Dayton

Dayton 2010 NIT Preview

Joel Welser — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:09:54 -0400

Dayton Flyers

Atlantic 10 Conference (20-12, 8-8)

Seed: #3

Big Wins: 11/19 vs Georgia Tech (63-59), 12/11 Old Dominion (58-50), 2/6 Xavier (90-65)

Bad Losses: 1/23 at St. Joseph’s (59-60), 2/21 at Duquesne (71-73), 3/6 St. Louis (66-71)

Coach: Brian Gregory

Why They Can Surprise:

Dayton has more depth than most people would know what to do with. Coach Brian Gregory knows how to deal with a team that can play 11 deep. Some Flyer fans have been upset with the rotation schedule, but Coach Gregory always keeps his players fresh and will get the other team very tired while he brings in wave after wave of fresh bodies.

The other strength of this team is rebounding and having a whole lot of players to move in and out of the lineup certainly keeps the players hungry on the glass. Chris Wright and Chris Johnson are the team’s leading scorers, but they are also the team’s best rebounders. Wright is a high flyer who can make some amazing plays in the open court. Wright is a great slasher and has emerged as a smarter, more efficient player during his junior campaign. Johnson, a 6-6 sophomore, actually leads the team in rebounding and is a threat to score from long range or by using his size to get to the basket. With players like Devin Searcy and one of the best glue guys to ever play the game, Kurt Huelsman, the Flyers have plenty of forwards who are capable on the glass.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Most expected Dayton to win the conference this year, but their overall poor shooting has been a big problem. Rob Lowery, Mickey Perry, Marcus Johnson and Paul Williams join Chris Johnson is a capable outside shooters and is the only player on the team shooting over 36 percent from beyond the arc. But it is not just the long range shooting that is bad; it is not much better inside the arc. Just about all those players are capable outside shooters, but they are simply not getting open looks. The problem is a lack of an interior scorer so the opposition can defend the perimeter much easier. That means Huelsman needs to have a good day under the basket and help get the shooters some open looks.

Who To Watch:

London Warren can get open looks for his teammates as well. The senior point guard is no threat to shoot, or score much at all for that matter, but he is a speedy guard who can drive the lane and try to find an open teammate. His defense is also very good, but he has to lead his team through the tough times and heading into the tournament he has done a pretty good job of being a leader and stepping up when the team needs him most.

Probable Starters:

London Warren, Senior, Guard, 4.6 ppg, 4.1 apg

Rob Lowery, Senior, Guard, 7.8 ppg, 3.7 apg

Marcus Johnson, Senior, Guard, 8.6 ppg, 1.9 apg

Chris Wright, Junior, Forward, 14.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg

Kurt Huelsman, Senior, Center, 4.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

John Benson, Freshman, Center, 2.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Chris Johnson, Sophomore, Forward, 11.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg

Mickey Perry, Senior, Guard, 5.7 ppg, 1.9 apg

Devin Searcy, Junior, Center, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Paul Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 69.6 (155^th in nation, 9^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 61.9 (39, 4)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.3 (135, 5)

Field-Goal Defense: 39.5 (23, 3)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.6 (118, 4)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.7 (184, 4)

Free-Throw Percentage: 66.3 (251, 9)

Rebound Margin: 6.6 (15, 1)

Assists Per Game: 14.8 (53, 4)

Turnovers Per Game: -0.4 (204, 9)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Illinois

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter@Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

2010 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:41:56 -0500

Talk about making an impact. Darington Hobson's first season of D1 basketball was certainly a memorable one. The CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year led New Mexico to an MWC title by averaging 16.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. He's joined on the High-Major First Team by guards Jordan Crawford, Jimmer Fredette, and Randy Culpepper, as well as WAC Player of the Year Luke Babbitt.

There are very few seniors on this year's High-Major All-America teams, meaning we should be in for a treat next year. Teams with multiple All-Americans include Gonzaga (Matt Bouldin & Elias Harris), New Mexico (Hobson & Roman Martinez), and UTEP (Culpepper & Derrick Caracter.)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year:

Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr

CollegeHoops.net First-Team High-Major All-America
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier, So
G Jimmer Fredette, BYU, Jr

G Randy Culpepper, UTEP, Jr
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr
F Luke Babbitt, Nevada, So

Second-Team High-Major All-America
G Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga, Sr
G Elliot Williams, Memphis, So
G Kevin Anderson, Richmond, Jr
F Aubrey Coleman, Houston, Sr

F Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's, Sr

Third-Team High-Major All-America
G Juan Fernandez, Temple, So
G Tre'von Willis, UNLV, Jr
G Jahmar Young, NMSU, Jr
F Derrick Caracter, UTEP, Jr
F Chris Wright, Dayton, Jr

Fourth-Team High-Major All-America
G Adrian Oliver, San Jose St, Jr
G Roman Martinez, New Mexico, Sr
F Elias Harris, Gonzaga, Fr
F Tai Wesley, Utah St, Jr

F Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, Fr

Honorable Mention

TJ Campbell, Portland
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois St
Jackson Emery, BYU
Dairese Gary, New Mexico

Paul George, Fresno St

Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
Rodney Green, La Salle
Adam Koch, Northern Iowa

Jerome Jordan, Tulsa
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St

Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco

Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's

Elijah Millsap, UAB
Dinma Odiakosa, Illinois St

Jared Quayle, Utah St
Damian Saunders, Duquesne

Ben Uzoh, Tulsa

Check back tomorrow for our Mid-Major All-America Teams.

Also: National All-Americans

Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:29:31 -0500

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Dayton Drops Another Close One

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:54:35 -0500

Dayton went into Thursday night's game at Richmond knowing that they needed a tough win, especially on the road, to improve their resume in regards to a possible at-large bid. Having dropped six games by four points or less (five of which came on the road) they needed to find some way in which to reverse that luck. All they were able to do is add another line to the list, losing 60-56 at Robins Center despite out-rebounding the Spiders 44-25 on the night. The issues for Dayton have been two-fold and Thursday night was simply the most recent example. The Flyers haven't shot consistently from the field (34% against Richmond) and they've turned the ball over as well (19 TOs, converted into 20 Richmond points). When 32% of your possessions end with a turnover you're in trouble.

Chris Johnson led Dayton with 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench and Marcus Johnson (10 points) was the other Flyer in double figures. The Spiders, who will have one of the four first-round byes in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, were led by Kevin Anderson (22 points) and David Gonzalvez (14 points). A problem for Dayton on this night: attempting more than a third of their shots from behind the arc, which is more an indictment of the tempo at which the game was played (62 possessions) than the shot selection of Brian Gregory's team. There are plenty of athletes who can run the floor on this team; getting drawn into a half-court game by a team like Richmond will get Dayton in trouble.

"We had too many empty possessions," said Gregory. "Twenty turnovers in a low-possession game works out to just about a turnover every other possession (quote courtesy of the University of Dayton)."

But they can ill-afford to worry about this result with Saint Louis visiting in the regular season finals. The Billikens won in overtime in the first meeting, a game very few expected Rick Majerus' young team to win. "The only thing we can afford to do is regroup, get back to Dayton and work toward getting a win on Saturday against Saint Louis," noted Gregory. And unfortunately for he and his team they're running out of opportunities to bolster their resume.

Three Key Happenings

1. A wild quarterfinal round drops three of the top four seeds in the Atlantic Sun. The quarterfinal round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament is in the books and it's a round many will point to as a clear answer in regards to how crazy March can be. Both lower-seeded teams won on Thursday night, with Mercer knocking off Belmont and East Tennessee State dropping Campbell. Adding these two to Kennesaw State beating Lipscomb yesterday and all of a sudden Jacksonville may come to the conclusion that they've got a clear path to the automatic bid.

Not so fast, especially considering that they'll be playing a virtual road game on Friday night against host Mercer. James Florence and Daniel Emerson combine to make up one of the better inside/outside tandems in the A-Sun. As for the Bucs, who take on the aforementioned Owls tomorrow, Micah Williams went off for 32 points to make the Camels pay for guard Lorne Merthie's cold night (3-13 FG). With conventional favorites Lipscomb and Belmont gone this is anyone's tournament but give the early edge to Mercer since they're the host school. Don't be surprised if the Bears end up cutting down the nets.

2. Ashton Gibbs' heroics clinch a double-bye for Pittsburgh. Providence was just 3.5 seconds away from a huge upset victory for Keno Davis' team. But as the Friars have shown this season they can leave the door open for foes, and they've been made to pay for it. Pittsburgh, thanks to Ashton Gibbs, simply became the most recent opponent to highlight Providence's inability to finish, and they also clinched the final double-bye for the upcoming Big East Tournament. Gibbs (25 points), Jermaine Dixon (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Brad Wanamaker (10 points, 13 assists) helped Pitt survive a putrid night from the foul line (3-10), but truth be told the Friars could have put things away had they made more foul shots themselves (13-23). The Panthers know firsthand that having the double-bye doesn't mean automatic success since they had it last year and lost to West Virginia in their first game. But the majority of coaches would be more than willing to take their chances with it.

3. Coastal Carolina and Winthrop take care of business to move on to the Big South final. The Chanticleers did as expected and routed UNC Asheville in front of a partisan crowd in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. However it won't be defending champion Radford who they take on for the third time this season in Saturday's final. That's because Randy Peele's Winthrop Eagles did an outstanding job on the defensive end to neutralize Art Parakhouski, winning 61-46. Radford shot just 25% overall and 2-18 (11.1%) from beyond the arc.

The poor perimeter shooting allowed Winthrop the luxury of sagging defensively and taking away the paint, and despite double-doubles from Parakhouski (11 points, 18 rebounds) and Joey Lynch-Flohr (17 points, 11 rebounds) the Highlanders didn't have enough offensively to take care of Winthrop. But while the Eagles have the ability to defend they're going up against a far more versatile offensive team in Coastal Carolina on the Chanticleers' home floor. They'll need Thursday night's effort and then some if they're to pull off the upset on the road.

Top Three Games

1. Pittsburgh 73, Providence 71 See above.

2. Drake 63, Southern Illinois 61 A Josh Young jumper with one second remaining gave Drake their third win of the season over the Salukis, and their reward is a matchup with regular season champ Northern Illinois on Friday. Carlton Fay led SIU with 14 points.

3. Michigan St 67, Penn St 65 The Spartans avoided losing to the Nittany Lions in East Lansing for the second consecutive season behind 16 points from Raymar Morgan and 14 from Draymond Green. Talor Battle and Chris Tabb scored 16 apiece to lead the Lions.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jamine "Greedy" Peterson (Providence) The redshirt sophomore was sensational in a losing effort for the Friars, scoring 24 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.

2. F Herb Pope (Seton Hall) Pope helped lead the Pirates to an 85-74 win over in-state rival Rutgers with 22 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks.

3. G Brandon Fields (Nevada) Fields finished with 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in the Wolf Pack's 100-92 win over New Mexico State.

Richmond vs Dayton: Game of the Night Preview

Jeff Borzello — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:39:27 -0500

Start: Mar 4 2010 - 7:00pm

Game of the Night: Dayton at Richmond (7:00 PM, CBS College Sports)

The final week of the regular season is the last chance for teams to make statements to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee before the postseason. Lasting images make a difference in some members’ eyes. That is something that both Dayton and Richmond will have to keep in mind, for different reasons. Dayton is teetering on the bubble and needs a win here, while Richmond is working on seeding and also still has a chance at a league title. Dayton has wins over Georgia Tech, Old Dominion, Xavier and Charlotte, but a questionable loss at Saint Joseph’s. The Flyers have lost three of five and are just 6-6 in their last 12. Richmond has plenty of solid victories on the season, beating Temple, Old Dominion, Missouri, Mississippi State, Florida and Rhode Island. They are 11-3 in the Atlantic-10 and have won eight of nine.

Dayton came into the season as the favorite to win the Atlantic-10, but the Flyers struggled out of the gate in conference play and never truly recovered, leaving them in trouble heading into Selection Sunday. They’re a very good defensive team, contesting shots and dominating the defensive glass. However, on offense, they struggle to hit outside shots and turn the ball over too often. The athletic Chris Wright is the team’s top scorer and rebounder, and he is capable of highlight reel finishes. Chris Johnson is another versatile forward, while Marcus Johnson can do a little of everything. London Warren plays tough defense and distributes, although Rob Lowery is more explosive offensively.

Richmond suffered a few questionable losses in non-conference play, falling at William & Mary, VCU and South Carolina. However, after a 3-2 start in the A-10, the Spiders are now rolling. This team plays excellent defense, forcing turnovers and difficult shots for the opponents. Offensively, they have balance and take care of the ball. Richmond revolves around the dynamite backcourt of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez. Anderson is capable of filling it up from a variety of spots on the court, and can also pass. Gonzalvez is a good outside shooter who can rebounds. Wing Ryan Butler is another solid all-around player. Up front, Justin Harper is an inside-outside double-figure threat, and Dan Geriot is decent.

This is a must-win for Dayton if it harbors any at-large hopes come Selection Sunday. It won’t be easy, though – and probably won’t happen. Richmond has lost just one home game all season, while Dayton has fallen in three straight road games, and five of its last six away from home. Another problem is the fact that Dayton struggles to take care of the ball, and Richmond thrives off of turnovers and mistake-prone guards. Richmond’s defense will neutralize Dayton’s offense, and the Flyers will struggle to contain both Anderson and Gonzalvez. If Dayton is to win, it will need big-time games from Wright and Johnson.

Prediction: Richmond 66, Dayton 59

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:47:24 -0500

In regards to bubble teams Wednesday saw a lot of teams leave the door open for someone to sneak in and grab an at-large bid, and it's made quite the case why we're just fine with sixty-five teams. But with this arguably being the weakest bubble pool in the 64/65 era there are ample opportunities for teams seemingly off the radar to sneak in and grab a bid. One of those teams is Dayton, who visits a Richmond team that looks to be a safe bet for the Big Dance. Just 2-5 in conference road games, the Flyers have dropped four of their last five on the road and while there's no shame in losing to a Temple or Saint Louis those defeats at Saint Joseph's and Duquesne have them in a bit of trouble going into the regular season's final weekend.

Dayton's going to play at a slightly higher pace that the Spiders but by no means is Brian Gregory's team an all-out running squad. The key for the Flyers: rebounding. Dayton's especially good at hitting the offensive boards with the likes of Chris Wright, Chris Johnson, Kurt Huelsman and Devin Searcy, boasting a offensive rebounding percentage of 34.7%. This ability boosts their overall offensive efficiency numbers but they do have issues with shot selection on occasion, something that will almost guarantee defeat at Richmond if they aren't judicious with the looks they find. Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez lead the way offensively while Justin Harper and Dan Geriot are the Spiders' best interior scoring threats.

Richmond's among the most efficient teams in the Atlantic 10 and they do a good job of taking care of the basketball, averaging just over eleven turnovers per game. London Warren and Rob Lowery will have to be pests on the defensive end in order to take Anderson and Gonzalvez out of their comfort zones and the same goes for every member of Dayton's rotation. Chris Mooney's team is the kind that can pick you apart offensively if allowed to run their stuff without any kind of pressure, and this will likely determine the outcome Thursday night.

TV GAMES

6p ESPNU Winthrop vs. Radford (Big South Semifinal)
7p ESPN2 Penn St at Michigan St
7p ESPN Seton Hall at Rutgers
7p CBS-College Dayton at Richmond
8p UNC Ashville at Coastal Carolina (Big South Semifinal)
8:30 FSN USC at Arizona St
9p ESPN Providence at Pittsburgh
9p ESPN2 LSU at Mississippi
10:30 FSN UCLA at Arizona
11p ESPNU Pacific at Cal State Fullerton

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS

Four conference tournaments will either open or resume play on Thursday with the Missouri Valley and Northeast conferences tipping off while the Atlantic Sun and Big South resume play. The A-Sun had the surprise of the day on Wednesday with Kennesaw State knocking off top seed Lipscomb, but two-seed Jacksonville took care of business in the nightcap. The other two quarters take place Thursday with host Mercer taking on Belmont in the second game of the day. Prolific scorer James Florence can be a handful as can E.J. Kusnyer from behind the arc for the Bears but the Bruins have the three-seed for a reason. Belmont is led by Ian Clark but it was Mick Hedgepeth who led the team with fifteen points in their win over Mercer on February 25th. But it should be noted that Florence missed that game due to injury; his presence could spark a win in front of the home crowd.

The top eight teams in the Northeast conference face off with the top four seeds hosting quarterfinal games, including top seed Quinnipiac hosting a dangerous Monmouth squad they took care of with ease just last week. But with forwards Travis Taylor and Ed Waite, Dave Calloway's team is capable of giving the Bobcats a fight. However stopping a team led by NEC Player of the Year Justin Rutty and fellow First Team All-NEC member James Feldeine is far easier said that done. Robert Morris hosts Central Connecticut State while the league's hottest team, Mount St. Mary's, hosts Saint Francis (PA) and LIU hosts Fairleigh Dickinson. And in the Missouri Valley two first round games will be played to kick off Arch Madness with Missouri State taking on Evansville and Southern Illinois battling Drake. The winners will move on to face the MVC's top two seeds (Northern Iowa and Wichita State) on Friday.

As for the Big South they move on to the semifinal round with all four higher seeds winning in the quarterfinals to set up a pair of enticing matchups. Coastal Carolina takes on UNC Asheville in the second half of the doubleheader, a team they swept in the regular season with a one-point win at Asheville and a blowout at home. The first meeting is the one that has the better chance of deviating from seeding as Radford beat Winthrop in their first meeting by just two points less than a week ago. Art Parakhouski and company will have their hands full with the Eagles, especially if this turns into a game played at Winthrop's tempo.

Atlantic Sun (quarterfinals)
Big South (semifinals; ESPNU)
Missouri Valley (first round)
Northeast (quarterfinals)

ONE PREDICTION

Richmond over Dayton: The Flyers really need a good win at this point in the season and a win at Richmond would kill two birds with one stone for a group that's struggled in true road games. But behind the guard tandem of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalves the Spiders won't allow that to happen. Richmond wins by six.

Poll: How Many A-10 Bubble Teams Will Make the Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:44:43 -0500

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Purdue Wins Yet Loses?

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:10:20 -0500

The first significant happening on The Road to the Final Four may have taken place in Minneapolis on Wednesday night depending upon the results of an MRI on Thursday. Purdue forward Robbie Hummel went down with a knee injury in the first half and was unable to return to action. Seemingly in control of the game at that point, the Boilermakers fell victim to a Golden Gopher run to take the lead and Minnesota led by as many as nine in the second half. But that's when the Boilers made their charge, eventually taking the lead for good on a Keaton Grant jumper from the top of the key with eight seconds remaining. A Devoe Joseph jumper missed long, giving Purdue a 65-64 win that could ultimately prove to be costly.

"Obviously, we missed him, because we had a good start to the game," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter on Hummel. "He gives us a balance to the game. He can go inside or outside, and he's a good passer. When we lost him, it hurt us a little bit (quote courtesy of the University of Minnesota)." It's one thing to lose a guy in the middle of a game and have to adjust as the game wears on. But to lose a player the caliber of Hummel for an extended period time would be a major blow. His versatility and ability to contribute offensively from either the perimeter or inside with his shooting and scoring gives Purdue an option few teams have an answer for.

What did Hummel's absence mean at Minnesota? It meant more minutes for JaJuan Johnson (14 pts, 10 reb, 3 blk, 40 min) and added offensive responsibility for Grant, who finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. "Obviously, Keaton Grant made a big shot," said Painter. "He's been very valuable to our team, especially the last three games." Grant would have needed to step up regardless of the circumstances going into March. But the possible loss of Hummel adds urgency to the situation, and Grant answered the call on Wednesday night.

Three Key Happenings

1. Notre Dame picks up a big win over Pittsburgh in South Bend. No Luke Harangody once again for Mike Brey's squad, but unlike their prior contests without the All-American Notre Dame rose to the challenge in knocking off Pittsburgh 68-53. Instead of their usual offense-first style that breeds a faster tempo, the Irish slowed the game down and knocked down perimeter shots (10-18 3PT) in ending the Panthers five-game win streak while also breathing some life back into their fleeting NCAA Tournament hopes. Tim Abromaitis led the way with 17 points while Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson added fifteen and fourteen points respectively, and Pitt made just four of eighteen shots from behind the arc.

Also of note are the rebounding numbers; Notre Dame was a plus-9 in rebounding margin, grabbing eleven offensive boards on the night. It was almost as if every three that Notre Dame missed ended up back in their hands, allowing them to run more time off the clock. "He said that we had to make sure that they didn't get the rebound when they missed one, but they did," said Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon. "They just outplayed us and wanted it more than we did. There's not much else I can say about it (quote courtesy of the University of Notre Dame)." And with their backs to the wall Notre Dame knows that they can't afford to be outworked, and their reward on Wednesday was a win that keeps them alive.

2. San Diego State and Dayton blow opportunities to pick up signature road victories. The Aztecs and Flyers had good opportunities to make definitive statements to the selection committee on the road. But neither took advantage of the opportunity, and both are now in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. SDSU fell victim to the perimeter shooting of BYU and an under-the-weather Kawhi Leonard, who managed just three points in their 82-68 loss in Provo. Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery combined to score 43 points and the Cougars were a plus-16 in free throw attempts for the game. D.J. Gay led the way for the visitors with fifteen points but they nullified seventeen assists with sixteen turnovers, many of which were converted into points on the other end. And as a result, Steve Fisher's team needs to win their last two plus go on a run at the Mountain West Tournament.

Dayton's going to need a run in Atlantic City due to their recent struggles, the most recent being a 49-41 loss at Temple in what may best be described as a rock fight. While the Owls shot just 32.1% from the field that could be described as scalding in some some circles when compared to Dayton shooting 26.3%. Chris Wright led the visitors, who dropped to 7-6 in conference play and 18-9 overall, with 12 points and 13 rebounds while Ramone Moore scored 13 to lead Temple. The difference in Philadelphia: Temple got to the foul line. The Owls finished 13-21 from the charity stripe while Dayton made just six of nine. Not the best shooting team to begin with, Brian Gregory's team must attack the rim in their remaining games if they're to play at their best. Their NCAA Tournament hopes rest on it.

3. From rags to riches: Stony Brook clinches the America East title. Just last season the Seawolves managed to finish outside of the opening round game for the first time in their history as a member of America East. Considering that bit of history makes their rise to regular season champions of the conference all the more improbable, and given their struggles through the years it's fitting that they had to hold off Vermont in winning 82-78. The first thirty-two minutes or so played out like a coronation, with Muhammad El-Amin, Bryan Dougher, Dallis Joyner and the rest of the rotation doing whatever they wanted in building up a 20-point lead.

But the Catamounts would not go quietly, cutting the lead all the way down to two before a Chris Martin free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining sealed the game. Now winners of ten straight, Steve Pikiell's team will now have to handle the role of favorite in next weekend's conference tournament at the University of Hartford. But while there's still more work to be done the significance of this title can't be ignored when considering where the program was when Coach Pikiell took over.

Top Three Games

1. Marquette 63, St. John's 61 (OT) Jimmy Butler recovered a loose ball in the corner and knocked down an off-balance shot as time expired to give the Golden Eagles the win at Carnesecca Arena. Lazar Hayward led all scorers with 22 and Butler added 18 points while D.J. Kennedy led the Red Storm with 20.

2. Cal-State Fullerton 70, Cal Poly 68 Jacques Streeter banked in a 15-foot runner as time expired to give the Titans the win in San Luis Obispo. Streeter led all scorers with 21 points while Shawn Lewis led the Mustangs with 19.

3. Ohio 70, Miami (Ohio) 68 Tommy Freeman knocked down a three pointer with six tenths of a second remaining to give the Bobcats the win in Athens. DeVaughn Washington led all scorers with 25 points while Kenny Hayes led the RedHawks with 20.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Aubrey Coleman (Houston) Add Memphis to the list of Coleman's victims as he scored 34 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Cougars' 92-75 victory.

2. F Evan Turner (Ohio State) The National Player of the Year candidate posted a stat line of 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.

3. F Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State) Varnado scored 17 points while also grabbing ten rebounds and blocking eight shots, with the final number making him the NCAA career blocks leader. And not to be left out, Varnado's close friend Barry Stewart broke the school's career record for made three pointers in the 74-66 win over Alabama.

Bracketology: Dayton Back In

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:39:21 -0500

The Bracketology field is based on how the tourney looks "as of this moment." The field below is not based on who I think deserves to be in, but a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand. For the next few weeks, I'll be posting Bracketology updates every Tuesday & Friday. In late February, I release Bracketology updates daily as the season enters crunch time.

Why should you care what I have to say? In 2007 & 2008, I was considered to have one of the Top 2 or 3 brackets amongst 53 national experts including Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish and the like. (Admittedly my 2009 final bracket was rather weak.. not sure what happened. Can't win 'em all.)

Notes:

Arrows indicate movement by seed. Green indicates new to the field this week. Conference champions are not my end of season predictions, but current leaders. (Ties atop conference standings go to the higher RPI team).

ONE

Kansas**

Duke**

TWO

THREE

Vanderbilt

FOUR

FIVE

Butler**

Temple

Baylor

Wake Forest

SIX

Gonzaga**

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

UTEP**

Virginia Tech

TEN

Siena**

ELEVEN

UAB

Cornell**

Rhode Island

Oklahoma St

TWELVE

Florida

Dayton

St. Mary's

Utah St**

THIRTEEN

Marquette

Charlotte

Murray State**

Kent St**

FOURTEEN

Charleston**

Oakland**

Weber St**

Sam Houston St**

FIFTEEN

Coastal Carolina**

Morgan St**

UCSB**

North Texas**

SIXTEEN + ONE

Stony Brook**

Belmont**

Robert Morris**

Lehigh** / Jackson St**

** = Automatic Bid

League Leaders/Winners (31)

- Leaders throughout the season are merely the first place team in the standings as of the update, and not projected winners. Ties go to the higher RPI team. New teams this week in green.

America East - Stony Brook

A-10 - Richmond

ACC - Duke

Atlantic Sun - Belmont

Big 12 - Kansas

Big East - Syracuse

Big Sky - Weber St

Big South - Coastal Carolina

Big Ten - Michigan St

Big West - UCSB

CAA - Old Dominion

Conference USA - UTEP

Horizon - Butler

Ivy - Cornell

MAAC - Siena

MAC - Kent St

MEAC - Morgan St

MVC - Northern Iowa

MWC - New Mexico

Northeast - Robert Morris

Ohio Valley - Murray St

Pac-10 - California

Patriot - Lehigh

SEC - Kentucky

Southern - Charleston

Southland - Sam Houston St

SWAC - Jackson St

Summit - Oakland

Sun Belt - North Texas

WAC - Utah St

WCC - Gonzaga

*** = Locked Up Automatic Bid

Last In: Charlotte, Marquette, Saint Mary's, Dayton

Last Out: Mississippi St, San Diego St, Ole Miss, William & Mary

Further Four: South Florida, Cincinnati, Wichita St, Seton Hall

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): Ole Miss

Post your thoughts on this week's field below:

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Lobos Win in Las Vegas

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:38:44 -0500
So, how did the first half between New Mexico and UNLV turn out? More than a valid question given the four-overtime contest between TCU and Utah (womens) that spanned the entire first half of Wednesday's game of the night. The Lobos went into the locker room with a 40-28 lead thanks to shooting 15-for-29 from the field and outrebounding the Rebels 23-12. On the verge of turning into a one-sided affair with the lead getting up to as many as eighteen points (61-43), the game actually saved its best drama for when the nation was tuned in. Lon Kruger's team made a 20-4 run to close to within two points (65-63) with 3:38 to go but a Darington Hobson putback moved the game past the one-possession barrier for good.
With the 76-66 win the Lobos take over first place in the Mountain West and gain a valuable season split with UNLV. The differences on Wednesday night: rebounding and three-point shooting. The Lobos were a plus-9 on the boards (35-26) in the first meeting but Steve Alford's club was flat-out dominant in the rematch, outrebounding UNLV 45-23 and grabbing seventeen offensive boards (take away UNM's defensive boards and they would have been just a minus-6). The rebounding edge led to a 19-2 advantage in second chance points, a huge disparity given the teams combining for six fast break points. The Lobos also made eleven of twenty-one shots from behind the arc while also doing a far better job of defending the three-point line.
UNLV made just ten of thirty three-pointers, including 3-for-14 in the first half. In the first meeting the Rebels hit eleven of twenty-six and Kendall Wallace accounted for six of those makes (seven attempts). Wednesday night Wallace made three of six and Tre'Von Willis hit just one (five attempts). Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 15 points but they were unable to wrestle away control of the game. Darington Hobson and Roman Martinez scored sixteen points apiece while Dairese Gary (15) and Phillip McDonald (13) also reached double figures.
"I thought we did a good job executing offensively," said Coach Alford after the game. "You come into Vegas and come into this building and we never trailed. We led start to finish, so this is a very, very impressive night. They played outstanding basketball (quote courtesy of golobos.com)."
Three Key Happenings
1. Connecticut and North Carolina leave opportunities on the table, but the Huskies are better equipped to still make a run. Both UConn and UNC went into their games on Wednesday needing wins to turn things back in the proper direction; both are at the point where moral victories earn you nothing more than a pat on the back and a directive to get the next one. But after dropping said games the Huskies look to be better equipped to fight their way into the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies fell 72-67 at Syracuse, fighting back from a 16-point second half deficit to have a shot to win in the final minute. Of course the timeout granted the Orange with just over 35 seconds remaining will receive much of the attention but that whistle didn't tell Jerome Dyson to attempt a contested 25-footer with the Huskies down just two.
Should John Cahill granted the timeout? It was clearly called by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim while Scoop Jardine was still in possession of the basketball. But it wasn't granted until Stanley Robinson had possession, which is where the controversy lies. As for the result itself the Huskies used the usual formula of their big three (Dyson, Robinson and Kemba Walker) doing the scoring with Gavin Edwards providing the appearance of a bench presence. In order for UConn to pull off a run for an NCAA Tournament berth they need a Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (or anyone else for that matter) to provide some scoring.
As for the Tar Heels the lack of a player who can be a consistent primary scoring option late combined with some shockingly poor rebounding in the final ten minutes to result in Duke's 64-54 victory. One of the taller teams in college basketball you wouldn't expect rebounding to be an issue especially with Duke losing Lance Thomas to a knee injury but the Blue Devils grabbed 19 offensive boards and Jon Scheyer made key shots late. Not trying to make a direct correlation since Carolina is a far more talented team but the issue of lacking a bona fide primary scorer is very similar to what St. John's is going through. And in late-game situations that deficiency will get you beat more times than not.
2. Dayton announces its return to the A-10 race, and Richmond also makes a statement. Dayton's home game against Charlotte was a big one for both with the Flyers needing a win to remain in the Atlantic 10 race while Bobby Lutz' 49ers would have moved one step closer to an NCAA bid with a positive result. Chris Wright made sure there was no doubt who the better team was, scoring 30 points while grabbing nine rebounds in the 75-47 beating. But even with his performance the real star at UD Arena was the Flyers' defense, holding Charlotte to 25% shooting from the field and forcing 13 turnovers to just six 49er assists. The win moved Dayton to within a game in the loss column of first place and given how they've played in decisive wins over Xavier and Charlotte Brian Gregory's team could come through on the preseason expectations of winning the league.
As for who's now in first place, Richmond picked up one of Wednesday's more impressive results in their 69-67 win at Rhode Island as a result they're tied with Xavier atop the A-10. A Keith Cothran three-pointer missed with one second remaining to preserve the win, one the Spiders earned by shooting 58.3% from the field (73.7% in the second half). David Gonzalvez (19 points) and Kevin Anderson (18) led the way for Chris Mooney's team while Dan Geriot added 12 points off the bench. Richmond, who limits opponents to 29.1% from behind the arc, held the Rams to 3-for-15 and that stat likely made the difference. The win should erase any doubt in regards to Richmond's tournament hopes. Barring a collapse they'll be in the field.
3. Sometimes getting to the tournament is more about not showing that you don't belong. That statement refers to Northwestern, who have at the least put themselves right behind the proverbial 8-ball with their disappointing effort at Iowa, falling 78-65 to the Big Ten's 10th place team. The Hawkeyes hit twelve three pointers for the game as the Wildcats had numerous defensive lapses, even allowing three-point specialist Devan Bawinkel hit five shots from distance. Why's Bawinkel's performance so alarming? Because he's yet to attempt or make a two-point shot. Although he's a very good shooter from deep you would think that was mentioned in the scout leading up to the game.
"We just got smacked. They just started making shots right from the beginning and their good shooters were getting the ball," remarked head coach Bill Carmody. "It was like we disregarded the scouting report on [Devan] Bawinkel. We picked other guys to guard tight leaving him open and he's a terrific shooter (quote courtesy of hawkeyesports.com)." Three other Hawkeyes scored in double figures with Matt Gatens scoring a team-high 16 while Michael Thompson led the Wildcats with a game-high 20. But this a crucial loss for Northwestern, who could learn the hard way that a team can also distinguish itself to the selection committee by losing games it should win.
Top Three Games
1. Richmond 69, Rhode Island 67 See above.
2. Miami 64, Georgia Tech 62 The Yellow Jackets dropped a game that on paper they should have won, having to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit only to have James Dews knock down a jumper as time expired. Brian Oliver led all scorers with 19 while Dwayne Collins led the Hurricanes with 13.
3. Nevada 67, Idaho 66 An Armon Johnson three-point play with just under three seconds to go proved to be the difference in Moscow. Johnson led all scorers with 23 points and Luke Babbitt added 21 and seven rebounds while Mac Hopson led the Vandals with 17.
Three Notable Performances
1. F Chris Wright (Dayton) 30 points and nine rebounds in the Flyers' 75-47 pasting of Charlotte.
2. G Josh Davis (Samford) 30 points (7-13 3PT) and seven rebounds in the Bulldogs' 78-54 road win over Chattanooga.
3. F Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State) 26 points (10-14 FG) and eight rebounds in the Aztecs' 88-57 win over Wyoming.
Honorable Mention: TCU 105, Utah 96 (womens) This four overtime game is why the nation missed the first half of the New Mexico/Utah game and to be honest the extra sessions were entertaining to watch. Utah's Kalee Whipple scored a Mountain West-record 45 points, which included an improbable three pointer to send the game into a fourth overtime.