WCC

Jon Teitel's End of January All-Conference Teams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Basketball Conference Ranking: RPI, KenPom, Sagarin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Hoops Saturday: North Carolina at Kentucky

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:14:54 -0500

The game that many college basketball fans have been anticipating for quite some time is finally here, as #5 North Carolina (6-1) visits #1 Kentucky (7-0) in Lexington. While both teams are coming off of wins in their last games, the way in which the results were achieved differ greatly. North Carolina had to deal with the challenge of play Wisconsin, given the Badgers' preference for a slow tempo, while Kentucky blew out a St. John's team that was severely overmatched from a depth standpoint. The Tar Heels will provide a far stiffer challenge for a Kentucky team that set a school record on Thursday night with an astonishing 18 blocked shots, and freshman phenom Anthony Davis (13.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.9 bpg) led the way with nine blocks.

The Chicago native is an extremely difficult matchup due to his wingspan and ability to run the floor, but Saturday will be the first time this season that Davis and the rest of the Kentucky thoroughbreds run into a front line that can match them in this regard. John Henson (14.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg) and Tyler Zeller (13.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are experienced big men who can match the skill level of the young Wildcats, but will North Carolina will be able to match that depth? Freshman James Michael McAdoo is averaging a shade below six points per game in fourteen minutes of action, but that only makes three players for UNC. Kentucky can answer with Terrence Jones (15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg), the versatile Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and if his defense is up to par Kyle Wiltjer.

The Wildcats average 11.4 blocked shots per game and who knows how many other shots they change each game. Kidd-Gilchrist could very well match up with sophomore wing Harrison Barnes (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who can be taken out of his offensive comfort zone if pressed into working for his looks. The good news for the Tar Heels is that they've got one of the best set-up men in the country in point guard Kendall Marshall (10.3 apg, 4.7 rpg). Marshall's got an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.8, and his assist percentage of 44.8% ranks seventh nationally according to statsheet.com.

Kentucky will have to cut off the head of the attack in order to slow down North Carolina, which means that freshman Marcus Teague (10.7 ppg, 4.1 apg) needs to play a mature brand of basketball. Teague is an impressive basketball player, but the transition to point guard in John Calipari's system has (and will) take some time (assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.3). Joining Teague in the backcourt for Kentucky are a pair of experienced hands in sophomore Doron Lamb (14.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg) and senior Darius Miller (8.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg), and both have been better than the freshman at taking care of the basketball.

Teague will more than likely have to deal with junior Dexter Strickland for part of the game, as Strickland did a solid job of defending Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor on Wednesday night. Strickland is an impressive athlete who has fit well into the role of the Tar Heels' defensive stopper, which is perfectly fine given the scoring firepower at Roy Williams' disposal. Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston (upgraded to questionable with an injury to his left wrist) will both see time off the bench and they combine to average more than thirteen points and six rebounds per game on the season.

Given the expected intensity of this contest, especially in the early going, depth could become a factor if anyone gets into early foul trouble. Unless the culprit is Henson or Zeller the Tar Heels should be fine in this area, but the bigger question for them is how effective Marshall can be as a defender. The sophomore was solid against Wisconsin, but the style that Kentucky plays can put more "immediate" pressure on a defender as opposed to the slower style played by the Badgers. A lot of the stats are close when looking at these two powers, which hopefully will mean a tight game throughout.

In other action on a busy Saturday, Ohio State plays what should be a routine game against UTPA with Jared Sullinger out due to back spasms. This should be a good game for an Evan Ravenel to get acclimated to playing more minutes should Sullinger be out for an extended period of time. But the big one has to be undefeated Marquette visiting Wisconsin in one of the better rivalry games around. Vander Blue plays his first college game in his hometown, but the reception he receives won't be the only intrigue. Buzz Williams' team gets after it on the defensive end, and seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have both gotten off to good starts to the season. Jordan Taylor and the Badgers will look to get back on track in front of the Grateful Red, and it wouldn't be a surprise at all if they did.

Purdue visiting Xavier, Iowa State visiting Michigan and Gonzaga playing Illinois at the United Center are three more games involving ranked teams to keep an eye on, and West Virginia's trip to Starkville should be intriguing as well. And while Boston College is struggling their battle with Boston University in the battle for Commonwealth Ave. should be fun if only to watch the Terriers' Darryl Partin. USC plays Minnesota in a matchup of teams who have been hit hard by the injury bug, and the hope is that more warm bodies occupy the Sports Arena with UCLA hosting Texas. In the Atlantic Sun defending champion Belmont hosts Mercer, with the Bears hoping to show that they can contend for the conference title.

There are too many good games on the schedule to touch on them all, but also of note is a Big 5 battle between Penn and Villanova, which will match two of the best guards in the city in Zack Rosen (Penn) and Maalik Wayns (Villanova), and the late games include Missouri State visiting New Mexico in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley challenge. Enjoy the first really big Saturday of the season.

Top 25 Games
12:00 PM (5) North Carolina at (1) Kentucky (CBS)
12:00 PM Texas-Pan American at (2) Ohio State (BTN.com)
4:30 PM (16) Marquette at (7) Wisconsin
3:15 PM Arkansas at (10) Connecticut (ESPN)
3:00 PM Purdue at (11) Xavier (ESPNU)
5:15 PM USF at (14) Kansas (ESPN2)
12:00 PM Iowa State at (15) Michigan (BTN)
5:15 PM (17) Pittsburgh at Tennessee (ESPN)
3:15 PM (18) Gonzaga at Illinois (ESPN2)
8:30 PM Austin Peay at (21) Memphis (CSS)
9:00 PM West Virginia at (24) Mississippi State (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Portland at (25) Saint Louis

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Jacksonville at North Florida (ESPN3)
1:00 PM NJIT at Georgetown (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Old Dominion at Northeastern
1:00 PM Richmond at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Longwood at Virginia (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Kennesaw State at Lipscomb
1:00 PM High Point at Campbell
1:00 PM Massachusetts at Miami (FL) (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Vermont at Yale
2:00 PM Boston University at Boston College (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Morgan State at Ohio
2:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Milwaukee
2:00 PM Liberty at Coastal Carolina
2:00 PM Valparaiso at Butler
2:00 PM Cleveland State at Detroit
2:00 PM Navy at Elon
2:00 PM William & Mary at Georgia State
2:00 PM Georgia Tech at Tulane (CBSSN)
2:15 PM USC at Minnesota (BTN)
2:30 PM Colorado State at Northern Iowa
3:00 PM St. Thomas (TX) at Rice
3:00 PM Stony Brook at Eastern Illinois
3:00 PM Brown at Iowa
3:00 PM Bryant University at Quinnipiac
3:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at SIU-Edwardsville
3:00 PM Ball State at Tennessee-Martin
3:00 PM Youngstown State at Wright State
3:05 PM Toledo at Chicago State
3:30 PM Sacred Heart at Central Connecticut State
4:00 PM Drexel at Delaware (TCN)
4:00 PM Arizona State at Tulsa (CBSSN)
4:00 PM Central Michigan at Temple
4:00 PM Chattanooga at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Utah at Fresno State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Bethune-Cookman
4:00 PM W. Virginia Tech at Coppin State
4:00 PM James Madison at Hofstra
4:00 PM Bucknell at La Salle
4:00 PM Delaware State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Texas at UCLA (FSN)
4:30 PM UNC Greensboro at Western Carolina
5:00 PM Charlotte at East Carolina
5:00 PM Oregon vs. Brigham Young* (ESPNU)
5:00 PM Idaho at UC Davis
5:00 PM Houston Baptist at Texas State
5:00 PM Hartford at UCF
5:15 PM East Tennessee State at Florida Gulf Coast
5:15 PM Mercer at Belmont
5:30 PM VMI at Charleston Southern
6:00 PM Texas Southern at Denver
6:00 PM Savannah State at Norfolk State
6:00 PM UMKC at Oakland
6:30 PM Northern Arizona at Arizona (FSN AZ)
6:35 PM Eastern Washington at Washington State (Root NW)
7:00 PM North Dakota State at IUPUI
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Long Island at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM LSU at Rutgers (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Lehigh at Cornell
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Villanova (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Army at Binghamton
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Buffalo (TWC SportsNet)
7:00 PM Furman at Davidson
7:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Duquesne
7:00 PM Brescia at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Winthrop at Gardner-Webb (MASN)
7:00 PM UAB at Kent State
7:00 PM Radford at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Monmouth at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Siena (Time Warner)
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Wagner
7:00 PM Citadel at Wofford
7:30 PM George Mason at Towson
7:30 PM Appalachian State at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM Alabama State at FIU
7:30 PM South Dakota at IPFW
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Oral Roberts
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Houston
8:00 PM Columbia vs. North Texas*
8:00 PM Air Force at Drake
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Troy
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Green Bay (HLN)
8:05 PM Alabama A&M at South Alabama
8:05 PM TCU at Evansville
8:05 PM UNC Wilmington at Illinois State
8:05 PM Walla Walla University at Portland State
8:30 PM Louisiana Tech at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Montana State
9:05 PM North Dakota at Idaho State
9:05 PM Johnson and Wales (Den) at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Lamar
9:30 PM San Jose State at Weber State
10:00 PM Saint Mary's at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Indiana State at Boise State
10:00 PM Missouri State at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM San Diego at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Hawaii at Pepperdine
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Santa Clara
10:00 PM Bradley at Wyoming
10:05 PM Utah State at Pacific
10:30 PM La Sierra University at Loyola Marymount

College Hoops Friday Recap: Jardine Leads Orange to Win

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:59:36 -0500

To this point in the season Dion Waiters was playing more minutes per game than senior starter Scoop Jardine, as the Syracuse sophomore was playing good basketball. But Jardine displayed his value in the second half of Friday's game against Florida, scoring eight of Syracuse' nine points during a critical stretch that put the Orange in control of a game they went on to win 72-68. Jardine finished with 16 points and seven assists while Brandon Triche (20 points) and Kris Joseph (14) also finished in double figures. Guards Kenny Boynton (22 points) and Erving Walker (17) led the Way for Florida, who lost their second game of the season against a Top 5 opponent due in large part to Jardine.

"He did what he was supposed to do," said Triche of his backcourt partner's performance. "As an experienced guard he came down the stretch and knocked down shots. The biggest thing was his three steals in a row and we were able to get them in foul trouble or convert on most of them."

The question for Florida wasn't so much how well they'd shoot given the ability of their perimeter players but rather the quality of the shots they took. The Gators made nine of twenty-six shots from beyond the arc but the 20 turnovers against the Syracuse zone proved to be the bigger issue. One thing that the Orange do well defensively is essentially decide who will take the shots. Will Yeguete had multiple opportunities in the high post, which is exactly where teams want to get the ball against a zone defense, but his inability to knock down mid-range jumpers is exactly why the Orange allowed him to shoot.

It also didn't help matters that Patric Young had to deal with foul trouble, and this changed the way in which the Gators went about attacking the Syracuse zone as they no longer had a viable low post threat. Syracuse outscored Florida 17-7 at the foul line and out-rebounded them by seven (40-33), with C.J. Fair grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with his nine points. Florida's offensive efficiency was more than 25 points below their season average, showing what can happen when taking on a defense with the length of Syracuse's. But the play and leadership of Jardine, who sat in favor of Waiters in New York last week, will be a key throughout the season. If Scoop's doing what Jim Boeheim needs him to do, this is a Final Four-caliber team.

"When you are trying to win championships, like we are doing here, we are going to need guys that make sacrifices and leave egos at the door," said Jardine. "If I can do it, I've been here five years, anyone can do it and that is one of the things I have done as a leader. Coach said it and congratulated me on it but it's going to be for everybody and that's how it is."

Link: Boeheim apologizes for his words in immediate response to the Bernie Fine charges.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Vanderbilt's foul shooting costs them the game at Louisville.
It is extremely rare for a team that boasts a free throw rate of 54.5% while their opponent is down at 18.3% to lose a game, regardless of the quality of said opponent. But when you don't take advantage of that edge, as Vanderbilt did on Friday night, the door is left open. Sure enough, Vanderbilt going 14-for-24 from the foul line ultimately cost them as Louisville came back to win 62-60 in overtime. The win capped a 4-0 night for the Big East in the HTC Big East/SEC Invitational, but that news is secondary to the way in which the Commodores lost. Kevin Stallings team, which led by nine with just under nine minutes remaining, couldn't shut the door due to their offensive execution and foul shooting.

John Jenkins led the way with 27 points while Lance Goulbourne and Jeffery Taylor scored 11 apiece, but outside of those three there wasn't much production. And come crunch time Vanderbilt almost seemed as if they tensed up, failing to display the aggressive nature needed to close out tough games. It all makes you wonder just how much had changed in Nashville. The familiar line outside of the program is that things will change once Festus Ezeli returns, but is he enough to change this team's mental fortitude?

2. Rider loses their MAAC opener by 16, dropping to 1-7 on the year.
While Tommy Dempsey's team got off to a horrific start offensively against Manhattan, they trailed just 26-25 at the half thanks to 9 Jasper turnovers. But the most troubling number in the first half for the Broncs was 15, as in the number of three-pointers they attempted (making one), and that didn't improve much in the second half. Each team would make five three-pointers in the second half with Manhattan needing nine attempts to do so while Rider hoisted fourteen, and the Jaspers made 16 of 18 from the charity stripe as they pulled away for the 71-55 win.

The loss dropped the talented Broncs to 1-7 on the season, and a team thought to be right there with Loyola above the fray yet below favorites Iona and Fairfield in the MAAC looks more like a team destined to lose 20 games. Novar Gadson led three Broncs in double figures with 16 points, but the inconsistent nature of this group has been a theme all season long. Can they snap out of it before it's too late? Tough question to answer right now.

3. Washington's failure to foul sends them to an overtime loss at Nevada.
In spite of early struggles Lorenzo Romar's team had every opportunity to sew up a win at Nevada late Friday night, but the inability to act on a simple instruction opened the door for the Wolf Pack. Following a 1-for-2 trip to the foul line that gave the Huskies a 66-63 lead in the final seconds Romar instructed his team to give the foul before Deonte Burton, who was red hot in the second half and overtime, got off a shot. What happened was a half-hearted attempt at the foul by Tony Wroten Jr. far too close to shooting range, and with the foul going uncalled Burton knocked down the three to send the game into overtime.

Burton continued his work in the extra session, leading Nevada to the 76-73 win. Washington got two shots at the tie, but Darnell Gant (shot blocked) and Abdul Gaddy were the shooters instead of either C.J. Wilcox or Terrence Ross. Why was Nevada able to hang around despite their own offensive difficulties? Twenty-one Washington turnovers, with Wroten and Gaddy combining for nine of them. Given the strength (or lack thereof) of the Pac-12 this season the Huskies will likely be involved in a number of thrillers, and just how successful they are will depend on late-game execution. And judging by Friday night there's a lot of work to be done.

Quick Hitters

1. The big injury news of the day regarded Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who won't play tomorrow against UTPA due to back spasms that flared up against Duke on Tuesday night. How long the All-American is out remains to be seen, but this means that Deshaun Thomas and Evan Ravenel will need to step up if Sullinger is out for an extended period.

2. Next in line was Pittsburgh point guard Tray Woodall, who will miss the next month or so with groin and abdominal injuries suffered in the Panthers' win over Duquesne on Wednesday. This could mean more time at the point for Ashton Gibbs, and John Johnson and Cam Wright (who was suspended for Wednesday's game) need to step up.

3. Seton Hall put forth an impressive showing in their 81-59 win over Auburn, and the difference in this team is quite apparent. The Pirates are playing loose but smart and look as if they enjoy being on the floor and playing as a team, a testament to what Kevin Willard and his staff have done.

4. There are few teams as inconsistent as Loyola Marymount, who lost 69-61 to a Columbia that was without their best player in shooting guard Norwua Agho. While Max Good's team has beaten UCLA and Saint Louis they've also lost to Middle Tennessee and now a team expected to finish in the bottom half of the Ivy League.

5. Cameron Clark scored 18 points to lead three starters in double figures in Oklahoma's 82-53 win over Sacramento State. That balance will be something that Lon Kruger relies on with Calvin Newell deciding the transfer despite averaging 13.0 ppg on the season.

6. While they are one of the top scoring teams in the country, Iona's NCAA Tournament hopes will depend upon their ability to defend. Tim Cluess' Gaels put forth their best defensive showing of the season in a 69-57 win at Canisius, forcing 21 turnovers (turnover percentage of 35%) on the night.

7. Dion Dixon came up big for Cincinnati in the second half, scoring 16 of his 19 points to help lead the Bearcats to a 57-51 win at Georgia. With that home loss to Presbyterian hanging over the team, Mick Cronin's squad could not afford to drop this one.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Juan'Ya Green (Niagara)
The freshman guard nearly delivered a win but came up short in the Purple Eagles' 79-75 loss to Fairfield. Green finished with 35 points, six rebounds and three assists.

2. F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)
23 points, 12 rebounds and two assists in the Pirates' 81-59 win over Auburn.

3. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
31 points (7-10 3PT), six rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 90-56 win over Northwestern State.

Jon Teitel's November All-Conference Teams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Hoops Monday Recap: Musketeer Guards Lead the Way

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:44:26 -0500

There is no doubt that the Xavier Musketeers have one of the best backcourt tandems in the country with Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, and the duo combined on Monday night to provide more evidence in the affirmative. Despite shooting a combined 13-for-38 from the field Holloway and Lyons scored 43 points for the Musketeers, with Lyons knocking down the game-tying shot with 6.5 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. From there it was the "Tu Holloway Show:, with the All-American scoring ten of his team-high 24 points in the extra session.

Holloway's two three-pointers during what would become a 12-0 run gave Xavier a 74-66 lead with 2:27 remaining. Vanderbilt could only manage four points in overtime, squandering a second half in which they shot 56.5% from the field. John Jenkins led three Vanderbilt starters in double figures with 20 points while Lance Goulbourne and Jeffery Taylor added 18 apiece, but Kevin Stallings turned the ball over 18 times and Xavier took full advantage with a 22-8 split in points off turnovers.

"They were very costly," said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings of the turnovers. "Turnovers are generally careless or selfish. Neither of those has anything to do with the other team."

In addition to the points off turnovers discrepancy there was also the matter of Xavier out-rebounding Vanderbilt 54-33. Andre Walker, who transferred to Xavier from Vanderbilt after graduating in the spring, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and six other Musketeers grabbed at least four caroms. Xavier grabbed an astonishing 25 offensive rebounds, and while they held a comparatively small 15-9 edge in second-chance points that number takes a toll as the game wears on. Would the presence of Festus Ezeli have helped Vanderbilt in this regard? Possibly but he won't be back for a couple more weeks, meaning that the guys able to play need to step up.

Another problem for Vanderbilt: perimeter defense. Entrusting Jenkins and Brad Tinsley to stop opposing guards in general, much less guards the caliber of Holloway and Lyons, isn't the best move at this point in time. Can they be solid defenders down the road? That's a tough question to answer with a 'yes' or 'no', but if the Commodores want to hang around in March longer than they have in recent years they'd better improve. Monday night however was more about what Xavier did, especially on the glass given the fact that outside of Kenny Frease the Musketeers don't have a true big man. If players such as Walker, Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson can continue their work on the boards look out. At the very least Xavier will compete for every inch of space on the floor, a trait that will serve them well as the season wears on.

"I am proud of our kids," said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. "It is their first game on the road in a very hostile environment. To have 25 offensive rebounds shows how badly our kids wanted it...Our players won this; it has nothing to do with coaching."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Minnesota gets the news they feared on Sunday regarding forward Trevor Mbakwe.
There was much concern amongst members of the Minnesota basketball program on Sunday night following their loss to Dayton regarding the health of senior forward Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe went down in the second half with an injury to his right knee, and things did not look good at the time. Those fears were confirmed on Monday as an MRI revealed a torn ACL, ending Mbakwe's season and possibly his career at Minnesota. Mbakwe is Minnesota's leading scorer and rebounder on the season, and losing him leaves a significant hole in the Golden Gopher rotation.

What's this mean? Ralph Sampson III, who has dealt with a sprained ankle for much of the early going, and Rodney Williams need to step up. Williams is healthy but has been quiet as well, and Mbakwe's injury also highlights the impact of Colton Iverson transferring to Colorado State. Tubby Smith will be light on frontcourt depth, but he may be able to get away with playing small provided Sampson III and Williams do a good job of avoiding foul trouble. Is Minnesota's season over with the loss of Mbakwe? Even though it's a major blow, the answer is entirely up to the remaining players.

2. Saint Mary's withstands a great performance from Damian Lillard to beat Weber State.
Outside of Xavier's trip to Vanderbilt the best matchup of the night took place in Moraga, California with an expected contender in the WCC (Saint Mary's) hosting the preseason favorite in the Big Sky (Weber State). The game certainly didn't disappoint either, with Weber State going into the half with a 32-31 lead. But Matthew Dellavedova and the rest of the Gaels got things rolling in the second half, shooting 69% from the field and scoring 56 points in what would end up being an 87-70 win. Dellavedova established a new career high with 11 assists to go along with 25 points while Rob Jones put up a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Kenton Walker II added 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Saint Mary's, who improved to 4-1 on the season. Damian Lillard led the way for the Wildcats with 36 points and Kyle Tresnak added 17 (but made just three of ten free throws), but while Weber State shot 53% from the field in the second half it was no match for the hot Gaels. Another key was the three-point shooting, with Saint Mary's making eight of thirteen and outscoring Weber State by 15 points in this category. Expect to hear more from both teams as the season wears on.

3. Oakland retires Keith Benson's number and beats Tennessee.
It was a special night in Rochester, Michigan with the Oakland program retiring the jersey of former center Keith Benson at halftime of their game against Tennessee. The game also provided Greg Kampe's program with the rare chance to host a team from a BCS AQ conference on their home floor, and thanks to large part to guard Reggie Hamilton the Golden Grizzlies took advantage. Hamilton scored a game-high 35 points in leading Oakland to the 89-81 win over the Volunteers while Drew Valentine led four other Golden Grizzlies in double figures with 15, and Corey Petros grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

The difference ultimately was the bench, and specifically Laval Lucas-Perry, who score 14 of Oakland's 19 bench points (Tennessee had just nine bench points). After dropping their first two games of the season (to Alabama and Arkansas), the Golden Grizzlies have won four straight. Life without Benson and Larry Wright certainly isn't (and won't be) easy, but the Golden Grizzlies showed on Monday night that they've got enough talent back to remain a factor in the Summit League.

Quick Hitters

1. After a 1-2 Maui Invitational that featured some shoddy defensive play, Memphis limited Jackson State to 32% shooting in their 70-45 win. Offensively Joe Jackson scored 15 points and Chris Crawford 14 to lead the Tigers.

2. Few teams will be able to live to tell the story of running with Iona, who beat Long Island 100-84 in New Rochelle. When you have a point guard the caliber of senior Scott Machado it's easy to get out in lanes and run, and few teams have a point guard as good as Machado.

3. Joe Mihalich may not have the most experienced team, but Niagara is definitely a team that won't lie down. For the second time this season the Purple Eagles came back from an 18-point, first half deficit as they beat Saint Francis (PA) 65-63.

4. Andre Roberson scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Colorado's 70-68 win over Georgia in Boulder. Roberson is a good athlete with a high motor, which helps make up for the lack of refined skills in his game. As that part of his game improves, look for Roberson to be a major player in the Pac-12.

5. Louisville used their pressure early to get to Long Beach State, leading by as many as 15 points in their 79-66 home victory. Long Beach State turned the ball over 21 times on the night, and Chris Smith led five Cardinals in double figures with 18 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
35 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Grizzlies' 89-81 win over Tennessee.

2. G Matthew Dellavedova and F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)
Dellavedova scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists while Jones posted 24 and 12 rebounds, offsetting 36 points from Damian Lillard in the Gaels' 87-70 win over Weber State.

3. G Bradley Beal (Florida)
22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the Gators' 96-70 win over Stetson, Billy Donovan's 450th as a head coach.

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:31:32 -0500

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge is always good for a few marquee matchups throughout the two-day event, and that's definitely the case on Tuesday night as #4 Duke (7-0) heads north to take on #2 Ohio State (6-0) in Columbus. The last time Mike Krzyzewski's team was on the court in game action, Tyler Thornton knocked down a pair of huge three-pointers to beat Kansas in the title game of the Maui Invitational. The trip to Columbus offers a few challenges: their first true road game, the nation's best big man (Jared Sullinger), one of the top defensive point guards (Aaron Craft) and a win on track to become Ohio State's all-time leading scorer (William Buford). And if this wasn't enough to fire up the masses at Value City Arena, why not expect an appearance from new head football coach Urban Meyer?

However it isn't as if the Blue Devils are lacking experience in this department, with many of their key contributors looking to write their own chapter in the program's history book. Thornton ended up on the floor at the end of the Maui final due to his defensive ability; for perimeter scoring the Blue Devils rely on a three-pronged attack consisting of juniors Seth Curry (15.1 ppg, 3.1 apg) and Andre Dawkins (10.1 ppg, 44.7% 3PT), and highly-touted freshman Austin Rivers (14.4 ppg). Curry's been their most consistent shooter, knocking down 51.6% of his field goals overall and a staggering 57.1% from beyond the arc. Also possessing the trio's best assist-to-turnover ratio, Curry's been the guard entrusted with getting Duke going in their sets more times than not.

Dawkins is an outstanding perimeter shooter who can't be left alone, and it could be fair to consider Rivers to be the "wild card" in spite of the fact that he's third on the team in scoring. The question for the phenom: will be play under control and not try to force the issue? If Rivers plays under control, with his talents it becomes an unbelievable challenge to keep him contained. It will be interesting to see who Thad Matta assigns Craft to. Does the sophomore end up drawing Curry or Rivers? Craft (9.2 ppg, 5.5 apg) isn't called upon to score at the same rate as Duke's guards, but his value both defensively and as the "set-up" man for the Buckeyes' scorers makes him an incredibly valuable asset. And the chief beneficiary is the man the Duke big men have to slow down if they're to win.

Sullinger (18.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg) trimmed down some in the off-season, and as a result he's become even tougher to deal with thanks to improved stamina and quickness. For their interior defense the Blue Devils primarily call on Mason (11.4 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Miles (5.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) Plumlee, with the latter being replaced in the starting lineup recently by the more offensively-inclined Ryan Kelly (14.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg). When in a pinch caused by foul trouble Duke may call on Josh Hairston, but with the sophomore averaging just six minutes per game that's a rather unlikely scenario unless they get in serious trouble. The Plumlees have to keep Sullinger off the offensive boards, but more importantly he cannot be allowed to get the majority of his post touches with a foot in the lane. That happens, the reigning National Freshman of the Year is either scoring or going to the foul line.

Kelly will have to be just as valuable for Duke on the defensive end due to the presence of Deshaun Thomas (12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), and the Blue Devils' third guard will need to keep Lenzell Smith Jr. (1.7 offensive rebounds/game) off of the offensive glass as well. Ohio State has nine players averaging double-digit minutes, and reserves such as Jordan Sibert and Evan Ravenel will need to be factors in their time on the floor if the Buckeyes are to utilize their superior depth. Ohio State's been the more efficient of the two teams offensively due in large part to their point distribution.

The Buckeyes score 62% of their points on two-point baskets while Duke scores 33% of their points from beyond the arc. Ohio State also assists on 66% of their baskets while Duke only assists on 46% of theirs, meaning that ball pressure will be a key for the Blue Devils if they're to win. One other stat to keep an eye on: turnover percentage. Ohio State's opponents have turned the ball over on 28% of their possessions, but outside of Florida the Buckeyes haven't played a team of this caliber to date. This will be an outstanding early-season test for both teams, as they have designs not just on conference titles but a national crown as well.

In other action Michigan visits Virginia with the Cavaliers looking to pick up a good "resume" win after a rough trip to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam a couple weeks ago. Tim Hardaway Jr. and freshman Trey Burke helped lead the Wolverines to a third-place finish in Maui, and John Beilein's team is among the toughest in the country to prepare for given their style of play. Newly-ranked Saint Louis remained in southern California after winning the 76 Classic, and while Loyola Marymount has been inconsistent the Lions do have a win at UCLA to their credit, meaning that Brian Conklin and company had better be ready to go from the start.

Cincinnati will look to rebound from their loss to Marshall, but there are more preferable coaches to encounter when needing a win than Miami (OH) head coach Charlie Coles. Illinois' trip to College Park should also be interesting to watch, if only to see how Illini big man Meyers Leonard continues to build on his play in Cancun. Maryland doesn't have much depth inside, which could lead to a big night for Leonard. And out west Arizona, with a reconfigured starting lineup thanks to their poor start (down 21-4) in a home loss to San Diego State, had better be careful as they visit New Mexico State. The Aggies have a pair of good front court players in Hamidu Rahman and Wendell McKines who can give their young front court fits if they aren't ready to go.

Top 25 Games
9:30 PM (4) Duke at (2) Ohio State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at (3) Syracuse (SNY)
8:00 PM Prairie View A&M at (8) Baylor (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (15) Michigan at Virginia (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (25) Saint Louis at Loyola Marymount

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Yale at Hartford
7:00 PM Manhattan at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM East Carolina at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Texas Southern at Ball State
7:00 PM Oakland City at Butler
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Cincinnati (FSN Ohio)
7:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Delaware State
7:00 PM Colgate at Fordham
7:00 PM High Point at Hampton
7:00 PM South Wesleyan at North Carolina Central
7:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at North Florida
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Providence
7:15 PM Northwestern vs. Georgia Tech* (ESPNU)
7:30 PM Howard at American (CSN)
7:30 PM Illinois at Maryland (ESPN)
7:30 PM Georgia State at South Carolina State
8:00 PM LSU at Houston (CBSSN)
8:00 PM North Texas at Texas (LHN)
8:00 PM Washburn at Nebraska-Omaha
8:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Dallas Christian at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM East Tennessee State at Troy
8:05 PM Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State
8:35 PM Alabama State at Evansville
9:00 PM Arizona at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Miami (FL) at Purdue (ESPN2)
9:15 PM Clemson at Iowa (ESPNU)
10:00 PM UTEP at Oregon (CSN-NW)
10:30 PM Lewis & Clark at Portland

Which is the Best Non-BCS Conference This Year?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:09:53 -0500