Official College Basketball Thread

[whitesoxfan101]

Michigan has talent in the post this year that is not mentioned in that article. Petway, Hunter, and Sims were bright spots last year.

 

I think 3rd or 4th place finish is reasonable.

 

I would agree other than the Big 10 is so good this year. I think Michigan would finish more like 5th or 6th, but hey that finish will likely be more than enough to get them back into the dance this March.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

We should have two different threads.

 

big 10 discussion and college basketball discussion.

 

I love my hoosiers, but there is life outside the big 10

[greasywheels121]

Nice piece on Dane Fife, coaching at IPFW.

 

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...405/1004/SPORTS

 

Nation's youngest coach takes on big challenge

IP-Fort Wayne gives Fife, 26, a chance

By Terry Hutchens

 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Dane Fife hasn't changed, not down deep. His school color is now royal blue rather than crimson, and he's teaching his players how to flop on a charge rather than flopping himself. But the competitive fire remains.

 

The same kid who, while playing at Indiana University, bit Iowa's Duez Henderson on the leg in a game -- the spunky shooting guard who enamored himself with IU fans for his no-limits determination -- is roaming the sideline this fall as the head coach at IP-Fort Wayne.

 

At age 26, Fife is the youngest Division I college basketball coach in the country.

"I'm living a dream right now and I can't imagine a better situation for your first collegiate job," Fife said. "The program hasn't had a lot of success in the past and because of that I think the expectations are relatively low. At the same time, my expectations are at the highest level, and we expect to have success here in a short period of time."

 

Fife's challenge is indeed formidable. The Mastodons haven't had a winning season since 1993, including a 7-22 mark last season. Because the school is an independent with a tiny season ticket base (1,600), it plays most of its games on the road, including dates this season with four Big Ten teams: Michigan State, Purdue, Penn State and Northwestern. The Mastodons also host Notre Dame.

 

But IPFW athletic director Mark Pope said Fife already has exceeded his expectations, pointing to the way he has represented the university. Pope said Fife looked like a veteran coach rather than a rookie in the team's exhibition opener against Huntington last week, a 72-64 loss.

 

"I think he's a natural. I think he's going to be great," Pope said. "He has to have the chance to develop, and that's what we've told the community. Give this man a chance to show you what he can do and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.''

 

For Fife, life is good. Sure, the job will be tough, but in some ways coaching at a school known more for volleyball will be a relief after the glass-house basketball world of Bloomington, where he was an administrative assistant to IU coach Mike Davis the past two years. IPFW doesn't have a single fan Web site where a coach's every move is analyzed.

 

Plus Fife is engaged to be married to Blair Boles, an IU grad from Kokomo two years his junior, and they have a miniature pincher named Daisy Mae. The only thing missing is the white picket fence.

 

"I think it's a great situation for Dane," Davis said. "Dane has what it takes to be a successful coach. If his players can adopt his persona, they'll do just fine."

 

Almost didn't happen

 

And to think Fife considered banishing himself from the state of Indiana.

 

It was the 2002 Sweet Sixteen, and IU led top-ranked Duke by four points in the closing seconds when Fife, a senior, was whistled for a foul on a 3-point shot by Jason Williams.

 

The basket went in -- but Williams missed the free throw and IU hung on for a 74-73 victory. The Hoosiers ended up losing to Maryland in the national championship game.

 

Asked last week where he would be if Williams had made the foul shot, Fife smiled and said, "Probably somewhere in the foothills of Montana."

 

Fife said a day doesn't go by when he's not asked about the foul. "I talk to business groups all of the time, and normally the first question is, 'Did you foul Jason Williams?' " he said. "And by the way, I didn't.''

 

The television announcers identified Jeff Newton as committing the foul, and Don Fischer on the IU radio network said the foul was on Tom Coverdale. But a replay showed it was Fife, although he claims to have a photo in his house that "shows definitively that I did not commit the foul."

 

But then again, Fife admitted to committing maybe three or four fouls in his four-year IU career.

 

"It's more like six, but you've got a point," he said.

 

Independent lifestyle

 

Fife's biggest challenges at IPFW are recruiting and scheduling. In some ways they're tied together. It's tough to get talented players to come to Fort Wayne to play for a perennial loser that, this season, plays 17 of its 28 games on the road.

 

But the Mastodons are at least making inroads with fans. While 1,600 season tickets aren't many, especially in an arena that seats 11,500, the total is three times more than last season.

 

"In fairness to the fans, we're not a very exciting team to watch," Fife said. "We're the old Dick Bennett Wisconsin team. We want to get it done on the defensive end first. I would guess that we spend close to 80 percent of our time working on defense in practice.

 

"My biggest fear is not (of) losing, it's (of) losing bad. I feel like our kids are going to compete. With that in mind, I believe in moral victories. As long as we fight and fight and fight on the defensive end, I think we'll be competitive in a lot of games.''

 

For his coaching techniques, Fife credits three men: his father, Dan Fife, a successful high school coach in Michigan and a former University of Michigan player; and Dane's college coaches, Davis and Bob Knight.

 

Fife said he has incorporated many of Knight's offensive and defensive principles. "I go back over old practice tapes, back to 1998, and watch old drills that we did," he said.

 

"There's no one better than coach Knight."

 

But he said he reviews Davis' practice tapes as well. "I learned a lot from coach Davis with regards to the half-court offense,'' Fife said. "I think coach Davis is a master of set plays. You'll definitely see some of that in what we do, too. People want the motion offense, but with that you usually have to rely on veteran players to teach it. Coach Knight once said that you teach the motion offense for February because that's about the time the young kids learn, and it really starts clicking."

 

Fife said he speaks with Davis frequently but hasn't spoken with Knight for more than four years.

 

"But I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Fife said. "I'm sure ultimately we'll meet up and talk about old times. And I look forward to it."

[southsider2k5]

Wow, they lost to Huntington? That's a D3 team :0

[JuiceCruz16]

Wow, they lost to Huntington?  That's a D3 team :0

This year will be great, since my Tarheels are National Champs. I know it will be a rebuilding year, but that's fine since we rule the college hoop world in '05. The recruiting class coming in is argueably the best of all time also, so even with a sub par year we will be back. HEELS & SOX CHAMPIOINS IN 2005! DAMN:headbang

Edited November 16, 2005 by JuiceCruz16

[Chisoxfn]

Michigan is getting way too much respect in the predictions.  Yes, they have a ton of talent, but Amaker has proven to be just like fellow former Dukie Quin Synder (although not nearly as dirty a recruiter or scumbag in general) in that he gets tons of good players, and does nothing with them.

 

But hey, I hope Michigan is real good and makes the tourney, another good big 10 team is nice, and I think the Big 10 is going to be LOADED this year.

Iowa will finish ahead of them in the Big 10. The Trib has Iowa way too low. I'm not saying Iowa will be great, but they have the ability to be a top 15 team and if they put it all together a top 10 team.

 

Of course with Alford at the helm they will suck early in the big 10 season and rebound late in the year to once again save his job and make the tourney only to get knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round.

[Heads22]

The BlogPoll, in which I vote....

 

[Palehosefan]

Not a chance that Tubby is on the hot seat. But don't be suprised if he leaves after this year anyway. Some rumblings from that area for a while, not sure if it would be for the NBA, but thats what I would assume.

[Heads22]

Heh, I don't make the comments....I don't really think he is either.

[Palehosefan]

Also, whats up with their Mike Jarvis GW comments? Is that some kind of inside joke or did they just forget who the coach was? That just seems completely out of left field to me.

[Heads22]

TBH....no idea...

[Rowand44]

Seton Hall putting up a fight in the Duke game......

[fathom]

Seton Hall putting up a fight in the Duke game......

 

Seton Hall sucks and Orr needs to be fired, but Duke looks incredible tonight. Their interior defense with Williams and McRoberts is phenomenal.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Manual Cass Pulls A Shocker

November 16, 2005

 

10:15 P.M. CST

 

 

Illinois Prep Bulls-eye has confirmed through reliable sources that Manual Cass, the 6'6 forward from Carbondale High School in Carbondale, IL, signed a letter of intent today with DePaul University on the last day of the Fall signing period.  Cass chose the Blue Demons over Iowa, Xavier, and Bradley. 

 

...

 

With all of this being said, there is no question (despite what anyone else tries to say) that Cass' decision was very much influenced by the AAU team that he plays for.  We say that because the coach of that program has a history of pulling last minute surprises with players whose recruiting he is instrumental in controlling.  It is NOT a surprise that Cass chose DePaul.  What is surprising is the timing, especially considering his current academic status.

 

Cass' national stock has risen as much as any player in Illinois over this past summer.  He has greatly improved his ability to step out and nail the pullup jumper consistently in addition to being able to play with his back to the basket.  As a result, Cass projects as an ideal 3/4 combo forward at the college level.

 

Cass becomes DePaul head coach Jerry Wainwright's second in-state recruit from the class of 2006, as this past Monday 6'1 Will Walker from Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, IL signed a letter of intent with the Blue Demons, as first reported by Illinois Prep Bulls-eye.

 

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to recruiting and high school basketball in Illinois.

 

http://ilprepbullseye.com/page41.html

[IlliniKrush]

Illinois starting lineup has been announced:

 

Brown

McBride

Randle

Pruitt

Augustine

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see Smith get some starts eventually.

[SnB]

Illinois starting lineup has been announced:

 

Brown

McBride

Randle

Pruitt

Augustine

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see Smith get some starts eventually.

i really don't have too much faith in mcbride staying a starter for too long. Yes, he has a ton of experience, but i'm not too sure of how good he actually is.

[Heads22]

Sam Houston State @ Drexel is a good one. Sam Houston is shooting 91% with 9:41 left in the first half but is only up by one.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Sam Houston State @ Drexel is a good one. Sam Houston is shooting 91% with 9:41 left in the first half but is only up by one.

Yeah. I've been watching that rather than the crap they are showing on ESPN.

[Heads22]

These games are awesome.

[greasywheels121]

I would be very sad if Dicky V lost his voice.

[Palehosefan]

TT just totally bewildered by the 2-3 zone. Ugly stuff. Its a very young TT team, but this is just bad. It will take a while for the 7 freshmen to learn the system, but they will be ok at the end of the year with more depth than Knight has ever had here.

[Heads22]

TT just totally bewildered by the 2-3 zone. Ugly stuff. Its a very young TT team, but this is just bad. It will take a while for the 7 freshmen to learn the system, but they will be ok at the end of the year with more depth than Knight has ever had here.

 

 

Good news for ISU.

 

I was watching the second half. That was just UGLY.

[greasywheels121]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti.../511180492/1069

 

This isn't last year's IU squad, they say

Coaches, players confident Hoosiers are playing at significantly higher level

By Terry Hutchens

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As No. 23 Indiana prepares to open the 2005-06 season tonight at home against Nicholls State, there is a strong belief that this year's squad is significantly better than last year's team.

 

How much better?

 

"We would have beat 'em senseless, no question," said Marco Killingsworth, IU's 6-8, 268-pound post player. "They were young. I told them, 'Y'all wet behind the ears. Y'all know nothin.' "

 

Sophomore guard A.J. Ratliff said this team would have won that game by more than 20 points. Lewis Monroe, a fifth-year senior guard, said, "We would have pounded that team.''

 

Clearly, the current Hoosiers do not lack confidence. The coaches and players are eager to show just how much improvement this team has made, beginning tonight at the expense of a Nicholls State team that went 6-21 last year and is projected to finish last in the Southland Conference.

 

"We're just tougher," IU assistant coach Donnie Marsh said. "We now have the ability to impose our will on another team. From a defensive standpoint, we can do so many different things. We're flexible.

 

"Because of that, we could probably play that group last year and take them completely out of what they wanted to do. I think we could have stayed on top of them, and what our players are saying is probably correct."

 

IU coach Mike Davis took it a step further.

 

"The red team (IU's second team) could beat last year's team because of how they play," Davis said. "They're playing together. They're playing tougher. I think the true test of a team is how your second team plays. But our style is different and our approach is different. This is a much better basketball team."

 

That's saying something, considering IU lost its leading scorer, Bracey Wright, to the NBA, and a big body, Patrick Ewing Jr., to Georgetown. Wright averaged 18.3 points last season.

 

But Monroe, who along with Killingsworth practiced every day with the Hoosiers last season while sitting out a year after they transferred from Auburn, said this team will overcome those losses.

 

"It comes down to playing as a team, and playing together, and that's something that is evident this year that we didn't have before," Monroe said.

 

Marsh said the Hoosiers have a different offense, designed to get the ball inside.

 

"We're big and strong, so this offense is designed to go first option inside, second option inside, third option inside," Marsh said. "Then, whatever happens after that, happens.''

 

IU opens tonight without two expected starters: sophomore forward D.J. White and Ratliff. White, who broke his left foot Nov. 4, is out until at least late December. Davis hinted that Ratliff, sidelined with a broken thumb on his shooting hand, could be back as early as next week, but clearly in time for the Nov. 30 home game against Duke.

 

"He's out there dribbling and shooting and doing everything, but I think right now the doctors just want to make sure he doesn't get it hit," Davis said. "As far as shooting, he's shooting the basketball better than he was when his thumb wasn't broken."

[thedoctor]

rules violation for depaul in cass signing?

[IlliniKrush]

i really don't have too much faith in mcbride staying a starter for too long.  Yes, he has a ton of experience, but i'm not too sure of how good he actually is.

I'm more worried about his feet problems, not how good he is