Alabama

Wednesday Recap: Oklahoma State Beats #2 Missouri

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:11:39 -0500

Consistency has been an issue for the Oklahoma State Cowboys this season, and it's been an issue for highly-touted freshman Le'Bryan Nash as well. After scoring 21 points in the Cowboys' 71-68 loss to Iowa State (which ended at the buzzer on a Scott Christopherson three) Nash scored just four points in a 66-58 home loss to Kansas State. But the Dallas native brought his "A-game" to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday night, making 12 of 18 shots from the field to score 27 points while also grabbing four rebounds in Oklahoma State's 79-72 win over #2 Missouri.

"Le'Bryan Nash played at a very high level. All his moves were a little bit more explosive," remarked Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford. "Everyone is going to look at his 27 points, but his defense was better than his offense. It's not a coincidence that he told me yesterday he was going to be ready today and he had a good practice."

Brian Williams added 22 points and Keiton Page 12 on a night that saw the Pokes shoot 59.6% from the field, a stunning development given the fact that Oklahoma State entered the game dead last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage. But as with Nash personally it was Oklahoma State's improved defensive effort down the stretch that allowed them to put the game away. Phil Pressey, who leads the conference in assists per game, could only muster two assists and as a team Missouri finished with just eight assists (they average nearly 16 per game). Missouri assists on 56.4% of their baskets on the season but the number on Wednesday was 30.8%, which played right into the hands of the Cowboys.

Nash's performance became even more important when Markel Brown was given his second technical foul after an emphatic dunk with 6:57 remaining. Following two Marcus Denmon free throws the Cowboys were down 58-53 and two more free throws from Ricardo Ratliffe put the Tigers up seven. Nash scored 13 points in the final 6:31 to lead the Cowboys to a win that the young players really needed given their two games prior to Wednesday. Ratliffe led the Tigers with 25 points and 12 rebounds but they were unable to take advantage of 20 points off of 16 OSU turnovers and a 16-6 edge in second-chance points. The key for both Nash and Oklahoma State now is to play a consistent brand of basketball.

"It's a huge win for us, it's a big win, but it just shows us what we're capable of," said Page. "It shows us that we can play with anybody. We still have a long ways to go...We've gotta get more wins, get some wins on the road."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Louis wins at Xavier, and after Wednesday 11 of the 14 teams in the A-10 have either two or three league losses.
Despite entering their game with a 15-4 record Rick Majerus' Billikens needed a solid road victory due in large part to a strength of schedule that left something to be desired. Brian Conklin scored 19 points and Rob Loe led three other SLU players in double figures with 14 points on their way to the 73-68 win over the Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Conklin was a big reason for Saint Louis' 28-18 edge in points in the paint, and the Billikens received more contributions across the board than a Xavier team that didn't receive much help outside of Mark Lyons (career-high 27 points) and Tu Holloway (22 points).

Jeff Robinson scored ten points and grabbed six rebounds for Xavier but the other big men didn't do much of consequence. Xavier has been the gold standard in the Atlantic 10 for quite some time, and while there's more competition atop the conference it's important to not think that their run is suddenly over. Saint Joseph's win over Dayton pulled the Flyers back to the pack, as now 11 teams sit anywhere from 4-2 to 3-3. To say the least the race for the A-10 crown will be wildly entertaining over the next month.

2. Pittsburgh finally gets their first Big East win as they took their frustrations out on Providence.
The struggles of the Panthers, who entered Wednesday with an eight-game losing streak, were well-doucmented and hadn't been seen in the Steel City for quite some time. That made the game against Providence that much more important, and thanks to a hot Ashton Gibbs the Panthers picked up their first Big East win. Gibbs scored 14 straight points late in the first half as Pittsburgh took control of the game, finishing with 22 points while Tray Woodall (17 points, nine assists) and Nasir Robinson (14 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures in the 86-74 win.

Pittsburgh, who assists on 61.2% of their baskets this season, finished Wednesday's game with an assist percentage of 68.8% and Woodall (who didn't have the rust that was evident in Saturday's loss to Louisville) is a big reason why. The shame for Providence is that their defensive performance overshadowed an outstanding night from point guard Vincent Council (26 points, ten rebounds and nine assists), but there isn't a whole lot you can do when a team makes 11 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. Whether or not this win serves as a major catalyst for Pitt remains to be seen, but they simply needed to get something going and they did that.

3. BYU beats Virginia Tech by two in Blacksburg, but was this a game that would have had a bigger impact in defeat?
Dave Rose's Cougars entered this week with an RPI of 55 and a strength of schedule of 97, and while games against Saint Mary's and Gonzaga are bigger in the grand scheme of things their final non-conference game of the season was also important. But thanks in large part to Virginia Tech's struggles the Cougars' game in Blacksburg took on the appearance of one that could do more harm in defeat than good in victory. BYU took care of business, winning 70-68, with Noah Hartsock (22 points, seven rebounds) and Brandon Davies (17 points, five rebounds) leading the way.

The Cougars won despite a poor shooting night from Charles Abouo and Matt Carlino, who combined to make just six of twenty-eight shots on the night. While many may expect this group to attempt to fire away from deep as they did last season with Jimmer Fredette and (to a lesser extent) Jackson Emery, that isn't realistic at this point. Relying on Davies and Hartsock in the frontcourt could be BYU's best bet when it comes to getting back into the WCC race, and it could be what they need to do to make sure they've got staying power in March as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Congratulations to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo on his 400th victory, as the Spartans beat Minnesota 68-52 to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten. Draymond Green led the way with 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Branden Dawson added 16, four rebounds and four blocks.

2. Maryland honored former head coach Gary Williams, naming the Comcast Center court in his honor, but the emotion of the night wasn't enough to lead the Terrapins past #6 Duke. Mason Plumlee scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds (four assists as well) in the Blue Devils' 74-61 win that was closer than the final score would indicate. Maryland shot 40.4% from the field but the bigger issue was the foul line, where they made 11 of 21 on the night.

3. With Creighton and Wichita State both winning while their closest competition in the Missouri Valley lost, the Bluejays and Shockers are four games up on the pack with eight to go. Unless one of those other teams can make something happen in "Arch Madness" it's very likely that the Valley is just a two-bid league. Garrett Stutz led the Shockers to an 86-74 win over Evansville with 23 points and eight rebounds, and Doug McDermott led Creighton past Drake with 30 points and nine rebounds.

4. Of the top four teams leading Conference USA it's anyone's guess as to who ends up reaching the NCAA Tournament, meaning that avoiding bad losses will be key in the final month-plus of the season. No such luck for Marshall, who lost 56-49 to UAB at home, or UCF as the Knights lost 66-61 at Tulsa. Memphis and Southern Miss both avoided this fate by taking care of business.

5. Just two weeks ago Seton Hall looked to be in good shape when it came to getting back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. But with three straight losses it may be wise to avoid that discussion, with the Pirates falling 55-42 to Notre Dame in Newark. Senior leaders Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope combined to shoot 6-for-28 from the field, and Seton Hall struggled with Notre Dame's deliberate offense. Next up for Kevin Willard's team is Louisville, followed by road games at Marquette, UConn and rival Rutgers.

6. That could also apply to Alabama, who lost 56-54 at South Carolina on a Bruce Ellington basket with 1.4 seconds remaining. Ellington and Damontre Harris scored 12 points apiece and Malik Cooke led the Gamecocks with 18 points. Levi Randolph scored 12 points off the bench to lead the Crimson Tide, who are now 2-4 in the SEC, and JaMychal Green's ankle injury didn't help matters either.

7. Chris Fouch scored 15 points off the bench as Drexel whipped Georgia State 68-46 in Philadelphia to not only avenge their loss in Atlanta but establish some distance between the top four and the rest of the CAA. George Mason remains in first place with a 9-1 record after beating Hofstra while VCU and Old Dominion are tied with Drexel with 8-2 marks. The top four teams get first round byes in the CAA Tournament.

8. Things didn't go too well for West Virginia in their trip to Madison Square Garden as St. John's jumped them early on their way to the 78-62 victory. The favorite for Big East Rookie of the Year, Moe Harkless, led the Red Storm with 23 points and 13 rebounds while D'Angelo Harrison led three other Johnnies in double figures with 19 points. Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers with 26 points and 14 boards, but they never seemed to figure out the matchup zone St. John's threw their way.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State)
26 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Redbirds' 76-69 win over Missouri State.

2. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the Spartans' 68-52 win over Minnesota.

3. F Mike Moser (UNLV)
18 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in UNLV's 77-72 overtime win at Boise State.

4. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
20 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the Buckeyes' 78-54 win over Penn State.

Thursday Recap: Vanderbilt Wins Eighth Straight Game

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:37:54 -0500

Remember the concerns late in non-conference play that Vanderbilt was destined to be one of the country's biggest busts? Don't look now but Kevin Stallings' Commodores won their eighth straight game on Thursday night, beating Alabama 69-59 in Tuscaloosa to remain tied atop the SEC with Kentucky (4-0). Alabama shot 26.5% from the field in the first half and trailed 26-19 at the half, and a 17-4 run over a five-minute stretch pushed the Vanderbilt lead out to 23 points at 58-35 with 8:12 remaining.

John Jenkins scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the way for Vanderbilt, which is looking like the SEC title contender that many expected to see at the beginning of the season, and Jeffery Taylor added 17 and six boards. One reason for the turnaround was the return of center Festus Ezeli, who accounted for 12 points and ten rebounds as he outplayed Alabama's JaMychal Green (six points, eight rebounds in 31 minutes of action). Ezeli's presence, despite the fact that he's not a great shot-blocker by any stretch of the imagination, gives the other Vandy defenders a safety blanket that wasn't there when he was out of the lineup.

"Our guys are very physical in there. It's nice to have big strong bodies to throw out there," said Stallings of his frontcourt's play against Green. "I thought our front court play offensively, actually more so defensively, was the key of the game for us. Our bigs really stepped up and played well."

Vanderbilt's big men played well against the high-flying Tony Mitchell as well, as he missed all eight of his field goal attempts and failed to score a single point. Trevor Releford scored 14 points to lead Alabama but without their big men being able to get going offensively and a 48-35 deficit on the glass, it was going to be tough for Anthony Grant's team to grab the victory.

If there is a concern for Vandy to come out of the win it would have to be the turnovers, as they had difficulty dealing with the Alabama pressure late in the second half (17 turnovers for the game). Get that cleaned up and the Commodores can definitely make good on the promise many believed them to have before the season began.

"Well in the middle 30 minutes of the game it was very effective," remarked Stallings about his team's ball-handling. "The first five and last five it was not very effective at all. That's ok though. That's the second time we've had a game close like that. When you have it that far out of reach, I guess that's a good thing."

Other Notable Happenings

1. A starting lineup change lights two fires as Duke beats Wake Forest.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski made the decision before the Blue Devils' game against Wake Forest to replace freshman guard Austin Rivers in the starting lineup with junior sharpshooter Andre Dawkins. And whatever the reasoning was for the move, be it for motivation or the fact that Rivers wasn't playing his best, the move worked out best for the Blue Devils in their 91-73 victory. Dawkins came out of the gates hot and finished with a team-high 21 points (7-12 3PT) while Rivers added 20 points in his most efficient offensive performance in ACC play.

Add in another 20 from Ryan Kelly and Duke simply had too much for the young Demon Deacons, but it's just as important to figure out what this means for Duke as they look to win an ACC title and a national title as well. Rivers is a phenomenal talent, but if he's not making things happen while being efficient the other weapons can suffer. Florida State will provide a stiffer test on Saturday, so it will be interesting to see if Duke can build on this against an outstanding defense.

2. North Carolina gets back on track but Strickland goes down with a knee injury.
After getting their heads handed to them in Tallahassee on Saturday, North Carolina needed to bounce back with a win at Virginia Tech but with the game being in Blacksburg that was going to be a tough task. It certainly worked out that way in the first half, as the Hokies were hot from the perimeter and took a 39-34 lead into the half. What really needed to be seen was not an emphatic UNC victory but rather the Tar Heels showing the ability to respond to getting popped in the mouth, and Roy Williams' team did just that in their 82-68 win. Harrison Barnes scored a game-high 27 points, scoring nine of those points during an 18-0 second half run that essentially put the game away.

Forwards John Henson (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Tyler Zeller (14 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles for North Carolina as well. But the victory wasn't without concern as shooting guard Dexter Strickland went down with a knee injury in the second half (still no report on the severity of the injury). If Carolina were to lose Strickland for an extended period of time they would be without their best perimeter defender, and it's difficult to point out who would be best capable of assuming that responsibility. Hopefully it isn't a serious injury, because this would be a big loss for North Carolina if it were..

3. Penn State knocks off Illinois in Happy Valley.
Said it before and will say it again: a lot can be learned about teams in watching how they deal with prosperity, just as a lot can be learned in watching how teams deal with adversity. That was the case for Illinois on the heels of their win over Ohio State nine days prior to their game at Penn State, and apparently that was too much time in between games for Bruce Weber's team as they fell 54-52. Tim Frazier's floater with 8.3 seconds remaining proved to be the difference but the Fighting Illini didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 14 times or shooting 34.4% from the field either.

Brandon Paul, who lit up the Buckeyes for 43 points, hit the game-tying three with 39.3 seconds to go and finished with 20 points while Meyers Leonard added 15. But the other three starters, most notably D.J. Richardson (2-for-11, six points), accounted for just ten points combined and the Illini spent way too much time on the perimeter. Twenty-two of their 49 field goal attempts were three-pointers, and Illinois scored 40.4% of their points from deep compared to 38.5% from two. Illinois is at their best when they can get things going inside of the arc, with either Leonard or Paul, Richardson and Joseph Bertrand being able to get opportunities at the rim or in the mid-range game. Penn State deserves some credit for this, but Illinois needs to be more assertive in getting the best looks for themselves if they're to remain a contender in the Big Ten.

Quick Hitters

1. While they still have seven conference games left to play, it may be time to pencil in Davidson as the Southern Conference's regular season champ. Bob McKillop's Wildcats were too much for Charleston, out-rebounding the Cougars 44-31 in the 87-69 win. Jake Cohen (29 points, 14 rebounds) led the way and De'Mon Brooks scored 15 points in 17 foul-plagued minutes. No other team in the SoCon has fewer than three league losses.

2. A big development in the Pac-12 was the play of California walk-on Robert Thurman in the Golden Bears' 69-66 win at Washington. Thurman scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench and Allen Crabbe accounted for 16 and ten rebounds. If Thurman can be a solid contributor with Richard Solomon finished for the year, Mike Montgomery's team could have enough inside to still win the conference.

3. In a matchup of 5-1 teams it was Wagner who came out on top, beating St. Francis (NY) 73-61 in Brooklyn to remain a game behind LIU Brooklyn in the NEC. Tyler Murray scored 19 points while Kenneth Ortiz and Jonathon Williams scored 11 apiece for the Seahawks, who at 15-3 are off to their best start in school history. That sets up a huge meeting with the first-place Blackbirds on Saturday afternoon.

4. Charleston Southern landed an important blow in the Big South race as they beat first-place UNC Asheville 93-88 in Asheville. Arion Harper led the Buccaneers with a career-high 28 points, Saah Nimley added 20 and Kelvin Martin was all over the box score with 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals (seventh double-double of the year).

5. For all the talk about the inconsistent (when they weren't completely healthy) nature of Loyola Marymount, fact is they're two close home defeats to Gonzaga and BYU away from being in first place in the WCC. Anthony Ireland scored 27 points in addition to five assists and five steals for the Lions, who avenged that seven-point loss to BYU with an 82-68 win in Provo.

6. One team in the Horizon League that isn't receiving much press as a contender for the league crown is Valparaiso. Bryce Drew's Crusaders moved to 6-2 in league play with a 68-49 win at Loyola (IL) on Thursday night, limiting the Ramblers to 22 first-half points. Jay Harris led the way with 18 points and five assists off the bench and three starters reached double figures. One thing that needs improvement: free throw shooting, as the Crusaders shot 3-for-8 from the charity stripe.

7. North Carolina wasn't the only team to wake up on Friday hoping for good news on the injury front. NC State was without forward C.J. Williams the final nine minutes of their 76-62 win over Boston College due to a shoulder injury, and if he's out for an extended period of time Mark Gottfried will have some shuffling to do with his rotation. That would be a tough blow for a team that's improved a great deal since last season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jake Cohen (Davidson)
29 points and 14 rebounds in the Wildcats' 87-69 win over College of Charleston.

2. G Faisal Aden (Washington State)
33 points and five rebounds in the Cougars' 81-69 win over Stanford.

3. G Charlie Westbrook (South Dakota)
32 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks in the Coyotes' 88-78 win over IUPUI.

Alabama vs Vanderbilt: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:33:27 -0500

VANDERBILT (13-4, 3-0 SEC) AT ALABAMA (13-4, 2-1 SEC)

Time/TV: 7 p.m./ESPN2

Location: Coleman Coliseum

RPI Ratings: Vanderbilt 31 (No. 3 SEC); Alabama 20 (No. 2 SEC).

Line: Alabama -7

Vanderbilt Players to Watch: G John Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (19.8 ppg, 48.4% FG, 44.7% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7 Sr. (16.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 54% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-1 Sr. (6.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg). Ezeli hasn’t been as effective as expected since his return from a knee injury and 10-game suspension. However, he did score nine points in 23 minutes in a 77-66 win over Georgia. That was his second-highest total of the season after a 15-point performance in his debut against Davidson.

Alabama State Players to Watch: F Tony Mitchell, 6-6 Jr. (14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg); F JaMychal Green, 6-8 Sr. (14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 54.3% FG); G Trevor Releford, 6-0 So. (12.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 54.3% FG). Releford has led Alabama in scoring in four of its last six games. He’s averaging 15.5 points, is shooting 68 percent from the floor, and has 18 assists and 15 steals during those six games.

Storylines: Since struggling through the first few weeks of the season, Vanderbilt has won seven in a row, including wins over Auburn, South Carolina and Georgia in its first three SEC games. Alabama had its 5-game winning streak snapped when it lost its first SEC game, 56-52 at Mississippi State on Saturday.

Keys: Alabama is surrendering the fewest points in the SEC – and eighth best in the nation – at 55.7 points per game. Rebounding could be a key. Both teams have struggled with rebounding at times. Ezeli has been saddled with foul trouble in the Commodores last two wins, including his second disqualification of the season against South Carolina last Tuesday. The Commodores are shooting 50.6 percent from the field during their 7-game winning streak and have shot better than 50 percent in four of those seven games. Vanderbilt is shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line this season, but the Commodores have made 47 percent (31-of-66) during its 3-game SEC run. Jenkins has made at least three 3-pointers in seven straight games. The Tide allow opponents to shoot just 25.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In the 7-game winning streak, Vandy point guard Brad Tinsley has 44 assists to just 11 turnovers. Alabama was held to a season-low 52 points in the loss to Mississippi State. The Tide made just 1-of-9 3s in the loss to the Bulldogs. They are shooting 27.1 percent from behind the arc this season. Vanderbilt guards the perimeter well. Its opponents shoot just 32.8 percent from 3-point land. The Crimson Tide are shooting 71.3 percent from the free throw line, which is second in the SEC to Kentucky’s 71.6. Alabama has won 26 of their last 27 games at Coleman Coliseum and 10 straight SEC games at home. A win tonight would give them 500 all-time at Coleman. Vandy is 3-1 in true road games this season and has won its last three at Davidson, Marquette and South Carolina. Alabama leads the all-time series 66-64.

The Bottom Line: A lot comes down to whether Jenkins and Taylor are hitting shots from the perimeter, which is tough to do against Alabama, especially in its gym. Vanderbilt is rolling after a rough start. Expect it to continue on Thursday.

The Pick: Vanderbilt 70, Alabama 64

Alabama vs. Vanderbilt: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:24:07 -0500

With the SEC making the move away from two divisions, games such as the one between Vanderbilt (13-4, 3-0) and Alabama (13-4, 2-1) take on added importance in the race for one of those four first-round byes in the SEC Tournament. And while both teams presently have the look of NCAA Tournament clubs, there's nothing wrong with picking up another resume-building result. Kevin Stallings' Commodores have played well of late as they've won six straight games, but the three league wins have all come at the expense of teams expected to slug it out in the lower reaches of the SEC standings. They'll definitely be tested by the Crimson Tide, who have a pair of big men capable of testing Vanderbilt from a toughness standpoint.

JaMychal Green (14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Tony Mitchell (14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg) form one of the better interior tandems in the country, with Green being a physical big man who will likely have the job of banging with Vandy's Festus Ezeli in the paint. Mitchell on the other hand is arguably the best dunker in the country, and if he's allowed to get out and fill lanes on the break it's going to be a long night at Coleman Coliseum for the Commodores. Freshman Nick Jacobs is the third member of the rotation for Anthony Grant, playing 18 minutes per game, but there's a signficant drop in production when either Green or Mitchell happens to get in foul trouble.

In addition to Ezeli the Commodores have a versatile high-flyer of their own in Jeffery Taylor (16.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), who is also one of the better defensive players in the SEC. Taylor's shooting 54% from the field and while he isn't the marksman that John Jenkins is, Taylor has made 45% of his three-pointers this season. Lance Goulbourne (10.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) has stepped up his production, which was key with Ezeli looking to shake off the rust brought on by an NCAA suspension and a knee injury. Rod Odom and Steve Tchiengang are also a part of the frontcourt rotation, and with the two teams being similar from a rebounding standpoint this matchup should be fun to watch.

The perimeter play, especially how well Vanderbilt takes care of the basketball, will go a long way in determining the outcome. The Commodores average 14.4 turnovers per game and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.92, and with Alabama limiting opponents to a ratio of 0.70 it's imperative that Brad Tinsley (10.3 ppg, 4.3 apg) and company don't get careless with the basketball. Actually it's been Taylor who has been the worst with the ball, averaging 2.7 turnovers/game and Goulbourne (2.1) ranks second on the team so they're likely the ones to watch. In Jenkins (19.8 ppg) Vanderbilt has one of the SEC's best scorers, and Alabama will need to do their best to make him work for his looks.

And the Crimson Tide have the perimeter athletes to do so but they're young with the backcourt rotation being made up of one sophomore and four freshmen. That sophomore, Trevor Releford (12.5 ppg, 3.2 apg), runs the show and gets the job done for Alabama offensively while also leading the team with 1.6 steals per game. Freshmen Levi Randolph and Trevor Lacey are averaging a combined 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and both are athletic enough to give Jenkins trouble defensively. Alabama forces 13.8 turnovers per game but the bigger sign of their defensive work is that opponents average 9.6 assists per game and shoot 36.8% from the field. Turning Jenkins into an offensive player that has to create his own shots as opposed to benefitting from off-ball screens should be a goal for Alabama.

Also of note on Thursday night is #6 North Carolina looking to rebound from an embarrassing performance on Saturday as they take on Virginia Tech, who is in desperate need of a win as they sit 0-4 in ACC play. The Hokies were without Erick Green due to injury on Saturday against Boston College and the impact was evident. They also need consistent play from Dorenzo Hudson if Seth Greenberg's team is to not only have a shot at an NCAA bid but simply work their way back into the discussion. North Carolina didn't respond well when Florida State hit them in the mouth, so they should be motivated to not only bounce back but do so in impressive fashion.

Charleston visits Davidson in a South Division battle in the SoCon, and the Wildcats could increase their lead to over the Cougars to three games with a win at home. De'Mon Brooks leads five Davidson players in double figures with an average of 15.6 points per game while Charleston will counter with Antwaine Wiggins. Wagner and St. Francis (NY) meet in an NEC showdown (both teams are 5-1 in league play, a game behind LIU Brooklyn), and in the Pac-12 California visits Washington. The Golden Bears no longer have the services of forward Richard Solomon, who was declared academically ineligible on Wednesday. Without him players such as David Kravish become even more important, and there may not be body parts more vital to the Pac-12 race than Harper Kamp's knees.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Wake Forest at (4) Duke (ESPN)
9:00 PM (8) North Carolina at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
8:00 PM (17) Virginia at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Pepperdine at (23) Saint Mary's
9:00 PM (25) Illinois at Penn State (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Lafayette at Holy Cross (CBS SN)
7:00 PM Boston University at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Furman
7:00 PM Albany at Vermont
7:00 PM Hartford at Maine
7:00 PM Vanderbilt at Alabama (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Bryant at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Charleston at Davidson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Samford at Elon
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Binghamton at UMBC
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Monmouth
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at UNC-Asheville
7:00 PM Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Campbell at Radford
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Fairfield at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM High Point at VMI
7:00 PM Wagner at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Winthrop
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Wofford
7:00 PM Houston Baptist at NJIT
7:30 PM Siena at Loyola (MD)
8:00 PM Boston College at NC State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM IUPUI at South Dakota
8:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Niagara at Canisius (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Loyola (IL)(ESPN3)
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Middle Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Austin Peay at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at Tennessee Tech
8:00 PM William & Mary at VCU (ESPNU)
8:05 PM Florida International at South Alabama
8:05 PM Western Illinois at UMKC
8:05 PM IPFW at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM Texas-Pan American at Chicago State
8:15 PM Florida Atlantic at Troy
8:30 PM Arizona State at Colorado
8:30 PM Butler at UIC (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Loyola Marymount at BYU (BYU TV)
8:30 PM Arizona at Utah
8:30 PM California at Washington
8:30 PM Denver at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM USC at Oregon (CSN NW)
9:00 PM Northern Colorado at Montana
9:00 PM Oakland at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Weber State
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Montana State
10:00 PM Long Beach State at Cal Poly
10:00 PM San Francisco at Gonzaga (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM Stanford at Washington State
10:05 PM Utah State at Seattle
10:30 PM New Mexico State at San Jose State
10:30 PM UCLA at Oregon State (FSN)
11:00 PM San Diego at Portland (CSN NW)
12:00 AM Louisiana Tech at Hawaii

#20 Mississippi St vs Alabama: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:51:11 -0500

ALABAMA (13-3, 2-0 SEC) AT NO. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE (13-3, 0-1 SEC)

Time/TV: 4 p.m./SEC Network

Location: Humphrey Coliseum.

RPI Ratings: Alabama 15 (No. 2 SEC); Mississippi State 51 (No. 6 SEC).

Line: Alabama -1.5

Alabama Players to Watch: F Tony Mitchell, 6-6 Jr. (14.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 48.5% FG); G Trevor Releford, 6-0 So. (12.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.9 rpg); G Trevor Lacey, 6-3 Fr. (7.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg). Since a 1-for-6 performance in a win over Detroit on Dec. 11, Releford has scored in double-figures in six straight games, including a 20-point performance in the Tide’s 69-53 win over LSU. He’s shooting 66.1 percent from the field in those six games.

Mississippi State Players to Watch: F Arnett Moultrie, 6-11 Jr. (16.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 55.6% FG); G Dee Bost, 6-2 Sr. (16.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.3 spg); G Rodney Hood, 6-8 Fr. (12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 44.1% 3s). Hood has been a nice compliment to Bost in the backcourt. He has scored in double figures in three of the Bulldogs’ last four games, including 17 points in last weekend’s 98-88 loss to Arkansas.

Storylines: Alabama is tied atop the SEC standings with No. 2 Kentucky and Vanderbilt after opening league play with big wins over Georgia and LSU. Mississippi State opened its conference slate with a loss at Arkansas before rebounding for a 62-58 triumph over Tennessee for its first SEC win.

What You Should Know: Alabama leads the SEC in defense, surrendering only 55.7 points per game. The Tide are second in defensive field goal percentage at 36.6 percent, including only 26.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Defense recently became an issue for Mississippi State, which gave up 98 points in a 10-point loss at Arkansas in its SEC opener. But the Bulldogs recovered with a big defensive performance in their win over Tennessee and they haven’t surrendered more than 75 in any other game this season. This contest features two of the SEC’s best frontcourt duos – Green and Mitchell of Alabama and MSU’s Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney.

The Bottom Line: Mississippi State has won nine straight at home, but the Tide have won five in a row – all by double-figures and by an average of 19 points per game – and with JaMychal Green back, Alabama is starting to look like the team that was ranked in the Top 25 at the start of the season. Alabama also beat the struggling Bulldogs by a combined 32 points last year. Still, overcoming MSU’s homecourt advantage at The Hump will be a difficult task. If the Tide use wise shot selection, they come away with a big road win.

The Pick: Alabama 58, Mississippi State 56.

Tuesday Preview: #11 Michigan State at #19 Wisconsin

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:56:38 -0500

Arguably the quickest way for a team to eliminate itself from a conference title race is to drop games at home. So while the term "must-win" shouldn't be used for #19 Wisconsin (12-3, 1-1) there's no doubt that Tuesday's game against #11 Michigan State (13.2, 2-0) is critical following their loss to Iowa on Saturday. The biggest reason for the Badgers' loss was their three-point shooting, as they made just three of twenty-eight attempts on the afternoon.

Without a front court player the caliber of the departed Jon Leuer Bo Ryan's team has had to rely more on the outside shot, scoring 35.8% of their points from distance. Guards Josh Gasser (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Ben Brust (10.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg) are their two best shooters while senior point guard Jordan Taylor (12.7 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.0 rpg) can also knock down the bonus shot if allowed quality looks. This will be a good test for a young Spartan backcourt that's matured very well during their 13-game win streak.

Sophomore Keith Appling (12.3 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.5 rpg) and freshman Travis Trice (5.8 ppg, 2.1 apg) have been the two players entrusted by Tom Izzo to handle the point guard duties, with Appling steadily becoming a player who can get others involved as well as create his own offense. Setting up teammates was an issue early, but there isn't much shame in struggling against North Carolina and Duke as Appling did in this regard. And while he may not be a guard per se, it certainly helps Michigan State that they've got the versatile Draymond Green to count on.

Green (15.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 apg) is essentially a coach on the floor for Michigan State and he ranks among the most versatile players in the country. Either Ryan Evans or Mike Bruesewitz will get this assignment for the Badgers, and they have to do a good job of limiting the senior. Averaging 2.5 offensive rebounds per game, Green's one reason why Michigan State corrals 39.6% of their missed shots. Branden Dawson (8.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Derrick Nix and Adriean Payne are also good at hitting the glass, and as a team the Spartans out-rebound their opponents by 10.5 rebounds per game.

Michigan State will be up against history however, as they haven't won in Madison since 2001. In order for Wisconsin to keep that streak alive they have to be proficient from distance, but with Michigan State limiting their opponents to 29.9% shooting from three that's easier said than done. Also keep an eye on Michigan State's turnover count, with it being important that they don't try to force things in an attempt to speed things up. Wisconsin's opponents turn the ball over on 21.3% of their possessions and average 12.8 turnovers to just 7.2 assists per game.

Also on the docket Tuesday is Seton Hall hosting Connecticut, and while the Huskies are the more talented team man for man the Pirates definitely have a shot of winning at The Rock. In Herb Pope the Pirates have one of the early frontrunners for Big East Player of the Year, and while UConn has just one loss on the season they haven't shown the killer instinct one would expect of an elite team. But Seton Hall's young guards will have to rise to the challenge in facing Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier if they're to win.

Oklahoma's trip to Columbia should be another interesting game to keep track of, as the Sooners look to rebound from their loss to Cincinnati, and Louisville had better be careful with that St. John's matchup zone. Oral Roberts at Oakland is a game in the Summit that the Golden Grizzlies need in a big way following their rough trip to the Dakotas, and Alabama hits the road to take on Georgia Tech at Philips Arena in a game that would have a bigger impact on the Crimson Tide's resume should they lose rather than take care of business.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at (2) Kentucky (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oklahoma at (6) Missouri (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Nebraska at (7) Ohio State (BTN)
7:00 PM (8) Connecticut at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (10) Louisville at St. John's (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (11) Michigan State at (19) Wisconsin (ESPN2)
7:00 PM UAB at (14) Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (21) Harvard at Fordham
8:05 PM Drake at (24) Creighton (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Yale
7:00 PM UMKC at IUPUI
7:00 PM Bucknell at Dartmouth
7:00 PM Longwood at Army
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Lehigh
7:00 PM Carver Bible College at North Carolina A&T
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at Oakland
7:00 PM South Carolina State at South Carolina
7:00 PM Indiana-Northwest at Toledo
7:00 PM Milwaukee at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Southern Utah at IPFW
8:00 PM Savannah State at Arkansas
8:00 PM Cornell at Maryland (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oswego State at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM South Dakota at Western Illinois
8:30 PM Alabama A&M at Jackson State
8:30 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Mississippi Valley State
8:30 PM Southern at Prairie View A&M
9:00 PM Alabama at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
9:00 PM SMU at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Houston Baptist at New Mexico
9:00 PM Siena vs. Iona*
9:00 PM Johnson and Wales (Den) at Air Force
9:00 PM Alcorn State at Texas Southern
9:00 PM Alabama State at Grambling State
9:05 PM Wyoming at Utah Valley (FCS)

Wednesday Recap: Tar Heels Too Potent for Texas

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:12:52 -0500

In each of North Carolina's last two games sophomore forward Harrison Barnes shot 4-for-12 from the field and scored nine points. Some may have been concerned given the fact that those performances came against Appalachian State and Nicholls State, ignoring the fact that the Tar Heels still managed to win both games by comfortable margins. Barnes is fine, as he showed in North Carolina's 82-63 win over Texas by scoring a season-high 26 points and grabbing ten rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. With an offensive rating for the night of 177.5 it's probably fair to say that this was his most efficient performance of the season to date, with the visiting Longhorns not having much of an answer for either Barnes of his teammates.

"Everyone only looks at the points, but I look at what we're doing defensively, and I really thought he was more active tonight," said North Carolina head coach Roy Williams of Barnes' performance. "If he's attacking the basket, I like that. I also like when he shoots the three-point shot. He's got a wide variety of options, and hopefully we moving forward where we can use all of them."

One of the big concerns for Rick Barnes' team was the play of their big men, as Texas doesn't have a talent the caliber of either Gary Johnson or Tristan Thompson on this year's roster. Sure enough they were handled on the glass, as North Carolina grabbed 22 offensive boards and out-rebounded texas 49-34. John Henson scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Tyler Zeller finished with eight points and 11 rebounds as UNC outscored Texas 42-26 in the paint. J'Covan Brown and Jonathan Holmes scored 16 apiece but when the other three starters combine to score just one point it doesn't matter much if they get 16 from someone off the bench like they did from Sheldon McClellan on Wednesday.

"We have got to get somebody that is going to run our team and run our offense," said Barnes. "We are starting three guards, so it's not like it should be a problem, but we are not playing with a purpose on the offensive end. We've got a long ways to go, but we've enough guys that want to do this thing and we'll get it fixed."

In the matchup of stellar point guards Kendall Marshall was far more effective than Myck Kabongo, racking up nine assist to just two turnovers while the freshman played just 15 minutes and turned the ball over four times (one assist). Texas, due to their lack of star power, has to have a group effort every night out especially when it comes to hitting the boards. They didn't get that, or North Carolina didn't allow them to do so, and the Longhorns paid for it dearly. With the number of weapons that North Carolina has, a fight that could be a bit more equitable in a couple of months didn't play out that way in Chapel Hill.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Seton Hall wins at Dayton to move to 10-1 thanks in part to Patrik Auda.
In previous seasons senior power forward Herb Pope picking up his fourth foul would be the beginning of the end for the Seton Hall Pirates. But in a sign of just how much things have changed in South Orange that was not to be, much to the detriment of the Dayton Flyers. The big reason why: Patrik Auda, who scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half to help lead the Pirates to the 69-64 victory in their first road game of the season. The sophomore from the Czech Republic also blocked three shots on the night, and the Flyers really didn't have an answer for him defensively.

Pope finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes before fouling out late while Jordan Theodore (14 points, eight assists) and Aaron Cosby (13 points) also reached double figures. Seton Hall shot 54% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc on the night as well as assisting on 19 of their 27 made baskets. Dayton hung tough due in part to their eight-point edge at the foul line but it wasn't enough to keep The Hall from moving to 10-1 on the season. With Big East play beginning next week there's reason for optimism with regards to Kevin Willard's program, and they're talented enough to make a run at an NCAA Tournament berth.

2. Ole Miss falls to Middle Tennessee but the bigger deal is Murphy Holloway's ankle.
Kermit Davis' Blue Raiders were expected by many to beat Ole Miss and move to 11-2 on the season, and that they did by the final score of 68-56. Middle Tennessee outscored Ole Miss 42-29 in the second half with Raymond Cintron knocking down some huge three-pointers in scoring a team-high 18 points. But the game turned for the Rebels with 10:09 remaining, when leading scorer Murphy Holloway went down with a left ankle injury.

At that point the game was tied at 42, but Ole Miss would not score another field goal until Terrance Henry's jumper with 3:36 remaining made the score 60-50 in favor of Middle Tennessee. Freshman Jelan Kendrick is still working his way into the flow of things, and despite his talents it's clear that the Rebels need Holloway on the floor in order to be effective offensively. Holloway will undergo x-rays on Thursday, and if he's out for an extended amount of time the Rebels will be in some trouble.

3. Alabama finally gets some shots to fall as they jumped Oklahoma State early.
As ESPN color commentator Fran Fraschilla pointed out early in the Crimson Tide's 69-52 win over Oklahoma State it's not that Alabama can't shoot that's the issue. The shots simply weren't falling for Anthony Grant's team, and that changed in a hurry as the Tide raced out to a 19-4 lead with 14:26 remaining in the first half. Alabama shot 57% from the field in the first half on their way to a 40-22 halftime lead, and Trevor Releford led three starters in double figures with 19 points as the Tide played well without the injured JaMychal Green (shoulder). Freshman Trevor Lacey started in Green's place and took full advantage, scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Green's expected back in the near future, and with he and Tony Mitchell up front the Tide need their guards to shoot the ball well in order to reach their full potential. Safe to say that 7-for-15 from deep is a nice step in that direction.

Quick Hitters

1. If one were to make a list of schizophrenic college basketball teams this season Loyola Marymount would without a doubt be on that list. The Lions' achievement on Wednesday: a 69-45 loss at Morgan State with the Bears picking up their second victory of the season. LMU may pull an upset or two in WCC play, but their inconsistency may doom them to the bottom half of the standings.

2. Duquesne picked up a good win as they ended George Mason's 18-game home win streak by the final score of 75-64. Sean Johnson scored 15 points while T.J. McConnell and Eric Evans scored 12 apiece. McConnell's playmaking ability helped keep the Patriots at bay as they looked to come back in the second half.

3. Despite leading by 12 points at one point in the second half Arizona State dropped to 2-6 at home, losing 68-65 to Fresno State. Kevin Olekaibe's three-pointer with 29.9 seconds remaining gave the Bulldogs the lead for good, negating a 22-point outing from Keala King.

4. Freshman Amir Garrett made his debut for St. John's, scoring three points and grabbing two rebounds in 15 minutes of action. The Red Storm had a serious fight on their hands against UT-Pan American but they did enough late to escape with the 66-61 victory. D'Angelo Harrison and God'sgift Achiuwa combined to score 43 of their 66 points.

5. Something to take out of Penn State's 74-67 win over Cornell is the play of Jermaine Marshall, who scored 12 points to go along with four rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. Patrick Chambers needs someone to be a consistent sidekick for Tim Frazier, and hopefully Marshall took a step in that direction.

6. Houston Baptist picked up a good win as they beat Santa Clara 72-71 in Houston. Tyler Russell scored 19 points and Art Bernardi added 16 for the Huskies, who watched Evan Roquemore miss a pair of free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining to remain ahead.

7. No undefeated teams lost on Wednesday but unfortunately for Hartford no winless teams got off the schneid either. The Hawks dropped an 89-86 double overtime result at Marist despite 23 points and eight rebounds from Nate Sikma. Isaiah Morton led the Red Foxes with 23 points while Chavaughn Lewis added 16, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Mike Scott (Virginia)
33 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in Virginia's 83-77 win at Seattle.

2. F Wendell McKines (New Mexico State)
23 points and 17 rebounds in the Aggies' 82-62 win over McNeese State.

3. G Rayvonte Rice (Drake)
29 points (12-18 FG), five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the Bulldogs' 87-64 win over Central Arkansas.

Wednesday's Preview: Texas at #6 North Carolina

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:37:59 -0500

Rick Barnes' Texas (9-2) Longhorns have gotten off to a solid start despite heavy personnel losses from last year's NCAA Tournament team, but outside of a neutral-court win over NC State there aren't any decisions that jump off the page. Can't credit Santa with this pre-Christmas "gift" but they've got a great opportunity to pick up a quality win as they visit #6 North Carolina (10-2). One key for Texas' prospects this season is the play of freshman point guard Myck Kabongo (10.8 ppg, 6.0 apg), and the Canadian has shown signs by the game that he'll be alright.

But in sophomore Kendall Marshall (10.2 apg, 4.1 A/T ratio) he'll take on one of the elite distributors in the game. Marshall has more than a few weapons at his disposal, but the fact that he's so good at finding teammates in the best position for them to be successful is a big reason why he's so highly regarded. But he can be had on the defensive end of the floor, and with J'Covan Brown (19.3 ppg, 4.3 apg) likely to draw the attention of North Carolina's best perimeter defender in Dexter Strickland maybe Kabongo can take advantage of this.

The key for Brown in his development is that he's become more of a team guy for Texas, most notably eliminating the immaturity that took away from his game during his early days in the program. They've needed him to become more of a leader and the junior has taken steps in that direction. Also of importance for Texas on the perimeter is Sheldon McClellan (11.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg), who could get the call in defending UNC wing Harrison Barnes (16.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg). McClellan will need to make Barnes dribble for his shots as opposed to working off the catch or one dribble. It's been well-documented that his efficiency drops a great deal when required to work more for his own shot.

The interior play is where Texas will need to step up in order to knock off the Tar Heels, who grabbed 72 rebounds in their win over Nicholls State on Monday (Texas is far superior to Nicholls State, however). John Henson (14.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.4 bpg) and Tyler Zeller (14.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg) lead the way for a deep UNC front line, and the Heels' rebounding margin of plus-8.7 is better than the Longhorns' plus-5.6. However both teams have been good at hitting the offensive glass, with Texas corralling 41.9% of their misses while North Carolina has an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.6%.

Alexis Wangmene, Jonathan Holmes and Clint Chapman average a combined 16.3 rebounds per game, and with the scoring options that Texas has Chapman and Wangmene are needed more for defensive and rebounding purposes (Holmes ranks fourth on the team in scoring). Freshman Jaylen Bond (5.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) has improved his play of late and that will need to continue if Texas is to win. North Carolina will also throw a few perimeter weapons at Texas off the bench, with P.J. Hairston and Reggie Bullock being two of the better shooters in the ACC while James Michael McAdoo is another interior presence off the bench. Whether or not Texas can hang around could depend on what the likes of Bond and Sterling Gibbs do, and they've got the talent needed to do so.

Another big game on the schedule for Wednesday is Seton Hall visiting Dayton, a team that's put together two drastically different products on the floor this season. At times Archie Miller's Flyers have the look of a team that can beat almost anyone, and they're just as capable of looking like they can lose to anyone as well. Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope have been more than capable leaders for Kevin Willard's Pirates, and a road win here would be quite the boost for their NCAA Tournament profile.

Duquesne visits George Mason in what could be a wild affair, with Ron Everhart's team enjoying a fast pace and being adept at forcing turnovers and Paul Hewitt's Patriots play interesting games as well. The matchup between T.J. McConnell and Bryon Allen could determine the outcome, especially if Allen gets out of control running the show for George Mason. Iona visits William & Mary and Belmont visits Austin Peay in games where the home teams may give more of a fight than their records would indicate, and Oklahoma State takes on Alabama in Birmingham. If the Cowboys are reckless with the basketball as they were on Saturday against New Mexico, look out for another episode of the "Tony Mitchell Show".

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Texas at (6) North Carolina (ESPN)
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at (22) Murray State

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Hiwassee College at Chattanooga
6:00 PM Fresno State at Arizona State
7:00 PM North Florida at Florida A&M
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Stetson
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Boston College
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Vermont at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM West Virginia Tech at Marshall
7:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Maine
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Army
7:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Akron
7:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Cincinnati
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Dayton
7:00 PM Duquesne at George Mason
7:00 PM Wofford at High Point
7:00 PM Hartford at Marist
7:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Morgan State
7:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at South Carolina (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UTPA at St. John's (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Coppin State at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Iona at William & Mary
7:05 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Indiana State
7:30 PM Cornell at Penn State (BTN)
7:30 PM Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington*
7:30 PM North Carolina Central vs. Stephen F. Austin*
8:00 PM Lipscomb at Iowa State
8:00 PM South Carolina State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Peru State at South Dakota
8:00 PM Lafayette at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rogers State at Houston
8:00 PM Alabama A&M at Tennessee State
8:05 PM UCF at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM Oregon State at Chicago State
8:05 PM Central Arkansas at Drake
8:05 PM Santa Clara at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Cal Poly at DePaul
8:30 PM Belmont at Austin Peay
9:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
9:00 PM McNeese State at New Mexico State
9:00 PM Oklahoma State vs. Alabama (ESPN)*
10:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Oregon
10:05 PM Saint Peter's at Utah State
10:10 PM Virginia at Seattle (Root NW)

Saturday Recap: Balanced Louisville Too Much for Memphis

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:59:08 -0500

The first meeting between Memphis and Louisville since the 2005 Conference USA title game certainly did not disappoint from a drama standpoint, with both teams landing major blows throughout the contest. But despite a combined 74 first-half points the play was ragged for much of the contest, with the Cardinals taking a 42-32 lead into the break thanks to the Tigers shooting 29% from the field and turning the ball over ten times. But led by Will Barton (28 points, 16 rebounds) Josh Pastner's team refused to fold, fighting back to take a 57-55 lead with 11 minutes remaining.

But Memphis' many defensive breakdowns proved costly in the long run, as Louisville scored 53 second-half points on their way to the 95-87 win. Russ Smith made the most of his 25 minutes of action with 24 points and seven steals, and all seven Louisville players to see double-digit minutes reached double figures in the scoring column. Louisville didn't shoot well from the field (40%) or from three (30.4%) but they did attempt 40 free throws, making 32 of those. The Cardinals were also good at setting each other up, assisting on 60.7% of their made baskets while Memphis assisted on just 42.3% of theirs.

"I thought most of the time we were playing great defense," said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "They were trying to penetrate and we were forced to help, and then the guy who had to help then circled for a 3. They had a good strategy and they are a very tough team to play against."

Another player whose contributions cannot be ignored is center Gorgui Dieng, who was outstanding with 14 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots in 40 minutes of action. Dieng's game has grown a great deal since his arrival on campus, and at this rate he may end up being one of the top centers in the Big East if he isn't in that class already. To get this kind of play from guys such as Dieng and Smith right now is a huge boost for Louisville, which welcomed Kevin Ware (only six minutes due in large part to Memphis going to a zone defense) and will hopefully regain the services of the injured Wayne Blackshear at some point in Big East play.

"Memphis surprised me by going zone because they haven't shown it. He's going to be fine," said Pitino of Ware. "He is a terrific athlete, good off the bounce, and much more a point guard than I anticipated. We are very excited to have him. Next game, he will be able to play a little bit more."

Memphis drops to 5-4 on the season but with the schedule they've played to date the Tigers are likely the most-tested team in the country. Barton in recent games has looked like a player who has figured things out and with his talent the sky's the limit, and Joe Jackson added 22 points. But Memphis has to tighten things up on the defensive end of the floor, as there were far too many breakdowns that led to either baskets or fouls. And turning the ball over on 20% of their possessions didn't help matters either. Louisville is still figuring things out as well, and as they welcome back key contributors and fine-tune things the Cardinals will begin to look even more like a national title contender than they do now.

Other Notable Happenings

1.Baylor survives two scares in beating BYU in Provo.
There was no doubt among those who follow college basketball that Scott Drew's team would have a hard time at the Marriott Center, one of the toughest environments in America for visiting teams. #6 Baylor was playing their first true road game of the season, and despite their talent there was an adjustment to be made. But thanks in large part to sophomore forward Perry Jones III and guard Pierre Jackson the Bears hung on for the 86-83 win. Jones put together an impressive stat line, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals while also scaring both himself and the team with a knee injury in the second half. Luckily for both "PJ3" and the Bears it was simply a matter of banging knees with a BYU player and he was able to return.

Where did Jackson come into play? The JUCO transfer scored 13 points and dished out seven assists (five turnovers), and his block of Brandon Davies' (18 points, 13 rebounds) attempt to tie the game preserved the victory. Brady Heslip's marksmanship from beyond the arc was another key factor for Baylor, allowing them to withstand a very good effort from the Cougars. Matt Carlino scored 18 points off the bench in his first action in a BYU uniform, and it's difficult to see the UCLA transfer not starting when the Cougars take the court again. Baylor's win on the road is one more step in the right direction for a team that's looking more and more like a national title contender by the game.

2. Ohio State wins despite losing Jared Sullinger to a foot injury.
Sophomore forward Jared Sullinger moved back into the starting lineup for Saturday's game at South Carolina after coming off the bench in their win over USC Upstate earlier in the week. But the All-American wasn't on the floor for long in the Buckeyes' 74-66 win over the Gamecocks as his left foot was stepped on after just six minutes of action. X-rays came up negative for Sullinger, with the diagnosis being a bone bruise. To say the least Ohio State dodged a bullet with his injury, but they also had some key figures step up just a week after their loss at Kansas without the big man.

Deshaun Thomas was outstanding, scoring 30 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Thomas has made his last 17 two-point field goal attempts, and his emergence as a consistent scoring option will benefit Ohio State with or without Sullinger on the floor. William Buford added 17 points and Aaron Craft was his usual self on the defensive end of the floor. Ohio State basically left Columbia with two blocks on which to build: Sullinger will be fine, and players stepping up in his absence displayed growth from last weekend's loss in Lawrence.

3. Philly guards lead Syracuse to a win at NC State.
With NC State jumping out to a 12-4 lead the usual opinion about #1 Syracuse's non-conference schedule was conveniently brought up by many. Their first true road game, never leaving the state of New York until Big East play...and so it went. But in the midst of some patting themselves on the back they may have forgotten about the amount of talent at Jim Boeheim's disposal. What ensued was a stunning 20-0 Syracuse run, with the Orange playing their best basketball of the season during that stretch. The Wolfpack, much to their credit, would fight back and tie the game in the second half but that would be short-lived.

Guards Dion Waiters (22 points) and Scoop Jardine (16 points, four assists) led the way as the Orange pulled away for an 88-72 victory, and Kris Joseph added 21 points and five rebounds. In addition to Waiters, C.J. Fair and James Southerland scored 11 points apiece as the Orange reserves outscored NC State's bench 46-4 on the night. Feel free to use the convenient reasons to question Syracuse if you wish, but do so at your own peril.

4. Speaking of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph's makes their first home game against Villanova a memorable one.
In the history of the Big 5 Saint Joseph's had never hosted Villanova at Hagan Arena before Saturday night, usually playing their home games at The Palestra. Thanks to the trio of Carl Jones, C.J. Aiken and Langston Galloway the Hawks made the first meeting a memorable one, outclassing the Wildcats 74-58 in a game they led by as many as 20 in the second half. Saint Joseph's shot 50.8% from the field while limiting the visitors to 33.3% shooting, and the second half turned into a dunk contest of sort at one point. Galloway finished with 20 points and six assists while Jones (15 points, four assists) and Aiken (11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks) also played well, and Ronald Roberts added 12 off the bench.

Outside of Maalik Wayns (19 points) Villanova received little of consequence offensively from anyone, and with Mouphtaou Yarou less than 100% they needed a Dominic Cheek (or anyone else) to step up. But the Wildcats looked startled by the environment, and instead of becoming more comfortable with the surroundings the opposite seemed to happen as the game wore on. There are some definite questions for Villanova to answer, especially their lack of three-point shooting, but there's no doubt that Saint Joseph's can be a factor in the Atlantic 10.

5. Florida jumps Texas A&M from the start in what turned out to be a comfortable win.
There were concerns about what Billy Kennedy's team would be able to do in the second game of the Orange Bowl Classic against Florida given their strength of schedule, especially in the backcourt. Well, things got out of hand quickly as Florida jumped out to a 20-5 lead on their way to 50 first-half points and an 84-64 win. Kenny Boynton led four starters in double figures with 22 points (Erik Murphy's validated his return to the starting lineup with 13 points) and the Gators made 23 of 30 free throws to outscore the Aggies by 16 from the charity stripe. This all happened with Florida big man Patric Young taking just two shots on the afternoon.

Foul trouble didn't help the big man but this was a prime opportunity for an opponent to punish Florida for this, but Texas A&M was incapable of doing so. Shooting guard Elston Turner finished with 20 points and forwards Ray Turner (20 points) and Khris Middleton (12 points) were solid as well, but A&M can't entertain realistic thoughts of contending in the Big 12 if they don't get more out the guards not named Turner. Dash Harris, Jamal Branch and Jordan Green combined to shoot just 3-for-9 from the field, and that simply will not get it done.

6. It may be too much to say that Butler saved their season, but that wouldn't be far off.
At the half of Butler's game against Purdue at Conseco Fieldhouse the Bulldogs trailed 46-35, but that margin didn't tell the whole story for Brad Stevens' team. Purdue shot 66.7% on two-point shots and turned the ball over just three times to Butler's nine, underlining the fact that the Bulldogs weren't defending at the level they need to in order to be successful. The choice was simple from an observer's standpoint: either Butler gets better defensively and has a shot at avoiding a seventh loss on the season, or they continue on that path and end up getting run out of the gym.

Butler chose the former, limiting Purdue to 19 points and 6-for-29 from the field in the second half to get back into the game. Andrew Smith's putback with a second remaining proved to be the difference in Butler's 67-65 win, an outcome the Bulldogs desperately needed. Smith and Kameron Woods scored 12 points apiece to lead the way offensively while Chase Stigall knocked down some big shots on his way to 11 points. Save their season? That may be a bit too dramatic but if Butler makes a run their win over Purdue will likely be seen as the catalyst.

Quick Hitters

1. The Elias Harris that many expect to see every game for Gonzaga showed up in Seattle, scoring 25 points (11-15 FG) and grabbing eight rebounds in the Bulldogs' 71-60 win over Arizona. Gonzaga scored the first 15 points of the game, establishing enough distance to hold off multiple Wildcat rallies.

2. If losing at Middle Tennessee earlier in the week wasn't hard enough, Belmont fell 66-61 at Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. The reason: Belmont shot 6-for-28 from beyond the arc, and Julian Mavunga led the home team with 17 points and ten rebounds.

3. Miami big man Reggie Johnson returned to the lineup in his first action of the season, and the difference in the Hurricanes was noticeable in their wild 93-90 double overtime win over FAU. Johnson accounted for 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five blocks in 36 minutes of action and Kenny Kadji led the way with 21 points. FAU may have one of the most entertaining backcourts that receives a limited amount of publicity, with Raymond Taylor (20 points, nine assists) and Omari Grier (27 points) giving the Canes fits all afternoon.

4. Vanderbilt was handed their fourth loss of the season, this time losing at home 61-55 to Indiana State. Jake Odum controlled the flow of the action for the Sycamores, who received a nice boost off the bench from R.J. Mahurin (14 points). John Jenkins scored 11 points, making just three of ten shots for the Commodores. While Vandy may be in some trouble right now, it's safe to say that the race Indiana State will be a part of in the Missouri Valley will be fun to watch unfold.

5. Kansas State moved to 7-1 thanks to a 71-58 win over #21 Alabama in Kansas City. One of the big reasons for the victory was the play of seven-footer Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, who put forth arguably the best game of his career with 17 points and eight rebounds. K-State out-rebounded the Crimson Tide 32-28 and took advantage of Alabama's inability to knock down perimeter shots (2-14 3PT) in the second half.

6. Remember when New Mexico had the look of an early season disappointment? Steve Alford's team won its sixth straight on Saturday night, beating Oklahoma State 66-56 in Oklahoma City. Drew Gordon grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 13 points while Kendall Williams led the Lobos with 16 points.

7. Stallon Saldivar's three-pointer with less than a second remaining gave Northern Arizona a much-needed 69-68 win over Arizona State in Tempe. The Lumberjacks are just one week removed from having Mike Adras step down as head coach due to their 2-7 start, and they've won two straight since. Saturday's win is also their second straight over Arizona State.

8. They didn't get to welcome Marquette transfer Reggie Smith to the rotation (that will come on Monday) but that made little difference for UNLV, who got it done defensively in their 64-48 win over Illinois at the United Center. The Fighting Illini shot a frigid 25.4% from the field and Mike Moser led the Runnin' Rebels with 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Six Notable Performances

1. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
Hamilton was outstanding in the Golden Grizzlies' 82-80 win over Valparaiso, scoring 41 points to go along with four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Hamilton's jumper at the buzzer proved to be the difference.

2. G Steven Pledger (Oklahoma)
31 points (10-13 FG), 10 rebounds and two steals in the Sooners' 79-74 win over Houston.

3. F Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)
31 points (11-15 FG) and 10 rebounds in the Tar Heels' 97-82 win over Appalachian State.

4. G Mike Moore (Hofstra)
32 points (7-11 3PT), seven rebounds and two steals in the Pride's 82-62 win over Manhattan, tying a school record for three-pointers made in a game.

5. F Julian Boyd (Long Island) and F Will Barton (Memphis)
Boyd finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds in the Blackbirds' 82-80 win over Saint Peter's while Barton put up 28 and 16 in Memphis' 95-87 loss at Louisville.

6. F Anthony Davis (Kentucky) and F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
Davis tallied 14 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in Kentucky's 87-62 win over Chattanooga while Gordon led New Mexico to their 66-56 win over Oklahoma State with 13 points and 20 rebounds.

Wednesday Preview: Arizona at #12 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:25:52 -0500

Another day brings about another opportunity for a Pac-12 team to strike a blow for the conference, with Arizona (6-2) traveling across the country to take on #12 Florida (5-2). Sean Miller's team left an important piece of "cargo" back in Tucson as well, as freshman guard Josiah Turner was suspended for reportedly missing practice. The point guard from Sacramento will not play in a game due to a coach's decision for the second time this season, and with the departure of Sidiki Johnson (who barely got off the bench following their first exhibition game) half of the Wildcats' highly-touted recruting trouble has run afoul of the rules.

This latest development makes the task of winning in the "O-Dome" that much tougher for the Wildcats, who really don't have a marquee victory to their credit thus far. But the Wildcats do bring some talented perimeter players with them, with senior Kyle Fogg (11.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and freshman Nick Johnson (10.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.4 apg) being two of the key cogs. Sophomore point guard Jordin Mayes becomes even more important with Turner out, but both Fogg and Johnson have run the point either at some point this season or at another point in spot duty in case Mayes needs a rest of isn't effective.

Even with the experience that's not the best way to go into a game with one of the nation's deepest backcourts. Returning starters Kenny Boynton (19.0 ppg, 3.1 apg) and Erving Walker (14.1 ppg, 5.3 apg) are Florida's top two assist men but it's freshman Bradley Beal (15.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg) who leads the team in minutes per game. Beal's versatility and athleticism make him a tough matchup for just about any guard, but with Johnson also known as an athletic guard who's also one of the top defenders in the 2011 class this should be a fun individual battle. Billy Donovan can also call on Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario when needing points off the bench, but the truth is that Rosario needs to improve defensively (Scottie Wilbekin is the better reserve defender)if he's to see solid minutes on a consistent basis.

Arizona turns the ball over at a slightly higher rate than Florida, with the inexperience at the point being one of the contributing factors. But they do assist on 59%of their made baskets, with Florida's assist rate being a couple points below that. The Gators have more perimeter players who can force the issue offensively, and they've played considerably faster than Arizona this season with an average of nearly seven more possessions per game. The Gators have the better offensive efficiency not only because of their perimeter weapons but also because they rebound 40% of their misses. Will Yeguete, who moved into the starting lineup in place of the injured Erik Murphy, is grabbing an average of 3.7 offensive rebounds per game while Patric Young adds another 2.4.

Inside for the Wildcats senior Jesse Perry (10.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) has been their most consistent player with junior wing Solomon Hill (12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.1 apg) not too far behind. Kevin Parrom is another versatile wing, but the junior is still working towards full health after being shot before the season began. The two key players on the road for the Wildcats: sophomore Kyryl Natyazhko and freshman Angelo Chol. Arizona may be able to get away with quiet nights from these two against lesser competition, but in order to not only have a shot to pull off the upset but also remain one of the Pac-12 favorites these two need to step up. Senior center Alex Jacobson, the final holdover from the Lute Olson era, doesn't play much and the likely tempo might not be the best for him.

Whatever they do, Arizona cannot afford to get drawn into a shootout as that would play right into the hands of the Florida guards. Boynton and Walker can be mistake-prone, but a faster tempo means more possessions which would in turn mean some of those mistakes may not be as costly as they can be in a slower game. If Arizona can capitalize on those errors while keeping theirs to a minimum they'll hang around. But that's a big if, especially on the road.

Overall there's a good slate of games on tap for Wednesday, with a pair of games out west standing out in particular. Joe Scott's Denver Pioneers have gotten off to a very good start, but they're going to face a serious test at home as the Iona Gaels visit. The arrival of Mike Glover should be a good measuring stick for DU's Chris Udofia, a young player with the athletic ability to be an All-Sun Belt caliber player in the very near future. The Gaels also boast the nation's leading assist man in Scott Machado, but the question is whether or not Tim Cluess' team can play as fast as they want in the high altitude.

There's also Weber State, led by guards Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth, visiting a BYU team that's loaded inside. Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies are two of the options for Dave Rose, and the gruesome injury suffered by forward Kyle Bullinger in the Wildcats' win over San Jose State leaves Weber shorthanded inside. It could take quite the performance from Lillard, who scored 41 points against SJSU, to beat the Cougars at the Marriott Center.

Like watching good big men face off? Then check out St. Bonaventure's trip to Illinois, with senior Andrew Nicholson being a good test for Illinois sophomore Meyers Leonard. Xavier visits Butler, and those two teams tend to play most of if not all of their meetings close, and Dayton looks to bounce back from their whipping at the hands of Murray State with Alabama rolling into town.

Georgia Tech and Georgia will play for bragging rights in Athens and Colorado State visits Duke for a contest that could be tougher for the Blue Devils than many anticipate. Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green have been solid for Tim Miles' club, but do they have anyone capable of keeping in front of Austin Rivers? Look for some surprises to come about, with many teams dealing with finals this week in addition to games.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM IUPUI at (4) Louisville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Colorado State at (5) Duke (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (8) Xavier at Butler (ESPN)
7:00 PM Arizona at (12) Florida (ESPN)
7:00 PM (15) Alabama at Dayton
8:00 PM Green Bay at (16) Wisconsin (ESPN3)
9:00 PM St. Bonaventure at (22) Illinois (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at (25) Texas A&M (FSN SW)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at George Washington (MASN)
7:00 PM Georgia Tech at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Towson
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Michigan State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Malone College at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Lafayette at Penn State (BTN.com)
7:00 PM Delaware at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Virginia Tech at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Buffalo at Niagara
7:00 PM Colgate at Albany
7:00 PM Vanderbilt at Davidson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wake Forest at High Point
7:00 PM Fordham at Manhattan
7:00 PM Army at Marist
7:00 PM Illinois State at Morehead State
7:00 PM Ohio at Oakland
7:00 PM Boston University at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Temple at Toledo
7:00 PM Valparaiso at IPFW
7:30 PM Bryant University at Yale
7:30 PM Hampton at American University
7:30 PM Princeton at Rutgers
7:30 PM New Hampshire at Brown
7:30 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Lehigh
7:30 PM Western Carolina at Purdue (BTN)
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at UAB
8:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Maryland (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Vermont at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Nebraska
8:00 PM Wichita State at Tulsa
8:00 PM Henderson State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Oakland City at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM DePaul at Loyola (IL) (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Mercer at Samford
8:05 PM Southern Miss at South Alabama
8:05 PM Western Kentucky at Southern Illinois (FCS)
8:05 PM North Dakota at UMKC
8:30 PM Nevada at Arizona State
8:30 PM East Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech
8:35 PM Pepperdine at Northern Arizona (FSN AZ)
9:00 PM Fresno State at Colorado
9:00 PM Portland at Boise State
9:00 PM Willamette at Montana State
9:00 PM Montana Tech at Montana
9:00 PM Weber State at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Utah
9:00 PM Wright State at Air Force
9:00 PM Iona at Denver (Root)
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Missouri State (ESPNU)
10:00 PM San Diego State at San Diego
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at UNLV
10:00 PM Sacramento State at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Washington State at Idaho
10:30 PM San Jose State at California