Mid-Major Madness - All Posts

Conference Realignment: Elon Moving to the Colonial Athletic Association

2013-05-22T18:20:43Z

The Southern Conference gained a member yesterday and loses a member today. Following in the footsteps of Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Davidson, and Charleston the Elon Phoenix will announce that they will be joining the Colonial Athletic Association Thursday at 2PM

Elon joined the Southern Conference in 2003 after spending 1999 to 2003 in the Big South Conference. This move will put the CAA's full sports membership back to ten teams for the time being and raise their football membership to ten members.

Meanwhile the Southern Conference will drop to eight members but Mercer and East Tennessee State are expected to leave the Atlantic Sun for the SoCon.

Elon helps to solidify a more southern footprint for the CAA and brings in a more than solid academic reputation to the conference. On the court the Phoenix have never won a conference championship and have had only three winning seasons in the last eleven years. Head coach Matt Matheny did lead the team to a 21-12 mark this past season and a CIT birth.

Albany is also expected to join the CAA as a full member within the next week.

Conference Realignment: VMI Leaving Big South for Southern Conference

2013-05-21T14:26:36Z

The Southern Conference has been pillaged this spring by the likes of the Sun Belt Conference and the Atlantic 10. The SoCon now finds themselves replacing three cornerstone programs in Davidson, Charleston, Appalachian State, and Georgia Southern. To replenish the SoCon now seems to be reaching into their past to solidify their future.

According to the Roanoke Times, VMI head basketball coach Duggar Baucom all but confirmed the Keydets move to the Southern Conference at a recent speaking engagement:

"The Southern Conference did visit [the school] two weeks ago on a Wednesday [May 8] and all indications are that we're going to go back to the Southern Conference. It will be formally announced, I think, May 30th or 31st at the Southern Conference meeting."

VMI was a member of the Southern Conference from 1924 to 2003 before joining the Big South about ten years ago. The Keydets are known for their up-tempo offense and regularly are in the top of the country in scoring. VMI has not won a conference championship in basketball since 1977.

Mercer and East Tennessee State are also expected to defect the Atlantic Sun Conference for the Southern. The Southern Conference will reach into their past to replenish their dwindling membership as VMI is expected to join the conference by the end of the month.

Coaching Carousel: Dave Bike to Retire at Sacred Heart, Anthony Latina to Step In

2013-05-20T20:40:55Z

Sacred Heart made a bit of a splash earlier this year hiring always controversial Major League Baseball personality Bobby Valentine as their Athletic Director. Now the Pioneers will experience another change as thirty five year head coach Dave Bike will announce his retirement on May 30 according CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman.

Bike has been at the helm for the Pioneers since 1978 and has amassed 519-480 record for the Northeast Conference school. His high point came in 1986 when the Bridgeport, Connecticut school won the NCAA Division II National Championship. The Pioneers have never been able to capture a NEC title though after joining the conference in 1999.

Eight year assistant Anthony Latina is expected to take over for Sacred Heart. It is unknown if Latina's appointment will be on a permanent basis or as an interim head coach. Before coming to Sacred Heart he was an assistant at Central Connecticut State and UMass Lowell.

Sacred Heart is searching for their first winning season since 2009.

See all of the mid-major coaching changes on our Coaching Carousel page.

Coaching Carousel: Stetson's Casey Alexander Heading to Lipscomb

2013-05-18T14:49:58Z

There was only one Division I coaching vacancy left to be filled and that was the Lipscomb Bisons. Now there is still one vacancy left as Lipscomb has created a little Atlantic Sun drama in filling their open position.

The Nashville based school didn't look far to grab the replacement for Scott Sanderson, as they have named Stetson head coach Casey Alexander as their new head man. Alexander turned the Atlantic Sun school around with a 11-7 conference mark last year and the school's first voyage to the conference semifinals in seven years.

Alexander has spent plenty of time in Nashville. He's a Belmont alum and spent 16 years as an assistant on the Bruins bench. Lipscomb has never won the Atlantic Sun Tournament title and has never appeared in the NCAA tournament. The Bisons did appear in the NIT in 2006.

Stetson now will restart their coaching search after Alexander's two year tenure at the Florida based school.

See all of the mid-major coaching changes on our Coaching Carousel page.

East Carolina Adds Florida State Transfer Terry Whisnant

2013-05-16T17:51:36Z

East Carolina is not exactly a school known for their basketball prowess. The Greenville, North Carolina school has been through their fair share of washed up coaches who couldn't make any noise on the Pee Dee. There was Bill Herrion then former Virginia Tech coach Ricky Stokes, then former VCU Ram Mac McCarthy. Now the purple and gold are set for one last year at the mid-major level and seem to have found their man in former Auburn coach Jeff Lebo.

ECU has not been to the NCAA tournament since 1993 and there hasn't been much to cheer about for the Conference USA school since. Lebo has changed that and is coming off a 23-12 season and a CIT championship. But can the Pirates take control of a depleted Conference USA before venturing into some stiffer competition in the American Athletic Conference?

The Pirates lose some standouts after last year, notably star guard Miguel Paul, but Lebo has talent coming in with Brandan Stith, Caleb White, Greg Alexander, and JUCO transfer Antonio Robinson. Lebo also received a huge commitment today in Florida State transfer Terry Whisnant, arguably one of the best pure shooters available this year. Whisnant can't contribute in 2013-14, but he could be the boost he Pirates need moving into the AAC.

Lebo likely isn't done shopping this year and could piece together a team that can compete in a makeshift Conference USA without its prized possession Memphis. But as the Pirates continue on, can Lebo continue to help make a traditional football school into an impressive basketball program? Only time will tell.

Coaching Carousel: UMass Lowell to Hire Northeastern Assistant Pat Duquette

2013-05-16T01:36:12Z

UMass Lowell hasn't even played a Division I game yet and they have already met adversity off of the basketball court. The school that will become a member of the America East and transition to the Division I level in July had to start their future planning with a coaching search when Fairleigh Dickinson stole their head coach Greg Herenda away.

It's been about three weeks since Herenda was tabbed to take over for Greg Vetrone at FDU and it looks like the River Hawks have their man. UMass Lowell is expected to announce that Pat Duquette will be the man to lead them into the Division I era.

Duquette spent the last two years as the associate head coach at Northeastern and was at Boston College the previous thirteen years. In one of the nation's more awkward coaching searches, Duquette beat out his former boss Al Skinner for the head coaching position.

Duquette is a graduate of Williams College and had assistant coaching stints at Centenary, St. Lawrence, and St. Michael's.

See all of the mid-major coaching changes on our Coaching Carousel page.

2013 NBA Draft Profile: BYU's Brandon Davies

2013-05-15T16:23:28Z

Since the end of the season, BYU's Brandon Davies has re-entered the national basketball conversation. Last time he was the talk of the town, it was for his dismissal from school; this time it is for the invitations he's been receiving.

Davies was recently invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which takes place May 16-17. That invitation comes on the heels of his performance at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he was named MVP.

The versatile big man had an up and down collegiate career. He's on an upward trend right now, right at the perfect time. We look at what that means for Davies' draft stock in our series of mid-major NBA Draft profiles at Mid-Major Madness.

BIO BLAST

School: BYU (Provo, UT | West Coast Conference)
Hometown: Provo, UT
Position: F
Height: 6-9
Weight: 235 lbs
Accolades: All-MWC Third Team (sophomore); 2x All-WCC Team (junior and senior); 2013 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament MVP.
Team Record: 107-28

Davies' greatest asset is his versatility, especially on the offensive end. He ranks in the top 10 in 10 career statistical categories at BYU. His versatility made him dominant in college; however, he lacks a dominating aspect to his offensive game that he could use at the next level. There were questions about how polished his scoring moves were and what he would play in the NBA. Those questions persist but they've become less of a concern thanks to his performance in Portsmouth.

Davies averaged 20.7 PPG and 9.3 RPG at the senior invitational and shot 67.5 percent from the field. He did that against the best NBA prospects in his class. In his recap of Portsmouth, Rob Reheuser of NBA.com said,

"You almost have to wonder why he isn't higher on the list of seniors available in this year's draft. If nothing else, he's forced teams to take a much closer look."

The important aside here is not his numbers or the compiled stats, but Davies' character. Davies' dismissal as a sophomore sent a legitimate title contender into a Sweet 16 elimination. He could have left the program to start anew but he returned, determined to make up for his honor code violation. While the NBA isn't anywhere near BYU's level when it comes to commitment to virtues, coaches do value guys with high character.

STATS

Final Season Averages:
17.7 pts... 2.4 asts...8.0 rebs...1.3 steals...1.0 blocks...2.5 turnovers..29.3 mins...52.2% FG...35.7% 3 PT...68.2% FT

Entering his senior season Davies was expected to be the Cougars' main scoring threat. That title was quickly passed to sophomore shooting guard Tyler Haws (20.1 PPG, 7th in the nation), who returned from his two year mission in much better shape than anyone could have guessed. The Cougars played an uptempo style, which allowed Davies to pile on points at nearly the same rate as Haws though.

Viewing the stat alone, his eight rebounds per game are nice. The Cougars pulled down 35.5 rebounds per game, making Davies responsible for nearly one fourth of the team's boards. That makes his rebounding look even nicer.

Shooting 68.2 percent from the line for a big man is pretty good. What that statistic doesn't show is his ability to get to the line. According to KenPom.com, Davies drew 7.0 fouls per 40 minutes. He ranks 11th in the nation with that rate, ahead of big names like Cody Zeller and Kelly Olynyk.

His 2.4 assists per game ranked second at BYU this year. That aspect of his game is now drawing positive attention. He was a better distributor in Portsmouth, averaging three a game. NBA guys took notice.

In another piece on Davies, Rob Reheuser said:

Perhaps the best part of his game was his unselfishness, as he routinely drew defenders in the lane and dumped the ball to his teammates for easy scores.

(Ed. Note: Davies was the most valuable player on BYU this past season, despite being just the second leading scorer, and committing 111 fouls in 36 games. He finished with a HOOPWAR per 30 games (HW30) of 7.7. Tyler Haws was second at 5.8. That puts him as one of the more valuable and impressive forwards in the game this past season, although there is a chance that no one noticed until he showed up in Virginia last month.)

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Strengths:

Davies' leaping ability makes him a capable rebounder and shot blocker. On the offensive end it allows him to play above the rim for tips and dunks.

He has a level quickness not seen in many bigs. This allows him to create from outside the paint, similar to WCC foe Kelly Olynyk. He is also able and willing to get out in transition. Weighing just 235 pounds at an official height of 6-9 no doubt allows Davies to move quickly.

Weaknesses/Concerns:

As I just mentioned, he weighs just 235 pounds. Davies was able to mix it up, normally with great success, against college bigs. But he needs to add strength to be capable in the post at the next level. His ability to stretch the floor is what makes Davies such an effective player. If he doesn't add size he will lose his interior presence. Without that he's just a tall, mediocre jump shooter.

Davies will need to hit the weight room to make it as a post player in the NBA. He will also need to work on his face up game if he wants it to be effective against next level defenders.

The WCC had a few very good big men for Davies to battle this season (Olynyk, Elias Harris), but it is much more of a guard-dominated league. As with any mid-major prospect, there will be concerns about his ability against better competition.

PROGNOSTICATIONS

Current Prospect Rankings:

Chad Ford (ESPN): No. 54 (No. 9 at position)
DraftExpress: No. 63

Possible Destinations:

With his stock rising so rapidly it is hard to say where he will land. When his career ended with a loss to Baylor in the NIT Semifinals, he was projected to go undrafted by most. Now that NBA scouts have seen him in person, against other NBA prospects, he's seen as a second round steal.

Also contributing to the uncertainty is the general lack of quality at the power forward position in this draft. Anthony Bennett and Mason Plumlee are the only collegiate power forwards that are considered locks for the first round. Chad Ford lists every other power forward no better than "Second Round Pick/Undrafted".

The upcoming NBA Combine will help sort out much of the mess at this position. Davies will jockey for position with North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell and Illinois State's Jackie Carmichael. If Davies continues to impress, he should feel pretty good about his chances on draft day. At worst, with a bad showing, he falls only as far as Summer League invite.

The Magic, Pacers and Wizards all have picks late in the second round and all of them need to bolster their frontcourts. Portland has three picks in the second round. The Trail Blazers have a weak bench overall, but are especially lacking when it comes to backing up LaMarcus Aldridge.

Important Dates:
NBA Combine: May 16-17

2013-14 College Basketball Early Season Tournaments And Events: Mid-Major Edition

2013-05-10T15:06:27Z

Our colleague Chris Dobbertean does a phenomenal job of tracking all of the early season tournaments and events over at Blogging The Bracket. Using Chris' list here are where your mid-major squads are slated to play early next season.

America East
Hartford Hawks- Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov 23-24)

Atlantic Sun
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles - Las Vegas Classic
North Florida Ospreys - Global Sports Challenge (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Northern Kentucky Norse - Hoops for Hope Hope Classic (Nov 30-Dec 1)

Big Sky
Montana Grizzlies - Judd Heathcote Classic vs Washington State (Dec 7, Spokane)

Big South
Campbell Camels - Global Sports Shootout (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Liberty Flames - Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov 29-30)
Presbyterian Blue Hose - Cancun Challenge (Nov 26-27)
Radford Highlanders - Las Vegas Classic

Big West
Cal State Fullerton - Anaheim Classic (Nov 28-Dec 1)
Hawaii Warriors - Diamond Head Classic (Dec 22-25)
Long Beach State 49ers - Puerto Rico Tip Off (Nov 21-24)

Colonial Athletic Association
Delaware Blue Hens - Gotham Classic (Dec 7-21 Round Robin)
Hofstra Pride - Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov 23-24)
Towson Tigers - Battle 4 Atlantis US (Nov 28-30)

Conference USA
Charlotte 49ers - Puerto Rico Tip Off (Nov 21-24)
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders - Global Sports Challenge (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Old Dominion Monarchs - Cancun Challenge (Nov 26-27)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)
UAB Blazers - Charleston Classic (Nov 21-24)

Horizon League
Cleveland State Vikings - Keightley Classic (Nov 17-27 Round Robin)
Green Bay Phoenix - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)

Ivy League
Harvard Crimson - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)

MAAC
Fairfield Stags - Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov 23-24)
Marist Red Foxes - Paradise Jam (Nov 22-25)
Siena Saints - Old Spice Classic (Nov 28-Dec 1)

MAC
Akron Zips - Diamond Head Classic (Dec 22-25)
Bowling Green Falcons - Cancun Challenge (Nov 26-27)
Eastern Michigan Eagles - Keightley Classic (Nov 17-27 Round Robin)

MEAC
Hampton Pirates - Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov 29-30)
Morgan State Bears - Paradise Jam (Nov 22-25)
Florida A&M Rattlers - Las Vegas Classic
Savannah State - Global Sports Showcase (Nov 21-23)

Missouri Valley
Bradley Braves - Global Sports Invitational (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Illinois State Redbirds - Hoops for Hope Hope Classic (Nov 30-Dec 1)
Indiana State Sycamores - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)
Missouri State - Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov 29-30)
Northern Iowa - Paradise Jam (Nov 22-25)
Wichita State - CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov 25-26)

NEC
Bryant Bulldogs - Gotham Classic (Dec 7-21 Round Robin)
Robert Morris Colonials - Keightley Classic (Nov 17-27 Round Robin)
Sacred Heart Pioneers - Las Vegas Classic

Ohio Valley
Belmont Bruins- Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov 23-24)
Jacksonville State Gamecocks - Global Sports Invitational (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Tennessee Martin Skyhawks - Global Sports Main Event (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)

Patriot League
Holy Cross - Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov 23-24)

Southern Conference
Appalachian State Mountaineers - Global Sports Shootout (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Davidson Wildcats - Charleston Classic (Nov 21-24)

Southland
Lamar Cardinals - Global Sports Showcase (Nov 21-23)
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles - Cancun Challenge (Nov 26-27)
Sam Houston State Bearkats - Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov 29-30)

Summit
North Dakota State Bison - Gotham Classic (Dec 7-21 Round Robin)

Sun Belt
Arkansas State Red Wolves - Global Sports Main Event (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
UT Arlington Mavericks - Keightley Classic (Nov 17-27 Round Robin)

SWAC
Alabama State Hornets - Global Sports Invitational (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Arkansas Little Rock Trojans - Global Sports Challenge (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions - Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov 29-30)
Jackson State Tigers - Global Sports Main Event (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Southern Jaguars - Global Sports Challenge (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)

WAC
Chicago State Cougars - Global Sports Invitational (Nov 8-22 Round Robin)
Denver Pioneers - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)
Grand Canyon Antelopes - Global Sports Showcase (Nov 21-23)

West Coast Conference
BYU Cougars - CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov 25-26)
Gonzaga Bulldogs - Maui Classic (Nov 25-27)
Loyola Marymount Lions - Paradise Jam (Nov 22-25)
Pepperdine Waves - Great Alaska Shootout (Nov 27-30)
Saint Mary's Gaels - Diamond Head Classic (Dec 22-25)
Santa Clara Broncos - Las Vegas Classic