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A New Loop
March 30, 2009
By: Associate Athletic Director Chris Sedlock
Twenty some years ago, I climbed a ladder and cut a loop off the net following my first championship basketball season. The tradition of cutting down the nets gives each of the victors a symbolic reminder of climbing—and reaching—the top. I tied that first loop around my key ring and carried it with me until it could be replaced by a newer championship loop.
In those early days of my coaching career at Shaker Heights HS, cutting down the nets became a regular celebration as we won multiple district and Lake Erie League titles. When I left Shaker to pursue basketball and an athletics career at the college level, I carried with me the loop from our last championship season on my key ring. It went with me through winning seasons—but not a championship—at Walsh University , Glenville State (WV) College and on my climb from basketball to athletic administration at Cleveland State . Over the course of 17 years, that loop on my key ring became tattered and frayed, but it held on—waiting for the chance to be replaced by another, more recent, championship loop.
A lot can happen in 17 years. And life did just that to me and that loop. Seasons passed and so did my mentors (Steve Loy at Walsh and Bob Wonson at Shaker), close family (both grandmothers and an aunt) and friends who helped along life’s journey. But there were new voices in their place—my wife of almost eight years Tracie, son Adam (soon to be 5) and daughters Anna (3) and Angela (1). With some new friends, they have cheered the wins and suffered the losses. Only co-workers, family and close friends truly understand the hours and sacrifice involved in climbing the athletics ladder for a living. They too know the long bus rides, late flights, skipped meals and nights slept on the office couch.
I thought of all that as I stood on the court at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis two weeks ago. The celebration around me was pandemic as our Cleveland State Vikings had defeated Butler to win the Horizon League Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Horizon League commissioner reminded me just how special it was: no visiting team had ever cut down the nets following a championship game against Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The ladders were positioned under the baskets. My new loop was waiting. But this time, it came to me in the most gratifying way. That old loop on my key ring represented my coaching life. In those 15+ years, I was privileged to teach and guide hundreds of quality young men. At Shaker Heights , that included a great player—who was an even better young man—named Jermaine Kimbrough. Jermaine went on to play college ball at Virginia Tech before starting out on his own basketball coaching career. Three years ago, I recommended him for a position as an assistant coach at Cleveland State . Since then, I’ve watched with pride as both Jermaine and Viking Basketball have grown under Coach Gary Waters.
Jermaine climbed the ladder that night and cut two loops—one for himself and one for me, his former coach. I tied it on my key ring. I’ll carry it there until I can again share in celebrating a championship climb.
Vikings Party Like Its 1986
March 21, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
If you’re looking for journalistic credibility and an un-biased opinion on last night’s Cleveland State – Wake Forest match-up, stop here.
As a young, unmarried guy with no kids, last night ranks as one of the greatest nights of my life, right up there with the free last minute tickets to see the Tribe clinch the Central Division on the same day I first saw KRS-One perform live and that night those girls mistook me for an actual CSU basketball player because of my team-issued warm-ups, but I digress (and my girlfriend may be reading this).
You see, I’m a proud alum of Cleveland State University. As a kid I always dreamed about working in sports and attending CSU offered me a chance to work with a division one basketball team. Somehow I got lucky and landed a job with the basketball team in my first week on campus. Over the years, I had the pleasure of working with two different coaching staffs while a student at CSU. I saw first-hand the changes made from the Mike Garland era to the Gary Waters era. I was there with these guys during the 5:30 a.m. workouts that were intended to change the losing culture that had taken over the program. If the players couldn’t handle the hardest three-hour practice of their lives, day-after-day, before the sun had risen, then they weren’t going to be able to play for Coach Waters.
The tone was set early. No earrings, no hats, no cell phones, no swearing. Go to class, do your work, graduate. Play hard, pressure on defense, win.
Last night was the cultivation of three years of hard work and it could not have been any sweeter. Not only did my alma mater win a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 23 years, but those guys on the TV were my friends and I could not have been any happier for a great group of men.
I’ve been writing a bout it all season. This team embodies the city of Cleveland. The Vikings are by far the hardest working team in town, they care about each other and they have bought into Waters’ system while leaving it all on the court every game.
This team is good.
Wake Forest never had a chance. The blueprint to defeat the Deacons had been laid before last night. Cut off the driving lanes, slow the tempo, don’t let them throw it over the top to their bigs, and let them shoot from the outside.
Waters and his coaching staff put together the perfect game-plan because that’s exactly what happened. After the Vikings quick 9-0 start, the Deacons never seriously challenged the Vikings. Wake pulled it to within six in the second half but that didn’t last long.
Watching the prestigious Wake Forest squad out of the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference get dominated by the Cleveland State Vikings was a beautiful sight.
My favorite part of this whole run, the four wins in a week during the Horizon League tournament and last night’s amazing win in the big dance, has been hearing from my fellow CSU alums from around the country.
Text messages and emails haven’t stopped coming in since last Tuesday. Friends in Texas, D.C. and Los Angeles and countless others from around Ohio have all written to share their feelings. We’ve often been overlooked, both as a university and as a basketball program, but we now have a group of guys that represent us in a positive light.
The greatest feeling in all of this is having a reason to be proud again. The story of the first round tournament is CSU. How cool is that? As a lifelong Ohio State Buckeye fan, I was disappointed to see the Bucks lose last night, but in the end, it was the best thing for CSU. No more ridiculous scheduling by CBS and the NCAA that would keep the Vikings in the shadow of OSU.
The best story of the first round of the big dance on a national basis can now get its due locally as well. The 13th seeded Cleveland State Vikings are playing for a spot in the Sweet 16. Sunday at 2:40 p.m. all of Ohio will be watching the Vikings.
It’s about time.
Cleveland State To Face Wake Forest In First Round Of NCAA Tournament
March 18, 2009
By Tom Mieskoski
After waiting 23 years to get back to the big dance, Cleveland State's men's basketball team did not have to wait long to find out where they would be seeded and who they would be playing in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament.
Only four pairings into the first regional, CBS selection show host Greg Gumbel unveiled that the No.4 seed in the Midwest Regional is Wake Forest and they will take on the No. 13 seed, "The Vikings of Cleveland State," on Friday, March 20 in Miami, Fla.
CBS then showed a live image of CSU's players, coaches and family members, who were watching the selection show from the family room located in the basement of the Wolstein Center, burst out in celebration after hearing they would play Wake.
If CSU (25-10) upsets Wake they will face the winner of No.5 seed Utah versus No. 12 seed Arizona on Sunday.
"We were surprised that we are playing Wake Forest, but we are ready for whomever we play," said Cedric Jackson. "Now we are anxious to get back to practice tomorrow and get ready to play on Friday.
The 11th-ranked Demon Deacons won their first 16 games and were ranked the No.1 team in the country on Jan.19, after victories against North Carolina and Boston College. Their stay at the top of the polls lasted only a week as the Demon Deacons lost to unranked Virginia Tech.
"We're excited to play them (because) we got a chance to showcase our talent on a bigger stage," said Norris Cole.
CSU head coach Gary Waters said he was disappointed that the Vikings did not get an 11 or 12 seed because CSU's RPI was ahead of 16 other teams in the tournament.
As for Wake Forest, Waters said he saw them play about four times this season. "They're talented, athletic and play about 10 guys, but they're young and can make some errors," he said. "In my estimation, we can't let this game get into the 80's or 90's or we are in trouble. We got to make sure to keep this team down and (make them) have to execute against our defense. If we can do that it can be a different ballgame."
The Demon Deacons (25-6) are lead in scoring by second-team All-ACC selection Jeff Teague, a sophomore guard who averages 19.1 points per game. The other starting guard L.D. Williams, a junior, is a member of the All-ACC Defensive team.
Then they have plenty of size in the front court as they start two 6-foot-9 forwards. Sophomore James Johnson was named to the All-ACC third-team, after averaging 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. And Al-Farouq Aminu was named to the All-ACC freshmen team, after averaging 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. In the middle is 7-foot junior Chas McFarland who averaged 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Jackson said he played against Teague in AAU. "We watched them play early in the season. We know they have a lot of athletes and we have our hands full. All we have to do is do what we do (play defense) and we should be good on Friday," he said.
Chris Moore added, "I'm excited (to play Wake Forest). This is a good chance for us to help this program build a tradition. To be considered one of the best you have to play the best. This is a good opportunity to showcase all of our hard work and dedication we put in. This is the type of stage CSU should always be in," he said.
D'Aundray Brown update:
Waters said sophomore guard D'Aundray Brown is questionable for Friday's first-round game against Wake. Brown has been out since hyperextending his left knee during CSU's victory over Detroit in the first-round of the Horizon League Tournament.
"He's walking around much better now, but when you talk about cut and run. That's a whole different concept. If we have him that gives us another body to go in there," Waters said.
From the Mind of the Manager: Dave Amata's Thoughts On Winning The Horizon League Championship
March 13, 2009
Before I start please let me start by thanking God for Without Him none of this would be possible.
A short fat kid that could not make his varsity basketball team in high school is really going to be apart of March Madness….That’s what I was thinking as the final seconds ticked away. I could not see the ball, only the rim and the clock. 3, 2, 1 and we’re off onto the court looking for anyone to hug.
It was an amazing feeling. I was not sure whether to cry, laugh, or get on my knees and thank God. The answer came quickly as I found myself getting hugged by anyone and everyone part of the team. It was a dream come true.
We have an amazing group of people from the players to the coaches to the support staff and we are all extremely close. That made this moment more incredible. I can not remember much right after we won, it was all too fast, turning from person to person hugging anyone and everyone in green. I only wish it had been at home so EVERYONE could have been apart of this.
As the chaos died down, my first memory was my search for my girlfriend. Along the way I found Coach Gee and just thanked him for coming and being apart of this. As I turned from his there she was and my one and only tear on the court was shed. She has been amazing throughout and deserves half of any bit of credit I get for being apart of this. The other half goes to my amazing parents who have allowed me to chase this dream with undying support and love
Kevin Sapara our GA had joked that he wanted to win most just to see me cry like crazy in front of everyone. He wouldn’t get his wish but I really do not think he was too disappointed.
For J’Nathan, Renard, Eddie Benion (our team trainer), Brian McCann (SID) and I it was a remarkable four year stretch. To be apart of two nine win teams the first two years and to make the tournament in the last year is something no one could have imagined.
There are not words to explain what these coaches have meant to the program. Each one individually and collectively has provided so much in the way of leadership, guidance and inspiration that they all deserve more credit than can humanly be given to them. To me personally they have each been mentors and hopefully someday I can repay them by doing the same for another wherever my life takes me.
Ok back to the night….Sorry I’m a mental drifter.
I got the t-shirts and hats and passed them out. What a feeling to put the champion gear on and throw up the index finger. What an unbelievable feeling. I wish I had some gear for many of the fans on this board. I read it near daily and to know there are people out there who share a similar passion for Cleveland State makes it all better. Especially to Ryan, Tommy and Dr. Kleidmann wish you guys could have been there. You are as much apart of this as anyone.
Side note: To anyone who writes on here and will be there Sunday please come up and introduce yourself to me. I may already know you and just not know your screen name on here or whatever the case may be but I love talking about the team especially with knowledgeable fans. For those of you who do not know me I’m the balding fat guy at the end of the bench every game or more famously….the guy in the blue shirt hugging Cedric after his 65 footer at ‘Cuse.
I found J’Nathan and thanked him for keeping me around. I had considered moving on after last year to help a friend of mine who had just gotten his first high school job. J’Nathan told me this year was going to be special and I needed to be apart of it. Thank you Nate….I would not be DANCING without it.
I found each of our players individually thanking and congratulating them all for their work this year. Each player got their trophy, Norris and Cedric got the credit they deserved for an amazing tournament and it was time to hoist the big two. Watching coach hold the trophy and then the guys passing it around was surreal. Was this all really happening, was I about to wake up and realize it was game day?
As I sneaked into the last of the pictures it was time to GET THE NETS. Everyone had their part of the celebration they wanted to make sure they did and this was mine. It started off less than stellar when Jeremy Montgomery and I went for a chest bump and I ended up on my back in front of the whole team and the fans that stayed to partake in the celebration.
Watching each player take their steps up the ladder to grab their piece of history was a proud moment. These guys all mean so much to me and will be my friends for life. I was especially happy for our five seniors. One last chance and they realized their dream. You all know they deserve it as basketball players but these guys are all amazing people. They deserve it for that more than anything.
I finally made my way up the ladder to take a piece of the second net…Again time to cry but no tears to be found. After I got my net it was back to hand shaking, pictures and hugging. I made sure to thank anyone who was willing to listen for either being there to support us or allowing me to be part of the program. I would have stayed on the court all night if they would have let me. I did not want the moment to end.
To anyone who attended the game I would like to thank you for making the effort to be apart of the moment. I do not say this to take away from any who were kept away due to work, school, family or any other of the million reasons why it would be impossible to come. However, as I watched the game today for the first time it amazed me how loud and crazy our fans were. They too brought their “A” game Tuesday.
The fan bus departed, I loaded our bus with the gear and made my way to the locker room. I was pretty sure I would finally cry now. I looked in and said “Thank you” to everyone but again no tears to be found. We filed out and headed back to the hotel.
After a little “roll call” and joking around we made it into the hotel. I have no clue who started it or why but as we hit the parking lot the bus was filled with “We Are The Champions”. While it would have disappointed Queen to hear us ruin their song, it was one of those moments that gives you chills.
I talked about my tears a lot and some of you may wonder why. I believe Coach Valvano when he said one of the three essential parts of a day is to be moved to tears. This was supposed to be an easy day, a day when the crying would take care of itself but it didn’t.
When that moment comes you will have another blog. I am hopeful that I will be able to write frequently throughout this experience, to share this with all of you and for myself as well. My blogs of Spain give me memories I would otherwise have already forgotten.
I hope you all come Sunday and enjoy seeing Cleveland State displayed as much as I do. Just walking around campus and downtown the energy and support the win has created is incredible. Every time I see a random CSU shirt or hat I quietly smile. It sure is a proud day to be a VIKING.
I would encourage you to share our story with friends, co-workers and anyone else willing to listen. The support of fans will only carry this program to bigger and brighter heights. The city has long desired to embrace a winner well….you have it Cleveland now repay those involved by coming to the Wolstein Center, tearing down that curtain and making it truly one of the toughest places to play in the country!
PS-As I read this it’s a bit scatterbrained and not as well detailed as I would like. Thanks for reading through my drivel.
NCAA Tourney Bound: Vikings Upset Butler In Horizon League Final
March 11, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
Now that it's over, it feels all the sweeter when you do it the hard way, playing two extra games, winning the conference championship on the other guys' floor.
And when a senior, Cedric Jackson, who underperformed all year, lost his confidence and looked like he just wanted his career to end quietly, comes back to find the best parts of his game, and uses those to lead his team to victory. Behind Jackson's MVP performance, 19 points (on 7-12 and 4-8 from the arc), 8 assists and 7 rebounds, Cleveland State defeated Butler tonight at Hinkle Fieldhouse, by a score of 57-54. In doing so, the Vikings won the Horizon League's automatic bid; with Butler likely to win an at-large bid, that makes the Horizon a two-bid league this year.
It was a nailbiter throughout, two teams playing hard, defending fiercely, just as they did twice before during the regular season. Somewhat surprisingly, given all of the talent on both sides, the game came down to a shootout between Butler freshman guard Shelvin Mack and Cleveland State senior guard Cedric Jackson, with Jackson getting the better of Mack by the slimmest of margins. Mack finished with one fewer point than Jackson, 18, on 5-10 and 2-7 from the arc. He also pulled down 9 rebounds. Matt Howard added 14 for Butler, on 4-7 shooting. But it wasn't quite enough.
Three times in the game Butler led by as many as 8 points, 25-17 at 13:23 of the first half, after a Mack trey; 27-19 two minutes later on a Mack free throw, and 39-31 1:40 into the second half after a Matt Howard dunk. But each time Cleveland State dug in deeper on defense, at all five positions on the floor, and held the line, then inched back. Behind the good all around play of Jackson and the shooting of reserve freshman guard Jeremy Montgomery (who finished with 11 on 4-6 and 3-4), over the next 11½ minutes, the Vikes outscored Butler 23-9, to go up 54-48 at the 13:10 mark. In the end, only five points were scored collectively by the two teams in the final 4:55 (4 by Butler and just 1 by CSU); all 5 were on free throws. With Cleveland State up by 2 at 56-54 with under 20 seconds remaining, Cole guarding Haywood and Jackson on Mack, Haywood gave to Mack, who penetrated the left baseline under terrific pressure from Jackson. Largely due to that pressure (and of course the clock ticking down), Mack thought he had a return pass available to Hayward to the right of the key, but threw the pass right to Cole for a turnover. After the Bulldogs fouled Cole, who made one of two from the line to extend CSU's lead to 57-54, Butler had the ball with 14 seconds on the clock, down three. Again under severe defensive pressure, the Bulldogs managed to get two treys off, one by Mack and one by Gordon Hayward, neither close.
A comparison I've used once before, the way this game ended made it feel like the 2008 Super Bowl, with CSU playing the role of the Giants, having lost to these "Pats" twice during the regular year, but having played them tough both times. An incredibly emotional player, Jackson finally found his rhythm in this tournament, and after he made a shot or two, it seemed like months of self-imposed pressure melted away.
We talked to Coach Waters after the game about Jackson, and the return of his confidence. Coach corrected me a bit on that, telling us that "Cedric always had confidence, but was too concerned about his own play, rather than about the team. Earlier in the year he'd look at his stats each night and see only his poor shooting, and not all those other good stats, and he'd feel awful. I would tell him that ‘you're my point guard, be my point guard, and your scoring will come.' And do you want to know who helped Cedric? Quincy Douby of the Sacramento Kings, who played for me at Rutgers, came to practice when the Kings were in town, and sat down with Cedric. He told Cedric, ‘You're worried about the wrong things. As a point guard you need to defend, to distribute, and yes, to make your free throws at the end. Now, if you want to be a good shooter, you need to put the time into that. Come to the gym to shoot every morning at 7:30.' Since then, Cedric's been to the gym to shoot lots of mornings at 7:30."
Coach Stevens, along with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, were gracious in defeat. Stevens said "Cedric was just fabulous tonight. In fact Jackson was great the whole tournament. We were beaten by a really good team tonight. But I just told my team that the last time a Butler team lost the conference championship, we ended up going all the way to the Sweet Sixteen." Coach also added in response to our question that looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament, he is "really encouraged" about the improved play tonight from Mack [who's shooting has been off for almost a month]."
At the end of the night, Coach Waters raised one of his arms and pointed to a ring on one of his fingers. A Kent ring, he acknowledged. "I've been wearing this ring too long, it's time to get a Cleveland State ring." Well, the Vikings have won an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and Coach will now get a new tournament ring, one that says Cleveland State on it.
News and Notes:
This game was so intense, so all-consuming, that the assembled media appeared to forget there were 8 other teams in the tournament besides Butler and Cleveland State. The all-tournament team came exclusively from these two, consisting of Howard and Mack from Butler, and Norris Cole and J'Nathan Bullock for CSU, along with MVP Jackson. While I had a couple of others on my ballot (Ryan Tillema of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Cory Cooperwood of Wright State in lieu of Bullock and Mack), the Final was so good that can appreciate why the voters focused exclusively on players from these two teams.
Enjoy the Selection Shows on Sunday, and with any luck, the next time you read this space we'll be reporting from one the NCAA sub-regional sites (hopefully one not too too far from home).
Vikings Advance To Horizon Title Game, Butler Awaits
March 8, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
For the second time in as many nights, Cleveland State showed the toughness and resilience that Gary Waters has been instilling in his troops since he first stepped foot on campus. After trailing by six at the half, the Vikings put the clamps down on the defensive end and clawed their way back into the game, not leading in the game until the 10:48 mark in the second half. Behind a gritty defense, clutch baskets and a highlight reel dunk from George Tandy, the Vikings pulled out a 73-67 victory over second-seeded Green Bay to move onto the Horizon League championship Tuesday against top-seeded Butler.
A night after a furious come-from-behind rally pushed CSU past UIC in the quarter-final, the Vikings (24-10) were sure to be low on energy against a well-rested Green Bay (22-10) team that had received a double-bye into the semi-finals. The game started off as one might expect under the circumstances, CSU started the game off sluggish as the amped-up Phoenix played an up tempo, full court game while rushing out to a 16-4 lead in the first five minutes.
The tide started to change after a Waters timeout. The Vikings were able to control the tempo and stop Green Bay from pushing the ball and getting open three-pointers in transition. Cedric Jackson, who has played the best ball of his senior season during the tournament, did his best to keep the Vikings in the game offensively, scoring 10 of CSU’s next 14 points to close the gap to six at 23-17.
The rest of the first half became a shooting exhibition for Green Bay’s Mike Schachtner as the 6-9 senior repeatedly found holes in the Vikings pressure defense while pouring in 16 first half points on 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Waters and his staff obviously made an adjustment at the half because the holes in the CSU defense disappeared and the pressure intensified to an immeasurable level. Tre Harmon was inserted into the starting lineup in place of the injured D’Aundray Brown and responded by displaying his nose-to-nose defense in taking the Green Bay guards out of their rhythm and forcing the Phoenix into settling for contested jumpers instead of getting open looks in the flow of the offense. Schachtner, the hot hand in the first half, was held scoreless in the second half as the Vikings pulled their way back into the game.
The Vikings finally took their first lead of the game when a three-pointer by Cedric Jackson put CSU up 52-50 with 10:48 remaining. After a Green Bay basket tied the game, George Tandy put the early finishing touch on the game with a tailor made Sportscenter tip dunk. With 9:58 remaining, J’Nathan Bullock missed a turn-around jumper and as the ball bounced high off the rim, Tandy flew in from the top of the key and threw down a thunderous one-handed jam over the top of the Green Bay defender to put the Vikings up 54-52.
The Vikings never trailed again. Tandy’s highlight reel play embodied the spirit of this Vikings team. Playing its third game in five nights and its second in 48 hours, the Vikings never let up and never quit. When things were going tough and to give in to fatigue would have been a perfectly acceptable way to close the season, the Vikings fought through and forced their will on the opponent, making it look as though the Phoenix were the team that should be gasping for air. With Tandy’s dunk, the Vikings proved once again that they refuse to give into adversity and will fight through the final buzzer to ensure nothing less than a championship.
CSU will have its chance on Tuesday against #22 Butler (26-4) at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The Bulldogs swept the Vikings during the regular season, winning both contests by a mere two points. Since taking over at CSU, Gary Waters is 1-6 against Butler, including a 70-55 loss in last season’s championship game.
Just another obstacle for this tough-minded Vikings team to overcome.
Vikings Outlast UIC, Now Two Games From Big Dance
March 7, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
Tonight's second Horizon League quarterfinal game between No. 3 Cleveland State and No.7 Illinois-Chicago turned into a shootout between UIC's all-league senior and conference second leading scorer Josh Mayo, and CSU's budding star sophomore guard Norris Cole. Assigned both to guard Mayo and provide the bulk of CSU's scoring, Cole was up to the task, and behind Cole's 26 points (on 9-16, 2-5 from the arc and 6-6 from the line), CSU came back from a late 9-point deficit to defeat UIC 67-64. Mayo finished with 24, on just 3-9 shooting against Norris, though he made 17-20 free throws.
CSU started strong at both ends, and behind the scoring of Cole and Cedric Jackson, the Vikes led by 11 at 16-5 at the 7:17 mark. But guard Robo Kreps led the Flames back with 10 first half points, and UIC trailed by only 2 at the intermission, 29-27. UIC power forward Rob Eppinger managed to score 8 in that first half (on 3-9 shooting), and held CSU's first-team all-league power forward J'Nathan Bullock scoreless for the entire half.
When the teams came out for the second stanza, they both went scoreless for the first 2:53. Then a bucket by Mayo tied the game at 29, and at the first media timeout, CSU led by just one at 32-31. Then came what all of us thought was the move of the game by UIC Coach Jimmy Collins: UIC came out of that first media timeout playing 2-3 zone, which they stayed in for much of the rest of the game. In that zone, over the next 5 minutes the Flames held the Vikings to 5 points, on just a single field goal by Cole. Slowing the game down to a pace they could win at, from the 4:59 mark until the 13:58 mark, UIC outscored Cleveland State 24-14, and took a commanding 9-point lead at 55-46.
Then the real big move of the game, by CSU Coach Gary Waters: for the last 6 minutes of the game CSU moved its defense up to press full-court, first in the man-to- man, then in a 2-1-2 zone trap, and ultimately in a diamond and one trap. By extending their defense, the Vikings made steals, forced turnovers, scored in transition, and completely took over the game, finishing the game on a 21-9 run, and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, 67-64. Over the final 5:46 of the game, CSU was led by Cole with 7, and by a suddenly awakened Bullock with 8 of his 9.
In the end, after two Josh Mayo free throws pulled UIC within 2 at 65-63 at 18:59, a Bullock foul sent UIC's Eppinger to the line with two shots to tie the game. He hit one, pulling the Flames to 65-64. Then, UIC fouled the wrong man in Cole, who calmly sank two free throws to extend the lead to three at 67-64 at 19:37. Still UIC had the ball with a chance to tie, but even with two offensive rebounds providing three opportunities from the arc in the final 23 seconds (none by Mayo), UIC could not tie the game and earn five-extra minutes of playing time. CSU snuck out with a win that 5 or 6 minutes earlier seemed most unlikely.
Oh, and by the by, while this hard-fought win was Cleveland State's 23rd of the year, it was also the Vikes' 20th D-I win of the year, a sometimes magic-number for various selection committees.
Coach Waters was effusive in his praise for Norris, reminding the press that the sophomore won the game for him at both ends of the floor. Coach also reminded us that he is now playing without his best defender D'Aundray Brown (who would guard Ryan Tillema tomorrow night against Green Bay), and that his team was able to win this night despite a subpar performance from Bullock. Coach didn't seem concerned that he'll be zoned again (perhaps for stretches tomorrow night), taking the position that UIC's zone was effective only because seven-foot center Scott Vandermeer was able to take away the inside half of CSU's inside-out zone attack (ie, he neutralized Bullock). Of course, this writer has suggested more than once that no one should play any defense against Cleveland State OTHER THAN a tight sluffing zone, forcing the Vikings to win from the perimeter. If only Jimmy Collins had done that for forty minutes.
Coach Collins was complimentary of his opponent, and of his own seniors Mayo and Vandermeer, and properly concerned about forward Tori Boyd who injured his head during the first half and was taken to a local hospital. He called this game "the story of our season," explaining that his team "played well, took a lead, but then couldn't hold that lead down the stretch." He bemoaned his team's turnovers against pressure and failures to block out on its defensive boards late in the game, and candidly admitted that his team "did not have the energy at the end; you can't relax against CSU, we needed to match their intensity, and we didn't."
Then Coach Collins managed to change the subject, and bring up two issues that were on his mind. First, in addition to his seniors, he is about to lose long time Associate Head Coach Mark Coomes, who is retiring after "being with me for 40 years." Second, Coach chastised the local Indianapolis print media for how little press he saw today for the Horizon Tournament (perhaps that will change tomorrow, with Butler playing).
So after the ultimate reprieve, the Vikes move on to tomorrow night's semi-final round to face No. 2 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay, that's the Green Bay team which has been off for a week while CSU played two games. Someone's going have to join Cole in scoring (and from the perimeter, no doubt), if CSU is to have a chance to beat Green Bay, and in D'Aundray Brown's absence, someone else is going to have to guard prolific scorer Tillema. It also appears that Phoenix swingman (and last year's defender of the year) Terry Evans will be out injured tomorrow, to some extent neutralizing Brown's injury. It should be interesting tomorrow night here at Hinkle.
Mieskoski's Weekly News and Notes: Horizon League Tournament Edition
March 5, 2009
By: Tom Mieskoski
With 1:19 left in the first half of Cleveland State's 56-43 victory over Detroit, CSU's sophomore guard D'Aundray Brown left the game with a hyper-extended right knee and will be evaluated today.
Brown got hurt after Detroit's 7-foot-3 center Jason Bennett blocked his lay-up attempt. After the play, both players fell to the ground, with Bennett landing on top of Brown's knee.
"I'm very worried (about Brown) because he is the key to the team," said CSU coach Gary Waters. "We were a .500 team when he was out. And around .900 percent when he was playing."
C-Jack shuts down Kennedy:
Detroit's leading scorer, Thomas Kennedy (11.6 points) was killing the Vikings in the first half, scoring 10 points on 5-for-7 from the field. At the half, Waters decided to make a change, putting the Horizon League's Defensive Player of the Year, Cedric Jackson to guard the 6-foot-7 Kennedy, instead of Brown. The move payed off as Jackson shut him down in the second half, limiting him to two points on 1-for-3 from the field.
"I tried to stay away from team defense and tried to take him out of the equation," said Jackson.
Even before Brown got hurt, Waters said he was going to make the change at halftime. "Kennedy was shooting the ball at a high rate and feeling confident. We needed to get him off of that," he said. "So we put Cedric on him in the second half. I thought that was the key to the game. He literally shut down that guy."
J'Bull's last game at Wolstein?:
Tuesday's game was most likely the final home game of J'Nathan Bullock's phenomenal career at CSU. The Vikings still have a slim chance of hosting the Horizon League Championship game, but it's a long shot.
The Vikings would have to beat Illinois-Chicago in the Quarterfinals on Friday. Then beat Green Bay in the Semi-finals on Saturday and hope that Butler is upset in the Semi-Finals on their home court.
"For me, it was kind of emotional (playing my last game at the Wolstein Center) because I have been here for four years," said Bullock. "I just cherish the moment of just playing with this team and this environment. And having the name Cleveland State on my chest. I just love to represent it."
The gambling man:
With CSU's offense struggling in the first half and Bullock sitting on the bench with two fouls, Waters made a decision that he couldn't keep Bullock on the bench for the rest of the half. So Waters gambled and put him back into the game.
"That was a calculated situation that could of went bad," said Waters. "Because I knew we didn't have any offense. I couldn't keep him out the rest of the half. So we played him on the weakest player."
Waters on UIC:
"UIC is playing in my estimation the second best basketball right now. They have won five in a row and got two players back. They are feeling pretty confident now," said Waters. "If you remember early in the season, they went to Georgia Tech and won. And they went to Vanderbilt and won. So they got the potential to beat you."
Cole versus Mayo:
Sophomore guard Norris Cole is looking forward to guarding UIC's first-team All-Horizon League guard Josh Mayo (16.8 points, second in Horizon League) on Friday.
In the first meeting, on Jan. 10 at the Wolstein Center, Mayo was held to six points on 2-for-10 from the field. And in the second meeting at UIC on Feb. 5, Mayo was limited to 10 points on 3-for-8 from the field.
"I take guarding Mayo as a personal challenge," said Cole. "I try to defend him well and make everything difficult for him."
Miscellaneous notes:
Tuesday's win over Detroit gave CSU it's 13th win this season at the Wolstein Center, a new school record.... Bullock tied a school record by playing in his 125 career game... And Jackson tied the single season school record with his 177th assist.
A Lot On The Line For CSU In Final Week Of Regular Season
February 26, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
Cleveland State takes the road this week for what could be a crucial two-game swing. The final week of the regular season has the Vikings facing Valparaiso on Thursday and Butler on Saturday in a nationally televised contest.
Heading into play on Thursday, CSU is a game behind second place Green Bay and two games behind first place Butler. The Vikings are also a game up on both Milwaukee and Wright State for the third seed.
It is possible for the Vikes to claim a share of the regular season title (Butler loses to Youngstown State and CSU, Green Bay loses one-of-two and CSU wins out), but due to tie-breakers, CSU has no shot at the first seed in next week’s Horizon League tournament. What the Vikings are aiming for this week is the coveted two seed which garners a double-bye and a guaranteed slot into the tournament semi-finals.
Horizon League Standings:
Butler 13-3 23-4
Green Bay 12-4 21-8
Cleveland State 11-5 20-9
Milwaukee 10-6 15-12
Wright State 10-6 16-12
Youngstown State 7-9 11-16
UIC 6-11 14-14
Loyola 6-11 14-16
Valparaiso 4-12 8-20
Detroit 2-14 7-20
In order for the Vikings to receive the second seed, they need to win both games in Indiana and have Green Bay lose both of it’s games, to last place Detroit on Thursday and against Wright State on Saturday night. The Vikings could end up tied with Green Bay if Green Bay loses one-of-two, but the Phoenix hold the tie-breaker due to their sweep of Milwaukee.
Obviously, the chances of a 20-win Green Bay team losing to last place Detroit are not very great. Barring a small miracle, the Vikings will have to be content with the third seed, which they have yet to clinch.
The third seed is no small prize in itself, as it offers a first round tournament game at the Wolstein Center on Tuesday March 3rd and it matches up with the second seed in the tournament semi-finals. The difference between the second and the third seeds may not seem great, but it will feel very tangible in the semi-final round when those two seeds likely meet in a neutral court game, while the top seed hosts the other semi-final match-up. The third seed also offers the prize of hosting the championship game at the Wolstein Center in the small chance that the top seed is upset before the championship round.
Step one for the Vikings is taking care of business Thursday against a struggling Valparaiso team. If CSU is victorious against Valpo, the picture becomes clearer because Wright State and Milwaukee also meet on Thursday. With a CSU win, one of the fourth-place teams will be knocked out of contention for the third seed.
The Vikings control their destiny for the third seed by winning out because they are a game up on both fourth place teams. Wright State currently holds the tie-breaker over CSU due to its sweep of Youngstown State.
If Milwaukee is victorious on Thursday, thus knocking Wright State out of the running, CSU would need to defeat Butler to lock up the third seed or Milwaukee would have to lose to Detroit on Saturday. If CSU and Milwaukee end up tied, the Panthers would hold the tie-breaker due to its split with the Butler.
If Wright State knocks Milwaukee out of it on Thursday, the Vikings will either need a win at Butler or a Wright State loss to Green Bay on Saturday to clinch the third seed.
And don’t forget the possibility that Green Bay and Butler may have already lost on Thursday, meaning the Vikes would still be playing for a share of the title and a shot at the second seed on the season’s final day.
Confusing? You bet it is, but the Vikings still have a lot to play for in the final two games of the season and they would have it no other way.
Best Case Scenarios for the Vikings:
For a share of the regular season title:
CSU defeats Valparaiso Thursday 8:30 p.m.
Youngstown State defeats Butler Thursday 7 p.m.
CSU defeats Butler Saturday 12 p.m. on ESPN 2
Detroit defeats Green Bay Thursday 7:05 p.m. OR
Wright State defeats Green Bay Saturday 7 p.m.
For the second seed in the Horizon League Tournament:
CSU defeats Valparaiso Thursday 8:30 p.m.
Detroit defeats Green Bay Thursday 7:05 p.m.
CSU defeats Butler Saturday 12 p.m. on ESPN 2
Wright State defeats Green Bay Saturday 7 p.m.
For the third seed in the Horizon League Tournament:
CSU defeats Valparaiso Thursday 8:30 p.m.
Milwaukee defeats Wright State Thursday 7 p.m.
CSU would clinch third seed with a win over Butler or a Milwaukee loss to Detroit
OR
CSU defeats Valparaiso Thursday 8:30 p.m.
Wright State defeats Milwaukee Thursday 7 p.m.
CSU would clinch third seed with a win over Butler or a Wright State loss to Green Bay
Bullock and Tandy Too Tough For Valpo
February 27, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
With the season having dwindled down to just one regular season game, the Horizon Tournament, and potentially something beyond, Cleveland State appears to have figured out something essential for success in college basketball: how to beat lesser teams in their own gyms. Earlier in the season the Vikes couldn't do that at Wright State (even with Vaughn Duggins sidelined and John David Gardner playing just seven ineffective minutes); they couldn't do it in Milwaukee; and most glaringly, they couldn't do it at Youngstown State. But finally, in the month of February, the Vikings have won all three of their road games against lesser competition, winning earlier this month at Illinois-Chicago (barely) and at Loyola, and last night at Valparaiso. Just one more road game left in the regular season, tomorrow against Butler, hardly a "lesser" opponent.
Those three road wins are part of an eight-game in-conference winning streak the Vikes are now on (bringing them to 12-5 in the Horizon), a streak which started two games too late to get the pre-season league favorites a 1st or 2nd seed and the resulting double-bye in the upcoming tournament. Instead, despite the win at Valpo, wins last night by Butler (now 14-3, after winning 78-57 at home against YSU), and Green Bay (now 13-4 with the tiebreaker over CSU, after winning 78-62 at Detroit) have assured those two schools the first two seeds, in one order or the other, and the best the Vikes can hope for is the 3rd seed and a home tournament opener on Tuesday. Coming into the final game, CSU holds a one-game lead over 11-6 Wright State, with Wright State to host Green Bay tomorrow night, seven hours after CSU tips at Butler. Either a CSU win or a Wright State loss gives the Vikes the 3rd seed, and in the event a WSU win and a CSU loss forge a tie, the applicable tiebreaker for 3rd will be determined by other action in the league tomorrow.
In last night's game, rather surprisingly Valpo appeared to show man-to-man in the first minute and a half (why EVER man-to-man the Vikes?), but when ever-improving Norris Cole broke down his man to draw a foul on Cameron Witt at the goal at the 1:17 mark, Coach Drew sensibly abandoned his man-to-man in favor of a 1-1-3 tucked in half-court zone. Over the next eight and a half minutes of play, that zone and grinding half-court play on offense allowed the Crusaders to control the game, and at the 9:55 mark Valpo led 19-11. But then, in what this writer might respectfully call overcoaching, veteran Coach Drew began switching defenses, resuming some man defense and showing half-court traps on multiple Viking possessions. Well, Valpo isn't athletic enough to play man against CSU, and they certainly can't trap the Vikes, and what the Crusaders accomplished by switching defenses was to restore the game to a pace more to CSU's liking. As a result, led by George Tandy (15 points on 6-8 and 6 rebounds in the game) and J'Nathan Bullock (25 on 9-11 and 6 boards), the Vikes went on a 20-9 run over the last ten minutes of the half, and led 31-28 at the break.
The Vikings' run continued in the second half, with CSU getting lots of easy baskets and converting 14 of 17 in the half (82%). The Viking lead topped out at 17 (65-48) at the 17:18 mark. And while a furious rush by Valpo in the last two and a half minutes made the 71-64 final score look more respectable, the outcome was never in doubt after the first media timeout of the second half. Senior center Urule Igbavboa had 17 points (7-11) and 8 rebounds for the Crusaders (despite foul trouble in the second half), and budding freshman star De'Andre Haskins 18 (6-10, 3-6 from the arc), but much of Haskins' scoring came after the issue was decided. Of note, previously injured and inconsistent Valpo freshman point guard Erik Buggs played only 11 minutes, and his last minute trey provided the only bench-points of the night for the Crusaders (and CSU's guards also held Valpo's second leading scorer Michael Rogers scoreless in the game).
Now, it's on to Hinkle to play a game that still has meaning to Butler (a win assures Butler the no. 1 seed and that rounds 2 and 3--and the final if Butler is still playing--will be played at Hinkle. Then, CSU will play either Valparaiso or Detroit at home on Tuesday night, and if they should win, continue on to Hinkle for a quarter-final game on Friday.
One additional thought: while on the one hand, the way February played out for the Vikes causes this writer to muse over what might have been (playing better earlier could have earned that first round bye so crucial to prospects in the tourney), from another point of view-oddly--the 3rd or 4th seed just might end up helping the Vikes. Remember that while the Vikings are now 21-9 overall, because three of those 21 wins are sub-Division I wins, the Vikes' "real" record is just 18-9. Win or lose tomorrow in Butler, and however they do in the conference semis should they get that far, being forced to play two additional games in the Horizon Tournament will at the very least get that D-1 win total up to 20, perhaps higher (not two great D-1 wins, but D-1 wins nonetheless). And in the event the Vikes don't prevail in the Horizon Tournament, 20 or 21 D-1 wins (rather than 18 or 19) looks much better on CSU's resume. Are you listening, NIT Selection Committee?
Cleveland State News and Notes:
* In a battle between teams tied for fourth coming into last night's action, home-standing Wright State rebounded from a 5-point halftime deficit to defeat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 70-60. Todd Brown once again led the Raiders with 21 points (7-13. 4-7) and 6 boards, assisted unexpectedly on the offensive end by defensive oriented guard N'Gai Evans with 17 (5-11, 3-4) and also grabbing 6 boards. James Eayers (aka the Pillsbury Dough Boy) led the losers once again with 21 (6-12, 4-7). Oh, and while this writer doesn't get a vote for Horizon awards, respectfully, how could anyone leave WSU's Brown off their all-conference ballot.
* While the line in the sand between the league's 3rd and 4th seeds isn't nearly as deep as that between nos. 2 and 3, note that no. 3 avoids playing the no. 1 seed (likely Butler) in its own gym until the final game, its semi-final being a true neutral site game. On the other hand, no. 4 will play the host 1st seed in the tournament semi-final.
* In the last Friday night ESPNU Horizon game, UIC visits Loyola tonight, tip-off once again at 9 pm eastern.
* CSU's regular season finale tomorrow at Butler will be played at noon eastern, and also televised on ESPN 2.
* As most of you know, after Tuesday night's first round on campus sites, the Horizon Tournament resumes with double-headers Friday and Saturday at the home of the no. 1 seed, and then concludes with the Final the following Tuesday night at the home gym of the highest remaining seed.
Vikings Lose Tough One By Two At Butler
March 1, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
It wasn't always pretty, but it was intense for 40 minutes, the fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse on their feet for the last 5. Cleveland State defended better, reaching less and playing more solidly, especially Norris Cole on Shelvin Mack and D'Aundray Brown on future pro Gordon Hayward. And after Cole kept CSU in the game with 13 first half points (on 4-5, including 3-3 from the arc), even Cedric Jackson woke up offensively in the second half, hitting two of three threes for 7 in the half. Cole finished with 17, Jackson with 11 and J'Nathan Bullock with 13, but it just wasn't quite enough. In a game that was a microcosm of their season, the Vikings came from 10 down at the 10:30 mark of the second half, went on a 12-0 run to lead 52-50, led 56-54 with under two minutes remaining, but gave up the lead in the end, falling to Butler 58-56. Depending on results in Dayton and Valparaiso tonight, the Vikes will be either the 3rd or the 4th seed in the Horizon Tournament, and open play at home on Tuesday against either Detroit or Valpo.
In the last 2:04, first CSU gained that two point lead on an interior shot by George Tandy, off a gorgeous assist by Jackson. For much of the second half, Coach Waters used Jackson corner to corner off baseline screens, and on this occasion Jackson curled into the lane, received a pass, drew defensive help from Butler's Matt Howard, and deftly bounced to Tandy behind Howard for the lay up. In fact, Butler's Gordon Hayward tried to help on Tandy and fouled him, but Tandy missed the free throw; 56-54 CSU at the 17:56 mark. Bullock rebounded Tandy's miss, and both Bullock and Tandy proceeded to miss contested follows; Ronald Nored grabbed the defensive rebound for Butler at 18:03. On the ensuing Bulldog possession, Shelvin Mack missed a trey at 18:19, and CSU's Brown fouled Hayward in the rebounding action. Hayward made one of two from the line at 18:22; CSU 56-55. Then on offense, Jackson saw a pick and roll to Tandy along the baseline that was not available, and his errant pass was corralled by Butler's Howard. Then, Butler's Willie Veasley missed a trey over Bullock at 19:03, but diminutive Nored grabbed the long rebound and after a single dribble was able to lay up; 57-56 Butler at 19:07. After a timeout, Bullock used a baseline screen to get open to receive a pass in the deep left corner, took and missed an open but low percentage trey, Veasley rebounded, and Cole fouled him to stop the clock at 19:44. Veasely made 1 of 2 from the line (Butler shot a woeful 9-21 from the line in the game, 2-12 in the second stanza), giving CSU the ball after a timeout with :16 seconds remaining, down two, the biggest play of the game yet to take place.
After CSU inbounded, Cole used a Tandy ball screen at the arc on the left, got a look at a game-winning trey as Matt Howard jumped the screen to challenge the shot. To Howard's credit, he jumped straight up to contest, his arms also straight up rather than forward. Whoever initiated the contact, there did appear to be contact, causing Cole to double clutch the trey that became an air-ball; no foul was called. Mack rebounded for CSU, was fouled by Jackson with a second and a half remaining and that, as they say was that. Choosing his words carefully after the game, Coach Waters said generally about the Cole-Howard meeting that "you have to have guts in basketball" (he could have been talking about the officials, but we'll never know). Matt Howard admitted after the game that "I may have gotten away with one" on the last play.
Proud of his team's comeback from ten points down, Coach Waters sounded confident going into the conference tournament. He even appears to agree with us that with three of CSU's 21 wins having come against sub-Division I opponents, "the third seed gives us a chance to play more games, to get that win number up to the magic number of 20."
After the game I asked Butler Coach Brad Stevens if his starting freshmen had gotten tired, hit the proverbial "wall," a week or so ago when they lost two in a row, including a brutal home loss to Loyola. Coach responded that "I can't view it that way; also, I need to give credit to those two teams who beat us. Milwaukee, and especially Loyola, played very well against us, and we didn't hit enough shots." Then, I asked the opposite question, suggesting that coaches (like the late Al McGuire) sometimes said that by this time of year certain freshmen have played enough games to be like sophomores. Stevens smiled, said "I like that theory better," and continued that "our kids have been more like sophomores for a while now, particularly in terms of their poise, so on your theory, by now they're more like juniors." Good and fun answer, but this writer observed some weakness, some mental fatigue, in Butler this game, manifested in a couple of things. First, the Bulldogs no longer seem to be sustaining their man defense for the full 35-second shot clock. Second, they're shooting poorly from the arc (3-16 for the game, 0-8 for the second half), in addition to the poor free throw shooting. So, as much as I've loved Butler and its freshmen all season long, if I may, even though they're at home, the Bulldogs just might be vulnerable in the conference tourney, to Green Bay, and perhaps even to CSU. They certainly could have been beaten today, so they just might be beatable next week.
Cleveland State News and Notes:
* With the win, Butler clinched first place and the no. 1 seed in the conference tourney, and after the first round games on campus sites on Tuesday night, quarter and semi-final doubleheaders will be played at Hinkle on Friday and Saturday nights. Coach Waters was unequivocal in his praise for Butler (relative to second seed Green Bay), telling the media after the game that "I feel positive about one thing, that Butler won this championship; Butler deserves this [regular season] championship, not Green Bay."
* In the last ten minutes of the game, Butler's super-freshman Gordon Hayward (well-guarded this night by D'Aundray Brown, limited to 9) wowed the crowd with two monster plays. First, after a Veasley front court turnover, with D'Aundray Brown dribbling ahead of the field, Hayward caught Brown from behind with a great block at the goal at the 9:40 mark. Then at 15:30, Hayward made a beautiful dunk off a pass from Mack.
* We'll see you Tuesday night at Wolstein for the first round tournament game!
Vikings Advance In Horizon League Tournament
March 4, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
Cleveland State advanced to the quarterfinal of the Horizon League tournament with a 56-43 victory over Detroit on Tuesday night. The Vikings looked sluggish in the first half before turning it around behind senior Cedric Jackson's 16 points.
Although Detroit entered the tournament as the last place team, the Titans have a track record of making the opposition play a sloppy game. The first half played right into that history as Detroit alternated its defenses to help contain Jackson on the drive and force the Vikings to shoot from outside. The pesky Titans forced CSU to commit 8 turnovers and shoot 31-percent from the field in a surprisingly tight 23-21 first half.
"When you play a team for a third time, it's not as easy," said CSU head coach Gary Waters. "I thought we weren't clicking on offense and they were doing enough to stay around. When you have a team that doesn't have anything to lose, they just let it all hang out. They were excited and were playing and we were a little tense and tight because we knew the importance of the game."
Making matters worse for the Vikings, sophomore D'Aundray Brown went down hard with a hyper-extended knee late in the first half and did not return. It could be a big blow for CSU as the hard-nosed guard is the leader of the defense and has energized the team on its late season surge after returning from a stress fracture in his ribcage. The Vikings were 5-3 with Brown out of the lineup.
Detroit continued to vary its defense in the second half and the Vikings struggled offensively through the beginning stages of the half. While the offenses misfired, the CSU defense took control and kept the Vikings in front thanks to Jackson's five steals and some great pressure defense of the bench by freshman Tre Harmon.
"Our guys did a great job in the second half defensively. At one point we were holding them to 20-percent in the second half and I thought that was the difference," said Waters. "I thought Tre came in and did a great job. (Tre) put the pressure on their guard and he couldn't run the offense. He was going east and west and I knew we were in control."
The spark from the defense seemed to ignite the offense. With the Vikings up one with 14:34 remaining, Jackson took control of the game with his creativity and passing ability, assisting the Vikings on four straight field goals, including three pointers by Norris Cole and Harmon, to push the CSU lead to 41-31 with 9:17 remaining.
Detroit would never get back into the game and came no closer than 7 in the final minutes of their season.
Jackson's all-around performance was one for the record books as the point guard's eight assists tied him with Mouse McFadden for the school record of 177 assists in a season. In what very well could have been the senior's final game in Cleveland, Jackson finished with 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and five steals.
Fellow senior J'Nathan Bullock did not disappoint as well, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds for his 17th career double-double.
With the win, the Vikings advance to the quarterfinals at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse for a Friday night contest with 7th seeded Illinois-Chicago at 9 p.m. The Flames defeated 6th seeded Youngstown State Tuesday night at YSU by a score of 73-68.
The Vikings swept UIC in the regular season, winning 79-69 at home and 66-63 at the UIC Pavilion. UIC is led by the league's second-leading scorer in Josh Mayo (16.8 ppg) and the league's leading rebounder and shot blocker in Scott VanderMeer (9.0 rpg, 2.5 bpg).
The Vikings had success in containing the duo during the regular season. Mayo averaged 8 points per game in the two contests, shooting 5-18 combined from the floor. VanderMeer had a bit more success, averaging 9.5 and 8.5 in the two contests, but the two seniors are battle-tested and can explode to carry their team at any time.
The winner of the CSU-UIC contest faces second seed Green Bay in the semi-finals Saturday night at 9 p.m. The other half of the bracket has 4th seed Wright State taking on 5th seed Milwaukee for the chance to face top seed Butler Saturday at 6 p.m.
Cleveland State Holds On Late To Beat Youngstown State
February 19, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
Last night at Wolstein, the Vikings held of Youngstown State 58-54, to win their seventh game in a row, all in the Horizon league. With Wisconsin-Green Bay also winning last night (at home over Valparaiso), CSU's win keeps the Vikes within a game (plus the tiebreaker) of the coveted second seed in the upcoming conference tournament. With Wright State losing last night (at Illinois-Chicago), CSU now holds a one game edge over WSU (plus the tiebreaker) for the third seed. After each plays a bracket-buster on Saturday, the Horizon teams will all have two league games remaining.
The short story of last night's Viking win was that they pressured, stole and ran for the first 10½ minutes of the game, were then forced to play half-court against YSU's zone for the next 29½ minutes, saw YSU pull within 2 with 23 second left in the game, and survived Kelvin Bright's penetration and a clean 12 foot look to tie with five seconds, before extending to 4 on a Cedric Jackson runout at the buzzer. It was a wonderfully exciting game for the crowd at Wolstein (those coming out in lieu of watching the Cavs on television), though doubtless tighter than Coach Waters and his staff would have liked (particularly after going up 22-8 at the 10:38 mark).
Watching the game-which like the Wright State win and some others was really more like two games-I realized that I've been writing something in this space all year long (really two things) that even under my magnifying glass may not be entirely consistent. One is that CSU's guards lunge and reach way too much, play defense with their arms instead of their feet, and that when they don't get steals they either foul or are simply out of position to defend. The other is that in order to win, this wonderfully athletic but poor-shooting team must play a transition rather than half-court game, apply constant pressure and push tempo, which I've sometimes described as "play the game in the schoolyard." Well, to come clean, I probably can't have it both ways; EITHER they're gonna make the game into a schoolyard game (and in the schoolyard, steals are the currency of winning), OR they're gonna stop reaching and lunging and play solid. One way or the other, but not both. And since the Vikings played last night's game in the schoolyard, built up a big lead, and held on to win, well, I guess they won largely due to their 15 steals, 12 in the first half, including a career high of 7 by Jackson, and two each by freshmen Trevon Harmon and Jeremy Montgomery, who for good or for bad seem to be emulating Jackson at the defensive end.
Now, while it worked out last night, it's hardly that simple. Taking this a step further, coming into last night's games, three of our Horizon teams were highly ranked in scoring defense: Wright State was second in the nation surrendering 55.3, Butler fifth surrendering 57.0, and CSU eleventh, giving up 58.9. But quite obviously, Wright State and Butler, on the one hand, and CSU on the other, defend quite differently. First in CSU's favor, somewhat like teams we all remember at Princeton and Dartmouth that led the nation in scoring defense, part of the success in Dayton and Indy is based on slow-down offense. Hold the ball for 30+ seconds before shooting, minimize opposition attempts, and by default your scoring defense will be pretty good. But second, Butler and Wright State play tight, sluffing man-to-man defense (WSU's so good it reminds me of Bob Knight's early teams at Indiana), force you to beat them from deep (generally with your third and fourth best shooters), and send both guards (or someone in lieu of a penetrating guard) back to cover the backcourt rather than to the offensive board (we used to call that "court balance"), and as a result those teams are 9th and 6th in the nation, respectively, in an even more important defensive category, field-goal percentage defense. On the other hand, whether pressing full-court or digging and lunging in half-court, CSU's man-to-man defense isn't nearly as solid, and when they don't make a steal the Vikings are vulnerable to guard penetration, in the post, on the perimeter, and to back-door cuts.
So last night, the Vikes made steals and forced turnovers (the stats said 17 turnovers, but it felt like 100), and early on, even when YSU got a shot off, too many Penguins chased offensive boards rather than defending their backcourt. But once Jerry Slocum went to a tight 2-3 zone half way through the first half, and sixth man Kelvin Bright began helping point guard D'Andre Mays control the ball against pressure, well, YSU dominated the last three quarters of the game. And if Lithuanian sophomore forward Vytas Sulskis-who dominated the second half-had just hit one or two of his perimeter shots that rimmed (he scored 14 on 4-11 and 1-4 from the arc, but most of the rest were darned close), well, Youngstown State would have posted its second win over CSU this winter.
And looking ahead to the conference tournament, it sure doesn't seem that the schoolyard style of defending will transfer to success. Sure, Jackson and Co. will make steals and get runouts against the second division clubs (including in the likely first round home game on Tuesday March 3rd). And it may work against Josh Mayo's teammates at UIC, even against Wright State with Duggins and Gardner out (as it did for 10 of the 80 minutes the teams played this winter), maybe even against Milwaukee. Heck, it worked against the sloppy and overrated Orange of Syracuse, who managed 16 turnovers against the Vikes, 4 by Jonny Flynn. But it won't work against Rahmon Fletcher and Troy Cotton in Green Bay's backcourt, and it surely won't work against Ronald Nored and Shelvin Mack of Butler. To beat those teams one simply must play solid half-court defense, rebound defensively, and hit a decent percentage from the perimeter. And that's just not something CSU seems capable of doing.
Cleveland State news and notes:
Up 7 with a minute and a half to go, the Vikes played sloppily down the stretch, giving YSU that shot at overtime. After a Jackson layup and free throw made the lead 7 at 18:30, a Sulskis jumper at 18:45 cut the lead to 5. Then J'Nathan Bullock uncharacteristically stepped on the sideline for a turnover at 18:58, leading to a YSU basket by Jack Liles, cutting the lead to 3. Then, following a Chris Moore foul and a missed free-throw by Liles, the biggest play of the game took place at the 19:37 mark, with the culprit again Bullock. J'Nathan lost his dribble between the circles in the front court, and the scramble for the loose ball was interrupted by Mike Foote's whistle signaling a held ball, presumably by Bullock and YSU's Bright. Most in the gym thought the ball was still loose (ie, that it wasn't held by anyone, let alone by two players), and with the possession arrow favoring YSU, the crowd howled. On the bench Coach Waters screamed something-he later told us he was screaming to his team, not at the officials-and despite the calming efforts of Director of Operations Bill Buck, Coach's vehemence earned a quick technical, courtesy of official Tim Fogarty. Sulskis missed one and made one at the line, cutting CSU's lead to 2. Then, with 23 seconds left Coach Slocum eschewed a timeout, YSU inbounded at midcourt, and the action that followed led to Bright's miss at 19:55. Scary sequence for the Vikes.
It's off to Wichita State for the Vikes Saturday, their bracket-buster tilt to tip at 3 pm eastern time. Then it's the Indiana swing to end the season, at Valpo at 8:30 eastern on Thursday, and at Butler at noon on Saturday. The tip of that February 28th Butler game has been moved up to noon to accommodate ESPNU.
While CSU visits Valpo and Butler, Green Bay will travel to Detroit and Wright State to finish up the year. That Green Bay-Wright State game tips at 7 on Saturday the 28th, time enough for this writer to get from Indy to Dayton, and perhaps for the Vikes to get home to watch on the Horizon League Network. That GB-WSU game may still have an impact on the second seed, or the third, although if Cleveland State and Green Bay both win on Thursday (CSU at Valpo and Green Bay at Detroit), the second and third seeds will have been decided before play on Saturday.
The final Friday night ESPNU game of the season will be a battle of Chicago, as UIC visits resurgent Loyola at 9 pm on the 27th.
Mieskoski's Weekly News and Notes
February 25, 2009
By Tom Mieskoski
Heading into the final week of Horizon League play with two games left, Cleveland State controls their own destiny for the third-seed in next's week's Horizon League Tournament. That's if CSU can win both of their road games this week at Valparaiso (8-20, 4-12 Horizon League) on Thursday and at No. 24 Butler (23-4, 13-3 HL) on Saturday.
The Vikings, who are a game back of UW-Green Bay (21-8, 12-4) for second place, still have a chance at the second-seed. If CSU wins both games this week and Green Bay loses both road games at Detroit (7-20, 2-14 HL) and Wright State (16-12, 10-6). If they both finish in a tie, Green Bay holds the tie-breaker because of a sweep of Milwaukee.
"We have to hold serve in these two games. The first game (at Valpo) is the most important game that we have played so far," said CSU coach Gary Waters. "If we lose to Valpo that puts us in a vine. You can go from third to fifth (place) pretty easily.
"And if we lose to Valpo we could lose all of our momentum we gained in winning seven straight. So we really got to play our very best to have a chance to win."
Valpo is coming off a 74-66 comeback victory against Akron, in which the Crusaders overcame an 18 point deficit, in last Saturday's ESPNU BracketBusters game.
Waters said Valpo is a much bigger team now then the team CSU beat 66-42 at the Wolstein Center on Dec. 2, 2008. "They're now starting a 6-9 kid inside (Cameron Witt) along the side of (Urule) Igbavboa. They moved (Howard) Little to the two and also start another kid who's 6-5 (Michael Rogers)," he said.
CSU is coming off a disappointing showing in their BracketBusters game at Wichita State last Saturday, as the Vikings allowed the Shockers to shoot 54 percent from the field, including giving up a season-high 10 3-pointers in a 70-59 loss.
"I don't think we played like ourselves. It looked like the Washington game and the Kansas State game. We never got on track and we didn't capitalize," said Waters. "With all that said, all we had to do was execute better on the defensive end and I think we could have won that game."
Saturday's regular season finale at Butler will be televised live by ESPN2 at noon. It will be the first time CSU has played at Hinkle Fieldhouse since losing last season's Horizon League Championship game, 70-55. CSU is 1-12 all-time at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs need to win both of its games this week to clinch the first-seed and host the semi-finals.
There is still a possibility that CSU can win a share of the regular season title if they win both games this week, with Butler losing both games, and Green Bay needs to lose one of its two games. However, CSU doesn't own any of the tie-breakers, making it impossible for the Vikings to earn the top seed.
Green Bay can win the first-seed and host the semi-finals with two wins and a CSU victory over Butler.
Mid-Major top 25:
The Vikings moved down four spots to No. 18 in CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top 25.
RPI Update:
As of Wednesday night (9:35 p.m.), CSU's RPI is 75. And with a 5-5 showing during BracketBusters weekend, the Horizon League moved down a spot to the 12th best conference in the country.
Vikes Look For Revenge Against YSU
February 18, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
Cleveland State wraps up its season-ending home stand Wednesday at 7 p.m. with a visit from the surprisingly hot Youngstown State Penguins. YSU has won four-in-a-row and five of its last seven Horizon League games, including a January 23rd victory over the Vikings. After starting the year 2-8, the Penguins are now in 6th place in the Horizon with a record of 10-15, 7-8.
The Vikings are on a hot streak of their own, having won six in a row to climb into a third-place tie with Wright State at 19-8, and 10-5 in the division. CSU trails 2nd place Green Bay by just one game, but the Phoenix own the tie-breaker over the Vikings for the 2nd seed and the rights to a double-bye into the tournament semi-finals.
The gap was closed on Green Bay in part because of YSU as the Phoenix were oh for Ohio last week, losing at Youngstown on Thursday and in the Wolstein Center on Saturday. In order for the Vikings to overtake Green Bay, CSU would need to win-out and Green Bay would have to lose two-of-three to Valparaiso, Detroit and Wright State.
The more likely scenario has the Vikings playing for the 3rd seed, and that road became clearer last week, again thanks to the Penguins as Milwaukee joined its Wisconsin brethren in leaving Northeast Ohio 0-2. Milwaukee's Saturday loss to YSU dropped the Panthers out of the tie for third and opened the door for CSU as the Vikings own the tie-breaker with Wright State.
First things first for the Vikings will be taking care of the Penguins. CSU was without sophomore D'Aundray Brown in the January meeting and it showed. YSU fed off the energy of their crowd and controlled the tempo of the game. The Vikings struggled with taking care of the ball en route to 19 turnovers in the 64-60 defeat.
With the return of Brown, the Vikings have played a better all-around game and are back to shutting opposing teams down with defense.
As of late, the offense has revolved around Brown's classmate in sophomore Norris Cole. The 6-1 guard was named the Horizon League player of the week for his part in last week's two victories. The Dayton native averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .522 (12-23) shooting from the field, .833 (5-6) from three and a perfect 6-6 from the line.
The two sophomores will look to lead the Vikings to victory in the final regular season home game for five of their teammates. Seniors J'Nathan Bullock, Cedric Jackson, Chris Moore, George Tandy and Renard Fields will play in front of the home town fans for what could be the last time.
A victory would give the Vikings 20 wins for the seventh time in school history. No CSU team was had back-to-back 20-win seasons since the Vikings posted four-in-a-row from 1984-85 to 1987-88.
It would be a fitting ending for a courageous group of seniors that raised the standards of a program that struggled mightily before their arrival.
Mieskoski's Weekly News and Notes: Vikings Ready For Rematch With Rival Youngstown State
February 18, 2009
By: Tom Mieskoski
When Cleveland State (19-8, 10-5 Horizon League) faces in-state rival Youngstown State (10-15, 7-8) tonight at 7 p.m. at the Wolstein Center, the Vikings won't overlook the Penguins this time around, not after YSU's 64-60 upset win at the Beeghly Center on Jan. 17.
In the first meeting, YSU played on the emotion of their biggest crowd (6, 249) in 20 years, as the Penguins led the entire game. While the Vikings struggled, shooting 38 percent (22-for-58) from the field, 11.8 percent (2-for-17) from 3-point distance, and turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 17 points for YSU.
"I think we took them for granted. They embarrassed us in our minds," said CSU coach Gary Waters. "Our guys really know that was a tough game and realized that was a tough game. Youngstown is coming in here thinking they are going to win. We are not going to take them lightly at all and will come after them as hard as we can."
Both teams are coming into tonight's game as the two hottest teams in the Horizon League with CSU winning six straight and YSU winning four in a roll.
Waters credits YSU's turnaround to their talented group of junior-college transfers.
"Youngstown State in my estimation have two of the better players in the league in DeAndre Mays and Sirlester Martin,"said Waters. "Mays might be one of the top three point guards in this league and people don't know about him. And Martin lit our post guys up like they weren't even on the floor.
"Then they have Kelvin Bright, who is their leading scorer (12.3 points), Jack Liles can score between 10 or 12 points, and they have a kid (Vytas Sulskis) who comes off the bench to score 10."
Waters said for CSU to have a chance to win tonight they must defend. "They really execute on offense. If you don't take them off of their execution. They have a chance to beat you," said Waters. "They play zone to make you want to shoot the ball."
Saturday, the Vikings will travel to Wichita State as part of ESPN's BracketBusters. After tonight's game, Waters said they will start preparing for WSU. "This league is so important down the stretch, we got to keep our mind focused on that. We haven't talked one day about (WSU). We can't let that game get in our way," he said.
20-20:
With a win tonight, CSU could have its first back-to-back 20 win seasons since the Vikings had four straight 20-win years from 1984-85 to 1987-88.
"To do it in back-to-back seasons shows we are starting to move forward," said Waters. "Now other people are starting to look at us like recruits that you have struggled with before. They now see this program is starting to have success. If we would have done it one-time they would say we were one-team wonders."
Cole Honored:
Sophomore guard Norris Cole was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday (Feb.16), after averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in CSU's two wins last week against Milwaukee and Green Bay.
"Norris is playing good basketball right now. He's playing with confidence and consistency," said Waters. "Some people have success because teams are focusing on other people now. I don't think teams are putting their best guy on Norris, yet."
Waters on Jeremy Montgomery:
Some people wonder why back-up freshmen point guard Jeremy Montgomery's playing time has diminished so much after scoring a career-high 21 points at UIC on Feb. 5. Waters says it's because of his lack of defense.
"If he's getting scored on all the time. That's a problem. Just because you can score points, if you are giving up the same amount of points on the other end. You're not gaining anything," said Waters. "What happens, you have to learn (to play defense) in your first year. (Because) if you play him in games today, he will have the problem for the next four years. You have to send that message right now. If you want to play. You have to play defense. If they don't take care of it today. They will never take care of it."
Waters on Trevon Harmon:
The other freshmen guard Trevon Harmon has seen his playing time increase because of his much improved defense.
"Trey's loving defense. He has made the biggest adjustments and improvements on the defensive end, I have seen in a long time. He's literally understanding what to do (on the job). The reason, I'm so impressed by his defense is because it's only been half-a-year," said Waters. "He's got a hitch (on his shot) that I need to work on in the off season."
Waters on Cedric Jackson:
In Cedric Jackson's last two games he's averaging 11 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists. While Jackson's points per game (9.7 this season and 13.9 last season) and shooting percentage (FG% .356, .419; FT% .595, .686; 3pt% .250, .390) are down from a year ago. His rebounding (5.8, 4.9), assists (5.6, 4.9) and steals (3.0, 2.6) are up from last season. And he has also cut down on the number of turnovers from a year ago (3.5, 3.9 and 1.60 assists/turnover ratio this season, 1.28 last season).
Waters credits Jackson's turnaround to a conversation he had with him earlier in the season. "We just pointed out the things that he's doing well and he needs to accentuate those things even more because that can help our team," said Waters. "We still fell he doesn't need to score 10 points to dominate a game. Not many kids can do that."
Mid-Major poll:
CSU's two big home wins against Milwaukee and Green Bay last week, helped the Vikings jump eight spots to No. 14 in CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
RPI Update:
According to RealTime RPI.com, as of Feb.18 (11:20 a.m.), CSU has an RPI of 73, which is the third-best in the Horizon League, trailing only Butler (21) and Green Bay (72).
Overall, the Horizon League is rated the 11th best conference in the country, behind the Missouri Valley Conference (10th) and ahead of the Western Athletic Conference (12).
Red Hot Vikings Win Sixth Straight
February 17, 2009
By Tom Mieskoski
The 4, 235 fans in attendance at the Wolstein Center on Saturday got a taste of Horizon League basketball at its best.
As Saturday's match-up between second-place UW-Green Bay against third-place Cleveland State was an all-out battle to the very end, with the Vikings earning a hard-fought 83-75 victory.
CSU (19-8, 10-5 Horizon League) have won six straight and remain tied for third-place with Wright State, who defeated Detroit Saturday. The Vikings are a game back of Green Bay (19-8, 11-4) for second-place in the standings, which comes with an automatic bye into the semi-finals of next month's Horizon League Tournament.
"I thought our kids were resilient. They took the hit and fought back," said CSU coach Gary Waters. "Sometimes you got to take those hits and wither those storms. Because we are getting ready to get into championship play, and it will come down to the last shot and the last minute. And you have to execute during those periods of times."
The Vikings got off to a fast start scoring the first 16 points of the game and shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, to take a 34-24 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, CSU pushed their lead to as much as 17. Then CSU got into some foul trouble, and Green Bay took advantage, using a 27-11 run to cut the lead down to, 71-70, on Ryan Tillema's lay-up with 2:52 left.
"I told them there are three things we need to do right now: make free throws; can't turn the ball over and defend hard down the stretch," said Waters. "I went to Jeremy (Montgomery) and told him that he was the key to the game at that point. If he turns the ball over, I thought the game might have changed at that moment. We had no other options because both guys (Cedric Jackson and George Tandy) had four fouls."
Down the stretch, it was CSU that made all the big plays as Tandy scored four straight points after Green Bay cut it to one, on a jumper and two free throws, to give CSU a 75-70 lead with 1:41 left.
"I don't think I need to score to help the team," said Tandy. "I fell if I play good defense and lock up my man, it's as good as getting to the basket and making free throws."
After Rahmon Fletcher's lay-up cut the lead to, 75-73, with 59 seconds left, Chris Moore responded with a lay-up of his own, giving CSU a two-possession lead again with 39 seconds left.
"Coach said, we are going to be in a lot of close games this season," said Norris Cole. "Once the adrenaline comes down, it's just basic basketball. So once it gets to crunch time, we relax, go over what we practice and try to execute. That's what keeps us calm and relax."
The Phoenix self-destructed down the stretch as Terry Evans missed a free throw, Tillema missed a pair of free throws and Randy Berry missed a lay-up.
The Vikings, who came into the game shooting 66.7 percent from the free throw line in the last five minutes, sealed the game by making six straight free throws in the final 26 seconds, two each by D'Aundray Brown, J'Nathan Bullock and Cole.
Bullock credited Waters for making his players come in early in the morning to shoot free throws during the winter break as to why CSU went 20-for-23 (87 percent) from the charity stripe in the second half. "It helped us a lot because we put a lot of emphasize on free throws, because free throws win clutch games in key moments like tonight," he said.
Cole led CSU with 21 points on 7-for-10 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point distance and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Bullock contributed 18 points and five rebounds for the Vikings, with Chris Moore adding 13 points. Jackson flirted with a triple-double again as he ended up with 11 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
The Phoenix had five players in double-figures led by Tillema (18 points), Mike Schachtner (15), Troy Cotton (13), Berry (12) and Fletcher (10 points and seven assists).
CSU will close out their final regular season home game on Wednesday as Youngstown State, who has won four in a roll, comes to town. The first 1,000 fans receive a Gary Waters bobble head.
"It's a big game on Wednesday. (Youngstown State) is coming in pretty confident and they beat us the last time. So we really have to focus on this team. Regardless of the six game we won before this it's not worth anything," said Waters.
Vikings Beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee At Home
February 13, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
Just in case playing the rematch on Cleveland State's home floor wasn't enough to change the outcome, Wisconsin-Milwaukee came into Wolstein Center last night with junior JUCO transfer and sharpshooting guard Tone Boyle unable to play. And it may not have been Boyle's team-leading 15 points a game that the Panthers missed the most, his 2½ treys per game, his 37% from the arc, or his 4 rebounds per game as a guard (though all of those were surely missed); no, it was more his leadership, and maturity, and-oh yes-his 36 minutes per game. No one else on the team even plays 30. Back on January 17th in UWM's two-point home win, Boyle played all 40 minutes, scored 12 on 4-7 shooting (2-5 from the arc), grabbed 8 rebounds, had 2 assists and no turnovers. And he was sidelined last night with back spasms.
On the CSU side, Gary Waters' best defender, middle-sized rebounder, "loose-ball getter" and all around hustler, D'Aundray Brown, had missed the earlier meeting in Wisconsin with a rib injury, and having returned to action last weekend in Chicago made his first Wolstein appearance last night in nearly 7 weeks. Averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and nearly 2 steals, D'Aundray had returned last weekend with a bang-literally-as he grabbed 10 rebounds in both road wins. This night he found himself open for mid-range jumpers (when he gains confidence in his mid-range game D'Aundray is going to be all-Horizon), and in just another night at the office Brown scored 13 on 5-7 shooting (making his only trey), grabbed 6 boards, made 4 steals (mostly without digging and lunging), had 2 assists and just 1 turnover, in 34 minutes. And oh yes, CSU zoomed out to a 19 point first half lead, led by 14 at the break, and won much more easily than the 70-61 final score indicated. Isn't it nice to have Brown back!
Doubly nice is the progress made by fellow sophomore Norris Cole in Brown's absence, and the two of them now being out there together. Cole has increased his offensive production over the last three weeks, providing both perimeter and slashing offense, scoring in double-figures in five straight games though last Thursday's three-point win at UIC, 20 points or more in three of those 5. Cole came into last night's game averaging 12½ points a game, second on the team to J'Nathan Bullock, good for ninth in the conference. But it has been on the defensive end that Cole has shown the most growth of late, in Brown's absence becoming the lock-down backcourt defender Coach Waters needs. Against prolific Josh Mayo of UIC, Kelvin Bright of Youngstown State, and two weeks from tomorrow, Shelvin Mack of Butler. And now that Brown is back, watching the new and improved Cole along with Brown is a joy, particularly at the defensive end.
The Milwaukee game was interesting, as even before Boyle's injury the Panthers were featuring more and more the player they call "Big Lumber," 6-7 350 pound junior JUCO transfer James Eayrs. Starting his second game last night (but UWM's third leading scorer at 10 points, 12 in conference), Eayrs belies his physical dimensions by playing on the perimeter, displaying quickness (if not speed), incredibly good hands, a quick release and superior perimeter jump-shot. Enhanced this night by two treys that clanged in off the backboard, Eayrs kept his undermanned team in the game by scoring 19 points (on 8-18 shooting, 3-9 from the arc), and grabbed 9 boards. But against the tandem of Brown and Cole (along with Bullock's 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Cedric Jackson's 9 assists), Eayrs' occasional highlight-reel performance wasn't nearly enough.
Now, the more difficult half of the home-for-Wisconsin weekend, as Wisconsin-Green Bay visits Wolstein Saturday night.
Cleveland State News and Notes:
Perhaps the Phoenix of Wisconsin-Green Bay were looking ahead toward Saturday night in Cleveland, as they stumbled at fiesty YSU last night in Youngstown, falling 77-73. Down 22 points to the Penguins early and 38-22 at the break, Green Bay managed to put up 51 during a furious second half rally, pulling to within 2 twice in the last minute before losing by 4. Rahmon Fletcher led the losing Phoenix with 17 on 7-11 shooting; guard DeAndre Mays (yes, we have three good players named DeAndre in the league, all spelling the name differently) led the winners with 21 on 5-11 shooting, and 4 big rebounds.
With CSU's win over Milwaukee and Green Bay's upset loss at YSU, the "race for second" in the Horizon tightened up considerably. Yes, one-loss Butler seems in the clear for the first seed. But second-place Green Bay now has three losses, and Milwaukee, Wright State and CSU all have five. Those records make Saturday's CSU home game against Green Bay a monstrous one in the league, with Milwaukee and Wright State now rooting for CSU to make Green Bay oh-for-Ohio this weekend. And remember, along with Milwaukee, Green Bay still has to visit Wright State, that game to be played the last day of the season on Saturday February 28th. Of course, earlier that day Cleveland State will finish its regular season at Hinkle against Butler, and while that last regular season home game is special ("Senior Day," though Butler has no seniors on its roster), it is possible that CSU will have much more to play for that afternoon in Hinkle than the Bulldogs will (and that the firm of "Brown and Cole" would be playing its best basketball). By the way, CSU's game at Butler at 2 pm on Saturday the 28th has been designated the league's wild-card game, and will be carried on ESPNU. (And I'm wondering if I can watch CSU-Butler from 2-4 pm in Indianapolis, and then get to Dayton in time for Wright State's 7 pm tip against Green Bay).
The Horizon League's Friday night ESPNU game returns tonight after a one-week hiatus, featuring UIC at Butler. Unlike other games in the package, tonight's game will tip at 7 pm eastern.
Final Home Stand A Big One For CSU
February 12, 2009
By: Ryan Aroney
Cleveland State is set to host the Wisconsin schools, Milwaukee on Thursday and Green Bay on Saturday, in the final home stand of the season. The Vikings (17-8, 8-5) are on a four-game winning streak and have pulled into a fourth place tie with Wright State in the Horizon League, just a game behind Milwaukee for third and three games back and within striking distance of second place Green Bay.
The all-important two seed, which guarantees a double-bye and a place in the tournament semi-finals, may be out of reach for CSU as Green Bay plays Horizon bottom feeders Youngstown State, Valparaiso and Detroit along with CSU and Wright State. The most likely scenario for the Vikings to catapult to the two seed would be to win out and see Green Bay also lose at Wright State. The Phoenix would then have to be upset by one of the other three. The best chance comes Thursday when Green Bay plays at Youngstown State, as the Penguins already proved to CSU fans what they are capable of at home as an underdog. YSU knocked off CSU 64-60 on January 23rd in what has become the Vikings only bad loss of the season. Throwing a wrench into the equation is the fact that CSU still must travel to first place Butler for the regular season finale.
The Vikings, however, have a much better chance to take over the third seed and it starts Thursday night with Milwaukee. With a win, the Vikings would be in a three-way tie for third place. The 3-6 seeds host first round tournament games in the Horizon League, but the three seed is important for two reasons. First, it matches up with the two seed in the semi-finals on the court of the top seed, meaning CSU would play Green Bay at Butler instead of matching up with the home school in the semi-finals. The second note of importance is the three seed has a good shot at hosting the championship. In the same scenario, if 3rd seeded CSU defeated 2nd seeded Green Bay in the semi-finals and top seeded Butler lost in the other semi-final match-up, the championship game would be played in Cleveland.
It may seem like a lot, but CSU stood 8-5 in the conference at this same time last year and went on to capture the 2nd seed and advance all the way to the conference finals.
The Vikings are led, as always, by J’Nathan Bullock. The 6-5 senior is averaging a career best 15.3 points to go along with a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game. Even with the marvelous play of Bullock, CSU has received a jolt from the return of sophomore D’Aundray Brown. The 6-4 Youngstown native missed a month with a stress fracture of the rib cage and the Vikings went 5-4 in his absence. Brown returned for two games in Chicago and responded by averaging 5 points and 10 rebounds per game in the two CSU victories.
Thanks to Brown’s contributions, the Vikings are back in the thick of things in the Horizon League. It may say mid-February on your calendar, but March madness starts this week for the Vikings.
Vikes Come From Behind To Beat UIC
February 7, 2009
By: Jay Pearlman
From that first night of the year when Cleveland State eked out a three-point home win over Greg Kampe's Oakland University Golden Grizzlies, films of CSU games have told opposition coaches one thing more than any other: play a tight, sluffing zone against the Vikings, and you'll have an excellent chance to win. No, pure man-to-man teams like Butler and Wright State don't do much of that-perhaps if Wright State had played some zone they'd have won at Wolstein last Saturday night. But with no such man-to-man mantra to protect, it wasn't exactly rocket science for veteran Illinois-Chicago Coach Jimmy Collins to play 40 minutes of 2-3 zone last night. And as is the case with virtually all zones, the success of Coach Collins' 2-3 last night was based on the decision as to which outside shooter or shooters to take away-a tight zone can't take them all away and also protect the inside. And that film Coach studied suggested taking away ("pointing to") the perimeter game of starting second guard Norris Cole and back-up second guard Trevon Harmon (both even more than J'Nathan Bullock), and letting CSU's other guards and forwards shoot threes under less pressure. A winning strategy most nights against the Vikings, but not this night.
Enter freshman guard Jeremy Montgomery. Coming into last night's game averaging 4 points in 15 minutes of playing time, Montgomery had been coming on of late for the Vikes, joining if not supplanting Trey Harmon in Coach Waters' rotation. Montgomery's 8 points on 3-4 shooting against Detroit a week ago (including 2-2 from the arc) earned him 25 minutes two nights later against Wright State, 13 more than hot-shooting Harmon, and his two last minute free throws iced the game for CSU. Now in his home town of Chicago and performing in front of friends and family, the Lincoln Park High School product told his coach before the game "I'm ready," and he surely was. And in a game that the Flames took over in the last three minutes of the first half, dominated for the first 7½ of the second, and led for 19:33 of that second stanza, Montgomery was the best player on the floor for either team, first keeping CSU in the game and then winning it for them. Montgomery finished with a personal high of 21 points, on an incredible 7-9 shooting, including 5-7 from the arc. He was so hot that even the UIC Flames couldn't touch him.
CSU had the game at its quick pace in the first half, with Norris Cole holding conference leading scorer Josh Mayo in check, and the lead by as many as 6. But a trey by UIC sophomore forward Tori Boyd (over D'Aundray Brown, back from injury) and two more by sharpshooting sophomore Robo Kreps (8th in the league in total treys and 8th since conference play started in three-point percentage at 41%) led a UIC rally to end the half, the Flames grabbing the lead from the Vikes at the break, 33-31. The hot-shooting rally continued into the second frame and two more Kreps treys and one more by Boyd mushroomed the lead to 11 at the first media timeout. Then for the final 16 minutes CSU clawed back, often extending its defense into UIC's backcourt, and using Bullock to help off of forward Jeremy Buttell to double UIC guards. But while CSU was effective in increasing the tempo, forcing turnovers and closing the gap, UIC's zone remained effective, and after two Kreps free throws UIC still led by 4 with 1:04 remaining.
Then Montgomery took over the offense, scoring on a gorgeous Mark Jackson teardrop from the lane with 46 seconds left (here in Cleveland we should start calling that a Norris Cole teardrop), cutting UIC's lead to 2. Then an aggressive Bullock double team of Kreps as he crossed midcourt on the left sideline-aggressive but without fouling-caused Kreps to lose control of his dribble and travel, returning the ball to the Vikes. And after crisp movement of the ball against UIC's zone, Cole passed to-who else this night-Montgomery at the arc on an angle from the right, and calmly Jeremy launched a trey that was good from the moment it left his hand. More good defense by CSU caused a turnover by UIC giant Scott Vandermeer, Bullock hit two free throws, Cole made Mayo's final shot a prayer, and the Vikes snuck out of the UIC Pavilion with a stirring 66-63 win. Hurry up before they change their mind!
Back from injury, D'Aundray Brown had as good as game as one could have with just 2 points, grabbing 10 boards in just 21 minutes, dishing 3 assists, and resuming his habit of seemingly coming up with every loose ball. Once again Norris Cole held Josh Mayo way under his average, this night to 10 on 3-8 shooting, and it's becoming a habit for Cole to keeps the opposition's best guard well below his usual shot total. Cole addd 12 points of his own this night (5-12, 2-6) 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and no turnovers. MVP candidate Bullock was human, scoring just 7 points and grabbing only 4 rebounds. But the star this Chicago night was Montgomery. And the Vikes are now 7-5 in conference, enjoying a non-travel off-day in Chicago before facing Loyola tomorrow afternoon.
CSU News and Notes:
* In the best game of the year so far in the Horizon, Wisconsin-Green Bay managed to hold off No. 11 Butler at home on Monday night, 75-66. That win went a long way toward solidifying the second seed for the 10-2 Phoenix, and the only team with a legitimate chance to catch them, 9-3 Milwaukee, visits frigid Green Bay for an 8 pm eastern tip tomorrow night. While still not the case mathematically, Green Bay's win over Butler basically served to eliminate Cleveland State from contention for the coveted second seed in the Horizon Tournament.
* And here's a surprise it took this writer way too long to learn about: the on-line Horizon League Network (HLN) is FREE! I signed up Monday evening to watch Butler-Green Bay, and on my computer screen I was treated to Green Bay's super television production of that game, with WACY's Ted Stefaniak and Dean Leisgang making it a fun couple of hours.
* In the middle of the Horizon pack, CSU drew Wichita State in the ESPNU Bracket Buster, a non-tv game to be played in Wichita at 3 pm eastern on Saturday February 21. In a much-anticipated matchup, first place Butler will play its Bracket Buster at Davidson.
* Fresh off a home loss to Detroit, Youngstown State joined CSU in winning in Chicago last night, besting Loyola 60-49. Prolific Kelvin Bright led all scorers with 16 on 5-8 shooting.
* Having drawn Northeastern at home in its Bracket Buster on the 21st, Wright State first gets to host Butler in its building tomorrow night at 7, a game this writer will attend.
* Cleveland State at Loyola tomorrow will be at 4 pm eastern, and once again televised on SportsTime Ohio.
Mieskoski's Weekly News and Notes
February 5, 2009
By: Tom Mieskoski
During Horizon League games Cleveland State men's basketball team has played like two completely different teams at home and on the road.
At home, the Vikings are tough to beat at 5-1 in Horizon League games, with their only loss coming to Butler on a game-winning shot by Zach Hahn at the buzzer.
On the road, the Vikings have struggled, going 1-4, with their only win coming at last-place Detroit.
Which makes this week's road trip to Chicago two must wins if CSU is going to have a chance to lock up a two-seed, or a three-seed, in next month's Horizon League Tournament.
Starting with tonight's game at Illinois-Chicago (8 p.m.) and Saturday's game at Loyola (4 p.m.), both games will be televised by SportsTime Ohio.
"I got to take this team on the road this week and use this as a stepping stone because the majority of the games are on the road," said Waters. "Our aspirations haven't changed because I knew before the season (started) to get to the NCAA's you need to win the tournament."
To win on the road, Waters said there are three things you have to do: defend without fouling; make your free throws and control the tempo of the game.
One problem, the Vikings have had on the road is getting off to slow starts. In their four losses, CSU has trailed early in the first half by 13,12,12 and 9. In CSU's only win at Detroit, the Vikings led by 14 at the half.
"We have put a major emphasize on counter-punching, " said Waters, "We got to go right at these guys immediately. A lot of it comes from we are not hitting shots. What was happening, we missed and teams would run right down our throats.
"What I might have to do is go inside more. I expect UIC to start off with a zone to make us shoot it."
One area, Waters says CSU needs to improve on is being more of a balance offensive attack rather then two guys carrying the scoring load.
The Vikings (15-8, 6-5 Horizon League) should get a boost from the presence of D'Aundray Brown who returns to the bench tonight after being out since Dec. 30 with a stress fracture of the ribcage.
Without Brown the Vikings went 5-4.
Waters said he will ease Brown back into the lineup and it could take about two weeks for him to get back into playing shape.
CSU should also get a boost off the bench from Renard Field, who has been recovering from a knee injury.
"We have been missing Renard for about a month," said Waters. "When he got hurt I thought that really set us back because we were limited to three post players. With Renard back we now have four.
"One thing that hurt us when Renard being out was that J'Nathan had to play major minutes. I think down the stretch J'Nathan didn't have enough to give us. Now he will have more to give us down the stretch."
To have a chance to win both games Waters said he needs George Tandy and Chris Moore to step up. "We are a better team when George Tandy comes to play. Now when we have both George Tandy and Chris Moore we are hard to handle," he said.
Who's hot:
Sophomore guard Norris Cole is averaging 20 points over his last four games, shooting 57.1 percent (32-for-56) from the field and 50 percent (8-for-16) from 3-point distance.
Quote of the week:
"We made a major mistake on that guy. It was just when I took over the job and he was very much under the radar. There is a long history dealing with him committing to another school. We let that go and maybe we shouldn't have.
"To Cleveland State's credit they got back in the mix and convinced him to come here. He's a great player. We are not the only one's who missed out on him. He could play for Dayton, too."
~Wright State head coach Brad Brownell on Norris Cole
CSU Drops in Mid-Major poll:
Despite, winning both of its home games last week, CSU dropped two places to No.25 in CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top 25.
RPI Update:
According to Realtime.rpi.com, CSU's RPI is 95. Only Butler (nine) and Green Bay (65) have higher RPI's. Overall, the Horizon League has the 11th best conference RPI in the country.
Anderson update:
CSU recruit Kevin Anderson (6-10, center) is averaging 8.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.6 blocks through five games at Technical Career Institutes (JUCO). Anderson is hurt again, according to Waters and should return shortly.
J'Nathan Bullock: Lessons Learned
December 7, 2008
By: Mark Adams
I go to practice early whenever I broadcast a game for ESPN/ESPNU because over the years I have found that while the practice itself is always enlightening, it is even better to see who arrives for practice early. I cannot tell you how many times the best players are the ones who show up early before practice to work on a specific aspect of their game.
J'Nathan Bullock is one such player who walked on the court at 1:15PM on Thursday, December 4th, 2008 before the scheduled 2:00PM shoot around in preparation for their game that evening with the defending Horizon League champions, the Butler Bulldogs. As is my custom is such settings I walked out and asked if he needed a rebounder. Every player loves a designated rebounder and I have found this to be a most enjoyable and most educational way to get to know the players I will be talking about during the broadcasts.
J'Nathan Bullock is from Flint, MI and I have recruited kids from Flint before. Many failed along the way as poverty and drugs led them to a life of crime. J’Nathan Bullock is not one of those kids. He is focused and driven to succeed. He appreciates his opportunity at Cleveland State and he is taking full advantage of that opportunity in multiple ways. Yes, he is getting a great education in Mechanical Engineering and yes he will get his degree in May as he only has 5 credits to go.
Bullock is also an accomplished all-around basketball player who combines strength with quickness to be a scoring threat from inside and out. In fact, that very combination was on stage with 5.6 seconds to go when CSU Head Coach Gary Watters put the game in Bullock's hands on the left side block. J’Nathan dribbled with his back to the basket as he wheeled toward the middle of the lane then dealed to the baseline for a nifty left handed finish off the glass for the Viking one point lead. He did it matter of factly and he did it fundamentally and he did it like a successful young man who has learned a few lessons along the way from mentors he cherishes.
His Dad is retired and his Mom is holding down a job at GM in Detroit. She now makes the trek to Detroit everyday since the Flint plants closed over the years. He obviously values and admires their hard work. But, there is also another strong parental influence in his life, Gary Waters!
Waters can literally show you the book where he put together the plan to take Cleveland State from worst to first. He flipped from 21 losses to 21 wins over the last two seasons at CSU and now his Vikings led by J'Nathan Bullock are picked as the pre-season favorites in the Horizon League. Waters has a recruiting plan designed for success for the long term. Gary Waters is not interested in a short term/short cut approach. He learned from a stint at Rutgers in the Big East that the minute you start responding to the pressures to just win the results both on and off the court might bring immediate gratification but it is fleeting and temporary.
Waters has literally taught his team that there are three characteristics that a successful program must have to find success. . . a vision, a plan and quality people. Waters personally taught a class to his team based on that premise in 2006-07. He used John Wooden's Pyramid of Success as the textbook for the class. CSU players are literally taught what it takes to become more than a winner, but how to be successful both on the court and in life. Every player has been challenged to build their own pyramid.
J'Nathan Bullock’s pyramid was succinctly and clearly stated to me when I asked him what he had learned from Waters' course on success. “The little things count, take it step by step, and it is about much more than basketball, it’s about life.” he answered.
With 5.6 seconds to go and the game on the line J'Nathan Bullock delivered the go-ahead basket for his team because he did the little things, he took that possession and that read from that low block scoring opportunity step by step but Butler had one more chance.
The ball was inbounded to Gordon Hayward the 6-8 freshman who is soon to be the next great one for the Butler Bulldogs. At 6-8 he can see over defenders, even the full court defenders of the Cleveland State Vikings did not obstruct his full court vision. Hayward found an open Zach Hahn on the left hand wing. Hahn head-faked the Butler way as a Viking defender bought it hook, line and sinker. Hahn buried the game winner at the buzzer. Butler had won on the pre-season favorite’s floor 50-48.
As Michael Reghi called the shot only as he can, I looked at J'Nathan Bullock. Bullock was obviously disappointed but he re-grouped and shook the opponent’s hands. I thought back to his third lesson learned from Gary Watters, “It’s about much more than basketball. It’s about life!”
Lesson learned, the little things count, time for the next step by step process to improvement for Bullock and Cleveland State.
Mark Adams is a college basketball analyst on the ESPN family of networks.
Men's Basketball Play-By-Play Announcer Gears Up For Another Season
November 18, 2008
By: Robert Ivory
Every team has an individual that the fans can recognize as their voice because their announcer paints the vivid picture of their team in action. Cleveland State is no different as Al Pawlowski has been the radio voice of the Vikings for the past three years at CSU.
With the announcement coming last week that all CSU men's basketball games will be carried live by WHKW, 1220 AM The Word, the 50,000 watt station will be more accessible for Viking fans in the Greater Cleveland area.
When Pawlowski is not calling the playby- play of the Vikings, he is the host of the Cleveland Indians pre and post game shows on Sports Time Ohio, as well as the anchor for in-game updates. He is also a freelance sports reporter for WKYC Channel 3 locally and also freelances for Comcast and ESPN, as well as calling local high school football games.
While Al had some off time after the Indians and before the Vikings season, The Cauldron was lucky enough to sit down and talk with him:
The Cauldron (TC): Do you think that men's head coach Gary Waters and women's head coach Kate Peterson-Abiad have changed the culture at CSU?
Al Pawlowski (AP): I think that they already have. It's on the way. What Gary has been able to do with his team (from seeing them up close), the kind of kids he gets and the commitment he gets from them not only being good basketball players, but good students, good citizens and good representatives of the University and the city of Cleveland. Gary is the type of guy who has a vision and he gets his kids to believe in what his vision is for them and they are all on board. That's a huge reason for the success.
TC: Will J'Nathan Bullock and Kailey Klein both win the Horizon League Player of the Year Awards?
AP: They both have a good shot. I have always been impressed with Kailey Klein. I have seen every game Bullock has played since we both came to the program at the same time; his freshmen year was my first year. The Horizon League is a tough league and it's got some real nice looking players this year, but J'Nathan and Cedric Jackson are definitely two tops in the league.
TC: Did broadcasting come naturally to you?
AP: Yes, ever since I was a little kid I would sit in front of the TV and do it. It is one of the things I've always wanted to do. It has been something that has come easy, it comes naturally. Everybody has their calling in life and this is definitely mine and I love doing it.
TC: You definitely have the voice for it, do people tell you that?
AP: Yes they do actually. That's one of the gifts God gave me, was a good voice and it happens to match up with my interest, and so it was perfect.
TC: Who will be the Vikings' toughest opponent this year?
AP: Their conference is always tough. Butler and Wright State will be good. And University of Illinois-Chicago with Josh Mayo will be good, Green Bay is going to be good, too, and Detroit had a good recruiting class. The conference is going to be tough, but the toughest is going to be non-conference games. Kansas State is going to be tough in Cleveland. Playing on the away floors of all these majors; going to Washington, to Syracuse, to West Virginia. The non-conference schedule is the toughest I can remember that Cleveland State has played in the past 20 plus years.
TC: How has Gary Waters changed the way teams play Cleveland State?
AP: The teams know that if you play Cleveland State it can help your RPI, but in the past if you beat them it didn't help your RPI. Now, if you can beat Cleveland State it is a quality win. This year we have big schools on the schedule, but they also play good quality mid-major schools.
TC: What will be the Cleveland Indians' best off-season move?
AP: They need help in several areas, but the good news is that I don't see big glaring needs since they showed the second half of last season that they can compete in the Central Division. They could use another bullpen arm with closing experience, but I really like Jensen Lewis. I like the idea of going out there and getting someone with the experience, but if we can't, I think Lewis is ready to take that job despite him being young. He's got that bulldog mindset, nothing scares him and he embraces the job like he wants it. I also think we need another solid, reliable bat in the lineup, someone that will bat .290 to .300, 20 homers, with 90 to 100 RBI's.
TC: What were your thoughts on Viking Madness?
AP: I thought it was great. It was a good thing to get the school involved and a way to introduce everybody. I would love to see more students at the games; we started to see more come at the end of last year. Big time basketball could be a big hit in Cleveland since Cleveland State is the only Division I school in the town.
TC: Ok Al, you graduated from John Carroll, so who do you root for when the Vikings and the Blue Streaks meet?
AP: I root for John Carroll every other time, except when they play the Vikings. I consider myself a Cleveland State guy now.
2,078?
November 16, 2008
By: Ryan Aroney
The Cleveland State Vikings opened their much anticipated '08-'09 basketball season Saturday with a come-from-behind 58-55 victory over Summit League contender Oakland.
CSU had a miserable shooting first half and didn't get the normal contributions from all-league players J'Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson, yet the Vikings were able to claw back into the game behind gritty defense and clutch shooting. The game was eventually won behind the play of two sophomores in Norris Cole and D'Aundray Brown.
Oakland did a great job of taking Bullock out of his offensive rhythm by dropping its zone into constant double and triple teams into the lap of the 6-5 forward. Bullock fought through the frustrating night by putting up a workman-like 11 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Cedric Jackson also had a tough go at it on the offensive end, struggling through a 3-of-14 shooting night. Despite the poor shooting, Jackson still had a major impact on the game for the Vikings with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in 29 minutes.
With 5:14 remaining and CSU trailing by one, Jackson left with leg cramps and turned the offense over to Cole. The sophomore looked poised under pressure and eventually nailed a jumper to give CSU its first lead of the game at 55-53. The Vikings never trailed again. Fellow sophomore Brown scored ten of his 15 points in the second half to help bring CSU back from deficits of 12 and 10.
Saturday's exciting season opener was played at the Wolstein Center in front of 2,078 fans.
You read that right.
Just over 2,000 people came out to watch a Vikings team that is the favorite to win the Horizon League and advance to the school's first NCAA tournament since 1986, the same hard-nosed and blue collar team that improved from 20 losses to 21 wins and an NIT birth a year ago.
What gives Cleveland? I'm a Cleveland sports fan since birth and I know quite a lot of people similar to myself. One thing I know is Cleveland is starved for a winner. Not only a winner, but a winner that embodies the qualities of this great city, a winner with players that care and play hard and represent the name on the front of their jersey with the same pride that we take in cheering those jerseys on.
The Cleveland State Vikings are exactly that. There is a reason the Vikings don't have names on the back of their jerseys. These kids leave everything they have on the floor for their team.
Where else in Cleveland sports can you find this? The Vikings have a proven winner as head coach, a roster with players from across the county that chose to live in Cleveland and local players that bring their pride for Cleveland with them to the arena every time they take the court. This roster also features star players that care about winning more than improving their stats and complimentary players that accept their roles without complaint, all whom play hard through the final whistle without quitting.
The Browns and the Indians each struggle to match many of these characteristics.
The Cavaliers are playing superb basketball during their current seven game winning streak, and I was sure to rush home after the CSU game to watch the Mo Williams-led excitement on my DVR, but the Cavs don't offer eight dollar tickets or buy-one-get-one deals or dollar hotdogs. And Saturday's opponent offered Carlos Boozer as a perfect example of everything that's wrong with professional sports.
Plain and simple, the Cleveland State Vikings are the closest of any of the Cleveland sports teams to actually representing the fans, and they do it at half the cost and double the excitement.
The next chance to watch this team is next Saturday at 7 p.m. (after Ohio State-Michigan at noon) against a Kansas State team that played in the NCAA tournament a season ago.
Here's to hoping the fans of Cleveland do themselves a favor and come out to watch the effort.
Catching Up With: Shawn Hood
October 15, 2008
A native of Boston, MA, Shawn Hood came to Cleveland State in the mid 80’s and helped transform little known CSU into the NCAA tournament’s first Cinderella. After completing his playing career in 1987, Hood stayed on at CSU as an assistant coach through the 1994 season before being inducted into the CSU hall of fame in 2000. After coaching stints at Wisconsin under Dick Bennett and in the high school ranks in Northeast Ohio, Hood has returned to his alma mater this season as an assistant with the defending Horizon League champion womens team.
Ryan Aroney had a chance to catch up with Hood to hear his thoughts on returning to Cleveland State.
Ryan Aroney: How does it feel to be back on campus at Cleveland State after so long?
Shawn Hood: It feels like I’m back home. This is my alma mater and my wife’s alma mater. My wife is from Cleveland and she has a lot of family and friends here. My former teammates are here. Folks at the university, professors and administrators, have welcomed me as if I never left. It’s been wonderful.
RA: What is your role on coach Peterson Abiad’s staff and what do you hope to bring to the team?
SH: I hope that I can contribute in all aspects of the program. Coach Peterson Abiad brought me in to specifically work with the team aspect. I hope to make us better as a team while improving each individual player. I’ll work with scouting, game preparation and practice preparation in order to help do that.
RA: What kinds of adjustments do you think you’ll have to make, if any, from coaching the men’s game to the women’s?
SH: (Laughs) It’s going to be a process. I still feel that I have things to learn about the differences between the men’s game and the women’s game. There are differences in every area, from recruiting, to scouting, to day-to-day operations. I’m learning from one of the best coaches around in coach Peterson Abiad. I’m really thankful that even with my experience, after being to the final four and the final 16 and working for great coaches in Kevin Mackey and Dick Bennett, I’m still learning from coach Peterson Abiad and I’m really thankful for that.
RA: As a guard, are you excited to have the opportunity to work with a talented group of guards, including all-Horizon League Kailey Klein?
SH: I am. We have a great combination of upperclassmen and freshman that are really talented that bring an array of different skills, so I am really exciting. I’m also really excited about the forwards that we have, both the upper class and the freshman. Coach P and coach (Angie) Russell did a great job of bringing in great talent at all positions and I hope I can contribute.
RA: During your CSU career you won two conference championships and made the post season three times, including the famous sweet 16 team of 1986. What are your favorite memories from that magical run, now more than twenty years ago?
SH: One of the things that I take greatest pride in is how we turned it around so quickly. We were coming into a program that had only won 8 games. The amount of games that we won relative to the amount that they had won in the past is my greatest sense of pride.
The specific memories start with the day we found out we were in the NCAA tournament on the third floor of Woodling Gym with all the media there and watching selection Sunday and learning that we had made it to play Indiana. That’s one of my fondest specific memories.
Also, going to Chicago and playing at DePaul in that same year and beating them by 15 points and really dominating the game. We learned that we were as good as we thought we were. That was a stamp of confirmation for us. We had lost at Ohio State that year and Michigan beat us pretty good at Michigan. That was our last chance to prove that we could play with the big time and we did it pretty good.
RA: You guys set a school record for victories with 29 and other than those two losses that you mentioned, your other regular season loss was to a Southwest Missouri State team that won 24 games and advanced to the third round of the NIT. After that loss you bounced back to win 14 straight games from January into the sweet 16. How far did you think you could go in the tournament?
SH: After we found out we were going to play Indiana we felt right away that we could beat them. It wasn’t until years later, honestly, that many of my teammates and I realized that people thought that it was impossible for us to win that game. We never doubted it at all. I can only imagine what it was like for the media to interview us after that game. We were so confident. We thought we could win two or three easily.
The game that we had our eyes set on was Duke with (Tommy) Amaker, (Jay) Bilis and (Johnny) Dawkins. (Danny) Ferry was a freshman on that team too. We actually had gone to see them practice the day before we played Navy. I honestly believe that going to that practice hurt us a little bit because it was at that time that we felt that we could play with Duke but we forgot one thing. We had to beat Navy first and Navy was better than we thought.
If I had to be critical of anything that coach Mackey and his staff did as basketball coaches, I would have to say that I don’t know if they prepared us for how good Navy was. They were good, they had good players, they were a very underrated basketball team.
RA: Did you go into the game focused only on David Robinson and the other guys stepped up to hurt you?
SH: Absolutely. Obviously the Admiral was great and we knew that. We had watched what he did to Syracuse in the first round when we were sitting courtside. It was how good those other guys were that caught us by surprise. They were really good and they played a great game, yet we still had a chance to win at the end and felt like we had the game won and got some unfortunately calls that could have gone the other way (laughs).
RA: Well I have to bring it up. How do you feel about the controversial call at the end? Was it a foul or a jump ball?
(With CSU winning 70-69 with 13 seconds remaining, CSU’s Paul Stewart pulled down the rebound off a David Robinson miss and was tied up by a Navy player. With the possession arrow favoring Navy, the Midshipmen were awarded possession and eventually scored on a Robison put-back to win the game 71-70.)
SH: I definitely felt it was a foul and in fact I felt like their only recourse was to foul. That was the only thing they could do with the amount of time left in the game. Paul Stewart was a big strong guy and I don’t believe they thought they could take it from him. I thought they fouled him and I thought they purposely fouled him.
It didn’t seem like the referees were going to let these inner-city guys that coach Mackey was bragging about, probably too much, beat the Naval Academy.
RA: Do you think those things, being from the inner-city, coach Mackey bragging you up and the style of play, helped make you such a tough team to beat?
SH: Clearly who we were as individuals made all the difference in the world. I don’t know if there is anybody better at assembling the right group of guys than coach Mackey. I remember he said to me when I was starting my coaching career, “Beware of those guys that look good but play bad. If you can find those guys that look bad but play good, you will have great success as a coach in college basketball.”
He did as good a job of that as anybody I’ve ever been around and I like to think that it’s helped me. The only other situation that even comes close to that in my mind is what Gary Waters is doing right now over there in the men’s office. I’m just really impressed with him and his staff.
RA: CSU followed up the sweet 16 appearance with back-to-back NIT appearances and had a couple of epic match-ups with Illinois State in front of packed houses at public hall. You were a player for the first NIT appearance and a coach for the return trip. What do you remember about those games and the atmosphere at public hall?
SH: Most people don’t realize that the final 16 team had such a strong foundation that we could lose five guys off that team and still win 25 games and that’s just remarkable. We lost Clinton Smith who was a senior, Bob Crawford was a senior, Steve Corbin was a senior, Eric Mudd got injured and of course Paul Stewart passed away. Five major players off that team we lost and yet we still won and that’s an attribute to the foundation that we formed.
We beat Chattanooga to come back home to host a great Illinois State team. I was actually hurt for the last five games of my senior season so it was a great run and great NIT memories but unfortunately I wasn’t playing. I would like to think that I could have made some small difference.
The second year I was coaching on the bench with what I think is the all-time most talented Cleveland State team, at least within my era. You had (William) Tomlin, Mouse McFadden, Kenny Robertson, Herb Dixon, Ray Foster, Bryant Parker, Warren Bradley, Steve Malloy, William Stanley, Desmond Porter, Eric Mudd. Hersey Strong was on that team as well.
That team probably had too much talent, if you will, because they didn’t have great chemistry and they still won 22 games. They probably could have won 25 or 26 games, they were that talented. I remember the great crowd at Public Hall and it was another close game with Illinois State who was good again that year.
I think that within the next two years coach Waters is putting together a team that is as close to as talented as that one, so that’s exciting.
RA: You mentioned some lessons that you took from coach Mackey when you first got started. What did you learn from that team and that situation with a talented team that needed to work on chemistry?
SH: I don’t think that enough emphasis was made on team chemistry. I think that perhaps coach Mackey thought that the talent alone could get it done. I say “get it done” and they won 22 games (laughs) but I think they could have been better. Maybe, and coach Mackey admits this, he should have pulled a couple of guys out and red-shirted them.
That’s why I think that coach Waters has a great situation because he has a great combination of guys that are eligible this year and guys that will be eligible next year. But it’s hard to have too many guys.
Coach Mackey promised each of those guys a chance to play, and that wasn’t done in deception. In coach Mackey’s mind, each of them would play significant minutes. And they did, but it hurt the team and the chemistry. That’s when I learned that maybe you can have too much talent. Even though I learned that from watching that team, I don’t think that’s one thing that Kevin Mackey would ever admit (laughs). For him, you can never have too much talent.
RA: How often are you in touch with Mackey?
SH: We talk all the time. He’s working for Larry Bird now and we talk all the time. I just love it. When I was making the decision on whether to do this or not, he was one of the main people, besides my wife, that I confided in. It’s a great little story. I called him to ask him what I should do and it was the day of the draft. I was so consumed with my thoughts and my situation that I just completely forgot. He took my call and he had an argument for both sides and he gave good insight but he was distracted.
The next morning he called me back and said, “I’m sorry yesterday we were going into the war room. We had some important business going on.”
(Laughing) So I apologized for calling him at that time but he said, “I thought about you all night and I needed to call you back and give you better advice.”
So of course he supported me doing this and if I wanted to coach college basketball again, he felt like I needed to be at a level that suited my talents, so his advice was for me to take this job.
RA: After you left CSU you joined the Wisconsin staff under Dick Bennett who is known for his half-court defense. What was it like to be a part of a staff that taught a totally different style than the full-court run and stun style that you were a part of as a player?
SH: Its full-court defense vs. half-court defense and increasing possessions vs. decreasing possessions. Two pretty opposite philosophies and just an incredible learning experience for one guy. You want to talk about blessed? To be able to work for two of the best guys to ever be in the game who had completely opposite philosophies is just beyond belief. I can easily talk up-tempo basketball with full-court pressure and increasing possessions as well as shortening the game, getting back and packing and really controlling the tempo. What it has done is allow me to understand all the little important things of both styles in order to combine the two and I guess understand a style that would be the best of both worlds.
RA: You were on the staff at Wisconsin during a major turn-around for the program that cultivated with a trip to the final four in 2000 as an 8 seed. Did you see similarities while at Wisconsin to your career at CSU?
SH: There are some distinct similarities between what we did here under coach Mackey and what our staff under coach Bennett was able to do at Wisconsin. The one major obstacle that was overcome by both programs was bringing in a large class. It was a group of kids that had enough skill and toughness and size that you could mold and it would impact your program fairly immediately. When you look around at new coaches coming into losing programs, I think that’s one variable that will be consistent. Those coaches will usually move out some of the losing attitude and bring in a bulk of winning attitude and inevitably that group will move your program forward. I just don’t think there’s any other way of doing it. We certainly did that here at Cleveland State and coach Bennett and our staff did that at Wisconsin.
There are also some little specific things that had to be done. You have to get the kids to believe in what you’re doing. You can be the best coach in the world but if the kids don’t believe in it, it won’t reach its potential. When I was here at Cleveland State, if you were to interview us, we all would be consistent in saying that you had to work hard to play against our pressure defense and we were going to push the ball down the floor and score easy baskets. If you asked the kids at Wisconsin, they would say they were going to get back and keep you in front of them and you were going to have a hard time scoring on them in the half court and offensively they were not going to turn the ball over and they would not beat themselves and they would get a good shot every time down the floor. Every kid in those programs believed in what we were doing and they went out and executed.
RA: While you were in Wisconsin, current CSU coach Kate Peterson Abiad was an assistant with the women. What type of working relationship did the two staffs have at Wisconsin and did that play a role in bringing you back to CSU?
SH: I’m here because of Kate Peterson Abiad, there’s no question about that. I did not have to do this. I was perfectly happy coaching high school basketball. I was having a blast with people out in Lorain who respected my experience and listened to me and leaned on me and it was really rewarding for me. But Kate being the recruiter that she is, she convinced me that it was time for me to move on with my gifts and to bring them back to Cleveland State. We had a good relationship at Wisconsin, we talked all the time. They were good and we were good and it was a wonderful relationship. I trust Kate and I believe in her abilities as a basketball coach. Again, I’m learning so much from her and I know that I made the right decision.
RA: You are the all-time leader at CSU in assist-to-turnover ratio, 4th in steals, and 7th in assists, and you started all 30 games as a freshman which still ranks tops all-time for a first year player. Fittingly, you were inducted into the CSU hall of fame in 2000. What do all of these accomplishments mean to you?
SH: Honestly, when I was playing here, I never felt like I would have any records or accolades that would hold up for years to come. The only vision that ever made a difference to me was winning. There was nothing that I wouldn’t do as a point guard on the court to win basketball games. All of those individual accolades were really just a byproduct of my desire to win. It’s kind of cool to say that I’m the all-time assist-to-turnover guy, and 4th in steals or whatever it is. But I wasn’t really a steal guy. I just played tough defense and my steals were just a byproduct of our team’s efforts and I just reaped the benefits of what they did in front of me.
I played with some really good basketball players. We were better basketball players than most people remember. We have the label of being a real athletic team when in actuality our athleticism was just a little above average. What we had were good basketball players and so the fact that I had a ton of assists has everything to do with my teammates being really good.
RA: How do you want to be remembered by the fans of CSU?
SH: I really hope that my memories have only something to do with my playing days and a lot more to do with me coaching here. I don’t know that you can find anyone out there who has more of a sense of pride for this university and this athletic program than I do. As a player I want to be remembered as a guy that cared about winning basketball games and was as a servant for his team. As a coach, I want to be remembered as a guy who would do whatever it took to help the program move forward.
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