Arkansas State at DenverRadio: 95.9 FM “The Wolf”
Livestats and Video Available via
AStateRedWolves.comJanuary 8 Denver, Colo. Magness Arena (10,791) 8
p.m. (CST)
TIPPING IT OFF: ASU continues action
through the Sun Belt Conference by hitting the road to take on the Denver
Pioneers Thursday night at 8 p.m. (CST) at the Magness arena before traveling to
Denton, Texas to tangle with the Mean Green of North Texas Saturday at 7 p.m. at
the Super Pit.
SERIES VERSUS DENVER: ASU holds a 8-9
record against the Pioneers in the two team's all-time series which dates back
to the 1968-69 season. In their last meeting, ASU fell to DU 52-59 in Denver
during the 2007-08 season. The Red Wolves own a 2-5 record against Denver over
the last five seasons.
THE PRINCIPALS: The Arkansas State
Red Wolves are 10-4 on the season and 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play, winning
four of their last six games. Junior Donald Boone leads ASU with 12.6 ppg and 31
steals while ranking third in assists (25). Boone has been the leading scorer
for ASU a team-high seven times this season, including three of the past five
contests. Senior Shawn Morgan ranks second on the squad with a 8.3 scoring
average and is pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game. Morgan also ranks second with
13 blocks and 19 steals. Junior Eric McKinney is third on the squad scoring 8.1
ppg while leading ASU with 6.6 rebounds per game (93 total) and has 32 blocked
shots (2.29 per game), which was ranked 34th in the nation in the latest
NCAA Men's Basketball National Ranking Summary (Through games on 1/6/09 ) and
the per game average leads the Sun Belt Conference. Senior Ifeanyi Koggu leads
the Red Wolves with 65 assists, while tossing in 5.9 ppg and pulling down 3.2
rebounds per game. Koggu also ranks third with 15 steals. Koggu is ranked 87th
nationally with 4.6 assists per game, which ranks third in the SBC, and 62nd
nationally with a 2.17 assist/turnover ratio which is fourth in the conference.
Denver sits at 6-8 with a 1-2 record in Sun Belt Conference play. The Pioneers
are 5-1 at home this season and 1-0 at home in conference play. Junior Nate
Rohnert leads the Pioneers with a 13.6 scoring average, 16 steals and 55 assists
while ranking second with 5.4 rebounds per game and seven blocks. Sophomore
forward Rob Lewis leads the Pioneers with 5.9 rebounds per game and ranks second
on the team with a 12.7 scoring average. Lewis leads Denver shooting 52 percent
from the floor (60-116). Freshman guard Brian Stafford ranks third on the
Pioneers squad with a 10.1 scoring average while shooting 44 percent from behind
the three-point arc. Joe Scott is in his second year as head coach at Denver and
owns a career record of 106-135 and a Pioneers record of 17-27.
WIN TOTAL: Through 14 games this
season, ASU has already eclipsed its win total from a year ago. ASU was 10-20
during the 2007-08 season, but has already won 10 games this year. ASU is off to
its best start since the 2003-04 season.
IT TAKES A THIEF: ASU ranks second in
the Sun Belt Conference with 106 steals so far this season. The duo of junior
Donald Boone, who leads the league with 31 steals, and senior Shawn Morgan, who
ranks eighth in the conference with 19 steals, have combined for nearly half of
ASU's steal production this season. Morgan finished the 2007-08 season ranked
third in the league averaging 1.9 per game. With 31 steals, Boone is well on his
way to breaking into the top 10 in the single-season steals chart, needing 24 to
take over the No. 8 spot. Morgan's performance this season has moved him into
the No. 7 spot on the all-time ASU steals chart. He needs 15 more steals to move
up to No. 6, overtaking Bo Brown (1987-89).
LIVE FROM THE BRICKHOUSE WITH JOHN BRADY: Tuesday night was the
premier of “Live From The Brickhouse With John Brady,” a weekly radio show
hosted by Matt Stoltz, the voice of the ASU Red Wolves, and starring ASU head
coach John Brady. The show is broadcast on ASU flagship radio station 95.5 FM
the Wolf.
The weekly radio show will be air live from the Brickhouse Grill
in downtown Jonesboro, Tuesdays in January and February from 7-8 p.m.
The
show will offer the opportunity for fans to call in with questions for coach
Brady. The pair will also field questions from the live audience in attendance.
The show will also be simulcast on the ASU athletics website via the
StateZone login. Sponsors for the show include Southern Coaches, the Brickhouse
Grill, Pepsi and Shelter Insurance agent Mark Webb
NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE: ASU posted
its best showing in nonconference action, 8-3, since the 2003-04 season when
Arkansas State went 9-3 during its nonconference schedule.
CLEANING THE GLASS: Head coach
John Brady has instilled a tough defensive and rebounding mind set to the Red
Wolves. This is evident when looking at the conference rebounding numbers.
ASU leads the conference in rebounding margin and scoring defense while ranking
second in rebounding defense and ranking fourth in rebounding offense. ASU is
the only team with three players (McKinney-5th, Morgan-13th, Brown-19th) ranked
in the top-20 rebounders in the conference.
BENCH PRODUCTION: ASU's bench has
been extremely productive so far this season, averaging 28.9 points per game
from their reserve players. Junior Mike Lance leads all reserve players
averaging 7.8 ppg when coming off the bench. Freshman guard Daniel Bryant is
averaging 5.6 ppg coming off the bench at the point-guard position while ranking
second on the team with 26 assists. Bryant led ASU at Oklahoma State with 12
points, while playing only 10 minutes.
ASU NO. 24 IN MID-MAJOR POLL: ASU has
been voted a No. 24 ranking by the CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll,
released Monday. The Red Wolves received 139 votes in the poll which is voted on
by Mid-Major coaches from across the country and chaired by Middle Tennessee
head coach Kermit Davis.
Illinois State is ranked No. 1 in the poll, while
Western Kentucky is the highest ranked Sun Belt school at No. 11. Middle
Tennessee is ranked No. 23 and UALR is ranked No. 26 in the poll.
The
Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East,
Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents,
Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio
Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit League, Sun Belt,
West Coast.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: In the latest
NCAA National Ranking Summary (Through games 1/4/09) ASU is ranked 21st in
scoring defense (58.4), 24th in personal fouls per game (15.6), 31st in
FG% defense (38.8), 31st in rebounding margin (+7.0), 75th in scoring margin
(+8.8) and 91st in blocked shots per game (4.0). Junior forward Eric McKinney
ranks 34th in blocked shots per game (2.3) while senior guard Ifeanyi Koggu
ranks 87th in assists per game (4.6) and 62nd in assist/turnover ratio (2.17).
Junior Donald Boone ranks 54th in steals per game (2.2).
HOT START FOR BRADY: At 10-4, head
coach John Brady is off to the best start of any first-year head coach at
Arkansas State. Coaches John Rose (1969-70) and Marvin Speight (1963-64) each
went 9-5 during their first 14 games.
TOUGH DEFENSE: Much of ASU's early
success this season has been due to the tough defense the Red Wolves have
played. ASU has held opponents to a combined .383 shooting percentage, while
holding 10 of their 14 opponents to shooting under 40% from the field. The Red
Wolves lead the Sun Belt in scoring defense, holding opponents to 58.4 ppg. ASU
has also outrebounded all but four opponents this season, averaging 37.4
rebounds per game, while holding opponents to 30.4 per game. Missouri State,
UALR and Oklahoma State outrebounded the Red Wolves in three of their losses
this season. ASU was outrebounded by UNO in its last win.
STACKING UP IN THE ?BELT: After 14
games this season, ASU is leading all teams in the Sun Belt (IN ALL GAMES) in
scoring defense (58.4), field goal percentage defense (.383), rebounding margin
(+7.0) and defensive rebounds (26.29). ASU is second in scoring margin (+8.8),
rebounding defense (30.4), steals (7.57 per game) and turnover margin (+0.29),
while they are third in the conference in assists with 14.29 per game and
blocked shots averaging 4.00 per game. ASU is fourth in the league in field
goal percentage (.454) and rebounding offense (37.4), while the Red Wolves rank
fifth in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (.340) and
assist/turnover ratio (0.99). Junior Eric McKinney leads the Sun Belt in
blocked shots per game with 2.29, fifth in overall rebounding (6.6) and sixth
field goal percentage (.552) while ranking eighth in defensive rebounds (4.43)
and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.21). Senior Ifeanyi Koggu ranks third in the
league in assists with 65 and is fourth in assist/turnover ratio at 2.17.
Junior Donald Boone leads the league in steals with 2.21 per game, ranks eighth
in the conference in free throw percentage at .813, and 15th in scoring with
12.6 ppg. Junior Mike Lance ranks 12th in the league in three-point field goal
percentage at .400. Senior Shawn Morgan ranks eighth in steals at 1.36 per game
and 13th in the league in rebounds averaging 5.9 per game and ranks ninth in
defensive rebounding at 4.21. Junior JeJuan Brown ranks 19th in the league in
overall rebounding with a 5.4 average and ranks 13th in the league with 3.92
defensive rebounds per game.
BALANCED ATTACK: In ASU's 14 outings
so far this season ASU has had seven different players lead them in scoring
while having three players net 20 or more points. ASU has had three different
players record double-doubles this season and has six players averaging over 6
points per game.
LANCE HAS CAREER NIGHT: ASU junior
reserve-guard Mike Lance came off the bench to turn in a career performance
against Mississippi Valley State, playing only 20 minutes but poured in 18
points. Lance was 7-9 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range. Lance ranks
fourth on the team averaging 7.6 ppg and pulling down 3.4 rebounds. Lance is
shooting 48% from the floor and is 39% from three-point range.
THOMAS' FIRST START NETS CAREER
PERFORMANCE: Sophomore forward Jeremy Thomas, in his first career start,
recorded the second double-double of the season for the ASU Red Wolves by
pouring in 23 points on seven-of-seven shooting and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Thomas set career highs in points, rebounds and minutes played against Central
Baptist. Thomas missed half of the season last year with an injury after the
14th game.
BOONE HAS CAREER NIGHT: Junior guard
Donald Boone had a career scoring night against Indiana State, tossing in 26
points to lead the Red Wolves to a 56-54 victory over the Sycamores. Boone has
led the Red Wolves in scoring three times this season and is averaging 10.7 ppg,
while leading the Red Wolves in steals.
MCKINNEY HAS CAREER NIGHT: Junior
forward Eric McKinney had a career performance against Ball State by leading all
players with 20 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots. The totals were the
most of any player during a single game so far this season and the first
double-double recorded by a Red Wolves player this year. McKinney is averaging
8.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg and is averaging 2.0 blocks per game.
AYERS BUSTS OUT: After spending three
games as a spectator due to an injury, sophomore-transfer guard Brandon Ayers
broke out in a big way against UT Martin, coming off the bench to score 12
points in 15 minutes of action, while pulling down two defensive boards. Ayers
was 2-5 from three-point range and was 2-2 from the charity stripe.
UNO Game (1/3/09) - Junior guard
Donald Boone scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Arkansas State men's
basketball team (10-4, 2-1) to a 71-56 Sun Belt Conference victory over New
Orleans (6-8, 2-2) last Saturday night at the Convocation Center in front of a
crowd of 3,497.
The Red Wolves improved to 7-0 at home and moved into a
three-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt's West Division early in the
conference season. Just 14 games into the 2008-09 campaign, ASU's 10 wins
matches its total for all of last season.
Boone reached at least 20 points in
a game for the third time this season and senior forward Shawn Morgan came off
the bench to score eight points and grab a game-high 10 rebounds to pace the
Red Wolves attack. Freshman guard Daniel Bryant and junior forward Eric
McKinney added nine and eight points for ASU, respectively.
Kyndall Dykes hit
a layup at the 12:52 mark of the first half to give the Privateers an early 15-6
advantage, their largest of the game, and held an eight-point lead, 22-14, with
6:34 remaining. Capped by a Morgan layup at the buzzer, ASU responded with an
11-2 run to close the first half and take a 25-24 lead at the intermission
period.
ASU continued its surge early in the second half with three quick
unanswered buckets over the first two minutes to build a 31-24 lead. UNO was
able to pull back within 38-35 at the 14:06 mark and kept it a one-possession
game for most of the next four minutes, but never took the lead in the second
half.
Leading 42-39, ASU mounted a quick 7-0 run to take its first
double-figure lead of the game and didn't let the Privateers get closer than
eight points the rest of the way.
After shooting just 36 percent in the first
half, ASU heated up to shoot 76 percent in the second half and finish with a
.488 percentage to the Privateers .392. While ASU pulled down 13 rebounds to
UNO's eight in the second half, the Privateers still finished with a 33-28
advantage on the boards.
The Red Wolves took advantage of 20 UNO turnovers,
scoring 23 points off the Privateers' miscues. ASU's Boone finished with a
career-high seven steals and sophomore forward Jeremy Thomas was responsible for
a career-high three steals as the Red Wolves finished with a season-tying 13
steals as a team.
PRESEASON COACHES POLL: ASU has been
tabbed to finish fourth in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference by the
SBC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced by the league office at the SBC Basketball
Tip-Off.
“I've never put a lot of stock in preseason polls; most of the
polling is based on what you did the year before. It is a position better than
where the team finished a year ago, but the reality of it is it isn't really
where you start its how you finish,” said ASU head coach John Brady. “I
anticipate our team playing its best basketball in February and the first of
March.”
UALR was picked to finish in a tie with North Texas for the top spot
in the West Division, each receiving 76 points. The Trojans received six
first-place votes while the Mean Green got four first-place nods.
Louisiana-Lafayette was picked third, followed by the Red Wolves,
Louisiana-Monroe was tabbed sixth with Denver and New Orleans coming in sixth
and seventh, respectively.
Middle Tennessee was picked atop the East
Division with 11 first-place votes, followed by South Alabama, which netted the
other two first place votes. Reigning league champion Western Kentucky was
picked third with Florida Atlantic (fourth), Florida International (fifth) and
Troy (sixth) rounding out the poll.
Desmond Yates from Middle Tennessee was
voted the SBC Preseason Player of the Year and was joined by Carlos Monroe from
FAU, Russell Hicks from FIU, Josh White from North Texas and Brandon Davis from
South Alabama on the Preseason All-SBC first team.
ASU'S BROWN NAMED BLUE RIBBON SBC NEWCOMER OF YEAR: Arkansas State
junior forward and Los Angeles Southwest College transfer JeJuan Brown has been
tabbed the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon
publications.
Along with forward Eric McKinney, Brown was announced as new
ASU Head Coach John Brady's first signee at Arkansas State on April 25. Brown
transferred from Vanderbilt to LASC for his sophomore season, where he averaged
17 points and seven rebounds. He helped lead the Cougars to a 23-9 record and
the South Coast Conference regular-season title and was named a first team
all-conference selection in 2007-08.
“We are excited about the possibilities
JeJuan brings to our team,” said Brady. “We feel he will be an outstanding
player for us.”
The Biloxi, Miss. native originally signed with Vanderbilt
out of high school, playing in all 34 games as a true freshman on a team that
advanced to the Sweet 16. Brown averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.3
minutes per game during his lone season with the Commodores, while scoring his
SEC-high nine points on 4-of-6 shooting with four rebounds and two assists at
South Carolina. He posted season highs of 10 points (twice) and eight rebounds
and finished the 2006-07 campaign with a .511 (48-of-94) shooting
percentage.
Brown finished his prep career as an all-state and all-district
selection at Biloxi High School and was a Rivals.com national top 150 (No. 121)
ranked player in the class of 2006. He was ranked as the 26th-best small
forward in the nation by Rivals.com as well. He was named the Sun Herald Gulf
Coast Player of the Year after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked
shots and three assists as a senior. He helped lead Biloxi to four District 8
titles from 2003-06 and graduated with honors as a Mississippi
Scholar.
FINN SIDELINED 6-8 WEEKS: ASU head
men's basketball coach John Brady has disclosed that the Red Wolves will be
without the services of freshman Trey Finn for the beginning of the season and
possibly longer due to a foot injury he sustained during a conditioning workout
this past week.
“It is unfortunate that Trey has had this injury occur. He
was making real progress in his preparation for the beginning of practice and I
was excited about the possibilities he would bring to the team,” said ASU head
coach John Brady. “We have talked with the doctors, trainers, and of course his
parents and will make a determination on his freshman year once he is completely
healed. Whichever decision is made, Trey will have an excellent career at
Arkansas State.”
Finn will be out 6-8 weeks and the Red Wolves are looking at
the possibility of redshirting the freshman standout that joined the Red Wolves
from Parkview High School in Little Rock.
At Parkview, Finn earned AHSAA
Class 6A All-State honors in 2007-08. He also led Parkview to the state
semifinals and was named to the All-Tournament team as a senior.
CHANGES AT THE CONVO: During the
offseason, the Clopton Clinic Strength and Conditioning room was unveiled at a
ceremony in the Convocation Center. The strength and conditioning room used by
the Red Wolves features new weights, lighting, floor and wall coverings and
entrance doors. Also completed during the offseason was the resurfacing and
repainting of the Convocation Center playing court. The court now features the
new Red Wolves logo and a large “stAte” logo at center court.
HEAD COACH JOHN BRADY: With a Final
Four appearance and 281 career victories already to his credit, John Brady was
announced as Arkansas State's 15th head men's basketball coach by Director of
Athletics Dr. Dean Lee at a press conference on March 18 held in ASU's
Convocation Center.
Brady spent the last 10-plus seasons serving as LSU's
head coach, leading the Tigers to six postseason berths, two SEC championships
and three SEC Western Division titles. Twice named the SEC Coach of the Year,
Brady is a proven winner who brings a well-documented record of success and a
long list of accomplishments with him to Arkansas State.
Brady's 16-year
tenure as a head coach at both LSU and Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, has been
decorated with achievements. He has coached a combined 25 All-TAAC and SEC
selections, 48 academic all-conference choices, posted 11 winning seasons and
collected five division championships. Brady piled up the third most wins in
LSU history with 192 and left Samford after the 1996-97 season as the Bulldog's
all-time leader in coaching victories (89) as well.
He quickly turned around
an LSU's men's basketball program that had suffered four consecutive losing
seasons prior to his arrival, leading the Tigers to a 28-6 record, an
SEC championship and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in just his third season
(1999-00) at the helm. Under Brady's direction, the Tigers recorded six
consecutive winning seasons from 2001-02 to 2006-07 while making three trips to
the NCAA Tournament and two more to the NIT. The 2005-06 campaign saw LSU post a
27-9 record and advance to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years.
Not
only did Brady coach the Tigers to 23 wins versus ranked opponents, he also led
them to victories over two teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll
(Arizona in 2002-03 and Duke in 2005-06). Additionally, he orchestrated a
19-game home winning streak over SEC opponents, the third longest stretch in LSU
history.
While at LSU, Brady coached two NBA Lottery picks and six current
NBA players. The Tigers signed nine Parade All-Americans and four McDonald
All-Americans under Brady, who also coached three SEC Players of the Year, four
players named SEC Freshman of the Year, one SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and
17 All-SEC selections.
Prior to taking over the reigns at LSU, Brady served
as Samford's head coach from 1991-92 through 1996-97. It didn't take long for
him to turn around a Samford program coming off six straight losing seasons,
either, guiding the Bulldogs to a 17-10 record in his second season. He led
Samford to three straight winning seasons (1995-97) for the first time since
1982-84, all leading up to a 19-9 record and division title in 1997. Samford
won the TAAC West Division each of Brady's final two seasons at the school for
the first time in school history.
His four winning campaigns at Samford were
the first for any coach at the school, and he led the Bulldogs to an 89-77
record after they went 27-83 the four seasons prior to his initial year. He
coached eight All-TAAC and 14 Academic All-TAAC players over six seasons.
The
McComb, Miss., native earned his bachelor's degree in 1976 from Belhaven
College, where he was three-year starter and scored over 1,000 points during his
college playing career. Brady was a two-time All-Southern States Conference
selection and was later inducted into his alma mater's Hall of Fame.
He got
his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Mississippi State men's
basketball program while earning his master's degree from 1976-77. Brady took
his first head coaching position in Louisiana at Crowley High School in 1977 and
led the basketball squad to a 129-49 (.725) record in five seasons. He was
named the 1981 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3-A Coach of the
Year.
Brady returned to the college coaching ranks in 1982 as an assistant
coach at Mississippi State. He spent the next eight years with the Bulldogs,
the first four seasons under coach Bob Hoyt and the next four as a chief
recruiter for coach Richard Williams. Following his tenure in Starkville, Brady
returned to Louisiana for the second time, this time to serve as an assistant
coach at the University of New Orleans. Brady helped lead UNO to the
NCAA Tournament during his only season with the Privateers.
ASU'S DOLLAR NAMED TOP-10
MID-MAJOR ASSISTANTS IN NATION: Fox Sports recently polled head coaches,
assistants and others who deal with assistants on a daily basis to get their
take on who should be included among the nation's elite assistant basketball
coaches and Arkansas State associate head coach Chad Dollar was included among
the top-10 mid-major coaches receiving votes.
The article, written by
FOXSports.com senior college basketball writer Jeff Goodman, stated Fox Sports
wanted to “target the guys that instill a level of fear into their colleagues
when they stroll into the gym”.
The article included a few brief notes on
each coach and listed some of their “key recruits”. Included among the key
recruits listed for Dollar were Jarvis Hayes and Elton Nesbitt. Hayes was the
Southern Conference Freshman of the Year at Western Carolina and Nesbitt the
league's player of the year and an honorable mention All-America selection at
Georgia Southern.
