Iona

Saturday Recap: Missouri's Finishing Kick Proves to Be the Difference

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:43:04 -0500

Rivalry games bring more to the table when it comes to intensity, and that was definitely the case in the battle between #4 Missouri and #8 Kansas in Columbia on Saturday night. In a game that featured many momentum swings and neither team leading by more than eight points, it was Frank Haith's Tigers who landed the final blow. Kansas led 71-63 with 3:25 remaining but they would not score again, as Missouri finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 74-71. Marcus Denmon, who entered the game having made just 34.9% of his shots in Big 12 play, shot 10-for-16 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points to lead the way.

"He made some tough shots," said Haith. "He got into a rhythm and when Marcus gets into a rhythm he can rattle off a few shots in a row. And I think at that point in time he just got in a rhythm."

But Denmon wasn't the only star for the Tigers, with Kim English scoring 18 points and Michael Dixon Jr. adding 15 off the bench. English received a lot of attention from the Kansas defense due to his three-point shooting ability but the senior from Baltimore made things happen in other ways. The foul line was huge for the Tigers, as their shot 14-for-20 from the charity stripe with Kansas making five of nine and being called for ten more fouls (20-10). Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor added 21, but the Missouri comeback was aided by player control fouls called on both down the stretch.

Robinson's fourth foul with 1:45 remaining ultimately led to a Denmon three to make the score 71-69, and Taylor's foul with ten seconds remaining led to a pair of Dixon Jr. free throws to give Missouri a 74-71 lead. Elijah Johnson ended up with the ball in his hands in the final seconds but he hesitated, eventually having to put up a highly-contested shot as time expired. Kansas played with a great deal of poise for just over 36 minutes, but when the Jayhawks needed sound execution to close out the contest the Tigers proved to be too much.

"We definitely did it to ourselves," remarked Jeff Withey when asked about the decisive stretch. "We had the lead and if we would have just held onto the ball, I think it would have been a way different outcome."

The end result: a three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri boasting a 2-0 record vs. Kansas and Baylor. Ricardo Ratliffe was quiet due to his being in foul trouble for much of the night but others stepped up to help the Tigers hold their own on the glass. Denmon grabbed nine rebounds and five other players grabbed at least two as Missouri was out-rebounded by just three (29-26) on the night. Continue to point out Missouri's lack of size if you wish, but it should be pretty clear by now that they've got more than enough to compete for a national title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Memphis comes back from ten down in the second half to beat Xavier, picking up a needed non-conference victory.
There was no mistaking how important the contest between Xavier and Memphis was for both teams with regards to their NCAA resumes, and the Musketeers looked to be well on their way to the key win. A Dezmine Wells three-point play with 6:16 remaining gave Xavier a 62-51 lead, but Josh Pastner's team refused to lie down. A Wesley Witherspoon three started a 17-1 run over the next six minutes, and Memphis would put away the 72-68 win from the foul line (Joe Jackson hit all four of his free throws to seal the deal). The question is which team needed the win more, and while it was vital for both teams a look at their remaining schedules will reveal the answer. Memphis won't have another shot at an RPI Top 50 win the remainder of the regular season while Xavier still has matchups with Temple and Saint Louis (both on the road) to deal with.

2. Florida State holds off Virginia at home to remain tied atop the ACC.
Low-scoring games tend to amp up those who feel that basketball has to be high-scoring in order to entertain, and those who took this route missed a very good battle in Tallahassee. Okaro White scored 13 points off the bench and Xavier Gibson added ten as Florida State won their seventh straight game to move to 7-1 in the ACC as they beat Virginia 58-55. Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 16 apiece to lead the Cavaliers and Malcolm Brogdon added ten off the bench, but the struggles of Sammy Zeglinski (2-for-7, five points) down the stretch were just one reason why the Hoos were unable to pick up what would have been a very good road victory. In a game that finished with 63 possessions it was Florida State's work on the offensive glass (OR% of 34.3%) that made the difference (12-7 edge in second-chance points). Work of art? No, especially with the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. But it definitely was an entertaining show that the ACC's two best defensive teams put forth in Tallahassee.

3. Notre Dame puts it to Marquette in the second half to move to 7-3 in the Big East.
Once again Mike Brey is one of the favorites in the race for Big East Coach of the Year, as a team that looked to be well on its way to the NIT (or worse) in December finds itself in the thick of the race for second place. The Irish shot 57.7% from the field in the second half as they ran away from #15 Marquette to win 76-59, moving to within a half-game of second place as a result. Freshman Pat Connaughton led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 23 points, and the growth of he, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant has played a huge role in Notre Dame not only surviving but thriving in dealing with life without the injured Tim Abromaitis. Grant's versatility was on display against Marquette, as he not only scored 11 points but dished out a team-high eight assists while Atkins scored 18. The play of Syracuse has turned the Big East into a league that will offer more suspense in the race for second, and at this point Notre Dame is just as capable as anyone else to grab that spot.

4. Iona's second half execution on both ends of the floor too much for Manhattan.
At the under-8 media timeout in the first meeting between the rivals separated by just nine miles, Iona held a 67-49 lead in a game that would eventually end on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired (75-72 Manhattan win). No such heroics this time around as the Gaels made sure to not allow the Jaspers to storm back, winning 85-73 thanks to improved play on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Iona limited the quality looks for George Beamon, who finished with 26 points after scoring 19 in the first half, and as a team Manhattan shot just 38.2% from the field. Mike Glover led a balanced attack with 19 points and seven rebounds while Scott Machado (nine assists) and Momo Jones scored 18 apiece for the Gaels, who remain in first place with the win. Next up for Iona is a trip to Loyola (MD) on Friday night, which could also be a battle for first is the Greyhounds take care of business against Saint Peter's.

5. George Mason hangs on at home to beat ODU, resulting in a three-way tie atop the CAA.
Paul Hewitt's Patriots have now won seven of their last eight games, rebounding from a loss to Delaware to beat ODU 54-50 in a matchup of two of the four teams that entered Saturday tied for first in the CAA. George Mason got the job done by doing something simple in the second half: they made shots. GMU shot just 20% from the field in the first half, trailing 26-20 at the break and their 12 turnovers didn't help matters either. The second half was a different story as the Patriots shot 41.2% from the field while also refusing to settle for threes as they did in the first. George Mason's parade to the foul line (19-for-23 in the second half, 27-for-35 for the game) would prove to be the difference as the Patriots outscored the Monarchs by 17 from the charity stripe. VCU and Drexel are a part of the tie at this point, and while Mason doesn't play Drexel again (the Dragos won the first meeting) they do get two shots at VCU. Can someone in this group earn an at-large berth? The possibility is definitely there at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. No Kevin Parrom to start the trip and no Jordin Mayes on Saturday as well, but that didn't stop Arizona from beating Stanford 56-43 in Palo Alto. That completes the Wildcats' road sweep of the Bay Area schools and keeps them two games back the Pac-12 behind Washington. Kyle Fogg led four players in double figures with 14 points and the Wildcats limited Stanford to 25.4% shooting from the field.

2. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana past Purdue 78-61, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Boilermakers and moving the Hoosiers to 6-6 in the Big Ten. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 16 points and ten rebounds, but Purdue shot just 29.6% from the field in the loss.

3. One team that picked up a much-needed win for their resume was Wyoming, who knocked off #13 UNLV 68-66 in Laramie. Leonard Washington and Paco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Luke Martinez 15 as the Cowboys made up for a disappointing loss to TCU earlier in the week. Larry Shyatt deserves a little more pub nationally than he's received for the Pokes' 18-5 start.

4. How the Atlantic 10 will shake out from an NCAA tournament bid standpoint has been one of the major points of conversation recently, but there may not be much doubt as to who the best team is. Temple sits alone in first place due to their 73-56 win over Rhode Island and La Salle's 70-66 loss to Saint Joseph's. The Owls' perimeter trio of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt may be the best in the A-10, something that seemed preposterous to suggest before the season started due to the presence of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons at Xavier.

5. There's now a tie for first in the Missouri Valley as Northern Iowa knocked off #12 Creighton 65-62 on an Anthony James three as time expired. Wichita State took advantage of this, beating Indiana State 71-66 behind Garrett Stutz' 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. The February 11th rematch in Omaha (Creighton won the first meeting) will likely determine the top seed in Arch Madness.

6. Nevada took their first loss in WAC play as they fell 72-68 to Idaho in Reno. Kyle Barone scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Vandals, who were able to take advantage of Dario Hunt and Malik Story combining to shoot 3-for-12 from the field. While the Wolf Pack are 19-4 overall (8-1 WAC) this is a tough loss to take in regards to a possible at-large bid should they need it (entered the week with an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 182 per the NCAA's numbers). That Sears BracketBusters game at Iona became a lot more important for the visitors.

7. While much of the country focused on the Kansas/Missouri battle there was a big matchup in the Big West, with the winner likely emerging as the biggest threat to Long Beach State in the conference tournament. Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton squad made quite the statement, beating UCSB 99-86 thanks in large part to 37 points from Kwame Vaughn and 25 from Isiah Umipig. Fullerton shot 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 17-for-26 from three to move into a tie for second with UCSB.

8. The majority of the talk surrounding the Conference USA race has centered around the four teams that looked to have the best shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But don't forget about Tulsa, who beat Marshall 79-70 at home to move to 7-2 in league play. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have won seven straight and while they do have to visit Southern Miss, Tulsa gets Memphis at home in the regular season finale.

9. Yes Fab Melo returned to the lineup for #2 Syracuse, but while the big man is definitely a major part of their plans to say his return was the only reason for the Orange's 95-70 win over St. John's would be short-sighted. Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair each scored 14 points and Michael Carter-Williams 13 off the bench and five Syracuse players finished in double figures.

10. Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and corralled ten rebounds as #3 Ohio State avenged last season's loss in Madison with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin. Deshaun Thomas added 16 for the Buckeyes while Wisconsin was done in by their 5-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.

11. There have, and will be, matchups in which it looks unfair to have teams play #1 Kentucky. That's what happened to South Carolina, who was in over their heads in the 86-52 pasting that wasn't that close. Anthony Davis missed out on that elusive triple-double but 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks is nothing to scoff at. It will be fun to see how #11 Florida matches up with the Wildcats on Tuesday night, as the Gators may be the "last stand" for the rest of the SEC.

12. Florida took care of business at home with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt in Gainesville with Kenny Boynton (18 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points, seven rebounds) leading four players in double figures. Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 25 points and John Jenkins added 15 but it's tough to win anywhere much less in the O-Dome when you shoot 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.

13. Without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines it was time for the Connecticut Huskies to step up both their play and their leadership. That happened, as UConn beat a Seton Hall team without the services of Herb Pope 69-46 in what would turn out to be a bad afternoon for Big East coaches from the Garden State. Kevin Willard would get ejected in the loss (Rutgers' Mike Rice was run at Louisville), the sixth in a row for the Pirates. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 for UConn.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Kwame Vaughn and G Isiah Umipig (Cal State Fullerton)
Vaughn put up 37 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB while Umipig added 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

2. F Josten Thomas (Hawai'i)
29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Warriors' 83-81 overtime win at San Jose State.

3. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
40 points (9-14 3PT), four rebounds and four assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 74-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
34 points (12-18 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Wildcats' 93-81 win over Northern Colorado. It's beyond time that Lillard receive some National Player of the Year pub.

5. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
29 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 74-71 win over #8 Kansas.

#4 Missouri vs. #8 Kansas: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:41:31 -0500

One of the consequences of conference realignment has been the ending of some of the best rivalries in college sports. With #4 Missouri (20-2, 7-2) headed to the SEC after this season Saturday night's game with #8 Kansas (18-4, 8-1) could be the last time for a while these two teams meet in Columbia. But that's a mere subplot in this one as the Tigers are looking to move into a tie for first in the Big 12 while Kansas can strengthen their grip on the top spot with a win. The Jayhawks have won ten of the last eleven games in this series, a streak that includes the last two games at Mizzou Arena. That alone should be enough motivation for the Tigers, who have been one of the country's pleasant surprises.

Guard play is a big reason why, as Missouri's depth in this area has helped them make up for the loss of forward Laurence Bowers. Point guard Phil Pressey has run the show at a level that has many considering the sophomore to be one of the country's best point guards, despite the fact that he wasn't named a finalist for the Cousy Award. Pressey's averaging 6.0 assists per game and his assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) is the best on the team. The sophomore can score as well, but that's not as necessary given the other options at his disposal.

Marcus Denmon (17.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Michael Dixon Jr. (12.1 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Matt Pressey (7.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are all reliable perimeter options with all three shooting at least 43% from the field. Kansas isn't as deep on the perimeter when it comes to scoring but they've got some talent as well, led by senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor (16.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) has struggled with turnovers at times but the New Jersey native has reached double figures in scoring seven straight games (20+ points in four of those seven). Elijah Robinson (9.1 ppg, 3.6 apg) is also capable of making plays offensively and he's a good defender to boot, while Travis Releford (9.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has reached double figures in two straight games after being quiet in wins over Texas and Texas A&M.

The play in the front court is what many will keep an eye on due to Missouri's lack of size and Kansas having one of the early favorites for National Player of the Year. Junior forward Thomas Robinson (17.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg) is a grown man inside for the Jayhawks, and his power can make him a man among boys if teams don't do a good enough job defending him. Missouri doesn't have depth inside but they do have the nation's leader in field goal percentage in Ricardo Ratliffe. Ratliffe (14.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is shooting a staggering 75.1% from the floor, due in large part to his understanding that he's most effective within five feet of the rim. Kansas has to be successful in pushing him away from the hoop if they're to limit his scoring opportunities.

Missouri goes small at the four with senior Kim English (14.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), whose ability to step out on the perimeter can prove problematic for opponents. Kansas' Jeff Withey (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.1 bpg) is better equipped to remain inside defensively, which likely means that Robinson gets the matchup with English to start. Foul trouble for both Robinson and Ratliffe will be something to watch early on, especially if the Jayhawks decide not to go small with their five. Justin Wesley and Kevin Young combine to play 21 minutes per game so it's difficult to expect either one to be the recipient of major minutes without foul trouble for one of the key contributors being a reason why.

Both teams are forcing at least 15 turnovers per game but Kansas averages three more miscues per game, something that can't happen in front of what should be a raucous crowd in Columbia. Take care of the basketball and the Jayhawks have the tools needed to take advantage of a Missouri defense that's allowed teams to shoot 43% from the field this season, and Kansas would likely be able to take advantage of their superior rebounding ability as well. Baylor remains a contender in the Big 12 race (and they still host Kansas) but the matchup between the Jayhawks and Tigers will go a long way in setting the tone for the second half of the Big 12 campaign.

There are two other games on the schedule matching ranked teams, and in both cases it's the higher ranked team that's on the road. Ohio State visits Wisconsin in a key Big Ten contest with the hot Badgers, who have won six straight games, looking to move into first place with a win. Jordan Taylor and company were able to knock off the Buckeyes in last season's meeting at the Kohl Center, an experience that should have stuck with the returning Ohio State players. Keep an eye on Deshaun Thomas and Lenzelle Smith Jr. for Ohio State, because if they're both on it's extremely difficult to beat Thad Matta's squad.

Virginia visits a hot Florida State team with the Seminoles looking to at the very least remain tied for first in the ACC, and with wins over North Carolina and Duke already to their credit Leonard Hamilton's team is every bit the threat to win the league. Michael Snaer's been playing well for FSU of late, and Virginia boasts a forward in Mike Scott who is one of the league's best players. If Joe Harris and Sammy Zeglinski play well Tony Bennett's team can leave Tallahassee with a win, and it should be fun to see how FSU attacks Virginia's pack line defense.

Xavier visits Memphis in a non-conference game that's gone from being one of the top matchups when looking at the schedules in October to one that both teams truly need for their respective resumes due to struggles before the calendar flipped to 2012. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons need to get back to consistently being one of the nation's best backcourts for Xavier to be at their best, and Memphis needs consistent play from Joe Jackson. Will Barton has played well enough to merit All-America consideration for the Tigers, and a win for them would go a long way towards making sure Conference USA gets multiple NCAA tournament bids.

If college hoops had bowl games the Seton Hall/Connecticut game would be dubbed the "Desperation Bowl" as both teams are in serious need of some positive momentum. The Pirates have lost five straight as seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope (who is out today due to bruised ribs) haven't always played their best and youngsters who were doing the little things before the skid have slipped as well. UConn has dropped four in a row and with Jim Calhoun taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with spinal stenosis (get well soon, Coach) it's on a group that hasn't shown much in the way of leadership or resolve to figure things out before things get even worse.

Vanderbilt visiting Florida should be a fun game especially when considering the offensive end of the floor, with the Commodores boasting Jeffery Taylor and John Jenkins while the Gators have a three-headed attack on the perimeter consisting of Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal. Notre Dame (hosting Marquette) and Wyoming (hosting UNLV) get ranked teams at home, which could be a good boost for resumes that need some sprucing up in the final month before Selection Sunday, and in the MAAC two of the three teams tied for first meet in Riverdale as Manhattan hosts Iona. Emmy Andujar's banked-in three as time expired won the first meeting, a game that Iona led by 18 with less than eight minutes remaining.

Top 25 Games?
6:00 PM (1) Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN)?
12:00 PM (2) Syracuse at St. John's (ESPN)
?2:00 PM (3) Ohio State at (20) Wisconsin (ESPN)
?9:00 PM (8) Kansas at (4) Missouri (ESPN)
?1:45 PM (6) Baylor at Oklahoma State (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM (6) North Carolina at Maryland (ESPN)?
7:00 PM (9) Murray State at Tennessee-Martin (ESPN3) ?
1:00 PM Vanderbilt at (11) Florida (CBS) ?
5:00 PM (12) Creighton at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
?4:00 PM (13) UNLV at Wyoming (The Mtn.)?
11:00 AM South Florida at (14) Georgetown (ESPNU) ?
1:00 PM (15) Marquette at Notre Dame (CBS) ?
10:00 PM TCU at (17) San Diego State (The Mtn.)
?1:00 PM (18) Virginia at (24) Florida State (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM Auburn at (19) Mississippi State (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM (20) Indiana at Purdue (BTN)
?7:00 PM Columbia at (23) Harvard ?
4:00 PM Rutgers at (25) Louisville (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
?12:00 PM Seton Hall at Connecticut (ESPN3) ?
12:00 PM Detroit at Butler (ESPN2)?
12:00 PM La Salle at Saint Joseph's (CBS SN Regional)
?1:00 PM Boston College at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)?
1:00 PM IPFW at IUPUI ?
1:00 PM Wake Forest at NC State (ESPN3) ?
1:00 PM Xavier at Memphis (FSN) ?
1:00 PM Hartford at Vermont ?
1:00 PM Navy at Lafayette ?
1:00 PM Charlotte at Fordham (YES)
?1:00 PM Winthrop at VMI
?1:45 PM Arkansas at LSU (ESPN3) ?
2:00 PM Sacred Heart at Fairleigh Dickinson ?
2:00 PM Central Michigan at Ohio ?
2:00 PM Temple at Rhode Island (ESPN2)?
2:00 PM Delaware at James Madison (TCN) ?
2:00 PM Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina (MASN)?
2:00 PM Charleston at Appalachian State
?2:00 PM American at Colgate ?
2:00 PM Holy Cross at Lehigh ?
2:00 PM Georgia Southern at Western Carolina ?
2:00 PM Milwaukee at Green Bay (ESPN3)
?2:00 PM Samford at Wofford ?
3:00 PM Arizona at Stanford (FSN)?
3:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Furman ?
3:00 PM East Tennessee State at Kennesaw State ?
3:00 PM Penn State at Iowa (ESPNU) ?
3:00 PM UTSA at Lamar ?
3:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Northwestern State ?
3:00 PM UCF at SMU ?
3:05 PM Evansville at Southern Illinois ?
3:15 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Jacksonville ?
3:30 PM Presbyterian at Campbell ?
3:30 PM Maine at UMBC ?
4:00 PM New Mexico at Boise State (NBC SN) ?
4:00 PM Robert Morris at Mount St. Mary's ?
4:00 PM Clemson at Virginia Tech (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM Miami (OH) at Ball State ?
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman ?
4:00 PM Chattanooga at Davidson ?
4:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Denver (ESPN2)?
4:00 PM Georgia State at Hofstra (FiOS1)
?4:00 PM Texas A&M at Kansas State (ESPN3)
?4:00 PM Howard at Maryland-Eastern Shore
?4:00 PM Coppin State at Morgan State ?
4:00 PM Savannah State at South Carolina State ?
4:30 PM Central Connecticut State at LIU Brooklyn ?
4:30 PM USC Upstate at Mercer ?
4:30 PM Texas State at Nicholls State
?4:30 PM Bryant at St. Francis (NY) ?
5:00 PM Arizona State at California (CSN CA)
?5:00 PM Air Force at Colorado State (CBS SN) ?
5:00 PM Dayton at Saint Louis (FCS)
?5:00 PM Rice at East Carolina ?
5:00 PM Oregon State at Utah
?5:00 PM UCLA at Washington State (ROOT) ?
5:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Central Arkansas ?
5:00 PM Old Dominion at George Mason (ESPNU)
?5:30 PM Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State ?
5:30 PM Alabama State at Mississippi Valley State ?
5:30 PM N.J.I.T. at Chicago State ?
6:00 PM North Carolina Central at Florida A&M ?
6:00 PM Northern Illinois at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
?6:00 PM Iowa State at Oklahoma (ESPN2)
?6:00 PM Pennsylvania at Brown ?
6:00 PM Southern University at Grambling State
?6:30 PM Alcorn State at Jackson State ?
7:00 PM Princeton at Yale
?7:00 PM Massachusetts at George Washington (CSN+) ?
7:00 PM Drexel at Towson (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Cornell at Dartmouth
?7:00 PM Texas Tech at Texas (LHN)
?7:00 PM Santa Clara at San Diego (CSN BAY)?
7:00 PM William & Mary at UNC Wilmington ?
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Albany ?
7:00 PM Boston University at Binghamton
?7:00 PM Army at Bucknell ?
7:00 PM DePaul at Cincinnati (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Delaware State ?
7:00 PM Richmond at Duquesne (ESPNU)?
7:00 PM Morehead State at Eastern Illinois ?
7:00 PM Citadel at Elon ?
7:00 PM Florida International at Florida Atlantic ?
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at High Point
?7:00 PM Western Michigan at Kent State ?
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at Liberty (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Iona at Manhattan (ESPN3)
?7:00 PM Canisius at Marist ?
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Monmouth
?7:00 PM Stetson at North Florida
?7:00 PM Sam Houston State at Southeastern Louisiana ?
7:00 PM Buffalo at Toledo ?
7:00 PM Northeastern at VCU (TCN) ?
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Wagner (Time Warner)
?7:00 PM Northern Colorado at Weber State (Altitude) ?
7:30 PM Eastern Michigan at Akron
?8:00 PM South Alabama at Western Kentucky (FCS) ?
8:00 PM Marshall at Tulsa ?
8:00 PM North Dakota at Texas-Pan American
?8:00 PM Ole Miss at Alabama (ESPN2)
?8:00 PM Alabama A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff ?
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas-Little Rock ?
8:00 PM Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M
?8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at SIU-Edwardsville ?
8:00 PM Georgia at Tennessee (ESPN3) ?
8:00 PM Houston at Tulane ?
8:00 PM Wright State at Valparaiso
?8:00 PM Oakland at Western Illinois
?8:05 PM Missouri State at Drake (ESPN3)
?8:05 PM Utah Valley at Houston Baptist
?8:05 PM Bradley at Illinois State (ESPN3) ?
8:30 PM UMKC at South Dakota ?
8:30 PM Oral Roberts at North Dakota State
?8:30 PM Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri State ?
8:30 PM Southern Utah at South Dakota State ?
8:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy
?8:35 PM Portland State at Northern Arizona (FCS)
?9:00 PM Hawaii at San Jose State ?
9:00 PM Oregon at Colorado (ROOT) ?
9:00 PM Montana at Montana State
?9:00 PM Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State (ESPN3) ?
9:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal State Fullerton (ESPNU) ?
9:00 PM UAB at UTEP (CSS)
?9:05 PM Sacramento State at Eastern Washington ?
10:00 PM UC Davis at UC Riverside
?10:00 PM Pacific at UC Irvine ?
10:00 PM San Francisco at Loyola Marymount ?
10:00 PM Idaho at Nevada ?
10:00 PM Gonzaga at Pepperdine (ROOT)
?10:00 PM BYU at Portland (BYU TV)
?10:00 PM Indiana State at Wichita State (ESPN2) ?
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Bakersfield
?10:05 PM Utah State at Fresno State
?10:10 PM Arkansas State at Seattle ?
10:30 PM Cal State Northridge at Long Beach State (FSN West) ?
11:00 PM USC at Washington (FSN)

Thursday Recap: Cougars Bounce Back in Provo

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:45:36 -0500

A week after being outclassed at home by first-place Saint Mary's there was no ignoring the importance of BYU's game against Gonzaga, especially if the Cougars were to remain alive in the race for second place in the WCC. Dave Rose's team responded as good teams should, taking control of the game with an 11-4 run to close out the first half on their way to an 83-73 victory. The frontcourt matchup proved to be the difference as BYU's duo of Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies outplayed Elias Harris and Robert Sacre, with Hartsock's 24 points and 14 rebounds leading the way.

Davies added 15 points and five rebounds for BYU, who picked up an important resume-building victory to move to 19-6 (7-3) on the season. Harris attempted just three shots for the Bulldogs, making one and finishing with seven points in 21 minutes of action, while Sacre scored 11 points and grabbed five boards. Sam Dower (15 points, five rebounds) and Marquise Carter (11 points) led the way off the bench for Gonzaga, who as a whole didn't not deal well with one of the toughest environments in college basketball.

"We were rattled, frazzled, played with no poise and no composure," remarked Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. "We have two freshmen guards out there. But they were only part of the problem. It was everybody - seniors, juniors. BYU came out and played us physical and got after us. Their posts attacked us very well - Hartsock and Davies."

Gonzaga did manage to score 49 points in the second half as they shot 51.4% from the field but that didn't matter much as BYU was able to find the shots they wanted on the other end (45 points, 54.5% FG). Two reasons for that were guards Matt Carlino (18 points, five assists) and Anson Winder (10 points, five assists). Winder made his first start of the year on Thursday night, replacing Brock Zylstra in the starting lineup as Rose hoped that Zylstra would provide a spark to the bench scoring. Safe to say that Winder provided a boost himself by reaching double figures for the first time since December 20th.

Entering the week ranked 48th in the NCAA's most recently released RPI, BYU was without a win over an RPI Top 50 opponent (0-4) going into Thursday night. To take care of that now is a good development for the Cougars, who wouldn't have another shot until their regular season finale in Spokane. But more importantly the win keeps BYU in the conversation for one of the two double-byes in the conference tournament, which leaves a team two games away from an automatic bid.

"That's a big win for our team and for our guys," said Rose. "Every player that went in the game tonight played with real urgency and a great effort. Our effort was extremely high the whole night and that was our focus going in."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Arizona makes big plays late to win at Cal, showing that they aren't done yet.
There were some who left the Arizona Wildcats for dead in the aftermath of Kevin Parrom's season-ending injury as he broke his right foot in the first half of their two-point loss to Washington (the Huskies are now in sole possession of first place). And the Wildcats did little to erase that doubt early in Berkeley as they trailed Cal by as many as 12 halfway through the first half. But Arizona stormed back, outscoring the Golden Bears 36-14 over the final 10:43 of the half and holding off Cal's many attempts to wrestle away control in the second half to win 78-74. Kyle Fogg came up big on a night that saw Solomon Hill struggle with foul trouble, scoring 23 points and blocking an Allen Crabbe three that would have tied the game in the final seconds.

Jesse Perry added 18 points and four rebounds but there was also a bit of a youth movement for the Wildcats as well. Nick Johnson, who also had a critical blocked shot in the final minute of play, scored 11 points and dished out a team-high five assists and Angelo Chol added eight points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in his best performance of the season with regards to both the stat line and his activity. Josiah Turner was solid as well despite four turnovers, and he's going to have more on his plate with Jordin Mayes going down with a foot injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season. That would be another tough blow for Arizona to absorb, but if Thursday's effort showed anything it's that they won't be going down without a fight.

2. Murray State storms back in the second half to remain undefeated.
Second-place Southeast Missouri State is the biggest threat to Murray State's hope of winning the OVC's automatic bid, and the Redhawks showed why in the first half on Thursday night as they led by as many as 11 and took a 39-33 lead into the half. But that margin proved to be too close for comfort on the road as Isaiah Canaan and company got rolling in the final 20 minutes. Murray shot 22-for-28 from the foul line and out-rebounded SEMO 28-18 (14 offensive rebounds) on their way to the 81-73 win.

Canaan finished with 32 points, five rebounds and three assists and Ivan Aska was one of three other players to reach double figures with ten points and 11 rebounds, moving the Racers to 22-0 on the season. Marcus Brister led four Redhawks in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds but it's tough to win anywhere, much less on the road, when allowing a team to not only whip you on the offensive glass but also attempt 28 free throws. They'll get another crack at Murray State on the 15th, allowing Dickey Nutt's team the opportunity to apply the lessons they've learned, but that's far easier said than done against Steve Prohm's talented squad.

3. St. Francis (NY) beats CCSU to move to 9-2 in the NEC.
One of the better (and more unheralded) coaching jobs has been done in Brooklyn, and while many will rush to point out what Jim Ferry has done at LIU Brooklyn (and rightfully so) he's not the only one getting it done in the borough. Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) Terriers have been the surprise of the NEC this season, and the continued their run of success with a 73-67 win over Central Connecticut State to move to 9-2 in league play. Akeem Johnson and Travis Nichols scored 16 points apiece to lead the way for the Terriers, who won despite allowing the Blue Devils to grab 18 offensive rebounds.

The reason: balance. The CCSU trio of Ken Horton, Robbie Ptacek and Kyle Vinales combined to score 53 points but no other Blue Devil put up more than four while SFNY had four players reach double figures. Also SFNY took care of the basketball as they finished with just eight turnovers, a far cry from their season average of 16.7 per game. St. Francis (NY) doesn't have the star power of an LIU or a Wagner but they're every bit the threat to win the league, something they can take advantage of with two meetings with their borough rivals next week.

Quick Hitters

1. In recent years the matchup with Virginia Tech has given Duke trouble, but there was no such luck for the Hokies on Thursday as the Blue Devils won 75-60. Austin Rivers accounted for 18 points, five rebounds and five assists and Seth Curry and Ryan Kelley combined to score 26 points off the bench.

2. #11 Florida shot just 37.3% from the field against South Carolina but made up for it by making 23 of their 32 free throws in a 74-66 win. Kenny Boynton scored 24 points and Bradley Beal added his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Quick turnaround for the Gators too as they host Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon.

3. Nate Wolters scored 24 points and dished out nine assists to lead South Dakota State past Oral Roberts 75-60, handing the Golden Eagles their first Summit League loss of the season. Dominique Morrison struggled with foul trouble all night, scoring 12 points but attempting just eight shots before fouling out.

4. Josh Brown scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Elfrid Payton added 20 off the bench as Louisiana-Lafayette beat Denver 72-71 in overtime, a result that left the visitors none too pleased thanks to some dubious officiating late. Denver needs to bounce back quickly however as their host the Sun Belt's best team (Middle Tennessee, who beat North Texas) on Saturday afternoon.

5. Idaho State was the preseason pick to finish last in the Big Sky, but after the second game-winning shot from Kenny McGowen (30 points) in less than a week the Bengals are now tied for third with Montana State (who they beat 87-86). At the least ISU is doing themselves the favor of remaining above the fight for those final Big Sky tournament slots, something few expected to happen back in October.

6. Latif Rivers scored 28 points in leading Wagner past Robert Morris 80-69 to keep the Seahawks a game behind LIU Brooklyn in the NEC race. Wagner's tied for second with surprising SFNY, who plays LIU Brooklyn twice next week and the outcome could very well open things up atop the NEC standings.

7. Wes Miller's making it tough on the administration to look for someone other than he to lead the UNC Greensboro program on a permanent basis. The Spartans beat The Citadel 82-71 to move to 7-4 in SoCon play, remaining atop the North Division standings. Trevis Simpson scored 23 and grabbed seven rebounds and Aloysius Henry and Derrell Armstrong combined to score 27 points off the bench.

8. Thanks to some questionable decisions from Detroit early in the second half along with their own shooting Valparaiso moved to 9-3 in the Horizon League with a 78-73 win. Valpo shot 57.9% from the field and 15-for-20 from the foul line in the second half, and Ryan Broekhoff led three Crusaders in double figures with 26 points.

9. Marcos Knight scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Middle Tennessee to a 68-66 win at North Texas, moving the Blue Raiders to 10-0 in the Sun Belt. Alzee Williams scored 29 points to lead the Mean Green, who will be a team to keep an eye on in the conference tournament due to talented players such as Williams and Tony Mitchell. But Kermit Davis' team is clearly the class of the conference, and they're up four games in the loss column in the East Division with six to play.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Lamont "MoMo" Jones and G Scott Machado (Iona)
Jones set a Hynes Center record by scoring 43 points in the Gaels' 105-86 win over Canisius while Machado dished out 14 assists with just two turnovers (14 points as well).

2. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
The nation's leading scorer put up 40 points and five assists in the Wildcats' 92-79 win over Portland State.

3. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech) and C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
These were two of the stars in the matchup between the Golden Eagles and the Governors, which Tennessee Tech won 94-88. Murphy, who scored 50 points in a game earlier this week, paced Tennessee Tech with 33 points and seven rebounds while Fraley scored 31 and grabbed 17 rebounds in a losing effort. Can't forget Tennessee Tech's Jud Dillard either as he scored 29 and grabbed nine boards.

Syracuse Bounces Back on the Road: Monday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:45:16 -0500

For Syracuse fans watching Monday's game between the Orange and Cincinnati, the fact that the Bearcats made four of their first five three-pointers may have been a cause for concern. But the Bearcats made just four the rest of the game (with 20 more attempts), making it important to note that those deep threes that fall early more times than not are "fool's gold" against the Syracuse zone. Kris Joseph rebounded from a quiet game on Saturday to score 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting and as a team the Orange outscored Cincinnati 36-24 in the paint on their way to the 60-53 win.

"In the game against Notre Dame, we got off to a bad start. We just never fought back. Tonight, they hit the four threes," said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. "Sometimes, it's a good thing when they start a game like that. Not always, but sometimes. I wasn't as concerned as I was the other night because we were getting good things on offense."

Syracuse's bench, which allowed them to hang around at Notre Dame while the starters struggled, was quiet with Dion Waiters and James Southerland combining to score nine points on 4-for-15 shooting. But starting guards Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine improved their play as they combined to score 24 points and dish out nine assists. Rakeem Christmas, who looked overwhelmed in the middle at Notre Dame, played much better defense and did things that couldn't be measured simply by looking at his four-point, four-rebound stat line.

"[Rakeem] was huge. Inside on Gates, he did a very good job for a freshman," noted Boeheim. "I thought he was really good in the middle."

Cashmere Wright led the Bearcats with 17 points and four assists and Yancy Gates added 16 and ten rebounds, but the shooting struggles of Dion Dixon and Rakeem Christmas (5-for-18 FG, 3-for-11 3PT) combined with Cincinnati's 3-for-9 night from the foul line did them in. And that's with Syracuse making just five of their fifteen shots from the line. Cincinnati got off to a hot start against the Melo-less Orange, but unlike Saturday the Orange were better equipped mentally to deal with such an opening blow.

"I told the players this was as good a regular-season bounce-back win that I can remember at Syracuse," said Boeheim. "We were just so woeful Saturday night. But, coming here in that atmosphere, the way they started the game to play the way we did - I thought was tremendous."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iona once again relaxes after getting a big lead and they pay dearly for it.
Just eleven days ago Tim Cluess' Gaels lost at the buzzer to Manhattan in a game they led 67-49 at the under-8 media timeout, and their second meeting with Siena came just 20 days after blowing out the Saints at Madison Square Garden. So jumping out to a 20-2 lead means "game over", right? That's what the Gaels seemed to think, and as a result of that complacency the Saints were able to fight their way to a stunning 65-62 win at the Times Union Center. O.D. Anosike led the Saints with 17 points and 15 rebounds, Kyle Downey added 16 and Rob Poole scored 14 off the bench as a team that can only go seven deep picked up the best win of its season to date. On the flip side is the shocking tumble of the Gaels, and the foul trouble of Scott Machado is one reason why.

The senior finished with 16 points, 12 of which came during that opening run, but played just 25 minues due to three first-half fouls (the third coming on a technical for arguing a call from the bench). Mike Glover accounted for 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots but Sean Armand, who knocked down ten three-pointers in the first meeting, attempted just one shot and Momo Jones shot 7-for-20 from the field. Kyle Smyth finished 1-for-5 from deep and as a team the Gaels shot 3-for-16, but the biggest issue has been the on/off switch they use far too often. Now tied with Manhattan and Loyola (MD) atop the MAAC standings, the Gaels likely now find themselves in a position where they have to win the conference tournament to get to the Big Dance.

2. Kansas remains undefeated in Big 12 play despite a spirited fight from Texas A&M.
Many like myself expected Bill Self's team to roll over a Texas A&M squad that was without the services of the injured Khris Middleton. But due to both the Aggies' refusal to lie down and the Jayhawks being a bit too fond of the perimeter shot in the first half Texas A&M took a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Kansas would rebound thanks in large part to Tyshawn Taylor, who scored 17 points, and 11 points off turnovers as they won 64-54 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Thomas Robinson led Kansas with 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Elston Turner led all scorers with 24 points, but the absence of Middleton and the balky ankle of Dash Harris proved to be too much to overcome for the visitors. And the play of Jeff Withey can't be ignored either, as he finished the night with ten points, eight blocked shots and four rebounds. Kansas learned a good lesson in victory, as they'll likely have it drilled into their heads that they're too good to settle for 20 three-point attempts (making just four).

3. Mississippi Valley State increases their lead to two games with an OT win at Texas Southern.
The matchup of the top two teams in the SWAC was nowhere to be found on television but that shouldn't diminish the importance of the Delta Devils' 77-69 overtime win at Texas Southern. Neither team shot particularly well as both hovered around the 38% mark, but the Delta Devils' work on the glass proved to be the difference. MVSU out-rebounded the Tigers 47-36, grabbing 18 offensive boards and outscoring Texas Southern 29-20 in the paint.

Terrence Joyner led four players in double figures with 18 points and Paul Crosby put up a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds. Texas Southern was done in by three starters combining for just nine points, which proved costly despite the fact that the game reached overtime. Texas Southern would be the two-seed in the conference tournament at this point since Southern (Grambling as well) is ineligible for postseason play due to APR issues, but they allowed a great opportunity to at least gain separation on the rest of the conference to slip through their fingers.

Quick Hitters

1. Belmont bounced back from their tough loss to USC Upstate with an 82-70 win at East Tennessee State to remain tied atop the Atlantic Sun with Mercer. Mick Hedgepeth led five Bruins in double figures with 17 points as Belmont won despite shooting 5-for-19 from three and turning the ball over 19 times.

2. The struggles continue for Towson, who hung with Delaware for nearly 30 minutes or so before falling 62-43. The Blue Hens outscored the Tigers, now 0-21 on the season, 20-4 over the final 10:30 and made 18 of 20 from the charity stripe (Towson finished 7-for-14).

3. Loyola Marymount moved to 5-0 in road WCC games as they beat Santa Clara 74-62. Anthony Ireland led the way with 25 points and five assists, and Max Good's team has the talent needed to remain in the race with Saint Mary's, Gonzaga and BYU if not win it.

4. North Carolina A&T nearly blew a 20-points second half lead at Coppin State, but thanks to an Adrian Powell three with 39 seconds remaining in overtime the Aggies left Baltimore with a 93-92 win. In fact, A&T needed a Nic Simpson (22 points) layup as time expired to simply get the game into overtime.

5. Playing in their road uniforms due to having some of their home jerseys swiped over the weekend, Old Dominion beat Northeastern 69-57 to remain a game behind George Mason in the CAA. Trian Iliadis scored 18 points and Chris Cooper posted a double-double (15 points, ten rebounds) as the Monarchs rebounded from their loss at VCU.

Three Notable Performances

1. F O.D. Anosike (Siena)
The nation's leading rebounder scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Saints' 65-62 win over Iona.

2. C Matt Groselle (Citadel)
20 points and 14 rebounds in the Bulldogs' 78-72 double-overtime loss at Georgia Southern. Groselle played 49 of the 50 minutes.

3. G D.J. Brown (San Jose State)
33 points (9-11 FG, 9-10 FT) and four rebounds in the Spartans' 78-70 win over Cal State Bakersfield.

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends": Iona's Jeff Ruland

Jon Teitel — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:19:04 -0500

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Iona great Jeff Ruland, who remains to this day one of the school's greatest players. Ruland still ranks in the Top 5 all-time in points, rebounds and field goal percentage, and he's now the head coach at the University of the District of Columbia.

Jon Teitel: You were nicknamed "McNasty". Who gave you the nickname, and how did you like it?

Jeff Ruland: Celtics announcer Johnny Most gave me the name. It was all right.

JT: In 1977 you were named to the first-ever McDonald's All-America team. What did it mean to you to be named a high school All-American, and which of your other honorees impressed you the most (Magic Johnson, Albert King, other)?

JR: I have known Albert since I was 14 years old, and he was as talented as anyone I have ever seen. The downside is that the coach only played me 12 minutes in the game, but I still ended up scoring 12 points. However, Magic played for 30 minutes and was named MVP.

JT: You played for Coach Jim Valvano at Iona, and you would often go to his home after practice to shoot baskets in his backyard with his daughter Nicole. What made Valvano such a great coach, and what made him such a great person?

JR: He was a great recruiter and motivator. He acted as a father figure for me, as I lost my dad when I was younger.

JT: What are your memories of the 1979 NCAA Tournament (Ruland scored 19 points in a four-point loss to Penn, who was led by Tony Price with 27 points and 12 rebounds)?

JR: It was disappointing. We took them a little for granted. We almost won it on a shot towards the end but were called for traveling.

JT: What are your memories of the 1980 NCAA Tournament (Ruland scored 16 points in a six-point win over Holy Cross for the only tournament win in school history, then scored 16 more in a three-point loss to Georgetown)?

JR: I was playing with two broken hands. I was open late in the Georgetown game but one of my teammates took a shot himself and missed it. He later said that he was recruited to take that shot, and I told him that I was recruited to MAKE that shot!

JT: You were named ECAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman and later were a two-time All-American. What did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors?

JR: I won the Haggerty Award during my junior year (given to the metropolitan New York Division I college basketball Player of the Year). Not to sound full of myself, but I actually thought that I should have won it the two previous years as well.

JT: In the summer of 1980 you left school early and were drafted 25th overall by Golden State (10 spots ahead of Rick Mahorn, aka "McFilthy"). Why did you decide to leave school early, and what did it mean to you make it to the NBA?

JR: I left school early because I messed up and signed with an agent. Future Hall of Famer Larry Fleisher told me that I would be taken in the top-16...then called me up right before the draft and told me that he could not represent me. I was a little bitter about being picked 25th, but it was a dream to finally make it to the NBA.

JT: Instead of playing for Golden State you decided to play professionally in Barcelona for one year (where Ruland averaged a double-double), and $8,000 of your contract money was confiscated/impounded by the Spanish court when your agent George Kalafatis tried to take it out of the country. Why did you decide to go overseas, and did you ever get the money back?

JR: George lost my money, and then I was cheated out of the money. George took $10,000 and I told him to put it in his luggage, but he decided to play "I Spy" and sew it into his trench coat. The police found it, and then they took it.

JT: The following year you returned to the US after Golden State traded you to Washington, and in your first year with the Bullets you averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game off the bench while playing behind Spencer Haywood. Was it weird to be traded before even playing a single minute for the Warriors, and how were you able to be so effective off the bench?

JR: It was weird because the Bullets took Wes Matthews 11 spots ahead of me in the draft, which gave me a little chip on my shoulder. I liked coming off the bench because I could watch the flow of the game and then come in and do some damage, including getting to play most of the fourth quarter.

JT: You were twice named an All-Star, including the 1984 game that was a nine-point overtime win for the East. What did it mean to you to be an All-Star, and what do you remember most about the 1984 game?

JR: It was a great honor, although I had hoped to be selected the year before as well. 1984 was special because my daughter Courtney was born about one week before the game. Playing with Dr. J was great, as I had watched him play a lot while growing up.

JT: In 1984 you lost to eventual champion Boston in the playoffs while putting up an amazing 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists per game. How were you able to put up such great stats, and where does that Celtics team rank among the best you have ever played against?

JR: That Celtics team is definitely in the top-3, if not the best. I just tried to play hard and do what was asked of me. Boston was double-teaming me a lot, so I was able to find my teammates quite often to get a lot of assists.

JT: After playing an average of 79 games during your first three seasons, you broke a bone in your foot in 1985 and played just 72 total games over the next three years. How devastating was that injury, and do you ever wonder how your career would have been different if you had remained healthy?

JR: I came back too early from an ankle injury and came down after a shot and it just popped. It was tough to deal with at age 28, as I was never the same again. Then again, if that had not happened I might not have gone back to get my degree and go into coaching. I believe that everything happens for a reason.

JT: In 1991 you made a comeback with Philadelphia, but after 13 games you sustained an Achilles injury after a Celtics employee allegedly slammed a luggage cart into your leg outside Boston Garden. Is that a true story, and do you think it was an accident?

JR: It is true, and it was not an accident. Earlier that day I had broken up a fight between the ballboy and a Celtics traveling secretary. The guy ran the cart into me, which had about 50 bags on it. I had eyewitnesses and I sued the team, but the case was tried in Boston so they had a little home-cooking. I made the seconnd-greatest comeback behind George Foreman, but sadly I did not have a grill!

JT: You played 11 games with Detroit the following season before retiring for good in January 1993, and you are one of a very few former players to average 17-plus points, ten-plus rebounds and a field goal percentage above 55% for your career (Artis Gilmore and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the others). Did you feel frustrated that you could not go out on your own terms, and do you consider yourself to be one of the best big men in NBA history?

JR: Those numbers could have been even better if I had not played at all after the injury. I am proud of the seasons when I was healthy. As far as being one of the best big men: yes and no. Deep down I know I was but I just did not have the longevity. My mother (God rest her soul) messed up by having me too early before the salaries became what they are today!

JT: After retiring you became an assistant coach in Philadelphia under Fred Carter. What was it like to work under Fred?

JR: I learned a lot under Fred, but it was not fun working under owner Harold Katz.

JT: You later returned to coach at your alma mater, where you won three MAAC titles. What made you such a successful college coach?

JR: I had played the game all my life and I recruited pretty well, but it ended badly at Iona.

JT: What are your memories of the 2000 NCAA Tournament (Iona fell behind 23-4 to start the game before losing by 15 to Maryland)?

JR: Our guys were a little awestruck. After falling behind early we actually played them even the rest of the game.

JT: What are your memories of the 2001 NCAA Tournament (Courtney Fields drove into the lane and had the ball knocked away by Rahim Lockhart with two seconds left in a two-point loss to Ole Miss)?

JR: We lost our big freshman PF Greg Jenkins in the 1st half which hurt us inside. I thought Fields got fouled, but in retrospect maybe I should have had us shoot a three to try to win it.

JT: What are your memories of the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Glen Davis led LSU to the win with 22 points and 13 rebounds)?

JR: LSU had to go to a zone defense to beat us, which is saying something. We actually did a pretty good job against "Big Baby", but a couple of his teammates helped out as well.

JT: In 2009 you became the head coach at the University of the District of Columbia, and your team had to play several games with only five players due to health and eligibility problems. How on earth do you coach a team that does not have a bench, and how did you hope to bounce back?

JR: Let me just say that I got the job one week before the semester started while we were on probation. It was a horrible year but it is over with, and we had a good recruiting class going into the next season.

Ruland is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in MAAC history.

Canisius: Ray Hall (1985) 2226 PTS (#1), 219 STL (#1), 77.7 FT% (#5), All-American
Fairfield: Joe DeSantis (1979) 1916 PTS (#2), 667 AST (#2), 84.9 FT% (#1), All-American
Iona: Jeff Ruland (1980) 1855 PTS (#4), 1067 REB (#2), 63.5 FG% (#1), 2-time All-American
Loyola (MD): Kevin Green (1992) 2154 PTS (#2), 162 3PM (#3), 40.5 3P% (#4), 159 STL (#3)
Manhattan: Luis Flores (2004) 2046 PTS (#1), 163 3PM, 161 STL, 88 FT% (#1), All-American, 2-time conference POY
Marist: Rik Smits (1988) 1945 PTS (#2), 811 REB (#3), 345 BLK (#1), 60.9 FG% (#1), All-American, 2-time conference POY
Niagara: Calvin Murphy (1970) 2548 PTS (#1), 84.9 FT%, 3-time All-American
Rider: Jason Thompson (2008) 2040 PTS (#3), 1171 REB (#1), 235 BLK (#1), 52.6 FG% (#1), conference POY
Siena: Marc Brown (1991) 2284 PTS (#1), 796 AST (#1), 221 STL (#2), 224 3PM (#4), 42.3 3P% (#5), 2-time All-American, conference POY
Saint Peter's: Keydren Clark (2006) 3058 PTS (#1), 501 AST (#2), 265 STL (#1), 435 3PM (#1), 36.5 3P% (#2), 85.5 FT% (#1), conference POY

Iona vs. Rider: Friday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:15:59 -0500

Light schedule tonight with Ivy League Fridays not really getting going on a consistent basis until next weekend, but there are some entertaining matchups to keep fans occupied. Both MAAC matchups consist of top-half (of the standings) teams taking on squads hoping to avoid "First Round Friday" in March's conference tournament. One such game is Iona hosting Rider on ESPNU, and while Tommy Dempsey's Broncs have been a major disappointment this year they have the firepower necessary to keep up with the Gaels.

But can Danny Stewart and company defend well enough to keep talents such as Scott Machado (the national leader in assists) and Mike Glover (AKA Optimus Prime) in check? Novar Gadson, who has found the going tough in recovering from offseason microfracture surgery, has shot 5-for-17 in his last three games and one has to wonder if there's some fatigue at play. The chemistry was off during non-conference play, especially with the addition of Virginia transfer Jeff Jones, but that seemed to be improving some before dropping games at Siena and Fairfield.

Also in the MAAC surprising Manhattan visits a Marist team that seems to be young every season, and it could become a situation where Chuck Martin's club needs a run in the MAAC Tournament to avoid a regime change. Freshman Chavaughn Lewis has been one of the better rookies in the MAAC and he's second on the team in scoring to Devin Price, but the Red Foxes average 15.7 turnovers per game. That could be an issue against Steve Masiello's Jaspers, who will look to ramp up the tempo with their full-court pressure.

George Beamon has led the way offensively for Manhattan, and after last season some seemed to forget how explosive a scorer he was in high school. Manhattan is a young team as well but they've all bought in to Masiello's vision for the program, and the team's experienced more success than expected as a result. Last year's meeting in Poughkeepsie looked to be a win for the home team...until Michael Alvarado did this. Hopefully we get similar fireworks tonight.

The best game of the night is in the Horizon League as first-place Milwaukee visits a Youngstown State team that's turned some heads this season. Seniors Kaylon Williams and Tony Meier lead the way for Rob Jeter's club, but they're going to have to be at their best defensively especially on the perimeter as the Penguins have multiple scoring options there. But what Youngstown State doesn't have is muscle in the paint, and Milwaukee may be able to take advantage of that. Butler was able to do so last weekend in their home win over YSU, and that could be what keeps Youngstown State from being a title contender this season.

Cleveland State is another Horizon contender and they host Green Bay, a team that has the ability to upset an unsuspecting title contender if not work their way back into the race. Center Alec Brown leads the way for the Phoenix, and his height (7'1") could be an issue for the Vikings in the paint. But can Green Bay slow down Jeremy Montgomery? That's easier said than done. And in the Atlantic Sun, Florida Gulf Coast visits Stetson in a battle of teams that are hoping to eventually separate from a middle of the pack that features five teams with either three or four league losses.

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Stetson (ESPN3)
7:05 PM Milwaukee at Youngstown State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Green Bay at Cleveland State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Manhattan at Marist (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Rider at Iona (ESPNU)

"Coaching Greats" Series: Pat Kennedy (Iona, FSU, DePaul, Montana, Towson)

Jon Teitel — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:23:07 -0500

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Pat Kennedy, who spent more than thirty years as a Division I head coach. During his time at Iona, Kennedy led the Gaels to three MAAC titles and two NCAA appearance, taking over for the late Jim Valvano after he moved on to NC State. After his time in New Rochelle, Kennedy went on to coach at Florida State, DePaul and Towson.

Jon Teitel: After three years as an assistant at Iona you replaced your mentor Jim Valvano as head coach at age 28. What made Valvano such a great coach, and what made him such a great mentor?

Pat Kennedy: Jim was a renaissance man. He was very much out of the mold of an Al McGuire. When you work with a guy in athletics you work together 24/7. What made him such a great coach is that he really studied game situations rather than X's and O's, and had the guts to put it into the framework of a game plan.

JT: USA Today cited your program at Iona as having one of the most outstanding graduation rates in college athletics, and at DePaul you suspended three of your top four scorers for academic reasons (even though they were eligible by NCAA standards). What importance do you place on academics, and how do you balance it with athletics?

PK: Anybody that is a coach at this level who does not understand the importance of players getting an education has something wrong with them. If you are sincere when you are recruiting guys then it is easy to back it up once they get to campus. If you are phony up front then you will be seen as a phony at the back end. If you sell it to a kid and his family and then the kid misses class or study hall, then he is missing out on a big part of the program.

JT: What are your memories of the 1984 NCAA Tournament (Othell Wilson made a jumper in the lane with six seconds left for a one-point Virginia win)?

PK: That Virginia team was very good, as they went on to the Final Four. We played our brains out on St. Patty's Day and executed our game plan very well. I was extremely proud of that team: that is the kind of game that coaches remember the most.

JT: What are your memories of the 1985 NCAA Tournament (senior co-captain Tony Hargraves missed a potential game-tying free throw with three seconds left in a one-point loss to Loyola-Illinois)?

PK: Loyola had a kid named Alfredrick Hughes, who was an All-American that year. That one really hurt because I felt that we were unlucky. The one good thing about that night is that I ended up meeting Doug Bruno (long-time women's coach at DePaul), who has become a great friend.

JT: In 1991 your team won Florida State's first-ever conference tournament title when Charlie Ward made a game-winning shot in a comeback win over Louisville. Where does Ward's shot rank among the most clutch you have ever seen, and how big a deal was it to win the conference tournament?

PK: We had to make a huge comeback just to put ourselves in that position. Charlie's shot was probably the biggest of his career. The FSU baseball team was playing Miami down the street at the same time, and I heard that their game was interrupted by the screams coming from our gym!

1992 NCAA Tournament

JT: You had a costly ten-point win over Montana in Boise when Ward dislocated his left shoulder. Did you fear that your chances of making a deep run in the tournament had fallen apart?

PK: Yes, but it just showed me how great Sam Cassell was going to be. I think Sam was the best player I ever had, with Quentin Richardson a close 2nd.

JT: Doug Edwards had 15 points and 16 rebounds in a ten-point win over Georgetown. How on earth were you able to keep Alonzo Mourning from making a field goal in the first half?

PK: I gave Sam the ball and ran a box offense, but I think the key is that we had less than ten turnovers that night. I pulled a page out of the Valvano playbook and told Bob Sura to play right in Mourning's chest. Mourning got frustrated because Sura would just wait for him to bring the ball down and then tie him up or poke it away.

JT: Edwards had 20 points in a loss to Indiana (who was led by Eric Anderson with 24 points off the bench). What was it like to coach a tournament game against Bob Knight, and do you think the bench scoring was the key to the game?

PK: We were concentrating on Calbert Cheaney but Anderson stepped up and played extremely well. That was the tournament when Knight brought out the whip! I was secretly offered the UNLV job the night before that game. Andrea Joyce from CBS came up to me and said that it was reported I was offered the job, and after the cat was out of the bag I decided to stay at FSU. I actually kept the contract from UNLV, as people forget how hot we were at FSU.

1993 NCAA Tournament

JT: Sam Cassell scored 18 points and your team had an 18-0 run during the first half of your win over Evansville in Orlando. Did you feel like you had a home-court advantage, and was the game over after that run?

PK: We became a very confident tournament team and we had a group of guys who felt they could win under any circumstances. What hurt us was that we had some injuries each year that we got to the tournament.

JT: Cassell scored 31 points and set a tournament record by making all seven of his three-pointers in a win over Tulane. Where does Cassell's shooting display rank among the best you have ever seen?

PK: Sam had so many of those kinds of efforts for us. The only other thing that could compare was a five or six-overtime game that we won at Fairfield back in the day.

JT: Cassell missed two shots in the final ten seconds of regulation, but Cypheus Bunton's potential game-tying three-point shot hit the rim twice before falling out and giving you a three-point overtime win over Western Kentucky. Did you feel that you might have blown it after Cassell missed the free throw, and did you think that Bunton's shot was going in?

PK: That was a very good WKU team who was well-coached by Ralph Willard. It did not surprise me that Bunton's shot missed because we had a bit of destiny going our way.

JT: Jared Prickett had 22 points (9-12 FG) and 11 rebounds in a 106-81 Kentucky victory. What was it like to coach a tournament game against Rick Pitino, and where does that rank among the best offensive displays you have ever seen?

PK: We actually cut their lead to one with nine minutes left before Prickett took over due to his height advantage over Sura. They just had more horses and wore us down.

1997 Postseason NIT

JT: You beat Syracuse (the first Big East team to ever win 18+ regular season games and not make the NCAA Tournament). Did it seem to you like their players were not focused because they felt that they belonged in the tournament instead?

PK: I think all Syracuse teams that do not get to the tournament are unhappy.

JT: James Collins scored a career-high 29 points as you turned a five-point deficit with less than a minute left in regulation into a six-point overtime win over Connecticut (Richard Hamilton had 26 for UConn). How were you able to even get the game into overtime, and could you tell at the time that Hamilton was going to become a star?

PK: Hamilton was a great player. Our most important guy was PG Kerry Thompson, as he controlled the tempo of the game (only two turnovers in 39 minutes).

JT: Robert "Tractor" Traylor had 26 points and 13 rebounds and was named NIT MVP in a nine-point Michigan win in the title game. How unstoppable was Traylor, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards?

PK: Michigan had a great talented team. I thought Traylor could have been even better if he had some good conditioning.

JT: What are your memories of the 1999 NIT (Quentin Richardson had 23 points and ten rebounds in a five-point win over Northwestern, and then Willie Coleman missed a shot at the buzzer in a one-point loss to Cal)?

PK: I did not think we were ready to make a big run.

JT: What are your memories of the 2000 NCAA Tournament (Kenny Gregory scored 22 points [11-12 FG] in Kansas' five-point overtime win)?

PK: We had the game won but could not inbound the ball at the end. Kansas made some plays down the stretch that we did not make. Rick Reilly said that if all our talented players stuck around long enough even the school janitor could have led us to the title as a point guard!

JT: In 2004 you served as the president of the NABC. Why did you take the job, and how did you like it?

PK: The NABC helps shape NCAA legislation and I really enjoyed the exchange of ideas and getting to be around great colleagues. When you have one occupation your entire life it is great to be able to give something back.

JT: Before resigning last year you were one of a very few active coaches who spent at least 30 straight years as a Division I coach (along with legends such as Jim Calhoun, Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim). What is the key to sticking around so long, and what do you hope to do in the future?

PK: The other three guys are already in the Hall of Fame. I might be the only one who does not end up there! I was always the youngest of my group but we all have an incredible passion for basketball and are pretty good guys, which helps make the difference. We are honest with our administration, develop a good power base, etc. Norm Stewart at Missouri might have been the greatest of all. I feel pretty good and think I could coach for another ten years or so.

JT: You were previously recognized by the Special Olympics as its Volunteer Man of the Year. When did you 1st start working with the Special Olympics, and what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

PK: I met my wife of 32 years (Jean) through the Special Olympics; it was her passion. We are involved and our team was as well.

JT: You were one of the owners of one of Ireland's first professional basketball teams (the Burger Land Team of Cork). How did you get involved in Irish pro basketball, and how has the sport progressed in the Emerald Isle during your lifetime?

PK: I just got involved with too many Irishmen from NYC! Walter Kennedy was the NBA commissioner at the time and a lot of guys were pulled together to help start a team over there. They were actually known as the Blue Demons so I was able to send them some stuff once I got to DePaul! Connecticut assistant coach George Blaney was extremely instrumental in building gyms and sending equipment.

JT: Your son Joe was a guard for Northwestern and was team captain during his senior year. How proud are you of his success?

PK: I never coached him but got to watch him play all throughout high school. As a junior he was an intern for then-Senator Barack Obama, was later hired to be part of the transition team, and then worked at the White House under Valerie Jarrett. However, he was dying to get back into coaching someday, so he became director of operations at his alma mater.

Kennedy is also on Jon's list of best coaches in MAAC history.

Canisius: John Beilein (1992-1997) 89-62, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Fairfield: George Bisacca (1958-1968) 151-85, 3 NCAA tourneys
Iona: Pat Kennedy (1980-1986) 124-60, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Loyola (MD): Emil "Lefty" Reitz (1937-1944, 1945-1961) 349-227
Manhattan: Ken Norton (1946-1968) 300-205, 2 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles
Marist: Dave Magarity (1986-2004) 253-259, 1 NCAA tourney, 3 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Niagara: John "Taps" Gallagher (1931-1943, 1946-1965) 465-261, 6 conference titles
Rider: Kevin Bannon (1989-1997) 131-103, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Siena: Fran McCaffery (2005-2010) 112-51, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
St. Peter's: Don Kennedy (1950-1972) 323-195

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

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:48:48 -0500

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.

Thursday Recap: Virginia Falls Short at Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:04:00 -0500

Thursday was a big night for the Virginia Cavaliers as they were looking for their first win at Duke since 1995, and a victory over the sixth-ranked Blue Devils would raise their ceiling even higher.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from three in the second half Tony Bennett's team still had two chances to send the game into overtime, but neither fell and the Blue Devils hung on to win 61-58. On a night that Duke shot 5-for-20 from three against the ACC's best when it comes to defending the bonus shot the Blue Devils needed a group effort to move their home win streak to 44 games.

Mason Plumlee scored 12 points to lead four players in double figures, and he could have scored more if not for a 2-for-10 outing at the foul line. Duke finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52.2%, as making 73.0% of their two-point attempts made up for the poor perimeter shooting. With their outside shots not falling Duke needed to clamp down on defense, and they did just that as two Virginia starters (Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski) failed to score a single point.

"I also thought it was by far the best defensive game that Andre Dawkins has ever played," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski of his junior guard's defensive contribution. "Everyone talks about his shooting, but he really played well defensively. And we did a good job against Zeglinski and Harris...we were able to at least limit Harris and we were fortunate we shut down Zeglinski."

The one player Duke didn't have an answer for was forward Mike Scott, who scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. Virginia had the pace they preferred, playing a 59-possession game on the road against an opponent that averages 70 possessions/game, and they did a good job of limiting the open looks for Duke's prolific shooters.

That's definitely something the Cavaliers can build on in the days leading up to their game at Georgia Tech next Thursday. Coach Bennett and his team certainly shouldn't be in the business of claiming moral victories but if anything Virginia showed that, in addition to their own growth as a program, there's a sizeable gap between the top three and the rest of the ACC.

"Tonight, it could have been the same situation, and I thought they got a little tougher and stingier defensively," said Bennett when asked to compare this season's meeting to last year's (76-60 Duke win). "That got us back on track. Then we made some baskets. That is why we at least had some chances at the end to send it into overtime."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wisconsin jumps out to a big lead and picks up a much-needed win at Purdue.
Slow starts had been a problem in recent games for Bo Ryan's team leading up to their game in West Lafayette, and with a 1-3 record in Big Ten play Wisconsin needed to figure out a solution. Instead of the usual methodical pace the Badgers found (and made) quick looks from beyond the arc in their swing offense to take control of the game, scoring 22 of the first 26 points before holding on in the second half to win 67-62. Five players reached double figures for the Badgers but the biggest surprise had to be senior Mike Bruesewitz, a glue guy who knocked down all four of this three-point attempts and scored 12 points.

Terone Johnson led Purdue with 16 points off the bench and Robbie Hummel added 13, but with Lewis Jackson not 100% physically and other options struggling from the field the Boilermakers didn't have enough to overcome the hole they dug for themselves early. As a team Purdue made just 35.1% of their two-point shots, a far cry from their mark for the season (49.4%), and that's a testament to Wisconsin's defense and not just Purdue's inability to make shots. In order to get back on track Wisconsin looked for scoring opportunities earlier in their sets to start the game, and that proved to be the difference.

"We gave them respect and talked about not giving them 'rhythm shots' and I think they got too many 'rhythm shots' and got their head up early," remarked Purdue head coach Matt Painter after the game.

2. Saint Mary's whips Gonzaga to go 2-0 against the other WCC contenders at home.
Saint Mary's early WCC schedule can be summed up by using the title of Jay-Z's "Blueprint 2" album. "The Gift" was getting to host both BYU and Gonzaga early in league play. The key for Randy Bennett's team is to make sure that having to play both teams on the road in the second half of the season season doesn't turn out to be "The Curse". The Gaels controlled the Bulldogs in the second half on Thursday night, pushing their lead out to as many as 24 after leading 37-32 just over a minute into the half. Saint Mary's won 83-62 despite forward Rob Jones not scoring until 1:39 remaining in the game, but he made up for the lack of scoring by grabbing 11 rebounds and racking up eight assists.

A big reason why Saint Mary's was able to pull away in spite of Jones' lack of scoring was the play of forward Brad Waldow, who posted his first career double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. And with Gonzaga's Robert Sacre making just one of seven shots and scoring four points, the visitors from Spokane couldn't take advantage. Matthew Dellavedova, who like Seton Hall's Jordan Theodore continues to make the Cousy Award selection committee look siily for leaving him off the finalists list, scored a game-high 26 points and dished out six assists while Stephen Holt added 15 and six assists. But essentially the Gaels held serve in the three-team race for the WCC crown with the two home wins. Whether or not Saint Mary's can take this show on the road will determine whether or not they end up on top at the end of the season.

3. Drexel ends George Mason's 18-game regular season conference win streak.
After wins over Old Dominion and Georgia State, Paul Hewitt's Patriots entered Thursday's matchup with Drexel full of confidence and rightfully so as George Mason had won 18 straight regular season CAA games. But thanks in large part to a freshman who had made five of his last fifteen field goals, the Dragons snapped Mason's streak and forced a three-way tie for first place in the CAA. Damion Lee made eight of his fourteen shots and scored a game-high 21 points (16 in the second half), picking up the slack for Drexel as fellow starters Frantz Massenat (4-18 FG, 12 points) and Derrick Thomas (2-9 FG, eight points) struggled from the field.

What also helped Drexel was their effort on the defensive end, as they harassed Ryan Pearson and Vertail Vaughns into a combined 2-for-16 night from the field. What also didn't help George Mason were their turnovers, more specifically Drexel's ability to take advantage of the Patriots' miscues. George Mason turned the ball over just ten times (Drexel finished with nine turnovers), but the Dragons scored 16 points off of those turnovers compared to six for the visitors. Drexel also won the battle on the boards (41-30), grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and while they didn't cash those in at a great clip (11 second-chance points) those extra shots can make the difference when shooting just 36.2%. Lee's second half will stick out however and rightfully so, as his outburst not only tightened things up at the top of the CAA but kept Drexel in the discussion.

Quick Hitters

1. Virginia wasn't the only team to show well on the road in defeat. Colorado did the same, and their 57-50 loss at California was closer than the final margin would indicate. Tad Boyle's team leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, and Carlon Brown has done a much better job of picking his spots over the last month. And in forward Andre Roberson, who leads the conference in rebounding and accounted for 11 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday, Colorado's got one of the nation's most underrated players.

2. Minnesota picked up their first Big Ten win of the season at Indiana of all places, beating the Hoosiers 77-74. Austin Hollins led the Golden Gophers with 18 points, and they did just enough late to hold off an Indiana team that refused to quit. Indiana's problem: they made just four of eighteen shots from three on the night, a far cry from their percentage for the season (45.9%).

3. Saturday's showdown in the Big Sky will feature teams undefeated in league play as Montana (4-0) and Weber State (5-0) took care of business against Northern Arizona and Montana State respectively. Scott Bamforth scored 20 points in Weber State's 63-49 win over Montana State while Kareem Jamar led three Montana starters in double figures with 15 points (and seven rebounds) in the Grizzlies' 78-53 win at NAU.

4. It was a struggle but Oral Roberts found a way to remain undefeated in Summit League play, moving to 7-0 with a 71-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois. Dominique Morrison played all 50 minutes and scored a game-high 27 points and Steven Roundtree added 12 off the bench for the Golden Eagles.

5. UNC Asheville came back from a 12-point halftime deficit at Campbell to beat the Camels 89-82 and move to 6-0 in the Big South. Jeremy Atkinson was the catalyst as he scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half. Matt Dickey chipped in with 19 points and ten rebounds, J.P. Primm scored 18 and sixth man Jaron Lane added 13 off the bench.

6. The comeback of the day, and possibly of the season to date, happened in New Rochelle as Manhattan stormed back from 17 down with less than eight minutes remaining to beat rival Iona 75-72. Emmy Andujar's turnaround three as time expired was the difference, but don't discount the effort of Rhamel Brown (17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks) either. Steve Masiello's surprising Jaspers are now just a game out of first place in the MAAC, and this result also makes Friday's game between Loyola (MD) and Fairfield even more important.

7. Quinnipiac picked up a much-needed win as they beat Robert Morris in Moon Township 78-76 to move to 2-3 in the NEC. With just the top eight teams qualifying for the conference tournament Tom Moore's team needed a win, and thanks to 22 points from James Johnson and 18 from Dave Johnson (no relation) the mission was accomplished.

8. Yes things got heated during overtime in Arizona's 91-83 win over Oregon State, with OSU's Joe Burton and Arizona's Kyryl Natyazhko being ejected for leaving their respective bench areas. But no punches were thrown during an interaction that featured more jawing than anything else thanks to quick-acting coaches and officials. Instead the focus should be on the fact that Craig Robinson's team dropped to 1-4 in conference play, and anything less than a split of the weekend (they visit Arizona State on Saturday) would be the end of the Beavers' title hopes despite the wide-open nature of the conference.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
Long Beach State has sole possession of first place in the Big West and Martin's a big reason why. Martin scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Highlanders' 79-70 overtime win over UCSB.

2. C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii)
23 points (9-11 FG), 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Warriors' 74-68 overtime win at Fresno State.

3. C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
25 points (10-12 FG) and 12 rebounds in the Governors' 80-65 win over Eastern Kentucky.

Bubble Watch: Mid-Majors Clinging to At-Large Bids

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:33:00 -0500

Based on CollegeHoops.net's most recent Bracketology projection, here is how the NCAA Tournament Bubble currently stands. CHN will publish Bubble Watch on Tuesday's following the Bracketology update.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. Teams are listed in order of likelihood of making the tournament.

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	AP
	10	Vanderbilt	SEC	10-4	39	48	58	29
	11	Temple	A10	9-3	27	44	52
	11	Pittsburgh	BE	11-4	79	53	70	31
	11	Virginia Tech	ACC	11-3	38	35	33
	12	Arizona	P12	10-4	53	41	56
	12	Minnesota	B10	12-3	20	46	47
	13	Cincinnati	BE	11-3	117	47	63	34
	13	Northwestern		11-3	29	68	49
	13	Florida St	ACC	8-5	78	40	62
	13	Marshall	CUSA	9-4	68	60	54
Bubble
		Memphis	CUSA	8-5	33	31	26
		BYU	WCC	12-4	69	20	32
		Oklahoma	B12	10-3	42	69	55
		St. Joseph's	A10	10-4	41	54	51
		Dayton	A10	10-4	35	70	60
		Northern Iowa	MVC	10-4	30	65	64
		Ole Miss	SEC	10-4	49	112	86
		Washington	P12	8-5	77	51	68
		Texas A&M	B12	9-4	226	85	134	35
		NC State	ACC	8-4	73	62	59

Dropped Out of Bubble Watch: Oregon St

Projected Conference Champs that would be on the Bubble if they lost title:

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	AP
	11	Southern Miss	CUSA	13-2	18	72	37
	12	Ohio	MAC	12-2	62	66	43	27
	12	Iona	MAAC	11-3	32	42	45
	13	Middle Tennessee	SB	13-2	80	57	41
Bubble
		Belmont	ASUN	10-5	64	28	34
		Cleveland St	HOR	12-3	58	101	74	38
		Long Beach St	BW	8-6	16	37	38

Projected Conference Leaders Out of Bubble Watch: Charleston

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @collegehoopsnet :