November 2008 Archives

 

Davidson, NC

Florida Atlantic fell to James Madison's hot hand (53%) tonight during their final contest of the Pre-Season NIT  by a score of 81-64.

FAU held the lead multiple times during the first 20 minutes, but trailed 35-27 at the half.  

They trimmed the deficit to 39-35 early on in the second, but James Madison sank a series of three pointers and cleaned house on the offensive boards to increase thier lead to 21 with just over 10 minutes to go. 

FAU begin mounting its comeback, and pulled to within 15 at the 6:29 mark.  They would employ the full court press but the Dukes had no trouble with breaking it and responded with a series of layups.

However, Shavar Richardson (12 points) countered on a long three to cut the lead to 13.  On the inbounds, at the 3:42 mark, he would hit again from downtown to reduce the lead to 10. FAU then went into foul mode, but to no avail.

Xavier Perkins continues to be a very productive offensive contributor for the Owls and finished with a team high 20 points and 11 rebounds respectively.  He is getting to the line consistently, and coverting.

Brett Royster had a productive night as well with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and for the third straight game, 4 blocks.

Paul Graham, who was hot the previous two games before heading into Davidson, NC, finished the night with 9 points on 3 of 11 shooting.

Florida Atlantic next travels to McNeese State, this Friday, for its third straight road match-up. Tip-off time is scheduled for 8:00PM EST.

Owls Nest Prediction: FAU -8

 

Davidson, NC 

Stephen Curry sank a game high 39 points as the Davidson Wildcats, currently ranked 25th nationally, defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls tonight 76-60.

FAU pulled to within 9 late in the second only to see Curry once again "take over" for the Wildcats.  There was no answer defensively for his shooting prowess.

FAU was out-rebounded 49-36; mostly on the offensive glass (20 to 9).  This can be attributed, in part, to the continued absense of All SBC Forward Carlos Monroe, who is expected back sometime in late December due to a continued ineligibilty issue.

Xavier "X-Man" Perkins had quite an impressive contest while finishing with 24 points and 8 rebounds.  He is shaping up to be quite a force for Sun Belt opponents to defend against, having gained full control of his driving game at the small forward position.  Davidson had no choice but to foul him repeatedly, as "X" went to the line 7 times on the night.  He capitolized on 12 of his 14 attempts at the charity stripe.

Brett Royster had this to say when Curry drove the lane on him:

 

 

The sun rises again soon enough.  FAU will take on James Madison tommorow night in the final game of thier Pre-Season NIT stint.  A 2-2 overall finish would be nice.

Owls Nest prediction:

FAU by 5.

Tip of is scheduled for 5:45PM.

 

 

 

The Nest Team caught a men's hoops practice a while back and was hoping to check out FAU's new freshman point guard Alex Tucker.  Coach Jarvis is very high on Tucker's play and athleticism.  So, we wanted to see what all of the fuss was about.

At the time, he was not able to practice, so there was a bit of a disappointment.  After practice was over, the team had left, and all of the gear had been packed up, Tucker decided to partake of some shoot around on his own.  So we figured that we'd watch a few "J's" and evaluate his shot.

Well, he had another type of off glass "jump shot" that he wanted to work on.  Glad we stuck around.  Keep in mind this guy is "listed" at 5-11":

  

Brings back memories of Spud Webb, doesn't it?

Can't wait to see one of those in a game.  Sure to "bring the house down".

After a sobering lost on the gridiron earlier in the day, the night ended on a much better note as the Owl basketball team took care of business with a convincing win over UMKC.

Here are a few pictures and video clips of the nights action.
















That about does it, as the Owls prepare for a tough road game against #21 ranked Davidson on Monday night.

 

Owl's still perfect at Home

Florida Atlantic defeated University Missouri-Kansas City tonight in blow-out fashion by a final score of 77-59.  This was not the same UMKC that recently upset Wichita State, and you can credit that to the Owl's defense.  Forced to drive and find other ways to score besides the three, FAU held the Roo's attack in check.

Cold shooting by both teams during the first period with a score of 12-4 at the 10:17 mark of the first half.  That would soon change, and in a big way.  The Owls hit stride and took a comfortable 32-19 lead at the half, behind strong shooting from Shavar Richardson (18 points) and Xavier "X-Man" Perkins (17 points).

During warm-ups before the start of the second, UMKC did nothing but shoot three pointers.  Correct strategy one would surmise based on first half performance (2-11).  It would pay off initially, as they came out hot to start the second, and went to work connecting on thier first two attempts to reduce the lead to seven.  Paul Graham responded with a 3 for 3 stint of jumpers, but UMKC nipped at the lead here and there with an exchange of baskets that ressembled a boxing match.  Big question in fan's minds at this point:  Could the Owls hold on? 

Enter Shavar Richardson

Voila:  Lead extended to 19.  This kid continues to amaze with his shooting ability.

Back to the Story

Have the Owls found a rythym and rotation?  In deed they did Saturday night.  This is not the same team from a year ago; or even two weeks ago for that matter.  FAU out rebounded the Roos by 20 (51-31) and held them to 33.9% from the floor on the night.

Brett Royster had a season high 4 blocks, and a nasty put back dunk at the 5:39 mark - all of which were spectacular.

Alex Tucker, who was a game time surprise addition, logged his first minutes (14) as an Owl.  His insertion into the rotation proved well rounded with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 assist.  How's that for a debut coach?  "He see's things that no one else on the team sees...and he is an incredible athlete too", said Jarvis.  He was impressive, even if the numbers are not stellar at this point in time.  The block he had was against an opponent who was 6-7 and while the shot was already well in the air.  This just in:  Tucker is listed at a generous 5 feet 11 inches.  He looks to be special. 

Anybody Home?

It's the week before Thanksgiving and you could tell by the crowd that showed up to take in the game tonight.  Maybe folks were still lamenting the football team's loss to ASU in disheartening fashion at the hands of dropped pass after dropped pass? The box score reported 873 on tap.  But not so sure that was accurate.  However, if this kind of play continues, look for those numbers to increase considerably.  It should be eveident by now that Coach Jarvis has put a good brand of hoops together for students and community fans alike.  The season is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Graham joins 1000 point club

Paul Graham (16 points, 2 assists) entered the FAU record books after connecting on a long three from the sideline by way of an assist from Richardson.  This places Graham as the 6th all time scorer for the Owls with almost a whole season to go.  "It's always great to reach a record and a milestone", said Graham afterwards.  Nice job.

Get ready for Davidson

Stephen Curry.  What can one say?  One of the best, if not the best pure shooter in the NCAA at present.  Question:  Biggest challenge of the season so far coach?  "Biggest challenge is always the next game, so yes."  Who will get the defensive assignment on Curry?  "Honestly dont know yet...I might put Royster on him...I'm serious...I don't know."

Whoever gets the call, the Owls need to get ready.  They hit the road for what is, by all means, the best team they have faced thus far in Davidson.

 

 

 

 

Never short for words, a comedic Nick Paris describes himself "like candy mixed with steel", empowered with the gift to make people laugh, some might get the impression that he is a bit of aloof off the field. But on the gridiron, he is all business.

 

Armed with a big heart, Paris' unselfish nature tends to lead him to rally behind the underdogs. It's no wonder why he landed at a start-up program like Florida Atlantic.  His character leans to the type of players Schnellenberger recruited when he started building this program.

 

As a freshman in high school, Nick wasn't sure he was cut out to play football. His unwillingness to give up helped him find a calling that now consumes every fiber of his physical being.  Owl fans are happy he found his passion for a game he seems to have mastered.

 

Heading into the season opener against Texas,  the Owls needed to be at full strength to remotely have a chance to compete with the Longhorns. And when the injury bug hit, the biggest loss might have been to offensive linemen Nick Paris.  Having battled through a couple of injuries, Paris never allowed the set backs bring him down, and instead used it as motivation to comeback stronger.

 

The loss of Paris not only is measured in terms of experience loss, but the intangibles he brings to the line.  Like Paris would say, he influences the "fat guys."  He is a battle tested general down in the trenches and brings an element of calmness to a chaotic battlefield. 

 

 Schnellenberger re-emphases what having a player in the line up like Nick Paris is like: "Nick has been a starter for three years. When you lose a player like Nick you are losing one-fifth of your experience and your technique, your ability to play together. So it is natural that he is somewhat more than 20 percent of the offensive line," Schnellenberger said.

 

So when the general found his way back into the lineup in time for conference play, it also brought some stability to an offense that never seemed to find any rhythm.  And every week since Paris return, there has been a renewed "swagger" to the Owls offense.  The running game seems to have flourished with Nick's return. The benefit have been resounding as the offense looks to be returning to their 2007 form.

 

Asking Schnellenberger if there is any correlation on how the offense seemed to have found its groove again with the return of Nick Paris, he said, "I absolutely do. Nick is an integral part of this football team and has been his entire career here, not only as a football player but as a signal caller for the line and in the entertainment division of the line."

 

Can one person have so much impact and be instrumental in the turnaround for an offense trying to find any kind of rhythm? Maybe not, but it is hard to deny what the experience and leadership of a Nick Paris-type player brings to this team - his fun nature seemed to have made a big difference.  This is a different team, one with a bit more bravado.

Edited by: Rick Smith

 

First potentially tough home opponent

UMKC had a tough start to the season, dropping its home opener to DII North Dakota 56-61, but has slowly gotten into gear.  Following the loss to the not so mighty Fighting Sioux, the Kangaroos headed into famed Allen Fieldhouse and played the Jayhawks to a surprising half time tie; and eventual 15 point loss.  It would not get any easier when they hit the road next to take on a talented Witchita State team, but the outcome would be different:  An impressive win against an established mid major, and the first win of the season (55-53).

Key to the game

UMKC loves to live behind the line and will present FAU with its first legitimate test in three point denial defense.  PG Reggie Hamilton (15PPG), and Forwards Spencer Johnson (12.0 PPG) and Dane Brumagin (12.3 PPG) pace the way for UMKC - while hitting on a tidy clip of .443% from long range collectively. 

The Owls have put some much needed heat on the ball lately and have improved 3 point defense to a respectable .308%. If they can continue this trend they will snuff out the Kangaroos attack, as they are fairly one demensional, and have little established inside game to speak of.

Eligibility Update

FAU paint production will continue to be challenged, as there is no news to report regarding the status of Carlos Monroe.  Unless there is a late breaking decision/announcement tommorow, he will not play in the contest.

Alex Tucker is also yet to receive the nod by the NCAA clearing house and will also be held out.

Owl's Nest Prediction

This has the makings of both an exciting, and close game.  But, barring a melt down, Owls by 4.

Game time is set for a 7:00PM tip this Saturday, November 22, at The Burrow.

 

No Sweep for Trio

The talented trio of newcomer Head Coaches John Brady, Mike Jarvis, and Ken McDonald fared differently in first contests with thier programs.  Mike Jarvis (Florida Atlantic) gained his first victory as the Owls defeated Monmouth to open the season, while John Brady (Arkansas State) and Ken McDonald (Western Kentucky) dropped contests to  Houston and Ole Miss, respectively.

UNO Happy to be Back "Home"

New Orleans will take the court this season in a quite impressive Lake Front Arena now that rennovations are complete from the heavy damage that was caused by Hurricane Katrina.  "This is something that has us up to date with the rest of the top college basketball programs," said Head Coach Joe Pasternack.

Middle Tennessee Pegged by SI.com

Sports Illustrated has the Blue Raiders ranked amongst the Top 10 mid-major powers in a recent article, where they enjoy the company of Gonzaga, Creighton, and Davidson.  "Five returning starters have chances to make early statements with games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee," said Bill Trocchi of The Mid Major Report.

Carlos Monroe, Steven Moore out Indefinitely

Mike Jarvis' roster experienced a set back recently when Florida Atlantic announced that All-SBC and potential player of the year power foward Carlos Monroe would not be eligible to begin regular season play.  The ruling stems from a spring semester academic issue.  University administration is working diligently to restore his eligibility.

University of Arkansas-Little Rock sharpshooter Steven Moore has been suspended indefinitely due to conduct detrimental to the team.  This is a blow for the Trojans given the fact that Smith drained 42 three pointers; an impressive 43.3%, and third best in the Sun Belt last season.

Busy Early Signing Period for The Belt

November 12th marked the first day of the early signing period, and SBC programs wasted no time landing some talented newcomers.  Middle Tennessee inked five, Florida Atlantic three, and Western Kentucky, who is believed to have the top class, signed three as well.  "The recent success of Sun Belt teams in the postseason is certainly helping the Conference as a whole in recruiting", said said Jerry Myer, national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com.

Recent Results

Sun Belt Conference teams are doing fairly well (11-10, .524%) so far against non-conference competition. Teams have taken on the likes of mid-major and major powers including Pepperdine, N.C. State, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Houston, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Preaseason All-SBC North Texas point guard Josh White had an impressive 23 points in an 100-88 loss at Oklahoma State on Monday, while Florida Atlantic guard Paul Graham scored a game high 23 in the Owls' loss to Arizona.

Upcoming Games of Note

Middle Tennessee will host the Tennessee Volunteers, currently ranked 14th nationally, this Friday, November 21st, in Murfreesboro.  The game is scheduled to air live on College Sports Southeast (CSS) beginning at 7:00 CST.

Florida Atlantic, just off two games in the desert against Arizona and Santa Clara, will take on Davidson and Stephen Curry on Monday, November 24th.

The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky will take on a very talented Louisville squad Sunday, November 30th at 2:00PM EST in Louisville

How do you define the wild and crazy ride that this season has become?  One moment this team looked no better then a bottom dweller in the FBS Division (formally Div. 1-A) and after Saturday's dominating performance against the conference leader, FAU looked like the conference champions everyone expected them to be at the beginning of the season. 

 

 With such a convincing victory, over the conference leaders (The Ragin' Cajun are still tied for first with Troy) the Owls have now positioned themselves one step closer to being bowl eligible.  An uphill battle still ensues, even thought some sport analysts are giving FAU some props as a possible bowl contender.

 

Six victories is all that is needed to become bowl eligible, and FAU stands at 5-5 on the year with two games remaining. Yet you must remain somewhat skeptical after Troy got snubbed from going to a bowl game last year with an 8-4 record, that included a huge 41-23 victory over Oklahoma State.  Things are a bit different this season and even if the Sun-Belt Conference gets little respect, the conference could find themselves with a league first and qualify as many as three teams.  If the stars align correctly for the Sun Belt, the conference should be in good position to fill some voids come bowl selection time.

 

Sure talking about being bowl eligibility is fun for fans. But we must remain cautious - as there is still work to be done.  The Owls must travel to Arkansas State and face a team that is tough against the run - something the Owls have relied on since turning their season around and winning four straight games.   Charles Pierre is nearing the 1,000 yard mark, and only Doug Parker came close to that mark in 2004. It would be a great accomplishment for Pierre who has been running with a much greater purpose this season.

 

Pierre will need to average 78.5 yards in the next two games to reach the milestone for this young Owl program.

 

 Buckle up and prepare for what has become a push to becoming bowl eligible, but more importantly, finishing with back-to-back winning season, if the Owls manage to claw themselves back to a 7-5 record. 

 Edited by: Rick Smith

"I want to thank the Good Lord for waking us up today and allowing us to do what we love to do", Jarvis said.  And that they did.  It would come without the services of All Sun Belt forward Carlos Monroe, but Mike Jarvis took his first step towards becoming the second all time coach to win 100 games at four different universities last night as the Owls knocked of the Hawks of Monmouth University 72-69.

 

The going was slow during the first 5 minutes of play until Graham knocked down a long three which gave FAU a 7-4 lead.  And back and forth three pointers by both sides would pace the remainder of the first half.  But FAU found a long range rythym for the first time this season. The Graham/Richardson combo was hot; going six of eight from behind the "newly extended" three point line, which is 12 inches further out than last year.  Heading into the lockeroom on top 38 -31, FAU had its first respectable half time lead of the season.

 

Monmouth came out firing to start the second and hit on thier first two shots - both threes. Fau responded with a 8-0 run capped off by a steal and slam by Watson (12 points, 5 rebounds).  The Owls then built thier lead to 14 points at the 13:37 mark on a pair of free throws by Xavier Perkins (7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists).  But the Hawks slowly chipped away and were back to within two at the 1:40 mark, until a pair of free throws by Brett Royster put FAU back on top by four.  Monmouth subsequently pushed the ball rather quickly to the other end and scored on a close shot in the paint with 26.9 seconds to play.  Upset brewing? No.  Carderro Nwoji (10Pts, 3RB, 3A) was fouled on the next two inbound plays, and was clutch at the line going 4 of 4.

 

Excitement filled The Burrow with 6.6 seconds left as Monmouth sprinted down the floor and dished it to thier hot hand Rutledge, who hit connected from long range to cut the Owls lead to one.  After  a questionable Owl's inbound pass, where the clock did not start right away (at .9 seconds), the referees conviened.  Thanks to OwlTV's video coverage, the game clock was reset to .4 seconds and Graham, who had been fouled on the play, iced it for FAU with two free throws.

 

On "The Up", and "Above the Rim"

 

Among the many good things about the night's performance, long range efficiency finally found its way into the Owls hands; even if only for the first half (6-12, 50%).  And FT%, and FG% was excellent at 83.3%, and 48.1% respectively.

 

There were long waits last season for the special feeling that comes from a slam dunk.  Ah, but alas, a treat:  Two from Royster, and two from true Freshman Chris Watson; all in one showing.  Watson is living up to his pre-season hype as a high flyer.  Royster is starting to emerge as well.  Owl Fans should be thankful that they have them both for some time to come.

 

Game ball

 

Breaking away from the norm, we'll award two recipients for tonight's game:

 

Considering Monroe's absense, Sophomore Brett Royster gave the Owls a much needed lift inside by contributing a career high 12 points.

 

Paul Graham was absolutely stellar with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.  He received well deserved praise from Jarvis after the game for his all around performance.

 

Hats off to "The Band"

 

Featuring an impressive drum line and wind section, The FAU Pep Band blasted out some quality tunes; all while being located just 10 feet from the Monmouth bench at closest proximity.  Don't think the Hawks heard much of what head Coach Dave Calloway had to say during timeouts, but they sure heard the band.  Advil anyone? Nice job guys.

 

Festive Crowd on Hand

 

An announced crowd of 1404 attended the contest.  That was good for the best non conference showing at The Burrow since December 3, 2002 when the Miami Hurricanes came to town.

 

Jarvis on Monroe's return

 

Monroe was officially deemed a "game time decision" by the FAU adminsitration, but did not play "due to an eligibility issue that arose early in the Spring semester of 2008". 

 

Spring Semester?  What about Summer school?  Coach, any comment? 

 

"Im not going to talk about it", said Jarvis' during post game interviews.  "He could be playing next Monday.  He could be playing next Tuesday.  I dont know."

 

Let's hope for the former.  The Owls next take on major conference powerhouse Arizona this Monday, November 17th at 11:00PM EST, in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.  They could sure use him.

 

Owls Basketball: New ERA, New Beginning

With the basketball season starting today, the Jarvis era is ready to be set in motion. But it hasn't come without some fans being upset with Jarvis being picked over then FAU assistant Mike Bolado.

 

Regardless of what has been written about Mike Jarvis in the past, there is always a new beginning on a new journey.  Some documented troubles off the hard court (even though the NCAA did not sanction him), kept many schools from giving him another chance, even with a proven track record of winning on the court.  With a new chapter about to begin, Mike Jarvis has a unique opportunity to coach a program in his home town of Boca Raton, Florida. 

 

It has been a long hiatus away from the hard court for Jarvis, yet he found a way to stay involved by teaching at clinics and helping young men develop not only as basketball players, but as individuals.  His work as an analyst for Yahoo! And ESPN also helped bridge a gap and help fill a void in his heart for a game he truly loves.  The time away may have been long, but his hopes of returning to coaching a game that is implanted within his DNA never diminished, and life's new journey has brought him on a collision course with  building a program with very little foundation.

 

Things do happen for a reason, and Mike Jarvis had to endure some burdens that overshadowed him, pushing forward with willpower and purpose - not driven to prove people wrong, but instead found the strength and inner peace of a higher power found in all of us as motivation to carry on a path that would one day lead him to his true love again.

 

And that love for the game is not just about coaching basketball, but teaching young men the values of becoming complete individuals, to succeed not only on the hard court, but in life in general. 

 

It's not every day you have a chance to hire someone with the qualifications of a Mike Jarvis, Matt Doherty had similar highly held qualifications, but with Jarvis came more controversies.  Florida Atlantic made sure to proceed with due diligence, which did not sit well with many fans as the recruiting period was fast slipping by and the hopes of landing any recruits of any worth.

 

Even with a lengthy coaching search, there is no doubt that FAU will benefit from having Jarvis at the helm.  Jarvis' return to coaching might have been long overdue, but his patience was rewarded.

 

Some might say it's not much of a reward, coming to a program that lacks many of the things the more establish program have to offer, yet sometimes the rewards are not as apparent to the naked eye and an individual like Jarvis can envision and create the opportunities that will lead to those rewards.

 

Unlike his previous predecessors of Matt Doherty and Rex Walters, Jarvis understands what it takes to building a program with very little resources in place, yet he did not shy away from the challenge, he embraced it.  Sounds familiar, Jarvis might very well become what Schnellenberger is to FAU Football.

Edited by: Rick Smith

Two games into the season, albeit exhibition games, a couple things are quite apparent:

 

1.  Xavier "X-Man" Perkins is a much improved player.

 

2.  FAU is struggling from long distance.

 

The Owls knocked off a very feisty and fundamentally sound Rollins College squad last night 61 - 56. Rollins, who features four former D1 players on their roster and has considerable size for a DII program, hustled to the ball, crashed the boards, and ran a mostly perimeter oriented three point offense pretty well in the first half - while connecting on a respectable 43.3 FG%.  But FAU slammed the defensive door shut in the second half, and held the Tars to a mere 16% FG%.  The Owls also improved at the charity stripe going 20 of 26, good for 76.9%.  This is welcomed news compared to the previous outing, and will be essential to maintain now that pre-season has ended.

 

After a halftime tie of 33-33, the Tars took a four point lead at the 15:54 mark in the second.  But FAU regained control and would not relinquish the lead as it had done previously against Lynn University.  This was partially due to a vocal display that resulted in a technical foul, on the Rollins bench (echo from last game) late in the second when the score was 58-56 in favor of the Owls.  Prompting the outburst was a spectacular play by FAU center Brett Royster, who power swatted Rollin's Craig Reichel's last ditch low post effort out to half court for his fifth block on the night.  Have no idea what they were upset about; clean block all the way.

 

Carlos Monroe, who had game highs in both scoring and rebounding in FAU's first exhibition game versus Lynn University, finished the night with 5 points, and a game high 16 rebounds.  And this was by design.  It was evident early on that Jarvis was not going to rely on Monroe (who had his number called only twice on the night), and wanted to test his backcourt's ability surrounding three point play.  Not to be had. The Owls did not rise to the challenge and posted a 26.3 3PFG% for the contest.

 

The X-Man continued where he left off last game by putting up 12 points, 10 of which came at the line, and hauled in 6 rebounds.  In contrast to last years play resembling that of a "Bull in a China Shop", X appears to have found his rhythm offensively at the small forward position. He is drawing fouls rather than charges, and is consistently pestering bigger players for rebounds in the paint.  He did foul out after contributing 22 minutes, but 2 questionable "ghost fouls" had a hand in that happening.

 

Paul Graham saw both his minutes and output jump while contributing a game high 38 minutes to go with 16 points (3-8 from long range).  Consistency will once again be the key for Graham, who has a habit of "disappearing" after such performances.  Of note, his accomplice at the 2G, Shavar Richardson, was held out due to a minor hip injury, and should return Friday night.

 

Absent from play, but a vocal supporter throughout the night, PG Alex Tucker is still awaiting a go ahead from the NCAA clearing house before he can take the court.  For those of you who remember the transition Monroe faced during his freshman year, Tucker's situation is very similar.  Here's to hoping it will not be a 13 game wait.

 

The Owls will next host Monmouth this Friday, November 14th, at 7:00PM in what will be the official start to the 2008-09 season.  The contest will also mark the beginning to the Mike Jarvis era at FAU, and his quest to become the second all time coach to win 100 games at four different schools.

 

Here are the Belt games for today:


Louisiana-Monroe (2-3) at Middle Tennessee (1-3) - 3:30pm ET

This game has no implications on how the conference title will be decided and will feature to struggling team.
The Blue Raiders will again rely on their defense to keep them in this game.

The Warhawks is a team finding new life, just a little too late and should be able to take care of the Blue Raiders and move to .500 mark in conference play.
Prediction: Louisiana-Monroe


Western Kentucky at Troy (4-1) - 3:30pm ET - ESPN Game Plan & ESPN360.com

While this is not a conference game, the Hilltoppers find themselves facing a team looking to bounce back after the Trojans deflating lost to the Warhawks last week.  Talk about wrong place, wrong time for the Hilltoppers.  They will find themselves hopping back home with a not so pleasant afternoon in Troy.
Prediction: Troy


UTEP at Louisiana-Lafayette (4-0) - 7:00pm ET - ESPN Game Plan & ESPN360.com

The Conference leaders play a pretty good 'Tep team and this should turn out to be a pretty good game.
Right now the Cajuns are hitting on all cylinders and with Desormeaux & Fenroy providing the horsepower on offense, they shoud keep their perfect home record intact.
Prediction: Louisiana-Lafayette


Arkansas State (2-1) at FIU (2-2) - 7:00pm ET
This is the only game in conference play that does have an impact on how the title might take shape, at least if the Red Wolves win, if not, then it more then probably ends the red Wolves chances.

Florida International on the other hand looks to right the ship.  They started out hot with two straight conference wins and have played themselves out of contention with two straight losses.  Both losses however have come at the hands of the Cajuns of Louisiana & the Trojans of Troy, the two toughest teams in conference.

The Red Wolves usually don't play well on the road, but will have to find a way to do so if they want to continue their title quest.  

This will be a tight game and will favor the home team.
Prediction: Florida International

The start of the much anticipated Mike Jarvis era at FAU began last night when the Division II

Knights of Lynn University made the long haul down Spanish River Boulevard to take on

the Owls in what would be the first ever meeting between the two cross town programs.

Somewhat remarkable considering their proximity.  Nonetheless, a quite festive crowd of

1,292 took in their first contest of the season; one that even offered Jarvis a bit of a

homecoming in that of a Big East Official on duty for the night who knew Jarvis while at

St. John's.  So, the stage was set for what should have been an easy blowout - well, at least

one would think.

 

The strategy employed by Coach Jarvis appears to have been to play as many players as

possible and get a feel for ability against competition outside of the daily grind of practice

match-ups.  And, when the final box was tallied, that was evident.  Only Nick Gagle

had less than 10 minutes.  Game highs went to Carderro Nowoji (35), and Carlos Monroe (30).

 

FAU lead by as many as 15 in the first half only to let that dwindle to four just before

halftime.  And the lead would only be increased again by 5 during the second half before it

was nip and tuck, and buckle up, for a bumpy ride to the finish.

 

What is evident from the final outcome of 73-69 is that FAU not only struggled to put away

a DII opponent defensively, but also found very little in the way of critical offensive

categories:  Three point shooting and free throw shooting.  And that is not a good sign

given what they will need to achieve in SBC play to keep up with the Jones' against a much

higher competition level.  The Owls shot a dismal 29.4% from downtown while the Knights

dropped 10 of 19, good for 52.6%.  So much for defense, right? Free throw shooting was

just as concerning, with FAU hitting on only 51.6% of their attempts.  The Owls did manage

to muster 16 turn overs from the Knights while only giving the ball over 11 times.

 

A moment of concern occured when Paul Graham went to the bench late in the second half in

what appears to have been a minor head injury.  He would not return, and left the court with a

trainer when the Owl's wrapped the game with :13 seconds to go up on a pair of FT's by the

"X-Man", Xavier Perkins.  This was followed by a techincal foul from the Lynn bench.  And

speaking of X, he had a career high 18 points and career high 8 rebounds.  X-Man gets the

Nest's game ball for this and his gritty efforts diving after loose balls, and absorbing a handful of

hard fouls underneath the basket.  If he can continue this type of performance consistently, Owl

fans will be in for a treat this season.

 

New comer Shavar Richardson was good as advertised in his college debut, putting up 11

points on 5 of 10 shooting in 28 minutes of play, but struggled from beyond the arch

going only 1 for 5.  Carderro Nwoji added 13 points and shot a team best 4-8 from long distance.

 

The high scorer and top rebounder for the Owls was Carlos Monroe.  Monroe pulled down

11 boards, and dropped in some soft shots along the baseline to highlight his team high 21

points.

 

Chalk this one up to cold shooting, new player chemistry, and missed defensive assignments?

We'll find out soon enough.  The Owls will host Rollins College in the final of two pre season

exhibition games on November 10th at 7:00PM.  Anything less than a 20 point advantage when

the buzzer sounds at game's end should be a bit of concern.

 

 

 

2008-09 SBC Men's Basketball Preview

Predicted Order of Finish

East

1.      Middle Tennessee (19-11) (13-5)

2.      Western Kentucky (18-11) (12-6)

3.      South Alabama (18-11) (11-7)

4.      Florida Atlantic (17-14) (10-8)

5.   Florida International (15 -16) (8-10)

6.   Troy (12-20) (5-13)

 

West

 

1.      University Arkansas-Little Rock (17-9) (12-6)

2.   North Texas (16-13) (10-8)

3.   University Louisiana-Lafayette (15-14) (10-8)

4.   Arkansas State University (14-15) (8-10)

5.   Denver (12-17) (7-11)

6.   University Louisiana-Monroe (15-14) (7-11)

7.   New Orleans (11-19) (4-14)

 

 

 

 

WYN2K.  The Belt took a step forward last season with the NCAA Tourney appearance of South Alabama, and the deep run of Western Kentucky into the Sweet 16, jumping from 17 to 14 in the RPI rankings.  Accordingly, recruiting is on the way up all around.  However, this year the final league standings should look different as they both lose key contributors from last year's roster (we'll get to that later).  You can expect a couple games difference in parity within the final standings at season's end.  Here are our preseason SBC All First Teamers and Player of the Year picks:

 

Desmond Yates - MTSU

Carlos Monroe - FAU

Josh White - NT

Russell Hicks - FIU

Brandon Davis - USA

 

SBC Preseason Player of the Year:  Carlos Monroe - FAU

 

Trio of new Head Coaches a big plus for the League.  The SBC welcomes the return of Mike Jarvis to the coaching ranks as the new Head Coach for the Fighting Owls of Florida Atlantic.  Jarvis boasts a conference best resume with 350 career wins and a myriad of post season tournament appearances - 9 NCAA and 5 NIT.  He is confident the Owls are a stock on the rise; having all but promised that they will make a return trip to The Big Dance in the very near future. Jarvis is known for the development of NBA Hall of Fame player Patrick Ewing, and also coached a talented Ron Artest while at St John's University. He has added a pair of nationally recognized prepster guards to the already solid nucleus he inherits at FAU. PF Carlos Monroe (15.5PPG, 9.8RB) will get some much needed double team help from this duo.

 

A little further north and west, John Brady joins The Sun Belt assuming the reigns of the recently rebranded Arkansas State Redwolves program.  Brady enjoyed very successful tutelages' with Samford (89 wins), and LSU (192 wins), where he lead the Tigers all the way to The Final Four in 2006.  A heralded recruiter, Brady has coached an impressive 25 All TAAC (now The Atlantic Sun) and Southeastern Conference selections.  He hit the JUCO recruiting trail hard in the off-season, with four transfer signees heading to Jonesboro for the upcoming season.

 

Rounding out the trio of newcomers, Ken McDonald returns to Bowling Green to take over for the Hill Toppers of Western Kentucky.  McDonald previously served as an Assistant Coach at WKU and most recently as the top Assistant under Rick Barnes at the University of Texas.  He is a talented recruiter and was instrumental in the Longhorn's signing of NBA draftees Kevin Durrant and D.J. Augustin.  McDonald will have his hands full though, as this year's team will be without the services of  Courtney Lee, who signed with the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA draft (22^nd).

 

Predicted Champion. UALR (#13 Seed NCAA).  Bold pick?  Absolutely.  Realistic?  Definitely. Destiny?  Perhaps.  Here's why:  The Trojans have finished atop the Western Division in three of the last five years, but have never won the crown.  Unlike all other West Division teams (and even the East minus MTSU) all five starters return for UALR.  Couple this with a weaker Eastern Division, and a potential Home court advantage for the SBC Tournament and you have the makings of a Championship.  Rest assured that someone will knock out one of the higher Eastern seeds given its parity this season - paving the way for UALR.  The Sun Belt has gained much needed size all around this year, but UALR will display the truest balanced attack.  This will feature the league's lone true big man down low in Ole Miss transfer Mike Smith 6-7, 295Lbs (.529 FG%).  And that will be a big advantage (pun intended) along the way.  Joining him will be SG Steven Moore who should emerge even more this season after shooting a staggering 42-97 (.433%) from downtown last season.  The clincher:  Come March they can both click their heels like Dorothy, and say "There's no place like home".  Despite the fact that the SBC Front Office claims the Tournament site is neutral this season, the Championship will be played in Hot Springs, AR; which is 52 miles from UALR.  This virtually ensures them Home Court advantage during the SBC Tournament.

 

Others Considered.  They will be formidable opponents on a number of nights this season, but Western Kentucky has flat out lost too much: A whopping 60.3% total offense, 59.2% total assists, 50.3% total steals, and 39.6% total rebounds.  A lot of this can be attributed to the departure of both SG Courtney Lee (20.4PPG), and PG Tyrone Brazelton (14.4PPG).  The same goes for USA who must find backcourt answers for the losses of 1^st Team All SBC guard Demetric Bennett (19.7PPG), and 2^nd Team All SBC guard Daon Merritt (11.5PPG, 5.5APG).  North Texas could be in the race for the Western Division with the return of PG Josh White (13.9PPG), but like the others considered, they face key losses with only two starters returning.  MTSU should be atop the Eastern division as seasons end, and does have talented returnees in both Desmond Yates (16.0PPG) and Demetrius Green (12.5PPG), but it's a long drive to Hot Springs come tournament time. 

 

Games to Watch.  Traditional powers South Alabama and Western Kentucky will face off in a nationally televised contest that is sure to be entertaining.  The Deuce will also air the SBC Championship live:

 

South Alabama @ Western Kentucky (02.07.09) 1:00PM ESPN2

Sun Belt Conference Championship Game (03.10.09) 9:00PM ESPN2

 

RPI Booster Games.  Quite a few non-conference games could help elevate the SBC in the RPI standings this season.  SEC opponents are strewn throughout league schedules, as well as a few quality West Coast opponents.  Winning these contests would certainly offer nudges here and there.  And some are winnable.  But upsetting the bad boys below would do some serious damage.  Are they winnable?  Probably not.  Cliché alert: That is why they play the game. Well, that and some guarantee money.  Without any further ado, please cue: "Facing the Giants".

 

Florida Atlantic @ Arizona (11.17.08) 10:00PM

 

Tennessee @ Middle Tennessee (11.21.08) 7:00PM

 

Western Kentucky @ Louisville (11.30.08) 2:00PM

 

Odds of Multiple NCAA Bids.  Last year was a pleasant surprise, with both WKU and USA making the tourney.  If the Western Division represents the SBC in The Big Dance, there is a long shot that an Eastern Division top finisher could get in.  But it is highly unlikely and would take some serious Non Conference results to convince the committee.

 

Final thought.  The SBC is one to two years away from making the climb back to where it was prior to adding football as a sponsored collegiate sport.  Serious recruiting classes have come in during the off-season.  It will be fun to watch some of the young talent begin to develop and blossom on the hardwood this upcoming season.