Offensive Identity:
“We are trying to mix learning our system along with competing on every possession,” says Villanova head coach Jay Wright.
Wright looks a touch like Mark Cuban: his intentionally loose grip on his guards resembles Cuban’s friendly clutches with Dallas veterans. He allows his guards to create, improvise within the loose-fitting sweater that is their [...]

The tiniest American state runs out a sizable rotation of players.  Nine guys play important minutes for the Rams even though the same five have started every game for Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron.  The greatest contributions come from the upperclassman as Baron starts his only two seniors and three juniors.
Ordinarily the offensive identity [...]

The college basketball world got a sneak preview of Ali Farokhmanesh Friday night as Northern Iowa shoved away the Old Dominion Monarchs 71-62.  Farokhmanesh led all scorers with 23 points despite not having a single point at the half.
UNI displayed both exceptional court balance and prudent patience.  The zone defense of Old Dominion was constantly [...]

Offensive Identity: Waves and waves of 6′7” athletes bombard the shores and unrelenting water can have a dramatic impact.
After a seaside hamlet braces for the oncoming wave, weary of its resolute supremacy, there comes a period of relaxation right after the water harmlessly splashes ashore.  In that moment the following wave pounds down upon the [...]

Offensive Identity: There is no urgency amongst Temple Owls’ backcourt. No rush.
With floor spacing out of a coach’s fantasy, the Owls each have plenty of room to operate.  Lavoy Allen and Michael Eric screen to open up Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez.  When Brooks starts flying around the screens, trouble is on the way.
Temple fans [...]

Offensive Identity: Most of the early important possessions are scripted, with the director being associate head coach Tom Herrion. The former College of Charleston head coach holds up a dry erase board with the play name on it.
The plays themselves typically involved scoring ace Ashton Gibbs, who has led the Panthers in scoring all season [...]

The Cincinnati Bearcats look like a team, an actual team, which is refreshing to see after three years of the Deonta Vaughn show.  The senior guard gets fewer shots, fewer points, and more smiles this season.  No respected basketball player–which Vaughn certainly is–minds sacrificing shots for wins.
Offensive Identity: The cast of scoring threats now includes [...]

The turnover at Xavier was tremendous with three 1,000-point scorers graduating.  The school’s all-time winningest player, B.J. Raymond left, and winningest NCAA coach Sean Miller also departed.
A modest step back would have been understood, but in the words of DMX, X gonna give it to ya.
Offensive Identity
Xavier has a lot of unselfish players.  And then [...]

Three full months are nearly over.  The Atlantic 10 Conference has sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years.  Half of the 14 conference teams are led by a coach with less than five years of A-10 experience.  Most of these coaches are just now escorting their programs into [...]

The Louisville Cardinals are in a year of transition.  After winning the Big East regular season title along with the conference tournament championship and sending two players to the NBA, Rick Pitino knew the growing pains of rebuilding awaited him this year.
Fortunately, a couple of upperclassmen have smoothed the bumps to slight seams in the [...]