Impressive showing despite a loss in Ames, Iowa

CMU's John Morris is defended by Iowa State's Chris Allen on Sunday. (AP PHOTO)

Had an opportunity to take in my first CMU game this season on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, a 59-52 Iowa State victory. A few quick observations:

-- No. 1, and most impressive, was the intensity CMU showed on defense, especially in the second half. Hitting the floor for loose balls when ISU seemed hesitant paid off multiple times, and badgering the Cyclones into tough shots they weren't expecting limited them to five second-half field goals. I thought Derek Jackson's defense was phenomenal on the perimeter. He didn't have his best offensive game (2-for-9, six points), but his hustle is contagious and really sets the tone on every possession. I wouldn't want him guarding me -- let's just say that. He frustrates guys. An Ernie Zeigler guy, for sure.

-- The difference in this game (other than shoddy officiating) was CMU's six-minute field goal drought midway through the first half. The Cyclones jumped to a 27-13 lead during that span, and although the Chips closed the gap to four before ISU closed the half on a 5-0 run to take a nine-point lead, they never recovered. CMU grossly outplayed ISU the majority of the second half, but still didn't take the lead until a jumper by Trey with 7:21 left. But three turnovers along with officiating that put CMU on the free-throw line twice compared to ISU's 13 the rest of the way really hurt. I guess that's what happens when a MAC team pays $90,000 to go play at a Big 12 school. You better be 10-12 points better.

-- Trey Zeigler looked really good. He came off the bench for the second straight game and third time this season, though this one you can chalk up to dad and coach Ernie Zeigler's superstitions. Friday in a 70-67 win at home vs. Illinois-Chicago, Trey sat the first half because of team rule violations and the Chippewas were able to push through it. Sunday, coach Zeigler waited just over two and a half minutes to get Trey in the game after the Cyclones scored the first six points.

Trey shot just 6-of-14 but hit all of his free throws for the second time this season (6-for-6). He was the only CMU player to get to the line. He was able to get into the lane and draw contact, most of which went uncalled. He also knocked down a few mid-range jumpers and a 3.

ISU's Royce White led his team with
14 points, but made just three field goals.
(AP PHOTO)

--Zach Saylor had a solid game. The 6-8 junior has been inconsistent a large part of his career and foul trouble has been an issue. But he gave the Chippewas a low-post presence and despite just playing 12 minutes, grabbed four rebounds and had eight points, including a jumper that I didn't know he possessed.

--Austin McBroom didn't have a great game, but he's been pretty stellar this season so this was bound to happen. The freshman point guard made just 4-of-12 shots (0-for-5 from behind the arc) for eight points. It was the first game this season McBroom hasn't made at least one 3-pointer, which is pretty impressive production from the 6-foot North Hollywood, Calif., native who came in averaging 11.2 points per game. McBroom is a solid defender, too, and he and Derek Jackson (six points) made up for their offensive struggles by largely minimizing the Cyclones' guards on the other end.

--Freshman guard Austin Keel took advantage of 25 minutes of playing time and looks to be a guy who can come in and be a spark-plug for the offense. He had just five points, but looks to have a nice stroke from 3 and is more than adequate defensively.

--John Morris played just 8 minutes at the point, but I thought he ran the offense well and was totally cool and under control. He did miss an open look that could've put the Chips up by three midway through the second, but that's water under the bridge.

--Iowa State's Chris Babb didn't adjust well to CMU's defensive pressure, taking hurried shots a lot of the time and finishing 3-for-12. His teammate and ISU's leading scorer, Royce White, attempted just six field goals but went to the line 13 times. White, who likes to use his 6-8, 270, yet agile frame to get into the lane, is a 60 percent free-throw shooter, so coach Zeigler did well by not allowing his players to hand White easy baskets.

-- The foul/free throw disparity was frankly, a pretty embarrassing display by the officiating crew. This was a physical game on both ends. The numbers tell the story:

Total fouls
ISU 10, CMU 25
Second half: ISU 8, CMU 13

Free throws
ISU 18-of-27, CMU 6-6
Second half: ISU 13-of-21, CMU 4-4

Analyzing Trey Zeigler's freshman season

In a season in which Central Michigan's basketball team has hardly lived up to expectations and hype, freshman Trey Zeigler has quietly put up one of the best season ever by a CMU or MAC freshman.

For those who expected Zeigler to come in and score 20 points per game right away, his 16.6 per game average isn't anything to sneeze at. Sure, the team hasn't enjoyed the success fans hoped for, but if Zeigler continues to improve his game during the next three years, the wins will come.

Will Trey Zeigler take the reins next season?

There's no doubting Zeigler is a special player. Despite being double teamed nearly every time he touched the ball, he set CMU's all-time freshman scoring record Tuesday night at Toledo, surpassing Dirk Dunbar's 1972-73 record of 471 points. He now has 488. He also sits fourth in MAC history for total points by a freshman. He has at least two more games remaining, so he could theoretically move into second place by scoring his season average. A look:

Player	School	Season	Points
Kenny Battle	NIU	1984-85	544
Gary Trent	Ohio	1992-93	514
D.J. Cooper	Ohio	2009-10	498
Trey Zeigler	CMU	2010-11	488
Bonzi Wells	Ball St.	1994-95	474
Dirk Dunbar	CMU	1972-73	471

Zeigler's scoring average ranks fourth among Division I freshmen this season, right behind Kentucky's duo of Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones and Ohio State sensation Jared Sullinger.

Player	School	Pos.	Ht.	G	FG	3FG	FT	Pts	Avg.	Nnl. Rnk.
Brandon Knight	Kentucky	G	6-3	29	172	68	100	512	17.7	73
Terrence Jones	Kentucky	F	6-8	29	174	20	130	498	17.2	91
Jared Sullinger	Ohio St.	C	6-9	30	183	3	145	514	17.1	96
Trey Zeigler	Cent. Mich.	G	6-5	29	183	25	97	488	16.8	114
DeAndre Kane	Marshall	G	6-4	29	145	40	107	437	15.1	204

Zeigler has avoided injury, which was crucial for his development this season. He has started 28 of 29 games for the Chippewas, with his only game off the bench coming early in the season after he had eight turnovers in a loss at South Alabama.

There's no doubt his game needs to improve, though, mainly at the free-throw line. His 58.1 percent average from the line doesn't rank in the NCAA's top 250, and his 40.1 percent field-goal percentage ranks 10th among freshmen who have played significant minutes. He hasn't yet made 100 free throws despite getting to the line 167 times, more than anyone on CMU's roster.

But perhaps a more troublesome pattern are his turnovers. Zeigler has 97 on the season (3.3 per game) — 50 more than the next closest Chippewa. He also handles the ball more than anybody else, but giving up the ball that much will hinder CMU's chances to become a solid team. This might be a case of a freshman playing like a freshman, but in any case, this must improve next season and beyond.

In the MAC, he ranks third in scoring, behind two seniors:

Player	School	Cl.	G	FG	3FG	FT	Pts	Avg.
Xavier Silas	NIU	Sr.	26	178	52	171	579	22.3
Brandon Bowdry	EMU	Sr.	27	186	26	142	540	20.0
Trey Zeigler	CMU	Fr.	29	183	25	97	488	16.8
D.J. Cooper	Ohio	So.	30	161	56	118	496	16.5
Zach Filzen	Buffalo	Jr.	27	152	97	40	441	16.3
Jalin Thomas	CMU	Sr.	27	128	56	117	429	15.9

So, what else has Trey done this year? His 2.2 assists per game leads the team (How, you ask? Well, CMU ranks dead lasts in the country in assists per game at 8.7). He's also second on the team in rebounds per game at 5.3 (but has 20 more defensive rebounds than Will McClure, the overall leader), second on the team in steals with 41, and third on the team in blocks with 27. He plays a team-high 34.4 minutes a game, hits 33.3 percent of his 3-point attempts (25-of-75).

Would Zeigler get drafted if he entered the NBA after one season? That's debatable. I think he still needs to find a spot on the national map by leading his team to the NCAA tournament before he's done at CMU to really make his stock skyrocket. That won't happen this year, or maybe even next, but his junior year might be when he really makes his mark nationally. He's still got the size and the ability to create offense, though, something NBA scouts noticed even in high school. 

Once Zeigler really get comfortable and puts on a few more pounds (he's still a little bit slim for as physical as D-I basketball, especially the MAC, is) he'll be a force. Right now, he's a good player on a mediocre-at-best team in the MAC who's still feeling his way into college basketball. I think he takes the leadership reins next season with the departure of senior Jalin Thomas, Will McClure and Antonio Weary, each of whom I think Zeigler deferred to as a show of respect. The team will have three seniors again next season, but two of them (Andre Coimbra and Paris Paramore) joined CMU's program this season along with Zeigler, so they're basically on the same level. The other, Nick Jordan, hardly plays and is a behind-the-scenes guy. 2011-12 is really Trey's time to break out of his shell as an individual. It'll be fun to watch.

"Free" throws & CMU rankings down the stretch

With an RPI of 311 (out of 345 teams) CMU isn't exactly striking fear in the hearts of its opponents. Here's how the Chippewas rank in major statistical categories, updated after their embarrassing loss at Niagara:

Category	Stat	MAC rank	Ntnl rank
Pts/gm	59.0	11	336
Opp pts/gm	64.7	3	T-77
Scoring mgn	-5.7	11	290
FG%	38.4	12	333
FT%	61.8	12	332
3PM	127	10	312
3P%	32.5	11	T-257
Reb/gm	33.5	10	T-251
Opp reb/gm	34.2	5	T-168
Reb mgn.	-0.7	7	210
Blocks/gm	3.54	T-4	T-145
Assists/gm	8.74	12	345
Steals/gm	7.12	5	T-105
TO margin	+1.12	5	108
Ast/TO	0.63	12	T-337
Hm att./gm	2,532	7	N/A

Free-throw woes (again)

Team	FT%	MAC rec.
1. Miami	73.6	9-3
2. Akron	71.7	7-5
3. WMU	71.2	7-5
4. Ohio	70.4	6-6
5. NIU	70.3	3-9
6. BSU	69.9	7-5
7. Buffalo	67.8	7-5
8. Kent St.	67.1	9-3
9. EMU	63.5	4-8
10. BGSU	63.5	7-5
11. Toledo	63	1-11
12. CMU	61.8	5-7

CMU rank...free throws (Ernie Zeigler tenure)

Year	Pct.	MAC rank	Ntl rank
2010-11	61.8	12	332
2009-10	66.4	10	T-254
2008-09	63.1	9	T-320
2007-08	67.7	9	T-212
2006-07	72.5	1	T-61

As he's got more of his guys in, the free-throw percentage has hovered around 65 percent (down to a paltry 61.8 this season.

Trey Zeigler, CMU's leading scorer, is shooting 54.2 percent from the line. That's just unacceptable. That's nearing Ben Wallace-esque numbers, and when CMU gets good (it's coming) teams may resort to "hack-a-Trey." It boggles my mind how Trey still shoots such a flat shot from the line (take a look sometime — it's like watching a car navigate across Nebraska). His jumper still is sort of a line drive, too, which is partly shown in his 40.2 percent field goal mark. Of course, he's also getting hounded by the defense most of the time, too, but still, this isn't a very good sign.

Then, there's Derek Jackson (51.2 percent), Andre Coimbra (42.9 percent), William McClure (61.5 percent), Antonio Weary (44.4 percent), and it's no wonder CMU is a bad team right now. Jalin Thomas (80.8 percent) is CMU's best shooter, but the next closest is Finis Craddock (68.2 percent). There's no player who even shoots in the 70-percent range. Baffling, indeed.

This just isn't a good mesh

I was wrong.

I thought the addition of Trey Zeigler and seven others who were sold as playmakers would mean good things for this team. I thought things would get better as the season went on, as what usually happens with young teams.

It hasn't.

That's not to say that this team doesn't have the talent to be a very solid team in the Mid-American Conference. But for whatever reason, the team is playing scared. This often happens with coach Ernie Zeigler's younger players, who sometimes can't handle his tough-love style of coaching (see Jeremy Allen, Chase Simon, Lawrence Bridges, William Eddie, Adrian Hunter, all of whom left early on in their careers).

Speaking of which, let's do a "where are they now?" for Ernie's recruits who left early:

• Adrian Hunter: A junior at Southern Nazarene (Bethany, Okla.) (NAIA). He averages 14 minutes and scores 2.4 points per game for his 21-5 team.

• Jeremy Allen: A junior who's started 20 of 21 games and averages 22 minutes, 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per at Florida International (D-I). His Cougars are 9-16.

• Lawrence Bridges: Averaging 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds as a junior at Robert Morris (D-I, Pa.). He averages 13.7 minutes per game for his 12-13 Colonials.

• William Eddie: Played for Gillette College (Wyo. JUCO) in 2009-10, now unknown (dad is assistant at Florida International after coaching under Zeigler).

• Chase Simon: Averaging 13.3 points, has started 27 games as a junior for Detroit (D-I), which is 14-14 overall, 8-8 in the Horizon League.

That was fun. Moving on ...

Even older players have trouble with Zeigler's coaching style (see Marko Spica, Nate Minnoy, Amir Rashid, all of whom left with eligibility remaining).

Will Zeigler ever find the right combination of players for his demanding style? He better hope so. After taking strides behind Jordan Bitzer and Robbie Harman, this program has taken a giant step back this season. The team's ranks 335th in the nation (out of 344 teams), averaging 58.4 points per game. In terms of sharing the ball and finding each other (a measure of team chemistry) CMU now ranks DEAD LAST in the nation, averaging 8.4 assists per game.

The offense is dysfunctional. I wasn't able to make it through the whole Buffalo replay on ESPN3.com. No movement, no chemistry on offense. 3 assists. This is a "recurring theme," as Ernie admitted afterward. That's on the coaching staff, something Ernie also admitted.

CMU is much better at home (4-1 in MAC, 70 points per game vs. 0-5, 57.6 points per game on the road), something that's to be expected for a young team. But THIS much better? That's just strange, and frankly, embarrassing.

We all misjudged this team's chemistry after a pretty strong start in Hawaii. Jalin Thomas is a very solid player — and so is Trey — but they don't play off each other very well. Trey forces shots knowing he needs to be the man, and so does Jalin, and they haven't found out how to get their teammates involved. There's not real leader of the team...Jalin tries, but that's just not his thing. He's a quiet leader, something that works well on a team with an outspoken leader as well, but not on this team. Will McClure can't do it either because he's got a follower's personality, and well, the other senior — Amir Rashid — he couldn't take it anymore and left.

With no leadership and with Trey still a season away from taking the reins, this team is destined for a first-round MAC tournament exit.

Austin McBroom commits to the Chippewas

Well, here's one reason to hope for the future. Austin McBroom, a 5-foot-11 guard from Campbell Hall High School in southern California, verbally committed to CMU this week over offers from a handful of California schools.

He looks like a good combo guard who can get the ball to Trey for good looks. Something this team really needs right now. Derek Jackson has shown flashes, but still is too hesitant. For that matter, everyone has been hesitant. The comfort level should increase tremendously next year...until then, we wait.

The losses keep mounting, the confidence keeps declining

Trey Zeigler, left, drives against Wright State.

CMU lost its sixth consecutive game Monday night 72-69 on a last-second 3-pointer by South Dakota State's Nate Wolters.

Things are not looking good. And while it's not time to push the panic button just yet (that might come later in the first half of the conference season), there are some warning signs that this just might not be a very good team.

No offensive continuity, flow or comfort: After attending the team's 53-49 loss against Wright State, I waited to post because I wanted to see what it did against Detroit. Well, it turned out to be another stellar 49-point effort in a 75-49 flat-out embarrassment against another father-son tandem that looks like they're comfortable together.

And although the Chippewas put up 69 Monday night, South Dakota State came in giving up 67.2 per game, good for 165th nationally. And without a 45-point second half, CMU doesn't crack 60 again.

Wait...how many assists?

So, the CMU men's basketball team lost again, this time 59-55 to a usually-tough LSU squad on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.

What to take from this one? Well, again, CMU lost a late lead. It was 53-52 CMU lead as late as 1:05 remaining in the game before two free throws from LSU's Andre Stringer. Then PG Amir Rashid and Jalin Thomas turned the ball over on successive possessions and LSU solidified the game at the line. Coach Ernie Zeigler blames it on a lack of "poise." You also could blame it on shooting 35.4 percent and totaling....

2 assists.

First, let me say I haven't watched these recent losses. I'm going off what I can read from the box score.

But....2? Through eight games, CMU is averaging 9.6 assists per game. That's good for 326th nationally out of 336 teams. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's probably not leading to much success.

A few words on an rough loss

CMU's 71-62 loss on Sunday against DePaul, the cellar dweller in the Big East, came when the Chippewas blew a 36-24 halftime lead and a 47-40 lead midway through the second half. It doesn't help when the other team doubles you up (31-15) over the final 10:45 of a game.

It also doesn't help, however, when your star freshman commits his fourth foul less than 3 minutes into the second half. By the time Trey Zeigler checked back in 10 minutes later, the score was tied 52-52 and CMU was on the defensive with less than 9 minutes remaining. Zeigler then fouled out just more than 2 minutes after hopping off the bench, with 6:25 left.

Jackson's a better bet at PG

After that, Amir Rashid turned the ball over three more times to run his tab to 8 on the game.

Yep, that about sums this one up.

Oh, one more thing: the whole 28-turnover thing. Whoops.

Not all Rashid's fault, but I continue to ask: Why isn't Derek Jackson your starting point guard at this point? Sure, point out that Rashid had a career-high 16 points and added three steals, but had just one assist.

Rashid already has 21 turnovers this season and the same number of assists, and that's even after sitting out all but 6 minutes of the Chippewas' loss against Hawaii. Jackson has 9, and 13 assists while handling the ball less. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

It seems to me you'd want someone playing the point who protects the ball. Jackson's already shown he turns the ball over less, is a better offensive player and is more athletic. The only thing he lacks is experience. At 2-5, it couldn't hurt to give him some starting experience in non-conference play.

I need to see this team in person to know for sure, which is why I'll be going to the Wright State game on Tuesday at the new McGuirk Arena.

Anyway, here's the box score if you're so inclined.

Second-half troubles halt CMU's upset bid against Temple, 65-53

CM Life sports editor Aaron McMann's recap of CMU's 65-53 loss can be found here.

The Good: 

Jalin Thomas had a game-high 26 points.

• Central Michigan opened a new arena Wednesday night, and drew a sellout crowd of 5,350, which is more people than attended the first four home games of 2009 combined (4,641). The former Rose Arena, now named McGuirk Arena for the local real estate moguls, technically is just renovated. But the massive additions (new entryway, practice facilities, etc.) and total makeover was enough to brand it as a new thing and pack the stands in the opener against recently-bumped-from-the-top-25 Temple. CMU got off to a fast start and the crowd energized by leading 32-24 at halftime.

• Jalin Thomas (26 points, 6-of-8 3-pointers). The senior forward from Columbus, Ohio, likely took advantage of the Owls' defensive focus on star freshman Trey Zeigler, who had his worst game since turning the ball over eight times at South Alabama (see below). Thomas had 17 of his 26 in the first half. 

Central Michigan takes care of Illinois-Chicago 62-52 on road, ends three-game skid

Quick hits

Trey Zeigler

• Trey Zeigler..still a freshman. Didn't start because of his lackluster defensive performance (and eight turnovers) in CMU's last game, a loss at South Alabama. At UIC, led the team with 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and cut his turnovers down in the first half. He also had a sweet turnaround baseline jumper....but traveled several times and looked a little sped up at times. That'll get better. He still averages 4.2 turnovers per game, more than twice as much as anyone else on the team. Of course he also has the ball more than anyone else, averaging 18.8 points per game to lead the team. But he's got to take better care of the ball, especially down the stretch. 
• On the bright side: Zeigler's defense looked good, especially in man-to-man against UIC's best player Robo Kreps, who came in averaging more than 19 points per game but finished with 14 on 5-of-12 shooting. Kreps played the whole game, too. 

Hawaii 65, CMU 62; Ernie Zeigler: "It's really clear we having something here."

Derek Jackson's last-second shot from halfcourt hit the right side of the backboard early Tuesday morning and the Chippewas fell 65-62 against Hawaii in the final game of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu.

CMU (1-2) got 24 points and five rebounds from freshman Trey Zeigler in 37 minutes. Zeigler also had five turnovers.

Senior Jalin Thomas added 14 points in 36 minutes. Jackson had eight points, but went 3-for-12 from the field and had three turnovers.

CMU went 6-for-25 (24 percent) from 3-point range. The Chippewas totaled a paltry five assists.

Thomas was named to the all-tournament team after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the team's opening win against Cal State Fullerton.

CMU falls 65-58 against Montana State in overtime

UPDATED: Central Michigan Life Sports Editor Aaron McMann's recap on cm-life.com can be found here.

CMU's second game ended in overtime against a Montana State team that hit 21-of-30 free throws (70 percent) and 8-of-16 from 3-point land.

Some highlights:

• Trey Zeigler led all scorers with 21 points. He also had four rebounds, one assist and one steal. He shot 8-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
• Jalin Thomas again seemed to be in the flow of things on the offensive end. He didn't shoot real well (6-for-15), but in 33 minutes, grabbed six rebounds.
• Freshman Derek Jackson came off the bench to contribute five points in 22 minutes.
• Sophomore Finis Craddock had one his best performances, tallying seven points in 22 minutes.

Jalin Thomas gives CMU 70-67 win at buzzer

NEW: Central Michigan Life talks with coach Ernie Zeigler, Jalin Thomas about the season-opening win here:

With the game tied at 67 in the final minute, senior guard Amir Rashid drew a charge against Cal State Fullerton’s Perry Webster, setting up the game-winning play.

“We called a timeout and talked about setting a screen with (Andre) Coimbra,” said CMU head coach Ernie Zeigler. “Trey (Zeigler) and Derek (Jackson) were both in and we told them to go make a play. Jalin stepped up.”

Freshman Zeigler took the ball the length of the court and found Thomas on the right wing, where he hit his third three-pointer of the night to give CMU the win.

Thomas, fighting the flu, went 7-of-18 shooting for the night, also grabbing four rebounds in the best game since playing under Zeigler.

“The emphasis has been starting the season off great,” Thomas said. “That’s something we didn’t do last year. I was really sick but being a senior and captain of this team, I knew I had to step up and show what battling through adversity is.”

A new era begins: CMU at the Rainbow Classic and previewing the MAC

The Central Michigan men's basketball program is hours away from tipping off a new season.

The expectations are cautiously optimistic for the 2010-11 version of the Chippewas, who play Cal State Fullerton at 2:30 a.m. EDT Saturday in Honolulu, Hawaii as part of the Rainbow Classic.

It's easy to see that expectations have never been higher for coach Ernie Zeigler and his team. Zeigler has never had this kind of talent to work with before. He began his tenure by taking over a team that was coming off a 4-24 season in 2005-06.

Zeigler has slowly but consistently brought this program back to respectability. It's hasn't been easy — and Zeigler had his share of detractors. A good number of players Zeigler has brought in left the program because they couldn't fit his "Think Tough, Be Tough" mantra. Some, like Jacolby Hardiman and Marcus Van, got in trouble. Others, such as freshman Tyler Brown, were injured and homesick. But for whatever reason, be it the sorry state of Mid-American Conference basketball or Zeigler's unwillingness to accept nothing less than 100 percent effort, CMU has gained a share of the MAC West Division title the past two seasons. It hasn't translated to success in the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, however, as he has yet to guide the Chippewas past the quarterfinals. But that could be changing immediately.

E-mail discussion with Andre Coimbra

1) Describe how you made your decision to commit to CMU over UMKC. What sort of things did you like about the program?

i felt more comfortable at CMU insted of UMKC because they made me feel apart of a family just being there a couple days. The program interested me because the coach showed me he is a winning coach and i want to be apart of a winning program. I see a possiblity of us being in the tournament.

2) What do you think are your biggest strengths/weaknesses on the basketball court? What do you need to work on the most?

My biggest strength is defense and the one thing i need to work on more is my ability to shoot threes. i can shoot them very well but i want to be close to perfect.

3) What was your journey like from Brazil to Oklahoma? Was it a difficult decision to leave home?

it was a very hard process because i had trouble speaking english and it was a long trip also. But it has gotten better because im used to America and my english isnt [erfect but is getting a lot better. it was pretty difficult leaving home, i miss my family and friends but im willing to make the sacrifice.

4) How did CMU's incoming recruiting class/new Events Center influence your decision? 

The incoming recruits were friendly just as if i already knew them.

5) Who would you compare your game to in the NBA/college ranks?

im not sure who i play like but i like to watch Dennis Rodmans game and try to duplicate my game to his minus the bad attitude.

Sizeable, history-making 2010 class complete

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College's Andre Coimbra has signed with Central Michigan.

Coimbra, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the final piece of what many consider the Chippewas' best recruiting class in program history.

Coimbra averaged 7 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game last season for NEO and coach Dustin Grover. He chose CMU over Missouri-Kansas City.

It's the seventh scholarship awarded for the 2010 class, when only six were supposed to be available.

The coaching staff and players are being suspiciously mum on who's leaving the program. After the season, several former players told me Marko Spica would not return for his fifth year and return to Serbia. But Spica denied the rumor Wednesday, saying he will do an internship in Serbia but still return to play basketball. Apparently the coaches feel like they need to wait until after exams to release who is leaving to make room for Coimbra. My best bet still is on Spica — the guys he came in with are leaving and he and Zeigler have never seen eye-to-eye. Another gut feeling is Zach Saylor, whose injury problems have kept him from getting any semblance of playing time.

The 2010 recruiting class in full
G/F Trey Zeigler                 Mount Pleasant High School            Four stars (No. 7 SG - Scout.com)
F Colin Voss                        East Grand Rapids High School         Two stars
C Nate VanArendonk          Grand Haven High School                  Two stars
G Derek Jackson                 St. Benedictine (Cleveland, Ohio)   N/A
F Jevon Harden                  Loyola High School (Detroit)           Two stars
G Paris Paramore                Triton College (Ill.)                          N/A
F Andre Coimbra                 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M           N/A

Sixth, but not final, 2010 recruit commits

Sneak peak at my story for tomorrow about CMU's newest recruit. This was supposed to be the final scholarship available for the 2010 class, but both head coach Ernie Zeigler and assistant coach Darren Kohne said they still are actively recruiting — which means a departure is likely.

The sixth member of the CMU men’s basketball team’s 2010 recruiting class is no stranger to success.

Paris Paramore, a 6-foot point guard who led Triton College (Ill.) to a 55-7 record during his two seasons, signed a National Letter of Intent to play at CMU on Monday.

“He’s a winner,” said CMU coach Ernie Zeigler. “He’s a guy who had really good leadership skills throughout high school and college. He’s played in situations where he’s helped his teams win.”

Paramore’s 14.8 points and 4.7 assists per game led Triton, which finished 26-3 last season. He also added 5.1 rebounds per game. In 2008-09, Triton went 29-4 and did not lose a game in the North Central Community College Conference.

“I try to pick players up when they’re down and make sure they’re working hard,” Paramore said. “For the big men, if they’re running the floor, I like to reward them. It’s not all about scoring – I rebound a lot as well.”

Triton coach Steven Christiansen said Paramore is an unselfish.

“Paris is just a really smart, solid player,” said Triton coach Steve Christiansen. “He does a lot of things on the floor that increases his team’s chances of winning. He’s just kind of always in the right spot making the play that needs to be made.”

Said CMU assistant coach Darren Kohne:  “I think he’s very versatile – he’s a good shooter who shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from (3-point range) last season.

“He’s not a great athlete – very average athleticism. But he just has a desire and passion to win, which I think in Coach Zeigler’s program is ultimately the most important characteristic you can have.” 

High school

As a prep player at Chicago’s George Washington High School, Paramore led his team to back-to-back city championship games. His team lost both times against Simeon Career Academy, which was led by Derrick Rose, who now is a member of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.

“The Chicago Public Schools are real tough,” Paramore said. “I think that played a good role in getting me to this point.”

Paramore’s George Washington teams also featured DeAndre Liggins, a guard at Kentucky and Kansas guard Mario Little.

Christiansen said Paramore chose the Chippewas over Eastern Michigan and Loyola.

“It’s going to be a real honor to represent the ‘C’ and be part of one of the top recruiting classes in Central history,” Paramore said. 

‘Great depth’

Paramore likely will compete with senior Amir Rashid next season for the starting position at point guard.

The Chippewas lose their starting backcourt and two leading scorers – Jordan Bitzer and Robbie Harman. Incoming freshman Trey Zeigler is expected to start at shooting guard or small forward, but Ernie Zeigler said he expects practices to increase in intensity.

“(Paramore) allows us to have great depth in our backcourt and he brings a competitiveness to the position as well,” Zeigler said. “We’re going to have the opportunity to have some very spirited and competitive practices that are going to help this team develop.” 

sports@cm-life.com

CMU looks to re-sign Zeigler to multi-year deal

By Daniel Monson

Senior Reporter

Athletics Director Dave Heeke said Tuesday he expects to re-sign men’s basketball coach Ernie Zeigler to a multi-year contract in the next few weeks.

“We’re looking at a multi-year agreement,” Heeke said. “I hope to pull this together in short order and continue to move forward.”

Zeigler has one year remaining on his five-year contract, which was extended one year before the 2008-09 season. 

CMU lost 69-60 against Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals March 11 in Cleveland to finish the season 15-15 – its highest win total since 2002-03. The Chippewas also won its second consecutive MAC West title with a 9-7 conference record, earning the tournament’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

“We’re really comfortable with the direction of our program competitively,” Heeke said. “It was a step forward this year. We continue each year to make strides from a competitive standpoint.”

Zeigler has a 54-69 overall record and 31-33 mark in the MAC. He has led the Chippewas to four consecutive 10-plus win seasons, the first CMU coach to do so since Charlie Coles from 1987-88 to 1990-91.

“That win in the quarters would have been a big win for us. It didn’t go our way,” Heeke said. “We played very well for a long stretch in that game and then in a way it resembled our season a little bit. Just when we thought we were there, it all just slipped through our fingertips. I think we’re very close and I thought this season illustrated that.”

Zeigler said he looks forward to continuing to build the program and has had preliminary discussions with Heeke about an extension.

“Dave Heeke and I have had some preliminary discussions and we’re going to be putting our heads together and hopefully putting me in a position to continue being head coach here for a long time,” he said.

Heeke said one concern he has addressed with Zeigler is the number of underclassmen who have left the program – six in the past two offseasons. But Heeke said each individual circumstance was different and he has confidence the right foundation of players is in place. Zeigler said he does not anticipate any underclassmen leaving the program this offseason.

 “We think we’ve got that formula figured out,” Heeke said. “We have an excellent core group of young men and they understand our system and the expectations of our program.”

With the new events center opening in the fall, Heeke said this is a good opportunity to secure the program’s future.

“I think it’s a really strong tool in the tool box that we hope is a final piece of the puzzle that can vault our program to that next level,” he said. “We don’t talk about the number of wins, I just want our programs to be a position to contend for championships and for titles.”

sports@cm-life.com

Scouting Western Michigan

No. 2 Central Michigan vs. No. 7 Western Michigan
What: MAC Tournament quarterfinals game
When: Noon Thursday 
Where: Quicken Loans Arena; Cleveland, Ohio
At stake: Winner advances to semifinals, plays No. 3 Akron-No. 6 Eastern Michigan winner.

Scouting Western Michigan
Record: 17-14, 8-8 MAC
Last season: 10-21, 7-9 MAC; Tied for 1st in MAC West; lost 62-55 against Ohio in MAC first round
Coach: Steve Hawkins, seventh year (123-98)
Watch out for: The 2010 MAC Player of the Year, David Kool (more to come).
Last MAC tournament title: 2004
Last NCAA tournament appearance: 2004

A look at CMU's history at the MAC Tournament

CMU vs. opponents in MAC Tournament

Team	CMU record against
Western Mich.	0-0
Akron	1-2
Kent State	4-1
Eastern Mich.	2-0
Ohio	1-3
Miami	1-1
Buffalo	1-0
Bowling Green	1-0
Toledo	0-3
Ball State	0-4
Northern Ill.	2-0
Marshall*	0-1
Overall	13-15

*No longer in MAC

CMU in MAC Tourney under coach Ernie Zeigler

2007
Central Michigan 80, Buffalo 74 (first round at Cleveland)
Akron 82, Central Michigan 53 (quarterfinals at Cleveland)

2008
Central Michigan 83, Northern Illinois 71 (first round at Cleveland)
Akron 82, Central Michigan 53 (quarterfinals at Cleveland)

2009
Central Michigan 62, Eastern Michigan 49 (first round at Cleveland)
Ball State 64, Central Michigan 61 (OT) (quarterfinals at Cleveland)