Atlantic 10 Adds Davidson To Conference For 2014-15

Davidson College will join the Atlantic 10 conference in 2014-15. (sbnation.com)

The NCAA's conference realignment is basically musical chairs at this point as everyone waits for the music to stop. But the beats continue, and with it are more moves, the latest being by the Atlantic 10.

The conference announced Davidson will be the newest member of the conference in 2014-15, a move that helps fill a void for the A-10 left by the departures of Xavier and Butler (Butler played in the conference for a whopping one year).

The A-10 may have lost some of the big names that made it a great mid-major basketball conference, but it is still a huge upgrade for Davidson coming out of the Southern Conference. Coming with Davidson is George Mason, who leaves the Colonial Athletic Association, the same conference Davidson turned down last year. Yet unlike Davidson, George Mason will start its participation in the A-10 this season.

The Wildcats basketball team is coming off a 26-8 season in which they lost in the second (the former first) round of the NCAA Tournament on a last-second layup to Marquette. Davidson has reached the big dance in consecutive years, which hadn't happened since Stephen Curry (he's doing quite well for himself now) led the Wildcats to an Elite 8 appearance in 2008.

As of now, the teams that will compete against Davidson in the conference are: Rhode Island, UMass, Dayton, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Duquesne, Fordham, St. Bonaventure, Richmond, Saint Louis, and VCU.


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Brackets Take NCAA Tournament To Greater Heights

The piece of paper that puts the NCAA Tournament over the top. (cuindependent.com)

The design of the NCAA Tournament already makes it the greatest sports tournament (notice I said tournament and not event, so calm down, Super Bowl) in the country.

The single-elimination style brings intensity and drama like none other. The inclusion of 68 teams, instead of 16 or two, draws fans from all across the country as every team from blue bloods to NCAA Tourney first timers have an equal shot to win a title. Cities are filled with sellout crowds of fans watching and praying their team advances to the next day or weekend. I believe 10 straight hours of basketball on four networks mean the television ratings do pretty well, too.

But there's something about the tournament that puts the event over the top; that sheet of lines, numbers and college names that can make your day or break your heart. The bracket.

Millions of people will ignore work, family and any friends who aren't college basketball analysts and find any means necessary to attempt to correctly predict the tournament outcome. It consumes fans. "Which No. 12 seed will upset a No. 5? How many No. 1 seeds will make the Final Four? What Cinderella team will carry my bracket and the slipper all the way to the winner's circle? Maybe I should just resort to picking teams based on which mascot would win in a fight like Kathy from HR, who somehow has won the last two years?"

It gives you a reason to fully invest in a game between Butler and Bucknell when you have not watched a single moment of either team's games all year. Maybe you've never heard of the school, but that doesn't mean you won't promise to donate to Albany if it can somehow pull off that second-round (Round of 64 - I hate the new wording) upset to throw you into the lead in your pool. Every game becomes important because every game now has meaning to you and your bracket.

All the planning and research goes into picking the perfect upsets and the correct Final Four teams and yet eventually a school will break your heart. Your Final Four team will lose in the Sweet 16 and that Cinderella you have dancing into the second weekend gets dropped by a buzzer-beater on the first afternoon of games and the dream of perfection is over as reality sets in. You believe you can find the perfect bracket, but somehow it is always out of reach. You might as well be searching for the Fountain of Youth or a lost city of gold. It's painful, but it's also a thing of beauty.

The beauty of the bracket also lies in the days before the tournament begins. Anticipation is high for the first game to tip and you spend the four days not just waiting for games, but studying and preparing for them. The work begins long before the game clock counts down, for your bracket is first priority. At that moment, your bracket is perfect because it cannot be proven otherwise. You have fully convinced yourself Indiana will make it out of the East region and Belmont will upset Arizona, and for all you know that is what will happen.

The NCAA Tournament would still have upsets, buzzer-beaters and Cinderellas without brackets. The suspense would still be high and the stakes even higher. But no where else do you find people possessed with the motivation to predict the outcome of a tournament and so dedicated to follow it through and see how right they were. The bracket portion of the event has grown to being nearly as large as the games themselves. The No. 1 talking point this week in offices and among friends is "how is your bracket doing?"

The NCAA Tournament would do just fine without brackets, but it wouldn't be as good. The bracket connects us to the entire tournament, not just the region your favorite team plays in, and really gives fans the complete experience. Without a bracket, many people wouldn't stay up late on Thursday night to watch New Mexico against Harvard, but it might turn out to be one of the best games of the tournament. The tournament is the biggest stage because millions of people are watching nearly every game, and a big thanks to that is the existence of the bracket.

That sheet of lines, numbers and team names will most likely break your heart. It will sometimes make you a winner. But one thing is for sure, having a bracket to fill out makes the NCAA Tournament experience even better.


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Living with the Catholic 7's New Big East

The new Big East is not unsettling until you think about it. (holylandofhoops.com)

Has anyone properly addressed how odd the new Big East is going to be if Creighton joins the Catholic 7's 2.0 version with Butler and Xavier? Not according to Google because there were no appropriate results when I searched for "weird Big East Creighton." In fact, the most out-of-the-norm headline was a rumor about the Big 12 dropping all football programs and adding Creighton as well as Missouri Valley competitors Wichita State and Missouri State.

While the Big 12 getting rid of the biggest money-making sport would have been a surprise even at the conference's lowest point in realignment, it will not be a shock if the Bluejays defect from the MVC to take a place in college athletics' newest old conference.

What will make this conference so unique, if the Bluejays end up as a member, is the roster of teams that will be gunning for the same regular season championship. The grouping will encompass some of college basketball's historic cornerstones playing alongside programs that have surged more recently in a league that stretches across nearly half of the contiguous United States, although geography is less of an issue than ever in the realignment game.

Mid-major darlings like Creighton and Butler will mix with contenders like Georgetown and Villanova in a conference that, although it will be a conglomeration of solid teams, lacks a true powerhouse program. Despite the majority of schools coming from a (former) Power Six conference, the new Big East will more closely resemble a mega mid-major -- a conference that is at the top of it's class, but not quite on par with what remains of the NCAA's top Division I basketball leagues.

The Hoyas, along with Providence and St. John's, were founding members of the original Big East with 'Nova joining slightly later. History is on their side, but recent years have seen the programs post decent-to-good records, while rarely being legitimate threats to win their conference championship. (Georgetown's very strong season in progress is more of an outlier than a standard.) The other side of the coin sees the Bluejays, Butler and Xavier being marquee teams in their own less heralded conferences and either winning outright or sharing titles year in and year out in their respective spheres.

This would seemingly put the best of the Catholic 7 on the level with the mid-major imports. The sentiment is furthered with the speculative inclusion of programs such as Saint Louis, Dayton, Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth as soon as 2013-14 or 2014-15. These purported additions draw heavily from the Atlantic 10, often seen as the class of mid-major conferences, especially after sending eight teams to the NCAA Tournament just a few years ago.

Of Creighton and the nine schools already committed to joining this iteration of the Big East, four are locks to hear their names announced on Selection Sunday (Georgetown, Marquette, Butler and the Bluejays) in under two weeks and ESPN's Joe Lunardi is projecting Villanova as a play-in team. VCU and SLU are the only two prospective teams expected to make the NCAA tourney at this point, although that could change depending on the outcomes of conference tournaments.

Since only nine teams are committed to the new Big East at this point, this is merely one idea of what could happen. But if things shake out the way they are expected to, there needs to be a new term for such a unique conference; one that encompasses the strength of nouveau riche programs and those that could compete what was once the stacked Big East of old but can lay realistic claims to the new league's top spot. That term is not Catholic, after the majority of the schools' affiliations, but perhaps it is catholic, as in universal, appealing to a wide range of tastes.

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Gonzaga Eyes No. 1 Ranking, Which Would Be A Rare Feat For Mid-Major Programs

Gonzaga has soared through this season and now has its sights on a No. 1 ranking. (bleacherreport.com)

"Heavy lies the crown" has been a common theme this college basketball season as No. 1-ranked teams have dropped at a remarkable rate.

Indiana is the latest to fall while at the top, losing on the road to Minnesota 77-73 Tuesday. With the loss, the crown could go to a new king in Gonzaga. This would be a rare shift in command, as rarely do teams from mid-major conferences reach the summit that is the No. 1 ranking.

The Bulldogs fully deserve the honor, which would be the first No. 1 ranking in school history. Gonzaga has the best record in the country, 27-2, and if you've actually taken the time to watch the Bulldogs play, you'll notice they are one of the most balanced and complete teams in the country.

The discussion this season has been if this squad is Mark Few's best. Just being in that discussion means it's a pretty good team. Junior 7-footer Kelly Olynyk is one of the best players in the country this year, and the combination of he and senior Elias Harris, with underrated Sam Dower as the first big man off the bench, make a dominant front court. Olynyk and Harris's numbers are very similar as Olynyk averages 17.7 ppg and seven rpg, while Harris is second in points at 14.5 per game and 7.4 rebounds. Kevin Pangos is a tremendous scoring point guard, Gary Bell can also score at will — although he's having a bit of a sophomore slump — and David Stockton shows shades of his dad John with amazing passes. Then you have a glue guy like Mike Hart, who will do all the little things necessary to win and will work harder than everyone else on the court. Every team needs a Mike Hart.

But I know what you're going to say: Gonzaga plays in a weak conference. There's no denying that. St. Mary's should make the NCAA Tournament and BYU is tough but having an average-but-down year (Gonzaga is on the road tonight against BYU in the toughest game remaining on the schedule). Other than that, there's not much competition in the league. But worrying about the conference's strength is narrow-minded thinking.

Gonzaga has an RPI of 10 and a strength of schedule of 61, even being in the WCC. The Bulldogs countered this by playing a brutal non-conference schedule (a 23 SOS in non-conference games) that they successfully completed. The Zags went 5-0 against Big 12 teams this season (K-State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Baylor), while also beating Davidson, Clemson and Washington State. As for the two season losses, it took a miraculous buzzer-beater by Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in January to win and the other was a loss against Illinois in early December after the Illini had just won the Maui Invitational and they were playing like a top 10 team.

But yet people still go back to the conference. Again, the WCC is weak this year and there's no going around it. But no matter how tough the competition, every highly ranked team has had slip-ups in conference play. Michigan just loss to Penn State, who was 0-14 in the Big Ten. Kansas lost to a dreadful TCU team. Georgetown lost to South Florida. Florida lost to Tennessee. Yet Gonzaga has yet to slip in conference play. In fact, in the last 10 games, the Bulldogs are defeating teams by an average of 22.7 points per game. Two of those wins were by more than 40, five were by 20 or more and nine by double digits. That is unreal. Only San Diego at home was ever close enough to win and the game was not as close at the end as the two-point score would seem.

This team has earned a No. 1 ranking; a ranking that is much more difficult for a team like Gonzaga to achieve. Memphis was No. 1 in 2008. UNLV reached No. 1 in 1990. But there are just a handful of teams outside the power six conferences that have been able to reach that milestone. The list should expand next week and Gonzaga should receive a new crown, because weak conference and all, they've earned it.


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Ranking The Top 5 College Basketball States in 2012-13

Kansas and Kansas State have led the way for Kansas to be the most successful state in college basketball. (espn.com)

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander recently published a story examining the best college basketball state of the modern era. The answer may surprise you, but the argument is very much a sound one. This got me to thinking about what other great college basketball states are out there right now. This is not of all-time, but strictly this season. Only looking at the best three Div. I teams in the state (sorry Juco studs), we ranked the top five college basketball states of the 2012-13 basketball season to date. Agree with it? Thank you. Don't agree, let us know your top five.

No. 5 Florida
Florida could have been even higher on the list if Florida State would have been able to carry over the success of last season when they won the ACC Tournament. But the Seminoles have dropped off to a 10-7 record this season and can't seem to win the big games. FSU still has a meeting with Duke and two games against NC State to find a signature win. Miami has been a better surprise, working its way into the top 25 and at the top of the ACC at 4-0 (prior to the Hurricanes game against Duke Wednesday night). Still, the Florida Gators are the best of the state and a legitimate top-10 team who look to be the easy favorite to win the SEC.

State record: 37-12

No. 4 Kentucky
It still feels strange to say that the University of Kentucky is currently holding the state back in our rankings, but a defending national champion is not used to going 12-6 to start the following season. John Calipari has talent, but it's very young talent who still have a lot to learn. Louisville isn't helping matters either, dropping two straight in a talented Big East, but the Cardinals are still a Final Four contender. Murray State has also been down by last year's standards, starting 14-4. The Racers 5-1 in conference play and shouldn't lose too many more before the tournament. Last year the state of Kentucky was stronger with two Final Four teams and all three making the tournament and it should be expected for that level of play to return sooner than later. But right now the state is struggling, by it's standards, which still means two good team and a very good team.

State record: 42-13  

No. 3 North Carolina
This state had by far the most potential at the start of the year. Where Kentucky had two teams who were expected to hang out in the top 10 all year, North Carolina could have potentially had three comfortably in the top 25. Duke lived up to its end as the No. 1 team, but North Carolina's youth and inexperience has made for a tougher path than expected. Roy's boys have rebounded with two straight ACC wins after starting conference play 0-2, but five losses at this point in the season is unfamiliar territory for the Tar Heels. NC State, while still in the top 25, already has four losses and have lost two of three after upsetting Duke. These are still three dangerous tournament teams, but two have a lot yet to accomplish.

State record: 43-10  

No. 2 Indiana
Indiana is synonymous with basketball (enter Hoosier's reference here). But it's the mid-major (if you can even call them that) of the state is actually keeping this basketball powerhouse state ranked so high. Butler's 16-2 start and No. 9 ranking has them talked about the with best of college basketball. The Bulldogs already have wins over UNC, Indiana and most recently Gonzaga. The Hoosiers are one of the favorites to win the Big Ten, although the brutal conference schedule could hurt Indiana's record and ranking. Notre Dame's dismissal from the top 25 after losing three of four games is keeping Indiana from the No. 1 spot.

State record: 47-8  

No. 1 Kansas
Kansas probably wouldn't have been your first guess, right? But the Sunflower State is playing basketball better than anyone. All three Div. I teams are ranked in the top 20 and are showing no signs of slowing down. Kansas has won 16 games in a row while K-State's only loss in the last nine game came at the hands of the Jayhawks Tuesday (this includes a neutral-site win over Florida). Wichita State knocked off Creighton last weekend and is making a claim for a Missouri Valley Conference title and is tied with Creighton for the conference lead. All three teams are practically no-brainers to make the NCAA Tournament and don't be surprised if one or more makes a deep run.

State record: 49-6 

Saturday Proved College Basketball Excitement Starts Long Before March Madness

Hinkle Fieldhouse erupted as Butler defeated Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater Saturday night. (themonitor.com)

It's a common misconception that the college basketball season doesn't really get exciting until tournament time.

Saturday helped disprove this notion with a full day of drama. Out of the 13 games featuring a top-25 team, nine of those games were decided by single digits and seven of those games were decided by five points or less. The NCAA Tournament is one of the most dramatic and exciting postseasons in all of sports, but the great games start long before March, as Saturday showed. Saturday afternoon was like a three-course meal with each course better than the last.

Appetizer
Texas had Kansas on the ropes midway through the second half with an 11-point lead. Texas had a similar lead against West Virginia last week, but was unable to hang on. Saturday was deja vu for the Longhorns. KU continued to chip away at the lead until finally going ahead 54-53 with 4:29 remaining. It was a one-point game for the next three minutes until KU broke free for good with a huge dunk by Ben McLemore to extend the lead to five with 1:14 left. Texas' youth showed through in the end as the momentum continued to swing in the Jayhawks favor, but the Longhorns were clearly not intimidated by the No. 4 next to the Kansas name.

Main Course
Remote controls were getting a work out. With about a minute of game time between them, Wichita State was trying to hold on to a home win against No. 12 Creighton while No. 6 Syracuse was giving No. 1 Louisville all they could handle at the Yum! Center in Louisville. WSU superbly defended National Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott, who was unable to convert on the final Creighton possessions as the Shockers held on to win 67-64.

At the same time, Louisville saw its lead slip away with a steal and emphatic dunk by Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams gave the Orange a lead they would not give up with 23 second left.

That highlight will be shown in March, but wasn't even the best play of the day. That was fittingly saved for primetime. Leading up to the final game on the night, Oregon hung on to knock off UCLA in Pauley Pavilion and Michigan State closed out a 59-56 nail-biter against Ohio State.

Dessert
Like most great meals, you are already full and content entering the dessert round. Saturday would have been one of the best college basketball days of the season after Ohio State, Michigan State, but the best was still to come.

The matchup was set for a great finish. No. 8 Gonzaga versus No. 13 Butler in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The battle of mid-major juggernauts battling on the court where the Hoosiers once captivated the world. The atmosphere could have been a Final Four, and the caliber of teams was just as strong as the surroundings.

After a back-and-forth battle, Gonzaga looked to have the game wrapped up. Kelly Olynyk hit two big free throws to take a 63-62 lead in the final 10 seconds. Butler was then called for traveling on the next possession, with 3.5 seconds left, nearly sealing their fate. But then the "magic" of Hinkle Fieldhouse, which looked very real Saturday, began to work. On the inbounds play, a miscommunication between Gonzaga's David Stockton, who was inbounding the ball, and Olynyk led to a steal by Butler's Roosevelt Jones. What happens next was scripted for March.

Fans had to be exhausted after seven hours of lead changes, nail-biters and plays that will live on highlight reels long after this.

March is supposed to be the exciting time of year for college basketball. But take a look at the games this month and realize the drama begins long before the tournament. We can only hope March is as exciting as Saturday was.

Who Will Be Next To Jump From Cinderella To Powerhouse?

Gonzaga was America's original "Cinderella" team, but now is a terrifying team to meet in March. (sportingnews.com)

Gonzaga started the idea of the mid-major "Cinderella" with an Elite 8 run in 1999. Now the Zags are a consistent top-25 team that is expected to do well in March.

Butler took it a step further with consecutive NCAA Tournament title game appearances under coach Brad Stevens and is continuing to take on a beat top 25 opponents. We've already discussed how good of a coach Stevens is, as now Butler is moving away from that Cinderella title to being a fixture at the top of the game every year. 

It's a tough job for a mid-major to maintain the kind of excellence it takes to become one of the big boys, with less funds and recognition. Many teams haven't been able to hold on after breaking into the limelight. Just look at Bucknell, Vermont or Hampton. We'll see if Norfolk St. or Lehigh are one-hit wonders after last season's shockers. Factors like coaching and personnel are obviously involved and if your breakout coach leaves for a bigger school, your dreams of being the next Gonzaga could end in a second.

Still, Butler will likely be the last team to make the jump in performance level and credibility, so here are a couple more schools in the running to be next in line.

Favorite:

VCU: The Rams hammered their way into the spotlight in 2007 with a dramatic 79-77 win over Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They only reached the tournament one more time in the next three years (2009) but then had the breakout year in 2011. VCU scrapped its way to the Final Four before losing to who else but Butler. The Rams were back in it again last year, nearly losing to Indiana (63-61) in the second round. The Rams have had the big wins to get themselves known and then made an impressive run to make the nation believers. As long as Shaka Smart is the coach, VCU has a good chance to keep this going. They probably need two or three more tournament appearances and another Sweet 16 birth — as well as some huge regular-season wins — to move into Butler range.


In The Running:

Creighton: Creighton benefits from playing in a conference (Missouri Valley) known for producing talented, mid-major basketball programs. The BlueJays have been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, making the tournament eight times during that span, including five seasons in a row from 1999-2003. Creighton has advanced to the second round three times since 1999, yet can't seem to find a way into the second weekend. With potential National Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott leading the way, this could be the year Creighton breaks through to the Sweet 16.

Davidson: If Stephen Curry could have stayed at Davidson for more than four years, Davidson could already be in line with Butler. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament each year from 2006-2008, with the climax being Curry leading the 2008 squad to the Elite 8, where it was narrowly defeated by soon-to-be national champion Kansas. Bob McKillop has rebounded from the loss of that great 2008 senior class and is looking to make a second-straight tournament appearance this year. Davidson has been able to recruit pretty well, schedules big-name opponents early in the season and plays in a fairly weak conference, so the blueprint is there for the Davidson name to grow, but the Wildcats still need to go first.



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Butler's Brad Stevens Deserves The Respect Of An Elite Coach

Brad Stevens is putting together another great season with Butler. (espn.com)

Brad Stevens has become a household name for college basketball fans, and as a young head coach, he has earned respect in the industry.

But Stevens isn't getting enough credit. He has the wow-look-what-he's-done-with-that-mid-major respect, but it's not enough. Stevens' name should be thrown in with the top 10-15 coaches in the business, and that's a whole new level of respect.

Butler and Stevens had a year to forget last year. The Bulldogs struggled to a 22-15 record after losing key player after key player. (The fact that 22 wins and a winning percentage over .500 is bad by Butler's standards shows what Stevens has done with this program.) And somehow that down year, which all teams go through, negated the fact that Stevens took his teams to back-to-back NCAA Title games. Not only two straight title games, which is impressive for any school, but the first two title games (and Final Fours) in Butler's history.

And this year? Butler is off to an 8-2 start, while taking down two of the great programs, and coaches, in college basketball. The Bulldogs crushed then No. 9 UNC in Maui 82-71 (the final score was not indicative of the game) and Saturday Butler took down No. 1 Indiana 88-86.

Butler may play in the A-10, and the Horizon League before that, but Stevens makes sure to put together a tough out-of-conference schedule. The Bulldogs have also already faced Marquette and Illinois in Maui, and will face Vanderbilt and Gonzaga in the next month. Stevens knows how to get his team to play well against the toughest competition, and Butler has become a terrifying team to schedule early in the year.

It's the nature of the business that Stevens may remain under-appreciated by the rest of the country while at a smaller school. But Stevens could soon be in the running for a few high-profile jobs that, if he continues to succeed, could catapult him into the ranks of one of the most praised and well-paid coaches in the nation.

The rumors have been going on for well over a year. Mike Krzyzewski will be retiring from Duke sometime in the near future, and Stevens' name has been tossed around as a possible replacement. But other schools have been in the rumor mix as well, and if Butler makes the NCAA Tournament again this year, Stevens should have plenty of suitors who come calling.

It's a shame that it will most likely take a high-profile job for Stevens to be viewed in the same light as today's elite coaches, but such is the nature of the business. Stevens will most likely move on to a powerhouse program and find success, finally earning the credit he has deserved for several years.

Until then, admire and don't forget about the young coach who led tiny Butler to the brink of college basketball's elite championship fraternity and completely changed the way we think about seeing Butler on our team's schedule.


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Atlantic 10: Surging for a Season with 16 Teams

The long wait will soon be over when the first official NCAA basketball game of the 2012-13 season will tip-off on Nov. 15. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

Kwamain Mitchell could find A-10 gold with St. Louis. (Matt Brown/SLUBillikens.com)

Conference Champion: St. Louis

The Atlantic 10 is deep.With 16 teams, it has the biggest roster of teams in Division-I competition that will disappear when Charlotte and Temple leave next summer. But this year, size and talent-wise, the A-10 is the mid-major equivalent of the Big East. Traditional conference powers Xavier and Temple will be in the title hunt despite with their diminished power. Saint Louis can't be counted out of the mix after an NCAA tournament loss to Michigan State in which the Billikens were a popular upset pick. Butler and VCU — new additions from the Horizon and CAA, respectively — are automatically top-tier teams, too, after the memorable postseason runs both teams have made since 2010.

All of these teams are legitimate contenders to win the A-10 and there's no sure-fire formula to calculate a champion in October, but it's hard to bet against the Billikens, a team ranked 10th nationally in defensive efficiency in 2011-12. The loss of forward Brian Conklin marks a rare case in which little drop-off should be seen after the departure of a team's leading scorer. He averaged 13.9 points per game, just 1.5 more than Kwamain Mitchell.

Aside from Conklin, SLU returns every player important to last season's squad. The only potential detriment to the Billikens' success is the absence of head coach Rick Majerus as he sits out the season to focus on his ongoing cancer treatment. Interim head coach Jim Crews is familiar with the system in place after being an assistant in 2011-12, though, and his 24 years of head coaching experience could motivate the team if Majerus' health concerns somehow do not.

Dark horse Team to Watch: Saint Joseph's

Rarely can you call a team that posted a top-five conference finish in the season prior a dark horse, but Saint Joseph's is just that in a pool so deep. Every single player from last year's roster has returned.

Let that sink in: Every. Single. Player.

Even the conference's standing Defensive Player of the Year (C.J. Aiken — an NBA prospect) is back for his junior season. That kind of continuity can push a team past a more talented squad. The thing is, the Hawks went 20-14 and were a bubble team for most of the spring. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it should be safe to pencil Saint Joseph's into an NCAA tournament bracket right now and wonder if an A-10 championship precedes that bid.

Player of the Year: Chaz Williams, Massachusetts

The Minutemen's guard made an immediate impact upon taking the court last year, having sat out the 2011-12 season after making a post-freshman year transfer from Hofstra. Williams proceeded to average 16.9 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He's the centerpiece of a team that could make a push toward the top of the conference and, if he can get his turnovers under control and continue on the trajectory he began last season, he'll be an easy pick for A-10 POY.

Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Burgess, VCU

Burgess is a wing who will make noise on glass and outwork bigger opponents in order to do it. His offense comes from the corners and along the baseline. VCU head coach Shaka Smart should work his brand of magic with the 6'5" forward. The things that will hamper his first-year peers — availability of playing time, offensive systems and so on — should not hamper Burgess, as VCU's top prospect is projected to find big minutes at the 4-spot.

Coach of the Year: Shaka Smart, VCU

Another crowded category, another bundle of candidates that should be worthy by the end of conference play. The roster stability at Saint Louis and Saint Joseph's potentially excludes Crews and Hawks head coach Phil Martelli from the running. If Butler has a bad year with its least heralded team in the 2010's, Brad Stevens is out, too. With his team on the upswing during its inaugural campaign, though, and projecting as a title favorite in a conference more difficult than the CAA, Shaka Smart winning COY is as close to a sure thing as there is in the A-10 this season.


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Nike-Sponsored Squads Set For Elite Event in 2017

Nike-sponsored schools will square off in a two-tournament event featuring college basketball's elite in 2017 (nikeblog.com)

It's not too early to look ahead to the 2012 college basketball season, which is three months away. But how about looking ahead to 2017?

Thanks to Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis, the best early-season college basketball tournament won't take place in Maui or Madison Square Garden. This tournament will take place in Portland, and the star power represented by the schools is fitting given the star power of the sponsor they are celebrating. 

According to Andy Katz of ESPN, Hollis was able to receive commitments from 16 Nike-sponsored programs to play in a two-tournament event held over four days in November 2017. This is in celebration of Nike co-founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday, which is the following February.

The premise itself is enticing — having teams sponsored by the same company compete against one another — but it's the programs represented that will make college hoops fans' mouths water. 

The tournament will include a mix of blue bloods (Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan St.), as well as power-conference representatives (Florida, Ohio St., UCONN, Georgetown, Texas, Oklahoma, Stanford and Oregon), and some choice mid-majors (Xavier, Butler, Gonzaga and Portland).

Let that sink in for a moment. No matter the combination of seedings, elite programs will have a hard road to win these two tournaments. Unlike other early-season tournaments, there is no Chaminade in the quarterfinals. Even the "mid-majors" are no one to mess with. This event is loaded from top to bottom.

That's what fans want to see. Why else would this event even be a topic of conversation five years early if it wasn't big? The third game of the year against Towson isn't circled on any calendars. If you think your team is better than Duke, and the team doesn't play in the ACC, then you're excited to play the Blue Devils and find out if you're right. 

This not only is a win for fans and for the teams — this should help boost the RPI at the end of the year — but imagine what this does for Nike. It's hard to say which is more impressive:  that Nike sponsors all of these teams or that, when Hollis came calling with the idea, everyone said yes. The king of sports apparel and marketing will have its name on the biggest regular-season basketball event of the year, maybe even the decade, while every player on the court wears its equipment. 

The only downside is this won't take place for another five years. It's unlikely these teams will plummet to mediocrity during the waiting period, so if this upcoming season is any indication, college hoops fans are in for a treat in 2017.


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