Conference preview: APR issues thin out the SWAC

By David HartenNov 2, 2012, 4:30 PM EDT

Throughout the month of October, CollegeBasketballTalk will be rolling out our previews for the 2012-2013 season. Check back at 9 a.m. and just after lunch every day, Monday-Friday, for a new preview item.

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This season, six teams of the possible 10 are eligible for postseason play in the conference as Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley State, Texas Southern and Grambling State all received bans for low APR scores and NCAA violations. Southern returns from its own postseason ban as one of the favorites in the conference with second-year coach Roman Banks getting back guard Derick Beltran. Prairie view A&M gets Jourdan DeMuynck and 6-11 Jules Montgomery to anchor the Panthers.

Texas Southern had a one of the most unique situations in the college basketball season with Mike Davis entering the program on an interim basis. Then earlier this month, the Tigers announced Davis was signed to a four-year contract, which they should’ve done in the first place…then they get barred from the NCAA Tournament. He gets back Omar Strong, a sharpshooter who averaged 13.3 points last season. Jackson State managed only seven wins last season but Kelsey Howard is a stud who will ease the loss of Jenirro Bush and they get Ole Miss transfer Dundrecus Nelson at the semester break. Alabama State has to replace four starters after making the NCAA Tournament two of the past four seasons, while Alcorn State gets back guard Marquiz Baker, a solid scorer who missed all but five games last season due to injury. Alabama A&M will have the services of Demarquelle Tabb, who averaged 10.6 points and 7.6 boards last year.

After the best season in school history, Mississippi Valley State will be forced to replace it’s coach (Chico Potts for Sean Woods) and their top five scorers. UAPB has the tools in forward Daniel Broughton and wing Mitchell Anderson but has the postseason ban to face. Grambling State isn’t going to be much better than last season’s four-win team, with Quincy Roberts leaving and having to do all this under a new coach in Joseph Price.

All-Conference Team
G: Omar Strong, Texas Southern*

G: Marquiz Baker, Alcorn State

G: Kelsey Howard, Jackson State

F: Demarquelle Tabb, Alabama A&M

F: Daniel Broughton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

*-Player of the Year

Predicted Finish
1.) Southern

2.) Prairie View A&M

3.) Texas Southern

4.) Alcorn State

5.) Jackson State

6.) Arkansas-Pine Bluff

7.) Alabama A&M

8.) Alabama State

9.) Mississippi Valley State

10.) Grambling State

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter at @David_Harten.

Position Rankings: The Top 20 Centers

By Rob DausterNov 2, 2012, 12:00 PM EDT

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To browse through the preview posts we’ve already published, click here. To look at the rest of The Lists we’ve published, click here. For a schedule of our previews for the month, click here.

The Top 10

1. Cody Zeller, Indiana: Zeller is the best player in the country, so it would only make sense that he tops a list of best centers. He’s amazing to watch on the offensive end of the floor, particularly when he runs the court in transition, but he’ll make the jump to elite when he improves on the defensive end of the floor.

2. Jeff Withey, Kansas: Withey is the best defensive center in the country. Period. He led the nation — including Anthony Davis — in block percentage last year, and could very well do the same this season. He’ll anchor what should once again be an elite defense for the Jayhawks.

3. Gorgui Dieng, Louisville: Like Withey, Dieng is the anchor for what should be one of the best defensive teams in the country. He’s a terrific rebounder and shotblocker, but he needs to continue to develop his offensive repertoire to be more than a catch-and-dunk threat.

4. Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota: Mbakwe is an interesting case. He averaged a double-double in 2010-2011, and was doing the same last season before he tore his ACL. This offseason, he’s been dealing with a bunch of legal issues, and while they have all apparently been settled, that’s a lot of distraction for a college student to deal with.

5. Nerlens Noel, Kentucky: Noel is the x-factor in these rankings. He could very well end up being the best center in the country if everything falls into place, but there are a couple of issues I think could inhibit that. He’s not as offensively gifted as Anthony Davis. He has another center that he’ll be sharing front court minutes with in Willie Cauley-Stein. And I’m still curious how Kentucky’s roster eventually comes together. But John Calipari’s last three center recruits have gone on to be top five picks, so we’ll see.

6. Mason Plumlee, Duke: I think Plumlee puts it together this season, maybe not to the point that he’s a lottery pick, but enough so that he can anchor Duke’s front line. He was a very good — albeit it somewhat inconsistent — rebounder and shotblocker last year, so if his offense comes around, he could end up being elite.

7. Patric Young, Florida: An overwhelming physical presence, Young has yet to turn those God-given gifts into consistent production; he averaged just 10 points and six boards a season ago. Is this the year that he finally lives up to that potential?

8. Jared Berggren, Wisconsin: There may not be a more underrated big man that Jared Berggren. He’s sneaky-good defensively and a pick-and-pop threat that is a perfect fit for Wisconsin’s swing offense. Here’s the question for Berggren this year: how much of his success on the offensive end last season was the result of playing with Jordan Taylor? Because with Taylor gone and Josh Gasser injured, Wisconsin is going to need someone to step up offensively.

9. Jack Cooley, Notre Dame: The kid that looks like Luke Harangody’s little brother has a chance to be the Big East Player of the Year this season. Cooley is a big-bodied center that is excellent playing his role as space-eater, rebounder, and picker-and-roller in Notre Dame’s ‘Burn’ offense.

10. Steven Adams, Pitt: There are some folks that think Adams is still a year or two away from being a real contributor for the Panthers, but I think Adams will end up being quite good for Jamie Dixon’s club. With Tray Woodall and Trey Ziegler in the back court, the Panthers will have enough scoring. All they need out of Adams is effort; defensively, on the glass, cutting to the rim. You don’t need to have your skills developed to play hard.

The Next 10

11. Khem Birch, UNLV
12. Reggie Johnson, Miami
13. Alex Oriakhi, Missouri
14. Alex Len, Maryland
15. Brandon Davies, BYU
16. Mike Muscala, Bucknell
17. Richard Howell, NC State
18. Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona
19. Gregory Echenique, Creighton
20. Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky)

The Best of the Rest: Julian Boyd (LIU-Brooklyn), Alec Brown (Green Bay), Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), DaJuan Coleman (Syracuse), Erik Copes (George Mason), Jamelle Hagins (Delaware), Jordan Henriquez (Kansas State), Colton Iverson (Colorado State), Vander Joaquim (Hawaii), Przemek Karnowski (Gonzaga), Deniz Kilicli (West Virginia), Alex Kirk (New Mexico), Zeke Marshall (Akron), Derrick Nix (Michigan State), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Cameron Ridley (Texas), Andrew Smith (Butler), Josh Smith (UCLA), Brad Waldow (St. Mary’s), Mouph Yarou (Villanova)

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.

Position Rankings: The Top 20 Power Forwards

By Rob DausterNov 1, 2012, 3:00 PM EDT

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To browse through the preview posts we’ve already published, click here. To look at the rest of The Lists we’ve published, click here. For a schedule of our previews for the month, click here.

The Top 10

1. Doug McDermott, Creighton: As a freshman, McDermott was one of the nation’s best-kept secrets. As a sophomore, he was the guy you had to see play. As a junior? He’s a first-team all-american, one of the nation’s most efficient players, and the engine that makes the Creighton offense go.

2. Tony Mitchell, North Texas: Mitchell was a top 20 recruit coming out of high school, but due to some academic issues, it took until the middle of his second year as a collegian to suit up. As a sophomore this season, expect Mitchell to put up some enormous numbers for the Mean Green this year.

3. Mike Moser, UNLV: Moser is one of the most interesting players on this list. His skill-set screams ‘collegiate stretch-four’, but his size and length make him more likely to be a three at the next level. With Anthony Bennett and Khem Birch joining the Rebels this season, Moser may have to spend more time at the three this season.

4. James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina: McAdoo was a top ten recruit in the Class of 2011, but when you’re forced to share a front court with Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes, there really aren’t many minutes — or shots — available. That will change this season, and expect McAdoo to thrive in their absence.

5. Andre Roberson, Colorado: Roberson is a guy that NBA scouts love because of his length, his athleticism and his willingness to do things other than score the ball (11.1 boards, 1.9 blocks, 1.3 steals). With Colorado needing him in a more expanded role offensively this season, if Roberson has worked on being a more well-rounded threat at that end, don’t be shocked to see Roberson compete for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award.

6. CJ Leslie, NC State: Leslie has a chance to become an all-american this season. He’s certainly got the talent, but the question is whether or not he’s got the mentality for it. He’ll be benefited by Lorenzo Brown aiding in a leadership role, but if NC State is going to be a national title contender, Leslie will need to make a push for being higher on this list.

7. Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee: I think Stokes is going to have a huge season. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.4 boards for the Vols last year despite enrolling midway through the season when he was supposed to be a high school senior. Imagine what he’ll do with a full preseason?

8. Elias Harris, Gonzaga: Harris has never quite lived up to those lofty expectations he had after his sensational freshman year, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t evolved into an excellent college power forward. Some of his explosiveness is gone, but he’s become a better defender and rebounder and a much more valuable piece for a very good Gonzaga team.

9. Isaiah Austin, Baylor: Austin may be the single-most difficult player to label a position for in the country. He’s 7-foot-1, which, naturally, would mean he gets slotted as a center. But his game is more suited to being a small forward. So what do you do with a guy built in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki? Slot the sharp-shooter as a power forward.

10. Christian Watford, Indiana: On his own, Watford is probably not a better basketball player than a number of the players behind him on this list, but we decided to slot Watford this high simply because of how perfectly he fits on the Hoosier roster. Watford’s a terrific three-point shooter, which means that Indiana is able to surround Cody Zeller with four guys that cannot be left open from three. Watford is a vital piece to that puzzle.

The Next 10

11. Aaric Murray, West Virginia
12. Anthony Bennett, UNLV
13. Chane Behanan, Louisville
14. Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee
15. Brock Motum, Washington State
16. Laurence Bowers, Missouri
17. Keith Clanton, Central Florida
18. Dennis Tinnon, Marshall
19. Grant Jerrett, Arizona
20. Kenny Kadji, Miami

The Best of the Rest: CJ Aiken (St. Joseph’s), O.D. Anosike (Siena), Brandon Ashley (Arizona), Tarik Black (Memphis), Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State), Will Clyburn (Iowa State), Jake Cohen (Davidson), Robert Covington (Tennessee State), Ed Daniels (Murray State), Perry Ellis (Kansas), Ricardo Gathers (Baylor), Murphy Holloway (Ole Miss), Ian Hummer (Princeton), Javon McCrea (Buffalo), Erik Murphy (Florida), Romero Osby (Oklahoma), Marshawn Powell (Arkansas), Juvonte Reddic (VCU), Keith Rendleman (UNC-Wilmington), Kyle Wiltjer (Kentucky)

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.

Conference preview: Northeast Conference still LIU’s world

By David HartenOct 31, 2012, 7:30 PM EDT

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Long Island might’ve been the luckiest team in college basketball this offseason. Four players were involved in an on-campus brawl that ended with all players being charged with third-degree assault. They included the team’s top three scorers — last year’s conference Northeast Conference Player of the Year Julian Boyd, Jamal Olsawere and C.J. Garner. Fortunately, the charges only resulted in a two-game, conference play suspension for all of them. With that, they should be primed to repeat as conference champions.

Behind them, Wagner lost coach Dan Hurley, but new head man Bashir Mason gets four starters back, including leading scorer Latif Rivers (14.6 points per game) and forward Jonathon Williams (13.4 points, five rebounds per game). Robert Morris might’ve been one the most neglected 20-win teams in 2011-12 en route to a 26-11 record, including a 13-5 mark in NEC play. The Colonials get four of their starters back, including first-team all-conference guard Velton Jones. Quinnipiac could be in for its best season in school history after 18 wins last season and Ike Azotam returning. Expect Sacred Heart to make an impact with four starters coming back, including first-team All-NEC pick Shance Gibson and his 22 ppg last season, fourth in the country. Glenn Braica and the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers will get back guard Shane Calloway after a season-ending injury in 2011-12 and Monmouth is hoping to bounce back from a 20-loss season behind Jesse Steele (12.6 ppg) and five returning scorers.

Kyle Vinales is pretty much the only ray of light for a Central Connecticut State team that lost a lot of offensive firepower with the graduation of Ken Horton and Robby Ptacek. But Vinales led all freshman in the nation in scoring last season. Mt. St. Mary’s is hoping for new life under new head coach Jamion Christian while St. Francis (Pa.) is looking for more than the six wins they had last season under new coach Robbie Krimmel. Bryant lost 28 games last season, so there’s nowhere to go but up, really, behind forward Alex Francis (17 ppg, 7 rpg in 2011-12) and Frankie Dobbs’ 13.3 ppg. Fairleigh Dickinson is coming off the worst record in school history — 3-26 — and gets back only Lonnie Hays, from injury.

All-Conference Team

G: Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart

G: Velton Jones, Robert Morris

G: Kyle Vinales, Central Connecticut State

F: Jamal Olaswere, LIU

F: Julian Boyd, LIU*

*-Player of the Year

Predicted Finish

1.) LIU

2.) Wagner

3.) Quinnipiac

4.) Robert Morris

5.) St. Francis (N.Y.)

6.) Sacred Heart

7.) Monmouth

8.) Central Connecticut State

9.) St. Francis (Pa.)

10.) Mt. St. Mary’s

11.) Bryant

12.) Farleigh Dickinson

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter at @David_Harten.

Position Rankings: The 20 Best Small Forwards

By Rob DausterOct 31, 2012, 3:00 PM EDT

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To browse through the preview posts we’ve already published, click here. To look at the rest of the Top 25, click here. For a schedule of our previews for the month, click here.

The Top 10

1. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State: Thomas has been a dangerous scorer for two seasons with the Buckeyes, but both of those seasons came with Jared Sullinger dominating the offense. With Sully off to the NBA, Thomas should slide into the role of OSU’s go-to offensive weapon. The biggest question mark with Thomas? Will he be primarily a perimeter player or post presence this year. Thad Matta doesn’t exactly have a plethora of low-post scorers at his disposal.

2. Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State: Franklin could legitimately be considered one of the nation’s most underrated players. Not only is he the most productive player for a very good Aztec team — he nearly averaged 20 points and 10 boards during conference play a year ago — but his ability to rebound and while being the second-biggest player on the floor for SDSU (he’s 6-foot-5) allows Steve Fisher to go small and create mismatches.

3. Otto Porter, Georgetown: Porter is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He’s athletic, he’s 6-foot-9, he can defend literally every position on the floor, and he’s a defensive playmaker to boot. As a freshman, he averaged 9.7 points and 6.8 boards, and he only now is learning how to play on the offensive end of the floor and fit into Georgetown’s system. I saw him hit 12 out of 13 threes at a workout earlier this year. He’s the real deal.

4. Alex Poythress, Kentucky: Poythress is the one of the two guys on this list that can end up making me look foolish for having him so low. He’s an athletic combo-forward who has a skill-set that seems like it was designed to play for John Calipari, and he’s changed his body since he’s been on campus to become even more powerful. I’m concerned about how he fits in alongside UK’s twin towers, but he’s still a lottery pick waiting to happen.

5. Solomon Hill, Arizona: Hill is one of the most important players for Arizona. Not only is he going to need to provide veteran leadership for a front line that consists of three freshmen and a sophomore, but his ability to be a playmaker at the small forward spot should help to alleviate the pressure put on Mark Lyons.

6. Ben McLemore, Kansas: McLemore has yet to play a second of college basketball. He spent last season redshirting and wasn’t even allowed to practice with the team until the second semester. But, as Bill Self said, “he can run, he can jump and he can shoot”, and given the rave reviews he’s received from offseason workouts, it’s not out of this world to expect him to fill the go-to scorer void left by Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor.

7. Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State: Along with Poythress, Nash is the other guy that could end up looking silly ranked this low. He’s got all the physical tools that you want out of a small forward, and his basketball skills aren’t all that far behind. It’s the mental aspect that Nash needs to get a hold of. He was wildly inconsistent last year, struggled in a leadership role and seemed apathetic at times. With Marcus Smart joining him to help take on some of that responsibility, could Nash end up thriving this year?

8. Adonis Thomas, Memphis: Thomas will be one of the more interesting players to keep an eye on this season. He’s a big-time athlete that excels as a rebounder and a defender, and he’s apparently developed a more refined perimeter game and a deadly jump shot. The Tigers have the talent on their roster, but what they need is someone to become a star. Thomas should be that guy.

9. Branden Dawson, Michigan State: Dawson is some-kind of super-human, as all reports out of East Lansing say that not only is he fully recovered just eight months after having ACL surgery, he may end up being stronger than ever by the time the season starts. That’s terrific news for Tom Izzo, as Dawson — a junkyard dog that rebounds and defends as well as anyone at his position — is the perfect player for his system.

10. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville: Blackshear spent much of last season dealing with a banged up shoulder, but when he finally got healthy, he was a weapon for Rick Pitino’s team. Depending on how the team uses Luke Hancock (who is banged up as well), Blackshear may end up being more of a shooting guard, but his value doesn’t change: he’s a big-time perimeter scorer and shooter that isn’t as out of control as Russ Smith.

The Next 10

11. Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)
12. James Ennis (Long Beach State)
13. Rodney Williams (Minnesota)
14. LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State)
15. Cleveland Melvin (DePaul)
16. Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa)
17. Sam Dekker (Wisconsin)
18. Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso)
19. Torrey Craig (USC Upstate)
20. Damion Lee (Drexel)

The Best of the Rest: Tommy Brenton (Stony Brook), Jabari Brown (Missouri), Ryan Evans (Wisconsin), CJ Fair (Syracuse), Grant Gibbs (Creighton), Treveon Graham (VCU), PJ Hairston (North Carolina), Luke Hancock (Louisville), Kareem Jamar (Montana), Bryce Jones (UNLV), Roosevelt Jones (Butler), Shelden McClellan (Texas), Lamar Patterson (Pitt), Glenn Robinson III (Michigan), Will Sheehey (Indiana), Tony Snell (New Mexico), Isaiah Sykes (UCF), Greg Whittington (Georgetown), Scott Wood (North Carolina State), Will Yeguete (Florida)

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.

MAAC preview: Manhattan, Loyola take the reigns

By David HartenOct 31, 2012, 10:30 AM EDT

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