Season 102
Top #10 NATIONAL PREVIEW
Pre-Season top 10
1) Metropolitan St. - The team to beat. Four Pre-Season All-Americans. Best defensive team in the country. #1 RPI
2) Fort Hays St. - Last years National Champs. Returns three starters. Well rounded, will look to run on teams. #2 RPI
3) Tusculum - Last years runner-up. Only loses one senior from last year. Very talented and well-balanced team that will run. #3 RPI
4) W. Florida - Very athletic, great defensively, and easily the quickest team in the nation. Will make a run for the ship. #4 RPI
5) Western St. - Loaded Offensively and has a solid amount of athletes that can play D. Great ball movement and very quick. #5 RPI
6) New Jersey Tech. - Very nice offensive team that plays solid D. Great starting lineup. NR
7) New Mexico Highlands - Well rounded team that can really shoot the 3 ball. Very good passing and ball handling. #10 RPO
8) Mercyhurst - Solid starting line-up. Has five-six athletes that can really score. #9 RPI
9) E. New Mexico - Deep team that is solid in the core areas, especially defense with outstanding BH/P #12 RPI
10) Midwestern St. - Better 3pt shooting team in the nation. #21 RPI
Headed into CT top 10
RMAC PREVIEW
#1 Metro St.- chew (50th year)
Last Season: 28-6, Final Four
Key Returners:Frank Nichols (Pre-Season 1st team AA), Jerry Lemke (Pre-Season 2nd team AA), Craig Pigott (Pre-Season 2nd team AA), John Weber (Pre-Season 2nd team AA), and Issac Mendivil (Pre-Season 3rd team AA)
Key Losses: David Calahan
Freshman: Darrell Kinsey (#81 PG)
Outlook: Coach chew and Metro are loaded. Completely loaded. Six players with over 700 total rating - two of those may break 800. Frank Nichols is one of the best guards in the nation, so is Jerry Lemke. Craig Pigott may be the best SF in the nation, and frankly John Weber and Issac Mendivil are two of the best bigs out there. Coach Chew himself said this may be the best team in Metro’s history. For a coach and program that have won 3 NC Titles, that is saying something. Everyone on scholarship can score, and they will have a team defensive and athleticism rating over 70 by the time the tourney hits. They are the second highest overall rating, the second most athletic, the best defensive rating and that’s with two walk-ons. They are may be equally as scary on the offensive end. Last year Metro came into the season ranked #1, this year is no different, and they undoubtedly look like the top team in the country.
This just in. Chew has four f****** pre-season all-americans.
#1 RPI Metro St. - Metro has been perfect so far. Going 26-0, Metro has not blinked an eye during non-conference of brutal RMAC play, making work of some of the best teams in the nation. They are averaging a ridiculous 25 ppg margin of victory while leading the nation in FG% , second in 3pt%, and boast one of the top defenses in the nation. Metro has four players averaging double digits and have a fifth just under. This loaded team has actually gotten better and will look to cap off a remarkable season.
#2 Ft. Hays - thinair (19th year)
Last Season: 33-2, National Champs
Returning Starters: Bryan Riggio (Pre-Season HM AA), Daniel Tickle (Pre-season 2nd team AA), and Michael Fletcher
Key Losses: Nick Hunt, Christopher Sheeley and Joseph Mitchel
Freshman: Micheal Potts (#162 PG) , Jesse Silvestri (#67 PG), and Michael Holder
Outlook: Ft. Hays returns their entire front court, but lost three guards including RMAC POY Christopher Sheeley. When discussing Christopher Sheeley, coach thinair had the following to say, “Sheeley will be missed, he was a heck of a ball player - he’s off in Europe right now continuing to do what he loves”. We lost two other really solid players too, including our point guard. Evan Towles will step up that role this year for us. He’s been groomed for it for a while now. He’s a pretty good all around player. “
What does your starting five look like? How about the freshman recruits?
"We have a solid starting five and a really deep front court. We are fairly balanced, which I like. I think for us to have a run in the tourney our freshman are going to have to grow up fast. We need Micheal Potts to get quicker, Michael Holder is a pretty talented kid but he’s raw. He needs to get quicker as well but really practice his defensive skills. Jesse Silvestri is the most complete freshman we have. He will give us solid minutes instantly. If those three listen to their elders, and play unselfish Ft. Hay’s basketball we may find a way to win some games again. Not 30, but hopefully a good number. This team has five seniors on the roster, and that’s rarely a bad thing. For those guys this is four years of learning how to play Ft. Hays basketball. We are a system type program, we don’t try to hide that. We are looking for guys that fit our mold, and these seniors not only fit that mode, but have now excelled at it."
We asked coach thinair about the recent changes to the RMAC coaching carousel and he had the following to say, “it’s pretty exciting to have coach mattstarks join us. He’s one of the best coaches in the country, and he clearly came here to try and win one of the coveted RMAC rings. For Baums_away to pack his bags and make the trip as well - outstanding. Thankfully kevodaphenom stayed in the RMAC after accepting a gig at Chadron.
We don’t want to lose to any of them (the RMAC teams), but it’s going to be damn hard to run the table on these guys ever again. Then again, have you guys seen Chew’s squad this year? My lord. What a fun game that’ll be February 4th.
#2 RPI Ft. Hays - Ft. Hays has gone 22-4 while claiming the outright North conference championship making that a decade in a row of at least sharing the title. After a slow start to the season D. Tickle has really came on strong in conference play, "yeah I'm biased, but I definitely think he has played well enough to earn RMAC POY, but D. Tickle would be the first to tell you he doesn't really care about the individual stuff. Bryan Riggio is the same way. Bryan Riggio was the NT player of the game last year and his trophy just sits in his closet. But his ring, he wheres that thing everywhere. They want another one, but yikes, have you guys seen that Metro State team Chew has this year?
#5 Western St. - byeags25 (12th Year)
Last Season: 21-8, First Round
Key Returners: John Moore (Honorable Mention All-American last year and pre-season HR AA) David Price and Dennis Applegate
Key Losses: Parker Roberts and Anthony Webb
Freshman: Shawn Conover (#112 SG) , Michael Baldwin (#188 PF) and Keith Shackleford (#96 PF)
Western St may have the top shooters in the nation. They will be straight lethal from behind the 3pt line. With four players with 90+ PER rating, one in the 80’s and two more in the 70’s, this gives them seven guys that can shoot from the deep line. That’s not the only way the Mountaineers can score, these guys can also really pick up some buckets down low too. With great Ball Handling and really solid Speed, this Western St. Squad will look to outscore everyone they face. Last year John Moore received HM AA Honors, he will look to have an even more successful season this year, and lead Western to a tourney run during his last season on campus.
Western State has third highest overall rating in D2, which can be credited to coach byeags25, who has always been complimented on his talented recruiting capabilities.
Coach byeags25 has the following to say about this upcoming season, “This is a big year for Western State. We bring a lot of talent back and have high expectations. The guys are motivated by an early exit from the national tournament last year and are looking to make a deep run. Before that though, we need to get through the gauntlet that is the RMAC. The conference added some great coaches this offseason to make an already tough conference even tougher. No nights off here. Hopefully our depth and offensive talent are enough to compete on a nightly basis.”
#5 RPI Western St. - Western is 21-5 and three of those come to the #1 and #2 ranked RPI squads in the nation. They are averaging 85 ppg and both J. Moore and D. Stovall are legit RMAC POY candidates. With eight upperclassmen on the roster, Western St. seems like an easy pick to make a run in the NT.
#18 Colorado Mines - crushthebean (37th year)
Last Season: 27-4, Sweet 16
Key Returners: Santiago Vega, Travis Williams (pre-season 1st team AA), and John Moore
Key Losses: Thomas Meadows, Mile Kovaleski, Charles Lewis, Lynn Lowry, and Luis Dean
Freshman: Paul Clay (#85 PG), Robert Farfan (#127 PG), John Harris (#96 PG), Steven Pilger (#155 C) and John Shay (#135 C)
Coach crushthebean will have to try and replace a very strong class of seniors from last year. In order to replicate Mines’ seemingly year in year out success, the team will have to reply on the three key returners listed about. Vega is a very good pass pass first PG. John Moore has fantastic offensive ability with 74/66 LP/PER rating. And superman Travis Williams who was ALL RMAC last season, will continue to do not just a little of everything, but A LOT. With five freshman on the roster, Williams will have an even larger role in season 102.
There are rumors of Paul Clay being a complete stud. The Point Guard comes from the prestigious West Texas grounds of Odessa, the famous football town featured in Friday Night Lights. Clay will tell you that football was indeed his first love, he may decide to play football as well for the Orediggers next fall. Coming to Mines for an engineering degree, and having graduate with only a 2.98, he thought it would be best to focus on his primary recruited sport where he was one of the top 100 Point Guards in the nation for several recruiting agencies across the country.
#22 RPI Colorado Mines - Mines is 20-6 for the year, in-which five of those losses came from RMAC squads. S. Vega has led the way offensively averaging 14.2 ppg, while T. Williams has done a little of everything. Both players would have been great RMAC fantasy basketball picks! Mines has gotten some very key rating improvement throughout the year and looks like they may be gelling at the right time having won their last four games.
UCCS - terps21234, (9th year)
Last Season: 18-10, First Round
Key Returners:Richard Foskey, Kenneth McMahon, and Isaac Roose.
Key Losses: Douglas Alexander, Duane Dickson, and John Bolduc (2nd Team All-Rmac)
Freshman: Harry Moore, James Allen, and Daniel Riccardi
Last seasons RMAC COY terps21234, had a disappointing end to the season, but that doesn’t mean that he and UCCS did not have a fantastic season. The good news is that terps21234 returns some studs from last years squad. Foskey is one of the better distributors in the conference, McMahon is their best defensive wing, Roose is a not only a solid rebounder but also a defender and Marshall Ruelas will give them points from the post position.
UCCS has eight upperclassmen on the team, giving them a solid team IQ rating which always helps when you are trying to run a top notch 2-3 zone. UCCS, the Syracuse of d2 continues to tweak their zone defense in order to frustrate RMAC foe. Last season UCCS probably should have won a game or two in the tourney, and this years squad is probably just as good? With a solid junior class it appears that terps21234 will consistently have UCCS in the NT.
Coach Terp will have to find a way to replace John Bolduc who was arguable the best player to come out of UCCS in some time. The 7’1, 245 pound Center was a beast down low.
#39 RPI UCCS heads into the CT with a huge win over Western St. They also have a quality win over #26 Adams st. UCCS really only had one bad loss, and their two stud frosh Harry Moore and Daniel Riccardi have really shown improvement which has the town excited about the rest of their career in the springs. At 16-10 they are safe to make the NT, what is unknown is just how many games UCCS can pull off the W. They are a very fundamental squad and have gotten more athletic. The fact that they don't beat themselves is a huge trait to have come March.
Colorado Christian - Baums_away (First Year)
Las Season: 12-15 (under sim)
Key Returners: David Clyburn, David Smith and Mike Bynum
Key Losses: Ben Payne and Brian Sailer
Freshman: Isaac Petrillo (#84 PG), Jimmy Weikel (#190 C)
Outlook: Colorado Christian will look to use their team speed to their advantage. Both Clyburn and Smith can really turn a corner. Offensive production is likely to come from Clyburn who can shoot the 3 ball when it’s in his hands - and might even be more dangerous as a distributor. Other weapons are seniors Bynum and Manning who have both solid low post moves and mid-range shooting abilities. Colorado Christian doesn’t have a lot of athletes, but they are quick, with solid bh/p which should allow for their shooters to go on runs. CCU has six seniors, which should provide a nice transition for Baums to get his own guys. Will Baums_away stay local and get to learn the regional area, or will he continue to pull recruits from the Carolina area, where both he and Starks built many connections? Only time will tell.
There is a lot of talk regarding freshman Isaac Petrillo. Coming from Olympia High School, Petrillo was a top 100 PG recruit. Baums sold him on the benefits of playing d2. Following Baums name, Isaac Petrillo comes to CCU with a very nice high school shooting percentage from beyond the arch. The 5’10 PG should not be underestimated, and it will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets during his freshman campaign.
#142 Colorado Christian - Baums has CCU headed in the right direction. They pulled off a solid win over over Ft. Lewis earlier in the year and freshman Isaac Petrillo has improved by 70+ points. 9-17 as a first year coach in the RMAC really ain't shabby, and even more impressive when you realize that the roster is made up of simai. CCU will need to shock the world in order to make the NT but crazier things have happened - well, maybe not.
Adams St. - aaronwins (29th Year)
Last Season: 17-14, Elite Eight
Key Returners: Derrick Lemay, Michael Cunniff, and Eric Taylor
Key Losses: Carlos Carter
Freshman: Michael Hough (#106 PG)
Outlook: Coach aaronwins led Adams St to the Elite Eight after having won the NT the year prior. Last years run was almost equally impressive given the talent on their roster. To go 17-14 but make the elite eight, talk about peaking right...
This years Adams St squad appears to be stronger than last year. They are seemingly 12 deep and the roster is filled with lock down defenders and athletes. The guards can really handle the rock and have great court vision. All three of the key returners listed about average over 2 assist per game. Coach aaronwins only has two seniors on the roster, luckily one of them is Derrick Lemay. The senior guard from Loveland Colorado, will look to lead his team to another deep tourney run come March. Last year he scored 11.2 ppg.
This years team is a reminiscing of the national champs squad from just two short seasons ago. The same questions remain, can this team put the ball in the hoop enough to play with anyone? We will have to see, but they have the fourth highest ATH and DEF rating in all of D2. When the game gets gritty and the score is close, Adams St and their disciplined man to man defense is the last thing you want to see.
#26 RPI Adams St. heads to the CT with an NT birth secure but will be looking for an upset of two in order to improve seeding. After going 8-2 in non conference Adams struggled a bit going only 9-7 in RMAC play. This team looks pretty similar to last years squad that only managed a win/loss record of 17-14 yet made the elite 8. With quality wins over five different top 50 RPI squads, Adams St. is going to be an unpleasant seed for someone in the tourney. With ATH and DEF creeping towards 70, Adams may be able to pull off another miracle run.
Ft. Lewis - slicknick777 (2nd Year)
Last Season: 11-16
Key Returners: Timothy Gullette, Roger Caldwell and Christopher Haight
Key Losses: Gino Esposito,
Freshmen: Garret Carlton (#181 PG) and Kevin Patton (#156 PG)
Slick “Willy” Nick has Fort Lewis back. It’s all anyone around Durango can talk about. In just one year he’s taken an average program and turned them into contenders for an NT birth. Greenwood is a solid PG and the junior bigs Caldwell and Haight are forces down low. Gullette is a solid defender who can hit the three ball as well. Slick’s group is reasonable athletic, plays solid defense, can rebound and has five “shooters”. Slick was smart to schedule what appears to be a low key non-conference as RMAC play will be brutal. With five seniors on the roster, Slick will have some experience on the roster, and at the same time will be able to bring in five more guys next year that know how to play the kind of ball that Slick enjoys. It’s a win-win.
#65 Ft. Lewis - Straight up, Ft. Lewis needs to win a game or two to make it to the tourney. They are completely on the fringe of making the NT. Coach Slick, who should really be considered for RMAC COY, has Ft. Lewis back in the game. They are 17-9 for the season, with big wins over Mines and UCCS. These Durango boys are scrappy and have found a way to win a lot of close games down the stretch. With their slow down tempo, and scrappy D, Ft. Lewis screams upset potential.
Chadon St. - kevodaphenom (1st Year)
Last Season: 10-18 (under a sim coach)
Key Returners: Kenneth Freeman, Kenneth White and Cory Boutte
Key Losses: Mark Damato, Randy Smith and Shawn Sublett
Freshman: Robert Wallis (#122 SF), Irwin Austin, Herbert Bueno (#135 PF) , and Mark Johnston
Coach kevodaphenom is always keeping us on our toes. The well traveled RMACtonian has now coaches at UCCS, Regis and now will take the helm at Chadron. During season 100 Chadron made the NT, that was the first time since season 43! Expectations have been low at Chadron, but that will be no more. With the hiring of coach kevodaphenom, Chadron will expect to make the NT again, and to make it soon.
Chadron has two pretty nice senior guards in Kenneth Freeman and Cory Boutte. Both can move the ball around and Freeman is a nice offensive weapon. 6’9 sophomore Clyde Smith gives them size down low, and will look to be in the starting lineup for his sophomore campaign.
#78 Chadron - Kevo has done a great job in his first year at Chadron. They had a ridiculously tough schedule and still managed to get close to being .500. They had three wins over top 100 RPI squads and took Ft. Hays to overtime. Senior K. Freeman has averaged 17.7 ppg, proving to be one of the best offensive players in the RMAC. Chadron will not make the NT unless they win the NT, but the PI is quite realistic. We say, PI this year, and next year Kevo has these Nebraska boys in the big dance.
Regis - mattstarks (First Year)
Last Season: 14-16, PI Second Round (under coach kevo)
Key Returners:Ernest Gentry, Scott Walker, Michael Sellers
Key Losses: Jerrod Barscewski
Freshman: Jonathan Pulido (#139 SG) , David Fifield, and Billy Loucks (#137 C)
Outlook: Coach mattstarks takes over a solid Regis program after coach kevodaphenom headed to Chadron.
His sophomore trio of Scott Walker, Isaac Bishop and Michael Sellers give Regis a nice amount of young talent to mix with five seniors on the roster. Regis looks to be one of the stronger rebounding teams in the conference, while also having a number of big men with solid low post moves. Coach mattstarks took the time to sit down with us and share some of his thoughts for the season.
"I'm excited to start my journey here in Denver at Regis University. I've asked the administration, alumni, and fans to be patient as we build and develop our guys into a strong team that will make them proud. Having incredible coaches and dominant teams in the RMAC to compete with day in and day out won't make it any easier. However, don't get me wrong. We will bring a title to Regis, I guarantee it!"
Coach mattstarks said many kind words regarding the conference, and those that coach in it; but also showed confidence in his promise to bring Denver back a national title.
Jerrod Barscewski led the conference in scoring with 24.0 ppg. The guy was lights out. It’s not clear who will step up for Regis with Jerrod Barscewski now gone. Sr big David Boelter average 11 off the bench last year, and will certainly look to fill some of those 24 ppg that will be missing this year.
#85 RPI Regis - Coach Starks hasn't looked please on the sideline, and some RMAC coaches are hoping that he has not regretted joining the RMAC. Going 9-17, coach Starks isn't use to losing. In first year at the helm Regis pulled quality wins over UCCS and Adams St. Regis had a lot of close losses. Right now Starks is having to rely on his X's and O's. Once a few athletes show up to campus, the script will get flipped quick. J Cole is partly to blame as his tour obligations have kept him from visiting Regi's home games.
Pre Season All-RMAC Team
Guard: Frank Nichols - Metro
Guard: Jerry Lemke - Metro
Guard/Post: Travis Williams - Mines
Post: Daniel Tickle - Ft. Hays
Post: John Weber - Metro