2009 Tournament Participants

AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS
19-13 (13-5 Ohio Valley Conference)
Synopsis: The Governors appeared in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game for the third straight season. For the third time in as many seasons Drake Reed was a first team All-Conference selection. The 6-foot-5 senior is averaging 22 points and 8 rebounds per game and he recorded seven 30-point outings, along with seven double-doubles. Reed became the first Austin Peay player in history to score more than 1,900 points and grab at least 750 rebounds. Junior Wes Chandler was selected second-team All-OVC in a vote of league coaches and sports information directors. ASPU played nine games against teams currently in postseason play.

BELMONT BRUINS
19-12 (14-6 Atlantic Sun Conference)
Synopsis: Few teams in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament field can boast as much postseason experience as the Bruins have. Belmont's streak of 10 consecutive Atlantic Sun Tournament victories, three consecutive Atlantic Sun Tournament Championships and three straight NCAA tournament appearances came to an end with a semifinal loss to ETSU. Keeping that in mind, the postseason is nothing new to seniors Alex Renfroe, Andy Wicke, Matthew Dotson and Shane Dansby, all of whom are averaging in double figures in scoring. Renfroe was named the league's player of the year after leading the Atlantic Sun in assists (5.0) and ranking seventh in the league in scoring with a 16.0 average.

BRADLEY BRAVES
18-14 (10-8 Missouri Valley Conference)
Synopsis: This marks Bradley's 34th postseason appearance, which is more than any other Missouri Valley Conference team. Bradley is the only program in the nation to have been invited to the inaugural tournaments of the NIT (1938), the NCAA (1939), the National Campus Tournament (1951), the Commissioner’s Classic (1974), the College Basketball Invitational (2008) and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (2009). This postseason, the Braves will be relying heavily on the play of senior forward Theron Wilson. He was the only player to rank in the top five in the MVC in scoring (5th at 13.9), rebounding (4th at 7.1) and steals (2nd at 1.9). For his efforts, Wilson was named first-team All-MVC and also made the league's seven-man All-Defensive squad.

THE CITADEL BULLDOGS
20-12 (15-5 Southern Conference)
Synopsis: It's the first time in the history of The Citadel basketball that the program will participate in a postseason tournament. 2008-09 was one of the most successful regular seasons in school history. Head coach Ed Conroy guided the Bulldogs to the program's second-ever 20-win season, earning 2009 SoCon Coach of the Year honors in the process. He is also a finalist for the prestigious Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award. The 15 conference wins represent the most ever victories in league play for the program, while the increase in wins from last season (+14) was the best improvement by any Division I team. Senior forward Demetrius Nelson and sophomore guard Cameron Wells combined for 31.6 points per game during the season, with both players earning SoCon Sports Media Association All-Conference honors in the process.

DRAKE BULLDOGS
17-15 (7-11 Missouri Valley Conference)
Synopsis: First year coach Mark Phelps had a big chore to start the season, inheriting a team coming off of 28 wins but only returning two starters. He has guided the Bulldogs to 17 victories, including a 9-2 run in November and December that included wins over New Mexico, Iowa State and Iowa. Following 13 straight losing seasons, Drake now owns a streak of three straight seasons with 17 or more wins. Senior forward Jonathan Cox and junior guard Josh Young both earned second team All-MVC honors. Cox led the league in rebounding with 8.4 a contest and recorded seven double-doubles over the campaign. Young led the league in free throws made (156) and has tallied six 20-plus scoring games this season. On the season, Drake ranks 15th nationally in free throw shooting (75.3%).

EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
17-13 (8-10 Missouri Valley Conference)
Synopsis: It's the first postseason appearance for Evansville since the 1999-2000 season. The Aces finished five places higher in the MVC standings than last season, when they came in 10th in Marty Simmons' debut season as Evansville head coach. The program is assured of its first winning season since 2000 mainly because of a sterling 15-3 record at home that included a 75-62 BracketBuster victory over Miami (Ohio). Offensively, Simmons has had his squad focus on the interior. The Aces attempted an MVC-low 303 3-pointers, making only 97. On the flip side, more point blank shots equated to a 45% shooting clip, good for second in the league. Senior forward Shy Ely has been brilliant this season, leading the league in scoring at an 18.6 clip and barely missing the MVC's Player of the Year award.

IDAHO VANDALS
16-15 (9-7 Western Athletic Conference)
Synopsis: Few teams in the nation exceeded expectations more than Idaho, which was picked ninth in preseason polls by the league's coaches and media. This season the Vandals matched their win total of the previous three seasons combined. The 9 conference wins are the most the program has enjoyed since joining the league. Don Verlin's squad won six of its last seven regular season contests. Mac Hopson was a first-team All-WAC selection, becoming the first Vandal to be so honored since Gordon Scott during the 1999-2000 season. The 6-2 junior from Portland, OR is one of the nation's best ball distributors, ranking 20th in the nation in assists at 5.9 a contest and was runner-up for WAC Player of the Year honors. This is Idaho's first postseason appearance since the 1989-90 season.

JAMES MADISON DUKES
19-14 (9-9 Colonial Athletic Conference)
Synopsis: A lot of college basketball players play with heart, but Juwann James takes that a step further. The senior forward fought heart problems during the season and missed 11 games, but was still named to the All-CAA second team after leading JMU with a 15.0-point average. Four years ago James was named to CollegeInsider.com's freshman All-America team. Head coach Matt Brady is gaining a reputation as a guy who can turn programs around. At Marist, it was a 6-win team the season before he took over and an 18-win team when he left. JMU was 13-17 last season but Brady has his team in the postseason this time around. Six of JMU's losses were by five or fewer points, with two of those coming in overtime.

KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
19-14 (10-6 Mid-American Conference)
Synopsis: Geno Ford's first season as Kent State coach didn't get off to the smoothest start. Following an overtime loss to Western Carolina, the Golden Flashes stood at 3-5 on the season. But an eight-game winning streak over January and February got the season back on track for Kent State and would serve as a springboard for bigger things to come. Ford is looking to extend Kent State's impressive streak of ten consecutive 20-win seasons. Senior guard Al Fisher has been a big part of the program's recent success, earning the 2008 MAC Player of the Year aware and being named First Team All-MAC for a second consecutive season this time around. He leads Kent State in scoring (15.1) and is fourth in the league in assists (3.5).

LIBERTY FLAMES
22-11 (12-6 Big South Conference)
Synopsis: The state of Virginia is full of quality division I basketball programs and count Ritchie McKay's Liberty among them. Against in-state foes, Liberty was a very respectable 5-3 this season, including wins over Virginia, George Mason, VMI and Radford. Liberty’s 22 victories so far are the second most in the school’s Division I era. The Flames present one of the nation's most effective one-two punches in senior guard Anthony Smith and freshman guard Seth Curry. Smith, a first team All-Big South selection, is averaging 17.2 points a game and became the ninth player in league history to register 1,500 career points and 500 career rebounds. Curry, the Big South Freshman of the Year, leads the nation's freshmen in scoring (20.9), including four efforts of 30 or more points. The freshman All-American is the younger brother of Davidson star Stephen Curry.

MOUNT ST. MARY'S MOUNTAINEERS
19-13 (12-6 Northeast Conference)
Synopsis: How does a team prevent a six-game losing streak from ruining its season? In Mount St. Mary's case, you end it and then go 14-4 the rest of the way. Milan Brown's squad puts the clamps on you on the defensive end, limiting the opposition to 41.8% shooting from the field and 62.8 points a contest. Both those figures led the NEC this season. Junior point guard Jeremy Goode has been brilliant at times, averaging 15.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game on the season. The Charlotte, NC native has carried the load for the Mountaineers to this point, scoring in double figures in 24 of the Mount’s 29 contests. Goode is the first Mount player to earn first team All-NEC honors since Gregory Harris way back in 1998-99. He is also a Mid-Major All-American and was named the CollegeInsider.com Freshmen All-America team, three years ago.

OAKLAND GRIZZLIES
22-12 (13-5 Summit League)
Synopsis: The Golden Grizzlies' school record nine-game winning streak was snapped in a last second loss to North Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament final. Oakland's 22 victories entering the CollegeInsider.com Tournament continues the program's recent run of success. Head coach Greg Kampe, who has been on the job since the Reagan Administration, has guided the Golden Grizzlies to 17 or more wins for the third consecutive season following a regular season in which they played teams from the Big 10, Big 12, Big East and Pac 10. Junior point guard Johnathan Jones leads the country in assists at 7.6 a contest, which helps explains Oakland's excellent assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18, which ranks 39th nationally). Jones was a preseason Mid-Major All-America selection.

OLD DOMINION MONARCHS
21-10 (12-6 Colonial Athletic Conference)
Synopsis: The Monarchs took the lunch pale and hard hat approach this season, attempting the fewest number of 3-pointers (454) in the league. The focus on the paint resulted in the CAA's fourth best field goal percentage and the league's top rebounding margin. Therefore, it shouldn't be a surprise that center Gerald Lee leads the Monarchs in scoring (15.8, third in the CAA). To show just how rough and tumble the Monarchs can get, Lee has suffered a bloody nose and a mid-foot sprain so far this season, with both injuries occurring in practice. This squad enters the College Insider.com Tournament with a head of steam, having won 10 of 12 coming down the stretch. The Monarchs have spent most of the past few weeks ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25.

PACIFIC TIGERS
19-11 (10-6 Big West Conference)
Synopsis: Folks on the East Coast can be forgiven if they haven't heard much about Pacific this season. The Tigers have only left the state of California twice, getting a road win at Nevada and losing at Washington way back in late November. Head coach Bob Thomason will use the CollegeInsider.com Tournament as a means of reintroducing his team to the rest of the nation. An overtime loss to Cal State Northridge in the Big West Tournament title game prevented Pacific from getting an NCAA bid. It was the fourth overtime game of the campaign for the Tigers. This season, Pacific led the Big West in shooting (46%) but has also done great work on the defensive end, limiting opponents to a 43% mark from the field.

PORTLAND PILOTS
19-12 (9-5 West Coast Conference)
Synopsis: Portland's 19 wins are the most for the program in 13 years, and in the process earned Eric Reveno selection as the WCC Coach of the Year. The Pilots let it fly from 3-point land at a higher success rate than any team in the nation except for California. The team's 41.8% success rate gets a huge boost from the play of junior guards T.J. Campbell and Nik Raivio, who both garnered All-West Coast Conference First Team honors. Raivio isn't shy about mixing it up on the interior, with his 7.5 per game rebound average making him the top rebounding guard in the league. Sophomore guard Jared Stohl has steadily developed into a reliable scoring option, currently ranking fifth nationally in three-point shooting percentage (47%). The son of former NBA All-Star Jack Sikma, Luke Sikma has been a key contributor this season.

RIDER BRONCS
19-12 (12-6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Synopsis: The Broncs stampede into the postseason as winners of eight of their last eleven contests. Included among those victories was a last second 90-88 win over MAAC champion Siena. Rider has been one of the MAAC's best shooting teams this season, ranking second in the league in field goal percentage (45%) and third in the league in free throw percentage (68%). Leading the charge has been junior guard Ryan Thompson, who has been a one man statistical gang throughout the season. He leads the league in scoring (18.4), is 11th in rebounding (6.5), eighth in field goal percentage (52%), seventh in assists (7.2), ninth in free throw shooting (78%) and fifth in steals (1.5). Thompson was named Mid-Major All-American following the 2007-08 season and also named to the preseason Mid-Major All-America squad. His brother, Jason was a selected by the Sacramento Kings (10th selection in the first round) in 2008 NBA Draft.
 

* The NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches have been consulted throughout and are fully aware of the parameters and guidelines established by CollegeInsider.com.