseason for us. It’s an A-10 school on their court with their officials, and it’s on TV. We also have a bunch of DC area kids on our team, so they are looking forward to it,” said Patsos.

Patsos is pleased with his team chemistry this year. “The kids don’t really care about scoring—they just want to win.”

Patsos singled out junior Erik Etherly in particular. “He has been our best player through the first seven games,” said Patsos. The 6’7 Etherly, who spent a season at Northeastern, is scoring 15 and grabbing 8 boards a game for the Greyhounds. 6’2 sophomore guard Dylon Cormier leads Loyola with 17 points per game.

Dec. 2, 2011

With December here and conference play approaching, we launch our third year of Inside the Mayhem. We will once again try to jump around the country and take a look behind the scenes of college basketball as we build towards March.

Vermont is off to a 4-3 start after Thursday’s night’s home 55-48 loss to highly regarded Harvard. The Catamounts have a strong non-conference win over Old Dominion to go along with victories over Siena, Dartmouth, and Marist. The road gets tougher in the coming weeks, as Vermont squares off against St. Louis and Iona, among others.

First year mentor John Becker is getting his feet wet.

When asked about the transition to the first seat, Becker said, “So far, so good. Having been in the program for five years and having recruited these kids has made the transition smooth. The off the court stuff is the biggest adjustment—being pulled in so many different directions. The on-court part, once practice starts, it feels natural.”

Becker has noted a difference in games as well. “The game moves a lot faster as a head coach, but I have a great staff, so that has made it easier.”

Of the upcoming stretch, Becker said, “We have a tough stretch here. We are playing four or five of the hottest mid-majors in the country, but we wanted to play a tough non-conference schedule to prepare us for our league schedule.”

Vermont has shown great balance. “We knew coming in that we did not have a marquee guy, so we have gone to a more balanced attack. We have maybe eight guys who have scored in double figures already, and we are shooting a high percentage.”

Despite a subpar game against Harvard, 6’6 sophomore Brian Voelkel is one to watch. “He led the league in rebounds and assists last year,” said Becker. “He is a monster. He is old school in that he just out works people. He is one of the most entertaining players in the country. He’s very unique.”

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