Siena head coach Fran McCaffery, right, and his son, Jonathan celebrate Siena's third consecutive title in the MAAC. (AP)
»Hoping to play: Clemson, Kansas State, Virginia Tech
»Record: 26-5, 11-3 West Coast
»Probably: a 10-seed
»KenPom ranking: 51
»RPI: 43
»Most recent tournament history (six total appearances):
-2008 (10-seed): L first round to Miami (FL), 78-64.
-2005 (10-seed): L first round to Southern Illinois, 65-56.
Well, it had to happen sometime, right? After reaching the semifinals of the West Coast Conference every year since Randy Bennett became the coach in 2001, the Gaels finally got a conference tournament win under the now-hot coaching prospect, their first WCC conference crown since 1997. I hadn’t seen Saint Mary’s look as dominant as they did last night. Part of it was just the hot shooting and all, but after six straight losses, the Gaels finally got Gonzaga’s goat. That wasn’t a win; that was an exorcism.
Player to know: It’s Omar Samhan. Many think he, and not Gonzaga’s Matt Bouldin, should have won the WCC Player of the Year award. He’s a monster to handle down low and should give SMC a chance against every opponent they play. There aren’t five guys who can handle Samhan when he’s playing to his potential, which hasn’t happened consistently enough for SMC fans this year.
»Hoping to play: Northern Iowa, UNLV
»Record: 26-8, 15-3 Colonial Athletic Association
»Probably: a 9-seed
»KenPom ranking: 34
»RPI: 33
»Most recent tournament history (10 total appearances):
-2007 (12-seed): L first round to Butler, 57-46.
-2005 (12-seed): L first round to Michigan State, 89-81.
The Monarchs picked up their fifth conference title last night by holding off good ol’ Bill & Mary in the CAA title game, 60-53. The low-scoring affair was nothing new for ODU; it did the same thing against the Tribe as it has done for the majority of the season. Nobody from the CAA played better defense than these guys. Fifty-seven points per game allowed. Less than 30 percent beyond the 3-point line. Held opponents to 40 percent from the field. Whichever team draws the Monarchs in the first round is going to let out quite the audible groan. Get ready for a street fight, because this team will beat you the Wisconsin way. In fact, though it wouldn’t be the best television watch, we’d love it if, somehow, the Badgers and Monarchs managed to meet up later this month. The hardwood equivalent to a pitcher’s duel.
Player to know: Gerald Lee puts up 15 points per game in an offense that doesn’t need him to do so in order to be proficient. Like a lot of mid-majors, ODU is a sum-is-greater-than-the-parts type of team. Four guys in the starting lineup contribute to five top-10 categories in the CAA. But Lee’s name will be the one getting the most ink on opposing teams’ scouting reports.
»Hoping to play: Temple, Marquette, Vanderbilt
»Record: 27-6, 17-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic
»Probably: a 11-seed
»KenPom ranking: 60
»RPI: 37
»Most recent tournament history (six total appearances):
-2009 (9-seed): W first round over Ohio State, 74-72 (OT); L second round to No. 1 Louisville, 79-72.
-2008 (13-seed): W first round over Vanderbilt, 83-62; L second round to No. 4 Villanova, 84-72.
What a game last night, huh? That was Championship Week: encapsulated. For whatever reason, the MAAC title game is always must-see, and lately it’s been all Siena. It looked like the Saints were certainly going to fall, but it’s now the third straight season they will be playing in the NCAAs, and they’ve won their first-round game the past two seasons. Alex Franklin, I heard (on the radio) was vital. Didn’t get to a television until this one was in overtime, and by then, Franklin andRyan Rossiter gave Siena a four-point cushion that Fairfield couldn’t overcome during free basketball.
If you want to get on the Saints’ bandwagon again this year (no team was more chic-y in ’09 than these guys), beware. Every tournament team Siena played in 2009-10 it lost against. But if you want to take the flip side of that, consider Davidson in 2008. That season, the Wildcats played against just as many tournament goers – and lost to every single one. How did they respond? By letting Stephen Curry’s hot hand lead them to the Elite Eight. Siena has no shooter like Curry, but it’s got a better composite five than Davidson had that season.
Player to know: Man, maybe the toughest team of all for this part. Alex Franklin won the Player of the Year in the MAAC, but Ronald Moore, Ryan Rossiter and Edwin Ubiles made the MAAC All-Tournament team. We’re going to go with Ubiles, a 6-6 senior, who many consider to be the take-it-over guy when Siena needs it most. But Siena’s starting five is as versatile and capable as just about any group in the country. That’s no joke, folks.
»Hoping to play: Syracuse, West Virginia
»Record: 26-8, 15-3 Southern
»Probably: a 15-seed
»KenPom ranking: 89
»RPI: 73
»Most recent tournament history: none
Each year, seemingly, we get another program that’s dipping its toe (well, diving head first is more like it) into the tournament pool for the first time. In 2010, Wofford is that program. The Terriers took out Appalachian State Monday night, 56-51, culminating a tournament appearance that began 14 seasons after making the move to Division I. Mike Young has been there since the transition began, when he was an assistant coach. Like the MAAC title game, Wofford faced a deficit for the majority of its SoCon championship before coming back and taking the crown. You don’t know anything about these guys and neither do I. Let’s not even pretend, K? Here’s what I do know.
Wofford, ranked as the 323rd greatest program of all-time by ESPN recently, is one of the smallest Division I schools, owning an enrollment that just cracks 1,400. You’re going to hear a bit about this tiny school from Spartanburg, S.C., so we figured we’d throw you a few interesting facts. It’s only had one player go pro: Ellerbe Neal was drafted in 1953 by the Syracuse Nationals. Though the school’s only been D-I in basketball for 14 years, it’s been playing since 1906 and has an all-time record of 1,094-1,072. It has never been ranked and this is the first season it’s won a title or been in a postseason tournament of any kind. No pressure, boys.
Player to know: Noah Dahlman. Clearly overlooked and under-recruited, he made the SoCon All-Conference team this season and averaged 17.2 points, nearly seven rebounds and shot 59 percent from the floor. Those who were able to watch the game last night saw what he is capable of. But then again, Wofford won’t be playing no Appalachian State next Thursday or Friday.
“Like the MAAC title game, Wofford faced a deficit for the majority of its SoCon championship before coming back and taking the crown.”
Nope, in fact I’m not sure they ever trailed. They were up by as much as 18 early in the 2nd half.
“You don’t know anything about these guys and neither do I. Let’s not even pretend, K?”
Since my Dad has coached with Mike Young in the past, I followed this team a bit this year, and here’s what I know:
*They beat South Carolina & Georgia —not the SEC’s best teams, but still.
*They lost to Pitt by 3, Illinois by 12 (tied with under 10 min to go), and Michigan State by 12 (tied early in 2nd half).
*They are a lot better than you think, and I expect them to hang for 30-35 minutes with whatever 2 or 3 seed they face.
I love these posts – a great way to learn about these teams.
7 – thanks for the kind words.
Jay V – thanks for the knowledge and for keeping me in check. Naturally, my newspaper job is at a chaotic level right now, so I wish I could have time to employ a fact-checker. I wrote this bad boy last night at 2 a.m.; the synapses weren’t firing at optimal levels.