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Post by Retired Coach on Nov 6, 2006 9:59:16 GMT -5
Bulldogs report: Nov. 4, 2006 Consistency was a major factor in Butler's success last season. Butler head coach Todd Lickliter started the same lineup for all 33 games, and he was pleased with the results. The Bulldogs won 20 games for the eighth time in 10 seasons and advanced to the second round of the NIT. You knew what to expect from Butler -- tough defense, good 3-point shooting, and the scoring of 6-6 forward Brandon Polk, the Horizon League Player of the Year. Polk is gone, as are fellow stalwarts Bruce Horan and Avery Sheets. And Lickliter has to wonder how this edition of the Bulldogs will come together. As he put it over the offseason, the Bulldogs "have to have the constants --- we have to take care of the basketball, we have to share the basketball offensively, and we have to commit to guarding as a team." Butler does return a pair of starters -- junior guard A.J. Graves and senior forward Brandon Crone. Graves is a good outside shooter who can also handle and distribute the ball, and Crone brings a well-rounded offensive game and a commitment to rebounding and defense. Perhaps it's Butler's defense that will be the truest indicator of how the Bulldogs are coping with the loss of all that senior talent. Last season's "D" allowed opponents to hit only 67 of 222 3-pointers in Horizon League play. Such strong perimeter defense allowed the Bulldogs to overcome a lack of size and bulk down low. And Butler is again on the short side. SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS A pair of junior transfers, G Mike Green (ex-Towson) and F Pete Campbell (ex-IPFW), will be major contributors. Both were their teams' second-leading scorers in the 2004-05 season. Freshmen Gs Grant Leiendecker and Willie Veasley add backcourt depth. Veasley has played especially well leading up to the season. Freshman F Elliot Englemann is in the mix at forward. KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Several nonconference games will give Butler head coach Todd Lickliter an idea of how his team is coming together. Butler's first test comes Nov. 10 with a trip to Tulane. Three days later, Butler plays Notre Dame at Conseco Fieldhouse. Games against Kent State (Nov. 25), at Valparaiso (Nov. 29) and vs. Ball State (Dec. 6) and Purdue (Dec. 16 at Conseco Fieldhouse) are the other tests. PROGRAM DIRECTION The Bulldogs have the unenviable task of replacing three-fifths of a starting lineup that started all 33 games a season ago, so it's reasonable to expect growing pains for head coach Lickliter's club. How the team's newcomers develop will go a long way in determining how Butler fares this season. PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP PG Mike Green, SG A.J. Graves, PF Brandon Crone, SF Marcus Nellems, C Brian Ligon. ROSTER REPORT The Bulldogs enter the season relatively healthy. There are few nagging injuries, but nothing expected to be of consequence. Returning starters Graves and Crone didn't miss a single game to injury last season. Graves has started 56 straight games. Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of the Horizon League's toughest places to play, and the Bulldogs thrive on their home floor. Butler won 12 of 13 home games a season ago and went 10-0 when leading at halftime. STRENGTHS Junior G A.J. Graves played in Brandon Polk's shadow last season, but he appears capable of carrying a heavier load on both ends of the floor. Graves averaged 13.4 points per game last season and finished second on the team in steals and assists. Graves and senior F Brandon Crone are players head coach Todd Lickliter can lean on, and they will lead the charge if the Bulldogs are again to compete in the Horizon League. WEAKNESSES The departures of seniors Brandon Polk, Bruce Horan and Avery Sheets leaves Lickliter to try and replace more than half of the team's scoring from the 2005-06 campaign. Butler led the Horizon in scoring defense a season ago, and another strong team-defensive effort will be needed for the Bulldogs to be in the mix in conference play. A lack of size and bulk is also a minus for Lickliter's club. LAST YEAR 20-13 overall, 11-5 in the Horizon, lost in second round of the NIT. HEAD COACH Todd Lickliter (career 102-54); sixth year at Butler (102-54). QUOTE TO NOTE "We may have to do it by committee. I don't know that you can take one player and say 'OK, I want you to lead the league in assist-turnover ratio' or take another player and say 'I want you to lead the league in 3-point field goals.' I don't think we can expect someone to deliver inside the way that Brandon (Polk) did." - Butler coach Todd Lickliter on replacing Horizon Player of the Year Brandon Polk, sharpshooter Bruce Horan and steady PG Avery Sheets. www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/BUT/9777826
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Post by Retired Coach on Nov 6, 2006 9:56:41 GMT -5
Raiders report Nov. 4, 2006 The conference preseason poll puts Wright State in the middle of the pack in the Horizon. WSU coach Brad Brownell, most recently the top lieutenant for Jerry Wainwright at DePaul and a two-time conference coach of the year at UNC-Wilmington, takes over a team that managed a .500 finish (8-8) in the league a year ago and has four seniors on the 2006-07 roster. Brownell will build around senior guard DeShaun Wood. The 5-11 floor leader has 16 career 20-point games, averaged 17.9 points last season and is a near-lock to finish as one of the Raiders' top-10 all-time scorers. Balance alongside Brownell could be found in fellow senior Drew Burleson. He plays bigger than his 6-6 frame might indicate. Burleson, who averaged 6.9 rebounds and more than 12 points last season, started every game last season. Junior forward Jordan Pleiman (6-8, 240) was the team's third-leading scorer behind Wood and Burleson last season at more than 10 per game. SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS True freshman G Vaughn Duggans was the first player signed by Brad Brownell. He averaged 26.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a high school senior and could contribute off the bench. Another guard, freshman Eric Stevenson, figures in an apprentice role at point guard. He was a scorer in high school but also averaged five assists. KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Just three games -- road games at Miami (Fla.), Coastal Carolina and Independent Chicago State -- precede the first conference game of the season, Dec. 2 vs. Detroit. That game is followed by a meeting with Bradley. If Wright State wins three of five out of the gate, watch out. PROGRAM DIRECTION Watch Brownell as a recruiter. He's expected to follow in the footsteps of DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright in building a very difficult slate of nonconference games to prepare his team to eventually emerge in the Horizon League. In a year when the league title is being handed to Loyola (Ill.), Brownell could score points with recruits by sneaking into the top two or three in the league. PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP G Willie Graham, G DeShaun Wood, G Tyrone Scott, F Drew Burleson, F Jordan Pleiman. ROSTER REPORT Ronnie Thomas, who played 24 games at Duquesne last season, transferred to Wright State but is sitting out the season per NCAA transfer rules. But Thomas' progress has been limited due to a knee injury suffered in practice. He'll be out for roughly four months. Burleson has been bothered through the preseason with an ankle injury but he's expected to be OK for the start of the season. STRENGTHS G DeShaun Wood can score 20 points against most any opponent. He's capable of getting to the line and scoring from the outside. Inside, Fs Jordan Pleiman and Drew Burleson clean the glass and add scoring punch. Sophomore G Willie Graham gained experience (22 starts in 28 games last season) and should increase his production after a solid freshman season. WEAKNESSES Wright State was awful on the road (3-10) last season and the Raiders have to find a wing man to pair with Wood. Size can be a detriment. Outside of Pleiman, the tallest player on the roster stands 6-foot-6. After he's done sweating about rebounding, coach Brad Brownell will be worried about depth and keeping his short bench healthy. LAST YEAR 13-15, 8-8 in Horizon. Lost to UIC in the first round of the Horizon Tournament. HEAD COACH Brad Brownell (career 83-40); first year at Wright State. QUOTE TO NOTE "We don't have a lot of 3s (small forwards) and 4s (power forwards. We'll have to make do." -- Wright State coach Brad Brownell. www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/WRIGST/9777847
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Miami
Nov 11, 2006 21:39:19 GMT -5
Post by Retired Coach on Nov 11, 2006 21:39:19 GMT -5
This is huge for us. We haven't won at Miami since 1982.
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Miami
Nov 11, 2006 20:17:42 GMT -5
Post by Retired Coach on Nov 11, 2006 20:17:42 GMT -5
Miami 25, WSU 20 at the half. It sounds like our defense has been decent. Offensively, we only had 11 points through the first 15 minutes. We started putting things together the last few minutes of the half.
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Miami
Nov 6, 2006 10:16:56 GMT -5
Post by Retired Coach on Nov 6, 2006 10:16:56 GMT -5
RedHawks report: Oct. 13, 2006 Year in and year out, Miami rates as one of the top basketball programs in the Mid-American Conference. Yet the record shows that the RedHawks are starved for an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Miami finished first or second in the MAC East Division each of the past four seasons and has a winning MAC record in eight of the past nine seasons. But the RedHawks haven't won the MAC Tournament and gained the accompanying NCAA Tournament berth since 1997, Charlie Coles' first year as Miami's coach. Coles received a contract extension this summer, which goes through the 2008-09 season. Among the most important things he must do this year is find a go-to scorer. The RedHawks lost their leading scorer from last year. Small forward Tim Pollitz or power forward Nathan Peavy are the logical candidates to pick up the scoring slack. In order for Pollitz and Peavy to be consistent scorers, senior guard Doug Penno must pick up his consistency in the backcourt. He has the most assists among the returning guards, but newcomers Alex Moosmann and Carl Richburn likely will lead the offense from the point, allowing Penno to play an off-guard spot. SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS PGs Alex Moosmann and Carl Richburg are the key players in this year's group. Both will make strong challenges for a starting job, and both are projected as high-quality players in the Mid-American Conference. KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Miami normally plays a quality non-conference schedule, but this year's is especially challenging. The RedHawks will play national powers Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan. The final two games before the MAC season starts are against regional rivals Dayton and Cincinnati. Miami must be careful that the grueling schedule doesn't wear it out for the early portion of the MAC season. PROGRAM DIRECTION Miami hasn't won the Mid-American Conference Tournament or advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 1997. The RedHawks have been in the hunt for those accomplishments most of the past nine years but haven't found a way to make the breakthrough. PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP PG Alex Moosmann, SG Doug Penno, SF Tim Pollitz, PF Nathan Peavy, C Monty St. Clair. ROSTER REPORT PG Carl Richburg could make a big impact this year. He sat out last season after transferring from Southern Indiana, and he has strong ball skills. Athletic guard Chad Troyer left the program in search of more playing time elsewhere. STRENGTHS Miami is known for its rugged defense and patient offense, which tends to give games a grinding pace. The RedHawks are comfortable with that style and it tends to disrupt teams that prefer a fast pace. WEAKNESSES The RedHawks have to be able to shoot the ball better. They made an improvement in their overall percentage last season, but they ranked 10th in the Mid-American Conference in 3-point shooting at 33.9s LAST YEAR: 18-11 overall, 14-4 Mid-American Conference East, postseason. HEAD COACH Charlie Coles (career 267-210); 11th year at Miami (175-126). QUOTE TO NOTE "The thing that excites me most about this year's team is that we have some very dedicated veterans returning to our program. I can't remember having a group of returners this excited about the season." -- Miami coach Charlie Coles. www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/MIAOH/9725205
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Post by Retired Coach on Nov 2, 2006 21:06:13 GMT -5
The season hasn't even started yet and we have 3 players hurt. Stevenson didn't dress with his broken finger. Drew didn't start and didn't play much until the second half. He has an ankle sprain. DaShaun reinjured his shoulder in the second half and didn't return to the game. We can't afford to have anyone hurt. We don't have enough depth.
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 24, 2006 19:46:45 GMT -5
Our coaching staff didn't waste any time putting their stamp on this team. At this rate, we might be done with recruiting for next year before the early signing period is over.
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Post by Retired Coach on Nov 17, 2006 7:15:22 GMT -5
Also, any fan with real knowledge knows that conferences call the team that wins the conference tourny the champion of the league. That is basketball 101. I've never heard that before. I've always called the regular season champs the regular season champs and the conference tournament champs the conference tournament champs. I even think the banners hanging in the Nutter Center say 1993 Mid Continental Conference Tournament Champions. Either way, this whole series of post is a waste of time. The Mid Con is a bottom of the barrel conference. Anyone that wants to argue otherwise is not being logical. They are just trying to pick a fight.
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Post by Retired Coach on Nov 12, 2006 22:52:37 GMT -5
Slow Start Dooms Phoenix in Season-Opening 74-57 Loss at Oakland Early 18-2 deficit proves to be too much to dig out of ROCHESTER, Mich. - An 18-2 deficit to start the game proved to be too much for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball team to overcome in dropping its season opener 74-57 at Oakland University Sunday afternoon. The Phoenix committed six turnovers in the first 6 minutes and 23 seconds of the contest and Erik Kangas hit three early 3-pointers as the Golden Grizzles raced out to the big early lead. "I certainly didn't see that coming," Kowalczyk said of the slow start. "I really thought our guys were prepared, ready and excited. We got put on our heels pretty early. They were the aggressors and we weren't. I think anything that could have gone wrong in the first five minutes did." No other UW-Green Bay player other than Ryan Evanochko got into the scoring column until Terry Evans scored on a layup with 9:32 remaining in the opening half to make it 22-8. The Phoenix had pulled within just 12 at 28-16 with 3:49 left in the half, but Oakland answered with a huge nine-point run to stretch its lead to 37-16 before eventually taking a 41-23 edge into halftime. UW-Green Bay turned the ball over 12 times in all in the first half which led to 24 Oakland points. The Phoenix again would chip away at the deficit in the second half, pulling to within 52-40 with 12:14 left but would get no closer. Vova Severovas finished with a game-high 22 points for the Grizzlies, including a 14-for-15 effort from the free-throw line. Kangas added 20 points, including hitting six 3-pointers. Oakland shot 48.8 percent from the field compared to 44.0 percent for UW-Green Bay. The Grizzlies also shot 35 free throws to just 17 for the Phoenix. Evanochko paced UW-Green Bay with 21 points while Ryan Tillema added 14. The Phoenix returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it travels to Madison to face ninth-ranked Wisconsin. p2.forumforfree.com/ouch-vt325-uwgbphoenix.html?sid=9ae2d89559928023fe79f9a70c5d50a0
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 14, 2006 8:44:44 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 15, 2006 9:02:14 GMT -5
WSU will see better times with Brownell at helmBy Marc Katz Sunday, October 15, 2006 FAIRBORN — Wright State's men's basketball team had its first day of practice under a new coach Saturday. So, how will the Raiders do? That's asking quite a lot. Can I have another day to think about it? "Anytime you make a coaching change, everyone starts over," said Brad Brownell, pried away from North Carolina-Wilmington, where he led two of his four teams to NCAA tournament berths. Ah, there's the problem. Brownell was successful at a mid-major school in a mid-major conference. Wright State, under similar circumstances, wants the same. That's not exactly a pressure situation for Brownell, but expectations are high. "He has been where we want to go," senior forward Drew Burleson said. A veteran lineup sprinkled with freshmen is learning a new system. A lot of Bob Knight's motion offense will be part of WSU's game plan, mostly because that's what Brownell teaches and party because the Raiders are so small, they'll have to rely on quickness to get around opponents. Of 10 players are on the roster, just 6-foot-8 Jordan Pleiman is taller than 6-6. One of the smallest players, 5-11 DaShaun Wood, will run the show. Beyond that, it's a guessing game. "A few guys (coaches) out there know they're going to have a really good year," Brownell said without mentioning the coaches at the big schools. "I was in that position last year. Most of us don't know that." I know this. At some point in Brownell's career here, it's going to get very good. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2006/10/15/ddn101506audible.html
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 8, 2006 6:48:32 GMT -5
Which poster do you think has the coolest avatar? Bballraider: Big D: Bluesbrothers: Bomber: Fastbreak: Littlegreg: Silkysouthpaw: Statmaster: Willie:
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 3, 2006 8:46:33 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Sept 25, 2006 17:30:15 GMT -5
Looks like everyone in the league has seen the Pavillion and realized they need to upgrade too.
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 3, 2006 8:58:07 GMT -5
Oct. 2, 2006 Duquesne's Ashaolu moved from critical care to rehabAssociated Press PITTSBURGH -- Duquesne forward Sam Ashaolu, the only one of five injured basketball players still hospitalized after last month's shootings, was moved from a critical care unit into rehabilitation Monday. Ashaolu spent several days fighting for his life with multiple gunshot wounds to the head following the Sept. 17 on-campus shootings, but is progressing faster than expected at Mercy Hospital. Doctors initially thought that he would still be on a ventilator at this stage of his recovery. "This is a great sign," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said Monday. "This is a big step in the right direction. This is terrific news after only two weeks." Ashaolu, a 23-year-old junior college transfer who grew up in Toronto, was shot several weeks after enrolling at Duquesne. Whether he can play basketball again is uncertain, but he is walking with assistance and became increasingly responsive over the weekend following a procedure to clear up a sinus infection. Doctors felt the infection was causing Ashaolu to run a fever, and his temperature has dropped since the procedure was performed. Ashaolu's older brother, John, said Sam was able to talk clearly with younger brother Olu over the weekend after the anesthesia given him during the procedure wore off. "It's the clearest conversation he's had yet," John Ashaolu said. Olu Ashaolu, a 17-year-old high school basketball star in Texas, was especially close to Sam. Family members said the shooting has hit the youngest of the four Ashaolu brothers especially hard. "It was really great they were able to talk because Sam has been asking about him," John Ashaolu said. Doctors are uncertain how long Sam Ashaolu must spend in rehabilitation, but have told Duquesne officials they are pleased with his progress so far. A surgeon removed a bullet fragment from Ashaolu's head on Sept. 25, slightly more than a week after the shootings, but several other fragments remain. The other four injured players have returned to classes, although three -- center Shawn James, guard Kojo Mensah and forward Stuard Baldonado -- still cannot practice as their wounds heal. James and Mensah were ineligible to play this season after transferring from other Division I schools but can practice when they are healed. Duquesne will open preseason practice Oct. 13 without Ashaolu or Baldonado, a 6-7 forward who also transferred from a junior college. Baldonado faces several months of rehabilitation and recovery after being shot in the back and left arm and is likely to be redshirted to preserve his two seasons of eligibility. During their informal preseason workouts, Duquesne players have been wearing wristbands with the number "5," symbolic not only of the number of shooting victims but of the number Ashaolu planned to wear this season. Four people are accused of crimes in the shootings that followed a Black Student Union party at Duquesne. Two -- William Holmes and Derek Lee -- are accused of firing at the players. A suspended Duquesne student, Brittany Jones, is accused of helping the two get into the dance. Another woman, Erica R. Sager, is accused of urging the players be shot. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2610931
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