UPDATE: Michael Dixon accused of, never charged with, sexual assault

By Rob DausterNov 27, 2012, 7:03 PM EDT

Michael Dixon is a potential all-american candidate for Missouri, but he has yet to suit up for the Tigers as he has been suspended by head coach Frank Haith since late October. When the suspension was originally announced, Haith made it seem like it was an academic issue, saying that it wasn’t a legal problem but “more about the everyday choices we make and the cumulative impact it has.” He followed that up by saying, “Mike has had some time off to work on some academic stuff, and he has done a nice job, he’s made some strides in that area.”

Seems pretty clear cut, right?

Well, rumors started flying during the Tigers’ trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis that there was more to the story than a simple academic issue, enough so that Haith felt the need to open his press conference after a 68-65 win over VCU with this: “Before we get going here, I want to reiterate one thing — that Mike Dixon has been suspended for a violation of team rules, OK? I know there’s a lot of rumors and allegations going on out there. It’s something I’m not going to address.”

Those rumors stemmed for a series of tweets that were fired off by someone claiming to be a victim of a sexual assault by Dixon. She has since deleted her account, but you can find the tweets here. They were in response to these tweets from Kim English, which have also since been deleted.

The big news today is that we now have confirmation that Dixon was, in fact, accused of sexual assault. Terez Paylor of the KC Star is reporting that Dixon was accused of forcible rape on August 20th but was never charged due to a lack of evidence. Columbia police investigated, but the case was closed on November 16th. This would lend credence to the theory that Dixon is currently suspended as his case goes in front of the school’s student judicial board, as English insinuated in his tweets.

(UPDATE: There are quite a few very, very graphic details of the encounter here, courtesy of Steve Waletnik of the Columbia Tribune.)

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

Burning Questions: Who will be this year’s surprise All-American?

By Rob DausterNov 6, 2012, 2:00 PM EDT

Leave a comment

Real, live college basketball games start on Friday, and with all of our glorious preseason content finally finished, this week we will be providing you with water cooler fodder as we roll through a series of Burning Question. You can read them all right here.

Which player not on one of the NBCSports.com All-American teams is the most likely to become a first-teamer this year?

Phil Pressey, Missouri (Eric Angevine): Pressey showed he could dish and defend at a high level last season in the Big 12. With Kim English matriculated and Michael Dixon in the doghouse, Pressey will have ample opportunity to show he can score, too. I believe he’s up to the task.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville (Troy Machir): The Louisville center is in the perfect position to excel this season. First and foremost, he has made tremendous improvements in each of his first two seasons, and if healthy, he will continue his upward progression this season. Second, He has players around him that him him the best chance to succeed. Guys like Montrezl Harris, Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear and Luke Hancock, skilled forwards and wing players, will divert attention away from the big-man, which will allow Dieng to get more high quality looks. Dieng won’t be forced to do too much, which will allow him to excel at his craft. Finally, what real pressure is there on Dieng? He’s not the star and doesn’t have to be. Plus, Pitino does a good job keeping the media out of his player’s heads, so they can remained focused.This season was tailor-made for Gorgui Dieng to recieve All-American praise.

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State (Daniel Martin): Franklin became a full-time contributor last season and capitalized. Now he has the reins of a team that will fight for the Mountain West title and has the potential to become a household name. He averaged 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season, including just a shade up 20 points and 10 boards in MWC play.

Nate Wolters, South Dakota State (David Harten): Wolters has every tool that gets a college basketball player recognition. He can score (21.1 ppg), rebound (5.1 rpg), distribute (5.9 apg) and guard (1.7 spg). Problem is, he plays for a Jackrabbits’ team that just made its first trip to the NCAA Tournament and plays in the Summit League. His game translates against better teams — need I remind you how hard he clowned Washington last season? — and he’s proven countless times he can play on the big stages (19 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals against Baylor in the NCAA Tournament last season). He could be on everyone’s All-American list by season’s end.

Andre Roberson, Colorado (Raphielle Johnson): Andre played the four for the Buffaloes last season, and while that may be the same in 2012-13 he’ll get to expand his game some. 11.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last season, and with a better jump shot I’d expect the scoring average to increase. And there may be some motivation to be derived from the Pac-12 media picking Colorado to finish sixth in the conference this season. My money’s on Roberson.

Top 25 Countdown: No. 5 Missouri Tigers

By Rob DausterOct 29, 2012, 9:00 AM EDT

Leave a comment

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.

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.

Last Season: 30-4, 14-4 Big 12 (2nd); Lost in the Opening Round to Norfolk State

Head Coach: Frank Haith

Key Losses: Marcus Denmon, Kim English, Ricardo Ratliffe, Steve Moore

Newcomers: Alex Oriakhi, Jabari Brown*, Keion Bell, Earnest Ross, Dominique Bull, Negus Webster-Chan, Stefan Jankovic, Ryan Rosburg

Projected Lineup:

– G: Phil Pressey, Jr.
– G: Michael Dixon, Sr.
– F: Jabari Brown, So.
– F: Laurence Bowers, Sr.
– C: Alex Oriakhi, Sr.
– Bench: Keion Bell, Sr.; Earnest Ross, Sr.; Negus Webster-Chan, Fr.; Dominique Bull, Fr.

Outlook: Missouri is going to be a very different team this season. Playing without Laurence Bowers last season, the Tigers were forced to go small. They surrounded Phil Pressey, arguably the nation’s premiere with a trio of knock-down shooters — Marcus Denmon, Kim English, Mike Dixon — capable of going for 25 on a given night. They were lucky because English, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, was tough enough to defend and rebound in the paint, giving them a mismatch on the offensive end of the floor that they were able to consistently exploit.

The problem, however, was that while the Tigers thrived offensively — the were the most efficient offensive team in the country a year ago, they simply survived on the defensive end. They struggled to force their opponents into tough shots, they weren’t great on the glass and they didn’t have a shot blocker to protect the rim.

This year’s team should be much improved on the defensive end of the floor. It starts with Pressey and Dixon, when he gets back from his suspension, who are both terrific on-ball defenders that can get out and pressure, man-to-man, in the half-court. Transfers Jabari Brown, who will get eligible in December, and Keion Bell are both big, extremely athletic wings while Earnest Ross is versatile enough to guard either forward position.

But the real difference makers defensively are Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi. Bowers, before he tore his ACL, was considered by many to be the best player on last year’s Missouri team. He certainly was considered the best defender, as he’s an athletic and lanky, 6-foot-8 power forward that can defend any position on the floor. He’s a defensive playmaker as well, the kind of guy that can block shots around the rim and jump a passing lane. Oriakhi is the tie that binds for this group. While he struggled last year with UConn, Oriakhi was an overwhelming dominant interior presence during UConn’s run to the 2011 national title. He can block shots, he rebounds the ball on both ends of the floor, and he’s a better scorer in the post than he gets credit for. Don’t be surprised to see him average 12 points, 10 boards and 2.5 blocks this season.

While Missouri may flourish defensively this year, they will undoubtedly be taking a step back on the offensive end. That’s what happens when three of the most efficient scorers in the country graduate. But Missouri isn’t exactly without weapons this year. Dixon may end up averaging 16 or 17 points this year. Brown was a top 30 recruit known for his ability to score on the wing, while Bell averaged nearly 20 per game while at Pepperdine. Ross, Bowers and Oriakhi are all players that can get double-figures on given night.

But perhaps more importantly, there’s Pressey. As we mentioned, Flip is one of the best creators in the country, and there are few point guards that are as adept at making their teammates better as him. It’s pretty easy for Oriakhi to score, for example, when the ball is dropped off to him in front of the rim. The other point that needs to be made is that while neither Ross nor Bowers are the kind of shooter than English was, both are skilled and perimeter-oriented enough to play the same role — as a stretch-four, so to speak — offensively.

In other words, while the people playing to positions are different this season, the Tigers will be running essentially the same attack. With a new-and-improved defense and Pressey running the show, there’s legitimacy to the argument that Missouri can contend for the SEC title.

Predictions?: The key for the Tigers are going to be how all of the transfers come together. Only three players projected to be in the Tiger rotation have played for Missouri before, and one of those three — Bowers — sat out the only season that Haith has been in Columbia with a knee injury. Those are a lot of new faces to try and turn into a cohesive unit, but that’s precisely what Haith did last year with the Tigers. He took a team that was admittedly coming apart at the seams and turned them into a group that won 30 games and the Big 12 tournament. My money is on the Tigers repeating that success

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

Top 25 Countdown: No. 21 VCU Rams

By Rob DausterOct 5, 2012, 9:00 AM EDT

Leave a comment

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.

Last Season: 29-7, 15-3 CAA (2nd); Lost to Indiana in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament

Head Coach: Shaka Smart

Key Losses: Brad Burgess

Newcomers: Mo Alie-Cox, Jordan Burgess, Melvin Johnson, Justin Tuoyo

Projected Lineup:

– G: Darius Theus, Sr.
– G: Troy Daniels, Sr.
– F: Treveon Graham, So.
– F: Juvonte Reddic, Jr.
– C: DJ Haley, Jr.
– Bench: Briante Weber, So.; Rob Brandenburg, Jr.; Melvin Johnson, Fr.; Jordan Burgess, Fr.

Outlook: It’s almost impossible to underrate VCU at this point.

They are 18 months removed from playing in the Final Four. They have a head coach that gets massive, high-major contract offers about as often as I get a cup of coffee. They parlayed that success into an invitation from the stronger Atlantic 10, and have since been crowned a favorite to win one of the deepest, most balanced conferences in the country despite it being their first season in the league. Heck, we ranked them 21st nationally. That’s quite a measure of respect.

And still, it feels like the Rams are going to end up being better than projected heading into this season.

Shaka Smart runs a system at VCU much the same way that Bo Ryan does at Wisconsin or that John Thompson III does at Georgetown. Smart loves to press, and while some programs do that specifically do speed up the tempo or to force the offense to burn time off of the shot clock on every possession, the Rams have one goal in mind defensively: force turnovers. They led the nation in both steal percentage and defensive turnover rate in 2011-2012, according to Kenpom, a stat that shouldn’t change all that much this season given the fact that the Rams bring back all but one member of last season’s team.

Seniors Darius Theus, the point guard, and Troy Daniels, the shooter, will likely start in the back court with junior Rob Brandenburg, sophomore Briante Weber and freshman Melvin Johnson coming off the bench. All five of these guys have specific strengths — Theus is easily the best creator, followed by Weber; Brandenburg is a slasher and the best athlete; Weber is probably the best on-ball defender; Daniels is the best shooter, followed by Johnson, who has the rep of a big-time scorer out of New York City — but, for all intents and purposes, they are more-or-less interchangeable on the perimeter.

In the front court, Smart usually starts both DJ Haley and Juvonte Reddic. Reddic is a better fit for the system, as he’s got the mobility and speed to get up and down the floor in this system while still being able to rebound, defend the rim and score around the basket thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame. Haley’s role is as more of a shot-blocker and a guy that can bail out defenders pressuring on the perimeter if they get beaten off the dribble.

While both Haley and Reddic start, Smart doesn’t usually use them at the same time, opting instead use four smaller players. That’s where the loss of Brad Burgess hurts this group. At 6-foot-6, Burgess was simply a terrific all-around basketball player. He could guard guards on the perimeter, he could hang in the paint and rebound the ball, he hit threes, he was a pure-bred leader. His role for the Rams was similar to the role that Kim English played for Missouri last season, and his value creating mismatches cannot be overstated.

The guy that many expect to fill that role this season will be sophomore Treveon Graham. A 6-foot-5 sophomore, Graham averaged 7.0 points and 3.2 boards in just under 17 minutes as a freshman. He’s shown promise and potential as a scorer, but that 31.3% three-point shooting is a bit of a red-flag. The other guy that will see time at the four spot this season is Jordan Burgess, a top 100 recruit that just so happens to be Brad’s younger brother. The similarities in their game go beyond a shared last name.

There is one thing that VCU could stand to improve on that would take them from being a good team to potentially being an elite team: three-point shooting. The Rams take a lot of them; it’s built into their system and what Smart wants them to do on the floor. The problem? They shot 33.4% from beyond the arc as a team last season and only return one guy — Daniels, at 38.1% — that shot better than Graham’s 31.3% from three. That’s a number that needs to get better for a team that shoots more than 22 three-pointers a night.

Predictions?: Simply based on the strength of what is coming back, the Rams are going to be competing for the Atlantic 10 title and, most likely, heading to the NCAA tournament with a more favorable seed than they have in the last two seasons. There is room for them to grow, especially if Graham — and the younger Burgess — can adequately take on the “power forward” role on this team and, as a team, they improve their accuracy from deep. With how wide open college basketball is this season, a return to the Final Four is not out of the realm of possibility if those things happen, although I think winning the A-10 and reaching the Sweet 16 are more realistic goals (expectations?).

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

Who is the next great college basketball twitter feed? I have a guess …

By Rob DausterJul 27, 2012, 10:30 AM EDT

Leave a comment

Kim English, aka @EnglishScope24, graduated. Kendall Marshall, aka @Kbutter5, left for the NBA.

As an avid twitter user myself, this created quite the conundrum: What college basketball players should I follow? Generally speaking, I really have no interest in the happenings in the life of a 20 year old college kid and the only reason I will ever stumble upon an account is because they tweet something that is noteworthy in a negative way.

And that’s fun for no one.

It has been brought to my attention, however, that Creighton guard Grant Gibbs, aka @DoubleGfor3, may be the heir to the throne for the college basketball’s best follow. And based on his series of #CampSeason tweets, that may be correct.

Presented without comment:

And my personal favorite:

What do you have to say for yourself, Grant?:

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

Kim English makes bold prediction, thinks Missouri Tigers will win 2013 NCAA title

By Daniel MartinJun 24, 2012, 9:26 AM EDT

4 Comments

Kim English was a key piece to Missouri’s 30-5 team this past season, though the Tigers fell short of expectations and lost in the Round of 64 of the NCAA tournament to underdog Norfolk State.

English has now moved on, looking forward to forging a path as a professional, which begins with workouts that lead up to this week’s NBA draft.

But one sound bite has caught some attention and it has little to do with his professional prospects. English told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that he thinks Missouri will win the 2013 national title.

“I can say this now that I’m gone, but I expect them to win a national championship without a doubt,” English said. “We should’ve at least went to the Final Four this past year and it definitely left a sour taste in a lot of guys’ mouth out there, but they should win a national championship. They’re the best team in the nation heading into next season.”

It’s bold, statistically speaking, but you can’t knock a player’s confidence in his former team.

Bovada says Missouri has a 50-1 shot of winning a national title, the same odds as Creighton, Alabama, and Cincinnati.

Could they do it? Backcourt duo Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon return, but the Tigers will have to compensate for the loss of graduating seniors Marcus Denmon and Ricardo Ratliffe.

Transfers will be able to patch up some holes, though, including special APR transfer Alex Oriakhi from Connecticut, Jabari Brown from Oregon, and Keion Bell from Pepperdine.

Missouri moves to the SEC in 2012-13, so the road to a championship would include in-conference battles with Kentucky and Florida, much different than traditional Big 12 battles with Kansas or Texas.

And if you’re one to bet and want to take some advice from a former player, put something down on Frank Haith’s Tigers.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this: