Hofstra

CAA First Round Preview

CHN — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:46:47 -0800

By Robert Canady: robert_canady@msn.com

The Colonial Athletic Conference tournament begins Friday in Richmond, VA. The conference’s top four teams, Drexel (regular season champions) George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion all have byes into the tournaments quarterfinals on Saturday. We will take a closer look at them later in the week. Here is a look at the first round matchups.

Game 1: #8 James Madison 12-19 (5-13) vs. #9 UNCW 9-20 (5-13) 12:00 pm

The two teams only met once in the conference season and that was a 69-61 JMU victory in Wilmington, NC on January 18^th. Senior guard Humpty Hitchens who had a career high 27 points in the win led the Dukes in scoring. Redshirt junior guard A.J. Davis also contributed 18 points and a career high eight rebounds. Kieth Rendleman the CAA’s fifth leading scorer (15.6) had 12 points to go along with 18 rebounds for the Seahawks.

While the teams may have finished in the lower half of the conference, the game could offer some good individual offensive performances. Four of the top league’s top 10 scorers will be in the matchup: JMU’s Davis 4^th and Hitchens 7^th along with UNCW’s Rendleman 5^th and Adam Smith 10^th.

Both teams finished season with an equal record in conference play. A key to the matchup may be determined from behind the 3-pt arc. JMU is second in the conference in three-point percentage. They are making a conference leading average of 7.8 per game and shooting .362 percent from 3-point range. UNCW on the other hand trails only Drexel and VCU in three-point defense, allowing only .314 percent.

Coaches: James Madison is coached by Matt Brady who is in his fourth year at the helm. Buzz Peterson, a member of North Carolina’s 1982 national championship team, is completing his second year as the Seahawks head coach. Pick: JMU 58 UNCW 52

Game 2: #5 Delaware 17-12 (12-6) vs. #12 Towson 1-30 (1-17) 2:30 pm

These two teams will be meeting for the third time this year and second time in the past nine days. Delaware won the first meeting of the year 62-43 in Newark. The Tigers played the Blue Hens much closer on February 22^nd in Towson before falling 76-69, a game that wasn’t decided until the last minute. In that game, Delaware freshman Jarvis Threatt scored a season high 29 points including 16 of 19 from the free throw line. Towson kept the result in doubt until the end, in part due to seven combined three-pointers from sophomore Marcus Damas (21 points) and freshman Kris Walden (18 points.)

There is a stat that no team that has played on Friday has made it to the final game of the tournament. Delaware is a team that is fully capable of pulling off that task. The Blue Hens enter the game on an eight game winning streak that started with a 65-60 victory over George Mason. They and Drexel are the only two CAA teams not to have lost during the month of February.

Delaware under head coach Monte’ Ross is loaded with offensive firepower. Threatt has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times since January 23^rd. Sophomore Devon Saddler is second in the conference in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Junior Jamelle Hagins adds 12.7 points a game and guard Kyle Anderson leads the team and all freshman in the conference with 64 three pointers.

Coaches: Towson has begun rebuilding under first year head coach Pat Skerry. Despite the inexperienced roster that has only one scholarship letter winner, the Tigers have played very hard and taken a few of the league’s top teams down to the wire. Better days are ahead for the Tigers in the tournament, but this year most likely will not be one of them. Pick: Delaware 71 Towson 55

Game 3: #7 Northeastern 13-16 (9-9) vs. #10 William & Mary 6-25 (4-14) 6:00 pm

This may be the least intriguing game of the first day matchups. The two teams split the season series each winning at home, Northeastern prevailing 64-50 in January and William & Mary winning big 79-54 on February 11^th. Northeastern started the conference season with a promising 5-2 mark before losing six of their next eight games. They also had non-conference wins against, St. Johns, Boston University and Southern Illinois. In addition, Northeastern knocked George Mason out of a first place tie with Drexel in the second to last game of the season with an 85-82 Overtime victory at home.

Junior guard Jonathan Lee leads the Huskies. Lee provides constant on court leadership, as he was second in the CAA this year with 35.7 minutes played per game. He is also the team’s leading scorer contributing 14.6 points per game. Junior Joel Smith, who is the Huskies second leading scorer with 12.9 points per game, compliments Lee in the backcourt. Both players are capable of taking over a game and putting up big numbers. Smith ended the regular season averaging 20.7 points a game over his last four games and had a season high 29 points in the victory over St. Johns. Lee was very consistent all season, scoring in double figures in all but three games and two of those he had nine points. Lee had a season high 27 points in the win over George Mason.

The Tribe has a combination of experience and youth. Senior Quinn McDowell leads the way with 12.7 points per game and freshman Marcus Thornton is close behind with 11.1 per game. Thornton seems to thrive on tough completion as he had a team season high 28 points against VCU on February 1^st and scored 23 on the road against George Mason in January. McDowell for his part had 27 points against UNCW and 26 on the road at Towson.

Coaches: Bill Coen is completing his sixth season as head coach at Northeastern. Tony Shaver is in his 9^th year at William & Mary. He took his team to the 2010 NIT and is a two time (2008, 2010) CAA Coach of the Year. Pick: Northeastern 64 William & Mary 50

Game 4: #6 Georgia St. 20-10 (11-7) vs. #11 Hofstra 10-21 (3-15) 8:30 pm

Because of the CAA’s unbalanced schedule, these teams only met once and that was not until the 13^th conference game of the season in which Georgia St. won easily on the road in Hempstead, NY. Georgia State has had a roller coaster season if ever a team has had one. After losing all three games in the season opening World Vision Classic in Seattle Washington, they won 11 games in a row. That included a 5 -1 mark to start the conference part of the season. They played a killer stretch of three games in five days against Drexel at home, then VCU and George Mason on the road. The Panthers hit a bit of a mid season swoon as they dropped four out of five games in late January, including a double overtime loss at Delaware. Speaking of overtime, Georgia St. might be the only team in the country that has lost three conference overtime games in the same season. The first two of those came against the Blue Hens of Delaware.

Hofstra finished 3-15 in the conference but had their most impressive outing of the year in the season finale, a 93-64 win at home over UNCW. Hofstra boasts the CAA’s leading scorer, senior guard Mike Moore. Moore averaged a league best 20.7 points per game and had three outings of over 30 points, including the win over UNCW. Moore finished third in the conference with 79 three-pointers on the season including six in the season finale.

Coaches: Ron Hunter is in his first year as head coach at Georgia St. and has garnered some talk as a Coach of the Year candidate in leading the Panthers to 20 wins after taking over a team that had an 11-18 campaign last year. Mo Cassara completes his second season as Hofstra’s coach. He had a very successful first season leading the Pride to a 21-12 record. Pick: Georgia St. 78-69

Quarterfinals Saturday March 3^rd

#1 Drexel vs. JMU/UNCW winner 12:00 pm

#4 ODU vs. Delaware/Towson winner 2:30 pm

#2 VCU vs. Northeastern/William & Mary winner 6:00 pm

#3 George Mason vs. Georgia St/Hofstra winner 8:30 pm

Semifinals Sunday March 4^th

Drexel/JMU/UNCW vs. ODU/Towson/Delaware winner 2:00 pm

VCU/Northeastern/William & Mary vs. George Mason/Georgia St/Hofstra winner 4:30 pm

Championship Game Monday March 5^th at 7:00 pm

Monday Preview: Texas A&M at #6 Baylor

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:43:23 -0800

While bowl games will garner most of the attention on Monday college basketball won't be taking the day off with leagues transitioning into conference play. One such matchup is the first game of Big 12 play as Texas A&M (9-3) visits Waco to take on #6 Baylor (13-0), and Billy Kennedy's Aggies can definitely use a win for resume reasons.

According to realtimerpi.com Texas A&M has an RPI of 242 and a strength of schedule of 341, and while those numbers will jump considerably in Big 12 play their non-conference resume lacks quality wins. That puts even more pressure on the Aggies to finish high in the Big 12, and they'll need to steal a few on the road in order to do so. But this isn't a very good matchup for Texas A&M, even with Baylor's question marks on the perimeter.

Scott Drew's Bears have been more effective on the perimeter than many expected when the season began, and that will need to continue if Baylor is to make noise in March. Junior Pierre Jackson (12.2 ppg, 4.4 apg) has improved by the game coming off the bench but the turnovers are still an issue, with Jackson averaging 3.4 per game.

The same goes for starter A.J. Walton, who is second on the team with 3.9 assists per game. While Walton has the better assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) of the two he's also got the highest turnover percentage (32.9%). Cal transfer Gary Franklin will also see time and in Boston College transfer Brady Heslip (10.8 ppg, 49.4% 3PT) have one of the best shooters in the Big 12.

Texas A&M also has concerns in the backcourt, and the decision of Jamal Branch to transfer didn't help matters despite his playing just 18.6 minutes per game. Washington transfer Elston Turner (12.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) has been the Aggies' most effect guard from a scoring standpoint, but A&M will need other guards to step up.

Senior point guard Dash Harris (5.0 ppg, 4.4 apg) has more value as a distributor but he's attempted the second-most three-pointers despite making just 34.8% of those shots. Many thought that Branch could at one point take over the starting point guard job but that's out of the window now, meaning that Harris and others need to step up their play.

Baylor's frontcourt ranks among the best in the country when considering both talent and depth, and while Texas A&M has done a good job of rebounding (margin of plus-8.2) the Bears are an entirely different challenge. Perry Jones III (13.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is considered to be Baylor's best NBA prospect, and when he can play with a level of aggression equal to his skill set consistently look out.

Freshman Quincy Miller (10.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) may be Baylor's most versatile frontcourt player as he's also third on the team in assists (2.1 per game), and seniors Quincy Acy (12.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Anthony Jones (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) are also tough customers. Baylor's wingspan is what makes their matchup zone so tough to deal with, and with A&M shooting 31.9% from three on the season look for the Aggies to face that zone for much of the night.

Beating Baylor's zone will depend largely on how effective the Aggies are at finding the gaps, and in wing Khris Middleton (13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.4 apg) Texas A&M has one of the best players in the Big 12. Middleton missed time earlier in the season with a knee injury but he's reached double figures in each of the four games played since his return. He's Texas A&M's most versatile player, and he'll likely have to be the best player on the floor if the Aggies are to win.

David Lobeau (11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Ray Turner (12.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) are also important factors for A&M on both ends of the floor, especially when considering the lack of scoring from the guards outside of Turner. There isn't a big difference between the teams from a tempo standpoint, which makes the disparity in offensive efficiency (Baylor 112.2, A&M 99.6) all the more glaring. A&M will need some unheralded guys to put forth excellent performances in order to leave Waco 1-0 in league play, and that may not be a realistic expectation right now.

Also of note on Monday is Virginia's trip to Baton Rouge, and with Trent Johnson's team having won seven straight games (including a win over Marquette) this is a treacherous trip for the Cavaliers. Mike Scott and Joe Harris will have to lead the way while Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski play with poise on the perimeter for the Cavaliers to leave town with a win.

And Vanderbilt hosts Miami (Ohio), who has one of the best frontcourt players in the MAC in Julian Mavunga. Taking on Charlie Coles' team is a tough task so don't be surprised if the Commodores have some issues early in that one. Another non-conference battle involving the MAC is Ohio hosting Robert Morris, with point guard D.J. Cooper being the catalyst for a team that's won nine straight.

In conference games there's VCU's trip north to take on Hofstra in a CAA battle of teams that have been playing good ball of late. Shaka Smart's young team seems to be figuring things out as they've won seven straight, and Mo Cassara's Pride have won three in a row.

Bradford Burgess (VCU) and Mike Moore (Hofstra) are two of the better players in the CAA, but with the Rams forcing turnovers on 28.2% of their opponents' possessions Hofstra has to be sound with the basketball in order to win. ODU visiting James Madison is another game in the CAA to keep an eye on, and the same goes for the Big West battle between UCSB and surprising Cal Poly.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Texas A&M at (7) Baylor (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (24) Virginia at LSU (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM William & Mary at George Mason
1:00 PM Rhode Island at Boston College (ESPN3)
1:00 PM American at Brown
2:00 PM Delaware at UNC Wilmington
3:00 PM Old Dominion at James Madison (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Northeastern at Towson
7:00 PM Wofford at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UMBC at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Columbia
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Ohio
7:00 PM Stetson at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Hartford at Albany
7:00 PM Maine at Binghamton
7:00 PM Drexel at Georgia State
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at High Point
7:00 PM VCU at Hofstra (FiOS 1)
7:00 PM Shawnee State at Kent State
7:00 PM Presbyterian at Liberty
7:00 PM Rider at Manhattan
7:00 PM Saint Peter's at Marist
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at Radford
7:00 PM Vermont at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Tennessee (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Virginia Military
7:00 PM Lafayette at NJIT
7:05 PM Virginia-Wise at Citadel
7:15 PM Lipscomb at Jacksonville
7:30 PM Brewton Parker at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM Niagara at Loyola (MD)
7:30 PM FGCU at Mercer
7:45 PM Coastal Carolina at Campbell
7:45 PM Belmont at North Florida
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Auburn
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Vanderbilt
8:00 PM Roosevelt at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at Sam Houston State
8:30 PM Jacksonville State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Idaho State at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Boise State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Long Beach State at UC Irvine
10:00 PM New Mexico State at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Pacific at Cal State Fullerton

How Will Teams Account for Major Personnel Losses?

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:46:41 -0800

One question that seems to float around college basketball on an annual basis is the "how will they replace..." inquiry. That could apply to just about any player, from a key sub to a starter to a conference player of the year honoree. But the danger of using the word "replace" is that sometimes the departed players is too difficult to account for by simply plugging someone else into their role. According to kenpom.com, these were the top ten players in the country last season in percentage of possessions used:

1 Anatoly Bose (Nicholls St.) 36.7
2 Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 36.4
3 Keion Bell (Pepperdine) 35.7
4 Brandon Bowdry (Eastern Michigan)34.4
5 Adrian Oliver (San Jose State) 33.8
6 Xavier Silas (Northern Illinois) 33.8
7 Will Pratt (Northwestern St.) 33.4
8 Grant Maxey (Jackson State) 33.2
9 Andrew Goudelock (Charleston) 33.1
10 Shawn Lewis (Cal Poly) 32.6

Nine of these players were seniors last season and the tenth (Keion Bell) has since transferred to Missouri, where he will have one year of eligibility in 2012-13 after sitting out this season (11th on the list is Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, one of the better guards in America who gets limited national exposure). But the question for each of these teams is how they go about redistributing the possessions that went to these players.

It goes without saying how important a Fredette or Goudelock was to their team last season, which makes it so difficult to simply say that they need to be "replaced". Attempting to replace a player of this influence can get teams in trouble, so the sooner a program figures out how to make up for the departure the better.

"At first we thought we could just run the same stuff and I was wrong," said College of Charleston head coach Bobby Cremins in a phone conversation last week. "We added some new stuff, went back and forth and then realized that we had to change."

The changes were all about comfort for the Cougars, who not only lost Goudelock but also guard Donovan Monroe (12.4 ppg) and forward Jeremy Simmons (13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Goudelock and Monroe were responsible for 56.5% of Charleston's made three pointers in 2010-11, meaning that the Cougars will need multiple players to step up in that department.

One option: point guard Andrew Lawrence, who gained experience playing with the English National Team during the summer, and 74% of his points last season came from beyond the arc. Coach Cremins noted that Lawrence's experience this summer was a great one, and the starting point guard has the ability to set up teammates in addition to knock down shots. Obviously Lawrence's role will expand, but to expect him to pick up where Goudelock left off would be unfair.

In additon to Lawrence on the perimeter there are three players competing for the starting shooting guard role, with one of those options being Jordan Scott. Scott scored a team-high 23 points in their exhibition win over Queens College and 15 in the win over Limestone, but by no means did that lock up the starting nod, as Nori Johnson and Trevonte Dixon will also get opportunities to produce. In speaking with Coach Cremins he was still looking for improvement from Scott, and as the temperament improves his game should as well.

Charleston will also call on their lone returning starter for offense, and after missing the 2009-10 season due to a knee injury Antwaine Wiggins should be fully recovered. Wiggins averaged 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, making 51.1% of his two-point attempts and just 35.3% from beyond the arc. That percentage needs to improve if he's to raise his scoring, and that was a point of emphasis for the Cougars.

"He's playing well and trying to become a better shooter [form-wise]," noted Cremins. "He can be an NBA player if his shot improves."

Charleston also has the tough Trent Wiedeman in the frontcourt, but the loss of Willis Hall places a little more pressure on freshman Adjehi Baru, and the Cougars will have a chance to be a factor in the SoCon if the highly-touted newcomer is a factor. Charleston is young and has some big production losses to account for, but the Cougars have plenty back when compared with Colorado.

It's been well-documented the situation that Tad Boyle is in as the Buffaloes begin their first season in the Pac-12. In Alec Burks, Cory Higgins, Levi Knutson and Marcus Relphorde the Buffs lost 75% of their offense from last season's 24-14 team, meaning that there's a strong chance that they won't be able to simply look for guys to replicate the production of that quartet.

"We're not changing our system but adjustments need to be made," said Colorado head coach Tad Boyle. "We've stressed not trying to have a player be one of the departed, but to be themselves and understand why [the departed players] were successful and add to their games."

One player who will need to make this transition is point guard Nate Tomlinson, who had the luxury of being able to get the ball to players such as Burks and Higgins, who could then make a play and score baskets. "Nate has to be more of a playmaker himself and become more aggressive, but not just in terms of scoring," noted Boyle.

Tomlinson accounted for just 3.5% of the Buffaloes' points last season, but look for that number to increase by a substantial amount out of necessity. But he isn't the only player Colorado will call on for points, as a pair of seniors will also need to be involved. Forward Austin Dufault (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and guard Carlon Brown (Utah transfer) will also be key cogs in the Buffaloes' up-tempo system, and how they execute in their "secondary break" will be something to watch.

"Last year's team was good at taking care of the basketball and we have to continue that," said Boyle when asked what his team will need to do offensively this season. "We have to be patient offensively, and we're having issues with that now. We don't have a Burks or Higgins to make plays in our secondary break."

Can Brown do that? He's got the athletic ability to do so as do freshmen Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie, and sophomore Andre Roberson will also be called upon in the frontcourt. And in Dufault the Buffaloes have a big man who can score either inside or out. Coach Boyle noted that Dufault has to do a good job of understanding his matchup and knowing where his advantage is in order to be successful.

How teams go about accounting for major personnel losses will be something to keep an eye on, not just in the distribution from a numbers standpoint but also in what kinds of sets they run. Teams who could give the ball to a dominant figure and ask him to make a play might have to do more work off the ball to get good scoring opportunities, but the thought of simply replacing a player is a simplistic one. Look out for this in the first month of the season, as how this is handled will shape the seasons of many teams.

Some Other Teams to Watch

Arizona: The Wildcats not only lost a lottery pick in forward Derrick Williams but an assertive point guard in Lamont "MoMo" Jones (transferred to Iona). That means that the Wildcats will be young at the point with either sophomore Jordin Mayes or freshman Josiah Turner, and they don't have a big man on the block that can take the ball and get the team a basket whenever. More will be asked of Solomon Hill on the wing, senior Kyle Fogg is experienced as well and the sooner Kevin Parrom can return the better.

BYU: This one is pretty obvious due to the graduation of Jimmer Fredette, but don't forget about what Jackson Emery brought to the Cougars as well. The good news for Dave Rose is that Charles Abouo and Noah Hartsock return, as does Brandon Davies (suspended for an honor code violation late last season). The Cougars may have to rely more on their big men for points, especially early in the season, and it's going to be interesting to see how they incorporate UCLA transfer Matt Carlino once he's eligible in December.

Connecticut: The Huskies were a young team last year, but losing a player the caliber of Kemba Walker is a big deal, especially with freshman Ryan Boatright sitting per NCAA inquiry. That puts more on the plate of Shabazz Napier, and look for wing Jeremy Lamb to be used at the point on occasion as well. Lamb's best role offensively may end up being one similar to how Richard Hamilton was used during his time in Storrs, as Lamb is also a tough matchup coming off of screens.

Hofstra: Charles Jenkins left Hempstead as the greatest player in the history of the school, so there really isn't a way to simply plug someone into his open spot. Rhode Island transfer Steve Mejia is more of a distributor than scorer at the point, but in shooting guard Mike Moore the Pride have a player capable of assuming that alpha role on offense. Bryant Crowder, Nathaniel Lester and David Imes will also have roles that are larger than they would have been with a player of Jenkins' caliber still on campus.

Jackson State: Losing Grant Maxey, who was responsible for 33.2% of the Tigers' possessions last season, is a tough departure to account for but he's not the only loss for JSU. De'Suan Dixon and Tyrone Hanson were also significant contributors according to Ken Pomeroy's numbers, leaving Jenniro Bush as the main option. Bush was named Preseason POY in the SWAC, and JSU will need that kind of production to account for the loss of four starters.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have to account for the loss of not just the Morrii (Marcus and Markieff) but also Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar, their most successful three-point shooters with regards to number of shots made and percentage (Markieff Morris shot 42% from three but on nearly have as many attempts). Junior forward Thomas Robinson will be the primary option on the block, but it doesn't help that guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Robinson have both been suspended already (only for the two exhibition games).

St. John's: Who didn't the Red Storm lose? Other than Malik Stith, who played just 12.2 minutes per game last season, no one of consequence returns from that NCAA Tournament team. But the newcomers are extremely talented, led by junior college transfers Nurideen Lindsey and God'sgift Achiuwa and freshmen Maurice Harkless and Sir'Dominic Pointer. To say the least this thin roster will need to remain healthy, and possible mid-season additions Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett would be welcomed with open arms.

2011 CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major All-Americans

CHN — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:31:45 -0700

With Butler and VCU making Final Four runs, CollegeHoops.net's Mid-Major All-America teams feature multiple stars who are playing deep into March. Kenneth Faried, our Mid-Major Player of the Year, led the country in rebounding while leading Morehead St to a first round upset of Louisville in the NCAA Tournament. He's joined by forwards Matt Howard of Butler and Keith Benson of Oakland on the First Team, along with high-scoring guards Charles Jenkins of Hofstra and Andrew Goudelock of Charleston.

Butler (Howard and Shelvin Mack) and Old Dominion (Frank Hassell and Kent Bazemore) are the only teams to feature multiple players on the list. Butler knocked off Old Dominion in the first round of the Big Dance in heart-breaking fashion before returning to the Final Four for the 2nd season in a row.

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Player of the Year:

F Kenneth Faried, Morehead St, Sr

CollegeHoops.net First-Team Mid-Major All-America
G Charles Jenkins, Hofstra, Sr
G Andrew Goudelock, Charleston, Sr
F Kenneth Faried, Morehead St, Sr
F Keith Benson, Oakland, Sr
F Matt Howard, Butler, Sr

Second-Team Mid-Major All-America

G Shelvin Mack, Butler, Jr
G Norris Cole, Cleveland St, Sr
F Mike Glover, Iona, Jr
F Frank Hassell, Old Dominion, Sr
F Justin Greene, Kent State, Jr

Third-Team Mid-Major All-America
G Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado, Sr
G Cam Long, George Mason, Sr
F Noah Dahlman, Wofford, Sr
F Keith Wright, Harvard, Jr
F Ryan Rossiter, Siena, Sr

Fourth-Team Mid-Major All-America

G Casper Ware, Long Beach St, Jr

G/F Mike Smith, ETSU, Sr

F Kareem Maddox, Princeton, Sr
F Jamie Skeen, VCU, Sr
F Orlando Johnson, UCSB, Jr

Honorable Mention

F Chaisson Allen, Northeastern, Sr

G/F Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion, Jr

F Denzel Bowles, James Madison, Sr

F Julian Boyd, LIU, So

G Solomon Bozeman, UALR, Sr

G Ian Clark, Belmont, So

F Gilberto Clavell, Sam Houston St, Sr

G DJ Cooper, Ohio, So

G Vaughn Duggins, Wright St, Sr

G TyShawn Edmondson, Austin Peay, Jr

G Devin Gibson, UTSA, Sr

F Chad Gray, Coastal Carolina, Sr

F Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb, Sr

F Ken Horton, CCSU, Jr

C Greg Mangano, Yale, Jr

F Julian Mavunga, Miami, Jr

G CJ McCollum, Lehigh, So

F Mike Muscala, Bucknell, So

G Derek Needham, Fairfield, So

G CJ Reed, Bethune-Cookman, Jr

G Jesse Sanders, Liberty, Jr

G Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois, Sr

F Alex Young, IUPUI, Jr

Also:

National All-Americans: Jimmer Fredette POY

High-Major All-Americans: A10, CUSA, MVC, MWC, WAC, WCC

Sears BracketBusters Saturday Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:55:34 -0800

Score two wins for the Colonial Athletic Association, with VCU winning at Wichita State and Drexel defending their home floor with a win over Kent State in Friday's Sears BracketBusters contests. VCU needed a pair of Joey Rodriguez free throws with eight tenths of a second remaining to win a game they nearly handed over after leading by nine at the half. Rodriguez racked up 11 assists to go along with 15 points. Bradford Burgess scored 17 to lead the Rams, and Joe Ragland scored 15 to lead the Shockers. Gregg Marshall's team shot just 39% for the game, and if not for VCU getting just eight free throws (18 for Wichita State) the margin is likely larger. As for Drexel Samme Given led five Dragons in double figures with 17 points and 15 rebounds, and defensively they limited Kent State to 35.9% shooting on the night. Two victories that give the CAA a slight bump in the computers could become more valuable as the season approaches Selection Sunday.

The crown jewel of this year's Sears BracketBusters event comes from the West Coast, where Utah State visits Saint Mary's in a game both need for their respective resumes. One could argue that the visiting Aggies (24-3, 12-1 WAC) need a win more, given their 0-2 record in games against teams in the RPI Top 50 and the high probability that this will be their last chance to erase that bagel before Selection Sunday. Saint Mary's (22-5, 10-2 WCC) can at least claim one Top 50 win (St. John's) and they also host Gonzaga in their next contest. While Gonzaga isn't as good as previous editions their presence on Saint Mary's slate outweighs any remaining games on Utah State's schedule.

Randy Bennett's Gaels have yet to lose at home this season, and in addition to the crowd their guard play has been a key reason as to why. Mickey McConnell (16.9 ppg, 6.2 apg) and Matthew Dellavedova (12.7 ppg, 5.4 apg) were crucial factors in the run to the Sweet 16 a season ago and they've had their fingerprints on a number of Saint Mary's victories this season as well. McConnell is likely the favorite at this point to win Player of the Year in the WCC, boasting an assist-to-turnover ratio near 3-to-1 while shooting 52% from the field and 47% from three. How junior Brockeith Pane (10.7 ppg, 3.3 apg) performs in this matchup will have a lot to do with the outcome, and Pane needs to play under control for forty minutes.

Inside Stew Morrill's team will have the size advantage, although Saint Mary's has some solid interior players. But in Tai Wesley (14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) the Aggies have one of the premier forwards in the Western United States, and his partners in crime aren't too shabby either. Brady Jardine and Nate Bendall also contribute to a team that has a rebounding margin of plus-8.9 on the season. Saint Mary's with Rob Jones and Mitchell Young won't be as physical up front and they hold a rebounding edge of just plus-3.4, but they'll compete and make things tough on Utah State. If Wesley gets into early foul trouble the edge that the Aggies hold could be neutralized.

Two players to keep an eye on for the Aggies who haven't been mentioned yet: veterans Pooh Williams and Brian Green. Williams averages just under nine points per game but he's a solid defender who does many of the little things on the floor for the Aggies. Green averages 11 points per game off the bench and knocks down 46% of his shots from beyond the arc. Adding in Brady Jardine's contributions off the bench and Coach Morrill has a pair of reserves who can outperform most starters on any given night. And with the Aggies needing a solid resume win to add to their resume both will need to step up in Moraga.

Other televised games to keep an eye on include Vermont at Charleston and George Mason at Northern Iowa, with the road teams being among the hotter clubs in America. Jim Larranaga's Patriots have shown off the value of preseason trips to Europe, as their trek to Italy fostered a level of unity that was nowhere to be found last season. They've won 12 straight games with 11 of the wins by 14 points or more, and while it's tough to knock off UNI in their building Ben Jacobson's group has struggled of late in the Missouri Valley.

As for Vermont, the move by head coach Mike Lonergan to put freshman point guard into the starting lineup for defensive reasons has led to 10 straight wins. But he's in for a challenge with Andrew Goudelock being one of the best scorers in the nation. That being said, Antwaine Wiggins and the other Charleston forwards will need to contend with the tandem of Evan Fjeld and Brian Voelkel, with both likely to clean up come awards time in America East.

Iona visits Liberty with the home team possibly feeling better about their NCAA Tournament chances due to the roster turnover at Coastal Carolina, and two of the better guards around meet in Dayton with Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) and Vaughn Duggins (Wright State) on the same floor. It's always difficult to define the true value of the BracketBusters event but at the least it's one more shot at beating a solid opponent late in the season, and the games tend to provide good entertainment for that reason.

Televised Games
11 a.m. Hofstra at Wright State (ESPNU)
1 p.m. Austin Peay at Fairfield (ESPNU)
3 p.m. Iona at Liberty (ESPNU)
5 p.m. Missouri State at Valparaiso (ESPN2)
5 p.m. Vermont at College of Charleston (ESPNU)
7 p.m. George Mason at Northern Iowa (ESPN2)
9 p.m. No. 21 Utah State at Saint Mary's (ESPN2)
11 p.m. Montana at Long Beach State (ESPN2)
1 p.m. (Sunday) Cleveland State at Old Dominion (ESPN2)

Non-Televised Games
Noon Miami (Ohio) at James Madison
1:05 p.m. Morehead State at Indiana State
2 p.m. Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina
2 p.m. Canisius at Boston University
2 p.m. Manhattan at Stony Brook
2 p.m. Central Michigan at Niagara
2 p.m. Illinois State at Western Michigan
2 p.m. Northeastern at UNC Asheville
3 p.m. Bradley at Tennessee-Martin
3 p.m. Saint Peter's at Loyola-Chicago
3:05 p.m. Green Bay at Southern Illinois
4 p.m. Delaware at Rider
4 p.m. Delaware State at Tennessee State
4 p.m. Georgia State at Louisiana Tech
4 p.m. Seattle at Northern Illinois
4 p.m. VMI at Morgan State
4:30 p.m. Jacksonville State at Eastern Michigan
5 p.m. Hawaii at UC Davis
5 p.m. UC Irvine at Nevada
6 p.m. Cal State Fullerton at Idaho State
7 p.m. Eastern Illinois at Toledo
7 p.m. Appalachian State at High Point
7 p.m. Ball State at Wofford
7 p.m. Charleston Southern at UNC Wilmington
7 p.m. Creighton at Akron
7 p.m. Hartford at UMBC
7 p.m. Loyola at Towson
7 p.m. Maine at Siena
7 p.m. Milwaukee at Buffalo
7 p.m. Ohio at Winthrop
7 p.m. Radford at William & Mary
7:05 p.m. Bowling Green at Youngstown State
7:30 p.m. Davidson at Presbyterian
7:30 p.m. New Hampshire at Marist
8 p.m. Evansville at Murray State
8 p.m. Pacific at Oral Roberts
8:05 p.m. Detroit at Drake
8:30 p.m. Northern Colorado at New Mexico State
8:30 p.m. Sacramento State at Southeast Missouri State
8:30 p.m. Gardner-Webb at Tennessee Tech
9 p.m. Idaho at Montana State
10 p.m. Cal State Northridge at Eastern Washington
10 p.m. UC Riverside at Fresno State
10 p.m. Boise State at UC Santa Barbara
10 p.m. Northern Arizona at Cal Poly
10 p.m. Weber State at San Jose State

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College Hoops Thursday Recap: Saint Mary's Wins at Gonzaga

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:31:22 -0800

Has the torch been passed in the West Coast Conference? While this is an unfair question overall when taking into consideration Gonzaga's decade of dominance, it certainly isn't in regards to this season. Mickey McConnell capped an outstanding performance with a tough shot with ten seconds remaining to give Saint Mary's the 73-71 victory in Spokane, dropping the Bulldogs to 3-3 in WCC play. McConnell finished with 27 points, six assists and four rebounds while backcourt partner Matthew Dellavedova added 15 points and five assists in their first victory at Gonzaga since 1995. Elias Harris and Robert Sacre led the way for Gonzaga with 17 points apiece and Sam Dower played well off the bench in scoring 15, but it wasn't enough to avoid their first three-game WCC losing streak in over a decade.

"I did have the zero (points scored in last year's meeting) in the back of my mind," said McConnell. "I tried to make a conscious effort not to let that happen again. I just tried to come out today and be aggressive. I got some good looks and that helped."

Also of importance was Saint Mary's interior defense on Sacre, who shot just 4-for-13 from the field in scoring his 17 (9-10 FT). Phil Benson, who's been banged up for much of the season, played a role in this as did Mitchell Young. With Sacre being one of the best interior players in the WCC the Gaels needed to make him work for his shots and they did a good job of that for much of the night.

"Phil was the only guy physical enough to match Sacre," remarked head coach Randy Bennett. "We needed him. He is a very confident guy and knew his role. For him to do that, having played the minutes he has and playing a game like that. Playing that well was real impressive."

The Bulldogs were also hurt by Steven Gray fouling out with 4:58 left in the game, taking away their best perimeter scoring threat. But a McConnell three-point play with 2:42 remaining gave Saint Mary's a 68-67 lead, and it's tough to blame that on Gray's absence. Is Gonzaga done in regards to the WCC race? No but it certainly doesn't look good for Mark Few's team, who also lacks a prolific non-conference profile with just a game against Memphis left to be played. They could find themselves in a somewhat foreign position when the WCC Tournament rolls around, having to win the tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament. As for Saint Mary's, they're in good position to win the regular season title after this victory. (quotes courtesy of Saint Mary's Athletics)

Other Notable Happenings

1. Illinois and Michigan State look like unstable basketball teams right now.
Two teams who weren't expected to have any part of the bubble talk in the Big Ten were Illinois and Michigan State due to their talent and coaching. But something's up with both squads, and they both sit in the middle of the conference standings at 4-4 after losses to Indiana and Michigan respectively. Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford led the way for the depleted Hoosiers but it was Tom Pritchard who made the crucial bucket, tipping in a miss with 44.2 seconds remaining to seal an important win for Tom Crean's program. As for Michigan, Zack Novak and Darius Morris combined for 36 points and Stu Douglass hit an important three-pointer late to give them their first win in East Lansing since 1997.

What's wrong with the Illini and Spartans? Illinois received poor outings from both Demetri McCamey and Mike Tisdale, and with McCamey being the focal point of this team at the point they can ill-afford a bad night from him given the inconsistent nature of many of their players. As for Michigan State, Kalin Lucas scored 27 points but with a non-existent bench (the loss of Korie Lucious hurts here) they can't have Delvon Roe scoring just one point. Draymond Green had his issues as well, dealing with fouls for much of the evening and scoring nine points. The key word for both: consistency, more specifically the lack of it. Can these two turn it around in time? That's a tough question to answer definitively right now.

2. Arizona takes care of UCLA at home, moving into 2nd place in the Pac-10.
If there was any doubt that Derrick Williams is one of the premier frontcourt players in America it should have been erased last night, as he scored 22 points in helping lead the Wildcats to an 85-74 win over UCLA. The win gave Arizona sole possession of second place in the Pac-10, and the performance of Momo Jones was also vital to their win. Jones scored 17 points while also accounting for three assists and three steals, and his play down the stretch will be critical to the Wildcats' success. Add in Jordin Mayes off the bench and a dependable option on both ends of the floor in Kyle Fogg and this triumvirate will need to be at their best if Sean Miller's team is to not only get back to the NCAA Tournament but make some noise upon arrival. Teams will look to take away Williams inside and while that's a task far easier said than done others will still need to step up. Last night's performance was a good indicator of Arizona's progress in their department.

3. VCU blows out Hofstra to take over first place in the CAA.
Shaka Smart's club came out hot and when they can knock down shots and set up their pressure opposing teams are in trouble, especially at the Siegel Center. Jamie Skeen led four starters in double figures with 18 points as the Rams beat Hofstra 82-67 to move to 9-1 in league play, and with their balance and versatility VCU has to be one of the favorites to take the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Charles Jenkins led Hofstra with 20 while Greg Washington added 15 but with Mike Moore going for a quiet seven and Brad Kelleher shooting 2-for-8 from the field they were a bit limited offensively. VCU got to the foul line (21-25) and controlled the glass at a margin of 38-28 (Bradford Burgess had 14 to go with 15 points), and those two areas ultimately decided the outcome. VCU's had a negative rebounding margin all season, and if they can improve this in big games look out. They're already not a fun team to play against due to their style of play and talent, and if the rebounding joins the party VCU could be headed back to the Big Dance.

Top Three Games

1. Saint Mary's 73, Gonzaga 71

2. Chattanooga 111, UNC Greensboro 110 (2OT) Ricky Taylor capped a 41-point night with a hoop with 15 seconds remaining to move the Mocs to 8-2 in SoCon play. Korey Van Dussen led UNCG with 33 points but it wasn't enough as they saw their win streak end at three.

3. Liberty 83, UNC Asheville 81 (OT) A John Brown tip as time expired kept the Flames within a game of first-place Coastal Carolina in the Big South. Jesse Sanders (20 points) and David Minaya (19) led the way for Liberty while Matt Dickey (20) and D.J. Cunningham (16) did so for UNC Asheville.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kenneth Faried (Morehead State) 23 points and 23 rebounds in the Eagles' 72-65 win over Tennessee State.

2. F Julian Boyd (Long Island) 34 points and 16 rebounds in the Blackbirds' 97-89 win at Fairleigh Dickinson.

3. G Ricky Taylor (Chattanooga) 41 points on 12 for 18 shooting from the field in the Mocs' 111-110 double-overtime victory over UNC Greensboro.

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College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:14:03 -0800

First place is on the line in the Colonial Athletic Association on Thursday night as Hofstra (14-6, 8-1) heads south to take on VCU (16-5, 8-1) in a matchup that features two of the best guards at the mid-major level. Charles Jenkins (23.7 ppg, 5.0 apg) is practically a household name at this point in his career and with a pro body combined with an excellent skill set the senior from Queens is a solid bet to end up on an NBA roster next season. But Shaka Smart's Rams have a very good point guard of their own in senior Joey Rodriguez (10.8 ppg, 4.8 apg), with his ability to run the show being a key factor in VCU's success. But the guards aren't the only players who will be on display Thursday night as each team has talent inside as well. The best player of this group may be VCU's Jamie Skeen, who's averaging a team-best 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Skeen shoots 54% from the field and also does a good job of getting to the foul line, knocking free throws down at a 74% clip. On the opposite side will be Hofstra senior Greg Washington, a slender big man who can step out and knock down the mid-range jumper in addition to blocking shots on the defensive end. Washington ranks second in the CAA in blocks with an average of two per game, and while he scores just seven points per game with the presence of Jenkins and Mike Moore (14.7 ppg) it's not Washington's job to be a lights-out scorer. David Imes provides some of the "muscle" up front for the Pride, who are being out-rebounded by an average of 2.8 rebounds per game. But that margin's better than VCU's, who have a rebounding margin of minus-4.0 on the season. With neither team being all that dominant on the boards rebounding could be one area that may decide the outcome.

In addition to Rodriguez on the perimeter VCU has junior Bradford Burgess, who averages 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7% from the field and 44.3% from distance. Burgess doesn't have to create as many things offensively as Jenkins and Moore are required to do since he's got Rodriguez to do that, but he does a good job of producing (effective FG% : 59.1, offensive rating: 113.5) when the opportunities present themselves. In looking at the two teams the percentages from the field are very similar but Hofstra holds the edge in regards to the foul line, shooting 76% to 70% for the Rams. And that's to be expected when just one of the five Hofstra players who account for at least 18% of the team's possessions fails to make at least 70% of his free throws (Dwan McMillan-67.7%).

If the game is close late that could play a role in the outcome, especially with the presence of point guard Brad Kelleher lightening some of the load on Jenkins from a ball-handling standpoint. But VCU has won seven straight games and stands 9-0 at the Siegel Center, and with veterans such as Burgess, Rodriguez and Ed Nixon it comes as no surprise that the Rams are this good at home. But Mo Cassara's squad has gone out and simply gotten the job done on multiple occasions, and with a player the caliber of Jenkins a threat to score 30 every time out Hofstra has a shot to win not just on Thursday night but when the stakes are raised at the CAA Tournament in early March. Thursday's contest is the first step for one of these teams towards a first round by in said tournament, and just as importantly a step towards a regular season title.

Arizona hosting UCLA is another key game on the schedule from a "resume" standpoint, with both teams looking solid right now but a few more solid victories won't hurt either. The matchup between Derrick Williams (Arizona) and Reeves Nelson (UCLA) should be worth the price of admission alone, although Solomon Hill and Tyler Honeycutt should be entertaining as well. Saint Mary's looks to rebound from Saturday's loss at Vanderbilt with a win at Gonzaga, a task easier said than done due to both the atmosphere at The Kennel and Mark Few's team likely upset about dropping a pair of conference games last week. Boston College gets an opportunity at a huge victory as they visit Duke, and Maryland visits Virginia in desperate need of a win at this point in the season. Two other contest to keep an eye on are Oral Roberts visiting first-place Oakland in the Summit League, and Iona hosting Rider in a rematch of an entertaining 100-96 Iona victory earlier this month.

Top 25
8:00 PM Boston College at (3) Duke (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (21) Illinois at Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM (22) Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (ESPN2)
11:00 PM (24) Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (25) Utah State at San Jose State

NCAA Division I Games
4:00 PM Towson at George Mason
7:00 PM Colgate at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Michigan at Michigan State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Long Island at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Maryland at Virginia
7:00 PM Wofford at Appalachian State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ball State
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Western Kentucky at Florida International
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at High Point
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at La Salle
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at Oakland
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Radford
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Marist at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM Hofstra at VCU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Virginia Military
7:00 PM Furman at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Wagner at Bryant University
7:00 PM Centenary at IPFW
7:30 PM Rider at Iona
7:45 PM St. Francis (NY) at Monmouth
7:45 PM Tennessee State at Morehead State
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Idaho at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Loyola (IL)
8:00 PM Southern Utah at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Elon at Samford
8:00 PM UMKC at South Dakota State
8:00 PM South Alabama at Troy
8:05 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:30 PM USC at Arizona State
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM UCLA at Arizona (ESPN2)
9:00 PM DePaul at South Florida (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Boise State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Southern University at Alcorn State
9:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois
9:00 PM Chicago State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Texas-Pan American at North Dakota
9:30 PM Houston Baptist at South Dakota
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Oregon at Stanford
10:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Davis
10:00 PM San Francisco at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM San Diego at Portland
10:05 PM Idaho State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Irvine
10:05 PM Portland State at Eastern Washington
10:30 PM Fresno State at Nevada (ESPN3)
10:30 PM Santa Clara at Pepperdine
11:00 PM Oregon State at California (FSN)

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College Hoops Monday Recap: Irish Win in Pittsburgh

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:22:01 -0800

The return of the "burn" paid dividends for Mike Brey's Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday night, with a style of play that got them to the NCAA Tournament making the difference in a 56-51 win at #2 Pittsburgh. Ben Hansbrough led the Irish with 19 points, 13 of which came in the final nine minutes of the game, while Carleton Scott added 16 and Scott Martin 10. This marks the third time in which Notre Dame has used the "burn" style of play, which bleeds the shot clock before Notre Dame attempts a shot, to knock off the Panthers with the last meeting before Monday night coming in last year's Big East Tournament. Gilbert Brown led Pitt with 13 points while Brad Wanamaker added 12, but with Ashton Gibbs not shooting his best from the field (4-for-13) and the Panthers as a whole shooting 40% from two was too much to overcome late in the game when they needed baskets.

"We haven't been very good on the road to date," said Coach Brey after the game. "We tried to meet the home team's competitive energy and I thought we did that. We certainly executed our game plan of burning clock and executing at the end of a clock. I think what won the game for us, though, was that we defended and rebounded defensively in the last five minutes to escape."

The win is the first true road victory for the Irish, who lost each of their three prior Big East road games by at least 12 points. And as Coach Brey noted after the game their defense and rebounding in the final minutes proved to be the difference for the Irish. Scott's return has made Notre Dame a better basketball team given his versatility and ability to impact the game in a number of areas. But it was Hansbrough and the use of the ball screen that produced enough points for the Irish. On a number of those plays Pitt would switch, with the goal being to limit the number of pick & pop situations for Scott Martin. But that would match up Hansbrough with a big man, and when a guard gets a hold of an interior player who isn't as used to guarding on the perimeter they're likely going to score.

"This is the first time we have committed to an all-out burn," said Hansbrough. "We beat Pitt two times doing it last year. I think this is one of the toughest places to play in the country and to come in here and get a win really says something- not only of Coach Brey strategizing, but of our unit."

The last two games the Irish have succeeded in contests with a number of possessions far below their season average of 66 possessions per game (just 47 on Monday, and 56 in Saturday's win over Marquette). While the need for the "burn" isn't as urgent as it was during last season's run with Luke Harangody hampered by injury, it's good to find out that you can win games in multiple ways. And the pace allowed Notre Dame to better manage a quiet night from Tim Abromaitis (two points), and while the senior didn't produce much offensively it's a safe bet that he'll have few games like this one the remainder of the season. Pittsburgh is fine despite the loss, and the victory for Notre Dame means quite a bit in regards to both the Big East standings and possible NCAA Tournament seeding. (quotes courtesy of Pittsburgh Athletics)

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas State beats Baylor in a battle of two teams that may not be very good right now.
Frank Martin's Wildcats missed a plethora of easy shots in the first half yet still went into the locker room up 25-18 at the half. That first half underlined the cold reality for both Kansas State and Baylor, despite the Wildcats picking up a 69-61 victory at Bramlage Coliseum: neither of these teams has much to worry about right now in regards to getting back into Big 12 title contention. Both teams are looking to navigate the season without key seniors from last season's teams: Baylor's Tweety Carter and K-State's Denis Clemente. Baylor turned the ball over 17 times on the night, and their turnover percentage (25.8%) exceeded their average of 23% on the year. Jacob Pullen and Will Spradling scored 17 points apiece to lead the Wildcats, and of the two teams they seem to be a little further along in regards to finding the production needed to account for Clemente's graduation as the season wears on. Spradling may have finished with just one assist but he didn't turn the ball over once, while Baylor's A.J. Walton finished with five turnovers before fouling out and playing just 22 minutes. That fact likely cements K-State as the team right now in better shape despite having the poorer league record. If you can't take care of the basketball at the point you're in trouble, something that Scott Drew's team learned once again in Manhattan.

2. Hofstra and VCU win to set up a showdown for first place on Thursday.
While VCU received more of a challenge than expected by many from now 0-9 in conference play Towson, Hofstra was caught in a dogfight with James Madison in Hempstead. The Pride trailed by as many as 15 in the second half before senior Charles Jenkins led the charge back. Jenkins, who has to be considered to be one of the premier guards in the county, led the way with 35 points while four other players reached double figures as Hofstra won 92-90 despite trailing for much of the second half. IN VCU's 80-76 win at Towson point guard Joey Rodriguez played well, finishing with 28 points on 9-for-14 shooting while three other Rams scored 11 points apiece. These results set up Thursday night's game in Richmond between the Pride and VCU, in what's the lone regular season meeting between the two. As Monday's results showed both have little trouble scoring, meaning that both will need to bring their best defense to the table. And while these two are atop the CAA right now, both teams likely understand how good the league is at the top and how tough winning the automatic will be.

3. West Virginia guard Casey Mitchell suspended indefinitely.
Another day and another personnel blow for the Mountaineers, this one coming in the form of an indefinite suspension incurred by guard Casey Mitchell. Combining that with Dan Jennings' "I've had enough" actions West Virginia is down to just eight scholarship players going into Wednesday night's tilt at Louisville, and given how fast Rick Pitino wants his team to play that's a scary prospect if you're a fan of West Virginia. The question for Bob Huggins' club is where the leadership is going to come from. Earlier this season Jennings and Truck Bryant were benched for a game due to their behavior and there have been moments in which the call for a leader has not been answered. While the Mountaineers look to be a safe bet right now to get into the NCAA Tournament you never know, especially when dealing a league like the Big East where one loss can nosedive into a nasty streak if a team isn't careful. What happens next with West Virginia will be something to keep an eye on, beginning with Wednesday night.

Top Three Games

1. Hofstra 92, James Madison 90 (OT)

2. Furman 73, Wofford 68 (OT) The Paladins received 22 points and six rebounds from Amu Saaka as they knocked off defending Southern Conference champion Wofford in Spartanburg. Noah Dahlman led the Terriers with 24 points, but Wofford made just one of ten shots from field in overtime. The win pulls the Paladins into a tie with Wofford for second place in the South Division.

3. (14) Notre Dame 56, (2) Pittsburgh 51

Three Notable Performances

1. G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) 35 points, five assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals in Hofstra's 92-90 overtime win over James Madison.

2. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) 26 points (11-15 FG), 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the Spartans' 84-61 win over South Carolina State.

3. F Frank Hassell (Old Dominion) 25 points and 13 rebounds in the Monarchs' 58-43 win over UNC Wilmington.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:29:23 -0800

The best game in regards to the national polls would be Notre Dame visiting Pittsburgh in the first game of the Big Monday doubleheader. But a good argument can be made that the matchup between the Fighting Irish and Panthers isn't the most important game of the night. That distinction goes to Baylor visiting Kansas State in a matchup of two teams who need a win period, not just one to prop up their respective resumes. Scott Drew's Bears (13-5, 3-2) have an RPI (according to realtimerpi.com) of 87 with a strength of schedule of 111, and while those numbers are simply tools that the selection committee can use in determining at-large selections that's not the kind of "hardware" you want to be bringing to the table when your name is on the board. Beating Oklahoma State on Saturday was a solid victory in both performance and its impact on the Bears' resume as it's their best win of the season from a computer standpoint. A win in the Little Apple would be an additional boost, but it's going to be difficult to leave Bramlage Coliseum with a victory given the fact that Frank Martin's team needs a win for resume reasons as well.

Kansas State dropped another "statement" game on Saturday, falling by eight at Texas A&M to drop to 1-4 in conference play (12-7 overall). But what helps the Wildcats are a decent RPI (50) and a very good strength of schedule (19th), the byproduct of playing the likes of Duke, Florida and UNLV not to mention some of their early conference opponents. But against teams in the RPI Top 50 K-State has a record of 0-5, and while tonight's game won't offer the opportunity to improve that record it's a shot at adding a win that could make a difference come March in addition to beginning that slow climb back into the top half of the Big 12. The key for both teams: consistency especially for Kansas State, who talked about making that turn following a beating of Texas Tech, only to drop consecutive road games to Missouri and A&M. Seniors Jacob Pullen (18.0 ppg) and Curtis Kelly (10.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg) need to be the leaders for the Wildcats to become a factor in the Big 12 race in some form, but the struggles for both they and the entire team underline the impact that Denis Clemente had on the team.

The Wildcats will play slightly faster than Baylor offensively but there isn't enough of a difference to say that the Bears would be in trouble in a full-court game. LaceDarius Dunn (21.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is one of the better perimeter scorers in America, but they need him to get quality looks on a consistent basis. Inside Perry Jones III (14.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg) has been one of the top freshmen in the nation, and his size and skill set make him a likely lottery pick whenever he decided to turn pro. But the key for the Bears may be point guard A.J. Walton, who averages 5.5 assists per game but has also turned the ball over nearly four times per game. Does Kansas State have the ability to force the sophomore into hurried decisions? Opponents turn the ball over on 23% of their possessions which is the number that the Bears average on the season, and if the Octagon of Doom gets going things could be turned up a notch for the sophomore.

But Baylor's zone defense could be the factor that keeps them in the game. The back line of Jones III, Anthony Jones and Quincy Acy is tough to navigate for many frontcourts although Kansas made it look easy last week. If Kelly and Jamar Samuels can get the job done on the boards they'll have a good shot at defending their home floor. A loss for either won't be a deadly blow at this point in the season, but it certainly won't help matters in regards to comfortably making the NCAA Tournament. As noted earlier the big one is Notre Dame taking on Pittsburgh in the Steel City, and with the Panthers 61-10 all-time in Big East games at Petersen Events Center it's tough to pick many teams to go in there and win. But with Ben Hansbrough playing outstanding basketball and the return of Carleton Scott providing a boost the Irish have more than a puncher's chance. Also keep an eye on James Madison at Hofstra in another key game at the top of the CAA standings.

Top 25
7:00 PM (14) Notre Dame at (3) Pittsburgh (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM New York City Tech at NJIT
6:00 PM New Orleans at Huntingdon
7:00 PM William & Mary at Northeastern
7:00 PM Virginia Commonwealth at Towson
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Morehead State at Ball State
7:00 PM Georgia State at Drexel
7:00 PM James Madison at Hofstra (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Furman at Wofford
7:30 PM Rider at Siena (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Hampton at Florida A&M
8:00 PM Howard at Bethune-Cookman
8:00 PM Coppin State at Delaware State
8:00 PM Morgan State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
8:00 PM North Carolina Central at North Carolina A&T
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Panhandle State at Texas-San Antonio
9:00 PM Baylor at Kansas State (ESPN)
9:00 PM George Mason at Delaware (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Southern University at Alabama A&M
9:00 PM Alcorn State at Alabama State
9:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM South Carolina State at Norfolk State (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Montana State at Idaho State
11:30 PM Seattle at Fresno State

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: BYU Leaves Vegas with a Win

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:21:49 -0800

"I try to make him earn everything he gets. Like I said, he's got all of those accolades, but he's gotta come in and prove it."

- UNLV guard Tre'Von Willis on BYU's Jimmer Fredette in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun

By the end of Wednesday night's game it was safe to say that the senior guard had proven himself, shaking off a 1-for-8 start to score 39 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists in the Cougars' 89-77 win in the Mountain West opener for both. But despite his shooting prowess, Fredette's showing would not have resulted in a road victory if not for the play of classmate Jackson Emery. Emery knocked down some big shots in the second half, going 8-for-13 from the field (6-9 3PT) in scoring 22 points to go along with four rebounds. Add in a double-double for Brandon Davies (15 points and 10 rebounds) and you've got all the makings for a crucial victory to kick off league play. "I was happy for our two senior guards," said head coach Dave Rose of Emery and Fredette. "It was big for them to get a win here." (quote courtesy of BYU Athletics)

Willis, on the other hand, made just four of sixteen shots from the field and scored 14 points in defeat. Anthony Marshall kept the game, which UNLV actually controlled early on (leading 27-17 at one point), from getting out of hand with a career-high 26 points off the bench. In fact the UNLV bench outscored BYU's reserves 36-4 but that's of little use when Willis struggles, Chace Stanback attempts just five shots (making three) and Brice Massamba is the only other starter to make more than half his shots from the field (4 of 7). And the pressure defense that's been so effective in prior meetings between the two wasn't much of a factor in the second half as BYU shot 51.7% from the field and 58.3% from three. It's a lesson that Lon Kruger's team has been taught before this season, most notably in their home loss to UCSB: when the starters struggle offensively they're in trouble despite their depth. But when the visitors shoot 14 of 28 from deep you're going to find yourself in a tough situation, especially when you're making just seven (of nineteen) threes and 42.6% from two.

After being outscored 16-8 in the paint in the first half BYU was more effective inside, scoring 14 points to UNLV's 18 in the final 20 minutes (BYU outscored UNLV 13-8 in second chance points). And just as telling a stat are UNLV's fast break points: four. Given the Rebels' preference for an up-tempo style that thrives off of turnovers that's a tremendously low number, one that becomes all the more important when key players are struggling to get going offensively. BYU did what they had to do and as a result they leave Las Vegas with a crucial road victory in regards to the Mountain West title race.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Tennessee embarrasses Memphis in Knoxville.
Put a number to the left of their opponent's name and Bruce Pearl's team shows up. Such was the case on Wednesday night as the Volunteers picked up their third win over a ranked opponent this season in whipping Memphis 104-84. Two honest points need to be made: the game, which Tennessee led by as many as 34, wasn't that close and it was only a matter of time before Josh Pastner's young team fell from the Top 25. Tobias Harris tallied 17 points and 13 rebounds and three other players also reached double figures in dominating a team that really doesn't play as if the guys on the floor trust each other. The Vols went on a 14-2 run halfway through the first half and eventually led by 25 (45-20) before their erratic play sparked a Memphis charge to get the deficit down to 10 early in the second half. From there however the rout was on as Memphis combusted to the benefit of the home team. This is about as good a performance as Coach Pearl could ask for with associate head coach Tony Jones taking over as he serves his suspension. They won by an impressive margin and also saw what could happen against better talent when they take their foot off the gas, but that's a lesson they should have learned by now anyway. Even with a familiar face in charge it's up to players such as Scotty Hopson and Cam Tatum to take the reins as leaders, and how well they do will determine just how good Tennessee can be by season's end.

2. Harvard looks ready for Ivy League play, beating Boston College for the third consecutive year.
Reserve Laurent Rivard scored a career-high 23 points and Harvard scored 21 points off of 14 Eagle turnovers in winning 78-69 at Conte Forum. The win is the third straight over BC for the Crimson and moves them to 10-3 ahead of their Ivy opener at Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon. And this team may only get better, especially as sophomore forward Kyle Casey (missed the first three games with a foot injury) returns to full strength. Casey was the lone starter to not reach double figures but Rivard, who is one of the prime candidates for Ivy League Freshman of the Year, more than made up for that with his point total. In addition to taking advantage of BC mistakes Tommy Amaker's team got to the foul line, making 23 of 24 from the charity stripe while the home team made just 4 of 8. The Crimson, along with Princeton, are the early favorites to win the Ancient Eight (you can't count out Cornell either) this year and it should be noted that their roster has no seniors and just two juniors. If Harvard ascends to the top of the league this season they could be up there for a while.

3. Hofstra sits atop the CAA standings with the league's lone 3-0 record.
Mo Cassara's Pride (I, like many, miss the "Flying Dutchmen" moniker) remain atop the CAA standings thanks to their 87-74 win over George Mason in Hempstead, and it should be noted that there's more to this team than just senior guard Charles Jenkins. Jenkins was outstanding against the Patriots, making 9 of 13 shots from the field (and 12-14 FT) in scoring 32 points while also tallying eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. But four other Hofstra players reached double figures, including point guard Brad Kelleher whose presence allows Jenkins to do more work without the ball in his hands constantly. The NCAA held the Australian out of the first eight games, and removing his debut against FAU (seven minutes played) Hofstra is 4-1 since his responsibilities increased (20 assists to nine turnovers this season). Add in players such as center Greg Washington (10 points, six rebounds), Mike Moore (he didn't shoot well from the field but it won't be often that he shoots 1-7; 11 points) and Shemiye McLendon (13 points, three assists off the bench) and this is a group that could finish higher than many expected before the season started. Next up on the schedule are road games at Northeastern and Towson, both of whom are 0-3 in league play, followed by home contests with ODU and UNCW. Those two home games may provide a more definitive answer on Hofstra but they'll need to take care of business on the road, and they're more than capable of doing so.

Top Three Games

1. Yale 77, Holy Cross 76 (OT) There may not be a team in America with worse luck than the 1-13 Crusaders, who have lost six games by five points or less including their last three by a combined four points. Yale was led by Austin Morgan, who finished with 17 points and drained a three with seven seconds left in overtime to win the game. Devin Brown, whose layup with one second to go in regulation got the game the overtime, led Holy Cross with 33.

2. UNC Wilmington 59, Georgia State 56 A Trevor Deloach three as time expired moved the Seahawks into what would eventually become a 7-team tie for second place in the CAA (Georgia State dropped to 2-1 as a result). That was Deloach's lone field goal in fact and Chad Tomko, who passed him the ball on said shot, led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Dante Curry led all scorers with 27 points in a losing effort.

3. Tulane 85, Rice 81 Don't look now but the Green Wave are 11-3 on the season thanks to a close win in Houston. Kris Richard led Tulane with 24 points while Kendall Timmons added 19 and 10 rebounds in the Conference USA opener for both. Arsalan Kazemi led all scorers with 28 points to go along with 13 rebounds in a losing effort.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 39 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Cougars' 89-77 win over UNLV.

2. G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) 32 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Pride's 87-74 win over George Mason.

3. G Nolan Smith (Duke) A career-high 33 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists in the Blue Devils' 85-64 win over UAB.

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