Katrina Merriweather leaving Wright State to coach Memphis--Dayton Daily News
Breaking: Women’s Basketball Head Coach Merriweather Hired by University of Memphis--WSU Guardian
Merriweather Accepts Head Coaching Position at Memphis--wsuraiders.com
#HLWBB Rising (Featuring a Conversation with Chris Kielsmeier)--HoriZone Roundtable
Ranking the 40 best available college basketball transfers and high school recruits--The Athletic
2. Patrick Baldwin Jr., 6-9 wing/forward, Hamilton High, Sussex, Wis.
Baldwin is one of the best teenage shooting prospects to come around in a long time. His game is smooth and polished, which is why he has been consistently ranked as a top-five player in the class since he was a sophomore. His feel for the game is superb, and at this size he can play on the wing or in the frontcourt. He’s going to average a ton of points and knock down a crazy number of shots because he has such an easy, well-balanced release. He’s a likely lottery pick. His father is the coach at Milwaukee, which is seen as the favorite. But Duke is also in the mix.
31. A.J. Bramah, 6-7 forward, junior, Robert Morris
In 2019-20, Bramah was the best player on a Robert Morris team that won the NEC tournament and was set to return to the NCAA Tournament if not for the cancellation of the season. Then in 2020-21, he came back for his sophomore season and averaged 21 points and 10.3 rebounds in a tougher conference after the Colonials moved up to the Horizon League. He decided to leave in February, though, and looks like he’ll be looking more at the high mid-major level this year, as his final three are Nevada, St. Bonaventure and Western Kentucky. He’d star at all three of those places.
Sweet 16 again for Missouri St. women, 64-39 over Wright St.--Associated Press
Wright State reaches milestone, looking to build on success--Dayton Daily News
Historic season concludes for Raiders on Wednesday in NCAA Second Round--wsuraiders.com
The six biggest questions on college basketball's coaching carousel--ESPN
5. What's the latest on the other big vacancies?
We addressed Indiana above, so we'll start with Marquette. The two names linked right away to the vacancy were Moser and Beilein, and I'd imagine those two will be heavily involved. Former Marquette coach and current Georgia boss Tom Crean is interested but unlikely to have a real shot at the job. As mentioned, Smart could have some interest if he's looking to leave Texas. Other names linked in the past have included Bradley's Brian Wardle, while Cleveland State's Gates could be involved.
DePaul's job has been open for a couple weeks, and it could have a decision soon. Sources told ESPN the university had more than 10 names on its interview list, including Detroit's Mike Davis, New York Knicks assistant Kenny Payne and Pacific's Damon Stoudamire. Payne and Moser have been the two names linked to this job for almost a year. Gates, given his Chicago ties, is involved and is perceived by some industry sources to be the favorite. This could also be a job for Power 5 coaches looking to entertain other opportunities, including Arizona State's Bobby Hurley or South Carolina's Frank Martin.
1. Dennis Gates, Cleveland State Head Coach
Gates just finished his second season at Cleveland State, which ended with 19 wins, a Horizon League Tournament title and the third NCAA Tournament berth in school history. Despite the Vikings going just 11-21 in his first season, Gates won Horizon League Coach of the Year (as he also did this year).
Prior to taking his first head coaching job, the 41-year old Gates worked as an assistant under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State from 2011-2019. If the Gators make a coaching change, Gates has to be high on the list of candidates to replace White.
Cleveland State women's basketball: Destiny Leo lifts CSU to new heights--News-Herald
24. A.J. Bramah, 6-7 forward, junior, Robert Morris
In 2019-20, Bramah was the best player on a Robert Morris team that won the NEC tournament and was set to return to the NCAA Tournament if not for the cancellation of the season. Then in 2020-21, he came back for his sophomore season and averaged 21 points and 10.3 rebounds in a tougher conference after the Colonials moved up to the Horizon League. He decided to leave in February, though, and looks like he’ll be looking more at the high mid-major level this year, as his final three are Nevada, St. Bonaventure and Western Kentucky. He’d star at all three of those places.
RMU 2021-22 Season Tickets On Sale Now--rmucolonials.com
Baker and No. 13 Wright State down No. 4 Arkansas 66-62--Associated Press
Trio of upsets mark 2nd day of women’s NCAA Tournament--Associated Press
After an opening day of top seeds holding serve, the women’s NCAA Tournament became a little less predictable Monday as double-digit seeds BYU, Belmont and Wright State advanced.
Wright State, the Horizon League Tournament champions, figured to have little chance against offensive juggernaut Arkansas, which averaged 83 points a game to lead the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks also had dynamic star Chelsea Dungee and had defeated UConn and Baylor this season on the way to the NCAAs.
Yet, the Raiders were not intimidated.
Wright State took an early lead and then rallied after Arkansas went in front in the final minutes. Angel Baker’s 3-pointer with 29.1 seconds gave Wright State the lead for good as a 13th seed won a tournament game for the first time since 2012.
It was also Wright State’s first ever NCAA win in three trips to the tournament. The Raiders will play No. 4 seed Missouri State in the next round after the biggest upset of the first two days of the tournament.
“We stepped up to the challenge,” Baker said.
Pike High School alum Angel Baker leads upset win in women's NCAA tournament--Indy Star
Wright State shocks Arkansas for first NCAA tourney win--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s Baker on NCAA tourney upset: ‘We stepped up to the challenge’--Dayton Daily News
NCAA Tournament: Merriweather had confidence Raiders could advance--Dayton Daily News
Women’s Basketball: #13 Wright State Upsets #4 Arkansas--Wright State Guardian
Raiders upend Arkansas for first NCAA victory--wsuraiders.com
Hear from the Raiders: Merriweather & Baker talk to national media; Wright State getting national coverage--wsuraiders.com
Women's Basketball set for second round meeting with Missouri State--wsuraiders.com
It’s All Over But the Transfers--HoriZone Roundtable
Destiny Leo of Eastlake North keys Cleveland States tournament win with clutch 3-pointer--News-Herald
Women’s Basketball Captures 2021 WBI Championship!--csuvikings.prestosports.com
White Named WBI MVP, Leo Named All-Tournament--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Vikings Advance To WBI Championship Game With 64-54 Victory Over Stetson--csuvikings.prestosports.com
No. 15 Cleveland State vs. No. 2 Houston (-20)
- Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
- Channel: truTV
- Venue: Assembly Hall (Bloomington, Ind.)
Dennis Gates has turned around the Cleveland State in no time and faces his biggest challenge yet in national title contender Houston. The Cougars still aren’t receiving a ton of love on the national scale as far as Final Four hopes are concerned despite ranking top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which only Gonzaga, Michigan and Illinois can also claim.
- Andy Dieckhoff (1-3; 2-2) — SU: Houston; ATS: Houston
- Brian Rauf (1-3; 1-3) — SU: Houston; ATS: Cleveland State
- Connor Hope (1-3; 2-2) — SU: Houston; ATS: Cleveland State
- Eli Boettger (2-2; 1-3) — SU: Houston; ATS: Cleveland State
- Lukas Harkins (2-2; 1-3) — SU: Houston; ATS: Clevenad State
Dennis Gates bet on himself and brought Cleveland State back to the NCAA tournament--The Undefeated
Houston beats Cleveland State 87-56 as Sampson ties Wooden--Associated Press
Houston cruises past Cleveland State with second-half surge--Mid-Major Madness
Marquette basketball coaching candidates: Porter Moser, Ritchie McKay, John Beilein and other names to watch--The Athletic
Call list
(In alphabetical order)
Dennis Gates, Cleveland State head coach. No shortage of love in Milwaukee for Gates as a rising star in the coaching ranks. He also has been at Cleveland State for all of two seasons. The guy Marquette just fired had zero head coaching experience, so one might wonder if the school wants someone with a little more time in the chair. But a Chicago native who can recruit to mimic the system Leonard Hamilton built at Florida State is intriguing. Marquette can recruit the bodies to establish something similar, and the fans surely could dig into that style.
Cleveland State hangs tough early, but is dominated by Houston in NCAA tournament first round, 87-56--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Can Cleveland State build on its trip to the NCAA tournament? Terry Pluto--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikings' Run Ends in NCAA Tournament--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Vikings Pick Up 68-55 Victory Over Manhattan In WBI First Round--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Torrey Patton, Cleveland State
Head coach Dennis Gates led a remarkable turnaround this season at the helm of Cleveland State. This breakout year from the program wouldn’t have been possible without star Torrey Patton. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 14.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game during the regular season as the driving force of the Vikings’ success. He was named to the All-Horizon League team and was the MVP of the conference tournament.
Patton has been especially great as of late. Cleveland State is 7-2 over its last nine games while Patton has been posting 20.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per contest. His hot streak has propelled the team to new heights and he makes them dangerous as a No. 15 seed. The Vikings draw No. 2 seed Houston in the opening round and Patton will have his hands full with the Cougars’ excellent defense. If there is any shot at an upset, the senior will need to be at his best.
A memorable car ride leads Gates, Sampson to NCAA meeting--Associated Press
Houston keeping guard up vs. upset-minded Cleveland State--CBS Sports
Cleveland State to Face Houston in NCAA Tournament First Round--csuvikings.prestosports.com
First Round
(2) Houston def. (15) Cleveland State 81-58: One of the few blowouts of the first round; the Cougars dominate this game on the offensive and defensive ends.
16 Questions for First Round Friday of the NCAA Tournament--Rush The Court
With the first round of the NCAA Tournament now just days away, here is a question I have for each of Friday’s 16 match-ups.
- #2 Houston vs. #15 Cleveland State: Can Cleveland State find enough baskets to keep the game close against a Houston squad that sometimes struggles to make shots? Cleveland State played three games all season against an opponent with a top-100 defensive efficiency and 19 games against a defense that sat outside of the top 250. The Vikings draw a top-10 defense in a Houston squad that is the only team in the country to have both a top-10 two-point and three-point percentage defense.
Cleveland St. faces Houston in First Round--Associated Press
2021 NCAA Tournament picks: Seth Davis makes his predictions for Friday’s first-round games--The Athletic
No. 15 Cleveland State vs. No. 2 Houston (-20), 7:15 p.m., truTV. If you’ve been following our coverage of job openings, you know that Vikings coach Dennis Gates is on a lot of top candidate lists. There’s a reason for that. The 41-year-old Leonard Hamilton disciple has only been a head coach for two years, but he was named Horizon League coach of the year both times, and although this team isn’t pretty on the offensive end (sixth in the Horizon League in offensive efficiency, 10th in 3-point percentage), the Vikings play a swarming defense and have plenty of fight. That’s also a great way to describe Houston, which has a small front line but ranks second in the country in offensive rebound percentage and 16th in defensive efficiency. The Cougars are also 327th in the country in tempo. Houston should win this game because it has more and better perimeter scorers in Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser, but this is an awfully big number for a game that’s shaping up to be a rock fight. The pick: Cleveland State
Defensive-minded Tre Gomillion is the backbone of Cleveland State’s championship season--Cleveland Plain Dealer
White Named To Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Top-10--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Vikings Open 2021 Women's Basketball Invitational Against Manhattan--csuvikings.prestosports.com
Transfer portal hits hard for Oakland, Detroit Mercy hoops Tuesday--Detroit News
No. 2 Houston Cougars (-20) vs. No. 15 Cleveland State Vikings
Upset chance: 2%
Subjectively, we would really like to be able to say something positive about Cleveland State. We’ve long admired the 13-seed whose leadership cadre of Cedric Jackson, Norris Cole and J’Nathan Bullock harassed Wake Forest into 18 turnovers in a first-round NCAA upset 12 years ago. But holy smokes, the sadism of this matchup is enough to make you wonder if somebody on the tournament selection committee had a bad experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Vikings, who clock in at No. 200 in our basic power rankings, steer opponents into taking 42.5 percent of their shots from behind the arc, the 36th-highest rate in the country. And they are particularly vulnerable on the defensive glass, where they rank 303rd in the country in rebounding percentage. Well, Houston is the second-strongest offensive rebounding team in the country (behind North Carolina), and one of the few ordinarily high-risk elements of its play is its heavy reliance on threes (42.3 percent of attempts), which they’re good at making. Last month, Houston put up 112 points against Our Lady of the Lake, an NAIA team. After they get done with Cleveland State, our statistical model wonders if the lady will have the last laugh.
2021 NCAA Tournament bracket: Midwest Region analysis of top-seeded Illinois, Oklahoma State and more--The Athletic
15. Cleveland State Vikings
First-round opponent: No. 2 seed Houston (American champion)
When: 7:15 p.m. ET Friday, Assembly Hall (truTV)
Record: 19-7 (16-4 Horizon League)How they got here: After sharing the regular-season title with Wright State and needing triple overtime to escape Purdue Fort Wayne in the Horizon quarterfinals, the Vikings rolled through the semifinals and title game to earn the league’s auto-bid. It is the program’s third NCAA Tournament bid and first since 2009.
What you need to know: When assistant coach Dru Joyce III climbed a ladder to snip some net after the conference championship, he howled, “Cleveland! This is for you!” That was a nod to LeBron James, who first shouted those words after leading the Cavaliers to an NBA championship in 2016. Joyce was LeBron’s high school teammate at powerhouse St. Vincent-St. Mary and is now part of a terrific staff of rising stars at Cleveland State, led by 41-year-old Dennis Gates, the Horizon League Coach of the Year in both seasons there. Gates, a longtime Leonard Hamilton assistant at Florida State, has turned around a program that went 40-89 in the four years before he arrived. He’ll be a hot name for high-major openings and might even be the frontrunner at Penn State.
Spotlight on: While all-conference senior guard Torrey Patton (14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds) can fill it up, the Vikings are driven by defense. Gates borrowed a tradition from FSU, where Hamilton handed out a spear to his defensive player of the game, and introduced a shield at Cleveland State. Junior guard Tre Gomillion (10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds) essentially owns that battlefield replica after earning Horizon Defensive Player of the Year. But junior forward Deante Johnson (third in the league in blocks) and junior guard D’Moi Hodge (fourth in the league in steals) are no slouches either. In two years under Gates, CSU has jumped almost 200 spots in the national defensive efficiency rankings.
Dennis Gates reflects on driving Kelvin Sampson; Torrey Patton hopes Vikings showed resilience: The latest from Cleveland State basketball--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Being heavy underdogs in NCAA tourney doesnt faze Cleveland State--News-Herald
Jump Honored by Women's Basketball Coaches Association--wsuraiders.com
62. Cleveland State Vikings (19-7, 16-4 HL)
Gold Star Leader: Torrey Patton (14.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Dennis Gates was easily one of the most impressive coaches in college basketball this season while guiding Cleveland State to the NCAA Tournament. The Vikings were one of the best Horizon League teams throughout the year and earned just their third-ever Big Dance appearance. They struggle on the defensive glass and with foul trouble, but defend the 3-point arc better than just about anyone in the nation, limiting both attempts and efficiency. This is a team that only lost to Ohio State by six on the road back in December. They have the potential to be dangerous.
Midwest Region Preview 2021--Three Man Weave
(2) Houston vs. (15) Cleveland St.
Initial Thoughts: Extremely impressive year out of both teams to be where they’re at right now. Just 20 months ago, Cleveland State was dealing with a mass roster exodus amidst a rebellion against Coach Dennis Felton, bringing in Dennis Gates in late July with little chance of assembling a fully functioning roster. With some grit and a little luck (ok, a lot – #1 in the country, per KenPom), the Vikings scaled the Horizon mountain in his second season.
Houston, meanwhile, surprisingly lost Nate Hinton to the NBA last offseason, Fabian White to a torn ACL for most of the year (he’s back, but nowhere near himself quite yet), and AAC preseason Player of the Year Caleb Mills to the transfer portal midseason…and remained a top 10 team. Kelvin Sampson is good at this.
Houston on Offense: Boy, did Quentin Grimes find the right fit after a shaky freshman season at Kansas. He was very good last year, but Grimes has ascended into the stratosphere as a junior, scoring in every way possible en route to AAC Player of the Year honors (who needs Caleb Mills, after all). Along with Marcus Sasser, DeJon Jarreau, and Tramon Mark, the Cougars have a quadrumvirate of lethal perimeter players capable of getting their own shot.
CSU can guard that somewhat, as they themselves play a deep stable of guards and wings around one big man, though the Vikings’ scheme is heavily geared towards forcing jump shots – a dangerous game against Grimes and Sasser in particular. CSU will also mix in some zone, but Houston has obliterated zones this year.
That brings me to one of the biggest mismatches in the entire first round: Houston’s relentless offensive rebounding against CSU’s feeble work on the defensive glass. CSU’s four-guard and zone looks will exacerbate what is already a glaring issue, and this could end up being a “Houston grabs 55% of its misses” type of game.
CSU is also an awful PnR defense (16th percentile against ball-handlers), and Houston can comfortably unleash any of those four at a given time.
Cleveland St. on Offense: As if things weren’t dicey enough in the above section, here’s where I start to get really nervous. How does Cleveland State score, I ask inquisitively?
Houston’s defense is only 16th in AdjDE, but that’s slightly misleading. The Cougars take away everything at the rim and swarm you beyond the arc, and the only true weakness is that their boundless aggression often leads to a free throw parade. CSU does not get to the line frequently, though, and they lay bricks when they do: 66.9% from the stripe, 291st nationally. If you can’t punish Houston for its foul transgressions, you’re in trouble.
Cleveland State’s shot selection amps up my concerns here. The Vikings’ perimeter players are, um, extremely confident, to put it gently. Torrey Patton (28.7% from beyond the arc), D’Moi Hodge (29.2%), and Jayson Woodrich (30.8%) have not earned that confidence, but all three can heat up on the right night. Tre Gomillion is a bulldog of a guard, and Big Al Eichelberger has become a weapon off the bench as he’s gotten healthier, but none really have an edge over their Houston counterparts.
Houston’s tight-knit defense will often give the perception of surrendering an open three, but the gargantuan length of Jarreau, Grimes, and Mark eats up that airspace in a hurry. The offensive glass could help, as Houston is not as sound on that end as one might expect.
Key Factor(s): The rebounding mismatch is obviously huge, but it’s really just an embodiment of what makes me so concerned for Cleveland State here. The Vikings’ best attribute is how frickin’ hard they play every single minute of every single night under Gates…but now they play an opponent who plays just as hard and just as physical, only they’re way more talented? That’s a major alarm for me.
This game could also feature some 3P regression on both sides, as both teams rank inordinately high in defensive 3P% despite giving up high-ish volume. That’s less of a concern for Houston, though, as the Cougars always rank among the country’s elite in that category under Sampson.
Final Prediction: My numbers would greatly prefer I take Cleveland State here, but the matchup – both in terms of Houston potentially lighting it up from deep and the horror show we’re going to see on the offensive glass on that end – just push me too far the other way. CSU is never going to quit, though, meaning the back door could stay open until the final buzzer. This is also one of the rare low totals where I’d lean towards the over, even though I’m not entirely sure how Cleveland State hits 60 points.
NCAA Tournament best bets: Picking Ohio, North Carolina, Villanova and more from Sam Vecenie--The Athletic
No. 15 Cleveland State vs. No. 2 Houston | Houston -20 | Total: 134.5
Cleveland State has a great up-and-coming coach in Dennis Gates. Torrey Patton is the kind of senior that is fun to get around and root fot, and the Vikings have a great group of players that work really hard and complement each other well. But this is just kind of a nightmare spot for the Vikings from a matchup perspective.
The Cougars are about as tough and physical a team as you’re going to find, and they don’t allow teams to score on the interior. That’s the only place the Vikings really find much success, because they only have one starter who makes over 30 percent from 3. Houston is just going to collapse the paint, and force a team that can’t shoot to beat it from the outside. And then if the Vikings get lucky enough to get sent to the line, they only shoot 66 percent there, so they’re not going to be able to take full advantage. Basically, I’m just not sure how Cleveland State is going to score in this game.
And that’s not even the biggest matchup problem. Cleveland State is one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country, allowing opponents to corral 32 percent of their misses. Houston is the second-best offensive rebounding team in the country, garnering 39 percent of their misses. The Cougars crash the offensive glass hard, and it’s going to create a ton of extra possessions. And then on top of it, I would expect Houston to win the turnover battle, because Cleveland State can get a bit messy with the ball against aggressive on-ball defense. The Vikings finished 10th in the Horizon League in offensive turnover rate. Houston is just going to get so many more bites at the apple to score.
Since Houston lost to Wichita State on February 18, it’s been an absolute buzz saw. Even including the disaster losses to the Shockers and moribund East Carolina, the Cougars have been the third-best team in the country since February 1 according to Bart Torvik’s rankings because they’ve absolutely blitzed everyone since those losses. If you back it up to January 15, they’re second-best. Nobody is talking about Houston, but they absolutely should be. They’re loaded with older guards, they’re tough as all hell, and they’re really good on both ends. And since that East Carolina loss, Quentin Grimes has taken everything onto his shoulders and become maybe the most underrated go-to guy in college basketball. In the nine games since then, Grimes is averaging 21.2 points while hitting an obscene 49 percent of his NINE (!) 3-point attempts per game. He’s on the heater of all heaters right now, and I wouldn’t get against him, even if Cleveland State does have a good player to toss on him in Tre Gomillion, who made the Horizon All-Defense team. Hell, if Grimes keeps up this high-volume pull-up 3-point shooting, he’s an NBA Draft pick and could lead Houston to a Final Four.
Basically, in this game, I’d expect Houston to win the skill battle. I’d expect them to out-shoot Cleveland State. I’d expect them to win the turnover battle. I’d expect them to win the toughness battle (not that Cleveland State is deficient in that area, Houston is just special in it). And I’d expect them to win the rebounding battle. That’s the kind of overall dominance on the page that tends to lead to blowouts. Twenty points is a lot in an NCAA Tournament game. I don’t think it’s enough here, given how Houston has been more than willing to blow-out its opposition. The pick: Houston -20
Why Cleveland State basketball’s Dennis Gates is a rare coach still wearing a suit at games--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Women’s Basketball Set For WBI Appearance--csuvikings.prestosports.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLOSES BOOK ON 2020-21 SEASON--iupuijags.com
2021 NCAA Women’s Tournament Bracket: A guide to all 64 teams, from Stanford to Drexel--The Athletic
Alamo Region
No. 13 Wright State (18-7): Wright State is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Junior Angel Baker is a true three-level threat who divides her shot selection into almost perfect thirds between the rim, mid-range and 3-point line. She’s also on a roll, having scored at least 23 points in each of her last five games. Wright State has faced only one Power 6 team this season, losing by 23 points to Michigan in early December.
Raiders to face Arkansas in NCAA First Round--wsuraiders.com
