Kansas

Rivers' Shot Caps Duke Rally: Wednesday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:36:16 -0500

There have been some thrilling comebacks in the history of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry, but surprisingly there haven't been many games that have been decided at the buzzer. Wednesday night's game in Chapel Hill wasn't a case of "down eight with 17 seconds to go" as it was in meetings in 1974 (UNC with the comeback and win) and 1995 (Duke with the comeback but UNC ended up winning), but with the Tar Heels up ten (80-70) with 3:35 remaining one would expect them to win.

But missed free throws and botched possessions late left the door slightly ajar, and the Blue Devils would take advantage as Austin Rivers' three from the right wing as time expired gave Duke the 85-84 win. Rivers was Duke's best offensive player as he scored 29 points, but even with his numbers the many critics were sharpening their knives with the expectation being that North Carolina would close the game out. Rivers and company would prevent that by outscoring UNC 15-4 over the final 3:35, resulting in a three-way tie atop the ACC.

"They made the right plays and we didn't. I mean, it's just that simple," said UNC wing Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half. "You've got to give credit where credit is due, and they played a great game."

Rivers is the focus on any night for the Blue Devils for the simple fact that he is Duke's most talented perimeter player, and the key for the Blue Devils down the road is that the freshman uses his talent to not only get his points but also get others involved. Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry scored 15 points apiece and Tyler Thornton knocked down a critical three during the final run, displaying a confidence one wouldn't expect from a player who'd gone 0-for-5 from deep to that point in the contest.

Barnes had a bit of a roller coaster game, as he was quiet in the first half only to get rolling in the first ten minutes of the second and then fade into the background down the stretch. Tyler Zeller (23 points, 11 rebounds) played well throughout but will be remembered more for the missed free throws and the fateful switch that resulted in him guarding Rivers on the final sequence, and John Henson (12 points, 17 rebounds) posted a double-double as well. If anything the contest was a mixture of North Carolina not taking care of business and Duke refusing to quit. And with a player like Austin Rivers at your disposal anything is possible.

"Austin was magnificent. We had a play set for a three, a different three, if they hit both free throws," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "But when they missed the second, we wanted to go to a quick angle and he could either take it to the basket or he shot it, and he shot it and it was all net."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas goes on a 34-6 run spanning both halves to soundly defeat Baylor in Waco.
Jeff Withey proved to be a problem for Baylor in the first meeting between the two teams as he finished two blocked shots short of a triple double, and that was also the case on Wednesday night in Waco. Withey scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half to help Kansas navigate the half despite Thomas Robinson being in foul trouble. The Jayhawks' run reached the point to where they led by 20 points, and they never relinquished control in the 68-54 victory.

Tyshawn Taylor added 19 points and Robinson scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas, who is tied with Missouri atop the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks hit Baylor in the mouth and the Bears didn't respond well at all, with the game getting to the point where it's fair to wonder whether or not Scott Drew's team has the mettle required to make a run in March. The Bears have a great deal of talent but when Perry Jones III accounts for just five points and a player who burned them the first time does so again, it's difficult to expect the Bears to be a national title hopeful at this point.

2. Kris Joseph scores 29 points to lead Syracuse past Georgetown in overtime.
There were people who truly wondered how Georgetown would be able to hang with #2 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, seeming to forget the fact that the Hoyas had the system and the personnel to give the Orange some trouble. That's exactly what happened as Georgetown grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded to Orange 52-35, making up for their poor shooting. But it wasn't enough to leave with a win at Kris Joseph scored 29 points ot lead Syracuse to the 64-61 win.

Joseph and Fab Melo (11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks) were the only Syracuse players to score in double figures on a night that saw their guards struggle and the other frontcourt players used weren't much better. But that was countered by the struggles of Georgetown's Henry Sims, who shot 1-for-12 from the field in scoring six points, somewhat negating the impact he had as a distributor from the high post. Syracuse had the one player on the floor who didn't seem to have any issues finding good looks in crunch time in Joseph, and that ultimately was the difference on a night that saw them get whipped on the glass.

3. Arkansas leaves the Fayetteville and promptly gets blown out by Georgia.
There's a reason why so many were hesitant to give the Razorbacks that NCAA tournament "stamp of approval" after their win over Vanderbilt. The Hogs entered Wednesday's game at Georgia 0-6 in true road games and it was easy to see why by halftime with the Bulldogs taking a 43-24 lead into the break. Arkansas shot 26.1% from the field in the first half and where soundly whipped on the glass by a count of 25-10 (eight offensive rebounds for the Bulldogs), ending up in a hole that was too big to climb out of in an 81-59 defeat.

Gerald Robinson Jr. went just about wherever he wanted to, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with 18 and five rebounds. Arkansas has shot better than 40% from the field just once in seven road games this season, and that's a big reason why they haven't won on the road. Not sure what the missing spark is for the Razorbacks but they'd better figure out how to get things going away from Bud Walton Arena before it lands them in the NIT.

Quick Hitters

1. David Kyles scored 16 points off the bench and Toure' Murry led four players in double figures with 21 points as Wichita State took sole possession of first place in the MVC with an 82-57 win over Northern Iowa. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have the look of a team that can do some serious damage come March, and a win at Creighton on Saturday would give them a two-game lead.

2. Florida State's offensive execution down the stretch reverted to its pre-seven game win streak form in Chestnut Hill, and the end result was a 64-60 loss to Boston College. Jordan Daniels scored 21 points and dished out five assists to lead the Eagles, who snapped a six-game losing streak. Florida State is now part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC.

3. Cody Ellis scored 20 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench to lead Saint Louis to a 72-60 win at Saint Joseph's, keeping them tied with Xavier in second place in the Atlantic 10 a game behind Temple (who came back from 15 down to beat George Washington) in the loss column. Rick Majerus has a solid eight-man rotation on which to rely, and he's one of the best in America at putting together a game plan.

4. Two possible conference champions to keep an eye on come March remained undefeated in league play with road wins on Wednesday night. UT Arlington moved to 10-0 in the Southland with a 75-63 win at Sam Houston State and Bucknell took care of Colgate 66-50 to move to 9-0 in the Patriot League. In LaMarcus Reed III (UT Arlington) and Mike Muscala (Bucknell) these two teams feature players currently on the short list for Player of the Year in their respective leagues.

5. Southern Miss did themselves no favors on the road as they fell 71-61 at UAB. The Golden Eagles simply did not have an answer for Cameron Moore, who accounted for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Southern Miss is now tied with Memphis (7-2) atop the Conference USA standings and UCF (7-3) is just a game back in the loss column due to their win over Marshall.

6. In a matchup of the top two teams in the NEC it was LIU Brooklyn who came out victorious as they beat borough rival St. Francis (NY) 81-71 at Madsion Square Garden. Jamal Olasewere (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Boyd (17 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles and C.J. Garner scored 19 points to lead the Blackbirds. They play again on Saturday, and a Terrier win could be the only thing that keeps Jim Ferry's squad from winning the regular season title as LIU has already swept second-place Wagner.

7. Form held in the CAA as the top four teams all won, widening the gap between themselves and the rest of the league. In most season that would essentially guarantee the conference cashing in to the tune of multiple NCAA tournament berths, but due to the league's profile and team's non-conference resumes that may not be the case this season. George Mason, VCU and Drezel are all 12-2 in league play while Old Dominion is a game out at 11-3.

8. In two other Big East results worth mentioning, Pittsburgh saw their run of success ended in Tampa as they shot just 34.6% from the field in a 63-51 loss at USF. Hugh Robertson led three Bulls in double figures with 18 points and Ashton Gibbs shot just 2-for-9 from the field and scored four points. And Jordan Theodore scored 24 points to lead Seton Hall past Rutgers 59-54, meaning that the senior will finish his career with a 4-0 mark on the floor of the Pirates' in-state rival.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Cameron Moore (UAB)
27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Blazers' 71-61 win over Southern Miss.

2. F Kris Joseph (Syracuse)
29 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Orange's 64-61 overtime win over Georgetown.

3. G Austin Rivers (Duke)
29 points, five rebounds and two steals and the game-winning three as time expired in the Blue Devils' 85-84 win at North Carolina.

#6 Baylor vs. #10 Kansas: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:39:21 -0500

To say that this is a big week for Scott Drew's Baylor (21-2, 8-2) Bears would be a major understatement, and the same goes for the Kansas (18-5, 8-2) Jayhawks in this pivotal Big 12 battle. These are two of the three teams tied for first in the loss column in the conference, and with Baylor visiting 9-2 Missouri on Saturday afternoon we should have a solid grasp on who will be in the driver's seat down the stretch.

Kansas won the first meeting 92-74 in Lawrence, pulling away during the latter stages of the first half thanks in large part to the play of forward Thomas Robinson and point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Robinson (18.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg) posted his customary double-double on a night that saw the Bears punished for their inability to box out. Baylor only plays their troublesome 2-3 zone about half the time, so this was an issue more about fundamentals than their system having them out of place.

On the season Baylor's opponents average 12.4 offensive rebounds per game, and while the offensive rebounding percentage (32.8%) isn't terrible it's not what you'd expect of a team with five players 6'9" or taller. Three of those players are averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore Perry Jones III (14.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg) leading the way. Freshman Quincy Miller (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is arguably their most versatile front court player while senior Quincy Acy (12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) provides the heart, as he's made some big plays in "winning time" for the Bears.

The key for Kansas in the rematch will be to get a similar effort from Jeff Withey (8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 bpg) as they received in the first contest. The San Diego native was two blocks away from a triple-double, a fact that left many observers stunned by the end of the night. This is a better matchup for Withey than Missouri, whose quickness rendered him nearly non-existent on Saturday night. While both teams are good on the offensive glass Kansas has been better keeping opponents at bay on the other end (28.1% OR), and doing so once again will be important if they're to win in Waco.

The point guard matchup is an intriguing one due to the fact that both Taylor (16.9 ppg, 5.2 apg) and Baylor's Pierre Jackson (12.7 ppg, 5.9 apg) are both two of the best in the Big 12, but they also have moments when their respective coaches wonder what's going on. Turnovers will be key for both teams, especially those of the "live-ball" variety as both teams have some of the nation's best finishers.

Jackson won't start the game (A.J. Walton does) but more often than not he finishes it, and shooting free throws at an 84% clip should leave Baylor fans at ease when he's in control late. Baylor also calls on Brady Heslip (9.6 ppg, 43.9% 3PT) on the perimeter while Kansas will counter with Elijah Johnson (9.2 ppg, 3.6 apg) and Travis Releford (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg). There isn't much separating the two teams when looking at turnover percentage on either side of the ball, and despite having a slightly higher percentage (21.5%) it's Baylor who's been the more efficient team offensively.

Did Allen Fieldhouse have that much of an impact on Baylor in the first meeting, or was Kansas simply that much better? The rematch won't provide a definitive answer to that question (which is probably an unfair one to ask anyway), but it will give an answer to the question of which team is better equipped to win the Big 12.

Two of the sport's biggest rivalries will also be on display as #2 Syracuse hosts #11 Georgetown and #9 Duke makes the short trek to Chapel Hill to take on #5 North Carolina. The Orange had it rolling on Saturday afternoon as they pasted an undermanned St. John's team and the return of Fab Melo did play a role in that. But the Hoyas also have a much-improved center in senior Henry Sims, and a perimeter led by Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson should be good about finding quality shots within Syracuse's 2-3 zone. Georgetown has to also find a way to limit the impact that reserves such as Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair have on the game, meaning that they have to keep the game from turning into an odd-man track meet.

As for Duke, they've got a tough assignment as they look to not only bounce back from a disappointing loss to Miami but also keep from falling two games behind UNC and Florida State in the ACC. The Blue Devils had no answer for Miami's Reggie Johnson (Kenny Kadji also played well), and while neither John Henson nor Tyler Zeller is as wide as Johnson they're both more than a handful for opponents. Duke has to get good decision-making from their guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Quinn Cook being three) at the Dean Dome and some good shooting from Andre Dawkins wouldn't hurt either.

Marshall, who at one point earlier this season looked to be a lock to reach the Field of 68, needs to get rolling in a hurry if they're to get back into the discussion. DeAndre Kane and company visit a UCF team led by forward Keith Clanton in what should be a good Conference USA matchup. Wichita State can take sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley with a win over Northern Iowa ahead of their trip to Omaha on Saturday, and the contest between borough rivals LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis (NY) has been made even better by the fact that they're playing at Madison Square Garden and Glen Braica's done an outstanding job with the Terriers as well.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (11) Georgetown at (2) Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM (9) Duke at (5) North Carolina (ESPN)
7:00 PM (10) Kansas at (6) Baylor (ESPN2)
6:30 PM Penn State at (12) Michigan State (BTN)
7:00 PM (17) Florida State at Boston College (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Wake Forest at (20) Virginia (ESPN3)
8:30 PM (25) Michigan at Nebraska (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM George Washington at Temple
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Delaware
7:00 PM Pittsburgh at South Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wagner at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Memphis at East Carolina
7:00 PM Monmouth at Fairleigh Dickinson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at James Madison
7:00 PM La Salle at Richmond
7:00 PM Lafayette at Army
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Ball State
7:00 PM Marshall at UCF
7:00 PM Buffalo at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Bucknell at Colgate
7:00 PM Kent State at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Hofstra at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Northeastern at Georgia State
7:00 PM Jacksonville State at Morehead State
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Navy
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Bryant University at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Robert Morris at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at St. John's
7:00 PM Ohio at Toledo
7:00 PM Akron at Western Michigan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Old Dominion at William & Mary
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Xavier (CBS SN)
7:05 PM Houston Baptist at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM St. Bonaventure at Massachusetts
7:30 PM Towson at VCU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southern Miss at UAB
8:00 PM Arkansas at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Indiana State at Bradley
8:00 PM Missouri State at Southern Illinois (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at Houston
8:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Texas State
8:00 PM Northwestern State at Lamar
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Sam Houston State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM TCU at Southern Methodist
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM South Carolina at Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at UTSA
8:00 PM Northern Iowa at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Drake at Illinois State
8:30 PM Saint Louis at Saint Joseph's
9:00 PM Seton Hall at Rutgers (ESPN2)
9:00 PM LSU at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Notre Dame at West Virginia
9:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at St. Francis (NY)
9:00 PM Tulsa at UTEP (CBS SN)

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.

Kansas vs Missouri: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:59:28 -0500

NO. 8 KANSAS (18-4, 8-1 Big 12) AT NO. 4 MISSOURI (20-2, 7-2 Big 12)

Time/TV: 9 p.m./ESPN

Location: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

RPI Ratings

Kansas 8 (No. 2 Big 12)

Missouri 12 (No. 3 Big 12)

Line: Missouri -2 (o/u 144)

Kansas Players to Watch: F Thomas Robinson, 6-10 Jr. (17.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 53.2% FG); G Tyshawn Taylor, 6-3 Sr. (16.5 ppg, 5.2 apg, 1.2 spg); C Jeff Withey, 7-0 Jr. (8.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.2 bpg). With 15 points in Wednesday’s 84-62 win over Oklahoma, Withey – and the Big 12’s leading shot blocker – has now scored in double-figures in six straight games.

Missouri Players to Watch: G Marcus Denmon, 6-3 Sr. (17.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 apg); F Ricardo Ratliffe, 6-8 Sr. (14.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 75.1% FG); G Michael Dixon, 6-1 Jr. (12.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 1.4 spg). Dixon carried the Tigers to a 67-66 win at Texas on Monday. He came off the bench to make 9-of-10 shots, including both of his 3s, hand out four assists and hit the game-winning runner with 31 seconds left.

Storylines: Kansas (8-1) leads the Tigers and Baylor (7-2 each) by one game in the Big Ten standings. The two teams will meet again on Feb. 25 in Lawrence.

Keys: This is the first time since 2009 that the Jayhawks and Tigers are meeting with first place in the Big 12 on the line. It is the 14^th time that the two sides have met while both were in the top 10. This could be the final Kansas-Missouri showdown in Columbia for a while with Missouri moving to the SEC following this season.

Missouri leads the Big 12 and is sixth in the nation at 81.2 points per game. Kansas is third in the Big 12 at 75.6 and is second in scoring defense, allowing just 60.7 points per game. The Tigers and Jayhawks are first and second, respectively, in scoring margin in the Big 12. The Tigers’ plus-17.4 is third-best in college basketball. Kansas is plus-14.9, which is 14^th-best. Missouri 377 free throws made is more than its opponents have shot (322). The Tigers shoot 77.7 percent from the foul line, which leads the league. Kansas is seventh in the Big 12 at 69 percent. After shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range in the non-conference, the Tigers have shot just 33 percent in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks got just five points from their bench in Saturday’s 72-64 loss at Iowa State. It was the fourth-straight game in which the Jayhawk bench has produced eight points or fewer. Kansas leads the conference in field goal defense at 37.7 percent but is last in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 34.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line. The Jayhawks are second – behind Kansas State – in the Big 12 with a plus-6.1 rebounding margin. Missouri is eighth at plus-2. Mizzou easily has the best turnover margin in the conference. The Tigers turn the ball over just 10.5 times per game, while forcing 15.9 errors. Their plus-5.36 margin ranks fifth in the country. Kansas turns the ball over 13.6 times per game while forcing 15.3 turnovers. The Tigers also lead the Big 12 with a 1.52-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Jayhawks are second at 1.17-to-1. Monday’s win over Texas gave Missouri 20 wins for the fourth-straight season. Kansas has a 171-94 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last five and 10 of the last 11 over the Tigers. Missouri’s last win over Kansas came in 2009, 62-60 at Columbia. The Jayhawks are 4-1 in true road games this season. Their only loss came a week ago at Iowa State, 72-64. The Tigers are still unblemished at home (12) and they have outscored their opponents by an average of 91-64 at Mizzou Arena.

The Bottom Line: Expect Missouri to shoot the lights out. If Ratliffe can offset Robinson, it will be an easy win for the Tigers.

The Pick: Missouri 85, Kansas 74

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 55-29

#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)

Big 12: The Most Exciting Conference in the Country

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:02:24 -0500

There are better college basketball conferences than the Big 12 in 2011-12.

But there are none more entertaining.

The Big 12 has three of the nation’s top eight teams, and of the league’s 10 teams, nine are capable of beating good teams.

The league title will likely come down to No. 8 Kansas, which is atop the conference standings at 8-1, No. 4 Missouri and No. 6 Baylor. No conference has a trio of teams more fun to watch than Kansas, Missouri and Baylor.

Outside of North Carolina, Kansas has the best inside-outside duo in the country with Thomas Robinson, who is averaging 17.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and point guard Tyshawn Taylor, who scores 16.5 points and hands out 5.2 assists per night. Kansas has won or shared the conference title for the last 7 seasons, but they have serious competitors this year.

Missouri is arguably the best shooting team in the country. The Tigers shoot 49.8 percent from the field, including Ricardo Ratliffe’s nation-leading 75.1 percent, 37.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc and 77.7 percent from the foul line. Mizzou has four players who shoot very well from deep, including Kim English, who is shooting 49.5 from the 3-point line, and Marcus Denmon, who is fourth in the Big 12 at 17.2 points per game.

There’s not a team in the nation that can match Baylor’s athletic big men. Perry Jones III is a 6-11 forward who can run, jump, handle and shoot. Quincy Miller – a 6-9 freshman – is athletic and has a soft touch. Six-foot-10 forward Anthony Jones can light it up from the 3-point line, and 6-7 senior Quincy Acy is a dunking machine. Throw in junior college transfer point guard Pierre Jackson and sharp-shooting Brady Heslip and the Bears are among the most fun teams to watch in the country.

All three of those teams, Kansas, Missouri, and Baylor, are ranked Top 10 in the country for offensive efficiency.

What sets the Big 12 apart, though, is that it has another six teams that can play spoilers. Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M will likely play as big a role as the Big 3 in determining the conference champion.

Iowa State, led by Minnesota transfer Royce White and coached by former Cyclone great Fred Hoiberg, handed Kansas its only Big 12 loss on Saturday, 72-64. Led by freshmen Le’Bryan Nash and Brian Williams, Oklahoma State knocked off then-No. 2 Missouri, 79-72 last Wednesday. Kansas State also has a 16-point win over Missouri on its resume, and Texas pushed the Tigers to the final seconds on Monday. Even Texas A&M, who looked lost in a 1-5 stretch earlier in the season, is extremely dangerous. It took a late seconds Baylor three to knock the Aggies out last night.

The Kansas-Missouri showdowns on Saturday and Feb. 25, the Baylor-Missouri tilt on Feb. 11 and the second Baylor-Kansas matchup Feb. 8 will have huge implications in the Big 12 regular-season race. But so will the Jayhawks’ trip to Kansas State on Feb. 13, Missouri’s return visit to Texas on Feb. 20, and Baylor’s trek into Ames, Iowa, on the final night of the regular season.

Those must-watch games are what make the Big 12 the most entertaining conference in the country.

Saturday Recap: Iowa State Hands #5 Kansas Their First League Loss

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:59:36 -0500

To say that there were some complaints about the "quality" of Saturday's schedule would be an understatement as many felt that the college basketball slate wouldn't provide much intrigue. But once again college basketball didn't disappoint the fans, with the big result being Iowa State's 72-64 win over #5 Kansas. The Cyclones won despite turning the ball over 19 times by getting to the foul line and controlling the boards. ISU attempted 34 free throws (making 25) to just sixteen for the Jayhawks (who made ten) in handing the visitors their first Big 12 loss. Add in a 36-23 rebounding edge (with 11 offensive rebounds) and some "Hilton Magic" and the end result is a signature win for an Iowa State team that needed one for their NCAA Tournament hopes.

"It's the second time we've played Kansas and in both games our bigs did a heck of a job against some of the best front line players in the country so you have to take your hat off to them," said guard Scott Christopherson, who finished with 14 points (9-10 FT) and three assists. "Not only did they rebound but they defended really well. Kansas puts pressure on your bigs to guard, and our bigs definitely answered the bell today."

Royce White and Melvin Ejim combined to turn the ball over 13 times but they were also the teams leading scorers and rebounders. White, whose versatility has made him one of the best players in the Big 12, finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Ejim added 15 and eight rebounds. Iowa State won the majority of the 50/50 battles and that proved to be one of the key factors down the stretch despite their scoring just eight second chance points.

"We talk about 50/50 balls all the time. We don't put football pads on and dive after them but we talk about it a lot," said Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg. "We were the first to the floor a couple times and we talk a lot about that as well. Overall a great effort. The first few minutes of the second half was disappointing but we called a quick timeout and got them back out there and refocused. We finished off and played our best stretch of basketball of the season."

The play that essentlally clinched the game for Iowa State came by way of a Kansas turnover, with Chris Babb getting a steal with 1:21 remaining. The Penn State transfer would cash in on the change in possession 25 seconds later with a three-pointer to make the score 67-59, and Iowa State would go on to make five of their last six free throws to sew things up. Tyshawn Taylor led the Jayhawks with 16 points and ten assists and Thomas Robinson added 13 and seven rebounds, but on an afternoon that saw all five KU starters reach double figures their bench didn't provide much help.

Iowa State's reserves outscored the Jayhawk bench 15-5 with Anthony Booker and Tyrus McGee providing the points (and ten rebounds) for the victors. McGee's three-point play with 6:06 remaining broke a 53-all tie and gave the Cyclones the lead for good. Kansas will remain the favorite to win the Big 12 despite this result, but the win was huge for an Iowa State team that went into Saturday without a single RPI Top 50 win (going by realtimerpi.com's numbers). If they can continue to attack the boards (37.9% offensive rebounding percentage on Saturday) and play aggressive basketball, Iowa State has the tools needed to get to the Big Dance.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Mary's takes care of BYU in Provo to remain undefeated in WCC play.
Having already dropped one game at home in conference play, Dave Rose's BYU Cougars needed a win over first-place Saint Mary's if they were to remain a major player in the WCC race. But with the Gaels showing a level of play on the road that's been absent in recent years BYU now finds themselves three games out of first with two games against Gonzaga still left on their schedule. Saint Mary's made up for 24 turnovers and allowing 17 offensive rebounds by shooting 55% from the field and going 25-for-33 from the foul line, winning 80-66 in front of a frenzied Marriott Center crowd that crossed the line at times with the throwing of objects onto the floor. What makes the win (and the margin) all the more surprising is the line that starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova put up, as he finished 1-for-4 from the field (ten points) to go along with seven rebounds, six turnovers and four assists.

But he had plenty of help, with redshirt freshman forward Brad Waldow (19 points, eight rebounds) continuing his solid play of late and Clint Steindl adding 16 points off the bench. Rob Jones scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Saint Mary's, who still has a trip to Gonzaga on their schedule to address. The BYU trio of Matt Carlino (15 points, three assists), Brandon Davies (14 points, seven rebounds) and Noah Hartsock (15 points, three rebounds) led the way but they didn't receive much help while the Gaels' stars did and that proved to be the difference. In prior seasons the late-season fade was an issue for Randy Bennett's team, but in their winning of a chippy affair (the officials were a little too vigorous in their use of the whistle, which didn't help either team) Saint Mary's showed that they've got the staying power needed to not only win the WCC but make some noise in the Big Dance.

2. #4 Syracuse survives a challenge from West Virginia...and the officials marred the ending as well.
What tends to happen in games that are marred by a missed call is that both teams get cheated. The losing team for obvious reasons but the winning squad as well, as they have to defend an outcome that came through no fault of their own. Three officials missed a clear goaltending violation by Baye Keita in the final seconds that would have tied the game, and with Gary Browne missing a last-second three West Virginia left the Carrier Dome with a 63-61 loss. Frankly the Mountaineers have a right to be furious over the missed call, which also overshadows the fact that they out-rebounded Syracuse 41-20 on the afternoon with 19 offensive rebounds. Safe to say that on the interior the Orange miss starting center Fab Melo, but when you get whipped like this one the glass the issue is bigger than one missing player.

Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers, who responded well to the whipping they took at St. John's on Wednesday night, with 20 points and eight rebounds and four other players grabbed at least five boards (three being guards) for the visitors. Looking at the box score it's natural to ask how did Syracuse win. They scored two more points at the foul line (13-11) but they also made up for a 4-for-18 afternoon from beyond the arc by shooting 63% from inside of it. West Virginia on the other hand shot 16-for-44 from two, which to a certain extent nullified their offensive rebounding performance (OR%: 55.9) as they only scored 13 second-chance points to eight for the Orange. Brandon Triche scored 18 points and Kris Joseph 13 to keep the Orange alone atop the Big East standings, leaving West Virginia to wonder what could have been had that violation been called.

3. Washington outlasts Arizona to complete their road sweep, and the Wildcats lose Kevin Parrom too.
Road sweeps will eventually determine who wins the Pac-12, as it tends to do in most seasons. But given the conference's struggled they've become even more important, making Washington's 69-67 win at Arizona that much bigger. Tony Wroten may have shot 5-for-18 from the field in scoring 17 points but his aggressiveness was just what the Huskies needed in front of a frenzied crowd, and his block of a Josiah Turner layup attempt just before the final buzzer preserved the win. Terrence Ross scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and C.J. Wilcox added 15 off the bench (and five key free throws down the stretch) to keep the Huskies tied for first place in the conference. Solomon Hill was outstanding for Arizona as he finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds and Jesse Perry added 13 and 12, but the Wildcats were unable to finish off their late rally.

And Sean Miller's team was hit with another blow after the game as it was announced that wing Kevin Parrom would miss the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his right foot. Parrom missed the second half with the injury and it's a cruel twist for a young man who has fought a great amount of adversity this year. His loss is big for the Wildcats, as Parrom's versatility and savvy gave Arizona a player they could rely on to do whatever was required of him on the floor at any particular moment. Are youngsters such as Turner and Nick Johnson ready to step up? Can Kyle Fogg and Brendon Lavender give them more? The answers to those questions will determine Arizona's fate down the stretch. As for Washington the play of Wroten is quickly becoming the key to their hopes of winning the Pac-12, and if he can continue on this path the Huskies will be right there at the finish.

4. Good luck trying to figure out the Atlantic 10, but Temple made quite a statement at home.
Just as wild as the Pac-12 race (but better in terms of quality at the top) has been the Atlantic 10, which seems to become more unpredictable by the day. But if there's one thing that stands out after Saturday's action it's that Fran Dunphy's Temple Owls are currently a step ahead of the competition. Led by Ramone Moore (21 points) and Juan Fernandez (17 points) the Owls whipped city rival Saint Joseph's 78-60 in a game that saw all five Hawks starters fail to reach double figures. Khalif Wyatt added ten points and eight rebounds and Micheal Eric chipped in with 11 off the bench in a game Temple led by as many as 28 points late in the second half.

As a team the Owls shot 60% from the floor and 53.3% from three, overwhelming a Saint Joseph's team that was led by 6th man Ronald Roberts (17 points, ten rebounds). Temple is part of a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 with surprises Massachusetts (who beat Saint Louis) and La Salle (winners over Duquesne). Saint Louis, who has already won at Xavier, will remain a factor in the race as well Xavier (who won at Charlotte) and Dayton (who inexplicably lost at home to Rhode Island). But if one were to handicap the race right now Temple would be the likely choice to win the conference. The guard play has been well-documented and the return of Eric adds a big man the Owls were missing earlier in the season. If Temple continues to execute on the offensive end as they did against the Hawks they're going to be tough to knock off.

5. #13 Florida's shooting from deep proves to be the difference in their win over #16 Mississippi State.
In the first half of the Gators' 69-57 win over Mississippi State on Saturday the Bulldogs outscored the Gators 10-8 in the paint. That statistic flipped in a big way in the second half, with Florida outscoring the visitors 20-4 on their way to the win. Florida's ability to knock down three-pointers will get the majority of the headlines as they knocked down 11 of their 24 attempts on the day, but don't overlook the importance of their paint scoring. Bradley Beal led Florida with 19 points with Erik Murphy adding 14 and Patric Young 12, and nine of Florida's final eleven field goals were scored in the paint.

Murphy's ability to shoot from the perimeter (4-for-7 3PT) helped open things up for Florida inside, and the combined nine assists and no turnovers from Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton was key as well. Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie scored 12 points apiece to lead Mississippi State (Moultrie also grabbed 13 rebounds) but Rick Stansbury's guys fell victim to an 11-0 run that put the game out of reach after a Bost three cut Florida's lead to four (51-47) with 8:01 remaining.

Quick Hitters

1. #6 Duke hung on to beat St. John's 83-76 but head coach Mike Krzyzewski was none too pleased after the game. The Blue Devils were sloppy in the second half offensively and defensively they didn't have an answer for Moe Harkless, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Ryan Kelly scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Mason Plumlee scored 15 and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who need better guard play if they're to win the ACC.

2. Nasir Robinson scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Pittsburgh's 72-60 win over #10 Georgetown, moving the Panthers to 12-0 all-time at the Petersen Events Center against Top 10 opponents. This game is also another step in the right direction for Pitt, who assisted on 20 of their 25 made baskets. With Tray Woodall finally healthy the Panthers have their point guard back, and they can definitely make a run towards an NCAA berth.

3. There's more work to be done for Colorado State to earn an NCAA Tournament berth but their 77-60 win over #12 San Diego State was a step in the right direction. Wes Eikmeier scored 19 points and Will Bell 17 and five rebounds for the Rams, whose win also resulted in a tie atop the Mountain West as UNLV won in overtime at Air Force. Whether or not Tim Miles' team can make a run at the bubble (or better) remains to be seen, but this kind of win was absent from there resume before Saturday.

4. Wichita State was involved in a thriller but their 93-86 triple overtime loss at Drake dropped the Shockers a game behind Creighton in the Missouri Valley standings. Ben Simons led the Bulldogs with 29 points and eight rebounds and Kurt Alexander's 17 points off the bench were also key. Garrett Stutz led Wichita State with 27 points and Joe Ragland scored 25, but as a result of this loss the Shockers will likely need to win the games approaching the February 11th battle at Creighton to remain a game out.

5. So much for the momentum gained from their win over first-place LIU Brooklyn for Robert Morris, as they fell 81-68 to St. Francis (NY). The loss drops the Colonials two games behind LIU in the NEC, which is where they were before Thursday night's win. Glen Braica's Terriers, who were led by Brent Jones (19 points, four rebounds, four assists) and Travis Nichols (16 points off the bench), are now tied with Wagner a game behind their Brooklyn rivals.

6. Cal State Fullerton got their chance to not only make a statement but add some intrigue to the Big West race but Long Beach State was having no parts of that as they put together a late run to win 75-61. Dan Monson's team closed the game on a 22-10 run after having their lead cut to two points, and at 9-0 in league play the 49ers look to be in good position to win another regular season crown.

7. Kenny McGowen's three-pointer as time expired gave Idaho State a 64-62 win over Weber State, who entered the game undefeated in Big Sky play. McGowen scored 19 points to lead all scorers while Scott Bamforth led the Wildcats with 17 and Damian Lillard added 15. While the win breathes life into the Bengals' hopes of qualifying for the conference tournament it also gives new life to Montana, who is now tied in the loss column with Weber State atop the standings.

8. Dominique Morrison scored 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field as Oral Roberts moved to 12-0 in the Summit League with a 77-67 win over UMKC. The Golden Eagles attempted just seven three-pointers but made five while also shooting 22-for-38 from two, and at 20-4 ORU hasn't received the level of national respect that they deserve. This team will be a tough out come March.

9. Speaking of March, good luck to the selection committee finding 37 at-large teams better than Middle Tennessee should the Blue Raiders not win the Sun Belt's automatic bid. Middle Tennessee lost 84-77 at Vanderbilt in what's a good win for the Commodores but the skill of players such as LaRon Dendy should not be lost in the final score. Few teams will be lining up to play Kermit Davis' club anytime soon.

10. Memphis and Southern Miss won the two matchups of the top four teams in Conference USA, setting up a showdown for sole possession of first place Wednesday night in Hattiesburg. Will Barton was outstanding for Memphis in their 83-76 win over Marshall, scoring 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Neil Watson (23 points) and Darnell Dodson (22 points, eight rebounds) led Southern Miss to a 78-65 win at UCF.

11. Both Purdue and Illinois had chances to either move to or remain at the head of the pack in the middle of the Big Ten standings but only the Boilermakers took full advantage. Robbie Hummel's jumper from the left baseline in the final seconds gave Purdue a 58-56 win at Northwestern, but Illinois made some poor decisions late and ended up falling 77-72 at Minnesota. Tough to figure out how the middle of the conference will shake out but the ability to win tight games on the road will set teams apart.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
43 points (16-28 FG) and five rebounds in the Pioneers' 81-80 double overtime loss to Mount St. Mary's. Gibson's three at the end of regulation tied the score at 70 and sent the game into overtime.

2. F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the Patriots' 89-79 win over James Madison.

3. F Moe Harkless (St. John's) and F Mason Plumlee (Duke)
Harkless accounted for 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Red Storm's 83-76 loss at #6 Duke while Plumlee led the victors with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

4. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
37 points, six assists and four rebounds in the Golden Grizzlies' 78-75 loss to North Dakota State.

5. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
21 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks in the Mean Green's 76-64 win over Arkansas State.

Special Note: Towson picks up their first win of the season
Congrats to Pat Skerry's Towson Tigers, who picked up their first win of the season (and ended a 41-game losing streak) with a 66-61 win over UNC Wilmington. Marcus Damas led the way with 18 points while Deon Jones (15 points, six rebounds) and Robert Nwankwo (12 points, 11 rebounds) were also good. And Erique Gumbs, the lone member of the team to have experienced every loss, chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Good to see the program get rewarded for the hard work put in; hope Binghamton (0-20) gets to experience this feeling soon as well.

Poll: Who Is The Country's Top Senior?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:07:04 -0500

#13 Florida vs. #16 Mississippi State: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:11:57 -0500

While Kentucky is the clear favorite to win the SEC, the battle beneath them should be a spirited one. #16 Mississippi State (17-4, 4-2), who has already won at Vanderbilt, could win the tiebreaker with #13 Florida (16-4, 4-1) with a win in Gainesville on Saturday afternoon. That's easier said than done as Billy Donovan's team is 10-0 at home this season, but the Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings in this series. A big reason why Rick Stansbury's team can win at the O-Dome is UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie (17.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg), who has to be considered one of the early favorites for SEC Player of the Year.

Moultrie is shooting 56.3% from the field and his arrival has allowed the Bulldogs to not have to rely on the enigmatic Renardo Sidney as much. Sidney has a great amount of potential, and to be fair he's played solid if not spectacular basketball of later, but he's essentially a bit player at this stage. They'll be faced with the task of slowing down Florida's Patric Young (11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), one of college basketball's most impressive physical specimens. But Young has been banged up recently, and when adding that to the fact that the Gators tend to forget about him in the paint Mississippi State should be able to guard him effectively.

Florida also has Erik Murphy (10.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Will Yeguete (4.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) to rely on inside, with Murphy being the just as comfortable if not more on the perimeter while Yeguete does a lot of the dirty work in the paint. What will ultimately decide the contest is the play of the guards, most notably a Florida group that's extremely talented but doesn't always make the best decisions. Erving Walker (12.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.0 ppg, 2.9 apg) are the primary ball-handlers for Florida, and while they've improved some when it comes to decision-making there are still strides to be made.

Florida's best guard? That could very well be freshman Bradley Beal (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg), who at this stage needs to be more assertive on the offensive end of the floor. The McDonald's All-America has the talent needed to take over games but he's almost deferential to a fault within their offense, and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (8.5 ppg) provides scoring off the bench. Mississippi State is solid on the perimeter as well with senior Dee Bost (16.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.6 rpg) leading the way. Bost has been a steadying influence for the Bulldogs, something that didn't happen at times last season. His role is made important by the fact that outside of classmate Brian Bryant the Bulldogs rely on youngsters in their rotation.

Freshman Rodney Hood (11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) is one of the best jumpers in the SEC but don't let that overshadow his skill set. Hood's shooting 47.5% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc on the season and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 is the best on the team. Sophomore Jalen Steele and freshman Deville Smith are also important contributors for Rick Stansbury's team on the perimeter. Florida's been the better team in regards to efficiency numbers while Mississippi State's been slightly better on the glass, which should make for a good contest.

Also of note on Saturday is a big matchup in the WCC between first-place Saint Mary's and BYU in Provo, with the Cougars needing to hold serve at home in order to remain in the race. Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones were difference-makers in their first meeting, a 98-82 SMC win in Moraga, and the play of redshirt freshman Brad Waldow of late has been a solid boost for the Gaels. The key for BYU: run more of their offense through forwards Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock. Matt Carlino has been ice cold of late and the same could be said of Charles Abouo, and frankly it isn't realistic to expect this perimeter group to do what Jimmer Fredette did last season in his role.

Kansas visits Iowa State in what could be a dangerous game for the Jayhawks given how tough it is to win in Ames. Two of the best forwards in the Big 12 will be on display as well, and the fact that they get the job done in different ways will make for a fun matchup. Thomas Robinson is an elite finisher and Kansas calls on him for interior offense while also being able to step out and knock down the occasional jumper. Iowa State features Royce White, who they use in a point guard role and he's done a very good job in his first season of eligibility for the Cyclones. If Fred Hoiberg's team is to make a run at an NCAA bid they'll need a win like this for their resume.

Middle Tennessee visits Vanderbilt in a critical contest for the Blue Raiders when it comes to possibly earning an at-large bid because their gaudy record the resume lacks a marquee victory. LaRon Dendy is the ring leader for Kermit Davis' squad, which leads the Sun Belt in scoring and field goal percentage, and they're more than capable of knocking off the Commodores. In order to do so the Blue Raiders will need to keep John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor in check while also holding their own on the glass against Festus Ezeli and Lance Goulbourne.

Other games to keep an eye on include Saint Joseph's visiting Temple in a key matchup within both the Atlantic 10 and the Big 5, Georgetown visiting Pittsburgh in a game the Panthers could definitely use for their resume and West Virginia visiting Syracuse. Virginia/NC State should be a fun battle in the ACC with both teams hoping to further establish themselves as upper echelon squads, Cal State Fullerton has a chance to make a statement as they visit Long Beach State and in the NEC surprising St. Francis (NY) visits a Robert Morris team fresh off of their win over first-place LIU Brooklyn.

Top 25 Games
4:00 PM (1) Kentucky at LSU (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Texas Tech at (2) Missouri (ESPN3)
1:00 PM West Virginia at (4) Syracuse (ESPNU)
2:00 PM (5) Kansas at Iowa State (ESPN)
12:00 PM St. John's at (6) Duke (ESPN)
1:00 PM Texas at (7) Baylor (CBS)
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at (9) Murray State (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (10) Georgetown at Pittsburgh (ESPN)
4:00 PM (12) San Diego State at Colorado State (NBC SN)
1:30 PM (16) Mississippi State at (13) Florida (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Bradley at (14) Creighton (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (15) UNLV at Air Force (The Mtn.)
12:00 PM (18) Marquette at Villanova (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (20) Saint Mary's at BYU (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (21) Virginia at NC State (ESPN2)
6:00 PM (23) Harvard at Brown
7:00 PM Oklahoma at (24) Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (25) Louisville at Seton Hall (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
11:00 AM Ball State at Ohio (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Hofstra at Northeastern (MSG+)
12:00 PM Wake Forest at Clemson (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Arkansas State at North Texas (ESPN3)
1:00 PM American at Lafayette
1:00 PM George Washington at Fordham (YES)
1:00 PM Buffalo at Northern Illinois
1:30 PM Arkansas at Alabama (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Saint Louis at Massachusetts (CBS SN Regional)
2:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Towson (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt
2:00 PM Valparaiso at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Binghamton at Maine
2:00 PM Elon at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Delaware at Drexel (CSN Philadelphia)
2:00 PM James Madison at George Mason (CSN)
2:00 PM Western Carolina at UNC Greensboro
2:00 PM Wagner at Quinnipiac
2:30 PM Virginia Tech at Maryland (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Chicago State at North Dakota
3:00 PM Wofford at Charleston (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Nicholls State at Lamar
3:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Morehead State (ESPNU)
3:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Northwestern State
3:00 PM Tulsa at SMU (FSN)
3:15 PM Mercer at Stetson
3:30 PM Wyoming at Boise State (The Mtn.)
3:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Central Connecticut State (CPTV)
3:30 PM Mount St. Mary's at Sacred Heart
4:00 PM Colorado at UCLA (FCS)
4:00 PM Albany at Hartford
4:00 PM Purdue at Northwestern (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Temple (CSN Philadelphia)
4:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
4:00 PM William & Mary at Old Dominion (CSN)
4:00 PM VCU at Georgia State (CSS)
4:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at North Carolina A&T
4:00 PM Liberty at Radford (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Howard at Savannah State
4:00 PM Miami (OH) at Western Michigan
4:00 PM High Point at Winthrop
4:00 PM Monmouth at Bryant University
4:05 PM Southern Illinois at Illinois State (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Campbell at UNC-Asheville
5:00 PM Washington State at Arizona State (ROOT)
5:00 PM Colgate at Holy Cross (CBS SN)
5:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas State
5:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe
5:00 PM Davidson at Samford
5:00 PM Alcorn State at Southern
5:00 PM Northern Iowa at Missouri State (ESPNU)
5:00 PM Sam Houston State at UTSA
5:15 PM Kennesaw State at Florida Gulf Coast
5:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Jacksonville State
5:30 PM Jackson State at Mississippi Valley State
6:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M
6:00 PM Cincinnati at Rutgers (ESPN3)
6:00 PM TCU at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Texas Southern at Alabama A&M
6:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama State
6:00 PM Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Coppin State at Hampton
6:00 PM Morgan State at Norfolk State
6:00 PM North Dakota State at Oakland
6:00 PM Auburn at Tennessee (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Washington at Arizona (ESPN)
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Yale
7:00 PM South Carolina at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Columbia at Cornell
7:00 PM Richmond at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Southern Miss at UCF (BHSN)
7:00 PM Akron at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Dayton
7:00 PM La Salle at Duquesne
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Bucknell at Navy
7:00 PM Xavier at Charlotte (FSN Ohio)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Robert Morris
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Kent State at Toledo
7:00 PM Butler at Green Bay (ESPNU)
7:00 PM South Dakota State at IPFW
7:05 PM Furman at Citadel
7:05 PM Cleveland State at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Georgia Southern at Chattanooga
7:30 PM North Florida at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Western Kentucky at Florida International (FCS)
7:30 PM Charleston Southern at Presbyterian
8:00 PM East Carolina at UAB
8:00 PM Illinois at Minnesota (BTN)
8:00 PM Tulane at Rice
8:00 PM UTEP at Houston
8:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Pacific
8:00 PM Houston Baptist at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Irvine (FSN PT)
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:00 PM Denver at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Nevada at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee State
8:00 PM IUPUI at Western Illinois
8:05 PM UMKC at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:15 PM Jacksonville at Belmont
8:30 PM Tennessee-Martin at Austin Peay
9:00 PM Marshall at Memphis (CSS)
9:00 PM Wichita State at Drake (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Weber State at Idaho State
9:05 PM San Jose State at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Montana State at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM N.J.I.T. at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Fresno State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:30 PM South Dakota at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Davis
10:00 PM Portland at Loyola Marymount (FSN West)
10:00 PM Santa Clara at Pepperdine
10:00 PM San Diego at San Francisco (CSN Bay Area)
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Northern Arizona at Sacramento State
11:00 PM Utah at USC (FCS)
11:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Long Beach State (ESPNU)
11:05 PM Hawaii at Idaho (ESPN3)

Iowa St vs #5 Kansas: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:22:27 -0500

NO. 5 KANSAS (17-3, 7-0 Big 12) AT IOWA STATE (14-6, 4-3 Big 12)

Time/TV: 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local)/ESPN

Location: James H. Hilton Coliseum

RPI Ratings

Kansas 7 (No. 2 Big 12)

Iowa State 58 (No. 5 Big 12)

Line: Kansas +7 (141 o/u)

Kansas Players to Watch: F Thomas Robinson, 6-10 Jr. (17.8 ppg, 12 rpg, 53.5% FG); G Tyshawn Taylor, 6-3 Sr. (16.6 ppg, 5 apg, 45.7% 3s); G Travis Releford, 6-6 Jr. (9.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 51.5% FG). Robinson is second in the nation and first in the Big 12 in rebounding. He’s also second in the Big 12 in scoring behind Texas’s J’Covan Brown. He’s third in field goal percentage, 15^th in steals (1.2) and ninth in block shots (1.2) in the Big 12.

Iowa State Players to Watch: F Royce White, 6-8 So. (13.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 4.5 apg); G Scott Christopherson, 6-3 Sr. (10.7 ppg, 2 apg, 40.7% 3s); G Tyrus McGee, 6-2 Jr. (9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 45.1% 3s). White ranks 12^th in scoring, second in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage (53.5 percent), sixth in assists, 15^th in steals (1.2), 11^th in blocked shots (1.15) and 10^th in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.5-3.8) in the Big 12.

Storylines: At 7-0 in the Big 12, Kansas has a 2-game lead in pursuit of their ninth consecutive conference championship. The Jayhawks have won 10 straight. Iowa State is tied for fourth, three games behind Kansas at 4-3.

Keys: Kansas beat the Cyclones for the 13^th straight time, 82-73 at home on Jan. 14. In the loss, Iowa State led 43-40 at halftime and 52-40 after scoring the first nine points of the second half. Taylor led a comeback, which featured a 17-2 run, with 22 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. Iowa State out-rebounded Kansas 46-36, despite Robinson’s 14 for his 11^th double-double of the season. The Jayhawks turned over the Cyclones 16 times, including four steals from Releford. Jeff Withey, the Big 12’s leading shot blocker, had seven blocks in the win. Kansas leads the Big 12 in rebounding margin at 7.3 per game (Iowa State is plus-3.9) and is first in field goal defense, holding opponents to 37.2 percent. The Jayhawks have led the Big 12 in field goal defense in five of the past six seasons. Iowa State scores 74.3 points per game and gives up 66.6. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 by making 8.9 3-pointers per game, which ranks 10^th in the nation. Five different Jayhawks – Robinson, Taylor, Releford, Elijah Johnson and Conner Teahan – have led the team in scoring at least one time this year. With a win, Iowa State would tie its best Big 12 start since 2000-01. Kansas leads the all-time series 171-58, including 66-36 at Ames. The Cyclones’ last win over Kansas was Feb. 19, 2005. The Jayhawks are 4-0 in true road games but they are only 6-3 away from Allen Fieldhouse. Iowa State is 10-2 in home game with losses coming to Northern Iowa (69-62 on Nov. 30) and then-No. 9 Missouri (76-69 on Jan. 11). The game is sold out. It is the second sellout of the season for Iowa State.

The Bottom Line: Iowa State is better than many may think. Robinson’s going to be a tough cover, but unless he goes crazy (which he’s clearly capable of doing), expect the Cyclones to pull off a minor upset.

The Pick: Iowa State 74, Kansas 71