Baylor

Rivers' Shot Caps Duke Rally: Wednesday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:36:16 -0500

There have been some thrilling comebacks in the history of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry, but surprisingly there haven't been many games that have been decided at the buzzer. Wednesday night's game in Chapel Hill wasn't a case of "down eight with 17 seconds to go" as it was in meetings in 1974 (UNC with the comeback and win) and 1995 (Duke with the comeback but UNC ended up winning), but with the Tar Heels up ten (80-70) with 3:35 remaining one would expect them to win.

But missed free throws and botched possessions late left the door slightly ajar, and the Blue Devils would take advantage as Austin Rivers' three from the right wing as time expired gave Duke the 85-84 win. Rivers was Duke's best offensive player as he scored 29 points, but even with his numbers the many critics were sharpening their knives with the expectation being that North Carolina would close the game out. Rivers and company would prevent that by outscoring UNC 15-4 over the final 3:35, resulting in a three-way tie atop the ACC.

"They made the right plays and we didn't. I mean, it's just that simple," said UNC wing Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half. "You've got to give credit where credit is due, and they played a great game."

Rivers is the focus on any night for the Blue Devils for the simple fact that he is Duke's most talented perimeter player, and the key for the Blue Devils down the road is that the freshman uses his talent to not only get his points but also get others involved. Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry scored 15 points apiece and Tyler Thornton knocked down a critical three during the final run, displaying a confidence one wouldn't expect from a player who'd gone 0-for-5 from deep to that point in the contest.

Barnes had a bit of a roller coaster game, as he was quiet in the first half only to get rolling in the first ten minutes of the second and then fade into the background down the stretch. Tyler Zeller (23 points, 11 rebounds) played well throughout but will be remembered more for the missed free throws and the fateful switch that resulted in him guarding Rivers on the final sequence, and John Henson (12 points, 17 rebounds) posted a double-double as well. If anything the contest was a mixture of North Carolina not taking care of business and Duke refusing to quit. And with a player like Austin Rivers at your disposal anything is possible.

"Austin was magnificent. We had a play set for a three, a different three, if they hit both free throws," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "But when they missed the second, we wanted to go to a quick angle and he could either take it to the basket or he shot it, and he shot it and it was all net."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas goes on a 34-6 run spanning both halves to soundly defeat Baylor in Waco.
Jeff Withey proved to be a problem for Baylor in the first meeting between the two teams as he finished two blocked shots short of a triple double, and that was also the case on Wednesday night in Waco. Withey scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half to help Kansas navigate the half despite Thomas Robinson being in foul trouble. The Jayhawks' run reached the point to where they led by 20 points, and they never relinquished control in the 68-54 victory.

Tyshawn Taylor added 19 points and Robinson scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas, who is tied with Missouri atop the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks hit Baylor in the mouth and the Bears didn't respond well at all, with the game getting to the point where it's fair to wonder whether or not Scott Drew's team has the mettle required to make a run in March. The Bears have a great deal of talent but when Perry Jones III accounts for just five points and a player who burned them the first time does so again, it's difficult to expect the Bears to be a national title hopeful at this point.

2. Kris Joseph scores 29 points to lead Syracuse past Georgetown in overtime.
There were people who truly wondered how Georgetown would be able to hang with #2 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, seeming to forget the fact that the Hoyas had the system and the personnel to give the Orange some trouble. That's exactly what happened as Georgetown grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded to Orange 52-35, making up for their poor shooting. But it wasn't enough to leave with a win at Kris Joseph scored 29 points ot lead Syracuse to the 64-61 win.

Joseph and Fab Melo (11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks) were the only Syracuse players to score in double figures on a night that saw their guards struggle and the other frontcourt players used weren't much better. But that was countered by the struggles of Georgetown's Henry Sims, who shot 1-for-12 from the field in scoring six points, somewhat negating the impact he had as a distributor from the high post. Syracuse had the one player on the floor who didn't seem to have any issues finding good looks in crunch time in Joseph, and that ultimately was the difference on a night that saw them get whipped on the glass.

3. Arkansas leaves the Fayetteville and promptly gets blown out by Georgia.
There's a reason why so many were hesitant to give the Razorbacks that NCAA tournament "stamp of approval" after their win over Vanderbilt. The Hogs entered Wednesday's game at Georgia 0-6 in true road games and it was easy to see why by halftime with the Bulldogs taking a 43-24 lead into the break. Arkansas shot 26.1% from the field in the first half and where soundly whipped on the glass by a count of 25-10 (eight offensive rebounds for the Bulldogs), ending up in a hole that was too big to climb out of in an 81-59 defeat.

Gerald Robinson Jr. went just about wherever he wanted to, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with 18 and five rebounds. Arkansas has shot better than 40% from the field just once in seven road games this season, and that's a big reason why they haven't won on the road. Not sure what the missing spark is for the Razorbacks but they'd better figure out how to get things going away from Bud Walton Arena before it lands them in the NIT.

Quick Hitters

1. David Kyles scored 16 points off the bench and Toure' Murry led four players in double figures with 21 points as Wichita State took sole possession of first place in the MVC with an 82-57 win over Northern Iowa. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have the look of a team that can do some serious damage come March, and a win at Creighton on Saturday would give them a two-game lead.

2. Florida State's offensive execution down the stretch reverted to its pre-seven game win streak form in Chestnut Hill, and the end result was a 64-60 loss to Boston College. Jordan Daniels scored 21 points and dished out five assists to lead the Eagles, who snapped a six-game losing streak. Florida State is now part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC.

3. Cody Ellis scored 20 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench to lead Saint Louis to a 72-60 win at Saint Joseph's, keeping them tied with Xavier in second place in the Atlantic 10 a game behind Temple (who came back from 15 down to beat George Washington) in the loss column. Rick Majerus has a solid eight-man rotation on which to rely, and he's one of the best in America at putting together a game plan.

4. Two possible conference champions to keep an eye on come March remained undefeated in league play with road wins on Wednesday night. UT Arlington moved to 10-0 in the Southland with a 75-63 win at Sam Houston State and Bucknell took care of Colgate 66-50 to move to 9-0 in the Patriot League. In LaMarcus Reed III (UT Arlington) and Mike Muscala (Bucknell) these two teams feature players currently on the short list for Player of the Year in their respective leagues.

5. Southern Miss did themselves no favors on the road as they fell 71-61 at UAB. The Golden Eagles simply did not have an answer for Cameron Moore, who accounted for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Southern Miss is now tied with Memphis (7-2) atop the Conference USA standings and UCF (7-3) is just a game back in the loss column due to their win over Marshall.

6. In a matchup of the top two teams in the NEC it was LIU Brooklyn who came out victorious as they beat borough rival St. Francis (NY) 81-71 at Madsion Square Garden. Jamal Olasewere (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Boyd (17 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles and C.J. Garner scored 19 points to lead the Blackbirds. They play again on Saturday, and a Terrier win could be the only thing that keeps Jim Ferry's squad from winning the regular season title as LIU has already swept second-place Wagner.

7. Form held in the CAA as the top four teams all won, widening the gap between themselves and the rest of the league. In most season that would essentially guarantee the conference cashing in to the tune of multiple NCAA tournament berths, but due to the league's profile and team's non-conference resumes that may not be the case this season. George Mason, VCU and Drezel are all 12-2 in league play while Old Dominion is a game out at 11-3.

8. In two other Big East results worth mentioning, Pittsburgh saw their run of success ended in Tampa as they shot just 34.6% from the field in a 63-51 loss at USF. Hugh Robertson led three Bulls in double figures with 18 points and Ashton Gibbs shot just 2-for-9 from the field and scored four points. And Jordan Theodore scored 24 points to lead Seton Hall past Rutgers 59-54, meaning that the senior will finish his career with a 4-0 mark on the floor of the Pirates' in-state rival.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Cameron Moore (UAB)
27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Blazers' 71-61 win over Southern Miss.

2. F Kris Joseph (Syracuse)
29 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Orange's 64-61 overtime win over Georgetown.

3. G Austin Rivers (Duke)
29 points, five rebounds and two steals and the game-winning three as time expired in the Blue Devils' 85-84 win at North Carolina.

#6 Baylor vs. #10 Kansas: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:39:21 -0500

To say that this is a big week for Scott Drew's Baylor (21-2, 8-2) Bears would be a major understatement, and the same goes for the Kansas (18-5, 8-2) Jayhawks in this pivotal Big 12 battle. These are two of the three teams tied for first in the loss column in the conference, and with Baylor visiting 9-2 Missouri on Saturday afternoon we should have a solid grasp on who will be in the driver's seat down the stretch.

Kansas won the first meeting 92-74 in Lawrence, pulling away during the latter stages of the first half thanks in large part to the play of forward Thomas Robinson and point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Robinson (18.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg) posted his customary double-double on a night that saw the Bears punished for their inability to box out. Baylor only plays their troublesome 2-3 zone about half the time, so this was an issue more about fundamentals than their system having them out of place.

On the season Baylor's opponents average 12.4 offensive rebounds per game, and while the offensive rebounding percentage (32.8%) isn't terrible it's not what you'd expect of a team with five players 6'9" or taller. Three of those players are averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore Perry Jones III (14.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg) leading the way. Freshman Quincy Miller (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is arguably their most versatile front court player while senior Quincy Acy (12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) provides the heart, as he's made some big plays in "winning time" for the Bears.

The key for Kansas in the rematch will be to get a similar effort from Jeff Withey (8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 bpg) as they received in the first contest. The San Diego native was two blocks away from a triple-double, a fact that left many observers stunned by the end of the night. This is a better matchup for Withey than Missouri, whose quickness rendered him nearly non-existent on Saturday night. While both teams are good on the offensive glass Kansas has been better keeping opponents at bay on the other end (28.1% OR), and doing so once again will be important if they're to win in Waco.

The point guard matchup is an intriguing one due to the fact that both Taylor (16.9 ppg, 5.2 apg) and Baylor's Pierre Jackson (12.7 ppg, 5.9 apg) are both two of the best in the Big 12, but they also have moments when their respective coaches wonder what's going on. Turnovers will be key for both teams, especially those of the "live-ball" variety as both teams have some of the nation's best finishers.

Jackson won't start the game (A.J. Walton does) but more often than not he finishes it, and shooting free throws at an 84% clip should leave Baylor fans at ease when he's in control late. Baylor also calls on Brady Heslip (9.6 ppg, 43.9% 3PT) on the perimeter while Kansas will counter with Elijah Johnson (9.2 ppg, 3.6 apg) and Travis Releford (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg). There isn't much separating the two teams when looking at turnover percentage on either side of the ball, and despite having a slightly higher percentage (21.5%) it's Baylor who's been the more efficient team offensively.

Did Allen Fieldhouse have that much of an impact on Baylor in the first meeting, or was Kansas simply that much better? The rematch won't provide a definitive answer to that question (which is probably an unfair one to ask anyway), but it will give an answer to the question of which team is better equipped to win the Big 12.

Two of the sport's biggest rivalries will also be on display as #2 Syracuse hosts #11 Georgetown and #9 Duke makes the short trek to Chapel Hill to take on #5 North Carolina. The Orange had it rolling on Saturday afternoon as they pasted an undermanned St. John's team and the return of Fab Melo did play a role in that. But the Hoyas also have a much-improved center in senior Henry Sims, and a perimeter led by Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson should be good about finding quality shots within Syracuse's 2-3 zone. Georgetown has to also find a way to limit the impact that reserves such as Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair have on the game, meaning that they have to keep the game from turning into an odd-man track meet.

As for Duke, they've got a tough assignment as they look to not only bounce back from a disappointing loss to Miami but also keep from falling two games behind UNC and Florida State in the ACC. The Blue Devils had no answer for Miami's Reggie Johnson (Kenny Kadji also played well), and while neither John Henson nor Tyler Zeller is as wide as Johnson they're both more than a handful for opponents. Duke has to get good decision-making from their guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Quinn Cook being three) at the Dean Dome and some good shooting from Andre Dawkins wouldn't hurt either.

Marshall, who at one point earlier this season looked to be a lock to reach the Field of 68, needs to get rolling in a hurry if they're to get back into the discussion. DeAndre Kane and company visit a UCF team led by forward Keith Clanton in what should be a good Conference USA matchup. Wichita State can take sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley with a win over Northern Iowa ahead of their trip to Omaha on Saturday, and the contest between borough rivals LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis (NY) has been made even better by the fact that they're playing at Madison Square Garden and Glen Braica's done an outstanding job with the Terriers as well.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (11) Georgetown at (2) Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM (9) Duke at (5) North Carolina (ESPN)
7:00 PM (10) Kansas at (6) Baylor (ESPN2)
6:30 PM Penn State at (12) Michigan State (BTN)
7:00 PM (17) Florida State at Boston College (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Wake Forest at (20) Virginia (ESPN3)
8:30 PM (25) Michigan at Nebraska (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM George Washington at Temple
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Delaware
7:00 PM Pittsburgh at South Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wagner at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Memphis at East Carolina
7:00 PM Monmouth at Fairleigh Dickinson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at James Madison
7:00 PM La Salle at Richmond
7:00 PM Lafayette at Army
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Ball State
7:00 PM Marshall at UCF
7:00 PM Buffalo at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Bucknell at Colgate
7:00 PM Kent State at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Hofstra at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Northeastern at Georgia State
7:00 PM Jacksonville State at Morehead State
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Navy
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Bryant University at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Robert Morris at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at St. John's
7:00 PM Ohio at Toledo
7:00 PM Akron at Western Michigan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Old Dominion at William & Mary
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Xavier (CBS SN)
7:05 PM Houston Baptist at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM St. Bonaventure at Massachusetts
7:30 PM Towson at VCU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southern Miss at UAB
8:00 PM Arkansas at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Indiana State at Bradley
8:00 PM Missouri State at Southern Illinois (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at Houston
8:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Texas State
8:00 PM Northwestern State at Lamar
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Sam Houston State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM TCU at Southern Methodist
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM South Carolina at Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at UTSA
8:00 PM Northern Iowa at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Drake at Illinois State
8:30 PM Saint Louis at Saint Joseph's
9:00 PM Seton Hall at Rutgers (ESPN2)
9:00 PM LSU at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Notre Dame at West Virginia
9:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at St. Francis (NY)
9:00 PM Tulsa at UTEP (CBS SN)

Big 12: The Most Exciting Conference in the Country

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:02:24 -0500

There are better college basketball conferences than the Big 12 in 2011-12.

But there are none more entertaining.

The Big 12 has three of the nation’s top eight teams, and of the league’s 10 teams, nine are capable of beating good teams.

The league title will likely come down to No. 8 Kansas, which is atop the conference standings at 8-1, No. 4 Missouri and No. 6 Baylor. No conference has a trio of teams more fun to watch than Kansas, Missouri and Baylor.

Outside of North Carolina, Kansas has the best inside-outside duo in the country with Thomas Robinson, who is averaging 17.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and point guard Tyshawn Taylor, who scores 16.5 points and hands out 5.2 assists per night. Kansas has won or shared the conference title for the last 7 seasons, but they have serious competitors this year.

Missouri is arguably the best shooting team in the country. The Tigers shoot 49.8 percent from the field, including Ricardo Ratliffe’s nation-leading 75.1 percent, 37.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc and 77.7 percent from the foul line. Mizzou has four players who shoot very well from deep, including Kim English, who is shooting 49.5 from the 3-point line, and Marcus Denmon, who is fourth in the Big 12 at 17.2 points per game.

There’s not a team in the nation that can match Baylor’s athletic big men. Perry Jones III is a 6-11 forward who can run, jump, handle and shoot. Quincy Miller – a 6-9 freshman – is athletic and has a soft touch. Six-foot-10 forward Anthony Jones can light it up from the 3-point line, and 6-7 senior Quincy Acy is a dunking machine. Throw in junior college transfer point guard Pierre Jackson and sharp-shooting Brady Heslip and the Bears are among the most fun teams to watch in the country.

All three of those teams, Kansas, Missouri, and Baylor, are ranked Top 10 in the country for offensive efficiency.

What sets the Big 12 apart, though, is that it has another six teams that can play spoilers. Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M will likely play as big a role as the Big 3 in determining the conference champion.

Iowa State, led by Minnesota transfer Royce White and coached by former Cyclone great Fred Hoiberg, handed Kansas its only Big 12 loss on Saturday, 72-64. Led by freshmen Le’Bryan Nash and Brian Williams, Oklahoma State knocked off then-No. 2 Missouri, 79-72 last Wednesday. Kansas State also has a 16-point win over Missouri on its resume, and Texas pushed the Tigers to the final seconds on Monday. Even Texas A&M, who looked lost in a 1-5 stretch earlier in the season, is extremely dangerous. It took a late seconds Baylor three to knock the Aggies out last night.

The Kansas-Missouri showdowns on Saturday and Feb. 25, the Baylor-Missouri tilt on Feb. 11 and the second Baylor-Kansas matchup Feb. 8 will have huge implications in the Big 12 regular-season race. But so will the Jayhawks’ trip to Kansas State on Feb. 13, Missouri’s return visit to Texas on Feb. 20, and Baylor’s trek into Ames, Iowa, on the final night of the regular season.

Those must-watch games are what make the Big 12 the most entertaining conference in the country.

Wednesday Recap: Lineup Changes Spark Nothing As UConn Falls

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:55:56 -0500

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun knew heading into Wednesday's game that his struggling team, losers of three straight, needed some kind of spark to get things going. That meant shuffling the lineup, with Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi being replaced as starters by Ryan Boatright and Roscoe Smith, and for a short time on Wednesday night the move paid off. UConn got out to a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout and generally played better basketball on the offensive end, which was likely the desired effect of the move.

But Georgetown went to their 2-3 zone defense, and against zones UConn has shown neither the confidence nor the basketball IQ needed to solve such a riddle. It didn't help matters that Boatright, who did a good job of facilitating the offense, picked up his second foul with just over ten minutes left in the half and the Huskies leading 15-14. It was essentially all downhill from there as the Hoyas woud outscore the Huskies 17-6 the remainder of the half, going on to beat UConn 58-44 and lead many to ask whether or not the defending national champs had what it took to turn things around.

"We come back from six [down] and somebody went for a steal, next thing you know we took a bad shot and now were down ten," remarked Calhoun of his team's struggles. "And you can't keep running up the hill for only so long and so that's where we picked up our fourth straight loss and should have lost all four games."

So how did the four players involved in the lineup changes respond? Not well, with Boatright having his performance short-circuited by foul trouble (zero points, four assists) being the biggest blow given how the flow of the contest changed when he had to sit. Napier, who earlier in the season lamented the lack of a response to his attempts to be a leader, shot 0-for-9 from the field and scored just one point while Oriakhi went scoreless. And Smith opened the scoring 33 seconds into the game...only to not score again.

Last year's team struggled in conference play, but the difference is that (in addition to having Kemba Walker) they were a lot tougher mentally than this group. Who steps up to change the path that this season is currently travelling? Jeremy Lamb's not the vocal type and while he scored 14 points it took 18 shots to do so (making four), and while Andre Drummond (18 points, seven rebounds) was UConn's best player on the floor it's tough to ask a freshman to become the team leader.

The truth of the matter is that Napier and Oriakhi should be the leaders for this team, and yet neither has shown the ability to do so. The teams that leave a mark in March will fight for everything in the face of adversity, pulling together to accomplish the common goal. That hasn't been a trait of this current edition of Huskies, as they either fail to respond or the "fight back" dissolves into guys trying to close the gap all by themselves.

Georgetown, a team picked to finish tenth in the Big East in the preseason, should be the story here given the play of Hollis Thompson (18 points, nine rebounds) and Jason Clark (11 points, five rebounds), and they're likely to improve even more as the season approaches it's defining month. Can the same be said for UConn? That's a tough question to answer at this point, but with a game against a Seton Hall team that's also struggling a lot will be learned about the toughness of both teams on Saturday.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan jumps out to a big lead and holds off Indiana's second half rally to remain undefeated at home.
There's no doubt that Tom Crean's Hoosiers can win big games at home, with the energy provided by the Assembly Hall crowd providing a needed boost to a program that's definitely improved. But what about on the road, where teams have to manufacture their own energy in the face of a hostile crowd? That question remains unanswered thanks to Indiana's slow start in Ann Arbor, as they trailed Michigan by as many as 20 points in the first half on the way to a 68-56 defeat. Indiana was able to get as close as two points (52-50) with less than four minutes remaining but they couldn't overtake the Wolverines, who were led offensively by Trey Burke (18 points, four assists), Zack Novak (13 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (13 points).

Indiana shot a respectable 42.9% from the field in the first half but they turned the ball over eight times to just one for Michigan, and the Wolverines converted those miscues into eleven points (led 33-22 at the half). Michigan's now 13-0 at home this season while Indiana remains with just one conference road victory (Penn State) this season. While the Hoosiers are in a dogfight to remain in the top half of the league standings Michigan's bounce back from the loss at Ohio State shows that they remain a serious contender for the Big Ten crown.

2. UT-Arlington opens their new arena with a win over UTSA, increasing their lead in the Southland.
Wednesday night was a special night in the history of UT-Arlington, with the Mavericks playing in the new College Park Center for the first time. And they picked a good matchup for the debut, as defending Southland tournament champ UTSA was in town looking to move into a tie for first place with the Mavericks. But despite turning the ball over 23 times on the night UT-Arlington found a way to win, beating the Roadrunners 67-66 to expand their lead to two games. A pair of Kevin Butler free throws with 13.7 seconds remaining proved to be the points the Mavs needed to remain on track for the regular season crown in their final campaign before they head to the WAC in July.

LaMarcus Reed III scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way while Butler added 21 and eight, and these two are a big reason why the Mavs were able to make up for their turnovers by out-rebounding the Roadrunners 46-33 and score 16 second-chance points to just seven for UTSA. Kannon Burrage led the Roadrunners with 21 points off the bench and Melvin Johnson III added 14, but with Michael Hale III and Stephen Franklin combining to shoot 2-for-18 UTSA wasn't able to take full advantage of their turnover margin edge. With these two meeting in the regular season finale UTSA essentially has to win out while hoping for some help, and with UT-Arlington having won 12 straight that strategy may not bear fruit.

3. Pierre Jackson and Quincy Acy make big plays late to lead Baylor past Texas A&M.
Scott Drew's Bears seemed to try their best to give Texas A&M the game in the second half as they shot 31% from the field while the Aggies made half their field goals. But thanks to big plays down the stretch from Pierre Jackson (14 points, five assists) and Quincy Acy (11 points, four rebounds) Baylor escaped College Station with a 63-60 win in what could be the last regular season meeting in the "Battle of the Brazos" for a long time. A Jackson three with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the push Baylor needed to get to the finish line, and his two free throws with just over a second remaining sealed it.

Those two free throws came as a result of a hustle play by Acy, whose quick move to tip Jackson's missed free throw out (which Jackson was able to chase down), gave the junior college transfer a second chance at increasing the Bears' lead and he cashed in. After a Ray Turner basket gave A&M a 49-44 lead it was Acy who scored six of Baylor's nine points in a 9-0 run that put them up 53-49 with 6:13 to go. While the lottery picks (Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller) will enjoy the majority of the attention the contributions of a player like Acy cannot be ignored. In fact, that may be what allows Baylor to go deep into the NCAA tournament.

Quick Hitters

1. While the Atlantic 10 has enough quality teams to warrant four bids to the NCAA tournament, the chances of that happening become slimmer when teams at the top of the conference don't take care of business as they should. Wednesday's results of note were UMass losing 81-78 in overtime at Rhode Island and Dayton losing 83-73 at home to Duquesne. Xavier nearly joined those two teams but Tu Holloway's layup with 30 seconds remaining capped a good night for him (21 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and pushed the Musketeers past George Washington 59-58.

2. In a battle for sole possession of first place in Conference USA, Southern Miss finally got over the hump as they beat Memphis 75-72 to snap an 18-game losing streak in the series. Darnell Dodson and Neil Watson combined to score 40 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles, who are now 7-1 in conference play.

3. Center Garrett Stutz has been outstanding in road games for Wichita State this season and that trend continued in the Shockers' 74-67 win at Missouri State as he scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the night. Ben Smith added 21 for Wichita State, who remains a game behind first-place Creighton (102-74 win over Illinois State) as a result of the victory.

4. With seven freshmen and three sophomores on the roster many expected the first year of Mountain West play to be a tough one for Boise State and it has been. But they've also shown signs of growth, and if not for a missed Thomas Bropleh three as time expired the Broncos would have left San Diego State with a win. Leon Rice's team has the ability to scare some teams in the MWC, and with the likes of Bropleh and Anthony Drmic the future looks to be bright for Boise State.

5. There's now a three-way tie for first place in the CAA as Delaware beat George Mason 65-60 in Newark. Kyle Anderson shot 8-for-11 from the field and scored 21 points to lead the way for the Blue Hens, and as a team Delaware shot 7-for-14 from deep (Mason finished 3-for-16). Drexel and VCU both picked up victories on Wednesday, and with the league's profile being poorer than in seasons past the fight for the CAA crown should be even fiercer than it's been of late.

6. Huge news in the recruiting world was broken by ESPN's Dave Telep, who reported that Tilton School big man Nerlens Noel move back to the 2012 class. Noel, who counts Kentucky and Syracuse among his most vigorous suitors, returns to his original class and is now right there with Shabazz Muhammad for the honor of being the best player in the class.

7. Vermont held off a Boston University rally to beat the Terriers 68-67 in Boston to take over sole possession of second place in America East. Luke Apfeld scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Catamounts, who swept the season series as a result of the win.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the RedHawks' 62-57 overtime win over Eastern Michigan.

2. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-62 win over Oklahoma.

3. F Orion Outerbridge (Rhode Island)
29 points and 11 rebounds in the Rams' 81-78 overtime win over Massachusetts.

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.

Wyoming vs. #12 San Diego State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:41:42 -0500

It's been a while since there's been the ability to say "Wyoming" and "NCAA Tournament" in the same sentence, but in the first season of Larry Shyatt's second run in Laramie the Cowboys (16-3, 2-1) have turned some heads. With first-place #12 San Diego State (17-2, 3-0) visiting, not only can the Pokes pull into a tie atop the Mountain West with a win but they can also lend the NCAA talk a little credibility with a win. Despite their gaudy record Wyoming has that albatross of a strength of schedule (268 overall, 328 non-conference per the most recent NCAA "nitty gritty" sheet) to deal with, a number that could prove costly without some marquee wins within league play.

Wyoming has four players averaging at least 9.7 points per game but their most important player could very well be Jaydee Luster, a point guard averaging just 5.8 points but leading the team with 3.6 assists per contest. Luster's improved as a floor general for the Cowboys, which has led to good things for his teammates, one of which being forward Leonard Washington (12.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg). The USC transfer was too much for Colorado State on Saturday as we punished the Rams with 32 points and 14 rebounds. Joining him in the front court is senior Adam Waddell (9.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and reserve Larry Nance Jr. (3.8 rpg, 3.5 ppg), but the Cowboys essentially break even on the glass.

That's not going to get it done against San Diego State, who still causes problems on the offensive glass despite losing their three best rebounders from a season ago. As a team the Aztecs corral 32.9% of their missed shots and out-rebound opponents by five rebounds per game, and big men Deshawn Stephens, Garrett Green and Tum Shelton lead the way on the offensive glass. The SDSU guards are also good rebounders, with Jamaal Franklin (15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) leading the team in rebounding while Xavier Thames (11.3 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 rpg) and Chase Tapley (16.6. ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg) do their part as well.

The challenge for the Wyoming guards, which in addition to Luster features Paco Cruz (12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Luke Martinez (13.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), will be to keep the SDSU guards out of the lane. Percentage-wise the Aztecs are a better three-point shooting team than Wyoming but they're also less reliant on the shot for points, scoring 56% of their points on two-point shots. If this one is close late free throw shooting could come into play and the Cowboys are one of the best in the country there, making 76.7% of their foul shots, so keep an eye on that area in addition to the rebounding numbers. Wyoming's schedule may lead some to underestimate the program's growth, but they've got a great opportunity to show just how far they've come tonight.

Tuesday's action also features a few teams looking to bounce back from disappointing weekend results, most notably Baylor (who visits Oklahoma) and both teams in the Michigan/Purdue matchup. The Bears were outworked on the glass by both Kansas and Missouri last week, and while the Sooners may not be as strong as either of those teams they've got some guys who can hurt you (Steven Pledger being one). Baylor simply has to rebound, and that doesn't mean just jump for the ball. Proper fundamentals, zone defense or not, such as boxing out need to be utilized if the Bears are to take full advantage of their height.

Michigan and Purdue fell on the road on Saturday, with the Wolverines losing at Arkansas while the Boilermakers were whipped by Michigan State. Michigan's issue was that they were cold early while the Razorbacks were red-hot, while Purdue's travel issues weren't as big a deal as the Spartans shooting 62% in the second half. USF, off to a surprising 5-2 start in the Big East, will see the schedule get tougher beginning with a trip to Milwaukee to take on #18 Marquette.

Freshman point guard Anthony Collins has been solid for the Bulls, who have had multiple guys step up and make plays, but they'll have their hands full with Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder. Also keep an eye on Tennessee's trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt and Iowa State taking on Texas in Austin, as those both are games that will have an impact on the midsection of the SEC and Big 12 standings respectively.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Kentucky at Georgia (ESPN)
8:00 PM (7) Baylor at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:30 PM (12) San Diego State at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM South Florida at (18) Marquette (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (22) Michigan at Purdue (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM UMBC at Boston University
7:00 PM Tennessee at Vanderbilt (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Akron at Ball State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Buffalo
7:00 PM South Carolina State at Hampton
7:00 PM Morehead State at Norfolk State
7:05 PM Longwood at Florida Gulf Coast
8:00 PM Western Illinois at Nebraska Omaha
8:05 PM Bradley at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Texas-Arlington at Houston Baptist
9:00 PM Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Iowa State at Texas (LHN)
10:00 PM Seattle at UC Irvine

Syracuse Suffers First Loss of the Season: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:27:30 -0500

With the announcement that starting center Fab Melo would miss Saturday's game due to an unresolved academic issue, the chances that top-ranked Syracuse would remain undefeated took a hit. But few would have thought that the Orange would have few (if any) answers in the paint as a result of his absence, and that's exactly what happened at Purcell Pavilion. Jack Cooley scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Notre Dame led by as many as 18 points on their way to the 67-58 win, the eighth in school history over a top-ranked opponent.

The biggest problem for Syracuse was their lack of rebounding, as Notre Dame out-rebounded the Orange 38-25 on the night. Syracuse on the season has allowed opponents to rebound 38% of their misses and while Notre Dame didn't reach that number, finishing with an offensive rebound percentage of 34.6%, it was enough to punish the Melo-less Orange. C.J. Fair moved into the starting lineup and was largely ineffective for the Orange, finishing with six points and four rebounds as the Irish took advantage of Syracuse's lack of interior muscle.

"The problem was that when they did that we did not get the rebounds," said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. "Probably six times we had a good defensive possession and Notre Dame put a shot up at the end of the shot clock and we did not get the rebound. If you give them a long possession and then they miss and they get the rebound, it is just not a good thing."

Notre Dame established their biggest lead of the game late in the first half on an Alex Dragevich three-pointer with 1:28 remaining, and the bonus shot was one of the themes of the half. The Irish made six of their ten shots from behind the arc and Syracuse received underwhelming performances from their starters (reserves scored 15 of their 23 first half points), establishing a distance the Orange were unable to overcome. The second half was where the rebounding came into play as Notre Dame made just two of six from deep, and three other players finished with at least six rebounds to go along with Cooley's ten.

Notre Dame finished the night with just seven second-chance points but it was those extra possessions that proved costly for the visitors in what turned out to be just a 61-possession game. The focus for the Orange now is how they go about fixing the rebounding issue without Melo heading into their game at Cincinnati, but it's been an issue well before his absence. Whatever happens with Melo, if the Orange can't do a better job of taking care of the defensive glass they'll be asking for more trouble down the road.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michael Snaer's shot at the buzzer pushes Florida State past Duke at Cameron.
It's been an excellent week for Leonard Hamilton's Seminoles, who at this stage are not only a contender to win the ACC but also a logical choice in the "best team in the ACC" discussion. Simply put, Florida State has come a long way since opening conference play with a 20-point loss at Clemson. Florida State went toe-to-toe with Duke on Saturday at Cameron, ultimately winning 76-73 on a three-pointer from Michael Snaer as time expired. But Snaer shouldn't be the only one who receives credit for the final play. Luke Loucks remained under control in that final sequence, having the presence to find the open Snear as Andre Dawkins was too hasty in his help defense. Most players would have forced up a challenged shot but Loucks' composure made the shot possible.

FSU ultimately won the game from inside of the three-point arc despite Duke making ten of their twenty-three attempts from deep, shooting 55.5% from two while Duke made 37.5% of their shots from two. Bernard James (12 points, eight rebounds) and Xavier Gibson (16 points (7-8 FT), five rebounds and three blocks) outplayed the Plumlee brothers inside (combined 13 points and 14 rebounds) for a decent portion of the contest, and Seth Curry socred 12 points but shot 4-for-16 from the field for the Blue Devils. Florida State's offensive efficiency, which has been much improved over the last three games, made up for allowing Duke to grab 14 offensive rebounds and should be seen as a sign that they're figuring things out. ACC title contender? Definitely.

2. Missouri more than holds their own on the glass and wins at Baylor as a result.
Despite the final margin (89-88) it would be safe to say that Frank Haith's Tigers were more impressive than the final margin would indicate. The undersized Tigers out-rebounded Baylor 32-26 and finished the game with an offensive rebounding percentage of 48.3%, further highlighting Baylor's problems on the boards. Toughness could be cited as a reason why, but it shouldn't be at the expense of attention to detail. With the number of tall athletes that Scott Drew's team has the players on the floor seem to be more of the "outjump opponents for the ball" mindset when it comes to rebounding instead of boxing out, and Missouri made them pay on many occasions on Saturday afternoon.

Six of Ricardo Ratliffe's eight rebounds were of the offensive variety, and the national leader in field goal percentage finished the game with 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting. Baylor improved on the glass some in the second half as they allowed just four second-chance points and out-rebounded the Tigers 15-11 but the damage was done. Quincy Miller scored a game-high 29 points and Pierre Jackson added 20 to go along with 15 assists, but the last two games have shown that the Bears have a lot of work to do on the glass if they're to not only contend for the Big 12 crown but also have a shot at getting to the Final Four. As for the Tigers, Saturday's win should be taken as a sign that it's time to stop focusing on what they don't have but rather on what they do.

3. Arkansas and Tennessee pick up some solid non-conference wins for the SEC.
Not a big fan of the "best conference" but with the majority of the discussion centering on the Big Ten and Big 12 to this point in the season, the SEC may have been ignored some. That was before Saturday, as home wins for both Arkansas and Tennessee show that the league is deeper than many believe. The Razorbacks led by as many as 20 points at Bud Walton Arena before holding on to beat #20 Michigan 66-64. B.J. Young and Hunter Mickelson combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Hogs, who benefitted from the Wolverines shooting just 8-for-28 from beyond the arc. Arkansas is now 14-5 (2-2 SEC) on the season, and it may be time to wonder if Mike Anderson's young team has enough to reach the NCAA Tournament. This win will help their resume.

As for Tennessee, the Volunteers are beginning to play with the same toughness that their head coach displayed as a player at Purdue. Cuonzo Martin's team was the tougher of the two on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday afternoon and freshman forward Jarnell Stokes outplayed both Alex Oriakhi and Andre Drummond in the 60-57 win over #13 Connecticut. Stokes, playing in just his third collegiate game, finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds in his first start and Cameron Tatum added 15 points. UConn was without the services of Ryan Boatright but that's no excuse for zero bench points or the three starters outside of Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb (combined 41 points) scoring just 16. When shots aren't falling for either team toughness more times than not reigns supreme, and that's why Tennessee ended up with the win.

4. UNLV's depth the difference in their impressive win over New Mexico.
Dave Rice pledged to put the running back in the Runnin' Rebels program when he was hired in the offseason, and while that's happened what makes UNLV even tougher for opponents to defend is their depth. In their 80-63 win over preseason Mountain West favorite New Mexico, UNLV outscored the Lobos 26-0 in fast break points and 28-9 in bench points in what was an outstanding performance in front of the frenzied crowd at Thomas and Mack Center. Carlos Lopez (14 points) and Justin Hawkins (ten points) scored 24 of those bench points and three starter finished in double figures as well for UNLV, who remain a game behind first-place San Diego State with the win.

A couple of notable stat lines for New Mexico underline the difference on Saturday night. Point guard Hugh Greenwood, who has been dealing with a sprained ankle, finished without a point and key reserve Phillip McDonald shot 2-for-7 from the field (five points) one game after scoring 20 in their loss to SDSU. New Mexico also didn't do themselves any favors with 21 turnovers, which led to 32 UNLV points. So after the first "rotation" of the three contenders in the Mountain West it's safe to say that the pecking order is San Diego State, UNLV and then a decent gap between the Runnin' Rebels and New Mexico. But if UNLV can play the way they did on Saturday night, it wouldn't be a surprise if they finished the season on top.

5. LIU Brooklyn wins at Wagner, further establishing themselves as the team to beat in the NEC.
In what may have been the most anticipated game of the season in the Northeast Conference to date it was three-point accuracy that lifted Jim Ferry's Blackbirds past Wagner on Staten Island. LIU Brooklyn, who many believe to have the best frontcourt in the NEC, made up for allowing 17 offensive rebounds by making six of ten shots from beyond the arc with Jason Brickman making all three of his attempts and scoring 17 points. Julian Boyd led the way for LIU Brooklyn with 19 points and 15 rebounds on the night and Jamal Olasewere added 18 for the visitors, who are now two games ahead of the competition with an 8-0 league record.

Latif Rivers led four Seahawks in double figures with 17 points but as a team Wagner made just four of nineteen shots from beyond the arc. In a 69-possession game that proved to be the difference in spite of 17 second-chance points. The win also earned LIU Brooklyn a sweep of the season series (78-73 win on December 1st being the first), which could prove vital in the case of a tiebreaker. LIU Brooklyn is a middle of the pack rebounding team when looking at percentages so that will need to improve if they're to get back to the NCAA Tournament, but if they can continue to shoot as they have (2nd in the NEC in three-point percentage) it's going to be tough to dethrone the NEC's best offense.

Quick Hitters

1. Mississippi State picked up a good road victory, beating Vanderbilt 78-77 in overtime in Nashville. Arnett Moultrie scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Dee Bost scored 24 for the Bulldogs, who moved to within a game of the second-place Commodores with the win.

2. The presence of "College Gameday" provided a spark for Pittsburgh and their fans but it didn't bring a win as Louisville won 73-62 to drop the Panthers to 0-7 in the Big East. Tray Woodall wasn't as effective as Pitt would have hoped but the bigger issue was their defense. Louisville shot 55.3% from the field and received a boost in the form of Kyle Kuric's return.

3. As a result of their 87-72 win over rival Xavier, Dayton moved to 4-1 in the Atlantic 10. Kevin Dillard (16 points, eight assists) and Matt Kavanaugh (20 points) led the way for the Flyers, who are now in sole possession of first place in the A-10.

4. Torrey Craig's putback just before time expired gave USC Upstate a 79-78 win over Belmont and made the Atlantic Sun race a lot more interesting than many outsiders expected it to be. Craig finished with 22 points and six rebounds for the Spartans, who are now one of three teams that sit a game behind the Bruins and Mercer atop the A-Sun.

5. Cincinnati had a chance to pull into a tie for first place in the loss column in the Big East ahead of their game against Syracuse on Monday night, but it wasn't meant to be as West Virginia won 77-74 in Morgantown. Kevin Jones posted another double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds and Gary Browne's three late in regulation sent the game into overtime.

6. E.J. Singler went 16-for-17 from the foul line and scored a career-high 26 points (and seven rebounds) as Oregon came back from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat UCLA 75-68 in Eugene to move to 6-2 in the Pac-12. The Ducks are one of four teams tied in the loss column atop the league standings, with Cal being the other team sitting at 6-2 (Colorado and Washington are 5-2).

7. Tony Mitchell's putback as time expired in overtime gave North Texas a 75-74 win over Denver, moving the Mean Green into a tie for first place in the West Division of the Sun Belt with both the Pioneers and UALR. Mitchell, a transfer from Missouri, scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while Roger Williams added 18 and ten boards.

8. The Big West showdown between Long Beach State and UCSB proved to be anything but as Dan Monson's 49ers took over at the Thunderdome, leaving with a 71-48 victory. The Beach, who is now 7-0 in league play, had four starters in double figures with Larry Anderson (19 points) and T.J. Robinson (11 points, 11 rebounds) being two of the leaders.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Leonard Washington (Wyoming)
32 points and 14 rebounds in the Cowboys' 70-51 win over Colorado State.

2. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
30 points and 17 rebounds in the Mean Green's 75-74 overtime win over Denver.

3. G Darren White (Campbell)
22 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in the Camels' 80-73 win over VMI.

4. G Velton Jones (Robert Morris)
35 points, six assists and three steals in the Colonials' 81-73 win at Monmouth.

5. G Langston Galloway (Saint Joseph's)
32 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Hawks' 84-80 loss to Pennsylvania.

#3 Baylor vs. #5 Missouri: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:39:42 -0500

On the heels of their first loss of the season, #3 Baylor (17-1, 4-1) returns home to take on #5 Missouri (17-1, 4-1) in a game that features a major contrast when it comes to team strengths. Scott Drew's Bears are one of the biggest teams in college basketball while Frank Haith's Tigers are neither as big or as deep in the frontcourt. That simply means that in addition to forwards Ricardo Ratliffe (13.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Steve Moore (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) all hands must be on deck of Missouri is to have any shot of leaving Waco with a victory. But they also enjoy an edge on the perimeter despite the improved play of Baylor's Pierre Jackson (12.2 ppg, 5.4 apg), and that's something the Tigers will look to exploit throughout the afternoon.

Missouri isn't the frenetic, full-court pressure team they were under Mike Anderson, making the move to being a tough defensive team in the half-court. The Tigers still force 15.6 turnovers per game, and with Baylor averaging 14.9 that could be an area where Missouri finds some baskets in the way of points off of turnovers. Phil Pressey (9.7 ppg, 5.9 apg), who is also the leading assist man on the team, leads the way with 2.1 steals per game and will likely match up with starting point guard A.J. Walton (4.3 ppg, 3.7 apg) defensively.

In addition to Pressey there's leading scorer Marcus Denmon (17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Matt Pressey (8.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and sixth man Michael Dixon Jr. (12.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) to be concerned with, as all can quickly turn Baylor's mistakes into points on the other end. Jackson, Walton and Brady Heslip (10.1 ppg, 47.7% 3PT) will need to take care of the basketball and makes sure they get the ball inside to the big men consistently in order to take full advantage of the edge in size. Baylor's depth in the paint could prove to be too much for Missouri if they do this.

Perry Jones III (14.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is Baylor's most talented player when considering the next level, but there are also concerns when it comes to physicality and toughness. In addition to him there's freshman Quincy Miller (12.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg), another versatile forward who can step out on the perimeter as well as finish above the rim, and senior Quincy Acy (12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is their toughest interior player. Anthony Jones and Cory Jefferson round out the rotation, and if they can get either Ratliffe or Moore into early foul trouble the size disparity becomes even more extreme.

Ratliffe is averaging 2.4 fouls committed per game while Moore commits 2.2 fouls per game, and Ratliffe's worst contest with regards to foul trouble was also their lone defeat. Ratliffe played just 14 minutes and scored two points in the Tigers' loss at Kansas State, and the Wildcats are another team that has the benefit of multiple big bodies in the paint. He and Moore will have to stay on the floor, and senior Kim English (14.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) will not only be a key factor on the glass but also an advantage for Missouri should Baylor look to go man-to-man.

That's the question for Baylor, who in all honesty isn't a good rebounding team despite their height and a rebounding margin of plus-8.2. Do they go man, which could bolster their rebounding ability or do they go with their zone and risk Missouri getting hot from deep? Baylor's opponents have rebounded 32.8% of their missed shots this season, and a big reason why is that the Bears tend to rely on their athletic ability instead of the fundamental act of boxing out. Foul trouble and turnovers will ultimately decide things in Waco, and the Bears are hoping to cement their status as a top seed with a win.

Also of note on Saturday is a matchup in the ACC between Duke and Florida State, with the visiting Seminoles playing some good basketball of late. Leonard Hamilton's team has displayed improved execution on the offensive end of the floor, something that got them in trouble earlier this season, and they'll need to continue to do so if they're to win at Cameron. Andre Dawkins and Austin Rivers both played well in the Blue Devils' win over Wake Forest but they're going to have their hands full with arguably the best defensive team in the ACC.

Surging Cincinnati is back on the road, this time taking on West Virginia ahead of their home game against top-ranked Syracuse on Monday. WVU senior forward Kevin Jones leads the Big East in both scoring and rebounding and is frontrunner for Big East Player of the Year, and the battle between he and Yancy Gates should be an entertaining duel to watch. But how will the young WVU guards perform as they face off with Cashmere Wright, Dion Dixon and Sean Kilpatrick? How Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds "supplement" Truck Bryant's efforts will go a long way in determining the outcome.

Michigan State hosts Purdue in an important Big Ten battle, and in forwards Draymond Green (MSU) and Robbie Hummel (Purdue) two of the conference's best players will be on display. Purdue cannot allow Green to control the game in almost a "point forward" role for the Spartans. Keith Appling and Travis Trice have improved by the game for Michigan State, but they'll have their hands full with the experienced Lewis Jackson who is healthy after being a bit banged up a short time back.

There are also big matchups at the top of the Atlantic 10 and NEC with Xavier visiting Dayton and Wagner visiting LIU Brooklyn. First place is on the line in both matchups, with the latter featuring one of the hottest teams in the country in Dan Hurley's Seahawks. Xavier/Dayton is one of the most intense rivalry games that doesn't get as much national attention as it should, and first-year head coach Archie Miller has the Flyers in position to make a run at the A-10 crown. But the Musketeers have been the standard in the conference in recent years, meaning that the road to the title goes through Cincinnati.

Also a big day in Las Vegas as New Mexico hopes to rebound from their home loss to San Diego State with a win at UNLV, but that will be far easier said than done. Anthony Marshall has played outstanding basketball of late for Dave Rice's team and slowing him down will be critical for the Lobos, and the "UCLA Transfer Bowl" should be fun as both teams rely on guys who began their collegiate careers in Westwood (UNM's Drew Gordon and UNLV's Chace Stanback and Mike Moser). Also the two remaining undefeated teams, Syracuse and Murray State, are both on the road with the Orange taking on Notre Dame (the Irish have beaten #1 nine times in their history) and the Racers at SIU-Edwardsville.

Top 25 Games
6:00 PM (1) Syracuse at Notre Dame (ESPN)
12:00 PM Alabama at (2) Kentucky (CBS)
2:00 PM (5) Missouri at (3) Baylor (ESPN)
4:00 PM Florida State at (4) Duke (ESPN)
8:00 PM (6) Ohio State at Nebraska (BTN)
4:00 PM (7) Kansas at Texas (CBS)
12:00 PM Purdue at (9) Michigan State (ESPN)
9:00 PM (10) Murray State at SIU-Edwardsville (ESPNU)
4:00 PM (11) Connecticut at Tennessee (CBS)
12:00 PM Rutgers at (12) Georgetown (ESPN3)
6:00 PM LSU at (14) Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (15) Mississippi State at Vanderbilt
10:00 PM Air Force at (16) San Diego State (The Mtn.)
3:00 PM Indiana State at (18) Creighton (ESPN2)
2:00 PM (19) Michigan at Arkansas (CBS)
10:15 PM New Mexico at (20) UNLV (CBS CS)
9:00 PM (21) Louisville at Pittsburgh (ESPN)
7:00 PM (22) Marquette at Providence (ESPN3)
11:00 PM (23) Saint Mary's at Santa Clara
7:00 PM (24) Harvard at Dartmouth

NCAA Division I Games
11:00 AM Maryland at Temple (ESPN2)
12:00 PM Wake Forest at Boston College (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Wright State at Detroit (ESPN3)
1:00 PM SMU at Memphis
1:00 PM Stony Brook at Maine
1:00 PM Xavier at Dayton (ESPN2)
1:00 PM Villanova at St. John's (ESPNU)
1:30 PM South Carolina at Auburn (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Kansas State at Oklahoma State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM UCF at UAB
2:00 PM Army at American
2:00 PM Georgia State at Delaware
2:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Western Kentucky (FCS)
2:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Fairleigh Dickinson
2:00 PM Fordham at St. Bonaventure
2:00 PM Miami (OH) at Ohio
2:00 PM Yale at Brown
2:00 PM Radford at Coastal Carolina
2:00 PM Navy at Colgate
2:00 PM Toledo at Eastern Michigan
2:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Florida International (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Butler at Loyola (IL)
2:00 PM Central Michigan at Western Michigan
2:00 PM UNC Wilmington at William & Mary
2:00 PM Texas-Pan American at NJIT
2:00 PM Belmont at USC Upstate
2:30 PM Georgia Tech at Clemson (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Cincinnati at West Virginia (ESPNU)
3:00 PM Western Carolina at Appalachian State
3:05 PM Houston Baptist at Chicago State
3:30 PM Virginia Military at Campbell
3:30 PM Central Connecticut State at Sacred Heart
3:30 PM Boise State at TCU
4:00 PM Ole Miss at Georgia (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Valparaiso at Illinois-Chicago
4:00 PM Buffalo at Bowling Green
4:00 PM Wofford at Furman
4:00 PM Oklahoma at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Hofstra at James Madison
4:00 PM North Carolina Central at Coppin State
4:00 PM Northeastern at Drexel
4:00 PM Lipscomb at East Tennessee State
4:00 PM Towson at George Mason
4:00 PM Rhode Island at La Salle
4:00 PM Northwestern State at McNeese State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Morgan State
4:00 PM UCLA at Oregon
4:00 PM South Carolina State at Savannah State
4:00 PM Quinnipiac at Bryant University
4:30 PM North Florida at Mercer
4:30 PM San Francisco at Portland
5:00 PM Arizona State at Utah
5:00 PM Massachusetts at Richmond (CBS SN)
5:00 PM UTSA at Texas State
5:00 PM Alabama State at Alcorn State
5:00 PM Lamar at Central Arkansas
5:00 PM Alabama A&M at Southern
5:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM Iowa State at Texas Tech
5:30 PM Winthrop at Charleston Southern
5:30 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Southern
6:00 PM Arizona at Colorado (FCS)
6:00 PM Stanford at Washington
6:00 PM Kent State at Akron (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Norfolk State at Hampton
6:00 PM Marshall at Southern Miss
6:00 PM Colorado State at Wyoming
6:05 PM California at Washington State
6:30 PM Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View A&M
7:00 PM Charlotte at George Washington
7:00 PM Cornell at Columbia
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Jacksonville at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Bucknell
7:00 PM Citadel at Davidson
7:00 PM Austin Peay at Eastern Illinois
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Elon
7:00 PM Liberty at High Point
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Monmouth
7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Morehead State
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Nicholls State at Southeastern Louisiana
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at Wagner (ESPNU)
7:30 PM Charleston at Georgia Southern (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Bethune-Cookman at Delaware State
8:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Cal Poly
8:00 PM Missouri State at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Duquesne at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Tulsa at Rice
8:00 PM East Carolina at Houston
8:00 PM Denver at North Texas
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM San Diego at Gonzaga
8:00 PM Grambling State at Jackson State
8:00 PM South Dakota State at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Ball State at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Brigham Young at Pepperdine
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM UTEP at Tulane
8:00 PM Old Dominion at VCU
8:05 PM Middle Tennessee at South Alabama
8:05 PM IUPUI at UMKC
8:05 PM Oakland at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:05 PM Illinois State at Evansville (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Southern Illinois at Wichita State
8:30 PM Western Illinois at South Dakota
8:30 PM Southeast Missouri State at Tennessee Tech
8:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Troy
9:00 PM Louisiana Tech at San Jose State
9:05 PM Northern Colorado at Montana State
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Montana
9:05 PM Northern Arizona at Idaho State
9:05 PM Portland State at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM North Dakota at Utah Valley
9:30 PM IPFW at Southern Utah
10:00 PM UC Davis at Pacific
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Fresno State at Nevada (ESPN3)
10:30 PM USC at Oregon State (FSN)
11:00 PM Long Beach State at UC Santa Barbara (ESPNU)
11:05 PM Utah State at Idaho
12:00 AM New Mexico State at Hawaii

Monday Recap: The More Things Change...

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:05:15 -0500

Monday's showdown between #3 Baylor and #7 Kansas gave the visiting Bears a great chance to make the statement that they were ready to dethrone a program that's won at least a share of the last seven Big 12 titles. Well while there's still plenty of basketball to be played before the regular season champion is determined, it's safe to say that Bill Self's team has no plans to simply hand over the top spot. Thomas Robinson outplayed the highly-touted Baylor frontcourt, scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor scored a game-high 28 points and dished out six assists as the Jayhawks rolled to the 92-74 victory.

"We played terrific. That's the best game we've played all year," remarked Self. "The energy level was great and we got off to a great start."

Baylor looked to be every bit Kansas' equal after the Jayhawks jumped out to a 17-9 lead, putting together an 18-5 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch to take a 27-22 lead with 6:01 remaining. But to sustain such play at Allen Fieldhouse is difficult to say the least, and Kansas would close the half on a 17-2 run to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Taylor, who capped the half with a three-pointer from the top of the key, led the way with 14 points while Robinson added 12 and five boards. Rebounding was an issue all night for Baylor, who ignored the need to box out and it cost them.

Kansas grabbed 15 offensive rebounds on the night, scoring 17 second-chance points, and out-rebounded the Bears 39-24. And if that wasn't enough the Jayhawks outscored Baylor 48-34 in the paint and all five starters reached double figures in scoring. Jeff Withey, the player who had to show up lest Robinson be left to deal with the Baylor frontcourt by himself, posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in addition to three blocked shots. With Baylor's starting frontcourt scoring 49 of their 74 points Withey had to be a factor and he was.

"When we get Jeff going, it really gets a lot of us going, and a lot of people don't know that," said Elijah Johnson, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds. "Jeff is a key player to our team, especially with getting us started. When he is on track, it can be a long night for some teams."

Perry Jones III led Scott Drew's club with 18 points and Quincy Miller scored 17 but it wasn't enough to avoid their first defeat of the year. Pierre Jackson scored 11 points off the bench in his sixth-man role to go along with 11 assists, but his solid performance was eclipsed by what Taylor was able to do. Provided they improve their rebounding, which is surprisingly mediocre given their size, Baylor will be a factor in both the Big 12 and national title races. But the biggest lesson to come out of Monday night is that to win the Big 12 the road once again goes through Lawrence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marquette climbs out of an 18-2 hole to beat Louisville at home.
Down 18-2, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams took what many would judge to be an unconventional approach to dealing with his team. He didn't flip out or panic, and as a result his lack of an overreaction proved to be the best move. The Golden Eagles would outscore Louisville 32-12 from that point forward to take a 34-30 halftime lead on their way to the 74-63 win at the Bradley Center. Darius Johnson-Odom led four Marquette players in double figures with 19 points, Davante Gardner scored 17 and grabbed six rebounds and Jae Crowder posted a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), but the foul line proved to be the difference on Monday afternoon.

Marquette made 16 of their 18 free throws while Louisville failed to take advantage of their opportunities, making four of ten from the charity stripe. Russ Smith scored 20 points to lead the Cardinals, who were once again without the injured Kyle Kuric, and their half-court offense remains an issue. Louisville finished with 17 assists but also turned the ball over 17 times, and the absence of Kuric severely hampers the bench production as Smith moves into the starting lineup. Marquette's reserves, led by Todd Mayo (11 points), outscored the Louisville reserves 15-3. Marquette could have lost their composure and allowed the Cardinals to run away with the game at 18-2 but they stayed the course and ultimately won.

2. Syracuse continues the best start in school history with a win over Pittsburgh.
Despite their recent track record of futility against Pittsburgh heading into Monday's game at the Carrier Dome (no current player had ever beaten the Panthers), few expected the top-ranked Orange to struggle with Jamie Dixon's club. And after 20 minutes of play it looked as if Syracuse was going to roll to their 20th consecutive win as they led 35-26. Pitt couldn't take care of the basketball, and their 11 first-half turnovers led to 12 Syracuse points. But the Panthers were able to remain within striking distance by hitting the glass,out-rebounding the Orange 22-14. That would continue in the second half, and while the Orange went on to win 71-63 the 40-28 disadvantage on the glass is something that sticks out for Jim Boeheim's 20-0 squad.

Dion Waiters led five players in double figures with 16 points and Fab Melo posted a double-double with ten points and ten assists while Pitt was led by three players who scored ten points apiece. But just like Louisville, the Panthers' woes at the foul line prevented them from making the game uncomfortably close for Syracuse. Syracuse made 20 of their 23 free throws while the Panthers shot 12-for-23 with Nasir Robinson missing six of his eight attempts.

Be it free throws or layups Pittsburgh is not completing the "simple" plays right now, and that's a big reason why they're off to their worst start in Big East play since the 1995-96 season. As for Syracuse, while they were the unanimous choice for the top spot in the coaches' poll this week there's still plenty to improve upon. For a team that can achieve special things this season, this is just one step on the road they hope leads them to New Orleans.

3. So much for the SWAC showdown, as Mississippi Valley State rolls Southern.
With Southern entering their road game in Itta Bena just a game out of first place in the loss column there was reason to believe that Rob Spivery's Jaguars would challenge the Delta Devils. Twenty-one turnovers later however Southern found themselves on the wrong end of a 77-56 result, as they also shot 38.8% from the field and gave up 19 offensive rebounds. Five MVSU players reached double figures with Cor-J Cox scoring a game-high 23 off the bench and Paul Crosby grabbed 14 rebounds in addition to scoring 18 points.

To say the least it's a lot easier to win when scoring 27 points off of 21 turnovers and 23 second-chance points, and as a result Sean Woods' Delta Devils find themselves in sole possession of first place with a 5-0 league mark. With five teams within two games of each other in the loss column it's anyone's guess as to how the race will shake out, but the Delta Devils' win keeps them above the rest for the time being.

Quick Hitters

1. From Sunday, there were two huge differences between Ohio State's 80-63 win over Indiana and their loss to the Hoosiers in the first meeting. One, Aaron Craft was much better running the show (seven assists and no turnovers; had six turnovers in Bloomington). And two, Lenzelle Smith Jr. went off to the tune of 28 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting. If Smith Jr. can be a consistent supplement to William Buford, Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, look out.

2. Missouri took care of business ahead of their meeting with Baylor in Waco on Saturday, beating Texas A&M 70-51. The point guard play wasn't close with Phil Pressey outplaying Dash Harris and that's one reason as to why Billy Kennedy's team has struggled this season. The Aggies need more from their guards if they're to have a shot at climbing into the middle of the Big 12 pack.

3. Logan Aronhalt scored 20 points and Mike Black 13 to lead Albany, but when two starters manage to go scoreless it's tough to win on the road. Guards D.J. Irving and Darryl Partin combined to score 32 points as Boston University beat the Great Danes 70-57 to move to 4-1 in America East play. The Terriers are a half-game behind Stony Brook for first place, as the Seawolves moved to 5-1 with a 71-62 win over New Hampshire.

4. In a matchup of undefeated (in league play) teams Norfolk State won 74-66 at Coppin State. Kyle O'Quinn, who has to be the frontrunner for MEAC Player of the Year right now, scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and Pendarvis Williams scored a game-high 25 points. The Spartans sit atop the MEAC standings with a 4-0 record.

5. Christian Williams made just three of twelve shots from the field but his three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining gave Jackson State a 52-51 lead on their way to the 54-51 win over previously undefeated Texas Southern. Jenirro Bush led the Tigers with 23 points and eight rebounds.

6. Memphis freshman Adonis Thomas could be done for the season due to an injury suffered in practice on Friday, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. A surgery that would repair a tendon between Thomas' ankle and foot would necessitate a recovery period of two to three months.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Spartans' 74-66 win over Coppin State.

2. F Thomas Robinson and G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
Robinson scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Taylor put up 28 points and six assists in the Jayhawks' 92-74 whipping of #3 Baylor.

3. G Melquan Bolding (Fairleigh Dickinson)
38 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Knights' 87-83 loss to Longwood.

Conensus Basketball Ranking: Baylor Up to 3rd

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:55:03 -0500

Consensus Ranking

Nothing will rile up fans more than thinking their team is under-rated, under-respected, and under-ranked in the national polls. As the voice behind CollegeHoops.net's Top 50 Ranking, I'm well aware of how angry fans get when they feel slighted. No doubt, I occasionally slip up, and no doubt the dozens of voters in the AP poll slip up even more often.

With the advent of computer rankings & metrics, we have many tools that attempt to overcome historical biases to rank teams fairly. Taking a consensus average of these rankings, we can get a good sense of the lay of the land, and we can also see where the human voters differ with the computers. More importantly, we can see whether there is a pattern to the human biases and whether certain teams are consistently mis-valued compared to their peers.

Throughout the season, I'll be updating the Consensus Ranking and commenting on notable trends.

What Is It?

68 teams are ranked, consisting of A) any team with AP votes, B) any team in the RPI Top 50, C) any team in CHN Top 50, and D) any team previously included. The teams are ranked by an average of their RPI, Sagarin, and KenPom ratings. At the right of the chart is the team's current AP ranking and their consensus ranking in the last update.

Below the ranking, you'll find a list of the most overrated and underrated teams, as well as teams that move the most since the last update.

This Week's Notes

- Not surprisingly, some of the top mid-majors fell in the ranking due to their conference schedules. Long Beach in Murray State in particular dropped because of their opponents records. (On the other hand, Virginia Tech and Louisville dropped because they played poorly.)

- Three Big Ten teams made positive moves for the opposite reason the mid-majors fell. Northwestern and Illinois in particular benefited from playing good teams.

- Like last week, the WCC continues to be the most underrated league, with its big 3 being slighted.

- Of the 7 highest ranked teams that didn't receive votes, 5 are from non-BCS leagues.

- For the 2nd week in a row, San Diego St remains the most overrated team. The computers were not as impressed with SDSU's close home win over UNLV as the humans were.

- Louisville dropped 16 spots in the computer ranking, but somehow remains ranked. The Cardinals lost again this afternoon and will presumably be unranked next week.

Rank	Conference	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	Avg	Last Week	AP
1	Syracuse	1	3	1	1.7	1	1
2	Ohio St	7	1	2	3.3	3	6
3	Baylor	3	8	3	4.7	7	3
4	Kentucky	9	5	4	6.0	2	2
5	Duke	2	9	7	6.0	6	4
6	Michigan St	6	6	8	6.7	4	9
7	Kansas	12	2	6	6.7	9	7
8	Missouri	11	7	5	7.7	13	5
9	Indiana	13	11	9	11.0	5	11
10	Georgetown	14	13	12	13.0	10	10
11	UNC	20	10	10	13.3	8	8
12	UNLV	10	19	11	13.3	11	14
13	Alabama	21	14	16	17.0	12	35
14	Gonzaga	8	27	23	19.3	14	29
15	Marquette	17	23	18	19.3	16	21
16	St. Mary's	24	22	14	20.0	20	24
17	West Virginia	17	24	21	20.7	18	33
18	Wisconsin	45	4	13	20.7	26	27
19	Seton Hall	5	33	25	21.0	17	28
20	UCONN	4	31	28	21.0	25	13
21	Wichita St	32	15	17	21.3	23	36
22	Creighton	19	32	15	22.0	27	19
23	Kansas St	31	21	19	23.7	15	25
24	California	39	16	24	26.3	22
25	Virginia	36	26	20	27.3	30	15
26	Memphis	28	28	27	27.7	29
27	Illinois	16	37	30	27.7	35	22
28	BYU	40	20	26	28.7	28
29	Murray St	29	38	22	29.7	19	12
30	Florida	46	12	31	29.7	34	17
31	Michigan	26	34	33	31.0	24	20
32	New Mexico	56	18	29	34.3	40	30
33	Purdue	48	30	32	36.7	31
34	Saint Louis	59	17	34	36.7	32
35	Northwestern	25	47	38	36.7	47	38
36	Vanderbilt	33	35	44	37.3	42	26
37	Louisville	42	39	35	38.7	21	23
38	Florida St	48	29	41	39.3	new	38
39	Southern Miss	15	68	37	40.0	38
40	Temple	23	52	47	40.7	43
41	Harvard	50	40	42	44.0	45	31
42	Texas	62	25	45	44.0	46
43	Minnesota	38	48	49	45.0	new
44	Iona	35	54	48	45.7	37	37
45	Dayton	27	59	53	46.3	36
46	Mississippi St	41	56	43	46.7	52	18
47	Xavier	43	45	56	48.0	58
48	Northern Iowa	30	61	54	48.3	39
49	San Diego St	37	69	39	48.3	44	16
50	MTSU	66	43	36	48.3	57
51	Iowa St	52	44	50	48.7	50
52	Oral Roberts	46	58	46	50.0	48
53	Stanford	69	42	40	50.3	49	33
54	Marshall	34	66	52	50.7	53
55	Long Beach St	54	57	51	54.0	33
56	St. Joseph's	52	60	59	57.0	54
57	Davidson	43	73	60	58.7	55
58	Arizona	64	53	64	60.3	51
59	Colorado St	22	99	72	64.3	59
60	Virginia Tech	82	50	67	66.3	41
61	Denver	57	85	61	67.7	56
62	Cincinnati	104	46	58	69.3	64	32
63	Ohio	81	80	65	75.3	60
64	Arkansas	74	79	75	76.0	63
65	Wagner	79	81	71	77.0	61	38
66	Cleveland St	66	95	77	79.3	62
67	UCF	65	103	87	85.0	66
68	Ole Miss	55	126	98	93.0	65

Teams the AP voters overrate vs. the computer ranking:

San Diego St +33

Cincinnati +30

Mississippi St +28

Wagner +27

Stanford +20

Murray St +17

Louisville +14

Florida +13

Michigan +11

Harvard +10

Vanderbilt +10

Virginia +10

Teams the AP voters most underrate vs. the computer ranking:

Teams w/ votes

Alabama -22

West Virginia -16

Gonzaga -15

Wichita St -15

Seton Hall -9

Wisconsin -9

St Mary's -8

Teams w/ no votes

California

Memphis

BYU

Purdue

Saint Louis

Southern Miss

Temple

Biggest Changes Since Last Week:

Rising

Northwestern +12

Xavier +11

Illinois +8

New Mexico +8

Wisconsin +8

MTSU +7

Falling

Long Beach St -22

Virginia Tech -19

Louisville -16

Murray St -10

Dayton -9

Northern Iowa -9

What do you think? Post comments below, send a tweet to @collegehoopsnet, or follow facebook.com/collegehoopsnet.