The best laid plans of mice and men

The Fresno State basketball season started out so promising. Redshirt transfers Bryan Harvey and Rekalin Sims were going to provide backcourt and frontcourt scoring power. Hector Hernandez and Eddie Miller were to expand their games. Dwight O'Neill would be providing toughness and help at both ends of the floor. Plus, star point Kevin Bell was in his final go-around in running the show.

Only Bell came through.

Harvey played half the season and then ran aground on the shoals of academics. Sims encountered legal trouble and a period of academic laziness and that combination resulted in his removal from the team (even though the legal charge was later dropped).

Hernandez and Miller had their moments but neither displayed a more fully-rounded skills set.

O'Neill broke his hand early on and has missed most of the season.

Here's a bit on Fresno State's laets loss, with a telling comment from Coach Steve Cleveland:

Carroll, Aggies hand men's hoops another loss
Fresno State can't surprise, even with Bell's career night.
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
3/04/08

LOGAN, Utah - During the final seconds of another setback, Fresno State had to wait for Jaycee Carroll to exit the court at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, perhaps the final home appearance for Utah State's All-America guard.

The sellout crowd of 10,270 fans roared as Carroll jogged to the sideline, convinced that his Senior Night heroics had sealed a season perfection in Logan. The Aggies were about to end their 2007-08 campaign undefeated at home, and this year, neither Kevin Bell nor his Bulldogs could ruin the celebration.

Utah State won 79-66 on Monday night, avenging last season's home finale defeat to Fresno State.

"It was a good way to finish," said Carroll, who tied a season high with 33 points.

Bell did all he could to ruin the moment, never leaving the court despite a sore right ankle. He even scored a career-high 31 points, twisting his body near the rim for awkward yet effective scoring angles and converting on the perimeter with his unorthodox release.

"I'm darn glad Kevin Bell is a senior," Utah State coach Stew Morrill said,. "I don't want to see him anymore in my life, in my nightmares, nothing."

Still, Fresno State dropped to a new descent.

The Bulldogs are now 13-17 overall and 5-10 in the Western Athletic Conference. Their first losing regular season record in four years is already clinched. Even their No. 6 seed in next week's WAC Tournament is in jeopardy: The Bulldogs will drop one seed if they lose Saturday at home against Nevada in their home finale and Idaho upsets Utah State at home.

Most of Fresno State's problems are old problems. The kind that after nearly a season of disappointments, have proved to not be fixable - not this season anyway. The Bulldogs squad that entered last summer with perhaps too much offense is missing three of those players and look to be at least two standouts away from winning another conference game.

"We just don't have all of the pieces right now," Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland said...

Go here for the remainder.

Happenings in the WAC last night

This moves Idaho way ahead of Louisiana Tech and also beyond SJSU in avoiding the WAC tourney playoff game. Idaho's victory also makes Saturday's Louisiana Tech - San Jose State even more compelling.

Idaho gets OT win in men's hoops
Bulldogs' halftime lead vanishes in tough loss
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
2/14/08

MOSCOW, Idaho -- Idaho used two special overtime moments Thursday to defeat the Fresno State men's basketball team 79-74.

First, double-teamed by Eddie Miller and Alex Blair, guard Mike Hall stood near the Idaho sideline. As the shot clock ticked down to 3 seconds, he used a hesitation dribble with his left hand, freezing Blair, then leaped and released.

His shot rattled around the rim before falling with 1:12 left, giving Idaho a two-point lead.

"It went in, the crowd went crazy," Hall said. "Everybody was just glad to see us on top for once."

Then, with 11.2 seconds left, Jordan Brooks, a point guard-power forward, scored in the post over Dwight O'Neil. Brooks was fouled, and added a free throw, ending Idaho's losing streak at four games while giving Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland one of his most humbling losses of the season.

"You can't let me get the ball that deep with anybody on me," Brooks warned afterward. "Five-nine, or 6-9, it's going to be a bucket or a foul."

It ended up being both.

Brooks led all scorers with 25 points. He also had 16 rebounds and five assists, and helped hold Kevin Bell to eight points on 3-of-13 shooting. Hall added 17 for Idaho, a program that has finished its first two seasons at the bottom of the Western Athletic Conference...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Just when it looked liked the Wolf Pack had the proverbial head of steam and just might surpass Boise State in the standings, the Broncos take Nevada down 77-68.

Greg Graham's squad had a 12-point lead at halftime and that lasted. Reggie Larry led Boise with 20 points (6-18 shooting) and Matt Nelson provided 19 points (in just 20 minutes of play). Marcelus Kemp did the honors for Nevada with 22 points. Guard Matt Bauscher led the Broncos with 10 rebounds. In 17 minutes of action, JaVale McGee totaled three points and three rebounds, shooting 1-9 from the floor. Boise out-boarded Nevada 35-30 and outshot the visitors 47.5% to 36.1%.

Pack basketball: Broncos' defense takes toll on Pack
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 15, 2008

BOISE, Idaho -- It was the fourth game in eight days for the Nevada basketball team and it showed. Repeatedly.

Defensively, it showed at the beginning of the game. When the Wolf Pack was able to make a run in the second half, it sputtered.

Reggie Larry scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and Matt Nelson had 19 points to lead Boise State past a weary Nevada, 77-68, in front of 5,244 fans at Taco Bell Arena on Thursday night. The victory gave the Broncos a regular-season series sweep over the Pack, which dropped to 16-9 overall and 8-4 in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Broncos, 18-6 overall and 9-3 in the WAC, opened the game with an 11-0 run and the Pack was never able to get closer than five points after the first minute and 12 seconds. The last time Nevada was able to close the gap to five was in the second half when it used an 8-0 run to slice the lead to 58-53 with 9:34 left.

"We just didn't have enough juice in the tank to sustain the second-half effort," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "Tonight, we just didn't have energy defensively."

The Pack was outshot and outrebounded. The Broncos took a 39-33 advantage on the boards. It was the 12th time the Pack has been outrebounded this season, but it was the opening minutes that set the tone for the game...

Go here for the remainder.

Or if you prefer the Idaho perspective:

Bronco men sweep Nevada for first time since 1998-99
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
February 15, 2008

The WAC's highest-scoring team showed Thursday night that it also can play a little defense.
Boise State limited Nevada to a season-low 36.1 percent shooting and led from start to finish in recording a 77-68 win in front of 5,244 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

The win by the Broncos (18-6 overall, 9-3 WAC) gave them their first season sweep of the Wolf Pack (16-9, 8-4) since the 1998-99 season.

"I think it's huge and opens peoples' eyes," BSU senior Matt Bauscher said. "Every time people talk about Boise State, the first two words are 'blue field.' Then it's football, so that's three words. So maybe now someone will start talking about the basketball team."

The Broncos scored the first 11 points of the game, and Nevada never got closer than five points.

Reggie Larry (20 points) and Matt Nelson (19) were the only Broncos in double figures, but five others scored at least six points to give BSU the balance it craves.

"We jumped out and set the tone right away," BSU coach Greg Graham said. "They made a couple of runs, but we kept control of the game from the get-go."

The Broncos won 95-80 last month in Reno, a victory that was fueled by offense.

Thursday's win was a near opposite, though the Broncos made 16-of-26 shots in the first half to take a 42-30 lead...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

NMSU won as expected in Ruston:

New Mexico State subdues shorthanded Tech men's team
News-Star news services

RUSTON New Mexico State shot 58.7 percent from the field and forced 18 Louisiana Tech turnovers as they pulled away late in the second half for an 85-63 win at the Thomas Assembly Center on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (4-19, 1-10 WAC), who had only seven healthy players available for tonight's contest, fought hard throughout the evening, pulling within single-digits several times during the second half. But the size and speed of the Aggies (15-12, 9-3 WAC) proved to be too much in the end.

The teams traded baskets over the first 12 minutes of the game and stood knotted at 18 apiece with less than eight minutes to play. But a 20-6 New Mexico State run gave the Aggies a 14-point halftime lead at 38-24...

Go here for the remainder.

A mishmash of WAC team and player updates

Rekalin Sims is in process of learning what his future will be at Fresno State:

Sims meets with FS after felony charges dismissed
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
December 11, 2007

Fresno State forward Rekalin Sims met with a student-athlete code of conduct committee after a Fresno County Superior Court Judge dismissed his felony robbery charges, athletic director Thomas Boeh said Tuesday afternoon.

Boeh would not say when the committee met or give details on the meeting.

"[The dismissed felony charges] has an impact... but it's not everything," Boeh said. "It just goes into the formula.

"There's still some more things that have to be dealt with before we make a decision."

and

Steve Cleveland is implementing the old dog/new trick routine to see if it better suits the skills of his players:

'Dogs putting plan in motion
Cleveland seeking to boost sagging offense
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
12/11/07

Frustrated by his team's offensive deficiencies, Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland installed a motion offense Tuesday afternoon, hoping its unpredictably will improve the Bulldogs' scoring.

His decision occurred three days after Fresno State shot 30% in the first half of an 84-71 nonconference loss at UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels took advantage of Fresno State's lack of penetrators -- point guard Kevin Bell was the only player creating off the dribble with any consistency.

Bryan Harvey was held scoreless in the first half before finishing with 12 points, reserve guard Tyson Parker was scoreless on nine attempts from the field and the Bulldogs combined for 16 turnovers.

Even worse, UNLV showed the Western Athletic Conference how to beat the Bulldogs.

That's why the change in philosophy, which comes as Fresno State prepares for Sunday's nonconference game at No. 21 Arizona, has little to do with the Wildcats.

"I've been trying to get them to do something we don't have the personnel for," Cleveland said of the Bulldogs. "That's my fault."

Cleveland's new option is a version of Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight's offensive philosophy...

...Freshman center Brandon Webster was held from practice Tuesday because he fell behind in academic course work, Cleveland said. Webster's return will be based on academic progress.

"I would be hopeful that he'd be back at practice tomorrow," Cleveland said. "But if he doesn't get his stuff done, he won't be.

Go here for the full article.

and

Store this one away in your database as Bob Nash has another player coming in -- make that coming back -- in 2008-2009.

Thompson returning to UH next season
Honolulu Advertiser
December 12, 2007

Hiram Thompson has signed a scholarship agreement to return to the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team in the 2008-09 season.

Thompson, a 6-foot-4 point guard from El Dorado Hills, Calif., played with the Rainbow Warriors as a true freshman in the 2005-06 season. He is currently on a two-year mission in Iowa for the Mormon church...

and

LA TECH just may not win another game this season.

Tech men fall to Ark.-Pine Bluff
Shreveport Times
December 12, 2007

RUSTON -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff got double-digit scoring from three players and benefited from 31.6-percent shooting by Louisiana Tech to earn a 61-49 victory over the Bulldogs in front of 2,029 at Thomas Assembly Center on Tuesday night.

"I thought defensively we really stepped up tonight," Tech head coach Kerry Rupp said. "Our offense needs to catch up. We did a good job of bringing energy and intensity tonight."

Tech (1-6) was limited to 29-percent shooting in the first half and improved only slightly after the break, but the Bulldogs did knock down six three-pointers in the contest. The Bulldogs also once again struggled at the free throw line, only shooting 53.8 percent from the stripe...

A preview of Fresno State men's basketball 2007-2008

Here's our latest on the 2007-2008 version of Fresno State.

Coach Steve Cleveland will have a veteran team in 2007-2008 but an untested one.

Why the oxymoron?

Let's explain.

Quinton Hosley and Dominic McGuire, plus don't forget Ja'Vance Coleman despite all his difficulties, have all left the Central Valley -- Hosley and McGuire took superb athleticism and count-on-it production with them.

But Kevin Bell, Dwight O'Neill, Eddie Miller, Alex Blair, Shawn Taylor and Hector Hernandez remain and will be joined by 'newcomers' Rekalin Sims and Bryan Harvey. Newly signed freshmen Nedeljko Golubovic and Brandon Webster are now also in the mix.

Bell will end up a rarity next season -- a four-year player for Fresno State. O'Neill redshirted last year and will be a junior. Eddie Miller and Alex Blair came in from junior colleges last season. Taylor also transferred in from a community college. Hernandez will partner with Bell as another peculiarity -- a four-year Bulldog.

The senior Sims has been a basketball vagabond and will play his first and final season for the Bulldogs in 2007-2008. He was in over his head during his sole year at Kentucky but the WAC should be much more conducive to his level of talent.Harvey rarely saw the court while at Louisville during his frosh season before he transferred to Raisintown.

So Cleveland has seven upperclassmen out of his top ten players. However, the group offers but 13 years of D-1 experience, hence the tagline veteran but untested.

The Bulldogs were 22-10 overall last season but such is ancient history what with top talent departures so previous team numbers and stats don't offer much value.

Here's who is returning:

Kevin Bell -- point guard 5-10 165 senior. Bell has always enjoyed an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio. Last season, he was tops in the WAC in assists per game at 5.89 and assist/turnover ratio, posting a 2.54 figure. For the season, Bell tossed out 178 assists while committing 83 turnovers. But a major Achilles heel for him is his shooting -- just 39% from floor and 63% on free throws. These are not numbers coaches desire, especially the free throw number since the ball is generally in the hands of the point near game's end. But Bell's the little engine that could and does.

Dwight O'Neill -- shooting guard 6-3 180 senior. He came out of high school with the rep as a shooter but has also demonstrating prowess as a defender. He redshirted last season and will definitely be in the backcourt rotation in 2007-2008.

Eddie Miller -- shooting guard 6-3 170 senior. Signed as a long range bomber, Miller lived up to his reputation scoring 10.5 ppg. on 38% overall and 36% shooting on 3's. His biggest bugaboo is that defenders knew how and where to play him as he attempted but 28 free throws in 32 games.

Alex Blair -- power forward 6-8 220 senior. Blair was termed a defender and lived up to the analysis. He lacks offensive skills and is a backend-of-the-rotation type for the frontcourt.

James Tchana -- power forward 6-8 275 junior. He played in only six games due to injury and also should be a depth provider.

Hector Hernandez -- power forward 6-9 225 senior. A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Hernandez scored 11.2 ppg. as a junior. He's the best Bulldog from three-pointland at 41% and can create matchup problems for defenders with his outside roaming. Similar to Eddie Miller, Hernandez earned just 32 free throws in 31 games--an amazingly low figure for a forward. He also grabbed 5.2 rpg. but is not considered an especially effective boardman.

Shawn Taylor -- center 6-10 220 senior. Taylor played as a freshmen at Alabama but then transferred to a junior college in Florida. He moved on to Louisiana Tech but never actually appeared there and finally worked his way to the Central Valley. He has yet to be more than a tall and athletic frontcourter due to a deficiency in the basketball skills necessary to produce numbers. Don't expect a big change.

Here's who has been on the sidelines:

Rekalin Sims -- power forward 6-8 230 senior. Sims is from the Bay Area but he first played a couple of seasons at a prep school in Maine, then at Salt Lake City College before signing with Kentucky. It didn't work out there and he returned to California, hitching up with Fresno and Steve Cleveland. His previous game was that of a small forward with more of a mid-range effectiveness. Whether he has expanded his repertoire will be determined this season.

Bryan Harvey -- wing 6-5 210 junior. Originally from southern California, Harvey is a bounceback from Louisville. As a prepster, he was rated No. 32 nationally by HoopScoop and 62nd by Prep Basketball Magazine. College Basketball News had him in its Top 62 high school seniors. Playing time was scarce under Rick Pitino so Harvey looked and then moved elsewhere. He looks to be the most talented player on the roster.

Here's the new kids figuratively and literally on the block:

Nedeljko Golubovic -- forward 6-8 230 freshman, HS NV. Originally out of Serbia, Cleveland descibes Golubovic this way: "He is a very versatile player, who can score inside and step outside and shoot the three. He will add depth and strength to our post players." Look for him to be in the mix for playing time but Fresno fans won't see a lot of him in the upcoming season.

Brandon Webster -- center 6-10 235 freshman HS TX. Webster was going to sign with Texas A&M until a coaching change occurred and then was headed to another D-1 school until that fell through. He possesses the frame coaches desire but will need time to adapt his game to the D-1 level of competition.

Expect Fresno State to continue the barrage from outside -- O'Neill, Miller, Hernandez and Harvey will be the launchers this time around -- as the Bulldogs fired up 200 more three-point attempts than opponents.

Cleveland's squad was out-rebounded by three a game last season. That ratio could worsen due to the departure of Hosley and McGuire unless a couple of frontcourters step up their games for 2007-2008. Taylor, Sims or the two freshmen need to demonstrate rebounding prowess in order for Cleveland's team to turn the board deficit into a positive.

Here's our estimate of the Bulldog starting five:
center - Hector Hernandez
power forward - Rekalin Sims
wing - Bryan Harvey
shooting guard - Eddie Miller or Dwight O'Neil
point - Kevin Bell

That's a solid starting five, especially offensively. Defense is the questionmark.