2006-2007 NCAA Tourney Team Preview

Virginia Wesleyan Marlins

Virginia Wesleyan is currently 24-4 and went 17-1 in conference with their only loss coming to Emory & Henry which plays a Grinnell (run and gun) style offense.  VWC lost in the semifinal of ODAC tournament losing to Hampden-Syndney.  VWC controlled the first half of play and took a ten point lead, but did not show up for the first fifteen minutes of the second half falling into a double-digit hole and subsequently losing by three.  I will give HSC credit for playing an inspired brand of basketball but VWC did not play anywhere near their potential.  VWC advanced yesterday with a 3 point win over Averett (Guilford and HSC also advanced meaning that 3 of the final 32 teams are from the ODAC).  VWC, as they did last year in their run to the national championship, got well behind in the first half and made a furious run in the final eight minutes to steal a game that Averett could have easily won.  Balenga was terrible shooting 3-15 from the floor and 1-10 from beyond the arc.  Adair was doubled often (as always) and managed to scored 19 and became the first player in school history to surpass the 2000 point mark.

Starters:

Brandon Adair (6'5  215)  [Sr. F]  (17.8pts, 7.9rbs)
Tyler Fantin (6'6  210) [Jr. F]  (9.3pts, 7.0rbs)
TonTon Balenga (6'2  190)  [Jr. G]  (15.6pts, 4.7rbs)
Thomas Sumpter (5'9  160) [Sr. G]  (5.0pts, 3.3ast)
Terrell Dixon (5'10  165)  [So. G]  (6.1pts, 1.9rbs)

Reserves:

Stephen Fields (6'2  175)  [Fr. G]  (8.7pts, 3.3rbs)
D'Juan Tucker (5'9  160)  [Jr. G]  (7.0pts, 3.1ast)
Rodney Young (6'4  195)  [Sr. F]  (4.6pts, 1.7rbs)
Norman Hassell (6'6  200)  [So. F]  (3.0pts, 1.6rbs)

Head coach Dave Macedo will play a nine man rotation until his tenure at VWC is done.  Unless they are up by 40 or in EXTREME foul trouble he will stick to those 9 players.  Brandon Adair is the most complete player in Division III basketball.  At 6'5, he doesn't appear as someone who can dominate in the post, but he will either out-muscle, out-quick, or out-think whatever defensive scheme you throw at him.  Although he averaged about 18 points per game during the regular season, expect him to be closer to 25 points per game in the post-season.  He is option 1, 2, and 3 on every play that they run.  He will not shoot the 3 (although I feel he could shoot a decent percentage from the 3 if he had to), but anything inside the arc is fair game.  Plays both with his back to the basket as well as facing up.  Quick, strong and finishes around the basket very well.  He will exploit the double-team with regularity due to the fact that the other four guys on the court can all knock down the 3 consistently.  He is one of the more special Division 3 basketball players that I've ever seen and it was a privilege watching him play over the past 4 years.  TonTon Balenga is the clear number 2 option and almost always steps up in the big games (except for last night).  Strong guard who can get all the way to the rim and has a very impressive mid-range game.  His clear strength is shooting the trifecta.  Didn't shoot as good of a percentage this season as in years past but this guy is a proven champion and is known for hitting the big shot (for those of you who were at last year's Final Four, you know what I mean).   Tyler Fantin is the third option on the court.  Versatile 6'6 player who can post-up and hit the 3 either in transition or out of a half court set.  A lot of his production comes because Adair demands so much attention.  Fantin's biggest contribution comes on the defensive end because he will always guard the opponent's best big man so that Adair can avoid foul trouble at all costs.  He is the perfect compliment to Adair.  Thomas Sumpter is the point guard and holds the school record for steals.  He is a tenacious defender both on and off the ball and really sets the tone for VWC on that side of the ball.  On offense, he is strictly a penetrator and distributor.  He gets the team into the offense very quickly and efficiently.  He gets most of his points either out on the fast-break or driving to the rim in the half-court set.  Terrell Dixon is the shooting guard who is more than capable of knocking down the 3.  Solid defender who is essentially the "role player" out on the court.  The guards coming off the bench are D'Juan Tucker and Stephen Fields.  Tucker is an electrifying point guard who will spell Sumpter at times and play the shooting guard position when he and Sumpter are in the game together.  He is an intense defender and a solid 3 point threat.  Fields is the only freshman who will see any playing time.  He is essentially a hit or miss with respect to being a spark off the bench.  When he comes in and provides a lift, VWC can be incredibly tough to beat, but Fields has a tendency for being invisible on the court.  It's not easy going out there with 4 experienced players who have a national championship in their back pocket, but more times than not he will come in a provide a spark.  Good slasher and an excellent shooter if left open.  The forwards off the bench are Rodney Young and Norman Hassell.  Young simply does it all, he can play 4 different position on the floor (everything except point) and best of all, he is a senior and provides veteran leadership.  Great defender who is not much of an offensive threat.  Gets most of his points in transition, but capable of making the 3 if left open.  Hassell is the other reserve forward who will spell Adair for a few minutes each half.  Good shooter for a big man and is usually fairly productive in the few minutes he sees on the court.

There is no reason that they should not win another championship.  If they lose, it will be because they beat themselves.  The keys to beating VWC are: 1)Attack inside - you need to try and get Fantin or Adair in foul trouble. 2) When you double Adair, do so with whoever is guarding Sumpter.  He is not a shooting threat and it will ultimately give your defense time to scramble and recover. 3) Try and force Adair to go right.  He is left-handed and loves to spin left, but do not get the impression that he is one dimensional because he is anything but.  4) Pray.  You need to hope that Balenga and the other perimeter players have a bad day from the field.  Adair & Fantin are good for 30pts and 15 boards every night and that won't be stopped.  Averett had their chance, but they let it slip away and that could spell National Championship #2 for VWC in back to back years.

Washington University Bears

The Washington University Bears return to the tournament as champions of the University Athletic Association and the #8 team in the country according to D3Hoops.com.

Starters

F Troy Ruths 6'6" Jr, 19.2 PPG, 7.8 Reb
F Tyler Nading 6'6" So, 15.2 PPG, 6.2 Reb
F Nick Nickitas 6'5" Sr, 6.4 PPG
G Sean Wallis 6'2" So, 13.6 PPG, 7.4 Assists
G Aaron Thompson 6'3" Fr, 7.2 PPG

Key Reserves

F Cameron Smith 6'5" Fr, 4.7 PPG in 21.4 minutes/game
none of the other reserves see over 10 minutes/game

Strengths

Troy Ruths, an Academic All-America, is the focal point of the Bears offense in the post. As he frequently draws the double-team, many of the points are actually generated by finding Nading or Wallis open outside.

The Bears are solid defensively, not allowing any opponent over 75 points in regulation this year and yielding only .420 field goal percentage.

Weaknesses

Depth is a major problem for the Bears, who lost starting guard Danny O'Boyle in game 4 of the season, and do not have the bench that most teams at the top level have. They are only 2-3 when they have a player foul out.

As a result, look for the Bears to play a very controlled game, with very deliberate offensive and defensive sets.

Outlook: The Bears went 5-3 against tournament teams, plus 1-1 against near miss NYU, so they have a lot of experience against top level schools. Look for that experience and patience to wear down their opponents this weekend, and potentially be the most dangerous challenger to UW-Stevens Point run to the title next weekend.

Williams College Ephs
Starters:
Chris Shalvoy, 5'10 Jr. PG, Kevin Snyder, 6'3 Soph. SG, Blake Schultz, 6'3 Fr. SF, Chris Rose, 6'5 Jr. PF, Joe Geoghegan, 6'8 Fr. C

Key reserves:
Matt Weisbrot, 6'7 Jr. F/C, Tommas Golia, 5'11 Soph. PG, Brian Nelson, 6'0 Sr. G., Grant Meyer, 6'5 Sophomore F, Alex Rubin, 6'4 Fr. G. 

It's been a tale of two seasons for Williams.  Chris Rose, their top player and a dead-eye shooter, missed several games and was ineffective in many others playing with a broken non-shooting hand.  Weisbrot was coming off back surgery and Geoghegan raw so they had virtually no inside game, forcing them to basically shoot 3's willy-nilly, leading to some terrible losses.  Defense was also inconsistent. 

Half-way through the season, they inserted Blake Schultz, a talented frosh with an effective mid-range and penetration game into the starting line-up and Rose returned to form.  At that point they began to play much better and ended the season on a major roll, beating Tufts, Trinity, and Amherst to win the conference title.  They became much more balanced and starting getting, and making, much better 3 point looks.  PG Shalvoy has been the best player this year, taking care of the ball and hitting clutch 3's in big games, particularly in the conference tourney when he averaged 25/per.

The Ephs push the ball and run a motion offense that looks for open shots.  When they are playing well, Geoghegan gives them just enough post offense to free up shooters.  Almost everyone in the rotation are outstanding shooters, other than the center combo of Weisbrot/Geoghegan. 

Ephs tend to struggle against bigger, stronger teams with stellar post play.  Occidental ate them up inside as the Ephs' bigs are either thin, short, or both.  Ephs don't force a ton of turnovers but they also give up very few open looks, particularly from 3.  Williams often struggles on the boards against stronger, more experienced front courts.  Williams has a lot of talent but many of their best players have little experience, as evidenced by two frosh starters.

College of Wooster Fighting Scots

(25-3)
Key wins: vs. Georgetown, KY (26-3, ranked #3 in NAIA-I) 80-73; at Walsh, OH (24-5, ranked #7 in NAIA-II) 85-68; vs. Cedarville, OH (21-6, ranked #13 in NAIA-II) 104-95; at Wittenberg (22-5, ranked #17) 68-65; vs. Calvin (18-9) 98-82
Losses: vs. Ohio Northern (19-7) 91-84; at Cal Baptist (20-9, ranked #19 in NAIA-I) 94-89; vs. Wittenberg 74-71

Starters:
F Tom Port (6’5”/215, 5-yr sr.)—NCAC Player of the Year and 4-time all-conference honoree (1st team last three seasons).  Per game: 16.7 pts., 6.5 reb., 3.3 ast.  Very athletic, can drive and rebound, and is also deadly from long range (45.7% three-point shooter).  Generally guards the center.  An outstanding all-around player, solid candidate for All-America, one of the best players in Wooster's 100+ year history.  Fourth team D3Hoops.com All-American last year.
SG James Cooper (6’0”/170, jr.)—NCAC Player of the Year in 2005-06; D3Hoops.com preseason 1st team All-American and NCAC all-conference 1st team 2006-07.  Per game: 18.4 pts., 2.3 reb., 2.4 ast.  Specialties are pull-up jumper and three-ball, both of which he hits with high accuracy (53.2% FG%, 45.0% 3PFG%).  Has improved his defense this season, but is still mostly a shooter.
PG Brandon Johnson (6’2”/165, so.)—2nd team all-NCAC this season.  Per game: 10.8 pts., 2.8 reb., 3.7 ast., 1.9 stl.  A/TO ratio of 2.0.  Runs the offense, and is adept at finding the lane to drive to the hoop.  Solid point defender with very quick hands.
F Evan Will (6’6”/245, jr.)—Became starter when 2-year starter Tim Vandervaart was injured; either could start in NCAAs.  Per game—6.7 pts., 5.3 reb.  Post player with good defensive skills and improving on offense; is at least a threat from outside (39.1%).  One of several floor-burn specialists on the team.
F Andy Van Horn (6’3”/175, sr.)—Defensive specialist, generally assigned to opponent’s top scoring threat.  Used to hit the long ball at 45-50% clip, but focus on defense has eroded offensive stats—now shoots 30% from arc. 

Key reserves:
F/C Tim Vandervaart (6’6”/210, sr.)—2nd team all-NCAC, recovering from broken wrist suffered 1/20.  Per game: 13.4 pts., 8.2 reb.  Almost always smaller than the man guarding him, still hits at 62.1% clip with great spin move.
G/F Devin Fulk (6’1”/185, jr.)—Top 3-point shooter on team, hitting an even 50%.  Per game: 9.6 pts., 2.9 reb.
F Marty Bidwell (6’4”/185, so.)—Like Van Horn, a lock-down defensive specialist.  Another floor-burn type of player.

Wooster plays an up-tempo game, scoring 89.4 ppg (#6 in D3) on 52.0% shooting (#3), winning by an average margin of 18.9 pts (#2).  Scots hit 41.7% from the arc (#6) and 76.6% from the line (#12), and average 18.6 assists/game (#8), recording one assist for every 1.77 made baskets.  This is a very solid offensive team.  Defense suffers from the up-tempo offensive style, as the Scots allow opponents to shoot 43.4% overall and 34.5% from the arc, but this has improved drastically down the stretch.  Although undersized, Wooster outrebounds its opponents by 7.1 per game (#16).

The Scots are coached by Steve Moore, who has an overall record of 550-171, including a record of 463-106 in his 20 seasons at Wooster.  Under his tutelage, the Scots have won at least 20 games each of the last 11 seasons, reaching the NCAC tournament title game in each campaign, winning 7.  This will be Wooster’s 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 13 years.

Wooster plays its home games in 3400-seat Timken Gymnasium and typically draws a good and fairly boisterous crowd.  The Scots have been a fixture in the D3Hoops.com top 10, but have just one trip to the Final Four to show for it (finishing 3rd in 2003). 

York (NY) Cardinals
Conference: CUNYAC
Overall Record: 18-10
Conference Record: 10-3
Coach: Ronald St. John (19th year)
NCAA Opponent: Ramapo (at Ramapo)

York defeated Staten Island on a 40-foot buzzer beater by Teron Simpson to win the conference tournament and receive a Pool A bid.

Starters:
G Michael Salamanca
G Aaron Wilson
C Dennis Echols
F Jeffrey Boone
F Jonathan Christian

Key Reserves:
G Teron Simpson
C Andre Vincent

Best Wins: Christopher Newport, William Paterson, St. Joseph's (LI)
Best Losses: Wittenberg, Rutgers-Newark (both were competitive defeats)
Worst Losses: John Jay, New York City Tech

Salamanca is a savvy point guard, who is strong and can distribute the ball. Wilson is a very good outside shooter. Echols can score inside and is a good rebounder. Boone is a solid all-around player. Christian can score inside and hit a medium range jumper. Simpson is a very good long-range shooter. Vincent is physical and sets a good screen.

York lost at Ramapo, 81-62 on January 15. The Cardinals are a decided underdog against the Roadrunners. Ramapo has an edge in size, speed, athleticism and depth. York's best chance is to keep the game close and hope that Ramapo falters down the stretch.