UCLA's Youth Could Contend in Pac-12

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.

Ben Howland gives two (stern) thumbs up to his recruiting class. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Favorite: California Golden Bears

The Pac-12 offered a dogfight for the top position, as only four games separated first and seventh place in the conference. However, this coming season belongs to the California Golden Bears. The Bears are returning their top scorer in Allen Crabtree, who averaged 15 points per game last season. Crabtree also grabbed nearly six rebounds a game. The Bears will also have good size on the interior with David Kravish (6'9") and Richard Solomon (6'10").

Dark Horse: UCLA Bruins

The Bruins had the second-best recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com. With young talent like Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker, the Bruins will have the talent to be a challenger in the Pac-12. It’s up to head coach Ben Howland to bring it all together.

POY: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

Muhammad averaged 29 points and five rebounds per game during his time at Bishop Gorman (NV) High School. A guard with great size (6'6"), Muhammad’s talent should take over in a conference with little to show at elite levels in recent years. If Howland can harness Muhammad’s ability, the freshman will run away with this award.

Coach of the Year: Ben Howland, UCLA

With an incredibly talented recruiting class, Howland has all the tools to bring UCLA back to the prominence it’s been used to in past years. Howland is a good coach, who has brought out the best in players like Kevin Love, Aaron Afflalo, and Darren Collison. With a team infused with new talent, Howland should be the frontrunner for this award.

Newcomer of the Year: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

If Muhammed takes the POY award, he will easily take this one as well.


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Best of the Rest: Davidson Has Formula For Success

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.

We did not have the time and manpower to provide you with the brilliance of a conference preview for all 32 conferences. To make up for this, we've done the next best thing. Here is your Best of the Rest — non-power six conferences and excluding A-10, MVC, MWC, Horizon and WCC — in college basketball. We're covering a lot of ground in a little space, so if you disagree with a pick, let us know who you think should make the Best of the Rest.

Best Team: Davidson (Southern)

Davidson has the talent and experience to make another NCAA Tournament run. (examiner.com)

The Davidson Wildcats have the formula for a memorable season: senior leadership, winning experience, impressive offense and a mentality that they will not beat themselves. Coming off a 25-8 season (16-2 in conference) a year ago, the Wildcats have the pieces to duplicate last year's success. Davidson is returning seniors Nik Cochran and Jake Cohen as well as last year's leading scorer and rebounder, junior De'Mon Brooks. This team has played in big games and knows what it takes to win against the elite teams. Davidson will have the chance to make a statement early, facing New Mexico, Vanderbilt and Duke — all who reached the NCAA Tournament last year — in the non-conference schedule and should have no problems once conference play begins. Davidson can score — averaging 78 ppg last season — and are especially dangerous from 3-point range. But more impressive is the team's ability to rebound, which is another reason for its success. Davidson finished 19th in the country in rebounds per game with 38.9 last season. Teams better take advantage of making shots early, because they won't get many second chances. 

Dark Horse: Long Beach State (Big West)

LBSU will have to overcome replacing top players and a brutal schedule to repeat as Big West champs. (dailytarheel.com)

Last year's schedule made the country wonder if whoever schedules Long Beach State's games really hates the team. The 49ers faced five top-25 teams in the non-conference schedule a season ago, and all but one was on the road. Good luck with that. But then LBSU won two of those games (at No. 9 Pitt and vs. No. 15 Xavier) and lost two others by single digits and all of a sudden they were serious mid-major contenders. Credit coach Dan Monson for having the faith in his team to answer the challenge. The road isn't much easier this year — with games against UNC, Arizona, Syracuse, Ohio State and UCLA — and the job will be much more difficult without star guards Casper Ware and Larry Anderson. But running through the top-25 gauntlet last season prepared the 49ers to cruise through conference play, finishing 15-1. Even with the loss in talent, if the 49ers can upset one of their Goliath foes early in the season, and keep the rest close, they should gain the experience to succeed in the Big West.

Player of the Year: Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (Ohio Valley)

The Racers' leading scorer returns to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. (midwestsportsfans.com)

Canaan became a household name last season as he led the Racers to a 31-2 record and an appearance in the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament. LBSU's Casper Ware and Ohio's D.J. Cooper found the spotlight during March Madness, but no one stole the show like Canaan. The versatile guard was a force on offense, averaging 19 points per game while shooting 45 percent from both the field and 3-point range. Canaan has an excellent jump shot and can also drive to the basket and get to the line. The pro prospect now has the experience of playing in the limelight and returns for his senior season, where he will look to take the Racers back to the NCAA Tournament. Canaan has improved his game each season, so look for everything to come together this year in his final season on the college court.


Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop, Davidson (Southern)

Bob McKillop has his Davidson team positioned for success. (zimbio.com)

Davidson's experienced talent will lead the Wildcats in 2012-13, but don't underestimate the job by coach Bob McKillop. McKillop knows how to prepare his team for big games. He took the 2008 team to within a last-second 3-pointer of advancing to the Final Four against Kansas. He got his revenge when he beat Kansas during the regular season in Kansas City last season. McKillop does a great job of coaching a smart, fundamentally strong team that gives opposing coaches heartburn. It is a difficult task to get a mid-major underdog to go into Cameron Indoor Stadium and challenge Duke, but McKillop's teams are always ready to compete and rarely get out-hustled or outplayed. Mid-major coaches earn their stripes by beating up on the big boys early in the season, and McKillop has the opportunity to do that this year. 

Newcomer of the Year: Shaq Goodwin, Memphis (Conference USA)

Goodwin should make an immediate impact on the Memphis Tigers' offense. (fivestarbasketball.com)

Memphis may not play in a power six conference, but they sure don't play or recruit like it. The highlight of the Tigers' recruiting class was Shaq Goodwin, a four-star forward from Georgia who was No. 44 in his class according to Rivals.com and No. 31 on ESPN's Top 100. Goodwin should be a terrific rebounder — especially on the offensive glass  —out of the gate, and continue to develop his offensive game throughout the season. Goodwin is an athletic big man who should fit into Josh Pastner's system well.


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Royce White's Career Shouldn't Be Grounded Because He Can't Fly

Royce White is holding himself out of Rockets training camp until the team agrees to let him take a bus to away games. (abcnews.com)

Questions have surrounded Houston Rockets rookie Royce White since his final season at Iowa State a year ago.

"Can he compete in the NBA?" was never in doubt. White has the skills to play at an elite professional level. He's got the body and power of a forward, and the ball-handling skills and shooting ability of a guard. Yet he is currently holding himself out of Rockets training camp for an answer to a question bigger than talent.

His playing ability won't shatter his dreams, but something more powerful can. Something he can't control. White has an anxiety disorder that includes being terrified of flying. He has been open and honest about his illness, which he should be applauded for, but now is when we find out how crippling this illness will be to his career.

White won't report to camp until the team agrees to let him travel to some games by bus for away games that are a manageable driving distance away.

Reports say the two sides are not butting heads over the issue, but just working through the roadblocks. White said he does not blame the Rockets and Houston general manager Daryl Morey said the team is "committed to Royce's long-term success and we will continue to support him now and going forward."

Not everyone is so forgiving of the situation. Many say White should tough it out, man up, or insert whatever phrase you want to use to imply White needs to be stronger. But mental disorders are different than physical injuries in that not everyone has the misfortune of experiencing them, and others understand that.

If a player sprains an ankle, there are enough people who have gone through a similar injury - not to mention doctors to examine it - to be able to judge if he is too hurt to play. But mental illnesses vary from person to person, and if you are not someone who experiences it on a daily basis, it's impossible to understand how serious the illness is.

It is understandable why Houston did not immediately grant this request. Giving White a private bus would be asking more of the Rockets organization to make special accommodations for one player and would set a precedence for the future. What if the bus breaks down or White is not able to make it to the arena on time? Plus, he loses the ability to bond with his teammates by not being with them on the road. It would make for a strange working environment.

That is a risk. But so is missing out on a talented player that can be valuable to the team because Houston is not willing to find an alternative method of travel and White's anxiety disorder overcomes him.

It is disappointing to see players' careers jeopardized because they are irresponsible or make poor decisions. It is sad to see a player's career end due to physical injury and it would be horrible to see a physically healthy White have his career end because the NBA lifestyle is too demanding on his mental illness.


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Kentucky Wins Harrison Twins Sweepstakes With Ultimate Recruiting Tool

Aaron (left) and Andrew Harrison talk Thursday before announcing they will attend Kentucky next year. (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

University of Maryland basketball fans collectively held their breath as they awaited word from Fort Bend, Texas. The announcement at 4:30 p.m. central time yesterday could bring Maryland basketball back to the top, a journey that is already well underway.

Andrew and Aaron Harrison, twin guards who are both ranked in the top-5 of the Rivals class of 2013, had decided what school name they would wear across their chests next year. Two schools remained in the race; one would celebrate that night with two guards who will be an immediate impact, and the other would keep searching high school gyms for big talent.

The fact that Maryland made the list of the final two schools on the Harrison twins' minds says a lot about the job head coach Mark Turgeon is doing to resurrect the program. But the other school waiting on the announcement was Kentucky and coach John Calipari, and this was a battle he usually wins. This time was no different.

There's not much else Turgeon could have done. He's recruited the twins since they were in seventh grade and has had a relationship with the family ever since. The Harrisons have family in Baltimore - as well as their father originally being from Baltimore - and Aaron and Andrew had the opportunity to carry Maryland back to the top. Maryland sometimes had three coaches at the twins' summer games and Turgeon often recruited the twins himself, including devoting the first and final day of the July recruiting period to them.

None of that mattered, because Kentucky had something to offer that Maryland just couldn't; a system that funnels freshmen in, makes them first-round draft picks, and sends them off to fame and the NBA, but not before possibly getting a national championship ring.

In the end, that's the most important recruiting tool to high school athletes. And as long as Kentucky continues to win with Calipari's system, the Wildcats will have their choice of high school phenoms.

Elite high school basketball players look at the superstars of the NBA and that is where they want to be. The reasoning is not about getting a good education. School pride, tradition and pageantry probably play a role in a decision, but not as much as "can this coach and school get me to the NBA?"

You can't blame the Harrison twins for picking Kentucky. They will play under the bright lights of one of the most tradition-rich programs and win. A lot. They will play college basketball for a year or two and most likely be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft. Many would and will do the same.

It would have been a great storyline to see these two players welcome in a new era of Maryland basketball. If successful, they would be forever remembered and loved by the Terp faithful.

Instead, the Harrison twins will be two more players in the assembly line that is Kentucky basketball. And as long as Calipari's system continues to work, it doesn't matter what Turgeon or any other rebuilding coach does, Kentucky will win the recruiting war.


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The Mountain West is UNLV's to Lose

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.

UNLV's Mike Moser is a giant in the Mountain West. (cfbsection.com)

 
Conference Champion:  UNLV

The Mountain West is top-heavy, as witnessed in the spring when four of its eight teams made NCAA tourney trips. With the conference realignment fray focused intently on football, the MWC remained relatively unscathed (well, aside from losing gridiron flagship TCU to the Big 12) and actually added two solid basketball schools in Fresno State and Nevada.

The Runnin' Rebels are a perennial entrant to the NCAA tournament, but this season may provide their best shot at snagging a conference championship and making postseason noise that has been absent in their recent forays. Head coach Dave Rice has put together a team that includes transfers from Pitt, USC and — pending a successful appeal — Connecticut. That's in addition to forward Mike Moser's second year in the program after transferring across state lines from UCLA and averaging a 14-point, 10.5-rebound double-double for the Rebs last season. Oh, and a Top 30 recruiting class according to Rivals.

There's firepower in Las Vegas this season. San Diego State and Fresno State brought in top-flight recruits (Winston Shepard and Robert Upshaw, respectively), but neither school can claim to have made a coup over Kentucky like UNLV's commitment from five-star big man Anthony Bennett.

Given his reputation, Rice should be able to make this team gel and use his frontcourt to compensate for, if not complement, any preseason questions about which first-year player will start point guard.

Dark horse Team to Watch: Colorado State

The Rams finished fourth in the MWC and made it into the bubble in time for Murray State to bounce them from the big dance last season, but after a nine-year drought and a 22 years without an at-large bid, Colorado State has to feel good.

They are still the number three or four (depending on where you place the depleted New Mexico Lobos) in what the national media could pigeonhole as a two-team conference, but Wes Eikmeier is back to lead the Rams' corps of guards after a first-team All-MWC season in which he averaged 15.6 points. Among the other important pieces returning is Pierce Hornung, who showed up in a big way with a 12-17 double-double at the NCAA tourney and is expected to nab rebounds at a clip rivaling his per-game average of 8.4 from 2011-12.

If the Rams' six seniors — including Hornung, Eikimeier and his backcourt brethren Dorian Green and resident facilitator Jesse Carr — are going to surge in conference play, 2012-13 offers the perfect storm of confidence, roster continuity and offensive efficiency (CSU's 47.6 field goal percentage was good for 25th in Divison-I competition last season).

The Rams' outside-in play is due to a lack of depth, which is less than ideal in a conference suddenly ripe with big men. The other question is whether new head coach Larry Eustachy can pick up where Tim Miles left off when he accepted a gig at the helm of Nebraska hoops. In the past, Eustachy had off-court issues not flattering of a coach, but his coaching prowess is validated, including a a turn with Southern Mississippi that took the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tourney in March.

Player of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV

Moser is far and away the best player in the conference. One summer after his working his double-double magic, there is a distinct possibility that Moser eclipses those statistics as his fellow big men demand more attention in 2012-13. Shooting guard Anthony Marshall's presence will work against opponents running zone defenses, too, and should give Moser a few easier looks at the basket.

Newcomer of the Year:  Anthony Bennett, UNLV

Believe it or not, there are not a bevy of five-star recruits playing in the mid-major Mountain West. Bennett will share touches with the other scorers on the Runnin' Rebels' roster, but by no means will he be denied his opportunities. With respect to Moser, Bennett will be fed the ball until he defers. He didn't deny Coach Cal to meander around the western states. Bennett's the standard-bearer for all incoming freshmen in the conference.

Coach of the Year:  Steve Alford, New Mexico

This goes against all other pieces of conjecture here, but Alford's case is tough to argue. His Lobos have captured the MWC championship in three of the last four season (2009, 2010 and 2012) and his team's defense-first mindset will overwhelm lesser teams and at least challenge the conference's upper echelon. Minus graduated forward Drew Gordon and 7-foot true freshman Obij Aget, who suffered a knee injury, the pressure is on the Lobos' remaining big men. But if there's one person in the MWC that can be counted on to get the most out of his team, it's Steve Alford.


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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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Midnight Madness: From A Late-Night Run to Entertainment Spectacle

Kansas coach Bill Self rode into Allen Fieldhouse on a Crimson and Blue motorcycle for the 2011 "Late Night at the Phog." (msn.foxsports.com)

It's hard to believe it all started with a run.

The spectacle today has evolved into packed college arenas two weeks before the start of the season watching their team dance and act before practicing what they do best:  basketball.

Most call it "Midnight Madness." Some personalized the term — Duke calls their event "Countdown to Craziness" and Kansas goes with "Late Night at the Phog" — but no matter what campus or name it goes by, it is a highly anticipated show that kicks off official practices. It gives coaches and players a chance to show off a side of them rarely seen by the public.

Yet 42 years ago, the tradition was born at the University of Maryland when coach Lefty Driesell made his team run 1.5 miles around the football stadium track at midnight. There was less fun involved and more work when the tradition began, making it difficult to predict that the event would sweep across the nation and transform more into a Hollywood awards show than a preseason practice.

The events begin earlier in the night now, but the fun and excitement of fans getting acquainted with  that season's team has not diminished. Before the rise of the Internet and YouTube, the lore of player X dressing up like (insert funny costume) and dancing like (insert popular artist of the time whose whereabouts are now unknown) made for great stories that lived on long after the player left campus.

If you can't wait in line for hours before to get a ticket on Oct. 12, ESPN has the next best thing. ESPNU and ESPN3 will have live coverage of 13 events from some of the top programs in the country, including Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina and Kansas. It's not the same as seeing it live, but it does show how large the show has become.

Midnight Madness is a celebration of a new season and for players and coaches to have some fun before the seriousness of the season sets in. Yet it all started with a run.


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