And You Are....?

It's always dangerous to admit ignorance on one's blog. Usually, I like to let our faithful readers tell me when I'm being an idiot. But in this case, I'm going to go out on a limb and show my ass, and other metaphors.

When I looked at the Wooden Award Watch List a few days ago, there were some names I'd never heard before. I can tolerate finding out that I am ignorant of something, but I can rarely tolerate remaining in that condition, so today I'm going to find out what I can about the six players out of fifty that didn't ring a bell for me. I don't trust anybody else to help me out on this, so I'm consulting my print copy of Blue Ribbon.

Kentrell Gransberry, 6'9" Senior C, South Florida: LSU transfer Gransberry (shown above) has only played 23 games in a Bulls uniform, but he was straight-bangin' in every one, going for 15.6ppg and 11.4rpg. Stan Heath, late of Arkansas, is his new coach. Blue McRibbin' calls him "(A) big hoss who can rebound with great tenacity and score close to the basket."

Jason Pendergraph, 6'9" Junior F, Arizona State: ASU went 8-22 (2-16) last year, so I guess Mr. Pendergraph was the only light in that dark place. He averaged 12ppg and 9rpg. Had eight double-doubles. Blue Ribbon quotes ASU coach Herb Sendek as saying "I think he's one of the best players in the Pac-10."

Jason Thompson, 6'11" Senior F, Rider: Rider was a .500 team (overall and in the MAAC) last year, but Thompson was a beast, averaging 20/10 for the season. The Ribbon says "Thompson turned heads all summer at the LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, and Pete Newell camps, and enters his senior season as a legitimate NBA draft prospect."

Bo McCalebb, 6'0" Senior G, New Orleans: This guy is a flat-out scorer. He averaged over 25ppg last year. He scored in single digits only once, putting up 9 in a blowout against Denver, only to dish out 10 assists in only 29 minutes of play. He has also put up several double-digit rebounding nights. BR quotes Bo's coach, Joe Pasternack: "Of course, his explosion off the dribble is spectacular, but Bo is one of the toughest players I've ever been around." Just making it to his senior season after being displaced by Katrina confirms that statement.

Courtney Lee, 6'5" Senior G/F, Western Kentucky: Lee's gifts don't really jump out to the naked eye when looking at a stat sheet. He averaged a comparatively modest 17ppg, 2apg, and 4.6rpg in '06-'07. Nonetheless, he is poised to end up near the pinnacle of the Hilltoppers' scoring record sheet. Blue Ribbon praises his quick hands as well as his accuracy from behind the arc and the free-throw line.

Jaycee Carroll, 6'2" Senior G, Utah State: We finish up out in the WAC, where Jaycee Carroll doesn't even have the best name on his team (see Pooh, Jaxon, Moduo, and DeUndrae). Carroll has averaged 30 minutes per game since the day he set foot in Logan, Utah. He flirted with the NBA at the end of the year, and worked out for the Jazz, but ultimately decided to return and build up his profile some more. Blue Ribbons simply says "This guy's a machine."

So there you have them. If you knew about them, and want to give me hell, you know where to find the comment field - have at me. One things for sure - now that I'm up to speed, I'll be keeping an eye on these less heralded players along with the big names.

Word On the Court: Friday, October 26th

College Hoops blogs are in a state of perpetual awareness right now, waiting and watching for anything interesting on the hoops landscape. Which is generally precious little. Coaches and players are counting down the days, and so are we. Here's some of the deep background we've dined on while waiting for real game action:

The preseason Top 25 has finally been released and the Tar Heels are #1.... but barely. The Heels finished just 5 points ahead of #2 UCLA and eight points ahead of #3 Memphis. Will the STF Countdown look the same way? Find out next week.

Josh Alper of AOL Fanhouse went to Michigan. His wife went to Michigan State. That, and a wager, led to this encounter with sports bigamy.

JJ Redick has an infomercial. I hope it reveals the secret of Coach K's Annoying White Jump Shooter (AWJS) cloning program.

Making the Dance has the best Rivalry T-shirt slogans on display.

Andy Katz reveals that Gonzaga's coaches and players are still pretty pissed at Josh Heytvelt. Quote: '"He does deserve to get anything handed to him, and he deserves to get every bit of, you know, hostile things that happen out there to him," Few said.' Ouch.

A Stanford grad tears into Brook Lopez over at Plissken at the Buzzer.

The Big East is so overpopulated that they put out an eleven-man preseason all-conference list. Card Chronicle thinks it diminishes the honor.

And, finally, our blog-buddies over at Flyers Fieldhouse sound pretty jacked for another season of Dayton basketball.

Next week, we'll be gettin' down to bizness.

The STF Q & A: Michael Litos of Cinderella and CAA Hoops

Every other Friday, STF will run a Q & A with some people who know much, much more about college basketball than we do. Look for insight and analyst from some of the top professional in the world of college basketball. Today, we have Micheal Litos, author of Cinderella: A Season Inside The Rise Of Mid-Major Basketball, blogger for CAA Hoops: Life as a Mid-Major and STF Correspondent for the CAA.





Q&A With Michael Litos


STF: First of all, outstanding work on Cinderella, the perfect book to describe the inner-working of a mid-major conference. How did you get involved with the CAA and what possessed you to write a book about the conference's plight as a mid-major?

ML: First, thank you for the kind words. Certainly appreciated. I've followed VCU basketball since my days on campus, so it was natural, as a college basketball nut, for me to follow the entire conference. The book came about in a bit of a Perfect Storm...I wanted to write for a living, as opposed to a dull corporate life. Basketball is close to my heart, and I always preach to write what you love. Finally, the CAA represented the poster child for mid majors. I simply did the math, factored in that there hadn't been a book on the topic, and went after it.

STF: It seems as if the CAA has been able to retain some big name coaches that have been offered jobs at other places ( Larranaga, Pecora, Taylor and Grant). How have these schools been able to retina such great coaches?

ML: I think there are a lot of factors. As the league continues to get better and succeed, these jobs become a destination and not a stop. George Mason went to the Final Four. Anthony Grant won a game in last year's tournament. Lute Olsen, Gary Williams, and Mike Krzyzewski didn't accomplish that. Part of that reason resides in the pay--the coaching profession can be quite lucrative for more than BCS schools. And not to get soupy on you, but there is pride in building a program. A personal pride for a coach. Mid majors are where building a program can best occur. Take Blaine Taylor for instance. Old Dominion beat Villanova in the 1995 NCAA tournament but fallen on hard times. He's won 90 something games there the past four seasons and nabbed an at large bid to the NCAA tournament. Compare that to some random BCS school that will win 20 games, make the NCAA tourney, and then lose. Which path would you rather take?

STF: Following George Mason's run to the Final Four and VCU's win over Duke, the conferences profile has risen dramatically. In what ways has this helped or hurt the conference?

ML: Let me be clear when I say there's no hurt. Zero. It's really a branding issue. There is a recognition that goes with the success, a recognition that not only can the conference get multiple teams into the tourney, but also to win when they get into the tourney. I've spoken to a lot of the coaches in the league and they agree that the perception of the league is at an all time high. The CAA will likely get 100 games on television this year, up from about 35 three years ago. It becomes a cycle: you win, you get noticed, you recruit better, you get better players, you win some more.

Wait, I lied. There is one down side: scheduling. It's worse now than when I wrote the book. BCS teams are paying $65,000 to get a buy game. Some just flat refuse. If you win at this level it gets impossible to find games.

STF: You had been following the CAA for the entire 200-2006, did it honestly ever cross your mind that Mason, or any team in the CAA for that matter, had a real shot at the Final Four? If so, when did it happen?

ML: Absolutely not. The perfect ending to my book, when I began the project, was an at large bid and hopefully a win. A Sweet 16 crossed my mind in a dream. But Final Four? Uh, no. That's what made the run so much fun--we were all experiencing something unfathomable. I'll never forget the UConn game. "I can't believe they're in this game" lasted until the final shot bounced off the rim.


STF:I was at the Mason-UConn game and know how much of a factor the crowd was in Mason's favor (loudest crowd I've ever been apart of). Do you think that Mason would have still beaten UConn if the game was played anywhere other than DC?

ML:Tough call. I'm a believer that a crowd has certain influences, but they never take a shot or play defense or rebound. The players play. Plus, I don't know that a neutral floor existed. You basically had a puny mid major playing a team of professionals. That game could've been played anywhere outside of Storrs, CT and UConn would be playing a road game. Fans loved that run. Mason wins that game maybe one of every 15 times. They picked the right "one."

STF: The best part about covering a mid-major as opposed to a major conference?

ML: The closeness of it all. I'm a purist, and BCS games are more events than basketball games. At mid majors, coaches are accessible, administrators recognize you, and fans are fans. There is an untainted excitement to mid major games.

STF: Favorite place to watch a game in the CAA?

ML: Wow, that is actually the toughest question of the bunch. I love Wilmington. Their gym (Trask) is all old school, and the fans there are great. Plus, three days in Wilimngton is never a bad idea. I'm partial to the Siegel Center (VCU) as well. That is just a wonderful college basketball atmosphere--the fans, the band, etc. are all top notch. I love the closeness of Drexel's DAC, too. The kids are right on the floor and that always makes it more entertaining.


STF: What currently down-trodden CAA program could we see rise to a conference power in the coming years.

ML: James Madison has everything going in its favor. Great campus, good facilities, and the administration wants to win. Their football success can only help the hoops program. Plus, Dean Keener may finally have the Sherm Dillard mess cleaned up. I don't know Rod Barnes very well, but he is recruiting hard and heavy in SEC country and looking for SEC kids--he has four transfers coming in next year--three are SEC players and one is an ACC player. Plus, their gym is getting revamped.

STF: On to this season, you placed George Mason and VCU as the conference favorites in the STF Conference Preview. Do they have the talent to be major players on the national level?

ML: They already are. One is a Final Four team and the other won a game in the NCAA tournament. Across college basketball, that list isn't a long one. The CAA, as a conference, has won 10 postseason games over the past two years. The league can play. When given the opportunity, they prove it. Mason is ridiculously experienced and still has Thomas, Campbell, and Carter from the Final Four team. VCU is loaded again. So yes, they can be national players.

STF Super Awesome Team Previews: #11 Gonzaga Bulldogs

#11 Gonzaga Bulldogs



Team: Gonzaga

Conference: WCC

2006 Record and Ending: 23-11, lost to Indiana in first round of NCAA Tournament

Key Players Returning: After one long, strange trip, Josh Heytvelt is returning from his shroom related suspension last season. His return alone would make the Zags clear cut favorite in a weaker-than-usual WCC, but this Zag team also returns a fantastic backcourt with PG Jeremy Prago (12.1 ppg, 43. apg) G Micah Downs (8.1 pgg, 3.4 rpg), Matt Bouldin (9 ppg, 3 apg) and David Pendergraft.

What's To Love: The backcourt is amazing, even with the loss of leader Derek Raivio.Not many teams can boast the kind of shooting that the Zags have. Pargo should fill in nicely for Raivio, as he is more of a pass oriented point who should get the ball to sharpshooters Downs and Bouldin. Throw in the post presence of Heytvelt, which was sorely missing last season, and this team should be bale to put up point with ease.

What's Not To Love: The defense could be trouble spot, especially with the loss of Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, who was expected to be the lockdown defender. All that backcourt talent doesn't exactly translate to defensive talent. Also, the schedule is as brutal as ever, with games against Washington State, Memphis, UConn. A few early losses could derail this senior-less team.

Key Player: Josh Heytvelt. If he can stay out of jail and off drugs, he'll provide the Zags with all the post scoring and rebounding they need to be a Final Four contender. If he slips up, the Zags will flounder without any credible post players and can expect another first round exit.

Best Case: Heytvelt stays off shrooms and is a double-double threat, Pagro continues to improve at the point, someone steps up to be a lockdown defender on the perimeter, Downs makes "the leap" and become a dynamic scorer, the Zags win a few tough non-conferences games with it's offense and then cruise through a weak WCC.

Worst Case: Heytvelt trips again, the Zags miss the leadership of Raivio, the porous D leads to too many shootouts, team is shot by over-scheduling for a second straight season

STF Prediction: The Zags have one of the most dynamic offenses in the country. If they can survive the preseason schedule, this team could cruise to a #3 or #4 seed. WCC Champs, #3 seed, Sweet 16.

Kyle Whelliston Is A College Basketball Vagabond

Most you know Kyle Whelliston as the man behind the the supremely excellent Mid-Majority and his mid-major columns on ESPN.com. He is without a doubt the best source for mid-major info out there. What you may not know about Whelliston is that the man is a college basketball vagabond. Look at his schedule for the upcoming season....

Fri Nov 9 Hispanic College Fund Classic @ Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Houston Baptist, Saint Louis, North Carolina A&T) [2 games] Sat Nov 10 Hispanic College Fund Classic @ Pittsburgh [2 games] Sun Nov 11 Hispanic College Fund Classic @ Pittsburgh [2 games] Mon Nov 12 Preseason NIT first round @ Columbus (Ohio State, UWGB, Columbia, Delaware State) [2 games] Tue Nov 13 Preseason NIT second round @ Columbus [2 games] Thu Nov 15 Middle Tennessee Tournament (Appalachian State, Lipscomb, Middle Tenn. St., San Jose State) [2 games] Fri Nov 16 Middle Tennessee Tournament [2 games] Sat Nov 17 Middle Tennessee Tournament [2 games] Fri Nov 23 Philly Classic (Drexel, Howard, Loyola (Md.), Navy, Penn, Robert Morris, Seton Hall, Virginia) [4 games] Sat Nov 24 Philly Classic [4 games] Sun Nov 25 Central Connecticut State at Lafayette Mon Nov 26 Davidson at Appalachian State Tue Nov 27 Fresno State at Winston-Salem State Wed Nov 28 Georgetown at Old Dominion Thu Nov 29 Wichita State at Appalachian State Fri Nov 30 Louisiana-Lafayette at Tennessee Sat Dec 1 Duke vs. Davidson @ Charlotte December: northeast corridor games & ESPN-related travel TBA Fri Dec 28 Butler at Southern Illinois Sat Dec 29 Indiana State at Evansville Sun Dec 30 Missouri State at Southern Illinois Mon Dec 31 Northwestern State at Oklahoma State Tue Jan 1 Illinois State at Wichita State Wed Jan 2 Southern Illinois at Drake Thu Jan 3 IUPUI at Missouri-Kansas City Sat Jan 5 Creighton at Missouri State Sun Jan 6 Drake at Evansville Wed Jan 9 Davidson at Elon Thu Jan 10 Gardner-Webb at South Carolina Upstate Sat Jan 12 Morgan State at North Carolina A&T Winthrop at High Point Mon Jan 14 College of Charleston at The Citadel Tue Jan 15 Liberty at Winthrop Wed Jan 16 Towson at North Carolina-Wilmington -- FIRST ANNUAL BASKETBALL TRAIN 2008 -- Thu Jan 17 California-Irvine at California-Davis Sat Jan 19 Boise State at Nevada Mon Jan 21 Florida Gulf Coast at DePaul Tue Jan 22 Cal State Northridge at Chicago State Wed Jan 23 Navy at Holy Cross Fri Feb 1 Loyola (Md.) at Niagara Sat Feb 2 Youngstown State at Illinois-Chicago Tue Feb 5 Butler at Valparaiso Wed Feb 6 Akron at Western Michigan Thu Feb 7 Wright State at Cleveland State Sat Feb 9 Illinois-Chicago at Loyola (Ill.) Sun Feb 10 Toledo at Bowling Green Mon Feb 11 Wagner at Quinnipiac Fri Feb 15 North Florida at Jacksonville Sat Feb 16 Coppin State at Bethune-Cookman Mon Feb 18 Coppin State at Florida A&M Tue Feb 19 Savannah State at Stetson Wed Feb 20 Florida International at Florida Atlantic Thu Feb 21 Mercer at Jacksonville Sat Feb 23 BracketBusters TBA Mon Feb 25 College of Charleston at North Carolina-Greensboro Tue Feb 26 Virginia Military Institute at Liberty Wed Feb 27 North Carolina-Wilmington at Virginia Commonwealth Thu Feb 28 Saint Francis (PA) at Monmouth Fri Feb 29 Saint Peter's at Rider Sat Mar 1 George Mason at Northeastern Wed Mar 5 Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals @ Nashville [4 games] Thu Mar 6 Atlantic Sun Semifinals @ Nashville [2 games] Fri Mar 7 Ohio Valley Semifinals @ Nashville [2 games] Sat Mar 8 Atlantic Sun Final @ Nashville Ohio Valley Final @ Nashville Sun Mar 9 Sun Belt Quarterfinals @ Mobile [4 games] Mon Mar 10 Sun Belt Semifinals @ Mobile [2 games] Tue Mar 11 Sun Belt Final @ Mobile Thu Mar 13 SWAC Quarterfinals @ Birmingham [4 games] Fri Mar 14 SWAC Semifinals @ Birmingham [2 games] Sat Mar 15 SWAC Final @ Birmingham Tue Mar 18 Play-In Game @ Dayton NCAA Tournament TBA

Well now, that's quite a bit of college basketball for one season. I've got two thoughts on the schedule. First, man it would be awesome for my job to be travel to college basketball games everyday of the season. Second, despite how much I love college basketball, I would have a hard time getting pumped up for Florida Gulf Coast vs. Cal State Northridge on a Tuesday night.

STF Conference Preview: The Missouri Valley

Conference: The MVC

Last Season Recap: It was somewhat back to earth for the MVC. Creighton won the auto-bid and garnered a ten-seed in the NCAAs, where they were quickly dispatched by fellow mid-major Nevada. The actual best team in the conference, Southern Illinois, took a sky-high #4 seed and proved they deserved it, advancing to the sweet sixteen where they came within four points of upsetting Kansas. Only Bradley and Missouri State made the NIT, and they didn't do much once there.

Team to Beat: Southern Illinois. As I said while anointing them the #18 team in the land: they have a man, his plan, and a nice mix of experience and new blood.

Second Tier: Bradley brings back Jeremy Crouch and Daniel Ruffin, who ended last season as the #1 and #2 scorers in the MVC. In addition, Crouch shot .500 on 3-point attempts and Ruffin was the top assist-man. This is a dangerous team. Creighton got Dana Altman back after his bizarre flirtation with the Arkansas opening, and should be able to compete despite losing four starters to graduation. Missouri State and Northern Iowa tend to hang around the fringes of this group, as well.

Sleeper: Illinois State. Yeah, I said the Redbirds. They have four starters back, including "most improved" senior Center Levi Dyer, who averages 12 ppg. In addition, an astonishing three Ill State players landed on the conference All-Newcomer team last year, so the bench is beyond solid. Add in new head man Tim Jankovich (right), who was previously the top assistant at Kansas, and you've got a spoiler in the making.

Overrated: This is a tough call. With all of the coaching turnover, it's hard to find a team that is valued above its true ability. I'll have to choose Wichita State. The Shockers return a couple of familiar faces but will struggle to find themselves in the first year under (excellent) former Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall. They will return to form, but not this year.

Worst Team: Evansville. They have a new coach, and their top returning scorer was only good for 11ppg last year. It'll be a struggle to find their swagger with a bunch of role players and no stars. Love that Purple Ace, though.

STF Prediction: Five coaches returned, five left. It could have been even worse, with both Chris Lowery and Dana Altman making eyes at the Majors before taking slightly smaller paydays to stay put. After the top three, the MVC could be a free-for-all.

1. Southern Illinois
2. Bradley
3. Creighton
4. Northern Iowa
5. Illinois State
6. Missouri State
7. Wichita State
8. Indiana State
9. Drake
10. Evansville

Breaking News from the Big Ten

This just in, the Big Ten has unveiled a new logo to be displayed at Men's & Women's basketball tournaments:



It's... a ball of multi-colored yarn!! It's... a spirograph! It's.... a needlessly expensive corporate logo designed by a committee!

After seeing it, though, I must admit that I'm suddenly all about Big Ten Basketball.

STF Super-Awesome Team Previews: #12 North Carolina State

Team: NC State Wolfpack

Conference: ACC

2006 Record and Ending: HEY, KOOL-AID!!! Sidney Lowe showed us why the garment is called a Blazer, donning his trademark red jacket and ripping off three straight wins in the ACC tournament after his team had gone a miserable 15-14 (5-11) in the regular season. Lowe and his Wolfpack scared the willies out of ACC fans, as they took down then-#21 Duke, then-#24 Virginia, and hot-streaking Virginia Tech before losing to then-#8 UNC in the final game. That gained the men in red an NIT berth that probably wasn't there before the tourney started, and the Wolfpack acquitted themselves well, winning two games before bowing out against eventual NIT champ West Virginia. Final record, including tournaments: 20-16.

Key Players Returning: Four of the starting five are back - Forwards Gavin Grant and Brandon Costner, Center Ben McCauley, and Guard Courtney Fells.

What's To Love: The frontcourt. Senior Gavin Grant (right) is a slender forward who can do everything well. Last season, he was a very reliable scorer, averaging 15ppg. He also chipped in some double-digit rebounding nights and even dished ten assists vs. Alabama. He's the type of player who will do whatever it takes to help his team win.

At 6'9" and 238lbs., Brandon Costner is a more traditional banger who only missed double-digit scoring in one contest last season, and really turned it on come tournament time. Junior F/C Ben McCauley is a big body in the middle and fills the role of third scorer fairly well.

What's Not To Love: The backcourt is as unsettled as the frontcourt is solid. Returning starter Courtney Fells has seen his assist/turnover ratio go the wrong way during his first two seasons in Raleigh. Fine, you say - he's not a point guard. Granted, but he didn't score last season either - he hit only 33% of his threes, and averaged just 11ppg. The other guard spot is up for grabs, and the applicants for the job have very little experience. Finding a floor general will be Lowe's biggest magic trick in the upcoming campaign.

Key Player: Sophomore guard Farnold Degand will most likely be the first to get a chance at running the point. He sat out last season after transferring from Iowa State, but his competition right now is freshman Javier Gonzalez and Tennessee transfer Marques Johnson, who won't be eligible until mid-season. I'm sure the Wolfpack would rather have Degand lock the job down in the early going than have to break someone else in just before conference play.

Best Case: Degand and Fells find a rhythm and keep getting the ball inside to the big men. State picks up where they left off, putting themselves in the hunt for supremacy on Tobacco Road. Oh, yeah, and they'd probably have to beat some of the non-Carolina schools to get back in the NCAA hunt.

Worst Case: Guard struggles doom the squad in conference play, where the big boys eat miscues for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Wolfpack wallows in the middle of the ACC all season and ends up on the bubble, either getting a low seed or going back to the NIT.

STF Prediction: I'm assuming the guard problem will be solved by January. I have the 'Pack down for a loss at Michigan State, and I have to be consistent with my preview of Davidson and reiterate that they can beat NC State at home (guard play will be big in that one). In-conference, I have them down for two losses to the Tar Heels, and one each to Clemson, Maryland, Duke, and Virginia. That has them at 20-8 (10-6) and firmly off the bubble and in the NCAAs with a high-middle seed. Maybe even Sweet 16 with the right breaks.

Imagine Trying To Really Be "Like Mike"

Who hasn't picked up a basketball, pretended to nail a game winning three, and for at least one moment, thoght that they were just "Like Mike" . If you're in your early 20s like myself, there is no way that you couldn't have grown up without in some way worshiping Michael Jordan. Hell, there was even a catchy song about being "Like Mike". Personally, I was the marketing team's dream. I had the shoes (every year from about 2nd to 8th grade), the Gatorade, the Hanes and sadly, the Jordan logo shaved into the back of my head (that is 100% true). And while I was always "dreamed" about playing like Jordan, I realized at a young that I wasn't going to really play like Mike. Nope, I was about 2-feet too short and significantly too white for that. But I was never expected to be Michael Jordan, I only needed to buy his shit.

Now enter the world of Jeffery Jordan, the son of Michael Jordan. Jeffery is a freshmen walk-on for the University of Illinois. Unfairly or not, there is nothing that Jeffery will ever be able to do on a basketball court that won't be compared to his father. And honestly, I feel for him. No one should have to play with that kind of pressure. Unlike 99.9 percent of Jordan fans, Jeffery is actually going to have to be "Like Mike".

I know that some people will say that you shouldn't feel bad for someone who has grown up with millions of dollars and everything you could ever possibly want (trust me, I don't give a shit what happens to Angelina Jolie's 25 adopted kids), but I'm legitimately pulling for Jeffery to succeed. If he's walking on to Illinois, he clearly doesn't have as many God-given skills as his father. So if he succeeds, he's going to have to earn it. And I hope he does succed. Judging by all the reports and his interview at the Michigan-Ilinois game, he seems like a good enough kid. Even if he only gets to play sparingly foe the Illini, know that he did it with talent that didn't match the enoumous expectations he was expected to fill.

The Wooden Watch List: From Adrien to Zeno

The John Wooden Award watchlist was released this week. The Wooden award is given to the top player in college basketball as chosen by the Award Committee. A donation in that player's name is made to his school's general scholarship fund. Last year's winner was Texas forward Kevin Durant.

The preseason top 50 players:

Jeff Adrien 6-7 F Jr. Connecticut

Ryan Anderson 6-10 F So. California

D.J. Augustin 6-10 G So. Texas

Patrick Beverley 6-1 G So. Arkansas

Jon Brockman 6-7 F Jr. Washington

Chase Budinger 6-7 F So. Arizona

Jaycee Carroll 6-2 G Sr. Utah State

Mario Chalmers 6-1 G Jr. Kansas

Darren Collison 6-1 G Jr. UCLA

Brandon Costner 6-9 F So. NC State

Stephen Curry 6-0 G So. Davidson

Eric Devendorf 6-4 G Jr. Syracuse

Chris Douglas-Roberts 6-6 G Jr. Memphis

Randal Falker 6-7 F Sr. Southern Illinois

Shan Foster 6-6 G/F Sr. Vanderbilt

Taj Gibson 6-9 F So. USC

James Gist 6-8 F Sr. Maryland

Jamont Gordon 6-4 G/F Jr. Mississippi State

Kentrell Gransberry 6-9 C Sr. South Florida

A.J. Graves 6-1 G Sr. Butler

Malik Hairston 6-6 G Jr Oregon

Tyler Hansbrough* 6-9 F Jr. North Carolina

Richard Hendrix 6-8 F Jr. Alabama

Roy Hibbert 7-2 C Sr. Georgetown

Dominic James 5-11 G Jr. Marquette

Joseph Jones 6-9 F/C Sr. Texas A&M;

Marcelus Kemp 6-5 G Sr. Nevada

Ty Lawson 5-11 G So. North Carolina

Courtney Lee 6-5 G/F Sr. Western Kentucky

Chris Lofton 6-2 G Sr. Tennessee

Derrick Low 6-2 G Sr. Washington State

Aleks Maric 6-11 C Sr. Nebraska

Eric Maynor 6-2 G Jr. VCU

Bo McCalebb 6-0 G Sr. New Orleans

Drew Neitzel 6-0 G Sr. Michigan State

DeMarcus Nelson 6-4 G Sr. Duke

Jeremy Pargo 6-2 G Jr. Gonzaga

Jeff Pendergraph 6-9 F Jr. Arizona State

Scottie Reynolds 6-2 G So. Villanova

Tyrese Rice 6-1 G Jr. Boston College

Brandon Rush* 6-6 G Jr. Kansas

Josh Shipp 6-5 F Jr. UCLA

Sean Singletary 6-0 G Sr. Virginia

Jason Thompson 6-11 F Sr. Rider

Johnathan Wallace 6-1 G Sr. Georgetown

Kyle Weaver 6-6 G Sr. Washington State

D.J. White 6-9 F Sr. Indiana

Reggie Williams 6-5 F Sr. VMI

Terrence Williams 6-6 F Jr. Louisville

Martin Zeno 6-5 G Sr. Texas Tech

* - Indicates player was a 2006-07 Wooden Award All-America selection.

[Hat tip: Big 12 Sports.com]

Duquesne Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program Gets a Verbal Commitment

When you coach a team that hasn't gone to the Big Dance since 1977, it's time to get creative. And no, we don't mean "Nick Nolte in Blue Chips"-level creative.

In a time-honored tradition amongst program-builders, Duquesne coach Ron Everhart has taken in experienced transfers (6'10" Shawn James from Northeastern and KoJo Mensah from Siena) and mixed them in with returning starters and new recruits.

Everhart also instituted a radical platooning substitution strategy that helped the Dukes win five in a row at one point, but the team was severely weakened by the well-publicized shooting incident and the program notched its thirteenth-straight losing season.

Not one to wait for success to be handed to him, Everhart has come up with some inventive ways to get Duquesne to the next level, including the surprising move of recruiting a 5'8" 158-lb high school Sophomore. T.J. McConnell has verbally committed to the Dukes after being repeatedly assured by Everhart that a scholarship is his for the taking.

Obviously, Everhart would love to see McConnell put on a serious growth spurt between now and 2010, but he was initially wowed by the Beav's quick hands and three-point shooting touch. It's probably wise to wrap up budding local phenom like this before anyone else notices him. The question is, what if he grows six inches and Pitt comes calling? Will he honor that verbal, or high-tail it to the Big East power?

This could be Kush-lash from Jerry McGuire all over again.

(Hat tip to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

STF Super Awesome Team Previews: #13 Oregon Ducks

#13 Oregon Ducks


Team: Oregon

Conference: Pac 10

2006 Record and Ending: 29-8, lost to Florida in the Elite Eight

Key Players Returning: Tons of talents returns from this Elite Eight squad. Gone is point guard and catalyst Aaron Brooks, but the return of G Malik Hairston, G Taj Porter, PG Byrce Taylor and F Maarty Leuen means that the Ducks will score in bunches and a return trip to the Elite Eight is not out of the question.

What's To Love: With Hairston, Taylor and Porter all in the backcourt, there is a good possibility that the Ducks will break a few scoreboards this season. Outside of maybe North Carolina, no team will be able to score as much as the Ducks. The offensive weapons are almost too numerous to count. Also, this group has now been playing together for 2-3 years, look for that experience to show up in tournament time.

What's Not To Love: The success of this team will come down to tow key aspects: replacing Brooks and playing defense. Brooks was Mr. Everything for this squad last season, it will be interesting to see who can fill in his 17 ppg and more importantly 4.3 apg. Even with the amount of points this team is expected to score, a minimal defensive effort will be needed to survive the brutal Pac-10

Key Player: Tajuan Porter is going to have to replace Brooks. We already know how good a shooter/scorer Porter is, now we need to see how good he actually is at handling the ball and leading a team. His play at point will determine how far this team will advance

Best Case: The Ducks don't miss a beat without Brooks and still light up the scoreboard, Porter transition to point doesn't take away form his shooting, big men Mitch Platt provides some inside toughness and allowes Leunen to roam, the talented backcourt plays some defense, Hairston finally gets to play Carmeo in San Antonio

Worst Case: Undersized Porter struggles at the point and defensively, the offense sputters without catalyst Brooks, the big men of the Pac 10 dominate a weak Oregon frontcourt in a halfcourt game, this squad reverts back to 2005 form.

STF Prediction: Torn a bit on this team without Brooks, but way too much talent returns to expect a significant dropoff. 2nd or 3rd in the Pac 10, Sweet 16.

The Profanity Rule Sucks

My first thought when I heard the news that the NCAA is supposedly going to crack down on profanity from coaches and players; who is going to be left on the court if they enforce this as strictly as they claim? Rick Barnes? BYU? Bobby Knight might not even make it through the layup drill.

I'm actually cringing at the thought of a team getting to shoot free throws in an important game because someone yelled "dammit" after missing a shot. Calling a foul on something like a profanity is taking the game away form the players and into the hands of the referees. Ask any NBA fan what they think about putting the game in the hands of the refs. So in conclusion, I think that this rule sucks, or blows, or whatever curse word you want to insert (Ask Zach at TBP, he seems to know a few).

STF Conference Preview: Big Ten

BIG TEN



CONFERENCE: Big Ten

LAST SEASON RECAP - Wisconsin appeared to be the class of the Big Ten for about 90% of last season. Behind the play of Alando Tucker, the Badgers appeared to be the Big Ten team heading to the Final Four. But something funny happened towards the end of the season; teams realized that if you eliminated Tucker, that the Badgers couldn't score. Add that with the fact that Ohio State's talented freshmen matured at the absolute right time, and we saw the Buckeyes heading to the Final Four and not the Badgers.

TEAM TO BEAT - This season is going to be a two team race between Indiana and Michigan State. The Hoosiers are return the monster that is DJ White and bring in super frosh Eric Gordon. The Spartens are extremely deep and return 37th year senior Drew Neitzel and the underrated Raymar Morgan. As long as Kelvin Sampson can stay off of the cell phone, we'll give the slight nod to the Hoosiers.

SECOND TIER - There is drastic dropoff following the top two squads. Illinois may have the conference's best frontcourt with Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt, but the talent level continues to drop in Champaign following 2005. Ohio State lost just about everyone from last year's National Runner-up, but will try to recapture the freshmen magic once again with Kosta Koufos and Jon Diebler. Wisconsin thought they had problems scoring with Tucker... ..Good luck putting up points without him.

SLEEPER - I could have gone with Purdue, but are they really a sleeper if they made the tournament last season? Minnesota was an option, but Tubby is probably a year away. So, I'm grudgingly going with Penn State.... I realize that I'm putting the entire legitimacy of this blog on the line already, but with Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley returning, the Lions should be a legitimate sleeper in a weak Big Ten. "Should" and "will" are two very different things at Happy Valley, home to the most underacheiving program in college basketball. I could go on, but I'll finish with my uneasy pick of the Nittany Lions as a sleeper.

OVERRATED - Wisconsin is entering a world of trouble this season. No, we're not talking about Bo Ryan's dancing, we are talking about who is going to score on this team? That responsibly seems to rest directly on the shoulders of Brian Butch, who seems like the last guy on Earth that I would want leading my team. Add in the loss of Michael Flowers, and it could be a long season in Madison.

WORST TEAM - Northwestern - Personal observation: Don't you think it would be easier for an academic school like Northwestern to be more competitive at basketball than football? How can Northwestern basketball be this bad (No tourney berths ever) while the football team won the Big Ten crown a decade ago. Seriously, recruit some three point shooter and play quirky zone defense....that should be good for at least one bid every 5-7 years.

STF Prediced Order of Finish

1. Indiana
2. Michigan State
3. Illinois
4. Ohio State
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue
7. Penn State
8. Minnesota
9. Michigan
10. Iowa
11. Northwestern

Well, Here Is One Boston Team That Won't Be Any Good

If you are like me, then you are already sick of Boston's absolute ridiculous stranglehold on the sports world right now. Well, take solace in this: Boston College's basketball team probably won't be any good this season. With the loss of Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall, the Eagles are expected to finish near the bottom of the ACC this season.

Not that any Boston fan is going to notice while they are still recovering from the Patriots Super Bowl win, Red Sox World Series win and preparing for the Celtic's NBA title. God, it was painful to write that last sentence.

Actually, the way that the Boston sports year as been going, expect Boston U to win the America East title (they are expected to finish 1 or 2), then proceed to be the first #16 seed to knock off a #1 seed.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia hasn't won a title since 1983, this including a horse and Rock, Paper, Scissors.

STF Super Awesome Team Previews: #14 Duke Blue Devils

#14 DUKE BLUE DEVILS



Team: Duke

Conference: ACC

2006 Record and Ending: 22-11, lost to VCU in the opening round

Key Players Returning: Outside of Josh McRoberts, everyone returns from last year's very un-Dukelike squad. PG Greg Paulus now has two seasons under his belt and is out of excuses for his up-and-down play. Leading scorer DeMarcus Nelson is the only senior for the Blue Devils, so look for him to provide leadership. I was a big fan of then freshmen guards Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer. Expect both to make the leap to impact players this season.

What's To Love: Last season was a Duke hater's dream; .500 finish in a conference play and the Blue Devils were basically the only team to get upset in the first round of the tournament. Couldn't have been scripted any better. The bad news for Duke haters; it looks like that last season is going to be a one-time occurrence. This team returns one of the most talented and experienced backcourts in the nation (Paulus, Scheyer, Henderson), possibly has the best outside shooting in the nation, has outstanding depth and is bringing in one of the best freshmen in the country (Kyle Singler). Don't expect another first round flameout.

What's Not To Love: With the absence of Josh McRoberts, there is a gigantic hole in Duke's frontcourt. It will be up to a the trio of David McClure, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek to fill in the void. The Blue Devils will also need to cut down on their turnovers (mostly from Paulus) before they can even think about being a national title contender.

Key Player: After a strong freshmen season (12.2 ppg), Jon Scheyer appears ready to take over the coveted "Annoying-white-guard-from-Duke- who-can't- miss-an-outside-shot" position previously held by JJ Redick, Mike Dunleavy, and Bobby Hurley. If he can elevate his game into AWJS territory this season, Duke can go from Top 25 to Top 10 in a hurry.

Best Case: Scheyer becomes Duke's next great AWJS (Annoying-White-Jump-Shooter), Paulus continues to shoot treys as well as he did at the end of last season, Thomas and Zoubek provide something in the post, Duke's depth and outside shooting makes up for its lack of athleticism.

Worst Case: Paulus reverts back to the PG that can't get the ball across halfcourt (and gets teabagged while being dunked on), this team is killed in the rebounding department, the Blue Devils become completely dependent on the 3.

STF Prediction: Much like the Yankees, Notre Dame, Lakers and Cowboys, things are just better when Duke is relevant. While it may be one more season before we see Duke competing for a national title, this team will be much improved. 2nd or 3rd in the ACC, Sweet 16.

Preseason Primer: The Mid-Majors

Preseason Primer is STF's guide to guide to some of most intriguing storylines heading into the 2007-2008 college basketball season. Today the primer checks out the best mid-majors.

Before an article like this can be written, terms must be defined. For our purposes, a mid-major shall be any conference that is a) not one of the BCS or "Power" conferences, and b) Can reasonably expect to garner additional bids to the NCAA tournament beyond the automatic inclusion of the conference tournament champion.

With that in mind, we will attempt to get to know the Mid-Majors that make the season, and postseason, so interesting. We'll look at how the conferences have attained the success they now have, and check out the perceived knock on each. The goal? To keep them on your radar where they belong.

Missouri Valley: The current M-M darling really sort of came out of nowhere. The biggest media markets in the MVC are Omaha, NE and Wichita, KS, which would seem to be a recipe for continued obscurity. But the MVC has mastered the art of finding hot young coaches (Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery and the recently departed Mark Turgeon of Wichita State) and quality retreads (Creighton's Dana Altman, formerly of Kansas State, and recently retired Tom Davis of Drake, who became a legend at Iowa) to teach a team game that can befuddle some star-driven Power players.

The MVC has made real strides in compensation for top coaches, with Dana Altman nearing $1M, and Chris Lowery recently entering that territory as well. Still, hot coaches move on, as evidenced by former big-money man Mark Turgeon taking his skills to Texas A&M this season. There are five new faces in the Valley, so the knock has to be turnover.

Conference USA: Conference USA is one of the most wide-spread leagues around, spanning from Tulane (New Orleans) to Tulsa, to West Virginia (Marshall). Still, there are several big media markets, including Houston, Memphis, and the Big Easy, so that brings revenue. Recently, Memphis has dominated, which leads some to devalue the conference as a whole, but C-USA is a proven multi-bid performer, getting four into the Big Dance as recently as 2005. The lack of a readily identifiable conference "style" seems to hurt the national profile.

Colonial Athletic Association: This conference is a real up-and-comer on most fans' radar. George Mason announced the CAA's presence with authority a couple of years ago, and then VCU derived a cult following from a timely upset of the widely hated Duke Blue Devils. Still, the conference struggles to get more than two entrants into the tournament, with their conference RPI hovering in the lower reaches. If the middle of the conference can catch up to the consensus top teams (VCU, Old Dominion, Hofstra, GMU, and Drexel), then the Colonial could live up to the hype. Sneaky fact: The CAA has enormous TV revenue potential due to a decade of thoughtful expansion - teams now reside in Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Atlantic Ten: The A10 is sort of the wise old uncle of this group. With historically successful teams like UMass and Temple in the fold, it almost feels like it should be a bigger deal. Recent tournament successes by Xavier, St. Joe's, and Charlotte have reminded the world that the A-10 is alive and kicking, but it just doesn't have the cachet of the MVC or CAA right now. May not be as sexy, but they can still get the job done.

WAC/Mountain West: Yes, it is rude of me to combine these into one conference. But survivors of the WAC split are still the most notable teams, and the two conferences are more like fraternal twins than entirely new entities. Brigham Young, New Mexico and New Mexico State, Air Force and UNLV - these teams conjure up images of mountains and claustrophobic arenas. For most of us, it also means they play after we're tucked in bed, and that's the biggest knock on either one. Through no fault of their own, these teams get overlooked until late in the season. Recent shortcomings in the postseason haven't helped much. Send a team on a run, and either conference could get hot. Right now, the MWC probably has a tad more juice.

Horizon League: The most recent entrant to this august body is the Horizon. If Brad Brownell had not willed his Wright State squad to the conference tournament title last year, they'd still be a low-major, but nobody in Indianapolis could conceive of leaving Butler home, so the HL became a two-bid league. Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay have had success in the past, and the addition of Valpo for this season gives the conference a strong midwestern upstart feel. Look for RPI to rise, and for Horizon members to have a harder time getting games against the big boys from here on out (a sure sign that a M-M has arrived).

Honorable Mention:

West Coast Conference - still mostly Gonzaga and the dwarfs, though Pepperdine has had its moments. Have actually managed to get more than one bid in the past, so could conceivably do it again.

Big West - This all-Cali conference is paced by the Pacific Tigers and Long Beach State, each with eight NCAA appearances in the books. The remaining crew of Cal-hyphenates and Cal-directionals need to come ready to play if this league is to garner any national respect. Two-bid status would seem to be a flash-in-the-pan.

MAC - The MAC hasn't had multiple bids since 1999. However, strong recent play by the likes of Miami, Kent State, and the Michigan directional schools could change that.

So, those are your mid-majors. Each is somewhat held in check by the bias toward power conferences, but it will become more and more likely for a good CAA or MVC team to get in over a lackluster 8-8 ACC team if the former continue to exceed expectations. Many contemporary hoops fans are getting used to these teams, and looking forward to seeing them in March. Hopefully, you are among that group.

(For the most incredible resources dedicated to smaller conferences, head to Mid-Majority again this season. These articles would be ten times harder to write without Kyle Whelliston's site.)

Send It In, Arinze

Much like seeing a two outfielders collide never gets old, neither does seeing a backboard break on a dunk. This beatuty comes from Syracuse freshmen Arinze Onuaka during the Syracuse Midnight Madness a-week-late-thing.

Maybe Brook Lopez Really Is That Dumb

Man, Brook Lopez must not have much upstairs. I'm not talking about the fact that he was suspended for bad grades at Stanford. That's understandable. But when you start missing classes while you are already being suspended for your grades, that is just moronic. So now Lopez has been suspended indefinitely. No excuses for Lopez, this man probably just doesn't want to play basketball. Enjoy going back to the Ricky Martin look-alike contests.

While I'm at it, here are some other injury/suspension related items that don't merit their own post

• Missouri's Butterfield has been suspended
• Arkansas's Rakestraw is out 2 months
• Wisconsin's Flowers is taking time off
• Bucknell's Masterpolo has a torn ACL
  
• Purdue's starting forward had been dismissed from the team

Damn, preseason news is always full of positive stories

Checking In: Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi

As the season goes on, you'll realize that I have a huge soft spot for the underdog. I can't explain why, because I went to a basketball powerhouse university, and I have no mercy for the little guy when they're playing my guys, but any other time, I love to watch them scrap.

I will watch as many small-conference tourneys as I reasonably can during the run-up to the NCAA tournament. Last season, I don't think I managed to watch the Southland tourney, but after TAMUCC got in, I did write their preview for the Deadspin Pants Party, and they became one of my favorite teams, due in no small part to their fantastic mascot - Izzy the Islander. They raced out to a huge lead on Wisconsin, but then the Big Ten team went on lockdown and put the pesky Islanders away 76-63.

The Islanders made the dance in their first year in the Southland Conference, which they dominated wire-to-wire behind the guile of head coach Ronnie Arrow. Arrow was a former D-I head coach at South Alabama of the Sun Belt, and it was the Jaguars who stole him away from his budding juggernaut, leaving the Islanders headless in their hour of triumph.

But never fear, Arrow left TAMUCC in reasonably decent shape. They still have Chris Daniels, the seven-foot, 265-lb behemoth who powered them through the conference run. And there's a 7' Croatian sophomore waiting to back him up. However, none of the players who saw significant minutes in the NCAAs are back, so it may legitimately be asked "who will give big Chris the ball?"

The new Islander head coach is an experienced man - Perry Clark - who has 250 D-I wins under his belt from stints at Miami and Tulane. If they were in a stronger conference, I wouldn't like the Islanders to repeat, but one experienced giant may be all they need to win in the Southland.

Regardless, they easily have the coolest mascot. Beats another "Wildcats" any day.

STF Super Awesome Team Preview: #15 Texas Longhorns

Team: Texas Longhorns

Conference: Big 12

Last Season Recap: 25-10 (12-4) The Longhorns rode the incredible Kevin Durant as far as they could. To be specific, Texas lost to a more team-oriented Southern Cal by 19 points in the NCAA tournament after a 12-4 run through the Big 12 in which Kansas was the only thorn in their side.

Key Players Returning: Let's all try to remember that Texas only lost one freshman to the NBA last year. Star guard D.J. Augustin brings his handle and shooting touch back to Austin. He's joined by A.J. Abrams and his 15 ppg in the backcourt. Unfortunately, the three, four, and five spots will have to be filled with lackluster upperclassmen or unproven (but very talented) freshmen.

What's To Love: A strong backcourt. D.J and A.J. should be O.K., to say the least. With Durant gone, these two players will probably look to score even more than they did last season.

What's Not To Love: Where's the beef? None of the big men currently wearing burnt orange has showed us anything on the collegiate hardwood as of yet. If they can't figure out the rotation before conference play starts, the Longhorns will be in trouble.

Key Player: With three lineup holes to be filled, it's hard to choose just one, but I'm going with 6'7" sophomore Forward Damion James. He was inconsistent last year - some nights it was a double-double, others it was a single-double. The encouraging news is that he often had his best nights against the toughest conference opponents. Maybe he'll shine in Durant's absence.

Best Case: Rick Barnes remembers how to coach a team effort. One or more of the freshman class lives up to his billing. The Longhorns return to the Sweet 16.

Worst Case: Without an experienced frontcourt, Texas drops a few winnable games in league play. The Longhorns return to the NCAA tournament, but flame out in the first round.

STF Prediction: We'll learn a lot about Texas early on. They've put together a few boffo non-con games - @UCLA, @Michigan State, Wisconsin at home. If they struggle in those games, the sharks will be circling in the Big 12. However, I think the backcourt will hold the course steady enough for a record of 23-7 (11-5) which is not too far off of last year's pace. They'll go back to the big dance and probably make the sweet 16, though I don't see them going back to the Final Four (as they did in 2003) unless one of the underclassmen develops into that all-important third scoring threat.