Roy Williams

North Carolina was originally supposed to receive its punishment last Friday for a years-long investigation into the academic scandal that took place from 2002 to 2011. … due to UNC launching a major fundraising campaign that day and asking for the postponement. Now, the NCAA is officially releasing its punishments for the university and it would appear there are none … Continue reading “After three years, NCAA finally hands down decision on punishment for UNC”

Oregon Ducks Kansas Jayhawks

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyler Dorsey scored 27 points and Dillon Brooks added 17 as Oregon knocked off top-seeded Kansas 74-60 on Saturday night to reach the national semifinals for the first time since 1939. The game was played at Sprint Center, less than an hour from Allen Fieldhouse, the home of the Jayhawks, but the… Continue reading “Oregon derails Kansas, lands first Final Four trip since 1939”

Rhode Island won 3 games in a row capped off by surviving a late run and beating 2 seed VCU 70-63 in the championship game Sunday to guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament and finish its season 24-9. The game was a perfect way to end what was a great tournament from start to finish.

The A10 Tournament was an amazing event this year and Pittsburgh did a terrific job of hosting the event after it had been in Brooklyn, NY for prior years. The tournament featured several OT games, was very well attended, and was well organized and put together. I can see the league getting 3 teams into the NCAA Tournament this year with VCU, Dayton, and Rhode Island all earning bids. Several other teams should be considered for the NIT as well such as Richmond, George Mason, and St. Bonaventure, who were all 20 win teams. The A10 continued to show why they are the most underrated conference in the country by featuring pro prospects and well coached teams.

 

It was very hard to pick the All-Tournament team and even harder to scale down the honorable mention team as there were a lot of big time performances, players, and plays. The teams and selections below are based solely on tournament play and not regular season awards or statistics.

 

MVP- E.C. Matthews (Rhode Island)

 

G-Jack Gibbs, Davidson, SR

Did everything possible to keep his team in it this week in Pittsburgh including a 34 point incredible performance to knock off #1 seed Dayton in the 2nd game. Led the tournament in scoring with 23 ppg in Davidson 3 games. Tough and aggressive scoring guard who will light it up from behind the arc and attack the rim drawing fouls.

G-EC Matthews, Rhode Island, JR

Shifty scoring guard with good size who was the best player on the championship team which is why I chose him for MVP after scoring 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the championship game. He shot the ball very well, helped on the glass, and got to the painted area and was able to finish. Matthews is a player that NBA will want to monitor.

G- JeQuan Lewis, VCU, SR

Was the most consistent player for his team all weekend. He made big plays, shot the the ball well, and was a ball hawk defensively. Lewis showed why he was a 1st team All-Conference selection all week with his play on both ends.

F- Hassan Martin, Rhode Island, SR

The A10 Defensive Player of the Year was dominant all week rebounding the ball, protecting the paint, and scoring efficiently around the rim. He got some big blocks and big scores in the championship game and was just a man amongst boys. The lefty does a nice job of banging on the block and getting to his left hook.

F- Peyton Aldridge, Davidson, JR

Peyton was a stat stuffer all week rebounding the ball on both ends and scoring it at an efficient clip. He averaged 20 ppg and 9.7 rpg in the 3 games Davidson played. He is one of the best inside/outside threats in the conference by being a reliable back to the basket scorer who can also hit the open 3. Plays hard and runs the floor.

 

Honorable Mention

Jared Terrell, G, Rhode Island, JR

Samir Doughty, G, VCU, FR

Tyler Cavanaugh, F, George Washington, SR

DeMonte Buckingham, G, Richmond, FR

Marquise Moore, G, George Mason, SR

Jaylen Adams, G, St. Bonnies, JR

ShawnDre’ Jones, G, Richmond, SR

 

Game Recap

Dayton entered this ESPN televised game 22-5 on the season and undefeated in the month of February. Their perfect month continued after beating Davidson 89-82 in OT.  

Davidson used their inside play, shooting, and the home crowd to keep them in it. Dayton tried to make it a running game and used their athleticism. This one was back and forth from the start and both teams attacked the basket early and often resulting in a lot of whistles. Both teams ended up in the bonus early and 28 FT’s were shot in the 1st half. Davidson really struggled defending Dayton’s motion pick and roll attack while Dayton struggled to guard Davidson patient half court offense.  Davidson lead most the 1st half behind 19 points from Peyton Aldridge but it was Dayton who used a flurry of baskets to take the 46-45 lead at the half.

The 2nd half was back and forth with neither team able to really take a big lead or take control. Both teams struggled with turnovers. Davidson was finally able to make a run and their lead got as high as 11 with 7:58 left before FT’s by Charles Cooke ended Dayton’s drought.  This prompted a 17-5 run for Dayton to tie it up and then Scoochie Smith scored 11 points in OT to help Dayton get the win.


Scouting Reports

Davidson

Peyton Aldrige, F, JR, 6-8

Peyton Aldridge had it going early tonight and it continued all game. He was hitting 3’s, scoring on the block, rebounding, and blocking shots. He looks better and better every game. He finished with 27 points and 7 rebounds.  

 Jack Gibbs, G, SR, 6-0

Struggled early on but finished strong and played well most of the game. Played solid defense tonight and made plays. Wa able to get the rim area practically at will to draw fouls. Finished with 27 points. 

Dayton

Charles Cooke, G, R-SR, 6-5

Leads team in scoring at over 16 per contest and finished with 17 tonight. . Super long and athletic. Can put the ball down and get to the rim w/ 1 dribble and finish. Has a great looking stroke and can hit the 3 ball with consistency. High motor guy who defends. 

Kendall Pollard, F, SR, 6-6

Really solid body that he uses to get deep position on the block where he can score with either hand. Has some Draymond Green in him but doesnt shoot the 3. Handles the ball decently well for his size. 

Scoochie Smith, G, SR, 6-2

Leads team in assists per game and is 3rd in scoring. Can turn the corner off the pick and roll and is an excellent passer. Showed his scoring ability in the OT period by scoring 11 points. 

Xeyrius Williams, F, SO, 6-8

One of the best potential filled prospects on the court. Has really good length. Runs the floor hard. Showed he could hit the set open 3.

 

George Mason came to town to take on Davidson in a Wednesday night A-10 matchup where both teams entered tied with 5-5 conference marks. The Patriots of George Mason were coming off a double digit win vs La Salle and Davidson was coming off a double digit loss vs Rhode Island. The game was close the entire first half but George Mason led most of the way and entered halftime with a 31-29 lead. George Mason is a tough, strong, and hard working team that is very well coached by Dave Paulsen. The Patriots controlled the glass and did the majority of their scoring inside off the bounce. Davidson struggled shooting the ball both from 3 and by missing a lot of shots inside that they would normally make.

The second half was much the same for both teams. Davidson’s defensive intensity picked up and they started getting to the FT line more too. George Mason was able to hit enough shots and stayed in the lead. George Mason did a great job of keeping the crowd out of this one for the most part.

Davidson was able to tie it with a Aldridge 3 with 9:30 left and from there on it was back and forth. In the end the combination of seniors Moore and Jenkins was too much and Mason came out with the 76-69 win.

The officials did a great job this game of letting the guys play and the flow was great.

 

Below are some of the top players from the game.

Davidson

Peyton Aldridge, F, 6’7”, JR

Mobile big who can finish inside on an array of post moves as well as hit the open set 3. Does a great job of defending the rim without fouling and controls the glass.

Jack Gibbs, G, 6’0”, SR

Looked solid all game. Was making plays for himself and teammates and the jump shot looked good. Able to finish inside in various ways. Can get to the paint and finish with contact. 

George Mason

Marquise Moore, G, 6’2”, SR

Very strong guard who is really tough to stop when attacking downhill. Good passer who is unselfish. isBig time rebounder who leads team in this area with over 10 a game. Made some big plays at the end of this one to help secure the win.

Jalen Jenkins, F, 6’7”, R-SR

Big man with a good feel for the game and can score inside with his back to the basket. Showed an array of post moves and the ability to face the basket and to shoot it from 15′.

Jaire Grayer, G, 6’4”, SO

Wing with good size who can shoot the 3 well. Plays really hard, defends, scores, and rebounds. Teams X factor who can do it all.

 

Game Scouted: Wofford vs ETSU

Wofford wins 79-76

Eric Garcia (6’0″, PG, SR)

Stats- 38 min, 10-14 FG, 4-6 3 pt, 4-4 FT, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 TO’s

Strengths

Great game control guard who is an extension of the coach on the floor. Terrific passer who gets the ball to the open man and also can make plays for teammates off the bounce and out of the pick and roll.

Underrated quickness and has a nice change of speed dribble. Can score at the rim in creative ways and angles. Great at using opposite hand to finish on different sides especially his right hand on left side. Crafty.

Big time shooter who can shoot it off the bounce and off the catch. Fundamentally sound stroke with a quick release. Makes big shots.

Competes defensively and really gets into the ball handler and takes away his space.

High IQ guard. Always under control and knows exactly what he wants to do.

Weaknesses

Honestly it’s hard to find many weaknesses in Garcia’s game and nothing is a glaring weakness.

He does struggle to create space at times to get his own shot. 

Size makes him vulnerable to the post up by bigger guards but he is stronger then you would think so this doesnt happen much. 

Overall

He leads the SoCon conference in assists per game and FT% this season. His 4 to 1 assists to TO ratio is the best in the conference and is also number 3 in the country. Eric is coming off a career high 12 assists in a win over UNCG a few weeks back.

Eric would be a valuable piece to add to a team in Europe. Is having a good enough season to garner PIT consideration as well.

 

Game Recap

Both Wake and Georgia Tech entered this afternoon’s contest in Winston-Salem with a 13-9 record overall. They left tied in ACC record too after the Demon Deacons beat the road team 81-69. Wake Forest wore their retro bright yellow uniforms today and Tech had their road blues, no pun intended.

The 1st half was back and forth after a fast start by Wake in which they scored their first 4 baskets from the post. This was clearly an early emphasis by the coaching staff to get the ball in side early and often today. Georgia Techs offense never really did click in the first half and both teams struggled to manufacture baskets as they went into the locker rooms with a score of 37-31.

Both games struggled to get any flow in the 2nd half until Wake got hot midway through and was able to keep the lead the rest of the way. Wake built up a 16 point lead with 10 minutes to go after a flurry of 3’s. Tech tried to make a run but the run fell short and Wake picked up a good conference win.

Here were the standouts from both teams below.

Wake Forest

John Collins, F, 6’10”, SO

Practically impossible to stop on the block once he gets position. Scored on the block, on the face up, off the PnR, and from the FT line on this one. Did a great job of protecting the rim and rebounding it in this one as well. Finished with another double double.

Bryant Crawford, G, 6’3”, SO

Confident combo guard who can be playmaker for himself and others. Has a high motor and is aggressive. Can score with the jumper and at the rim. Was solid all day today and made some big plays.

Georgia Tech

Josh Okogie, G, 6’4”, FR

Aggressively attacks the baskets,Moves well off the ball, and gets to the FT line at a high rate. Has a great build for a freshman and has good length as well.

Finished with a game high 23 points.

Quinton Stephens, F, 6’9”, SR

Primarily plays on the perimeter. Smart player who you cant leave open behind the arc. 

One of the best rivalries north of the Carolina’s took place tonight as Richmond and VCU both battled it out to see who the king of the city of Richmond was. This was the 77nd meeting of the cross town and A-10 Conference rivals. VCU was able to pull away late in what was a close battle throughout and got the win 81-74. The game was shown on CBS Sports Network and was sold out.
VCU held a 1 point lead at the half and was able to use their size to score in the paint. Richmond stayed in the game with 3 point shooting and did a nice job of defensive rebounding.

VCU stayed in their matchup zone and pressured for most of the game. Richmond did a nice job of moving the ball but in the end didnt have enough to overcome VCU’s speed and athleticism. VCU was at its best when it sped the game up in the 2nd half and was able to stay in control the last 8 minutes of the game increasing its lead to 11 points at one point with 1:50 left.


Here are a few of the standout players from both sides below. Richmond got all of its contributions from Cline and Jones (combined for 45 of their points) while VCU scoring load was more spread out with 4 players in double digits and 1 with 9 points.

VCU

Justin Tillman,F, 6-7,JR

Great rebounder and efficient 10’ and in. Rebounds it outside his area. Go to move is right hook. One of the best athletes on the team.

Mo Alie-Cox, F, 6-7, SR

Is a man amongst boys and plays hard. Very strong and protects the rim nicely. A big limited offensively but did a nice job of finishing through  contact and finished with 13 points tonight.

1-JeQuan Lewis, G, 6-1, SR

Quick and athletic guard who rebounds it well for his size. Can finish at the rim and is a good enough 3 point shooter that you cant leave him open.

 

Richmond

TJ Cline, 6’9”, F, SR

Fundamental big who can pass, score, and rebound the ball. Knows how to score from different areas and has great footwork in the mid and low post. Came alive in the 2nd half after a slow first half.

Shawndre’ Jones, 6’0”, PG, SR

Best player in the game tonight in my opinion, the SR guard finished with a game high 30 points including 4 made threes. Big time shot maker who is tougher then he looks. Really good ball handler who changes speeds well and can create for himself and others. High basketball IQ.

Las Vegas

 

Vegas 16

By James Blackburn

I was able to travel to Las Vegas as my last stop of a busy college season to cover the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament held at the gorgeous Mandalay Bay resort. Bd Global did a tremendous job branding and showcasing the tournament and securing solid teams and some big time talent. The PG play in the tournament was the real story with talented guards such as Trey Freeman (ODU), Ge’Lawn Guyn (ETSU), Alex Hamilton (LA Tech) and Key Felder (Oakland) to name a few. Below I have given my All-Tournament Team which is based strictly on Tournament play (regardless of position) along with my MVP. ODU was able to win the tournament behind Trey Freeman’s solid play throughout and that is why he gets MVP.

Basketball Elite Vegas 16 All-Tournament Team

MVP :Trey Freeman, G, 6’2”, SR (ODU)

 

Kay Felder, PG, 5’9”, JR (Oakland)

Ge’Lawn Guyn , G, 6’2”, SR (ETSU)

Aaron Bacote, G, 6’3”, SR (ODU)

Brandan Stith, F, 6’7”, SO (ODU)

Reports

 

Trey Freeman (ODU)

Freeman was able to punctuate a spectacular season by leading his team to the championship by doing what he has been doing all year, scoring the ball at a high rate. He is very efficient with or without the ball in his hands and is one of the best in the country moving without the ball and hitting the midrange jumper. His high release allows him to get his shot off against anyone. He doesnt turn the ball over and rebounds the ball very well for his position.

 

Kay Felder (Oakland)

This was my first time seeing Felder all season although I had heard a lot about him. He helped lead Oakland to the championship game where they came up just short against a talented ODU team. Felder is small in stature, but is super aggressive, athletic, and explosive. He can fill it up from behind the arc and is not afraid to drive into the paint. He can break down his defender at will and is a tremendous passer and playmaker. Loved his energy and overall play this tournament.

 

Ge’Lawn Guyn (ETSU)

The Cincinnati transfer had a superb game in the opening round and had more energy and a higher motor then anyone I saw. He is highly aggressive on both ends and hits the 3 enough to where you cant leave him open. Rebounds outside his area.

 

Aaron Bacote (ODU)

Played 2 good games and 1 great game in the semi final round. Was close in my mind for getting MVP. Made good decisions when he was the PG and also showed he could score the ball at a high clip on and off the ball. Was on fire from behind the arc and the 1-2 punch that him and Freeman provided is why ODU won the tournament.

 

Brandan Stith (ODU)

While this All-Tournament team and the tournament all together was guard dominated, Stith gets a mention because of his rebounding and solid inside play. He came up big and with his best game in the tournament by registering a double-double. Strong frame who plays w/ energy and rebounds.

Las Vegas

By James Blackburn

ODU vs Tenn Tech

ODU wins 75-59

Old Dominion (22-13) and Tennessee Tech (19-11) tipped things off here in the inaugural Vegas 16 tournament held at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Hotel. Both teams are led by terrific guards, Freeman for ODU, and Rowe for Tech. This was the key match-up in a tournament that is filled with good guard play.

 

Both teams came out and played man from the get go but Tech switched to a 2-3 zone after about 5 minutes to make an adjustment. Tech showed 4 or 5 defensive looks in the 1st half including some match-up zones and presses.

 

ODU used its size to control the boards and their guards controlled the tempo. Tech showed a ton of energy on the defensive end and used its speed to score.. After starting out on fire from the field to start, ODU eventually cooled off and Tech weathered the storm to be down by just 2 at the half.

 

Tennessee Tech continued to show mostly zone in the 2nd half and this helped contain ODU offense. ODU used some good defense and was able to go on a big run midway through the 2nd half by scoring in transition. The 2nd half had a great flow and ODU really pushed out the lead by scoring inside and got the win 75-59.

 

Trey Freeman scored 18 point  and was the best player in this game in my opinion. He is a poised guard who can score off the dribble and has one of the best mid-range pull-ups Ive seen. Senior guard Aaron Bacote really played consistent throughout this one and had 16 points . BJ Stith controlled the game with his size and defense and came alive on the offensive end in the 2nd half as well. Torrance Rowe had 22 points for Tenn. Tech  to lead all scorers.