NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Teams Announced For 2009 'Bracket Busters'

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: Butler, Creighton, Davidson, George Mason, Nevada, WCC, Wichita State, Mid-Majors, MVC, Fans, Media Watch

Update 2/2/09: The 2009 BracketBusters matchups have been announced.

The Bracket Busters is a series that began in 2003 and was designed to pit mid-majors in inter-conference battles late in the regular season. With ESPN tied in, it brings national TV audiences to places they may normally not go.

It helps these teams immensely by getting them exposure, pumping up their RPI numbers and answers some of those questions about the strength of these mid-major conferences.

102 teams were named to be in this year's event ... which will take place on February 20-21.

The marquee name will be Davidson College, home of Stephen Curry and a Wildcats team that were a shot away from getting to the Final Four.

Other big time mid-majors include Butler, Drake, San Diego, Nevada, St. Mary's, Bucknell and George Mason.

Matchups will be set on February 9th. After the jump are the teams that are participating.Home teams: Ball State, Boston, Bowling Green, Bucknell, Cal Poly, Central Michigan, Creighton, Davidson, Drake, Drexel, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Fairfield, Georgia Southern, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana State, James Madison, Kent State, Long Beach State, Loyola-IL, Marist, Murray State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Niagara, Old Dominion, Portland State, Rider, San Diego, San Jose State, Siena, Southeast Missouri, St. Mary's, Tennessee State, Towsom, UC-Davis, UC-Santa Barbara, UIC, UNC-Wilmington, UT-Martin, UW-Milwaukee, Valpo, Vermont, Western Michigan, Wichita State, William & Mary, Winthrop, Wright State and Youngstown State.

Away teams: Akron, Appalachian State, Austin Peay, Boise State, Bradley, Buffalo, Butler, Canisius, Cleveland State, CS-Fullerton, CS-Northridge, Delaware, Detroit, Eastern Illinois, Elon, FDU, Fresno State, George Mason, Hartford, Hofstra, Illinois State, Iona, Jacksonville State, Loyola-MD, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Gardner-Webb, Manhattan, Miami-OH, Missouri State, Montana State, Morehead State, Morgan State, North Dakota State, Northeastern, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio, Pacific, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, St. Peter's, Tennessee Tech, Toledo, UC-Irvine, UC-Riverside, UMBC, Utah State, UW-Green Bay and VCU

Teams Announced For 2009 'Bracket Busters' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MVC Round Up

Josh Alper — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball, MVC Basketball

Tuesday night belonged to New Hampshire, the Big East and the Big Ten but there was one mid major conference holding court as well. The Missouri Valley played three games, highlighted by the most recent Jekyll and Hyde performance by Southern Illinois. When they lose, the Salukis shoot poorly and turn the ball over in bushels. Last night, they shot 67% in the first half and gave it away 11 times and, thus, cruised past Bradley 77-64 in Carbondale.

Matt Shaw led the way with 18 points but five Salukis were in double-figures thanks to a focus on ball control. Bryan Mullins had seven assists, which led to good shots, trips to the free throw line and a key win in their attempt to make a run at the MVC crown. As always, their defense was in fine form.

Bradley, playing their fourth straight without point guard Daniel Ruffin, turned the ball over 18 times. Sam Maniscalco, playing more minutes in Ruffin's absence, had six of them. That's why, even as SIU's shooting dipped to 27% in the second half, Bradley couldn't cut into their 18-point halftime lead. Bradley's lost six straight and Ruffin's hernia surgery appears to be the nail in the coffin of their season.

Illinois State 51, Northern Iowa 46 - The Redbirds used a big first half to take control of the game and then held on late to improve to 4-0 in the MVC. ISU led 36-19 at the break but then saw their shooting go into the tank as the Panthers went on a 22-3 run to make it 47-46 in the closing minutes. The Redbirds hit their free throws to ice the game but must be concerned about their failure to make more than one shot over the final 13 minutes of play. Their lack of rebounding should also irk them but they can rest easy about a defense that caused turnovers on a quarter of NIU's possessions.

Missouri State 71, Wichita State 47 - Dale Lamberth had the best night of his career and the Bears routed the Shockers to improve to 2-2 in league. Lamberth came off the bench to score 27 points, including six three-pointers, and the Bears were never threatened on their home court. They made 11-of-23 threes overall, a shooting barrage all too typical against Wichita this season. Their defense has been abysmal and looks like it will keep them in the second tier of the MVC.

MVC Round Up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MVC Round Up

Josh Alper — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball, Creighton Basketball, MVC Basketball

I think it's safe to say that the Missouri Valley Conference season isn't playing out as predicted. Southern Illinois , Bradley and Creighton got most of the preseason talk and even though conventional wisdom held that it would be hard to find a second tournament-worthy team after the Salukis, people assumed that there would be quite a fight between those teams.

Reality has proven to be quite different. If SIU doesn't win the tourney, they ain't playing in the postseason, Bradley is 0-3 in conference after losing to Wichita State, which only improved to 1-2. Creighton has the same lackluster mark after squeezing past Missouri State 50-49 yesterday and the teams to watch are Drake, Indiana State and Illinois State.

Illinois State struck the biggest blow yesterday by sending Southern Illinois to another loss, 56-47 at Redbird Arena. Levi Dyer and Osiris Eldridge, two All-MVC candidates who come off the bench for Tim Jankovich, combined to hit seven three-pointers and bury the Salukis. The 'Birds led 31-13 at the half as SIU turned in their customary nightmarish offensive performance. Joshua Bone missed all eight of his shots, the team was 13-of-50 overall and they turned the ball over 21 times in a stomach-turning and all too common display of ineptitude.

In Terre Haute, Larry Bird's alma mater dropped Northern Iowa 74-56 to join Illinois State at 3-0. The Sycamores started the game on a 14-2 run and led by as many as 27 in handing the Panthers their first MVC loss. They did it by shooting the three, 13-of-24, and by getting another complete performance from Gabe Moore. He filled the box score with seven points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals to complement Jay Tunnell's 19 points.

Drake didn't play yesterday, they face Evansville in their shot at 3-0 today and then host the Sycamores on Thursday. That game is looking like a biggie in deciding the regular season champion, but is it too soon to count out the Shockers? They shot 64% from the floor yesterday and beat Bradley 80-73 in Peoria to right their ship a bit. They were down eight at the half to the Braves, who relied on 12 threes for their offense, but held a 38-22 rebounding edge and wore down the home team. The Shockers had such a topsy turvy offseason, with Sean Ogirri transferring and Mark Turgeon leaving, that they may only now be finding themselves. They've got experience in P.J. Cousinard and, if he gets healthy, Mark Braeuer to go with some intriguing newcomers. They could come on strong as the MVC season progresses.

MVC Round Up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opening Night in the Missouri Valley

Josh Alper — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wichita State Basketball, Creighton Basketball, MVC Basketball

The MVC took a hit on Friday night when A.J. Graves' three gave Butler a win in Carbondale but the conference does not exist because of Southern Illinois alone. While SIU's struggles may get attention, the MVC still has a better RPI than any other league that doesn't play in BCS games. That should buoy their hopes of multiple bids come March but, if the first night of conference play is any indication, they may be too closely matched for any teams to stand out. No home teams won on game night one.

The biggest win came in Omaha where Illinois State routed Creighton. The Bluejays felt like a conference favorite but the Redbirds flew much higher in the 80-67 win. They shot 51.9%, had five players in double figures led by Levi Dyer. The backup center hit five threes and finished with 20 points and looks like he's past the off-court troubles that led to his benching. Arrested for DUI, Dyer has worked his way back into good graces and combines with Osiris Eldridge and Anthony Slack to give ISU a deep, balanced attack.

Drake is 10-1 after holding off Wichita State 62-54. The difference came from three, where Drake hit 8-of-21 but the Shockers managed to knock down only three in the same amount of tries. They also missed 15-of-24 free throw attempts in a home loss that offered much doubt about their chances in conference this season.

Northern Iowa held Bradley to nine first-half points and cruised to a 59-48 win. In Evansville, Indiana State got 22 points from Gabriel Moore and rolled to a 70-56 win against the Purple Aces.

Opening Night in the Missouri Valley originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: Proud to Be American

Josh Alper — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:14:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, Arkansas Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

When Maryland beat Morgan State on December 6, it was Gary Williams' 131st nonconference home win in 134 tries. When Maryland hosts Delaware on Friday, he'll take his third whack at number 132. After losing to Ohio, Williams and the Terps got beat in College Park again yesterday by their neighbors from American. That's a pretty rare occurance in the 80 year history between the two schools. The only other Eagles win was in their first meeting, sometime in the 1926-27 season. The exact date has escaped memory, something that's unlikely to happen with yesterday's 67-59 win.

Derrick Mercer won't soon forget his 18 points, for example, and Bryce Simon will always remember his career-high 17. None of the Eagles will forget holding the Terps to five first half baskets nor will they need reminders of the way they outhustled, outrebounded and outdefended their more heralded opponents. For a team that's lost to Fairfield and Loyola (MD), this win came out of left field and will have Williams pulling out his hair in search of answers.

Greivis Vasquez had 28 points and the other guard Eric Hayes had 16 but the rest of the Terps only made four baskets. Maryland was so flat and lifeless, though, that its pretty clear the problems go well beyond shooting. Williams benched Braxton Dupree and Landon Milbourne in the second half, probably the first of many changes in what's looking like a long season.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

Appalachian State 74, Arkansas 67 - The year of upsets continues for the Mountaineers. Donald Sims had 24 points off the bench and ASU shot a ridiculous 66.7% from the field to pull off the win. That shooting overcame 22 turnovers but the biggest factor may have been the court. The Razorbacks are 9-38 away from home over the last five years and even though the Fayetteville court was in state, it wasn't technically a home game.

Butler 78, Florida Gulf Coast 66 - The Bulldogs had a tougher time than expected against the Atlantic Sun's Eagles but won on the back of free throw shooting. They made 26-of-28 from the line, 14 in the final six minutes, while FGC only converted 17 of their 28 tries.

Louisiana-Lafayette 82, East Tennesse State 80 (OT) - A trip to Hawaii that started with a bang when they beat Georgia ended with a thud for the Buccaneers. Chris Gradingo had 21 points and Randell Daigle nailed a big three in overtime to help the Rajin Cajuns take third in the Rainbow Classic.

Virginia Commonwealth 79, Bradley 64 - Bradley led by nine in the first half but after Daniel Ruffin left with an injury and Eric Maynor went off it was all Rams. Maynor finished with 30 points and Larry Sanders had six blocks to send Bradley to their worst home loss in three years.

Southern Illinois 88, Western Kentucky 78 - See what making shots can do for you, Salukis? SIU made 56.5% of their shots, Wesley Clemmons had 24 points off the bench and the Salukis ended a two-game skid with a quality win against a good Hilltoppers squad. Courtney Lee, the could-be Sun Belt player of the year, had 30 for WKU but with Randal Falker and Matt Shaw joining Clemmons as 20-point scorers there was no stopping the home side.

Wichita State 61, UAB 52 - The Shockers pulled off a second straight win against a major conference foe thanks to Phil Thomasson's 15 points and seven rebounds. Robert Vaden had another hot one for the Blazers with 23 points but he fouled out after cutting the deficit to three and UAB faded out of view.

Eastern Round Up: Proud to Be American originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: Another Day, Another Big 10 Team Upset

Josh Alper — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:19:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball, Wichita State Basketball, MVC Basketball, Purdue Basketball

People go to Las Vegas to gamble and when you gamble there's always a chance you're gonna lose. Purdue is obviously not up for that kind of trip to Sin City so they got their losing out of the way while still in West Lafayette. Wofford beat the Boilermakers 69-66 in the second round of the Las Vegas Classic, a holiday bash that has its first two rounds played on campus sites as opposed to the Strip. The Terriers played from behind for most of the night but Purdue could never deliver a knockout blow, leaving Shane Nichols with a chance to play hero.

Nichols banged home a three to tie the score at 66 with 49 seconds left and then the Terriers forced a turnover and kept grabbing offensive rebounds until he hit a layup with two seconds to play. Purdue never got a shot up in that last minute and lost a game they really shouldn't have. Wofford's only other win against a D-1 team was a one-pointer against UNC-Greensboro and they turned the ball over 16 times last night. Since the Boilermakers play in the Big 10, though, that Greensboro win may still sit alone.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

Wichita State 67, LSU 47 - This would probably be the leadoff hitter if not for LSU's injury ravaged roster and the Shockers' propensity to lose games that they shouldn't. The Tigers have eight scholarship players while Wichita lost to Texas-Arlington and Missouri-Kansas City in their previous two games. Losing to that many hyphenates doesn't do much to burnish your reputation. We do like holding the Bayou Bengals to 31% shooting and outrebounding them 44-28, though, even if you miss 17-of-19 threes in the process.

Butler 83, Bradley 64 - The highly anticipated matchup of Horizon and MVC fizzled thanks to the overall superiority of the Bulldogs. Bradley cut off the three-point line early so Butler went inside to Matt Howard and the freshman kept them close early. Then reserve forward Willie Veasley spurred a late run that put the Bulldogs up 15 at the half. In the second half, the perimeter cleared and A.J. Graves and Mike Green helped keep the Braves from getting back in the contest.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee 74, Central Michigan 71 - The Panthers parted ways with leading scorer Torre Johnson and another player this week but rallied around what was left to knock off the Chippewas. Paige Paulsen led them with 22 points and Central ended a four-game winning streak, including a win against Michigan.

Eastern Round Up: Another Day, Another Big 10 Team Upset originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Mid Majors Post Mortem

Josh Alper — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball, Wichita State Basketball, MVC Basketball

One of the best moves the Horizon League has ever made was their decision to welcome Valparaiso to the fold this season. The Crusaders helped the conference to a 5-1 mark in games played Sunday and they are 10-1 after routing Chicago State 90-61. The vowel obsessed Samuel Haanpaa hit 10 three-pointers and finished with 32 points to lead Valpo to their eighth straight victory. The Finnish sharpshooter and the rest of Homer Drew's crew will have to be at their best over the next two weeks to keep the winning streak alive. They play at Wisconsin and then travel to Chapel Hill on December 30 in games that could go a long way toward deciding how many Horizon clubs make the Big Dance.

Butler will certainly be one of them. A.J. Graves shook off his recent struggles and buried seven threes of his own to lead the #19 Bulldogs to a 79-68 win over Florida State. The win, technically a neutral siter despite being in Indianapolis, puts the loss to Wright State well into the rear-view. Those Raiders had another impressive win, coming back from 16 down to beat Miami of Ohio 58-57. Illinois-Chicago beat DePaul for Windy City bragging rights while their Land of Lincoln compatriots at Loyola knocked off Northern Illinois to round out a great day for the Horizon.

The rest of the winners and losers after the jump.

WINNERS

Hofstra's Antoine Agudio was the subject of a well-timed feature story in the Sunday New York Times. He scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Pride to a 70-68 win over Charlotte on Saturday. The points were expected, Agudio is D-1's leading scorer, but the rebounds were a sign of how tenacious the 6'3" guard plays every minute of every game.
Niagra beat St. John's 77-73 for their first road victory against the Red Storm since they were still the Redmen. That win happened in 1963, long before Charron Fisher was even an itch in his father's pants. Didn't stop him from scoring 30 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to spur the Purple Eagles, though.
Drake and Central Michigan would be higher up on this list if their wins against power conference teams hadn't come against Iowa and Michigan, respectively. Beating Big 10 teams just isn't impressive anymore.

LOSERS

Drake's win on Friday and an Illinois State win at Bowling Green were the only things that salvaged a poor weekend from the Missouri Valley. Southern Illinois fell victim to Rick Majerus and Saint Louis on the road by a 56-51 count. The Billikens closed with a 13-0 run and, once again, the Salukis were miserable offensively. Witchita State lost 59-56 to Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri State got thumped by Utah. Northern Iowa's win against Wartburg mentioned for the humor generated by Wartburg only.
Radford tried to play physical with Georgetown in their matchup on Saturday. It resulted in a couple of near brawls and several technicals but not in a competitive game. The Hoyas rolled 110-51.
We mentioned Central Michigan but the MAC was wack this weekend. Bowling Green and Ball State lost Sunday to finish up a 2-7 weekend. Ball State is now 0-9 on the year, Ohio followed up their upset at Maryland by getting pasted by Kansas and Western Michigan helped no one in conference by losing to IUPUI.

Eastern Mid Majors Post Mortem originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wichita State Loses Cheerleading Championship

Michael David Smith — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: NCAA Basketball Campus, NCAA Basketball Gossip, NCAA Basketball Rumors, Wichita State Basketball

I don't think you hang national title banners for cheerleading, but if you did, Wichita State University would have to take those banners down. WSU has been stripped of its national championship in cheerleading, although it has nothing to do with the infamous cheerleader you see in this screen shot doing a hand motion that some folks consider naughty.

No, WSU was disqualified for using a non-student in the competition. Dan Shanoff asks, "What kind of idiot coach knowingly lets that happen?" I have the same question. I mean, seriously: Don't they know that "Excellence in the classroom ranks as first priority; ahead of excellence in the gym, stadium, or field"? It's the fourth item in the National Cheerleaders Association Creed.

Wichita State Loses Cheerleading Championship originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tragedy Strikes Wichita State Basketball

Nathan Fowler — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:36:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Recruiting, Wichita State Basketball

Just days after landing Gregg Marshall to be their new head coach, Wichita State lost one of their recruits today as he passed away while playing in a pickup game with Marshall in attendance. Guy Ntang was a Cameroonian native who had signed to play for former Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon, and Marshall was visiting to confirm his continued interest to play for the Shockers. Evidently Tang had indicated that he was in fact still planning on attending Wichita State in a meeting with Marshall before he suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed on the court.

On a day where the entire country was reminded of the frailty of life, even for teenagers, this is yet another blow.

Tragedy Strikes Wichita State Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wichita State Brings in Marshall on the First Try

Charles Rich — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Wichita State Basketball

Now, Gregg Marshall did leave Winthrop before -- for maybe 5 minutes -- but this time it looks serious. Not to mention for a lot more money than the time the College of Charleston called. Sorry, but until he signs and makes it through the first 48 hours or so, the whole deal has to be viewed as still tentative. That's what happens when you've backed out before.

Marshall has apparently accepted the Wichita State Shockers job for a 7-year, $750,000 per year contract. Guess that $400,000/year for 10 years and having the court named after him at Winthrop wasn't quite enough.

Wichita State (assuming Marshall doesn't change his mind) probably got one of the better coaches from the mid-major ranks. If anything makes the argument that the Missouri Valley Conference has made it to at least A-10 or C-USA status of the late 90s, it's poaching smaller mid-major schools for their head coach. Congrats to Wichita State and the MVC for showing how serious they are about being a force in college basketball.

Previously at Fanhouse:
Who Says Wichita State Is A Mid-Major?
Take the South Florida Job, Please
Looking for Hot Coaches: Midwest Bracket
To Keep Gregg Marshall, Winthrop May Name Court for Him

Wichita State Brings in Marshall on the First Try originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who Says Wichita State Is A Mid-Major?

Nathan Fowler — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Wichita State Basketball

Wichita State looks to be ready to spend money like a "high major" program to attract a new head coach after Mark Turgeon bolted for Texas A&M. CBSSportsline.com is reporting that they have offered Winthrop head coach Greg Marshall close to $1 million per season to head up their team, a staggering amount of cash for a school without a football team to be able to come up with. If you thought that the Missouri Valley was just a neat story the past couple of seasons, think again - it looks like the league is ready to take on the big boys on their turf, as that was the kind of money reserved only the blue bloods before.

Greg Marshall is a heck of a coach and it would be a coup for WSU to land him. He has indicated he'll give the Shockers an answer within 24 hours, and you have to think that a $600,000 per year raise would be difficult to turn down. If that's the case, WSU will have done a great job replacing Turgeon and should be able to continue to compete at the level they have begun to establish themselves out. This would be a terrific step for "mid-major" basketball programs, as it shows that you don't necessarily need to be in a BCS football league to begin to compete financially in basketball.

Who Says Wichita State Is A Mid-Major? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Coach Actually Changes Jobs With Some Dignity

Charles Rich — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:16:00 EST

Filed under: Texas A&M Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Wichita State Basketball, Texas A&M

Mark Turgeon will be introduced as the new Head Basketball Coach at Texas A&M today. He has, effectively an eight year contract with A&M. It's five-years with an automatic three year roll over and will be paying $1.2 million per year. At Wichita State, Turgeon was making around $750,000 so this was a 60% salary jump with a long term commitment. That's hard to resist.

Turgeon didn't. The official word and press conference will be this afternoon. He already went back to Wichita State to tell the players and his now former Athletic Director face-to-face.

Monday night, Turgeon and WSU athletic director Jim Schaus met with players in the Koch Arena locker room. Three players -- Phil Thomasson, Sean Ogirri and Matt Braeuer -- confirmed that Turgeon told them he was headed to A&M.

"We're happy for him," said Thomasson, a senior next season. "We're going to stick together and we're going to get a real good coach in here.

"Jim talked to us. He's going to work hard for us. I'm sure it will go quick."

It's a little thing, but these days with coaches and hirings, it's become a rare thing. Turgeon made the respectable and classier decision to go back to his old team to say good bye first -- before the press conference, cheers and smiles at the new school. Yeah, everyone already knew he had the offer and the reports said he was going, but he still went and told them directly. And yeah, kind of sad that it seems worth pointing out that a coach at least chose to say goodbye to the school and players that helped put him in the position to say hello to the bigger school and pay day.

Previously at Fanhouse:
The Intrigue at College Station
Maybe Mark Turgeon for Texas A&M

A Coach Actually Changes Jobs With Some Dignity originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maybe Mark Turgeon for Texas A&M

Charles Rich — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:24:00 EST

Filed under: Texas A&M Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Rumors, Wichita State Basketball, Texas A&M

It may have been a busy behind-the-scenes weekend on the coaching carousel after all. Mark Turgeon, the Wichita State Shockers Head Coach, is now the reported target for the Texas A&M job. Apparently, it is still in the working out the details before even making a formal offer phase.

Turgeon still needs to agree to the terms of the contract before accepting the position. He is expected to meet with Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne Monday with a possible news conference Tuesday in College Station.

Other reports aren't putting this nearly as close to being a done deal. It seems more along the lines of meetings and interviews at this point.

Turgeon is something of a surprise because A&M was reportedly looking to find a coach with "ties" to Texas. Granted, those ties seemed somewhat tenuous in names like Pitt Coach Jamie Dixon (played at TCU, but from California). Turgeon, though, recruits very well in Texas for the Shockers. Also Turgeon has seemed to be one of those coaches in the MVC that seemed to be in a comfortable spot and wouldn't leave unless it was a much bigger job.

Of course the job done by Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M has made it a much more attractive destination.

Maybe Mark Turgeon for Texas A&M originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Running with the Pac: Would the Real Aaron Brooks Please Stand Up?

TBP — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:47:00 EST

Filed under: California Basketball, Oregon Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, Wichita State Basketball, Stanford Basketball, USC Basketball

No. 9 Oregon 92, Cal 84 - Cal had an eight-point halftime lead -- UO's biggest halftime-deficit of the year -- but the Ducks rallied hard behind senior point guard Aaron Brooks, who finished with 22 points.

"The last couple of years, you all haven't seen the real Aaron Brooks," said Malik Hairston, who added 19 points for the Ducks. "This is the real Aaron Brooks. He's a dominant player. He makes big shots and has a passion for the game."

Now the Bears know who Aaron Brooks is. Can't put a price tag on that kind of inside knowledge.

USC 58, Arizona State 49 - Washington State and UCLA get all the credit for the top defenses in the Pac-10, but USC needs to get in that mix too. The Trojans used a "stifling" defense (ooh, stifling, huh? That's sounds scary good.) holding the hapless 'Devils to a mere 18 points at halftime. In a game that saw only four players score in double-digits, the Trojans' Nick Young led all with 18 points.

Stanford 67, Oregon State 56 - Stanford, down five at the half, really came back hard on the Beaver. (Zing!) The Cardinal outscored OSU 38-22 in the second half and Lawrence Hill had a career-high 24 points, hitting five threes. One surprise in this one -- certainly not the outcome -- was that despite Stanford's seven-foot Lopez twins, OSU out-rebounded the Cardinal 36-18.

Running with the Pac: Would the Real Aaron Brooks Please Stand Up? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Happened to Wichita State?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

Remember six weeks ago, when well-known national commentators were saying with a straight face that Wichita State was a legitimate Final Four team?

That sure seems like a long time ago. Now we're reading preview articles about tonight's Wichita State-Creighton game with lines like,

Wichita State now has six losses in its past eight games, falling from the top 10 in the country to the bottom four in the Valley.

Yes, the team that won at George Mason, at LSU and at Syracuse can't even crack .500 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Does that mean Wichita State was horribly overrated early this year? Perhaps -- no one seriously considers the Shockers Final Four contenders anymore. But it also means the MVC is really, really good. Wichita State's four conference losses are to Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Indiana State. Those are four good teams. As long as the MVC has that kind of depth, don't be surprised when you see MVC teams beating SEC and Big East opponents, only to struggle in their own conference.

What Happened to Wichita State? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wichita State Loses Again, Regrets Trip to Vegas

Michael David Smith — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:41:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

A lot of people who go to Las Vegas wish they hadn't. Some blow the kids' college fund at the blackjack table. Others enter into nuptials unwisely. Still others go to Vegas looking like Final Four contenders and go home with their tails between their legs.

The basketball players at Wichita State don't fall into the first two categories (to the best of my knowledge), but they definitely fall into the third. After losing 60-56 to Southern Cal, the Shockers have fallen from unbeaten to twice-beaten in just two nights. Perhaps most troubling, coach Mark Turgeon made comments for the second straight night that seem to call into question his confidence in his team, saying of USC, "They have a lot more athletes than us."

That seems to be true, and USC basketball seems to be heading in the right direction. The big recruiting class that arrives next year will make an instant impact, but don't overlook this year's squad. It's probably not ready to make an appearance in the NCAA tournament, but it is ready to make good teams sweat. That could make the Pac-10 a little more interesting this season.

Wichita State Loses Again, Regrets Trip to Vegas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And Then There Were Four: New Mexico Shocks the Shockers

Michael David Smith — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

Wichita State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Friday night with a 71-68 loss to New Mexico that wasn't as close as the score would indicate. Wichita State's loss leaves just four undefeated teams: No. 1 UCLA (10-0), No. 14 Connecticut (10-0), No. 21 Oregon (10-0) and Clemson (11-0). If you're wondering why Clemson isn't ranked, check out who they've beaten.

Both Wichita State and New Mexico were playing short-handed, as Wichita State was without the sick junior forward P.J. Couisnard and New Mexico lost J.R. Giddens for most of the second half with a foot injury. Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon didn't exactly inspire confidence in his team's ability to deal with adversity with this quote from the Associated Press story:

"We kept looking around for P.J.," Turegon said. "I should have kept him back at the hotel. I couldn't believe it. It didn't feel right."

(And the Associated Press didn't exactly inspire confidence by misspelling Turgeon's name like that.)

Wichita State will be just fine despite the loss, but it was a big statement for New Mexico. Going into the game at 8-2 with an easy schedule, the Lobos didn't look like a tournament team, but beating Wichita State is the kind of thing that can turn a season around.

And Then There Were Four: New Mexico Shocks the Shockers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which Undefeated Teams Are For Real? (Hint: Not Larry Eustachy's Club)

Michael David Smith — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:51:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh Basketball, UCLA Basketball, Connecticut Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Oregon Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Wichita State Basketball

You remember Larry Eustachy, don't you? In the picture, he's getting a little too close to a referee. At Iowa State, he lost his job for getting a little too close to some coeds. Well, Eustachy is now the coach at Southern Mississippi, and his team is one of just eight undefeated clubs in the country. Of course, starting the season undefeated isn't quite so impressive when your schedule is made up mostly of NAIA schools.

But what about those seven other undefeated clubs, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Wichita State, Oregon, UConn, Clemson and Pittsburgh? Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl has a good look at each of the teams. His conclusions: UCLA, Oklahoma State, Wichita State and Oregon can all back it up, while UConn, Clemson and Pittsburgh still have something to prove.

I remain unconvinced about Oregon, but I'll be watching when UCLA comes calling on Jan. 6, and that could change my mind. UConn has played a cream-puff schedule, but call me a believer. Other than that, I think Wahl nails this one. Read the whole thing.

Which Undefeated Teams Are For Real? (Hint: Not Larry Eustachy's Club) originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wichita State is a Legit Final Four Team, Says Seth Davis

mjd — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:09:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

There's always one unlikely team that at least gets close to the Final Four. Rarely is that predicted for a mid-major in early December. Wichita State's gotten themselves to that level.

The significant thing isn't a well-known analyst like Seth Davis saying Wichita State has Final Four ability ... that's probably something we should all know by now, given their run to the Sweet 16 last year, and their wins over half of last year's Final Four already this year. It shouldn't be noteworthy for someone to say they can get to the Final Four.

But if Seth Davis had said the same thing about anyone else in the AP Top 10 (where Wichita State now resides), no one would bat an eyelash. Say it about the Wheat Shockers, though ... that can turn some heads. You can hear Davis's comments at the tail end of this interview on Sports Bloggers Live.

I'm in total agreement with him, by the way. It may be a little early to start looking ahead to the Final Four, but the NCAA tournament is almost built for a team like Wichita State. They play a smart, balanced, patient, difficult-to-defend offensive system that, to be honest, the teams in the major conferences don't see very often. And if they face a team that relies on their speed and athletic ability alone (for fine examples, find a tape of last week's UNC vs. Ohio State game), they can exploit that. Ask Syracuse. And the advantage Wichita State has over other mid-major teams is that they've got some speed and athleticism to go along with the brilliant coaching of Mark Turgeon.

The Shockers remain undefeated and don't play again until this Saturday, at Wyoming.

Wichita State is a Legit Final Four Team, Says Seth Davis originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shockers to the Orange System

Charles Rich — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:20:00 EST

Filed under: Syracuse Basketball, Big East Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Wichita State Basketball

Wichita State took out Syracuse at the Carrier Dome tonight 64-61. The Shockers did it by racing out to a big lead then hanging on for dear life.

It wasn't easy. After an amazing 27-1 run in the first half staked Wichita State to a 35-12 lead, Syracuse seemed finished.

Syracuse trailed 39-25 at halftime and was unable to close the gap early in the second period. After freshman Paul Harris hit a driving layup to get the Orange to 52-38 with 13 minutes left, Phillip Thomasson's follow tip made the deficit 16.

Frustration began to really set in less than a minute later when 6-foot-9 Terrence Roberts and 6-11 Darryl Watkins combined to miss four shots from under the basket.
But after Ogirri hit a 3-pointer to give Wichita State a 59-40 lead with 9:24 left, the Orange stormed back, holding the Shockers to only one field goal the rest of the game - by Wilson on a goaltending call against Roberts with 6:18 left.

A three-point play by Harris and two free throws by Roberts pulled Syracuse to 61-59 with 2:50 left and Watkins' follow after three misses under the basket tied it at 61.
Ryan Martin and Wilson hit free throws in the final 84 seconds and Demetris Nichols missed what would have been a go-ahead layup with 21.5 seconds left to end Syracuse's chances.

Kyle Wilson led the Shockers with 17 points -- not on great shooting. The Shockers smaller, guard heavy team was able to just get to the ball and outplay the Orange. This despite having almost half as many free throw attempts (9 to 17) and being heavily outrebounded (37 to 47).

Freshman Paul Harris came off the bench and had 14 points on 6-8 shooting. Demetris Nichols days look numbered as a starter. Once more he could only take up space on the court -- 2-14 shooting in 35 minutes. He may rebound better than Harris, but Paul Harris is a special talent who will only be at the 'Cuse for one year. He needs to be utilized as much and as frequently as possible.

Syracuse has to regroup for a less then-neutral court game at Madison Square Garden against Oklahoma State.

The Big East falls to 1-2 against top-25 teams today as Georgetown gave up a 7 point lead to Duke but DePaul came back against Kansas.

Shockers to the Orange System originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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