Fairfield

Predictions: CAA, MAAC, Southern, WCC Finals

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:22:41 -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 week, including tonight's four key championship games. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

CAA CHAMPIONSHIP: AT RICHMOND, VA.

(1) Drexel (27-5, 16-2) vs. (2) Virginia Commonwealth (27-6, 15-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 8 – Drexel 64-58. RPI: Drexel 65, VCU 66. Analysis: With 35 wins in their last 36 games combined, the Dragons and Rams should both be in the NCAA Tournament. However, neither will want to leave that up to the Selection Committee. Line: VCU -2. Pick: Virginia Commonwealth 57, Drexel 53.

MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP: AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

(2) Loyola (Md.) (23-8, 13-5) vs. (4) Fairfield (19-13, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 13 – Loyola 66-63*; Feb. 12 – Fairfield 68-51. RPI: Loyola 84, Fairfield 111. Analysis: The Stags are finally playing like they were expected to all season, but Loyola has been the more consistent team through the season. Line: Fairfield -2. Pick: Loyola 68, Fairfield 64.

SOUTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP: AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(1S) Davidson (24-7, 16-2) vs. (3N) Western Carolina (17-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – Davidson 88-67. RPI: Davidson 68, Western Carolina 216. Analysis: Aside from Davidson, the SoCon was really bad this year. This won’t be close. Line: Davidson -12½. Pick: Davidson 85, Western Carolina 64.

WCC CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) Saint Mary’s (26-5, 14-2) vs. (2) Gonzaga (25-5, 13-3)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – Saint Mary’s 83-62; Feb. 9 – Gonzaga 73-59. RPI: Saint Mary’s 33, Gonzaga 23. Analysis: Saint Mary’s just isn’t the same team with Stephen Holt – and the Bulldogs are playing really well. Line: Gonzaga -1½. Pick: Gonzaga 80, Saint Mary’s 72.

SUMMIT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(1) Oral Roberts (27-5, 17-1) vs. (5) Western Illinois (17-13, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: Midco Sports Network/Fox College Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – Oral Roberts 71-70 (2OT)*; Feb. 11 – Oral Roberts 61-51. RPI: Oral Roberts 41, Western Illinois 188. Analysis: Oral Roberts should be a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but the Eagles will play like their lives are on the line. Line: Oral Roberts -8. Pick: Oral Roberts 67, Western Illinois 56.

(2) South Dakota State (25-7, 15-3) vs. (6) Southern Utah (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: Midco Sports Network/Fox College Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – South Dakota State 75-68*; Feb. 4 – South Dakota State 66-56. RPI: South Dakota State 58, Southern Utah 244. Analysis: Nice comeback win for the Thunderbirds against Oakland on Sunday, but that’s as far as it goes. Line: South Dakota State -12. Pick: South Dakota State 70, Southern Utah 54.

SUN BELT SEMIFINALS: AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK.

(9) Arkansas State (13-19, 6-10) vs. (5) North Texas (16-13, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: Sun Belt Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Arkansas State 75-72; Jan. 28 – North Texas 76-64. RPI: North Texas 200, Arkansas State 243. Analysis: Arkansas State used the second-day advantage to knock off the top seed, but playing a third straight day is exponentially tougher. Line: North Texas -1. Pick: North Texas 71, Arkansas State 63.

(3) Denver (21-8, 11-5) vs. (7) Western Kentucky (12-18, 7-9)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: Sun Belt Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Denver 78-65. RPI: Denver 84, Western Kentucky 214. Analysis: Denver’s last six wins have been by double-figures. This game will be no different. Line: Denver -8½. Pick: Denver 69, Western Kentucky 57.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 128-94-3

Weekly Awards: Devoe Joseph, Rakim Sanders, Ohio St & More

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:06:27 -0800

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for CollegeHoops.net's weekly awards by Greg Mengelt.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Devoe Joseph, Oregon Senior Guard: Joseph led Oregon to wins over Colorado and Utah with 45 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

On Thursday, Joseph went 11-for-16 from the field, including 2-for-4 from the 3-point line, and scored 24 points in the Ducks’ 90-81 win over Colorado. He also had five boards, five assists and two steals in the win.

The senior guard came back for 21 points – on 8-of-9 from the floor – six boards, five assists and a pair of steals in a 94-48 win over Utah on Saturday.

Behind Joseph – Oregon’s leading scorer at 16.8 points per game – the Ducks have won three straight and five of their last six, and at 22-8, they may be a viable option for an NCAA Tournament bid.

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rakim Sanders, Fairfield Senior Forward: Sanders had team-bests with 15 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s MAAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Rider.

In Sunday’s 85-75 upset of Iona, Sanders was even better. He went 11-for-17 from the field and 2-for-3 from the 3-point line and scored 26 points as Fairfield advanced to Monday’s title game against Loyola (Md.). He also had 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot against the Gaels.

For the season, Sanders is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and is shooting 50 percent from the floor.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Ohio State: The 11^th-ranked Buckeyes earned a pair of road victories to come two games from behind and clinch a share of their third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.

Jared Sullinger banked in the game winner with 3.1 seconds left Wednesday to give OSU a 75-73 win over Northwestern.

On Sunday, the Buckeyes overcame an early 23-9 deficit to beat league-leader Michigan State, 72-70. William Buford hit a 20-foot jumper over the outstretched fingertips of Keith Appling with a second to play.

“I was fortunate to knock down the big shot of the night to give us another Big Ten title,” said Buford, who finished with a game-high 25 points.

Ohio State, which finished the regular season 25-6 overall, is the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will face either Purdue or Penn State in Friday’s conference quarterfinal.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State Sophomore Guard: Franklin concluded his second regular season at SDSU with his best performance as an Aztec.

In Saturday’s 98-92 overtime road win over Texas Christian, which gave the Aztecs a share of the Mountain West Conference championship, Franklin went off for 35 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He made nine of his 18 shots from the floor, 14-of-17 from the charity stripe and went 3-for-8 from the 3-point line.

For the season, Franklin is averaging 17.1 points, eight boards, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals.

WIN OF THE WEEK

North Carolina 88, Duke 70: The Tar Heels jumped out to a 24-8 lead midway through the first half and were never really threatened en route to the ACC regular-season crown.

The 18-point win was the third-largest victory ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium. UNC led 48-24 at the half, shot 54.5 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Blue Devils 45-28 in its seventh straight victory.

“We were kind of overwhelmed by them and the situation,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted.

The No. 6 Tar Heels, who were led by sophomore Kendall Marshall’s 20 points and 10 assists, will face either Maryland or Wake Forest in Friday’s ACC quarterfinal as the tourney’s top seed.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Arkansas State 64, Middle Tennessee 61: Arkansas State entered the Sun Belt Tournament with just 11 wins. The Red Wolves had lost two straight, five of their last seven and 10 of their last 14.

But after Saturday’s first-round win over Florida Atlantic, the tournament’s No. 9 seed earned its biggest win of the season by knocking off the top-seeded Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee is 25-6 overall, is ranked 47^th in the latest RPI and has wins over UCLA, Akron, Belmont and Mississippi on its resume. The Raiders will have to wait a week to find out whether that’s enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Fairfield 85, Iona 75: The nation’s leading scoring team was held to 75 points as its 6-game winning streak came to an end.

On the other end, Fairfield shot 59.6 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Gaels 32-20 and went on a 16-1 run midway through the second half to turn a 60-54 deficit into a 70-61 lead.

Iona’s fate will now be decided by the NCAA Tournament committee. The Gaels have 25 wins, a strong RPI at 48 and have victories over Nevada, Maryland, St. Joseph’s, Long Island, Denver, Marshall and Richmond.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Jewaun Long’s layup sinks Tennessee State’s hopes: Murray State trailed 50-43 with five minutes left, and after a 9-2 run got the Racers even with the Tigers, Long hit a layup with 4.4 seconds left to send Murray to the NCAA Tournament.

The senior scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” Murray State coach Steve Prohm said. “He hadn’t made a lot of shots all night, but that’s his shot.”

Long’s shot put the No. 9 Racers within a game of their school-record 31^st win and gave them their seventh consecutive triumph.

It was heartbreak for Tennessee State, which handed Murray its only loss on Feb. 9. But it was relief for several teams on the bubble. With the Racers already presumably in the field, if the Tigers had held on, they would have bumped one of the current bubble teams out of the field.

Sunday Predictions: MVC Finals, AE Semis, MAAC Semis, More

Greg Mengelt — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 07:37:38 -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.

MISSOURI VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT ST. LOUIS

(2) Creighton (27-5, 14-4) vs. (4) Illinois State (20-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 13 – Creighton 87-78*; Feb. 1 – Creighton 102-74. RPI: Creighton 28, Illinois State 100. Analysis: After a bit of a late-season swoon, Creighton is back. The Redbirds can’t get enough points to justify taking them. Line: Creighton -5. Pick: Creighton 89, Illinois State 67.

COLONIAL SEMIFINALS: AT RICHMOND, VA.

(1) Drexel (26-5, 16-2) vs. (4) Old Dominion (20-12, 13-5)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports Net/CAA TV. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 25 – Drexel 73-72*. RPI: Drexel 67, Old Dominion 106. Analysis: Drexel’s defense is among the best in the country. If the Dragons can slow Kent Bazemore, who scored 37 against them last week, they should roll. Line: Drexel -3. Pick: Drexel 67, Old Dominion 58.

(2) Virginia Commonwealth (26-6, 15-3) vs. (3) George Mason (24-8, 14-4)

Tipoff: Approx. 4:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports Net/CAA TV. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 14 – George Mason 62-61; Feb. 25 – VCU 89-77. RPI: VCU 65, George Mason 79. Analysis: This may be an NCAA Tournament elimination game. VCU appears to have the slightly better team. Line: VCU -6. Pick: Virginia Commonwealth 83, George Mason 76.

AMERICA EAST SEMIFINALS: AT WEST HARTFORD, CONN.

(1) Stony Brook (21-8, 14-2) vs. (4) Albany (19-13, 9-7)

Tipoff: 5:02 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 8 – Stony Brook 81-68; Feb. 4 – Stony Brook 76-69*. RPI: Stony Brook 158, Albany 219. Analysis: The top seed isn’t playing as well as it was in early February, and the Great Danes are playing their best basketball. Line: Stony Brook -3. Pick: Stony Brook 73, Albany 71.

(2) Vermont (21-11, 13-3) vs. (6) Hartford (9-21, 7-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 7:15 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 8 – Vermont 72-59*; Feb. 4 – Vermont 82-56. RPI: Vermont 156, Hartford 310. Analysis: Vermont has won 12 of 13 and may be poised for an America East title. Line: Vermont -8. Pick: Vermont 77, Hartford 55.

METRO ATLANTIC SEMIFINALS AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

(1) Iona (25-6, 15-3) vs. (4) Fairfield (18-13, 12-6)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 27 – Iona 71-62*; Feb. 24 – Iona 77-72. RPI: Iona 42, Fairfield 123. Analysis: Iona has scored at least 75 points in nine straight games, and the Stags simply can’t keep up. Line: Iona -5½. Pick: Iona 81, Fairfield 68.

(2) Loyola (Md.) (22-8, 13-5) vs. (6) Siena (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 4:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Loyola 66-59*; Jan. 19 – Loyola 66-55. RPI: Loyola 83, Siena 245. Analysis: Siena has shown the ability to rise to the occasion – and the Saints may just do it again. They’ll at least cover. Line: Loyola -6½. Pick: Loyola 80, Siena 76.

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) Robert Morris (23-9, 13-5) at (2) Wagner (25-5, 15-3)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: MSG or FCS. Regular-season meeting: Feb. 2 – Wagner 80-69. RPI: Wagner 88, Robert Morris 118. Analysis: Both teams are capable of winning this game, plus a possible NCAA tourney game. Tough call – so take the home team (and the Hurley brothers). Line: Wagner -6½. Pick: Wagner 84, Robert Morris 77.

(5) Quinnipiac (18-12, 10-8) at (1) Long Island (23-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: MSG or FCS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Long Island 79-75*, Feb. 18 – Long Island 99-89. RPI: Long Island 99, Quinnipiac 162. Analysis: The Bobcats are playing very, very well and may just pull off this upset. Line: Long Island -3. Pick: Quinnipiac 80, Long Island 77.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(1N) UNC-Greensboro (12-18, 10-8) vs. (3N) Western Carolina (15-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Western Carolina 73-69; Jan. 28 – Greensboro 89-86 (OT). RPI: Greensboro 215, Western Carolina 231. Analysis: The Catamounts have won six straight and should upset UNCG. Line: Greensboro -7. Pick: Western Carolina 76, UNC-Greensboro 69.

(1S) Davidson (22-7, 16-2) vs. (2N) Elon (14-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Davidson 66-45. RPI: Davidson 68, Elon 233. Analysis: It will be tough for the Wildcats to cover the spread because their starters will be resting early. Line: Davidson -13½. Pick: Davidson 73, Elon 59.

SUMMIT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(4) Western Illinois (16-13, 9-9) vs. (5) North Dakota State (17-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Western Illinois 55-51; Feb. 25 – Western Illinois 77-64. RPI: Western Illinois 191, North Dakota State 174. Analysis: NDSU really struggled from the field against the Bulldogs this season, especially from the 3-point line. And Terrell Parks has had his way with the Bison. Line: North Dakota State -1. Pick: Western Illinois 60, North Dakota State 55.

(3) Oakland (17-14, 11-7) vs. (6) Southern Utah (13-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Oakland 72-63*; Feb. 15 – Oakland 76-68 (OT). RPI: Oakland 133, Southern Utah 244. Analysis: It’s been a strangely inconsistent season for Oakland, but Reggie Hamilton won’t let the Grizzlies go out early. Line: Oakland -7½. Pick: Oakland 80, Southern Utah 63.

SUN BELT QUARTERS: AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK.

(1) Middle Tennessee (25-5, 14-2) vs. (9) Arkansas State (13-19, 6-10)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: Sun Belt Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Middle Tennessee 59-46. RPI: Middle Tennessee 48, Arkansas State 243. Analysis: Arkansas State is playing well. The Red Wolves are seven points from a 5-game winning streak. They should make Middle Tennessee uncomfortable. Line: Middle Tennessee -8½. Pick: Middle Tennessee 66, Arkansas State 62.

(4) Louisiana-Lafayette (16-14, 10-6) vs. (5) North Texas (16-13, 9-7)

Tipoff: 7:15 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 25 – Louisiana-Lafayette 64-62; Feb. 18 – Louisiana-Lafayette 57-53*. RPI: North Texas 204, Louisiana-Lafayette 183. Analysis: North Texas probably has more talent. Tony Mitchell is the difference in a tight game. Line: North Texas -2. Pick: North Texas 69, Louisiana-Lafayette 66.

(2) Arkansas-Little Rock (15-15, 12-4) vs. (7) Western Kentucky (12-18, 7-9)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: Sun Belt Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Western Kentucky 65-53. RPI: Little Rock 166, Western Kentucky 220. Analysis: The Hilltoppers are playing their best basketball of the season. They probably won’t upset UALR, but they’ll stick with them. Line: Little Rock -2. Pick: Arkansas-Little Rock 61, Western Kentucky 60.

(3) Denver (21-8, 11-5) vs. (6) South Alabama (17-11, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9:45 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Denver 67-50*. RPI: Denver 94, South Alabama 172. Analysis: Denver will pull away late for a double-digit win. Line: Denver -8½. Pick: Denver 72, South Alabama 61.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 117-87-2

Iona vs. Fairfield: Friday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:05:00 -0800

After winning their first three MAAC games (two of which were played in December), Sydney Johnson's Fairfield (17-11, 12-4) Stags lost three straight league games and looked to be anything but a contender for the regular season title. Well the players have looked more comfortable with their first-year head coach, and sure enough here are the Stags sitting just a game out of first place heading into the final weekend of league play. Tonight they visit Iona (22-6, 13-3) with first place on the line, and a win for the Gaels would clinch their first regular season title since the 2000-01 season.

Iona won the first meeting 71-62 on January 27th and Fairfield has won seven of eight since, with Derek Needham and Rakim Sanders both playing good basketball. Needham was a preseason candidate for MAAC Player of the Year, and while the season hasn't worked out in that fashion the Illinois product has the ability to get things rolling offensively. Needham shot 4-for-12 in the first meeting, scoring 11 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists, and he's shot worse than 44% from the field in just two games since. Sanders leads the Stags in scoring and rebounding, and his versatility makes the Boston College transfer a threat both inside and out.

Fairfield may not score as much as Iona but that doesn't mean the Stags lack guys who can score. In addition to Needham and Sanders Fairfield has Maurice Barrow and Ryan Olander inside, with Barrow being a workhorse on the glass and Olander possessing range out to about 15 feet with consistency. But the problems for Fairfield in the first meeting came on the defensive end, which was somewhat predictable given how potent the Iona attack is. The Gaels shot 50% from the field in Bridgeport, and the straw that stirs the drink is senior point guard Scott Machado.

The nation's leading assist man had just five assists in the first meeting but he made seven of thirteen shots from the field and scored 18 points. Add Momo Jones' 20 to that and there's a big reason why the Gaels were so successful against the Fairfield defense. Jones has become more comfortable in his role after some early struggles, which has added to an offense that also features Mike Glover inside and shooters Sean Armand and Kyle Smyth. Tempo is going to be key, because the more possessions the tougher things get for Fairfield. The Stags average just one point per possession and Iona enters the game at a 1.15, but if they can make this a half-court battle they've got a shot.

West Virginia gets another shot at a win over a ranked opponent as they host #10 Marquette, who has played outstanding basketball of late. On an individual level three of the top candidate for Big East Player of the Year will be on display, as Kevin Jones and the Mountaineers look to slow down Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom. Crowder and DJO were unstoppable last week in their win at Connecticut, and Buzz Williams' team is more than tough enough to go into a hostile environment and win. WVU needs their guards to play consistently in order to win, especially Truck Bryant and Jabarie Hinds. A West Virginia win would go a long way towards locking up an NCAA bid.

Harvard can clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title this weekend with home games against Princeton and Penn, beginning with the Tigers tonight. Princeton handed the Crimson their only league loss to date a couple weeks ago but with Kyle Casey playing better of late it's going to be much tougher for Ian Hummer and company this time around. And the matchup between Butler and Valparaiso could be a preview of a Horizon League title game, but the Bulldogs need a win to lock down the two-seed in the conference tournament. A loss to the Crusaders, who may have Kevin Van Wijk (sprained knee) back, would open the door for Cleveland State to swipe the spot with a win on Saturday.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (10) Marquette at West Virginia (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Columbia at Yale
7:00 PM Princeton at Harvard
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Dartmouth
7:00 PM Cornell at Brown
7:00 PM North Florida at Jacksonville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Canisius at Manhattan
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Rider (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Butler at Valparaiso (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Niagara at St. Peter's
9:00 PM Fairfield at Iona (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Idaho at Utah State (ESPN3)

UConn Won But Don't Be Fooled: Monday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:59:52 -0800

We're going with a different setup for daily recaps in hopes of making the reading easier. One piece will focus on the game of the night (or day) and the top individual performances, and the other will touch on other key happenings and some quick hitters on other games.

1. Shabazz Napier's shot gives UConn a much-needed win, but calm down on the "turning point" talk.
The battle between the Huskies and Villanova was a matchup of teams trending in the wrong direction at this point in the season. Jay Wright's young Wildcats were without point guard Maalik Wayns as well as coming off of a tough overtime loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night, and UConn was looking to rebound from a 15-point loss to Marquette. Shabazz Napier called out his teammates following that loss, so it was fitting that the sophomore ended up being the difference in UConn's 73-70 win. Napier knocked down a 30-footer with two-tenths of a second remaining, and with #2 Syracuse next on the slate this was big win for the Huskies.

But to used the phrase "turning point" ignores both the fact that Villanova lacks any kind of depth and the Huskies' level of play throughout the night. There were still mental and physical errors being made, and Jeremy Lamb was UConn's lone player in double figures with 32 points. He's a likely lottery selection but to have that kind of split between Lamb and the rest of the team underlines the issues that UConn has had to deal with this season. The consistency hasn't been there, and coming out of the gates and trailing by as many as 18 points early showed a lack of urgency on their part. The talent is definitely there but the effort isn't always present, which is why UConn finds themselves in their current position. Does all of that automatically change because of one shot? No.

2. Mercer falls two games behind Belmont in the Atlantic Sun race due to a loss at North Florida.
Bob Hoffman's Bears had two games to win to remain a game behind Belmont in the standings leading into the regular season finale between the two teams on February 28th in Macon. But they were unable to accomplish that goal, falling at North Florida 75-66, and that combined with Belmont's 88-79 win over USC Upstate pushed the margin out to two games. The culprit for Mercer in losses to Jacksonville and North Florida: defense, as the Dolphins shot 50% from the field and UNF 45.7%.

The Bears had no answer for Parker Smith, who went off to the tune of 46 points (11-17 3PT) to lead the Ospreys. Langston Hall scored 17 points and dished out four assists to lead Mercer but their inablity to slow down Smith proved costly. The good news for Mercer is that they also host the A-Sun tournament and the worst they'll finish is third, but with their defensive effort not being up to par the last two games the Bears need to correct some things if they're to threaten the defending champs. This should be seen as a minor bump in the road however, as Mercer defended at a high level during their nine-game win streak before this weekend.

3. Paul Crosby's three gives Mississippi Valley State the SWAC regular season title.
Sean Woods' Delta Devils were in good shape to win the SWAC heading into Monday night's game against Texas Southern as they led the pack by four games with four to play. Mississippi Valley State clinched the outright title and moved to 15-0 in league play with a 56-53 win over the Tigers, as Paul Crosby knocked down a three-pointer with six seconds remaining to break a 53-all tie. In fact Crosby did the same in MVSU's win over Prairie View A&M on Saturday, which clinched a share of the SWAC title.

Terrence Joyner led the way for MVSU with 17 points and Crosby tallied a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds, as the Delta Devils won despite shooting 32% from the field and 9-for-31 from beyond the arc. Who has the ability to take out MVSU in the conference tournament? Texas Southern would be a clear choice with Southern ineligible for postseason play, and Prairie View A&M and Alabama State will also be heard from. But the Delta Devils are hot and have now won 15 straight, meaning that knocking them off will be an extremely difficult task for anyone in the SWAC.

Quick Hitters

1. Alabama head coach Anthony Grant made the move on Monday to keep suspended forward Tony Mitchell out of the lineup for the remainder of the season while reinstating JaMychal Green, which provides some needed closure to the situation. With Green back Alabama could lock down a tournament bid with good play down the stretch, but at the least Monday's decisions provide some closure for all involved.

2. The ACC reprimanded official Karl Hess for his actions in Saturday's game between Florida State and NC State in Raleigh. Once again the league noted that Hess' mistake was in using arena security instead of game management to remove Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani from the arena and not whether or not the long-time official overreacted. Hess was in Queens officiating the DePaul/St/ John's game on Monday.

3. Keep an eye on Fairfield in the Metro Atlantic, and sure enough the Stags have a matchup with first-place Iona on Friday night. Derek Needham led three Stags in double figures with 16 points in Fairfield's 60-49 win at Marist, but the bigger story was the visitors' work on the defensive end. Marist shot 32.7% from the field and turned the ball over 16 times against Fairfield's tough defense, and the Stags have now won seven straight MAAC contests to move to within a game of Iona.

4. Tahj Tate and Marques Oliver scored 20 points apiece to lead Delaware State past Hampton in double overtime by the final score of 73-68. The win keeps the Hornets a game behind Savannah State, who whipped Bethune-Cookman 67-44, in the race for first place in the MEAC with three league games remaining.

5. The race for Big East Rookie of the Year should be fin to watch if only because there's the question of whether or not two St. John's players could cancel each other out in the voting. D'Angelo Harrison scored 23 points while also racking up five assists and five rebounds in the Red Storm's 79-72 win over DePaul, and Moe Harkless added another double-double with 14 and ten rebounds. Harkless would be the pick here, but you never know how the voting may break down.

Monday's Recap: Quincy Acy Leads Baylor Past Texas

Murray State Suffers First Loss: Thursday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:05:44 -0800

As the streak grew longer, it seemed as if it became a foregone conclusion in the eyes of many that Murray State would simply run through the Ohio Valley Conference on their way to a Sears BracketBusters contest against Saint Mary's. Steve Prohm's head coaching career got off to a dream start, as the Racers won 23 straight games with Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole leading the way. That run came to an end on Thursday night as the Racers fell 72-68 to a Tennessee State team that relied on balance to grab their eighth win in the last nine games.

Robert Covington led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points (and eight rebounds), scoring on a key tip-in with 1:25 remaining to give TSU a 69-65 lead. Just as important were the contributions of Kenny Moore (16 points) and Jordan Cyphers (ten points, three assists), who led a Tennessee State bench that outscored Murray State's reserves 30-10. Canaan scored 31 points to lead all scorers and Poole added ten but they were the only Murray State players to reach double figures, and their reliance on Canaan got the Racers in trouble down the stretch.

Jewuan Long's attempt to get Canaan (who was being double-teamed) was stolen by Patrick Miller and ultimately ended up in the hands of Covington, who missed both free throws to keep the score at 69-68. Canaan would drive the length of the floor before getting into trouble as he approached the foul line, ultimately turning the ball over and getting called for a foul with 3.5 seconds remaining. But if there's a question about how Murray handled their final possession (following a pair of Moore free throws), it would have to be why they attempted a length of the court baseball pass.

Why? The Racers had two timeouts remaining, and with that amount of time on the clock a play in which Murray State could complete the inbounds pass at around half court and use one of those timeouts may have been best. But hindsight is 20/20, and for a team that hasn't been in many situations like this down the stretch Murray State will get better from this.

The key: achieve better offensive balance, because while there certainly isn't a problem with Canaan and Poole being the primary options those two are going to need more consistent help. Outside of those two, Murray State shot 10-for-27 from the field, and the 18 turnovers the Racers racked up (Canaan: six) didn't help matters either. Does this outcome make the Saint Mary's game more important? From a seedind standpoint yes, due to the fact that Murray State is 3-0 against the RPI Top 100 and 12 of their 23 wins (three don't "count" in the NCAA evaluation process since they came against non-Division I opponents) are against teams with an RPI of 201 or worse.

But can someone honestly say with a straight face that Murray State, provided the wheels don't fall off, wouldn't be one of the 37 best teams should they not grab the OVC's automatic bid? Remember that bubble so many criticize (annually) for being weak? Let's step away from the ledge when discussing the at-large possibilities for Murray State, because there's a long way to go. The Racers now have the task of learning from their late-game miscues, and while this current team hasn't had to do that there's enough experience on the roster to make sure they do so.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Gonzaga not ready to hand over the WCC crown just yet.
There were many (myself included) who wondered if there was about to be a changing of the guard in the WCC on Thursday as Saint Mary's visited Gonzaga, as a win would give the Gaels a three-game lead with four to go. But the Bulldogs, who have won the last eleven regular season titles, weren't ready or willing to hand over the crown as they won 73-59. Kevin Pangos scored a game-high 27 points and three other starters reached double figures for the Bulldogs, who are now just a game behind Saint Mary's in the loss column. Matthew Dellavedova scored 20 points in a losing effort, but he shot 1-for-5 from the field in the second half and as a team the Gaels shot just 36% in the final 20 minutes.

By comparison the Bulldogs found just about any shot they wanted and knocked them down too, shooting 60% from the field (second half efficiency: 133.0) with Pangos scoring 15 of their 39 points. Robert Sacre, who wasn't a factor in the first meeting, scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bulldogs, who still have a home game against BYU on the schedule. Mark Few's team may not be in the driver's seat at this point, but if Saint Mary's is going to win the WCC the Bulldogs made sure it wasn't going to happen in their house.

2. As soon as we think we know who the Pac-12 frontrunner is, of course Washington gets blown out.
At this point it may be best to institute a rule stating that no one will attempt to anoint anone as the pacemaker in the Pac-12 race, because as soon as it seems like something is "known", that fact gets ripped to shreds. Lorenzo Romar's Huskies went to Eugene and got manhandled by Oregon, who raced out of the gates on an 8-0 run (all eight scored by Garrett Sim) and didn't look back until the 82-57 romp ended. Carlos Emory scored 16 points off the bench and Sim was one of three starters to score 13 points, and Dana Altman's team just looked far more prepared for what what going to happen on the floor than the Huskies.

That result dropped the Huskies into a tie for first with California, who took advantage of Maurice Jones picking up his third foul to whip USC 75-49. And just a game behind those two are Oregon, Arizona and Colorado, with the Wildcats beating the Buffaloes 71-57 thanks in part to double-doubles posted by Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry. Winners of three straight Arizona is the hottest team in this quintet, and with Utah visiting on Saturday afternoon it would be expected that the Wildcats earn the sweep. The Pac-12 needed some separation to ensure multiple NCAA bids (Cal and Arizona look to have the best resumes to date), but that doesn't seem likely to happen at this point.

3. Indiana proves to be too much for Illinois in the second half.
Illinois is a likely NCAA tournament team at this point, but they've done themselves no favors of late to say the least. The issue on Thursday night: Indiana's parade to the foul line, where they made 35 of 42 in their 84-71 win over the Fighting Illini. Illinois attempted just 15 free throws (making 12), and when a team can shoot 60% from the field and attempt 26 free throws (making 19) as Indiana did in the second half it's highly unlikely that they lose anywhere much less at sold-out Assembly Hall. Cody Zeller scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Hoosiers while Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo scored 18 apiece for a team that's won consecutive games for the first time since early January.

D.J. Richardson led the illini with 19 points and Meyers Leonard added 17, but the problem offensively for Illinois was that they essentially had three scorers to Indiana's four. Joe Bertrand and Tracy Abrams were both quiet in their starting roles, and Illinois made as many three-pointers as Indiana (seven) while attempting nine more (21-12). Indiana worked the ball inside of the arc for quality shots and it paid off, as they were frequent visitors to the foul line down the stretch. Bruce Weber's team has dropped five of their last six games, and with a trip to Michigan next on the schedule the Illini had better be careful. This isn't rock bottom, but things could spiral out of control if Illinois doesn't take care of their issues soon.

Quick Hitters

1. Minnesota was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to add a quality win to their resume as they fell at home to Wisconsin 68-61 in overtime. Wisconsin didn't make a field goal over the last ten-plus minutes of regulation but they were still able to get to the extra session, where Jordan Taylor and company took care of the Golden Gophers. At 17-8 overall and 5-7 in league play, Tubby Smith's squad still has home games against Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana and they need to take advantage of those opportunities.

2. While transfers have played a major role in the success being enjoyed at Iowa State and Cal State Fullerton, it can be argued that the transfer with the biggest impact is Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie. Moultrie scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Bulldogs' 70-60 win over Ole Miss, and Dee Bost added 15 points and 13 assists. Moultrie's play has been a big reason why Mississippi State has been one of the best teams in the SEC.

3. The Horizon League featured a matchup of the top two teams in the standings, and unfortunately for Cleveland State they couldn't get much of anything going offensively. Valparaiso jumped out to a 22-4 lead and really weren't challenged in a 59-41 win to take over sole possession of first place. Unfortunately for the Crusaders however, they lost Kevin Van Wijk to a knee injury in the first half and did not return. More should be learned about his status on Friday, and Van Wijk being out for an extended period of time would be a tough blow to take.

4. The race of interest in the South Division of the SoCon has been the one for second place (and the other first round SoCon tournament bye) thanks to the play of first-place Davidson, and Georgia Southern took a big step towards grabbing that spot with a 63-49 win over Wofford. The Eagles, who were led by Eric Ferguson's 15 points and 11 rebounds, moved to 10-4 in conference play while dropping the Terriers to 8-6.

5. Guess who could be making a charge into the top three of the MAAC: Fairfield. The Stags moved to 9-4 in conference play with a 60-54 win over Manhattan, who sits alone in third with a 10-4 mark. Sydney Johnson's team was expected to be Iona's toughest challenger but things haven't worked out that way to this point. With a deep rotation led by the likes of Derek Needham and Rakim Sanders however, Fairfield is more than capable of winning the automatic bid.

6. The Summit League race took a turn in the wrong direction for South Dakota State on Thursday night as they lost 72-68 at South Dakota, dropping two games behind Oral Roberts in the loss column. The Golden Eagles beat IUPUI 76-74 in overtime with Roderick Pearson's driving shot as time expired being the difference.

7. With UCSB off Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton Titans could have taken over sole possession of second place in the Big West and that they did, scoring 60 points in the second half of their 100-94 win over UC Irvine. D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn combined to score 51 points as the Titans won despite not having the injured Omondi Amoke at their disposal. Long Beach State is the class of the Big West, but Fullerton is just as capable as UCSB of knocking the 49ers off in the conference tournament.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Ben Aird (Utah Valley)
24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots in the Wolverines' 99-97 win at NJIT.

2. C Al'Lonzo Coleman (Presbyterian)
26 points (10-14 FG), 12 rebounds and two assists in the Blue Hose's 94-74 win over VMI. Coleman's shot 20-for-28 from the floor over the last two games.

3. G Alex Young (IUPUI)
34 points, seven rebounds and two steals in the Panthers' 76-74 overtime loss at Oral Roberts.

Thursday Recap: Missouri Wins Braggin' Rights Yet Again

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:11:22 -0800

The "Braggin' Rights" game between Illinois and Missouri is alway an intense affair, with the fans in the stands split by the halfcourt line and both teams understanding what's at stake before they even hit the floor. This season's game was no different, although for a good portion of the first half it seemed as if the undefeated Tigers were on their way to a romp. Bruce Weber's team refused to fold, and once Missouri got out of control Illinois was able to mount their rally. Illinois went on a 17-3 run halfway through the second half with Joseph Bertrand (19 points, 9-9 FG) leading the way to take a 62-61 lead, but it was Missouri's backcourt that made the plays late to win 78-74.

Phil Pressey led the Tigers with 18 points and five assists, and his layup with 12 seconds remaining sealed the deal as Illinois decided not to foul. Michael Dixon Jr. also scored 18 points and in total four Tigers reached double figures, but they allowed the pace to get a little too fast in the second half. Instead of working the ball around for good shots Missouri took hurried looks, and the "bailouts" allowed Illinois to go down to the other end and string together quality possessions. Bertrand was a big key in that, as he made all nine of his shots while making sound decisions with the basketball.

During that 17-3 run there were also better opportunities for Meyers Leonard, who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists on the night. The Illini did a better job of finding and getting Leonard the ball in positions where he could be most effective, and that's something that will have to continue for the Illini to reach their full potential. But Illinois once again lost sight of what sparked their run in the final minutes, which allowed the Tigers to regain the lead and ultimately win. Illinois shot 50% from the field and out-rebounded Missouri 35-30 but those numbers didn't matter as much as their 17 turnovers in the end.

Illinois turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions and made just four of sixteen shots from beyond the arc with Sam Maniscalco and D.J. Richardson combining to make just one of eight (Richardson entered the game having made five threes in each of Illinois' last two games). As for the Tigers, while they averaged more than a point per possession they didn't approach their season average in terms of offensive efficiency (126.2), finishing at a 109.9.

They finished below their season averages in many of the tempo-free categories and their getting out of control at times had something to do with it. But Coach Haith and his players understand what they do best and what needs to be done to improve on Thursday's showing. The last time a Missouri team got off to a 12-0 start was back in 1981-82, and that team won 19 straight and finished 27-4. Could this group of Tigers do the same? They sure can.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown takes care of business and hands Memphis their fifth loss of the season.
The rematch of the Maui Invitational meeting between Memphis and #16 Georgetown was supposed to be a tight affair throughout, but things didn't work out that way for Josh Pastner's Tigers. Frankly Memphis was outworked for much of the game, trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half before finally fighting back. Georgetown would go on to win 70-59 with Jason Clark scoring 18 points and Hollis Thompson adding 17 and nine rebounds. Four starters scored in double figures for the Hoyas, and veterans such as Clark, Thompson and Henry Sims underline exactly what Memphis is lacking right now. When things begin to go wrong on the court who's the guy that will hold himself and his teammates accountable?

The talent is definitely there, with Will Barton being one of the best players in the country. But there are also guys who haven't held up their end of the bargain for a team that's now 6-5 on the season. Senior Wesley Witherspoon? Five minutes tonight and eight over the last two games. Tarik Black? Fouled out in 13 nondescript minutes. Things have gotten to the point where Coach Pastner held a team meeting immediately after the game that lasted nearly two hours. Ferrakhon Hall added something from an effort and toughness standpoint when he was on the floor, but if the meetings haven't fully sunk in it's time to use the motivation of the bench to light a fire under guys. Memphis will have the most talent in Conference USA once they enter league play, but if they don't match that with high-level effort they're going to be in more trouble than this group bargained for.

2. Not only does Texas A&M fall to Rice but they also lost Kourtney Roberson.
Even with an all-conference talent like Arsalan Kazemi to contend with, few people expected Billy Kennedy's Aggies to struggle with a Rice team that entered Thursday's game with three wins over non-Division I opponents to their credit. But that's exactly what happened in College Station as Texas A&M shot just 39% from the field in a 65-58 loss to the Owls. Tamir Jackson scored a team-high 13 points while Kazemi (10 points, 13 rebounds), Ahmad Ibrahim (12 points) and Lucas Kuipers also reached double figures for the Owls, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent in nearly a month. But the loss may be the least of Texas A&M's concerns with Kourtney Roberson being lost for four-to-six weeks with a fractured left ankle suffered in the first half.

David Lobeau led four Aggies in double figures with 14 points but when two starters (Jordan Green and Keith Davis) go scoreless there's going to be trouble. Khris Middleton and Ray Turner have shown at different stages in the season that they can be primary scorers, which goes without saying for Middleton as he was expected to be. But other than that guys are going to have to step up and be consistent factors on offense. Not everyone can score in double figures; that's not realistic for Texas A&M given their tempo and frankly they don't need everyone to. But they need guys to provide something. That didn't happen against Rice, and the end result was a disappointing defeat.

3. Long Beach State beats Xavier, and a freshman may be the key in them winning the Big West.
Tu Holloway made his return to the Xavier lineup after a one-game suspension for his role in that ugly brawl with city rival Cincinnati. But that didn't matter much as the Musketeers still had their problems executing on the offensive end of the floor. Where the Musketeers really ran into trouble was on the other end of the floor, as Long Beach State outscored Xavier by 12 (21-9) from beyond the arc in winning 68-58. Six players scored for the 49ers but five finished in double figures, with freshman Michael Caffey scoring 14 off the bench to lead the way. Xavier made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, and the only reason why the margin wasn't any worse was the fact that The Beach shot 15-for-28 from the foul line.

But back to Caffey, who was a steal for Dan Monson and his staff as he didn't qualify until late (two of his teammates at Corona (CA) Centennial were Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State) and Dominique Dunning (New Mexico)). If Caffey can continue to progress that will take some weight off the shoulders of senior point guard Casper Ware, who has the responsibilities of running the show as well as scoring, the 49ers will be that much better for it. In fact it can be argued that the absence of such a player was the big reason why Long Beach State couldn't turn their Big West regular season title into an NCAA Tournament bid. Next up for The Beach is Auburn in a Diamond Head Classic semifinal, and it's a game that will have a bigger impact should they lose as opposed to picking up the win.

Quick Hitters

1. They may have won on Thursday, beating Fairfield 79-71, but Connecticut wasn't at their best after jumping out to a 20-point halftime lead. That's been an issue for the Huskies in a few games this season; once they've figured out that the game's over they've allowed teams to hang around. The Huskies need to change that mindset as they head into Big East play.

2. Ian Miller and Antwan Space saw their first action of the season for Florida State but it didn't matter as they fell to rival Florida 82-64 in Gainesville. Bradley Beal scored 21 and grabbed six rebounds and all five Gator starters scored in double figures. Florida simply had too many weapons, and the Seminoles don't have a Patric Young either.

3. Drew Crawford scored 34 points and John Shurna added 18, nine rebounds and six assists but it wasn't enough as Northwestern fell at #21 Creighton 87-79. Doug McDemott scored 27 points and the Bluejays took advantage of Crawford leaving the game early in the second half with his fourth foul. That's another good win for Creighton ,and a missed opportunity for an improved Northwestern.

4. A sophomore who's played well of late but remains under the radar is UTEP's Mike Perez, who scored a career-high 25 points in the Miners' 61-48 win over Clemson at the Diamond Head Classic. Perez has scored at least 17 points in five of UTEP's last six games and has emerged as a go-to option that Tim Floyd and his staff didn't expect to have before the season began.

5. The biggest threat to Belmont in the Atlantic Sun is likely Mercer, and the Bears picked up a 65-59 win at Georgia Tech. Monty Brown scored 13 points off the bench and Bud Thomas added 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Bears, who lost a Belmont by just four earlier this month. Bob Hoffman's got a contender on his hands, and with Belmont being their regular season finale you never know what could be on the line.

6. Charleston did a good job of bouncing back from their tough loss at Louisville, winning 77-70 at Big South contender Coastal Carolina. Andrew Lawrence led the way with 18 points and seven assists while Matt Sundberg added 17 off the bench for the Cougars, who are now 10-2 on the season.

7. Congratulations are in order for Bob Huggins, who won his 700th game as a head coach on Thursday night. West Virginia needed a Gary Browne three-pointer to push Missouri State to overtime in Las Vegas, and they went on to win 70-68. Next up for WVU is #7 Baylor.

8. And Butler did what they had to do to get a split of their two games in beating Stanford 71-66 at Maples Pavilion. Ronald Nored scored 18 points and dished out five assists while Jackson Aldridge added 15 off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
35 points (13-17 FG) and 15 rebounds in the Rams' 81-70 win over Texas State.

2. F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
24 points (8-11 FG), 14 rebounds and four assists in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Northwestern State.

3. F/C Brennan Cougill (Green Bay)
19 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the Phoenix's 63-61 win over Idaho.

Thursday's Preview: #24 Illinois vs. #8 Missouri

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:19:47 -0800

Thursday is the final "busy day" on the college basketball schedule before Christmas and there's important business to address in St. Louis: Braggin' Rights. Undefeated and eighth-ranked Missouri (11-0) looks for its third straight win over #24 Illinois (11-1) in the series, and despite the change in head coach the Tigers remain one of the most balanced teams in the country. Four players average double figures and two more average at least eight points per game, and with the team averaging 17.3 assists per game it's obvious that Missouri has no problem sharing the wealth.

Marcus Denmon (19.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) leads the way offensively for Frank Haith's squad while senior Kim English is second on the team in both minutes and scoring (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg). English plays the four at times for the Tigers due to their lack of depth inside with the loss of Laurence Bowers and he's done a good job in the role. A player with his versatility can cause fits for opposing players at the four, and that's something that the Illini may be concerned with on Thursday. Illinois will also need to contend with the physical Ricardo Ratliffe (14.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) inside, which should be a good measuring stick for seven-footer Meyers Leonard.

Leonard (13.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.4 bpg) got off to a good start but according the head coach Bruce Weber the sound of folks around him talking "NBA" may have gotten to the sophomore. Baby steps, folks. Leonard has shown himself to be a much-improved product this season but he's still got plenty of work to do. Ratliffe and Steve Moore will both be stronger than Leonard, who will need to counter with his ability to step away from the basket without falling in love with the the mid-range game and neglecting the post. Tyler Griffey is averaging a shade under five rebounds per game and has filled a role similar to that of the departed Bill Cole in that he'll be called on to do many of the little things that teams require in order to be successful.

On the perimeter is where Illinois could have trouble despite the presence of Brandon Paul (10.7 ppg, 3.2 apg) and D.J. Richardson (14.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg), with the latter being one of the better defenders in the Big Ten. Sam Maniscalco (10.9 ppg, 3.0 apg) runs the show at the point and has been good for Illinois thus far, but his defensive ability will definitely be tested by the Tiger guards. In addiiton to Denmon there's Phil Pressey (8.6 ppg, 6.0 apg), who has done an outstanding job of running the show for Missouri. Matt Pressey and Michael Dixon Jr. are two other options that Missouri can call upon with Dixon averaging 12.6 points per game off the bench.

The one thing that Illinois cannot do is turn the ball over, as Missouri still takes the ball away at a decent clip despite scrapping the full-court pressure employed by Mike Anderson. Missouri's opponents have turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions, and with the Tigers turning the ball over just nine times per game they aren't exactly going to give the ball back either. Illinois turns the ball over on one-fifth of their possessions, a reason why their offensive efficiency is 22.4 points below that of Missouri. With the two teams having nearly the same rebounding margin, turnovers (and the points scored off of them) will likely tell the tale in St. Louis.

Also of note are in-season tournaments in both Las Vegas and Honolulu, with many likely to be trained in on Long Beach State playing Xavier at the Diamond Head Classic. Tu Holloway returns from his one-game suspension but Mark Lyons and Dezmine Wells are both out for the Musketeers, which presents a great opportunity to Dan Monson's 49ers despite the matchup between Holloway and Casper Ware. A key for the Musketeers will be the play of Kenny Frease, as in T.J. Robinson the 49ers bring a very active interior player who brings the effort every night.

In Las Vegas, Saint Mary's could use a marquee win for their resume and Baylor would be a great team to do that against. But do the Gaels have enough help for Rob Jones inside to deal with the Bears' frontcourt? Saint Mary's will lean heavily on Jones and point guard Matthew Dellavedova, with the latter being a good test for Scott Drew's backcourt. Memphis, who has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, will look to apply the lessons learned from their loss to Georgetown in Maui as they visit the Hoyas in the nation's capital. But in order to do so the Tigers must eliminate the defensive lapses that have const them in other big games this season if they're to win.

Connecticut (hosting Fairfield) and Marquette (hosting Milwaukee) should be on notice in their game, with the Golden Eagles looking to rebound from their loss at LSU and the Huskies taking on a Fairfield team that will contend in the MAAC. There's also going to be a pair of Olanders on the floor in that one, as older brother Ryan (Fairfield) looks to hand Tyler's Huskies a very rare non-conference loss to an in-state opponent. Butler visits Stanford in a game the Bulldogs really need for their profile before heading into Horizon League play, Kansas visits a USC team that looked like an offensive juggernaut on Monday night, and Tulane gets a chance to show that they're as good as their record in the Carrier Dome.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Tulane at (1) Syracuse (SNY)
8:30 PM Miami (OH) at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
1:00 PM Loyola (MD) at (3) Kentucky (ESPN3)
10:30 PM Saint Mary's vs. (7) Baylor (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (24) Illinois at (8) Missouri (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Fairfield at (9) Connecticut (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Milwaukee at (10) Marquette (ESPN3)
11:00 PM (11) Kansas at USC (FSN)
7:00 PM Florida State at (12) Florida (ESPNU)
11:00 PM Long Beach State vs. (15) Xavier* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Memphis at (16) Georgetown (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Northwestern State at (17) Mississippi State
6:00 PM UMBC at (18) Indiana (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Bradley at (19) Michigan (BTN)
9:00 PM Lehigh at (20) Michigan State (ESPNU)
8:05 PM Northwestern at (21) Creighton (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Florida Atlantic at (25) Harvard

NCAA Division I Games
2:30 PM UTEP vs. Clemson* (ESPNU)
3:00 PM Texas A&M-CC vs. Bethune-Cookman*
4:30 PM Kansas State vs. Southern Illinois* (ESPNU)
5:00 PM South Alabama vs. San Diego*
5:30 PM Tennessee Tech vs. Kennesaw State*
6:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Savannah State
7:00 PM Bryant at Arizona (FSN AZ)
7:00 PM James Madison at George Washington
7:00 PM Delaware at Howard
7:00 PM Mercer at Georgia Tech
7:00 PM Bucknell at Boston University
7:00 PM San Francisco at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Davidson at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at East Carolina
7:00 PM Northeastern at NC State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Villanova
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM VMI at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Charleston at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Sam Houston State at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Campbell at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Drexel at Binghamton
7:00 PM La Salle at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Alabama State at Detroit
7:00 PM Texas State at Fordham
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Georgia State
7:00 PM Colgate at Hofstra
7:00 PM Rider at Monmouth
7:00 PM VCU at UNC Greensboro (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Navy at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Niagara at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Princeton at Siena (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Wright State
7:05 PM Toledo at Florida Gulf Coast
7:05 PM Robert Morris at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Elon at San Diego State
7:30 PM NJIT at Rutgers (RVision)
7:30 PM Loyola (IL) at Canisius (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Bowling Green at Florida International
7:30 PM Miami (FL) at Charlotte
7:30 PM North Carolina Central vs. Prairie View A&M*
7:30 PM Texas-Arlington vs. Saint Peter's*
8:00 PM Jacksonville at UAB
8:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Arkansas
8:00 PM North Dakota State at Minnesota
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Rice at Texas A&M
8:00 PM LSU at North Texas
8:00 PM Missouri State vs. West Virginia* (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Dallas Christian at SMU
8:00 PM USF at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Grambling State at TCU
8:00 PM UTSA at Troy
8:00 PM North Dakota at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Idaho at Green Bay
8:05 PM Texas Tech at Oral Roberts
8:30 PM Boise State at Iowa (BTN.com)
9:00 PM Butler at Stanford (FSN)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Colorado
9:00 PM Utah Valley at Montana
9:00 PM UMKC at New Mexico
9:00 PM UCSB at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM UC Davis at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Wyoming at Idaho State
9:00 PM Citadel at Denver
9:00 PM Air Force at Gonzaga (Root NW)
9:00 PM Colorado State at Northern Colorado
9:00 PM Utah at Weber State
10:00 PM San Jose State at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Washington
10:00 PM Hope International at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Portland at Nevada
10:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Oregon
10:00 PM Washington State at Pepperdine
10:00 PM Pacific at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Southeast Missouri State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Kent State at Utah State
10:05 PM Portland State at Cal State Fullerton
1:00 AM Auburn at Hawaii (ESPNU)

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:24:08 -0800

The Friday night schedule may be light in quantity but it certainly doesn't lack for quality, with a pair of Top 20 matchups in the HTC Big East/SEC Invitational. #9 Florida (5-1) visits #3 Syracuse (7-0) in a game that promises to be played at a fast tempo, and given the offensive weapons that will be on display it should be high-scoring as well. This is the Gators' second true road game against a Top 5 opponent this season, as they fell at Ohio State in mid-November, which should pay off for this group when the stakes get raised in SEC play. Florida will encounter one of the tougher defenses in the nation in Syracuse's 2-3 zone, an active defense that's bolstered by the length of the Syracuse defenders.

The good news for the Gators is that they've made at least ten three-pointers in every game they've played this season, and that should come as no surprise given the caliber of shooters at Billy Donovan's disposal. Freshman Bradley Beal (17.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Erving Walker (13.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.5 ppg, 3.3 apg) start while Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (12.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is one of the first subs off the bench, four key components for a team that shoots 42.9% from three on the season. The key for Florida in this regard will be to get the perimeter looks that they want instead of settling too often for the ones that Syracuse gives them.

With forward Erik Murphy injured Will Yeguete has started in his place, and despite the presence of Patric Young (10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg) the Orange likely have the advantage inside due to their depth. Kris Joseph (14.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) would count more as a wing in the Syracuse attack, and in addition to him Jim Boeheim can call upon sophomores Fab Melo (5.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg), James Southerland (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and C.J. Fair (8.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg) as well as freshman Rakeem Christmas (4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Fair, who was arguably Syracuse's best freshman last season, and the in-shape Melo have both made strides in their development from last season to this.

The same can be said for reserve guard Dion Waiters (11.9 ppg, 3.4), who has been outstanding after a frustrating 2010-11 campaign. The Philadelphia native offers up quite the contrast to fifth-year senior Scoop Jardine (7.0 ppg, 4.1 apg) due to his athleticism, which allows him to apply pressure to defenses in either the half or open court. The Florida guards, which will include capable defender Scottie Wilbekin, have to limit Waiters' opportunities in the open floor to make play. It will also help the Gators if they can limit Brandon Triche early, as he tends to be inconsistent depending on the result of his first few looks at the basket.

Offensively the Gators have been the better of the two teams when looking at the efficiency numbers, and while they do average four more possessions per game it isn't as if Syracuse can't play at a fast pace. Neither team has been that reliant on points from the foul line, and Florida scores 40% of their points from three-point range, a number they're likely to reach given the Syracuse zone (Syracuse's opponents have scored 38% of their points from deep thus far). It won't be how many points Florida scores from so much as how easily those points come about. It'll be tough to win at the Carrier Dome, but Florida has more than enough pieces to get the job done.

Also on tap is Vanderbilt's trip to Louisville, and the Cardinals have played good basketball for much of the season despite dealing with multiple injuries. The question is a simple one for Vanderbilt: can guards Brad Tinsley and John Jenkins get the job done on the defensive end of the floor? After dealing with Xavier guards Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, the Commodores face a deep stable led by Peyton Siva and Chris Smith. In the frontcourt freshman Chane Behanan has been outstanding for the Cardinals thus far, and while the game is likely to be played at a fast pace the question is whether or not Kevin Stallings' team can both withstand and throw a few body blows.

Preseason MAAC favorite Iona and defending regular season champion Fairfield both open their conference slates with games in western New York, with the Gaels taking on a Canisius team that will be without the injured Gaby Belardo and Fairfield playing at Niagara. Niagara is a very young team, and freshmen such as guard Juan'Ya Green will be tested by Rakim Sanders, Derek Needham and company. Cincinnati visits Georgia in a game the Bearcats may need for their resume given their home losses to Presbyterian and Marshall, and in another MAAC matchup slumping Rider needs to rebound with Manhattan visiting the Broncs Zoo. Lastly, Washington closes out the night with a game at Nevada, and the talented Wolf Pack will provide a stiff test for the Huskies.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (9) Florida at (3) Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM (19) Vanderbilt at (6) Louisville (ESPN)
8:00 PM Northwestern State at (13)Missouri (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM North Texas vs. La Sierra University*
7:00 PM Cincinnati at Georgia (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Fairfield at Niagara (MAAC TV)
7:00 PM Iona at Canisius (MAAC TV)
7:00 PM South Carolina State at Longwood
7:00 PM Manhattan at Rider (MAAC TV)
8:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Northwestern (BTN)
8:00 PM Sacramento State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Auburn at Seton Hall (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Haskell at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Columbia at Loyola Marymount
10:05 PM BYU Hawaii at Long Beach State
11:00 PM Washington at Nevada (ESPNU)

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:25:34 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving! And while football tends to take center stage on this day there are also four in-season tournaments playing games, with action spreading from the Bahamas to Alaska. There really isn't a marquee matchup so to speak but there are games that could become important once March arrives, with New Mexico's game against Santa Clara in the 76 Classic being one. The Lobos were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West, and with players such as Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams there's no doubt that they can win this event. But in the Broncos of Santa Clara they'll take on a team that was a trendy sleeper pick in the WCC, and even with Marc Trasolini lost for the year with a knee injury they can still be a factor in the race.

Guard Kevin Foster is one of the top perimeter scorers on the west coast, as he scored 20 points or more in 16 games (30+ in three games) last season. The junior's shooting percentages are down through three games, but there's no doubt that Foster can turn it on in a hurry for Kerry Keating. Foster leads four Broncos in double figures, but just as important as Foster are forwards Niyi Harrison and John McArthur. Those two have had to step up in the aftermath of Trasolini's injury and they've done a solid job to start the year. But a lot more will be learned about both as they take on Gordon, who's scoring a shade under ten points per game while grabbing ten rebounds per contest.

Gordon may be the Lobo most likely choice to win Mountain West Player of the Year, Steve Alford's got a number of perimeter options from which to choose. Kendall Williams, Tony Snell and Demetrius Walker are three of New Mexico's top four scorers and freshman Hugh Greenwood may be ready to take over the starting point guard job as the Lobos look to make up for the graduation of Dairese Gary. UNM shoots 38% from beyond the arc and their effective field goal percentage of 53.2% is better than Santa Clara's by nearly five percentage points. The outcome will boil down to which team does a better job of generating quality looks, and that was a serious problem for Santa Clara in their blowout loss at UCSB.

Which game should you keep an eye on in the Battle of Atlantis in the Bahamas? Likely the first game of the day as College of Charleston takes on UCF, with the Knights needing to pick up a quality win in light of their 23-point loss to Florida State in their second game of the season. But that's easier said than done against Bobby Cremins' team, which is coming off of a good win at Clemson. Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence have led the way for the Cougars, and their offensive execution looks to be the difference on paper (efficiency of 110.4 while UCF is down at 98.1).

In Orlando the Fairfield Stags have a game that, thanks to the current NCAA Clearinghouse issues for freshman guard Jahii Carson, has gone from "opportunity to pick up a decent win against a BCS AQ opponent" to "lose and essentially flush any at-large hopes down the drain". Sydney Johnson's team has already dropped games to Providence (home) and at Minnesota, and an early trip to the consolation bracket would be the worst possible outcome for the defending MAAC regular season champions.

And at the Great Alaska Shootout there's the chance to check out New Mexico State as either the food-induced coma wears off or die-hard shoppers fight off sleep in the quest to show up early for the "Black Friday" specials. The Aggies, who already have a win at New Mexico to their credit, are led by guards Christian Kabongo and Hernst LaRoche and forward Wendall McKines, with McKines averaging 18.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Central Michigan has sophomore guards Trey Zeigler and Derek Jackson, but for the Chippewas to have a shot at the upset they'll need to exercise good shot selection.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM UNC Asheville vs. (4) Connecticut* (HDNet)
4:30 PM Massachusetts vs. (20) Florida State* (Versus)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Texas Tech vs. Indiana State* (ESPN2)
2:00 PM Boston College vs. Saint Louis* (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Charleston vs. UCF* (Versus)
2:30 PM Minnesota vs. DePaul* (ESPN2)
4:30 PM Villanova vs. UC Riverside* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton vs. Wake Forest* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. Santa Clara* (ESPNU)
9:30 PM Harvard vs. Utah* (HDNet)
9:30 PM Arizona State vs. Fairfield* (ESPN2)
10:30 PM Central Michigan vs. New Mexico State* (FCS)
11:30 PM Oklahoma vs. Washington State* (ESPN2)
12:30 AM UC Irvine vs. Southern Miss* (FCS)