Western Kentucky and North Texas both flirted with disaster. But in the end, it was only Middle Tennessee that decided to rest on the Sabbath.

Ty and I have resolved to name an All Horse Nuts team after the finals, to go along with the All Tournament team that the SBC will issue. Despite ASU’s quarterfinal loss, Martavious Adams is going to be on it.

South Alabama just didn’t have anything left in the tank after their comeback against FAU. Even Ronnie Arrow was exhausted; he couldn’t have been yelling or cursing more than once every four seconds.

Bryan Sherrer man up against Michael Vogler. We were very sad to see South Alabama lose and Sherrer’s Sun Belt career end.

37 Troy Trojans fans clap politely but firmly to celebrate their team’s performance. Way to represent in Hot Springs, Trojans. There are more DENVER fans here than Troy fans. It’s really quite pathetic.

As WKU/ASU finishes up, Cam Spencer takes in the scene while rocking a sweet pair of pastel headphones.

People who can pull off this look: Cameron Spencer.

People who CAN’T pull off this look: You. Or anyone else who doesn’t look like they could tear a human being in half like a phone book at a Power Team rally.

Just for GreenP1: Ben Knox during pregame. For a guy who looks like a 6′10″ Little Rascal, Mr. Knox is blasting a pretty steely glare.

Now, Mean Green fans- Consider this game from the Louisiana-Monroe perspective. If you’re a member of the Warhawks band, do you want to root for “Us” (meaning ULM), or “Them” (meaning North Texas)?

At least they weren’t disappointed when North Texas came back and won, right?

Wrong.

Walking past them after the game to get to the other court was like going through a tunnel of pain and misdirected anger. Not the classiest group, and not much for handling a defeat with grace and class.

Of course, if I knew I had to go back to Monroe (and stay there) after getting knocked out of the tournament… I’d probably be pretty upset about losing, too.

Tramiel vs. Rudy Turner. From my seat, Turner was the one who really powered ULM past ULL on Saturday. But his horse nuts were like sunflower seeds compared to Eric Tramiel’s. 22 points, 17 rebounds… Tramiel was a monster against the Warhawks.

I didn’t think I could love another frontcourt player the way I loved Keith Wooden. But Tramiel has to be pretty close. You will be missed, Eric.

The unflappable Johnny Jones. Never lost his composure. I don’t think the guy ever even started yelling. He didn’t ever even seem to get upset (except at Shannon Shorter, who he kept on a VERY short leash) no matter how bad things were going.

When the day comes that JJ finally gets an offer from a bigger program, I am going to latch onto his leg like a two year old to keep him from walking out the door. If he wants to go to another school, he’ll have to get there dragging his leg behind him, trying to coach over my crying and wailing.

Orlando Early, head coach of the Warhawks.

We were told that Early delivered a bravura performance at his post game press conference. Still flooded with emotion after the amazing North Texas rally; overcome with a mix of anger and frustration and disappointment… Early walked in, shaking his head. He sat down, breathing/sighing heavily. He looked at the table for a few seconds. Finally, Early raised his head.

After a dramatic pause, he spoke. In an anguished but intense voice, he said:

“Motherfucker.”

Shook his head again, stood up, and walked right back out of the press conference.

I don’t know how their beatwriter worked Early’s comments into his game story. But that single word press conference is one for the ages. I hope someone has video on it.

———-

Now, for some non-basketball general foolishness:

When you’ve got an act like The Aristocrats, you need a giant dilapidated shaggin’ wagon for touring purposes. Lucky for them, there was an entire garage set aside for their purposes.

TakeAKnee superfriend MeanMag claimed that he couldn’t make it to Hot Springs because of a business trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

But damned if he didn’t show up as a member of the Arena’s broadcast camera team.

There’s no shame in an honest day’s camera work, MeanMag. Next year, just tell us you’re coming to work, and we’ll understand that you can’t sit with the rest of us.

ASU/UALR - a game that shocked us all by being AMAZING. Huge, intense crowd. Back and forth. Overtime. Probably the best tournament experience (game and atmosphere) I’ve ever seen.

The UALR dancers had mildly disturbing uniforms. Not revealing… But made of some sort of leather/vinyl/latex looking material, with flesh colored shoes. They look like barefoot dominatrixes.

I don’t like ambiguity or mixed messages in dance team/cheerleaders. Luckily, there was at least one school that threw themselves totally into the Whore Costume Aesthetic. But more on that later.

Robert Lee… Is he gone from Lafayette now? Will they give him another year?

Tyren Johnson driving to the basket. Out of the tournament, but still a badass. I doubt his basketball career is over, though.

North Texas superhero Johnny Jones scouting the ULL/ULM game.

More Tyren Johnson. It’s claimed that he took a savage punch to the kidney right before halftime. Whatever happened, it obviously hurt like hell, but he still came back and did more than his share for the Cajuns.

The ULL/ULM game ended the way all sports should: With a marathon video review session by all referees that sucked the life out of a dramatic final shot.

Thank goodness this wasn’t at Lafayette, or the Cajuns might not even have gotten 0.7 seconds to try and hit a desperation shot.

This is what America is all about: Dance team uniforms that are made up of cleavage-enhancing bikini tops and pants that are so low-rise that they probably require daily waxing to be worn without embarrassment.

Good job, FIU.

As North Texas fans, we couldn’t help giggling every time the Daktronics ad board along the sideline scrolled to the green “Go RVing” screen.

Thanks for all you do, in-venue advertising!

Hot Springs loves their Hot Hoops. It’s nice to be somewhere that really seems to embrace having this tournament.

Bubbalu’s: Home of the French Fry-tini, apparently.

Good hot dogs, and hamburgers that the ladies love.

Bryan Sherrer against Ray Taylor - A great opening for the Men’s side of the tournament.

The North Texas ladies, winners of an SBC tournament game two years running.

This one time, at band camp…

Tipoff for USA vs. FAU

Ronnie Arrow’s pimp hand is strong.

Mike Jarvis says “praise and hallelujah”… Until the second half, when he couldn’t even get a witness.

The matchup gift that kept on giving, all game long.

The FAU Owls do their best Resevoir Dogs strut. Note the ridiculous/creepy look on Greg Gantt (#22). It’s not an exception, it’s the general rule. The guy made crazy faces all day long.

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D.

Greg Gantt: The basketball-playing love child of Private Gomer Pyle and Bubba from Forrest Gump.

Ronnie Arrow is an angry, loud, potentially violent man.

Ray Taylor, like Josh White, has a knack for being in position to get rebounds despite size disadvantages.

Loose ball scrum on the floor. Tabet would ultimately lose this fight.

Flexing the guns, trying to impress the ladies. But which ones? Could it be…

…The Roller Disco Super 70’s FAU Dancers? Or could it be…

…The 50’s classic, USC Song Girls-esque cheerleaders from South Alabama?

Sherrer and Taylor were worth the price of admission alone. Sherrer has horse nuts for sure… Playing on a torn MCL for the first time in almost a month, he comes in and carries USA through to the next round-

By hitting this clutch, game winning shot. FAU couldn’t answer, and the Jaguars took the game.

Completely unrelated to basketball (aside from being part of our basketball adventure:

The worst traffic directing cop in the history of the world.

And Jigglin’ George’s: Is it a restaurant? Retail establishment? Or a male strip club offering a very specific type of entertainer on display? We’re too scared to get close enough to find out.

In case you missed the news, the Cowboys finally won a playoff game. Romo is a smiling hero; Wade is a defensive mastermind instead of a pudgy dufus and all is right for millions of crazy rednecks proclaiming that this is once again “A FOOTBALL TOWN!”

I have no desire to analyze the game (Sturm does it so well) or talk about prospects for next week (that’s going to be unavoidable everywhere else), but I do want to send a shout out to the subset of Cowboys that I am fascinated by (and one of): The Statler and Waldorf Observationalists (SWOs).

SWOs want the Cowboys to win, but are beaten down by a lot of the factors of rooting for the Cowboys, especially the team’s fans. Hell is truly other people, especially when it comes to blogs, message boards, bar debates and sports talk radio. The highs and lows of a season are amplified by complaints about all sorts of extra bullshit (They spat on our blue painted piece of turf that is designed to look like a star! Romo needs to turn his hat around if he wants to win! Wade Phillips shouldn’t look so much like me!) The misery influenced by these people can almost turn you against the team as you root for them. There have been several losses where I’ve cheered myself up by thinking “hey, at least those assholes are going to be miserable.”

On the other hand, every success is a RETURN TO THE GLORY YEARS (of wins, hookers and neck scissors). If the team wins a few games in a row or blows out the Seahawks, watch the eff out — it’s SUPERBOWL TIME!!! YEEHAW!!! Also, if you didn’t get the memo, the team has five Super Bowls. FIVE! Your team does not have more, unless you are some kind of bandwagon Steelers fan. Oh yes, this fan base will gladly tell you how much fans of any of the other big name team is a bandwagon loser, almost flying in the face of their most common criticism. It’s like having a Mexican friend who insists on making racist comments or a female friend who calls herself hot way too liberally: the comments may be rooted in truth, but they are extra weird and off-putting.

The SWO fan wants success, but wants to live in a world where it is enjoyed quietly. If the team kept this roll going next week against the Vikings, it would be fantastic. It would just require a break from the internet, talk radio and sports media. Maybe SWOs are a product of this recent shift to ironic detachment and need to critique everything about our culture, but it’s not something we can unprogram. Don’t be confused, our support is unwavering for the team, but please let us keep a low profile and enjoy this quietly. Those of you who feel the need to get into the ESPN message board and start trashing the ViQueens and brandishing your five rings can all just go cover your dicks in rat traps and ride a bike down a bumpy road.

GO COWBOYS!

ED: I have very little to add, but I felt it was appropriate to add this sketch from “That Mitchell and Webb Look”. Those boys are quite funny.

I don’t ask a lot of television, and conversely, it really doesn’t give me much back. The basic contract is simple: work with my Tivo to track shows I care about, never interrupt a few top-tier shows with weather-related bullshit and show me the sporting events I care about. Actually, come to think of it, television doesn’t just fail at this simple contract, it wads it up, pees on it, eats it, digests it, makes me sift through the waste product and then buries my face in it. The college football game I want to watch is never on (stay tuned for Nebraska vs. Kansas State while the rest of America watches the most amazing game to ever happen), some of the Stars games are now relegated to some kind of Fox Sports Southwest Plus (and that’s assuming you don’t have DirectTV) and Time Warner’s slap fight with NFL Network forced me to watch the Cowboys at a local chain bar surrounded by a parade of Roy Williams jerseys of all shapes, middle initials and sizes. I don’t even know where I stand on the Cowboys, but I want the freedom to mock, cheer or support in my own home, not while inhaling the deep dish jalapeno popper sampler with extra bacon while holding a $6 beer. Unless my house is going to be ripped apart by some kind of land-locked Super Katrina storm, you sure as hell better not cut away from Lost to tell me that a dripple of angel piss is tickling Roanoke.

Still, even if the contract has it’s issues, TV will have those patented Ike Turner moments of tenderness just when I am ready to pack up and leave. It will offer up a Simpson’s episode from Season 6 when I least expect it (Homer, come quick. Bart quit his tutoring job and joined a violence gang!) It will nuzzle me to sleep with an unexpected showing of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” or “Tropic Thunder,” saving me the effort of popping in the DVD I already own. If I’m really good, I fully expect that someday TV will magically produce me a magical take-home Zooey Deschanel that will come live with us and get along swimmingly with my wife. GET ON THIS, TV!

As much as I hate to be the guy who bitches about commercials, especially in an era where we can avoid them in ways the Thundercats never intended, there is a current ad campaign that not only blinds my eyes with rage and engorges my hate-boner (Ed. Note: To be fair, he also gets like this when he watches Designing Women before making love to his Delta Burke pillow), but also leaves me feeling like someone should be harmed for what they are doing.  In short, I feel the same way about this campaign that this guy does about the UPS Whiteboard Guy (And yeah, fuck that guy, too. and fuck The Postal Service for not nipping this shit in the bud early in exchange for a sack of cash…hope you enjoyed your 30 pieces of ad revenue silver, Gibbard!)

The target of my hate is - wait for this clever wordplay to sink in - Target. (ED NOTE #2: To add to my hate, I had every one of these damn ads linked and ready to go, and of course, they were all pulled from YouTube. You can’t scrub your failure away, but you can make me too lazy to get on the internet and look for them, you clever fucks).

Depression - isn’t that just a fancy word for feeling bummed out? It was a tough year, Target. People, most likely people your agency people knew, went through some tough times and you probably felt the need to put a spin on this and deal with this new, more frugal reality. These poor assholes have things so tight that they can’t even hide their bitterness towards each other and their lifeless marriage even when opening gifts in front of their kids. That way the kids learn that not only does life suck, but mommy and daddy have no money and Santa is not even real. He’s imaginary, just like your mommy and daddy’s love life and the money set aside for your college fund.

So yes, Target, you were “real” with us and didn’t treat us like things were still all happy and cheery like they were in happy-go-lucky times like Christmas 2001 or the 40s. Life is serious and you need to remember this when you are buying your kids some dolls! But still, it’s not a party until the kids internalize this sense of gloom and start asking to give shit back to their parents in the next ad I saw.

The issue is this. This concept of Debbie Downer Does Christmas is not what I want to watch every time Brad Childress decides to ice the other team’s kicker. Your dumb campaign goes on to shit on budding relationships where the male partner has horse teeth and the timeless scenario of when a wholesome family of four wants to spend some quality time with their Dad’s ass and a video camera.

I actually like the last one. It was probably what they wanted out of each commercial where real and plausible family moments. In fact, I’ve taken the liberty of creating my own additional Target ads. These are concepts only, but I’ve got some production equipment in a van if anybody wants to be in a talkie with me:

1. Your Cat. Cut to little Jenny sitting at the Christmas tree with her mom holding a lifeless cat. “Why did God have to take him during Christmas?” she asks through tears. Mom answers: “Because he wanted to make room for us in the moving van. You’re dad got laid off last week.” Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
2. The Date. Show a couple on a carriage looking bored and listless. “I just wish we still had that spark we had that first Christmas,” the lady says. The man responds, “Well, if it helps, I just found out your sister gave me herpes.” Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
3. The Concert. A teenage boy is playing his new guitar in a garage with his band mates, bragging that he got the new guitar for Christmas. His fat, solemn friend chimes in: “Yeah, my parents got me these drum heads to make beats, but we also found out my brother won’t be beating cancer and will be gone by Spring Break.” Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…(with a garage band feel!)
4. Grandpa. 30 seconds of an old man breathing laboriously while connected to a machine. Pan away to show an empty room with one card on the nightstand with a Christmas tree on it. The card reads “should have loved us more when you had the chance, pop. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
5. The Risk. Little Kenny runs up to his middle school crush at the end of her perfomance in the finale of the school Christmas pageant. He’s holding a box with a bracelet in it and gives it to her with a smile as his parents watch from nearby. The girl opens it, then shakes her head before walking towards Kenny’s dad, who then grabs her and proceeds to thrash her mouth with his tongue. The mom grabs Kenny’s hand and they both walk away sobbing. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…
6. TV Special. A family gathers around a new TV to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” when a group of four armed men in bunny masks burst into the house and restrains each of them. “Hey, nice TV,” one guy says before they all sit down next to their victims to watch the show with them. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

See, advertising is easy. If Target doesn’t see a strong spike in revenue, they can hold me personally and financially responsible. Besides,  Ad Age taught me that none of these ads really matter anyway. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

Tons of fun to share since last time… If you search for any of the following, apparently, you shall find us:

how to spell compromise - Searches like this one always baffle me… If you don’t know how to spell something, how will you know whether your search gave you the appropriate answer?

spell that take away manhood - We’re a voodoo emasculation hot spot.

old bum - Elderly hobo? Familiar posterior? Who the hell knows?

texas slap - What did the five fingers say to the face? Something inspirational about the Alamo.

theater knee - My best guess? It’s like tennis elbow, only even more fruity.

mike sherman sucks - But by the time he gets to the 12th man, his jaw is pretty sore.

massage new jersey happy ending - We may know a guy in Connecticut who can help you out.

ncaa10 is a telemarketer - I know what he found, I just don’t know what he was looking for.

“just the tip” - Either Arkansas-Little Rock fans, or date rapists looking for

hot massage in alabama - “Dear Penthouse- There I was eating a slab of ribs at Dreamland BBQ…”

you magnificent bastard - “I read your book!” Who knew the ghost of General Patton is surfing the internet?

decorative cigarette receptacle - Everyone thought it was a Plain Jane cigarette receptacle, but then it took off the glasses and let down the hair.

sports rapist - We’re not doing that bit anymore. This is a much classier website.

ritual emasculation - Afterwards, they shoot off the ultimate fireworks of shame.

his dick was out - … Let’s move on.

video where a guy takes a knee through his butt - Because sometimes, simple pictures just won’t do. MOVING ON…

weird tubas - It’s bizarre, but at least it’s not violent and sexual.

praise for white players - For a bunch of worthless crackers, that wasn’t as terrible as it could have been.

al jolson memories - Hey, remember all that blackface stuff? So many memories…

football piss - Apparently, we have a strong following among Middle Tennessee fans.

shoot the white guy game - Just make sure you praise him before completing the kill.

kinky zombie corpse - This one is even more disturbing when you consider that it popped up a month before Halloween.

Thanks for visiting, freaks and perverts.

It’s finally November, the second happiest time of the sporting year. Time for Sun Belt Basketball season.

We’re happy to present a frighteningly intense preview of the upcoming season courtesy of our resident expert, Jesse Hemingway. Long time fans may recall the old site, where we tried to replace him with a chimpanzee for last season’s preview column.

It was a mess, literally and figuratively, and the predictions weren’t up to Jesse’s level of accuracy and analytical rigor. Fortunately, he’s decided to slum it again this year, and we’re proud to host his analysis on Take a Knee.net.

You can find each team’s preview capsule by clicking on one of the many individual writeups currently dominating the front page of the site. Or, if you’re the impatient type, you can follow the links provided in the projected East and West standings.

Jesse has also projected a first, second, and third team all-SBC lineup, and newcomer and freshman teams, too. We don’t see things exactly the same (I’m a lot more optimistic about South Alabama, he has more confidence in Denver than I do), but the man knows his Sun Belt Basketball, and we think you’ll enjoy his work.

Ty and I will attempt to maintain a weekly recap/look ahead column, and Jesse may chime in from time to time with his observations. But we’re all limited in what (and who) we can physically see on TV or over the internet. So if you have thoughts or observations on your team that you think we should be aware of, please let us know.

Ty and I have our emails listed under the “Contact Us” tab at the top of the page, and we’ll be adding Jesse’s soon. For now, just know you can reach him at: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com

Comments are always welcome. If you’re a first time commenter, your comment won’t automatically be visible. Be patient, it may take a little while for us to see the pending comment and approve your post.

———-

East Division Projected Standings:

1. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

2. Troy Trojans

3. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

4. Florida Atlantic Owls

5. South Alabama Jaguars

6. Florida International Golden Panthers

West Division Projected Standings:

1. North Texas Mean Green

2. Denver Pioneers

3. Arkansas State Red Wolves

4. UL – Monroe Warhawks

5. UA – Little Rock Trojans

6. UL – Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

7. New Orleans Privateers

—————

All-Conference Teams

First Team: Player of the Year: Desmond Yates

Desmond Yates   Sr. F Middle Tennessee State

Nate Rohnert   Sr. G/F Denver

A.J. Slaughter   Sr. G Western Kentucky

Brandon Hazzard   Sr. G Troy

Eric Tramiel   Sr. F  North Texas

Second Team:

Josh White   Jr. G North Texas

Donald Boone   Sr. G Arkansas State

Billy Humphrey   Sr. G New Orleans

Sergio Kerusch   Sr. F Western Kentucky

Richard Delk   Sr. G Troy

Third Team:

Tony Hooper   Sr. G UL-Monroe

Tim Williams   Jr. G South Alabama

Rob Lewis   Jr. F Denver

Chris Gradnigo   Jr. G/F UL-Lafayette

Montario Haddock   Sr. F Middle Tennessee State

—————

All- Newcomer Team: Newcomer of the Year: Billy Humphrey

Billy Humphrey   Sr. G New Orleans

Martavious Adams   Soph. F Arkansas State

Tim Williams   Jr. G South Alabama

Solomon Bozeman   Jr. G UA-Little Rock

Antoine Watson   Jr. G Florida International

All-Freshman Team: Freshman of the Year: Ray Taylor

Ray Taylor   Fr. G Florida Atlantic

DeAndre Hersey   Fr-RS F South Alabama

William Green   Fr. F Western Kentucky

David Murray   Fr. G Middle Tennessee

Jacob Holmen   Fr. F North Texas

Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Probable Starters:

PG. Anthony Sally 6’2”  185 Sr.
(4.1ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.7apg)

SG. A.J. Slaughter 6’3” 180 Sr.
(16.0ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.6apg)

SF. Steffphon Pettigrew 6’5” 225 Jr.
(12.7ppg, 5.1rpg, 0.8apg)

PF. Sergio Kerusch 6’5” 210 Jr.
(11.2ppg, 7.4rpg, 0.4apg)

C. Jeremy Evans 6’9”  190 Sr.
(8.8ppg, 5.7rpg, 0.3apg)

WKU Certainties:

Starters.  All 5 have played in at least 2 NCAA tournament games.

3 of the starters (Evans, Pettigrew, Slaughter) have played in 5.  That type of experience is invaluable.  This group knows and trusts each other, and has shown the ability to perform successfully at the highest level.

WKU Questions:

Bench.  Western Kentucky didn’t roll out much in the way of depth last season, often going with just a 6 or 7 man rotation.

This year’s reserves will be particularly inexperienced.  JUCO transfer Cliff Dixon (6’10” 215 Jr.) is the most likely to contribute immediately, but Ken McDonald will have to count on a freshman or two to round out his rotation.  With a tough OOC, look for KMac to ride the horses he trusts for extended minutes.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

Caden Dickerson (6’4” 180 Fr.) or Jamal Crook (6’3” 165 Fr.) ready to contribute out of the starting gate.

Dickerson will miss a few weeks with a leg injury, but the local product combo guard is right out of the mold of former MTSU star Kevin Kanaskie.  Crook is a late signee with a year of prep ball under his belt.

If either can play 15 minutes a night at the point, it would allow Slaughter to remain exclusively at the 2 where he can do the most damage.

This Team is Special if…:

We’re talking about Slaughter at the start of next season as the player WKU can’t replace.

Last year it was Courtney Lee.  This year, Orlando Mendez-Valdez.  If Slaughter accepts and thrives in the same scoring/leader/winner roll that CLee and OMV filled, this team will be just as good as, if not better than, the past two.

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com

Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

Troy Trojans

Probable Starters:

PG. Michael Vogler 6’1” 180 Sr.
(10.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 5.8apg)

SG. Brandon Hazzard 6’2” 185 Sr.
(16.2ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.7apg)

SF. Richard Delk 6’4” 185 Sr.
(13.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.5apg)

PF. Antwyan Jones 6’6” 190 Sr.
(4.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.0apg)

C. Yamene Coleman 6’9” 230 Sr.
(3.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 0.2apg @ Alabama)

Troy Certainties:

A steady stream of 3s.

Don Maestri teams shoot… A lot. Typically, from about 20 feet away from the basket.  Last season’s team attempted 732 three point shots, tops in the Sun Belt. With the return of Hazzard and Delk, and the presence of gunners Travis Lee (5’9” 180 Sr.) and Regis Huddleston (6’0” 191 Sr.), expect a similar number in 09-10.

Troy Questions:

Can they continue to do anything besides jack up 3s?

Last season’s 732 3pt attempts?  Lowest for a Troy team since 2001-02.  Troy’s 10 game winning streak seemed to coincide with a conscious effort, especially from Hazzard and Delk, to attack the basket more, rather than just settling for jump shots.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

Solid post play.  The unsung hero of last year’s success was center Tom Jervis. The 7’0” Aussie gave Maestri the ability to load the floor with perimeter scorers, knowing that he had Jervis to rebound (6.5rpg) and defend the inside (67 blocks).

Coleman and Bernard Toombs (6’9”  222 Jr) will attempt to fill that void, but neither has shown too much at this point in their careers.

This Team is Special if…:

It wasn’t just a one year wonder.

Save for Jervis, the key pieces of last season’s surprise success return. But this year, they have targets squarely on their backs.  The Trojans won’t be overlooked, and now they have to prove that last year was more than just a case of an extended hot streak.

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com

Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

Probable Starters:

PG.  James Washington 5’10” 170 Jr.
(7.5ppg, 4.6apg @ Indian Hills CC)

SG.  Calvin O’Neil 6’4” 190 Sr.
(5.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 0.8apg)

SF.  Montario Haddock 6’5” 230 Sr.
(9.9ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.1apg)

PF. Desmond Yates 6’7”  225 Sr.
(17.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 0.3apg)

C.  Theyrn Hudson 6’10” 250 Sr.
(2.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 0.3apg)

MTSU Certainties:

The 2-3-4 spots.  Yates is the best player in the conference, Haddock can be nearly unguardable at times, and some combination of O’Neil, JC transfer Rod Emmanuel  (6’3” 190 Jr.) and freshman David Murray (6’4” 210) should be more than adequate holding down the 2 guard spot.

Additionally, Haddock, O’Neil, and Murray are all versatile enough to play stretches at any position in the heart of Kermit Davis’s lineup.

MTSU Questions:

Improvement inside, replacements outside.

MTSU received good news when center Theryn Hudson was granted a medical redshirt. He is the most likely candidate to provide an interior presence; one that was sorely lacking last season as Yates played much of the year out of position at the 5.

The Raiders also essentially lost two starting point guards in their main ball-handler (Nigel Johnson) and playmaker (Kevin Kanaskie). They’ll have to count on a group of unproven players to fill in a key spot on the floor. It’s not impossible, but it is a question mark in an area that was a notable strength over the past few seasons.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

A freshman forcing his way into the conference freshman of the year discussion.

Between Murray, John-David Little (6’3” 180 Fr.) James Gallman (5’11” 175 Fr.) and J.T. Sulton (6’7” 200 Fr.), Kermit Davis has a solid nucleus for the future in Murfreesboro.

Murray’s versatility and Gallman and Little’s ability to play the point make them the most likely to contribute immediately, but Sulton is long and athletic and could prove to be the eventual replacement for Yates at the four.  Or, he could be the next Dino Hair.

This Team is Special If…:

…They can put last year’s disappointment behind them.

With the likes of Kanaskie, Johnson, Demetrius Green, and Yates, the 2008-09 Blue Raiders squad was thought to be a lock for post season play.  But for much of the year, the team found itself mired  in mediocrity en route to an 18-14 record and a loss in the conference quarterfinals.

A talent like Yates automatically makes the Raiders a contender. The question is, can Kermit Davis bounce back from a season of drastic underachievement and get more from a less talented supporting cast?

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com