Dana O’Neil breaks down the respective A-10 OOC skeds for 2011-12. Niners get a 7 (out of 10) on the toughness scale.
ESPN.com: Nonconference schedule analysis: A-10
Plus Jeff Eisenberg takes a look at some unbalanced league skeds.
Rivals.com: Three teams who will benefit form unbalanced league schedules
Notice that ECU is in “The Rest” grouping.
…“dangerous Charlotte”
>:D ;D ;D
In that context, I don’t mind being called that at all. It’s a good thing.
Also, I like Dana O’Neill. She’s just about always fair and thorough.
Note to SF, I did not say she was hot. TYVM.
[quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:4, topic:25752”]In that context, I don’t mind being called that at all. It’s a good thing.
Also, I like Dana O’Neill. She’s just about always fair and thorough.
Note to SF, I did not say she was hot. TYVM.[/quote]
And that’s a good picture.
[quote=“Dowless, post:2, topic:25752”]Notice that ECU is in “The Rest” grouping.[/quote]Well, ECU did rate a “1” per ESPN’s analysis of C-USA OOC skeds!
[b][font=arial]A-10: Five burning questions
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[font=arial]By John Gasaway
ESPN Insider
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[/font] Tu Holloway is poised to lead the Xavier Musketeers to the A-10 title.
[left]1. Is everyone chasing Xavier and can anyone catch the Musketeers?
Of course everyone’s chasing Xavier in the Atlantic 10, just like everyone’s chasing Kansas in the Big 12. Both programs have dominated their leagues in recent seasons. The Musketeers have now won the conference regular-season title five years running (four times outright), officially earning them “everyone’s chasing us” status. Then again, even the Jayhawks look a little more mortal this season, and by the same token, Xavier lost three players from what was essentially a seven-man rotation in 2010-11.
One of those returning players is all-everything performer Tu Holloway, but the Musketeers’ hopes for a title defense took a hit last week when head coach Chris Mack suspended indefinitely 7-foot senior Kenny Frease for not fulfilling “all the responsibilities of a Xavier basketball player.” Regardless, most A-10 coaches would gladly take a roster that returns two all-conference stars (first-teamer Holloway and 6-1 junior Mark Lyons, a third-team selection) and adds arguably the league’s highest-rated freshman (6-4 wing Dezmine Wells). But there are enough question marks here to at least open the door for the Musketeers’ main rival – the Temple Owls. Key Questions Insider is examining a few critical issues in several conferences to kick off the 2011-12 NCAA basketball season.
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[left]2. Could Temple topple Duke?
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[left]Absolutely. If you’re looking for a team that figures to start 2011-12 vastly underrated, look no further than the Owls. Fran Dunphy lost only one starter (Lavoy Allen) from a group that outscored the A-10 by a robust 0.15 points per possession in 2011 – more or less the same margin by which the Blue Devils outperformed the ACC. The Owls meet up with the Blue Devils on Jan. 4, 2012.
Temple’s not going to fear anyone on its 2011-12 schedule. With a lineup featuring Ramone Moore, Juan Fernandez and Khalif Wyatt, the Owls should more or less pick up where they left off last year – playing at a very high level on both the offensive and defensive ends. When Temple and Duke meet up Jan. 4 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the Blue Devils will be a legitimate favorite. But I have a hunch these two teams will actually be much closer to equal than commonly perceived.
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In fact, it’s entirely possible that Lonergan’s team could improve its per-possession performance this year – and have a similar or even slightly worse win-loss record to show for it. One thing Lonergan definitely does not need to change is GW’s work on the offensive boards. Only La Salle got to more of its misses in A-10 play last year.
Xavier’s Holloway is a shoo-in for A-10 Player of the Year.
[left]4. Who’s Tu Holloway’s stiffest competition for POY?[/left]
[left]At 6-9, St. Bonaventure senior Andrew Nicholson is a capable defensive rebounder, but where he really shines is on offense. Last year Nicholson took on a much larger role than ever before in the Bonnies’ offense and proved more than equal to that task, making 59 percent of his 2-point shots and drawing nearly seven fouls for every 40 minutes he played. Holloway and Nicholson draw fouls with similar frequency, but Holloway is a better free throw shooter, pouring in 87 percent from the line. Holloway typifies the term “scoring point guard” and could be a consensus first-team All-American in 2012. Nicholson will give Holloway a run, but the conference POY award is Holloway’s to lose.
For each DII school that you schedule, you should get -1 from what your schedule rating would have been other wise. ECU should be at least -3.
Katz includes Saint Louis among his 10 programs on the rise.
O’Neil takes an updated look at A-10 now that conference play is underway. At this point, she likes Henry for ROY and has Braswell as a contender for POY!
Braswell’s play so far does not even merit first-team all-A10.
He needs to improve his inside presence and stop playing weak against tough interiors (Miami, Memphis). Hope those were just blips and not an indication of his toughness.