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Coach Durst Announces New Staff By Steve Porter Coach K.D. Durst made good on his commitment to quickly putting together his coaching staff. He announced the hiring of Raymond Harrington (50) as 1st assistant, Steve Simmons (40) as 2nd assistant, and Miguel Ward (37) as 3rd assistant. Harrington will handle practices and player development. Simmons will be the recruiting coach. Ward will be the team’s scout and also oversee player academics.

Well there you have it. I was hoping that Latrelle Brothers would have become the Penguins new coach. Brothers has better experience and been part of stronger programs. But he’s decided to remain as an assistant coach at Temple. Apparently he was not impressed sufficiently to pursue the Youngstown State position. Durst was unable to create a strong Division 2 program at Gannon. He is divorced but has 2 children whose primary custodianship is with Durst’s ex-wife. I’ve heard that academics are important to him but that he is not a strict disciplinarian. His temper has gotten him into trouble on occasion. Although not officially announced, I’ve heard that he has a 3-year contract with an $80,000 annual salary.

Youngstown State Hires Basketball Coach By Steve Porter Youngstown State held a press conference today announcing the hiring of Kendrick (K.D.) Durst as their new head basketball coach. Athletic Director Vic Morrissey said, “Following an in-depth search, we’re proud to announce that K.D. Durst has accepted our offer as head coach. K.D. impressed us on his commitment to academics to go along with his plans to re-invigorate the basketball program here.” After graduating from Rice University, where he starred on their basketball team, Durst returned to his native Pennsylvania where he was head coach at 3 different high schools, taking each to the state tournament. He then became head coach at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. During his 5 years as head coach, Gannon compiled an 81-68 record. Durst, aged 37, takes on a program at Youngstown University, that has finished at or near the bottom of the Horizon League standings the past 4 years and never won more games than they lost in any of the previous coach’s 11-year career. Durst expressed his excitement about the head coaching job and stated, “I’m intent on building the program so that the Penguins soon will be contending for leadership in the Horizon League. I think we have some sound players and will be working hard to coalesce them into a hard-working and effective team.” When asked about assistant coaches, Durst said he will be hiring an entirely new staff and plans to get than accomplished as quickly as possible.

Well, AD Morrissey dithered long enough that Everett Ashworth has been hired as head coach for Bucknell University. That narrows the choice for head coach to either Latrelle Brothers or K.D. Durst. Both have visited Youngstown State and gone through interviews. I’m thinking that either would be an improvement over the Jerry Francis who let the Youngstown State program spiral down into obscurity.

My previous introductory remarks bring us to the only basketball worth mentioning in Youngstown. And that would be the Youngstown State Penguins. Lately, though, they have not only been last alphabetically in the Horizon League but also last in the standings. Finally at the end of the 2015-2016 season, the AD got the cojones to fire Coach Jerry Francis who I’m sure remained coach there for so long because he never asked for (or was given) a raise. Plus maybe he knew where some of skeletons were buried. The guy was a decent recruiter but his player development and game coaching skills didn’t fill a thimble. Athletic Director Vic Morrissey has been taking his sweet time to hire a new coach. All sorts of rumors though. Based on some inside information, the final choice comes down to either Latrelle Brothers, K.D. Durst, or Everett Ashworth. Brothers has the most experience including being head coach at South Carolina Upstate before becoming the 1st assistant coach to Frankie Segretti, the legendary coach at Temple. One wonders why Brothers would consider the moribund program at Youngstown State, but maybe he’s itching to take on head coaching reins again. Durst is a guy who was a high school coach before becoming the head coach at Division 2 Gannon University in Pennsylvania where he’s compiled a decent, albeit not overly impressive, record. Ashworth is young. He was a star player for Marshall and has risen quickly through assistant coaching jobs for different Division I teams. Last season he was 1st assistant coach at Nevada, a team that impressively made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tourney.

Youngstown…you’ve heard of it, right? But I doubt you know where it’s located. Well, maybe you’ve heard it’s in Ohio, but walk a couple miles east from Youngstown and you’d be in Pennsylvania. Population: 66,000 and change. But the town’s dying. In 1930 there were 170,000 souls here. It’s been a steady decline ever since…a downward spiral for nearly 90 years. You’ve heard about the Rust Belt. Well, Youngstown has one of the bigger layers of rust. Yeah, we’re the county seat, but so what! The whole county is wasting away. I grew up in Youngstown and still live here. In fact, I’ve hardly even gotten out of the county. My dad never made much money, and as the manufacturing jobs disappeared, so did a series of low-level jobs for him. After finishing high school, I was able to go to Eastern Gateway Community College since it didn’t cost all that much and I could live at home. But there was no way I could afford to follow that up at a 4-year college. But you read this because you were interested in basketball. And what’s all this got to do with round-ball? I wish I could say it was to tell you about my stellar basketball career. But hell, I’m only 5’7” tall. I thought I was a good player, though. So I turned out to make the high school team. The coach quickly dispelled me of my lofty opinion of my own talent and any dreams I might have had. So rather than play sports, I inhaled them vicariously….watching and reading about all kinds of sports and playing pretty much any video sports game I could get my hands on. So is this about how I learned so much about the intricacies of basketball that I became a great basketball coach? Sorry, no way. I’m not that talented nor am I a masochist. Besides, my temper would result in me leading the nation in technical fouls, ejections, and enough fines to eclipse my salary. While attending Eastern Gateway CC, I wasn’t even much of a student. I attended when I had to and did enough to get by with lots of C’s. But I did enjoy my journalism courses, and one of the journalism instructors encouraged me and made sure I wrote for the college newspaper. When she realized that I wasn’t going to be able to take any college courses beyond my 2 years at Eastern Gateway, she pulled a few strings with an editor at The Youngstown Vindicator to land me a job as a sports reporter for that daily newspaper (such as it is—like all newspapers readership and circulation are dying). I guess the next logical question is...who am I? I’m Steve Porter. I’ve now been a sports reporter for 6 years and am still on the staff of The Vindicator. Not going to get rich, but I like what I do. I cover any and all local sports, but my favorite is basketball.

Results from Week #3 (ending Dec. 3, 2018): Jacksonville (1-3) @ Houston (1-2, Conf D): In the first half, Jacksonville was stymied by Houston’s defense and fell behind by a score of 37-18 at the break. Although the Dolphins’ offense improved in the 2nd half, they never could make inroads against the Cougars and were beaten 71-51. The biggest difference in the game was that Jacksonville had 23 turnovers to just 7 by Houston. C Ross Walker scored 12 and grabbed 12 rebounds and SG Jacque Thompson scored 10 and had 11 boards, a steal and 3 blocks. Houston’s PF Anthony Leath also had a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds). Starting SF Robbie Martin sustained a stressed hamstring and will miss the next 2-3 games for Jacksonville. [1-4] Wofford (2-2) @ Bethune-Cookman (4-0, Conf Q): Wofford was trounced the unbeaten Wildcats in the first half to the tune of 40-19. The Terriers fell behind by 32 in the 2nd half before rallying late to cut the final losing margin to 62-47. SF Chris Wilder and SG Sam Spurgeon both scored 10 points for Wofford while PG Antuan Lackey dished out 8 assists. [2-3] Texas St. (1-3) @ Seattle (1-1, Conf V): There were 9 lead changes and 5 ties in the first half, but Texas State took control late to post a 38-30 halftime lead. The Bobcats dismantled the Redhawks in the 2nd half to garner a 76-53 road win. Texas State’s PG Garrick Allen popped in 22 points, SF Darryl Brown hit for 13 points, and C David Colbert scored 12. [2-3] Cal-Davis (3-1) @ Dayton (1-3, Conf G): Dayton raced out to a 55-36 halftime advantage. Cal-Davis was unable to cut into the deficit in the 2nd and fell 83-63. For the Aggies, SF Tori Johnsen hit for 16 while reserves Tomas Morrill and Dustin Jordan scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. [3-2] Air Force (2-1, Conf G) @ Chicago St. (2-2): Chicago State shot down the Falcons in the first half 42-34, but Air Force strafed the Cougars in the 2nd half to plant a 77-67 home loss of Chicago State. The Cougars were outshot by Air Force 51% to 41%. SG Tom Romar notched 19 points, C Dane Jackson hit for 12 points, reserve Lamont Millford scored 11, and PF Brian Cross added 10 points for Chicago State. [2-3] Belmont (1-2, Conf N) @ Jacksonville (1-4): Jacksonville gradually built a lead throughout the first half and finished the half in front by a score of 34-26. The Dolphins expanded their lead to as much as 23 points in the 2nd half and knocked off the Bears 71-54. Jacksonville was led from the outside by SG Jacque Thompson’s 16 points and PG Michael Fredericks’ 14 points while PF Marcus Graves did interior damage with 10 points and 12 boards. [2-4] UMBC (3-2, Conf Q) @ Wofford (2-3): Wofford dominated the Retrievers and took a 46-26 lead to the locker room. Connecting on 12 of 23 from 3-point land, the Terriers won easily 78-59. Reserve Colin Emery scored 18 points to lead Wofford’s offense while SG Sam Spurgeon hit for 14. [3-3] Texas St. (2-3) @ Chicago St. (2-3): Vernell Strom and DJ Brower challenged each other. The game was close throughout, but Brower’s Cougars took a 40-34 lead at the half. In the 2nd half Strom’s Texas State team never game in but came out on the short end of a 75-67 score. PG Desmond Pugh and PF Brian Cross both scored 16 points (Cross also had 8 boards, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) for Chicago State while SG Tom Romar added 11 points and C Dane Jackson finished with 9 points and 12 rebounds. Texas State was led offensively by PF Darryl Brown with 14 points and PF Andre Virgil with 11 points. [Chicago State: 3-3; Texas State: 2-4] Oregon St. (1-3, Conf E) @ Cal-Davis (3-2): After starting the season with 3 straight wins, Cal-Davis entered this game with a 2-game losing streak. Monroe Thurlow had the Aggies employ a solid defense which succeeded in their gaining a 29-23 halftime lead. Oregon State was unable to solve the Aggies’ defense in the 2nd half and Cal-Davis came away with a 53-46 victory. C Abraham Jackson scored 12 and SF Tori Johnsen added 11 for the Aggies. [4-2] Award: SG Tom Romar of Chicago State was named the Conference T Freshman Player of the Week based on his scoring 30 points in the Cougars’ two games this week. Injury: SF Robbie Martin of Jacksonville remains sidelined with a hamstring injury but should be ready to play in the Dolphin’s 2nd game this coming week. Standouts in Week 3: Tom Romar (Chicago St. SG), 15.0 ppg Brian Cross (Chicago St. PF), 13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg Dane Jackson (Chicago St. C), 10.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg Tori Johnson (Cal-Davis SF), 13.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg Jacque Thompson (Jacksonville SG), 13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.5 bpg Ross Walker (Jacksonville C), 10.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg Garrick Allen (Texas St. PG), 13.5 ppg and 60.0% FG% Darryl Brown (Texas St. SF), 13.5 ppg Sam Spurgeon (Wofford SG), 12.0 ppg Colin Emery (Wofford SF), 11.5 ppg and 64% FG%

pResults from Week #2 (ending Nov. 26, 2018): Jacksonville (1-1) @ New Mexico (0-1, Conf D): Jacksonville hung with talented New Mexico for just a couple minutes and then the game slipped away from them. By the half, the Dolphins trailed 41-29. The Lobos didn’t let up in the 2nd half, so Jacksonville got rocked 84-63 as New Mexico poured in 30 points in the paint. 25 turnovers by the Dolphins kept them from ever being able to make a serious run. C Ross Walker led Jacksonville with 12 points and 7 rebounds. [1-2] Wofford (1-1) @ Northwestern (2-1, Conf C): In Wofford’s 3rd straight game on the road, the Terriers nipped Northwestern early and opened a 16 point lead, but let the Wildcats back into the game and only led at the half by a 43-37 score. During the first portion of the 2nd half, there were 12 lead changes. Northwestern’s defense then tightened and Jacksonville fell 81-70. Northwestern scored 14 more points at the foul line. PF Rob Leonard knocked down 17 points and SF Chris Wilder had 15 for Wofford. [1-2] Morehead St. (0-1, Conf N) at Texas St. (0-2): In Texas State’s first home game of the season, the Bobcats looked nervous early and fell behind by 11 points. But the Bobcats fought back to gain a 40-40 tie at the break. In the 2nd half, the Bobcats defense overwhelmed the Eagles. Texas State pulled away for a convincing 75-57 smack down of Morehead State. SF Darryl Brown, PF Andre Virgil, and PF Garrick Allen each scored 15 points for Texas State, while Virgil accomplished a double-double with 11 boards. [1-2] Wright State (1-1, Conf I) at Cal-Davis (2-0): This game had 23 lead changes and 12 ties. Cal-Davis trailed 36-35 at the half. The Aggies out-lasted the Raiders to gain a 79-73 victory. For Cal-Davis, SG Chauncey Ammons poured in 19 points, PF Mark Stone scored 14, and SF Tori Johnson added 10. Wright State’s C Nate Hahn scored 16 and grabbed 12 rebounds. [3-0] Chicago St. (1-1) at North Dakota (0-2, Conf U): The first half was close throughout. Chicago State finished the half trailing 40-38. North Dakota scored early and often in the early stages of the 2nd half, and then hung on to pin a 75-67 loss on Chicago State. PG Desmond Pugh was the Cougars top scorer with 11 points while SG Tom Romar added 10. [1-2] Hartford (2-1, Conf R) @ Jacksonville (1-2): This game was close the entire way. The score at the half was 41-38 in favor of Hartford. Momentum swayed back and forth throughout the 2nd half. With 2-1/2 minutes left in the game, Jacksonville finished a 6 point run that put them on top 61-58. Fortunes turned abruptly at that point when the Dolphins went stone cold and failed for score again, while the Hawks hit for 7 points resulting in a disappointing 65-61 loss for Jacksonville. Jacksonville’s offense was paced by C Ross Walker’s 14 points, SG Jacque Thompson’s 13 points, and SF Robbie Martin’s 10 points. Martin also had 7 steals. For Hartford, PG Josh Laster had 10 turnovers, but that was offset by last season’s Conference S freshman player of the year and 1st team all-conference C George Neal dominating the paint and scoring 21 points while hauling in 10 rebounds. His interior running mate, PF James Green, also had 10 boards. Another factor weighing in Hartford’s favor was that they got to the line 11 more times and scored 9 more points on free throws that the Dolphins. [1-3] Delaware St. (2-1, Conf P) @ Wofford (1-2): Wofford gained control early in this contest. By the end of the first half the Terriers were in charge by a 38-25 score. Wofford’s dominance became even more pronounced in the 2nd half as they outshot the Hornets 60% to 34%, controlled the boards 27-15, and hit 11 of 14 from beyond the arc. After expanding their lead to 32 points, Wofford finished the game by whipping Delaware State 75-48. PF Rod Leonard and PG Antuan Lackey both scored 14 points to lead the scoring for the Terriers and reserve Colin Emery scored 12. [2-2] Texas St. (1-2) @ Iowa St. (0-2, Conf D): Texas State controlled the game early in the first half and built a 9-point lead. But Iowa State struck back and by the end of the half the Cyclones had the Bobcats in a 38-28 deficit. Iowa State then put on a dazzling offensive show in the 2nd half. Their lead grew to as much as 24 points. Texas State sustained an 88-71 drubbing. Texas State’s PF Andre Virgil scored 17 and pulled down 8 boards and SF Darryl Brown and PG Garrick Allen both scored 11 points. [1-3] UIC (2-1, Conf O) @ Cal-Davis (3-0): The lead in this game shifted back and forth throughout the entire contest. At the half the score was tied 49-49. But following 29 lead changes and 16 ties, Cal-Davis allowed a home game to slip away by a score of 88-79 as UIC hit 14 of 24 three-point shots. SG Chauncey Ammons chipped in 13 points (as well as 7 rebounds and 5 assists), SF Tori Johnson had 12, PG B.J. Dumas scored 11, and reserve Dustin Jordan added 10. UIC’s PG Blane Grigsby dished out 11 assists. [3-1] American (3-0, Conf U) @ Chicago St. (1-2): Chicago State relished home-cookin’ and jumped out to a 38-20 halftime advantage before dispensing with American 67-47. The Cougars held the Eagles shooting to just 24%. C Dane Jackson dropped in 17 points and PF Brian Cross hit for 13 for Chicago State. [2-2] Injury: Reserve SG Will Rowland of Chicago State is nursing a sore knee but should be available for the Cougars’ next game. Standouts in Week 2: Dane Jackson (Chicago State C)-12.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg Brian Cross (Chicago State PF)-10.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg Chauncey Ammons (Cal-Davis SG)-16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 2.5 apg Ross Walker (Jacksonville C)-13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg Garrick Allen (Texas St. PG)-13.0 ppg Darryl Brown (Texas St. SF)-13.0 ppg and 67% 3P% Andre Virgil (Texas St. PG)-16.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 100% 3P% Rod Leonard (Wofford PF)-15.5 ppg and 65% FG%

Results from Week #1 (ending Nov. 19, 2018): Jacksonville (0-0) at Grambling (0-0): Jacksonville and Grambling exchanged the lead several times in the early going, but then the Dolphins let Grambling pull away to fall behind 50-41 at the half. The Tigers expanded their lead in the 2nd half, and Jacksonville fell 83-68. Jacksonville let Grambling hit 52% of their FG attempts. PG Michael Frederick scored 14 and SG Jacque Thompson and PF Willie Howard added 10 for the Dolphins. [0-1] Wofford (0-0) at Radford (0-0): Wofford streaked out to a 59-41 lead at the break. The Terriers then cruised to a 94-81 victory on the road. Both teams him over 50% of their FG attempts but Wofford hit 14 of 20 three points shots. Reserve SG Cory Whiting scored 18 points in 14 minutes of play and C Jamaal Hobbs hit for 14 points, SF Chris Wilder scored 11 points, and reserve DeShawn Wane added 10. C Rodney Hawkins scored 21 points for Radford. [1-0] Texas St. (0-0) at Toledo (0-0): Texas State looked good in the first half, building a 15 point before going to the locker room with a 35-24 advantage. But Toledo put together a strong defense and an effective offense to come back with a vengeance in the 2nd half and put the Bobcats away 65-58. Texas State was out-rebounded 40-22. The Bobcat’s SF Darryl Brown hit for 15 points , PF Andre Virgil scored 12, reserve David Colbert put in 10 points and PG Garrick Allen dished out 7 assists while scoring 9. [0-1] Cal-Davis (0-0) at St. Bonaventure (0-0): Cal-Davis took advantage of St. Bonaventure's turnover to jump out on top and build a 41-34 halftime lead. The Aggies continued to apply pressure in the 2nd half and opened an 18-point lead before settling for a 77-67 road win. SG Chauncey Ammons had a solid game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Supporting his effort for Cal-Davis were PG B.J. Dumas with 12 and PF Mark Stone with 10. PF Justin Reynolds scored 19 and grabbed 8 boards for St. Bonaventure. [1-0] Furman (0-0) at Chicago St. (0-0): Chicago State hit their shots to take a 46-37 lead at the break. Even though Furman caught fire in the 2nd half, the Cougars offense continued to click and they won their season opener by a score of 94-86. Chicago State was led by PF Brian Cross who scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. SG Tom Romar scored 16 plus had 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks for the Cougars. Furman C Michael Evans scored 21 points. [1-0] Bradley (1-0) at Jacksonville (0-1): Jacksonville could barely find their way to the basket in the first half and limped along to a 28-21 deficit at the half. But the Dolphins’ fortunes turned around in the 2nd half and they surged past the Braves to open a 7 point lead. Bradley rallied late to make it close, but Jacksonville pulled out a 64-61 win. SG Jacque Thompson dropped in 16 points, PF Marcus Graves scored 13 and had 9 rebounds, and reserves Willie Howard and Jamie Townes scored 11 and 10 points respectfully. [1-1] Wofford (1-0) at Brigham Young (1-0): Wofford was never in this game and trailed 49-29 at the break. They were unable to rally in the 2nd half and were drubbed 81-62. Four Terriers scored in double figures: PF Chris Wilder (17), PF Rob Leonard (13), SG Sam Spurgeon (12) and C Brandon Linton (11). PF James Hendrik had a double-double (22 points and 11 rebounds) for Brigham Young. [1-1] Texas St. (0-1) at Tulsa (0-0): Texas State was unable to keep up with the quickness o Tulsa and found themselves in a 44-28 hole at the halftime. Tulsa expanded their lead to 24 early in the 2nd half. The Bobcats got their offense in gear at that point, but the gap was far too great to overcome and they lost their 2nd straight game on the road by a score of 84-70. Both teams hit over 50% of their shots, but 26 turnovers by the Bobcats were a killer. PG Garrick Allen popped in 21 points and SG Marcus Robertson added 12 for Texas State. All five starters for Tulsa scored in double figures. [0-2] North Dakota (0-1) at Cal-Davis (1-0): The first half was a real battle with 10 lead changes, but Cal-Davis used a late spurt to give them a 43-37 halftime advantage. The Aggies clamped down defensively in the 2nd half holding North Dakota to just 18 points in the final stanza. Cal-Davis came away with a solid 72-55 victory. C Abraham Jackson topped the Aggies’ scoring with 22 points while PF Mark Stone and SG Chauncey Ammons both scored 13. [2-0] Chicago St. (1-0) at Denver (1-0): Chicago State struggled but kept close to Denver in the first half, trailing 36-30 going to the 2nd half. The Pioneers came out of the locker room smoking and blitzed Chicago State by a 83-60 margin. PF Brian Cross led Chicago State with 15 points. [1-1] Injuries: Cal-Davis’ PG B.J. Dumas has a badly bruised leg and is likely to miss the Aggies’ next game. SG Tom Romar is day-to-day for Chicago State with a shoulder injury. Standouts in Week 1: Chauncy Ammons (Cal-Davis SG)-14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 54.5% 3P% Abraham Jackson (Cal-Davis C)-15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg Brian Cross (Chicago St. PF)-18.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 58.8% FG% Jacque Thompson (Jacksonville SG)-13.0 ppg, 3.0 apg Marcus Graves (Jacksonville SF)-11.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg Garrick Allen (Texas St PG)-15.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 55% FG% Chris Wilder (Wofford SF)-14.0 ppg Antuan Lackey (Wofford PG)-9.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 71.4% FG%, 80.0 %

Academics Jacksonville enters the season with two scholarship players on academic probation. PF Chris Richardson has a 1.5 GPA and PF Eric Harris has a 1.9 GPA. Coach Parsons Nyland has both players being tutored, hoping that Harris will regain eligibility after the fall academic term and before entering conference play. Richardson is a transfer player and needs to get above a 2.0 GPA before next year when he will be ready to join the team.

Predictions for the upcoming season Conference T: DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars are predicted to finish 11th an Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies are expected to finish last. Chicago State has strength at the SG, SF, and PF positions but lacks experience and talent at the PG and C positions. Cal-Davis’ strong point should be at the SF position with reasonably good ability also at PG and SG, but a weak interior is likely to produce problems for the Aggies. Conference U: Vernell Strom’s Texas State Bobcats are predicted to finished 4th, Kyle Anders’ Wofford Terriers are projected to finish 8th, Parson Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins are anticipated to finish in 10th place. Texas State’s strength positions appear to be at PG and PF and they are weakest at SG. Wofford looks reasonably strong at all starting positions with the exception of SG. Jacksonville seems to be strong at the two guard positions and also has experience back at the C position, but SF and PF are weaknesses.

Summer and Fall Recruiting: June 25, recruiting begins: Here’s how many scholarships each of the 5 coaches needs to fill this season: Parsons Nyland at Jacksonville: 4 with a $51,500 recruiting budget DJ Brower at Chicago State: 6 with a $40,800 recruiting budget Monroe Thurlow at Cal-Davis: 8 with a $40,600 recruiting budget Kyle Anders at Wofford: 3 with a $42,950 recruiting budget Vernell Strom at Texas State: 3 with a $42,300 recruiting budget November 13, recruiting continuing (but coach focus now shifts to coaching games). Here’s how each of the 5 coaches has done thus far: Parsons Nyland at Jacksonville: Has verbal commitments from 2 recruits (C ranked #1763 and PF ranked #1774) and has 2 scholarships to fill. DJ Brower at Chicago State: Has verbal commitment from 1 recruit (SF ranked #1596) and has 5 scholarships to fill. Monroe Thurlow at Cal-Davis: Has verbal commitments from 2 recruits (C ranked #1216 and PG ranked #1792) and has 6 scholarships to fill. Kyle Anders at Wofford: Has commitment from 1 recruit (SF ranked #682) and has 2 scholarships to fill. Vernell Strom at Texas State: Has verbal commitments from 2 recruits (C ranked #1228 and SG ranked #1317) and has 1 scholarship to fill.

Transfer Sessions: Bad news for Cal-Davis. C/PF Dale Linton (one of the few remaining strengths for the team inside) decided to transfer away from the school. With 4 of the 5 teams coached by the “friends” have a lot of unfilled scholarships (Cal-Davis has 6 unfilled scholarships, Chicago State has 4 unfilled scholarships and Jacksonville and Texas State both have 3 unfilled scholarships), you’d think that all 4 of those schools’ coaches would be trying to fill some of these vacancies with transfer players. So let’s see what the results were: Session #1: no transfers to any of the 4 schools. Session #2: A ton of transfer players align with new schools. Texas State picks up a PF but the other 3 schools get no transfer players. Session #3: Again a lot of transfer players picked up by many different schools. Texas State gets a SG. Jacksonville picks up a PF and PG. But Monroe Thurlow at Cal-Davis and DJ Brower at Chicago State still make to headway on filling scholarships. Session #4: Fewer transfer players picked up this session and none by any of the 4 coaches. Session #5: Just 4 transfers this session and none by any of the 4 coaches. Session #6: Only 2 transfers in the final session and none by any of the 4 coaches. So that means Cal-Davis will have 6 unfilled scholarships and 8 walk-ons this season and Chicago State will have 4 unfilled scholarships and 6 walk-ons while both Texas State and Jacksonville will have just one unfilled scholarship each and therefore both will have 3 walk-ons. All interior players for Cal-Davis are walk-ons. All PG’s for Chicago State are walk-ons. We’ll see if Monroe Thurlow and DJ Brower are able to overcome these big deficiencies. Otherwise it could be a long, hard season for these two Conference T teams. But it raises the question: What’s the problem with Monroe Thurlow (Cal-Davis) and DJ Brower (Chicago State)? Poor recruiting and no transfer players.

2018-2019 Season The third season (2018-2019) of coaching begins for the 5 Friends/Foes. None of the 5 coaches has yet to show much success. Having been unable to replenish their rosters with any stellar recruits, the prospects for a break out this season appear dim, but hope springs eternal. Assistant Coach Hiring Following two lackluster recruiting seasons at Texas State, you’ve got to wonder about Vernell Strom. He hired strong scouting and player development assistants, but failed to hire a good recruiting assistant. That doesn’t bode well for the Aggies this season. On the other hand, Kyle Anders at Wofford hired a strong recruiting assistant. His new scout also is strong. But he was unable to bring a strong player development assistant on board. At Cal-Davis, Monroe Thurlow hired a strong player development assistant. But his new recruiting and scouting assistants are both subpar. The Aggies also have had 2 poor recruiting seasons, so it looks like Thurlow will be hard-pressed to turn things around on that front this season

Coaching and Team records/update Coach and Team Records after 2 seasons: DJ Brower, Chicago State Cougars, 30-27, .526, NIT (1st round), Reputation: 11, Team Prestige: 13 Kyle Anders, Wofford Terriers, 31-28, ,525, CBI (1st round), Reputation: 11, Team Prestige: 13 Monroe Thurlow, Cal-Davis Aggies, 27-34, .443, NCAA (Play-in), Reputation: 10, Team Prestige: 11 Vernell Strom, Texas State Bobcats, 28-28, .500, NIT (1st round), Reputation: 11, Team Prestige: 13 Parsons Nyland, Jacksonville Dolphins, 28-31, .475, Reputation: 10, Team Prestige: Team Prestige: 10 All 5 coaches remained with their initial teams. Assistant Coaches: Wofford—contracts for all 3 assistants expired and were not renewed. (Wofford hired 3 new assistants, 2 of whom had very good skill ratings for scouting and recruiting) Texas State—contracts for all 3 assistants expired and were not renewed. (Texas State hired 3 new assistants, 2 of whom had very good skill ratings for scouting and player development and one of whom had reasonably good ratings across the board) Cal-Davis—contracts for all 3 assistants expired and were not renewed. (Cal-Davis hired 3 new assistants, one of whom had very good skill ratings for player development and one of whom had reasonably good ratings across the board) Starter graduation: Cal-Davis losing 4 of its 5 starters to graduation. Chicago St. losing 4 of its 5 starters to graduation. Texas St. losing 3 of its 5 starters to graduation. Jacksonville losing 3 of its 5 starters to graduation. Wofford losing 3 of its 5 starters to graduation. So none of the teams will go into next season with a depth of experience. Board Requests: All of the 5 coaches had their requests denied for improvements that they made to their respective boards. Promotion/Regression: Cal-Davis and Chicago State will remain in Conference T and Wofford and Jacksonville will remain in Conference U for the 2018-2019 season. After being promoted last season from Conference U to Conference T, Vernell Strom’s Texas State Bobcats will regress back to Conference U for the 2018-2019 season.

pRecruiting With the exception of Wofford’s Kyle Anders, all of the other 5 coach’s recruiting quite simply…sucked. Anders had 4 scholarships to award and signed 4 recruits with national rankings of #1059, 1414, 1630, and 1742. On the other hand: DJ Brower of Chicago State had 7 scholarships to offer, but only signed 3 recruits with national rankings of #1061, 1579, and 1644. Monroe Thurlow of Cal-Davis had 8 scholarships to offer, but only signed 3 recruits with national rankings of #538, 1321, and 1525. Parsons Nyland of Jacksonville had 5 scholarships to offer, but only signed 2 recruits with national rankings of #1412 and 1491. Vernell Strom of Texas State had 5 scholarships to offer, but only signed 2 recruits with national rankings of #1067 and 1241. Totally inexcusable!

Awards: PF Robert Allocco—Conference T 1st Team All-Conference PF Maurice Braun—Conference U 2nd Team All-Conference Announcement: Robert Allocco announced that he has accepted an offer to play for Umana Venezia in the Italian professional league next season.

Post-Season Tournaments Tournament Selections: Conference T teams: Cornell is the 8th seed in the East in the CIT Tournament Howard is the 3rd seed in the East in the CIT Tournament Samford is the 4th seed in the West in the CIT Tournament Loyola-Maryland is the 6th seed in the West in the CBI Tournament Sacramento State is in a play in game for 16th seed in the East in the NCAA Tournament Conference U teams: Abilene Christian is the 3rd seed in the South in the CIT Tournament Utah Valley is the 7th seed in the West in the CBI Tournament Lamar is the 8th seed in the West in the CBI Tournament Wofford is the 5th seed in the West in the CBI Tournament SIU-Edwardsville is the 14th seed in the East in the NCAA Tournament CIT Tournament: CIT Tournament—1st Round: Western Carolina—74, Cornell—63 Howard—87, Monmouth—77 Arkansas-Pine Bluff—76, Samford—67 Abilene Christian—87, New Jersey Tech—67 CIT Tournament—2nd Round: Ohio—90, Howard—80 Abilene Christian—80, Hartford—63 CIT Tournament—3rd Round: Abilene Christian—74, Navy—72 CIT Tournament—Semi-Finals: Abilene Christian—79, Arkansas-Pine Bluff—68 CIT Tournament—Championship: Western Carolina—77, Abilene Christian--62 CBI Tournament: CBI Tournament—1st Round: Lamar—74, Brown—57 Utah Valley—73, Washington State—54 Fordham—71, Wofford—67 (The lead swayed back and forth throughout the first half, with Wofford holding a slim 31-29 lead at the break. But turnovers by the Terriers allowed Fordham to jump ahead in the 2nd half by as much as 16 points. Wofford came back in late in the game but the gap was just too much to overcome. C Jamaal Hobbs scored 18 and had 9 rebounds for Wofford and PG Antuan Lackey hit for 12 points and dished out 6 assists while SG Victor Griffin scored 11 and grabbed 8 boards.) Purdue—79, Loyola-Maryland—63 CBI Tournament-2nd Round: Fordham—67, Lamar—65 Purdue—82, Utah Valley--67 NCAA Tournament: NCAA Tournament--Play in game: Sacramento State—74, Lafayette—70 NCAA Tournament—1st Round: Syracuse—79, Sacramento State—51 Texas—72, SIU-Edwardsville—64 Tournament Champions: CIT: Western Carolina CBI: Purdue NIT: Indiana NCAA: Oregon

TopConference U Tournament Day 1 Wofford—65, Lipscomb—62 (With PF Kenny Taylor sidelined with an injury, Wofford struggles offensively in the 1st half, but scores 41 in 2nd half and wins following 12 lead changes in the game. PG Antuan Lackey scores 17 to lead the Terriers to victory.) Jacksonville—87, Robert Morris—71 (Jacksonville smashes Robert Morris from outset of game with a potent offense and dominant rebounding. All 5 Dophins starters score in double figures (PF Maurice Braun-15, SF Michael Frederick-13, PG Reggie Scholl-13, SG Justin Hartfield-12, C Ross Walker-10) and reserve Quentin Taylor adds 12.) Texas Rio Grande Valley—76, SE Missouri State—66 (PG Darius Shannon scores 23 as TX Rio Grande Valley outplays SE Missouri State in 2nd half) Sacred Heart—71, North Dakota—66 (PG Kendrick Wilson scores 27 for Sacred Heart in their comeback win) Day 2 SIU Edwardsville-67, Sacred Heart—61 (SIU-Edwardsville holds 38-25 halftime advantage and then has to fight off Sacred Heart’s comeback as SF Albert Seymour scores 16 for SIU-Edwardsville and SG Jason Greer scores 18 for Sacred Heart.) Utah Valley—76, Texas Rio Grande Valley—62 (Utah Valley comes back from 4 point halftime deficit to streak past the Vaqueros. PF Stephen Bibby scores 15 for Utah Valley.) Jacksonville—69, Abilene Christian—68 (22 lead changes and 16 ties including a 33-33 knot at the break. With the Dolphins trailing by a single point, PF Maurice Braun sinks two free throws with 7 seconds on clock to win the game. C Ross Walker scores 19 and grabs 9 boards to lead Jacksonville with PG Reggie Scholl picking up 15 points and reserve SF Robbie Martin dropping in 11 points.) Wofford—83, Lamar—70 (In a game of expected equals, Wofford takes the game to Lamar. Leading 46-38 at the half, the Terriers expand their lead to 24 in the 2nd half before a late run by Lamar makes the game look closer than it really was. Reserve Colin Emery scores 17 and reserve Chris Wilder hits for 15 while pulling down 12 rebounds and C Jamaal Hobbs returns to the starting lineup to score 13 while reserve Rod Leonard adds 12 points for Wofford.) Day 3-Semi-Finals SIU-Edwardsville-77, Wofford—70 (In a game where Wofford could really have used injured PF Kenny Taylor, the Terriers gamely hung with talented SIU-Edwardsville, trailing by just 4 at the half and keeping in striking distance in the 2nd half. The difference in the game was that the Cougars scored 9 more points at the line than the Terriers. C Jamaal Hobbs topped Wofford’s scorring with 19 points, while PF Brandon Linton (who moved from C to PF) scored 12 and reserve Rod Leonard added 10. SG Richie Hall scored 19 for SIU-Edwardsville.) Jacksonville—59, Utah Valley—44 (Jacksonville earned their way into the championship game with a convincing win. Jacksonville led by 15 at the half and was never seriously threatened in the 2nd half. The Dolphins forced Utah Valley to make 26 turnovers. PG Reggie Scholl popped in 17 points and reserve Jacque Thompson had 10 points for Jacksonville. C Richard Winston of Utah Valley topped all scorers with 20 points.) Day 4-Championship SIU-Edwardsville—80, Jacksonville—58 (This was a crucial game for Jacksonville. Since they didn’t finish in the top 3 in conference play, the only way they could be promoted to the next higher conference was to win the conference championship. But SIU-Edwardsville was just too talented. The Cougars immediately jumped into the lead and by the end of the first half, the Dolphins were behind 40-26. Things didn’t improve in the 2nd half and Jacksonville got flattened, thus ending their season. C Ross Walker had 14 points for Jacksonville.)

Conference T Tournament Day 1 Cal-Davis—77, Citadel—75 (Cal-Davis falls behind by 10 in 1st half and trails by 5 at the break. But the Aggies take control in the 2nd half. After leading by 7, Cal-Davis has to defend a last second shot by the Bulldogs that would have tied the game in a thrilling ending. The Aggies out-rebound Citadel 37-21. C Mike Blackman scores 18, SF Tori Johnson hits for 12, PG Roby Phillips pops in 11, reserve Abraham Jackson adds 10, and SG Steffon Forman feeds 7 assists to teammates while PF Tyrone Dickerson grabs 9 boards for Cal-Davis. C Jason Black of Citadel tops all scorers with 21.) Howard—70, Northwestern St.—69 (In a game that was close the entire way, Howard’s RaShawn Lynch tips in a rebound with 4 seconds remaining to win the game and score his 23rd point.) Nicholls St.—67, St. Peter’s—48 (Nicholls State blows away St. Peter’s with hot shooting and a tight defense. C Jay Mitchell scores 23 and pulls down 10 boards to lead Nicholls State.) Harvard—79, Chicago St.—74 (Chicago State blitzes Harvard in the first half to lead 44-30 at the half, but then lets the Crimson back into the game in the 2nd half and collapses in the final 3 minutes to lose a game they should have won. PF Robert Allocco scores 24, SF Devin Archie hauls down 12 boards, reserve Dane Jackson pours in 11 points (in 14 minutes of play), and PG Ryan Roberts adds 10 points for Chicago State. PF Damon Jackson’s sharp shooting results in 24 points for Harvard.) Day 2 Loyola-Maryland—85, Harvard—81 (Loyola-Maryland leads entire way, but game is close throughout. PG Travis Bryant connects for 23 points plus has 7 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Loyola-Maryland to victory. C Garrick Harrington scores 28 and SG Brian Bergmann scores 20 for Harvard.) Nicholls St.—94, Samford—79 (Nicholls State has 2nd blowout win of the tournament as C Jay Mitchell scores 18 and grabs 11 rebounds for the Colonels.) Howard—62, Cornell-58 (In a close game the entire 40 minutes, Howard’s SF Antonio Stallings and C RaShawn Lynch both score 18 points with Stallings also recording 9 rebounds.) Sacramento St.—81, Cal-Davis—77 (First half is an offensive show by both teams with Sacramento State leading at the break 50-45. Cal-Davis falls behind by 11 early in the 2nd half but then gamely fights back to nearly overcome Sacramento State. The Aggies are led by PG Roby Phillips 19 points while sub Abraham Jackson scores 16 and reserve Mark Stone adds 13.) Day 3-Semi-Finals Sacramento State—84, Loyola-Maryland—74 (Sacramento State not only upset favored Loyola-Maryland but made it look easy. All 5 starters plus a reserve scored in double figures for Sacramento State, led by C Anthony Davis’ 15 points. Loyola-Maryland’s PG Travis Bryant led all scorers with 21 points.) Howard—81, Nicholls State—69 (The game was tied at 41-41 at the half, but Howard overwhelmed Nicholls State in the 2nd half with a stalwart defense. C RaShawn Lynch scored 25 points for Howard.) Day 4-Championship Sacramento State—82, Howard—74 (Howard led early, but Sacramento State came back to take a 44-36 halftime lead. Then the Hornets expanded their lead to 15 in the 2nd half before holding off Howard to take the conference championship. The Hornets won by hitting 49% of their FG attempts, 9 of 16 from 3 point distance and 21 of 25 from the line. C Joshua Leith scored 18 while PF Anthony Davis scored 11 and grabbed 10 boards for Sacramento State. Howard’s C RaShawn Lynch tossed in 23 points.)

Final Standings Conference T The three coach’s teams (Chicago State, Cal-Davis, and Texas State) that got promoted last year to Conference T did not have impressive seasons this year. The only team to win more than half their games was DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars. They were an up and down team throughout the year. Fortunately for Brower, he had a star player in Robert Allocco. But when Allocco was injured for a portion of the season, the team was unable to compete successfully. Brower said, “Finishing tied for 6th in the conference isn’t anything to crow about, particularly when we were tied with 5 other teams for 6th place. We’d sure like to make some noise in the conference tournament and rise above the middle of the pack.” Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies played horribly on the road (2-14). The team was marginally successful in Conference T but needed a star who could have led them to greater success. Thurlow commented, “We were happy with the promotion to Conference T. But it’s obvious we have some maturing and development to work on this coming year because we want to become a force in Conference T and also quality for post-season tournaments.” Texas State, under the tutelage of Vernell Strom, was outclassed this season. Their road record (1-13) was even worse than that of Cal-Davis. Strom said, “It’s embarrassing to be tied for the bottom spot in the conference. And to not even qualify for the conference tournament was a real bummer.” As one of the three bottom teams in the conference, it is likely that Texas State will regress back to Conference U next season. Conference U The top of the conference was muddled with 6 teams finishing within a game of each other. Both Kyle Anders and Parsons Nyland were hoping to join their friends in Conference T next season. Anders’ Wofford Terriers had a good, but not great, season. Parsons Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins pre-conference record was very unimpressive, but they salvaged some pride by playing better once they began competing in Conference U. While both teams had good conference records (10-6), neither was able to be one of the top 3 teams in the conference. Therefore, the only way that either can be promoted to Conference T is to win the conference tournament. Wofford’s chances of winning the Conference U tournament were torpedoed when PF Kenny Taylor was injured at the end of the regular season. Kyle Anders said, “We definitely will miss Kenny, but we’ll bring Jamaal Hobbs back into the starting lineup. Jamaal is a good scorer, but it will be tough to replace Kenny’s rebounding capabilities.” After losing 9 straight and 11 of 12 games early in the season, the Jacksonville Dolphins got their act together and played well the last half of their season, winning 10 of their last 14 games. Parsons Nyland declared, “My guys became hungry for wins and we were definitely among the best teams in Conference U as the season progressed. Our focus now is completely on performing well in the Conference U tourney.”

Week 15 (ending 2/25/18) Results: Chicago St. @ Howard: The lead switched several times between the two teams in the first half, which ended in a 37-37 tie. But Howard took control in the 2nd half and gradually expanded their lead all the way to the end of the game resulting in a 78-61 loss by Chicago State. The Cougars were led by PF Robert Allocco’s 23 points while SF Devin Archie added 11 points and PG Ryan Roberts had 7 assists. Howard’s SF Antonio Stallings tossed in 20 points. (11-15, 7-8) MD Eastern Shore @ Cal-Davis: Maryland Eastern Shore opened an early 9 point lead but was reeled back in by Cal-Davis. At the break, the Aggies held a slim 31-29 advantage. Cal-Davis was in charge in the 2nd half and achieved a 69-62 win by controlling the board (40-24). SG Steffon Forman had 15 points and 7 assists while reserve C Abraham Jackson chipped in 10 points for the Aggies. (7-16, 6-9) Texas St. @ Cal St. Northridge: In a game filled with 20 lead changes and 10 ties, Cal State Northridge came out of the first half with a 35-28 lead. But the Texas State Bobcats fought like, well like Bobcats, and the 2nd half came down to the final minute of play when the Matadors hit a 3 and then held off Texas State, pinning a 69-66 loss on the Bobcats. The loss kept the hapless Bobcats mired in last place in Conference T. For Texas State, C Matt Wright scored 14, PG Garrick Allen tossed in 12, and reserve SF Xavier Wilson added 11. (8-18, 4-11) Incarnate Word @ Wofford: Wofford scored on the initial possession of the game and never trailed in the game. By the end of the first half, they held a whopping 42-23 lead. They held the Cardinals off in the 2nd half as they throttled Incarnate Word by a final score of 77-61. Four of the Terriers’ starters scored in double figures: PG Antuan Lackey had 15, PF Kenny Taylor hit for 14, SG Victor Griffin scored 12, and C Brandon Linton added 11. (15-11, 9-6) Longwood @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville’s offense clicked in the first half and they pulled away for a 44-28 halftime lead. They then coasted through the 2nd half and came away with a solid 81-67 victory. PG Reggie Scholl led the Dolphins with 21 points and C Ross Walker scored 14 while SG Justin Hartfield hit for 10 points. Longwood’s C Demond Harris scored 30 and grabbed 9 rebounds. (11-15, 9-6) The wins by Wofford and Jacksonville put them into a 3-way tie with Lamar for 4th place in Conference U and a chance to tie SIU-Edwardsville for 3rd place. Chicago St. @ Loyola-Maryland: Chicago State took on the conference-leading Greyhounds in their regular season game. Loyola-Maryland tore the Cougars up early in the first half as they stormed out to an early 17 point lead. But the Cougars turned the tables with their defense holding the Greyhounds scoreless for 7 minutes. By the end of the half, surprisingly the Cougars had come out on top 34-31. The second half was a donnybrook. After 14 lead changes and 9 ties, the buzzer sounded with Chicago State scoring a big 76-72 upset on the road. PF Robert Allocco scored 26 points, C Lamont Milford had 12 points, and SF Devin Archie pulled down 10 boards for the Cougars. (12-15, 8-8) Northwestern St. @ Cal-Davis: Cal-Davis held a small lead throughout much of the first half and came away with a 45-39 edge at the break. The Aggies then put things away with a commanding 2nd half performance that led to an 89-71 crushing of the Demons. C Abraham Jackson came off the bench for Cal-Davis to toss in 19 points. SG Steffon Forman hit 6 of 8 FG’s and 3 of 5 three-point shots and scored 17 while pulling down 8 rebounds while reserves Nicholas Crudup and Dale Linton both scored 12 for the Aggies. Four reserves scored 52 of the Aggies’ 89 points. (8-16, 7-9) Cornell @ Texas St.: Last place Texas State hosted 2nd place Cornell. Cornell struck early and jumped out to a 10 point lead, but Texas State went on a run midway through the half that not only caught the Big Red but continued so that the Bobcats led 34-23 at the break. Texas State then stomped Cornell in the 2nd half, opening a 22 point lead and finishing with a 76-57 pasting of Cornell. The Bobcats out-rebounded Cornell 36-21. Texas State’s SG Mike Brown scored 14, reserve SF Brian Rollerson popped in 12, and reserve PG Collin Jackson hit for 10. (9-18, 5-11) Wofford @ Abilene Christian: Wofford scrambled as if they were playing for their life as they took on the first place Wildcats. Their first half defense was so strong that they built a 27-18 advantage at the break. The Terriers then continued to expand their lead in the 2nd half and finished by hammering the Wildcats 61-44. Wofford held Abilene Christian’s shooting to 23% and dominated the boards 38-21. Wofford’s offense was topped by PF Kenny Taylor’s 11 points (and he also had 11 rebounds) and SF Brandon Detmer’s 10 points. No players for the Wildcats scored in double figures. (16-11, 10-6) Jacksonville @ Lipscomb: Jacksonville got it going right away and held onto the lead throughout the first half. They took a 32-25 lead into the locker room. In the early portion of the 2nd half, they increased their lead to 13 points and then held off the Bisons to finish with a 66-58 victory. SF Michael Frederick topped Jacksonville’s scoring with 15 points. Reserve guard Jacque Thompson dropped in 14 points and PF Maurice Braun scored 9 plus had 11 rebounds. (12-15, 10-6) Injuries: C Abraham Jackson of Cal-Davis came down with the flu but should be ready to play in the conference tournament. Wofford’s PG Antuan Lackey bruised his hand badly but will be ready to play in the conference tournament. But Wofford’s PF Kenny Taylor tore his ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season.

Week 14 (ending 2/18/18) Results: Samford @ Texas St.: Texas State started out OK, but early in the 2nd half, it became apparent they had not brought a defense to the gym. Letting Samford score almost at will, the Bobcats let the Bulldogs run away from them and trailed 47-38 at the break. The Bobcats’ woes continued throughout the 2nd half and they ended up getting whipped 81-61. Ultimately, Samford controlled the ball too much due to Texas State being out-rebounded 28-21 and turning the ball over 27 times compared to Samford’s 16. That allowed the Bulldogs to get 15 more FG attempts than the Bobcats. SG Mike Brown scored 15 and C Matt Wright contributed 10 but six Samford players scored in double figures, led by PG Wesley Rosen’s 19 points and 8 assists. (8-16, 4-9) Cal-Davis @ St. Peter’s: Cal-Davis stunk in the first half, by the end of which they were on the short end of a 40-18 score. In the 2nd half, the Aggies finally got their offense clicking but they were unable to shut down the Peacocks and ended up with a lopsided 75-59 loss. SF Tori Johnson with 12 points was the only Aggie to score in double figures. C Mike Blackman grabbed 10 boards. St. Peter’s was led by SF Andy Jordan’s 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. (9-15, 5-8) Northwestern St. @ Chicago St.: While never pulling away in the first half, Chicago State was in control an finished the first 20 minutes with a 29-23 lead. They expanded their lead to 17 in the 2nd half before settling for a 66-53 victory that broke their loss skein. The Cougars held the Demons to 28% shooting and also out-rebounded Northwestern State by a whopping 52-33 margin. PF Robert Allocco returned to the lineup to score 22 points and haul in 12 rebounds plus block 4 shots. (10-14, 6-7) Wofford @ Texas Rio Grande Valley: Wofford came ready to play. They quickly took control of this game, scorching the net to take a 45-32 halftime lead. They expanded their lead throughout the 2nd half and crushed the Vaqueros 101-60. Wofford hit 63% of their FG attempts and out-rebounded the Vaqueros 38-24. PG Antuan Lackey scored 15, PF Kenny Taylor had 14 (plus 9 rebounds), C Brandon Linton had 10, and reserves Chris Wilder scored 13 and Colin Emery added 12. (13-11, 7-6) Jacksonville @ Incarnate Word: Jacksonville kept the game close in the first half but trailed 30-24 at the break. The Dolphins were unable to cut into the Cardinals lead in the 2nd half and lost 62-50. Jacksonville was outmuscled on the boards 40-19. PF Maurice Braun scored 16 points while C Ross Walker and SG Justin Hartfield each added 11. (9-15, 7-6) St. Peter’s @ Chicago St.: Both teams put on an offensive show in the first half with Chicago State coming out on top 45-43. The Cougars were able to build their lead to 12 in the 2nd half, but then let St. Peter’s back into the game. Leading by 2 with 2 minutes to go, the Cougars were able to move out to a 76-69 win when the Peacocks were forced to foul. Chicago State was led by PF Robert Allocco’s 15 points and 10 boards. Reserve guard Dane Jackson scored 13 in 13 minutes of court time and PG Ryan Roberts put in 10 points. St. Peter’s SG Kevin Medley had 15 points and 11 rebounds. (11-14, 7-7) Cal-Davis @ Harvard: Cal-Davis stayed close throughout the first half, but never got the lead and finished the half trailing 43-39. The Crimson gradually expanded their lead in the 2nd half as the Aggies were out-rebounded 42-35 and had 15 turnovers to Harvard’s 8. For Cal-Davis SG Steffon Forman scored 16, C Mike Blackman and reserve Dale Litton both scored 12, and SF Tori Johnsen added 10. (9-16, 5-9) Texas St. @ Sacramento St.: Sacramento State maintained control of the game in the first half and built a 42-32 halftime edge. The Bobcats made a run in the 2nd half to get close, but then faded late in th3 game to fall 87-75. PG Garrick Allen had 19 points for Texas State and C Anthony Davis led Sacramento State with 24 points (and 9 rebounds). (8-17, 4-10) SIU-Edwardsville @ Wofford: Neither team gained much of an advantage in the first half and there were many lead changes. Wofford trailed 29-27 at the break. But the Terriers got their offense on track in the 2nd half and ran away from the Cougars to post a solid 77-63 win. Wofford controlled the boards to the tune of 40-26. C Brandon Linton scored 13 points and SF Brandon Detmer had 12 and both players pulled down 9 boards apiece. Reserve C Jamaal Hobbs scored 11 and PG Antuan Lackey added 10. (14-11, 8-6) Texas Rio Grande Valley @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville scored first and never looked back, leading 43-31 at the half and opening a 24 point lead in the 2nd half and finished by stomping the Vaqueros 82-62. The Dolphins hit 60% of their shots and held a 33-24 rebounding advantage. Jacksonville’s PF Maurice Braun led their scoring with 19 points. PG Reggie Scholl dropped in 17 points, SF Michael Frederick had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and SG Justin Hartfield contributed 12 points. (10-15, 8-6)

Week 13 (ending 2/11/18) Results: American @ Cal-Davis: The lead exchanged two times early in the first half and then Cal-Davis shut down the Eagles clipping their wings to move to a 40-19 halftime lead. The Aggies then cruised through the 2nd half to finish shooting down the Eagles 76-59. Cal-Davis sunk an incredible 69% of their FG attempts. C Mike Blackman led the Cal-Davis charge with 16 points while reserve PF Abraham Jackson chipped in 12 points. (9-13, 5-6) St. Peter’s @ Texas St.: Defense predominated early in the game, but Texas State picked things up as the half proceeded and moved out to a 33-24 halftime advantage. The Bobcats continued to clamp down defensively allowing them to triumph 58-47. Texas State’s PF Kebu Dupay starred by scoring 24 points and pulling down 8 rebounds. C Matt Wright added 11 points for the Bobcats. SF Andy Jordan was most of the Peacock’s offense, scoring 21 points. (8-14, 4-7) Chicago St. @ Cal St. Northridge: Chicago State was never really in this game. By the end of the first half they trailed 45-27. The Cougars were unable to get close in the 2nd half and ignominiously fell 85-67. SF Devin Archie was the leading scorer for Chicago State with 18 points. PF Robert Allocco again experienced problems with his abdominal muscles and played only one minute and may miss the Cougars next game. With Allocco hurting, Chicago State is struggling. (11-11, 5-6) Wofford @ Robert Morris: Wofford struggled to put points on the board in the first half and fell behind 31-22 at the intermission. The Terriers weren’t able to significantly cut into the Colonials lead in the 2nd half and fell 60-52. C Jamaal Hobbs came off the bench to score 14 points for Wofford. (11-11, 5-6) SE Missouri St. @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville forced the Redhawks to make 20 turnovers and turned some of those into fast break scores. By the end of the first half, the Dolphins led 38-31. Jacksonville kept SE Missouri State off-balance in the in the 2nd half and topped the Redhawks by a score of 70-61. Jacksonville’s reserve guard Jacque Thompson scored 14 while dishing out 5 assists. C Ross Walked added 12 points. (8-14, 6-5) Texas St. @ Citadel: Texas State gave Citadel too many clear shots in the 1st half. This allowed the Bulldogs to take a 44-26 lead to the locker room. The Bobcats didn’t have the firepower to pull close in the 2nd half and got crushed 79-63. The Bobcats lost the battle of the boards 40-26. SG Mike Brown scored 14 and PF Kebu Dupay had 12 for Texas State. Citadel’s big men were too much for the Bobcats with PF Bobby Fields tossing in 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds and C Mark Jefferson scoring 19 and pulling down 12 boards. (8-15, 4-8) Chicago St. @ Harvard: PF Robert Allocco’s strained abdominal continues to limit his court time and hamper his play. Harvard ran away from Chicago State in the first half leaving the Cougars in a 54-36 halftime hole. The Cougars never pulled close in the 2nd half, crashing 93-74 and extending their loss streak to 5 games. Top scorers for Chicago State were: PF Robert Allocco-13 pts, PG Ryan Roberts-12 pts, SF Devin Archie-11 pts, reserve Tim Watson-10 pts. (11-12, 5-7) Loyola-Maryland @ Cal-Davis: Loyola-Maryland’s Greyhounds ran away from Cal-Davis to fashion a 36-28 halftime advantage. Cal-Davis made it close in the 2nd half but came up short, losing 73-68. For the Aggies, SG Steffon Forman scored 13 points and PG Scott Ward fed 7 assists. (9-14, 5-7) SIU-Edwardsville @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville annihilated the Cougars early, running away to a 41-21 halftime lead. The Dolphins then cruised throughout the 2nd half but still won 77-66. Jacksonville held a 38-27 rebounding advantage. Jacksonville was led by C Ross Walker’s 21 points, but PG Reggie Scholl scored 11 and SF Michael Frederick and PF Maurice Braun added 10 apiece. (9-14, 7-5) Longwood @ Wofford: Wofford struggled in the first half as they were unable to solve Longwood’s defense. By the break the Terriers trailed 29-22. Apparently Coach Kyle Anders’ halftime talk solved things. Wofford looked like a different team in the 2nd half. They began getting clear for shots and not only caught up but overtook the Lancers as they drove to a 61-54 home court win. C Brandon Linton scored 12 and SG Victor Griffin added 10 to lead Wofford’s offense. (12-11, 6-6)

Thank you.