Summit League Power Rankings: Lamest Losses

It's been 10 days since our first installment of our Summit League Power Rankings, and a lot has happened. The conference went from picking up a few great opening week wins to coming up short across the nation in lame fashion. This week marks the beginning of the first conference games which should tell us more about a few teams (that's for you, UMKC) that at present are looking pretty good but have went untested. One thing is for sure, almost every team had at least one game where it looked pretty bad during the last 10 days. With that, we present our latest rankings based on the lamest losses.

#1. Oral Roberts (Lame Loss: at home to Indiana State)

It's not like Oral Roberts to drop a home game, let alone its home opener against a middling Missouri Valley team. But that's what happened two Saturdays ago at the Mabee Center. The game would have provided the Golden Eagles an opportunity to get on the right track after two tough opening losses, yet they came up short even despite a big effort from freshman big man Steven Roundtree. Fortunately, ORU seems to be getting things together now that Warren Niles is scoring in bunches and sophomore break-out candidate Damen Bell-Holter is putting together complete efforts. That is what helped the team spring the Red Line Upset over Utah and why another one seems possible Tuesday night at Texas Tech. If the Golden Eagles get consistent guard play and a return of the injured Michael Craion, that 0-3 start will be long forgotten.

#2. Oakland (Lame Loss: at Wright State)

Oakland had a big lead over the Raiders into the second half but several defensive lapses led to a big Wright State comeback which the Grizzlies could not overcome in the end. Just two days after fighting valiantly against Purdue, Oakland could not keep up the defensive intensity in Dayton, Ohio, leading to an 82-79 loss. Though OU bounced back over the weekend with wins against Southern and Austin Peay, beating Wright State would have meant a lot more for the program especially in a year where games against good mid-majors are few and far between in the non-conference schedule.

#3. North Dakota State (Lame Loss: at Green Bay)

It's very hard to discredit what North Dakota State did at the three-game tournament in Oregon to start the season, but the program could have made a bigger statement with a win at Green Bay in its first true road game against a mid-major. The Phoenix have a new coach this year and things haven't been exactly glowing thus far for the team (as a 63-46 loss to IUPUI would indicate). Despite having a near equal shooting night, winning the rebound battle, and distributing the ball better than Green Bay, the Bison came up short by two-points. Turnovers likely did them in at the Resch Center, a tough way to lose to a team that the Bison will probably look a little better than in the long-run.

#4. IUPUI (Lame Loss: at Miami, Ohio)

Though the Jaguars only lost by a point, the game against Miami of the Ohio persuasion represented a great opportunity for them to make a statement against a MAC school. Just like Oakland, games against the MAC and Horizon League are important for IUPUI because of its general proximity to schools in those conferences. The Redhawks have played a rather tough schedule up to this point, but the Jaguars could have shown some mettle by going into Oxford and picking up a win. Unfortunately, poor shooting and a reliance on the three-ball led to the "L" for the Jags. The non-conference schedule has not been nice to Ron Hunter's squad thus far, so it's probably a good thing their first conference games are at home. Centenary will be hungry and looking for its first win, so it'll be important that IUPUI doesn't look ahead to the Saturday tilt with Oral Roberts.

#5. Southern Utah (Lame Loss: vs. Drake or Ball State)

How does Southern Utah lose to Utah State by just 13 points and then get drubbed by Drake and Ball State by 19-points each AND on a neutral court? Quite simple, the Thunderbirds are having trouble putting points on the board, and that doesn't appear to be by some Western Illinois-inspired design. The loss to Utah State is anything by lame, but this Summit League enthusiast would like to see a bit more of a competitive product against schools like Drake and Ball State.

#6. Western Illinois (Lame Loss: vs. Morgan State)

A lot of folks will look at this and say, "Western Illinois lost to a MEAC team?" In all fairness, Morgan State is a fairly solid squad despite its conference affiliation and has made the NCAA Tournament the past two years under the head coaching revival of Todd Bozeman. What bothers us about this loss most is the margin: 19-points. This is the same team that took Missouri to the wire a week earlier and at least held on against Wyoming. The WIU everything-man Ceola Clark was out for this game which probably explains a lot, but hopefully future Leatherneck losses will not be as lopsided as this affair.

#7. Centenary (Lame Loss: at Tulane)

We won't be poking fun at the Gents this season, but you'd like to see them score more than 36 points against a pretty bad Conference USA. We understand Centenary essentially has a Division III roster right now and every point should be welcomed kindly, so here's to hoping the open of conference season allows them to be a bit more competitive.

In The Ether

UMKC

UMKC dropped its first game of the season on Monday night at Wichita State, a team that is projected to lead the way in the Missouri Valley this season. It was also UMKC's first real test of the young season after three straight games against teams from the bottom of Division I. The Roos only lost by 19 but there was a point where the Shockers went on a 28-1 run, showing that UMKC will struggle to score points against legitimate defenses. Reggie Chamberlain had a solid game, but Wichita State held the UMKC star, Jay Cousinard, to 3-13 shooting. We don't consider this to be a very lame loss, quite simple because it's still tough to judge UMKC based on the schedule. We'll learn more this weekend as Summit League play begins.

Anything But Lame

South Dakota State

We're in week three of the college hoops season and the Jackrabbits have yet to lose. Their last two wins have come in a resounding fashion, no doubt due to the team's ridiculous three-point shooting. As of this post, SDSU leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 49.5%. Conventional wisdom would say that this figure will surely come back down to earth soon, but at this point it might not drop very far. The Jackrabbits have a high-profile home game on Tuesday against Nevada, and even though the Wolfpack look down this year, they should still present the Jacks with their first legitimate test since Iowa. Following that, we'll see if SDSU can take down rival NDSU at Frost Arena on Saturday. That will be THE conference game of the weekend.

IPFW

The Mastodons did have a loss in this timeframe, at Cincinnati, but they hung tight with the Bearcats throughout the game. It was the second time in a week that Dane Fife's crew went to Cinci (first, Xavier) and came away with a loss that most would label a "good" loss. In essence, it would have been too tough to call this one a lame loss. We'll see if the Dons can take care of business this weekend as they host UMKC and SUU. If IPFW is a contender in the conference this season, these are the games it must win.

Red Line Upset Watch:

During our league preview series, we had a post laying out all of the games where Summit League teams would play against teams from above the Red Line. Here we keep track of how they have fared thus far:

Summit League: 2/10 (20%)

National: 49/340 (14.4%) [per The Mid-Majority]

Summit League Power Rankings: Biggest Opening Week Wins

The first week of the young college basketball season is now behind us. We're just starting to learn more about players, teams, and conferences as games end and new ones begin. In The Summit League, there were some early ups and downs, but it was mostly a solid week for the conference. This is our first stab at a weekly column that will shed some light on the ten basketball programs in the league from the prior week. The way it will be formatted is in a sort of power rankings style; however, because it's impossible for us to evaluate every team during every game, this won't be your general "best" to "worst" team scale. This week, we rank the teams based on biggest wins during the week that was.

#1. South Dakota State (Highlighted Win: at Iowa)

It was just two years ago when South Dakota State lost all but one of its 16 road games. The lone win that year: at Iowa State. This year the Jackrabbits are 2-0 in road games. The big win: at Iowa. Against the Cyclones in 2008-09, it was then sophomore Clint Sargent leading the way, and while the now senior definitely contributed to his team's win against the Hawkeyes, it was another sophomore who came up big for the Jacks this time around. Nate Wolters had a decent freshman year last season, but his performance against Iowa put him on the map. He ended the game with 25 points which accumulated all over the floor, including 6-7 from the stripe and a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. He also dropped 9 dimes, including a sick dish toward the end of the game which simply put to shame the Hawkeye defense.

Iowa isn't predicted to do very well this season, but we shouldn't let that diminish the value of this win for SDSU. They beat a Big Ten team and did it live on the conference's network. Anytime a Summit League team beats a Big Ten team, it's a big deal. And thus far, it's the biggest win for the league this season. Coach Nagy and his Jacks won't play another road game until December 18, but it's clear that they have gotten over their road woes of the past.

Cool Links: The Mid Majority weighs in on SDSU's Red Line Upset.

#2. Oakland (Highlighted Win: at Ohio)

The defending Summit League champions went into the house of the defending MAC champs and put a thumping on them. Keith Benson was largely a non-factor due to foul trouble, yet the Golden Grizzlies guards and reserves stepped up to secure the solid road win. The Bobcats are a young team this year, but they returned a lot of the players from their run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, so this is a good win for Oakland and the conference. Oakland has another tough road game stretch that features games at Purdue and Wright State, so the team will have to cherish this win and hopefully build on it against some more challenging competition in the coming days.

Cool Links: Eric Angevine of Storming The Floor/ESPN took in the West Virgina-Oakland game live, and he has pictures! Kyle Whelliston of The Mid Majority was at Oakland's game against Ohio and also has pictures and thoughts from the night.

#3. North Dakota State (Highlighted Win: UC-Santa Barbara, neutral court)

North Dakota State went to the BTI Invitational in Oregon over the weekend and left with a 2-1 record, which included wins over defending Big West champions UC-Santa Barbara and a future WAC team in Denver. The Bison also took Oregon, the host of the event, to overtime on Friday night. It was a successful weekend for the Bison by all measures. The UCSB win was perhaps their best of the bunch because it came a night after the difficult OT loss to the Ducks against a junior-laden team that was in the NCAA Tournament just last season. Saul Phillips' squad received contributions from many players, including Eric Carlson who has picked up where he left off last season averaging about 14 points and 7 boards through three games. Another player to keep an eye on as the non-conference season rolls on is freshman Marshall Bjorklund who had a big-time double-double against Oregon in his Bison debut. I suspect we'll find out more about this young team in the coming weeks, especially once their incredible 51.3% three-point shooting comes back down to earth a little bit.

Cool Links: Addicted To Quack was happy Oregon won, but gave North Dakota State its proper props.

#4. IPFW (Highlighted Win: at Southern Illinois Edwardsville)

IPFW took Xavier to overtime the other night but sadly came up short. That was probably a much closer game than most would have thought, yet the Dons are showing some poise this year no doubt due to the senior backcourt tandem of Zach Plackemeier and Ben Botts. The team did come together to pick up a 15-point win at SIUE, which is one of those games that a good team will win. That's perhaps what has been most exciting about this first week of Summit League play, the fact that the top seven teams or so all won games they should be winning. Roughly 39% of the team's made field goals have been three-pointers thus far, which means if these guys are knocking down the trey, then they can clearly stay in games against some of the big boys (watch out Cincinnati). However, to break into the top four of the league, they'll need bigger performances from Trey McCorkle who has just 5 rebounds through two games. McCorkle is a guy a lot of folks expected to become a big factor for IPFW this season. With a 6'10" frame, the big fella needs to do some more work on the boards.

#5. UMKC (Highlighted Win: at Central Arkansas)

UMKC has one of the most cupcake-filled non-conference schedules I have ever seen, so it's no wonder that they're already 2-0 on the season. Even though the opponents might not stack up with some of those their conference brethren are facing, the Roos have taken care of business thus far. Central Arkansas won't change the world this year, but it's great to see that UMKC was able to go into their arena and pick up a road win against the Corliss Williamson-coached Bears. Coach Matt Brown has a fairly short bench right now (where is KORVER?) which is fine for now with his two senior forwards averaging a boatload of points. But as the games continue, we'll see what happens with this team on nights when Jay Cousinard and Spencer Johnson are going up against stronger opponents.

#6. Western Illinois (Highlighted Win: at Savannah State)

Western Illinois kept the pace slow in pulling the win over Savannah State of the MEAC. Once again, this isn't a earth-shattering win for the conference, but it is good to see these Summit League teams beating squads from conferences that are accustomed to being seeded 16th come Selection Sunday. Matt Lander seems to be filling the scoring void left by David Nurse, which is probably something Coach Jim Molinari welcomes to lessen the load on Ceola Clark. Aside from those two guys, though, WIU is getting very little from the rest of its roster. If they can make teams go at their (incredibly slow) pace, then this shouldn't pose many problems; in fact, Western Illinois held Missouri to just 66 points despite the Tigers' advantage in athleticism and interior size. Credit the Leathernecks though for keeping the game close. With about ten seconds left, they were only down three to Missouri but Ceola Clark stepped out of bounds while trying to tip-toe the sideline to get the ball downcourt. The Tigers avoided the upset, but Western Illinois showed some fight.

#7. Southern Utah (Highlighted Win: at Cal State Bakersfield)

Well after losing its home opener to an NAIA team, Southern Utah went on the road and took care of Cal State Bakersfield, an independent. We're glad to see the Thunderbirds get on the board early in this season and hope they can fix whatever is ailing them against inferior competition (they also lost an exhibition home game to a different NAIA school).

- IUPUI (no DI wins)

The Jagurs will have a chance to get their first Division I win this weekend with three games to be played in nearby Oxford, Ohio. IUPUI was plastered by a Gonzaga team that was upset at home by the same San Diego State team which the Jags will play in one of those three games this weekend. However, Alex Young and Co. will also go up against Green Bay and Miami (OH), two games they should compete well in. We hope the fellas shoot as great as they did in their non-DI win the other night (49% FG, 29% 3PT) and not how they did against the Zags (35% FG, 17% 3PT)

Cool Links: Michael Hadley of Student On Sports is sad and then happy about his Jags.

- Oral Roberts (no wins)

The Golden Eagles have yet to get on the board this season, though they have played considerably tougher competition than some of their conference counterparts. They probably miss the presence of Michael Craion inside and need some more consistency on the defensive end. Oral Roberts was featured on ESPN as a part of the network's 24-hour hoops marathon, so they were the subject of more scrutiny than normal. ESPN's Doug Gottlieb offered his take:

Tulsa crushed Oral Roberts in the second half of the Mayor’s Cup. Jordan Clarkson bounced back from a six-turnover game in TU’s loss to Appalachian State and played terrific, especially in the second half. ORU shot the ball way too quickly and struggled to defend outside and Steven Idlet inside. The Golden Hurricane outscored the Golden Eagles 54-32 in the second half. It looked like ORU was gassed, while Tulsa -- coached by marathoner Doug Wojcik -- looked fresh as a daisy.

Cool Links: Storming The Floor investigates Kyron Stokes' Belizean roots.

- Centenary (no wins)

Centenary kept things reasonable against Tennessee-Martin after getting absolutely killed in its season opener at Memphis. There won't be much hope in Shreveport this season, especially after the Gents lost their home opener to DII Arkansas-Monticello on Wednesday. For what it's worth, the Gents do have some pretty cool road jerseys!

Red Line Upset Watch:

During our league preview series, we had a post laying out all of the games where Summit League teams would play against teams from above the Red Line. Here we keep track of how they have fared thus far:

Summit League: 1/5 (20%)

National: 18/167 (10.8%) [per The Mid-Majority]

Team Trends In The Summit League

The typical conference preview might end with a projection of the final standings. As fun as it may be to project wins and losses, we thought we'd go in a different direction with our prognostication methods. In lieu of a straight-up list, we've opted to discuss the general trend of each team in The Summit League heading into the 2010-11 season. For each program, there are three trends that could be applied: forward, backward, or neutral. In assigning a trending label, we've considered the team's overall 2009-10 season, the way in which the previous season concluded, off-season personnel losses and gains, and a final factor that we're calling "the feeling."

Centenary Gents

It may seem impossible for a team that went 3-15 in the conference to get any worse, but this could very well be the case for Centenary in 2010-11. In its final year of Division I competition, the program will field a team full of scrappy players who may be destined for success in Division III but will ultimately struggle against more seasoned talent in the conference. First-year coach Adam Walsh will have his hands full in attempting to keep his guys motivated throughout a season where the losses will surely pile up. The team could surprise us all in a few games (and we hope they do), but the reality is that the playing field just won't be level for Centenary.

Other Centenary Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis

IPFW Mastodons

The Mastodons put together a respectable season in 2009-10, its first of the winning variety since moving up to Division I. What strikes me most about last year's campaign is that IPFW managed to come up above .500 without a star player. Deilvez Yearby was a strong player for the Mastodons, but Coach Dane Fife really did a great job of maximizing the contributions of a group of players who simply knew their roles. In 2010-11, Fife loses a few of his key players of the past, so his team's success will further depend on his ability to plug in the right pieces at the right times. Fortunately, he'll have a trio of senior guards as well as developing junior big man Trey McCorkle to rely on in time of need. While there are some uncertainties with the Dons this season (mainly depth), my gut tells me that senior leadership and the natural progression of other players will result in a forward trend.

Other IPFW Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

IUPUI Jaguars

While Oakland was dominating the conference schedule last season, IUPUI was doing enough to stay just a game or two behind the Golden Grizzlies. A season like Oakland's only comes around so often, and yet the Jaguars were doing everything they could to spoil it. Ron Hunter's squad ended the season with just three losses, and in any other year that probably would have been enough to represent The Summit League in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately (for IUPUI fans), this was not the case. Heading into 2010-11, the Jaguars will need to replace a hefty portion of their scoring and rebounding lost due to graduation. While the team will have its fair share of junior and senior leaders (as well as a star in Alex Young), I'm afraid that such intangibles will not be enough for the program compete at its 09-10 level. With that said, a drop-off from three losses to five or so shouldn't be enough to shake the IUPUI faithful.

Other IUPUI Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

UMKC Kangaroos

The Kangaroos were able to eek out six wins last season, a total that will prove challenging to match in 2010-11. As seems to have become common in Kansas City, the program experienced more roster turnover this off-season, losing two of its most productive players who opted to transfer to new schools. If UMKC is able to win six games in The Summit League, it will reflect well on Coach Matt Brown's coaching because his roster, at least on paper, does not stack up well against many teams in the conference. However, there will also be many opportunities for players to make an impact, and with several unknown commodities, the Roos could easily surprise some of their opponents. There is also the possibility that the team finds some motivation from playing in its smaller, more intimate on-campus arena for home games. Even though IPFW, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State will look to contend for spots in the upper-crust of the conference, my gut tells me that UMKC will win a few games against these opponents, yet largely stay within the .275-.375 range it has finished in over the last few seasons.

Other UMKC Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

NDSU Bison

There will be a lot of fresh blood in Fargo this season as the NDSU program welcomes the addition of three new freshman and two guys coming off first-year redshirts. The newbies will have to work hard to crack the line-up as there are several seasoned veterans in front of them, led by senior Michael Tveidt and junior Eric Carlson. This squad is chock-full of guards and small forwards, which will work against several of the teams that NDSU will compete against for seeding in the conference tournament (SDSU, IPFW, IUPUI); however, their lack of experienced big men may prove to be their downfall against the conference's elite (OU, ORU). Still, the Bison should hover around the .500 mark, meaning they'll trend in a neutral direction in 2010-11.

Other NDSU Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

Oakland Golden Grizzlies

It's virtually impossible for a team to run the table during conference play these days, especially in mid-major leagues like The Summit League where teams are especially competitive. The fact that Oakland got through the conference schedule with just one loss in 2009-10, then, is downright unbelievable. To match or exceed such a record in 2010-11 would be beyond anyone's wildest dreams, yet if the various pieces come together, there's reason to believe it could happen. Realistically, one would expect the Grizzlies to have at least a couple of letdowns during the conference season. However, they'll still be one of the top teams come season's end and a legitimate contender to earn a second-straight automatic NCAA Tournament bid on March 8, 2011.

Other Oakland Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

There is no mistaking that Oral Roberts is on the up-and-up going into 2010-11. The team will be without the old brute Kevin Ford but returns nearly every other contributor from a strong 2009-10 campaign. The list of guys who can make an impact is seemingly endless, from a quartet of strong guards to superb wingman Dominique Morrison to banger Michael Craion. Damen Bell-Holter should come along some more in his second season, providing the Golden Eagles with a paint presence lost by the graduation of Ford. These dudes will be looking to prove that they can be just as successful as ORU teams of past, giving the school its best chance of getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007-08.

Other ORU Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

SDSU Jackrabbits

The Jacks had a strong outing in 2009-10, posting a 10-8 record within the conference and finally winning a few games on the road. Though the team lost its first round game against IPFW in The Summit League Tournament (in what was an overwhelming home game for SDSU), the season as a whole still reflected well on the program. Coach Scott Nagy has a strong recruiting class coming in this season to go along with several staples from last year. Those recruits, primarily Jordan Dykstra, will need to make an immediate impact in order for South Dakota State to do as well as it did last season. Long-term, this program is definitely trending upward, but I believe they'll take a step back in 2010-11 while some of their new cogs gain much-needed experience playing Division I ball.

Other SDSU Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Davis Baker was a beast for Southern Utah over the course of his career with the Thunderbirds. In fact, he was the only double-digit scorer on the team in 2009-10. While that may be more of a result of SUU's tendency to distribute its scoring amongst all its players, there is still cause for concern in Cedar City now that Baker has used up his eligibility. Quite frankly, it's super difficult to project the program's successes or failures due to the fact its land-locked on the western side of the country with little media coverage. Judging solely by our "feeling" standard mentioned at the beginning of this post, there may not be many reasons to get stoked about Southern Utah in 2010-11.

Other SUU Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis

Western Illinois Leathernecks

Coach Jim Molinari clearly has his program on the rise, but the results for the upcoming season will depend as much as ever on his coaching and training. There are hardly any newcomers entering the fold this season, and he loses scoring guard David Nurse as well as James Granstra, a player who gave the Leathernecks an extra body in the paint. However, junior Ceola Clark is about as sure a thing as you'll find in the conference and David Gebru, who enters his second season, is an interesting prospect who could provide a spark in the post for WIU if he was able to add some muscle to his 6'10" frame during the off-season. Picking WIU to improve on its 6-12 conference record of a year ago may be gutsy, but if there is a team that has the chance to surprise people, it's Western Illinois.

Other WIU Coverage: Best Case/Worst Case, Schedule Scrutinization, Logo Analysis, Student Section Interview

Other Summit League Preview coverage:

- Five Summit League Players To Watch In 2010-11

- Five Summit League Sophomores Looking To Breakout In 2010-11

- Summit League Coaching Storylines For 2010-11

- Five Interesting Off-Season Developments For Summit League Basketball

- Summit League Red-Line Upset Possibilities In 2010-11

Best Case/Worst Case Scenarios In The Summit League

The great thing about the months leading up to the start of the college basketball season is that fans have hope. It doesn't matter whether your team won a conference championship or finished with three wins in the last campaign because the beginning of fall brings with it excitement surrounding new players, improved returners, and fresh opponents. Different teams may have differing goals; for example, the program with a new coach and seven new players may seek to simply stay competitive, win the games it can, and build for the future. The powerhouse school returning four experienced seniors, on the other hand, may have national title aspirations. Whatever the case, every school goes into the new season expecting to accomplish its best case scenario for the year. However, as we know, some teams can't reach that point without other teams failing to achieve their own goals. With that said, we're taking a look at the various best and worst case scenarios for The Summit League teams in 2010-11, knowing full well that a few teams will experience the bliss of the best case and others pain of the worst variety.

Centenary

Best Case: No matter the case, it will be an incredibly long season for new Head Coach Adam Walsh and his Centenary Gents squad in 2010-11. This will be the program's last season as a Summit League and Division I member, so Walsh will most likely have to motivate his guys by telling them to enjoy the ride while it lasts. The Gents just recently filled out their roster, and fans better hope those last few spots were earned by hard-working, quality-character individuals because they surely won't stack up well against Summit League foes in the talent department. If Walsh's guys play their butts off, there is a chance Centenary could win a few games or pull off an upset or two that could alter the conference standings a bit.

Worst Case: Hopefully the Gents can pick up an early home win against Arkansas-Monticello because their remaining non-conference slate will be tough. There is a legitimate shot the team could head into the true conference portion of the season with a 1-12 (0-2) record, though two wins are possible. A record like that should give one an indication of how they'd fare the rest of the season. It won't be pretty.

IPFW

Best Case: A third place finish is not out of the question for IPFW in 2010-11. I'm of the opinion that Oral Roberts and Oakland will battle for the top two spots, and while IUPUI is likely to be in that mix, there are still a lot of lingering questions in my mind about the Jaguars. Therefore, we could see a solid IPFW team - which beat SDSU in Sioux Falls last season to make it to the semis of the conference tournament - battle for that third position. The Mastodons have a fairly manageable non-conference schedule and rather balanced conference portion which should guarantee them a second-straight winning season. Coach Dane Fife has slowly but surely built the IPFW program to the point now where its fans should reasonably expect a solid regular season and decent conference tournament showing.

Worst Case: A top-five finish is probably a more realistic prediction for the Mastodons this season, though clearly not the worst. If that were to happen, we'd likely see the Dons lose a few of its early-season games, including the Toledo and UT-Martin dates at home. Suffering from a lack of confidence due to November and December struggles, the team would limp its way through Summit League play, ending the season with a sub-.500 record and first-round exit from the conference tournament.

IUPUI

Best Case: The Jaguars will have as experienced a backcourt as one will find in The Summit League this season. John Ashworth and Leroy Nobles will need to utilize their experience in helping lead the team because forward Alex Young won't be able to carry them to a championship by himself. Young, entering his junior season, will be the featured player for IUPUI for the first time, following the graduation of Robert Glenn. He'll need to have a Player Of The Year kind of season to ensure his team's spot at the top of the conference standings. If he does this - and the Jags receive some contributions from new freshmen - then the team can reasonably expect a top-three finish.

Worst Case: IUPUI managed to have a stellar season in 2009-10 despite a lack of scoring distribution. Case in point: around 94% of the team's scoring game from a total of six players, and three of those players who alone accounted for 45% of the team's points per game have since graduated. Those three - Robert Glenn, Jon Avery, and Billy Pettiford - were all around 6'7" players who made significant contributions on the glass as well. Outside of Coach Ron Hunter's starting five and sixth man from last year, only two other players - freshmen Greg Rice and Sean Esposito - played what one could describe as significant minutes, and both are guards. Rice and Esposito should make strides in their second season, but they'll be playing behind the team's two most experienced guards throughout. What this means is that IUPUI will be incredibly inexperienced and undersized in the frontcourt; perhaps not so much against the lower-echelon of The Summit League, but certainly against favorites Oakland and Oral Roberts. Freshman Michael Patton, a 6'9" product, could play immediately due to the team's lack of depth in the paint, but big men most often struggle to make an impact in their first year in this conference. I don't expect the Jags to fall out of the top five by season's end, but they might be destined for an otherwise mediocre season highlighted by great individual performances from Alex Young.

UMKC

Best Case: We wrote about UMKC's schedule extensively in our preview, but to keep the story short here, the Kangaroos have a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes. UMKC will play a whole bunch of fringe Division I schools, teams that the Roos should beat in a best case scenario. Assuming losses at Kansas, Kansas State, and Wichita State, there is a realistic possibility the Kansas City-based school ends up with seven or eight wins prior to beginning the bulk of its Summit League games. The winning record could give the team a confidence boost, leading them to a just below .500 record in conference play. Despite what will surely be a very low RPI and strength of schedule, at year's end the 2010-11 season would largely be looked upon as a success by UMKC administrators and fans.

Worst Case: The reality of the situation is that UMKC lost two of its top three scorers from last season in Trey McKinney-Jones and Latreze Mushatt, who ended up at the University of Miami and Murray State, respectively. Perhaps the two guys didn't fit in the locker room or grew tired of the losing at UMKC, but they had talent or otherwise they wouldn't be playing for an ACC squad and a team that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March. Player turnover has been a bit of a thorn in the side of the program recently, but maybe - just maybe - this season will bring some stability for Coach Matt Brown. Even so, the team will be working with talent that just doesn't stack up with the best in the conference. At worst, the team could finish just ahead of Centenary and out of the league tournament, with hope that key pieces will stick around for the next year.

North Dakota State

Best Case: North Dakota State tricked us all. During its first year of post-season eligibility (2008-2009), the team absolutely dominated The Summit League en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Then, a historic group of seniors graduated, leaving behind a squad of players who had a lot to live up to. The Bison players were not bad in 2009-2010, but they sure were not too memorable either. Aside from Michael Tveidt, the current roster lacks the standout dudes who were present during that magical run two seasons ago. Add to that the fact the program is isolated over in Fargo and you have the formula for a team for which prognosticating proves difficult. For example, the Bison could trick us all again in 2010-11, showing up with a focused, hard-working group of guys playing incredible team basketball. If that's the case, they could easily be in the mix for a top-four finish in The Summit League.

Worst Case: On the other hand, the Bison could be fairly underwhelming again this season. Tveidt may "get his" and will his team to a few victories, but one player's efforts only go so far. Realistically, it'd be impossible for the Bison to finish at the bottom of this league; the coaching and general hard-working vibe that North Dakota State recruits seem to emit simply won't allow that to happen. However, Coach Saul Phillips could continue to struggle to achieve the kind of success that made his program a national favorite just two years ago while he waits for some of his new talents to gain valuable experience.

Oakland

Best Case: Clearly, Oakland's best case scenario would involve a second straight Summit League championship. However, the path to get those rings is far from guaranteed. Oakland brings back a solid roster, but the loss of Derick Nelson and Johnathon Jones results in some uncertainty at the small forward and point guard positions. Seniors Will Hudson and Keith Benson provide stability in the paint, but the offense will need to be facilitated and the team will need a shutdown defender to emerge on the wing. The Golden Grizzlies do not suffer from a lack of players who could fill either of these roles, but until it actually happens, some skepticism will ensue. With that said, this is about Oakland's best case which would mean some combination of Drew Maynard, Blake Cushingberry, and Drew Valentine providing solid defense at the forward position and Reggie Hamilton finding his niche as Oakland's starting point guard. Make this happen and Oakland will be darn tough to beat.

Worst Case: Perhaps Oakland's "point guard by committee" concept doesn't go exactly as planned, meaning Hamilton, Larry Wright, and Ledrick Eackles never fully embrace the distributor role, instead opting to score, score, and score. If their shots fall, the team would be okay, but that's a tough way to live. Furthermore, most of the premiere talent in The Summit League will rest on the wing this season, where Derick Nelson will no longer be available to fill the roll of defensive stopper. If Drew Maynard doesn't make some serious leaps in his defensive ability, then players like ORU's Dominique Morrison, IUPUI's Alex Young, and NDSU's Michael Tveidt will exploit this weakness on their way to torching the Golden Grizzlies. The positive play of Benson likely wouldn't be enough to get the team past ORU, leaving Oakland to end the season with a top-three finish.

Oral Roberts

Best Case: The expectations in Tulsa are high this season, as they should be. Oral Roberts returns most of its significant pieces from last season (sans Kevin Ford) and welcome back several players who missed the previous year due to injuries. The emergence of Michael Craion as a legitimate banger should help alleviate the loss of Ford, and sophomore Damen Bell-Holter should continue to progress after turning in a serviceable freshman performance in the paint off the bench last year. Dominique Morrison and Warren Niles will look to match or improve upon their impressive 2009-10 outings. From top-to-bottom, the Golden Eagles have the most stacked roster in The Summit League. While many of these players may not have the deep tournament experience that so many former ORU players are accustomed to having, Coach Scott Sutton surely does and will have his troops prepared to take down the reigning champs from Rochester, Michigan. Simply put, Oral Roberts has the best shot at cutting down the nets in Sioux Falls.

Worst Case: Perhaps Oral Roberts will miss Kevin Ford more than predicted, especially if Bell-Holter doesn't start to step up to fill that role, which could make the team susceptible in the paint. The team will also have a bit of a log-jam in the back-court, where Ken Holdman will look to keep his starting role over transfer Rod Pearson (who played four games last season before going down with a season-ending knee injury) and redshirt freshman Hunter McClinktock (a touted recruit who missed last year with a torn ACL). Solid guard Warren Niles will also be back there looking to match his 2009-10 output levels. While it's always great to have that much talent, there's also a chance that a lack of playing time leads to chemistry issues. That's about the only thing holding back the Golden Eagles from a run at the conference crown.

South Dakota State

Best Case: The Jackrabbits will be entering the 2010-11 season with more games under their collective belts than any other Summit League team thanks to a four-game trip Winnepeg at the end of August. This experience will prove helpful as SDSU will have five freshmen this season looking to fill out roster spots around familiar names like Clint Sargent and Griffan Callahan. If true freshmen Jordan Dykstra and Marcus Heemstra are able to make an immediate impact on the wing and in the paint, then the Jacks may be poised for a rather successful season. Coach Scott Nagy successfully secured a number of great non-conference home games which should further increase the Jacks' chance of winning early and often. Going into the conference season with a winning record could do wonders for the team's confidence, leading them past the likes of IUPUI into top-three consideration with Oakland and Oral Roberts. Given the huge fan advantage the team has in Sioux Falls, it'd be awful difficult to beat a driven Jacks team come conference tournament time.

Worst Case: While South Dakota State returns several key players this year, most of them are guards or small forwards. In fact, the only guys above 6'7" on the roster from last season are Tony Fiegen, who played very sparingly, and Dwight Pederson, a transfer who played in just four games during 2009-10. Needless to say, the Heemstra/Dykstra freshmen combo should be heavily relied upon for the Brookings-based team next season. These two are proven winners in high school, but if they are unable to make a measurable impact early on in their college careers, then SDSU may be destined for a middle-of-the-pack finish in 2010-11.

Southern Utah

Best Case: Southern Utah is one of those isolated teams, so far away with so little coverage it's difficult to predict how they'll do from year to year. So in writing about the Thunderbirds, I'm taking some liberties. If I were a diehard SUU fan, though, I'm sure I'd be happy to see some progress. In this case, progress could be measured by qualifying for The Summit League tournament. While the T-Birds would likely face a first round exit, just getting there would be an accomplishment for a team that has struggled mightily in the past few seasons.

Worst Case: If Southern Utah finds itself outside of the conference tournament again, no one would be surprised. Another losing season in Cedar City would continue to drive Summit League enthusiasts mad, making them wonder why the Thunderbirds continue to be a representative of the conference. The loss of scoring guard Davis Baker would seem to indicate that Roger Reid and Company are in for another long season.

Western Illinois

Best Case: The key to WIU's success in 2010-11 will be if the players around Ceola Clark can make strides in their offensive ability. While the Leathernecks held opponents to 60 points per game last season (no doubt led by Clark, the team's defensive specialist), they only scored 59, by far the lowest in the conference. There is nothing wrong with controlling the tempo, but you have to put points on the board when it matters. Clark is certainly capable of doing it on his own, in every sense. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.7 steals per game last year as a sophomore on his way to earning Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. It's scary to think he could actually improve on those numbers this season, potentially putting himself in Player of the Year contention. If his teammates help him out, then Western Illinois has a shot at a top-five conference finish. In order to do that, the Leathernecks will need to dispatch of teams like SUU, UMKC, and Centenary while at least splitting matches against NDSU, SDSU, IPFW. This is all that separates WIU from a 2009-10 repeat and a rare winning season.

Worst Case: Last season, David Nurse was the second leading scorer for the Leathernecks with 9.2 points per game. In other words, Clark was the only double-digit scorer for WIU in 2009-10, and the next best scorer has since graduated. Furthermore, the team welcomes just two new additions this season, one is a player from France and the other is Head Coach Jim Molinari's son who is eligible after redshirting his freshman season. In other words, the roster this season hasn't changed a whole lot, meaning Western Illinois will need its returning players to make some very large leaps in order to improve on last year's record. Otherwise, they should expect another subpar season in Macomb this year.

Other Summit League Preview coverage:

- Five Summit League Players To Watch In 2010-11

- Five Summit League Sophomores Looking To Breakout In 2010-11

- Summit League Coaching Storylines For 2010-11

- Five Interesting Off-Season Developments For Summit League Basketball

- Summit League Red-Line Upset Possibilities In 2010-11

Summit League Coaching Storylines For 2010-11

Here in The Summit League, coaches matter. For the Caliparis, Pitinos, and Coach Ks of the college basketball world, recruits simply line up for invites to their programs. As a result, most of them have players with the talent and ability where true coaching may not as necessary (after all, most of these guys are heading to the NBA where coaching is more about managing egos). In The Summit League, our coaches are the individuals who scour the country for the hidden gems and team-first players who can help make their programs successful. They are the ones who actually do the most coaching, whether on the court or in life (you know, because most of these guys aren't NBA-bound and might use that degree one day). In this conference, every coach is working toward the goal of building a program which competes for NCAA Tournament bids on a consistent basis. While the automatic bid and the constraints that come with being in a geographically-challenged conference like The Summit League bind them all together, each coach has his own unique situation to handle. The following words aim to shine a light on some of the storylines involving the league's leading men heading into the 2010-11 season.

Centenary: Adam Walsh (1st season)

Adam Walsh may have the toughest job in the nation this season. He takes over a team in its last year of Division I play with talent more poised for Division III competition. It will be a long season in Shreveport, and Walsh will have the precious task of keeping his players motivated and encouraged through the many losses they are sure to endure. While wins will be few and far between for the Gents in 2010-11, it should provide Walsh's young men with a unique opportunity to improve themselves against the superior competition. He will learn a lot this year, too, and can take those lessons into the next chapter of Centenary's basketball program where he'll look to build a D-III power.

IPFW: Dane Fife (6th season)

Coach Dane Fife has been just the kind of guy the IPFW program needed as it chartered its path into Division I basketball. Despite the fact he'd probably land a high-profile assistant gig in a heartbeat, Mr. Fife has stuck with the Mastodons for five seasons now, leading the program to its first winning record in 2009-10. The former Indiana University standout has more or less built the IPFW program in its D-I era, aiming to make it yet another solid basketball contender in the Hoosier state. Fife's success hasn't gone unnoticed; over the summer, his name was mentioned as a candidate for a few head coaching openings, most notably at Toledo. While we'll never know how serious such overtures were, there's no doubt that Fife has made himself into a coaching commodity. For now, we'll see if he can lead his team to a second straight winning season. If he can do that, his name will start popping up more often when the Coaching Carousel starts to turn.

IUPUI: Ron Hunter (17th season)

Ron Hunter seems to get the most publicity of any coach in The Summit League, both for incredibly positive things and not so stellar instances. Whether he's walking barefoot or at the center of a race debate, Hunter generally comes across as one of the most likable coaches in the conference. Some fans may disagree with that statement, but I believe it to be true of the 17th year head coach. This season he'll coach star-in-the-making Alex Young, a junior who Hunter will be counting on to lead the Jaguars to a conference championship. For Hunter as an individual, the leading question for 2010-11 is, simply put, what will he do next? Here's to hoping some sideline joking with Oakland's Greg Kampe will ensue when the two meet in their annual series.

UMKC: Matt Brown (4th season)

If Matt Brown's Kangaroo team doesn't make some strides this season, one has to wonder how much longer he'll have to turn the program around. This year marks his fourth in Kansas City, a tenure that has been full of losing both games and players. If there is any coach on the hot-seat in The Summit League, it's surely Brown. For the sake of stability, let's hope UMKC can avoid the kind of dismal season that would lead to Brown's unemployment.

North Dakota State: Saul Phillips (4th season)

As is often the case with any job, sometimes people just get lucky. Saul Phillips took over the NDSU program from Tim Miles just as it was completing the final year in its reclassification process. In his second season and NDSU's first with postseason eligibility, his Bison squad made a memorable run to the NCAA Tournament. While that team had to be coached - a job Phillips did admirably - much of the talent was recruited by Miles. Now entering his fourth season, Phillips has brought in a number of his own recruits and will be working to find continued success in The Summit League. His job is likely as safe as they come, but the Bison fans will be keeping a close eye on the program this year to see if the new and young returning players can continue to develop into legitimate hoopers.

Oakland: Greg Kampe (27th season)

The clear question for Oakland coach Greg Kampe heading into the 2010-11 season is what will he do with his hair? In 2009-10, Kampe rid himself of the curlicues fans had grown fond of in exchange for a fresh buzzcut. The new hairdo was accompanied by much success for the coach's Golden Grizzlies. In a few appearances this summer, OU's leading man was seen sporting the long locks once again, though our expectation is that superstition will set in and he'll be buzzed before the first game of the season. Another possibility is that he'll keep his hair long until after the West Virginia game, if not only to prove he can do the "casually-dressed coach with a full head of hair" look better than the Mountaineer's Bob Huggins.

Oral Roberts: Scott Sutton (12th season):

For a guy who comes from a family that's in the news a lot, Scott Sutton is a rather boring dude. I mean that respectfully, of course. His teams are always solid, to the point where ORU is a perpetual top-three team in The Summit League. Because of his success with the Golden Eagles, his name comes up every now and then as a "hot" candidate for a bigger gig elsewhere, yet every time one thinks he might consider leaving, he stays put in Tulsa. As a college basketball fan, it's tough to have many qualms with Sutton. He's just solid. Expect more of the same in 2010-11.

South Dakota State: Scott Nagy (16th season)

Scott Nagy seems to me a very loyal man who probably has as much of an impact on his players off the court as he does on it. Nagy enters his 16th season as the coach of South Dakota State with expectations to make some noise in The Summit League for the second straight season. Early on, there were folks who questioned Nagy's ability to coach and recruit at a Division I level, but I believe he has proven his ability to do both. His recruiting class this year is very strong and will look to take SDSU to the next level over the next few years. This season will be about how Nagy handles the higher expectations and integrates new players who might have more talent than some of the experienced veterans.

Southern Utah: Roger Reid (4th season)

The fact that the expectations at Southern Utah are probably quite tame probably helps Roger Reid overall. Entering his fourth season, he hasn't exactly led the Thunderbirds to the kind of success that warrants job security, yet you can hardly blame the coach alone. SUU is such a bad fit for the conference in its current form that it'd be incredibly difficult for anyone to lead the program to the promised land of college hoops. A program like SUU needs a guy who has no coaching ego, someone who truly wishes to help guide the team through the long seasons of losing in order to set a foundation on which to achieve success in the future. My gut tells me Reid is a man of such character, though at some point soon he'll have to field a team competitive enough to make it into the conference tournament, at the very least.

Western Illinois: Jim Molinari (3rd season)

I'm a firm believer that Jim Molinari has the Western Illinois program on the rise. The Leathernecks have such a sad basketball history (truly, it will make you weep), so credit Molinari for having the guts to go to Macomb, Illinois, of all places, to help build a winner. He still has a lot of time left before the hawks start circling. This season, a winning record would be outstanding for Molinari. While WIU might be a year away from reaching that goal, it's certainly something to hope for.

Five Summit League Sophomores Looking To Break Out In 2010-11

The premiere talent in The Summit League is mostly concentrated in the league's upperclassman this season. There will be a bevy of juniors and seniors hoping to lead their teams to the championship while earning All-League individuals honors in the process. Some of them appeared on our "Top Five Players To Watch" list earlier in our conference preview series, but that list was more about the excitement that comes from watching a particular player than pure production. The truth is, if you are a fan of this league, then you know who the heavy hitters are heading into 2010-11. While we're anticipating big things from Keith Benson, Dominique Morrison, Alex Young, Michael Tveidt, and others, there are also a number of underclassmen who will be looking to break-out this year in hopes of earning an expanding role once their older teammates run out of eligibility. In compiling this list, I took into account all those players who will be sophomores this season and based the choice on what they accomplished last year, how their team will utilize them this year, and how they fit into the team's plans for the future. In addition, players were considered based on the all-encompassing "eye-test."

Damen Bell-Holter - Sophomore Forward, Oral Roberts

The 6'9", 240 pound Bell-Holter was Oral Roberts' only reliable big man off the bench last season, a role most would say he filled well considering he was just a freshman. While he averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, he started to hit his stride during The Summit League tournament. Prior to his two matches in Sioux Falls, I had not paid much attention to DBH, if not only because Kevin Ford was Oral Roberts' go-to big man. But Ford got into some foul trouble in the tournament, and Bell-Holter was called upon to be a difference maker in the paint. He finished with 15 rebounds between the two games (his highest two-game total of the season) along with some modest scoring output. I came away impressed with his poise in those high-stress games. He'll need to carry over that confidence into this season as his role will likely expand to the point that he'll probably start for the Golden Eagles. He's got a big body and skills to make an impact this season. In fact, he might be the league's best sophomore this year.

David Gebru - Sophomore Center, Western Illinois

During the 2009-10 season, David Gebru only played about 13 minutes per game, mostly due to the fact that Western Illinois already had a decent center in James Granstra. Granstra has since left the team, meaning that Mr. Gebru (this has a nice ring to it) will likely have the opportunity to earn the starting center role in just his sophomore season. His numbers were unimpressive last season, especially in the rebounding department where he should have a natural advantage at 6'10" tall. This is likely explained by Gebru's lack of toughness and relatively frail frame. If that doesn't sound like someone you know, then you may not have watched Keith Benson during his freshman season. While Gebru may be world's away from being an NBA prospect, he has the kind of body and potential that make him an interesting case. If his coaches can develop him appropriately, Gebru could have a great career in The Summit League. This year, he needs to show he has made some progress during the off-season, and I think given more minutes, his numbers will surely rise.

Matt Hodgson - Sophomore Center, Southern Utah

Originally, I had wanted to choose Southern Utah's Matt Massey for this feature, as I was a bit more enthused by his play than Matt Hodgson last season. Alas, Massey is a year ahead of Hodgson (a sophomore), though both are very tall, very skinny ballers from Australia. Hodgson is the taller of the two, checking in at 6'11" and 225 pounds. His thin frame makes him an easy target for bigger and more athletic bigs, but fortunately for Matt, those guys are hard to find in The Summit League. Hodgson's numbers should jump up this year (from 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds), but he's already doing two things very well: shooting and blocking. His 58% field goal percentage is otherworldly, even for a dude just relying on put-backs for a majority of his points. Additionally, he averaged a solid 2.2 blocks per game, meaning he at least knows how to take advantage of his size in that regard. Hodgson may not have the potential of a guy like Gebru, but he certainly fills a big need for Southern Utah. If he can stay out of foul trouble and make some plays, he'll definitely have a solid year for the Thunderbirds.

Kirk Korver - Sophomore Forward, UMKC

The man with the most famous last name in The Summit League: Kirk Korver. In the Great Plains region of the states, the Korver family is basketball royalty. A number of Korver boys have had very successful collegiate careers in this area, most notably brother Kyle who has stuck in the NBA primarily because of his sharp-shooting skills. Kirk Korver can certainly shoot the superhoop, but because he is one of the bigger guys on a relatively small UMKC squad, he's often relegated to the paint where he is usually overmatched. At just 6'7", UMKC still lists him as a "forward/center," which is quite sad given his ability on the perimeter. Korver's role is bound to expand this year, hopefully to the point where he can start to make plays for himself and his teammates. While he won't be the feature guy this season, there is a chance he can get to that point should he stick around in Kansas City. And Korver - the winner of the team's award honoring academic ability, moral character, and leadership - is certainly the kind of guy who Coach Matt Brown wants to hold onto.

Drew Valentine - Sophomore Forward, Oakland

I'm not sure any Oakland fan could predict what Drew Valentine's role will be for the Golden Grizzlies in 2010-11. He's a sort of classic tweener, in that his size suggests he's a guard, yet he plays more like a forward. In limited action last season, Valentine impressed with his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Even though he always seemed to be guarded by bigger guys, Drew found a way to grab a tough offensive rebound or make a difficult lay-up time after time. His overall numbers wouldn't indicate that he's anywhere close to breaking out, yet it's a possibility because there should be more playing time for him this season. He can fill a need at the small forward position provided his defense is solid, or he could end up playing a hybrid guard/forward role in certain scenarios. Whatever the case, Oakland fans know that Valentine plays tough and seems to make the most of his opportunities (as he did during OU's NCAA tourney game against Pittsburgh). This player has an important future with the Golden Grizzlies, and I think we will begin to find out why during his sophomore campaign.

Other Summit League Preview coverage:

- Five Summit League Players To Watch In 2010-11

The Trickle Down Effect Of Conference Realignment

This past summer was partly the summer of conference realignment, though most of the schools making moves were those of the BCS persuasion. While such moves did not necessarily have much of an impact on mid-major basketball, there were some recent changes that could have a trickle down effect on The Summit League. This is all concentrated on the west coast, where the Western Athletic Conference was poached by the Mountain West Conference. Now facing a need to fill out its membership ranks, the WAC will look at a number of schools to potentially invite for future seasons. To illustrate how this could impact The Summit League:

No disrespect meant to Southern Utah by such a scenario, but at this point it is my belief that the benefits the program brings to The Summit League do not outweigh the drawbacks.

Benefits:

• Tenth member in a time of financial instability with many smaller programs
• The State of Utah typically supports basketball quite well

Drawbacks:

• Not a geographic fit within the conference
• Travel to and from SUU is long and costly for conference opponents
• No true travel partner for conference games

Add to this equation the fact that SUU has been losing more games in recent years, and you have a situation that is not mutually beneficial. While the program has found success in this conference in the past, there is no doubt they'd be more successful in a conference where road games were not cross-country trips and home games were against teams people in Utah might actually recognize. If a spot opens up in the Big Sky, there is no certainty that Southern Utah would get the invite, but it sure would make a lot of sense. The Thunderbirds would drastically decrease their travel time and have the ability to develop a natural rivalry with Weber State. It's a win-win.

For those concerned about stability in The Summit League, look no further than the University of North Dakota. It seems inevitable that the school will join the conference, especially considering the fact that the University of South Dakota arrives for the 2011-12 season. The two Dakota State schools have thus far provided the conference with competitive teams and diehard fanbases; there's no reason to think USD and then UND could not provide the same. While UND could experience some growing pains since it is relatively new to Division I, it's likely the program would be able to at least match SUU's level of play in recent years. Truly, everybody wins in this scenario. Now to see how the dominoes fall.

- WAC meeting information from "Pioneers Aim to Impress WAC Officials" on ESPN.com.

Summit League Schedule Scrutinization: Southern Utah

For the next few weeks, we'll be scrutinizing over the schedules announced by the various Summit League schools. Generally, they'll appear in alphabetical order with an array of thoughts on the teams and their opponents. The general idea behind this comes from a similar feature on RushTheCourt.net, where writer Zach Hayes kindly encouraged us to adopt some pieces of the format for use here, though you'll find plenty of Summit League flair in the words below.

Southern Utah University

General Theme: If there is one thing that sticks out about the Southern Utah men's basketball schedule in 2010-11, it's that the Thunderbirds will not be taking any guaranteed beatings at the hands of BCS powers. Instead, the team has put together a cavalcade of games against teams largely operating at the same level. The T-Birds play a few games against Big West competition and will see a pair of in-state teams - Weber State and Utah State - come to Cedar City. UNLV on the road stands out as the only game where SUU will be supremely over-matched. The team will also travel to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout where they'll face Drake in the first round and either Ball State or St. John's in the second. From there, they'll either have Houston Baptist, Arizona State, Weber State, or Alaska Anchorage.

Travel At A Glance: The SUU non-conference schedule plays to SUU's region, with games in Nevada, California, and Alaska. Truly, the Summit League portion of the team's schedule is just further proof that they're wasting a lot of money on travel by sticking in this league.

Easiest Game: There are no easy games for SUU, aside from the teams they play outside of Division I. Hopefully they'll take care of Centenary this year, proving that their much more talented than a team reclassifying to Division III.

Toughest Game: This one definitely goes to UNLV on the road. There aren't too many incredibly tough games on the SUU schedule (well, without knowing their other opponents in Alaska) so there shouldn't be too many non-conference thrashings. This will be positive for the team's confidence heading into conference play.

Most Likely Upset: Southern Utah will have to play forty great minutes of basketball on November 20th if they want to take down Utah State when that team visits Cedar City. It's nearly impossible to win at USU, so the Thunderbirds should be glad to get them at home. A win over a quality in-state team would do wonders for SUU's profile.

Most Challenging Non-Conference Stretch: Utah State, even if the game is on SUU's home court, will be a very tough game for Roger Reid's players. They follow that game with a trip to Alaska where they'll have to plan for an unknown opponent twice in two days. This could be a particularly gloomy stretch if things are not jiving for the T-Birds.

Most Challenging Conference Stretch: Perhaps I'm overestimating the toll of the Alaskan trip, but to go from Alaska all the way to the Midwest for games against Oakland (12/2) and IPFW (12/3) on just four days rest sounds brutal to me. Oakland and IPFW will be doing everything they can to avoid a letdown in these matches, which is why it will extremely tough for SUU to come away from here with anything other than an 0-2 conference start.

Best Individual Match-Up: With Davis Baker gone, it's difficult picking any one player who stands out for Southern Utah. They'll have quite a few new faces this season, but my best guess is that junior Matt Massey will begin to fill the roll of team-leader, at least in the paint. I remember Massey as a frail post-player last season, but if he was able to add some muscle during the off-season to go along with natural progression, he could jump up a bit from the 8 points and 4 rebounds he averaged last season. Seeing him play against some of the better bigs in the conference will tell us a lot about his role for Coach Reid.

Most Anticipated Home Game: Basketball has been fairly solid in the state of Utah lately, and a big reason why is because of the success of Utah State. Stew Morrill's team is unbeatable at home and has been able to receive at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament out of the WAC. Morrill has a pretty firm scheduling philosophy (he rarely takes "guarantee games" without some kind of return game in Logan, Utah) which has brought a lot of excitement to the program during his tenure. Southern Utah should look to the Aggies for both how to build a winning program and avid fanbase. They can start by showing up to play for the game at Centrum Arena on November 20th.

Concluding Thoughts: This is a sound schedule for Southern Utah. The team hasn't taken on more than it can handle and was able to secure a number of intriguing home matches in the process. Hopefully the Thunderbirds can put together a decent season built around the opponents seen here.