Indiana State

Non-BCS Top 25: Indiana St Rises

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:43:33 -0800

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: February 10th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

*Back after the Super Bowl Sunday break. Loss totals and movement are from past 2 weeks combined.

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	23-2	1
2	New Mexico	20-4*	3
3	Butler	20-4*	2
4	San Diego St	18-5*	5
5	VCU	19-5	8
6	Creighton	20-5**	6
7	Colorado St	19-4	11
8	Wichita St	20-5***	4
9	Memphis	20-3	9
10	UNLV	18-6**	7
11	MTSU	22-4	14
12	Belmont	20-5*	10
13	St. Mary's	21-4	12
14	Bucknell	20-4	13
15	Temple	16-7*	16
16	Saint Louis	18-5	20
17	Boise St	16-7**	18

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
18	Indiana St	16-8*	NA
19	La Salle	16-6*	21
20	Stephen F Austin	20-2	NA
21	Akron	19-4	22
22	Louisiana Tech	21-3	23
23	BYU	18-8**	17
24	Wyoming	16-7***	15
25	Southern Miss	18-6**	19

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Charlotte (17-6**), Ohio (17-6*), Lehigh (17-5), Stony Brook (17-6*), Xavier (13-9*)

Further 5: Murray St (18-5), Valparaiso (19-6*), Montana (18-4), North Dakota St (19-6*), UMASS (16-6)

Out of Top 25: Charlotte, North Dakota St

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

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

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

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

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

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

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

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

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

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

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

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

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

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

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

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

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

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

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

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

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

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

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

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

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

*Road win

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

Ducks Get Hot in the Second Half: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:32:39 -0800

Florida State's Ian Miller knocked down a three-pointer with eight tenths of a second remaining to give the Seminoles a 63-60 win at Virginia, who will finish the regular season without a win over any of the top three teams in the ACC.

1. Oregon scored 54 second-half points to erase a five-point halftime deficit and beat Colorado.
The battle in Eugene between the Ducks and Buffaloes was likely more of a "bubble eliminator" contest, with the loser most likely needing to win the Pac-12 tournament in order to go dancing. Unfortunately for Colorado, who has struggled on the road all season, their play on the defensive end let them down in the second half. Oregon shot 61.5% in the second half of their 90-81 win, which also moved the Ducks closer to a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. Devoe Joseph scored 24 points and Garrett Sim added 19 for Oregon, who shot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc as well. Carlon Brown snapped out of his funk to lead four Colorado players in double figures with 20 points, and despite the loss that's an important development for the Buffs. If he's playing efficiently they can win the Pac-12 tournament, which they will likely have to do in order to reach the Field of 68.

2. Nevada clinches the WAC regular season title, and there won't be many highly ranked teams who will line up to face them in the Big Dance.
Regardless of what seed line David Carter's Wolf Pack end up on, they're not going to be a fun matchup for the team that draws them should they win the WAC's automatic bid. Olek Czyz led three Nevada players in double figures with 15 points and their defending of a ball screen in the final seconds eventually forced a New Mexico State turnover to seal the 65-61 win. NMSU's final sequence looked to be doomed from the start but head coach Marvin Menzies chose to play it out despite having a timeout remaining, ultimately leading to Hernst LaRoche throwing the ball away. Wendell McKines led the Aggies with 19 points and LaRoche added 12 in what could have been a preview of next weekend's title game. With the likes of Czyz, Deonte Burton, Dario Hunt and Malik Story the Wolf Pack have talented weapons that can give teams fits, and there won't be any highly-seeded teams lining up for their shot at Nevada.

3. Quinnipiac is the lone road team to win in the NEC quarterfinals.
Of course in a conference tournament in which the higher seeded teams host all the game the 4/5 matchup tends to be the one most likely to produce a win for the road team. That rang true for the Patriot League Wednesday night (Lafayette) and for the NEC on Thursday, as fifth-seed Quinnipiac beat St. Francis (NY) 80-72 to set up a semifinal matchup with regular season champion LIU Brooklyn. The Bobcats, who are the best rebounding team in the NEC, grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the Terriers 48-36 on the night. James Johnson didn't shoot well from the field (4-for-14) but he did make 12 of 17 from the foul line and scored a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds, and Ike Azotam scored 15 and grabbed 12 boards inside. Brent Jones led four SFNY players in double figures with 21 points but the rebounding issues were too much to overcome. And that aspect of Quinnipiac's game is what gives them more than a puncher's chance at LIU on Sunday.

Quick Hitters

1. D.J. Covington scored 16 points and blocked four shots in 20 minutes of action to help lead VMI past Winthrop 75-55 as the Keydets advanced to the Big South title game. The seven-seed will face regular season champ UNC Asheville, who whipped Charleston Southern 91-64, on Saturday afternoon.

2. Darius Miller scored 17 points on Senior Night to help lead #1 Kentucky to a 79-49 win over Georgia, moving the Wildcats' win streak to 21. UK shot 15-for-27 from three, and when the Wildcats are rolling like that it's near impossible to knock them off.

3. Meyers Leonard scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds but it wasn't enough to lead Illinois past #16 Michigan, who won 72-61. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed 11 boards for the Wolverines, who remain alive in the Big Ten title race.

4. Five Mississippi Valley State players reached double figures in scoring but it wasn't enough to lock up an undefeated run through SWAC play as the Delta Devils lost 78-67 at UAPB. Daniel Broughton scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench to lead the Golden Lions. But regardless of the result Sean Woods' club will enter the conference tournament as the clear favorite to grab the automatic bid.

5. UCLA didn't look too distracted by the Sports Illustrated article that came out earlier this week, as they whipped Washington State 78-46 at the Sports Arena. Lazeric Jones knocked down eight of his ten shots from the field and scored 18 points to lead the Bruins, who host a Washington team looking to wrap up the outright regular season crown on Saturday.

6. Doubleheaders in the Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley and WCC all went according to seed on Thursday night, and if one team were to be pegged as most likely to win on Friday it could be Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles held off a Southeast Missouri State rally to win 77-73, and with players such as Kevin Murphy (24 points) and Jud Dillard (18) they've got the horses needed to upset top-seed Murray State in the semis. Also keep an eye on Indiana State, who beat Southern Illinois 65-49 to set up a matchup with MVC champ Wichita State, especially if point guard Jake Odum's foot holds up.

7. Binghamton, who won just one game during the regular season, knocked off eight-seed UMBC 73-67 in overtime to advance to the quarterfinals in the America East tournament. Ben Dickinson led the Bearcats, who will take on regular season champion Stony Brook, with 21 points.

8. Derrick Rudolph led three players in double figures with 21 points in Savannah State's 73-54 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, wrapping up the Tigers' first-ever MEAC regular season title. The coaches picked Horace Broadnax's team to finish 11th in the preseason.

#5 Ohio State vs. #7 Indiana: Sunday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:49:12 -0800

Sunday's a quiet day with regards to the number of games on the college basketball schedule, but there's a critical matchup of Top 10 teams in Columbus as #7 Indiana (15-2, 3-2) visits. #5 Ohio State (15-3, 3-2) in their second meeting of the season. The Hoosiers won the first meeting 74-70 back on New Year's Eve, and a big reason why was the way in which they defended point guard Aaron Craft. Tom Crean threw multiple guys at the sophomore point guard, and the varying looks were a big reason why Craft turned the ball over a season-high six times.

Be it Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones III or Victor Oladipo, the Hoosiers made things difficult for Craft and by extension the Ohio State offense as a whole. William Buford shot 3-for-7 from the field and scored eight points, and also of note in this contest is that Craft attempted the most shots (ten) for the Buckeyes. Jared Sullinger and Cody Zeller essentially canceled each other out with foul trouble for both being an issue for much of the game (Sullinger: 3-5, 15 points and nine rebounds; Zeller: 5-9, 14 points and four rebounds).

From an efficiency standpoint that was Ohio State's worst game of the Big Ten slate thus far, as they averaged exactly one point per possession. Indiana's been the more efficient team when looking at the numbers throughout the season, and they're going to need that to be the case again today if they're to have any shot of winning at Value City Arena. If the Hoosiers can get another good outing from Hulls and Oladipo (combined to score 32 points in the first meeting) they can win, but the return meeting will be an entirely different animal based on how Ohio State played against the two teams they lost to on the road last season.

Ohio State's 87-64 win over Purdue was actually the first meeting of two last season, with E'Twaun Moore going off in the return contest in West Lafayette, so it's likely better to use OSU's rematch with Wisconsin as the example. After losing in Madison 71-67 on February 12, the Buckeyes went off in the March 6 meeting, knocking down 14 of 15 from beyond the arc on their way to the 93-65 victory. Without a Jon Diebler on this year's team that kind of marksmanship is unlikely to happen, but when motivated by the sting of a road defeat Thad Matta's team is extremely difficult to beat.

Also of note: Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have games that they'll be expected to win, and both will need to win for the sake of their respective resumes. The Golden Gophers take on Penn State in Happy Valley and will need to keep Tim Frazier in check, and the Badgers host a Nebraska team that features Bo Spencer. Bo Ryan's team whipped the Huskers in Lincoln in Nebraska's first-ever league game as a Big Ten member, so at the least Doc Sadler's team should have a better feel for the Badgers' style of basketball.

Duke visits Clemson in what could be a trickier game than many will expect, with the Tigers' play at Littlejohn Coliseum being a big reason why. The Tigers, who blew out Florida State at home in their ACC opener, need Devin Booker and Milton Jennings to play well if they're to have a shot at beating Duke. Maryland could use a win to establish themselves as a top-half of the ACC squad, and if they can keep Georgia Tech's Glen Rice Jr. in check the Terps can get it done. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin has been one of the league's best scorers to this point in the season, but to be a truly elite player he has to raise his level on the defensive end.

Big games in the MAAC, MVC: The two teams tied for first place in the Metro Atlantic meet in New Rochelle as Iona host Loyola (MD). The Gaels fell to a surprising Manhattan team on Thursday night on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired while the Greyhounds came back to win at Fairfield despite trailing by as many as 17 in the second half. Robert Olson got hot late for Jimmy Patsos' team and in Dylon Cormier the Greyhounds have one of the best players in the league, which should make for an entertaining battle between he and Scott Machado. The Gaels did the exact opposite of Loyola on Thursday, taking their foot off the gas with a 17-point late with less than eight minutes remaining.

And while Wichita State's trip to Terre Haute isn't a matchup of teams atop the Missouri Valley, simply put the Sycamores need the win to avoid dropping to 2-5 in league play. Joe Ragland's played well on the perimeter and Toure Murry is arguably the MVC's best sixth man, but it's been the recent play of center Garrett Stutz that's made the difference for Gregg Marshall's team. Dwayne Lathan and Jake Odum have led the way for Indiana State but the bigger issue has been their defense, as opponents shoot 43.7% from the field. They'll likely need to hold the Shockers to below 40% if they're to win tonight.

Indiana St vs Wichita St: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:27:54 -0800

WICHITA STATE (14-3, 5-1 MVC) AT INDIANA STATE (11-6, 2-4 MVC)

Time/TV: 7 p.m./ESPNU

Location: Hulman Center

RPI Ratings: Wichita State 31 (No. 3 Missouri Valley); Indiana State 91 (No. 5 Missouri Valley).

Wichita State Players to Watch: G Toure’ Murry, 6-5 Sr. (12 ppg, 3.1 apg, 5.1 rpg); C Garrett Stutz, 7-0 Sr. (12.1 ppg, 7 rpg, 56.2% FG); G Joe Ragland, 6-0 Sr. (12.6 ppg, 3.4 apg, 57.3% FG). Ragland has scored in double-figures in 10 of his last 11 games, including 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the Shockers’ 65-62 win over Illinois State on Tuesday.

Indiana State Players to Watch: G Dwayne Lathan, 6-3 Sr. (12.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 52.9% FG); G Jake Odum, 6-4 So. (10 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.9 apg); G Jordan Printy, 6-4 Sr. (8.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 38.9% 3s).

Storylines: The Shockers and Sycamores were expected to contend with Creighton for MVC supremacy this season. Wichita State has kept up its end of the bargain, starting league play at 5-1 (tied with Creighton). Indiana State, on the other hand, is 2-4 after going 9-2 in the pre-conference season.

What You Should Know: Indiana State defeated Wichita State, 61-54 in last year’s MVC Tournament, dashing the Shockers’ NCAA Tournament dreams. The Shockers are 3-0 on the road in the Missouri Valley, but Evansville, Southern Illinois and Bradley aren’t considered to be on the same level as the Sycamores, despite their slow start in league play. With no true go-to player, Indiana State has often struggled to score this year, but it has been its defense that has surprising let it down of late. They Sycamores have given up 79, 77, 65, 69, 80 and 73 in their six MVC games, four of which have been losses. That’s good news for the Shockers, whose offense has been rolling. They are averaging 77.5 points per game this season and have scored at least 78 points in four of their six conference games. Despite the 5-1 start in the Missouri Valley, Wichita State has shown some inconsistency, particularly inside of games. They have let leads slip away before holding on against Southern Illinois and Illinois State. At Terre Haute, that could get them in trouble. Stutz, if he can stay out of foul trouble (always an issue with him) should have a big advantage against the smaller Sycamores.

The Bottom Line: Indiana State really needs this game. That coupled with the Shockers’ inconsistency could lead to a small upset. In the end, though, the Shockers’ offensive balance will be the difference.

The Pick: Wichita State 79, Indiana State 75.

Wednesday's Preview: #22 Kansas State at #15 Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:34:59 -0800

Wednesday's schedule features two match ups of Top 25 teams, but only one ranks among the better rivalries in college basketball. #22 Kansas State (11-1), winners of six straight games, takes on #15 Kansas (10-3) in Lawrence in the first of two meetings this season. And despite its rivalry status this is a series the Jayhawks have dominated of late, winning seven straight and eleven of twelve before the Wildcats won 84-68 in Manhattan last February. The key for Frank Martin's team is a simple one: limit the paint touches for junior forward Thomas Robinson (17.7 ppg, 12.2 rpg), as he's near unstoppable when given the opportunity to go to work around the basket.

Jeff Withey has also been an important figure for the Jayhawks up front as he's shown the ability to be a key contributor at times. But he played just eight minutes against North Dakota, as Bill Self sent the message that the junior needs to be more aggressive if he's to continue to get minutes. This may also apply to junior Kevin Young, who only played six minutes against North Dakota, and while he only averages ten minutes per contest against the deeper front courts of the Big 12 Young will have to step up. What these two can do to help out Robinson on the glass tonight could determine the outcome, as K-State has the edge on depth and rebounding margin up front.

Jamar Samuels (11.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is the leader in the front court for the Wildcats, and he's allowed to step out and do more work on the wing thanks to the presence of Thomas Gipson (10.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Kansas State out-rebounds their opponents by a margin of 7.1 rebounds per game, while Kansas has a margin of just plus-0.9. Kansas State is also good at attacking the offensive boards, grabbing 15.2 which is good for a offensive rebounding percentage of 42.3%.

Turnovers, especially among the guards, will also be key as Kansas has struggled with taking care of the basketball at times. Senior Tyshawn Taylor (15.3 ppg, 5.2 apg) is also averaging 3.8 turnovers per game, and he's had some absolute clunkers this season in this regard. But he's turned the ball over six times in the last three games, which is quite the improvement when compared to his 12 turnovers in the games against Ohio State and Davidson that preceded that stretch. Elijah Johnson (10.2 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Travis Releford (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) are the other starters on the perimeter, with Johnson being the best at taking care of the ball when looking at assist-to-turnover ratios.

Kansas State averages 14.7 turnovers per game, which is slightly higher than Kansas' 14.6 average, but the Wildcats have a "better" distribution of those mistakes as no one averages more than 1.9 per game. Guards Will Spradling (11.8 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Rodney McGruder (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) handle the majority of the offensive duties for the Wildcats while Martavious Irving (6.2 ppg) is one of the better defensive guards in the Big 12. And a player to watch as a reserve is freshman Angel Rodriguez, who has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. If he can bring scoring punch while playing in control, K-State will be that much tougher to beat.

The other Top 25 matchup pits #20 Marquette against #9 Georgetown at the Verizon Center, with the winner remaining undefeated in Big East play. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been two of the best players in the Big East, but what they get from Vander Blue could be the difference between a good season and a special one. It will also be interesting to see what Davante Gardner, who played very well against Villanova after being removed from the starting lineup, can do against Georgetown's Henry Sims. Sims is a tough matchup within Georgetown's system due to his ability to step out and make plays, and having perimeter players like Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson doesn't hurt either.

Duke plays a non-conference game before diving into ACC play and it won't be an easy one either, as they take on Temple in Philadelphia. The Blue Devils have to have an answer defensively for Ramone Moore, and senior Juan Fernandez had back-to-back games of 20+ points before scoring 11 in the Owls' win at Delaware. The question for Temple is whether or not they've got the bodies inside to keep Mason Plumlee off the glass. If not, beating Duke will become an even tougher task. In the CAA it's time to find out just how good Ron Hunter's Georgia State team is, as they visit a red-hot VCU team. Devonta White has helped lead the Panthers to a 10-3 start but with a strength of schedule of 344, we'll learn a lot more about their staying power tonight.

Indiana State/Northern Iowa is a key game in the Missouri Valley race with UNI already having two losses in league play, and in the Atlantic 10 Saint Louis visits Dayton in the Flyers' first full game without the injured Josh Benson (torn ACL). Those are both key contest when considering where those final at-large bids could go come Selection Sunday. Illinois' trip to Northwestern would qualify for that distinction as well, with the home team having never been to the Big Dance. Yancy Gates returns to the rotation as Cincinnati hosts Notre Dame, so that should be interesting to watch. And lastly, top-ranked Syracuse visits Providence as the late Dave Gavitt will be honored. The city is naming a street in honor of Gavitt, who founded the Big East Conference. Can Ed Cooley's team ride the emotion to what would be a historic upset? Not so sure about that.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Syracuse at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (3) Duke at Temple (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (20) Marquette at (9) Georgetown (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (22) Kansas State at (15) Kansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at (18) Murray State

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Xavier at La Salle
7:00 PM Hofstra at Delaware
7:00 PM Auburn at Florida State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Illinois at Northwestern (BTN)
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Northeastern
7:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina State
7:00 PM West Virginia at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM George Washington at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Lafayette
7:00 PM FGCU at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Florida A&M at Ball State
7:00 PM Tulane at UCF
7:00 PM Notre Dame at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Columbia at Colgate
7:00 PM Towson at Drexel
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Duquesne
7:00 PM USC Upstate at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM James Madison at William & Mary
7:15 PM Belmont at Jacksonville
7:30 PM Coppin State at Howard
7:30 PM Stetson at Mercer
7:30 PM Richmond at Charlotte
7:30 PM Georgia State at VCU
7:45 PM Lipscomb at North Florida
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Mayville State at North Dakota
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Tennessee at Memphis
8:00 PM Tulsa at Houston
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM UTEP at Marshall
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas State
8:00 PM Lamar at Texas A&M-CC (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Saint Louis at Dayton
8:00 PM Indiana State at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM East Carolina at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Rice at TCU
8:00 PM Nicholls State at UTSA
8:05 PM Wichita State at Evansville
8:05 PM Illinois State at Missouri State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas at Iowa State
9:00 PM Iowa at Minnesota (BTN)

Week in Review: Pledger, Hamilton, Sycamores, and More

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:45:17 -0800

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for our weekly awards.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Steven Pledger, Oklahoma: Pledger continued his outstanding junior season with his best outing in Saturday’s 79-74 win over Houston. Pledger, a combo guard/forward, made 10 of his 13 field goal attempts, all seven of his free throws and 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc.

Pledger, who was named Big 12 co-Player of the Week with Baylor’s Perry Jones III, was also a monster on the boards, earning a double-double with 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

“Pledger was terrific all night long,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said after the win. “We played off him all night.”

Pledger, who has dramatically improved his scoring average each of the past two seasons, is averaging 19.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals this season. He has connected on 60.4 percent of his field goal attempts and has made 21 of 41 of his 3-pointers this season..

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Reggie Hamilton, Oakland: Hamilton is quickly becoming the best mid-major scorer in America. In the last month, he has scored 23-plus points four times, including back-to-back outings of 34 vs. Utah Valley and 35 in a win over Tennessee.

On Saturday, the 5-foot-11 senior from Chicago dropped in 41 points in 38 minutes during the Golden Grizzlies’ 82-80 victory over Valparaiso. Hamilton hit 14 of 24 shots, including five of his 10 3-point attempts. He capped off the performance with a jumper from the top of the key at the buzzer to give Oakland its eighth victory in 12 games.

“There’s no question in my mind he’s one of the best 10 guards in the country,” Oakland coach Greg Kampe said. “After (the performance against Valpo), I might want to change that to top three or four. If he doing that, I might say he’s the best.”

Hamilton, who is averaging 22 points per game this season, also had four rebounds, three assists and four steals against the Crusaders. He has scored in double-figures in 16 consecutive games, dating back to last season.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Syracuse: The Orange’s 23-0, six-minute run late in the first half was as impressive as anything this season. With an 88-72 victory in its first true road test, Syracuse proved it is a worthy No. 1 and a true national title contender.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Andrew Smith’s tip-in with one second left beats Purdue: Smith’s tap-in capped a 15-point comeback in a 67-65 win at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It was Purdue’s second straight collapse after surrendering a 17-point second-half lead at Xavier a week ago, and it was a huge win for the Bulldogs. The two-time defending national runner-up was 4-6 heading into the game with recent losses to Valparaiso and Ball State.

WIN OF THE WEEK

UNLV 64, Illinois 48: The Rebels’ up-and-down season is up again after a strong performance against the previously-unbeaten Illini. UNLV led from start to finish, getting 17 points and 11 boards from Mike Moser, to improve to 11-2.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Indiana State 61, Vanderbilt 55: An enormous win for the Sycamores, who are now 8-2, and the Missouri Valley Conference, which should garner three or four berths in the NCAA Tournament.

THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL LIST

Pre-Conference All-American Team

With the conference season upon us, here are the five players who have earned early Player of the Year recognition.

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State: Unfortunately, Sullinger can’t stay on the floor. But one thing his injuries have shown is that the Buckeyes aren’t the same team without him.

2. Kris Joseph, Syracuse: The Orange are the deepest team in the country, but Joseph has left no doubt that he’s now their best all-around player.

3. Tu Holloway, Xavier: There is no better clutch scorer in college basketball.

4. Marcus Denmon, Missouri: With shooting percentages like Denmon’s, he won’t be a sleeper Player of the Year choice for long.

5. Peyton Siva, Louisville: His numbers will never allow him to be a first-team All-American, but few players are as vital to their team’s success as Siva.

The next 5: Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut; Doug McDermott, Creighton; Tyler Zeller, North Carolina; Damian Lillard, Weber St.; Terrence Jones, Kentucky.

College Hoops Sunday Recap: Atlantic 10 Earns Two Titles

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:06:47 -0800

Sunday set up to be a big day for the Atlantic 10 with Dayton (Old Spice Classic) and Saint Louis (76 Classic) playing in the title game of their respective in-season tournaments. And even better for the conference is that both picked up wins, displaying the depth of a league thought by many to be Xavier, Temple and 12 other teams before the season began.

Saint Louis used an 18-2 run halfway through the second half to pull away from Oklahoma, winning 83-63 in Anaheim. Tournament MVP Brian Conklin made nine of his eleven shots from the field and scored 25 points, and as a team the Billikens shot 60.4% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc. Rick Majerus' team scored 1.32 points/possession, and their offensive efficiency of 131.7 was their best performance of the season, surpassing the 125.0 posted in their win over Villanova on Friday (numbers courtesy of statsheet.com).

"I thought the guys played with good poise and composure," said Majerus. "We were good with shot selection. A big goal of ours was to restrict the three. I thought [Conklin] deserved the tournament MVP, if nothing else for his defense and rebounding, and he was a beneficiary of his hard work in the summer."

The key for Saint Louis (as is the case with UNLV, who beat top-ranked North Carolina on Saturday night) will be how they deal with prosperity. A lot is made of how teams deal with adversity, but some things about Conklin and his teammates will be learned in their game at Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night. As for Dayton, their three wins in Orlando were a big deal in the first season of the Archie Miller era. Kevin Dillard was outstanding for the Flyers, posting a line of 19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in winning the tournament MVP award.

Chris Johnson (18 points), Josh Benson (16), Josh Parker (12) and Luke Fabrizius (11) also reached double figures in Dayton's best offensive performance of the season since their opening win over Western Illinois. In Dayton's three best offensive games of the season they've assisted on at least 63% of their baskets, providing a blueprint for what the Flyers will need to do in order to continue on this path. And just like Saint Louis, Dayton will need to show that they can deal with prosperity. Following a home game against Buffalo the Flyers visit Great Alaska Shootout champ Murray State and host Alabama, meaning that a lot more will be learned about this team's potential.

While there were disappointments for the Atlantic 10 on Sunday (more on those below), the tournament wins for Dayton and Saint Louis show that the conference has something that it hasn't always had in recent seasons: depth. St. Bonaventure (who lost at Virginia Tech on Sunday), Duquesne and George Washington are three other teams that could be a factor in the A-10 race come January, and the race is setting up to be a very entertaining one at that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. A foul-counting mishap aids in Villanova's late collapse against Santa Clara.
With just over seven seconds remaining Villanova asked for their team foul count during a timeout while leading Santa Clara 64-61. Jay Wright and his staff were told that they only had five team fouls, and that was also displayed in Anaheim Arena. But when Darrun Hilliard gave the foul the Wildcats were found to have actually committed their seventh team foul, sending Evan Roquemore to the line for a 1-and-1. Roquemore made both, and after JayVaughn Pinkston missed the front end of his 1-and-1 he fouled Roquemore in his pursuit of the loose ball. The Bronco guard came through once again, making both free throws to give Santa Clara the stunning 65-64 win.

While the administrative error didn't help Villanova at all, they really have no one to blame but themselves for ending up in that situation. Leading 64-57 with 2:56 left in the game, Villanova failed to score again and turned the ball over four times in the final 2:56. Raymond Cowels III led Santa Clara with 20 points, and he combined with Roquemore to score 24 second-half points on a night that saw Kevin Foster (5-17 FG, 13 points) struggle. As for Villanova, Mouphtaou Yarou led the way with 19 points, and for them to be successful as the season wears on they'll need more than a combined 4-for-15 outing from Dominic Cheek (10 points) and James Bell (seven). Can this group that's adjusting to life without Corey Stokes, Corey Fisher and Antonio Pena produce enough offensively to account for those losses? We shall see.

2. Indiana has an impressive second half in pulling away from Butler.
While some have pointed out the improved play of Tom Crean's Hoosiers to start the season, skeptics pointed at their schedule and wanted to see more evidence against credible competition. Indiana got their chance on Sunday night with two-time defending national runners-up Butler visiting Assembly Hall, and after a 30-minute slugfest the Hoosiers separated with an 11-2 run. Indiana went on to win 75-59 with Will Sheehey (Hoosier Invitational MVP) scoring a career-high 21 points and Cody Zeller leading three other Hoosiers in double figures with 16, but the bigger story was their defense.

Butler finished the game with seven assists and 21 turnovers, which means an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.33. Crean praised his team for their defensive effort, pointing out that Indiana had 74 deflections on the night. Indiana shot 50% in the second half as they outscored Butler 44-31, and outside of Chrishawn Hopkins (19 points) and Khyle Marshall (16) the Bulldogs couldn't establish much of anything offensively. With NC State and Kentucky in two of their next three games, Indiana will definitely be challenged. But for the first time in Crean's tenure at IU, it can be said that the Hoosiers look capable of attacking those challenges head-on.

3. Syracuse makes the move to fire associate head coach Bernie Fine after new information "surfaces".
Unfortunately there was more off-court news involving the sexual assault accusations levied against now-former Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine. Not only did a third accuser surface but a recorded phone call between Fine accuser Bobby Davis and Fine's wife Laurie from 2002 was released by ESPN's Outside the Lines. Both chancellor Nancy Cantor and head coach Jim Boeheim released statements on Sunday night in support of the action taken against Fine by the school, with this being a sharp departure from the defiant stance taken by Boeheim in support of his long-time assistant and friend when these allegations were first made. The question now is just how far this investigation goes, and what effect it may have on the Orange on the floor. Given the way they dealt with the distractions on their way to the NIT Season Tip-Off crown last week and the team's experience, Syracuse will likely be fine on the floor. But given both the sensitive nature of the charges and the statement issued by Boeheim in the beginning, this situation likely won't be solved for a while.

Quick Hitters

1. With Trevor Mbakwe scheduled for an MRI on his right knee, injured in their loss to Dayton, Minnesota has a lot on the line with regards to their season. Hopefully he checks out OK, but that would be a major loss for the Golden Gophers if he were to be ruled out for a significant amount of time.

2. The most disappointing in-season performance of the weekend: Washington State, who capped an 0-3 weekend in Anaheim with a 64-63 loss to UC Riverside. Yes the Cougars lost Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, but there's talent back in Pullman. Not a good weekend for the Cougars or the Pac-12.

3. Team that should feel good about their weekend: DePaul. The Blue Demons made things tougher on themselves than they should have late but they did enough to hold off Arizona State 68-64 in the fifth place game at the Old Spice Classic (2-1 for the weekend). Cleveland Melvin led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds.

4. Cleveland State whipped Rhode Island 67-45 in Kingston in the final day of that particular three-game Legends Classic round-robin. Jim Baron's team turned the ball over an astonishing 17 times in the first half and as a result trailed 40-23 at the break. Rhody finished the game with 21 turnovers (27-23 CSU in the second half).

5. Bowling Green scored a nice win for both themselves and the MAC with a 67-64 win over Temple. BGSU shot 58% from the field in the second half and 56% for the game, and A'uston Calhoun led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds.

6. What's going on with UAB? Mike Davis' Blazers dropped to 1-4 on the season with a 59-54 loss to UT-Martin despite 15 points apiece from Cameron Moore and Jordan Swing. Mike Liabo scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Skyhawks, who entered the game having lost five of their first six games.

7. Indiana State hung on to beat Fairfield 72-66 in the third place game of the Old Spice Classic. Jake Odum posted ISU's first triple-double in 32 years and Dwayne Lathan and Myles Walker scored 16 apiece, with the Sycamores controlling the play in the paint throughout (34-20 points in the paint advantage).

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the Spartans' 70-63 win over Eastern Kentucky.

2. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Sycamores' 72-66 win over Fairfield. The triple-double is the first in ISU history since the great Larry Bird posted one in 1979.

3. G Kevin Dillard (Dayton)
19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in the Flyers' 86-70 win over Minnesota.

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Broncos Survive in Overtime

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:01:06 -0800

While people didn't necessarily give up on Santa Clara when it came to discussing who could win the West Coast Conference, there weren't a lot of outside believers in Kerry Keating's team once forward Marc Trasolini was lost for the season in the summer due to a knee injury. And there were even fewer folks left in the aftermath of their 89-56 loss at UCSB just over a week ago. But if their 79-76 overtime win over New Mexico in a 76 Classic quarterfinal showed anything it's that Santa Clara remains capable of being a factor in the WCC race.

"The media was saying that New Mexico was going to win this whole tournament," said Kevin Foster. "We have a chip on our shoulder and bring it every day. It was a full team effort and we hope we could keep that going."

Guards Foster and Evan Roquemore scored 26 points apiece for the Broncos, who led by as many as 12 points in the first half before the preseason Mountain West favorites made their charge. Tony Snell led UNM with 18 points and freshman Hugh Greenwood added 14, but Steve Alford needs his two bell cows to get rolling. Drew Gordon did score 11 points and grab ten rebounds but was only 2-for-8 from the field and Kendall Williams wend 0-for-4, scoring all six of his points from the charity stripe.

The biggest development for Santa Clara in this win may actually be the play of forward Niyi Harrison, who scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 44 minutes of action. He's one of the players who has been asked to step up with Trasolini done for the season, and his scoring average has jumped more than ten points from last season to this. It's a pretty safe bet that Foster and Roquemore will be productive offensively, but if Santa Clara is to challenge the likes of Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary's they'll need the big men to chip in as well.

"We are happy that we got a chance to compete against [New Mexico]," said Keating following the game. "We have a really young team, but we grew up a little bit, showing some resiliency tonight. We came out with a great win,"

Other Notable Happenings

1. The perception of the Pac-12 takes another hit with three in-season tournament losses.
It's no secret that much of the college basketball world doesn't think much of the Pac-12, but to be fair the conference hasn't done well in improving that perception. Thursday night certainly didn't help with three teams losing by double digits, but it should also be noted that the three losers (Arizona State, Utah and Washington State) were all picked to finish in the bottom half of the league in the preseason. Utah was overmatched from the opening tip against Harvard as they were whipped 75-47 in the Battle For Atlantis in the Bahamas. Arizona State couldn't make shots as they lost to Fairfield 55-44 at the Old Spice Classic, and Washington State couldn't match the energy level of Oklahoma in the Sooners' 74-59 win at the 76 Classic. Washington State scored just 19 points in the second half and turned the ball over 22 times for the game. So what's the culprit in regards to the conference's struggles? Talent, youth or a combination of both? That's a question the Pac-12 teams will collectively look to erase in the final month before conference play.

2. Indiana State uses defense to beat Texas Tech and remain undefeated.
It certainly wasn't pretty but Greg Lansing's Sycamores were able to hold off Texas Tech 60-49 due to their play on the defensive end. The Red Raiders shot a better percentage from the field than Indiana State (42.9% to 35.7%), but their 18 turnovers in a 62 possession game resulted in a horrific offensive efficiency of 79.0. That's not going to get it done against many teams, much less one that's expected to be a major player in the Missouri Valley race along with Creighton and Wichita State. Jake Odum led the Sycamores with 13 points and four assists, and in addition to their ability to turn Texas Tech over ISU attempted 31 free throws to the Red Raiders' nine (25-5 scoring edge from the charity stripe). They'll face a Minnesota team that's got some size inside, but there's no reason why Indiana State can't win the Old Spice Classic.

3. Connecticut needs to get more production from their frontcourt, namely Alex Oriakhi.
There's no doubt that the Huskies have one of the best backcourts in the nation in point guard Shabazz Napier and shooting guard Jeremy Lamb. But if Jim Calhoun's team is tobe mentioned in a similar class to the likes of North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State come March they're going to need more from the frontcourt. The defending national champs' fast start established enough breathing room to take care of UNC Asheville 73-63, but they may not be so lucky against teams with better (and bigger) big men. Andre Drummond got the start for Alex Oriakhi and scored nine points while Tyler Olander added four and Oriakhi scored four off the bench. That's not going to be enough from those three as the Huskies move into Big East play. Keith Clanton and company will provide a good challenge on Friday, and whichever team they play in their final game in the Bahamas (Harvard or Florida State) should do so as well. The pieces are there for a run at a repeat, but not if the UConn big men don't bring their collective A-game.

Quick Hitters

1. Florida State once again has one of the best defenses in the country, but if they don't take better care of the basketball it'll be tough for them to mount a significant challenge to North Carolina and Duke in the ACC. FSU turned the ball over 23 times against UMass on Thursday, with Luke Loucks leading the way with six and Okaro White had five.

2. Be patient with DePaul. This is a team that's essentially being taught how to win by Oliver Purnell and his staff, and they received a tough lesson in their 86-85 loss to Minnesota. But the signs of improvement are definitely there, and in Cleveland Melvin (20 points) and Brandon Young (23 points) they've got one of the better sophomore tandems in the Big East.

3. At this point it would be a surprise if New Mexico State didn't win the Great Alaska Shootout. Marvin Menzies' team dropped the hammer on Central Michigan, winning 78-49 thanks in large part to their defense (CMU turned the ball over 21 times and was out-rebounded 54-35) and a balanced scoring effort in which all ten players who played scored (team-high 15 points for Bandja Sy).

4. UCF outscored College of Charleston 18-5 over the final 7:50 to win 74-63 in the Battle for Atlantis, and their defense was a key factor. Also of importance: the Knights' offensive rebounding rate of 40%, which played a big factor in their 44-25 rebounding edge.

5. All five starters reached double figures for Dayton in their 80-76 win over Wake Forest, but the biggest line could be that of Matt Kavanaugh. The junior forward/cernter put up 15 points and 13 rebounds, and is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Kavanaugh averaged just nine minutes and two points per game last season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Keith Clanton (UCF)
28 points and 14 rebounds in the Knights' 74-63 win over College of Charleston.

2. G Kevin Foster and G Evan Roquemore (Santa Clara)
26 points apiece and nine assists combined in the Broncos' 79-76 win over New Mexico.

3. G Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)
23 points and seven assists in the Huskies' 73-63 win over UNC Asheville.

Can the MVC Return to Multi-Bid Status?

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:12:56 -0700

Creighton could have a lot to say about that

The last time the Missouri Valley Conference was able to send multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament was back in 2007, when Creighton beat regular season champ Southern Illinois in the tournament final and both went dancing. That team of Salukis, led by the likes of Jamaal Tatum and Matt Shaw, won a pair of NCAA Tournament games before falling to Kansas in the Sweet 16. But with some asking when the Valley can get back to that level of success, the answer to the question of when the league can get back to multi-bid status may be "this year".

One reason for that could be the Creighton Bluejays, who return a wealth of experience from a team that won 23 games and advanced to the CBI Championship Series (where they lost to Oregon in three games). Head coach Greg McDermott and his program enjoyed the added benefit of taking an overseas trip in the offseason, playing four games in the Bahamas last month. Creighton won the four games by an average of 27.5 points per game, but the added practice/ game time is the primary purpose of such a trip.

Leading the way was sophomore forward Doug McDermott, who averaged 24.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game on the trip. The trip capped a busy summer for the reigning MVC Newcomer (and Freshman) of the Year, who also played for Team USA in the Under-19 World Championships. But while the summer was a profitable one for McDermott it was busy as well.

"He had a busy summer," said Coach McDermott. "The experience was incredible and he really benefitted from it, but it's important that he gets ample rest."

Doug averaged a team-best 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2010-11, and he'll be expected to be a focal point of the Bluejay attack. But he won't be alone up front, as junior Gregory Echenique will get to play a full season after sitting out the first part of last season per NCAA transfer rules. The Venezuela native is in the same boat as McDermott in that he needs to get rest in the time leading up to the start of the season as well.

Echenique played for his native country in the FIBA Americas Tournament, helping lead the team to the second round of the event and thus was not with Creighton in the Bahamas. In speaking with Coach McDermott it's expected that getting to play a full season will help Gregory, who "took a while to find his groove" due to the transfer from Rutgers.

"It [representing Venezuela] was an incredible experience for Gregory," said McDermott. "He truly embraced representing his country, but we have to find a way to get him some rest."

Also looking to contribute in the frontcourt will be Ethan Wragge, who played in just nine games last season before being lost to a foot injury. Redshirt freshman center Will Artino led the Bluejays in rebounding during the four-game tour with an average of 11 rebounds per game, and Geoff Groselle grabbed 7.5 to go along with 2.5 blocks per contest. The Bluejays lost Kenny Lawson Jr. from last season's team but they'll have more than enough bodies to make up for his departure.

The backcourt is where Creighton has to improve if they're to have a shot at getting to the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays finished last season with a turnover margin of -2.5 turnovers per game, a number that ranked 308th in the nation and dead last in the MVC. The growth of senior guard Antoine Young, along with Creighton's improved backcourt depth, should help in this area. Young (Second Team All-MVC) led the team with 5.0 assists per game in addition to scoring 13.1 points, and he took great care of the basketball during the CBI (7.3 assists, 1.0 turnovers per game).

"Antoine played his best basketball at the end of the season and he carried that momentum into the offseason," noted McDermott. "He was a distributor and picked his spots to score in the Bahamas."

Jahenns Manigat is another key cog in the backcourt, as the All-Freshman Team member from Ontario started the final 15 games of the season for Creighton. Manigat shot 39% from beyond the arc last season, attempting 105 of his 152 field goals from beyond the arc. His scoring (5.3 ppg) and three-point percentage (47.5%) improved in conference play, and Manigat reached double figures in three of Creighton's six CBI games.

The issue for Creighton last season, according to Coach McDermott, was the lack of a backup point guard. That shouldn't be an issue this season, with Austin Chatman being one of the new players in the rotation. Chatman left the Bahamas with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3-to-1 (30 AST, 10 TO) in 18 minutes per game.

Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs, who according to the head coach "thinks like a point guard on the wing", averaged 8.0 points and 4.25 assists per game on the trip. Add in wing Avery Dingman, who scored a team-high 24 points in the final game of the trip, and Creighton has a deep perimeter group that won't lack for versatility either.

So what's it going to take for Creighton to win the Valley? Coach McDermott mentioned their need to take better care of the basketball in addition to becoming a more consistent team defensively. That will be key given the other contenders in the Missouri Valley.

Wichita State returns a number of key contributors led by Toure´ Murry and will once again be expected to be in the running for the regular season title. Indiana State, who won the conference tournament, returns their top three leading scorers from last season and has a very good point guard in sophomore Jake Odum.

And defending regular season champ Missouri State may have undergone a coaching change (Cuonzo Martin is now at Tennessee) and lost three of their top four starters, but reigning MVC Player of the Year Kyle Weems is back for his final campaign. Of course there are other teams who will be heard from in the Valley this winter, and the league's overall philosophy of scheduling well from a non-conference standpoint will give teams chances to pick up resume-building victories.

"I believe we're [the MVC] right on the cusp of getting back to where the league was five or six years ago," remarked McDermott. "Across the league a lot of good young players will be back."

There's no guarantee that the Valley will get back to the days of consistently earning multiple NCAA bids this season, but it's a definite possibility. Creighton is one of the teams that will have a lot to say about the outcome.