Seeing as there are a minimum of 32 games ahead on the schedule and hopefully up to 40 games, this will not be an in-depth preview. It's only an exhibition game, and The Citadel hammered Tennessee Wesleyan by 29 points over the weekend. The Mocs should do something similar.
But this is going to be an interesting game. Omar Wattad may not play due to his sore back, though it is apparently not too serious and he might have played if this game counted. But we don't need to see Wattad, Keegan Bell, Chris Early, or Ricky Taylor. We need to see the new guys and how they can be integrated into the offense.
So, instead of picks and analysis, let's look at the things I'm interested in seeing.
THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING:
--Zlovaric. Can he be an overpowering force on the inside?
--Can the Mocs pound the ball inside? Shulman says this is a focus this year. If the Mocs can't get the ball inside against TWC, who can they get the ball inside against?
--Mason- let's see what he's got.
--The freshman- who is ready to go? Who is not? Who should redshirt? Who shouldn't?
--How does Bell look now that he is in "the best shape of his life?"
So we'll see. I'm looking forward to it. It's time for the Mocs to get this party started.
GO MOCS!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
New Features on MocsMania in 2011-12!
As we prepare for the 2011-12 Mocs basketball season, I have spent a lot of the offseason trying to think up ways to improve this blog and make it more enjoyable for everyone who reads it. It's easy for me to post opinions on what is going on, and even to hit the news of what's going on. But that doesn't seem to be enough.
So, I am trying to add some distinguishing features that will help to add something to the experience of being a Mocs fan. Without further ado, let's talk about the new features.
--More statistical analysis. These stats will be provided after every game. Want to know how the Mocs performed in the Four Factors? What about how each Moc is performing using the ESPN Player Rater formula? (Pts + Reb + 1.4*Ast + Stl + 1.4*Blk -.7*TO + FGM + .5*TGM -.8*(FGA-FGM) + .25*FTM - .8*(FTA-FTM)) After each game, I will provide each of these stats which will give even more reason for the Mocs wins and losses, and help to define which Mocs players are performing the best.
--Scanning the SoCon. I have arranged with four fans of different schools around the SoCon to answer some questions each Sunday regarding the previous week of the SoCon and looking forward to the future week. This will be published each Sunday on each of the different blogs and message boards that these fans represent. I am very excited about this development, personally. I think it will provide a lot of extra coverage to the SoCon. That will begin next Sunday (less than a week before the first game for every team in the conference, outside of the Mocs, who open a week from Sunday). The four teams represented will be the Mocs, UNC-Greensboro, Davidson, and The Citadel- two from the North and two from the South. There will be weekly questions, and weekly power rankings voted on by the four.
--Sagarin's Ratings. While RPI Rankings, and KenPom's rankings were listed on the blog last year. Sagarin was not on here. However, now his rankings will be included as well to provide an extra piece to the blog.
--Double Dribbles. Last spring in the weeks leading up to the SoCon Tourney, I included a feature called "Three Poing Play." Now, that has been turned into a daily feature called "Double Dribbles." We will have two notes on SoCon teams each day, Monday through Friday. This could be about the Mocs, or any other SoCon team. Hopefully, this too will help to provide even more coverage of the SoCon for all fans around the conference. This will begin on Monday, November 7.
Obviously, all the old feature will still be included. We will still have preview of each game and reviews of each game, along with the Heat-O-Meter monthly, a monthly review, a monthly preview, every other week we will look at the out of conference opponents and see how they are performing, the Battle of North vs. South, and have a preview of the SoCon Monster Game of the Week.
That means that this blog will be providing some solid coverage of the SoCon on a daily basis, some significant coverage on a weekly basis, and hopefully continue to provide as much coverage as possible of Mocs basketball, while adding some elements of statistical analysis to help us in analyzing the games.
Should be a great year and we can't wait! Should at least be a tremendous amount of fun. Hope you enjoy it!
GO MOCS!
So, I am trying to add some distinguishing features that will help to add something to the experience of being a Mocs fan. Without further ado, let's talk about the new features.
--More statistical analysis. These stats will be provided after every game. Want to know how the Mocs performed in the Four Factors? What about how each Moc is performing using the ESPN Player Rater formula? (Pts + Reb + 1.4*Ast + Stl + 1.4*Blk -.7*TO + FGM + .5*TGM -.8*(FGA-FGM) + .25*FTM - .8*(FTA-FTM)) After each game, I will provide each of these stats which will give even more reason for the Mocs wins and losses, and help to define which Mocs players are performing the best.
--Scanning the SoCon. I have arranged with four fans of different schools around the SoCon to answer some questions each Sunday regarding the previous week of the SoCon and looking forward to the future week. This will be published each Sunday on each of the different blogs and message boards that these fans represent. I am very excited about this development, personally. I think it will provide a lot of extra coverage to the SoCon. That will begin next Sunday (less than a week before the first game for every team in the conference, outside of the Mocs, who open a week from Sunday). The four teams represented will be the Mocs, UNC-Greensboro, Davidson, and The Citadel- two from the North and two from the South. There will be weekly questions, and weekly power rankings voted on by the four.
--Sagarin's Ratings. While RPI Rankings, and KenPom's rankings were listed on the blog last year. Sagarin was not on here. However, now his rankings will be included as well to provide an extra piece to the blog.
--Double Dribbles. Last spring in the weeks leading up to the SoCon Tourney, I included a feature called "Three Poing Play." Now, that has been turned into a daily feature called "Double Dribbles." We will have two notes on SoCon teams each day, Monday through Friday. This could be about the Mocs, or any other SoCon team. Hopefully, this too will help to provide even more coverage of the SoCon for all fans around the conference. This will begin on Monday, November 7.
Obviously, all the old feature will still be included. We will still have preview of each game and reviews of each game, along with the Heat-O-Meter monthly, a monthly review, a monthly preview, every other week we will look at the out of conference opponents and see how they are performing, the Battle of North vs. South, and have a preview of the SoCon Monster Game of the Week.
That means that this blog will be providing some solid coverage of the SoCon on a daily basis, some significant coverage on a weekly basis, and hopefully continue to provide as much coverage as possible of Mocs basketball, while adding some elements of statistical analysis to help us in analyzing the games.
Should be a great year and we can't wait! Should at least be a tremendous amount of fun. Hope you enjoy it!
GO MOCS!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
SoCon Media Poll
The Media poll is now out. The Mocs were picked to win the North, and the standings were the same in the North Division as the Coaches Poll. The South was slightly different. Georgia Southern was picked to finish fifth, while Wofford was third and Furman was fourth.
Georgia Southern actually got a first place vote, along with Wofford. The Terriers are more surprising to me than the Eagles, even though Wofford is the two time reigning champ. Georgia Southern is a good basketball team this year. Wofford is still the two time reigning champs, so until they are out of the race, they have to be considered a threat. They'll be an even bigger threat come the SoCon Tournament.
Basketball season is coming. The excitement is getting tangible now.
North DivisionTeam (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (24) 172
2. Appalachian State (3) 136
3. Western Carolina (2) 123
4. UNCG (1) 90
5. Elon 76
6. Samford 36
South Division
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Davidson (18) 165
2. College of Charleston (10) 156
3. Wofford (1) 105
4. Furman 80
5. Georgia Southern (1) 76
6. The Citadel 48
Georgia Southern actually got a first place vote, along with Wofford. The Terriers are more surprising to me than the Eagles, even though Wofford is the two time reigning champ. Georgia Southern is a good basketball team this year. Wofford is still the two time reigning champs, so until they are out of the race, they have to be considered a threat. They'll be an even bigger threat come the SoCon Tournament.
Basketball season is coming. The excitement is getting tangible now.
North DivisionTeam (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (24) 172
2. Appalachian State (3) 136
3. Western Carolina (2) 123
4. UNCG (1) 90
5. Elon 76
6. Samford 36
South Division
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Davidson (18) 165
2. College of Charleston (10) 156
3. Wofford (1) 105
4. Furman 80
5. Georgia Southern (1) 76
6. The Citadel 48
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
SoCon Coaches Speak Out
The SoCon Coaches have spoken- and you have to like what they said if you are a Mocs fan. The Mocs were the favorite to the win the North, with Appalachian State second, Western Carolina third, UNC-Greensboro fourth, Elon fifth, and Samford was last. Omar Wattad and Keegan Bell were pegged for the All-SoCon team. This is all really positive stuff for the Mocs.
We all know that preseason predictions mean next to nothing, but still, this puts a little bit of extra pressure on the Mocs this year. That may not be such a bad thing. With expectations comes the bullseye, and the Mocs I think are ready to wear that bullseye.
We'll find out in two and a half weeks when the Mocs head to Bloomington. I'm ready....
SoCon Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
North Division
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (9) 64
2. Appalachian State (2) 51
3. Western Carolina (1) 44
4. UNCG 42
5. Elon 29
6. Samford 16
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
South Division
1. Davidson (10) 65
2. College of Charleston (2) 56
3. Georgia Southern 42
4. Furman 34
5. Wofford 32
6. The Citadel 17
2011-12 Preseason All-Conference Team
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Jake Cohen, Davidson
JP Kuhlman, Davidson
Willie Powers III, Georgia Southern
Drew Spradlin, Elon
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Omar Wattad, Chattanooga
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Antwaine Wiggins, College of Charleston
2011-12 Preseason Player of the Year
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
We all know that preseason predictions mean next to nothing, but still, this puts a little bit of extra pressure on the Mocs this year. That may not be such a bad thing. With expectations comes the bullseye, and the Mocs I think are ready to wear that bullseye.
We'll find out in two and a half weeks when the Mocs head to Bloomington. I'm ready....
SoCon Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
North Division
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (9) 64
2. Appalachian State (2) 51
3. Western Carolina (1) 44
4. UNCG 42
5. Elon 29
6. Samford 16
Team (1st Place Votes) Total
South Division
1. Davidson (10) 65
2. College of Charleston (2) 56
3. Georgia Southern 42
4. Furman 34
5. Wofford 32
6. The Citadel 17
2011-12 Preseason All-Conference Team
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Jake Cohen, Davidson
JP Kuhlman, Davidson
Willie Powers III, Georgia Southern
Drew Spradlin, Elon
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Omar Wattad, Chattanooga
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Antwaine Wiggins, College of Charleston
2011-12 Preseason Player of the Year
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Oh Captain, My Captain!
The Mocs have named four captains this year. Keegan Bell, Ricky Taylor, Chris Early, and Dontay Hampton have been named captains on this year's squad. Bell and Taylor are not too surprsing.
However, I'm a little surprised by a couple of things here:
1) Wattad not being named a captain. He is the player that is gaining Player of the Year traction. Normally, we think that means team leader. People must not see it that way. This is why I continue to say that Bell is really the MVP on this team.
2) Early is a captain. He has struggled at times, and been in and out of Shulman's doghouse. Now, he is seen as one of the biggest leaders on this team. This is potentially a really nice touch.
3) Hampton being a captain. He is a walk-on. And now he is a captain. This could show what tremendous leadership skills Hampton has as a person. A walk-on becoming a captain can not be an easy thing. Let's face it- if nothing else, this speaks very well for his future in the work force. I am very proud of Hampton.
Captains are important, of course. They are the players that the guys look to when the times get tough, or when they need to go the extra mile. This team needs strong leaders. We're all hoping that Early, Hampton, Taylor, and Bell can provide that leadership.
GO MOCS!
However, I'm a little surprised by a couple of things here:
1) Wattad not being named a captain. He is the player that is gaining Player of the Year traction. Normally, we think that means team leader. People must not see it that way. This is why I continue to say that Bell is really the MVP on this team.
2) Early is a captain. He has struggled at times, and been in and out of Shulman's doghouse. Now, he is seen as one of the biggest leaders on this team. This is potentially a really nice touch.
3) Hampton being a captain. He is a walk-on. And now he is a captain. This could show what tremendous leadership skills Hampton has as a person. A walk-on becoming a captain can not be an easy thing. Let's face it- if nothing else, this speaks very well for his future in the work force. I am very proud of Hampton.
Captains are important, of course. They are the players that the guys look to when the times get tough, or when they need to go the extra mile. This team needs strong leaders. We're all hoping that Early, Hampton, Taylor, and Bell can provide that leadership.
GO MOCS!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Shulman Gets It? Or Have I Been Wrong All Along?
"Do I want Keegan and Omar to shoot the ball? That's no doubt...can they shoot it? No doubt. But they are going to get much better shots later in the shot clock than the ones we were taking. You shoot it quick, you have to defend longer. We got worn out defending. Time of possession is not a stat in basketball, it should be. Throwing the ball inside in basketball is the equivalent to running the football. We never ran the ball last year. We have to establish our running game which is throwing the ball inside."
This is a quote from Shulman.
If you asked me a question like that, then I would pretty much have said the same thing. This is something that I have said many times. I said a lot of times that the Mocs needed to shoot more two pointers than three pointers, and they did not shoot enough twos. They needed to pound the ball inside to Jefferson and Saffore, and even Early, to get more easy looks and more free throws.
Yet, the Mocs didn't do it nearly often enough for my preference.
But what were the problems? Well, everyone knows them by now. Jefferson struggled to catch the ball down low- and Saffore really struggled catching the ball (not to mention getting his arms over his head).
Now, with Mason, Zlovaric, Early, and the freshman give the Mocs plenty of inside options. Bell has always been an excellent passer. If he can get the ball inside to those guys, then this team could be completely different. It sounds like the Mocs are going to play that way this year.
So is this what Shulman has always wanted? Is this what his plan has always been, but he just hasn't had the inside presence to accomplish it? Now that he has the players, we may see a completely different style out of Shulman this year.
The key will be their offensive contributions. Doaks and Hartwell were a decent inside presence, but Hartwell was not much of an inside presence. If Mason, Zlovaric, and Early can play inside offensively, and if Taylor, Bell, and Wattad can continue to light it up from outside, then the Mocs could be special offensively.
The Mocs players (especially Wattad and Bell) have lost a lot of weight and everyone has been dedicated to getting into excellent shape. This team could be really special.
I am very excited about finding out how this team will perform. Indiana and Butler will lead off the season, which is going to be tough. Let's hope the Mocs can keep them entertaining...
GO MOCS!
This is a quote from Shulman.
If you asked me a question like that, then I would pretty much have said the same thing. This is something that I have said many times. I said a lot of times that the Mocs needed to shoot more two pointers than three pointers, and they did not shoot enough twos. They needed to pound the ball inside to Jefferson and Saffore, and even Early, to get more easy looks and more free throws.
Yet, the Mocs didn't do it nearly often enough for my preference.
But what were the problems? Well, everyone knows them by now. Jefferson struggled to catch the ball down low- and Saffore really struggled catching the ball (not to mention getting his arms over his head).
Now, with Mason, Zlovaric, Early, and the freshman give the Mocs plenty of inside options. Bell has always been an excellent passer. If he can get the ball inside to those guys, then this team could be completely different. It sounds like the Mocs are going to play that way this year.
So is this what Shulman has always wanted? Is this what his plan has always been, but he just hasn't had the inside presence to accomplish it? Now that he has the players, we may see a completely different style out of Shulman this year.
The key will be their offensive contributions. Doaks and Hartwell were a decent inside presence, but Hartwell was not much of an inside presence. If Mason, Zlovaric, and Early can play inside offensively, and if Taylor, Bell, and Wattad can continue to light it up from outside, then the Mocs could be special offensively.
The Mocs players (especially Wattad and Bell) have lost a lot of weight and everyone has been dedicated to getting into excellent shape. This team could be really special.
I am very excited about finding out how this team will perform. Indiana and Butler will lead off the season, which is going to be tough. Let's hope the Mocs can keep them entertaining...
GO MOCS!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Mocs Announce Schedule for 2011-12
Let's put the schedule out there.
November 1 Tennessee Wesleyan 7:00 (exhibition)
November 13 at Indiana 5:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 15 at Butler 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 19 Kennesaw State 7:00
November 21 Warren Wilson College 7:00
November 25 Savannah State 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 27 Gardner-Webb 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
December 1 at Georgia Southern 7:00
December 3 at College of Charleston 4:00
December 10 at Mercer 7:00
December 13 Spalding 7:00
December 17 at Kentucky 8:00
December 21 Hiwassee 12:00
December 29 Longwood 7:00 (Dr Pepper Classic)
December 30 Hampton/Utah Valley State 4:30/7:00 (Dr Pepper Classic)
January 2 at Tennessee TBA
January 5 Western Carolina 7:00
January 7 Appalachian State 7:00
January 12 Wofford 7:00
January 14 at Samford 4:00
January 19 at UNC-Greensboro 7:00
January 21 at Elon 7:00
January 26 Davidson 7:00
January 28 Georgia Southern 7:30
February 2 at Western Carolina 7:00
February 4 at Davidson 4:00
February 9 Elon 7:00
February 11 UNC-Greensboro 7:30
February 15 at Appalachian State 7:00
February 18 The Citadel 7:00
February 23 at Furman 7:00
February 25 Samford 7:30
March 2-5 SoCon Tournament (at Asheville) TBA
The out of conference schedule leaves something to desire, particularly the home schedule.
A schedule featuring Kennesaw State, Warren Wilson, Savannah State, Gardner-Webb, Spalding, Hiwassee, Longwood and either Hampton or Utah Valley does not exactly sell a ton of tickets.
That being said, the Mocs play 17 home games this year, which matches the most the Mocs have ever played. The Mocs could put up a good mark just by winning their home games.
This year, more than ever, they critically need to protect their home floor.
The Mocs have a real shot to get to 20 wins this year. Think about it- even with losing to the big four (Indiana, Butler, Kentucky, and Tennessee) and one more (maybe Mercer? Kennesaw State? Hampton?), the Mocs would win 8 games out of conference. Follow that up with the SoCon schedule, and say that the Mocs match last year's mark (even though they probably should be better) of 12-6, and the Mocs go 20-11. That is far from an outlandish prediction.
The Mocs should have some really high hopes here....
There is plenty of skepticism, which is to be expected. But the Mocs can put a big winner on the floor this year. Now they just have to go do it.
The expectations are there- and the Mocs need to deliver with consistent effort throughout the year.
The toughest game is at Kentucky, but Butler, Indiana, and Tennessee all will be breaking in new faces. The Mocs could surprise one of them easily.
The magic carpet ride is coming...I'm ready for it...
GO MOCS!
November 1 Tennessee Wesleyan 7:00 (exhibition)
November 13 at Indiana 5:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 15 at Butler 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 19 Kennesaw State 7:00
November 21 Warren Wilson College 7:00
November 25 Savannah State 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
November 27 Gardner-Webb 7:00 (Hoosier Classic)
December 1 at Georgia Southern 7:00
December 3 at College of Charleston 4:00
December 10 at Mercer 7:00
December 13 Spalding 7:00
December 17 at Kentucky 8:00
December 21 Hiwassee 12:00
December 29 Longwood 7:00 (Dr Pepper Classic)
December 30 Hampton/Utah Valley State 4:30/7:00 (Dr Pepper Classic)
January 2 at Tennessee TBA
January 5 Western Carolina 7:00
January 7 Appalachian State 7:00
January 12 Wofford 7:00
January 14 at Samford 4:00
January 19 at UNC-Greensboro 7:00
January 21 at Elon 7:00
January 26 Davidson 7:00
January 28 Georgia Southern 7:30
February 2 at Western Carolina 7:00
February 4 at Davidson 4:00
February 9 Elon 7:00
February 11 UNC-Greensboro 7:30
February 15 at Appalachian State 7:00
February 18 The Citadel 7:00
February 23 at Furman 7:00
February 25 Samford 7:30
March 2-5 SoCon Tournament (at Asheville) TBA
The out of conference schedule leaves something to desire, particularly the home schedule.
A schedule featuring Kennesaw State, Warren Wilson, Savannah State, Gardner-Webb, Spalding, Hiwassee, Longwood and either Hampton or Utah Valley does not exactly sell a ton of tickets.
That being said, the Mocs play 17 home games this year, which matches the most the Mocs have ever played. The Mocs could put up a good mark just by winning their home games.
This year, more than ever, they critically need to protect their home floor.
The Mocs have a real shot to get to 20 wins this year. Think about it- even with losing to the big four (Indiana, Butler, Kentucky, and Tennessee) and one more (maybe Mercer? Kennesaw State? Hampton?), the Mocs would win 8 games out of conference. Follow that up with the SoCon schedule, and say that the Mocs match last year's mark (even though they probably should be better) of 12-6, and the Mocs go 20-11. That is far from an outlandish prediction.
The Mocs should have some really high hopes here....
There is plenty of skepticism, which is to be expected. But the Mocs can put a big winner on the floor this year. Now they just have to go do it.
The expectations are there- and the Mocs need to deliver with consistent effort throughout the year.
The toughest game is at Kentucky, but Butler, Indiana, and Tennessee all will be breaking in new faces. The Mocs could surprise one of them easily.
The magic carpet ride is coming...I'm ready for it...
GO MOCS!
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Point of All This (aka a Mission Statement)
Look- I know that a Mission Statement on a blog is a little, um, unusual. But I think that for everyone to understand why I do what I do in this blog might be a nice little excercise.
I figure that my reasons are threefold.
1) The Selfish Reason. I love the Mocs message board. It's fun to talk Mocs basketball on there. But sometimes I feel like I shouldn't say everything I want to say. No one wants to read my diatribes on there. However, people can choose to come to the blog or not. So, I can write however much I feel like, and people can read it or not. Whatever. No big deal. Therefore, it is completely selfish of me to do this blog. It gives me an outlet for all of my thoughts, excitement, and frustration. It's perfect.
2) The Information Reason. A few years ago, before I started this blog, I would sit around on gamedays, nervously waiting for the game. I would check out the opponents stats, and probably would have watched at least a game or two of them prior to the Mocs game with them. I would read the Times Free Press gameday article, the GoMocs.com article, the opposing schools articles in their newspaper and on their website (if there was one), and I would wish for more. I wished that I could find more information about the Mocs. I would wish that there was more coverage. This idea started forming in my mind. I kept on wishing that there were blogs out there about the Mocs to read on a daily basis- just that one or two more articles about the Mocs each day to help satisfy my hunger to read more about the Mocs. It didn't need to be chock full of pertinent information- it just needed to be about the Mocs, have opinions on the Mocs, have any news on the Mocs, and have previews and reviews. Finally, I decided that I should go out and try to be part of the solution to that problem rather than wish that someone else would be part of the solution. It only partially solves my problem of wanting more information, but hopeully it can help maybe satisfy someone else- if just a little bit.
3) The Helpful Reason. Before anyone thinks that I am placing way too much importance on my blog, let me say, I get it. It's not that big of a deal. In this Information Age that we live in, it is important for schools to have embraced the new media. Recruits want their families and friends to be able to follow their performance in their games. It helps to have games on TV. It helps to have the games broadcast on the internet, and things like MocsVision really helps. Message boards help. School websites that are up to date, and newspaper articles help. People tweeting and Faceboook feeds help. I believe that blogs also play a small role in that. Consider this- if two schools and coaching staffs are even in a recruits mind, and one has better coverage of them for the families to cover than the other one (including all forms of media, not just a blog) then maybe that sways the recruit toward that school in the end. It probably does not make a huge difference. But it can help some. It is for this ever so slight bump that I felt that there needed to be just a little bit more coverage of the Mocs out there. This blog is to try to provide that touch more coverage for families and friends of the players to follow the team, and for any fans of the Mocs to follow the team a little bit closer, from anywhere around the world.
Those are my goals. Obviously, this does not mean that I will never be harsh to the people surrounding Mocs basketball. It also doesn't mean that I will not praise to the people surrounding Mocs baskebtall. I try to tell it as I see it, and cover the Mocs the best way I know how.
I've always loved to write. And I thoroughly enjoy writing this blog. I hope you all out there enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Thanks for reading.
GO MOCS!
I figure that my reasons are threefold.
1) The Selfish Reason. I love the Mocs message board. It's fun to talk Mocs basketball on there. But sometimes I feel like I shouldn't say everything I want to say. No one wants to read my diatribes on there. However, people can choose to come to the blog or not. So, I can write however much I feel like, and people can read it or not. Whatever. No big deal. Therefore, it is completely selfish of me to do this blog. It gives me an outlet for all of my thoughts, excitement, and frustration. It's perfect.
2) The Information Reason. A few years ago, before I started this blog, I would sit around on gamedays, nervously waiting for the game. I would check out the opponents stats, and probably would have watched at least a game or two of them prior to the Mocs game with them. I would read the Times Free Press gameday article, the GoMocs.com article, the opposing schools articles in their newspaper and on their website (if there was one), and I would wish for more. I wished that I could find more information about the Mocs. I would wish that there was more coverage. This idea started forming in my mind. I kept on wishing that there were blogs out there about the Mocs to read on a daily basis- just that one or two more articles about the Mocs each day to help satisfy my hunger to read more about the Mocs. It didn't need to be chock full of pertinent information- it just needed to be about the Mocs, have opinions on the Mocs, have any news on the Mocs, and have previews and reviews. Finally, I decided that I should go out and try to be part of the solution to that problem rather than wish that someone else would be part of the solution. It only partially solves my problem of wanting more information, but hopeully it can help maybe satisfy someone else- if just a little bit.
3) The Helpful Reason. Before anyone thinks that I am placing way too much importance on my blog, let me say, I get it. It's not that big of a deal. In this Information Age that we live in, it is important for schools to have embraced the new media. Recruits want their families and friends to be able to follow their performance in their games. It helps to have games on TV. It helps to have the games broadcast on the internet, and things like MocsVision really helps. Message boards help. School websites that are up to date, and newspaper articles help. People tweeting and Faceboook feeds help. I believe that blogs also play a small role in that. Consider this- if two schools and coaching staffs are even in a recruits mind, and one has better coverage of them for the families to cover than the other one (including all forms of media, not just a blog) then maybe that sways the recruit toward that school in the end. It probably does not make a huge difference. But it can help some. It is for this ever so slight bump that I felt that there needed to be just a little bit more coverage of the Mocs out there. This blog is to try to provide that touch more coverage for families and friends of the players to follow the team, and for any fans of the Mocs to follow the team a little bit closer, from anywhere around the world.
Those are my goals. Obviously, this does not mean that I will never be harsh to the people surrounding Mocs basketball. It also doesn't mean that I will not praise to the people surrounding Mocs baskebtall. I try to tell it as I see it, and cover the Mocs the best way I know how.
I've always loved to write. And I thoroughly enjoy writing this blog. I hope you all out there enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Thanks for reading.
GO MOCS!
Monday, September 19, 2011
I got a rock....
The schedule has to be coming any day now, right? That's what we're waiting for so patiently.
It is hard to believe. I've been patiently waiting on the schedule every day for a month now. Every day I wake up, hopeful that today will be the day. Like a kid who only gets coal in his stocking at Christmas, or Linus, who gets rocks in Halloween bag, I end the day disappointed.
It has to be coming soon.
Here's what we basically know. Indiana, Butler, Kentucky, and Tennessee will all be road games. The Mocs will play all four. Right out of the gate, Indiana and Butler will be played. Kentucky comes in mid-December. Tennessee follows in early January. There's a trip to Mercer, and home dates with Kennesaw State, Gardner-Webb, and Savannah State.
In other news, the Mocs were picked to finish first in a couple of preseason magazines. They are picked to win the North Division. It looks like this is probably how the conference will be prognosticated in the preseason.
That sets the table for an article on what the Mocs goals should be for this season. That's coming up in a few days.
Now if we could just get that schedule released....
GO MOCS!
It is hard to believe. I've been patiently waiting on the schedule every day for a month now. Every day I wake up, hopeful that today will be the day. Like a kid who only gets coal in his stocking at Christmas, or Linus, who gets rocks in Halloween bag, I end the day disappointed.
It has to be coming soon.
Here's what we basically know. Indiana, Butler, Kentucky, and Tennessee will all be road games. The Mocs will play all four. Right out of the gate, Indiana and Butler will be played. Kentucky comes in mid-December. Tennessee follows in early January. There's a trip to Mercer, and home dates with Kennesaw State, Gardner-Webb, and Savannah State.
In other news, the Mocs were picked to finish first in a couple of preseason magazines. They are picked to win the North Division. It looks like this is probably how the conference will be prognosticated in the preseason.
That sets the table for an article on what the Mocs goals should be for this season. That's coming up in a few days.
Now if we could just get that schedule released....
GO MOCS!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Who is Z Man?
Click here for the full story.
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Zaccheus Mason (who wishes to be called Z, and therefore will be called such, because a man of his size is allowed to make me call him whatever he wants) will be a physical presence for the Mocs this year inside.
By the way, I'd like to welcome all the SEC and Ole Miss football fans to the board. Glad you found us. No read in wonder as you try to understand why someone would give up a football scholarship in the SEC to play basketball in the SoCon.
As you read the article, you realize just how much Mason must love basketball. It was always his first love, but the sport he garnered more attention in was football. That's because of his size. He is a big body, but not really tall enough to play center at major conference level. But at the SoCon level, he can play center.
Probably.
He is a touch on the short side for center. Power forward? Maybe. He could do that. We'll have to wait and see.
His chances of playing this year? Nearly 100 percent. I would expect him to to be the first one off the bench most games. He will come in for Zlovaric (who I think he may beat out for a starting job at some point) or Early pretty soon in most games.
Think about this if you are a Mocs fan. Who are the two biggest pieces gone off of last year's team? Saffore (who started most often) and Jefferson (who was the better talent). With Zlovaric replacing Saffore, there is an upgrade at that starting spot, it would appear. With Mason replacing Jefferson, there may also be an upgrade there. That means, that in the top six players (even if Bell, Wattad, Taylor, and Early remain exactly the same) the Mocs should have more talent this year.
And that is reason to smile if you are a Mocs fan right there.
Mason is a key piece to this year's team. If he is game ready for basketball, then he could become the key to the whole team. He hasn't played competitively in several years. He needs to be in basketball shape when he starts playing. He needs to get the feel of the game back down. Hopefully, that will be a quick learning curve, with games against Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Butler on the out of conference schedule, not to mention an early December two game conference road swing to College of Charleston and Georgia Southern.
Mason could wind up being the MVP of this year's team.
GO MOCS!
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Zaccheus Mason (who wishes to be called Z, and therefore will be called such, because a man of his size is allowed to make me call him whatever he wants) will be a physical presence for the Mocs this year inside.
By the way, I'd like to welcome all the SEC and Ole Miss football fans to the board. Glad you found us. No read in wonder as you try to understand why someone would give up a football scholarship in the SEC to play basketball in the SoCon.
As you read the article, you realize just how much Mason must love basketball. It was always his first love, but the sport he garnered more attention in was football. That's because of his size. He is a big body, but not really tall enough to play center at major conference level. But at the SoCon level, he can play center.
Probably.
He is a touch on the short side for center. Power forward? Maybe. He could do that. We'll have to wait and see.
His chances of playing this year? Nearly 100 percent. I would expect him to to be the first one off the bench most games. He will come in for Zlovaric (who I think he may beat out for a starting job at some point) or Early pretty soon in most games.
Think about this if you are a Mocs fan. Who are the two biggest pieces gone off of last year's team? Saffore (who started most often) and Jefferson (who was the better talent). With Zlovaric replacing Saffore, there is an upgrade at that starting spot, it would appear. With Mason replacing Jefferson, there may also be an upgrade there. That means, that in the top six players (even if Bell, Wattad, Taylor, and Early remain exactly the same) the Mocs should have more talent this year.
And that is reason to smile if you are a Mocs fan right there.
Mason is a key piece to this year's team. If he is game ready for basketball, then he could become the key to the whole team. He hasn't played competitively in several years. He needs to be in basketball shape when he starts playing. He needs to get the feel of the game back down. Hopefully, that will be a quick learning curve, with games against Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Butler on the out of conference schedule, not to mention an early December two game conference road swing to College of Charleston and Georgia Southern.
Mason could wind up being the MVP of this year's team.
GO MOCS!
Monday, August 22, 2011
White Wins Fans
Click here for the full story.
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Rico White is the brother of Tony White Jr, the sharpshooter from College of Charleston. He is the son of Tony White Sr, one of the leading scorers in Tennessee basketball history. So it is not surprising to see that Rico White has earned a D1 scholarship, and it may be even less surprising to think of him being a major contributor in a couple of years.
The article mentions that Rico is known for his positive attitude. He also will be more of a slasher than his brother and father. But the article does mention that he can play point guard, something that he did not do much of in high school, but could do for the Mocs this year, with Keegan Bell as the only clear cut point guard on the team.
He certainly brings a winning pedigree to the table. His teams won 92% of their games in high school.
My bet is that he does not redshirt- he plays too valuable of a position to redshirt him. If Rimmer had stayed, there would have been a better chance of redshirting, but without Rimmer, it is hard to imagine he redshirts. I give him an 80% chance of playing this year.
If he does play, he will likely get most of his minutes backing up at shooting guard, but will get some minutes as the back up point guard or small forward. He seems, like so much of this class, to be athletic and a well-rounded individual.
His slashing ability will come in handy. If he has good ball-handling skills, solid defense, and develops a nice shot, he will really be an asset this year. Look for big things in the future- just average things this year.
GO MOCS!
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Rico White is the brother of Tony White Jr, the sharpshooter from College of Charleston. He is the son of Tony White Sr, one of the leading scorers in Tennessee basketball history. So it is not surprising to see that Rico White has earned a D1 scholarship, and it may be even less surprising to think of him being a major contributor in a couple of years.
The article mentions that Rico is known for his positive attitude. He also will be more of a slasher than his brother and father. But the article does mention that he can play point guard, something that he did not do much of in high school, but could do for the Mocs this year, with Keegan Bell as the only clear cut point guard on the team.
He certainly brings a winning pedigree to the table. His teams won 92% of their games in high school.
My bet is that he does not redshirt- he plays too valuable of a position to redshirt him. If Rimmer had stayed, there would have been a better chance of redshirting, but without Rimmer, it is hard to imagine he redshirts. I give him an 80% chance of playing this year.
If he does play, he will likely get most of his minutes backing up at shooting guard, but will get some minutes as the back up point guard or small forward. He seems, like so much of this class, to be athletic and a well-rounded individual.
His slashing ability will come in handy. If he has good ball-handling skills, solid defense, and develops a nice shot, he will really be an asset this year. Look for big things in the future- just average things this year.
GO MOCS!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Stokes Bred Well
Click here for the full story.
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
What did I get from this story? Lance Stokes father played in the NFL. His siblings are all getting recruited to play high-major, BCS-level sports. And Lance chose Chattanooga.
This has it's positives, of course. This means that he is (for lack of a better term) "well-bred." He will be a tremendous asset with his athletic skills. If you have watched any of his highlight reel plays, there is no mistaking that. He is going to be an athletic 3 or 4.
Really, I see Stokes as more of a 3 in my mind's eye. Maybe it's just me, but I think he fits in nicely as a back-up this year to Taylor and Wattad, or fitting into the rotation of 4's.
Stokes sounds like he is kind of a quiet kid, who keeps things to himself. He does not want to be known for what his father did on the football field- he wants to be known for what he does on the basketball court. That is a good attitude to bring to the table.
I give him a better than 60% chance of playing this year. He may need to grow into his body a little bit, but my bet is that his talent is just too high to leave off the court this year. He'll bring athleticism and size to the table that Coach Shulman won't be willing to leave on the bench for this year. Because this is the year. This is the year that the Mocs need to make a big run. Stokes can be a major contributor in that. Even this year. Even as a back-up.
Look for him to be one of the real stars of the 2012-13 Mocs, and a very nice back-up for this year's team, if he gets the chance to play. My gut feeling tells me that either Brown or Stokes gets redshirted, while the other plays. We'll have to let it play out and see if that is accurate.
GO MOCS!
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
What did I get from this story? Lance Stokes father played in the NFL. His siblings are all getting recruited to play high-major, BCS-level sports. And Lance chose Chattanooga.
This has it's positives, of course. This means that he is (for lack of a better term) "well-bred." He will be a tremendous asset with his athletic skills. If you have watched any of his highlight reel plays, there is no mistaking that. He is going to be an athletic 3 or 4.
Really, I see Stokes as more of a 3 in my mind's eye. Maybe it's just me, but I think he fits in nicely as a back-up this year to Taylor and Wattad, or fitting into the rotation of 4's.
Stokes sounds like he is kind of a quiet kid, who keeps things to himself. He does not want to be known for what his father did on the football field- he wants to be known for what he does on the basketball court. That is a good attitude to bring to the table.
I give him a better than 60% chance of playing this year. He may need to grow into his body a little bit, but my bet is that his talent is just too high to leave off the court this year. He'll bring athleticism and size to the table that Coach Shulman won't be willing to leave on the bench for this year. Because this is the year. This is the year that the Mocs need to make a big run. Stokes can be a major contributor in that. Even this year. Even as a back-up.
Look for him to be one of the real stars of the 2012-13 Mocs, and a very nice back-up for this year's team, if he gets the chance to play. My gut feeling tells me that either Brown or Stokes gets redshirted, while the other plays. We'll have to let it play out and see if that is accurate.
GO MOCS!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Beasley In
Again- old news. But you can't complain about old news. Any news is good news. Right?
DeAntione Beasley was a former player at Tennessee Tech, and coached there last year. He also played professionally in Europe for seven years. He did an excellent job recruiting the Atlanta area for Tennessee Tech last year.
Look- this guy may (or may not) be an excellent X's and O's guy. But that is not the concern. He can certainly be a great recruiter. This is what he was hired to do. I am eager to see how he does with the X's and O's side of things.
This guy clearly was a good player- leading his team to a championship while he was a coach and player for the team. He has a solid skill set. The players seem to be excited about playing for him, with a couple of players tweeting positive reinforcement.
Beasley is a bit of a question mark, but you have to take a chance and hope to hit a homerun. He is a chance- and he could be a homerun. We'll see. Consider me cautiously optimistic.
GO MOCS!
DeAntione Beasley was a former player at Tennessee Tech, and coached there last year. He also played professionally in Europe for seven years. He did an excellent job recruiting the Atlanta area for Tennessee Tech last year.
Look- this guy may (or may not) be an excellent X's and O's guy. But that is not the concern. He can certainly be a great recruiter. This is what he was hired to do. I am eager to see how he does with the X's and O's side of things.
This guy clearly was a good player- leading his team to a championship while he was a coach and player for the team. He has a solid skill set. The players seem to be excited about playing for him, with a couple of players tweeting positive reinforcement.
Beasley is a bit of a question mark, but you have to take a chance and hope to hit a homerun. He is a chance- and he could be a homerun. We'll see. Consider me cautiously optimistic.
GO MOCS!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
X is Xed
OK- so I know this is old news now, but I should still give my reaction to it.
Xavian Rimmer will not be attending Chattanooga next year, rather going to Alcorn State. Rimmer was released from his scholarship when it appeared that he may not pass the Clearinghouse.
This one hurts some. It's not as bad as Ochenje leaving- except for that in some ways it is.
Rimmer was the point guard of the future. Now that role falls to either Rico White (who did not play point guard in high school) or Bareika. Yes, Hampton is still around, and he could be the starter in 2012-13, but I think everyone should realize that Hampton's role is probably better served as a back-up- possibly a prominent one, but a back up none the less.
Rimmer was going to get playing team this year, almost guaranteed. Now, he's not here. This is very disappointing. He had a chance to be very good. He could become a star at Alcorn State. Yes, Alcorn State is a step down from the Mocs- maybe not a huge step, but a step.
Bareika will play a bigger role than ever this year, now. I was hoping he would be the back-up two guard, but I think his role now is entirely as the back-up point guard. He and Hampton will split some time there.
I wish Xavian nothing but the best. This is a huge moment for Bareika- and to a lesser degree Hampton. They need to step up. I think they can. Bareika's reported athleticism could be a major boost to the team.
We'll miss Rimmer. No doubt. Hopefully, someone else can step up.
As for what this means- well, it's messy. Ochenje and Rimmer now are both gone. Is this a problem in the way Shulman is signing recruits? Is this that commonplace? I think there is a slightly disturbing trend here. I'm willing to give Shulman the benefit of the doubt here that this can happen, but I am bothered. No question.
The good news is that all the other freshman have already reported to campus and are taking summer classes. So we shouldn't have any more surprises before the start of the season.
Please?
GO MOCS!
Xavian Rimmer will not be attending Chattanooga next year, rather going to Alcorn State. Rimmer was released from his scholarship when it appeared that he may not pass the Clearinghouse.
This one hurts some. It's not as bad as Ochenje leaving- except for that in some ways it is.
Rimmer was the point guard of the future. Now that role falls to either Rico White (who did not play point guard in high school) or Bareika. Yes, Hampton is still around, and he could be the starter in 2012-13, but I think everyone should realize that Hampton's role is probably better served as a back-up- possibly a prominent one, but a back up none the less.
Rimmer was going to get playing team this year, almost guaranteed. Now, he's not here. This is very disappointing. He had a chance to be very good. He could become a star at Alcorn State. Yes, Alcorn State is a step down from the Mocs- maybe not a huge step, but a step.
Bareika will play a bigger role than ever this year, now. I was hoping he would be the back-up two guard, but I think his role now is entirely as the back-up point guard. He and Hampton will split some time there.
I wish Xavian nothing but the best. This is a huge moment for Bareika- and to a lesser degree Hampton. They need to step up. I think they can. Bareika's reported athleticism could be a major boost to the team.
We'll miss Rimmer. No doubt. Hopefully, someone else can step up.
As for what this means- well, it's messy. Ochenje and Rimmer now are both gone. Is this a problem in the way Shulman is signing recruits? Is this that commonplace? I think there is a slightly disturbing trend here. I'm willing to give Shulman the benefit of the doubt here that this can happen, but I am bothered. No question.
The good news is that all the other freshman have already reported to campus and are taking summer classes. So we shouldn't have any more surprises before the start of the season.
Please?
GO MOCS!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Bryant A Big Part Of The Future
Click here for full story on GoMocs.com.
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
If Jared Bryant is as good as Nicchaeus Doaks, I think Moc fans will be very pleased. Bryant has the body type of Doaks, and has been hailed as a great rebounder ever since he came on board with the program.
Clearly, this kid has upside. Shulman noted that he can play outside or on the block. What the Mocs don't need is another Chris Early- a three trying to play at the four spot. (That is not a knock on Early- he's a solid player, but it has long been my belief that he is better suited to play the three spot rather than the four.) But Doaks was not that kind of player (even if he did have aspirations of winning a three point shooting contest every now and then). Doaks was a force inside, especially when he played focused.
Bryant can be that kind of player. He has the body type to be a dominant player in the post for these Mocs. He is 6-7, which is not supremely tall, but he is 234 pounds, which is more than big enough to bang around with the big boys of the SoCon. Just ask Noah Dahlman. Hopefully, he can shoot free throws consistently, because that plagued Doaks at times.
I lean towards Bryant redshirting this year. I think there is about a 25% chance that he contributes this year. The reason for that is this- with Mason, Early, Zlovaric, and Burroughs all eligible to play right at the 4 and 5 spots, I'm not sure Bryant has enough minutes to justify playing him this year. Early and Burroughs will be gone after this year, and then Bryant (a year old, stronger, and maybe even an inch or two taller) can come in and contribute in a big way.
If Bryant does play, I would expect him to take a large chunk of Burroughs minutes. It would be Zlovaric, Mason, Early, and Bryant rotating around the four and five spots, with Burroughs getting the mop up minutes that a guy like a Sam Watson would have gotten if he were not injured. That is how this looks to me from where I'm sitting.
I see Bryant as invaluable in the years after this year, even though I anticipate him spending this year redshirting. He should be a really nice piece to the puzzle beginning next year.
GO MOCS!
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
If Jared Bryant is as good as Nicchaeus Doaks, I think Moc fans will be very pleased. Bryant has the body type of Doaks, and has been hailed as a great rebounder ever since he came on board with the program.
Clearly, this kid has upside. Shulman noted that he can play outside or on the block. What the Mocs don't need is another Chris Early- a three trying to play at the four spot. (That is not a knock on Early- he's a solid player, but it has long been my belief that he is better suited to play the three spot rather than the four.) But Doaks was not that kind of player (even if he did have aspirations of winning a three point shooting contest every now and then). Doaks was a force inside, especially when he played focused.
Bryant can be that kind of player. He has the body type to be a dominant player in the post for these Mocs. He is 6-7, which is not supremely tall, but he is 234 pounds, which is more than big enough to bang around with the big boys of the SoCon. Just ask Noah Dahlman. Hopefully, he can shoot free throws consistently, because that plagued Doaks at times.
I lean towards Bryant redshirting this year. I think there is about a 25% chance that he contributes this year. The reason for that is this- with Mason, Early, Zlovaric, and Burroughs all eligible to play right at the 4 and 5 spots, I'm not sure Bryant has enough minutes to justify playing him this year. Early and Burroughs will be gone after this year, and then Bryant (a year old, stronger, and maybe even an inch or two taller) can come in and contribute in a big way.
If Bryant does play, I would expect him to take a large chunk of Burroughs minutes. It would be Zlovaric, Mason, Early, and Bryant rotating around the four and five spots, with Burroughs getting the mop up minutes that a guy like a Sam Watson would have gotten if he were not injured. That is how this looks to me from where I'm sitting.
I see Bryant as invaluable in the years after this year, even though I anticipate him spending this year redshirting. He should be a really nice piece to the puzzle beginning next year.
GO MOCS!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Trey Brown Fits The Mold
Click here for full story on GoMocs.com.
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Trey Brown is exactly the sort of player that John Shulman looks for. He has found an athletic, tweener of a player who can play the three. This is what the Mocs had Goffney a few years back, and it is something that Shulman looks for in his threes.
The Mocs don't have that exactly right now. Sure, Wattad and Taylor can play that position, and they play it well, but they do not really have the athletic skills combined with the size that Goffney had. They also do not appear to have the athleticism/size combination that Brown appears to have.
When reading the article on GoMocs, Shulman makes it clear that Brown needs to work on getting to the hole better, but that he can shoot well, and is long and a great defender. If he can play great defense, he will get a shot to play this year with the Mocs. Shulman has made that clear in the past as well.
A 6-7 three in the SoCon? That could be a weapon. I hope that they keep him at three, and don't try to shove him into the four hole like Early has been. I don't think Brown has a big enough frame to play four really- but he probably can in a pinch. I'd prefer to keep him at three, where his athleticism can really be utilized.
Looking at the roster, it looks to me like Brown has about 40/60 shot of being redshirted. Personally, I think he is probably ready to play, based on the highlight reels and looking at the depth chart. I think there will be three redshirts of the six new guys, and I think Brown has about a sixty percent chance of being one of those redshirts. I think he could be a nice back-up at the three spot, and a very good player in a couple of years.
Of course, we'll know nothing until practice opens in a few months, but I really like Brown. I like him as much as I like any of the newcomers (outside of Mason), and think that he could contribute. He might need a year of seasoning and then be ready for a big redshirt freshman season in 2012-13. If he does not redshirt, though, I expect him to play a fairly big role in the coming season.
GO MOCS!
GoMocs.com is running a weekly series on each of the newcomers to the Mocs roster this year. Each week, when the story posts on Monday, I will give my reaction to each player, and give my opinion on how much they will contribute in 2011-12.
Trey Brown is exactly the sort of player that John Shulman looks for. He has found an athletic, tweener of a player who can play the three. This is what the Mocs had Goffney a few years back, and it is something that Shulman looks for in his threes.
The Mocs don't have that exactly right now. Sure, Wattad and Taylor can play that position, and they play it well, but they do not really have the athletic skills combined with the size that Goffney had. They also do not appear to have the athleticism/size combination that Brown appears to have.
When reading the article on GoMocs, Shulman makes it clear that Brown needs to work on getting to the hole better, but that he can shoot well, and is long and a great defender. If he can play great defense, he will get a shot to play this year with the Mocs. Shulman has made that clear in the past as well.
A 6-7 three in the SoCon? That could be a weapon. I hope that they keep him at three, and don't try to shove him into the four hole like Early has been. I don't think Brown has a big enough frame to play four really- but he probably can in a pinch. I'd prefer to keep him at three, where his athleticism can really be utilized.
Looking at the roster, it looks to me like Brown has about 40/60 shot of being redshirted. Personally, I think he is probably ready to play, based on the highlight reels and looking at the depth chart. I think there will be three redshirts of the six new guys, and I think Brown has about a sixty percent chance of being one of those redshirts. I think he could be a nice back-up at the three spot, and a very good player in a couple of years.
Of course, we'll know nothing until practice opens in a few months, but I really like Brown. I like him as much as I like any of the newcomers (outside of Mason), and think that he could contribute. He might need a year of seasoning and then be ready for a big redshirt freshman season in 2012-13. If he does not redshirt, though, I expect him to play a fairly big role in the coming season.
GO MOCS!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
24 Hours Later
After the most disappointing moment of this offseason to date, I've had time to sleep. Manny Ochenje is not going to be playing for the Mocs next year. He won't be redshirting either.
Initially, the reaction to this was only negative. It made me feel a little sick inside. And I began to feel like things were never going to break the Mocs way.
But then I thought more about it. Could Ochenje still come to the Mocs next year? Absolutely. From a "glass half full" perspective, he can absolutely still show up on the Mocs roster in 2012-13. His academic problems should be taken care of.
What is the biggest flaw in Ochenje at the moment? It's that he is thin and has not grown into his body yet. He needs at least a year to grow into his body. At least, that's how it appears from where I am sitting. With a year off, he will have time to grow into that large body. He will have time to hone his skills more. That's why it would have been good to redshirt him a year. If he still comes next year, then it will be like he redshirted this year, without having him on scholarship or redshirting him this year.
On top of that, Ochenje could also redshirt next year- and then will play in 2013-2014 as a redshirt freshman. That means he could have two more years to grow into that body and get his game refined.
Of course, the positives here are hinging on whether or not Ochenje still signs here in the fall. I hope he does. I think he could. But we'll have to wait and see. That is the only negative. But it sure is a massive negative. A really gigantic negative.
But, here about 24 hours later, the world looks a little bit brighter than it did. Maybe this can work out.
Maybe.
GO MOCS!
Initially, the reaction to this was only negative. It made me feel a little sick inside. And I began to feel like things were never going to break the Mocs way.
But then I thought more about it. Could Ochenje still come to the Mocs next year? Absolutely. From a "glass half full" perspective, he can absolutely still show up on the Mocs roster in 2012-13. His academic problems should be taken care of.
What is the biggest flaw in Ochenje at the moment? It's that he is thin and has not grown into his body yet. He needs at least a year to grow into his body. At least, that's how it appears from where I am sitting. With a year off, he will have time to grow into that large body. He will have time to hone his skills more. That's why it would have been good to redshirt him a year. If he still comes next year, then it will be like he redshirted this year, without having him on scholarship or redshirting him this year.
On top of that, Ochenje could also redshirt next year- and then will play in 2013-2014 as a redshirt freshman. That means he could have two more years to grow into that body and get his game refined.
Of course, the positives here are hinging on whether or not Ochenje still signs here in the fall. I hope he does. I think he could. But we'll have to wait and see. That is the only negative. But it sure is a massive negative. A really gigantic negative.
But, here about 24 hours later, the world looks a little bit brighter than it did. Maybe this can work out.
Maybe.
GO MOCS!
Ochenje Out
Manny Ochenje was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse. This is bad news.
Ochenje was one of the best recruits in many years for the Mocs and now he's gone. The Mocs could still sign him again, and that would be ideal, particularly if the Mocs get him next year.
This leaves the Mocs dreadfully thin at the 5 position. Zlovaric will be the starter. Bryant and Mason can both play back-up 5, I think. We'll see.
We'll let this play out and find out if Ochenje will still consider the Mocs. I'm down. Turns out I was right in my previous post- it is raining on my parade in a big way.
Glad to still have Bareika and Burroughs. They will be very valuable next year, like I said. But Ochenje was going to be one of the most important players on the team for four years. Here's hoping he will still consider.
GO MOCS!
Ochenje was one of the best recruits in many years for the Mocs and now he's gone. The Mocs could still sign him again, and that would be ideal, particularly if the Mocs get him next year.
This leaves the Mocs dreadfully thin at the 5 position. Zlovaric will be the starter. Bryant and Mason can both play back-up 5, I think. We'll see.
We'll let this play out and find out if Ochenje will still consider the Mocs. I'm down. Turns out I was right in my previous post- it is raining on my parade in a big way.
Glad to still have Bareika and Burroughs. They will be very valuable next year, like I said. But Ochenje was going to be one of the most important players on the team for four years. Here's hoping he will still consider.
GO MOCS!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Raining on My Parade
So there is some rain on my parade.
The Mocs roster was really shaping up in a way that I really liked. The addition of Mason really had the Mocs looking like they may be over the top.
Now, the news comes out that one Moc is leaving- without knowing which one. We have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out. Or maybe until around midnight tonight when it will be posted on-line in the Times-Free Press.
Look- I don't want anyone gone. But if there must be someone on scholarship gone, then I would choose Martynas Bareika or Jamal Burroughs. Burroughs provides depth at the 4 spot, which is a similar position to what Mason provides. So, where does Burroughs fit now? Bareika sounds very athletic and would get minutes as a redshirt freshman. But he would get minutes at the 1 and 2 spot. With Rico White and Xavian Rimmer coming in as true freshman, Bareika could be left out.
Of course, I was hoping that Bareika would be there to provide depth at that spot, and that Rimmer or White could redshirt.
If anyone else leaves, I really feel sick to my stomach. Early? Bell? Wattad? Taylor? Surely not. Can we possibly lose one of those guys? I can't imagine. What about one of the recent recruits? Could one of them be leaving? I just can't see it- although maybe one did not qualify for some reason.
That leaves Bareika and Burroughs. I don't want either one to leave. I think both are important to next years team. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be anyone else that would be even OK to leave for the shape of the program.
So who leaves? All I know- after a couple of weeks of feeling pretty good about the situation the Mocs find themselves in, I'm going to have a sleepless night. Either that, or sit around updating the Times-Free Press site until I get the article that announces the answer.
Let's all hope for the best...whatever that is.
GO MOCS!
The Mocs roster was really shaping up in a way that I really liked. The addition of Mason really had the Mocs looking like they may be over the top.
Now, the news comes out that one Moc is leaving- without knowing which one. We have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out. Or maybe until around midnight tonight when it will be posted on-line in the Times-Free Press.
Look- I don't want anyone gone. But if there must be someone on scholarship gone, then I would choose Martynas Bareika or Jamal Burroughs. Burroughs provides depth at the 4 spot, which is a similar position to what Mason provides. So, where does Burroughs fit now? Bareika sounds very athletic and would get minutes as a redshirt freshman. But he would get minutes at the 1 and 2 spot. With Rico White and Xavian Rimmer coming in as true freshman, Bareika could be left out.
Of course, I was hoping that Bareika would be there to provide depth at that spot, and that Rimmer or White could redshirt.
If anyone else leaves, I really feel sick to my stomach. Early? Bell? Wattad? Taylor? Surely not. Can we possibly lose one of those guys? I can't imagine. What about one of the recent recruits? Could one of them be leaving? I just can't see it- although maybe one did not qualify for some reason.
That leaves Bareika and Burroughs. I don't want either one to leave. I think both are important to next years team. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be anyone else that would be even OK to leave for the shape of the program.
So who leaves? All I know- after a couple of weeks of feeling pretty good about the situation the Mocs find themselves in, I'm going to have a sleepless night. Either that, or sit around updating the Times-Free Press site until I get the article that announces the answer.
Let's all hope for the best...whatever that is.
GO MOCS!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Zaccheus Mason Transferring To Mocs
Zaccheus Mason is an Ole Miss Rebel. Or at least he was, according to his Twitter account.
He tweeted this yesterday: "With that being said I committed to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.....I'm a Moc now!!"
Now, this is an interesting development, seeing as that he is currently a tight end at Ole Miss. He's listed at 6'5, 267 pounds. He was interested in the Mocs during his recruiting back in 2008-09, but chose to go the football route.
Now, it appears that he is looking to come to Chattanooga and play basketball. It looks like he has three years of eligibility, and that he will be immediately eligible, since he is switching sports.
So what does this mean? Plenty. He will probably be a little raw, given that he has not played organized basketball in two years. That being said, he appears to have the body to play at the four spot as the Mocs power forward. Would this be good? I like it, because it gives the Mocs more bodies to throw at the 4 and 5 positions. It may enable the Mocs to redshirt more of these incoming freshman.
On top of that, if he proves very capable, maybe Early could move to play the three spot some, which is clearly his natural position. That is an unlikely move, but it could work out.
Ochenje, Bryant, Zlovaric, Early, Watson, and Mason all can play the 4 or 5 spot.
I'm going to say it again- this team just really has a special feel to it to me. It may take some time, but this team should be very good by conference time. The starters should be able to keep the team together before that. The back-ups should make the team great by conference time.
GO MOCS!
He tweeted this yesterday: "With that being said I committed to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.....I'm a Moc now!!"
Now, this is an interesting development, seeing as that he is currently a tight end at Ole Miss. He's listed at 6'5, 267 pounds. He was interested in the Mocs during his recruiting back in 2008-09, but chose to go the football route.
Now, it appears that he is looking to come to Chattanooga and play basketball. It looks like he has three years of eligibility, and that he will be immediately eligible, since he is switching sports.
So what does this mean? Plenty. He will probably be a little raw, given that he has not played organized basketball in two years. That being said, he appears to have the body to play at the four spot as the Mocs power forward. Would this be good? I like it, because it gives the Mocs more bodies to throw at the 4 and 5 positions. It may enable the Mocs to redshirt more of these incoming freshman.
On top of that, if he proves very capable, maybe Early could move to play the three spot some, which is clearly his natural position. That is an unlikely move, but it could work out.
Ochenje, Bryant, Zlovaric, Early, Watson, and Mason all can play the 4 or 5 spot.
I'm going to say it again- this team just really has a special feel to it to me. It may take some time, but this team should be very good by conference time. The starters should be able to keep the team together before that. The back-ups should make the team great by conference time.
GO MOCS!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Schedule 2011-12 Starts To Come Together
One thing needs to be announced before we get into the schedule. Joe Lunardi has announced his first bracket for next year. Davidson is the SoCon pick and expected to get the 14th seed in the bracket. I would think the Mocs would be the preseason favorite and expected to get either a 13 or 14 seed, but I can respect anyone who picks Davidson. That is the other legitimate claim to the SoCon title for next year at this point. Western Carolina, Appalachian State, College of Charleston, and maybe even UNC-Greensboro are the other legitimate title contenders for next year.
So, with all that being said, four games have been announced for out of conference games on next year's schedule. All of them are road games- and all of them are doozies.
The Mocs will travel to the state of Indiana to take on the Hoosiers and the two time reigning national runners up Butler Bulldogs. These two opponents appear to be a part of a similar tournament to the one that the Mocs played in this year, when they visited Marshall, Louisville, and Florida International, while hosting Jackson State. This will not be an easy task by any means. Butler, minus their two leading scorers from this year's team, will be less than they are this year, but they are a top notch program. Indiana has been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in recent years, but they are clearly on the rise.
The Mocs also will complete their contract when they head to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. This will not be an easy task either, but the Vols will be slightly depleted after some of the defections from the program now that Bruce Pearl has left. The Mocs have a shot in this one- maybe. They'll need some help along the way for sure, but it can be done.
But, in the most exciting news, the Mocs will be coming to my city. The Mocs are coming to Lexington to take on Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Kentucky could legitimately be one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time next year if Terrance Jones and Brandon Knight both come back, like it is starting to look like they will. I'm excited to hear Chris Cross, Mike Cameron, and Matthew Laurance of the Sports Huddle talk Mocs basketball, at least for part of one day. KentuckySportsRadio can ignore the Mocs all they want, but they will at least garner us a couple of mentions. I'd love to talk Mocs basketball with anyone here in Kentucky that would like to. Of course, it will only happen when we get closer to the game. But I'm getting ready early. Of course, no one should expect a Mocs win in this one. After all, Kentucky will probably be beating most SEC teams by 20+ points next year. So they should beat the Mocs bad.
But a person can dream right?
What do I hope for from the rest of the schedule? I'd love to see Belmont, East Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, a SWAC team, Marshall, East Carolina, a BracketBuster game (which I know Coach Shulman is opposed to), a non-D1 and Auburn on the schedule. That would be thirteen out of conference games, which is the same number as last year. I think that would be a nice schedule for this team. A challenging schedule, but one that can lead this team to success and give them a tough enough schedule to get a decent seed with success possible heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, this is just me throwing stuff out there and seeing if any of it sticks. None of it will. It's just my dream schedule.
GO MOCS!
So, with all that being said, four games have been announced for out of conference games on next year's schedule. All of them are road games- and all of them are doozies.
The Mocs will travel to the state of Indiana to take on the Hoosiers and the two time reigning national runners up Butler Bulldogs. These two opponents appear to be a part of a similar tournament to the one that the Mocs played in this year, when they visited Marshall, Louisville, and Florida International, while hosting Jackson State. This will not be an easy task by any means. Butler, minus their two leading scorers from this year's team, will be less than they are this year, but they are a top notch program. Indiana has been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in recent years, but they are clearly on the rise.
The Mocs also will complete their contract when they head to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. This will not be an easy task either, but the Vols will be slightly depleted after some of the defections from the program now that Bruce Pearl has left. The Mocs have a shot in this one- maybe. They'll need some help along the way for sure, but it can be done.
But, in the most exciting news, the Mocs will be coming to my city. The Mocs are coming to Lexington to take on Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Kentucky could legitimately be one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time next year if Terrance Jones and Brandon Knight both come back, like it is starting to look like they will. I'm excited to hear Chris Cross, Mike Cameron, and Matthew Laurance of the Sports Huddle talk Mocs basketball, at least for part of one day. KentuckySportsRadio can ignore the Mocs all they want, but they will at least garner us a couple of mentions. I'd love to talk Mocs basketball with anyone here in Kentucky that would like to. Of course, it will only happen when we get closer to the game. But I'm getting ready early. Of course, no one should expect a Mocs win in this one. After all, Kentucky will probably be beating most SEC teams by 20+ points next year. So they should beat the Mocs bad.
But a person can dream right?
What do I hope for from the rest of the schedule? I'd love to see Belmont, East Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, a SWAC team, Marshall, East Carolina, a BracketBuster game (which I know Coach Shulman is opposed to), a non-D1 and Auburn on the schedule. That would be thirteen out of conference games, which is the same number as last year. I think that would be a nice schedule for this team. A challenging schedule, but one that can lead this team to success and give them a tough enough schedule to get a decent seed with success possible heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, this is just me throwing stuff out there and seeing if any of it sticks. None of it will. It's just my dream schedule.
GO MOCS!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Rico White Commits
Rico White from Knoxville has committed to the Mocs. He's expected to be a shooting guard for the Mocs.
Tony White played at Tennessee in Knoxville. He is his father. Tony White Jr. played at College of Charleston and is the brother of White.
So the kid has pedigree. There's no doubt about that. His team was the state runner up in Tennessee.
He seems to have a decent stroke and seems to have athleticism.
Let's look at the recruiting class very quickly:
1- Rimmer
2- White
3- Stokes, Brown
4- Bryant
5- Ochenje
Come on. Tell me that class doesn't get you excited. It almost has to. This class has turned into something truly special. I believe that the class is the foundation for a top line run in the conference in a couple of years. Imagine- in 2013-14, these guys will be juniors. They could really be special by then.
I'm so excited about this recruiting class. We'll look forward to the rest of the conference announcing their commits, and seeing where the Mocs rank in the conference recruiting.
GO MOCS!
Tony White played at Tennessee in Knoxville. He is his father. Tony White Jr. played at College of Charleston and is the brother of White.
So the kid has pedigree. There's no doubt about that. His team was the state runner up in Tennessee.
He seems to have a decent stroke and seems to have athleticism.
Let's look at the recruiting class very quickly:
1- Rimmer
2- White
3- Stokes, Brown
4- Bryant
5- Ochenje
Come on. Tell me that class doesn't get you excited. It almost has to. This class has turned into something truly special. I believe that the class is the foundation for a top line run in the conference in a couple of years. Imagine- in 2013-14, these guys will be juniors. They could really be special by then.
I'm so excited about this recruiting class. We'll look forward to the rest of the conference announcing their commits, and seeing where the Mocs rank in the conference recruiting.
GO MOCS!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Potential Signees: Lance Stokes & Jared Bryant
So, according to sources, there are two new signees:
I'll start with the more confirmed of the two.
Lance Stokes is rated two stars by ESPN.com, and is a given a score of an 87, which is the same rating that Emmanuel Ochenje has. So, needless to say, this looks like a good find.
Watch this video. It is Lake Highland's highlights. Stokes is number 23. If there is one thing that jumps out at you it has to be this- he has a very quick first step, and he looks like the best athlete on the floor whenever he makes a move.
ESPN says that he has a very impressive wingspan, which is true, and that he has focus and desire that drives his team. He scored 11.1 points per game, and had 6.3 rebounds per game. The rebounds were a team high. Jeff Turner, a former Magic player and current head coach of Stokes, talks about how athletic he is.
This is the highlight reel on the school's website. Seriously- watch it. He looks like an athlete. He could be fun to watch play- even though he only averaged 11.1 points per game. I'm really looking forward to seeing him as a Moc.
Jared Bryant is a power forward. He might want to add a little bulk to his body, but he's got ability. ESPN comments that he is not an athlete. That's not the best thing to hear, but he is a solid rebounder. Look- this guy may or may not be a truly valuable player. In the long run, Bryant may be a back-up at the 4 spot. Or he may become a starter and be a great player.
This is a nice player on the roster.
Combine these two with Trey Brown, Xavian Rimmer, and Emmanuel Ochenje, and it's easy to say that this recruiting class appears to be the best that John Shulman has ever brought in. All five are freshman. Throw in Zlovaric and Bareika, both of whom redshirted last year, and the Mocs should be much more athletic and a much more dangerous team than they were just a year ago.
We'll see if these two actually sign here in a couple of weeks.
GO MOCS!
I'll start with the more confirmed of the two.
Lance Stokes is rated two stars by ESPN.com, and is a given a score of an 87, which is the same rating that Emmanuel Ochenje has. So, needless to say, this looks like a good find.
Watch this video. It is Lake Highland's highlights. Stokes is number 23. If there is one thing that jumps out at you it has to be this- he has a very quick first step, and he looks like the best athlete on the floor whenever he makes a move.
ESPN says that he has a very impressive wingspan, which is true, and that he has focus and desire that drives his team. He scored 11.1 points per game, and had 6.3 rebounds per game. The rebounds were a team high. Jeff Turner, a former Magic player and current head coach of Stokes, talks about how athletic he is.
This is the highlight reel on the school's website. Seriously- watch it. He looks like an athlete. He could be fun to watch play- even though he only averaged 11.1 points per game. I'm really looking forward to seeing him as a Moc.
Jared Bryant is a power forward. He might want to add a little bulk to his body, but he's got ability. ESPN comments that he is not an athlete. That's not the best thing to hear, but he is a solid rebounder. Look- this guy may or may not be a truly valuable player. In the long run, Bryant may be a back-up at the 4 spot. Or he may become a starter and be a great player.
This is a nice player on the roster.
Combine these two with Trey Brown, Xavian Rimmer, and Emmanuel Ochenje, and it's easy to say that this recruiting class appears to be the best that John Shulman has ever brought in. All five are freshman. Throw in Zlovaric and Bareika, both of whom redshirted last year, and the Mocs should be much more athletic and a much more dangerous team than they were just a year ago.
We'll see if these two actually sign here in a couple of weeks.
GO MOCS!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
A Final Four Of Hope
Butler is in their second straight Final Four.
VCU is going to the Final Four.
One of them will play for the national title.
And this gives me hope for the Mocs yet.
Look- I know that the Mocs are not perfect. I know that there are plenty of imperfections. What I also know is that Keegan Bell is a top grade point guard, Omar Wattad is an excellent shooter, Ricky Taylor and Chris Early are nice pieces, Drazen Zlovaric is a talented center, Emmanuel Ochenje is a very solid recruit, Xavian Rimmer should be a good point guard, and there may be three more top recruits coming in this year.
Are there warts? Sure there are. But that doesn't mean that there isn't hope.
Watching VCU and Butler over these last two weekends has reminded me why there is always hope for a college basketball program like ours. Don't forget- the CAA had never had two teams in the NCAA Tournament before just five years ago. Now they've had two different programs reach the Final Four.
Can the Mocs reach those heights? I'm not sure. I have faith that some day the Mocs will see that level. I'm not sure if we're closer to that or further away from that than we were in 1998.
But I do know one thing- I feel better about our chances than I did two weeks ago at this time.
Of course, the sting of the first round loss to Furman is wearing off a little bit. So maybe it's just related to that.
Look- here's what I'm expecting next year. I'm expecting big things. I'm hoping for an RPI in the Top 90, a SoCon regular season and tournament title, to go along with a 12 or 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If all that happens, then the Mocs could win a couple of games in the NCAA Tournament. And, as VCU proved these last two weekends, all it takes is getting there and there is a chance for anything to happen.
I want the Mocs to be working hard this offseason. I want some great recruits to sign up. The signing period will go a long way to determining my feelings in the coming months.
GO MOCS!
VCU is going to the Final Four.
One of them will play for the national title.
And this gives me hope for the Mocs yet.
Look- I know that the Mocs are not perfect. I know that there are plenty of imperfections. What I also know is that Keegan Bell is a top grade point guard, Omar Wattad is an excellent shooter, Ricky Taylor and Chris Early are nice pieces, Drazen Zlovaric is a talented center, Emmanuel Ochenje is a very solid recruit, Xavian Rimmer should be a good point guard, and there may be three more top recruits coming in this year.
Are there warts? Sure there are. But that doesn't mean that there isn't hope.
Watching VCU and Butler over these last two weekends has reminded me why there is always hope for a college basketball program like ours. Don't forget- the CAA had never had two teams in the NCAA Tournament before just five years ago. Now they've had two different programs reach the Final Four.
Can the Mocs reach those heights? I'm not sure. I have faith that some day the Mocs will see that level. I'm not sure if we're closer to that or further away from that than we were in 1998.
But I do know one thing- I feel better about our chances than I did two weeks ago at this time.
Of course, the sting of the first round loss to Furman is wearing off a little bit. So maybe it's just related to that.
Look- here's what I'm expecting next year. I'm expecting big things. I'm hoping for an RPI in the Top 90, a SoCon regular season and tournament title, to go along with a 12 or 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If all that happens, then the Mocs could win a couple of games in the NCAA Tournament. And, as VCU proved these last two weekends, all it takes is getting there and there is a chance for anything to happen.
I want the Mocs to be working hard this offseason. I want some great recruits to sign up. The signing period will go a long way to determining my feelings in the coming months.
GO MOCS!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Join the Pool on ESPN.com!
This message is from JohnMoc1 who is challenging you to play Tournament Challenge on ESPN.com.
Get in on the excitement of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Compete against other fans as you fill out a bracket and earn points for every correct pick! Come out on top and you could win $10,000. Get a group together and earn plenty of bragging rights amongst your friends by winning it all. Best of all, it's free to play and win.
Get in the action now:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=47379
Group: Mocs Mania
Come on over and play! All teams fans are welcome...we'd love to have you!
Good luck!
Get in on the excitement of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Compete against other fans as you fill out a bracket and earn points for every correct pick! Come out on top and you could win $10,000. Get a group together and earn plenty of bragging rights amongst your friends by winning it all. Best of all, it's free to play and win.
Get in the action now:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=47379
Group: Mocs Mania
Come on over and play! All teams fans are welcome...we'd love to have you!
Good luck!
Bracketology: Predicting the Field of 68
OK- so I'm no genius when it comes to this. I haven't studied in supreme detail. But here's my best shot at the bracket at 4:00 Eastern.
Selection Sunday is here. Thiis assumes that Ohio State beats Penn State in the Big 10 Championship Game.
MIDWEST
1 Ohio State
16 UA-Little Rock vs. Alabama State
8 George Mason
9 UCLA
5 Georgetown
12 St. Mary's vs. Alabama
4 Kentucky
13 Indiana State
6 Florida State
11 Richmond
3 Texas
14 Oakland
7 Washington
10 Penn State
2 Notre Dame
15 St. Peter's
WEST
1 Duke
16 Cal-Santa Barbara
8 Tennessee
9 Gonzaga
5 Kansas State
12 Butler
4 Purdue
13 Bucknell
6 Arizona
11 Utah State
3 Syracuse
14 Akron
7 Cincinnati
10 Michigan State
2 San Diego State
15 Long Island
South
1 Kansas
16 Hampton vs. Texas- San Antonio
8 Temple
9 Michigan
5 Vanderbilt
12 Clemson vs. USC
4 BYU
13 Memphis
6 Texas A&M
11 Villanova
3 Florida
14 Morehead State
7 Missouri
10 Marquette
2 Connecticut
15 Boston
EAST
1 Pittsburgh
16 UNC-Asheville
8 UNLV
9 Old Dominion
5 St. John's
12 Belmont
4 Wisconsin
13 Princeton
6 Xavier
11 Colorado
3 Louisville
14 Wofford
7 West Virginia
10 Michigan
2 North Carolina
15 Northern Colorado
TOP 4 SEEDS
1 Ohio State
2 Kansas
3 Pittsburgh
4 Duke
Alabama is the last team in. Virginia Tech is the first team out.
Selection Sunday is here. Thiis assumes that Ohio State beats Penn State in the Big 10 Championship Game.
MIDWEST
1 Ohio State
16 UA-Little Rock vs. Alabama State
8 George Mason
9 UCLA
5 Georgetown
12 St. Mary's vs. Alabama
4 Kentucky
13 Indiana State
6 Florida State
11 Richmond
3 Texas
14 Oakland
7 Washington
10 Penn State
2 Notre Dame
15 St. Peter's
WEST
1 Duke
16 Cal-Santa Barbara
8 Tennessee
9 Gonzaga
5 Kansas State
12 Butler
4 Purdue
13 Bucknell
6 Arizona
11 Utah State
3 Syracuse
14 Akron
7 Cincinnati
10 Michigan State
2 San Diego State
15 Long Island
South
1 Kansas
16 Hampton vs. Texas- San Antonio
8 Temple
9 Michigan
5 Vanderbilt
12 Clemson vs. USC
4 BYU
13 Memphis
6 Texas A&M
11 Villanova
3 Florida
14 Morehead State
7 Missouri
10 Marquette
2 Connecticut
15 Boston
EAST
1 Pittsburgh
16 UNC-Asheville
8 UNLV
9 Old Dominion
5 St. John's
12 Belmont
4 Wisconsin
13 Princeton
6 Xavier
11 Colorado
3 Louisville
14 Wofford
7 West Virginia
10 Michigan
2 North Carolina
15 Northern Colorado
TOP 4 SEEDS
1 Ohio State
2 Kansas
3 Pittsburgh
4 Duke
Alabama is the last team in. Virginia Tech is the first team out.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Only One More
Look- I have no desire to write a blog post every day about Shulman and his job status. So this is the last time I will post something about his job status without some official news to report- or at least some substantiated reports, rather than just internet buzz.
However, today on MocFans there was something about Shulman wanting to quit because he was done with it all. There is probably nothing to this. That being said, if it is true, this provides an interesting option.
I am supporting Shulman. I want him to stay, at least for this next year. The Mocs need to have a nice year. If he meets that expectation, then there will be no problem.
That being said, there are a ton of people who are frustrated. Obviously. But there is no way that anyone is buying out his contract. The only way he is not here next year is if he accepts another job or if he decides to resign on his own. Will that happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But this is the option that people who really want him gone should really be hoping for.
Or they should be hoping for the Mocs to not succeed next year. Because a successful year next year will hurt the chances of getting rid of him in the long run.
I don't honestly believe that the people who want Shulman gone really want that though. That would be slightly out of control.
Now, I will do my best to keep my mouth shut on Shulman and his job security until the fall, unless some real news surfaces. If some real news is going to surface, it probably will sometime in the next two weeks. That's my bet.
GO MOCS!
However, today on MocFans there was something about Shulman wanting to quit because he was done with it all. There is probably nothing to this. That being said, if it is true, this provides an interesting option.
I am supporting Shulman. I want him to stay, at least for this next year. The Mocs need to have a nice year. If he meets that expectation, then there will be no problem.
That being said, there are a ton of people who are frustrated. Obviously. But there is no way that anyone is buying out his contract. The only way he is not here next year is if he accepts another job or if he decides to resign on his own. Will that happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But this is the option that people who really want him gone should really be hoping for.
Or they should be hoping for the Mocs to not succeed next year. Because a successful year next year will hurt the chances of getting rid of him in the long run.
I don't honestly believe that the people who want Shulman gone really want that though. That would be slightly out of control.
Now, I will do my best to keep my mouth shut on Shulman and his job security until the fall, unless some real news surfaces. If some real news is going to surface, it probably will sometime in the next two weeks. That's my bet.
GO MOCS!
Wofford RPI Comparisons
All Automatic Bids as of March 9, 2011:
1) Old Dominion 22
2) Butler 36
3) Oakland 52
4) Belmont 53
5) Gonzaga 55
6) Long Island 77
7) Morehead State 78
8) Indiana State 84
9) St. Peter's 95
10) Northern Colorado 99
11) Wofford 110
12) UNC-Asheville 146
13) Arkansas-Little Rock 192
ANALYSIS:
Looking more and more like a 15 seed to me. There is a shot at a 14, and also a shot at a 16, but a 16 is unlikely. And they have earned respect based on their performance last year in the NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin. The committee probably remembers that, and though they say that doesn't matter, you can't tell me that that does not help them at least a little bit with getting a higher seed.
1) Old Dominion 22
2) Butler 36
3) Oakland 52
4) Belmont 53
5) Gonzaga 55
6) Long Island 77
7) Morehead State 78
8) Indiana State 84
9) St. Peter's 95
10) Northern Colorado 99
11) Wofford 110
12) UNC-Asheville 146
13) Arkansas-Little Rock 192
ANALYSIS:
Looking more and more like a 15 seed to me. There is a shot at a 14, and also a shot at a 16, but a 16 is unlikely. And they have earned respect based on their performance last year in the NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin. The committee probably remembers that, and though they say that doesn't matter, you can't tell me that that does not help them at least a little bit with getting a higher seed.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Heat-O-Meter: Where Are We?
So it's a tough sell. The loss in the first round of the SoCon Tournament left a bitter taste in the mouths of most Moc fans.
And it should have. After all, that was not pretty. The falling behind 13-0. The lack of ability to stop the Furman offense at key points. The inability to make big shots when it mattered most. The complete lack of ability to make free throws.
So what's the problem? Is it Shulman's fault? Maybe. There should be at least some blame on Shulman. It would be sticking your head in the sand if you do not put at least some fault on Shulman.
He has three years left on his contract. There is no way that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga can afford to buy him out. So he's here. That being said, the Mocs need to win big next year.
The Mocs need to win so that Shulman can keep his job. The Mocs may be more likely to buy him out if he has just two years left on his deal. If they do not have a monster year, then Shulman may have a major problem on his hands.
HEAT-O-METER: 5. He's right in the middle. The fan base is sick of Shulman. Not me. He deserves one more year. Particularly with the four big seniors (Chris Early, Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Ricky Taylor) all coming back, this is the time for a big year. If he does it, then Shulman will be safe again, no matter what anyone thinks should happen. If it doesn't happen, then the pressure will be amped up, and Shulman just MIGHT be in big trouble. The question- the buyout. But that's a question for next year....
And it should have. After all, that was not pretty. The falling behind 13-0. The lack of ability to stop the Furman offense at key points. The inability to make big shots when it mattered most. The complete lack of ability to make free throws.
So what's the problem? Is it Shulman's fault? Maybe. There should be at least some blame on Shulman. It would be sticking your head in the sand if you do not put at least some fault on Shulman.
He has three years left on his contract. There is no way that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga can afford to buy him out. So he's here. That being said, the Mocs need to win big next year.
The Mocs need to win so that Shulman can keep his job. The Mocs may be more likely to buy him out if he has just two years left on his deal. If they do not have a monster year, then Shulman may have a major problem on his hands.
HEAT-O-METER: 5. He's right in the middle. The fan base is sick of Shulman. Not me. He deserves one more year. Particularly with the four big seniors (Chris Early, Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Ricky Taylor) all coming back, this is the time for a big year. If he does it, then Shulman will be safe again, no matter what anyone thinks should happen. If it doesn't happen, then the pressure will be amped up, and Shulman just MIGHT be in big trouble. The question- the buyout. But that's a question for next year....
Wofford RPI Comparisons
The RPI of the teams who are automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament, through Tuesday:
1) Old Dominion 22
2) Butler 35
3) Oakland 52
4) Belmont 53
5) Gonzaga 55
6) Morehead State 77
7) Indiana State 87
8) St. Peter's 95
9) Wofford 107
10) UNC-Asheville 146
11) Arkansas-Little Rock 191
IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't forget- there are now six (count them- SIX) 16 seeds. So it is tougher than ever to get out of the 16 seed line. Wofford should be able to avoid it and should get a 14 or 15 seed.
1) Old Dominion 22
2) Butler 35
3) Oakland 52
4) Belmont 53
5) Gonzaga 55
6) Morehead State 77
7) Indiana State 87
8) St. Peter's 95
9) Wofford 107
10) UNC-Asheville 146
11) Arkansas-Little Rock 191
IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't forget- there are now six (count them- SIX) 16 seeds. So it is tougher than ever to get out of the 16 seed line. Wofford should be able to avoid it and should get a 14 or 15 seed.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What the Mocs Need? Cameron Rundles
The Mocs need Cameron Rundles. Or they need a guy like Cameron Rundles.
I watched Rundles on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. His enthusiasm, desire, and passion for the game along with the skill set and leadership ability make him a near perfect player.
Look- the Mocs have talent on the roster. Yes, I realize that the talent may not be quite as high as some of the other teams in the SoCon, but there is talent. Keegan Bell is good enough to start on virtually every team in the SoCon. Omar Wattad could play on most teams, while Chris Early could start on some. Ricky Taylor may be able to start on some teams as well. Drazen Zlovaric looks like he may be a good big man.
But what they do not have, is the leader...the one guy who gets people excited....the guy who can get the team fired up when nothing else seems to be going right. Look, Jahmal Burroughs might be able to bring energy, but he isn't at the talent level that it works out the way it should. The Mocs need someone who could start for them that brings that energy level.
Is he on the Mocs already and just needs to grow into it? Possibly. Wattad could. Bell could. But the Mocs need that guy.
Until he shows up, this team will probably continue to be the wildly inconsistent team that they were this year. The team really needs to work this offseason to get better and more consistent. Will they? I'm not sure yet- we've got to let it play out a little bit.
GO MOCS!
I watched Rundles on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. His enthusiasm, desire, and passion for the game along with the skill set and leadership ability make him a near perfect player.
Look- the Mocs have talent on the roster. Yes, I realize that the talent may not be quite as high as some of the other teams in the SoCon, but there is talent. Keegan Bell is good enough to start on virtually every team in the SoCon. Omar Wattad could play on most teams, while Chris Early could start on some. Ricky Taylor may be able to start on some teams as well. Drazen Zlovaric looks like he may be a good big man.
But what they do not have, is the leader...the one guy who gets people excited....the guy who can get the team fired up when nothing else seems to be going right. Look, Jahmal Burroughs might be able to bring energy, but he isn't at the talent level that it works out the way it should. The Mocs need someone who could start for them that brings that energy level.
Is he on the Mocs already and just needs to grow into it? Possibly. Wattad could. Bell could. But the Mocs need that guy.
Until he shows up, this team will probably continue to be the wildly inconsistent team that they were this year. The team really needs to work this offseason to get better and more consistent. Will they? I'm not sure yet- we've got to let it play out a little bit.
GO MOCS!
Wofford is the Champions!
Wofford won the SoCon Tournament on Monday night against College of Charleston as nearly everyone knows by now.
The Terriers were the best team in the SoCon during the tournament. Make no mistake. Yes, they lost by 25 to the Cougars a month ago. They came back and won behind Cameron Rundles, Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs, and Tim Johnson.
How good can the Terriers be in the NCAA Tournament? They can be very dangerous. Wofford has an RPI of 107 right now, and is projected as a 15 seed by Joe Lunardi on ESPN.com. If somehow BYU is a 2 seed, and Wofford was playing them, they would have a chance. The Cougars do not have a huge height advantage over Wofford.
That's what the Terriers need. They need to go up against a team without a huge height advantage. The Terriers can compete with anyone who does not have a massive height advantage on them. They are very good and capable of taking out a couple of teams.
Let me tell you- if I were a 2 or 3 seed, I would not want to battle the Terriers in the first round.
The Terriers were the best team in the SoCon during the tournament. Make no mistake. Yes, they lost by 25 to the Cougars a month ago. They came back and won behind Cameron Rundles, Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs, and Tim Johnson.
How good can the Terriers be in the NCAA Tournament? They can be very dangerous. Wofford has an RPI of 107 right now, and is projected as a 15 seed by Joe Lunardi on ESPN.com. If somehow BYU is a 2 seed, and Wofford was playing them, they would have a chance. The Cougars do not have a huge height advantage over Wofford.
That's what the Terriers need. They need to go up against a team without a huge height advantage. The Terriers can compete with anyone who does not have a massive height advantage on them. They are very good and capable of taking out a couple of teams.
Let me tell you- if I were a 2 or 3 seed, I would not want to battle the Terriers in the first round.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Battle of North vs. South- Tournament Style
North vs. South- Tournament
South 5, North 3
North vs. South- Regular Season
South 27, North 21
North vs. South- Overall
South 32, North 24
ANALYSIS
South wins against the North hands down. But it wasn't a blowout. It was relatively close overall, even in the tournament. But the top teams are better than the top teams in the North. The lower teams are more even, but the top teams are better in the South- as evidenced by tonight's championship game.
South 5, North 3
North vs. South- Regular Season
South 27, North 21
North vs. South- Overall
South 32, North 24
ANALYSIS
South wins against the North hands down. But it wasn't a blowout. It was relatively close overall, even in the tournament. But the top teams are better than the top teams in the North. The lower teams are more even, but the top teams are better in the South- as evidenced by tonight's championship game.
Three Point Play
1) Wofford's win over Western Carolina was dominant and impressive. The Terriers showed why they have been the best team in the conference over the last two weeks. If it can keep up for one more night or not remains to be seen. After all, they have lost twice to College of Charleston so far this year. But Cameron Rundles is playing great ball, and Noah Dahlman is just flat out good. Tim Johnson is pretty good too. This bad rebounding team has been excellent job of hitting the boards.
2) College of Charleston's thrilling come from behind win against Furman was the sort that makes the Cougars feel like a team of destiny in this tournament. Down eleven halfway through the second half the Cougars rallied big time. Goudelock was amazing as usual. Their defensive effort stepped up big time. Furman was ready to play, but just couldn't finish off the Cougars.
3) Tonight's Championship Game is going to be a great game. Wofford and College of Charleston are the conference's two best teams. Wofford is probably heading for a 15 or 16 seed if they win, while Charleston may get as high as an 11 or a 12 with a win. The Cougars are good enough to win a couple of games in the NCAA Tournament with a couple of breaks and good match-ups, while Wofford is good enough, but their draw will probably be too much to overcome. Who wins? I'll take Wofford just because they are playing at such a high level, but the Cougars comeback last night makes that feel of "team of destiny" come out. Not sure if that's real or not. We'll find out tonight.
2) College of Charleston's thrilling come from behind win against Furman was the sort that makes the Cougars feel like a team of destiny in this tournament. Down eleven halfway through the second half the Cougars rallied big time. Goudelock was amazing as usual. Their defensive effort stepped up big time. Furman was ready to play, but just couldn't finish off the Cougars.
3) Tonight's Championship Game is going to be a great game. Wofford and College of Charleston are the conference's two best teams. Wofford is probably heading for a 15 or 16 seed if they win, while Charleston may get as high as an 11 or a 12 with a win. The Cougars are good enough to win a couple of games in the NCAA Tournament with a couple of breaks and good match-ups, while Wofford is good enough, but their draw will probably be too much to overcome. Who wins? I'll take Wofford just because they are playing at such a high level, but the Cougars comeback last night makes that feel of "team of destiny" come out. Not sure if that's real or not. We'll find out tonight.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Three Point Play
1) The Mocs loss will surely drive down the crowds for the semifinals and finals, but College of Charleston, Furman, Western Carolina and Wofford all have brought pretty good crowds. That will be good for the attendance numbers. People in Chattanooga still need to turn out in decent numbers for the semifinals and the championship game. We'll see if they do or not.
2) Today's theme- "The Best." These are the best teams in the conference, almost beyond any doubt. The Mocs are the only other team that can lay claim to one of those spots, but they lost to Furman last night. Western Carolina against Wofford is a 12-6 team against a 14-4 team. College of Charleston against Furman is a 12-6 team against a 14-4 team. Should be a couple of tremendous semifinal match-ups.
3) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day is Western Carolina against Wofford. The two teams are tremendous. In my opinion, the winner of this game will win the tournament. That's been what I've been saying all along. This semifinal should be something special. Wofford has been playing great lately, but Western Carolina has been playing phenomenally as of late. The first semifinal should be great.
2) Today's theme- "The Best." These are the best teams in the conference, almost beyond any doubt. The Mocs are the only other team that can lay claim to one of those spots, but they lost to Furman last night. Western Carolina against Wofford is a 12-6 team against a 14-4 team. College of Charleston against Furman is a 12-6 team against a 14-4 team. Should be a couple of tremendous semifinal match-ups.
3) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day is Western Carolina against Wofford. The two teams are tremendous. In my opinion, the winner of this game will win the tournament. That's been what I've been saying all along. This semifinal should be something special. Wofford has been playing great lately, but Western Carolina has been playing phenomenally as of late. The first semifinal should be great.
Furman 61, Mocs 52
This one hurts. For every reason.
It's the end of a season. And the end of DeAntre Jefferson's, Jeff Smith's, Troy Cage's, and Jeremy Saffore's career.
We didn't win the SoCon Tourney on our home floor.
And the Mocs are out in their first game.
A season that had some promise has now gone by the wayside.
It hurts. It hurts a lot. It's been about 16 hours, and it still stings. I guess if it stops stinging, then I'd stop caring, and I'd stop writing this blog. There would be no point if it didn't hurt a little.
There have been questions about the Mocs desire and passion. I tend to agree. The passion is not there. There was no urgency in this game. The Mocs played tight. Why were they tight? Before the game as I sat there in the stands, I wondered if they would be tight playing in front of the home crowd and if the pressure would be too much for them.
They played like it was.
According to the Times Free Press, Keegan Bell cried after the game. They also said that the team was silent before the game- a sign of a tight team.
The Mocs came out and could not rebound. They could not stop Furman, and before anyone knew it, the score was 13-0 Furman. The Mocs battled back, and Ricky Taylor had a breakaway dunk to tie the game. He missed it. Furman went on a 10-4 that spanned the end of the first half and the beginning of the second hald, taking a 32-24 lead.
The Mocs continued to fight and struggle, but never could make the big shot. That included free throws, where the Mocs were a pathetic 15 of 29, including 12 of 25 in the second half. It was bad.
Very bad.
Yes, the officiating was awful. One official actually followed Coach Shulman into the huddle to argue with him, which was more than a little outrageous.
The Mocs rebounded better in the second half, but still couldn't get shots to fall.
Sam Watson played the game of his life. His defense was very good. He brought it against Furman. He only scored two points and got two rebounds, but he was a spark of energy. No one else provided that. No one.
Furman's Jordan Miller scored 21 points. He did not play well against the Mocs in the first two games, but he has now played well in the both games in the SoCon Tournament. If he keeps on playing like that, and Saaka adds 15 and 10 (like he did last night), Furman will be tough for College of Charleston to beat tonight. Of course, playing their third game in three nights will make it extraordinarily difficult.
Chris Early was awful. He fouled out. He did not bring any energy to the game, and was clearly not completely into the game. His head was not there. Why not? I'm not sure. Was it the pressure? I'm not sure.
DeAntre Jefferson was not good in the first half, but played much better in the second half, even though he scored just four points. His seven rebounds and second half energy helped spark several surges.
This is the time of year to evaluate the season, the coaching situation, and where to go from here. But not now.
For now, I'm just letting it sting for a little while.
It's the end of a season. And the end of DeAntre Jefferson's, Jeff Smith's, Troy Cage's, and Jeremy Saffore's career.
We didn't win the SoCon Tourney on our home floor.
And the Mocs are out in their first game.
A season that had some promise has now gone by the wayside.
It hurts. It hurts a lot. It's been about 16 hours, and it still stings. I guess if it stops stinging, then I'd stop caring, and I'd stop writing this blog. There would be no point if it didn't hurt a little.
There have been questions about the Mocs desire and passion. I tend to agree. The passion is not there. There was no urgency in this game. The Mocs played tight. Why were they tight? Before the game as I sat there in the stands, I wondered if they would be tight playing in front of the home crowd and if the pressure would be too much for them.
They played like it was.
According to the Times Free Press, Keegan Bell cried after the game. They also said that the team was silent before the game- a sign of a tight team.
The Mocs came out and could not rebound. They could not stop Furman, and before anyone knew it, the score was 13-0 Furman. The Mocs battled back, and Ricky Taylor had a breakaway dunk to tie the game. He missed it. Furman went on a 10-4 that spanned the end of the first half and the beginning of the second hald, taking a 32-24 lead.
The Mocs continued to fight and struggle, but never could make the big shot. That included free throws, where the Mocs were a pathetic 15 of 29, including 12 of 25 in the second half. It was bad.
Very bad.
Yes, the officiating was awful. One official actually followed Coach Shulman into the huddle to argue with him, which was more than a little outrageous.
The Mocs rebounded better in the second half, but still couldn't get shots to fall.
Sam Watson played the game of his life. His defense was very good. He brought it against Furman. He only scored two points and got two rebounds, but he was a spark of energy. No one else provided that. No one.
Furman's Jordan Miller scored 21 points. He did not play well against the Mocs in the first two games, but he has now played well in the both games in the SoCon Tournament. If he keeps on playing like that, and Saaka adds 15 and 10 (like he did last night), Furman will be tough for College of Charleston to beat tonight. Of course, playing their third game in three nights will make it extraordinarily difficult.
Chris Early was awful. He fouled out. He did not bring any energy to the game, and was clearly not completely into the game. His head was not there. Why not? I'm not sure. Was it the pressure? I'm not sure.
DeAntre Jefferson was not good in the first half, but played much better in the second half, even though he scored just four points. His seven rebounds and second half energy helped spark several surges.
This is the time of year to evaluate the season, the coaching situation, and where to go from here. But not now.
For now, I'm just letting it sting for a little while.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Three Point Play
1) Saturday's Theme? "Mismatches and Perfect Matches." In the early games, there is one "mismatch," where Western Carolina (the heavy favorite) will play UNC-Greensboro, the surprise winner against Davidson on Friday. The Spartans are more than capable of beating the Catamounts, but people believe that it is a mismatch. Appalachian State and Wofford are two good teams. The Terriers beat the Mountaineers by nine at Boone earlier this year, but that was in the middle of Appy four game losing streak. Now they have won eight of nine. In the night games, Chattanooga and Furman match-up in an evenly matched showdown. The two teams have played two blowouts this year- one that went each way. In the nightcap, College of Charleston will battle Elon. The Cougars beat Elon by 18 earlier this year, but the Phoenix have pulled upsets in the past in the SoCon Tourney. Still, this one feels more like a mismatch, even if I think the Phoenix have a real shot.
2) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day for Saturday has to be the Furman-Chattanooga game. The Paladins and the Mocs should be a great match-up between two teams that have brought out the best and the worst in each other. This has the feel of a close game written all over it. This should be the best game of Saturday for sure.
3) The UNCG-Western Carolina has the feel of the second best game of the day. The Spartans have played the Catamounts close this year. I've been saying for weeks that the Spartans have the feel of Elon 2008, who advanced to the championship game after playing in Round One. Yes, other teams have done it, but Elon was one of the bigger surprises to ever do it. This Spartans team has that same feel to it. I'm very interested to see what this team is capable of tomorrow afternoon against Western Carolina.
2) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day for Saturday has to be the Furman-Chattanooga game. The Paladins and the Mocs should be a great match-up between two teams that have brought out the best and the worst in each other. This has the feel of a close game written all over it. This should be the best game of Saturday for sure.
3) The UNCG-Western Carolina has the feel of the second best game of the day. The Spartans have played the Catamounts close this year. I've been saying for weeks that the Spartans have the feel of Elon 2008, who advanced to the championship game after playing in Round One. Yes, other teams have done it, but Elon was one of the bigger surprises to ever do it. This Spartans team has that same feel to it. I'm very interested to see what this team is capable of tomorrow afternoon against Western Carolina.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Battle of North vs. South- Tournament Style
REGULAR SEASON
South 27, North 21
TOURNAMENT
North 3, South 1
TOTAL
South 28, North 24
ANALYSIS
We'll know more after tomorrow's games. There are three North vs. South battles tomorrow. Appalachian State-Wofford, Chattanooga-Furman, and Elon-College of Charleston are the three match-ups. The South could be ahead 4-3 at the end of the day tomorrow for sure. Still, today just showed again why the North is not quite as far behind as you might think from the South. Furman dominated Samford, but Elon beat The Citadel handily. UNC-Greensboro handled Davidson relatively easily, and Appalachian State did not exactly have a tight battle with Georgia Southern. The North outscored the South by 13 points. The North five seed beat the South four seed for the second time this year, showing that the North may be a touch closer to the South than people think. The 28-24 mark for the South is just a 53.8% winning percentage- hardly worth bragging loudly about. Like I said, tomorrow could change everything if the South wins three games, which they are more than capable of.
South 27, North 21
TOURNAMENT
North 3, South 1
TOTAL
South 28, North 24
ANALYSIS
We'll know more after tomorrow's games. There are three North vs. South battles tomorrow. Appalachian State-Wofford, Chattanooga-Furman, and Elon-College of Charleston are the three match-ups. The South could be ahead 4-3 at the end of the day tomorrow for sure. Still, today just showed again why the North is not quite as far behind as you might think from the South. Furman dominated Samford, but Elon beat The Citadel handily. UNC-Greensboro handled Davidson relatively easily, and Appalachian State did not exactly have a tight battle with Georgia Southern. The North outscored the South by 13 points. The North five seed beat the South four seed for the second time this year, showing that the North may be a touch closer to the South than people think. The 28-24 mark for the South is just a 53.8% winning percentage- hardly worth bragging loudly about. Like I said, tomorrow could change everything if the South wins three games, which they are more than capable of.
SoCon Friday- Tournament Style
UNC-Greensboro 71, Davidson 64
Appalachian State 65, Georgia Southern 57
Furman 61, Samford 48
Elon 85, The Citadel 74
Appalachian State 65, Georgia Southern 57
Furman 61, Samford 48
Elon 85, The Citadel 74
Furman Preview: So We Meet Again
The Paladins advanced to the quarters by beating Samford 61-48 on Friday night. They were lead by Jordan Miller. Miller scored 23 points. Brandon Sebirumbi was the only other player in double digits, with ten points. Amu Saaka was held to nine points, and had seven rebounds. Miller finished with four rebounds and four assists as well. Noah States and Darryl Evans both were held scoreless. That's two out of five players that did not score.
Furman shot nearly 58 percent from the free throw line. They held Samford to 35 percent shooting from the field, and just 23.5 percent from three point range. They also forced sixteen turnovers.
Ten players played double figure minutes, while three others played. The Paladins should be fairly well rested heading into this game- at least as well rested as anyone could hope they would be heading into games on back-to-back games.
The Mocs and Paladins have played twice this year already. Chattanooga won by 16 in McKenzie Arena on February 21. On January 22, Furman won by 26 in Greenville.
The Mocs completely dominated the boards in their win, while losing the battle of the boards in their loss. The Mocs shot 49% in their win. States scored 20, while Saaka was the only other player with double digits, with ten. Miller scored just two points in the loss. In Furman's win, Saaka scored 30, and only Colin Reddick was in double digits, with ten. Miller scored just six, States had nine.
Miller has really struggled against the Mocs this year, scoring just a total of eight points. However, he scored 23 against Samford, so is he playing well right now? Or will he come up flat again? Will Chris Early match his career performance that he had against Furman a couple of weeks ago? Will Wattad finally come out and play really well against the Paladins? We'll see.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebound. If the Mocs rebound well, they will have every chance to win this one.
--Miller. He was great against Samford. Can he carry that over to Saturday night? He's struggled against the Mocs this year.
--Bell. He has to play well. His play in this tournament will be the key to the Mocs performance.
--Shooting. Furman's defense has been great over this season, but the Mocs shot so well against Furman the last time out. The Mocs need to shoot well.
--Inside play. First time, Saaka dominated. The second time, Early was great.
WHAT I'LL DO IF THE MOCS WIN
--Get ready for the semis.
--Celebrate winning the season series against Furman.
--Be psyched!
WHAT I'LL DO IF THE MOCS LOSE
--Start dreaming about what next year should be.
--Be frustrated.
--Wonder if Furman can win four games in four days.
--Sigh, take a deep breath, go to bed and remember that tomorrow is another day. But not until next year.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Wattad goes off. He has to in this tournament, and this seems like the situation when he goes off for at least one night.
--Bell has a great game. This is his time to step up.
--Saaka and Early both will have good games.
--Mocs 76, Furman 73. After two blowouts, we are due for a close match-up between these two teams. This game will be nip and tuck down until the end. And what do the Mocs do in close games at home? They win them. The Mocs will win this one in dramatic fashion, somehow, someway.
GO MOCS!
Furman shot nearly 58 percent from the free throw line. They held Samford to 35 percent shooting from the field, and just 23.5 percent from three point range. They also forced sixteen turnovers.
Ten players played double figure minutes, while three others played. The Paladins should be fairly well rested heading into this game- at least as well rested as anyone could hope they would be heading into games on back-to-back games.
The Mocs and Paladins have played twice this year already. Chattanooga won by 16 in McKenzie Arena on February 21. On January 22, Furman won by 26 in Greenville.
The Mocs completely dominated the boards in their win, while losing the battle of the boards in their loss. The Mocs shot 49% in their win. States scored 20, while Saaka was the only other player with double digits, with ten. Miller scored just two points in the loss. In Furman's win, Saaka scored 30, and only Colin Reddick was in double digits, with ten. Miller scored just six, States had nine.
Miller has really struggled against the Mocs this year, scoring just a total of eight points. However, he scored 23 against Samford, so is he playing well right now? Or will he come up flat again? Will Chris Early match his career performance that he had against Furman a couple of weeks ago? Will Wattad finally come out and play really well against the Paladins? We'll see.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebound. If the Mocs rebound well, they will have every chance to win this one.
--Miller. He was great against Samford. Can he carry that over to Saturday night? He's struggled against the Mocs this year.
--Bell. He has to play well. His play in this tournament will be the key to the Mocs performance.
--Shooting. Furman's defense has been great over this season, but the Mocs shot so well against Furman the last time out. The Mocs need to shoot well.
--Inside play. First time, Saaka dominated. The second time, Early was great.
WHAT I'LL DO IF THE MOCS WIN
--Get ready for the semis.
--Celebrate winning the season series against Furman.
--Be psyched!
WHAT I'LL DO IF THE MOCS LOSE
--Start dreaming about what next year should be.
--Be frustrated.
--Wonder if Furman can win four games in four days.
--Sigh, take a deep breath, go to bed and remember that tomorrow is another day. But not until next year.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Wattad goes off. He has to in this tournament, and this seems like the situation when he goes off for at least one night.
--Bell has a great game. This is his time to step up.
--Saaka and Early both will have good games.
--Mocs 76, Furman 73. After two blowouts, we are due for a close match-up between these two teams. This game will be nip and tuck down until the end. And what do the Mocs do in close games at home? They win them. The Mocs will win this one in dramatic fashion, somehow, someway.
GO MOCS!
Three Point Play
1) The theme of this day will be the "Favorites Try To Avoid Upsets." Appalachian State, Davidson, and Furman all won double digit games in the SoCon. All three teams will be looking to get to the quarterfinals. Who wants these teams to win? People who want to see great basketball on Saturday. We want to see Donald Sims and Omar Carter square off with Wofford and Noah Dahlman. We want to see the league's two hottest teams in Davidson and Western Carolina square off. We want to see Furman and Chattanooga battle to find out which blowout was more real. Of course, a Cinderella team never hurt anyone's feelings- the SoCon in general is probably rooting for The Citadel-Elon winner to be the most likely Cinderella- even if College of Charleston does present the best NCAA Tournament option.
2) When Elon and The Citadel hook up, it will be the last game of the day, and will be the least anticipated, but there is a lot to look forward to. The match-up is the only one between two All SoCon players, in Cameron Wells and Chris Long. It is the match-up between the two teams with the closest SoCon record. And the winner will be one of five teams with a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament when they tip-off on Saturday night against College of Charleston. This game has potential to be the best game of the day, even if it does hold the least appeal of any game in a lot of respects.
3) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day is between Davidson and UNC-Greensboro. Are you going to be in Chattanooga? Then make sure that you get to the first game of the day, because it could be really good. The Wildcats are good, but they lost once to the Spartans, and nearly lost at home to the Spartans last weekend. This game should be a great game, and could easily produce the upset of the first day. I wouldn't mind seeing it- I think the Spartans are grossly underrated. But, the Wildcats are the hottest team. This should be a great game. I can't wait for this one.
2) When Elon and The Citadel hook up, it will be the last game of the day, and will be the least anticipated, but there is a lot to look forward to. The match-up is the only one between two All SoCon players, in Cameron Wells and Chris Long. It is the match-up between the two teams with the closest SoCon record. And the winner will be one of five teams with a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament when they tip-off on Saturday night against College of Charleston. This game has potential to be the best game of the day, even if it does hold the least appeal of any game in a lot of respects.
3) The SoCon Monster Game of the Day is between Davidson and UNC-Greensboro. Are you going to be in Chattanooga? Then make sure that you get to the first game of the day, because it could be really good. The Wildcats are good, but they lost once to the Spartans, and nearly lost at home to the Spartans last weekend. This game should be a great game, and could easily produce the upset of the first day. I wouldn't mind seeing it- I think the Spartans are grossly underrated. But, the Wildcats are the hottest team. This should be a great game. I can't wait for this one.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
SoCon Tournament Picks
FIRST ROUND
Davidson and UNC-Greensboro is a very good match-up. The Wildcats are the better team, obviously. But Trevis Simpson and Brandon Evans are capable of carrying the Spartans nearly single-handedly. But the Wildcats are more balanced and will find a way to win this one by four points.
Appalachian State and Georgia Southern is not as good of a game. But the Eagles are not very good. They are capable of beating the Mountaineers. But they need everything to break just right. Donald Sims and Omar Carter will not let the Mountaineers go down this early. And that is good for the SoCon Tournament. Appalachian State by thirteen.
Furman is clearly the superior team to Samford, but something just tells me that the Paladins are done. They have not played well in recent weeks, and losing the bye was really bad for this team. This team's confidence appears shaken. Amu Saaka is good, but he can't carry the Paladins any further unless they start playing better. Samford in the upset by seven.
Elon and The Citadel features Chris Long against Cameron Wells. This should be a fun game, even if the two teams are not all that good. The Bulldogs have been playing some downright bad basketball lately, other than one half against Western Carolina that produced the stunning upset of the Catamounts. Elon wins this one by twelve.
SECOND ROUND
Western Carolina and Davidson should be a tremendous game. The Catamounts and the Wildcats are the two hottest teams in the league. Davidson will play well early since they will have some of the early jitters out of the way, but in the end, the Catamounts are too good. Trey Sumler hits a big late three and produces the win for Western Carolina by two.
Sims and Carter will have to go off for the Mountaineers to have a chance against Wofford. The Terriers are playing great right now. They will show up and play well from start to finish. Sims could go off for 40 plus points and pull the upset, but barring that, the Terriers will win behind Noah Dahlman's big game inside. Wofford by nine.
The Mocs will tip off against Samford in a rematch of a game that went to overtime just last weekend. The Bulldogs run a really unusual offensive attack. The Mocs will play well, but it will be a close game down to the end, just like the Mocs-Samford game will always be. Mocs win by six.
Elon will battle College of Charleston in the nightcap. The Phoenix have a chance in this one if the Cougars do not come to play at a top level. Andrew Goudelock is a great player, and he won't let the Cougars lose. It will be fairly close. College of Charleston by ten.
SEMIFINALS
Wofford does not have the depth to match Western Carolina. The Terriers are the slightly better team, and both teams are red hot. This should be a great game. In fact, the winner of this game is the team I think will win the title. I'm taking Sumler, Gordon, and Williams, even though Dahlman has another brilliant showing. Western Carolina by one.
College of Charleston will be playing Chattanooga for the second time this year. Goudelock will go off, and this time the Cougars will play a more complete defensive game. They do not have a lot of depth, but they will be ready for revenge in this game. The Cougars will win by nine over the Mocs.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Western Carolina and College of Charleston will battle in a classic final. The Cougars lack depth, and the Catamounts have the defensive prowess to shut down College of Charleston. Goudelock is a great player, but the Cougars just won't have enough and will come up short in the tournament yet again. Western Carolina by five.
GO MOCS!
Davidson and UNC-Greensboro is a very good match-up. The Wildcats are the better team, obviously. But Trevis Simpson and Brandon Evans are capable of carrying the Spartans nearly single-handedly. But the Wildcats are more balanced and will find a way to win this one by four points.
Appalachian State and Georgia Southern is not as good of a game. But the Eagles are not very good. They are capable of beating the Mountaineers. But they need everything to break just right. Donald Sims and Omar Carter will not let the Mountaineers go down this early. And that is good for the SoCon Tournament. Appalachian State by thirteen.
Furman is clearly the superior team to Samford, but something just tells me that the Paladins are done. They have not played well in recent weeks, and losing the bye was really bad for this team. This team's confidence appears shaken. Amu Saaka is good, but he can't carry the Paladins any further unless they start playing better. Samford in the upset by seven.
Elon and The Citadel features Chris Long against Cameron Wells. This should be a fun game, even if the two teams are not all that good. The Bulldogs have been playing some downright bad basketball lately, other than one half against Western Carolina that produced the stunning upset of the Catamounts. Elon wins this one by twelve.
SECOND ROUND
Western Carolina and Davidson should be a tremendous game. The Catamounts and the Wildcats are the two hottest teams in the league. Davidson will play well early since they will have some of the early jitters out of the way, but in the end, the Catamounts are too good. Trey Sumler hits a big late three and produces the win for Western Carolina by two.
Sims and Carter will have to go off for the Mountaineers to have a chance against Wofford. The Terriers are playing great right now. They will show up and play well from start to finish. Sims could go off for 40 plus points and pull the upset, but barring that, the Terriers will win behind Noah Dahlman's big game inside. Wofford by nine.
The Mocs will tip off against Samford in a rematch of a game that went to overtime just last weekend. The Bulldogs run a really unusual offensive attack. The Mocs will play well, but it will be a close game down to the end, just like the Mocs-Samford game will always be. Mocs win by six.
Elon will battle College of Charleston in the nightcap. The Phoenix have a chance in this one if the Cougars do not come to play at a top level. Andrew Goudelock is a great player, and he won't let the Cougars lose. It will be fairly close. College of Charleston by ten.
SEMIFINALS
Wofford does not have the depth to match Western Carolina. The Terriers are the slightly better team, and both teams are red hot. This should be a great game. In fact, the winner of this game is the team I think will win the title. I'm taking Sumler, Gordon, and Williams, even though Dahlman has another brilliant showing. Western Carolina by one.
College of Charleston will be playing Chattanooga for the second time this year. Goudelock will go off, and this time the Cougars will play a more complete defensive game. They do not have a lot of depth, but they will be ready for revenge in this game. The Cougars will win by nine over the Mocs.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Western Carolina and College of Charleston will battle in a classic final. The Cougars lack depth, and the Catamounts have the defensive prowess to shut down College of Charleston. Goudelock is a great player, but the Cougars just won't have enough and will come up short in the tournament yet again. Western Carolina by five.
GO MOCS!
All SoCon Tournament Team
Here are my picks to make the All SoCon Tournament Team:
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Richie Gordon, Western Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Mike Williams, Western Carolina
MVP- Mike Williams
These picks are obviously reflective of which teams I think will succeed in the tournament beginning this Friday.
GO MOCS!
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Richie Gordon, Western Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Mike Williams, Western Carolina
MVP- Mike Williams
These picks are obviously reflective of which teams I think will succeed in the tournament beginning this Friday.
GO MOCS!
All SoCon Media Picks
All-Conference First Team
Donald Sims, Appalachian State
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Amu Saaka, Furman
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
All-Conference Second Team
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Chris Long, Elon
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Omar Wattad, Chattanooga
Mike Williams, Western Carolina
All-Conference Third Team
Donavan Monroe, College of Charleston
Jeremy Simmons, College of Charleston
Ben Drayton III, Georgia Southern
Tim Johnson, Wofford
Cameron Rundles, Wofford
All-Freshman Team
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Andrew Goudelock, Sr., G, College of Charleston
Freshman of the Year
Trey Sumler, Fr., G, Western Carolina
Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Bobby Cremins, College of Charleston
ANALYSIS
My biggest complaint again is about Cremins getting Coach of the Year. I just don't see how Jackson from Furman does not get the Coach of the Year Award. His team clearly overachieved by the most, in my opinion.
Davidson, UNCG, and Samford are the only teams that do not have a player on the first, second, or third team. Samford finished last, and UNCG finished fifth in the North, but Davidson is one of the favorites to win the tournament. So it is a little surprising that Jake Cohen did not make an All SoCon team.
Keegan Bell deserved to be on the All SoCon team. I'm very pleased that he was selected. He was more deserving than Omar Wattad. He has been more important to the Mocs success than Wattad- and that's not to take anything away from what Wattad has done.
De'Mon Brooks of Davidson should also have been selected to the All Freshman team. I have felt like Brooks is one of Davidson's best players, and he deserves that spot. But he didn't get it. He may make up for it in this tournament.
GO MOCS!
Donald Sims, Appalachian State
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Amu Saaka, Furman
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
All-Conference Second Team
Omar Carter, Appalachian State
Chris Long, Elon
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Omar Wattad, Chattanooga
Mike Williams, Western Carolina
All-Conference Third Team
Donavan Monroe, College of Charleston
Jeremy Simmons, College of Charleston
Ben Drayton III, Georgia Southern
Tim Johnson, Wofford
Cameron Rundles, Wofford
All-Freshman Team
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Andrew Goudelock, Sr., G, College of Charleston
Freshman of the Year
Trey Sumler, Fr., G, Western Carolina
Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Bobby Cremins, College of Charleston
ANALYSIS
My biggest complaint again is about Cremins getting Coach of the Year. I just don't see how Jackson from Furman does not get the Coach of the Year Award. His team clearly overachieved by the most, in my opinion.
Davidson, UNCG, and Samford are the only teams that do not have a player on the first, second, or third team. Samford finished last, and UNCG finished fifth in the North, but Davidson is one of the favorites to win the tournament. So it is a little surprising that Jake Cohen did not make an All SoCon team.
Keegan Bell deserved to be on the All SoCon team. I'm very pleased that he was selected. He was more deserving than Omar Wattad. He has been more important to the Mocs success than Wattad- and that's not to take anything away from what Wattad has done.
De'Mon Brooks of Davidson should also have been selected to the All Freshman team. I have felt like Brooks is one of Davidson's best players, and he deserves that spot. But he didn't get it. He may make up for it in this tournament.
GO MOCS!
RPI Rankings
According to RealTimeRPI.com:
1) College of Charleston 74
2) Furman 121
3) Wofford 127
4) Davidson 156
5) Western Carolina 174
6) Appalachian State 179
7) Chattanooga 192
8) Elon 268
9) The Citadel 282
10) Samford 295
11) UNC-Greensboro 300
12) Georgia Southern 341
SoCon Rank: 19
GO MOCS!
1) College of Charleston 74
2) Furman 121
3) Wofford 127
4) Davidson 156
5) Western Carolina 174
6) Appalachian State 179
7) Chattanooga 192
8) Elon 268
9) The Citadel 282
10) Samford 295
11) UNC-Greensboro 300
12) Georgia Southern 341
SoCon Rank: 19
GO MOCS!
KenPom Rankings
According to KenPom.com:
1) College of Charleston 77
2) Wofford 96
3) Davidson 150
4) Furman 159
5) Western Carolina 186
6) Appalachian State 204
7) Elon 236
8) The Citadel 275
9) Chattanooga 276
10) UNC-Greensboro 283
11) Samford 310
12) Georgia Southern 327
SoCon Rank: 21
GO MOCS!
1) College of Charleston 77
2) Wofford 96
3) Davidson 150
4) Furman 159
5) Western Carolina 186
6) Appalachian State 204
7) Elon 236
8) The Citadel 275
9) Chattanooga 276
10) UNC-Greensboro 283
11) Samford 310
12) Georgia Southern 327
SoCon Rank: 21
GO MOCS!
Three Point Play
1) Ten players made the All SoCon team. Omar Carter, Donald Sims, Andrew Goudelock, Donavan Monroe, Cameron Wells, Chris Long, Amu Saaka, Omar Wattad, Mike Williams, and Noah Dahlman all are on the team. Who was left off? Keegan Bell and Jake Cohen are the ones most deserving who were left off the list. As first and foremost a Mocs blog, I will just say that Bell deserved the spot on the All Conference team over Wattad. Cohen it's harder to find a place for. Still, this is a solid list of contributors. The first day will feature one match-up between the two teams. Wells will take on Long when The Citadel faces Elon at 9:30 on Friday night.
2) The All Freshman team features Trent Wiedeman, Lucas Troutman, Eric Ferguson, Trevis Simpson, and Trey Sumler. That means that only two teams do not have representatives on the All SoCon team or the All Freshman team- Davidson and Samford. The Bulldogs clearly don't deserve to have people on here- they finished in last place in the North division. But Davidson is a team that plenty of team pick to win the SoCon Tournament title this Monday. So, the fact that they don't have anyone on these lists is a little surprising. De'Mon Brooks deserves to be on the All Freshman team.
3) The Coach of the Year Award should not have gone to Bobby Cremins. I would have voted for Jeff Jackson at Furman. He seems to be the clear favorite on this list. Larry Hunter at Western Carolina was the coach I would have voted for second. After that comes John Shulman at Chattanooga, Bob McKillop at Davidson (who really turned things around in the second half of the season), and then Cremins. Cremins was a fine choice, but the Cougars succeeded at exactly the rate most people expected them to in the preseason.
2) The All Freshman team features Trent Wiedeman, Lucas Troutman, Eric Ferguson, Trevis Simpson, and Trey Sumler. That means that only two teams do not have representatives on the All SoCon team or the All Freshman team- Davidson and Samford. The Bulldogs clearly don't deserve to have people on here- they finished in last place in the North division. But Davidson is a team that plenty of team pick to win the SoCon Tournament title this Monday. So, the fact that they don't have anyone on these lists is a little surprising. De'Mon Brooks deserves to be on the All Freshman team.
3) The Coach of the Year Award should not have gone to Bobby Cremins. I would have voted for Jeff Jackson at Furman. He seems to be the clear favorite on this list. Larry Hunter at Western Carolina was the coach I would have voted for second. After that comes John Shulman at Chattanooga, Bob McKillop at Davidson (who really turned things around in the second half of the season), and then Cremins. Cremins was a fine choice, but the Cougars succeeded at exactly the rate most people expected them to in the preseason.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
OOC Opponents
AT A GLANCE
Tennessee- 17-12, 34
Austin Peay- 17-12, 127
Kennesaw State- 7-22, 320
Marshall- 18-9, 51
Louisville- 22-7, 20
Jackson State- 13-13, 240
FIU- 8-18, 286
Murray State- 21-7, 106
Georgia State- 11-18, 232
Georgia Tech- 11-17, 181
IN DEPTH
Tennessee continues their up and down twists and turns. The Vols still look like they are in good shape for an NCAA Tournament bid. If they win two games over the next couple of days, the Vols should be into the dance, even with all of their struggles.
Austin Peay has gone just 7-6 since January 15, and that includes a two game winning streak to end the season. Can the Governors get it back together in time to win the OVC Tournament? It's possible as they are probably the third best team in the conference behind Morehead State and Murray State. But they are no longer viewed in quite the same light as they were just a month and a half ago.
Kennesaw State had won three in a row, and now have lost five in a row, including a 47 point loss to Belmont in their final game. They will probably lose tonight to Belmont in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament as well. The Owls just have been a major disappointment this year.
Marshall is the Mocs best win. The Thundering Herd won their last five games and is teetering on the bubble of the bubble. No one really mentions them, but if the Herd comes back and wins their final two games (currently down 4 at UTEP). If that happens and they find their way to the Conference USA Tournament Championship Game, the Herd could be on the bubble.
Louisville has turned into one of the best teams in the Big East and is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. They will be a high seed in the Big Dance as well, and could go all the way to the Final Four if things really break right for them. Louisville is that good.
Jackson State has turned into a bit of a disappointment down the stretch. They traded wins and losses throughout the month of February, and are now considered one of the teams to beat in the SWAC, but not the team to beat in the SWAC anymore. They are slighly back of the top teams in the conference, and will need some luck to win the conference tournament.
FIU is 2-11 in their last thirteen games. The Golden Panthers beat Troy twice during that stretch, but has lost all of their other eleven games since January 13. FIU has really fallen apart and been a major disappointment in the Sun Belt.
Murray State is the top seed in the OVC, finishing just ahead of Morehead State for the title. They should be able to reach the final, where they would face off against likely Morehead State. They are 11-1 in their last twelve games. The Racers are one of the teams most likely to reach the NCAA Tournament on this out of conference schedule.
Georgia State fired Rod Barnes, their head coach heading into the CAA Tournament. They lost their last four games, and the Panthers were way up and down this year. Sometimes, they were very good, such as the night they beat the Mocs. Sometimes, they were very bad, such as the night they lost to Georgia Southern.
Georgia Tech has lost eight out of nine games, with the lone win being the Mocs, even though Chattanooga really outplayed them for much of the night. Georgia Tech is highly unlikely to get to a postseason tournament- they would likely have to win the ACC Tournament. That's just not going to happen.
GO MOCS!
Tennessee- 17-12, 34
Austin Peay- 17-12, 127
Kennesaw State- 7-22, 320
Marshall- 18-9, 51
Louisville- 22-7, 20
Jackson State- 13-13, 240
FIU- 8-18, 286
Murray State- 21-7, 106
Georgia State- 11-18, 232
Georgia Tech- 11-17, 181
IN DEPTH
Tennessee continues their up and down twists and turns. The Vols still look like they are in good shape for an NCAA Tournament bid. If they win two games over the next couple of days, the Vols should be into the dance, even with all of their struggles.
Austin Peay has gone just 7-6 since January 15, and that includes a two game winning streak to end the season. Can the Governors get it back together in time to win the OVC Tournament? It's possible as they are probably the third best team in the conference behind Morehead State and Murray State. But they are no longer viewed in quite the same light as they were just a month and a half ago.
Kennesaw State had won three in a row, and now have lost five in a row, including a 47 point loss to Belmont in their final game. They will probably lose tonight to Belmont in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament as well. The Owls just have been a major disappointment this year.
Marshall is the Mocs best win. The Thundering Herd won their last five games and is teetering on the bubble of the bubble. No one really mentions them, but if the Herd comes back and wins their final two games (currently down 4 at UTEP). If that happens and they find their way to the Conference USA Tournament Championship Game, the Herd could be on the bubble.
Louisville has turned into one of the best teams in the Big East and is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. They will be a high seed in the Big Dance as well, and could go all the way to the Final Four if things really break right for them. Louisville is that good.
Jackson State has turned into a bit of a disappointment down the stretch. They traded wins and losses throughout the month of February, and are now considered one of the teams to beat in the SWAC, but not the team to beat in the SWAC anymore. They are slighly back of the top teams in the conference, and will need some luck to win the conference tournament.
FIU is 2-11 in their last thirteen games. The Golden Panthers beat Troy twice during that stretch, but has lost all of their other eleven games since January 13. FIU has really fallen apart and been a major disappointment in the Sun Belt.
Murray State is the top seed in the OVC, finishing just ahead of Morehead State for the title. They should be able to reach the final, where they would face off against likely Morehead State. They are 11-1 in their last twelve games. The Racers are one of the teams most likely to reach the NCAA Tournament on this out of conference schedule.
Georgia State fired Rod Barnes, their head coach heading into the CAA Tournament. They lost their last four games, and the Panthers were way up and down this year. Sometimes, they were very good, such as the night they beat the Mocs. Sometimes, they were very bad, such as the night they lost to Georgia Southern.
Georgia Tech has lost eight out of nine games, with the lone win being the Mocs, even though Chattanooga really outplayed them for much of the night. Georgia Tech is highly unlikely to get to a postseason tournament- they would likely have to win the ACC Tournament. That's just not going to happen.
GO MOCS!
Three Point Play
1) Only one of the non "Big 7" is guaranteed to make it to Saturday, and they will be playing in the final game on both Friday and Saturday. Elon and The Citadel will battle late Friday night for the right to meet College of Charleston on Saturday. The Phoenix are dangerous, and The Citadel has Cameron Wells, so they are always dangerous. This is the best first round match-up if you look only at the similarity of the conference record to determine what makes for the best first round match-up. They will be one of five teams left with a shot at going to the NCAA Tournament by Saturday night. This game should be a decent game, and it is one that is not being remembered in a lot of circles right now.
2) Davidson is becoming a chic pick to win the whole thing. Pat Forde picked the Wildcats to win the SoCon Tourney on ESPN.com, and now suddenly the Davidson fans can't get enough. I agree with Forde in saying that this field looks like one that could go crazy. I just maintain that winning the tournament without a bye is going to be extraordinarily tough for any team. Could one of those teams get to the championship game? Absolutely. But beyond that seems like too much. So Davidson could advance to the title game, but getting beyond that seems unlikely to me.
3) I'm looking forward to the All Conference team being announced. Sims, Goudelock, and Dahlman are the clear first three choices. After that, things are much tighter. I'll be interested to see who is on the All Conference teams after that. I think the list will be announced today. It should be an interesting thing to look at closely.
2) Davidson is becoming a chic pick to win the whole thing. Pat Forde picked the Wildcats to win the SoCon Tourney on ESPN.com, and now suddenly the Davidson fans can't get enough. I agree with Forde in saying that this field looks like one that could go crazy. I just maintain that winning the tournament without a bye is going to be extraordinarily tough for any team. Could one of those teams get to the championship game? Absolutely. But beyond that seems like too much. So Davidson could advance to the title game, but getting beyond that seems unlikely to me.
3) I'm looking forward to the All Conference team being announced. Sims, Goudelock, and Dahlman are the clear first three choices. After that, things are much tighter. I'll be interested to see who is on the All Conference teams after that. I think the list will be announced today. It should be an interesting thing to look at closely.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Heat-O-Meter: Settling Down
Of course, Coach Shulman had to know that the last seven games were going to be very tough. The team responded by going 2-5, and the Mocs went 3-5 in February.
So where does that leave Coach Shulman? On a slightly hotter seat than before.
However, with the Mocs winding up 12-6 in SoCon play and tied for first in the SoCon North, there is really no way that Coach Shulman is going to be fired. He's going to be sticking around here, unless he leaves on his own. Shulman, even with a first round loss, will be here next year.
But Shulman can still be in a lot of trouble with the Mocs with a first round loss. Next year should be a special year for the Mocs and if things are not better next year than this year, then Shulman could start to feel a lot of heat, especially if there is not an NCAA bid at the end of the tunnel this year.
In other words, Shulman is completely safe for now. The talk should end about whether or not he should be gone this year, because it is a totally fruitless discussion at this point. The discussion can continue about where he will be next year, and a lot of that depends on what happens this weekend, and, of course, next year.
Seriously, the Mocs should be great next year. It really should be a magical year. The Mocs need to win big next year for Shulman. This has a chance to be the Mocs bestr year since 1996-97. And Shulman needs to capitalize on it.
HEAT-O-METER: 4.5. Shulman's seat heated up a little bit this month from a 3.5. The reason is that the Mocs went 3-5 during February, and they did not win the SoCon North title outright after having a huge lead. So Shulman's seat got just a little bit hotter than it was previously. It also did not help that the Mocs got killed by Wofford. But he's still reasonably cold. Of course, as I have said repeatedly, his hot seat is always a little cooler in my book. So he's cooler in my book than this. However, I will say I was as frustrated with Shulman as I have been all year after the Wofford game. The lone exception may have been just before the Appalachian State game. But I see no reason to get rid of him after this year. Absolutely none.
GO MOCS!
So where does that leave Coach Shulman? On a slightly hotter seat than before.
However, with the Mocs winding up 12-6 in SoCon play and tied for first in the SoCon North, there is really no way that Coach Shulman is going to be fired. He's going to be sticking around here, unless he leaves on his own. Shulman, even with a first round loss, will be here next year.
But Shulman can still be in a lot of trouble with the Mocs with a first round loss. Next year should be a special year for the Mocs and if things are not better next year than this year, then Shulman could start to feel a lot of heat, especially if there is not an NCAA bid at the end of the tunnel this year.
In other words, Shulman is completely safe for now. The talk should end about whether or not he should be gone this year, because it is a totally fruitless discussion at this point. The discussion can continue about where he will be next year, and a lot of that depends on what happens this weekend, and, of course, next year.
Seriously, the Mocs should be great next year. It really should be a magical year. The Mocs need to win big next year for Shulman. This has a chance to be the Mocs bestr year since 1996-97. And Shulman needs to capitalize on it.
HEAT-O-METER: 4.5. Shulman's seat heated up a little bit this month from a 3.5. The reason is that the Mocs went 3-5 during February, and they did not win the SoCon North title outright after having a huge lead. So Shulman's seat got just a little bit hotter than it was previously. It also did not help that the Mocs got killed by Wofford. But he's still reasonably cold. Of course, as I have said repeatedly, his hot seat is always a little cooler in my book. So he's cooler in my book than this. However, I will say I was as frustrated with Shulman as I have been all year after the Wofford game. The lone exception may have been just before the Appalachian State game. But I see no reason to get rid of him after this year. Absolutely none.
GO MOCS!
Three Point Play
1) The top half (or the afternoon half) and the bottom half (or the evening half) of the bracket are very similar. Five teams finished within two games of the best record in the SoCon. Of those five, two (Western Carolina and Wofford) are in the top half of the bracket, while three are in the bottom half. However, when the other two teams with winning SoCon records are included, the top half has four of the top seven, while the bottom half has just three. In fact, if you look at just the SoCon record, the top half has a 53-55 record, while the bottom half has a 55-53 SoCon record. If all the favorites win on Friday (Davidson, Appalachian State, Elon, and Furman), then the top half will have a 46-26 SoCon record by Saturday and the bottom half will have a 45-27 SoCon record. Yep- the top and bottom halves are pretty much dead even.
2) The North and South are fairly even. Yes, the South is better- there's no doubt about it. But preseason, people were saying that the second place team from the North would be lucky to have a better record than the fifth place team from the South. That just isn't true. The 4N actually has a better record than 5S. The biggest debate could be over who should get the byes, and Wofford and Charleston are obvious since they are 14-4. But of the three 12-6 teams, only two could get byes. Against the other four teams in contention for the byes, College of Charleston had the best record, at 5-2. Wofford was next at 4-3. Western Carolina went 3-3, Chattanooga 3-4, and Furman 2-5. Against the other two teams involved in the tie, Western Carolina went 2-1, Chattanooga 2-2, and Furman 1-2. So, it seems pretty clear that Furman should have been the odd team out in the bye race.
3) The thing that makes this tournament so interesting is that the top five teams were so tightly bunched, but also that there are two great X Factors in Davidson and Appalachian State. The Wildcats and the Mountaineers are both good teams capable of making big pushes in this tournament. They could possible win the whole thing if things line up right. The fact that Davidson is the hottest team at 8-1 in their last nine conference games and that Appalachian State has two of the most dangerous scorers in Donald Sims and Omar Carter is part of what makes this tournament so appealing. The X Factors this year are very dangerous.
2) The North and South are fairly even. Yes, the South is better- there's no doubt about it. But preseason, people were saying that the second place team from the North would be lucky to have a better record than the fifth place team from the South. That just isn't true. The 4N actually has a better record than 5S. The biggest debate could be over who should get the byes, and Wofford and Charleston are obvious since they are 14-4. But of the three 12-6 teams, only two could get byes. Against the other four teams in contention for the byes, College of Charleston had the best record, at 5-2. Wofford was next at 4-3. Western Carolina went 3-3, Chattanooga 3-4, and Furman 2-5. Against the other two teams involved in the tie, Western Carolina went 2-1, Chattanooga 2-2, and Furman 1-2. So, it seems pretty clear that Furman should have been the odd team out in the bye race.
3) The thing that makes this tournament so interesting is that the top five teams were so tightly bunched, but also that there are two great X Factors in Davidson and Appalachian State. The Wildcats and the Mountaineers are both good teams capable of making big pushes in this tournament. They could possible win the whole thing if things line up right. The fact that Davidson is the hottest team at 8-1 in their last nine conference games and that Appalachian State has two of the most dangerous scorers in Donald Sims and Omar Carter is part of what makes this tournament so appealing. The X Factors this year are very dangerous.
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