Top Departing Players: Just Missed the Top 20

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring. First, let’s look at a few guys that just barely missed the cut.

Tremayne Johnson (Eastern Washington) – Before the season, I thought he was poised to have a breakout year, but things just didn’t work out that way under Jim Hayford. His scoring and rebounding dropped from 10.0 and 5.1 per game (respectively) in 2010-11 down to 6.4 and 3.9 per game last season. His shooting percentages plummeted as well, down to 35% for the season. He never could get consistent minutes every night with Cliff Ederaine and Laron Griffin starting (more on them later in this list), and Jordan Hickert also battling for minutes. Things just didn’t really work out in his senior year.

Abner Moreira (Idaho State) – He was in a tough spot, because he was called on to play a ton of minutes (almost 34 minutes per game) simply because the Bengals didn’t really have any other big men that were reliable. Of the guys that missed the cut, he is the one that I have the most doubts about (meaning, he could have easily made the top 20). He was a dependable rebounder and defender, averaging 7.2 boards per game. He didn’t provide a ton offensively. He had a big impact for ISU and will be missed, but I think that was partially due to his talent, and partially due to the lack of other impact frontcourt players on ISU’s roster last season.

Nate Lozeau (Portland State) – During the non-conference portion of the year, it seemed like Lozeau had the chance to be an all-conference player. He scored double digits in points in nine of the first eleven games of the year. Unfortunately, he only did that three more times the rest of the season. He was an efficient player when he was on the court, but he simply had little impact on the Vikings during the most important times of the year, which is why he was not able to make the top 20.

Matt Massey (Southern Utah) – Massey obviously wasn’t part of the Big Sky last year, but he graduated from SUU, who will be joining the Big Sky. In 27 minutes per game, he averaged 8.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG, and was a solid frontcourt rotation player. He didn't shoot a ton, but was an efficient 53% inside the arc (and 78% from the stripe) when he did. He was an average rebounder, however, with just a 13.6 DR%, not that good for a big man. He was solid for three years, and will be missed by the T-Birds.

What are your thoughts on these guys?

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Charles Odum Named Big Sky POW Again

Damian Lillard has some competition for most Big Sky POW awards this year. For the second straight week, Charles Odum of Portland State has been named the conference Player of the Week.

Odum scored a career-high 29 points with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in an 80-68 win over Idaho State on Monday. Odum connected on 10-of-18 from the floor, was 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Odum scored 20 points with four rebounds, two steals and one assists in the Vikings’ 78-76 overtime win at Eastern Washington on Saturday. With the game tied at 76-76, Odum hit the game-winning shot with two seconds remaining on a contested 12-footer in the lane.

Odum ranks second in the Big Sky and 35th in the nation in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game. In conference play, Odum is netting 21.1 points per game and shooting 59.7 percent from the field.

Other candidates were: Tremayne Johnson (EWU), Chase Grabau (ISU), Will Cherry (MT), Tre Johnson (MSU), Michael Dunn (NAU), Mike Proctor (UNC), and Kyle Tresnak (WSU)

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Charles Odum The Hero As Portland State Beats Eastern Washington

I thought that the game between Portland State and Eastern Washington would be the best game of Saturday night, and it proved me right. In a game that was tight throughout, Portland State won 78-76 in overtime.

Near the end of regulation, Portland State had the ball, trailing by three (in part thanks to a missed free throw by EWU). They found guard Lateef McMullan, who nailed a three from the corner and got fouled (but missed the free throw, robbing the Big Sky of potentially have two game-winning four point plays within one week). On the ensuing possession, Tremayne Johnson drove to the hoop, but had his shot blocked by Chehales Tapscott, sending the game to extra minutes.

In overtime, the drama continued. Late in the game, it was Eastern Washington trailing by three, taking the ball out from under their basket with about 35 seconds left. EWU ran a nice play to get Collin Chiverton free, and he banked in a three from the wing with 30 seconds to play. Portland State did not call timeout, and they simply ran the clock down, and ran a four-low isolation play for Charles Odum, who got into the lane and hit a 12 footer with 2 seconds left. The Eagles got a desperation attempt up, but Odum's shot was the game-winner.

Odum finished with 20 points, but he was just one hero among a few for the Vikings. Chehales Tapscott had 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and made tons of big plays. Lateef McMullan hit the big three at the end of regulation, and finished with 18 points on the game. His emergence becoming a reliable offensive threat has made the team that much more dangerous.

For Eastern Washington, it's two straight painful losses. Last week they were on the wrong end of a thriller against Northern Colorado, and this one has to sting even more since it was at home. Once again, their propensity to commit tons of fouls was their undoing, as three guys fouled out and PSU shot 40+ free throws. I saw a couple EWU fans (though it should be noted I have seen others that don't agree with this) blaming the refs and thinking that EWU is getting the short end, but I don't see that. There was ticky tack calls on both teams, but the bottom line is that every game EWU is having these foul problems. They foul more than anyone in America, and it seems to happen to them every game.

At some point you have to stop looking at the refs and start looking in the mirror.

Suddenly, EWU is sitting at 3-4 in the Big Sky with Montana and Montana State coming to town. They desperately need some wins, especially with Idaho State playing better and better. For Portland State, they are 4-3 and host Montana State on Thursday. With a win, they will be tied for third in the conference.

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Eastern Washington and Sacramento State Lose Tight Ones

At one point last night, it looked like both Eastern Washington and Sacramento State would beat Pac-12 teams. While moral victories ultimately don't mean anything, both teams have to be encouraged by their play on Thursday night.

Eastern Washington led Oregon by as many as nine points in the second half, but couldn't hold off a Ducks rally late, as they fell 73-65. It was their second straight tight loss against a high level opponent, as they fell in the season opener to Gonzaga.

The culprit was poor shooting for the Eagles. Cliff Colimon led them in scoring with 14 points, but he was just 4/14 from the field. Tremayne Johnson was next with 12 points (and 7 rebounds), but he shot just 4/15 from the field. Collin Chiverton had been averaging 25 PPG in his first two efforts, but he was plagued by some foul trouble in this game, as he only played 15 minutes before fouling out. He finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds.

I am sure that Jim Hayford has to be disappointed with his two close losses rather than having a signature win, but the Eagles have looked very competitive this year, with the consensus being that they look like one of the top three teams in the Big Sky. They travel to Hawaii next Tuesday, a game I am sure they believe they can and will win.

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Meanwhile, Sacramento State put together a great effort against Washington State, leading all of the first half and parts of the second half before losing 73-65 to the Cougars.

The Hornets used an eight-man rotation throughout the game, and built leads of 7-0, 25-12, and 29-16 during the first half. Neither team had a lead larger than four points the first 9:28 of the second half before a layup from Faisal Aden gave Washington State their largest lead - at the time - of five points with 10:32 remaining. The Cougars led the rest of the way as the Hornets were down just six points with 4:37 remaining before a DaVonte Lacy three-pointer put WSU up nine points.

John Dickson led them in scoring and had a real nice game, scoring 21 points (on 9/18 FG) and grabbing 6 rebounds. They need him to be their star, and he delivered in this game. He is probably their most talented and athletic player.

Reigning Big Sky POW Joe Eberhard was also big, finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He continues to be a great find for Brian Katz, as he is averaging 13 points and 8.7 rebounds per game so far this year. The other star was a guy I have been praising all year, and that is Dylan Garrity. He has not provided much scoring this year (5 points in this one), but he continues to dish out assists and make plays at a great rate. He had 12 assists in this game, and for the year he has 25 assists to 4 turnovers. He could quickly become one of the best PGs in the Big Sky.

Eagles and Hornets fans, what did you think of your teams' performances?

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Notes On Eastern Washington

Time to take a little more in depth look at the preview posted on the Eastern Washington website, full of solid information on the Eagles.

Hayford knows what building a championship contender is like. Before he arrived at Whitworth, the school was 13-12. His first year at the helm the Pirates were 20-7, and his second season they were 23-4 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. In his final two seasons, Whitworth was 54-5 overall and 31-1 in league play, and advanced to the DIII Sweet 16 in 2010 and the Elite Eight in 2011.

“The beginning of each new season brings promise and opportunity,” he said. “This is a new beginning for Eastern Washington basketball and there is hope on the horizon. In between hope, promise and opportunity and realizing our goals, is just a bucket load of work. It’s time to go to work and that is our focus. We’re excited – we think we’ve added some players to our roster who will make us even more competitive.”

This is why most Eastern Washington fans are and should be excited for the Jim Hayford Era. The guy has proven he can coach and win. It was at the Division III level, which is a lot different than Division I, but you still have to be a good basketball teacher to win as much as he did. Those skills should carry over.

The biggest change for Hayford will be recruiting at the DI level, and I think he is off to a good start there. He got JUCO wing Collin Chiverton to stay aboard (who Rivals sees as a second team Big Sky player), and has a verbal from Danny Powell, a guy he coveted.

Three guards return who all averaged at least 24 minutes per game, including senior point guard Cliff Colimon and juniors Jeffrey Forbes and Kevin Winford. That trio combined to start 60 games last year and have 99 total starts in their careers.

“The most experienced part of our team is the backcourt,” said Hayford. “We have three guards who have been through Big Sky play and have performed in conference games at a high level. That is the most solid part of the foundation that we are building on.”

It is no secret that the guards will be the strength of this team, as they are very experienced. I have written a lot about them, and if EWU is going to cash in on some of the promise that many (myself included) think they have, they will need the guards to be one of the best units in the Conference. However, concerning the guards, I thought this was a very interesting nugget:

“Last year, those three players were frequently on the court together,” Hayford explained. “As we looked at video, that created match-up problems because they are all under 6 feet tall. We don’t plan to have all three of those guys on the court at the same time too much, which means we’ll have two guys with some experience but other spots with not as much experience. This is where we need to find out the right blend.”

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“As I’ve talked with other coaches in the Big Sky and reviewed video, over the course of the last five or six games of the conference season, Cliff played as good as any guard in the league,” praised Hayford. “Cliff is excited to be the undisputed leader of this team his senior season, and I expect him to be one of the standout guards in the Big Sky Conference.

The trio of returning players will be joined in the backcourt by some taller newcomers in Willie Hankins (6-3), Tyler Harvey (6-4) and Parker Kelly (6-4), in addition to St. Joseph’s transfer Justin Crosgile (5-11). Harvey and Crosgile will redshirt the 2011-12 season.

That means likely that either Jeffrey Forbes or Kevin Winford will see some minutes cut, and my guess is that Winford will see his playing time drop the most. He is a bit of a gunner that doesn't do as much as Forbes and Colimon. Hankins will get some run, reports have been good about his potential.

“I think Tremayne Johnson is going to have a great senior year,” said Hayford. “He’s maybe the biggest “X” factor on this team and needs to reach his potential. I’ve told him the worst word you want next to your name heading into your senior year is potential. I expect him to have a great year.”

Hayford does and should expect big things from Johnson, who I think will be the key for the Eagles this year. He's got the talent for a big year, and could receive some honors if he plays up to his ability.

Among Eastern’s newcomers is high-scoring junior college transfer Collin Chiverton. The 6-6, 200-pound junior averaged 19 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in leading City College of San Francisco to a 32-1 record and the 2010-11 California Community Colleges Athletic Association title. Most importantly, in the four seasons he has played since his junior year in high school, teams that Chiverton has played on have won 114 of 131 games for an 87 percent winning rate.

“Collin was a prolific junior college scorer and one of the top high school players on the West Coast,” said Hayford. “He can slide down and play the shooting guard position, which makes us bigger in the backcourt as well.”

Chiverton will immediately be a top athlete in the Big Sky, and he has the potential to be a star in Cheney. He is great on the break and has a solid outside shot as well. He can play the 2 or 3 and will allow the Eagles to go with a lot of different looks this year. Out of everyone in the Conference, he is on my short list of players I am most excited to watch.

The whole article is worth a read, it is very good and gives a good look into Jim Hayford and his program. The Eagles have one of the highest ceilings in the Conference... should things come together, they will be a darkhorse.

The Key For Eastern Washington: Tremayne Johnson

In Jim Hayford's first season for Eastern Washington, they will be deep at guard, even with the transfer of Glen Dean. A lot of guys got valuable experience last season, and they should be the strength of the team.

This, if EWU is going to be successful this year, the onus will fall onto the frontcourt to produce. They have some experience there also. We know Laron Griffin is one of the best rebounders in the Conference, after getting 6.8 per game in about 23 minutes a game last season. Cliff Ederaine is solid also, averaging 8.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG, also proving to be an excellent rebounder.

So they know what they have in those guys. It seems to me that the wildcard is Tremayne Johnson, who had a solid season in his first season in Cheney, but has the ability to improve.

For starters, he was not a very efficient scorer last season. He shot 46.6% from 2 point range, and 29.7% from downtown (on 64 attempts). He was a 76% FT shooter, which suggests he could become more efficient FG shooting. And perhaps take even less threes, as it was not effective for him last season. He is also good at drawing fouls (4.9/40), which is especially effective with his excellent FT shooting. He should look to get to the hole and to the line more often this season.

He was a good rebounder (8.0 OR%, 17.8 DR%), but his athleticism suggests he could improve a bit there. He had a 5.4% Block Rate last season, which was 4th in the Big Sky, so he will have a chance to lead the Conference in blocks if he can get enough minutes. That athleticism also suggests he can be a more efficient offensive player.

One thing that will be key is what type of offense Hayford runs. Last season, even though they were small, they had a pretty slow pace (246th in the NCAA). Johnson seems to have the skillset that would thrive in the open court, which seems to make sense with this guard-oriented roster, so it will be interesting to see Hayford's philosophy.

Eastern Washington has a chance to be very solid this year, thanks to a solid backcourt and the addition of Collin Chiverton. The key will be the frontcourt, and the wildcard there is Tremayne Johnson. He has the potential to be an excellent player for the Eagles, and how well he fulfills that promise could determine how high EWU climbs in the Big Sky.

What are all of your thoughts?