Ivy

Tuesday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:03:10 -0800

While there's plenty of conference tournament action on Tuesday's schedule, and three bids to be distributed, there's also a huge game in the Ivy League as Penn (19-11, 11-2) visits rival Princeton (18-11, 9-4). What's on the line for the Quakers? A share of the Ivy League title with Harvard, which would force a one-game playoff between the two teams at a site to be determined. Jerome Allen's Quakers are led by the outstanding senior guard triumvirate of Zack Rosen, Tyler Bernardini and Miles Cartwright, with Rosen being the likely choice for Ivy League Player of the Year.

Rosen (18.5 ppg, 5.3 apg) has scored 20 points or more in four of Penn's last six games, and in Penn's 82-67 win over Princeton back on January 30th he scored 28 and dished out five assists. Job one for any team taking on Penn is to limit Rosen's impact on the game, but that's a task that's far easier said than done. And in most instances this season it's fallen short. Bernardini had to deal with foul trouble in that game yet still managed to score 14 points in 25 minutes, and the Quakers will need him to snap out of his current slump tonight if they're to force a playoff.

While Penn's won seven straight it isn't as if the Tigers come in playing poorly, as they've won seven of their last eight. Forward Ian Hummer's been a critical factor all season long for Mitch Henderson, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding and ranking second on the team with three assists per game. Hummer's a versatile forward who can be a difficult matchup for teams, and he combined with center Brendan Connolly to score 36 points in the first meeting (21 for Hummer).

Those two got their points but rebounding was a problem at the Palestra, as Penn grabbed 13 offensive boards and out-rebounded the Tigers 33-19. Pretty easy to figure out what Princeton needs to change from that first meeting if they're to defend their home floor. Princeton also has senior Douglas Davis in the backcourt, who averages 13.0 points per game, and point guard T.J. Bray has proven himself to be effective as both a distributor (3.6 apg) and a rebounder (4.5 rpg) at his position. If Penn wins the battle on the glass and shoots 10-for-18 from three as they did at The Palestra, there will likely be a playoff this weekend. But with Princeton playing better now than they were at the end of January, look for the rematch to be a 40-minute dogfight.

Atlantic 10 - First Round
#9 Duquesne at #8 Massachusetts, 7:00 p.m.
#12 Charlotte at #5 Saint Joseph's, 7:00 p.m.
#10 Richmond at #7 La Salle, 7:00 p.m.
#11 George Washington at #6 Dayton, 7:00 p.m.

The four winners will advance to the quarterfinals in Atlantic City, where the top four seeds await. Tonight's action is most important for Saint Joseph's and Dayton, two teams clinging to hopes of making a run at an NCAA tournament bid. For that to happen one would think that the Hawks and Flyers need to get to Sunday's final given recent missteps, but the simplest thing to do at this point is go out and win; live to fight another day.

Carl Jones, Langston Galloway and C.J. Aiken have the ability to lead Saint Joseph's on a run, and it's not like Archie Miller's Flyers lack for talent either. But keep an eye on La Salle, who has one of the best point guards in the conference in Tyreek Duren, and that 8/9 matchup could be the most entertaining given the pressure applied by both Duquesne and UMass.

Big East - First Round
# 16 DePaul vs. #9 Connecticut, Noon (ESPN2)
# 13 Pittsburgh vs. # 12 St. John's, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
# 15 Providence vs. # 10 Seton Hall, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
# 14 Villanova vs. # 11 Rutgers (ESPNU)

So, UConn begins their Big East Championship in the same spot they began their "five games in five days" run last season. But it's an entirely different scenario for the Huskies, who were safely in the NCAA tournament last season, and they had an assertive leader in Kemba Walker. That guy hasn't stepped up yet for the Huskies, who are also taking a DePaul team that despite their last place finish has improved since last season. Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young are both very good sophomores, and freshman Jamee Crockett has improved his play. UConn can't afford to stumble, but they're likely in better shape than a slumping Seton Hall squad that dropped games to Rutgers and DePaul to end the regular season. Providence lacks depth but with Bryce Cotton, Vincent Council and LaDontae Henton the Friars can definitely scare the Pirates if not win.

Big Sky - Semifinals (at Montana)
#3 Portland State vs. #2 Weber State, 7:30 p.m. (Altitude)
#4 Eastern Washington at #1 Montana, 10:00 p.m. (Altitude)

The top four teams in the Big Sky meet up in Missoula, and few are expecting anything less than a Weber State/Montana rubber game on Wednesday night. Tyler Geving's Portland State team has won four straight and seven of their last eight game, and with Charles Odum and Chehales Tapscott he's got two of the better players in the Big Sky. But the question for PSU is whether or not they can limit Damian Lillard, and if the two regular season meetings are any indication of what could happen tonight their chances aren't good. Lillard's two point totals against the Vikings this season: 38 points on the road, 40 at home.

Eastern Washington has won three of their last four games, but in a weird scheduling quirk all three wins came at the expense of Idaho State (two regular season games, then their conference tournament meeting on Saturday). And they're running to a Montana squad that swept the two regular season meetings, and the Grizzlies are hot right now as well with a streak of 12 straight wins. Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar have played well on the perimeter all season long, and even with Cliff Colimon it's going to be tough for the Eagles to win on the Grizzlies' home floor.

Horizon League - Title Game
#3 Detroit at #1 Valparaiso, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Valparaiso hosts a Detroit team that's gotten things going at just the right time, winning four straight and nine of their last ten heading into tonight's title game. The two regular season meetings were close but Bryce Drew's Crusaders won both, most recently beating the Titans at home on February 2nd. It was a tale of two halves, as Detroit shot 61% and scored 45 points in the first half, only to see VU clamp down and limit them to 34.5% shooting in the second half. Ray McCallum Jr. and Eli Holman are two key figures for Detroit but it's important to point out that five Titans finished that game in double figures.

The key for Detroit: slow down Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff, who scored 26 points in the second meeting (6-6 3PT). Kevin Van Wijk has done well inside for the Crusaders, averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in Valpo's last two games, and if he can come close to those numbers tonight Valparaiso will have a better shot at returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2004.

MEAC - Opening Round
# 8 Hampton vs. # 9 Morgan State, 11:00 a.m.
# 7 North Carolina A&T vs. #10 Howard, 1:30 p.m.
# 5 North Carolina Central vs. # 12 UMES, 4:00 p.m.
# 4 Bethune-Cookman vs. # 13 South Carolina State, 6:30 p.m.
# 6 Coppin State vs. # 11 Florida A&M, 9:00 p.m.

Given the nature of the MEAC race beneath regular season champion Savannah State and second-place finisher Norfolk State this could be a wild five days in Winston-Salem. The top three seeds take Tuesday off, and Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central shouldn't have much trouble with South Carolina State and UMES, respectively.

But beginning with Coppin State/FAMU things could get interesting, especially considering the fact that somehow the two teams didn't meet during the regular season. Tony Gallo leads four Eagles in double figures, and with both teams having issues defensively this could be a wild contest that goes down to the wire. Hampton/Morgan State shouldn't lack for entertainment value either with the two teams splitting their regular season meetings, but neither winner reached 70 points so don't expect offensive fireworks.

Summit League - Title Game
#4 Western Illinois vs. #2 South Dakota State, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Many expected the top two seeds to meet for the Summit League crown, but the Leathernecks took care of those plans with a 54-53 win over Oral Roberts on Monday night. Defending Dominique Morrison was tough enough and he still finished with 23 points, but just as it was on Monday the key for WIU in beating the Jackrabbits will be to make Nate Wolters' teammates don't go off as well.

Wolters, who led SDSU to a 63-47 win over Southern Utah with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists, has an impact in all facets of the game for the Jackrabitts, and if he's able to get his teammates going offensively there's no telling how many points they could end up scoring (they hung 93 on Washington earlier this season). Ceola Clark III and Obi Emegano lead the way offensively for WIU, who will need a low-scoring (and low-possession) game if they're to pull off the upset.

Sun Belt - Title Game
#5 North Texas vs. #7 Western Kentucky, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2 - Summit Arena)

When Ken McDonald was fired on January 6th, few people thought that a young Western Kentucky squad would have enough left to make a run at a Sun Belt title. But thanks in large part to new head coach Ray Harper and a freshman in Derrick Gordon who is going to win a conference Player of the Year award before his career's over, the Hilltoppers find themselves one win away from an improbable NCAA tournament appearance. On the other side of the floor is North Texas, a team many pegged as a team that could win the league thanks to the addition of one-time Missouri signee Tony Mitchell.

North Texas won the lone regular season meeting 84-67 back on January 12th, but this is a far different WKU team than the one that set foot in Denton on that night. Does WKU have enough left in the tank, playing their fourth game in four days, to win the title? It will be tough, but there's no reason to assume that can't at this point.

Jon Teitel's All-Conference Teams, Part Two

Jon Teitel — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:01:39 -0800

Last week CHN writer Jon Teitel unvelied part one of his CollegeHoops.net All-Conference selections, featuring the fourteen conferences that begain conference tournament play at that time. The final seventeen teams are here, with the Player of the Year in each league in italics.

Atlantic 10
G Ramone Moore (Temple)
G Tu Holloway (Xavier)
G Khalif Wyatt (Temple)
F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
F Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)

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

Big 12
G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
F Royce White (Iowa State)

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

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

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

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

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

Ivy
G Zack Rosen (Pennsylvania)
G Brian Barbour (Columbia)
G Sean McGonagill (Brown)
F Greg Mangano (Yale)
F Ian Hummer (Princeton)

Mid-American
G Rian Pearson (Toledo)
G Trey Ziegler (Central Michigan)
F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
F Jarrod Jones (Ball St.)
F Mitchell Watt (Buffalo)

MEAC
G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
G Tony Gallo (Coppin St.)
G Jay Threatt (Delaware St.)
F Brandon Riley (South Carolina St.)
C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk St.)

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

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

SEC
G John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)
G Dee Bost (Mississippi St.)
F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi St.)
F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)

Southland
G Mike James (Lamar)
G Anthony Miles (Lamar)
F Patrick Richard (McNeese St.)
F LaMarcus Reed III (UT-Arlington)
C William Mosley (Northwestern St.)

SWAC
G Quincy Roberts (Grambling St.)
G Savalace Townsend (UAPB)
G Terrence Joyner (Mississippi Valley St.)
F Quinton Doggett (Southern)
C Paul Crosby (Mississippi Valley St.)

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 (Hawai'i)

Consensus Conference Ranking: February vs January

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:56:23 -0800

Although the conference table was mostly set back in January when we last updated the Consensus Conference Ranking, there have been some changes since. As you'll see below, the Mountain West dropped from 4th to 6th since January 3rd, while the Colonial and Ivy have jumped 2 spots. This often has to do with the benefits conferences get from regularly playing a Top ranked team: ie, Murray St's ranking rubbing off on the rest of the OVC teams, or Kentucky rubbing off on the SEC.

Below is the Consensus Conference Ranking as of today, as well as January's ranking below for reference. The difference in standings can be seen in green/red.

Rank	Conference	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	Avg	Change
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	SEC	4	4	4	4.0	+1
5	ACC	6	5	5	5.3	+1
6	Mountain West	5	6	6	5.7	-2
7	Atlantic 10	7	7	8	7.3	+2
8	Pac 12	10	8	7	8.3	-1
9	Missouri Valley	8	9	9	8.7	-1
10	CUSA	9	10	10	9.7
11	WCC	11	11	11	11.0
12	WAC	12	12	12	12.0	+1
13	Horizon	13	15	13	13.7	-1
14	Colonial	15	13	14	14.0	+2
15	Ivy	14	14	16	14.7	+2
16	MAC	17	17	15	16.3	-2
17t	Summit	16	18	19	17.7	-2
17t	Atlantic Sun	20	16	17	17.7
19	Sun Belt	19	19	18	18.7	-1
20	MAAC	18	20	20	19.3
21	Big West	24	21	21	22.0
22t	Patriot	22	22	23	22.3
22t	Ohio Valley	21	24	22	22.3	+2
24	Southern	23	23	25	23.7	-2
25	Big Sky	26	26	24	25.3	+1
26	Big South	27	25	26	26.0	+2
27	Northeast	25	27	28	26.7	+1
28	Southland	28	28	27	27.7	-1
29	America East	29	29	29	29.0
30	MEAC	30	30	30	30.0	-1
31	Independent	31	31	31	31.0
32	SWAC	32	32	32	32.0	-1

	January 3rd
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

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends": Harvard's Saul Mariaschin

Jon Teitel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:13:46 -0800

In the most recent installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Dan Mariaschin, cousin of late Harvard great Saul Mariaschin. After beginning his career at Syracuse Mariaschin served in the Navy during World War II, enrolling at Harvard upon his return. Mariaschin would play a year in the BAA (now the NBA) for the Boston Celtics.

Jon Teitel: Saul started his career as a guard at Syracuse but joined the Navy after his freshman year. Why did he decide to enlist?

Dan Mariaschin: Saul was the youngest of three kids. His brother Hank was captain of his Brooklyn College team and later played against Red Auerbach during his own days in the Navy, so basketball was definitely part of the family. Saul attended Lafayette HS, which is also the alma mater of fellow star Jewish athlete Sandy Koufax. He probably enlisted because most young men were joining the Navy at that time. He played several varsity games despite being a freshman, so he was pretty good even back then.

JT: After the war ended he decided to finish his college career at Harvard, where he played both baseball and basketball. Which sport was he best at?

DM: He was a shortstop on the Harvard baseball team and was allegedly scouted by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Harvard always played fellow Ivy rival Yale, so he would have played against former Yale baseball player/future US President George H.W. Bush.

JT: He was captain of the team his senior season. Why do you think he was picked to be captain?

DM: He was well-liked and a good leader, so I am not surprised. Being named captain meant a lot more back then than it does now.

JT: He was a two-time First Team All-Ivy performer. Did he realize at the time how prolific a player he was?

DM: His brother Phil told me that Saul had to be good in order to play against the quality opponents he faced back then. Even when accounting for certain variables (like the lack of minority players in the Ivy League), they still played a tough schedule so he must have been competitive.

JT: He was selected by Washington in the first-ever BAA draft in 1947. Was he nervous about joining an unproven professional basketball league?

DM: I still do not know exactly why Washington drafted him. Many college seniors became "territorial picks" of the professional team in their area, so you would think that his Harvard career would lead to him being picked by the Celtics.

JT: He played one year for the Celtics and finished eighth in the league in assists per game. Why did he leave after one year if he was one of the best point guards in the league?

DM: Saul's father-in-law did not like him to be on the road so much, so at the end of his first season he offered Saul a job in the industrial textile business. Since he only played for one year, we will never know exactly how good he could have been. It also helped that he had a Harvard degree to fall back on. He later moved to the West Coast and was rumored to have done some scouting for Harvard basketball. I do not know if he would have even been the starting point guard the following season, as the Celtics brought in a 6'1" rookie named Bob Cousy!

JT: He was an excellent piano player who also wrote music (including "The More I Do" in 1947). Was he prouder of his ability to play basketball or play music?

DM: There was a great caricature of him in the Boston Herald in the 1970s that referred to both of these abilities. He wrote most of his songs while riding around on the team bus/train during basketball road trips.

JT: He passed away while skiing in Utah in 1991. How do you think he should be remembered the most?

DM: I was very sad to learn of his passing, as I never got to talk to him. I consider myself to be a knowledgeable sports fan, and to have a relative who played during the formative years of professional basketball in an era of legendary players is very special. New York City has always been the hotbed of the "city game" of basketball, and he was a big part of it and belongs in the pantheon. I have tried to get him elected to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in the past.

Saul is also on Jon's list of best pro players in Ivy League history.

Brown: Woody Grimshaw (1947)
Columbia: Jim McMillian (1971)
Cornell: Ed Peterson (1950)
Dartmouth: Rudy LaRusso (1960)
Harvard: Saul Mariaschin (1948)
Pennsylvania: Matt Maloney (1997)
Princeton: Geoff Petrie (1971)
Yale: Chris Dudley (1988)

Jon Teitel's End of January All-Conference Teams

Jon Teitel — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:35:35 -0800

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)

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Dartmouth's Rudy LaRusso

Jon Teitel — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:48:09 -0800

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with Corey LaRusso, the son of Dartmouth great Rudy LaRusso. LaRusso is widely regarded as the greatest player in Dartmouth history, where one of his teammates was the late Dave Gavitt and his head coach Alvin "Doggie" Julian. After helping lead the Big Green to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (they haven't been back since) LaRusso played ten seasons in the NBA for the Lakers and Warriors before retiring. LaRusso passed away in 2004.

Jon Teitel: Your dad won All-City honors at James Madison HS under legendary coach Jammy Moskowitz after growing seven inches from his freshman to his sophomore year. How good was he back then, and what impact did his growth spurt have on his basketball ability?

Corey LaRusso: He was actually a pitcher as a freshman. His first love was baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Coach Moskowitz had seen him play some pickup basketball games and just convinced him to come out for the basketball team the following year. I think he started his final two years of high school after learning the game during his sophomore year. James Madison was a basketball power and my dad dedicated a lot of his success to his coach. Some of the seniors wondered why my dad was starting over them, which just gave him motivation to work his ass off! He would play pick up games all day and all night. Jammy said he had the most ability of anyone he ever coached.

JT: As a senior in 1955, he scored 14 points in the PSAL final (a five-point loss to Jamaica). How close did he come to winning that game, and did that loss stick with him for a long time afterwards?

CL: It was a huge disappointment that stuck with him forever. They played again two weeks later and James Madison killed Jamaica!

JT: He scored 25 points and made a last-second layup in a one-game playoff against Princeton in 1959 to lead Dartmouth to its most recent conference title. Where did that shot rank among the most clutch of his career, and how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most?

CL: Back then you had to win the Ivy title to get into the NCAA Tournament so there was a lot at stake. Each team had beaten the other on the road and the playoff game was at Yale. They were down by one with five seconds left, so Coach Doggie Julian called timeout and said, "Get the ball to Rudy!" Future Hall of Famer Dave Gavitt threw a pass to my dad (who saved it from going out of bounds), and then he made the shot at the buzzer. I have heard that even today you cannot get into a Dartmouth fraternity unless you know my dad's birthday/stats/etc.! We went back there in 1999 for his 40-year reunion. He knocked on the door to the Sphinx Club, and once the pledge who opened the door recognized him he said my dad could come in...but I had to wait outside!

My dad came out 20 minutes later crying his eyes out. He said that his jersey was in there with tons of photos and all his career stats. He just melted because he was so touched, and I finally started to realize how big of a deal he was on campus. A few years later after he passed away the school brought my entire family back for a night in his honor. Dartmouth was down double-digits at halftime, but hit a shot at the buzzer to win it and the crowd started chanting "Rudy, Rudy!!" His spirit was absolutely there. He was the strongest person (mentally AND physically) who you ever met. He retired early because he had the stubborn Brooklyn determination to succeed in the world outside basketball.

JT: His 17.9 career rebounds per game is still an Ivy record, and he holds the school records for rebounds in a game (32), season (503), and career (1,239). What made him such a great rebounder, and do you think anyone will ever break his records?

CL: I do not think they will ever break his records in the Ivy League because they do not have the athletes now. His NBA reputation was that he was the best two-handed rebounder in the game.

JT: In the 1958 NCAA Tournament he had a double-double in wins over Connecticut and Manhattan and a loss to Temple. How was he able to play so well against the best teams in the country, and how did that three-game stretch shape his legacy at Dartmouth?

CL: He had a great supporting cast that year but ended up fouling out on some questionable calls. That one game stood out in his career as the most suspicious in terms of the officiating. Something hokey must have been going on.

JT: In the 1959 NCAA Tournament he scored 12 points before fouling out in a loss to eventual national runner-up West Virginia (who was led by Jerry West's 25 points). Could he tell at the time that West was going to become a star?

CL: The next year my dad and West were paired together on the Lakers and became best friends. They just could not stop Jerry that night.

JT: In the summer of 1959 he was drafted 12th overall by Minneapolis (six spots behind Dick Barnett). Did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other?

CL: Julian was coach of the Celtics in the late 1940s but went to Dartmouth in 1950 after a falling out with Red Auerbach. I asked my dad if he thought that the Celtics did not draft him because of the situation with Julian and he said he did. Minneapolis GM Lou Mohs came to the 1959 Dartmouth-Princeton playoff game...but could not get into the gym because it was sold out. Mohs ended up paying a souvenir salesman $50 for his entire rack of souvenirs in order to get in and watch my dad!

JT: He played at least 71 games a season in nine of his ten years in the NBA. How was he able to remain so durable for such a long stretch of time?

CL: I believe that my dad could tolerate pain to an incredible level. Even when I would play pickup games with him he would never show it even if he was in pain. He would take painkiller shots which his doctor said was actually "horse serum"! My dad died of Parkinson's at age 66 and I think it might have had to do with the drugs he took, as they had not been properly tested at the time. Many of the retired players from that era have had heart problems. Big dogs do not live a long time and I fear that big people are the same way. I think that Shaquille O'Neal might not live to age 80. My dad was never a drinker or smoker, so for him to die early goes against everything we know about health.

JT: In 1962 he scored a career-high 50 points in a ten-point win in the regular season finale against St. Louis. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was in "the zone"?

CL: Elgin and Jerry were hurt that night so he was the go-to guy, and he told me that he could not miss.

JT: The Lakers lost to Boston three times in the NBA Finals in devastating fashion in a five-year span (1962: three-point overtime loss in Game 7; 1963: three-point loss in Game 6; 1966: two-point loss in Game 7). Was it frustrating for him to be so close to winning so many titles and having to keep going through the Celtics' dynasty to get there?

CL: Frank Selvy missed a jumper at the end of regulation in Game 7 in 1962 and the Lakers lost in OT. After the loss we did not hear from him for ten days. It turned out that he had gone back to Dartmouth and was just drinking with some friends because he did not know how to get a grip on the loss. When I was about five years old we were driving around one day and I asked him if he ever won an NBA title and he said no. When I asked why, he said, "It was because we could not stop f---ing Bill Russell!" I responded, "you mean the Dodgers shortstop?" and he just cracked up. It became a running joke in my family!

The Lakers just did not have a center. If you took out Bill Russell and Lakers center Ray Felix, I think the Lakers would beat the Celtics five times out of five. My dad he had no problem playing against Tom Heinsohn. Some nights my dad would have a big game and some nights Heinsohn would. They were friends off the court and would go grab a beer after the game, but nobody else on either team would do that.

JT: In 1966 he got in a famous fight with Willis Reed during the Knicks' home opener. Did he ever talk about the fight, and did he have a temper off the court?

CL: Marv Albert still calls it the biggest fight ever in the Garden. Even bigger than Ali-Frazier! They were just elbowing each other during a free throw attempt and then it broke out into a brawl. My dad threw about 50 punches that went whizzing by Reed's head but never connected. Reed was in a frenzy and just clocked John Block and ended up shattering his face. My dad later said that Reed swung at him 14 times but never hit him. That same year my dad got into another fight that happened to occur right in front of Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, and that is when the trade happened.

JT: In January 1967 he was part of a three-team trade that sent him to Detroit, but he refused to go to due to his pregnant wife and decided to retire. What role did family play in his life, and was he worried that his career might be over?

CL: He did not think for a second that his career was over. He was upset that the Lakers were doing that to him while my mom was pregnant with me. He said he would just retire but the NBA told him that he would have to go to Detroit. Everyone knew it was a bad trade for the Lakers and a lot of the fans were angry about it. Cooke called him over to his house one day and they talked for 5-6 hours. They ended up re-routing the trade so that my dad would sit out for a few months and then go to the Warriors.

JT: After signing with the Warriors (who let him live in LA and commute to San Francisco for games and practices) he ended up having the two highest scoring seasons of his career before retiring for good. How did that commute affect your family, and how was he able to play his best towards the end of his career?

CL: He would just fly back and forth to SF and after two years of that he just decided that he was done with it. He was always the third fiddle to Baylor and West on the Lakers, although he made a few All-Star teams during that time. Cooke made the trade because of the fights my dad got in. Warriors coach Bill Sharman got him into the best shape of his life and after that he could not wait to play against the Lakers and had some big games against them. My dad was not opposed to flying. He met my mother when he was a rookie and she was a flight attendant!

JT: He was a five-time All-Star and averaged 10+ points per game in each of his ten seasons. How was he able to remain so consistent throughout his career, and do you think he belongs in the Hall of Fame?

CL: He absolutely belongs in the Hall of Fame, as his ten years worth of stats are incredibly similar to the first ten years of the best Ivy player in NBA history (Bill Bradley).

JT: He later was an investment banker and sports agent (with you as one of his partners). What was it like working with him, and how did he like being an agent?

CL: He was one of the first agents to initiate the flow of basketball talent to Italy (Brian Shaw, Danny Ferry, etc.). As an Italian-American who had played the game he just took it to another level. I became a part of my dad's business after his health started to decline. I learned the game from my father. One of my high school teammates at Palisades High was Steve Kerr. We handled 5-7 players and I just helped continue his work. I now work with agent Eric Fleischer out of NY as an NBA recruiter for the WAC and Pac-12.

Rudy is also on Jon's list of best pro players in Ivy League history.

College Basketball Conference Ranking: RPI, KenPom, Sagarin

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:09:28 -0800

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

Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

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

Jon Teitel — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:00:21 -0800

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 14:22:46 -0800

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 Tuesday Recap: Buckeyes Blow Out Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:24:41 -0800

The game between #3 Duke and #2 Ohio State was a matchup expected to be a barnburner throughout. But in runs to begin and end the first half, the Buckeyes made a case to their fans and a national television audience that they should be mentioned in the same breath as Kentucky and North Carolina when talking about early favorites to win the national title. Thad Matta's team opened the game on an 11-0 run and finished the half with an 11-2 run on their way to the 85-63 win at Value City Arena, and four of their five starters finished in double figures.

Jared Sullinger scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds while William Buford added 20, and Buford would combine with Aaron Craft (17 points, eight assists) to score nine of Ohio State's first eleven points (Sullinger scored the other two). Duke would fight their way back into the game thanks in large part to freshman guard Austin Rivers, who finished with a game-high 22 points and three assists. Rivers was able to get to the basket with a variety of moves while also knocking down perimeter shots but when the time came for his teammates to step up they were unable to, and that's a credit to the Buckeyes.

"We couldn't hit a shot," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzweski. "Their defense was outstanding and then they got hot. They can score from a number of different positions. They had a great crowd, they had a lot going for them and they took advantage of everything."

Mason Plumlee played well for the Blue Devils as he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, but the other three starters combined for just seven points (all scored by Seth Curry). Not only were Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly scoreless but they took just three shots combined, and few teams much less one the caliber of Duke can win big games with that happening. As a team Duke shot 47% on the night but made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, a far cry from Ohio State's 8-for-14 night.

As for the run to end the first half, Deshaun Thomas was a big factor as he scored Ohio State's final nine points to push the margin out to 19 (47-28) at the intermission. Thomas finished with 18 points, scoring 13 of those in the final 7:41 of the first half. In pulling away the Buckeyes outscored Duke 10-0 in second-chance points in the first half, and they would lead by as many as 24 in the second half. While many will look to jump on the backs of the Blue Devils as a result of the big loss, more energy should be spent crediting Ohio State for their play.

"This team is still so young at times I don't know what to expect from them," said Matta. "There's a lot of uncertainty going into games like this, so I'm always excited to see how we respond. Our guys played to their strengths tonight which is a credit to them."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Virginia defends their home floor and beats Michigan.
It's still early but what a difference a year makes for Tony Bennett's Virginia Cavaliers, especially defensively. Last season the Cavaliers ranked 11th in the ACC in points allowed per possession, and their field goal percentage defense finished in the same spot. Through seven games this season Virginia leads the ACC in points allowed per possession and rank second in the conference in field goal percentage defense. Michigan shot 44% on Tuesday night but with Tim Hardaway Jr. limited to just five points the Wolverines fell 70-58 in Charlottesville. Michigan's offensive efficiency was 12 points below their season average as a result of Virginia's packline defense, and offensively Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 18 points apiece to lead the way. Virginia moved to 6-1 on the season, and has the look of a team that can challenge for a possible NCAA Tournament berth.

2. Don't read too much into Saint Louis' loss at Loyola Marymount.
Saint Louis, fresh off of winning the 76 Classic over the holiday weekend, took on the test of playing a road game against a well-rested team in playing their fourth game in six days. LaRon Armstead scored a game-high 22 points and Anthony Ireland (17 points) made some big shots late to lead LMU to the 75-68 win at Gersten Pavilion. Cody Ellis led SLU with 18 points off the bench, but the fact that they turned the ball over 15 times (24.6% of their possessions) proved to be too much to overcome. Did fatigue play a role in the outcome? It likely did for a team that while talented has been out on the road for a week. So try not to make too big of a deal about this loss because there's plenty of time left in the season for a team that's proven itself to be a viable NCAA Tournament candidate. Plus, this isn't the first time LMU has beaten a ranked opponent this season (UCLA).

3. Arizona's freshman guards step up in a good win at New Mexico State.
Make no mistake about the fact that Arizona's short trip east to take on New Mexico State was a dangerous one, and given how the Wildcats began their last game (a home loss to San Diego State) it would have been easy to expect the Aggies to win. But Sean Miller's team rose to the challenge, winning 83-76 thanks in part to good nights from freshman guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner. Johnson scored a game-high 19 points in his first start of the season and Turner added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals off the bench. With Kyle Fogg and Jordin Mayes quiet for much of the night it's likely a safe assumption that Arizona loses if not for their freshmen. The consistent Jesse Perry posted another double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Solomon Hill scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds to carry the load in the frontcourt. The reconfigured starting lineup avoided the slow start, and as a result Arizona picked up a solid road victory.

Quick Hitters

1. For a team that some thought could be an NCAA Tournament possibility out of the Big Ten, things sure have gone downhill for the Iowa Hawkeyes. They were ice cold from the field in a 71-55 loss to Clemson at home, shooting 28.6% from the field and scoring 20 points in the first half. Fran McCaffery's team has lost three of their last four, with all three losses being by 16 points or more.

2. Perry Jones III made his return to the floor at Baylor and it was a triumphant one as the Bears rolled Prairie View A&M 90-54. Jones finished the game with 27 points and six rebounds, but Pierre Jackson's line may be the eye-opener. 17 points and eight assists off the bench for Jackson, who turned the ball over just two times. It's been said many times: if the Bears can get solid backcourt play to go with their deep and talented front line, look out.

3. Harvard might have the best team in the Ivy League, but the best point guard in the league is Penn senior Zack Rosen. Rosen scored a team-high 20 points and dished out five assists in the Quakers' 75-72 win over Manhattan to move to 4-4 on the season.

4. Life without Demetri McCamey has gotten off to a very good start for Illinois, who moved to 7-0 with a 71-62 win at Maryland. The big reason why: the steady play of Bradley transfer Sam Maniscalco, who scored a team-high 24 points to lead the way.

5. As if things weren't going bad enough for UMBC, the 0-6 Retrievers learned that senior point guard Chris De La Rosa was leaving the team for personal and family-related matters. He played in just one game this season, but De La Rosa accounted for nearly a quarter of UMBC's field goals and more than half their assists in 2010-11.

6. Oregon lost another freshman with the announcement that Bruce Barron decided to leave the team. But the departures of he and Jabari Brown opens the door minutes-wide for the remaining players, and Johnathan Loyd took advantage to the tune of a career-high 24 points in the Ducks' 64-59 win over UTEP.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Wendell McKines (New Mexico State)
28 points (10-18 FG) and 10 rebounds in the Aggies' 83-76 loss to Arizona.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
27 points (10-14 FG) and six rebounds in the Bears' 90-54 win over Prairie View A&M.

3. F John Shurna (Northwestern)
25 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the Wildcats' 76-60 win over Georgia Tech.