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Eastern Illinois
vs
Troy
Today's Featured Sports Pick

Game Date:
11/14/2016
8:00pm EST

Lines:
Eastern Illinois +7
Troy -7

Total:
Over 144 (-110)
Under 144 (-110)

Community Picks: Eastern Illinois 0% vs Troy 0%

Eastern Illinois and Troy Thread

Team Tweets & News Articles
Eastern Illinois
CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) -- Demetrius McReynolds scored 18 points with four assists as Eastern Illinois beat NAIA St. Francis (ILL) 83-41 in a season opener on Friday night. Continue to Article
November 12, 2016 1:51:am EST
Troy
TROY, Ala. (AP) -- Shawn Hopkins scored 19 points off the bench to lead Troy in a 135-76 win over Div. II Toccoa Falls in a season opener on Friday night. Continue to Article
November 12, 2016 12:45:am EST
Troy
The deadline for early-entry prospects to withdraw from the NBA draft is only hours away, so the landscape for next year's college basketball season is finally becoming clearer. Here's a look at which programs were hardest hit by draft declarations and which will begin next season in better-than-expected shape. This post will be updated as the final undecided prospects reveal their decisions.  EARLY-ENTRY DEADLINE WINNERS: 1. Oregon Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Dillon Brooks, F, So., Tyler Dorsey, G, Fr., Chris Boucher, F, Jr. Outlook: Oregon has consistently exceeded preseason expectations under Dana Altman, but that won't be easy next year. The Ducks will be Pac-12 favorites and preseason top 10 nationally after Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks both withdrew from the draft on Wednesday. Brooks averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season, while Dorsey tallied 13.4 points per game and shot above 40 percent from behind the arc. Their return means that Oregon will have five of its seven leading scorers back from a team that won the Pac-12 and advanced to the Elite Eight. Oregon also adds depth via a recruiting class featuring high-scoring point guard Payton Pritchard, skilled center Michael Cage Jr. and national junior college player of the year Kavell Bigby-Williams. 2. Villanova Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Josh Hart, G, Jr., Kris Jenkins, F, Jr. Outlook: Title game hero Kris Jenkins hardly even flirted with leaving for the NBA draft. Potential second-round pick Josh Hart pulled out of the draft on the eve of Wednesday's deadline. As a result, Villanova may be as well positioned to repeat as any reigning champion since Florida won national titles in 2006 and 2007. All but two rotation players are back from the Wildcats team that won the Big East for a third straight season, shed the label of NCAA tournament underachievers and edged North Carolina in a classic title game. Granted the loss of Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu will be significant, but Villanova should still appear most preseason top fives even without them. 3. Duke Who left early: Brandon Ingram, F, Fr. Who Stayed: Grayson Allen, G, So., Outlook: Why is Duke an early-entry deadline winner despite Brandon Ingram's departure? Because the potential No. 1 overall pick is all the Blue Devils lost. Co-star Grayson Allen returned without testing the waters even though he had a chance to be a first-round pick after averaging 21.6 points and shooting 41.6 percent from the field. His decision makes him a potential first-team All-American next season and bolsters Duke's loaded roster for next season. The Blue Devils are a heavy favorite to earn the title of preseason No. 1 thanks to Allen's return, Amile Jefferson's renewed health and the arrival of a decorated class rated best in the nation. 4. Cal Who left early: Jaylen Brown, F, Fr. Who Stayed: Ivan Rabb, F, Fr. Outlook: Had wing Jaylen Brown, big man Ivan Rabb and point guard Tyrone Wallace all left this spring, it would have been difficult for Cal to avoid entering rebuilding mode next season. The Bears instead retained Rabb for at least one more season, giving them a skilled interior standout around which to build. Rabb, a 6-foot-11 former McDonald's All-American, averaged 12.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his debut season in Berkeley and showed the ability to make an impact at both ends. The impressive freshman likely would have been selected in the first round if he entered the draft and perhaps would have gone in the top 15 or 20. 5. Indiana Who left early: Troy Williams, F, Jr. Who Stayed: Thomas Bryant, F, Fr., James Blackmon, G, So., O.G. Anunoby, F, Fr. Outlook: If you told Tom Crean eight weeks ago that he'd only lose one of the four players above, he'd have probably wrapped you in a bear hug. Thomas Bryant passed on the chance to be a first-round pick this year in hopes of emerging as a lottery pick next year. O.G. Anunoby didn't even flirt with turning pro even though he'd flashed enough raw potential to be a potential second-round flier. And James Blackmon wisely came back as well rather than risking going undrafted this June. The lone underclassman staying in the draft is Troy Williams, an undeniably talented wing who hasn't put it all together yet. Someone may select Williams in the second round because of his physical tools, but his wayward shot selection, frequent turnovers and inconsistency may also land him in the D-League next season. 6. Xavier Who left early: Jalen Reynolds, F, Jr. Who Stayed: Edmond Sumner, G, Fr., Trevon Bluiett F, So. Outlook: Any lingering sting from forward Jalen Reynolds' early departure surely dissipated quickly because of all the talent Xavier returns. Promising point guard prospect Edmond Sumner didn't even test the waters and leading scorer Trevon Bluiett explored his stock but chose to return. Having both back gives the Musketeers the potential to meet or exceed their accomplishments from last season when they won 28 games and contended for the Big East title before getting bounced in the round of 32 by Wisconsin. They should be a more perimeter-oriented team next season led by Sumner, Bluiett, veteran combo guard Myles Davis and sharpshooter J.P Macura. 7. North Carolina Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Justin Jackson, F, So., Kennedy Meeks, C, Jr. Outlook: North Carolina may not be able to replace the interior scoring of Brice Johnson or the veteran leadership of guard Marcus Paige, but the Tar Heels won't fall far despite the graduation of their two senior leaders. In fact, they should begin the new season in the top 10 in many polls thanks to Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks both withdrawing from the draft. Instead of potentially being taken in the second round next month, Jackson chose to return to Chapel Hill to improve the consistency of his outside shot and show he can evolve into North Carolina's next go-to threat. Meeks will likely start alongside Jackson and Isaiah Hicks in what should be one of college basketball's best frontcourts. 8. Wisconsin Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Nigel Hayes, F, Jr. Outlook: Although Hayes once had every intention of staying in the draft, his inefficient shooting the past six months forced him to reconsider. He almost certainly would not have been a first-round pick and he might have gone undrafted altogether. Hayes' return solidifies Wisconsin as a preseason top 15 team and a contender for the Big Ten title. The Badgers return Hayes, co-star Bronson Koenig, Big Ten freshman of the year Ethan Happ and virtually every other key player from a team that sputtered to a 9-9 start but rebounded to make the NCAA tournament and advance to the Sweet 16. 9. Arizona Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Allonzo Trier, G, Fr. Outlook: Instead of following in the one-and-done footsteps of Aaron Gordon and Stanley Johnson, Allonzo Trier opted to carve a different path. The high-scoring shooting guard passed on the possibility of being a late first-round pick this season in hopes of taking a leadership role on a formidable 2016-17 Arizona team. Trier will be the centerpiece of a loaded backcourt as deep and talented as any nationally. Also returning are point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, combo guard Kadeem Allen and wing Ray Smith, Arizona's most heralded recruit in the 2015 class before a torn ACL sidelined him all of this past season. The Wildcats also welcome three Rivals top 20 prospects: sharpshooter Terrance Ferguson, slashing wing Rawle Alkins and scoring point guard Kobi Simmons.   10. Kentucky Who left early: Jamal Murray, G, Fr., Tyler Ulis, G, So., Skal Labissiere, F, Fr. Who Stayed: Isaiah Briscoe, G, Fr. Outlook: Three surefire first-round picks are leaving and Marcus Lee is transferring, yet Kentucky emerges from the draft deadline as more a winner than a loser. The reason is that Isaiah Briscoe chose Wednesday to return to Lexington rather than taking his chances as a borderline second-round pick. Briscoe will give freshman-laden Kentucky a veteran presence in its starting backcourt alongside freshmen Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox. He averaged 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a freshman and also emerged as Kentucky's best perimeter defender. Lee's decision to transfer diminishes Kentucky's interior depth, but he wasn't the Wildcats' most important returning power forward. They'll need Derek Willis' outside shooting ability to complement a backcourt that will be better attacking the rim than it will be from the perimeter. EARLY-ENTRY DEADLINE LOSERS: 1. USC Who left early: Julian Jacobs, G, Jr., Nikola Jovanovic, F, Jr. Who Stayed: Chimezie Metu, C, Fr. Outlook: Andy Enfield is learning the same lesson that Ben Howland and Tim Floyd did before him: It's hard to retain draft prospects in Los Angeles even if they're not NBA-ready. USC is one of the only programs in the country to lose two starters to the draft even though there's a good chance neither of them will be selected. Point guard Julian Jacobs entered the draft and quickly hired an agent while power forward Nikola Jovanovic waited until the morning of the deadline to make his decision. USC can still build around a core of Jordan McLaughlin, Chimezie Metu, Bennie Boatright and Elijah Stewart, but the Trojans' ceiling is much lower without their second and third leading scorers from last season. A return to the NCAA tournament is still possible. Pac-12 title contention likely isn't. 2. UNLV Who left early: Stephen Zimmerman, C, Fr., Derrick Jones Jr., G, Fr., Patrick McCaw, G, So., Chris Obekpa, C, Sr. Who Stayed: No NBA prospects. (Heck, hardly any players at all) Outlook: Early defections have been an annual issue for UNLV the past few years, but a botched coaching change caused a flurry of departures this spring. The school fired Dave Rice in January, chose not to retain interim coach Todd Simon in March, plucked Chris Beard from Arkansas-Little Rock just before the Final Four and finally settled for Marvin Menzies a few weeks later after Beard bolted for Texas Tech. The result was a long period of uncertainty fraught with transfers and draft declarations. Stephen Zimmerman's was probably inevitable since he has first-round potential. Eligibility concerns might also have played a role in Derrick Jones' otherwise ill-advised decision. But Patrick McCaw almost certainly would have considered coming back under different circumstances and St. John's transfer Chris Obekpa was expected to be the Rebels' starting center next year.   3. Washington Who left early: Dejounte Murray, G, Fr., Marquese Chriss, F, Fr. Who Stayed: No NBA prospects Outlook: Though Washington last played in the NCAA tournament five years ago, the 2016-17 season appeared likely to be the Huskies' return to national prominence. Heralded point guard prospect Markelle Fultz would join last season's star-studded freshman class to form the nucleus of a team capable of contending in the Pac-12 and ending that NCAA tournament drought. Everything changed for Lorenzo Romar, however, when Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss opted to enter the draft and hire agents. In both cases, it's understandable — Chriss' long-term potential makes him a possible lottery pick and Murray would likely spend a lot of time off ball next season with Fultz arriving — but it's still a massive blow to Washington. Now the Huskies don't have anyone back who averaged more than 7.5 points last season.  4. West Virginia Who left early: Devin Williams, F, Jr. Who Stayed: No NBA prospects Outlook: West Virginia would have been the clear-cut top challenger to Kansas in the Big 12 had Williams stayed for his senior season. Instead the power forward left school for an uncertain basketball future that will undoubtedly begin either overseas or in the D-League. Williams averaged 13.3 points and 9.5 rebounds last season, but the 6-foot-9 forward's modest length and explosiveness and lack of perimeter skills concern NBA scouts. They fear he can't finish consistently inside against NBA big men, nor are they confident he'll have the same impact on the glass that he had in college. Williams' departure is a blow to a Mountaineers team that already must replace the perimeter scoring of JaySean Paige and the offensive rebounding of Jonathan Holton. West Virginia can still be a top 25 team, but its ceiling is now lower. 5. Texas Who left early: Isaiah Taylor, G, Jr. Who Stayed: No NBA prospects Outlook: The longterm outlook for Texas under Shaka Smart remains promising, but next season's prospects took a hit when Isaiah Taylor entered the draft and signed with an agent last month. The high-scoring combo guard left without waiting to see if he would be invited to the combine and is in jeopardy of going undrafted next month. With Taylor gone and five seniors graduating, Texas is left with a young, unproven roster. Elite freshman Andrew Jones and potential late addition Jarrett Allen are capable of contributing immediately, however, it would be far more ideal for the Longhorns if they could initially serve as understudies to an erstwhile senior leader. 6. Mississippi State Who left early: Nobody Who Stayed: Malik Newman, G, Fr. Outlook: Malik Newman's decision to withdraw from the draft should have been cause for celebration in Starkville except for one small detail. There's reportedly a good chance he may transfer and sit out a year rather than play for the Bulldogs next season. Newman arrived at Mississippi State as one of the nation's most heralded incoming freshman guards, but he wasn't even the best freshman in the Bulldogs' backcourt. He battled injuries, shot 37.9 percent from the field and tallied nearly as many turnovers as assists. Things could get better at Mississippi State for Newman with Ben Howland adding more talent, but it's hard to shake the notion it's not the best fit for him. Either way, this is now a mess for the Bulldogs. OTHERS STILL WAITING FOR KEY DECISIONS: • Maryland (Melo Trimble) • Purdue (Caleb Swanigan) • Nebraska (Andrew White) • Louisville (Chinanu Onuaku) • Valparaiso (Alec Peters) - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg   Continue to Article
May 25, 2016 2:10:pm EST
Eastern Illinois
One day after new UNLV coach Chris Beard bolted for Texas Tech, Rebels athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy moved quickly to identify a replacement. She hired the coach Beard initially beat out for the job less than three weeks ago. New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies will be UNLV's next coach pending approval of the Nevada Board of Regents next week. Menzies worked as an assistant under Steve Fisher, former UNLV coach Lon Kruger and Rick Pitino before becoming head coach of the Aggies nine years ago. In his past five years at New Mexico State, Menzies has presided over the Aggies' most successful era since their heyday in the early 90s. He has won 23 or more games each season, captured a pair of WAC regular season titles and made the NCAA tournament four times. The one hole in Menzies' resume is a lack of signature victories. New Mexico State did not win an NCAA tournament game during his tenure, nor did the Aggies defeat a power-conference opponent. They did have a pair of near-misses in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, however, against both Michigan State and San Diego State. It had to be awkward for UNLV to come back to Menzies after passing on him during the initial search, but the Rebels had little choice but to act quickly. Transfers, defections and early departures for the NBA draft gutted their roster and incoming recruiting class and both the spring signing period and spring evaluation period started already this week. The first priority for Menzies will undoubtedly be trying to entice back Patrick McKaw, Ben Carter and some of the incoming recruits who have sought a release from their letter of intents. He'll also need to hire a staff as soon as possible so they can get out on the recruiting trail. When Kunzer-Murphy spoke at Beard's introductory news conference last week, she declared that he was the right coach to bring the Rebels back to prominence after three straight seasons without an NCAA tournament bid. Now she can only hope Menzies is capable of the same. - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg Continue to Article
April 16, 2016 3:03:pm EST
Eastern Illinois
Thon Maker just revealed a loophole that NBA and NCAA officials probably would have preferred remained closed. The skilled 7-footer found a way to bypass the one-and-done rule and go straight from prep school to the NBA. Under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement, draft-eligible prospects not defined as international players must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft and at least one year removed from graduating high school. With the exception of Brandon Jennings, Emmanuel Mudiay and a handful of other prospects who have spent a pre-draft season playing professionally overseas or in the D-League, most elite high school players opt to play a year or more of college basketball.  Maker opened another potential avenue on Thursday when the NBA ruled him eligible for this June's draft, a league spokesman confirmed to Yahoo Sports. Maker, 19, completed the requisite coursework to graduate from high school last spring, spent a post-graduate year in prep school and declared for the draft two weeks ago. Part of the appeal that approach for Maker was potential eligibility issues that would have jeopardized his chances of playing in college had he tried to go that route. The other advantage is that the projected late first-round draft pick didn't have to risk exposing himself against college competition and damaging his stock in the process. Spending time in college basketball is typically beneficial to prospects because of the quality of competition and coaching as well as the life skills gained, however, there are always guys each year who cost themselves boatloads of cash because their draft stock plummets. Last year, Kansas' Cliff Alexander struggled and went from surefire first-round pick to undrafted. This year, Kentucky's Skal Labissiere and Kansas' Cheick Diallo saw their stature take a hit after underwhelming freshman seasons.   If Maker were to perform well at the combine or in workouts or Labissiere or Diallo fall further than expected in the upcoming draft, you could see future prospects and their advisers take notice. A player who is already a projected first-round pick by the time he graduates high school might prefer to spend a post-graduate year "hiding" at an off-the-radar prep school rather than risk being exposed against college competition. That's not a trend that would be beneficial for basketball either at the college or NBA level. Prospects who skip college are more difficult for NBA scouts to assess because there are fewer chances to see them in meaningful games against top competition. It's also harder for those prospects to adjust to the NBA not only socially but also because the schemes more complex than high school basketball and the players are so much stronger and faster. There was a time many thought that more prospects would follow in the footsteps of Jennings and choose to spend a year making money overseas rather than playing in college. Thus far Mudiay is the only other high-profile player to do that, and potential eligibility issues at SMU played a role in that decision. Perhaps Maker will be viewed as an outlier in the future. Or maybe he'll turn out to be more of a trendsetter. Either way, it's a meaningful draft story that is worth watching moving forward. The Vertical breaks down Thon Maker's strengths: - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg Continue to Article
April 14, 2016 5:14:pm EST
 
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