Can Herd avoid the No. 8 spot?
AS I unveil my annual pre-conference season rankings in Conference USA, I guess I'll include Memphis this time around.
AS I unveil my annual pre-conference season rankings in Conference USA, I guess I'll include Memphis this time around.
A year ago, I only ranked the 2 through 12 spots. There was no need to bother with the Tigers, as they were playing in a different orbit.
That's the way it has been since C-USA was jolted by realignment. A quick review of the carnage left by John Calipari's teams: The Tigers are 54-1 against their league brethren in three seasons, 32-0 at FedEx Forum.
But Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose are in the NBA and Joey Dorsey is gone, as well. And the Tigers are gone from the Top 25, though they still receive votes.
One of the two senior starters, Antonio Anderson, has been a mild disappointment until the past two games (Saturday, he turned a triple-double against Lamar). Another freshman point guard, 6-foot-6 Tyreke Evans, is leading the way, but he can't turn down a shot and his assists are just now outnumbering his turnovers. Pierre Henderson-Niles has turned into a chiseled monster inside but still lacks offensive skills.
The Tigers are hitting just 42.6 percent from the floor and their 3-point shooting is just 28.9 percent.
So ... are the Tigers vulnerable? Will they actually lose a conference game?
They might even lose two. They might even lose a league game on their home fl ...
Stop right there! THAT will not happen. If you saw the Tigers' 60-45 win over Cincinnati last week, you know the Tigers' defense is way too tough to lose a conference game at home. That will become more obvious when they open the C-USA season at 9 p.m. EST Wednesday against Marshall.
With that, the rankings:
1. Memphis (10-3). Best wins: 60-45 over Cincinnati, 108-75 over Lamar. Worst loss: All have come against currently ranked teams (Xavier, Georgetown, Syracuse).
Top players: Evans (16.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.1 apg), Robert Dozier (12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg). Top newcomer: Evans.
The skinny: Another beefy Tigers outfit, big and long across all five positions, will run the floor, will smother you on defense and kill you on the boards. And get this: They shoot free throws a little better, 67.6 percent.
Vs. Marshall: Wednesday, at Memphis.
2. Southern Miss (9-4). Best win: 78-59 over Mississippi at Biloxi. Worst loss: 76-73 in OT to South Alabama.
Top players: Jeremy Wise (18.3 ppg, 4.8 apg), Courtney Beasley (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg). Top newcomer: Rodney McCauley (2.9 rpg, .526 FG).
The skinny: Coach Larry Eustachy has the top seven scorers back and the Golden Eagles are ready to rumble. This guard-oriented team doesn't shoot that well (.429 FG, .287 3-pt), but is potent at both ends in a slower halfcourt game. Wise and Beasley are bona fide studs and the victory over Ole Miss was a real attention-grabber. Wednesday's league opener is a biggie, home against Tulsa.
Here's your maverick pick of the day.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 27 at Hattiesburg.
3. UAB (9-5). Best win: 72-71 at Arizona. Worst loss: 82-62 at Louisville.
Top players: Vaden (19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Delaney (17.1 ppg, .429 3-pointers).
The skinny: Much was made of the Blazers losing three players to academic ineligibility, and it will affect them, especially in the C-USA tourney. But they still have supershooter Robert Vaden, playmaker Paul Delaney III and Lawrence Kinnard, so they'll be OK. As for the prospects of an NCAA at-large bid, they went 1-5 against resume-building opponents.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 31 at Huntington, March 7 at Birmingham.
4. Tulsa (9-5). Best win: 67-56 over Texas A&M at South Padre Island, Texas. Worst loss: 75-63 at Ohio.
Top players: Ben Uzoh (15.6 ppg, 3.6 apg), Jerome Jordan (11.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 36 blocks).
The skinny: Winning the first College Basketball Invitational has to make the Golden Hurricane battle-tested, and it could well show up in the C-USA finals again. Jordan started to become the league's best big man late last season. But this team is hot-and-cold from 3-point range and struggling at the line (62.5 percent). Nonconference resume may not be NCAA-worthy, but the NIT should like it.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 17 at Tulsa, Feb. 4 at Huntington.
5. Houston (8-3). Best win: 73-64 over Western Kentucky. Worst loss: 65-63 to Georgia Southern at Durham, N.C.
Top players: Kelvin Lewis (18.4 ppg, .414 3-pt), Aubrey Coleman (16.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg). Top newcomers: Coleman, Qa'rraan Calhoun (11.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), both juco imports.
The skinny: This pick is based more on confidence in Tom Penders' ability to recruit juco talent than on the Cougars' nonconference resume, which is underwhelming. If you're 8-3 with a 156 RPI ranking, something's not right. As for the team, this is a typical Houston "doughnut" team - a bunch of athletic guards and shooting forwards with not much post play.
Vs. Marshall: Feb. 18 at Huntington.
AS I unveil my annual pre-conference season rankings in Conference USA, I guess I'll include Memphis this time around.
A year ago, I only ranked the 2 through 12 spots. There was no need to bother with the Tigers, as they were playing in a different orbit.
That's the way it has been since C-USA was jolted by realignment. A quick review of the carnage left by John Calipari's teams: The Tigers are 54-1 against their league brethren in three seasons, 32-0 at FedEx Forum.
But Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose are in the NBA and Joey Dorsey is gone, as well. And the Tigers are gone from the Top 25, though they still receive votes.
One of the two senior starters, Antonio Anderson, has been a mild disappointment until the past two games (Saturday, he turned a triple-double against Lamar). Another freshman point guard, 6-foot-6 Tyreke Evans, is leading the way, but he can't turn down a shot and his assists are just now outnumbering his turnovers. Pierre Henderson-Niles has turned into a chiseled monster inside but still lacks offensive skills.
The Tigers are hitting just 42.6 percent from the floor and their 3-point shooting is just 28.9 percent.
So ... are the Tigers vulnerable? Will they actually lose a conference game?
They might even lose two. They might even lose a league game on their home fl ...
Stop right there! THAT will not happen. If you saw the Tigers' 60-45 win over Cincinnati last week, you know the Tigers' defense is way too tough to lose a conference game at home. That will become more obvious when they open the C-USA season at 9 p.m. EST Wednesday against Marshall.
With that, the rankings:
1. Memphis (10-3). Best wins: 60-45 over Cincinnati, 108-75 over Lamar. Worst loss: All have come against currently ranked teams (Xavier, Georgetown, Syracuse).
Top players: Evans (16.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.1 apg), Robert Dozier (12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg). Top newcomer: Evans.
The skinny: Another beefy Tigers outfit, big and long across all five positions, will run the floor, will smother you on defense and kill you on the boards. And get this: They shoot free throws a little better, 67.6 percent.
Vs. Marshall: Wednesday, at Memphis.
2. Southern Miss (9-4). Best win: 78-59 over Mississippi at Biloxi. Worst loss: 76-73 in OT to South Alabama.
Top players: Jeremy Wise (18.3 ppg, 4.8 apg), Courtney Beasley (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg). Top newcomer: Rodney McCauley (2.9 rpg, .526 FG).
The skinny: Coach Larry Eustachy has the top seven scorers back and the Golden Eagles are ready to rumble. This guard-oriented team doesn't shoot that well (.429 FG, .287 3-pt), but is potent at both ends in a slower halfcourt game. Wise and Beasley are bona fide studs and the victory over Ole Miss was a real attention-grabber. Wednesday's league opener is a biggie, home against Tulsa.
Here's your maverick pick of the day.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 27 at Hattiesburg.
3. UAB (9-5). Best win: 72-71 at Arizona. Worst loss: 82-62 at Louisville.
Top players: Vaden (19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Delaney (17.1 ppg, .429 3-pointers).
The skinny: Much was made of the Blazers losing three players to academic ineligibility, and it will affect them, especially in the C-USA tourney. But they still have supershooter Robert Vaden, playmaker Paul Delaney III and Lawrence Kinnard, so they'll be OK. As for the prospects of an NCAA at-large bid, they went 1-5 against resume-building opponents.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 31 at Huntington, March 7 at Birmingham.
4. Tulsa (9-5). Best win: 67-56 over Texas A&M at South Padre Island, Texas. Worst loss: 75-63 at Ohio.
Top players: Ben Uzoh (15.6 ppg, 3.6 apg), Jerome Jordan (11.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 36 blocks).
The skinny: Winning the first College Basketball Invitational has to make the Golden Hurricane battle-tested, and it could well show up in the C-USA finals again. Jordan started to become the league's best big man late last season. But this team is hot-and-cold from 3-point range and struggling at the line (62.5 percent). Nonconference resume may not be NCAA-worthy, but the NIT should like it.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 17 at Tulsa, Feb. 4 at Huntington.
5. Houston (8-3). Best win: 73-64 over Western Kentucky. Worst loss: 65-63 to Georgia Southern at Durham, N.C.
Top players: Kelvin Lewis (18.4 ppg, .414 3-pt), Aubrey Coleman (16.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg). Top newcomers: Coleman, Qa'rraan Calhoun (11.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), both juco imports.
The skinny: This pick is based more on confidence in Tom Penders' ability to recruit juco talent than on the Cougars' nonconference resume, which is underwhelming. If you're 8-3 with a 156 RPI ranking, something's not right. As for the team, this is a typical Houston "doughnut" team - a bunch of athletic guards and shooting forwards with not much post play.
Vs. Marshall: Feb. 18 at Huntington.
6. UTEP (8-5). Best win: 75-62 over St. Mary's at Anaheim, Calif. Worst loss: 88-58 to Arizona State, also at Anaheim.
Top players: Stefon Jackson (23.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Randy Culpepper (19.1 ppg, 37 3-pt goals). Top newcomer: Arnett Moultrie (9.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
The skinny: The Miners finished strongly, upending Houston in the C-USA tourney and landing in the CBI. Jackson has become the school's all-time leading scorer and Culpepper still has room to get hot from 3-point range (just 32.2 percent so far). And coach Tony Barbee now has four "Calipari rejects" from the city of Memphis, including 6-11 Moultrie, and a U of M transfer in 7-foot Kareem Cooper. UTEP is notoriously bad on the road, however.
Vs. Marshall: Feb. 14 at El Paso.
7. UCF (9-4). Best win: 72-71 at New Mexico. Worst loss: 71-65 to Morehead State at Cancun, Mexico.
Top player: Jermaine Taylor (23.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg). Top newcomers: Isaac Sosa (9.8 ppg, .509 3-pt), A.J. Rompza (5.3 apg, 21 steals).
The skinny: The Knights lost three starters and stand to take a step back. But Taylor can carry them at times and coach Kirk Speraw's teams have routinely exceeded expectations since coming to C-USA. This team is very young. It has shown in the gap between road and home play - for example, the Knights lost by 17 at Valparaiso, but beat the same team by 25 at Orlando.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 24 at UCF, Feb. 28 at Huntington.
8. Marshall (7-6). Best win: 73-68 over Ohio. Worst loss: 72-67 to Morgan State at Daytona Beach, Fla. (Falling behind 31 to San Diego wins dishonorable mention.)
Top players: Chris Lutz (10.9 ppg, .465 3-pt), Damier Pitts (11.2 ppg, 4.1 apg), Tyler Wilkerson (10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg). Top newcomers: Pitts, Shaquille Johnson (9.8 ppg, .429 3-pt).
The skinny: This is a tough, tough pick. Is the Herd perpetually stuck in the 8-vs.-9 game?
This team has talented athletes and when you have uber-bomber Lutz in your corner, any game is winnable. But the Herd is young, the post play has been surprisingly inconsistent and once again, this is not the Southern Conference.
The January schedule does no favors, either - a 2-5 C-USA start is very possible. An upward move in 2009-10 is a better bet.
9. East Carolina (8-5). Best win: 93-90 over Virginia Commonwealth. Worst loss: 63-55 at Coastal Carolina.
Top players: Sam Hinnant (15.5 ppg), James Legan (13.5 ppg, .423 3-pt). Top newcomer: Darrius Morrow (10.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
The skinny: Coach Mack McCarthy knows what a tough gig this is, and this season will reinforce that fact. The Pirates lost five players who started nine or more games and welcome four freshmen. ECU remains the only team in the current C-USA lineup not to win a league tournament game.
Vs. Marshall: Saturday at Huntington, Feb. 25 at Greenville.
10. Tulane (6-7). Best win: None worth mentioning. Worst loss: 49-39 at New Orleans.
Top players: Kevin Sims (12.2 ppg, 3.8 apg), Robinson Louisme (9.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 21 blocks).
The skinny: Dave Dickerson's magic wore off last season, though the Green Wave rallied to topple Marshall in the C-USA tournament. David Gomez was the glue for this ugly-looking bunch, and he's gone. This might be a generous pick.
Vs. Marshall: Feb. 7 at Huntington, Feb. 21 at New Orleans.
11. Rice (5-9). Best win: 79-72 at Arkansas-Little Rock. Worst loss: 83-52 at Brigham Young.
Top players: Cory Pflieger (11.8 ppg), Rodney Foster (11.5 ppg, .419 3-pt, 4.2 apg). Top newcomer: Lucas Kuipers (9.4 ppg).
The skinny: With a new gym and a great coaching hire in Ben Braun, this bunch won't go 0-16 in conference again.
Vs. Marshall: March 4 at Huntington.
12. SMU (4-7). Best win: 96-66 over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Worst loss: 60-46 at South Florida.
Top players: Paul McCoy (15.0 ppg, 24 steals, .510 3-pt), Derek Williams (11.4 ppg). Top newcomers: McCoy, Williams (juco).
The skinny: With all that money spent on coaching and facilities, this school should get a better return. But with Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts gone, I see the Mustangs galloping to the cellar. It's fun to see Bamba Fall swat shots (32), but brace for an unwatchable game at Marshall.
Vs. Marshall: Jan. 21 at Huntington.
Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.
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