CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament

THE 2011 CIT PARTICIPANTS

AIR FORCE
15-15 (6-10 Mountain West Conference)

After winning only one conference game in both 2008-09 and 2009-10, the fast-improving Falcons bring a 15-15 record and 6-10 Mountain West finish to the CIT. With one more win, Air Force will match its highest total since 2006-07. For the Falcons, this will be school’s sixth post-season tournament berth, adding to 4 NCAA bids and an NIT Final Four run in 2007. With a heavy dose of Princeton-style offense and matchup zone defense, the Academy’s roster of young talent could be among the tournament favorites. Keep an eye on 6-6 senior Tom Fow, a dead-eye shooter who only seven times this year has connected on fewer than two threes. In his fourth season, Coach Jeff Reynolds has established himself as one of the best coaches in program history, and the team’s deep roster boasts nine players who play at least 12 minutes a game.

BUFFALO
18-13 (8-8 Mid American Conference)

While the team hung tough with BYU and Indiana State early, losing by 8 and 4 respectively, February and March were tough months for the Bulls, but Reggie Witherspoon's team still managed to hold its own in the Mid-American Conference. Leading scorers Zach Filzen and Byron Mulkey were forced to play extended minutes all season, and tired legs may have contributed to their drop off in productivity. At their best, the Bulls are capable of beating anyone in the CIT field, as shown by back-to-back wins over the MAC’s NCAA and NIT reps Kent State and Akron on June 16th and 19th. If the Bulls can recapture the magic of that week, they are very capable from a talent standpoint of cutting down the nets at the CIT. One player to watch is freshman forward Javon McCrea, whose career-high 28 points and 13 boards kept the Bulls in their MAC quarterfinal game at Kent State.

EAST CAROLINA
18-15 (8-8 Conference USA)

Hard to believe, but just last season the Pirates only won 10 games overall and 4 in CUSA. With first year coach Jeff Lebo at the helm, East Carolina has already hit the 18-win mark, and beaten the likes of Memphis, UAB, and UTEP. This is no longer the conference doormat, and leading scorer Jontae Sherrod will attempt to keep his career going as the Pirates invade the College Insider Tournament. To put in perspective how incredible the turnaround has been, consider that ECU finally beat Memphis after nine tries this year, and finally produced a winning record for the first time since 1997. Led by a group of four long-suffering seniors in Sherrod, Brock Young, Chad Wynn, and Jamar Abrams, the Pirates are proof that even the most moribund programs can turn things around with the right mix of players and coaching.

EAST TENNESSEE STATE
22-11 (16-4 Atlantic Sun Conference)

In any other season, a 16-4 record in the Atlantic Sun would be considered dominant and extremely impressive. While Belmont stole some of ETSU’s thunder with an even better conference run and NCAA tournament bid, the Buccaneers, two-time defending league champions, will be a formidable opponent in the CIT. With extensive NCAA tournament experience and a fast and athletic roster, the squad already boasts wins over Dayton, Mississippi State, and fellow CIT participant Tennessee Tech. Senior Mike Smith leads the team in scoring and produced a 20-point, 20-rebound effort this year, while Isiah Brown, Sheldon Cooley, and Adam Sollazzo are the building blocks for what will likely be another very good team next season. If you enjoy fast-paced, high-flying basketball, East Tennessee State is a team you’ll want to watch.

FURMAN
22-10 (12-6 Southern Conference)

Furman will be making its first postseason appearance since falling at West Virginia in the opening round of the 1991 NIT. The 22 wins is the most since a school record 23-9 record during the 1979-80 season. Led by All-Conference forward Amu Saaka, the Paladins look to bounce back from a heartbreaking Southern Conference semifinals loss to regular season champion College of Charleston. Furman’s non-conference slate features wins over NCAA teams UNC-Asheville and Wofford, along with a blowout of SEC member South Carolina (first in 30 years). Fellow seniors Noah States, Jordan Miller, and Darryl Evans provide Saaka with balanced scoring and rebounding for the veteran team. The Paladins are in the midst of the most successful season of Coach Jeff Jackson’s tenure, having improved from 6 wins in 2009, to 13 wins in 2010, all the way to 22 wins and counting in 2011.

HAWAII
18-12 (8-8 Western Athletic)

Back in postseason play for the first time in seven years, the WAC’s preseason last place selection Warriors look to continue a season that has already far exceeded expectations. With Arizona transfer Zane Johnson and senior forward Bill Amis leading the charge, the ‘Bows look to bounce back from a disappointing WAC tournament loss. Over the regular season, Hawai’i knocked off the likes of Utah, Mississippi State, WAC runner-up Boise State (on the road), and gave league winner Utah State two of its toughest games of the year. Keep an eye on sophomore JC transfer Joston Thomas, who bounced back from February struggles with two strong games against Fresno State and San Jose State.

IDAHO
18-13 (9-7 Western Athletic)

The WAC’s third place team, Idaho makes its second post-season appearance in three years. Sophomore center Kyle Barone is one to watch on the squad, doubling his freshman stats in nearly every category, and showing great potential as a scorer and rebounder. The Vandals closed the season with a disappointing loss to San Jose State in the WAC tournament, but did hand league and conference tournament champion Utah State its only WAC loss of the year, a 64-56 win on February 9th. The team also won at PAC 10 tournament semifinalist Oregon, and twice over fellow CIT participant Hawaii. In addition to the 6’10 center Barone, Idaho is paced by senior guard Jeff Ledbetter and junior forward Luiz Toldeo.

IONA
22-11 (13-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)

Finalists in the MAAC tournament, Coach Tim Cluess’ Gaels have come a long way since a 2-28 record in 2006-07. With star juniors Anthony Glover and Scott Machado (Iona’s first pair of All-MAAC first teamers in 13 years), the Gaels bring a formidable lineup to the CIT. Sophomore Kyle Smyth is another rising star to watch, and the team’s accomplishments this year include wins over league-leader Fairfield, NCAA participants Richmond and Long Island University, and 2 regular season wins over eventual MAAC tournament champions Saint Peters. In addition, the athletic Gaels played close games with Syracuse, Kent State, Vermont, and Cleveland State, and could use a strong CIT showing as a spring board towards a special season in 2012.

JACKSONVILLE
19-11 (13-7 Atlantic Sun)

As the A-Sun’s 3rd place finishers, the Dolphins bring arguably the best non-conference win in the entire CIT field in their 71-68 victory over Florida in Gainesville. Two seniors lead the team in scoring, Ayron Hardy and Travis Cohn, but the rest of the lineup will return next season with high expectations. Keith McDougald made the league all-freshman team, and should be a rising star in the conference for years to come. The team’s lack of size and scoring punch has hurt the squad in losses, but freshman forward Keion Palmer’s recent play could help both issues. Coach Cliff Warren’s team upset top seed Arizona State in the first round of last season’s NIT and gave Texas Tech a major scare in the second round. Expect another strong effort in the CIT this year from Jacksonville, as the program is in the midst of the second longest post-season streak in school history, at three in a row.

MARSHALL
22-11 (9-7 Conference USA)

Last year’s top seed in the CIT is back, looking to surpass 2010’s second round exit. With only one senior in the team’s top 7 scorers, and a potential rising star in freshman DeAndre Kane, the Thundering Herd look to build on a strong regular season with an extended CIT run. Coach Tom Herrion has already revived the stagnant program and produced a win over Big East powerhouse West Virginia this year, to go along with a five-game CUSA win streak in February. For just the second time since the 2001-02 season, Marshall finished its conference season with a winning record. The team closed the season on a 9-4 run, highlighted by a 15-point win over Memphis, and will once again enter the CIT as one of the favorites.

NORTH DAKOTA
19-14 (8-4 Great West)

Fresh off a rousing Great West Tournament championship run, the Fighting Sioux look to continue a storybook 2011 with a long CIT run as well. Heading into post-season play on a six-game win streak, North Dakota can only hope freshman guard Josh Schuler has more magic left after his clutch 3-pointer with four seconds turned a 76-74 deficit into a 77-76 tournament win. The Great West title was the first Division I conference title in the fledgling program’s history. The Fighting Sioux are led in scoring by another freshman, guard Troy Huff, who has scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games, including a monster 31-point, 12-rebound effort in the team’s 74-70 win at Houston Baptist. This is the second year the Great West has received an automatic qualifier to the CIT.

NORTHERN ARIZONA
19-12 (9-7 Big Sky)

A program with a proud history of post-season play, the Lumberjacks look to send all-time leading scorer Cameron Jones off with an extended CIT run. Still seething from a critical officiating error in their Big Sky semifinals loss at Northern Colorado, UNA must regroup and focus on the task at hand. With veteran coach Mike Adras at the helm and Jones leading the charge that should not be a problem. Always among the nation’s best shooting teams, UNA’s top three scorers all shoot well over %40 from downtown. With near misses against USC, Arizona, Creighton, and Iowa State, UNA may be due for a breakthrough non-conference win. After climbing from 8 wins in 2008-09 to 19 wins and counting this year, the Lumberjacks are clearly not a squad to be taken lightly.

NORTHERN IOWA
19-13 (10-8 Missouri Valley Conference)

Last year’s Sweet 16 darlings, the UNI Panthers look to make another postseason run, this time in the College Insider Tournament. Senior guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe looks to cap off a memorable career by leading a young and promising roster of mostly sophomores and freshmen. Looking for a third consecutive 20-win season, Northern Iowa will look to rising stars Jake Koch and Anthony James to continue the school’s tradition of post-season success. Despite seeing their 2-year run of Arch Madness victories come to an end, the Panthers have the makings of a sustained era of excellence, and look to follow conference-mate Missouri Valley as CIT champions.

OHIO
18-15 (9-7 Mid American Conference)

Last year’s MAC tournament champions and NCAA first round winners, the Bobcats survived the loss of Armon Bassett to field another competitive team. Sophomore point guard D.J. Cooper led the nation in assists per game, and showed again why many feel he could be the next MAC star to eventually play in the NBA. Coach John Groce went with youth this season, also giving extended minutes to sophomores Ivo Baltic and Reggie Keely. With Cooper running the show, Ohio managed wins over Valparaiso, Santa Clara, and twice over league tournament champion Akron. Senior forward DeVaugh Washington, whose double-double helped propel the Bobcats to the NCAA win over Georgetown, looks to end his career with a flourish, while freshman Nick Kellogg attempts to shake off a recent shooting slump. Both must figure prominently if the Bobcats are to have another extended tournament run.

ORAL ROBERTS
19-15 (13-5 Summit League)

Oakland may have grabbed all the national headlines for the Summit League, but Oral Roberts quietly also had an outstanding season, and could very well be next year’s Golden Grizzlies. With no seniors in the starting lineup, the Golden Eagles are poised for big things in the coming years, and could very well put together a championship run in the CIT. Junior forward Dominique Morrison is an all-league stud who could play anywhere and put up huge numbers, as shown by his 31-point effort in a win at Stanford last season. Morrison also lit up Oakland three times this season, and will join Warren Niles, Damen Bell-Holter, Steven Roundtree, and Roderick Pearson in forming what should be a spectacular offensive lineup next season. For now, the Golden Eagles look to start another long winning streak, after seeing a 10-game streak come to an end in the Summit League championship game.

PORTLAND
20-11 (7-7 West Coast Conference)

The careers of Pilot stars Luke Sikma and Jared Stohl will come to a close, but not before Portland takes its shot to win the College Insider Tournament. From only 9 wins as freshmen in 2007-08, Sikma and Stohl have raised the standards in a big way over their careers, beating the likes of Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Minnesota, and Utah. This season, the Pilots counted Sun Belt champ Florida Atlantic, WAC runner-up Boise State, and West Coast co-champions Saint Mary’s among their victims. Canadian junior guard Nemanja Mitrovic is one of the nation’s best shooters and could contend for all-WCC next season. The aforementioned Luke Sikma led the WCC in rebounding and was ninth overall in the entire nation at 10.6 a game.

QUINNIPIAC
22-9 (13-5 Northeast Conference)

Runners-up in the Northeast Conference, the Bobcats look to return to their winning ways of February in the CIT. With a 10-2 record since January 27th, Quinnipiac is among the hottest participants in the tournament. Last year, the Bobcats turned the league’s regular season title into a one-game NIT appearance. Looking to last longer this time, Quinnipiac relies on the scoring tandem of junior guard James Johnson, and senior forward Justin Rutty, the 2009-10 NEC Player of the Year, who recently became the NEC’s all-time leading rebounder. Among the team’s best wins are A-10 member Rhode Island and America East finalist Boston University, while near misses came by 2 (on a goal-tend) against UMass and by 4 against Vermont.

RIDER
23-10 (13-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)

Tied for second place in the MAAC, the Broncos will be playing post-season hoops for the third time in four years. Featuring MAAC Rookie Of The Year Danny Stewart and four-year staple Justin Robinson, the squad boasts early season wins over Southern Cal, La Salle, and Lafayette, and handed league champion Fairfield its only home league loss, 96-87 on February 6th. Already with 23 wins for the second time in four years, Rider looks to set a new school record for wins by advancing in the College Insider Tournament. Junior forward Novar Gadson has been hot lately, averaging over 19 points a game in his last four, and knocking down 6-of-14 three point shots over that span.

SAN FRANCISCO
17-14 (10-4 West Coast Conference)

The West Coast Conference’s surprising third place team looks to build on a strong 2011, as the team went 12-5 after the calendar turned, with four of the losses to Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. In fact, the Dons served notice of their bright future in handing the league’s NCAA tournament representative Zags a 96-91 loss on January 22nd. Coach Rex Walters has already turned the corner, leading USF to the postseason for the first time since 2005. Sophomore guard Michael Williams is a tremendous scorer who tripled his freshmen ppg totals and gave both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s a world of trouble. The Dons can already boast wins over Colorado of the Big 12, Montana of the Big Sky, and NCAA participant Hampton, the MEAC champs. In addition, USF gave San Diego State one of its closest games of the year before succumbing by a 62-56 margin.

SANTA CLARA
19-14 (8-6 West Coast Conference)

Back in postseason play for the first time in 15 years, the Broncos of Santa Clara also look to notch a 20-win season for the first time since John Bryant patrolled the lane in 2006-07. With wins over Big Sky regular season champ Northern Colorado, MEAC champ Bethune-Cookman, and West Coast Conference NCAA participant Gonzaga, coach Kerry Keating’s Broncos are well on the way to a full revival. All-conference guard Kevin Foster and all-freshman selection Evan Roquemore form a potent backcourt averaging a combined 31 points a game. In the paint, WCC defensive player of the year Troy Payne anchors the frontcourt, while Canadian import Marc Trasolini provides inside scoring, closing the year with a flourish and averaging 24 ppg in the past four contests.

SMU
17-14 (8-8 Conference USA)

Matt Doherty’s best season as SMU coach continues, as the Mustangs look to add to their most wins since 2002-03. All-conference center Papa Dia completed his ascent from minor role player to conference star this year, crushing his previous career highs in scoring, rebounding, and shot blocks, while shooting a spectacular %57.8 from the field and adding a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal. The Mustangs enter the CIT on an agonizing 4-game losing streak with losses by 2, 3, 3, and 1 point. Dia’s heir apparent, junior forward Robert Nyakundi, cooled down considerable during the streak, and will try to recapture his impressive early season form. If Dia and Nyakundi are at their best, SMU brings arguably the best front court to the CIT field, and could be in line for a long run.

TENNESSEE TECH
20-12 (12-6 Ohio Valley Conference)

The comeback season continues for the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech, whose CIT appearance is the first post season game since the 2002 NIT. A tough loss in the OVC final to Morehead St snapped the team’s seven-game win streak, but the Golden Eagles have clearly been playing their best ball since the start of 2011. Junior forward Kevin Murphy will be a front-runner for OVC player of the year next season, and his 30-point effort against Morehead showed just how explosive he can be. Coach Mike Sutton, now in his 8th season at the school, can lead this team to the second most wins in a season in school history with one more victory. TT’s best win came in the OVC tournament, when the team shocked top seed and defending league champions Murray State.

VALPARAISO
23-11 (12-6 Horizon League)

A familiar name to followers of the NCAA tournament, Valparaiso is back in postseason basketball following past appearances in the NCAA, NIT, and CBI. The team’s most successful season as a Horizon League member saw victories over Butler and Cleveland State, as well as NCAA tournament participants Northern Colorado and Oakland. Junior Brandon Wood leads a balanced attack with 17 points per game, while Australian import Ryan Broekhoff was among the most improved players in the conference. In two short years, the Crusaders have gone from 9 wins to 23 and counting, and look to ride their defensive toughness and outside shooting to a long run in the CIT.

WESTERN MICHIGAN
20-12 (11-5 Mid American Conference)

Appearing in the postseason for the first time since 2004-05, MAC Western Division champion Western Michigan enters the CIT with wins in 8 of their last 10 games. With tough close losses to Xavier, Kent State, and Akron (twice), the Broncos continue to show improvement, having won only 10 games two years ago. Leading scorer Demetrius ward came out of nowhere, having averaged 2.2 and 3.2 points-per-game his first two seasons. This season marks the 8th twenty-win campaign for Western Michigan, and the fifth MAC division title under Steve Hawkins. With only one senior on the roster, this is a program to be heard from in years to come, and could make a strong statement by capturing the CIT title.