November 2001 - NCAA Basketball

November 12

Fordham (+7) at DePaul - 5:30pm Pacific
We had pretty good success playing the Rams last year. They were solid in the early going (5-1 with win over St. John's) before struggling down the stretch. This was due in part to senior guards Bevon Robin and Jason Harris dominating the flow of the team. Head coach Bob Hill did not recruit either of the guards himself and often did not see eye to eye with them. They have both now departed and this will be a better team without them. The other factor in last years struggles was several freshman getting important minutes in the 2nd half of the season. Hill had been pointing to this season and made sure the freshman last year got experience. Now is when that experience will pay off. In fact there are 7 sophomores on this roster in all. Versatile swingman Michael Haynes became eligible the 2nd half of the season last year and showed flashes of brilliance but never was able to put it all together. Big things are expected of him this season and he led the team in scoring in recent exhibition game. The other key sophomore returnee is big man Jeff McMillian who averaged 10.0ppg & 7.8rpg last year. McMillian is big and athletic and outplayed some very good players as a freshman last year despite missing some time with injury. Newcomer guards Smush Parker (JC transfer) and Adrian Walton (once outscored Vince Carter in New York summer league) promise some excitement in the backcourt. All in all, Fordham has 10 players with upside who will make significant contributions this year. Hill is ecstatic to finally have the athleticism and depth needed to play his preferred uptempo style. 

DePaul finished last season 12-18 overall and just 4-12 in C-USA play. From that team they lose two NBA draft picks which were also their two leading scorers Bobby Simmons (also led team in minutes and rebounds) and Steve Hunter. This will be the least talented team that Pat Kennedy has had at Depaul in his 4 years here and he has a .475 win percentage here. They are unable to play on their usual homecourt tonight due to a scheduling conflict. The Blue Demons were ugly last year when they had a go-to player in Simmons. It is going to take some time for players on this team to step up and adjust to their new required roles. DePaul's poor discipline (not known for their defense) and questionable shot selection should play right into the hands of Fordham's quick placed style.

This is a key game and a key season for the Bob Hill era. He has done a terrific job upgrading the talent level here. Now it is time to show it off. Fans have anxiously awaited the start of this season and many are already looking forward to a potential 2nd round matchup at Syracuse. That is how high they are on this team. They definitely have the ability to turn the corner this year and a coach who knows how to win. The Rams serve the A-10 notice with a mild upset here. Fordham  1 UNIT

November 13

Wyoming (+6.5) at USC - 6:00pm Pacific
The Cowboys have averaged 19 wins a season the last four years and this years version is by far their best in some time. They are loaded with all 5 starters back and 8 of their top 9 scorers from last years 20 win team. They also have some good looking newcomers to add to the mix as well. Few teams in the country will be able to match Wyoming player for player down low. 6-9 senior Ugo Udezue averaged 20.0ppg as a sophomore and then blew out his knee to start his junior season, last year he did not even make the starting lineup, but has worked hard all summer and coaches are calling for his resurgence this year. He has looked sharp in the preseason. 6-10 junior Uche Nsonwu-Amadi is actually a distant cousin of Udezue and was voted MWC newcomer of the year last year averaging 11.7ppg & 8.4rpg while leading the conference in field goal percentage. 6-8 senior Josh Davis (13.5ppg & 9.4rpg last year) has simply been 1st team all conference two straight years and is a threat both inside and out. 6-9 senior Ronell Mingo (6.6ppg, 4.1rpg last year) rounds out an impressive foursome. He had an up and down season last year after transferring from JC but has bulked up and should be more consistent this time around. These guys are experienced, big, strong, and good. 

In the backcourt, the Cowboys have another 1st team all conference performer in junior swingman Marcus Bailey (led team with 17.4ppg as a sophomore) who can do it all. Point guard duties fall into the hands of freshman Jason Straight who scored 29.8ppg at Chicago's famed Dunbar High School and is considered a top 75 recruit. He has played well in both exhibition games and won the starting job from JC all-American Donta Richardson who will provide nice support at both guard spots. 

USC is coming off their exciting run to the elite 8 last year where they lost to eventual national champion Duke. As well as USC finished last year, it is still hard to ignore their shortcomings. They had one of the thinnest teams in the country last year rarely playing more than 6 or 7 players with the starters playing almost the entire game vs quality opponents. The team lost 7 of 13 midway through the season and head coach Bibby often had discipline issues with his players. This year things have not changed much as the Trojans again appear very thin and will rely heavily on three seniors. Meanwhile, starters Clancy and Bluthenthal have already been suspended once in the teams last exhibition game. Bluthenthal also did not start in the teams first exhibition because "he was not playing hard enough in practice". The expectations have been raised for this team and I do not know if they are ready to meet the challenge. Three key players are gone from last year. Trepangnier and Scalabrine (both in the NBA now) were the heart and soul of the team last year in my opinion. Jarvis Turner was an emotional leader off the bench and will also be missed. These guys will be difficult to replace. USC is no longer the "hunter", they are now the "hunted", and I expect them to struggle for a while in that new role.

Head coach Steve McClain is considered one of the up and coming young coaches in the game. His teams are usually very high scoring, but this year he brought in assistant coach Heath Schroyer from BYU who is a defensive specialist. The team has reportedly been playing "nasty" defense in the two exhibition games. They certainly have the personnel and depth to be a good defensive team. After being snubbed from the NCAA tournament last year, this is one hungry Wyoming team. They played well on the road vs two SEC teams last year, have loads of returning experience, and are a senior dominated team. The Cowboys superior depth will be critical here. It is Wyoming's turn for a special season and it begins tonight with rare before midnight TV appearance. USC will have to play great just to compete. Take the points. Wyoming 1 UNIT

November 16

Florida State (+18) at Florida - 4:00pm Pacific
The Seminoles are going to surprise people this year. For the first time in Steve Robinson's tenure he will be coaching only his own recruits. It is a do or die season for Robinson, but he has every reason to be optimistic. Only one player has departed from last years team that was much better than their 9-21 record indicates. They were able to beat 4 ACC teams, which is no easy task, including tournament bound Georgia Tech and final four participant Maryland in College Park. Nine of their losses last year were by 6 points or less including three in overtime. The Seminoles will be led by one of the better point guards in the country in 5th year senior Delvon Arrington who will be the schools all time assist leader barring injury this year. Athletic seniors Antwuan Dixon and Monte Cummings will man the wings. Both are primed for big senior seasons. Talented sophomore Michael Joiner (ACC all-rookie team last year) will be at forward with huge junior Nigel "Big Jelly" Dixon who Robinson calls "a completely new player" at center. Dixon recorded a double double in the teams last exhibition game and has reportedly trimmed down considerably and ready to be a force. He is a LOAD to handle down low with NBA type potential if he can put it all together. The starting lineup is promising but the bench does not drop off. 6-8 forward (McDonald's all-American) Anthony Richardson did gain his eligibility and will be one of the first players off the bench. Sophomore two guard J.D. Bracy (partial qualifier) is a prolific scorer who sat out last season but has received rave reviews in scrimmages. 6-10 Mike Matthews saw time as a starter last year and is very solid at power forward or center. Two or three others are able to contribute as well. This team is as deep and athletic as any in the country, including the Gators.

Florida is coming off a trip in NY where they went 1-1 and did not look very overpowering. They have the advantage of already having a few games under their belts but Florida State has the advantage of being able to better scout them. Florida State has three senior backcourt starters and 6 players in all who have starting experience in ACC games which should allow them to keep their composure here. These rivals know each other well and I am looking for a competitive game here as the Seminoles make a little splash on the hardwood this year. Too many points. Florida State  1 UNIT

Seton Hall (pick) at San Francisco - 7:00pm Pacific
I am high on this Seton Hall team. Last year they may have had too much talent as not even Tommy Amaker could keep everyone happy or get the team to play with any inspiration. Now they should be ready to do just the opposite and overachieve. Sophomore point guard Michael Barrett and senior off guard Darius Lane will have the spotlight on them. They should have no trouble handling it. Both are probably in the top 15 in the country at their respective positions and as a combination should wreak havoc on opposing teams. New head coach Louis Orr was a front court stalwart himself at Syracuse so you can expect him to get the returning big men to improve. 6-10 senior Charles Manga started as a freshman and then has more or less disappeared the last two years as Dalembert and Griffin dominated playing time. Now he gets another chance and appears ready for the opportunity as he has been named team captain. He and fellow returnee forward Greg Morton are known for their blue collar defense and rebounding which is really all the team needs from them. Athletic sophomore Marcus Toney-El is solid at small forward. The bench includes experienced senior guard Ty Shine who would be a starter on most teams and freshman forward John Allen who is a 2nd team Parade HS All-American who can score inside. 

USF has a formidable duo in forward Darrell Tucker and shotblocking center Hondre Brewer but not much else. If those two can be neutralized by Manga and Morton, who spent last year battling Dalembert and Griffin (both now in NBA) in practice, this will be a long night for the Dons. They do not have anyone who can match up with the speed of point guard Barrett who has looked sensational in the exhibition season averaging 27ppg, or the size and strength of Lane who simply does it all. Look for the Pirates to get an important win here to start the Orr era before heading to Maui and facing the likes of UCLA, Kansas, and Duke. Orr won 20 games with Siena last year. Guards get it done tonight. Seton Hall  1 UNIT

Northern Iowa vs San Diego State (-8) (at Texas Tech) - 7:15pm Pacific
This line has already moved a point and a half, but I still do not think the 8 points is enough to compensate the difference in these two teams. The Aztecs stock is skyrocketing right now. They improved from 5 wins in 1999-00, to 14 wins last year and have all important ingredients back from last years team, all with much needed added experience. That is only part of the good news. Steve Fisher adds guard Tony Bland, a starter at Syracuse two years ago, forward Brandon Smith, a starter at Michigan last year (made trip, but doubtful tonight), and 6-9/230 JC all-American Mike Mackell who is expected to start at center immediately. The only question left how to distribute playing time. Forward Rodney Holcomb stepped in last year from the JC ranks and made an instant splash leading the team with a 15.9ppg average but should be even better with a year under his belt. Vanderbilt transfer Deandre Moore did a solid job running the point and should also be better this year. Senior Myron Epps has started his entire career and averaged double figures last year. 6-8 sophomore Aerick Sanders carries much promise after raising his level of play in practices and exhibitions this year. Another sophomore Chris Walton (another son of Bill) is also in the mix.

Northern Iowa has very few bright spots other than the return of senior guard Robbie Sieverding who was the teams leading scorer two years ago before injury last year. He is undersized, will have to shake off the rust, and cannot keep his team in games by himself. UNI finished last year 7-24 and with an RPI of 248. Their inexperience and lack of size & talent will not allow them to hang around too long here as they continue to rebuild for at least another season. Expectations are sky high for SDSU basketball but maybe not even be high enough. That is how much potential they have and Steve Fisher is a proven winner. The team and program are still very hungry after years of poor results. They win this by double digits and set up a matchup with Bobby Knight in championship round. Talent and depth the key. San Diego State 1 UNIT

November 17

Stanford at New Mexico (+5) - 5:00pm Pacific
Guards dominate early in the season and I do not think there is any team in the country who can match the Lobos one to five in perimeter player talent. It starts with point guard Marlon Palmer (11.6ppg, 4.0rpg, 5.4apg last year as a sophomore) who does a little bit of everything. He is very quick and head coach Fraschilla thinks he will turn into one of the better point guards in the country before his career is done. Senior Eric Chatfield came on the scene last year after transfering from JC and was an absolute stud averaging 19.2ppg the first half of the season. He suffered through some injuries and illness down the stretch and finished the season with just a 12.9ppg average. He is also considered the teams best defender and should have an even better senior year. Arizona transfer Ruben Douglas is another very talented player who in his first year here led the team in scoring at 16.3ppg and was 2nd in rebounding at 5.3rpg. These three now all have played together for a full season and will continue to improve. Senior Tim Lightfoot is quick and an excellent 3-point shooter that provides a nice spark off the bench. Rounding out the 5 I spoke about is Washington transfer Senque Carey who was well on his way to becoming one of the Pac-10's best point guards before transfering. Carey has size and is another multi-talented player. Similar to Seton Hall, the Lobos do not need much scoring inside, but they need a defensive presence and they finally have just that with 7'0 JC transfer Moustapha Diagne who has won the starting center position depsite suffering from painful feet. Franschilla also has a nice mix of frontcourt reserves to plug in and play as he wishes. 

As is well documented, Stanford loses 4 starters from last years team. The bulk of the offense will be on the shoulders of Casey Jacobson. It will be interesting to see how he handles it with all of the defensive focus that will be on him this year. There are no Collins twins to dominate inside, and no quick point guard to set up his shots. Jacobson can shoot his team out of a game just as easy as he shoots them in. Both Jacobsen and new point guard Giovacchini are not known for their quickness or defensive prowess which should enable the New Mexico guards to hit on all cylinders. Stanford's best big man Curtis Borchardt is still recovering from foot injury and only started playing competively in October. He may not be all the way back yet and his minutes could be limited. Key power forward reserve Teyo Johnson is still with the football team which worsens their lack of depth inside. 

Mike Montgomery will be the first to tell you that The Pit is not where he would like to start this college season. When making this years schedule, he thought he would still have one of the Collins twins. The Lobos will be looking to get some payback from last years blowout loss in Palo Alto. In that game Stanford just overwhelmed them inside. They will not be able to do that this year. Jacobson will not be able to outscore New Mexico on his own. Everyone knows The Pit is one of the toughest places in the country to play at. New Mexico is looking for nothing less than an NCAA bid this year and a win here will go a long way. Mild upset. New Mexico  1 UNIT

Wisconsin at UNLV (-2.5) - 7:30pm Pacific
Charlie Spoonhour returns to coaching tonight after a two year absence. I am looking for his new Rebel team to get a win for him. Last season, UNLV was shook up by the NCAA investigation that cost head coach Billy Bayno his job and knocked them out of any postseason play, including their own conference tournament that they were hosting. The team really had nothing to play for and never recovered from it. Interim coach Max Good juggled lineups througout the remainder of the season but not much seemed to work. Center Kaspars Kambala had a particularly poor season. The team counted on him to take them to the next level against marquee opponents but he never did. He is now gone and it may be for the better as it opens up opportunities for other players. Junior Dalron Johnson is a talented 6-9 forward who will be the best player on the court tonight. Johnson (21 points in final exhibition game) has been moved from power forward to small forward where he will see the ball much more often and is sure to improve on last years 12.4ppg average. Highly touted transfer G/F Lou Kelly (16.5ppg coming off the bench in 2 exhibitions) is finally both healthy and eligible this year and is hungry for a big year after showing promising glimpses at the end of last season. JC all-American point guard Marcus Banks (18 points, 7 assists) will take over at point guard. Banks has been a starter from day one, is known as a leader, and will be a real difference maker. Another JC transfer Jamal Holden and holdover Omari Pearson will share time at center. Senior Chris Richardson starts at power forward and has looked strong. The team appears to have just the right mix of scorers and role players.

Wisconsin comes into this game with a new head coach and having to replace six players from last years team. Four of them were starters, and five of them were seniors. That is a lot to replace by any stretch. Players that were role players last year will be counted on as go-to players. Three of their newcomers are not with the team due to injuries which leaves them with only 8 scholarship players available. Holdovers Travon Davis, Kirk Penney, Charlie Wills, and Dave Mader combined to score 18.7ppg last year and all four will be starting. There is not much depth and very little experience. Defensive stalwarts Kelley and Kowske who gave opponents so many fits are gone. I just do not see this team being able to have much success right now. Rebels win their home opener for Spoon. UNLV  1 UNIT

November 18

Indiana (+1) at Charlotte - 4:30pm Pacific
The Hoosiers have the look of a very solid basketball team. They finished last season 21-13 and #11 in the country in FG % defense at .394. They earned a #4 seed in the NCAA tournament, but lost in the first round to Kent State, partly due to an ankle injury to their best shooter Kyle Hornsby. With only one starter gone from last years team, Indiana is in good shape again. Hornsby is back and healthy, along with returning starting guards Tom Coverdale and Dane Fife. This gives them a trio of experienced, gritty, upperclassmen guards that possess all of the intangibles for winning. Super sophomore Jared Jeffries should emerge as all-Big 10 caliber this season after averaging 13.8ppg & 6.9rpg as a freshman last year. Rounding out the starting five is junior Jeff Newton who is said to be playing with a lot more heart this year. Newton has 104 blocks in two seasons despite limited playing time. He will not be easy to deal with for opponents this year. Reserves include 6-11 sophomore George Leach, freshman point guard Donald Perry, sophomore guard A.J. Moye, and senior banger Jarrad Odle. 

Charlotte loses 3 starters and 4 of their top 7 scorers from last season, including Rodney White to the NBA. The 49ers will depend heavily on their starting backcourt of Demon Brown and Jobey Thomas this year (scored 34 of 65 points in opener). Both can be great on a given night but are largely inconsistent and this year will not have anyone to pick up the slack for them when they are off their game. On the frontline, the 49ers will rely on senior center Cam Stephens, however he has missed both exhibition games and the season opener on Friday due to a groin injury and disciplinary issues. My source tells me he will not start today and may see only 20-25 minutes. It is anyone's guess how effective he will be. Without Stephens at 100%, the 49ers suffer a big drop-off inside. The remaining players lack both talent and experience. In their season opener, Charlotte trailed Davidson most of the first half and won by just 14 despite Davidson shooting just 27% for the game. Fans agreed that if Charlotte played the same way against Indiana it would be a long night. 

Indiana won by 4 last year in Bloomington. The Hoosiers return 57 of their 76 points from that game, while Charlotte returns just 31 of their 72. Mike Davis gets his first win without the "interim" label. Indiana  1 UNIT

November 19

George Washington at Texas A&M (-4) - 5:00pm Pacific
The Aggies should finally be a much improved basketball team this year. The last two seasons A&M has been severely hurt by injuries and have seen new players come and go like a merry-go-round. The results have been ugly. This year the team is finally healthy and features 9 players who have been around at least a year. Junior guard Bernard King averaged 18.0ppg & 4.8apg last year and this year finally has a solid supporting cast around him. He should have a big year again not only scoring but also being able to make others better (recorded 8 assists in final exhibition game). Last years starting point guard Jamaal Gilchrist disappointed badly after a promising freshman year. He suffered through a horrendous shooting slump and quit the team at the end of the season. JC transfer Michael Gardener is set to take over at the point and has looked good in the preseason. Senior Andy Leatherman and JC transfer Bradley Jackson provide nice depth in the backcourt. Meanwhile, the Aggie frontcourt is loaded. Tomas Ress & Andy Slocum are both 6'11 centers who redshirted last year with injuries. Both are now back giving A&M great size and a nice 1-2 punch at center. Sophomore Nick Anderson was a top recruit last year and finished 2nd on the team with a 10.3ppg average as a freshman. Junior forward Keith Bean transfered from NC State and last year was forced to play out of position at center. He will move to his natrual power forward spot this year. Both of these guys are quality players. Sophomore Jesse King and junior Larry Scott have experience and provide solid depth. 

GW comes into this year losing head coach Tommy Penders and 5 key performers (4 starters) that accounted for 47ppg, 23rpg, and 9apg last year. That is a lot to try to replace this early in the season. The Colonials do return a nice player in Chris Monroe (18.1ppg last year), but his two best teammates are both freshman (PG Thompson & F Forchion). No one can convince me that the Colonials should not be 0-2. They trailed Marshall by 18 at halftime in their season opener. After scoring 53 points in the first half, the Thundering Herd self destructed and only managed 11 points in the entire 2nd half! They still only lost by 5. In their next game, GW was waxed by Western Kentucky 73-48. They only have two days inbetween those back to back games and this one which leaves them with little time to rest and prepare and further lessens their chances.

It is a critical season for head coach Melvin Watkins who is now in his fourth season here. I feel he has enough quality talent and depth to at least post a winning record this season. A&M has an impressive new arena that opened a few years back and everyone is waiting for this progran to have some success. This should be the year that they begin to turn the corner. A win on opening night is imperative. GW beat A&M by 20 last year at GW. That was an A&M team breaking in too many new players and battling injuries and was against a much more talented GW team. With the shoe on the other foot this year they will look to turn the tables and seek revenge. Aggies win this convincingly. Texas A&M  1 UNIT

November 20

Texas Tech at SMU (-3) - 5:30pm Pacific
With senior guard Damon Hancock (16.7ppg last year, 22.5ppg in just 26.5 minutes per game through 2 games) and junior swingman Quinton Ross (14.2ppg last year, 19.2ppg through 2 games, 7-for-10 from 3 point range) few teams have two more polished scorers to start the season with. I have said how I like experienced guards early in the season and these two are both very good. Well touted 6-9 true freshman Patrick Simpson is starting at power forward and looks to have stepped up as a third option with 10.0ppg and 6rpg through the first two games. Junior forwards Kris Lowe and Jibran Kelley played key minutes last year and are looking to step up their games with increased roles. Head coach Mike Dement has a plethora of options at center. 6-11 senior Jon Forinash, 6-9 senior Mike Niemi, and 6-10 junior Nigel Smith can all take up space and provide defensive presence. 6-8/250 freshman Eric Castro has also been in the rotation averaging 11.0 minutes per game. Depth will not be an issue and the competition for playing time has made everyone better. 

I was not too impressed by Texas Tech in their first two games. They went 2-0 winning a 4 team tournament that they hosted. They beat a very bad William & Mary team by 20 in their opener. William & Mary than lost to a bad Northern Iowa team by 21 in the consolation game. In the final, Tech beat SDSU by 10 in a game that afterwards the Aztecs really felt they should have won. Texas Tech grabbed 24 offensive boards and shot 15 more free throws than the Aztecs. SDSU did not reach the double bonus in either half. I do not believe they will have the same kind of advantages tonight. Tech only has 4 players who were on the team last year, and they could struggle in their first true road game of the season.

SMU has won 39 games the last two years and it could have been a lot more. Texas Tech has only won 21 the past two seasons. Mike Dement is doing a great job here. He has a solid nucleus of returnees to build around. Expect him to mold this team into a WAC contender. With Bobby Knight in town, fans and players will be fired up. The Mustangs can be very tough at home when the crowd is involved. I feel SMU should be about a 6-8 point favorite at home tonight. Giving three is a nice value. Knight gets his first loss at Tech. SMU  1 UNIT

November 23

Wake Forest (+2.5) vs Syracuse - 6:30pm Pacific @ MSG
I was one of the many who said "finally!" after head coach Dave Odom left for South Carolina last year. Odom's win percentage was good but he had too many underachieving players and teams. One of Wake's big problems in recent years was lack of a true point guard. This year senior Broderick Hicks looks like an entirely different player. He is bringing leadership and stability to the point guard position contributing a solid 8.3ppg and 4.0apg. This has taken Wake to a whole new level. Joining Hicks in the starting lineup are 4 ACC battle experienced veterans. Senior forward Craig Dawson (15.0ppg, 15 3 pointers in 4 games), senior forward/center Darius Songalia (17.7ppg, 8.7rpg), senior forward Antwan Scott (9ppg, 6rpg), and junior swingman Josh Howard (14.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 13 steals through 4 games.) Four other players are getting double digit minutes giving the team plenty of depth. Wake boasts 4 senior starters and 7 of the top 9 are upperclassmen. 

Of the 4 teams here at the NIT semifinals, I thought Syracuse deserved to be here the least. The Orangemen won two home games against a poor Manhattan team and a below average DePaul team. They took advantage of an inexperienced Michigan State team in the first round here on Wednesday. The Spartans (missing 4 starters and 6 of top 8 players from last year) were playing their first game away from home and it showed. The Orangemen scored 32 points off of 26 Michigan State turnovers. Syracuse also notched 13 offensive rebounds, something that you do not usually see against MSU. With all of that, it was still a tie game with 4:00 left before Syracuse went on a decisive run to close the game. 

Meanwhile, Wake was the only one of the four teams left in the Preseason NIT to win on the road. A high quality win it was at Arkansas in a game they led throughout. The Deacons have also already notched two last second wins which shows their resolve and character. I really believe Wake has the right personnel to match up with Syracuse. Josh Howard is one of the better defenders in the country and will probably match up with Orangemen leading scorer Shumpert. Furthermore, Wake should have no problem shooting over the zone. Love taking the ACC in non-conference games. Wake Forest  1 UNIT

November 24

Arizona State (+4) at BYU - 3:00pm Pacific
I am very high on this Arizona State team. They go no less than 11 deep with quality players. We will be getting some added value here as they are coming off a fluke overtime home loss to Portland State in last game. It is a make or break season for 3rd year head coach Rob Evans who is just one game over .500 at ASU. I believe he will have his team fired up and ready to go here following the embarrassing loss. In that game the Sun Devils led 19-4 before senior F/C Chad Prewitt (21 points in season opener) left the game with a hyper extended knee. That really seemed to take the energy out of the team and turned the game around. Prewitt is questionable for today's game but I believe they will have no problem winning this without him because of their depth. ASU returns 4 starters and 8 of their top 9 scorers from last years team. Newcomers are also making an impact. JC transfer two guard Curtis Millage is called "explosive" and is leading the team in scoring (13.5ppg) and minutes (29.0) after two games. Guard Kenny Crandall played 28 minutes a game as a freshman three years ago before embarking on a Mormon mission and is now back in the mix (11 minutes per game). Freshman guard Jason Braxton is third on the team at 23 minutes per game. ASU has been primarily freshman and sophomores in recent years, now they are primarily upperclassmen. In addition to experience, coach Rob Evans finally has the depth that he has always wanted and needed to play his preferred attacking defense. He actually has more interchangeable parts with this team than any other coach or team I can think of in the country. The Sun Devils earned a rare A- for bench and depth from Blue Ribbon. Forwards Donnell Knight, Chad Prewitt, Shawn Redhage, Tommy Smith, and Awvee Storey all averaged close to double figures last year. All except for perhaps Redhage have a chance to be standouts this year.

BYU loses 5 key players from last year including 4 starters, 3 of which were by far their best players: Terrell Lyday (16.4ppg), Trent Whiting (14.2ppg) & Mikeli Wesley (17.2ppg, led team in rebounding). They then suffered a blow in the offseason when guard Michael Vranes could not fully recover from a foot injury. Vranes was a two year starter who missed last year and could have given them a big boost. Forward Mark Bigelow is back from a 2 year mission but has lost weight and will need several weeks to "get his legs back". He only played 23 minutes in the opener and scored 9 points. The Cougars were able to beat a depleted San Diego University team in their season opener as junior Travis Hansen (5.5ppg last year) erupted for a career high 21 points. USD starting 5 shot just 27.0% from the field, the team missed 16 free throws, and only lost by 11. BYU will have its hands full against a much higher quality opponent tonight.

Last year in Tempe, ASU pounded BYU 80-52. They led by as much as 44 in the 2nd half. While the Sun Devils look to be much improved this year, BYU clearly has much less talent than last year. Sun Devils might not win by 28 this year, but their superior talent, experience, and depth will again prove to be too much for the Cougars. Arizona State  2 UNITS 

Virginia Tech (+3.5) at Old Dominion - 4:35pm Pacific
The Hokies are coming off a disaster season which was their first in the Big East. Just about everything that could go wrong did. Leading returning scorer Dennis Mims became ineligible right at the start of the season. Two key transfers were ineligible for the first 7 games. The teams only quality returnee Brian Chase suffered a broken foot injury and then a wrist injury that forced him to wear a cast on his shooting wrist for most of the season. This year look for them to give a much more respectable showing. Va Tech returns all five of its starters from last year, its top 7 scorers in all, and adds pair of key newcomers who are already making an impact. Of the five starters last year, only junior Brian Chase had been on the roster the prior year. G/F Bryant Matthews and G/F Carlos Dixon were freshman last year. Center Carlton Carter (Colorado) and power forward Mibindo Dongo (JC) both had just transferred into the program. With all of the newcomers, injuries, and eligibility issues, some growing pains were to be expected. This year however, things are looking much better. Newcomer JC transfer center Terry Taylor has made a big splash already with a team leading 17.5ppg and 10.0rpg through 2 games. This guy is reportedly the real deal. Meanwhile, another JC transfer Eric Branham who was penciled in to start at point guard is recovering from a preseason injury and saw his first action in last game vs Rhode Island, playing 10 minutes. Look for him to get more and more playing time as the season progresses. Guard Brian Chase (12.9ppg last year) is 100% healthy and cast free. Carter (12.0ppg, 8.0rpg through 2 games) and Dixon (16.0ppg, 7.0apg, 5.0rpg through 2 games) are poised for breakout seasons. Nine players are averaging double digit minutes and six players are averaging 8.5ppg or better. 

Old Dominion returns 3 starters from a 13-18 team of a year ago. However the two losses were key as they included their leading scorer and top two rebounders. They appear to lack toughness inside which does not bode well against a Hokie frontline that features 6-8/280 Taylor, 6-11/205 Carter, and 6-9/245 Dongo. In their last game vs Rhode Island, Virginia Tech dominated inside. The Hokies outrebounded the Rams 45-19 and outscored them 50-28 in the paint. It really does not look like ODU will be able to do much better with their leading rebounder Ricardo Marsh listed at 6-7. The Monarchs were blasted by Memphis in last game 91-66 and only shot 32% from the field. They are picked to finish 6th in the Colonial conference this year.

The Hokies have looked like every bit of an improved team so far. This game is being played in Norfolk, VA at the Scope Arena, not at the ODU field house where most Monarch home games are played. That should be an advantage for Tech. The Hokies struggled on the road last year, but that was due in large part to a very tough Big East conference. With all that experience under their belts and everyone back they should enjoy much more success this year. It is imperative for third year head coach Ricky Stokes' team to make strides this year. Look for them to pass their first real test with flying colors. Take the points. Virginia Tech  1 UNIT

November 28

BYU at UC Santa Barbara (-4) - 7:00pm Pacific
The Gauchos served notice last year with a strong finish down the stretch. At one point they won 8 of 9 games including road wins at Pacific and Long Beach State. This year expect for them to do more than just serve notice. They return all 5 starters from last year and add senior center Adama Ndiaye who missed all of last year with a broken foot. Sophomore Branduinn Fullove was a Big West all freshman team pick last year and has taken over as the teams leading scorer this year at 18.3ppg while chipping in 5.3 rebounds. Junior forward Mark Hull (2nd team Big West last year) is next with 14.0ppg & 6.7rpg. Senior F/C Mike Vukovich (2nd team Big West last year) has been plagued with foul trouble in all three games limiting his minutes to just 14.3 per game. Coaches are expecting a breakout game from him soon. Point guard Jacoby Atako has played well against two very good point guards in last two games and sophomore Nick Jones was another Big West all-freshman team pick last year. Meanwhile, the return of Ndiaye (10.7rpg in 3 contests) has meant wonders for UCSB rebounding. The Gauchos out rebounded both USF and USC, two teams with very strong and athletic inside players, in their last two games. Not only did they outrebound USF, but they crushed the Dons on their own homecourt 69-49. On Monday they played very well at USC as well. They opened up a double digit first half lead on the Trojans and led by as much as 8 in the 2nd half. The game was much closer than the 11 point final margin. 

Last time out BYU turned a 3 point game with 2 minutes left into a 12 point win over Arizona State. The Cougars outrebounded the Sun Devils 42-26. ASU continued their poor play in their next game, struggling to beat UC Riverside by just 9 points. A player quit the team after the game so something is evidently wrong right now with ASU. BYU has beaten UCSB two consecutive years, by 9 here in 1999, and by 14 in Provo last year. This year BYU is far less talented and lacks depth. USCB head coach Bob Williams is relishing this opportunity to get a big name non-conference opponent at the Thunder Dome with his team playing so well right now. Gauchos turn the tables on BYU this year and win this convincingly. UC Santa Barabara  1 UNIT

November Recap

Disappointing start to the season for us.  Had a few tough losses (Va Tech, Florida State, Fordham) but generally just was not in a "groove" to start the year.  Season record to date: 6-8, -3.9 UNITS.