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Gonzaga vs. #16 Saint Mary's: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:42:05 -0500

Could there be a changing of the guard in the West Coast Conference? While that may be a tough question to ask given the sustained run of success that Gonzaga (18-4, 8-2) has enjoyed over the years, winning the last eleven WCC regular season titles, Saint Mary's (22-2, 11-0) would establish a three-game lead with four conference games remaining with a win in Spokane. Led by seniors Matthew Dellavedova (15.5 ppg, 6.4 apg) and Rob Jones (14.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg), the Gaels have already swept BYU and handed Gonzaga an 83-62 loss back on January 12th. While Jones accounted for 11 rebounds and eight assists in that game he only scored two points, and the Gaels benefitted from other players stepping up their play.

One of those was redshirt freshman Brad Waldow (8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg), who scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds in the first meeting. Waldow's reached double figures in points in each of the last four games, with a 14-point, 16-rebound performance at Santa Clara to begin the streak. Mitchell Young was also instrumental in the win over Gonzaga as he scored 12 points off the bench, and that production proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to overcome due in part to the quiet night that Robert Sacre (1-for-7, four points) had. Both Sacre (11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Elias Harris (13.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) need to be productive if Gonzaga is to control the flow of the contest tonight.

Another issue for Gonzaga in the first meeting was the overall play of the backcourt, as Kevin Pangos was their most productive guard with 12 points and four assists. But the other members of the rotation, from David Stockton to Marquise Carter to Gary Bell Jr., were all relatively quiet as Dellavedova took over the game with 26 points and six assists. Stephen Holt was also a factor for the Gaels as he scored 17 points, and while Jorden Page and Clint Steindl were quiet on that night they both have the ability to step up as well. Steindl scored 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench in Saint Mary's win at BYU, knocking down four of six from beyond the arc.

While equal in three-point percentage (36.6%), Saint Mary's has been the better offensive team this season as they boast a higher efficiency (117.4 to 109.4) and a better assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4 to 1.04 for Gonzaga) on the season. Gonzaga is essentially breaking even on assists and turnovers to date, and they can't afford to do so if they're to beat Saint Mary's. If a guard other than Pangos can play well that will be just as much of a boost for the Zags as the raucous crowd. To become the champion sometimes it takes going into the house of the reigning champ and winning to take full possession of the throne, and that's the mission in front of Randy Bennett's team.

Illinois visits Indiana on the heels of a disappointing home loss to Norhtwestern, and it's a key game for both teams with regards to possible NCAA seeding down the line. The Hoosiers are coming off of a much-needed win at Purdue, and with the likes of Victor Oladipo and Jordan Hulls there isn't much reason to question the effort of Tom Crean's team. But for whatever reason that hasn't always been the case with the Fighting Illini, who really need to figure out their "identity" and how to get the most out of their talent. Meyers Leonard and Brandon Paul lead the way for Bruce Weber, but consistent play from the likes of Joseph Bertrand and D.J. Richardson is a must down the stretch.

There are a pair of important contests in the Pac-12 as Arizona hosts Colorado and Washington visits Oregon, with the Huskies currently alone in first place. The Wildcats, fresh off of their sweep of the Bay Area road trip, likely have the second-best at-large profile in the conference (Cal having the best) but falling too far out of first place could get them in trouble. Tad Boyle's Buffaloes have been a pleasant surprise within the league, and in Andre Roberson they've got the league's best rebounder. His battle with Solomon Hill will be worth the price of admission by itself, and the young talent on the floor for both teams should be a good sign for the future.

In Eugene Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross lead the way for a Washington team that allowed some important non-conference opportunities to slip away, making it even more important that they find a way to win the regular season crown. Oregon's perimeter trio of Devoe Joseph, Garrett Sim and E.J. Singler are skilled enough to be a handful themselves, and this game is usually one that gets the fans into Matthew Knight Arena.

Ole Miss could really use a win at Mississippi State to help their fleeting at-large hopes and the same goes for Minnesota, who hosts Wisconsin. NC State (at Georgia Tech) and Miami (hosting Virginia Tech) are both playing games they can't afford to lose for the sake of their respective resumes, and undefeated Murray State is also in action. Lastly the Horizon League features an important contest as Valparaiso visits Cleveland State with the Vikings (10-2) up a game in the loss column.

Top 25 Games
8:00 PM Tennessee State at (7) Murray State (ESPN3)
11:00 PM (13) Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Ole Miss at (18) Mississippi State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (22) Wisconsin at Minnesota (ESPN)
8:00 PM Illinois at (23) Indiana (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Lehigh at American (CBS SN)
7:00 PM NC State at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Maine at Boston University
7:00 PM Albany at New Hampshire (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Furman
7:00 PM Elon at Chattanooga (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wofford at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Siena at Niagara
7:00 PM High Point at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Valparaiso at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Winthrop at Campbell
7:00 PM Rider at Canisius
7:00 PM Denver at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM North Texas at Florida International (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Radford at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM VMI at Presbyterian
7:00 PM UMBC at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Davidson at Citadel
7:00 PM Butler at Youngstown State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Utah Valley at N.J.I.T.
7:30 PM Liberty at Charleston Southern
7:30 PM Manhattan at Fairfield
8:00 PM Arkansas State at South Alabama
8:00 PM North Dakota State at UMKC
8:00 PM Western Carolina at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM South Dakota State at South Dakota
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (FCS)
8:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Samford
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Southeast Missouri State
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech
8:05 PM IUPUI at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM North Dakota at Chicago State
8:30 PM Utah at Arizona State
8:30 PM Marist at St. Peter's (ESPN3)
8:35 PM Weber State at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Colorado at Arizona (ESPN)
9:00 PM Iowa at Northwestern (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Western Illinois at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at Miami (FL) (ESPN2)
9:05 PM Louisiana Tech at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Montana at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM UC Riverside at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Fresno State at San Jose State (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Washington State at Oregon State
10:00 PM San Diego at Pepperdine
10:05 PM Montana State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Portland State at Idaho State
10:05 PM UC Irvine at Cal State Fullerton
10:30 PM California at USC
10:30 PM Long Beach State at Pacific
11:00 PM Stanford at UCLA
11:00 PM New Mexico State at Idaho
11:00 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Davis
11:00 PM Washington at Oregon (FSN)
11:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Portland
11:00 PM Santa Clara at San Francisco (ESPNU)
12:00 AM Nevada at Hawaii

Thursday Recap: Virginia Falls Short at Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:04:00 -0500

Thursday was a big night for the Virginia Cavaliers as they were looking for their first win at Duke since 1995, and a victory over the sixth-ranked Blue Devils would raise their ceiling even higher.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from three in the second half Tony Bennett's team still had two chances to send the game into overtime, but neither fell and the Blue Devils hung on to win 61-58. On a night that Duke shot 5-for-20 from three against the ACC's best when it comes to defending the bonus shot the Blue Devils needed a group effort to move their home win streak to 44 games.

Mason Plumlee scored 12 points to lead four players in double figures, and he could have scored more if not for a 2-for-10 outing at the foul line. Duke finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52.2%, as making 73.0% of their two-point attempts made up for the poor perimeter shooting. With their outside shots not falling Duke needed to clamp down on defense, and they did just that as two Virginia starters (Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski) failed to score a single point.

"I also thought it was by far the best defensive game that Andre Dawkins has ever played," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski of his junior guard's defensive contribution. "Everyone talks about his shooting, but he really played well defensively. And we did a good job against Zeglinski and Harris...we were able to at least limit Harris and we were fortunate we shut down Zeglinski."

The one player Duke didn't have an answer for was forward Mike Scott, who scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. Virginia had the pace they preferred, playing a 59-possession game on the road against an opponent that averages 70 possessions/game, and they did a good job of limiting the open looks for Duke's prolific shooters.

That's definitely something the Cavaliers can build on in the days leading up to their game at Georgia Tech next Thursday. Coach Bennett and his team certainly shouldn't be in the business of claiming moral victories but if anything Virginia showed that, in addition to their own growth as a program, there's a sizeable gap between the top three and the rest of the ACC.

"Tonight, it could have been the same situation, and I thought they got a little tougher and stingier defensively," said Bennett when asked to compare this season's meeting to last year's (76-60 Duke win). "That got us back on track. Then we made some baskets. That is why we at least had some chances at the end to send it into overtime."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wisconsin jumps out to a big lead and picks up a much-needed win at Purdue.
Slow starts had been a problem in recent games for Bo Ryan's team leading up to their game in West Lafayette, and with a 1-3 record in Big Ten play Wisconsin needed to figure out a solution. Instead of the usual methodical pace the Badgers found (and made) quick looks from beyond the arc in their swing offense to take control of the game, scoring 22 of the first 26 points before holding on in the second half to win 67-62. Five players reached double figures for the Badgers but the biggest surprise had to be senior Mike Bruesewitz, a glue guy who knocked down all four of this three-point attempts and scored 12 points.

Terone Johnson led Purdue with 16 points off the bench and Robbie Hummel added 13, but with Lewis Jackson not 100% physically and other options struggling from the field the Boilermakers didn't have enough to overcome the hole they dug for themselves early. As a team Purdue made just 35.1% of their two-point shots, a far cry from their mark for the season (49.4%), and that's a testament to Wisconsin's defense and not just Purdue's inability to make shots. In order to get back on track Wisconsin looked for scoring opportunities earlier in their sets to start the game, and that proved to be the difference.

"We gave them respect and talked about not giving them 'rhythm shots' and I think they got too many 'rhythm shots' and got their head up early," remarked Purdue head coach Matt Painter after the game.

2. Saint Mary's whips Gonzaga to go 2-0 against the other WCC contenders at home.
Saint Mary's early WCC schedule can be summed up by using the title of Jay-Z's "Blueprint 2" album. "The Gift" was getting to host both BYU and Gonzaga early in league play. The key for Randy Bennett's team is to make sure that having to play both teams on the road in the second half of the season season doesn't turn out to be "The Curse". The Gaels controlled the Bulldogs in the second half on Thursday night, pushing their lead out to as many as 24 after leading 37-32 just over a minute into the half. Saint Mary's won 83-62 despite forward Rob Jones not scoring until 1:39 remaining in the game, but he made up for the lack of scoring by grabbing 11 rebounds and racking up eight assists.

A big reason why Saint Mary's was able to pull away in spite of Jones' lack of scoring was the play of forward Brad Waldow, who posted his first career double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. And with Gonzaga's Robert Sacre making just one of seven shots and scoring four points, the visitors from Spokane couldn't take advantage. Matthew Dellavedova, who like Seton Hall's Jordan Theodore continues to make the Cousy Award selection committee look siily for leaving him off the finalists list, scored a game-high 26 points and dished out six assists while Stephen Holt added 15 and six assists. But essentially the Gaels held serve in the three-team race for the WCC crown with the two home wins. Whether or not Saint Mary's can take this show on the road will determine whether or not they end up on top at the end of the season.

3. Drexel ends George Mason's 18-game regular season conference win streak.
After wins over Old Dominion and Georgia State, Paul Hewitt's Patriots entered Thursday's matchup with Drexel full of confidence and rightfully so as George Mason had won 18 straight regular season CAA games. But thanks in large part to a freshman who had made five of his last fifteen field goals, the Dragons snapped Mason's streak and forced a three-way tie for first place in the CAA. Damion Lee made eight of his fourteen shots and scored a game-high 21 points (16 in the second half), picking up the slack for Drexel as fellow starters Frantz Massenat (4-18 FG, 12 points) and Derrick Thomas (2-9 FG, eight points) struggled from the field.

What also helped Drexel was their effort on the defensive end, as they harassed Ryan Pearson and Vertail Vaughns into a combined 2-for-16 night from the field. What also didn't help George Mason were their turnovers, more specifically Drexel's ability to take advantage of the Patriots' miscues. George Mason turned the ball over just ten times (Drexel finished with nine turnovers), but the Dragons scored 16 points off of those turnovers compared to six for the visitors. Drexel also won the battle on the boards (41-30), grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and while they didn't cash those in at a great clip (11 second-chance points) those extra shots can make the difference when shooting just 36.2%. Lee's second half will stick out however and rightfully so, as his outburst not only tightened things up at the top of the CAA but kept Drexel in the discussion.

Quick Hitters

1. Virginia wasn't the only team to show well on the road in defeat. Colorado did the same, and their 57-50 loss at California was closer than the final margin would indicate. Tad Boyle's team leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, and Carlon Brown has done a much better job of picking his spots over the last month. And in forward Andre Roberson, who leads the conference in rebounding and accounted for 11 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday, Colorado's got one of the nation's most underrated players.

2. Minnesota picked up their first Big Ten win of the season at Indiana of all places, beating the Hoosiers 77-74. Austin Hollins led the Golden Gophers with 18 points, and they did just enough late to hold off an Indiana team that refused to quit. Indiana's problem: they made just four of eighteen shots from three on the night, a far cry from their percentage for the season (45.9%).

3. Saturday's showdown in the Big Sky will feature teams undefeated in league play as Montana (4-0) and Weber State (5-0) took care of business against Northern Arizona and Montana State respectively. Scott Bamforth scored 20 points in Weber State's 63-49 win over Montana State while Kareem Jamar led three Montana starters in double figures with 15 points (and seven rebounds) in the Grizzlies' 78-53 win at NAU.

4. It was a struggle but Oral Roberts found a way to remain undefeated in Summit League play, moving to 7-0 with a 71-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois. Dominique Morrison played all 50 minutes and scored a game-high 27 points and Steven Roundtree added 12 off the bench for the Golden Eagles.

5. UNC Asheville came back from a 12-point halftime deficit at Campbell to beat the Camels 89-82 and move to 6-0 in the Big South. Jeremy Atkinson was the catalyst as he scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half. Matt Dickey chipped in with 19 points and ten rebounds, J.P. Primm scored 18 and sixth man Jaron Lane added 13 off the bench.

6. The comeback of the day, and possibly of the season to date, happened in New Rochelle as Manhattan stormed back from 17 down with less than eight minutes remaining to beat rival Iona 75-72. Emmy Andujar's turnaround three as time expired was the difference, but don't discount the effort of Rhamel Brown (17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks) either. Steve Masiello's surprising Jaspers are now just a game out of first place in the MAAC, and this result also makes Friday's game between Loyola (MD) and Fairfield even more important.

7. Quinnipiac picked up a much-needed win as they beat Robert Morris in Moon Township 78-76 to move to 2-3 in the NEC. With just the top eight teams qualifying for the conference tournament Tom Moore's team needed a win, and thanks to 22 points from James Johnson and 18 from Dave Johnson (no relation) the mission was accomplished.

8. Yes things got heated during overtime in Arizona's 91-83 win over Oregon State, with OSU's Joe Burton and Arizona's Kyryl Natyazhko being ejected for leaving their respective bench areas. But no punches were thrown during an interaction that featured more jawing than anything else thanks to quick-acting coaches and officials. Instead the focus should be on the fact that Craig Robinson's team dropped to 1-4 in conference play, and anything less than a split of the weekend (they visit Arizona State on Saturday) would be the end of the Beavers' title hopes despite the wide-open nature of the conference.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
Long Beach State has sole possession of first place in the Big West and Martin's a big reason why. Martin scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Highlanders' 79-70 overtime win over UCSB.

2. C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii)
23 points (9-11 FG), 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Warriors' 74-68 overtime win at Fresno State.

3. C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
25 points (10-12 FG) and 12 rebounds in the Governors' 80-65 win over Eastern Kentucky.

#6 Duke vs. #17 Virginia: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:08:39 -0500

The ACC has been assumed by many to be a conference that goes three-deep at the top with an unpredictable group beneath. But how close is the third team, #16 Virginia (14-1, 1-0), to the generally accepted top two of North Carolina and #8 Duke (13-2, 1-0)? That question will be answered tonight as the Cavaliers look for their first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995, and they've also lost the last seven games in the series. But armed with arguably the ACC's most versatile player in Mike Scott and their tough pack-line defense, the Cavaliers are capable of doing so.

Scott (16.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has a vast array of skills on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 59.5% from the field and a respectable 37.5% from three. His ability to score either inside or out makes him a tough matchup for many front court players, but there's also Joe Harris to take into consideration. Harris (12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) leads the team in minutes and also shoots well from the field, making nearly 46% of his field goal attempts. It will also be interesting to see who Harris matches up with defensively as Duke goes with a three-guard lineup.

Duke possesses an impressive amount of depth on the perimeter, with Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton being the starters. Rivers (14.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.1 apg) leads the team in scoring, and he's become more comfortable with experience. Thornton's insertion into the lineup was done in hopes of improving Duke's perimeter defense, which can be exploited by teams with the ability to break guys down off the dribble. Temple was able to get that done last week, but it may not be as easy for Virginia to do the same.

Point guard Jontel Evans (6.0 ppg, 3.5 apg) will be critical in this regard, as his job is to find the likes of Harris and Scott for quality looks. Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski (9.9 ppg, 2.7 apg) has dealt with injuries for much of his time in Charlottesville but when healthy he's one of the better shooters on the team. And freshman Malcolm Brogdon has been a solid addition to the rotation, and his role as sixth man has become more important due to the mid-year transfer of K.T. Harrell.

Duke has the Plumlee brothers, Mason and Miles, in addition to Ryan Kelly to rely on inside, with the Plumlees providing the muscle while Kelly is more of a face-up "4" who is more comfortable on the perimeter than inside. Mason's averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 9.8 rebounds while also blocking nearly two shots per contest. Miles has worked out better as a reserve in his senior campaign, and this group could prove problematic for Assane Sene and company.

But Virginia is one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC, boasting a margin of plus-8.9. A big difference between the two teams is tempo, with Duke averaging nine more possessions per game. Far more likely to get out and run, the Blue Devils will look to speed things up and if they're knocking down three-pointers early things could get away from the Cavaliers.

However, Virginia has the best three-point percentage defense in the ACC, allowing teams to shoot just 27.7% so that will be an area to watch with Duke shooting 41.7% from distance. Virginia can make quite the statement in Durham tonight, and for the first time in years they've got the ability to take advantage of the opportunity.

Out west, Gonzaga visits Saint Mary's in a matchup of the top two teams in the WCC. The Gaels, who have already beaten BYU in Moraga, have an outstanding point guard in Matthew Dellavedova and forward Rob Jones has been outstanding this season as well. Kevin Pangos hit the ground running for Gonzaga, and he's continued to improve and has to be the early favorite for WCC Rookie of the Year. Up front the Bulldogs can call on Elias Harris, Robert Sacre and Sam Dower, so it will be interesting to see who steps up to help out Jones inside for SMC.

In the Big Ten, Wisconsin visits Purdue in a game both teams need albeit for far different reasons. The Boilermakers are currently 3-1 in conference play and a win over the Badgers would keep them in the thick of the Big Ten race. Wisconsin on the other hand is 1-3, and a loss in West Lafayette would do some serious damage to their hopes of at least getting back into the top half of the Big Ten standings. Wisconsin will need more from Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren if they're to do so, and that goes for the remainder of the season as well.

There's also a big game in the CAA as Drexel, who beat VCU on Sunday night, hosts first-place George Mason. The Mason point guard play has improved in recent games but they're going to encounter a serious test in dealing with Drexel's Frantz Massenat. Massenat was outstanding against VCU, scoring 24 points in the 64-58 win.

Look for this battle, which also features the likes of Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson for Mason and Samme Givens for Drexel, to be a rugged contest with the winning team likely being the one that better navigates foul difficulties. And Colorado visits California and Oregon State is in Tucson to take on Arizona in Pac-12 play, with the Buffaloes currently leading the conference with a 3-0 league mark.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (17) Virginia at (6) Duke (ESPN)
8:00 PM Minnesota at (8) Indiana (BTN)
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at (14) Murray State
9:00 PM Tennessee at (20) Mississippi State (ESPN2)
11:00 PM (23) Gonzaga at Saint Mary's(ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM James Madison at VCU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Southern Utah at IUPUI
7:00 PM Clemson at Boston College (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Wofford at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Binghamton at Vermont
7:00 PM Samford at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Manhattan at Iona
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Furman at Appalachian State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at Campbell
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Davidson
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Georgia State
7:00 PM Winthrop at High Point
7:00 PM Radford at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Idaho at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wisconsin at Purdue (ESPN)
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Rider at Siena (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Monmouth at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Bryant at Wagner
7:05 PM Elon at Citadel
7:30 PM Presbyterian at Charleston Southern
8:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at North Texas
8:00 PM Wright State at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Austin Peay
8:00 PM George Mason at Drexel (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida International
8:00 PM UMKC at North Dakota State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Southeast Missouri State
8:00 PM South Dakota at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Oral Roberts at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Detroit at Green Bay
8:05 PM South Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM Crowley's Ridge College at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Oregon State at Arizona (FSN)
8:35 PM Montana at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana-Monroe
9:00 PM Montana State at Weber State
9:05 PM Utah State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Portland State at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Valley City State at North Dakota
10:00 PM Utah at Stanford
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Hawaii at Fresno State
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Irvine
10:00 PM San Jose State at Nevada
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Pepperdine (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Portland at San Francisco
10:00 PM San Diego at Santa Clara
10:05 PM Eastern Washington at Sacramento State
10:05 PM UC Davis at Long Beach State
10:05 PM Pacific at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Oregon at Arizona State (FSN)
11:00 PM Colorado at California (CSN CA)

Saturday Recap: Five Ranked Teams Fall to Unranked Opponents

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:27:34 -0500

The first Saturday of the new year proved to be far more exciting than anticipated, much to the detriment of ranked teams who took their show on the road. Removing #7 Missouri and #20 Marquette, who both lost on the road to ranked opponents (more on both of those games below), five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents with four of the losses coming on the road. The Big East provided the most intrigue, with #8 Connecticut and #9 Georgetown falling on the road while #10 Louisville lost in double overtime at home. So which of the three defeats is most concerning? That's likely a toss-up between the Huskies and Cardinals.

Connecticut lost at Rutgers, who already owned a win at The RAC over then-#10 Florida, 67-60 with Eli Carter leading the Scarlet Knights with 19 points. It was a Saturday night to forget for Jeremy Lamb, who scored just eight points before fouling out. With the preseason All-America dealing with foul trouble for much of the night, Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was able to go with a zone defense to take advantage of the Huskies' issues in dealing with zones.

While UConn's 36.5% shooting from deep on the season isn't a great number it's definitely better than the 4-for-19 performance they put up against Rutgers. But of more concern than the lack of perimeter shooting is the lack of leadership and toughness for this group, something that was lost with the departure of Kemba Walker. And it's a sore subject for head coach Jim Calhoun, who returned to the bench after missing the last three games due to an NCAA suspension.

"There's not a lack of leadership, there's none," said Calhoun. Short, and to the point.

As for Louisville, their issues of running a half-court offense with cohesion has been well documented, and for that reason it's reasonable to say that Rick Pitino's team was given too much credit earlier in the season. Eric Atkins' shot with 17 seconds remaining gave the Fighting Irish a 65-63 lead and his two free throws in the final seconds of the second overtime sealed the 67-65 victory, giving Notre Dame their first win in the Commonwealth of Kentucky until 1980.

Louisville shot much better from the field, making 42.3% of their shots compared to 31.7% for Notre Dame. But when you hand the ball over 18 times, allowing Notre Dame to score 16 points off of turnovers, there's a good chance that the outcome won't be a positive one. The Cardinals now already have two home conference losses, and that's definitely not a good spot to be in if they're to contend for a Big East title.

"Hard fought game, but if you break it down, they made their free throws and we didn't," said Pitino. "To lose two home games in the Big East with the type of schedule we have is very destructive to say the least."

The other two losses to unranked opponents came in the SEC, with Florida kicking off the crazy day with a 67-56 loss to Tennessee (more on that below) and #15 Mississippi State getting lit up at Arkansas 98-88. The Bulldogs weren't much more than a sieve defensively, allowing the Razorbacks to shoot 56.5% from the field for the game. Rick Stansbury's team seemed to be in solid shape at the half, trailing by just six (43-37) despite turning the ball over eleven times to just two for Arkansas.

But that optimism was misguided as the Bulldogs allowed 55 points in the final 20 minutes with the Hogs making 67.9% of their shots. Julysses Nobles and B.J. Young scored 24 points apiece to lead Arkansas, who finished with five players in double figures, and they were also aided by the fact that three players scored 63 of Mississippi State's 88 points. Arnett Moultrie scored just nine but did grab ten rebounds before fouling out with over six minutes remaining, but his fifth foul essentially signaled the end of the game for Mississippi State. The lesson the Bulldogs learned was similar to that learned by the other ranked teams to fall: anyone can fall on any given day.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas State takes advantage of #7 Missouri's lack of interior depth and hands the Tigers their first loss.
There were certainly concerns about how Frank Haith's team would deal with bigger teams as the season wore on, as Missouri has just seven scholarship players and two true frontcourt players. And at the "Octagon of Doom" the Tigers got their first glimpse of how difficult things could be, especially if their perimeter scorers aren't as productive as expected. Missouri shot just 32.7% from the field and were out-rebounded 39-25 by #23 Kansas State in the Wildcats' 75-59 victory, suffering their first loss of the season.

It didn't help matters that starting forward Ricardo Ratliffe played just 14 foul-riddled minutes, scoring two points and grabbing one rebounds. The Tigers can't afford that level of production when their guards are on, much less when Phil Pressey misses all six of his shots from the field and the team shoots 7-for-24 from three. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 20 points and as a team the Wildcats assisted on 18 of their 28 field goals, resulting in an efficiency (111.9) 21 points higher than what Missouri opponents averaged on the season.

2. Syracuse runs out to a big lead and hangs on to beat Marquette in the Carrier Dome.
Thanks to a 23-1 run in the first half to turn a 12-11 lead into a seemingly insurmountable 35-12 edge, top-ranked Syracuse seemed to be well on their way to an emphatic victory over #20 Marquette. But Jim Boeheim's team apparently left their intensity in the locker room, as they came out of halftime flat while Buzz Williams' team displayed the fight expected of his program. Marquette would eventually pull to within two points (59-57) but could get no closer as the Orange would eventually win 73-66, moving to 17-0 and by the end of the night sitting alone atop the Big East standings.

Marquette could hit nothing in the first half, shooting 30% from the field and going 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. But led by Darius Johnson-Odom (19 points), Jae Crowder (15 points, seven rebounds) and Junior Cadougan (10 points, five assists) the Golden Eagles attacked the inside of the Syracuse zone, resulting in quality looks that were few and far between in the first half. But with Kris Joseph scoring 17 points and reserves C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters combining to score 25 points Syracuse was able to sew things up late, and while they weren't as efficient as usual the Orange did assists on 19 of 24 made baskets. While the landscape beneath them is too muddled to make sense of, it's pretty clear that the Orange are the class of the Big East.

3. Florida has some things to work on defensively if they're to be a factor come March.
The first thing that will stick out in#13 Florida's 67-56 loss at Tennessee is likely the fact that they scored just 56 points, shooting 35.7% from the field in doing so. But what should really be taken out of the defeat is their play on the defensive end of the floor, because despite the struggles offensively Billy Donovan's team won't lack for scoring options. Simply put, can Florida get the stops needed when the possessions become even bigger in March? If they're going to do so some things will need to change, with one being the lack of ball pressure on the perimeter. The issue against Tennessee wasn't about what the Volunteers could do off the dribble but rather the lack of pressure on entry passes.

On multiple occasions the lack of pressure on passers allowed a Jeronne Maymon (12 points, seven rebounds) or Kenny Hall (13 points, five rebounds) the time to walk their man up the lane and out of prime defensive position. If Florida couldn't get away with this against Tennessee, what are they going to do in their two meetings with Kentucky? And it's not out of the realm of possibility that a team like Alabama (or even Mississippi State) that has multiple big men could give them a hard time inside. The Vols entered Saturday's game scoring 33% of their points from three, but they didn't have to do that as the paint was open for business. Florida can't allow that to happen if they're to reach their full potential, prolific offense or not.

4. George Mason beats Georgia State to take over sole possession of first place in the CAA.
In prior seasons the three-game stretch for Georgia State of Drexel/VCU/George Mason would elicit bets of what the Panthers' combined margin of defeat would be. To say the least things have changed under Ron Hunter, as they'd won the first two games of that stretch going into Saturday's showdown with the Patriots for sole possession of first place in the CAA. But despite Ryan Pearson failing to make a single field goal it was George Mason who was able to make the key baskets late on their way to the 61-56 win. Neither team shot well from the field and George Mason turned the ball over 19 times, but the deciding factor was the charity stripe.

George Mason, who shot 67.3% from the line on the season, made 18 of 21 on Saturday night and outscored the Panthers by eight in that department. Vertail Vaughns (17 points) and Mike Morrison (14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks) more than made up for Pearson's 0-for-4 night, while the Georgia State combo of Josh Micheaux and Devonta White shot a combined 3-for-15 (they entered the game averaging a combined 20.2 points/game). Jihad Ali led Georgia State with 19 points, and while they didn't win the Panthers have the look of a team that could hang around the race throughout the season. But they didn't have enough down the stretch, allowing the Patriots to take control of the driver's seat a quarter of the way through CAA play.

5. Oral Roberts blows out South Dakota State and moves to 6-0 in the Summit League.
The matchup between the Golden Eagles and Jackrabbits was anticipated by some due to not only the matchup of early Summit League POY frontrunners Dominique Morrison (ORU) and Nate Wolters (SDSU) (Oakland's Reggie Hamilton will also figure in the discussion). But they game didn't live up to that, much to the detriment of the Jackrabbits, who fell 97-75 in Tulsa. Morrison was outstanding as he finished with 38 points and seven rebounds, but he had plenty of help as Steven Roundtree scored 17 off the bench and Michael Craion and Warren Niles scored 15 apiece.

Wolters led five SDSU players in double figures with 22 points to go along with six assists, but the Jackrabbits' biggest problem was they they couldn't stop the Golden Eagles. ORU shot 60.7% from the field on the night and 67.5% from two while also making ten of twenty-one from beyond the arc, and when ORU's got it rolling like that they're extremely difficult to beat at the Mabee Center. Oral Roberts finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 154.0, scoring 1.5 points/possession on the night. To say the least South Dakota State will do their best to make sure that doesn't happen in the rematch on February 2nd.

Quick Hitters

1. Saturday marked the first step towards another March in which Virginia Tech is once again discussed as a bubble team, with the Hokies losing at Wake Forest 58-55. Erick Green was solid for the Hokies, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but more is needed from Dorenzo Hudson (4-13, eight points) if they're to be a tournament team.

2. Entering the week with an 0-2 league record, UCLA couldn't afford anything less than a split with the Arizona schools if they wanted to be a contender in the Pac-12 race. Ben Howland's squad did better than that, wrapping up a sweep with a 75-58 win over Arizona State. Travis Wear scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Joshua Smith added 18 off the bench.

3. Few people gave Colorado a shot at being in first place in the Pac-12 at this point in the season, but there they sit after sweeping the Washington schools this weekend. A big reason why: defense. In their 71-60 win over Washington State, Colorado limited the Cougars to 36.5% shooting and none of their three league opponents have shot over 40% from the field. Also in forward Andre Roberson, Tad Boyle's got one of the most underrated players in the country.

4. Of the four teams tied for first place in the MVC the most surprising has to be Illinois State, who beat Evansville 75-73 on a miraculous shot by Jackie Carmichael. Carmichael, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, banked in his first career three-pointer as time expired to win the game. We'll find out how much staying power the Redbirds have immediately too, as they visit Wichita State and host Creighton in their next two games.

5. In a matchup of teams undefeated in SoCon play Davidson shot 60% from the field and made 11 three-pointers in their 96-74 win over Georgia Southern. Jake Cohen (29 points) and De'Mon Brooks (24 points) combined to score 53 points with Cohen also grabbing 12 rebounds in the victory.

6. There was also a matchup of undefeated teams in the NEC, and that game wasn't particularly close either. Ken Horton scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Robbie Ptacek scored 24 points and Kyle Vinales 18 in Central Connecticut State's 68-53 win over Robert Morris. Robert Morris shot just 30.3% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times in defeat.

7. Back in the ACC, Florida State laid a serious egg in their ACC opener as they fell 79-59 at Clemson. Not only did the Seminoles struggle offensively, shooting 35.5% and turning the ball over 15 times, but they also allowed the Tigers to shoot 60% from two and 49% overall. Leonard Hamilton's team can ill-afford the defensive breakdowns they had on Saturday if they're going to be a tournament team.

8. Both Temple and Saint Joseph's dropped conference games at home on Saturday, with Dayton pulling away late to be at the Owls 87-77 and Charlotte shocking the Hawks 57-52. Archie Miller's Flyers picked up a key resume-building win, and Charlotte's victory was a good step for Alan Major as he looks to rebuild that program.

9. Bowling Green also provided a surprise in their MAC opener as they beat Ohio 67-57. Jordon Crawford led the way, scoring 16 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals. BGSU turned the ball over 20 times (Crawford: six turnovers) but the Bobcats shot 4-for-20 from three, alliowing the home team to lock up the victory.

10. And in terms of a possible changing of the guard Nevada may have struck the biggest blow, handing Utah State their first conference home loss since 2007 by the final score of 78-71. Deonte Burton, who finished with 25 points and five assists, provided the dagger in the form of a four-point play with 37 seconds remaining while Dario Hunt scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Five (plus one) Notable Performances

1. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
44 points (18-23 FG), eight rebounds and two assists in the Bluejays' 92-83 win at Bradley.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts)
38 points (11-15 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in the Golden Eagles' 97-75 win over South Dakota State.

3. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
38 points (8-14 3PT), five rebounds and five assists in the Wildcats' 88-81 win at Portland State.

4. G Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
35 points (7-8 3PT), five assists and two rebounds in the Racers' 87-75 win at Austin Peay.

5. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
22 points (8-12 FG) and 16 rebounds in the Mountaineers' 74-62 win over #9 Georgetown.

Plus One: F Royce White (Iowa State)
18 rebounds, ten points and ten assists in the Cyclones' 74-50 demolition of Texas A&M in College Station.

Game of the Day: Stanford 103, Oregon State 101 (4 OT)
If you missed this one late that's too bad, because the Cardinal and Beavers combined to play an instant classic. The game didn't truly take off until the final moments of regulation, as Stanford's game-winning basket was ruled to have come after time expired. Stanford would eventually win as Roberto Nelson's three-point attempt as time expired missed the mark. Chasson Randle led six Stanford players in double figures with 24 points off the bench while Nelson and Jared Cunningham led six Oregon State players in double figures with 19 apiece.

Thursday Recap: Can Pittsburgh or Villanova Turn Things Around?

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:34:46 -0500

To understand the funk that Pittsburgh and Villanova are currently mired in, it may take this fact about the two teams they lost to on Thursday night. This is the first time as members of the Big East (since 2005-06 for both) that DePaul and USF have won conference games on the same night. Yes, allowing that to sink in underlines the gravity of the situation for both the Panthers and Wildcats, as both teams are in need of some answers at this point in time.

Pittsburgh, once again playing without point guard Tray Woodall, had their biggest issues show up on the defensive end in their 84-81 loss to the Blue Demons. DePaul scored 53 points and shot 59.4% from the floor in the second half to make their comeback, and point guard Brandon Young was near unstoppable with 26 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds with just one turnover. Pittsburgh held a 50-32 edge on the boards, but when a team makes 10 of 22 from beyond the arc as DePaul did, winning on the road becomes that much tougher.

Even with all five starters scoring in double figures (Talib Zanna led the way with 16), the Panthers were in trouble for much of the night due to the issues defensively to go along with some bad decisions late. Ashton Gibbs' decision to give the foul on Young as the sophomore was attempting what would be the game-winning layup with 17.2 seconds remaining may be the most glaring mistake, but there were issues in terms of shot selection and some costly turnovers as well.

As for Villanova the situation may be even worse, as Jay Wright's team is extremely young in key areas. And youth doesn't always have to be measured by years; lack of familiarity with a new role can be just as damning for a team and that could be the case for Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek.

Cheek now has to be a feature option for the Wildcats offensively, and while he had a key role last season Wayns is being entrusted with the task of running the show without a Corey Fisher alongside him. Other than these two and Mouphtaou Yarou, Villanova is relying a lot on their youngsters, and the 74-57 loss to USF further exposed the fact that they're not ready for the Big East yet.

While Villanova was expected to be a bubble team this season, the expectations were much higher for Pittsburgh. If anything the impact of the loss of players such as Fisher and Corey Stokes (Villanova), and Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee and Gilbert Brown (Pittsburgh) was underestimated by those outside of the respective programs.

While many are quick to point out the fact that leagues can eat their young in conference play, it can also expose older players as well. There's still time for both teams to turn things around, but Pittsburgh and Villanova both understand that they need to do so quickly.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana hangs on to beat Michigan and remain undefeated at home.
The battle between the Hoosiers and Wolverines lived up to the pregame expectations, but at the end of the contest Indiana's starting frontcourt and Victor Oladipo's defense made the difference in the 73-71 win. Christian Watford was a matchup nightmare for Michigan, scoring 25 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists, and Cody Zeller added 18, four rebounds and two blocks. By comparison, the Michigan starting frontcourt of Jordan Morgan (12 points, nine rebounds) and Evan Smotrycz (eight points) was solid but didn't have a similar impact.

As a team the Hoosiers shot 55.1% from the field and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 62.2%, well above what Michigan allowed entering the game (47.1%). Another area in which Indiana held their own was three-point shooting. Michigan did make ten, with Stu Douglass making three, but they needed twenty-four attempts to do so while Indiana made seven of their eleven attempts.

But back to Oladipo, who was given the responsibility of defending Tim Hardaway Jr. for much of the night. Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 19 points, but he needed 19 shot attempts to do so (0-for-7 3PT). Oladipo didn't shoot well himself (2-for-10, five points) but that didn't stop him from taking care of business on the other end. There's also the matter of what Indiana's backcourt was able to do with Michigan freshman Trey Burke, who scored ten points on 4-for-15 shooting. Indiana's offense will get the headlines in many circles, but don't ignore their effort defensively.

2. Good luck making any sense of the Pac-12 this season.
Two happenings on Thursday sum up the conference: Utah won, and so did Arizona State with just six scholarship players after having to suspend three. Yeah, it's going to be a wacky year in the Pac-12, and that's not a good thing for a league that put together a 1-24 record against RPI Top 50 teams in non-conference play. My question on Twitter was a simple one, but one without a clear answer at this point in time. With so many meager non-conference resumes it may take at least 12 league wins to be a seriously discussed at-large candidate, but who can accomplish that in this conference?

The quick responses would likely yield Arizona, California and maybe Washington, but all three went on the road and lost on Thursday. Stanford? They fell at Oregon, who owns one of the two wins for road teams in the first week-plus of conference play (at Washington State last week). Oregon State, who went 0-2 against the Washington schools last week, could also be an option given their talent. But the fact that there are so many question marks is a bad thing for the Pac-12 in terms of their prospects come Selection Sunday.

Just one team remains undefeated in conference play: Colorado, who whipped the Huskies 87-69 in Boulder. But given the way things have played out thus far, the Buffaloes will likely fall against Washington State. One-bid league? Never thought it would be a serious possibility, but that could very well be the reality if a couple of teams don't rise above the rest of the conference.

3. Penn State hands Purdue a 20-point loss for their first Big Ten win of the season.
Patrick Chambers' Nittany Lions have taken their lumps, which was expected to happen given the major personnel losses from last season's NCAA Tournament team. But they gave a serious lump to Purdue on Thursday night, leading from start to finish in a 65-45 romp in Happy Valley. As a team the Boilermakers shot just 31.9% for the game, and outside of Robbie Hummel (14 points, five rebounds) Purdue starters shot 5-for-22 on the night. Tim Frazier played well for Penn State, finishing with 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds, but he wasn't the star as Billy Oliver knocked down seven of eleven three-pointers to score a game-high 21 points.

The 6'8" forward shoots 37% from beyond the arc, but this was quite the explosion for a player who had made three or more from deep in just three games this season. Purdue entered the contest with every opportunity to take care of business as a team hoping to contend for a conference title would, and they came out flat. Sometimes it takes getting drilled to remember that you can't get away with such starts.

Quick Hitters

1. No sequence summed up the night better than Louisiana-Lafayette playing the final seconds of overtime against Western Kentucky with six players on the floor. Yes, six. After nearly turning the ball over Elfrid Payton scored a layup that gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 72-70 win. According to the rules there was no way for the officials, who missed the error coming out of the timeout, to review the play and assess a technical foul (which should have been the call to begin with). There's also no way for the Sun Belt to go back and replay the final seconds, meaning that the Hilltoppers are out of luck.

2. Also in the Sun Belt, keep an eye on North Texas especially with Tony Mitchell now in the fold. Mitchell led the Mean Green to a 78-73 overtime win at South Alabama with 34 points and 16 rebounds, and if this is a harbinger of things to come this is a team that can contend to win the conference.

3. Manhattan was just seconds away from their third MAAC win, but a Dylon Cormier three from the corner gave Loyola (MD) the 61-60 win in Baltimore. Cormier was one of three Greyhounds to score 11 points while Erik Etherly added eight points, seven assists and six rebounds. George Beamon led the Jaspers with 18 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.

4. Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) Terriers moved to 2-1 in NEC play, beating Quinnipiac 73-72 in Brooklyn. The Terriers, who were led by Stefan Perunicic (21 points), likely won't be a contender for the league title but games like this make the difference between hosting and going on the road in the quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament. Good win for the Terriers.

5. Congratulations are in order for the Hartford Hawks, who picked up their first win of the season. Andres Torres scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Hawks beat New Hampshire 56-49 in West Hartford.

6. Wofford may not be one of the teams discussed as a contender in the SoCon, but the defending champs aren't in the business of conceding anything. Karl Cochran led four starters in double figures with 21 points as the Terriers beat College of Charleston 75-58 to move to 2-1 in league play. The Cougars made just 34.4% of their two-point shots on the night as Wofford did a good job of limiting their quality looks.

7. In the Big West, UCSB sent a message to Cal-State Fullerton in the form of a 77-64 win in their first home game since November 30th. Orlando Johnson scored 23 points and James Nunnally 18 as the Gauchos remained undefeated in league play while handing the Titans their first Big West loss. Fullerton will still be a factor in the race, but until further notice it's safe to say that UCSB and Long Beach State are the best bets to win the league.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
34 points and 16 rebounds in the Mean Green's 78-73 overtime win at South Alabama.

2. F Jamal Olasewere (Long Island)
29 points and 12 rebounds in the Blackbirds' 87-81 win at Sacred Heart.

3. F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)
31 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the Gaels' 78-72 win at San Diego.

Wednesday Recap: Florida Holds Off Arizona in OT

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:24:35 -0500

Much has been discussed about Florida's deep backcourt, a group that can score in a variety of ways but has some issues with decision-making when it comes to shots. But if anything was learend about what the Gators will need to do in order to achieve their goals it's that those talented guard better be sure to keep the big fella inside happy. Patric Young scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as he was essentially the one player Arizona could not match up with in Florida's 78-72 overtime win.

Young made 12 of 15 shots (all two-pointers) from the field while the other Gators combined to make just nine of twenty-seven, and given their affection for the jump shot that split isn't a huge surprise. Arizona was able to limit Florida's guards for much of the night, with Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker combining to shoot just 5-for-27 from the field. The Wildcats were without the services of point guard Josiah Turner, who missed practice on Tuesday and therefore was suspended.

Sean Miller played all five of his starters at least 32 minutes with senior guard Kyle Fogg playing all 40 minutes, and forward Jesse Perry led the way with 23 points. Arizona clearly won't be looking for any kind of moral victory, but some felt that without Turner the Wildcats were walking into a buzz saw. That clearly wasn't the case, and the hope now is that watching his teammates perform admirably without him will serve as the wake-up call Turner needs.

But back to Florida, who in Young has one of the tougher matchups in the SEC from a physical standpoint. Only twice this season has the sophomore taking ten or more shots, with the first occurrence coming in the Gators' second game of the season. That cannot happen consistently if Florida is to be an SEC title and Final Four contender. The tools in the backcourt can match those of any team in America, but sometimes overuse of the weapons can do more harm than good. Neglecting to get Young consistent touches would be a good example of that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Festus Ezeli returns in Vanderbilt's win at Davidson with noticeable impact.
Some have said in the weeks prior to Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli's return that the big man would be a clear difference-maker for the Commodores as quality big men aren't exactly a dime a dozen at the college level. Others have taken the more cautious approach, stating that Ezeli's return won't solve the team's problems in regards to perimeter defense and their play in tight games down the stretch. But there's no debating the fact that Ezeli is a factor, and his 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks were evidence of that in their 87-83 win at Davidson.

The senior has some work to do in shaking off the rust acquired thanks to a knee injury, and Wednesday's game also displayed how much work Kevin Stallings' team has to do in order to contend in the SEC. Vandy led by as many as 18 points in the second half, and Davidson forwards Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks combined to score 42 points and grab 16 rebounds. Jeffery Taylor led Vandy with 22 points, but if not for Davidson's 5-for-22 shooting from deep the Commodores could have been headed back to Nashville with a loss. So while the return of Ezeli is definitely a positive, don't expect Vanderbilt to think that suddenly things are OK.

2. Illinois holds off St. Bonaventure, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.
Bruce Weber's Fighting Illini are an improved basketball team to this point in the season despite the loss of Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, and sophomore center Meyers Leonard has been one of the Big Ten's most improved players. But there's still some distance to travel for both the Illini and Leonard, and that was apparent in their 48-43 win over St. Bonaventure. Brandon Paul led the way with 17 points and D.J. Richardson added 11, but Leonard took just three shots and scored nine points.

Leonard went up against St. Bonaventure senior Andrew Nicholson, one of the most polished interior players in the country. While Nicholson made just seven of eighteen shots, where he is from a development standpoint is where Illinois likely wants Leonard to be by the time he leaves Champaign. And therein lies the benefit of challenging non-conference games, as it's better to expose the flaws that need to be rectified early as opposed to having league opponents figure them out.

3. Iona comes back from 13 points down to win at Denver in overtime.
One of the big questions ahead of Iona's trip to Denver was how they would handle the altitude and it's possible effects on their desire to run. But by the end of their 80-78 win over the Pioneers it was Tim Cluess' team that looked the fresher thanks to their depth. Randy Dezouvre's jumper with less than two seconds in overtime proved to be the difference as Iona came back from a 13-point second half deficit to hand Denver their first home loss of the season. Momo Jones (21 points), who ran the show at Arizona, looked comfortable in his role which has been more off the ball due to the presence of point guard Scott Machado.

Machado turned the ball over seven times but ran the show well down the stretch and in the extra session, scoring 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Iona also grabbed 41% of their misses on the night, outscoring Denver 15-9 on second-chance points. Brett Olson (20 points) and Chris Udofia (18 points) led the way for the Pioneers, who looked every bit the likely Sun Belt contender for much of the night. But Iona refused to be put away, and their determination was rewared with a win.

Quick Hitters

1. Utah may not win a game against a Division I opponent this season. Far-fetched? Possibly, but the Utes made unfortunate history in their 81-50 loss to Cal-State Fullerton. The Titans handed Utah their worst loss in the history of the Huntsman Center, which opened in 1969. On a more positive note, congratulations to Fullerton head coach Bob Burton on tying a school record with his 139th win at the school.

2. While there's been unfortunate freshman turmoil in the Pac-12 for some teams, Tad Boyle's got himself a good one in Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie scored 15 points in Colorado's 71-64 win over Fresno State and is averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. And Andre Roberson is turning heads as well for CU as he posted his third double-double in the last four games (21 points, 10 rebounds).

3. There's few lines that concern a coach more than the "I have not connected with this team" line that Rutgers head coach Mike Rice said after the Scarlet Knights' 59-57 loss to Princeton. This is a young group but the hard lessons have come a bit more frequently than expected in New Brunswick.

4. The first game without Kyle Bullinger was a rough one for Weber State as they fell 94-66 at BYU. Damian Lillard scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but the loss in the frontcourt proved to be too much to overcome against Noah Hartsock (19 points, 12 rebounds) and the rest of the BYU deep front line.

5. Nevada picked up their second win over a Pac-12 team in less than a week, winning 69-61 at Arizona State. Deonte Burton scored 28 points for the Wolf Pack, who have won six of their last seven on the heels of an 0-2 start.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Patric Young (Florida)
25 points, ten rebounds and two assists in the Gators' 78-72 overtime win over Arizona.

2. F/C Corey Petros (Oakland)
23 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 84-82 loss to Ohio.

3. G Nick Barbour (High Point)
35 points (7-11 3PT), five points and two assists in the Panthers' 87-83 loss to Wake Forest.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:58:30 -0500

With the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on deck for Tuesday and Wednesday, it would be easy to think that the only matchups between ranked teams early in the week can be found on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not so thanks to the matchup between #12 Xavier (4-0) and #22 Vanderbilt (5-1)in Nashville, but while Memorial Gym is always a tough place to play the Commodores have already lost at home once this season (Cleveland State). Two of the best guards in the country will be on display as well, but while both Tu Holloway (Xavier) and John Jenkins (Vanderbilt) can light up the scoreboard they get the job done in drastically different ways.

Holloway (15.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is the floor general for Chris Mack's Musketeers, entrusted with the task of not only scoring himself but also setting up his teammates. The senior has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4 thus far, a big improvement over his ratio (1.6) of a season ago. Joining Holloway in the Xavier backcourt is Mark Lyons (17.8 ppg, 3.8 apg), the team's leading scorer and every bit as attack-minded as Holloway. Another key figure on the perimeter is freshman Dezmine Wells, and the combination of he and Vandy's Jeffery Taylor could deliver some serious above-the-rim highlights.

As for the prolific Jenkins (20.2 ppg, 42.6% 3PT), the key for Xavier will be to make him have to create off the dribble. If the junior is allowed a number of "catch and shoot" opportunities it's going to be a long night for the visitors. Kevin Stallings' team is about more than just Jenkins on offense however, as Taylor and Brad Tinsley both average double figures and forward Lance Goulbourne is just under ten points per game with an average of 9.8. There's no mistaking the fact that the Commodores miss big man Festus Ezeli inside, and they've had to adjust with his knee injury sidelining him until sometime next month.

Goulbourne, Taylor and Steve Tchiengang have been the main contributors on the glass, with Vanderbilt owning a rebounding margin of plus-4.1 on the season. They'll need to get the job done by committee against a team that rebounds in a similar fashion. Lyons, Wells, Kenny Frease (10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Travis Taylor (6.8 rpg) are the team's top four rebounders and Vanderbilt transfer Andre Walker grabs four caroms per contest, and as a team the Musketeers have a rebounding margin of plus-4.3. The difference between the two teams in offensive rebounding rate is about two percentage points in Vanderbilt's favor, so this may be a negligible stat on Monday night.

Two stats to keep an eye on: percentage of points scored from beyond the arc (Vanderbilt gets 32.5% of their points off of threes) and assist percentage (Xavier assists on 60.9% of their passes). Xavier will look to take away the three, something they have to do in order to keep the crowd out of the game. And if Vandy can make the Musketeers go one-on-one for the majority of their baskets (even with Holloway and Lyons), that will raise their defensive efficiency. Look for the Musketeers and Commodores to go right down to the wire.

Also of note is Long Beach State looking to rebound from their loss at Montana with a win at Louisville, with the Cardinals surviving a challenge from Ohio on Friday night. Peyton Siva looked to be fine on his sprained ankle against Ohio, but how he performs against Casper Ware will be something to keep an eye on just a couple days after dealing with the Bobcats' D.J. Cooper. The 49ers tandem of Larry Anderson and T.J. Robinson could prove to be a handful for the Cardinals but in freshman Chane Behanan, Louisville has one of the best freshmen in the Big East.

Akron's trip to West Virginia should also be interesting, especially with Keith Dambrot suspending starting point guard Alex Abreu last week. Quincy Diggs got the start at the point in the Zips' win over Detroit, but this move also required more of players such as Brett McClanahan. Kent State has already won in Morgantown, and it isn't far-fetched to think that WVU could drop to 0-2 at home against the MAC this season. But Bob Huggins' team is back to the old trick that helped the 2010 team get to the Final Four: dominating the offensive boards. West Virginia has rebounded 47% of their misses thus far, with senior Kevin Jones grabbing 5.5 offensive rebounds per game.

LIU's trip to Iona sets up to be a good game despite the Blackbirds' 2-3 start, with the frontcourt battle between Julian Boyd (LIU) and Mike Glover (Iona) being one that viewers should focus on. And Georgia visits Colorado in a matchup of teams still looking to define roles after incurring some heavy personnel losses following last season.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Long Beach State at (7) Louisville (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Jackson State at (8) Memphis (SportSouth)
7:00 PM Stetson vs. (9) Florida* (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (12) Xavier at (22) Vanderbilt (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Jacksonville at (17) Marquette
10:30 PM McNeese State at (18) California

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM IUPUI at Georgetown (MASN)
7:00 PM Swarthmore at Columbia
7:00 PM Akron at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Long Island at Iona
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Kent State
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Lehigh
7:00 PM North Carolina A&T at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Niagara at Saint Francis (PA)
7:30 PM UMBC at Rutgers (RVision)
7:30 PM Austin Peay at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Auburn
8:00 PM Texas-Pan American at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Trevecca Nazarene at Belmont
8:30 PM Georgia at Colorado (Root)
8:30 PM Tabor College at South Dakota
9:00 PM Tennessee at Oakland (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Northern Illinois at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Montana State at San Jose State
10:00 PM Pacific at Stanford
10:00 PM Evergreen State at Seattle
11:00 PM Pepperdine at UCLA (FS PT)

How Will Teams Account for Major Personnel Losses?

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:46:17 -0500

One question that seems to float around college basketball on an annual basis is the "how will they replace..." inquiry. That could apply to just about any player, from a key sub to a starter to a conference player of the year honoree. But the danger of using the word "replace" is that sometimes the departed players is too difficult to account for by simply plugging someone else into their role. According to kenpom.com, these were the top ten players in the country last season in percentage of possessions used:

1 Anatoly Bose (Nicholls St.) 36.7
2 Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 36.4
3 Keion Bell (Pepperdine) 35.7
4 Brandon Bowdry (Eastern Michigan)34.4
5 Adrian Oliver (San Jose State) 33.8
6 Xavier Silas (Northern Illinois) 33.8
7 Will Pratt (Northwestern St.) 33.4
8 Grant Maxey (Jackson State) 33.2
9 Andrew Goudelock (Charleston) 33.1
10 Shawn Lewis (Cal Poly) 32.6

Nine of these players were seniors last season and the tenth (Keion Bell) has since transferred to Missouri, where he will have one year of eligibility in 2012-13 after sitting out this season (11th on the list is Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, one of the better guards in America who gets limited national exposure). But the question for each of these teams is how they go about redistributing the possessions that went to these players.

It goes without saying how important a Fredette or Goudelock was to their team last season, which makes it so difficult to simply say that they need to be "replaced". Attempting to replace a player of this influence can get teams in trouble, so the sooner a program figures out how to make up for the departure the better.

"At first we thought we could just run the same stuff and I was wrong," said College of Charleston head coach Bobby Cremins in a phone conversation last week. "We added some new stuff, went back and forth and then realized that we had to change."

The changes were all about comfort for the Cougars, who not only lost Goudelock but also guard Donovan Monroe (12.4 ppg) and forward Jeremy Simmons (13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Goudelock and Monroe were responsible for 56.5% of Charleston's made three pointers in 2010-11, meaning that the Cougars will need multiple players to step up in that department.

One option: point guard Andrew Lawrence, who gained experience playing with the English National Team during the summer, and 74% of his points last season came from beyond the arc. Coach Cremins noted that Lawrence's experience this summer was a great one, and the starting point guard has the ability to set up teammates in addition to knock down shots. Obviously Lawrence's role will expand, but to expect him to pick up where Goudelock left off would be unfair.

In additon to Lawrence on the perimeter there are three players competing for the starting shooting guard role, with one of those options being Jordan Scott. Scott scored a team-high 23 points in their exhibition win over Queens College and 15 in the win over Limestone, but by no means did that lock up the starting nod, as Nori Johnson and Trevonte Dixon will also get opportunities to produce. In speaking with Coach Cremins he was still looking for improvement from Scott, and as the temperament improves his game should as well.

Charleston will also call on their lone returning starter for offense, and after missing the 2009-10 season due to a knee injury Antwaine Wiggins should be fully recovered. Wiggins averaged 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, making 51.1% of his two-point attempts and just 35.3% from beyond the arc. That percentage needs to improve if he's to raise his scoring, and that was a point of emphasis for the Cougars.

"He's playing well and trying to become a better shooter [form-wise]," noted Cremins. "He can be an NBA player if his shot improves."

Charleston also has the tough Trent Wiedeman in the frontcourt, but the loss of Willis Hall places a little more pressure on freshman Adjehi Baru, and the Cougars will have a chance to be a factor in the SoCon if the highly-touted newcomer is a factor. Charleston is young and has some big production losses to account for, but the Cougars have plenty back when compared with Colorado.

It's been well-documented the situation that Tad Boyle is in as the Buffaloes begin their first season in the Pac-12. In Alec Burks, Cory Higgins, Levi Knutson and Marcus Relphorde the Buffs lost 75% of their offense from last season's 24-14 team, meaning that there's a strong chance that they won't be able to simply look for guys to replicate the production of that quartet.

"We're not changing our system but adjustments need to be made," said Colorado head coach Tad Boyle. "We've stressed not trying to have a player be one of the departed, but to be themselves and understand why [the departed players] were successful and add to their games."

One player who will need to make this transition is point guard Nate Tomlinson, who had the luxury of being able to get the ball to players such as Burks and Higgins, who could then make a play and score baskets. "Nate has to be more of a playmaker himself and become more aggressive, but not just in terms of scoring," noted Boyle.

Tomlinson accounted for just 3.5% of the Buffaloes' points last season, but look for that number to increase by a substantial amount out of necessity. But he isn't the only player Colorado will call on for points, as a pair of seniors will also need to be involved. Forward Austin Dufault (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and guard Carlon Brown (Utah transfer) will also be key cogs in the Buffaloes' up-tempo system, and how they execute in their "secondary break" will be something to watch.

"Last year's team was good at taking care of the basketball and we have to continue that," said Boyle when asked what his team will need to do offensively this season. "We have to be patient offensively, and we're having issues with that now. We don't have a Burks or Higgins to make plays in our secondary break."

Can Brown do that? He's got the athletic ability to do so as do freshmen Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie, and sophomore Andre Roberson will also be called upon in the frontcourt. And in Dufault the Buffaloes have a big man who can score either inside or out. Coach Boyle noted that Dufault has to do a good job of understanding his matchup and knowing where his advantage is in order to be successful.

How teams go about accounting for major personnel losses will be something to keep an eye on, not just in the distribution from a numbers standpoint but also in what kinds of sets they run. Teams who could give the ball to a dominant figure and ask him to make a play might have to do more work off the ball to get good scoring opportunities, but the thought of simply replacing a player is a simplistic one. Look out for this in the first month of the season, as how this is handled will shape the seasons of many teams.

Some Other Teams to Watch

Arizona: The Wildcats not only lost a lottery pick in forward Derrick Williams but an assertive point guard in Lamont "MoMo" Jones (transferred to Iona). That means that the Wildcats will be young at the point with either sophomore Jordin Mayes or freshman Josiah Turner, and they don't have a big man on the block that can take the ball and get the team a basket whenever. More will be asked of Solomon Hill on the wing, senior Kyle Fogg is experienced as well and the sooner Kevin Parrom can return the better.

BYU: This one is pretty obvious due to the graduation of Jimmer Fredette, but don't forget about what Jackson Emery brought to the Cougars as well. The good news for Dave Rose is that Charles Abouo and Noah Hartsock return, as does Brandon Davies (suspended for an honor code violation late last season). The Cougars may have to rely more on their big men for points, especially early in the season, and it's going to be interesting to see how they incorporate UCLA transfer Matt Carlino once he's eligible in December.

Connecticut: The Huskies were a young team last year, but losing a player the caliber of Kemba Walker is a big deal, especially with freshman Ryan Boatright sitting per NCAA inquiry. That puts more on the plate of Shabazz Napier, and look for wing Jeremy Lamb to be used at the point on occasion as well. Lamb's best role offensively may end up being one similar to how Richard Hamilton was used during his time in Storrs, as Lamb is also a tough matchup coming off of screens.

Hofstra: Charles Jenkins left Hempstead as the greatest player in the history of the school, so there really isn't a way to simply plug someone into his open spot. Rhode Island transfer Steve Mejia is more of a distributor than scorer at the point, but in shooting guard Mike Moore the Pride have a player capable of assuming that alpha role on offense. Bryant Crowder, Nathaniel Lester and David Imes will also have roles that are larger than they would have been with a player of Jenkins' caliber still on campus.

Jackson State: Losing Grant Maxey, who was responsible for 33.2% of the Tigers' possessions last season, is a tough departure to account for but he's not the only loss for JSU. De'Suan Dixon and Tyrone Hanson were also significant contributors according to Ken Pomeroy's numbers, leaving Jenniro Bush as the main option. Bush was named Preseason POY in the SWAC, and JSU will need that kind of production to account for the loss of four starters.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have to account for the loss of not just the Morrii (Marcus and Markieff) but also Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar, their most successful three-point shooters with regards to number of shots made and percentage (Markieff Morris shot 42% from three but on nearly have as many attempts). Junior forward Thomas Robinson will be the primary option on the block, but it doesn't help that guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Robinson have both been suspended already (only for the two exhibition games).

St. John's: Who didn't the Red Storm lose? Other than Malik Stith, who played just 12.2 minutes per game last season, no one of consequence returns from that NCAA Tournament team. But the newcomers are extremely talented, led by junior college transfers Nurideen Lindsey and God'sgift Achiuwa and freshmen Maurice Harkless and Sir'Dominic Pointer. To say the least this thin roster will need to remain healthy, and possible mid-season additions Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett would be welcomed with open arms.

Poll: Which Bubble Team Got Slighted the Most?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:21:22 -0400

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Good Day For Bubble Teams

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:21:28 -0500

The bubble has been so bad that we've become used to the sight of someone else shooting themselves in the foot. But outside of losses incurred by Colorado State (to a New Mexico team that could work its way back into the conversation), UAB (in overtime to East Carolina) and Washington State (to Washington) it was a good day for the teams most in need of wins at this stage in the season. On the flip side of Washington State's misfortune despite a performance for the ages from Klay Thompson was the second half revival for Washington, with C.J. Wilcox knocking down five three pointers and Isaiah Thomas making some big plays to wake up the somnambulant Huskies. Now faced with a semifinal against upstart Oregon, Washington could very well duplicate last year's run to the conference tournament title in terms of sheer effectiveness.

Boston College and Virginia Tech got the job done in Greensboro, taking care of Wake Forest and Georgia Tech respectively to advance to Friday's quarterfinals. There wasn't a whole lot to see in either contest from a suspense standpoint but that should change as the Eagles face Clemson and Virginia Tech takes on Florida State in important matchups today. And while further down the list according to many, Maryland kept their hopes alive with a win over NC State that they made more difficult than they had to. Next up for the Terrapins is a matchup with Duke, and a win there would go a long way in reviving their slim NCAA Tournament hopes.

In the SEC Tournament there was really one game to keep a keen eye on, with Georgia expected to take out Auburn on their way to a matchup with Alabama on Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs did just that, beating the Tigers 69-51 and setting up a massive contest with the Crimson Tide on Friday afternoon. And then there's the case of Colorado, who beat Kansas State for the third time in the Big 12 quarters to set up a semifinal matchup with Kansas and likely punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Cory Higgins scored 28 points and Alec Burks added 24, six rebounds and five assists for the Buffaloes.

Lastly there are those who simply survived, with Michigan State and Memphis hanging on to keep themselves afloat. Given the overall strength of schedule for the Spartans they're likely in good shape, but that could have been thrown into doubt with a loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. And Memphis had to beat Southern Miss in the Conference USA quarterfinals, with that tournament possibly coming down to a showdown between the Tigers and host UTEP on Saturday. How many of these teams actually make the field of 68 remains to be seen, but the longer clubs can put off having to plead their case the better off they are. Keep winning.

Other Notable Happenings

1. UConn notches a big win while St. John's suffers a key personnel loss.
Thursday's 76-74 win over top-seed Pittsburgh in the Big East quarterfinals may be the latest sign that the kids will be alright for Jim Calhoun. Kemba Walker will get the majority of the attention for his 22 points, capped by a filthy step-back jumper as time expired to win the game. But there are other positives to be found in this win for UConn, who moves on to face Syracuse in the semifinals on Friday. Jeremy Lamb scored 17 points and Alex Oriakhi rebounded from a foul-prone start to finish with 13 points and seven rebounds. Shabazz Napier scored 10 points off the bench and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel grabbed a critical offensive rebound to set up the final sequence. But most importantly the Huskies rose to the challenge with regards to their toughness, something that did not happen when these two played in the Big East opener for both on December 28th. They're maturing at just the right time.

On the other side of the coin is St. John's, whose loss of senior wing D.J. Kennedy far outweighs their 79-70 loss to Syracuse that was closer than the score would indicate. Kennedy went down in the first half with a knee injury, immediately motioning to the bench that something was wrong. And after an MRI on Thursday night the fears of the program were confirmed: a torn ACL that will keep Kennedy out of the upcoming NCAA Tournament. But the Red Storm were also able to go with a different look, going big with Justin Brownlee, Justin Burrell and Sean Evans across the front line. The key for St. John's next week: improve on the boards. One day after giving up 18 offensive rebounds in their win over Rutgers, St. John's gave up 16 to Syracuse (C.J. Fair had seven). And while he may have had just one of those offensive boards that didn't stop Fab Melo from having the performance of his career with 12 points (Brandon Triche led the way with 22, six rebounds and five assists). Losing Kennedy is big for St. John's but for a senior class that's overcome quite a bit it's just one more hurdle they're capable of clearing.

2. BYU and New Mexico win, setting up Round Three in Las Vegas.
Opportunities to play your way into the NCAA Tournament abound this time of the year, and with their win over Colorado State on Thursday the New Mexico Lobos get one more shot at BYU. Steve Alford's team won both regular season meetings for the second consecutive season, and their size with A.J. Hardeman and Drew Gordon can give the Cougars fits due to their depleted numbers up front. Gordon grabbed 13 rebounds and Hardeman nine against Colorado State, and Kendall Williams scored 16 points to lead the Lobos despite cold afternoons from Dairese Gary and Phillip McDonald. McDonald has played well against BYU this season, scoring 26 in the win in Provo, and given how BYU struggled to put away TCU on Thursday it would not be a surprise if New Mexico were to beat them a third time.

3. Moments of brain lock doom both Oklahoma State and Virginia.
Two teams blew golden opportunities to advance on Thursday, with Oklahoma State's final play netting nothing more than a challenged three despite their being down by just one point (63-62). With a win the Cowboys get the chance to play for a spot in the Big 12 title game and possibly work their way into the at-large discussion. Instead, they're most likely headed to the NIT. But Virginia took the cake with the collapse of the day (Akron did blow a 20-point lead but at least they found a way to win), fumbling away a 10-point lead with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Miami was able to get the game to overtime and even had a chance to win it but Julian Gamble's shot from mid-court fell short at the horn, winning 69-62 over a Cavalier team that looked thoroughly defeated at the end of regulation. At 16-15 an NIT berth is possible but given the number of regular season champions who have lost in their conference tournaments those chances may not be as good as hoped.

Top Three Games

1. Connecticut 76, Pittsburgh 74

2. Akron 82, Miami (Ohio) 75 (2OT)
Akron led by as many as 20 points in regulation before having to survive to get the game into overtime. But the RedHawks missed their final eight free throws to suffer a crushing defeat in a MAC quarterfinal. Brett McClanahan scored 20 points to lead the Zips while Orlando Williams (16 points) and Julian Mavunga (14 points, 18 rebounds) led Miami.

3. Washington 89, Washington State 87
Klay Thompson (Pac-10 Tournament record 43 points) was sensational all game but it wasn't enough to combat the big shots provided by Isaiah Thomas and C.J. Wilcox in the final game of the night in Los Angeles. Thomas finished with 21 points, 11 assists and three steals to lead the Huskies.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Klay Thompson (Washington State)
43 points, six rebounds and two steals in the Cougars' 89-87 loss to rival Washington in the Pac-10 quarters.

2. G Juice Thompson (Northwestern)
35 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Wildcats' 75-65 win over Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

3. G Aaron Johnson (UAB)
39 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Blazers' 75-70 overtime loss to East Carolina in the Conference USA quarters.