NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Why Honor Calipari's Tarnished Legacy?

David Steele — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, UMass, A-10, Coaches

"The University of Massachusetts Club reflects the diversity, professional character, and camaraderie among distinguished alumni, and their pride and passion for the University.''

So says the welcome page on the website of the Boston-based private members-only club, consisting of "alumni, faculty, staff and friends'' of UMass.

And as far as the club is concerned, there's no need to edit that statement or re-consider its definition of "professional character'' or "distinguished'' based on who it was scheduled to honor Friday evening: John Calipari.

If it's all cool with the UMass Club, with UMass, with Calipari and with the basketball program besmirched under his tenure, then nobody really has a right to complain.

Except maybe the NCAA, whose disciplinary sanctions against its rogue programs apparently strike something far less than fear in their hearts. More like mild indigestion, after too many happy-hour cocktails at the ol' alumni club. But we'll get to them in a minute.

Coach Cal is one of the two guests of honor for the "Celebrate UMass Basketball'' event Friday. What's being celebrated most, apparently, is the 1996 Final Four team coached by Calipari. What might not make it into the remarks, by anybody much less Calipari, is the fact that the results that season were vacated by the NCAA after a scandal revolving around Marcus Camby getting paid by an agent. The fact that Calipari's next Final Four team, at Memphis 12 years later, also saw its position vacated because of an SAT scandal, likely won't come up either. However, Calipari's new book, Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life (co-written by David Scott, coincidentally a UMass alumnus), will get lots of play.

So good for Coach Cal, who despite the two egregious violations of the rules on his watch has yet to have any dirt officially rub off on him, and who has parlayed the Memphis success (so to speak) into the most prestigious coaching gig in America, Kentucky. He'll sell a lot of books in his old stomping grounds, spread a lot of goodwill and, apparently, soak up a lot of love, regardless of the price paid for him and the school to attain it all. It's not as if he would have, or should have, turned the invitation down.

Which means, also, good for UMass, which is proving it has either a short memory, a massive capacity for forgiveness, or an utter disregard for the means to the end, as long as the end includes a nice banner hanging in the field house. Whatever the case, the school has made up its mind on what the word "vacated'' means, and doesn't care what anyone else thinks it means.

But what could the NCAA be thinking right now? They're gazing upon this scene from Indianapolis, at all the back-slapping, reminiscing and book-signing in honor of a program the NCAA had to drop a huge hammer onto years ago. And it's happening in the name of the university itself (although, to repeat, this is a private club without official ties to Amherst).

What next, a parade in Dallas to honor the SMU football team that got the death penalty? A formal ball in Lexington to celebrate the day the overnight envelope stuffed with cash split open? A party at the Dillard's in Tallahassee during Florida State's homecoming weekend? A hot-tub bash at UNLV?

One can only guess what Memphis might plan for Calipari if (or when) the book tour comes through that town. Maybe a big fund-raising raffle, with the winner taking the next blue-chip recruit's entrance exam for him.

Heck, as long as you're going to spit in the eye of the governing body for intercollegiate sports, you might as well do it right.

Why Honor Calipari's Tarnished Legacy? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Atlantic 10 Leaves Philly for the Money

Chas Rich — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:51:00 EST

Filed under: George Washington, UMass, Xavier, A-10, Media Watch

It isn't easy being only a basketball conference trying to compete with the major programs. No football money from the 1-A level, even to be a patsy team like the Sun Belt, MAC or the ilk. The Atlantic 10 has managed to make it work, but apparently the money is no longer there.

Reports are out that the Atlantic 10 is moving its offices to Newport News, Virginia. There are no member schools in Newport News. The closest school is Richmond. Nearly 80 miles away. The move is apparently driven by economics, as the city's development office actively courted the A-10 to move into new digs no where near any of their members.

The A-10 offices have been located in Philadelphia. It has made sense since three (LaSalle, Temple, St. Joe's) of the fourteen full members are located in Philly. Add in Duquesne in Pittsburgh and associate member West Chester, and the A-10 has its basketball tournament in Atlantic City, NJ. To say nothing of a major airport located in the area that all members could get direct flights to and from. it would appear to have little reason to move the offices from Philadelphia.

Apparently the office space in Philly, though, is just too expensive for the A-10. Wonder how many direct flights there are to the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport (a third runway coming in 2012) from the various cities .

Atlantic 10 Leaves Philly for the Money originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Atlantic-10 Had a Very Good Day

Chas Rich — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:44:00 EST

Filed under: UMass, Xavier, A-10

Nothing like a lot of wins over teams from major conference teams in one day. Even better when they are ranked teams. Today the Atlantic-10 had the kind of day that helps the entire conference. It raises the profile of the teams and the competition. At least for a while.

Temple crunched the 8th ranked Tennessee Volunteers to start things off today. That was followed by UMass beating number 25 and defending national champ Kansas 61-60 in Kansas City. Both of those games were nationally televised on ESPN.

For the nightcap, Xavier took down Cinci 76-66 in the Crosstown shootout. An ugly, trash-talking, technical foul-filled game. Three A-10 programs taking down teams from three different power conferences. All being aired nationally. Of course, good luck at finding a conference game being aired on TV once conference play gets underway.

The rest of the conference went 6-2 today. Duquesne nearly pulled off an upset over West Virginia in Morgantown, but that fell short. There are some good teams and plenty of talented young coaches that have been overshadowed by Xavier's Sean Miller. Not to mention good coaches at other schools that have been almost forgotten nationally (Rick Majerus, St. Louis) or just are never looking to jump somewhere else (Phil Martelli, St. Joe's and Fran Dunphy, Temple).

The A-10 was here as recently as last year. They had a fantastic December as teams like Dayton, St. Joe's, UMass, Rhode Island, Charlotte and of course, Xavier all had big wins out of conference. All made noise and spurred dreams of going to the NCAA. Then came conference play and things fell apart. Except for Xavier, there seemed to be little separation among the fourteen programs. Teams rose and fell every week. By the end of the season, three teams made it to the NCAA Tournament only because Temple stunned everyone to win the A-10 Tournament and the automatic bid.

Atlantic-10 Had a Very Good Day originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Doug Wiggins Wastes No Time Proving Why UConn Got Rid of Him

Chas Rich — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:44:00 EST

Filed under: UMass, A-10, Police Blotter

Really? It is not even December, yet Doug Wiggins could not make it to the second semester before getting into trouble at UMass.

According to MassLive.com and other sources, the Amherst town police log recorded that Wiggins had been arrested on a misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering early Saturday morning.

The report said he was found inside the bathroom of another person's home.

UMass has suspended Wiggins indefinitely. He had transferred from UConn over the summer, so he was sitting out this season, per the rules on transferring.

At UConn he had been suspended from the team a couple of times including last winter for underage possession of alcohol. At the conclusion of UConn's season, Wiggins was all but shown the door by Jim Calhoun.

So much for the fresh start at UMass for Wiggins. On Wiggins' profile for UMass, there are a series of questions and answers, with a real beauty.

Best Part about Living in Amherst: Nothing around to get you in trouble.

Nothing, except himself.

Doug Wiggins Wastes No Time Proving Why UConn Got Rid of Him originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Atlantic-10 Commissioner Has a Lot of Work Ahead of Her

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:18:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball

The Atlantic 10 is one of those interesting conferences: they sit on the fringe of major status, have some of the smallest schools in the top tier of college hoops and has quite the geographic stretch.

This is a conference that once housed West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Villanova and Rutgers ... and now is made up of 14 schools (10 of which are private schools) and not all of them are on the same page. Once a primarily eastern seaboard league, it now has two members in the Cincinnati area (Dayton, Xavier) and St. Louis. Yet, even those markets barely know the conference exists.

Sporting News' Mike DeCoursey touched on this in a recent column:

Last March, living in an Atlantic 10 city (Cincinnati) and subscribing to just about every satellite and cable package that could expand the college basketball available to my household (ESPN FullCourt, FOX College Sports, CSTV, DirecTV Sports Pack), I could not watch any A-10 tournament games except those involving Xavier and the title game shown on ESPN.

I, also, live in the Cincinnati area and it is tough to see anything A-10 related ... outside of the logo on the floor at the Dayton Arena or Xavier's Cintas Center. There is nothing to hype up the league or to inform anyone who's actually in the conference.

I, also, attended UNC-Charlotte who is a member of the Atlantic-10 as well. Charlotte is ACC country and something like the Atlantic-10 is looked at worse than the USBL. Especially since this was a school that are watching former C-USA rivals in the Big East or in the Final Four. And the 49ers haven't done squat in this league!

This isn't some backwoods conference. This league has markets in Charlotte, Cincinnati (two teams), New York City, Philadelphia (two teams), Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington, DC. The problem is that going to an A-10 game doesn't sit very high on the pyramid of "sports things to do" in those cities.

The new commish knows this, since she comes from the ACC. She, Bernadette McGlade, should be able to get the A-10 some exposure. After all, she's been in the most TV-friendly conference in the nation ... and also worked on the $6 billion deal that netted CBS the NCAA Tournament.

However, this league isn't just stretched geographically ... but in ideology as well. The 14 schools seem to each have a different mission for their programs. You have Temple with one foot in the Mid-American Conference; UNC-Charlotte working on feelers for a football program (if they get that, they will bolt as soon as they can); and a growing feeling around the "elite" schools that the league would be better if Fordham and St. Bonaventure were kicked out and league went to just twelve members.

Of course, at the top of the agenda is exposure. The hiring of McGlade should go a long way to doing that. She's shown to be a damn good media person and will/must convince the conference members to schedule more elite games. She takes over a league that saw Xavier have a strong season that ended in a Regional Final. Temple is a known commodity. Dayton, for a while, had an outstanding season. And the conference had one of its most competetive seasons in years.

This is a conference that could burst open in the next few years. Or burst apart.

New Atlantic-10 Commissioner Has a Lot of Work Ahead of Her originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Former Minuteman Derek Kellogg to Be Named UMass Coach on Wednesday

Josh Alper — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Travis Ford's brief run as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts helped the Minutemen back to respectability. His teams won more than 20 games each of the last two seasons and the program returned to the top of the Atlantic 10. He left for Oklahoma State, though, and the team faced a difficult decision about who would do the best job of keeping them at a level unreached since John Calipari left the school.

They could hire a second-tier coach with a winning pedigree, promote an assistant from within or reach into the past for a guy who represents that proud era mentioned above. The Minutemen appear to have chosen door number three and will announce former UMass guard Derek Kellogg as their next coach tomorrow.

Kellogg will be a popular hire. He's a local celebrity and has been an assistant at Memphis for the last eight seasons. UMass obviously hopes the recruiting skills he used to help the Tigers to the finals will keep the talent flowing to Amherst. You have to wonder if the Minutemen couldn't have accomplished all that and brought in a guy with head coaching experience to boot.

Tony Barbee, who also played for the Minutemen under Calipari, has been the head coach at UTEP for the past two seasons and was on Memphis's bench with Kellogg before getting that job. Barbee withdrew from consideration late last week, though, but Gary Parrish of CBSsports.com reports that the decision may not have been all his.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com it wasn't as much about Barbee not being interested as it was about Barbee being told he probably shouldn't be interested any longer by his former boss John Calipari. In other words, the sources said Calipari strongly suggested -- which is a nice way of writing "pretty much demanded" -- Barbee get out of the way of Kellogg, a Memphis assistant who, like Barbee, is a former player at UMass under Calipari.

It's good of Calipari to help his assistants like that but it is interesting that he'd want to keep Barbee in conference. Unless he thinks he won't be able to do much at UTEP, that is, in which case you'd have to think twice about predicting huge success for Kellogg.

Former Minuteman Derek Kellogg to Be Named UMass Coach on Wednesday originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Travis Ford Leaves UMass for Oklahoma State

Michael David Smith — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State Basketball, Umass Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Travis Ford is leaving UMass to take the head-coaching job at Oklahoma State, ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is reporting:

That's an awfully quick change of mind for Ford, who less than a week ago said he was sticking with UMass. But Oklahoma State has the backing of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, which means the Cowboys can give coaches financial offers that make the six-figure deals of UMass look like chump change.

Ford, who previously turned down LSU, reportedly will meet with his players today to tell them he's leaving. Ford has a 62-35 record in three seasons at UMass and led them to a loss in the NIT title game this year. He replaces Sean Sutton, who resigned after failing to reach the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008.

Travis Ford Leaves UMass for Oklahoma State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Travis Ford Turns Down Another Offer to Remain at UMass

Charles Rich — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big East Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

UMass weathered the Western Kentucky and then LSU interest in Travis Ford. Then as things settled Providence came calling with a sizable offer -- at least double his base salary at UMass of $400,000.

Ford actually toured the Providence campus and their athletic facilities on Wednesday. He returned back to Amherst with an offer, by all accounts. UMass could not match the money, but did offer a raise and more years. Ultimately -- and perhaps a little surprisingly -- Ford opted to remain at UMass. The announcement was made that he was staying just before the UMass Team Banquet.

"As all of you know, we've gone through the last couple of days with a great deal of anticipation," said [Athletic Director John] McCutcheon. "We would like everyone to know that Travis Ford, our head men's basketball coach, will be with us for many years to come. Obviously this has been a tremendous year for the basketball program advancing to the NIT Championship. We have made great strides here over the last couple of years and we look forward to making many more. We could not be more excited about the future in front of us."

This is great news for UMass as they have shown steady improvement under Ford. While they haven't made the NCAA Tournament, they have gotten better each year and reached the NIT the last two and tied for the best record in the A-10 this season.

Of course, if UMass keeps getting better, this will remain an annual event and at some point Ford will leave for the money and opportunity. Providence, clearly, wasn't that big opportunity.

Travis Ford Turns Down Another Offer to Remain at UMass originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UMass Blogger Doesn't Appreciate Travis Ford to LSU Rumors

Josh Alper — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Umass Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Gossip

Even though there are a few games left to play before a champion is crowned, the college basketball coaching carousel is alive and spinning. In the SEC, South Carolina hired Darrin Horn but they aren't the only league school looking for a new coach. LSU needs one too and may also end up with a Kentucky native on their bench.

Travis Ford of UMass has been named by more than one outlet as the leading candidate for the Tiger job. The timing, UMass plays the NIT final tonight, doesn't sit right with Erik Gallant at Minuteblog.

If you are going to blow a journalistic raspberry on a team on the verge of one of the biggest games in school history, please either offer an iron-clad guarantee of accuracy, or provide sources for the information.

I understand the desire for an unfettered run-up to a championship game but this is the nature of the beast. LSU's President used to be the President at UMass, Ford has done good things at UMass and is well-known around the SEC because of his days at Kentucky. This isn't wild speculation, then, but well-reasoned reportage using sources, anonymous though they be, to back it up.

UMass fans must dread losing Ford just as he's put the program back on good footing but I'd guess it's going to happen. They can take solace in the fact that the rumors didn't hurt them against Florida on Tuesday, at least, and hope Ford leaves on a winning note.

UMass Blogger Doesn't Appreciate Travis Ford to LSU Rumors originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku Shoots the Ugliest Free Throw Ever

Michael David Smith — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:43:00 EST

Filed under: Syracuse Basketball, Umass Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video

This is Syracuse forward/center Arinze Onuaku at the free throw line in last night's NIT game against UMass:

Did Onuaku think he was standing at the top of the key or something? Onuaku shot 44% from the line this season, but he actually managed to go 2-for-4 last night, boosting his average in the final game of the season. Fan IQ is wondering how Memphis coach John Calipari failed to land Onuaku.

Syracuse led by 22 in the second half last night before blowing the game to UMass. Free throw shooting was far from the only reason, but doesn't it seem like Syracuse has been terrible at shooting free throws for 30 years?

Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku Shoots the Ugliest Free Throw Ever originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NIT Selection: Prove You Were Snubbed

Charles Rich — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Ohio State Basketball, Syracuse Basketball, Umass Basketball, ACC Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Virginia Tech Basketball, MVC Basketball, Ole Miss Basketball, Arizona State Basketball

What? You didn't know the NIT announced their bids tonight as well? They were. If you were a fan of a bubble team that didn't make it, now is the chance to at least make a good showing that you were the most deserving team left out of the NCAA Tournament.

#1 seeds: Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Syracuse
#2 seeds: Florida, Illinois State, Ole Miss, UMass
#3 seeds: Creighton, Florida State, Dayton, Nebraska
#4 seeds: Minnesota, Cal, SIU, VCU
#5 seeds: Oklahoma State, Maryland, New Mexico, UAB
#6 seeds: Rhode Island, Akron, Cleveland State, Charlotte
#7 seeds: San Diego State, Stephen F. Austin, Utah State, UC-Santa Barbara
#8 seeds: Alabama State, Robert Morris, Morgan State, UNC-Asheville

Not much else to say. This is as big an indictment of how weak the bubble really was when you look at this list. Only a couple of these teams have any sort of argument that they were screwed by the NCAA Tournament.

NIT Selection: Prove You Were Snubbed originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Doesn't Anyone Want to Get Off the Bubble?

Charles Rich — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:15:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Umass Basketball, Oregon Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big East Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, MWC Basketball, Arizona State Basketball

This is a little ridiculous. The NCAA Tournament selection is only a few days away and few teams are doing much to make a case. It's getting so that the argument by fans of bubble teams will come down to, "My team sucks less."

The major and semi-major conference tournaments finished first or second round action, and one thing was very clear. All of these teams are bubble teams for a reason. They just aren't that good and they can't close the deal.

Villanova follows up a big win over Syracuse with an equally big loss to Georgetown.
Arizona State (with a little help from the Pac-10 refs -- of course) loses again to USC.
Baylor had to stage a second half comeback to lose in double-OT to Colorado.
Florida had to make a furious comeback to lose to Alabama by 11.
Dayton couldn't make a case against Xavier.
UAB probably needed to at least make the C-USA final, goes out in its first game.
UMass collapsed in the second half against Charlotte.
Oregon couldn't beat Washington State in a win-and-in type game.
Maryland fell apart (again) in the second half to hand it to Boston College.
Ole Miss cames back several times only to give up an easy basket just before the buzzer in OT for a Georgia win.
New Mexico couldn't close it in OT, losing to Utah.

South Alabama and VCU are feeling a lot better tonight. Heck, Virginia Tech suddenly has a legitimate case. Ohio State and Arkansas, it's your turn on Friday.

Doesn't Anyone Want to Get Off the Bubble? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Too Much of a Good Thing Is a Bad Thing: An Atlantic 10 Tournament Preview

Josh Alper — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, March Madness

Until Eliot Spitzer found his way to the Emperors Club, the Atlantic 10 had the inside track on the biggest fade from glory in 2008. Entering the year with dreams of four or more bids in the NCAA Tournament, conference play has brought about an end to those dreams. Cannibalization, attrition and plain old underachieving make the possibility of just one bid an uncomfortably real one.

We know Xavier is dancing. They could lose their first game and still be assured of a spot in the tournament. It would really hurt their seeding but they've done more than enough to get in. They will probably be joined by one more team. There's an outside chance at three but the WCC, CAA and Sun Belt upsets don't help that cause any more than Rhode Island and Dayton playing mediocre basketball for the past three months.

As bizarre as it may sound, the league's overall ability is a liability. According to Basketball Prospectus, there's a better chance of 10-seed Duquesne making the tourney final than four-seed Richmond and only a 22% chance that Xavier and Temple, the top two teams, meet in the finals.

So who is going to get that second bid?

Dayton and Rhode Island each spent time in the Top 25 and got lots of love but unless they win the auto bid they're NIT bound. Same goes for Saint Joseph's which couldn't play consistent enough basketball to get 10 wins in the league. No team with less than 10 wins has gotten an invite to the dance since 1994 and there's too many other good bubblers for that to change this season.

UMass has the inside track on a second bid. They've got the right mix of RPI (40), conference record (10-6) and momentum (six straight wins to end the year). But those 10 conference wins include zero against Xavier or Temple, the second place team, which makes it a very soft 10 indeed. .

Temple was very impressive in league play, including a 19-point pasting of Xavier. They also played a very challenging out of conference schedule, something you always like to see. You also like to see a team win some of those games, though, and Temple didn't do that.

Assuming each wins their first game, they'll play in the semis at Atlantic City on Friday. That's a big assumption, though. As we've mentioned, the parity in the A-10 is beyond belief and while that means great basketball, it could also mean just one bid.

Too Much of a Good Thing Is a Bad Thing: An Atlantic 10 Tournament Preview originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Who The Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 3

Charles Rich — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Davidson Basketball, WAC Basketball

There seems to be a larger than usual pool of teams across the college basketball landscape from the non-power conferences that could make their own case for an at-large bid. These are some of the conferences that have teams that could pop other teams bubbles if they don't win their conference tournament. Part 1 and Part 2.

As teams like Ohio State and Virgina Tech make a stronger case to be in the NCAA Tournament, attention will focus on teams from the other conferences that might make the Tournament even if they don't win their conference tournament and the automatic bid.
Summit:
Hope wins: Oral Roberts (62nd RPI, 7-3 last 10, beat Oklahoma St.).
Watch out for: IUPUI. Probably hotter than ORU right now. 74th in RPI, beat UMass in their non-con, split with ORU and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Oral Roberts loss to North Dakota State this past weekend probably makes this a one-bid conference regardless. But with an RPI in the same vicinity as Florida, Maryland, Villanova, Arizona St., St. Joe's and other bubble teams; it's not that comfortable.

Southern:
Hope wins: Davidson (44th RPI, 10-0 last 10, 8th in non-con SOS).
Watch out for: Georgia Southern or Chattanooga. Neither school has a particularly good RPI, and since Davidson was a perfect 20-0 in the SoCon, it's not like either team could claim to have beaten the Wildcats. Still, these are the teams most likely to pull the upset. Chattanooga ranked 1st in non-con SOS. Georgia Southern beat UAB and Cleveland State in their non-con and lost by only 3 to Florida in Gainesville.

WAC:
Hope wins: Nevada (79th RPI, 7-3 last 10 games) or Utah St. (84th RPI, games remaining against Nevada and Boise St. can boost their RPI and resume).
Watch out for: New Mexico St. or Boise St. The WAC is looking increasingly like a one-bid conference this year, but why chance it. Especially with Nevada's consistency in recent years. New Mexico St. could be the most dangerous in the WAC Tournament with their squad finally past all those NCAA academic issues and getting some chemistry and cohesion. Boise St., though, has actually been the best team in the WAC including sweeping Nevada, but they have a poor RPI of 97.

Atlantic-10:
Hope wins: Xavier (#8 AP Poll, #11 Coaches Poll, 6th RPI, 10-0 last 10 games).
Probably acceptable: Dayton (35th RPI, 4th non-con RPI, beat Louisville and Pitt) or UMass (39th RPI, beat Houston and road wins over Syracuse and Boston College). Both have struggled mightily in the conference slate, but if they were in a power conference, they would be safe. Now, likely but not assured.
Watch out for: Rhode Island or St. Joe's. In January, the A-10 looked like it could get 4 or 5 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Rams and Hawks are 4-6 and 5-5 respectively in the past 10 games to drag their RPIs below 55 and weak bubble teams likely to be on the outside. Still, both teams have have shown they can win against good teams earlier in the season.

Who The Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 3 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NIT Or NCAA: Massachusetts

Josh Alper — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, March Madness

Throughout the season we'll look at bubble teams and assess whether they have a better chance of ending up in the NIT or NCAA Tournament.

Team: Massachusetts Minutemen

Record: 19-9 (8-6 A-10)

Good Wins: at Syracuse, at Dayton, Houston, swept Rhode Island

Bad Losses: at Northern Iowa, Fordham, swept by Saint Joseph's

Comments: Like everyone in the A-10 that isn't Xavier, UMass has had moments where they look like a team that could make waves in the tournament and those where the NIT seems like a stretch. The wins over URI and Dayton are big in a league that increasingly looks like a bad bet to land more than two teams in the dance.

Other Views: They rank 39th in RPI, 54th on Basketball State, 74th in Pomeroy Ratings and 56th in Sagarin Ratings.

Outlook: If UMass can win their final two regular season games, and get some help from Temple, they will finish no worse than tied for second in the A-10. They'd also have six straight wins to close the year, no small effort in what's been one of the tightest conference races in the whole country. Unless they stumble twice more, regular season or A-10 tourney, they should eke out a bid thanks to the overall strength of the conference.

NIT Or NCAA: Massachusetts originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The A-10 Implosion Continues

Josh Alper — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball

Remember the heady days of December when people were wondering if the Atlantic 10 was going to get five or even six teams into the NCAA tournament? Those dreams turned out to be as real as Santa Claus, that other December figment of imagination. With the end of the road in sight, the conference is looking like it will be lucky to keep three teams in the dance.

It's not hard to see Xavier being joined by only one compatriot. Rhode Island? Losers of two straight at home, swept by UMass and without a single quality league win. Dayton? Injuries have ravaged this once promising outfit but there's a limit to how much courtesy the committee will extend to a team that's got a losing conference record. Last night's loss to La Salle may have been their death knell. Saint Joseph's? They were looking hot for a while but have hit a cold spell and, with a RPI of 54, they are going to find it very hard to jump off the bubble.

That leaves UMass, which was impressive in Rhode Island yesterday. They forced 20 turnovers in the 98-91 win and had three players finish with more than 20 points. They can pressure all over the court and, when on, look as good as any team. They are off just as often as they're on, though, which in this conference leaves you quite vulnerable.

It's fitting that the tournament is in Atlantic City because it's a total crapshoot at this point.

The A-10 Implosion Continues originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Atlantic 10 Keeps Creating Questions Instead of Answers

Josh Alper — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball

There are but a handful of games left to play in the Atlantic-10 season and there's only two things we know for sure. One, more than one team will be dancing come March and, two, Xavier and Rhode Island will be two of them. The Musketeers won their seventh straight last night even though Stanley Burrell and Drew Lavender struggled in Charlotte. Josh Duncan nailed a three with 16 seconds to play and they outlasted the 49ers 62-60.

Winning in all conditions is what makes the Musketeers head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Even the Rams, a lock to my eyes, can't win on the road with consistency. At least they got to overtime before losing to Temple last night. Dayton, unable to compete after Chris Wright's injury, can't even defend their home court anymore.

They dropped a 63-61 decision against Duquesne, which now leads them by two games. It's hard to make a compelling case for why the Flyers should make the tournament and leave the Dukes at home. When you win your games should and does matter in the final reckoning. Yes, Dayton beat Louisville and Pittsburgh but they are 4-6 in league play. Duquesne, on the other hand, is peaking at the right time, even if their best early win was against Niagara.

Another team winning at the right time is Temple.

The Owls had a middling nonconference run but they've beaten Xavier, Rhode Island and UMass in league play. They don't pass the smell test defensively but deserve at least as much consideration as the Minutemen, who can't put together good efforts in back to back games. They've got an easy schedule to close out A-10 play but a couple of lapses could slip them into the muck.

UMass and Dayton both rate above Saint Joseph's in RPI but that says more about that metric's failings than the Hawks. The two former teams stay high because they keep losing to good A-10 teams while St. Joe's is still paying for their early slate. There's been no comparison since conference play began, however, and the Hawks are the best, most consistent offensive team in the league.

If the season ended today, I'd say that the Hawks and Minutemen should join XU and URI in the dance with Dayton left on the outside. But I've more or less given up trying to make heads or tails of it and will just sit back and watch how everything plays out over the last few weeks.

Atlantic 10 Keeps Creating Questions Instead of Answers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Massachusetts Is the A-10 Team of the Week

Josh Alper — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

It's been a topsy-turvy week in the Atlantic 10 but one team coming out of it smelling like roses is UMass. The Minutemen followed up a win in Dayton with an 86-79 home win over Charlotte to leave themselves in a tie atop the conference. The only other team, save the Temple-Saint Louis winner today, to win both A-10 games this week is Fordham and the Rams didn't take home the pelts that the Minutemen did.

UMass won both games because no one can keep up with their guards. On Wednesday, Dayton sent the Minutemen to the line 36 times and yesterday they made 44 trips against the Niners. If they were a halfway decent foul shooting team, they'd be blowing out every team they played. Instead they hit 29-of-44 and keep games closer than they have any right being. The 49ers shot just 36% for the game but it wasn't settled until the final minutes.

Even though Charlotte plays just as fast as the Minutemen, they were no match in the quickness department. Chris Lowe's drives would find Ricky Harris for threes or Dante Milligan inside and each crippled the 49ers hopes of remaining unbeaten in league play. Harris knocked down four deep balls and Milligan went to the line 14 times to provide big chunks of the offense.

Of the other teams in the A-10, Xavier would seem best suited to slow down the UMass attack. Drew Lavender is quick as can be, they have size inside and can defend the perimeter very well. None of that helped them in an embarassing loss to Temple on Wednesday but they redeemed some of their luster in D.C. yesterday. The 74-66 win over GW wasn't perfect but it was a win. It should concern Sean Miller that his team has now played mediocre basketball in three of four league games, however, with none against the filet of the conference.

Perhaps its a natural letdown after such a whirlwind start to the season but the Musketeers have to be better to avoid picking up too many random losses here and there. They play Dayton and then go to Amherst to check out the Minutemen this week. If a return to top-flight competition doesn't get their game in order, there could be problems in Cincinnati.

Massachusetts Is the A-10 Team of the Week originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Atlantic 10 Round Up

Josh Alper — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

Day one of the Atlantic 10's conference season was a good one. So good, in fact, that they didn't even let the start of league play stop them from knocking off another ACC school. Charlotte went into Clemson and whipped the Tigers 82-72 to even their record against the conference to 2-2 on the season. While that's a good thing for the A-10 and the Niners, it's a bad thing for those of us who wrote that Charlotte's inconsistency has made them a little disappointing this season. At least we saved ourselves by pointing out Leemire Goldwire's skills. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the upset.

On the league front, there was a dandy of an opener in Dayton where the #22 Flyers played host to #20 Rhode Island in a thriller. The Rams cut a 13-point Dayton lead to four with 90 seconds to play but Marcus Johnson nailed a three on the next trip downcourt and the home team escaped 92-83. Brian Roberts was also huge down the stretch for Dayton. Despite the full attention of the Ram defense that forced him into seven turnovers, Roberts scored nine points in the final two and a half minutes to keep his team in front.

That defense was a key for Rhode Island all night. They forced 18 turnovers overall but it came with a downside.

Will Daniels picked up his fourth foul with just under six to play. That forced him to the bench in the midst of a dominant second half when Daniels picked up 15 of his 25 points. Jimmy Baron added 26 to keep the pressure on but if Daniels was in the game the result may have been quite different.

Dayton didn't take advantage of their 28 trips to the line, making just 19 free throws. That's been a problem all season for the Flyers and kept the game close in spite of their 62% shooting from the floor and 11 three pointers. If they can't take advantage of those chances, they'll lose one of these tight games and hurt their chances at the conference crown.

St. Joseph's 98, UMass 92 - I may have gotten a bit of comeuppance from Charlotte but the Hawks made me look quite prescient indeed. My dark horse got monster games from Ahmed Nivins and Pat Calathes to pull off a statement road win in their first conference outing. Nivins had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Calathes scored 21 and grabbed 15 caroms and the Hawks held on after blowing most of a 17-point edge.

Xavier 83, St. Bonaventure 68 - The Musketeers are lucky they saved an uneven outing for a game against one of the lower-tier teams in the A-10. Their offense seemed out of sync all night, only two players scored in double figures and Sean Miller lambasted them after the game for their lack of focus. Still, B.J. Raymond hit five threes and C.J. Anderson joined him with 21 points to give Xavier enough to get by on Wednesday.

Duquesne 74, Fordham 62 - The Dukes overcame the long arm of Bryant Dunston to open league play with a victory. Dunston blocked eight shots but Shawn James still found enough interior space to score 14 while Reggie Jackson hit three threes to take care of perimeter scoring.

Atlantic 10 Round Up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Atlantic 10 Preview

Josh Alper — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

There's been no doubt about which mid major conference has been the biggest surprise to this point of the season. The Atlantic 10 has played the eighth toughest non-conference slate in the country and has a sparkling 113-65 record to show for their efforts. They've beaten teams from just about every one of the power conferences, they've won on the road and at neutral sites and reclaimed the standard that they ceded to the Missouri Valley conference in recent years.

You have to go back to 2004 to find a year when the league landed more than two teams in the big dance and, entering this season, it didn't seem like things would be all that different. Everyone knew Xavier is a consistently strong program but it was hard to find too many bullish projections about a second team that should be making March plans. What a difference two months make.

As of right now, it's almost impossible to see the league landing fewer than four teams in the tournament. Seven teams are in the top 67 of the RPI, three teams in the Top 25 and they've compiled so many quality wins that, barring a complete collapse by two of the front-runners, anything less would be criminal.

Let's break it down:

CONTENDERS

Xavier has to be the first team mentioned because of what they've shown us to this point in the season. There aren't many teams that bring an attack as balanced as the Musketeers. They have six players scoring in double figures, four players averaging five or more rebounds, the most efficient offense in the nation and a solid defense.
Dayton entered this season with a chip on its shoulder after missing out on a NIT bid last March. They've put that chip to good use this season. They are seventh in RPI thanks to wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh and have just an away loss to George Mason darkening their record. They have issues to work out with their free throw shooting and defense but they might have the league's best player in Brian Roberts.
Rhode Island was too young to do anything last season but their players grew on the job and coach Jim Baron scheduled very well. Games against B.C., Providence and Syracuse challenged them, they won the latter two, while the rest of the schedule was made up of winnable games without dropping too low in competition. They play a very fast pace and have improved by leaps and bounds defensively, a good mix for conference play.
Massachusetts has spent a long time wandering in the forest but have finally returned to relevance. They play at an even faster pace than URI, not surprising given Travis Ford's pedigree, and have the conference's best backcourt. Their defense is a concern, they're allowing 77.4 points a game, as is their rebounding which means they're going to have to outscore everyone or fall out of contention.

DARK HORSE

St. Joseph's doesn't have the gaudy records or cornerstone victories of the four teams listed above but shouldn't be counted out because of that. The Hawks can really shoot the ball and Phil Martelli is a smart, experienced coach with a few tricks up his sleeve as well. Basketball State, a new and valuable resource, has devised their own rating system of merit and St. Joe's ranks above the other teams in the conference, something to keep in mind if they pull an upset or two.

SECOND TIER

Duquesne's defense makes them a strong contender for that dark horse spot but they just turn the ball over too much to count on against strong defenses night in and night out. That D and their frantic pace will make them a nightmare to play, though.
Temple's Fran Dunphy has the makings of a good team but it's at least a year too soon for the Owls. They are terrible defensively and play too sloppy on offense, hallmarks of a youthful team and of a team not ready to contend.
It's fun to have Rick Majerus back on the sidelines but the Billikens aren't strong enough to hang in a conference this loaded at the top.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Charlotte wasn't expected to be great but then they knocked off Wake Forest and Davidson, raising eyebrows and expectations. Those were negated by losses to Monmouth, Hofstra and Tulsa, though. Strong defensively, the 49ers suffer from serious issues putting the ball in the basket.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Drew Lavender is the best of the X-Men and a joy to watch running their offense. Roberts is a big-time scorer who hits 46.9% of his three-point tries. Will Daniels of URI is a rugged forward who scores and rebounds all night. UMass' backcourt troika of Gary Forbes, Ricky Harris and Chris Lowe is relentless offensively and Forbes adds 7.6 rebounds to his 20 points. He'll contend with Temple's Dionte Christmas for the league's scoring crown. Bryant Dunston of Fordham matches interior scoring with nearly three blocks a game. That's good but Shawn James of Duquesne rejects 4.4 a night so don't drive on him. It takes Leemire Goldwire a lot of shots (36.3% shooting) but the Niner gets his points by hook or crook, while Ahmad Nivins of the Hawks lacks only opportunity. He's hitting 64% of his shots but averaging just 13.7 points a game.

Atlantic 10 Preview originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments