Official 2009-10 College Basketball Thread

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by watravaler

Andy Katz's Daily Word: Taking a shot at ranking all 32 conferences - ESPN

I agree, as the BigTen is simply loaded with talent for the next few years. Good coaches/recruiters will make the 2010-2015 seasons extremely competitive and fun to watch.

Regarding Mizzou, just like Mizzou owns Illinois in football, the tables are reversed in basketball. Can't wait for that game!

The SEC being rated above the Pac 10 speaks volumes.

[dawgfan]

Down cycle for the Pac-10. Should pick up starting next year.

[Butter]

The Dayton Flyers locked up probably their best recruiting class ever today by getting signed letters of intent from all 5 verbal commits, including Rivals #44 (#11 PG) Juwan Staten, and Rivals #116 (#30 SG) Brandon Spearman. Add that into a top-25 preseason ranked team hosting Creighton, and things are finally looking up for my alma mater's basketball program after a few years of just hoping to squeeze into the NIT.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Down cycle for the Pac-10. Should pick up starting next year.

Yup. You can't keep losing lottery picks (too numerous to list) and top coaches (Olsen, Bennett, Floyd, Johnson) and expect to stay among the elite every year. The conference will be better next season, as the young talent in place doesn't look quite as lookly to jump early as the young talent in the past has.

[the_meanstrosity]

I'm in agreement with Chief Rum. The Pac 10 has taken some huge hits in recent years due to the NBA (three guys in the top 10 of the 2009 draft), but they'll be back.

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Yup. You can't keep losing lottery picks (too numerous to list) and top coaches (Olsen, Bennett, Floyd, Johnson) and expect to stay among the elite every year. The conference will be better next season, as the young talent in place doesn't look quite as lookly to jump early as the young talent in the past has.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Heh funny story.

I'm not so sure on Jim's involvementwith Coaches vs Cancer anymore. He has always had a fundraiser for CvC at Turning Stone Casino which raised a LOT of money. Seems sombody at CvC started raising a stink about being associated with gambling and wanted it moved. Boeheim told them no and basically set up his own charity. I think the quote was "Somebody will get a lot of money donated, it just won't be Coaches vs Cancer" or something along those lines.

Hadn't heard that. I know he's done quite a few things with Norm in the past.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Could be a big weekend for Mizzou. 4-star PG Phil Pressey (top 40 nationally) signed with Mizzou yesterday. 5-star SF Tony Mitchell (top 15 nationally) will be in town for a visit. Rumor on the local airwaves is that if he has a good visit, he'll sign in the current signing period. Two top-40 players in the same class would be a great class for Coach Anderson.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Could be a big weekend for Mizzou. 4-star PG Phil Pressey (top 40 nationally) signed with Mizzou yesterday. 5-star SF Tony Mitchell (top 15 nationally) will be in town for a visit. Rumor on the local airwaves is that if he has a good visit, he'll sign in the current signing period. Two top-40 players in the same class would be a great class for Coach Anderson.

Amen to that!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Duke loses a starter to a broken wrist...........

Mason Plumlee of Duke Blue Devils out with broken wrist - ESPN

First Bracketology of the season is up..........

Bracketology - ESPN

Good primer on mid-major teams to watch out for in the upcoming season...........

Fran Fraschilla: The best mid-major teams and players for the 2009-10 college basketball season - ESPN

[MrBug708]

Harrison Barnes decides today, he's the top prospect in the nation. It's likely a Duke-UNC battle, but he's also considering Kansas, Oklahoma, UCLA, and the hometown ISU

[the_meanstrosity]

Barnes opts for UNC. Great get for Roy Williams. He had to make up a lot of ground to Duke who was long thought to be the leader. UNC is getting a great young man and a great basketball player.

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Harrison Barnes decides today, he's the top prospect in the nation. It's likely a Duke-UNC battle, but he's also considering Kansas, Oklahoma, UCLA, and the hometown ISU

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Good primer on mid-major teams to watch out for in the upcoming season...........

Fran Fraschilla: The best mid-major teams and players for the 2009-10 college basketball season - ESPN

Kind of a weird breakdown of mid-major there. I know the A-10 and particularly Xavier hates it (so they'll be happy not to be included), but I always thought mid-major was the multiple bid non-BCS leagues like the A-10, Horizon, C-USA, CAA, Mac, WAC. And then the 1-bid leagues were low-major.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Kind of a weird breakdown of mid-major there. I know the A-10 and particularly Xavier hates it (so they'll be happy not to be included), but I always thought mid-major was the multiple bid non-BCS leagues like the A-10, Horizon, C-USA, CAA, Mac, WAC. And then the 1-bid leagues were low-major.

Personally, I have always thought that some of the bigger conferences below the top, top ones are actually above "mid-majors". In my mind, these are the A-10, C-USA, WAC and Mountain West. They're bigger than mid-majors as I have always thought of them. They all almost always get multiple teams in the dance, often times even more than two.

Mid-majors as I have come to see it are the Horizon, CAA, MAC, WCC and the Missouri Valley. Maybe the Ivy, too. Big West back in the day would have been somewhere between the above four and the mid-majors in this group (when they had New Mexico and UNLV and Fresno State), but now they're probably a shade below this group.

[MJ4H]

Well. I wasn't going to say anything about this game, but, well, wow.

Arkansas leads Alcorn State 71-26 at halftime. Good heavens. Rotnei Clarke (recent article proclaimed him the best shooter in the country this year) has 31 points at halftime and is 9 for 11 from 3. This team really looks pretty darned good (I know, Alcorn State, but I watched this team struggle against bad competition last year, too).

And this is with 4 players suspended, including Courtney Fortson. Once these suspensions are over, this team may really be something this year.

Maybe.

[MJ4H]

Clarke has 40 points with 11 minutes to go in the game. I think he is 1 trey from the school record for 3s in a game and 6 pts from the most points scored in a game. Arkansas has 99 points on the scoreboard, too. This is quite fun to watch.

[MJ4H]

Broke the school record for points in a game and 3s in a game. He now has 51 points with 3 something to play and 13 made 3 pointers.

[Izulde]

Awesome on Rotnei. How's Jemal Farmar doing?

[MJ4H]

He has 27 points I think. Looks really good. So does Powell. They look really good tonight.

[MJ4H]

130-68 Final, Rotnei was taken out for good after he got both records, 51 pts and 13 3s.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Well. I wasn't going to say anything about this game, but, well, wow.

Arkansas leads Alcorn State 71-26 at halftime. Good heavens. Rotnei Clarke (recent article proclaimed him the best shooter in the country this year) has 31 points at halftime and is 9 for 11 from 3. This team really looks pretty darned good (I know, Alcorn State, but I watched this team struggle against bad competition last year, too).

And this is with 4 players suspended, including Courtney Fortson. Once these suspensions are over, this team may really be something this year.

Maybe.

Is courtney Fortson related to Danny Fortson?

[MJ4H]

No.

[wade moore]

W&M played VERY respectable against UConn. Cut it 4 about midway through the 2nd half, but just couldn't keep up. Ended up only losing by 10 (I think, don't feel like double checking).

[DataKing]

Xavier Henry drops 27 in his debut for the Jayhawks against Hofstra (and it could have been much worse than that). I knew the kid was big for a guard, but actually seeing him play for the first time...damn. Kid's a beast...6'6" 220 lb guard. Still, he seemed a little lax on defense and does what a lot of freshmen do...plays it with his hands instead of his feet.

[hoopsguy]

Promising start for the Illini, who won 96-69 against an overmatched SIU Edwardsville team. The point total is the most for Illinois since 2004 and the top two scorers were freshmen guards Brandon Paul (22) and D.J. Richardson (14). Richardson has been assumed to be a starter since setting foot on campus, but Paul appears to have overtaken Alex Legion (highly regarded juco who did show much during games last spring) for the 5th starter spot at this point.

[kingnebwsu]

Missing 2 of their 3 best players, my Wright State Raiders lost a close 74-69 game at Washington to open the season. Some of you don't know Wright State, but (if we stay healthy) you will see them in the dance this season. It's going to be an awesome year

[the_meanstrosity]

I could have sworn Alex Legion was the transfer from Kentucky. Are you thinking of Dominique Keller?

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Promising start for the Illini, who won 96-69 against an overmatched SIU Edwardsville team. The point total is the most for Illinois since 2004 and the top two scorers were freshmen guards Brandon Paul (22) and D.J. Richardson (14). Richardson has been assumed to be a starter since setting foot on campus, but Paul appears to have overtaken Alex Legion (highly regarded juco who did show much during games last spring) for the 5th starter spot at this point.

[the_meanstrosity]

KU played solid last night. Their defense is still a work in progress which is something Bill Self will not be happy with. They're great at getting into the passing lanes and getting steals, but they have a tendency to sometimes give up the easy points and open shots outside the arc from not getting back on defense. It got a little sloppy on offense at times and Self was forced to settle things down with timeouts. Nothing really to take from this game aside from getting the young guys minutes. Free throw shooting was a bit problematic, but it was mainly two to three guys who struggled while everyone else was fine.

Hofstra obviously struggled. They got into early foul trouble because of KU pushing the ball inside early and often and thus they were forced to pack it in before half and give KU some open looks from the outside that I'm sure they'd rather not have. Charles Jenkins is a pretty good player, but struggled in the first half by attempting to force dribble penetration against one of the better shot blockers in the Big 12 (Cole Aldrich). Once he let the game come to him in the second half he finished with 23 points on 9 of 20 shooting. Hofstra definitely has some talent, but they can't afford to get into foul trouble because of their smaller roster.

Originally Posted by DataKing

Xavier Henry drops 27 in his debut for the Jayhawks against Hofstra (and it could have been much worse than that). I knew the kid was big for a guard, but actually seeing him play for the first time...damn. Kid's a beast...6'6" 220 lb guard. Still, he seemed a little lax on defense and does what a lot of freshmen do...plays it with his hands instead of his feet.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

I could have sworn Alex Legion was the transfer from Kentucky. Are you thinking of Dominique Keller?

Oops, you are correct. I meant transfer but for some reason typed juco.

[the_meanstrosity]

Not a problem. How's Legion been doing for Illinois? I know he was rated as a pretty high prospect coming out of high school, but can't recall having seen him play much since he transferred.

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Oops, you are correct. I meant transfer but for some reason typed juco.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

WOOHOO!!!!!! Mizzou just got a signed commitment this morning from Tony Mitchell, the #15 ranked player nationally in the class of 2010. Add in the Phil Pressey commitment and Mizzou has 2 of the top 40 players in the nation signed for next year.

Here's a link with video detailing Mizzou's first 5 star recruit under Coach Anderson...........

http://www.mizsports.com/thecolumns/...ll-coming.html

Attention for Mizzou now turns to getting a Bradley Beal commitment (#7 in the nation in 2011).

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Not a problem. How's Legion been doing for Illinois? I know he was rated as a pretty high prospect coming out of high school, but can't recall having seen him play much since he transferred.

A lot was expected from the Illini fans last year, but he really did not seem to ever find a groove last season. He looked for his shot, but didn't hit enough of them and was a liability on defense.

This year it sounds like he has been feast/famine in practices, but I don't think it was a good sign for him that Paul started ahead of him in the first game. I would have expected that this coaching staff would start the junior over the freshman if all things were equal.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

WOOHOO!!!!!! Mizzou just got a signed commitment this morning from Tony Mitchell, the #15 ranked player nationally in the class of 2010. Add in the Phil Pressey commitment and Mizzou has 2 of the top 40 players in the nation signed for next year.

Here's a link with video detailing Mizzou's first 5 star recruit under Coach Anderson...........

Mizsports.com - The Columns Home - Mitchell*coming

Attention for Mizzou now turns to getting a Bradley Beal commitment (#7 in the nation in 2011).

Sweet news!!!

[RainMaker]

Really shitty luck for Northwestern. They had a great shot at making their first NCAA tournament in school history and lost two starters for the season, including their best player.

The only good news is that it happened early and Coble can redshirt the season. The team is young and would come mostly in tact next year (along with a nice freshman that has commited). The Big 10 should be down next year so they may actually have a shot at winning the conference.

[mauchow]

Wisconsin is going to be better than a lot of people think... as it usually goes for them.

Jon Leuer is close to being a stud; he just needs to do his stuff with consistency.

J-Bo and Trevon, senior guards leading their team, which is going to be a HUUUUGE plus come tournament time; as having good leaders at the guard position always seems to be key.

[hoopsguy]

ESPN Magazine had Wisky rated below Indiana in their rankings - I thought that was pretty off-base.

[mauchow]

Wayyyy off base. Indiana is HORRIBLE.

Wisconsin will finish at worst 6th in the Big Ten and should have no problems getting into the tourney.

[hoopsguy]

Big Ten has taken a couple of hits before the start of the season. Sounds like Minnesota's prize recruit (Royce White? think that is the name) is in serious legal trouble and may be getting the boot. That, plus the NW injuries, will make for a little easier games against teams who were expected to be up this season.

[DeToxRox]

Granted it was vs DII Northern Michigan, but Manny Harris notched only the second triple double in Michigan hoops history with 18 points, 13 boards and 10 assists. The two freshman who will see a lot of time, Darius Morris, our starting PG, and Matt Vogrich, a reserve Guard were both very good in their debuts.

Best win these easy ones now, because the schedule gets brutal, with these games on the docket:

Xavier/Marquette (Old Spice Tournament, play the winner/loser)
Potentially Baylor, Alabama or FSU if we make the finals
Boston College
@ Utah
@ Kansas
UConn (In the middle of Big 10 play)

Plus the Big 10 slate.

[Groundhog]

What's with all the triple doubles these days. Sheesh.

[cartman]

Just found out that I got tickets for the Texas-North Carolina game at the new Cowboys stadium next month!

[the_meanstrosity]

That should be a fun game to watch. Good luck to your Longhorns and represent the Big 12 with a win.

Originally Posted by cartman

Just found out that I got tickets for the Texas-North Carolina game at the new Cowboys stadium next month!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

Just found out that I got tickets for the Texas-North Carolina game at the new Cowboys stadium next month!

1. Where are you sitting?

2. Is the court going to be in the center of the stadium like they did in Michigan for those basketball games?

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by cartman

Just found out that I got tickets for the Texas-North Carolina game at the new Cowboys stadium next month!

Bring your binoculars.

[Chubby]

where's wade?

[Chief Rum]

ESPN's 24 hours of college basketball thing starts tonight with UCLA-CSUF at 9 p.m PDT (12 a.m. EST of course). Should be a fun 24 hours, although I won't get to watch most of it.

[DataKing]

Looking forward to the KU-Memphis game tomorrow night.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by DataKing

Looking forward to the KU-Memphis game tomorrow night.

That one should be pretty good. Memphis is obviously the underdog, but it should provide a good measuring stick for KU.

[GoldenEagle]

I don't what to expect tomorrow night. It is really hard to tell just how good Memphis can be. Our top eight players are good (not national championship good, but make the tournament good) but we are real thin. If we get in foul trouble, we are going to have a problem.

Either way, I am really happy with the decision to hire Josh Pastner. Our recruiting class for next season is incredible. Jelan Kendrick was a surprise and is our third five star player. Tarik Black is signing his LOI today as well.

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I don't what to expect tomorrow night. It is really hard to tell just how good Memphis can be. Our top eight players are good (not national championship good, but make the tournament good) but we are real thin. If we get in foul trouble, we are going to have a problem.

Either way, I am really happy with the decision to hire Josh Pastner. Our recruiting class for next season is incredible. Jelan Kendrick was a surprise and is our third five star player. Tarik Black is signing his LOI today as well.

How is Memphis' depth down low? I figure the Tigers should have the depth to at least run with KU's guards for a while (though Xavier Henry could be a matchup problem), but Self is going to run four deep with the bigs. Aldrich being the obvious number one but then 3 good interchangeable parts in Thomas Robinson and the Morris twins.

[GoldenEagle]

We have Witherspoon who is 6'8 who can guard a big. Other than that, Coleman and Niles are the only other two bigs.