Creighton

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:17:47 -0500

The matchup between the two best teams in the SEC was expected to be a competitive affair, one that would challenge John Calipari's squad and show how much of a national title contender they really are. The answer was an emphatic one, as Kentucky controlled the game on both ends of the floor in a 78-58 win that didn't seem all that close in the second half. Doron Lamb scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures (and Darius Miller scored nine points) while both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Marquis Teague (12 points, ten assists) posted double-doubles.

This wasn't just a win over a Top 10 opponent but rather a thorough beating that should put the rest of the country on notice. The Wildcats' effort on the defensive end of the floor will likely receive the lion's share of the headlines as they limited Florida to 34.9% shooting from the field and 6-for-27 from three, resulting in the Gators' worst shooting performance in SEC play (according to Statsheet.com's numbers their loss at Tennessee was Florida's worst from an efficiency standpoint). But Kentucky's offensive performance was also excellent as they shot 52.7% from two and 60% from three, finishing the game with a staggering efficiency of 132.2 and the much-maligned point guard was a big reason why.

"What about Marquis Teague? 12 points, 10 assists," noted Calipari after the game. "He is playing, getting everybody shots. He ended the half Doron three, Doron three. He got him those shots. That gave us some breathing room, up 12. He played well. Doron made shots. Darius made shots. We played pretty good."

As a team the Wildcats finished with 18 assists, five more than their season average and six players had at least one helper on the night. Outside of Kenny Boynton (4-8 3PT, 18 points) no one could really get going for the Gators, and Teague's defensive effort against Erving Walker was a sight to behold as well. Walker was held scoreless as he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with just one assist, by far his worst outing of the season.

Should we be ready to crown Kentucky on the heels of this performance? No, because there's still plenty of basketball to be played. But if anything was learned from the Wildcats' performance it's that knocking off a group that still has its best basketball ahead of it will be extremely difficult to do. And that message is magnified within the SEC, because even with road games at Vanderbilt and Florida still on the schedule there won't be many willing to bet against Kentucky.

"You could say that. They've proven it," said Boynton when asked if the result showed just how far Kentucky is ahead of the rest of the SEC. "They've beaten good teams by twenty, the last teams they played."

Other Notable Happenings

1. William Buford's play down the stretch the difference in Ohio State's win over Purdue.
The senior, who by the end of his career at Ohio State could be the school's all-time leading scorer, tends to be the forgotten member of the trio that includes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. But with those two on the bench dealing with foul trouble in the latter stages of the second half (and Sullinger being lost late due to a hip injury suffered in a hard fall) it was Buford who stepped up, going on a personal 7-0 run to give Ohio State the lead for good in an 87-84 win. Buford finished with a career-high 29 points on the night, and the foul line was just as important in the Buckeyes' victory.

Ohio State made 26 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe while Purdue finished 17-for-25. D.J. Byrd was outstanding for the Boilermakers as he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his foul issues kept him off the floor at what would turn out to be the turning point of the game. Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while Craft finished with 13 and two assists, but Tuesday's game served as a reminder to those who take Buford for granted just how important he is to the Ohio State attack.

2. Creighton loses at Evansville, dropping down to second place in the Missouri Valley.
The Bluejays hit the road on Tuesday night in their final game before hosting Wichita State on Saturday with first place in the Valley on the line. But life on the road is difficult, something Greg McDermott's team learned at the hands of Marty Simmons' Evansville Aces, who closed the game on a 13-1 run and handed Creighton a 65-57 loss to drop the Bluejays into second place. The biggest issue for Creighton was turnovers, as they turned the ball over 16 times in a sixty possession game (26.7% turnover percentage). That's a big deal, even in a game in which Evansville scored just 14 points off of turnovers (Creighton scored 13 points on nine Evansville turnovers).

Add in Creighton shooting 4-for-22 from three (Evansville finished 3-for-8) and you've got the recipe for an upset. Doug McDermott finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays while Colt Ryan led Evansville with 14 points despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field. The best Creighton can do against Wichita State now is tie for the league lead with a win on Saturday, and the fact that they won the first meeting would give them the tiebreaker should they do so.

3. Le'Bryan Nash leads Oklahoma State past Iowa State, handing the Cyclones a critical loss.
There hasn't been much separating Iowa State and Oklahoma State this season, with Scott Christopherson's three as time expired giving the Cyclones the win in the first meeting this season. Oklahoma State got their revenge on Tuesday night as freshman Le'Bryan Nash knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining gave the Pokes a 69-67 lead, and his block of a Chris Allen shot shortly thereafter gave them the win.

Nash was one of four Cowboys to finish in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds and the high-flying Markel Brown led the way with 19, but while the Pokes are certainly talented this result hurts the Cyclone resume as they look to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. Iowa State shot just 38.4% from two, a number that hurt them far more than the 38.1% from three as Oklahoma State was far more effective inside of the arc (58.8%). Allen (22 points) and Royce White (15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) led the way for Iowa State but they shot a combined 13-for-33 in doing so.

Quick Hitters

1. As first reported by Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Memphis has accepted an invitation to join the Big East with a teleconference schedule for Wednesday morning. With the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia the league needed to boost its hoops profile, and adding the Tigers should do just that.

2. Eric Griffin scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Campbell won 81-75 at Coastal Carolina. Not to be ignored are guards Darren White and Lorne Merthie, who combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Camels. Coastal Carolina is still in good shape to lock down the two-seed (up two games in the loss column with two games in hand) but the loss means it will be even tougher to catch 13-1 UNC Asheville.

3. Despite six first half three pointers from Bryce Cotton, Providence couldn't shut the door on Villanova. Villanova would trail by as many as 19 points before storming back to beat the Friars 74-72 on a JayVaughn Pinkston basket in the final seconds. Pinkston scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his best performance as a Wildcat.

4. There's no better team to see if you're a Big 12 team in a funk than Texas Tech, who fell to 0-11 in conference play with a 65-46 loss at Kansas State. Shane Southwell led three Wildcats in double figures with 13 points off the bench, and K-State's parade to the foul line (30-for-40) negated the fact that they shot just 30% from the field.

5. The ACC's leading scorer was at it again, as Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin scored 27 points in the Terrapins' 64-62 win over Clemson. Efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference as Maryland made eight of eleven while the Tigers finished 7-for-20.

Three Notable Performances

1. F JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova)
28 points, 14 rebounds and one game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 74-72 win over Providence.

2. F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
25 points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the Camels' 81-75 win over Coastal Carolina.

3. G William Buford (Ohio State)
29 points, seven rebounds in the Buckeyes' 84-81 win over Purdue.

Saturday Recap: Missouri's Finishing Kick Proves to Be the Difference

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:43:04 -0500

Rivalry games bring more to the table when it comes to intensity, and that was definitely the case in the battle between #4 Missouri and #8 Kansas in Columbia on Saturday night. In a game that featured many momentum swings and neither team leading by more than eight points, it was Frank Haith's Tigers who landed the final blow. Kansas led 71-63 with 3:25 remaining but they would not score again, as Missouri finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 74-71. Marcus Denmon, who entered the game having made just 34.9% of his shots in Big 12 play, shot 10-for-16 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points to lead the way.

"He made some tough shots," said Haith. "He got into a rhythm and when Marcus gets into a rhythm he can rattle off a few shots in a row. And I think at that point in time he just got in a rhythm."

But Denmon wasn't the only star for the Tigers, with Kim English scoring 18 points and Michael Dixon Jr. adding 15 off the bench. English received a lot of attention from the Kansas defense due to his three-point shooting ability but the senior from Baltimore made things happen in other ways. The foul line was huge for the Tigers, as their shot 14-for-20 from the charity stripe with Kansas making five of nine and being called for ten more fouls (20-10). Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor added 21, but the Missouri comeback was aided by player control fouls called on both down the stretch.

Robinson's fourth foul with 1:45 remaining ultimately led to a Denmon three to make the score 71-69, and Taylor's foul with ten seconds remaining led to a pair of Dixon Jr. free throws to give Missouri a 74-71 lead. Elijah Johnson ended up with the ball in his hands in the final seconds but he hesitated, eventually having to put up a highly-contested shot as time expired. Kansas played with a great deal of poise for just over 36 minutes, but when the Jayhawks needed sound execution to close out the contest the Tigers proved to be too much.

"We definitely did it to ourselves," remarked Jeff Withey when asked about the decisive stretch. "We had the lead and if we would have just held onto the ball, I think it would have been a way different outcome."

The end result: a three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri boasting a 2-0 record vs. Kansas and Baylor. Ricardo Ratliffe was quiet due to his being in foul trouble for much of the night but others stepped up to help the Tigers hold their own on the glass. Denmon grabbed nine rebounds and five other players grabbed at least two as Missouri was out-rebounded by just three (29-26) on the night. Continue to point out Missouri's lack of size if you wish, but it should be pretty clear by now that they've got more than enough to compete for a national title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Memphis comes back from ten down in the second half to beat Xavier, picking up a needed non-conference victory.
There was no mistaking how important the contest between Xavier and Memphis was for both teams with regards to their NCAA resumes, and the Musketeers looked to be well on their way to the key win. A Dezmine Wells three-point play with 6:16 remaining gave Xavier a 62-51 lead, but Josh Pastner's team refused to lie down. A Wesley Witherspoon three started a 17-1 run over the next six minutes, and Memphis would put away the 72-68 win from the foul line (Joe Jackson hit all four of his free throws to seal the deal). The question is which team needed the win more, and while it was vital for both teams a look at their remaining schedules will reveal the answer. Memphis won't have another shot at an RPI Top 50 win the remainder of the regular season while Xavier still has matchups with Temple and Saint Louis (both on the road) to deal with.

2. Florida State holds off Virginia at home to remain tied atop the ACC.
Low-scoring games tend to amp up those who feel that basketball has to be high-scoring in order to entertain, and those who took this route missed a very good battle in Tallahassee. Okaro White scored 13 points off the bench and Xavier Gibson added ten as Florida State won their seventh straight game to move to 7-1 in the ACC as they beat Virginia 58-55. Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 16 apiece to lead the Cavaliers and Malcolm Brogdon added ten off the bench, but the struggles of Sammy Zeglinski (2-for-7, five points) down the stretch were just one reason why the Hoos were unable to pick up what would have been a very good road victory. In a game that finished with 63 possessions it was Florida State's work on the offensive glass (OR% of 34.3%) that made the difference (12-7 edge in second-chance points). Work of art? No, especially with the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. But it definitely was an entertaining show that the ACC's two best defensive teams put forth in Tallahassee.

3. Notre Dame puts it to Marquette in the second half to move to 7-3 in the Big East.
Once again Mike Brey is one of the favorites in the race for Big East Coach of the Year, as a team that looked to be well on its way to the NIT (or worse) in December finds itself in the thick of the race for second place. The Irish shot 57.7% from the field in the second half as they ran away from #15 Marquette to win 76-59, moving to within a half-game of second place as a result. Freshman Pat Connaughton led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 23 points, and the growth of he, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant has played a huge role in Notre Dame not only surviving but thriving in dealing with life without the injured Tim Abromaitis. Grant's versatility was on display against Marquette, as he not only scored 11 points but dished out a team-high eight assists while Atkins scored 18. The play of Syracuse has turned the Big East into a league that will offer more suspense in the race for second, and at this point Notre Dame is just as capable as anyone else to grab that spot.

4. Iona's second half execution on both ends of the floor too much for Manhattan.
At the under-8 media timeout in the first meeting between the rivals separated by just nine miles, Iona held a 67-49 lead in a game that would eventually end on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired (75-72 Manhattan win). No such heroics this time around as the Gaels made sure to not allow the Jaspers to storm back, winning 85-73 thanks to improved play on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Iona limited the quality looks for George Beamon, who finished with 26 points after scoring 19 in the first half, and as a team Manhattan shot just 38.2% from the field. Mike Glover led a balanced attack with 19 points and seven rebounds while Scott Machado (nine assists) and Momo Jones scored 18 apiece for the Gaels, who remain in first place with the win. Next up for Iona is a trip to Loyola (MD) on Friday night, which could also be a battle for first is the Greyhounds take care of business against Saint Peter's.

5. George Mason hangs on at home to beat ODU, resulting in a three-way tie atop the CAA.
Paul Hewitt's Patriots have now won seven of their last eight games, rebounding from a loss to Delaware to beat ODU 54-50 in a matchup of two of the four teams that entered Saturday tied for first in the CAA. George Mason got the job done by doing something simple in the second half: they made shots. GMU shot just 20% from the field in the first half, trailing 26-20 at the break and their 12 turnovers didn't help matters either. The second half was a different story as the Patriots shot 41.2% from the field while also refusing to settle for threes as they did in the first. George Mason's parade to the foul line (19-for-23 in the second half, 27-for-35 for the game) would prove to be the difference as the Patriots outscored the Monarchs by 17 from the charity stripe. VCU and Drexel are a part of the tie at this point, and while Mason doesn't play Drexel again (the Dragos won the first meeting) they do get two shots at VCU. Can someone in this group earn an at-large berth? The possibility is definitely there at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. No Kevin Parrom to start the trip and no Jordin Mayes on Saturday as well, but that didn't stop Arizona from beating Stanford 56-43 in Palo Alto. That completes the Wildcats' road sweep of the Bay Area schools and keeps them two games back the Pac-12 behind Washington. Kyle Fogg led four players in double figures with 14 points and the Wildcats limited Stanford to 25.4% shooting from the field.

2. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana past Purdue 78-61, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Boilermakers and moving the Hoosiers to 6-6 in the Big Ten. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 16 points and ten rebounds, but Purdue shot just 29.6% from the field in the loss.

3. One team that picked up a much-needed win for their resume was Wyoming, who knocked off #13 UNLV 68-66 in Laramie. Leonard Washington and Paco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Luke Martinez 15 as the Cowboys made up for a disappointing loss to TCU earlier in the week. Larry Shyatt deserves a little more pub nationally than he's received for the Pokes' 18-5 start.

4. How the Atlantic 10 will shake out from an NCAA tournament bid standpoint has been one of the major points of conversation recently, but there may not be much doubt as to who the best team is. Temple sits alone in first place due to their 73-56 win over Rhode Island and La Salle's 70-66 loss to Saint Joseph's. The Owls' perimeter trio of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt may be the best in the A-10, something that seemed preposterous to suggest before the season started due to the presence of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons at Xavier.

5. There's now a tie for first in the Missouri Valley as Northern Iowa knocked off #12 Creighton 65-62 on an Anthony James three as time expired. Wichita State took advantage of this, beating Indiana State 71-66 behind Garrett Stutz' 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. The February 11th rematch in Omaha (Creighton won the first meeting) will likely determine the top seed in Arch Madness.

6. Nevada took their first loss in WAC play as they fell 72-68 to Idaho in Reno. Kyle Barone scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Vandals, who were able to take advantage of Dario Hunt and Malik Story combining to shoot 3-for-12 from the field. While the Wolf Pack are 19-4 overall (8-1 WAC) this is a tough loss to take in regards to a possible at-large bid should they need it (entered the week with an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 182 per the NCAA's numbers). That Sears BracketBusters game at Iona became a lot more important for the visitors.

7. While much of the country focused on the Kansas/Missouri battle there was a big matchup in the Big West, with the winner likely emerging as the biggest threat to Long Beach State in the conference tournament. Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton squad made quite the statement, beating UCSB 99-86 thanks in large part to 37 points from Kwame Vaughn and 25 from Isiah Umipig. Fullerton shot 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 17-for-26 from three to move into a tie for second with UCSB.

8. The majority of the talk surrounding the Conference USA race has centered around the four teams that looked to have the best shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But don't forget about Tulsa, who beat Marshall 79-70 at home to move to 7-2 in league play. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have won seven straight and while they do have to visit Southern Miss, Tulsa gets Memphis at home in the regular season finale.

9. Yes Fab Melo returned to the lineup for #2 Syracuse, but while the big man is definitely a major part of their plans to say his return was the only reason for the Orange's 95-70 win over St. John's would be short-sighted. Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair each scored 14 points and Michael Carter-Williams 13 off the bench and five Syracuse players finished in double figures.

10. Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and corralled ten rebounds as #3 Ohio State avenged last season's loss in Madison with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin. Deshaun Thomas added 16 for the Buckeyes while Wisconsin was done in by their 5-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.

11. There have, and will be, matchups in which it looks unfair to have teams play #1 Kentucky. That's what happened to South Carolina, who was in over their heads in the 86-52 pasting that wasn't that close. Anthony Davis missed out on that elusive triple-double but 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks is nothing to scoff at. It will be fun to see how #11 Florida matches up with the Wildcats on Tuesday night, as the Gators may be the "last stand" for the rest of the SEC.

12. Florida took care of business at home with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt in Gainesville with Kenny Boynton (18 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points, seven rebounds) leading four players in double figures. Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 25 points and John Jenkins added 15 but it's tough to win anywhere much less in the O-Dome when you shoot 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.

13. Without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines it was time for the Connecticut Huskies to step up both their play and their leadership. That happened, as UConn beat a Seton Hall team without the services of Herb Pope 69-46 in what would turn out to be a bad afternoon for Big East coaches from the Garden State. Kevin Willard would get ejected in the loss (Rutgers' Mike Rice was run at Louisville), the sixth in a row for the Pirates. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 for UConn.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Kwame Vaughn and G Isiah Umipig (Cal State Fullerton)
Vaughn put up 37 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB while Umipig added 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

2. F Josten Thomas (Hawai'i)
29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Warriors' 83-81 overtime win at San Jose State.

3. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
40 points (9-14 3PT), four rebounds and four assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 74-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
34 points (12-18 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Wildcats' 93-81 win over Northern Colorado. It's beyond time that Lillard receive some National Player of the Year pub.

5. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
29 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 74-71 win over #8 Kansas.

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:15:48 -0500

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.

Wednesday Recap: Oklahoma State Beats #2 Missouri

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Four Notable Performances

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

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

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

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

Wednesday Recap: Kilpatrick Lifts Cincinnati Past UConn

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:31:06 -0500

Following Shabazz Napier's game-tying three-pointer most coaches would choose to call a timeout to draw up a play, risking the chance of the defense aligning and taking away the primary scoring option. But with the man he wanted to take the final shot already in possession of the basketball, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin decided against calling a timeout and as a result his Bearcats are now 5-1 in the Big East. Sean Kilpatrick, who led five Cincinnati players in double figures with 16 points, knocked down a three with 2.7 seconds remaining to give the Bearcats the 70-67 victory.

"I was watching just to make sure he or Dion [Dixon] had the ball," said Cronin of their final offensive sequence. "It's to the point with both of those guys with their ability to score off the dribble, and make shots. If he would have hesitated, I would have called a timeout."

Napier led all scorers with 27 points and Jeremy Lamb added 14 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists despite Jim Calhoun not thinking much of his performance, but UConn was done in by the fact that they didn't receive much from their frontcourt despite playing a team that's made its living of late by playing small. Starting forwards Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi combined for just six points and twelve rebounds, while reserves Roscoe Smith and Tyler Olander added a combined eight points and seven rebounds off the bench. UConn grabbed 44% of their missed shots but due to the lack of production inside the Huskies were unable to take advantage of the edge they had on paper entering the contest.

"When you start the game with a 6-10, 280 pound guy, and another guy 6-9, 245 pounds, and they can't rebound, or you can't throw them the ball, or they're getting backed down into the post, you've got a problem," said Calhoun of his starting big men. "That was our game plan. And that didn't work out very well for us."

Cincinnati's undergone quite the transformation in winning ten of eleven games since the blowout loss and brawl at Xavier, and not just in regards to their style of play. While guards such as Kilpatrick, Dixon and Cashmere Wright have more leeway to make plays offensively, the Bearcats are a more unified team as well. Yancy Gates (13 points, 12 rebounds) has accepted his new role and has been productive in it, and that's one more reason why Cincinnati is currently the answer to the trendy "who's the second-best team in the Big East" question.

Of course with games against West Virginia and Syracuse next on the schedule the Bearcats stand the chance of losing, but that shouldn't nullify the potential shown at Gampel Pavilion. Cincinnati believes is Coach Cronin's plan, and just as importantly they believe in each other. And that's an attitude that wasn't always on display on the court, making the Bearcats all the more dangerous throughout the remainder of the regular season and even into the postseason.

"Coming into Gampel and getting a win is huge. Obviously, they have a great team and arguably the best coach in college basketball," said Cronin. "It's a big win for us but you've got to win these kinds of games if you're going to compete for the Big East championship."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana takes their foot off the gas and ends up losing their third straight game.
With 7:06 remaining Tom Crean's Hoosiers led Nebraska 60-49 and looked to be well on their way to leaving Lincoln with a win to snap their two-game losing streak. But Indiana played the game as if it were over from that point forward, and they paid dearly as Nebraska scored 21 of the game's final 30 points to win 70-69. Jorge Brian Diaz's two free throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Nebraska their first lead of the game at just the right time, completing a rally that happened despite shooting just 34.4% from the field in the second half. Nebraska scored 16 points off of 15 Indiana turnovers while also limiting the Hoosiers to just two second-chance points on the night.

And the Huskers also did a good job of keeping Christian Watford (eight points, ten rebounds) and Victor Oladipo (five points, four assists) quiet. Watford's play is one example of what's plagued the Hoosiers during this current stretch, as they haven't played consistently at the level that made wins over Kentucky and Ohio State possible. That's the next step Indiana needs to take in their climb back, and they've found out the last three games that the return to prominence is just as much about the "routine" victories as it is the headline-grabbing results.

2. San Diego State remains composed and ends up winning at New Mexico as a result.
Down 10-0 in one of the nation's toughest environments would be a convenient reason for many teams to simply lie down and take their beating. That wasn't the case for Steve Fisher's Aztecs, who got back into the game by going on a 12-2 run and eventually beat New Mexico 75-70 in front of a stunned crowd at The Pit. Xavier Thames led the way with 22 points and four assists for SDSU, who is tied for first place in the Mountain West with Colorado State as a result of the win, and the limited the Lobos to 39.1% shooting on the night. How'd SDSU do it defensively? They kept New Mexico off the foul line (3-7 FT), and while scoring 55.7% of your points from beyond the arc would be good for most teams that wasn't necessarily the case for the home team.

Phillip McDonald scored 20 points (6-9 3PT), Kendall Williams 16 and Drew Gordon 15 to lead New Mexico, but their inability to get inside of the three-point line resulted many times in them having to fire away from deep. And while they entered the game having scored 32% of their points from deep, New Mexico also scored 22% of their points from the foul line. San Diego State was the team that stayed with their game plan and as a result they're the ones who remained atop the Mountain West at the end of the night.

3. Creighton and Wichita State both win, giving the MVC race even more clarity.
Entering Wednesday's action the Bluejays and Shockers were tied atop the Missouri Valley standings with 6-1 records, holding a two-game lead on Missouri State and Drake. Thanks to wins by both (Creighton over Missouri State and Wichita State over Northern Iowa) there's even more clarity with regards to the MVC race, with Drake being the lone team within two games of first place. In Wichita State's 71-68 win at UNI Toure Murry scored a game-high 24 points and Garrett Stutz once again came up big on the road with 17 and nine rebounds (Stutz entered the game averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in five road games). Another reason why the Shockers won was the foul line, where they made 20 of 24 attempts.

As for Creighton life on the road was difficult but just like Wichita State it was rewarding as well, as two Missouri State misses in the final ten seconds locked up the 66-65 victory. Gregory Echenique bounced back from a poor performance in the first meeting to score 16 points and grab seven rebounds while Doug McDermott added 15 and six, and Grant Gibbs and Antoine Young scored nine points apiece. Creighton turned the ball over 14 times to just three for Missouri State, but the Bluejays made up for that by limiting the Bears to 39.1% shooting. Kyle Weems finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, making just five of sixteen shots against a team he lit up for 31 and seven in the first meeting. To ensure multiple NCAA bids come March the Valley likely needs a team or two to separate from the pack, and that's a step both Creighton and Wichita State have taken.

Quick Hitters

1. While their win over Duquesne on Saturday was a sign that Xavier was regaining their flow, the Musketeers likely needed to do that against an Atlantic 10 contender to show the rest of the league they remained the top dog. It's safe to say that Chris Mack's team did so in a 68-55 win over Saint Joseph's, limiting the Hawks to 16 second-half points. Tu Holloway scored just six points but dished out 12 assists and Mark Lyons led four Musketeers in double figures with 17 points.

2. Despite 16 turnovers Villanova picked up their second Big East victory as they beat Seton Hall 84-76 at The Pavilion. The Wildcats were a plus-9 (45-36) on the boards and JayVaughn Pinkston put together the best game of his young career with 23 points and 11 rebounds. If Jay Wright's team is to make a run towards the middle of the Big East they need another consistent option to go along with Maalik Wayns (25 points, seven assists).

3. Zach Filzen led four players in double figures with 21 points as Buffalo handed Akron their first MAC loss by the final score of 82-70. Buffalo assisted on 23 of their 29 field goals and the Zips turned the ball over 18 times in defeat. The Bulls' win pulls Akron (3-1) closer to the pack, with the five teams below them in the MAC East all with 2-2 league records.

4. UCF made history and to a certain extent the Knights have the official who felt that NBA-style continuation was a part of college basketball to thank for it. Keith Clanton's three-point play gave UCF the 68-67 win over Memphis, their first-ever win over the Tigers. Clanton scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Marcus Jordan added 20, while Will Barton led Memphis with 24 and eight boards.

5. Scott Christopherson's banked-in three as time expired gave Iowa State a 71-68 win over Oklahoma State in a game the Cyclones trailed by three with 15 seconds remaining. In addition to Christopherson, Royce White and Tyrus McGee scored 17 points apiece as Fred Hoiberg's team stayed on track for an NCAA Tournament appearance.

6. California announced on Wednesday afternoon that sophomore forward Richard Solomon would be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. Solomon averaged 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Bears, who visit the Washington schools this weekend and are tied atop the Pac-12 standings with Stanford. David Kravish stands to see an increase in minutes as a result, and the Bears also need to hope that starting forward Harper Kamp remains healthy.

7. Murray State had their hands full with bitter rival Morehead State for much of the night but Isaiah Canaan and company did enough to win 66-60 and move to 19-0 on the season. Canaan and Donte Poole combined to score 35 points for the Racers, who moved to 7-0 in the OVC and remain a game ahead of Southeast Missouri State in the loss column. Those two meet for the first time this season on February 2nd in Murray.

8. After playing to a 30-30 tie at the half the difference between West Virginia and Marshall was more than apparent in the second half as the Mountaineers pulled away to win 78-62. Kevin Jones (25 points, seven rebounds) and Truck Bryant (22 points) led the way for WVU, who avenged last season's loss to the Thundering Herd. WVU made 17 of 22 free throws while Marshall finished the night 3-for-6.

9. Also in the Atlantic 10, Temple made up for 15 turnovers by shooting 51.9% from the field in their 75-70 win over La Salle. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, taking advantage of the Owls' size advantage inside against the smaller Explorers.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Colt Ryan (Evansville)
39 points (8-14 3PT), nine rebounds and three assists in the Purple Aces' 90-67 win over Bradley.

2. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
33 points (11-16 FG) and eight rebounds in the Wildcats' 84-80 win over Texas.

3. G Anthony Marshall (UNLV)
27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Runnin' Rebels' 101-78 win over TCU.

#18 Creighton at Missouri St: Preview & Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:38:18 -0500

No. 18 CREIGHTON (16-2, 6-1 MVC)

MISSOURI STATE (11-8, 4-3 MVC)

Time: 8 p.m.

Location: JQH Arena

RPI Ratings:

Creighton 21 (No. 1 MVC);

Missouri State 79 (No. 4 MVC)

Line: Creighton -1 (Total 146)

Creighton Players to Watch: F Doug McDermott, 6-7 So. (24.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 62.1% FG, 53.2% 3s); G Antoine Young, 6-0 Sr. (12.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.1 spg); G Grant Gibbs, 6-4 Jr. (8 ppg, 5.9 apg, 1.3 spg). In the middle of his sophomore season, McDermott has already passed the 1,000-point mark for his career. He did it with a 25-point performance in a 90-71 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday.

Missouri State Players to Watch: F Kyle Weems, 6-6 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 40.5% 3s); C Caleb Patterson, 6-11 Sr. (12.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 50.3% FG); G Michael Bizoukas, 6-2 Sr. (5.1 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.5 rpg). After missing two games with a concussion, Patterson returned Jan. 10 and went 7-for-8 from the field for a career-high 24 points.

Storylines: Creighton is in a first-place tie with Wichita State in the Missouri Valley at 6-1. Its lone loss came at home against Missouri State, 77-65. Since the big win over the Blue Jays, the Bears have lost 3-of-5 and two in a row. Two of those losses came at home against Illinois State and Evansville, not exactly the cream of the Missouri Valley crop. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have won six straight since their only league-opening loss.

Keys: With two consecutive home losses to Missouri State, it’s safe to say that the Bears are a tough matchup for Creighton. The Missouri State defense has given McDermott – the nation’s second-leading scorer – fits. McDermott scored 19 points in the Dec. 28 meeting with the Bears, but he was just 8-of-18 from the field and scored just one points in the final 10 minutes. On the other hand, Weems has been a terror for the Blue Jays. In last year’s win in Omaha, he hit the game winning shots in the final seconds. This year, he had a season-high 31 points, including 25 in the second half – in the triumph. Weems – the reigning MVC Player of the Year – has scored in double-figures in 18 straight games. Creighton has scored 90 or more points in eight of its 18 games and is averaging 82.7 points per night. Creighton is 7-1 on the road this season. Its lone loss away from home was an 80-71 defeat in Philadelphia against St. Joseph’s on Dec. 10. The Blue Jays lead the nation in field goal percentage at 51.6 percent. Missouri State gives up just 39.2 percent to its opponents. The Bears are 0-3 when scoring 60 points or fewer. They are also 1-6 when committing 12 or more turnovers.

The Bottom Line: With Missouri State struggling and the Blue Jays out for revenge, the prevailing wisdom may be that Creighton will run away with this one. That’s unlikely. The more likely outcome is a one possession game either way.

The Pick: Creighton 81, Missouri State 80.

New Mexico vs. #16 San Diego State: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:28:47 -0500

It looks as if the schedule-makers in the Mountain West wanted to spark some serious national conversation about the conference from the beginning of league play because the first full week of play will feature all three expected contenders facing each other. Wednesday's slate features #16 San Diego State (15-2, 1-0), fresh off of their two-point win over UNLV, visiting The Pit to take on a New Mexico (15-2, 1-0) squad that's quietly won thirteen in a row. The Lobos, preseason favorites to win the Mountain West, feature one of the best power forwards in senior Drew Gordon (12.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg) while guards Tony Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Kendall Williams (11.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.6 rpg) have also played well during their current run.

Before scoring eight points in the Lobos' win at Wyoming on Saturday, Gordon reached double figures in eight straight games to rebound from an inconsistent start to the season. A key for SDSU will be to keep him off the offensive glass, something they've done a good job of this season as opponents rebound just 26.9% of their missed shots. If anything offensive rebounding will be a critical factor in the outcome as New Mexico grabs 36.4% of their misses and SDSU is a solid offensive rebounding team as well (33.4% OR percentage). The Aztecs don't have the marquee bodies in the frontcourt that they had last season but Steve Fisher's guys still attack the boards, and one of their best offensive rebounders is also an important scorer on the perimeter.

Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) grabs 1.6 offensive rebounds per game, a number that's third on the team to Deshawn Stephens (2.1) and Garrett Green (2.0). Franklin knocked down the game-winner on Saturday and scored 24 points while also grabbing ten rebounds, with the boards marking the third time in the last four games in which he's finished with ten caroms. If anything the Aztecs have plenty of depth on the perimeter as Chase Tapley (16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.0 ppg, 5.4 apg) and James Rahon (10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) all have the ability to hurt teams offensively. Rahon scored 22 points in the win over UNLV and seemed to have an answer for just about every UNLV charge.

Williams is one of the guards that Steve Alford will rely upon tonight, and he should be a solid bet to perform well coming off of back-to-back double-figure scoring performances for the first time since the final two games of the 76 Classic in late November. The one issue for Williams has been the drop in his percentages from last season, as his three-point percentage is down about ten points and the field goal percentage down six. But in the last three games Williams has made seven of eleven from distance, and the hope for UNM fans is that he'll continue on that path.

As for Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) he's been New Mexico's most consistent performer this season, increasing his scoring by nine points from last season and his percentages have made a signficant jump as well. Hugh Greenwood has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, which has meant more time for Williams at the points and more minutes for Jamal Fenton (7.4 ppg, 2.6 apg) off the bench. Williams turned the ball over five times on Saturday but as a team the Lobos finished with 15 turnovers (they average 14 per game), so there wasn't a huge shift in that regard.

In addition to the rebounding three-point shooting is an area to keep an eye on with the Lobos scoring 30% of their points from beyond the arc. As a team New Mexico shoots 40.2% from deep, and while SDSU isn't a bad shooting team (35.2% 3PT) they rely more on getting to the basket. The Pit is one of the toughest environments in college basketball for a road team, and the Aztecs needed some big plays from D.J. Gay to win last year's meeting. He's no longer on Montezuma Mesa, meaning that a Franklin, Rahon or Tapley (Thames too) would likely have to be the guy. But as we've seen thus far, they're more than capable of doing so.

The Missouri Valley has a pair of marquee matchups on the slate with Creighton visiting Missouri State and Northern Iowa hosting Wichita State. Kyle Weems and the Bears handed Creighton its only league loss in Omaha earlier this month, and a sweep of the season series would go a long way in terms of bolstering a resume that's taken some hits as they've lost three of their last four.

As for UNI they sit at 3-4 in MVC play and their inconsistent offensive production is a big reason why. Do the Panthers have an answer for Garrett Stutz inside? He's raised his scoring nearly five points from last season and is grabbing nearly four more rebounds per game as well. WSU is 5-0 in road games this season and Stutz is averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in those contests.

There's also a battle of Big Five teams as La Salle visits Temple and the perimeter matchups should be fun to watch. Dr. John Giannini's team has played both more consistently and unselfishly this season than last and guards Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway are two reasons why. Temple will counter with Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez, but a player like Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson could factor into the outcome as the Explorers aren't the biggest team inside.

Also in the Atlantic 10 Saint Joseph's visits Xavier and UMass visits Duquesne in what should be two entertaining matchups. Cincinnati visits Connecticut in need of another resume-building win; keep in mind they've got that home loss to Presbyterian to account for and with the Huskies unlikely to have Ryan Boatright again the Bearcats will have an even better chance of winning. And keep an eye on two games involving Conference USA teams, with Memphis visiting UCF and Marshall stepping outside of the league to play West Virginia. Marquee games? Probably not, but there's more than enough to keep your attention tonight.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (10) Murray State at Morehead State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at (11) Connecticut
7:00 PM (13) Indiana at Nebraska (BTN)
9:00 PM (15) Mississippi State at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (16) San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS SN)
8:05 PM (18) Creighton at Missouri State
10:30 PM TCU at (20) UNLV(The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Richmond at George Washington
7:00 PM St. John's at USF (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia State at Northeastern
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Towson
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Temple
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Villanova (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Colgate at Army
7:00 PM James Madison at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Akron at Buffalo
7:00 PM Ball State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Duquesne
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Fordham
7:00 PM Delaware at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at Hofstra
7:00 PM Bucknell at Lehigh
7:00 PM Clemson at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Navy
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Toledo
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Xavier
7:30 PM Marshall at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Kennesaw State at Charlotte
8:00 PM Tennessee at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tulane at Tulsa
8:00 PM UAB at Rice
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Wyoming at Air Force (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Memphis at UCF
8:00 PM Indiana State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese State
8:00 PM Wichita State at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas State at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Houston at SMU
8:00 PM Northwestern State at UTSA
8:05 PM Drake at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Bradley at Evansville
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Iowa State
9:00 PM Northwestern at Wisconsin (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas at Kansas State
9:00 PM East Carolina at UTEP
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at Fresno State
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton

Tuesday Recap: Paul Leads Illinois Past Ohio State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:41:32 -0500

The matchup between Ohio State and Illinois was anticipated by many for the individual matchup between the Buckeyes' Jared Sullinger and Illinois' Meyers Leonard. Then there was the ceremony honoring Lou Henson, the all-time winningest coach in Illinois history. But few people expected Brandon Paul to end up being the center of attention, which is exactly what happened in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win at Assembly Hall.

Palu scored a career-high 43 points, making 11 of his 15 shots from the field (8-10 3PT) and 13 of 15 from the charity stripe to lead Bruce Weber's squad to the win. But it wasn't all about the points for Paul, as he contributed in other areas as well. Paul also led the team in rebounds (eight) and blocked shots (four), more than making up for his game-high seven turnovers. Wehn you've got it rolling like Paul did on this night, the mistakes tend to fade into the background.

"I was laughing a couple times. After the first couple threes, I just said I was going to keep shooting," remarked Paul. "That's the mindset that I've got to have."

Paul's offensive explosion was essentially the difference in the game as both teams finished with four starters reaching double figures and zero points from their respective benches. Deshaun Thomas (23 points, six rebounds) and Sullinger (21 points, five rebounds and three steals) led Ohio State offensively, but Sullinger was also their best three-point shooter as he made both of his attempts.

The rest of the team made just three of thirteen from beyond the arc and with Paul shooting the way he was, Thad Matta's team found itself in trouble throughout much of the second half. Shooting 60% from the field and 61% from three can cure a lot of ills, as it did for the Illini as they turned the ball over 18 times. It also didn't hurt Illinois to have a plus-7 advantage in points from the foul line (14-7), with Sullinger not attempting his lone free throws of the night until late in the game.

All things considered Leonard did a good job in his individual matchup with Sullinger, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 38 minutes of action. But Tuesday night was all about the guard who got hot early and stayed so throughout. Even switching Aaron Craft, one of the best defenders in the country, onto Paul did the visitors from Columbus any good. Sometimes guys just have one of those nights, and that was exactly the case for Brandon Paul.

Other Notable Happenings

1. If you haven't given Baylor their due by now, this would be a good time to do so.
For whatever reason, Scott Drew's Baylor Bears haven't been discussed in the same realm as teams such as Syracuse, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State despite owning some impressive wins to date. But after the Bears made the winning plays they needed to make late in their 75-73 win at #18 Kansas State, it's time for the nation to put the Bears in that company when discussing teams that can not only get to the Final Four but win the national title. Perry Jones III led four players in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds while two other players (A.J. Walton and Quincy Miller) scored eight and nine points, respectively.

By the four minute mark of the second half five Baylor players had four fouls, but none fouled out and it was one of those players who stepped up big in crunch time. Quincy Acy, who played just 24 minutes due to foul trouble, scored a basket and then stole a pass on Kansas State's ensuing possession to give the Bears a 73-71 lead with 3:14 remaining. The Bears wouldn't trail again, and it was Acy's deflection of a pass in the final seconds that preserved the victory. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 30 points but their mistakes late opened the door for the Bears, and the visitors took advantage.

2. Providence honors the '87 Final Four team and blows out Louisville for their first league win.
It seems as if every time Rick Pitino brings a team to Providence his 1987 squad that reached the Final Four is being honored. After Tuesday night however, he may look to no longer be involved in such ceremonies at The Dunk. Louisville didn't look ready for a street fight from the start, and that's a bad way to enter a game when playing a team desperate for its first league win. Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts scored 27 points apiece as the Friars more than made up for the absence of Gerard Coleman (back injury), beating the Cardinals 90-59 to give Ed Cooley his first Big East victory.

Louisville couldn't turn over the Friars as point guard Vincent Council was the consummate floor general with 15 points, 14 assists and just two turnovers, and from there things really got out of hand for the visitors. It's been known that Peyton Siva and the rest of the Cardinals have a hard time scoring when they're unable to get out and run off of turnovers. And until that changes results like this remain a possibility as they encounter league opponents who can take care of the basketball. Hindsight is 20/20, but it looks as if those who felt that the Cardinals were overrated when they reached the Top 5 were ahead of the curve.

3. Northern Iowa forced Antoine Young to make plays, and he did as Creighton kept pace atop the MVC.
UNI needed a win in Omaha to remain within striking distance of the top of the Missouri Valley thanks to their losses to Illinois State and Evansville, with the latter coming at home. But due to two defensive moves the Panthers left town with a 2-3 record as they fell to the Bluejays 63-60. Ben Jacobson's squad essentially dared Creighton guard Antoine Young to make them pay offensively, and he did just that with a game-high 21 points. On the other hand Greg McDermott and his staff made the defensive move that may have won the game, placing more emphasis on limiting Marc Sonnen's perimeter looks.

Sonnen scored 15 points in the first half as he made all five of his three-point attempts. Sonnen finished the game with 15 points, and without his shooting the Panthers sputtered offensively. UNI shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from three in the second half, a far cry from their first half numbers of 42.3% and 66.7%. In addition to Young, Creighton received some big plays from Grant Gibbs (ten points) and Doug McDermott (14 points, eight rebounds) in addition to 11 rebounds from Gregory Echenique.

Quick Hitters

1. Playing their first game as a ranked team in 11 years, Seton Hall used a 17-1 second half run to put away DePaul 94-73. Fuquan Edwin scored a career-high 28 points to go along with nine rebounds, and point guard Jordan Theodore finished with 26 and 11 assists. Theodore's play this season has been outstanding, so much so that he has to be considered for Big East Player of the Year. Makes you wonder what the Cousy Award committee was thinking when they left Theodore off the list of 20 finalists for the award.

2. After winning consecutive conference road games at Wisconsin and Minnesota, Iowa has found out the hard way that they've still got some distance to travel before becoming a factor in the Big Ten. Michigan State whipped the Hawkeyes 95-61 in East Lansing, and in their last two games Iowa has lost by a combined 63 points.

3. Bernard James put forth an impressive performance for Florida State, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the Seminoles' 63-59 win at Virginia Tech. James also blocked three shots and Ian Miller scored 15 off the bench as FSU picked up a much-needed win on the heels of their embarassing effort at Clemson.

4. An Atlantic 10 team to keep an eye on over the next two months: La Salle. The Explorers have won 11 of their last 12 games, beating Big 5 rival Penn 68-57 at The Palestra on Tuesday night. Point guard Tyreek Duren scored 21 points and dished out six assists while Earl Pettis added 18. The key for Dr. John Giannini's team, whose guards can play with anyone in the A-10, will be how they deal with bigger teams in league play.

5. Washington made things far more difficult than they needed to be in beating Seattle 91-83, but then again is anything expected to be "easy" for the Pac-12 this season? C.J. Wilcox scored a team-high 25 points off the bench while Tony Wroten scored 24 for the Huskies, who are off until Sunday's matchup with in-state rival Washington State.

6. Missouri State and Wichita State both took care of business at home to remain tied with Creighton atop the MVC standings, with the Bears beating Southern Illinois and Wichita State holding off Illinois State. And in Kyle Weems (MSU) and Joe Ragland (WSU), these two teams have players who can go off on a moment's notice if teams don't limit their looks.

7. Harvard avoided what would have been a catastrophic loss with regards to a possible at-large berth (should they need it) as they beat Monmouth 70-61. Keith Wright led the way with 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Crimson, who play George Washington before heading back into Ivy League play.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Brandon Paul (Illinois)
43 points (11-15 FG, 8-10 3PT), eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win over #5 Ohio State.

2. F Fuquan Edwin and G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
The old Paterson Catholic teammates led the way for the Pirates in their 94-73 win over DePaul. Edwin scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Theodore added 26 and 11 assists.

3. F Kadeem Batts (Providence)
Batts, who was suspended for the fall semester, was one of the key figures in the Friars' 90-59 win over #15 Louisville. Batts scored 27 points, grabbed ten rebounds and blocked three shots in helping lead the Friars to their first Big East win under head coach Ed Cooley.

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:27:40 -0500

It may not be the "best" game on the schedule as Baylor visits Kansas State in what should be a very good Big 12 battle. But in terms of games that will definitely be remembered on Selection Sunday, there may not be a better game on Tuesday's slate than Florida State (9-6, 0-1) visiting Virginia Tech (11-4, 0-1). Both teams are looking to rebound from disappointing road losses on Saturday, as Florida State was blown out by Clemson and the Hokies fell at Wake Forest.

While both have solid strength of schedule numbers at this stage (FSU: 36; VT: 46), outside of Duke, North Carolina and (maybe) Virginia there aren't many "marquee" victories in the ACC. That means that head-to-head battles among the bubble teams could ultimately decide who goes dancing and who's relegated to the NIT. Florida State's issues on offense have been well-documented, and despite one of the better defenses in the country their inability to execute offensively could be what keeps them out of the tournament.

Leonard Hamilton's team isn't a good three-point shooting outfit, making just 30.7% from beyond the arc, but over all the Seminoles make 44.7% of their shots. The bigger issue for Florida State: turnovers. FSU averages a staggering 18.2 turnovers, handing the ball over on 25.6% of their possessions. Despite having players such as Michael Snaer (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and recent returnee Ian Miller (13.7 ppg), Florida State is in no position to be that "charitable" with the basketball.

The good news for FSU going into Tuesday night is that Virginia Tech hasn't been great at forcing turnovers, as their opponents turn the ball over on just 19.3% of their possessions. Virginia Tech forces just 12.6 turnovers per game with 5.3 of those coming by way of a steal, meaning that Seth Greenberg's team creates a "live-ball" turnover less than half the time. But the matchup between Miller and Virginia Tech's leader in steals will go a long way in determining the outcome.

Point guard Erick Green has a lot more on his plate this season due to the graduation of Malcolm Delaney, and he's been up to the task with averages of 15.7 points and 3.4 assists per game. The player who needs to step up for the Hokies is senior guard Dorenzo Hudson (11.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg), who has put together some impressive outings (31 vs. FIU, 18 at Oklahoma State) with some head scratchers. Hudson made just four of thirteen shots at Wake Forest, finishing with eight points, and the Hokies need more from him on a consistent basis to reach their full potential.

Inside the Seminoles are the bigger team, led by Bernard James (9.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Xavier Gibson (8.3 ppg, 5.6 ppg), and their ability to hit the offensive boards is one reason why FSU still averages nearly a point per possession despite their turnover problem. FSU rebounds 38.6% of their misses, but Virginia Tech isn't far behind with an offensive rebounding percentage of 37.0%. Freshman Dorian Finney-Smith (7.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and sophomore Jarell Eddie (9.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are the Hokies' best rebounders, with Finney-Smith grabbing more than three offensive boards per game.

Virginia Tech's been the superior team offensively, but rebounding is where Florida State can bridge the gap. That won't matter much if the Seminoles can't take care of the basketball, however. There are still plenty of games to be played this season but Florida State's trek to Blacksburg is the kind of game that gets cited when reviewing resumes in March, and with both teams failing to win games you'd expect a tournament team on win on Saturday it's become for more important.

Illinois also has a chance to make a statement, although they're in better shape than either FSU or Virginia Tech, as they host #5 Ohio State in Champaign. The "Orange Krush" should be primed and ready for this matchup, as the Buckeyes won 73-68 at Assembly Hall last season. This will be another good test for sophomore center Meyers Leonard, as he'll take on Jared Sullinger in a matchup of two of the Big Ten's best interior players. If Illinois is to win they'll likely need another solid performance from freshman Joseph Bertrand, who has stepped up his production in recent weeks.

Baylor's trip to Manhattan was already going to be a dangerous one for the undefeated Bears, but Kansas State's win over Missouri on Saturday served as a reminder. The Bears have one of the nation's deepest frontcourts with Perry Jones III leading the way, but K-State can counter with Jamar Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez. The question for Baylor: can their guards deal with the solid defense of Will Spradling and Martavious Irving? If so, Baylor should be able to execute well enough to leave with a win. And in the MVC, Northern Iowa visits #21 Creighton in desperate need of a win if they're to be a contender for the regular season crown. Already trailing the lead pack by a game, the Panthers can't afford to fall two games back at this juncture in the season.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Miami (FL) at (3) North Carolina (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (4) Baylor at (18) Kansas State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (5) Ohio State at Illinois (ESPN)
7:00 PM Iowa at (7) Michigan State
7:00 PM (15) Louisville at Providence
7:00 PM Georgia at (19) Florida (ESPN)
9:00 PM Northern Iowa at (21) Creighton (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Chicago State at (22) San Diego State
7:00 PM (25) Harvard at Monmouth

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM South Florida at Notre Dame (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Florida State at Virginia Tech
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM DePaul at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Ball State at Toledo (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Liberty at Virginia Military
7:05 PM Evansville at Indiana State
8:00 PM Champion Baptist College at Southeastern Louisiana
8:05 PM Bradley at Drake
8:05 PM Southern Illinois at Missouri State
8:05 PM Illinois State at Wichita State
9:00 PM Vanderbilt at South Carolina
10:00 PM Seattle at Washington
10:00 PM NJIT at Cal State Bakersfield

Tuesday Recap: Seton Hall Blasts #8 Connecticut

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:02:39 -0500

Seton Hall's struggles with Connecticut in their series have been well-doucmented, as the Pirates went into Tuesday's meeting having lost eleve straight dating back to March 3, 2001. That matchup between eventual NIT teams went down to the wire as the Pirates won 65-63. There would be no such suspense in Seton Hall's first win over the Huskies since 2001, as they stormed back from an early 11-2 deficit to win 75-63 in a game that wasn't as close as the margin would lead one to believe.

Jordan Theodore led Seton Hall with 19 points and 11 assists, scoring all of his points in the second half and knocking down some key shots to put the game away. The Pirates finished with four players in double figures, and Fuquan Edwin posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. After leading 11-2 with 16:19 remaining in the first half, UConn was outscored 33-11 the rest of the half as they trailed 35-22 at the break. The Huskies turned the ball over 13 times, with Seton Hall scoring 12 points off of turnovers.

Also of note in that first half was the fact that Seton Hall outscored UConn 18-6 in the paint and 9-0 in second-chance points, as their effort was far superior to that of the Huskies. Effort is one thing that can't be disguised on the floor, and that was the biggest issue for UConn on the night. Whenever a play needed to be made there was a Seton Hall player willing to make it, eventually leading by as many as 21 points late in the second half.

Herb Pope was the best interior player on the floor for either team, thoroughly outplaying the UConn frontcourt. Jeremy Lamb scored 19 points to lead the visitors but he didn't have much assistance outside of the 11 points scored by Niels Giffey. With the Pirates sitting at 13-2 and 2-1 in Big East play, fans of Kevin Willard's program may allow their minds to wander in the direction of an NCAA Tournament appearance in March and rightfully so.

Some may bring up Seton Hall's win at Syracuse last season as a win that was supposed to be a similar catalyst, but this current team is light years ahead of a squad that would go on to finish the season with a losing record. Pope and Theodore have been excellent leaders for Coach Willard, as Pope's return to full health combined with a better understanding of what the coach wants done has allowed the Pirates to take off. Simply put Seton Hall's got staying power, and while there's still plenty of basketball to be played an NCAA Tournament berth is a realistic possibility.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan State hangs on to beat Wisconsin in overtime, and the clock is a reason why.
When Ryan Evans rebounded Jordan Taylor's missed three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime and dribbled out to knock down a three of his own as time expired, it looked as if Bo Ryan's team would avoid dropping their second straight Big Ten home game. But thanks to the clock on top of the basket being faster than the one in the arena, the shot didn't count and Michigan State won by the final score of 63-60. Taylor led all scorers with 28 points but once again three-point shooting was the culprit for the Badgers, as they made five of twenty-two shots from distance and they've made just eight of their last forty-nine attempts.

For a team that's so reliant on the bonus shot it could be tough sledding for Wisconsin if they don't snap out of that funk soon. As for the Spartans Draymond Green led the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16, making Michigan State the lone 3-0 team in the Big Ten. The Spartans out-rebounded Wisconsin 41-33 on the night, and their 36-18 advantage in points in the paint played a major role in the outcome. Michigan State will be a major player in the Big Ten race, and if Wisconsin wants to get back into things they need to get better offensively.

2. Fordham picks up a big win, knocking off #22 Harvard at Rose Hill Gym.
It may not have been the biggest win of the night, but Fordham beating Harvard 60-54 may have been the most stunning outcome. Tommy Amaker's Crimson have a solid resume as they approach the start of Ivy League play, but a loss like this doesn't do them any favors. Bryan Smith led the Rams with 22 points while Chris Gaston added 18 and ten rebounds, but the biggest issue for Harvard was their offense. In a 60-possession game the Crimson attempted 30 of their 55 shots from beyond the arc, making just eight. By comparison Fordham made half of their twelve three-point attempts and they were more effective in getting to the foul line as well. Tom Pecora certainly had his work cut out for him when he took the job, and while the process is nowhere near complete he can point to a win like this as a sign of progress. As for Harvard, a loss like this could make it even more important that they run away with the Ivy crown.

3. Oral Roberts wins at Oakland to move to 4-0 in Summit League play.
Having lost games at North Dakota State and South Dakota State last week, Greg Kampe's Oakland squad needed to knock off Oral Roberts to remain in contack with the top of the Summit League. But while Reggie Hamilton scored a game-high 28 points it wasn't enough to hold off the Golden Eagles, who shot 66.7% from the field on their way to the 89-80 victory. ORU turned the ball over 18 times but had five players score in double figures, and it certainly didn't hurt to make 11 of 16 shots from beyond the arc as well. Dominique Morrison, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, scored 20 points (6-8 3PT) to lead the way and Steven Roundtree added 16 off the bench for ORU, who is now 4-0 in league play and is tied with South Dakota State in first place. With the two Dakota schools visiting Tulsa on Thursday and Saturday, Scott Sutton's team could take a big step towards a regular season title.

Quick Hitters

1. Louisville got back on the right track, beating St. John's 73-58 to end their two-game losing streak. Russ Smith accounted for 17 points, seven assists and four steals off the bench while Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng also put together solid stat lines. But the true star was the Louisville defense as the Red Storm shot just 28.1% from the field.

2. Sean Mosley led the way with 19 points as Maryland held on to beat Cornell 70-62 in their final tune-up for ACC play. The addition of Pe'Shon Howard and Alex Len have made Mark Turgeon's team a much better unit, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the Terrapins surprise people in conference play.

3. Siena didn't have much of a chance in the second half of the doubleheader at Madsion Square Garden as they were blitzed by Iona 95-59. Sean Armand set a MAAC record with ten three-pointers, scoring a career-high 32 points, and Jermel Jenkins added 16 off the bench. It's going to be extremely difficult for MAAC opponents to score with the Gaels, meaning that they'll need to do what Saint Peter's was able to do in the conference tournament title game last season. Make them grind it out and see what happens.

4. Rob Jeter's Milwaukee Panthers took a tough loss as they fell 72-61 at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 5-0 at home this season, so the outcome isn't as much of a surprise as the margin. Milwaukee couldn't get to the foul line, attempting just nine free throws (making three) to WMU's 37 (making 30), and that was the difference.

5. Creighton moved to 2-1 in MVC play with a 76-59 win over Drake in Omaha. Doug McDermott led three starters in double figures with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds as the Bluejays won comfortably despite turning the ball over 19 times.

6. Condolences go out to the Bartow family as Gene Bartow passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81. Bartow led Memphis to the 1973 national title game and was also the head coach at UCLA after John Wooden's retirement. His son Murry is the head coach at East Tennessee State.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Sean Armand (Iona)
32 points (10-19 3PT) and six rebounds in the Gaels' 95-59 win over Siena. Armand set a MAAC record for the most three-pointers made in a single game.

2. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
27 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Holy Cross.

3. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
18 points and 14 rebounds in the Spartans' 63-60 overtime win at Wisconsin.

4. G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
19 points, 11 assists and three steals in the Pirates' 75-63 win over #8 Connecticut.

5. F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
22 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in the Wildcats' 73-51 win over Arkansas-Little Rock.