2016-17 Mid-Major Previews

2016-17 Mid-Major Power Rankings

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Before we get into the meat of this post, let’s hold the annual tradition of laying out our “mid-major disclaimer”, or how we determined who was eligible for this team:

The schools from the Power 5 conferences were excluded, obviously, as well as any program in the Big East, the American, the Atlantic 10 or the Mountain West. The WCC, with the exception of Gonzaga and BYU, were included, as was the Missouri Valley, with the exception of Wichita State. The Zags and the Shockers are top 25 programs nationally paying their head coaches many millions of dollars and recruiting like the big boys. And to me, BYU is still a Mountain West program that was forced to relocate because #football.

This is my plea: Don’t argue the semantics of who we rated as high-major vs. mid-major. That’s not the point of this. The point is to highlight the best players in the country that you’re probably not aware of.

So without further ado …

Top Backcourts | Top Frontcourts | Top 100 Players

POSITION RANKS: Lead Guards | Off Guards | Wings | Big Men

MID-MAJOR POWER RANKINGS

1. Saint Mary’s

The West Coast Conference regular season co-champion was one of the notable snubs from the NCAA Tournament this past March. That shouldn’t be the case this season, as Randy Bennett returns all five starters to what should be a top-25 team in the preseason. Emmett Naar, a first-team all-conference selection, and senior forward Dane Pineau are among the four double-digit scorers the Gaels bring back. According to kenpom.com, Saint Mary’s was top-20 in adjusted offensive efficiency. That’s the highest its been since 2013, the last time the Gaels reached the tournament.

2. UAB

Jerod Haase is now the head coach of Stanford. He left the program in the hands of Robert Ehsan, an assistant who has been with the program since 2012. Ehsan, the first-year head coach, inherits a team that returns four starters, with the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year, Dirk Williams, set to be the starting point guard. Chris Cokley, the team’s leading scorer, and William Lee, Conference USA’s Defensive Player of the Year, are both back, giving the Blazers one of the best frontcourts among mid-majors. UAB could face up to three ranked opponents during in the non-conference: Kansas, Saint Mary’s and Texas.

3. Princeton

Mitch Henderson’s team is set to return the Tigers back to the top of the conference standings this season. Princeton essentially returns six starters: the five who started last season, as well as Hans Brase, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 11.5 points during the 2014-15 season, but missed all of last year due to a torn ACL. Henry Caruso, the team’s leading scorer, is back as one of several shooters the Tigers have in their arsenal. Besides center Pete Miller (who did not attempt a three last year), four starters shot better than 35 percent from deep. It’ll be a three-team race with Harvard and Yale, but if Princeton can separate themselves, it’ll earn this spot in the rankings.

LEAGUE PREVIEWS: Big 12 | ACC | Pac-12 | Big Ten | Mid-Majors

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4. Chattanooga

The Mocs had been on the rise since Will Wade took over the program. Even after he departed for VCU, Chattanooga continued to rise, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. During the process of a 29-win season, the Mocs knocked off three high-major programs, including Dayton. Matt McCall brings back four starters. That doesn’t include Casey Jones, the 2015 preseason SoCon Player of the Year, who missed all but seven games due to an ankle injury. In his absence, Tre’ McLean emerged as the top scorer at 12.1 points per game while Justin Tuoyo was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. Chattanooga will have its hands full with Eastern Tennessee State, but the Mocs should be favored to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2017.

5. UT Arlington

On January 21, the Mavericks were 13-2 and held wins over Ohio State and Memphis. But their season was abruptly derailed when Kevin Hervey tore his ACL, ending his season. UT Arlington went on to win 24 games, but saw Little Rock play the role of Cinderella in the NCAA Tournament. Hervey is one of five starters back, meaning the Mavericks should be a team to be reckoned with in 2016-17. Kaelon Wilson, Erick Neal and Jalen Jones were all double-digit scorers last year, which allows Hervey, who was close to averaging a double-double before getting hurt, to ease back into the lineup if he’s not already at 100 percent. UT Arlington did figure out how to win without Hervey, closing out the season as winners of 10 of 14.

Texas-Arlington's Kevin Hervey, left, reacts to a 73-68 NCAA college basketball game win as Ohio State's Jae'Sean Tate looks on in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
UT Arlington’s Kevin Hervey (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

6. UNC Wilmington

In two seasons, Kevin Keatts is 43-22 as head coach of UNC Wilmington. He not only guided the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade, he put a scare into Duke in the first round. From that team, four players return. Chris Flemmings, a candidate for CAA Player of the Year, headlines a backcourt that also includes Denzel Ingram and C.J. Bryce, two other double digit scorers. The trio will continue to force other opponents into turnovers, as the Seahawks were one of the best at doing that last season.

7. Harvard

Siyani Chambers is back at Harvard following an ACL tear. He joins a mix of veteran players and talented youngsters. Zena Edosomwan, a second-team all-Ivy League selection as a junior, is part of the former, while Corey Johnson, a potential mid-major breakout star, headlines the latter. The Crimson are in the middle of what should be a tight race between themselves, Princeton and Yale.

8. Long Beach State

The 49ers were close to a NCAA Tournament berth last season. They should be in contention for once again this year. Long Beach State has one of the best mid-major backcourts with Justin Bibbins being joined by Evan Payne, the Loyola Marymount transfer who should replace the production left behind by Nick Faust. UC Irvine, which has been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, should fight with the 49ers for the top spot.

9. Northern Iowa

The Panthers graduated three double-digit scorers in Paul Jesperson, Matt Bohannon and Wes Washpun, but return arguably the best player in the Missouri Valley Conference in Jeremy Morgan. The last time we saw Morgan, he posted 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. That’s the only thing Northern Iowa fans choose to remember about the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Northern Iowa does test itself out of conference, playing Xavier, North Carolina, Iowa and South Dakota State.

10. Akron

Isaiah Johnson anchors the middle, while Antonio Jackson and Noah Robotham bring experience to the backcourt for the Zips. Akron should be the favorites after coming up short in the 2016. The Zips go on the road this season to face Creighton and Gonzaga, both of whom could be ranked, before they head into MAC play in a conference that is wide open.

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 20: Alec Peters #25 of the Valparaiso Crusaders reacts after losing to the Maryland Terrapins during the second round of the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 20, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Valparaiso’s Alec Peters (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

11. Valparaiso

Alec Peters is the best mid-major player in the country. He was named a third-team NBCSports.com Preseason All-American and is on the radar of every NBA team. The Crusaders, in the first season of the post-Bryce Drew era, will go as far the 6-foot-9 Peters can take them. That isn’t to say the cabinet is bare outside of Peters. Valpo also returns starting guard Tevonn Walker and Shane Hammink.

12. Fort Wayne

A 24-win season led Fort Wayne to an NIT appearance. The Mastodons should be a player in the Summit League, contending with South Dakota State and North Dakota State. Fort Wayne no longer has Max Landis, the Summit League Player of the Year, but Mo Evans, who missed the last two months of the season due to an academic issue, is back, as is John Konchar, who led the conference in rebounding.

13. Belmont

Rick Byrd has four starters back, including Evan Bradds, a 6-foot-7 forward who led the nation in field goal percentage at a remarkable 72 percent. The Bruins are projected to have another efficient offense. Since 2011, Belmont has been in the top-50 in adjusted offensive efficiency five times, according to kenpom.com. As always, Byrd will test his team early on, with games against Florida and Rhode Island.

14. Lehigh

Two-time Patriot League Player of the Year Tim Kempton and first-team all-Patriot League selection Kahron Ross are two of four starters from a team that had its NCAA Tournament hopes dashed by an unlikely postseason run from Holy Cross. The Mountain Hawks have great balance. They have Kempton, at 6-foot-10, on the block, a steady point guard in Ross and guys who can knock down shots from deep and defend.

15. South Dakota State

Despite being in Brookings, South Dakota, Mike Daum is going to be a name you hear a lot this year. The 6-foot-9 sophomore averaged 15.2 points and 6.1 boards per game last season, logging less 22 minutes a night. Daum hit 47 percent from three as a freshman. Reed Tellinghuisen, the other returning starter for the Jackrabbits, can also knock down shots from the outside. Those two, along with Ian Theisen, give first-year head coach T.J. Otzelberger a solid frontcourt to work with. But contending with Fort Wayne for the Summit League title could come down to how good the backcourt can be after losing Deondre Parks and George Marshall.

Ten More Mid-Majors to Watch: East Tennessee State, Florida Gulf Coast, Illinois State, New Mexico State, Ohio, Siena, UC Irvine, Vermont, Weber State, Yale

North Dakota State's Dexter Werner (40) looks around South Dakota State's Mike Daum (24) on his way to the net during an NCAA college basketball game for the Summit League men's tournament championship, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Elisha Page/The Argus Leader via AP)
South Dakota State’s Mike Daum (Elisha Page/The Argus Leader via AP)

2016-17 Mid-Major All-Americans

Kevin Hervey, AP Photo/Paul Vernon
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Before we get into the meat of this post, let’s hold the annual tradition of laying out our “mid-major disclaimer”, or how we determined who was eligible for this team:

The schools from the Power 5 conferences were excluded, obviously, as well as any program in the Big East, the American, the Atlantic 10 or the Mountain West. The WCC, with the exception of Gonzaga and BYU, were included, as was the Missouri Valley, with the exception of Wichita State. The Zags and the Shockers are top 25 programs nationally paying their head coaches many millions of dollars and recruiting like the big boys. And to me, BYU is still a Mountain West program that was forced to relocate because #football.

This is our plea: Don’t argue the semantics of who we rated as high-major vs. mid-major. That’s not the point of this. The point is to highlight the best players in the country that you’re probably not aware of.

So without further ado …

Top Backcourts | Top Frontcourts | Top 100 Players

POSITION RANKS: Lead Guards | Off Guards | Wings | Big Men

MID-MAJOR ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAM

ALEC PETERS, VALPARAISO

Alec Peters could have not appeared on this list. He initially declared for the NBA Draft before withdrawing his name. After Bryce Drew left for Vanderbilt, it would have been understandable if Peters elected to enroll in a high-major school as a graduate transfer. But the 6-foot-9 big man decided to stay at Valparaiso for his final year. In many eyes, he’s the best mid-major player in the country this season, ranked the highest by NBC Sports.

A well-rounded forward, Peters averaged 18.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, shooting better than 44 percent from three (and that percentage was down from his sophomore season). He also led the Crusaders to the NIT championship game.

MIKE DAUM, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

The Summit League race will be one to monitor throughout the winter. The Jackrabbits will be in the mix because of Mike Daum. The 6-foot-9 sophomore, who is certainly on NBA radars like others on this list, averaged averaged 15.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in his first season in Brookings.

MARCUS EVANS, RICE

The Conference USA Freshman of the Year burst onto the scene last season, averaging 21.4 points and leading the league in steals. Evans will likely be one of the top scorers in the nation, especially if he can improve upon his 30 percent three-point shooting. While he continues to put up the points — and being a pest on the other end of the floor — he could see an increase in assists per game, as he will undoubtedly have the ball in his hands on the majority of the Owls’ possessions.

LEAGUE PREVIEWS: Big 12 | ACC | Pac-12 | Big Ten | Mid-Majors

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KEVIN HERVEY, UT ARLINGTON

Kevin Hervey was a breakout star through 15 games of last season. He was close to averaging double-double, putting up 18.1 points and 9.8 boards. More importantly, the Mavericks were 13-2 and held wins over Memphis and Ohio State while taking Texas to overtime. His season — and subsequently, UT Arlington’s Cinderella hopes — were dashed when he tore his ACL during warmups of a showdown game with league champs Little Rock. He’s still working his way back to healthy, tbut he 6-foot-8 forward is the face of one of the scariest mid-majors in the country, bringing back all five starters from a 24-win team. Texas and Saint Mary’s are on UT Arlington’s non-conference schedule, and should be on upset alert.

EMMETT NAAR, SAINT MARY’S

The latest in a long line of Australians to star for the Gaels, Naar, like Matthew Dellavadova, Patty Mills and Mickey McConnell before him, led one of the best offenses in the country, ranked top-20 in offensive efficiency by kenpom.com. The 6-foot-1 junior was first-team all-West Coast Conference as a sophomore, averaging 14.0 points, 6.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

  • January 14th
  • February 11th

Mark those dates down in your calendar. Emmett Naar going up against Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss will be appointment viewing.

CONTENDER SERIES: Duke | Oregon | Kentucky | Kansas | Villanova

PROVIDENCE, RI - MARCH 19: Makai Mason #11 of the Yale Bulldogs dribbles the ball in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Dunkin' Donuts Center on March 19, 2016 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Yale’s Makai Mason (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

MID-MAJOR ALL-AMERICAN SECOND TEAM

EVAN BRADDS, BELMONT

This time last season, Craig Bradshaw was tabbed as a Mid-Major All-American. However, by season’s end, Evan Bradds was the leading scorer for the Bruins. The 6-foot-7 senior is coming off a breakout junior campaign, posting 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He led the nation in field goal percentage, connecting on 72 percent of his attempts. Somehow, he only shot 71 percent from the free throw line. How many players shoot better from the floor than they do from the charity stripe?

TIM KEMPTON, LEHIGH

Entering his senior season, Tim Kempton is poised to win the Patriot League Player of the Year for the third time. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a junior. With several guards capable of knocking down shots, teams are forced to pick their poison: double Kempton and give up open looks, or let him go to work on the block. He anchors the Patriot League favorite.

MAKAI MASON, YALE

On the biggest stage, Makai Mason had a breakout performance: dropping 31 points win over Baylor in first round of the NCAA Tournament. Mason did average 16.0 points per game last season, but the reason for Yale’s success was its rebounding. It was among the best in the country. With Justin Sears and Brandon Sherrod graduating, Mason is going to need to take over on a nightly basis. After spending the offseason working with the German National Team, Mason should be up for the challenge.

DALLAS MOORE, NORTH FLORIDA

The reigning Atlantic Sun Player of the Year was highly efficient on offense during his junior campaign. He averaged 19.8 points, dished 6.0 assists (to 1.9 turnovers) and grabbed 4.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-1 guard also shot 52 percent from the field and a tick under 40 percent from three. The Ospreys have won 61 games (back-to-back 20-win seasons) and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament during Moore’s career.

JUSTIN ROBINSON, MONMOUTH

Despite several upset wins, Monmouth received more national attention for the four guys at the end of the bench than the five players on the floor. That’s unfortunate because the Hawks, who ended up being snubbed for an at-large bid, were really good. They should be the MAAC favorite again this season, with Justin Robinson leading the way. The diminutive point guard averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists last year.

PROVIDENCE, RI - MARCH 17: Chris Flemmings #1 of the North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks reacts during the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Dunkin' Donuts Center on March 17, 2016 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
UNC Wilmington’s Chris Flemmings (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

MID-MAJOR ALL-AMERICAN THIRD TEAM

ANTONIO CAMPBELL, OHIO

The senior forward averaged 17.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, shooting 56 percent from the field, en route to MAC Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-9 forward has improved leaps and bounds from his freshman season (3.8 points in 9.6 minutes per game). His improved ability to step out and shoot (37 percent from three last season) only benefits a Saul Phillips’ offense that requires spacing for its screen and rolls.

CHRIS FLEMMINGS, UNC WILMINGTON

Chris Flemmings began his career in Division II. He ended last season as first-team all-CAA guard. Read more on his rise here. He averaged 16.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.9 minutes per game. The last time we saw Flemmings he was putting a scare into Duke, dropping 18 points on the Blue Devils in a near upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

WILLIAM LEE, UAB

UAB returns four starters from a 26-win team last season. One of those players poised to make a jump should William Lee. The 6-foot-9 junior was named Conference-USA Defensive Player of the Year and earned third-team all-league honors. He was seventh in the nation in blocked shots, posting 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 24.8 minutes per game.

JEREMY MORGAN, NORTHERN IOWA

Northern Iowa, like Saint Mary’s, isn’t far off from joining the other teams in the “mid-major disclaimer” mentioned above. Northern Iowa is a solid program and should be in store for another successful season despite the loss of Paul Jesperson, Matt Bohannon and Wes Washpun. That’s because Jeremy Morgan, who averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from 3-point range, should take a leap as a senior. While it’s certainly an ending Panther fans would like to forget, Morgan showed a glimpse of what he’s capable of in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by scoring 36 points — of 10-of-20 shooting — with 12 boards in a double-overtime loss to Texas A&M.

OMAR PREWITT, WILLIAM & MARY

The 6-foot-7 senior is coming off a junior year where he averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Tribe. He’s truly hard to matchup with. He’s got great size for a guard at that level, which allows him to get to the bucket — and the free throw line — with regularity. Defenses can back off him either considering that he connected on 36 percent of his threes last season.  Chris Flemmings is the preseason Player of the Year in the CAA, but Omar Prewitt will compete with him for those postseason honors, as William & Mary and UNC Wilmington fight for the top spot in the league.

Southland Conference Preview: Does Stephen F. Austin sustain success without Underwood, Walkup?

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Beginning in September and running up through November 11th, the first day of the regular season, College Basketball Talk will be unveiling the 2016-2017 NBCSports.com college hoops preview package.

Today, we are previewing the Southland Conference.

Things are going to look different in the Southland this season now that Stephen F. Austin has lost so many familiar faces. The three-time defending champion Lumberjacks lost head coach Brad Underwood to Oklahoma State and two-time Southland Player of the Year Thomas Walkup exhausted his eligibility as Stephen F. Austin tries to stay atop the conference with some new faces.

New head coach Kyle Keller is now in charge at Stephen F. Austin after a successful stint as an assistant coach with Texas A&M. Keller likely won’t match Underwood’s insane 53-1 Southland record with the Lumberjacks but he has plenty of talent and winning culture in place. The Lumberjacks have won a NCAA tournament game in two of the last three seasons as they return junior Ty Charles and sophomore T.J. Holyfield. Newcomers could be the key to the season or Stephen F. Austin as Keller brought in some talented transfers and junior college prospects.

Sam Houston State is once again knocking on the door as they return the top five scorers from last season. Senior forward Aurimas Majauskas and senior guard Dakarai Henderson both averaged 14.2 points per game last season as both players were All-Southland second-team selections. The return of talented point guard Paul Baxter, who missed last season with injury, could give the Bearkats six capable starters.

Coming off of a CBI appearance, Houston Baptist returns a lot of upperclass talent as they’re led by senior forward Colter Lasher. If center Josh Ibarra can return from injury and graduate transfer Atif Russell makes an impact from Pepperdine then the Huskies could be one of the Southland’s deeper teams. Texas A&M Corpus-Christi returns Player of the Year candidate Rashawn Thomas as forward as the senior will need help from a lot of new pieces. Seven seniors are gone from last season, but the Islanders are hoping guards Joe Kilgore and Ehab Amin can step up.

McNeese State has to improve its defense and rebounding but the Cowboys return a potent offense. Five of the top six scorers are back including senior guard Jamaya Burr and sophomores Jarren Greenwood and James Harvey and McNeese State should be one of the better perimeter shooting teams in the Southland. A young team who could be one to watch, Abilene Christian returns super sophomore guard Jaylen Franklin to lead the charge. The Wildcats only have one senior and need sophomores like Hayden Howell and Jaren Lewis to step up.

Things should be intriguing at Northwestern State as high-scoring guard Zeek Woodley is back but star senior point guard Jalan West is out once again with a torn ACL. Woodley is good for over 20 points a game but he’ll need more help this season. Senior guard Sabri Thompson was strong during a preseason trip to Canada. Head coach Jay Ladner returns seven of the top nine scorers for Southeastern Louisiana as the Lions should have plenty of scoring. Guard Joshua Filmore logged plenty of minutes last season while Southern Miss transfer Davon Hayes could provide another rotation piece.

Incarnate Word got hit hard by transfers this offseason as Jontell Walker and Derail Green left for other programs. Junior guard Shawn Johnson showed some promise late in the season and should be asked to lead. New Orleans returns three double-figure scorers in guard Christavious Gill, forward Erik Thomas and guard Nate Frye. The Privateers can make a jump if they  improve their perimeter shooting and get five new players involved.

After being banned from the postseason for a low APR, Central Arkansas is hoping for a better season. Junior Jordan Howard can pour in points and Derreck Brooks is a quality second piece. The Bears have to improve defensively after an abysmal 2015-16. Lamar is hoping that head coach Tic Price can get them back on track as leading scorer Nick Garth is back. The Cardinals will rely a lot on new pieces this season as they hit the junior college ranks hard for college-ready players. New coach Richie Riley takes over at Nicholls State as he signed five players this spring. Senior guard Ja’Dante Fry is back along with senior center Liam Thomas, the Southland’s leader in blocks last season.

MORE: 2016-17 Season Preview Coverage | Conference Previews | Preview Schedule

PRESEASON SOUTHLAND PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rashawn Thomas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

The reigning Southland Defensive Player of the Year was also top five in the league in scoring and rebounding a year ago as the 6-foot-8 senior averaged 16.6 points and a conference-leading 8.1 rebounds per game. Thomas also shot 55 percent from the floor and averaged 2.3 blocks per game as he’s one of the best all-around mid-major players in the country. On a team replacing a lot of experienced players, Thomas could put up huge numbers for the Islanders.

THE REST OF THE PRESEASON SOUTHLAND TEAM:

  • Zeek Woodley, Northwestern State: Putting up 22.2 points per game the last two seasons, the 6-foot-2 senior has a serious chance at 2,000 career points.
  • Jaylen Franklin, Abilene Christian: The 6-foot-2 guard is reigning Southland Freshman of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds in his first season.
  • Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas: A bright spot for Central Arkansas, the 5-foot-11 junior put up 20.2 points per game while shooting 42 percent from three-point range.
  • Aurimas Majauskas, Sam Houston State: The 6-foot-7 senior shot 54 percent from the floor while averaging 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season.

ONE TWITTER FEED TO FOLLOW: @SouthlandSports

PREDICTED FINISH

  1. Stephen F. Austin
  2. Sam Houston State
  3. Houston Baptist
  4. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
  5. McNeese State
  6. Abilene Christian
  7. Northwestern State
  8. Southeastern Louisiana
  9. Incarnate Word
  10. New Orleans
  11. Central Arkansas
  12. Lamar
  13. Nicholls State

Southern Conference Preview: Chattanooga and East Tennessee State face off

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
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Beginning in September and running up through November 11th, the first day of the regular season, College Basketball Talk will be unveiling the 2016-2017 NBCSports.com college hoops preview package.

Today, we are previewing the Southern Conference.

The rivalry between Chattanooga and East Tennessee State should be in full force this season as the two intra-state enemies should once again find themselves sitting atop the SoCon standings.

Chattanooga has to be considered the favorites entering the season. The Mocs went 29-6 last season. They won at Georgia, at Illinois and at Dayton. They won the SoCon regular season title at 15-3. They won the SoCon tournament title, beating ETSU in the process. They not only return four starters from last year’s team – including Tre’ McLean and Justin Tuoyo, who were all-league players last year – as well as Casey Jones, who was the 2015 SoCon Player of the Year and the 2016 Preseason SoCon Player of the Year before a dislocated ankle ended his season in December.

Think about that for a second. The Mocs did their majority of their damage last season without the guy the coaches thought would be the best player in the conference. And now he’s back, along with basically everyone else. Matt McCall will likely start his coaching career with two straight league titles.

But Steve Forbes and East Tennessee State won’t roll over easily, you can be sure of that. It wasn’t the least bit surprising that he was able to churn out a 24-12 season and a second-place finish in the league in his first year as head coach, mainly because he was able to stock the roster with high-major talent. This year, he adds former Indiana big man Hanner Mosquera-Perea and former Wichita State big man Tevin Glass to another former Hoosier, 7-footer Peter Jurkin. Throw in the return of all-SoCon guard T.J. Cromer and the addition of a handful of JuCon guards, including two JuCo all-americans, and the Bucs will be loaded as well.

Furman lost league Player of the Year Stephen Croome, but the Palladins return four starters from a team that won 11 league games. Niko Medved’s team should be in the mix to finish top four. Mercer lost a trio of starters from a team that finished 8-10 and dealt with the murder of a player in the middle of the season. It isn’t wise to bet against Bob Hoffman, especially when he adds the kind of JuCo talent he’s bringing in this year, but the death of a teammate is not easy to overcome.

Mike Young is one of the best coaches at the mid-major level, but after consecutive years of losing strong senior classes, it’s caught up to hi at Wofford. Fletcher MaGee is the Terrier to keep an eye on. Wes Miller has continually lost talented transfers, but this seems to be the year where UNC Greensboro has some stability. They bring back four starters from a team that won 10 games in the league.

Samford is the team to keep an eye on in the league. Christen Cunningham returns to provide a veteran scoring presence while Scott Padgett adds quite a bit of high-major talent: three high-major transfers will be eligible to play this year. Throw in a talented freshman class, and the Bulldogs have some potential.

Western Carolina graduated a four-man senior class that averaged a combined 52 points last season. The Citadel scores a ton of points but allowed an average of 92.6 points per game last season. Butler put 144 points on them. VMI struggled to adjust to new head coach Dan Earl, who replaced Duggar Baucom (who took over at The Citadel), but Q.J. Peterson might be the best scorer in the league.

MORE: 2016-17 Season Preview Coverage | Conference Previews | Preview Schedule

 

PRESEASON SOCON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: T.J. Cromer, East Tennessee State

Chattanooga has three players on their roster capable of winning the SoCon Player of the Year award. So assuming they cancel each other out, we’re going to go with Cromer, who should be the best player on an ETSU team that can push for the SoCon title.

THE REST OF THE PRESEASON ALL-SOCON TEAM:

  • Justin Tuoyo, Chattanooga: He’s the best defensive presence around the rim in the league.
  • Casey Jones, Chattanooga: The 2015 SoCon Player of the Year. Is he healthy?
  • Tre’ McClean, Chattanooga: He was the best player for the Mocs last season.
  • Q.J. Peterson, VMI: VMI should be better. Peterson will probably still average 20 point.s

PREDICTED FINISH

1. Chattanooga
2. East Tennessee State
3. UNC Greensboro
4. Mercer
5. Samford
6. Furman
7. Wofford
8. VMI
9. Western Carolina
10. The Citadel

Patriot League Preview: Lehigh looks to end unpredictable trend

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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Beginning in September and running up through November 11th, the first day of the regular season, College Basketball Talk will be unveiling the 2016-2017 NBCSports.com college hoops preview package.

Today, we are previewing the Patriot League conference.

The Patriot League has been unpredictable.

Case in point: Holy Cross winning four straight road games to win the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders, who capped the regular season with an 83-68 drumming from Boston University, had five total league wins all season.

A year earlier, Lafayette finished 9-9 in conference play before going on a run that ended in the field of 68. Before that, American, pegged to finish ninth in the preseason poll, won the league in 2014.

Lehigh, the clear-cut favorite again this season, looks to end the 2016-17 season where it will begin: atop the conference. Led by Tim Kempton, the two-time Patriot League Player of the Year, and Kahron Ross, another all-Patriot League performer, the Mountain Hawks have great balance. The 6-foot-10 Kempton is a presence on both ends of the floor, while Ross, Austin Price and Kyle Leufroy all shot the ball well from beyond the arc. That should help offset the departure of Jesse Chuku. The backcourt is bolstered by the return of Brandon Allston, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Lehigh has the best big man in the conference and one of the best set of guards.

The title of best perimeter in the Patriot League should go to Boston University. The Terriers return Eric Fanning, a first team all-league guard in 2015-16, welcome back Cedric Hankerson, who appeared in only one game last season while recovering from a torn ACL, and return Cheddi Mosley and Kyle Foreman. This depth allows BU to play in a variety of ways. Losing John Papale hurts, but Joe Jones has a core guards who will accept roles and know what it takes to win games.

Holy Cross, a year after winning an NCAA Tournament game (defeating Southern, 59-55, in the First Four) with a losing record, should finish near the top of the conference standings this season. The Crusaders return three double-digit scorers in Robert Champion, Malachi Alexander and Karl Charles. What fueled Holy Cross’ postseason run was a 1-3-1 defensive that was implemented during the season and got better with time. Per kenpom.com, the Crusaders were among the worst in the league in defensive efficiency. That shouldn’t be the case this season. On offense, they should continue their methodical pace led by senior point guard Anthony Thompson. The 5-foot-11 point guard will have no shortage of 3-point options when the shot clock winds down.

It’s hard to label Bucknell as a sleeper. The Bison have won the regular season title in each of the last two seasons. However, they graduated Chris Hass. Nana Foulland has the chance to not only be the focal point of the offense, but emerge as one of the league’s best players. The 6-foot-9 forward has started both years he’s been on campus and has made an impact on both ends of the floor. Stephen Brown is the other returning starter for Nathan Davis. Like Foulland, it’s reasonable to believe that Brown can make the jump in a leading role this season. If that’s the case, then Bucknell should contend once again.

The freshmen and sophomores outnumber the upperclassmen, but Navy should be in the mix this winter. The Midshipmen return leading scorer Shawn Anderson, who posted 13.2 points per game last season. Some of the underclassmen will need to step up after Navy graduated key pieces in the backcourt and the frontline. American started out conference play 0-6, but closed out the season winning nine of its last 12 to finish in the top half of the league with a 9-9 record. Bringing back reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Delante Jones, only adds to the optimism for the Eagles entering this season. Colgate graduated Austin Tillotson, but Jordan Swopshire is more than capable of being a breakout star in the Patriot League this season. The Raiders also return Tom Rivard, who also scored in double figures last season. In an unpredictable league, mark down Colgate as a sleeper.

Andre Walker and Jarred Jones both averaged more than 13 points per game last season for Loyola. Part of a trio of returning starters, the Greyhounds could surprise some this year. Lafayette took its bumps last season en route to a last-place finish. Nick Linder, a senior point guard who averaged 13.3 points per game, will anchor a team whose roster is still dominated by freshmen and sophomores. Army lost all five starters, including two of the league’s top scorers in Tanner Plomb and Kyle Wilson, from a season ago, and saw head coach Zack Spiker leave to fill the Drexel vacancy. New head coach Jimmy Allen has some talented underclassmen, but they should be expected to go through growing pains this season.

MORE: 2016-17 Season Preview Coverage | Conference Previews | Preview Schedule

Lehigh center Tim Kempton (32) is defended by Virginia center Mike Tobey (10) during an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday Nov. 25, 2015, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff)
(AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff)

PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tim Kempton, Lehigh

Tim Kempton, the two-time reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, is the runaway favorite for this year’s honors. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a junior. The presence Kempton commands on the block helped the Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League in 3-point percentage at 39 percent last season.

THE REST OF THE PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM:

  • Malachai Alexander, Holy Cross: The 2016 Patriot League Tournament MVP averaged 11.8 points. 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
  • Eric Fanning, Boston University: During the absence of Cedric Hankerson, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
  • Nana Foulland, Bucknell: The second team all-Patriot League selection from a season ago should have a strong case for player of the year honors, posting 11.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a sophomore.
  • Kahron Ross, Lehigh: One of the top mid-major point guards, Ross averaged 11.2 points, shooting 38 percent from three, and averaged 6.1 assists (to 1.9 turnovers) per game.

ONE TWITTER FEED TO FOLLOW: @PL_MBB

PREDICTED FINISH

1. Lehigh
2. Boston University
3. Holy Cross
4. Bucknell
5. Navy
6. American
7. Colgate
8. Loyola
9. Lafayette
10. Army

2016-17 OVC Preview: Belmont and Murray State set to battle for top spot

AP Photo/Morry Gash
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Beginning in September and running up through November 11th, the first day of the regular season, College Basketball Talk will be unveiling the 2016-2017 NBCSports.com college hoops preview package.

Today, we are previewing the Ohio Valley Conference.

The league’s recent traditional powers, Belmont and Murray State, appear again to be the OVC’s best bets to make the NCAA tournament and perhaps bust some brackets.

The Bruins return the league’s Player of the Year in big man Evan Bradds, who is a scoring machine who rarely misses his mark. He’s led the nation in field goal percentage for the last two seasons despite being just 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds. Belmont will need to figure out how to replace dynamic guardCraig Bradshaw, but Rick Byrd has four returning starters in his arsenal. Retooling has never been an issue for Byrd, and we don’t expect it to be one this season.

Matt McMahon’s Racers lost his top two scorers from last year’s 17-14 squad, but Murray State welcomes highly-touted Tulane transfer Jonathan Stark to join three returning starters. Improving the defense will be key after a season in which the Racers allowed opponents to register an effective field goal percentage of 52.2, which ranked 289th nationally, but the Racers should be improved now that they have had a chance to recover from the departure of Steve Prohm and Cam Payne.

Tahjere McCall is one of the country’s best thieves with 2.3 steals per game, and he’s an integral part of the Tennessee State defense that turned opponents over in droves. The Tigers will need to find a way to build an offense around him as well. Jay Spoonhour’s Eastern Illinois squad finished above .500 in league play for the second-straight season last year, and returns four starters from that group, making them an interesting option to push the conference leaders. 5-foot-7 Cornell Johnston is the name to know on that roster.

Morehead State finished 11-5 in the OVC last season, but with Brett Arrington gone and Corbin Collins transferring to to Alabama, Sean Woods is going to have his work cut out for him replacing his back court. Tennessee Tech has even more to replace, as they lost their top two scorers and four starters in total. Austin Peay reached the NCAA tournament with the OVC’s auto-bid last season, but they were a 7-9 team that lost three starters, including Chris Horton, who averaged 19 points and 12 boards.

MORE: 2016-17 Season Preview Coverage | Conference Previews | Preview Schedule

PRESEASON OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Evan Bradds, Belmont

The 6-foot-7 senior has led the nation in field goal percentage for the last two seasons, shooting a blistering 71.4 percent last year. Look for him to average a double-double this season as Belmont looks to reach the NCAA tournament for the third time in five years.

THE REST OF THE PRESEASON OVC TEAM:

  • Tahjere McCall, Tennessee State: The OVC’s defensive player of the year last season, McCall also averaged 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
  • Nick Mayo, Eastern Kentucky: The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 assists per game a year ago.
  • Josh Robinson, Austin Peay: When from contributor as a freshman to impact player as a sophomore, putting up nearly 17 points.
  • Jonathan Stark, Murray State: The transfer from Tulane will take over at the point for coach Matt McMahon as he looks to recapture what made him one of Conference USA’s top freshmen two years ago.

ONE TWITTER FEED TO FOLLOW: @OVCSports

PREDICTED FINISH

1. Belmont
2. Murray State
3. Tennessee State
4. Eastern Illinois
5. Eastern Kentucky
6. Austin Peay
7. Morehead State
8. Tennessee Martin
9. Tennessee Tech
10. SIU Edwardsville
11. Jacksonville State
12. Southeast Missouri