2008-09 Conference Capsules.
October 31st, 2008 Posted in NCAA basketball news, NCAA college basketball2008-09 Conference Capsules.
SOUTHLAND
07-08 CHAMPIONS: x-Lamar; Stephen F. Austin. y-Texas-Arlington.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: Texas-Arlington. NIT: Stephen F. Austin.
PRESEASON POLL: East: Stephen F. Austin; Northwestern State; Southeastern Louisiana; McNeese State; Nicholls State; Central Arkansas. West: Texas-Arlington; Lamar; Sam Houston State; Texas-San Antonio; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Texas State.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Josh Alexander, Stephen F. Austin; Kenny Dawkins, Lamar; Matt Kingsley, Stephen F. Austin; Kevyn Green, Southeastern Louisiana; Devin Gibson, Texas-San Antonio.
THREE THINGS: This is the year of switching in the Southland. When the league expanded to 12 teams in 2006-07 it was determined Stephen F. Austin and Lamar would switch divisions every third season to keep a fair balance. … Northwestern State is seeking a record fifth straight conference championship game appearance, but the Demons must replace three of their top five scorers and four top rebounders. … Southeastern Louisiana finished 17-13 last season, making the Lions the only Division I team in the state to be over .500 for the last five seasons.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Lamar.
NIT-Stephen F. Austin.
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SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC
07-08 CHAMPIONS: x-Alabama State. y-Mississippi Valley State.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: Mississippi Valley State. NIT: Alabama State.
PRESEASON POLL: Jackson State; Alabama State; Alabama A&M; Southern; Mississippi Valley State; Grambling State; Texas Southern; Prairie View A&M; Ark.-Pine Bluff; Alcorn State.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Trant Simpson, Alabama A&M; Andrew Hayles, Alabama State; Grant Maxey, Jackson State; Jacques Jones, Texas Southern; Jamal Breaux, Grambling State.
THREE THINGS: Alabama State will be led by senior guard Andrew Hayles, who averaged 14.7 points, but the bulk of the attention will be paid to 7-1 center Chief Kickingstallionsims, who averaged 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds last season. … Larry Smith, who spent 23 seasons in the NBA as a player and assistant coach, takes over at Alcorn State, his alma mater, after being an assistant with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Known as “Mr. Mean” as a player, Smith inherits a team that went 7-24 last season. … There are four other new coaches in the league: George Ivory takes over at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, South Carolina assistant Rick Duckett was hired by Grambling, Tony Harvey is the new man at Texas Southern, and Sean Woods, who hit one of the big shots for Kentucky in its epic overtime loss to Duke in the 1992 NCAA tournament, starts his first head coaching job at Mississippi Valley State.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Alabama A&M.
NIT-Jackson State.
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SUMMIT LEAGUE
07-08 CHAMPIONS: xy-Oral Roberts.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: Oral Roberts.
PRESEASON POLL: Oral Roberts; North Dakota State; Oakland; IUPUI; IPFW; Missouri-Kansas City; Southern Utah; South Dakota State; Western Illinois; Centenary.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Dane Brumagin, Missouri-Kansas City; Robert Jarvis, Oral Roberts; Johnathon Jones, Oakland; Derick Nelson, Oakland; Brett Winkelman, North Dakota State; Ben Woodside, North Dakota State.
THREE THINGS: The conference tournament was played in Tulsa, Okla., the home of Oral Roberts, and the Titans won the last three. The event moves to Sioux Falls, S.D. for the next two years and should end the homecourt advantage complaints of the past few years. … North Dakota State and South Dakota State are eligible for postseason play, and only the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament. … Former Northern Illinois and Bradley head coach Jim Molinari takes over at Western Illinois, while Greg Gary, a longtime Division I assistant, is the new man at Centenary; he inherits a schedule that includes Mississippi State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State, LSU and Missouri.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Oral Roberts.
NIT-North Dakota State.
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SUN BELT
07-08 CHAMPIONS: x-South Alabama; Western Kentucky. y-Western Kentucky.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: South Alabama; Western Kentucky.
PRESEASON POLL: East: Middle Tennessee State; South Alabama; Western Kentucky; Florida Atlantic; Florida International; Troy. West: Arkansas-Little Rock and North Texas (tie); Louisiana-Lafayette; Arkansas State; Louisiana-Monroe; Denver; New Orleans.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Carlos Monroe, Florida Atlantic; Russell Hicks, Florida International; Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee State; Josh White, North Texas; Brandon Davis, South Alabama.
THREE THINGS: Middle Tennessee State closed last season by winning 10 of 14 games and reached the conference championship game. The Blue Raiders return 91 percent of the scoring, 92 percent of the rebounding and 91 percent of the assists from that team and add standout guard Calvin O’Neil, who suffered a knee injury in the season opener last year. … Western Kentucky was the first Sun Belt team to reach the NCAA’s round of 16 in 15 years, but the Hilltoppers lost three starters and coach Darrin Horn, who went to South Carolina. … John Brady, who led LSU to the Final Four in 2006 and was fired during last season, takes over at Arkansas State.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Middle Tennessee State.
NIT-North Texas.
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WEST COAST
07-08 CHAMPIONS: x-Gonzaga. y-San Diego.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: Gonzaga; San Diego; Saint Mary’s.
PRESEASON POLL: Gonzaga; Saint Mary’s; San Diego; Santa Clara; San Francisco; Portland; Loyola Marymount; Pepperdine.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga; Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga; Austin Daye, Gonzaga; Patrick Mills, Saint Mary’s; Omar Samhan, Saint Mary’s; Daimon Simpson, Saint Mary’s; John Bryant, Santa Clara; Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco; Gyno Pomare, San Diego; Brandon Johnson, San Diego.
THREE THINGS: Santa Clara’s John Bryant, the league’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder and shot blocker, was stabbed in the back three times in September, but the 6-11 senior declared himself 100 percent back as practice began. … Gonzaga has plenty back from another NCAA tournament team, but the Bulldogs will be hoping for a quick return by Austin Daye from an offseason knee injury. … San Francisco finally settled its long-range coaching plans by selecting for Kansas player Rex Walters to replace Eddie Sutton, who held the job on an interim basis long enough to get his 700th victory.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s.
NIT-Santa Clara.
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WESTERN ATHLETIC
07-08 CHAMPIONS: x-Nevada; Boise State; Utah State; New Mexico State. y-Boise State.
POSTSEASON TEAMS: NCAA: Boise State. NIT: Utah State.
PRESEASON POLL: Nevada; Utah State; New Mexico State; San Jose State; Boise State; Louisiana Tech; Hawaii; Fresno State; Idaho.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Jonathan Gibson, New Mexico State; Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech; Armon Johnson, Nevada; C.J. Webster, San Jose State; Gary Wilkinson, Utah State.
THREE THINGS: Nevada’s run of at least sharing five straight conference titles seemed in trouble when 7-foot sophomore JaVale McGee headed for the NBA, but coach Mark Fox scored a coup by keeping local McDonald’s All-America Luke Babbitt home to play for the Wolf Pack. … Don Verlin, a longtime assistant at Utah State, stayed in the conference by taking over at Idaho and almost immediately dismissed the leading and third-leading scorer from the program for disciplinary reasons. … Utah State lost all-time leading scorer Jaycee Carroll, and coach Stew Morrill will have to find a way to replace his 22.4 points per game if the Aggies are to stretch their postseason streak to 10 years.
08-09 PREDICTIONS:
NCAA-Nevada.
