2019-20 Happenings around the AAC

[ShockTalk]

Ollie Gets Win Over UConn in One Arm of Dispute

"Arbitrator Marsha Greenbaum, in a decision filed on July 31, found that neither Ollie nor the union waived his union protections when signing his latest contract. The arbitrator plans hearing to determine whether UConn fired Ollie for just cause, or if he is owed more than $10 million that was left on his contract, which was through June 30, 2021."

[wufan]

No questions with WSU. Sustainable winning.

[WuShock Reaper]

"AAC Basketball: Top 10 returning players for 2019-20 season" - FanSided Sports

by Ben Andreatta
Posted: 08/15/19

https://bustingbrackets.com/2019/08/...019-20-season/

"This past spring we saw guys like Shizz Alston Jr, Corey Davis Jr, and Tacko Fall graduate. And were lucky enough to see Fall announce his presence to the rest of the world in the NBA Summer League after being drafted by the Celtics. Guys like Armoni Brooks and Aubrey Dawkins leave school early to enter their names into the NBA draft. Unfortunately for Brooks and Dawkins, neither one heard their name called during the NBA draft. A mistake for them to declare early?

Maybe, but who am I to judge them, they made the decision they felt was in their best interest and for that, I can’t fault them. Both Brooks and Dawkins both signed for teams this summer as undrafted free agents (Should be noted Corey Davis also signed as an Undrafted Free Agent).

Those are just some of the great players who have left the conference this past year. The guys on this list may have declared for the draft but ultimately decided to return to school, or they just might not have been ready for that next step to the NBA. Regardless, they’re back for this next season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 best players who will be returning to the AAC this upcoming season.

10. Tre Scott - Cincinnati
9. Laquincy Rideau - South Florida
8. Nate Hinton - Houston
7. Christian Vital - UConn
6. Dejon Jarreau - Houston
5. David Collins - South Florida
4. Jayden Gardner - East Carolina
3. Alexis Yetna - South Florida
2. Quinton Rose - Temple
1. Jarron Cumberland - Cincinnati..."

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

DD not being on that list is laughable, IMO. Whatever though.

[Dan]

I’ll take Dexter Dennis over most of those guys

[WSUwatcher]

As would I, Dan, and he'll probably outplay a number of them head to head. But being under the radar is just where Marshall likes for his teams and guys to be, and it was a status that used to serve too small, too unathletic, but newly crowned NBA champion Fred VanVleet pretty well while he was here.

[WuShock Reaper]

"AAC Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from 2019 recruiting classes" - FanSided Sports

by Tristan Freeman
Posted: posted: 08/21/19, 7:30am cst

https://bustingbrackets.com/2019/08/21/aac-basketball-5-biggest-takeaways-2019-recruiting-classes/

"A whole lot happened with AAC Basketball on the recruiting trail in the past year. What were the biggest overall takeaways?

Around this time a year ago, the top recruiting team for AAC Basketball was Penny Hardaway and Memphis. They landed three of the league’s quartet of four-star prospects in the 2018 recruiting class (Houston had the other in their lone commit of Nate Hinton). Outside of Wichita State with seven total recruits tying Memphis, there was nothing truly notable from last year’s group.

Fast forward to now and let’s say there were some differences. All 11 AAC teams bring in at least two recruits, with East Carolina having a whopping eight newcomers. Wichita State will be one of the youngest teams in the country with another six newcomers to the program. And Dan Hurley has a nice group of freshmen for UConn, ranking second overall in the conference.

But there’s no debate at all with who landed the top spot for AAC Basketball. It’s the Memphis Tigers, although their class this time around makes last year’s look like chump change. Not only is it the top class in the league, but it’s also actually No. 1 overall, ahead of the likes of both Duke and Kentucky.

There’s a lot to go further with the Tigers and the impact of this recruiting class in particular but don’t forget the other 10 teams in the AAC as well. The conference as a whole should benefit greatly from this crop of newcomers down the road. Here are my biggest overall takeaways from what the league is bringing in.

1. Memphis and Penny Hardaway the star of the offseason?
When Penny Hardaway was hired as the head coach of Memphis Basketball, we knew that he would have some success on the recruiting trail thanks to his AAU ties. With a ton of scholarships available in the 2019 class, all eyes were going to be on how good he would do....

2. AAC focusing more on transfers than high school prospects?
Collectively, the AAC did okay for the 2019 recruiting classes. But if you take away what Memphis did, then things look a bit different. Only two other programs (UConn and Wichita State) were ranked in the top-40 team classes and only one non-Tiger player in the top-60 is going to another AAC team. It’s not great for a league who is trying to be closer to the power conferences instead of the mid-majors. The thing is though, there’s not much the 12 teams can do when it comes to recruiting. Even Memphis before hiring Hardaway wasn’t landing the top-tier players since arriving at the AAC. These teams will have to find another of landing high-major talent and it looks like the transfer market is the way to go....

3. Completely new roster for East Carolina to work with?
After 20 years since his first stint with East Carolina, former Florida Gulf Coast Head Coach Joe Dooley is back. And after a 10-win campaign in his first year, he’s electing to have a roster that fits his style of play. There were a number of transfers outgoing for the Pirates, opening up a ton of roster space....

4. New group of Shockers for Wichita State?
After seven straight years of 25+ wins and making the NCAA Tournament, Wichita State took a step back in their second year in the AAC. Moving up from the Missouri Valley Conference was expected to be somewhat tough for the program after their former stars graduated.The hope now is that the underclassmen core from both this year and last year’s recruiting classes are good enough to get the Shockers back into contention. For this group of newcomers specifically, it’s filled with five three-star recruits, along with wing Trey Wade, one of the top JUCO commits in the class. Tyson Etienne and Grant Sherfield are a pair of talented combo guards that some recruiting outlets have classified as four-star prospects. Noah Fernandes is more of a pure point guard that’ll provide good perimeter depth. And to add more frontcourt talent to replace the graduated Markis McDuffie are forwards DeAntoni Gordon and Josaphat Bilau to round out the group. None of these are projected early NBA Draft prospects but there’s some real talent in this group that can be developed into All-Conference pieces in a few years. Now in the AAC and could be dealing with a future juggernaut in Memphis, Wichita State will certainly have a tougher time at consistently making the Big Dance. Head coach Gregg Marshall has always been known as an excellent developer of talent and he’ll need to continue that with a completely new roster filled with Shockers.

5. Cincy lands top-50 prospect for new head coach
When Mick Cronin left Cincinnati this offseason for UCLA, the Bearcats were in trouble of losing most of their roster to the transfer portal. But for the most part, all of their key pieces remained for new head coach John Brannen from Northern Kentucky. That included the reigning AAC Player of the Year Jarron Cumberland along with Tre Scott and Keith Williams...."

[Windiwu]

This dude seems to be stuck on last year like we lost all those guys and are again starting over. Very disrepectful tone.

[WuShock Reaper]

"The top eight college basketball coaches at a new school set up for success in their first season" - CBS Sports

by Kyle Boone
Posted: 08/22/19, 11:30am cst

Ranking the top coaches in new destinations set up for success this season

"Athletic directors across the country often cite the need to "go in a new direction" or to "reset the culture" when making a coaching change. In many instances, that decision is warranted -- sometimes even expected.

But just because making a change is right or overdue doesn't mean it's a path with an instant turnaround in sight. Because let's face it: rebuilding behind a new coach is a tough task. Coaches lose their job because they lose support. And to lose support, the roster is either below expectations, the performance is sub-par, or recruiting isn't meeting the standard. If a coach is ousted for even one of those reasons, it makes it more difficult for their successor to find success, much less early on.

The good news, though, is difficult does not mean impossible. In rare cases, coaches move on to bigger and better jobs. They retire. They quit. So when the old guard moves out, the new guard is ripe for success. Below are eight coaches in a position similar to that who, for one reason or another, are set up for success in the first year of their arrival at new destinations.

1. John Brannen, Cincinnati
2018-19 record: 28-7

Projected top scorers: Jarron Cumberland, Keith Williams, Tre Scott

Analysis: Brannen was long overdue for a promotion. He took over a Northern Kentucky program that won 33 combined games in the first three years of its Division I existence and won 81 games in the four seasons he was there, which included two NCAA Tournament berths from a traditional one-bid league. At Cincinnati he inherits a win-ready roster that brings back its top three scorers -- including preseason favorite to repeat as AAC Player of the Year: Jarron Cumberland...."

[WuShock Reaper]

Candid Coaches: Which school is the most underrated job in college basketball? - CBS Sports

by Matt Norlander
Posted: 08/23/19, 12:00 noon, cst

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...ge-basketball/

"Coaches have never given us so many varied responses as they did for this question

CBS Sports college basketball writers Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander surveyed more than 100 coaches for our annual Candid Coaches series. They polled everyone from head coaches at elite programs to assistants at some of the smallest Division I schools. In exchange for complete anonymity, the coaches provided unfiltered honesty about a number of topics in the sport. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be posting the results on nine questions they were asked.

When college coaches are presented with an opportunity to take a head gig at a program, there's a number of things they evaluate. The first thing, as it's the most obvious, is the money. Money often -- but not always -- wins. But since no two schools and situations are ever alike, coaches and the agents guiding them through the process can, and often do, consider a nearly dozen factors when looking at making a leap.

They consider not just geography but the actual living location and school systems for them and their families. Then there is the local recruiting base/talent pool and how fertile it is or isn't. Other factors include level of fan support, financial commitment from the athletic department, involvement from the school president, the quality of facilities, the amount of resources provided by the university to best enable a successful program. And plenty more....

1. Gonzaga	7%
2. Dayton	6%
3. Memphis	5%
3. Washington	5%
5. Harvard	4%
5. Houston	4%
5. Marquette	4%
5. Murray State	4%
5. Oregon	4%
5. Vanderbilt	4%
5. Wichita State	4%

On Wichita State

• "I've been there twice for postseason NIT Games (once as a player and once as a coach). The atmosphere is insane. Standing room only and every single fan is into the game including the old people. Best environment I've ever been apart of -- and I played in the ACC. Plus, Gregg Marshall has one of the best contracts in the country, so they are committed."
• "Koch brothers say 'yes' to anything the program needs: private planes, budget items/needs, coaching salaries, etc. Midwest recruiting base, access to Canada, can dip into Texas, and national brand created can help them steal high-level players. Facilities, game day atmosphere, community support all high-level."

[AZ Shocker]

Did he (Norlander) play for Florida St.??? I did not know that...

[Shoxfan11]

Did he (Norlander) play for Florida St.??? I did not know that...

No, he asks these questions to coaches who answer anonymously. In this case it looks like the coach is Andrew Wilson, who played at Florida State when they played here in 04 and coached at CoC under Bobby Cremins when they played here in 2011.

[WSUwatcher]

Good sleuthing, shoxfan11.

[WuShock16]

Yeah, he saw Koch at its nastiest. Those two atmospheres were incredible...putting it mildly.

[AZ Shocker]

Nice. Thanks Shoxfan11

[TheShocktocles]

"AAC Basketball: Top 10 returning players for 2019-20 season" - FanSided Sports

by Ben Andreatta
Posted: 08/15/19

https://bustingbrackets.com/2019/08/...019-20-season/

"This past spring we saw guys like Shizz Alston Jr, Corey Davis Jr, and Tacko Fall graduate. And were lucky enough to see Fall announce his presence to the rest of the world in the NBA Summer League after being drafted by the Celtics. Guys like Armoni Brooks and Aubrey Dawkins leave school early to enter their names into the NBA draft. Unfortunately for Brooks and Dawkins, neither one heard their name called during the NBA draft. A mistake for them to declare early?

Maybe, but who am I to judge them, they made the decision they felt was in their best interest and for that, I can’t fault them. Both Brooks and Dawkins both signed for teams this summer as undrafted free agents (Should be noted Corey Davis also signed as an Undrafted Free Agent).

Those are just some of the great players who have left the conference this past year. The guys on this list may have declared for the draft but ultimately decided to return to school, or they just might not have been ready for that next step to the NBA. Regardless, they’re back for this next season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 best players who will be returning to the AAC this upcoming season.

10. Tre Scott - Cincinnati
9. Laquincy Rideau - South Florida
8. Nate Hinton - Houston
7. Christian Vital - UConn
6. Dejon Jarreau - Houston
5. David Collins - South Florida
4. Jayden Gardner - East Carolina
3. Alexis Yetna - South Florida
2. Quinton Rose - Temple
1. Jarron Cumberland - Cincinnati..."

If you think that list is bad you should see what the Athlon magazine says. It's out and as usual it has an overated chicken hawk player on the cover. The shocks don't have a team this year and we don't have any players in the top 10 all conference list. I think the shocks are picked 6. Well I told you guys so.!!! The shocks simply do not get the benefit of doubt. That's the way it's been forever. The Shocks just need to go kick some butt.

[kcshocker11]

I quit reading those rags along time ago.

[WuShock Reaper]

Big man Stokes transfers to Memphis from Florida - ESPN

Aug 28, 2019
Associated Press

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/27485339/big-man-stokes-transfers-memphis-florida

"Isaiah Stokes has transferred to Memphis to play for his old AAU coach Penny Hardaway after spending the past two seasons at Florida. Memphis announced Stokes' arrival Wednesday. Hardaway coached Stokes in the Amateur Athletic Union before being hired by the Tigers in March 2018, and the Memphis coach says Stokes is a physical, tough player with a great basketball IQ. Stokes played at Lausanne before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. His older brother, Jarnell, was All-Southeastern Conference at Tennessee before being drafted by the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies in 2014. The 6-foot-8, 270-pound Stokes sat out the 2017-18 season recovering from a torn ACL and played 26 games last season for Florida. He will sit out this season unless granted eligibility to play immediately."

[shockrah]

In related news, Zion Williamson will be foregoing his draft, redshirt a year and walk on at Memphis....
This just in: Kansas Coach Bill Self announced he will be legally changing his name to "Dollar Bill Self" in hopes he will be able to recruit 100 times better than Penny Hardaway.

[WuShock Reaper]

Candid Coaches: Who is the toughest coach to prepare for in college basketball? - CBS Sports

Bu Matt Norlander
Posted: Aug 28, 2019 at 12:09 pm ET

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/candid-coaches-who-is-the-toughest-coach-to-prepare-for-in-college-basketball/

"The Final Four seems to have undeniably played a factor in the voting of 100-plus coaches who logged their votes for us...

Who's the guy who keeps you up at night? Who's the coach who, no matter how well you prepare and no matter how formidable the talent he's got may be, still puts your stomach in knots and instills a dark cloud over your head 24, 48, 72 hours before game time?...

4th (5%) - Kermit Davis, Ole Miss (will get a shot at him in January in the AAC/SEC Challenge)... On Kermit Davis - "You saw how good he was last season [in his first season in the SEC]. Straight ball-coach. He'll mix things up on you. Been really good for a long time."

5th (4%) - Kelvin Sampson, Houston (Sampson is 3 wins - 1 loss against Coach Gregg Marshall while in the AAC. 3G will get at least two more shots this season) On Kelvin Sampson - "Kelvin is a phenomenal basketball coach. This is a business where some guys are blessed and born to do it. He was born with a pen in his hand. He adapts, sees things, pushes players at the right time, is demanding, loving, is very cerebral with the game. His adjustments are minute but they are excellent. He's gotten it done everyone he's ever been."...

[WuShock Reaper]

Which college coaches under 40 are the most likely to be stars in the next decade? - NBC Sports

By Rob Dauster
Posted: Aug 27, 2019, 11:17 AM EDT

https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2019/08/27/which-college-coaches-under-40-are-the-most-likely-to-be-stars-in-the-next-decade/

"This week, NBC Sports has been rolling out a project in which we take a look at the current landscape of basketball and try to project what it will look like in the future.

Over at Pro Basketball Talk, they are running through a list of who we think will be the top 50 basketball players in the world as of 2024. Here on CBT, we have already given you our list of the next generation of basketball stars, the future of the sport that has yet to play a college game.

Today, we will be taking a look at coaches.

Which coaches in the college ranks that are under the age of 40 today will be the biggest names in the sport ten years from now?

This is our list.

1. MIKE MILLER, Memphis assistant, 39
I have a feeling that this name is going to raise a few eyebrows, but there’s a logic to this. While Penny Hardaway has been the face of Memphis basketball and the way that they have been recruiting in the last 18 months, it is worth noting that Miller has played just as big of a role as the program has found a way to get into the mix with some of the biggest names in the high school ranks. As one person in the grassroots basketball world put it, “the kids love him.”

He’s already made a run at one high level coaching opening – can you imagine what he could have gotten done at UNLV? – and sooner or later he’s going to land one of them. If and when he does, Miller is going to be a Penny-sized force in the recruiting landscape. Think about it like this: How many people in the world can FaceTime LeBron, and how much will that impress elite high school players?...

5. MIKE BOYNTON, Oklahoma State, 37 (Not AAC related but his team is on our non-conference schedule)
I’m really not sure just how good Boynton is going to be as a head coach. He has some serious pedigree – he’s coached under Mike Young, Frank Martin and Brad Underwood – but through two seasons in Stillwater, he’s managed just a 35-33 record and a 13-23 mark in the Big 12. It is worth noting, however, that Boynton brings back essentially everyone from last year’s rotation, he plays a fun and entertaining style and he is the odds-on favorite to land Cade Cunningham, the star of the 2020 recruiting class....

10. DANA FORD, Missouri State, 35 (Not AAC related but former assistant coach on Marshall's staff)
Ford is a guy that has garnered quite a bit of respect in the coaching industry. He took Tennessee State from a joke to relevant in the OVC in just two years, which was enough to convince Missouri State to hire him despite never finishing better than tied for second in his division....

12. BOB RICHEY, Furman, 36 (Not AAC related but we played them last season in the first game of the NIT, keep an eye on him, he will be moving up)
In two seasons with the Palladins, Richey has gone 48-18 overall with a 26-10 mark in a strong SoCon. He went into Villanova and beat the Wildcats this past season and earned a bid to the NIT after spending much of the season on the NCAA tournament bubble...."

[WuShock Reaper]

Candid Coaches: Who will be the best player in college basketball for the 2019-20 season? - CBS Sports

By Matt Norlander
Posted: 09/09/19, 11:00am cst

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/candid-coaches-who-will-be-the-best-player-in-college-basketball-for-the-2019-20-season/

"We have a winner so dominant, the record-setting return bests any previous winner of this question by 15 percentage points.

College basketball often suffers from losing most of its 15-or-so best/most notable players every year. It's a function of the sport and the climate college hoops operates in. (And it's getting worse.)

But for the season ahead, there are a few really good/household-name players -- potentially historic stars -- who are returning. And that can't be undersold. There will be one-and-done freshman talents who grow into big stars, but a handful of seniors who are back for one more tour figure to help shape the storylines of the sport from November into March. This is great! On top of the coaches and reliable elite programs who will push interest, we also have fantastic four-year players who are not only really good, but also interesting and fun to watch in their own right and for different reasons.

With that in mind, we got a few expected answers to our final question, but what we didn't realize is just how presumptive and overwhelming the winner of this question would be. You ready to see who should dominate college basketball in 2019-20? Here we go.

1. Cassius Winston, Michigan State	50%
2. Markus Howard, Marquette	13%
3. Cole Anthony, North Carolina	11%
4. Anthony Edwards, Georgia	7%
5. Myles Powell, Seton Hall	6%
6. James Wiseman, Memphis	5%

...On James Wiseman -
"Best player? I don't know -- maybe James Wiseman. He's definitely the most talented."

"James Wiseman will be the most prominent freshman on a freshman-laden Memphis team. He's be so heralded for so long, I'm eager to finally see him play against college competition and discover if he's truly the best guy to go No. 1 in 2020."