Georgetown

Bracketology: Saturday Night NCAA Tournament Projection

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:08:23 -0700

The latest Bracketology projection as of 11:00 PM, March 16th. One more day until Selection Sunday.

Why Pay Attention to What I Have to Say: Collegehoops.net's projections have consistently proven to be the best in the business. Over the last 5 years, Shawn Siegel is one of the Top 5 Bracketologists according to the Bracket Project. This ranking includes the likes of Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish, Jerry Palm, and Andy Glockner.. none of whom come close.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. This is done by taking into account standings, polls, computer rankings, and the committee's historical biases. Check out the follow up Bubble Watch for updates about teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble, and NITology for a ranking of the best of the rest.

Notes:

Arrows indicate how many seeds a team has moved up or down since the previous update. Conference Champ.

ONE

Gonzaga 7

Louisville 3

Duke 1

Kansas 5

TWO

Indiana 10

New Mexico 2

Georgetown 9

Miami 4

THREE

Ohio St 11

Michigan St 8

Florida 6

Marquette 13

FOUR

Michigan 18

Syracuse 12

Kansas St 16

Oklahoma St 27

FIVE

UCLA 23

Saint Louis 22

Arizona 15

Wisconsin 28

SIX

Memphis 14

Pittsburgh 42

Creighton 26

North Carolina 17

SEVEN

Butler 21

VCU 25

Notre Dame 36

Colorado St 19

EIGHT

UNLV 24

Missouri 35

North Carolina St 30

Illinois 40

NINE

Oregon 49

San Diego St 32

Saint Mary's 33

Iowa St 44

TEN

Temple 41

Oklahoma 40

Villanova 52

Cincinnati 48

ELEVEN

Wichita St 37

Minnesota 34

Belmont 20

Ole Miss 50

TWELVE

Boise St 43

Akron 46

Colorado 38 / Tennessee 59

La Salle 45 / UCONN 47 California 53

THIRTEEN + 2

Bucknell 51

South Dakota St 63

New Mexico St 57

Valparaiso 58

FOURTEEN

Davidson 61

Montana 83

Florida Gulf Coast 93

Harvard 94

FIFTEEN

Northwestern St 96

Iona 97

Pacific 105

Western Kentucky 150

SIXTEEN + 2

Albany 128

Long Island 175

James Madison 182 / Liberty 288

Southern 181 / North Carolina A&T 211

Last In: California, Tennessee, La Salle, Colorado

First Out: Maryland 66, Middle Tennessee 31, Kentucky 56, Southern Miss 29

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 31 to 45

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:30:12 -0700

Continuing with the Early 2012-13 Ranking, here are teams 31 to 45.

Its worth repeating that I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. This ranking will be updated later in the summer once players have made their official draft decisions. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up, and how the coaching carousel will take form. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 31-45

31 UNLV UNLV loses two starters, though returnees Mike Moser and Anthony Marshall are two of the MWC's top talents. The hope is that incoming freshman Katin Reinhardt (7th best shooting guard by Rivals) helps offset the loss of sharp-shooter Chace Stanback.

32 Arizona While Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson are solid returning players, its really all about the newcomers. In Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski, Gabe York, and Grant Jerrett, Arizona welcomes 4 Top 50 recruits with pro potential. The team's lack of star point guard could hold them back however.

33 Davidson Already the Southern Conference's elite team, Davidson should be even better next year with everyone of note returning. De'Mon Brooks and Jake Cohen form a solid inside-outside tandem, and with a little bit of luck in non-conference play, Davidson could be a Top 25 team. This is the year Davidson reaps the rewards of the Steph Curry recruiting bounce.

34 Tennessee Once Jarnell Stokes joined the team, Tennessee played like an NCAA Tournament team down the stretch. With the likes of Golden and Maymom returning, the Vols could even surpass this projection.

35 Ohio Everyone returns from a team that was just a few possessions away from the Elite Eight. Despite that, Ohio will not be a lock for the MAC title with solid squads returning across the league. Perhaps the league can potentially return to multiple-bid territory?

36 Washington It all comes down to the Draft for Washington. Freshman Tony Wroten and sophomore Terrence Ross are potential 1st Round Draft picks. I'm assuming for this prediction, that one of the two returns. If both return, UW could certainly make a push for the Pac-12 title.

37 Georgetown While Georgetown had a Top 15 season, they lose their best guard in Jason Clark and best big in Henry Sims. Hollis Thompson should return along with emerging talent Otto Porter to form a solid frontcourt. 5-star recruit D'Vauntes Smith Rivera (ranked 22nd by Rivals) is the key however. He replaces Clark as the team's main cog in the backcourt.

38 Cincinnati Cincinnati heads into next season without seniors Yancy Gates and Dion Dixon. Besides losing their 2nd and 3rd leading scorers, Gates was also their leading rebounder and main interior presence. With little recruiting help on the way, it will be key that Sean Kilpatrick continues to emerge as a bona fine star.

39 Colorado St The Rams were probably never as good as their RPI suggested, but they still had a damn good season. Will Bell is a minor loss, but the key cogs return for another shot at an MWC title. A pair of 3-star recruits join the fray as well, a better recruiting haul than usual.

40 St. Joseph's With the entire roster returning, St. Joseph's should be a contender for the Atlantic 10 crown. Anything less than a tourney bid would be extremely disappointing.

41 Murray St Although Isaiah Canaan is a star, others will need to step up now that Donte Poole, Ivan Aska, and Jewaun Long depart. In those three seniors, Murray loses almost 45% of its scoring. The program does potentially welcome the OVC's best recruiting class however.

42 UMASS Although leading rebounder Sean Carter graduates, UMASS should be in the A10's upper echelon. Do-everything sophomore guard Chaz Williams has been lighting up the NIT, and will be a contender for next season's A10 Player of the Year.

43 South Dakota St With no seniors on the roster, South Dakota St will be hoping to improve on their 1st round NCAA Tournament loss. Although Nate Wolters improved his all-around game this year, he needs to recapture the long-range shot that propelled him to 40% from three his sophomore year.

44 Purdue In Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson, and Ryne Smith, Purdue loses almost 50% of its scoring production, as well as their leaders in rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Although there is young talent waiting to breakout and a top-25 recruiting class on the way, Purdue will need another year before they're a major contender.

45 Missouri Frank Haith will somehow try and rebound from this year's shock 1st round exit without Denmon, English, Ratliffe, or Pressey. Although Missouri is loading up on solid (though not amazing) freshmen, it will take another year or two before the new squad finds its identity.

>> Continue to Teams 46 to 60.

Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 30

Georgetown vs NC State: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:25:23 -0700

(3) Georgetown vs. (11) North Carolina State: Midwest Region

Records

Georgetown 24-8, 12-6 Big East (At large)

N.C. State 23-12, 9-7 ACC (At large)

Time: 12:15 p.m. Sunday

TV: CBS

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio

First round results

Georgetown def. Belmont, 74-59

N.C. State def. San Diego State, 79-65

Winner will face: (2) Kansas or (10) Purdue, Friday in St. Louis

Rankings

Georgetown No. 15 AP; No. 15 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

N.C. State No. 36 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Georgetown 11

N.C. State 40

Line: Georgetown -3½ (O/U 132)

Players to Watch

Georgetown: C Henry Sims, 6-10 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg); G Jason Clark, 6-2 Sr. (13.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 spg); F Otto Porter, 6-8 Fr. (9.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 51.8% FG). Porter continued one of the most impressive freshman seasons in the country with a 16-point outing in Friday’s win. The Missouri native went 6-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the foul line for 16 points, eight rebounds and a block in the triumph.

N.C. State: G Lorenzo Brown, 6-5 So. (12.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 4.3 rpg); F C.J. Leslie, 6-8 So. (14.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 53.2% FG); F Richard Howell, 6-8 Jr. (10.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 49.7% FG). Lorenzo Brown is no longer a national secret. The sophomore went for 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and controlled the pace as the Wolfpack advanced past Texas.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Georgetown: There may not have been a more impressive first-round performance than the Hoyas’ over Belmont, especially considering how thoroughly drubbed more talented Georgetown teams took in their past two years’ NCAA opening games. Georgetown shot 61.2 percent from the field and made five of its 12 3s. The Hoyas out-rebounded Belmont 30-22 in the victory. With Sims and Porter improving throughout the season, Georgetown has become a great rebounding and passing team. For the season, Georgetown has a plus-5.8 rebound margin and a 1.08-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Defensively, the Hoyas slowed a great 3-point team by limiting the Bruins to 10-of-27 from deep. Opponents this year are connecting on just 27.4 percent of their 3-point attempts.

N.C. State: Behind Georgetown’s win over Belmont on Friday, the Wolfpack’s blowout of San Diego State may have been the second-most impressive performance of the opening round. The Pack shot 58.5 percent from the field, held the SDSU to 23-for-61 shooting and 8-of-23 from 3 and out-rebounded the Aztecs 31-25. For the season, N.C. State assists on 59.3 percent of its baskets. Its 1.25-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is in the top-25 in the country. The Wolfpack score 73.5 points per game and out-rebound opponents by 4.4 boards per game.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Georgetown: About the only negative from Friday was that Belmont had 16 assists and the Hoyas forced just nine turnovers. That could be a bad sign against Brown and the Wolfpack, one of the best passing teams in the country. The Hoyas make just 69.7 from the foul line and were just 9-for-13 on Friday. That could be a bad sign if this is a close game.

N.C. State: Although DeShawn Painter was outstanding off of the Wolfpack bench on Friday, only two N.C. State players came off of the bench for a total of 34 minutes. That’s going to make for some tired Wolfpack players on Sunday and if there’s foul trouble, it could cost them. The Wolfpack turn the ball over 12.7 times per game and only force 12.4 and San Diego State coughed it up just eight times Friday. But the biggest problem for N.C. State has been inconsistency. They’ll have to continue playing like it did Friday to continue to advance.

The Bottom Line: Now that the Hoyas have gotten past their first-round bugaboo, I can envision them in New Orleans in a couple of weeks.

The Pick: Georgetown 64, North Carolina State 55

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 216-165-6 (Through Friday, March 17)

Round of 32 Against the Spread: 19-12-1

Georgetown vs Belmont: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:10:37 -0700

(3) Georgetown vs. (14) Belmont: Midwest Region

Records

Georgetown 23-8, 12-6 Big East (At large)

Belmont 27-7, 16-2 A-Sun (Regular-season and Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 3:10 p.m. Friday

TV: TruTV

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio

Winner will face: (6) San Diego State or (11) N.C. State, Sunday

Rankings

Georgetown No. 15 AP; No. 15 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Georgetown 12

Belmont 61

Line: Georgetown -4 (O/U 133)

Players to Watch

Georgetown: G Jason Clark, 6-2 Sr. (13.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 47.3% FG); C Henry Sims, 6-10 Sr. (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg); F Otto Porter, 6-8 Fr. (9.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 51.8% FG). After a disappointing first three seasons, Sims has been great during his senior year – and he saved his best for last. In a 72-70 double-overtime loss to Cincinnati in the Big East Tournament, Sims had 22 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks and made layup at the buzzer to send the game into the second overtime.

Belmont: G Kerron Johnson, 6-1 Jr. (14.1 ppg, 5.2 apg, 52.6% FG); G Drew Hanlen, 5-11 Sr. (10.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 48.1% 3s); C Scott Saunders, 6-10 Sr. (10.2 ppg, 5 rpg, 54.8% FG). Hanlen, who is second in the nation in 3-point percentage, was named first-team All-Atlantic Sun and is a 3-time Academic All-American.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Georgetown: With the improvement of Sims and the emergence of Porter, Georgetown has a lot of offensive options. Four different Hoyas average between 9.5 and 13.9 points per game. The Hoyas are shooting 46.3 percent from the floor while scoring 69 points per game. And Georgetown is even better on defense. It has held opponents to 38.7 percent from the floor and 27 percent from deep. The Hoyas have a plus-4.7 rebounding margin.

Belmont: The Bruins dominated the Atlantic Sun and they roll into the tournament having won 14 straight. They also have a 1-point loss at Duke that should give them confidence when they go up against teams from Power 6 conferences. Belmont is fourth in the nation at 81.5 points per game. It shoots 48.4 percent from the field (13^th nationally), 37.8 percent from 3 (36^th in the country) and 73.6 percent from the foul line (41^st in the nation). The Bruins’ 299 3-pointers made is second in the country. Six Bruins average 8.5 points or more.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Georgetown: Georgetown has been blown out in the first round of the last two NCAA Tournaments by lower seeds. That will have to be on their minds on Friday afternoon. While a lot of different Hoyas can score, they are far from explosive. They shoot just 34.7 percent from the 3-point and they have made just 173 3-pointers. The Hoyas have a negative turnover margin and just a 13.7-to-12.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. If the game is on the line, the Hoyas struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 69.7 percent. Only two Georgetown regulars shoot over 71 percent from the charity stripe.

Belmont: Belmont struggles on defense at times. It gives up 67.3 points per game, 42.4 percent from the field and 33.8 from the 3-point line. In a 97-81 loss to Memphis on Nov. 15, the Tigers scored 51 second-half points and shot 58.6 percent from the field. That’s a Memphis team that was beaten soundly by the Hoyas. Belmont is a decent rebounding team, but gets just 11.4 offensive boards per contest.

The Bottom Line: Could go either way. It makes me hesitate because all of the money is coming in on the Bruins, but Georgetown’s history could catch up with it.

The Pick: Belmont 69, Georgetown 67

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-150-6 (Through Tuesday, March 14)

Henson's Wrist Will Shape Carolina's Journey: Midwest Region Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:58:58 -0700

.pdf bracket

How the Midwest Region shakes out will ultimately be determined by the John Henson's left wrist, which he injured on a hard fall in their quarterfinal win over Maryland on Friday. North Carolina has said that the junior big man is ready to go this week, and to be fair it was better to give Henson the two days to heal as opposed to put him at risk to reinjury.

The Tar Heels are the top seed in the region and will begin in Greensboro with two wins meaning a trip to St. Louis. Kendall Marshall is one of the best point guards in the country and Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller two of the best players. Henson will improve them defensively, and if they can work as well on that end as they do offensively Roy Williams' charges can win a national title.

They'll get the winner of Lamar/Vermont, with the Cardinals on a roll since head coach Pat Knight called them out and the Catamounts winning the America East tournament final on the road. No 16 has ever beaten a one, so it's better to focus on the 8/9 matchup that offers a contrast in styles.

Creighton, led by Doug McDermott, is one of the best offensive teams in the country while Alabama is one of the better defensive teams around. If Creighton can get stops, which has been a problem at times, they can win and maybe even scare UNC. But this will be an interesting chess match to watch as Greg McDermott and Anthony Grant match wits.

Kansas gets the two-seed with the route (possibly) through St. Louis instead of rival Missouri, likely because of their superior strength of schedule and winning the Big 12 regular season title. Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor are both known commodities, but what will Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey bring to the table?

That's the big question for the Jayhawks, who have been a trendy upset pick in some circles due to their matchup with 15-seed Detroit. Ray McCallum Jr. leads the way for a team that isn't your "standard" 15-seed, and with their interior tandem of Eli Holman and LaMarcus Lowe the can compete. But keep in mind that just four 15's have won a game in the 64/65/68 team era of the event.

The 7/10 game matches WCC regular season and tournament champ Saint Mary's with Purdue, who did enough down the stretch to ensure themselves of a bid. Robbie Hummel is the Boilermakers' best player but Lewis Jackson may be their most important when it comes to winning this week. The senior point guard is tough as nails, playing through a troublesome back injury all season long, and if he's playing well Purdue will play well.

SMC counters with Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones, and redshirt freshman forward Brad Waldow has played well in his first season. Which team can give Kansas more trouble in a possible third round matchup is debatable, but the Gaels may have the edge in terms of depth.

Three-seed Georgetown has, like Kansas, exceeded preseason expectations as many pegged the Hoyas to finish 10th in the Big East back in October. John Thompson III's team is led by three upperclassmen (Jason Clark, Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson) but a key cog for them this month will be freshman Otto Porter. His versatility, which has led to multiple double-doubles this season, can make for a tough matchup at the four.

And the Hoyas will need that as the face Belmont, who once again won the Atlantic Sun. Kerron Johnson leads the way for the Bruins, who go eight deep and are in constant motion offensively. Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth inside will be key for Belmont if they're to beat Georgetown. The 6/11 matchup between San Diego State and NC State will be tough to pick as the Aztecs are very good on the perimeter, but the Wolfpack can counter that with superior inside depth.

The four-seed in the region is Michigan, who finished in a three-way tie atop the Big Ten. Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the most recognizable names but seniors Stu Douglass and Zack Novak shouldn't be ignored either. The Wolverines will have their hands full with a talented Ohio squad however, led by point guard D.J. Cooper. John Groce has done a very good job with the program, which whipped Georgetown in their last NCAA appearance back in 2010.

This particular pod will feature some very good guards, especially with the three that five-seed Temple bring to the table. Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt are an absolute handful for opponents, and that will be the case for either California or USF as they play in Dayton for the right to face the Owls.

Cal has Justin Cobbs, Allen Crabbe and Pac-12 POY Jorge Gutierrez while USF has a rising star in freshman point guard Anthony Collins. For the Bulls to win however they need a big night from Augustus Gilchrist, who leads the team with an average of 9.9 points per game.

While there are a number of potential road blocks in front of North Carolina, who has won two national titles in the Crescent City (1982, 1993), the biggest question mark is the health of John Henson.

Winner: North Carolina

Best second round game: Saint Mary's vs. Purdue

All-Region Team
G Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
G Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's)
F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
C Henry Sims (Georgetown)

Wednesday Predictions: Big Sky, NEC, Patriot Finals & More

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:16:51 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking (just about) every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's three key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT MONTANA

(2) Weber State (24-5, 14-2) at (1) Montana (24-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Weber State 80-64; Feb. 28 – Montana 66-51. RPI: Montana 82, Weber State 69. Analysis: The Grizzlies are simply the better team. With the homecourt advantage, it should be a comfortable win for Montana. Pick: Montana 71, Weber State 61.

NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LIU

(3) Robert Morris (24-9, 13-5) at (1) Long Island (24-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – Robert Morris 75-66. RPI: Long Island 91, Robert Morris 109. Analysis: Velton Jones is one of the hottest players in the country and should help the Colonials punch their ticket. Line: Long Island -1. Pick: Robert Morris 69, Long Island 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: AT BUCKNELL

(2) Lehigh (25-7) at (1) Bucknell (11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Bucknell 68-61*; Feb. 16 – Lehigh 56-53*. RPI: Bucknell 89, Lehigh 113. Analysis: Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum is a superstar, but beating the Bison on the road twice may be too much to ask. Line: Bucknell -5. Pick: Bucknell 66, Lehigh 59.

BIG EAST SECOND ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(8) West Virginia (19-12, 9-9) vs. (9) Connecticut (19-12, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Connecticut 64-57. RPI: Connecticut 33, West Virginia 42. Analysis: Two good performances in a row may be too much to ask of this UConn team. Line: UConn -2. Pick: West Virginia 68, Connecticut 62.

(5) Georgetown (22-7, 12-6) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Pitt 72-60. RPI: Georgetown 9, Pittsburgh 90. Analysis: Pitt may not win the game, but the Panthers should cover in a low-scoring game. Line: Georgetown -6. Pick: Georgetown 57, Pittsburgh 53.

(7) Louisville (22-9, 10-8) vs. (10) Seton Hall (20-11, 8-10)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Louisville 60-51*. RPI: Louisville 28, Seton Hall 60. Analysis: Great matchup for Louisville. The Cardinals defense will lead them to a big win. Pick: Louisville 59, Seton Hall 47.

(6) South Florida (19-12, 12-6) vs. (14) Villanova (13-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – South Florida 74-57*; Feb. 15 – South Florida 65-51. RPI: South Florida 43, Villanova 105. Analysis: Love the Wildcats for the upset. Pick: Villanova 55, South Florida 52.

PAC-12 FIRST ROUND: AT LOS ANGELES

(8) Washington State (15-15, 7-11) vs. (9) Oregon State (17-13, 7-11)

Tipoff: 3:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Washington State 81-76; Feb. 9 – Washington State 83-73. RPI: Washington State 170, Oregon State 151. Analysis: Close game. The Beavers will at least cover. Line: Oregon State -3½. Pick: Oregon State 78, Washington State 76.

(5) UCLA (18-13, 11-7) vs. (12) USC (6-25, 1-17)

Tipoff: 5:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – UCLA 66-47*; Feb. 15 – UCLA 64-54. RPI: UCLA 103, USC 259. Analysis: UCLA is playing its best basketball, rallying around Coach Ben Howland. The Bruins may make a run in this tourney. Line: UCLA -12½. Pick: UCLA 73, USC 51.

(7) Stanford (20-10, 10-8) vs. (10) Arizona State (10-20, 6-12)

Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – Stanford 68-44. RPI: Stanford 96, Arizona State 248. Analysis: The Cardinal will blow out Arizona State for the second time this season. Line: Stanford -10. Pick: Stanford 71, Arizona State 54.

(6) Colorado (19-11, 11-7) vs. (11) Utah (6-24, 3-15)

Tipoff: 11:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Colorado 73-33; Feb. 18 – Colorado 55-48. RPI: Colorado 81, Utah 265. Analysis: The Buffaloes are really pretty good, and Utah … isn’t. Line: Colorado -11½. Pick: Colorado 66, Utah 51.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 137-103-3

Marquette vs Georgetown: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:36:14 -0800

NO. 12 GEORGETOWN (22-6, 12-5 Big East) AT NO. 7 MARQUETTE (24-6, 13-4 Big East)

Time: 2 p.m.

TV: Big East Network/MASN/ESPN Full Court/ESPN3 (Mike Gleason play-by-play, Mike Kelley color)

Location: Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisc.

RPI Ratings

Georgetown 9 (No. 3 Big East)

Marquette 7 (No. 2 Big East)

Line: Marquette -4½ (O/U 129)

Georgetown Players to Watch: G Jason Clark, 6-2 Sr. (14.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 spg); C Henry Sims, 6-10 Sr. (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg); F Otto Porter, 6-8 Fr. (8.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 49.2% FG). On Senior Night, Clark and Sims combined for 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a 59-41 win over No. 20 Notre Dame. Clark had 13 points and six rebounds, while Sims finished with 12 points, six boards and five assists.

Marquette Players to Watch: G Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 Sr. (18.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg); F Jae Crowder, 6-6 Sr. (17.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 51.6% FG); G Junior Cadougan, 6-1 Jr. (6.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 spg). Johnson-Odom and Crowder – the 2-time reigning Big East Player of the Week and current collegehoops.net national Player of Week – will play their final game at the Bradley Center Saturday. The two have combined for 2,514 points, 784 rebounds, 369 assists and 310 3-pointers as Golden Eagles.

Storylines: The Hoyas, who have won four of their last five, can secure a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament. Marquette, which saw its 5-game winning streak end on Wednesday at the hands of Cincinnati, 72-61, can secure the No. 2 seed – and avoid No. 2 Syracuse until the championship game – with a victory.

Keys: Clark scored 26 points and Hollis Thompson hit a 3 with 24 seconds left as Georgetown beat the Eagles 73-70 on Jan. 4. The Hoyas, who shot 62.8 percent from the field and held Marquette to 44.2 percent, trailed 43-29 at the break. Marquette ranks second in the Big East (to Syracuse) in scoring at 75.9 per game, while the Hoyas are second (to South Florida) in scoring defense at 58.1. Georgetown has held two straight opponents under 40 percent from the field, including Notre Dame, which only managed to shoot 33.3. The Hoyas shot 52.3 percent in the victory. The Hoyas are second in the Big East in field goal percentage (46.4) and field goal defense (38.5). Marquette is third in field goal percentage at 45.9. The Eagles are second in the Big East in turnover margin at plus-3.77, having turned it over 386 times and forced 499 errors. Marquette is 14-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming on Dec. 29 to Vanderbilt, 74-57. The Eagles are 8-0 at the Bradley Center in Big East play. The Hoyas are 6-4 in true road games and 7-4 away from home.

The Bottom Line: Georgetown may win this one straight up, but expect the Hoyas to at least cover.

The Pick: Marquette 68, Georgetown 66

Hoyas Send Seniors Out With a Win

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:40:31 -0800

One of the first things a team has to do when taking on Notre Dame is defend the three-point line, because even though the Irish shoot just 32.8% from beyond the arc they rely on the shot a great deal. According to statsheet.com Notre Dame scores 29.4% of its points on three-point shots, a number that ranks third in the Big East behind Cincinnati and Seton Hall. Georgetown knew what they had to limit on Monday night and they did so, getting out to the Notre Dame shooters and limiting them to 3-for-17 in the 59-41 win.

The game played out even slower than either team would have preferred as there were just 53 possessions, and with that being combined with what the Hoyas were able to do defensively within those possessions it's no mystery as to why Mike Brey's team struggled. Seniors Jason Clark (13 points, six rebounds) and Henry Sims (ten points, six rebounds and five assists) both played well but it would be a freshman reserve who would lead the way in regards to scoring.

Greg Whittington scored 15 points in 24 minutes of action off the bench, making five of his six shots from the field. Whittington knocked down all three of his shots from beyond the arc while also taking advantage of open cutting lanes when available, one of which came courtesy of a Sims assist to make the score 24-16 with 3:38 remaining in the first half. Another Sims to Whittington connection with 6:03 remaining essentially put the game away, as the freshman's layup made the score 52-31 Georgetown.

"He's kind of getting his feet wet, getting adjusted and hasn't scored yet the way he can," said head coach John Thompson III. "That today, in spite of what the year has shown is what we see everyday. I don't think his performance today was a surprise to anyone in our locker room."

Georgetown had three players in double figures while the Irish failed to have one, which is a credit to the Hoyas' defensive effort both on the perimeter and inside. Jack Cooley scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting (also finished without a rebound) in 25 foul-plagued minutes, and guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant combined to score 17 points on 6-for-22 shooting. The win pulls Georgetown into a tie with the Irish for third in the Big East with one league game remaining, and if the Hoyas can defend at this level in March they're more than capable of being successful.

"I'm very impressed with them defensively," said Brey. "Their length and their size and their quickness bothered us...I give a lot of credit to Georgetown and their defense. That may be the best defensive team we've played against this season."

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Burwell (Mississippi Valley State)
30 points (11-16 FG), five rebounds and four assists in the Delta Devils' 78-69 win at Jackson State.

2. G Keiton Page (Oklahoma State) and G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
In Kansas' 70-58 win at Oklahoma State, Taylor scored 27 points (10-15 FG) to lead the Jayhawks while Page led the Cowboys with 29 in his final regular season game at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

3. F Corey Law (High Point)
Nick Barbour scored 22 points in the Panthers' 68-58 win over Gardner-Webb in the first round of the Big South tournament but Law was also a factor, as he accounted for 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes off the bench.

Gardner-Webb and Radford the First Casualties and other quick hitters

#8 Georgetown vs. #18 Notre Dame: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:01:03 -0800

The current era of college sports means that fans have become used to conference foes meeting for the first time in a season in late February, as is the case with #18 Notre Dame (20-9, 12-4) visiting #8 Georgetown (21-6, 11-5) on Monday night. Both teams lost games in the tri-state area over the last five days with the Hoyas getting blown out at Seton Hall and Notre Dame losing at St. John's on Saturday, but these are still teams that can make noise in New York next week. On the line at the Verizon Center is (at the very least) the inside track for one of the two remaining double-byes in the Big East Championship, a perk Mike Brey's team would clinch with a win.

Neither team was expected to be in this position early in the season, with the prognosticators selecting the Hoyas to finish tenth in the Big East and Notre Dame expected by many to be an NIT team (or worse) when Tim Abromaitis went down with a torn ACL. That's why both head coaches, Brey and John Thompson III, have to be considered Big East Coach of the Year candidates and while the teams have different styles the tempo's about the same. Georgetown will use their big man, senior center Henry Sims, as a distributor within their system and he's done well in the role.

Sims leads the team with an average of 3.4 assists per game while also scoring 11.3 points and grabbing 5.5 rebounds, a far cry from the numbers he put up in his first three seasons as a Hoya. Sims' emergence has relieved some of the pressure on Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson offensively while also giving Georgetown an added dimension at the five that was missing with Julian Vaughn there last season. Both Clark and Thompson, who lead the team in scoring, shoot better than 48% from the field and no Hoya who averages 19 minutes or more per game shoots worse than 45.5%.

Notre Dame has become well-known for their "burn" offense, a system first instituted when Luke Harangody went down with a knee injury two seasons ago. The move got the Irish to the NCAA tournament that season, but at this point it's difficult to figure out if Notre Dame is running the special offense of if this is just how they play at this stage. Young guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant have been major factors for the Irish, and their maturation has resulted in Notre Dame being a better team than many anticipated. The primary frontcourt scorer is Jack Cooley, a 6'9" forward who has no problem with physical play and shoots 62.8% from the field.

One area the Hoyas have to keep an eye on defensively is the three-point line, as Notre Dame has some players who can get hot from deep. Their percentage of 33.2% may not be the best (Georgetown shoots 35.1%) but Notre Dame isn't shy about putting shots up, with Atkins, Pat Connaughton and Alex Dragicevich being three of the most likely options. The Irish have done a good job of taking care of the basketball (10.0 turnovers per game) and they'll need to continue that against a Georgetown team that forces turnovers on 20.8% of their opponents' possessions as well as keep the Hoyas off the offensive glass (Hoyas have an OR% of 36.4%) in order to win.

#5 Kansas will look to keep on the right track towards a one-seed in the NCAA tournament with a win at Oklahoma State, and #14 Baylor shouldn't have a problem with Texas Tech in Waco. Mississippi Valley State looks to move to 17-0 in SWAC play as they visit Jackson State, with last week's hero (Paul Crosby) having the versatility to have an impact in multiple facets of the area.

In the MEAC there are two games remaining in the regular season with three teams separated by a game atop the standings. Savannah State (12-2) hosts North Carolina A&T while Delaware State (11-3) hosts Morgan State and Norfolk State (11-3) visits Florida A&M. NSU's Kyle O'Quinn is the likely Player of the Year but he and his teammates have a little work to do if they're to win the regular season crown.

The most important games on Monday take place in the Big South as seeds seven through ten meet in the first round of the Big South tournament. Radford, who has had a tough season due to the lack of success on the court along with NCAA sanctions being handed down, visits a VMI team that swept the regular season series but by a total of just nine points. The second meeting, a 65-60 VMI win at Radford, featured 42 combined turnovers with the Highlanders squandering a 52.6% first half with 16 turnovers. If Radford can slow down Stan Okoye they'll have a shot, and RU's Javonte Green put up 23 and 11 in that meeting.

The other first round game matches Gardner-Webb and High Point, who split their season series with the home team winning each meeting by four points. Scott Cherry's Panthers won 81-77 in overtime on February 4th, shooting an impressive 15-for-28 from beyond the arc to make up from their 32% shooting from inside of it. Nick Barbour was on fire in that contest as he scored 34 points, making seven of ten shots from three-point range. It's pretty clear who the Bulldogs are going to focus on slowing down Monday night. Tashan Newsome is the lone Bulldog averaging double figures (12.0 ppg) but four Gardner-Webb players finished in double figures in the February meeting.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (5) Kansas at Oklahoma State (ESPN)
7:00 PM (18) Notre Dame at (8) Georgetown (ESPN)
9:00 PM Texas Tech at (14) Baylor (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Radford at VMI
7:30 PM Norfolk State at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Hampton at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM Morgan State at Delaware State
7:30 PM Gardner-Webb at High Point
7:30 PM Coppin State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:30 PM North Carolina Central at South Carolina State
8:00 PM Texas-Pan American at North Dakota (FCS)
8:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alabama State at Prairie View A&M
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Montana State
9:00 PM Longwood at Gonzaga (ROOT)
9:00 PM Alabama A&M at Texas Southern
9:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State

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).