I love the NBA Draft.

The Stage Rarely Changes, but the Players Do

There’s something gratifying and enjoyable about seeing the college players that we discuss, watch and evaluate move on from the collegiate game and find a home at the next level. There are no cliffhangers when it comes to the NBA Draft. Barring late summer dealings or undrafted snubs, Thursday will be the day we’ll find out where each of our favorite elite college players are going to play pro ball next winter, almost like watching your kids go off to school for the first time. It’s a grand conclusion to a celebrated (albeit, in plenty of cases, very short) college career and a transition to the riches of the NBA.

We’re all prognosticators and experts on Draft night. Opinions are thrown around as David Stern announces each choice. Emotions are prevalent when your favorite NBA squad picks, those moments and heartbeats before the selection that could change the course of a franchise forever. Or it could be Renaldo Balkman. Either way, Draft night for us hoops nerds is one of intrigue and interest.

Here’s my best shot at forecasting how the first round will play out. As someone that has watched these players intensely at the college level, someone that pays attention to the strengths/weaknesses of each NBA club and has been soaking in all of the Draft info since the Final Four ended in April, I’m honored to bring you the official Rush the Court 2010 NBA Mock Draft (RTC draft profile linked to each name):

1) Washington Wizards – John Wall, PG, Kentucky

The Consensus #1 Pick (WaPo/J. Newton)

This was a lock the moment the Wizards won the Lottery in mid-May, a stroke of unexpected luck for a city on the sports rise and the perfect face of the franchise-type player to lead this team out of the cellar. Wall could pair with a focused Gilbert Arenas in a potent backcourt and the Wiz may even shell out some money to bring in an intriguing free agent wing. He may be a top-five point guard in the NBA in only three years time if the jump shot improves. He’s that skilled and talented.

2) Philadelphia 76ers – Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

I’m hearing the Sixers front office is enamored with Turner while newly minted coach Doug Collins would prefer big man Derrick Favors. In the end, I see Turner as the surer prospect emerging as the pick, and even the Sixers website prepared for that very possibility last Friday. Philly won’t trade the pick unless some team agrees to take on Elton Brand’s contract, an unlikely scenario. Turner could be the next Brandon Roy, a prospect just too mouth-watering to pass up on.

3) New Jersey Nets – Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse

Nets fans were positively crushed on Lottery night when they lost a chance to nab Wall. An underwhelming workout for Derrick Favors, one in which he was thoroughly outplayed by DeMarcus Cousins, gave the Nets brass pause after it was assumed for months Favors would be the selection at #3. The Nets have needs at both forward spots, so it would make sense for them to peg Johnson here and go after one of the big free agent power forwards with new owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s checkbook- Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh.

4) Minnesota Timberwolves – Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech

This is a tricky situation for the Wolves. With Al Jefferson and Kevin Love already in the fold, the last thing Minnesota needs is another power forward. They covet both Turner and Johnson, so it’s extremely likely they try to persuade either Philly or New Jersey to let them move up a few spots in exchange for their pick at #16. It’s rumored the Minnesota brass isn’t too high on Favors, but Cousins has publicly expressed displeasure with playing in the Twin Cities.

5) Sacramento Kings – DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky

Cousins has sent hinted messages that he wouldn’t be too thrilled if Sacramento (or Minnesota or Golden State) calls his name and he’d much prefer to end up in Detroit. The Pistons could very well move up a few spots to grab Cousins, but the workout Cousins just finished in SacTo apparently convinced ownership that his game outweighed any character concerns. I would take Cousins over Monroe (and maybe even Favors) in a heartbeat, and it’s my feeling that the Kings agree even with the recent Sam Dalembert acquisition.

6) Golden State Warriors – Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown

The Warriors could go in a whole bunch of directions with this pick and #6 is a precarious position because I feel as though the top five guys are head and shoulders above the rest. One sure need for Golden State is size. They’d love if Cousins slipped here, but if the Kings pounce I think they settle with Monroe. His passing skills and basketball IQ could work wonders in the run-and-gun Warriors attack.

7) Detroit Pistons – Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina

I would be surprised if the Pistons don’t wind up with either Cousins or Monroe on Thursday. If this scenario plays out, they’d likely trade up to #4-#6 to draft one of those talented big men. But there are no trades in mock drafts. I had them settling for Aminu the last week or so, but since he canceled his workouts in the Motor City, my feeling is that the Pistons have moved on. The next most talented big man on the board is Davis, although his lack of a killer instinct/aggressiveness is likely a concern for Joe Dumars.

8) Los Angeles Clippers – Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forest

This is the moment in the Draft where nobody wants to hear their name called for fear of suffering a career-threatening injury. Duck those lightning bolts, Al-Farouq! All kidding aside, the Clips have a definite need at small forward and there’s whispers of a Clippers promise to Aminu. A Davis-Gordon-Aminu-Griffin-Kaman starting five is fairly intriguing.  He’s a top-five draft pick just in talent and ceiling alone- a tremendous leaper with outstanding athleticism and a knack for the backboards.  Gordon Hayward has a chance to land here, as well.

9) Utah Jazz (via New York) – Luke Babbitt, SF, Nevada

The Jazz are infatuated with Monroe, but it’s looking less and less likely he lasts until #9. A team that’s already in contention, they need to lean towards more instant impact than future benefits. I see this ending up as either Patrick Patterson or Luke Babbitt, a highly skilled small forward with a complete game that didn’t get nearly enough publicity playing on underachieving Nevada squads. Patterson could be the pick if they’re convinced Carlos Boozer is history.

10) Indiana Pacers – Ekpe Udoh, PF, Baylor

The Pacers have a need at point guard, but this draft is thin at that position and #10 is a bit of a reach for either Avery Bradley or Eric Bledsoe. If Ed Davis is off the board, look for Udoh to land here. Indiana could use a shot-blocking presence in the post and the lanky Baylor big man is one of my favorite players in the Draft. One of those rare older players that still has loads of upside.

11) New Orleans Hornets – Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky

There’s nada after David West and Emeka Okafor in the painted area (h/t Hubie Brown) so look for the Hornets to go size depth in their first selection of the Monty Williams era. Aldrich could be the choice, but I’d lean towards Patterson as someone who can contribute immediately and features a refined inside-outside repertoire.

12) Memphis Grizzlies – Paul George, SF, Fresno State

The Grizzlies could very well trade up for either Babbitt or Patterson under this scenario, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility they settle for nabbing George at #12 depending on how convinced they are that Rudy Gay is leaving this summer through free agency. Many feel that George could be a Gay type athletic force that is deadly in transition and can stretch opposing defenses.

13) Toronto Raptors – Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas

Chris Bosh appears to be history and it’s painfully clear Andrea Bargnani needs to be playing the 4. Aldrich falling to #13 would be a dream situation for the Toronto brass. He could fill in immediately as a capable NBA center. The Raptors could go in so many directions depending on whether Jose Calderon or Hedo Turkoglu are still on the roster in a few months, but Aldrich would be impossible to pass on here.

14) Houston Rockets – Gordon Hayward, SF, Butler

The National Runner-Up Will Look Good on Draft Night

The Rockets are one of the teams trying to move up in the draft with Hayward as a potential target. Any one of New Orleans, Memphis or Toronto could nab the high-rising Butler hero, so if he drops to #14, Houston will likely pounce. He’d pair nicely with Trevor Ariza on the wings for a Rockets team that gets Yao Ming back in 2010-11.

15) Milwaukee Bucks (via Chicago) – Xavier Henry, SG, Kansas

The Bucks are stable at point guard and center, but wing remains a major question mark. It would be foolish to assume Michael Redd is healthy and ready to contribute by November and some club could outbid the Bucks for the services of John Salmons after his monster second half. Look for this pick to come down to George or Henry, two athletic wings that can shoot and defend respectably. (Edit: The acquisition of Corey Maggette and possibly Chris Douglas-Roberts solves part of the wing conundrum, but I still like Henry to the Bucks as a 2-guard with Maggette playing mostly small forward).

16) Minnesota Timberwolves (via Charlotte) – Hassan Whiteside, C, Marshall

With three picks in the first round, the Wolves can afford to select a project at some point. They’d be foolish to pass on Whiteside here- an incredible athlete in the post that will need 3-4 years to develop and mature. It’s not like Minnesota is contending before then anyway. They may also end up trading this pick to move up for coveted wings Turner or Johnson.

17) Chicago Bulls (via Milwaukee) – James Anderson, SG, Oklahoma State

Anderson has been pegged to the Bulls for a long time now. He’d be a fantastic compliment to Derrick Rose in the Chicago backcourt coming off screens for open jumpers. If the Bulls hit the jackpot and sign LeBron or Wade, they can just make Anderson their scoring punch off the pine. Perfect.

18) Miami Heat – Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State

Portland is looking for height at #22 and may trade up here if they feel like Miami is keying on Alabi or Orton. Miami needs a center in the worst way with Jermaine O’Neal’s corpse rendered incapable. The Heat could look monumentally different late this summer and Alabi would be a valuable piece in the puzzle as a post presence.

19) Boston Celtics – Avery Bradley, SG, Texas

I think this is the draft where the Celtics focus on finding a backup point guard for Rajon Rondo in the form of either Bradley or Eric Bledsoe. Bradley is already an NBA-level defender so he’d fit seamlessly into Boston’s mindset of defense first, but most scouts believe Bradley would struggle mightily at the next level playing the point. Of course, it only matters what Danny Ainge thinks.

20) San Antonio Spurs – Damion James, SF, Texas

The Spurs see their opportunity to contend for a championship eroding quickly as Tim Duncan continues to age and the torch is being slowly passed to George Hill and DeJuan Blair. Look for San Antonio to draft a player who can contribute right away on a playoff squad. James, a four year player at Texas who averaged a double-double his sophomore and senior seasons, fits the bill to a tee.

21) Oklahoma City Thunder – Daniel Orton, C, Kentucky

With only Nenad Krstic, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison manning the post, the Thunder badly need some more size before they reach that next level. Orton has too much upside for GM Sam Presti to let him go past #21. In his minimal playing time at Kentucky, Orton showed glimpses of being an impact rebounder and shot blocker.

22) Portland Trail Blazers – Kevin Seraphin, PF, France

If the previous few Drafts have taught us anything, it’s that the Blazers are not afraid of taking international players. Seraphin is a strong post player similar to Orton in terms of lacking an offensive repertoire. He has miles of development ahead of him and Portland has the choice to stash him overseas for a few years.

23) Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah) – Jordan Crawford, SG, Xavier

Minnesota could go in a ton of directions with their third pick of the first round. Why not Crawford? He’s a lights out scorer with unlimited range in the Ben Gordon mold and could challenge Corey Brewer and Wayne Ellington for playing time in the Wolves backcourt.

24) Atlanta Hawks – Dominique Jones, SG, South Florida

Faced with the possibility of Joe Johnson finding a new home, the Hawks should target a 2-guard. They’ll certainly have their fair share of options- Lance Stephenson, Terrico White, Willie Warren, possibly Crawford- but Jones is the best of them all. There were few players in college basketball last year that could score with the likes of Jones and he proved it in the Big East.

25) Memphis Grizzlies (via Denver) – Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky

If Bledsoe falls to this point, Memphis has to nab him. They lack a reliable backup point to Mike Conley and Bledsoe might really take off playing out of John Wall’s shadow. He’s got the NBA-ready body and has superb athleticism and physicality. The Grizzles would be committing robbery with Bledsoe this low.

26) Oklahoma City Thunder (via Phoenix) – Larry Sanders, PF, VCU

OKC won’t stop with Orton when addressing their frontcourt needs. Orton and Sanders are both risks with insane upside. The Thunder might bet that one of the two will pan out.

27) New Jersey Nets (via Dallas) – Terrico White, SG, Mississippi

White has as much scoring punch as any player in this Draft. He’s a dynamic playmaker who can star at either guard position. If Avery Johnson can sprinkle in more consistency and basketball IQ, this could be a steal late in the first round that not many people are talking about.

28) Memphis Grizzlies (via LA Lakers) – Quincy Pondexter, SF, Washington

Assuming they don’t strike a deal with Minnesota, three picks in the first round means Memphis can go best player available at this spot. Quincy Pondexter broke out of his shell for a monster senior season at Washington. He’s a 6’6 long body that can get to the rim and has improved his outside jumper dramatically over the course of four years in Seattle.

29) Orlando Magic – Elliot Williams, SG, Memphis

The Magic need some help in their backcourt with the potential losses of Matt Barnes and J.J. Redick. Williams would be a good place to start. He’s a slasher that can get to the rim, force the defense to collapse and find the many Magic three-point marksmen beyond the arc.

30) Washington Wizards (via Cleveland) – Devin Ebanks, SF, West Virginia

With Wall in the fold, the Wizards will remodel their team as more run-and-gun. Ebanks runs the floor like a gazelle and can also help greatly on the boards.

Next five off the board:

• Lance Stephenson, SG, Cincinnati
• Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech
• Armon Johnson, PG, Nevada
• Craig Brackins, PF, Iowa State
• Willie Warren, SG, Oklahoma

Player Name: Elliot Williams

School: Memphis

Height/Weight: 6’4, 180

NBA Position: Shooting Guard

Projected Draft Range: Late first round/Early second round

Overview: Elliot Williams’ college career began under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, where he played a very limited role early in his freshman year, before finally getting a starting nod towards the end of the season in a non-conference game against St. John’s. Williams brought an athleticism and defensive intensity that had been sorely missing from the Blue Devil lineup, and he proceeded to start ten of the remaining eleven games for Duke that season. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Williams’ mom developed cancer and following his freshman season, he announced that he would be transferring to Memphis to be closer to his family. After receiving an NCAA waiver, Williams played immediately for Memphis and averaged 18 points while playing 33 minutes a night for the Tigers. The lefty proved himself a capable go-to scorer for Memphis, as well as an excellent defensive presence, despite the Tigers missing the NCAA tournament.

Williams Parlayed an Excellent Year at Memphis into the Draft

Will Translate to the NBA: Williams has good size and long arms which, coupled with his athleticism and tireless motor, make him a disruptive defender. He is capable of both harassing opposing ballhandlers and chasing shooters through screens. With the ball, he has a quick, explosive first step and can get into the lane with ease, where he can score in a variety of ways ranging from a little floater to a spectacular finish above the rim. Williams’ handles are good enough for him to play both guard spots, although he is a more natural two, as most of his penetration offensively is intended to create opportunities for himself – the drive-and-dish does not come naturally to him.

Needs Work: First and foremost, Williams needs to develop his off hand. While he is excellent with his left hand, he is clearly uncomfortable going right, nullifying some of his explosiveness due to his offensive predictability. Secondly, while Williams’ shooting numbers increased dramatically in his sophomore season (he shot just 50% from the line and 25% from three as a frosh, bumped up to 76% and 37% respectively last season), he needs to develop a more consistent jumper. And finally, adding the ability to run a halfcourt offense would greatly improve his worth. While he is capable of driving past defenders, adding the ability to find teammates when help comes would give his already dangerous slashing style another facet.

Comparison Players: When Russell Westbrook came out of UCLA after his sophomore season, he was regarded in much the same way Williams is: excellent and sometimes amazing athlete, superb defender, questionable shooter, slightly undersized off-guard who would need to improve his ballhandling and passing in order to be able to play the point as a pro. Despite his limitations coming out of college, Westbrook has turned into a great young NBA point guard in two years, with plenty of upside still remaining. While Williams may not have quite the upside that Westbrook does, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see him as Westbrook’s lefty equivalent. Certainly Williams isn’t going anywhere near as high as Westbrook did when he was taken with the fourth pick in 2008, but the team that winds up with the 20-year-old late in the first round gets a guy whose skills have a chance to far exceed his draft position.

Best Case Scenario: Williams spends the next year or so developing a right hand and getting comfortable with his jumper, and by the time he is 22 he is ready for regular minutes on an NBA court, excelling in the open court and on defense while his offensive game steadily improves. By the time he is in his mid-20s, he’s getting starter’s minutes and scoring in double figures, even running some lead guard at times while popping up on NBA all-defensive teams and highlight reels.

2013 Projection: Realistically, in three years Williams is a contributor off the bench on a playoff caliber team, getting 15-20 minutes, defending the heck out of the ball, making big plays in transition and throwing down the occasional dunk over a big man. But, if Williams patches up his weaknesses, 2013 could just be the start of his progression towards an NBA starting role.

Best NBA Fit: Ideally, Williams would go somewhere in the first round to a team with a couple of veteran guards from whom he can learn, but also with a spot for him to come in and get a few minutes off the bench. Looking at the teams at the back of the first round, New Jersey looks like a good place: he can learn from Devin Harris and Courtney Lee, while still having a fighting chance at getting some minutes as a rookie. And, there’s always the chance that Mikhail Prokhorov can lure one of the several attractive free agents to New Jersey to make the Nets a viable team for Williams to grow with.

* Andrew Murawa contributed this draft profile to RTC

• Syracuse all-american forward Wes Johnson will enter the NBA Draft after one season with the Orange.  He burst onto the national scene with two scintillating performances in Coaches vs. Cancer games versus California and UNC at Madison Square Garden, and for a few fleeting moments in November and early December he was considered the frontrunner for NPOY.  Prior to February injuries to his back and shooting hand, Syracuse was playing as well as anyone in the country.  He will sign with an agent, a good move considering that he will likely become a high lottery pick in June.  He also expects to graduate later this summer.
• UNC forward Ed Davis will also enter the NBA Draft.  After a superb freshman campaign where he was a key contributor to the 2008-09 national championship Tar Heels, Davis had an up-and-down sophomore year that ended with a broken wrist suffered in a game against Duke.  He averaged 13/9/3 blks per game prior to that injury, but there was a lingering feeling among folks that he could be doing more with his ample athletic gifts.  Nevertheless, he is still viewed as a lottery pick in the draft.  Finally, remember the flap about Davis supposedly signing with an agent back in February?  Trust us, today’s news shocked nobody.
• It’s draft day for forwards apparently, as West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks also declared his intention to go pro today.  The 6’8 swing player who averaged 12/8 in his sophomore year really distinguished himself as an elite defender this season, and could probably play at the next level on that talent alone for many years.  Mock drafts have Ebanks falling into the middle of the first round at this point.  He plans to sign with an agent.
• In a mild surprise, Purdue center JaJuan Johnson is reportedly planning to announced that he too will enter this year’s NBA Draft but he will not sign with an agent, leaving the door open for a return to school next season.  Boiler Nation awaits his final decision (by May 8) with baited breath.  Unless JJJ is dead-set on going pro, he’s a likely candidate to return because most experts have him as a late first-rounder at this point.
• Mountain West POY and New Mexico guard Darington Hobson also plans on evaluating himself over the next few weeks before making a final decision as to whether to enter the draft, as ESPN.com reports that he will make a formal announcement tomorrow.  He has some work to do, as he’s considered a second rounder by most experts, and could stand to spend another season honing his game (particularly strength) in Las Cruces.
• Memphis guard Elliot Williams‘ strong sophomore season (18/4/4 assts) has resulted in his decision to declare for the draft today as well.  We suppose it was not only a good decision to leave Duke for his family concerns but also for his professional career — he is projected as a mid-first rounder.
• Finally, Illinois junior guard Demetri McCamey also declared today, but he is expected to be only testing the waters as he will not sign with an agent.  He is currently projected as a late first/early second round pick.

Another going involves two Missouri players — Miguel Paul and Tyler Stone — who are transferring out of the program.  Neither player saw much run for Mike Anderson, averaging sixteen minutes per game combined in 2009-10.  With the spring signing period starting later this week, we’re sure Anderson has a couple of athletic replacements already in mind.

It’s not a coming or a going, rather a staying, but Mississippi State’s Rick Stansbury has reportedly turned down the Clemson job vacated by Oliver Purnell.  This is interesting given that the ACC is more prestigious in basketball than the SEC West, but Stansbury has built a solid program in Starkville and he may have the services of Renardo Sidney next year at his disposal.

1. I’d be fairly shocked if Gonzaga is any lower than a #3 seed when the brackets are unveiled in March. In fact, I’d be fairly shocked if the Zags lost again this season. Think about it: they’ve already notched wins on the road against the three teams most likely to shock Mark Few’s team by dispatching Portland, Saint Mary’s and San Diego on a single road trip. They have one challenging non-conference game left against a rebuilding Memphis team in which Gonzaga will surely be favored. The only team I could see possibly stunning the Zags is Pepperdine and their explosive guard Keion Bell. The Waves only fell by seven in the Kennel this past week behind Bell’s 37 points, but they’re still 7-13 on the season and I highly doubt Bell is going to post 37 again on a stingier Gonzaga defense. Win out and Mark Few is looking at 27-3 (16-0) heading into the WCC tournament where they could finish with a 29-3 (18-0) overall record and an RPI in the top-20 with their only losses at Michigan State, at home against Wake Forest and Duke in MSG. That sets up Gonzaga for a #3 seed in the Spokane regional, meaning two quasi-home games until the regional (and they could be in the Salt Lake City regional). German import Elias Harris has spear-headed the Zags hot streak. He’s averaging 16/8 and shooting nearly 60% in a tremendous debut campaign.

Vasquez heating up for the Terps

2. Remember that Greivis Vasquez guy on Maryland who’s had a pretty damn good career? After scoring in the single digits in his first four games and struggling mightily with his jump shot in Maui, the brash and often polarizing emotional sparkplug for the Terps is heating up in a big way. And that’s bad news for the rest of the wide-open ACC. Vasquez has now scored in double figures his last 14 games including a 30-point outburst at Wake Forest and 22 in a big home win over Florida State. He played his most efficient game Saturday in the blowout win over NC State, notching 19 points on 7-11 FG and 3-4 3pt. Despite the concerning start, Vasquez is now playing like the ACC POY contender he truly is. His 43% FG is only second to his 44% as a freshman (but he only needs three more shots to match the amount taken that season), his 39% 3pt is far and away a career best, and he’s also contributing with 6.1 APG and 4.6 RPG, solid totals for a 6’6 guard. I fully expect Duke to win the ACC- they’ve already played two of their three most difficult ACC games- but Maryland is absolutely a contender to finish second behind Vasquez, the continued improved play of Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes (46% 3pt), plus the superb coaching of Gary Williams.

3. Other than maybe Georgetown or Notre Dame, the most disappointing team in the nation last season may have been Baylor. The Bears entered the season fresh off reaching the NCAA Tournament just a few years following the Dave Bliss fallout with Scott Drew being lauded as one of the best young coaches in the game. Even though a late-season Big 12 Tournament and NIT push healed some wounds, the 5-11 Big 12 mark a season ago was still a campaign to forget. What led to the downfall? For one, Baylor ranked #103 in defensive efficiency in 2008-09. During their crippling six game Big 12 losing streak, the Bears surrendered 95 points to Oklahoma, 89 to Missouri and 83 to Texas Tech. In a related story, Baylor is ranked in the top 25 this week and ranks 41^st in defensive efficiency. What has sparked the change? A big reason is the human eraser Ekpe Udoh in the post, a Michigan transfer who ranks sixth in college basketball in block percentage (Baylor ranks first in the nation in the same category). Baylor as a unit has also turned up the intensity on the defensive end, ranking third in the nation in opponents two-point FG% behind just Mississippi State and Florida State. Baylor hasn’t forgotten how to score, either. They rank 15^th in offensive efficiency and eighth in effective FG%. Anyone who watched the Bears go toe-to-toe with Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse last Monday knows this team can play.

4. Remember Elliot Williams, the former McDonalds All-American Duke guard who supplanted the much-maligned Greg Paulus in the middle of ACC play last season? Due to a family illness, Williams was granted his release from Duke and transferred to his hometown of Memphis to play for Josh Pastner and the Tigers. Williams’ role on Duke was more of a defensive stopper and steady distributor, a role in which Coach K stressed focus on locking down the opposing team’s point guard and not turning the ball over on the offensive end. Williams did a formidable job and we all figured he would contribute to Memphis’ goal of dominating Conference USA again. But did anyone expect this type of offensive explosion? Williams finds himself sixth in the nation in offensive rating for players that have used 28%+ of their team’s possessions, ranking just behind stars like Jimmer Fredette, Omar Samhan and James Anderson. Williams is averaging 19.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 3.8 APG as a sophomore following a freshman year in which he really only played consistently during half the season. He’s scored in double figures all but one game and already has two 30+ point outbursts in Conference USA play. His 49% FG is incredible for a point guard with an explosiveness and ability to penetrate to the rim you can’t teach. Plus, an opposing defender has to respect his jump shot (38% 3pt). Williams is quietly one of the most surprising stories of the season.

I'll take Reynolds over any point guard come tournament time

5. Villanova is better than last season’s Final Four team. The defense is a mild concern; the Wildcats are not going to hold any opponent consistently under 70 points any time soon. But Nova has the most explosive offense in the nation of any national title contender other than maybe Kansas. I originally thought Villanova’s lack of inside play would ultimately prove their downfall, but now I feel like they could still reach Indianapolis with Reggie Redding, Mouphtaou Yarou, Taylor King and Antonio Pena crashing the glass inside (they do rank #24 in offensive rebounding percentage, meaning they’re not exactly incompetent). I wouldn’t take any point guard in the nation to run my offense in the NCAA Tournament over Scottie Reynolds, and that includes John Wall and Sherron Collins. Maalik Wayns is already an impact guard, King has turned into a valuable piece inside and outside, and Yarou will continue to progress as he garners more minutes. They’ll be battle-tested late with road trips to Pitt, Syracuse, Georgetown and West Virginia still looming. And most importantly, the Wildcats are well-coached and shoot 75% from the free throw line. That always makes a huge difference in March.

6. Following a road swing to Minnesota and Michigan State, Northwestern may be sitting at 3-6 in the Big Ten. That would seemingly count the Wildcats out of the mix for their first NCAA Tournament bid, correct? Actually, not so fast. Their schedule certainly leaves the door open if they can go on a run late. In fact, not counting a road trip to Wisconsin, Northwestern should win their other eight Big 10 games on the slate. They welcome Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Penn State and Iowa to Evanston (all very winnable) and travel to Iowa, Penn State and Indiana. They could conceivably finish the season at 11-7 or 10-8 in the Big 10. Still, without an out-of-conference win over any NCAA teams (unless Notre Dame makes it), it would likely come down to the Big 10 Tournament in which all eyes would be on Northwestern to see if they can finally make the Dance. Defeating Illinois on Saturday at home kept the dream alive. Taking down fellow bubble team Minnesota on Tuesday on the road would make the dream closer to reality.

7. One of the best races in college basketball down the stretch (besides the Lehigh and Lafayette sprint to the finish in the Patriot, of course) should be in the Colonial. There’s currently a three-way tie at the top with Old Dominion, Northeastern and George Mason tied at 8-1 while dangerous William & Mary lingers at 6-3 just below. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Monarchs road thumping of the Tribe Saturday all but eliminates William & Mary from the regular-season conference title race, although they do have the best out-of-conference portfolio and will be extremely dangerous come CAA Tournament time in Richmond (as will VCU playing in their home city). Examining the schedules, it appears Northeastern is the current favorite. They welcome ODU to Boston in a huge game Saturday and don’t travel to Norfolk while the Huskies have already thumped Mason at home this season by 25. Northeastern is also the most experience d team of the pack. Four of their six main contributors are seniors and they fully realize it’s their last chance to make the Dance since the Reggie Lewis days. The Huskies have the experience and schedule edge while Old Dominion plays the best defense and has arguably the best player in Gerald Lee. And we all know if would be incredibly foolish to count out Jim Larranaga and the Patriots.

Most underrated big man in the nation?

8. No Patrick Mills, no problem for Randy Bennett and his Saint Mary’s Gaels. Despite having to overcome Mills’ foolish decision to turn pro early, the Gaels are sitting high and mighty at 17-3 (4-1) with their only defeats at the hands of Vanderbilt, USC and Gonzaga. The reason for their success has been a dynamic inside-outside combination of big man Omar Samhan and a plethora of capable three-point bombers. It’s pick your poison for opponents: flood the perimeter and take away the three, you welcome Samhan to explode for 26/14 inside. Double Samhan and you free open looks for a team of guards that rank second in the nation in three-point percentage. It’ll be a tight race between Samhan and Gonzaga guard Matt Bouldin for WCC Player of the Year honors. The 6’11 wide-bodied Californian is averaging a ridiculous 22/11 on 57% shooting this season while guards Ben Allen, Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova are all shooting over 40% from long range. The Gaels have the chops to be this year’s Sweet 16 Cinderella.

9. The best individual performance of the weekend had to be the effort of South Florida’s Dominique Jones in an OT win at Providence. The 6’4 junior is the most talented player on a struggling team and may be the most complete player in the nation that nobody’s giving proper respect. Jones exploded onto the scene as a freshman with averages of 17/5/3 on 46% shooting, but has taken it to another level as a junior: 21/6/4 on 49% shooting and 36% from three. Jones had scored 30 points at Syracuse and 28 vs. West Virginia in blowout losses, but his efforts at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Saturday were otherworldly. Jones scored 46 points (15-23 FG, 14-18 FT), grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out eight assists while playing all 45 minutes in the victory. Even though Jones plays for a South Florida team that can’t beat Central Michigan, he should still be getting more publicity for his incredible productivity. Statistically, he’s quietly putting together one of the most celebrated careers in Big East history. He was publicly frustrated with his team’s lackluster effort after the Cincinnati loss. Think if Stan Heath received his pink slip this summer and Jones decided to transfer to a top-flight program.

10. At this very date, Florida would be on the outside looking in as far as the NCAA Tournament is concerned for the third straight season (before you start to feel sorry for Billy Donovan, check out some of his future recruiting classes). They’ll need to pick up another marquee SEC win to compliment the defeats of Michigan State and Florida State in non-conference play and boost the lackluster RPI/SOS. If Donovan and the Gators do find a way to the dance floor, they have one person to thank: Chandler Parsons. His three-quarter court buzzer beater at NC State and game-winning three vs. South Carolina over the weekend were two of the most memorable shots of the season thus far. Lose both of those games and the Gators are nowhere close to the bubble at 12-7 (2-3) with an RPI closer to the 100’s than they’d prefer. The issue for Florida is simple: they take way too many threes for a team that doesn’t make very many threes. They rank #156 in the nation in effective FG% for a reason. They’ve taken 390 threes on the season and sunk just 122 of them for a pathetic 31% with freshman Kenny Boynton sitting at 28%, guard Erving Walker at 34% and forward Dan Werner at 32%. Without any semblance of a consistent inside presence (Alex Tyus please stand up), Florida will be probably be bricking threes in the NIT rather than the NCAA Tournament this March.

James Vickers is the RTC correspondent for Conference USA.

In what has been a crazy year defined by change for Conference USA, this past week in Conference USA basketball was no different. A streak ended, there is a new outright conference leader for the first time in four years, and there is a freshman who doesn’t go to Memphis that is grabbing national headlines. Marshall showed its conference-mates that they are a legitimate contender, even if they did go 0-2 for the week. Was losing a game addition by subtraction for Memphis? The Tigers had a streak end that we all know lasted for four years; however, the way they bounced back in their game against Houston, is the monkey off their back for the year? What is wrong with Tulsa? Is UTEP now the team to beat in conference play? Can the conference show any form or consistency whatsoever?

Many questions can be asked about conference play from the past week. I hope to tackle a number of these in the upcoming team capsules. What we did find out was that the conference race this year will go down to the wire. The parity in conference play will make for a better chance of multiple bids from CUSA.

UAB (5-0, 17-2)

The Blazers are off to the best start in school history since the 1985-86 and 1993-94 campaigns. The Blazers can also be considered this years “Cardiac Kids” and the school should consider giving free EKG’s to their fan base plans to watch their games night after night. Trailing with 5:30 left in the second half against Southern Miss (53-47) and going almost seven minutes without a field goal in the second half against Marshall, the Blazers showed their resiliency and fought through to come out of the week 2-0 and become co-leaders of the conference with Tulsa. Junior Elijah Millsap (younger brother of Utah Jazz F Paul Millsap) continues his solid conference play, registering his league best 10^th double-double against Southern Miss but was held in check against a longer and more athletic Marshall. UAB will continue to rely heavily on their guard play from Millsap, using his size and strength to get to the basket with ease in a conference where size at the guard position is at a premium. Aaron Johnson will be the “Big Man on Campus” this week for the Blazers, hitting the game winner against Southern Miss and canning five free throws in the final five minutes of play against Marshall to help seal the win. UAB will continue to need this type of play from their guards Johnson and Millsap if they want to continue to lead CUSA as the play of their low post players has left people desiring more.  Howard Crawford continues to have a solid season (12.5/4.8) against Marshall with 19 pts and 8 rebs. The rest of league play will be much easier for the Blazers if they can rely on low post scoring from Crawford and the continued emergence of Johnson since his streaky beginning to the season. While UAB might not be the deepest or most talented team in CUSA, they have been battle-tested in out-of-conference play. The Blazers have a home-and-home remaining with Memphis and UTEP, and home games against Tulsa and Houston. The bulk of their schedule remains, but a regular season conference title is not out of the question.

Tulsa (5-0, 16-3)

The Golden Hurricanes struggled this week against what can only be defined as inferior opponents. Tulsa trailed by as much as 15 in a game where, to be honest, Oral Roberts should not have been on the court with them. But in rivalry games like the Mayor’s Cup, anything can happen. Should Tulsa worry from this game? I think so. Against a smaller, faster team, the Golden Hurricanes were clearly out-hustled in this game. Tulsa, who led the country in rebounding differential at 9.9 RPG, was out-rebounded with Jerome Jordan in foul trouble and on the bench for most of the game. Tulsa trailed in this game for almost 34 minutes. The Golden Hurricanes shot 22% behind the arc and a paltry 61% at the free throw line. Fast-forward to the Rice game, and the numbers aren’t much better. Tulsa’s trouble from behind the arc continued, shooting just 18%, and 68% from the free throw line. Can this be considered just a mid-season slump, or are there underlying issues that coach Doug Wojcik must take care of as the bulk of conference play remains and a date against Duke looming in the near future (Feb. 25.)

Marshall (4-1, 15-4)

In what can be described as a moral victory in the mold of Memphis’ game versus Kansas, Marhsall lost to West Virginia this week, 68-60. This game will be used as a measuring stick for the Marshall coaching staff down the road. Hassan Whiteside continues his assault on college basketball this year, turning in a solid outing against the Mountaineers with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Herd used a stifling zone in the first half that held the Mountaineers without a field goal for the first five minutes of the game. The use of this zone will come in handy in CUSA play against the likes of Memphis, UTEP, and Tulsa, who all like to drive to the basket and pound the ball down low. Against UAB, the Herd held the Blazers without a field goal for almost seven minutes in the second half, yet could not make it over the hump to finally take the lead for good. The Herd struggled mightily from behind the arc against UAB’s man defense, shooting just 11%, and only 59% from the free throw line. Youth can be blamed for many of the mid-season struggles that Marshall had this past week. With a Wednesday game this week against Memphis, Herd fans will finally be able to see…is this the year we make it over the hump, or will we have to wait another year?

Memphis (4-1, 14-5)

The streak is over. The world is ending in Memphis, some fans would say. Not the time to get down on your Tigers,  Memphis. Memphis’ failure to execute down the stretch cost the Tigers the game against UTEP. Alternating between man defense and a solid zone, UTEP hit some amazing shots down the stretch and the ball just didn’t bounce the Tiger’s way on Wednesday night. Tiger fans should take solace in the play of Pierre Henderson-Niles and Wesley Witherspoon. Showing a renewed toughness, Witherspoon has begun to use his size and versatility to get to the basket for shots and rebounds. Against UTEP, Witherspoon totaled 12/4 and against Houston he tallied 20/6 in what was his best line of the year. Niles has produced solid numbers as well over the past week with 7/9 and 8/7. This developing low post presence for the Tigers bodes well down the line. The breakout half for Roburt Sallie against Houston also is a welcome sign for coach Josh Pastner. While earning just three points in the first half against the Cougars, Sallie finished with 20/7. It was a welcome sight for Tiger fans that their players did not show any signs of a hangover against Houston, and actually showed new signs of life. You never want to lose, but especially not to UTEP where former Memphis coach Tony Barbee currently resides. But after this loss, the Tigers seemed to play a little less tight and enjoyed the game more. The final Memphis box score for the game:

One could make the simple assumption early in the year that as Elliot Williams went, so did the Tigers. If Williams was on the bench, this would equal bad news. Against the Cougars, Williams was on the bench for approximately 17 minutes. This night, your role players stepped up and contributed. Could this be the game that finally turns the corner for many of these players? Solid contribution from Witherspoon on a game-by-game basis will propel the Tigers to the next level. Contribution on a nightly basis from either Doneal Mack or Roburt Sallie will also push the Tigers to further success. With games on the horizon against Marshall, UAB and Gonzaga, the Tigers will need solid contribution from their entire core to come out on the winning side in this stretch.

UTEP (4-1, 13-5)

Randy Culpepper could be the poster boy for the saying “size doesn’t matter.” Culpepper, it seems, has the green light to take a shot once he crosses onto the Miners’ side of the court. Culpepper (17/3/2) had a solid night in his return home to Memphis along with the two other Memphians on the UTEP bench, ending Memphis’ run on Conference USA. Playing with chips on their shoulders, Jeremy Williams chipped in 18/12, Culpepper tossed in 13/1 and Arnett Moultrie added 6/4 but was solid on the defensive end, keeping the Memphis wing players from driving to the basket. Is there much that can be taken from this game? I believe it further displayed what many have known all year about the Tigers. The trio of Williams, Moultrie and Derrick Caracter exposed Memphis’ lack of depth in the front court, and their energy around the basket on the offensive end of the court tipped the scales in their favor. Down the stretch, being able to alternate subbing between Caracter and Moultrie will spell big success for the Miners in conference play. If they can continue to get solid play from Williams after his breakout game against the Tigers, the Miners will be a top contender for the regular season title. If, however, the Memphis game was an aberration, with players playing over their heads coming home to play in the forum, this could spell trouble. Against a solid UCF team, UTEP took a step in dispelling this train of thought. Once again winning the rebounding battle against the Black Knights, the Miners leaned on their sharp shooter Randy Culpepper who threw in 39. With games against UAB and Houston on the schedule in the upcoming week, we will know more about the consistency of the Miners and where they really stand.

Houston (3-3, 10-9)

Aubrey Coleman will be a rich man this time next year. Having the opportunity to watch him a number of times this year, it is a joy to see him shoot the basketball. Not having much of a supporting cast, Coleman continued his assault on the CUSA record books this week with 30 and 32, respectively, against UCF and Memphis. You know what you are going to get from this super scorer every game. The question for the Cougars is:  where is the rest of our offense going to come from? Kelvin Lewis has been streaky at best this year. Most teams that have played the Cougars seem to take the stance that Coleman will get his points and we are not going to let the rest of the team beat us. Lewis tossed in 14/6 against the Black Knights but was a non-factor in the Memphis game. The other factor in Houston not having the year many thought they would is the inconsistent play of their low post players Maurice McNeil, Kahmell Broughton, Kendrick Washington, and Sean Coleman. McNeil has had solid games against UCF and Memphis, putting up 10/9 and 10/11, respectively, but he has received no help from any of the other players consistently throughout the year. If Houston wants to turn the corner for the rest of the year, S. Coleman, Broughton and Washington will need to put up better numbers off the bench to help the backcourt of Lewis and A. Coleman. This lack of production can be directly related to the close loss against the Black Knights and the blowout loss to the Tigers. Another thing that should worry the Cougars — though they usually take good care of the ball, the Tigers forced Houston into a new team high 16 turnovers.

UCF (2-3, 10-9)

“I wanna be like Marcus.” Marcus Jordan keyed the Black Knights’ big upset road victory Wednesday against Houston. Jordan tossed in 23 while A.J. Tyler had a career high 19 as the Black Knights used the same stifling defense they used to swarm Marshall in that close loss at home. UCF held the usually hot-shooting Cougars to 25% from the field. This game could be huge down the road as Houston and UCF could be jockeying for that 6-7 position come conference tournament time. Suffering from what could have been a hangover from the Houston win, UCF ran into a buzz saw on a hot streak called the UTEP Miners. This game further exploited what was said in the conference round up about the Black Knights, their lack of size. Out-rebounded 42-30, and held scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half, UCF cannot afford these lapses in offensive productivity and this lack of effort on the boards. UCF must use the same tactic that Memphis has had to use this year: rebounding by committee. That did not happen in their game against UTEP.  UCF has to capitalize against teams at home where they can use the crowd noise from their wonderful fan base. While not out of the race yet, UCF needs to use their speed in the back court to create havoc for teams with larger, slower guards.

SMU (1-3, 8-10)

While not a signature victory on which Matt Doherty can hang his hat, the Mustangs’ win over Rice can be a solid step forward for an SMU program looking for relevance in the league. Showing perseverance down the stretch when Rice had closed the gap to 69-65, SMU used solid free throw shooting to get their first conference win of the year against a team that pushed Tulsa and Memphis throughout their games with them. Getting solid production from Papa Dia and Derek Williams for most of the year, SMU can use this win as a building block and should key on games remaining against UCF, Tulane, Rice and East Carolina to build a conference record that will be respectable come tournament time.

Southern Miss (1-4, 11-8)

Larry Eustachy should be proud of the way his young team is performing in the face of adversity this year. Having already taken UTEP and Memphis to the wire earlier in the season, Southern Miss took it on the road to UAB. Gary Flowers continues to play outstanding basketball in his first year in CUSA. Currently, Flowers is fourth in CUSA in blocks per game (4) and sixth in rebounding per game (8). Flowers (25/10) was the only contributor for the Golden Eagles in that heartbreaking 57-56 loss to the Blazers, though USM used their man defense to hold the Blazers to 27% from behind the arc and only 40% from the field. If Southern Miss continues to play solid defense throughout the year, they will knock a few teams off down the road.

Tulane (1-4, 6-12)

Tulane dropped two games this week when it should have been 1-1. Tulane traveled to Marshall on Wednesday and dropped that game by ten, then came back home and dropped a game to a rebuilding ECU team by 15. Many of the Green Wave’s problems can be attributed to key injuries to starting PG Kevin Sims (12/3/3) and junior swingman Aaron Holmes (7/4/2.) Senior Asim McQueen has tried to pick up some of the slack for the Green Wave with a solid 20/10 effort against the Thundering Herd of Marshall and then faded back to obscurity with a 0/5 effort against ECU. This form of inconsistency has plagued a depleted and undersized Green Wave team all year. With Sims out, there is no real floor leader for the Green Wave or comforting factor for coach Dave Dickerson. Tulane is in for a long stretch down the road with these key injuries.

Players of the Week

Wesley Witherspoon (v. UTEP 12/4/1, v. Houston 20/6/2)

While this might seem like an off-the-wall pick, I am making this pick based on what it means to your respective team. Memphis has been looking all year for a consistent second scorer, and an alternate playmaker behind Elliot Williams. Witherspoon is slowly starting to turn the corner for Josh Pastner in providing that for his team. The question about Witherspoon is whether or not he can bring it every game, and be there mentally for the whole 40 minutes. Since the East Carolina game, “Spoon” has averaged 15 PPG and almost 5 RPG. This total would have possibly been higher if it wasn’t for an injury scare in the Rice game. If Witherspoon can provide that low post versatile wing compliment to Pierre Henderson-Niles on a consistent basis the rest of the year, they sky is the limit for the Tigers.

Aubrey Coleman (v. UCF 30/9/2 v. Memphis 32/4/1)

Of course I wasn’t going to leave off a player that puts up these types of numbers, even if they are in a loss. A 6’4 physical specimen that can create matchup problems at the 2, Aubrey Coleman is wowing many scouts at the next level with his solid shooting stroke and consistently beating most team’s best and second-best defenders at one time. Against UCF, Coleman showed his ability to get to the basket not only to score, but to get rebounds as well. Against a Memphis team that threw top perimeter defenders Roburt Sallie and Elliot Williams at him, Coleman threw in 32 while shooting 8-9 from the free throw line. That is possibly the most telling statistic about Coleman. While he might be shooting a lower percentage from the field, many of these misses are on drives to the basket where he gets fouled. He is shooting 72% from the free throw line, but over the last five it’s closer to 85%. If you have an opportunity to see Mr. Coleman play on TV or in person anytime soon, go watch this baller. He is well worth the admission.

Freshman/Newcommer of the week — Hassan Whiteside (v. West Virginia 18/6/2 blocks, v. 11/13/5 blocks)

This week, Hassan Whiteside was able to show on ESPN why many are beginning to believe he might be a one-and-done diaper dandy. Against Da’Sean Butler and West Virginia’s frontcourt, Whiteside showed an athletic ability to get to the basket and rebound against bigger more experienced defenders. UAB used double teams against Whiteside but he contributed in other areas, like rebounding and altering shots under the basket. While both of these games were losses for his team, without Whiteside, Marshall is not the same team. Teams now have to alter game plans for Whiteside and in my mind that makes you an all-conference caliber of player.

Games of the Week

Tulsa v. UAB on Tuesday, January 26

This game could be a preview of the Conference USA Championship matchup. A few teams could have a say in that statement between now and then, but this game will be a good one. UAB cannot afford to fall behind by double digits in this one and Tulsa is a deep and talented team that can slow the game down if need be, and limit possessions for the Blazers. The key to the game will be whether or not UAB can slow down Jerome Jordan like Oral Roberts and Rice did with smaller big men and double teams. Tulsa leads the league in rebounding, but UAB is not far behind. Both teams take care of the ball, averaging only 13 TOPG a piece. Elijah Millsap will have another opportunity to shine and will not disappoint as Ben Uzoh will have his hands full.

Since this game’s in Birmingham and with the the home crowd behind the Blazers, UAB comes out on top 65-59

Memphis v. Marshall on Wednesday, January 27

Can Memphis contain Hassan Whiteside? If they can, how will they contain Trey Wilkerson? The Memphis frontcourt will be tested again, just like against UTEP. The emergence of Wesley Witherspoon is a positive for the Tigers and Pierre Niles’ play has been a pleasant surprise. The Tigers will need solid play from Will Coleman to match the athleticism of Whiteside when Niles is on the bench. I expect Memphis to play zone for a portion of this game and force the Herd to try and beat them from the outside, if the Memphis bigs get into foul trouble. Memphis has not always had an easy time playing in Huntington so this will be another good game between top teams in CUSA.

Marshall comes out on top in this one, 68-64.

UTEP v UAB on Saturday, January 30

UAB gets another big game at home in terms of conference positioning. UTEP has played well on the road this year in conference so far and I do not expect this to change. The front court of Arnett Moultrie and Derrick Caracter will challenge the Blazers more than Jerome Jordan of Tulsa, because Moultrie and Caracter are much more polished offensively than Jordan. Christian Polk and Randy Culpepper will extend the UAB man defense and I believe it will be too much for UAB. An ESPN analyst made the comment that UAB was the most talented team in CUSA; I tend to disagree. If Caracter can continue to play with his head on straight and play team basketball, UTEP can be a scary prospect.

UTEP wins another one on the road in an up and down affair, 85-79.

Change

Bob Dylan wrote a famous song, “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” One could make a valid argument that this could be the theme song for the Conference USA Men’s 2009-10 basketball season. For the first time since conference realignment and the 2005-06 season, a new preseason champion was selected (Tulsa), the conference tournament will not be held in Memphis (again, Tulsa) and the de facto commissioner of the league is no longer with us (John Calipari).

How will this “change” translate for the rest of the league? In speaking with many of the coaches around the league by the national media, most coaches are drooling at the chance of being the first to knock off Memphis and their amazing conference winning streak (currently the streak stands at 64 games lasting since March 2, 2006). While Memphis might not be the runaway favorite that so many have become accustomed too, this should translate into a positive for the league giving the conference regular and postseason a competitive edge it hasn’t seen in over five years. Nipping at the heels of Memphis this year will be the usual suspects of UTEP, Houston and Tulsa. The surprise of the year so far has been the excellent play of Marshall. Young, long, and talented, this will be one of the most exciting Marshall teams to date and one of the most competitive. CUSA shouldn’t sleep on this year’s sleeper team.

In the wake of John Calipari’s voluntary departure (or declaration of war as most Memphis fans have described) from Memphis, many coaches throughout the league are finding themselves on the proverbial hot seat. Fan bases are seeing this as the year certain coaches need to produce before Memphis has a chance to recuperate from its losses (Memphis brings in the #1 ranked recruiting class for the 2010-11 season) and return to league dominance. We start with Houston. Coach Tom Penders brings back one of the elite scorers in the league named Aubrey Coleman and a team that always seems to give Memphis a run each time they play. However, his lack of production in the postseason has put the coach in a sticky situation. Coach Mike Davis at UAB also finds himself looking over his shoulder more and more year after year. After initially getting a commitment from one of the top big men in the country last year in DeMarcus Cousins, it seemed that Coach Davis was finally going to turn the corner on recruiting in the state of Alabama. Unfortunately, Mr. Cousins is wearing blue not green this year, and to make matters worse, another seemingly solid pick up for Davis left the state for bluer pastures as well in Eric Bledsoe. Pair these mishaps with a disappointing season last year and Davis needs to produce this season with a team capable of pulling off some upsets. Lastly, Matt Doherty at SMU seems to already have a foot out of the door. This has been one of the biggest mysteries in my mind. With immaculate facilities, one of the largest cities in the US to recruit, and a fan base with deep pockets looking for a winner, Doherty has continually underachieved. A record of 33-58 over three years for Doherty looms ominous over a coach without a signature win.

What should be an entertaining year for the league has only gotten better with the improved play of Marshall and UAB. Both of these teams have some signature wins already under their belt this year along with currently being undefeated in league play. Tulsa and Memphis also find themselves undefeated but with a few losses that will not help the resume come NCAA tourney time. Let’s take a look at each team and see how their season is going.

Team Reviews

Marshall (4-0, 15-2) - HASSAN WHITESIDE HASSAN WHITESIDE HASSAN WHITESIDE… Remember that name folks. What is possibly the feel-good story of the year depending on if you are playing Marshall or not, Marshall has consistently improved year after year under coach Donnie Jones. With the addition of possible CUSA newcomer of the year Hassan Whiteside, Marshall boasts on of the best frontcourts in the league with he (13/9) and Tyler Wilkerson (13/7). Marshall trails only Tulsa in team rebounding at 40.1 per game. The post presence for Marshall will be the key all year.The early development has been the storyline of the year for the Thundering Herd. Throw in Tirrell Baines and Dago Pena and you have quality depth in your frontcourt along with guards Chris Lutz, Shaquille Johnson and Damier Pitts and Marshall could be poised to make a run not only at the regular season title but the conference title as well. Key out of conference wins for the Herd includes a win against an Old Dominion team who can boast a defeat of Georgetown. So long as this team can stay healthy and continues to play the uptempo style of ball that fits their personnel, the sky is the limit for the Thundering Herd in CUSA this year.

Tulsa (4-0, 14-3) – Even with the loss of shut down defender Ray Reese, Tulsa seems poised to snap Memphis’ streak of conference wins and tourney titles. Doug Wojcik returns a team with a lot of firepower both in the frontcourt and backcourt with many upperclassmen. Scouts are salivating over 7’0 PF/C Jerome Jordan. Jordan (14/8) continues to grow as a player with a developing back to the basket game and toughness on the defensive end of the court, and he is the star of this team. Bishop Wheatley, while undersized for a power forward, consistently outworks and outhustles bigger opposing players with his nonstop motor. Not a go to scorer or rebounding machine under the basket, Wheatley is the “glue” guy of this team giving minutes and hustle plays that don’t show up on a stat sheet.  In the backcourt, Tulsa relies on Ben Uzoh. A tweener in the mold of Elliot Williams for Memphis, Uzoh (17/5/4) is not a true PG but can get the job done and is a terrific on the ball defender. Justin Hurtt (16/4) is also a reliable threat with the ball in his hands. Tulsa can boast they have possibly the best backcourt in CUSA along with Memphis.  With wins against Oklahoma State and Nebraska out of conference and a big conference win at Houston, Tulsa has solidified themselves as the team to beat so far in CUSA. The season and conference tourney position could come down to the final game March 6 at Memphis. Tulsa travels to Duke on February 25 in what will obviously be used as a measuring stick for not only Jerome Jordan’s development as a play but Tulsa’s chances in the NCAA tournament. 

UAB (3-0, 15-2) – Mike Davis has the Blazers on a roll. With the only truly bad loss on the schedule coming against a mediocre Kent State team early in the season, there is legitimate talk about UAB being the other sleeper in CUSA. With wins against solid SEC opponents Georgia and Arkansas and a solid Big East team in Cincinnati and mid-major power Butler, UAB has also quietly built a nice resume for the NCAA tourney. Consistency will be the key with this young team.  Transfer Elijah Millsap is as versatile of a player you will find in CUSA. At 6’6 and 218 lbs, Millsap (17/10) has the ability to break down a defender and get to the basket with his size and strength. Posting solid minutes against Cincinnati and super frosh Lance Stephenson, Millsap put up a solid line of 22 points and 15 rebounds in a win. Howard Crawford, starting at forward for the Blazers, has a developing inside-out game but is more comfortable around the basket where he can use his 240 pound frame to impose his will on opposing defenders.  With a bulk of their tough conference games still remaining, home/home with UTEP and Memphis, and home versus Houston, Tulsa and Marshall, it will remain to be seen how UAB will hold up against opponents that are familiar with their game plan. UAB will be a top four team come conference tournament time. 

Memphis (3-0, 13-4) – The streak continues. Some things have changed for the University of Memphis, this has not. Over 1100 days have passed since their last defeat in conference play. Will this be the year that streak comes to an end? All signs point to yes; however, don’t tell this team that or their new coach Josh Pastner.  Contending for Player of the Year honors with Aubrey Coleman and Newcommer of the Year honors with Hassan Whiteside, Elliot Williams (20/4/4) has been a true gift to Memphis in the wake of the turmoil that ensued in March. The key to the season for the Tigers will be who can step up as another reliable scorer for Memphis when teams key on him. Roburt Sallie (10/4) and Doneal Mack (10/2) have been inconsistent at best this year for the Tigers and no real inside presence has been established. Wesley Witherspoon (11/4) is a utility player able to play the 2, 3, 4 or 5 position for Memphis but is most comfortable on the wing. Will Coleman (7/6), the number two ranked JUCO player for 2008-09, has yet to produce consistently and adapt to the D1level. A prime example of Memphis’ erratic play can be seen in their one bad loss this year at UMass. Constantly outrebounded by smaller and less skilled players due to lack of hustle and poor positioning was the Achilles heel for Memphis in the UMass game. Usually one of the top rebounding teams in conference, it is rebounding by committee this year for the Tigers due to their lack of frontcourt depth. Will the streak continue? Watch ESPN on January 20 and 23 to find out.

Houston (3-1,10-7) – The roller coaster ride continues for a Houston squad that came into the season with high expectations. Losing starters Marcus Cousins (10/8) and Qa’rraan Calhoun (10/5) in the frontcourt obviously has hurt the Cougars. JUCO transfer Maurice McNeil (8/8) has helped weather the storm in the loss of Cousins and Calhoun but he is not getting much help from his cast of supporters: Sean Coleman, Nick Mosley and Kahmell Broughton. While the frontcourt is struggling for the Cougars, the back court tandem of Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis is thriving. Coleman (25/7/3 apg) and Lewis (17/4) could be considered the top backcourt in the league. Coleman continues to be Mr. Reliable with the basketball getting to the rim with ease due to his size and speed and Lewis could be described as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Houston leads the league in scoring at 83 points per game. Get ready for a track meet when UH comes to play. The lone “signature” win of the season for the Cougars comes against a struggling Oklahoma team dealing with frontcourt losses of their own in the Griffin brothers. Losses to Nevada, San Diego, Louisiana Tech and UT-San Antonio will leave Houston fighting in conference play and the conference tournament for a shot at the NCAA. The seat is getting a little hotter for Coach Penders down in Houston.

UTEP (2-1, 11-5) – Head coach Tony Barbee got a wonderful Christmas present this year named Derrick Caracter. The biggest question about Caracter will be his character. Can Barbee control this super-talented kid? Will he be able to ever produce like he did in high school and was recruited to do the same at Louisville? Can UTEP replace the scoring production vacated by Stefon Jackson? Many questions surround Tony Barbee down in El Paso.  The knock on Caracter about his attitude and overall approach to the game seems to have subsided somewhat now that he is playing under control. Averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds a game, it seems as he is showing a renewed commitment to the game and to his coach who, like his mentor John Calipari, is giving his star pupil a second chance. Randy Culpepper is not disappointing on the offensive end, averaging 16 points and 2.5 assists a game. The knock on Culpepper is his size. Listed at 6’0, Culpepper is more 5’9 to 5’10. However, you can’t teach will power, hustle or the way he can put the ball in the basket. After securing the starting job opposite Culpepper, Christian Polk as turned into a viable offensive threat averaging 11 points and 2 assists per game. After a big summer with USA basketball, Arnett Moultrie has gone from an under the radar forward — the kid with big potential — to averaging a solid 12 points and 7 rebounds a game. His production has slipped some since the arrival of Caracter, but he still continues to be a force in and around the basket that could earn him a big paycheck one day.  With a tough loss on the road to Houston, people have begun to question UTEP. I, on the other hand, feel this is as dangerous of a team as Marshall, Tulsa or UAB. The problem I see is effort for the whole game. With a frontcourt of Moultrie and Caracter, there is no reason UTEP should not be in the top five of the league in rebounding. This will be a scary team come conference tournament time and a tough out.

UCF (1-2, 9-8) – UCF will be a scary team this year in the conference as their overall record does not depict properly the type of team they have shown to be this year. Wins over UMass and Auburn and close defeats at the hands of USF and UConn, the Knights have a solid yet very young and inexperienced team. Consistency will play a key role with this team all year long.  Going up against Marshall earlier last week, UCF showed poise down the stretch running with a team that honestly was just better than they were. Guards Isaac Sosa and A.J. Rompza are good with the ball in their hands and excellent defenders even if they are undersized. Scoring distribution for this team is even as six players on the team average between 10 and 6 points per game.  While this is still a developing year for UCF, a #5 or #6 seed in conference play is not out of reach. Look for UCF to surprise some people at home this year.

Tulane (1-3, 6-11) – Tulane coach Dave Dickerson has amassed a record of 60-62 in his four-year tenure at Tulane. Quite a feat considering the academic standards he must abide by and a school still struggling in many ways post-Katrina. Posting a win already this year over conference foe Rice, Tulane relies heavily on the play of their guards Kris Richard (14/4/3) and Kevin Sims (12/3/3). As with any team that relies heavily on their guards, rebounding will be the biggest enemy of the Green Wave as they rank last in CUSA in rebounds per game. With recruit Rakeem Brookins on deck for the 2010-11 season, Tulane will only get stronger.

SMU (0-3, 6-10) - Coach Matt Doherty enters his fourth year with the Mustangs with an experienced roster yet not many expectations. Most recently against UAB the Mustangs were leading by 24 points yet lost the game 63-62. With the low post presence of Papa Dia (12/8) and Mouhammad Faye (12/6) and guard play of Derek Williams (16/3) and Paul McCoy (8/4), few can find a reason as to why the Mustangs aren’t more competitive. Consistently underachieving year in and year out, Doherty is running out of excuses. Boasting some of the best facilities in the league and being able to recruit from one of the largest cities in the US, SMU has to produce better. Non-conference games against Occidental College, Florida Gulf Coast, and Houston Baptist are unacceptable in D1 basketball. The four-point win against Huston-Tillotson was laughable at best.

Southern Mississippi (0-3, 10-7) - Larry Eustachy finds himself with one of his more talented teams in recent memory at Southern Miss. Newcommers Maurice Bolden and Gary Flowers give the Golden Eagles something to cheer about down in Hattiesburg. Flowers (14/8) is a physical small forward that can use his size and strength to get to the basket at will. Highly recruited out of high school from Texas, Flowers spent the last year at Chipola Junior College before transferring to the Golden Eagles to give them more depth in the frontcourt.  As with any young team, the Golden Eagles have experienced some growing pains this year but have displayed the ability to hang with teams more talented than they. After leading for a majority of the Ole Miss game, Southern Miss fell 81-79 in the final minutes. Against a Memphis team that came out firing on all cylinders, the Golden Eagles trailed by 15 at the half, yet came out with much more intensity in the second half holding Memphis to only two made FGs only to fall by a bucket, 59-57. Another team that is looking to the future, Eustachy has a talent base growing down in Hattiesburg that will cause the rest of the conference to take notice in the coming years.

East Carolina (0-4,6-12) – East Carolina finds themselves struggling this year. Losses to Wake Forest and Clemson can be deemed acceptable for a team continuing to build; however, losses to Campbell and Northern Iowa hurt the overall conference RPI and can deal a blow to a team that was expecting to win between 14 and 16 games this year. Brock Young is possibly one of the best players in America you haven’t heard of. Playing with a lack of interior post presence, Young is a 5’11 PG putting the team on his shoulders and getting what he can while averaging 16 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists a game. While 0-4 in conference, the meat of their conference schedule is behind them (@UAB, @Memphis, Houston, Marshall) and the rest of the conference schedule sets up nicely for this young team to continue to grow and develop the young talent they have in Wakefield Ellison, Corvonn Gaines and Erin Straughn. While eight wins in conference play might be asking a lot for a young team without much frontcourt help, it is a solid goal that I believe the Pirates can achieve.

Rice (0-4, 6-11) - With a newly renovated arena and one of the best freshman classes the Rice basketball program has seen, the future looks bright for the Owls. Unfortunately, this year will be a year of growing pains for a team with a bright future. With the only true loss from the 2008-09 season being Rodney Foster (13.4 ppg), the Owls return Trey Stanton, Conor Frizzelle and Lawrence Ghoram. The additions of highly touted Tamir Jackson and Arsalan Kazemi will be a solid foundation for the Owls to build on.  Having watched the Rice versus Memphis game this past week, I came away very impressed with Stanton (9/4), Jackson (12/3) and Kazemi (10/8). Kazemi is a basketball coach’s dream. He is a  hard-nosed player who has a knack for always attacking the basket. With Memphis’ lack of size and aggressiveness inside, Kazemi (15/11 vs. Memphis) had an array of putback dunks and a quick first step to the basket driving against his defender. Trey Stanton, while not your typical low post player, is a versatile big man that can step out and hit the mid-range jumper to the three-point line. He will not be much of a force against powerful low post players but can use his speed and range to exploit slower lumbering defenders. Against Pierre Niles and Will Coleman for Memphis he put up 18 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and 2-3 from the 3-point line. Tamir Jackson had a tougher night going up against two of the better on-ball defenders in the league in Willie Kemp and Elliot Williams. Yet, he showed poise and tempo under pressure that should make Ben Braun a happy coach for the next few years.

Games of the Week (January 17-23)

1/20 - #12 West Virginia @ Marshall – How far would this go in solidifying Marshall as a legitimate power in Conference USA? It would put them ahead of Tulsa as league leader in my book. Marshall averages 40.1 rebounds per game and relies heavily on Hassan Whiteside who Bob Huggins will almost assuredly key all of his defensive focus. Da’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks will be a tough threesome for Marshall to handle. Tyler Wilkerson and Whiteside will have their hands full inside. Coming off a one point loss to Syracuse, West Virginia will be looking to rebound. Marshall would love to pick up this win as their next stretch of games includes UAB and Memphis at home. This is a critical stretch of games in the schedule for the Thundering Herd as it could spell huge success for the season or whether there is still growing to do. 2-1 through this stretch would work wonders for the Herd’s confidence but I see more along the lines of 1-2.

Prediction: West Virginia comes out on top in this one, 85-70.

1/20 – UTEP v. Memphis (CSS) – Tony Barbee returns to Memphis with probably his best chance of beating the Tigers at home for the foreseeable future. The frontcourt of Moultrie and Caracter will be a lot for Pierre Henderson-Niles, Will Coleman, Wesley Witherspoon and the undersized DJ Stephens to handle. The backcourt tandems provide intriguing matchup possibilities. Randy Culpepper returns home to Memphis with Julyan Stone and Christian Polk to match up against Willie Kemp, Elliot Williams and Roburt Sallie. Kemp, Williams and Sallie are three of the most tenacious on ball defenders in CUSA routinely shutting down threats from outside every week. Randy Culpepper always seems to put on a show when he comes to Memphis so look for some fireworks in this matchup. The key to this game will be whether Memphis do a good enough job by committee on Caracter and Moultrie while the guards go to work. You could see a lot of zone from Memphis in this game if Niles, Coleman or Witherspoon get into foul trouble.

Prediction: I think FedEx Forum and the crowd Memphis will have on their side keeps the streak alive, 73-68.

1/23 – Houston v. Memphis (ESPN2) – Memphis will be coming off an emotional game against UTEP three days earlier, while Houston will be coming off a game against UCF. Memphis matches up much better against Houston than UTEP but Aubrey Coleman can keep Houston in any game. Houston faces some of the same interior problems Memphis faces when it comes to play of their big men. JUCO big men Will Coleman and Maurice McNeil will go head to head in this one at some point. This will be a good game to gauge how far each has come since the beginning of the season as each of their skill sets mimic each other. In this one, the battle again will be between the guards, Elliot Williams and Aubrey Coleman. Coleman has not seen a defender like Williams. Elliot can play on both ends of the court while Coleman is a much greater offensive threat than defensive. I believe you will see Tom Penders run a team of defenders against Elliot Williams or at some point play a zone if Memphis is cold from outside the arc. Games like these are where Elliot’s supporting staff needs to step up. The solid play of Willie Kemp again has been a surprise, but Doneal Mack, Roburt Sallie and Wesley Witherspoon need to step up and make plays. 

Prediction: Memphis escapes again thanks to the Sixth Man, the FedEx forum crowd, 79-71.

1/23 – UAB v. Marshall – Marshall will be coming off a highly emotional game against West Virginia. Elijah Millsap will be key getting to the basket and taking advantage of his mismatches. This game could determine conference positioning from #2-#5. A must-win at this point early in the season for both teams.

Prediction: Marshall takes it at home, 68-63.

An After the Buzzer recap for your liking as you catch up on some much-needed sleep…

What We Learned.  It’s very simple.  Often we get all jazzed over those little numbers we put in front of each team’s name, but the line between top-ranked teams like Kansas/Michigan State and Memphis/Gonzaga is finer than any of us would like to admit.  Teams are good; teams have players; and teams can perform.  There’s no dominant team in college basketball, and we shouldn’t be surprised if we see a steady rotation of #1s throughout the year, just like last season.

Game of the Marathon. #2 Michigan State 75, Gonzaga 71. You rarely see such intensity, tenaciousness and pure effort this early in the season, but the battle between Michigan State and Gonzaga surely provided all three and more. Tom Izzo has to be pleased after his team showed toughness and poise coming back from double digits in the second half against a Gonzaga squad that should be ranked in the Top 25 next Monday. Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas were the stars – Summers going for 21/11 on 8-9 shooting (plenty of foot-on-the-line long shots) and hitting the biggest three of the game to give the Spartans the lead with just over three minutes to play, and Lucas displaying his usual leadership throughout the second half, finishing with 19 points and five assists in a solid all-around effort. Raymar Morgan sunk 10-11 from the stripe and appeared to come back at 100% later in the game after rolling his right ankle and writhing in pain on the floor. Concern for Tom Izzo: the success in the paint for Gonzaga forwards Robert Sacre and Elias Harris. Lack of post production both offensively and defensively (Delvon Roe was a no-show last night) could be their downfall. Even in defeat, Mark Few has to be thrilled. Sacre (17 pts, 7-12 FG) looks incredibly improved, Elias Harris (17/9 on 6-16 FG) is a future star with a great inside/outside game and they nearly knocked off the #2 team in the nation on the road in November with plenty of overhaul on the roster and their starting point guard, Demetri Goodson, laying an egg. This was a thrilling game to watch from start to finish.

RTC Live (or Co-Game of the Marathon).

• #1 Kansas 57, Memphis 55. ESPN got a perfect prime-time matchup to crescendo its 24 hours of hoops coverage tonight.  Although Kansas never trailed after Memphis led 7-6 in the early moments of the game, the Jayhawks could never quite put the Tigers away either.  After literally scratching and clawing and biting its way back to within one possession in the waning minutes, Memphis caught a break when the usually-reliable Sherron Collins (80% last year) missed one of two at the line to leave the door open with a 2-pt KU lead.  Josh Pastner told his team to go for the win, and the Duke transfer/soon-to-be star of Memphis Elliot Williams (21/6) took a contested three on the wing that looked pretty good in the air but ultimately missed, meaning that there would be no Elliot Miracle as a slight payback for Kansas’ heartbreaker in 2008.  In the media interviews afterwards, Bill Self was clearly not happy with his team’s performance, especially on the offensive end, where it seemed the only play they ran was to try to throw the ball into Cole Aldrich (18/11/5 blks) and let him go to work.  Twenty-one turnovers, many of the careless variety, seemed to really chafe Self’s craw.  Josh Pastner, on the other hand, seemed happy with his team’s performance, and why not?  Memphis took the nation’s #1 team to the wire on a night where they didn’t shoot the ball well (35% FG, 24% 3FG) and in the process, probably gave his team more confidence than a string of wins over UALR and the like ever would.  Our final thought on this game is that Elliot Williams is a lot better than anyone seems to have known – he didn’t shoot lights-out tonight (6-18 FG, 3-11 3FG), but he seemed comfortable with the role of becoming the Tiger go-to guy, and several of his shots and finishes were nothing short of spectacular.

• #22 Louisville 96, Arkansas 66. This game was a game of runs; it’s just that Louisville seemed to be the team that had all of them.  That’s not completely true, of course, but depending on who you ask, this was an expected result.  Rick Pitino said that Arkansas’ suspensions have left them shorthanded (true), and that they wore down in the second half because they simply didn’t  have enough bodies (questionable).  John Pelphrey said that his team simply didn’t compete at a high enough level that you must do so to beat a team like Louisville (possibly).  Here’s what we saw.  We saw an Arkansas team that competed in the first half.  The Cards got hot from three in the last several minutes of the half to run out to a 48-31 lead, but Arkansas then countered after the half with significant energy and movement to go on a 13-0 run of their own to cut the lead down to six.  Then Louisville got hot again (especially Reginald Delk, who had 20/5), drained a bunch more threes (15 for the game) and Arkansas began to noticeably lose its motivation.  By the last five minutes of the game, we actually wondered where all this “compete” stuff that we kept hearing about was coming from.  Because we weren’t seeing it.  The Cards placed six players in double figures, and Peyton Siva looked like a keeper with some of his defensive intensity and drives to the hole.  Arkansas was led by Rotnei Clarke, who cooled off from 51 to only 16 this time around.

Bruce Pearl’s 100th win at UT unforgettable. #11 Tennessee 124, UNC-Asheville 49. Where do I start recapping this otherworldly performance for the Volunteers against a Division-I opponent? Tennessee set a school record for points (124), held Asheville to two field goals in the first half (2-26 FG, 7.7%) and 16:50 without a field goal, scored 49 points off 29 Asheville turnovers, started the game on a 20-0 run and finished with a 66-14 one and led at one point, 119-39. I’m not a math major, but I believe that’s an 80-point Tennessee lead! The Vols shot 60% as a team with sophomore Scotty Hopson notching his most impressive game in orange with 25/4/5 on 8-11 FG and 6-7 3pt. Someone hose down Rocky Top.

Big East Powers Narrowly Avoid Upsets.

• #13 Connecticut 76, Hofstra 67. At the nine-minute mark in the second half, Connecticut found themselves down nine points to Hofstra after lackluster home wins against William & Mary and Colgate. Even though pesky Hofstra would cut the Husky lead to one with under two minutes to play, the will of Jerome Dyson late allowed UConn to escape yet another upset bid and advance to the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off in NYC next week. Dyson hit 14-15 from the charity stripe to finish with 23 points in a balanced scoring effort that saw Stanley Robinson, Kemba Walker and Gavin Edwards all notch double-figure scoring efforts. Potential CAA POY Charles Jenkins scored 21 points in the 2nd half to lead the Pride rally.
• #20 Georgetown 46, Temple 45. A completely and utterly painful game to watch in DC. Georgetown has talent. Yet the Hoyas team I watched today looked like a carbon copy of the collapsing unit of the last three months of the previous campaign and JT3 cannot be happy with his team’s effort today. Not a single player shone for Georgetown. The Hoyas are lucky Temple was abysmal making open shots or they’d be in the early upset column. Instead, a clutch scoring drive by the largely invisible Greg Monroe with 6.5 seconds was the difference. The teams combined to shoot 6-41 from long range in this brick-fest that saw the Hoyas get two points from their thin bench.

Other Games of National Interest.

• #8 Duke 101, Charlotte 59. The Blue Devils dominated the bottom-feeder 49ers at Cameron from start to finish to advance to the  PNIT semifinals in NYC along with UConn, LSU and Arizona State. The only Charlotte player that notched more than six points was BC transfer Shamari Spears (20 points, 6-16 FG, 7-8 FT), looking like Bobby Lutz’s entire offense this season. Nolan Smith returned from his brief suspension to help out Duke’s backcourt depth with 24 points on 9-15 FG and Jon Scheyer rebounded from a rough shooting night with 20/6/5 on 4-7 from deep. Miles Plumlee (15/11) also chipped in with a double-double.
• #17 Oklahoma 72, UL-Monroe 61. The Sooners struggled initially in this one, leading by just three at the break. But they pulled away in the second half at home behind Willie Warren’s effort (6-12 FG, 11-13 FT, 24 points, 4 assists), playing the role of scorer after distributing in Oklahoma’s season opener. Doing both exceptionally well should aid his campaign towards First Team All-American and help Oklahoma contend in the Big 12.
• #23 Clemson 79, Liberty 39. The 10 AM tip-off was no issue for that program that usually peaks before New Year’s Eve. Clemson jumped out to a 17-1 lead, pulled out to 32-13 and finished the opening frame up 42-19 to quiet the red-clad folks in Lynchburg. The Tigers needed someone to step up on the perimeter this season and it may be David Potter (17 points, 5-6 3pt).
• #25 Illinois 80, Northern Illinois 61. Watch out for Bruce Weber’s squad this season. Along with the twin towers of Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, the Illini have quite a freshman guard duo with D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. Paul was the star tonight for the Illini, notching 20 first-half points on four treys. Illinois forced 19 NIU turnovers and Davis grabbed 17 boards in the contest.
• Siena 59, Northeastern 53. A defensive struggle in Albany between two solid mid-majors. Northeastern led this one 20-6 early before going on a long scoring drought that saw Siena slowly chip away at the NU lead capped by an 18-3 run to start the second half. Edwin Ubiles scored 26 points in the march towards a Top 25 ranking for the Saints, although they weren’t that impressive today on a national stage.
• Boston College 72, Saint Francis (NY) 44. In the absence of Rakim Sanders and Corey Raji in their first two games, lone Eagles senior Tyler Roche has hit 17-2X4 FG including 9-11 from deep for 49 points and 9 rebounds in the two contests.
• Pittsburgh 71, Binghamton 46. With Blair, Fields and Young gone and Brown and Dixon sidelined, it must be Ashton Gibbs that steps up if the Panthers want to surprise in the Big East. He did the job last night 22 points on 6-10 from three.
• St. John’s 69, St. Bonaventure 68. Plenty prognosticators believe the Johnnies can surprise in the Big East. Losing to St. Bonaventure would have been an unfortunate start. They dodged said bullet with two Paris Horne free throws with 6.2 seconds left. Horne and D.J. Kennedy (18 points) must contribute in the early absence of Anthony Mason Jr.
• Wofford 60, Georgia 57. Auburn falls to Missouri State, Mississippi State loses to Rider, Cornell downs Alabama…and now Georgia is toppled at home by Wofford (who almost beat Pitt in their first game) to complete another rocky start for the SEC.  Just think if Miami (OH) had beaten Kentucky!
• LSU 71, Western Kentucky 60. Solid win for Trent Johnson’ s club after a dud against Indiana State. Bo Spencer totaled a career-high 28 points and hit a decisive three with 2:48 left to break a late tie. Spencer also sunk big free throws, grabbed seven boards and dished out four assists in the win that moves LSU to the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
• Xavier 101, Bowling Green 57. Utter domination for the Musketeers shooting 64.8% from the field led by Jordan Crawford’s 24 points.
• Maryland 71, Fairfield 42. Another struggle for Greivis Vasquez scoring-wise (3-11 FG, 7 points) but he dished out six assists and led the balanced scoring attack that saw Sean Mosley, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne all total double figures.  Check the RTC Live blog here.
• Marquette 86, Maryland Eastern-Shore 60. The most underrated player in the nation this season could be Lazar Hayward. A collegiate-high 28 points with eight rebounds, two assists and two steals on 12-20 FG for the point forward.
• Duquesne 52, Iowa 50. Will Todd Lickliter last the rest of the season? Bill Clark’s three with 11.7 left won it for the Dukes, who are a chic pick to surprise in the A10 this season.
• USC 77, UC Riverside 67. The Trojans put four starters in double figures behind Dwight Lewis’ 22/5.  Kevin O’Neill just has no depth – six players played all but eight of those minutes.
• Arizona State 52, TCU 49. ASU outlasted the Horned Frogs to earn a trip to MSG for the Preseason NIT semifinals next week.  Eric Boateng stepped up with a big 21/12 night for the Sun Devils, who will face his old school Duke in the semis.

]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2009/11/18/atb-tired-yet/feed/ 5 http://rushthecourt.net/2009/10/30/2009-10-conference-primers-8-conference-usa/ http://rushthecourt.net/2009/10/30/2009-10-conference-primers-8-conference-usa/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:49:18 +0000 rtmsf http://rushthecourt.net/?p=12249

RTC is seeking a 2009-10 correspondent for Conference USA.  If you’re interested, please email us at rushthecourt@yahoo.com

Predicted Order of Finish:

1. Tulsa (13-3)
2. UTEP (12-4)
3. Memphis (12-4)
4. Houston (11-5)
5. Marshall (9-7)
6. Southern Miss (8-8)
7. Tulane (8-8)
8. UAB (6-10)
9. Rice (6-10)
10. Central Florida (6-10)
    
11. East Carolina (3-13)
    
12. SMU (1-15)

All-Conference Team:

• Aubrey Coleman (G), Houston
• Arnett Moultrie (F/C), UTEP
• Jerome Jordan (C), Tulsa
• Ben Uzoh (G), Tulsa
• Randy Culpepper (G), UTEP

Impact Newcomer. Will Coleman (F), Memphis

What You Need To Know.  Everyone knows about Memphis’ off-season.  First and foremost, it’s important to know who’s breathing down Memphis‘ neck if they should falter like many are predicting.  Tulsa is a popular preseason pick because of the excellent senior duo of Ben Uzoh and Jerome Jordan, the latter being the popular pick for preseason CUSA Player Of The Year.  Ignore UTEP at your own peril, with a formidable inside-outside duo of their own in the 6’11 sophomore Arnett Moultrie and junior guard Randy Culpepper.  Houston boasts the best true guard combo with seniors Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis, both averaging around 19 PPG.  Even Marshall and Central Florida look to be improved this season.  Now, keep in mind, this is all IF Memphis actually loses a conference game (we still can’t get over their 61 straight CUSA wins) and trips up.  He might just be 31 years old, but new head coach Josh Pastner will surprise everyone with how easily he takes to his new job.  People might forget that Duke transfer Elliot Williams is eligible for the Tigers now, and he will provide immediate help along with the rim-kissing (literally…there are photos of this) 6’9 260-pound junior-college transfer Will Coleman.  This will be a fun conference to watch this season because the issue isn’t so much that Memphis is free-falling back to the rest of the conference — it’s the fact that the rest of the conference is actually catching up to Memphis.

Predicted Champion. Tulsa (NCAA Seed:  #7). The Golden Hurricane is our choice to supplant Memphis and take the title in Conference USA this season, as Doug Wojcik’s team has been waiting for this opportunity.  If John Calipari, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and so on were currently residing in Memphis, we wouldn’t be considering this, but Memphis’ loss is Tulsa’s gain because they have an exceptionally talented and experienced team returning this year.  Point guard Ben Uzoh and center Jerome Jordan enter the 2009-10 season as two of the best players at their position in the conference, and it’s easy to understand why: Uzoh did a little bit of everything last season, to the tune of 14.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG in over 35 minutes per game, while Jordan continued to progress toward play-for-pay with 13.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.6 BPG on 58.6% shooting from the field.  Justin Hurtt, Glenn Andrews and Steven Idlet also return as key contributors from a team that was 25-11 overall and 12-4 in CUSA, including three losses by a combined four points (especially tough was a buzzer-beating 1-point loss vs. Memphis).  Even if Memphis had remained intact, Tulsa would have still viewed the 2009-10 season as a likely NCAA one, it’s just that now they’re going in as the favorite.

• Nov. 15, 2009. East Carolina at Wake Forest at 2pm
  
• Nov. 19, 2009. Memphis vs Kansas at 10pm (Hall of Fame Showcase, St. Louis)
• Nov. 20, 2009. East Carolina vs Tennessee at 3:30pm
• Nov. 28, 2009. Rice vs Texas at 8pm
• Dec. 20, 2009. UCF at Connecticut at 12pm
• Dec. 22, 2009.  Marshall at North Carolina at 7pm
  
• Dec. 22, 2009. UAB vs Butler at 8pm
• Jan. 9, 2010. UTEP vs Brigham Young at 8pm
  
• Feb. 25, 2010. Tulsa at Duke at 7pm

NCAA Tournament History. CUSA’s performance in the NCAA has obviously been dominated by Memphis in recent years, but the conference as a whole has a commendable performance since its inception in 1995.  Louisville and Cincinnati were the main contributors in the early days, with Marquette also notching some big wins and a Final Four in 2003.  CUSA has tasted the sweet waters of the Final Four on only two other occasions:  Louisville ’05 and Memphis ’08.  The last time any non-Memphis team won an NCAA Tournament game was the last time that Memphis didn’t actually make the tournament.  That was 2005, when Cincinnati and UAB won their first-round games in addition to Louisville’s trip to the F4.

Final Thoughts. Conference USA will be the most balanced that it’s been in many years due to the Memphis situation.  It may not last that way very long, because Josh Pastner at Memphis has already earned commitments from two five-star recruits (SG Will Barton and PG Joe Jackson) and a four-star (SG Chris Crawford) in the class of 2010.  So this would be the year for teams like Tulsa, UTEP and Houston to make their move if they’re inclined to do so.  One thing is absolutely for sure, though.  Due to the competition that we’ll see in CUSA this year, the rest of America should have a much greater incentive to pay attention to this league other than to say “who did Memphis beat tonight?”

The final two-part edition of our Top 65 games delves into the exciting stretch run of the final five weeks. These highlighted games should have tremendous implications on seeding and conference standings with heated rivals doing battle in the final push towards March Madness. Here’s a preview of what’s guaranteed to be the best slate of games 2009-10 has to offer (top games of November/December, January and the first part of February/March in case you missed them):

February 16- North Carolina @ Georgia Tech (#36 overall)- Many believe Georgia Tech has assembled the talent to play with the supposedly rebuilding reigning champs. Still, UNC should be the favorite to win the ACC and Tech may be right on their heels (no pun intended). Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors make up a frontcourt composed of two possible lottery picks. Iman Shumpert (5.0 APG) returns to bolster the backcourt at the 1 or 2 position while Zach Peacock and Mo Miller provide depth for a Tech squad looking for a late-season impact win.

February 22- West Virginia @ Connecticut (#20 overall)- Whether Stanley Robinson is assigned Da’Sean Butler on the perimeter or Devin Ebanks in the post, Stix is the key for Connecticut this season and in this specific Big East battle. Robinson averaged 14.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in his final ten contests last year and the UConn coaching staff strongly believes their athletic forward can replicate that success the entire season. He won’t be spending the first half in a sheet metal plant this time around, either.

February 23- Tennessee @ Florida (#62 overall)- The Gators could linger around the bubble this season in a difficult SEC East. Knocking off likely high seed Tennessee at home would send a message to the committee at this late date in the season. It’s imperative Kenny Boynton have an electric shooting game against Tennessee’s shaky defense for the Gators to have a shot. They’ll also need Alex Tyus and Chandler Parsons to contain the Tennessee bigs inside and out.

February 24- Purdue @ Minnesota (#32 overall)- A difficult road contest for a Purdue team looking to capture the Big Ten title. Minnesota always plays at a different level defensively at the Barn, meaning this could be a battle of wills in the 50s that sends Big Ten haters screaming in the streets. How Minnesota’s youth, whether it be sophomores Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson or their freshmen Royce White and Rodney Williams, develops into late February should reveal whether the Gophers can pull off this upset.

February 27- Kentucky @ Tennessee (#4 overall)- This one gets me excited. The talent on the floor for this game is stunning. Tennessee won’t have much of a shot if they don’t get some stabilization at the point guard position to defend John Wall, whether it be Bobby Maze or other candidates for coach Bruce Pearl. Tyler Smith must play his usual all-around game of scoring, dishing and rebounding and Tennessee has to hit some shots from deep with Smith, Wayne Chism, Josh Tabb or Cameron Tatum. The intensity won’t be lacking.

February 27- Michigan State @ Purdue (#5 overall)- Another huge top-five matchup in late February that could determine the Big Ten title. How Robbie Hummel’s back holds up into this stage of the campaign should reveal plenty about Purdue’s chances of winning this conference and going deep into March. For Michigan State: who will emerge in the frontcourt with the departure of Goran Suton? Will it be Draymond Green, Delvon Roe or an unlikely candidate?

February 27- Kansas @ Oklahoma State (#21 overall)- Gallagher-Iba isn’t a welcoming environment for opposing teams in the Big 12. It should be extra loud for the arrival of the most talented team in the nation. James Anderson is one of the purest scores in the Big 12, but the supporting cast is questionable with Marshall Moses, Obi Muonelo and Keiton Page acting as his main scoring help. The loss of Byron Eaton as a second coach for Travis Ford will prove a devastating loss.

February 27- VCU @ Old Dominion (#63 overall)- VCU lost Eric Maynor. Let’s take a step back and realize how tremendous of a loss that is for the Rams. It’s nearly impossible for a mid-major to replace a 22.4 PPG scorer and first round pick the year after. Not to mention they also lost their up-and-coming coach Anthony Grant. But the next top four scorers for VCU do return, meaning they’re still dangerous in the CAA. Old Dominion is the projected favorite behind 6’10 big man Gerald Lee.

March 2- Villanova @ Cincinnati (#58 overall)- Fan of backcourt play? Take a gander at Lance Stephenson and Deonta Vaughn vs. Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds. This backcourt duel in early March could be huge for both teams. Will Cincinnati need an impact win to punch its ticket to the Dance? Will Villanova need a signature road win to enhance its resume on the eve of the end of the regular season?

March 3- Duke @ Maryland (#43 overall)- What will Maryland fans do for entertainment with Greg Paulus graduated? More ScheyerFaces of course! The Terrapins have a legitimate chance to knock off Duke in College Park since sweeping the Blue Devils in 2006-07. Gary Williams has a talented backcourt led by Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, Adrian Bowie and Sean Mosley that can utilize their physicality to wear down the thin Blue Devils backcourt. Where the Terps could have severe trouble is up front trying to deal with Kyle Singler and the new Duke bigs.

March 3- Connecticut @ Notre Dame (#57 overall)- Quick teaser: I have Notre Dame as one of my last four teams out in next Monday’s preseason bracketology. The loss of Scott Martin to a torn ACL this month hurts and Notre Dame could linger around the bubble once again this season in Luke Harangody’s final hurrah. The Irish could use a signature win in March over a talented Connecticut team in South Bend, where they used to be unbeatable. The key could be Tory Jackson vs. Kemba Walker.

March 6- North Carolina @ Duke (#2 overall)- Just trailing our #1 game, Kansas at Texas, is the finale of the fiercest rivalry in college sports. While Carolina’s had the definite edge in recent years, the two bitter adversaries are more evenly matched and this contest in Durham could prove the most competitive. Lockdown defender Marcus Ginyard racing to catch Jon Scheyer off screens is a subplot to watch. If Scheyer, Singler, Nolan Smith, Andre Dawkins and other Duke shooters get too many open looks, it could be the first win over UNC for the Dukies at home since the Shavlik Randolph era.

March 6- West Virginia @ Villanova (#3 overall)- Another game pitting the two premiere teams in a stellar conference. Both teams feature deep and talented backcourts. Where the game could be won for West Virginia is up front with Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Wellington Smith and freshman Deniz Kilici against a weak Nova frontline that lost Dante Cunningham and Reggie Redding.

March 6- Tennessee @ Mississippi State (#30 overall)- I talked about how excited I was for Kentucky to make their trip to Starkville and challenge a sleeper Mississippi State squad. If Renardo Sidney is eligible, John Riek shows his talent level and Jarvis Varnado continues to improve offensively down low to compliment his shot-blocking prowess, Rick Stansbury has a frontcourt that can certainly play with Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC.

March 6- Tulsa @ Memphis (#42 overall)- The top two teams in Conference USA clash on the last Saturday of the college basketball season. You never know: This game could determine the conference regular season title. For the first time in years, a team other than Memphis is viewed as a possible champion with the Golden Hurricane returning both Ben Uzoh and Jerome Jordan. Despite the turnover, Memphis could have enough to pull off another championship if Will Coleman plays to his potential and guards like Elliot Williams and Roburt Sallie deliver.

March 6- Kansas @ Missouri (#60 overall)- Remember this game last year? Kansas makes their return to Columbia for another clash with the rebuilding Tigers. Sure, J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Kim English are back in the fray for Mike Anderson, but their top three scorers and team leaders all are gone following the Elite 8 run of a year ago. Kansas is the #1 team in the nation. But, hey, quoting Chris Berman (and God help me if I ever do again), that’s why they play the games.

Ed. Note: the previous posts in this series (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Atlantic South and Deep South) are located here.

It’s time for the fifth installment of our RTC 2009-10 Impact Players series, the group of landlocked states that produce some really good basketball players – the Mid-South.   Each week we’ll pick a geographic area of the country and break down the five players who we feel will have the most impact on their teams (and by the transitive property, college basketball) this season.  Our criteria is once again subjective – there are so many good players in every region of the country that it’s difficult to narrow them down to only five  in each – but we feel at the end of this exercise that we’ll have discussed nearly every player of major impact in the nation.  Just to be fair and to make this not too high-major-centric, we’re also going to pick a mid-major impact player in each region as our sixth man.  We welcome you guys, our faithful and very knowledgeable readers, to critique us in the comments where we left players off.  The only request is that you provide an argument – why will your choice be more influential this season than those we chose?

Mid-South Region (KY, TN, MO, AR, OK)

• James Anderson – Jr, F – Oklahoma St. An obvious and unanimous choice for our Mid-South list, James Anderson cannot be blamed if he has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder right now.  Let’s see:  he’s the third-leading returning scorer in the Big 12  for the upcoming season; last year the guy averages 18.2 points, 5.7 boards, shoots over 48% from the field as well as over 82% from the line and 41% from beyond the three-point line… and he gets left off the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list.  Anderson has coolly acknowledged his surprise at this slight, and we think he’s well within his right to do so.  No doubt this will provide motivation for the versatile forward as he embarks upon his junior season for a Cowboys squad that needs him in the leadership role.  Gone are Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris, leaving only Anderson and Obi Muonelo in terms of returning double-digit scorers.  That’s over 27 points a game for which to compensate, so Anderson will get the touches, without question.  Last year was the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for Oklahoma State in the last four years, and despite the aforementioned losses, Cowboy fans are most assuredly expecting another bid this season.  If it’s going to happen, it will be on Anderson’s shoulders.  We know that making our Impact Players list for the Mid-South region isn’t the same as making the preseason Wooden Award Top 50.  But at least we can say… hey James… we got your back, man.
• Patrick Patterson – Jr, F – Kentucky. Patrick Patterson didn’t need a ton of motivation to return for a junior season in Lexington. The potential NBA riches were surely enticing, but with the news of John Calipari’s hire and subsequent commitments of a recruiting class for the ages, Patterson found himself in a spot where another season at Kentucky may mean a national championship, a far cry from the tumultuous two campaigns he spent in the Bluegrass State under the tutelage of Billy Gillispie. Patterson is a physical specimen in the paint for Kentucky and coach Cal has to be absolutely salivating at the thought of pairing Patterson and diaper dandy DeMarcus Cousins there to complement John Wall, Darius Miller and Eric Bledsoe on the perimeter (just think if Jodie Meeks had stuck around). Patterson nearly finished with a double-double last season at 17.9 ppg and 9.3 rpg, including a dominant 22/15 performance at future #1 seed Louisville, a 19/16 vs. Miami and 21/18 vs. Auburn. In fact, Patterson led the SEC with 15 double-doubles in 2008-09 and was the only player in the conference to finish in the top five in scoring and rebounding. A wildly underrated part of Patterson’s game is his 77% ft to go along with an efficient 60% from the field overall. Most NBA scouts think Patterson will only get stronger and continue to improve with another season in college, a scary thought for opposing SEC coaches and forwards, and a delightful proposition for Calipari. The 6’8″ big man already possesses an NBA-ready frame, a beast on the blocks that loves to bang inside and fight for any rebound in his vicinity. If Patrick Patterson gets the ball deep, he will score. Period. And with John Wall, possibly the top point guard in the nation this season, making those entry passes, Patterson should be able to average a double-double for Kentucky, only adding to the 1,000+ points he’s already totaled as a Wildcat. Barring injury (which isn’t a certainty as PP battled a stress fracture in his ankle in 07-08), Patterson seems about as surefire as anyone in the country to earn national accolades this season. But with realistic hopes of a Final Four at Kentucky for the first time in Patterson’s career, it won’t be about personal accomplishments for the determined forward; it’ll be all about wins.

• Tyler Smith – Sr, F – Tennessee. Tyler Smith is the classic NBA tweener, which is why we’re still talking about him.  The truth of the matter is that if Smith were a mere two inches taller than his 6’7 frame, he’d already have been a lottery pick by now for some hapless NBA outpost in Sacramento or Memphis.  But the reality is that he’s not 6’9 and isn’t likely to get there anytime soon, so his decision to return to school for his senior year to refine his perimeter game is a considered one.  He can already do just about everything there is to do on the basketball court – he scores, rebounds, passes, and defends (inasmuch as any Vol defends anyone), and he is also very surehanded with the ball, as his 1.6 A/TO ratio attests (third-best forward in the SEC).  No, the two-time SEC first teamer who has led UT to 52 wins in two seasons in Knoxville really only has one weakness, and it is that he has yet to prove to the NBA that he can consistently drain the outside shot.  In three years of collegiate ball, Smith shot it the best (38%) when he was one of a multitude of scorers on the 31-win UT team from 2007-08.  But when he’s more of an offensive focal point, as in his freshman year at Iowa (25%) and his junior year at Tennessee (29%), he struggles from deep.  As you may have heard, UT returns 99.7% of its minutes from last season’s somewhat disappointing campaign, and their core nucleus of eight players is solid at every position (if completely suspect on defense).  If Tyler Smith wants to truly impress the scouts for the 2010 draft, he should use his impressive work ethic – the kind that gets him rebounds over bigger opponents - to challenge his team’s defensive efforts through action.  It is that kind of leadership (along with some improved marksmanship) that will allow Smith to shed his tweener label and sneak into the late first round next summer.  If all of those things happen, Tennesee could be in for a very big year under Mr. Smith.
• John Wall – Fr, G – Kentucky. The Great Wall.  That’s one of the various nickname candidates bouncing around Lexington for the presumptive freshman phenom that has UK supporters collectively pacing the floor as they pensively wait for basketball season’s arrival.  While that nickname might be more befitting of a big man – not that Wall is small at 6’4″ – the hype couldn’t be any more massive, and has reached O.J. Mayo-like levels at this point.  This of course includes Wall having been long-anointed with the #1 position on nbadraft.net’s 2010 mock draft.  What with the hiring of John Calipari and his dribble-drive motion offense (evidently tailor-made for Wall), and the fact that solid and consistent play at the point guard position has been lacking at UK for the past couple of seasons, Wildcat fans see Wall’s arrival in Lexington as part of a harmonic convergence of sorts.  They may be right.  Wall is the top cat in a freshman class that, when considering the recruiting gurus’ rankings, compares with Michigan’s Fab Five class of 1991, and he (along with the rest of the team) has one major thing going for him that nobody’s talking about:  anything will seem better than the last two years of slow, slovenly offense and almost non-existent perimeter defense they exhibited under Billy Gillispie.  In other words, despite the hugeness of the Kentucky program and all its history and tradition, Wall and the rest of the Wildcats (both old and new) don’t have much to live up to in the short term.  If you were a gigantically-hyped high school star, and specifically a top-rated point guard, this was the year to come to Lexington.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all hype.  We’ve seen amazing things from Wall in all-star games, pick-up games, high school footage, etc.  We all know he’s going to be ridiculous.  It’s no tremendous leap of faith to say that.  But he’s really put himself in a perfect situation here.  He’s in the right place at the right time, playing for a perfectly-suited coach on the biggest stage.  We know what’s predicted, we know he’s capable of feats on the level of Rose, Mayo, Love, or Beasley, or even higher.  The rest is up to him.  Man, is it going to be fun to watch.
• Willie Warren, Soph, G – Oklahoma. Could the best scoring guard in the country reside in Norman, Oklahoma? Willie Warren probably thinks so. So does this so-called expert. Returning for a sophomore campaign for coach Jeff Capel and Oklahoma is the superbly confident and supremely talented Warren, who one could argue is the top pure shooter in all of college basketball for 2009-10. Warren burst onto the scene with back-to-back 30+ point scoring outputs against Rice and Arkansas last December (on 23-39 shooting, 11-20 3pt combined) and officially exploded onto the scene in a primetime game in Austin against Texas (the Blake Griffin concussion game) in which Warren put the Sooners on his back with a 10-20 FG, 6-12 3pt, 27-point shooting clinic that kept #2 Oklahoma in the game. Along with the ability to make literally any shot on the floor, NBA scouts love Warren because of his quick first step, exceptional athletic ability and length, along with an edge of confidence that you cannot teach. While Warren is considered a “combo” guard, his court vision and passing ability does need significant improvement (3.1 apg), especially if Tommy Mason-Griffin cannot handle point guard duties immediately and Warren is needed to lead the offense in 2009-10. Warren also has a reputation for forcing poor shots, but the talented guard did shoot 47% from the field as a freshman, a solid number. With his ability to get to the rim with an array of moves and that unlimited range, I’d expect that number at about 50% with, quite possibly, 20 ppg this season. Expect Warren to have a chair reserved in the green room at the 2010 NBA Draft, as a first team All-American spot is a very realistic possibility.
• Jerome Jordan (MM) – Sr, C – Tulsa.  You’d be hard pressed to find a player in all of college basketball who has come further in three years than Tulsa’s 7’0, 245 lb center.  The long and physically imposing Jamaican barely saw action during his freshman year at Tulsa, averaging a mere 3/2 in eight minutes per game.  Despite having gone to high school with uber-sprinter Usain Bolt, running hard really wasn’t Jordan’s thing, and his lack of conditioning and understanding of what it takes to play basketball at a high level was apparent.  Still, by the end of his first year, he was showing signs of improvement and he followed it up with a breakthrough sophomore season where he became a regular starter en route to a 11/8/4 blks season that earned him a spot on the CUSA all-defensive team and the CUSA all-tournament team.  He followed that up with last season’s 14/9/3 blks and a spot on the CUSA first team, along with the watchful eyes of every NBA scout who covets size with good footwork and a knack for blocking shots (i.e., everyone).  Jordan was projected as a late first-round selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, but he opted to return to Tulsa, which has head coach Doug Wojcik giddy.  Given all the turmoil and change that went on at Memphis, and with four starters returning including the very talented guard Ben Uzoh, the Golden Hurricane is poised to move atop the CUSA standings and show the world that Bolt isn’t the only graduate of William Knibb High School who knows how to run.

Honorable Mention.  Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt.  Donald Boone, Arkansas St.  Wes Channels, Austin Peay.  Wayne Chism, Tennessee.  DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky.  Courtney Fortson, Arkansas.  Kenneth Faried, Morehead St.  Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb.  Kwamain Mitchell, St. Louis.  Steven Moore, Arkansas-Little Rock.  Obi Muonelo, Oklahoma St.  AJ Ogilvy, Vanderbilt.  Steffphon Pettigrew, W. Kentucky.  JP Prince, Tennessee.  Roburt Sallie, Memphis.  Samardo Samuels, Louisville.  AJ Slaughter, W. Kentucky.  Jerry Smith, Louisville.  Mike Smith, ETSU.  Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt.  Danero Thomas, Murray St.  JT Tiller, Missouri.  Ben Uzoh, Tulsa.  Michael Washington, Arkansas.  Kyle Weems, Missouri St.  Elliot Williams, Memphis.  Desmond Yates, MTSU.

A program that may have been temporarily crippled by John Calipari’s departure, Latavious Williams bolting for Europe, the Derrick Rose/ACT scandal and the loss of prized recruit Xavier Henry is quickly turning around. Jeff Goodman first reported today that Joe Jackson, the fourth ranked point guard in the nation according to Scout.com, will commit to his hometown Tigers in a press conference later tonight. Tennessee and Kansas were also involved, but most inside recruiting circles felt Jackson vowing to stay home was inevitable.

Joe Jackson/Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Pastner has been able to quickly rejuvinate a Memphis program suffering from major personnel losses- namely Tyreke Evans, Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart- by having Duke point guard Elliot Williams fall into his lap this summer and also securing the commitment of Will Barton, a 6’6 shooting guard ranked by Scout.com as the #1 overall player at his position. Williams, Barton and Jackson in the fray means three McDonalds All-American guards in the backcourt for Pastner in 2010-11.

As a college basketball fan, color me pleased that Memphis seems to be on the upswing yet again. Rather than be left in the dust by Calipari, a young, vibrant coach like Pastner should be able to re-invent the image of a scarred program. While his coaching skills have yet to be evaluated, Pastner appears to be heading on the right track towards another dominant decade-long run in Conference USA by landing such elite recruits against more established coaching mainstays. Their loyal and passionate fan base deserves it.

Ed. Note: for all of the posts in the RTC 09-10 Class Schedule series, click here.

The ACC has been North Carolina’s league for three straight seasons now. With four prolific stars departing from Roy Williams roster, this could be the year Duke re-claims supremacy in the most fabled conference in college basketball. The loss of athletic swingman Gerald Henderson early to the riches of the NBA hurts, but the late inclusion of a young point guard to compliment two potential blue-chip power forwards and the dynamic duo of Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler means Duke has the goods to capture their first ACC regular season title since J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams manned the Cameron Indoor Stadium floor.

Let’s face it: this program hasn’t quite featured the mystique and aura that normally comes with Duke basketball since the heartbreaking loss to UConn in the 2004 Final Four. Duke’s pinnacle has been the Sweet 16 since that crushing blow and critics are lining up over whether coach Mike Krzyzewski‘s Olympic conquests are hurting the program. Still, a top-two ACC finish and an Elite Eight seem like reasonable goals for this Duke team that only lost Henderson, transfer Elliot Williams, quarterback Greg Paulus and glue guy David McClure. Three top-50 recruits and four of the Blue Devils’ top five scorers return for a squad looking to knock an inexperienced North Carolina team off the mantle.

How does everyone’s favorite hoops team stack up schedule-wise? Let’s examine:

Non-Conference Schedule Rank: 8. Duke normally doesn’t back down from challenging their team in non-conference play, so their participation in the NIT Season Tip-Off and neutral/road games against Georgetown, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Iowa State and St. John’s doesn’t surprise me. The Blue Devils normally excel in November and their only formidable foe in the NIT tournament this year is Connecticut. They’d match up in the finals if Duke can slide past Coastal Carolina, Charlotte and most likely an Arizona State team that lost both James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. A November 27 final against UConn at MSG would certainly not lack for entertainment. The ACC-Big Ten challenge pits Duke a difficult road game at the Kohl Center, a venue where Wisconsin rarely loses. Neutral floor games against Gonzaga in NYC and Iowa State in Chicago are included, along with a January 30 visit to Georgetown to face a Hoya team that could be a well-oiled machine at that point. Conference USA favorite Tulsa also makes a trip to Cameron in late February, which has the potential to be dangerous for Duke. The non-conference slate certainly presents challenges, and credit Coach K for agreeing to send Duke to places other than Durham for tests that will certainly benefit the Blue Devils come ACC play.

Cupcake City: Only six true cupcakes on the slate for Duke this season as UNC Greensboro, Coastal Carolina (part of the NIT), Radford, Gardner-Webb, Long Beach State and Penn travel to Durham (although I should count Charlotte the way they played last season). A program with Duke’s stature doesn’t have to schedule Gonzaga in NYC or travel to Chicago to play Iowa State, but they do anyway. Unlike Washington, Duke will be battle-tested for conference play and their computer numbers will give the Blue Devils a boost when it comes to seeding debates. Duke is usually in the top-ten in RPI every single season and there’s a reason why.

Toughest Early Season Test: While it’s never smart to assume crazy things won’t happen in November, the battle with Connecticut at MSG for the NIT Season Tip-Off Final will surely be the most challenging early season game for Duke, especially with Gonzaga and Wisconsin lacking the talent usually associated with such programs. The two legendary coaches manning the sidelines will be a perfect Dickie V talking point for the entire broadcast, but let’s delve into the actual game: who will defend Kemba Walker at the point? Scheyer? Nolan Smith? Will it be baptism by fire for freshman Andre Dawkins? Will Stanley Robinson present a matchup problem for Duke and Kyle Singler? While Duke may actually be more frontcourt-oriented this season with Singler, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and the freshman duo of Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee, UConn should be more perimeter-oriented with Walker, Jerome Dyson, freshman Darius Smith and Robinson’s tendency to drift outside. This should be one of the top non-conference games on the season slate.

Easiest Conference Stretch: This wasn’t easy to find, but Duke does have a stretch in mid-February that could provide a nice boost. The two road games are against Miami and Virginia. While the Hurricanes have some interesting athletes like Dwayne Collins and freshman Durand Scott, they look like an NIT team and the Canes home court doesn’t provide much of an edge. Virginia should improve under new coach Tony Bennett and super sophomore Sylven Landesberg, but it won’t be enough to reach any type of meaningful postseason. The home dates are with Maryland and Virginia Tech. Unless the Terps make big strides early in the year, Duke should be double-digit favorites in both contests.

Hardest Conference Stretch: Just prior to that easier stretch could be Duke’s hardest. A slight reprieve with a mediocre Florida State team at home is included, but the four other games are very challenging with three road contests at Clemson, Boston College and North Carolina along with a home date with Georgia Tech (the road game at Georgetown is also involved). If Duke can tread water at 2-2 during those four games, they should win the conference title. Clemson may have lost K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby, but Trevor Booker and transfer Noel Johnson can lead the way. BC returns their entire team besides Tyrese Rice and we all know about North Carolina…

Most Difficult Road Test: The general consensus here would say the Heels…and I’ll side with the general consensus. Duke has certainly had their problems in Boston College recently, and while Clemson (remember this thrashing) and Maryland also can produce raucous atmospheres, North Carolina is the co-favorite in the ACC this season. The Heels will certainly throw out a formidable frontcourt test for the oft-soft Blue Devils with Ed Davis and Deon Thompson manning the paint while Tyler Zeller can stretch the floor. The one edge for Duke, especially on the road, could be backcourt experience led by Smith and Scheyer. Marcus Ginyard will play a huge role in shutting down those two Duke guards.

Most Anticipated Home Date: Is this even up for debate? The season finale on Saturday night (with ESPN College Gameday in the house) when North Carolina makes their 8-mile trek to rival Duke takes the cake in a knockout. There’s a very real chance the ACC title could be on the line on the last weekend of the season for the greatest rivalry in college sports. There may be riots, brawls, bloodied observers and plenty of controversy…and that’s only in the stands. Whenever these two storied rivals meet, it’s must-see TV, and considering it’s a March primetime game to close out the regular season, it could be something special.

Upset Watch: Duke’s first ACC road game is a trip to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech, a team that went 2-14 in the conference last season under head coach Paul Hewitt, who was firmly entrenched on the hot seat until Derrick Favors saved his job. There’s some optimism abound for the Yellow Jacket program, though, with Favors in the fray and the returns of Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert. Losing Lewis Clinch stings (get it?) but Georgia Tech has the athletes to run with Duke. It would be a huge resume-building win for Hewitt and his program in a year where they could be on the fringe of reaching the Dance.

Best Individual Matchup: The two best pure shooters in the ACC this season could be Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez and Duke’s Jon Scheyer. The two scoring guards will face off twice this season with Maryland’s favorite player Scheyer making a trip to College Park and Duke’s prodigal son Vasquez having to show his face in Cameron after last year’s epic beatdown. Both Scheyer and Vasquez love to come off screens and pop three-pointers, but both of these senior leaders will have to play a larger role in their respective teams’ attacks this season with responsibilities running the offense. While Scheyer does have some help in clutch situations, it’s all Vasquez all the time for the Terps when they desperately need a bucket.

Duke should be primed for another solid season. While solid doesn’t always play at a school where Final Fours are the expected minimum, a top-two ACC finish and another Sweet 16 berth is likely in the cards. 2010-11 could be the year Duke is truly back. Losing Scheyer will hurt, but Coach K is hot on the pursuit of Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving and Josh Smith for the Class of 2010, all top-ten players in the nation. Grab two of those, hope Singler sticks around and the potential for a national championship all of a sudden becomes realistic. Duke doesn’t have the firepower for such a feat this season, but they’ll still be a feared powerhouse capable of beating nearly anyone in the country.

If this occurs, this will be a major coup for Duke and Coach K, as the Devils are facing a near-crisis situation in their backcourt after the losses of Gerald Henderson (NBA) and Elliot Williams (transfer) in the offseason.  Dawkins will provide MUCH-needed depth on the perimeter, turning a paper-thin rotation of Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith into a more daunting trio including the 6’4 shooting guard.  While Dawkins isn’t a point guard but instead a shooter with inside-the-gym range, his ability to spell Scheyer and Smith suddenly makes Duke a much tougher team for 2009-10.

We’re not convinced that this solves all of Duke’s problems going into next season, as the Devils still won’t have an elite playmaker in the backcourt, but this may mean that Coach K won’t feel the need to play zone defense after all.  Speaking of defense, reports are that Dawkins doesn’t exactly excel in that area, so if he figures that Duke’s necessity will dictate automatic minutes for him, he’ll still need to address that deficiency in order to satisfy Coach K (much as Elliot Williams did last year).  By any objective measure, however, the potential addition of Dawkins to the 09-10 Blue Devils has no downside, and their fans must be absolutely thrilled with this pleasant surprise.

• Elliot Williams to Memphis.  Nothing surprising here, as we reported last week that Elliot Williams was leaving Duke to move closer to home to attend to his mother’s illness.  The only school that made reasonable sense was his hometown University of Memphis, and Gary Parrish reported yesterday that Williams will indeed become a Tiger.  If Williams can get the NCAA to approve his hardship waiver so that he can play next season, he should walk right into a starting position at the PG spot for Josh Pastner’s squad.  While we’re on the subject of Memphis getting new players, former Kentucky player (well, he never actually played) Matt Pilgrim is probably transferring to Memphis with the assistance of new UK coach John Calipari.  Pilgrim, a transfer from Hampton who sat out last season at UK, wasn’t part of the new regime’s plans.  Since he didn’t want to leave Lexington but was no longer welcome, Coach Cal is trying to facilitate a seamless transfer for him.
• The NCAA Shell Game. Seth Davis wrote an article last week that illustrates just how one-sided the NCAA scholarship system can be.  When new coaches (e.g.,Isiah Thomas and John Calipari) get to their new schools, they often feel the need to run off players (such as Pilgrim, mentioned above) who don’t fit in their lofty plans for the program.  That’s all fine and well for replacing lesser players, but the whole house of cards gets exposed when a coach wants to keep a player who otherwise would like to transfer.  Meet Freddy Asprilla, a 6’10 Colombian center at FIU who had a great freshman year and wants to transfer to a major conference school, but whom isn’t being released by FIU simply because, well, they don’t have to.  There’s an adage about the deck getting stacked somewhere in here.
• FIU Cheerleading.  We know it’s purely coincidental that FIU is enabling cost-cutting measures by cutting its cheerleaders during the same year that they hired Isiah Thomas to coach their men’s basketball team (Thomas isn’t taking a base salary this year).  Still, the rich irony of FIU wholly dismantling the cheerleading team within months of Thomas’ arrival on campus isn’t lost on anyone.  Sometimes the unintended consequences are more compelling than the intended ones.
• NBA Draft Detritus.  Gary Parrish: the NBA will find you wherever you play.  Luke Winn: behind the scenes at MSG, and raising legitimate questions as to Ty Lawson and DeJuan Blair’s draft positions.  Jeff Goodman: Brandon Jennings made the right choice to go to Europe.  More Parrish: like RTC, he also thinks Demar DeRozan is going to be a stud.
• More Quick Hits.  Marquette’s Maurice Acker: done with basketball.  Renardo Sidney: stop delaying, NCAA.  Jeremy Tyler: headed to Israel?  Brian Ellerbe: new assistant at GW.  BYU’s Dave Rose: now cancer-free and returning to coach this fall.   William & Mary: considering an asparagus mascot.  Roy Williams: Aw Shucks… the RW Story, on sale in November.  Antonio Anderson: those Ws are ours!

• Duke Downer.  The biggest news today was the news that Duke point guard Elliot Williams (he of the happy, happy feet) will be leaving the Duke program so that he can move closer to Memphis, his hometown.  Reportedly his mother is facing a life-threatening illness there and Williams wants to be nearby for support as she battles her disease.  He plans on petitioning the NCAA to waive the one-year transfer obligation so that he will be able to play immediately at his new school (presumably Memphis).  This is undoubtedly a major blow to Coach K’s backcourt in 2009-10, as he’ll now be left with only Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith to log minutes there.  Big things were expected of Williams based on his insertion into the starting lineup at midseason and his excellent all-around play down the stretch.  Duke fans are largely crushed by this news, given the unfortunate circumstances causing it as well as the huge, gaping hole in the backcourt it leaves (while, ironically, the perfect fix named Seth Curry can only wait and watch next season).  In other Duke news that came out today, Coach K is the highest paid Duke employee by far ($3.6M last year) – no surprise there.
• Like Father, Not Like Son.  A bit of a surprise today is that Jeffrey Jordan (you know, that Mike guy’s son) is ending his basketball career at Illinois to focus on his studies.  This comes on the heels of news from earlier this year that Jordan’s hard work and commitment to the program had resulted in a scholarship for the rest of his time at the school.  Guess he’d had enough.  Actually, we can totally understand this.  Jordan was undeniably under more pressure to perform than any walk-on turned scholarship player in the history of college basketball, and although it made for nice copy, it’s safe to say that Jordan probably didn’t love the sport anywhere near the same as his famous dad.  He probably reached a personal epiphany of some kind that included a heart-to-heart with pops, and once MJ gave him the blessing, he’s now free to pursue the activities he truly enjoys.  Good for him.  And good for him for working his tail off in his two years at Illinois to go from walk-on to scholarship to expected contributor, despite limited talent.
• Vegas, Baby.  The WAC has followed its mid-major brethren WCC and Mountain West Conferences by moving its postseason tournament to Las Vegas, where the Orleans Arena will host beginning in 2011.  This comes on the heels of a very successful WCC Tournament at the Orleans last year, where a sold-out, raucous arena was shown on national television for St. Mary’s vs. Gonzaga.  The MWC already holds its conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center down the street, and this move by the WAC means that Vegas will become the basketball destination for every legitimate conference (save the Pac-10) west of the Rockies every March.  Sounds like a really fun environment for fans of these leagues.
• No, No, No.  Everyone got this wrong.  Derrick Rose wasn’t flashing a gang sign in the below pic, he was practicing universal remote hand signals for the letter “B” on the SAT exam.

• Some Quick Hits.  Wayman Tisdale Center: good move by Oklahoma here.  Karen Sypher: that bitch set me up!  Stan Van Gundy: the NCAA’s 1-and-done rule is a sham.  DeMarre Carroll:  you hate to see something like this derail a kid’s first round aspirations.  EA Sports: Blake Griffin is in the game.   Doug Wojcik:  SIX.  MORE.  YEARS!!!  Drew Gordon:  UCLA’s rising sophomore will be ok after tearing his patellar tendon last week.   Oliver Purnell: two-year extension at Clemson.  Sean Miller:  his five-year contract at Arizona ($1.6M per) was approved.  Akron’s Keith Dambrot:  extended through 2016.