Player of the Week
Quentin DeCosey, Temple
77-52. Even if it wasn’t a 25-point pounding, Temple’s home beatdown of #10 Kansas would probably rank as the biggest upset in the (two-year) history of the American Athletic Conference. And with three players with 17+ points, it was a balanced offensive attack that sunk the Jayhawks, victors over Michigan State, Utah, Florida, Georgetown, Tennessee, Rhode Island, and UCSB. But it was DeCosey who really scorched the nets this week, shooting 11/16 (69%) against Kansas and Delaware. That’s now 8 straight performances of 14 points or more for DeCosey, and he’s scored in double figures in 11 straight games, all but the season opener, a low-scoring slugfest against American.
I predicted that Will Cummings would break out this season and put up a high volume of points for the Owls, and while he has to an extent, it’s DeCosey who sits fourth in the entire conference in scoring (15.1 PPG), in addition to 7th in 3-point percentage (42%). DeCosey has been great from outside and his 3-point percentage has actually eclipsed his overall field goal shooting. He could cut down on his turnovers, but after his big role in taking down Kansas, I’d say he’s doing just fine.
Who’s Hot
Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
It’s easy to gloss over a 20-, a 22-, even a 24-point performance by any lead guard for UConn these days, but Ryan Boatright really deserves to be recognized for the season he’s been having. I was hard on him last year, but he currently leads the conference in scoring, and it’s not even close. At 19.3 PPG, he’s 2.4 PPG ahead of second-place Corey Allen Jr. And he’s ratcheted up the efficiency twofold this year, shooting the ball at 45%, up nearly four points from his percentage over his first three seasons. He scored another 42 points on 52% shooting this week in a pair of games against Duke and Columbia that the Huskies split. That’s now 20+ point outings in four of his last five, and it was his sixth of the season. Additionally, Boatright is averaging 4.3 assists per game (3rd in AAC), 1.8 SPG (2nd), 5.7 RPG (18th), and 1.6 threes per game (13th), along with an 81% rate from the line. And perhaps most amazingly, the 6-foot Boatright is second in the conference in defensive rebounding. He’ll have to lead his team deep in the postseason before we can put him among the likes of Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, but Boatright is among the best guards in the nation.
Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa
Shaquille Harrison is stealing the show in Tulsa. James Woodard, the lone newcomer from the C-USA to make the preseason all-AAC team, has been good, with a team-leading 14.8 PPG, but Harrison has decimated defenses in the second half of the non-conference schedule. He’s eclipsed 20 points in each of his last four games, a streak that not even Boatright has matched this season. In the past two games, he had identical 10/15 performances to take out Missouri State and dismantle the Incarnate Word team that stunned Nebraska earlier this season en route to an 8-1 start. After single-digit outings in 5 of Tulsa’s first 6, Harrison now has averaged 21 PPG in their last 6. His 3.8 APG also ranks fifth in the conference, so he’s been an absolute weapon on offense. His range could use some work, but he’s bene getting to the basket at will. Harrison and Woodard could team up to slay some of the traditional conference giants in the upcoming months.
Corey Allen Jr, South Florida
For some reason or another, I was surprised to find that #2 on the conference scoring list was the senior guard for USF, Corey Allen Jr. He had been a pretty good spark on the wing for the Bulls, but after a total of 50 points in his past two games, he has established himself as one of the conference’s premier scorers. After a disappointing 1/9, 8-point performance in a big test at home against Seton Hall last Thursday that USF clearly failed (they lost 89-69), Allen went off for 31 against a traditionally renowned Florida State defense, followed by 19 against Southeastern Louisiana. In total, he shot 19/35 (54%) in those two contests. A cloud of disappointment no doubt hangs over USF early in the season as they sit at a highly mediocre 6-6 for the year, but they have hope in Corey Allen Jr., along with his counterpart in the post, Chris Perry, and may yet make a run in AAC play.
Jesse Morgan, Temple
I couldn’t recognize just one Owl after their huge, huge, HUGE win over Kansas, now could I? The victory was their biggest since rocking #3 Syracuse two years ago, back when their newest star, Jesse Morgan, was dropping bombs for UMass. The transfer was finally declared eligible for Temple’s win over Delaware, and he had a stellar debut, with 16 points, including 4/8 shooting from outside. While at UMass, Morgan tore an ACL during the 2012-2013 season, then was expelled from the university in the spring of 2013. He enrolled at Temple last season, sat out a year due to normal transfer rules, then received a waiver from the NCAA to play this season, though only after sitting out for ten games. But now, Morgan is finally back on the basketball court, and his 16.5 scoring average through his debut week would rank third in the conference had he played enough minutes to qualify. He’s a very good shooter, an asset that will help him fit right in on Temple’s roster, and the win over Kansas might not have been possible without the additions of him and Clemson transfer Devin Coleman, who also debuted against Delaware. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on these two, particularly Morgan, who seeks to make the most of his second chance.
Halftime: Check out this suit that Mick Cronin wore against San Diego State (Frank Victores/USA Today Sports): http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/1112/ncb_u_mickcronin_ms_576x324.jpg
His teams’ playing style is anything but flashy, but his fashion sense sure can be flamboyant. We at NBADraft.net wish Mick a speedy recovery from the aneurysm that was discovered earlier this week that has him sidelined indefinitely.
Who’s Not?
Troy Caupain, Cincinnati
The Cincinnati shooting guard has been tasked with replacing the bulk of the scoring that Sean Kilpatrick was responsible for last year. At times, he has filled those shoes nicely. This week has not been one of those times. Granted, it’s been a rough stretch for the entire program, as they are without their coach, but Caupain has been especially off lately. He went 0-5 as the Bearcats failed miserably in a big test against VCU on Saturday, finishing with 2 points. He also only put up 6 against Wagner, though he only took 4 shots and played a mere 19 minutes in a blowout. But the 7 turnovers in those last two games is unsettling, and Caupain’s failure to hit a three in his past four games (he’s 0/4) is not what his team needs out of him. Against VCU, he found other ways to contribute with 6 rebounds and assists and pretty good perimeter defense, but in games against UConn and SMU, games that determine the postseason status of above-average teams like Cincinnati, more will be needed from Caupain.
Amida Brimah, Connecticut
Ok, our reigning Player of the Week played well against Columbia (7/10 from the field for 14 points), but just look past that game for me, will ya? Look at the important game, the one against #2 Duke. You will notice that Brimah had 0 points. You may also notice that he had far greater fouls than points. 5 fouls. 0 points. Brimah was a non-factor in the biggest game of UConn’s regular season, and he picked up fouls like crazy. One game after his 13/13, 40-point outing, he only took one field goal attempt and only played 13 minutes because of foul trouble. Even so, Duke’s phenom freshman Jaholil Okafor had a rather pedestrian night by his standards, with only 12 points and 8 rebounds, but the Huskies needed Brimah, and he wasn’t able to impact the game, in the least.
Top 5 Transfers
The game is changing, and transfers are making more of a difference now than ever. Both DI and JUCO transfers can be found on this list, and an Honorable Mention list would probably contain at least five more fairly impressive names.
1. Devonta Pollard, Houston
The Alabama/East Mississippi CC transfer is tearing it up for a Houston team that has struggled on the whole thus far. He currently leads the AAC in rebounds with 7.7 a game, along with a healthy 12.3 scoring average. Pollard initially left Alabama after being charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping in an ugly situation that ended with Pollard’s mother being sentenced to 25 years in prison after kidnapping a 6-year-old-girl because of a land dispute with the girl’s mother. And after a decent year playing JUCO ball, Pollard now finds himself as one of the more talented, aggressive post players in the AAC.
2. Jesse Morgan, Temple
The exploits of Morgan are detailed above in the Who’s Hot section. Technically, he leads all transfers in scoring by over 4 points a game, though after only two games played, that number will probably even out. He averaged 13.4 PPG in his final year at UMass, so it’s little surprise that the 23-year-old (he’ll turn 24 during the NCAA Tournament) is settling in quickly.
3. Terry Whisnant, East Carolina
The quick, instant-offense guard from Florida State has quickly become one of the top offensive weapons at ECU, and his 12.8 PPG sits at 13th in the conference. He was just a role player in his freshman year at FSU, but, as evidenced by his 23 against Green Bay and his 24 against James Madison, he’s ready to be a big-time college player. Strangely enough, he’s shooting only 29/43 (67%) from the free throw stripe after shooting 20/21 (95%) his freshman year. But he’s getting the job done for East Carolina as they look forward to their first year of AAC play.
4. [Player Octavius Ellis], Cincinnati
The long road back to UC has taken Ellis through two years at Trinity Valley College in Texas after Ellis left Cincinnati in 2011 because of disciplinary issues. Now, he’s leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking, and is second only to fellow transfer Devonta Pollard in conference rebounding, with 7.4 per game. He’s been an anchor in the post for the Bearcats, providing the toughness that is typical of Mick Cronin-coached teams. It’s because of the junior center that the Bearcats may be in the discussion for top team in the conference.
5. Trahson Burrell, Memphis
Burrell spent two years at Lee College after he originally committed to Rhode Island but had eligibility issues that prevented him from playing there. He’s a little old for a junior, and that experience has helped him quickly adapt to DI competition. The 6’7” forward has come on especially strong in the last few weeks, with five straight double-digit scoring performances., which has been especially beneficial for a Tigers team that was in desperate need of a consistent perimeter scoring option. He currently stands at 10.8 PPG and 6.1 RPG with a 37% rate from beyond the arc. His versatility has been big for the Tigers as they’ve begun to right the ship with 4 straight victories.