Collegehoopsnet.com Top 144

[Jazzfan]

Sam Houston St
Overall Rank: #112
Conference Rank: #1 Southland
2008-09: 18-12, 12-4
2008-09 postseason: none
Coach: Bob Marlin (200-123 at Sam Houston State, 200-123 overall)

The story always seems to be the same for Sam Houston State. Even in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Bearkats battled for a Southland Conference title and won the West division, but then failed to make the most of their opportunities in the conference tournament. Part of the issue is a lack of a consistent scoring big man. It is hard to win three games in four days when you rely so heavily on the three-point shot.

Key Losses: F Barkley Falkner, G DeLuis Ramirez

Key Newcomers:
The Bearkats did not get a true big man who is ready to contribute right away, but Gilberto Clavell is pretty close. Despite his 6-6 frame, Clavell, a junior college transfer, is a tough player who can score with his back to the basket against bigger opponents. He should immediately help replace Barkley Falkner in the frontcourt. Power forwards Kelly Lawson and Aaron Thompson are taller, but they will need time to develop more strength before they are ready to play major minutes. While Clavell helps replace Falkner, fellow junior college transfer Trevon Charles will help replace guard DeLuis Ramirez, the only other significant departure from last year’s team.

Backcourt:
Ramirez was a starter, but it was his backcourt mates Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell that really made this team tick. Allmond showed up from the junior college ranks and immediately turned into the team’s best scorer. He connected on 3.3 three-pointers per game and ended the season averaging 15.3 points per game. Mitchell, a 5-11 senior, is not nearly as prolific of a shooter, but he is a superb scorer who can work his way through the paint and find open looks. More important than his scoring is his ability to find his teammates. Mitchell dished out 6.8 assists per game and the offense will always go through him.

Frontcourt:
Preston Brown, a 6-6 senior, is the only returning forward with any significant playing time. He averaged 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds last year and will be asked to do more scoring around the basket this time around. Yet, his ability to stretch the defense with his outside shooting ability is a big plus, but that will only help if the Bearkats can find an interior scorer to replace Falkner. The encouraging news is that two years ago Falkner was sitting on the bench barely averaging ten minutes per game. That means players like Antuan Bootle or Arthur Zulu who were both used sparingly last year could turn into solid contributors.

Who to Watch:
Lance Pevehouse was fourth on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game, but only started one game. His outside shooting ability makes him a perfect sixth man and he could play that role again despite the starting spot opening up due to the graduation of Ramirez. Josten Crow is not much of a scorer, but he is a solid defender and he could be the glue guy who holds this team together if Coach Bob Marlin opts to keep Pevehouse on the bench.

Final Projection:
There is little reason to think that this team will not once again win the Southland West and the power will shift to the West division now that Stephen F. Austin lost most of their players. But in the end, it will come down to three games in March during the conference tournament. An NIT, CBI or CIT bid is a decent consolation prize, but this is a group that should be thinking about the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Ashton Miller, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game
Corey Allmond, Senior, Guard, 15.3 points per game
Josten Crow, Junior, Guard, 4.2 points per game
Preston Brown, Senior, Forward, 9.9 points per game
Gilberto Clavell, Junior, Forward, DNP last season


www.collegehoopsnet.com/sam-houston-st-basketball-preview-112-167073

[Jazzfan]

Green Bay
Overall Rank: #111
Conference Rank: #4 Horizon League
2008-09: 22-11, 13-5
2008-09 postseason: CBI

Coach: Tod Kowalczyk (114-99 at Wisconsin Green Bay, 114-99 overall)

It seems like every year Wisconsin Green Bay is on the verge of big things and then it falls apart at the end. The team is beginning to develop the reputation of finishing poorly and that leaves the Phoenix on the outside looking in. At least during the 2008-2009 campaign the team made the postseason, but this is a program that has had NCAA aspirations over the last five years and has failed every time.

Key Losses: F Terry Evans, F Mike Schachtner, G Ryan Tillema

Key Newcomers:
This year may not be any different since Coach Tod Kowalczyk will have to rely on quite a few newcomers. The biggest need is in the paint and there are certainly plenty of newcomers who can help in that regard. Junior college transfer Greg LeSage is the most experienced option, but power forward Matt Smith may be the most talented when all is said and done. Either way, one of those two will have to start unless the Phoenix opt for a smaller and quicker lineup. Clayton Heuer and Troy Snyder are two more forwards who will be looking for some playing time.

Backcourt:
The newcomers on the perimeter, Seth Evans and Rian Pearson, are talented, but there is a lot of experience already on the perimeter. Troy Cotton has emerged as quite the shooter and is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 12.6 points per game last year. It would be beneficial if Cotton would be more aggressive getting to the basket, but he definitely does a great job shooting and will take the big shots for this team. Bryquis Perine is an intriguing option after averaging 17.3 minutes per game last year and could provide a bigger spark off the bench this year. In fact, Perine could even move into the starting lineup if Green Bay wants to put Cordero Barkley at the four spot. Barkley missed last year, but he is a very experienced player who can do a little bit of everything. Whether his team needs him at the three or the four spot depends on how well the newcomers play, but Barkley will be ready to play either position.

Frontcourt:
The frontcourt might look a little slim until the newcomers come around, but Randy Berry is not a bad player to build around. He is not much of an interior scorer, but he did lead the team in rebounding and blocked shots as a junior last year. He will miss having Mike Schachtner and Terry Evans by his side, but Berry could develop into a better scorer now that he will be given the opportunity. Pat Nelson, a 6-9 senior, will compete with the newcomers for a starting spot and minutes off the bench, but he is not much of a scorer either. This is a team that is used to not having a major scorer under the basket, but it would help out the shooters a lot if somebody could step up.

Who to Watch:
Rahmon Fletcher is not one of those shooters, but he is what makes this team go. The junior point guard dished out 4.5 assists per game last year and averaged 10.8 points. Fletcher can hit the long ball, but he does his best work off the dribble and getting to the basket and either finishing or finding a teammate. Now that he is an upperclassman, the entire UWGB offense should feel like they are in safe, capable hands.

Final Projection:
It will be interesting to see how things play out in Green Bay this year. The team loses a lot of talent, but there is a lot of talent left behind. The big question is who is going to start at the three or four spot. LeSage has experience, but Smith could steal that spot away sooner or later. Or will the coaching staff opt to put Perine or Pearson at the three spot and move the 6-5 Barkley to the four spot? That would be a very fast team if that were the case, but it might hurt on the defensive end of the floor.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:
Rahmon Fletcher, Junior, Guard, 10.8 points per game
Troy Cotton, Senior, Guard, 12.6 points per game
Cordero Barkley, Senior, Forward, DNP last season
Greg LeSage, Junior, Forward, DNP last season
Randy Berry, Senior, Forward, 6.4 points per game


www.collegehoopsnet.com/wisconsin-green-bay-basketball-preview-111-167074

[raiderscout]

FYI: We were ranked #60 last season.

[Raider Rowdies]

They have UWGB picked for 4th in the HL. I think that is way too high considering all the players they lost to graduation. My guess is they have Butler #1, Wright State #2, and CSU #3.

[Jazzfan]

Northeastern
Overall Rank: #102
Conference Rank: #4 Colonial Athletic Association
2008-09: 19-13, 12-6
2008-09 postseason: CBI
Coach: Bill Coen (46-46 at Northeastern, 46-46 overall)

Whether you want to believe the beginning of the year was luck, or that Northeastern simply lacked the depth to finish strong, the Huskies ended the 2008-2009 campaign in disappointment. They looked like the best team in the league by far until February when everything started going wrong. The team lost four of their last five conference games and was knocked out of the conference tournament in their first game.

Key Losses: F Chris Alvarez, G Matt Smith, F Eugene Spates

Key Newcomers:
With the loss of one starter and a couple key contributors off the bench, Northeastern must find much of their depth among the group of newcomers. Kostadin Marchlevski, a 6-10, 240 pound forward, is the most highly touted of the bunch. Marchlevski is not the most physical player around, but he can hit the outside shot and do some damage around the basket. Fellow forward Kauri Black is another option. In the backcourt Alwayne Bigby leads a group that also includes Joel Smith and Jonathan Lee.

Backcourt:
Northeastern has one of the best backcourt duos in the nation in Chaisson Allen and Matt Janning. Allen is the point guard who can also score and hit the glass like he’s a seven-footer; yet, it is Janning who is the star of this team. The 6-4 wing led the team with 14.3 points per game and added 2.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals during his junior campaign. His senior season should be even better. The problem is those two each played at least 34.6 minutes per game. Baptiste Bataille can fill in some minutes when necessary, but Coach Bill Coen will need him to be more productive or the backcourt will be worn out by February once again.

Frontcourt:
Janning and Allen get most of the headlines, but Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh are a formidable duo in the frontcourt. Adako is the better scorer and he could put up over 15 points per game if he was more aggressive around the basket and got to the charity stripe more than 2.2 times per contest. Ojougboh is the best shot blocker on the team, but he still averaged less than one per game. Heading into the 2008-2009 season it looked like Ojougboh could average a double-double, but instead he averaged just 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds. He will still be a very valuable player due to his defensive skills, but it would be beneficial if he could turn into a more consistent scorer with his back to the basket.

Who to Watch:
Vinny Lima averaged a mere 8.8 minutes per game last year, but he could be the most important player on this team. Eugene Spates was the most prolific outside shooter on the team last year from the small forward position and totaled 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds and it will be up to Lima to continue where Spates left off. Lima has the ability to hit the outside shot, but he is 6-10 and certainly cannot defend most small forwards in the CAA. That would move Adako to the three spot and that could cause some problems as well on the defensive end.

Final Projection:
The other option would be to put the more experienced Bataille in the starting lineup and move Janning to the wing. Not only would that give the team two ballhandlers on the floor, but it puts the team’s five most experienced players in the starting lineup. But no matter who starts, this Northeastern team looks a lot like they did last year and that means the entire team could be tired by the end of the season. While the starting five might be the best in the league, Northeastern will have to rely on unproven newcomers to fill in the gaps.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:
Chaisson Allen, Junior, Guard, 10.4 points per game
Baptiste Bataille, Senior, Guard, 3.5 points per game
Matt Janning, Senior, Guard, 14.3 points per game
Manny Adako, Senior, Forward, 11.3 points per game
Nkem Ojougboh, Senior, Forward, 7.4 points per game


www.collegehoopsnet.com/northeastern-basketball-preview-102-167093

[bballraider]

2009-10 UWM Basketball Preview: #87


Overall Rank: #87
Conference Rank: #3 Horizon League

2008-09: 17-14, 11-7
2008-09 postseason: none
Coach: Rob Jeter (62-61 at Wisconsin Milwaukee, 62-61 overall)

Over the last couple of seasons Wisconsin-Milwaukee has had to do some rebuilding. This year Coach Rob Jeter’s squad should have the weapons to make a serious run at a postseason tournament. It may not be the NCAA Tournament and the success the Panthers had under Coach Bruce Pearl, but it should be a step in that direction.

Key Losses: F Anthony Hill, G Deion James, G Avery Smith

Key Newcomers:
The player who is most ready to contribute amongst the newcomers is junior college transfer Michael Tyler. The 6-5 junior is raw, since he did not even play much basketball in high school, but he made major strides in his game during his two years at Pratt Community College and will be ready to contribute either at the small forward or power forward position. Ja’Rob McCallum and Lonnie Boga will provide some depth in the backcourt and redshirt freshmen Riley Walker, Patrick Souter and Ryan Haggerty will also be looking for minutes. It is Walker, a 6-6 forward, who has the most potential if he can find minutes on what is turning into a pretty crowded forward position.

Backcourt:
The backcourt does not lack in scoring prowess. Tony Boyle is a quality outside shooter who led the team with 13.2 points per game last year and should be in for a big senior season. Boyle is more than just an outside shooter and will use his speed to get to the basket. The bigger concern in the backcourt is replacing point guard Avery Smith. Deonte Roberts will have a shot at the job. Roberts, who averaged 6.4 points and 1.6 assists last year, is a quality player, but he turned the ball over too much last year and that will have to change if he is going to become Milwaukee’s number one point guard.

Frontcourt:
The frontcourt must replace part-time starter Anthony Hill, but Coach Jeter has plenty of options. Tony Meier started all 30 games last year and proved to be a difficult player to defend. He connected on1.2 three-pointers per game and most opposing power forwards will have a difficult time defending him all the way out beyond the arc. James Eayrs usually came in off the bench last year, but he was still the most productive forward on the team, averaging 11.2 points and a team high 5.5 rebounds. With senior Jason Averkamp being a capable backup, the frontcourt has plenty of experience and a couple newcomers, most notably Tyler, who can turn the unit into a force in the Horizon League.

Who to Watch:
Ricky Franklin was the most prolific and efficient outside shooter last year and ended the season averaging 9.1 points per game. Franklin, who is just 6-1, is also a great rebounder for a guard and that could prove to be very useful if the Panthers end up running a three guard offense. But that will depend on whether or not Roberts is ready to run the point. If he is not, that job will likely fall to Franklin. Yet, there is another determining factor for Franklin. He may not be eligible this year as a fifth year senior if things do not go as planned in the classroom over the summer.

Final Projection:
Assuming Franklin is back, the offense should be in good shape. The big question is at the point. If Roberts cannot handle it, Franklin will be less of a scorer and more of a distributor and that takes the team’s best shooter and puts him on the ball when he would be much more effective running off screens and looking for open three-pointers. Either way, Milwaukee should end their mini postseason drought and at least make it to the CBI or CIT.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:
Deonte Roberts, Junior, Guard, 6.4 points per game
Tony Boyle, Senior, Guard, 13.2 points per game
Ricky Franklin, Senior, Guard, 9.1 points per game
Tony Meier, Sophomore, Forward, 6.7 points per game
James Eayrs, Senior, Forward, 11.2 points per game

www.collegehoopsnet.com/2009-10-uwm-basketball-preview-167127

[Kovy]

We came in at #57 with a NIT prediction.

www.collegehoopsnet.com/wright-state-basketball-preview-57-167187

[ohiopirate]

Tough to argue with anything in that write up.

The question is – would you be happy with an NIT appearance at the end of this season if someone offered it to you right now? Or do you think we have an NCAA team and anything less will be somewhat of a disappointment?

[riceownz2]

I think THIS year is our best NCAA hopes. We are an upperclassmen loaded team and need to take advantage of a soft league this year besides Butler. To me an NIT berth should be our lowest of low expectations this year.
Reading that article made me realize how good we are going to be with Vaughn in the lineup. Not really getting to see him last year made me forget how good he was.
I'm already excited.

[Jazzfan]

Wright State Raiders
Overall Rank: #57
Conference Rank: #2 Horizon League
2008-09: 20-13, 12-6
2008-09 postseason: none
Coach: Brad Brownell (63-33 at Wright State, 147-73 overall)

Wright State lost their superstar Vaughn Duggins four games into the season. Despite that major setback, the Raiders still won 20 games and managed to compete in a tough Horizon League. Now Duggins is back, as is nearly everybody else, and Wright State should have the year they were hoping to have in 2008-2009 in 2009-2010.

Key Losses: G William Graham, F Gavin Horne

Key Newcomers:
With the return of Duggins, Coach Brad Brownell does not need help from his three incoming freshmen this year. This class is more about the future, but the future is looking pretty good with Tyler Koch and Darian Cartharn coming into the backcourt. Koch is a wing with good size who can score in bunches and hit the glass. Cartharn could see some minutes this year as a backup point guard, but it might be tough to find minutes in an already crowded backcourt. Forward Paul Darkwa has the most experience after spending eight years in the Navy. The 26 year old is a good athlete and should emerge as a quality player after a year or two in the system.

Backcourt:
It was Todd Brown who really stepped up his game when Duggins went out. Brown ended the year averaging 11.7 points per game and turned into a great outside shooting threat. He even ranked second on the team in rebounding and with him and Duggins on the wings, the Raiders are in great shape. Add N’Gai Evans and Troy Tabler to the mix and Wright State has plenty of options on the perimeter. Yet, it is John David Gardner who is the unsung hero. The 6-4 senior missed part of the season with a hip injury, but he was the leader of the team on the floor, dishing out 3.1 assists per game.

Frontcourt:
The frontcourt lacks the scoring punch of the perimeter, but Cory Cooperwood has emerged as a consistent scorer under the basket. A season ago he tallied 9.5 points and a team high 5.4 rebounds and his senior season should be his best yet. Ronnie Thomas is back to start by Cooperwood’s side. Thomas is not much of a scorer, but he will do the dirty work around the basket and help out on the glass. However, the team will rely on Scott Grote and Cooper Land to help out Thomas and give Cooperwood a break when he needs a rest or runs into foul trouble.

Who to Watch:
Two years ago Duggins led the Raiders with 13.8 points and connected on nearly 40 percent of his attempts from long range. He even dished out 2.7 assists and averaged one steal per contest. Losing him unexpectedly was a huge blow to a team that had NCAA aspirations, but now that he is back, the Raiders hope to live up to those lofty expectations.

Final Projection:
If anybody is going to give Butler a run for their money, it should be Wright State. Coach Brownell has done a great job with the Raiders during his three years with the team and his fourth year could be his best yet. This group might not be able to beat out Butler, but they could hang around the bubble if they can win some big non-conference games in November and December.


Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:
John David Gardner, Senior, Guard, 8.7 points per game
Vaughn Duggins, Junior, Guard, 11.8 points per game
Todd Brown, Senior, Guard, 11.7 points per game
Ronnie Thomas, Senior, Forward, 3.9 points per game
Cory Cooperwood, Senior, Forward, 9.5 points per game

www.collegehoopsnet.com/wright-state-basketball-preview-57-167187

[Nutt House]

That was a decent write up.

[OG Raiderfan]

Another high ranking for the Raiders
By Marc Katz
Monday, October 5, 2009

FAIRBORN — I know, I know. At this time of the year, rankings don’t mean much, except that people are watching.

Collegehoops.net is listing a team a day for 144 days leading into the basketball season, and has Wright State listed No. 57, which is 14 spots higher than Rivals.com had the Raiders listed.

That would place WSU behind Butler in the Horizon League (Butler will likely start out in the top 20), and ahead of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which collegehoops.net has listed at No. 87. The only other Horizon League team listed is Wisconsin-Green Bay, which comes in at No. 111.

Silly or not, it’s fun to see what others are thinking. Imagine this, the website has WSU listed ahead of Notre Dame (No. 60), LSU (63), Syracuse (67), Indiana (109) and Iowa (123).

Those are certainly some fun argument-starters.

High consideration for the Raiders comes from the fact they have three straight 20-win seasons under coach Brad Brownell and have all-league guard Vaughn Duggins returning from a finger injury that kept him out of most of last season.

In fact, the Raiders return almost everybody and because of injuries to Duggins and later to John David Gardner, a few key backups were able to play and gain a lot of experience, including N’Gai Evans and Troy Tabler.

We’ll know how true that ranking is right away as the Raiders open the season in a tournament in Seattle, Wash., against the Pac-10 Huskies as well as Portland State and Belmont. All three of those teams won 20 or more games last season and all return key players.


www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/entries/2009/10/05/another_high_ranking_for_the_r.html

[riceownz2]

Katz is so late on posting information. I go here and read things and then 2 days later it shows up in the DDN. That is why I love this site.

[bballraider]

Mississippi State Basketball Preview

Overall Rank: #24
Conference Rank: #3 Southeastern Conference

2008-09: 23-13, 9-7
2008-09 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Gregg Marshall (Rick Stansbury 231-128 at Mississippi State, 231-128 overall)

Mississippi State has been relatively consistent, but this year the Bulldogs have much, much bigger goals. With just about everybody returning, Coach Rick Stansbury hopes to turn his NCAA Tournament team of a year ago into a team that can win the SEC and make a deep tournament run in March.

Key Losses: F Brian Johnson

Key Newcomers:
Renardo Sidney and the Bulldogs have some issues to overcome before he will be suiting up for MSU, but if Sidney does play, he will step right into the starting lineup and probably play for one year before he bolts for the NBA. The 6-10, 260 pound power forward is a superb athlete who can turn this team into a legitimate contender to knock off Kentucky and Tennessee atop of the Southeastern Conference pecking order. Wendell Lewis and John Riek will add more depth up front. Riek, if he can overcome injury issues, is the most intriguing option. The 7-1 center is a project, but he could end up being really good by the end of the season. Shaun Smith, a 6-6 wing, rounds out this solid class.

Backcourt:
Smith might have some trouble finding minutes with Barry Stewart and Phil Turner on the wings. Stewart averaged 12.4 points per game and will now need to become even more of a leader on the floor. Stewart is a prolific outside shooter, but he will also use his 6-3 frame to finish around the basket and that is what makes him such a dangerous scorer. Turner is a good shooter too, but it is his ability to hit the glass that makes him so valuable to this team. He ranked second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game last year. At 6-7, Ravern Johnson usually manned the four spot on this undersized team. He is an accurate and prolific three-point shooter who needs to be more physical under the basket if this team wants to avoid being outrebounded on a consistent basis.

Frontcourt:
Ideally, Mississippi State would move Johnson to the wing, but that means they need to find a consistent power forward. If it is not Sidney, it will have to be Kodi Augustus, Romero Osby or Elgin Bailey. Those three all averaged less than 14 minutes per game last year, but Augustus averaged a steady 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last year and Bailey has potential if he can overcome a foot injury that sidelined him late last season. But no matter who starts at the four spot, Jarvis Varnardo is the star of the frontcourt and this team. Varnado was known as simply a shot blocker a couple of years ago, but on top of his incredible 4.7 blocks per game last year, he added team highs with 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Who to Watch:
The big question heading into the 2008-2009 campaign was at the point. Dee Bost put those concerns to rest pretty early. As a freshman he averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 assists and started every single game for MSU. The numbers are very impressive, but what is even more impressive was his consistency day in and day out. Unlike many freshman point guards, Bost was steady and very rarely had a bad day. Expect those days to be even better as a sophomore.

Final Projection:
There is nothing this team lacks. They have a proven point guard, one of the best shot blockers to ever play the game and enough weapons on the wing to put up a bunch of points in a hurry. The only issue is on the glass and that is why the Sidney question is so important. But even if Sidney does not play, this team can get some quality minutes from Augustus, Osby and Bailey and not be forced to play small in situations where it does not make sense to play small. Either way, the Bulldogs will be back in the NCAA Tournament and looking for a win or two this time around.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Dee Bost, Sophomore, Guard, 10.9 points per game
Barry Stewart, Senior, Guard, 12.4 points per game
Phil Turner, Junior, Guard, 8.5 points per game
Ravern Johnson, Junior, Guard, 12.1 points per game
Jarvis Varnado, Senior, Forward, 12.9 points per game

www.collegehoopsnet.com/mississippi-state-basketball-preview-24-167304

[Nutt House]

Washington Huskies

Overall Rank: #12
Conference Rank: #1 Pacific 10 Conference
2008-09: 26-9, 14-4
2008-09 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Lorenzo Romar (145-81 at Washington, 238-169 overall)

This is a young Washington team, but it may be the most talented in the Pac-10. Coach Lorenzo Romar lost superstar forward Jon Brockman who averaged a double-double last season, but the recruits keep coming in and this group should build on last year’s success. With UCLA expecting to have a somewhat down year, this is the time for Washington to take home its second straight conference title.

Key Losses: F Jon Brockman, G Justin Dentmon

Key Newcomers:
Abdul Gaddy is one of the best recruits in the nation. He has the size, speed and vision to be a great distributor and scorer for the Huskies. The only negative about his game is his outside shooting, but he can still score in bunches and his outside shot will only improve in time. Gaddy is certainly the highlight of this class, but wing C.J. Wilcox and forward Clarence Trent are not bad prospects. The Huskies will also get the services of redshirt freshman Tyreese Breshers who will add some much needed depth under the basket.

Backcourt:
Yet, without Brockman, this team will turn its focus to the very talented group on the perimeter. Point guard Isaiah Thomas led the team with 15.5 points and 2.6 assists as a freshman. His turnover numbers were a little high, but with Gaddy by his side, the turnover issues should be a little better this time around. At 5-8, Thomas will be the traditional point guard, but do not be surprised if the 6-3 Gaddy brings the ball up the floor much of the time. But the backcourt has more weapons then Thomas and Gaddy. Venoy Overton is a great defender and Elston Turner could turn into the team’s best three-point shooter and will likely provide a spark off the bench.

Frontcourt:
Last year Quincy Pondexter played the small forward spot, but he may spend more time at the power forward position this year due to all the talent on the perimeter. Either way, the 6-6 senior will be productive. Last year he averaged 12.1 points and was second on the team in rebounding with 5.9. He may be a little undersized to play the four, but he does not have the outside shooting ability to play the three. That means Coach Romar can move him around based on the competition and circumstance. Darnell Gant will probably start again somewhere. He is not much of a scorer, but Gant is a strong rebounder. He will be pushed by junior Justin Holiday who is a quality defender at either forward spot.

Who to Watch:
The play of Matthew Bryan-Amaning will probably help decide whether or not this team plays big or small. With Pondexter at the small forward spot, the Huskies ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding margin last year. Bryan-Amaning is not going to grab rebounds like Brockman, but he is a capable big man who can score around the basket and hit the glass.

Final Projection:
The good news is this team has depth and options. They can play small and play Overton or Turner at the small forward position and move Pondexter to the four when they want to be a quicker team with more scoring options, or they can play big and be nearly as dominating on the glass as they were last season. With those options, Coach Romar will win a lot of games and last year’s freshmen are now experienced sophomores who are ready to become stars in the Pac-10.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Isaiah Thomas, Sophomore, Guard, 15.5 points per game
Abdul Gaddy, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Quincy Pondexter, Senior, Forward, 12.1 points per game
Darnell Gant, Sophomore, Forward, 3.1 points per game
Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Junior, Forward, 6.0 points per game


www.collegehoopsnet.com/washington-basketball-preview-12-167453