The AllBuffs season preview kicks off today with the first of three days discussing our non-conference opponents. Today we're going to discuss what to expect against Wofford as we raise the banner and give a quick look over the Charleston Classic field, trying to predict where the Buffs could finish after what can be described as a difficult draw. Later this week and into next week, we're going to go in-depth on all of the Pac-12 teams before finally previewing the Buffs and debuting the official AllBuffs Pac-12 Predictions for 2012-13. As always comments, praise, questions, criticism and rep are welcome. So with that, let's start with the first two weeks of the season.
WOFFORD (Southern Conference)
Plays CU: Friday, November 9th at Boulder, CO (5:00 pm/Pac-12 Networks)
The Terriers had to completely rebuild last year after making the NCAA Tournament for two straight seasons. They had to replace 88% of their scoring from the 2010-11 season, so no one really knew what to expect in 2011-12. However the team ended up winning 19 games and making the CBI. Even with the turnover, they continued in their style of relentless defense that wears you down over games.
The Terriers will be led by Karl Cochran in the backcourt. The 6’1” guard averaged 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds a game last year in his freshman season. He should also be getting help from incoming freshman guard Bryan Harris who originally committed to Duquesne, but ended up opening up his commitment again once they fired their head coach. Up front, the Terriers will get production from 6’7” Lee Skinner who averaged 6 & 6 last year. Talent wise, the Buffs should have an easy time with Wofford, but they’re an incredibly well coached team who will play hard tight defense. The key for the Buffs will be pounding the ball inside and taking advantage of the Terriers lack of size.
DAYTON (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Plays CU: Thursday, November 15th at Charleston Classic (10:30 am/ESPN3)
Initially, I was terrified of this match-up. After spending more time looking over it, I’m merely incredibly concerned. One thing that the Buffs do have going in their favor is the fact that Dayton has suspended starting center Matt Kavanaugh for the season. Suddenly, a frontcourt that was set up to give the Buffs fits becomes a little more manageable. They still have forward Josh Benson who was putting up 10.9 points and 5.2 boards a game before tearing his ACL mid-season, but it remains to be seen how he’ll play after suffering such a serious injury.
The key player to watch for Dayton however is guard Kevin Dillard. Dillard averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 assists a game last season as he led the Flyers to their fifth straight 20+ win season. Dillard spent the summer at the LeBron James Skills Camp and actually stole a bit of the spotlight from players such as Trey Burke (Michigan), Doug McDermott (Creighton) and Isaiah Canaan (Murray State). If the Buffs are going to win, they’re going to need the Mayor to keep Dillard in check.
BAYLOR (Big 12 Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the second round depending on the CU/Dayton & Baylor/Boston College games.
The AllBuffs email account had an email pop in its box from “The Walrus” this week. This is what it said.
BOSTON COLLEGE (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the second round depending on the CU/Dayton & Baylor/Boston College games.
Last year, BC had one player in their starting lineup that wasn’t a true freshman, and he was a first year transfer. Needless to say, there were some growing pains early on as the team struggled getting out to a 2-7 start. However, by the time conference play rolled around, the team was starting to gel and finally hit their stride as they took down ACC champions Florida State at home. This year, they’re hoping to continue on that development, and the big key is going to be yet another freshman. True PG Olivier Hanlan could be the key to the team. With him running the point, it could truly help Ryan Anderson and Patrick Heckman reach the next level necessary.
Anderson is the only player from last year’s freshman class to even sniff the top 100 of most recruiting lists and was on the All-ACC Freshman team after putting up 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Heckman is a 6-foot-5 wing who was streaky last year. He put up 32 over UC Riverside and then averaged 18.5 in wins over New Hampshire and Stony Brook. He then started to struggle at midseason and got mono, putting him into a deeper slump. BC isn’t winning the ACC this year, but if Hanlan can run the point for the team, they could become a team that no one wants to face.
AUBURN (Southeastern Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
Auburn has a brand new squad this season. Five players left the team due to dismissal or transfers and they are welcoming in a group of seven newcomers – two freshmen, two JuCo and a transfer from Virginia. They’re hoping that this new mix combined with the four seniors on the roster will allow them to compete in a deep and tough SEC. The player to watch for Auburn is Frankie Sullivan, a senior guard who put up 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals a game last eyar.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (Southern Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
The home team in the tournament is undergoing a bit of a transition this season. After Bobby Cremins took a leave of absence last season, Charleston didn’t know what they were going to do. Luckily, Doug Wojcik was inexplicably fired by Tulsa, and CoC was there to swoop him up. They will be led by point guard Andrew Lawrence this year. The 6-1 senior put up 13 points and 5.5 assists a game last year and was chosen to be on Great Britain’s basketball team for the Olympics. You have to imagine that playing with Luol Deng and going against some of the greatest athletes in the world will be good for his confidence, and if things click under the new staff, CoC has as good of a chance as any to win the Southern Conference and go dancing.
MURRAY STATE (Ohio Valley Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
The Racers were the darling of the mid-majors last year, as they only lost one game in the regular season before going 1-1 and losing in the third (I hate the new naming system) round of the NCAA Tournament. While they lose three seniors off of the team that went 31-2, they return their best player in Isaiah Canaan. The senior had an offensive rating of 122.2 last year and was one of the main reasons that the Racers had a top 100 offensive rating as a team. While they won’t be able to match last year’s record, Murray State should still be a dangerous matchup.
ST. JOHN’S (Big East Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
St. John’s is young, but incredibly talented. Leading the way for the Johnnie’s is guard D’Angelo Harrison. The sophomore averaged 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game last year, earning praise all season in the Big East. Up front, they have a lot to be excited about in incoming freshman Christian Jones. He’s only 6-foot-7, but at 228 pounds he can pound down low. Many expect him to be their starting PF after scoring 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds a game as a senior at James Bowie High School in Dallas. While they may not be dancing this year, they should be NIT bound at least, and are a team to fear in this tournament.
WOFFORD (Southern Conference)
Plays CU: Friday, November 9th at Boulder, CO (5:00 pm/Pac-12 Networks)
The Terriers had to completely rebuild last year after making the NCAA Tournament for two straight seasons. They had to replace 88% of their scoring from the 2010-11 season, so no one really knew what to expect in 2011-12. However the team ended up winning 19 games and making the CBI. Even with the turnover, they continued in their style of relentless defense that wears you down over games.
The Terriers will be led by Karl Cochran in the backcourt. The 6’1” guard averaged 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds a game last year in his freshman season. He should also be getting help from incoming freshman guard Bryan Harris who originally committed to Duquesne, but ended up opening up his commitment again once they fired their head coach. Up front, the Terriers will get production from 6’7” Lee Skinner who averaged 6 & 6 last year. Talent wise, the Buffs should have an easy time with Wofford, but they’re an incredibly well coached team who will play hard tight defense. The key for the Buffs will be pounding the ball inside and taking advantage of the Terriers lack of size.
DAYTON (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Plays CU: Thursday, November 15th at Charleston Classic (10:30 am/ESPN3)
Initially, I was terrified of this match-up. After spending more time looking over it, I’m merely incredibly concerned. One thing that the Buffs do have going in their favor is the fact that Dayton has suspended starting center Matt Kavanaugh for the season. Suddenly, a frontcourt that was set up to give the Buffs fits becomes a little more manageable. They still have forward Josh Benson who was putting up 10.9 points and 5.2 boards a game before tearing his ACL mid-season, but it remains to be seen how he’ll play after suffering such a serious injury.
The key player to watch for Dayton however is guard Kevin Dillard. Dillard averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 assists a game last season as he led the Flyers to their fifth straight 20+ win season. Dillard spent the summer at the LeBron James Skills Camp and actually stole a bit of the spotlight from players such as Trey Burke (Michigan), Doug McDermott (Creighton) and Isaiah Canaan (Murray State). If the Buffs are going to win, they’re going to need the Mayor to keep Dillard in check.
BAYLOR (Big 12 Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the second round depending on the CU/Dayton & Baylor/Boston College games.
The AllBuffs email account had an email pop in its box from “The Walrus” this week. This is what it said.
BOSTON COLLEGE (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the second round depending on the CU/Dayton & Baylor/Boston College games.
Last year, BC had one player in their starting lineup that wasn’t a true freshman, and he was a first year transfer. Needless to say, there were some growing pains early on as the team struggled getting out to a 2-7 start. However, by the time conference play rolled around, the team was starting to gel and finally hit their stride as they took down ACC champions Florida State at home. This year, they’re hoping to continue on that development, and the big key is going to be yet another freshman. True PG Olivier Hanlan could be the key to the team. With him running the point, it could truly help Ryan Anderson and Patrick Heckman reach the next level necessary.
Anderson is the only player from last year’s freshman class to even sniff the top 100 of most recruiting lists and was on the All-ACC Freshman team after putting up 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Heckman is a 6-foot-5 wing who was streaky last year. He put up 32 over UC Riverside and then averaged 18.5 in wins over New Hampshire and Stony Brook. He then started to struggle at midseason and got mono, putting him into a deeper slump. BC isn’t winning the ACC this year, but if Hanlan can run the point for the team, they could become a team that no one wants to face.
AUBURN (Southeastern Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
Auburn has a brand new squad this season. Five players left the team due to dismissal or transfers and they are welcoming in a group of seven newcomers – two freshmen, two JuCo and a transfer from Virginia. They’re hoping that this new mix combined with the four seniors on the roster will allow them to compete in a deep and tough SEC. The player to watch for Auburn is Frankie Sullivan, a senior guard who put up 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals a game last eyar.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (Southern Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
The home team in the tournament is undergoing a bit of a transition this season. After Bobby Cremins took a leave of absence last season, Charleston didn’t know what they were going to do. Luckily, Doug Wojcik was inexplicably fired by Tulsa, and CoC was there to swoop him up. They will be led by point guard Andrew Lawrence this year. The 6-1 senior put up 13 points and 5.5 assists a game last year and was chosen to be on Great Britain’s basketball team for the Olympics. You have to imagine that playing with Luol Deng and going against some of the greatest athletes in the world will be good for his confidence, and if things click under the new staff, CoC has as good of a chance as any to win the Southern Conference and go dancing.
MURRAY STATE (Ohio Valley Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
The Racers were the darling of the mid-majors last year, as they only lost one game in the regular season before going 1-1 and losing in the third (I hate the new naming system) round of the NCAA Tournament. While they lose three seniors off of the team that went 31-2, they return their best player in Isaiah Canaan. The senior had an offensive rating of 122.2 last year and was one of the main reasons that the Racers had a top 100 offensive rating as a team. While they won’t be able to match last year’s record, Murray State should still be a dangerous matchup.
ST. JOHN’S (Big East Conference)
Plays CU: Potentially in the third round.
St. John’s is young, but incredibly talented. Leading the way for the Johnnie’s is guard D’Angelo Harrison. The sophomore averaged 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game last year, earning praise all season in the Big East. Up front, they have a lot to be excited about in incoming freshman Christian Jones. He’s only 6-foot-7, but at 228 pounds he can pound down low. Many expect him to be their starting PF after scoring 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds a game as a senior at James Bowie High School in Dallas. While they may not be dancing this year, they should be NIT bound at least, and are a team to fear in this tournament.
