OTHER CONFERENCES
9 ATLANTIC 10
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
EAST
1 Massachusetts 35-2
2 Temple 20-13
3 Rhode Island 20-14
4 St. Joseph's 19-13
5 St. Bonaventure 10-18
6 Fordham 4-23
WEST
1 George Washington (15) 21-8
2 Virginia Tech 23-6
3 Dayton 15-14
4 Xavier 13-15
5 La Salle 6-24
6 Duquesne 9-18
What You Need to Know:
George Washington (page 94) is the new power, in part because
the old one, UMass, lost its best player and its coach: Center
Marcus Camby is now with the Toronto Raptors and John Calipari
is coaching the New Jersey Nets. Still, new coach James
(Bruiser) Flint, an assistant under Calipari for seven years,
has in Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso (page 118) one of the
nation's best backcourts. Virginia Tech lost four starters, but
the one returning is senior forward Ace Custis, who led the
Hokies in scoring (13.4 ppg), rebounding (9.5 per game), steals
(50), blocks (30) and field goal percentage (50.7%). He sprained
his left knee on Sept. 17 but should be ready by the start of
the season.
Player to Watch: Rhode Island point guard Tyson Wheeler, a 5'10"
junior, dazzled crowds with his daring passes and led the Rams
in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (6.0 per game) and steals (54).
10 MISSOURI VALLEY
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Illinois State 22-12
2 Southwest Missouri State 16-12
3 Evansville 13-14
4 Bradley 22-8
5 Southern Illinois 11-18
6 Creighton 14-15
7 Wichita State 8-21
8 Indiana State 10-16
9 Northern Iowa 14-13
10 Drake 12-15
What You Need to Know:
Anthony Parker, a 6'6", 210-pound guard and MVC player of the
year who led Bradley in nearly all statistical categories, is
back for his senior season, but even he won't be enough to stop
Illinois State's drive for its first NCAA berth since 1990. Up
front, the Redbirds have 6'6", 210-pound junior forward Dan
Muller (11.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who was the conference defensive
player of the year. In the backcourt, junior point guard Jamar
Smiley ranked 13th in the nation in assists, with 6.7 per game.
At Southwest Missouri State, second-year coach Steve Alford's
recruiting prowess (witness the signing of Indiana's 1996 Mr.
Basketball, Kevin Ault) should begin to pay off.
Player to Watch: Creighton swingman Rodney Buford, the MVC's
rookie of the year, scored 421 points (averaging 14.5 ppg),
breaking former Creighton star Benoit Benjamin's conference
freshman scoring record (400 points in 1982-83). In the 11 games
he started, the 6'5" Buford averaged 17.5 points per game.
11 SUN BELT
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Arkansas-Little Rock 23-7
2 Western Kentucky 13-14
3 Southwestern Louisiana 16-12
4 New Orleans 21-9
5 Jacksonville 15-13
6 Lamar 12-15
7 South Alabama 12-15
8 Louisiana Tech 11-17
9 Arkansas State 9-18
10 Texas-Pan American 9-19
What You Need to Know:
Last season coach Wimp Sanderson's Arkansas-Little Rock team
eased through the regular season but missed the NCAA tournament
when it lost the Sun Belt championship game at the buzzer. This
season the Trojans should have an easier time, led by Muntrelle
Dobbins, a 6'6" power forward who is the second-leading shot
blocker in school history and a terror under the basket. Western
Kentucky also has some muscle thanks to power forward Tony Lovan
(13.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and could challenge UALR at the top. New
Orleans, the Sun Belt tournament champion, lost four starters
and is rebuilding with five freshmen. The Privateers are sure to
fall short of their third straight 20-win season.
Player to Watch: Malik Dixon, Arkansas-Little Rock's 6'1"
shooting guard, returned last season after missing most of his
sophomore year with fractures in both feet. He led the Trojans
in scoring (17.8 ppg) and sank 40.6% of his three-pointers.
12 MID-AMERICAN
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Eastern Michigan 25-6
2 Ball State 16-12
3 Western Michigan 15-12
4 Miami (Ohio) 21-8
5 Ohio 16-14
6 Bowling Green 14-13
7 Toledo 18-14
8 Kent State 14-13
9 Central Michigan 6-20
10 Akron 3-23
What You Need to Know:
Ben Braun's Eastern Michigan team won 25 games and upset Duke in
the NCAA tournament. Then Braun went off to pick up the pieces
at Cal, but he left former Minnesota assistant Milton Barnes a
full cupboard. Point guard Earl Boykins and forward James Head
are the best of 10 returning lettermen. Ball State will rely on
6'5" junior forward Bonzi Wells to try to unseat the Eagles.
Wells was the MAC's MVP, and he is the second-leading scorer
(25.4 ppg) in the country among returning players. Senior
forward Devin Davis--a.k.a. that guy with the dreadlocks--who
led the conference in rebounding (9.9 per game), returns to
Miami, but guard Landon Hackim and his 13.3-points-per-game
average have departed, and coach Herb Sendek has left for North
Carolina State.
Player to Watch: Eastern Michigan junior point guard Earl
Boykins has junior-high size (5'5", 140 pounds) but NBA speed
and passing ability. He is the Eagles' leading returning scorer
(15.5 ppg) and has started every game since arriving in Ypsilanti.
13 METRO ATLANTIC
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Fairfield 20-10
2 Iona 21-8
3 Loyola (Md.) 12-15
4 Niagara 13-15
5 Manhattan 17-12
6 Canisius 19-11
7 St. Peter's 15-11
8 Siena 5-22
What You Need to Know:
With senior guard Greg Francis (16.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and senior
forward Shannon Bowman (14.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Fairfield packs a
one-two punch that should help the Stags win the league title.
Their strongest challenger is Iona, which went to the NIT last
season--the Gaels' first postseason appearance in more than a
decade. They could well make it two bids in a row with help from
junior guard John McDonald, a transfer from Loyola who was on
the MAAC's all-rookie team two seasons ago. Even without
McDonald, Loyola has the league's best backcourt, with junior
Mike Powell (19.9 ppg, 4.2 apg) and senior Anthony Smith (51
steals, 51 dunks). First-year Manhattan coach John Leonard will
have trouble replacing leading scorer Heshimu Evans (13.4 ppg),
who transferred to Kentucky.
Player to Watch: Niagara's 6'7" senior forward Chris Watson, who
averaged 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, has become the
Metro's most imposing force under the boards. He had 41 more
free throw attempts than anyone else in the league.
14 WEST COAST
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Portland 19-11
2 Gonzaga 21-9
3 St. Mary's 12-15
4 San Diego 14-14
5 San Francisco 15-12
6 Santa Clara 20-9
7 Loyola Marymount 18-11
8 Pepperdine 10-18
What You Need to Know:
Four starters return from the Portland team that won the WCC
tournament, including tourney MVP Kweemada King. The 6'4" senior
guard from the Bahamas led the Pilots in scoring (13.6 ppg); he
will be joined in the backcourt by 5'10" junior Dionn Holton,
who dished out 108 assists in '95-96. St. Mary's has four
starters back, though senior A.J. Rollins, a 6'8" forward,
didn't start much--he broke his left hand six games into the
season. He was averaging 10.2 points per game at the time and,
after a season of watching from the bench, should take the WCC
by storm. Assisting Rollins down low is 7'2", 330-pound
sophomore Brad Millard, whom the Gaels tout as "Bigger Country"
because of his resemblance to the Vancouver Grizzlies' Bryant
Reeves. San Francisco welcomes five transfers from Ventura
(Calif.) College, all of whom were coached by Phil Mathews, who
is starting his second season as coach of the Dons.
Player to Watch: Gonzaga's 7-foot center, Paul Rogers, a senior
from Adelaide, Australia, was second in the conference in
rebounding (8.0 per game) and blocks (1.2 per game), and fourth
in scoring (15.2 ppg) and field goal percentage (57.8%).
15 MW COLLEGIATE
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Northern Illinois 20-10
2 Detroit-Mercy 18-11
3 Butler 19-8
4 Loyola (Ill.) 8-19
5 Illinois-Chicago 10-18
6 Wisconsin-Green Bay 25-4
7 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 9-18
8 Wright State 14-13
9 Cleveland State 5-21
What You Need to Know:
Last season Northern Illinois nearly upset third seeded Texas
Tech in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, falling 74-73.
Three starters return from that team, and each averaged in
double figures in scoring: center T.J. Lux (15.2 ppg) and
guards Chris Coleman (14.4 ppg) and Ronald Minter (12.0 ppg).
Detroit-Mercy has four starters back, including senior Carl
Pickett, a 6'4" forward who, after joining the team as a walk-on
three years ago, averaged 14.3 points per game in 1995-96.
Former Illinois assistant Jimmy Collins is counting on 6'2"
junior guard Mark Miller, the MCC's top returning scorer (17.9
ppg), to make Collins's first season as coach at
Illinois-Chicago a pleasant one.
Player to Watch: Last season T.J. Lux of Northern Illinois made
a sensational freshman debut. The 6'8" center was not only
fourth in the conference in scoring and field goal shooting
(54.7%) but also led the league in rebounding (8.7 per game).
16 COLONIAL
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Old Dominion 18-13
2 Virginia Commonwealth 24-9
3 East Carolina 17-11
4 James Madison 10-20
5 Richmond 8-20
6 George Mason 11-16
7 UNC Wilmington 13-16
8 American 12-15
9 William & Mary 10-16
What You Need to Know:
Old Dominion has won two of the last five Colonial titles. To
make it three out of six, the Monarchs will have to overcome
the loss of All-CAA forward Joe Bunn, who was kicked off the
team after being charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend. That
leaves poor ODU with only one All-CAA forward: Odell Hodge.
Virginia Commonwealth lost almost 30 points from its front line,
but the Rams do have 6'7" swingman Melvin Drake, who helped
Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida win the 1994-95
national junior college title. James Madison coach Lefty
Driesell is coming off just his second losing season in 34 years
on the bench. The 64-year-old Driesell probably won't have
another in 1996-97; four returning starters should see to that.
Player to Watch: A 6'9", 280-pound forward, Old Dominion senior
Odell Hodge was once a can't-miss NBA prospect. Knee injuries
slowed his development, but he's back on track and should
improve on his 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
17 OHIO VALLEY
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Austin Peay 19-11
2 Murray State 19-10
3 Tennessee Tech 13-15
4 Tennessee State 15-13
5 Middle Tennessee State 15-12
7 Tennessee-Martin 13-14
8 S.E. Missouri State 8-19
9 Eastern Illinois 13-15
10 Morehead State 7-20
What You Need to Know:
In addition to having star Bubba Wells, Austin Peay is home to
junior guard Joe Sibbitt, the Ohio Valley's
second-most-effective three-point shooter (40.5%), and senior
guard Colby Pierce, who led the league in assists (6.8 per game)
and averaged 2.0 steals per game. That package should be enough
to overcome perennial powerhouse Murray State, which has won or
shared the regular-season conference title eight of the last
nine years. Tennessee Tech senior Lorenzo Coleman, a 7'1"
center, led the conference in blocked shots last season (96) and
will break into the top 10 in the NCAA record book for career
blocks with 50 more.
Player to Watch: Austin Peay's 6'5" forward, Bubba Wells, a
senior, was third in the nation in scoring (26.3 ppg), and he
should break the school's career scoring record, held by Tom
Morgan, this season. He may also eclipse school marks in field
goals, field goal attempts, free throws and free throw attempts.
18 SOUTHERN
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
NORTH DIVISION
1 Marshall 17-11
2 Davidson 25-5
3 VMI 18-10
4 Appalachian State 8-21
5 East Tennessee 7-20
SOUTH DIVISION
1 Tennessee-Chattanooga 15-12
2 Western Carolina 17-13
3 Furman 10-17
4 The Citadel 10-16
5 Georgia Southern 3-23
What You Need to Know:
Marshall lost coach Billy Donovan to Florida, but in new coach
Greg White, a former UCLA assistant, the Herd gained someone
with a national title ring. With junior forward John Brown (14.0
ppg, 6.9 rpg) and senior guard Keith Veney (19.6 ppg, 45.5%
three-point shooting), Marshall, in its last season in the
Southern Conference before moving to the MAC, could return to
the NCAAs for the first time since '87. Davidson was 14-0 in
league play, but with the loss of three starters, conference
coach of the year Bob McKillop has his work cut out for him. The
South Division is up for grabs, as every team has at least three
starters back and Furman and Tennessee-Chattanooga have five
returning.
Player to Watch: Citadel's 7-foot, 230-pound center, Kirill
Misyuchenko, a junior from Minsk, Belarus, averaged 2.6 blocks
per game last season. He scores little (7.6 ppg), but his
defense can turn a game around.
19 BIG WEST
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
EASTERN DIVISION
1 Nevada 16-13
2 Utah State 18-15
3 New Mexico State 11-15
4 North Texas 15-13
5 Boise State 15-13
6 Idaho 12-16
WESTERN DIVISION
1 Long Beach State 17-11
2 Pacific 15-12
3 UC Santa Barbara 11-15
4 UC Irvine 15-12
5 Cal State-Fullerton 6-20
6 Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 16-13
What You Need to Know:
Senior forward Faron (Meat) Hand, who averaged 12.7 points per
game in 1994-95 but sat out most of last season with a knee
injury, and junior guard Jimmy Carles Gosa cannot brighten the
day; the Aggies had their first losing season in 11 years and
were hit with NCAA sanctions. Derroll, a transfer from Utah,
will ensure that Nevada avoids a repeat of last season when it
dropped seven of its final 10 games. At New Mexico State, even
Big West freshman of the year Chaspite losing coach Seth
Greenberg to South Florida, Long Beach State remains the class
of the West as former Syracuse assistant Wayne Morgan takes over
a team that includes junior James Cotton.
Player to Watch: Long Beach State's 6'5" guard, James Cotton,
best known as the brother of high school phenom Schea Cotton, is
making a name for himself. He led the Big West in scoring (19.5
ppg) and has put up double figures in 29 straight games.
20 AMERICA EAST
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Drexel 27-4
2 Boston University 18-11
3 Maine 15-13
4 Delaware 15-12
5 Towson State 16-12
6 Vermont 12-15
7 Hofstra 9-18
8 New Hampshire 6-21
9 Hartford 6-22
10 Northeastern 4-24
What You Need to Know:
The conference may have a new name (it used to be the North
Atlantic), but the team at the top is familiar: Drexel, the
three-time defending champion. The Dragons, who defeated a
shocked Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament, have
had at least 22 wins in each of the last four seasons. And while
two-time conference player of the year Malik Rose was drafted by
the Charlotte Hornets, Drexel has three starters back, including
senior guard Jeff Myers (18.7 ppg, 53 steals) and sophomore
guard Mike DeRocckis (13.4 ppg, 47.8% three-point shooting). In
his five seasons at Drexel, coach Bill Herrion has amassed a
112-38 record and has never had a losing season. "My teams know
what a winning attitude is, and they know that they need it to
be successful," he says. Boston University is the only team that
can challenge Drexel. Three-time all-conference selection Tunji
Awojobi and 6'10" center Joey Beard (9.9 ppg) are the main
reasons the Terriers have won 11 of their last 13.
Player to Watch: Boston University's Tunji Awojobi, a 6'7",
230-pound senior forward, averaged 22.7 points per game last
season. He needs just 149 points to pass Drederick Irving and
become the school's alltime leading scorer. Pro scouts will be
keeping a close eye on the native of Lagos, Nigeria, who before
each season writes HI MOM, I MISS YOU on his sneakers.
21 NORTHEAST
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Monmouth 20-10
2 Rider 19-11
3 Wagner 10-17
4 Long Island 9-19
5 Fairleigh Dickenson 7-20
6 Mount St. Mary's 21-8
7 Marist 22-7
8 St. Francis (Pa.) 13-14
9 St. Francis (N.Y.) 9-18
10 Robert Morris 5-23
What You Need to Know:
Last season, Monmouth held off Rider in the NEC tournament
final, 60-59, to earn its first NCAA tournament berth. With
four returning starters, including All-NEC senior forward Corey
Albano (17.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), the Hawks are the team to beat.
Rider has made it to the conference tournament final all four
years it has been in the league, but the Broncs will be without
6'6" senior forward Charles Smith (21.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg), a
two-time All-NEC selection, who was suspended for the season in
July after breaking team rules. Junior center Kevin McPeek (8.2
ppg) and sophomore guard Greg Burston (9.9 ppg) are the team's
leaders. Wagner has a pair of scorers in juniors Dan Seigle
(14.9 ppg) and Frantz Pierre-Louis (14.2 ppg).
Player to Watch: Long Island's Richie Parker, a 6'5" freshman,
was one of the top high school players in the nation after
averaging 28.2 points per game during his senior year at
Manhattan Center High. But after he pleaded guilty to a
sexual-abuse charge in January 1995, several schools withdrew
their scholarship offers. He attended Mesa Community College in
Phoenix last year, though he did not play basketball there.
22 BIG SOUTH
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Liberty 17-12
2 Coastal Carolina 5-21
3 Radford 14-13
4 UNC Greensboro 20-10
5 Winthrop 7-19
6 UNC Asheville 18-10
7 Charlestown Southern 15-13
8 Maryland-Baltimore Co. 5-22
What You Need to Know:
If four returning starters isn't a good enough reason to pick
Liberty to win the league, one of them is. Peter Aluma led the
Big South in scoring (18.9 ppg), blocks (3.9 per game) and field
goal shooting (54.6%). The most improved team is Coastal
Carolina, which will be led by forward Ben Avery (16.7 ppg) and
center Maurice Ingram (13.2 ppg), both seniors. With 10 of its
top 11 back, Radford is a contender too, with senior guard
Anthony Walker (14.1 ppg, 4.9 apg), who was all-conference last
season. UNC Greensboro went to the NCAAs last March, but junior
guard Derrick Nix (9.0 ppg) is the Spartans' lone returning
starter. Winthrop will pin its hopes on last season's Big South
rookie of the year, point guard Tyson Waterman (12.5 ppg).
Player to Watch: Peter Aluma, a 6'10" senior center at Liberty,
is a prolific scorer and a fierce shot blocker. A native of
Lagos, Nigeria, Aluma had a school-record 113 swats last season,
giving him 269 in his career. He has reached double digits in
points 60 times and has scored 20 or more points 25 times.
23 TRANS AMERICA
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
EAST DIVISION
1 College of Charleston 25-4
2 Central Florida 11-19
3 Florida Atlantic 9-18
4 Stetson 10-17
5 Florida International 13-15
6 Campbell 17-11
WEST DIVISION
1 Southeastern Louisiana 15-12
2 Samford 16-11
3 Jacksonville State 10-17
4 Mercer 15-14
5 Centenary 11-16
6 Georgia State 10-16
What You Need to Know:
After moving up from Division II three years ago, the College of
Charleston is finally eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA
tournament. And with all five starters returning, including
Thaddeous (Shaq of the TAAC) Delaney, the Cougars should get it.
The champion of last season's league tournament, Central
Florida, should not pose a threat after losing point guard
Stacey Castle, who was suspended for violating team rules.
Buoyed by TAAC newcomer of the year Troy Green and heralded
Georgetown transfer Eric Myles--two 5'10" sophomore guards with
excellent range--Southeastern Louisiana is the best in the West.
Player to Watch: Charleston's center Thaddeous Delaney, the TAAC
player of the year, averaged 14.6 points and 11.4 boards per
game. The 6'8" senior is not only the top NBA prospect in the
TAAC but also one of the top prospects in the country.
24 MID-CONTINENT
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Northeastern Illinois 14-13
2 Valparaiso 21-11
3 SUNY Buffalo 13-14
4 Western Illinois 17-12
5 Troy State 11-16
6 Central Connecticut St. 13-15
7 Youngstown State 12-15
8 Missouri-Kansas City 12-15
9 Chicago State 2-25
What You Need to Know:
Northeastern Illinois was the only major college team in
Chicagoland to have a winning record last season. Andrell Hoard
and backcourt mate William Keys, a defensive stalwart, should
ensure that the Eagles are not only winners but conference
champs. Valparaiso is aiming for its third straight conference
title and will rely heavily on 6'3" junior point guard Bryce
Drew (17.2 ppg, 5.1 apg), who finished 15th in the nation in
free throw percentage (86.6%). Troy State will score again, but
so will its opponents: The Trojans have their three top scorers
back from a team that led the nation in scoring (94.4 ppg) but
also gave up 97.0 points per game. Central Connecticut State
suffered a huge loss--literally--when 7'2" Keith Closs (6.4
blocks per game) quit school.
Player to Watch: Senior point guard Andrell Hoard of
Northeastern Illinois was last season's conference newcomer of
the year. The 6'3" juco transfer led the conference in scoring
(21.1 ppg) and was fifth in the nation in steals, with 3.6 per
game.
25 IVY LEAGUE
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Princeton 22-7
2 Pennsylvania 17-10
3 Dartmouth 16-10
4 Harvard 15-11
5 Cornell 10-16
6 Brown 10-16
7 Yale 8-18
8 Columbia 7-19
What You Need to Know:
The Princeton-Penn duel continues. Princeton has four starters
back from the team that shocked UCLA in the first round of the
NCAA tournament. The Tigers' biggest loss is legendary coach
Pete Carril, who is now an assistant with the NBA's Sacramento
Kings, but his replacement, Bill Carmody, was Carril's assistant
for 14 years. Carmody will employ the same slow-down offense and
tenacious defense (Princeton led the nation in scoring
defense--51.7 ppg--for the eighth straight year) that has
frustrated teams like, say, Penn for eons. Still, for the fourth
straight year, the Quakers won at least a share of the Ivy
title. And though they lost three starters, they have a solid
backcourt with juniors Garrett Kreitz (43.6% three-point
shooting) and Jamie Lyren, and hotshot freshman Michael Jordan,
number 23.
Player to Watch: Last season Harvard senior Kyle Snowden, a 6'5"
forward, ranked among the top five in the league in scoring
(15.1 ppg), rebounding (11.1 per game), field goal percentage
(54.8%) and free throw percentage (78.5%).
26 MID-EASTERN
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Coppin State 19-10
2 South Carolina State 22-8
3 North Carolina A&T 10-17
4 Howard 7-20
5 Bethune-Cookman 12-15
6 Delaware State 11-17
7 Hampton 9-17
8 Morgan State 7-20
9 Florida A&M 8-19
10 Maryland-Eastern Shore 11-16
What You Need to Know:
First, last season's MEAC champion, South Carolina State, lost
to Kansas by 38 points in the NCAA tournament; then the Bulldogs
lost four starters. By contrast, North Carolina A&T has five
starters returning and will surely improve this season. Signs
are also hopeful at Howard, which won seven of its final 11
games. Still, the favorite to win the conference is Coppin
State, which lost to South Carolina State in the final of the
MEAC tournament last season; all-conference forwards Terquin
Mott and Reggie Welch (16.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg) are probably the two
best players in the league. And as long as guard Antoine
Brockington (12.0 ppg, 48 three-pointers) maintains his outside
touch, defenders won't be able to collapse on Mott and Welch,
and the Eagles will have their way in the MEAC.
Player to Watch: After entering the NBA draft and then
reconsidering, Coppin State's 6'8" senior forward Terquin Mott
(19.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is back for his senior season. He should
again be MEAC player of the year.
27 PATRIOT LEAGUE
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Colgate 15-15
2 Navy 15-12
3 Holy Cross 16-13
4 Bucknell 17-11
5 Lafayette 7-20
6 Lehigh 4-23
7 Army 7-20
What You Need to Know:
With Adonal Foyle dominating the inside and junior guard Seth
Schaeffer hitting 40.4% of his three-pointers, Colgate should
make its third straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Navy, with
its stingy defense led by pesky senior point guard Brian Walker
(50 steals), has the only real chance to topple the Red Raiders.
Player to Watch: They double-teamed him and triple-teamed him,
but Colgate's 6'10" junior center Adonal Foyle still led the
conference in scoring (20.2 ppg), rebounding (12.6 per game),
blocks (5.7 per game) and field goal percentage (51.7%).
28 SW ATHLETIC
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Southern 17-11
2 Jackson State 16-13
3 Grambling State 12-16
4 Alabama State 9-18
5 Texas Southern 11-15
6 Mississippi Valley State 22-7
7 Alcorn State 10-15
8 Prairie View A&M 4-23
What You Need to Know:
Tommy Green takes over as coach at Southern from last season's
SWAC coach of the year, Ben Jobe, who is off to Tuskegee. The
Jaguars have four starters back, including guards Vandale Thomas
and senior Derrick Kidd (10.4 ppg and 4.4 apg). The entire
starting frontcourt returns at Jackson State, but the Tigers
have to break in a new backcourt. After seven seasons away from
coaching, 66-year-old Davey Whitney returns as head man at
Alcorn State. In his last stint as the Braves' coach, from 1969
to '89, he was 395-199.
Player to Watch: The conference's newcomer of the year was
Southern's Vandale Thomas. The 6'4" senior averaged 6.1 boards
per game and is the SWAC's leading returning scorer (18.8 ppg).
29 BIG SKY
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 Montana State 21-9
2 Weber State 20-10
3 Montana 20-8
4 Idaho State 11-15
5 Cal State-Sacramento 7-20
6 Cal State-Northridge 7-20
7 Northern Arizona 6-20
8 Eastern Washington 3-23
9 Portland State none
What You Need to Know:
Goodbye, Boise State and Idaho. Hello, Northridge, Sacramento
and Portland State, which has a team for the first time since
1980-81. No one is ready to unseat defending champion Montana
State, which boasts sophomore guard Danny Sprinkle (9.8 ppg) and
6'6" forward Damon Ollie, from Santa Monica Junior College (16.5
ppg, 10.9 rpg).
Player to Watch: Ryan Cuff transferred from BYU to Arizona State
to Weber State. Good move: The 6'5" senior swingman averaged
13.6 points and 5.2 assists per game for the Wildcats.
30 SOUTHLAND
PROJECTED FINISH '95-96 RECORD
1 McNeese State 15-12
2 Northeast Louisiana 16-14
3 Texas-San Antonio 14-14
4 Southwest Texas State 11-15
5 Stephen F. Austin 17-11
6 Sam Houston State 11-16
7 Nicholls State 5-21
8 Northwestern State 5-21
9 Texas-Arlington 11-15
What You Need to Know:
Northeast Louisiana has taken all but one Southland title in the
'90s, but McNeese State is the team to beat this season. The
Cowboys are led by guard Robert Palmer (16.8 ppg) and 6'7"
forward Alvydas Pazdrazdis, a member of the 1992
bronze-medal-winning Lithuanian Olympic team, who sat out last
season because of a knee injury. With four starters back,
Southwest Texas could make a run at the title.
Player to Watch: A 6'6" junior forward at Nicholls State,
Kenderick Franklin shot 40.2% from three-point range and is the
league's top returning scorer (18.1 ppg).
31 INDEPENDENTS
'95-96 RECORD
Oral Roberts 18-9
Southern Ut 15-13
Wofford 4-22
What You Need to Know:
A tough schedule means that even with five starters returning,
Oral Roberts may find it difficult to improve on its first
winning season since 1983-84. The four returning players at
Southern Utah combined for just 17.7 points per game. Wofford
has all its starters back, including senior forward Terrence
Gilyard, the team's leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and rebounder (6.6
per game). In their second season in Division I, the Terriers
could win 10 games--a confidence booster as they head off to the
Southern Conference in 1997-98.
Player to Watch: Junior Tim Gill, a 6'2" guard, led Oral Roberts
in scoring (17.5 ppg), shot 85.3% from the line and sank 45.1%
of his three-pointers.
COLOR PHOTO: TODD ROSENBERG Eastern Michigan's 5'5" Boykins is big in the MAC. [Earl Boykins and other in game]
COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO Wells (13) has his team at the peak of the Ohio Valley. [Bubba Wells and other in game]
COLOR PHOTO: BRUCE L. SCHWARTZMAN With Foyle, Colgate should wrap up the Patriot once again. [Adonal Foyle]
