November 2011

MERNAGH: PITT PREVAILS IN SLOPPY CITY GAME

15,880 fans showed up to the Consol Energy Center.

That number was a City Game attendance record.

And they left, unless they were die-hard Pitt fans, unfulfilled.

There weren’t a million turnovers in this game — the number was actually 35, 23 from Pitt — but it sure seemed like it.

Duquesne needed Pitt to turn it over a lot.

Pitt complied, but the Dukes couldn’t, for whatever reason, get over the hump.

T.J. McConnell, who finished with 15 points on 6-9 shooting for the Dukes, pointed to a late game back-breaking play as the moment the Dukes were finally broken.

“We were down four, they missed a free throw and then got the rebound and kicked it back out for a three,” said McConnell, “that pretty much killed us.”

For Pitt, this was the first time in three games that they had the services of center Dante Taylor and small forward Lamar Patterson. That fact seemed to take away from the flow and ball movement that Pitt enjoyed in its previous outing because the rotation that had produced was again in flux.

Taylor made the most of his return against the much smaller Dukes and had what amounted to a perfect stat-line — 6-6 from the field and 3-3 from the line for 15 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman John Johnson was huge for Pitt going 3-3 from distance for 9 points in his 14 minutes. Ashton Gibbs added 18 while Patterson finished with 10. Pitt destroyed Duquesne on the boards 39-15.

“It’s what we do,” said Jamie Dixon when asked about the rebounding advantage.

What promised to be a tight, exciting finish with about 9:00 left on the clock sagged to the final buzzer as turnover after turnover blinded the record crowd into a a stupor similar to that of a punch-drunk boxer in his final career bout.

It’s a win for Pitt and a missed opportunity for a game Duquesne squad.

But about as sloppy as a basketball game could be.

STATUS QUO ON RECRUITING FRONT FOR ANTHONY BENNETT

There is still some very impressive high-end talent in the Class of 2012 that has yet to make their college choices. One such talent is Canadian-born power forward Anthony Bennett who is holding steady with a list of nine schools he is considering signing with in the spring. The 6-foot-8, 235-lb standout with Findlay Prep and the CIA Bounce AAU program out of Canada recently took advantage of being in Kentucky to visit one of the schools on his list.

“The trip to Kentucky was fun,” Bennett said of an unofficial visit to get a look at John Calipari’s program, “coaches were cool, and the fans are crazy. But as of right now every school is the same, I have no favorites.”
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THREE LEAD FOR ’13 SIDWELL FRIENDS’ JOSH HART

One player expected to have a big season is Class of 2013 shooting guard Josh Hart of Sidwell Friends. While his name does not currently hold a lot of clout nationally, that will likely change in the coming months. Many in the DC-area have been singing his praises and a strong summer on the AAU trail last July with Team Takeover DC has certainly pushed his profile among college coaches much higher than it was previously.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Hart listed Georgetown, Penn State, NC State, Pitt, Xavier, Virginia, St. Joe’s and Indiana off the top of his head as some of the schools that came by this fall to watch him work out. With scholarship offers from the likes of Georgetown, Penn State, VCU, Xavier, NC State, UMass and Penn, Hart told NBE that currently three schools are standing out to him.
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CANTOR: BOEHEIM IS OUR COACH

Amidst growing calls for Syracuse University head men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim to be suspended, resign or be fired while an investigation of child molestation allegations against his former longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine ensues, Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor gave the Hall of Fame coach a vote of confidence on Tuesday.

“Coach Boeheim is our coach,” Cantor said emerging from an economic development conference with state officials the Associated Press reported.

“Coach Boeheim is our coach; he’s getting the team ready tonight,” Cantor said. “We’re very pleased with what he said Sunday night, and we stand by him.”
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Mernagh’s Nightly Nuggets: Oakland/UNLV/Boeheim

Star of the Night: Reggie Hamilton Oakland

Tennessee couldn’t stop Oakland guard Reggie Hamilton, who gave the Vols a sour taste, not to mention a career-high 35 points, in road game that Counzo Martin is on record saying he never would’ve scheduled had it been up to him. Martin’s crew was just in Maui about 105 hours ago and has since played two games, both on the road, since returning from paradise. They will face Pitt in the BIG EAST/SEC Challenge this weekend. But tonight belongs to Greg Kampe’s Oakland Grizzlies, and their sharpshooter Hamilton. The O-Rena was rocking and one of the best smaller college atmospheres was on display for the entire country. Oakland has a program, in fact they’ve had one for a number of years now. They also just made it damn-near impossible to get any other BCS league school to come to Suburban Detroit to play them in the future. This was Oakland’s second win in as many seasons over Tennessee. The final was 89-81 and Drew Valentine added 15 points, Laval Lucas-Perry 14 and Travis Bader 13 for Oakland (4-2).

Belated Stars of Saturday Night: UNLV

Anytime you beat North Carolina it’s a huge win. When you beat the #1 ranked Tar Heels that are being proclaimed as the second coming of the Dream Team by some, it’s momentous. Oscar Bellfield (16 points and 9 assists) and Chace Stanback (28 points and 10 rebounds) were both instrumental, but the truth is the entire Rebels rotation contributed to their 90-80 victory in the Desert. Great win for Dave Rice in his first season at the helm, while a tip of the hat also goes to Lon Kruger for leaving the deck stacked in Sin City before leaving for Oklahoma. Shabazz Muhammad, the nation’s #1 ranked recruit and Bishop Gorman star, watched the upset from a seat in Orleans Arena.

Great Win of the Night: Xavier

Chris Mack’s squad went into Vanderbilt and won in OT after Mark Lyons made a great attacking play to send the game into the extra session.

Good Win of the Night: WVU

The Mountaineers drilled Akron but don’t get it twisted, while it was a really good win, and their second strong performance in a row, the Zips were without suspended star point guard Alex Abreu. He’s a difference maker for Akron. Still, props to Team Huggins — Jabarie Hinds, as we well knew, is a player player.

Goat of the Season (and not in the greatest of all time way): Jim Boeheim

The longtime pompous and arrogant Syracuse coach has done a lot of things over the years to prove to the discerning eye that he’s just another big-time coach living in the fantasy bubble that achieving success in places like Syracuse produces. Coming out in defense of longtime assistant Bernie Fine when Fine was being accused of molestation by a former ball boy for his program was okay, if that had been all Boeheim did. Instead he attacked the alleged victims, calling them liars and saying it was a scheme, a money grab. Boeheim said he’s known Fine for 35 years etc etc. Well, with the release of the tape of Fine’s wife openly discussing the alleged molestation with the victim it seems as if Boeheim really didn’t know his friend that well. Boeheim released a statement apologizing for his remarks (sort of) but I missed the part where he apologized for calling alleged victims of sexual assault, things that allegedly started happening when they were defenseless boys, liars. The victims coming out against Fine are growing in numbers. Boeheim’s words were unforgivable — he did exactly what bullies do. Then again, we’ve come to expect that kind of behavior from him.

Mernagh: Birch Makes Pitt Better

Khem Birch, according to one national expert on a podcast following Pitt’s loss to Long Beach State, isn’t ready.

How that expert would know that is up for debate, but when you connect the dots you can probably figure it out — someone he knows on the Pitt staff probably told the guy that. Birch had not gotten any kind of consistent burn up to that point so the opinion certainly wasn’t based on any performance critiques.

Following the loss to Long Beach I was of the opinion that Birch needed to play no matter what, along with J.J. Moore, if Pitt wanted to give themselves their best chance to win. Some folks echoed the feeling that Birch wasn’t ready while also stating that Moore “doesn’t get” whatever it is that allows a Pitt Panther to find success on the court. My opinion on Birch was an easy one — I’d watched the kid enough to know he could at least defend the rim and rebound and that was something that neither Dante Taylor nor Talib Zanna were giving Pitt in their first few games (and maybe getting him some consistent run would light a fire under Zanna and Taylor). I also felt that Birch was more talented offensively — he can face up and he has a nice stroke — than people were giving him credit for while also needing minutes to get in the flow of a game. Some of the most impressive plays I’ve seen Birch make in the past have come late in games, when his athleticism and IQ kick in automatically. My conclusion on Moore needing more minutes was almost as simple.

Moore can make plays once someone gets him the ball. Pitt doesn’t have any of those guys on the wing. Lamar Patterson is a very good facilitator who apparently “gets” what it takes to earn playing time — mainly, from what I hear, he kicks Moore’s butt everyday in practice. But Patterson is not a guy that can make the difficult look easy. He can’t catch at the three line, shot-fake, dribble and raise up like it’s an old habit. He can be the guy that delivers the pass to the guy at the three point line but not the guy that can figure out what to do fast enough when his open look is sealed off.

J.J. Moore can. JJ Moore’s a thoroughbred. Lamar Patterson’s an Ox. They both are very effective, just at different tasks. I was starting to wonder if we might never see Birch or Moore get a meaningful shot on the floor together this season.

Then Dante Taylor got a headache.

And Lamar Patterson did something wrong (not sure what) and got suspended for two games.

And Jamie Dixon started Khem Birch and JJ Moore.

The first half tonight is the hardest I’ve seen Pitt play this season.

The first half tonight is the crispest I’ve seen the Pitt offense operate this season.

The first half tonight is the first time I’ve seen a lineup with Birch and Moore together for extended time (I didn’t see the Penn game).

“I just play defense at the start of games,” Birch told me after he registered 8 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in 29 minutes. “The offense kind of just comes to me after I get in the flow, I just let it happen and focus on defending and going to the boards.” You listening Dante Taylor? Talib Zanna surely is because the Nigerian stud played his best basketball in over a year, grabbing 15 rebounds (7 offensive) and scoring 10 points on 5-8 shooting in 24 minutes.

J.J. Moore made a difference, even more than his numbers suggest, just by being on the court. He ran the floor. He defended and he was always a threat that the other team had to account for. Cameron Wright seized his opportunity and made the most of his 18 minutes by morphing into a Pitt version of Scottie Pippen, locking down Robert Morris star Velton Jones (1-14) while getting into the passing lanes. Wright shot 6-7 and gained confidence throughout.

All of these guys have one thing in common, they all ooze athleticism.

It starts with Birch and Moore, but their effect on the game impacts their teammates as well. Ashton Gibbs’ job is much easier. Ditto Tra Woodall’s, when those guys are on the floor.

Birch says the difference in his play comes down to one thing: “Consistent minutes is the main reason I’m producing the last few games,” he told me, “I’m getting a chance and trying to take advantage of it and help the team win.”

Dante Taylor and Lamar Patterson are both likely to return Wednesday night against Duquesne.

Khem Birch and J.J. Moore will also be there.

It should be an interesting evening.

Mernagh: Nuggets From Weekend So Far

UCF and Marshall certainly made a good impression on the Big East leadership with their victories over UConn and Cincinnati.

Marcus Jordan was excellent, especially making plays down the stretch (while UConn’s D was already looking towards the next round apparently) to get UCF their biggest win in quite some time and probably ever. Marshall’s win over the Bearcats was one I expected as the Thundering Herd are for real this season and Cincinnati proved once again with their loss to Presbyterian, at least at this point, that they’re still very much pretenders. Another result that I thought might go the Mid-Major way was Ohio vs Louisville but, whether by kind whistle or not (and that’s exactly what one of my guys told me the Ville got down the stretch) Pitino’s crew managed to get the all-important Dub).

One interesting rumor that I’ve heard more than once is that Xavier is quietly trying to enter the Big East through the back door for basketball. If that were to happen it would be fascinating to see how the Mid-Major Plus dominoes would fall were X to leave the A-10 for a league with St. John’s, Seton Hall, Marquette etc. Would Butler then try to make a move to the A-10? One things for sure if X were to move — Cincinnati would not be happy at all! not sure how solid the rumor is but it’s definitely out there in the coaching/basketball community.

Players that have impressed thus far this week as I’ve caught random glimpses through the turkey/brisket induced-haze:

Evan Roquemore from Santa Clara is a 6’3 point that I raved about from seeing him in Milwaukee a few years back at the NY2LA event. He went for 27 5 and 4 against New Mexico in a win and then for 27 10 and 4 in a loss to Oklahoma. His Broncos take on Villanova next tomorrow at 6:30. Watch for this kid who pinned a much bigger guy hard while I was watching the New Mexico game but somehow didn’t get credited for the block. He’s the real deal obviously and he’s added some flamboyance to his usually understated style with a Mohawk. If he keeps going for 27 and 10 he can continue to pull that look off. The sophomore guard is averaging 17 6 and 4 for they year while shooting 53% from deep and 48% from the floor.

Keith Clanton from UCF. The 6’8″ Junior local kid (Orlando product) went for 20 in the Knights win over UConn while hitting 4-5 from the three-point line, hit all his free throws and collected 6 rebounds in 38 minutes. For the year Clanton is averaging 19 and 9 while hitting 59% from the floor and 49% from deep. He’s definitely been putting in work and doing it much more efficiently than any of his more-famous mates. Credit Jordan as I did in the opening graph but recognize Clanton’s game as well.

Just saw that Northeastern drilled St. John’s earlier today 78-64 as the Red Storm were again without coach Steve Lavin who’s recuperating and resting following recent surgery to remove cancer. Best wishes to Lav on his continued recovery and also to Notre Dame forward Tim Abromaitis who tore his ACL and is out for the year. Here’s hoping he can get a 6th year and ball out in 2012-13.

Khem Birch got his first start for Pitt and responded with 15 10 and 3 blocks. JJ Moore also contributed with 12 and 6 in 31 minutes with efficient play. Will be good to see tomorrow night how both handle some regular season success. IMHO Pitt needs both guys on the floor for good minutes to be the best they can be this year.

I’m in Dayton tonight as I’m visiting relatives for Thanksgiving and that will allow me a good look at A-10 squad Charlotte and Horizon opponent Wright State. I watched WSU practice yesterday and they’re a young group that has some really enticing pieces for the future. It will be interesting to see how they respond off the last few days which have been difficult for them. The Raiders played very well against Florida in a loss but then, as is common with young teams, forgot to show up a few nights later against North Florida and took a bad loss.

Charlotte is an athletic and long group from just watching some warm ups here so hopefully it will be another good game (I haven’t seen a bad one yet this season).

NBE PODCAST: PREVIEWING VA TECH/SYRACUSE MATCH-UP

ESPN’s ‘Feast Week’ kicks it into another gear tonight when the Dick’s Sporting Goods Preseason NIT Tip-off hits Madison Square Garden for the semifinals this evening. Up first in the two-game doubleheader from the World’s Most Famous Arena is Stanford and Oklahoma State at 7 PM and the nightcap will feature former BIG EAST rivals, and soon to be ACC rivals, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

Both the Orange and Hokies are off to dominating starts. Syracuse is 4-0 and overwhelming their opponents by an average score of 89.8 to 57.5 a game.

Through the first four games James Southerland and Dion Waiters lead SU in scoring at 13.8 points a game. The Orange have 10 players averaging at least 12 minutes and four points a game.

Some have questiones if the Orange have a true ‘go-to’ player, a notion coach Jim Boeheim scoffs at pointing to the team’s tremendous depth as reason a designated go-to player is not needed. In the last two games the SU bench has outscored their counterparts from Albany and Colgate 109-20.

Virginia Tech has been led by Dorenzo Hudson’s 19.3 points a game in their 3-0 start, which has included wins over ETSU, Monmouth and FIU. Freshman Dorian FInney-Smith leads the team in rebounding (11/game) and assists (4.3) in getting his college career off to a strong start.

In today’s NBE Podcast below, NBE’s Raphielle Johnson welcomes Matthew Worner to the show to preview tonight’s game and talk VA Tech sports with a big weekend ahead for Hokie sports teams. Matthew is the Virginia Tech blogger for SCACCHoops.com and we appreciate him taking the time this morning…

Orange fans, get your 2011-2012 season tickets below:

JAKARR SAMPSON RECRUITING UPDATE

Fresh off a strong performance over the weekend at the National Prep Showcase, Brewster Academy forward JaKarr Sampson easily made the list of 2011 National Prep Showcase Top Performers compiled by NBE’s National Recruiting Analyst Brian Bosworth. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward is a long and skilled specimen who made countless plays in and around the paint as Brewster defeated Fishburn Military Academy (91-75 on Sat) and Massanutten Military Academy (95-65 on Sun).

Sampson scored 20 points in each contest showing that he loves to face up after catching in the post at which point his first step is too quick for helpless defenders. Brewster Academy coach Jason Smith said this is an area that Sampson has improved upon in the last year.

“JaKarr has gotten stronger and has really improved his ball-handling, specifically his first step,” said Smith. “He has a very explosive first step, which allows him to beat a lot of forwards off the dribble.”

Sampson is also able to defend the rim with his supreme athleticism. One high-major college coach compared Sampson over the weekend to former UNLV star Stacy Augman, and listening to coach Smith describe and project Sampson that comparison definitely holds water.

“JaKarr is a hybrid forward,” said Smith. “He’s a match-up problem for a lot of people due to his explosive athleticism and quickness. In a year or two, JaKarr can become an elite level defender in college.”

Formerly committed to St. John’s in the 2011 class before being ruled ineligible Sampson has re-opened his recruitment and is one of the elite members of the 2012 class still left on the board and high majors are going to be fighting for his services all year. He told NBE over the weekend he now has a list of Kansas, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Providence, Baylor, Miami, and St. John’s remains in the mix. Coach Smith also mentioned Florida as a school they are hearing from in the recruiting process.

After the Naitonal Prep Showcase Sampson flew home to Ohio and took the opportunity of some downtime to go check out one of the schools on his list for an unofficial visit according to his coach.

“JaKarr flew home on Sunday for the Thanksgiving break,” said Smith. “He’s scheduled to drive to Pittsburgh for an unofficial visit. Pitt is one of many schools showing interest in JaKarr.”

After opting not to sign a letter of intent in the early signing period it is certain JaKarr Sampson will be a hotly contested recruit for many programs in the spring signing period for the Class of 2012. It is expected Sampson will take his time in the process and in the meantime he will hone his skills under Coach Smith at Brewster. This is his second season in the Brewster program and will play for a team that will content for a NEPSAC and National Prep title this season. We will closely follow the recruitment of Sampson and the season of Brewster as it promises to be an interesting storyline throughout the season.

BOSWORTH: NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL SHOWCASE WRAP-UP (TOP PERFORMERS)

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

Now that the National Prep Showcase has concluded it’s time to take a moment and digest everything that I witnessed in New Haven this weekend. One thing that jumps out is that the talent level in New England is at an all time high. While many players are imports from other areas of the country a large part of rosters on New England prep times are made up of local talent. Most notably, Nerlens Noel in 2013 and Noah Vonleh in 2014 both have a chance to become the top player in their class nationwide. These two separated themselves from everyone else at this event both with their current production and with their long term potential.

Past those top two, Ricardo Ledo deserves more recognition for his performance on Friday night. Ledo’s ability to score has never been questioned but his intangibles and whether or not he is a winner have long been debated. Against La Jolla Prep he not only scored from everywhere on the floor but he proved to be the vocal leader of a talent rich South Kent team. He specifically seems to have taken on somewhat of a mentor role for talented junior Chris Thomas. According to South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson Ledo has been everything he could have asked for and more both on the floor and in the locker room. He has taken Thomas under his wing in a sense and has been an incredible positive influence. If this progression continues, Ed Cooley landed an even bigger star than already thought.
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BOSWORTH: SUNDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

By Brian Bosworth, National Scouting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase was back in full swing on Sunday with top teams like Brewster Academy, New Hampton Prep, and the Tilton School all in action. While the rosters of most prep schools in this event are dominated by seniors and post-graduate players it was a pair of underclassmen that stole the show on Sunday.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton School 2013) – With college coaches such as John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Lavin (St. John’s), and Ed Cooley (Providence) on hand to watch him play Noel put on quite a show Sunday night. Having already established himself as the premier defensive big man in America during the summer with BABC, Nerlens showcased an expanding offensive game that brings his upside to a new level. He played on the wing for much of the first half and repeatedly used a deadly right to left crossover to attack the rim and finish with his left hand. Despite being right handed he seems to prefer using his left to finish around the basket and did so with startling efficiency in this game. If Noel can continue to develop his offensive skills to complement his defensive brilliance he will give Jabari Parker a serious challenge for the spot of #1 overall player in the class of 2013.
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BOSWORTH: SATURDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase got back in full gear on Saturday with scouts and coaches alike lining the gym to see the nation’s best talent. Once again one player rose above the pack although no one quite reached the performance that Rick Ledo put up on Friday night.

Top Performance of the day:

Noah Vonleh (New Hampton 2014) – Very few prospects could have somewhat of an off day by their own standards and still be the best player at an event but that’s exactly what Vonleh did. He tallied 15 points and 19 rebounds at least half of which were on the offensive end of the floor. While he struggled slightly to put the ball in the basket, his explosiveness off the dribble combined with his incredible strength around the rim are impossible to ignore. Vonleh’s most impressive moments to me came when he caught the ball near the three point line and used one dribble to his right to glide all the way to the rim past a defender and score. He travels an incredible amount of space on the floor with only a couple of steps or with only one dribble. Physically, he’s simply on a different plane than most other kids on the floor despite being one of the youngest out there. After a breakout summer on the national scene, Vonleh cemented his status as one of the top five players in the class of 2014 with his performance Saturday.
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Bosworth: Friday’s National Prep Showcase Breakdown

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase kicked off Friday morning at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. One the premier prep events in America on a yearly basis, the showcase features the top prep teams from the Northeast along with a sampling of the strongest teams from around the country. This year had a little bit of added anticipation as it was announced approximately a week prior to the event that NBA scouts would be allowed to attend. If any were on hand Friday they witnessed a performance worthy of a future lottery pick selection.

Top Performer of the Day:
Ricardo Ledo (South Kent Prep 2012) – committed to Providence – There is no debate over the top performer of the day as Ledo put on an offensive clinic in a 20 point South Kent victory. He scored 37 points including 7 three pointers and did so with his usual freewheeling style. Ledo keeps the ball on a string and almost toys with defenders as he routinely broke ankles and got into the lane or used his patented step back move to create space and bury long range shots. At one point on the break Ledo even through it to himself off the backboard and hammered down a dunk contest worthy jam without breaking a sweat. His offensive talents are immense and they were on full display Friday night but perhaps even more impressive was the way Rick carried himself on the court. Often labeled a head case or a moody player, Ledo showed real maturity coaching teammates on the floor and still getting others involved despite that fact that he had it working so well. South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson told me after the game that Rick has really progressed as a leader both in the locker room and on the court and that was evident in his play on this night.

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NBE PODCAST – THE EXPERIENCE, EPISODE 1.3 (ROB SENDEROFF)

Rob Senderoff might have a long way to go to catch Coach K on the all-time NCAA basketball coaching win list, trailing by 902 wins at this time. However, the first-year Kent State coach is 1-0 in his career and that win was a 70-60 victory at West Virginia on Tuesday morning. Carlton Guyton led four players for the Golden Flashes in double-figures with 17 points as Kent State rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to earn the win on the road.

Fresh off the win, Senderoff took time out from game preparation of Saturday’s contest with Alcorn State to join Ray Mernagh and Lauren Kirschman for our Episode #3 of The Experience Podcast series.

Coach Senderoff talks about the opening win, his respect for coach Bob Huggins, his career path that took many twists and turns before he landed the head coaching position at Kent State this past spring when Geno Ford left for Bradley. He also spends time talking about this year’s club, recruiting territory and recruiting philosophies for his program. Enjoy…

PODCAST: SOMETHING ‘BRUIN’ AT UCLA…AND IT’S NOT GOOD

The UCLA Bruins under head coach Ben Howland bounced back from the disappointing 14-18 season in 2009-2010 by making the NCAA Tournament. Still, an 11-loss season and only advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament is never viewed as ‘good enough’ by UCLA standards. Nobody knows more about that than current St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin. However on the strength of three consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances from 2006-2008 Howland has built up some additional lives to keep the wolves after his job from nipping too much at his heels. If that is going to stay true much longer a quick turnaround in fortunes for the 2011-2012 UCLA team is in order.

After falling in their season opener to Loyola Marymount, 69-58, UCLA was hammered by Middle Tennessee State 86-66 before just 4,758 fans at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, their temporary home while Pauley Pavilion undergoes renovations. A myriad of personnel issues have hampered the club the last few years. The entertaining Jon Gold of the LA Daily News joins Raphielle Johnson on this evening’s podcast to try and get to the bottom of what exactly is wrong at UCLA.

Check out the podcast below for some very interesting discussion on UCLA Bruin basketball…

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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE PREVIEW PODCAST

This weekend prep basketball takes it up a notch when some of the top talent in the country will come together for the National Prep Showcase taking place at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven (CT). NBE will be on hand from start to finish with National Recruiting Analyst Brian Bosworth providing his coverage from the event.

Top teams such as Brewster Academy, Tilton School, South Kent School, Notre Dame Prep, Hargrave Military Academy, New Hampton Prep, La Lumiere, Northfield Mount Hermon, Bridgton Academy, Maine Central Institute, St. Thomas More and many others will take part. With those talented teams comes talented players like Mitch McGary, Nerlens Noel, Chris Thomas, Ricardo Ledo, Wayne Seldon, TJ Warren, JaKarr Sampson, Noah Vonleh and the list goes on and one.

Earlier today, Brian Bosworth joined Rahielle Johnson for a preview podcast of this weekend’s event and you can catch their discussion below…

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TOP 15 RECRUITING CLASSES FOR 2012 NATIONALLY

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

After providing early signing period recruiting class highlights from the BIG EAST, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC, as well as the top Non-BCS Schools, it is time to sum everything up and release our list of the Top 15 Men’s Basketball Recruiting Classes through the early signing period.

The recruiting classes are well-balanced throughout the country. The BIG EAST and Big 10 lead the early going with each conference placing three schools in the rankings. The Pac 12, ACC and Big 12 each have two schools cracking the top 15 and the SEC has one. There are two programs from ‘non-BCS’ conferences also on the list.

Five different conferences placed schools in the Top 5 so far. Here are the classes…ranked 1-15…

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COULD LONG BEACH STATE BE NEXT MARCH DARLING TO ADORE?

By Anthony Jaskulski

Falling in love with Cinderella is nothing to be ashamed of.

We allowed Butler to capture our imaginations when they did the impossible and came just two games shy of winning two back-to-back National Championships the last two years.

Last season we adored watching Shaka Smart take a “no-name” Virginia Commonwealth squad, who wasn’t even picked to win their conference—the CAA—to the Final Four.

And while it is only November, Long Beach State is an under the radar team that may just be working its way right into all of our hearts this basketball season.

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MERNAGH: CASPER WARE LEADS HIS TEAM…AND THEY FOLLOW

By Ray Mernagh

Casper Ware, Long Beach State’s stud point guard said it very clearly so that everyone would understand.

“We knew we were going to win,” Ware told me after scoring a career high 28 points in LBSU’s 86-76 victory at Pitt, “we expected it.” The 49′ers certainly played like it.

Loose balls — got ‘em.

Offensive rebounds –got 4 or 5 on one possession in the second half.

Big shots — cue Ware, a 5’9″ dynamo that on separate occasions met Pitt frontcourt players Nasir Robinson and Talib Zanna’s bodies in front of the rim, absorbed the contact, and then finished through that contact like it was a walk in the park. Ware also dropped bomb-like three pointers, with defenders draped on him, throughout the game on his way to that career high. But please don’t misunderstand that last phrase (career high).

Don’t dare get it twisted.
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MERNAGH: PITT VS. LONG BEACH PREVIEW/PRIMER

Pitt’s defense has been a work in progress thus far and even that is being kind.

Rider got whatever they wanted against the Panthers last Sunday and I’m sure that performance was critiqued and clipped to death by Jamie Dixon and his staff the last few days. The emphasis on the missteps is not without good reason as the Nate Dogg’s of the college basketball world enter the Pete with the clear intent to regulate, while at the same time taking a big step towards a possible tasty at-large type consideration OOC win.

The 213 — screw the 49ers nickname, go with the roots-respecting moniker that oozes swag — brings a lack of depth but an incredibly productive guard tandem into one of the hardest arenas in college basketball to get a win. History has shown though that this model, a mid-major team with some recent success along with Sam Cassel-type confidence, can indeed get the job done on this court early in a season against a highly ranked but untested group of Panthers.

Do I see it happening?

No.

I’m of the opinion that there’s not enough depth on the LBC sideline and if Pitt is patient and attacks the offensive glass the way a young Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr once attacked the mic, they’ll eventually wear their West Coast opponents down until they drop like skirts did whenever Nate Dogg started crooning (RIP).

If the crew from Long Beach somehow accomplish what they’re dead set on doing — getting a resume-boosting dub — I expect it to be because Casper Ware and Larry Anderson both go bananas (and by bananas I mean like 30 each).

We’ll see what happens, but I fully expect a Pitt guy with some length and strength — JJ Moore, Talib Zanna, Khem Birch or Dante Taylor — to compliment the guys that have been reliable so far in the young season and be the difference in a Pitt win, along with the message that the Panthers have no doubt had pounded into their heads the past few days in practice.

ESPN, well, ESPNU, is in the house.

The lights are bright and the MVP of the Drew League has something to prove on a national stage.

Time for the next episode….throw the rock up ref.

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