Darryl Strawberry's Son Gives Mercer All-Southern Conference Duo, After Football Team Almost Shocks Auburn

Darryl Strawberry's son Jordan is one of two projected All-Conference players for Mercer, a school that just started their football program and yet had the ball in the second half trailing Auburn only 17-10. Mercer could join an excellent Wofford football team and other Southern schools with solid programs in both sports - but it was basketball-only East Tennessee State that dominated last season with a 27-9 record and 13-seed.

Expect Mercer to join three other surging basketball programs to pass a rebuilding East Tennessee State this year. Value Add projects Strawberry's Ria'n Holland edging out Furman's Devin Sidley for Player of the year, giving Mercer a strong one-two preseason All-Conference punch.

Value Add projects Samford (75th) and Mercer (82nd) in the top tier of the 351 Division 1 teams.
Here is where Value Add ranks each Southern Conference team for the season, and the Massey Rankings rank the football teams against all other schools.

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
Samford	75	154
Mercer	82	180
Furman	113	201
North Carolina Greensboro	127
East Tennessee St. 13	182
Wofford	216	127
The Citadel	227
Western Carolina	256	206
VMI	342	311
Chattanooga	349	165

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

Top 15 Southern Players	Value Add	School	Ht
Ria'n Holland 10	6.57	Mercer	`6-00
Devin Sibley 12	6.21	Furman	`6-02
Francis Alonso 10	6.19	North Carolina Greensboro	`6-03
Jordan Strawberry 5	5.62	Mercer	`6-01
Wyatt Walker 33	5.46	Samford	`6-09
Fletcher Magee 3	5.00	Wofford	`6-04
Cameron Jackson 33	4.87	Wofford	`6-08
Demetrius Denzel-Dyson 22	4.82	Samford	`6-05
Desonta Bradford 11	4.59	East Tennessee St.	`6-04
Preston Parks 0	4.20	The Citadel	`6-01
Zane Najdawi 35	4.10	The Citadel	`6-07
Daniel Fowler 35	4.08	Furman	`6-04
David Burrell 3	3.80	East Tennessee St.	`6-06
Stephon Jelks 15	3.80	Mercer	`6-06
James Dickey 21	3.58	North Carolina Greensboro	`6-09

Ken Pomeroy ranked the Southern Conference the 14th best of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

Jalan West Given 7th Year for Quest for All-American Status and 1st Southland Title Over Stephen F. Austin

Sam Houston State students are locked in on a powerhouse FCS football team, but weaker football programs at Northwestern State and Lamar hope to deny Stephen F. Austin from the basketball title after years of dominance. Lamar relies on a great trio, while Christmas came early for Northwestern State when All-American candidate Jalan West was given another season after his crushing injury last year.

Despite TJ Holyfield's status as a Value Add preseason All-Conference player, Stephen F. Austin could fail to win the title for a second straight year after finally being dethroned by New Orleans last year. We doubt New Orleans will actually fall this far, but with only five players in the system with projections, here is where Value Add ranks each Southland team for the season, and the Massey Rankings rank the football teams against all other schools. Updates will be provided here.

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
Lamar	139	272
Stephen F. Austin	161	240
Northwestern St.	181	247
Southeastern Louisiana	192	221
Abilene Christian	212	238
Texas A&M Corpus Chris	225
Incarnate Word	241	310
Central Arkansas	248
Houston Baptist	260	291
Sam Houston St.	303	109
McNeese St.	319	176
Nicholls St.	326	158
New Orleans 16	335

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

Top 15 Southland Players	Value Add	School	Ht
Jalan West 12	8.13	Northwestern St.	`5-10
Ehab Amin 4	6.40	Texas A&M Corpus Christi	`6-04
Nick Garth 3	5.17	Lamar	`6-00
Jordan Howard 1	5.14	Central Arkansas	`5-11
TJ Holyfield 22	4.70	Stephen F. Austin	`6-08
Colton Weisbrod 21	4.50	Lamar	`6-05
Josh Ibarra 44	4.17	Houston Baptist	`6-11
Jalin Hart 1	3.62	Incarnate Word	`5-11
Jalone Friday 21	3.60	Abilene Christian	`6-09
Marlain Veal 0	3.54	Southeastern Louisiana	`5-09
Shawn Johnson 41	3.50	Incarnate Word	`6-05
Moses Greenwood 13	3.14	Southeastern Louisiana	`6-07
Zjori Bosha 12	3.04	Lamar	`6-05
James Currington 23	3.01	Southeastern Louisiana	`6-07
John Dewey 11	3.00	Sam Houston St.	`6-00

Ken Pomeroy ranked the Southland as the 27th best of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

Sun Belt: Lafayette or Georgia Southern Could Deny Troy and Arlington Repeat Hoops Titles

The Sun Belt boasts a few solid football programs, including the Appalachian State team that moved up to FBS after shocking Michigan, Arkansas State, Troy and a LA-Lafayette team with a history of offense. UT Arlington looked ready to give the conference another tournament win with a top 40 RBI and 27-9, but Troy won the conference tournament and then fell short is a spirited effort against Duke.

Admittedly I am biased toward the Sun Belt since my twins had great runs for South Alabama cross country in their first D1 runs as freshmen, both placing high as the women won and men finished second.

Such are the dangers of a conference with seven teams that won 20 or more games, and Arlington will need a repeat Player of the Year season from 6-foot-7 Kevin Hervey as well as great point guard play from Erick Neal to regain the conference championship they dominated for years.

Value Add projects Lafayette to win, but with six teams ranking in the top half of all Division 1 schools, this projects as a dangerous conference.

Here is where Value Add ranks each Sun Belt team for the season, and the Massey Rankings rank the football teams against all other schools, led by three top 90 programs.

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
Louisiana Lafayette	92	124
Georgia Southern	114	141
Troy 15	142	90
UT Arlington	152
Coastal Carolina	163	145
Appalachian St.	167	77
Georgia St.	179	170
Texas St.	186	191
Arkansas St.	231	85
Louisiana Monroe	299	160
South Alabama	301	129
Little Rock	328

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order. Subjectively we believe Neal ranks much higher than the third team All-Conference team, as this ranking would indicate. Certain things that ball handlers and perimeter defenders do cannot be measured via stats, and he seems to be one of those cases.

Top 15 Sun Belt Players	Value Add	School	Ht
Kevin Hervey 25	7.67	Texas Arlington	`6-07
Bryce Washington 32	6.51	Louisiana Lafayette	`6-06
Ike Smith 3	5.91	Georgia Southern	`6-04
Jordon Varnado 23	5.80	Troy	`6-06
Wesley Person 3	5.74	Troy	`6-03
Tookie Brown 4	5.30	Georgia Southern	`5-11
Malik Benlevi 2	5.19	Georgia St.	`6-05
Frank Bartley 4	5.02	Louisiana Lafayette	`6-03
Jaylen Shaw 5	4.78	Coastal Carolina	`6-01
Ronshad Shabazz 2	4.10	Appalachian St.	`6-05
D'Marcus Simonds 15	3.96	Georgia St.	`6-03
Tamas Bruce 32	3.93	Arkansas St.	`6-07
Deven Simms 23	3.77	Arkansas St.	`6-04
Erick Neal 1	3.70	Texas Arlington	`5-10
Nijal Pearson 22	3.38	Texas St.	`6-05

Ken Pomeroy ranked the Sun Belt 15th of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

Summit: Analytics See Denver Hoops Challenge to Dakota Schools That Dominate Football

The four Summit League schools that play football play it well as FCS Powerhouses, led by a North Dakota State team that consistently beats FBS schools. The basketball programs are not as elite, but their conference tournament is one of the best attended in the country, and this year they get to watch Fort Wayne's John Konchar, a potential Top 50 player, and Value Add 3rd Team All-American Mike Daum of South Dakota State.

Value Add a great duo from Denver gives them a chance to challenge the Dakota schools for the title, though that would entail quite a jump from a 16-14 last season. South Dakota went 22-12 last season and Fort Wayne 20-13 before South Dakota State won the conference tournament despite failing to have a winning regular season.

Here is where Value Add ranks each Summit League team for the season, and the Massey Rankings rank the football teams, showing the four schools that play football rank ahead of many FBS schools. Updates will be provided here.

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
Denver	83
South Dakota	116	88
South Dakota St. 16	134	82
Fort Wayne	153
IUPUI	223
Nebraska Omaha	230
North Dakota St.	253	44
Oral Roberts	268
Western Illinois	286	99

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

Top 15 Summit Players	Value Add	School	Ht
Mike Daum 24	9.36	South Dakota St.	`6-09
John Konchar 55	7.68	IUPU Fort Wayne	`6-05
Matt Mooney 13	5.46	South Dakota	`6-03
Joe Rosga 2	5.23	Denver	`6-03
Daniel Amigo 44	5.00	Denver	`6-10
Paul Miller 2	4.67	North Dakota St.	`6-06
Mitch Hahn 44	4.65	Nebraska Omaha	`6-08
Carlton Hurst 2	4.50	South Dakota	`6-03
Albert Owens 44	4.10	Oral Roberts	`6-09
Emmanuel Nzekwesi 23	3.90	Oral Roberts	`6-08
AJ Jacobson 21	3.76	North Dakota St.	`6-06
Bryson Scott 1	3.70	IUPU Fort Wayne	`6-01
Zach Jackson 21	3.69	Nebraska Omaha	`6-05
Kason Harrell 32	3.66	IUPU Fort Wayne	`6-02
Thomas Neff 15	3.48	Denver	`6-05

Ken Pomeroy ranked the Summit League 16th of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

SWAC: Jerry Rice and Grambling NFL Greats Yield to March Madness Hopes

In the past, match-ups between Historically Black Colleges could feature as many future NFL players from Grambling State as played for Bear Bryant at Alabama. Grambling's opponent Saturday, Mississippi Valley State, once featured the first five receiver offense including the greatest of all-time, Jerry Rice. With almost all NFL talent now going to D1 schools, Southern could challenge Alcorn State for the basketball title as well as battling Grambling for the football title.

Football excitement returned in last year's Bayou Classic, as Grambling and Southern both returned to some past glory when they clashed after eight game winning streaks and Grambling coming close to stunning Arizona for a 9-0 start. Value Add projects Alcorn State and Southern as virtually event and an edge over defending champion Texas Southern.

Alcorn State boasts the Value Add preseason Player of the Year in Reginal Johnson.

Here is where Value Add ranks each Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) team for the season, and the Massey Rankings rank the football teams against all other schools (including behind the 129 FBS schools. Updates will be provided here.

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
Alcorn St.	234	251
Southern	237	219
Arkansas Pine Bluff	263	406
Prairie View A&M	269	255
Texas Southern 16	300	357
Jackson St.	311	315
Alabama St.	315	330
Grambling St.	334	189
Alabama A&M	336	331
Mississippi Valley St.	346

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

Top 15 SWAC Players	Value Add	School	Ht
Reginal Johnson 24	4.72	Alcorn St.	`6-05
Jared Sam 12	4.60	Southern	`6-09
Zachary Hamilton 14	3.36	Prairie View A&M	`6-04
Jalan McCloud 1	3.12	Texas Southern	`5-10
Demontrae Jefferson 3	3.00	Texas Southern	`5-07
Paris Collins 5	3.00	Jackson St.	`6-04
Trent Steen 15	2.80	Arkansas Pine Bluff	`6-08
AJ Mosby 2	2.60	Alcorn St.	`6-03
Rodney Simeon 1	2.50	Alabama St.	`6-05
Shay'rone Jett 21	2.35	Prairie View A&M	`6-08
De'Edrick Petty 3	2.30	Alabama A&M	`5-10
Eddie Reese	2.20	Southern	`6-01
Kevin Scott 4	2.17	Texas Southern	`6-04
Maurice Rivers 12	1.86	Jackson St.	`6-07
Emanual Shepherd 2	1.83	Southern	`6-08

Ken Pomeroy ranked the SWAC last of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

33 Years After Football National Title, WAC Hosts 1st For-Profit Basketball School

Grand Canyon, the highly successful first for-profit University to compete in the NCAA, gets its first chance at a basketball championship in a bid to dethrone New Mexico State, the dominant basketball program which also is the only school with a football team (plays in the Sun Belt) as the WAC does not play football 33 years after the conference produced national champion BYU and an Air Force football team that crushed Virginia Tech.

New Mexico State football upset New Mexico and came close against Arizona State and Troy, so hopes to compete in Sun Belt football, but it is basketball season that they dominate, and Value Add gives them the biggest edge of any conference - ranking them 98 spots ahead of the rest of the conference.

The Christian University, with strong Southern Baptist backing, was cited by the Governor for increasing surrounding home values by 30 percent while lowering the crime rate by 30 percent after the purchase took the school from 1,000 to almost 20,000 students. While a title would be a surprise, if Joshua Braun takes conference Player of the Year the team could build on its season-ending upset of the other WAC basketball power, Cal State Bakersfield, to compete for a conference title and NCAA bid.

Value Add projects Grand Canyan and Utah Valley as the best of the yes. New Mexico State's Eli Chuha (worth 6.27 extra points per game) nudges out GCU's Joshua Braun for preseason conference Player of the Year, but six of the eight teams have one of the top seven preseason players in the conference.

Here is where Value Add ranks each Western Athletic (WAC) team for the season, and the Massey Rankings have New Mexico State near the bottom of the FBS football ratings at 123rd, versus the basketball teams strong rating of 68th out of 351 D1 programs. Updates will be provided here:

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops	Football
New Mexico St. 14	68	123
Utah Valley	166
Grand Canyon	172
Cal St. Bakersfield	200
Seattle	215
UT Rio Grande Valley	226
Chicago St.	258
UMKC	338

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

15 MVP in WAC	Value Add	School	Ht
Eli Chuha 22	6.27	New Mexico St.	`6-07
Joshua Braun 2	6.00	Grand Canyon	`6-04
Isaac Neilson 22	5.99	Utah Valley	`6-11
Nick Dixon 4	5.83	Texas Rio Grande Valley	`6-02
Jemerrio Jones 10	5.54	New Mexico St.	`6-05
Fred Sims Jr	5.00	Chicago St.	`6-04
Brent Wrapp 1	4.68	Cal St. Bakersfield	`6-03
Zach Lofton 2	4.28	New Mexico St.	`6-03
Keonta Vernon 24	4.20	Grand Canyon	`6-06
Sidy N'Dir 13	4.00	New Mexico St.	`6-02
Aaron Menzies 41	3.57	Seattle	`7-03
Damiyne Durham 23	3.36	Cal St. Bakersfield	`6-04
Matej Kavas 5	3.12	Seattle	`6-08
Akolda Manyang	3.00	Utah Valley
Zachary Moore 30	2.66	Seattle	`6-05

Ken Pomeroy ranked the WAC as the 17th best of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.

West Coast: After Football BYU Will Challenge Basketball-only St. Mary's & Gonzaga

Brigham Young withstood bids from power conferences to maintain an independent football program, but Value Add projects the BYU basketball team to be better than their football squad this season. TJ Haws (worth 6.00 extra points per game) gives the team a chance in West Coast play to catch national runner-up Gonzaga and Saint Mary's and National Player of the Year candidate Jock Landale (worth 10.38 extra points per game).

Here is where Value Add ranks each West Coast team for the season, and the Massey Rankings of the BYU and San Diego football teams so far this season. Updates will be provided here:

Team - 2017 Seed	Hoops Value	Football
Saint Mary's 7	23
Gonzaga 1	30
BYU	51	football: 68
Santa Clara	110
San Francisco	112
San Diego	199	football: 222
Pacific	220
Portland	307
Loyola Marymount	325
Pepperdine	347

Opening day for Gonzaga and Saint Mary's students occurs in November on the basketball court, and the two programs continue to be two of the best. Gonzaga battled for the national title before finally falling to UNC in last year's championship game. They should be ranked again, behind three projected 1st team all conference players worth more than 6.00 points per game, but Value Add gives Saint Mary's the chance to improve behind Value Add preseason All-American Landale and Calvin Hermanson, the fifth projected 1st team All-West Coast player along with the three Gonzaga stars.

Here are the top 15 projected players in the conference in order.

Player, jersey	Value Add	Team	Ht
Jock Landale 34	10.38	St. Mary's	`6-11
Killian Tillie 33	6.99	Gonzaga	`6-10
Johnathan Williams 3	6.80	Gonzaga	`6-09
Calvin Hermanson 24	6.78	St. Mary's	`6-06
Rui Hachimura 21	6.43	Gonzaga	`6-08
Henry Caruso 21	6.19	Santa Clara	`6-04
TJ Haws 30	6.00	Brigham Young	`6-04
Josh Perkins 13	5.70	Gonzaga	`6-03
Emmett Naar 3	5.24	St. Mary's	`6-01
KJ Feagin 2	5.10	Santa Clara	`6-01
Emmett Haar	5.00	St. Mary's
Yoeli Childs 23	4.90	Brigham Young	`6-08
Silas Melson 0	4.81	Gonzaga	`6-04
Nick Emery 4	4.70	Brigham Young	`6-02
Chase Foster 22	4.47	San Francisco	`6-05

While BYU seems to be the only team to consistently challenge the two WCC perennial powers, San Francisco brings incredible balance after a group of 13 freshmen and sophomores shocked everyone with a 20-win season. However, in the end it appears BYU is the team with the best chance to give the WCC three bids to the NCAA tournament.

Ken Pomeroy ranked the WCC as the 11th best of 32 Division 1 basketball conferences, which will all be previewed here with notes on which schools are now "basketball" or "football" schools based on which program is stronger this season. Football revenue is much higher, but programs are much more expensive between equipment and the requirement of matching enough women's scholarships in other sports. Therefore some programs forgo FBS football programs to focus on low cost basketball programs as their biggest revenue sport.

Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and ESPN have lauded Value Add Basketball for estimating the number of points each college basketball players is worth to his team above a replacement player - similar to baseball WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Massey Ratings is used for the football rankings above.