Dayton

Wednesday Recap: Lineup Changes Spark Nothing As UConn Falls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

Bubble Watch: Dogfight in the A10

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:22:20 -0500

Based on CollegeHoops.net's most recent Bracketology projection, here is how the NCAA Tournament Bubble currently stands. CHN will publish Bubble Watch on Tuesday's following the Bracketology update.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. Teams are listed in order of likelihood of making the tournament. (Records listed only against D1 teams.)

This week's notes: Minnesota and NC State join the field of 68 in place of Northwestern and Texas. Northwestern has lost 6 of 8 games and is fading fast. BYU and Stanford still hang onto the bubble despite dropping down the list. Stanford hangs on, mostly because I figure the committee will be biased towards putting 2 Pac-12 teams into the field. BYU hangs on by default, because no other contender stepped up and had a big week. BYU lost a home game to LMU, which is hard to justify, but they now have 3 games in a row against Top 50ish teams, so have a chance to redeem themselves.

Notre Dame enters the picture due to their win over Syracuse, and with the understanding that the committee will overrate power-conference home wins against marquee teams. Belmont, despite some early season buzz, no longer has a place in the bubble discussion. Similarly, Virginia Tech is no longer included in Bubble Watch, but they have more than enough time to win some ACC games and get back on track.

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	Sagarin	KenPom	AP
	10	New Mexico	MWC	14-4	59	28	28
	11	Saint Louis	A10	14-4	51	24	44
	11	Southern Miss	CUSA	15-3	15	50	62
	11	Xavier	A10	13-6	43	54	51
	11	Iowa St	B12	14-5	53	45	44
	12	Memphis	CUSA	13-6	28	26	27
	12	Minnesota	B10	15-5	45	44	45
	12	NC State	ACC	15-5	55	53	54
	13	BYU	WCC	15-5	56	29	31
	13	Stanford	P12	15-5	80	44	49
Bubble
		UCF	CUSA	14-4	57	87	89
		Northwestern	B10	12-7	37	62	64
		Texas	B12	12-7	70	34	24
		Arizona	P12	13-7	72	59	63
		Ole Miss	SEC	13-6	34	97	110
		Oregon	P12	15-5	58	90	102
		Notre Dame	BE	12-8	98	85	82
		Arkansas	SEC	14-5	61	72	81
		Wyoming	MWC	14-3	88	55	43

Dropped Out of Bubble Watch: Virginia Tech

Projected Conference Champs that would be on the Bubble if they lost title:

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	Sagarin	KenPom	AP
	12	Marshall	CUSA	12-6	46	63	75
	12	Middle Tennessee	SB	18-2	52	30	30	34
Bubble
	13	Oral Roberts	SUM	18-4	44	56	46
	13	Long Beach St	BW	12-6	40	37	38	37
	13	Davidson	SOU	13-4	48	60	63
	14	Iona	MAAC	15-5	50	58	61	36
	14	Nevada	WAC	14-3	73	95	99

Projected Conference Leaders Out of Bubble Watch: Belmont

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @collegehoopsnet :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Notable Performances

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dayton vs Xavier: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:57:43 -0500

XAVIER (13-5, 4-1 A-10) AT DAYTON (13-5, 3-1 A-10)

Time/TV: 1 p.m./ESPN2

Location: University of Dayton Arena

RPI Ratings:

Xavier 36 (No. 3 A-10)

Dayton 32 (No. 2 A-10)

Line: Xavier +2.5 (137 o/u)

Xavier Players to Watch: G Tu Holloway, 6-0 Sr. (16 ppg, 5.2 apg, 3.3 rpg); G Mark Lyons, 6-0 Sr. (16.3 ppg, 2.7 apg, 40% 3s); C Kenny Frease, 7-0 Sr. (8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 49.3% FG). Holloway – one of the nation’s best scorers – has become a better distributor of late. He has 37 assists in his last five games, including a season-best 12 in Wednesday’s win over St. Joseph’s. He is currently 32^nd in America at 5.6 per contest.

Dayton Players to Watch: G Kevin Dillard, 6-0 Jr. (12.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 1.9 spg); F Chris Johnson, 6-6 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 43% 3s); C Matt Kavanaugh, 6-9 Jr. (8.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 80% FT). Kavanaugh is coming off a season-best 23 points in the Flyers’ 79-75 win over LaSalle on Saturday. Kavanaugh was 13-of-14 from the line and had nine rebounds in the victory.

Storylines: In a tight Atlantic 10 race, Xavier and Dayton are the only one-loss teams. The Musketeers are at the top of the standings at 4-1 with Dayton a half-game back at 3-1. After a rough stretch that saw them go 1-5, the Musketeers have won four straight over Fordham, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure and St. Joseph’s. The Flyers have already knocked off two of the A-10’s contenders in Saint Louis and Temple. Their lone league loss was Jan. 11 at St. Bonaventure.

Keys: Dayton has already lost Josh Benson for the season. Now Johnson is day-to-day with a head injury. Johnson suffered the injury in practice and played in the first half of last week’s win over LaSalle but was unavailable for the second half. Flyers freshman forward Alex Gavrilovic is shooting 80 percent from the field (16-of-20) in A-10 play. With Dillard and Josh Parker, Dayton’s guards match up pretty well with Xavier’s threesome of Holloway, Lyons and freshman Dezmine Wells. Where the Musketeers may have an advantage is with Frease’s strength underneath. Xavier coach Chris Mack can allow Holloway to become more of a distributor because his Musketeers have so many offensive options. He has 10 players who play regularly and all of them can score. Dillard, who is 30^th in the nation with 5.7 assists per game, has a 1.89-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Xavier forces 13 turnovers per contest. Both teams have very strong field goal defense, especially the Musketeers. Xavier is giving up 38.4 percent from the field, including 27.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line, while Dayton surrenders 44.9 percent. If it’s a close game, Dayton has the advantage at the foul line. The Flyers have made 74.6 percent from the charity stripe, good for 27^th in the nation. Xavier, on the other hand, shoots a poor 66.5 at the line. Xavier, which has played its last three games at home, is 3-2 in true road games this season. Dayton is 10-2 at home with the losses coming in the non-conference to Buffalo and Seton Hall.

The Bottom Line: Dayton has done an excellent job rallying after the Benson injury, but the Musketeers are playing well and look like the favorites once again in the Atlantic 10.

The Pick: Xavier 72, Dayton 66

Wednesday Recap: Pittsburgh May Have Hit Rock Bottom

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:04:21 -0500

It was thought that Pittsburgh's loss at DePaul last week was the epitome of "rock bottom" for Jamie Dixon's program, which is still without injured point guard Tray Woodall. But in hindsight that high-scoring defeat at the hands of the Blue Demons was nothing compared to what happened at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday night. Pitt scored the fewest points in their history as a Big East member, falling 62-39 at Rutgers in front of a stunned crowd.

The Panthers shot 21.1% from both the field and from three in the loss, which moved their overall losing streak to five games. Also Pittsburgh is off to their first 0-4 Big East start since the 1999-2000 campaign, when they dropped their first five conference games. J.J. Moore scored ten points off the bench to lead Pittsburgh in scoring, and with Ashton Gibbs making just two of eleven shots and Lamar Patterson faring even worse (1-for-7) Moore's points went for naught.

"Honestly it seemed like they knew our plays," said Gibbs of the Scarlet Knights' defensive effort. "Coach Rice did a good job of scouting us and it led to them making great switches off of screens. We have to do a better job executing our offense."

Eli Carter led the Scarlet Knights, who were coming off of a 67-60 win over Connecticut, with 14 points while Dane Miller showed off the skills that can make him one of the more versatile producers in the Big East when he's fully engaged with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rutgers out-rebounded Pittsburgh 51-35 on the night and while the shooting woes definitely played a role in that discrepancy, Rutgers did grab 19 offensive rebounds (22 second-chance points).

"It was the most disappointing thing about the game because that is our main focus," said Nasir Robinson, who finished with four rebounds and no points. "We have to do a better job boxing out and we can't let [teams] out-hustle us."

Execution is a without a doubt a huge part of winning games, but sometimes what happens on the floor boils down to toughness and how a team responds when hit in the mouth. Pittsburgh didn't respond well when that happened on Wednesday night, and that's the most concerning aspect of the loss going forward. Pitt has long be one of the toughest teams in the Big East, and they need to get that confidence back in order to turn things around.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan outlasts Northwestern in overtime, moving to 4-1 in Big Ten play.
Facing a team that plays a similar style of basketball, Northwestern was presented with a great opportunity to bolster their resume with a win at #13 Michigan. But unfortunately for the Wildcats they fell just short, losing 66-64 in overtime. Drew Crawford and John Shurna did what they could, combining for 41 points and 13 rebounds while Crawford added seven assists, but they didn't get much help from their teammates. Dave Sobolewski (nine points) and Reggie Hearn (seven points) both managed to exceed their scoring averages on Wednesday night.

But with Alex Marcotulio scoring just one point and Luka Mirkovic scoring two it was going to be tough for the Wildcats to make that play offensively to get over the hump. Michigan, despite shooting 7-for-30 from three, had better scoring distribution with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke scoring 19 apiece and Stu Douglass adding ten off the bench. Turnovers were ultimately the biggest killer however, as Northwestern turned the ball over a season-high 16 times. To say the least the Wildcats, who have lost their last two games by a combined three points, could have used a few of those lost possessions in the end.

2. Missouri survives a quiet night from Marcus Denmon to win at Iowa State.
Entering the Tigers' game at Iowa State Denmon averaged 18.7 points per game to lead Frank Haith's team, meaning that anyone told that he made just one field goal would likely expect Missouri to leave Ames with a loss. But despite his off night, and 5-for-21 shooting from three, Missouri won 76-69 thanks in large part to their offensive balance. The other six players to see the floor for Missouri all scored in double figures, with Matt Pressey scoring a team-high 14 and three others scoring 12 points apiece.

And Missouri, generally accepted to be the smallest team in the Big 12, out-rebounded the Cyclones 36-25 and outscored them 40-20 in the paint. Missouri also did a better job defensively in the second half, challenging more looks as ISU shot 4-for-11 from three after making eight of twelve in the first half. Iowa State doesn't have the size that teams such as Kansas State and Baylor possess, but they were a good challenge for the Tigers on the heels of their first loss of the season. And with their leading scorer having an off night, Denmon's teammates stepped up their play and earned an important victory as a result.

3. Temple rebounds from their loss to Dayton, winning at Saint Louis.
One important aspect of league play when looking to contend for a conference title is to make sure losses don't turn into losing streaks. Temple was able to do that as they went to Saint Louis and won 72-67. Khalif Wyatt led the way with 22 points and Ramone Moore added 18 as the Owls moved to 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. Kwamain Mitchell knocked down some big shots late in hopes of pulling the Billikens ahead, but Temple did a good job of limiting his quality looks (6-for-16 FG) for much of the night.

The three-point shot, or SLU's inability to knock the shots down, proved to be the difference as Saint Louis shot 6-for-16 while Temple made five of their seven. Fran Dunphy's team did a good job of not settling for deep shots, shooting 56.6% from the field. With Xavier looking like a team that's starting to return to form, this was a critical game for both Temple and Saint Louis in regards to winning the A-10 crown. Thanks in large part to their solid shot selection, Temple picked up a nice result on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two teams both won games by margins that would fool the casual observer. Syracuse was far more dominant in their 79-66 win over Villanova than that score would indicate, and Kentucky closed their 68-53 win at Auburn with a 23-6 run.

2. With all the consternation surrounding the ACC's lack of depth, NC State losing 82-71 to Georgia Tech at home won't help matters. Four Yellow Jacket starters reached double figures and Glen Rice Jr. scored 22 off the bench, and the visitors also made nine of fifteen deep. The Wolfpack shot 5-for-19 from deep, and that's essentially where the game was lost.

3. No matter how talented they are, Southern Miss just can't seem to get over the hump in their series with Memphis. The Tigers won their 18th straight in the series, 60-58, with Chris Crawford's two free throws being the difference. Cedric Jenkins, who committed the foul that sent Crawford to the line with 31.6 seconds left in a tie game, missed a three as time expired.

4. While Temple did a good job of bouncing back from their loss to Dayton, the Flyers didn't do a great job of dealing with prosperity as they lost 81-73 at St. Bonaventure. Andrew Nicholson led the Bonnies with 30 points and 13 rebounds and the home team made 24 of 28 free throws as well, while Dayton shot 11-for-30 from three.

5. Old Dominion didn't shoot well as they made just 36.4% of their shots, but the Monarchs made up for it by grabbing 20 offensive rebounds in a 68-66 overtime win at Delaware. Kent Bazemore scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the way for ODU, who moved to 4-1 in CAA play.

6. After dropping their MAC opener at Bowling Green on Saturday, Ohio rebounded with a 60-52 win over Buffalo in Athens. D.J. Cooper led the way with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Buffalo's Javon McCrea made just four of thirteen shots from the field.

7. They were picked in the preseason poll to finish 4th in the Patriot League by the coaches but Lafayette is off to a good start, moving to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-63 win over Army. Rob Delaney scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Leopards while Levi Giese scored ten off the bench. Does Fran O'Hanlon's team have enough firepower to hang with preseason favorite Bucknell? We'll find out on Saturday when they host the Bison.

8. Out west, Colorado State picked up a nice win as they beat Denver 79-75 in Fort Collins. Wes Eikmeier scored 22 points while Greg Smith (17 points, seven rebounds) and Dorian Green (15 points) also played well. CSU now moves into conference play, where they have the ability to be a factor in the league race.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
30 points and 13 rebounds in the Bonnies' 81-73 win over Dayton.

2. G Kent Bazemore (Old Dominion)
27 points and 12 rebounds in the Monarchs' 68-66 overtime win at Delaware.

3. F Davante Gardner (Marquette)
22 points, 15 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Golden Eagles' 81-63 win over St. John's.

Non-BCS Top 25: Dayton On the Upswing

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:11:31 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a weekly companion to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking, taking an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: January 8th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
1	UNLV	16-2	1	7
2	Murray St	16-0	4	NA
3	San Diego St	13-2	3	18
4	Creighton	13-2	5	8
5	Gonzaga	13-2	6	3
6	Harvard	13-2*	2	21
7	New Mexico	14-2	9	5
8	Wichita St	12-3	10	13
9	Saint Mary's	14-2	14	14
10	Southern Miss	15-2	15	NA
11	Saint Louis	13-3*	7	NA
12	Temple	10-4*	11	4
13	Cleveland St	14-3	13	NA
14	MTSU	15-2	16	NA
15	Xavier	10-5*	12	2
16	Ohio	12-3**	8	NA
17	Iona	13-3	19	NA
18	Marshall	11-4	18	10

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
19	BYU	14-4	17	17
20	Dayton	12-4	30	NA
21	UCF	12-3	22	25
22	Memphis	10-5	21	1
23	Charleston	11-4*	20	NA
24	Denver	13-3	28	NA
25	Northern Iowa	12-4*	23	NA

pre. = preseason ranking

last = last ranking (end of 2010-11 season)

* = Losses in the last week

Next 5: Wyoming (13-2), Long Beach St (10-6), Weber St (12-3), Nevada (12-3), Oral Roberts (14-4)

Further 5: George Mason (12-4), Georgia St (11-4*), St. Joseph's (11-5*), La Salle (12-4), Davidson (10-4)

Dropped Out of Top 25 This Week:

#24 VCU

#25 Indiana St

Dropped Out of Top 25 Since Preseason:

#6 Butler

#9 George Mason

#11 Drexel

#15 Kent St

#22 Utah St

#23 Long Beach St

#24 UAB

#25 GW

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Temple vs Dayton: Prediction and Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:15:54 -0500

DAYTON (11-4, 1-0 A-10) AT TEMPLE (10-3, 0-0 A-10)

Time/TV: 4 p.m./CBS Sports

Location: Liacouras Center

RPI Rankings: Dayton 26; Temple 17.

Line: Temple -7

Dayton Players to Watch: G Kevin Dillard, 6-0 Jr. (12.2 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2 spg); F/C Josh Benson, 6-9 Jr. (10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 61% FG); G Paul Williams, 6-4 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 41% 3s). Williams scored six of his 11 points in overtime of Wednesday’s overtime win over Saint Louis.

Temple Players to Watch: G Ramone Moore, 6-4 Sr. (16.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg); G Khalif Wyatt, 6-4 Jr. (14.8 ppg, 2.7 apg, 39.3% 3s); G Juan Fernandez, 6-4 Sr. (12.6 ppg, 4.2 apg, 39% 3s). Wyatt scored 22 points, including two key 3-pointers, in the Owls’ 78-73 upset of No.3 Duke on Thursday.

Storyline: Dayton opened Atlantic 10 play with an overtime win over Saint Louis. The contest is Temple’s conference opener. Both teams figure to contend for the A-10 title.

Keys to Victory: Dayton has a clear advantage in the middle and shoots high percentages from the field. With Wyatt, Fernandez and Moore, Temple is stronger on the perimeter. The unit that plays better likely gets the victory.

The Bottom Line: Both teams are on a high after knocking off strong teams this week. With home-court advantage, it’s likely the Owls who get their fifth straight win on Saturday.

The Pick: Temple 75, Dayton 67.

Saturday Preview: #20 Marquette at #1 Syracuse

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:09:03 -0500

Just two games on the schedule for Saturday match ranked teams, one of which being #1 Syracuse (16-0, 3-0) hosting #20 Marquette (12-3, 1-1) with the visitors looking to rebound from a disappointing loss at Georgetown earlier this week. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 17 points in the second half but they went away from the "paint touches" that are so valued in Buzz Williams' program, which led to the Hoya comeback. Those paint touches will be even more important at the Carrier Dome, as Syracuse does a good job with their 2-3 zone at limiting those opportunities.

Jim Boeheim's team is always well-versed in who should be allowed to shoot perimeter shots and who should be defended tightly as well, meaning that Marquette will need to be judicious in their shot selection. As a team Marquette shoots 34.7% from three, scoring 22.3% of their points from distance on the season. The most reliable shooters are also their leading scorers: Darius Johnson-Odom (17.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Jae Crowder (16.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) both start while freshman Todd Mayo (10.2 ppg) come off the bench.

The Golden Eagles can match the Syracuse depth on the perimeter, with those three along with Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Derrick Wilson, but the Orange have been flat-out explosive this season. Scoop Jardine (8.7 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Brandon Triche (10.3 ppg, 3.1 apg) are the starters and have played well for much of the season, but in sixth man Dion Waiters (12.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) the Orange have one of the best reserves in the country. It can even be argued that Waiters is Syracuse's best option when considering postseason awards, which is a testament to his growth as well as Syracuse's depth.

Freshman Michael Carter-Williams also sees some time at guard, and on the wing the Orange are deep as well. Senior Kris Joseph (13.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and when allowed to get out and fill a lane on the break is a dangerous player to contend with. But there's also sophomore C.J. Fair (8.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg), who is second on the team in minutes, and junior James Southerland (8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) shoots 42.6% from beyond the arc. Marquette will be smaller than Syracuse on the wing, but they can manage the difference due to their speed. The real concern comes in the paint, where the Golden Eagles are without a key contributor.

Chris Otule is still out with a knee injury and there's been no announcement on his prospects for the remainder of the season, meaning that Davante Gardner (8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg) had to step into the starting role. Gardner came off the bench in Marquette's win over Villanova after a subpar performance in the loss to Vanderbilt, but he responded with 13 points and ten rebounds and followed that up with 11 against Georgetown. Facing the much-improved Fab Melo (7.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 bpg), Gardner's going to need a similar performance if Marquette is to win. Turnovers will also be a major factor with Marquette forcing nearly 18 per game and Syracuse almost 19.

Also in the Big East, #9 Georgetown hits the road to take on West Virginia, and Bob Huggins' team could definitely use a win like this for their resume. Kevin Jones has been one of the best players in the Big East for the Mountaineers, who will need young guards Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds to mature as the season wears on in order to be a team that can win games in the NCAA Tournament. And Seton Hall will look to build on the momentum gained in their win over Connecticut with a win at Providence, but with the Friars desperate for their first league win that's going to be a tough task for Kevin Willard's squad.

League play tips off in the ACC and SEC this weekend, with the former looking to sort itself out after the generally accepted top three of North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. While the Tar Heels shouldn't have much of a problem with Boston College, Duke should be on upset alert at Georgia Tech while Virginia hosts a Miami team that could be a factor in the ACC as Reggie Johnson approaches full strength. In the SEC Mississippi State visits Arkansas, and the Bulldogs had better make sure that freshman B.J. Young isn't allowed to heat up.

The Big 12's got a pair of dangerous games for ranked teams on the schedule as well, with Baylor visiting Texas Tech and Missouri taking on Kansas State in Manhattan. The Bears should beat the Red Raiders but that trip to Lubbock could be a tricky one if you're not focused. As for the Tigers, their interior depth will be tested by the Wildcats, led by Jamar Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez. If either Ricardo Ratliffe or Steve Moore get into early foul trouble, Missouri could end up in trouble as well.

Other games of note include Georgia State, who is currently in first place in the CAA, visiting George Mason just days after winning at VCU. Ron Hunter's done a masterful job with the GSU program in his first season in charge, and Devonta White and Jihad Ali have done a good job of leading the way offensively. Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson can be a handful up front for the Colonials, and there's a strong possibility that this game isn't decided until late. Temple hosts Dayton in the Owls' Atlantic 10 opener, and after they beat Saint Louis in overtime this could be a big week for Dayton's resume if they can win at Liacouras Center as well.

Top 25 Games
4:00 PM (20) Marquette at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
4:00 PM South Carolina at (2) Kentucky (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (3) Duke at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
2:30 PM Boston College at (4) North Carolina (ESPN3)
1:45 PM (5) Baylor at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
1:30 PM (6) Missouri at (22) Kansas State (ESPN3)
3:00 PM (7) Ohio State at Iowa (BTN)
8:00 PM (8) Connecticut at Rutgers (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (9) Georgetown at West Virginia (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Notre Dame at (10) Louisville (ESPNU)
11:00 AM (14) Florida at Tennessee (ESPN2)
2:00 PM (15) Kansas at Oklahoma (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (16) Mississippi State at Arkansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (18) Murray State at Austin Peay (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Dartmouth at (21) Harvard
6:00 PM Miami (FL) at (23) Virginia (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (24) Creighton at Bradley (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Virginia Tech at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Xavier at Fordham
12:00 PM Canisius at Loyola (MD)
12:00 PM Wagner at Monmouth
1:00 PM Nebraska at Illinois (BTN)
1:05 PM Missouri State at Indiana State (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Ole Miss at LSU (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Auburn at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Colgate at American
2:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Fairleigh Dickinson
2:00 PM Albright at Cornell
2:00 PM Washington at Utah (FSN)
2:00 PM Northeastern at James Madison
2:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Cleveland State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Western Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM St. John's at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
2:00 PM NJIT at Longwood
2:00 PM LIU-Brooklyn at Quinnipiac
2:00 PM Charlotte at Saint Joseph's
2:00 PM Kennesaw State at USC Upstate
2:05 PM Evansville at Illinois State
2:30 PM Charleston at Furman (ESPN3)
2:30 PM UMBC at Maine
2:30 PM Western Illinois at IPFW
3:00 PM Georgia Southern at Davidson
3:00 PM Texas State at Northwestern State
3:05 PM Wichita State at Southern Illinois
3:15 PM Jacksonville at Stetson
3:30 PM Lehigh at Holy Cross
3:30 PM North Dakota at New Mexico
3:30 PM Robert Morris at Central Connecticut State
3:30 PM St. Francis (NY) at Sacred Heart
4:00 PM Washington State at Colorado (FSN)
4:00 PM Dayton at Temple
4:00 PM Florida State at Clemson (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Iowa State at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Bucknell at Army
4:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Duquesne
4:00 PM Mercer at East Tennessee State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina A&T
4:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois
4:00 PM Coppin State at Savannah State
4:00 PM Morgan State at South Carolina State
4:00 PM Southern Miss at Tulane
4:00 PM Delaware at William & Mary
4:00 PM VMI at Winthrop
4:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Bryant
4:30 PM Denver at South Alabama (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Central Arkansas at Lamar
4:30 PM Liberty at UNC Asheville
4:30 PM Wofford at Western Carolina
5:00 PM Troy at Western Kentucky (FCS)
5:00 PM UCF at East Carolina
5:00 PM Jackson State at Alcorn State
5:00 PM Grambling State at Southern University
5:15 PM North Florida at Florida Gulf Coast
5:30 PM Tennessee State at Jacksonville State
5:30 PM Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern
6:00 PM Ohio at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
6:00 PM San Francisco at BYU (BYU TV)
6:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama A&M
6:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State
6:00 PM Howard at Hampton
6:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Norfolk State
6:00 PM IUPUI at Oakland
6:00 PM Seton Hall at Providence (ESPN3)
6:05 PM Fresno State at Idaho (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Middle Tennessee
7:00 PM Alabama at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Akron at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Richmond at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas (LHN)
7:00 PM Towson at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Hofstra at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Kent State at Buffalo
7:00 PM Toledo at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM High Point at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Georgia State at George Mason
7:00 PM Lafayette at Navy
7:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee-Martin
7:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern
7:05 PM Samford at Citadel
7:05 PM Illinois-Chicago at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at FIU
7:30 PM Campbell at Presbyterian
8:00 PM George Washington at Saint Louis
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Oral Roberts
8:00 PM SMU at Tulsa
8:00 PM Marshall at Rice
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Green Bay at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM McNeese State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Santa Clara at Gonzaga
8:00 PM New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Pepperdine at Portland
8:05 PM South Dakota at UMKC
8:05 PM North Texas at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Drake
8:05 PM Eastern Illinois at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Morehead State at Tennessee Tech
9:00 PM Memphis at UAB
9:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Colorado State
9:00 PM Loyola Marymount at San Diego
9:00 PM Houston at UTEP
9:05 PM Montana at Idaho State
9:05 PM Nevada at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM Seattle at Utah Valley
9:30 PM North Dakota State at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Stanford at Oregon State
10:00 PM UC Riverside at Pacific
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Davis
10:00 PM Weber State at Portland State
10:00 PM Texas-Pan American at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Northern Colorado at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Long Beach State at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Arizona State at UCLA
12:05 AM San Jose State at Hawaii

Wednesday Recap: Temple Knocks Off #3 Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:04:27 -0500

The question asked going into Temple's matchup with #3 Duke was whether or not they would be able to take care of business in the paint with the injured Micheal Eric still out. But by the end of the contest it was apparent that wasn't the biggest issue to be addressed for either team as the Owls won 78-73.

Temple relies heavily on their guards for offense, and Duke didn't have the answers for Fran Dunphy's perimeter players on either end of the floor. Khalif Wyatt led Temple with 22 points, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 17 and three other players scored 11 points in leading the program to their first win over Duke since 1996 (nine meetings).

"I think there was only one way we could win, and that is to manage the game and have those three guys [in control]," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy of Moore, Wyatt and Juan Fernandez. "And they're pretty good basketball players and they're going to be able to make good decisions with the ball."

Rebounding wasn't a concern for the Owls either as they out-rebounded Duke 32-29. Temple did turn the ball over 17 times in the win, but the Owls also forced 16 Duke turnovers with eleven coming by way of a steal. Duke's guards had a rough time on both ends of the floor, but the more glaring issue for the Blue Devils came on the defensive end.

As a team Temple shot 56.4% from the field as they were able to find the looks they desired when running their offense. Duke on the other hand made 47.5% of their shots, and while that's not a bad number the good looks were tougher to come by for Mike Krzyzewski's team. There's also the offensive end of the floor for the Duke perimeter, which failed to take advantage of the play of big men Mason and Miles Plumlee, who combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds.

Duke's starting guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton) combined to make seven of twenty-one shots from the field while reserves Quinn Cook (2-6 FG) and Andre Dawkins (0-3 FG) didn't fare much better. Outside of Rivers the Blue Devils (right now) don't have players who can apply pressure to defenses with their playmaking ability, and that got them in trouble against Temple's experienced backcourt.

The key for Rivers, who will likely have to develop into the lead option for this role, is to develop into a guard who can also set up his teammates. That may be Duke's best hope in the long-term when thinking about whether or not they can win a national title.

"We wanted to take away the three and try to run them off the three-point line a little bit," said Dunphy of their defensive strategy. "I was pleased with our defense and obviously when you can win a game like this, everybody has to play well and you have to get a little lucky, and I think we did that."

The benefit of a game like this in defeat is that Duke has a far better idea of what they need to clean up going into ACC play than they likely would had this contest been against a lesser opponent. As for Temple, winning in front of the third-largest crowd to watch a basketball game at Wells Fargo Center is quite the boost for the program as they go into Atlantic 10 play.

There's been more than enough time to adjust to not having Eric or Scootie Randall, and the Owls will benefit as it has allowed player such as Anthony Lee to take advantage of more playing time. With Xavier going through their struggles the top spot in the A-10 is up for grabs, and Temple is more than capable of grabbing the regular season title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown comes back from 17 down to beat #20 Marquette.
With 13:13 left in the game Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles led #9 Georgetown 56-39 and looked to be well on their way to a big conference road victory. But the Hoyas refused to quit, rallying all the way back to tie the score at 66 with 2:33 to go. And John Thompson III's team completed the comeback in thrilling fashion as Hollis Thompson knocked down a three with 24 seconds remaining to give the Hoyas a 73-70 win at the Verizon Center. Jason Clark scored a game-high 26 points to lead the victors, but the big switch occurred in the points in the paint and "paint touches" that are a core value of the Marquette program.

In the first half the Golden Eagles held a 22-8 edge in points in the paint, taking a 43-29 lead into the half as a result. Things flipped in the second half, as Georgetown outscored Marquette 20-4 in the paint. Marquette also falied to score a single fast break point in the second half, and Georgetown taking better care of the basketball (five turnovers compared to 12 in the first half) had a lot to do with that. Georgetown added another line to what is currently the Big East's best resume with a thrilling comeback, while Marquette was issued a tough reminder of what happens when they stray away from what makes them so successful.

2. Kansas controls the boards in a double-digit win over #22 Kansas State.
With Kansas State being the better rebounding team entering Wednesday's showdown it was imperative that Kansas take care of the glass at Allen Fieldhouse. Bill Self's team did that and then some, bludgeoning the Wildcats to the tune of a 50-26 edge on the boards in a 67-49 victory. K-State didn't help themselves by shooting 31.6% from the field (Kansas made 45.5% of their shots) either, but for the Wildcats to resort to shooting 20 three-pointers (making five) is an issue for a team that makes just 33% of their three-pointers on the season.

Thomas Robinson led the way for Kansas with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but it was the play of Travis Releford that stole the show. Releford scored a team-high 16 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, providing the help that Kansas will need more of as the season wears on if they're to compete with a team like Baylor in the race for the Big 12 title. Jeff Withey chipped in with eight points and six blocks, rebounding from an uninspired performance in the Jayhawks' win over North Dakota. If guys such as Releford and Withey can be consistent factors Kansas can win another conference title.

3. La Salle takes controls of the game late in the first half on their way to a win over Xavier.
It's been tough sledding for Chris Mack's Xavier club since the brawl with Cincinnati in December, as the combination of suspensions and a challenging schedule proved to be a bit much for the Musketeers. But with all parties involved back, should it really be taking this long to regain the confidence and chemistry they had before that incident? That's a definite concern for Xavier going forward, but on Wednesday night it was all about Dr. John Giannini's Explorers at Tom Gola Arena.

With the program's greatest player not named Tom Gola (Lionel Simmons) in attendance, La Salle closed the first half on a 22-6 run and went on to win 80-70 in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. Earl Pettis scored 23 points and Ramon Galloway added 16 as four players reached double figures for the Explorers, who have now won nine of their last ten games. La Salle assisted on 20 of their 26 baskets, and outscoring Xavier 27-12 from deep was key as well. Xavier will be the attention-grabber due to the preseason expectations, but be sure to keep an eye on the Explorers as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Northwestern was presented a nice opportunity to pick up a quality win with Illinois visiting Evanston, and Bill Carmody's Wildcats couldn't get the job done as they fell 57-56. Myers Leonard's block of a Drew Crawford shot in the final seconds preserved the win for the Fighting Illini, dropping Northwestern to 1-2 in Big Ten play.

2. Without Josh Benson, Dayton still found a way to win their Atlantic 10 opener as they beat Saint Louis 79-72 in overtime. Cody Ellis banked in a three with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, but the Billikens were unable to get over the hump in the extra session. Kevin Dillard led the Flyers with 18 points.

3. Yancy Gates (and Cheikh Mbodj) returned to the floor for Cincinnati, chipping in with six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the Bearcats' 71-55 win over Notre Dame. Dion Dixon led Mick Cronin's team with 18 points, and Cincinnati has the look of a team that's comfortable in its new style. UC hasn't lost since the brawl with crosstown rival Xavier, winning seven straight games.

4. Well, it may be time to start taking Ron Hunter's Georgia State team seriously, as they followed up a win over Drexel with a 55-53 win at VCU tonight. Jihad Ali scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Panthers, who are now 3-0 in CAA play and have an overall record of 11-3.

5. Even with wins over Robert Morris and Charlotte there wasn't the most positive feeling about Memphis' hopes as they approach Conference USA play. That may have changed on Wednesday as the Tigers beat Tennessee 69-51, controlling the run of play for much of the night. Antonio Barton led the Tigers with 19 points and Tarik Black added 18 and seven rebounds.

6. Iowa held on despite some bad free throw shooting to win their second straight conference road game, 64-62 at Minnesota. Matt Gatens scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes while Minnesota shot 4-for-23 from deep, allowing Iowa to get away with Melsahn Basabe going scoreless in 11 minutes of action.

7. There may not be a better piece of evidence to use in explaining the wild nature of the Missouri Valley than the fact that Southern Illinois is now 2-1 in league play thanks to their 74-65 win at Bradley. Mamadou Seck played very well, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Salukis to their second straight league victory. SIU is part of a six-way tie for first place in the MVC.

8. Someone may want to frame the box score from Florida State's 85-56 win over Auburn, because in all honesty it's going to be tough for the Seminoles to match that offensive output in ACC play. FSU made 70.5% of their two-point shots while Auburn made just a third of theirs, scoring 16 points in the first half (FSU led 50-16 at the break). Michael Snaer led the victors with 22 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Garrett Stutz (Wichita State)
Stutz scored a career-high 29 points (12-14 FG), grabbed ten rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked three shots in the Shockers' 67-66 win at Evansville. Colt Ryan paced the Purple Aces with 31 points.

2. F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)
21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Blue Hens' 67-66 win over Hofstra.

3. G Mike James (Lamar)
31 points (12-16 FG) and three steals in the Cardinals' 74-58 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.