Colonial

Rivers' Shot Caps Duke Rally: Wednesday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:36:16 -0500

There have been some thrilling comebacks in the history of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry, but surprisingly there haven't been many games that have been decided at the buzzer. Wednesday night's game in Chapel Hill wasn't a case of "down eight with 17 seconds to go" as it was in meetings in 1974 (UNC with the comeback and win) and 1995 (Duke with the comeback but UNC ended up winning), but with the Tar Heels up ten (80-70) with 3:35 remaining one would expect them to win.

But missed free throws and botched possessions late left the door slightly ajar, and the Blue Devils would take advantage as Austin Rivers' three from the right wing as time expired gave Duke the 85-84 win. Rivers was Duke's best offensive player as he scored 29 points, but even with his numbers the many critics were sharpening their knives with the expectation being that North Carolina would close the game out. Rivers and company would prevent that by outscoring UNC 15-4 over the final 3:35, resulting in a three-way tie atop the ACC.

"They made the right plays and we didn't. I mean, it's just that simple," said UNC wing Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half. "You've got to give credit where credit is due, and they played a great game."

Rivers is the focus on any night for the Blue Devils for the simple fact that he is Duke's most talented perimeter player, and the key for the Blue Devils down the road is that the freshman uses his talent to not only get his points but also get others involved. Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry scored 15 points apiece and Tyler Thornton knocked down a critical three during the final run, displaying a confidence one wouldn't expect from a player who'd gone 0-for-5 from deep to that point in the contest.

Barnes had a bit of a roller coaster game, as he was quiet in the first half only to get rolling in the first ten minutes of the second and then fade into the background down the stretch. Tyler Zeller (23 points, 11 rebounds) played well throughout but will be remembered more for the missed free throws and the fateful switch that resulted in him guarding Rivers on the final sequence, and John Henson (12 points, 17 rebounds) posted a double-double as well. If anything the contest was a mixture of North Carolina not taking care of business and Duke refusing to quit. And with a player like Austin Rivers at your disposal anything is possible.

"Austin was magnificent. We had a play set for a three, a different three, if they hit both free throws," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "But when they missed the second, we wanted to go to a quick angle and he could either take it to the basket or he shot it, and he shot it and it was all net."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas goes on a 34-6 run spanning both halves to soundly defeat Baylor in Waco.
Jeff Withey proved to be a problem for Baylor in the first meeting between the two teams as he finished two blocked shots short of a triple double, and that was also the case on Wednesday night in Waco. Withey scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half to help Kansas navigate the half despite Thomas Robinson being in foul trouble. The Jayhawks' run reached the point to where they led by 20 points, and they never relinquished control in the 68-54 victory.

Tyshawn Taylor added 19 points and Robinson scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas, who is tied with Missouri atop the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks hit Baylor in the mouth and the Bears didn't respond well at all, with the game getting to the point where it's fair to wonder whether or not Scott Drew's team has the mettle required to make a run in March. The Bears have a great deal of talent but when Perry Jones III accounts for just five points and a player who burned them the first time does so again, it's difficult to expect the Bears to be a national title hopeful at this point.

2. Kris Joseph scores 29 points to lead Syracuse past Georgetown in overtime.
There were people who truly wondered how Georgetown would be able to hang with #2 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, seeming to forget the fact that the Hoyas had the system and the personnel to give the Orange some trouble. That's exactly what happened as Georgetown grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded to Orange 52-35, making up for their poor shooting. But it wasn't enough to leave with a win at Kris Joseph scored 29 points ot lead Syracuse to the 64-61 win.

Joseph and Fab Melo (11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks) were the only Syracuse players to score in double figures on a night that saw their guards struggle and the other frontcourt players used weren't much better. But that was countered by the struggles of Georgetown's Henry Sims, who shot 1-for-12 from the field in scoring six points, somewhat negating the impact he had as a distributor from the high post. Syracuse had the one player on the floor who didn't seem to have any issues finding good looks in crunch time in Joseph, and that ultimately was the difference on a night that saw them get whipped on the glass.

3. Arkansas leaves the Fayetteville and promptly gets blown out by Georgia.
There's a reason why so many were hesitant to give the Razorbacks that NCAA tournament "stamp of approval" after their win over Vanderbilt. The Hogs entered Wednesday's game at Georgia 0-6 in true road games and it was easy to see why by halftime with the Bulldogs taking a 43-24 lead into the break. Arkansas shot 26.1% from the field in the first half and where soundly whipped on the glass by a count of 25-10 (eight offensive rebounds for the Bulldogs), ending up in a hole that was too big to climb out of in an 81-59 defeat.

Gerald Robinson Jr. went just about wherever he wanted to, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with 18 and five rebounds. Arkansas has shot better than 40% from the field just once in seven road games this season, and that's a big reason why they haven't won on the road. Not sure what the missing spark is for the Razorbacks but they'd better figure out how to get things going away from Bud Walton Arena before it lands them in the NIT.

Quick Hitters

1. David Kyles scored 16 points off the bench and Toure' Murry led four players in double figures with 21 points as Wichita State took sole possession of first place in the MVC with an 82-57 win over Northern Iowa. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have the look of a team that can do some serious damage come March, and a win at Creighton on Saturday would give them a two-game lead.

2. Florida State's offensive execution down the stretch reverted to its pre-seven game win streak form in Chestnut Hill, and the end result was a 64-60 loss to Boston College. Jordan Daniels scored 21 points and dished out five assists to lead the Eagles, who snapped a six-game losing streak. Florida State is now part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC.

3. Cody Ellis scored 20 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench to lead Saint Louis to a 72-60 win at Saint Joseph's, keeping them tied with Xavier in second place in the Atlantic 10 a game behind Temple (who came back from 15 down to beat George Washington) in the loss column. Rick Majerus has a solid eight-man rotation on which to rely, and he's one of the best in America at putting together a game plan.

4. Two possible conference champions to keep an eye on come March remained undefeated in league play with road wins on Wednesday night. UT Arlington moved to 10-0 in the Southland with a 75-63 win at Sam Houston State and Bucknell took care of Colgate 66-50 to move to 9-0 in the Patriot League. In LaMarcus Reed III (UT Arlington) and Mike Muscala (Bucknell) these two teams feature players currently on the short list for Player of the Year in their respective leagues.

5. Southern Miss did themselves no favors on the road as they fell 71-61 at UAB. The Golden Eagles simply did not have an answer for Cameron Moore, who accounted for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Southern Miss is now tied with Memphis (7-2) atop the Conference USA standings and UCF (7-3) is just a game back in the loss column due to their win over Marshall.

6. In a matchup of the top two teams in the NEC it was LIU Brooklyn who came out victorious as they beat borough rival St. Francis (NY) 81-71 at Madsion Square Garden. Jamal Olasewere (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Boyd (17 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles and C.J. Garner scored 19 points to lead the Blackbirds. They play again on Saturday, and a Terrier win could be the only thing that keeps Jim Ferry's squad from winning the regular season title as LIU has already swept second-place Wagner.

7. Form held in the CAA as the top four teams all won, widening the gap between themselves and the rest of the league. In most season that would essentially guarantee the conference cashing in to the tune of multiple NCAA tournament berths, but due to the league's profile and team's non-conference resumes that may not be the case this season. George Mason, VCU and Drezel are all 12-2 in league play while Old Dominion is a game out at 11-3.

8. In two other Big East results worth mentioning, Pittsburgh saw their run of success ended in Tampa as they shot just 34.6% from the field in a 63-51 loss at USF. Hugh Robertson led three Bulls in double figures with 18 points and Ashton Gibbs shot just 2-for-9 from the field and scored four points. And Jordan Theodore scored 24 points to lead Seton Hall past Rutgers 59-54, meaning that the senior will finish his career with a 4-0 mark on the floor of the Pirates' in-state rival.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Cameron Moore (UAB)
27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Blazers' 71-61 win over Southern Miss.

2. F Kris Joseph (Syracuse)
29 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Orange's 64-61 overtime win over Georgetown.

3. G Austin Rivers (Duke)
29 points, five rebounds and two steals and the game-winning three as time expired in the Blue Devils' 85-84 win at North Carolina.

Jon Teitel's End of January All-Conference Teams

Jon Teitel — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:35:11 -0500

With the final month of the regular season on our door step, this is a good time to put together some all-conference teams. Enter CHN writer Jon Teitel, who not only picked his all-conference teams for each league but also provided a conference Player of the Year as well. Without further ado here are the all-conference teams, with the league POY in italics.

America East
G Gerardo Suero (Albany)
G Darryl Partin (Boston University)
G Gerald McLemore (Maine)
F Chase Plummer (UMBC)
F Alasdair Fraser (Maine)

Atlantic 10
G Ramone Moore (Temple)
G Carl Jones (Saint Joseph's)
G Tu Holloway (Xavier)
F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)

ACC
G Terrell Stoglin (Maryland)
G C.J. Harris (Wake Forest)
F Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)
F Mike Scott (Virginia)
F John Henson (North Carolina)

Atlantic Sun
G Jordan Burgason (Lipscomb)
G Markeith Cummings (Kennesaw State)
G Adam Sollazzo (ETSU)
F Torrey Craig (USC Upstate)
F Adam Pegg (Stetson)

Big 12
G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
F Perry Jones III (Baylor)

Big East
G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
G Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette)
G Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut)
F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)

Big Sky
G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
G Charles Odum (Portland State)
G Will Cherry (Montana)
F Collin Chiverton (Eastern Washington)
F Scott Bamforth (Weber State)

Big South
G Nick Barbour (High Point)
G Anthony Raffa (Coastal Carolina)
G Darren White (Campbell)
F Stan Okoye (VMI)
F Eric Griffin (Campbell)

Big Ten
G Tim Frazier (Penn State)
G Drew Crawford (Northwestern)
F John Shurna (Northwestern)
F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
F Draymond Green (Michigan St.)

Big West
G Orlando Johnson (UCSB)
G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
G Casper Ware (Long Beach State)
F Stephan Hicks (Cal State Northridge)
F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)

Colonial
G Mike Moore (Hofstra)
G Devon Saddler (Delaware)
G Keith Rendleman (UNC Wilmington)
F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)

Conference USA
G Will Barton (Memphis)
G Miguel Paul (East Carolina)
G DeAndre Kane (Marshall)
F Cameron Moore (UAB)
F Arsalan Kazemi (Rice)

Horizon
G Ray McCallum (Detroit)
G Chase Simon (Detroit)
G Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
F Kevin Van Wijk (Valparaiso)
F Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso)

Independent
G Mitch Albers (Nebraska-Omaha)
G Isaiah Wilkerson (NJIT)
F Aaron Broussard (Seattle)
F Jeremy Robinson (Chicago State)
C Antwan Carter (Longwood)

Ivy
G Zack Rosen (Pennsylvania)
G Tyler Bernardini (Pennsylvania)
G Brian Barbour (Columbia)
F Greg Mangano (Yale)
F Ian Hummer (Princeton)

MAAC
G Juan'ya Green (Niagara)
G Scott Machado (Iona)
G George Beamon (Manhattan)
F Michael Glover (Iona)
F O.D. Anosike (Siena)

MAC
G Rian Pearson (Toledo)
G Trey Ziegler (Central Michigan)
F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
F Jarrod Jones (Ball State)
F Javon McCrea (Buffalo)

MEAC
G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
G Tony Gallo (Coppin St.)
F Amin Stevens (Florida A&M)
F Brandon Riley (South Carolina State)
C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk St.)

MVC
G Colt Ryan (Evansville)
G Rayvonte Rice (Drake)
F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
F Taylor Brown (Bradley)
F Kyle Weems (Missouri St.)

Mountain West
G Chase Tapley (San Diego St.)
G Wes Eikmeier (Colorado St.)
G Jamaal Franklin (San Diego St.)
F Mike Moser (UNLV)
F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)

Northeast
G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
G Velton Jones (Robert Morris)
G Robby Ptacek (CCSU)
F Ken Horton (CCSU)
F Julian Boyd (LIU Brooklyn)

OVC
G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
G Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
G Jud Dillard (Tennessee Tech)
F Robert Covington (Tennessee St.)
F Tyler Stone (Southeast Missouri St.)

Pac-12
G Jared Cunningham (Oregon St.)
G Tony Wroten (Washington)
G Allen Crabbe (California)
F Brock Motum (Washington St.)
F Andre Roberson (Colorado)

Patriot
G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
G Charles Hinkle (American)
F Ella Ellis (Army)
F J.J. Avila (Navy)
F Mike Muscala (Bucknell)

SEC
G John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)
G Kenny Boynton (Florida)
F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi St.)
F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)

Southern
G Kevin Giltner (Wofford)
G Eric Ferguson (Georgia Southern)
F Antwaine Wiggins (Charleston)
F De'Mon Brooks (Davidson)
C Mike Groselle (Citadel)

Southland
G Mike James (Lamar)
G Trevon Lewis (Nicholls St.)
F Patrick Richard (McNeese St.)
F LaQuentin Miles (Central Arkansas)
F LaMarcus Reed III (UT-Arlington)

SWAC
G Quincy Roberts (Grambling St.)
G Savalace Townsend (UAPB)
G Jenirro Bush (Jackson St.)
F Casey Cantey (Alabama A&M)
C Paul Crosby (Mississippi Valley St.)

Summit
G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
G Nate Wolters (South Dakota St.)
G Frank Gaines (IPFW)
F Alex Young (IUPUI)
F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts)

Sun Belt
G DeJuan Wright (FIU)
F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
F Chris Udofia (Denver)
C LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee)
C Augustine Rubit (South Alabama)

WCC
G Kevin Foster (Santa Clara)
G Anthony Ireland (Loyola Marymount)
G Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's)
F Noah Hartsock (BYU)
F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)

WAC
G Kevin Olekaibe (Fresno St.)
G James Kinney (San Jose St.)
G Deonte Burton (Nevada)
F Wendell McKines (New Mexico St.)
C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii)

College Basketball Conference Ranking: RPI, KenPom, Sagarin

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:09:04 -0500

With the new year upon us and conference play starting in earnest, it seemed like a fitting time to check on how the computers rank the conferences so far. The computers all agree on one thing: the Big Ten is by far the most dominant league in the country. After that, there are subtle disagreements down the line. It is noteworthy that the Mountain West is ahead of 3 traditional power conferences, while the Pac 12 barely comes in ahead of the MVC and A10.

The overall ranking is based on an average of three rankings: the RPI, KenPom.com's ratings, and the Sagarin rating from USA Today.

Rank	Conference	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	Avg
1	Big Ten	1	1	1	1.0
2	Big 12	3	2	2	2.3
3	Big East	2	3	3	2.7
4	Mountain West	4	6	4	4.7
5	SEC	6	4	5	5.0
6	ACC	5	5	6	5.3
7	Pac 12	9	7	7	7.7
8	Missouri Valley	7	9	8	8.0
9	Atlantic 10	8	8	9	8.3
10	CUSA	11	10	10	10.3
11	WCC	10	11	11	10.7
12	Horizon	12	13	13	12.7
13	WAC	18	12	12	14.0
14	MAC	14	15	14	14.3
15	Summit	13	17	15	15.0
16	Colonial	20	14	16	16.7
17	Ivy	17	16	19	17.3
18	Sun Belt	15	20	17	17.3
19	Atlantic Sun	19	18	18	18.3
20	MAAC	16	19	21	18.7
21	Big West	21	21	20	20.7
22t	Patriot	23	22	26	23.7
22t	Southern	22	24	25	23.7
24t	Ohio Valley	24	25	24	24.3
24t	Big South	27	23	23	24.3
26	Big Sky	28	26	22	25.3
27	Southland	25	28	27	26.7
28	Northeast	26	27	28	27.0
29t	America East	31	29	29	29.7
29t	MEAC	29	30	30	29.7
31t	Independent	32	31	31	31.3
31t	SWAC	30	32	32	31.3

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Jon Teitel's All-Conference Teams (Pre-League Play Edition)

Jon Teitel — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:59:57 -0500

With conference play beginning for many leagues this week (a few conferences began their league slate in early December) it's a good time to look back on some of the top performers. Enter CHN writer Jon Teitel, who put together his all-conference teams for each of the leagues.

America East
G Gerardo Suero (Albany)
G Darryl Partin (Boston University)
G Gerald McLemore (Maine)
F Ben Dickinson (Binghamton)
F Chase Plummer (UMBC)

Atlantic 10
G Carl Jones (Saint Joseph's)
G Tu Holloway (Xavier)
G Ramone Moore (Temple)
F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
F Chris Braswell (Charlotte)

ACC
G Terrell Stoglin (Maryland)
G Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
F Travis McKie (Wake Forest)
F Mike Scott (Virginia)
F Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

Atlantic Sun
G Markeith Cummings (Kennesaw St.)
G Kerron Johnson (Belmont)
G Adam Sollazzo (East Tennessee St.)
F Torrey Craig (USC Upstate)
C Adam Pegg (Stetson)

Big 12
G Steven Pledger (Oklahoma)
G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
F Royce White (Iowa St.)

Big East
G Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut)
G Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette)
G Dion Waiters (Syracuse)
F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)

Big Sky
G Damian Lillard (Weber St.)
G Charles Odum (Portland St.)
G Will Cherry (Montana)
G Stallon Soldivar (Northern Arizona)
F Collin Chiverton (Eastern Washington)

Big South
G Darren White (Campbell)
G Nick Barbour (High Point)
G Anthony Raffa (Coastal Carolina)
F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
C Al'Lonzo Coleman (Presbyterian)

Big Ten
G Drew Crawford (Northwestern)
G Tim Frazier (Penn St.)
F John Shurna (Northwestern)
F Robbie Hummel (Purdue)
F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

Big West
G Orlando Johnson (UCSB)
G Casper Ware (Long Beach St.)
G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach St.)
F James Nunnally (UCSB)

Colonial
G Mike Moore (Hofstra)
G Devon Saddler (Delaware)
G Keith Rendleman (UNC Wilmington)
F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)

Conference USA
G Will Barton (Memphis)
G Damier Pitts (Marshall)
G DeAndre Kane (Marshall)
F Keith Clanton (UCF)
F Arsalan Kazemi (Rice)

Horizon
G Chase Simon (Detroit)
G Kendrick Perry (Youngstown St.)
G Ray McCallum Jr. (Detroit)
F Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso)
F Ben Averkamp (Loyola (IL))

Independent
G Mitch Albers (Nebraska-Omaha)
G Isaiah Wilkerson (NJIT)
F Aaron Broussard (Seattle)
F Art Bernardi (Houston Baptist)
C Antwan Carter (Longwood)

Ivy
G Zack Rosen (Pennsylvania)
G Tyler Bernardini (Pennsylvania)
F Keith Wright (Harvard)
F Ian Hummer (Princeton)
F Greg Mangano (Yale)

MAAC
G Dylon Cormier (Loyola (MD))
G Harold Washington (Canisius)
G Scott Machado (Iona)
F Michael Glover (Iona)
F Rakim Sanders (Fairfield)

Mid-American
G D.J. Cooper (Ohio)
G Rian Pearson (Toledo)
F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
F Jarrod Jones (Ball St.)
F Javon McCrea (Buffalo)

MEAC
G Tony Gallo (Coppin St.)
G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
F Brandon Riley (South Carolina St.)
F Dominique Sutton (North Carolina Central)
C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk St.)

Missouri Valley
G Colt Ryan (Evansville)
G Rayvonte Rice (Drake)
G Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
F Taylor Brown (Bradley)

Mountain West
G Chase Tapley (San Diego St.)
G Wes Eikmeier (Colorado St.)
G Michael Lyons (Air Force)
F Chace Stanback (UNLV)
F Mike Moser (UNLV)

Northeast
G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
G Kyle Vinales (CCSU)
F Ken Horton (CCSU)
F Julian Boyd (Long Island)
F Ike Azotam (Quinnipiac)

Ohio Valley
G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
G Isaiah Canaan (Murray St.)
G Jeremy Granger (Eastern Illinois)
F Robert Covington (Tennessee St.)
F Tyler Stone (Southeast Missouri St.)

Pac-12
G Jared Cunningham (Oregon St.)
G Jorge Gutierrez (California)
G Tony Wroten (Washington)
F Brock Motum (Washington St.)
F Andre Roberson (Colorado)

Patriot
G Charles Hinkle (American)
G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
G Jim Mower (Lafayette)
F Mike Muscala (Bucknell)
F JJ Avila (Navy)

SEC
G John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)
G Kenny Boynton (Florida)
G Dee Bost (Mississippi St.)
F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi St.)

Southern
G Kevin Giltner (Wofford)
G Harouna Mutombo (Western Carolina)
F Antwaine Wiggins (Charleston)
F De'Mon Brooks (Davidson)
C Mike Groselle (Citadel)

Southland
G Brandon Fortenberry (SE Louisiana)
G Kannon Burrage (UTSA)
G Anthony Miles (Lamar)
F LaQuentin Miles (Central Arkansas)
F Patrick Richard (McNeese St.)

SWAC
G Savalace Townsend (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
G Marquis Baker (Alcorn St.)
G Jenirro Bush (Jackson St.)
F Kenderek Washington (Alabama St.)
C Paul Crosby (Miss. Valley St.)

Summit
G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
G Nate Wolters (South Dakota St.)
G Frank Gaines (IPFW)
F Alex Young (IUPUI)
F Terell Parks (Western Illinois)

Sun Belt
G Raymond Taylor (FAU)
G Chris Jones (North Texas)
F LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee)
F Chris Udofia (Denver)
C Augustine Rubit (South Alabama)

West Coast
G Kevin Foster (Santa Clara)
G Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's)
G Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga)
F Noah Hartsock (BYU)
F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)

WAC
G Kevin Olekaibe (Fresno St.)
G James Kinney (San Jose St.)
G Zane Johnson (Hawaii)
F Wendell McKines (New Mexico St.)
C Kyle Barone (Idaho)

Jon Teitel's November All-Conference Teams

Jon Teitel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:22:22 -0500

With the first month of the college basketball season concluded, this is a good time to recognize some of the top players throughout the country. With that in mind, CHN writer Jon Teitel gave his all-conference selections for each conference (and independents, which includes the Great West in this piece).

America East
G Darryl Partin Boston University
G Justin Edwards Maine
G Gerardo Suero Albany
F Ben Dickinson Binghamton
F Chase Plummer UMBC

Atlantic 10
G Carl Jones Saint Joseph's
G Mark Lyons Xavier
G Tu Holloway Xavier
F Andrew Nicholson St. Bonaventure
F Chris Braswell Charlotte

ACC
G Kendall Marshall North Carolina
G Terrell Stoglin Maryland
G Glen Rice Jr. Georgia Tech
F Travis McKie Wake Forest
F Mike Scott Virginia

Atlantic Sun
G Marcus Dubose ETSU
G Markeith Cummings Kennesaw St.
G Jordan Burgason Lipscomb
F J.J. Mann Belmont
F Torrey Craig USC Upstate

Big 12
G J'Covan Brown Texas
G Marcus Denmon Missouri
F Royce White Iowa St.
F Thomas Robinson Kansas
F Quincy Miller Baylor

Big East
G Maalik Wayns Villanova
G Darius Johnson-Odom Marquette
G Jeremy Lamb Connecticut
F Kevin Jones West Virginia
F Herb Pope Seton Hall

Big Sky
G Damian Lillard Weber St.
G Will Cherry Montana
G Kareem Jamar Montana
F Scott Bamforth Weber St.
F Collin Chiverton EWU

Big South
G Keith Gabriel VMI
G Darren White Campbell
G Anthony Raffa Coastal Carolina
F Eric Griffin Campbell
F Al'Lonzo Coleman Presbyterian

Big Ten
G Tim Frazier Penn St.
G Drew Crawford Northwestern
F John Shurna Northwestern
F Jared Sullinger Ohio St.
F Robbie Hummel Purdue

Big West
G Casper Ware Long Beach St.
G Orlando Johnson UCSB
F Stephan Hicks Cal State-Northridge
F James Nunnally UCSB
F T.J. Robinson Long Beach St.

CAA
G A.J. Davis James Madison
G Devon Saddler Delaware
G Humpty Hitchens James Madison
F Ryan Pearson George Mason
F Nathaniel Lester Hofstra

Conference USA
G Will Barton Memphis
G Miguel Paul East Carolina
F Keith Clanton UCF
F Josh Davis Tulane
F Cameron Moore UAB

Horizon
G Kendrick Perry Youngstown St.
G Chase Simon Detroit
F Kevin Van Wijk Valparaiso
F Ryan Broekhoff Valparaiso
C Alec Brown Green Bay

Independents
G Mitch Albers Nebraska Omaha
G Isiah Williams Utah Valley
F Aaron Broussard Seattle
F Jeremy Robinson Chicago State
F Antwan Carter Longwood

Ivy
G Zack Rosen Pennsylvania
G Sean McGonagill Brown
F Ian Hummer Princeton
F Greg Mangano Yale
F Keith Wright Harvard

MAAC
G Scott Machado Iona
G Harold Washington Canisius
G Dylon Cormier Loyola (MD)
F Michael Glover Iona
F Rakim Sanders Fairfield

MAC
G Rian Pearson Toledo
G D.J. Cooper Ohio
G Trey Ziegler Central Michigan
F Jarrod Jones Ball State
F Julian Mavunga Miami (OH)

MEAC
G Tahj Tate Delaware St.
G Tony Gallo Coppin St.
G Darrion Pellum Hampton
F Dominique Sutton NC Central
F Brandon Riley South Carolina St.

Missouri Valley
G Colt Ryan Evansville
G Rayvonte Rice Drake
F Doug McDermott Creighton
F Ben Simons Drake
F Taylor Brown Bradley

Mountain West
G Michael Lyons Air Force
G Chase Tapley San Diego St.
G Wes Eikmeier Colorado St.
F Anthony Drmic Boise St.
F Mike Moser UNLV

NEC
G Kyle Vinales Central Conn. St.
G James Johnson Quinnipiac
F Ken Horton Central Conn. St.
F Alex Francis Bryant
F Ike Azotam Quinnipiac

Ohio Valley
G Kevin Murphy Tennessee Tech
G Isaiah Canaan Murray St.
G Jud Dillard Tennessee Tech
F Mike Liabo UT Martin
F Robert Covington Tennessee St.

Pac-12
G Jared Cunningham Oregon St.
G Jorge Gutierrez California
G Trent Lockett Arizona St.
F Devon Collier Oregon St.
F Brock Motum Washington St.

Patriot
G Charles Hinkle American
G Jim Mower Lafayette
G C.J. McCollum Lehigh
F Ryan Willen Lafayette
C Mike Muscala Bucknell

SEC
G John Jenkins Vanderbilt
G Kenny Boynton Florida
G Brad Beal Florida
F Arnett Moultrie Mississippi St.
F Tony Mitchell Alabama

Southern
G Jamaal Trice Appalachian St.
G Eric Ferguson Georgia Southern
F De'Mon Brooks Davidson
F Antwaine Wiggins Charleston
F Mike Groselle Citadel

Southland
G Brandon Fortenberry SE Louisiana
G Anthony Miles Lamar
G Antonio Bostic Stephen F. Austin
F LaQuentin Miles Central Arkansas
F Patrick Richard McNeese St.

SWAC
G Marquis Baker Alcorn St.
G Savalace Townsend UAPB
G Tramaine Butler Alabama St.
F Casey Cantey Alabama A&M
F Demarquelle Tabb Alabama A&M

Summit
G Frank Gaines IPFW
G Nate Wolters South Dakota St.
G Reggie Hamilton Oakland
F Dominique Morrison Oral Roberts
F Alex Young IUPUI

Sun Belt
G Chris Jones North Texas
G Jeremy Allen FIU
G Phil Taylor FIU
F Chris Udofia Denver
C Augustine Rubit South Alabama

WCC
G Evan Roquemore Santa Clara
G Kevin Foster Santa Clara
F Noah Hartsock BYU
F Rob Jones St. Mary's
C Robert Sacre Gonzaga

WAC
G Kevin Olekaibe Fresno St.
G Christian Kabongo New Mexico St.
G Zane Johnson Hawaii
F Wendell McKines New Mexico St.
C Kyle Barone Idaho

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:36:05 -0500

The final night of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will also boast a matchup of Top 10 teams as #7 Wisconsin (6-0) takes on #5 North Carolina (5-1) in Chapel Hill. Roy Williams' Tar Heels are coming off of a disappointing second half in Las Vegas on Saturday as they fell decisively to UNLV. With a trip to Kentucky next on the schedule it might be a good thing for North Carolina that the in-between game isn't one of the standard "avoid the letdown" variety, so they should be ready to go. But in Bo Ryan's Badgers the Heels will encounter a team unlike any they've played to this point in the season, in both talent and tempo.

Senior point guard Jordan Taylor (11.0 ppg, 5.8 apg, 5.0 rpg) is asked to do more scoring than counterpart Kendall Marshall (10.8 apg, 4.8 ppg), and that's another piece of evidence for the argument that there won't be another point guard matchup of this caliber all season long. Marshall is one of the best distributors in the game and while some may point at the many options at his disposal as the reason why, it takes a smart floor general to not only get guys the ball but make sure they get it in the best position to be successful. Taylor also has a very good assist-to-turnover ratio, and his ability to keep the tempo under control is another skill some point guards tend to struggle with.

Two other key components in the Wisconsin backcourt are Josh Gasser (10.2 ppg, 71.4% 3PT) and Ben Brust (12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg), with the latter leading the Badgers in scoring despite coming off the bench. Brust was outstanding in Wisconsin's win over BYU on Saturday night, scoring 22 points in a game the Badgers won going away in the second half. Gasser is Wisconsin's best perimeter shooter, and as a team the Badgers score an astonishing 47% of their points from beyond the arc. North Carolina has been solid in defending the three as their opponents have shot 32% to date, but they will need to be solid in their defensive principles against Wisconsin in this area.

UNC sophomore wing Harrison Barnes (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is a go after spraining his right ankle in Saturday's loss to UNLV, and he'll represent a significant challenge for the Wisconsin defense. Ryan Evans will likely draw this assignment, and their job will be to turn Barnes into a player who needs more dribbles to get his shots. Barnes is an impressive offensive player when it comes to catch and shoot or jump shots off of one dribble; essentially situations where he isn't seriously challenged in scoring. But Barnes also averages 2.7 turnovers to just one assist per game, and this is something that Wisconsin will need to exploit in order to win.

The play inside will also be a focus, with the Tar Heels boasting a pair of likely first round NBA draft picks in Tyler Zeller (13.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and John Henson (15.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.0 bpg). The two were relatively kept in check by UNLV, and they will definitely be challenged from a physical standpoint by the Badgers. Mike Bruesewitz (7.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg) gives up a few inches but he's a tough glue-guy who can do the little things that winning teams need done, and Jared Berggren (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is their best interior scorer. In the swing offense big men also have the opportunity to make plays on the perimeter, and Berggren is shooting 38% from beyond the arc on the season.

North Carolina is the deeper team, but in order to take full advantage of players such as Dexter Strickland (starter), P.J. Hairston, Reggie Bullock and James Michael McAdoo they have to control the tempo. On the season UNC averages 76.7 possessions per game, a far cry from the 59.5 that the Badgers average. A faster pace would also minimize the amount of time that Marshall is forced to buckle down and defend Taylor, but it could be in North Carolina's interest regardless of tempo to go with Strickland on Taylor.

Out west there are a pair of games involving ranked teams to keep an eye on, with UNLV visiting UCSB and San Diego State hosting Creighton. The Runnin' Rebels will get to show how they deal with prosperity on the road against a dangerous team that went to the Big Dance last season and returns one of the most prolific scoring tandems in the country in Orlando Johnson and James Nunnally. So much is made of how teams respond to adversity, but maturity can be shown in how they deal with being told how great they are as well. Does UNLV come out of the gates hungry? If not their stay in the rankings could be a short one.

As for the matchup between the Bluejays and Aztecs, this MVC/MWC challenge is an event that the Valley needs some redemption in after taking a serious beating on the chin last season. Greg McDermott's got one of the better frontcourts around led by sophomore Doug McDermott, and the perimeter play isn't bad either thanks to the likes of Antoine Young. But can they keep the energetic Aztecs off the offensive glass? That will be a big question to be answered, and the outcome will most likely hinge on it.

Pittsburgh and Duquesne meet at the Consol Energy Center in what should be an entertaining city battle, Drexel (the one Philadelphia school not in the Big 5) visits Saint Joseph's and it would not be a surprise if the Dragons were to win. But Bruiser Flint's team needs to become more consistent, something that's easier said than done without the services of Chris Fouch. Preseason Patriot League favorite Bucknell visits George Mason in another solid matchup, Florida State takes on Michigan State in East Lansing and Notre Dame visits Gonzaga in their first big game without Tim Abromaitis.

Top 25 Games
9:30 PM (7) Wisconsin at (5) North Carolina (ESPN)
8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at (14) Kansas (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (17) Pittsburgh vs. Duquesne* (CBSSN)
11:15 PM Notre Dame at (18) Gonzaga (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (20) UNLV at UC Santa Barbara
10:30 PM (22) Creighton at San Diego State (The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Delaware vs. Boston University*
7:00 PM Towson at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Dartmouth at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Lafayette at Princeton
7:00 PM Ohio at Marshall
7:00 PM NJIT at Army
7:00 PM Buffalo at Dayton
7:00 PM Furman at Elon
7:00 PM Bucknell at George Mason
7:00 PM Northeastern at La Salle
7:00 PM Navy at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:00 PM Elizabeth City at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Drexel at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Toledo
7:00 PM Hope at Western Michigan
7:15 PM Penn State at Boston College (ESPNU)
7:15 PM Indiana at North Carolina State (ESPN2)
7:30 PM Florida State at Michigan State (ESPN)
7:30 PM Rhode Island at Brown
7:30 PM USF at VCU (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Richmond at William & Mary
8:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas
8:00 PM Colorado at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Northern Iowa at Iowa State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jamestown at North Dakota
8:00 PM Tulsa at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Texas A&M
8:00 PM Maine at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Robert Morris (IL) at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Wiley at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Lamar at TCU
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Tennessee-Martin
8:00 PM Southern University at Tulane
8:05 PM UAB at South Alabama
8:05 PM Missouri State at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM Rice at Houston Baptist
8:05 PM Chicago State at Illinois State
8:30 PM Grambling State at Washington State
9:00 PM Drake at Boise State
9:00 PM Idaho State at New Mexico
9:00 PM BYU at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM Utah Valley at Wyoming
9:05 PM Denver at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:15 PM Virginia Tech at Minnesota (ESPN2)
9:15 PM Wake Forest at Nebraska (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Sacramento State at Cal Poly
10:00 PM UTSA at San Jose State
10:00 PM USC at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Academy of Art at Fresno State
10:05 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Cal State Northridge
11:05 PM Eastern Washington at Idaho

College Hoops Sunday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:56:23 -0500

The title game of the Old Spice Classic may not be the kind of matchup that leads off SportsCenter like say, North Carolina/Kentucky next week, but it is a contest that we could look back on in March when discussing tournament resumes. Dayton (4-1) and Minnesota (6-0) meet in the title game, with both surviving a pair of close games to reach this point. First-year head coach Archie Miller took over the Dayton program for the departed Brian Gregory (now the head coach at Georgia Tech), and the hope is that he can take the Flyers to the tournament (NCAA) that's eluded them in each of the previous two seasons.

Dayton's got a good mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers as well, with Paul Williams (12.6 ppg) and Chris Johnson (10.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) being two of the scorers they call on. The Flyers have four starters averaging double figures, but the fifth will likely be a key player against the Golden Gophers. Matt Kavanaugh (8.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is averaging 12.0 rebounds per game in Orlando, and he scored 15 points in the quarterfinal win over Wake Forest. Kavanaugh and Josh Benson will need to be factors on the defensive end at the very least, but the athleticism of the Minnesota frontcourt has to be a concern.

Trevor Mbakwe (14.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Ralph Sampson III (7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) are the two who initially come to mind, with the explosive Mbakwe a tough matchup for most teams due to both his strength and athletic ability. But Mbakwe is the only insanely athletic frontcourt player that Tubby Smith has in the starting lineup. Rodney Williams has the ability to turn opponents into supporting "actors" in highlight films, and if he can ever become a more consistent player look out. The question for Dayton's big men is a simple one: can they at the least control the rules of engagement in the paint? A match of sheer athleticism could get Kavanaugh and Josh Benson in trouble.

Guard play will always be important, and with both teams breaking in new point guards this could end up being the difference. Southern Illinois transfer Kevin Dillard leads Dayton in scoring and he's averaging 13.5 points per game in Orlando, but he's also averaging four turnovers per contest this weekend. For Minnesota Andre and Austin Hollins (not related) are two key figures on the perimeter, and both are either at or close to two turnovers per game on the season.

The Golden Gophers have been slightly worse at turning the ball over with a percentage of 22% (Dayton comes in with a turnover percentage of 20%), but they're the better of the two teams at forcing turnovers. Points off turnovers and how well Dayton does at keeping Minnesota off the offensive boards (offensive rebounding percentage of 42%) will more than likely determine who wins the Old Spice Classic.

The 76 Classic will also crown its champion on Sunday as Oklahoma takes on Saint Louis. Both teams have put together solid starts to their respective seasons, with both posting impressive wins in their first two games in the event. Kwamain Mitchell (Saint Louis) and Steven Pledger (Oklahoma) will be two of the key figures, and SLU leading scorer Brian Conklin will look to bounce back from his first single-digit scoring performance of the season. Saint Louis could be an NCAA Tournament team while Lon Kruger looks to rebuild a program that took a hit from the NCAA, but a win would represent a nice step in the right direction for either team.

Butler visits Indiana with the improved Hoosiers showing further signs of growth by the game. The question for the Bulldogs is how efficient can they be offensively. Their offensive efficiency of 96.3 sits in the middle of the Horizon League, a sure sign that life without Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard hasn't been easy to get used to in that regard. Andrew Smith and Khyle Marshall are two of the players Brad Stevens will need more offensive production from, along with Chrishawn Hopkins and perimeter shooter Chase Stigall.

Butler allows just 60 points per game, so they will make Indiana work for everything they get, but this Indiana team is far better equipped to deal with tough defenses. Freshman Cody Zeller (14.6 ppg) leads five Hoosiers in double figures, and sophomore Victor Oladipo is one of the toughest defenders in the Big Ten to shed. Verdell Jones III, Will Sheehey and Christian Watford are all in double figures as well, and Tom Crean's club has been far more efficient on offense this season. Tends to happen with an infusion of talent like the one Indiana received with their 2011 recruiting class.

VCU could strike a much-needed blow for the CAA in their trip to Alabama, Notre Dame plays their first game without Tim Abromaitis (torn ACL) and don't be surprised if Robert Morris happens to scare Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center.

Top 25 Games
9:30 PM VCU at (13) Alabama (ESPNU)
5:00 PM Robert Morris at (16) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Binghamton at (21) Missouri (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
11:30 AM Texas Tech vs. Wake Forest* (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Hofstra vs. Boston University*
12:00 PM Michigan State at Eastern Michigan (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Loyola (MD)
1:00 PM Chicago State at Illinois (BTN)
1:30 PM UC Riverside vs. Washington State* (ESPN3)
2:00 PM DePaul vs. Arizona State* (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Bryant at Notre Dame
2:00 PM West Alabama vs. Princeton*
2:00 PM Temple at Bowling Green
2:00 PM Holy Cross at Maine
2:00 PM Calumet College at Ball State
2:00 PM Brown at Sacred Heart
2:30 PM Cleveland State at Rhode Island
2:30 PM North Texas at Mississippi State
3:00 PM American University at Cornell
3:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Chattanooga
3:00 PM Georgia Southern at SMU
3:00 PM Cameron at UTSA
3:05 PM Bethune-Cookman at Illinois State
4:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at UAB
4:00 PM Boston College vs. New Mexico* (ESPNU)
4:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Albany
4:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Norfolk State
4:00 PM Victory University at USC Upstate
4:30 PM Morehead State at Bucknell
4:30 PM Indiana State vs. Fairfield* (ESPN2)
4:35 PM UC Davis at Eastern Washington
5:00 PM NW Oklahoma St at Texas State
5:00 PM Wilberforce at Tennessee Tech
5:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Portland State
6:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Villanova vs. Santa Clara* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Butler at Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM Minnesota vs. Dayton* (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Navy
7:00 PM San Francisco St. at Saint Mary's
7:00 PM San Diego at Tulane
9:00 PM Saint Louis vs. Oklahoma* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Wyoming
9:30 PM Jacksonville State vs. Weber State*

College Hoops Friday Recap: Bulldogs Win 2K Sports Classic

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:10:48 -0500

Just over a week ago there were many questions about the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the aftermath of their loss to defending MAC Tournament champion Akron, one that featured listless play from their big men and uneven play from their guards. But just as Rick Stansbury's team can be a bit maddening in one week they can be just as productive the next, which is what happened in New York this week. Led by 2K Sports Classic MVP Arnett Moultrie (19 points, 10 rebounds) the Bulldogs never trailed as they beat Arizona 67-57 in the championship game.

Defensively the Bulldogs performed well, limiting Arizona to 40.4% shooting from the field and finishing a plus-4 on the glass. Offensively it wasn't a pretty game for either team, with Jesse Perry (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Solomon Hill (12 points, nine rebounds) leading the way for the Wildcats, but when it came time for the "tough" plays to be made more times than not it was a Bulldog getting it done.

"This game was about effort and toughness," said Stansbury. "If you look at the stat sheet, you see who the tougher team was on that floor tonight. We hustled, played hard and made all of the effort plays you need to make to win a championship."

Point guard Dee Bost didn't have his best shooting performance as he made just three of twelve shots from the field, but he did dish out six assists and grab five rebounds to make up for the lack of scoring. Renardo Sidney, who still has a way to go from a stamina standpoint, scored eight points hand had his moments during his 20 minutes on the floor.

While Perry is a frontcourt player who can score inside as well as step out to 15 feet and beyond, Arizona doesn't have another interior scoring threat and that cost them against Mississippi State. Kyle Fogg and Jordin Mayes were quiet offensively and outside of a few flashes freshmen Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner didn't provide much more off the bench.

These games were good tests for both teams, but it can be argued that the Bulldogs needed the title a little more given their start to the season. The question now is whether or not Mississippi State can use the title as a springboard to bigger and better things. They have the potential to, but whether or not the job is done depends entirely on them.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Rough day for the CAA as both Drexel and VCU fall.
The Colonial Athletic Association has done a very good job in recent years of earning at-large bids, with league contenders getting the job done in non-conference play and then going on to stage a riveting league race. And while that may still happen, losses by Drexel and VCU on Friday won't help matters. VCU's loss to Georgia Tech, with Glen Rice Jr.'s second half shooting sparking a Yellow Jacket rally, isn't one that will boggle the mind. Shaka Smart's team is trying to adjust to new roles and that will be a work in progress.

But for Drexel to follow up their impressive performance at Rider with a loss in the Paradise Jam to Norfolk State isn't what was expected of Bruiser Flint's team. After being nearly unstoppable on Tuesday, Samme Givens scored just seven points and point guard Frantz Massenat finished with seven turnovers. As a result of these defeats VCU finds themselves needing a win on Sunday to avoid an 0-3 Charleston Classic and Drexel somewhat lucks out with a game against Virginia. Both teams will need to be better offensively if they're to be successful.

2. Houston scores 52 points in the second half and beats Arkansas in Little Rock.
This wasn't a true home game for Mike Anderson's Razorbacks, so that may have taken a little away from the vigor of the crowd. But to give up 52 points in a half has to be something that the Hogs' head coach will focus on in their next practice. Kirk Van Slyke scored 19 points off the bench to lead five Houston players in double figures in an 87-78 win over Arkansas on Friday night as James Dickey's team moved to 3-0 on the season.

Houston shot 52.5% from the field, and while their offensive efficiency (114.5) was lower than their season average (118.8) the Cougars were able to execute at a similar level against stiffer competition. However, Houston needs to improve on their ball security if they're to make a push in Conference USA as they turned the ball over 23 times. If Coach Dickey's team can shore things up in that regard, it may not take waiting for their very good 2012 recruiting class to arrive in order to have an impact.

3. Kendall Williams rebounds from a brutal performance to help lead New Mexico to a win at Arizona State.
After going a combined 0-for-13 from the field in the Lobos' loss to New Mexico State earlier this week usual starters Kendall Williams and Drew Gordon came off the bench on Friday. And both bounced back, with Williams scoing 16 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists while Gordon accounted for 13 points and nine rebounds in a 76-71 win at Arizona State.

Four Lobos finished in double figures, and the play of freshman guard Hugh Greenwood was also something to take note of. Greenwood made just two of ten shots from the field but he dished out five assists without a turnover, and the season wears on the Australian will most likely get the bulk of the minutes at the point. Steve Alford's team needed a positive result heading into next week's 76 Classic, and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. Robbie Hummel will be the focal point for Purdue but senior point guard Lewis Jackson will be just as important. Jackson scored a game-high 26 points to go along with three assists in the Boilermakers' 85-77 win over Temple in a Puerto Rico Tipoff semifinal.

2. Virginia put forth a poor performance in their 57-55 loss to TCU at the Paradise Jam, with Joe Harris' game-winning three pointer falling just short as time expired. Not the best way for Tony Bennett's team to go about showing that they could be the fourth-best team in the ACC.

3. To say the least it's going to be a tough year for Boston College, but this was expected given their personnel losses combined with the need to rely on their young players. But to loss 86-64 to Holy Cross isn't the best way to go about that.

4. Gary Waters' defense was at it again as Cleveland State beat St. Bonaventure 67-64 due in large part to the 23 turnovers they forced. Trevon Harmon led three CSU starters in double figures with 20 points while D'Aundray Brown and Jeremy Montgomery scored 12 apiece.

5. Keith Dambrot's Akron team fell to Valparaiso 62-59 with Kevin Van Wijk scoring 21 points and grabbing ten rebounds on the night, with the foul line proving to be the deciding factor. Valpo attempted 38 free throws to Akron's seven.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Scott Machado (Iona)
17 points and 15 assists in Iona's 94-88 win over Western Michigan in a consolation bracket game in the Puerto Rico Tipoff

2. G Carl Jones (Saint Joseph's)
38 points (a tournament record), four rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Hawks' 78-70 loss to Seton Hall in a Charleston Classic semifinal.

3. G T.J. McConnell (Duquesne)
15 points, 11 assists and ten rebounds in the Dukes' 97-81 win over District of Columbia.

Preseason Mid-Major Top 25

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:31:22 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a weekly companion to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking, taking an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six.

Non-BCS Top 25: November 9th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
1	Memphis	x	13	x
2	Xavier	x	6	x
3	Gonzaga	x	14	x
4	Temple	x	8	x
5	New Mexico	x	22	x
6	Butler	x	3	x
7	UNLV	x	11	x
8	Creighton	x	x	x
9	George Mason	x	10	x
10	Marshall	x	x	x
11	Drexel	x	x	x
12	Belmont	x	12	x
13	Wichita St	x	16	x
14	Saint Mary's	x	19	x
15	Kent St	x	x	x
16	VCU	x	9	x

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
17	BYU	x	2	x
18	San Diego St	x	1	x
19	Indiana St	x	x	x
20	Weber St	x	x	x
21	Harvard	x	23	x
22	UAB	x	17	x
23	Long Beach St	x	x	x
24	George Washington	x	x	x
25	UCF	x	x	x

pre. = preseason ranking

last = last ranking (end of 2010-11 season)

* = Losses in the last week

Next 5: Nevada, Dayton, Tulsa, Northern Iowa, Old Dominion

Next 5: Fairfield, Cleveland St, Akron, Austin Peay, FAU

Dropped Out of Top 25:

#4 Richmond

#5 Utah St

#7 Old Dominion

#15 Missouri St

#18 Princeton

#20 Cleveland St

#21 Oakland

#24 UTEP

#25 Morehead St

Agree/Disagree? Post Your Thoughts Below! Check the archives for older Non-BCS Top 25 Rankings

Opening Night Observations: No Surprises To Be Found

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:18:45 -0500

The college basketball season finally got underway on Monday night with three games featuring squads that will be in New York next week for the 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. All three favorites, Arizona, Mississippi State and St. John's, won but predictably there were signs of rust. That comes with the territory, but what are some of the things that can be learned from these games? Here are a few basic observations for each of the six teams in action.

Arizona (beat Valparaiso 73-64)
Once again the Wildcats struggled in the first half, but the scored the final five points of the stanza to take a 32-30 lead into the break. Finding good shots in their half-court sets proved to be an issue for Arizona, but they did a better job on both ends of the floor in the second half. The Wildcats made 12 of 20 shots in the second half, and point guards Josiah Turner and Jordin Mayes made better decisions.

Jesse Perry (14 points, 10 rebounds) scored 10 points in the first half, and as his teammates improved offensively in the second half the senior hit the boards and played solid defense. Freshman Nick Johson and senior Kyle Fogg were Arizona's two best guards on Monday night, combining for 30 points, and Johnson led the team with six assists. Solomon Hill and Kyryl Natyazhko had rough nights, but they'll perform better on Wednesday night.

Eastern Kentucky (lost to Mississippi State 76-66)
The Colonels trailed by six at the half despite shooting 33.3% from the field, aided by the fact that Mississippi State shot just 9-for-19 on two-point shots. Michael DiNunno had an off night from the field, making just four of seventeen shots, and it's safe to say that EKU can't afford nights like that if they're to be a factor in the OVC race.

EKU's problem in the second half was points off of turnovers, with the Bulldogs scoring 12 points off of five EKU turnovers. Eastern Kentucky did score nine points off of six MSU turnovers, but none of those points can on fast break opportunities. And after keeping Dee Bost under wraps in the first 20 minutes he scored 17 points in the second half. EKU outscored Mississippi State 7-5 in second-chance points, and that edge could have been more if not for a minus-11 rebounding margin.

Mississippi State (beat Eastern Kentucky 76-66)
Renardo Sidney didn't make much of an impact in the box score (nine points, three rebounds), but the Bulldogs were able to manage it thanks to UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie. Moultrie posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in addition to a pair of blocks. Will he be the consistent bell cow Rick Stansbury can count on nightly? He may have to be but at the least Moultrie gives Mississippi State a second option inside, something that was missing last year.

Dee Bost bounced back from a 2-for-7 first half, scoring 17 of his game-high 23 points. The difference? Aggression. Bost didn't take one free throw in the first half, staying out on the perimeter offensively, but once he attacked the basket the fouls began to mount for EKU. Brian Bryant didn't shoot well (2-9 FG) but in freshman Rodney Hood the Bulldogs got their first glimpse of the many things that he can do. Hood finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. Good start for the freshman.

St. John's (beat William & Mary 74-59)
The Red Storm looked a bit nervous in the first half, settling for perimeter looks against a packed-in William & Mary defense and it showed in the numbers. St. John's was 2-for-9 from three and 8-for-22 from two in the first half, so it wasn't surprising that they trailed 33-26 at the half. But led by Nurideen Lindsey (19 points, four assists) the Johnnies weren't content to settle for jumpers in the second half. St. John's made 17 of their 22 shots from inside the arc and attempted just six three-pointers.

Four starters finished in double figures, and with their seven-man rotation that will need to be a consistent occurrence in order for this team to be successful. God'sgift Achiuwa finished with 17 points and nine rebounds but where will the help come from if he gets into foul trouble? That's where the ineligibility of Norvel Pelle will hurt the most, and clearly Amir Garrett could be used as well (the hope is that both will be eligible come December). St. John's was a minus-6 in rebounding margin, with Maurice Harkless grabbing eight boards, and four of the five starters played 32+ minutes.

Valparaiso (lost to Arizona 73-64)
The Crusaders received solid efforts from forwards Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk, who scored 18 points apiece in defeat. Van Wijk was able to get to the foul line, where he made eight of his thirteen attempts. But no other player attempted more than four, and their 25% shooting from three proved to be Valparaiso's downfall. Valparaiso shot at least 50% from two in both halves, but the struggles from deep proved costly. Starting guards Erik Buggs, Jay Harris and Matt Kenney shot a combined 1-for-9 from deep on the night, and Bryce Drew's team can't afford that.

Valpo did a good job on the boards as they finished a minus-2 (32-30) in rebounding margin and led 19-18 in that department at the half. But Arizona outscored them by eight points (15-7) at the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes, and when combined with the Cats shooting 60% from the field it isn't too difficult to see what happened. But the offensive output from the guards is what will likely stick out in this defeat.

William & Mary (lost 74-59 to St. John's)
Things went well for the Tribe in the first half as they outscored St. John's 21-6 from beyond the arc. Defensively Tony Shaver's team was able to keep the SJU perimeter players out of the lane, forcing them to settle for jumpers. But unlike the Red Storm William & Mary didn't take care of the basketball, finishing the night with 21 turnovers to four for St. John's. Quinn McDowell played well, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds and Julian Boatner knocked down four three-pointers to finish with 12 points.

But the Tribe's two-point defense left them in the second half, the result of their turnover issues. William & Mary did win the battle on the boards, but it's obvious what they need to improve upon in order to be the sleeper that some think they can be in the CAA. St. John's played much better in the second half but they received help in the form of William & Mary miscues as well.

Wednesday's Schedule

7 PM Lehigh at St. John's (ESPN2)
7 PM Akron at Mississippi State
8 PM Liberty at (19) Texas A&M
9 PM Duquesne at (16) Arizona