MAC

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends": Western Michigan's Paul Griffin

Jon Teitel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:29:21 -0500

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Paul Griffin, one of the greatest players in the history of Western Michigan basketball. During his time in Kalamazoo, Griffin helped lead the Broncos to the 1976 NCAA tournament and left the school having scored more than 1,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds. From there Griffin went on to play seven seasons in the NBA for the New Orleans Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs.

Jon Teitel: Your family has a very proud athletic tradition (your cousin played basketball at Grand Valley College, his son was an all-conference Division III basketball player, and his daughter was a Division I All-American volleyball player). Do you believe that athletic success has anything to do with genetics, and if so do you feel that you were born into the right family?

Paul Griffin: Genetics is a big part of it, but so is your mentality. Many parents tend to direct their kids into athletics but the kids have to want to succeed.

1976 NCAA Tournament

JT: You had 14 points and 15 rebounds in 42 minutes in an overtime win over Virginia Tech (the first NCAA tournament in school history). How big a deal was it for your team to win that game, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward?

PG: It was a big win. We were on a roll and had only lost two games that year. After our exciting overtime win at Notre Dame we wanted to go as far as we could, and we ended up #10 in the final poll that season.

JT: You had nine rebounds and six assists in a five-point loss to Marquette (Butch Lee scored 16 points). Did you think that you were going to pull out the win, and could you tell at the time that Butch Lee was going to become a star?

PG: Marquette was #2 in the country so I was not surprised when they won the title the following year. We were pretty evenly matched and it was close until we had a few turnovers late in the game. Lee was great but they had a lot of players that year who went on to the NBA (Lloyd Walton, Bo Ellis, Jerome Whitehead, Bernard Toone). Coach Al McGuire also had a lot of postseason experience, so we had nothing to be ashamed of in a five-point loss. If we had beaten Marquette then we would have faced undefeated eventual national-champion Indiana.

JT: You graduated as the top rebounder in school history (1,008 rebounds), and you are the only men's player in school history to finish your career with 1000+ points and 1000+ rebounds. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

PG: I did not have that mentality. Many kids these days have been told how great they are since middle school, but I did not grow up around that kind of atmosphere. I did not think too highly of myself but I did want to play pro basketball.

JT: In the summer of 1976 you were drafted in the fifth round by New Orleans. Were you thrilled to realize your dream of making it to the NBA, disappointed that you did not get selected earlier, or other?

PG: I came into the NBA the same year that it merged with the ABA, and New Orleans was an expansion team. I figured that I would try out and give it my best shot, but I might have tried going to Europe if I failed. I was never a great scorer but I was good at everything else and knew how to play the game.

JT: You got to play with Hall-of-Famer Pete Maravich in New Orleans. What was it like playing with Maravich, and was he the best player you have ever seen on the court?

PG: He was great at all aspects of the game and was 5-10 years ahead of his time. Magic Johnson showed up in 1979 and everyone thought he was great, but Pete had more skills than Magic a decade earlier. If Pete had come into the league in 1979 I think he would have been as big as Bird and Magic, if not bigger. Pete averaged 44+ points/game in college while playing without a three-point line. If he played with the line he might have averaged an extra 15-20 points/game! He was a great player and a good friend.

JT: In 1979 you were traded to San Antonio as compensation for a free agent signing, where you became one of the "Bruise Brothers" (along with the Spurs' other big men). How did you like the nickname, and how did San Antonio compare to New Orleans?

PG: I enjoyed San Antonio more because our team was better and more close-knit, and the city was a great place to raise a family. The "Bruise Brothers" were nicknamed for what we were, which you could get away with back then. We played very hard and were very competitive.

JT: You played in 77+ games during each of your first five seasons. Did you take pride in showing up for work every day, or did you just will yourself to deal with all the bumps and bruises that occurred?

PG: I was a pretty tough guy who was very competitive and I loved to play. I did a lot of other things well beside score and they paid me to play, so I figured I should play hard. I did a lot of things that other players did not want to do (rebound, defend, etc.) and my coaches appreciated it. Several coaches told me that I would stick around for a long time if I was healthy so I just tried to do exactly that.

JT: You retired in 1983 due to a knee injury. Did you feel frustrated that you could not go out on your own terms, or satisfied that you had a nice long career, or a combination of both?

PG: It was very frustrating because I was hoping to play for another five or six years, but I cannot complain. It was tough to give up a great living, even though we only made a fraction of what the players make now. I only had to show up for work about eight months of the year, but after I got hurt I had no choice but to give it up and get a job in the real world.

JT: You averaged 5.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during your seven-year career. What is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA?

PG: As a rookie going into Boston Garden for the first time and playing against Dave Cowens and John Havlicek, I realized that I had finally made it. I was very fortunate to be in that position. Just making the rounds and going out there to compete against guys who I had watched on TV while I was growing up (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Lanier, Moses Malone, Rick Barry, etc.).

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

PG: I was out there trying to win games by playing hard and playing smart, so I hope they appreciated my contribution. There is only one ball out there so you need chemistry to win games (rather than just five individual scorers), and you also need people willing to do the dirty work. It worked out for me and the teams I played on: maybe the average fan did not realize that but my coaches noticed.

Griffin is also on Jon's list of best pro players in MAC history.

Akron: Bill Turner (1968)
Ball State: Bonzi Wells (1999)
Bowling Green: Nate Thurmond (1964)
Buffalo: Sam Pellom (1980)
Central Michigan: Dan Roundfield (1976)
Eastern Michigan: George Gervin (1973)
Kent State: John Edwards (2005)
Miami (OH): Ron Harper (1987)
Northern Illinois: Jim Bradley (1974)
Ohio: Gary Trent (1996)
Toledo: Larry Jones (1965)
Western Michigan: Paul Griffin (1977)

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)

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series: Buffalo's Reggie Witherspoon

Jon Teitel — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:46:19 -0500

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with current University at Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon, who has won 174 games in more than a decade at his hometown school. Witherspoon also played two season at Erie Community College under current Michigan head coach John Beilein, and this season's UB squad features one of the best players in the MAC in forward Javon McCrea.

Jon Teitel: At Erie CC you played for Coach John Beilein. What was it like to play for him, and what made him such a great coach?

Reggie Witherspoon: It was great playing for John and was a terrific learning experience for me. One of the things he emphasized was balance. In my second year playing for him we had six guys scoring in double figures. He also emphasizes shooting. He wants you to be able to shoot the ball very well.

JT: At Wheeling Jesuit you played for Coach Jim O'Brien. What was it like to play for him, and what made him such a great coach?

RW: The year before he took over the team won only three games, but in his first year with us we won 17. It was terrific being a part of that turnaround because I learned a LOT of stuff that I still use now. He really emphasized defense. Play hard and block out...he really emphasized blocking out.

JT: You were the first African-American head coach of any varsity sports team in the Western NY Suburban School District. How big a deal was it at the time, and how has the school district worked on diversity since then?

RW: It was written about at the time and seemed to make a few people uncomfortable, but for the most part I think it was well-received. I did not realize it until after it was brought to my attention by a reporter. There are still not a lot of African-American coaches at the high school level in suburban schools, but there are a few. The diversity in the makeup of the students has change dramatically, so slowly it has increased the diversity in the schools.

JT: You spent five years as head coach at Sweet Home High School, where you won four straight division titles. How were you able to come in and be so successful in such a short time span, and why did you decide to leave to become coach at your alma mater?

RW: I was there for eight years as an assistant prior to becoming head coach, which I think certainly helped because I had a feel for the kids that were in the program. I graduated from Sweet Home so I had a feel for the school district and the tradition that it had. We had a very good staff in place and it created more of a program than a team. The kids would have a pretty good understanding of the way we did things by the time they got to the varsity level. Erie CC called frequently during my 13 years at Sweet Home. After a while it felt like they were ready to take on the challenge of competing at the next level, and it was a challenge that I wanted to embrace.

JT: You became coach at Buffalo in 1999 after a staff turnover due to rules violations. Were you concerned that it would take a long time to rebuild, and what is the key to rebuilding a program in such a situation?

RW: I knew that it would take quite a while. #1: get the right people in. #2: we had sanctions and a lot of restrictions from the NCAA so we did not want to take any shortcuts, which I think in the long run has helped us. Our initial concern was to stabilize the program, and in the long haul we wanted to attract good student-athletes to our program. There was concern that it would take a while, which it did.

2005 Postseason NIT

JT: MAC POY Turner Battle made a shot with two seconds left in regulation en route to a five-point overtime win over Drexel. How exciting was it to hang on for the win?

RW: That 2005 team was just a great team. It was a great experience for the school to get into the postseason, be a part of the NIT and have a home NIT game. We had a terrific game at home against Drexel after coming off an emotional loss to Ohio.

JT: Pat Carroll scored 26 points in a five-point win for eventual runner-up Saint Joseph's. How close did you come to winning that game?

RW: I thought that we would get a home game after the win over Drexel but instead we had to go to St. Joe's. They were a terrific team and it was a fight right down to the end.

JT: In 2009 you were named MAC Coach of the Year. What did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

RW: It was humbling that my peers would think that much of me but it was not just me. It was an award that the players played the biggest part in, and then the staff, and then me. It was a real honor.

JT: In 2010 you were an assistant coach under Jeff Capel on the USA Men's U-18 National Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship. What did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and which player impressed you the most (Austin Rivers, Quincy Miller, other)?

RW: Having a FIBA gold medal is an honor that I will never forget. It was a great learning experience working with Paul Hewitt and Jeff. The entire USA Basketball staff was such a first-class organization and we had a lot of very impressive young men.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

RW: I just want to be remembered(!), hopefully as someone who cared about his players. When my players look back I want them to understand that I was someone who really cared about them, and the door is always open when they come back.

Witherspoon is also on Jon's list of best coaches in MAC history.

Akron: Keith Dambrot (2004-present) 174-82, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles
Ball State: Ray McCallum (1993-2000) 126-76, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles
Bowling Green: Harold Anderson (1942-1963) 362-185, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles
Buffalo: Reggie Witherspoon (1999-present) 174-203, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Central Michigan: Dick Parfitt (1972-1985) 178-168, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Eastern Michigan: Ben Braun (1985-1996) 185-132, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Kent State: Jim Christian (2002-2008) 137-59, 2 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Miami (OH): Charlie Coles (1996-present) 262-217, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Northern Illinois: John McDougal (1976-1986) 136-141, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Ohio: James Snyder (1949-1974) 354-245, 7 NCAA tourneys, 7 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Toledo: Bob Nichols (1965-1987) 375-213, 3 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Western Michigan: Herbert "Buck" Read (1922-1949) 345-169

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

Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

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)

College Hoops Sunday Recap: Shockers Put On a Show

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:32:25 -0500

Going into Sunday's game at Wichita State, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels were on the tail end of an eight-day stretch that began with a win over then-#1 North Carolina followed by a double-overtime win at UCSB. To say the least this wasn't the easiest way to end that stretch, and Joe Ragland and the Shockers made sure that was the case. Ragland made eight of nine from beyond the arc in scoring a game-high 31 points, and as a team Wichita State shot 12-for-23 from distance in the 89-70 win. Ragland had issues early on the defensive end of the floor, but that changed and as a result the visitors found themselves having a hard time slowing the senior guard down.

"I didn't expect that type of game from Joe Ragland but honestly, I've expected some game similar to that," said Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall. "He's just a dynamite performer...he took it upon himself to bounce back from those missed defensive assignments that cost us a couple baskets early, and when he got back in there he was on a mission."

UNLV didn't play terribly in the first half but they still trailed 47-32 at the break due to a 24-3 Wichita State advantage in points scored from beyond the arc. Ragland made all five of his shots while David Kyles added two and Garrett Stutz, while UNLV made just one of nine shots from deep. The Shockers also did a good job of sharing the basketball as they assisted on ten of seventeen field goals. That was another difference between the two teams as UNLV assisted on just four of ten first-half field goals.

UNLV played better in the second half offensively, making 50% of their shots and assisting on more than half of their baskets (season assist percentage: 67.6%), but they simply could not stop Ragland or the rest of the Shockers. For the game Wichita State finished with an efficiency of 150.8. To put that number in perspective UNLV's opponents average an efficiency of 90.1 with a high of 106.0 (UCSB) according to the website statsheet.com.

Wichita State didn't have the best trip to Puerto Rico as they lost two of three games to finish fourth in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, but the Shockers have improved in the three games since. There should be no doubt that they're going to be right there fighting for the Missouri Valley crown.

Other Notable Happenings

1. San Diego State hangs on to beat California at home by a point.
California was without the services of forward Richard Solomon on Sunday afternoon as he'd been suspended by head coach Mike Montgomery, meaning that they went small with a three-guard lineup. The insertion of Justin Cobbs was a good one as the Minnesota transfer scored 17 points, but with Jorge Gutierrez struggling (3-12 FG, six points) the Golden Bears had their issues on the offensive end against San Diego State. Chase Tapley was SDSU's lone double-figure scorer (25 points) but a key 14-3 run to end the first half gave Steve Fisher's team the breathing room they needed in what would end up being a 64-63 victory. Cal would pull even in the second half but could only gain the lead once (51-50 with 6:33 remaining) despite the play of Cobbs and Allen Crabbe (23 points, nine rebounds). With their loss to Creighton on Wednesday night, San Diego State needed this win to avoid an 0-2 week and thanks in large part to Tapley they got it.

2. Keep an eye on American, who has now won seven straight, in the Patriot League.
Bucknell is the defending league champion and Lehigh has one of the nation's most prolific guards in C.J. McCollum, but don't expect the Patriot League to simply be a two-team race. Jeff Jones' American Eagles won their seventh straight game on Sunday as Charles Hinkle scored a game-high 32 points in a 66-60 win over Saint Joseph's. The Eagles led 38-28 at the half thanks to both Hinkle (17 points) and the defensive effort against SJU guards Langston Galloway and Carl Jones, who combined to score just two points. Jones scored 11 points in the second half but it wasn't enough to overcome a 3-for-17 night from beyond the arc at Bender Arena. If there's a concern for American in the aftermath of Sunday's win it would have to be their play in the paint, with C.J. Aiken and Halil Kanacevic leading the way in a 34-16 SJU scoring edge. if the Eagles can improve in that area leading into league play next month, they'll be better equipped to take on the likes of Bucknell's Mike Muscala in league play.

3. Baylor's zone defense proves to be too much for Northwestern.
For all the press sent Kentucky's way the Wildcats may not have the most distracting front line in the country. Baylor could make a very good case for that distinction however, and their qualifications were on full display in a 69-41 win at Northwestern. Anthony Jones, Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller are four big reasons why, as their wingspan and activity within Scott Drew's matchup zone can eliminate both good looks and lanes to the basket. Northwestern could get little going offensively, shooting 24.1% from the field and shooting 4-for-26 from beyond the arc.

Even worse for the Wildcats was that once they got inside of the zone they made just 31% of their two-point shots, a difference of 19 percent from their season average. Also of note for Baylor was the play of point guard Pierre Jackson, who finished with 16 points and three assists. As he goes so will the Bears come March because even with the mid-season addition of Cal transfer Gary Franklin, Jackson could still be their best option at the point. At the very least, few teams will be looking forward to playing Baylor because of the defensive prowess of their big men.

Quick Hitters

1. While debating the merits of 9-0 Tulane it needs to be pointed out that Murray State is also undefeated, and they handled Dayton 75-58 on Sunday afternoon. Isaiah Canaan scored 21 points and dished out five assists to lead the way, and the Racers forced 17 Dayton turnovers while also limiting them to 3-for-14 from three.

2. Alasdair Frasier scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead three starters in double figures as Maine beat Rhode Island 76-74 in overtime in Kingston. The effort was better for the Rams but that doesn't change the fact that Jim Baron's team has lost seven of their first eight.

3. The process of rebuilding Manhattan is nowhere near complete for first-year head coach Steve Masiello, but the Jaspers are 2-0 in MAAC play following their 68-42 win over Saint Peter's. George Beamon led the way with 22 points (7-9 FG), four rebounds and four steals, but the defense stood out as Saint Peter's shot just 32.6% and turned the ball over 17 times.

4. Alex Abreu returned from a two-game suspension but it wasn't enough to prevent Akron from getting whipped 77-53 at Middle Tennessee. The Zips, who have lost four of their last five after a 2-0 start, shot 28.6% from both the field and from three on Sunday.

5. Stanford made the plays needed late to move to 8-1, beating NC State 76-72 in Palo Alto. Josh Owens led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds and Anthony Brown added 12 off the bench. Johnny Dawkins' team could be one to watch in the Pac-12.

6. Kansas State passed their first test of the season as they won at Virginia Tech 69-61. Jamar Samuels impressed with 17 points and 14 rebounds and Shane Southwell added 11 off the bench.

7. Oregon State posted an impressive win to close the day, beating expected Big Sky contender Montana 71-46. Ahmad Starks led four Beavers in double figures with 17 points, and Craig Robinson's team looked very good in a game that prior Oregon State teams would either struggle with or lose.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Joe Ragland (Wichita State)
31 points (8-9 3PT), five rebounds and three assists in the Shockers' 89-70 win over UNLV.

2. G Terrell Stoglin (Maryland)
31 points (11-20 FG), five rebounds and two assists in the Terrapins' 78-71 win over Notre Dame.

3. F Jamar Samuels (Kansas State)
17 points (7-8 FG) and 14 rebounds in the Wildcats' 69-61 win at Virginia Tech.

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 Sunday Recap: Atlantic 10 Earns Two Titles

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:06:23 -0500

Sunday set up to be a big day for the Atlantic 10 with Dayton (Old Spice Classic) and Saint Louis (76 Classic) playing in the title game of their respective in-season tournaments. And even better for the conference is that both picked up wins, displaying the depth of a league thought by many to be Xavier, Temple and 12 other teams before the season began.

Saint Louis used an 18-2 run halfway through the second half to pull away from Oklahoma, winning 83-63 in Anaheim. Tournament MVP Brian Conklin made nine of his eleven shots from the field and scored 25 points, and as a team the Billikens shot 60.4% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc. Rick Majerus' team scored 1.32 points/possession, and their offensive efficiency of 131.7 was their best performance of the season, surpassing the 125.0 posted in their win over Villanova on Friday (numbers courtesy of statsheet.com).

"I thought the guys played with good poise and composure," said Majerus. "We were good with shot selection. A big goal of ours was to restrict the three. I thought [Conklin] deserved the tournament MVP, if nothing else for his defense and rebounding, and he was a beneficiary of his hard work in the summer."

The key for Saint Louis (as is the case with UNLV, who beat top-ranked North Carolina on Saturday night) will be how they deal with prosperity. A lot is made of how teams deal with adversity, but some things about Conklin and his teammates will be learned in their game at Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night. As for Dayton, their three wins in Orlando were a big deal in the first season of the Archie Miller era. Kevin Dillard was outstanding for the Flyers, posting a line of 19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in winning the tournament MVP award.

Chris Johnson (18 points), Josh Benson (16), Josh Parker (12) and Luke Fabrizius (11) also reached double figures in Dayton's best offensive performance of the season since their opening win over Western Illinois. In Dayton's three best offensive games of the season they've assisted on at least 63% of their baskets, providing a blueprint for what the Flyers will need to do in order to continue on this path. And just like Saint Louis, Dayton will need to show that they can deal with prosperity. Following a home game against Buffalo the Flyers visit Great Alaska Shootout champ Murray State and host Alabama, meaning that a lot more will be learned about this team's potential.

While there were disappointments for the Atlantic 10 on Sunday (more on those below), the tournament wins for Dayton and Saint Louis show that the conference has something that it hasn't always had in recent seasons: depth. St. Bonaventure (who lost at Virginia Tech on Sunday), Duquesne and George Washington are three other teams that could be a factor in the A-10 race come January, and the race is setting up to be a very entertaining one at that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. A foul-counting mishap aids in Villanova's late collapse against Santa Clara.
With just over seven seconds remaining Villanova asked for their team foul count during a timeout while leading Santa Clara 64-61. Jay Wright and his staff were told that they only had five team fouls, and that was also displayed in Anaheim Arena. But when Darrun Hilliard gave the foul the Wildcats were found to have actually committed their seventh team foul, sending Evan Roquemore to the line for a 1-and-1. Roquemore made both, and after JayVaughn Pinkston missed the front end of his 1-and-1 he fouled Roquemore in his pursuit of the loose ball. The Bronco guard came through once again, making both free throws to give Santa Clara the stunning 65-64 win.

While the administrative error didn't help Villanova at all, they really have no one to blame but themselves for ending up in that situation. Leading 64-57 with 2:56 left in the game, Villanova failed to score again and turned the ball over four times in the final 2:56. Raymond Cowels III led Santa Clara with 20 points, and he combined with Roquemore to score 24 second-half points on a night that saw Kevin Foster (5-17 FG, 13 points) struggle. As for Villanova, Mouphtaou Yarou led the way with 19 points, and for them to be successful as the season wears on they'll need more than a combined 4-for-15 outing from Dominic Cheek (10 points) and James Bell (seven). Can this group that's adjusting to life without Corey Stokes, Corey Fisher and Antonio Pena produce enough offensively to account for those losses? We shall see.

2. Indiana has an impressive second half in pulling away from Butler.
While some have pointed out the improved play of Tom Crean's Hoosiers to start the season, skeptics pointed at their schedule and wanted to see more evidence against credible competition. Indiana got their chance on Sunday night with two-time defending national runners-up Butler visiting Assembly Hall, and after a 30-minute slugfest the Hoosiers separated with an 11-2 run. Indiana went on to win 75-59 with Will Sheehey (Hoosier Invitational MVP) scoring a career-high 21 points and Cody Zeller leading three other Hoosiers in double figures with 16, but the bigger story was their defense.

Butler finished the game with seven assists and 21 turnovers, which means an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.33. Crean praised his team for their defensive effort, pointing out that Indiana had 74 deflections on the night. Indiana shot 50% in the second half as they outscored Butler 44-31, and outside of Chrishawn Hopkins (19 points) and Khyle Marshall (16) the Bulldogs couldn't establish much of anything offensively. With NC State and Kentucky in two of their next three games, Indiana will definitely be challenged. But for the first time in Crean's tenure at IU, it can be said that the Hoosiers look capable of attacking those challenges head-on.

3. Syracuse makes the move to fire associate head coach Bernie Fine after new information "surfaces".
Unfortunately there was more off-court news involving the sexual assault accusations levied against now-former Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine. Not only did a third accuser surface but a recorded phone call between Fine accuser Bobby Davis and Fine's wife Laurie from 2002 was released by ESPN's Outside the Lines. Both chancellor Nancy Cantor and head coach Jim Boeheim released statements on Sunday night in support of the action taken against Fine by the school, with this being a sharp departure from the defiant stance taken by Boeheim in support of his long-time assistant and friend when these allegations were first made. The question now is just how far this investigation goes, and what effect it may have on the Orange on the floor. Given the way they dealt with the distractions on their way to the NIT Season Tip-Off crown last week and the team's experience, Syracuse will likely be fine on the floor. But given both the sensitive nature of the charges and the statement issued by Boeheim in the beginning, this situation likely won't be solved for a while.

Quick Hitters

1. With Trevor Mbakwe scheduled for an MRI on his right knee, injured in their loss to Dayton, Minnesota has a lot on the line with regards to their season. Hopefully he checks out OK, but that would be a major loss for the Golden Gophers if he were to be ruled out for a significant amount of time.

2. The most disappointing in-season performance of the weekend: Washington State, who capped an 0-3 weekend in Anaheim with a 64-63 loss to UC Riverside. Yes the Cougars lost Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, but there's talent back in Pullman. Not a good weekend for the Cougars or the Pac-12.

3. Team that should feel good about their weekend: DePaul. The Blue Demons made things tougher on themselves than they should have late but they did enough to hold off Arizona State 68-64 in the fifth place game at the Old Spice Classic (2-1 for the weekend). Cleveland Melvin led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds.

4. Cleveland State whipped Rhode Island 67-45 in Kingston in the final day of that particular three-game Legends Classic round-robin. Jim Baron's team turned the ball over an astonishing 17 times in the first half and as a result trailed 40-23 at the break. Rhody finished the game with 21 turnovers (27-23 CSU in the second half).

5. Bowling Green scored a nice win for both themselves and the MAC with a 67-64 win over Temple. BGSU shot 58% from the field in the second half and 56% for the game, and A'uston Calhoun led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds.

6. What's going on with UAB? Mike Davis' Blazers dropped to 1-4 on the season with a 59-54 loss to UT-Martin despite 15 points apiece from Cameron Moore and Jordan Swing. Mike Liabo scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Skyhawks, who entered the game having lost five of their first six games.

7. Indiana State hung on to beat Fairfield 72-66 in the third place game of the Old Spice Classic. Jake Odum posted ISU's first triple-double in 32 years and Dwayne Lathan and Myles Walker scored 16 apiece, with the Sycamores controlling the play in the paint throughout (34-20 points in the paint advantage).

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the Spartans' 70-63 win over Eastern Kentucky.

2. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Sycamores' 72-66 win over Fairfield. The triple-double is the first in ISU history since the great Larry Bird posted one in 1979.

3. G Kevin Dillard (Dayton)
19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in the Flyers' 86-70 win over Minnesota.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:58:30 -0500

With the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on deck for Tuesday and Wednesday, it would be easy to think that the only matchups between ranked teams early in the week can be found on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not so thanks to the matchup between #12 Xavier (4-0) and #22 Vanderbilt (5-1)in Nashville, but while Memorial Gym is always a tough place to play the Commodores have already lost at home once this season (Cleveland State). Two of the best guards in the country will be on display as well, but while both Tu Holloway (Xavier) and John Jenkins (Vanderbilt) can light up the scoreboard they get the job done in drastically different ways.

Holloway (15.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is the floor general for Chris Mack's Musketeers, entrusted with the task of not only scoring himself but also setting up his teammates. The senior has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4 thus far, a big improvement over his ratio (1.6) of a season ago. Joining Holloway in the Xavier backcourt is Mark Lyons (17.8 ppg, 3.8 apg), the team's leading scorer and every bit as attack-minded as Holloway. Another key figure on the perimeter is freshman Dezmine Wells, and the combination of he and Vandy's Jeffery Taylor could deliver some serious above-the-rim highlights.

As for the prolific Jenkins (20.2 ppg, 42.6% 3PT), the key for Xavier will be to make him have to create off the dribble. If the junior is allowed a number of "catch and shoot" opportunities it's going to be a long night for the visitors. Kevin Stallings' team is about more than just Jenkins on offense however, as Taylor and Brad Tinsley both average double figures and forward Lance Goulbourne is just under ten points per game with an average of 9.8. There's no mistaking the fact that the Commodores miss big man Festus Ezeli inside, and they've had to adjust with his knee injury sidelining him until sometime next month.

Goulbourne, Taylor and Steve Tchiengang have been the main contributors on the glass, with Vanderbilt owning a rebounding margin of plus-4.1 on the season. They'll need to get the job done by committee against a team that rebounds in a similar fashion. Lyons, Wells, Kenny Frease (10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Travis Taylor (6.8 rpg) are the team's top four rebounders and Vanderbilt transfer Andre Walker grabs four caroms per contest, and as a team the Musketeers have a rebounding margin of plus-4.3. The difference between the two teams in offensive rebounding rate is about two percentage points in Vanderbilt's favor, so this may be a negligible stat on Monday night.

Two stats to keep an eye on: percentage of points scored from beyond the arc (Vanderbilt gets 32.5% of their points off of threes) and assist percentage (Xavier assists on 60.9% of their passes). Xavier will look to take away the three, something they have to do in order to keep the crowd out of the game. And if Vandy can make the Musketeers go one-on-one for the majority of their baskets (even with Holloway and Lyons), that will raise their defensive efficiency. Look for the Musketeers and Commodores to go right down to the wire.

Also of note is Long Beach State looking to rebound from their loss at Montana with a win at Louisville, with the Cardinals surviving a challenge from Ohio on Friday night. Peyton Siva looked to be fine on his sprained ankle against Ohio, but how he performs against Casper Ware will be something to keep an eye on just a couple days after dealing with the Bobcats' D.J. Cooper. The 49ers tandem of Larry Anderson and T.J. Robinson could prove to be a handful for the Cardinals but in freshman Chane Behanan, Louisville has one of the best freshmen in the Big East.

Akron's trip to West Virginia should also be interesting, especially with Keith Dambrot suspending starting point guard Alex Abreu last week. Quincy Diggs got the start at the point in the Zips' win over Detroit, but this move also required more of players such as Brett McClanahan. Kent State has already won in Morgantown, and it isn't far-fetched to think that WVU could drop to 0-2 at home against the MAC this season. But Bob Huggins' team is back to the old trick that helped the 2010 team get to the Final Four: dominating the offensive boards. West Virginia has rebounded 47% of their misses thus far, with senior Kevin Jones grabbing 5.5 offensive rebounds per game.

LIU's trip to Iona sets up to be a good game despite the Blackbirds' 2-3 start, with the frontcourt battle between Julian Boyd (LIU) and Mike Glover (Iona) being one that viewers should focus on. And Georgia visits Colorado in a matchup of teams still looking to define roles after incurring some heavy personnel losses following last season.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Long Beach State at (7) Louisville (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Jackson State at (8) Memphis (SportSouth)
7:00 PM Stetson vs. (9) Florida* (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (12) Xavier at (22) Vanderbilt (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Jacksonville at (17) Marquette
10:30 PM McNeese State at (18) California

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM IUPUI at Georgetown (MASN)
7:00 PM Swarthmore at Columbia
7:00 PM Akron at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Long Island at Iona
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Kent State
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Lehigh
7:00 PM North Carolina A&T at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Niagara at Saint Francis (PA)
7:30 PM UMBC at Rutgers (RVision)
7:30 PM Austin Peay at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Auburn
8:00 PM Texas-Pan American at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Trevecca Nazarene at Belmont
8:30 PM Georgia at Colorado (Root)
8:30 PM Tabor College at South Dakota
9:00 PM Tennessee at Oakland (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Northern Illinois at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Montana State at San Jose State
10:00 PM Pacific at Stanford
10:00 PM Evergreen State at Seattle
11:00 PM Pepperdine at UCLA (FS PT)

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:25:10 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving! And while football tends to take center stage on this day there are also four in-season tournaments playing games, with action spreading from the Bahamas to Alaska. There really isn't a marquee matchup so to speak but there are games that could become important once March arrives, with New Mexico's game against Santa Clara in the 76 Classic being one. The Lobos were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West, and with players such as Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams there's no doubt that they can win this event. But in the Broncos of Santa Clara they'll take on a team that was a trendy sleeper pick in the WCC, and even with Marc Trasolini lost for the year with a knee injury they can still be a factor in the race.

Guard Kevin Foster is one of the top perimeter scorers on the west coast, as he scored 20 points or more in 16 games (30+ in three games) last season. The junior's shooting percentages are down through three games, but there's no doubt that Foster can turn it on in a hurry for Kerry Keating. Foster leads four Broncos in double figures, but just as important as Foster are forwards Niyi Harrison and John McArthur. Those two have had to step up in the aftermath of Trasolini's injury and they've done a solid job to start the year. But a lot more will be learned about both as they take on Gordon, who's scoring a shade under ten points per game while grabbing ten rebounds per contest.

Gordon may be the Lobo most likely choice to win Mountain West Player of the Year, Steve Alford's got a number of perimeter options from which to choose. Kendall Williams, Tony Snell and Demetrius Walker are three of New Mexico's top four scorers and freshman Hugh Greenwood may be ready to take over the starting point guard job as the Lobos look to make up for the graduation of Dairese Gary. UNM shoots 38% from beyond the arc and their effective field goal percentage of 53.2% is better than Santa Clara's by nearly five percentage points. The outcome will boil down to which team does a better job of generating quality looks, and that was a serious problem for Santa Clara in their blowout loss at UCSB.

Which game should you keep an eye on in the Battle of Atlantis in the Bahamas? Likely the first game of the day as College of Charleston takes on UCF, with the Knights needing to pick up a quality win in light of their 23-point loss to Florida State in their second game of the season. But that's easier said than done against Bobby Cremins' team, which is coming off of a good win at Clemson. Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence have led the way for the Cougars, and their offensive execution looks to be the difference on paper (efficiency of 110.4 while UCF is down at 98.1).

In Orlando the Fairfield Stags have a game that, thanks to the current NCAA Clearinghouse issues for freshman guard Jahii Carson, has gone from "opportunity to pick up a decent win against a BCS AQ opponent" to "lose and essentially flush any at-large hopes down the drain". Sydney Johnson's team has already dropped games to Providence (home) and at Minnesota, and an early trip to the consolation bracket would be the worst possible outcome for the defending MAAC regular season champions.

And at the Great Alaska Shootout there's the chance to check out New Mexico State as either the food-induced coma wears off or die-hard shoppers fight off sleep in the quest to show up early for the "Black Friday" specials. The Aggies, who already have a win at New Mexico to their credit, are led by guards Christian Kabongo and Hernst LaRoche and forward Wendall McKines, with McKines averaging 18.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Central Michigan has sophomore guards Trey Zeigler and Derek Jackson, but for the Chippewas to have a shot at the upset they'll need to exercise good shot selection.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM UNC Asheville vs. (4) Connecticut* (HDNet)
4:30 PM Massachusetts vs. (20) Florida State* (Versus)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Texas Tech vs. Indiana State* (ESPN2)
2:00 PM Boston College vs. Saint Louis* (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Charleston vs. UCF* (Versus)
2:30 PM Minnesota vs. DePaul* (ESPN2)
4:30 PM Villanova vs. UC Riverside* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton vs. Wake Forest* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. Santa Clara* (ESPNU)
9:30 PM Harvard vs. Utah* (HDNet)
9:30 PM Arizona State vs. Fairfield* (ESPN2)
10:30 PM Central Michigan vs. New Mexico State* (FCS)
11:30 PM Oklahoma vs. Washington State* (ESPN2)
12:30 AM UC Irvine vs. Southern Miss* (FCS)