OUTLOOK First round: Lost to Iowa State, 88-78
Central Connecticut is a solid basketball team that could give some team a headache for 40 minutes. I don't know if they can win in the NCAA tournament, but the Blue Devils have good size. No starter is smaller than 6-foot-2. They have good athletic size throughout their lineup at all times and are hard to match up with.
The Blue Devils really change their defenses up well. They will play two or three different zone looks in the halfcourt, then two or three full-court zone looks in the fullcourt, and also play some man defense.
Offensively, they have balanced scoring. Central Connecticut has four players averaging double figures, and the Blue Devils have five players who average five rebounds or more a game. Everybody on the floor can score and rebound. Rick Mickens, the Northeast Conference player of the year and the league's best defender, is a terrific player.
The weakness for them will be experience. It's the first time ever for them in the NCAA tournament. If they can somehow survive the first five or six minutes of their first-round game, and they know they belong, they will give a team trouble. There are a lot of teams I would rather play than Central Connecticut in the first round. -- Jimmy Dykes, ESPN
ROSTER
PROBABLE STARTERS |
F -- John Tice (6-5, Jr., 14.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F -- Victor Payne (6-4, Sr., 9.0, 7.9, 3.1)
C -- Corsley Edwards (6-9, So., 12.2, 7.5, 0.7)
G -- Tomas Brookins (6-2, Sr., 5.3, 2.2, 2.5)
G -- Rick Mickens (6-4, Sr., 17.7, 5.0, 2.7)
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TOP RESERVES |
F -- Dean Walker (6-5, Jr., 10.8, 5.6, 1.9)
G -- Bryan Finley (6-3, Sr., 4.9, 1.7, 1.3)
F -- Harvey Van Stein (6-6, Jr., 2.6, 3.2, 0.8)
C -- Jeremy Bergh (6-10, Jr., 1.7, 2.2, 0.1)
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NOTABLE
Seed, Region and Bid: 15, Midwest, Automatic
Total NCAA Tournament Bids: 1
NCAA Tournament Record: 0-0 (.000)
Final Four Appearances: 0
NCAA Tournament Championships: 0
Best NCAA Tournament Finish: --
Final ESPN/USA Today ranking: NR
Final Associated Press ranking: NR
Final Ratings Percentage Index: 102
Final Sagarin Computer Ranking: 137
RECORD VS. RANKED TEAMS (0-0)
(Opponents ranking reflects ranking on game day)
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This is Central Connecticut's first NCAA Tournament appearance.
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