Blue Ribbon Previews

[Doliboabros]

October 17, 2007
Blue Ribbon Butler Preview:

COACH AND PROGRAM
Brad Stevens, 30 years old, is one the newest and the youngest head coaches in Division I. He certainly landed a plum job when he was handed the reins of the Butler Bulldogs last April. But, man, what a tough act to follow.

Butler, one of the most prestigious basketball programs in mid-majordom, has had more than its share of success. But it never quite had a season like 2006-07. In November, the Bulldogs swept past Indiana, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Gonzaga to win the Preseason NIT in Madison Square Garden. On Feb. 5, the Bulldogs climbed into the top 10 of the polls (Associated Press and coaches) for the first time in history. On Selection Sunday, Butler landed a No. 5 seeding in the NCAA Tournament, another program high-water mark. The Bulldogs justified the honor with wins over Old Dominion and Maryland to reach the Sweet 16. It took eventual champion Florida to knock Butler out of the bracket, but 29 wins were a record for the school and the Horizon League.

Todd Lickliter's last act in Indianapolis was to win national coach-of-the-year honors before leaving for Iowa. Butler has long been a coveted job, but all those wanna-be candidates were wast-ing their time. After a three-day search, Stevens, a 1999 graduate of Indiana's DePauw University and seven-year veteran of the Butler staff, was promoted to the top job. It's a sound move, judging from recent history. When Barry Collier left for Nebraska, Thad Matta was promoted. When Matta left for Xavier (en route to Ohio State), Lickliter was promoted. That turned out pretty well, so now it's Stevens' turn to carry the torch. (He was hired by Collier, who has returned as Butler's athletic director).

''It's been a pretty seamless transition,'' Stevens said. ''I'm in the same city I grew up in. I'm around the same kids I recruited and have been around for years. I'm in the same building, work-ing with the same administration. I'm just moving down an office.

''It's a program that's got great tradition, and to have a person like Barry Collier back in the program and say that's the direction he wants to head is just so humbling.''

Despite Stevens' youth, the Butler family has great confidence in him.

''Brad is incredibly capable,'' Lickliter said, ''and this hire brings great continuity to the program.''

Matta brought Stevens into the program in the summer of 2000 as a volunteer coach.

''Seven years ago he was an eager young coach who would do anything and everything to progress in his profession,'' Matta said. ''His hard work has paid off.''

PLAYERS
Lickliter leaves the program in good shape. Make that excellent shape. The Bulldogs are the clear-cut favorite to win the league, a distinction they were forced to share last winter with upstart Wright State. A.J. Graves and Mike Green return to give Butler a first-team all-conference-caliber backcourt, one that would be envied by any number of big-time schools.

Graves (16.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg), a 6-1 senior, is the preseason Horizon League Player of the Year based on last winter's bravo performance. Graves has been described by one Horizon coach as a mid-major version of Steve Nash. In addition to his scoring punch, he makes everyone on the court better with his basketball IQ, despite his modest physique (155 pounds). Graves hit 35.4 per-cent from three-point range, ranked fourth in the HL in steals and whatever you do, don't foul him. He hit 63 free throws in a row at one point and finished at 94.8 percent, second in the nation.

In the 6-1 senior Green (13.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), a transfer who moved into the rotation last year, Graves discovered a formidable running mate. Green's 144 assists were fifth best in Butler history. He became the first Bulldog to record 400 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists in a season. That he attempted 264 free throws indicates his ability to penetrate and draw fouls. On top of it all, he finished eighth in the league in rebounding. After watching Green practice during a red-shirt year in 2005-06, the Bulldog coaches figured the Towson transfer would be a help but they didn't realize how much of a help. ''If you could hang on one player the biggest difference in the team last year, it was Mike Green,'' said Jim McGrath, longtime Butler sports information director.

Another newcomer transfer also had an impact. Pete Campbell (9.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg) was the sparkplug off the bench, setting a school record by hitting 51.9 percent of his three-point shots. After a ''slow" start, Campbell hit 56.7 percent of his treys after Jan. 1. The 6-7 Campbell, who started his career at IUPU-Fort Wayne, was so effective in his sixth-man role the staff is reluctant to move him into the starting lineup.

There are two vacancies, left by senior posts Brandon Crone (11.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Brian Ligon (3.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg). Drew Streicher (4.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg) figures to increase his role and possibly fill one of the starting slots.

''We've got to have someone step up and fill the void left by Brandon and Brian,'' Stevens said. ''They started every game. They were absolute anchors. They were co-captains for two-and-a-half years.''

A mid-term addition, 6-8 sophomore Avery Jukes, is a transfer from Alabama who will almost certainly get in the mix to help fill that void. The staff likes what it saw of the athletic Jukes in practice last winter.

Matt Howard, a 6-7 forward from Connersville, Ind., should be one of the top freshmen in the league. Howard brings an element of toughness and has been described as relentless. He's big-ger than Crone and more skilled offensively than Ligon. It's only a matter of time before Howard is in the starting lineup.

''You never know how people are going to adjust to college basketball, but our expectations are certainly high,'' Stevens said.

Willie Veasley (2.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg), a 6-3 sophomore, averaged 14.9 minutes as a freshman and makes up for lack of height with strength and toughness. He can play either the small forward or step into the paint.

Elliot Engelmann (0.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg) is a 6-7 sophomore who could make a case for minutes if he continues to develop. Julian Betko (4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg), a 6-5 senior, returns as the starter at small forward, thanks to a hardship waiver that gave him a sixth season. Last winter he finally overcame his history of knee problems, stayed healthy and was the only Bulldog to start every game. He has other priorities than scoring but can surprise on occasion.

Grant Leiendecker is a 6-3 red-shirt freshman who can earn a niche with his long-range shooting. There's always room for a shooter in Butler's system. The Bulldogs established school and league records last year for three-point attempts (871) and makes (321).

Freshman Zach Hahn, a 6-footer from Newcastle, Ind., is a welcome addition. He gives Butler the backup point guard it lacked last year when Graves and Green each averaged 35 minutes. Shawn Vanzant, a 6-1 freshman guard, is intriguing. With the guards ahead of him, Vanzant would seem to be an ideal red-shirt candidate, but he was especially impressive in summer pickup games and may have too much promise to ignore.

''You never know how people are going to mesh,'' Stevens said. ''We do have seven freshmen and sophomores right now, so the majority of the team has not had any or have limited experi-ence playing college basketball. We also do have the five seniors, so it should be a good mix.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: A+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: B

A.J. Graves and Mike Green combine to give Butler as good a backcourt as you'll ever find in the Horizon League.

Two questions loom. One, replacing Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon in the post looks like it can be solved by committee. Freshman Matt Howard could be a future star at forward. The bigger question is how young Brad Stevens handles the promotion to head coach. He has history on his side and a background steeped in the Butler system.

If anybody knows what it takes to win (and win big) at Butler, Stevens does. This is clearly the team the other nine Horizon teams will be shooting for this winter.

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[Doliboabros]

Cal State Fullerton
Updated: October 15, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
When all else failed, Bob Burton always had Bobby Brown.

Since he began his first college head coaching position at Cal State Fullerton before the 2003-04 season, Burton has been able to turn to his immensely talented guard to carry the load. Brown didn't disappoint, finishing his career as the Titans' career scoring leader as he helped turn a once-sagging program into a consistent Big West contender.

But that's over. Brown is gone, leaving Burton to figure out, for the first time, how the heck to win without him.

''Yeah, that's really going to be interesting,'' said Burton, who has twice led Fullerton to 20 wins in his four seasons. ''It's going to be the first time I've coached a game here without him. That will be an adjustment. Whatever success we've had and wherever we're going, he's one of the key reasons it has happened. And not only by the way he played -- he was instrumental in us getting other players and giving us some credibility here. We're going to miss him tremendously, there's no doubt about that.

''But it's also going to change our team and really give some other guys a chance to step up and see what they can do.''

Fortunately for Burton, the post-Brown era begins with plenty of other guys with the experience and ability to take that chance and run with it.

PLAYERS
At the top of that list is senior Scott Cutley (15.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg), a bullish 6-5, 235-pound force who has developed into one of the Big West's elite players. Brown's former second banana will get top billing for the Titans and is being counted on to assume the leadership role for a team with conference championship aspirations.

Playing out of position as a small forward at times, Cutley nonetheless scored almost 16 points a game, second-most among returning conference players, and his rebounding average led the league by a huge margin -- more than two per game.

Though he lacks height and leaping ability, he is easily the Big West's most effective power forward, a dynamic post scorer who can put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket, a relent-less rebounder and a legitimate candidate for player of the year honors.

''He's our real strength,'' Burton said. ''I think we have the best four man in the conference, if not the best player. This is a guy who bothers everybody. He doesn't look like he's athletic and he's not an above-the-rim guy, but he's absolutely a winner, a great leader and a warrior. He's a throwback player to the old time.''

Cutley's presence alone makes the Titans dangerous, and he should have some solid help from the backcourt, even without Brown.

Indeed, Brown's backup last season, 5-10 junior Marcus Crenshaw (11.4 ppg, 2.3 apg), was chosen Big West Newcomer of the Year. Ray Reed (7.6 ppg, 3.1 apg), a 5-11 senior, is back af-ter a solid junior season.

And Burton's recruiting yielded a prized -- if diminutive -- junior college point man, 5-6 junior Greg ''Junior'' Russell from West Valley (Calif.) Junior College, as well as a potentially explo-sive scorer from the wing, 5-11 junior Josh Akognon, a transfer from Washington State.

Marcio Lassiter, a 6-2 junior from San Francisco City College, comes in with a reputation as a pure shooter.

Seldom-used reserves Winsor Williams (1.7 ppg, 1.3 apg), a 5-9 sophomore, and Dwayne Marshall (0.0 ppg, 0.0 apg), a 6-3 senior, will struggle to find playing time.

While there isn't much height in that group, there's plenty of speed and ability, plus sheer numbers.

''I felt last year our biggest problem was we didn't have enough depth on the perimeter,'' Burton said. ''We just didn't have that many guards. I was playing Scott Cutley at the three, and I don't have to do that this year. We have so much depth on the perimeter now that we can play the way we want to.''

Burton will be able to mix and match his guards in all sorts of combinations. Crenshaw showed his versatility last season, playing equally well at both backcourt spots. Reed is also a combination guard, and Lassiter will likely swing between the off-guard and small forward spots.

''Marcus is a point guard size-wise and in his game, but his mentality is a two-guard,'' Burton said. ''He's always been a scorer all of his life, and the best thing he does, playing-wise, is shoot the ball. So he's kind of like Bobby Brown in that sense, and it really gives us a lot of diversity at the point, because he can play the point but he can also play with Russell and be very good on the wing. It's going to be a real dogfight on the perimeter to see who's out there.''

Russell and Akognon are both locked in one spot -- Russell at the point, Akognon at the off-guard -- but their skills have Burton gushing about their potential impact.

Akognon is a proven scorer at the major college level, having led Washington State in scoring at 10.3 points per game in 2005-06. During that season he scored 27 against Washington and put up 25 in one astonishing half at UCLA. He's almost certain to open the season in Fullerton's starting lineup.

''We're really very excited about Josh,'' Burton said. ''I think Josh Akognon can be one of the top players in the league. This kid is really, really good. Guys in the Pac-10 will tell you how good he is. So he's played at a level higher than ours, and had a lot of success. He's a phenomenal shooter.''

Russell, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle to try to knock Crenshaw out of the starting job at the point. But even if he doesn't crack the lineup, Russell is likely to see extensive playing time. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 assists a year ago.

Russell's speed and quickness make him a perfect fit for the Titans' up-tempo style -- their scoring average of 82.1 led the Big West and ranked fifth in the nation -- and his vision and passing are exceptional as well.

''He's a true point guard,'' Burton said. ''That's his deal. His main goal is to get the ball to the other guys and make other guys better. He's a little guy, but he's really strong and he's an in-credible winner. And he's a jet. You can't stay in front of him, and he not only gets there, but he gets it to the right guys.

''He's going to really make our other guys better. I don't think there's any doubt about that.''

Cutley will be a beneficiary of Russell's skills, as will 6-4 senior Frank Robinson (11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg), whose promise has been touted by Burton since he transferred from East Carolina two seasons ago. While Robinson has been productive, he has been inconsisent and hasn't emerged as a dominating presence.

The spectacular but erratic small forward must find some consistency to blossom at last into the player his athletic ability suggests he can become.

''He should be one of the best players in the league,'' Burton said. ''He's had some tremendous games where he's gone in and got 25 and 12. We've just got to get consistency, and I think he's ready to do that this year.''

There isn't really a backup for Robinson on the roster, though there are several options.

Cutley and his backup, powerful 6-5, 230-pound senior Marcus Morgan (1.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), have played small forward in the past, though Burton would prefer them not to have to do it again.

Newcomer Gerard Anderson, an athletic 6-6 junior from Saddleback College, will likely get a shot. And Burton said he has no qualms about giving up height to get scoring punch by playing Akognon, Crenshaw and Russell together in an under-6-foot three-guard set.

The departure of Justin Burns leaves Fullerton's lineup with a large hole in the middle. To fill it, Burton brought in 6-9, 280-pound bruiser Eddie Lima from Arizona Western College and moved him to the head of a list of four hopefuls who will get a look in preseason practice.

At press time, Lima had not yet completed the necessary course work to be eligible. If he does, he'll be counted on to give the Titans a titanic defensive presence down low. He averaged 7.4 points and 6.8 rebounds last season while shooting 57 percent from the floor.

''He gives us the kind of size and bulk we haven't had in years,'' Burton said. ''I mean, a lot of bulk.''

He'll be battling to hold off 6-6 seniors Andrew Green (3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg), a 255-pound banger who Burton said is much improved, and Kenneth Alexander (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg), who is coming off a disappointing season.

The wild card inside is Adam Thomas, a 7-2 junior who had never played organized basketball until two years ago, when a friend talked him into quitting his job as a grocery clerk and trying out for the team at Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City.

Thomas is obviously raw, but he's huge, smart and eager. He is likely to be red-shirted, but Burton is holding out hope the big man will show enough progress to get on the court this season.

''It depends on where he's at,'' Burton said. ''He's still developing. He's a project, but he can really run and he can catch it, and that's pretty good when you're 7-2. Still, there's that inexperi-ence. He's only played two years of basketball.

''He wants to be a player and I really hope he's ready to play this year. But if not, we'll do the best thing for him.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: B

If the newcomers play up to their potential, Fullerton's backcourt will be loaded. It just won't be very tall. The team's star, Cutley, is undersized, too. Indeed, other than Lima and Thomas, as-suming they play, the Titans might be the Big West's smallest team. That doesn't bother Burton, though, because the game he favors -- running on offense, pressing on defense -- is based far more on speed and athleticism than on size.

''I think we'll gain a little bit with pressure and how we want to play,'' the coach said. ''We always go fast, but they don't go as fast as I want them to. This year, we can get closer.''

The key will be the defense and the ability to keep up the pressure with constant substitution. Burton doesn't usually use a lot of players, but his rotation could include as many as 10 this sea-son.

''There are 12 or 13 guys who have a chance to play,'' he said. ''What really hurt us last year was the depth, defensively. We'd start games playing great pressure defense and going and going, but at the end of the game, our kids would hit a wall and we'd have foul problems or fatigue problems, and it really affected us. We just didn't play very good defense, and a lot of that was from guys running out of gas.

''Now we've really got a hammer. We can make defense a priority, and if guys aren't playing it, now we've got depth and can get someone else in. Last year, when guys got tired or just weren't doing it, we just had to go with it.''

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[bballraider]

Scott Cutley is out at least 6-8 weeks with a broken ankle for CS-Fullerton. He may be able to play by the time the Raiders visit Cali, but he will not be in the best of game shape yet. This will definitely hurt their win totals early in the year and their RPI, which in turn will probably hurt our RPI. Here's hoping their fast breaks and outside shooting can carry them early in the year and keep their win totals up.

[Fastbreak]

Wisconsin-Milwaukee
October 17, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
Replacing seven seniors was going to be a tall order. Coming back with a roster that featured the fewest combined Division I starts in the nation (nine) was bound to mean taking some lumps. So the Panthers of Wisconsin-Milwaukee knew they had a tough row to hoe in 2006-07. How tough? Record-flipping tough. The Panthers went from 22-9 in 2005-06 to 9-22 last winter.

But that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger & Milwaukee will be back in business this season. The Panthers return four starters plus a fifth who was injured in mid-season. They return 83 percent of their offense and 10 of their top 11 scorers. Furthermore, coach Rob Jeter's recruiting class is considered one of the best in the Horizon League.

''I think last year, that rebuilding is always a little more difficult than you ever expect,'' Jeter said. ''You're used to winning games, not having to go through all the ups and downs. I looked at it as a team coming together and building a strong foundation, creating a culture of Milwaukee basketball. I didn't try to measure it in wins and losses.''

''Last year we were young and inexperienced. This year we're still young, but we have some experience. We just want to get back in the hunt again.''

PLAYERS
As Jeter begins year three in Milwaukee, getting back in the hunt looks doable. Milwaukee was a pace setter in the league for several years until last winter's restart. Links to the good ole days are few. Allan Hanson (7.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg), a 6-0 senior, is the only player who was part of the ultra-successful Bruce Pearl regime that ended in 2004-05.

Besides Hanson, only leading returning scorer Avery Smith (15.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), a 6-3 senior, was around two years ago when Jeter's first UWM club won the school's third consecutive Horizon regular-season championship.

In year two, Jeter had to replace all five starters he inherited from Pearl, and the price was steep. The Panthers opened 2-11 before they got their second breath and went 5-4 in January. How-ever, a schedule that included six of the final seven games on the road was too much to keep the newfound momentum alive. In the end, UWM went 7-7 at home, 2-15 elsewhere.

Speaking of schedules, the Panthers will play 17 home games this season, most since 1990-91. One of them will be against the Wisconsin, the first time the Badgers have played the Panthers at the U.S. Cellular Center since 2001.

The Panthers also renew the series with cross-town Marquette for the first time since 1998.

Unlike last year, Jeter has a good idea what he's got coming back. The only key player missing is forward Kevin Massiah (7.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg). Everybody else of consequence is back. The main issues are shoring up a defense that ranked last in the league, solidifying the inside game and figuring out where another posse of newcomers fits in the rotation.

Smith can certainly provide offense. He launched 409 shots last year, 129 more than anyone else on the team. In and out of the starting lineup, he scored 30-plus three times and hit the 20-point mark eight times. He dropped eight three-pointers on Oakland in an early-season game.

Hanson, meanwhile, started 30-of-31 games, and has played both the point and off the ball in his career. Last year he led the Panthers with 47 three-balls and in minutes played.

The third guard in the mix is junior Ricky Franklin (7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg), a 6-1 hometown product who had been a practice player in 2005-06 while he satisfied the initial eligibility standards. Franklin started 23 games last year and finished fifth on the team in scoring. The rust from his sit-out year was apparent, but he picked up steam down the stretch, scoring double figures in eight of the final 16 games. Franklin's scoring doubled from 4.7 the first half of the season to 9.6 the second half.

The guard rotation will be even deeper with the return of Charlie Swiggett (5.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg). Swiggett became the first freshman to start in his first season since 2001-02, but the 6-1 rookie suffered a torn ACL 17 games into the campaign. The injury came in practice and he underwent surgery on Jan. 25. Swiggett plans to be full speed as the new season opens and has to be consid-ered an option to start at the point.

''We hope he'll be full speed,'' Jeter said, ''but it's hard to say until you have a chance to work with him, to see how the knee is going to react to full workouts.''

The Panthers broke in two more freshmen in the perimeter rotation last year and both expect to be further developed as sophomores. Roman Gentry (3.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg) hopes to pick up where he left off. The 6-4 sophomore averaged 11 points over his final three games, indicating his confidence level was on the rise. Playing about 11 minutes a game last year, Gentry is the leading three-point-accuracy returnee at 35.7 percent.

Kaylan Anderson (1.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg) is a 6-5 wing who is going to contribute in other ways than scoring.

Two newcomers join the perimeter mix. Deion James is a 6-2 junior who played two years at Tulsa. James started 26 of his 55 games at Tulsa before deciding to return to his hometown, where he sat out the 2006-07 season. He averaged 5.0 points as a freshman at Tulsa, 3.8 as a sophomore.

Deonte Roberts is a 6-3 freshman who spent the past year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., after twice winning all-state honors at Saint Bernard's in St. Paul, Minn.

''You've got to have guards in college basketball,'' Jeter said, ''and I think we have them. We'll have the opportunity to put pressure on people.

''I think Ricky, more than any other player, will benefit from last year. He came right out of high school and sat a year [to get eligible] and never had a chance to practice or to be ready for what he had to endure last season. Now that's behind him. He's had a full year to practice and play and another summer in the weight room.

''Deion James is a very smart, heady player who comes in with a lot of experience. Deonte Roberts is just a defensive-minded, pass-first guard who plays well in the open floor. They're both team-oriented guys.''

The majority of the recruiting class was targeted to shore up the inside game. Paige Paulsen (11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a 6-7 senior, made the all-newcomer squad last year after transferring from Northern Illinois. Paulsen is a solid inside-out player who attempted 290 shots, a distant second to Smith. He hit 32 percent (40-of-125) from beyond the three-point arc and led the Panthers in rebounding.

''Some of the pressure will be off him,'' Jeter said. ''He won't be asked to do as much. Last year we asked him to defend one of best post players and then put up numbers offensively. This year he'll play lot more comfortable. He's going to have others around to help him.''

Also returning in the paint are 6-7 Marcus Skinner (3.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and 6-9 Sam Mauldin (2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg). Both were first-year players in the program last year and both are sen-iors now. And, both might have trouble holding on their minutes. In Skinner's case that was 13 a game, and eight for Mauldin.

Torre Johnson will have only one season in Milwaukee, but it should be a productive one. The 6-7 senior forward sat out last year after transferring from Oklahoma State, where he played 30 games and averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 2005-06. The athletic Johnson previously played two years at Garden City (Kansas) Community College. He should be one of the top newcomers in the league.

''His athleticism is incredible, almost unmatched in our league,'' Jeter said. ''What's underrated is his knowledge of the game and the way he plays well with teammates. The guy really excels at the other parts of the game.''

Joe Allen, a 6-6 junior, joins the Panthers after the first semester. He played two seasons at Division II St. Mary's (Texas), where he led the team in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (6.8) as a sophomore. But the most interesting item on Allen's resume is a stint in the Army.

Allen served four years out of high school, including a five-month tour in Iraq in 2003. Allen was on inactive reserve while he was at St. Mary's and actually got orders to return to Iraq in 2006. However, the orders were changed and he was able to enroll at UWM last year and sit out.

The Panthers also welcome two freshman forwards. The 6-5 Tim Flowers was rated as the No. 72 prospect in the country in the class of 2007 by one recruiting analyst. Flowers also landed a bundle of all-city and all-state honors at Chicago Simeon in a state championship campaign. His teammate at Simeon, Kevin Johnson, joins him at Milwaukee. The 6-6 Johnson averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 rebounds as a senior, earning second-team all-state.

Anthony Hill is a 6-7 Milwaukee product who could help down the road.

Brad Carroll is a late addition as an invited walk-on this season who is ticketed to go on scholarship in 2008-09. Carroll is a 6-6 point guard from Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Ariz., where he earned second-team all-state honors.

''Coming off last season, there will be opportunities for everybody,'' Jeter said. ''At this point we're just looking for the best five guys, then give us another four or five added pieces. I feel pretty good that we have the pieces there and the freshmen will have as much opportunity as anybody.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: C

Milwaukee's tumble down the Horizon League standings should be short-lived. The Panthers have a lot of appealing pieces, and if they all come together this should be a team back in the hunt. Johnson's arrival, though only for one year, should be a major addition. If Johnson plays up to the form he showed at Oklahoma State, one of the benefactors will be Paulsen, who won't be asked to carry as heavy a load as much as last year.

Franklin could be one of the more improved players in the league, and the Panthers have plenty of depth on the perimeter. Smith will provide offense, but he needs to share the ball now that Milwaukee has more weapons. Panther fans are hoping cat-quick point guard Swiggett makes a full recovery from knee surgery.

Last year's lumps had to be tough mentally, especially with so many new players who hadn't been around for the program's previous success. This winter should see a big step toward rebuild-ing the winning culture at Milwaukee.

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[Doliboabros]

Wisconsin-Green Bay
October 17, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
Wisconsin-Green Bay's 2006-07 season could be viewed in some ways as a success and in others as a bit of a disappointment. The Phoenix had high expectations. Not all were achieved.

The 18 wins were the most in Tod Kowalczyk's tenure. However, the Phoenix hoped to be in the hunt down the stretch in February for a Horizon League title and that didn't happen. At 7-9 in league play, UW-Green Bay was back in the pack.

''We were very inconsistent,'' Kowalczyk said. ''We never came together as a team.''

Looking ahead, a case could be made that the Phoenix have the tools to gear up for another run at the top of the standings as several talented young players continue to develop.

There's one significant loss to overcome, replacing departed point guard Ryan Evanochko (15.0 ppg), and that's no small project. Evanochko led the league in assists, assist to turnover ratio and minutes played. However, reading between the lines it seems Kowalczyk isn't mourning the loss of his leading scorer.

''I like the guys we have this year,'' he said. ''Our leadership and chemistry is better on this team than it was last year.''

Also gone is Josh Lawrence (7.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg), a four-year do-it-all kind of guy. Green Bay got a head start on that job when a head injury forced Lawrence to miss the final six games last win-ter. Also departed, though, is Aswan Minatee (4.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), the guy who moved into the lineup after Lawrence's injury.

The Phoenix have a number of weapons back, weapons that played a big role in UW-Green Bay leading the Horizon League in three-point shooting (38.3 percent) and free-throw accuracy (76.0).

''We do shoot the ball well,'' said Kowalczyk, ''and we need to find a way to shoot more threes. I don't think we took enough of them last year. We led the league in percentage but were fourth or fifth in threes made per game.''

PLAYERS
Mike Schachtner (14.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) heads a nucleus of five key returnees. Schachtner is a 6-9 forward who built on a fine freshman season by becoming a second-team all-league player as a sophomore. If he shows the same improvement again, Schachtner will be one of the top players in the conference. His forte is putting the basketball in the hole, from any range. He hit 49.6 per-cent of his three-point tries (52-of-114), third best in the league. Getting to the free-throw line is another of his tools. At 91.2 percent, he's one of the best in the nation.

''He's better,'' said Kowalczyk. ''He's always been a good perimeter shooter. He's gotten much better with his skills from the perimeter. Now he's a playmaker on the perimeter. He's also added some strength. He's a power forward, but a skilled power forward.''

What Schachtner is to offense, Terry Evans (7.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is to defense. The 6-5 junior is a two-time repeater on the Horizon's all-defensive team. Last year he tied a school season record with 47 blocked shots and came up one short of the school season steals record with 56.

''He's such a good defender,'' Kowalczyk said. ''He's such a good rebounder we can play him at [the four] and play Mike Schachtner at the five at times. We'll be more versatile this year.''

As good as Schachtner was behind the arc, teammate Troy Cotton (7.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg) was even better. The sophomore from Milwaukee hit 46.3 percent (54-of-117) of his treys to rank second in the league behind Butler's Pete Campbell. The 6-1 Cotton started 22 games as a freshman and shared the team's most improved award with Schachtner. Cotton managed only 17 assists last year, so it's clear where his priorities lie.

Ryan Tillema (8.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is the third three-point threat. The 6-8 junior guard hit ''only" 35.9 percent but had more attempts (128) than either Schachtner or Cotton. Tillema averaged 23.8 minutes and was in and out of the starting lineup. A month's absence because of mononucleosis in mid-season disrupted his progress. Like Schachtner, Tillema is money at the free-throw line, hitting 84.8 percent, and he's gained 20 pounds.

Another key returnee is 6-9 sophomore Randy Berry (2.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Yet another tall member of that 2005 in-state signing class, Berry doesn't share a penchant for three-point shooting with Schachtner and Tillema. In fact, he didn't attempt a single one. Berry red-shirted his first year on campus, then got in the mix last year to the tune of 15 minutes a game and 10 starts. He contributes with post defense and rebounding.

Two veterans who will again come off the bench are Tevah Morris (1.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and Cordero Barkley (1.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg). Morris, a 6-9 senior, is called upon for defense. However, he's been called on less each year and averaged only 5.7 minutes last season. Barkley is a 6-5 junior who averaged 8.1 minutes and got three starts. Any damage he does will be inside the arc.

The newcomers match the veterans in terms of numbers. Several of them have a chance to step into Evanochko's vacated role of running the offense. D'Angalo Jackson is a 6-0 fresh-man point guard who transferred from Creighton. He doesn't become eligible until the second semester, however. The Milwaukee high school product chose Creighton over UWGB, but lasted only one semester in Omaha and never played. He has three and a half years of eligibility remaining.

Edgar Segura is a 6-3 freshman point guard out of Weslaco High School in Texas. The native of Mexico is a pass-first guard with a flair. This isn't UW-Green Bay's first connection with Spanish-speaking recruits. Javier Mendiburu and Benito Flores fared well with the Phoenix in recent years.

Freshman Rahmon Fletcher is a third incoming point guard. The 5-10 Kansas City product should be a good fit in the Horizon League and could lay claim to the point-guard job early.

Bryquis Perine is a 6-3 freshman combo guard out of Milwaukee Vincent High School who hopes to work his way into the rotation.

''He's as talented a guy as we've ever signed,'' Kowalczyk said. ''He could compete for significant playing time.''

Yet another guard, 6-1 junior Eric VanCleave, has been on campus a year after transferring from Minnesota State, where he appeared in all 31 games and made three starts as a sophomore in 2005-06.

So while Evanochko is gone, there are any number of ways to fill his vacancy.

''We have five guys who could play the point,'' Kowalczyk said.

Fletcher and Segura are the true point guards, but Jackson, Perine and VanCleave are capable of performing those duties, as well as playing elsewhere on the perimeter.

The frontcourt is due for some new blood, too. Pat Nelson is a 6-9 sophomore forward who transferred from Ball State. Nelson started 14 games as a freshman before sitting out last year in Green Bay.

''Pat's probably our best low-post scorer,'' Kowalczyk said, ''and he's a big defender inside.''

J.J. Henley is a 6-7 freshman forward out of Chicago Lincoln Park who will add some bulk.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B-

Wisconsin-Green Bay fell short of high expectations last winter. One reason may be that of 200 minutes per game, 132 of them were occupied by freshmen and sophomores. Whether their sights were set too lofty is by now a moot point.

All that matters is taking another step forward this winter. The Phoenix will be an interesting mix of old and new.

Surely, point guard and leading scorer Evanochko will be tough to replace for all the things he did, at least statistically.

However, UW-Green Bay should set the bar high again this year because of the returning talent and experience -- and an influx of new blood. In Schachtner and Evans, the Phoenix have an outstanding scorer and a top-notch defender, respectively. Tillema and Cotton provide further shooting that will make this a tough team to guard on the perimeter.

There is no shortage of candidates to take Evanochko's place running the attack. Jackson, Fletcher and Perine added athleticism and quickness to the perimeter. If team chemistry holds strong, this could be the team nipping at Butler's heels.

[Doliboabros]

Illinois-Chicago
Updated: October 17, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
There may never again be a basketball coach and a program who have to endure a season like Jimmie Collins and Illinois-Chicago did last winter.

The good news is that Collins and the Flames are both back. Collins, 59, decided not to walk away from coaching after a horrible ordeal that forced him to take a medical leave of absence and do some serious soul-searching. And the Flames just might be pretty good despite the defection of two of their best returning players, including All-Horizon League forward Othyus Jeffers.

If William Shakespeare had ever penned a play about a basketball season, he couldn't top the 2006-07 season at UIC -- and we're talking about a tragedy, not a comedy.

''It was a perfect storm of negativity,'' Collins said.

Here's a wrap-up:

Early in the season Collins noticed he was losing weight and not feeling so hot. Then the bottom fell out on a road trip in December. The Flames visited Ole Miss on Dec. 19 and Collins was feeling poorly by tip-off. He blacked out briefly on the bench during a 77-64 loss, but that was only the beginning.

The team continued on to Penn to play two days later. Again Collins had a blackout on the bench during a 90-78 setback and wondered what the heck was going on. Worse, after the game he got into a heated argument with several players in the locker room. A few of the Flames had missed curfew the night before.

That bad scene would be the last contact Collins had with his team for the season. A physical exam revealed Collins had developed an aortic aneurysm in his abdomen. He underwent a repair procedure in early January but was not physically or emotionally ready to return to his strife-torn team. Three players quit, one after accusing assistant coach Lynn Mitchem of inappropriate touching and sexual overtures. Mitchem remains on administrative leave pending litigation.

Associate head coach Mark Coomes took over the team. Collins released a statement on Feb. 13 that he would take a leave of absence the rest of the year. He spent those three months basi-cally homebound, physically weak and battling depression. Just as he was feeling some better, his younger brother, Maurice, died of a heart attack in St. Louis.

The depleted Flames, who had played one game with only five scholarship players and two walk-ons in uniform, finished up the season, closing with a rally to win five of their final seven games.

''I can't applaud coach Coomes' efforts enough,'' Collins said.

But Collins wasn't sure he would return to the bench, despite a steady stream of encouragement from former players at UIC and Illinois and the ''150 percent" support of UIC athletic director James Schmidt.

In April, Collins decided to come back.

''I thought about not coming back,'' he said, ''but 14-17, I just couldn't see dropping the ball with those numbers. And I really feel good about these kids.''

But there was more turmoil over the summer. Jeffers, his star player, was shot while defending his family during a domestic incident. By mid-summer it was apparent Jeffers (15.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg) wasn't coming back to the team and has reportedly transferred to Robert Morris, a Chicago-area NAIA school.

''A relationship between a coach and player can sometimes be strained,'' Collins said. ''Him leaving was the best thing for both of us, regardless of what kind of year he has at Robert Morris and of how our team fares.''

Also, starting guard T.J. Gray (11.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg) decided to pass up his final season of eligibility.

PLAYERS
So who is back?

Two starters, two other part-time starters, a senior who has regained his eligibility and a couple of possible impact transfers.

Josh Mayo (12.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) is the leading returning scorer. The 5-10 junior guard will carry a heavy load on a small set of shoulders. Mayo shoots it well, hitting 41.2 percent from three-point range, and has a good handle. He had 86 assists last winter, nearly double his 47 turnovers. Don't foul him -- Mayo hit 88.6 percent at the free throw line last season.

Mayo can play the point, obviously, but is more effective popping off screens to launch his shots.

''He's been a leader by example so far,'' Collins said. ''We need him to be more vocal now.''

The other returning starter is at the other end of the physical spectrum from Mayo. Scott VanderMeer (5.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), a 6-11, 250-pound junior, brought an immediate impact on the defen-sive end when he became eligible last year after transferring from Bowling Green.

VanderMeer blocked 111 shots, a school and league single-season record. That total ranked fourth nationally.

VanderMeer isn't a polished offensive player, but he showed up well in some big games -- a double/double against Butler and 14 boards, nine points against Wright State. While it's hard to improve on VanderMeer's shot block totals, his scoring and rebounding numbers should rise. He played on a bad ankle much of last year and was at times forced by a lack of depth to play extensive minutes.

A third starter figures to be Robert Bush (6.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg), a 6-4 senior guard who started the final nine games of the year. During that stretch he boosted his scoring to 9.8 points per game, an encouraging omen for this season. Bush has been somewhat under the radar, but this should be his breakout season. He shoots it well enough (39.8 percent) from three-point range.

''By all accounts, he should be the best player on the team,'' Collins said. ''He can do everything. The problem we've had in the past is getting him to do everything on the same night. But he can be the man.''

With Jeffers to beef up the frontcourt, the Flames would be more difficult to defend. Without him, questions remain about who can score inside. The hope is that Jeremy Buttell, a 6-7 sopho-more transfer, will provide some punch. He played as a freshman at Texas Tech, averaging a modest 1.3 points per game, but the Flames don't think that's indicative of the kind of offense he can bring to the lineup this year. He has improved his mid-range jumper and can also play with his back to the basket.

''He's my tall Texan,'' Collins said. ''He's very mature and very focused on what it means to be part of a team. He's an A and B student and he works his tail off. He's either in the gym or the weight room. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but he's smart enough to know position.''

The fifth starter's spot depends on how the Flames want to play. They could go with another guard, like Spencer Stewart (4.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg). Stewart is a 6-4 sophomore who started 12 games, and that total might have been higher had he not missed a couple of weeks in February with leg and ankle injuries. The interesting stat on Stewart is that he shoots better from three-range (35.5 percent) than from inside the arc (28.1 percent). He's almost a lock at the free throw line, hitting 94.1 percent.

Or, UIC could go for more muscle with junior-college transfer Billy Baptist, a 6-5 wing from Kankakee who distinguished himself at Illinois Central Community College. Baptist averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 boards last year, both stats the Flames could use in the frontcourt.

''Billy is an athlete whose play reminds me of [former UIC star] Armand Williams,'' Collins said. ''He can play the two-, three- or four-spot for us.''

And, he can shoot a little better than Williams.

Providing depth in the backcourt is 6-2 senior Karl White (4.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg), who has regained his academic eligibility after being banished the second half of the season. White has never quite fulfilled the promise he arrived on campus with but still could earn some minutes by playing hard-nosed defense.

The Flames are excited about Robert Kreps, a 6-0 freshman from Maroa-Forsyth High School who was runner-up for Mr. Basketball honors in Illinois.

''A super athlete,'' said Collins, ''who understands two positions, is an aggressive scorer and an aggressive team player.''

In the frontcourt, Jermaine Dailey (1.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) is a 6-7 senior who averaged 11 minutes a game last year but hasn't shown much in the way of stats to this point. As a JUCO transfer he took a while to get comfortable and should be more productive as a senior.

Jovan Ignjatovic (1.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg) is a 6-9 sophomore who keeps UIC's Serbian connection alive, but it remains to be seen if he can ever be as productive as departed countrymen Jovan Ste-fanov (9.9 ppg) or Daniel Zoric (4.3 ppg). Ignjatovic was and still is a project, but he should provide some relief in the post for VanderMeer.

Tori Boyd is a 6-5 freshman wing from Rockford Boylan Catholic.

''He flat-out shoots the basketball,'' Collins said, ''and he will bring tremendous smarts to our ball club. He's reminiscent of [past UIC star] Cedrick Banks, but 6-5.''

At any rate, Collins begins a new season with a clean bill of health -- for himself and his team.

''As we speak,'' he said, ''our chemistry has been great. They've responded great, in spite of the adversity. We're probably closer, top to bottom, than any team I've ever had.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C

This program has some healing to do after a tormented 2006-07 season.

The defection of Jeffers, a prospective Horizon League MVP candidate, is an ominous start to the process.

Collins is back in the saddle, renewed after a brutal winter and ready to tackle the task of getting the Flames back in championship contention. In guard Mayo and shot-blocking post Vander-Meer, UIC has a couple of pieces of the puzzle solved. The perimeter rotation should be solid, leaving the question of who can score around the basket.

If newcomers Buttell and Baptist can answer that question, the Flames might be more competitive than people think.

If not, the offense will be too dependent on the perimeter game.

Bush is due a breakout year.

[Doliboabros]

Loyola-Chicago
October 17, 2007


COACH AND PROGRAM
The Blake Schilb Era is over at Loyola, leaving a somewhat bittersweet legacy.

The Ramblers won 21 games last winter, most in two decades. A 10-6 mark was a two-game improvement in the conference. They reached the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament for the third consecutive year. But that's it. They lost in a semifinal for the third consecutive year, not quite the satisfying end to a much-anticipated season that everyone had in mind.

There is no pressure of preseason great expectations this year. In stark contrast to a year ago, the Ramblers return only one full-time starter. Their go-to players -- the versatile Schilb (17.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and guard Majak Kou (12.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) -- are gone. But don't expect Loyola to freefall down the standings. There are plenty of experienced players returning and a couple of immedi-ate-impact newcomers on the way.

''I don't think expectations will be as big this year,'' coach Jim Whitesell said. ''Last year, I didn't know if we'd earned a bull's eye because we hadn't been to the [NCAA] tournament or any-thing, but we certainly got a lot of attention, and Blake was a big part of that.

''This year, scoring won't be nearly as easy. There were times last year we'd be able to stay in games by scoring. Now, we'll have to do all the little things very well, playing on the defensive side, taking good shots, making sure we keep the turnovers low.''

PLAYERS
Despite the veterans returning, this will be a new-look team. The 6-7 Schilb will be missed in so many ways. He was the scorer, distributor (4.0 apg) and the guy who could go get a basket when one was sorely needed. Kou not only averaged 12.9 points, he was a long, athletic defender. The other departed starters, big men Kye Patrick and Brandon Woods, were role players who will be missed but are not irreplaceable.

''We're going to need a lot of contributions from a lot of guys,'' Whitesell said. ''I see us having a lot of guys scoring eight, nine, 10, 11 points, maybe six off the bench, that type of thing.''

The redesign begins with junior guard J.R. Blount (12.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg). The 6-1 Milwaukee native is the only player who started all 32 games last winter as injuries nagged the Ramblers al-most from start to finish. Blount can play either guard spot and is comfortable getting his own shot and setting up others. Schilb and Kou accounted for the lion's share of Loyola's three-point shots last year, so Blount will have to take up the slack in that department. Improving on his 34.7-percent accuracy would be a bonus. Blount will probably spend more time at the point early in the season until Justin Cerasoli becomes eligible at mid-term.

Cerasoli was a touted Chicago-land prospect in the 2004 class who has since been well traveled. Loyola is his third and presumably last Division I stop. He signed with Seton Hall and aver-aged 6.2 points as a freshman, getting 10 starts. However, the pastures seemed greener at Ole Miss and Cerasoli transferred and red-shirted in 2005-06. Then coach Rod Barnes got the ax and Cerasoli didn't feel comfortable with the Andy Kennedy regime, so he transferred again, arriving at Loyola last winter. At 6-5, Cerasoli has combo guard skills and should be able to create mis-matches much as Schilb did the last few years. He becomes eligible at the end of the semester and has three semesters to play for the Ramblers.

''I think he'll definitely be an integral part of it,'' Whitesell said. ''But it's not easy to walk in the door midstream and say, 'Here's the ball, go out and win games for us.' But his work ethic and attitude are real good. I wouldn't say he's a lot like Blake because their games are a lot different, but he gives us that taller guard.''

Leon Young (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Andy Polka (6.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) should become full-time starters in the frontcourt. Each started 14 games last winter and played in the 25-minute range. Young's numbers were down from his All- Horizon Newcomer team freshman season in which he relished a sixth-man role. Injuries (elbow and foot) were the biggest factor. At 6-6, 235, Young is bullish in the paint. He didn't attempt a single trey last year.

Polka is another banger, at 6-7, 240. As a freshman he finished as the league's third-leading rebounder, despite limited starts and minutes. He attempted one more three-pointer than Young (and made it), so his range is limited. The staff is hoping off-season work will improve Polka's mid-range game and make him harder to guard. Polka is also an excellent passer.

If there's one thing the Ramblers aren't short on, it's guys in the 6-6 to 6-8 range who can play inside or step out a bit. Tracy Robinson (4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and Tom Levin (2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg), are seniors who fit that category, as is newcomer Ross Forman. Robinson has improved yearly and handles the ball well for a 6-7 man. He was 17-of-54 (31.5 percent) from three-point range last year.

The team leader in that department was the 6-8 Levin (14-of-31, 45.2 percent). Levin is a versatile utility player who understands the system and can adapt to a variety of situations.

Forman is a 6-8 transfer from Wyoming, where he averaged 1.5 points in 15 games two years ago. He definitely will have a place in Loyola's rotation although it's yet to be determined if it's starting or coming off the bench.

''Ross is gonna play a lot for us,'' Whitesell said. ''He's a real good shooter with good size. We love the way he practiced last year. We put him on Blake a lot in practice. He's a good fit for us.''

Then there is 6-8 junior Darrin Williams (0.7 ppg, 0.2 rpg), whose improvement is not reflected in his numbers -- yet. Williams has endured a pair of ACL surgeries, and if he continues to make progress he could force his way into some minutes. Speaking of ACL surgery, 6-11 Matt Adler has yet to get his college career untracked. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to help this winter.

Several veterans are vying for back-up minutes on the perimeter. Dave Telander (2.1 ppg, 0.6 rpg) is a 6-1 senior who made at least a partial recovery last winter from a terrible sophomore slump in 2005-06. He's primarily a three-point shooter whose overall game tends to follow his accuracy, for better or worse. Cortney Horton (2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg) was recruited from the junior-college ranks to provide toughness and defense. The 6-2 senior acquired a stress fracture just when he was getting the hang of things and never really recovered. He has one more shot.

Aric Van Weelden (0.2 ppg, 0.3 rpg), a 6-4 sophomore, played sparingly as a freshman and hopes to parlay a good off-season into more minutes.

Two freshmen enter the mix. Kyle Thomas is a 6-8 Californian who had an excellent senior season in high school. He needs to get stronger but also fits into the mold of guys who play inside or outside. Geoff McCammon is an athletic 6-4 guard who came in under the radar until he had a breakout senior season in suburban Chicago. He's still raw but could develop in time into a very good mid-major player.

''Andy and Leon and J.R., those guys got a ton of minutes last year,'' Whitesell said, ''but we didn't ask them to be the go-to offensive player either. That's gonna be our big challenge, to really get an offensive identity. Honestly, I think it will be lot of balance.

''Actually, I'm pretty excited. We've got a good group, even though you could say there lot of question marks about us.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C

Some picked Loyola to win the league last year, and the Ramblers obviously fell short of that lofty goal. This year, expectations return to a more modest level.

Blake Schilb and Majak Kou will be missed, no doubt about that. J.R. Blount can be an excellent guard in this league, and it's time for him to become an offensive leader. In Leon Young and Andy Polka, Loyola has a couple of battlers inside. Young needs a healthy season to fulfill his potential and Polka needs to build on the momentum of a strong rookie campaign.

After those three, it gets iffy. Several other players need to step up to a new plateau. If mid-term transfer Justin Cerasoli is the real deal, things get easier. Loyola's strength may be its versatil-ity. Its challenge is to grind out some hard-fought wins with toughness and defense.

[Doliboabros]

Detroit
October 17, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
Detroit is coming off a down year in a down cycle (a third consecutive losing season). And with three starters departed, staging an about-face won't exactly be an uncontested lay-up.

Replacing wing Muhammad Abdur-Rahim's defense and chemistry is doable. And overcoming the loss of point-guard Brandon Bell isn't insurmountable, given Detroit's experience in the backcourt.

But there's no way to disguise the huge hole Ryvon Covile's exit leaves in the heart of the Titans. Covile (13.7 ppg, 10.6 rpg) was a first-team All-Horizon pick, led the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage (.564) and was second in blocked shots (43). He paced the Titans in rebounding 26 times last winter, in scoring 12 times and was a defensive warrior.

''He was such a factor,'' coach Perry Watson said. ''We're going to have to figure out by committee or by style how we're going to replace him.''

Replacing Bell should actually improve the defense. Ever since Watson took over the program, the Titans have been known for locking down on opponents. Last year, however, Detroit ranked seventh in the league in field-goal-percentage defense (43.9 percent) and eighth in three-point field-goal defense (38.2).

The inability to get a stop when they needed one may be why the Titans were 0-6 in games decided by three or fewer points. One of them was an 82-80 loss to Youngstown State, Detroit's first opening-round loss in the Horizon Tournament since 1997.

Bell had not been able to completely regain his quickness from a prior knee surgery, and it showed.

''Last year was not the type of Titan defense we've always played,'' Watson said. ''We've always been in the top two or three [in the Horizon] in those categories. There were a lot of reasons why, but it all starts with pressure on the ball. Brandon couldn't give us that. He was physically limited and that made our defense a little soft.

''With Jon [Goode] and Woody [Payne], we'll be able to apply pressure and force guys to catch the ball one step out of their range. That'll be a big help. We can extend and don't have to be a containing defense.''

PLAYERS
Opposing defenses will have to contain Brandon Cotton (18.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg), who has been a second-team All-Horizon performer the last two years. As a senior, the former McDonald's All-America prospect should step up to the first team and even contend for league player-of-the-year honors. The 6-footer has led Detroit in scoring the last three years since transferring from Michi-gan State. He hit 38.5 percent from three-point range last year and shot a credible 47.4 percent from the floor overall.

Last year was Cotton's best year as a shooter, evidence that he has worked hard on his own time to improve his stroke. He will shoot the three if offered, but is at his best putting the ball on the floor and slashing. If the game is close at the end, the ball is likely to be in Cotton's hands.

This will be Cotton's sixth year in college. He was granted a hardship waiver because of the foot injury he suffered as a freshman when at Michigan State.

It would be hard, in fact, to find a more grizzled backcourt than Detroit's. Jon Goode (9.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Zack Everingham (4.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg), are both fifth-year seniors. And anybody who has followed Watson's coaching career is aware he treasures experience.

The 5-10 Goode averaged 21.5 minutes last year. He's decent from long range (37.7 percent) -- a rare commodity on the Titans' roster. He's also clutch at the free-throw line, 87.5 percent, on a team that ranked last in the league last year at 65.2 percent.

Bell's departure changes the game plan for Goode. He's now likely to play more at the point. That's not new territory. Before Bell's arrival last season, Goode played point in the past and has a history of being on the floor alongside Cotton.

Everingham, a 6-4 guard, logged 18 minutes a game last year. Not a great shooter, Everingham is especially a liability at the free-throw line, hitting only 38.1 percent. His strong suit is taking care of the ball and getting it to the right people -- he was second on the team in assists (54) last season.

Biding their time behind the upperclassmen and getting seasoning are sophomore guards Eulis Stephens (1.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) and Woody Payne (0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg). The 6-4 Stephens earned 8.1 minutes a game as a freshman. He has to improve his shot (1-of-13 from three-point range, 30 percent overall). Payne is a 5-10 jitterbug who played 6.0 minutes a game last year and likewise didn't show much of a shooting touch. But he can lock down defensively on the opposing point guard, and that will get him on the court in certain situations.

The welcome new addition to the backcourt is Josh Samarco, a transfer from Schoolcraft (Mich.) Community College. The 6-2 guard brings a reputation as a three-point shooter. If he can knock it down, the minutes will be there. Last season he averaged 15.5 points and shot 86 percent from the free-throw line. That alone will make him a commodity on his new team.

''He has the ability to make shots, both open and contested,'' Watson said, ''and he has three years of eligibility. He can play all three positions on the perimeter.''

If he brings the offensive spark his older brother Martin Samarco brought to Bowling Green, Detroit will be pleased. Returning as a starter for the second year at forward is Chris Hayes (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Hayes started every game as a sophomore. His game is still developing. He added a selective three-point shot to his repertoire last year and there's no reason to think he won't be even more productive as a junior.

As for that committee that takes on the task of replacing Covile, junior college transfer Michael Harrington will be teamed with young returnees Justin Sample (0.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg), and 6-8, 255-pound Russell Allen, who red-shirted as a freshman.

Harrington is a 6-8, 230-pound forward from Kankakee (Ill.) Community College, where he averaged 11 points and seven rebounds a year ago.

''He can score on the block or the high post,'' Watson said, ''and he can defend on the block and the perimeter. He will be a presence for us offensively and defensively immediately. I don't think he'll be a prolific scorer but you'll have to guard him.''

Having a permanent presence would be a welcome change for Harrington. Detroit is his fourth school in four years. The 6-8 Sample played only 88 minutes last winter so he doesn't have much of a resume on record. However, he has spent two seasons (including a red-shirt) getting schooled in practice by Covile, who was without question the best big man in the Horizon League. The Titans don't expect Sample to put up big numbers but to just be a presence in the lane. The same goes for Allen.

''Sample's big thing is potential,'' Watson said. ''What's going to come first for big post players is hard to say. Usually the last part of the puzzle is their offense. His first contributions will probably be on the defensive end and rebounding and hopefully, his offense won't be far behind.''

Mychael Broom is a 6-5 wing forward from Phoenix College in Arizona, where he played only one year and averaged 10 points and five boards.

''Mychael is a forward who can post up or step out and hit the three,'' Watson said. ''The great thing is that he has three years of eligibility, which makes him not only a valuable addi-tion for next year but solidifies our future in the frontcourt.''

If sophomore Nemanja Jokic (2.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg) can find his shooting eye he could be an important contributor. The 6-8 Serbian import averaged 18 minutes a game off the bench as a fresh-man. He's a typical Euro player with sound fundamentals and a background facing the basket. However, his shooting as a freshman was an abysmal 24.4 percent overall, 22.2 percent from three-point range and 42.9 percent at the free-throw line. There's only one way to go, and that's up.

''Last year was his baptism by fire,'' Watson said. ''It was his first year in the country and at the university, and he didn't speak English. He should be much more comfortable in school this year and playing American basketball.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: C-
INTANGIBLES: C

It's tough to project the Titans returning to contention, given that they lose three starters off of an 11-win team.

Replacing Covile will also be problematic.

There are a couple of silver linings, one of them being the ability of Brandon Cotton to get a basket.

Another, this team is coming into the season healthy, unlike a year ago when Covile, Bell and Goode all had surgery or injury issues as question marks. Furthermore, in Goode, Cotton and Zack Everingham, the Titans have a wealth of experience on the perimeter.

Watson's teams are always defined by their hard-nosed defense. Last season was an aberration, and this year's team has to get back to that tradition to have a chance. Meanwhile, they have to knock down a few threes and improve on last year's 32.7 percent mark.

Here's one more area to target for improvement: Being the league's worst free-throw-shooting club is a handicap in close games (Detroit was 0-6 in games decided by three or fewer points).

[Doliboabros]

Valparaiso

COACH AND PROGRAM
Valparaiso's Crusaders are the new kids on the block in the Horizon League, coming over after a successful run in the far-flung Mid-Continent Conference.

The Horizon is certainly a better geographic fit. No more 1,614-mile trips to Southern Utah (an ordeal that involved a four-hour flight to Las Vegas and a three-hour bus ride). The northern Indiana campus is an easy bus ride to both of the Chicago league members, as well as Milwaukee, Butler and Detroit. Another factor in the school's decision to change affiliations: 71 percent of Valparaiso's students and 61 percent of alumni are from Horizon League states.

''It's a great opportunity,'' said coach Homer Drew, ''from the standpoint we're really stepping up in terms of competition. I think the Horizon League was 12th in the RPI last year and the Mid-Con was 23rd. So we're excited about that, as fans, as players and as a coaching staff. As a competitor you love to go against good players.

''We'll miss the Mid-Con in terms of friendships, but we will not miss the travel. We're dead in the center of the Horizon teams and we can bus everywhere we go.''

The Crusaders, once dominant in the Mid-Con with 10 championships, have been in a slump the last couple of years.

Still, they can boast having only one losing season the last 14 years. They've been to seven NCAA Tournaments [with two wins], most recently in 2004. The Horizon programs are aware the new guys can hit the court running.

''For the [Horizon] league, it's good,'' Loyola of Chicago coach Jim Whitesell said. ''It's certainly somebody who can come in right away and compete with us. We're all geographically close and they've got a good basketball tradition.

''So the league is excited about getting them, but for the coaches, it's, 'Man, another two tough games.' ''

The timing of the switch to the Horizon is fortuitous for Valparaiso. The Crusaders return five starters, their top seven scorers, 93.6 percent of their scoring, 86.6 percent of their rebounding and 90 percent of their minutes.

PLAYERS
The program has an international flavor, with two players from Finland, one from England, one from New Zealand and new additions from Germany and Jamaica. But don't jump to conclu-sions based on names. Urule Igbavboa is of Nigerian and German heritage but he's all American, born and raised in Minnesota. Shawn Huff sounds like he could be from Fort Wayne, but is in fact from Helsinki, Finland.

Barring some cage rattling, the starting lineup will be the same as last year, when four of the five starters averaged between 12.0 and 11.3 points a game. There may not be a go-to guy, but the Crusaders can work that to their favor. Opposing defenses have to respect virtually everyone in a Valpo uniform, and if a couple of guys are having an off night, somebody else can pick up the slack.

The Crusaders run a motion offense and generally keep things at a half-court tempo. This squad, however, has the quickness to play faster when the opportunity arises. Defensively, they'll pressure at times and play a switching man-to-man in the half-court. A hybrid zone defense that Valpo picked up from Mid-Con rival Southern Utah could be a useful wrinkle that the Horizon teams haven't seen.

The 6-8 Igbavboa (11.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg), a junior, is the primary offensive threat in the post. He's a smart player who likes to back defenders down deep and make his move, or, if he knows he's quicker, take them out to the elbow and try to beat them on the drive. He's worked on his mid-range jumper and can be counted on night in, night out to deliver a high-percentage of his shots (56 percent last year).

''He really blossomed as a sophomore,'' Drew said. ''He can shoot it and he can put the ball down on the floor. He's come back stronger and better.''

Huff (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is a 6-6 senior swing man who can play the two or three and even drop down to the four on occasion. He has struggled with his shot at times but can take defenders off the drive.

Samuel Haanpaa (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg), like Huff, hails from Finland. The 6-8 sophomore guard hit the court running as a freshman last year, knocking down 45.7 percent of his three-pointers (75-of-164). He has the green light to shoot from long range and will catch defenders off guard by launching from 26- to 28 feet if they back off. Haanpaa worked hard in the off-season to broaden his game and shed the rap of being just a spot-up shooter. Look for him to try taking defenders off the dribble this year.

''He's a pure shooter and he's very comfortable at the NBA line,'' Drew said. ''He's the type kid who makes coaching enjoyable. He's got a 3.5 grade point average and in between classes he's in the gym shooting.''

Brandon McPherson (11.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg), a 6-1 junior, runs the point. It's a bonus when a point guard shoots 51.6 percent from the field and 44.8 from three-point range. Defenses can't back off and pack inside the arc, thus the Crusaders generally have more room to run their offense.

The fifth starter is Jake Diebler (5.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg), a 6-2 junior at the off-guard. Diebler is the low scorer in the lineup, but he earns 32 minutes a game with defensive intensity. He'll draw the other team's top scoring guard and recorded a team-high 47 steals a year ago. But if you back off, he can hit the three-ball on occasion (30-of-87, .344).

Jarryd Loyd (6.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg) is the sixth man and could almost be considered a sixth starter. The 6-0 senior averaged 22 minutes a game off the bench as a junior after starting a combined 43 games his first two seasons. Loyd's 84 assists ranked second on the team behind McPherson. He hit 33.1 percent of his 93 three-point tries, but is potentially more dangerous than that stat indicates. He led the team at 51 percent behind the arc as a junior. When the Crusaders sub in the paint, 7-1, 245-pound senior and New Zealand import Calum MacLeod (5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg) changes the skyline. MacLeod originally came to the States to play at Gonzaga, but left after one year to attend a junior college. He arrived at Valpo last winter and averaged 11.4 minutes a game. A late comer to basketball, MacLeod is still a bit raw as he continues to develop an all-around game. He hit 58.7 percent of his field goals and even popped in a few three-pointers. MacLeod has been a defensive liability who must continue to develop that side of his game.

Four newcomers flesh out the roster. Howard Little is a 6-4 freshman wing from Chicago who prepped for a year in California to gain maturity. He can play the two or three spot but finds himself behind several veterans.

Bryan Bouchie is a 6-9 freshman from Washington, Ind., who should find some minutes off the bench because the Crusaders can use a dose of size. Bouchie is hard-nosed and has a chance to help this year.

Benjamin Fumey is a 6-7 power forward from Germany who could also be a factor right out of the gate. Fumey was a late addition to the signing class and has experience with the German under-20 national team.

Mike Rogers was an even later addition. The athletic 6-5 wing is a native of Jamaica who prepped in New York and flew under the radar. The university hopes neither Fumey nor Rogers runs into eligibility issues like those that snagged British signee Paul Guede last season and forced him to move on to a junior college.

Drew has two concerns in the Crusaders' transitional year.

''We've got to improve our rebounding, especially on the defensive end,'' he said. ''We've got to limit opportunities for our opponents. The other thing is our defense has got to become stronger and tighten up.''

The schedule doesn't need to become any stronger. Valpo pays visits to North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin, among others. If, per chance, North Carolina should be ranked No. 1, it would make four consecutive years the Crusaders have played the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: C

Valparaiso is aware the program is stepping up in class with the transition from the Mid-Continent to the Horizon League, but the fit is attractive enough to offset any trepidation. The good news is shorter travel to away games.

The bad news is tougher games when you get there.

The switch comes at a good time for Valpo in that all five starters and two key reserves return. Chemistry and leadership will be important as the Crusaders make their way through an unfamil-iar set of opponents and gyms.

The caliber of Horizon defenses will be an adjustment for Valpo, but the Crusaders' philosophy of valuing possessions will mesh well in their new home. Valpo's best attribute may be the bal-anced scoring of Igbavboa, Huff and Haanpaa and McPherson. They all know where each other's shots should come from, and that will be a good thing in a new environment.

Valpo won't contend for a title in its maiden voyage in the Horizon, but the Crusaders will be competitive and dish out as much as they get.

[Doliboabros]

Wright State
October 17, 2007

COACH AND PROGRAM
Brad Brownell has a tough act to follow in his second year at Wright State -- and no one to blame but himself. When the Raiders had to severe ties with former coach Paul Biancardi after the 2005-06 season, they considered themselves fortunate to get a proven winner in Brownell. He certainly brought his success from UNC Wilmington with him, leading Wright State to a surprise share of the Horizon League regular-season title and then a league tournament title that earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and, ultimately, a 79-58 loss to Pittsburgh. Those were no small accomplishments, considering that Wright State shares space in the Horizon with giant-killer Butler.

The Raiders' 23 wins broke a school record, as did the 13 wins in the Horizon League regular season. The school led the league in attendance and played its last several home games to near-capacity crowds. A couple of games, students even camped out to get tickets.

Brownell's follow-up will have to be orchestrated without the services of HL Player of the Year DaShaun Wood (19.6 ppg), but there is plenty of reason for optimism on the Fairborn, Ohio, campus where the Raiders went 14-1 in the Nutter Season last season.

Three starters return, along with two key subs. They'll be joined by a host of newcomers with a mixture of college experience and impressive high-school credentials. By anyone's yardstick, Brownell's first season at Wright State was a raging success. But he knows it would be a mistake to ease off the gas pedal and coast through a victory lap.

''Not to take anything away from our magical year,'' Brownell told the Dayton Daily News, ''but all of a sudden you're not going to have every kid in America wanting to come to Wright State. We'll still be recruiting from the same pool we were. The key is to differentiate yourself from the other Ohio schools that have good programs. Hopefully, this year's team helped do that.''

Job One is learning to play without Wood. The player of the year started all 119 games in his career at Wright State. Last year he averaged 36 minutes and attempted 232 more field goals and 74 more free throws than anyone on the team. He racked up 131 assists and 64 steals.

''That's going to be a learning experience,'' Brownell said. ''And it will take a little time. You get used to having a security blanket around.

''We'll have to find a guy or two to step up and become a go-to player and make adjustments, because a lot of the things we did were to put the ball in DaShaun's hands. I think we'll score more by committee and look for match-ups that work for us.''

PLAYERS
Somebody's got to run the point. The lead candidates are 6-1 junior William Graham (3.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and 6-4 sophomore John David Gardner. Graham got 12 starts last year and averaged 22 minutes, though not much at the point.

The job will probably fall to Gardner, sooner or later. He's no stranger to Brownell, having originally signed with UNC Wilmington. Gardner was on campus last winter -- he transferred in af-ter the first semester -- but was hampered by a foot injury. He's heady and has played both guard positions. He's also familiar with Brownell's system, which is built on ball movement, balance and patience to wait for the good shot.

''He's a very tough-minded kid and he shoots the ball well,'' Brownell said. ''He can score some at the point.''

Gardner regains eligibility Nov. 18.

The Raiders return two starters in the backcourt who were battle-hardened right out of the gate. Vaughn Duggins (9.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg), a 6-3 sophomore, and Todd Brown (8.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg), a 6-5 sophomore, ended up starting as freshmen, and both were chosen to the Horizon's All-Newcomer team. Duggins' 82 assists last year were second to Wood's 131. His versatility allows him to help out at the one, two or three spots. Duggins has a gift for being in the right place at the right time. If his shooting becomes more consistent, more league honors await down the road.

Brown, meanwhile, was all but invisible when the season started. Then he got cranked up and scored in double figures 10 times in a 12-game stretch at mid-season.

Two other newcomers will be scrapping for minutes in the backcourt. Troy Tabler is a 6-4 freshman from Cincinnati Moeller, the son of former major-league baseball player Pat Tabler. N'Gai Evans is a 6-2 combo guard from North Canton, Ohio, who averaged 17.2 points and was third-team All-Ohio. Scott Grote, a transfer from Duquesne, will sit out this year and play in 2008-09.

The Raiders played with a short rotation most of the season -- and a short lineup. Both situations have been addressed. Of the seven newcomers, four of them are 6-8 or taller.

Last winter, starter Jordan Plieman (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) was the only player taller than 6-6. The 6-8, 237-pound senior is back for his last go-round and gives the Raiders a reliable presence in the post. Plieman doesn't stray far from the paint and generally shoots a comfortable percentage; he's a career .563 shooter (.565 last season).

This winter, Plieman will have help on the boards. Gavin Horne is a 6-8 Canadian who seasoned his game at Santa Fe Community College in Florida. Kyle Pressley, a 6-9 freshman from Fort Wayne, Ind., and Cooper Land, a 6-8 freshman from Flower Mound, Texas, hope to find minutes.

Land has seen (and heard) plenty of good basketball first-hand. His dad is the play-by-play man for the San Antonio Spurs.

Ronnie Thomas, a 6-8 sophomore who sat out last year after transferring from Duquesne, has a year in the system. Thomas averaged 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds at Duquesne. Unfortunately, a knee that required surgery kept him off the practice floor last winter until the last month of the season. Thomas, an Indiana high school product, can play inside but isn't afraid to step back and launch a three-pointer. A likely role is relieving Plieman at the five.

Scottie Wilson (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg) is a 6-6 senior forward who hopes to pick up where he left off last spring. He scored in double figures in four of Wright State's final four games and was cho-sen to the Horizon League All-Tournament team. By necessity, Wilson had to help at the five last year, but this year he should stick at the four, where he may replace the Raiders' other departed starter, Drew Burleson.

While size is no longer a weakness, the team's strength may be the confidence it gained last year.

''I was surprised at the beginning of the year,'' Brownell said. ''As the year went along, I thought we had a chance to have great success. We feel we can compete at the top level of this league and build off that momentum.

''We're a little more experienced this year, we have some guys who have been through the wars. But at the same time we've got nine freshmen and sophomores, so I don't know if the maturity level will be where I'd like it to be at all times.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C
INTANGIBLES: B+

Life will be different without DaShaun Wood's vibrant and omnipresent hands at the controls. Otherwise the ''intangibles" grade would be an A because of Wright State's momentum and con-fidence from an unexpected championship season. Furthermore, the Raiders lead the league in attendance and thus enjoy a terrific home-court advantage.

Scottie Wilson, Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins are the three veterans who have to step up and collectively fill the offensive void left by Wood's departure. Duggins is an all-around con-tributor with a bright future. How much impact the newcomers have will determine whether Wright State maintains its momentum. Jordan Plieman has welcome reinforcements in the paint, but it remains to be seen who among a handful of candidates will be effective as a Horizon League rookie.

If John David Gardner, another newcomer, can provide steady leadership at the point, Wright State can remain in the enviable section of the conference standings. Wood is a substantial loss, but don't bet the ranch against the Raiders being a contender because Brad Brownell's track record is awfully impressive.

[Doliboabros]

Cleveland State

COACH AND PROGRAM
Gary Waters is beginning only his second season at Cleveland State, but there's very little left from his predecessor's unsuccessful regime.

Waters, who came to the shores of Lake Erie from Rutgers, didn't make a great splash on the court last winter -- the Vikings won just three Horizon League games, down from five the year before -- but he's been busy in the process of rattling the roster to get his own players on board. The Vikings begin this season with only two players recruited by Mike Garland, who went 23-60 in three years. There will be nine newcomers on opening night -- three who red-shirted last winter and six fresh faces. The roster purge wasn't entirely coincidental.

''It was by design,'' Waters said. ''One part of the design we had no control over, that was five guys graduating. With the others, we wanted to go in a different direction.

''I think we'll be better in all areas. We'll be better in the post and our guards will be significantly better. The one thing I don't know about yet is shooting the ball. We shot the ball fairly well at times last year.''

Cleveland State hasn't finished above .500 since a 19-win season in 2000-01. This might not be the breakthrough year, but Waters is getting closer. Even though he has to replace three starters from last year, he appears to have a deeper talent pool.

''This is the fastest we've ever put a stamp on a program in the three I have developed [Kent State, Rutgers, Cleveland State],'' Waters said. ''Normally it takes up to three years to make the turnaround. I don't know about a turnaround yet, but I do know we have changed the culture.

''Our record didn't show how competitive we were last year. In every single conference game but Butler, we were leading with seven minutes to go. We just didn't have the depth to finish.''

For that competitiveness last year, Waters gives a large portion of the credit to the fact the scout team made practices so difficult for the starters. The scout team regularly beat the first string and now most of those scout teamers will be suited up on game night. That includes three transfers who red-shirted last season.

PLAYERS
The mainstay returning from last year is J'Nathan Bullock (13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), one of the two Garland-era survivors and a go-to player in Cleveland State's hoped-for revival. The other Gar-land holdover is reserve forward Renard Fields (2.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg), a good defender who averaged 11 minutes a game last winter.

Bullock is a bullish 6-5 forward who increasingly became the focal point of opposing defenses in the paint last year. With no other offensive threats in the frontcourt, he became the target of double- and even triple-teams. Consequently, his production and shooting percentage sagged down the stretch. Those days are over, however. Fresh troops are on the way that should get Bullock some breathing room.

''We're making some changes with J'Nathan,'' Waters said. ''Half of his game is going to go outside, but we don't think that will be a difficult chore. He plays a lot of four, and we play four out. I see his game elevating because now he's not exclusively on the block where he can be double- and triple-teamed. He's really worked on his game to be able to do some things on perime-ter.''

The new threat inside is 6-8 junior George Tandy, a transfer from Eastern Illinois. Tandy was the Ohio Valley Conference's Freshman of the Year in 2004-05 and averaged 9.0 points and 7.1 boards as a sophomore before leaving for Cleveland State.

Tandy can help in several areas. One is blocking shots, something Cleveland lacked last winter. He turned back 29 in his final season at Eastern Illinois, including six in one game against Ten-nessee Tech. Another is scoring. An athletic big man who can run the court, Tandy should be able to knock on the double-figures door for the Vikings.

Kevin Francis (6.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg), a 6-8 forward, is back in good standing after becoming academically ineligible at mid-term last season. He can contribute a little of everything, including a defensive presence and shooting. He blocked 25 shots in the 18 games he played. Another transfer who red-shirted last year is Chris Moore, a 6-9 junior wide body who began his career at UC Santa Barbara. Moore, a Cleveland-area high school product, didn't put up much in the way of numbers at UCSB but will contribute a few minutes, a couple of fouls and a physical presence.

Aside from Bullock, the other returning starter is 6-0 sophomore guard Joe Davis (9.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Davis was Waters' first signee at CSU. The Cleveland native is emblematic of Waters' pledge to reconnect the Vikings' recruiting links to the metro area. Waters traditionally doesn't like to thrust freshmen into significant roles, but it couldn't be avoided with Davis last year, espe-cially after point guard Carlos English went academically ineligible after 18 games and Victor Morris broke his foot in December.

Davis had some nice games, none nicer than the season-opener against George Mason when he went 5-of-7 beyond the three-point arc. His offense was ahead of defense, although the latter phase of his game should improve his second time around.

Besides Tandy and Moore, the third transfer who red-shirted last winter is 6-2 junior Cedric Jackson, who began his career at St. John's. The New Jersey native started 35 games for the Red Storm over two years and will likely be in the opening-night lineup. As a sophomore, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 24.0 minutes per game.

Jackson will give the Vikings scoring and athleticism, but more importantly he will give them leadership, from either the point or off-guard position. Last winter Jackson made it his mission to keep the scout team motivated in practice. Jackson can defend, penetrate and is an adequate shooter. What he is most of all is a leader.

Whether Jackson plays the point could depend on how quickly freshman Norris Cole gets up to speed. Cole is a 6-1 point guard from the ultra-successful Dayton Dunbar program that lost only two games his last two years. A great athlete, Cole was also the quarterback on the football team. Cole can score and defend and has played at such a high level of prep competition, the adjustment to the Horizon League shouldn't be overwhelming.

''I've got a couple of guys who can play lead guard, but the ball is going to be in Cedrick's hands,'' Waters said. ''He's strong, takes the ball to the basket, makes plays to help others and he hits shots. Cole is a true point guard, but he's got the size that you could play him and Cedrick out there at the same time.''

Breyhon Watson (2.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) joins Francis as the only senior on the roster. A junior college transfer, Watson hustled his way into 15 minutes a game last year, mostly at the two or three spots. His forte is defense, and it'll be tough to hang on to his minutes if the newcomers contribute as much as expected.

Nick Weaver is one of them. The 6-3 guard from Glendale Community College in Arizona hit 43 percent from three-point range last winter. That's the tip-off on what his expected role will be.

Another freshman whose credentials are hard to overlook is Eric Schiele. The 5-9, 160-pound Schiele becomes eligible at the end of the first semester. A one-time teammate of LeBron James in Akron before transferring to Waterloo High in little Atwater, Ohio, Schiele averaged 41.3 points a game in his final season (including three 60-point games).

D'Aundray Brown is another freshman with credentials. The 6-4 wing player made first-team all-state at Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline. The Vikings have high hopes for Brown down the line and wouldn't mind getting a little help from him this year.

''I expect him to be a very good player in this league one day,'' Waters said. ''He's a great athlete.''

Three more freshmen also report, although none are ticketed to contribute early. Joe Latas is a 6-11 center who could red-shirt to get back in shape from off-season ankle surgery if it appears minutes in the post will be hard to come by. Cory Neale is a 6-7 walk-on also likely to red-shirt. Daitwan Eppinger is a 6-6 wing who needs to gain some weight.

''We'll play much different this year, especially on the defensive end,'' Waters said. ''We pressured a little, but we'll pressure more now because we're going to have depth.

''Offensively, we won't be as much of a three-point-shooting team. We had to shoot the three last year because J'Nathan was getting double- or triple-teamed in the post.''

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: C

Year One of the Gary Waters regime didn't produce a big turnaround in the win-loss column, but the Vikings were plenty competitive throughout the conference schedule.

Transfers Tandy and Jackson bring talent and Division I experience and should blend well with returning starters Bullock and Davis.

Nearly everyone on the roster is a Waters recruit now, and if Cleveland State can avoid the academic traps and injuries that were so costly last year, a subtle move up the standings should be in order. After an extended slump, this program is headed in the right direction again.

[Doliboabros]

Youngstown State

COACH AND PROGRAM
Jerry Slocum's first two years at Youngstown State have been marked by progress. Four Horizon League wins his first year were nearly doubled the previous season. Last year's jump to 7-9 in conference play brought the welcome relief in getting out of the cellar.

Overall, 14 wins doubled the 2005-06 total and were the most since the Penguins won 19 in 2000-01, back in the Mid-Continent Conference days. Youngstown also notched its first Horizon Tournament victory since 2003-04, an 82-80 squeaker over Detroit.

It was no fluke: The Penguins were 7-1 in games decided by five or fewer points, which is the biggest factor in how they doubled their win total. The administration was pleased enough to sign Slocum to a new five-year contract in July so he should have plenty of opportunities to improve on his 601 career wins (at Youngstown, Gannon, Geneva and Nyack).

More progress in year three, however, will be problematic. Quin Humphrey and Keston Roberts are gone, leaving a gaping hole in Youngstown's attack. Humphrey (18.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Roberts (16.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) were the Nos. 2 and 6 scorers in the league, respectively. Combined, the pair accounted for 889 of the 1,692 shots (52.5 percent) Youngstown attempted.

"We're clearly a team that's going to have to establish a new identity,'' Slocum said. "We're going to have to establish some new leadership. We brought in six new guys, and we have some returning guys who have been significant role players. We have to see if they can step up and be the leaders.

"We're going to be different, but we're not going to slow down. We're still going to play fast, but we'll definitely be a team that gets the ball inside, and that will be a priority.''

PLAYERS
Two starters and a sixth man return, and they form the nucleus around which Slocum must rebuild. Byron Davis (8.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is a 6-2 senior point guard, and that's a good place to start. Davis began his career at New Mexico State, and last winter was his first season in a Penguins uniform. He did a good job of getting the ball to the two scorers, as his 116 assists suggest.

This year Davis must look for his own shot on a regular basis. He hit 42.8 percent from the field last year, 35.2 percent from three-point range. The fact he made only 57.4 percent of his free throws is troubling for a point guard who will be handling the ball in late-game situations.

"Byron Davis is a guy who sacrificed for the team last year,'' Slocum said, "in terms of being a set-up guy and making good reads. He can score. He'll play some two and some one.''

Aside from Davis, there are two other sources that Slocum can look to pick up some of the scoring slack. Both are veteran forwards. Jack Liles (7.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) finished out his sophomore season strong and the hope is he carries over his momentum and confidence into his junior year. At 6-8, Liles is the tallest man on the roster and needs to play like it on a consistent basis. He scored in double figures 11 times last year and should be able to increase that number as a junior.

John Barber (7.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg), is a 6-6 senior who played starter minutes last year but was more comfortable coming off the bench while Dwight Holmes (3.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg) answered the starting bell. This year, however, the staff envisions Barber starting. He, too, scored in double figures 11 times last year. Holmes returns back by virtue of the NCAA rule allowing a fourth year of eligibility to former partial-qualifiers who complete at least 80 percent of their degrees. Although his numbers are marginal, Youngstown is glad to have a 6-6 veteran around.

"There's no doubt that those guys, Barber and Liles, have to be a lot more aggressive at the offensive end of the floor,'' Slocum said. "I think they're very capable. They're as good a low-post players as there are in this conference.''

A new face in the low-post mix is Kevin Draughon, a 6-5 New Yorker by way of Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y. He averaged 13.9 points last year and plays strong.

The three-spot should be contested between a mixture of newcomers and returnees. Junior college transfer Gemayl "Mel" Johnson is from Portsmouth, Va., and earned NJCAA Divi-sion III All-America honors at Montgomery County (Takoma Park-Silver Springs campus) in Maryland, where he averaged 19 points and handed out 130 assists.

"He really has the potential to be a very good basketball player,'' Slocum said. "He's a great passer [130 assists last season] and just a very nice offensive package.''

Like the three spot, the two guard spot is also up for grabs. Vance Cooksey is a 5-11 red-shirt freshman who is a natural point guard. Cooksey comes from a strong high school program in Chicago and may be hard to keep off the court. One possible scenario is Cooksey playing the point and Davis sliding to the shooting guard spot.

There are several other candidates who could see time at any of three perimeter positions. Junior Mikko Nieme (0.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg) is a 6-2 native of Finland whose shot deserted him last year. Niemi backed up at the point but shot only 18.5 percent from the field and was 3-of-20 from three-point range. The staff knows he can shoot better than that and hopes it will be this year.

Alek Mroziak (0.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg) is another Euro, from Poland, who had a rough year. It was the 6-7 sophomore guard's first year in the States and he struggled to stay healthy and adjust in general. He's back, looking stronger at least. It remains to see if his game can elevate.

George Cotal (1.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg) is a 6-5 senior guard who averaged 7.5 minutes off the bench during his first season in Youngstown. More of a contribution from him would be a bonus.

One more guard in the mix is something of a sleeper. Vytas Sulskis is a Lithuanian import who played high school ball in Gainesville, Fla. The 6-6 freshman combo guard was Florida's Class I (small schools) player of the year, averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. He signed with YSU in November, then went on to have a fine senior year that got other schools inter-ested, too late it turned out. Adjusting to Horizon League-caliber competition may take some time, but Sulskis could eventually prove to be a steal.

"Vytas has potential,'' Slocum said. "He's obviously a freshman and in our league, and sometimes those kids struggle. He's a great shooter and shoots the ball well from deep. Mikko can play a couple of different spots. We know he can shoot better than he did last year. We see it every day in practice.''

"Alek, he's going to get a chance to compete. As we talked about finding a new identity, guys like him are going to get an opportunity. He had a great summer. He's so much more comfort-able being here than he was a year ago. Like I tell the kids all the time, every day is an important big day, because when you lose what we've lost, people get a chance to step up and do something special.''

The staff brought in two more freshmen. Dan Boudler is a 6-8 forward who averaged 17.2 points and 13.6 rebounds at Louisville High School in Ohio. The staff liked Boudler enough to encourage him to walk on and, to his good fortune, a scholarship opened up.

"We think Dan is a steal for us,'' said Slocum." He has great upside. He'll back up Liles and he's long. He's about 6-8, but the length of his arms is 6-10. We haven't had that kind of pres-ence.''

Blair Rozenblad is the final freshman in the class, a 6-3 guard from Youngstown. A high school knee injury makes him a possible red-shirt candidate

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C-
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C

Youngstown has a challenge to continue its upward mobility now that Humphrey and Roberts are gone. They combined to take 1,088 of the team's 2,047 shots last winter and made enough of them to rank No. 2 and No. 6, respectively, in league scoring. To put a positive spin on the situation, now there will be more shots for Davis, Liles and Barber to show what they can do.

If the Penguins are to avoid falling back to the bottom of the standings, it will take a team effort, with considerable leadership by the three players mentioned above. Furthermore, newcomers will have to contribute at the wing and shooting-guard spot. JUCO transfers Johnson and Draughon will have every opportunity to be impact contributors. Still, it's tough to see Youngstown winning seven league games again.

[Raider Alumni]

Overall Blue Ribbon Predictions:
1. Butler
BACKCOURT: A+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: B

2. UWGB
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B-

3. UWM
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: C

4. WSU
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C
INTANGIBLES: B+

5. UIC
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C

6. Valpo
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: C

7. CSU
BACKCOURT: C+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: C

8. UDM
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: C-
INTANGIBLES: C

Tie 9. YSU
BACKCOURT: C-
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C

Tie 9. Loyola
BACKCOURT: C
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C