Akron

Non-BCS Top 25: Akron On the Rise

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:45:06 -0500

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

Non-BCS Top 25: February 5th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
1	Murray St	23-0	2	NA
2	UNLV	21-4*	1	7
3	Creighton	21-3*	3	8
4	Saint Mary's	22-2	4	14
5	San Diego St	20-3	6	18
6	Harvard	20-2	7	21
7	Southern Miss	20-3	8	NA
8	Temple	17-5	9	4
9	Gonzaga	18-4*	5	3
10	Wichita St	20-4	10	13
11	New Mexico	19-4	12	5
12	Saint Louis	18-5	15	NA
13	Cleveland St	20-4	13	NA
14	Long Beach St	17-6	16	23
15	MTSU	21-4*	11	NA
16	Memphis	16-7*	14	1
17	Iona	19-5	17	NA
18	BYU	20-6	20	17
19	Davidson	17-5	18	NA
20	Ohio	19-4	21	NA
21	Xavier	15-8*	19	2

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
22	Oral Roberts	21-5*	22	NA
23	Akron	16-7	34	NA
24	Colorado St	15-7*	31	NA
25	Marshall	14-9*	25	10

pre. = preseason ranking

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

* = Losses in the last week

Next 5: UCF (17-6), Weber St (18-4), Bucknell (18-6), VCU (20-5), Wyoming (18-5*)

Further 5: Nevada (19-4*), George Mason (19-6*), South Dakota St (19-6), UMASS (17-6*), La Salle (17-7*)

Dropped Out of Top 25 This Week:

#23 Nevada

#24 Dayton

Dropped Out of Top 25 Since Preseason:

#6 Butler

#9 George Mason

#11 Drexel

#15 Kent St

#22 Utah St

#24 UAB

#25 GW

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Tuesday Recap: Travel Issues, Cowboys Can't Derail San Diego State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:35:27 -0500

It's been an interesting couple of days in college basketball when it comes to travel issues, with Purdue having to bus to Michigan State in the early hours of Saturday for a noon tip. While the Boilermakers hung tough in the first half they lost their legs in the second as the Spartans rolled. So what was going to happen to San Diego State, whose trek to Laramie for an important Mountain West game against Wyoming took 20 hours, not to mention the fact that they'd be playing more than 7,000 feet above sea level? The Aztecs seemed to find their second wind in the second half, opening the stanza on a 16-4 run on their way to the 52-42 win.

SDSU shot 57.1% from the field in the second half while limiting the Cowboys to 7-for-27, and their defense helped make up for 19 turnovers that Wyoming was able to convert into 18 points. Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin scored 12 points apiece for San Diego State, who remains a game ahead of UNLV with a 4-0 league mark, and Franklin also grabbed eleven rebounds (unfortunately he was three turnovers away from a triple-double).

Leonard Washington (12 points, eight rebounds) and Luke Martinez (11 points) led the way for the Pokes, who have dropped two conference home games (New Mexico before this) and are still in search of a marquee win to add to their resume. Foul trouble short-circuited Wyoming in the first half but they were able to hang close, trailing 25-22 at the break. But their offensive struggles coming out of the gates in the second half proved to be the difference.

"They played very good position defense, but they didn't pressure us other than for a few possessions when JayDee [Luster] was out," remarked Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt. "They are a tough, competitive group of kids, and they have an arrogance where they expect to win. All good teams have that."

Given the fact that there were just 58 possessions in the game neither team was all that great at taking care of the basketball, combining for 34 turnovers on the night. San Diego State made the most of the possessions they were able to get through without turning the ball over, shooting 51.2% from the field and 45.5% from three. Both teams made five three-pointers on the night, but SDSU only attempted 11 to Wyoming's 22. The Cowboys attempted eight more field goals and six more free throws but it was they who looked to be the team that spent 20 hours on the road, and that's a credit to Steve Fisher, his staff and most importantly the players.

"It had no impact on the game at all, in my opinion," said Fisher of the travel issues. "We've had problems in Laramie my thirteen trips in here. It's a hard place to play and win. To come in here and get a win, I'm very appreciative, and do believe we earned it."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan hangs on to beat Purdue in West Lafayette.
It's safe to say that Michigan didn't get off to a good start at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, but to their credit the Wolverines fought back before falling short 66-64. No such beginning on Tuesday night for Michigan, but they needed a missed Robbie Hummel three in the final seconds to beat Purdue 66-64 in West Lafayette. Tim Hardaway Jr. led four Michigan players in double figures with 19 points and forwards Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz combined for 22 points in the win.

Michigan wasn't as reliant on the three-point shot as they normally are in their system, attempting 14 (making six). But that's fine when they're able to find enough good shots from two to shoot 58.3% inside of the arc. Purdue on the other hand shot 9-for-26 from deep, and Hummel and Lewis Jackson combined to score 33 of their 64 points. With the win Michigan remains atop the Big Ten standings with a 6-2 mark, and if they can get play like this from Morgan and Smotrycz on a consistent basis they'll remain a contender for the Big Ten title.

2. Baylor bounces back from an 0-2 week by winning at Oklahoma.
It was a tough week for Scott Drew's Bears but that was understandable given the fact that they were playing a Top 10 team on the road (Kansas) and a Top 5 team at home (Missouri). The issue came in how they lost especially when considering rebounding, and while Oklahoma still managed to grab 12 offensive rebounds they weren't able to fully take advantage. Perry Jones III scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Baylor to the 77-65 win, with Oklahoma's poor three-point shooting (3-for-12) also playing a role in the outcome.

Baylor on the other hand made nine of their eighteen shots from beyond the arc, and when combined with a 14-for-17 night from the charity stripe it isn't too difficult to figure out why the 12 offensive boards allowed wasn't a killer. Pierre Jackson scored 16 points and dished out seven assists but also had six of Baylor's 12 turnovers, but the Sooners only scored 12 points off of those turnovers. Romero Osby scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Steven Pledger scored 17 to lead Oklahoma, who dropped to 2-5 in league play with the defeat.

3. Texas picks up a key win over Iowa State to split the season series.
Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones have made their way into the NCAA Tournament discussion with their play throughout the season but they let a good opportunity slip through their fingers with a 72-65 loss at Texas. A win would have given the Cyclones a sweep of the season series, and if both teams were to end up on the bubble that would be a nice line to have on their resume. What makes the defeat even more painful is that Texas won despite J'Covan Brown shooting 3-for-16 from the field.

Myck Kabongo led the Longhorns with 13 points and Julien Lewis chipped in with 12 and seven rebounds, giving Texas a much-needed home win as their next two games are at Baylor and home against Missouri. Iowa State shot just 33.3% from the field and 5-for-21 from three, and starters Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen combined to make just two of their fourteen shots from the field. Iowa State will have plenty of good opportunities for resume-building wins between now and March, but this defeat may put a little more pressure on them to split their next two games (home against Kansas and Kansas State).

Quick Hitters

1. Despite 25 points and nine rebounds from Ball State's Jarrod Jones, Akron won 70-58 in Muncie to remain in sole possession of first place in the MAC East. Quincy Diggs and Brian Walsh scored 16 points apiece to lead the Zips and Alex Abreu added 12 on four three-pointers.

2. Kentucky forward Anthony Davis moved to third on the list of most blocked shots in a single season in SEC history, blocking five shots to move his total to 98 in the Wildcats' 57-44 win at Georgia. Darius Miller scored 19 points off the bench and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 and 11 rebounds as Kentucky moved to 6-0 in conference play.

3. In Nashville, Vanderbilt blitzed Tennessee early on their way to a 65-47 win as Jeffery Taylor led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals. John Jenkins added 16 as the Commodores were able to win in comfortable fashion in spite of Festus Ezeli's ejection for a flagrant 2 foul in the first half.

4. With two of their next three games being road contests against ranked teams, there was some thought that we'd find out how good USF is. The first game didn't go well for the Bulls as they fell 67-47 at #18 Marquette. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick led the Bulls with 19 points and ten rebounds but as a team USF shot 35.6% from the field and turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 20 Marquette points.

5. If Jim Larranaga's Miami team is to make a run at a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble they need to avoid stubbing their toe against teams they're expected to beat in the ACC. That was the case on Tuesday as the Hurricanes beat Georgia Tech 64-49 thanks in large part to 21 points and eight rebounds from Kenny Kadji. Miami needs to take care of business against Boston College and Maryland ahead of their trip to Duke on February 5th.

6. While Buffalo does have one of the country's most underrated players in Javon McCrea, they've also got another solid forward by the name of Mitchell Watt. Watt scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to compliment McCrea's 17 points as the Bulls beat Eastern Michigan 67-47 to remain a game behind Akron in the MAC East.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Will Davis II (UC Irvine)
21 points (9-10 FG), ten rebounds and five blocks in the Anteaters' 78-67 win over Seattle.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
21 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears' 77-65 win at Oklahoma.

3. F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Commodores' 65-47 win over Tennessee.

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:06:41 -0500

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

While #6 Michigan State put up a fight in losing to Northwestern 81-74 in Evanston, #3 North Carolina offered no such challenge for Florida State in Tallahassee. Deividas Dulkys, who entered the game averaging 6.2 points per game, went off to the tune of 32 points (8-10 3PT) in the 90-57 beating.

Roy Williams' team went into the locker room at the half down just eight points at 36-28, but the Tar Heels didn't look like a team that wanted to fight back in the second half. Entering the game Florida State was the worst team in the ACC when it came to taking care of the basketball, but it was North Carolina that turned the ball over 22 times on Saturday with Kendall Marshall tallying seven.

FSU did turn the ball over 17 times but six of those belonged to Luke Loucks, and all six came in the first half. Leonard Hamilton's team didn't shoot better in the second half (47.1% to 50.0% in the first), but they took better care of the basketball (six turnovers). And combining that with their defense (33.3% FG allowed) meant bad things for the visitors from Chapel Hill.

"I think it was a team effort just defending their system," said Hamilton when asked of how they limited Tyler Zeller (14 points, 14 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, three rebounds). "You just try to limit the clean looks they get and make them work for whatever they get."

As for Northwestern, they received help from the supporting cast and that was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State. John Shurna (22 points) and Drew Crawford (20 points) did what they normally do, but Davide Curletti and Reggie Hearn (10 points) also reached double figures. As a team the Wildcats shot 50.0% from the field and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals with just seven turnovers.

Bill Carmody's team also played well defensively in the second half, limiting Michigan State to 34.4% shooting overall and 7-for-21 on two-point shots. Michigan State scored 37 points in both halves, but the drop in their accuracy on two-point shots (61.5%) and efficiency helped Northwestern take control of the game and eventually push their lead out to 12 (69-57) with 6:45 remaining.

Keith Appling scored 17 points and Draymond Green 14, but they were the only two Spartans to reach double figures. Both Northwestern and Florida State were "out of character" in their victories on Saturday, with the Seminoles taking better care of the basketball and the Wildcats getting scoring from guys other than their two primary options. But the wins aren't going to mean much if they can't build on the outcomes and continue to improve.

"In order for this game to be meaningful we need to continue to stacking on these types of games," remarked Hamilton. Can't say it any better than that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jamaal Franklin's runner in the final seconds pushes #22 San Diego State past #12 UNLV.
The lone contest on the schedule matching ranked teams was also the Mountain West opener for both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels, and they gave the fans either at Viejas Arena or watching on TV a treat. Jamaal Franklin, who had to leave the game with 1:01 remaining after injuring his ankle, returned to the floor 30 seconds later and provided the winning points for San Diego State.

Franklin's driving bucket with three-tenths of a second remaining was the difference in the Aztecs' 69-67 win over UNLV, who remained within striking distance thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass. UNLV grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, leading to ten second-chance points.

Franklin was outstanding despite some early issues with rushed shots, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds. But he wasn't the only key contributor for Steve Fisher's team, as James Rahon scored 22 points and Chase Tapley 11. Anthony Marshall led UNLV with 26 points, but he was the Runnin' Rebels' lone double figure scorer as SDSU did a solid job of defending the likes of Chace Stanback (3-9 FG, seven points) and Mike Moser (3-11 FG, nine points, 11 rebounds).

UNLV entered the game averaging more than 18 assists per game but they finished with just nine, and the foul line didn't help matters either. UNLV made 11 of 21 from the charity stripe while SDSU knocked down 16 of 20, and leaving points at the foul line is one of the easiest ways to lose a close contest. With New Mexico getting their shot at both teams next week (SDSU in Albuquerque on Wednesday, at UNLV on Saturday) there isn't much time to rest on this outcome, but at the very least San Diego State held serve at home.

2. Oregon hangs on the beat Arizona, pulling off the road sweep of the Arizona schools for the first time in 34 years.
Dana Altman's team entered Saturday's game in Tucson needing a win to remain a game out of first place in the loss column, but to say the least history was not on their side as they hadn't beaten both Arizona and Arizona State on the road in the same season in 34 years. But thanks to a balanced offensive effort (four players scored either 12 or 13 points) the Ducks made program history in winning 59-57 despite blowing a 17-point lead. The Wildcats had two chances in the waning moments to either tie or win the game but couldn't make either shot, and quiet afternoons from Jesse Perry (2-4 FG, eight points) and Kyle Fogg (1-9 FG, five points) didn't help matters either.

Arizona's had trouble with bigger teams this season, and that was no different with the Ducks having Tony Woods and Olu Ashaolu to pester Perry inside. Does Oregon have enough to contend for the Pac-12 crown? The addition of guard Devoe Joseph is one reason why, and E.J. Singler has played well for much of the season. In a wide-open league the teams that can pull off road sweeps will likely have the best chance of winning the title. This is a big weekend for Oregon from a historical standpoint, but how big it is this season depends on whether or not they can build on the positive momentum.

3. Kentucky makes the plays they needed to make late to win at Tennessee.
Cuonzo Martin welcomed freshman Jarnell Stokes (nine points, four rebounds) into the fold on Saturday, and while he still has a way to go with regards to both conditioning and understanding the system there's no denying Stokes' talent. In spite of a fired up crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena and a team that refused to lie down, Kentucky found a way to leave Knoxville with a win thanks in large part to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It's become obvious that the freshman is Kentucky's leader and he once again made the "winning plays" needed to close teams out, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the 65-62 win.

Anthony Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Terrence Jones ten points as Kentucky won their second conference road game of the season. That matches their total from all of last season, which should be a good sign for John Calipari's young team. Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 16 points and Jeronne Maymon added 15 and ten rebounds, but the Volunteers couldn't overcome Kentucky's seven-point edge (21-14) at the foul line. Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they wanted and will get better as the season wears on, but a team with a glue guy the caliber of Kidd-Gilchrist is tough to beat.

4. Weber State makes quite the statement in whipping Montana to take sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The second-biggest game of the day out west took place in the Big Sky, with Montana and Weber State being the lone remaining undefeated teams in the conference. But with the return of two key cogs in the attack, Randy Rahe's Wildcats made a statement in their 80-64 win over the Grizzlies in Ogden. Damian Lillard (21 points) and Scott Bamforth (15 points) are names known by most college basketball fans, but what about Frank Otis and Gelaun Wheelwright? Otis, who like Kyle Bullinger missed multiple games due to injury, sparked a Weber State run from the eight-minute mark of the first half that resulted in a 49-36 halftime lead.

Both he and Wheelwright finished with seven points and Kyle Tresnak scored 12 as the Wildcats proved to be too much for Montana on both ends of the floor. Montana shot just 35.7% in the first half and 38.5% for the game as their six-game win streak came to an end. There's a lot of basketball to be played before Wayne Tinkle's team gets another shot at Weber State (the regular season finale for both on February 28th), but Weber State's performance on Saturday night clearly makes them the team to beat.

5. Oklahoma picks up a much-needed win, knocking off #18 Kansas State in Norman.
There aren't many teams that are going to beat Missouri and Kansas period, much less in back-to-back games, so there wasn't much shame in falling to those teams as Lon Kruger's Sooners did to start Big 12 play. But to lose at Oklahoma State on Monday night to fall to 0-3 made Saturday's game against #18 Kansas State even more important, and the Sooners rose to the challenge as they won 82-73 in Norman. Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Steven Pledger and Romero Osby scored 18 apiece for Oklahoma, who shot 70.0% from the field in the second half to maintain the nine-point spread they built in the first half.

Kansas State shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half and trailed 38-29 at the break, and a big problem for them was the lack of productivity from their starters other than Rodney McGruder (19 points, ten rebounds) and Will Spradling (11 points). The other three starters combined to score just ten points with nine coming from Jamar Samuels, and while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones scored 12 apiece off the bench it wasn't enough as the Wildcats were unable to get stops in the second half. Whether or not the Sooners can make a run at a tournament bid remains to be seen and it will be tough since the Big 12 is now a true round-robin, but at the least they needed a win Saturday and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. While neither team won on Saturday, both Pittsburgh and Villanova played far better than they did on Wednesday in losses to Rutgers and Syracuse respectively. The Panthers fell at #24 Marquette 62-57, but the move to put Isaiah Epps in the starting lineup at the point served as a boost for Ashton Gibbs (29 points). As for Villanova, Maalik Wayns (39 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) was outstanding but it wasn't enough in an 82-78 loss at Cincinnati. Whether or not these two can play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration remains to be seen, but at the least they've shown signs of life. That wasn't the case on Wednesday.

2. There may not have been a more impressive bounce-back from a bad outing earlier in the week than what Iowa was able to do, as they beat #13 Michigan 75-59 in Iowa City following a 95-61 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday. Matt Gatens led four Hawkeyes in double figures with 19 points and Fran McCaffery's team assisted on 18 of their 25 made baskets. It also didn't hurt to have Michigan shoot 8-for-31 from beyond the arc.

3. Good luck attempting to handicap the Atlantic 10 race, but unlike the Pac-12 that action would be to sift through quality options as opposed to detritus. Xavier looks to be back to their normal selves as they beat St. Bonaventure 77-64 at home, and Saint Louis was finally able to win a close game as they won 68-67 at Charlotte. But Temple and Saint Joseph's weren't as fortunate, falling to Richmond (76-65) and a surprising UMass (71-62) respectively. This is going to be a fun race to watch unfold.

4. Another non-BCS race to keep an eye on is the NEC, which currently has one undefeated team (LIU Brooklyn at 6-0), three teams at 5-1 (CCSU, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner) and Robert Morris sits a game behind those teams at 4-2. Dan Hurley's Seahawks beat CCSU 67-58 at home despite 21 turnovers, moving their win streak to seven games (Wagner hadn't done that since the 1979-80 season) thanks in large part to their defense (19 TOs forced, 38.8% FG allowed). Jonathon Williams led Wagner with 18 points while CCSU was paced by Robby Ptacek, who finished with 26.

5. The three remaining undefeated teams (Baylor, Murray State and Syracuse) all won on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears and Orange both blowing out overmatched opponents (Baylor beat Oklahoma State 106-65 while Syracuse beat Providence (without the suspended Vincent Council) 78-55). Murray State dealt with a stiffer challenge, beating Tennessee Tech 82-74 thanks in large part to a combined 52 points from guards Donte Poole (28) and Isaiah Canaan (24). With Ivan Aska out for the next month or so while his broken hand heals, the Racers are going to need more from their frontcourt to remain atop the OVC.

6. Zeke Marshall (17 points, six rebounds) became the 8th player in MAC history to block at least 200 shots in a career, but the biggest reason for Akron's 68-63 win over Ohio was the production of their bench. Nick Harney and Brett McClanahan scored 10 points apiece and the Zips' reserves outscored Ohio's 31-18. Keith Dambrot's team moved to 3-0 in league play and there's little doubt that Akron has the tools needed to return to the NCAA Tournament.

7. Arnett Moultrie won the individual matchup between he and JaMychal Green, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and as a result #20 Mississippi State beat Alabama 53-50 in Starkville. Dee Bost added 17, and it should be seen as a good sign for Rick Stansbury's team that they found a way to win with starters Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele combining to shoot 0-for-11 from the field.

8. Despite Shabazz Napier's foot still bothering him and guard Ryan Boatright being held out due to eligibility concerns, #16 Connecticut ended Notre Dame's 29-game home win streak with a 67-53 win. Napier scored a team-high 16 points, Alex Oriakhi had arguably his best game of the season (12 points, seven rebounds) and Andre Drummond posted another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to make up for Jeremy Lamb scoring just six points. Eric Atkins scored 20 but Notre Dame made just 32.3% of their shots on the day.

9. Early pick for Ivy League Player of the Year? Has to be Penn guard Zack Rosen, who scored 18 points and dished out five assists (five steals as well) in the Quakers' 64-52 win at Cornell. Penn's off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and while there's quite the gulf between Harvard and the rest of the league Rosen and Tyler Bernardini (18 points, eight rebounds) are two reasons why Jerome Allen's team may be their biggest threat.

10. Bob McKillop's Davidson squad took control of the South Division of the SoCon with their 83-79 win at Appalachian State, moving to 6-0 in league play. Jake Cohen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds and De'Mon Brooks scored seven straight during a 10-0 run to move the Wildcats to 12-4 overall. And with Georgia Southern losing at Wofford, Davidson is two games up on the second place Eagles.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Wildcats' 82-78 loss at Cincinnati.

2. G Deividas Dulkys (Florida State)
32 points (8-10 3PT) and four assists in the Seminoles' 90-57 pasting of #3 North Carolina.

3. C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) and F Dewayne Jackson (Morgan State)
In Norfolk State's 90-89 double overtime win O'Quinn posted a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while Jackson led the Bears with 33 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
34 points (10-16 FG), four rebounds and two assists in the Longhorns' 84-73 loss at #9 Missouri.

5. F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)
14 points and 19 rebounds in the 49ers' 76-66 win over Pacific, Long Beach State's 17th straight win at home.

#22 San Diego State vs. #12 UNLV: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:25:01 -0500

The Mountain West, similar to the Ivy League and Great West, had to start conference play later than other conferences due to the fact that they've got just eight members. Saturday marks the beginning of conference play and there are two key games to keep an eye on, most notably #22 San Diego State (14-2) hosting #12 UNLV (16-2) in the day's lone matchup of ranked teams.

Both teams have some quality wins on their schedules but the extra week to schedule non-conference games hurt the strength of schedule numbers for both teams, so getting into league play should give the Runnin' Rebels and Aztecs the boost they need to ensure good seeds in the NCAA Tournament provided they take care of business.

Steve Fisher's team was thought to be a clear third option to win the Mountain West behind UNLV and New Mexico due to the four starters lost from last year's Sweet 16 team. But thanks in large part to their backcourt the Aztecs have exceeded expectations thus far. Chase Tapley (17.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg), San Diego State's lone returning starter, has adjusted well to being the primary scoring option as he's shooting 52.6% from the field and 50.0% from three.

In addition to Tapley there's Jamaal Franklin (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.4 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.7 rpg) and James Rahon (10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg) to contend with, and these guards for the most part are good at creating their own offense (SDSU assists on just 49.4% of their made baskets).

UNLV's got some very good perimeter players as well, with Anthony Marshall (10.6 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.3 rpg) and Oscar Bellfield (9.6 ppg, 5.3 apg) being the players most likely to initiate the offense for Dave Rice. In addition to their offensive skills both are good defenders and Marshall is also a prolific athlete who can finish above the rim.

And sixth man Justin Hawkins (9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg) doesn't receive the pub that the majority of the other Rebels do but he's a good basketball player who would start for many teams. And on the wing the Rebels have senior Chace Stanback (14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg), who has raised his scoring average and shooting percentages in his final campaign.

Both teams boast a great deal of talent on the perimeter, but the outcome may depend on what the interior players provide. UNLV's got the advantage with regards to size but San Diego State's big men have done a good job of simply doing what's needed instead of trying to do what Kawhi Leonard, Billy White and Malcolm Thomas did last year.

Tim Shelton (4.1 rpg) has been around for quite some time and his savvy makes him a valuable defender despite knees that have been an issue throughout his collegiate career. LSU transfer Garrett Green (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounding while Deshawn Stephens (6.3 rpg, 5.9 rpg) isn't far behind.

UNLV also works as a committee inside, with Brice Massamba (5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) being the starter while Quintrell Thomas (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Carlos Lopez (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) come off the bench. Those three are called on for rebounding and defense, while at the "4" the Rebels have one of the nation's most productive transfers in Mike Moser.

Moser (14.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg) was outstanding early in the season as teams failed to come up with an answer for the versatile UCLA transfer, and he's remained a solid bet for a double-double as the year's worn on. With both teams having rebounding margins around a plus-3, Moser may be the difference on the glass in spite of SDSU's ability to hit the offensive boards.

With rebounding about even, the way in which UNLV scores their points will be something to watch on Saturday afternoon. UNLV averages 18.8 assists per game, assisting on 65% of their made baskets. The Rebels have players who can create on their own, but the offense runs better when they're able to create for each other. If SDSU can limit the drive and kick situations that result in UNLV scoring 31% of their points from beyond the arc, "The Show" and the other fans at Viejas Arena have a good chance of going home happy.

Also in the Mountain West on Saturday is New Mexico's trip to Laramie to take on a Wyoming squad that's surprised folks in Larry Shyatt's first season (second stint) at the helm. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams have played much better over the last month than they did at the beginning of the year, and sophomore Tony Snell hasn't received as much credit as he should for his play throughout the year. Senior Adam Waddell has been a good frontcourt option for the Cowboys, who have improved a great deal on the defensive end since last season.

Florida State has a great opportunity to boost their profile on the heels of a win over Virginia Tech as they host #3 North Carolina. The Seminoles aren't a terrible shooting team as many would lead you to believe. The problem for Leonard Hamilton's team is that they don't take care of the basketball, boasting a turnover rate of around 26%. Giving up too many opportunities to Kendall Marshall and company could result in a blowout if FSU isn't smart with the ball.

Northwestern finds themselves in a similar position as they host red-hot #7 Michigan State and Iowa State visits #10 Kansas with forwards Royce White (ISU) and Thomas Robinson (Kansas) being the marquee attractions. In the Big East, Pittsburgh needs a win at #24 Marquette to avoid their first 0-5 start in conference play since the 1999-2000 season. Tray Woodall's still out due to injury, meaning that players such as John Johnson and Lamar Patterson need to step up and help out Ashton Gibbs.

#16 Connecticut will be without the services of freshman guard Ryan Boatright, who is being held out due to the NCAA looking into possible extra benefits received in high school, as they look to beat Notre Dame in South Bend. The Fighting Irish, led by sophomore point guard Eric Atkins, has won the last three games in the series and have the ability to make it four if the Huskies aren't ready to go from the start.

And even with the great number of games on television a contest that will only be available online will rank among the best games out west. Montana visits Weber State in the first meeting of the two favorites to win the Big Sky this season, and the Grizzlies have the talent to make things tough on the Wildcats despite the presence of Damian Lillard. Kareem Jamar is one of Montana's key players on the perimeter while Derek Selvig is an important piece inside. And there's also a meeting of contenders in the MAC as Ohio visits Akron, with two POY candidates (Ohio guard D.J. Cooper and Akron center Zeke Marshall) on display.

Top 25 Games
6:00 PM Providence at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (2) Kentucky at Tennessee (ESPN)
2:00 PM (3) North Carolina at Florida State (ESPN)
3:00 PM Oklahoma State at (4) Baylor (ESPN2)
3:00 PM (7) Michigan State at Northwestern (BTN)
1:00 PM Texas at (9) Missouri (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Iowa State at (10) Kansas (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (12) UNLV at (22) San Diego State (NBC SN)
1:00 PM (13) Michigan at Iowa (BTN)
6:00 PM Tennessee Tech at (14) Murray State (ESPNU)
4:00 PM DePaul at (15) Louisville (ESPN3)
11:00 AM (16) Connecticut at Notre Dame (ESPN2)
1:30 PM (18) Kansas State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (19) Florida at South Carolina (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Alabama at (20) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (23) Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount (ROOT NW)
2:00 PM Pittsburgh at (24) Marquette (ESPNU)
2:00 PM George Washington at (25) Harvard

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Stony Brook at Boston University (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Hofstra at Old Dominion (MSG)
12:00 PM Villanova at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
12:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Xavier (ESPNU)
1:00 PM William & Mary at Northeastern
1:00 PM Bryant University at Mount St. Mary's
1:00 PM Tulsa at East Carolina
1:00 PM NC State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Bucknell at Lafayette
1:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Campbell
1:30 PM Ole Miss at Auburn (ESPN3)
1:45 PM Texas Tech at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Brown at Yale
2:00 PM Holy Cross at American
2:00 PM Longwood at Dartmouth
2:00 PM Duquesne at Rhode Island
2:00 PM Rutgers at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Davidson at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM Lehigh at Colgate
2:00 PM Towson at Georgia State
2:00 PM Saint Louis at Charlotte (CBS SN)
2:00 PM Sam Houston State at Nicholls State
2:00 PM Central Arkansas at Northwestern State
2:00 PM UAB at Southern Miss (FSN)
2:00 PM Toledo at Western Michigan
2:00 PM Furman at Western Carolina
2:00 PM Wright State at Green Bay (ESPN3)
2:00 PM SUNY-Cobleskill at NJIT
2:30 PM Army at Navy (CBS SN)
3:00 PM Virginia Tech at Boston College (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Vermont at New Hampshire
3:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Lamar
3:00 PM Howard at North Carolina A&T
3:00 PM Chattanooga at Samford
3:30 PM Oregon at Arizona (CBS)
3:30 PM East Tennessee State at Jacksonville
3:30 PM New Mexico at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM Colorado at Stanford (FSN)
4:00 PM VCU at Delaware (TCN)
4:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Illinois-Chicago (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Massachusetts
4:00 PM Elon at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Georgia at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Ohio at Akron (ESPNU)
4:00 PM Southern University at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
4:00 PM South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman
4:00 PM Hampton at Coppin State
4:00 PM Norfolk State at Morgan State
4:00 PM Quinnipiac at Saint Francis (PA)
4:30 PM Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina
4:30 PM Monmouth at LIU Brooklyn
4:30 PM Central Michigan at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Pepperdine at San Francisco (CSN CA)
4:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM McNeese State at Texas State
5:00 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe
6:00 PM Air Force at Boise State (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Buffalo at Miami (OH) (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State
6:05 PM Eastern Washington at Northern Colorado (Altitude)
6:30 PM Savannah State at Florida A&M
6:30 PM Alabama A&M at Alabama State
6:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Jackson State
6:30 PM Texas Southern at Grambling State
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IUPUI
7:00 PM Princeton at Columbia
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Cornell
7:00 PM George Mason at James Madison (CSN)
7:00 PM Temple at Richmond (CBS SN)
7:00 PM UCF at Marshall
7:00 PM Drexel at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Maine at Albany
7:00 PM La Salle at Dayton
7:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at High Point
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Kent State
7:00 PM Winthrop at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Siena at Manhattan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM USC Upstate at North Florida
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Southeastern Louisiana
7:00 PM UTSA at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Wagner
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Wofford
7:00 PM Oakland at IPFW
7:05 PM Pacific at Long Beach State (FSN PT)
7:05 PM UNC Greensboro at Citadel
7:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Delaware State
7:45 PM Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State
8:00 PM Oregon State at Arizona State (FSN AZ)
8:00 PM Santa Clara at BYU (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Detroit at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at Tulane (LHN)
8:00 PM Radford at VMI (MASN)
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Arkansas State
8:15 PM Stetson at Belmont
8:30 PM Florida International at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:30 PM South Dakota at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM UMKC at South Dakota State
8:35 PM Montana State at Northern Arizona (NAU TV)
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Austin Peay
9:00 PM LSU at Arkansas (ESPN3)
9:00 PM TCU at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM Idaho at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Memphis at Houston (CBS SN)
9:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee State
9:00 PM SMU at UTEP
9:00 PM South Alabama at Troy (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Montana at Weber State
9:30 PM Utah State at Louisiana Tech
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Riverside
10:00 PM San Jose State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Hawaii at Nevada
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Idaho State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM UC Davis at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Utah at California (CSN CA)
11:00 PM Portland at Saint Mary's (CSN BAY)

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.

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 Friday Recap: Bulldogs Win 2K Sports Classic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

College Hoops Wednesday Thoughts: Bulldogs Fall, Aggies Roll

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:32:43 -0500

While much of the college sports world was captivated by the goings on in State College, PA, four college basketball games were being played. And one of the four teams expected to win fell at the hands of the defending MAC Tournament champs, but in hindsight it wasn't much of an "upset". Behind 19 points from Quincy Diggs the Zips beat Mississippi State 68-58 at The Hump. Simply put, Keith Dambrot's team outworked and outplayed the Bulldogs, who weren't as effective as they were on Monday night and it cost them.

"[Mississippi State] had a limited bench, and it really affected their juice level," said Dambrot. "I think we had a little more juice when it mattered. When the game got on the line and with their backup point guard being sick, they couldn't really go to their bench."

The Bulldogs were a little shorthanded on Wednesday night, but they turned the ball over 19 times and made just two of thirteen shots from beyond the arc. Dee Bost, who was outstanding in the second half of Monday's win over Eastern Kentucky, finished Wednesday's game with 13 points (2-9 FG) and four turnovers and was nowhere near as effective against Akron. Arnett Moultrie also struggled from the field, making just two of thirteen shots and scoring eight points, but he did manage to grab a game-high 15 rebounds.

And then there's Renardo Sidney, who's been quite the lightning rod throughout his time in Starkville. He finished with 12 points and five rebounds, but it is fair to question what kind of physical condition he's in. There were occasions last night where he wasn't involved in the offense and the lack of stamina was apparent, and Akron's Zeke Marshall proved to be more of a factor throughout the course of the game. Marshall played just 24 minutes before fouling out, but he contributed 10 points, six rebounds and five blocks while on the floor.

Was Akron fresher, having not played on Monday? That's a definite possibility, and something that Dambrot alluded to after the game, but that isn't the best reason for Mississippi State allowing themselves to be outworked. It's too soon to jump overboard on the Bulldogs, who have talent and will have plenty of chances throughout the season to put together an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume (it's just game two). But if anything last night's result should make people throughout the country aware the Akron will remain a player in the MAC.

Other Happenings

1. Texas A&M makes their debut and clamps down on Liberty.
Shortly before game time Texas A&M made it known that Glynn Cyprien would be acting head coach for the game against Liberty with head coach Billy Kennedy still recuperating after being diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson's Disease. But what could have been a major distraction was anything but for the Aggies, who came out on fire defensively against a Liberty team that looked to be overmatched. Liberty made just four of twenty-four shots from the field in the first half (0-7 3PT) and trailed 37-14 at the break on their way to an 81-59 loss in College Station. Ray Turner led the Aggies with 20 points, and the game played out much easier than one would expect after noticing that Khris Middleton played just ten minutes. One other notable performer for the Aggies was guard Jamal Branch, who finished with six points and six assists (no turnovers) in 20 minutes of action. To say the least it was a solid debut for Texas A&M.

2. St. John's and Arizona withstand tough challenges at home.
The good news for St. John's came before tip last night as head coach Steve Lavin returned to the team following surgery for prostate cancer and his subsequent recovers, but once the game began the Red Storm found themselves in a battle. Lehigh knocked down their first five three-pointers and shot 53.6% from the field in taking a 43-33 lead into the half. C.J. McCollum scored 14 points in the half, and the Mountain Hawks did a good job of finding open gaps in the Red Storm matchup zone. But things changed after the break, albeit at a slower pace than most runs tend to happen. McCollum scored just three points in the second half and as a team Lehigh shot 32% from the field, as St. John's came back to win 78-73. God'sgift Achiuwa scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the way while Maurice Harkless and Nurideen Lindsey added 15 apiece as St. John's rebounded to win.

Arizona has the same issues with youth, and while the Wildcats do have more returnees from last year's Elite 8 team than the Red Storm guys are having to adjust to new roles. That may explain the struggles of Solomon Hill through two games, and the point guard situation was something that Duquesne was able to take advantage of as the first half progressed despite a slow start. Eric Evans and Sean Johnson combined for 13 first-half points and the Dukes led 30-28 at the half, with Arizona not helping themselves with 11 turnovers. But Jordin Mayes played very well at the point in the second half, scoring 14 of his 19 points while Jesse Perry put the finishing touches on another double-double in the Wildcats' 67-59 win. Despite 20 turnovers Arizona was a plus-11 in rebounding margin and outscored Duquesne 19-9 in second half points, paving the way to their second win of the season. Both Arizona and St. John's are a work in progress right now, which should make next week's meeting an entertaining one.

3. UCF could be in serious trouble with the NCAA.
Things had been going well on the Orlando campus the last couple of seasons. George O'Leary's football program had won a Conference USA championship on the gridiron, Donnie Jones' arrival as basketball coach put some life into the basketball program and new facilities for both revenue sports put UCF on the radar of the Big East for a possible move. But after yesterday's happenings the program could be in some trouble with the NCAA. UCF received its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding possible recruiting violations in football and men's basketball, and the fallout has already begun. AD Keith Tribble and wide receivers coach David Kelly have both stepped down and Jones has been suspended three games, and given the list of allegations that meeting with the Committee on Infractions won't be a fun one. You can read the allegations here (.PDF file), and given their nature, with the involvement of runners and agents, there could be some stiff penalties handed out.

Notable Performers

1. F God'sgift Achiuwa (St. John's)
21 points (6-6 FG, 9-9 FT) and eight rebounds in the Red Storm's 78-73 win over Lehigh.

2. F Ray Turner (Texas A&M)
20 points (9-11 FG) and six rebounds in the Aggies' 81-59 win over Liberty.

3. G Jordin Mayes and F Jesse Perry (Arizona)
Mayes scored 19 points while Perry posted his second double-double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the Wildcats' 67-59 win over Duquesne.

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:48:24 -0500

Tonight brings the second day of college basketball games that count with the four host teams in the 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer on the floor. Arizona, Mississippi State and St. John's all played games on Monday night, and tonight marks the beginning of the season for the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies are expected by many to contend in the Big 12, but things haven't gone as smoothly as anyone connected to the program would have hoped.

First-year head coach Billy Kennedy was diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which has him away from the team at this time. That's resulted in associate head coach Glynn Cyprien, who was at Memphis last season, taking over as acting head coach. To say the least, the situation becomes tougher to deal with when you're learning the system at essentially the same time as the players you have to teach it to. The good news for Texas A&M is that this is an experienced group, with three returning starters and four other returnees, led by wing Khris Middleton.

Middleton led the Aggies in scoring (14.4 ppg) and was second on the team in rebounding (5.2 rpg) in 2010-11, and the unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection is a big reason why the Aggies were co-favorites in the Big 12's preseason poll. The 6'7" junior is a versatile player who can provide offense in a variety of ways, and with forwards such as David Lobeau, Kourtney Roberson and Ray Turner also back the Aggies should be in good shape on the boards against Liberty tonight (8PM EST, Fox Sports Southwest).

The question for A&M with regards for their hopes this season rest in the backcourt. B.J. Holmes has graduated, and it's reasonable to expect key reserve Naji Hibbert or Washington transfer Elston Turner to start alongside senior Dash Harris. But Hibbert and Harris combined to average just 9.4 points per game last season, and neither shot at least 40% from the field (Hibbert shot 37.5% while Harris made just 26.8% of his shots). Turner has the ability to knock down shots, something the Aggies will need to call on as the stakes get bigger.

Texas A&M was most successful as a committee in 2010-11, as the whole proved more valuable than the sum of their parts. Could that change with Middleton's improvement? That's more than possible but in terms of the little things, such as rebounding (rebounding margin of plus-6.3 last year), it's once again going to have to be "all hands on deck". As for the Flames, they're beginning a season that they hope provides a better finish than last season, as they dropped their final five games and fell in the Big South quarters despite being the two-seed.

Losing Evan Gordon (transferred to Arizona State) hurts but in Jesse Sanders the Flames have a Big South Player of the Year candidate, and seniors David Minaya and John Brown were both double-digit scorers in 2010-11. Forward Antwan Burrus will be key in the paint, but the number of bodies that Texas A&M can throw at Liberty could be a concern.

7 PM Lehigh at St. John's (ESPN2)
The Red Storm were almost two different teams on Monday night against William & Mary, struggling offensively in the first half but then turning up the defense to pull away 74-59. Nurideen Lindsey was the sparkplug for the Red Storm while forwards Maurice Harkless and God'sgift Achiuwa scored combined to score 34 points and grab 17 rebounds. Tonight the Johnnies could have their hands full with Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum, who averaged 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. Gabe Knutson also returns for the Mountain Hawks, who lost to Bucknell in the Patriot League title game in March.

7 PM Akron at Mississippi State (ESPNU)
Mississippi State also played better in the second half than the first in their season opener, with Dee Bost scoring 17 of his 23 points in the Bulldogs' win over Eastern Kentucky. There's also the addition of UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie, who posted a double-double in the opener and could very well be Rick Stansbury's most reliable big man. His most talented? Renardo Sidney, but while he's got All-SEC talent is the requisite motor there? That will be a big question for Mississippi State, and they could have their hands full with the defending MAC champs. Akron was one of the many teams that took an overseas trip this summer, and in Nikola Cvetinovic the Zips have one of the best players in the MAC. They did suffer a couple personnel losses, but Keith Dambrot's team could make some noise beginning with tonight.

9 PM Duquesne at Arizona (ESPN2)
Sean Miller's Wildcats opened the season with a victory on Monday night, rebounding from an uneven first half to beat Valparaiso 73-64. But questions remain, especially in the frontcourt in spite of the double-double posted by senior forward Jesse Perry. Freshman Angelo Chol was active on both ends of the floor and may be the best of their options at center for the time being, but Kyryl Natyazhko needs to improve. Solomon Hill will be looking to bounce back from Monday as well, and Arizona could have the edge inside with the Dukes losing Bill Clark and Damian Saunders from last season's team. But the Dukes are in good shape on the perimeter thanks to the return of B.J. Monteiro and T.J. McConnell, and head coach Ron Everhart will look to play fast and force some turnovers. This may be a game that turns out to be more interesting that some people think.

Akron Takes First Step Towards Repeat

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:21:49 -0400

Note: To make sure there is no confusion here is the link to the piece written by Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com on Thursday.

While many teams across the country look to begin the process of building towards an NCAA Tournament berth with trips outside of the country in the summer, not everyone has the same set of circumstances to deal with once the season begins. Such is life for schools in smaller conferences, who may have their NCAA Tournament hopes boil down to one weekend in March. One school on the road who could fall into that category is Akron, and Keith Dambrot's team was a prime example of the importance of the conference tournament.

Just 9-7 in MAC play heading into the tournament, the Zips won four games (two in overtime) to earn the league's automatic bid. Notre Dame ended Akron's season in the second round, but the final month of the season displayed the promise of what Akron could be in 2011-12. Conference tournament MVP Zeke Marshall was one of the players who stepped up in March, and Akron's trip to Canada was the next step in the maturation process for the Zips.

Coach Dambrot's team won all five of their games north of the border, ending the trip with an 80-76 win over Carleton University and outscored their opponents by an average margin of 24.2 points per game. But as it's been noted many times before, trips out of the country are just as much about player and team development as they are win/loss records.

Marshall (8.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg in '10-'11) is a key figure in that growth, and in talking with Coach Dambrot on Friday the junior 7-footer still has work to do. "He didn't play his best basketball, but the biggest thing for him will be to be more consistent offensively and as a whole," said Dambrot. While the Zips won't lack for depth in the frontcourt, it's safe to say that this is a big season for Marshall.

In addition to Marshall in the frontcourt is senior Nikola Cvetinovic, who missed out on the trip to play in the World University Games for his native Serbia. Cvetinovic was a Second Team All-MAC selection last season, and while he may not end up being a MAC Player of the Year possibility he's going to be a key factor for Akron.

"He's going to win a lot of games for us this season," remarked Dambrot on Cvetinovic. "He's a very versatile player who can pass, shoot and defend." Coach Dambrot also mentioned the senior's toughness as a plus.

The other returning starter is senior guard Brett McClanahan, who established career-bests in both points (10.0) and rebounds (3.6) per game last season. One of the better three-point shooters in the MAC, McClanahan will need to continue building towards being a more versatile player in his final campaign. The same goes for Quincy Diggs, who should benefit from having a year at Akron under his belt after transferring in from New Orleans.

"Everyone who's been here a long time has gotten better," said Dambrot about the player development at Akron. "Brett has become a better defender and can play either the two or three, while Quincy can be tough for opposing teams to keep from getting to the rim."

But if there's one returning player to watch for Akron this season, and who needed to assert himself in Canada, that would be sophomore point guard Alex Abreu. While Abreu did start 15 games last season, a lot more will be on his plate with Steve McNees and Darryl Roberts having graduated.

"It was a really important trip for Alex," said Dambrot. "He played a lot of minutes last year but had to lean on McNees at times. Leadership is where he needs to flex his muscles [this year]."

According to Coach Dambrot, Abreu performed well on the trip, finishing up with 15 points and eight assists in the win over Carleton. That's good news for the Zips heading into preseason workouts because in terms of primary ball-handlers Abreu may be the sole option right now.

Newcomers such as Nick Harney, Demetrius Treadwell, Brian Walsh (Xavier transfer) and Chauncey Gilliam (UMBC transfer) also performed well and should get better with more time in the Akron system.

"They lack a little system knowledge but they're all very gifted," noted Dambrot. All four will have ample opportunities to contribute this season, and they'll need to step forward if the Zips are to make another run at the NCAA Tournament.

For Akron, and the rest of the MAC for that matter, there's also the shift in conference tournament seeding. Instead of being seeded by divisions the conference will go to a 1 through 12 format similar to what the SEC decided to do. And in speaking with Coach Dambrot he seems to be in favor of the move.

"We [the MAC] have to do something to change us being a one-bid league," said Dambrot. He also noted that the league needs to make sure that 16 is the optimal number of conference games and not 18 in order to ensure accurate seeding.

What will the move do for Akron's hopes of repeating as conference tournament champion? That remains to be seen, but given the wild nature of the MAC Tournament (annually one of the most entertaining conference tournaments around) the seeding switch places even more emphasis on the regular season. And if their play in Canada were any kind of sign, Akron should be more than ready for all challengers.

Some Other Teams from BCS Non-AQ leagues on the road

- BYU: On-court life without Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery began in Greece for the Cougars, where they're currently 2-0 on their trip. The frontcourt, led by Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and wing Brock Zylstra, looks to be the strength of this team. UCLA transfer Matt Carlino, who did not make the trip, is eligible come December.

- Creighton: The Blue Jays are expected to be right there with defending MVC regular season champ Wichita State atop the preseason polls, and they're tuning up with games in the Bahamas. Sophomore forward Doug McDermott also played for Team USA, and the busy summer for him could pay off in the form of an MVC Player of the Year award.

- Fairfield: The Stags are currently in Italy playing, and they won their first game in impressive fashion. First-year head coach Sydney Johnson (from Princeton) has a team led by guard Derek Needham that will be one of the two favorites (along with Iona) to win the MAAC. They also welcome transfers Rakim Sanders (Boston College) and Desmond Wade (Houston).

- Hawaii: Year two of the Gib Arnold era at UH began with a 15-day trip to China and Japan, where they've played five games (with a 6th today). Guard Zane Johnson and big man Vander Joaquim are two of the key players heading into 2011-12, and the Warriors are talented enough to make a move up the WAC standings (they finished 5th last year).

- Murray State: New head coach Steve Prohm got some early work in with his team, and the Racers went 3-0 on their trip to Canada. Ivan Aska and Isaiah Canaan are two of the experienced players who will need to lead the way, and they're still going to be a factor in the OVC.

- Saint Louis: The Billikens have five games in Canada beginning on the 22nd, and the key for them will be that guard Kwamain Mitchell displays improved leadership qualities. If he can, SLU could make a move up the Atlantic 10 standings.

- Stony Brook: Steve Pikiell's Seawolves, who are in Paris after having gone through Dublin and London, were one win away from getting to the NCAA Tournament. And that was without Tommy Brenton, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. He and point guard Bryan Dougher make up one of the better tandems in America East.

- Wichita State: Just like Creighton the Shockers made a trip, heading down to Brazil where they went 3-2 in five games. While they do have to replace J.T. Durley in the frontcourt the Shockers are still a deep team led by senior Toure' Murry.