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Bracketology – Charlie Creme

Here’s Charlie’s latest projection through games as of Feb. 21.  Scroll over a team name for more analysis. Records reflect Division I competition only.

Automatic bids are in CAPS.

This is the absolute best time of the year for talking basketball with everyone.

Bids by Conference is going to make some people edgy…

  • Big 12 (8)
  • ACC (7)
  • Big East (7)
  • SEC (6)
  • Big Ten (3)
  • Atlantic 10 (3)
  • Pac-10 (3)
  • America East (2)
  • Sun Belt (2)
  • Colonial (2)

I love the ACC, was part of it for 4 years.  It is arguably one of the Top 2 Conferences in the country year after year… but, 7 bids is high!  I say 5.  UNC and Maryland are all questions and NC State is on the cusp.  Each of those teams are currently 5-7 or 6-6 in the ACC.  If you allow all of them in, how then do you say no to Wake Forest and maybe Boston College?  Both are either 5-7 or 6-6 and Wake Forest is a head of UNC and Maryland in the ACC standings.  don’t go to the RPI and Strength of Schedule… it’s all comparable.

Why not give the Atlantic 10, Colonial or Mountain West a 4th, 3rd or 2nd team in, respectively.   Maybe give one or two of the MAAC, MAC, America East or Missouri Valley and 2nd team in.

Everyone screams for more parity in Women’s Basketball.  You can’t have parity if the Top 5 Conferences hold 31 of the 64 spots in the NCAA tournament every year.  Those coaches will never be able to consistently convince (recruit) top prospects to play in conferences where only one team goes to the NCAA’s year in and year out.

We’ll see…

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Posted 2 weeks ago at 3:58 PM.

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Early Women’s Bracketology

From ESPN.com
CremeBy Charlie Creme
Special to ESPN.com

Although the ink on most of those first-semester final exams isn’t even dry yet and, for the most part, conference play hasn’t even begun, some truths about this season appear to be self-evident. A few are laid out here, but the unknowns always outnumber the knowns at this point in any season. So let this serve as something of a checkpoint on the journey to Selection Monday and then to San Antonio.

The No. 1 seeds

We know Connecticut and Stanford will be No. 1 seeds come March 15th. Only an act of God (global warming melting all the snow at once and turning Storrs into a cross between Atlantis and Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld”) or at least Santa showing up at your house next week (don’t let the kids read this) will prevent the Huskies from being the top seed in Dayton.

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Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:48 PM.

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Self-Promoting: Right or Wrong?

One of the greatest dilemmas in the coaching profession, especially for a young assistant, is self-promoting and getting noticed.  Being able to make a name for your self and advancing in the profession is part of every coaches driving force.

If you are not in one of the coaching “Family Trees”… Calipari, Summitt, Pitino, Auriemma, Knight, VanDerveer, Krzyzewski, Stringer, Calhoun, etc… How do you get noticed to even get a call back, let alone an interview for the next opportunity?  The same can be said of the first time head coach once they get there, how do they get noticed at a non-BCS school?  it’s almost a never-ending cycle.  Unless you set your mind right and keep it right, even after you have some success, it can be a never-ending struggle.  Give your head coach complete trust and loyalty – unconditionally.  Trust your head coach’s loyalty back to you, their respect to your development and the continuation of our profession.

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Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 6:20 AM.

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Top 5 NCAA Players by Position

from ESPN, provided by Mark Thomas

Point guard Shooting guard Small forward Power forward Center
Danielle Robinson
Oklahoma

5-9, junior

robinson

Probably as quick with the ball as anyone in the women’s college game.
– Mechelle Voepel

Monica Wright
Virginia

5-11, senior

wright

Long overshadowed in ACC but was league’s top ‘08-09 scorer.
– Melanie Jackson

Maya Moore
Connecticut

6-0, junior

moore

No player in college right now makes difficult things look easier.
– Mechelle Voepel

Amber Harris
Xavier

6-5, junior

harris

Ready to re-establish herself as one of game’s most versatile bigs.
– Charlie Creme

Jayne Appel
Stanford

6-4, senior

appel

One of a kind; seamlessly blends imposing size and intricate skill.
– Graham Hays

Cetera DeGraffenreid
North Carolina
5-6, junior
Alexis Gray-Lawson
California
5-8, senior
Alysha Clark
Middle Tennessee
5-10, senior
Heather Bowman
Gonzaga
6-2, senior
Tina Charles
Connecticut
6-4 senior
Samantha Prahalis
Ohio State
5-7, sophomore
Tiffany Hayes
Connecticut
5-10, sophomore
Danielle McCray
Kansas
5-11, senior
Kelsey Griffin
Nebraska
6-2, senior
Jantel Lavender
Ohio State
6-4, junior
Andrea Riley
Oklahoma St.
5-5, senior
Allison Hightower
LSU
5-10, senior
Kayla Pedersen
Stanford
6-4, junior
Ify Ibekwe
Arizona
6-2, junior
Ta’Shia Phillips
Xavier
6-6, junior
Courtney Vandersloot
Gonzaga
5-8, junior
Jeanette Pohlen
Stanford
6-0, junior
Shekinna Stricklen
Tennessee
6-2, sophomore
Jacinta Monroe
Florida State
6-5, senior
Carolyn Swords
Boston College
6-6, junior

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Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 7:30 AM.

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2010 Women’s Basketball Signing Day

It’s here!  Fall Signing Day for the 2010 Women’s Basketball Recruiting Class!  Seems like the 2010 Class was done so long ago.  Most schools have had the 2010 class completed for over a year and have been working away on the 2011 and 2012 classes.  Once you get ahead… stay ahead!

Many think this is not as strong a class as some in the past.  True, there may not be a plethora of studs… but there are many, many good players that will help teams across the country.

The formula I used is not that scientific.

ABR Top Ten Formula: Assigned point values for each prospect signed, added by total number of signees, then divide out the number for an average so the smaller classes aren’t over-looked.  In the event of a tie – I let them be ties.

A great job of recruiting, evaluating and signing by this group of coaches, their staff’s and of course the players on each of the teams who hosted these prospects on their visits.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

Here it is, my final rankings for the 2010 Women’s Basketball Recruiting Class:

ABR WBB TOP 10

*Each TEAM name links to the school’s release on their class (if available).

1. DUKE: (5)                                                                                        ABR:  44 / 8.8

2T. CONNECTICUT: (5)                                                                  ABR:  43 / 8.6

2T. MARYLAND: (5)                                                                       ABR:  43 / 8.6

4T. GEORGIA: (2)                                                                               ABR:  17 / 8.5

*Khaalidah Miller (verbal) is not yet listed as signed.  Her #10 ranking will move Georgia to the #2 overall class:  ABR: 26/8.67.

4T. STANFORD: (2)                                                                         ABR:  17 / 8.5

6T. LOUISVILLE: (5)                                                                     ABR:  40 / 8.0

6T. PENN STATE: (2)                                                                     ABR:  16 / 8.0

*Ariel Edwards (verbal) is not yet listed as signed.  Her #11 ranking will not change PSU’s overall ranking.  ABR:  24/8.0

8. FLORIDA STATE: (4)                                                               ABR:  30 / 7.5

9. BOSTON COLLEGE: (4)                                                          ABR:  26 / 6.5

10. OKLAHOMA: (5)                                                                     ABR:  26 / 5.2

For a PRINTABLE VERSION: CLICK HERE



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Posted 3 months, 4 weeks ago at 11:09 AM.

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