PointGuard

Where do they stand? A little over half way through conference play: Loyola-Maryland leads Conference T with an 8-2 record, followed closely by 7-3 Cornell. Five teams are tied for 3rd with 6-4 records. DJ Brower’s Chicago State Cougars with its 5-5 record is tied with 2 other teams for 8th place. In a tie for 11th place is Monroe Thurlow’s Cal-Davis Aggies at 4-6. Four teams bring up the bottom of the 18-team conference standings with 3-7 records including Vernell Strom’s Texas State Bobcats. In 18-team Conference U three teams (Abilene-Christian, SIU-Edwardsville, and Utah Valley) are tied for the top spot with 8-2 records. Lamar (7-3) is a game behind in 4th place. Parsons Nyland’s Jacksonville Dolphins and Kyle Ander’s Wofford Terriers are tied with SE Missouri State for 5th place with 5-5 records.

Week 12 (ending 2/4/18) Results: Chicago St. @ Texas St.: The loud and boisterous home crowd not only motivated Texas State but kept Chicago State from executing in the first half. By the end of the half, the Bobcats led 44-24. They increased their lead to 25 early in the 2nd half and then coasted to a 74-62 victory as Vernell Srrom bested his old pal DJ Brower. C Matt Wright led the Bobcats with 17 points with SG Mike Brown dropping in 16 and reserve Brian Rollerson adding 14 while SF Russell Brown had 11 rebounds. PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State scored 23 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, but the rest of the Cougars didn’t show up for this game. (Texas State: 7-13, 3-6; Chicago State: 11-9, 5-4) Citadel @ Cal-Davis: While the score throughout most of the first half was tight, Cal-Davis was able to take a 33-28 lead at the break. The Aggies pulled away in the 2nd half and won going away 67-51. The Aggies’ defense held Citadel’s shooting to 33%. Cal-Davis’ PF Mike Blackman tossed in 15 points while his teammates reserve guard Nicholas Crudup scored 13 and SF Tyrone Dickerman had 12 points and 8 rebounds as well as 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. (8-12, 4-5) Wofford @ Northern Colorado: While Northern Colorado led the entire first half, Wofford stuck with them and only trailed 28-23 at the half. But the Terriers fell further behind in the 2nd half and dropped their 3rd straight game…this time by a score of 58-48. Both teams shot poorly but the Bears held a 45-34 rebounding advantage, a 15-10 turnover advantage and scored 9 more points at the line than the Terriers. SF Brandon Detmer scored 11 plus had 8 boards for Wofford. For Northern Colorado, C Dennis Adams had a double-double (13 points and 13 rebounds). (10-10, 4-5) Sacred Heart @ Jacksonville: The first half was a series of lead changes, but Jacksonville came out of it with a 32-26 edge. In the last 10 minutes of the game the Dolphins were able to pull away and achieved a 66-53 win. SF Michael Frederick scored 14 points for Jacksonville, while PF Maurice Braun had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve guard Jacque Thompson added 10 points. (7-13, 5-4) Cal-Davis @ Samford: This was a very close game the entire way. Cal-Davis held a razor narrow 39-37 lead at the break. But Samford’s 54% shooting plus the refs sending the Bulldogs to the line 25 more times where they scored 18 more points than the Aggies resulted in Cal-Davis falling 81-77. C Mike Blackman scored 16, PG Roby Phillips hit for 15, and reserve PF Dale Lemon added 10. C Tim Canty scored 22 for Samford. (8-13, 4-6) Sacramento St. @ Chicago St.: Without injured PF Robert Allocco, Chicago State came into this game with a big disadvantage. The Cougars trailed 45-38 at the half and ended up losing 84-75. 24 turnovers were the Cougars downfall. SF Devin Archie score 18 for Chicago State while 4 players (PG Ryan Roberts, SG Chris Scott, and reserves Jared Fischer and Dane Jackson) finished with 10 points each. C Anthony Davis scored 20 points for Sacramento State. (11-10, 5-5) Texas St. @ Loyola-Maryland: Texas State shot poorly and fell behind 44-27 at the intermission. The Bobcats shooting didn’t improve in the 2nd half and Texas State took a 78-51 beatdown. SG Mike Brown scored 13 and PG Garrick Allen added 10 for the Bobcats. (7-14, 3-7) North Dakota @ Wofford: While the first half was close all the way, Wofford escaped with a 29-25 lead. The Terriers expanded their lead to as much as 18 points in the 2nd half and won 69-58. PG Antuan Lackey led Wofford’s scoring with 14 points while C Brandon Linton scored 10 and pulled down 9 boards. (11-10, 5-5) Jacksonville @ Utah Valley: The two teams exchanged the lead 9 times in the first half with Jacksonville coming out on top 35-33 at the break. But Utah Valley put the Dolphins away in the 2nd half. The final score was 78-60. PG Reggie Scholl topped the scoring for the Jacksonville with 13 points and SF Michael Frederick and reserve PF Morgan Moore both scored 11. Utah Valley’s C Richard Winston burned the Dolphins for 41 points. (7-14, 5-5) Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State was the Conference T Player of the Week even though he only played in one of his team’s two games. Injuries: Chicago State’s PF Robert Allocco strained an abdominal muscle. He did not play in the last game this week and will miss the next 1 or 2 games.PG Scott Ward of Cal-Davis sustained a mild concussion but is expected to be available for his team’s next game.

Week 11 (ending 1/28/18) Results: Citadel @ Chicago St.: The game was close in the first 10 minutes of the first half and then Chicago State gained control and opened a 14 point lead before settling for a 45-37 halftime advantage. But the Bulldogs made a series of runs in the 2nd that kept the game close. But the Cougars were able to maintain a very small lead. Citadel was forced to foul in the final moments of the game. Chicago State connected to forge a hard-fought 90-84 victory. PF Robert Allocco had another big game, scoring 30 points and pulling down 7 rebounds as well as blocking 4 shots. PF Ryan Roberts scored 10 and dished out 7 assists. SF Devin Archie used great positioning to pull down 10 rebounds. Reserve SG Jared Fischer put 13 points on the board in just 15 minutes of play. For Citadel, PF Mark Jefferson scored 30 points. (11-7, 5-2) MD Eastern Shore @ Texas St.: Texas State came into this game saddled with a 4-game loss streak. But early in the first half, the Bobcats took control and by the end of the half, led 39-27. Texas State gradually increased their lead in the 2nd half and won going away 79-60. Four of the Bobcats’ starters scored in double points (PF Kebu Dupay with 19 plus 9 rebounds, C Matt Wright with 17, PG Garrick Allen with 14 and 6 assists, and SG Mike Brown with 10 points) and the fifth starter, SF Russell Brown had 8 points and 9 boards. (6-12, 2-5) Cal-Davis @ Cornell: Cornell took it to the Aggies in the first half, going up by 18 at one point before finishing the half leading 41-31. But Cal-Davis clawed their way back into the game in the 2nd half and by the end, took a one point lead with 17 seconds to play. But the Big Red worked the ball around and then into their big center Tim Sanders who muscled up a shot inside with 3 seconds remaining that fell through the hoop to pin a 75-74 loss on Cal-Davis. The two things that sunk the Aggies: Cornell getting to the line 11 more times where they scored 9 more points…and…23 turnovers by the Aggies while the Big Red had just 6 turnovers. PG Roby Phillips led the Aggies’ scoring with 14 points while reserve guard Nicholas Crudup scored 12. C Tim Sanders scored 28 for Cornell. The win kept Cornell atop the Conference T standings, one game ahead of Chicago State and 2 other teams. (7-11, 3-4) Wofford @ SE Missouri St.: This game was close from start to finish with 15 lead changes and 10 ties. At the half, SE Missouri State led 38-33. Wofford quickly erased that lead in the 2nd half and the game was a barn-burner throughout the final 20 minutes. With the game tied with 19 seconds to go, Wofford turned the ball over. That allowed SE Missouri State to play for last shot and they made it count with SF Travis Townes draining a 16 footer from the baseline just before the buzzer sounded. Wofford went home with a 69-67 loss. 9 more points by the Redhawks at the free throw line and 9 more turnovers by the Terriers were the difference in the game. PG Antuan Lackey scored 12 to top Wofford’s scoring with PF Kenny Taylor adding 11 and reserves Jamaal Hobbs and Jimmy Griffin each scoring 10. SE Missouri State’s SG Scotty Barker led all scorers with 23 points. (10-8, 4-3) Lamar @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville came into the game riding a 4-game win streak and must have thought they had this game in the bag. Lamar grabbed the lead on the first possession of the game and never gave it up, leading 41-33 at the half and burying the Dolphins in the 2nd half as Jacksonville fell hard, 71-53. Jacksonville was out-shot 54% to 39%, out-rebounded 37-27, and had 4 more turnovers than the Cardinals. Reserve Morgan Moore led Jacksonville’s scoring with 13 while SG Justin Hartfield added 11. PG John Williams hit for 20 points for Lamar. (6-12, 4-3) Cal-Davis @ Nicholls St.: The first half was extremely tight with a bunch of lead changes. At the intermission, Nicholls State led 38-36. The early moments of the 2nd half made it look like the game might go down to the last shot, but then the Colonels caught fire and ran away to as much as an 18 point lead. Cal-Davis dropped the game 87-75. SG Steffon Forman topped the scoring for Cal-Davis with 13 points while PF Tyrone Dickerman and reserve C Abraham Jackson both scored 10 with Dickerman also pulling down 9 boards. (7-12, 3-5) Texas St. @ Howard: Texas State deployed a rock-solid defense in the first half and led 29-23 at the break. But the Bobcats’ defense crumbled in the 2nd half allowing Howard to cruise by them and beat Texas State by a score of 63-52. SF Russell Brown scored 14 and grabbed 10 boards for Texas State. Howard’s C RaShawn Lynch torched the Bobcats for 30 points. (6-13, 2-6) Cornell @ Chicago St.: In a battle for a share of first place, Chicago State hung with the Big Red in the first half but still trailed at the break 43-38. But the dominance of Cornell came through in the 2nd half as they pulled away for a 84-66 beatdown of the Cougars. Cornell blazed the nets, hitting 62% of their FG attempts and controlled the boards 34-24. SF Devin Archie and PF Robert Allocco shared scoring honors for Chicago State with 14 points apiece. C Tim Sanden scored 21 for Cornell. (11-8, 5-3) Lamar @ Wofford: The lead changed constantly in the 1st half as neither team could gain an advantage. Wofford came away with a 42-39 halftime edge. The 2nd half was a continuance but midway through the half, Lamar went on a run that Wofford could never counter. The Terriers dropped the game at home by a score of 93-74. For Wofford, PF Kenny Taylor scored 21, C Brandon Linton had 17 (plus 8 rebounds), and PG Antuan Lackey added 11. But the guard tandem of John Williams (25 points) and Andy Cherry (24 points) was too much for Wofford. (10-9, 4-4) Jacksonville @ North Carolina Central: Jacksonville never was in this game, trailing 41-19 at the half and finished with a 69-47 butt-kicking. Jacksonville’s PG Reggie Scholl scored 16. (6-13, 4-4)

Week 10 (ending 1/21/18) Results: American @ Chicago St.: This was a sloppily played game. Chicago State turned the ball over 20 times, but did better than American which had 26 turnovers. The Cougars scored first and often, never trailing. By the half they were ahead 43-33 and expanded their lead to as much as 25 points in the 2nd half before finishing with an easy 88-70 shoot down of the Eagles. Chicago State singed the net, hitting 55% of their shots. As usual, PF Robert Allocco topped their scoring with 23 points and rebounding with 9. He also had a steal and 3 blocks. Not far behind in scoring was PG Ryan Roberts with 20 points. Roberts also dished out 7 assists. SF Devin Archie also finished in double figures with 14 points. (9-7, 3-2) Cal-Davis @ Sacramento St.: Cal-Davis had an anemic offense in the first half and trailed 36-24 at the break. They picked things up in the 2nd half and made a ball game of it before falling 67-60. Had they been able to make more than the 12 of 25 they connected with at the foul line, the result could have been in their favor. PF Tyrone Dickerman as their top scorer with 12 points. Sacramento State’s C Anthony Davis topped all scorers with 21 points while SF Jamal Sawyer had a double double (12 points and 10 rebounds). (6-10, 2-3) Harvard @ Texas St.: The Bobcats came out flat and fell behind by 17 points in the first half and then trailed 33-20 at the intermission. Texas State kicked their offense into gear in the 2nd half, but the gap was too great and they dropped a home game by the score of 74-66. Reserve PF Darryl Brown scored 18 points in just 8 minutes of play for the Bobcats while 3 starts scored in double figures (C Matt Wright, 13 points; PG Garrick Allen, 11 points; and SG Mike Brown, 10 points). After the game Coach Vernell Strom said, “We have to get tougher, particularly when playing at home. We can’t play like zombies for 20 minutes and expect to win.” (5-11, 1-4) Wofford @ Sacred Heart: Sacred Heart came into this game with a 10-5 record and a 6-1 home record. They showed why in the 1st half, dominating Wofford and finishing the half with a solid 35-25 lead. Coach Kyle Anders must have burned some butts at the half, because the Terriers came out with not only a revised game plan but a renewed energy that quickly erased the Pioneers lead, but propelled Wofford to a resounding 75-64 win on the road. The Terriors were like bulldogs on the boards and sported a 38-29 rebounding advantage. Leading Wofford offensively was SG Victor Griffin with 22 points. C Brandon Linton scored 17 and PG Antuan Lackey picked up 11 points and 7 assists. PF Kevin Taylor pulled down 10 boards for the Terriers. (9-7, 3-2) North Dakota @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville struggled early and the lead flip-flopped 5 times, but the Dolphins then gained control and took a 37-28 lead to the locker room. Jacksonville maintained their lead throughout the 2nd half and won 62-54 behind the leadership of PF Maurice Braun and his 19 points and 12 rebounds. PG Reggie Scholl contributed 14 points for the Dolphins. (5-11 , 3-2) Chicago St. @ Nicholls St.: Chicago State came out zeroed in on the basket and ran off to a 46-33 halftime advantage. The Cougars held onto a comfortable lead throughout the 2nd half and won convincingly 84-74. Chicago State hit 52% of their shots and out-rebounded the Colonels 37-24. PF Robert Allocco scored 31 points and hauled down 9 rebounds for the Cougars. (10-7, 4-2) Texas St. @ Northwestern St.: The Bobcats and Demons played a back-and-forth game for the first 10 minutes, but then Northwestern State gained control and sported a 41-30 halftime lead. Texas State was unable to seriously threaten the Demons in the 2nd half and dropped the game by a score of 71-62 as they let Northwestern State hit 51% of their shots. The loss was the 4th straight by the Bobcats and gained Texas State sole possession of last place in Conference T. SF Russell Brown was the top scorer for the Bobcats with 13 points. C Elton Scruggs score 21 points and had 10 rebounds for the Demons. (5-12, 1-5) Cal St. Northridge @ Cal-Davis: Cal-Davis took control early and by the end of the first half the Aggies led 39-29. Their lead ballooned to 31 points in the 2nd half. Playing reserves extensively they settled for an 83-58 lopsided victory, knocking down 54% of their shots. Reserve Abraham Jackson scored 22 points in his 22 minutes of play for Cal-Davis and PG Roby Phillips added 11. Cal State Northridge’s PG Kevin White scored 22 points. (7-10, 3-3) North Carolina Central @ Wofford: Wofford was on fire in the first half as they put the Eagles into a 50-27 halftime hole. The Terriers played their bench extensively in the 2nd half but still won with ease, 75-61. C Brandon Linton scored 16 and had 8 rebounds while PG Antuan Lackey added 13 points. (10-7, 4-2) Jacksonville @ Northern Colorado: The game swayed back and forth early but by the end of the first half, Jacksonville had opened a 40-33 lead. Throughout the 2nd half they maintained a comfortable lead and gained a road win by the tune of 77-68. The Dolphins had just 8 turnovers while the Bears turned the ball over 17 times. Jacksonville is now riding a 4-game win streak. PG Reggie Scholl scored 21 and C Ross Walker added 15 points for Jacksonville. Northern Colorado’s C Dennis Adams hit for 16 points while SG Kenroy Celuck scored 10 and had 10 rebounds and 5 assists. (6-11, 4-2) Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State again won the Conference T Player of the Week award based upon his scoring 54 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in the Cougars’s two wins this week. Allocco is now averaging 24.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg.

Week 9 (ending 1/14/18) Results: Loyola-Maryland @ Chicago St.: Loyola-Maryland jumped out on top and opened an 11 point lead in the first half, but Chicago State was able to trim the lead to 37-32 at the break. The Cougars continued their comeback in the 2nd half but the lead shifted back and forth until the Cougars rallied to go up by 13 points. The Greyhounds made a late run that made things too close for comfort for Chicago State. The Cougars were able to hold on for a slim 74-70 victory. PF Robert Allocco again carried Chicago State by scoring 26 points and yanking down 10 boards. (8-6, 2-1) Cal-Davis @ Northwestern St.: Cal-Davis and Northwestern State played equally in the first half with the Aggies coming away with a narrow 31-30 lead at the half. But the Demons go their offense firing on all cylinders in the 2nd half and ran away with a 75-58 beatdown of Cal-State. The Aggies controlled the boards 33-19 but had trouble holding onto the ball, making 23 turnovers to the Demons 9. Cal-Davis’ PG Roby Phillips scored 11 points and PF Tyrone Dickerman had 10 rebounds. (5-9, 1-2) Texas St. @ Cornell: Texas State was never really in this game, trailing 36-27 at the break and being tagged with a 72-57 loss. SF Russell Brown scored 15 points for the Bobcats. (5-9, 1-2) Abilene Christian @ Wofford: Wofford controlled the first half, leading 45-38 at the half. They maintained a lead in the 2nd half, but it narrowed as the game progressed. The Terriers barely hung on, winning 74-73. C Brandon Linton topped the Terriers’ scoring with 18 points. C Ben Gardner of Abilene Christian was high point scorer in the game with 22 points. (8-6, 2-1) Lipscomb @ Jacksonville: The game was tight throughout the first half which ended with a 29-29 tie. But Jacksonville defensively stymied the Bisons and ran away to a 68-48 victory, thus ending their 9-game loss streak. PG Reggie Scholl scored 21 points for the Dolphins. (3-11, 1-2) Chicago St. @ Samford: The first half ended tied at 26-26. The game remained close in the 2nd half, but the refs put the Bulldogs on the line 9 more times where they scored 8 more points than the Cougars which resulted in a disappointing 63-60 loss by the Cougars. PF Robert Allocco scored 23 of the Cougars 60 points and also had 8 rebounds. (8-7, 2-2) Texas St. @ Cal-Davis: Yet another competitive first half. The score at the break was 35-35. But Cal-Davis had just enough tank in the gas to come away with a 67-62 win. SG Steffon Forman scored 19 points and had 5 blocks for Cal-Davis while SF Russell Brown popped in 16 points plus ripping down 9 boards. (Cal-Davis: 6-9, 2-2; Texas State: 5-10, 1-3) Utah Valley @ Wofford: This game was close the entire way. Utah Valley led 43-42 at the end of the first half. But ultimately the Wolverines out-played the Terriers and Wofford dropped one at home, 74-71. C Brandon Linton pumped in 20 points for Wofford. (8-7, 2-2) Jacksonville @ Robert Morris: Jacksonville led by as much as 20 points in the first half and left eh court with a 39-21 advantage. They needed every bit of that as the Colonials came back with an offensive onslaught in the 2nd half to tie the game at 74-74 at the end of regulation play. But the Dolphins re-established their defense in the overtime to come away with an 85-78 road win. The Dolphins’ C Ross Walker scored 21 points while his teammate PF Maurice Braun had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. For Robert Morris, SG Patrick Perry also scored 21 points and SF Osei Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds. (4-11, 2-2)

Week 8 (ending 1/7/18) Results: Chicago St. @ St. Peter’s: Chicago State forgot to bring their defense with them on this road trip. Their offense tried to keep pace with St. Peter’s in the first half, but was unable as the Peacocks held a 52-45 halftime lead. But the Cougars completely collapsed in the 2nd half and got drubbed 99-70 while allowing St. Peter’s to hit 59% of their FG attempts. PF Robert Allocco was the only bright spot for the Cougars. He scored 30 points, hitting 12 of 16 from the field, while pulling down 7 rebounds. The rest of the team made just 7 of 27 shots from the field. Reserve SG Landon Zimmerman scored 22 points during his 22 minutes of play for St. Peter’s. (6-6, 0-1) Harvard @ Cal-Davis: Cal-Davis took command early and pulled away to a 44-32 advantage at the break. They then lengthened their lead in the 2nd half and cruised to a 78-61 victory, knocking down 57% of their shots and dominating the boards 31-19. C Mike Blackman scored 26 points and SG Steffon Forman grabbed 10 boards for the Aggies. (5-7, 1-0) Sacramento St. @ Texas St.: Texas State came out cold as ice, falling behind by 12 in the first half and trailing 34-25 at the half. They closed the difference in the 2nd half but were never able to overtake the Hornets, falling 61-56 during an uninspired start at home in conference play. C Matt Wright and SG Mike Brown both had 11 points for Texas State. (4-8, 0-1) Wofford @ SIU-Edwardsville: The two teams exchanged the lead 11 times in the first half, but Wofford was behind 43-36 at the end of the first stanza. But the Terriers ran out of gas in the 2nd half and progressively fell further behind, ending with an 83-66 beating. Wofford lost the battle of the boards 31-20 and made 28 turnovers during the game. Reserve C Jamaal Hobbs scored 16 points to lead the offensive effort by the Terriers. SF Albert Seymour had 20 points for the Cougars. (6-6, 0-1) Jacksonville @ TX Rio Grande Valley: Jacksonville came off the court at the half with a 39-37 advantage. Their offense sputtered in the 2nd half which resulted in the Dolphins dropping the game by a score of 69-59. PF Maurice Braun was top scorer for Jacksonville with 10 points. (2-10, 0-1) Howard @ Chicago St.: Chicago State was unable to pull away from Howard in the first half but ended up 43-41 at the break. Their offense continued to click in the 2nd half while their defense stiffened and they gradually pulled away to score an 86-68 stomping of the Bison. The game was highlighted by two offensive showcases with PF Robert Allocco scoring 30 for Chicago State and C RaShawn Lynch besting him by scoring 31 points for Howard. Lynch sunk 14 of 17 shots from the field. But Allocco added 10 rebounds to be the Player of the Game. (7-6, 1-1) Cal-Davis @ MD Eastern Shore: Cal-Davis may just as well have not made the trip to Maryland. By the half they trailed 47-30 and ended up being crushed 89-59, being out-played in every aspect of the game. PG Nicholas Crudup came off the bench to score 14 points for the Aggies. (5-8, 1-1) Cal St. Northridge @ Texas St.: Texas State roared to a 48-25 lead at the half and then held on in the 2nd half to escape with a 77-70 win. PF Russell Brown led the Bobcats with 15 points. The Matadors PG Kevin White led all scorers with 22 points. (5-8, 1-1) Wofford @ Incarnate Word: While the game was close early, Wofford pulled away late in the 1st half to build a 44-30 halftime advantage. That allowed them to coast in the 2nd half and still win 76-68 on the road. PF Brandon Linton topped their scoring with 14 points. (7-6, 1-1) Jacksonville @ Longwood: Jacksonville dropped their 9th straight game. They came out flat in the first half and limped to a 36-22 deficit at the break. Even though their offense finally came alive in the 2nd half, they were unable to make headway, losing 73-59. PG Reggie Scholl had 11 points for Jacksonville. (2-11, 0-2) Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State was named the Conference T Player of the Week award based on his scoring 60 points and grabbing 17 boards in his team’s two games. (Grrrr…think he might have been National Player of the Week except that a Cincinnati player had a 49 point game…but…only 17 in his 2nd game this week)

Week 7 (ending 12/31/17) Results: Cal-Davis @ #25 UNLV: The Aggies took on a very tough foe and found the mountain too high to climb. Trailing throughout and by a 47-29 score at the half, they were unable to close in on the Runnin’ Rebels in the 2nd half and got blasted 78-60. The Aggies got no 2nd chance points and no fast break points the entire game. SG Steffon Forman scored 14 for Cal-Davis. UNLV’s top scorer, SF Michael Blunt, had a big day, scoring 28, grabbing 6 boards, dishing out 2 assists, and getting 2 steals and 3 blocks. (4-7) Nebraska-Omaha @ Texas St.: The Bobcats led much of the first half but were unable to break away, leading by a scant 5 points at the end of the half. But Texas State scored 51 points in the 2nd half to blow the Mavericks away by an 85-68 score. The Bobcats his 60% of their FG attempts. C Matt Wright led their scoring with 17 points. (4-7) Milwaukee @ Chicago St.: Chicago State started slowly and fell behind by 13 points in the first half before ending the half trailing 43-36. But the Cougars totally turned things around in the 2nd half and cruised to an 83-75 dusting of the Panthers. PF Robert Allocco scored 17 and had 11 rebounds for Chicago State. C Tony Smallwood topped all scorers with 20 points for Milwaukee. (6-5) Jacksonville @ Seattle: Jacksonville simply got waxed in the first half, trailing 38-16 at the break. The Dolphins closed the difference a little in the 2nd half but never seriously threatened and lost 57-43. No player on either team scored in double figures. (2-9) Wofford @ LaSalle: The first part of the game was close with a number of lead changes, but then Wofford clamped down defensively to draw away to a 34-20 halftime lead. The Terriers let the Explorers get close in the 2nd half but still came away with a 63-56 win. Three Terriers each scored 11 points (PG Antuan Lackey, C Jamaal Hobbs, and PG Colin Emery). LaSalle’s SF Ben Barrow scored 20 and had 10 boards. (6-5)

Thanks

Week 6 (ending 12/24/17) Results: Cal-Davis @ North Florida: Cal-Davis broke out on top, but North Florida quickly overcame their lead and went onto build a 41-30 advantage. The Osprey kept the Aggies from seriously threatened in the 2nd half and put Cal-Davis away 65-52. SF Tori Johnsen topped the Aggies scoring with 12 points. (4-6) Rhode Island @ Texas St.: Texas State totally controlled the game in the first half with a tenacious defense. At the half the Bobcats led 35-18. But Rhode Island roared back in the 2nd half to take a 7 point lead. Texas State put on a late run to tie the game at 63-63 a the end of regulation play. Neither team got more than a 2 point lead in the OT. With the score tied, Texas State scored on their last possession to win 72-70. SG Mike Brown scored 19 points while PG Garrick Allen nearly had a double with 10 points and 9 assists. For Rhode Island, PF Clyde Hare topped all scorers with 22 points and C George Valdez scored 10 while grabbing 12 rebounds. (3-7) Chicago St. @ Eastern Illinois: The game was close during the first 10 minutes but Eastern Illinois grabbed a 42-35 halftime lead. The Panthers then extended their lead to 21 points in the 2nd half. The Cougars cut into their lead but still were convincingly beaten 77-61. The Cougars abysmal shooting (35% of their FG attempts and a measly 13% of their 3 point shots) did them in. PF Robert Allocco scored 23 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for Chicago State. (5-5) Jacksonville @ Drake: Jacksonville played strongly in the first half and came out of it with a 33-31 lead. But the Dolphins fell apart in the 2nd half and lost 71-58 to extend their losing streak to 6 games. The Dolphins’ PF Maurice Braun scored 18 and grabbed 12 rebounds. (2-8) Bryant @ Wofford: Wofford’s defense allowed the Terriers to take a 34-21 lead to the locker room and then win going away, 68-43. Wofford’s C Brandon Linton played his best collegiate game, scoring 28 points and hauling down 8 boards. (5-5)

Week 5 (ending 12/17/17) Results: Cal-Davis @ Iona: This was a blowout all the way. By the end of the first half, Cal-Davis trailed by a score of 50-20 and then fell behind by as much as 42 points before finishing with an 82-55 walloping. Zero defense by the Aggies. Really only two Cal-Davis players put out much effort…SF Tori Johnson came back from an injury to score 16 and SF Steffon Forman added 14. Iona was led by SF Terrell Scholl’s 21 points and PG Robinson Belin’s 17 points and 9 assists. (4-5) Texas St. @ Georgia: Another lost cause. Texas State fell behind immediately. By the end of the first half, Georgia was up 49-22. Texas State faired no better in the 2nd half. The Bobcats were finally put out of their agony, 93-50. Ugly! SG Mike Brown was the only Bobcat to score in double figures and he finished with 13 points. Georgia’s PF Keiron Bohm scored 22 and C Jeremy Sheppard had 13 points and 11 rebounds. (2-7) Chicago St. @ Niagara: Chicago State was able to escape the road trap and led 47-34 at the half before finishing with an 81-71 victory. The Cougars simply out-hustled and outshot the Purple Eagles. PG Marco Tennell came off the bench to pour in 17 points in just 8 minutes of court time, hitting 6 of 7 FG’s including 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. The loss ended Chicago State’s 3 game win streak. (5-4) Jacksonville @ Miami (FL): Jacksonville tried to keep pace with Miami in the first half but fell behind to trail 36-24 at the break. The Hurricanes then blew the Dolphins away in the 2nd half to give them a 74-41 stomping. While Miami was definitely the better team, the refs also helped bury Jacksonville by calling just 2 fouls against the Hurricanes the entire game. Jacksonville never made it to the foul line. Coach Parsons Nyland spent much of the 2nd half in the locker room after being assessed with his 2nd technical. There were no Dolphin players who deserved to be mentioned for their play. (2-6) Wofford @ Detroit: The Terriers and the Titans kept the score tight throughout the first half and went to the locker room deadlocked 36-36. But Detroit and its home crowd were too much in the 2nd half and Wofford fell 74-65. C Brandon Linton was the top scorer for Wofford with 11 points. (4-5) Jacksonville @ Memphis: Underdog Jacksonville trailed the talented Tigers by just 7 points at the break. The Dolphins then continually nipped at the heels of Memphis throughout the 2nd half and nearly came away with a huge upset, losing by the score of 74-70. Jacksonville outshot the Tigers 46% to 37% but the refs were the real difference in the game by sending Memphis to the line 18 more times where they scored 20 more points than Jacksonville. SF Michael Frederick scored 13 points for Jacksonville. Memphis’ PF Dan Beerbohm scored 20 and pulled down 8 boards. Jacksonville is now saddled with a 5-game losing streak. (2-7) A disappointing week for the 5 coaches with 5 losses in their 6 games. But all 6 games were on the road and the refs played a big part in at least 2 of the losses. Injuries: Texas State’s Russell Brown suffered a bruised hip but should be ready to go for the Bobcat’s next game. C Mike Blackman of Cal-Davis has a strained hamstring and may be out for 2 weeks.

Week 4 (ending 12/10/17) Results: Troy @ Cal-Davis: Coach Monroe Thurlow had his charges moving the ball around quickly in the first half. The Aggies fast pace left Troy reeling and the Aggies on top by 15. Troy narrowed the gap late in the first half which closed with Cal-Davis on top 44-37. Then in the 2nd half, Thurlow had the Aggies slow things down. This kept the Trojans from gaining sufficient momentum to overcome the Aggies. Cal-Davis gamely held on for a narrow 73-69 victory. C Mike Blackman scored 15 and pulled down 10 boards plus getting 2 steals and 2 blocks for the Aggies. (3-4) Texas St. @ Seattle: After the first few minutes in the 1st half, Texas State gained control and folled toa 46-25 halftime advantage. The Bobcats played cat-and-mouse with the Redhawks in the 2nd half, bending but not breaking and wound up with a 76-61 road win. Texas State’s two starting guards, Mike Brown and Garrick Allen both scored 13. (2-5) Clemson @ Chicago St.: Chicago State even surprised themselvs as they ambushed the heavily-favored Tigers and went ahead by 19 points. But Clemson turned things around in the latter stages of the first half to end up on top 43-41 at the half. The 2nd half was a real cat fight with neither the Tigers or Cougars able to take more than a 4 point lead. But Clemson had just enough overall talent to tack an 85-82 loss on Chicago State. The Cougars launched a desperation 45 footer at the buzzer in an attempt to tie the game but it bounced off the side of the rim. PF Robert Allocco continued to show his ability by scoring a game-high 30 points and Ryan Roberts had 12 assists for the Cougars. Clemson’s reserve SG Scott Jones burned Chicago State for 25 points. (4-3) North Alabama @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville came out of a surprisingly close first half with a 36-32 lead. But winless North Alabama struck back in the 2nd half to outdistance the Dolphins and score an upset 76-69 win. SG Justin Hartfield had 17 points for Jacksonville, but PF Maurice Braun scored 16 and grabbed 13 rebounds. The Lions’ PG Wes Herr scored 20 to lead all scorers. (2-5) Denver @ Wofford: After a lethargic start that left Wofford 9 points behind the Pioneers, the Terriers gradually chipped away to take a 34-29 lead to the locker room. Wofford expanded their lead to as much as 14 points in the 2nd half and came away with an easy 60-49 stomping of the Pioneers by holding Denver’s shooting to just 31%. Reserve SG Sam Spurgeon scored 15 points to lead Wofford’s offensive attack while PF Kenny Taylor worked the boards for 10 rebounds. (4-3) Cal-Davis @ Loyola-Chicago: Cal-Davis carved out a 41-34 lead at the break. They then expanded the lead to17 points midway through the 2nd half. Loyola-Chicago made a run but was unable to overcome such a large lead as the Aggies pulled off a 68-60 win on the road. PF Tyrone Dickerman dropped in 18 points for Cal-Davis. (4-4) UNLV @ Texas St.: The #18th ranked UNLV Runnin’ Rebels showed why they deserve their ranking in the polls by hitting 54% of their shots and dominating the boards 40-23. The result was a 43-29 halftime advantage and an 86-68 beat down of the Bobcats. PG Collin Jackson came in off the bench to lead the Bobcats in scoring with 11 points. SG Raheem Hunter hit for 21 points and dished out 8 assists for UNLV. (2-6) Chicago St. @ Utah Valley: Chicago State led early in the game, but then things went downhill for the Cougars. By the end of the first half they trailed 48-29. While they narrowed the chasm a bit late in the game, they lost 86-77 by letting the Wolverines knock down 54% of their shots. PF Robert Allocco led the Cougars with 22 points and 8 rebounds. But Utah Valley’s C Richard Winston dominated inside with 27 points. (4-4) Texas Southern @ Wofford: Wofford’s offense clicked in the 1st half as they poured in points enroute to a 46-36 halftime lead. But the Terrier’s offense fizzled in the 2nd half and the Tigers raced past them to edge Wofford 72-69. PF Kenny Taylor was Wofford’s top scorer with 17 points. SG Larry Walton poured in 21 points for Texas Southern. (4-4) Award: Chicago State’s PF Robert Allocco was again Conference T’s Player of the Week, averaging 26 points in his team’s 2 games this week. Injury: SF Tori Johnson of Cal-Davis is nursing a pulled muscle in his leg but should be ready to play in their next game.

3rd Week (ending 12/3/17) Results: Cal-Davis @ Illinois St.: Cal-Davis fell behind early and trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half. The half ended with Illinois State ahead 43-34. The Aggies kept the Redbirds in sight throughout the 2nd half but could never pull even and fell by a score of 72-64. Illinois State continually got clear for shots, hitting 52% of their FG attempts. Three Aggies each scored 10 points (SF Tori Johnson and reserves Nicholas Crudup and Abraham Jackson). But Illinois State’s PF Robert Kerlin burned the Aggies for 23 points. (1-4) Dayton @ Chicago St.: The Cougars were stone cold in the 1st half and were in a 45-21 hole at the end of the half. Chicago State got their offense in gear in the 2nd half but it was too little, too late as they dropped a home game 73-65. PF Robert Allocco scored 26 plus had 8 rebounds for the Cougars. (3-2) Jacksonville @ Alabama A&M: The score remained close throughout the 1st half but Jacksonville came out on top 38-34. The Bulldogs came out firing in the 2nd half and the Dolphins dropped behind by 18 points midway through the half. They rallied toward the end of the game, but couldn’t make up the difference and lost 82-73. C Ross Walker led Jacksonville’s scoring with 18 points and PF Maurice Braun nearly had a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds. PG Ralph McKnight scored 24 and added 8 assists to lead Alabama A&M. (2-3) Wofford @ Texas St.: Kyle Anders’ Wofford Terriers (Conf U) travelled to take on Vernell Strom’s Texas State Bobcats (Conf T). The two teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the first half with Wofford pulling out a slim 34-30 halftime lead. The game remained close in the 2nd half until Anders’ team crept away toward the end to come away with a 68-59 road victory that kept Texas State winless. Wofford completely dominated the boards (42-21) and had 12 second chance points to just 2 for the Bobcats. For Wofford C Brandon Linton had a career high 21 points while PF Kenny Taylor scored 14 and grabbed 9 rebounds. SG Mike Brown topped the scoring for Texas State with 17 points. (Wofford: 3-2; Texas State: 0-5) Cal-Davis @ Wagner: The Aggies broke out on top but could never pull away, leading 37-34 at the break. The held onto a small lead throughout the rest of the game and finished with a convincing 74-64 victory. C Mike Blackman hit for 17 points for Cal-Davis. (2-4) South Dakota St. @ Texas St.: Desperate to hang up a “W”, Texas State battled South Dakota State throughout the first half and came away with a narrow 30-29 edge at the intermission. The Bobcats steadily built their lead in the 2nd half, leading by as much as 14 before finishing with a 72-62 win. PG Garrick Allen was the top scorer for Texas State with 12 points. SF Russell Brown and PF Kebu Dupay combined to haul down 19 rebounds. (1-5) Chicago St. @ Cal-Riverside: The 1st half was close throughout. The Cougars finished the half with a 31-29 advantage. But in the 2nd half, their offense caught fire and they left the Highlanders in the dust, stomping them 81-67 by hitting 60% of their shots. PF Robert Allocco had another awesome game for Chicago State, scoring 30 and pulling down 8 rebonds. (4-2) William & Mary @ Jacksonville: The Dolphins let down their home fans by playing lethargically. At the half they trailed 35-23 and made little effort to catch up I the 2nd half, losing 70-58. Jacksonville hit just 33% of their shots. PG Reggie Scholl and reserve C Quentin Taylor both scored 13 for the Dolphins. (2-4) Wofford @ Northern Iowa: Northern Iowa crushed Wofford, leading 48-26 at the half and tarring the Terriers with a 70-46 shellacking. PF Kenny Taylor had 12 points for Wofford. The Terriers could only hit 29% of their shots. PG Derron Coulibaly scored 23, SF Wade Graham had 20, and C Andrew Bain added 19 for Northern Iowa. (3-3) Award: PF Robert Allocco of Chicago State deservedly won the Conference U Player of the Week award. He scored 56 points and had 16 boards in the Cougars two games this week. Thus far this season he is averaging 23.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg and is hitting 755 of his shots in the post. Injury: Abraham Jackson is suffering back spasms and will miss the next game for Cal-Davis.

2nd Week (ending 11/26/17) Results: Indiana St. @ Cal-Davis: Following two road losses, Coach Monroe Thurlow hoped to get put a notch in the “W” column. It took 5 minutes of play, buriedt then Thurlow’s charges took control and by the end of the half sported a 31-24 advantage. The 2nd half was a blowout as the Aggies scorched the Sycamores to go ahead by as much as 36 points before finishing with an 87-54 margin of victory. The dominance was complete with Cal-Davis outshooting Indiana State 56% to 40%, holding a 34-19 rebounding advantage, and making just 9 turnovers to the Sycamore’s 16. PG Roby Phillips scored 17 while SG Steffon Forman grabbed 7 rebounds and had 7 assists. SF Tori Johnson had an awesome defensive game with 3 steals and 4 blocks while holding his opposing SF to just 2 points. (1-2) Texas St. @ Montana: While the game was very close in the early stages of the 1st half, the Grizzlies held sway in the latter portions. Texas State was faced with a 38-28 deficit at the break. Their fortunes didn’t improve in the 2nd half and Coach Vernell Strom’s charges ended up with a 75-54 loss. SG Russel Brown was the top scorer for the Bobcats with just 9 points. C Maurice Woods paced Montana with 21 points. (0-3) Chicago St. @ Old Dominion: Old Dominion opened an 8 point lead in the 1st half but the Cougars came back to tie the score at the end of the half 26-26. Chicago State continued to control the action in the 2nd half and came away with an 83-69 road win by outshooting the Monarchs 48% to 39%. Chicago State was led by PG Ryan Roberts 13 points and 8 assists. (2-1) Jacksonville @ Coppin St.: The first half was a battle all the way and ended in a 33-33 tie. The 2nd half appeared to be a replay but Coppin State gained control late when the Dolphins offense sputtered and the Eagles held on for a 66-59 win in a game that saw 17 lead changes and 9 ties. Jacksonville’s C Ross Walker was top scorer with 14 points and he also had 2 steals and 3 blocks. (1-2) Wofford @ Delaware St.: Another game in which neither team could gain advantage throughout the first half with it ending knotted at 30-30. But the Terriers unleased a devasting defense in the 2nd half that allowed them to pull away for a convincing 65-53 victory. Wofford held a 51% to 36% shooting advantage plus totally controlled the boards (36-19). SF Brandon Detmer scored 13 points to lead Wofford. (1-2) Pacific @ Cal-Davis: After taking a small lead in the early stages of the 1st half, Cal-Davis fell apart and trailed 42-34 at the break. They were unable to turn things around in the 2nd half and fell on their home court 71-60. Reserve guard Malcolm Jones tried to resuscitate the Aggies moribund offense, scoring 16 points, but without help from others, the effort fell short. (1-3) Texas St. @ Colorado: Playing away against a much more talented team, the Bobcats held their own in the first half which ended in a 38-38 tie. Texas State appeared to have the Buffaloes on the ropes in the 2nd half, but Colorado put on a spurt late that gave them a 77-73 win over Texas State. So a moral victory, but still a loss for the Bobcats. The refs were the Bobcats undoing by sending Colorado to the line 14 more times where they scored 12 more points that Texas State. PG Garrick Allen Scored 13 and had 6 assists for Texas State. Colorado was led by C Damian Steele who scored 23 and grabbed 9 rebounds. (0-4) Long Island @ Chicago St.: The lead switched back and forth throughout the 1st half and the game was tied 34-34 at the end of the half. Chicago State’s defense stymied the Blackbirds throughout much of the 2nd half and the Cougars were able to pull ahead by as much as 20 points before finishing with a 70-58 win. Beyond their tough defense, Chicago State totally dominated the boards 44-27. PF Robert Allocco had a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds. (3-1) New Orleans @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville never trailed in this game. At the half they were ahead 45-40 and then expanded their lead to as much as 15 points before finishing with a 83-74 take down of the Privateers. PG Reggie Scholl scored 16 and SG Justin Hartfield dished out 7 assists. For New Orleans, SF Howard Morris scored a game-high 22 points. (2-2) Gardner Webb @ Wofford: Wofford was in control the entire way, leading 36-19 at the break. The Terriers ended up biting the Bulldogs hard 71-54. Wofford pulled down 40 rebounds compared to just 18 for Gardner Webb. The game was sloppily played though with the Terriers recording 25 turnovers and the Bulldogs making 20 turnovers. C Brandon Linton barely missed a double-double when he finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds. (2-2) Injury: Jacksonville PF Maurice Braun is nursing a sore hip but while he will miss some practice sessions, he’s expected to start the team’s next game.

1st Week (ending 11/19/17) Results: Cal-Davis @ Buffalo: Cal-Davis grabbed a small early lead but then fell behind, trailing 37-23 at the half. The roof caved in the 2nd half and Cal-Davis got stomped 70-47. The Aggies offense was led by SF Steffon Forman with 14 points. C Emanuel Johnson scored 20 for Buffalo. (0-1) Texas St. @ San Diego: Texas State was stymied offensively in the first half and trailed 45-22 at the break. They narrowed the lead in the 2nd half but lost by a score of 66-52. SG Mike Brown scored 12 points for the Bobcats. (0-1) Kent St. @ Chicago St.: Chicago State broke out on top and steadily built their lead to smash the Golden Flashes 89-64. PF Robert Allocco poured in 34 points for the Cougars while PG Ryan Roberts dished out 11 assists. (1-0) Troy @ Jacksonville: The first half was extremely close the entire way and ended in a 33-33 tie. Jacksonville gained control in the 2nd half and led by as much as 10 points but Troy threatened late. The Dolphins escaped with a 74-71 victory. SG Justin Harfield scored 17 points and PF Maurice Braun had a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) to lead the way for Jacksonville. (1-0) Wofford @ DePaul: Neither team could get more than a 4 point lead in the 1st half. The scored was tied 37-37 at the end of the half. The score remained tight most of the 2nd half. While Wofford ended up losing 73-68, they played tough all the way. There were 19 lead changes and 11 ties in the game. C Jamaal Hobbs scored 22 for the Terriers. (0-1) Cal-Davis @ Tennessee-Martin: Cal-Davis nipped at Tennessee-Martin’s heels throughout the first half and trailed just 47-42 and the mid-point of the game. But the Aggies again faded badly in the 2nd half to fall ignominiously 95-68. Mark Stone came in off the bench to gain scoring honors for Cal-Davis with 13 points. (0-2) Texas St. @ Texas-San Antonio: For a second straight game, Texas State began slowly, trailing at the half 43-24. They were unable to make up the difference in the 2nd half and dropped the game 85-67. PG Garrick Allen scored 17 for the Bobcats. SG Derrick Blizzard iced the Bobcats by scoring 20 points for the Roadrunners. (0-2) LaSalle @ Chicago St.: The two teams exchanged the lead frequently in the first half with LaSalle coming out on top 39-37. The 2nd half was nearly as close but Chicago State was outshot 45% to 36% and the Cougars were edged 79-72. Chicago State’s C Ryan Roberts hit for 15 points. SF Brad Kelly had a double-double (11 points and 10 boards) for LaSalle. (1-1) Jacksonville @ Ohio: Ohio blitzed the Dolphins in the first half 50-27. Jacksonville chipped away at the lead but the difference was too great and they were beaten 85-70. C Ross Walker and PG Reggie Scholl shared scoring honors for Jacksonville with 12 points each. But Ohio PF Brandt Bradley burned Jacksonville for 25 points. (1-1) Wofford @ Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Wofford was never in this game, trailing 49-27 at the half. The Terriers were creamed 78-59. SG Antuan Lackey chipped in 22 points for Wofford. (0-2) Overall an ugly week (2-8) for the 5 coaches.

Who’s Starting and what were their stats last season? (* -Starter last season) Cal-Davis Aggies, H/C Monroe Thurlow PG—6-0 Sr Roby Phillips—4.6 ppg SG—6-4 Sr Steffon Forman*—8.7 ppg SF—6-3 Jr Tori Johnson—3.3 ppg PF—6-8 Sr Tyrone Dickerman—5.6 ppg C---6-7 Sr Mike Blackman—1.5 ppg Chicago State Cougars, H/C DJ Brower PG—6-2 Sr Ryan Roberts*—9.0 ppg SG—6-1 Sr Chris Scott—2.3 ppg SF—6-6 Sr Devin Archie—4.8 ppg PF—6-6 Sr Robert Allocco*—18.6 ppg C---6-9 Fr Lamont Millford—high school or 6-8 So David Johnson—5.7 ppg Jacksonville Dolphins, H/C Parsons Nyland PG—6-5 Sr Reggie Scholl*—10.8 ppg SG—6-2 Sr Justin Hartfield*—7.6 ppg SF—6-5 So Michael Frederick*—8.1 ppg PF—6-6 Sr Maurice Braun*—11.0 ppg C---6-8 Jr Ross Walker—7.5 ppg Texas State Bobcats[, H/C Vernell Strom PG—5-9 So Garrick Allen—0.5 ppg SG—6-8 Sr Mike Brown—5.7 ppg SF—6-6 Sr Russell Brown*—7.9 ppg PF—6-7 Sr Kebu Dupay*—8.1 ppg C---6-8 Jr Matt Wright—7.5 ppg or 6-8 Fr Jeremy Traylor—high school Wofford Terriers, H/C Kyle Anders PG—6-5 So Antuan Lackey*—7.2 ppg SG—6-1 Sr Victor Griffin—3.4 ppg SF—6-6 Sr Brandon Detmer*—5.5 ppg PF—6-9 Sr Kenny Taylor*—8.8 ppg C—6-8 Jr Brandon Linton—5.7 ppg or 6-11 So Jamaal Hobbs*—10.3 ppg

Predicted finishes: Conference T (16 teams): Texas State-6th Chicago State-13th Cal-Davis-14th Conference U (16 teams): Jacksonville-5th Wofford-14th

Recruiting: Through the end of October: Chicago State-7 scholarships to offer; 1 acceptance Wofford-4 scholarships to offer; 2 acceptances Cal-Davis-8 scholarships to offer; 2 acceptances Texas State-5 scholarships to offer; 1 acceptance Jacksonville-5 scholarships to offer; 1 acceptance Again, very unimpressive recruiting by the 5 coaches. Let's hope they do a better job during the spring and fill most of their available scholarships.

Transfer Sessions for the 2017-2018 season: Disappointingly, while 4 of the 5 coaches had a total of 9 scholarships to fill, only one transfer player was signed by any of the friends. DJ Brower at Chiicago State signed SG Desmond Pugh, a sophomore who transferred from St. Peter’s. He has a good outside shot and a high degree of athleticism. So 8 scholarships went unfilled and that meant 4 of the 5 teams will have more than two walkon players this coming season;: Jacksonville has 3 Cal-Davis has 5 Chicago State has 4 Texas State has 4

End of Season Summary Conference U Awards: Robert Allocco, Chicago State: Player of the Year; All-Conference 1st Team John DePina, Texas State: All-Conference 2nd Team Vernell Strom, Texas State: Coach of the Year Recruits: Chicago State—3 scholarships to fill; none filled so only 10 scholarship players next season Wofford—1 scholarship to fill and 1 filled, therefore 13 scholarship players next season PF Ron Leonard, a HS senior from Duncan, SC, a good defender and scorer who is ranked as the #593 best recruit nationally. Cal-Davis—4 scholarships to fill, only 1 filled so 10 scholarship players next season PG Scott Ward, HS Sr, excellent outside shooter, passer and ball handler, ranked #1749 nationally Jacksonville—2 scholarships to fill, only 1 filled so 12 scholarship players next season PG Josh Jones, a HS senior from Daytona Beach, FL, a good ball handler and passer as well as a strong defender and good scorer who is ranked as the #1437 best recruit nationally. Texas State—4 scholarships to fill, only 2 filled so 11 scholarship players next season PG Collin Jackson, a HS senior from Lorenzo, TX, an excellent passer and good ball handler who is ranked as the #1441 best recruit nationally. SF Darryl Brown, #515, good scorer and ball handler, good defender, outstanding athleticism, ranked #515 nationally So...only one of the five coaches did a satisfactory job recruiting. Kyle Anders had only one scholarship to fill at Wofford, and he did it. The other 4 coaches? Two got 50% of their scholarships filled, one got 25% filled, and one completely failed and got 0% filled. In total, out of 14 available scholarships, just 5 were filled. That’s an abysmal 36%. Promotion/Relegation: Texas State (Vernell Strom), Chicago State (DJ Brower), and Cal-Davis (Monroe Thurlow) were promoted to Conference T. Jacksonville (Parsons Nyland) and Wofford (Kyle Anders) remain in Conference U. If grades were being given on team performance, the 3 coaches whose teams moved up probably would get B’s. The two whose teams remain in Conference U would receive C''s. Team Prestige and Head Coach Reputation: Cal-Davis: 11 (-2); Monroe Thurlow-9 (N/C) Chicago State: 16; (+3) DJ Brower-10 (+1) Jacksonville: 11 (-2); Parsons Nyland-9 (N/C) Texas State: 15 (+1); Vernell Strom-10 (+1) Wofford: 11 (-2); Kyle Anders-9 (N/C)

Tournaments Tournament Selections: Three Conference U teams are tournament bound and all three are coached by “our” coaches. Cal-Davis---Play-in game for #16 seed in NCAA Tournament Chicago State is #8 seed in South Region of NIT Tournament Texas State is #7 seed in South Region of NIT Tournament NCAA Play-in Game: Cal-Davis (15-16) vs North Carolina Central (16-15): Cal-Davis trailed but stayed close throughout the first half, finishing the half down 34-30. North Carolina Central gradually expanded their lead in the 2nd half and won going away 76-60. A combination of poor shooting and weakness on the boards led to the Aggies downfall. PF Jeremy Wolthers led Cal-Davis in scoring with 18 points. (15-17) NIT Round 1: Chicago State (16-12) vs Chattanooga (19-11): There were 8 lead changes and 5 ties in the first half, but Chicago State finished the half with a 35-30 deficit. Chattanooga ran away from the Cougars in the 2nd half and expanded their lead all the way up to the end of the game which Chicago State lost 80-58. SG Ryan Roberts scored 15 for Chicago State. PG Chris Rude led Chattanooga offensively with 20 points. (16-13) Texas State (19-9) vs Marquette (16-15): Marquette opened strongly and built a 16 point lead. Texas State had a late run in the 1st half that reduced Marquette’s lead to 32-23 at the break. The Bobcats gamely fought throughout the 2nd half to trim the lead but still lost 62-55. The Bobcats outshot Marquette 43% to 34% and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 44-28. But, Texas State’s downfall was that they made 27 turnovers compared to 15 by Marquette. SF Russell Brown topped Texas State’s scoring with 18 points. SG Kyle Fisher dropped in 26 points for Marquette. (19-10) Quick exits for all 3 coaches’ teams. C'est la vie. Tournament Championships: NCAA: #1 seed, #1 ranked Duke-96, #1 seed, #4 ranked Kentucky-77 NIT: #2 seed St. John’s-79, #4 seed Purdue-61 CIT: #1 seed Maryland-73, #4 seed Creighton-68 CBI: #2 seed Binghamton-74, #3 seed Bowling Green-72

TopLeading Players: Cal-Davis: Jeremy Wolthers-11.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg; Casey Givens-10.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg; Steffon Forman-8.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg; Jason Everett-8.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg; Adrian Ballard-7.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg; Tyrone Dickenman-5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg. Chicago State: Robert Allocco-18.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg; Steve Greer-9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg; Ryan Roberts-9.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg; Jared Fisher-7.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg; Gavin Johnson-6.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg; David Bracey-5.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg; David Johnson-5.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg Jacksonville: Maurice Braun-11.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg; Reggie Scholl-10.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.3 apg; Fred Smith-9.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg; Michael Frederick-8.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg; Rowland Boland-7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg; Justin Hartfield-7.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg; Ross Walker-7.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg Texas State: Terry Deng-12.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg; John DePina-11.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg; Gilbert Lemeke-10.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.0 apg; Kebu Dupay-8.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg; Russell Brown-7.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 24. apg; Matt Wright-7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg; Mike Brown-5.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg Wofford: Alton Johnson-12.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.9 apg; Jamaal Hobbs-10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg; Kenny Taylor-8.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg; Antuan Lackey-7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.1 apg; Brandon Linton-5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg; Chris Wilder-5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg; Brandon Detmer-5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg

Conference U Tournament-Championship Cal-Davis (6th seed) vs Incarnate Word (12th seed): Who would have predicted that the #6 and #12 seeds would play for the conference championship? Incarnate Word controlled the action in the first half, building a 13 point lead and they were up at the break 40-31. It looked like the Cardinals would pull off 4 straight upsets. Cal-Davis came out of the locker room with a stout defense, though. That allowed the Aggies lto move out to a 10 point lead. Incarnate Word came back late to make a game of it. But ultimately the Cardinals' 3-point shooting let them down (4 of 18 from beyond the arc). Cal-Davis escaped with a slim 67-63 win that sends Monroe Thurlow's Aggies to the NCAA Tournament. Substitutes Rashif Swan (13 points) and Jacob Robinson (12 points) were the leading scorers for the Aggies while SF Fredrik Sheppard scored 9 and grabbed 9 boards. (15-16)

Conference U Tournament-Day 3 Incarnate Word (12th seed) vs Longwood (9th seed): Incarnate Word marched on with a minor upset. But they had to make a late comeback to win 75-73. Cal-Davis (6th seed) vs Abilene Christian (10th seed): Cal-Davis stopped the Wildcats defensively to take a 32-17 halftime lead. The Aggies continued their commanding performance in the 2nd half and flattened Abilene Christian 63-41. The Aggies’ defense limited the Wildcats’ shooting to 28% with only 2 of 21 from 3 point distance. PF Jeremy Wolthers scored 24 points for Cal-Davis. (14-16)

Conference U Tournament-Day 2 Longwood (9th seed) vs Texas St. (1st seed): Texas State played soundly in the 1st half and led 43-34 at the break. But their offense fell apart in the 2nd half and Longwood streaked by them to pull off a huge 73-65 upset. The Bobcats hit just 36% of their FG attempts and only 4 of 25 from beyond the arc. Starting C John DePina fouled out and was on the court only 6 minutes! His replacement Matt Wright scored 16 points to lead the Bobcats’s scoring. (19-9) Abilene Christian (10th seed) vs Chicago St. (2nd seed): This was a very close game the entire way. Abilene Christian led 44-40 at the half. Neither team could pull away in the 2nd half, but Abilene Christian was able to put on the last run and topple the favored Chicago State team by a score of 92-86. PF Robert Allocco led Chicago State’s scoring with 27 points. For Abilene Christian, PG Paris Budde scored 26 and SG J.R. Crider added 20. (16-12) Cal-Davis (6th seed) vs Howard (3rd seed): There were 6 lead changes and 5 ties early in the 1st half, but Cal-Davis then took control and was up 38-29 at the intermission. The Aggies continued to hold their lead in the 2nd half and won 63-52. Cal-Davis had a 35-25 rebounding advantage and a 21-15 turnover advantage. PG Jason Everett, SG Steffon Forman, and C Casey Givens each scored 10 points for Cal-Daivs. (13-16) Incarnate Word (12th seed) vs Lamar (4th seed): Incarnate Word continued their run of upsets by whipping Lamar 71-60 as SG Adam Marvray scored 23 points.

Conference U Tournament-Day 1 Incarnate Word (12th seed) vs Jacksonville (5th seed): Incarnate Word’s offense was firing away on all cylinders and they led the entire way, by 7 at the half (49-42), then by as much as 17 in the 2nd half and winning 88-78. Jacksonville’s defense was porous allowing the Cardinals to his 54% of their FG attempts and 63% of their 3’s. A disappointing ending for Parsons Nyland and his team. SF Michael Fredericks led Jacksonville’s scoring with 18 points. Rowland Boland came in off the bench and dished out 8 assists while scoring 8 and getting 3 steals. SG Adam Marvray tossed in 24 points for Incarnate Word. (13-15) Utah Valley (11th seed vs Cal-Davis (6th seed): Cal-Davis scored first and never looked back. They led 48-35 at the break and by as much as 22 in the 2nd half. They scorched Utah Valley 77-57. SG Steffon Forman had 18 points and C Casey Givens scored 17 for the Aggies. (12-16) Abilene Christian (10th seed) vs Wofford (7th seed): This was a close game all the way. The two teams were tied at 35-35 at the half. Wofford fell behind in the 2nd half and then just couldn’t catch up, losing 72-67. The Terriers top scorer was C Jamaal Hobbs with 18 points. (13-15) Longwood (9th seed) vs North Dakota (8th seed): Longwood won a fiercely fought game 69-61.