California

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 46 to 60

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:05:33 -0700

Continuing with the Early 2012-13 Ranking, here are teams 46 to 60.

Its worth repeating that I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. This ranking will be updated later in the summer once players have made their official draft decisions. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up, and how the coaching carousel will take form. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 45-60

46 Miami Another year under Jim Larranaga should find the Hurricanes on the inside of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Malcolm Grant departs but he did not have a terribly good season anyways.

47 Butler After a down year, Butler should once again be the class of the Horizon League. Transfer Rotnei Clarke gives them a scoring-punch that was severely lacking this year. Three solid guards enter as freshmen, who should help with depth.

48 Colorado Carlon Brown and Austin Dufault are not small loses, but the hope is that Andre Roberson blossoms into a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. The Buffs recruiting haul is easily their best of the last decade.

49 BYU The Cougars lose veterans Hartsock and Abouo but should still settle into their usual bubble-bound slot. Another year of improvement from Matt Carlino should help.

50 Pittsburgh Coming off of a disastrous season, Pittsburgh has no where to go but up. Although Gibbs and Robinson depart, the Panthers welcome 4th ranked recruit Steven Adams, one of their best-ever recruits. A healthy Tray Woodall would certainly help as well.

51 UCF After being a fringe-bubble team that last two years, UCF will once again be hoping to make the tourney. Although PG AJ Rompza graduates, the team returns solid All-CUSA caliber players in Keith Clanton, Marcus Jordan, and Isaiah Sykes.

52 Temple The Owls should take a step back with key senior losses, including leader Ramone Moore, but expect them to still be competitive in the A10. Khalif Wyatt could score 20 ppg now that the team is fully in his hands. The recruiting haul might be Temple's best since 2007.

53 Xavier Besides leader Tu Holloway, they also loses Kenny Frease and Andre Walker. Role players like Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson will really need to step it up if Xavier wants to makes its 8th tourney in a row. 4-star recruit Semaj Christon is capable of contributing at PG from day one.

54 UCONN Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will presumably go pro, and the roster looks pretty thin without them. Last year's shock tourney run covers up what has been 3 years in a row of .500 or worse basketball in Big East play. Add in the potential sanctions and Calhoun's health, and you have yourself a lot of questions.

55 Belmont Seniors Drew Hanlen, Mick Hedgepeth, and Scott Saunders depart, but Kerron Johnson and Ian Clark are still two of the A-Sun's top players. Incoming PG Craig Bradshaw is one of Belmont's better pickups and should fit right into the program.

56 South Florida Three seniors that played over 25 minutes per game depart, but South Florida shouldn't expect too much of a drop-off. USF's 4-person recruiting class is solid for their standards, but still mediocre as far as the Big East goes.

57 Mississippi St With Dee Bost a senior and Arnett Moultrie presumably going pro, Mississippi St loses its leading scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. Although an underrated 5-person recruiting class was set to come in, Rick Stanbury's retirement does open some questions.

58 West Virginia For a team that often struggled to score the ball, it will be interesting to see how they'll manage without Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant. Those two scored almost 50% of the Mountaineers points. Aaric Murray and Juwan Staten are solid transfers who will help.

59 Southern Miss USM was never as good as their gaudy RPI suggested.. Graduations will put a major dent into their major strength, which was depth, but their top two scorers do return.

60 Iowa St The key for Iowa St is whether Royce White decides to go pro. I'm assuming here that he does, which would mean the Cyclones lose their 3 leading scorers. A pair of solid transfers enter the mix, as well as their best recruiting class in a few years.

Also Under Consideration (alphabetical order)

Akron

California

Harvard

Illinois St

Minnesota

Nevada

Ole Miss

Oregon

Providence

Vanderbilt

Virginia

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 45

No Suspense in Dayton on Wednesday Night

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:56:36 -0700

After the wild doubleheader that took place at UD Arena on Tuesday night college basketball fans were due for a letdown. That's exactly what happened on Wednesday as Vermont and USF won their games in comfortable fashion, paring the field down to 64 teams.

Four McGlynn scored 18 points in 27 minutes off the bench and Brian Voelkel provided his customary all-around game with 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Catamounts to the 71-59 win over Lamar. Vermont's award for the second NCAA tournament win in program history is a matchup with Midwest Region top seed North Carolina on Friday in Greensboro.

"I got into a really good flow," said McGlynn. "My teammates, I have to give credit to them, because they're the ones, especially Brian Voelkel who gives me the ball in spots I'm wide open. It's easy to knock down open shots, especially when you're getting great passes."

The first half boiled down to the simple fact that Pat Knight's Cardinals couldn't make shots, whether that was because of them missing good looks or the more likely reason that Vermont played well defensively. Lamar shot just 29% from the field in the first half, trailing 30-21 as a result. Lamar would shoot slightly better in the second half but so would the Catamounts, who knocked down 54.5% of their shots in the final 20 minutes.

Mike James and Devon Lamb scored 16 points apiece to lead the Cardinals, who were unable to take advantage of 19 offensive rebounds. Lamar outscored Vermont 16-8 in second chance points, but that was nullified and then some by the Catamounts' 35-5 edge in bench points.

Lamar entered Wednesday having won six straight games, playing inspired basketball after their seniors were called out by Knight on February 22nd. But they were unable to get going offensively against a Vermont team that limits opponents to 40.5% shooting, and that proved to be their downfall.

The second half of the doubleheader was about over by the under-8 timeout in the first half. USF was able to get just about whatever look they wanted against California, and their length and size on the defensive end proved to be too much for the Golden Bears. Cal took five minutes to score and they went into the locker room down 36-13 at the break.

A late run provided a deceiving 65-54 final score, with the Bulls picking up the first NCAA tournament win in school history. Victor Rudd Jr. led four Bulls in double figures with 15 points and five rebounds, and point guard Anthony Collins added 12. Collins may have had just one assist but Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Hugh Robertson combined to dish out seven.

Rudd was also productive on the defensive end as he was the primary defender on Allen Crabbe. Crabbe finished with ten points on 3-of-14 shooting, and as a team the Golden Bears made just 36.2% of their shots compared to USF shooting 57.1%. Say what you will about the Pac-12 but that shouldn't take away from how well the Bulls played, looking like a team more than capable of beating Temple on Friday night in Nashville.

"I like what Coach said about getting in your breath and making you uncomfortable. That's what I tried to do to him," said Rudd of his strategy in guarding Crabbe. "I shadowed him wherever he went, and I didn't want to give him a good look off of it."

Player of the Night: USF G Victor Rudd (15 points, five rebounds and limited Cal's Allen Crabbe to 3-of-14 shooting)

Stat of the Night: Lamar shot 33.3% on the night. During their six-game win streak going into Wednesday they shot at least 42% in every game.

Making history: USF picked up the school's first-ever NCAA tournament win, leaving Northwestern and Nebraska as the lone BCS AQ conference members still without one.

Cal vs South Florida: First Four Prediction

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:51:50 -0700

(12) CALIFORNIA vs. (12) SOUTH FLORIDA: MIDWEST

Time: 9:10 p.m., Wednesday

TV: TruTV

Location: University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio

Who the Winner Will Play Next: (5) Temple, Friday (at Nashville)

RPI Ratings

Cal 37

South Florida 45

Line: Cal -3

Players to Watch

California: G Jorge Gutierrez, 6-3 Sr. (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.1 apg); G Allen Crabbe, So. (15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.2 apg); F. Harper Kamp, 6-8 Sr. (11.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 55.1% FG). Gutierrez is capable of big games, including a 22-point, 7-assist, 6-rebound performance in Cal’s last win, a 77-71 victory over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals.

South Florida: G Anthony Collins, 6-1 Fr. (8.5 ppg, 5.3 apg, 50% FG); F Augustus Gilchrist, 6-10 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg); F Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, 6-8 Jr. (8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 44.5% FG). Collins played a huge role in the Bulls turnaround this season. After having three double-figure scoring games through January, the freshman scored at least 10 points in nine of USF’s last 12 games.

Why They're Dangerous

Cal is: The Bears are led by a pair of tough, experienced seniors, including playmaker Gutierrez. That’s always a vital element in a tournament run. Cal is big and strong at nearly every position. The Bears are an efficient shooting team, ranking 20^th in the nation at 47.9 percent from the floor. They also shoot well at the stripe, hitting 74.6 percent of their free throws.

South Florida: Defense. The Bulls allowed opponents to score just 58.3 points per game. Opponents shot just 44.3 percent from the floor and 30.8 from the 3-point line. Behind Collins, USF usually is able to control the pace of the game.

Why They're Vulnerable

Cal: Cal struggled with consistency all season, including late in the year when it lost 3-of-4, including two double-figure losses to Colorado. The Cal defense is average at best. It gets just 4.8 steals per game, turns teams over just 12.2 times and blocks just 3.2 shots per game. The Bears give up way too many easy baskets. While the Bears are a good free throw shooting team, they don’t get to the line often.

South Florida: Offense. The Bulls really struggle to score at 59.2 points per game, a field goal percentage of 43.6. They also struggle form the 3-point line at 31.6 percent. USF is an average rebounding team and its offense turns the ball over 13.7 times per game.

The Bottom Line: These two teams appear about even in every way. Cal, though, has more firepower and should score just enough to win the game and cover the spread.

The Pick: California 50, South Florida 44

(Winner would face #5 seed Temple)

Bracketology Poll: Who is the Worst At-Large Team?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:29:03 -0700

Tournament Poll: Most Likely 12 vs 5 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:20:04 -0700

Cal May Not Be As Safe as We Think: Friday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:38:44 -0800

Cincinnati and Louisville advance to the Big East final, marking the first time that no original members will be in the game.

1. California falls to Colorado in the Pac-12 semis, which could mean two bids for the league.
Based on conventional wisdom, Mike Montgomery's Cal Golden Bears had the best resume of any team in the Pac-12. But in a league that went 1-31 against non-conference Top 50 opponents this season, what's that really saying? Thanks to the Golden Bears' 70-59 loss to Colorado in the second Pac-12 semifinal we've got extra time to figure that out. Carlon Brown and Andre Roberson scored 17 points apiece and Austin Dufault added 15 for the Buffaloes, who are one win away from being picked to finish 10th in the conference to grabbing the Pac-12's automatic bid.

As for Cal, who shot a decent 42.9% from the field but turned the ball over 17 times and saw Colorado shoot 50% from the field? They may be in a little more trouble than many thought. Entering Friday with an RPI of 34 and a strength of schedule of 82 (non-conference SOS: 71), Cal looked to be in good shape in that regard. But this is where further inspection is needed. 16 of their 23 wins have come against teams sitting 101 or worse in the RPI, and their two Top 50 wins both came at the expense of Oregon, who was 49th at the start of the day. Their best non-conference wins: Weber State and Denver. Cal likely will find their way into the Field of 68 come Selection Sunday, but the optimism may need to be a bit more cautious at this point in time.

2. Baylor and Missouri advance to the Big 12 title game in Kansas City.
Entering the Big 12 tournament most of the talk centered around the possibility of Kansas and Missouri meeting for a third time this season, and with a one-seed possibly being on the line it was expected that the Jayhawks and Tigers would meet. But two things were learned on Friday night: Baylor, who felt a little disrespected by the talk (they did go 0-4 against those two this season), stepped up after Kansas made their run and beat the Jayhawks 81-72. Secondly, Missouri didn't seem to be in the mood for "Border War" talk, as they showed a focus that championship-caliber teams tend to display at this point in the year.

Marcus Denmon may have gone 0-for-10 from the field but Missouri beat Texas 81-67 anyway, as Kim English and Phil Pressey scored 23 points apiece and Ricardo Ratliffe added 18 and 14 boards. The Bears now get another shot at the Tigers, and with Brady Heslip coming off of a big performance in which he knocked down some key three-pointers and A.J. Walton playing well this week it's fair to say that Baylor has improved. Missouri can earn a one-seed with a victory, but Baylor could jump a seed line as well (likely tapping out at a two).

3. Miami loses Durand Scott before the game, and their loss to Florida State may have cost them an at-large bid too.
Just before the tip-off of the final quarterfinal of the night in the ACC, Miami announced that starting guard Durand Scott was ineligible to play due to the possible receipt of impermissible benefits. That certainly didn't help Jim Larranaga and his Hurricanes, who fell 82-71 to Florida State. With so many other bubble teams faltering maybe the loss doesn't kill Miami's NCAA hopes, but with the chance to distinguish themselves from the "competition" the Canes were unable to do so.

Not only did the Seminoles take care of the basketball, finishing with 11 turnovers (they average more than 16 per game), but they outscored Miami 25-9 from the foul line. Michael Snaer and Ian Miller led five FSU players in double figures with 20 and 18 points respectively, and the Seminoles put together their most efficient showing on the offensive end since their 84-70 win over Maryland on January 17th. Miami has to hope for a swift (and positive) decision regarding Scott, because the selection committee does take a team's current parts into consideration. This capped a day in Atlanta that also saw John Henson injure his left wrist and NC State may have locked up an at-large bid with their win over Virginia.

Quick Hitters

1. It was a busy day in the Big Ten and not just because of a full day of action in Indianapolis. Both Illinois and Nebraska made moves at the top of their programs, deciding that it was time to move forward without the services of Bruce Weber and Doc Sadler respectively. While neither move is a surprise, what is interesting about Tom Osborne's decision to let Sadler go is that he'd given him an extension after last season.

2. With the quarterfinal between Xavier and Dayton being thought of as almost an NCAA tournament elimination game, the Musketeers' 70-69 victory could loom large on Selection Sunday. Chris Mack's team may be safe at this point but a win over Saint Louis on Saturday wouldn't hurt their chances either.

3. Another game of that magnitude was the first game of the night session at the SEC tournament, and Ole Miss picked up a much-needed 77-72 overtime win over Tennessee. Next up for Andy Kennedy's Rebels is a matchup with Vanderbilt, and a win over the Commodores would likely lock up a bid for a team few had near the bubble just a couple weeks ago.

4. One more automatic bid to the NIT may have been accounted for as well, as WAC regular season champion Nevada fell 78-73 to Louisiana Tech in the WAC semis. David Carter's Wolf Pack find themselves in a situation similar to that of Drexel: gaudy record but the strength of schedule numbers (168 overall, 165 non-conference) could put them in a tough spot come Selection Sunday.

5. Once again it will be Long Beach State and UCSB playing for the Big West crown, and while quite a few believe that the 49ers would get in with a loss one can never be too sure. The Gauchos, who held off Cal Poly, have won the last two conference tournament titles.

6. Three players who hail from the state of Ohio scored 30 points or more in Big Ten quarterfinal games, all leading their teams to wins. Rob Wilson scored 30 points in Wisconsin's 79-71 win over Indiana, Trey Burke scored 30 in Michigan's 73-69 overtime win over Minnesota and Jared Sullinger scored 30 in Ohio State's 88-71 win over Purdue.

7. One player to watch out of the Mountain West, which should get four teams into the Big Dance, next week is New Mexico wing Demetrius Walker. In wins over Air Force and UNLV, Walker's averaging 15.5 points per game, more than double his season average. The Lobos take on top-seed San Diego State in Saturday's title game.

8. Marshall advanced to the Conference USA title game with a 73-62 win over Southern Miss, and a win by the Thundering Herd could make C-USA a three-bid team. Tom Herrion's team will have their work cut out for them however as they take on Memphis, who took UCF's resume and ripped it to shreds with an 83-52 demolition of the Knights.

9. Top-seed Akron took care of business in their MAC semifinal, beating Kent State 78-74 with Nikola Cvetinovic leading four Zips in double figures with 15 points. They'll take on three-seed Ohio, who beat two-seed Buffalo 77-74 in the other semifinal. D.J. Cooper led five Bobcats in double figures with 18 points to go along with nine assists.

10. The top two seeds in the SWAC tournament will meet on Saturday as both regular season champ Mississippi Valley State beat UAPB 71-64, and Texas Southern beat Alcorn State 60-55. Cor-J Cox led the Delta Devils with 19 points and 11 rebounds as they avenged their lone conference defeat.

USF Picks Up a Big Win: Sunday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:10:25 -0800

It wasn't pretty but USF found a way to get the job done, beating Cincinnati 46-45 to move to 11-5 in the Big East and 18-11 overall. Freshman point guard Anthony Collins made a pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining to give the Bulls the win, and while it isn't a resume-building win the Bulls did the simplest thing a bubble team can do this time of the year: they won. Collins, who is going to be an outstanding point guard in the Big East as he gains experience, led USF with 14 points and five assists and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick added eight and ten rebounds.

The burning question is what this win does for USF's tournament chances, and the response is a simple one: they're still alive. The same goes for Cincinnati in spite of their non-conference strength of schedule (321 going into today's action). While teams can't control what their opponents do there is the simple aspect of taking care of your own business, and if that's done the door will remain open.

Stan Heath's Bulls are 14-1 at home this season, a record that may not impress when considering the opposition but they've played in three different arenas due to renovations to the Sun Dome. For this group to be in position to earn their first NCAA berth in 20 years (1992) is an impressive achievement when all things are considered. USF has games remaining at Louisville and against West Virginia at home before the Big East Championship in New York, and Cincinnati closes with #10 Marquette at home and at Villanova.

Stony Brook wins America East: Dallis Joyner scored 12 points and four other players scored between seven and nine points as Stony Brook beat Maine 55-48, wrapping up the outright America East title and grabbing the one-seed in next week's conference tournament. Steve Pikiell's Seawolves shot just 37% from the field but they were better on the defensive end of the floor, holding New Hampshire to 32.1% from the field and 4-for-21 from three.

Big Games Later Today

#15 Wisconsin at #9 Ohio State (4 PM, CBS)
This is a big one for the Buckeyes in regards to both the Big Ten title and the opportunity to grab a one-seed in the NCAA tournament, while the Badgers would do wonders for their NCAA seeding possibilities with a win. Ohio State is 17-1 at home this season, and a big part of their win in Madison on February 4th was their defending of the three. Wisconsin, who scores 35.2% of their points from three (per statsheet.com), shot 5-for-27 from beyond the arc in that contest.

That was also during a period when Jordan Taylor was struggling from the field, and clearly he'll be the focal point of what the Badgers look to do offensively. Aaron Craft is an outstanding defensive point guard, which will make for a fun battle within the game. If William Buford is scoring at an efficient rate it will be tough for Wisconsin to leave Columbus with a win.

Loyola (MD) at Manhattan (4 PM)
Iona already has the top seed wrapped up for next weekend's MAAC tournament but seeds two through four are all up for grabs. Fairfield (at Rider; 3:30 PM) also has a shot but the focus will be on Loyola's trip north to take on the Jaspers. Loyola won the first meeting 61-60 in Baltimore on January 5th and a lot has changed with both teams since then.

Rhamel Brown is one of the country's best shot blockers when taking height into consideration (he's only 6'6" but averages 2.5 rejections per game), but he'll have a tough matchup with Loyola calling on the likes of Erik Etherly. The first meeting was bizarre in that the Greyhounds won despite shooting 30.5% from two, and a Dylon Cormier three in the final seconds was the difference. Expect another tight affair at Draddy this afternoon.

California at Colorado (5:30 PM, FSN)
The visit from the Bay Area schools could not have gone worse for Colorado to this point, as they were blown out on Thursday night by Stanford...and then watched the Cardinal lose at Utah on Saturday. To say the least this is a huge game for Tad Boyle's team as the Golden Bears are the only team in the Pac-12 with a Top 50 RPI. A win over Cal will by no means punch Colorado's ticket (they aren't close at present time) but it will keep them alive, and in order to do so Carlon Brown needs to snap out of his funk.

Good luck doing that against Jorge Gutierrez, who is one of the best defenders in the country. Add in Justin Cobbs playing outstanding basketball of late and this will be a tough task for Colorado, but it can be done. Spencer Dinwiddie is one of the best freshmen in the conference and Andre Roberson has been good all season long, so they'll have a shot to knock off the Bears if they can keep Cobbs, Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe under wraps.

#16 Florida State at Miami (6 PM, ESPNU)
How's this for a bubble twist: Miami center Reggie Johnson has been declared ineligible by the NCAA and will not play tonight against Florida State, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. That means the Hurricanes will need even more from Kenny Kadji, who has played well this season, if they're to beat the Seminoles at home. FSU is deep inside with Bernard James, Xavier Gibson, Okaro White and John Kreft, meaning that they're better equipped to navigate foul trouble and that was before the Johnson news hit.

Malcolm Grant, Shane Larkin and Durand Scott will need to control the tempo if Miami is to take care of business at home, and if they can turn over the Florida State guards that would be even better. Maybe this is another game Michael Snaer wins at the end as he owns a pair of buzzer-beaters this season, but FSU may have caught a break with the Johnson news.

#16 Florida State vs. #4 Duke: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:24:38 -0800

There's the perception that the trip to Tallahassee has been a nightmare for #4 Duke (23-4, 10-2) in recent years, but while it is a tough trip the Blue Devils hadn't lost there since 2006 before their 66-61 loss last January. On the line tonight is a share of first place (with North Carolina), a position few expected #16 Florida State (19-7, 10-2) to be in as they were struggling in November and December. FSU won the first meeting this season on a Michael Snaer three as time expired, but the Seminoles' offensive performance in the second half of that game was arguably their best of the season.

Florida State scored 50 points in the second half of the January 21 meeting, shooting 66.7% from the field, 80% from three and assisting on 11 of their 18 made baskets. Leonard Hamilton's team was successful due to their offensive balance and they took care of the basketball, finishing the game with 12 turnovers. On the season however, Florida State turns the ball over an average of 16.7 times per game, a number that remains the worst in the ACC (their assist-to-turnover ratio is also the worst in the conference). Ian Miller's return has improved things offensively in terms of adding a guard who can make plays, but the turnovers have been a concern all season long.

Florida State's lost just once in the seven games since their win at Cameron Indoor Stadium but they've racked up 15 or more turnovers in five of those. This isn't a "vintage" Duke team from a defensive standpoint, especially on the perimeter outside of Tyler Thornton, but they have enough players who can give Florida State some trouble if the Seminoles are careless with the ball. Miller, Snaer, Deividas Dulkys and Luke Loucks all have to make sound decisions with the basketball if Florida State is to feed off of what should be a raucous crowd. Duke's issues in the first meeting (besides Snaer's shot) came inside of the arc offensively, thanks in large part to FSU's defensive prowess.

Mike Krzyzewski's club shot just 37.5% from two in the first meeting, with guard Seth Curry (2-for-8) and Ryan Kelly (1-for-7) being the biggest culprits. The Blue Devils can go blow for blow with anyone in the ACC on the perimeter thanks to Curry, Austin Rivers and sharpshooter Andre Dawkins (Kelly can also step out and knock down shots), but at a certain point tonight they're going to need tough buckets inside from Miles and Mason Plumlee. Mason's been the more productive of the two in both scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.7 rpg) but Miles has played well of late, which is a good sign heading into a game against a frontcourt as physical as FSU's.

Xavier Gibson, Bernard James and Okaro White lead the way inside for Florida State and seven-footer Jon Kreft will also see some time, and this group is a big reason why Florida State leads the ACC in both field goal percentage defense (37%) and adjusted defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy's stats (85.4; subscription required for link). Duke's biggest issue in the first meeting was the simple act of missing shots, and the fact that they scored 41 points in the second half shows that they're more than capable of navigating the Seminoles' tough defense.

Turnovers are going to be key on both sides of the basketball, especially when Florida State has possession. Live-ball turnovers against Duke, whose shooters are very good when it comes to finding open spots in odd-man situations, are a good way to get beat regardless of the venue. Duke's also done a better job of keeping opponents off the offensive boards than Florida State, owning a slight edge in opponents' offensive rebounding percentage. Duke grabbed 14 offensive rebounds in the first meeting but thanks to Snaer's heroics it didn't burn the Seminoles. FSU may not be as fortunate this time around, especially if they don't keep their turnovers in check.

Also of importance on Thursday night is the second meeting of the season of BYU and Gonzaga, with the winner remaining alive in the race for the WCC title. BYU won the first meeting in Provo as their frontcourt tandem of Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock was too much for Elias Harris and Robert Sacre. But things may change in front of "The Kennel", as both Bulldogs play better at home. The key for BYU will be the decision-making of Matt Carlino at the point as well as getting contributions from a player such as Anson Winder, who scored ten points in the Cougars' win in Provo.

Alabama may or may not have JaMychal Green back in the lineup for their game at Arkansas, but either way this is a critical game for both teams in regards to reaching the NCAA tournament. Mike Anderson's Razorbacks have been brutal on the road this season, which in turn makes the home games they get even more important. B.J. Young has been one of the best freshmen in the SEC, and his performance tonight against Trevor Releford will go a long way in determining the outcome. If the Hogs can turn Alabama over and get some fast-break opportunities they'll have a good chance of picking up another win at Bud Walton Arena.

And Thursday night is a big one on the bubble as Cincinnati and Colorado host key league games. The Bearcats will look to knock off #17 Louisville in a game they really need to boost their resume. The big problem for Cincinnati has been that weak non-conference slate, which includes losses to Presbyterian and a Marshall team that hasn't played as well in Conference USA as many expected them to. Cashmere Wright (UC) and Peyton Siva (Louisville) will be the most important players on the floor; whichever point guard plays better will end up leading the winning team.

Colorado kicks off a big weekend with a matchup against Stanford, who is also hoping to fight their way into the bubble conversation. Tad Boyle's Buffaloes are 13-1 at home this season and a sweep of Stanford and Cal would go a long way when it comes to getting into the bubble conversation. Andre Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie need to have big games if the Buffs are to defend their home floor. Stanford freshman Chasson Randle has been one of the Pac-12's best freshmen (as has Dinwiddie), and his skill gives the Cardinal a good shot at leaving Boulder with a win.

Lastly the Patriot League title will be decided tonight as Bucknell visits American. Dave Paulsen's Bison entered last week's play 10-0 in league play only to drop games to Lehigh and Holy Cross, opening the door for both the Mountain Hawks (10-3) and American (9-3). Led by big man Mike Muscala (21 points, 12 rebounds) the Bison won the first meeting 67-61 as they shot 52% from the field. But the Eagles still had a chance to win thanks to their ability to get to the foul line and rebound, and in Charles Hinkle American has one of the best players in the Patriot League. Two weeks ago Bucknell was a win from locking up the regular season title. A loss tonight and they could find themselves in third place.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (4) Duke at (16) Florida State (ESPN)
8:00 PM (12) Murray State at Tennessee State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (15) Wisconsin at Iowa (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (17) Louisville at Cincinnati (ESPN)
10:00 PM (23) Saint Mary's at Portland (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Alabama at Arkansas (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Bucknell at American University (CBS SN)
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Furman
7:00 PM Detroit at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Belmont at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Albany at Binghamton (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Central Connecticut State (MSG+)
7:00 PM Elon at Davidson
7:00 PM Stetson at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM South Alabama at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Monmouth
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at UNC-Asheville
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Presbyterian at Radford
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at VMI
7:00 PM Samford at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Wright State at Youngstown State
7:00 PM Wagner at Bryant
7:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Eastern Kentucky
7:30 PM Troy at Florida International
7:30 PM Lipscomb at Mercer
7:30 PM Eastern Illinois at Morehead State
7:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate
8:00 PM Milwaukee at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Western Kentucky (FCS)
8:00 PM Oakland at UMKC
8:00 PM Georgia Southern at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM IPFW at South Dakota
8:00 PM North Texas at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Green Bay at Loyola (IL)
8:00 PM IUPUI at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Western Illinois at South Dakota State
8:30 PM UCLA at Arizona State (FSNAZ.com)
8:30 PM USC at Arizona (FSN AZ)
8:30 PM Middle Tennessee at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee-Martin
8:45 PM Southeast Missouri State at Jacksonville State
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Montana (Altitude)
9:00 PM Hawaii at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM California at Utah
9:00 PM Siena at Marist (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Idaho State
9:05 PM Weber State at Northern Colorado
9:05 PM Houston Baptist at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Seattle at Fresno State
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Pacific
10:00 PM San Diego at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM Pepperdine at Santa Clara (CSN CA)
10:30 PM Stanford at Colorado (FSN)
10:35 PM Portland State at Sacramento State
11:00 PM BYU at Gonzaga (ESPN2)

Blue Devils Storm Back From 20 Down: Thursday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:24:36 -0800

With hopes of not only remaining a factor in the ACC race but also notching their first win at #5 Duke since 1995, NC State was more than motivated for Thursday night's battle. And they played that way out of the gates, scoring the first eight points of the game and leading by as many as 19 points in the first half. But while the Wolfpack would continue to control play in the early portion of the second half, the foul trouble that developed for Mark Gottfried's team in the first half began to take its toll.

Forward C.J. Williams would be the first to have to sit with his fourth four, which he picked up less than a minute into the half. C.J. Leslie, who accounted for 12 points and six blocked shots in the first half, would pick up his fourth foul with 14:42 remaining and NC State leading 53-37. As the foul trouble sent NC State's best big men to the bench Duke would do their best to hang around, ultimately falling behind 61-41 with 11:33 remaining on a pair of Lorenzo Brown free throws.

This would be where the rally would begin, as the Blue Devils refused to lie down and simply take their beating. From that point on Duke outscored the Wolfpack 37-12, winning 78-73 to remain in a three-way tie for first in the ACC with Florida State and North Carolina. Seth Curry, who left the game early due to an ankle injury, returned to lead the Blue Devils with 26 points and Austin Rivers was their only other double-digit scorer as he tallied 16. NC State had the offensive balance (Brown led the way with 19 points) but they didn't have composure as things got tight, and that ultimately made the difference.

"If you look at it for us, I thought our foul trouble really strapped us and made it difficult," said Gottfried. "We lost our aggressiveness when we got so many guys in foul trouble. That hurt. We have to do a better job at defending without fouling."

While it is important to point out what NC State did not do down the stretch the focus should be on what Duke was able to do in order to get back into the game. After their Super Bowl Sunday loss to Miami there were many doubters of Mike Krzyzewski's team, but this group has proven itself to be tougher than many thought they'd be. Duke didn't give up against North Carolina and they didn've give up against NC State either, which is a good sign for the Blue Devils as they begin the stretch run.

"Whatever string of things happened, we are 22-4, we've been in the top five of the RPI all year, and we're not a perfect team, but we're a good team," remarked Krzyzewski. "And we're a team that has fought and instead of talking about inconsistencies and starts and struggles and all of that we're 22-4 and we got some kids that really fought their butts off and gave us one of the incredible wins."

Other Notable Happenings

1. #21 Florida State takes advantage of poor foul shooting to remain tied for first in the ACC.
Similar to NC State, whose best big men would be taken off of the floor due to foul trouble, Virginia Tech saw three key big men leave the game at various points in their game at Florida State. That severely limited Seth Greenberg's rotation, and for a team that's been struggling of late this was the worst possible thing that could happen for the visitors. Florida State would fight their way through turnovers (finishing with 15) and a 1-for-8 night from the foul line to beat the Hokies 48-47 with Michael Snaer providing the final points. His three from the right wing, in a spot similar to where he released his game-winner at Duke, with just under three seconds remaining was an open shot due to the Hokies collapsing into the lane on defense despite leading by two.

Virginia Tech didn't exactly close the door down the stretch either as they missed five of their last six from the charity stripe, finishing 7-for-16 on the night. The Hokies led by 15 with 14 minutes to go and by eight with just over a minute remaining, but they simply did not have the horses beeded to the the win. Erick Green led the Hokies with 18 points and four steals while Ian Miller led a balanced FSU attack with 11 points off the bench. Florida State will live the fight another day, but given the way in which this loss happened it's going to be tough for the Hokies to right the ship.

2. #8 Michigan State controls play throughout in their win over #17 Wisconsin.
With two of the best teams in the country when it comes to guarding the three-point shot on the same floor, the open looks were expected to be few and far between for both Michigan State and Wisconsin. And with that being the case the team that was more effective inside of the arc would likely win, and that's exactly what happened as the Sparants pulled away late in the first half in their 69-55 win. Draymond Green led the way with the "Kevin Garnett Line" of 20 points, ten rebounds and five assists and Keith Appling would score 20 as well. Michigan State shot just 2-for-9 from three but they were able to make 59.4% of their shots from inside of the arc, and their 34-18 edge in the points in the paint category underlines how unwilling Tom Izzo's team was to settle for perimeter shots.

The Badgers made just five of their twenty-four shots from beyond the arc, and for a team that's as reliant on that shot as Wisconsin is they'll struggle when the shots aren't falling. Ryan Evans scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way but Jordan Taylor struggled, scoring 13 points on 3-for-13 shooting from the field. Michigan State won the game inside of the arc, which is not only what they had to do but also what they wanted to do. The Spartans had at least six opportunities for the "old-fashioned" three-point play, and when they got to the charity stripe Michigan State took advantage there as well (19-24 FT). With the win Michigan State remains atop the Big Ten standings and also owns a sweep of the season series with Wisconsin, something that could come into play if tiebreakers are needed to determine the Big Ten champion.

3. C.J. McCollum's dagger pushes Lehigh past Bucknell in a key Patriot League battle.
Dave Paulsen's Bison had a chance to lock up at least a share of the Patriot League regular season title on Thursday night, but at the end of a tough battle with Lehigh it was C.J. McCollum who would make the big play. McCollum's three-pointer with less than a second remaining gave the Mountain Hawks the 56-53 win, keeping both Lehigh and American (8-3) alive in the Patriot League race. Lehigh shot just 33.3% from the field but their advantages from beyond the arc (18-9 in points) and the foul line (16-8) made up for their shooting at a 39.2% clip on two-point shots.

McCollum (15 points) and Mackey McKnight (ten points) shot a combined 8-for-22 from the field but that was OK as Lehigh defended Bucknell's interior star well. Muscala scored ten points and grabbed 12 rebounds but made just three of his twelve shots from the field, as the Mountain Hawks did their best to limit his clean looks. Clearly American will have something to say about a possible third meeting in the Patriot League title game, and the Eagles still have another shot at Bucknell next week. But in the race for the two-seed (at least) this win was a big one for Lehigh.

Quick Hitters

1. There's still a tie for first in the Pac-12 as both California and Washington picked up victories. The Huskies were able to hold off Arizona State 77-69 as Terrence Ross scored a team-high 18 points, and ASU didn't help themselves with an 11-for-21 night at the foul line. Things were much tougher for the Golden Bears as they needed an 11-2 run to beat Oregon 86-83 in Berkeley. Justin Cobbs scored a career-high 28 points and Harper Kamp added 20 as the Bears overcame a 33-point night from Devoe Joseph.

2. A game behind those two in the loss column are Colorado and Arizona, and the Wildcats received a welcome contribution from Brendon Lavender in their 76-72 win at Washington State. Lavender made five of his seven three-point attempts and scored 17 points to lead Arizona, who moved to 10-4 in conference play with the win.

3. Gonzaga moved into a tie for first place in the WCC with a 73-62 win at Santa Clara, withstanding a game effort from the Broncos due in large part to the play of forward Sam Dower and center Robert Sacre. Dower scored 18 points and grabbed seven boards off the bench and Sacre led the Zags with 20. A game behind the Bulldogs and Saint Mary's in the loss column is BYU, who used a 30-point night from Matt Carlino to win 85-84 at San Francisco.

4. West Virginia ran away in the second half as they paid back rival Pittsburgh with a 66-48 win at the Petersen Events Center. Kevin Jones scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Truck Bryant added 15 off the bench as the Mountaineers picked up a win they couldn't afford to let slip away if they're to be an NCAA tournament team. Tray Woodall and Ashton Gibbs combined to shoot 7-for-27 from the field, scoring 20 points, and Pitt can't win if those two don't have it going offensively.

5. It's safe to say that things didn't go well for Ole Miss on Thursday night as they were whipped by Vanderbilt 102-76 in Oxford. Jeffery Taylor proved impossible to stop as he scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and John Jenkins added 26. The Rebels lost their composure as things got worse, and according to multiple reports there was a verbal altercation between Jelan Kendrick and Reginald Buckner outside of the locker room after the game.

6. LIU Brooklyn won a shootout in Brooklyn to remain in first place in the NEC as they beat Sacred Heart 103-91 in overtime. Jamal Olasewere (27 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Boyd (20 points, nine rebounds) led the way in the frontcourt and Michael Culpo added 20 on the perimeter. Shane Gibson (24 points, five steals) and Justin Swidowski (23 points, five rebounds and three blocks) led the Pioneers, who could very well have to visit LIU again in the NEC quarterfinals.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Devoe Joseph (Oregon) and G Justin Cobbs (California)
In Cal's 86-83 win over Oregon, Cobbs accounted for 28 points, eight assists and four steals to lead the way. Joseph shot 10-for-17 from the field and scored 33 points to lead the Ducks.

2. G Matt Carlino (BYU)
30 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists in the Cougars' 85-84 win at San Francisco. Carlino also made the game-winning basket with 18.9 seconds remaining.

3. F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
28 points (9-15 FG), nine rebounds and three assists in the Commodores' 102-76 pasting of Ole Miss.

#8 Michigan State vs. #17 Wisconsin: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:15:39 -0800

Thursday night provides a big matchup in the Big Ten, as #8 Michigan State (20-5, 9-3) looks to remain tied for first place with a win over #17 Wisconsin (19-6, 8-4). Their first meeting, a 63-60 Michigan State win in overtime on January 3rd, ended with Ryan Evans' game-tying three being ruled to have come after time had expired, so the rematch in East Lansing will likely be just as competitive. The Badgers, who score 35.1% of their points from beyond the arc, shot just 5-for-22 from deep in the first meething and they'll clearly need to be better in order to win at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State allows opponents to shoot just 28.9% from three this season, a number that's second in the Big Ten (Wisconsin is tops at 26.7%). Clearly the focus of Michigan State's defensive efforts will be Wisconsin's senior point guard Jordan Taylor (14.5 ppg, 4.2 apg), who leads the team in both scoring and assists. Taylor's only shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc but remains more than capable of stringing a few together if left alone, and the Badgers have other capable shooters as well.

Josh Gasser (7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Ben Brust (8.6 ppg) can both knock down the shot while forwards Evans (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Mike Bruesewitz (6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) may not have the best percentages but neither will hesitate to put up an open shot. Clearly the key for Michigan State in defending Bo Ryan's swing offense will be to not give up open looks on the perimeter, and forward Jared Berggren (10.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is another player to keep an eye on, and they've shown throughout the season that they're capable of doing so.

The Spartans were a bit more balanced in the first meeting as Draymond Green finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16 points. Green (15.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) is a coach on the floor for the Spartans, and his ability to do just about anything on the floor makes the senior one of the tougher matchups in the Big Ten. But Michigan State wouldn't be in first place if not for the growth of guards such as Appling (11.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Brandon Wood (8.6 ppg). This group has improved by the game, and that's one reason why the Spartans are a serious Final Four contender.

The same can be said of Michigan State's young frontcourt players, from the versatile Branden Dawson to returnees Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix. Dawson is an athletic above the rim finisher who's shooting at a 57.1% clip in his freshman campaign. Nix and Payne are more valuable on the defensive end of the floor but both can get some things done offensively as well. In the win at Ohio State on Saturday Payne made all six of his field goal attempts and scored 15 points, adding to the joint effort he and Nix put forth defensively against Jared Sullinger.

The difference could come on the glass, where Michigan State ranks among the best in the country. The Spartans currently boast a rebounding margin of plus-10.6, and their 13 offensive rebounds per game works out to an offensive rebounding percentage of 40%. Wisconsin isn't bad in this area themselves as they manage to grab 31% of their missed shots, but that's quite the gap when comparing the two teams. Michigan State grabbed 34.3% of their misses in the first meeting, and a number similar to that could prove problematic for the Badgers.

Also of note on Thursday night is NC State making the short trek to Durham to take on #4 Duke, and to say the least the Wolfpack can use a win of this caliber for their resume. Lorenzo Brown has been one of the best point guards in the ACC and he'll need to be that and then some against the Blue Devils, who are currently tied in the loss column atop the conference with North Carolina and Florida State. Austin Rivers looks primed to take off in the aftermath of the game-winner at UNC, but to be fair the freshman had been playing well before that. C.J. Leslie and Scott Wood will also need to step up for the Wolfpack as they look for their first win at Cameron since 1995.

As a result of Loyola Marymount's win at Saint Mary's on Wednesday night, Gonzaga will take the court at Santa Clara with a share of first place in the WCC on the line. It will also help the Bulldogs to not have to deal with the suspended Kevin Foster, meaning that Evan Roquemore is the primary scoring option to be concerned with. Even though this season hasn't gone well for Kerry Keating's Broncos (0-12 in league play) Thursday night's game provides the opportunity to salvage something from a disappointing campaign. California hosts Oregon in a game that's big on two fronts: Cal enters the game in first place a game ahead of three teams (including Oregon), and the Ducks are in dire need of a resume-building win and taking on the team with the Pac-12's best RPI is a great opportunity.

Lastly there's the second installment of the "Backyard Brawl" this season, with West Virginia looking for revenge as they visit Pittsburgh. Tray Woodall was outstanding in the first meeting, a Pitt win that ultimately did not prove to be the catalyst that Jamie Dixon's team needed to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. The Mountaineers need to get rolling as well, as close losses can blend together when being evaluated by the selection committee if you have too many of them. Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli will lead the way inside but WVU really needs sound decision-making from guards Truck Bryant, Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds if they're to leave The Pete with a win.

Top 25 Games?
9:00 PM NC State at (4) Duke (ESPN3)?
7:00 PM (17) Wisconsin at (8) Michigan State (ESPN) ?
7:00 PM Virginia Tech at (21) Florida State (ESPN2)
?11:00 PM (24) Gonzaga at Santa Clara (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games?
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Mount St. Mary's (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Florida International at Arkansas-Little Rock (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Lehigh at Bucknell ?
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Denver (ROOT RM)?
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at LIU Brooklyn ?
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Quinnipiac ?
7:00 PM Bryant at Robert Morris ?
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Saint Francis (PA)
?7:00 PM Monmouth at Wagner
?7:00 PM Citadel at Western Carolina
?8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky (FCS)?
8:00 PM Iowa at Penn State (ESPNU) ?
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas ?
8:00 PM NJIT at Texas-Pan American ?
8:05 PM Troy at Arkansas State
?8:05 PM Chicago State at Houston Baptist ?
8:30 PM Portland at San Diego ?
9:00 PM Boston College at Maryland (ESPN3)
?9:00 PM Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (ESPN2) ?
9:00 PM West Virginia at Pittsburgh (ESPN) ?
9:00 PM Arizona at Washington State (FSN AZ) ?
9:00 PM North Dakota at Louisiana Tech ?
10:00 PM Oregon State at Stanford ?
10:00 PM BYU at San Francisco (ESPNU) ?
10:10 PM Pepperdine at Seattle ?
10:30 PM Oregon at California ?
11:00 PM Arizona State at Washington (FSN)