Raiders report

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Raiders report: Getting inside April 5, 2006
The Sports Xchange

The Raiders will have a new game plan and a new leader when they take the court next fall.

Wright State hired North Carolina-Wilmington head coach Brad Brownell to take over for Paul Biancardi after the former coach settled his contract with the Raiders. Biancardi had recently been found guilty of recruiting violations as an Ohio State assistant under Jim O'Brien. Biancardi is appealing that ruling.

Brownell recorded an 83-40 record in four seasons at UNCW and led his team to two NCAA appearances. The Seahawks were knocked out of the tournament by George Washington in March.

Wright State athletic director Mike Cusack has high hopes for the team next season. Not only does Brownell have a winning track record; the Raiders return four key players in DaShaun Wood, Drew Burleson, Jordan Pleiman and Tyrone Scott.

Cusack indicated the hiring of Brownell was a significant move for the Raiders. He said he had been hoping to hire a "Division I or Division II" coach to lead the program and wasn't necessarily looking for one who had multiple NCAA tournament appearances on his resume.

However, when Brownell decided to interview for the job and accept the school's $215,000 offer, Wright State officials were ecstatic. The new coach is happy with his employers as well.

"The day I went to Wright State, I saw some similarities to Wilmington," Brownell said. "Everything seems smaller when you don't have football. There's a kinship in the athletic department I really enjoy. We can work together to do something special."

Brownell knows that the high hopes that come with his hiring will bring significantly higher expectations. The environment should be positive -- but Brownell knows he will be judged only by the results.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/WRIGST

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Raiders report: Strategy and personnel April 5, 2006

THE GOOD NEWS
The Raiders have a good nucleus with DaShaun Wood, Drew Burleson and Jordan Pleiman. Wood was especially effective, averaging 17.9 ppg and shooting 43.0 percent from the field. These are all competitive warriors who give everything they have on the court.

THE BAD NEWS
The Raiders could use some more size and beef. Freshman James Craft was their only legitimate big man at 6-10, but he has yet to become a key factor. Craft only played 4.1 minutes a game and doesn't seem to be an integral part of the.

KEY RETURNEES
Despite the way this season ended, the Raiders had a good season because they exceeded preseason expectations. Wood is a sensational player who made the Horizon League first team and Pleiman and Burleson combined for 23.0 ppg.

ROSTER REPORT

--F Jordan Pleiman finished the season as the most proficient shooter in the Horizon League. He made 57.5 percent of his shots from the field, edging Butler's Brandon Polk who made 57.3 percent of his shots.

--G Tyrone Scott led the Raiders in scoring off the bench, averaging 6.8 ppg. If Wright State is going to improve in 2006-07, they will need much more production off the bench.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/WRIGST/9358540

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Raiders report: Notes, quotes April 5, 2006

--Wright State struggled with the three-point shot all season. They finished the year ranked eighth in the Horizon League, making 30.9 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

--Paul Biancardi's Raiders did a superb job of contesting nearly every shot. Wright State opponents made only 43.3 percent of their shots, the second-best mark in the Horizon League.

THE RECORDS
13-15, 8-8 (tied for third in Horizon League), lost in first round of the Horizon League tournament.

HOW THE SEASON ENDED
The Raiders played with a great effort all year and exceeded expectations to reach the .500 mark in the Horizon League during the regular season. However, they had little left in the tank for the finish. Wright State lost four of its final five games.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Dayton is a college basketball town. To be in that basketball hotbed gets my juices going." -- Wright State coach Brad Brownell, after he was hired to replace Paul Biancardi.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/WRIGST/9358539

[wsu97]

Hopefully Duggins and Brown can elevate our poor 3 point shooting percentage.

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Bulldogs report: Getting inside April 5, 2006

The Bulldogs hoped to extend their season with a long run in the NIT. Instead, it turned out to be one-and-done.

While Todd Lickliter's team competed in its game against Florida State, the Seminoles made more plays at the end and found a way to pull out a 67-63 decision.

The Bulldogs could not contain the power of FSU big man Alexander Johnson down the stretch. Johnson scored two late baskets in the final minute to give the Seminoles the win.

The Seminoles seemed to have a nasty edge to their game, and they took out their frustration for not making the NCAA tournament on the Bulldogs.

"Rebounding is something you have to want to do," said Johnson. "The coaches were in my face about not getting a rebound in 30 minutes. That stuck with me."

Despite that loss and the defeat at the hands of UW-Milwaukee in the Horizon League tournament, there is little doubt that Butler exceeded expectations this season.

The Bulldogs, tapped for fifth place in the league before the first game of the season in November, developed under Lickliter as a team that could shoot the three-pointer and work the ball around extremely well so that the team could get a good look. The Bulldogs were an outstanding passing team, registering 436 assists -- 82 more than their opponents.

Defense was an issue as opponents shot 46.4 percent from the field. Butler also got hammered on the boards as opponents took down 7.7 rebounds per game more than the Bulldogs. Expect Lickliter to demand more physical play from his team next season.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/BUT

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Bulldogs report: Strategy and personnel April 5, 2006

THE GOOD NEWS
The Bulldogs were a solid team that did a good job at most of the fundamentals of the game. Head coach Todd Lickliter drilled this team to make the extra pass to set up the easy basket and that game plan worked well. Butler was supposed to be a middle-of-the-pack team in the Horizon League, but they finished second, a game behind UW-Milwaukee.

THE BAD NEWS
Sometimes a team has to go into the back alley, roll up its sleeves and go to work. That was not the Bulldogs this year. They got hammered on the boards and seemed to suffer when the game got physical. That needs to improve next year. The Bulldogs lose Brandon Polk and Bruce Horan -- two of their three leading scorers -- to graduation.

KEY RETURNEES
Lickliter is a solid recruiter and if he can find some decent talent to go along with A.J. Graves (13.4 ppg) and Brandon Crone (9.8 ppg, 43.3 percent from beyond the arc), the Bulldogs should be in the hunt for the Horizon League title once again.

ROSTER REPORT
F Brandon Crone led the team in rebounding this season, finishing the year with 5.0 boards per game.

--F Brandon Polk, the only Bulldog to reach double figures against the Seminoles, made 6-of-9 shots from the field, scored 16 points and had five rebounds.

--Sophomore A. J. Graves had connected on at least one three-point field goal in the 17 games prior to the NIT loss to Florida State. He went 0-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Seminoles.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/BUT/9358518

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Bulldogs report: Notes, quotes April 5, 2006

--Butler matched its runner-up finish in the Horizon League regular-season race with a second-place finish in the Horizon League Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis.

--Butler head coach Todd Lickliter earned 2006 Horizon League Coach of the Year honors. Lickliter is the third Butler coach to earn Coach of the Year accolades, and he served as an assistant coach under the previous two. Current Nebraska head coach Barry Collier was a four-time league Coach of the Year during his Butler tenure, while current Ohio State head coach Thad Matta received the honor in 2000-01.

THE RECORDS
20-13, 11-5 (second in Horizon League), lost in first-round of NIT.

HOW THE SEASON ENDED
The Bulldogs were beaten by UWM in the Horizon League title game and Florida State in the first round of the NIT. Both were better teams. However, Butler was a consistent, hard-trying team that played well down the stretch and had nearly all the elements except physical toughness this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"If we make a couple more 3s, and that's what we're about, maybe it's a different game. Nothing was easy. They contested shots. We just weren't able to get clean looks." -- Butler coach Todd Lickliter on his team's play against Florida State.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/BUT/9358520

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Vikings report: Getting inside April 5, 2006

The Vikings suffered through their fifth straight losing season and lost their Horizon League tournament game by 34 points.

Does this team have any chance of turning things around in the foreseeable future? If they are judged by the recent past, the answer is no, but the future may not be as bad as it seems.

Despite their losing ways, the Vikings generally played solid defense throughout the season and head coach Mike Garland can build off of that. However, the offensive production needs to be improved because Cleveland State was the worst shooting team in the Horizon League.

The most positive aspect of this team may have been its ability to play well on the road. While they dropped 7-of-8 conference home games, the Vikings went 4-4 on the road.

That indicates Garland has a team that will not be intimidated under adverse circumstances, although it does put their preparation for home games under serious question.

Cleveland State needs to produce next year with five seniors returning. Garland is under pressure and that vice will get tighter if the Vikings can't climb the ladder in 2006-07.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/CLEVST

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Vikings report: Strategy and personnel April 5, 2006

THE GOOD NEWS
While the offensive results were not good this season, the team's four leading scorers all should be back next year. That includes J'Nathan Bullock, who led the team with an average of 11.3 ppg and was very quick defensively. If Garland can add just a bit of offense to a tenacious defensive team, the Vikings could be better next season.

THE BAD NEWS
The Vikings need to improve their offensive production. Shooting is the biggest issue -- they made just 40.1 percent of their shots -- but it is not the only one. The concept of team play is often missing. They start off passing the ball well but then the offensive sets break down and they lack direction.

KEY RETURNEES
J'Nathan Bullock, forward Ije Nwankwo, guard Carlos English and guard Raheem Moss are expected to return. Head coach Mike Garland needs to add some offensive firepower, but this quartet will fight hard on defense and is a decent core to build around.

ROSTER REPORT


--G Raheem Moss needs to calm down on the offensive end. He did a decent job shooting from three-point range -- making 37.8 percent of his shots -- but he struggled overall. He averaged 10.0 ppg and made just 36.4 percent of his shots overall.

--F Ije Nwankwo finished the season on the bench and was struggling at the end of the season. However, he averaged 11.0 ppg this season and should play an important role in 2006-07 for head coach Mike Garland

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/CLEVST/9358521

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Vikings report: Notes, quotes April 5, 2006

--The Vikings generally played hard and tested their opponents, but the offense did not perform up to par. Cleveland State shot 40.1 percent from the field for the season which ranked dead last in the Horizon League. When they fell behind early, they simply did not have enough firepower to make up a deficit.

--Cleveland State played very solid defense throughout the season. Opponents shot 43.8 percent against them -- a figure that ranked third in the Horizon League. They also defended the perimeter well, holding opponents to 32 percent from beyond the arc.

THE RECORDS
10-18, 5-11 (eighth in Horizon League), lost in first-round of conference tournament

HOW THE SEASON ENDED
The Vikings may not have been one of the more talented teams in the league from an offensive perspective, but head coach Mike Garland usually found a way to get his team to play hard. Their last two regular-season games were last-minute losses to Illinois-Chicago and UWGB and it appeared the Vikings might be able to give Detroit a fight in the Horizon League tournament. Unfortunately, they saved their worst for last and were pummeled 92-58.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I am disappointed. This is not what CSU Basketball is supposed to be all about. This is the time of the year that we played all season to get to and it is unfortunate to come all this way and turn in a performance like that." -- Viking coach Mike Garland after his team dropped a 92-58 decision to Detroit in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/CLEVST/9358522

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Titans report: Getting inside April 5, 2006

It all fell apart for the Titans in the second round of their Horizon League tournament against Loyola.

After a lopsided win over Cleveland State in the first round, Perry Watson's team had confidence it could get to the finals and perhaps give a team like regular-season champion UW-Milwaukee a run for its money.

But in the second round, Detroit could not sustain a good first-half effort and fell victim to a nightmarish run by the Ramblers.

Trailing 29-27 in the early part of the second half, the Titans lost their grip. Loyola went on a 21-0 run and ripped all hope away from Detroit.

If the Titans could have advanced to the Horizon League finals, a spot in the postseason NIT might have been a possibility. However, the 64-55 defeat ended those hopes.

In the first-round 92-58 win over Cleveland State, the Titans executed well and displayed a killer instinct in dominating the Vikings. Chuck Bailey had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit.

"It was a very impressive win for our young men," Watson said. "I'm proud of the way we played the game. We stayed sound and executed offensively and defensively. We're still emerging. We hope our best basketball is still ahead of us."

Watson's words and hopes turned out to be empty, but this team has plenty of firepower with Brandon Cotton and Jon Goode returning and the Titans could be a key force in the Horizon League next season.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/DETMER

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Titans report: Strategy and personnel April 5, 2006

THE GOOD NEWS
The backcourt scoring power of Brandon Cotton and Jon Goode gives head coach Perry Watson a very effective base. Cotton averaged a team-high 17.4 ppg and will be back for his senior year, while Goode scored 11.2 ppg and will return for his junior season.

THE BAD NEWS
This is a team that had a total split personality. They played like champions at home in rolling to a 13-1 record in Detroit, but the Titans were just 2-13 in road games. Most teams have a built-in advantage at home and find it more difficult to win on the road, but the split in this case was ridiculous. Mistakes could not be avoided away from home, while the Titans would respond with two or three good plays every time they played at home.

KEY RETURNEES
In addition to Cotton and Goode, backup guard Zach Everingham also comes back to Watson's team. However, the core of the front court -- Chuck Bailey, Torvoris Baker and Ethan Shaw -- all move on.

ROSTER REPORT


--G Jon Goode was one of the top three-point shooters in the Horizon League, making 41.5 (59-of-142) percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

--F Torvoris Baker played solid defense all season and was also quite proficient on the boards. He averaged 7.6 rebounds per game -- ranking second in the Horizon League.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/DETMER/9358525

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Titans report: Notes, quotes April 5, 2006

--The Titans clearly struggled away from home this year, but they were better than any team in the league when playing at Calihan Hall. The Titans went 13-1 at home this season. They won their last six home games by an average of better than 10 points per game.

--The Titans finished the year as the No. 1 defensive team in the Horizon League. Opponents shot just 42.7 percent against them.

THE RECORDS
16-16, 8-8 (tied for third in Horizon League), lost in second round of conference tournament

HOW THE SEASON ENDED
The Titans closed the regular season by winning 4-of-5 games and were a confident group at the start of the Horizon League tournament. After whipping overmatched Cleveland State 92-58, the Titans fell in the second round at Loyola when they could not stop a 21-0 surge by the Ramblers. Head coach Perry Watson liked the way his team played at the end of the year, but consistency was not a strong point.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"We just couldn't get it going. We're a pretty good defensive team, just not today."-- Head coach Perry Watson after the Titans dropped their Horizon League second-round game to Loyola 64-55.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/DETMER/9358524

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Flames report: Getting inside April 5, 2006

Defense was an issue all season for the UIC Flames.

So, head coach Jimmy Collins decided to take away half the pie from his opponents, even if he could not take away the whole pie.

Collins had his team play a serious zone in order to limit the ability of their opponents to produce on the inside.

Collins figured that allowing opponents a chance to shoot unencumbered from the outside might be taking a chance, but it was better than allowing entry passes into the paint for easy shots.

In UIC's second-round Horizon League game against UWGB in Milwaukee March 3, that philosophy came back to burn the Flames. UWGB started raining down three-pointers and cruised to a 76-66 victory over UIC.

Wisconsin-Green Bay made 11 3-pointers and pulled away from the Flames. Freshman Ryan Tillema made six of the shots from beyond the arc, but Phoenix point guard Ryan Evanochko made the difference. He dished out 14 assists, a career high and one shy of the tournament record.

UIC counted on an edge in physical play when it took on the Phoenix. The Flames had outrebounded UWGB, 78-60, in its two previous meetings, but the Phoenix had a 31-30 edge in this game. Aggressiveness had been the stock in trade for the Flames in the final weeks of the regular season, but they could not sustain that attribute in the conference tournament.

Collins had not anticipated a big year after losing a number of stars to graduation last year. However, the pressure will be on UIC to get back near the top of the Horizon League in 2006-07.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/ILLCHI

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Flames report: Strategy and personnel April 5, 2006

THE GOOD NEWS
The Flames performed inconsistently this year, but they played better than expected overall even if there was a flat spot in the middle of the season when they dropped five straight games in January. With Josh May, Jovan Stevanov and Othyus Jeffers all returning, Collins has a core of players who should be very productive next year.

THE BAD NEWS
The Flames have to get tougher in crunch time. They also have to learn to adjust in the middle of the game. Collins had his team stay in a zone even when UWGB was shooting lights out from long distance and he admitted that he probably should have made a move. Sticking to your guns is one thing, but not making necessary adjustments in game situations makes things very difficult for his team.

KEY RETURNEES
G Josh Mayo may be the Horizon League's best point guard in the upcoming couple of seasons. Mayo averaged 10.1 ppg and ran the Flame offense quite well this season. Forward-center Jovan Stefanov is a banger who should improve on the 5.6 rebounds per game he averaged last season.

ROSTER REPORT


--F Justin Bowen was a go-to stud all season for the Flames. He averaged a team-high 14.7 ppg and shot a remarkable 52.4 percent from the field, ranking fifth in the Horizon League.

--F Othyus Jeffers finished second on the team in scoring with a mark of 11.6 ppg and lead the team with 7.6 rebounds per night.

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/teams/report/ILLCHI/9358528