Basketball media days are underway. Teams can start practice Friday, so it is time to work on dealing with stupid questions.
I’m updating this throughout the month, so check back to read new additions.
Southern Illinois freshmen Anthony Booker and Torres Roundtree stuck together in high school and college.
Creighton’s Kenny Lawson wants to play like Dwight Howard.
Missouri State’s Shane Laurie is still bothered by a concussion. A headache forced him to stop practice.
Northern Iowa is fighting injuries. Senior Carlton Reed is out for the season. New guard Ali Farokmanesh is in the spotlight right away. Don’t miss the video of coach Ben Jacobson, who thinks his guards are faster and better shooters than last season. The Panthers were painful to watch on offense last season, so the coach expects improvement. He almost cracks a smile at one point when talking about his backcourt. I guess that’s a good sign.
Creighton started its season quietly, just the way coach likes things.
Illinois State’s Champ Oguchi could team with Osiris Eldridge to give the Redbirds a dangerous 1-2 combo. Redbirds coach Tim Jankovich worked magic with an erratic juco point guard last season to help Boo Richardson turn into a reliable player. This season, Jankovich again needs to get a transfer ready to lead. The Redbirds start practice Saturday with two starting jobs on the line.
Illinois State needs its freshmen big men to progress quickly.
Siena is a possible WSU opponent in the Old Spice Classic. The Saints are definitely media darlings after beating Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament.
Centenary starts practice with nine scholarship players and three walk-ons.
TCU is a football school. New basketball coach Jim Christian has a lot of rebuilding to do to get the basketball Frogs on the map.
Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery is working with nine newcomers.
At Missouri State, the Bears may be without guard Shane Laurie when practice starts Friday. He has a history of concussions and is recovering from a scooter accident. New coach Cuonzo Martin promises to work on defense and play without boundaries.
At Drake, newcomer Adam Templeton comes in with the reputation as a great shooter. New coach Mark Phelps has the toughest job in the MVC. Expectations after last season’s magical ride are out-of-whack with the program’s history.
Southern Illinois senior Tony Freeman, a transfer from Iowa, is limited to practice this season.
Creighton’s freshmen guards will get their “welcome to college” moments starting Friday.
Georgetown, WSU’s first opponent in the Old Spice Classic, figures to play faster in response to losing Roy Hibbert and other.
WSU will play one exhibition this season, not the usual two. Emporia State is starting over after losing its top six scorers. Former Kapaun Mount Carmel star Matt Boswell averaged 3.7 points last season and is the top returning scorer. Coach David Moe brought in nine newcomers, including two Division I transfers.