Today In The Valley (Nov. 15)
Northern Iowa (#161 CHN preseason ranking) vs. Denver (#241 CHN preseason ranking)
12:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
The Northern Iowa Panthers open their third season at the newly renovated McLeod Center as they host the Denver Pioneers, one of the youngest teams in the country. The Pioneers could be confused with a junior varsity by their lack of seniors (zero on the team). The Panthers, on the other hand, start the season like a doughnut -- nothing in the middle. Not only do they have to make up the loss of all-Valley player Eric Coleman, they played two exhibition games without 7-footer Jordan Eglseder who has been slowed by an ankle injury.
Without the big men and depth up front they will turn to their backcourt to carry the load. One man up for the challenge is sophomore guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe (also known in section 123 as “Kid Alphabet”), who missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury. He’s looking to pick up where fellow Tartan High School graduate Coleman left off; the two are both from Oakdale, Minnesota.
Denver comes off an 11-19 season under second year coach Joe Scott. Scott’s roster includes 11 freshmen and sophomores. If you want to read about the first college basketball road trip for many of these newbies, Denver’s athletics Web site posted a blog about their whereabouts yesterday. Blogs are sure popular these days, huh?! Regardless of UNI’s health problems, the Pioneers have a tough task ahead of themselves in “Jake’s Jungle.”
~ Panon
---
Illinois State (#82 CHN preseason ranking) at Wright State (#60 CHN preseason ranking)
6:00 p.m.
Nutter Arena; Dayton, OH
Online via Free Web-cast courtesy of Illinois State
The Illinois State Redbirds visit the Wright State Raiders to open the 2008-2009 regular season for both schools. Each team played just one public exhibition game, and both squads come to this opener with confidence. Illinois State was able to outshine the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars 81-57, and showed a willingness to distribute the scoring load early this season. Osiris Eldridge, preseason MVC Player of the Year, led the way with 19 points, but four other Redbirds finished in double figures. ISU will look to fly off to a quick start and hope to reach the NCAA tournament bid they failed short of last season.
They will have their hands full with an experienced Raiders team that returns 6 contributors from last season. Wright State is coming off back-to-back 21-win seasons. And even with all of this past success, don’t overlook the benefits from the extra motivation the Raiders received from Clark Kellogg. Plus, the folks at WSU are expecting a big crowd; they should, because they’re letting everyone in for free if they wear their Raiders gear. Jays fans who complain about only 14,000 or 15,000 fans for a game might consider the other alternatives, such as the “free ticket” strategy.
This should be a good test for both squads, but I see ISU coming out on top 78-61.
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Drake (#56 CHN preseason ranking) vs. Butler (#65 CHN preseason ranking)
7:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, IA
This is a rematch of ESPN’s featured match-up from last year’s BracketBusters mid-major hoops extravaganza. When these two packs of Bulldogs met in Indiana last year, they had a total of 5 losses and where both ranked in the top 20 nationally. Drake beat Butler 71-64 and now hosts the defending Horizon league champions at the Knapp Center.
Both teams saw senior leaders leave the program after last season; Butler lost A.J. Graves and Mike Green, Drake waved goodbye to Klayton Korver, Leonard Houston, and Adam Emmenecker. Green and Emmenecker were named Player of the Year in their respective conferences. But both new DU head coach Mark Phelps and boyish Butler boss Brad Stevens look to some talented returners to shoulder the scoring and leadership loads.
Josh Young, one of last year’s Super Sophomores in the Valley, brings his 16 points per game average back to Drake. Matt Howard, last year’s Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, returns for Butler. These two stars will be called upon to shoulder the bulk of playmaking early for their respective Bulldogs squads, which were each picked for middle-of-the-pack finishes in their conferences.
I’m not one for prognosticating so early in the season. Plus, I’m sure I picked Drake to lose a bunch of games early last season, too. That didn’t work out too well for me, so I’ll reserve judgment for a few weeks. If the home crowd at the Knapp Center gets half as good a game as last season’s match-up, they should be happy.
~ CreightonOtter
---
Evansville (#198 CHN preseason ranking) vs. Austin Peay (#184 CHN preseason ranking)
7:00 p.m.
Roberts Stadium; Evansville, Indiana
The Ohio Valley Conference Austin Peay Governors come to Roberts Stadium to help the Purple
Aces open the regular season. This will be the seventh consecutive year the two teams have played, with the Purple Aces owning a 4-2 edge in the recent series.
It will be a big night for Evansville, as their homecoming festivities include naming the court at Roberts Stadium in honor of their former coach Arad A. McCutchan. Ready to make a statement on the newly named court will be a pair of standout seniors, Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger, who both helped Evansville to two exhibition wins. The third senior, Nate Garner, will also be an impact player for the Purple Aces.
On the other side of the court, the Governors also collected two exhibition wins. One of those came against Central Missouri, a familiar foe for our beloved Bluejays. The Division II Mules gave them a close contest but the Governors held on for a 80-75 victory.
~ Panon
12:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
The Northern Iowa Panthers open their third season at the newly renovated McLeod Center as they host the Denver Pioneers, one of the youngest teams in the country. The Pioneers could be confused with a junior varsity by their lack of seniors (zero on the team). The Panthers, on the other hand, start the season like a doughnut -- nothing in the middle. Not only do they have to make up the loss of all-Valley player Eric Coleman, they played two exhibition games without 7-footer Jordan Eglseder who has been slowed by an ankle injury.
Without the big men and depth up front they will turn to their backcourt to carry the load. One man up for the challenge is sophomore guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe (also known in section 123 as “Kid Alphabet”), who missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury. He’s looking to pick up where fellow Tartan High School graduate Coleman left off; the two are both from Oakdale, Minnesota.
Denver comes off an 11-19 season under second year coach Joe Scott. Scott’s roster includes 11 freshmen and sophomores. If you want to read about the first college basketball road trip for many of these newbies, Denver’s athletics Web site posted a blog about their whereabouts yesterday. Blogs are sure popular these days, huh?! Regardless of UNI’s health problems, the Pioneers have a tough task ahead of themselves in “Jake’s Jungle.”
~ Panon
---
Illinois State (#82 CHN preseason ranking) at Wright State (#60 CHN preseason ranking)
6:00 p.m.
Nutter Arena; Dayton, OH
Online via Free Web-cast courtesy of Illinois State
The Illinois State Redbirds visit the Wright State Raiders to open the 2008-2009 regular season for both schools. Each team played just one public exhibition game, and both squads come to this opener with confidence. Illinois State was able to outshine the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars 81-57, and showed a willingness to distribute the scoring load early this season. Osiris Eldridge, preseason MVC Player of the Year, led the way with 19 points, but four other Redbirds finished in double figures. ISU will look to fly off to a quick start and hope to reach the NCAA tournament bid they failed short of last season.
They will have their hands full with an experienced Raiders team that returns 6 contributors from last season. Wright State is coming off back-to-back 21-win seasons. And even with all of this past success, don’t overlook the benefits from the extra motivation the Raiders received from Clark Kellogg. Plus, the folks at WSU are expecting a big crowd; they should, because they’re letting everyone in for free if they wear their Raiders gear. Jays fans who complain about only 14,000 or 15,000 fans for a game might consider the other alternatives, such as the “free ticket” strategy.
This should be a good test for both squads, but I see ISU coming out on top 78-61.
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Drake (#56 CHN preseason ranking) vs. Butler (#65 CHN preseason ranking)
7:00 p.m.
Knapp Center; Des Moines, IA
This is a rematch of ESPN’s featured match-up from last year’s BracketBusters mid-major hoops extravaganza. When these two packs of Bulldogs met in Indiana last year, they had a total of 5 losses and where both ranked in the top 20 nationally. Drake beat Butler 71-64 and now hosts the defending Horizon league champions at the Knapp Center.
Both teams saw senior leaders leave the program after last season; Butler lost A.J. Graves and Mike Green, Drake waved goodbye to Klayton Korver, Leonard Houston, and Adam Emmenecker. Green and Emmenecker were named Player of the Year in their respective conferences. But both new DU head coach Mark Phelps and boyish Butler boss Brad Stevens look to some talented returners to shoulder the scoring and leadership loads.
Josh Young, one of last year’s Super Sophomores in the Valley, brings his 16 points per game average back to Drake. Matt Howard, last year’s Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, returns for Butler. These two stars will be called upon to shoulder the bulk of playmaking early for their respective Bulldogs squads, which were each picked for middle-of-the-pack finishes in their conferences.
I’m not one for prognosticating so early in the season. Plus, I’m sure I picked Drake to lose a bunch of games early last season, too. That didn’t work out too well for me, so I’ll reserve judgment for a few weeks. If the home crowd at the Knapp Center gets half as good a game as last season’s match-up, they should be happy.
~ CreightonOtter
---
Evansville (#198 CHN preseason ranking) vs. Austin Peay (#184 CHN preseason ranking)
7:00 p.m.
Roberts Stadium; Evansville, Indiana
The Ohio Valley Conference Austin Peay Governors come to Roberts Stadium to help the Purple
Aces open the regular season. This will be the seventh consecutive year the two teams have played, with the Purple Aces owning a 4-2 edge in the recent series.
It will be a big night for Evansville, as their homecoming festivities include naming the court at Roberts Stadium in honor of their former coach Arad A. McCutchan. Ready to make a statement on the newly named court will be a pair of standout seniors, Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger, who both helped Evansville to two exhibition wins. The third senior, Nate Garner, will also be an impact player for the Purple Aces.
On the other side of the court, the Governors also collected two exhibition wins. One of those came against Central Missouri, a familiar foe for our beloved Bluejays. The Division II Mules gave them a close contest but the Governors held on for a 80-75 victory.
~ Panon
posted by Creighton Otter at 10:36 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home