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]

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

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

Summit League Schedule Scrutinization: UMKC

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.

University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)

General Theme: Credit the UMKC coaching staff for securing games against all three major Kansas basketball schools this season. While the Kangaroos will face Kansas, Kansas State, and Wichita State all on the road, something should be said for taking care of the home area. The two Big 12 programs are projected to be Final Four contenders, and Wichita State is always solid out of the Missouri Valley. UMKC will need these games to help boost its various statistical measurements because the rest of its schedule will kill them. Games against Central Arkansas, Southeast Missouri State, SIU-Edwardsville, Utah Valley, North Dakota, and Houston Baptist would lead a casual onlooker to assume UMKC is a fringe Division I school. Perhaps they've gone with this schedule to guarantee some wins, but it certainly won't help their stature in this league or our thoughts that they're just slipping further and further to the bottom of DI.

Travel At A Glance: Travel for the Kangaroos is rather localized. The trip to Idaho State is a bit off the beaten path, but when that's your only big trip, you know you've scheduled well on your budget.

Easiest Game: A lot of the teams on this schedule are from schools just making the transition to Division I, and most of them are visiting Kansas City. If UMKC wants to retain even an ounce of credibility, it better take care of said teams on its new home court. We're looking at games against North Dakota, Utah Valley, SIU-Edwardsville, and Houston Baptist, among others.

Toughest Game: Kansas and Kansas State, yikes! Kansas State returns most of its pieces from last season's Elite Eight, while Kansas is always finding a way to reload even after departures of major cogs Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins. UMKC will have a heckuva time staving off the attack of the hungry Jayhawks and Wildcats.

Most Likely Upset: Sadly, UMKC's schedule doesn't lend itself well to predicting a major upset. Beating any combination of Oral Roberts, Oakland, or IUPUI would be confidence-boosting for the Kangaroos.

Most Challenging Non-Conference Stretch: The Roos go to Manhattan for a game against Kansas State on December 23rd, follow that up with two home games against the Dakota schools before heading to Lawrence to take on KU on January 5th. Even though the Summit League games break up the two big dogs, it still stands out as the most challenging stretch.

Most Challenging Conference Stretch: Beginning January 27th, UMKC will travel to the Dakotas for games against SDSU and NDSU before heading out to play Southern Utah the weekend after. Five days later they get Oral Roberts at Swinney. The combination of three straight road games followed by a home bout with ORU will really test the mental stamina of this year's Kangaroo team.

Best Individual Match-Up: Jay Cousinard should have a solid senior campaign for Coach Matt Brown this season, but my pick as most intriguing player in 2010-11 is Kirk Korver. The dude comes from a basketball family and is bound to improve during his second season in Kansas City. At 6'7", he's a guy who can play the wing or in the paint, but due to UMKC's lack of size, he more often ends up in the paint guarding bigger and stronger opponents. We're hoping he has made some progress this off-season and that he'll get more chances to play outside of the block this season. Watching him go up against a guy like NDSU's Michael Tveidt will give us an indication of where he's at in his development.

Most Anticipated Home Game: If I were a student at UMKC, I'd be marking Thursday, January 20th on my calendar. The Roos will take on IUPUI in what will be the team's first conference game at Swinney while classes are in session. UMKC made the switch to the on-campus arena this year after spending many at Municipal. The smaller stadium should make for a more intimate viewing and also energize UMKC's Roo Crew.

Concluding Thoughts: As a supporter of a team playing UMKC two times every season, I'm not exactly thrilled with the direction this schedule has taken the Roos. All of the previously mentioned games against the bottom of Division I teams do nothing for The Summit League as a whole. They bring down the conference's RPI and give folks a reason to categorize the league as one of the nation's worse. While I acknowledge that those schools need games as well and UMKC is doing a favor by providing some for them, they are just too frequent here in 2010-11. Two or three would have been fine, but outside of the three in-state games, UMKC's entire non-conference schedule is incredibly weak and will not prepare them for some of the tests they'll encounter during Summit League play.

Breaking Down Attendance Figures In The Summit League

In sports we often measure the interest people have in a team with attendance figures. If a team is consistently selling out its arena, it's deemed a success. If the bleachers or plastic-backed chairs are empty, the team looks pitiful. A winning team, the conventional thinking goes, will attract more people to games. Lose, and your turnstile figures plummet. More often than not, this philosophy holds up for every sport on all levels. But for small college basketball programs, it's not always as easy as "win and get the people in."

There could be numerous reasons as to why mid-major programs struggle to have packed audiences game-in and game-out. The simple fact that marquee teams - the ones whose name alone may draw in the casual fan - rarely play away from home during the non-conference season is one such. Another may be conference affiliation; after all, even if your team is winning on a consistent basis, is it really worth it to go to a game against the conference doormat? A more dominating reason, perhaps, is that most people just don't follow what's going on at this level. For them, storylines involving the Lakers and Colts and Longhorns of the world are more appealing than those from the Jackrabbits and Thunderbirds and Kangaroos with which we are acquainted.

Looking at attendance averages from the 2009-10 season in The Summit League, this analysis tends to hold up well. Of the 10 conference members, only two had an average attendance equaling half of their arena's capacity. Even with that said, those two should be looked at closely. IUPUI, which averaged 1,316 attendees per game, only fits 1,215 in its Jungle gym. The inflated figure probably includes "home" games played at Conseco Fieldhouse, not unlike how OU's work when including matches at The Palace of Auburn Hills. While the Jaguars should be commended for fielding a team strong enough to pack its gym for every game, it should be noted that their modest capacity gives them a leg-up in this discussion.

Like IUPUI, Oakland University had a stunning occupancy rate of 91% for the season, a number calculated from the O'Rena's listed capacity of 3,000. However, anyone who follows the Golden Grizzlies knows the team regularly has crowds of more than 3k, and the all-time attendance record is upwards of 4,000. Using a modified capacity of 3,500, OU still fills 78% of seats per game; at 4,000 it drops to 68%. No matter the case, Oakland ranks second in The Summit League.

Aside from those two cases, it seems the occupancy rate for most schools in the conference suffers because their arenas are simply too big. IPFW and UMKC's 13,000 and 9,200 seat mammoths, respectively, are considerably big for two schools hanging around .500 every season. On the other hand, WIU's ability to fill only 19% of its 5,000+ seat Western Hall is more than likely due to its poor record over the past few years. There is a reason the teams at the top of this list are those competing for the conference crown every year. Other thoughts on these figures, in bulleted form:

• In this analysis, the biggest surprise has to be Southern Utah. Centrum Arena can hold 5,300 according to the team's website, and the team managed to average 2,098 fans per game, good for a rate of 40%. Basketball is king in Utah (and SUU has an advantage at home), but I will admit that I never suspected SUU to have this much support considering their recent performances on the court. I have lobbied in the past for SUU to move on to a better-fitting league, but this bit of information shines some light on the otherwise gloomy program.
• Oral Roberts blows every other Summit school out of the water with its 4,662 person average per game. And that is for an arena that can hold up to 10,575 fans! ORU set the standard for play on the court for much of the middle of the past decade, but their fan and community support continues to be the bar today. If ORU ever makes a serious move to leave The Summit League, their ability to attract large audiences will surely be one reason why.
• OU fans have long wondered whether the O'Rena is a big enough arena for the team, especially considering the progress the program has achieved as of late. This data proves that it is a good fit, for now. If anything larger were ever proposed, I'd like to see it be in the same vein as Frost and Bison Sports Arena, the homes of the two Dakota schools. Even with averages close to OU, each school is capable of selling out their roughly 6,000 seats for big games. It'd be pretty incredible if OU could draw 5,000-6,000 people per game for an entire season, but if the program had an arena that size, it'd be easier to market Rochester as a destination for the kind of opposing teams that could bring in the extra fans needed to make it viable.
• Western Illinois is currently stuck on the steepest incline in its uphill battle to find relevance in The Summit League. Reading about their basketball history is downright sad, but fortunately, they have a great coach in Jim Molinari and seem to be attracting players that fit well with his system. One can only hope they are able to attract bigger audiences this year, if not only to give the players some fans to play for.
• Poor Centenary. It is difficult to determine what Centenary's legacy will be in this conference, if any. It's both sad (long-time DI school) and a relief (lots of money for travel) to see them leave, but if it had to happen, it would have been great to go out with a bang. Their 881 average, however, shows they will not.

As the table shows, the conference as a whole had a total average of 2,137 attendees per game, good for approximately 45% of seats sold. While The Summit League isn't challenging the Missouri Valley Conference in this statistical department anytime soon, it's not quite terrible. With improved stability and competitiveness, the league should see this number jump up over the next few seasons.

Summit League Logo Battle: UMKC

When it comes to The Summit League, we have some of the best nicknames in all of college sports. And what better way to embrace our team monikers than to take a look at their visual equivalences: the team logo. For all of our analyses, we used the primary logos for each team listed on the venerable website SportsLogos.net. (Please note that any digs thrown at the schools are just for fun and do not necessarily represent our true feelings about them!)

Program: UMKC

Nickname: Kangaroos

Origin of Nickname: The kangaroo was first proposed as a potential mascot in the 1930s; there were mixed feelings on the name until Walt Disney became involved by contributing a drawing of the animal alongside Mickey Mouse for the university's humor magazine. The name took hold shortly after and has been around ever since. (h/t: The Summit League)

Philosophical Take: It's really too bad that the logo we are featuring today is not the same one shown on SportsLogos.net as the school's primary logo because analyzing a sweater-clad kangaroo would have been a lot more fun than this comparatively normal one. With that said, there isn't a lot going on with this interpretation of the logo. We have an angry looking kangaroo heading left, or forward, which is puzzling considering the program has been taking giant steps back as of late. The typography slants down signifying UMKC's fall to the bottom of Division I and eventual collapse into a lower division. Quite literally, we see the lettering of the university grabbing hold of the beloved marsupial as it tries to escape; Kasey, after all, enjoys his status as the only kangaroo mascot in Division I and would rather abandon his lifelong partner institution than suffer through the constant questions of whether he too could be downgraded to DII or worse. The one thing the kangaroo has managed to avoid is the beating the lettering has taken, as its black and blue facade showcases. Nope, Kasey has gone relatively unscathed in recent years as he has embarked on many vacations to visit the 423 players who have transferred out of UMKC in the last four years. His favorite: Reggie Hamilton.

Final Judgment: This is a very solid, contemporary logo. The aforementioned "kangaroo wearing a sweater" design appeared dated, so this one serves as a great upgrade. The UMKC typography is edgy, and the deep blue looks excellent juxtaposed with the kangaroo's yellow tone (also a great nod to the school's uniform scheme). "Roos" is slightly out of place, and I wonder why it lacks a border of any sort. It's difficult to imagine a kangaroo as angry or fierce so the program gets a pass despite the animal's lack of many defining features.

How We'd Fix It: Since we dig the typography used for the logo, we'd only make a minor adjustment here. To honor the program's lack of direction, we're accentuating the letters with some colorful arrows. These nifty pieces of flair point in all directions because no one really knows where UMKC will go next. Kasey is clearly confused, too, as his facial expression (hopefully) indicates. To make matters worse, the Australian transplant is also perplexed as to why it became acceptable to shorten his name from kangaroo to 'roo. Consequently, his expression of confusion could be considered one of misery. In fact, we wouldn't doubt it.

A Lesson In Elementary Graphic Design:

Student Section Chronicles: UMKC

Since joining The Summit League in the early 90s (then the Midcontinent Conference), the UMKC Kangaroos have generally been a .500 basketball program. Until recently, they had only incurred one truly putrid season; look at the rest of their conference record history and one will find a lot of 7-7, 9-7, 6-8, etc. Lately, however, the team has struggled to find such balance in the win-loss column where losses have been occurring at a far speedier pace than wins. As a result, the Roos have developed into a bit of a fan-favorite in The Summit League because when your team plays them, there is a high percentage chance that the on-court result will be favorable.

Clearly, UMKC is still in a rebuilding stage, attempting to find players who fit Head Coach Matt Brown's basketball philosophy. This task has been decidedly tough for the program as of late as the news of fresh transfers seems to be more common than that of new commits. Next season, they will be without two of their top three scorers from 2009-10, as Latreze Mushatt and Trey McKinney-Jones leave for Murray State and the University of Miami, respectively. If you're counting, that's two solid players leaving for one team that pulled an NCAA Tournament upset last season and another which plays in the ACC. Stories like this are indicative of the place UMKC finds itself in at present, but that is not to say there's no hope.

First, the Kangaroos will finally have some senior leadership on the team in the coming season as leading scorer Jay Couisnard and leading rebounder Spencer Johnson enter their final years. Moreover, Kirk Korver will come to play with a season under his belt, and his last name is basketball royalty in the Midwest (meaning he can do things if he's able to play at the small forward position; there were too many times in The Summit League Tournament where he was forced to guard Will Hudson and Keith Benson due to UMKC's lack of height). Finally, the team will move from historical Municipal Auditorium back to its on-campus basketball arena, Swinney Recreation Center. They'll lose a lot of seating capacity in the process, but as we learned by talking with UMKC's student section leader, Aaron Gray, there is hope that the switch will result in better attendance and participation amongst students. Surely more hype around the Kangaroos would be a great thing for Coach Brown as he attempts to bring further stability to Kansas City.

Name of the student section: Roo Crew

Describe the history of your student section. How long has it existed in its current state?

We have had a student section in existence since we went Division I in 1987. We even had a great student section when were an NAIA school for the years up to 1987. Since 1987, our men’s basketball team played at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City while our women’s basketball and volleyball teams called Swinney Recreation Center on the main UMKC campus home. Our student section at Municipal was located behind the basket on the visitor team bench side.This upcoming season, our men’s basketball team is moving their home games to Swinney Recreation Center. Our student section will once again be set up under the basket next to the visitors' bench. With multiple venues, our student section has taken on many forms, but the students seem to enjoy being under or behind the basket close to the visitors' bench. (Note: Jessica Dickson from UMKC Athletics answered this question to provide long-term perspective on the Roo Crew).

Does your student section require/recommend a certain shirt (or shirt color) be worn?

We design a shirt every year, however, students are allowed to wear whatever they want. Usually just blue is fine.

How are tickets allocated for students in the student section?

Members of Roo Crew get their tickets a day or two before the general student population at a designated location.

Where are you located at in the arena, and what is your favorite part about such placement?

Under the basket right by the away team's bench. This positioning allows us to see all the action up close and personal.

What are the two to three biggest games for your student section each year?

The first game of the men's soccer season, homecoming soccer game, and our men's courtwarming game during basketball season.

What struggles does your student section face every year?

Overall participation at men's basketball games because of the increase in tests and other factors in keeping people from attending games.

What are your thoughts on moving home games back to Swinney? What will this do for student attendance?

I am extremely excited! Our games at Swinney produce an overall better student turnout. Also with a limited space the fans are more compact and easier to get to participate.

Describe your most original chant, or a memory of a particular experience in the student section?

At an exhibition game against the University of Kansas, our student section was located at a very high-back corner of Allen Fieldhouse. We had a few good goals against the KU powerhouse. Our little yellow student section started chanting “D...D....D....Defense” during a silent part of the game and we could be heard all across the stadium. Of course this was the year that KU went on to win the National Championship. However, being able to silence the fans of the Jayhawks, ranked number 4 overall, [was great].

Why do you ultimately choose to be a part of the student section at your school?

There are so many perks! I love supporting the athletes at our school; I have been roommates with a basketball player. I am also friends with several soccer players, volleyball players and track athletes. They let me know on a regular basis how much it helps to have a very supportive student section.

- We'd like to extend our thanks to Aaron and Jessica for taking the time to answer our questions about UMKC. Be sure to check out some of the other pieces in this series below.

Other reports from the Student Section Chronicles:

- North Dakota State

- IPFW

- South Dakota State

- Oral Roberts

- Western Illinois