Maryland

College Basketball Top 50: Maryland and Iowa St Drop Out

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:10:38 -0800

Collegehoops.net's Top 50 Power Ranking is your weekly dive into the national college basketball scene. The CHN Top 50 is brought to you before all the other polls late Sunday night. Arrows represent notable moves. (Also: Check out the weekly Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking.)

Top 50 Ranking: March 3rd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	25-4*	1
2	Gonzaga	29-2	2
3	Duke	25-4*	3
4	Miami	23-5*	6
5	Michigan	24-5*	5
6	Louisville	24-5	7
7	Kansas	25-4	8
8	Florida	23-5*	4
9	New Mexico	25-4	11
10	Georgetown	23-4	12
11	Michigan State	22-7*	10
12	Kansas St	24-5	13
13	Ohio State	21-7	15
14	Oklahoma St	22-6	16
15	Marquette	21-7	17
16	Arizona	23-6**	9
17	Syracuse	22-7**	9
18	VCU	23-6	23
19	Notre Dame	22-7*	18
20	Wisconsin	20-9*	19
21	Pittsburgh	23-7	22
22	Missouri	21-8	26
23	Saint Louis	23-5	31
24	Middle Tennessee	27-4	27
25	Minnesota	20-9	30
26	Memphis	25-4*	20
27	UNLV	22-7	28
28	Butler	22-7*	24
29	Colorado St	22-7*	25
30	North Carolina	21-8	35
31	NC State	20-8	33
32	Creighton	24-7	37
33	Oregon	23-6	36
34	Wichita St	24-7**	21
35	UCLA	22-7	39
36	St. Mary's	26-5	34
37	Illinois	21-9	38
38	San Diego St	20-8*	29
39	Cincinnati	20-9	42
40	Temple	21-8	43
41	UCONN	19-9**	32
42	Kentucky	20-9*	40
43	Belmont	24-6	41
44	Louisiana Tech	26-3	NA (52)
45	La Salle	20-7	50
46	California	20-9	NA
47	Ole Miss	21-8*	46
48	Akron	23-5*	47
49	Bucknell	25-5	49
50	Virginia	20-9*	48

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Boise St (20-8),Colorado (19-9*), Oklahoma (19-9*), Iowa St (19-10**), Maryland (20-9*)

Top 50 Drop Outs (that haven't returned)

			Week
	Maryland		16
	Iowa St		16
	Baylor		15
	Boise St		14
	BYU		13
	Wyoming		13
	Iowa		11
	Colorado		10
	Murray St		9
	Virginia Tech		7
	Xavier		6
	Alabama		6
	St. Joseph's		5
	Ohio		5
	California		4
	Santa Clara		3
	Tennessee		3
	Northwestern		3
	Florida State		3
	Texas		2
	Northern Iowa		2
	South Alabama		2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

College Basketball Top 50: Boise St, Maryland, Wyoming Debut

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:48:53 -0800

Top 50 Ranking: December 2nd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	8-0	1
2	Michigan	7-0	2
3	Duke	8-0	3
4	Florida	6-0	7
5	Syracuse	5-0	4
6	Louisville	6-1	6
7	Ohio State	5-1*	5
8	Gonzaga	8-0	10
9	Arizona	5-0	11
10	Kansas	6-1	14
11	Missouri	6-1	15
12	Cincinnati	7-0	18
13	Creighton	7-1*	9
14	New Mexico	8-0	19
15	Illinois	8-0	21
16	Minnesota	8-1	23
17	Michigan State	6-2*	12
18	San Diego St	5-1	20
19	North Carolina	6-2*	13
20	Colorado	6-1*	16
21	UNLV	5-1	24
22	Oklahoma St	5-1*	17
23	Wichita St	8-0	28
24	Notre Dame	7-1	30
25	UCONN	6-1	25
26	Pittsburgh	7-1	27
27	Baylor	5-2	34
28	Kentucky	4-3**	8
29	NC State	4-2*	22
30	Georgetown	5-1	31
31	Murray St	6-1	32
32	Kansas St	6-1	33
33	Alabama	6-1*	35
34	Oregon	7-1	39
35	Colorado St	6-0	41
36	Memphis	4-2	40
37	Temple	5-0	44
38	Ohio	6-1*	26
39	Wyoming	8-0	NA
40	Xavier	6-1	47
41	Bucknell	7-1	NA(+5)
42	Wisconsin	5-3*	36
43	St. Joseph's	4-2*	42
44	VCU	5-3	NA(+5)
45	California	6-1*	29
46	Virginia Tech	7-0	NA
47	Maryland	6-1	NA
48	Boise St	6-1	NA
49	Marquette	5-2*	37
50	Belmont	5-2*	50

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Butler (5-2), Miami (5-1), Ole Miss (6-0), Arizona St (6-1), Saint Mary's (5-2)

Top 50 Drop Outs

		Week
Santa Clara	5-2**	3
Tennessee	4-2*	3
Northwestern	6-2**	3
UCLA	5-3*	3
Florida State	4-3**	3
Saint Louis	4-3*	3
St. Mary's	5-2	2
Texas	5-2	2
Northern Iowa	4-3	2
Iowa St	5-2	2
South Alabama	4-3	2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

Bracketology Poll: How Many ACC Teams Will Make the Tourney?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:36:40 -0800

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:18:11 -0800

The matchup between the two best teams in the SEC was expected to be a competitive affair, one that would challenge John Calipari's squad and show how much of a national title contender they really are. The answer was an emphatic one, as Kentucky controlled the game on both ends of the floor in a 78-58 win that didn't seem all that close in the second half. Doron Lamb scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures (and Darius Miller scored nine points) while both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Marquis Teague (12 points, ten assists) posted double-doubles.

This wasn't just a win over a Top 10 opponent but rather a thorough beating that should put the rest of the country on notice. The Wildcats' effort on the defensive end of the floor will likely receive the lion's share of the headlines as they limited Florida to 34.9% shooting from the field and 6-for-27 from three, resulting in the Gators' worst shooting performance in SEC play (according to Statsheet.com's numbers their loss at Tennessee was Florida's worst from an efficiency standpoint). But Kentucky's offensive performance was also excellent as they shot 52.7% from two and 60% from three, finishing the game with a staggering efficiency of 132.2 and the much-maligned point guard was a big reason why.

"What about Marquis Teague? 12 points, 10 assists," noted Calipari after the game. "He is playing, getting everybody shots. He ended the half Doron three, Doron three. He got him those shots. That gave us some breathing room, up 12. He played well. Doron made shots. Darius made shots. We played pretty good."

As a team the Wildcats finished with 18 assists, five more than their season average and six players had at least one helper on the night. Outside of Kenny Boynton (4-8 3PT, 18 points) no one could really get going for the Gators, and Teague's defensive effort against Erving Walker was a sight to behold as well. Walker was held scoreless as he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with just one assist, by far his worst outing of the season.

Should we be ready to crown Kentucky on the heels of this performance? No, because there's still plenty of basketball to be played. But if anything was learned from the Wildcats' performance it's that knocking off a group that still has its best basketball ahead of it will be extremely difficult to do. And that message is magnified within the SEC, because even with road games at Vanderbilt and Florida still on the schedule there won't be many willing to bet against Kentucky.

"You could say that. They've proven it," said Boynton when asked if the result showed just how far Kentucky is ahead of the rest of the SEC. "They've beaten good teams by twenty, the last teams they played."

Other Notable Happenings

1. William Buford's play down the stretch the difference in Ohio State's win over Purdue.
The senior, who by the end of his career at Ohio State could be the school's all-time leading scorer, tends to be the forgotten member of the trio that includes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. But with those two on the bench dealing with foul trouble in the latter stages of the second half (and Sullinger being lost late due to a hip injury suffered in a hard fall) it was Buford who stepped up, going on a personal 7-0 run to give Ohio State the lead for good in an 87-84 win. Buford finished with a career-high 29 points on the night, and the foul line was just as important in the Buckeyes' victory.

Ohio State made 26 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe while Purdue finished 17-for-25. D.J. Byrd was outstanding for the Boilermakers as he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his foul issues kept him off the floor at what would turn out to be the turning point of the game. Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while Craft finished with 13 and two assists, but Tuesday's game served as a reminder to those who take Buford for granted just how important he is to the Ohio State attack.

2. Creighton loses at Evansville, dropping down to second place in the Missouri Valley.
The Bluejays hit the road on Tuesday night in their final game before hosting Wichita State on Saturday with first place in the Valley on the line. But life on the road is difficult, something Greg McDermott's team learned at the hands of Marty Simmons' Evansville Aces, who closed the game on a 13-1 run and handed Creighton a 65-57 loss to drop the Bluejays into second place. The biggest issue for Creighton was turnovers, as they turned the ball over 16 times in a sixty possession game (26.7% turnover percentage). That's a big deal, even in a game in which Evansville scored just 14 points off of turnovers (Creighton scored 13 points on nine Evansville turnovers).

Add in Creighton shooting 4-for-22 from three (Evansville finished 3-for-8) and you've got the recipe for an upset. Doug McDermott finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays while Colt Ryan led Evansville with 14 points despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field. The best Creighton can do against Wichita State now is tie for the league lead with a win on Saturday, and the fact that they won the first meeting would give them the tiebreaker should they do so.

3. Le'Bryan Nash leads Oklahoma State past Iowa State, handing the Cyclones a critical loss.
There hasn't been much separating Iowa State and Oklahoma State this season, with Scott Christopherson's three as time expired giving the Cyclones the win in the first meeting this season. Oklahoma State got their revenge on Tuesday night as freshman Le'Bryan Nash knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining gave the Pokes a 69-67 lead, and his block of a Chris Allen shot shortly thereafter gave them the win.

Nash was one of four Cowboys to finish in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds and the high-flying Markel Brown led the way with 19, but while the Pokes are certainly talented this result hurts the Cyclone resume as they look to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. Iowa State shot just 38.4% from two, a number that hurt them far more than the 38.1% from three as Oklahoma State was far more effective inside of the arc (58.8%). Allen (22 points) and Royce White (15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) led the way for Iowa State but they shot a combined 13-for-33 in doing so.

Quick Hitters

1. As first reported by Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Memphis has accepted an invitation to join the Big East with a teleconference schedule for Wednesday morning. With the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia the league needed to boost its hoops profile, and adding the Tigers should do just that.

2. Eric Griffin scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Campbell won 81-75 at Coastal Carolina. Not to be ignored are guards Darren White and Lorne Merthie, who combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Camels. Coastal Carolina is still in good shape to lock down the two-seed (up two games in the loss column with two games in hand) but the loss means it will be even tougher to catch 13-1 UNC Asheville.

3. Despite six first half three pointers from Bryce Cotton, Providence couldn't shut the door on Villanova. Villanova would trail by as many as 19 points before storming back to beat the Friars 74-72 on a JayVaughn Pinkston basket in the final seconds. Pinkston scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his best performance as a Wildcat.

4. There's no better team to see if you're a Big 12 team in a funk than Texas Tech, who fell to 0-11 in conference play with a 65-46 loss at Kansas State. Shane Southwell led three Wildcats in double figures with 13 points off the bench, and K-State's parade to the foul line (30-for-40) negated the fact that they shot just 30% from the field.

5. The ACC's leading scorer was at it again, as Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin scored 27 points in the Terrapins' 64-62 win over Clemson. Efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference as Maryland made eight of eleven while the Tigers finished 7-for-20.

Three Notable Performances

1. F JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova)
28 points, 14 rebounds and one game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 74-72 win over Providence.

2. F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
25 points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the Camels' 81-75 win over Coastal Carolina.

3. G William Buford (Ohio State)
29 points, seven rebounds in the Buckeyes' 84-81 win over Purdue.

#1 Kentucky vs. #7 Florida: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:27:21 -0800

While there's little doubt at this point in the season as to who many believe to be the best team in the country as top-ranked Kentucky (23-1, 9-0) is the unanimous selection in both major polls, some doubt can be added to the SEC race should #7 Florida (19-4, 7-1) win in Lexington on Tuesday night.

These are the two best teams in the SEC in both the standings and from a talent standpoint, which should make for a fun contest. This is Florida's third shot at a team ranked in the Top 5 of the polls this season, with the prior two contests both being losses on the road (Ohio State and Syracuse).

The Gators rely heavily on a perimeter attack led by a pair of veterans in senior Erving Walker (12.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.9 rpg) and junior Kenny Boynton (17.6 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.4 rpg). But while these two tend to take the majority of the shots, Florida's best option when it comes to sustained success in March could be the play of freshman Bradley Beal (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

The McDonald's All-American can do just about anything on the floor that head coach Billy Donovan asks of him, with the issue at this stage him not being as assertive on the offensive end as many would hope. But Beal's improved in this area as well, and with his skill set could be the Gators' best bet for a huge bucket as the games become even more important.

Kentucky's no slouch on the perimeter either as they feature a nice mix of youth and experience at the two positions. Doron Lamb (13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Darius Miller (10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg) are the experienced members of the trio, with Lamb second on the team in scoring and Miller being one of the first reserves off the bench thanks to his ability as a defender.

Running the show is freshman Marquis Teague (9.6 ppg, 4.3 apg), and as with any team handing over the reins to a newcomer it can be a roller coaster with the Indianapolis native within the course of a game. But to be fair he does boast the best assist-to-turnover ratio of the three, who according to head coach John Calipari also need to chip in a bit more on the glass.

To be fair the Wildcat guards fall into the trap of watching one of the nation's best front courts go to work instead of following up with the effort needed to get that done. And with the trio of Anthony Davis (13.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.8 bpg), Terrence Jones (12.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) there it's easy to take for granted the effort needed to be a good defensive team. Davis is a departure from the stereotypical shot blocker that tends to lead the nation in the category as he's more than capable of defending on the perimeter as well.

This could prove beneficial in a matchup with Florida's Erik Murphy (10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg), as Murphy is more comfortable on the perimeter than he is banging inside. That task is left to Patric Young (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Will Yeguete, with the former being a possible matchup issue for the slender UK big men...provided Florida get Young enough touches inside. Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist are two big reasons why Kentucky is the best in the SEC in both field goal and three-point percentage defense, and Florida will need to limit their impact (on both ends of the floor) if they're to entertain any thoughts of winning at Rupp Arena.

Purdue visits Ohio State in a game that's important for both teams, albeit for different reasons. Thad Matta's Buckeyes are looking to remain on top of the Big Ten standings while the Boilermakers are looking to both improve their resume and bounce back from a disappointing loss to rival Indiana on Saturday night. Point guard play will be critical for both teams, but how the Boilers go about defending Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas inside will determine whether or not the game is close late.

Iowa State and Oklahoma State are both in position to play their way into an NCAA bid, making the battle between the two in Stillwater all the more impotant. Royce White has led the way for the Cyclones from the point, and having a 6'9" forward capable of doing so can prove problematice for Iowa State's opponents. And Maryland visits Clemson with both teams in dire need of a victory to keep alive tournament hopes that may be slipping away. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin could be the ACC's best scorer but he and the rest of the Terrapins need to be more active defensively if they're to go dancing.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (7) Florida at (1) Kentucky (ESPN)
9:00 PM Purdue at (3) Ohio State (ESPN)
8:05 PM (15) Creighton at Evansville

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Mid-Continent College at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Iowa State at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland at Clemson (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Campbell at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Hartford at UMBC
8:00 PM Providence at Villanova (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:05 PM IPFW at Chicago State
9:00 PM Alabama at Auburn (ESPNU)
10:05 PM Seattle at Idaho

Wednesday Recap: Oklahoma State Beats #2 Missouri

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:12:03 -0800

Consistency has been an issue for the Oklahoma State Cowboys this season, and it's been an issue for highly-touted freshman Le'Bryan Nash as well. After scoring 21 points in the Cowboys' 71-68 loss to Iowa State (which ended at the buzzer on a Scott Christopherson three) Nash scored just four points in a 66-58 home loss to Kansas State. But the Dallas native brought his "A-game" to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday night, making 12 of 18 shots from the field to score 27 points while also grabbing four rebounds in Oklahoma State's 79-72 win over #2 Missouri.

"Le'Bryan Nash played at a very high level. All his moves were a little bit more explosive," remarked Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford. "Everyone is going to look at his 27 points, but his defense was better than his offense. It's not a coincidence that he told me yesterday he was going to be ready today and he had a good practice."

Brian Williams added 22 points and Keiton Page 12 on a night that saw the Pokes shoot 59.6% from the field, a stunning development given the fact that Oklahoma State entered the game dead last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage. But as with Nash personally it was Oklahoma State's improved defensive effort down the stretch that allowed them to put the game away. Phil Pressey, who leads the conference in assists per game, could only muster two assists and as a team Missouri finished with just eight assists (they average nearly 16 per game). Missouri assists on 56.4% of their baskets on the season but the number on Wednesday was 30.8%, which played right into the hands of the Cowboys.

Nash's performance became even more important when Markel Brown was given his second technical foul after an emphatic dunk with 6:57 remaining. Following two Marcus Denmon free throws the Cowboys were down 58-53 and two more free throws from Ricardo Ratliffe put the Tigers up seven. Nash scored 13 points in the final 6:31 to lead the Cowboys to a win that the young players really needed given their two games prior to Wednesday. Ratliffe led the Tigers with 25 points and 12 rebounds but they were unable to take advantage of 20 points off of 16 OSU turnovers and a 16-6 edge in second-chance points. The key for both Nash and Oklahoma State now is to play a consistent brand of basketball.

"It's a huge win for us, it's a big win, but it just shows us what we're capable of," said Page. "It shows us that we can play with anybody. We still have a long ways to go...We've gotta get more wins, get some wins on the road."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Louis wins at Xavier, and after Wednesday 11 of the 14 teams in the A-10 have either two or three league losses.
Despite entering their game with a 15-4 record Rick Majerus' Billikens needed a solid road victory due in large part to a strength of schedule that left something to be desired. Brian Conklin scored 19 points and Rob Loe led three other SLU players in double figures with 14 points on their way to the 73-68 win over the Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Conklin was a big reason for Saint Louis' 28-18 edge in points in the paint, and the Billikens received more contributions across the board than a Xavier team that didn't receive much help outside of Mark Lyons (career-high 27 points) and Tu Holloway (22 points).

Jeff Robinson scored ten points and grabbed six rebounds for Xavier but the other big men didn't do much of consequence. Xavier has been the gold standard in the Atlantic 10 for quite some time, and while there's more competition atop the conference it's important to not think that their run is suddenly over. Saint Joseph's win over Dayton pulled the Flyers back to the pack, as now 11 teams sit anywhere from 4-2 to 3-3. To say the least the race for the A-10 crown will be wildly entertaining over the next month.

2. Pittsburgh finally gets their first Big East win as they took their frustrations out on Providence.
The struggles of the Panthers, who entered Wednesday with an eight-game losing streak, were well-doucmented and hadn't been seen in the Steel City for quite some time. That made the game against Providence that much more important, and thanks to a hot Ashton Gibbs the Panthers picked up their first Big East win. Gibbs scored 14 straight points late in the first half as Pittsburgh took control of the game, finishing with 22 points while Tray Woodall (17 points, nine assists) and Nasir Robinson (14 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures in the 86-74 win.

Pittsburgh, who assists on 61.2% of their baskets this season, finished Wednesday's game with an assist percentage of 68.8% and Woodall (who didn't have the rust that was evident in Saturday's loss to Louisville) is a big reason why. The shame for Providence is that their defensive performance overshadowed an outstanding night from point guard Vincent Council (26 points, ten rebounds and nine assists), but there isn't a whole lot you can do when a team makes 11 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. Whether or not this win serves as a major catalyst for Pitt remains to be seen, but they simply needed to get something going and they did that.

3. BYU beats Virginia Tech by two in Blacksburg, but was this a game that would have had a bigger impact in defeat?
Dave Rose's Cougars entered this week with an RPI of 55 and a strength of schedule of 97, and while games against Saint Mary's and Gonzaga are bigger in the grand scheme of things their final non-conference game of the season was also important. But thanks in large part to Virginia Tech's struggles the Cougars' game in Blacksburg took on the appearance of one that could do more harm in defeat than good in victory. BYU took care of business, winning 70-68, with Noah Hartsock (22 points, seven rebounds) and Brandon Davies (17 points, five rebounds) leading the way.

The Cougars won despite a poor shooting night from Charles Abouo and Matt Carlino, who combined to make just six of twenty-eight shots on the night. While many may expect this group to attempt to fire away from deep as they did last season with Jimmer Fredette and (to a lesser extent) Jackson Emery, that isn't realistic at this point. Relying on Davies and Hartsock in the frontcourt could be BYU's best bet when it comes to getting back into the WCC race, and it could be what they need to do to make sure they've got staying power in March as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Congratulations to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo on his 400th victory, as the Spartans beat Minnesota 68-52 to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten. Draymond Green led the way with 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Branden Dawson added 16, four rebounds and four blocks.

2. Maryland honored former head coach Gary Williams, naming the Comcast Center court in his honor, but the emotion of the night wasn't enough to lead the Terrapins past #6 Duke. Mason Plumlee scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds (four assists as well) in the Blue Devils' 74-61 win that was closer than the final score would indicate. Maryland shot 40.4% from the field but the bigger issue was the foul line, where they made 11 of 21 on the night.

3. With Creighton and Wichita State both winning while their closest competition in the Missouri Valley lost, the Bluejays and Shockers are four games up on the pack with eight to go. Unless one of those other teams can make something happen in "Arch Madness" it's very likely that the Valley is just a two-bid league. Garrett Stutz led the Shockers to an 86-74 win over Evansville with 23 points and eight rebounds, and Doug McDermott led Creighton past Drake with 30 points and nine rebounds.

4. Of the top four teams leading Conference USA it's anyone's guess as to who ends up reaching the NCAA Tournament, meaning that avoiding bad losses will be key in the final month-plus of the season. No such luck for Marshall, who lost 56-49 to UAB at home, or UCF as the Knights lost 66-61 at Tulsa. Memphis and Southern Miss both avoided this fate by taking care of business.

5. Just two weeks ago Seton Hall looked to be in good shape when it came to getting back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. But with three straight losses it may be wise to avoid that discussion, with the Pirates falling 55-42 to Notre Dame in Newark. Senior leaders Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope combined to shoot 6-for-28 from the field, and Seton Hall struggled with Notre Dame's deliberate offense. Next up for Kevin Willard's team is Louisville, followed by road games at Marquette, UConn and rival Rutgers.

6. That could also apply to Alabama, who lost 56-54 at South Carolina on a Bruce Ellington basket with 1.4 seconds remaining. Ellington and Damontre Harris scored 12 points apiece and Malik Cooke led the Gamecocks with 18 points. Levi Randolph scored 12 points off the bench to lead the Crimson Tide, who are now 2-4 in the SEC, and JaMychal Green's ankle injury didn't help matters either.

7. Chris Fouch scored 15 points off the bench as Drexel whipped Georgia State 68-46 in Philadelphia to not only avenge their loss in Atlanta but establish some distance between the top four and the rest of the CAA. George Mason remains in first place with a 9-1 record after beating Hofstra while VCU and Old Dominion are tied with Drexel with 8-2 marks. The top four teams get first round byes in the CAA Tournament.

8. Things didn't go too well for West Virginia in their trip to Madison Square Garden as St. John's jumped them early on their way to the 78-62 victory. The favorite for Big East Rookie of the Year, Moe Harkless, led the Red Storm with 23 points and 13 rebounds while D'Angelo Harrison led three other Johnnies in double figures with 19 points. Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers with 26 points and 14 boards, but they never seemed to figure out the matchup zone St. John's threw their way.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State)
26 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Redbirds' 76-69 win over Missouri State.

2. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the Spartans' 68-52 win over Minnesota.

3. F Mike Moser (UNLV)
18 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in UNLV's 77-72 overtime win at Boise State.

4. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
20 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the Buckeyes' 78-54 win over Penn State.

Tuesday Recap: Travel Issues, Cowboys Can't Derail San Diego State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:51 -0800

It's been an interesting couple of days in college basketball when it comes to travel issues, with Purdue having to bus to Michigan State in the early hours of Saturday for a noon tip. While the Boilermakers hung tough in the first half they lost their legs in the second as the Spartans rolled. So what was going to happen to San Diego State, whose trek to Laramie for an important Mountain West game against Wyoming took 20 hours, not to mention the fact that they'd be playing more than 7,000 feet above sea level? The Aztecs seemed to find their second wind in the second half, opening the stanza on a 16-4 run on their way to the 52-42 win.

SDSU shot 57.1% from the field in the second half while limiting the Cowboys to 7-for-27, and their defense helped make up for 19 turnovers that Wyoming was able to convert into 18 points. Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin scored 12 points apiece for San Diego State, who remains a game ahead of UNLV with a 4-0 league mark, and Franklin also grabbed eleven rebounds (unfortunately he was three turnovers away from a triple-double).

Leonard Washington (12 points, eight rebounds) and Luke Martinez (11 points) led the way for the Pokes, who have dropped two conference home games (New Mexico before this) and are still in search of a marquee win to add to their resume. Foul trouble short-circuited Wyoming in the first half but they were able to hang close, trailing 25-22 at the break. But their offensive struggles coming out of the gates in the second half proved to be the difference.

"They played very good position defense, but they didn't pressure us other than for a few possessions when JayDee [Luster] was out," remarked Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt. "They are a tough, competitive group of kids, and they have an arrogance where they expect to win. All good teams have that."

Given the fact that there were just 58 possessions in the game neither team was all that great at taking care of the basketball, combining for 34 turnovers on the night. San Diego State made the most of the possessions they were able to get through without turning the ball over, shooting 51.2% from the field and 45.5% from three. Both teams made five three-pointers on the night, but SDSU only attempted 11 to Wyoming's 22. The Cowboys attempted eight more field goals and six more free throws but it was they who looked to be the team that spent 20 hours on the road, and that's a credit to Steve Fisher, his staff and most importantly the players.

"It had no impact on the game at all, in my opinion," said Fisher of the travel issues. "We've had problems in Laramie my thirteen trips in here. It's a hard place to play and win. To come in here and get a win, I'm very appreciative, and do believe we earned it."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan hangs on to beat Purdue in West Lafayette.
It's safe to say that Michigan didn't get off to a good start at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, but to their credit the Wolverines fought back before falling short 66-64. No such beginning on Tuesday night for Michigan, but they needed a missed Robbie Hummel three in the final seconds to beat Purdue 66-64 in West Lafayette. Tim Hardaway Jr. led four Michigan players in double figures with 19 points and forwards Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz combined for 22 points in the win.

Michigan wasn't as reliant on the three-point shot as they normally are in their system, attempting 14 (making six). But that's fine when they're able to find enough good shots from two to shoot 58.3% inside of the arc. Purdue on the other hand shot 9-for-26 from deep, and Hummel and Lewis Jackson combined to score 33 of their 64 points. With the win Michigan remains atop the Big Ten standings with a 6-2 mark, and if they can get play like this from Morgan and Smotrycz on a consistent basis they'll remain a contender for the Big Ten title.

2. Baylor bounces back from an 0-2 week by winning at Oklahoma.
It was a tough week for Scott Drew's Bears but that was understandable given the fact that they were playing a Top 10 team on the road (Kansas) and a Top 5 team at home (Missouri). The issue came in how they lost especially when considering rebounding, and while Oklahoma still managed to grab 12 offensive rebounds they weren't able to fully take advantage. Perry Jones III scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Baylor to the 77-65 win, with Oklahoma's poor three-point shooting (3-for-12) also playing a role in the outcome.

Baylor on the other hand made nine of their eighteen shots from beyond the arc, and when combined with a 14-for-17 night from the charity stripe it isn't too difficult to figure out why the 12 offensive boards allowed wasn't a killer. Pierre Jackson scored 16 points and dished out seven assists but also had six of Baylor's 12 turnovers, but the Sooners only scored 12 points off of those turnovers. Romero Osby scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Steven Pledger scored 17 to lead Oklahoma, who dropped to 2-5 in league play with the defeat.

3. Texas picks up a key win over Iowa State to split the season series.
Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones have made their way into the NCAA Tournament discussion with their play throughout the season but they let a good opportunity slip through their fingers with a 72-65 loss at Texas. A win would have given the Cyclones a sweep of the season series, and if both teams were to end up on the bubble that would be a nice line to have on their resume. What makes the defeat even more painful is that Texas won despite J'Covan Brown shooting 3-for-16 from the field.

Myck Kabongo led the Longhorns with 13 points and Julien Lewis chipped in with 12 and seven rebounds, giving Texas a much-needed home win as their next two games are at Baylor and home against Missouri. Iowa State shot just 33.3% from the field and 5-for-21 from three, and starters Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen combined to make just two of their fourteen shots from the field. Iowa State will have plenty of good opportunities for resume-building wins between now and March, but this defeat may put a little more pressure on them to split their next two games (home against Kansas and Kansas State).

Quick Hitters

1. Despite 25 points and nine rebounds from Ball State's Jarrod Jones, Akron won 70-58 in Muncie to remain in sole possession of first place in the MAC East. Quincy Diggs and Brian Walsh scored 16 points apiece to lead the Zips and Alex Abreu added 12 on four three-pointers.

2. Kentucky forward Anthony Davis moved to third on the list of most blocked shots in a single season in SEC history, blocking five shots to move his total to 98 in the Wildcats' 57-44 win at Georgia. Darius Miller scored 19 points off the bench and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 and 11 rebounds as Kentucky moved to 6-0 in conference play.

3. In Nashville, Vanderbilt blitzed Tennessee early on their way to a 65-47 win as Jeffery Taylor led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals. John Jenkins added 16 as the Commodores were able to win in comfortable fashion in spite of Festus Ezeli's ejection for a flagrant 2 foul in the first half.

4. With two of their next three games being road contests against ranked teams, there was some thought that we'd find out how good USF is. The first game didn't go well for the Bulls as they fell 67-47 at #18 Marquette. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick led the Bulls with 19 points and ten rebounds but as a team USF shot 35.6% from the field and turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 20 Marquette points.

5. If Jim Larranaga's Miami team is to make a run at a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble they need to avoid stubbing their toe against teams they're expected to beat in the ACC. That was the case on Tuesday as the Hurricanes beat Georgia Tech 64-49 thanks in large part to 21 points and eight rebounds from Kenny Kadji. Miami needs to take care of business against Boston College and Maryland ahead of their trip to Duke on February 5th.

6. While Buffalo does have one of the country's most underrated players in Javon McCrea, they've also got another solid forward by the name of Mitchell Watt. Watt scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to compliment McCrea's 17 points as the Bulls beat Eastern Michigan 67-47 to remain a game behind Akron in the MAC East.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Will Davis II (UC Irvine)
21 points (9-10 FG), ten rebounds and five blocks in the Anteaters' 78-67 win over Seattle.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
21 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears' 77-65 win at Oklahoma.

3. F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Commodores' 65-47 win over Tennessee.

Xavier vs. Saint Louis: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:16:14 -0800

Neither team is currently in first place in the Atlantic 10 but if anything that magnifies the importance of Saint Louis (15-4, 3-2) heading east to take on Xavier (13-6, 4-2) at the Cintas Center. Both teams are a game out of first place in the loss column, and a closer look at the Billikens' computer numbers shows that they could use a win like this to bolster the resume. According to the most recent "nitty gritty" report released by the NCAA Saint Louis is currently 51st in the RPI, but their problem is a non-conference strength of schedule of 211 (overall SOS of 124).

Xavier has no such issue currently but after a loss at Dayton the Musketeers need to get back on track to remain a game behind the Flyers in the loss column. While the Phyrric victory over Cincinnati hurt the chemistry and psyche of Chris Mack's team, there's also the issue of Xavier not being as efficient offensively as they were last season. The Musketeers are averaging just 1.04 points per possession this season and they're also not shooting the three well, making 35.3% of their shots to date.

Guards Tu Holloway (15.7 ppg, 5.6 apg) and Mark Lyons (16.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) lead the way for Xavier, but Holloway's percentages have taken a hit (40.9% FG, 31.6% 3PT). But without consistent production from the big men more responsibility ends up on their shoulders. Senior Kenny Frease (8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has been around for four seasons and while there always seems to be the feeling that he's just one step away, that progression just hasn't happened. Vanderbilt transfer Andre Walker (6.1 rpg) leads the team in rebounding but neither he nor Monmouth transfer Travis Taylor has shown themselves to be capable of being a bell cow for the Musketeers on the block.

Freshman wing Dezmine Wells (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) has been one of the best first-year players in the A-10, and he has to be on the short list of the most explosive finishers in college basketball. He's done well as Xavier's third scorer but with his best work coming in the open floor, someone inside needs to step up. Saint Louis also has three players averaging double figures, one of which comes off the bench. Forward Cody Ellis (11.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) checks in at 6'8", 240 but he's more comfortable on the perimeter (40.2% 3PT), and his shooting is balanced out by Brian Conklin's willingness to go inside.

Conklin is shooting 58.6% from the field on the season with just one three-point attempt, so it's safe to say that he won't be out firing away with reckless abandon. Guard Kwamain Mitchell (11.8 ppg, 3.8 apg) runs the show but also leads SLU in field goal attempts, and his individual matchup with Holloway should be fun to watch. Saint Louis has five players who have attempted 40 three-pointers or more, with three of those players attempting more than half their shots from distance and as a team the Billikens score 31.2% of their points on the bonus shot.

If there's one area to watch it will be turnovers, especially if Xavier gets impatient and looks to force the issue offensively. Saint Louis' opponents average 15.7 turnovers per game, and with the Billikens averaging a shade under 63 possessions per game that's a sizable number. Holloway and Lyons need to make plays without getting out of control, and if they don't Saint Louis has the ability to make them pay. SLU is 2-3 on the road this season but it's not like the Musketeers have been invincible at home (9-2), which should make for an entertaining matchup.

Wednesday's schedule features five ranked teams taking on unranked opponents on the road, one of which being #6 Duke taking on a young Maryland team in College Park. The Terrapins are led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin, but while Maryland has the ability to give Duke some trouble on the perimeter they lack interior depth and the shot selection leaves something to be desired at times. The same could be said for Oklahoma State, who hosts #2 Missouri, and Texas Tech as a player in Jordan Tolbert that can make life difficult for #24 Kansas State.

Minnesota visits #11 Michigan State in need of a resume-building victory but to say the least it's going to be tough for Tubby Smith's team to leave East Lansing with a win. Minnesota has received good play of late from Joe Coleman, and they do have a win at Indiana to their credit. BYU's trip to Virginia Tech is big for both teams as the victor would end up with a resume-building victory that could be a difference-maker come Selection Sunday.

Also keep an eye on Georgia State visiting Drexel in hopes of sweeping the season series, with both in hot pursuit of George Mason in the CAA. Colorado State/New Mexico and Notre Dame/Seton Hall are both solid conference match ups that will also have an impact on the resumes of all four teams.

Top 25 Games
7:30 PM (2) Missouri at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
6:30 PM Penn State at (3) Ohio State (BTN)
9:00 PM (6) Duke at Maryland (ESPN)
8:30 PM Minnesota at (11) Michigan State (BTN)
8:05 PM (14) Creighton at Drake (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (15) UNLV at Boise State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM LSU at (16) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (24) Kansas State at Texas Tech (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Villanova at (25) Louisville (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Delaware at Northeastern
7:00 PM VCU at Towson
7:00 PM Southern Miss at East Carolina
7:00 PM Florida State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Maine at New Hampshire
7:00 PM DePaul at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Toledo at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Providence at Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island (CBS SN)
7:00 PM Fordham at Richmond
7:00 PM BYU at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UAB at Marshall (CSS)
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Army
7:00 PM Old Dominion at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Binghamton at Albany
7:00 PM American at Bucknell
7:00 PM Lafayette at Colgate
7:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Detroit
7:00 PM Georgia State at Drexel
7:00 PM George Mason at Hofstra (FiOS 1)
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Kent State
7:00 PM George Washington at La Salle
7:00 PM West Virginia at St. John's (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton at Saint Joseph's (TCN Philadelphia)
7:00 PM Hartford at Stony Brook
7:00 PM UIC at Wright State
7:00 PM Saint Louis at Xavier (FSN MW)
7:05 PM Northern Iowa at Indiana State
7:05 PM Missouri State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Temple at Charlotte
7:30 PM McNeese State at Nicholls State
7:30 PM Air Force at TCU (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM UCF at Tulsa (CBS SN)
8:00 PM Rice at Memphis
8:00 PM Texas State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Lamar at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Notre Dame at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Alabama at South Carolina (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at UTSA
8:00 PM SMU at Tulane
8:00 PM Evansville at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:15 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Lafayette
9:00 PM Auburn at Arkansas (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Colorado State at New Mexico (CBS SN)

Tuesday Recap: Michigan Moves Streak to Three

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:31:32 -0800

Given how reliant Michigan is on the three-point shot, many would think it highly unlikely that John Beilein's team would win a game in which they shot 6-for-21 from beyond the arc. But thanks to a late basket from Stu Douglass and some solid defense on the final possession of the game, that's exactly what happened as the Wolverines beat in-state rival Michigan 60-59 at Crisler Arena. Trey Burke scored a game-high 20 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Zack Novak scored ten points apiece, but Novak's biggest contribution came on the defensive end of the floor.

Despite giving up three inches in height the senior did an outstanding job of guarding Draymond Green, with Green making three of eight shots for seven points. Green, who did grab 11 rebounds, also turned the ball over five times against a Michigan defense that held him scoreless over the final fifteen minutes of the game. Michigan State fought their way back into the game by shooting 52.4% from the field in the second half, and it didn't hurt to have a reserve in Derrick Nix score a season-high 13 points off the bench.

Brandan Kearney's three with 6:45 remaining gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 50-49, and at that point it would have been easy for the Wolverines to fold. But they didn't, remaining within striking distance thanks in part to a switch to their 1-3-1 zone before taking the lead on Douglass' bucket that Burke assisted on with 36.5 seconds remaining. And while Michigan State did get two attempts to take the lead in the final seconds neither came without pressure from Michigan (one of which was blocked), resulting in opportunities that weren't as good as the Spartans would have hoped for.

"We really tried to completely deny Draymond the ball," said Beilein of the final sequence of the game. "You almost have to double him sometimes. We had to today, and then he passed the ball out of there. Fortunately they didn't have any success with either one."

Michigan's win means that they remain a player in the Big Ten race, which is currently led by Illinois by a game in the loss column. The Wolverines have won the last three games in the series, but while the recent run of success gives Michigan bragging rights it's just a portion of the big picture. Both teams remain contenders for the Big Ten title, meaning that the meeting in East Lansing on February 5th will be just as important in determining whether or not either team can win the league. Round one goes to Michigan.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Florida State builds on Saturday's win by whipping Maryland in Tallahassee.
On the heels of their emphatic win over North Carolina it would have been easy for Florida State to go into their game against Maryland dwelling on what happened Saturday. But Leonard Hamilton's team displayed both maturity and some offensive firepower on Tuesday night, beating the Terrapins 84-70 in their second straight excellent performance. One factor in the Seminoles' win was that they took care of the basketball, finishing the game with just nine turnovers (four in the second half). Michael Snaer led the way with 19 points while Ian Miller and Okaro White combined to score 31 points off the bench in a balanced effort for the Seminoles.

Maryland's Terrell Stoglin led all scorers with 27 points but the only other Maryland player to reach double figures was Nick Faust, and he finished with ten points. Florida State was balanced in their scoring and efficient in their execution, which led to them leading by as many as 21 points in the second half. FSU visits Duke this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue to play as they have the last two games. If so, the Seminoles have the ability to leave Durham with a win.

2. UNC Asheville extends its lead in the Big South to two games with a win over Coastal Carolina.
All six players who scored for Coastal Carolina reached double figures, with Sam McLaurin scoring 17 points to lead the way, but it wasn't enough to win at UNC Asheville due in large part to the Bulldogs' ability to get to the foul line and take advantage of those trips. Eddie Biedenbach's team attempted 33 free throws and made 31, winning 88-81 to take a two-game lead in the Big South as a result. J.P. Primm scored 23 points to lead the Bulldogs and Matt Dickey added 19 with 12 of his points coming from the foul line.

While it's well-known that this tandem is a handful, when they score a combined 20 points from the foul line Primm and Dickey are near impossible to beat. With the victory the Bulldogs took an important step towards the regular season crown, and with the champion getting to host the semifinals and title game of the Big South Tournament that's an important advantage to have. The goal for CCU now is to at the least remain two games back before the two teams meet again on Valentine's Day, and if they can get some help as well the Big South title would still be a realistic possibility.

3. Anthony Davis breaks Kentucky's single-season blocks record in the Wildcats' win over Arkansas.
In freshman Anthony Davis it's become quite apparent that Kentucky head coach John Calipari has a player that is extremely difficult for opponents to deal with. And now there's also the historical aspect of Davis' freshman campaign, as he is now the school record-holder for the most blocked shots in a season with 89 (blocking seven on Tuesday) and still counting. The blocked shots weren't Davis' sole contribution however as he scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Wildcats' 86-63 win.

Five players reached double figures for Kentucky, who shot 57.1% from the field and out-rebounded Arkansas 38-26. Doron Lamb scored 14 points off the bench, Terrence Jones (13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ten points, four rebounds and four assists) were both all over the stat sheet and Marquis Teague played arguably his best game in a Kentucky uniform with nine assists and four rebounds with just three turnovers. With all of their young talent Kentucky's got unlimited potential, and the fact that the Wildcats have yet to play their best basketball should concern the rest of the SEC.

Quick Hitters

1. One of the keys for getting into the NCAA Tournament is to avoid bad losses, and that's exactly what Colorado State did in their 66-55 win over Boise State. Dorian Green scored a game-high 20 points and Pierce Hornung grabbed ten rebounds off the bench as Tim Miles' team moved to 2-0 in Mountain West play.

2. Louisville, which has been hit hard by injuries this season, found out on Tuesday that forward Rakeem Buckles was done for the year with a torn ACL. Buckles, who averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, injured himself in the Cardinals' loss at Marquette on Monday.

3. So Western Carolina took on Toccoa Falls on Tuesday night as they wanted to avoid having too much time off between games. The final score: 141-39. Nine Catamounts scored in double figures and two others scored nine points, and WCU also held a 62-19 edge on the boards. Things got out of hand in Cullowhee.

4. Campbell picked up a 54-51 win at Winthrop, and as a result the Camels are tied with Coastal Carolina two games behind UNC Asheville in the Big South. Eric Griffin scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half while also grabbing 11 rebounds, and the Camels outscored Winthrop 13-4 over the final 6:40 of the game.

5. Robbie Hummel scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Lewis Jackson added 14 as Purdue rebounded from a slow start to beat Iowa 75-68 in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers shot just 41.1% from the field but they out-rebounded the Hawkeyes by nine (41-32) and coverted 13 Iowa turnovers into 20 points.

6. Georgetown proved to be too much for DePaul, winning 83-75 at Allstate Arena, but the improvement that the Blue Demons have made under Oliver Purnell is definitely noticeable. Outside of Jeremiah Kelly and Krys Faber the rotation is young, meaning that as upperclassmen talented players such as Brandon Young and Cleveland Melvin will be well-equipped to improve the standing of the program within the Big East.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
27 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks in the Wildcats' 86-63 win over Arkansas.

2. G Jason Clark (Georgetown)
Career-high 31 points (11-14 FG), five rebounds and four steals in the Hoyas' 83-75 win at DePaul.

3. G Nick Barbour (High Point)
33 points (11-16 FG) and three assists, but he didn't receive much help in the Panthers' 85-66 loss at Radford.

#19 Michigan vs. #9 Michigan State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:51:21 -0800

Tuesday night's schedule may be light but that simply allows one of the Big Ten's more heated rivalries to take center stage as #19 Michigan (14-4, 4-2) hosts in-state rival #9 Michigan State (15-3, 4-1). With both teams coming off of road losses on Saturday (Michigan at Iowa and Michigan State at Northwestern) there will be an added sense of urgency to not only get back on track but to remain one of the key players in the conference title race. The key for Michigan State is to remain disciplined on the defensive end of the floor, something they did not do when faced with a similar offensive system to the one they'll see from Michigan in their loss to Northwestern (NU: 50% FG, 126.6 efficiency per statsheet.com).

Michigan is second in the Big Ten in points scored by way of the three-pointer as 36.1% of their points come by way of that shot. Five different players have the ability (and the green light) to fire away from deep in John Beilein's system with Evan Smotrycz (9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Zak Novak (9.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) being the most accurate. Smotrycz, who normally is a tough matchup for opposing power forwards due to his ability to step out, will see a lot of either Draymond Green (15.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.4 apg) or Branden Dawson (8.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) when on offense.

But Green offers a unique matchup when the Spartans are on offense as well, as his versatility allows Tom Izzo to run a lot of their stuff through the senior in a role that could be described as a "point forward". This, combined with playing games, has helped young guards Keith Appling (12.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Travis Trice (5.8 ppg, 2.1 apg) grow into their roles in the backcourt. Add in Valparaiso transfer Brandon Wood (10.1 ppg, 2.4 apg) and the Spartans have a core trio of guards that have improved a great deal since those losses to North Carolina and Duke to start the season.

They're in for a serious test in Ann Arbor as freshman Trey Burke (14.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.6 rpg) and junior Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.6 apg) rank among the best backcourts in the Big Ten. Burke's been one of the best freshmen in the country, especially when considering his role as the point guard, and Hardaway Jr. has continued to develop as a primary scoring option. That's been a big reason as to why the Wolverines have been able to account for the early departure of Darius Morris, who was a second-round draft pick last June.

If there's one stat to keep an eye on Tuesday night it's the rebounding margin because while Michigan State isn't dominant in this area they're far better than Michigan. The Spartans out-rebound their opponents by an average of 6.1 rebounds per game while the Wolverines are just below breaking even (minus-0.6). And that's due in large part to the number of perimeter shots they take as opposed to getting whipped on the offensive glass, as opponents have grabbed just 9.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Michigan State has rebounded 39.7% of their misses this season, and if the likes of Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix can help out Green and Dawson in this area it could be tough sledding for a Michigan team whose leading rebounders (Smotrycz and Jordan Morgan) average a combined 11.0 rebounds per game. Look for Michigan's rebounding and Michigan State's defense of the three (opponents shoot 30.2%) to ultimately decide the victor.

Also of note on Tuesday is an ACC tilt between Maryland and Florida State, as the Seminoles look to build on their win over North Carolina while the Terrapins need quality wins to work their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation. It's anyone's guess as to how the middle of the conference will shake out and these are two of the teams that can make a run for that final first-round bye slot come ACC Tournament time.

Terrell Stoglin ranks among the best guards in the ACC, but a concern for Mark Turgeon's young guards has been shot selection. They'll need to keep that under control in dealing with one of the league's best defenses, and the same goes for Florida State in the turnover department. It's no coincidence that Leonard Hamilton's team pulled away when they took better care of the basketball and Deividas Dulkys (32 points) got hot.

#2 Kentucky hosts Arkansas in a game that may not impress from a scoring margin standpoint as the Wildcats (on paper) are far superior to the Razorbacks. But it does offer viewers the opportunity to watch some of the SEC's best freshmen. Kentucky's crop is well-known at this point in the season, but in guard B.J. Young the Hogs have one of the conference's most prolific scorers. If Mike Anderson's team can harass Marquis Teague with their pressure this could be a more strenuous exercise for Kentucky than many anticipate.

There's also a big game in the Big South as defending conference tournament champ UNC Asheville hosts the reigning regular season champ in Coastal Carolina. J.P. Primm and Matt Dickey are arguably the best backcourt in the conference and Eddie Biedenbach's club currently leads the conference with a 7-0 record, but Cliff Ellis' Chnaticleers are just a game back at 6-1. With the regular season champion hosting the conference tournament semis and title game the outcome will go a long way in determining who gets that honor come March.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Arkansas at (2) Kentucky (ESPN)
7:00 PM (9) Michigan State at (19) Michigan (ESPN)
7:00 PM (12) Georgetown at DePaul (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM UMBC at Hartford
7:00 PM Auburn at LSU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at UNC-Asheville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM High Point at Radford
7:00 PM Toccoa Falls at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Campbell at Winthrop
8:00 PM North Dakota State at North Dakota
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Iowa at Purdue (BTN)
9:00 PM Maryland at Florida State (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Boise State at Colorado State (The Mtn)
10:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Nevada
10:30 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Pacific