College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:39:13 -0500

This is the time of year when college basketball takes a step back in terms of nationally televised games in favor of college football, but there are some intriguing games on the schedule. Kentucky, who's been lights out offensively but hasn't defended at the level that John Calipari desires, hosts a dangerous Rider team licking its wounds following a 79-46 beating at the hands of Virginia. Duke hosts the defending Big South champions in Radford and big men Artsiom Parakhouski and Joey Lynch-Flohr will look to hang with the deep Blue Devil frontcourt.

Five other ranked teams play on Saturday, including #10 Butler (at Evansville) and #17 Oklahoma (at VCU, where Jeff Capel used to coach). The game of the day: that may be Utah State's visit to Northeastern at noon. Both teams (and their leagues) could use a solid resume-building result at this point in the season.

TV GAMES

Rider @ #5 Kentucky - 1PM - ESPN360
East Tennessee State @ #22 Louisville - 4PM - ESPN360
Presbyterian @ #25 Illinois - 8PM - BTN
Georgia @ UAB - 8PM - CSS

OTHER GAMES

Utah State @ Northeastern - Noon
#20 Georgetown @ Savannah State - 1PM
Radford @ #8 Duke - 3PM
Oral Roberts @ Virginia - 2PM
UCF vs. Niagara - 4PM (in Daytona Beach)
Siena @ Temple - 7PM
Marshall @ Old Dominion - 7PM
Oregon @ Portland - 10PM

ONE PREDICTION

Northeastern over Utah State: I really think this could be the game of the day, with the Huskies winning a close one at home. Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh can hold their own inside while perimeter players Matt Janning and Chase Allen are two very dangerous players. Stew Morrill's Aggies usually do a good job in regards to their offensive efficiency, something that usually bodes well in road games. Jared Quayle vs. Janning is one of the better individual matchups as well but look for the Huskies to win by three.

Predictions? Feel free to post them below.

College Hoops Friday Recap: Syracuse into the Top 10?

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:19:12 -0500

For the first half, the championship game of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament between North Carolina and Syracuse was a competitive affair that promised to go down to the wire. That's when Syracuse flipped a switch, going on a 22-1 run that removed any doubt in regards to the result and ultimately winning 87-71 in front of a pro-Syracuse crowd at Madison Square Garden. Wesley Johnson scored twenty-five points and added eight rebounds while Andy Rautins posted one of the better overall stat lines of his career with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals.

Johnson is the story of tonight's win because he's the most talented player on Jim Boeheim's roster and when assertive he's tough to control. Add this to the two-headed monster at the point (Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine), big men Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku and Rautins firing away from the perimeter and you've got a team that can exceed preseason expectations in a major way. And their commitment to the defensive end of the floor is something that was seldom-seen last season. It's important to remember just how early it is in the season, but you can shelve those LeMoyne jokes. Syracuse is the real deal.

Three Key Happenings

1. For all the talk about Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC, don't ignore South Carolina or Ole Miss. Both are now slated to play in the championship game of their respective in-season tournaments following wins on Friday night. The Gamecocks survived a late rally from USF in the Charleston Classic, winning 69-66 and setting up a game with Miami (FL). Devin Downey led the Gamecocks with seventeen and with players such as Brandis Raley-Ross and Marquis Muldrow also playing well Darrin Horn could have an NCAA Tournament team at his fingertips.

The same goes for Andy Kennedy's Rebels, who beat Kansas State 86-74 behind 27 points from Chris Warren. They'll have a "resume-building" opportunity on Sunday in San Juan as they take on #6 Villanova in that final. And you can't forget about Vanderbilt, who picked up a big win on their way to the Maui Invitational by winning 72-70 at St. Mary's. The Wildcats and Volunteers may be the two most talented teams in the SEC but these games are a nice step for the conference following some early losses.

2. Davidson still finding their way without Stephen Curry. You'd have to be an overly optimistic fan to think that the impact that the departure of star guard Stephen Curry would be minimal. You don't lose a player of that caliber and simply plug another guy in and move forward at a school such as Davidson, evidenced by their 0-3 start to the season. Friday night brought Rodney Green and the LaSalle Explorers, who beat Bob McKillop's team 84-70 with four players scoring in double figures.

Brian Barr led the Wildcats with nineteen points but thirteen of his fourteen shot attempts came from behind the arc. This team is going to be most effective with a balanced attack and after having a threat the caliber of Curry the adjustment can take some time. Davidson will take their fair share of hits due to a schedule that's extremely difficult and the fact that they don't have one guy to be "the man" on offense, but those scars could make this team tougher come conference play.

3. The best freshman very few people talked about heading into the season: Marshawn Powell. Arkansas was in the news in the offseason due to the errors in judgement by a few of their players and as a result the freshman forward from Virginia was overlooked by many. But Powell has been key figure in the Razorbacks' 2-1 start with averages of 16 points and 11 rebounds per game. Friday night's performance, 29 points and seven rebounds, was huge as it helped stave off Appalachian State's upset attempt in Fayetteville (81-72).

Things could have fallen apart for the Hogs with Courtney Fortson and a few other key players suspended, but Powell has combined with Rotnei Clarke, Jemal Farmer and Michael Washington to keep this team afloat in the early going.

Three Best Games

1. Vanderbilt 72, St. Mary's 70 Jeffrey Taylor scored nineteen points as the Commodores survived their final game before the Maui Invitational despite seventeen turnovers and a 41-30 rebounding deficit.

2. Tulane 63, Penn St. 60 Kevin Sims' three pointer with nineteen second remaining gave the Green wave their first win of the season while dropping the Nittany Lions, a team some pegged as underrated in the Big Ten, to 0-2 in the Charleston Classic.

3. St. Joseph's 84, Boston College 80 Garrett Williamson scored ten points in the final two minutes to lead the Hawks to the come from behind win over the Eagles in St. Thomas (Virgin Islands). Joe Trapani led the Eagles with twenty points while Reggie Jackson posted a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds).

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall) The junior scored thirty-three points in leading the Pirates to an 89-79 win at Cornell. Jordan Theodore added twenty off the bench for Seton Hall.

2. F Quincy Pondexter (Washington) Pondexter posted an impressive double-double (30 points, 15 rebounds) in the Huskies' 80-70 win over San Jose State.

3. G Evan Turner (Ohio State) Turner posted a stat line of 26 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the Buckeyes' 76-70 win over California.

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:54:34 -0500

It's a busier Friday than usual due to a few in-season tournaments taking place this weekend. Tournaments in Puerto Rico and Charleston are into the semifinals while the championship and third-place games will take place in the Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York. Villanova/Dayton kicks things off at 3 PM on ESPNU while both games from Madison Square Garden can be seen on ESPN2 at 5 and 7 PM. But for as good as Syracuse/North Carolina and the opening semi in San Juan look there are also intriguing games not on national television.

Seton Hall travels to Cornell, taking on a team that's already beaten Alabama and UMass this season. There are also a quartet of games each in St. Thomas and Daytona Beach with Tennessee/East Carolina looking to be the lone blowout on paper. And there are a couple of good-looking games late on the West Coast, with Vanderbilt visiting St. Mary's on their way to Maui and BYU visiting Hawaii.

TV GAMES

#19 Georgia Tech vs. George Mason - 1PM - ESPNU (San Juan)
#21 Dayton vs. #6 Villanova - 3PM - ESPNU (San Juan)
#12 California vs. #15 Ohio State - 5PM - ESPN2 (NYC)
Toledo @ Michigan State - 6:30PM - Big Ten Network
#24 Syracuse vs. #4 North Carolina - 7PM - ESPN2
Ole Miss vs. Kansas State - 8:30PM - ESPNU

OTHER GAMES

Miami vs. UNC Wilmington - 3PM (Charleston)
NC State vs. Akron - 3:30PM (Daytona Beach)
St. Joseph's vs. Boston College - 6PM (St. Thomas)
Seton Hall @ Cornell - 7PM
Miami (OH) vs. Louisiana Tech - 8PM (Albuquerque)
Vanderbilt @ St. Mary's - 11:30PM
BYU @ Hawaii - 12:05AM

ONE PREDICTION

Boston College over St. Joseph's: The Eagles were picked to finish in the bottom half of the ACC yet outside of Tyrese Rice they returned all their key players from last season's team. And when you've got one of the more underrated coaches around in Al Skinner you tend to get ignored by the masses. Very good coaching matchup here between Skinner and Phil Martelli but the pick here goes with Rakim Sanders and Joe Trapani.

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Syracuse Impresses

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:25:32 -0500

Syracuse went into their game with California as the favorite in the eyes of many for two reasons. One: the school has a large alumni base in the New York metropolitan area and that means a good crowd at the World's Most Famous Arena. Two: the Golden Bears were without Theo Robertson (stress reaction in his foot) and they lack depth in the frontcourt with Harper Kamp (knee) also out. But to cite these things without giving notice to what happened on the floor would be unfair to the Orange, who outclassed the Bears 95-73.

Their 2-3 zone was active all night long, pestering the Golden Bears into 30% shooting from behind the arc and fifteen turnovers. Offensively the Orange got whatever they wanted, making 57% of their shots on the night. The two-headed monster at the point was effective, with Scoop Jardine coming off the bench for 22 points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals in what may have been the best game of his college career. Twenty-one of their thirty-six field goals were assisted and Syracuse finished with just ten turnovers on the night. Next up is North Carolina, a 77-73 winner over Ohio State, and it's another opportunity for the Orange to make a statement to the nation.

Three Key Happenings

1. Villanova misses Dante Cunningham. That statement obviously goes without saying but with Mouphtaou Yarou back home due to a viral infection the hole inside was all the more evident against George Mason. But they survived thanks to freshman Isaiah Armwood, whose three pointer not only gave the Wildcats the 69-68 win but was also the first basket of his career. But this wasn't merely a case of survival; the Patriots essentially gave away the game with missed free throws and the failure to even attempt a shot in the final seconds.

Mason led 37-28 at the half thanks to turnovers (Scottie Reynolds had eight) but Villanova took better care of the basketball in the second half. It's early so games like this are a good experience, but if Villanova duplicates this performance on Friday night Dayton's going to send them to the consolation bracket.

2. It wasn't pretty but Dayton found a way to win. In their 63-59 win over Georgia Tech Thursday morning the Flyers didn't receive much offensive help from their starters, who scored just sixteen points. But Chris Johnson (19 points), Paul Williams (13 points) and Luke Fabrizius (12 points) combined to lead the Dayton reserves to a 47-24 edge over the Yellow Jacket bench and that made the difference in a game that featured forty-eight turnovers.

The taller Yellow Jackets won the battle on the boards but their guards couldn't take care of the ball thanks in large part to Dayton PG London Warren. The "Jacksonville Jet" isn't the greatest offensive player but the senior simply makes winning plays and defends opposing guards as if his life depended upon the result. Dayton/Villanova should be entertaining Friday night and if Chris Wright can bring a bit more to the table Brian Gregory's team could have its second consecutive win over a ranked team.

3. San Diego State recovers from their poor showing on Tuesday night. The Aztecs looked nothing like the team expected to compete for the Mountain West crown on Tuesday morning, never entertaining realistic thoughts of a win at St. Mary's. But they were able to turn things around against Santa Clara making 53% of their shots in the 86-53 win at Cox Arena. The Broncos aren't going to be a statement opponent but the win offered Steve Fisher's team a look at what they can be when they play efficiently on offense and defend on the other end. Five players scored in double figures with Billy White leading the Aztecs with seventeen points.

Top Three Games

1. #6 Villanova 69, George Mason 68

2. Seattle 85, Fresno State 84 This game, which ended up being the first for head coach Cameron Dollar, featured three double-doubles (Paul George and Greg Smith for Fresno State; Charles Garcia for Seattle) and Cervante Burrell won it with a layup with eight seconds remaining.

3. #21 Dayton 63, #19 Georgia Tech 59

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Corey Allmond (Sam Houston State) Allmond broke the Rupp Arena record with eleven three pointers, scoring thirty-seven in the Bearkats' 102-92 loss to Kentucky.

2. G Norris Cole (Cleveland State) Cole scored thirty-eight points (11-16 FG, 13-13 FT) in the Vikings' 78-64 win over Florida A&M.

3. F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) The preseason Big East Player of the Year posted another double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Fighting Irish's 82-62 win over Long Beach State.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:17 -0500

While the Coaches vs. Cancer event moves onto the semifinal round at Madison Square Garden tournament play begins in Puerto Rico and Charleston with some intriguing matchups on the radar. Ohio State/North Carolina and Syracuse/California will get the lion's share of the attention and with good reason; all four will encounter their first true test of the season following routine beatings in the opening rounds of the event. Villanova is the highest-ranked team in San Juan but they'll be tested by Jim Larranaga's George Mason Patriots, and the game of the day looks to be Dayton facing Georgia Tech in the opener.

In Charleston there are no ranked teams but the final game offers up an intriguing matchup between Darrin Horn's South Carolina Gamecocks and La Salle; be sure to check out guards Devan Downey (South Carolina) and Rodney Green (La Salle) at some point in the evening. Also, Rider visits Virginia in a game that is more than winnable for the visiting Broncs. The duel between Ryan Thompson and Sylven Landesburg could be worth the price of admission itself.

TV GAMES

#6 Villanova vs. George Mason - 2PM - ESPNU (Puerto Rico)
UNC Wilmington vs. Penn State - 4PM - ESPNU (Charleston)
Indiana vs. Ole Miss - 5PM - ESPN2 (Puerto Rico)
#24 Syracuse vs. #12 California - 7PM - ESPN2
#15 Ohio State vs. #4 North Carolina - 9PM - ESPN2
La Salle vs. South Carolina - 9:30PM - ESPNU

OTHER GAMES

#21 Dayton vs. #19 Georgia Tech - 11:30AM (Puerto Rico)
Miami (FL) vs. Tulane - 1:30PM (Charleston)
Rider @ Virginia - 7PM
USF vs. Davidson - 7PM (Charleston)
Long Beach State @ Notre Dame - 7:30PM
Rice @ Arizona - 10:30PM

ONE PREDICTION

Syracuse over California: The reason for this pick lies in the paint. Jamal Boykin and company will have their hands full with the tandem of Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson on the boards, and shooting against Jim Boeheim's zone is much easier said than done. The wings are able to get out to challenge shooters, which means that the trio of Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson will be made to work for their looks. Wesley Johnson is a tough individual matchup for Cal and the Orange will enjoy a home-court edge at "Carrier Dome South", which should be enough to pull out the close victory.

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Mountain West 2-0 in Rivalry Games

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:55:01 -0500

Wednesday offered Utah and UNLV the opportunity to knock off in-state rivals (Utah State and Nevada) who will enter their respective conference seasons expected to compete for league titles, and neither disappointed. The Utes were able to capitalize on seventeen Utah State turnovers and a hot-shooting Carlon Brown (sorry for referring to you as Carlton yesterday) to pull out the 68-67 win over the Aggies.

UNLV recovered from a slow first half to knock off Nevada 88-75 as Oscar Bellfield scored a career-high 22 points and the Runnin' Rebels outscored the Wolf Pack 55-37 in the second half. These are a pair of wins that while the may not look like much right now could end up being valuable resume-builders for both the teams and their conference.

Three Key Happenings

1. Cornell is a team to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2009. The Big Red picked up their second road win of the season, this time knocking off UMass 74-61 in Amherst. This follows their win at Alabama, but with the Crimson Tide rebuilding under a new head coach in Anthony Grant Wednesday's win may be the more impressive of the two. Cornell's Louis Dale (24 points) and UMass' Ricky Harris (26 points) had quite the individual duel but it was the overall shooting that did in the Minutemen. UMass shot just 36.7% from the field and turned the ball over nineteen times in the Legends Classic game. With SetonHall (home) and Syracuse (away) next on the schedule the two-time defending Ivy champs could have quite the resume heading into December.

2. This has the makings of a long season on The Farm. Stanford, who had already lost at home to San Diego, fell to Oral Roberts 83-81 at Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night. Not much was expected from Johnny Dawkins' team heading into the season but this just adds to the unimpressive start for the Pac-10. In their two losses this season the Cardinal have given up an average of eighty points per game and tonight the Golden Eagles shot 49.2% from the field. Landry Fields (28 points) and Jeremy Green (20 points) were effective scoring but this is not a team that will be consistently successful in outscoring opponents this season, so the defense must improve.

3. If Cincinnati can play this well offensively on a nightly basis look out. There was a lot of talk about the Bearcats possibly being the most improved team in the Big East due in large part to the arrival of Lance Stephenson and the return of Cashmere Wright in addition to standouts Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates. Mick Cronin's team definitely isn't short on individual talent but if they can execute offensively as they did in their 92-68 win over Toledo they'll be a handful. Cincinnati finished the night with twenty-seven assists (10 turnovers) on thirty-seven baskets and they shot 52.1% from the field. Maui next week will provide stiffer tests but their final tune-up is definitely a good start.

Top Three Games

1. North Texas 101, UT-Arlington 99 (2OT) The Mean Green moved to 2-0 on the season with the close win over the Mavericks. North Texas' Josh White led all scorers with thirty-five while Boston College transfer Marquez Haynes led the Mavs with twenty-nine.

2. Utah 68, Utah State 67 Carlon Brown led the Utes with twenty-two points in their win over the Aggies, the eighth straight time in the series that the home team has won. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Loyola (MD) 69, UMBC 66 Jamal Barney scored fourteen second-half points in helping to lead the Greyhounds over their neighbors in Baltimore. Chauncey Gilliam led all scorers with 22 points but it wasn't enough to lead the Retrievers to the home victory in the canine showdown.

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Corey Hassan (Sacred Heart) The senior scored thirty-three points to go along with eleven rebounds in the Pioneers' 76-66 loss at Fordham.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts) Morrison scored thirty-one points and added nine rebounds and three assists in the Golden Eagles' 83-81 win at Stanford.

3. G James Anderson (Oklahoma State) Anderson led the Cowboys in their 93-61 win over Southern with thirty points and ten rebounds. Just imagine what he could have done had he shot better from behind the arc (3-10 3PT).

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Top Two Survive Tests

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:16:26 -0500

Tuesday was a day for sleep deprivation as it marked ESPN's 24-hour college basketball marathon. Unfortunately for the network the early hours served up a trio of yawners with Saint Peter's, Niagara and Clemson all pulling off comfortable victories. But the games involving Kansas and Michigan State didn't disappoint with the top two teams being tested by Memphis and Gonzaga respectively. It's good to see that there are teams willing to challenge themselves so early in the season, giving themselves the opportunity to evaluate themselves against credible competition.

Three Key Happenings

1. Michigan State rides familiar staples to victory. The Spartans weren't at their best offensively in the 75-71 win over Gonzaga, turning the ball over twenty times and making just three of eleven three-pointers. But they got the job done defensively (Gonzaga shot 35.7% from the field; 22.2% 3PT) and on the boards (43-30 advantage), and Durrell Summers led all scorers with twenty-one points and eleven rebounds. Gonzaga has the look of a team that will be heard from in March so this was a very good test for the Spartans, who know what it takes to become a championship-caliber team.

2. Memphis gave Kansas all they wanted but their offensive inconsistency cost them. A lot of the experts out there predicted doom for the Tiger program in light of John Calipari leaving for Kentucky and taking his recruits with him but if Tuesday's 57-55 loss was any indication it's that Josh Pastner's team could be better than expected. The Jayhawks had a mismatch to exploit (Wesley Witherspoon having to guard a big man) but still struggled due to the Memphis defense, which will have to be the Tigers' calling card as they figure things out offensively. Elliot Williams and Doneal Mack hit some big shots but for the most part they were a bit stagnant on that side of the floor, lacking continuity in their offense. That will have to change if they're to defend their Conference USA title.

3. Louisville provided another reason why you shouldn't read too much into exhibitions. Just like fellow Big East member Syracuse the Cardinals didn't look their best during the exhibition season (but they didn't lose). Off-court distractions? Lack of chemistry? Tell that to Arkansas, who the Cards ripped apart 96-66 in the first game from St. Louis. All five starters scored in double figures and Reginald Delk added twenty off the bench for Louisville while shutting down the Razorbacks on the other end of the floor (39.7% FG). The reigning Big East champions may have a better shot at defending their title than many thought before the season began.

Top Three Games

1. #2 Michigan State 75, Gonzaga 71 Durrell Summers led the way for Michigan State with seventeen second-half points while the Bulldogs had four players score in double figure (Robert Sacre scored a career-high 17 points). Going forward Gonzaga is going to need more production from Demetri Goodson, who accounted for one point, one assist, one steal and two turnovers. That's not going to get it done come March.

2. #1 Kansas 57, Memphis 55 Memphis essentially lost this game due to their offensive inefficiency; Kansas was able the throw the ball inside to Cole Aldrich (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Marcus Morris (10 points) and Memphis could not match that. The've got a couple of good shooters in Elliot Williams and Doneal Mack but this isn't a team that can survive on a nightly basis when 45.4% of their shots come from behind the arc.

3. St. Joseph's 69, Holy Cross 67 The Hawks moved to 2-0 despite being outrebounded by a 50-33 margin thanks in large part to Carl Jones, who scored eighteen points off the bench. R.J. Evans led the Crusaders, picked to win the Patriot League, with sixteen points. Neither team shot well from behind the arc but the Hawks were a +11 in points from the foul line and that made all the difference.

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Aubrey Coleman (Houston) 33 points, 9 rebounds and three assists in the Cougars' 92-60 win over Nicholls State.

2. F Charles Garcia (Seattle) 30 points, 9 rebounds in the Redhawks' 98-81 loss to Portland.

3. G Bo Spencer (LSU) 28 points, 7 rebounds and four assists in the Tigers' 71-60 win over Western Kentucky.

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:32:17 -0500

Wednesday sets up to be a light day in regards to games of national interest but there are two games out west that you should pay attention to. Nevada makes the trek from Reno to Las Vegas, taking on in-state rival UNLV in arguably the game of the night while Utah State visits Utah. A pair of Top 10 teams are in action as well with Texas hosting Western Carolina while Butler visits Northwestern in Evanston. In terms of games on television viewers can catch of glimpse of Cincinnati on ESPN 360 as they take on Toledo in their final tune-up before the Maui Invitational, and Nebraska visits St. Louis on the same platform.

TV GAMES

Western Carolina @ #3 Texas - 8PM - ESPNU
#10 Butler @ Northwestern - 8PM - Big Ten Network
Utah State @ Utah - 8PM - The Mtn.
Nevada @ UNLV - 10:30PM - The Mtn.

OTHER GAMES

Virginia Commonwealth @ Western Michigan - 7PM
Mount St. Mary's @ American - 7:30PM
Toledo @ Cincinnati - 7:30PM - ESPN360
Nebraska @ St. Louis - 8PM - ESPN360
Oral Roberts @ Stanford - 10PM

ONE PREDICTION

Utah State over Utah: Stew Morrill annually does one of the better coaching jobs nationally and he's got yet another experienced team with four returning starters. With Gary Wilkinson being the lone starter not returning the Aggies will look more to their backcourt, featuring Tyler Newbold and Jared Quayle. Forwards Tai Wesley and Nate Bendall will need to hold their own up front against the Utes but they should be fine in that area. As for the Utes, Jim Boylen's team gave up ninety-four points to Idaho in their season opener and they'll need to shore up the defense on Wednesday night. Looking for a good highlight? Utah's Carlton Brown may be your man.

College Hoops: Monday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:21:39 -0500

Thankfully Monday was a busy night on the schedule even before ESPN's 24-hour marathon (even if you had fantasy football interests Ravens/Browns should not have been an option) and it didn't disappoint either. John Wall made his regular season debut for Kentucky and to say the least the phenom showed why people are touting him as a National POY possibility. And there were other key results on Monday/early Tuesday that could have a long-lasting impact on this season as well.

Three Key Happenings

1. The embarrassment of riches at the point for Kentucky. Eric Bledsoe scored twenty-seven in the Wildcats' season opener, and all John Wall did last night was score nineteen points and knock down the game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 72-70 win over Miami (Ohio). He also had five assists and three steals, and while the five turnovers could stand to decrease you have to like the options that John Calipari has at that position.

2. UCLA can expect to see a lot of zone defenses. The Bruins went 5-for-29 from three in their 68-65 double overtime loss to Cal-State Fullerton. Michael Roll was 3-for-8 from behind the arc, which makes the team's percentage look even worse. And outside of Malcolm Lee, who battled cramps last night, no one had the look of a guy who can create their own offense on the perimeter. Not good.

3. Don't sleep on St. Mary's. Due to the 2 AM start time a lot of people may have missed the Gaels' impressive 80-58 beating of San Diego State, but if you can catch a replay I urge you to tune in. Randy Bennett's team didn't bother to wait for ESPN to switch over (the UCLA game was in overtime), running out to a 25-5 lead and not looking back. Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson may be gone but they've still got Omar Samhan and Mickey McConnell. And freshman Matthew Dellavedova has the look of a future star.

Top Three Games

1. Cal State Fullerton 68, UCLA 65 (2 OT) The Titans picked up their first-ever win over the Bruins in spite of eighteen turnovers, with Aaron Thompson leading the way with twenty-two points and nine rebounds. UCLA simply could not hit an outside shot to save their lives and as it was noted earlier outside of Malcolm Lee they didn't have a creator on the perimeter. Fullerton threw a zone at the Bruins in the win, a look that UCLA should expect to see until they show that guys not named Michael Roll can hit long-range shots.

2. #5 Kentucky 72, Miami (Ohio) 70 It took some heroics from John Wall to ensure the victory for Kentucky, as he hit a pull-up jumper with six seconds remaining to provide the final margin. The RedHawks shot lights out from behind the arc, making fifteen of twenty-six attempts. Nick Winbush made eight, setting the Rupp Arena record for three pointers by an opponent.

3. Norfolk State 72, Maine 71 Kyle O'Quinn's layup with five seconds remaining was the difference in Norfolk as the Spartans came back from a 52-38 deficit with under twelve minutes remaining to knock off the Black Bears. Rob Hampton led the Spartans with seventeen points while Gerald McLemore (Maine) led all scorers with twenty-four.

Three Player Performances

1. F Kyle Singler (Duke) 23 points, 11 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 74-49 win over Coastal Carolina.

2. F Nick Winbush (Miami-Ohio) 26 points (8-10 3PT), 6 rebounds in the RedHawks' 72-70 loss at Kentucky.

3. G A.J. Slaughter (Western Kentucky) 30 points (10-16 FG) in the Hilltoppers' 69-65 win over Milwaukee.

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:30:50 -0500

ESPN's 24-hour college basketball marathon takes precedent on Tuesday with some intriguing contests throughout the day. Ten ranked teams will be in action including three of the Top 10 squads. The nation will get its first look at Josh Pastner's Memphis Tigers as they take on top-ranked Kansas in St. Louis, national runner-up Michigan State hosts Gonzaga and the lunchtime matinee between Northeastern and Siena looks quite appealing.

The four teams headed to New York for next week's NIT Season Tip-Off will be determined, and if you're looking for early rivalry games check out either Iowa State/Drake or New Mexico/New Mexico State. Feel free to offer up some of your viewing selections below:

TV GAMES

Northeastern @ Siena - Noon- ESPN
Temple @ #20 Georgetown - 4PM - ESPN
Charlotte @ #8 Duke - 6PM - ESPN
Arkansas vs. #22 Louisville (in St. Louis) - 7:30PM - ESPN2
Gonzaga @ #2 Michigan State - 8PM - ESPN
Memphis vs. #1 Kansas - 10PM - ESPN2

OTHER BIG GAMES

Holy Cross @ St. Joseph's - 7PM
Hofstra @ #13 Connecticut - 7PM
New Mexico @ New Mexico State - 9:30PM - ESPN 360