At the end of last season Pierre was at 349.

As you will see, he is down to about 300 right now. It shows.

Via rivals.yahoo.com Full Court Press

Pierre could be a nice weapon for Memphis this year. He has some hop in his step.

This from Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal

“He’s doing good,” Calipari said. “Can he sustain it? After a practice like he just had, where he looked like an animal the entire time and didn’t stop, does he go home and look in the mirror and say, ‘This makes me feel so good, I can’t wait for tomorrow.’ Or does he go back and say, ‘I can’t do this. This is crazy.’

Post from: EveryJoe

Pierre Henderson-Niles in the weight room

Shawn Taggert is Tyson Chandler with offensive skills. Tyreke Evans is, well, a 6′6 point guard who will be in the NBA in 2009. Robert Dozier is rock solid. Did I mention that Evans has a 7′3 wingspan?

And of course do include Pierre Henderson-Niles, who lost about 50 pounds during the summer. So from now on, Pierre, people are going to expect Robert “Tractor” Traylor types of things from you on the court—you know, like when Traylor was in college.

Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today

The 104 victories in three years tied an NCAA record, and if Memphis reaches 30 wins this season, seniors Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson will become the winningest players in NCAA history.

Getting to 30 won’t be easy. With Derek Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey in the NBA, Memphis lost 50% of its scoring, 45% of rebounding, 44% of assists and blocked shots and 41% of steals.

“Other than that, we’re good. We have everybody else coming back,” Calipari says, laughing.

Post from: EveryJoe

Memphis Tigers

September 30, 2008

Q.
“Frank Ben-Eze… Can he be a big factor for this year’s team? 15 + minutes/gm?”

A.
“I believe Frank will be able to help us out this year. Like any freshman, he will have to adjust, but he works extremely hard and has fit in very well here at Davidson.”

Q.
“Does Stephen basically play all 40 minutes for you guys this year?”

A.
“Haha, We have a pretty good team. Steph is very important, but we have some other guys too. Replacing Jason Richards will not be easy. Steph will play a lot of minutes, but we will be able to give him some breaks. We are very deep at the guard position.”

Q.
“Recruiting? What is different about how you guys assess players than other programs? How did you find Bryant Barr in Maine? Did he contact Davidson or was he a standout AAU player and you guys found him? What’s the deal with the Quebec players?”

A.
”We look for certain things when we recruit. Coach has been at this for a long time and he knows what fits down here. We were following Bryant for a long time. We watched him throughout the summer going into his senior year. We have 2 players from the same school in Montreal. They have been superbly coached. Coach Dangelas does a great job in preparing his players to compete at the division 1 level.”

Alright, I’m no Tom Brokaw, I admit it.

And speaking about Davidson basketball, please vote in the poll…

What will happen to Stephen Curry this year?

Or better yet, voice your opinion in the comment section. Heck, call me a bad poll questioner.

Go for it!

Post from: EveryJoe

Coach’s Corner

Not only did Mike Cook get a no go for another year of eligibility, but quality guards Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin graduated.

Everyone knows what to expect from tough minded Levance Fields, but what if Levance cannot shake the concerning foot injury suffered last year? Unheralded freshman Travon Woodall can’t be expected to help the team right the ship, maybe in a pinch, but it’s not likely because of the lack of experience and firepower at the two guard position. Ramon played the point sufficiently enough to keep the team from imploding. But there’s no Ramon type guy yet here. He might be on the roster, but no concrete evidence suggests that whoever it will be is ready now.

Optimistically they will have to look for JUCO transfer Jermaine Dixon to endear himself to defensive guru Jamie Dixon, not an easy task for a newcomer. Jermaine, younger brother of NBA’er Juan Dixon, put up 20ppg last year in junior college. But will he be the type of defender that Pitt can rely on? He will be sharing time with returning big guard Gilbert Brown, a high flyer who desperately needs to incorporate some kind of reliable jump shot to his repertoire.

A possible dark horse player to quell this two guard spot quandary could be sharp shooting freshman Ashton Gibbs. If he can provide outside shooting, it would allow Sam Young to be able to focus his efforts on scoring in the paint instead of relying on the three. Gibbs also provides some ball handling skills that would be vitally needed if Levance was to be hobbled for any substantial length of time.

Out of the returning players, Young attempted the most three’s last season. To some degree Young will have to be a threat, which he already is (38.3% 3pt in 07/08), but it would behoove the Panthers if Young can couple his talents with inside enforcer DeJuan Blair and virtually dominate points in the paint. But I’m not sure if Pitt can get away with Sam Young being hesitant to take a lot of threes. After all, the team is apt to take less threes than it did last year mostly because of the graduation of Ramon and Benjamin. The production will have to come from somewhere though. Come tourney time, the more hot shooters you have, the better.

The emergence of a competent fourth and fifth scorer will be something to keep an eye on early in the year as Pitt battles four overmatched opponents right out of the gate.

But an even more of a crescendo of concern rests at the spot opposite of terror DeJuan Blair.

Senior Tyrell Biggs is dependable, his 74 consecutive games played streak is proof he can be a consistent contributor. But can he be the prototypical role player needed to play alongside Blair? Both Blair and Biggs are about 6’8, so if Jamie Dixon wants to try a starting frontcourt of Young, Biggs and Blair, seemingly they would be very sound on the glass and on defense. But could a more athletic lineup of Young, Blair and SF (insert name here) be more suitable for offensive production?

Based on the matchups of a particular game, Jamie could even institute a lineup where Young is the two guard.

November 22 versus Indiana University (PA) would be an infallible opportunity to try any last experiments still rattling around in Jamie Dixon’s head.

Or maybe it’s just my head.

Post from: EveryJoe

Pitt’s Big Three and then…

His health is a prime concern right now. Will he be ready for the beginning of the season?

Looks as if the early season schedule will allow Pitt to take it slow with Fields.

Friday, Nov. 14
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Petersen Events Center
TBA

Monday, Nov. 17
MIAMI, Ohio
Petersen Events Center
TBA

Friday, Nov. 21
Legends Classic vs. AKRON
Petersen Events Center
TBA

Saturday, Nov. 22
Legends Classic vs. IUP
Petersen Events Center
TBA

Tuesday, Nov. 25
BELMONT
Petersen Events Center
TBA

Forward DeJuan Blair had an impressive rookie season last year, posting 11.6 ppg and 9.1 reb/gm.

Guy Junker and Jon Burton had the low-down on the seventh straight tourney appearance for the Panthers.

Post from: EveryJoe

Pitt Panthers highlights

They return four out of the top five scorers. The team is senior laden and coached by one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball, Mike Brey.

Notre Dame Basketball is a big deal.

A few reasons why they are not on UNC’s level, or even Oklahoma’s…

Very little new blood will be infused to this team this year, as no freshmen or new transfers of any kind are on the roster. Consequently the team is not what you would call deep, but the firepower to score and score often is more than there. Losing Rob Kurz’s 12.5 ppg and 7.1 reb is significant especially considering that production in the lineup isn’t necessarily guaranteed to be filled. Redshirt sophomore Carleton Scott seems like the logical replacement, not in terms of position, but in terms of minute distribution. Starting position wise, 6’10 senior Luke Zeller will compete with fellow senior, 6’9 Zach Hillesland, for the second front court position alongside reigning Big East player of the year Luke Harangody.

6’7 Ryan Ayers, yet another battle tested senior, will be hard pressed to improve his stellar 45% downtown clip, but all the while will be a big part of the outside barrage and should be a likely double digit scorer for this squad (it will be interesting to see if the three point line change will adversely affect the Irish).

Tyrone Nash could be the sleeper choice out of the remaining bit players. Just a small premonition.

Guards Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson complement each other as well as any duo in the country. Kyle is a lethal shooter (44.1% 3pt fg) and Tory is the ringleader, the caddie, the shutdown corner.

Tory must improve his outside shooting efficiency (38.6% fg in 07) to be considered a true all around player. His gaudy 1.8 steals/gm and 5.9 assists/gm make him a consistent jumper away from being NBA material.

I’ll tell you this, the Fighting Irish may not have a lot of depth beyond the seventh guy, but it’s a solid and hungry group that can score in a variety of ways and know the roles in which they must carry out.

Next year transfers Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin will be eligible to play, but with so many seniors departing, not to mention Harangody’s somewhat expected leap, the only chance to make serious noise is now.

Style over substance could be the theme that derails Notre Dame, but who doesn’t like scoring?

*Thanks to crackedsidewalks.com for having the Big East Prospectus easily available.

Post from: EveryJoe

Fighting Irish at #5

In front of him stand two very accomplished upper classmen guards who, while not gaudy or brass, do their jobs well within the system. And it’s a rather lengthy backcourt as well. Junior Austin Johnson, 6’3, and senior Tony Crocker, 6’6, both play within themselves and are fundamentally sound. Both are expected to play 30 plus minutes a game, but don’t necessarily need to put up scoring numbers excessively better than last year. Quality, not quantity, should be Tony and Austin’s aim. Though 4.6 assists/gm between the two could afford to improve.

Besides the anticipation of Warren, there are four other newcomers to the program, three of which are JC transfers. Head Coach Jeff Capel likes each one, but is really impressed with 6′6 forward/athlete Juan Pattillo

“Juan is a great athlete,” stressed Capel. “He plays hard, has a tremendous body, can play above the rim. He’s guy who you don’t give a position. He’s just a basketball player. He can affect the game in different ways with his ability to slash and his mid-range shot. He should be a really good offensive rebounder and he has a chance to be a really good defender who can match up at multiple positions.”

Another prime time Juco athlete, 6’8 Kyle Cannon, can really shoot the ball, but Capel is still cautious as to which position Kyle is best suited for.

“Kyle is a 6-8 skilled player. I wouldn’t label him as a post guy, necessarily. Like Juan, he’s just a basketball player. When healthy, he’s a good athlete. He just has a good feel for the game. He’s another guy who will give us flexibility. We could play him, Taylor and Blake together; him, Taylor and Ryan together. We’ll be able to do different things because of Kyle’s ability to step away from the basket and shoot, and because of his ability to pass.”

source

I’m not so sure OU fans are keen on Capel’s avoidance of issuing positions to these great athletes. It could be a ploy, one in which gives the opposition some hope that said newcomers aren’t bona fide skilled players, just hyper athletes who could eventually develop. I’ve heard plenty of times how a player has the ability to shoot the ball, yet can’t be fitted for a position. Usually there’s an underlying falsity about the player’s “strengths”, and while the potential is there, no concrete authentication should probably come about from a position less athlete. But on paper the Sooners garner much enthusiasm because of the depth, height and overall seasoning they seemingly exude.

I find the Sooners to be in a position very similar to the Tar Heels. A one year window of opportunity (of course UNC’s window has been agape a lot recently) to win the big one is certainly attainable, just based on the top five players alone.

It was close. If normalcy had persisted, neither team would even be in the discussion this year.

Post from: EveryJoe

Sooners at #4

Losing Drew Neitzel won’t be as catastrophic for the Spartans as it would be for quite a few other quality teams in the country. Izzo had some depth to work with last year and that allowed fellow guard Kalin Lucas, now a sophomore, to really gain a wealth of experience. As one of the fastest players in the country, Kalin often does not need anyone to accompany him on a fast break. He’s an up tempo player of the A grade variety. He can also shoot a little too (36% 3pt). Crafty defensive veteran Travis Walton also returns, as does sharp shooter Chris Allen and athletic do it all wing Durrell Summers. All of those guys finish in transition and bring intangibles to the table that every really good team must have.

Wing/forward Raymar Morgan is the most polished player on the team. He will certainly be asked to add to his 14ppg total of last year. If he can be a legitimate threat from downtown (just 33 attempts last season), there’s not much Raymar can’t do on offense. He’s solid. He needs to be more spectacular.

The obvious strength of the Spartans is the backcourt and wing position. It might be under the radar, but it’s budding for sure.

But what about the front court?

Don’t count on Tom Herzog or Idong Ibok to sufficiently replace departed senior Drew Naymick. Let’s not over blow Drew’s importance. Firstly, it took the once offensively challenged Naymick about 7 years to contribute and while it’s important to give credit where credit is due (Drew came a long way in that time and really played like a competent Big Ten big man his last two seasons), the Spartans will miss his defensive presence, but not much else. They can do better. But the question remains, can Gray, Ibok, and Herzog actually do it?

The upside on Herzog seems high still, but similar expectations were put on Marquise Gray, a 5 star recruit four years ago.

Gray has been a bust to say the least.

Gray has all the athletic attributes a player needs, but he doesn’t seem to yet be able to grasp Izzo’s concepts. He’ll have his shining moments for sure, although Izzo will likely remember the head scratching-hair pulling moments he’s endured because of Gray the most.

Izzo only a minute away from taking large, thick chunks of hair out his skull while pleading with Marquise Gray on why he fouled the other team 60 feet from the hoop

Herzog, if he has gained any more weight, should be good for more than 13 games at 5 minutes a pop. He has the reputation of being somewhat competent on the block, whereas Gray and Ibok do not, but Herzog does not possess the strength to stay on the block at this level yet. It’s apparent, just look at the numbers, Ibok played in 13 more games and gives you nothing on offense. The future sure looks shaky for Herzog.

Video from a couple of years ago-

As far as Ibok is concerned, heck, he’s on the books for just one more year. Ibok has shown an inconsistent work ethic and furthermore has instilled little to no confidence into Izzo. Ibok is not what you call a basketball player yet. He’s a project still in the developmental stage. But better yet, he already has his degree, so, he has something a lot of college basketball players will never obtain.

It’s imperative for the bench bigs to overachieve, if you will, since it’s a foregone conclusion that Goran Suton will look like Bill Walton one play and then an immobile Christian Laettner the next six.

Put Suton down for 10 and 8 and be done with it. Throw it aside. He is what he is. Serviceable.

Delvon Roe, while a stud in my view, may come along slower than expected because of his injury difficulties. But soon enough he should be starting along with Morgan and Suton up front. Those 3 complement each other very nicely. You got some flash and sizzle in there, some inside-outside flavor and some quality post action to count on as well.

Overall the team, on a national level, mind you, might not be considered top 5 caliber, but I see them as a formidable top 5 team. The pieces are in place to become elite, but when push comes to shove, the impressing play they will exude in the regular season will come to a sudden halt somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round of the tourney.

Unless freshman Draymond Green or junior Isaiah Dahlman, two, as of now, unlikely rotational players, have something in store to add to this team, like something significant, then the Spartans will be about one impact player short of a final four caliber team.

Thinking back a little, I’m tempted to proclaim that this might be the year the Spartans get back to that elite level. It would be the perfect year to do so.

Actually, kidding aside, it would be perfect this year.

The Final Four is in Michigan– Ford Field.

Think the Spartans wouldn’t be the favorites?

Ha.

I’d take em.

Post from: EveryJoe

MSU Spartans #3

They won’t be so jump shot laden and an important reason why will be the added role of Damion James. Damion will take and make his share of 3’s, but he can pile up the buckets in a variety of ways. He hits the offensive glass with a vengeance and his athleticism allows him to finish at the basket quicker than his usually slower opponents. His mid-range game is very polished, yet was often forgotten because of the volume of shots D.J. and A.J. heaved. If Damion can be that special inside force, then the perimeter will be free for the likes of Abrams and Atchley to do their thing. More touches for Mason will mean more quality opportunities for the gunners.

Dogus Balbay, a Turkish point guard, will have a heavy say in how fast this team gels. He’s feisty, and that’s a positive trait, but the knock on him is his less than desirable shooting stroke. However as far as the 08/09 Longhorn team is concerned, all Balbay needs to do is facilitate the offense, and if he can do that, the offensive weapons on this roster should be strong enough to give any team a run for their money.

ESPN college basketball guru Andy Katz

Texas
Despite losing point guard D.J. Augustin to the NBA draft, the remaining Longhorns make Texas a solid threat to advance to the NCAA tournament for the 11th straight season. A.J. Abrams returns after backing out of the draft and could play either guard position, depending on the development of Turkish point guard Dogus Balbay, who missed last season with a knee injury. Underrated guard Justin Mason is back, along with starting interior players Damion James and Connor Atchley from last season’s 31-7 team that advanced to the Elite Eight. With such a deep returning backcourt, incoming freshman guards Varez Ward and J’Covan Brown won’t get much initial playing time.

source

Many folks would rather see about a dozen or so different teams ranked higher than the Longhorns, but for the sake of the experience factor in college basketball, the Longhorns deserve to be ranked pretty high. They return 4 starters from an Elite 8 squad.

The national media might fall asleep on Texas just because Augustin is gone, but reason tells me Texas will benefit from the expanded roles many of the players will be forced into.

Post from: EveryJoe

Texas at #2

#1

Without the unparalleled presence of Tyler Hansbrough, this year’s UNC squad might just have fallen into the trap of entitlement.

Newscom

The players could easily look around and see that every one of the starters is back… plus the sixth man, notice that turnover machine Quentin Thomas graduated, feel comfort in Roy Williams’s oversight of each drill, meeting and walk through and really, habitually, know there’s a couple mindboggling good recruits fattening the depth even more in the interior and perimeter; so it’s all good.

Then the complacency sets in and ‘flip the switch’ therapy and psychology is circulated and digested from every fan and analyst alike.

Hopefully, if Tyler had left the program, his credence would have rubbed off on his teammates and nothing would have been taken for granted.

At least we know the answer now.

The top position is awarded to them simply by way of natural order. As many as 8 players on the current roster could lace them up in the NBA. Even if all of them end up playing like Brian Skinner, no one would have second guessed the tease.

Even if I didn’t think UNC was going all the way, I’d still have to put them in the #1 slot.

Did you not put the Celtics as the #1 team going in?

Post from: EveryJoe

Pre-Season Top 10