College Basketball "off-season" Thread (players leaving/coaching changes/recruiting)

[allen3xis]

If he's better than Hollis he must be damn good. (I haven't seen much of him)

[table][tr][td][font=Arial,Helvetica]AUG. 5: These are trying days for UConn coach Jim Calhoun, who appreciates a boost to his spirit now more than usual. He's in the seventh and final week of radiation treatments that followed surgery May 6 to remove a cancerous growth from the right side of his neck.

He's a little weak, a little hoarse, and not really feeling, sounding or acting like himself. Calhoun spent most of his time a step back from the action Sunday and Monday as his staff and others pushed 24 high school players through the paces at the Connecticut Elite Camp, but that isn't to say he wasn't fully involved on an emotional level.

Especially when Rudy Gay showed up Monday to play a few games and speak to campers. Seeing and hearing from former players is always an injection of energy and joy for Calhoun, entering his 23rd season at UConn.

"You certainly look forward to it," Calhoun said. "I've actually talked to [many] of them on the phone. Almost all the kids have called and said, 'I'm praying for you, Coach,' that type of thing. There's something about getting up at 5:30 every morning [for radiation]. I've had a lot of time to think driving back and forth, and there's no question there's a ton of thought. To see a lot of the kids and [remember] why it's so worthwhile to do what you do, this weekend spells that out. Just by nature, these type of things bring upon ... I don't want to say melancholy, but reflection, for sure."
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http://www.courant.com/services/newspape....0,6792931.story


Quote:[table][tr][td][font=Arial,Helvetica]AUG. 10: With Calhoun having finished radiation treatment earlier in the day for a malignant growth in his neck, this year's game, the fourth, had added meaning.

"They told me I've got about a month, month and a half to get myself back [to feeling normal]," said a slightly weakened Calhoun, 66. "I don't have any taste buds. If you gave me a lobster or steak, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I wouldn't like either one. ... The bottom line is it shouldn't have any effect on the season. It's something that happened and it was taken care of, taken care of very well."[/font][/td] [/tr][/table]

..

[h1]Surprising summer bodes well for Hoyas[/h1][h3]Barker Davis THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Wednesday, August 13, 2008[/h3]

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After a somewhat turbulent spring, Georgetown'smen's basketball team enjoyed a summer of pleasant surprises.

The latest positive development came Sunday, when a Tombs team composed of sophomore point guard Chris Wright and the Hoyas' incoming freshmen won theKenner League championship without top recruit Greg Monroe.

A versatile 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward, Monroe sparkled all summer for the Tombs before returning home to Gretna, La., after the school's CommunityScholars program. Without Monroe and moonlighting NBA draftee Roy Hibbert anchoring the middle in last week's playoffs, the Tombs needed more productionfrom its other players, particularly 6-10 freshman Henry Sims.

And the young Hoyas responded, rolling through their three playoff games behind the superb backcourt play of Wright (who averaged 21.0 points and 6.3assists in the playoffs) and Jason Clark (20. 7 points, 6.7rebounds), and a big finale from Sims.

Anchoring the middle in the championship game against an opponent that featured current and former NBA players Roger Mason Jr. (San Antonio Spurs), BrianChase, Lonny Baxter and Eddie Basden, Sims scored 24 points to lead the Tombs to an 81-65 victory.

Every Georgetown player on the Tombs lived up to or exceeded expectations during Kenner League play, most notably Clark and redshirt freshman NikitaMescheriakov.

A 6-2 guard from Bishop O'Connell with long arms, Clark appears to be better than departed guard Jeremiah Rivers (transferred to Indiana) on both endsof the floor. Though his 3-point shot still needs work, Clark was great on the offensive glass throughout the summer and stifled Chase defensively in the titlegame.

A 6-8 wing player, Mescheriakov proved equally surprising as an impact player for the Tombs. The brother of former George Washington standout YegorMescheriakov (1995-99), Nikita came to Georgetown with a reputation as a spot-up shooter with defensive and ball-handling liabilities. But he proved morestubborn on defense than expected and displayed solid footwork and an ability to move with the ball this summer.

"Nikita's play is not a surprise," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "He's worked extremely hard on his strength andconsistency, and he is a guy who can put the ball in the basket. He will be a factor."

Georgetown's ultimate summer bonus, however, came in the form of an NCAA waiver for Florida State transfer Julian Vaughn and the Vienna native'ssubsequent play in the Kenner League.

Photo by Joseph Silverman

Forward Julian Vaughn (front) transferred to Georgetown for the upcoming season.

Vaughn left Tallahassee, Fla., after appearing in 31 games for the Seminoles as a freshman last season, returning to the area to be close to an ailingfamily member. Still somewhat raw offensively, the 6-9, 246-pound forward is a superb rebounder (averaging a Kenner League-high 11.2), possibly mitigating thethree postseason frontcourt departures the team absorbed when Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr. exhausted their eligibility and backup center Vernon Macklintransferred to Florida.

"Without a doubt, the news that Julian would be eligible to play for us this season was huge," Thompson said. "It looked like two of ourthree primary big men were going to be true freshmen, and now you add Julian, a guy who has completed a year of ball in the ACC, so he knows what to expect.Plus, he's a physical presence. He likes the bump and touch. The bonus is that Julian also knows how to score the basketball. I definitely see him as adifference-maker for us."

Add the six aforementioned young players to a team that features three returning starters and a third consecutive first-place finish in the Big East doesn't seem as improbable for the Hoyas as itdid at the start of the summer.

"We're going to be very young, but we've got a talented group," Thompson said. "Every season presents a different set of challenges,but I'm excited. I'm looking forward to getting this group all together in the gym in a couple of months and getting the process started."

 

[dacomeup]

2011's Behanan Staying Put

Chane Behanan
By Dave Telep
National Recruiting Director
Posted Aug 13, 2008

While seniors are popping daily, here's one we didn't see coming. Chane Behanan, a prominent member of the Class of 2011, is all done for a local Big East member.

The Cincinnati Bearcats have struck it big time in 2011. One of the top underclassmen in the state of Ohio has decided in favor of the Bearcats.
Chane Behanan, a 6-foot-6 monster power forward, is all about the Bearcats as of Wednesday. During a visit to campus, he ended his recruitment.

"He built up a relationship with Tony Stubblefield and Coach Cronin from going to games," Cincinnati Aiken coach Leon Ellison told Scout.com. "He decided that this was where he wanted to be at. We pretty much knew he was going to stay home (Cincinnati, Xavier & Ohio State). When Yancey Gates came here he got a good feel for him."

Behanan had one of those freshman seasons that you hear about nationally. A beast of an insider, he parlayed high school success into great work on the traveling team circuit.

As for the main reason why? Behanan had no trouble coming up with sound reasoning for the early decision. "They're in the Big East and it's Cincinnati. It's my hometown!"

Ellison thinks it could be a big year for Aiken. He also has insight into why his guy is so good this early. "It's his maturity level, the way he rebounds and his body. He's tenacious on the glass. He rebounds like a man; it's hard to box him out."

Now Behanan becomes the Bearcats No. 1 recruiter. He's got a few years to help other guys make decisions. "I'm talking to Jordan Sibert and Adreian Payne and maybe a few guys at my school and see if they're interested."


Mick is picking up some nice commitments as of late. It would be great to pick up Adreian Payne he has NBA written all over him.

 

[allen3xis]

So much for Spurlock being a lock..

Headed to UVA.

Nice pick up.

Hairston and Roscoe now become even more of priorities.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

He was supposedly a Georgetown lock??? If not, then who....Not Duke right?

 

[allen3xis]

That's what Inmymind said a month or 2 ago..

Supposedly G'Town and Wake backed off.

What do you mean by Duke?

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

I didn't know if he was a lock to Duke or to G'Town.

I got his updates confused w/ Hairston (The update that didn't mention G'Town)

 

[allen3xis]

That's Hairston...that Duke fans think is a 'lock'....which if that was the case, he woulda verballed already.


Spurlock was down to UVA, G'Town and then to a lesser extent; Wake, Clemson, NC State, Louisville.



Safe to say Hairston will either be a Dukie or Hoya.

 

[allen3xis]

Jeff Drummond
CatsPause.com

Talk about it in Basketball Recruiting Board
Kentucky appears to have the inside track on one of the elite basketball prospects in the Class of 2009, but those hoping to hear news of a commitmentfrom Daniel Orton may be in for a longerride than expected.

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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Jeff Drummond/CatsPause.com[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Daniel Orton put up a jump hook over a defender at this year's Boo Williams Invitational.[/td] [/tr][/table]The five-star Oklahoma City (Okla.) Bishop McGuinness center recently made another unofficial visit to Lexingtonfor Billy Gillispie's Elite Camp. He also attended the Wildcats' camp in June, prompting many to speculate that UK may be on the verge of landing thenation's 10th-rated player.

"Right now, you could say that Kentucky is my leader," Orton said. "I haven't narrowed things down yet, and I probably won't untilsometime during the season -- maybe after my season -- but Kentucky is up there at the top of my list. I like them a lot."

Orton (6-10, 260) appears to be focused on six schools at this time, although dozens have extended scholarship offers and drawn his attention at one point oranother during the recruiting process. In addition to UK, he also listed Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Oklahoma State as top choices.

Asked why he decided to make a return trip to Lexington during an already hectic summer travel schedule, Orton said he and his family have developed a strongbond with the UK coaching staff.

"My family, we're all pretty high on their staff," he said. "We've known coach Gillispie for a long time. He recruited my brother andcoach (Glynn) Cyprien coached him at Oklahoma State, so we already know what they're like as people and coaches. I know my dad feels really comfortablewith them."

Orton's father accompanied him to Lexington for the second Elite Camp, and the player says he feels like he got an opportunity to know the UK boss a littlebetter.

"I didn't play," Orton said of the camp games, "but I got a chance to talk to coach Gillispie a lot and learn more about his personality andcoaching style. I feel like I know more about their system now and how I'd fit in. I feel like I've built a stronger bond with them."

Orton said he'd like to return to Lexington again during the season to see the Cats play at Rupp Arena if his schedule permits.

The Kentucky staff expects sophomore big man Patrick Patterson to have an opportunity to be drafted if he has another strong season like he did in 2007-08, soOrton has emerged as the top target on the Cats' recruiting board with immediate playing time likely to be available.

"They have a good opportunity for me," Orton said.

Orton is coming off a junior season which saw him average 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots per game in leading Bishop McGuinness to a Class 4Astate championship. He is preparing for one last summer basketball experience, one that will take him overseas for the first time.

"I'm getting ready to leave for Brazil for the Nike Elite Youth Program," he said. "I think it's the first year they're doing it, soI'm not really sure what it's all about, but this is the first time I've ever been out of the country to play, so I'm excited about it."

 

[allen3xis]

Brian McLawhorn
Devils Illustrated

Talk about it in Hoya Premium Court
With the AAU basketball circuit complete and most of the Duke coaching staff in China for the 2008 Summer Olympics, things have been relatively quiet onthe recruiting front. Despite the slow in activity, there has been some news spreading in the world of Duke basketball recruiting, and by all accounts, it isgood news.

Just last week, Raleigh (N.C.) Ravenscroft School five-star power forward Ryan Kelly and his family released a narrowed list of six schools. Surprisingly,the Blue Devils, found their way onto the 6-foot-9, 210 pounder's list which consists of Duke, Georgetown, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and WakeForest. In early February, Kelly emerged as a Duke target, however, with the commitment of Mason Plumlee, it was believed that the Blue Devils would move on toother players. And in fact they did, but during the USA U18 Trials, things changed.

"It was a renewed interest with Duke," Kelly said Thursday afternoon. "Coach Wojo was at the US Trials and at that point they began takinganother look. Duke is a great academic school and basketball speaks for itself as well. It's a situation that I felt I needed to take look at a little bitmore."

Of the six schools still remaining in the hunt for Kelly, only Duke has not offered. Despite that being the case, Kelly still felt the Blue Devils needed to beincluded on the list.

"Really, I wanted to be fair to Duke and show that they are on the list," he said. "I wanted to leave them on there because once Coach K returnsfrom the Olympics we'll sit down and discuss their interest, my interest and maybe see where things stand in terms of an offer. I think right now I wantedto include them and hear them out."

Though no date has been set for a meeting between Kelly and Coach K, he has been busy scheduling official visits to four of the programs on his list.

"I don't have a plan for making my decision or a timetable or anything, but I will make all of my officials and then try to make a decision on whatschool is the best fit for me," he added. "I couldn't tell you where I will be on specific weekends, but I have set up official visits for a bigchunk of September. I will be visiting Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Georgetown and Wake Forest. I felt like with North Carolina and Duke right here, I could go tothose schools at any time."

While on these visits, Kelly said he hopes to learn more about the players and coaches of each school and get a feel for each team as a whole.

"Certainly all the schools I'm looking at are really good schools," he said. "All are academically a good fit, and to be honest I could playbasketball at any one of them and fit in. But it will be all about finding the best fit. On the visits I'll get to hang out with the players and get toknow the coaches better and find out where I fit in. The people are what is important.

"It's about finding someone in the locker-room you can hang out with. You'll be with your teammates pretty much all the time, so it will beimportant to find someone that I can really feel like I will have fun hanging out with."

Though there was no indication that Mason Plumlee's presence at Duke would help sway Kelly to the Blue Devils, the two have developed a friendshipthroughout the summer, which certainly wouldn't hurt Duke should they offer.

"Playing together on the USA team just gave me a chance to get know him and play basketball on the same team," he said. "Mason is a great guy,and I've really enjoyed getting to know him and it's been fun learning more about him. He's a great player, and it's fun to play on the samecourt with him so it's been a great experience."

While Kelly and Plumlee have developed a friendship over the summer, particularly during the U18 World Championships, his experience with Team USA is somethinghe'll never forget.

"It was an unbelievable experience," he said. "To put on that jersey and go to the huddle and look at a jersey saying U-S-A across it instead ofanother team is an amazing feeling. It was such an honor to go represent my country and wear that name across my jersey.

"I really learned how to adapt to different environments and a whole different lifestyle. Living in a hotel for weeks on end was something I had to adjustto and it was great meeting more players and getting an opportunity to know guys I have played against. It was just a great experience all the wayaround."

The next stop for Kelly before school begins and his busy September gets underway will be one final tournament in New York for the 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24held at historic Rucker Park.

"I'll have one last thing at Rucker Park on August 20-22," he said. "After that I will focus on improving as a player and spend a lot moretime with recruiting. Once classes get started my focus will be on that, but I will be working toward a decision for college."

"It was a renewed interest with Duke," Kelly said Thursday afternoon. "Coach Wojo was at the US Trials and at that point they began taking another look.
This is my thing....if Hairston was in the bag....why have renewed interest in a kid who plays the exact same position?

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

That's Hairston...that Duke fans think is a 'lock'....which if that was the case, he woulda verballed already.

Safe to say Hairston will either be a Dukie or Hoya.

Yeah.

I honestly couldn't tell ya either way.

Cause I really don't keep up w/ Basketball recruiting like I do for football....

But yeah.

This is my thing....if Hairston was in the bag....why have renewed interest in a kid who plays the exact same position?
Makes sense. I agree to a certain extent. But you know, they are never 'in the bag' until they sign that LOI.

 

[allen3xis]

Yeah, should be interesting how things work out.


Is there any doubt BG is gona have Kentucky back to ELITE status in a few years?

 

[allen3xis]

[h1]Siena poised to make it two tourney trips in a row[/h1]
ESPN.com

Updated: August 14, 2008

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Siena peaked at the right time of the year, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
[h3]Sainthood[/h3]
By Andy Glockner
ESPN.com
Life is tenuous in a highly competitive, one-bid league like the MAAC. Take Siena, for example. None of what's helped make Siena a heavy favorite to win the league this season -- such as its resounding victory over Rider in the MAAC title game and the subsequent thrashing of 4-seed Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament -- would have happened had the Saints not found a way back from 17 points down in the league semis to edge Loyola (Md.), a team that had swept them in the regular season.

[h3]We were not a championship team in December or January, or the beginning of February, for that matter.

[/h3]
--Fran McCaffery
So even though Siena returns practically every key player from last season's champs, don't begrudge Siena head coach Fran McCaffery if he still recalls his club's flaws. "We were not a championship team in December or January, or the beginning of February, for that matter," McCaffery said. "We were not protecting leads. We were not defending like a championship team. We were a very good offensive team and kind of relied on that to have more wins than losses. We were 16-10 heading into BracketBusters and wondering where we were going." Coming off a dispiriting one-point road loss at MAAC minnow Manhattan, the Saints went west for BracketBusters and routed eventual WAC champ Boise State by 23. Forward Alex Franklin's 30 points and 18 rebounds sparked a seven-game winning streak that culminated in the league's auto bid and the slamming of the Dores in the tourney. The seeds of that run, though, may actually have been planted during a 44-point loss to eventual national finalist Memphis in early January. It was that night in the FedEx Forum when McCaffery said his Saints saw what it was like to play 40 minutes of high-level hoops with a purpose. Even when the game was well in hand, there was no letup from the Tigers. "We did [sloppy] kind of stuff all year long … blowing leads and being inconsistent," McCaffery said. "I think Memphis sort of gave us a blueprint on how to value every possession. Once we started playing like that, I thought we were a really good team." They should be again this season with star wings Edwin Ubiles and Kenny Hasbrouck back to complement Franklin and standout point guard Ronald Moore. Yes, they lose diminutive reserve guard Tay Fisher, who poured in 40 points in just 40 minutes in the wins over Rider and Vandy, but his departure opens up more opportunities for players like sophomore Clarence Jackson. Many of last year's other challengers in the league lost key players, so the scene is set for the Saints' success. But don't expect this season's challengers to concede anything just yet. "Siena's going to be the unanimous [preseason] pick, but I also think they gained so much momentum in the last couple of weeks [of the season]," said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey, whose team shared the regular-season crown with the Saints and returns four starters itself. "All of a sudden they whack Vandy, and now suddenly nobody can beat them. … I don't think they've separated themselves like everyone else does." His belief in his own team and the depth of the league aside, Dempsey was quick to acknowledge the quality of what the Saints have coming back. "Are they the best team on paper? No question," he added. McCaffery's task now is to make sure what's on paper translates to what shows on the court, night in and night out. The Saints have seen what their potential is when they stay focused, when they defend and when they commit to a full 40-minute effort. Last year's relative youth is this season's experienced core, which McCaffery hopes will mean the end of Siena's inconsistent ways. "[More than anything,] that's what I expect from these returning players, to understand how far we came and let's keep that going," he said. [h3]Five Things To Watch in '08-09[/h3]
By Andy Glockner
ESPN.com
Is Siena a runaway favorite?
Favorite, yes. Runaway, no. As mentioned above, Siena was very inconsistent at times last season, even within games, and the loss of Tay Fisher, a major weapon in Siena's stretch run, also shouldn't be overlooked. Despite a number of league foes losing high-impact players, there still will be very few nights off in the MAAC this season, especially on the road. Two or three other teams look reasonably positioned to make a run at the Saints for the league title, and several others are fully capable of taking them out should the same type of lapses surface again this season. As impressive as Siena's talent is, the Saints remain a guard-heavy team that could be scored on and was exposed on the glass last season. Unless those areas get shored up, thoughts of a runaway title seem premature. If not Siena, then who?
The best bet is probably Rider, even with the loss of NBA lottery pick forward Jason Thompson. The Broncs return more or less everyone else from a squad that tied Siena for the regular-season crown before injuries left them shorthanded and at Siena's mercy in the MAAC title game. They also have a front-runner for league player of the year in junior Ryan Thompson, Jason's do-it-all brother, who averaged 15.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 3.4 apg last season. Niagara, even with the loss of 27.6 ppg scorer Charron Fisher, should also be very solid. The Purple Eagles' offensive attack should be much more balanced than in recent years, and they now have Big East guard transfers Bilal Benn (Villanova) and Rob Garrison (UConn) in the fold. Fairfield, a mid-table team that returns all five starters, could prove to be a dark horse.

Peter G. Borg

Jason Thompson (left) is off to the NBA, but Rider still has younger brother Ryan to carry the load.
Transition year?
While the league still should be pretty competitive, it would be naive to think it will be easy to overcome the talent lost to graduation from the top half of the league last year. Rider's Jason Thompson posted a second straight 20-10 season. Niagara's Fisher was second in the nation in scoring. Loyola (Md.), a team that gave Siena fits last season with its size and physical play, loses leading scorer Gerald Brown and bangers Michael Tuck and Omari Isreal inside. Marist (see below) loses just about everyone. All this transition might open the door for teams like Fairfield, Manhattan and Iona to move up the standings. Starting over at Marist
Almost the entire core is gone from a team that was a couple of buckets away from the MAAC title game, as is head coach Matt Brady, who jumped to take the James Madison job. That leaves new head man Chuck Martin, most recently an assistant at Memphis, staring at a rebuilding project. There likely won't be any Derrick Roses or Joey Dorseys in his immediate future, but Martin expects to be able to leverage his New York City ties to tap into the talent available in the Big Apple. Martin grew up in the Bronx, playing at St. Raymond's High School, and was an assistant coach at Manhattan and St. John's. And it's not like he's starting without a base to work with. The Red Foxes have won 62 games over the past three seasons and have one of the league's most passionate fan bases. Euro trip
Siena is readying for a preseason trip to Italy, which recent college basketball history suggests should be a productive exercise for a team returning as much talent as the Saints do. Come this March, though, they'll be right at home while the rest of the league wishes they were anywhere else. Once again, the MAAC tournament will be on Siena's home floor, the Times Union Center in Albany. It was originally scheduled to be at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, hosted by Rider, but according to a league press release, the arena's management changed its mind about hosting the event. It will be at the TUC in 2010, as well, before moving to the Arena at Harbor Yards in Bridgeport, Conn., (with Fairfield hosting) in 2011. [h3]If I were MAAC commish …[/h3]
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
The MAAC has it right by playing a full round-robin schedule of 18 games. But the MAAC must try to limit the number of guaranteed games MAAC teams play on the road. They need to cap it at two and force the MAAC teams to play more home-and-home games against like teams from similar conferences. Finding a permanent home for the conference tournament is also a must. The MAAC has done well in Albany but the league is at least considering moving the tourney to the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. A destination might help the league.

 

[allen3xis]

[h4]2008-09 Team Capsules[/h4]

Canisius
The Golden Griffins (also headed to Italy in August) were equally poor on both ends of the court last season. One area that could improve a host of other problems is turnover margin, where Canisius was last in the league, while also committing a league-high 16.3 turnovers per game. The good news is that the team should be much more experienced this season. Nine of the top 10 scorers return after a year in which the top five players in percentage of minutes played were freshmen and sophomores. Fairfield
The Stags return a ton from last season's 11-7 MAAC campaign, but hopefully they brought back a better idea on how to stop people if they want to live up to contender status. The Stags shot the 3 very well but gave it up at an even higher rate (38.2 percent, last in the league). Mix in some turnover problems and an inability to keep teams off the offensive glass and it's clear there's some room for improvement if they want to pick up the wins needed to challenge in the league. Leading scorer and assist man Jonathan Han (11.7 ppg, 6.2 apg) makes the balanced attack work. No one else averaged in double figures last season, but six others were between 6.3 and 9.6 points a game. Iona
Kevin Willard's Gaels certainly don't play like his father's Holy Cross Crusaders. They play fast, turn the ball over a lot and, unlike a lot of their MAAC peers, have most of their issues on the offensive end, where they finished second to last in the league with 65.6 ppg. This year, Iona has a good amount of talent back, but they will have to make do without leading scorer Dexter Gray, who takes his 11.3 ppg and 5.2 rpg to Chile, where he's starting a professional career. The good news is that Gary Springer is back after averaging 10.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg in just under 22 minutes a game. The defense, especially around the 3-point arc, needs to improve as well, but if the maturing Gaels can make a few more jumpers instead of kicking the ball away, they could be poised to take a next step. Loyola (Md.)
MAAC coaches would be wise to take a long look at how the Greyhounds handled Siena last season. Loyola swept the home-and-home in the regular season (winning by 29 at home) before losing in the final seconds of the MAAC tournament semis on Siena's home floor. Rather than trying to out-quick the Saints, the Greyhounds bludgeoned them inside with a powerful frontcourt approach. Without a number of key members from last season's squad, it's probably too much to expect Marquis Sullivan, Brett Harvey and Co. to do the deed themselves this year, but if someone does displace Siena as the league heavyweight, Loyola likely will deserve some of the credit for providing the blueprint. Manhattan
What's the advantage of having a really young team last season? You get to return them for a more experienced run this season. Manhattan had 10 players average at least 12 minutes a game last season, and solid starters like Antoine Pearson, Devon Austin and Darryl Crawford are nice foundation blocks around which the rest of the Jaspers' balanced attack can revolve. In order to make the leap up the standings, though, Manhattan will have to be better defensively than it was a year ago. Youth can breed inexperience on that end, but it's not the sole excuse for allowing teams to shoot 38.2 percent from 3-point range and 47.5 percent from the field, both last in the league. Marist
Given the new coach and almost all new personnel on the roster, looking at last year's stats doesn't hold much value. What will be interesting, though, is to see how much of a philosophical change Chuck Martin will bring to the program, especially on the defensive end. Last season, Marist defended very well despite forcing very few turnovers. Memphis, where Martin was an assistant for the past two seasons, really liked to get after it on the defensive end and force miscues, which was a decent part of their stellar overall defensive numbers. Not that you ever concede a season (or two), but given how solid Siena (and others) look to be for the next two years, it might give Martin a nice window in which to build a team that can truly challenge in 2010-11. Niagara
How do you make up for the loss of a 27.6 ppg scorer like Charron Fisher (as well as the 13.3 ppg from Stanley Hodge)? Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich hopes that returning guard Tyrone Lewis and transfers Bilal Benn and Rob Garrison can lead a balanced attack where four or five Purple Eagles will be in double figures. Given that Fisher didn't even shoot 40 percent from the field last season, it's possible higher efficiency can help offset the loss of his explosiveness. A bigger concern for Niagara might be replacing Fisher's contributions on the glass. The 6-foot-4 dynamo was far and away the team leader at 9.5 rpg. And while the Purple Eagles led the league in offensive rebounding, they were last in the MAAC in defensive rebounding. Rider
This was far from a one-man show last season, as MAAC fans may find out this year. In addition to Ryan Thompson, a strong candidate for league player of the year, the Broncs also return effective scoring wing Harris Mansell (13.7 ppg) and sophomore guards Mike Ringgold and Justin Robinson. Also notable for a mid-major team with an NBA lottery pick in its frontcourt (or maybe because of it), Rider was the best 3-point shooting team in the league last season, making 39.8 percent from the arc. If Rider's youthful backcourt rotation can reduce the turnover numbers from last season, this still should be a potent offensive club. They weren't a great defensive team even with Jason Thompson inside, so it will be interesting to see how the Broncs' defensive concepts fare this year with less of an inside presence. St. Peter's
You know it was a long season when the Peacocks' biggest moments came in November, when they beat solid NEC team Wagner and Big East in-state foe Rutgers in back-to-back games. SPC only won three MAAC games last season, all of which were over fellow lower-division clubs Canisius (twice) and Manhattan. The Peacocks were very young, with five freshmen averaging double-figure minutes, and will need to make do this season without double-double man Todd Sowell, who departs with his 12.7 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Coming back to lead the attack, though, is sophomore Wesley Jenkins, who averaged 13.0 ppg last season while shooting 41.7 percent from 3. Siena
When Siena was beaten last year, it was often because of defensive foibles, and this season's upside rests heavily on how much the Saints improve on that end. The Saints were exposed from the arc (37 percent allowed) in addition to the defensive glass. They're able to make up for some of it with a very positive turnover differential. Siena finished 33rd in D-I in forcing them (24.0 percent of opponents' possessions) and, thanks in large part to lead guard Ronald Moore, only turned it over 15.7 percent of the time itself (5th in D-I). Must-watch holiday hoops alert: The Siena-Tennessee quarterfinal in the Old Spice Classic should be juicy Thanksgiving Week viewing.

[h4]2007-08 MAAC Standings[/h4] [table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[/td] [td]Overall record[/td] [td]MAAC record[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Siena*[/td] [td]23-11[/td] [td]13-5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rider[/td] [td]23-11[/td] [td]13-5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Niagara[/td] [td]19-10[/td] [td]12-6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Loyola (Md.)[/td] [td]19-14[/td] [td]12-6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Marist[/td] [td]18-14[/td] [td]11-7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Fairfield[/td] [td]14-16[/td] [td]11-7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Iona[/td] [td]12-20[/td] [td]8-10[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Manhattan[/td] [td]12-19[/td] [td]5-13[/td] [/tr][tr][td]St. Peter's[/td] [td]6-24[/td] [td]3-15[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Canisius[/td] [td]6-25[/td] [td]2-16[/td] [/tr][/table] *NCAA tournament
For all the MAAC news and notes, check out the league page.

[h4]Top Returning Scorers[/h4] [table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Player[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Edwin Ubiles, Siena, Jr.[/td] [td]17.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Tyrone Lewis, Niagara, Jr.[/td] [td]16.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena, Sr.[/td] [td]16.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Alex Franklin, Siena, Jr.[/td] [td]15.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Ryan Thompson, Rider, Jr.[/td] [td]15.0[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h4]Top Returning Rebounders[/h4][table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Player[/td] [td]RPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Alex Franklin, Siena, Jr.[/td] [td]7.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Gary Springer, Iona, Sr.[/td] [td]7.7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Anthony Johnson, Fairfield, Jr.[/td] [td]7.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Benson Egemonye, Niagara, Sr.[/td] [td]6.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Ryan Thompson, Rider, Jr.[/td] [td]6.2[/td] [/tr][/table]


..
Man, Rider sucks...their coaching talking smack? Incredible seeing how he couldn't get a Jason Thompson team a tournament berth. From what I saw he was theworse coach in the country. All they have is little Thompson now.


I'll be shocked if Siena drops more than 1 in conference game. 3 of the 4 top returning scorers in the conference. Things are about to get ugly.

Siena finished 33rd in D-I in forcing them (24.0 percent of opponents' possessions) and, thanks in large part to lead guard Ronald Moore, only turned it over 15.7 percent of the time itself (5th in D-I).
The reason they'll be playing well into March, again.

 

[lazy b]

When do the full schedules release? All I see are conference opponents. I don't think I'm getting season tix after last year's season.

 

[allen3xis]

^ full schedules probably aren't gona be available for another month or so..

However..For cuse..

Jeff Goodman, a nice guy as well as the esteemed college basketball writer for Foxsports.com, had a notebook recently in which he listed some ofVirginia's non-conference games. One of those included Virginia playing at Syracuse on Nov. 28.So now we've got the CBE Classic (two games at the Carrier Dome; two in Kansas City), Cornell at SU on Dec. 3; Long Beach State at SU on Dec. 13 and SU atMemphis on Dec. 20.


And do yall teach thievery up there or what?


[h1]Ex-Proctor, Syracuse player Josh Wright charged with stealing credit card[/h1]

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• Photos

[h5]Photos[/h5]
[img]http://www.utica...b518aaf41ab8ba8614b60ffb7247bc10f2e.jpg[/img]

Observer-Dispatch archive photo

Syracuse University's Josh Wright gestures to a teammate as Northeastern University's Matt Janning guards him in a men's basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

By ROCCO LaDUCA

Observer-Dispatch

Posted Aug 13, 2008 @ 05:50 PM

Last update Aug 14, 2008 @ 06:31 AM

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WESTMORELAND -
A former Proctor Senior High School and Syracuse University basketball player has been charged with stealing a credit card from a female friend who gavehim a car ride, according to state police.

Joshua Wright, 22, of Damiano Place, Utica, was charged Aug. 1 with fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, after he allegedly took the card from hisfriend's purse in late June, state police said.

Wright then attempted to use the card to pay a $465 cell phone bill, but the card was rejected, police said.

Wright was released on an appearance ticket and is due to appear in Westmoreland Town Court on Aug. 27.

An individual identifying himself as Wright contacted the Observer-Dispatch Wednesday afternoon to deny the allegations and described the situation as a"misunderstanding."

Wright, a former two-time Observer-Dispatch Player of the Year in basketball, has been one of the most celebrated and widely-recruited basketball players tocome out of the Mohawk Valley in years.

Wright graduated from Proctor as the school's all-time scoring leader with 1,944 points, including a school-record of 56 points in one game. He averaged33.3 points per game as a senior.

Wright went on to Syracuse University, where he was the starting point guard most of the 2006-07 season. Near the end of that season, however, Wright got hurtor sick and lost the spot.

Wright claimed he was hurt near the start of last season, but then came back for a few games before leaving the team altogether. He since has been playingbasketball locally and currently is playing in the King of Kings League.

According to New York State Thruway Police, they initially received a complaint June 25 when Wright's friend reported her credit card stolen.

The woman had picked Wright up at the Syracuse Airport and was giving him a ride home on the Thruway when her purse was knocked over in the car, police said.Wright then picked up the spilled contents and put them back in the purse, she told police.

Once police questioned Wright about the woman's missing credit card, Wright acknowledged that he "inadvertently" mixed the card among his ownpossessions while gathering the purse's contents, police said.

Wright also acknowledged using the card while attempting to pay a bill, police said. Wright, however, did not know the whereabouts of the card since, policesaid.

This latest incident comes more than five years after Wright was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree criminal trespass, both misdemeanors,stemming from a July 2003 home invasion on Paris Road in New Hartford.

Wright was a 17-year-old Proctor senior at the time and had just signed a letter of intent to play at Syracuse University when he pleaded guilty in November2003 to trespass, a violation, according to O-D archives.

Wright was ordered to pay a $250 fine and $65 in fees, and granted conditional discharge.

Four other teenagers pleaded guilty to trespass, while another teenager, Tristan Short, 18, of Utica, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault.

The charges stemmed from a fight that left Benjamin Babrowicz, 18, of Utica, with severe facial injuries, according to statements filed in New Hartford Towncourt.

 

[the lowa]

I don't know if this was posted but Tristan Spurlock picks UVA rivals.com August 13th


The smile on Tristan Spurlock's face was almost visible through the telephone on Thursday night. The reason? The 6-foot-6 versatile wing verbally committedto an ACC school.

Spurlock told Rivals.com that he is headed to Virginia.


Tristan Spurlock says he is a Cavalier.
"I'm going to the University of Virginia. I'm a Cavalier," an elated Spurlock said on Wednesday night. "There was a lot of prayer and alot of family meetings with my mom and pop. I was going through all of my options and UVa has been on the longest. I joke around and say UVa has been on mesince I could dribble. They definitely made a huge push.

"I went up there for a visit and it was the first time that my mom could see the campus and it was good. It felt real good to have her up there with me.She was able to feel real comfortable at the school with me. For me, it was where I felt where my heart was at."

Spurlock also considered Georgetown, Clemson, Louisville, N.C. State and Wake Forest. The four-star prospect said he liked the bond he has formed with thecoaching staff and players.

"With coach [Dave] Leitao and coach [Bill] Courtney you feel like you are talking to family," Spurlock said. "It's not like you have totighten up when a coach calls. They are down to earth guys. They really know me as a player and they know that I'm very competitive and they know that Ilove to win. They know exactly what I want to be as a player and they know exactly what level I want to get to as a player. That really helps."

With his versatility, shooting ability and passing touch, Spurlock should help in several areas for the Cavaliers next season and beyond.

"They would like me to contribute right away, as soon as possible," he said. "They have me as a guard that can slide around and defensively Ican move around and play about three different positions. They want me to help right away."

With his college decision behind him, Spurlock said he still hasn't decided what high school he will attend for his senior year. The No. 65 ranked seniorin the country played at Montrose Christian last season.

He joins AAU teammate Jontel Evans in Virginia's 2009 recruiting class.

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Originally Posted by allen3xis

That's Hairston...that Duke fans think is a 'lock'....which if that was the case, he woulda verballed already.

Safe to say Hairston will either be a Dukie or Hoya.

Yeah.

I honestly couldn't tell ya either way.

Cause I really don't keep up w/ Basketball recruiting like I do for football....

But yeah.

This is my thing....if Hairston was in the bag....why have renewed interest in a kid who plays the exact same position?

Makes sense. I agree to a certain extent. But you know, they are never 'in the bag' until they sign that LOI.

1 things for sure, 2 things for certain... We need a strong recruiting class with a serious inside presence to bounce back where we're supposed tobe... Title Contenders

 

[krisp kicks]

Originally Posted by allen3xis


Safe to say Hairston will either be a Dukie or Hoya.

So the choice is between the best coach in the country, or (arguably) the best recruiter.

Choose the coach...

 

[allen3xis]

Is K really a better coach? (Right now)

as far as developing a 3/4 to an NBA player..

JT3 will have done that 3 times in 5 seasons after this year.

And we know recent criticism of K has been the lack of developing players.

 

[the lowa]

Don't know if people put this information up but who ever is going to be in NYC on August 22nd that is the data for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Classic atRucker Park at 8pm.

The White Squad- The Goat
1 Lance Stephenson - 2009 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-5/200 SG
5 Brandon Knight - 2010 Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-3/178 PG
8 Maalik Wayns - 2009 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-1/190 PG
9 Dexter Strickland - 2009 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-2/180 PG
10 Abdul Gaddy - 2009 Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.) 6-3/180 PG
21 Jeremy Tyler - 2010 San Diego (San Diego, Calif.) 6-9/225 PF
23 Mike Gilchrist - 2011 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-6/195 SF
24 Jereme Richmond - 2010 Waukegan (Waukegan, Ill.) 6-7/190 SF
32 Jared Sullinger - 2010 Northland (Columbus, Ohio) 6-8/240 PF
42 Durand Scott - 2009 Rice (New York, NY) 6-4/180 G
43 Tristan Thompson - 2010 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-9/215 SF

The Blue Squad- Skip To My Lou
0 Trae Golden - 2010 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-2/190 PG
1 Dominic Cheek - 2009 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 6-5/170 SG
2 Tony Wroten Jr. - 2011 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 6-5/180 SG
3 Kenny Boynton Jr. - 2009 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 6-3/190 SG
4 Derrick Favors - 2009 South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) 6-9/220 PF
9 Doron Lamb - 2010 Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-4/175 PG
10 John Wall - 2009 Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-2/188 PG
17 LaQuinton Ross - 2011 Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-8/205 SG
21 Karron Johnson - 2009 Mount Zion Academy (Durham, N.C.) 6-7/210 PF
23 Jordan Hamilton - 2009 Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) 6-7/220 SF
33 Ryan Kelly - 2009 Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-9/210 PF
50 Josh Smith - 2010 Kentwood (Covingon, Wash.) 6-9/230 C

There are going to be a lot of good players at this game. Both teams are full of players that can ball for real. I'm going to try and go to the game thatnight. In games like this guards rule so on that note I think Doron Lamb will have a monster game.

 

[tmay407]

17 LaQuinton Ross - 2011 Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-8/205 SG

Damn, that's a huge SG.

 

[allen3xis]

That kid is the damned truth.

 

[krisp kicks]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Is K really a better coach? (Right now)

as far as developing a 3/4 to an NBA player..

JT3 will have done that 3 times in 5 seasons after this year.

And we know recent criticism of K has been the lack of developing players.

I don't think there has been much NBA talent in the Duke program the past 4-5 years. But enough guys have still managed to make a roster. Since 2004Coach K has sent: Loul Deng, Duhon, Sheldon Williams, JJ, Shav, and McRoberts. Now I'm not gonna say these guys are good/great NBA players (Loul is theonly standout player). But he's still getting guys to the league. Only guy out of that list who he had difficulty developing is McRoberts, because he hadsome legit tools, but then again he couldn't put it together so it's tough to blame Coach K on that.

If you wanna look at the last 10-15 years though, I think Coach K's record of getting players to the NBA (and drafted High in Rd.1) is tough tooverlook. Then you start to see alot of highly drafted players. And Coach K isn't controlling if they have good NBA careers, he's just getting themthere.

Bottom line though is either way if you're an NBA talent, I think both coaches/programs can get you to the next level.

I'm not gonna say JT3 is a bad coach, but if I was putting my basketball future in the hands of one of them, I'd go with K.

 

[アミーゴ]

Siena is elite 8 status cuz of that d.

 

[the wizard]

Originally Posted by Krisp Kicks

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Is K really a better coach? (Right now)

as far as developing a 3/4 to an NBA player..

JT3 will have done that 3 times in 5 seasons after this year.

And we know recent criticism of K has been the lack of developing players.

I don't think there has been much NBA talent in the Duke program the past 4-5 years. But enough guys have still managed to make a roster. Since 2004 Coach K has sent: Loul Deng, Duhon, Sheldon Williams, JJ, Shav, and McRoberts. Now I'm not gonna say these guys are good/great NBA players (Loul is the only standout player). But he's still getting guys to the league. Only guy out of that list who he had difficulty developing is McRoberts, because he had some legit tools, but then again he couldn't put it together so it's tough to blame Coach K on that.

If you wanna look at the last 10-15 years though, I think Coach K's record of getting players to the NBA (and drafted High in Rd.1) is tough to overlook. Then you start to see alot of highly drafted players. And Coach K isn't controlling if they have good NBA careers, he's just getting them there.

Bottom line though is either way if you're an NBA talent, I think both coaches/programs can get you to the next level.

I'm not gonna say JT3 is a bad coach, but if I was putting my basketball future in the hands of one of them, I'd go with K.

I mean think about it this way. JT3 has been doing it for so far less of a time than Coach K is, so off of reputation sure you would have to. However, JT3gets his stars in the league. #+*! his 6th man got drafted in the 2nd round. Plus Freeman & Summers are considered to be future picks as well.