We'll learn a lot in the first two weeks

[ACE]

It's not RM's style to overstate a player's ability as he did with JB. Wonder when we're going to see JB fulfill those expectations.

Just to be clear, RM said that before JB's career was over he could be an all-conference caliber player. Considering JB scored 13 ppg as a freshman, that doesn't seem like an unreasonable expectation. He didn't say he would step in immediately and be an all-conference player. He has three more seasons to go. Just wanted to clarify that, so some of the spin doctors don't try to twist what RM actually said.

[MB73]

Tonight. Tennessee State.

They have all 5 starters back and have added 2 D1 transfer bigs. Will they give us a good game? It seems like they will be very competitive.

It feels like a 68-61 SLU win.

Serious opinions?

COACH AND PROGRAM

It hasn't taken Tennessee State coach John Cooper very long to assemble a team that could make a run at the OVC championship.

Cooper got his first head-coaching job with the Tigers in 2009-10 after spending 15 years as an assistant starting at Fayetteville State and continuing at South Carolina, Oregon and Auburn.

His first TSU team finished 9-23, and last year the Tigers improved with a 14-win season, 8-1 home record in OVC games, and fifth-place finish in the league's regular season -- all that while having three Division I players sitting out under NCAA transfer rules and another highly touted freshman redshirted.

PLAYERS

Now, those guys who were sitting out are ready, and all five starters return from the 2010-11 team.

Tennessee State Tigers

Last Season

14-16 (.467)

Conference Record

10-8 (5th)

Starters Lost/Returning

0/5

Coach

John Cooper (Wichita State '91)

Record At School

23-39 (2 years)

Career Record

23-39 (2 years)

RPI Last 5 years

260-219-269-260-237

"I think we're certainly one of those teams with our size and our depth and with the guys we had sitting out & there are probably going to be some people mention us as a team that could possibly compete for the league title," Cooper said.

Those newcomers will have to fight for starting jobs, but playing time should be spread out. Cooper has only 11 scholarship players and plans on using all of them.

"If I had to tell you who was going to start, I couldn't tell you," Cooper said, "but what I could tell you is that we're going to be 10 or 11 deep, and we're going to play those guys."

The Tigers feature perhaps the most imposing frontcourt in the league, led by 6-9, 210-pound junior forward Robert Covington (13.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg), who starts at small forward and gives opponents huge matchup problems.

It wasn't long before Covington moved into a starting job as a freshman, when he averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and was chosen to CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Freshman All-America team.

Covington led the OVC in three-point percentage last season (.460) when he hit 40-of-87, and was third in rebounding.

"He's long, a 6-8 kid who can really shoot the ball," Cooper said. "He's just gotten better. He was runner-up for freshman of the year his freshman year. He's another kid who's out of Chicago. He's put on weight since his freshman year. He got stronger last year. We're expecting really good things. You're talking about a kid that's right at [6-9], who's extremely long, and can shoot the basketball. It's a pretty decent skills package to have, rebounds the ball pretty well for us too."

Covington was chosen to the All-OVC second team along with 6-7, 220-pound senior power forward Kenny Moore (14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), the team's leading scorer in 2010-11.

Moore came to the Tigers from Midland (Texas) College last season and started all but one game.

"Kenny came in from Midland, was a third-year JUCO guy, and really shot the ball well early in the year, and he was right there in leading us in rebounding," Cooper said. "He still has some strides to make, and we want to send him out the right way. I think we need to get him locked in more on the defensive end. I also think part of that, with increased depth, that will help us. We were in a situation last year where we couldn't afford to get into foul trouble, and that hindered us defensively."

Starting at low post last season was 6-9, 210-pound sophomore Michael Green (4.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg), who was thrust into early action as a true freshman.

Green was second in the OVC in blocked shots (1.7 bpg) with 52 in 30 games.

"Mike Green was not ready from a body standpoint at all. Mike was 6-9, probably 195 last year, but that's where we were in our program," Cooper said. "If you look at a couple of guys, Rob Covington probably wasn't body ready, but they came in and played early and it enhanced their growth. & We're excited that he's been there and he knows what to expect. He's still got to get bigger and stronger."

Two Division I transfers -- 6-7, 240-pound junior Kellen Thornton (Illinois State) and 6-11, 250-pound center Bawa Muniru (Indiana) will compete for starting jobs or at least playing time in the frontcourt.

Thornton averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 12.8 minutes two years ago at Illinois State. He played high school ball at Chicago's Brewster Academy.

"I think [Thornton] quite possibly is our most talented player with his back to the basket, but he has the ability to face up, the ability to step out and shoot the three, he's a good athlete, and he's a good player," Cooper said. "You're talking about a kid if potentially he puts it all together can be as good as he wants to be in our league."

Muniru, a native of Tuma, Ghana, wasn't much of a factor at Indiana two seasons ago. He played in 19 games and averaged 0.6 points, 0.7 rebounds, and three minutes per game.

Cooper recruited Muniru when he was a senior at Madison (Ala.) Academy and averaged 16.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks. Muniru then went to Mt. Zion (N.C.) Academy, averaged 16 points, and was the No. 14-rated center in the nation by Rivals.com in 2009. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

"Bawa's long, runs the court really well, just a solid skills package from an offensive skills standpoint," Cooper said. "He brings us size and a presence in the paint. We haven't had that size in the paint. He's a terrific young man."

Malcolm Rhett, a freshman from Hopkins, S.C., was redshirted last season.

"[Rhett] came in 210 [pounds], now is 6-9, 235 pounds and is our most athletic post player," Cooper said. "He's a lefty and has a tremendous upside. We're excited about his upside. His father, Joe Rhett, played at the University of South Carolina. He was a kid who actually was recruited by South Carolina. It just worked out well for us."

Chris Conner, a 6-4, 210-pound junior walk-on forward, will supply depth at either forward spot. Conner (2.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg), a former standout at Knoxville (Tenn.) Powell High School, played in 29 games last season and averaged 12.1 minutes.

In the backcourt, the Tigers return 6-1 point Wil Peters (10.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 tpg) and 6-0 starting shooting guard Patrick Miller. (11.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 tpg).

Both started all 30 games last season and averaged more than 34 minutes per game.

Miller, who came to TSU from Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, was chosen to the All-OVC newcomer team and was the league's freshman of the Year. He was the Catholic League's Player of the Year as a senior in high school in Chicago.

"One of the things from Pat that has helped him was that he was body ready [when he got to TSU]," Cooper said. "It wasn't a sense of him having to adjust his body and get stronger. He's strong enough right now, and that helped him and he played well, he got to the free-throw line a ton of times. He didn't shoot the ball as well as he's capable of shooting it, and that's one of the areas he struggled in and for some reason he struggled from the free-throw line, but those are things he should improve on with time and maturity."

Peters, who graduated from TSU in the summer, was a walk-on when Cooper was hired as head coach. Peters stuck with the program and was put on scholarship last season.

"You look back at the first year when I came here, he led us in minutes played as a walk-on, so it's certainly a nice story from a really classy young man that really gets it," Cooper said. "He gets what this is all about. He's competitive. He brings it every day. He's a guy you know you can always count on to be there and try to do all the right things for you."

Jordan Cyphers, a 6-4 junior guard, sat out last season after transferring from Utah, where he averaged 2.9 points in 16 games during the 2009-10 season.

Cyphers was a highly touted recruit out of Wichita, Kansas, and a Kansas Player of the Year.

"[Cyphers] was on an NCAA Tournament team at Utah, so those are certainly things that he brings that really enhance our program because we haven't had that," Cooper said. "He's going to play the two or the three. He can get it going and get it going from deep, and he's got size and has played at a high level."

Tashan Frederick, a 6-4 junior, and 5-10 freshman Jay Harris round out the backcourt. Frederick (3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg) played in 16 games last season. Harris averaged 14 points, 11 assists, and three steals last season at Charis Prep School in Wilson, N.C. He previously played at Philadelphia's Roberson High School and averaged 20 points as a senior.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B+

BENCH/DEPTH: B

FRONTCOURT: A

INTANGIBLES: B

The Tigers are poised for a run at the OVC title in Cooper's third year as coach.

Cooper has one of the league's best frontcourts -- if not the best -- with the return of Covington, Moore and Green, and the addition of Division I transfers Thornton and Muniru, plus Rhett, who was redshirted last season.

Peters and Miller are back as the starters in the backcourt, and are joined by Division I transfer Cyphers.

Cooper expects all 11 of his scholarship players to play.

"The formula is there, the makings are there to have a good year and a good team, but we certainly still have a ways to go," Cooper said. "I think we've gotten better each year in our first two years, and I think now we've gotten the program put on solid footing, and it's taken us some work to get there."

[Westy03]

Tonight. Tennessee State.

They have all 5 starters back and have added 2 D1 transfer bigs. Will they give us a good game? It seems like they will be very competitive. Serious opinions?

They have a pretty good team. They will probably win the OVC and might give us some trouble. I think we will win by 10-15pts but it wouldnt surprise me to see it a lot closer than that. This team is not a "cupcake"

[jbizzle09]

Tonight. Tennessee State.

They have all 5 starters back and have added 2 D1 transfer bigs. Will they give us a good game? It seems like they will be very competitive.

It feels like a 68-61 SLU win.

Serious opinions?

It looks like all 5 starters like to shoot the 3 ball, so it will be interesting to see how our defense reacts to this. Their 2 starting forwards shot over 40% from 3 last season, so it looks like guys like BC, RL, DE and CR will have to spend some time guarding them on the perimeter. This could lead to early foul trouble for BC and RL especially.

I agree with you that it feels like about a 7-10 point victory. Would love to see a high double digit win, but to be honest, I just want a victory.

[Pistol]

It looks like all 5 starters like to shoot the 3 ball, so it will be interesting to see how our defense reacts to this. Their 2 starting forwards shot over 40% from 3 last season, so it looks like guys like BC, RL, DE and CR will have to spend some time guarding them on the perimeter. This could lead to early foul trouble for BC and RL especially.

I agree with you that it feels like about a 7-10 point victory. Would love to see a high double digit win, but to be honest, I just want a victory.

+1

TSU is a very good team. Easily had more talent on the floor than us last season and they are more experienced and actually have more than 7 guys this year. Won't be an easy game for us at all.

[slufanskip]

+1

TSU is a very good team. Easily had more talent on the floor than us last season and they are more experienced and actually have more than 7 guys this year. Won't be an easy game for us at all.

We won by almost 30, but they easily had more talent on the floor than us? RM did a great job of coaching us up that game

[brianstl]

+1

TSU is a very good team. Easily had more talent on the floor than us last season and they are more experienced and actually have more than 7 guys this year. Won't be an easy game for us at all.

They were more athletic than us. We had far more talent.

[slufanskip]

They were more athletic than us. We had far more talent.

More athletic than MM, JJ, CR ... More athletic, but still lost by 30, that's either some really bad coaching or just some really bad ballplayers

[GoBills]

The bills were only up four at half and then played one of their best halves in the 2nd. This team almost beat Memphis last year.

[Pistol]

Hey man, I said last year. Remember how SLU sucked last year?

I was very, very impressed with our defense tonight. Covington was absolutely shut down. I still contend that TSU has a lot of talent for an Ohio Valley team. They didn't get to show it at all last night.

Easy to appreciate Majerus after a performance like that.

[Basketbill]

We will see how well Tenn State does the rest of the year. Hoepefully they turnout to be the class of the OVC, as that should help SLU RPI/SOS. I believe slu's schedule may be better than we think. Look at Loyola Marymount, beat UCLA last night. I believe we play them one the road after the thanksgiving tourney.

[BillikenROAR]

Check out Majerus TV on FoxSportsMidwest.com

http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/11/12/11/Bills-dominate-in-home-opener/landing.html?blockID=602436&feedID=8745

[slufanskip]

Hey man, I said last year. Remember how SLU sucked last year?

I was very, very impressed with our defense tonight. Covington was absolutely shut down. I still contend that TSU has a lot of talent for an Ohio Valley team. They didn't get to show it at all last night.

Easy to appreciate Majerus after a performance like that.

Last year we beat them by 28. They scored 50. Sorry, but they weren't last year or aren't this year either more talented or more athletic.

[ACE]

The first two weeks will tell us a lot about this season. I have read some stuff about Tenn. State and this could be a very tough game. This is not your typical buy game cupcake. We have to come out and take care of business. Don't let them hang around. No repeat of Austin Peay last year.

Then, Methdale is down, but we never play well there. How will this team play on the road? We have to win this one if we expect to do anything this year.

I predicted we would win the Washington game. They have a lot of excellent athletes, but I'm going to stick with my prediction. We are going to need a few signature wins if we want to land an at-large bid. This is a big opportunity.

Then Boston College in the first game of the tournament. Yes they are an ACC team, but they are down this year. We have to win this one. I would love to be 4-0 heading into a second round game with Villanova the day after Thanksgiving.

Revisiting this thread... so far so good. I am not surprised we are 3-0 at this point as I figured we had a good shot at a 4-0 start, but I am pleasantly surprised the way we are winning. As I mentioned Tenn. State is not your typical cupcake and that was evidenced by their victory over South Carolina. Methdale won't help our RPI at all, but Washington certainly will. They have games coming up against Marquette and Duke. Also, I will be interested to see how they play on the road at Nevada.

Now on to Boston College. We absolutely have to win this game. Not only because we are better, but because it sets us up for a game against Villanova. If we stumble against BC, we then face UC Riverside. That's a big RPI swing from possibly facing Nova in round two. I originally had us losing to Nova, but I have started reading more preseason previews. They are still solid, but not as good as some of their teams from the recent past. LaSalle took them to OT. I am moving this from a likely loss, to at least a toss up and perhaps lean to SLU. The game at the end against Loyola Marymount could be a trap game. A possibility of a letdown. I didn't like us scheduling that game.

Our depth should serve us well playing four games in less than a week. 1-3 would be a disaster, 2-2 would be disappointing, 3-1 would be success and keep us in great position for an at large bid, 4-0 I'm thinking about making travel plans in March.

[Clock_Tower]

Our depth will certainly help us but these games have really showed me how dependent we really are upon KM. KC is a Senior and therefore would like to see him take over portions of some games (not whole games or all games) over just like BC did (whole game) against UW. Also, MM and JJ have played key roles for us this year and did some nice things but they need to step up more, take some pressure off of KM and score more points. We relied upon them last year to score so we cannot have them content to be role players to KM this year. Finally, we need to really get DE going from an offensive standpoint. He is just too good of a player to have 5 ppg and while I am glad he is willing to shoot the 3, this just simply is not his strength. DE may be the smartest player on the team. Last year at this time, we figured he might just redshirt. Instead, he proved most of us wrong by turning into possibly our best player down the stretch.

[ACE]

Our depth will certainly help us but these games have really showed me how dependent we really are upon KM. KC is a Senior and therefore would like to see him take over portions of some games (not whole games or all games) over just like BC did (whole game) against UW. Also, MM and JJ have played key roles for us this year and did some nice things but they need to step up more, take some pressure off of KM and score more points. We relied upon them last year to score so we cannot have them content to be role players to KM this year. Finally, we need to really get DE going from an offensive standpoint. He is just too good of a player to have 5 ppg and while I am glad he is willing to shoot the 3, this just simply is not his strength. DE may be the smartest player on the team. Last year at this time, we figured he might just redshirt. Instead, he proved most of us wrong by turning into possibly our best player down the stretch.

What is really encouraging is that it doesn't really feel like our players our overachieving. Even yesterday... Conklin had the game of his life, but KM did what we know he is capable of, KC was his usual solid, but unspectacular self, Jett played great D... but Ellis did not have a great offensive game, Evans is capable of more and McCall has yet to have a big offensive game... yet we still dominated UW.

[GOSLU68]

I definitely see this happening during crunch time when you want to get your best players on the court, but not necessarily throughout the rest of the game.

Evans only had brief

Moments whe turned up a notch or two. Last year he had those opportunities by default; he alone is responsible for his playing time; You would not take or Loe or Ellis to give DE minutes against Wasington