Evansville

Jon Teitel's Forgotten Legends: Evansville's Larry Humes

Jon Teitel — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:39:53 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with Larry Humes, the all-time leading scorer in Evansville history. Playing alongside Jerry Sloan, Humes was also a two-time All-America selection.

Jon Teitel: You only lost one regular season game during your four years at Madison HS under Coach Bud Ritter (who called you "the best all-around player I ever coached"), where the team had only recently become fully integrated. Do you remember the one loss, and did you feel like you were a racial pioneer?

Larry Humes: The one loss was during my freshman year. We lost by five points. At the time I did not see myself as a "racial pioneer", but looking back on it now I guess I was. I was just fortunate to have Bud as a coach because he treated everyone the same.

JT: In 1962 you were named Indiana's Mr. Basketball and MVP of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star game. How big a deal was the All-Star game back in the day, and why did you decide to go to Evansville?

LH: The all-star game was big back then, and being named Mr. Basketball was a dream come true. We played one game in Indiana and one in Kentucky, and I was named MVP of one of the games. I had several offers from schools like UCLA and Purdue, but Coach Ritter (who was from Evansville) told me that Evansville was the best place for me due to several factors: a good brand of basketball, a new stadium, etc. We had a very hard non-conference Division I schedule (LSU, Notre Dame, etc.), so once we got to our conference schedule it was easy. I have no regrets about my college choice.

JT: At Evansville you played for legendary coach Arad McCutchan, who still holds the Division II record for most national titles with five. What made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing he ever taught you?

LH: Coach McCutchan was way ahead of his time. He was fundamentally sound and a great teacher. We were like one big happy family. He was a fanatic when it came to conditioning and we felt like we could play two games a night if we had to. I learned a whole lot from him both on and off the court, just as I did with Coach Ritter.

JT: One of your teammates was future Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, who was a two-time Division I tournament MOP. What made Sloan such a great player, and did you get the sense back then that he wanted to go into coaching?

LH: Jerry is just a country boy from Illinois who was a hard worker and a good defender. He deserves everything that he received and has turned out to be a great coach. Even though he is a millionaire he never forgot where he came from. We became good friends and have remained in contact. I saw him speak at a banquet a couple of years ago. Someone asked him who was the best player he ever played against and he pointed at me and said, "Well that is easy. He is sitting right here in the audience."

JT: In 1965 your team went 29-0, capped off by a three-point overtime win over Walt Frazier's SIU team en route to your second straight national championship. How was your team able to stay focused every night throughout the season, and did you think that Frazier was going to ruin your perfect season?

LH: Walt was only the third-best player on his own team, which most people do not realize. We played them three times that year and won all three by a total of only five points. We knew them and they knew us and we both respected each other.

JT: You were a two-time All-American. What did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors?

LH: You cherish every honor you get, but you cannot do it without good teammates and a good coach. When you are young you do not cherish the awards as much as when you get older.

JT: You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think anyone will ever break your record?

LH: At the time I did not. I just tried to play to the best of my ability and played hard in every game. It is a great honor, especially because it was before the three-point line. Someone will probably break it someday (I own a couple of other records as well), but records are made to be broken.

JT: In the summer of 1968 you were drafted by Cincinnati but did not make the team. Were you thrilled to have been drafted or disappointed to not make the roster?

LH: I actually got drafted by Chicago in 1966. They only had about 10 teams in the league at the time but if there were more teams then I think I would have made it. I was an offensive forward/defensive guard, while Jerry was an offensive guard/defensive forward. I had a chance to go to Europe but turned it down because I did not know what country I would end up in. I also turned down an offer from the Harlem Globetrotters because I always took basketball seriously. I guess I was a bit disappointed, but I can live with it.

JT: Five of your brothers followed in your footsteps by playing basketball at Madison High, and some of them went on to play in college. Was it a coincidence that you had such an athletic family, or do you credit at least some of your success to genetics?

LH: I think it is a little of both. I was the first Black player to play on a regular basis at Madison and I kind of opened up the door for my other brothers to play. Howard ended up playing at Indiana State, Willie went to Idaho State, and another brother went to IUPUI. In a small town back then there was not much else to do besides sports: we saw it as a way out of our situation.

JT: You were an assistant at your alma mater until 1977, but shortly after you accepted another job the Evansville team and coaching staff was killed in a plane crash. What was your reaction when you heard about the crash, and how did it feel to know that you would have been on that flight had you stayed at your old job?

LH: I knew most of the boys on the team because I was there for the summer and I knew all the coaches as well. I got a call at 3AM the night it happened and I was just in shock. Even today I still cannot believe it. I very possibly could have been on that plane, but I left Evansville because I had an offer to become a high school head coach. There were so many great people on that plane who were killed. I heard from someone that it was supposed to be Notre Dame's plane but that Evansville took it because they had to play sooner than Notre Dame had to.

Humes is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in MVC history.

Bradley: Hersey Hawkins (1988) 3008 PTS (#1), 259 STL (#1), 53.9 FG% (#5), 80.6 FT% (#5), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY, national POY
Creighton: Kyle Korver (2003) 1801 PTS (#5), 172 STL (#4), 371 3PM (#1), 89.1 FT% (#1), 45.3 3P% (#1), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY
Drake: Josh Young (2010) 1789 PTS (#1), 248 3PM (#1)
Evansville: Larry Humes (1966) 2236 PTS (#1), 2-time All-American, conference POY
Illinois State: Doug Collins (1973) 2240 PTS (#1), 3-time All-American
Indiana State: Larry Bird (1979) 2850 PTS (#1), 1247 REB (#1), 240 STL (#1), 53.3 FG%, 82.2 FT%, 3-time All-American, 2-time conference POY, national POY
Missouri State: Curtis Perry (1970) 1835 PTS (#2), 1424 REB (#1), 2-time All-American, conference POY
Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (2006) 1787 PTS (#3), 154 STL (#4), 203 3PM (#1)
Southern Illinois: Darren Brooks (2005) 1761 PTS (#5), 410 AST (#3), 258 STL (#1), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY
Wichita State: Xavier McDaniel (1985) 2152 PTS (#2), 1359 REB (#1), 103 BLK, 114 STL, 56.4 FG%, All-American, 2-time conference POY

Semifinals Predictions: Horion, MVC, Patriot, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:16:07 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

HORIZON LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(2) Cleveland State (22-9, 12-6) vs. (3) Detroit (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Cleveland State 66-61*; Feb. 23 – Cleveland State 77-64. RPI: Cleveland State 82, Detroit 157. Analysis: With D’Aundray Brown expected to make his return tonight, stay away from this one. He may light up the Titans and he may cause a rift in chemistry – as newly returning players often do for a game or two. Line: Cleveland State -1. Pick: Cleveland State 64, Detroit 62.

(1) Valparaiso (21-10, 14-4) vs. (5) Butler (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Valparaiso 77-71 (OT)*; Feb. 24 – Valparaiso 71-59. RPI: Valparaiso 95, 112. Analysis: Oh-oh! Butler’s getting hot again at the right time. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a game in March since 2009. Still, tough to take them in Valpo. Line: Even. Pick: Valparaiso 60, Butler 52.

MISSOURI VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (27-4, 16-2) vs. (4) Illinois State (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 10 – Wichita State 65-62; Feb. 22 – Wichita State 68-55*. RPI: Wichita State 12, Illinois State 124. Analysis: Illinois State wins with toughness, rebounding and defense. Guess what. The Shockers are tough, they rebound and play defense – and much, much more. Line: Wichita State -12. Pick: Wichita State 68, Illinois State 52.

(2) Creighton (26-5, 14-4) vs. (3) Evansville (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 5 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 7 – Evansville 65-57; Feb. 21 – Creighton 93-92 (OT). RPI: Creighton 25, Evansville 135. Analysis: Creighton will use a little better shot selection than Missouri State did against the Aces and pull away in the second half. Line: Creighton -6. Pick: Creighton 80, Evansville 71.

PATRIOT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) American (20-10, 10-4) at (2) Lehigh (24-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Lehigh 71-60; Feb. 9 – American 71-62. RPI: Lehigh 117, American 150. Analysis: It is games like this in which Hawk star C.J. McCollum takes over, but the line seems way too high. Line: Lehigh -9½. Pick: Lehigh 64, American 58.

(5) Lafayette (13-17, 7-7) at (1) Bucknell (23-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Bucknell 79-65*; Feb. 11 – Bucknell 90-78. RPI: Bucknell 92, Lafayette 199. Analysis: Bucknell’s Mike Muscala has scored 51 points against the Leopards in two outings. He’ll do it again on Saturday. Line: Bucknell -11½. Pick: Bucknell 83, Lafayette 65.

WCC SEMIFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) Saint Mary’s (25-5, 14-2) vs. (5) San Francisco (20-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Saint Mary’s 87-72; Feb. 25 – Saint Mary’s 67-60*. RPI: Saint Mary’s 37, San Francisco 142. Analysis: The Dons are playing well, including a 7-point loss at Saint Mary’s just a week ago. And the Gaels are still a little banged up, so USF should keep it close. Line: Saint Mary’s -7½. Pick: Saint Mary’s 71, San Francisco 66.

(2) Gonzaga (24-5, 13-3) vs. (3) BYU (24-7, 12-4)

Tipoff: 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – BYU 83-78; Feb. 23 – Gonzaga 74-63. RPI: Gonzaga 24, BYU 52. Analysis: Interesting matchup featuring strong front lines and good shooters, but the Bulldogs have the better overall talent. Line: Gonzaga -1½. Pick: Gonzaga 69, BYU 62.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 100-69-2

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Seton Hall Whips Georgetown: Tuesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:14:07 -0800

In the recap of Tuesday's big game, Pierce Hornung led Colorado State to a key win over New Mexico. The rest of Tuesday's key happenings include:

1. Jordan Theodore leads Seton Hall to a statement victory over #8 Georgetown.
To say the least this was a huge game for Kevin Willard's Pirates, as they were looking to bounce back from a 62-57 loss to fellow bubbler Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Enter senior point guard Jordan Theodore, who took control of the game as seniors are expected to this time of the year. Theodore led Seton Hall to the 73-55 win over the Hoyas with 29 pointsfive assists and four rebounds, and he had a role (scoring four points and assisting on two Herb Pope buckets) in Seton Hall's first eight points of the game. Herb Pope added 12 points and Fuquan Edwin and reserve Brandon Mobley scored ten apiece, for the Pirates, who have won four of their last five after losing six straight.

Offensively the Pirates were outstanding as they shot 61% from the field and posted eighteen assists to just eight turnovers. Georgetown on the other hand finished the night with a field goal percentage of 40.4%, and John Thompson III's team uncharacteristically finished with more turnovers (11) than assists (nine). For the second time in the last three games Seton Hall has shot better than 61% (62.3% against St. John's), and according to statsheet.com's numbers Tuesday marked their most efficient offensive performance of the season. SHU's final two regular season games (Rutgers, at DePaul) are ones that will have a bigger impact if lost than one, but with Theodore leading the way it's difficult to think that they'll fail to take care of business.

2. Kansas State sweeps the season series with #3 Missouri.
Last season Frank Martin's Wildcats inexplicably lost to Colorado (now in the Pac-12, of course) three times. It was all a matter of matchups, just as Kansas State sweeping their season series with Missouri this season is. Kansas State beat the Tigers 78-68 in Columbia on Tuesday night, limiting the Tigers to 38.8% shooting from the field and Rodney McGruder led the way offensively with 24 points. With consecutive road wins at Baylor and Missouri the Wildcats have added two big wins to their resume, likely punching their ticket barrin a collapse. One key in both wins over Missouri for K-State has been the play of Jamar Samuels in his matchup with Missouri's Kim English.

Against most teams the matchup between English, a guard who plays the four for Frank Haith's team, and the opposing team's four is a mismatch in favor of the Tigers. That hasn't been the case against K-State, who can count on the athletic Samuels to limit the senior's quality looks from the perimeter. In the two games English has scored 17 points (8.5 ppg) on 6-for-12 shooting, a far cry from his season average of 14.0 points per game. Also of note is that in both games the Wildcats have set the tone, leading by 19 at the half in Manhattan and leading by ten at the break on Tuesday night.

3. #13 Michigan takes Northwestern to overtime and controls the extra session to win going away.
Never been a big fan of placing "Northwestern" and "bubble" in the same sentence due to the fact that the Wildcats have never reached the NCAA tournament. But to be fair Bill Carmody's team had reached that point going into their game against Michigan, which represented a golden opportunity for the Wildcats to pick up a big win. Michigan would refuse to go down without a fight, as Tim Hardaway Jr. tied the game at 49 on a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining and the Wolverines would outscore Northwestern 18-6 in overtime to win 67-55. Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 points while Trey Burke led the way with 19, and crucial threes from Zack Novak and Stu Douglass in overtime established a nine-point margin the Wildcats couldn't overcome.

John Shurna led the Wildcats with 14 points but he shot just 6-for-16 from the field, and sidekick Drew Crawford had a quiet night with just six points in 27 minutes of action. Michigan (37.5%) shot a lower percentage from the field than Northwestern (41.2%), which isn't a surprise given the similarities found in their offensive systems, but they took better care of the basketball (seven turnovers to NU's 14). Northwestern scored .937 points per possession while Michigan was at 1.164, and that turned out to be the difference. The key for Northwestern now is to make sure that Michigan doesn't "beat them twice" with a trip to Penn State up next.

Quick Hitters

1. Three things in the second half in Starkville pushed #1 Kentucky to a 73-64 win over Mississippi State. One was the shifting of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Dee Bost on the defensive end, a move made possible in part by Rodney Hood going down with an injury in the first half. After scoring 16 points in the first half Bost managed just five in the second, and as a team the Bulldogs shot just 32% from the field. Secondly there was the effort of senior guard Darius Miller, who scored all 12 of his points in the second half and knocked down some huge shots. And Terrence Jones played far better in the second half as the Wildcats clinched at least a share of the SEC title with the win.

2. The upset of the year in college basketball took place in Vestal, New York as Binghamton, who entered the game 0-26, knocked off Vermont 57-53 for their first win of the season. After a Matt Glass jumper 41 seconds into the game opened the scoring the Catamounts wouldn't lead again, and Binghamton led by as many as 12 points. Robert Mansell led the Bearcats with 18 points and Ben Dickinson added 16 and 11 boards, and the result also gave Stony Brook sole possession of first place in America East.

3. As if it wasn't time to get concerned about Xavier before their game at UMass, the Musketeers didn't show up on the defensive end in their 80-73 loss. Chaz Williams went off for 29 points, nine assists and rebounds to lead the Minutemen, who have road games at Dayton and Temple next. As for Xavier, Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons combined to shoot 8-for-29 from the field, and if not for Dezmine Wells' 19 the final score would have been a more accurate representation of what happened in the Mullins Center.

4. It wasn't a good night for ACC bubble teams as both Miami and NC State fell. NC State can point to the fact that their loss came at the hands of North Carolina, who frankly is not a good matchup for the Wolfpack. Kendall Marshall scored 22 points and handed out 13 assists...without one turnover. Few teams will beat UNC when their sophomore point guard is dealing like that. As for the Hurricanes, they lost 75-70 at Maryland, a defeat that dropped Miami to 7-6 in league play. The win at Duke certainly helps their cause, but it would be wise for Jim Larranaga's team to pick up another resume-building victory.

5. Anton Grady scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Cleveland State, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings lost 71-67 at Green Bay. All of a sudden Gary Waters' team sits a game behind Butler in the loss column for second place, and that seed receives the other bye straight to the semis in the Horizon League tournament. The other bye goes to Valparaiso, who clinced the regular season title by beating Loyola (IL) in overtime. It hasn't helped CSU that D'Aundray Brown's been out due to injury, and they've dropped five straight with him on the sidelines.

6. Creighton nearly took the momentum gained from their comeback win over Long Beach State and flushed it down the drain but a Josh Jones shot with 23 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Bluejays a 93-92 win over Evansville. Creighton survived a 43-point night from Evansville's Colt Ryan, and it took a Gregory Echenique putback as time expried to send the game into overtime. Creighton picked up the win but there's no doubt that they have to get better defensively (UE shot 58.9%) if they're to make some noise in March.

7. Two key personnel notes in the SEC on Tuesday involving Alabama and Florida. Alabama head coach Anthony Grant stated that the recently reinstated JaMychal Green is unlikely to play on Thursday at Arkansas, and Green's return (whenever that happens) will have an impact on the Crimson Tide's at-large hopes. As for the Gators, forward Will Yeguete is out indefinitely due to a broken foot suffered in their 63-47 win over Auburn. His absence puts even more pressure on Patric Young and Erik Murphy inside, but it helps to have guards can hit the glass like Bradley Beal and Erving Walker (seven boards on Tuesday).

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:18:11 -0800

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

College Hoops Weekend Recap: Vanderbilt Falls at Home

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:58:31 -0800

One big reason why so many were hesitant to peg Vanderbilt for a trip to the Final Four has been their toughness, of both the mental and physical variety. After being able to run freely around the floor for much of their 78-64 win over Oregon on Friday night, those spaces closed up a great deal against Cleveland State on Sunday. And to be frank the Commodores didn't handle it well, shooting just 29.4% from the field in the first half and trailing 37-24 at the break. Vandy was unable to close the gap in the second half, falling 71-58 and becoming the first Top 10 team to lose this season.

"They got us out of our ability to get into our offense," said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings. "Our point guard play was less than stellar. We just didn't play well. We didn't guard well with toughness. We got what we deserved."

There's that word: toughness. It's not all about being able to stick one's chest out during a game, but rather the little things. The ability to run sharp cuts and not allowing the defender to change one's path, hitting the glass on both ends, taking care of the ball and not settling for poor shots. The Commodores turned the ball over 21 times on Sunday, with guards John Jenkins and Lee Tinsley turning the ball over three times apiece and wing Jeffery Taylor six. And Cleveland State's D'Aundray Brown was the chief instigator for the Vikings as he led the team with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven steals.

"I thought he guarded your best player and shut him down, and that's D'Aundray Brown," said Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters. "D'Aundray Brown was defensive player of the year two years ago with our league. I feel if we had him last year, we won 27 games, I thought we'd been really good last year, but he didn't play. Now he's hungry, he's excited about coming back. But he is a defensive star."

Jenkins scored 17 points but made just five of fourteen shots from the field, and after boasting an offensive rating of 133.8 against Oregon the junior was limited to a rating of 91.9 by Cleveland State. The Commodores were able to get to the foul line, making 18 of 26 from the charity stripe, but they didn't deal with the Vikings' physical defense very well and it showed in the numbers.

Vanderbilt's effective field goal percentage dropped from 47.7% (Oregon) to 39.2%, and their efficiency dropped some thirty points. Just goes to show the value of a good defense, as Cleveland State bore a closer resemblance to what's expected of Vanderbilt on a nightly basis. The good news for Vanderbilt is that they've learned this lesson on November 13th. The key now is to build to the point where they aren't getting that final jolt far too soon in March.

Other Notable Happenings

1.Evansville beats Butler for the second straight season in an overtime thriller.
Marty Simmons' Purple Aces got off to a horrific start offensively against the two-time defending national runners-up, making just six of sixteen shots and turning the ball over ten times to trail 37-28 at the half. But Evansville turned things around, turning the ball over six times and out-rebounding the Bulldogs 19-12, scoring 41 points and using an 11-0 run to tie things up at 54 with 8:24 left in regulation.

A wild finish to regulation resulted in the game going to overtime after Butler's Andrew Smith missed a pair of free throws, and behind Colt Ryan's 23 points the Purple Aces beat Butler for the second straight season. Evansville was picked in the preseason to finish 5th in the Missouri Valley, and this is a good result for a program that before last season hadn't finished the season with a non-losing league record since 2000-01.

2. Tray Woodall posts his second straight double-double for Pittsburgh.
With Brad Wanamaker moving on to the professional ranks it was clear that Jamie Dixon would call on redshirt junior Tray Woodall to take over at the point. And if the first two games of the season are any indication of his preparedness Pittsburgh could have their seventh winner of the Big East's Most Improved Player award since its inception for the 1996-97 season. After accounting for 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in Pitt's blowout win over Albany on Friday, Woodall posted a line of 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebound in an 86-78 win over Rider.

Ashton Gibbs added a game-high 24 points and Nasir Robinson 22 and the Panthers held a dominant 40-16 edge on the boards as they moved to 81-0 in non-conference games at Petersen Events Center in the months of November and December. But at this rate, Woodall could be a big reason why Pittsburgh enjoys a more profitable March.

3. Kevin Parrom returns to the court for Arizona while Josiah Turner sits.
Arizona received a good boost to their rotation with the return of wing Kevin Parrom, who was out due to a gunshot wound suffered in late-September. And while it wasn't apparent early as the Wildcats struggled to deal with a Ball State team that led by as many as 11 points early in the second half, Parrom's spark was most noticeable on the defensive end as the Cats came back to win 73-63. Parrom finished with six points, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes of action, far more than anyone expected him to see on Sunday.

Kyle Fogg led the way offensively with 21 points and Solomon Hill added 16, and Arizona clamped down to hold Ball State scoreless for nearly six minutes late in the second half. The other storyline on Sunday was the benching of freshman point guard Josiah Turner, whom head coach Sean Miller sat out in what would best be described as a "teaching moment". No suspension, just a chance to help the freshman mature some and it's a move that should pay off. Arizona added a player to the rotation, and as Parrom gets back into game condition look for this team to improve.

4. Ray Turner scores 20 for the second straight game as Texas A&M adjusts to not having Khris Middleton.
Khris Middleton is out for the next 3-4 weeks after undergoing surgery for a partially torn meniscus, so the question for the Aggies is who will step up to account for his scoring. Enter forward Ray Turner, who scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Aggies' 83-58 win over Southern. This was Turner's second straight 20-point outing for the Aggies, who also received the boost of head coach Billy Kennedy returning to the sidelines. Kennedy had left the team for a few weeks after being diagnosed with the beginning stages of Parkinson's Disease, so it's good to see him back on the sidelines. But back to the Texas A&M offense, which could likely end up with more weapons than last year's outfit had, meaning that the Aggies could very well win the Big 12. And if they're getting consistent production from Turner once Middleton returns, Big 12 contention likely becomes a definite.

5. Northern Iowa impressive defensively in a 17-point win at Old Dominion.
You never sell a Ben Jacobson-coached team short regardless of the personnel changes, and Northern Iowa provided a nice piece of evidence as to why on Saturday night. Northern Iowa limited Old Dominion to 27.3% shooting and forced 19 Monarch turnovers in their 63-46 win in Norfolk, posting what could be the most impressive result of the weekend. It was a rough experience for ODU, who made just seven of twenty-seven shots from inside of the arc while shooting a frigid 29.4% (5-for-17) from beyond it. Starters Jake Koch and Anthony James combined to score 31 points for the Panthers and Mark Sonnen added 12 off the bench, but this was a powerful statement as to what UNI can do on the other end of the floor. ODU has some key personnel losses to account for as well, but this defensive show was outstanding.

Quick Hitters

1. Southern Illinois displayed how not to begin a season when some believe your head coach to be on the proverbial "hot seat", falling 64-63 to Division II Ohio Dominican. Mamadou Seck was productive for the Salukis with 18 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks but a pair of Jake Mochoskay free throws with 30 seconds remaining gave Ohio Dominican their first-ever win over a Division I opponent.

2. Louisville has absolutely no luck when it comes to the injury bug. Wayne Blackshear is out until at least February with a torn labrum in his shoulder, and Mike Marra went down with a season-ending knee injury in their 68-48 win over Lamar on Sunday.

3. Loyola Marymount did a poor job of building on their win over UCLA on Friday night as they lost to Middle Tennessee State 58-51 on Sunday. After scoring 21 points on Friday night Anthony Ireland made just two of eleven shots, scoring five points.

4. Wagner opened their season with an impressive 73-57 win at Princeton on Saturday. Josh Thompson led the way with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Seahawks, who are expected to be a contender in the NEC.

5. One stat line that may not jump out from a numbers standpoint but is important to note: James Padgett's 12 points and seven rebounds in Maryland's 71-62 win over UNC Wilmington. Even when Alex Len returns (serving a 10-game NCAA suspension) Mark Turgeon's going to need Padgett due to the Terps lack of frontcourt depth.

Notable Performances

1. G Damon Heuir (Southern Utah)
In the first two games of the season Heuir made just one of seven shots and scored six points. Against Bryant on Sunday: 13-16 FG, 33 points.

2. G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
32 points and 11 assists in the Jackrabbits' 82-76 win over Western Michigan on Saturday.

3. F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
28 points and 13 rebounds in the Bulldogs' 80-65 win over South Alabama.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
28 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the Longhorns' 82-46 win over Boston University.

5. G Jamar Franklin (San Diego State)
31 points, six rebounds and three steals off the bench in the Aztecs' 89-74 win over UC Davis.

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Evansville's Jerry Sloan

Jon Teitel — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:19 -0800

Earlier this season CHN writer Jon Teitel was able to spend a few minutes with Jerry Sloan, who in addition to being one of the greatest coaches in basketball history is one of the greatest to ever don an Evansville uniform. After four seasons at the Indiana school that included a pair of national titles at the Division II level Sloan played in the NBA, where he was half of the famed backcourt tandem that included Norm Van Lier. Sloan recently resigned as head coach of the Utah Jazz after 23-plus seasons with the franchise.

Jon Teitel: At Evansville you played for legendary coach Arad McCutchan, who still holds the Division II record with five national titles. What made him such a great coach, and what influence did he have on your own coaching career?

Jerry Sloan: He was kind of unique in that we had very short practices. Everything we did was very precise. He had a great knack for making guys better even though he did not have a coaching staff to rely on like coaches do now. Back then the head football coach was the assistant basketball coach, and vice-versa. He kept everyone involved at practice, whether you were the star or the last guy on the bench. He never cut anyone from the team.

JT: In 1965 you were named All-American for a team that went 29-0, and you set the Division II title game record for most rebounds with 25 in a three-point overtime win over Walt Frazier's SIU team en route to your second straight national championship and your second straight tournament MOP award. Was that the greatest year of your life, and did you think that Frazier was going to ruin your perfect season?

JS: We beat SIU three times that year: twice in the regular season by one point and a three-point OT win in the title game. Walt Frazier was a great player even back then. I remember that one of my high school teammates (David Lee) was on that SIU team.

JT: In 1964 you were drafted in the third round by Baltimore as an eligible junior, but after deciding to stay in college you were drafted in the first round by Baltimore in 1965 (one spot ahead of Billy Cunningham). Why did you decide to stick around for your senior year, and were you surprised that Baltimore picked you again in 1965?

JS: I cam back to school because I was concerned about getting my degree. If not I would have been a mess. I was not sure where I would end up going in the draft. Back then there was not as much scouting, so I never even worked out for any teams.

JT: In 1969 you scored a career-high 43 points (19-36 FG) in a win at Milwaukee. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

JS: I am not sure. I never considered myself to be a shooter!

JT: In 1975 as a player for the Bulls you had a four-point loss to eventual champion Golden State in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on the road, and in 1996 as coach of the Jazz you had a four-point loss to Seattle in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on the road. How devastating were these 2 losses, and how does the intensity of a Game 7 compare to any other playoff game?

JS: Every playoff game is important, whether it is Game 1 or Game 7. I feel that we were as good as we could be in each of those games. It is not as if I could have asked those teams to do anything more.

JT: You began this season with almost 1,200 career regular-season wins (#4 all-time), and recently passed Pat Riley for #3 on the all-time list. What is the key to your longevity, and how long do you plan on sticking around as coach?

JS: The key to my longevity is our ownership, who kept me involved even after we lost 56 games in 2005. I have no idea about the future. I am just a day-to-day person, so my last game might be today.

Sloan is also on Jon's list of best ABA/NBA players in Missouri Valley history.

Bradley: Chet Walker (1963) 1032 G, 18.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 7-time All-Star
Creighton: Paul Silas (1965) 1254 G, 9.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2-time All-Star
Drake: Willie Wise (1970) 552 G, 17.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 3-time All-Star (ABA/NBA)
Evansville: Jerry Sloan (1966) 755 G, 14 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 2-time All-Star
Illinois State: Doug Collins (1974) 415 G, 17.9 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 50.1 FG%, 83.3 FT%, 4-time All-Star
Indiana State: Larry Bird (1980) 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 88.6 FT%, ROY, 3-time MVP, HOF
Missouri State: Curtis Perry (1971) 480 G, 9.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG
Northern Iowa: NO ALUMNI IN ABA/NBA
Southern Illinois: Walt Frazier (1968) 825 G, 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, HOF
Wichita State: Warren Jabali (1969) 447 G, 17.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2 SPG, 4-time All-Star, ROY (ABA)

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Gators Knock Off Tennessee

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:18:06 -0800

There was no ignoring the fact that Billy Donovan's Florida Gators needed a win over Tennessee on Tuesday night. While it wouldn't have been a "final straw" one way or the other a win definitely would help their chances of getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. They'd also failed to beat Bruce Pearl's team in three years, a streak the Gators ended with a 75-62 win in Gainesville. Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons led four Florida starters in double figures with nineteen points apiece while Tennessee starters shot just 33.3% (11-for-33) from the field, negating solid performances off the bench from Scotty Hopson (20 points) and Cameron Tatum (13 points).

Florida lost the first meeting by a point due to their inefficient offense (90.9); there were no such issues at the O-Dome as the Gators finished with an offensive efficiency number of 113.6. Also of importance was Tennessee's cold shooting inside of the three-point line; the Vols shot 43.5% on three pointers but just 37.1% from inside the arc, scoring 48% of their points from three-point range. Such is life when your best post player (Wayne Chism) plays just fifteen minutes due to an aggravation of a hip injury and foul trouble. But Florida did what they were supposed to do and took full advantage of his absence.

The Gators blew the game open with a 27-6 run, outrebounding the Vols 38-29 while also outscoring the visitors 32-22 in the paint. Vernon Macklin followed up a solid performance at Ole Miss on Saturday with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Kenny Boynton scored twelve. Is Florida's work done? Not in the slightest; with their final three games coming against Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky the Gators could find themselves in need of a win or two at the SEC Tournament should they go 1-2. 0-3? They'd be in trouble, but the win on Tuesday night at least keeps them going in the right direction.

Three Key Happenings

1. A "silent assassin" sparks Georgetown's second half run at Louisville. Georgetown trailed for essentially the entire first half despite Greg Monroe scoring 12 points due to the quiet performances of Austin Freeman (five points) and Chris Wright (zero points). One of those two, if not both, had to get going for the Hoyas to have any shot of winning at Freedom Hall over a team likely still in need of another marquee victory. And as he's been wont to do in Big East play, Freeman stepped to the forefront, scoring the first eight points of the second half and sparking a 21-2 run that put Georgetown in control of the contest, which they won 70-60. Looking for the most improved player in college basketball? Freeman could very well be the guy for the honor.

"He got going coming out of halftime - I told him I need you to be aggressive," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "He can be aggressive and not force it. He can be aggressive and yet still make the correct pass to his teammate. It's what he did for most of the second half (quote courtesy of uoflsports.com)." Freeman is averaging just over twenty points per game in Big East play and he's a big reason why the Hoyas still have realistic hopes of earning a double-bye in the Big East Tournament. Credit should also be given to the Georgetown reserves, who scored ten points in the first half to keep the team within striking distance, giving Freeman more than enough time to find his shot.

2. Evansville pulls another shocker and likely makes the Missouri Valley a one-bid league. The Purple Aces have just two league wins on the season, but the surprising aspect of those wins is who they've beaten. Just two weeks after beating Wichita State at home for their first MVC win, Marty Simmons' squad (which has just one senior) picked off the Panthers 55-54 in the final game of UNI center Jordan Eglseder's three-game suspension. Can this be written off due to his absence? Possibly but after beating both Creighton and Old Dominion without Eglseder Ben Jacobson's team may be best served to simply win "Arch Madness" next month and not chance a run with the selection committee. The win also maked the Purple Aces' first over a ranked opponent since 2003 (#9 Creighton), and it also underlines the double standard that exists between the BCS leagues and the rest of the college basketball landscape.

If a game like this happens in the Big East (ex.- DePaul beating Syracuse) or SEC (LSU knocks off Kentucky) it's simply brushed under a rug and chalked up to "that's how tough the league is". UNI gets no such mulligans, and while it's definitely unfair the "rules" have been known for some time. The task now for Northern Iowa is to take care of business against Illinois State and then take care of business in St. Louis. Anything less means putting their NCAA Tournament fate in someone else's hands, and you don't want to chance that.

3. Guard play is a major reason why Kansas State could make a run in March. Denis Clemente may not have reached the mark of 21 points for the fifth time in the Wildcats' last six games but Jacob Pullen more than made up for that with his 28 points to lead KSU to an 83-64 win at Texas Tech. The Wildcats shot 47.5% from the field and assisted on half of their 28 made field goals, also out-rebounding the Red Raiders 39-29. John Roberson led Texas Tech with 15 points but he and Nick Okorie (13 points) were no match for the Wildcat duo. Add in Jamar Samuels' double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and K-State didn't have to withstand much of a challenge in Lubbock.

Pullen scored 21 in the first half as the Wildcats took a ten-point lead into the locker room, and then it was Clemente who scored ten in the second half. If you take away one the other can go to work, with Tuesday night's showing only being the most recent example of what Frank Martin's team can be capable of when these two are playing well. At this rate the Wildcats could be a solid three-seed in the NCAA Tournament and with the Big 12 Tournament they could bump themselves up a line with a tournament title. But regardless of their seed this is a team to be accounted for thanks in large part to Clemente and Pullen.

Top Three Games

1. Evansville 55, Northern Iowa 54 See above.

2. New Mexico 72, Colorado St 66 The Lobos pulled one out in Fort Collins thanks in large part to Dairese Gary (23 points), Roman Martinez (17 points and 12 rebounds) and Darington Hobson (15 points, 10 rebounds). Adam Nigon led the Rams with 23 but it wasn't enough to prevent New Mexico from winning their 12th straight.

3. Gardner-Webb 77, Presbyterian 76 (OT) A Grayson Flittner three pointer with two seconds remaining gave the Runnin' Bulldogs the one-point win on the road. Anton Silver led the winners with 25 while Chase Holmes and Jake Troyli led the Blue Hose with eighteen apiece.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Rick Jackson and G Andy Rautins (Syracuse) Both scored 28 points in Syracuse's 99-85 win at Providence, with the oft-overlooked Jackson adding nine rebounds and three assists.

2. G Austin Freeman and F Greg Monroe (Georgetown) Freeman scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half of the Hoyas' 70-60 win at Louisville while Monroe added 16 points and 14 rebounds.

3. G Patrick Mitchell (North Dakota) Mitchell made ten of thirteen shots from behind the arc on his way to 33 points (and nine rebounds) in the Fighting Sioux's 90-78 win over NJIT.

Also, congratulations to Philadelphia University head coach Herb Magee, who passed Bob Knight with his 903rd coaching win on Tuesday night with PhilaU's 76-65 win over Goldey-Beacom College.

MVC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:14:11 -0800

The MVC race is always up for grabs, and perhaps another surprise team like UNI lurks. Perhaps no league has as much parity as the Valley, where even the bottom teams are improved.

Conference Rank: 8th

10 year average: 9th

MVC Conference Page

All-MVC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Osiris Eldridge	Illinois St	Jr
G	Josh Young	Drake	Jr
G	P'Allen Stinnett	Creighton	So
G	Adam Koch	Northern Iowa	Sr
F	Dinma Odiakosa	Illinois St	Sr

Player of the Year - Osiris Eldridge Freshman of the Year - Ben Simons (Drake)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
High-Major All-Americans Osiris Eldridge (1st Team) Adam Koch (3rd) P'Allen Stinnett (3rd) Josh Young (3rd) Kevin Dillard Dinma Odiakosa		Points: Josh Young 15.4 Rebounds: Dinma Odiakosa 7.5 Assists: Clevin Hannah 4.3

MVC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

41	Creighton	MVC	1	NCAA
59	Northern Iowa	MVC	2	NIT
72	Bradley	MVC	3	NIT
76	Illinois State	MVC	4	NIT
94	Wichita State	MVC	5	CBI/CIT
117	Southern Illinois	MVC	6	CBI/CIT
137	Indiana State	MVC	7
154	Drake	MVC	8
203	Evansville	MVC	9
228	Missouri State	MVC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MVC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

MVC Preseason Poll & Awards

Press Release — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:56:48 -0700

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Northern Iowa men's basketball team has been picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to the preseason poll announced today during the league's annual Basketball Media Day.

Northern Iowa, which returns all five starters after sharing the regular-season title with Creighton last year, earned 38 of 39 first-place votes in the survey of league coaches, beat writers, sports information directors and play-by-play men.

Pollsters have accurately predicted the league's regular-season champ only 11 times out of 25 since 1985-86. Two teams have been picked for second place but gone on to take the regular-season crown, Southern Illinois in both 2002-03 and 2006-07.

The preseason poll doesn¹t always match the year-end standings. Last year's Northern Iowa was picked sixth and ended up in a tie for first. The year before that, Drake was picked ninth, only to finish 28-5 and win the league title.

2009-10 MVC Preseason Poll
Rk.    School (1st place votes)    Total
1.    Northern Iowa (38)    389
2.    Creighton (1)    336
3.    Illinois State    299
4.    Southern Illinois    272
5.    Wichita State    216
6.    Bradley    208
7.    Indiana State    173
8.    Drake    105
9.    Missouri State    92
10.    Evansville    55
Poll determined by panel of league sports information directors and media.

Preseason All-MVC Team
Osiris Eldridge*, Sr., G, Illinois State
Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Jr., G, Northern Iowa
Tony Freeman, Sr., G, Southern Illinois
Adam Koch, Sr., F, Northern Iowa
P¹Allen Stinnett, Jr., G, Creighton
Josh Young, Sr., G, Drake
*Preseason Player of the Year

Honorable Mention:
Kevin Dillard, Southern Illinois
Clevin Hannah, Wichita State
Jake Kelly, Indiana State
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley
Harry Marshall, Indiana State
Toure¹ Murry, Wichita State