August 31, 2001
FINAL REMINDER TO ALL FANTASY FANS
I posted this message a few days ago, but with the college football season kicking off in full force this weekend, I thought it was time to remind fans to check www.worldwidefantasy.com to enter one of my favorite fantasy contests. The idea is to pick a player for a total of twelve from a group of six to get the most fantasy points, based on yards passing, rushing and receiving, receptions and of course, touchdowns. There is a great deal of strategy as you need to manage your team to have a full compliment of players through the 13-week college schedule.
I strongly recommend the World Wide fantasy Challenge and hope that you will check it out and see how you fare against competitors from all across the country and of course, against me. Check out www.worldwidefantasy.com as the college football season begins in full force next Saturday and mention that you heard about the contest from collegebasketballnews.com.
As some of you readers might know, I am a fan of fantasy sports. I have written the fantasy basketball section for the Sporting News’ Pro Basketball Yearbook and for Fantasy Football Weekly, CDM Fantasy Challenge and other fantasy magazines. I am planning on having a fantasy college basketball contest available for readers of College Basketball News. The contest would allow owners to battle against each other as they try to pick the best possible teams made up of players from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, Conference USA and SEC. The rules are very simple and I’ll have more information about the contest in the next few weeks. For a look at how the game would run, click the link.
College Basketball News’ preseason Player of the Year Jason Williams of Duke suffered a clean break of his third metacarpal on his left, non-shooting hand during a pick game. Williams will have a cast placed on the hand Friday and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
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Williams led the Blue Devils to a The NCAA Championship in Minneapolis as he led the Blue Devils with 21.6 points, the first ACC scoring champion from Duke since Danny Ferry in 1989. He is expected to be ready for practice October 13, but he won't be able to participate in preseason conditioning drills and individual workouts then. Williams also averaged 6.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. There was speculation that he would put his name into the 2001 NBA Draft, but he elected to return for his junior season to play with close friend Dahntay Jones and try to win a second consecutive title.
Williams did not play for the United State national team, electing to remain at Duke for summer school. He has said that he will graduate at the end of the season and put his name into the 2002 NBA draft. Williams and 7-6 Chinese center Yao Ming are expected to be the top two overall picks in the annual talent hunt.
Duke is the College Basketball News’ number one preseason team. The Blue Devils open the season at the Maui Invitational November 19th.
WASHINGTON STATE ADDS TWO PLAYERS
The Washington State Cougars added two players to their
shrinking roster. 6-5 guard Cedrick Hughey from Westark CC (Fort Smith,
Ark.) and 6-7 guard Chris Schlatter of St. Mary’s College (CA) will
enroll at the Pac-10 school. Hughey is eligible to play this season, while
Schlatter will have to sit out a year per NCAA rules as a transfer.
Hughey was an all-Region II selection last season at Westark after averaging 13
points and six rebounds per game. He helped lead the team to the NJCAA
Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Schlatter, a native of Lafayette, Calif., averaged 8.0 points and 2.9 rebounds
as a freshman at St. Mary’s last season. He started 17 times in 27 games and
scored in double figures eleven times. Schlatter made five three-pointers
in a 17-point effort at Gonzaga. He led the Gaels with 44 three-pointers and
35.2% shooting from beyond the arc. He chose WSU over California, Gonzaga,
Nevada, UNLV, San Diego State, Utah and Washington and will walk-on for the
Cougars. He will have three years of eligibility left.
The Cougars recently lost 6-4 forward Framecio Little, who was declared ineligible based on NCAA academic requirements. Little, a senior, played in 27 of WSU’s 28 games last season, including 23 as a starter. He averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Cougars. Washington State finished 12-16 last season and 5-13 in Pac-10 play under second year head coach Paul Graham. Their five conference wins were the most since 1997. The Cougars improved from 6-22 overall and 1-17 in the Pac-10 in 1999-2000.
Leading scorer Mike Bush is playing wide receiver for the football team. He averaged 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season.
Former UTEP assistant basketball coach Guy Beach has resigned to accept the head coaching position at the College of Southern Idaho. Beach showed his JC ties by recruiting guard Eugene Costello and forwards Joe Devance, Nick Enzweiler, Leonard Owens and Justino Victoriano to El Paso in recent years. JC transfer Costello was a second team All-WAC selection in 2000-01, and was UTEP's highest-scoring newcomer in 33 years. Enzweiler rated fourth in the WAC in three-point shooting percentage as a true freshman and former juco Owens was the Miners' most versatile player last season.
Beach was the top assistant at Weber State, his alma mater, during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaigns. He helped the Wildcats to a 25-8 mark in 1998-99, including a 76-74 upset of North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Beach was the head coach at the College of Eastern Utah for two seasons prior to landing the Weber State position, where he coached Eddie Gill and Harold Arceneaux to CEU. When Weber State head coach Ron Abegglen was forced out, the choice for his replacement came down to Beach and Joe Cravens, both Weber assistants. Weber Stare picked Cravens, upsetting some of the player particularly Gill and Arceneaux and Beach left for UTEP. Weber State slipped to 18-10, tied for fourth place in the Big Sky without Beach
Beach coached College of Eastern Utah to a 51-13 mark in two seasons. His first team finished 23-8 and improved to 28-5 mark during the 1996-97 season as Beach became the first coach in CEU history to win the SWAC (Scenic West Athletic Conference).
College of Southern Idaho shared the Scenic West Athletic
Conference regular-season title last season, but lost the Region XVIII
tournament championship to Dixie State College (which finished third place in
the NJCAA Tournament) in March and were ranked number four in the final NJCAA
regular season poll.
August 30, 2001
STRONG FIELD FOR TIMBERWOLVES QUADRUPLE
HEADER
The Minnesota Timberwolves
have scheduled a prep afternoon doubleheader the past several years before
their own NBA contest. However, they are going to out-do themselves as they are
planning a high school tripleheader with three of the top Minnesota teams
facing three out-state squads.
Hopkins, Litchfield and Minneapolis Patrick Henry are the three local squads that are scheduled for the January 26th event at the Target Center before the Timberwolves-Atlanta Hawks contest. Hopkins will be led by three outstanding juniors. College Basketball News’ #14 junior Kris Humphries leads the Royals, but Darren Clarke and Dan Coleman are among the top juniors in the state. Clarke played for the Howard Pulley 16 and under team this summer and started for the royals as a sophomore. Coleman is the nephew of former Minnesota and Maryland big man, Ben Coleman, who played five seasons in the NBA. He is transferring from Minneapolis Southwest.
Litchfield was the 2000 Minnesota Class AA champion after finishing 30-0 and was 24-4 last season before losing to Annadale in the Section 5AA District 20 title 53-49. The Dragons are led 6-6 junior John Carlson, who was named second team Minnesota Associated Press All-State. He averaged 14.5 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 1.2 steals per game and shot 57 percent from the field and 70 percent at the foul line. They must replace leading scorer Mike Patten, who averaged 18.8 points per game last year. The 5-10 point guard will play at Division II powerhouse North Dakota State. However, the Dragons should be one of the top teams in the state as they started one junior (now senior) and three sophomores (now juniors) last year.
]Last season, Oak Hill Academy gave Minnesota Class AAAA state champion Osseo their only loss and Duluth East, led by McDonald’s All-American defeated Potomac (VA).
August 29, 2001
While the high school class of 2001 was known as for its quality big men
like Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, Eddy
Curry, DeSagana Diop, Ousmane Cisse, David
Harrison, David Lee and Rick Rickert, this year’s
group will be remembered for its point guards. Unfortunately, for teams looking
for playmaking help, the pickings are getting slim as 16 point guards who are
among College Basketball News’ top 100 have already announced their
college choice, leaving just eight player left. The number dropped with the
announcement that C.J. Watson of Las Vegas Bishop
Gorman committed to Tennessee. His decision have already affected 6-3 Deron
Williams of The Colony (TX) High. Williams had planned on visiting Tennessee this
weekend, but he changed his plans with Watson’s declaration for the Vols. He
will focus on Illinois, Georgia Tech and Maryland. Williams’
choice will also have an impact on Jarrett Jack from Durham (NC)
Mt. Zion Academy, who is deciding between Georgia Tech and Michigan State. The
dwindling number of playmakers will mean an increased battle for the remaining
point guards. The following is a look at the 24 points guards who were ranked
in the College Basketball News’ top 100 and their commitment, if any.
|
Raymond Felton |
6-1 |
190 |
PG |
Latta (SC) High |
North Carolina |
|
Anthony Roberson |
6-2 |
175 |
PG |
Saginaw (MI) High |
Florida |
|
Daniel Horton |
6-3 |
185 |
PG |
Cedar Hill (TX) High |
Michigan |
|
Sean Dockery |
6-2 |
170 |
PG |
Chicago (IL) Julian |
Duke |
|
Elijah Ingram |
6-0 |
160 |
PG |
Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony |
|
|
Chris Rodgers |
6-4 |
190 |
PG |
Portland (OR) Wilson |
Arizona |
|
Dee Brown |
5-11 |
166 |
PG |
Maywood (IL) Proviso East |
Illinois |
|
John Gilchrist |
6-2 |
179 |
PG |
Salem (VA) High |
|
|
Allan Ray |
6-1 |
185 |
PG |
Bronx (NY) St. Raymond's |
Villanova |
|
Marshall Strickland |
6-2 |
180 |
PG |
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy |
Indiana |
|
Gerry McNamara |
6-1 |
170 |
PG |
Scranton (PA) Bishop Hannan |
Syracuse |
|
Jeff Horner |
6-2 |
182 |
PG |
Mason City (IA) High |
Iowa |
|
Chadd Moore |
6-2 |
178 |
PG |
Huntsville (AL) Lee |
Cincinnati |
|
Bryan Hopkins |
5-10 |
185 |
PG |
Dallas (TX) Lincoln |
|
|
Deron Williams |
6-3 |
195 |
PG |
The Colony (TX) High |
|
|
Jarrett Jack |
6-4 |
183 |
PG |
Durham (NC) Mt. Zion Academy |
|
|
Taquan Dean |
6-3 |
175 |
PG |
Neptune (NJ) High |
Louisville |
|
Brandon Stockton |
5-10 |
168 |
PG |
Glasgow (KY) High |
Kentucky |
|
Brandon Heath |
6-2 |
157 |
PG |
Los Angeles (CA) Westchester |
|
|
Brandon Worthy |
6-3 |
185 |
PG |
San Jose (CA) Archbishop Mitty |
|
|
Mario Moore |
5-11 |
157 |
PG |
Antioch (TN) High |
Vanderbilt |
|
Rob Hite |
6-2 |
185 |
PG |
Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods |
|
|
C.J. Watson |
6-2 |
165 |
PG |
Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman |
Tennessee |
|
Chris Quinn |
6-0 |
175 |
PG |
Dublin (OH) Coffman |
Notre Dame |
Here are the other point guards who have made a verbal commitment.
|
Nathan Cranford |
6-2 |
PG |
Concord (NC) Central Cabarrus |
Appalachian State |
|
Kyle Cox |
6-0 |
PG |
Blue River (IN) High |
Ball State |
|
Avery Sheets |
6-0 |
PG |
McCutheon (IN) High |
Butler |
|
Richard Midgley |
6-1 |
PG |
Modesto (CA) Modesto Christian |
California |
|
Joe Carr |
5-6 |
PG |
Detroit (MI) Renaissance |
Central Michigan |
|
Junior Matias |
6-1 |
PG |
Southeastern (IA) CC |
Florida International |
|
DeAndre Haynes |
6-3 |
PG |
Detroit (MI) Southwestern |
Kent |
|
Brian Turner |
6-1 |
PG |
Mineral Area (MO) CC |
Long Beach State |
|
Kenny Minor |
5-8 |
PG |
Winchendon (MA) School |
Manhattan |
|
Mike Lasme |
6-1 |
PG |
Burlington (NJ) Life Center Academy |
Massachusetts |
|
Jeremy Hunt |
6-3 |
PG |
Memphis (TN) Craigmont |
Memphis |
|
Belton Rivers |
6-3 |
PG |
Atlanta (GA) Douglass |
Mississippi State |
|
Brandon Cameron |
6-0 |
PG |
Gary (IN) West Side |
Penn State |
|
Travis Smith |
6-2 |
PG |
Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Santa Margarita |
San Diego |
|
Tim Drisdom |
6-2 |
PG |
Downey (CA) Cavalry Chapel |
Utah |
|
Brett Howell |
6-0 |
PG |
Auburn (AL) High |
William & Mary |
|
Dontae Patterson |
6-0 |
PG |
Columbus (OH) Brookhaven |
Wright State |
|
Dedrick Finn |
6-0 |
PG |
Newburgh (IN) Castle |
Xavier |
Indiana head coach Mike Davis hired Ben McDonald as an assistant
coach and Dan Block as administrative assistant.
McDonald finished his career as one of California-Irvine’s all-time
leading scorers. He was the 50th pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Cleveland
Cavaliers. He played in Spain in 1984-85 before joining the Cavs in 1986.
McDonald spent time in the NBA with Cleveland (1986) and Golden State (1988-89)
and played overseas in Israel (1988) and Germany (1992-94). McDonald played
with Albany (1990-91), San Jose (1991) and Oklahoma City (1992) in the
Continental Basketball League.
Block spent last season as the Hoosier’s video coordinator. He will
continue his duties of overseeing the video operations, while also assisting
with the day-to-day administrative operations of the program. Block served as
Davis’ assistant coach for the Big Ten Tour Team, which posted a 6-0 mark in
England and Ireland this summer.
PRESEASON TOP 11-20 NCAA TEAMS
The college season is rapidly approaching, so
it seems like a good time to release the College Basketball News’ Top 40
poll. We started at the bottom and have worked our way up to the top ten. No
surprise that the 2001 national champions Duke are #1 again. The top
conferences dominate the top ten teams. The ACC has three teams among my top
ten with the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-10 having two squads.
1. Duke (35-4)
2. Kentucky (24-10)
3. UCLA (23-9)
4. Illinois (27-8)
5. Maryland (25-11)
6.
Kansas (26-7)
7. Florida (24-7)
8. Stanford (31-3)
9. Missouri (20-13)
10. Virginia (20-9)
COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS’ FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
ANNOUNCED
I released my first team All-American
selections on Saturday, so it is time to come out with my second team choices,
based on having one player at each position. Only two of the five are seniors,
but there is a very good chance that juniors Carlos
Boozer, Jason Kapono and Frank
Williams could declare for the draft.
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS’ FIRST TEAM |