2011 Tournament Team Profiles

[ILive4This]

So I mentioned that I wanted to see if this could be done for the 59 team field, Pat said it could not be done, I set out to prove we as a Message Board Community can achieve this, if everyone can try to put unbiased info about their school and perhaps some other schools they have watched/listened to a few times over the course of the season we can definatly do it...

[ILive4This]

Brandeis:

Starters: Steve Deluca, Kwame Graves-Fulgham, Steve Hill, Florian Rexhepi, Joe Coppens. All Jrs

Key Reserves: Terrell Hollins (broken foot), Kevin Olson, Andre Roberson

19-6 (9-5 UAA) Key wins: Wash U, @NYU, NYU, Key Losses: @Carnegie Mellon, @Rochester, Chicago

Outlook: Toughest test will come in the first round against Trinity, If the Judges can get past the Bantams, they could sail rather smoothly to a regional final vs. Amherst. With the injury to Hollins, the Judges lose a key reserve down low to give Deluca a rest or if he gets into trouble. Brandeis has been down a number of times at halftime, however during the tournament they will need to make sure they do not put themselves in too much of a hole, just incase the guard driven offense does not drain the outside shot, and does not get many steals to score on the transition.

[tigerphil]

Unfortunately, I have only managed to make it to one Hampden-Sydney game this year where they barely escaped with a win at hom against Eastern Mennonite (a team that was in the bottom of the conference at the time). HSC just got back from a loss at Bridgewater the day before and looked sluggish for the first 30 minutes of the game. They played flat and played down to the level of EMU. However, with about 10 minutes to go, they managed to put together a defensive clinic and push ahead with about 2 minutes to go, to go on and win by 7. It was a scary game, and one that made me think that this was just another rebuilding year for the Tigers. However, I can say that HSC is a very team oreinted team. With the exception of the ODAC Tournament where Edwards took over, it is typically a different Tiger each night who leads the team to victory. They are very balanced, but a little weak in the middle, playing a three guard, two forward scheme. The Tigers can play lights out, or just down right awful depending on which team decides to show up. If they continue the run from Salem at the ODAC tournie, they will be tough to beat. Furthermore, HSC travels well, and the game at the Batten Center will be a HOME game for the Tigers (I have my tickets already) and HSC plays well at HOME and in big games.

I think this is the best I can do, and I believe it is completely unbiased

[John Gleich]

This might be a bit ambitious some 18 hours or so before the first games start...  It definately would be something that would be feasible for the Sweet 16, though, I would imagine.

I'm not trying to burst your bubble... I think it would be neat to see as well, but I know, for one, that I don't have  the time to READ previews for all 59 teams, let along create them, before the first 5 games tomorrow...

[diehardfan]

So I mentioned that I wanted to see if this could be done for the 59 team field, Pat said it could not be done, I set out to prove we as a Message Board Community can achieve this, if everyone can try to put unbiased info about their school and perhaps some other schools they have watched/listened to a few times over the course of the season we can definatly do it...

Interesting idea... surely this is feasible with so many posters... we just each have to do one...

[Matt Letourneau]

Well, lets give it a whirl

Catholic University Cardinals:

Starters: Mike Wasilenko, Steve Papageorge, Scott Fumai, Pat Dwyer, Stephen Wheeler (all seniors)

Reserves: Nick Olivero, Sean Stolzenthaler, Matt Fazzini, Danny Quinn

22-5, 11-5 CAC, CAC Champions  Key Wins: @Scranton, @Hood, @Hood, Villa Julie  Key Losses: Gallaudet, Goucher

The Cardinals won 20 games for the 10th consecutive season behind a strong senior class.  They are led by a excellent inside game with Dwyer and Wheeler, both All-CAC selections.  Dwyer is also capable of playing further away from the basket, and was 6-7 from 3 to beat Hood in the CAC final.  Wheeler is the fastest big man in the league and frequently beats his opponent down the court for easier buckets.  Both are great rebounders.  Fumai can play both the 3 and the 4 and is a strong clutch shooter and the Cardinals leading scorer.  Football player Nick Olivero is a shutdown defender who held Hood's Ryan Junghan's, their outside threat, to precious few attempts in the CAC championship game.

They key for the Cardinals is to pound the ball inside and hit some outside shots to open things up.  Catholic can be streaky from outside and from the line.  When they are hitting their shots, they are unbeatable.  When those shots don't fall, they are still capable of gritting out tough wins (such as in the CAC semifinals against Mary Washington, a 69-67 win) but its tougher.  The seniors have tremendous chemistry.  Wheeler in particular is an emotional leader who has grown as an offensive player.

The Cardinals will be hosting a regional with Messiah, Lincoln and Alvernia at the DuFour Center.

[Matt Letourneau]

Hood College Blazers:

Starters: Tim Abercrombie, Ryan Junghans, Darrell Edmonds, Jesse Gutekunst, Sean Robine
Reservers: Anthony Bennett

21-7, 12-4 CAC  Key wins: @Catholic, Messiah, @York   Key losses: Catholic, Catholic, @Marymount

It just its fourth year of existence, the Hood Blazers took the CAC by storm, finishing as the top seed during the regular season.  Led by CAC Coach of the Year Tom Dickman, Hood plays its home games at Governor Thomas Johnson High School, lacking its own facility.  The only team to win there this year was Catholic, who beat Hood for the CAC Championship and also won its regular season road contest.

Hood is led by Ryan Junghams and Jesse Gutekunst.  Junghans, a sophomore, is a deadly shooter from beyond the arc that is also comfortable taking the ball to the rack.  Very quick, poised guard.  Guteknust is a physical monster with good hands, and is an excellent free throw shooter.  He's both tall and wide and plays a physical game inside.  Hood likes to play inside-out, and works to free up Junghams for 3's on screens.

Hood faces Hampden Sydney in the first round at Virginia Wesleyan, who plays Averett in the first round.  In order to win, the Blazers will need to keep Gutekunst out of foul trouble--he is prone to pushing smaller defenders out of the way and can pick up quick fouls, depending on the officiating crew.

[Pat Coleman]

Would the poster that follows me please make sure that "Tourney" is spelled right in the subject line? Thanks.

[Ralph Turner]

Yep!  It is! 

UMHB:  ASC West Co-champ.  22-5 overall/17-4 in conference/22-5 in-region for 7th best. 

Key wins:  vs. Virginia Wesleyan 63-62 on Dec 29th; split with McMurry in season series to capture ASC-West co-championship.

Other wins of note:  Trinity 63-49 Nov 21st; Southwestern 72-66 Jan 2nd; Ripon 86-72 Dec 30th; 16 game win streak starting with VWC ending with 76-80 OT loss at McMurry.  Coach DeWeese went after quality in-region opponents non-conference opponents to boost his QOWI.

Lost to Hardin-Simmons in ASC tourney Semi-finals and lost to Mississippi College on the road in November, 47-75.

Personnel: UMHB has All- ASC (and Josten finalist) Kevin Guyden 6'0" (G Sr. Houston, TX) and All-ASC-West Honorable Mentions  Ryan Burgart 6'10" (P Jr. Huntsville, TX HHS), Matt Dickey 6'5"  (W Jr. Leander, TX Liberty Hill),  Neiman Ford G 6'3" (G Sr. Fort Worth, TX Polytechnic HS).  Burgart was also first team all-Defensive team in the ASC-West.

Well-coached team.  Solid leadership from upper classmen.  Burgart is tough inside.   Guyden is an exciting player;  Neiman Ford a reliable guard.

[Ralph Turner]

Mississippi College:  ASC-East and ASC Champion.  Record 25-2 overall/19-1 ASC/ 23-1 South Region, best.

Key wins:  Hardin-Simmons 77-64 in ASC Tourney Finals.

Losses:  Wesley MS (NCCAA in opener, 82-84 OT) and LeTourneau on a  highlight-quality buzzer beater, 62-64.

Personnel:  Led by All-ASC 6-3 G DJ Jones, 6-8 G/F Timothy Broomfield and HM 6-6 Tyler Winford (who missed 4 games with a mid-season injury).  Solid team that has 10 players getting double-digit minutes.

Well-coached, experienced team.  MissColl has been to the playoffs the last 3 years with a record (2005 -- 1-1 plus a bye; 2006 -- 2-1)  I like the bracket away from the Great Lakes Sectional for a change.

[abominable_snowman]

University of St. Thomas

Key Wins: Occidental
Key Losses: UW-LaCrosse

Record: 24-3, regular season and MIAC playoff champs (back to back). Earned first round bye.

Key Players:
-Isaac "Ike"  Rosefelt - "All American" (Pre-season,NABC) starting senior center.  44 career double-doubles.
-Mike Keating: senior ultility guy.  10 double doubles this season. Averaging 15 ppg and 9 rebs.  Transfer from D2 St. Michaels (Vt.)
-Bryan Schnettler:  senior 3pt ace.  has made 100+ 3s this year at 45+%

Coach Steve Fritz:  Only one losing season in 25 years of coaching.  Took a 1994 team to the final four.  Last year's team lost in 2nd round to Lawrence.

The Tommies are in a tough bracket.  They should be well-equipped.  In addition to a tough MIAC (generally sends 2 teams to the dance, a Gustavus team made it to the championship game a couple years ago, this year St. John's is also in tournament) they have had experience with other tough WIAC teams.  They have only lost once at home (site of first game in tourney) to UWLaCrosse in a game they played without Rosefelt.

[VOJ]

St. John's University     Pool C bid      20-7 record

Key Wins:  St. Thomas Gustavus (2x)
Key Losses: St. Thomas (2X) Bethel St. Mary's

Key players:  Tyler Westman leading scorer at 14 points a game, Ryan Lieser 13 points per game, Craig Schaffer 12 ppg 64%fg  Brady Brink, 6th man of the year in MIAC.

Coach Jim Smith:  Winningest collegiate coach in Minnesota history 43 years at SJU (670-462) 10th 20-win season in career, 1st time back in NCAA playoffs since 2000-2001 team went to Sweet Sixteen.

The Johnnies have had a resurgence of sorts, last year they were 16-10, but the two previous years they were 8-17 each year.  They have a tough bracket with perrenial powers Stevens Point, Augustana, and St. Thomas.  They tend to shoot better at home than on the road, senior ladden team needs to play with a sense of urgency.

[sac]

Hope

They've had a guard jumping at center all year, they can't be that good.

......but he does win most of the tips.

[ILive4This]

Did I make a spelling error, I am very sorry Pat please forgive me, spelling and grammar have never been my strong points.

[nescac1]

Williams College Ephs

Starters:

Chris Shalvoy, 5'10 Jr. PG, Kevin Snyder, 6'3 Soph. SG, Blake Schultz, 6'3 Fr. SF, Chris Rose, 6'5 Jr. PF, Joe Geoghegan, 6'8 Fr. C

Key reserves:

Matt Weisbrot, 6'7 Jr. F/C, Tommas Golia, 5'11 Soph. PG, Brian Nelson, 6'0 Sr. G., Grant Meyer, 6'5 Sophomore F, Alex Rubin, 6'4 Fr. G. 

It's been a tale of two seasons for Williams.  Chris Rose, their top player and a dead-eye shooter, missed several games and was ineffective in many others playing with a broken non-shooting hand.  Weisbrot was coming off back surgery and Geoghegan raw so they had virtually no inside game, forcing them to basically shoot 3's willy-nilly, leading to some terrible losses.  Defense was also inconsistent. 

Half-way through the season, they inserted Blake Schultz, a talented frosh with an effective mid-range and penetration game into the starting line-up and Rose returned to form.  At that point they began to play much better and ended the season on a major roll, beating Tufts, Trinity, and Amherst to win the conference title.  They became much more balanced and starting getting, and making, much better 3 point looks.  PG Shalvoy has been the best player this year, taking care of the ball and hitting clutch 3's in big games, particularly in the conference tourney when he averaged 25/per.

The Ephs push the ball and run a motion offense that looks for open shots.  When they are playing well, Geoghegan gives them just enough post offense to free up shooters.  Almost everyone in the rotation are outstanding shooters, other than the center combo of Weisbrot/Geoghegan. 

Ephs tend to struggle against bigger, stronger teams with stellar post play.  Occidental ate them up inside as the Ephs' bigs are either thin, short, or both.  Ephs don't force a ton of turnovers but they also give up very few open looks, particularly from 3.  Williams often struggles on the boards against stronger, more experienced front courts.  Williams has a lot of talent but many of their best players have little experience, as evidenced by two frosh starters.