Inside College Hoops

2023 Continental Tire Main Event

2023 Field Summary - Continental Tire Main Event, Las Vegas NV

San Diego State, Washington, and Xavier will headline the 2023 Continental Main Event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, multiple sources told Bracketeer.Org.

The fourth team in the event is currently TBD.

The event's official dates are November 17th (Semifinal Round) and November 19th (3rd Place Game/Championship Game).

Minnesota will not be playing in the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas next season as initially anticipated. Xavier was slated to play in an event in Savannah, GA - but that will no longer happen, per sources.

  • San Diego State is coming off a memorable run to the National Championship game this past season and the Aztecs return Final Four hero Lamont Butler, Darrion Trammell, Micah Parrish, and have added Reese Dixon-Waters (via USC) in the Portal.

  • Washington is going all-in on offensive weapons as they have added volume scorers with Sahvir Wheeler and Moses Wood out of the portal, and a tough-as-nails glue guy in Anthony Holland. Braxton Meah is one of the most improved big men in the conference and is ready for a breakout season. The ultra-talented Keion Brooks also returns for the Huskies.

  • Xavier returns impact pieces with Zach Freemantle, Jerome Hunter, and Desmond Claude. Sean Miller went fishing into Conference USA’s section of the transfer portal to bring in Dayvion McKnight (via Western Kentucky), Quincy Olivari (via Rice), and Abou Ousmane (via North Texas) to assemble a veteran and dynamic roster to date.

By Rocco Miller

The 2023 Sunshine Slam - Confirmed Teams

the 2023 Sunshine Slam

Colorado, Florida State, UNLV, and Richmond will headline the 2023 Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, multiple sources told Bracketeer.Org. These four programs will comprise the Beach Bracket.

Two more confirmed teams for the Ocean Bracket will be Siena and Stetson with two more teams TBD.

There is no timetable on an official announcement. Brackets for the event are currently TBD.

On-Campus matchups will include Siena playing at Richmond and Stetson playing at UNLV. Dates are TBD. Colorado and Florida State will also host a game when the final two Ocean Bracket teams are determined.

The Buffaloes will likely come in as the favorite, with Tristan Da Silva, Julian Hammond III, KJ Simpson, and J’Vonne Hadley all returning plus the additions of five-star super frosh Cody Williams and TCU transfer Eddie Lampkin, Jr.

By Rocco Miller

FAU HC Dusty May with Rocco Miller Ahead of March Madness

HEAD COACH EXCLUSIVES

DUSTY MAY, FLORIDA ATLANTIC

The Florida Atlantic Owls are headed to the NCAA Tournament! Florida Atlantic takes on Memphis on Friday night. FAU earned its first Tournament bid in 21 years (2002) and second ever in school history.

FAU celebrated their historic bid on Selection Sunday in front of their home crowd at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. It was the only fitting location, with FAU earning their place as one of the nation's best teams in part due to their 17-0 record in Boca Raton in a season with the top seven highest-attended home games in school history.
 
For Head Coach Dusty May and company, the Owls will now lace up their dancing shoes and work towards making history once more, this time on college basketball's biggest stage.

Coach May and I caught up this week to discuss:

  • An overview of FAU Basketball for America to learn

  • What it means to the program and University

  • Memphis- initial impressions

  • Lineups, matchup pieces, Owls versatility

  • New Goals going forward

And much much more.

 

FULL INTERVIEW

Changing Of The Guard - February 5th

Prelude

It’s time for another volume of Changing of the Guard. A weekly column here at Bracketeer.Org solely focused on the conference races. This will be your one-stop shop each week to see what is happening in each league race for the regular-season crown for all 32 leagues.

Some leagues provide us with a different leader or a proverbial “Changing of the Guard” at the top of the standings each and every week. Other leagues, may have one team run away with it from wire to wire. No matter how it shakes up, we will be here to provide the summary for you. If you happen to be new to Bracketeer this season, conference race changes are leveraged in each Bracket Forecast update to A) Exhibit a variety of outcomes within the Bracket that could very well be in play come March and B) Give more schools notoriety for the stellar play and achievements during the regular season.

The Disruptors

Virginia Tech - The Commonwealth Clash rivalry triumph over Virginia ruined the opportunity for UVA to go solely into First Place in the ACC. Hokies also held on to some hopes in the At-Large bid arena as well.

Utah Tech - The dynamic duo of Cameron Gooden and Tanner Christensen combined for 47 points in a true upset over Southern Utah. The win yielded First Place in the WAC to a third school from the Beehive State, Utah Valley.

Long Beach State - Winners of the latest version of the Black & Blue rivalry game. The Beach denied UC Irvine the opportunity to obtain a tie for First Place by defeating the Anteaters in OT.

Lipscomb - The Bison knocked off Liberty on a day when Kennesaw State also fell. It denied the Flames an opportunity to be in First Place alone and tightened the Standings across the ASUN.

Niagara - Spoiled Siena’s run as the First Place MAAC squad in a packed MVP Arena on Sunday. The Purple Eagles have now won four in a row in addition to playing this role as “Disruptor.”

USC Upstate - Spartans managed to snap a four-game losing streak to stun First Place UNC Asheville, 76-70. The victory should only deliver some newfound confidence into this Spartan program moving into the last three weeks of the regular season. The loss to UNCA created a First Place tie with surging Radford.

Tennessee Tech - A buzzer-beater, one of three in the OVC on Saturday, spoiled SEMO’s status in First Place. The TTU triumph provided air to Morehead State to ascent into First. Here is the memorable moment that went down in Cookeville:

Alabama A&M - The Bulldogs took First Place Southern to the cleaners in an 82-61 victory. The result means that Alcorn State is back into a First Place tie with the Jaguars.

 

Changing Of The Guard

A brief summary (this will be reflected on the upcoming Bracketology Big Board) of who our new league leaders are, following this weekend’s action.

  • Atlantic 10 - VCU Rams

  • MAAC - Rider Broncs

  • MAC - Akron Zips

  • OVC - Morehead State Eagles

  • Southland - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders

  • WAC - Utah Valley Wolverines

Conference Race Recap for All 32 Leagues

Big 12 – The Texas Longhorns (8-2) sit atop the Big 12 Standings with a one-game cushion at this point. Texas won a difficult road game at Kansas State and became the first opponent to beat the Wildcats inside the Octagon of Doom. Iowa State (7-3) achieved second-place status alone by knocking off Kansas (6-4) in a convincing 68-53 triumph. Texas will head to Kansas on Monday night, while Iowa State heads to West Virginia this Wednesday. Two tough tasks ahead for the leaders.

B1G – Purdue (11-2) got held up in their demolition of the Big Ten on Saturday. The rival Hoosiers (7-5) got the better of them in Bloomington. The Boilermakers still have a two-game lead in the loss column over second-place Rutgers (8-4). The Scarlet Knights avenged a previous loss to Michigan State by knocking off Sparty in Madison Square Garden, 61-55.  

Big East – Xavier (11-2) had its largest blowout win in league play by a fair margin over struggling St. John’s, 96-71. Having a severe weather delay getting to Cincinnati probably did not help the Johnnies’ chances in this one. The Musketeers are neck-and-neck with Marquette (11-2) for the Big East Title chase. The Golden Eagles won its fifth in a row on Saturday vs. Butler in a 60-52 rock fight. Creighton (9-3) and Providence (9-3) are lurking in the background still. Friars had the weekend off, while Creighton handled its business against Villanova, 66-61.

SEC – The Tide kept on Rollin’ this past weekend in Baton Rouge. Alabama (10-0) had just enough breathing room to put away LSU, 79-69. Tigers put up a much better fight this time around, after losing by 50! in Tuscaloosa. With eight conference games to go, Tennessee (8-2) and Texas A&M (8-2) are the Tide’s stiffest competition currently. Vols bounced back with a less-than-sexy win over Auburn, 46-43. The Aggies rolled over Georgia, 82-57. An interesting week coming for Bama – who will host Florida and play at Auburn in Round One of the Hoops Iron Bowl. Texas A&M will host Auburn this Wednesday as well.

Pac-12 – UCLA (10-2) had little trouble dismissing either of the Washington schools this week. Bruins rolled past WSU on Saturday, 76-52. I was on hand this past Thursday for the win over Washington, 70-61. Although the final score appears close, UCLA had this game in hand virtually the whole way. Arizona (10-3) and USC (9-3) also handled their business. Both the LA schools and Arizona Schools hit the road this coming week, which could yield “upsets” ahead. Wildcats will be in the Bay Area, and the LA schools head to the Oregon schools.

ACC – Clemson (10-3) is coming back to Earth a bit following a magical 10-1 start to league play. A home loss to Miami (9-4) yesterday not only puts Clemson in a tight race for first, but also in the thick of a narrow-bubble scenario for today. Pittsburgh (9-3) has emerged into the loss-column tie and joins Virginia (9-3), who had the ability to secure first place on Saturday, but fell to rival Virginia Tech, 74-68. The Panthers had the weekend off and have an appetizing week ahead (in theory), playing both Louisville and Florida State. UVA hosts NC State (9-4) and Duke (8-4), in two key home tilts. And the first-place Tigers have the mid-week off and will need it to prepare for next Saturday’s trip to Chapel Hill to take on the Tar Heels.  

MWC – San Diego State (9-2) put on a defensive clinic in Friday’s showdown vs. Boise State (8-3), holding the Broncos to 2-for-18 shooting from distance en route to a 20-point halftime lead. The Aztecs never looked back and won the game by 20. First matchup between these two in a while that did not go down to the wire.  Boise State is joined now in a three-way tie for second place with Utah State (8-3) and Nevada (8-3). The Aggies have a dream opportunity when they host SDSU this Wednesday Night on CBS Sports NET.

AAC – Houston (10-1) avenged its only conference loss at Temple, 81-65. The Cougars had a scoring outburst to begin the second half after trailing by four at Halftime. The win gives UH a two-game lead over Temple, Tulane, and Memphis who all have three losses now. The Tulane win at Memphis helped create this additional cushion as well. The Green Wave earned the thrilling 90-89 OT win behind Jaylen Forbes, Kevin Cross and Jaylen Forbes, who combined for 65 of the 90 Tulane points. Houston will host Tulsa this Wednesday in its lone game of the week ahead.

WCC – All eyes were on the WCC on Saturday Night as Saint Mary’s (10-0) won an emotional 78-70 game over Gonzaga (8-2) in come-from-behind fashion. Frosh Aidan Mahaney hit some key buckets when they mattered most despite going just one-for-eight from deep for the game. Drew Timme did everything he could to will the Bulldogs to a key road win, scoring 23. The Gaels now have a two-game edge over Gonzaga and the battle for third place features a quartet of five-loss programs (BYU/Loyola Marymount/Santa Clara/Pacific). Really shows how balanced the rest of the league is. SMC will do its best to navigate its remaining six games to make some history, beginning on Thursday at LMU.

CUSA – Florida Atlantic (12-1) used a dominant second half to flex its muscle on the road against Charlotte, 67-52. The victory comes following the Owls’ first league-play loss at UAB and gave FAU a split on the difficult road swing. North Texas (10-3) is the clear second-place team, but the Mean Green were already swept by FAU. The Owls will host the (Rice) Owls this Thursday and Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

A 10 – Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 37 points as VCU beat Saint Louis on the road, 73-65, on Friday night. Baldwin scorched for 12-of-15 shooting, including four-for-five from distance, and went nine-for-nine from the line for the Rams (9-2). The win put the Rams in first place alone, as they get set to host Dayton (7-4) this Tuesday. The Flyers fell at St. Bonaventure (7-4) this past Saturday. Fordham (6-4) is also in the mix as a four-loss team. The Fordham Rams had the chance to really get in the hunt be fell apart late in a road loss at Richmond on Sunday.

WAC – We seem to get a new leader every weekend in the wild WAC. That is once again the case this week. Utah Valley (9-2) had the safest path of all by getting the weekend bye. The Wolverines sat back and witnessed Southern Utah (8-3) get upended at Utah Tech, 86-79. More WAC carnage included the three 7-4 teams all going down on Saturday. Sam Houston fell at UT Arlington by 12. Seattle U lost its fourth straight at New Mexico State. And Stephen F. Austin was clipped in a tight one at Grand Canyon (6-4), 86-83. UVU will host both California Baptist and Southern Utah this coming week.

Ivy – Princeton (7-2) got the key win on Friday over Cornell (5-4), 89-82, despite playing at a faster pace -preferred by the Big Red. Tigers managed to save room in the tank to handle Columbia with ease, 88-66. Cornell’s road woes carried over to the loss at Penn (5-4) on Saturday and knocked the Big Red into a concerning spot. Yale (6-3) is your second-place team now. The Bulldogs are surging. An 11-point road win at rival Harvard was followed by a 19-point drubbing of Dartmouth on Saturday. Brown (5-4) scored two important road wins over Dartmouth and Harvard to get into a third-place tie with the Quakers and Big Red.

Sun Belt – Louisiana and Southern Miss (both at 10-2) continue to be the class of a complicated league. The Cajuns have now ripped off 10 straight wins after starting league play 0-2. An important test against Marshall was passed on Saturday, Cajuns winning that by 10. They are a perfect 11-0 in the Cajundome. The Golden Eagles completed its road sweep by knocking off Georgia State, 79-71, on Saturday. That’s seven straight wins for the Golden Eagles. The stage is set for an unbelievable showdown in Hattiesburg this Thursday Night, Louisiana at Southern Miss. Must-see Television.

MVC – Drake (10-4) had the biggest scare of the four teams tied atop the wild Missouri Valley race. The Bulldogs were once again led by Tucker DeVries, who had 32 points and 11 boards in a 85-82 Double OT thriller at Valparaiso. The win gave Drake two Double OT wins in single week! Bradley (10-4) picked up an impressive road win at Northern Iowa, 77-69. Belmont (10-4) had a fun win over Illinois State, 90-75. And we had to wait for Sunday, but Southern Illinois (10-4) also picked up a win over Missouri State in a superb performance, 73-53. Three of these four hit the road next, beginning with Drake at Murray State on Tuesday Night. Indiana State (9-5) is waiting in the wings. Sycamores have found their groove again, winning three straight.

Big West – CSUN made a splash in the Big West race by stunning UC Santa Barbara (9-2), 72-67. Never take a trip to the Matadome for granted. A great win for a struggling Matador program who lost to this same UCSB team on the road by 20 in January. A golden opportunity opened and closed for UC Irvine on Saturday, but the Anteaters (8-3) fell in the always rugged Black & Blue rivalry game, 93-88, at the hands of Long Beach State (8-4) in OT. Time to stop sleeping on The Beach – they’ve won six in a row now and host UC Santa Barbara on Thursday. Hawai’i (8-4) recovered from a loss at UC Davis, by knocking off Cal Poly, 69-56. UC Riverside (8-4) had a tough week and dropped two road games, at CSUB and at CSUF on Saturday night.

MAC – Yet another showdown came and went over this past weekend. The Akron Zips (9-1) had this puppy circled on the calendar for a long time, as they handled an outstanding Kent State (8-2) squad by 12. The victory puts Akron in first alone heading into yet another big test on Tuesday vs. Toledo (8-2). The Rockets have the most efficient offense in the MAC going up against the top defense in the MAC (Akron). Going to be a dandy.    

SoCon – There are only three teams of ten above .500 in league play. All of them are 10-2 now. The trio is led by Furman, who handled its rival, Wofford, on Saturday to the tune of a 13-point win. The Paladins also own wins over Samford and UNCG (split series) this year. UNCG went to The Citadel and shot it well (near 43% from deep) en route to a 79-59 triumph. The Bulldogs held up their end of the bargain by cruising past East Tennessee State, 73-62. This coming week features Furman traveling to VMI and hosting Western Carolina, in two games that the Paladins are expected to handle.

Big Sky – Eastern Washington (12-0) refuses to lose! Eagles got another road win once again on Saturday. This time it was at Portland State. The Eagles continue to shatter its 30+ year history books in Big Sky play. They had never been better than 5-0 to start league play, EWU has now more than doubled their previous high. Tyreese Davis led the charge with 27 points in the electric 98-88 road win on Saturday. Eagles have six games left in the regular season, with three coming at home. They are off until next Saturday’s short road trip to Idaho. Montana State (10-2) is still within striking distance. The Bobcats have now won five straight following its 75-62 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday.

ASUN – Kennesaw State (10-2) had to enter one of the toughest buildings in the ASUN – McBrayer Arena in Richmond, KY. Yes, the home of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (9-3). EKU squeaked out a 77-74 win behind 24 points from Devontae Blanton. EKU now owns home wins over the top two ASUN squads (Liberty and Kennesaw State). Speaking of the Liberty Flames (10-2), they found some road trouble themselves. Liberty’s defense did not have a good enough answer for the Bisons’ Derrin Boyd, who hit five of six triples and led the way with 22 points. The Sophomore, Boyd, was playing for NAIA powerhouse Georgetown College a season ago. Boyd’s game has clearly translated to the D1 level as he now has been the ”KenPom MVP” in four of the Lipscomb wins. Liberty now returns home to host Bellarmine on Thursday followed by a potential revenge game against EKU on Saturday. The Owls of Kennesaw State will play a tricky home-and-home with Jacksonville State on Thursday and Saturday, beginning on the road.

MAAC – Siena (9-4) got off to a good start on Sunday, but could not hold on as the Saints went cold in the second half. Niagara (8-5) came into a crowded (over 7K+) MVP Arena and stunned the home squad. Noah Thomasson led the way with 18 for the Purple Eagles. All MAAC eyes have now turned to Rider (10-3). A changing of the guard. The Broncs have won seven straight including Sunday’s 67-56 road win at Manhattan. The Broncs also own the tiebreaker over Iona (9-3). The Gaels have recovered nicely this week, gaining a dominant win over Mount St. Mary’s on Friday and getting past Fairfield on the road on Sunday. Iona heads on the vaunted Buffalo roadtrip next week (At Canisius, At Niagara), while Rider hosts Fairfield on Friday and gets Sunday off.

Horizon – Milwaukee (10-3) had the weekend off following a too-close-for-comfort victory at IUPUI on Thursday. Youngstown State (11-3) had a dominant win over fellow title contender Northern Kentucky (10-4), 74-56, in the Game of the Week. YSU held NKU to under 28% shooting from deep and the Norse didn’t get much going on the interior either. Four Penguins finished in double-figures, led by Brandon Rush’s 18. Cleveland State (9-5) took a couple of tough losses on the road. The Vikings had won six of seven prior to Thursday’s trip to Detroit Mercy. They lost there by 18, then played much better before falling in OT at Oakland, 92-89. The Panthers will have a three-game week, all at home. With Green Bay visiting on Monday, Detroit Mercy coming on Thursday, and Oakland visits Saturday. The Penguins have a tough tip to both Purdue Fort Wayne (Friday) and Cleveland State (Sunday).

Big South – The USC Upstate Spartans played spoiler on Saturday in a 76-70 upset over first-place UNC Asheville (10-2). Combine that with Radford’s ninth straight win, this one over Winthrop, and we have a tie at the top on our hands between the Highlanders (10-2) and the Bulldogs. DaQuan Smith was butter with five threes in the win over Winthrop for Radford and finished with a game-high 24 Points. Longwood and Gardner-Webb are each 8-4 and two games back following the Bulldogs fifth straight win over Presbyterian on Saturday and the Lancers bounce back win over Campbell. UNC Asheville hosts Winthrop on Wednesday, while Radford will welcome Gardner-Webb this Thursday in a red-hot game that will feature a combined 14 straight wins between the two squads. Something has to give.

Summit – It is Oral Roberts’ (12-0) world and everyone else is just living in it. ORU went to Kansas City and demolished the Roos by 28. Another dominant performance. With only six games left to be played and a four-game lead over South Dakota State (9-4), the Golden Eagles can actually clinch the league title this week, which is pretty wild to consider. ORU stays on the road and heads to St. Thomas, followed by Western Illinois on Saturday. The Jackrabbits are looking at rivalry week against South Dakota. Playing just once this week, in Brookings this coming Saturday.  

CAA – Our fancy new first-place team, Hofstra (10-2), rolled past its local rival, Stony Brook, this past Saturday. The Pride were without Aaron Estrada; however, Tyler Thomas was a machine in this game. Thomas went for 29 points, 11 rebounds and only attempted 17 shots total in a 79-58 win over the Seawolves. Charleston (10-2) kept pace with the Pride by knocking off Delaware, 84-67, on the road. The Cougars took out some frustration following its two-game skid. Dalton Bolon led the way with 18. UNCW (9-3) and Towson (8-3) are still very much in the hunt. The Seahawks head to Charleston on Wednesday in a rematch of what was the Game of the Year so far in the CAA. Towson will face a very manageable schedule from now until the final week (when the Tigers face C of C and UNCW), beginning with Hampton on Wednesday. As for Hofstra, a pair of tricky road tests at Northeastern and at Monmouth are coming this week.

America East – The winning just continues for the Vermont Catamounts (7-2), who have now rattled off five wins in a row. UVM took down Albany in a road game, 87-68, to maintain its two-game edge in the loss column over UMass-Lowell (7-4), Bryant (6-4), New Hampshire (6-4), and Binghamton (5-4). Vermont next heads to Maine, who has won four of its past five, in what could be a tough test this Wednesday.

Patriot League – American knocked off Colgate (11-1), 61-60, to finally end the Raider perfect streak in league play. The Eagles were led by Colin Smalls, who came off the bench to score 17 points. The Raiders own a two-game lead in the race however over Lehigh (9-3). The Mountain Hawks scored a season sweep over their rivals, Lafayette, this past Saturday. Lehigh gets a crack at Colgate this Wednesday. We will have a great race if Lehigh can pull the upset, otherwise Colgate is likely running away with the regular-season crown.

MEAC – Maryland-Eastern Shore (6-1) rested this weekend and will continue to ramp up for the second half of the short 14-game MEAC league schedule. League action resumes next Saturday, and the Eagles will host Norfolk State (5-2) in a possible revenge game. Howard (6-1) also feels good heading into the second half of the league season. The Bison will take on Delaware State on the road next Saturday.

Ohio Valley – No idea where to start! Let’s just say this conference had three different buzzer-beaters in probably the span of ten minutes on Saturday evening. Morehead State allowed the first one to Southern Indiana’s Jack Campion, which forced an overtime session in Evansville. The Eagles (9-3) managed to overcome the Screamin’ Eagles momentum and eventually seal the deal in the extra session, 71-66. SIU-Edwardsville’s (7-5) Ray’Sean Taylor hit about a 62-foot miracle shot to stun Little Rock, 84-81. In a pivotal contest, Tennessee Tech’s (7-5) Brett Thompson sunk a jumper from the elbow as time expired to give the Golden Eagles a crucial 82-80 victory over SEMO (8-4). This put Morehead State in first place alone for the first time this season, and yes, a Changing of the Guard in the OVC. Tennessee-Martin (7-5) had a tough week and fell at D1 newcomer, Lindenwood, 80-75.

Southland – Texas A&M Corpus Christi (8-3) made a road splash on National TV by running away from Southeastern Louisiana (8-3), 83-72. Terrion Murdix had 23 to lead the Islanders. Northwestern State joined the three-loss party atop the Southland Conference by beating Lamar on the road, 72-68. And watch out for D1 newcomer, Texas A&M-Commerce (6-3), who got another win on Saturday over McNeese, 60-58. TAMUC will play the Demons twice this week in a home-and-home exchange. The Islanders are the new leaders for bracket forecasting, thanks to its 2-1 combined record against the other first place squads. Islanders will host Houston Christian and Lamar this week. SELA will head to McNeese and host Nicholls in a Louisiana-heavy week upcoming.

SWAC – Southern U. (8-2) had its three-game win streak snapped at Alabama A&M, 82-61. A thorough victory for the home Bulldogs (5-5). AAMU’s Messiah Thompson went for 20 to lead the charge. That opened the door for our preseason pick, Alcorn State (8-2), to get back into a first-place tie. The Braves got a stiff test from Arkansas Pine Bluff (6-4), yet survived it in a 70-67 win. Grambling (7-3) looked great in a 73-60 victory at Alabama State. The Tigers have some talent and appear to be in this thing for the long haul. Things pick right back up here on Monday with Southern headed to Alabama State, Grambling going to Alabama A&M, and Alcorn State will host MVSU.    

NEC – Wagner (5-5) came across the Stateline to New Jersey, and knocked off Fairleigh Dickinson (7-3) in Teaneck, 83-79. The Seahawks had a ridiculously balanced attack as nine players contributed between six and 12 points, which kept FDU on their defensive toes all day. Stonehill (8-3) has a three-game win streak after earning a road win at St. Francis NY, 65-59. Skyhawks are seeking history in its first season as a D1 member. That of course means, they are not postseason eligible anytime soon, so the Skyhawks are really going to fight for this crown, much like Merrimack (7-4) has done in the past. Merrimack is still not postseason eligible. So that leaves the fine trio of Sacred Heart (6-5), aforementioned Wagner, and St. Francis PA (5-5), who are two losses behind pace of FDU out of the eligible programs.

Changing of the Guard - January 22nd, 2023

Prelude

Welcome back to Changing of the Guard. A weekly column here at Bracketeer.Org solely focused on the conference races. This will be your one-stop shop each week to see what is happening in each league race for the regular-season crown for all 32 leagues.

Some leagues provide us with a different leader or a proverbial “Changing of the Guard” at the top of the standings each and every week. Other leagues, may have one team run away with it from wire to wire. No matter how it shakes up, we will be here to provide the summary for you. If you happen to be new to Bracketeer this season, conference race changes are leveraged in each Bracket Forecast update to A) Exhibit a variety of outcomes within the Bracket that could very well be in play come March and B) Give more schools notoriety for the stellar play and achievements during the regular season.

The Disruptors

Dedicated section for teams who may not make it to the top of the league standings but did an impeccable job this past week disrupting the race.

TCU - The Horned Frogs shook up the national picture and the Big 12 race by going into Phog Allen Fieldhouse and taking down Kansas by a whopping 23 points. If you missed the historic TCU win, here are the highlights:

Oklahoma State - The Cowboys’ win over Iowa State was not nearly as loud as the TCU win above, but it was just as important in disrupting the Big 12 race. The Cowboys came all the way back from a 16-point hole to beat a very good Cyclones team. It was a matchup of the two best defenses in the conference and no easy baskets were given. A great win for the Pokes, who are in the think of a cloudy bubble picture right now.

Kentucky - Funny that we now have witnessed the Wildcats spoil the SEC race on two straight weekends. Last week it was knocking off Tennessee from the ranks of the unbeaten, and Saturday it was Texas A&M who got a taste of the Wildcat medicine. Antonio Reeves came off the bench to lead UK with 23 points in the win over the previously perfect Aggies.

New Mexico - Cooled off the Broncos eventually in a classic Mountain West thriller on Friday Night. The disruptive win created a large tie for second place and propelled the San Diego State Aztecs into first place.

George Washington - The Colonials really have improved lately and it showed on Saturday in a win over Dayton that surprised many. The Dayton loss knocked the first place quandry down to just VCU and Saint Louis. Most importantly to GW is the fact that they are 4-2 and within striking distance of the top now.

Houston Christian - The Huskies played well in a 91-79 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The loss for the Islanders sent them down into third place and off the Southland Standings perch.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Shaun Doss continues to show why he is one of the most gifted players in the SWAC. Doss had 23 points and the Lions became the first team to beat Southern U. in league play. The Jaguars loss sent them into a shared lead with Alcorn State.

 

Changing Of The Guard

A brief summary (this will be reflected on the upcoming Bracketology Big Board) of who our new league leaders are, following this weekend’s action.

  • MEAC - Howard Bison

  • OVC - UT Martin Skyhawks

 

Conference Race Recap for All 32 Leagues

Big12 – For the second time this week, Kansas (5-2) fell. This time at home in a rout vs. TCU by 23. Kansas State (6-1) took advantage by beating Texas Tech in come from behind fashion. Markquis Nowell (23 Pts.) had his sixth game north of 20 points. Iowa State (5-2) lost a 16-point lead at Oklahoma State and the game ultimately. So, it is just the Wildcats of KSU left with one loss.

B1G – Purdue (7-1) owns this grip in first place no matter what happens on Sunday vs. Maryland. Four teams have three losses, who are next in line.

Big East – Xavier (8-1) shook off its mid-week loss to DePaul by defeating Georgetown, 95-82. Zach Freemantle had a tremendous 30-point, 11 rebounds, and seven assist day for the Musketeers. Marquette (8-2) is the stiffest competition out there for now. The Golden Eagles had an impressive 74-53 road win at Seton Hall on Saturday.

SEC – Alabama (7-0) obtained a little breathing room on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are not only perfect in league play, but they’ve won every game by double-digits! Texas A&M (5-1) finally fell from the ranks of the unbeatens on Saturday. The Aggies took a competitive loss at Kentucky, 76-67. Alabama next will host Mississippi State on Wednesday.

Pac-12 – UCLA (8-1) got off to a decent start in the showdown at Arizona, then fell on tough times. Particularly shooting from the outside (just 4-for-20 from deep). Arizona took over from about midway thru the first half on, and later held on for a scrappy 58-52 win. The Bruins still hold a two-game lead over the ‘Cats, Utah, USC, and Arizona State – who have three losses each.

ACC – Clemson (8-1) held on for another dramatic win at Littlejohn Coliseum over a hungry Virginia Tech program, 51-50. The Hokies had a clean look to win it late, but Hunter Cattoor’s three-point look from the wing fell short. The Tigers have Virginia (7-2) on their heels. Cavs got a nice road win at Wake Forest on Saturday. In the next week, Clemson hosts Georgia Tech on Tuesday before a road trip to Florida State.

MWC – San Diego State (6-1) got a good challenge at Air Force before finally putting the Falcons away in the final minute, 70-60. Aztecs have first place to themselves now following the thrilling New Mexico (5-2) win over Boise State (5-2) in OT on Friday night. That makes up two of four parts in the logjam for second place. Utah State (5-2) snuck past San Jose State on Saturday by one point. Nevada (5-2) has the weekend off but is hosting the Lobos this Monday night in a showdown.

AAC – Houston (6-0) is gearing up to face Temple (5-2) in the Fertitta Center on Sunday. Owls (5-2) are in second place and can capture the attention of the nation if they pull off a stunner.

WCC – Saint Mary’s (7-0) passed another test with flying colors by beating Santa Clara, 77-58. The Gaels now have the sixth-best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country. Gonzaga (6-1) struggled a big at Pacific, but ultimately won, 99-90. The leading Gaels are now off until next Saturday when they will face a road test at BYU.

CUSA – Florida Atlantic (9-0) has won three road games since Monday! The Owls keep chugging along, and two of the tests – at WKU and at UTEP are difficult venues to win at. The rest of the league has been beating each other up. The next teams in line all have three losses now: North Texas, Middle Tennessee, and Rice. FAU will host Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky this coming week in Boca Raton.

A 10 – VCU (6-1) is starting to roll now. Usually, the Battle of Richmond is a tight nailbiter that is a 50/50 game. This past Friday, the Rams made quick work with its rival Spiders on the road, 74-62. Rams are now prepping for another regional rival on Wednesday, George Mason. Saint Louis (6-1) kept pace on Saturday by defeating La Salle, 84-71. The Billikens now turn its attention to a road game at Davidson this coming Friday. As mentioned earlier, George Washington is responsible for knocking Dayton out of first all together right now - here are the highlights:

WAC – Seattle U. (7-0) is on an absolute roll. Saturday, the Redhawks took care of a previously-hot Southern Utah team quite easily, 81-60. A ton of credit goes to the perimeter defense for Seattle U., who held the Thunderbirds to an anemic 1-for-25 (4%) three-point shooting. Utah Valley (7-1) showed a lot resiliency by winning at the always rowdy Grand Canyon Lopes. Seattle U. now gets ready for its most challenging week of the WAC season thus far, as the Redhawks head to Sam Houston on Thursday, followed by Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. UVU will play at Southern Utah in a tough one, and then host the surprisingly winless New Mexico State Aggies next weekend.

Ivy – Princeton (5-1) rallied late to force OT and prevent an upset vs. Dartmouth. The Tigers ultimately prevailed, 93-90. All five Tigers scored in double figures, led by a double-double from Caden Pierce (17 & 13), the Frosh. Cornell (4-2) took a loss at Harvard and now fall to second place. Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, and Yale are all tied for third at 3-3 right now. Keep in mind that only four total teams advance to Ivy Madness in March.

MVC – Southern Illinois (8-2) picked up a difficult road win at Missouri State. Belmont (8-2) achieved an even tougher road win at Bradley. The Salukis and Bruins come out of this weekend feeling great about themselves, both are playing excellent ball. SIU will host Murray State on Tuesday. Belmont heads to Evansville for a Wednesday Evening matchup.  

Sun Belt – Marshall (6-2) had a rough meltdown in the end of regulation to allow Arkansas State to force OT today. After that, it was all Thundering Herd in OT to earn a nine-point win. Southern Miss (6-2) passed a test on Saturday against James Madison, 83-70. Louisiana (6-2) won its fourth straight road game on Saturday, this time at Texas State, 60-51.

Big West – UC Santa Barbara (7-1) rolled over Cal State Bakersfield, 76-58, to maintain control of the race. UC Irvine (6-1) has the weekend off and will next play at Cal State Fullerton, this Thursday night. UC Riverside (7-2) ran out of magic on Saturday as Hawai’i (6-2) got them, 67-63. Four really good teams here at the top.

SoCon – Samford (8-0) keeps winning, and even better the return of Ques Glover (out since December) occurred. Bulldogs took down Western Carolina, 74-65. UNCG (7-1) continues to hang tough in second place. The Spartans shut down Mercer in a 59-48 slugfest.

MAC – Kent State (6-0) rolled past Ball State on National TV this past Friday night. The Golden Flashes will head to Northern Illinois on Tuesday before hosting Buffalo on Friday next week. Akron (5-1) got a road win at Western Michigan on Saturday. Zips are hosting both Miami-Ohio and Ohio U. next week.   

ASUN – Kennesaw State (7-1) is off to its best start since becoming a D1 school. The Owls had a nailbiting victory at Florida Gulf Coast, 65-63. Liberty (7-1) got an impressive double-digit road win at North Florida, a UNF team who is typically tough at home. KSU and Liberty only play each other once this season (Feb 16th). So we have some time before any crash collisions transpire. The Owls host Austin Peay this Thursday. Flames will host a tough Stetson team on the same night.

Big Sky – Eastern Washington (8-0) refuses to lose! The Eagles got a road win done once again on Saturday. This time it was at Northern Arizona by three. The Eagles lead the league by two games in the loss column over Montana State (6-2) and Weber State (5-2). EWU will host Idaho State this coming Thursday Night.

Horizon – Milwaukee (8-2) picked up an impressive victory over Youngstown State in a shootout, 88-75. BJ Freeman for the Panthers went for 30 points to lead the way. Northern Kentucky (8-2) stymied a solid Purdue Fort Wayne program to the tune of a 74-54 drubbing. The Norse host Milwaukee next Saturday, and the calendar is circled for that one!

MAAC – Siena (7-1) trailed at halftime, then blitzed Mount St. Mary’s in the second half and the competitive game ended up looking like a laugher, 72-57. The Saints remain one game clear of Iona (6-2), who survived a great battle with rival Manhattan on Friday night. Iona now has Sunday off and will have the showdown at Siena next Friday. Before the Saints can focus on Iona, they host Fairfield on Sunday.

Big South – UNC Asheville (7-1) and Longwood (7-1) had sluggish days on Saturday but both found a way to win. UNCA grinded back in it to overcome USC Upstate, 64-58, and Longwood was neck-and-neck with Presbyterian all day, before finally winning, 58-56. Bulldogs still own the H2H tiebreaker and remain in the forecasted NCAA bracket.

CAA – It was a Boston Tea Party at High Noon for the Charleston Cougars (9-0). Cougars thoroughly enjoyed their time in Boston as they smoked the host Northeastern, 87-61. Hofstra, Towson, and Drexel share the second-place honors at 6-2. UNCW has fallen off this past week and now has three losses.   

Summit – Oral Roberts (8-0) had a test from North Dakota for a while on Saturday. Once again the Golden Eagles found a way to finish the job, 84-72. A special season is happening for the small Christian school in Tulsa. Up next is back-to-back home tilts with Denver and Nebraska-Omaha.

America East – Binghamton (4-1) is the biggest surprise conference leader on the board. The Bearcats are still ranked #312 in KenPom, but really doing what it takes to win in the conference. Binghamton is in action on Sunday at Maine, let’s see if they can get to 5-1? UMass-Lowell (4-2) is also hosting Bryant (4-2) in a game certainly worthy of your attention.

Patriot League – Colgate (8-0) had their biggest scare on Saturday, yet still found a way to hang on and beat American, 62-61. Lehigh (6-2) is now in second place after winning its sixth game in a row, over Lafayette 61-49. Colgate is back on the court this Monday at Boston U.

MEAC – Morgan State (3-1) was hot before Saturday, I promise you. You wouldn’t have known that watching Saturday’s 88-55 blowout loss at the hands of Howard (3-1). Norfolk State (3-1) took out some frustration against Coppin State on the road, 96-65. NSU had lost to Howard on a tough result in its previous game. N.C. Central (3-1) joined the party after gliding past Delaware State, 74-55. Maryland-Eastern Shore (3-1) is also in the five-way mix following a road win at South Carolina State, 76-70.

Ohio Valley – SIU Edwardsville (5-3) is mostly to blame for the OVC now having a six-way tie at the top. If you thought the five-way tie in the MEAC was crazy, get a load of this. SIUE had a tough week, losing to both Morehead State (5-3) and Southern Indiana (5-3). Two friends now at the top with the Cougars. Tennessee Tech (5-3) could have taken over themselves, but eventually lost a tough double OT game to SEMO (5-3), who themselves joined the party! Then we have Tennessee-Martin (5-3) who got a nice 91-78 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

Here is how we scored it for Tiebreakers this week. The record among each of the six when they play each other:

-UT Martin 3-2 (1 Road Win)
-Southern Indiana* 3-2 (1)
-SEMO 3-3 (1)
-Tennessee Tech 2-2 (1)
-SIU Edwardsville 2-3 (1)
-Morehead State 2-3 (1)

Skyhawks to the Field for this week! That is how close this is. BTW, the same process was used above for the MEAC, and Howard won out and will also be in the next Bracket.

Southland – Texas A&M Corpus Christi (4-3) had a tough week, dropping to both Lamar and Houston Christian from the bottom half of the league. Nicholls (5-2) took advantage of the opportunity and sweep McNeese this week in two games against the Cowboys this week. Southeastern Louisiana (5-2) also kept pace on Saturday with a win over D1 newcomers, TAMU-Commerce, 79-73. Nicholls did get a win over SELA back in December for tiebreaker purposes, and the Colonels will represent the Southland in the next bracket forecast.

SWAC – Southern U. (5-1) dropped its first SWAC game on Saturday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-55. This creates a tie at the top with Alcorn State (5-1). The Braves are back to full strength now and have won five straight including a 57-47 waltz over Florida A&M.  

NEC – Fairleigh Dickinson (5-1) let go of a seven-point halftime lead as the Knights witnessed a spirited comeback effort by Sacred Heart (4-2) to fall, 92-85, and drop its first NEC game of the campaign. St. Francis (PA) took care of St. Francis (NY) handily, 87-61 and that brings us back to a first-place tie.

Changing Of The Guard - January 10th

Prelude

Ebs and flows, not enough time to prepare, roster issues, gameplan flaws - all can and will continue to have an agonizing and thrilling place in league races nationwide.

Welcome to Changing of the Guard. A new weekly column here at Bracketeer.Org solely focused on the conference races. This will be your one-stop shop in the future to see what is happening for the race for the regular-season crown in each of the 32 leagues.

Some leagues provide us with a different leader or a proverbial “Changing of the Guard” at the top of the standings each and every week. Other leagues, may have one team run away with it from wire to wire. No matter how it shakes up, we will be here to provide the summary for you. If you happen to be new to Bracketeer this season, conference race changes are leveraged in each Bracket Forecast update to A) Exhibit a variety of outcomes within the Bracket that could very well be in play come March and B) Give more schools notoriety for the stellar play and achievements during the regular season.

 

Changing Of The Guard

A brief summary (this will be reflected on the upcoming Bracketology Big Board) of who our new leaders are this morning, following this weekend’s action.

  • ACC - Clemson Tigers

  • America East - New Hampshire Wildcats

  • ASUN - Stetson Hatters

  • Big South - Longwood Lancers

  • Horizon - Milwaukee Panthers

  • IVY - Princeton Tigers

  • MAAC - Siena Saints

  • Pac-12 - UCLA Bruins

  • SoCon - Samford Bulldogs

  • Southland - Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Islanders

  • Sun Belt - Southern Miss Golden Eagles

  • WAC - Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

 

Conference Race Recap for All 32 Leagues

Big12 – Iowa State (3-0) knocked off TCU on the road with Gabe Kalscheur’s heroic shot, 69-67. Kansas (3-0) ran away from WV in Morgantown, 76-62. Kansas State (3-0) won a classic in HC Tang’s return to Waco, 97-95 in OT. All three leaders picked up road wins. K-State’s Marquis Nowell had another impressive day, with 32 points and 14 assists!

B1G – Wisconsin’s (3-1) loss to Illinois, 79-69, and Michigan’s (3-1) loss to MSU, opened the floodgates for a massive six-way tie in the loss column (1 Loss) between the Badgers, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Northwestern. No unbeaten teams remain.

SEC – Alabama (3-0) rolled over Kentucky, 78-52. Tennessee (3-0) blitzed South Carolina on the road, 85-42, and Texas A&M (2-0) took care of home business over LSU, 69-56.

Big East – Providence (6-0) fought tooth and nail to beat St. John’s, 83-80. Xavier (5-0) won at Villanova in The Finn, 88-80. The Musketeers have a perfect 4-0 record in true road games. Zach Freemantle was big here with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

Pac-12 – Utah’s (5-1) home loss vs. Oregon, 70-60, opened the door wide open for UCLA (5-0) to have full control of the standings. Bruins had the weekend off and will face the Utes on Thursday Night in Pauley Pavilion.

ACC – Clemson (5-0) stands alone at the top of the standings after winning the league supremacy showdown at Pittsburgh, 75-74. Tigers will host Louisville and Duke next week.

MWC – San Diego State (3-0) got the job done in Laramie, defeating Wyoming 80-75. Nevada (4-0) stayed hot with a 67-40 win at San Jose State. The Pack has won six in a row. Utah State (2-1) fell from the unbeaten group, suffering a loss to Boise State (2-1), 82-59.

AAC – Temple’s (3-1) home loss to Tulane, 87-76, cleared the path for Houston (4-0) to have the league lead to themselves. Cougars once again handled business, this time at Cincinnati, 72-59.

WCC – Gonzaga (3-0) rallied past an eager Santa Clara team on the road, 81-76. Saint Mary’s (3-0) demolished Portland, 85-42.

CUSA – Florida Atlantic (4-0) held off a late charge from Charlotte, 71-67. The Owls have won 13 straight and remain in first place alone.

A 10 – Dayton (3-0) was idle. St. Bonaventure (2-1) fell from the unbeaten ranks at Saint Louis (2-1), 78-55. The Flyers have first place in the loss column all to themselves, heading to Fordham on Tuesday.

WAC – Stephen F. Austin (4-0) outlasted Grand Canyon (3-1) in a key matchup, 73-68. Utah Valley (4-0) remained perfect by winning at UTRGV, 75-61.

MVC – Indiana State (6-0) has a commanding two-game lead in the standings now. ISU Blue took care of UIC, 80-60.

Ivy – Princeton (3-0) had an impressive road win at Cornell (2-1) who was previously hot, 75-68. The win puts Princeton alone at the top of the Ivy League.

Sun Belt – Southern Miss (3-1) took down UL Monroe (3-1), 65-60.
Troy (3-1) handled home business vs. Arkansas State, 66-54.
Georgia Southern (3-1) took an OT loss vs. Old Dominion, 81-75. That gives us a four-way tie for first here. There are also no teams without a win and a bunch with a 2-2 record. About as unpredictable of a league race as you will see early on.

Big West – UC Santa Barbara (3-0) picked up a road win at Cal Poly, 62-57. Gauchos have won eight straight. UC Irvine (3-0) won the Black & Blue Rivalry game over Long Beach State, 87-70. 

SoCon – Samford (4-0) went on the road to win the important showdown at UNC Greensboro (3-1), 70-68. Spartans had a final three attempts partially blocked at the buzzer.

MAC – Kent State (2-0) survived a scare from Miami-Ohio, 69-66.
Ball State (2-0) continued to impress with a 70-63 victory over Akron.
Buffalo (2-0) ran past Northern Illinois, 80-62.
Bowling Green (2-0) had a quality win over Ohio U, 88-79. Four-way tie for first here early on.  

ASUN – Liberty (3-1) fell on Sunday to the hands of Eastern Kentucky, 62-59. Stetson (4-0) has improved tremendously this year and now has first place all to themselves – following the 95-85 OT win at North Alabama. Jalen Blackmon had 29 points to lead the way for the Hatters.

Big Sky – Eastern Washington (4-0) picked up another solid win, over Sacramento State, 78-75.
The surprising Idaho State Bengals (3-0) got a win at Weber State to keep the party going, 67-57.

Big South – Longwood (4-0) handled Winthrop at Home, 85-71.  Lancers will face each of the teams tied for second place during the upcoming week (At UNCA on Thursday, and USC Upstate on Saturday).

MAAC – Iona (4-1) got smacked at Quinnipiac in a surprising result, 81-58. Siena (5-0) seized the opportunity and now has full control in the MAAC race following the Saints’ victory over Rider, 68-63.

CAA – Charleston (4-0) and UNC Wilmington (4-0) continued to lead the CAA charge for the title. Cougars took down Delaware, 75-64, and the Seahawks outlasted North Carolina A&T on the road, 66-61. The day we’ve all been waiting for comes this Wednesday when Charleston gets its stiffest road test since facing UNC, playing at UNCW with a true Changing of the Guard moment sitting right in front of the Seahawks. Will be an excellent battle.

Horizon – Milwaukee (5-1) capped off a wonderful week by winning at Purdue Fort Wayne, 74-70. Northern Kentucky (5-1) held on for a 78-76 thrilling OT win over Detroit Mercy to keep pace with the Panthers. These two leaders will meet on Thursday night in Milwaukee.  

Summit – Oral Roberts (4-0) – “Midcourt Max” Abmas hit the shot heard round the Summit from (of course) midcourt to stun Kansas City, 74-71 at the buzzer. Abmas finished with 35 points in another epic performance. ORU now owns a two-game lead in the loss column. ORU did suffer a loss on Monday in non-conference play at New Mexico, but still sitting pretty in the league standings.

America East – Vermont (2-1) suffered a surprising loss at New Hampshire (2-1), 67-60. UMBC (2-1) rolled into Bryant and got an impressive win, 81-73.  UMass-Lowell (2-1) suffered the biggest stunner of all, losing badly to Albany, 89-63. So, it’s a four-way tie for first.  

Patriot League – Colgate (4-0) got a close call from Army but prevailed 77-75.
American (4-0) also had to squeak one out against Boston U, 76-74.

MEAC – Norfolk State (2-0) cruised by Delaware State on Monday, 78-65. Morgan State (1-0) got an important home win in OT vs. NC Central, 78-73.

Ohio Valley – SIU Edwardsville (3-1) became the first team to win at Southern Indiana all year, 69-62. Morehead State (3-1) kept pace with the aforementioned Cougars by defeating Eastern Illinois, 69-59.

Southland – Texas A&M Corpus Christi (3-0) is the last of the undefeated teams as they beat Incarnate Word for the second time in the same week 80-71. A five-way tie (UNO, Nicholls, SE Louisiana, TAMU Commerce, McNeese) for second exists at 2-1.

SWAC – Jackson State (3-0) handled Alabama A&M, 72-64 and Southern U (4-0) smoked Bethune-Cookman, 102-75. SU’s Tyrone Lyons had 23 points/eight rebounds/three assists to lead the Jags to the comfy victory.

NEC – St. Francis PA (3-0) pulled away late to beat Wagner on the road, 68-63. Fairleigh Dickinson (3-0) was red-hot in a 101-89 win over LIU.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Bracketology Big Board’s 2023 debut. You will see each of these leaders stack ranked by tiers which should provide you with simple digestion of the info.

Rocco Miller

Bracket Watch: December 28th - 30th

Bracket Watch: Most Important Games of the Coming Days

The presents have been opened, the office Holiday parties have come and gone, and it’s full steam ahead into the calendar year of 2023. Bracket Watch is back for the first time this season. Far too early to know how the bracket will start to form, some games this week will begin to help that process as conference races will both launch and relaunch.  With Non-Conference play over 90% complete nationwide, the landscape has shifted to a conference championship focus.

Several teams will elevate their play in league play, and several will disappoint. It is the nature of the beast. It is the nature of having advanced scouting and knowing your league inside and out. Complex defenses will be displayed more frequently. Unlikely heroes will emerge. Surprise teams will steal headlines. We love it all. So let’s dive into the very early stages of the 32 races.

In each Bracket Watch column, the games previewed are most clearly divided into three important categories.

· Heavyweight games: Games that will impact the top 16 teams on the seed list. Better known as protected seeds.

· Bubble games: Games that will most influence teams inside or outside of the bubble.

· Conference Leader games: The opportunity for the lead in any given league to change hands.

The top five games in each grouping are selected for the coming time period. This is a carefully reviewed process that takes into account the full schedule and amount of opportunities (especially in the conference races section). Enjoy!

HEAVYWEIGHT GAMES

Blake Hinson has led Pitt to a resurgent month of December and 2-0 start in ACC play. Can the Panthers handle UNC at Home?

5. North Carolina at Pittsburgh, Friday, Noon ET, ACC Network

No, Pitt does not quite qualify as a heavyweight yet. But you cannot discount the surging Panthers winning eight of its past nine contests. Blake Hinson (pictured) has been simply dynamite of late. Hinson has achieved “KenPom MVP” status in four of the eight victories, scored in double-figures in all games during the streak, and has an exceptional 118.4 ORating while playing at a 78.7% minute share. Hinson, at 6-7, has the Panthers dreaming big in a down ACC. After a 1-3 start, Pitt is now 9-4 and most importantly, 2-0 in ACC play following two road wins in the conference over NC State and Syracuse. At large aspirations are realistic right now. A home win against UNC of course would get them further on the radar. The Tar Heels have played their worst ball when outside of the State of North Carolina. Losing at Indiana handily, struggling in Portland (losing twice), and a tough visit to Virginia Tech. Since the road woes occurred, the Heels are “getting right” with wins over Ohio State (in NYC), Michigan (in Charlotte), and Georgia Tech at Home.

This game serves as a true litmus test for where both programs stand. And both teams come into it feeling good, which adds to the excitement.

Coach Matt McMahon enters SEC play with a lot of questions that will be answered in short order.

4. Arkansas at LSU, Wednesday, 9 PM ET, ESPN2

We begin here with a look at the Hogs who are dealing with a key injury to Nick Smith and won’t play. Of course, Arkansas has already lost Trevon Brazile for the season as well. The Razorbacks will lean on a rotation similar to the one used in its win vs. UNC Asheville just before the Holiday break. Likely starting two Frosh in Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh, to go along with Davonte Davis, Makhi Mitchell, and Ricky Council. Last time out, Arkansas also had solid contributions from Jalen Graham, Kimani Johnson, and a third Frosh – Joseph Pinion. I fully expect this to be the main eight going forward rotation-wise. Will this group travel well? We are about to find out. Currently, Arkansas would be somewhere around a 3-seed bracket-wise at 11-1 and quality outings in Maui. The heavy lifting begins now in the rugged SEC. For LSU (also 11-1), the journey has been less sexy. LSU lost in a tough Championship Game to Kansas State in its only loss (by two and with controversy). Tigers were able to survive a cluster of home game scares vs. Wofford (by three), UT Arlington (by four), and ETSU (by four). The Tigers had a resume win in Atlanta vs. Wake Forest in the closing seconds.

With Senior leadership and big game experience from KJ Williams and Justice Hill, LSU might just be a late-game team. The Tigers are closing out most tight games thus far, but the concern is that the talent gap hasn’t been there against seemingly inferior competition in too many games. That tells me that LSU will clearly need to grind out SEC wins. Will they grind out enough to stay in the NCAA hunt? That mission begins with Arkansas at home.

Uros Plavic and the imposing Volunteer frontline may be too much for Ole Miss.

3. Tennessee at Ole Miss, Saturday, 5 PM ET, SEC Network

The Rebels provided a boatload of cold water onto this preview with its stunning 66-65 loss to North Alabama on 12/20. Ole Miss now enters SEC play with an 8-4 record and work to do. The win over shorthanded Florida Atlantic (#11 NET) and a couple of decent wins over Stanford, Chattanooga, and Temple did at least provide room for hope. In the battle back to the NCAA picture a marquee win or two will be required. Enter the Tennessee Vols. No better way to get an awful taste out of your mouth than beating a top team in the country and a potential league favorite. Ole Miss does have mostly strong defensive marks, the question becomes how will they generate enough points in this one? Since returning from the Orlando event during Thanksgiving weekend, the Rebels have not scored more than 65 points in any of their five outings. Shooting numbers are poor (Ole Miss is #199 in eFG%). Three-point numbers are worse (31.4% as a team, good for #275 in the country). Theo Akwuba, a 6-11 Grad Transfer from Louisiana is the only player above 6-8 in the rotation, yet only logs around 15 minutes per game at most. This is a massive challenge against an imposing Tennessee front line that has 7-1 Uros Plavsic, 6-9 Oliver Nkamhoua, 6-11 Jonas Aidoo, and two lengthy 6-8 frosh Julian Phillips and Tobe Awaka in a deeper rotation. Hard to envision a Rebels win, but Tennessee simply doesn’t show up at times and Ole Miss should be angry after the UNA embarrassment.

2. Kentucky at Missouri, Wednesday, 7 PM ET, SEC Network

Tiger fever has reached a decade-long high after the blowout win over Illinois in the annual Braggin’ Rights game last week. Missouri has played largely well in non-conference play but the skeptics wondered about the competition they faced. After all, Mizzou did not play in a traditional high-level tournament, instead, they hosted Coastal Carolina and Mississippi Valley State and wrapped the two games into a larger traveling event under the NCAA’s recent MTE standards. That coupled with six other home guarantee games against no teams in the Top 150 left a lot of mystery. A blowout loss to Kansas made the prognostications sketchier. But Dennis Gates and crew got a key win in Sunrise, FL over UCF and earlier in a rally at Wichita State that may have altered the confidence level of this group. How else do you explain a 22-point drubbing over Illinois that was not competitive? So now the hype is at a fever pitch and in comes Kentucky.

A perpetual target is on the back of John Calipari-led teams. Here we have a classic matchup between a hot team that has waited years to be good again and Kentucky, led by Calipari. Kentucky’s season has been less than smooth. In three of the four “showcase games,” the Wildcats failed. Convincing losses to west coast powerhouses Gonzaga and UCLA, and a tough double OT loss to Michigan State have many wondering what is wrong in Lexington? Kentucky has taken care of business in all other performances, most notably a four-point win against a struggling Michigan team. A lot is left to be determined, however. The Wildcats have really struggled to get to the foul line and convert when they do get there. They are also not forcing a lot of turnovers. Look for Kentucky to start cranking up the intensity now that SEC play is here. Perhaps a road win in Columbia is just what the doctor ordered?

Oh baby! The Hump will be rocking for this SEC Opener.

1. Alabama at Mississippi State, Wednesday, 9PM ET, SEC Network

The Tide and Bulldogs have both made headlines throughout non-conference play. Has there been a better coach personality and institutional fit than Chris Jans at Mississippi State? I say no. His ability to find players and get them through the gates works wonderfully well in Starkville. The Bulldogs had an unbelievable performance in the Fort Myers Tip-Off win over Marquette by holding the Golden Eagles to zero second-chance points. I read a ton of box scores, and haven’t seen that (although I’m sure it’s happened somewhere). The point is that MSU has a physical grinding team that rebounds exceptionally well and will play through 6-11Tolu Smith at times. In fact, in MSU’s only loss vs. Drake – Smith had his fewest shot attempts. Lesson: feed the big fella! The Bulldog defense has been tenacious, ranking in the top ten in several important categories nationally – Adj. D Efficiency, eFG%, Foul Line frequency, opposing two-point % shooting, and Steal rate. These guys are absolute pests out there and will physically drain you. Is Alabama ready for this? We shall see. The Tide possesses an arsenal of offensive weaponry. A team under Nate Oates will never be shy to accelerate the pace, fire from deep, or attack the basket. The excellent spacing provides more opportunities to beat a great defense. This is what makes this matchup so intriguing, no question. Alabama’s win at Houston is arguably the best resume win right now in the nation, but they could not handle UConn and got outpaced by Gonzaga. With a strong SEC season, Bama is in play for a one-seed. For the Bulldogs in Jans first season, securing a bid would be a great success. This start paves the way. Beating Alabama and other top teams will only continue to raise the bar. Looking forward to a great chess match tonight.

BUBBLE GAMES

5. San Francisco at Santa Clara, Thursday, 10 PM ET, WCC Network

A void fills the bracketology landscape with the fall of the Atlantic 10 and both the ACC and Pac-12 having some uncertainties at the moment. Enter the competitive WCC, where both San Francisco (NCAA last year) and Santa Clara (NIT last year) are on the ascent as programs. Locally, they brand this game as “The Battle of the Bay.” Last season, I was fortunate to cover both of the matchups. Which seems mostly meaningless now due to Todd Golden’s departure and key personnel differences this season. One exception could be the ultra-high-level offensive showcase that occurred on the Hilltop last January, an 88-85 regulation win by the Dons. The game featured a high level of skills, shot-making, and dynamic offense. I feel like these traits have a chance to hold true Thursday night at the Leavey Center. The big story in the South Bay is Illinois transfer Brandin Podziemski. Better known as “Podz” to us, Podz has a wide-ranging skill. He has been a stat-sheet stuffer and has not always been the go-to guy. He’s been accepting of it when it is not his night to score. On the flip side, he has been a top scorer in the WCC. Opened the year with two straight 30+ point games and later hung 27 on both Iona and Sacramento State. Guard Carlos Stewart has had the more frequent hot hand, going for 22+ points in four of the past seven SCU games. Two proven scorers now are surrounded by experience and team winners – Keishawn Justice, Jaden Bediako, and Parker Braun. The Broncos improved to 12-3 on the year after taking care of a tough Boise State club by 15. It’s the second key win of the season to go along with the Iona win in Vegas. Unfortunately, SCU has a home loss to local rival San Jose State and will need more big wins. This game vs. the Dons looms large and is followed by Saint Mary’s (also at Home) this Saturday. Coach Herb Sendek needs to formulate an NCAA Tournament-type strategy to prepare his Broncos for two wins in three days against high-level competition.

The Dons of USF come in after an exhausting, yet fruitful week. Four games in six days were played by the Dons prior to the Christmas Holiday. The Dons achieved resume-building wins at UNLV and a memorable blowout victory over Arizona State (who came in 11-1). The issue is the home loss to UT Arlington (currently #285 in NET) will not leave Q4 status this season. Dons cannot think about that now, they’ll need to be a top-three team in the WCC and earn wins like these on the road to warrant serious consideration. I am enthused by the effort and character of this San Francisco roster and at Santa Clara for that matter. A great game between three-loss teams who challenged themselves outside of the WCC is in store.

When PJ Hall is in rhythm, good things happen at Clemson. Can the Tigers build on its 2-0 ACC start?

4. N.C. State at Clemson, Friday, 4 PM ET, ACC Network

A matchup between squads who aspire to be in the bubble discussion in two months and have enough upside to be encouraged about. The Clemson Tigers are 2-0 in ACC play and that is a great way to build on the positives. Losses to South Carolina and Loyola-Chicago certainly aren’t doing favors for its resume, but Clemson has at least somewhat of a key home win over Penn State at home in addition to the Wake Forest and G-Tech wins. The Tigers have a two-game road swing through Virginia Tech and Pitt right after this contest, so a premium will likely be placed on securing a win. At 10-3, the Tigers will almost assuredly to get above 20 wins to have a shot at dancing. This is based on its relatively low number of quality wins away from ACC play. The Wolfpack enter Littlejohn Coliseum at 1-2 in ACC play and do not have a true road win (0-1). The roster is really intriguing behind Terquavion Smith. Jack Clark has been playing well, DJ Burns is logging all-time high minutes and is a matchup nightmare, Casey Morsell is experienced and brings a winning attitude, and Jarkel Joiner has played a ton of ball. All of this is exciting for a Pack team that also went 2-1 in the vaunted Battle 4 Atlantis. The Pack has wins over Dayton, Butler, and Vanderbilt all on neutral courts that they hope age better than they stand now. In the meantime, a road resume is also required work for an at large. That can begin at Clemson. In a tiny sample size, Clemson has the most efficient ACC-play defense and #2 Offense. Let’s see if the Wolfpack can disrupt.

3. Boise State at Nevada, Wednesday, 10 PM ET, Mountain West Network (Online)

This section is all about the bubble. Now, we don’t have a clear picture of what that is – we do know that Nevada needs some wins to be a part of it. No better place to start than the MWC league opener. These Wolf Pack have shown flashes in wins over Tulane, Akron, Grand Canyon, and upstart Sam Houston. All good programs and Sam Houston win matters right now, but Nevada will need to make their mark on a super-competitive Mountain West to get any serious consideration.

Nevada has done a fantastic job of protecting the basketball, getting to the foul line, and knocking down free throws. It can demoralize opposing defenses, especially at the friendly confines of the Lawlor Events Center. That is certainly the key tonight in my eyes – as Boise State has made a ton of hay on defense, with the 15th-best defensive efficiency in the country. It’s the most daunting in the league. The Broncos do such a great job at limiting second chances and contesting shots. The Bronco offense can go through long stretches without a consistent flow, however, and that has created issues. Nevada’s defense can cause poor shooting percentages, so it’s certainly in play as well. Boise State picked up a road win at Saint Louis and beat Colorado and Texas A&M on neutral courts. They could use some help from all three going forward, otherwise, they have a lot of work to do in the MWC like Nevada. Key matchup at this stage.

Auburn’s Chris Moore is part of a deep Tiger rotation and makes his minutes impactful.

2. Florida at Auburn, Wednesday, 7 PM ET, ESPN2

Yes, another SEC matchup! With the majority of power leagues starting on the weekend, the SEC is taking center stage immediately. The spotlight solely is on the Gators tonight. In Todd Golden’s first year at the helm - trends are forming. A tendency to annihilate inferior opposition and fold a little quicker against teams in their weight class or better. The first point has allowed the Gators to remain a Top 50 NET team thus far, but they do not have a quality win to show for it. Gator losses to FAU, Xavier, West Virginia, UConn, and Oklahoma leave UF in a position outside of the Big Dance for now. The SEC is full of opportunities. The first one comes tonight in Golden’s SEC debut at Auburn to take on his old mentor, Bruce Pearl. The Tigers would safely be in today, but it’s a resume not built on a lot. The schedule was below average, and the Tigers took a loss at USC last week before pounding Washington in Seattle. Gators can be a loose team with multiple options, so it’s always interesting to see where the focus level lies On the Plains. The Gators need to expect Auburn’s A-game here in the league opener and will need to really improve shot selection and decision-making in a tough road environment.

1. Xavier at St. John’s, Saturday, 9 PM ET, FS1

Here is one to feel good about. Two teams who can easily be in the bubble picture for the long haul. Yes, Xavier would be in today and St. John’s would be out. However, the Big East schedule yields to a variety of ups and downs. Tonight’s matchup could provide our first swing – at least the Red Storm hope so. The Johnnies (1-1 in Big East) have handled its business against inferior talent. That includes wins over Syracuse, DePaul, Florida State, Temple, Nebraska, and a slew of low-major teams. Yet when tested against Villanova last week and earlier against Iowa State – they failed. Xavier will easily be the toughest home test for SJU (currently 10-0 in NYC area games). Can the Johnnies roll? Won’t be easy.

Red Storm are a perfect 10-0 in the NYC Area. Xavier will bring its toughest test yet.

The Musketeers enter this one on a six-game win streak that includes beating a hot West Virginia program in early December. Xavier has a top ten offense, the sixth best eFG%, and are the third best shooting team from distance. Weapons, weapons, weapons. That presents multiple challenges for St. John’s who hasn’t guarded that strongly to date. Xavier has more holes defensively that new coach Sean Miller is trying to clean up. I’d expect an offensive showcase that should come down to the wire. No doubt, St. John’s needs this one.

CONFERENCE LEADER GAMES

5. Cleveland State at Youngstown State, Thursday, 8 PM ET, ESPN+

The Vikings were the surprise of early league play in early contests against both Detroit Mercy and Oakland, beating them in convincing fashion. CSU will take its 2-0 league record east to Youngstown to take on a quality YSU team, who was my preseason pick to win the league’s automatic bid. The Horizon League will have battles that create rollercoasters throughout the year due to the travel partner and one-day-off configuration. Many coaches prefer to go all in on the first game, and that should certainly be the case in a competitive tilt like this one. An important week for the Penguins with a hot Purdue Fort Wayne visiting on Saturday. CSU heads to RMU, another feisty team of late. So, we’ve got a big week across the board. Now to the matchup.

Cleveland State will need to generate consistent offense as they did in the first two Horizon games to handle an efficient YSU attack. This could be tricky because Detroit Mercy and Oakland have little resistance on defense and the Penguins are a step up. When CSU left league play they scored less than 60 points in all three matchups against the Bonnies, Kent State, and LMU. Sure, that’s stiffer competition – but the Vikings had no flow. They’ll need that here. When YSU has the ball, CSU will depend on its Top 50 defensive eFG% to cause forced shots and poor Penguin decisions. CSU arguably has the most effective defense in the Horizon, and that will keep them in games all year – should it continue. YSU has been a well-oiled offensive machine thru 13 games. High marks in free throw shooting, 3-point shooting, 2-point shooting, eFG%, and second-chance opportunities have carried the Penguins to a 9-4 start. Youngstown State has been even more explosive in their home digs of the Beeghly Center, where they’ve scored 79 or more in all contests to date. Vikings have their defensive work carved out. Difficult to envision a scenario where YSU scores less than 70 in this building, so the question comes back to the Vikings’ offense – where is the scoring going to come from?

4. UC Santa Barbara at Cal State Fullerton, Thursday, 9 PM ET, ESPNU

When the Big West is on ESPNU – we are typically in for a treat. I believe we will see that this evening at Titan Gym in Fullerton. It’s the Big West opener. CSUF is your defending Big West Tourney Champs. UCSB is the preseason pick to win the league. National TV. What more can you ask for?

Titans are breaking in new faces following last season’s run to the NCAAs, yet still have Latrell Wrightsell Jr. running the point, Vincent Lee, Tory San Antonio, and Jalen Harris – who each had roles last year. Wrightsell is someone to watch closely as he missed the win vs. Sacramento State just before the Holidays with Back Spasms. In that CSUF win, the Titan defense held the Hornets to 49 points and got Jalen Harris going again – who led the squad with 19. Harris had rough outings in a lot of the CSUF outings, getting positive production from Jalen has been a key ingredient to success for CSUF early on. Big West play offers new life for the Titans and the chance to start over. In come the Gauchos of UCSB. Led by the super Sophomore, Ajay Mitchell. Joe Pasternack’s bunch comes at teams in waves. He went nine deep (all guys getting at least 10 minutes) to wear down Appalachian State in the Jerry Colango Classic recently. Mitchell is the steady constant piece out there as long as the game is tight, the other eight seem to rotate rather interchangeably. Andre Kelly was the big portal prize, transferring in from Cal. In a few recent games, Kelly got in early foul trouble and Pasternack trusted and leaned on 6-9 Frosh, Koat Keat Tong in the App St. game. Tong rarely shoots or scores, but he brought down nine rebounds in that one and clogged things up on defense. This more speaks to the varying strategies you may see from game to game from the Gauchos. They haven’t been able to completely dominate like some preseason models suggested (Preseason #80 per Torvik), so they are creatively grinding out wins and treating each possession like gold. UCSB is a Top-15 team in defensive rebounding, so limiting the opponent to one shot is a vital element of the plan. One other note, Gauchos were swept by the Titans last season and that has to be on the mind of the uber-competitive Pasternack.

3. Troy at Southern Miss, Thursday 8 PM ET, ESPN+

If you would have told me that the opening night of Sun Belt play would have this as the game of the night, I would have done a double-, no scratch that, triple-take back at you. Southern Miss has been The Surprise of all of the land this season in non-conference play. Early wins at Vanderbilt and Liberty put the Golden Eagles on the radar. Consistent play beyond that has proven they are a legit contender at 11-2 entering league play. Southern Miss has been efficient on both ends of the floor and has a great ball pressure system that is causing turnovers on 22.5% of opponent possessions and allowed the team to be in the Top 25 in Steal rate. Easy buckets are lovely, and coach Jay Ladner’s team is looking for them at all moments. The Golden Eagle program has been down for years and Ladner’s first three years back at his Alma Mater were not friendly (9-22, 8-17, and 7-26). They have only won a total of 10 conference (CUSA) games under Ladner. Now, the program is rejuvenated. There is also a new league and new history ahead within the Sun Belt. Can Reed Green Coliseum get rockin’ for Sun Belt games? I’d hope so. This school has an unbelievably well-supported Baseball and Football program – so it’s time to get rowdy for Hoops!

Reed Green Coliseum has been mostly empty in recent memory. Will the fans pack this place for Sun Belt action?

Enter the Troy Trojans. Coached by the maestro himself, Scott Cross. One of the most respected coaches you will find in the region – he maximizes his talent consistently and will throw a wide variety of defensive schemes at teams, particularly good teams. I’d argue that this is the most talent Cross has had at Troy since his arrival in ’19-20. Like So. Miss, the Trojans have forced a high volume of turnovers. More specifically, they cause confusion. A lot of misguided passes out of bounds, charge calls, dribbles off the foot, etc. It can be a nightmare in segments for opposing ball handlers. On offense, they are a Top 40 team at both ball protection and not getting a shot blocked – which is a clue into shot selection in the paint being a strength for these Trojans. They do not shoot well from distance very often, and that helped Mercer upset Troy last week (Trojans fired 24 threes, sunk just seven). Troy did win at Florida State earlier this season, and they are a team we expect to pull off multiple upsets during Sun Belt play. Does it begin tonight?

The Dynamic Duo of Woodbury and Justin Harmon look to stay hot against At-Large Hopeful Sam Houston in Orem.

2. Sam Houston at Utah Valley, Thursday, 8 PM ET, ESPN+

Things are heating up with this matchup. UVU caused this matchup to achieve blockbuster status by winning at Oregon recently. You couple that with the Wolverines’ dominant win at BYU and you’ve certainly got my attention. The esteemed Jordan Majewski made a comment about UVU playing thru its wings this season (both Trey Woodbury and Justin Harmon) in lieu of the big man (Fardaws Aimaq, now at Texas Tech) of old. Since the 18-point loss at Boise State over a month ago, UVU has ripped off six straight wins which include the high-profile road wins at Oregon and BYU. Sam Houston has been the darling for many for the non-conference with even bigger road wins at Oklahoma and at Utah under its belt. Sam will suffocate offenses with immense pressure to the tune of becoming the seventh-best forced turnover team in the country and the eighth-highest steal rate. Like many programs in Texas, ball pressure is king. The dream is alive still today on December 29th for an at-large bid, but the rugged WAC travel and parity make that unlikely. Still, Coach Jason Hooten has a talented group. Will the ball pressure travel to the altitude again? Offensively, the Bearkats are a Top 20 team from distance in the country. However, in the losses at Oklahoma State and at Nevada – they shot under 30% in each, making just six and five treys respectively. To earn a road win here, they have the skill behind Donte Powers to knock down treys. This makes to be a splendid WAC opener. The Wolverines are perfect at home this year, but only hosted two D1s (Long Beach State and NAU).

1. Florida Atlantic at North Texas, Sunday, 2PM ET, ESPN2

Apparently, I surprised some folks at The Field of 68 when I had the Owls as my fourth-ranked team in the preseason for the Mid Major Poll ballot. Turns out, I was lowballing the Owls! FAU has been an absolute juggernaut through seven weeks of the season. If not for a Michael Forrest injury ahead of the Ole Miss loss, this squad could realistically be a 12-0 team. As it stands, Florida Atlantic sits at 11-1 with that loss and a key win at Florida. Today they are second in the poll and pushing Charleston for #1. The Owls also own a CUSA league win over local rival FIU. Now the meat of the schedule has arrived as we approach the new year. A trip to Denton to take on the brilliant Grant McCasland, Mr. Sensational – Tylor Perry, and the defending Regular Season champions of North Texas followed by a visit next week from UAB. UNT got off to a slow start by missing Perry from the lineup for the trip to Saint Mary’s, which went poorly. Since his return, the Mean Green are playing a lot more like their usual selves. A blemish in the championship game against UNCW is the only thing holding UNT from being perfect since the SMC debacle. Perry has earned “Game MVP via KenPom” in five different wins including key wins against GCU in Phoenix and UMass in Massachusetts. In the CUSA opener, Abou Ousmane took center stage as UNT obliterated UTSA in the closing ten minutes to walk away from San Antonio with a 78-54 triumph. Ousmane 15 made field goals! All from two-point range, as the Roadrunners couldn’t handle his 6-10, 230-pound frame and skill combo.

The matchup with FAU will be different. The Owls are playing a Top 50 caliber of Hoop both offensively and defensively. UNT will of course put the clamps on a lot of what the Owls want to do in the no-middle defensive scheme under McCasland. Mean Green would love a grinder and likely will achieve that. It’s been almost a full year since UAB came into Denton and left with a win. In that game the Blazers only launch ten treys and made half, they relied heavily on a two-point attack (which is most welcomed to dribble-penetrating programs like UAB and FAU). I’m guessing the Owls watched that tape ahead of this blockbuster matchup. The Owls’ win at Florida was a crazy string of runs and an eventual hang-on-for-dear-life finish for FAU. Tonight will likely need to be a deliberate tone-setting and consistent possession-by-possession effort if the Owls plan to end the 11-game home win streak of UNT (excludes NIT loss to UVA last year).

Enjoy the action this week everyone!
~Rocco Miller

Pac-12 Media Day, 22-23 Edition

Pac-12 Media Day Summary 22-23

By Rocco Miller

For the final time, Media members, coaches, and players gathered together at the Pac-12 Studios on 360 3rd Street in San Francisco. The league intends to not renew the lease on the beautiful property at the end of this school year. For me, that hurts a little. We need as many College Basketball events in San Francisco as we can get, the city loves basketball - and we saw just how popular the NCAA Sweet 16/Elite 8 were here last March. For a league on shakier ground than ever before, due to the departure of USC and UCLA in 24-25, the financials aren’t making sense for the league offices to remain in the City. Alas, we have one final Media Day for MBB today.

Commissioner Talk - George Kliavkoff, Commissioner & Jamie Zaninovich, COO & Deputy Commissioner

Kliavkoff and Zaninovich were hit quickly with UCLA/USC departure-type questions to go along with the future of the PAC questions, which inevitably get asked at this type of forum. For us in Basketball only, it was a tad frustrating because it can set a tough tone for the rest of the day. Kliavkoff handled the questions as well as possible and had his answers ready. Once we got rolling onto more basketball-centric topics, I asked about the league’s scheduling strategy as a response to the league statement surrounding optimizing at-large bids. Right up our alley, eh? You can see Zaninovich’s response and the question around the 29-minute mark below. Also, the full 35-minute Q&A is in here as well.

Stanford

Spencer Jones & Harrison Ingram were both selected to the all-Pac12 First Team, and had this to say about why they decided to come back to Stanford instead of pursuing professional opportunities:

HARRISON INGRAM: Definitely just my conversations with Coach Haase and just seeing the bigger picture. My dream is the NBA, but another dream is making March Madness, and I feel like we have a great chance to do it this year. I trust Coach, trust Spencer, trust my teammates to get it done.
 

SPENCER JONES: I was certainly ecstatic coming back. I feel like our play styles feed off each other well, him being an excellent passer and playmaker and me being an excellent shooter. Yeah, I felt like we had some unfinished business end of the year, definitely knowing we could do better, and now we have the chance to do it.

Head Coach JEROD HAASE enters his seventh year as the Head Coach at Stanford and is seeking an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since taking the job. He understands that is the expectation this year. Here is his opening statement:

Certainly excited to be here, and excited about the season. Last year was a year I think we can build off of. Culturally we did some really nice things and on the court we did some nice things. We were pretty

young last year, and having said all that, I think it builds into this year. Generally, we're a year older. These two guys next to me coming back (Ingram & Spencer Jones) is going to be a big deal for us. We have an extremely difficult schedule but also an opportunity to make some noise in the nonconference schedule.

Arizona State

The highlight here was when Desmond Cambridge, Jr. discussed being at dinner with his brother and now teammate - Devan Cambridge and Head Coach Bobby Hurley - only to suddenly get texted by Danny Hurley, Head Coach at UConn (Bobby’s brother).

BOBBY HURLEY had some reflecting to do over the offseason, and here are some of his thoughts on what 22-23 will look like.

As far as like coaches always self-evaluate and you take a look at what you can get better at and what your team needs to do better. Certainly for us is put more points on the board coming off last year's team. We were top 30 in the nation defensive efficiency, and we struggled to score all year. I think we've addressed that through recruiting and bringing some guys in, like Desmond Cambridge, who are capable of making shots. Hopefully Marcus Bagley is healthy right now and will continue to stay that way and take a little pressure off this guy to my left who really carries a load for us offensively, D.J. Horne.

Colorado

As TAD BOYLE casually strolled onto the stage (seen in video above), it was a microcosm of how content he feels about his Buffaloes program heading into this season. Here are some deeper thoughts from Tad:

We haven't taken a lot of four-year transfers at Colorado. We've had a handful of them in the 12 years I've been there. But we really look at the graduate transfers as a way to plug holes in your roster, and we've got two of them this year, both from the Ivy League, Ethan Wright from Princeton, and Jalen Gabbidon from Yale. We feel like graduate transfers bring a certain amount of experience. They've done what they set out to do, which is graduate from college. So they usually come in with an attitude of I've got one year, let's make the most of it. Ethan and Jalen have both done that. They're coming from winning programs, Yale and Princeton. Well coached, big-time culture guys that understand the team comes first. We really shy away from a lot of four-year transfers because you don't know what you're going to get.

Washington State

The highlight here was TJ BAMBA, when asked about the prospects of facing his former teammate and roommate, Noah Williams (now at Washington):

I know Noah; Noah know me. He knows what's going to happen when we play them. Practiced against him for three years. He know my tendencies. I know his. Every time he call me, I feel like he's trying to soften me up. Every call I tell him, you know you're a fool, right? Just to remind him he's on the other end. It's going to be fun playing against him. He's a competitor. He talks a lot of smack. I'm just looking forward to locking him up and getting that W versus UW, you know.

HEAD COACH KYLE SMITH also had admiration and confidence stemming from San Francisco’s 2022 run to the NCAA Tournament, a program he helped build prior to taking the Washington State job.

California

I thought Cal had one of the more interesting appearances on stage during Media Day. MARK FOX was candid about the Bears summer being a challenge, and “it wasn’t all ice cream.” Coach Fox also went on to add that this Cal team “is the most enjoyable team he has coached in over a decade.” The overall sentiment from the Bears was that they are much more athletic than before and there are multiple players on the roster that will catch people by surprise this season.

One of the better quotes of the day, came from Lars Thiemann on the goals for the season:

Break Time for lunch meant a great opportunity to go visit with multiple coaches, media members, and players. It also meant Bill Walton and Commissioner Kliavkoff would roam around the rooftop and say hello to several folks - a warm and friendly environment. And ICYMI - the PAC-12 Donut Bar stole the show!

Oregon

Perhaps the most significant item is that Oregon appears to be down a couple of players heading into the season. This type of thing has hurt Oregon in previous Novembers, so we will wait and see what the severity is. Here is what DANA ALTMAN had to say about it.

Our preseason practice has been a little disrupted by injuries. We've had a little hard time getting everybody on the floor and playing five-on-five, we haven't had enough guys to do that. So we're moving along slower than I anticipated, but I do like the guys. I think eventually we'll get most of the guys back on. I'm a little worried about two injuries that we have that we may not get a couple of guys back for a while. But I think the rest of the guys we can get back and get to work.

In general, the Ducks are widely picked third in the league and considered to be a tournament team, despite last year’s bumps in the road. Altman went on to talk about how that was their worst defensive team since he took over at Oregon, and a lot of roster issues were addressed.

Oregon State

There is no sugarcoating that the Beavers are in full rebuilding mode. Here is what Head Coach WAYNE TINKLE had to say about addressing that exact issue.

We didn't think going the route of veteran guys out of the portal to sell to our program what's really important, the tradition, the pride. We wanted to do it with a younger group, much like we started it with that 2015 class. We know there will be some road blocks along the way, but we've got a group that will be able to dust itself off, get up, learn from it, and move forward. When we have guys that will be able to take coaching, play hard, play together, we've had a good amount of success at Oregon State, and we expect to get right back there quicker than most people think.

Washington

Coming into the day, a lot of the recent UW buzz in practice was about true Frosh Keyon Menifield, Jr. Head Coach MIKE HOPKINS did not mince words when asked a questions about his progress:

HOPKINS later went on to talk a lot about how the improved defensive front line will move the needle this season with the additions of Franck Kepnang (via Oregon) and Braxton Meah (via Fresno State). When I asked him about UW having a closer to help win tight games decided in the final minutes, he had this very entertaining answer for me:

It's why you practice. You have multiple guys who can be put in multiple positions. You look at Jaquez from UCLA. Tiger Campbell might have it sometimes. It could be who's growing at that time. You win games at the end by being able to get a stop, make foul shots, and execute on the offensive end because a lot of these games come down to really being close. The big thing I want to focus on is the scoring thing about to happen. We've got talented players. We've got multiple go-to type guys that we can put the ball in their hands in areas that we can produce. We've got to be able to get stops. That's the biggest thing. That's who we are. That's what we're about. Tougher together, baby. Get in the zone. Be active. Multiple-player mentality. Come on, Ben. Let's go, baby. And we've got them.

USC

I got to catch up a little bit with Drew Peterson behind the scenes, he is extremely tall for a wing and in person! The overriding theme was working hard to become a long-time professional and help this USC Trojans team make their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Here is a clip of both Peterson and Boogie Ellis taking about improvements to their game.

Utah

Head Coach Craig Smith brings great thinking and energy to Media events. He is joined by Branden Carlson and Marco Anthony.

The overall theme from CRAIG SMITH was that he is pleased with the renewed depth of this revised roster, especially if they can get Gavin Baxter (BYU transfer) back from injury sooner than later. He inherently understands the value in playing in altitude and outlasting opponents. As well as keeping guys fresh throughout the campaign. Smith really likes the versatility of this roster. Here is what he told me when I asked about depth:

The Utes very well could be the team that too many people are sleeping on. One thing is for sure, they will improve from their 122nd rating in KenPom last season.

Arizona

TOMMY LLOYD was joined on stage with KERR KRIISA and AZUOLAS TUBELIS. Of course, the first thing that jumped out at me was Kriisa still wearing his headband at a media event. Does he go to dinner like this? to Movies? to the Park? It’s becoming quickly iconic for the man who routinely fires up fans at McKale Center and gets under the skin of his opponents.

I also had a question for LLOYD about any takeaways from playing against TCU and Houston in the NCAAs, two incredibly physical squads and the prospects of facing a team like that again this season. Here is what he had to say:

Well, you're right. TCU and Houston are two really good programs. Incredibly physical. Very well coached. I thought we were a really physical team as well. For me, that's the number one standard. You have to like can you check that box? Can you go play in physical, high-level games. Are you a team that can go toe to toe? And so I really want to see if we can continue to build that at Arizona. I think we have some guys now in our program that do have -- that have shown that toughness. I think we have maybe some other guys in our program that might not be, quote, unquote, you wouldn't say they're a tough guy, but I think we need to establish that  identity, and we're going to continue to grow.

UCLA

Behind the Scenes: UCLA’s Jamie Jaquez cross-over dribble for the cameras.

UCLA’s Head Coach MICK CRONIN was joined by TYGER CAMPBELL and JAMIE JAQUEZ.

In reviewing Campbell’s shooting numbers between the ‘21 season to the ‘22 season, Tyger took a tremendous step forward, going from 25% from distance to 41% year-over-year. Thats a dramatic increase. Campbell already brings a high level of leadership, ball protection, ball distribution, and on-ball defending to the table. This is the final feather in his cap. Here is what he had to say about the improvement made:

Yeah, that was just in the summer coach was on my back telling me to get in the gym. So I was there four or five times a week and trying to get game-ready shots. Just stay in the gym, living there, because it's helped. You've seen the results, and it makes you want to just keep doing it.

The other thing I asked Tyger about was his size. With so many opposing teams getting longer and bigger by the year, His 5-11 frame is beginning to stand out as one of the smallest guys in the league. Here is what he said.

I've always been a smaller guard. I've always had to play with a chip on my shoulder. Just what you said, all the rosters around the country, their point guard is 6'2", 6'3". That's never really bothered me. I've always gone out and tried to play with as much heart as I can, and I've been like that since I was a kid.

PRESEASON PAC-12 MEDIA POLL

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERNECE TEAMS

State of the Program: Davidson

Davidson Wildcats: 2022-23 season outlook

A look at Roster changes, expectations, the non-conference schedule, and more.

Entering the Harry L. Vance Athletic Center hallway as a Davidson visitor, you are immediately welcomed with the decorated success of Bob McKillop, Steph Curry, and the past three decades of Basketball success. All Davidson's athletic achievements are available to be viewed as well, but one thing is abundantly clear at Davidson: This is a Basketball school.

As I waited to be greeted by then Associate Head Coach, Matt McKillop, I did my best to take in all that Davidson viewed as achievements.

How much longer will Bob stay? I recall thinking at the time, in late April. The news of Jay Wright at Villanova had recently hit the wire and we’ve already seen Coach K and Roy Williams step aside. The mystery was even quieter out at Davidson with less of the national spotlight, Coach McKillop didn’t need to worry as much about additional “pressure.” He could leave on his terms and timing. Eventually, I asked his son, Matt (Associate Head Coach), that very question. He gave me a respectful answer and said it would mean a lot to him (Matt) to be able to stay at Davidson long-term even if his Father moved on.

The rest is now history.

Matt McKillop is the new Head Coach at Davidson, following the retirement of his legendary Father, Bob. The announcement came about six weeks after our visit together. Let’s dive into what to expect in the Matt McKillop era.

STAFF CHANGES

Unfair to deem the go-forward staff at Davidson as “new.” They are a collection of deep-rooted Davidson Basketball experts and strategists. Matt McKillop takes over as Head Coach after 14 years as an Assistant Coach and a successful playing career. Matt has a firm grip on everything that goes on within the Davidson program, which was evidenced by my visit. Several players came over and said hello and shook my hand unprovoked, the facility plans were thoroughly explained. Matt knows the ins and outs of schemes and transfer portal strategies and clearly knows that Davidson can’t take every player due to its commitment to high-achieving academics. They find the players who fit them and have deep relationships coast-to-coast within the high school spectrum to continue funneling intelligent, talented players in a shooter’s offense to come to play a fun style and win big as a Wildcat. It doesn’t take long to see the draw.

Matt Matheny was hired to take Matt’s place on the bench as an assistant. Another individual who is no stranger to the Davidson program. Matt played for Bob McKillop between 1991-93 and served as Assistant Coach between 1993-2009 before taking the head job at Elon. We are talking about two decades of Davidson Basketball knowledge. Matheny spent last season calling games on ESPN+ and is ready to dive back in with a fresh set of eyes.

Joshua Heyliger received a promotion to Assistant Coach. Heyliger previously served as Director of Operations for three seasons, where he built a strong reputation as a tireless worker and someone dedicated to Davidson’s success. He spent time in the Ivy League as a Grad Assistant with Dartmouth and has ties to New York.

What about Bob? How involved will he be?

Matt will undoubtedly lean on Bob to bounce questions off of him throughout the season. After all, they don’t know any other way to do it and both love the program and the game. Matt also says that his Mother will not want to miss any of her son’s games. She also won’t want to go to the games by herself. What does that mean?

Expect to see Bob at Davidson games this year next to his wife, Cathy.

SEASON SUMMARY

History was made in a wildly successful A-10 campaign for the Wildcats in ‘21-22. By setting a new program record for A-10 wins in a single-season going 15-3, Davidson secured the outright conference championship Going 15-3 in such a competitive league, especially after being picked sixth in preseason, is pretty astonishing. The steady lineup of Hyunjung Lee, Foster Loyer, Luka Brajkovic, Michael Jones, and Sam Mennenga proved to be lethal as a cohesive unit.

In covering Davidson’s early February road win at St. Bonaventure, I quickly saw first hand just how lethal this team was and how many challenges they posed to opposing defenses. Wildcats run great actions and really landed the ideal personnel with addition of Loyer to make it reach near-max potentional. Here’s a snip from Eric Fawcett on one of the foundations of Davidson’s offense.

As you can tell, the ball movement is crisp and unselfishness is a premium at Davidson. The high level of execution creates an abundance of good looks throughout the course of a Basketball game.

The Wildcats avoided any bad losses in non-league play and had a marquee victory by beating Alabama in Birmingham. But the journey was never as smooth as the Wildcats would’ve preferred due to a road loss against #142 Rhode Island. Nevertheless, we here at Bracketeer.Org were never that concerned because the Wildcats did great damage away from home by also adding a key road win at VCU, at St. Bonaventure, and at Richmond that all landed in the Top 2A of their resume. Despite the elimination from the A10 Tournament at the hands of the eventual champs (Richmond), the ‘Cats were safely in and were rewarded with the 10-seed in the West.

The West Region selection paired the Wildcats with Michigan State, Foster Loyer’s former team. It played out to be one of the tournament’s best games. Unfortunately for the Cats’ they lost a heartbreaker which turned out to be Bob McKillip’s last game and the last game played for Lee and Brajkovic, who had 18 points in the defeat.

IMPORTANT DEPARTURES

Hyun-Jung Lee - Lee was in a tough position this offseason per the Davidson staff. South Korean citizens have a military requirement at Age 26 to enlist. This meant Lee’s clock was sped up much faster than the common NBA prospect. The staff believes he likely would have stayed in normal circumstances, however in Lee’s case, it just made sense to start earning income as a professional as soon as possible.

Lee was an all-conference selection who ranked sixth in the league in scoring (16.5), 11th in three-point field-goal percentage (.386), and seventh in three-pointers per game (2.4). Recorded four double-doubles. Made at least four treys in a contest on eight occasions. He will be remembered for a long time around here.

Luka Brajkovic - Never easy when the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year leaves your school, which is what occurred when Brajkovic made the decision to play overseas professionally. Luka brought both a double-double and three-point threat to opposing defenses and was a crisp passer like nearly all Wildcats are. He will be remembered as well. Luka is off to play professionally for CB Breogán in Spain, part of Liga ACB.

Michael Jones - Jones is on his way to Stanford to play in the Pac-12 and pursue academic endeavors. Jones really improved in 21-22, Jones finished as the third most offensively efficient player in the A-10. In fact, this trio of Juniors all landed in the top four:

Top 10 in ORtg - All Atlantic 10 players, 2021-22.

WHO’S BACK?

Foster Loyer - This was the big win for Matt McKillop this summer. Loyer has suffered multiple leg injuries in his career, including the one that sidelined him for four games in late February. During my visit it was unknown if he would use his extra year or potentially retire and jump straight into the coaching profession. Loyer has had his eyes dead set on being a coach as soon as his playing days are over. After all, his father, John, is an NBA scout with a long resume of coaching experience including a stint as interim Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons in 2014. Younger Loyer is serious enough about it that he interned for LA Clippers during NBA Summer League during the offseason. He also put in six weeks of intense individual workouts to fully recover. All of this points back to the way Foster plays and commands the floor. Very easy for the common fan to see his coaching mentality while playing the game he loves. After a few additional months of conditioning, Loyer announced he feels good and ready for one run with the Wildcats. Coach McKillop also stated that he feels great right now.

Sam Mennenga - Sam played a valuable role in the ‘Cats run of 21-22. Starting in every game but one, Mennenga piled up 14 games with double-figure scoring. Very quietly I might add, being in the shadows of Loyer/Lee/Brajkovic for recognition. This 22-23 campaign will be where Sam emerges as that next great Davidson player with the ability to be all-A10 if things go well. Matt McKillop acknowledged that a much heavier load of the offense could run through Sam on this roster, while he also raved about his skill set. Look for a breakout year here.

Grant Huffman - Another player who will see an increased role. Huffman made five starts last season and looked the part in a 12-point second half vs. Saint Louis in the A10 Semifinals last March, where he didn’t miss a shot. And he gained some valuable extra minutes when Loyer was out, logging as many as 32 minutes against Duquesne. Huffman is also known as an active defender with his hands. His continued development will be important to the overall team's success.

Desmond Watson - Appeared in every game in his first season as a Frosh. Watson picked up needed valuable experience behind a veteran team. The upside is high for Desmond. He was a big-time bucket-getter in High School (24.5 PPG) and led his team to the Ohio State Championship Game. A path that many Davidson recruits have in common, a background that includes teamwork and winning. Watson like many others on the team fits the model well and brings additional athleticism.

KEY NEW GUYS

David Skogman - Will have the tough role of filling Luka’s shoes. However, Skogman fits what McKillop is looking to do. He absorbs information quickly, he has a nice stroke from the outside, he’s also a good athlete and rim protector. Matt McKillop is impressed with how much he has picked up already this summer. Skogman transfers over from Buffalo, where he was a blossoming big at the end of last season. He ended up with five double-doubles, all after January. He steadily increased in usage throughout the season. That was on a Buffalo team stacked with talent and he earned his playing time. He’ll have even more importance this year at Davidson. Skogman is known to have a heart condition where he plays with a mini-defibrillator. Here is the full story from CBS last season:

Connor Kochera - On December 4th, 2021 , Davidson ble out William & Mary 70-46 in a dominating effort. One of the lone bright spots for the Tribe that day? Connor Kochera. Kochera went for 18 (39.1% of team pts.), nine boards to go along with three assists. It was enough to impress the Davidson staff and offer him to transfer up. Kochera is a two-year starter who was heavily used, 11th highest Minutes% in the CAA last season. Davidson feels that he will fit the system and be an additional leader.

THE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Davidson worked early on in the process to gain a neutral game vs. Purdue in Indianapolis. That allowed the Wildcats to anchor a bit and be more selective on any new series matchups. The ‘Cats already had return games with San Francisco (Home), Northeastern (Home), Delaware (Away), and Charlotte (Home). Add in the Charleston Classic, which was signed well over a year ago and there wasn’t a lot left to go after. Since my time visiting in April, Davidson did add a home contest with VMI. And prefer to play at home to open the season, but that has not been finalized at press time.

As you can see with the manageable schedule, Davidson may need a Purdue win to really carry weight for an At Large or a big win or two in Charleston. The A10 should be much improved with a loaded Dayton team and formidable Saint Louis and VCU showing strength. Add in a tough Loyola-Chicago, a George Mason team with Josh Oduro back, and other quality teams - the Wildcats will also get more chances to build a resume in the league. Furthermore, the Wildcats already have their league-play schedule and will in fact get two cracks at Dayton, VCU, and Saint Louis. Will not be easy.

The 2022-23 Non-Conference Schedule.

 

EXPECTATIONS

The Davidson program is rooted in high performance and fairly high expectations. As you can tell from this State of the Program update - the types of players that Davidson recruits are rooted in high intelligence and have strong shooting ability. It’s a combination that can win a handful of games in College Basketball by default. Any team that beats Davidson has to earn it typically.

Matt McKillop will bring a more science-based approach to in-game strategy and recruiting. As he enters into more of a CEO role, it will be interesting to see how things flow on the Davidson bench.

As Bob said during the press conference: “One of the interesting dynamics that occurred in the last five years was Matt’s performance on the bench,” his father said. “He was a pain in the butt. He was constantly offering opinions, challenging decisions …” adding, “I coach by gut.”

This Wildcats team is forecasted at #104 on the Bart Torvik Forecast. The forecast is designed I believe to get a general idea of how teams stack up. Per KenPom, the Wildcats have not finished lower than 85th since 2016. Based on how things have come together and as long as Loyer’s health remains intact, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be a Top 85+ squad..

The 2022 Nassau Championship - Bracket Reveal

2022 Matchups

The 2022 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship will include San Jose State, Missouri State, North Texas, Ball State, UNC Wilmington, Vermont, Long Beach State, and Oakland. They will spend Thanksgiving Week in the Bahamas in what is being announced as the largest College Basketball Event in 2022 featuring 20 schools in total. Baha Mar is also hosting an eight-team Women’s event (Pink Flamingo Championship) and the four-team Bahamas Championship featuring Oklahoma State, UCF, Santa Clara, and DePaul. The 2022 Tournament is set for Friday through Sunday, November 25-27.

VERMONT vs. BALL STATE (NOON ET) - The reigning America East regular season and tournament champions, Vermont, will take the court in the early matchup against Ball State. The Cardinals begin a new era this November with the hiring of Michael Lewis. The Catamounts lose the long-time greats in Ben Shungu and Ryan Davis but expect to be right back in contention. UVM made waves by landing Dylan Penn from Bellarmine in the Portal. Aaron Deloney, Nick Fiorillo, and Evan Guillory all return to play key roles alongside Penn. For Ball State, the freshly appointed Coach Lewis will likely rely on an old Ball State friend, Jarron Coleman II, who transferred back to Muncie via Missouri. Coleman had a breakout season as a Sophomore for the Cardinals two seasons ago.

MISSOURI STATE vs. UNC WILMINGTON (APPROX 2:30PM ET) - Missouri State is coming off of a season where they finished Top 70 in KenPom and competed all year for the MVC title. The Bears under Dana Ford will have a new look in 22-23 as 10 newcomers are joining the team after a flurry of activity that included Isaih Mosley transferring to Mizzou and Assistant Coach Corey Gipson leaving to take the Northwestern State coaching job. Don’t fear Bears fans, Coach Ford has reloaded the roster with vets like Bryan Trimble, Jr., Kendle Moore, and Matthew Lee, plus Donovan Clay returns. UNC Wilmington was one of the best stories of the 2021-22 season by winning a surplus of games where they trailed in CAA play. The Seahawks finished a remarkable 15-3 in the league and one game away from the NCAA Tournament. They used the momentum to win the CBI Championship. Shykeim Phillips, Trazarien White, and Jamahri Harvey are all back to lead UNCW even further. This could certainly be the best of the Quarterfinal games on the 25th.

NORTH TEXAS vs. SAN JOSE STATE (5:30PM ET) - The Mean Green are the likely favorite to win the Nassau Championship if we’re being honest here. UNT was knocking on the NCAA Tournament door as an at-large (and I believe deserved more consideration due to 10 true road wins) in 21-22. Grant McCasland and an excellent core of players including Tylor Perry are back to help the Mean Green compete for another Conference USA Title. San Jose State heads into year two under Tim Miles and features an exciting young core of players returning. Omari Moore is the primary scorer and returns as well. If you haven’t seen PG Alvaro Cardenas handle the rock, you are in for a treat in this event. Spartans will use these three games to build cohesion and improve heading towards a tough Mountain West season in January.

OAKLAND vs. LONG BEACH STATE (8PM ET) - LBSU might be my sleeper pick to win this event. You heard that correctly. A team that was as hot as anybody last year in the second half of the season, surprised many by winning the Big West regular-season championship. This season they have added Marcus Tsohonis (via VCU and Washington) to a core that includes Joel Murray, Jadon Jones, and Aboubacar Traore. Great roster on paper. Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe is no stranger to great mid-major players. He has Rocket Watts, Keaton Harvey, and Lorne Bowman all coming in this season! Jalen Moore and Trey Townsend are also back in the fold for the Golden Grizzlies. This nightcap promises to be a fantastic matchup. Let’s also not forget that Oakland won the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase, which included a quarterfinal round win over Vermont.

 

BRACKET

2022 Nassau Championship Schedule and Bracket


Baylor, Gonzaga finalizing agreement to meet in 22-23

Baylor and Gonzaga are finalizing an agreement to play a neutral site game in December at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, per multiple sources.

There is no timetable for an official announcement.

A much-anticipated rematch of the 2021 National Championship Game is in store, making up for a canceled game set for December 5th, 2020.

Baylor coasted to a 86-70 win over Gonzaga in the 2021 National Title Game.

Baylor finished 27-7 last season following a dominant National Title run in 2020-21. Scott Drew’s Baylor Bears would have also been a one-seed had the 2020 NCAA Tournament occurred, meaning the Bears are on an effective three-year streak of earning a one-seed. The Bears will return Adam Flagler, who yesterday announced he is withdrawing his name from the NBA and returning to Waco for his senior season. Flagler will be joined by an abundance of talent: LJ Cryer, blue-chipper Frosh Keyonte George, Flo Thamba, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Jalen Bridges Langston Love, Caleb Lohner, and more are in the fold. Baylor is the #1 ranked team currently in the 2023 Bart Torvik Forecasted. rankings

Gonzaga will be out for some level of revenge in this game, after falling short in that 2021 National Title Game. Gonzaga may also have Drew Timme and/or Julian Strawther back in the fold (Still no announcement at press time). Gonzaga has been a national powerhouse for the better part of the last two decades and has earned the top overall one-seed in the past two NCAA Tournaments. The Bulldogs also bring back super Sophomores Hunter Sallis and Nolan Hickman to go along with vets Anton Watson and incoming big man Efton Reid via LSU.

The matchup figures to feature a battle of two Top five teams come December. Stay tuned for more details.

The 2022 Palms Division, part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off

2022 TEAMS Revealed

The 2022 Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off Palms Division will include Northern Illinois, South Dakota, Sam Houston, and LIU Brooklyn. They will spend Thanksgiving Week in Southwest Florida. The 2022 Tournament is set for Monday and Wednesday, Nov. 22 and 23, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.

ON-CAMPUS MATCHUPS - All to be played on November 17th

  • LIU Brooklyn at Marquette

  • South Dakota at Mississippi State

  • Northern Illinois at Georgia Tech

  • Sam Houston at Utah

ABOUT THE PALMS DIVISION

The quartet of Sam Houston, NIU, South Dakota, and LIU Brooklyn will play a four-team bracketed tournament on November 22nd and 23rd.

SAM HOUSTON - The Bearkats are coming off of a successful season as a first-year member of the WAC. SHSU finished 13-5 in league play and one game out of first place. This season the Beakts bring in Qua Grant via Wichita State and big man Kaosi Ezeagu via Kansas State to help bolster a rotation worthy of competing for the WAC title again. In fact, the Bearkats are an early projected Top 100 team, per the Bart Torvik 2023 forecast at press time.

SOUTH DAKOTA - The return of AJ Plitzuweit is all of the offseason rage in Vermillion this offseason. Plitzuweit missed the 21-22 season with a medical redshirt. He had a stellar 20-21 campaign, earning Summit League Newcomer of the Year, All-Summit League First-Team honors, and put up two performances of 37+ points. The rest of the Coyotes are tough too, highlighted by the return of Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Tasos Kamateros, plus the intra-conference addition of Paul Bruns (via North Dakota).

LIU BROOKLYN - The Sharks will make the trip south to Ft. Myers accompanied by some preseason NEC buzz - thanks to the addition of the efficient Maurice Commander (via UIC) and key returnees Tre Wood, Alex Rivera, and Kyndall Davis.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS - Huskies will enter the second year of the Rashon Bruno era with plenty of optimism. Keshawn Williams and Kaleb Thornton are back in the fold with another year of experience under their belt. Two players who can really fill it up for NIU.

Head Coach Jason Hooten’s Bearkats are poised to win the Palms Division this November.

In its first four years, the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off has quickly become one of the top early-season events in the country and a fixture in the Southwest Florida sports calendar. In 2021, both nights of the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division were played in front of sold-out crowds that saw the in-state Florida Gators defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes with a dramatic buzzer-beating 3-pointer to take home the Tournament title. The Tournament, which has hosted several Final Four-caliber programs in its first four seasons including Gonzaga, Kansas, Auburn, Loyola (Chicago), Florida, and Ohio State, will welcome four power conference programs to the Beach Division for the second straight year. Additionally, three teams from the 2020 field – Gonzaga, Kansas, and Auburn – are potential No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

The 2022 Beach Division includes Mississippi State, Utah, Georgia Tech, and Marquette.

The 2022 SoCal Challenge Field is HERE!

ANNOUNCEMENT

San Juan Capistrano, CA:
The SoCal Challenge announced the teams for the second edition of its 8-team Multi Team Event, taking place on November 21st and 23rd at the Pavilion at JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.

We are pleased to announce the field for the Second Annual SoCal Challenge.

SURF DIVISION

The Surf Division will include Minnesota, UNLV, Cal Baptist, and Southern Illinois.

Once again, the SoCal Challenge has a Power school in the event in Minnesota. Last year it had TCU.

Minnesota Head Coach Ben Johnson said. "We know our student-athletes will have a first-class experience at such a well-run national tournament. I’m excited for our Gophers fans to experience a fun, warm destination that they can travel to and enjoy.”

UNLV will enter the season as one of the most discussed Mountain West programs. The Rebels finished strong last year by knocking off two NCAA Tournament teams late in the year (Colorado State and Wyoming). The hype will be strong with the additions of Elijah Harkless (via Oklahoma), Luis Rodriguez (via Ole Miss), Eli Parquet (via Colorado), and several more talented players under second-year head coach Kevin Kruger.

Cal Baptist becomes eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2022-23 after finishing out its four-year probationary period as a new D1 member. HC Rick Croy and the Lancers are poised to make an immediate run at the WAC title by adding Riley Battin from Utah, Joe Quintana from LMU, and Hunter Goodrick from South Dakota to go along with an experienced nucleus that includes Ty Rowell and the dynamic Armstorng’s (Tre and Taran). Lancers will be a tough out in this event.

Southern Illinois is looking to take the quantum leap in the Missouri Valley in the 22-23 season. A core of veterans is back behind the established leadership of Marcus Domask and Lance Jones. Head Coach Bryan Mullins enters his fourth year in Carbondale and a good showing at the SoCal Challenge will be a key goal for the Saluki’s non-conference plans.

SCHEDULE

Games are to be played on November 21st.
Minnesota vs. Cal Baptist
UNLV vs. Southern Illinois Sand Bracket

Winners and Losers will play on November 23rd.

ON-CAMPUS GAMES

DATES TBA

Central Michigan at Minnesota
High Point at UNLV
Tennessee State at Southern Illinois
CSUN at Cal Baptist

The inaugural SoCal Challenge was praised for its high energy, professional event management and its beautiful location - San Juan Capistrano.

SAND DIVISION

The Sand Division Features Cal State University Northridge, Central Michigan University, High Point University, and Tennessee State University.

  • CSUN’s entry provides another local team from SoCal and the Big West the opportunity to experience the SoCal Challenge firsthand. Cal Poly was in the event last season.

  • Central Michigan is coached by long-time coach and player legend, Tony Barbee. Barbee enters his second season and his staff has worked hard to re-tool the roster to compete in the upper half of the MAC.

  • High Point is now coached by GG Smith, the son of Tubby and the former popular Kentucky player who has nothing but basketball pedigree in his blood. High Point is a potential sleeping giant in the Big South with great access to resources and facilities. The SoCal Challenge will be a great opportunity to see GG and the Panthers early on in the 22-23 season.

  • Tennessee State will feature Jr. Clay as an intra-conference transfer from Tennessee Tech. Clay has had several OVC accolades over the course of his career and will provide a boost to the Tigers’ offense. Ultra-productive Zion Griffin is also in the fold for TSU via Illinois-Chicago. At UIC, Griffin had multiple 20+ point performances and is an inside-outside weapon. TSU also brings back experienced leaders in Marcus Fitzgerald and Christian Brown.

SCHEDULE

Games are to be played on November 21st.
CSUN vs. Tennessee State
High Point vs. Central Michigan

Winners and Losers meet on November 23rd

“Teams and fans alike loved the first SoCal Challenge,” said Steve Barnes, Founder and Co-Executive Director of the SoCal Challenge. “We had a packed venue for both nights and are grateful that we were accepted by the college basketball media as if we’d been around forever, making sure we reached millions of people. This year's lineup of teams will be just as competitive and exciting.”

“We're looking forward to playing in the SoCal Challenge and facing some great competition Thanksgiving week,"

To learn more about the SoCal Challenge go to www.SoCalChallenge.co

State of the Program: Winthrop

By Rocco Miller

Winthrop Eagles: 2022-23 season outlook

A look at Roster changes, expectations, the non-conference schedule, and more.

Welcome to a new offseason series called State of the Program, we hope you enjoy it. The team overviews are intended to provide the College Basketball community with an overall state of the program for personnel updates, coaching staff, non-conference schedule updates, and more.

Our goal from the start will be to meet with coaches on campus about their program. We may end up including zoom videos as well as we go, but a lot of that will come down to timing. With a national footprint to operate with, the sky is the limit here, and we may end up at your favorite school next!

The first season is in the books for Mark Posser as the head man at Winthrop. Prosser went 23-9, 16-3 vs. Big South competition.

SEASON SUMMARY

Head Coach Mark Prosser was hired in April 2021 to replace the highly successful Pat Kelsey (who moved on to the College of Charleston). Prosser was no stranger to Rock Hill though, he served as the Winthrop Associate Head Coach between 2013-2018 prior to getting his first crack at Head Coaching at Western Carolina, where he would spend the next three seasons.

Coach Prosser got to work right away in preparation for the 21-22 campaign by bringing Cory Hightower (13.8 PPG/6.2 RPG at WCU) and Sin’Cere McMahon over with him from Cullowhee. The big win was keeping big man and difference-maker, DJ Burns, in Rock Hill. Prosser also re-recruited key players like Michael Anumba, Chase Claxton, and others to stay. Then the additions of Drew Buggs (Hawai’i/Mizzou vet) and Patrick Good (part of great ETSU teams, deadly shooter) rounded out a great roster by Big South standards.

Some early success in non-league play - a win at Washington and key home wins over Furman and Mercer, paid dividends heading into Big South play. The Eagles were once again dominant in league play, going a perfect 8-0 at home, and dropping just two on the road (At Longwood and High Point) for an overall 14-2 Big South record. DJ Burns was named Player of the Year in the league after putting up 15.3 points per game and shooting a conference-leading 63.5 percent from the field. Burns became just the fifth Eagle to reach the 1,000-point plateau before his senior season. A truly unique talent. Patrick Good received votes for all-conference as well. Good had some incredible performances, including making 11 three-pointers in a loss at Washington State.

The Big South Tournament went according to plan in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. The Eagles dismissed High Point (78-61) and Gardner Webb (76-67) to reach their third straight Big South Championship game to take on Longwood. All of the momenta was seemingly in Winthrop’s hands, getting to play in nearby Charlotte at a neutral arena and having a decisive crowd advantage. It was also their 10th straight win.

Championship Sunday was not kind. The Eagles’ dream of returning to the NCAA Tournament was merely gone early on as Longwood forced 11 Winthrop turnovers in the first half. The Lancers were hot offensively and went on multiple runs to build an early 34-14 lead and took an 18-point lead to the locker room. The deficit was too deep for Winthrop to overcome, and Longwood advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament.

The outcome and overall season left several positives to build on and with Cory Hightower, DJ Burns, and others expected back in 22-23, optimism is real high in Rock Hill.

OFFSEASON MOVEMENT

DEPARTURES
The transfer portal came calling early for two role players, Russell Jones (who landed at Western Carolina) and Josh Corbin (who landed at Robert Morris). Seniors Patrick Good and Drew Buggs have said their goodbyes as they are out of eligibility.

When I attended a Winthrop practice in April and met with the staff, DJ Burns was fully expected to return for another campaign. Burns was absent from practice due to being sick, and it was a bummer to not meet him - but not much was thought of it at that time. Well, things change quickly for players like Burns in today’s College Hoops world and I believe it was less than a week later that he entered the portal. It wasn’t long after that Burns decided to go north to Raleigh and play for Coach Kevin Keatts at NC State. His Big South legacy was made, you cannot knock him for testing his game at the ACC level. For Winthrop, a major interior void was suddenly created.

ARRIVALS
Kasen Harrison spent two seasons at Lamar, a struggling program, but carried himself well and showed he is a quality D1 player in about a season and a half for the Cardinals. In 21-22, he missed chunks of time. In one of his final performances, the struggling Cardinals nearly upset Abilene Christian (85-82 loss), thanks to Harrison’s 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and perfect foul shooting (seven-for-seven). Harrison received All-Freshman teams honors in the Southland in 20-21 and has three more years of eligibility heading into his Winthrop experience.

A lot of down transfers from large conferences can make a big splash at the Big South level of course. That is what the Eagles are hoping to have with Isaiah Wilson (6’0, 170) coming in from Richmond. Wilson was part of a Richmond team that won the A10 Tournament and an opening-round NCAA game vs. Iowa. By that point in the season, Wilson had been seeing less time and had multiple DNPs in February/March. When Richmond got Andre Gustavson completely back up to 100% in January, Wilson’s minutes took a dip. The experienced Wilson was able to gain through being a starter 15 times and getting 30+ minutes against teams like Saint Louis, UNI, and Drake - will pay off for him later in his career with the Eagles.

The hole left by Burns was addressed by bringing in a bigger name from the recruiting circles. The 6’10 Michael Moore from IMG Academy has a 7’4 wingspan. Moore had offers during his Junior circuit from Seton Hall, VCU, Virginia Tech, DePaul, and others. And during the final recruiting push picked up an offer from St. Bonaventure. So this was a major pickup for Prosser and Winthrop. For Moore, visualizing himself in the DJ Burns role has to be exciting as well. Moore will be an intriguing player to follow immediately in Rock Hill.

I believe this leaves the Eagles with one open scholarship as we write this on May 23rd. Still, plenty of time to make that count. Also, Michael Anumba is back in the fold for 22-23 to provide quality and experience.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Prior to my visit, it was public knowledge that the Eagles would be participating in the Cancun Challenge. The event gives Winthrop a spotlight road game at Auburn (Nov. 15) and the two bracketed games in Mexico against two of Southern Miss, Purdue Fort Wayne, or Eastern Michigan.

It was later revealed by LSU Sports that Winthrop would visit LSU on December 17th. Giving the Eagles two SEC road games. Here is what we know today about the Eagles schedule:

22-23 Winthrop Eagles non-conference schedule.

Winthrop is in the midst of a series with four schools, confirmed by the coaching staff: CCU, MTSU, Furman, and Mercer. The Eagles also have plans to host two non-D1 schools.

The unknown is if the Big South will move to an 18-game schedule instead of the 16-game schedule we have become used to. With the league downsizing to 10 teams (losing NC A&T and Hampton), this would create a full round-robin format and allow two fewer non-conference games. At last check, the Eagles have at least three spots to fill regardless.

EXPECTATIONS

If it’s not obvious by now - the Winthrop Eagles have been the toast of the Big South for a while. Winthrop has been to 18 Big South title games and won 13 Championships since the 1987-88 season. The next closest school has five (UNC Asheville and the long-departed CCU Chanticleers). Needless to say, the expectations are high in Rock Hill. After seeing upstart programs like Longwood, Garnder Webb, and Radford breakthrough for bids in the past few seasons, the stakes are high and some luck is always needed in a single-elimination tournament for one bid conferences like the Big South.

The lineup in 22-23 should feature Anumba, Hightower (out til September following offseason surgery), Claxton, Harrison, and perhaps Moore (right away). Isaiah Wilson, Kelton Telford, and Sin’Cere McMahon round out a solid top eight rotation on paper, while still allowing for other guys to break in with advanced development and/or another addition to the roster.

In summary, the Winthrop Eagles’ culture is strong. Coach Mark Prosser has a stellar reputation when it comes to taking care of his players in a family-first environment. It is rare to see a player willing to leave the program under Prosser, even in today’s era. The Burns situation is what it is because he is talented enough to take a crack at ACC Hoops. I came away thoroughly impressed with how this program is operated plus they do a number of things to stay close and connected to the Rock Hill community. It’s no surprise why these Eagles are an annual staple at or near the top of the Big South Conference.

Todd Golden with Rocco Miller ahead of March Madness

The San Francisco Dons are headed to the NCAA Tournament! San Francisco takes on Murray State tomorrow night. The San Francisco Dons earned its first At-Large bid in 40 years (1982) and first overall bid since 1998.

Coach Golden and I caught up this week to discuss:

  • Selection Sunday Stress

  • What it means to the program and University

  • Murray State - initial impressions

  • Legacy of Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz

  • New Goals

And much more.

FULL INTERVIEW

Head Coach Exclusives: Todd Golden, San Francisco

The San Francisco Dons program is rich with history. The 2022 season has a great chance to build on such legendary great teams from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The USF program has also been great to this website over the years.

This season, we have the world’s of Dons Basketball and Bracketology have collided, as the San Francisco Dons are seeking their first At-Large bid in 40 years (1982) and first overall bid since 1998.

This was the ideal moment for:

  • Reflecting on a memorable season

  • Dive deeper into successful winning analytics

  • WCC Tournament Preview

  • Bracketology feelings, thoughts, perspective

FULL INTERVIEW

Saint Mary's 67, Gonzaga 57 Recap

POSTGAME

Randy Bennett gave us 11 minutes to review perhaps the biggest win in the history of the UCU Pavilion.

HIGHLIGHTS

FINAL STATS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Saint Mary’s came in more than prepared for Gonzaga in a game where 24-year old Point Guard Tommy Kuhse once again provided unflappable leadership. The Gaels’ defense came together in a fashion that few people thought was possible before the game. A real commitment to team defense, unselfish play, and doubling Drew Timme in the post, paid significant dividends for SMC. Kyle Bowen came through with the two big threes late as Coach Bennett touched on above. It was a magical night for the Gaels, who suddenly find themselves in the conversation for a 5-seed and the upside to be a top-four seed with a second win over Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament.

On Gonzaga: Watched the Bulldogs play two vastly different games this week. Against San Francisco, GU was able to get and create a ton of open looks and gain a lead early and run with it. Tonight against Saint Mary’s it was almost a polar opposite result. Gonzaga was taken out of their game - practically from the opening tip onward. Saint Mary’s had the personnel and maturity to race back on defense following a make or a miss. Most teams do not, like 95% of the country does not. Gonzaga will get into the tournament and likely overwhelm their first two opponents. Once they are in the Regional rounds, I am very curious to see who they match up with. Bigger and older teams can potentially give Gonzaga trouble. I believe a team needs both of these characteristics to pull it off. This formula could give a potential upset some legs, however, it still takes a well or perfectly executed game plan to beat the Bulldogs. Otherwise, Gonzaga remains a likely favorite in each game the rest of the season.

It’s a game I won’t soon forget. 2022 has been kind to me. Earlier this year I was in Columbus to see #1 Duke lose at Ohio State. To see the top team get beat twice in the same season takes both luck and fortune. Thank you all for following along. March promises to be special.

Postgame Audio: Santa Clara at San Francisco - Todd Golden

Todd Golden’s thoughts after an 88-85 victory over Santa Clara.

  • Dons are 17-5, 4-3 WCC

  • Todd Golden picked up career win #50 in his young career

  • Golden talks about the talent of Santa Clara and how difficult they were to defend.

Postgame Video: Herb Sendek

Herb Sendek was gracious and proud in defeat today.

  • Satisfied with the way his Broncos have played this week in two impressive performances.

  • Acknowledged how stressful the game was late

  • Discussed having everyone back at full strength

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