Beyond the Arc : Freshmen

Sophomores ready for their close-up

Mike Miller — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:38:00 GMT

It’s one thing to know that the greatest improvement most college basketball players show is between their freshmen and sophomore seasons.

Steve Cannon/AP

Florida State's Chris Singleton goes up to block a shot.

It’s another to pinpoint those sophomores bound for stardom. But hey, that’s why they pay Seth Davis the big bucks.

He’s picked out 10 players poised for breakouts seasons the last few years, and usually does pretty well considering he stays away from guys who already established themselves as good players. Hits include Cole Aldrich, Jeff Teague, Kalin Lucas, Earl Clark, Gerald Henderson and Marreese Speights, while he missed on players like Jamil Tucker, LaceDarius Dunn and Nolan Smith.

ANYWAY, this year’s list has some gimmies (Memphis’ Elliott Williams and Michigan State’s Delvon Roe), and some who could make Davis look really smart.

For instance:

Wake Forest center Tony Woods (more minutes are coming his way, but the stats are still sluggish).
Syracuse wing Kris Joseph (Scoop Jardine would’ve been the safe pick).
Kansas forward Marcus Morris (Jayhawks’ talent glut makes a breakout a tough bet).

Still, it’s a solid list given how many established freshmen returned for their sophomore seasons. Guys like Courtney Fortson, Yancy Gates and Luke Babbitt aren’t exactly household names, but are already good players.

A couple of guys I’d add to the list: Florida State’s Chris Singleton (already picking up Toney Douglas’ slack), Oklahoma State’s Keiton Page (running the show with Byron Eaton gone), Southern Illinois’ Kevin Dillard (especially if Salukis turn in a better season) and Oregon’s pair of stud sophomores, Teondre Williams (killing it) and Michael Dunigan (a tempo-free star).

This kind of reactionary blather is also available at Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller).

Even if 'Nova loses Yarou, it's not a killer

Mike Miller — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:10:00 GMT

Villanova freshman Mouphtaou Yarou was supposed to help ease the loss of Daunte Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark. The 6-10 forward was the prize of a stellar recruiting class for coach Jay Wright, a guy who was big, athletic and could potentially blossom into a post presence the Wildcats rarely have.

That may have to wait a year.

Drew Hallowell/Getty

Mouphtaou Yarou blocks a shot against Penn.

According to a report from FOXSports.com’s Jeff Goodman, Yarou will likely miss the rest of the season due to a condition that’s not life-threatening. Yarou was sent home from the Puerto Rico Tip-Off due to a viral infection. His absence is probably related to that, but no word on what that reason is yet.

So what’s it mean for Villanova -- if he is out for the year? It’s not a killer, it just reduces their frontcourt depth.

Yarou played a total of 37 minutes in blowout wins against Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn, and wasn’t really a factor in either game, averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block. ‘Nova (6-0) played well enough to win the Tip-Off without Yarou, winning close games against George Mason, Dayton and Ole Miss.

That leaves Antonio Pena and Taylor King as the team’s only capable big men. When Reggie Redding returns from a suspension it’ll give ‘Nova a little more size, but nothing substantial.

Still, I don’t think it sinks their Big East title hopes of Final Four aspirations. Villanova’s defense doesn’t rely on big guys swatting shots, but mobile, aggressive wing players who can play man-to-man and crash the boards when needed.

Mike Miller’s random musings can also be found on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller).

So much for Stephenson being 'Born Ready'

Mike Miller — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:24:00 GMT

It’s a good thing Lance Stephenson moved on from his “Born Ready” nickname. It didn’t apply in his debut.

Cincinnati’s 6-5 guard is billed as one of the nation’s impact freshmen (fell for it), but there are no words for opening with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance against Prairie View A&M. The Bearcats won the game (barely), otherwise you’d be reading about UCLA and Cincy stumbling on Monday.

As for Stephenson – 2-10 from the field, 0-3 beyond the arc and 1 turnover in 22 minutes – there’s an explanation.

“He was a nervous wreck,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. “He’ll get better. I’ve got to make sure he’s not putting too much pressure on himself. When we were struggling, he was the one guy in the huddle trying to fire everybody up. You could see his frustration. You could see his desire to win.”

Nervousness in your college hoops debut is understandable. Only a chosen few can open with a memorable night.

But it seems odd for Stephenson to have those jitters. He’s one of the most celebrated players from NYC. He’s been on the AAU circuit and played in high-pressure situations before. What’s going to happen when the Bearcats play better teams or get into Big East play?

Perhaps Cincy now has a player who’ll stick around for more than one season.

(H/T: Ballin’ Is a Habit)

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Wall wows in opener -- thanks to final shot

Mike Miller — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:04:00 GMT

John Wall’s Kentucky debut wasn’t perfect. It just had a storybook ending.

And that’s what Big Blue Nation wants, especially when March rolls around. For now, they can relish a win that probably wouldn’t have happened the last few years.

Andy Lyons/Getty

John Wall

The No. 4 Wildcats spent most of Monday trailing Miami (Ohio) and failing to guard Nick Winbush, who hit 8 of 10 from beyond the arc. At one point, the ‘Cats trailed by 18. John Calipari’s freshmen weren’t dogging it, it’s just that the RedHawks played that well. They disrupted Kentucky’s dribble-drive offense for most of the night, clogging the lanes and forcing UK into perimeter shots.

Wall rarely forced the issue (5 assists, 5 turnovers), but wasn’t shy about driving by defenders when necessary. During the first half, he drew fouls on three Miami players in a 22-second span. As a result, he did most of his scoring from the free-throw line, hitting 10 of 14 from the stripe, bit only attempted nine field-goal attempts.

Yet when the RedHawks tied the game at 70 with six seconds left, Calipari wasn’t worried. Wall took the inbounds, scooted down the court and nailed pure a 15-footer with .5 seconds remaining. Watch for yourself.

“When it hit the bottom of the net, it was a relief, a great feeling,” Wall said.

That goes for every Kentucky fan. The Wildcats are a work in progress (like North Carolina and a handful of other young teams), which means this won’t be the last tight game Cal’s crew has. And they won’t all turn out like this.

But having a player like Wall – a freshman who belies his class standing – gives them someone who can win those games. It’s music to Kentucky’s ears.

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Could 'Nova get into troble with Yarou?

Mike Miller — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Villanova’s dynamite recruiting class is one reason why the Wildcats are a Final Four favorite and favored to win the Big East. Adding two elite guards and a power forward like Mouphtaou Yarou should be enough to offset the losses of guys like Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark to make another NCAA tournament run.

But ‘Nova may have just hit a speed bump. Turns out Yarou may not be eligible to play.

An odd twist first reported by the Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy highlights an irregularity in Yarou’s age. A Web site for FIBA – basketball’s governing body – shows that he played in the 2007 Africa club tournament with a listed age of 23. That would make Yarou 25 entering this season and ineligible to play.

Villanova coach Jay Wright told Sporting News that Yarou was OK’d by the NCAA clearinghouse after it examined his transcripts and passport. And the school’s compliance officer says it’s not an issue.

"I don't have a compelling need to look into it because I believe it's probably a typo," Gordon Finch, Villanova's associate athletic director for compliance, told Sporting News. "We've got his passport, his naturalization papers and his international student athlete form, all of which don't have that as his birthdate."

Any eligibility issues would arise from NCAA rule 14.2.3.5, which pertains to athletes playing on other teams after their 21^st birthday. Or, as DeCourcy points out, the NCAA could ding him for lying about his age. After all, Yarou wouldn’t be the first athlete to do that.

I’m sure the school did its due diligence on Yarou. And if the clearinghouse says he’s good to go, then that should be enough, right? Or not…

UPDATE: Wright announced that Yarou has been cleared to play Friday. I'm rooting for everything to work out.

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Miss St.'s Sidney may be eligible after all

Mike Miller — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:40:00 GMT

Any day now, Mississippi State could get some really good news. At least, that’s what Renardo Sidney’s lawyer thinks.

The 6-10 forward is one of the nation’s top freshmen, but he’s been in NCAA eligibility limbo because of amateurism issues rising from his family’s two-year stay in the Los Angeles area. Basically, rumors flew that they couldn’t afford that house they were living in, so someone else was paying. The family says it’s hogwash.

After a long investigation into the matter, Sidney’s lawyer says the NCAA will come to the same conclusion and clear Sidney to play.

"We expect it could happen as soon as tomorrow or in the next week," Alabama-based attorney Don Jackson told FOXSports.com. "Frankly, there's no reason he shouldn't have already been cleared," Jackson said. "If he's done something wrong, someone needs to say something. If not, the family needs to be left alone."

Most of the Sidney background can be found here and here, but this is what’s most important if Sidney is cleared: Miss State will be really, really good.

He makes the Bulldogs a Top 10 team and gives them perhaps the nation’s top frontcourt. He’s a skilled power forward who can play the post or away from the basket. Playing alongside Jarvis Varnado or John Riek will give any team massive matchup headaches.

Did I say really good news? I meant great news.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Sophomore slump? Not so, argue the Geeks

Mike Miller — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:51:00 GMT

Al McGuire’s famous phrase – “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores” – has been part of the college basketball lexicon for so long that it’s essentially accepted without much thought.

Now it requires even less thought ‘cause it’s a fact, courtesy of temnpo-free stats.

And for that, we have the Big Ten Geeks to thank.

They spent the summer looking at the statistical profiles of every BCS player was who was a freshman between 2000 and 2005 (with some filters) and found that players show the greatest improvement between freshman and sophomore year.

Let that sink in.

Forget the sophomore slump. On average, players show the most improvement after their freshman season. There are exceptions – as they note – and it’s not a hard and fast rule. But it’s a pretty telling fact about most college players. Blake Griffin is a prime example.

And it also shouldn’t discount that some freshmen will have a big impact (read: John Wall), though not all of them will live up to the media hype.

(Their link also includes five aerial grafs showing how their tempo-free stats are represented on average from freshman to senior years.)

So what’s this mean?

Teams that relied heavily on freshmen last year and have those players back this season could have a pretty nice jump. Among our Top 25, that includes Kansas, Michigan State, West Virginia, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio State, Louisville.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Big Blue panic: Wall's eligibility in question

Mike Miller — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:26:00 GMT

This is every Kentucky fan’s worst nightmare. Kind of.

Star point guard John Wall, the nation’s top recruit, is dealing with an eligibility issue that could affect his season. SEC commissioner Mike Slive confirmed the report to ESPN.com on Thursday.

Ed Reinke/AP

John Wall

It centers around Wall’s former AAU coach, who was a certified agent. The school has been investigating Wall’s the situation for months. Mississippi State recruit Renardo Sidney also is dealing with eligibility issues. It goes back to 2007 when Wall made two unofficial visits to the UK campus but it’s unclear how much money he may owe for the visit.

Slive says the NCAA’s agents, not NCAA enforcement, is handling the investigation.

"Those are amateur issues that arose prior to their coming to our schools," Slive told ESPN.com. "Those are strictly amateurism issues. As we told our people, somebody needs to determine if they are eligible. It's not relative to you, it's relative to them."

Here’s the gist:

Brian Clifton, Wall's AAU coach, was a certified agent with FIBA, basketball's international governing body, for nearly a year. Under NCAA rule that equates to Wall accepting illegal benefits from an agent. Consequently Wall could have to repay any and all expenses Clifton footed during that period before he can play with Kentucky.

NCAA rule also stipulates that an athlete can be withheld from at least 10 percent of a team's games as part of the punishment.

What’s that mean for Wall’s season? It’s too early to tell. The early impression from John Clay, a writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader, is that it won’t be a big deal and that Wall may have to sit out two or three games.

He also says – pay attention John Calipari naysayers – that is would be an issue even if Billy Gillispie were still Kentucky’s coach because of when he visited the campus.

But until Wall’s eligibility is resolved, it’ll likely create much hand-wringing in Big Blue Nation.

Follow me on Twitter and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Williams isn't scared of Henson's height

Mike Miller — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:38:00 GMT

Height usually makes people overthink thing. My favorite was when Kevin Durant entered the NBA draft, but there was heated debates among NBA pundits if he could actually play power forward. You know, ‘cause he’s 6-10.

“He’s gonna have to bulk up to bang down low in the NBA.”

“Durant could rebound in college, but that was because of his long arms. That won’t fly in the NBA.”

“Can he guard opposing power forwards?”

It was a bunch of hooey. Anyone who saw Durant play knew he’d be a 2 or 3 in the pros, even if he did struggle to guard shorter, quicker guards. Won’t they have to guard him as well?

Turns out a similar discussion surrounds incoming freshman John Henson at North Carolina. Henson’s 6-10, and does pretty much everything well. He may not have Durant’s jumper, but he’ll be a matchup nightmare for nearly every swingman.

Well, Roy Williams doesn’t overthink things either.

In his preseason analysis of his squad, Williams has a cut-and-dried version of what Henson will do.

“John will begin the season on the perimeter as a three and I think he will stay there all season. He has tremendously long arms and will probably block more shots than any perimeter player in college basketball. With Ed (Davis) and Deon (Thompson), we may block more shots than any team I’ve ever coached. John has the ability with his length to hurt you inside and also step out and put the ball on the floor or shoot it.”

The Heels are going big, folks. Henson may spell Thompson or Davis or Zeller on the block, but it looks like Williams wants to have Henson sticking his arms into other people’s business. Especially when they’re shooting.

(H/T: Tar Heel Fan)

The odd evolution of Stephenson’s nickname

Mike Miller — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:02:00 GMT

If there’s one thing college basketball needs, it’s more nicknames. And by more, I mean any.

Thankfully, that’s where a guy like Lance Stephenson comes in.

Stephenson, a freshman at Cincinnati, is known in New York hoops circles as “Born Ready.” He left NYC as the state’s all-time leading scorer, thus the name. But at Cincy, he’s earned a new nickname.

“Almost There.”

I know. Feels like a Laurel and Hardy skit. And Stephenson and the Bearcats know it. They’re having some laughs with it.

"He thinks it's funny. It's a sign that Lance is just one of the guys here," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin told FOX’s Jeff Goodman. "The guys get on him and joke around with him. He's never really been able to just be one of the guys before."

But I like that he’s racking up the monikers. A budding sports star can never have enough. Think of all the great sports nicknames (nice list here), and how they help burnish an athlete’s reputation. Would we know who Rod Smart is without “He Hate Me?”

Stephenson just needs to make sure his nickname evolution continues. “Almost There” can stick … for now.