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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2007 15:42:36 GMT -5
www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16680401.htmTeam of the week Wright State. The Raiders won three games, capped by Saturday's 77-65 victory over No. 10 Butler, to take over first place in the Horizon League. DeShaun Wood totaled 74 points in the three victories. He had 30 points against Butler. ============ ============ www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/story/team_of_the_week_wright_state35331Team of the Week: Wright State February 12th, 2007Team of the Day, Wright St By Raphielle Johnson Wright State (19-8, 12-2 Horizon League) RPI: 85 (kenpom.com) Strength of Schedule: 185 (overall), 217 (non-conference) Games last week: W 76-50 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, W 74-64 @ Illinois-Chicago, W 77-65 vs. then-#9 Butler When looking at the RPI and SOS numbers for the Wright State Raiders, there isn’t much for fans of “bubble” teams to worry about in terms of competition for an at-large bid. However, their home win over Butler on Saturday (their seventh straight win overall) served notice to those who dismissed the Horizon League as “Butler and those other guys” that the Bulldogs won’t have a cakewalk to the league’s automatic bid. The Raiders, led by first-year head coach Brad Brownell, have one of the best guards in the Horizon in Dashaun Wood, a 5’11” senior currently averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per outing. In their win over Butler on Saturday Wood went for thirty, twenty-three of which came in the second half. Wood also played good defense in the win, holding Graves to ten points on 3-for-16 shooting from the field. That Coach Brownell was able to turn around a team that went 13-15 last season shouldn’t be a surprise when you see that he went 83-40 in four seasons at UNC Wilmington. But for the Raiders to be leading the Horizon at this point in the year wasn’t expected by the “experts” that picked this team to finish fifth in the league in the preseason poll (it should be noted that these same “experts” voted Butler sixth). With the quarters and semis of the Horizon League Tournament being played on the court of the league’s top seed, this week goes a long way in helping the Raiders get a home-court advantage.
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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2007 15:45:29 GMT -5
www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9992257Monday Look Back: Let me make this clear -- I was right Feb. 12, 2007 By Gary Parrish CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer Wright State upset Butler. I told you it would happen. So I intended to use a portion of this column to brag about the prediction (that an eight-loss team from the Horizon League who had previously lost to Butler by 31 points would suddenly upset Butler, which was ranked 10th in the nation). But I've decided against going that route because patting myself on the back for successfully predicting something crazy (like Wright State upsetting Butler) would probably come off as small and petty. Granted, readers were impressed (that I predicted Wright State to upset Butler), including the guy who posted a message on the CBS SportsLine.com message board stating "Wow. You could not have hit the nail on the head any better. I love reading your columns and with upset picks like that I will probably take them more to heart when it's bracket time." And sure, even a Butler fan recognized my brilliance (in predicting Wright State would upset Butler) when he posted on a Bulldogs board that he has "been thoroughly impressed with Parrish throughout the 2006-07 season." But bragging just isn't my style. I know what I did (Wright State over Butler). You know what I did (Wright State over Butler). There's no sense in rehashing it all. So let's just get on with the Monday Look Back.
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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2007 16:31:29 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2762640TEAM OF THE WEEK: WRIGHT STATE By Andy Katz Let's slowwwww down on all the Butler talk, because the Bulldogs aren't even in first place by themselves in the Horizon League. Nope. Brad Brownell, who had the Midas touch at UNC Wilmington, now has Wright State in first place in the Horizon. The Raiders took out Butler on Saturday and stand at 12-2 in the league, a half-game ahead of the Bulldogs (Butler is 11-2). Wright State (19-8) now at least needs to be in the conversation for an at-large bid. What happens if Wright State wins the Horizon? Should the Raiders get a bid, too? We know that Butler is basically a lock. Wright State finishes with three games: last-place Cleveland State, BracketBusters pairing Cal State Fullerton, and at fifth-place Youngstown State. Ninth-ranked Butler gets a free pass Tuesday in a nonconference game against transitional D-I Florida Gulf Coast, and then the schedule stiffens. The Bulldogs have a tough BracketBusters game against Southern Illinois, and then go to fourth-place Wisconsin-Green Bay and host Blake Schilb and third-place Loyola-Chicago and then Detroit (tied for fifth). So, it's highly plausible that Wright State could win the league. This is the same team that lost 73-42 at Butler on Jan. 6.
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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2007 16:39:41 GMT -5
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Post by Raiderfan on Feb 12, 2007 16:53:39 GMT -5
Folks, this is some serious NATIONAL PUBLICITY that Wright State is receiving from the national media!!
This will only help our recruiting and our image on the national scene.
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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2007 17:41:16 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Feb 12, 2007 21:30:29 GMT -5
ESPN and Horizon League Honors WSU Feb. 12, 2007 The Wright State men's basketball team received two honors today, resulting from a three-win week that included a victory over #10 Butler Saturday. ESPN.com named the Raiders its national "Team of the Week" as WSU defeated UW-Milwaukee and Butler at home as well as UIC in Chicago last week. Senior DaShaun Wood, a Horizon League Player of the Year candidate, was named the Horizon League Player of the Week for the third time this year as he collected 74 points, scoring 20 points versus UW-Milwaukee, 24 points at UIC and 30 points against Butler. The Detroit native also finished the three-game span with 21 rebounds, 13 assists and 5 steals. The Raiders will host Cleveland State Wednesday night at 7 pm before ending the regular-season home slate with Cal State Fullerton at 8 pm Saturday in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters series. Wednesday's game will be shown live on Time Warner, Channel 25 and at wsuraiders.com while Saturday's contest will be shown live on ESPN360. As always, Chris Collins will have the call on WONE, 980 AM and WIZE, 1340 AM. wsuraiders.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/021207aaa.html
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Post by rock70 on Feb 12, 2007 22:37:52 GMT -5
First we win at Detroit on ESPN2 in front of a national audience and now we are getting lots of attention after our Butler win.
It all helps to build the program.
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Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2007 23:06:47 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bubblewatch?id=44Other at-large contenders: Wright State [19-8 (12-2), RPI: 88, SOS: 205] The overall profile really lacks substance (1-3 vs. Top 100, with Butler as the only win) and the Raiders have suffered three road losses by at least 26 points (as well as losing at Chicago State by 16), but winning good leagues weighs well with the committee, especially when you win a league over a team that could be a top-5 seed. Don't be fooled -- this team can play, and Dashaun Wood is as good a nationally unknown player as there is in the land. If they win out and get to the Horizon finals and lose a close one to Butler, could it happen? Probably not, but we'll see ...
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Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2007 23:14:27 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Feb 15, 2007 0:51:18 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/02/14/ddn021507audible.htmlESPN snub highlights Raiders' predicament By Sean McClelland Staff Writer Thursday, February 15, 2007 All you needed to know about Wright State's basketball profile could be found Sunday on ESPN's SportsCenter. Let's just say the Raiders' upset of nationally ranked Butler the previous night, fun as it was to see locally, didn't exactly send pulses pounding around the country. OK, maybe that's not fair. Maybe it's just ESPN who didn't get it. Or, more specifically, analyst Doug Gottlieb. In a segment devoted to ranking Saturday's individual performances from one to five, Gottlieb snubbed WSU guard DaShaun Wood, who scored 30 points, shut down Butler's A.J. Graves and generally stuffed every significant stat category. Just an oversight probably. Let's give Gottlieb the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Wood was sixth. They showed highlights of the upset Saturday, so they had to have been aware. Maybe a producer made the call. Can't believe Gottlieb could have known about Wood's performance and found five that were better. He was a point guard himself, one of the best assist men in the country, during his career at Oklahoma State. And he's one of the better analysts out there. OK, maybe it was just a case of overlooking a mid-major. That's what I thought — until some player from Southern Illinois grabbed the top spot. Former WSU coach Ed Schilling's dream was to elevate the program to a Gonzaga-like level. Two coaches later, that seems more plausible than ever, assuming Brad Brownell doesn't bolt for greener pastures. The Raiders are on the right track, clearly, but they will need something a bit more dramatic than just knocking off Butler to fulfill the vision of getting into the national spotlight for good. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2007 16:03:34 GMT -5
www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjImZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNzgyOTMmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2Looking for a team with March magic Saturday, February 17, 2007 By JOHN ROWE STAFF WRITER Even the most astute college basketball fans among us never saw George Mason coming. At this time last year, George Mason could have been Thomas Jefferson to those of us who pride ourselves on filling out the best possible brackets every March. With their top players having moved on, George Mason would need a bigger miracle to make this year's tournament. So as we head down the homestretch of a season that could produce another NCAA tournament Cinderella, let's look at so-called mid-majors capable of being fitted for gold slippers next month. Butler (24-3) -- How's this for a resume? Butler has beaten Purdue, Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga. "I'm looking at the projections and seeing Butler as a No. 3 seed, and I have to smile at that," said Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin. "That is progress from the way people used to look at teams like that."Nevada (23-2) -- The Wolf Pack have won 16 of 17 games and have a legit All-American in 6-foot-11 senior Nick Fazekas, who averages 20.7 points and 11.6 re bounds and has 16 double-doubles. The WAC leaders won at California and Gonzaga. Air Force (22-4) -- The Falcons have feasted on higher profile foes: beating Wake Forest by 36 points and Texas Tech by 14, and winning at Stanford by 34 and at Colorado by 38. Southern Illinois (22-5) -- The No. 1 team in the Missouri Valley Conference has reeled off eight straight victories, and earlier in the season beat Virginia Tech. Today's bracket-buster matchup at Butler should give us an even better read on how good Southern Illinois is. Missouri State (19-9) -- The Missouri Valley Conference's third-place team lost by three points to Oklahoma State and handed No. 3 Wisconsin one of its two losses. Winthrop (23-4) -- One of three unbeaten conference leaders (Florida, Memphis the others), the Big South front-runners have won 13 straight games. Winthrop also has prepared for tough tournament opponents: losing by three points at Wisconsin and seven at North Carolina. Oral Roberts (19-8) -- The Mid-Continent Conference's best team won at Kansas and has been victorious in 13 of its past 14 games. The Golden Eagles have a home-grown talent in Caleb Green, a 6-8, 255-pound center from Tulsa, who averages 19.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Wright State (20-8) -- How far have the Horizon League leaders come? After losing by 31 points at Butler last month, Wright State turned the tables at home by 12 points last week. Dashaun Wood, a 5-11 guard who averages 19.6 points, has sparked an eight-game winning streak.Virginia Commonwealth (22-5) -- The leader of the Colonial Athletic Conference, which gave us George Mason, is a fun team to watch. Four of its top five scorers are guards.
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2007 16:07:37 GMT -5
www.profantasysports.com/easycite/ros.php?PID=5792Missner: Unearthing the Gems The minor conferences are finishing up their conference play (with a break for most of the teams this weekend in the bracket busters) so it is about time that I started looking at teams that may comprise the double-digit seeds in the NCAA tournament. Last year, I devised a system to predict mid-major upset called PAMSCUM (Perry A. Missner’s SCoring Upset Mechanism), which was a 25-point system that rated each team (1-5) on height, guard play, three-point ability, senior leadership, and hot streak. It was an utter failure and it never predicted a George Mason Final Four appearance, no matter how I reconfigured it. Therefore, I scrapped it. Below are seven teams that are leading their respective conferences and with a conference tournament win will find themselves as a potential 13 seed. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (Atlantic Sun 19-8, 13-2) Earlier this week, I looked at the Buccaneers’ third leading scorer, freshman F Mike Smith (10.3 ppg). The team is lead by a fine inside outside duo of G Courtney Pigram and F Brad Nuckles. Pigram is among the conference’s leading scorers (16.6 ppg). He is a volume shooter, but when he is in the hot zone, he can beat teams nearly single-handedly. He did just that against Lipscomb on Jan. 27 with 34 points and eight threes. He takes nearly half of his shots from long range, and converts 37.2% on threes for 2.6 3pg. He recently had a 16-game double-digit scoring streak stopped with nine points against North Florida, going just 1-of-15 from the field. Pigram adds 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.7 spg. Nuckles, as his name implies, is a low post grunt. He averages 11.3 ppg on 50.5% shooting, 7.3 rpg, 1.5 spg and 1.8 bpg. The fifth-year senior scored a season-high 31 points on Jan. 7 in a win over Gardner-Webb and followed that game with six straight double-doubles. He’s cooled off in his last four games and has not produced 10-plus points or rebounds in any of them. The Bucs host Stetson (Feb. 22) and Mercer (Feb. 24) next week as they try to wrap up the A-Sun crown. Winthrop Eagles (Big South 22-4, 12-0) The Big South has been a great conference this year for fantasy prospects. Any team playing against VMI has a chance for big numbers, and players like High Point’s F/C AZ Reid and Radford’s C Chris Oliver produce in big ways. Winthrop has cruised through the Big South schedule unblemished, and their only losses this season have come against ranked teams (North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin and Texas A&M). G Torrell Martin was the leader before injuring his foot and missing five games. He is just starting to get his stroke back with 17.0 ppg in his last two. For the season, he has averaged 14.1 ppg on 49.5% shooting, 5.3 rpg, 1.5 spg and 1.9 3pg. While Martin was out, G Michael Jenkins had a chance to blossom. Jenkins scored 40 points in the opener and has been hot of late, scoring 20.7 ppg in his last six games. For the season, Jenkins provides a team-leading 15.8 ppg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg and 3.1 3pg. The frontcourt is led by 6-10 F/C Craig Bradshaw. Statistically, Bradshaw has been similar to his junior year (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg), but he has improved as the season has gone on with three double-doubles in the last six games. The Eagles finish the Big South schedule with games against High Point (Feb. 20) and at Coastal Carolina (Feb. 24). Wright State Raiders (Horizon 20-8, 13-2)
Three teams so far, all with NFL mascots. The Raiders gained national attention by beating ranked Butler on Feb. 10 and usurping the Horizon lead. The player of prime interest to fantasy players is 5-11 G Dashaun Wood. The team’s point guard does the majority of the ball handling and shooting, providing 19.6 ppg and 3.8 apg to go along with his 5.0 rpg, 1.8 spg and 1.6 3pg. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and thirty or more points three times, most recently in the win over Butler. He gets to the free throw line more than five times per game and is nearly automatic on freebies (88.7%). Wood is flanked in the backcourt by the future of Wright State – a pair of freshmen, G Todd Brown and G Vaughn Duggins. Brown, who I also profiled in this week’s Freshman Hazing, has seen his role increase as the season has rolled on and provides 9.3 ppg. Duggins plays more point (2.6 apg) and scores about the same as Brown (9.0 ppg). At 6-5 and 6-3, respectively, Brown and Duggins will provide WSU with a tall backcourt for years to come. The Raiders finish up the season on Feb. 22 at Youngstown State. Delaware State Hornets (MEAC 14-11, 11-2) The Hornets are cruising to their third straight MEAC regular season championship with a 2.5 game lead with five to play. The team is led by a high scoring duo: G Jahsha Blunt and F Roy Bright. Blunt, the 2005-06 MEAC Player of the Year, has raised his scoring average (16.0 ppg) for the fourth consecutive year. He is a high volume outside shooter, making 2.5 3pg on 36.9% from long range. Blunt has scored 20-plus points six times, most recently with 25 in a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Feb. 12. Bright, who played two years ago at Cincinnati, has provided 14.4 ppg and a team-leading 5.0 rpg. He likes to shoot from long range (1.4 3pg) but is not a proficient three-point gunner yet (30.9% on threes). The point guard is manned ably by 5-9 G Darrin Shine, who leads the team with 4.8 apg. Shine can score a little too (7.3 ppg), but he is an even worse three-point shooter than Bright (29.8%). The Hornets play at Norfolk State on Feb. 19 and hope to avenge one of their two conference losses against Florida A&M on Feb. 24. Austin Peay Governors (Ohio Valley 18-7, 15-2) Unlike most minor conference teams, the Governors are led by a pair of forwards: sophomore F Drake Reed and junior F Fernandez Lockett. The 6-5 Reed was in the rotation as a freshman, but has improved significantly this year. He has scored in double-figures in 18 straight games (of which Austin Peay has won 16, including an 11-game win streak) and averages 16.1 ppg on 54.0% shooting and 5.9 rpg. He’s scored 20-plus points seven times. Lockett, who is also 6-5 is the superior rebounder of the two (7.8 rpg) and has eight double-doubles this season. He is not as a consistent scorer as Reed, but he has two games of 20 points to his credit. G Derek Wright leads the backcourt and provides 8.4 ppg and a team leading 3.9 apg. He is also the team’s chief ball hawk with 2.0 spg. If it’s threes you want, take a look at 6-5 G Todd Babington who provides 2.3 3pg on 39.6% shooting from long range. The Governors, who hold a 3.5 game lead in the MEAC with four to play, play their two closest rivals this week: at Tennessee Tech on Feb. 20 and back home for Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 22. Holy Cross Crusaders (Patriot 20-7, 11-1) The Crusaders have the best backcourt in the Patriot and one of the best among the minor conferences. G Keith Simmons gets the ink (and maybe the ladies) for being the top scorer at 17.8 ppg, but G Torey Thomas is no slouch at 12.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 4.9 apg. Simmons can score attacking the basket, pulling up from medium range, or heaving from long distance. He has nine 20-plus-point games for the season and also provides 2.4 spg and 1.7 3pg. Of late, he has not been hitting his three-pointers, posting just a 21.4% conversion rate over his last six games. If he gets his mechanics right, he could be a big problem in the postseason. Thomas wreaks even more havoc for opponents with 2.7 spg and shoots better from long range (42.5% on threes for 1.4 3pg) than he does overall (37.6% from the field). Both players have logged more than 35 mpg. Simmons is the team’s leading rebounder at 5.9 rpg, but C Tim Clifford (11.3 ppg) has improved as the season as gone along and is coming off the best game of his career – 33 points in a Feb. 15 win over Navy. The Crusaders finish up the regular season by hosting Colgate (Feb. 21) and traveling to Lehigh (Feb. 25). Bucknell Bison (Patriot 17-9, 11-1) The Patriot regular season championship may well be shared between the Crusaders and the Bison. Both teams won their home games, including the Bison’s Feb. 9 48-45 win that featured some dreadful shooting (or great defense, depending on how you look at it), with neither team topping 40% on their field goals. Bucknell, who ousted Kansas in last year’s first round of the NCAA tournament, opened the season with four straight losses, but have rebounded to win their last nine games. F Donald Brown leads the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg), but has missed the last four games due to a broken hand. Brown may be back in time for the conference tournament. Without Brown, C Chris McNaughton has had to step up and he has done just that, providing 14.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg in Brown’s absence. On the season, McNaughton has provided 10.9 ppg on 55.1% shooting and 5.6 rpg. G John Griffin leads the team in backcourt scoring with 10.8 ppg and 1.9 3pg. He has scored 15.8 ppg and 3.0 3pg in the last four games. The regular season ends for the Bison on the road – against Lehigh (Feb. 21) and Army (Feb. 24). By Perry Missner, PFS Senior College Basketball Writer. Email him at perrymissner@profantasysports.com
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Post by Raiderfan on Feb 18, 2007 16:35:28 GMT -5
www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjImZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNzgyOTMmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2Looking for a team with March magic Saturday, February 17, 2007 By JOHN ROWE STAFF WRITER Even the most astute college basketball fans among us never saw George Mason coming. At this time last year, George Mason could have been Thomas Jefferson to those of us who pride ourselves on filling out the best possible brackets every March. With their top players having moved on, George Mason would need a bigger miracle to make this year's tournament. So as we head down the homestretch of a season that could produce another NCAA tournament Cinderella, let's look at so-called mid-majors capable of being fitted for gold slippers next month. Butler (24-3) -- How's this for a resume? Butler has beaten Purdue, Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga. "I'm looking at the projections and seeing Butler as a No. 3 seed, and I have to smile at that," said Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin. "That is progress from the way people used to look at teams like that."Nevada (23-2) -- The Wolf Pack have won 16 of 17 games and have a legit All-American in 6-foot-11 senior Nick Fazekas, who averages 20.7 points and 11.6 re bounds and has 16 double-doubles. The WAC leaders won at California and Gonzaga. Air Force (22-4) -- The Falcons have feasted on higher profile foes: beating Wake Forest by 36 points and Texas Tech by 14, and winning at Stanford by 34 and at Colorado by 38. Southern Illinois (22-5) -- The No. 1 team in the Missouri Valley Conference has reeled off eight straight victories, and earlier in the season beat Virginia Tech. Today's bracket-buster matchup at Butler should give us an even better read on how good Southern Illinois is. Missouri State (19-9) -- The Missouri Valley Conference's third-place team lost by three points to Oklahoma State and handed No. 3 Wisconsin one of its two losses. Winthrop (23-4) -- One of three unbeaten conference leaders (Florida, Memphis the others), the Big South front-runners have won 13 straight games. Winthrop also has prepared for tough tournament opponents: losing by three points at Wisconsin and seven at North Carolina. Oral Roberts (19-8) -- The Mid-Continent Conference's best team won at Kansas and has been victorious in 13 of its past 14 games. The Golden Eagles have a home-grown talent in Caleb Green, a 6-8, 255-pound center from Tulsa, who averages 19.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Wright State (20-8) -- How far have the Horizon League leaders come? After losing by 31 points at Butler last month, Wright State turned the tables at home by 12 points last week. Dashaun Wood, a 5-11 guard who averages 19.6 points, has sparked an eight-game winning streak.Virginia Commonwealth (22-5) -- The leader of the Colonial Athletic Conference, which gave us George Mason, is a fun team to watch. Four of its top five scorers are guards. This is so cool. We are now being mentioned as a team that could do some damage in the dance. All of this love the NATIONAL MEDIA is great for the university. It certainly can't hurt with recruiting as well. |
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2007 22:41:36 GMT -5
Wright State has moved up to #13 playing Boston College in the first round in Buffalo. Butler moved down to #4 playing Holly Cross ... in Buffalo sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology |
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