Kyle Borland Coaching Legacy (CH2K8)

[kblu54]

EIU moves on

EIU holds off frisky #8 seed, moves on to semis
EIU Basketball News

EIU held off a very dangerous and hungry Eastern Kentucky team in the 1st round of the OVC Tournament, breaking a late tie wide open and collecting a 65-58 victory. EKU had lost two close games to the Panthers during the regular season and was poised to pull an upset, but thanks to freshman SG Jacob McDaniel's 20 points off the bench, EIU was able to sneak away to the semifinals.

Final Score:
#1 Eastern Illinois, 65
#8 Eastern Kentucky, 58

EIU Top Performers:
Jacob McDaniel, SG --- 20 pts, 3/5 3PT
D'or Dupre, PG --- 11 pts, 7 asts, 2 stls

The Panthers move on to face #5 seed Austin Peay, who upset #4 seed SE Missouri State in their 1st round matchup. EIU swept AP during the regular season.

OVC Tournament

First Round

#1 Eastern Illinois, 65
#8 Eastern Kentucky

#5 Austin Peay, 57
#4 SE Missouri State, 46

#3 Murray State, 64
#6 Tennessee State, 44

#7 Tennessee-Martin, 70
#2 Tennessee Tech, 64

Current Record: 25-4 (19-2 OVC)
Next Game: #1 EIU vs. #5 Austin Peay (Semifinal --- OVC Tournament)

[kblu54]

EIU advances

EIU manhandles Austin Peay, moves onto finals
EIU Basketball News

EIU dominated Austin Peay in the OVC semifinals, holding them to only 18% from the field in a 61-38 thrashing. It was a balanced attack for EIU, as PG D'or Dupre led the Panthers with 9 points.

Final Score:
#1 Eastern Illinois, 61
#5 Austin Peay, 38

EIU Top Performers:
D'or Dupre, PG --- 9 pts, 3 rebs, 6 asts
Rod Bobik, SF --- 8 pts, 7 rebs

The Panthers advance to the OVC finals to meet #3 seed Murray State. EIU swept MSU by an average of 17.5 points during the regular season.

OVC Tournament

Semifinals

#1 Eastern Illinois, 61
#5 Austin Peay, 38

#3 Murray State, 58
#7 Tennessee-Martin, 41

Current Record: 26-4 (20-2 OVC)
Next Game: #1 EIU vs. #3 Murray State (Final --- OVC Tournament)

[kblu54]

EIU going to Dance

EIU going Dancing following OVC final win over Murray State
EIU Basketball News

EIU is going back to the Big Dance after sealing up the OVC Tournament title with a win over #3 seed Murray State, 66-55. The Panthers' balanced offensive attack and tenacious defense tore holes in the Racers' gameplan and built an insurmountable lead.

The win pairs the OVC Tournament championship with their regular season title, and also pushes their current winning streak to an amazing 13 straight games. It is the 2nd Tournament title for EIU and head coach Kyle Borland in the last 3 years, despite missing the Tournament last season.

Final Score:
#1 Eastern Illinois, 66
#3 Murray State, 55

EIU Top Performers:
Iman Dearman, PF --- 10 pts, 6 rebs, 5/6 FG
Lloyd Giles, SG --- 10 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts

The Panthers will enter the Tournament with an impressive 27-4 record and an outstanding winning streak of 13 games. Any team they will face in the 1st round will be in for a tough game. EIU's seeding and opponent will be announced soon.

Current Record: 27-4 (21-2 OVC)
*OVC Tournament Champions*
*Automatic NCAA Tournament Berth*
Next Game: TBD --- NCAA Tournament

[kblu54]

EIU draws low seed

EIU gets tough draw with #14 seed, will face defending national champs
EIU Basketball News

The NCAA committee was not very nice to the 27-4 Eastern Illinois Panthers this season, granting them a surprisingly-low #14 seed in the West Region. Two years ago, EIU made the tournament as a #11 seed despite having an 18-14 record.

Their opponent also seems to be a surprise - the Panthers will take on #3 seed and the defending national champions in the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks will be looking to reclaim the title they won, whereas the Panthers are wondering: Where's the respect?

"I am extremely disappointed in the seeding," Coach Borland stated following the bracket announcement. "I realize our non-conference schedule wasn't as tough as past years, but we did beat a tough LSU team and we currently hold the best record in the NCAA. I don't know what the committee was thinking."

The Panthers also beat Army in the season opener and Loyola (IL). Army enters the tournament field as a #15 seed and Loyola (IL) appears at #13. But the big question is, can the Panthers prove they deserve more respect by upsetting the Ducks?

"Despite the low seed, we still come into the tournament on a 13-game winning streak, which makes us one of the most dangerous teams in the field," Coach Borland stated. "We are extremely excited to prove our worth and take out the defending champs right away. I believe in our team and I am looking forward to competing with such a formidable opponent."

The winner of the EIU/Oregon game will face the winner of #6 seed Villanova and #11 seed Vanderbilt.

Here is the remainder of the bracket matchups:

East Region

#1 Duke
#16 UMKC

#8 Saint Mary's
#9 UNLV

#4 Saint Louis
#13 San Diego

#5 Washington
#12 Robert Morris

#3 Memphis
#14 Stephen F. Austin

#6 Wake Forest
#11 Texas

#7 Nevada
#10 N.C. State

#2 Alabama
#15 UC-Riverside

South Region

#1 Syracuse
#16 Kennesaw State

#8 Hofstra
#9 Bradley

#4 Arizona
#13 Loyola(IL)

#5 Providence
#12 Middle Tennessee State

#3 Illinois
#14 Kent State

#6 North Carolina
#11 Iowa State

#7 Boston College
#10 Kentucky

#2 UCLA
#15 Florida A&M

Midwest Region

#1 Michigan State
#16 Mississippi Valley State

#8 Florida State
#9 UTEP

#4 Marquette
#13 Siena

#5 Kansas
#12 George Mason

#3 Xavier
#14 Yale

#6 Houston
#11 Ohio State

#7 Connecticut
#10 San Diego State

#2 Texas Tech
#15 Coastal Carolina

West Region

#1 Tennessee
#16 UMBC

#8 South Carolina
#9 Charlotte

#4 Miami(FL)
#13 Idaho State

#5 St. Joseph's
#12 Southern Illinois

#3 Oregon
#14 Eastern Illinois

#6 Villanova
#11 Vanderbilt

#7 Stanford
#10 Rhode Island

#2 Texas A&M
#15 Army

The Panthers will hopefully look to continue their impressive season against the mighty Ducks.

Current Record: 27-4
Next Game: #14 EIU vs. #3 Oregon (1st Round --- NCAA Tournament)

[kblu54]

EIU pulls upset

EIU proves worth, upset Oregon in 1st round
EIU Basketball News

EIU sent a message to the NCAA committee, proving that they were worthy of a better seed by upsetting the defending national champions in the 1st round in dominating fashion, 69-51. Star redshirt sophomore PG D'or Dupre led the way, leading all scorers with 17 points while dishing out 7 assists as the Panthers led 37-23 at the half and didn't allow a comeback this time.

In EIU's previous appearance in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Kyle Borland, they squandered away an 13-point halftime lead and lost. This time around, they made a statement to the entire nation and are looking for their 1st Sweet Sixteen appearance ever. The win over Oregon was the Panthers' first win in the NCAA Tournament ever. Before that, they were 0-3 in the Tournament, including 0-1 under Coach Borland.

Final Score:
#14 Eastern Illinois, 69
#3 Oregon, 51

EIU Top Performers:
D'or Dupre, PG --- 17 pts, 3 rebs, 7 asts, 2 stls
J.D. Lovelace, C --- 11 pts, 9 rebs, 5/5 FG

EIU's chances for the Sweet Sixteen look promising as they will face #11 seed Vanderbilt in the 2nd round. Vanderbilt upset #6 seed Villanova 75-69 in their 1st round matchup. The rest of the 1st round results follow:

East Region

First Round

#1 Duke, 72
#16 UMKC, 51

#8 Saint Mary's, 68
#9 UNLV, 50

#13 San Diego, 59
#4 Saint Louis, 54

#5 Washington, 70
#12 Robert Morris, 62

#3 Memphis, 89
#14 Stephen F. Austin, 78

#11 Texas, 88
#6 Wake Forest, 74

#7 Nevada, 64
#10 N.C. State, 62

#15 UC-Riverside, 71
#2 Alabama, 66

South Region

First Round

#1 Syracuse, 79
#16 Kennesaw State, 56

#9 Bradley, 69
#8 Hofstra, 65

#4 Arizona, 66
#13 Loyola (IL), 57

#5 Providence, 72
#12 Middle Tennessee State, 66

#14 Kent State, 72
#3 Illinois, 67

#6 North Carolina, 82
#11 Iowa State, 77

#10 Kentucky, 62
#7 Boston College, 52

#2 UCLA, 88
#15 Florida A&M, 50

Midwest Region

First Round

#1 Michigan State, 91
#16 Mississippi Valley State, 42

#9 UTEP, 63
#8 Florida State, 56

#4 Marquette, 74
#13 Siena, 46

#5 Kansas, 69
#12 George Mason, 59

#3 Xavier, 65
#14 Yale, 51

#11 Ohio State, 63
#6 Houston, 53

#7 Connecticut, 73
#10 San Diego State, 65

#2 Texas Tech, 64
#15 Coastal Carolina, 44

West Region

First Round

#1 Tennessee, 59
#16 UMBC, 52

#9 Charlotte, 70
#8 South Carolina, 54

#4 Miami (FL), 69
#13 Idaho State, 43

#12 Southern Illinois, 62
#5 St. Joseph's, 58

#14 Eastern Illinois, 69
#3 Oregon, 51

#11 Vanderbilt, 75
#6 Villanova, 69

#7 Stanford, 70
#10 Rhode Island, 60

#2 Texas A&M, 67
#15 Army, 53

The Panthers will look to pull another upset against Vanderbilt.

Current Record: 28-4
Next Game: #14 EIU vs. #11 Vanderbilt (2nd Round --- NCAA Tournament)

[doncoryell]

Re: EIU pulls upset

You've had a tremendous season so far. Good luck against the Commodores. I'm guessing that the winner would be taking on the Aggies in the sweet sixteen.

[kblu54]

EIU out

EIU bows out in 2nd round to Vanderbilt, finish with school-record wins
EIU Basketball News

EIU couldn't stick with a hot Vanderbilt team, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament in the 2nd round at the hands of a 71-56 defeat. Vanderbilt jumped out to a 27-10 lead and didn't relinquish their hold on the Panthers.

EIU finishes the season at an impressive 28-5, shattering the former school record for wins in a season. The former record was 22 wins, set during the 1979-1980 season. Head coach Kyle Borland earns his first NCAA Tournament win (also the first for EIU) and is now over .500 in his career record. Coach Borland is now 77-72 in 5 seasons at EIU.

Final Score:
#11 Vanderbilt, 71
#14 Eastern Illinois, 56

EIU Top Performers:
Iman Dearman, PF --- 15 pts, 7 rebs, 6/7 FG
Skip Maye, C --- 11 pts, 5 rebs

Coach Borland:
"No complaints from this guy. I am so proud of these guys and what they've accomplished this season that I cannot bring myself to even conjure up even one negative. I don't think there is a small conference coach in the world that would complain about a school-record 28 wins and a 1st-round NCAA Tournament upset over last year's national champs. I am extremely proud of this season, and I am already looking forward to next season. The entire squad is coming back!"

EIU's tremendous season may be over but the NCAA Tournament continues. The 2nd round matchups were exciting and we now feature a strong Sweet Sixteen.

East Region

Second Round

#1 Duke, 68
#8 Saint Mary's, 47

#5 Washington, 69
#13 San Diego, 61

#3 Memphis, 68
#11 Texas, 57

#7 Nevada, 75
#15 UC-Riverside, 56

South Region

Second Round

#1 Syracuse, 60
#9 Bradley, 55

#5 Providence, 74
#4 Arizona, 71

#6 North Carolina, 74
#14 Kent State, 59

#2 UCLA, 60
#10 Kentucky, 51

Midwest Region

Second Round

#1 Michigan State, 95
#9 UTEP, 69

#5 Kansas, 95
#4 Marquette, 60

#11 Ohio State, 66
#3 Xavier, 60

#7 Connecticut, 62
#2 Texas Tech, 54

West Region

Second Round

#9 Charlotte, 65
#1 Tennessee, 63

#4 Miami (FL), 61
#12 Southern Illinois, 57

#11 Vanderbilt, 71
#14 Eastern Illinois, 56

#7 Stanford, 53
#2 Texas A&M, 46

[Deuce2223]

Re: Kyle Borland Coaching Legacy (CH2K8)

Slow day at work with all the rain, so I thought I would catch up on some reading. Congrats on the win over Oregon. My family are all Oregon St fans so we love to see the Ducks lose

Tough loss to Vandy. You will get them next year. I am curious though now that your team is so good are you ever going to leave or is it going to take that special school to pull you away.

In my legacy at Texas Southern I stayed there 10 yrs and was offered several powerhouse offers after yr 6 so I know you can hold out and wait until yours comes available.

Good luck you know I am always following whether its here or on 2k.

[kblu54]

Sweet Sixteen/Regional Finals

East Region

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Duke, 70
#5 Washington, 40

#3 Memphis, 90
#7 Nevada, 49

Regional Final

#1 Duke, 62
#3 Memphis, 60

South Region

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Syracuse, 62
#5 Providence, 41

#6 North Carolina, 50
#2 UCLA, 44

Regional Final

#1 Syracuse, 80
#6 North Carolina, 58

Midwest Region

Sweet Sixteen

#1 Michigan State, 81
#5 Kansas, 71

#7 Connecticut, 53
#11 Ohio State, 37

Regional Final

#7 Connecticut, 61
#1 Michigan State, 46

West Region

Sweet Sixteen

#4 Miami (FL), 65
#9 Charlotte, 54

#7 Stanford, 71
#11 Vanderbilt, 54

Regional Final

#4 Miami (FL), 75
#7 Stanford, 47

Thus the 2011-2012 Final Four has been set. Only two #1 seeds qualified, and Miami (FL) returns again. Last year they made it as a #6 seed.

East Regional Champion
#1 Duke Blue Devils
VS.
West Regional Champion
#4 Miami (FL) Hurricanes

South Regional Champion
#1 Syracuse Orange
VS.
Midwest Regional Champion
#7 Connecticut Huskies

[kblu54]

Re: Kyle Borland Coaching Legacy (CH2K8)

I'm still looking to leave, but I still haven't gotten any offers. Maybe after this season we shall see where the road takes me.

[kblu54]

NCAA/NIT Final Four & National Awards

NCAA Final Four

National Semifinals

#4 Miami (FL), 60
#1 Duke, 49

#1 Syracuse, 60
#7 Connecticut, 44

National Championship

#4 Miami (FL), 70
#1 Syracuse, 58

The Miami (FL) Hurricanes have won the 2011-2012 National Championship.

NIT Final Four

Semifinals

Rice, 54
Pittsburgh, 53

George Washington, 70
Baylor, 66

Final

George Washington Colonels, 65
Rice Owls, 55

The George Washington Colonels have won the NIT Championship, their 2nd in the last 4 years.

On the national level, the 2011-2012 awards have been announced.

Player of the Year: Lunzaya Adams, SF, Oklahoma State
2K Sports Player of the Year: Jud Randolph, SG, Providence
Coach of the Year: Ronnie Arrow, Syracuse

Back at EIU, the awards from the annual end-of-season OVC banquet will be announced along with the stats from the Panthers' 5th year under head coach Kyle Borland. EIU set a new school record with 28 wins and made the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament.

[kblu54]

EIU sweeps awards

EIU sweeps OVC awards following record-setting season
EIU Basketball News

EIU took home all the major awards at the annual end-of-season OVC banquet this week, capping a record-setting season that saw the Panthers pull in an impressive 28 wins, the OVC regular season and Tournament titles and an upset of the Oregon Ducks in the 1st round.

Star PG D'or Dupre topped off an impressive season with the OVC Player of the Year award. Dupre, who missed all of last season's 10-17 campaign, came back from a torn ACL to average 9 ppg while dishing out 5.4 apg. Dupre was also a defensive force, nabbing 1.5 spg. Dupre will officially be a junior next season despite it being his 4th year at EIU.

Stud freshman C Skip Maye brought in the OVC Freshman of the Year award. An impressive inside presence, Maye formed a solid tag team with fellow freshman C J.D. Lovelace to control the paint for the Panthers. Maye averaged 9 ppg while snatching 6.6 rpg, and supplied good interior defense with 1.1 bpg.

And of course, EIU head coach Kyle Borland was honored with his 1st OVC Coach of the Year award. Coach Borland's 5th season has been his best so far after leading the Panthers to a school-record 28 wins. Coach Borland currently holds a 77-72 career record (.517 winning %) and has led EIU to 2 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Surprisingly, there was not much diversity for EIU on the All-OVC squads. Dupre was the only Panther on the 1st Team, while fantastic freshman centers Maye and Lovelace were both named to the 2nd Team and the Freshman Team. Junior SF Rod Bobik was surprisingly excluded from all squads, despite earning 2nd Team honors last season.

When asked about whether he was returning to EIU next season, Coach Borland responded that he "did not receive any significant offers" and noted the minimal movement in the coaching carousel. Borland also stated that he was "excited for the promising next season" as he has all of the most important pieces from this past season's puzzle. The Panthers return every starter and their entire bench minus one, but they will bring in an excellent 4* recruit that will solidify their frontline.

EIU will also see two new assistant coaches on the sidelines next season. Former assistants C.W. Guzman and Mike Gillian have left for head coaching jobs, using the Panthers' success as a springboard. Guzman, who's been with EIU for 2 seasons, was recently hired by Sacred Heart to take over the helm. Gillian, who only served under Coach Borland for this past season, was named the head coach of Georgia Southern.

In their absence, Coach Borland has hired two new promising assistants in Doug Davalos and Ernest Locklier. Both bring an extensive knowledge of the game and Locklier is known for his charisma and great recruiting record.

Year 5 Individual Stats

Starters

Skip Maye, C (Frosh) --- 8.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg --- 38.0 FG%, 67.8 FT%

J.D. Lovelace, C (Frosh) --- 9.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg --- 34.6 FG%, 69.5 FT%

Rod Bobik, SF (Junior) --- 8.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.4 spg --- 42.7 FG%, 34.7 3PT%

D'or Dupre, PG (Soph.) --- 9.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.5 spg --- 35.5 FG%, 32.6 3PT%, 78.1 FT%

Lloyd Giles, SG (Junior) --- 6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg --- 34.8 FG%, 31.6 3PT%, 84.6 FT%

Bench

M.C. Watkins, SF (Soph.) --- 5.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg --- 45.5 FG%, 47.9 3PT%, 87.2 FT%

Iman Dearman, PF (Soph.) --- 5.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg --- 40.2 FG%, 75.0 3PT%

Jacob McDaniel, SG (Frosh) --- 4.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.5 apg --- 41.1 FG%, 41.0 3PT%, 76.1 FT%

Mario Braun, SG (Frosh) --- 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.5 apg --- 38.8 FG%, 41.9 3PT%

Travis Brock, PF (Senior) --- 1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg --- 42.3 FG%

Maury Holden, PG (Soph.) --- 1.4 ppg --- 27.9 FG%, 70.5 FT%

Year 5 Team Stats
Note: OVC rank in ()

PPG: 64.5 (1st)
RPG: 36.3 (1st)
APG: 16.5 (1st)
SPG: 7.2 (1st)
BPG: 5.6 (1st)
FG%: 38.1 (1st)
3PT%: 35.1 (1st)
FT%: 70.2 (1st)

The Panthers had only one scholarship to offer and they pulled in a big name to help push EIU to a level they've never seen.

Ryan Morandais, C --- 4*
Chicago, IL
(#83 Overall, #13 C)

Morandais is a very promising player and will make an immediate impact. Morandais will compete for one of the starting frontcourt positions and will solidify arguably the best frontcourt in the OVC, joining Maye, Lovelace and backup Iman Dearman. Morandais has great moves around the basket and is one of the more athletic big men.

Overall, year 6 of the Coach Borland era looks extremely promising for EIU, as they look to improve on a school-record 28 wins and possibly a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.

[kblu54]

Year 6 Roster, Schedule & Top 25

EIU reveals roster and schedule, look forward to bigger year
EIU Basketball News

The future is bright at EIU as they seem to be only able to go up as they look forward to their 6th season under head coach Kyle Borland. In 5 seasons, Coach Borland has accumulated a 77-72 career record and has led the Panthers to 2 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 3 years. EIU hit their peak as a program last season as they broke the school record for wins with 28 (previous record was 22), a record that had stood for 32 years, and upset Oregon in the first round despite entering the Tournament as a #14 seed.

Year 6 looks extremely promising, as the Panthers return every starter, their main nucleus off the bench and add a Top-100 ranked center to an already dangerous lineup. Is 30 wins and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the cards for Coach Borland and EIU?

Starters

C - #53 Skip Maye --- 7'0, 243 Sophomore --- Nashville, TN
C - #52 J.D. Lovelace --- 6'10, 239 Sophomore --- Arlington, TX
SF - #15 Rod Bobik --- 6'7, 238 Senior --- Louisville, KY
PG - #1 D'or Dupre --- 6'3, 192 Junior --- Roanoke, VA
SG - #23 Lloyd Giles --- 6'6, 206 Senior --- Queens, NY

Bench

#10 M.C. Watkins, SF --- 6'4, 193 Junior --- Louisville, KY
#6 Jacob McDaniel, SG --- 6'5, 201 Sophomore --- St. Cloud, MN
#5 Ryan Morandais, C --- 7'0, 220 Freshman --- Chicago, IL
#20 Mario Braun, SG --- 6'5, 194 Sophomore --- Modesto, CA
#14 Iman Dearman, PF --- 6'11, 271 Junior --- Hampton, VA
#9 Maury Holden, PG --- 6'3, 201 Junior --- Washington, DC
#40 Wendell Coleman, PF --- 6'11, 249 Senior --- Chicago, IL

Reserves

#8 Pat Carlisle, SG --- 6'4, 188 Senior --- Naperville, IL
#42 Rans Benjamin, PF --- 6'8, 239 Freshman --- Santa Clarita, CA
#34 Sollie Sood, SF --- 6'8, 222 Freshman --- St. Paul, MN

The Panthers are poised and experienced, loaded with talent and ready to make some more noise to build upon the mark they made last season. It has been an interesting transition for EIU under Coach Borland. Remember that only 5 years ago the Panthers finished dead last in the OVC and failed to reach double-digit wins. Now, EIU is one of the hottest growing programs in the NCAA and are arguably the best small conference school.

EIU has compiled a stronger schedule compared to last season, which should hopefully boost their RPI and possibly their seeding if they qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Panthers were shunned and disrespected by the NCAA committee, who ignored their 28 wins and OVC titles and granted them with a disappointing #14 seed. EIU proved they deserved better by upsetting #3 seed Oregon before a 2nd-round defeat, but it seemed that the lack of quality opponents hurt EIU's credibility.

2012-2013 Schedule
Red = OVC game
Green = Tournament game

@ South Carolina
Stetson
Campbell (1st Round --- South Padre Island Tourney B)
@ Memphis
@ Murray State
Tennessee-Martin
@ Northern Iowa
Ball State
@ #19 Illinois
Tennessee Tech
@ Florida Atlantic
@ Jacksonville State
Samford
Morehead State
@ SE Missouri State
Tennessee State
Jacksonville State
@ Samford
@ Austin Peay
@ Tennessee State
SE Missouri State
Eastern Kentucky
@ Morehead State
Austin Peay
Murray State (Senior Night)
@ Eastern Kentucky
@ Tennessee Tech
@ Tennessee-Martin

The Panthers will renew their rivalry with a tough Memphis team and will travel in-state to meet with power program Illinois, ranked #19 in the preseason poll. In EIU's 2nd year under Coach Borland, they upset then-#1 Memphis in the season opener, but dropped the rematch the following season. The rubber match should be interesting.

The preseason Top 25 poll features an interesting group, including none of last year's Final Four participants in the Top 5 and only 2 (Duke & Syracuse) in the Top 10. The defending national champs in Miami (FL) appear at #20.

Preseason Top 25

1) North Carolina
2) Michigan State
3) UCLA
4) Arizona
5) Marquette
6) Duke
7) Kansas
8) Villanova
9) Syracuse
10) Washington
11) Pittsburgh
12) Louisville
13) Tennessee
14) Connecticut
15) Providence
16) Alabama
17) West Virginia
18) Wisconsin
19) Illinois
20) Miami (FL)
21) Kentucky
22) Texas Tech
23) N.C. State
24) Saint Louis
25) LSU

[kblu54]

EIU drops opener

EIU drops tough season opener
EIU Basketball News

A repeat of last year's 5-0 start was not to be seen this season, as EIU kicked off their 6th season under head coach Kyle Borland with a tough loss, falling 65-59 on the road to South Carolina. The Panthers hung tough with th Game***** and continually traded leads, but a late 6-0 run with 5 minutes left gave South Carolina just the room they needed.

Final Score:
South Carolina, 65
Eastern Illinois, 59

EIU Top Performers:
Ryan Morandais, C --- 11 pts, 8 rebs, 2 stls
Skip Maye, C --- 10 pts, 8 rebs, 2 blks

EIU looks to get win #1 next week against a lowly Stetson team.

Current Record: 0-1
Next Game: Stetson @ EIU

[kblu54]

EIU wins

EIU nearly blows big lead, wins in OT
EIU Basketball News

EIU almost blew a 14-point lead but managed to force overtime and eventually defeat Stetson at home, 74-72. The Panthers were up 62-48 with 8 minutes to go, but allowed Stetson to crawl back into the game and eventually take a 66-64 lead with under a minute to play. Luckily, sophomore C Skip Maye's bank shot with 13 seconds left sent the game into OT tied at 66.

In the extra period, both teams fought hard, but sophomore C J.D. Lovelace nailed 2 free throws with 6 seconds left, which proved to be the difference after Stetson's desperation three rimmed out.

Final Score --- OT:
Eastern Illinois, 74
Stetson, 72

EIU Top Performers:
Skip Maye, C --- 10 pts, 12 rebs, 2 blks
J.D. Lovelace, C --- 13 pts, 3 rebs, 2 blks

The Panthers hit the road to compete in the South Padre Island Tournament (Bracket B). Their 1st round opponent will be a major underdog in Campbell. The winner will face the winner of North Carolina A&T and American.

Current Record: 1-1
Next Game: EIU vs. Campbell (1st Round --- South Padre Island Tourney B)