I can confirm that Collegiate Sports Associates has the Cleveland State search. It sounds like 20 first round zoom interviews are complete, and it is now headed to the next round (which could be 6-8). It seems like this one will be wrapped up sometime after the final four. Will have some names here by the weekend.
College basketball transfer portal: The top 20 Chicago area players in the the transfer portal--Chicago Sun-Times
15. Joey St. Pierre, Richmond-Burton (UW-Milwaukee)
The numbers won’t jump out at you, but the size will. And big men are a commodity. St. Pierre is a legit 6-10, 275-pound back-to-the-basket behemoth who was mildly productive in his first taste of Division I basketball this past season.
Following three seasons at Division II Wisconsin-Parkside –– and sitting out a year after transferring to UW-Milwaukee –– he started 29 games and played 24 minutes a game for the recently fired Pat Baldwin this past season.
He averaged 6.3 and 5.7 rebounds while converting 59 percent from the field. But his free-throw shooting (25 of 52) is cause for concern.
18. Zion Young, Simeon (Oakland)
There are some up-and-down numbers to sift through as he has now played two seasons at Western Illinois and two at Oakland.
He had a breakthrough season for the Leathernecks in the Summit League as a sophomore in 2019-20. The powerfully built guard averaged 13.2 points, chipping in 4.5 rebounds a game while starting 25 games.
He played mostly off the bench as a junior following a transfer to Oakland in the Horizon League, averaging 7.8 points, and was limited to just seven games this past season due to an injury.Other players in the transfer portal from Illinois:
Bobby Harvey, Hillcrest (IUPUI)
Exempt Multiple-Team Events (MTEs)
Cancún Challenge
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 22 and 23: Cancún, Mexico
Participants (Mayan Division): Eastern Michigan (Mid-American), Purdue Fort Wayne (Horizon League), Southern Mississippi (Sun Belt*), Winthrop (Big South)
16. Tanner Holden | 6-6 wing | junior | Wright State
Holden will certainly be among the most productive scorers to enter the portal, having averaged 20 points per game in the Horizon League this year on his way to his second-straight Horizon League first-team all-league honors. He just carried Wright State to the NCAA Tournament, where he put up an awesome 37-point performance against Bryant that led Wright State to a First Four win. Holden is a foul magnet, a guy who constantly attacks, plays well off of two feet, absorbs contact, and either finishes or gets to the line. He also moves well off the ball and finds points off of cuts, scoring more points off of cuts — per Synergy — than any wing in the country, largely playing off of Grant Basile post-ups and motion offense back-cuts. Holden has proven he is an excellent player, but this one is all going to be about fit. Holden doesn’t fit everywhere as a wing because he’s a reluctant shooter who won’t have the ball as much at a high-major stop. But he should be a high-major starter next year due to his age, experience, basketball IQ, and well-rounded game.
Wright State’s Holden earns national honor--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s Holden enters transfer portal--Dayton Daily News
Breaking: Wright State’s Tanner Holden Enters the Transfer Portal--WSU Guardian
That’s Going to Leave a Mark--HoriZone Roundtable
Ashya Klopfenstein enters transfer portal--Colonial Sports Network
Pretty good endorsement for Dru Joyce III at Cleveland State from his former HS teammate:
My brother would be the best and right move for the Cleveland State program going forward!! There’s no question! Vikings make the move. Coach @DruOnDemand has what it takes and has the area on lock with the kids! LFG!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 22, 2022
Leo Named To WBI All-Tournament Team--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Oakland women’s basketball looks ahead to the offseason--Oakland Post
13. Brandon Rush
Previous | New Fairleigh Dickinson | Youngstown State Height | Weight | Hometown 6-3 | 175 | Warrensville, Ohio Basic career stats 76 games | 56 starts
24.4 mpg | 10.8 ppg | 2.6 rpg | .356 3P%
1.0 OBPM | -3.1 DPBM | 105.1 ORtgRush could be a significant addition to Jerrod Calhoun‘s YSU squad if he can rediscover his perimeter stroke. During the ’20-21 season, Rush connected on 42.1 percent of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game. However, after a hefty usage bump, Rush’s 3-point clip dipped all the way to just 29.6 percent this past season. If he’s surrounded by enough offensive potency, Rush could be the right fit in the Horizon.
Penguins visit Fresno State in Classic quarterfinals--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
You Say Goodbye…We Say Hello!--HoriZone Roundtable
Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Falls To Saint Mary’s In WBI Championship Game--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Advances To WBI Championship With 58-50 Semifinal Victory Over Nevada--csuvikings.prestosports.com
No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners over No. 13 IUPUI Jaguars, 78-72
IUPUI was able to cut it to four on a Anna Mortag three with 27 seconds to go and on Rachel McLimore free throws with 14 seconds to go, but Taylor Robertons free throws with 12 ticks remaining iced it for the Sooners. Robertson made four threes for 22 points and her co-star, Madi Williams finished with 21 points. Macee Williams had 17 points, 13 boards and six assists in defeat.
'We were right there': IUPUI came so close in March Madness debut. The Jaguars have come so far.--Indy Star
Oklahoma Downs IUPUI in Tense NCAA Tournament Opener--Sports Illustrated
IUPUI COMES UP SHORT AGAINST NO. 4 OKLAHOMA, 78-72--iupuijags.com
Bridgeport Region
No. 13 IUPUI vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (-7.5), 10 p.m., ESPNUIUPUI has Cinderella written all over it. The Jaguars have shown they can compete with top-tier teams, narrowly losing 67-62 to Michigan and beating Iowa 74-73 during the regular season. Senior Macee Williams averages 18.7 points per game on 64.9 percent shooting. Though Oklahoma boasts the third-best scoring offense with 83.3 points per game, it also ranked close to last in average points allowed (76). If the Jaguars can keep the Sooners’ offense at bay, win the battle of the boards and pour on the points, they’ll advance to the next round. My pick: IUPUI
Oklahoma Starts 'Unknown' NCAA Tournament Journey in Norman--Sports Illustrated
NO. 13 IUPUI TO FACE NO. 4 OKLAHOMA IN FIRST EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE--iupuijags.com
Subscriber Content
CBI FIRST ROUND (all games in Daytona Beach)
IPFW’s inventive motion actions are tough to defend if you’re unprepared/not engaged, and while I don’t have any reason to think Drake is either of those...
Green Bay Falls to Minnesota in Opening Round of WNIT--greenbayphoenix.com
16 Wright State vs. 1 Arizona, 7:27 p.m., truTV
Wright State enjoyed Wednesday night’s First Four victory close to home against Bryant, and the Raiders should also enjoy the weather in sunny San Diego. Their encounter with the top-seeded Wildcats isn’t likely to be as much fun.
Prediction: Arizona, 95-72.
All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Wright State press conference--Hoops HD
Arizona vs. Wright State odds, picks, TV channel: Expert predictions for NCAA Tournament first round game--The Athletic
Wright State vs. Arizona: What you need to know about tonight’s NCAA Tournament game--Dayton Daily News
Raiders relish NCAA win but aren’t satisfied yet--Dayton Daily News
6. How many double-digit seeds will make it to the Sweet 16, and which is your favorite?
Chantel: I have four in my bracket: Florida Gulf Coast, IUPUI, South Dakota and DePaul. IUPUI could catch some opponents off guard because it’s a less well-known mid-major but the team’s leader — four-time Horizon Player of the Year Macee Williams — could turn heads. Oklahoma, the Jaguars’ first-round opponent, gives up 76 points per game, and I like Williams’ odds in that game (if you remember, Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee already scored 61 points alone on the Sooners earlier this season). And Notre Dame, their second-round opponent, has a few key young players (Olivia Miles, Maddy Westbeld, Sonia Citron) competing against a more-veteran IUPUI squad.
How Austin Parkinson took IUPUI from darkest days to Big Dance: 'Nothing short of miraculous'--Indy Star
MACEE WILLIAMS NAMED AP ALL-AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION--iupuijags.com
Where are they now?: Robert Morris women’s basketball’s 2020-21 transfers--Colonial Sports Network
SOUTH
1. Arizona vs. 16. Wright State
Arizona (31-3, 18-2 Pac-12)
Arizona won the Pac-12 tournament, but point guard Kerr Kriisa sprained his ankle in the quarterfinals. His status is a big question for one of the fastest tempo teams in the country that leads the nation with nearly 20 assists per game.
The over is 8-1 in the last nine Arizona games and a healthy Wildcats team usually gets high totals. Arizona won and covered in both games Kriisa missed after the injury.
Wright State (21-13, 15-7 Horizon)
The Raiders didn’t look like a possible NCAA Tournament team after they started 1-5 and 2-7. However, immediately after that they rattled off seven straight wins after that and enter the NCAA Tournament on a five-game winning streak. The over is 6-2 in Wright State’s last eight games.
2022 NCAA Tournament picks: Seth Davis makes his picks for Friday’s first-round games--The Athletic
No. 1 Arizona (-22.5) vs. No. 16 Wright State, 7:27 p.m., truTV. The Wildcats are my choice to win the national championship, and though the ankle injury sustained by their starting point guard, 6-3 sophomore Kerr Kriisa, is a concern, this team is plenty capable of doing damage without him in the lineup. Kriisa is a valuable leader, but he’s also a volatile one, and when he’s not on the floor the ball spends more time in the hands of their All-American guard Bennedict Mathurin. The Raiders showed good poise Wednesday night in beating Bryant, 93-82. The team’s leading scorer, 6-6 lefty Tanner Holden, was sensational in scoring 37 points, but 14 of those came on free throws, and he won’t get those types of chances in this one. Moreover, Wright State has the shortest bench of any team in the NCAA Tournament, and Arizona has a way of getting opponents in foul trouble. Throw in the Wildcats’ ability to turn this into a track meet, and they cover this spread with room to spare. The pick: Arizona
Ranking the 32 first round NCAA Tournament games from the 2022 March Madness bracket--CBS Sports
24. (1) Arizona vs. (16) Wright State/Bryant
Friday | 7:27 p.m. | truTV
Wright State plays fast and scores a lot. Arizona plays faster and scores more. The Raiders won at NC State earlier this season, which should get Arizona's attention. Keeping up with the Wildcats won't be plausible for Wright State in the end, though, since it gets most of its points inside the arc and Arizona's size will make life hard. Bryant's Peter Kiss is a fun player, but the Bulldogs' 111-44 loss to Houston earlier this season -- yes that score is correct -- suggests they would be ill-equipped to handle the Wildcats. If Houston, which plays at a slow pace, scored 111 on Bryant, just think what Arizona could do. The subplot of this game is how Arizona looks assuming that Kerr Kriisa is out due to the ankle injury he suffered in the Pac-12 Tournament. That injury is a big storyline hanging over the Wildcats entering the tournament.
Former Raider great Grote pleased with program’s growth, believes future is bright--Dayton Daily News
First Four: Wright State downs Bryant for first NCAA Tournament win--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s first NCAA Tournament win ‘a lifetime moment’ for players--Dayton Daily News
Calvin comes through in the clutch for Raiders despite illness--Dayton Daily News
Archdeacon: Historic night for Wright State at UD Arena--Dayton Daily News
Wright State Men’s Basketball Makes History in UD Arena--WSU Guardian
Wright State beats Bryant 93-82 for first NCAA Tournament win--wsuraiders.com
Coming off historic win, Raiders continue NCAAs on Friday night--wsuraiders.com
YSU women fall to Kent State--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Fall 68-59 to Kent State in Opening Round of Women's NIT--ysu.prestosports.com
