LIU

College Basketball Coaching Changes: 2012

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:20 -0700

As usual, the 2012 college basketball off-season features a never-ending parade of coaching changes. Some moves make sense, others are questionable, while others are simply head-scratchers. Thanks to collegesportsinfo.com, where a lot of this info was gleaned from. Also, apologies if all the colors give you a headache!

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Power Conferences

Illinois

In - Jim Groce (ohio hc)

Out - Bruce Weber (fired >> kansas st))

Kansas St

In - Bruce Weber (illinois hc)

Out - Frank Martin (resigned >> so carolina)

LSU

In - Johnny Jones (north texas hc)

Out - Trent Johnson (resigned)

Mississippi St

In - Rick Ray (clemson asst)

Out - Rick Stansbury (retired)

Nebraska

In - Tim Miles (colorado st hc)

Out - Doc Sadler (fired)

South Carolina

In - Frank Martin (kansas st hc)

Out - Darrin Horn (fired)

Virginia Teach

Out - Seth Greenberg (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: High-Majors

Air Force

In - Dave Philopovich (asst)

Out - Jeff Reynolds (fired)

Colorado St

In - Larry Eustachy (so miss hc)

Out - Tim Miles (resigned >> nebraska)

Duquesne

In - Jim Ferry (liu hc)

Out - Ron Everhart (fired)

Rhode Island

In - Danny Hurley (wagner hc)

Out - Jim Baron (fired >> canisius)

Southern Illinois

In - Barry Hinson (kansas asst)

Out - Chris Lowery (fired)

SMU

In - Larry Brown

Out - Matt Doherty (fired)

Southern Miss

Out - Larry Eustachy (resigned)

TCU

In - Trent Johnson (lsu hc)

Out - Jim Christian (resigned)

Tulsa

In - Danny Manning (kansas asst)

Out - Doug Wojcik (fired >> charleston)

UAB

In - Jerrod Hasse (unc asst)

Out - Mike Davis (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Mid-Majors

Central Michigan

In - Keno Davis

Out - Ernie Ziegler (fired)

Charleston

In - Doug Wojcik (tulsa hc)

Out - Bobby Cremins (retired)

FIU

In - Richard Pitino (louisville asst)

Out - Isiah Thomas (fired)

Miami (OH)

In - John Cooper (tennessee st hc)

Out - Charlie Coles (retired)

North Texas

In - Tony Benford (marquette asst)

Out - Johnny Jones (resigned >> lsu)

Ohio

In - Jim Christian (tcu hc)

Out - John Groce (resigned >> illinois)

Western Kentucky

In - Ray Harper (asst)

Out - Ken McDonald (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Low-Majors

Brown

Out - Jessie Angel (fired)

Canisius

In - Jim Baron (rhode island hc)

Out - Tom Parrotta (fired)

Eastern Illinois

In - Jay Spoonhour

Out - Mike Miller (fired)

Grambling

Out - Bobby Washington (fired)

Idaho St

In - Bill Evans (montana asst)

Out - Joe O'Brien (resigned)

LIU

In - Jack Perri (asst)

Out - Jim Perry (reisgned)

Mt St. Mary's

In - Jamion Christian (vcu asst)

Out - Robert Burke (reisgned)

NC A&T

In - Cy Alexander

Out - Jerry Evans (fired(

Northern Arizona

In - Jack Murphy (memphis asst)

Out - Mike Adras (resigned)

Samford

In - Bennie Seltzer

Out - Jimmy Tillette (fired)

Southern Utah

In - Nick Robinson (lsu asst)

Out - Roger Reid (retired)

SFPA

In - Rob Krimmel

Out - Don Friday (fired)

Tennessee St

In - Travis Williams (asst)

Out - John Cooper (resigned >> Miami OH)

UNCG

In - Wes Miller (asst)

Out - Mike Dement (fired)

Wagner

In - Bashir Mason (asst)

Out - Danny Hurley (resigned >> rhode island)

Winthrop

In - Pat Kelsey

Out - Randy Peele (fired)

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if we're missing any transactions

Michigan St vs LIU: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:26:36 -0700

(1) Michigan State vs. (16) Long Island: West Region

Records

Michigan State 27-7, 13-5 Big Ten (Regular-season and Conference Tournament Champions)

Long Island 25-8, 16-2 NEC (Regular-season and Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 9:20 p.m. Friday

TV: TBS

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio

Winner will face: (8) Memphis or (9) Saint Louis, Sunday

Rankings

Michigan State No. 5 AP; No. 4 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Michigan State 3

LIU 88

Line: Michigan State -20 (O/U 154)

Players to Watch

Michigan State: F Draymond Green, 6-7 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.6 apg); C Derrick Nix, 6-9 Jr. (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 55.6% FG); G Keith Appling, 6-1 So. (11.3 ppg, 3.9 apg, 1.2 spg). Green was the Big Ten Player of the Year after leading the conference in rebounds and finishing fifth in steals, sixth in scoring, eighth in assists and 10^th in blocked shots.

LIU: F Julian Boyd, 6-7 Jr. (17.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 55.7% FG); F Jamal Olasewere, 6-7 Jr. (16.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 57.7% FG); G Jason Brickman, 5-10 So. (9.7 ppg, 7.3 apg, 40.5% 3s). Boyd was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year after finishing fourth in the league in scoring, second in rebounding, seventh in offensive rebounds and seventh in field goal percentage.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Michigan State: The Spartans do a lot well, starting with an outstanding coach in Tom Izzo, who gets his team to the Final 4 with regularity. This year’s Spartans are shooting 47.6 percent from the field and averaging 72.1 points per game, while holding opponents to 37.8 and 59.1, respectively. MSU is out-rebounding opponents by 7.7 per game, including 7.6 against a tough Big Ten field. It averages 15.3 assists to 13 turnovers per game.

LIU: The NEC is underrated and Long Island is a very good 16 seed. LIU has gotten challenges all season from different styles and passed nearly every test, having won 11 of 12 and 20 of their last 22. The Blackhawks can score with anyone, averaging 81.9 points per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. Brickman is an excellent floor general and LIU have made 217 3s and are shooting 36.8 from behind the 3-point line this season.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Michigan State: At times, the Spartans have stood around and watched Green try to take over games. The Spartans don’t shoot often from behind the 3-point line. They force just 12.9 turnovers per game and get just 7.3 steals. Appling has done a decent job, but MSU doesn’t have the same kind of floor leader that usually leads it deep into the tournament. The loss of Branden Dawson for the season will also hurt.

LIU: The Blackhawks surrender 77.3 points and 44.5 percent from the floor. They have a negative assist-to-turnover ratio (0.92-to-1) and a negative turnover margin minus-2.4). Those are scary number heading into a game against Michigan State.

The Bottom Line: Michigan State will win. The Spartans have the overall superior athletes. However, a 20-point spread is way too much against a team that can shoot, score, run and rebound like the Blackhawks.

The Pick: Michigan State 77, Long Island 59

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-150-6 (Through Tuesday, March 14)

Montana Wins Big Sky Title: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:50:31 -0800

UConn and USF were the big winners on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, while West Virginia and Seton Hall now await their NCAA tournament fate.

1. Montana pulls away in the second half to beat Weber State and win the Big Sky's automatic bid.
The Big Sky title game was one of two championship game rubber matches on Wednesday night, and even though the home team won each meeting by double digits the expectation was that the Wildcats and Grizzlies would be close throughout. That was true for about 33 minutes, as from the 6:41 mark on Montana outscored Weber State 27-14 on their way to the 85-66 victory. Damian Lillard played very well for Weber State, finishing with 29 points, ten rebounds and seven assists, but on this night he likely would have needed to score in upwards of 40 points to give Randy Rahe's team a shot at winning.

Why? Because while Montana didn't receive one point from their bench all five starters reached double figures, with Kareem Jamar and Mathias Ward scored 23 points apiece to lead the way. In addition to those two the Grizzlies can also call on guard Will Cherry and Derek Selvig, which could make them a tough matchup for someone next week. Both teams will return some key pieces next season, meaning that Weber State and Montana could very well meet with another NCAA berth on the line in 2013.

2. C.J. McCollum and Gabe Knutson prove to be too much for Bucknell in the Patriot League final.
Patriot League Player of the Year McCollum did what he's done all season long in scoring 29 points to lead Lehigh offensively, but the fact that the Mountain Hawks had a second scorer while the Bison did not proved to be the difference. Gabe Knutson added 23 points and seven rebounds, five of them being offensive, in the Mountain Hawks' 82-77 win at Bucknell to take the automatic bid. Mike Muscala was outstanding for the Bison as he finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, but the next scorer for Bucknell finished with just 11 points (Bryson Johnson, who made two of his three field goals in the final minute).

Lehigh did a better job of executing offensively as they found quality looks and shot 50% from the field, finishing with an efficiency of 113.9. According to statsheet.com a Bucknell opponent hadn't approached that number since Loyola (MD) posted a 116.1 back in December. Lehigh proved to be too much for Bucknell offensively, especially when factoring in the fact that Muscala didn't receive consistent scoring help on the other end.

3. LIU Brooklyn takes care of Robert Morris to win their second consecutive NEC tournament crown.
For the second straight season the Colonials and Blackbirds met with a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line, and just like last season it was the home team that emerged victorious. All five starters reached double figures for the Blackbirds, who pulled away in the second half to win 90-73. C.J. Garner led the way with 21 points and backcourt partner Jason Brickman added 18 and 11 assists, while forward Julian Boyd finished with 18 and ten rebounds.

Andy Toole's Colonials suffered a pair of unfortunate blows during the game as both Velton Jones and Mike McFadden suffered injuries, but the game was more about what Brickman was able to do at the point in running the LIU attack. The Blackbirds also outscored the Colonials 31-14 from the foul line, and their sheer ability to score helped make up for Robert Morris grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. Rebounding's been an issue for much of the season for LIU, and if they want to improve their chances of winning a game Boyd, Jamal Olasewere and Kenny Onyechi will need to lead the way towards improvement.

Quick Hitters

1. After winning the MEAC regular season crown in their first year as a full member of the league, Savannah State fell 59-46 to Hampton in a MEAC tournament quarterfinal. Horace Broadnax's team shot 27.1% from the field and 5-for-22 from beyond the arc, and their 20 turnovers didn't help matters either. The regular season title does guarantee the Tigers an NIT berth, but obviously they would rather not have to use that automatic bid.

2. Two disciplinary actions taken on Wednesday did a better job of summing up what this season has been like for the Pac-12 than any stat that's been thrown out there. Arizona suspended starting point guard Josiah Turner indefinitely due to a violation of team rules, and he won't be playing at all this weekend. And UCLA head coach Ben Howland sat big man Joshua Smith for the first half of their 55-40 win over USC due to his being late for the team bus to the arena.

3. Compared to how they were playing in for most of conference play, these last couple of weeks have been a bit of a struggle for Sean Woods' Mississippi Valley State team. The Delta Devils survived their SWAC quarterfinal on Wednesday, beating Jackson State 63-60 to advance to the semis. Cor-J Cox provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, six rebounds and five steals, but if MVSU is to back up their regular season title with a tournament crown they can't afford to shoot 3-for-17 from three as they did against Jackson State.

4. The top four seeds in the Southland all advanced to the semifinals, with the top seeds making short work of their respective opponents. Regular season champ UT Arlington beat Nicholls State 96-48 as Bo Ingram led four Mavericks in double figures with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds. Two-seed Stephen F. Austin beat Sam Houston State 68-46, shooting 55.6% from the field and 24-for-30 from the foul line. Also advancing were Lamar and McNeese State.

5. On a day that saw three of the four higher-seeded teams advance at the Conference USA tournament the one winner that should stand out is Marshall, who beat SMU 74-56. DeAndre Kane led the way with 18 points and Dennis Tinnon grabbed 15 rebounds for the Thundering Heard, who have the talent necessary to make a run through the tournament.

6. Chalk ruled the two matchups in the MAC on Wednesday as Western Michigan and Toledo advanced to the quarterfinals. The Rockets led Northern Illinois by 11 with just over four minutes remaining, only to see the Huskies nearly come back and grab the win. Rian Pearson led Toledo with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

7. While the CBI has taken teams with losing records in the past, Oklahoma's season may be finished thanks to their 62-53 loss to Texas A&M in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. David Lobeau and Khris Middleton led the Aggies with 15 points apiece, combing for 30 points and 16 rebounds on the night. Also advancing was Oklahoma State, who beat Texas Tech 76-60.

Wednesday Predictions: Big Sky, NEC, Patriot Finals & More

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:16:51 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking (just about) every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's three key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT MONTANA

(2) Weber State (24-5, 14-2) at (1) Montana (24-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Weber State 80-64; Feb. 28 – Montana 66-51. RPI: Montana 82, Weber State 69. Analysis: The Grizzlies are simply the better team. With the homecourt advantage, it should be a comfortable win for Montana. Pick: Montana 71, Weber State 61.

NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LIU

(3) Robert Morris (24-9, 13-5) at (1) Long Island (24-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – Robert Morris 75-66. RPI: Long Island 91, Robert Morris 109. Analysis: Velton Jones is one of the hottest players in the country and should help the Colonials punch their ticket. Line: Long Island -1. Pick: Robert Morris 69, Long Island 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: AT BUCKNELL

(2) Lehigh (25-7) at (1) Bucknell (11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Bucknell 68-61*; Feb. 16 – Lehigh 56-53*. RPI: Bucknell 89, Lehigh 113. Analysis: Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum is a superstar, but beating the Bison on the road twice may be too much to ask. Line: Bucknell -5. Pick: Bucknell 66, Lehigh 59.

BIG EAST SECOND ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(8) West Virginia (19-12, 9-9) vs. (9) Connecticut (19-12, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Connecticut 64-57. RPI: Connecticut 33, West Virginia 42. Analysis: Two good performances in a row may be too much to ask of this UConn team. Line: UConn -2. Pick: West Virginia 68, Connecticut 62.

(5) Georgetown (22-7, 12-6) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Pitt 72-60. RPI: Georgetown 9, Pittsburgh 90. Analysis: Pitt may not win the game, but the Panthers should cover in a low-scoring game. Line: Georgetown -6. Pick: Georgetown 57, Pittsburgh 53.

(7) Louisville (22-9, 10-8) vs. (10) Seton Hall (20-11, 8-10)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Louisville 60-51*. RPI: Louisville 28, Seton Hall 60. Analysis: Great matchup for Louisville. The Cardinals defense will lead them to a big win. Pick: Louisville 59, Seton Hall 47.

(6) South Florida (19-12, 12-6) vs. (14) Villanova (13-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – South Florida 74-57*; Feb. 15 – South Florida 65-51. RPI: South Florida 43, Villanova 105. Analysis: Love the Wildcats for the upset. Pick: Villanova 55, South Florida 52.

PAC-12 FIRST ROUND: AT LOS ANGELES

(8) Washington State (15-15, 7-11) vs. (9) Oregon State (17-13, 7-11)

Tipoff: 3:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Washington State 81-76; Feb. 9 – Washington State 83-73. RPI: Washington State 170, Oregon State 151. Analysis: Close game. The Beavers will at least cover. Line: Oregon State -3½. Pick: Oregon State 78, Washington State 76.

(5) UCLA (18-13, 11-7) vs. (12) USC (6-25, 1-17)

Tipoff: 5:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – UCLA 66-47*; Feb. 15 – UCLA 64-54. RPI: UCLA 103, USC 259. Analysis: UCLA is playing its best basketball, rallying around Coach Ben Howland. The Bruins may make a run in this tourney. Line: UCLA -12½. Pick: UCLA 73, USC 51.

(7) Stanford (20-10, 10-8) vs. (10) Arizona State (10-20, 6-12)

Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – Stanford 68-44. RPI: Stanford 96, Arizona State 248. Analysis: The Cardinal will blow out Arizona State for the second time this season. Line: Stanford -10. Pick: Stanford 71, Arizona State 54.

(6) Colorado (19-11, 11-7) vs. (11) Utah (6-24, 3-15)

Tipoff: 11:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Colorado 73-33; Feb. 18 – Colorado 55-48. RPI: Colorado 81, Utah 265. Analysis: The Buffaloes are really pretty good, and Utah … isn’t. Line: Colorado -11½. Pick: Colorado 66, Utah 51.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 137-103-3

Iona, Middle Tennessee Now Play the Waiting Game: Sunday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:09:32 -0800

One of the dangers of conference tournaments at the mid-major level is that the top seed, regardless of the margin by which they won the regular season title, are just 40 minutes away from seeing their dream of going to the NCAA tournament vanish. While there's still a chance as the Field of 68 won't be announced for another six days Iona and Middle Tennessee no longer have control of their own fate, and that has to be a concern for both fan bases along with the players and coaches. Both teams fell in conference tournament action on Sunday, and with so much to be decided in regards to other teams on the bubble it's likely a long shot that one (or both) of these teams hears their name called on Selection Sunday.

The Blue Raiders can look no further than the foul line as the place to blame in their 64-61 loss to nine-seed Arkansas State in a Sun Belt quarterfinal in Hot Springs. Middle Tennessee shot just 11-for-22 from the charity stripe, and while poor shooting from the free throw line has been an issue all season long for Kermit Davis Jr's team (last in the Sun Belt in all games at 63%, 10th in conference games) they still shot 13 percentage points lower than their season average. If the Blue Raiders make three more free throws, not only do they match their season average but they likely push the game into overtime.

"For the first time all year I had to urge guys to practice at a higher level," said Davis after the game. "We got beat on some 50/50 balls, got out-rebounded, and the bottom line we weren't tough enough to step up and make free throws. [Arkansas State] did and that was the game."

Middle Tennessee, who won the Sun Belt by two games and led the conference in both scoring and points allowed per game, fell because of the "little things" that many tend to take for granted. Free throw shooting and rebounding (39-28 ASU) can come back to haunt a team if they aren't taken care of, regardless of skill level.

As for Iona, the level of play on the defensive end that's been a problem all season long reared its ugly head in their MAAC semifinal against Fairfield. The difference on Sunday compared to many other days for the Gaels: they weren't able to do enough offensively to make up for it.

Fairfield outscored Iona 45-33 in the second half of their 85-75 win, setting up a title game with two-seed Loyola (MD) on Monday night. Rakim Sanders scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the way for Sydney Johnson's Stags, who shot 59.6% for the game and their level of defense in the second half (Iona shot 40.9% compared to 58.6% in the first half) proved to be the difference.

Scott Machado led Iona with 24 points and seven assists, but 16 of the points and five of the assists came in the first half, and the Gaels would lead by just two at the break (42-40). In addition to three starters reaching double figures for the Stags, reserve forward Keith Matthews scored 14 points off the bench.

The question now for the Blue Raiders and Stags is whether or not they have enough on their respective resumes to warrant an at-large bid. According to cbssports.com, Middle Tennessee has an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 184, with both numbers dropping due to their loss to Arkansas State. The Blue Raiders' "best" wins: Belmont and Ole Miss, and that regular season finale loss to Western Kentucky didn't help matters either.

Iona has an RPI of 34 and an SOS of 144, and while those numbers are better than Middle Tennessee's the Gaels are fighting an uphill battle as well. Tim Cluess' team does have wins over Saint Joseph's and Nevada to their credit, but they also have two losses in games they led by 18 points (Manhattan and Siena). The door to the NCAA tournament may remain open for both Middle Tennessee and Iona at this point in time, but as the Power 6 leagues begin their tournaments both could end up in trouble.

Other Notable Happenings

1. #24 Creighton wins an overtime thriller to grab the Valley's automatic bid.
Many bubble teams throughout the country were rooting hard for the Creighton Bluejays, whose trip to the NCAA tournament was essentially guaranteed going into Sunday's MVC tournament final. The same couldn't be said for Illinois State, who was looking to grab their first NCAA berth since 1998 and that would have made the Valley a three-bid league. Despite 20 points and five assists from Nic Moore the Redbirds fell short, dropping an 83-79 overtime thriller as the Bluejays grabbed the automatic bid. Doug McDemott was unstoppable for Creighton, scoring 33 points in a variety of ways, and Grant Gibbs made winning play after winning play to score 20, grab seven boards and dish out five assists.

The question for Creighton is what the title does for them seeding-wise. Clearly they can't play in Omaha since those games are on their home floor, but maybe Greg McDermott's team can fight their way into a "protected" seed, thus limiting the distance they and their fans have to travel. Wichita State won the regular season crown but it was Creighton who ends up with the tournament title, and there won't be a long line of teams waiting to play either team in the Big Dance.

2. William Buford's shot gives Ohio State (and Michigan) a share of the Big Ten title.
A Brandon Wood three with 12:03 remaining in the first half gave Michigan State a 22-9 lead, and frankly there weren't too many people who didn't think that Ohio State was in trouble at that point. But the Buckeyes were able to stop the bleeding, eventually pulling to within nine (38-29) at the half. The Buckeyes limited Michigan State, who also lost wing Branden Dawson for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, to 38.5% shooting in the second half and William Buford completed the comeback with a tough, contested jumper with a second remaining to give the Buckeyes the 72-70 win.

Buford finished with 25 points and Jared Sullinger added 14 and ten boards, but there was an unsung hero as well. Evan Ravenel came off the bench to give Thad Matta seven points in eight minutes of action, and while he didn't play much the Boston College transfer did play an important role in the comeback with Sullinger on the bench. The win also gave Michigan a share of the Big Ten crown, something that hasn't happened in Ann Arbor since 1986. The Spartans remain the top seed in the Big Ten tournament due to tiebreakers, but it will be interesting to see how Draymond Green and company account for the loss of Dawson.

3. VCU jumps George Mason early, holding on to advance to the CAA title game.
By the time Jonathan Arledge scored George Mason's first field goal of the game at the 11:48 mark, the Patriots trailed rival VCU 27-4. it was that kind of start for Paul Hewitt's team, which could not overcome VCU's 22-0 run to start the game, falling 74-64 in the second CAA semifinal of the day. Bradford Burgess led the Rams with 20 points and Troy Daniels added 17 and six rebounds, and VCU's defense combined with foul trouble limited CAA Player of the Year Ryan Pearson to six points and five rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

Pearson wouldn't be the only George Mason player to struggle however, as guards Bryon Allen and Vertail Vaughns combined to shoot just 2-for-13 from the field. VCU also knocked down 11 of 25 shots from beyond the arc, making seven of them before the game hit the under-8 media timeout. The game was also critical in regards to possible at-large hopes should neither win the CAA's automatic bid, and to fall in this fashion doesn't bode well for George Mason. VCU at the very least picked up their 27th win and lives to fight another day, and that's the least a team can ask for in March.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two teams will meet in the America East title game as well, as a Dallis Joyner tip-in as time expired pushed Stony Brook past Albany 57-55. The Seawolves will host two-seed Vermont on Saturday morning, as the Catamounts beat host Hartford 77-73 in double overtime.

2. Monday's SoCon final will match the league's best team with its hottest team, as top-seed (South) Davidson and three seed (North) Western Carolina will meet in Asheville. The Catamounts won their seventh straight game on Sunday night as they beat North Division champ UNCG 82-77. Forwards Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks combined for 44 points and 11 rebounds to lead Davidson to an 83-67 win over Elon in the nightcap.

3. The NEC title game will be a rematch of last year's final (and in the same gym as well) as three-seed Robert Morris won 71-64 at two-seed Wagner. Velton Jones led all scorers with 25 points and the Colonials went 30-for-40 from the foul line to make up for their 32.1% shooting from the field. Top-seed LIU Brooklyn advanced with a tough 78-75 win over Quinnipiac as Julian Boyd scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and point guard Jason Brickman added 18 points and five assists.

4. Apparently Sunday was "Damaging Loss Day" in the Pac-12 as both Arizona and California dropped their regular season finales. The Golden Bears, who resume-wise are in better shape at this point, dropped a 75-70 decision at Stanford and that gives Washington the outright regular season crown. Arizona fell 87-80 at Arizona State, and that loss could mean that Sean Miller's team needs at least two wins in L.A. to merit an at-large bid. The good news for both is that the automatic bid is still on the table, and it would be in their best interest to leave no doubt and win that.

5. Middle Tennessee wasn't the only upset victim in Hot Springs as two-seed UALR fell to seven-seed Western Kentucky 68-63. Ray Harper's young Hilltoppers have played some solid basketball since his interim tag was removed, winning four straight and five of their last six going into Monday's semifinal against Denver. Freshman guard Derrick Gordon was outstanding for WKU, finishing with 25 points and 15 rebounds.

6. #1 Kentucky capped an undefeated run through the SEC with a 74-59 win at #13 Florida, dropping the Gators all the way down to the four-seed in this week's SEC tournament. Simply put John Calipari's got the best team in the country, and while it looks effortless there haven't been moments when the young Wildcats have decided to mail it in effort-wise. Good luck trying to beat them.

7. One would think that the victor would receive the spoils in the form of a conference player of the year award and while most likely that would be North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, Virginia's Mike Scott has a very good case. Scott scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to push Virginia past Maryland 75-72 to lock up a first-round bye in next week's ACC tournament.

8. A senior class that was a part of a 25-loss season as freshmen experienced their 24th win of the season as #20 Indiana beat rival Purdue 85-74 in Bloomington. Christian Watford led four Hoosiers in double figures with 19 points, clinching the five-seed in this week's Big Ten tournament. Robbie Hummel led the Boilermakers with 16 and eight rebounds, and Purdue will be the six-seed.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Mike Scott (Virginia)
35 points and 11 rebounds in the Cavaliers' 75-72 overtime win at Maryland.

2. G Grant Gibbs and F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
McDermott scored 33 points and grabbed six boards while Gibbs added 20, seven and five assists in the Bluejays' 83-79 overtime win over Illinois State.

3. G Derrick Gordon (Western Kentucky)
25 points and 15 rebounds in the Hilltoppers' 68-63 win over UALR.

Thursday Tournament Predictions: A-Sun, Big South, NEC, OVC

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:26:26 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking almost conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks.

BIG SOUTH SEMIFINALS: AT ASHEVILLE

(7) VMI (16-15, 8-10) vs. (6) Winthrop (12-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Winthrop 91-84; Feb. 4 – VMI 86-79. RPI: VMI 275, Winthrop 264. Analysis: The Keydets have won 4 of 5 and don’t appear to be a fluke after Wednesday’s blowout win over 2-seed Coastal Carolina. Pick: VMI 85, Winthrop 80.

(1) UNC-Asheville (22-9, 16-2) vs. (4) Charleston Southern (19-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Charleston Southern 93-88*. RPI: Asheville 122, Charleston Southern 178. Analysis: This appears to be the Big South championship, for all intents and purposes. Hard to imagine either side wins by more than five or six. Pick: Asheville 83, Charleston Southern 79.

ATLANTIC SUN QUARTERFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

(4) East Tennessee State (16-13, 10-8) vs. (5) North Florida (16-15, 10-8)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – ETSU 64-63*; Feb. 11 – ETSU 65-50. RPI: East Tennessee 191, North Florida 168. Analysis: Both teams have won three straight and are playing as well as anyone in the league except Belmont. This one could go either way. Line: East Tennessee State -2. Pick: North Florida 69, East Tennessee State 66.

(3) USC-Upstate (20-11, 13-5) vs. (6) Florida Gulf Coast (13-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec.19 – Upstate 80-75*; Feb. 23 – Upstate 87-74. RPI: Upstate 134, Florida Gulf Coast 237. Analysis: It may be tough to beat a team three times in a season, but not when you’re the significantly better team. Line: Upstate -8. Pick: USC-Upstate 79, Florida Gulf Coast 62.

OHIO VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(4) Tennessee Tech (18-12, 9-7) vs. (5) Southeast Missouri State (15-15, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Tennessee Tech 77-62. RPI: Tennessee Tech 159, Southeast Missouri State 255. Analysis: Tech is the better team, but with a game under its belt in the tournament, the Redhawks will keep it competitive. Pick: Tennessee Tech 70, Southeast Missouri State 68.

(3) Morehead State (17-14, 10-6) vs. (7) Jacksonville State (14-17, 8-8)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Morehead State 63-55*; Feb. 8 – Jacksonville State 69-55*. RPI: Morehead State 175, 228. Analysis: The Gamecocks are playing very well. This would be a good time to take an underdog straight up. Pick: Jacksonville State 66, Morehead State 62.

NORTHEAST QUARTERFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Sacred Heart (14-17, 8-10) at (1) Long Island (22-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Long Island 87-81*; Feb. 16 – Long Island 103-91 (OT). RPI: Sacred Heart 239, Long Island 100. Analysis: Long Island will run its way to a runaway. Line: Long Island -9. Pick: Long Island 91, Sacred Heart 72.

(7) Central Connecticut State (13-15, 10-8) at (2) Wagner (24-5, 15-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Wagner 67-58; Feb. 25 – Central Connecticut 78-61. RPI: Wagner 89, Central Connecticut 225. Analysis: Ignore the records. These teams have similar talent and this one will be close. Line: Wagner -10. Pick: Wagner 74, Central Connecticut 72.

(6) Monmouth (12-19, 10-8) at (3) Robert Morris (22-9, 13-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Robert Morris 69-51; Jan. 21 – Robert Morris 81-73 (OT). RPI: Robert Morris 121, Monmouth 235. Analysis: RMU is poised to make a deep run in this tourney. Line: Robert Morris -10. Pick: Robert Morris 76, Monmouth 59.

(5) Quinnipiac (17-12, 10-8) at (4) St. Francis (NY) (15-14, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – St. Francis 73-72; Feb. 16 – St. Francis 64-56*. RPI: St. Francis 203, Quinnipiac 169. Analysis: St. Francis got the better of the regular-season matchups, but the Bobcats should move on in the post-season. Line: Quinnipiac -2½. Pick: Quinnipiac 67, St. Francis 64.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 89-59

Thursday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:15:04 -0800

Three more conferences begin tournament action on Thursday night, which includes four quarterfinal match ups in the NEC. The higher-seeded teams host all four games, which includes regular season champion and top-seed LIU-Brooklyn hosting a Sacred Heart team they've beaten twice this season. But this isn't your usual 1/8 matchup as LIU head coach Jim Ferry pointed out earlier this week, as both meetings have been close.

LIU won at Sacred Heart by six (87-81) on January 5th and their meeting in Brooklyn was a wild 103-91 overtime track meet. The Blackbirds have a number of weapons on which to rely, led by NEC Player of the Year Julian Boyd, but the first order of business for them on the defensive end will be to slow down Shane Gibson. Gibson ended the regular season with averaging 22.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, with the former number ranking fourth nationally and tops in the NEC.

According to Ken Pomeroy's numbers, Gibson is ninth nationally in offensive rating among players who have a possession percentage of 28% or higher. Simply put, when the Pioneers get the ball in his hands good things generally happen. Gibson accounted for 24 points, five steals and four assists in the meeting in Brooklyn, but while he's the feature option the junior guard is not the only player Dave Bike can call on.

Forward Justin Swidowski is averaging 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, putting up 23 and five against the Blackbirds. Swidowski clearly can be effective inside but he's going to need some help as LIU has not only Boyd but also Jamal Olasewere on which to rely in the paint. Both average at least 17 points per game with Boyd also leading the team with 9.7 caroms per contest, and despite having the ability to step out to the three-point line both shoot better than 50% from the field.

As a team LIU shoots 47.4% from the field, a number that is the best in the NEC. Sacred Heart isn't far behind as they make shots at a 45.9% clip, and with both regular season meetings being high-scoring affairs more of the same is to be expected. If Chris Evans, Evan Kelley and Luis Montes can raise their level of play on the perimeter Sacred Heart is capable of winning. But when you add in the likes of Jason Brickman and C.J. Garner for LIU it's going to be a tough task to say the least.

The one home team that did not manage to sweep their opponent during the regular season is Wagner, who opens tournament play with a visit from Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils have three of the NEC's best scorers in Ken Horton, Robbie Ptacek and Kyle Vinales, and they did manage to beat Wagner 78-61 in New Britain in the regular season finale for both. The Seahawks, who have an ample supply of scorers themselves, got in trouble by shooting 5-for-24 from the field in the first half. A similar effort from Latif Rivers and company will get them beat again if they aren't careful.

Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) squad limps into tournament play on a two-game losing streak, but they did sweep the regular season series with Quinnipiac, who they face in the 4/5 game. The second meeting was a 64-56 Terrier victory at QU, with Jalen Cannon leading a balanced offensive effort with 13 points while also pulling down 19 rebounds. QU guard James Johnson can light it up when he gets going, and Ike Azotam grabbed 15 boards in that game to lead the Bobcats.

And lastly three-seed Robert Morris hosts a Monmouth team that's turned some head in year one of the King Rice era. The Hawks have won three straight, most recently blowing out LIU 106-78 in the regular season finale, but they were swept by RMU during the regular season. Jesse Steele is the lone Monmouth player averaging double figures for what's been a balanced attack, and they have to be successful in slowing down Velton Jones if they're to have a chance to win at RMU.

Northeast - Quarterfinals
#8 Sacred Heart at #1 Long Island, 7:00 pm
#7 Central Connecticut at #2 Wagner, 7:00 pm
#6 Monmouth at #3 Robert Morris, 7:00 pm
#5 Quinnipiac at #4 St. Francis (NY), 7:00 pm

America East - First Round
#8 UMBC vs. #9 Binghamton, 8:15 p.m. (AE All-Access Live Video)

These two teams meet for the right to take on regular season champion Stony Brook on Friday and it's a safe assumption that regardless of who wins they'll be a decided underdog against the Seawolves. Binghamton won just one game all season, and that was a stunning home win over Vermont. UMBC won just four games this season but two of the wins came at the expense of Binghamton. There will be some solid players on display, as Chase Plummer (UMBC) and Robert Mansell (Binghamton) are the leading scorers for their respective teams.

Atlantic Sun - Quarterfinals
#4 ETSU vs. #5 North Florida, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
#3 USC Upstate vs. #6 FGCU, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

The other half of the A-Sun bracket will take the floor on Thursday, with a USC Upstate team that's won 20 games this season being the highest-seeded team. Torrey Craig was named league Player of the Year for his efforts, and he'll be a handful for Florida Gulf Coast to say the least. The Spartans won their most recent meeting 87-74, jumping out to a 46-24 halftime lead. Craig scored 30 points and grabbed nine boards and sidekick Ty Greene added 22 and six assists. Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson combined to score 44 points but Brown needed 23 shots to score his 24, and he has to be more efficient if the Eagles are to win.

In the other matchup ETSU looks to beat North Florida for the third time this season, and if the Bucs can force the Ospreys into 19 turnovers as they did in the second meeting that's definitely possible. UNF also didn't have an answer for Isiah Brown in the 65-50 result as he scored a game-high 27 points. Parker Smith led UNF with 17 points but no other Osprey scored more than seven, and that cannot happen again.

Big South - Semifinals
#7 VMI vs. #6 Winthrop, 6:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
#1 UNC Asheville vs. #4 Charleston Southern, 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

While chalk ruled in the top half of the Big South bracket both two-seed Coastal Carolina and three-seed Campbell fell on Wednesday. In theory that would clear the way for top-seed UNC Asheville, but theory doesn't always hold up especially in March. The backcourt tandem of Matt Dickey and J.P. Primm ranks among the best that doesn't end up on television every week, however one of their two league losses was a 93-88 defeat at home to Charleston Southern on January 19th. Arlon Harper and Saah Nimley scored a combined 48 points to lead the Buccaneers, matching the combined output of Dickey and Primm. If they can do that again don't be surprised if CSU pulls the upset.

VMI knocked down 14 three-pointers in their win over Coastal Carolina and there's no doubt that Stan Okoye and company can score. Winthrop forced 16 Campbell turnovers in their 71-55 win and Reggie Middleton was a tough cover on the other end, pacing the Eagles with 25 points. How they got to this point is of little concern to either VMI or Winthrop, as the winner will find themselves 40 minutes away from the NCAA tournament.

Missouri Valley - First Round
#8 Indiana State vs. #9 Southern Illinois, 7:00 p.m. (MVC TV)
#7 Drake vs. #10 Bradley, 9:30 p.m. (MVC TV)

The question for the four teams kicking off Arch Madness is a simple one: who is best capable of knocking off top seeds Wichita State and Creighton? That answer is a toss-up between Drake and Indiana State, with all due respect to SIU forward Mamadou Seck. Ben Simons and Rayvonte Rice can both put up some points for the Bulldogs while Jake Odum runs the show for the Sycamores. Those two should be the favorites to advance to Friday's quarterfinal round, although SIU did split the regular season series with ISU. Drake was able to sweep their two meetings with Bradley, beating the Braves by eight at home and by seven at Bradley.

Ohio Valley - Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech vs. #5 Southeast Missouri State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
#3 Morehead State vs. #7 Jacksonville State, 8:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

The two teams that played for the OVC crown last season look to begin a run at the title on Thursday as defending champ Morehead State and runner-up Tennessee Tech take the floor. Kevin Murphy has lit it up for Tech in conference play, and he's got a 50-point game to his credit to boot. Donnie Tyndall's Eagles won four of their last five games to end the regular season, but the loss of Terrance Hill did take some time to get used to on the offensive end of the floor. SEMO is more than capable of knocking off the Golden Eagles but they did drop the lone regular season meeting by 15, while Morehead and Jacksonville State split their two meetings with the visiting team winning both.

West Coast - Second Round
#5 San Francisco vs. #8 Portland, 9:00 p.m.
#6 San Diego vs. #7 Pepperdine, 11:00 p.m.

Of the four teams playing on Thursday night at Orleans Arena the Dons have the best shot of making some waves should they advance. Angelo Caloiaro is one of the better players in the WCC in regards to versatility and he's one of four San Francisco players averaging double figures in scoring. Eric Reveno's Pilots have had their issues on both ends of the floor, and the hope for Portland is that they play USF as they did in the second meeting (72-71 Dons win at Portland) as opposed to the first (104-70 loss at USF). San Diego won both of its meetings with Pepperdine this season, most recently beating the Waves 70-57 in Malibu on February 9th. Taylor Darby and Corbin Moore will have to take over if Pepperdine is to advance to play BYU on Friday.

Davis Leads #1 Kentucky Past Vanderbilt: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:30:42 -0800

#4 Kansas clinched their eighth consecutive Big 12 title with a wild 87-86 overtime win over #3 Missouri, placing head coach Bill Self in some esteemed company. Here are today's "Quick Hitters":

1. #1 Kentucky wraps up another SEC title with a win over Vanderbilt.
In what has been a superlative season for freshman Anthony Davis, the Chicago native may have saved his best performance (thus far) for Saturday. Davis made ten of his eleven shots from the field and scored 28 points while also grabbing 11 boards and blocking six shots to lead Kentucky to an 83-74 win over Vanderbilt. The victory also locked up the 45th SEC title in program history, and it's been clear that there's a lot more this group can achieve before this season ends. Jeffery Taylor scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Vanderbilt, who may have enough to hang around longer than they have in recent NCAA appearances when that time comes.

But on this day it was about the impact of Davis on an afternoon that saw Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (eight points, eight rebounds) and Terrence Jones (12 points, six rebounds) play 29 and 23 minutes respectively. Vandy may have out scored Kentucky 21-6 from beyond the arc but they also made just 42.2% of their shots inside of the arc, and going 15-for-23 from the foul line doesn't help on the road either.

Marquis Teague got off to a slow start but he got going as the game wore on, finishing with 15 points and six assists, and Darius Miller scored nine points off the bench. Kentucky won with two starters in foul trouble and a third (Doron Lamb) scoring just seven points. That lack of production is not going to happen very often between now and the end of the season, so good luck to all future opponents.

2. With #21 New Mexico completing an 0-2 week the Mountain West title is once again up for grabs.
After wins over San Diego State and UNLV last week Steve Alford's Lobos were undoubtedly the class of the Mountain West. But after losses to Colorado State and TCU, New Mexico is back in a three-way tie for first with the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels going into the last week of regular season play. After going to the half tied (38-all) New Mexico was outscored 45-26 by the Horned Frogs in the 83-64 beating, moving TCU to a surprising 7-5 in conference play and 6-0 in league home games. J.R. Cadot led six TCU players in double figures with 15 points while also grabbing ten rebounds and point guard Hank Thorns dished out nine assists to go along with his 14 points, and a team few expected to contend remains alive in the Mountain West title race.

UNLV was able to hold off a pesky Air Force squad in Las Vegas, winning 68-58 with Chace Stanback's 21 points and eight rebounds leading the way, and San Diego State held off Colorado State 74-66. Jamaal Franklin, who's been banged up of late, went off for 31 points and 16 rebounds to lead the way. With all three teams at 8-4 having played each other twice the Mountain West race will be decided by how they all do against the rest of the conference (the three-way tie at this point would be broken by record vs. the fourth place team).

Before this week the Lobos were the ones who hadn't slipped up, but obviously that's changed. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams need to be consistent if New Mexico is to win the MWC but at this point anything can happen, and given how dangerous the likes of TCU, Colorado State and Wyoming have played it probably will.

3. Gonzaga's 11-year reign atop the WCC ends as Saint Mary's clinches the WCC title.
While Kansas' current streak of eight straight Big 12 titles is nothing to scoff at, Gonzaga had won 11 straight West Coast Conference titles heading into this season. But that streak came to an end on Saturday night as Saint Mary's beat San Francisco 67-60, wrapping up the regular season title for the Gaels. It wasn't a pretty effort for Randy Bennett's team as they shot just 6-for-28 from beyond the arc, but Saint Mary's made the plays they needed to make down the stretch.

Clint Steindl, who entered the starting lineup with Stephen Holt out with a knee inury, scored a team-high 16 points while Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones (14 rebounds) scored 14 points apiece. Jones wasn't the only Gael to post a double-double either as Brad Waldow, who has emerged as the Gaels' second-best interior player in WCC play, scored ten points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Saint Mary's and Gonzaga wrapped up byes to the semifinals of next weekend's WCC tournament with the results while BYU and Loyola Marymount receive byes to the quarters as the third and fourth seeds. One would think that the top three teams are all safely into the Field of 68 at this point, and Max Good's Lions have the ability to run through the conference tournament and get the WCC a fourth NCAA bid.

Gonzaga's run atop the WCC may have ended but by no means is this "the end", in regards to both this season as well as the future. Players such as Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell and Guy Landry Edi will all have an impact for the Zags (and Kelly Olynyk will be back in the fold next season), and they'll need to if Mark Few's team is to make some noise next month.

4. #2 Syracuse wraps up the tenth Big East regular season title in school history with a win at UConn.
Jim Boeheim's team was walking into what was sure to be a charged environment, given the "ESPN College Gameday" presence and Connecticut's need for a marquee win. And even though things got tight down the stretch Syracuse was able to pick up their first-ever win at Gampel Pavilion, winning 71-69 with C.J. Fair blocking a Roscoe Smith shot in the final seconds to preserve the lead.

The concerns about rebounding going into the game given the Huskies' size inside? No issue for the Orange, who out-rebounded the Huskies 39-35 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds (UConn finished with 15 but was outscored 16-14 in second-chance points) on the night.Fab Melo's follow-up dunk with 31 seconds remaining gave Syracuse, who led by as many as 17 points, the victory but it was Kris Joseph and their reserves who stood out.

Joseph scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as he bounced back from a 5-for-17 night in Syracuse's win over USF on Wednesday night. As for the reserves once again Syracuse showed that they're the deepest team in America. Dion Waiters led the way with ten points while Fair (six points, seven rebounds) and James Southerland (seven points) also made an impact. The Orange reserves outscored the UConn bench 26-0 on the night, allowing Syracuse to successfully navigate a quiet night from Brandon Triche (18 minutes played) and Scoop Jardine shooting 3-for-10 from the field (seven points, six assists).

With something of consequence from Shabazz Napier or Tyler Olander off the bench UConn would have had an even better shot of winning, and that's going to be the key in their games against Providence and Pittsburgh. Gain some consistency and the Huskies have the ability to be a tough out in the Big Dance, and while their close loss showed UConn's potential it also showed the difference between a team that can win games and one that can win a championship.

5. Northwestern and Texas avoid what would have been bad losses while Seton Hall and NC State aren't as fortunate.
The focus for bubble teams this time of the year tends to be on the search for that "signature win", but just as important is the ability to avoid shooting oneself in the foot. Northwestern and Texas looked to be headed towards bad (or in the case of Texas, catastrophic) losses but both the Wildcats and Longhorns were able to pull out victories on the road.

John Shurna made a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining to give Northwestern a 67-66 win at Penn State (the foul should have been called on the catch before Shurna was ever fouled on his shot attempt). And in Lubbock it took seven points from J'Covan Brown in the final 2:16 of overtime for the Longhorns to beat Texas Tech 71-67, with Rick Barnes' team closing the game on a 10-0 run.

Seton Hall and NC State weren't as fortunate, with the Pirates' slide commencing with Pope being called for an offensive foul (that many SHU fans vigorously disputed) with 44.1 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 72. From there in-state rival Rutgers would score the final five points, exacting a measure of revenge on a team that beat them at the RAC in the first meeting this season. Jordan Theodore led the Pirates with 17 points and nine assists but it was Rutgers' Dane Miller (21 points, ten rebounds, four assists and three blocks) who stood out.

At least the Pirates are likely on the right side of the fence (or at least close to it) in spite of the loss. The same cannot be said for Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack, who seem to be freefall mode as they dropped their fourth straight game (72-69 at Clemson). Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie scored 18 points apiece to lead the Wolfpack but it wasn't enough as Scott Wood (1-6 FG) struggled and Milton Jennings led three Tigers in double figures with 17 points. The difference was the foul line, as NC State made five of thirteen and Clemson finished 16-for-21. While there are still games to be played there doesn't seem to be much sand left in the hourglass for NC State.

Quick Hitters

1. From Friday night the Big East Player of the Year race may have received some clarity. With three starters (Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Darius Johnson-Odom) suspended for the first half of #10 Marquette's game at West Virginia and Todd Mayo suspended for the second, Jae Crowder did everything in his power to lead the Golden Eagles to the 61-60 win. Crowder finished with 26 points and four rebounds while outplaying WVU's Kevin Jones, who didn't receive a who lot of help down the stretch from his teammates. And while Buzz Williams' dancing received the bulk of the postgame attention, Bob Huggins' visible frustration with his team shouldn't be ignored either.

2. There's now a tie atop the Ivy League in the loss column as Penn snapped Harvard's 28-game home win streak by the final score of 55-54. Zack Rosen's two free throws with 23 seconds remaining proved to be the difference for the Quakers, who are now 9-2 in league play (Harvard's 10-2). But don't start planning for a possible playoff just yet, as Jerome Allen's team still has games against Yale (home) and Princeton (road) to deal with. And if you haven't seen Rosen play by now...shame.

3. Following Purdue's blowout loss to Michigan State forward Ryne Smith made the comment that the dismissal of Kelsey Barlow was "addition by subtraction." Smith may have been proven right on Saturday as the Boilermakers handed #13 Michigan their first home loss of the season by the final score of 75-61. Terone Johnson led the way with 22 points and Purdue enjoyed a stretch in the second half in which they scored on 11 of 13 possessions. That's how you cement your status as a tournament team.

4. Arizona and Washington both did what they needed to do on Saturday, escaping with wins against UCLA and Washington State respectively. Kyle Fogg led the Wildcats to the 65-63 win on Senior Day in Tucson with 20 points and nine rebounds, giving Arizona their 21st win of the season. Tony Wroten accounted for 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in Washington's 59-55 win at Washington State, a game the Huskies trailed 45-32 with 11 minutes remaining. It remains to be seen how many teams the Pac-12 can get into the tournament, but at this point the best strategy for both is to simply keep winning.

5. Another interesting day in the Atlantic 10 as Saint Louis suffered a brutal loss for their resume while Dayton and Saint Joseph's picked up needed victories. Billy Baron's shot in the final seconds gave Rhode Island a 64-62 win over the Billikens in Kingston, but regardless of the venue that's a game Rick Majerus' team did not need on their resume as a loss. Langston Galloway led four Saint Joseph's players in double figures with 22 points as the Hawks beat #22 Temple 82-72 to earn a share of the Big 5 title, and Dayton blew out UMass 76-43 at home. Three seems to be the number of bids most expect the A-10 to receive, which makes games like these even more important down the stretch.

6. Cleveland State finally looked like a cohesive group with D'Aundray Brown out of the lineup as they beat Wright State 77-55. Trevon Harmon scored 20 points and Jeremy Montgomery 17 for the Vikings, who locked up the two-seed in next week's Horizon League tournament. That earns them (along with regular season champ Valparaiso) a bye to the semifinals, a perk that was much-needed by the Vikings.

7. Behind 31 points from Bradford Burgess, VCU was able to jump on George Mason early in what ended up being an 89-77 win in Richmond to grab the two-seed in the CAA tournament. VCU scored 12 points within a stretch of less than two minutes in the first half to establish a margin the Patriots were unable to overcome despite 24 points and nine rebounds from Ryan Pearson. These two could very well meet in the CAA semis next weekend, and a rubber match would have huge implications in regards to the NCAA tournament.

8. The pace wasn't in their favor but #7 North Carolina found a way to win as they beat Virginia 54-51 in Charlottesville. Tyler Zeller scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds on the afternoon and John Henson added 15 and 11 with two blocked shots. Defensively the Tar Heels were able to keep Mike Scott in check, something they were unable to do in Chapel Hill. Scott shot just 3-for-13 from the field and scored six points for the Cavaliers, who shot 6-for-23 from beyond the arc.

9. Fred Hoiberg's Iowa State Cyclones did themselves a favor from an NCAA tournament seeding standpoint with their 65-61 win at Kansas State, who was coming off of consecutive road wins at Baylor and Missouri. Scott Christopherson scored 29 points and Royce White added nine points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The win also keeps the Cyclones tied with Baylor for third place, and they'll host the Bears in the regular season finale for both next weekend.

10. The Northeast Conference tournament, which begins on Thursday night, has the potential to be a wild event of Saturday's results are a harbinger of things to come. The top four seeds (who will host games on Thursday) all lost, including regular season champ LIU-Brooklyn getting pasted 106-78 at Monmouth, while seeds five through eight all won. King Rice's Hawks may be the hottest team entering the tournament as they've won seven of their last nine games, and Quinnipiac hasn't been bad either as they've won eight of their last eleven. LIU's the favorite with Wagner right behind them but don't be surprised if there's an upset along the way.

11. Things got a bit wild in Huntington but that didn't deter Memphis, who whipped Marshall 87-67 to remain in first place in Conference USA. Will Barton scored 24 points, Joe Jackson 21 and Chris Crawford added 16 and eight assists to lead the Tigers, who have enough talent to give an opponent headaches in the Big Dance. Josh Pastner's team has been maddeningly inconsistent at times this season, but don't sleep on them.

10 Teams To Watch Next Year: The College Basketball List

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:15:21 -0800

Each week, CollegeHoops.net's Greg Mengelt presents a different College Basketball List. This week, Greg takes a look at 10 teams that are setting up well for next year..

Note: This is not a list of next year’s top 10 teams. It’s simply 10 teams to keep an eye on.. The list can't take into account possible surprise defections to the NBA..

1. Syracuse: The Orange will have to replace Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, but C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters are more than capable of filling their roles. Expect Brandon Triche to take a larger scoring role, and Fab Melo and Rakeem Christmas to improve under the basket. There are two keys to Syracuse's 2013 season: The NBA Draft and James Southerland. If no more than Melo or Waiters go pro and Southerland becomes the star he’s capable of being, Syracuse could win it all in 2013.

2. Duke: The Blue Devils only lose light-scoring senior Miles Plumlee and aside from Austin Rivers, who could jump to the NBA, the entire Duke roster should return in intact. Mason Plumlee will continue to dominate on the boards and on defense. Quinn Cook, Tyler Thornton and Marshall Plumlee will take more prominent roles, and Ryan Kelly may become the Devils’ go-to player.

3. Texas: One of the best freshman classes in the country in 2011-12 should return intact for the 2012-13 season, along with leading scorer J’Covan Brown, who should have a big senior season. Myck Kabongo – the only Longhorn who could conceivably leave for the NBA – will benefit from a rough freshman season that will show him where he needs to improve. Jonathan Holmes, Julien Lewis, Sheldon McClellen and Jaylen Bond will give Texas a deep and talented roster. Freshman big man Cameron Ridley, a 5-star recruit, should add much needed size.

4. Indiana: Tom Crean’s rebuilding process will be complete. Indiana loses nothing of significance and Maurice Creek could return from a knee injury. Cody Zeller (assuming he stays) will only improve. Victor Oladipo, Christian Watford, Will Sheehy and Jordan Hulls are also expected to return. Add in two Top 20 recruits, Hanner Perea and Kevin Ferrell, and the Hoosiers have a shot at a Final 4 run.

5. Creighton: The Blue Jays will miss Antoine Young, but their current depth – led by freshman PG Austin Chatman – should more than make up for his absence. Doug McDermott will continue to refine his game and center Gregory Echenique will become more dominant. Sharpshooters Ethan Wragge, Grant Gibbs and Jahenns Mangiat are all expected to return, as well.

6. Saint Joseph’s: There’s not a single senior on a Hawk roster dominated by its talented sophomore class. Junior Carl Jones and sophomore Langston Galloway are already an explosive scoring threat and will only improve. C.J. Aiken will continue to dominate the paint defensively, and Halil Kanacevic is expected to play a bigger role.

7. Stanford: The Cardinal have one of the deepest and most talented sophomore classes in the country, led by PF Dwight Powell and SG Chasson Randle, who is technically a redshirt freshman this season. Aaron Bright is a strong shooter and John Huestis is an incredibly savvy player. Stanford will be one of the best teams in the Pac-12 next season and should be a national championship threat in 2013-14.

8. Davidson: The Wildcats have five players averaging in double-figures this season and none of them are seniors. Sophomore De’Mon Brooks is the team’s leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. Jake Cohen, Nik Cochran and J.P. Kuhlman are also juniors for a Davidson team that is 14-2 in the SoCon and knocked off Kansas in Lawrence in December.

9. Long Island: The Blackbirds are 22-7 and have dominated the NEC without a single senior who is a significant contributor. Juniors Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere combine for 34.2 points per game and both should be back next season along with sophomore Jason Brickman, who leads LIU at seven assists per game.

10. South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits will have to replace their best shooter in Griffan Callahan, but he is the only senior on the SDSU roster. Nate Wolters will no longer be considered a hidden gem after this season, in which he’s averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 assists, five rebounds and 1.6 steals. With Dominique Morrison graduating from Oral Roberts, South Dakota State should be the Summit League favorite heading into next season.

Bearcats Pick Up Needed Win: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:55:26 -0800

In the game of the night Duke rode the hot shooting of Andre Dawkins and the playmaking of Austin Rivers to avenge an earlier loss to Florida State, winning 74-66 in Tallahassee.

1. The game wasn't pretty but Cincinnati did enough to beat #17 Louisville.
It went without saying that Mick Cronin's Bearcats needed another good win for their resume due in large part to their weak non-conference slate. Their contest with #17 Louisville won't be a video that basketball purists eagerly throw into the DVD player but all that matters is the result, a 60-56 Bearcat victory to move to 10-5 in the Big East. Cashmere Wright rebounded from a second half ankle injury to lead Cincinnati with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists, and the Bearcats' superiority from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. Cincinnati made 11 of their 27 shots from deep while Louisville finished 1-for-14.

Peyton Siva scored 14 points and Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan scored 11 apiece (20 combined rebounds as well), but the struggles of Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith were critical. Those two combined to shoot 0-for-15 from the field with Kuric missing all seven of his three-point attempts, and Louisville can't win when that happens. There's more work for Cincinnati to do to make their Selection Sunday as stress-free as possible, but beating the Cardinals at home is a good start to the stretch run.

2. Likely needing a weekend sweep to enter the bubble conversation, Colorado gets whipped at home by Stanford.
With a 13-1 home record entering Thursday's action, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes had the look of a team that would enhance its NCAA prospects by winning at home against Stanford. But the Cardinal had other plans, as they jumped the Buffs in the first half on their way to the 74-50 victory. Chasson Randle scored 20 to lead the way offensively, and Johnny Dawkins' club was able to navigate 18 turnovers by limiting the Buffaloes to 29.6% shooting. Askia Booker led Colorado with 14 points, but a look at their resume depicts a team in need of a major run to reach the Big Dance. Andre Roberson (nine points, 11 rebounds) struggled, but he found other areas in which he could attempt to have an impact.

The same can't be said for guard Carlon Brown, who shot 1-for-8 from the field and has shot 6-for-28 over the last three games. As a result of Stanford's victory the Cardinal are back in the tournament discussion, but just ilke Colorado nothing other than the Pac-12's automatic berth will get them in at this point. Next up for Colorado is Cal on Sunday afternoon, and with a national audience watching that could be the Buffs' last stand. The hope in Boulder is that they find a way to avoid the slow start that has been their Achille's heal in recent weeks.

3. Gonzaga evens the score with BYU to keep alive their hopes of a 12th straight WCC title.
Elias Harris scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to a 74-63 win over the Cougars, avenging their loss in Provo and moving into sole possession of second place in the WCC. Brandon Davies led BYU with 23 points and ten rebounds but it was obvious that BYU was missing something with Noah Hartsock (knee) sitting out the majority of the game due to his injury. The Cougars attempted 37 more field goals than Gonzaga (78-41) but they made just 30.8% of their shots, and making the same number of three-pointers as the Bulldogs (six) with fifteen more attempts (28-13) didn't help matters either.

Gonzaga turned the ball over 20 times but their parade to the foul line more than made up for that. Gonzaga attempted 44 free throws, making 36 and pushing the Bulldogs' total to 72 free throw attempts in two games against BYU. Gonzaga didn't have much of an answer for Davies in the post when he received the ball, but the Cougars had their issues in the second half as well. The win moves Gonzaga to second place with one league game remaining, which also means that the Bulldogs are still alive for their 12th consecutive WCC title.

Quick Hitters

1. Two more teams locked up postseason (NIT) berths on Thursday night: Belmont (Atlantic Sun) and LIU Brooklyn (Northeast). The Bruins whipped Kennesaw State 90-50 as Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders scored 12 points apiece to lead four players in double figures. Jamal Olasewere scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Julian Boyd went off for 21 and 20 to lead LIU past Fairleigh Dickinson 91-80.

2. JaMychal Green didn't play but Alabama still found a way to pick up a key road win as they beat Arkansas 79-68. Andrew Steele scored 15 points and Trevor Releford 14 for the Crimson Tide, who also received 31 points from Rodney Cooper (17) and Nick Jacobs (14) off the bench. At 18-9 and 7-6 in the SEC, Anthony Grant's team will likely reach the Big Dance with a respectable finish to the regular season.

3. Long Beach State clinched a share of the Big West title and the top seed in the conference tournament, but they still aren't the outright champs...yet. Cal State Fullerton needed an Isiah Umipig three with 13 seconds remaining to beat Pacific 69-68, moving the Titans to 10-3 in league play. Fullerton is a game up on UCSB in the race for second with three games remaining for both.

4. It was the "Matt Gatens Show" in Iowa City, complete with a bobblehead given out to fans before the game, as Gatens led Iowa to a 67-66 win over #15 Wisconsin. Gatens scored a career-high 33 points, and the last player to do that against the Badgers was Stephen Curry ('08 Sweet 16).

5. Don't look now but Butler is a win away from locking up the two-seed in the upcoming Horizon League conference tournament. Brad Stevens' team won on Tuesday, and Cleveland State's 77-64 win over Detroit eliminates the possibility of the Titans winning a tiebreaker between the two. But locking up the seed will be tough, as the Bulldogs visit regular season champ Valparaiso on Friday night.

6. Isaiah Canaan scored 24 points and Donte Poole 16 to lead #12 Murray State to an 80-62 win over Tennessee State, the team responsible for the lone blemish on the Racers' record. Murray won despite being out-rebounded 33-22, but that tends to happen when a team shoots 56.5% from the field and 12-for-22 from three.

7. Also locking up a postseason berth on Thursday night was Middle Tennessee, who won 94-61 at Louisiana-Monroe to move to 14-1 in Sun Belt play. Kermit Davis' team assisted on 30 of their 35 field goals and 12 of the 15 Blue Raiders who played ended up scoring.

8. Thanks to 26 points and 14 rebounds from center Mike Muscala, Bucknell won 55-50 at American to clinch at least a share of the Patriot League title. The Bison entered Thursday's game on a two-game losing streak, which added some unexpected drama to the league race. Daniel Munoz led three Eagles in double figures with 15 points, and they now need a win and some help this weekend to wrestle away the two-seed from Lehigh.