Tuesday, October 13, 2020

News On The Horizon 10/13/2020

2020-21 Men’s College Basketball Early Season Tournaments (CoVID Changes)--Blogging The Bracket

On-Campus Events

Bluegrass Showcase

Wed.–Sun., Nov. 2529: Lexington, Ky. (Jeff Goodman)

Teams: Detroit Mercy Titans (Horizon), Kentucky Wildcats (SEC), Morehead State Eagles (OVC), Richmond Spiders (A 10)

Nebraska MTE

Wed., Nov. 25–Wed., Dec. 2: Lincoln, Neb. (Jon Rothstein; Jeff Borzello; Matt Norlander)

Teams: Cleveland State Vikings (Horizon, Paradise Jam), Colorado State Rams (MW, Paradise Jam), LSU Tigers (SEC, Gotham Classic), Illinois State Redbirds (MVC, Cancun Challenge), Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten, Myrtle Beach Invitational), Nevada Wolf Pack (MW, Cayman Islands Classic), Northern Iowa Panthers (MVC, Cayman Islands Classic), Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12, Charleston Classic), San Francisco Dons (WCC, MGM Resorts Main Event), others TBA

Xavier MTE

Wed.–Fri., Nov. 2527: Cincinnati (Brian Hamilton and Hugh Kellenberger, The Athletic)

Teams: Bradley Braves (MVC, Paradise Jam), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (Horizon, Dana Point Challenge), Toledo Rockets (MAC, Bahamas Showcase), Xavier Musketeers (Big East, Orlando Invitational)

Milwaukee MTE

Fri.–Sun., Nov. 27–29: Milwaukee, Wis. (Jeff Goodman)

Teams: Ball State Cardinals (MAC), Milwaukee Panthers (Horizon), North Dakota State Bison (Summit), So Mississippi Golden Eagles (C-USA)

Youngstown State MTE

Fri.–Sun., Nov. 27–29: Youngstown, Ohio (Jeff Goodman)

Teams: Eastern Michigan Eagles (MAC), SIU Edwardsville Cougars (OVC), Youngstown State Penguins (Horizon)


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

309. Dennis Gates (Cleveland State) (Last year: 336)

  • Overall record: 11-21

Gates took over Cleveland State last year after Dennis Felton was fired in the summer, leaving the former Florida State assistant in not the best position. Regardless, Gates put together a competitive roster and won 11 games in his first season, a more than solid effort. Cleveland State has struggled in the Horizon League in recent years, but Gates’s experience and pedigree will certainly have a positive impact going forward for the Vikings.


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

106. Mike Davis (Detroit) (Last year: 85)

  • Overall record: 371-284
  • Final Four in 2002

Davis has had quite the coaching career, succeeding Bob Knight at Indiana, coaching at UAB and Texas Southern before landing with the Titans in 2018. He transformed Texas Southern into the best program in the SWAC but is struggling with Detroit and is just 19-43 to this point. His son Antoine is starring for the Titans but the result has not been a winning program.

Titans To Host Basketball Media Event On Tuesday--detroittitans.com


UWGB men's basketball team lands Racine St. Catherine's star--Green Bay Press Gazette
Building a fence: Green Bay’s 2021 class stacked with in-state talent--Phear The Phoenix
NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

354. Will Ryan (Green Bay) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Green Bay’s head coaching change was a bit of a head-scratcher, even if Ryan is the son of legendary former Wisconsin coach Bo. He spent last season as head coach of Wheeling, his only head coaching experience, but has spent nearly two decades at the D1 level as an assistant. He picked up valuable experience under his father and Saul Phillips, but is he the guy to turn Green Bay around again?


FORMER JAG NAMED RECIPIENT OF 2019-20 END OF SEASON NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD--iupuijags.com
NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

327. Byron Rimm (IUPUI) (Lasts year: 330)

  • Overall record: 122-217

Rimm was made interim head coach last season following Jason Gardner’s fall from grace and has retained the position heading into year two. The Jaguars won just seven games last season, flailing to a last-place finish in the Horizon League. It’s hard to make considerable progress as an interim, but Rimm did spend a decade as head coach at Prairie View A&M and has shown he has the ability to run and stabilize a program.


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

306. Pat Baldwin (Milwaukee) (Last year: 283)

  • Overall record: 37-58

Baldwin bounced around as an assistant, spending time at Loyola and Northwestern among others, before taking over Milwaukee three seasons ago. Unfortunately, he’s yet to make a big impact with the Panthers, winning just 9 and 12 games in his last two seasons. He’s a great recruiter, and there’s still time to turn things around, but former coach Rob Jeter was fired for winning at a much higher rate, surely Baldwin’s time will run out without immediate improvement.

Roar Report Feature: The Long-Awaited (Safe) Return to Campus--mkepanthers.com


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

101. Darrin Horn (Northern Kentucky) (Last year: 100)

  • Overall record: 194-120

A former head coach at Western Kentucky and South Carolina, Horn finally returned as head coach with the Norse this season and the results were pretty good. He inherited a Northern Kentucky team in fantastic shape and led them to the Horizon League Tournament title in his first year, even while filling some major holes on the roster. He took Western Kentucky to the Sweet Sixteen in 2008; could he bring this talented Norse program to a similar summit?


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

140. Greg Kampe (Oakland) (Last year: 126)

  • Overall record: 368-312

Kampe took over the Oakland program in 1984 and has remained ever since, leading the program into D1 and now the Horizon League along the way. He took the Golden Grizzlies to a trio of NCAA Tournaments while in the Summit League but has yet to do the same since joining the Horizon seven years ago. The program has seen a decrease in wins in each of the last three seasons, but can Kampe turn things around once more?

BEAR IN MIND PODCAST: GREG KAMPE--goldengrizzlies.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: OCT. 8--goldengrizzlies.com
KENDRICK NUNN AND MIAMI HEAT TOP LA LAKERS IN GAME FIVE OF NBA FINALS--goldengrizzlies.com

Oakland Women’s Basketball Notebook: Oct. 7--goldengrizzlies.com


Mailbag: The best 1-bid leagues and Alan Alda--Mid-Major Madness

@jmchugh131: How does Purdue Fort Wayne do in its first season in the Horizon League?

The Dons don’t project to be great, especially with the losses of Brian Patrick and Matt Holba. But all is not lost. In addition to bringing back Jarred Godfrey (15.6 points per game), they gain two key transfers — Ra Kpedi from Vermont, who sat out last season, and immediately eligible Bobby Planutis from St. Bonaventure. As a sophomore with the Catamounts, Kpedi started six games for a loaded squad and shot 58% from the floor. Planutis showed flashes of promise in the Atlantic 10, scoring in double-figures five times last season.

NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

190. Jon Coffman (Purdue-Fort Wayne) (Last year: 178)

  • Overall record: 110-87

Coffman will soon begin his seventh season leading the Mastodons, though it’ll be their first year in the Horizon League. He led Purdue Fort Wayne to four postseason appearances in his first four seasons, though he just had his worst campaign in 2020. Former stud John Konchar’s absence clearly affected the Mastodons, but Coffman will certainly reload the roster and get them in shape to compete in the Horizon.


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

161. Andrew Toole (Robert Morris) (Last year: 170)

  • Overall record: 188-154

Morris has spent the last decade as Robert Morris’s head coach and has done a fantastic job building this program up. This past season, he led the Colonials to the NEC Tournament title, which would’ve been their second NCAA Tournament bid. Robert Morris shifts to the Horizon League, a tougher challenge, but Toole has shown that these Colonials are more than capable.


NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

318. Luke Yaklich (UIC) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Yaklich’s stock has risen quickly in college basketball, establishing himself as a brilliant defensive coach during his time on the staffs at Michigan and Texas. A former Illinois high school basketball coach, the UIC job is a homecoming of sorts, giving him a prime opportunity to lead a program and dive into that rich talent in Chicago. UIC has been up and down in recent years but maybe Yaklich is the coach that finally pushes them over the top.


Wright State’s Nagy on upcoming season: ‘We have to figure out a way to make the best of this’--Dayton Daily News
Student Athlete Spotlight: Angel Baker--Wright State Guardian
NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

100. Scott Nagy (Wright State) (Last year: 105)

  • Overall record: 258-141

Nagy just keeps winning, leading the Raiders to another fantastic season and a second straight Horizon League regular-season crown. The former longtime South Dakota State head coach is 91-43 since joining Wright State in 2016 and has solidified the Raiders’ role as one of the Horizon League’s best programs. We’ll have to see if the success continues for the Raiders and if Nagy gets any looks for some bigger jobs in the years to come.


Penguins’ recruit likes to throw down cheeseburgers--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season--Busting Brackets

267. Jerrod Calhoun (Youngstown State) (Last year: 281)

  • Overall record: 38-59

Still a relatively young coach, Calhoun has done some impressive work early in his career. A former assistant under Bob Huggins, he led Fairmont State to the D2 title game before he took over the Penguins in 2017. This past season, Youngstown State won 18 games and tied for 4th place in the Horizon League, one of the program’s best seasons in recent memory and a major step forward under Calhoun’s watch.


YSU’s Magestro comes from basketball family
--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

No comments: